78 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 3, 
plot; then with a short stick make a mark in the soil 
under the line, which is then removed. We now have 
a perfectly straight mark to start with. Having pre¬ 
pared a marker, made like a large rake with five teeth 
one foot apart, the whole tract may quickly be marked 
in very straight and even rows. The furrows should 
be made so that the seeds will be covered to a depth of 
about one-half inch. Tomato seeds are so light and 
irregular that it is necessary to sow them by hand; 
but the covering may be done nicely with a drill if the 
seeding tube is raised or removed. 
SEEDS AND PLANTS.—In early sowing it is well 
to scatter a few radish or cabbage seeds along the row. 
These come up quickly and mark the row, allowing the 
'early use of the wheel-hoe. An earth mulch may thus 
* be secured, which will insure germination in long, dry, 
windy periods, which sometimes occur in early Spring. 
The wheel-hoe should be kept in frequent use till the 
plants are well grown. To take up the plants a spade 
may be struck along the row, raising it sufficiently 
thoroughly to loosen the plants, which may then rapidly 
be gathered, the soil shaken from the roots and then 
packed standing in boxes. This is most readily done by 
placing the boxes on end while packing. If these are 
then dipped in water so the roots will be wet they may 
be taken to the field for planting and kept for some 
hours without drooping even in the most trying 
weather. With care the crop should be quite certain, 
and with the main features of the work outlined, your 
correspondent is probably in the best position to decide 
- for himself what the work is worth. 
Pennsylvania. _ d. l. hartman. 
LAYING OFF A ROUGH ORCHARD. 
It is very important in this State to select lands which 
lie either north and south or east and west lines. Tnis 
offers no particular difficulties in carrying out the de¬ 
sign of planting on squares. It is not essential that the 
orchard lines should lie on north and south or east and 
west lines. So far as we can observe, the angle which 
tree’s lines make with cardinal points have no value in 
the growth of the plant or character of fruit, although it 
is thought by some that south rows offer better access to 
sunlight, but as to this factor we cannot say. To lay 
off irregular land, in case none of the boundaries forms 
a natural or convenient base line, it is necessary to 
establish a base line across the plot on such site as best 
suited the wishes of the planter. This may be on exact 
north and south, or east and west lines; or it may have 
an angle so as to bring the row lines into conformity 
- to the best contour lines, or so as to give the longest 
straight lines in any desired directions. Having estab¬ 
lished the base line, the next operation is to measure 
off, at right angles from two points, from the base line 
preferably at as great a distance from each other as 
possible, or certain distance, say the space of eight or 
10 rows, more or less, as may be convenient, and estab¬ 
lish thereby a line parallel to the base line. 
In order that this sectional line shall be an accurate 
parallel it is necessary to establish the perpendicular 
by starting from a stake, a in diagram, on the base line 
and lay off on this line exactly GO feet and establish 
second stake b, on same line. Then from the point first 
. taken draw a line 80 feet from the base line as nearly 
perpendicular to it as possible, and test the same by 
drawing a line 100 feet from the second stake on the 
base line. The point c, where these lines meet at 80 
feet from the base, will be an exact perpendicular from 
_ the point first taken. Project this line to the required 
distance for establishing the parallel of the base line. 
Establish a second perpendicular in like manner, and 
project it to a distance equal to the first perpendicular; 
connect these points and a parallel is established. It is 
always the best to establish one of these perpendiculars 
from the exact point on the base line where a tree is to 
stand, as this then gives the position of a tree in the 
second or parallel line. In order to do this, it is proper 
to lay off and stake the tree in position in the base line 
before establishing the parallel, but this is not at all 
necessary. It is sufficient to establish a tree position 
as the stake from which perpendicular is first taken. 
Diagram gives base line and method of obtaining 
parallel. 
After establishing one tree point on the base line, 
lay off and set stakes at each tree position on this line, 
usually beginning and ending 20 feet from boundary. 
Then on the parallel beginning at the tree point already 
- established, lay off from it and set stakes at each tree 
position on this line. The two lines of stakes give two 
series of points on the parallel lines through which it is 
only necessary to project lines at right angles, and to 
extend them to the boundaries of the plot to establish 
all the rows. Then on these cross-lines it is necessary 
to set stakes at the proper distances to establish all the 
tree positions. It is quite customary to use a long line 
of cord or wire with the tree distances accurately 
marked on it for staking tree positions. This is stretched 
carefully through the points on the parallel lines, and 
the stakes driven at the points marked on the setting 
line. On irregular plots the trees run out on the bound¬ 
ary as may happen without regard to number of rows. 
Virginia. e. w. jones nursery co. 
BLACK WALNUT TIMBER FOR PROFIT. 
What Are the Facts About This? 
A recent issue of the Buffalo Courier contains an article 
on Black wainuts, in which it is said that Niagara 
County, N. Y., farmers are planting these nuts largely. 
What are the facts about this? 
I am not aware of anybody planting Black walnut in 
this county and I think I would know it if such a thing 
was being done, for I am all over the county. At the 
same time I have no doubt but it would pay a fair profit 
for the right kind of land to be devoted to this use. 
