2 
docks, stumps and old locust trees, a ditch in front 
about four feet deep. This was tiled with sewer pipe, 
graded and seeded, and was one of the important 
things as to looks. We piped the water from the 
kitchen, so in Summer we have a hose and all the 
water we want on the lawn as well as in the house. 
We have been here five years. The farm is paying 
now. We keep 22 head of young heifers and cows, 
four horses and about 200 hens. My husband pur¬ 
chased piano boxes, and with old lumber from an old 
barn at a cost of less than $50 made houses that are 
portable and warm, and I have never had less than 
$350 per year from the hens, this sum covering our 
household expenses and the clothes for the family, 
consisting of a little boy of our own, a little orphan 
girl, and a hired man. Of course I do not mean 
clothes for the hired man—only for our own family. 
We have set out a young orchard of cherry, plum, 
quince, apple and pears; have strawberries and had 
raspberries, but they became affected with cane-blight 
and we were obliged to cut them down. Our fields 
are now clean, the stone picked up, and where corn 
grew knee high we now grow corn any man might 
be proud of. This has meant hard work for both. 
We have now been married 14 years. While our home 
fs only a simple farmhouse, to me it is home in all the 
best sense the word implies. As I step out on the 
porch, all around I see neighbors’ homes, beautiful 
trees, and all the other blessings this country lias. 
1 feel like saying, “Thank God, from whom all bless¬ 
ings flow.” I would not, if I could, exchange one of 
the hardships that have been mine, for through them 
I have learned to appreciate my home, my country and 
my friends. I find time to drive, and always have a 
neat driving horse and buggy at my disposal, time to 
enjoy a neighborhood club, an aid society, and other 
blessings that belong to the thinking farmer’s wife. 
Ohio. a farmer’s wife. 
FODDER CORN AND ALFALFA. 
Two years ago I bought 2 % acres of laud, 1% acre in 
Alfalfa one year old when bought. Last year 1 cut 5% 
or six tons from the lot, this year I cut only about four 
tons from it. Since reading of Mrs. Harris’ 70 tous of 
corn fodder per acre I have been thinking probably 1 could 
got more rough feed from this land by plowing one-half of 
it (three-quarter acre) and put it in corn to be followed 
by Crimson clover for several years, then seed to Alfalfa 
again and plow the other half for corn. I keep two 
horses and would like to keep one cow, but have failed 
to mako. rough feed enough for the horses on this lot. 
This land is a rich sandy loam, high land, undrained and 
level. Will you advise me how to make the most rough 
feed possible on this land? Do you think best to work 
it as above or continue the whole in Alfalfa and top- 
dress heavy with chemical fertilizers? What fertilizers 
would you advise me to use in either case? I have stable 
manure enough to top-dress about half of it every Winter. 
Cannot buy manure here, but am willing to use chemical 
fertilizers heavily if it will pay to do so. 1 am anxious 
for liquid manure for my garden and lawn. What do you 
think of a pit below the ground, walled up with brigk 
and cement? J. w. G. 
Virginia. 
In such case we would keep half the land in Alfalfa 
and the other half in corn fodder. You can hardly 
hope to grow 70 tons per acre. Mrs. Harris had a hen 
and hog yard to start with, all the manure needed 
and a very good season. She might not strike this 
combination once in a dozen years. If you can grow 
18 to 20 tons you will do well. We should plow half 
the field, plant corn thickly and use at least 800 
pounds of good corn fertilizer. At the last cultivation 
sow a combination of either Crimson clover or vetch 
with rye. In the Spring plow this growth under and 
plant corn again with more fertilizer. When the 
Alfalfa fails plow it and plant corn, seeding the corn 
ground down to Alfalfa. In that case you can cut 
the rye and vetch for hay, plow the stubble and seed 
Alfalfa. By working carefully you can keep half 
the land in Alfalfa three or four years, growing that 
many corn crops on the other half. This will give you 
more forage than you now get from the Alfalfa alone. 
You can dig a pit and cement bottom and sides. Make 
a concrete floor to the stable and run tile to the pit. 
The liquids will run to the pit, and you can pump 
them up when you want them. 
THE LATE PEACH DISCUSSION. 
I note on page 987 the inquiry of E. V., Sussex 
Co., N. J., relative to late peaches, and seeing the 
McKay’s Late mentioned with several others, I am 
sending you a sample of the McKay, picked to-day, 
October 19, together with three Salway picked to-day 
from the same age tree, in a row 21 feet from where 
the McKay grew. Both varieties are the largest I 
could select except in the branch of McKay sent to 
show the color. Varieties are maturing nearly or quite 
two weeks ahead of the usual time this year, and both 
these kinds are earlier than normal. While I would 
at this time reply to E. V.’s question the same as does 
Mr. Van Alstyne, in recommending the Salway as 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
being the best late peach to-day, in normal seasons 
the McKay is a better peach as a dessert variety 
owing to its unusual juiciness for so late a variety. 
This does not hold this year, however, as nearly all 
varieties are prematurely ripened and off in quality. 
I am testing the variety in a small orchard of about 
125 trees, and hope to continue to have something 
favorable to say about it as my trees get a little more 
SAMPLE OF THE McKAY PEACH, Fig. 3. 
age. As a rule, it is as juicy as Early Crawford, and 
samples sent me last year from a person in Wayne 
County to whom I had sent the trees for testing sev¬ 
eral years ago, were as handsome a sample of fruit 
as I ever saw. Another to whom I sent them for 
testing told me he had used them as late as Thanks¬ 
giving. This 1 would regard as very unusual; with 
us the latest I have picked them was October 23, 
when they were in about the same condition as these 
are to-day. Two years ago they were picked October 
15 as hard as rocks, and ripened up to perfection, 
carrying till October 25. For late peaches, consider¬ 
ing the one point of quality, without doubt the Willett 
is at the very head, and I am of opinion that Lamont 
would come next. w. l. mckay. 
