1130 
graflex type of camera some professionals use for 
animal photography, because of the high cost. Most 
farmers will not care to pay close to $200 for a 
camera. Other fields for the commercial use of the 
camera on the farm are photographing fruits, vege¬ 
tables, nursery stock, etc., offered for sale, as photo¬ 
graphing a box of fancy apples and sending the 
print to grocer or consumer. Showing the photo¬ 
graph may effect a sale as well as showing the 
article itself at a much greater expense. 
New York. w. h. jenkins. 
A PLAN FOR PARCELS POST. 
I desire an earnest word with all advocates of 
parcels post. The end sought is, I believe, to secure 
the most economical transportation of small pack¬ 
ages, 11 pounds or more, sent the average distance 
that the average man will send such packages. This 
average distance will be perhaps 100 miles; it cer¬ 
tainly will not be half way across the continent. The 
average man will not, when he comes to understand 
it, want to pay enough more on his 100-mile rate 
to allow others to send their packages 3,000 miles at 
the same rate. Yet it must be clearly recognized 
that parcels post must be self-supporting, and that if 
the long distance parcels do not pay their own way, 
the short distance ones must pay enough more to 
make it up. 
Can a genuine parcels post be established in Amer¬ 
ica on that plan? I think not. Now, what has been 
the rate proposal before Congress that substantially 
all the active friends of parcels post have apparently 
believed would give the thing sought? Twelve cents 
per pound throughout the United States, as I under¬ 
stand it. That would be a help, of course, but how 
much is it really going to accomplish towards estab¬ 
lishing a great parcels post in this country to make 
the minimum rate of 24 cents on two pounds or 60 
cents on five pounds or $1.32 on 11 pounds, when the 
express companies will now as a rule carry all short 
distance packages at as low rates as that? How 
much produce will the farmers of America be able 
to market at such rates? What is wanted above all 
else is a vast local business in small packages at the 
lowest possible rates for moderate distances—from 
farmers sending things to their customers in nearby 
towns, as well as receiving things; from the whole¬ 
sale houses in the nearby great city to the local deal¬ 
ers; in fact, precisely the present small package ex¬ 
press business vastly accelerated by the lower rates 
affording easier communication. 
Let no one confuse parcels post conditions with 
those of letter post. In the latter the cost of trans¬ 
portation is insignificant in proportion to the charge. 
Consequently the distance does not much matter, but 
with parcels post the reverse is true, and the cost of 
transportation must always be the controlling factor. 
Many leading advocates of parcels post seem really 
to think that the wider the territory at a common 
rate the greater the advantage, as though the greater 
privilege were in some way to be got out of the 
government for nothing, overlooking that in this case 
those who dance must surely pay the piper. We, the 
shippers of small packages of the United States, hope 
to become a mutual forwarding company, called par¬ 
cels post, and the total charges for shipping the pack¬ 
ages must equal the total cost. Now, how do we 
xvant to divide up those charges among the shippers? 
That is the question. One of the great difficulties of 
having parcels post rates graduated to distances lies 
in the complex system involved should the distances 
be in miles that must be differently determined for 
every post office in tbe country, though it is worked 
so successfully in Germany and other countries. 
But why may not a system of zones be arranged 
that would be easily understood by all and be al¬ 
most automatic in operation? What I suggest is to 
establish zones somewhat like this: 
Zone 1. Within any three adjacent counties. 
Zone 2. Within any six adjacent counties. 
Zone 3. Within any State. 
Zone 4. Within any two adjacent States. 
Zone 5. Within any three adjacent States. 
Zone 6. Within the United States. 
The counties need not be in the same State, and 
some of the smaller States might well be grouped 
and considered as one State, to equalize the distances 
better. This plan is not given out with any confi¬ 
dence that the most desirable boundaries of the zones 
have been suggested, but it may serve to suggest fhe 
pacticability of the plan. In conclusion I want to 
urge upon every advocate of parcels post this con¬ 
sideration: If the rate to the remotest part of the 
United States is once lowered it can never be re¬ 
stored. If the rate is now reduced to 12 cents a 
pound it will prove one of the greatest and most 
enduring handicaps to genuine parcels post that can 
be devised. datus c. smith. 
New York. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
HOW TO START ALFALFA IN NEW YORK. 
(1) Select a well-drained fertile field free from 
weeds. 
