Ad •’ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 8, 
VEGETABLES AND THE BOY. 
It ma.v be of iuterest to the readers- of 
The It. N.-Y. to know that an intimate ac¬ 
quaintance of mine, raised by her own work 
and the help of her children, last Summer, 
enough early vegetables in her garden to 
pay the expenses at the normal school for 
the oldest, a boy 13 years old, for the 
Winter term, including lessons in music, lie 
is coming home to-day to start in with the 
Spring work and help to raise money for 
next Winter’s schooling. His mother means 
to keep him at studies as well as work, and 
some play, during Spring, Summer and 
Fall. His father, a city man. though per¬ 
suaded by his wife to buy a small farm 
last Winter, keeps saying, “It don't pay,” 
hut my friend means to show him it does. 
She believes in getting early prices by 
starting such things as will stand cold and 
some frost, so she was busy digging March 
14 so much of the garden as had been left 
by Jack Frost, about one-eighth of an acre, 
and expected to plant the next day, when 
to her dismay it came a snow cloud so 
dense that it left over six inches deep of 
wet snow all over. My friend Maiy has 
joined a few young girls who with a teacher 
at the head study Latin on Tuesday even¬ 
ings, but she was so .worried over the 
seeming failure of her plans that she could 
not keep her mind on Latin, or anything 
else. It was a moonlight night and when 
she awoke at 2 a. in. in the night she con¬ 
ceived a bright idea. She dressed, found 
the shove] and removed the snow the width 
of the shovel, then planted one row of 
beets and one of lettuce, side by side ; then 
she left a foot of snow between and re¬ 
moved snow from the next two rows, throw¬ 
ing the snow on the planted rows. To-day, 
the 16th, Jack Frost has taken possession 
again, but Mary has her seed in and is 
happy that they are ready to welcome the 
warm rays of the sun, her only regret that 
the piece is not larger. M. G. L. 
Pennsylvania. 
SOME CORN TESTING EXPERIENCE. 
Last year my father raised a good crop 
of corn. Pride of the North variety. It was 
cut with the binder and put into the silo, 
so that no accurate record of the yield 
could be kept. However, one part of the 
field lay just below the barn and received 
the drainage from the manure pile, and 
here the corn was unusually good. From 
this part of the field we picked the largest, 
ripest ears and tied two ears together by 
the husks and hung them over a pole high 
up under the eaves on the north side of the 
granary, where they were sheltered from 
the storm. The pole was hung by hay wire 
so squirrels and mice did not disturb it. 
Of course ears froze, but as they were ripe 
and dry when hung up I did not think this 
hurt it. We were complimented a number 
of times during the Winter on our fine 
string of seed corn, and 1 thought we had 
pretty good seed corn. I had read con¬ 
siderable about testing seed corn for ger¬ 
mination, so I determined to test this. 1 
took a tomato-plant box and filled it nearly 
.full of earth. I put tacks along the edges 
and stretched strings across the box to 
divide it into squares 1% inches square. I 
lettered it A, B, C across one end and 
numbered it one, two, three down one side. 
There were just 99 squares, and I planted 
four kernels from one ear in each square, 
beginning at one end of the pole. This was 
March 10. Then I set it behind the coal 
stove in the living room and watered it 
well. I believe this method is original, al¬ 
though the principle is the same. Sawdust 
would take the place of earth in the box if 
it was easier to obtain. 1 expected most of 
the corn to grow'. Imagine my surprise 
when one week later, March 17, just three 
oars out of the 99 showed four strong 
sprouts. A dozen or more showed one 
sprout and the rest- nothing. 1 found that 
the three ears that grew were the smallest, 
nearest to nubbins that there were on the 
pole. They would have been discarded at 
planting time had the corn not been tested. 
Of course these are the only ones that will 
be used for seed, and as they are not suf¬ 
ficient to plant six acres we shall be 
obliged to buy seed corn from our neigh¬ 
bors, dr send to some seed house and run 
the risk of getting seed corn no better than 
our own. Yet we have grown good crops 
of corn before from seed that was neither 
tested nor hung up to dry, but put in a crib 
where the snow blew on to it all Winter 
long. c. C. CLEMENT. 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y. 
Likes the Manure Spreader. 
I would like to state a few facts in 
answer to Albert H. DeGraff concerning 
both sides of the manure spreader. We 
have 70-bushel size, and use it with from 
400 to 500 loads per year. I am sorry 
that Mr. DeGraff is so unfortunate with his 
spreader. We have had our six years, and 
have never spent one cent for repairs. Some 
men never learn how to handle any kind of 
a machine; that is why they have so many 
repair bills. Oiling is very important, and 
should never be neglected ; it saves horse¬ 
flesh and the spreader does not pull so 
heavily. One week’s use will pay for the 
interest; one man will do more with the 
spreader than two can do by spreading with 
the fork in the old-time way. Every farmer 
here has a spreader, and all are giving good 
results. Spreaders have their faults same 
as men, none are perfect. We use three 
horses, 1200 pounds ; if a field has a little 
down grade always give the horses the ad¬ 
vantage. I am in favor of a spreader just 
as much as I am of a binder, and use it 
more than any other machine. 
