7io 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 22, 
access for the entrance of the water. It is a very simple 
contrivance; the two pipes being permanently fastened 
together, so that other pieces can be screwed on and 
not disturb the connection. My experiments were to 
find at what depth of immersion water would begin to 
rise, and where was the best depth to get best results. 
My pipes are within a few feet of the bottom now, and 
as stated, I use 25 pounds air pressure. Your ques¬ 
tioner would meet the conditions I describe by the bottle 
experiment should he try to get any water from his deep 
well with only 40 feet of water in it. The air would all 
blow through the water. I should judge there would 
need to be at least 150 feet of water in the well in order 
to raise any out, and I doubt whether that would be 
enough. It takes a lot of power to get water from a 
deep well by compressed air. I installed one plant 
where the well was about 250 feet deep, and the water 
came up within 75 feet of the surface. This com¬ 
pressor took 80 pounds gauge pressure and gave a scant 
one-inch volume of wafer under three or four inches 
pressure. This compressor was a 6x6 and ran about 
200 revolutions per minute, and took a very tight four- 
inch belt to drive it. Under favorable conditions the 
air lift is a nice, convenient arrangement for getting 
water out of a well, and has the advantage of the ma¬ 
chine being all above ground; otherwise it would be 
folly to bother with it. f. p. avery. 
Pennsylvania. 
HOGS IN THE PERCH ORCHARD. 
In our days of keen competition, especially in the 
peach business, the saving of what would otherwise be 
a waste will often be the difference of a profit or loss 
in the operation. Aside from this, rot of the fruit is 
greatly checked, and worms in it become a rarity where 
there are enough shotes kept to pick up the fruit as it 
falls. Thus we really gain double, kill two birds with 
one stone, as the saying goes. But this mode is not 
practical in our extensive orchards of only one or two 
varieties, because there would not be pasture long 
enough to justify the fencing of the orchard hog-proof. 
I am reliably informed that quite a number of our 
planters came to grief the past season with their crop 
of Elbertas. Many shipments no more than cleared ex¬ 
penses. There being no canneries of sufficient capacity 
to use up the surplus, nor hogs to eat them either, thou¬ 
sands of bushels of the finest peaches wasted. Now 
mind, this was the case with only one-fourth of a crop. 
What may be expected if there is once a full crop? 
The result of all is there are to-day many Elberta trees 
cut down, even before they have started well in bearing. 
There is good money in peaches still if a man will plant 
say a dozen of the leading varieties, covering the season, 
and give young hogs the run of the grounds to con¬ 
sume all the waste, thus getting rid of worms and so 
much rot. If prices are right a man can ship; if not, he 
can let Billy Berkshire have them; he won’t charge 
anything for picking, commissions or express. 
There is hardly a farm here on which there is not 
some ground suitable for Alfalfa. This, for a change, 
makes fine pasture for the orchard customers. Peanuts 
and sweet potatoes, all of which the shotes can harvest 
themselves, grow finely here, and can be made into fine 
pork at a very low cost. All the corn desired is just 
about for a month what they will eat up clean once a 
day before being killed or shipped. This will harden 
the flesh and give the finishing touches. As regards 
planting cow peas in orchards, I think that the thing is 
in some cases carried too far. Cow peas take up a good 
deal of moisture in dry weather, more than a closely- 
cropped sod. They rob the trees of potash and phos¬ 
phoric acid and return instead nitrogen. The latter is 
the one thing not wanted in an orchard already making 
too much growth. Where cultivation is practical at all 
I would in the South sow V/ 2 bushel of Rescue grass 
seed per acre, say about October 1, and harrow it in 
lightly; the first rain will bring it up, and two months 
after sowing it usually makes good grazing for shotes. 
By middle of May with us here there ought to be enough 
ripe seed to insure a stand the following Fall. Land can 
then be torn up with the disk harrow or Cutaway and 
well pulverized with an Acme or smoothing harrow. 
