142 
crly built roadbed of the Northern Pacific railway 
leaving the Pacific slope, running to the eastward via 
St. Paul over the Soo line to Montreal at a mean 
rate of 25 miles per hour, carrying an energy trans¬ 
former of sufficient capacity to operate a mechanism, 
forcing air upward in such volumes, as it is moved 
forward, that the surface air is drawn in upon it 
from every side across 500 miles, and with velocities 
varying as do those of surface winds in our ordinary 
storms. With such a mechanism traveling across the 
continent and in operation it is clear that the surface 
winds about the train as a center must take on direc¬ 
tions something as represented in the diagram, and 
that as the train progresses the normal winds of fair 
weather would shift along the parallels marked 4 and 
5, for example, from the normal southwesterly course 
so as to come from the southeast, blowing at first 
lightly and then stronger, as the rain train advances, 
at the same time shifting around by the south to a 
more southerly direction, as at 6, and then changing 
through southwesterly to westerly, as at 7, and finally 
back to the direction of the normal winds represented 
by the arrows outside the circle, as the influence of 
the distributing mechanism passes beyond the place. 
If the places are situated on the north side of the 
course the wind directions will change from that of 
normal, as shown at 1 and 2, first to the southeasterly, 
and later, as the center approaches, more and more 
to the easterly, shifting now around by the north 
rather than around by the south, as in the former 
case, until when the center is due south of the ob¬ 
server, as at S, tho wind has shifted to the northeast 
and still later, as the storm trains passes on, bringing 
the observer to a position corresponding to 9 in the 
diagram, the wind has become northwesterly, the sky 
clear and, if it is Winter, a cold wave would be on 
for a time, the wind ultimately turning back to the 
prevailing southwest indicated by the outside arrows 
at 1 and 2. 
Now were it customary for such storm trains as this 
described to traverse the United States, sometimes 
along the Northern Pacific and Soo roads via St. 
Paul to Montreal, sometimes along the Union Pacific 
via Chicago to New York, or again along the South¬ 
ern Pacific via New Orleans, Cincinnati and Boston, 
every school child would early come to be able to pre¬ 
dict, from the direction of the winds, their mode of 
changing and the appearance of the sky, the approach 
of the rain train long in advance, and not only this, 
but the particular road over which it was coming. 
PREDICTING WEATHER CHANGES.—If the 
winds are due to the action of a storm area and it 
is wished to locate the direction of the area, stand 
back to the wind, extend the right arm directly for¬ 
ward and the left arm at right angles to the right 
arm. The “low’’ area, causing the wind, must be in 
some direction lying between those of the two hands 
and usually more or less midway between. Test this 
statement by an inspection of the storm wind arrows 
on the diagram. If the wind is southeast and re¬ 
mains continuously in that quarter the observer is in 
a position in the direction of 3 in the illustration, and 
the storm center is coming directly toward him. The 
area of general cloudiness, rain or snow, must pass 
over him and as it advances the wind will usually 
strengthen at first but then become less and finally 
shift abruptly to nearly the opposite direction, which 
means that the storm center has passed and clearing 
weather is approaching. 
If the wind has become southeast and changes with 
time to be more southerly, either the lower edge of 
the general storm area will pass his place or, if he is 
farther south, it will be the showery section. As the 
showers are of small area failure in prediction for a 
particular place is more likely to occur because the 
showers may occur either just to the north or south, 
to the east or west of the observer. Study the figure 
again with reference to these statements. If it is 
Winter severe cold waves are not likely to follow a 
storm passing in this way, because it brings only air 
from more southerly quarters. If the wind has be¬ 
come southeast but shifts with time toward the north 
the indications are that the storm center is moving 
to the south, the generally cloudy, rain or snow sec¬ 
tion will pass over the place and either general pre¬ 
cipitation of some duration or continued cloudiness is 
to be expected. If it is in late Fall or Winter jand 
the wind has shifted to the northeast, and is brisk, 
colder weather is quite certain to follow with the 
shifting of the wind to the northwest and the clearing 
of the sky. The only condition which would prevent 
this would be the existence of another storm center 
some distance to the northwest which would make the 
north air warmer and diminish its tendency to flow 
toward the south. Our coldest Winters are usually 
associated with the passage of strong and frequent 
storm centers from the Gulf of Mexico up along the 
Atlantic Coast, which draw the northern cold winds 
down upon us. On the contrary, if strong low areas 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
prevailingly pass along our northern border or across 
southern Canada they draw southerly winds upon us 
and our Winters are more mild. 
