THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 4 
4 46 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
How I Grow Turnips. —Some time ago, a question 
was askgd regarding turnips being a profitable crop. 
When I first bought the farm on which I now live, I 
was able to pay but a small part of the price agreed 
upon. The seller said that excellent turnips could be 
raised on portions of the land, but that I must be care¬ 
ful to grow them on the lightest land that has good 
drainage. He agreed to take one-half the interest 
money in turnips at 50 cents per bushel, the variety 
to be Sweet German. So I spread manure broadcast, 
and used fertilizer in the drills, putting the seed in 
June 20. The crop was harvested the first of Novem¬ 
ber, and such a lot of prongy, punky, black-streaked 
turnips ! Some weighed 10 pounds. When I delivered 
them to the man, he said, “Well, I can feed them out; 
they are not fit to eat.” He told me to try again. 
The next year, I sowed seed August 3, using four 
different brands of fertilizer. I had read “ Gregory 
on Fertilizers,” so 1 thought thatl would try a formula 
of bone and wood ashes. I did not use any stable 
manure. I opened furrows with a light plow, strew¬ 
ing the fertilizer in the drill (about 800 pounds to the 
acre) I covered the furrows with a horse hoe, and 
sowed the seed right on the freshly-stirred soil. The 
seed came up in four days, the plants grew finely, but 
the season was not long enough, and when I har¬ 
vested them, about one lialf were too small for mar¬ 
ket I marked the drills so that I might know what 
kind of fertilizer gave the best results. I found that 
where I had used bone and ashes, there were no black 
streaks, but where I had used fertilizer, all were 
affected. 
I then began a series of experiments with hen ma¬ 
nure cotton-seed meal, ground bone, ashes, etc. I 
found that turnips did not require a great amount of 
potash, that nitrogen should be organic, that the best 
time to sow the seed was from July 10 to 20, that the 
market demanded a turnip of medium size with a 
straight tap root; that, in order for seed to sprout, it 
should be sowed on freshly-stirred soil. The best fer¬ 
tilizer for me was fine ground bone and cotton¬ 
seed meal, and I could get 50 cents per bushel when 
others were selling at 35 and 40. In a town of 12,000, 
I could peddle out from 500 to 700 bushels with a 
trade increasing, and selling from one to six bushels 
per family. 1 think that, in some localities, the yel¬ 
low would sell best. g a. d. 
New Facts About Cki.ery. —The cultivation of 
celery is regarded as important, particularly so, when 
the conditions do not exist for favorable growing of 
the crop To overcome some of the difficulties, 
various methods have been advocated, but I have ob¬ 
served none as yet to compare with that in operation 
on the farm of Mr. John Harris, situated in the Cata- 
wissa Valley, near Ringtown, Pa. For early market, 
Mr. H. usually relies on the White Plume, the seed of 
which he sows in hotbeds April 1. When about one 
month old, and measuring 1% inch in height, the 
plants are transplanted into notbeds 6x18 feet, from 
six to eight inches apart each way. In preparing the 
hotbeds, considerable care should be exercised in hav¬ 
ing the soil properly prepared. One foot of fresh 
horse manure is first placed in the hotbed, on the top 
of which are 10 to 12 inches of fine, rich earth. By 
this process, the stalks have frequently grown to a 
height of three feet without being trenched or hilled 
up, and as the heavy foliage excludes the light, the 
stalks have become perfectly blanched, and ready for 
market about August 1. 
The system of irrigation put in practice on Mi*. H.’s 
farm of 14 acres, is of simple construction. The 
water is furnished by a bountiful spi*ing at the base of 
a lai*ge mountain, which forms the i*ear boundary of 
his premises. To secure sufficient force, a dam or 
reservoir was constructed, from which a 1% or 2-inch 
pipe conveys the water down a grade of 300 yards to 
the barn, where he has, in place of an elevated tank, 
six vinegar barrels all connected by a small pipe at 
the bottom. Into these barrels, the water is piped, 
and being elevated 10 feet above the ground (the 
level of the hotbeds), sufficient force is secured 
through a pipe laid to the beds, to permit of thorough 
irrigation. Mr. Harris has been known to grow stalks 
of the Rose celery that weighed over 12 pounds. This 
manner of cultivation is very simple, and could be 
put in practice in any locality. x. c. F. 
