1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
67 
WHAT SAY? 
A Crop of Oats. —I would like readers of The R. 
N.-Y. to give their methods of raising oats—fitting the 
seed bed, the number of bushels to sow per acre, broad¬ 
cast or in drills, deep or shallow, the kind of soil where 
their methods succeed, variety of oats, etc. Last 
season was a very dry one here. I raised from 113€ 
acres, 897 bushels on a stiff clay soil. My oats weigh 
44 pounds per measured bushel. If any reader of 
The R. N.-Y. can beat that, under similar conditions, 
I want his method and variety of oats. If The R. 
N.-Y. wishes my method, I will give it. s. B. f. 
Blake, O. 
R. N.-Y.—Let’s have your method to start off with ! 
Sugar Beets and Ensii.age —The article on page 
2-3 of January 4, from Greeley, Colo., seems to sustain 
and agree with our experience in feeding sugar beets 
with corn ensilage, only our fine corn ensilage gives 
no unpleasant taste to the milk. We desire practical 
experience in feeding sugar beets with corn ensilage. 
How far can beets be substituted for bran, oil-meal, 
etc. ? We have grown 15 to 20 tons of fine beets per 
acre at small cost, except the labor, and if these will 
take the place of costly purchased feeds, it will result 
in saving that much. I am aware that this is not in 
accordance with the theory of well-balanced feed 
rations; yet our experience shows that the best pos¬ 
sible results, both in milk and butter, are attained in 
autumn when our cows are on good Blue-grass 
pastures, and have also the range of stalk fields 
after husking. Will not good corn ensilage (whole 
corn, ears and all) and plenty of sliced sugar beets, 
very nearly imitate the above ration of Blue-grass 
and corn-stalk pasture? My experience seems to 
show that this is true. Who has had experience along 
this line ? Actual experience is what is inquired for, 
not theory. B. F. A. 
Covington, O. 
It. N.-Y.—We shall be pleased to have actual ex¬ 
perience in this matter from those who have l’eally 
fed sugar beets and ensilage, nere is a comparative 
statement of the analysis of some of the foods men¬ 
tioned : 
POUNDS TO TUB 100. 
Muscle-makers. Fat-formers. Pure fat. 
Good pasture. 3*4 10 3-5 
Corn stalks. 2.4 34*4 !4 
Ensilage. 1.2 12 (4 
Sugar beets. 1 16*4 1—10 
Clover hay. 74-5 40J4 14 
It will thus be seen that the best pasture and corn 
stalks will enable the cow to balance her own ration, 
and the probability is that, left to herself, she would 
eat about enough of the stalks to give the regular 
standard ratio between muscle-makers and fat-form¬ 
ers. With ensilage and sugar beets, this would be 
well-nigh impossible, since both of these foods are 
weak in muscle-makers. By the addition of clover 
hay, the ration would be improved, but even then it 
would be difficult to get the results obtained from 
the good pasture and stalks. 
Fertilizers for Canadian Corn. —Has it been found 
profitable to use commercial fertilizers on corn when 
raised as a grain crop in Canada? I would like to 
know the best system to follow in raising corn in 
what we might call the flint corn region. I would 
like to have the experience of others. I think an ex¬ 
change of ideas would benefit the most of us, as I am 
satisfied that there is much for us to learn on this im¬ 
portant matter. j. c. 
R.-N.-Y.—Let’s hear from our Canadian friends who 
have used fertilizers. Corn is really a warm-country 
plant. How has its culture been modified to suit 
cold countries ? 
Miller Raspberry Hardy. —The mercury went 
two degrees below zero on several occasions last 
winter, and it was generally conceded that nothing 
equal to it had been experienced for 
many years ; yet the Miller Red rasp¬ 
berry came out alive to the tips, while 
many other varieties were badly winter- 
killed. Another thing, last season 
proved conclusively, that several spuri¬ 
ous sorts were sold for Miller; while 
plants of the true Miller came through 
not in the least hurt, these were in 
some instances killed to the ground. 
Although resembling Miller somewhat, 
they lack size, productiveness and hardi¬ 
ness common to that sort. My field has 
no protection whatever, is not within 
one-half mile of a woods, and could not well lie in a 
more exposed or colder situation. ciias. weight. 
Delawai’e. 
Farmers as Breeders.—I have a dairy of 12 cows, 
and sell my milk to a factory. I would like to get 
some registered thoroughbreds, that are not common 
through the country, so that I could sell the calves 
and cows for a good price, and also have a breed that 
gives a good flow of milk, and fattens easily. I have 
been thinking of the Devons. I have a good stable, 
with stalls, and the cows are fastened with chains. 
Now can a farmer of limited means make a success 
of raising thoroughbreds to sell ; that is make money 
at it ? Or can only those that have plenty of money 
afford it? t. o. 
Tioga County, N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—Here is a good chance for comparing 
ROSA MULTIFLORA NANA'. Fig. 27. 
(See Catalogue Reviews, Page 70.) 
soak it. Let it stand overnight in some sheltered 
place where it won’t freeze, to be ready for the morn¬ 
ing feed ; put it into the mixing box first, then add 
the ground feed and mix all thoi’oughly. Make it 
wet enough to be somewhat clammy or sticky, as 
ducks cannot eat dry, loose feed very well. Have 
water near by for them to drink at feeding time ; this 
completes the morning feed. 
