1911. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
6 
THE GROWING SEASON. 
In looking at my young oak trees in 
the Fall of 1909, I thought the trunks 
looked bigger than in midsummer. As 
I had not measured them I could not 
be sure, but I determined to watch 
them this year. I have just completed 
my measurements, and give them for 
the benefit of j r our readers. In the ac¬ 
companying diagram. Fig. 8, the 
vertical lines show the time the meas¬ 
urements were taken. The distance 
from the base to the slanting cross lines 
running from each tree name shows the 
actual circumference of the tree at each 
date. Then the variation in slant will 
indicate the relative rapidity of growth 
of the different trees and the variation 
in rapidity of growth in different 
months; the straight lines across the 
last column meaning no growth be¬ 
tween September 10 and November 6. 
Of course the apparent decrease of two 
in the last column may be explained by 
slight inaccuracy in measuring. The 
vertical distance between the two ends 
of each line shows the season’s in¬ 
crease in circumference, the English 
elm having grown over two inches and 
the Kieffer pear only a half inch. All 
grow under similar conditions in clay 
soil on a town lot. They were meas¬ 
ured with a strip of paper six inches 
above the ground. This strip with the 
marks for each tree was then applied 
ENGLISH ELf\ 
SOURCHERRY/. 
STAY. WIN E5 AR\\ 
SILVER MAPLE})’ 
GRIMES G0LDEH.V; 
YELLOW TRANSRAR.'-. 
NEFFER PEAR.'" 
NORWAY MAPLE. -" 
WILLOW OAK/) 
PIN OAK... 
DIAGRAM OF TREE GROWTH. Fig. 8. 
to the chart and the cross lines drawn 
from the previous measurement. 
We see that the most growth was 
made in June and July. The neglect to 
take a record between June 5 and July 
26 leaves us in doubt as to the exact 
time of greatest growth. Little growth 
was made before June except by the 
Norway maple, although the young 
twigs had grown greatly in length be¬ 
fore that on the maples and fruit trees. 
Most of the trees grew but little after 
midsummer, but even the long drought 
did not stop the oaks till late, while the 
English elm grew all Summer and ap¬ 
parently took a fresh start after the 
drought. I wish to commend this as 
a method of measuring the value of the 
sum of all the factors affecting growth, 
which if kept with weekly measure¬ 
ments would show all the annual varia¬ 
tions of growing conditions as well as 
give a means of comparing different 
years and situations more accurate than 
weather records or soil analyses. Tak¬ 
ing the average of growth in length of 
several kinds of vines grown under dif¬ 
ferent conditions would be an easier 
method. The following would do. 
Boston ivy, grape, bean, hop, Sweet po¬ 
tato, Madeira vine, Crimson Rambler 
rose, balloon vine, morning-glory, Japa¬ 
nese honeysuckle, pumpkin, gourd, 
ihose that continue growth throughout 
tne Summer would be more useful. 
J. B. S. NORTON. 
Maryland Experiment Station. 
BULK OR QUALITY IN SILAGE. 
Your article on page 1140 entitled 
the New England Corn Show,” raises 
the very important question of what 
should be our purpose in growing sil¬ 
age corn—yield per acre or quality of 
product. Perhaps the conditions sur¬ 
rounding the dairyman will to a certain 
extent determine the answer. If he is 
working high-priced land and is get- 
Ung a high price for dairy products it 
may be profitable for him to grow as 
much rough feed as possible per acre, 
making up any deficiency in feeding 
value with an extra grain ration. But 
how is it with the dairyman who must 
produce milk as cheaply as possible, and 
who wishes to provide as much nutri¬ 
ment as possible in the home-grown 
rough feeds? I believe such a man 
cannot afford to grow silage corn 
which will not mature ears in an aver¬ 
age season. It is absolutely necessary 
to provide a certain amount of coarse, 
bulky feed in the ration, but the amount 
of such feed which the animal can 
consume and digest is necessarily limit¬ 
ed. Performance at the pail does not 
depend upon gross weight of feed con¬ 
sumed, _ but upon nutriment consumed 
and digested. It follows, therefore, 
that if we supply any part of a ration 
which is not up to the highest possible 
standard we have lost an opportunity 
to make the animal do its best. Now 
what is the case when we feed silage 
from corn which does not mature? The 
Vefmont Experiment Station in 1900 
and 1901 planted four varieties of corn: 
Sanford, a medium early flint, and 
three later maturing and larger yield¬ 
ing dents. The results are summarized 
in the twentieth annual report, as fol¬ 
lows : 
The larger corns produced from 50 to 
70 per cent more gross weight than did 
the Sanford, but averaged only 10 per cent 
more dry matter, and that was less mature. 
