8-4 0 
X'HE RU RA.I> NEW-YORKER 
August 10, 
drainage. Any soil, to be productive, should have the 
water table a few feet below the surface. The “water 
table - ’ is the surface of the. Jree water. Where it 
comes above ground we have pools, lakes, and streams. 
The action of drains is to lower the water table. This 
benefits root action in several ways. Where the water 
table is high in the Spring and low in the Summer 
drainage will lessen the effects of a Summer drought 
by lowering the water table in the Spring and enabling 
the roots to strike down deep, where they can obtain 
the most water when the dry season comes on. In 
low places, where seepage water keeps the soil per¬ 
manently too wet, drainage will make a very produc¬ 
tive soil. The drainage keeps the upper soil dry 
enough for the best root action, while the constant 
supply of water below amounts practically to sub¬ 
irrigation. Proper drainage promotes aeration and 
granulation of heavy soils. It increases their power 
to absorb rainfall quickly, and thus diminishes wash¬ 
ing. Now, there are two types of drainage, open 
drainage and underdrainage. The effects noted above 
are particularly true of underdrainage. Artificial un¬ 
derdrains are usually made of tile. In putting in 
drain tile a good deal of care should be taken. A de¬ 
tailed discussion of this point, however, would take 
too much space to be put in here. 
The last means of moisture control to be discussed 
here is one universally employed, but with varying 
degrees of success. I refer to the practice of cultiva¬ 
tion. Cultivation of the soil has several purposes; 
but our discussion, which must be very brief, will be 
with regard to moisture conservation only. It should 
always be the aim to have a full moisture supply at 
the command of the plant, especially during the first 
stages of its development. It can ripen its fruit on 
comparatively little water. In his book, “Chemistry 
of Plant and Animal Life,” Prof. Snyder reports that 
in the wheat plant “before the crop has completed the 
first half of its growth, over 75% of the total mineral 
matter has been taken from the soil. Conditions sim¬ 
ilar in all respects, and for the element nitrogen as 
well, are reported for other crops. Strongly corrob¬ 
orative of all this is the study, to which we have be¬ 
fore referred, which was made by the U. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture concerning the effect of the Sum¬ 
mer rainfall on the yield per acre of corn in the corn 
belt. Among other things, this study revealed that 
the yield of corn is very closely dependent on the rain¬ 
fall for June and July; but that the rainfall for Aug¬ 
ust, while the grain is ripening, makes scarcely any 
difference. It becomes of paramount importance, then, 
to have a large supply of moisture, especially in the 
Spring. How accomplish this? 
The first thing to give attention to is the plowing. 
Plow in the Fall if possible. It enables the subsoil to 
take up more water during the Winter and makes its 
evaporation less rapid in the Spring. Careful tests 
have shown that Fall plowed lands contain more mois¬ 
ture in the Spring than do others. Fall plowing be¬ 
ing impracticable, plow just as early in the Spring as 
the soil will work, harrow immediately, and plant your 
crop as soon as the weather will permit. The mois¬ 
ture saved in a few days or weeks by this method is 
very remarkable, and to some scarcely believable. Let 
the plowing be deep, and let it vary in depth from 
year to year. The deeper the furrow slice the deeper 
the porous layer which absorbs rains. 
In the after cultivation, strive to maintain a dust 
mulch. It checks evaporation, aerates the soil, and 
improves its physical condition. Fig. 336, page 810. 
copied from the 1908 year book, shows the effect of 
dust mulches in checking evaporation at Davis, Cal., 
in 1908. The figure is self-explanatory. Under most 
conditions, the mulch should be two or three inches 
deep, and should be a mulch. The capillary connec¬ 
tion between the surface of the soil and the lower lay¬ 
ers should be thoroughly broken. Merely scratching 
or furrowing the ground not only does not decrease, 
but actually increases evaporation. See that the whole 
surface is well broken and made fine. Produce this 
mulch as soon as possible after each rain, as it is then 
that evaporation goes on most rapidly. Cultivation 
may stop when the ripening process begins or even 
before if the ground is well shaded. If, after the 
season is pretty well advanced, cultivation must be 
abandoned for a considerable time, it should not be 
renewed, because many fibrous roots will have grown 
up just beneath the surface, and cultivation would 
destroy them. For the sake of emphasis in regard 
to the mulch, let us say again, make the mulch a real 
mulch. 
Finally, then, we must keep in mind that to produce 
large crops, a very large amount of water is neces¬ 
sary throughout.the season; and that in order to have 
a large amount constantly available to plants, the soil 
must be in a good (granular) physical condition, it 
must be well drained, it must have an abundance of 
humus, it must be intelligently and thoroughly culti¬ 
vated, and in many cases it must be irrigated. At¬ 
tend carefully to these things and good crops are 
practically assured. h. e. mern. 
Indiana. _ 
* SHEEP IN THE HUDSON VALLEY. 
There are but very few farmers around who keep 
sheep here, because they are short of pasture lands, 
and think it pays better to keep cows for what pas- 
A LINCOLN SHEEP. Fig. 359. 
ture they have. But we do not agree with them, as 
there are hill fields in this part of the country, and we 
have found that by changing our sheep from one hill 
lot to another occasionally they do very nicely on 
the pasture that would not do at all for cows. We 
aim to keep a breed of sheep that will be good breed¬ 
ers, and those that will grow the best wool, both in 
quality and quantity. We have found from years’ ex¬ 
perience in trying the different breeds, that the Lin¬ 
coln sheep surpass other breeds, both as good breed¬ 
ers and for wool. 
