6«6 
June 10, 
DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG OPOSSUMS. 
I see The It. N.-Y. is able to answer 
questions. The information that I want 
is full particulars of just how an opposum 
breeds, and how they get their young in 
that pocket. Some time ago a friend of 
mine happened to kill an opossum, and on 
examining we found five little opossums 
not over half an inch long sticking on 
the teats just as if they had grown there, 
jnst as an apple grows on a tree. How 
do they get there at such an age unless 
they grow there? J. S. 
Winslow, N. J. 
The young opossum follows the line of 
development of the young of the mar¬ 
supials generally. Like other members 
of the family, the opossum is placenta¬ 
less, and hence the young opossum is re¬ 
tained within the body of the mother 
for a comparatively short period, for 
from 24 to 28 days, when it is expelled 
from the uterine cavity. Born in this 
very early stage of development, the 
young are immediately taken between 
the lips of the mother and placed in the 
external abdominal pouch, where they 
soon attach themselves to the teats, be¬ 
ing perhaps aided to some extent by the 
mother, and remain there for a long 
period. In three or four weeks the young 
have attained the size of mice, but dq 
not leave the pouch finally until after 
some two months of sucking. The num¬ 
ber of young vary from six or seven to 
11 or, possibly, occasionally even more, 
as there are 13 teats. It is possible that 
the transferance of the young by the 
lips of the female to the external pouch 
has given rise to the curious idea preva¬ 
lent over much of the South that the 
young are born attached to the nipples. 
It is interesting to know that the same 
idea prevails in Australia in regard to 
the kangaroo. So weak and helpless 
are the young when born that the mam¬ 
mary glands of the female are provided 
with specially developed muscles by the 
contraction of which milk is injected 
into the mouths of the young, which at 
first are incapable of sucking. The fact 
that the opossum is so nocturnal ex¬ 
plains why so few observations have 
been made on their breeding habits. 
H. W. HENSHAW. 
Chief, Biological Survey. 
Is Wife Beating Legal ? 
R. F. M., Mississippi .—Some time ago I 
read an item in a newspaper saying that 
a wife had prosecuted her husband for as¬ 
sault and battery and that the court had 
decided against her, “saying that a hus¬ 
band has the legal right to beat his wife.” 
The case was then taken on appeal to the 
Supreme Court of the United States and 
the decision of the lower court affirmed, 
two or more of the justices dissenting. If 
this be true I pity the wives of this na¬ 
tion who are tied to brutal husbands. I 
would look for such a decision from an 
ignorant negro justice of the peace, but 
from the court from which there is no 
appeal it is shocking, brutally shocking to 
think of. The item states that one of the 
dissenting judges was Justice Hughes. I 
have always been in favor of giving woman 
the ballot, and am more in favor of it 
now if this be true. In ante-bellum days 
I punished our “brother in black” for this 
very crime. 
Ans.— We believe this is a fake. We can 
find nothing along this line. There has 
certainly been no such case before the 
Supreme Court since last October, when 
Mr. Justice Hughes entered the Su¬ 
preme Court. He has never before been 
Justice in any other court. 
Buckwheat on Fallow Land. 
Would buckwheat make a crop to turn 
under as green manure, on a piece of 
ground that has not been plowed in 20 
years? Some people tell me that the buck¬ 
wheat will poison the ground. m. f. 
Bethel, Conn. 
Yes, buckwheat is often used as a green 
manure. It grows rapidly and will do well 
on poor ground. Those asparagus growers 
at Concord, Mass., used buckwheat to get 
that poor soil started. Any green crop if 
plowed under while full of sap may sour 
the ground, but this is overcome by using 
lime. 
This has been a very dry and windy 
Spring; prospects for wheat and oats are 
poor, but the first cutting of Alfalfa is be¬ 
ing cared for in fine shape. Fruit will 
not be a very big crop this year, owing to 
the weather being dry last Fall and this 
Spring, except cherries; they are heavily 
loaded. Apples about one-fourth crop, 
peaches none and no berries. j. f. f. 
Haysville, Kan. 
THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
A SIDE DELIVERY HAY RAKE. 
We have a reader in New Jersey who 
wants to know something about the real 
value of a side delivery rake. Will it pay 
him to buy such a rake when he does not 
own a hay loader, and depends upon the 
side delivery for all kinds of raking? 