The hogs would keep down pretty well whatever of 
grass or weeds would grow on the ground after that if 
allowed the run of it. The most profitable crops of 
peaches the writer ever saw were grown exactly as here 
stated. With hogs in the orchards I have seen seasons 
when a wormy peach would be quite a rarity, while in 
other orchards not over one-fourth mile off with no 
hogs about, fully one-half of the peaches would be 
wormy. The puncture of the curculio is usually the 
starting point of the rot, thus by eliminating one we do 
away with both. 
What do I think of the Stringfellow method? Well, 
under certain conditions P'riend Stringfellow is exactly 
right. Where soil is of the right kind and of sufficient 
depth, he can, by his method, grow as good fruit and 
grow it much cheaper than has ever been done in any 
other way. J. w. stubenrauch. 
Texas. 
MELONS IN A GINSENG SHED. 
Apropos of the remarks on page 636 about ginseng, 
the accompanying picture (Fig. 300) suggests a good 
use to which such growers may put their plantations. 
The owner of this particular patch caught the ginseng 
fever when the boom was at its height. He spent all 
his leisure hours that Summer in collecting wild roots. 
They were given a favorable location, and provided, at 
considerable expense, with good drainage, leaf mold and 
shade. In a short time the boom collapsed and “the 
wilt” struck the patch. Then he dug up the roots in 
disgust and went out of the business. For two years 
CANTALOUPES IN A GINSENG SUED. Fig. 300. 
the enclosure, denuded of its lath covering, has been 
planted to muskmelons, which flourish mightily in that 
rich, loose soil. Last year the blight spoiled the last 
third of the crop, so, in order to get ahead of it this 
season, we sprayed early and often. The barrel of Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture shows in the background of the picture. 
Up to the present date (August 30) the foliage is 
healthy and the fruits ripening. Therefore the prospect 
of ripe, luscious cantaloupe for breakfast for the next 
six weeks is good. ' m. e. c. 
Trumansburg, N. Y. 
VINELESS POTATOES WITHOUTP0TATINE. 
big. 301 shows a good sample of “vineless” potato 
attached to a partly spent old tuber. It was taken from 
near the bottom of a close barrel in which potatoes 
had been stored all Winter in an ordinary farm cellar. 
1 he conditions were close, moist air and quite complete 
darkness. I he season was late August, long after the 
parent tuber would naturally have grown. This mat¬ 
ter of potatoes and several other tuberous rooted plants, 
producing new growths without the usual vegetative 
process of stems, leaves, true roots and foliage, is fairly 
common when the bulbs, corms or tubers are stored in 
dark, moist places beyond their usual growing time. 
It is an effort of nature to prolong life under adverse 
conditions by producing a new set of buds by direct 
transferance of stored energy without the usual phe¬ 
nomena of growth and accessions of food from the soil 
VINELESS POTATO WITHOUT POTATINE. Fig. 301. 
* 
and air. It can be seen that the old tuber loses much 
of its bulk and probably all of its vitality in the effort. 
“Potatine” or other external food supplies are not 
needed, and could not be used by the old potato under 
these conditions. Chemicals can only be absorbed by 
true roots and gases by the natural foliage of plants 
growing in earth or water in sunlight. These little new 
potatoes growing out of old ones stored in dark cellars 
or caves are of fair quality when cooked, but the uncer¬ 
tainty of production under the best known conditions 
and great shrinkage in bulk and weight would likely 
prevent all profit in the “new potato culture” unless 
extravagant prices could be secured for the small output 
of new tubers. “Potatine” as a manure for vineless 
potatoes is an unmitigated fraud. 
POSSIBILITIES OF AN ALABAMA FARM. 
I will describe a two-horse farm where staple crops 
are grown. This farm is operated by a man and his two 
sons, as follows: Thirty acres in cotton, 15 in corn, 
five in oats and two in garden and truck patches. From 
the 30 acres in cotton would be gathered 15 500-pound 
bales, which at present prices would equal the sum of 
$825. In addition to the sum realized from cotton there 
would be, say, $150 from the sale of sorghum, Irish and 
sweet potatoes, melons, onions, cabbage, beans, peas, 
strawberries, etc., grown on the two acres. From this 
would be deducted, say, $50 for commercial fertilizers. 
