18 
THIS RURAL NEW-YORKER 
so? You can't freeze it out. Keep your cattle com¬ 
fortable, but ventilate. What is the King system of 
ventilation for? c . j. hunt. 
In regard to owners testing cows would say that at 
our farm we have been testing for several years, and 
see no reason why it is not more satisfactory than to 
employ a stranger. After seeing a veterinary test 
once, we concluded to try it, and the results have 
been very satisfactory. Tuberculin can be obtained 
by any druggist. J. H. r. 
Maine. 
On page 891 you ask for experiences with the test for 
tuberculosis. I am sending you a chart which speaks 
1 2 3 4 56 78 D 10 
7.30 P . M . 101 .0 102 .0 102 .8 102 102 .4 103 .4 103 102 .6 102 .4 102 .0 
3 A . M . 100 101 .4 101 .0 101 .4 1 01 .2 101 .0 102 102 .5 101 .4 101 
5 “ 103 .2 101 .4 101 .4 101 102 102 .4 101 .8 102 101 .6 101 
7 " 105 101 .6 101 .4 101 .2 101 .4 103 102 102 102 101 .6 
9 “ 105 .4 101 .4 101 .2 101 .4 101 102 .6 101 .0 101 .6 102 101 .8 
11 " 105 .4 101 .4 101 .6 101 .4 101 .2 102 101 .2 101 .0 102 101 .8 
for itself. The herd was tested on the evening 
of the sixth day after the beginning of chart No. 1, 
at 7 :30 P. M. Cows Nos. G and 8 were due to calve 
the week following. Cow No. 1 was a six-year-old, 
seven-eighths pure Jersey; had been on my farm 
since she was a two-year-old. She had tested from 
4.2 per cent to 6.4 per cent. (Babcock) at different 
times, and to all outward appearances was the best in 
my herd. In fact, I considered her my best cow, and 
the Doctor found nothing wrong with her or any of 
the rest of the herd before the test. I was raising 
three babies, which took large quantities of milk, and 
I wanted to be sure. “Though the world is filled with 
people who laugh at any new thing,” I believed, so I 
summoned the best veterinarian in this end of the 
State to carry on the test. I took the temperatures all 
in Chart 1, and all but the last one in Chart 2. The 
Doctor injected the tuberculin and gave me all in¬ 
structions. However, any farmer who can read a 
clinical thermometer or can take a baby's temperature, 
provided he has a hypodermic syringe and the neces¬ 
sary tuberculin, may do it all himself and feel per¬ 
fectly sure of the test, your advice to the contrary 
notwithstanding. We had a post-mortem examination 
of cow No. 1, and had you been here to see this 
cow’s udder and spleen your appetite for milk from 
untested cows would have been forever spoiled. Tell 
H. V. R. to go ahead anyway, if he has any idea of the 
presence of the trouble in his dairy. The help of a 
good veterinarian is necessary, but not absolutely es¬ 
sential to success. m . w. c . 
Albion, N. Y. 
APPLE CULTURE IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 
CULTIVATION OR MULCH ? 
An Important Experiment. 
Part IX. 
You will see that all over the country the “mulchers” 
are protesting that the experiment in Auchter’s or¬ 
chard does not do justice to their side. Here is an¬ 
other from Indiana: 
In telling of the orchard test, if the intention of H. W. C. 
is to leave the impression that the part of the orchard 
left in sod was mulched, the test is unfair, as the trees 
left in sod were not mulched. Simply to cut the grass and 
let it lie as cut adds but little to fertility, and as a conser¬ 
vator of moisture is next to nothing. The quantity of grass 
and weeds between trees in any orchard is not enough to 
be of any benefit unless the trees are 40 feet or more 
apart, limbs low for shade and the grass placed under the 
limbs; in addition straw and manure several inches deep 
under and about the trees. IIow to care properly for an 
orchard is an interesting subject, and if we could have 
complete instructions I doubt if many would follow them. 
It would be said it cost too much—too much trouble. 
D. G. M. 
That is all true, but let us remember that the object 
of that experiment was to see what was best on that 
soil and in that section. Remember, too, that Albert 
Wood used stable manure freely on sod, but could not 
make it equal clean culture. We should have some¬ 
thing more than theory from the mulch men. Have 
they any figures for western New York? I shall 
continue to mulch at least part of my orchards, but 
as it stands the western New York cultivators are 
ahead on figures. 
The following comments come from one of the 
most successful apple growers on the Pacific coast: 
I am greatly interested in your discussion of the mulch- 
tillage question. I am giving that subject a good deal of 
attention, and am carrying on some experiments for the 
Department of Agriculture that somewhat indirectly touch 
this question. The Department is furnishing me with 
seeds and we are trying to determine what legumes are 
best suited for our orchards in the Yakima Valley. Of 
course, determining what legumes are best to use in our 
orchard is not the same as determining the mulch-tillage 
question that you are discussing. But it does suggest to 
me this point, that it is better to use legumes—Red clover, 
Crimson clover, vetch and even Sweet clover (Melilotus alba) 
or Alfalfa as a mulch, than to use those plants that make 
a tight sod or turf. My observation goes to show that the 
soil is looser with these legumes than with Blue grass. 