Maryland. a. e. steelt. 
Planting Onion Sets. 
On page 348 I). G. Ib, of Smithsburg, Md., 
inquires if it would be all right to sow 
onion sets in small. furrows to avoid the 
labor of sticking them, and the reply in¬ 
dicates that it would be all right. There 
can be no question but that the bulbs will 
grow all right, but to my mind the method 
would defeat its object, which is to econo¬ 
mize labor. The onions would not come up 
in close alignment and consequently could 
not be worked nearly so close with the 
wheel hoe, and would increase the labor of 
hand weeding to such an extent as to far 
outweigh the advantage gained. However, 
much can be done to facilitate the work of 
sticking the sets. My practice has beep to 
make a rather heavy hand marker with say 
five pegs to open furrows about 1% inch 
deep. Then the workers are required to 
carry three rows, kneeling astride of the 
middle one. They are also required to hold 
the immediate supply of sets in one hand, 
right by the other hand with which the sets 
are placed, instead of reaching to the vessel 
for each individual set. The sets are sim¬ 
ply placed and no attempt made to cover; 
this work I have found most quickly and 
satisfactorily done by running over the 
rows a garden seed drill with seeding tube 
removed. The covering blades followed by 
the roller wheel make a fine job of it. 
Probably nowhere in garden operations 
does care in the beginning save work later 
to such an extent as in the onion bed. 
Florida. d. l. hartman. 
[ CORN PLANTING IN NEW ENGLAND. 
I think that the acreage of corn will be 
slightly increased the coming season. Corn 
will be planted mostly on regularly culti¬ 
vated fields. The quantity of fertilizer va¬ 
ries from 400 to 1,000 pounds per acre. 
The variety of corn is about 75 per cent 
yellow dent, the remainder flint. H. h. k. 
Clinton, Conn. 
The corn acreage in this part of Maine 
will be largely increased this year. The 
potato acreage will be cut in two, and 
corn and oats will be planted instead. The 
amount of a fertilizer used is about 100 
pounds. The small flint variety of seed is 
used, although some are using the larger 
kind. W. H. O. 
Lewiston, Me. 
I think there is more corn being planted 
in this section year after year than there 
used to be years ago. This year 1 am ex¬ 
pecting to plant 10 acres, last year I 
planted five, the year before about four. We 
use some fertilizer of different kinds, also 
all the stable manure, etc., we make. Last 
year 1 did not use any corn fertilizer on 
three acres of my corn ; got better results, 
too, with barnyard manure. s. a. w. 
Gales Ferry, Conn. 
At the present time it is the calculations 
of the farmers in this section of Vermont 
to increase the acreage of corn and plant 
less potatoes. The planting mostly will be 
on old meadows. The regularly cultivated 
fields will be sown to oats and seeded 
down to clover and Timothy. They gen¬ 
erally use about 500 pounds of fertilizer to 
the acre. The flint variety is planted 
mostly, such as Longfellow. J. l. b. 
Bennington Co., Vt. 
Last year the acreage in corn was greatly 
increased over former years, in many cases 
more than 100 per cent, and I think that 
increase will be maintained the coming 
season, although weather conditions may 
have some influence later on. Last year 
results were so satisfactory that it does 
not seem probable that there would be much 
decrease this year. In my own case I in¬ 
creased my planting more than 100 per cent, 
and if weather conditions are favorable 
■shall maintain the increase and possibly 
add to it. Planting is confined to old cul¬ 
tivated fields that have been in grass for 
several years. These fields are broken in 
the Fall and allowed to lie till Spring, then 
thoroughly worked and planted with corn ; 
in many cases the results are very satis¬ 
factory, but better results can be obtained 
by planting with potatoes or sowing grain 
the first season, following with corn the 
next. The quantity of fertilizer varies from 
400 pounds upwards according to the 
amount of stable manure applied and the 
general condition of the soil. As to variety 
of corn, it is flint entirely, as the dent 
will not mature in this section satisfactor¬ 
ily ; the seasons are too short. For silage 
the standard varieties are used. In view of 
the large increase in acreage hist season, it 
does not seem as though there would be g 
relative gain over last year the coming sea¬ 
son. but we hope to maintain it, not fall 
backwards. L. b. h. 
Ashburnham, Mass., 
The following note from “The Springfield 
Republican” may give some of our western 
readers an idea of what New England is 
still doing. This report is for Franklin 
Co., Mass. An acre of onions or tobacco 
will represent the income from at least 25 
acres of corn or wheat: 
“Among those who will have a large 
acreage of onions and tobacco are Fred C. 
Kidder, 55 or 60 acres of onions and 28 
acres of tobacco, and William L. Hubbard, 
60 acres of onions and 12 of tobacco. 