From the 15 acres in corn would be gathered, say, 225 
bushels (a low estimate), which at present prices’would 
be worth $168.75. Under favorable circumstances the 
five acres in oats would produce 100 bushels, worth $50. 
After the oats arc harvested, land would be sown to 
forage crops, such as sorghum, cow peas, etc., which 
would produce from one to three tons of hay per acre, 
worth $12 to $20 per ton. The corn, together with the 
corn fodder, amounting to about 2,500 bundles, which 
I failed to mention in connection with the corn crop, 
the hay and the cotton seed would probably be consumed 
on the farm, depending on the number of cattle kept. 
However, there would possibly be sold of these products 
$50 to $100 worth. There should also be added to the 
resources of the farm 100 bushels of cow peas, raised 
with the corn cron, which would be worth $100. There 
would be sold also from the farm butter, eggs and 
chickens to the amount of $100, after allowing a rea¬ 
sonable amount for home consumption. 
Cotton . $825.00 
Hay . 150.00 
Cotton seed . 105.00 
Corn . 108.00 
Oats . 50.00 
Cow peas . 100.00 
Corn fodder..'. 34.00 
Truck . loO.oo 
Butter, eggs and chickens. 100.00 
Total .$1,6S2.00 
This showing might be easily improved upon by prac¬ 
tical, up-to-date farming. The farmer’s wealth is in his 
soil, and by good husbandry the soil upon which this 
crop is grown should be constantly improved, thereby 
increasing its productiveness until much larger yields 
than those mentioned would be the result. The real 
value of southern farm lands is little known and little 
appr.eciated by the northern farmer. J. A. G. 
Gallant, Ala. _ 
IS THE FARMER RESPONSIBLE? 
In the 50’s we hired men by the year, and I can re¬ 
member when numbers of men kept time with the 
scythe or cradle. The war, the opening up of a thou¬ 
sand square miles of fertile land, the building of rail¬ 
ways and cities to keep pace with this victory of brain 
and brawn over soil and matter has called for armies 
of men. Farm machines have enabled the eastern 
farmer to get through with a small amount of help, 
and many of them have done so almost to their ruin. 
I know a man with 250 acres fully equipped with 
capital sufficient to carry on an up-to-date farming, 
i. e., 250 sheep, 50 cattle, 400 hens, pigs, bees, etc. 
That man was in position to pay good wages by the 
year, and he was a typical farmer of the times before 
the war. What did he do? He tapered that farming 
down to eight cows and two pigs; hired a man to 
help plant and help get the hay. One man lie hired 
had five children and a wife. He paid him $1.25 and 
$1.50 a day when he wanted him, and had no concern 
about his welfare when the press of work was not on. 
That man with five children had to get 7,725 meals 
for his family in one year. Had he been hired 300 
days at $1.50 a day he would have had cash to pay 
for five and six-cent meals, provided all of his income 
had been used for meals. Unfortunately he drank, and 
not one-half of his earnings went for food, and his 
labors were not continuous. The mowing machine 
may stand still 11 months of the year; our farm laborer 
should be employed 12. We are now reaping the har¬ 
vest of that policy. Reliable men have gone to the 
cities and towns; they are not here to choose from. 
The unfortunate, the unreliable, many of them, arc 
here and not from choice. They help when the wolf 
is at the door, and many of them do it grudgingly. 
They have but little love for the work, and a small 
part of them are wishing to acquire land. Those who 
want land have long ago taken it by purchase or home¬ 
stead. Is there a remedy? Is it too late to mend? I 
think not. To-day we have as good land as had our 
fathers. Our markets are two to one in number, and 
the prices are good. The aforesaid 250 acres, with 
250 sheep, 50 cattle and 400 hens, to-day should net 
$2,000. If so an up-to-date man and wife and boy 
can be hired by the year for one-half that money. Give 
them liberal terms, with a house and use of team to 
draw fuel, and you are doing well enough with the 
old farm if you get $500 to $1,000 each year, and this 
man will want land some day. d. c. icenyon. 
Pennsylvania. 