When fair weather has prevailed and the sky is 
clear the signs of an approaching storm may some¬ 
times be detected, if it is to be a large one, often 36 
to 48 hours in advance. The first indications will be 
the high-up, hairlike clouds, sometimes called “mare’s 
tails,” observed somewhere in the western sky, any¬ 
where from the northwest around to the southwest. 
These are the results of the overflow of the high-up 
currents coming out from above the center of the 
distant storm and which usually overreach the lower 
clouds. F. H. KING. 
STOCK ON THE DELAWARE PENINSULA. 
The picture at Fig. 64 shows a Percheron stallion on 
the farm of the Delaware Agricultural College. This 
DELAWARE PDRCIIERON STALLION COLT. Fig. 64. 
two-year-old weighs at present 1,700 pounds. He will 
be used both for breeding and class-room work to show 
students what a heavy sire ought to be. The College 
also has a pair of imported Percheron brood mares, 
and two purebred Hackney brood mares. The foun¬ 
dation for a flock of purebred sheep has been pur¬ 
chased, and a few registered Berkshire pigs will soon 
be added to the farm equipment. The other picture, 
Fig. 65, shows what can be done on Delaware soil with 
a sulky plow hauled by a heavy team. The Delaware 
College has secured a farm and will develop new lines 
of work. Speaking of the live-stock department Prof. 
Hayward writes: 
“It is my belief that the large draft horses can be 
grown to excellent advantage on this peninsula. We 
have a variety of leguminous crops which will produce 
bone, muscle and weight in such horses, a feature that 
is much desired. While I believe that there is also a 
place for mule breeding in this State, I believe that we 
have to have the large draft mares in order to get the 
most desirable type of mule, and I had these points in 
WHOLESALE PLOWING IN DELAWARE. Fig. 65. 
mind when T laid the foundation for our breeding stud 
of draft horses. I am also convinced that there is a 
great opportunity in this * State for the production of 
cheap pork, beef and mutton, as we have the climate 
and the forage crops which can be used to excellent 
advantage to this end. We are planning some work 
along these lines, but have been unable to undertake it 
as .yet, owing to lack of funds for suitable buildings 
and other equipment.” 
We have long believed that this peninsula offers 
one of the best opportunities in the country for the 
production of high-class live stock. The climate is 
mild and open, so that a long season of pasturing can 
be obtained. The ease with which Crimson clover, 
Alfalfa, Soy beans and cow peas can be grown insures 
an abundance of rich forage. The growth of corn on 
February 22, 
these light soils is astonishing to a visitor. With the 
present high prices for good horses and mules there 
seems every prospect that Delaware farmers may find 
a great market for their forage crops when packed 
inside horsehide. 
MEAT PRICES IN OHIO. 
It is surprising to readers of The R. N.-Y. in this 
section, Central Ohio, to see the high prices of meat 
quoted in the East. Here the retailers of meat in our 
manufacturing city of 30,000, sell beef about as fol¬ 
lows: Boiling meat, 5 to 10 cents; roast, 8 to 12; steak, 
10 to 15. This for home-grown and dressed beef. 