The several crops were ensiled and fed. 
When the cows were changed from San¬ 
ford silage to that made from the larger 
growths, shrinkage of milk flow ensued un¬ 
less an increased amount of silage was 
fed. The Sanford silage was a shade 
richer in protein and much richer in car¬ 
bohydrates than that made from the 
larger growths, doubtless due to its greater 
maturity. The large corns look impres¬ 
sive, but they yield but little or no more 
actual food matter than do some smaller 
varieties. The farmer has, moreover, to 
harvest and house largo tonnages of water 
which may generally be procured cheaper 
in other ways. 
The results of seven trials at the 
Maine Station comparing Southern 
corn with field corn show an increase 
of 12,492 pounds green weight in favor 
of the former, but when it comes to 
digestible substance the gain is but 175 
pounds. Now, is it profitable to grow 
and handle six tons of green weight 
in order to secure 175 pounds of diges¬ 
tible dry matter? In answering this 
question we must not only take into 
consideration the fact that an extra 
weight must be handled, but also the 
fact that the animal must consume and 
digest a much larger bulk. I believe 
all things considered the smaller crop 
will put more dollars in the dairyman’s 
pocket. We are now feeding silage 
made from flint corn which was plant¬ 
ed so thickly that no ears were formed. 
The yield was large for a flint, fully 20 
tons to the acre, but we cannot get the 
cows to consume enough of this so that 
they make their usual records. Instead 
of aiming for enormous yields of im¬ 
mature green silage corn per acre, will 
we not come out better if we try to 
develop as large a yielding variety as 
will mature in our locality, and then 
plant this variety so that it will ear well, 
cutting the whole plant into the silo? 
Vermont. e. s. brigham. 
BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED CATALOG 
114 Large Pages—Mailed Free 
(About K Natural Size) 
ESCHSCHOLTZIA THORBURNI 
(California Poppy) 
anmla l- Sow outdoors in Spring. 
I he grandest of all Eschscholtzias. The 
unopened buds on outer side of petals 
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novelty and a copy of our beautiful catalog— 
ihe best Seed annual published in America —for 
only lOeents, stamps or coin. (Regular 
price of Seed, lo cents packet.) Write today. 
J. M. THORBURN & CO 
DEPT. Y | 
33 BARCLAY ST., NEW YORK 
Free guide to lighter work. 
The Planet Jr 19 n illustrated catalogue is a 
^complete guide to lighter farm work, better 
IX crops, and more money. Every farmer and 
gardener should possess it as soon as the 
mail can bring it. What’s the sense 
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Write today, and let this free book 
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S L Allen & Co 
Bog 110 7 Y PhilaPa 
| No. 11 *1 Planet Jr 
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has an important im-J 
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SAVE MONEY«*FRUIT PLANTS 
Healthy, northern-grown stock, which will produce 
money-making crops. Strawberry. Raspberry Black¬ 
berry, Currant. Grape Plants. Etc 
READ OUR GUARANTEE 
Every plant we ship is guaranteed to be first class 
and true to name, packed to reach you in good grow¬ 
ing condition (by express), and please you. or your 
money back. 
You can make big money growing good berries, 
but you cannot expect to grow good fruit by planting 
and replanting small inferior stock. 
Our plants are all grown on new ground (this being 
the first crop) and are large, heavy rooted and free 
from disease. 
We grow them by the million on our own ground 
and know what we are selling. That is why our busi¬ 
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twenty-two years. 
We can save you money on 100 plants or a car load. Our large illustrated catalogue 
is instructive and is free to all fruit growers Write for it today 
O. A. D. BALDWIN, R. D. 14 , Bridgman, Mich. 
Plants 
Will Yield $500 to $800 per Acre 
THE Kellogg 1911 strawberry book is the most 
complete treatise on strawberry growing ever 
written. It tells the farmer how to grow big 
crops of big, red strawberries and how to sell 
them at big prices. No matter where you live or 
what kind of soil you have, this book will tell you 
how to prepare your soil, what varieties to set, 
and how to manage the plants to Insure best 
results. One acre of Kellogg Thoroughbred 
Plants grown the Kellogg way will yield S500 to 
$800. Get this beautifully illustrated 64-page 
book and learn how easy It is to grow straw¬ 
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R. M. KELLOGG COMPANY, Box 480 Three Rivers, Mlcb. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS THAT GROW 
You will find my new 1911 
seed catalog a real help to you. 