Charles F. Clark will have 50 acres of to¬ 
bacco and onions together, but has not de¬ 
cided what proportion of each he will put 
in. Cyrus M. Hubbard will have 25 acres 
of Cuban tobacco, which he will raise un¬ 
der cloth. He has had three acres under 
cloth for several years, and this season will 
put up a tent over his field on the plain 
and also on leased land on the plain. While 
the price has gone up on tobacco cloth, 
wire is used considerably in the construc¬ 
tion of the frame-work in place of lumber, 
which reduces the cost.” 
Land In Maryland. —On page 233 was a 
statement in regard to the merits of Ver¬ 
mont or Maryland land, saying that on the 
eastern shore of Maryland land conld be 
l>ought as low as $8 per acre. On page 
405 I find a reply to said article, stating 
that you would have to multiply the $S by 
four to six. and that the writer must have 
had the prices of 20 or 25 years ago. I 
lived on the eastern shore of Maryland for 
two years ; just came from there four years 
ago, and I know what I am talking about. 
I lived in Worcester County, close to the 
Somerset County line. I bought 75 acres 
for $650. The man I bought from had 200 
more acres that he had just bought for 
$1,000. As the first writer states, the 
buildings are poor—and the land is too. In 
Worcester, Somerset and Wicomico Coun¬ 
ties there are plenty of farms to be had 
for from $5 to $10 per acre. The two 
branches of the Pennsylvania Railroad run 
through the best part of the peninsula, and 
along them many villages have sprung up, 
and the land is higher, but back eight or 
10 miles from the railroad the land is still 
cheap, unless it is covered with pine tim¬ 
ber; then it sells for about what the timber 
is worth. Those who live near the rail¬ 
road do well trucking, raising strawberries, 
sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc. The great 
drawback with the country is lack of grass, 
but cow peas are a very good substitute, 
but require more work. j. s. barnhart. 
Pennsylvania. 
HENDERSON’S 
IMPORTED CLYDESDALE OATS 
A Variety of White Oats of Extraordinary Weight, Earliness and Productiveness, 
the Natural Weight of Which is 50 Pounds to the Bushel. 
Since we introduced this Grand Oat it has steadily and deservedly gained 
in popularity, until today it is the most popular High-Grade White Oat in 
the United States. 
The climate of America is unsuited to the production and maintenance 
of the highest grade of oats, and unless a heavy imported (British) oat be 
used for seed purposes at least every second or third year, they become light, 
“chaffy,” inferior in quality and unprofitable. The ultimate financial benefit 
accruing to the American farmers by the annual distribution of several thou¬ 
sand bushels of Henderson’s Clydesdale Oats cannot be overestimated. These 
oats weigh naturally 50 lbs. per measured bushel, and they deteriorate in 
weight only from three to four lbs. each year they are grown here, so that 
the produce is worth for seed purposes at least double the market value of 
ordinary oats. 
No other oat can show such a record—75 to 100 bushels per acre, and 
double the usual quantity of straw. We offer these oats for sale at the weight 
of 50 lbs. per bushel, exactly as grown for us in Britain, so that those pur¬ 
chasing will actually receive for every bushel over one and one-half bushels 
according to the American standard, which reduces the price of “The Clydes¬ 
dale” to $1.47 per standard bushel of 32 lbs. Another most important advan¬ 
tage of Henderson’s Clydesdale Oats to the farmer is the fact that they have 
been thoroughly cleaned by the latest and most improved machinery, and are 
absolutely free from foreign and weed seeds. (See cut.) Price (imported), 
75c. per peck; $2.50 per bushel (of 50 lbs.) Or we will supply 3 bushels (150 
lbs.) the quantity to seed an acre, for $7.30; 10-bushel lots, $2.40 per bushel; 
100-bushel lots, $2.30 per bushel (of 50 lbs.) 
Genuine ONLY When Direct From Us 
In the Ohio Farmer , Mr. J. T. Hickman of the Ohio Experiment Station, 
tells how samples of Henderson’s Imported Clydesdale Oats, and Clydesdale 
Oats procured from other sources, were grown together in a series of experi¬ 
ments and resulted greatly in favor of Henderson’s Clydesdale. The average 
yield of Henderson’s Clydesdale was nine bushels per acre ahead of the others. 
HENDERSON’S 
AMERICAN GROWN CLYDESDALE OATS 
In order to give Henderson’s. Clydesdale a still wider distribution and 
make their value universally known, and to enable us to offer them at a price 
within the reach of every farmer, we have had several thousand bushels 
specially grown for 11 s in Northern New York during the past year (from im¬ 
ported seed). These we have thoroughly recleaned, and are extra choice and 
heavy, free from all foul seeds and light and imperfect grains. We are within 
the mark when we say that these oats will yield under ordinary cultivation 70 
to 80 bushels per acre, and under favorable circumstances 100 bushels pei acre 
can reasonably be expected. 
Price (American grown), $1.40 per bushel (32 lbs.); 10-bushels lots, $1.35 
per bushel; 100-bushel lots, $1.30 per bushel. 
OUR ANNUAL FARM MANUAL 
A Complete Catalogue of Farm Seeds, Mailed Postpaid on Application 
PETER HENDERSON & CO, 35-37 Cortlandt St, New York 