Chicago dressed beef sells in competition with it at 
nothing over 12J4 cents; chuck and round steak, 10 
cents; porterhouse and sirloin steak 12 y 2 cents. Pork 
sells just as reasonable, no fresh cuts selling at over 
12J4 cents; smoked shoulders, 8 cents; hams, 10 cents; 
bacon, 12 l / 2 cents. Competition makes the prices. We 
have one large slaughtering concern that buys anything 
the farmers have to sell, and then has to have stock 
shipped in. They supply most of the retail dealers. 
But there are some small butchers also who supply 
quite a few. Besides these, during the Winter, many 
farmers dress and sell meat of their own growing, con¬ 
sumers preferring this when able to obtain it. Restric¬ 
tions have been placed on dealers, farmers and all, by 
compelling them to obey an ordinance of the city health 
department requiring them to pay a license fee. To 
one at this distance there would seem to be an opening 
for a very profitable business in supplying dressed meat 
to consumers in eastern cities. Some of those com¬ 
plaining, hard-worked dairymen might more profitably 
turn their attention to meat production for local con¬ 
sumption. There would seem to be as much profit in 
it, considering the lessened amount of labor necessary 
for meat production. If the animals cannot be sold 
alive, then dress them. The men at the head of the 
slaughtering concerns here were formerly farmers who 
got into the business gradually. o. E. c. 
Ohio. 
R. N.-Y.—One trouble dairymen would have in doing 
this is that their cattle are not suited for beef making. 
They have bred dairy cattle for milk or butter. Also 
many of them have invested a good deal of money in 
machinery and dairy implements which would be of 
little use if they went to making beef. It would pay, 
however, to dress and sell more pork, and perhaps veal. 
SAWDUST FOR MULCHING STRAWBERRIES. 
Will it be safe to put fresh sawdust on strawberries— 
either between the rows or over the plants? 
I have no faith in sawdust or fine shavings from a 
planing mill as a mulch for strawberries. I had 
experience a few years ago. I used late in the Fall 
about one load of this material as an experiment on a 
bed of Glen Mary strawberry plants. The space where 
this material was applied the plants started to show 
signs of weakness early in May; the new growth and 
foliage started to curl and wilt, and turned brown as 
if a fire had passed over the beds. June 15 almost 
all of the plants were dead. My experience is that the 
fresh shavings or sawdust contain too much pitch or 
turpentine for the strawberry plant. I cannot see any 
manurial value in this material for the soil or for the 
plants. I claim it is dangerous to use it in its fresh 
state for any growing crop. t. c. kevitt. 
New Jersey. 
If the purpose of the mulch were only that of keep¬ 
ing the berries clean at picking time I would not advise 
the use of sawdust as a mulch for strawberries. With 
me the dust sticks to the wet berries badly, and injures 
them almost as much as the soil or sand. If the object 
was to prevent Winter heaving of plants, or to guard 
against Summer droughts, I think a good mulch of 
sawdust might answer the purpose, especially on land 
that is inclined to be light or dry. In this case it 
would be better to add a light straw covering on top 
of the sawdust to keep the fruit clean. A few years 
ago I used several loads of half-rotten sawdust, spread¬ 
ing it between the rows just at the time sufficient plants 
had set for a fruiting row, or late in August. This did 
away with the need of much Fall cultivation, and also 
greatly lessened the amount of straw needed for Winter 
and Spring mulching. While I do not think sawdust 
would answer well as a complete mulch for strawber¬ 
ries, I believe in places where it is easily obtained it 
can be used to advantage as a partial substitute for 
straw or grass mulch. The benefits derived from saw¬ 
dust as a fertilizer, I think, would be quite small. Four 
or five years ago an improvement company here paid 
for moving a large sawdust pile from a building site, 
and some nearby farmers hauled it on their land by the 
acre. In some cases it showed to small advantage on 
the grain crops which followed, but in no case, so far 
as I have inquired, did the owner of the land think 
that the benefits to the crops were sufficient to pay for 
the work of hauling the dust. f. moifitt. 
Indiana. 