New York. 
R. N.-Y.—The peach pictured at Fig. 3 was a fair 
sample of those sent by Mr. McKay. As he states, 
these peaches were larger and of better quality than 
Salway. 
MULES IN ALABAMA. 
Some time ago there was a discussion in The R. 
N.-Y. relative to the desirableness of mules for gen¬ 
eral use, disposition being especially considered. I 
fear our mutual friend, the mule, has been and still 
is, to a great extent, unjustly maligned. That there 
are many tricky and unsafe mules is of course true, 
but the same may be said of horses, and mules have 
several good points in their favor, especially here in 
the South. They are much tougher, consequently 
stand acclimation and many other things better than 
horses; then they do not need as much feed to keep 
FIND THE THIRD HONEST WORKER. Fig 4.- 
them in good condition, which is a great item to new 
settlers in a new country, who must clear up new land 
and restore fertility to old (lost by being burned 
over and years of neglect), before they can raise full 
crops of either forage or grain, particularly the latter. 
I am sending you two views of our Missouri mules. 
This shows the team waiting for refreshments, in 
characteristic attitudes, one very alert and observant, 
while the other seems 4o wish to convey the impres¬ 
sion of being wholly oblivious and unconcerned; just 
as many humans do, thinking, perhaps, that it shows 
January 0, 
superiority over the more emotional. However, they 
are both as gentle as kittens and are very fond of 
being noticed and petted; both can be used in any 
way desired, and either makes a nice appearance 
hitched to the buggy, although the dark one is the 
best traveler and delights in going as much as the 
driver, if not more. We bought this team about 18 
months ago (at five years old) for $350, and recently 
refused $400 cash for them. It would almost seem 
like selling members of the family, we have become so 
much attached to them, and depend on them so thor¬ 
oughly. They are quite small, weighing only about 
850, but are strong and plucky, and can pull a good 
load (3500 or so), even through considerable sand, 
which makes hard pulling but is preferable to mud, 
and the latter is almost unknown here. Many north¬ 
ern settlers who bring teams with them when moving 
south bring horses, and find it rather hard to accli¬ 
mate them, especially if they are not young and are 
not fed northern hay for the first six months or 
longer. If they are expected to subsist on the range 
grass, with no other roughage, they soon get weak 
and poor, and if prompt measures are not resorted to, 
the loss of the horse follows. However, right han¬ 
dling from the first will prevent such trouble, except 
perhaps when the animal is too old, and very old 
horses are not worth shipping from a distance, any¬ 
how. 
Mules are very popular here, and are brought in 
by the carload from Missouri and Kentucky, even 
three-year-olds selling for $350 to $400. Not many 
large ones are handled, as the smaller ones are equal 
to most of the regular farm work in this sandy soil, 
which works much easier than the heavy clays of the 
North. The “one-mule farmer” may not be in it these 
days, but that doesn’t signify the two-mule one isn't, 
and if he is found lining up in the front ranks, it 
need not mean that is the only “safe place” to stand, 
either, as some wag has said is the reason Missouri 
stands there in raising mules. a. i. fuller. 
Baldwin Co., Ala. 
FROST-PROOF FARM STORAGE. 
After reading the article under this heading on page 
1195 I would suggest the following for a building on 
level ground. Select a site a little above the general 
average and larger than the proposed building, which 
I would make 28x42, or longer if more room was 
wanted, not wider. The floor to be about four feet 
below the surface of the ground, the walls of tile or 
common concrete blocks extending 12 to 15 inches be¬ 
low the floor and four feet above ground. The room 
would thus be 8 feet high at the eaves. The gable 
ends to have the masonry the same height as the sides, 
four feet, and above that a frame construction, 
boarded on both sides with a six-inch space between 
the siding, this space to be filled with straw or any¬ 
thing to prevent the circulation of air. Each end to 
have an opening for ventilation and one for light, both 
of the double construction common in cold storage 
plants. One end to have door 6H> feet high and amply 
wide to let in a wagon body. Just inside place a plat¬ 
form about level with the ground and from it steps 
leading to the floor. A roof high enough to drive 
under and large enough to protect a team to be at this 
end. 
The peak of the roof should be about 3J4 feet above 
the side walls, the object being to keep the building 
close to the ground for the sake of the warmth. This 
roof to be of 2x8’s placed two feet apart, boarded and 
covered with some good three-ply sanded roofing, 
which I know from experience will resist sparks from 
a burning barn 40 feet away. I might also cover the 
gable ends with this roofing, as it is a good non-con¬ 
ductor. I would suggest Bishopric board for the 
inside of the roof, placed lath to the timbers, and fill 
the space between it and the boarding with straw. 
This Bishopric boarding is also a non-conductor. 
A double row of posts, running the length of the 
building should be placed on firm foundations to sup¬ 
port the roof and to carry a trolley track which will 
extend out over the entrance. The wagon bodies 
should be made so they can be lifted and carried by 
this trolley to the place to be unloaded, and they could 
be raised or lowered to just the right height for the 
work. It might be possible to save time by placing 
another body on the wagon and let it start back at 
once for another load. The track can be mounted so 
it can be adjusted to give a down grade for the load 
in either direction. Double doors, well fitted, should 
close the entrance. The earth from the excavation 
should be banked against the walls to the eaves if pos¬ 
sible. This would give a result very much like a cov¬ 
ered cellar, and would be frost-proof except perhaps 
in the very coldest weather, when a small fire might 
be required. H. W. M. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