We select only the best from the young stock each 
year, and these are added to the flock. By doing this, 
we have a fine flock of sheep. Each year we dispose 
of the ones we do not care to keep, both of the old 
and young stock. We find that our sheep add to the 
yearly income of the farm quite as much, if not more, 
than our other stock. We give our sheep warm quar¬ 
ters in Winter, and feed them well, and they are en¬ 
tirely free from all sorts of diseases, which are sure 
to visit the flock that is not properly housed and 
cared for. E. j. 
Columbia Co., N. Y. 
FARM-GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION. 
Part I. 
There are possibly many occasions when some 
farmers wish they had a greenhouse for starting 
early vegetable plants, or growing either vegetables 
or flowers for pastime or profit. There is no denying 
the attraction of watching flowers and vegetables 
spring into life and develop into thrifty and valuable 
plants, by the magic aid of sun, heat and water, work¬ 
ing in unison, in our little glass area while old Boreas 
ELEVATION OF GREENHOUSE CONSTUCTION. Fig. 360. 
howls outside. This article is intended to offer 
some slight assistance to farmers who wish to build 
a small greenhouse, and are so situated that they do 
not have access to a nearby florist to make inquiries 
of. It is not written for the florist, as all florists have 
access to the trade journals, where regular depart¬ 
ments are conducted on the subject. 
The greenhouse owner whether florist or vegetable 
grower, has his share of troubles the same as the 
farmer, only they are combined, and not periodical 
as are the farmer’s. We have all the insect pests 
to contend with and a few.extra varieties thrown in 
for good measure; drought and excess of rain are 
each injurious, as is also lack of sunshine, but all 
these pale into insignificance before the amount of 
coal we were compelled to make good smoke of each 
season. The latter item of heat is the most trouble¬ 
some one for the beginner to handle, as it means 
some loss of sleep each night during all severe 
weather, the large establishments having night fire¬ 
men to see that the proper temperature is main¬ 
tained. It is very important that the boiler is larger 
than actually necessary, so as to maintain the proper 
temperature for 6 to 8 hours without attention, in 
all but the severest weather, as we all know the 
enervating effect of having something to worry over 
and cause us loss of sleep. 
Another very important consideration is a good 
water supply, both as to quantity and pressure; for 
this purpose an elevated tank should be used, or 
a pneumatic storage system installed. For a very 
small greenhouse a good hand force pump would 
do if you have help enough to work the pump and 
hose at the same time. Pressure is necessary to 
dislodge red spider from various plants, and clear 
water sprayed with force in bright days is about the 
only safe remedy. 
The house may be built in any style and size 
desired, and can be run east and west or north and 
south, so as to conform to local conditions of land, 
exposure, etc. The great majority of florists prefer 
the east and west location for cut flowers, and north 
and south for plants, though I know of growers 
who produce the finest kind of flowers in the north 
and south houses. We have both styles and cannot 
see a great amount of difference. The roof construc¬ 
tion is a matter of individual taste, when running 
east and west, some using the even span construc¬ 
tion, and others allow the bars on the south side 
about two to six feet longer than on the north side 
and make the north roof a steeper pitch. The house 
CONSTRUCTION OF SASH AND EAVES. Fig. 361. 
shown in Fig. 360 is 22 feet wide, and has 12-foot 
sash bars on each side. This gives the pitch most 
in use at the present time, and is most desired for 
a north and south location. Should this house be 
built east and west, the sash bars should be 13 feet 
long on each side so as to raise the ridge higher, or 
14 feet long on south side, and 12 feet on north, the 
latter being the most desirable roof construction 
from the point of most sunlight during Winter. 
The sash bars usually are constructed similar to 
A. Fig. 361, which is reduced cut of L)4x2j4-inch bar. 
These bars are usually spaced 16 inches apart, and 
when ready for glazing the small depression on each 
side of tongue is well filled with putty, the glass 
then being pressed firmly into the putty and each 
light above lapped over the lower one from % to 
3-16-inch and then fastened with a special glazing 
point sold by all seedsmen, or by zinc nails, similar 
in make to iron shoe pegs ;• 16x24-inch glass is a 
desirable size. 
The cheapest and most undesirable side and eave 
construction is shown at B1 Fig. 361, a 4-inch post and 
double siding being used. Wood should not be used 
in greenhouse construction at any point where it 
comes in contact with the soil. 
A more lasting, though somewhat more expensive 
construction is shown at Cl, Fig. 361, a 2-inch pipe 
being used set 2J4 feet deep in concrete in the soil, 
and further stiffened and protected by a four or five- 
inch concrete wall about three feet high above 
ground. On top of this pipe, screw an oval floor 
plate and bolt to this plate a 2x6-inch piece of cypress 
worked to 1 inches thick at the outer edge. This 
cypress plate carries the sash bars, which are fastened 
to it by a small iron clip bent by a blacksmith as 
shown at C, Fig. 361. We have houses in use where 
this style iron was incorporated in the construction 
16 years ago, and ends of sash bars are in good 
condition to-day. Several of the wooden plates have 
rotted out, but they are not difficult to renew, as 
all that is necessary is to remove screws and insert 
new plate. elmer j. weaver. 