The farmer who can afford but one hay- 
rake should purchase the Standard rake, 
self-dumping. Such a rake can be used for 
all general raking purposes. The side de¬ 
livery rake has its place, still it is a special 
purpose implement. For second raking, rak¬ 
ing stubble or potato vines, etv., it has no 
value. If used in connection with a hay 
loader it has the standard rake beaten at 
every point. T. e. martin. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
I think it would be best for your New 
Jersey reader to get an ordinary dump 
rake. But one or two side delivery rakes 
have been tried in this locality, and farmers 
did not take kindly to them. One fault 
was skidding or slipping sideways, especial¬ 
ly when finishing the windrows; this could 
be avoided by having a flange on the wheels. 
The only advantage is that the hay is not 
tangled as much as with dump rakes, and 
for that reason they are often used to 
precede hay loaders. If the inquirer has 
large, smooth hayfields, and harvests lots 
of hay, side delivery rakes and bay loaders 
may be just what he needs, but so far as 
we here are concerned, producing hay in¬ 
cidentally, we find that a good five-foot 
mower, a sulky or revolving hayrake and 
a hay fork make a very dependable haying 
outfit. w. e. n. 
Hillsboro, O. 
I have never owned one. The cost has 
kept me from making very diligent inquiry 
about them. But if not already equipped 
with a steel dump rake, I would certainly 
think seriously about purchasing one. With 
a dump or rolling rake the bay is pressed 
together in the gathering, which retards 
curing, and if it gets wet it requires some 
skill and muscle to scatter it again. The 
side delivery rake throws two swaths 
against the third between them, and lifts 
the hay out of the swath and tends to tear 
it to pieces rather than press it together 
as done by other rakes. If to be handled 
by a loader it will certainly load better 
after a side delivery rake than after the 
dump rakes. It will distribute in better 
form on the wagon, because it takes it up 
more regularly. It can be loaded by hand 
forking by following the windrows just as 
well after the side delivery rake as any 
other kind of rake. It is much more easy 
to make an even-sized windrow with a side 
delivery than any other rake, hence more 
desirable to use in advance of a loader. 
Doubtless the desire to make the hay loader 
more efficient has been a strong factor in 
bringing the side delivery rake Into use. 
Ross Co., O. JOHN M. JAMISON. 
I believe that the New Jersey inquirer 
Will make no mistakes in availing himself 
of its use, provided he has the amount of 
work the side delivery rake is adapted to 
perform. Although I have no practical 
Knowledge of its usefulness, the testimony 
of others of experience is well worth con¬ 
sidering. A near neighbor, an extensive, 
practical and successful farmer, is very en¬ 
thusiastic in its praise, not only as a rake, 
but its combination with the loader as well. 
When asked regarding its use as a labor 
saver his reply was that he would “as soon 
think of doing without the binderalso 
that he was enabled to secure his hay crop 
with a saving of one-half the expense as 
compared with former methods. Seemingly 
a broad statement, but its truthfulness 
certainly cannot be questioned. Regarding 
its use in the absence of the loader, he at 
once replied that he believed it an improve¬ 
ment over former methods of doing the work 
as it not only left the hay in condition con¬ 
venient for loading on the wagon, or fork¬ 
ing into cocks, but in its operation the 
results were similar to that by use of the 
hay tedder. My informant as well as other 
farmers has successfully used these rakes 
in the harvest of beans; the work of fork¬ 
ing them into gavels by those following the 
bean harvester, is now rapidly performed 
and gathered into windrows with these side 
delivery rakes convenient for loading. While 
considering this subject it had seemed that 
perfection had nearly or quite been reached 
in the construction of tools designed for 
securing the hay crop, but the above 
illustrates the fact that inventive genius 
is interested in developing agricultural art 
as well as in other industrial pursuits. 
Genesee Co., N. Y. irving d. cook. 
PRODUCTS, PRICES AND TRADE. 
The White Star Line made a profit of 
$5,000,000 during 1910. 
During the 10 months ending April 30, 
the value of our imports was $1,274,600,000. 
The largest single item was coffee, $76,100,- 
000. Sugar, crude rubber, silk and hides 
came next in order, the last named being 
$57,000,000. Other items were: Tea. $15,- 
400,000 ; wool, $19,800,000 : cheese, $6,500.- 
000; leaf tobacco, $21,600,000; cotton, $21,- 
200.000; iron ore, $5,600,000; books. $5,- 
100,000; bar tin, $33,400,000; diamonds, 
$28,200,000. 
Since January 1 over $990,000,000 in 
new securities have been issued in this 
country. About $700,000,000 have been in 
railroad paper, and the remainder various 
manufacturing and industrial stocks. The 
two heaviest items were $30,000,000 Chi¬ 
cago Elevated Railway and $25,000,000 
Oregon-Washington Railroad and Naviga¬ 
tion Co. London took $12,500,000 of the 
last named an hour after they were of¬ 
fered. 