Timothy and Red-top. Then the accumulation of nitrates 
in the soil greatly increases the vigor of the trees. The 
fruit is larger and there is more of if, and it colors better. 
In order to keep up the supply of humus let the tops of these 
plants be mowed and with this material make a mulch at 
least part of the time. My experience convinces me that 
this method is better than clean cultivation. One of the 
problems we are trying to solve is to find the legumes that 
will reseed themselves if they are annuals. Alfalfa being 
a perennial needs no reseeding. I have yet to find an 
orchard that, has been injured with Alfalfa. Without 
irrigation this plan might, rob the soil of too much water 
in the Autumn. We have proven that Crimson clover. 
Hairy vetch, and Melilotus do reseed themselves if we 
disk the ground and water it. We think we are going to 
do the same thing with Yellow trefoil (Medicago lupulina), 
and with Spring vetch. f. walden. 
Washington. 
I fear it would be dangerous to advise the use of 
Alfalfa in most of our eastern orchards. If a man 
were willing to keep the Alfalfa clipped and let the 
clippings lie on the ground I have no doubt the orchard 
would thrive. Most people could hardly resist the 
temptation to cut the Alfalfa for hay. In the aver¬ 
age season this would take too much moisture and 
hurt the trees. As we understand Mr. Walden his 
orchards are irrigated, in which case the Alfalfa seems 
an ideal crop. In the, future I have little doubt that 
orchards will be planted on hillsides, seeded to clover 
or Alfalfa and watered from wells drilled at the top 
of the hill to unfailing water, which will be pumped 
and permitted to flow down hill. 
Still another plan which will suit some conditions 
is outlined as follows: 
Thirteen years ago I set out an apple orchard and since 
then one of pears and plums, and another of apples. I 
gave the first few years fairly good clean cultivation, and 
then changed to a modification of the mulch system; that 
is, we left a strip of gradually increasing width one way of 
the rows of trees in grass. These strips we mulched and 
manured. The gradually decreasing spaces between we 
cropped with a short rotation, like potatoes or garden truck, 
or corn, seeding down with oats, barley or wheat to clover. 
THE EARLY ELBERTA PEACH. Fig. 9. 
We usually cut the first cut of clover, plow the second 
cut down, then potatoes, etc. I am exceedingly well 
pleased with this system that we have been following, 
both in the thrifty growth of the trees and in the good 
size and quality of the fruit borne. We do not yet spray 
our fruit; very little spraying is done as yet in this sec¬ 
tion. I do not think that an orchard looks as well this 
way, cut in strips, but we find that it can be worked much 
cheaper than clean cultivation and with application of 
chemicals and a growth of clover one year in three we 
keep up a high state of fertility, and use barn manure only 
around the young trees. This, of course, is much of an 
experiment, but so far we are well pleased, and shall keep 
on in the same line. Some of our neighbors seeing the 
results here are adopting the same or similar plans. Whv 
this plan appeals to me so strongly is that we can handle 
the orchard so cheaply as far as labor is concerned ; so 
little hand work is required; we can do nearly all the 
mowing on the mulched portion with a machine except 
where potatoes or other late crops in the centers prevent. 
Here is one great objection to piles of stone around apple 
trees. We all know that the fertility of the soil must be 
kept up to a high notch if this or any other plan is to be 
successful. J. I. PARENT. 
Saratoga Co., N. Y. 
I have been trying on part of my orchard a plan 
which is rather the reverse of this. We plow strips 
some six feet wide on each side of the tree, thus giv¬ 
ing space for two rows of potatoes or of our flint 
corn. These crops are well fertilized and cultivated. 
All weeds are pulled and put around the tree. The 
remainder of the space between the rows is left in 
grass or clover. It appears that the fertilizer and 
culture close to the tree make a better growth. Later 
we expect to seed this space down. Mr. Parent makes 
this comment regarding this plan: 
Now just a word about the other plan that you are try¬ 
ing. It seems to me that perhaps for the first six or eight 
years it may be the better one, but what then? With low 
branching trees as they should be, it seems to me that cul¬ 
tivation will be expensive, unless you finally do as we do; 
cultivate with the mowing machine. 
