030 
August S, 
horse interests, the bulk of the prize money going 
to the horsemen, anti not to the cattle breeders and 
agricultural interests. The charge for feed, floor 
space and other accommodations is altogether out of 
proportion to the prize offered for all of the agri¬ 
cultural exhibits, including the cattle and other ani¬ 
mals. The cost of exhibiting animals, therefore, be¬ 
comes burdensome, and the result is that very few 
cattle and other animals are exhibited. The entire 
interest seems to be centered upon the horse races, 
and large sums of money, it seems to me, are ex¬ 
pended in that direction, which rightfully belongs to 
the agricultural interests. This fair, in my opinion, 
should be and is intended to be for the promotion 
of agricultural interests throughout the State and not 
chiefly for the promotion of racing. The people of 
the State pay their taxes for the support of this fair 
and not for the support of the trotting and racing 
interests, and, in my opinion, the fair never will be¬ 
come a great success until this is changed. 
In comparison with this fair may be cited the To¬ 
ronto fair, where the agricultural interests are of the 
first and prime importance, and where the finest ani¬ 
mals of every description are exhibited, not only 
from the entire Dominion, but almost from every 
other country, and the result has been that it has 
become, without question, the greatest agricultural 
fair in the world. The racing interests at that fair 
are of minor importance, but the agricultural interests 
are kept steadily to the front, with the result that 
almost everybody, whether a breeder, exhibitor or 
spectator, has become intensely interested in the ex¬ 
hibits of the Toronto fair, and further, it has become 
an annual exposition of almost world-wide renown. 
I do not agree with some of the points made by 
your correspondent in his article. In my opinion he 
has overdrawn the conditions under which the ani¬ 
mals are exhibited, and the requirements for care 
and condition which the prize winners must receive. 
I have, for instance, a cow 11 years old which has 
taken several prizes on the pure question of dairy 
type, and she has never been fitted in any such man¬ 
ner as your correspondent suggests is necessary. In 
fact, my observation in this part of the country leads 
me to believe that very few of the exhibitors go to 
that expense and trouble, and I also know of very 
many cows which have taken prizes, which have 
gone on with their usual work in the dairy without 
injury, or in anywise lessening their value. In fact, 
I do not know of any animals which have been in¬ 
jured by the treatment, although I do not pretend to 
know the history of all of the animals exhibited. I 
do know this, that many of the prizes have been 
won by what might be termed our small breeders, 
and men of no material financial means. As I said 
before, the main trouble with the fair up to the 
present time, is the lack of encouragement to the 
real breeder and agricultural interests, and the promi¬ 
nent place given to racing interests in preference to 
agricultural interests. I suppose that this will even¬ 
tually be rectified, as the fair is yet but a young in¬ 
stitution, and could hardly be expected to serve its 
purpose in relation to all of the interests, but it is 
certain that a feeling such as I have expressed exists 
universally among not only the breeders of cattle, 
sheep, swine and other animals, but also among the 
farm implement and machinery manufacturers and 
dealers, and the time will very soon come when those 
demands will have to receive proper consideration at 
the hands of the management of the State Fair. 
JOHN M'LENNAN. 
I have never exhibited at fairs; still I am of the 
opinion that the writer of the article “Prize Winning 
Cattle” is somewhat biased. I think that the cattle 
exhibitions at our State fairs are equitable and fair, 
and the Holstein-Friesian Association has certainly 
the same opinion, or it would not supplement the 
prizes that are offered by the State Fair Commis¬ 
sion. The reason why farmers do not more gener¬ 
ally show at the fairs is because it is expensive and 
takes a lot of time, trouble and detail. This all costs 
money and effort, particularly where the farmer has 
to freight his cattle some distance. I think it pays, 
however, and do not think it is necessary to sweat 
the cows or spoil them, as your correspondent states. 
The work of preparation for a fair is nowhere near 
so exhaustive on the cow as putting a cow through 
an official test for a milk or butter record. 
W. W. CHENEY. 
The article in reference to exhibiting Jersey cattle 
at fairs certainly coincides with my views on the sub¬ 
ject. There is a vast difference btween a working 
and breeding herd, and one for exhibition. Both 
belong to a distinct class. I have exhibited several 
times at Lancaster, Pa., and always found the condi¬ 
tions named in your article. There should be judges 
for different classes, one for the working herds and 
a judge for the herds that have been fitted for the 
occasion. J- Aldus herr. 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
THE EAST AND THE WEST. 