It contains useful information 
that will help solve your farm 
and garden problems. Also a com¬ 
plete list of the choicest varieties of 
tested farm and garden seeds that 
will produce the best results. 
Send for it today. A postal mentioning 
The Rural New-Yorker will bring it to 
you promptly. 
On receipt of 10c in coin or stamps, I will 
also send you three 10c packets of seed 
—one each of my unequaled Bonny Best 
Early Tomatoes, new Sparkler White Tip 
Radish and orchid flowering Sweet Peas. 
Walter P. Stokes , 
Dept. L, 219 Market St., Philadelphia < 
THAT DO NOT DISAPPOINT 
All Standard Varieties. Also RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY. 
CURRANT and GRAPE Plants and ASPARAGUS Roots in 
ASSORTMENT. WARRANTED TRUE-TO-NAME, and of 
GRADE represented. Catalog with Cultural Instructions FREE 
C E. WHITTEN. BOX 11, BRIDGMAN. MICHIGAN. 
I® 1® I I Sold on The Ford Plan, which guar- 
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money on every purchase. Our cat¬ 
alog tells about it, gives descriptions and low prices on 
Best varieties Garden, Flower and Field Seeds, Pota¬ 
toes, Bulbs, Trees, Shrubs and Small Fruit Plants. Con¬ 
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FOKD SEED CO., Dept. 34, Kavenna, Ohio. 
GREGORY’S HONESTI 
FLOWER SEED OFFER 
We will send you these ten packages of Gregory’s 
Honest Flower Seeds, postpaid, for 25 cents In coin. 1 
_ 90 cents worth for 25 cents 
1 pkg. Aster. Gregory’s Special Fancy Mixture, . . 10c. 
1 pkg- Pansy, Gregory’s Special Fancy Mixture, . 15c. 
1 pkg. Coreopsis, Gregory’s Special Fancy Mixture, 05c. 
J Pkk- Poppy, Gregory’s Faney Double Mixed Annuals' 10c 
1 pkg. Mignonette, Gregory’* Lnrge Flowering,very rleh 10 c! 
} ‘ “ a ^heIor Button, Gregory’s Finest Mixture, He. 
1 pkg. I etunia, Gregory’s Finest Hybrid Mixture, . 15c. 
1 pkg. Candytuft, Gregory’s Finest Mixed, . . .05c. 
1 pkg. Nasturtium, Dwarf, Finest Mixed, . . . .05c 
^pkg. Sweet Peas, Extra Choice Mixed, . . . . 05 c! 
10 packages sent for 25c in coin. 
Our'1911 Catalogue .morel 
. profusely illustrated than ever, 
^HONEST J# is just out. A copy to you for 
Ve?-,_the asking. 
J.J. H. GREGORY & SON, 
1 4 Elm St., Marblehead, Mass, 
gj Cabbago Sood— We sup-f 
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Cauliflower — Danish’ 
grown, large, fertile seed. 
Onion Seed— No cleaner, truer seed. 
Cucumber Sood— White as chalk. ^ 
Also pedigreed Peas, Beane and Sweet Corn. About 
J4 usual prices. We sell direct— no middlemen. Write. 
- FORREST SEED CO., Box 32 Cortland. N.Y. 
(P r. LLn C _ J All the best varieties, 
5jCGQ including the grand 
6 new variety GLORY. i 
Tins is very early, solid, white and flnest quality. It’s a 
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iTOKD SEED CO., Dept. 24, Kaveima. Ohio. 
Alfalfa Book 
crFREE 
We are 
in the center 
of the alfalfa district —w 
and are the largest handlers of 
alfalfa in the U. S. We sell best grade w 
a ‘^ price. Ask for Free Alfalfa Booklet 
nfrai r College t£:0mery ’ Nebraska State Agricul- 
Also big catalog of all Garden and Field Seeds Free. 
Griswold Seed Co.,227 So. loth St.. Lincoln. Neb. 
Peach and Apple Trees 
For fall or spring planting. Prices right; stock 
right. MYER & SON, Bridgoville, Del. 
!i!S GRAPEVINES 
69 v arletle*. Also Small Fruits, Trees, etc. Best Root¬ 
ed Stock, Genuine, cheap, 2 sample vine* mailed for 10c. Desc. 
price-list free, LE'US UOESCI1 St SON, BoxK. Frsdonla, N. y. 