T believe I could take that sod half of the Auchter 
orchard, turn in a drove of well-fed hogs, and in time 
make it produce as many barrels of first-class fruit as 
the cultivated half. I do not know whether the hogs 
would pay as much for the culls and drops as the 
January 11, 
evaporators, but one man could handle many acres in 
this way. I fully believe the following statement: 
I use lots of manure broadcast in the orchard, which 
is sod, and in the Spring, as soon as the grass starts, turn 
my hogs in the orchard, let them have free run, then as 
soon as the apples begin to drop they will eat them and 
drop their manure under 1116 trees. An apple passing 
through a hog makes the best of manure. I can make more 
money out of my cider apples by turning them into pork 
than to take time to pick them up and draw them to the mill. 
People passing my farm make the remark that I always 
have apples. I had c le tree this Fall that had over 20 
barrels of apples on it and a good many Baldwins from 12 
to 18, and sold them for from $2.50 to $3 a barrel in 
Schenectady to groceryman. a. m. l. 
Fullers, N. Y. 
As we have seen, this plan is not considered prac¬ 
tical by the large growers in western New York, but 
in a smaller orchard, especially on a farm where 
general farming is followed, this plan has many ad¬ 
vantages. Our Indiana friend says truly that few 
people would follow the most explicit instructions. I 
think we must all of us modify the general plan to 
suit our own conditions. The greatest value that I 
s?e in such experiments as the one I have tried to 
describe is that it makes us think and study our own 
situations. _ H. w . c . 
RAW MUCK AND LIME. 
I have six or eight acres of sandy loam that I have put 
swamp muck on at the rate of 225 to 250 loads of muck 
per acre. I am told that on account of the acidity of the 
muck I must use lime to sweeten it, or neutralize it. 
Speonk, L. I. e. o. w. 
Judging from our own experience this raw muck 
will do the soil more harm than good for a year or 
so unless you use lime. Most of such muck is strongly 
acid. It often contains considerable plant food but 
in such forms that it becomes very slowly available. 
When used in such large quantities it will sour ordin¬ 
ary land. We believe such muck should be composted 
and fermented before being used. Often when newly 
piled in a place where it can drain Well and left for 
six months it will be improved. A good way to utilize 
it is to throw in long piles about four feet high and 
eight feet wide, using 30 pounds of lime scattered over 
each load as it is dumped on the pile. At the end of 
four months the pile should be forked over as a cuni- 
post heap is handled. This will break up the muck 
and make it sweeter so that the plant food in it will 
be more available. As the field is now you can plow 
the muck under shallow and broadcast 3,000 pounds 
of lime per acre on the rough furrows, harrowing 
it well into the surface. Corn will do better on such 
soils than most other crops. 
A WINDMILL CHAMPION TALKS. 
“F. \\ .", on page 888, asks about relative cost and 
efficiency of windmills and gasoline engines for farm 
purposes. I believe the men best able to answer 
this question are those who have had everyday exper¬ 
ience with both. I have run a windmill 10 years and 
in that time have owned and operated nine gasoline 
engines, one kerosene engine and one steam engine, 
engines ranging from 2 y 2 to 10 horse-power. The 
windmill has 16-foot wheel, developing with 40 miles 
of wind (measured by anemometer) 15 horse-power. 
The first thing to consider is the immediate neces¬ 
sity for power. With the windmill it can only be 
obtained when the wind blows, and there are many 
times on a farm when the silo wants filling during 
a calm. With a crew hired for thrashing sometimes 
it is troublesome with windmill to have no power. If 
thes6 things can be arranged as the wood-sawing, 
grinding, pumping and other common power work, to 
suit the time when it blows, there is in my mind no 
question as to the superiority of the windmill. The 
necessity for a water tank exists whether filled by wind 
or gasoline power, and I have never been short of 
water. When you erect a 16-foot windmill on a 60- 
foot tower and drive from this a planing mill that 
lias recently planed seasoned White oak plank 23 inches 
wide and from two inches to 1)4 inch thick, going 
through several times, the outfit must be strong and 
well put together. The first cost of mine was about 
$400 and it has cost nothing since except for oil. Gaso¬ 
line engines are a bill of expense from the day you 
own one until you give it away. Batteries, spark plugs, 
dynamos for ignition, carburetors, necessity to be 
kept where they won’t freeze up, all make frequent 
attention necessary, and the strain on the moral part 
of an ordinary man when they refuse to go is some¬ 
thing we can’t write about. Notwithstanding all of 
their faults they are coming into use faster than any 
other source of power and many defects are being 
overcome. I am to-day using them in boats, where 
windmills would be unhandy, though years ago I ran 
a windmill on a boat on the Erie Canal. To sum up, 
if just a water supply is needed I believe a small wind¬ 
mill the best and cheapest power in the world. If 
power for other purposes is needed and the time to 
use it is subject to the coming of the wind, I believe 
the windmill still ahead. Tf power is required at cer¬ 
tain times and those times cannot be changed I should 
buy a gasoline or up-to-date kerosene engine, send 
my name in to a couple of the nearest moral super¬ 
vising societies and have an extra bridle in the engine 
room. chas. q. eldredge. 
Connecticut. 