More About Emigrating “ Back Home.” 
We have often told how many western men are 
looking to the East for bargains in farm land. One 
of the most remarkable letters we have had in this 
line is the following from Idaho: 
I have read with much interest the advice given the 
man witli $2,000 who wished to locate on a farm. I 
would like to hear from some of your readers who are 
located in that section of New York State where aban¬ 
doned or partly abandoned farms exist; and would like 
the opinions of what such a farm would offer as a home, 
not so much as a money-making proposition, but simply 
as a place to call one’s own and to furnish sustenance 
for the family, and, of course, pay its own taxes. I am 
a young man of 30, unmarried; father and mother make 
their home with me, so you see there is no family to sup¬ 
port. I own a small irrigated farm here, mostly in 
Alfalfa. The water taxes are high and the work of apply¬ 
ing the irrigating water is detrimental to my health, so if 
I sell this farm I wish to emigrate to old New Y T ork State. 
My health is such that heavy work, as plowing, pitching 
hay, etc., is not in my line. I am a good farm mechanic, 
however, and as my neighbors say, “enterprising,” as a 
place in my hands builds up instead of running down. 
For that reason I think a neglected farm might prosper 
in my hands, provided one could hire neighbors to drive 
team to put in crop, also harvest. Have any of the read¬ 
ers in the section of New York referred to tried the ex¬ 
periment of furnishing the team, say .1,450 each, and 
hiring boys or young men in the neighborhood to plow 
and plant the grain, etc., and then figure whether it pays 
or not? 
We have probably all heard stories of the great 
opportunities on irrigated land in the Far West* yet 
here is a man who thinks he could do better on an 
eastern farm which some one else has given up! 
We receive many letters from western men who 
refer to the great possibilities for farming in the 
Eastern States. Here is an extract from the letter 
THE FUNK l'LUM. NATURAL SIZE. Fig. 279. 
See Ituralisms, Page 634. 
of a Montana man—one of the most successful farm¬ 
ers in that State: 
While the great West presents many opportunities to 
those willing to labor and make sacrifices for them, yet 
1 sometimes think whether after all it really pays. There 
is no question so far as financial returns are concerned; 
they can be made great. Then, too, there is considerable 
satisfaction in realizing the fact that one is at the very 
beginning of things, that he is paving the way for others 
to follow, yet we pay for it in many ways and I do not 
wonder at men like Prof. Henry of Wisconsin, and Super¬ 
intendent Gregg of Minnesota, finally returning to New 
England and resting in their declining days. Then too, I 
am surprised to note in your own State, and in my own 
former one of Ohio, that good, well-improved land with 
modern buildings, in communities that must be all that 
could be desired, may often be obtained at prices pretty 
close to land in good localities in the West with equal 
or even poorer buildings. 
It is true that New York and other Eastern States 
to-day offer superior advantages to home seekers. 
This is in spite of the fact that very much larger 
operations are possible on the western farm. For 
example the same man who writes the above note 
about the advantages of the West, also says: 
We have just received a large traction engine and 
steam plow on this place; it handles from 8 to 10 14-inch 
bottoms. Two men on engine with water hauler do all the 
work, plows being steam hoist. I figure that it does actual 
work of from 24 to 32 heavy horses. We will keep it 
pretty well occupied, as we wish to crop about 500 acres 
each year, cropping two years, then seed to Alfalfa, and 
when all seeded, then rotate, and feed Alfalfa on place. 
Engine gives advantage of enabling us to do Summer or 
Fall plowing with a limited amount of help when help 
is very scarce, and I believe will prove much cheaper 
than with horses, yet with engine we find need for at 
least five four-horse teams of heavy horses. 
There are not many places in New’ York where 
such plowing has yet been done—though we shall 
soon show how it has been tried. The chief ad¬ 
vantage of the East is its excellent markets and the 
feeling that older sections are usually more desirable 
for pleasant living. 
FIGURES FOR AN OHIO ROTATION. 
Having been advised to get out of the shop and 
live an outdoor life I am thinking of buying a farm 
of 124 acres about eight miles from the city, and mak¬ 
ing potatoes, wheat and milk my money crops. I can 
get 10 cents per gallon in the Summer, and 12 cents 
per gallon in the Winter for milk hauled to the city 
once a day. Roads to city are good the year round. 