There is a steady and growing demand for the nuts at 
from 50 cents to $1 per bushel, and Black walnuts are 
quite regularly productive and of good crops. I have 
planted the nuts and had the trees bear fruit the seventh 
year thereafter. Aside from the returns from nut pro¬ 
duction the timber is becoming scarcer and more valu¬ 
able and second growth walnut is finer in its grain and 
coloring, and brings a much higher price than the orig¬ 
inal trees. Black walnut is also a very fast growing 
“THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.’’ Fig. 34. 
tree. Two miles from this city on the road to my farm, 
is a tree now 34 inches in diameter, that when a boy I 
once, when coming to Lockport with my father, brought 
a spade to dig up and transplant to my home. It was 
then not more than 1% inch in diameter and not over 
12 feet high, but Father was detained so long that when 
we got to the tree on our way home it was getting dusk, 
and he said let it go to some other time. That time has 
not yet come, and the tree would make now two good 
saw logs. There is running the whole length of this 
county a break-off from higher to lower level, called 
the Mountain. Its face is quite steep and rocky, and 
largely covered with worthless trees, and the soil is 
such that Black walnut does splendidly. I have often 
advised the owners to cut off this worthless stuff and 
plant it to walnuts. We have on our farm a creek bank 
and have now growing several hundred young walnuts 
which we intend to plant along this bank. If I don’t live 
to eat the nuts produced, or sleep on bedsteads made 
from the lumber, somebody will and I hope the nuts 
will agree with them and that the sleep of the occupants 
of those beds will be sweet and refreshing. 
j. s. WOODWARD. 
I have had no information that would lead me to 
believe Niagara County farmers are planting Black wal¬ 
nuts as a commercial enterprise. For years occasional 
trees have been planted on the roadside or for ornament, 
and I know of no increase in such planting. I doubt the 
statement that they are being planted largely and I doubt 
if such planting would be profitable. During recent 
years a good many trees of a hardy strain of English 
walnuts have been planted by our farmers, though not 
so far as I know, in large lots individually. It is thought 
that these trees may prove profitable. The original trees 
of this strain, or variety, I understand, are growing on 
a farm near Lockport and have been bearing abundantly 
for a number of years. Possibly this is the basis of the 
article referred to. w. T. mann. 
I know of no one setting Black walnuts in this county, 
and I hardly think it is being done to any extent at least. 
Land is too valuable for fruit. An old gentleman by 
the name of Pomeroy, living just west of this city, got 
some English walnuts at the Centennial Exposition and 
planted them near his home. They are now very large 
trees, and produce quite a quantity of nuts each year, of 
a very fine quality. The trees seem to have thriven in 
this climate. I believe his son is doing something in the 
way of advertising either the nuts or young trees, with 
a view of introducing them. This is probably where the 
walnut story started. chas. a. hoag. 
There has been no extensive planting of Black wal¬ 
nuts in the western part of Niagara County that has 
come to my notice. Nevertheless I can see no reason 
why it would not be a profitable undertaking. All kinds 
of timber and lumber are very high, and constantly go¬ 
ing higher. The Black walnut seems to thrive and make 
a very rapid growth in our soil and climate, and there 
would doubtless be as much profit to the farmer in a 
series of years to have his grove, or scattered plantings 
of Black walnuts or of some other valuable timber well 
taken care of as in his fruit orchard. In fact, the time 
will soon come when the cultivation of trees for timber 
will be practiced much more than it is at present. 
F. S. HALL. 
BUILDING A BARN. 
I am about to build a barn, and want some practical and 
economical advice. The barn is to be 32 x 50 feet or there¬ 
abouts. 1 want a wagon house in one end. the rest of the 
first floor to be occupied by horse stables aud about six 
cow stalls. The room overhead to be used for storing hay 
and straw for the stock. I want a slate roof and cupola. 
Could I build such a barn for .$800? The framing I am 
having sawed out of oak and it will not cost over $200. 
Would a barn with an octagon roof be more economical in 
the long run? R. M. d. 
Robbinsville, N. J. 
The diagram represents a barn 45 x 50, with room for 
six cows and four horses. I have drawn the scale to 
provide for a stable 18 feet wide. It would be more 
convenient if two feet were added, and if the wagon 
barn could be made that much smaller it would be 
better. A manger six feet wide, platform back of the 
cows about the same, a gutter 16 inches and the plat¬ 
form either four feet eight inches or five feet, accord¬ 
ing to the size of the cows. The granary can be large 
or small to suit the builder. It can be full length of 
cow stable, emptying on the floor side, and feeding 
direct to the cows. The small passage between horses 
and cows will be eight feet wide. A horse granary can 
be built there or in front of the horses. The horse 
stalls are five feet from center to center; a passage 
three feet wide is left in front for feeding. If the builder 
prefers this can be done away with, and all of the room 
left behind. 
I would use concrete for the floors under horses and 
cows, and also for the wagon drive if any floor is put 
in. Do not use plank under any consideration ; it is a 
harboring place for rats and mice. Put in the King 
system of ventilation; start an out-take flue at V in 
each stable, and connect them in the loft, thence to the 
center of the barn, and out through the ridge. Build 
that part outside of galvanized iron, and it will be all 
the cupola needed. The flues inside should be built of 
lumber only, and made perfectly tight. They must 
work as well as a chimney. The manure can be taken 
out with a barrow or with carrier and overhead track, 
passing directly behind both horses and cows—carrying 
it either way. The doors into the wagon barn are ar¬ 
ranged to drive through without turning around. If 
more convenient a single door can be placed on the 
east side. The room will be wide enough. A curb roof, 
(sometimes called a “hip” roof) will provide the most 
room for hay and straw. These roofs can be built 
without purlins, plates or posts, so that not a single 
timber will be found in the barn above a tie beam at 
the upper floor line, or if the barn is high above the 
lower story the tie beam will not need to be more than 
four feet above floor. Put the hay in at either end 
through a door by track and car. This barn cannot 
be well built for $800. An up-to-date structure with a 
good wall, eaves spouts and painted, with proper equip¬ 
ment for cows and horses, cement floors and hay. track, 
and carrier with manure carrier below will, in my 
judgment, cost $1,500. h. e. cook. 
