1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. loB 
A great deal has been said during the last year, 
concerning dwarf Essex rape as a food for sheep, 
cattle and swine ; but little mention has been made 
of its use as a poultry food. Whenever large flocks 
of fowls are kept in conflnement, it is not always easy 
to supply crisp, green food cheaply during the dry 
summer months, particularly during a somewhat pro¬ 
tracted drought. On just such occasions as this, rape 
is especially valuable. If sown in the latter part of 
May, it will be ready to cut in August, and will pro¬ 
duce a second crop for fall feeding with the following 
treatment: Sow the seeds in rows that are far enough 
apart to admit of horse cultivation. Keep the ground 
thoroughly cultivated whether there are weeds to 
kill or not. To make a quick growth of fresh, green 
leaves, these plants must have water, and thorough 
cultivation will supply this to a great extent, even in 
a protracted drought. The crop may be cut with a 
scythe or sickle at any time after it is a foot high. 
The size of the plants at any particular time will 
depend largely upon the soil and season. The first 
cutting should be made rather high, so that an inch 
or two of stalk will be left above the crown of the 
plant. Unless the conditions are extremely unfavor¬ 
able, a second growth will rapidly take place. If 
sowed at the proper time, rape will furnish green 
food for fowls when clover is suffering from the 
drought and, perhaps, grasshoppers, and when 
mangels are not large enough to be fed economically. 
O 
Comparatively few people realize what the Federal 
government is doing in the way of free distribution 
of reading matter designed for farmers. The Agri¬ 
cultural Department has a regular Division of Publi¬ 
cations, and in the recent report from its chief, we 
are told that in the year ending .June 30, 1805,254 
publications were issued, with a total circulation of 
4,100,660. These books required 800 tons of paper, 
or, put in another way, there were 420,000,000 printed 
pages, or 210,000,000,000 words. These publications 
are sent free to all. We believe that any man who is 
interested in farm life, will be well repaid by secur¬ 
ing these publications and reading such as appear to 
touch some point of farming in which he is specially 
interested. Our advice to all readers would be to 
write to the Agricultural Department at Washington, 
and ask that their names be put on the mailing list, 
so that they may receive all the publications. Our 
opinion is that these public documents are of a 
decidedly higher grade than those of five or ten 
years ago. They are usually carefully edited, and 
there is a manifest effort to talk soluble science and 
use terms that common people can, at least, guess at. 
Once in a while some one turns himself loose among 
three-storied, technical words; but as a rule, the 
language of these pamphlets is easier to assimilate 
than the average experiment station bulletin. 
O 
In trying to figure out the cheapest “ balanced ra¬ 
tion ” by comparing analyses and prices, the feeder 
must always consider the taste and habits of the ani¬ 
mal to be fed—be it hen, horse, hog, human, or cow. 
No animal will thrive on objectionable food. Its din¬ 
ner must “ taste good.” We have had a striking illus¬ 
tration of this fact this winter in buying food for 
some poor people. Having had charge of the dis¬ 
bursement of a small charitable fund, we naturally 
tried to obtain the most food for a dollar. We found 
that, at present prices, the old-fashioned oat meal 
gave the greatest amount of nourishment for a given 
amount of money ; yet it was not an eeonomieal food 
for some families. Some did not know how to cook 
it properly—and did not want to learn. Others found 
it mighty dry eating without milk and sugar or mo¬ 
lasses, and with thesb “ trimmings,’* it cost too much. 
For one family, a bag of rye flour was the cheapest 
food, a barrel of potatoes eerved another, and pork 
and beans another. One family took a barrel of stale 
bread from a baker, and softened it with water into 
toast or brewis, or with a bit of meat into a stew. 
The point was that by consulting the taste of the 
family, as well as the cost of the article, we made a 
dollar go further than it otherwise would. Of course, 
a hen or a cow would not show such strong likes or 
dislikes; but we must cater to their tastes, more or 
less. It is folly to try to force a hen or cow to eat 
objectionable food just because it is cheap. Some 
cows must be coaxed to eat ensilage, prickly comfrey 
or cotton-seed meal; but that is a very different 
thing from forcing them to it. 
© 
BUSINESS BITS. 
S. P. Shepard, Henrietta, O., tells all about his new oats ou 
page 108. 
Mb. E. A. .Tones, formerly superintendent of the New Jersey Ex¬ 
periment Station, advertises for a new engagement. His qualifi¬ 
cations are of the best. 
Ik you are interested in chickens, the more you know about 
them the better. The Peerless Incubater and Brooder Company, 
519 M Ohio Street, Quincy, 111., have a catalogue of poultry sup¬ 
plies that gives lots of pointers. Yon may see just what you 
want in it. Why not send for it ? 
P. N. Bowsuur, South Bend, Ind., was awarded the gold medal 
on his “ Combination” Feed Mill at the Atlanta Exposition. He 
also received a medal on the “ Globe” Sweep Mill. These goods 
met with similar success at the World’s Fair in Chicago. A cata¬ 
logue will be mailed free if you write P. N. Bowslier, South 
Bend,Ind. 