Well Whaled Island.— The Melbourne 
(Australia) Leader tells of the stranding 
of 37 large whales on Perkins Islands. A 
very high tide had evidently brought them 
in, as they were 300 feet up on the 
beach. Such a tragedy on Long Island or 
off the Massachusetts coast would be en¬ 
thusiastically welcomed by numerous re¬ 
tired sea captains and others who know 
how to cut up and try ont whale blubber, 
but no such facilities were on hand there. 
As the whales had lain in the tropical sun 
for 10 days the odor was frightful. 
Bean dealers in New York City have 
formed an association to put the trade on a 
better business basis. Following are some 
of the more important rules adopted for 
grading and shipment. 
“Choice hand-picked pea beans must be 
bright of the crop, sound, dry, well screened, 
and not contain more than 1 % per cent 
of foreign matter, discolored and split 
beans, and not more than 5 per cent of 
medium beans. 
“Prime hand-picked pea beans must be 
bright of the crop, sound, dry, well screened 
and not contain more than 3 per cent of 
foreign matter, discolored and split beans, 
and not more than 10 per cent of medium 
beans. 
“Choice band-picked medium beaus must 
be bright of the crop, sound, dry, well 
screened and not contain more than 1 ^2 
per cent of foreign matter, discolored and 
split beans, and not more than 5 per cent 
of pea and small marrow beans. 
“Prime hand-picked medium beans must 
be bright of the crop, sound, dry, well 
screened and not contain more than 3 per 
cent of foreign matter, discolored and split 
beans, and not more than 10 per cent of 
pea and small marrow beans. 
“Choice hand-picked white marrow beans 
must be bright of the crop, sound, dry, well 
screened and not contain more than IV 2 
per cent of foreign matter, discolored and 
split beans, and not more than 5 per cent 
of medium beans. 
“Prime hand-picked white marrow beans 
must be bright of the crop, sound, dry, 
well screened and not contain more than 
2% per cent of foreign matter, discolored 
and split beans, and not more than 10 per 
cent of medium beans. 
“Choice hand-picked white kidney beans 
must be bright of the crop, sound, dry, well 
screened and not contain more than 1 Mi 
per cent of foreign matter, discolored and 
split beans, and not more than 2 per cent 
of other white beans. 
“Choice hand-picked yellow eye beans 
must be improved, bright of the crop, sound, 
dry, well screened and not contain more 
than 1% per cent of foreign matter, dis¬ 
colored and split beans, and not more than 
5 per cent of white beans. 
“Choice hand-picked red kidney beans 
must be bright of the crop, light red in 
color, sound, dry, well screened and must 
not contain more than 1% per cent of 
foreign matter, discolored and split beans, 
and not more than 1 % per cent of sports 
and blue beans. 
“Prime hand-picked red kidney beans 
must he bright of the crop, light red in 
color, sound, dry, well screened and not 
contain more than 3 per cent of foreign 
matter, discolored and split beans, and not 
more than 3 per cent of sports and blue 
beans. 
“Choice hand-picked red marrow beans 
must be bright of the crop, light red in 
color, sound, dry. well screened and not 
contain more than 2 per cent of foreign 
matter, discolored, split, sports and blue 
beans. 
Prime hand-picked red marrow beans must 
be bright of the crop, light red in color, 
sound, dry, well screened, and not contain 
more than 4 per cent of foreign matter, 
discolored, split, sports and blue beans.” 
A carload of beans unless otherwise 
noted, is considered to be 20 tons, in new 
burlap bags containing 100 pounds net. 
Standard hags may be made of 14 or 16 
ounce burlap cut 42x36 inches. 