At night, give them equal portions of whole corn, 
wheat and oats. To give some idea of how much to 
feed at once, I give the amount I feed to a flock of 
90 in one yard. I take a three-hooped pail for a meas¬ 
ure, which holds about eight quarts ; for the morning 
feed, two pails heaping full of the first mixture, at 
night one pail of mixed whole grain as above stated. 
With a little calculation, any one can tell how much 
to feed to a flock of any size. Outside of this they get 
nothing else to eat. 
If there is no stream running through the yard from 
which they can get grit or coarse sand, crushed flint 
should be put in boxes and placed in the yard. I 
would caution any one who thinks of going into the 
duck business, against breeding anything but white 
ducks. The Pekins lead all others for market pur¬ 
poses. If our western breeders would do away with 
the colored ducks, and raise nothing but the Pekins, 
they would realize one-half more from their stock. 
We bought and fattened about 12,000 western ducks 
this fall. I dare say that one-half of them were col¬ 
ored, of very inferior stock. We found from actual 
test, that the colored ducks were not so hardy as the 
white, and much less profitable, as it took longer to 
fatten them. If the farmers would lay out a small 
sum of money, say, for one sitting of white duck eggs, 
and raise a few to begin with, they could soon do away 
with the undesirable mongrels they now have, and 
the second year would pay them tenfold. f. 
notes. This is a live question, and we would like to 
have farmers discuss it. 
CARE AND FEED FOR BREEDING DUCKS. 
Ducks for breeders should not be too fat, and their 
quarters should be clean, dry and not too warm. 
There should be some ventilation on the south side of 
the coop. If shut up too closely in their quarters, 
the sides and top of the compartment will get very 
wet from their breath and steam that will rise from 
them ; in cold weather, this will freeze ; then again, 
on warm days, will thaw, which makes the place very 
damp. By properly ventilating the building, this 
may be avoided ; either place a screen in the window, 
or else have a hole cut in the door with slats over it, 
that the steam may pass out and not settle on the 
inside. 
Bed their house two or three times each week ; 
planers’ shavings are very good for this purpose. 
Ducks need not be watered during the night. A very 
good feed for breeders is composed of clover hay, cut 
short, five quarts ; com meal, one quart; bran, five 
quarts ; middlings, three quarts; beef scrap, 
quart; put enough boiling water on the cut hay to 
A FARMER’S CARROT CROP. 
EASILY GROWN; SAVES MUCH FEED. 
It seems to me that carrots arc the most valuable of 
all the roots usually grown for stock, yet I seldom 
read anything about them. I recall but one failure 
to get a stand, in my experience covering some 15 
years. My failure was on a piece of Timothy sod, 
plowed during May, when the ground was dust dry 
to the bottom of the furrow. The seed was drilled 
before the weeds had time to show, and, of course, 
the weeds came first, robbing the carrot seed of 
moisture and plant food. How foolish I was ! But this 
was before I had The R. N.-Y. with articles from 
experienced writers on soil and soil moisture, etc. 
My best crops in field culture, have been on clover 
sod plowed in the fall ; but I don’t always have that. 
My plot last season was a mixed Timothy and Blue- 
grass sod—the clover had all run out—plowed in May. 
It should have been plowed earlier. The smoothing 
harrow and roller were used as often as time would 
permit. We expected rain, but it didn’t rain. I 
usually sow about Decoration Day, but waited until 
June 8, then shoved the “ dust-mulch” off with a two- 
horse corn marker, set at 31 inches, marking three 
rows at a time. Ashes were flung in these marks at 
the rate of a scooped handful to three paces, followed 
by the New Model hand drill which sowed the seed, 
and worked the ashes in somewhat, at the same time. 
The New Model is well adapted to stony ground or 
rough usage. I began this marking late in the after¬ 
noon to avoid drying out. The next morning before 
the dew was off, all was in apple-pie order. 
Carrots don’t come up as quickly as most garden 
seeds ; but, unaided by rain, to my surprise, they 
were pushing their way above ground in five days. 
The stand was all that could be desired. The first 
operation in cultivation was to turn the ridge, left by 
the marker, away from the drill. The Iron Age cul¬ 
tivator with one side-hoe set like a 
plow, and two ordinary teeth to steady 
it, was used going up on one side of the 
row and down the other. We hand- 
weeded once at an expense of $4 per 
acre, when from four to six inches high. 
At this time, I use both side-hoes always 
throwing the soil away from the plants. 
A board fastened behind the cultivator 
leaves everything level and fine. 
I always order seed early, and never 
depend on what may be had at the village 
store. The Chantenay is my favorite 
variety ; it is stump-rooted, much like 
the Oxheart, only finer grained, and not so likely to 
crack open while growing. Unlike the long sorts, it 
requires no thinning, and will produce a crop of about 
the same size throughout. The tops are light, yet 
strong enough to pull by if the ground is moist from 
rain, as it usually is in late October. I have discarded 
the long varieties, because so expensive to dig, and 
hard to top ; I don’t like to use a knife. I grow a 
few long ones, however, for the fair. 
WILSON’S YELLOW EYE PEA BEAN. Fig. 29. (See Catalogue Reviews, Page 71.) 