About four acres of farm is taken up with buildings, 
garden and orchard; 20 acres is in woods, with good 
Blue-grass pasture. My plan is to divide the re¬ 
maining 100 acres into five fields of 20 acres each, 
and practice the following five-year rotation in each 
field: First year, corn; second year, Irish potatoes; 
third year, wheat; fourth year, clover and Timothy 
meadow, nearly all clover; fifth year, pasture. Manure 
to be put on pasture for corn sixth year. I estimate 
that this plan of farming should furnish all the feed 
for five horses, 30 cows and growing young cattle, 
except the mill feed for cows and young cattle. I 
estimate that after the second year my yearly sales 
should be: 
20 acres of potatoes, 200 bushels to the acre, 4,000 
bushels at 40 cents.$1,600 
20 acres of wheat, 20 bushels to the acre, 400 bush- • 
els at 75 cents. 300 
30 cows, 600 gallons each, at average price of 11 
cents per gallon . 1,080 
Calves, chickens, eggs . 120 
2 horses, raised and sold each year. 300 
Total yearly sales .$4,300 
EXPENSES. 
Mill feed for cows and young cattle. $800 
Labor, one man (and wife to help milk), by the year 
other labor as needed. 800 
Ice for cooling milk. 100 
Taxes. 150 
Repairs, horseshoeing and sundry small expenses.... 200 
Clothing for wife, baby and self. 200 
Magazines, books, church and pleasure. 100 
Groceries and table expenses not raised on farm.... 150 
Unexpected expenses, losses, doctor, etc. 300 
Total expenses.$2,800 
Leaving me a net profit above all expenses of $1500 
a year. Farm is now in quite good condition, pro¬ 
ducing 50 bushels corn, 15 bushels wheat and one to 
one and a half ton hay to the acre. I would buy 20 
common cows and a registered Holstein bull, weigh 
milk, sell poor cows and buy others, increasing to 
30 cows within two years. I would raise heifer 
calves from best cows, and in five years would ex¬ 
pect to average at least 6,000 pounds of milk per 
cow per year. I have had 10 years’ experience in 
stock and grain farming, but none in dairying, or 
potato raising on a large scale. I have a reputation 
for doing things well, and expect to practice good 
farming. My plans and estimates look all right to 
me. on paper, and I think they arc reasonable and 
within attainment. But as I said I have not had real 
experience in dairying, and I would like your opinion 
and advice, and the advice of any of your readers 
who are now engaged in this business, before I invest 
in it. w. w. walker. 
Ohio. 
R. N.-Y.—We shall be glad to have dairymen and 
potato growers comment on these figures. You ought 
to read the bulletins issued by the Ohio Experiment 
Station at Wooster, particularly Circular 79 on how 
to determine the fertilizer requirements of Ohio 
soils. We regard this as one of the most valuable 
fertilizer bulletins that has ever been issued. The 
figures given show that on most Ohio soils it is not 
safe to depend entirely upon clover alone to keep up 
the supply of nitrogen. In a rotation including pota¬ 
toes following corn we believe you will find it profit¬ 
able to use some chemicals on the potato crop—the 
quantity and kind to be determined by experiment. 
If you have read the articles on “Chemicals and 
Clover” farming in New Jersey you will remember 
that Mr. D. C. Lewis and other farmers apply a 
complete fertilizer to potatoes with good profit. Mr. 
Lewis keeps a small herd of cows and uses all of 
the cornstalks for silage or dry fodder, and most of 
the clover hay on the farm. The manure is put on 
the sod and plowed under for corn. The potatoes 
follow; yet, in spite of this heavy manuring, the 
potato crop responds to fertilizing. Prof. Thorne, 
of the Ohio Station, in the bulletin we have men- 
toned says: 
The general outcome of all investigations of this char¬ 
acter is that, whereas we may expect the soil to take 
care of and store away for future use very considerable 
quantities of phosphorus and potash, yet it has no cor¬ 
responding capacity for* storing nitrogen. That must be 
utilized as fast as it becomes available in the soil. 
This is additional argument in favor of sowing 
some “catch crop” in the corn, and shows that you 
cannot depend on the manure used on the corn to 
carry the potato crop. We assume that you will 
use most or all of the corn in a silo. Estimates are 
invited from farmers who have tried this rotation. 
Ix 4906 Australia exported $2,391,563 worth of frozen 
rabbits and $2,323,510 of rabbit skins. In Tasmonia rab¬ 
bit hunting furnishes Winter occupation for many boys 
and men. 