(2) Manure well and plant some crop like cab¬ 
bages or beets and keep it well cultivated and hoed. 
(3) Plow it very deep in the Fall. 
(4) Apply evenly over the soil about two tons 
of quicklime or four tons of ground limestone. 
(5) In the Spring work the ground thoroughly to 
kill all the weeds and to preserve the moisture. Roll 
once or twice to keep the seed bed firm. 
(6) Apply 500 pounds of inoculated Alfalfa soil, 
just before seeding down about June 1. 
(7) Sow 14 quarts of good plump Alfalfa seed 
that is guaranteed free from dodder and 12 quarts of 
barley as a nurse crop, to protect the tender Alfalfa. 
(8) Cut the barley for hay, leaving eight inches 
of stubble. 
(9) Top-dress with a light coat of manure late 
in the Fall. 
Alfalfa started this way has done remarkably well 
throughout New York State. It is the best crop for 
the dairyman. g. g. b. 
Cazenovla, N. Y. 
AN OHIO ORCHARD ON SHARES. 
I am offered an apple orchard of 200 trees to take care 
of for a share of the fruit. The orchard is badly run 
down ; it is plainly evident that the trees are starving. It 
would necessitate plowing it up and putting in some kind 
of crop to plow under I believe. I judge it has been in 
bearing seven or eight years, and has never been sprayed. 
I own no spraying outfit. What terms could I take hold 
of this orchard to make any money? In other words, 
what share of the fruit should I have, apples being prin¬ 
cipally all Winter varieties. Should I begin working this 
orchard this Fall or begin in the Spring? w. d. c. 
Ohio. 
Many orchards in Ohio and other States are starv¬ 
ing, and our experiment station as well as other sta- 
“I’D LEAVE MY HAPPY HOME FOR YOU.” Fig. 457. 
tions has been demonstrating the use of chemicals, 
manures and cultivating with cover crops till we feel 
reasonably safe in planning out the work of caring 
for orchards that have been neglected. Many or¬ 
chards have responded profitably when 'nitrate of 
soda, phosphoric acid and potash have been applied 
in the Spring about the time the bloom fell, on sod 
and also under cultivation. About as good results 
have been obtained without the use of potash in two 
years’ trial, but it may be best in the long run to use 
some potash. If the land is such that it is not apt to 
wash it may be plowed this Winter and cultivated 
till early in the Summer, and then sow some legumi¬ 
nous crop, such as cow peas, Soy beans or clover, or 
the cow peas may be planted in rows and cultivated, 
and the crop can be cut and fed to stock or left on 
the ground. If there is danger of washing it should 
be left in grass, or if plowed and cultivated one year 
it should be seeded down again next year in the 
Summer or Fall. Cultivation will make the plant 
food available when the sod is turned over and rots, 
and will give about as good results as chemicals for 
a year or two, but cultivation without cover crops 
or manure to furnish humus will soon put the orchard 
in as bad condition as when left in sod and no mulch 
applied. Trees of the age mentioned should probably 
have used around them about five pounds nitrate of 
soda, and 2 l / 2 pounds phosphate, and it may pay to 
add potash in same quantity, yearly. 
If there is San Jose scale in the orchard or around 
it, lime-sulphur solution should be .used some time 
before the trees come out in bloom next Spring at the 
rate of 1-10, but if no scale it may be diluted to 1-30 
or Bordeaux may be used just before the bloom comes 
out and if any sign of insect injury, arsenate of lead 
should be used with it. After the bloom drops it 
should be treated several times through Spring and 
Summer with dilute lime-sulphur and arsenate of 
lead, or Bordeaux and arsenate of lead, depending 
somewhat on the varieties and location. 