Spraying by* Steam Power. —Last winter, I secured 
a spraying outfit, consisting of a one-horse Acme 
engine complete, placed on a frame so that it could 
be fastened on a platform built for a common lumber 
wagon, with one small can for the oil, and another 
for the water supply of the engine. On the back part 
of the wagon, we have a cask that will hold about 150 
gallons of water, and from the engine, we run a brass 
rod thi*ough the bottom of the tank with two paddles 
fastened to the rod on the inside of the tank as an 
agitator, and it is a good one. The steam generated 
by the engine is conveyed in a pipe to a steam pump 
(solid brass) and this steam pump does the spraying. 
It takes one man or boy to drive the team, two men 
to operate the nozzles (we use two nozzles of four 
Vermorels each), and one to care for the engine. My 
boy, 13 years old, with the old team, went out among 
my neighbors. He took charge of the engine, the 
farmers furnish the other help, and all the material, 
pay $5 per day for the use of the rig, and are much 
pleased to get it at that price. The common price 
here for spraying, is four cents per tree for each spray¬ 
ing, the sprayor to furnish all materials. With this 
machine, we can spray 500 trees, 25 years old, in a day, 
doing it much better than by hand. The engine car¬ 
ries 100 pounds of steam, and the relief valve is set so 
that each hose gets 70 pounds pressure to the square 
inch. I really think that this is the best method yet 
devised for doing thorough work. We have a fine 
spray, a good agitator, and a good one-horse engine 
for other purposes. t b. avilson. 
Ontario County, N Y. 
New Swiss Bicycle. —At Fig. 144, is shown a draw¬ 
ing of a new form of bicycle that is made in Switzer¬ 
land, and known as the Normal. The position of the 
rider is much like that of a man in the usual sitting 
position, which gives him more force to apply at the 
wheel. The theory is that, where the back is so well 
supported, the rider is able to exert, at least, twice 
as much power as where he can use only the weight 
of his body. This wheel is closer to the ground than 
the ordinary “safety,” and the inventors claim that 
it can be driven at greater speed with less fatigue. 
What is needed more than anything else is some 
mechanism in place of the sprocket wheel, that will 
give direct power. 
HOW TO FILL THE HAY MOW. 
BARLEY AN II BE AS AND MILLET. 
Is Anything Better Than Corn ? 
In many parts of central and eastern New York State, as well 
as in portions of New England, the hay crop is practically a 
failure, with very poor prospects for a corn crop, which is 
usually relied on to fill up the gap made by a shortage in 
hay. As a consequence, many farmers are looking about for 
some quick-growing fodder crop that they can use to fill up 
the gap and provide winter forage. We have been told that bar¬ 
ley can be sown as late as the middle of July or the first of 
August, with the reasonable chance that it will provide a fair 
crop of forage for winter feeding. It is also saul that Hungarian 
grass sown late in the season will, in an average year, produce a 
fair amount of fodder. What has been your experience with 
barley, or barley and peas, sown late in the season : that is, on 
or after July la ? Do you think that it would be safe for the aver¬ 
age farmer to attempt to raise a crop of barley for hay in the 
hope of securing fodder to take the place of the lost hay crop ? 
Any information of practical value that you can give us regard¬ 
ing these late substitutes for fodder, will be highly appreciated, 
and we would be glad to have you tell us just what you would do, 
prompted by your past experience, to secure a fodder crop this 
year in case your hay crop were destroyed. 
In Doubt About Barley. 
My experience leads me to adopt methods some¬ 
thing as follows: Mow earlier than usual. We 
would be mowing to-day (June 16) a field of Alsike 
clover and Timothy if the outlook were favorable ; 
as it is, we shall defer cutting until the sun shines 
again. True, this crop of mixed grass would gain 
some if we deferred harvesting it, but the gain would 
be so little, and the chances of making a partial 
second failure if the mowing be deferred, are so 
great, that we prefer to sacrifice a little of the 
present prospect for the greater future good for 
which we hope. A small portion of this field which 
gave prospects for only about one-half ton per aci*e, 
was plowed and planted to corn some days since. 
About one-half of the remainder of the field will be 
planted to corn in drills, cultivated for all it is worth, 
and the other half will be put into Hungarian grass. 
Last year we tried peas and oats, sowing them about 
August. They furnished only a small amount of 
green food late in the fall, which by no possible skill, 
could have been cured into hay, on account of the 
low sun and cold nights. One or both of two methods 
I am inclined to advise. All of that part ot the hay 
field which can be cleared by June 25, or July 1, 
plant to corn. That which cannot be cleared ULtil 
after that time sow to Hungarian grass. For the 
latter crop, the ground requires unusually g'ood 
prepai*ation, and by all means, it should receive 
a liberal application of commercial fertilizers con¬ 
taining a fair per cent of nitrogen and potash. I do 
not think that it would be safe to attempt barley 
raising so late in the season, for hay. On genei*al 
principles, I am coming to believe that we are to 
trust less and less in the hay crop, and more in bar¬ 
ley, oats, peas and corn, than we have done hereto¬ 
fore. In my experience, there has never been a year 
but a good yield of these forage crops could be 
secured by a little extra culture, skill and fertilizers ; 
while with a Timothy meadow, nothing can be done 
to secure a crop if moisture is at all deficient. 