BOOKS 
WORTH BUYING 
American Fruit Culturist, Thomas.... $2.50 
Bush Fruits, Card. 1.50 
Principles of Fruit Growing, Bailey. . 1.50 
Successful Fruit Culture, Maynard.... 1.00 
Dwarf Fruit Trees, Waugh.50 
Plums and Plum Culture, Waugh.... 1.50 
Pruning Book, Bailey. 1.50 
Nursery Book. Bailey. 1.50 
Spraying of Plants, Lodeman. 1.25 
Plant Breeding, Bailey. 1.25 
Evolution of Our Native Fruits, Bailey 2.00 
Survival of The Unlike, Bailey. 2.00 
Horticulturists’ Rule Book, Bailey.75 
The Soil, King. 1-50 
Soils, Hilgard . 4.00 
Fertility of the Land, Roberts. 1.50 
Irrigation and Drainage, King. 1.50 
Fertilizers, Voorhees . 1.25 
Agriculture and Chemistry, Storer, 3 
vols. 5.00 
Forage Crops, Voorhees. 1.50 
Principles of Agriculture, Bailey. 1.25 
Garden Making, Bailey. 1.50 
Vegetable Gardening, Bailey. 1.50 
Forcing Book, Bailey. 1.25 
How Crops Grow, Johnson. 1.50 
How Crops Feed, Johnson. 1.50 
Cereals in America, Hunt. 1.75 
Fo-ige and Fiber Crops in America, 
Hunt .’. 1.75 
Book of Alfalfa, Coburn. 2.00 
Farm Grasses in United States, Spill¬ 
man . 1.00 
Clovers and How to Grow Them, Shaw 1.00 
The Potato. Fraser .75 
Tomato Culture, Tracy.50 
Celery Culture, Beattie.50 
Bean Culture, Sevey.50 
Asparagus. Hexamer .50 
Mushrooms, Falconer . 1.00 
New Rhubarb, Culture, Morse.50 
Greenhouse Construction, Taft. 1.50 
Greenhouse Management. Taft. 1.50 
Chrysanthemum Culture, Herrington . . .50 
Plant Culture, Oliver. 1.50 
The Rose, Kingsley. 2.00 
Landscape Gardening, Waugh.50 
IIow to Plan the Home Grounds, Par¬ 
sons . 1.00 
Ornamental Gardening, Long. 1.50 
The Small Country Place, Maynard.. 1.50 
Hedges, Windbreaks and Shelters, 
Powell .50 
A B C of Bee Culture, Root. 1.50 
Our Insect Friends and Enemies, Smith 1.50 
Economic Entomology, Smith. 2.50 
Vinegar and Acetates, Brannt. 5.00 
Feeds and Feedings. Henry. 2.25 
Feeding of Animals, Jordan. 1.50 
Feeding Farm Animals, Shaw. 2.00 
Tvpes and Breeds of Farm Animals, 
Plumb . 2.00 
Principles of Breeding, Davenport. . . . 2.50 
Animal Breeding. Shaw. 1.50 
The Study of Breeds, Shaw. 1.50 
Milk and Its Products, Wing. 1.50 
Milk Testing. Van Slyke.75 
Practical Farming, McLennan. 1.50 
Diseases of Animals, Mayo. 1.50 
Farmer’s Veterinary Adviser. Law.... 3.00 
The Horse, Roberts. 1.25 
liens for Profit. Valentine. 1.50 
Swine in America. Coburn. 2.50 
Sheep Farming, Wing. 1.00 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
409 PEARL ST., NEW YORK CITY 
Conditioned 
L Cows 
Help out your pasture shortage 
with Dried Beet Pulp 
E VEN though the season is dry, you can make your 
pasture last through the summer. When your 
neighbors are buying feed for their cattle you can 
still have good green pasture. Conservation—that is 
the way to avoid expensive feeding; bills—and include 
Dried Beet Pulp in your feeding ration. You will most 
likely ge* more milk, too—certainly just as much—and 
at reduced feeding cost. Your cows need be on pasture 
only half time. Just mix one to three pounds of Dried 
Beet Pulp in the ration and then watch your milk records _ 
grow. If you put your cows on pasture too early—before the 
grass had its full growth—before the ground became firm—so that 
your cows really destroyed 'more pasture than they ate, Dried Beet 
Pulp will get you on good feeding basis again. 
Feed Dried Beet Pulp the same as you would roots 
and you will be repaid in more milk and better 
conditioned cows. 
Dried Beet Pulp is just the 
pulp of the sugar beet after 
the sugar has been extracted 
—but all the tender nutritious 
substance retained. It is a 
succulent feed that the cows 
like. It provides the bulk the cows 
need — lightens the grain ration— 
makes it easier of digestion, increases 
the flow of milk, keeps the bowels and 
kidneys in good order. 
Test out and prove this to your own satis 
faction. If you don’t find this true, 
it won’t cost you a cent under our 
Guaranty. 
The Larrowe Milling Co. 
Box 601, Ford Bldg. 
Detroit, Mich. 
We stand on 
this Guaranty 
We guarantee that any sack of our 
Dried Beet Pulp bought for trial, either 
direct from us or through a dealer, will 
prove satisfactory to the buyer or we will 
refund the purchase price. 
Larger quantities can be bought with the privilege 
of trying one sack and if found unsatisfactory, the entire 
purchase price will be refunded if the unused portion is 
shipped in accordance with instructions to be received from us. 