It is risky to rent an orchard for only one year, 
as the work in getting it ready to produce properly 
November 25, 
may be lost by a failure or light crop due to freezing, 
frost, hail, wind, drought, etc. I would not care to 
rent for less than three or five years, and would not 
take it for less than half of the crop if it is a good 
orchard and good varieties, and if not up to that 
standard it would not pay to take it for less than 
three-fourths or two-tl;irds. If chemicals are used 
next Spring the good results may not be shown till 
the year following, if the trees do not have a crop of 
fruit set then. If a good crop is promising when the 
fertilizer is applied it will help improve it, and also 
help make a set of strong fruit buds for the year to 
follow. A new man is apt to think he can take an 
orchard for less of the crop, and the owner is apt 
to think he should have more than I have suggested, 
but I have been on both sides of the fence in a small 
way, and feel sure that what I have pointed out is about 
as fair for both parties as I can see it. I presume 
it will cost about $25 for a hand spraying outfit, and 
the spraying material and work for the whole season’s 
treatment will bring the cost up to about $100; the 
chemicals will be worth $50 and the cost of plowing 
and cultivating and cover crops may be $50 more, 
or mowing and mulching will cost something, and 
there is other work through the season one can 
find to do; then the cost of fruit packages, picking 
and packing and disposing of the fruit, so the ex¬ 
pense is considerable, and if the crop is light one is 
a loser, or if one gets a good crop and the price is 
very low there may be nothing made. u. T. cox. 
Lawrence Co., O. 
THE WORKER AT THE TUBS. 
The laundry pictures, Figs. 455 and 456, were taken 
in Florida. At the small Winter resorts most Win¬ 
ter visitors have their washing done by colored 
women, some of whom earn considerable money dur¬ 
ing the season. Their methods and appliances are 
often primative, but they get the dirt out of the 
clothes by hard scrubbing. Fig. 456 shows the water 
system, for which the proprietor is prepared to be 
thankful. The water is dipped out of the lake and 
heated in a kettle over an open fire. Fig. 455 shows 
the laundress and her family in front of their house. 
In the original picture we noticed a little dash of 
“color” in the house a little above the line of the 
woman’s shoulder. It proved to be a man lying 
comfortably in bed while his wife and the children 
were earning the living. The engraving does not 
permit a view of this lazy fellow, but he is there— 
loafing—like many another in white families as well 
as black. We are glad that through the North and 
West and in parts of the South fanners are handling 
the water problem so as to have a constant supply in 
the house. It ought to reach the house before it goes 
to the barn, yet on some farms still the horses and 
cattle have water ready at all times while the women 
folks must walk to the well and draw it up bucket by 
bucket. This fixing of a good water supply is one of 
the reforms which ought to come first. 
THE MILLER AS MIDDLEMAN. 
I sold or exchanged 41 bushels and 15 pounds of wheat 
to a flour milling company at 80 cents per bushel and 
received three barrels of flour at $6 a barrel, $18; 900 
pounds of corn, oats and barley mixed feed at $1.50 per 
hundred, $13.50; 100 pounds of middlings at $1.50 per 
hundred, $1.50 ; total, $33. What percentage did the miller 
receive for grinding my wheat? How many pounds of 
wheat does it take to make a barrel of flour? n. c. m. 
Versailles, Pa. 
Wheat varies in flouring capacity, depending on 
quality of grain, quality of flour, method of milling 
and skill of the miller. The range in commercial 
wheats runs from 65 to 80 per cent; 70 per cent 
would be a fair average for ordinary grain and mill 
methods. On this basis the 41J4 bushels of wheat 
would have made 8.85 barrels of flour. This answers 
one question. It is not possible to tell what pay 
the miller got for grinding without knowing what 
the corn, oats, barley, etc., used in the exchange 
cost the miller, and these figures are not given. If 
the oats, barley and corn cost him $1.45, $1 and $1.35 
per hundred, respectively, the 900 pounds exchanged 
would cost $11.40 for the raw material, and the ac¬ 
count would stand thus: 
Miller got— 
2,475 lbs. wheat = 8.85 bbls. flour @ $6. $53.10 
and 742.5 lbs. bran and middlings @ $1.50. 11.14 
$G4.24 
Miller gave 3 bbls. flour @ $6. $18.00 
900 lbs. feed. 11.40 
100 lbs. middlings. 1.50 
$30.90 30.90 
Miller’s apparent profit.. $33.34 
This is figuring without proper data, however, 
because we do not know when the “miller got the 
grain used in making the exchange or what he 
paid for it. Nor do we know what kind of mill 
he has or how skillful he is in turning grain into 
flour. Wheat milling 70 per cent flour would use 
about 4 2 /3 bushels to a barrel, and at 80 cents ^ per 
bushel this would make .the flour cost about $3.75 
per barrel. There are no doubt some millers among 
our readers. Will they set these figures right if they 
are wrong? 