Since harrowing growing crops has become quite.general, there 
is a demand for a harrow that will do the work more satisfac¬ 
torily than any formerly in use. The Lean harrow seems to fill 
this demand. It is light and strong, and so adjusted that it 
covers uneven ground, and the teeth may be set slanted or 
straight by a lever while the team is in raotiou. The features of 
it will be more fully explained in catalogue, which will be sent 
ou application, by the Roderick Lean Manufacturing Company 
Mansfield, O. 
Uncle Samuel is Out Again with 
his Blandest Smile. 
pains him to punish the “ Baby,” but makes him 
when he realizes the great benefit that comes to the 
public thereby. 
The “ Baby’s ” parents attempted to make the public 
believe that their “ Baby ” was the only baby that 
had a right to live, and advertised extensively pre¬ 
tending the United States Court had so decreed. 
But such were not the facts. 
Uncle Samuel’s Baby 
is the healthiest, strongest, prettiest, and best behaved, 
and because of these qualities is most loved and 
sought after. 
Read the statements of the “Baby’s” parents, 
“ Important Decrees and Injunctions in Cream Separator Litiga¬ 
tion,” scattered broadcast to frighten people who prefer 
the United States on its merits. 
Then read the statements below : 
SAMUEL HOTCHKISS, the Inventor and Manufacturer of the Claimed Infringement, now uses the United States. 
The De Laval Separator Company brought suit against me for manufacturing, using and selling the Omega Cream 
Separator, claiming it to be an infringement of their Alpha Separator patent. My attorneys assured me that such claims for 
infringement could not be sustained if contested, but the suit would be expensive, and as I had no money to waste on such a 
contest, I let the case go by default. 
I am now using the Improved United States Separator, and all of my patrons using separators who came under the 
injunction of the Court restraining them from using the Hotchkiss Separator, have purchased and are using the Improved 
United States Separators with the greatest of satisfaction. We all consider them the best Separators ever put upon the market. 
Downsville, Delaware County, N. Y., December 30, 1895. samukl hotciikiss. 
JOHN HOUSTON, the Enjoined User, Perfectly Satisfied of the Superiority of the United States. 
Since the United States District Court issued an injunction forbidding mousing the Hotchkiss Omega Cream Separator, 
I have purchased and am using the Improved United States Cream Separator, which I find very much superior to the 
Hotchkiss, and which is not equaled, in my opinion, by any Separator on the market. I have used the De Laval Separator 
for several months, and consider the LTnited States far superior in every respect, and a perfect skimmer. john Houston. 
Downsville, N. Y., December 30, 1895. 
Statement of the LARGEST MERCHANT IN DOWNSVILLE. 
The statements made by Samuel Hotchkiss and John Houston, in reference to the purchase and use of the Improved 
United States Cream Separators, are correct. The United States Cream Separators are now used by those formerly using 
the Hotchkiss Separators, and are giving better satisfaction than any separator on the market. I have not had one com¬ 
plaint, and have placed nearly 20 machines in 30 days. c. K. hulbert. 
Downsville, Delaware County, N. Y., December 30, 1895. 
SEND FOR ILLUSTRATED 
CATALOGUES. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE COMPANY, Bellows Falls, Vt. 
CHEAP 
ONION SEED 
I will sell a strain of GLOBE 
DANVEItS Onion Seed at 
88cts.perlb. 
postpaid by me. Dis¬ 
count on large quanti¬ 
ties. This is American 
grown new seed. 
My Seed Catalogue FREE. 
JAMES J. II. GREGORY Jt SON. Marblehead. Mass. 
The Most 
Artistic 
Effect In 
Sweet Peas 
is obtained by having each color by itself 
in a separate vase. Try it. We offer one 
packet of each of these choicest sorts' 
BLUSHING BEAUTY—clear day-break pink 
B0REATT0N—rich velvety maroon 
EMILY HENDERSON-purest white 
COUNTESS OF RADNOR-soft lavender 
VENUS—a grand salmon buff 
together with our 
18'J6 Seed Catalogue, 
which Is handsomely illustrated by direct photo¬ 
graphs, for I J cents in stamps. 
1 07 .. each of the above with Catalogue for 40 cents. 
X lb. each of the above with Catalogue for fi.uo. 
Send now. 
Johnson & Stokes, 
217 and 219 Market 5treet,Philadelphia, Pa. 
H ARDENER’S SEED AND PLANT GUIDE 
V from experience, tells about gardening for protit or 
pleasure and about The Flower and Vegetable Garden. 
Boat paid 6c. J no. Baubciieii, Jii. Box 466 Freeport, 111. 
BERRY BOXES 
Send Postal for new 32-page 
Illustrated Catalogue for 1806 . 
I t l -jj i 1 i 
.. THE STANDARD . N Ji|ii| 
I* BERRY PACKAGE OF THE WORLD * 
Climax Baskets for Peaches, Grapes andTlelons 