I. B. ROBERTS. 
Sixty and Ninety-Day Catch Crops. 
Fodder corn stands first in the reserve list, as it will 
make the heaviest yield of good, coarse fodder. It is 
well, therefore, for the farmer, when he is sure that 
the hay upon the old meadows will be light, and 
growth stops, to hustle it into the barn, turn over the 
sod, and put on fodder corn. Flow well and harrow 
well. Do not take any chances with negligent prepa¬ 
ration. At this season, commerci 1 fertilizers are 
better to apply than coarse manure, because quick 
work is sometimes necessary to success. Rut if one 
has the manure, he will, probably, use it rather than 
buy. As fast as cleared, invert the worn-out meadows, 
and plant corn as long as you dare. Daring here is 
not so much a moral quality, as a cold calculation. I 
live in the latitude of New York City on the Connec¬ 
ticut shore of Long Island Sound. The latitude of 
Albany has a season some two weeks shorter. In one 
locality, haying is finished, or may be finished, in the 
neighborhood of July 4, although further north some 
are only beginning. This is partly latitude, partly 
promptitude on the part of the farmer, and partly 
the promptitude of fertile soil that pushes its crops. 
The lighted match test to see whether gi*ass is ripe 
enough to cut, should go out of use 
July 3, 1895, we planted a field of corn after oats 
and peas. This corn was cut for the silo October 10, 
and yielded from 10 to 12 tons per aci*e. The season, 
of course, was favoi*able. If there had been danger 
of frost, we could have cut one week earlier, or in 
90 days. In my latitude, corn may be sown up to 
July 15, with a fail* chance of 65 to 90 days’ gi*owth 
before damaging frosts, and will make more fodder, 
even though cut a little earlier, than any other crop 
with whose cultivation I am familiar enough to take 
chances in a crisis. Even further north, it would be 
well to chance it some with early frosts. But these 
risks should be taken in connection with thorough 
planting and frequent cultivation By frequent cul¬ 
tivation, once as it pricks through the ground, and 
at least weekly afterward, even with a rather small 
degree of moisture, corn is sent rapidly ahead in the 
hot, growing season. 
Evergreen sweet corn is a standard fodder coi*n, 
compromising or striking the medium between the 
short season of growth or the early table corns, and 
the heavier growth of stalk of the field varieties. If 
one has no silo, corn can best be kept in snug stacks 
in the field, to be carted in as wanted. Expei-ience 
will dictate the size of the stacks. The larger, within 
limits, the less weathering. Tie with two bauds, one 
just above the ears, and another near the tips. If 
bands must be bought, tobacco twine is cheap and 
good for one year, although not very sti-ong. Hay 
twine is stronger, but more expensive. 
Another 90-day plant approximately, is German 
millet. It is good where hay is needed rather than 
corn fodder. It will yield, perhaps, two or thi*ee dry 
tons per acx*e, but i*equires rich soil, and is said to be 
quite exhaustive. Let me say here that it is uphill 
work to raise any of the catch crops without rich soil. 
So much depends on saving the minutes of warm, 
gi*owing weather before cool autumn nights check 
vegetation. June 12, we carted the hay off from 1 % 
acre of run-out grass. The horses wex*e taken from 
the last load of hay in the barn,* and went back to 
the field with the plow. This field is broken up and 
will be sown to German millet, as we have corn 
enough planted. It was top-dressed last winter from 
the stable for corn, and is, therefore, in good heart. 
Millet seed costs us $1.25 per bushel; we sow a bushel 
on the 1 % acre, and cover with a light smoothing 
harrow or bush. It was previously gone over six 
times with a disk harrow, some of it being rather 
heavy and hard. Millet requires, like everything 
else, a fine seed bed. It is a slow starter, but under 
right conditions, grows rapidly at the end. 
Of the 60 day catch crops, Hungarian grass or mil¬ 
let is well known Its habit and handling are like 
the German millet, but it is earlier and proportion¬ 
ately lighter. Favorable conditions will give about 
two dry tons in 60 days. In April, 1890, we sowed an 
acre with oats and peas. These were out of the way, 
and the ground plowed so that we sowed Hungarian 
grass July 1. September 1, this was harvested and 
rye harrowed into the stubble with a disk harrow, 
