1910. 
THK RURAb NEW-YORKER 
875 
CEMENT BUILDING FOR GRAIN. 
A Handsome Model From Ohio. 
There has been some question of late about the use 
of cement in building cribs or storehouses for grain. 
The picture, Fig. 381, shows a building recently put up 
by W. N. Scarff, of Ohio, the following description 
being given: 
“Size 140 by 68 feet outside measurement. The 
drive-way between the cribs is a solid cement floor 15 
feet wide. This space is also used for operating the 
machinery necessary for getting the seed corn ready 
for market, such as shelling, nubbing, grading, sack¬ 
ing, etc. There are 40 cribs, each 15 feet long and 3 l / 2 
feet wide. They set crosswise on each side of the 
central drive-way, and are filled either from the inside 
or the outside of the drive-ways, which surround the 
entire building. Between each two cribs is an air 
space of 18 inches, which is open to the outside by the 
narrow doors as shown in the outside view. There 
is also an air space of two feet under the cribs run¬ 
ning lengthwise with the building. The floors are of 
concrete throughout, so that it is absolutely proof 
against rats and other vermin. The crib floors proper, 
of course, are two feet from the cement floor and arc of 
loose boards, allowing perfect circulation of air 
through the bottom and on all sides. 
Under the north side is a large cellar 
for the storage of seed potatoes, also 
for the accommodation of a hot-air fur¬ 
nace, which is used in drying any corn 
that needs a little artificial heat, and to 
regulate the temperature in the main 
crib. By storing in these narrow cribs 
over the furnace we can thoroughly dry 
any lot of corn in a few days so that it 
is absolutely safe for seed. The venti¬ 
lators on the top of the building are 
each 14 feet square and are made en¬ 
tirely of glass set in galvanized frames. 
The windows are operated by a Wolf 
ventilating machine, so that we have the 
matter of ventilation absolutely under 
control. The pillars are 10 feet high 
composed of solid concrete. The four 
square corner posts are four by four 
feet and 10 feet high. The round ones 
are three feet in diameter and 10 feet 
high. The roof is of red tile, requiring 
156 squares. The chimney is made of 
bowlders which represent a number of 
different colors. The combination of 
cement, red tile, glass and field bowlders 
makes a very pleasing architectural effect, 
and we believe the building will prove a 
model for the purpose for which we 
have erected it.” 
THE VALUE OF AN APPLE TREE. 
The just appraisal of tree values de¬ 
pends upon so many variable factors, 
that without knowing the particulars of 
the individual case it is only possible to 
give a rough estimate, and such an esti¬ 
mate may be regarded as a sort of base 
line, from which the true value may de¬ 
part widely in either direction. With 
this premise, I would consider that a 
conservative valuation would be $10 for 
each apple tree that had reached the 
self-supporting age, which may fairly be 
considered to be in about 10 years from 
planting, thus making the yearly increase of value $1, 
or $3 for a three-year-old tree. If this valuation errs, 
it is on the side of too low a value, and an offer of 
$3 apiece would certainly not buy any of my own well- 
grown three-year-olds. It is earnestly to be desired 
that some method may be found by which the fruit 
grower may be at least partially compensated for the 
damage caused by deer, which from an agricultural 
standpoint are as truly wild and noxious animals as 
wolves or coyotes, and cause greater injury, for where¬ 
as the wolf takes an occasional sheep, a herd of deer 
will destroy hundreds of trees, each one of which is 
worth as much as a fleece carrier. When I look over 
the orchard, which should be almost in bearing, but 
which has been replanted two and three times, and 
which I am trying to grow beyond the reach of the 
voracious nibblers; when 1 come across promising 
young trees with every leaf stripped off in midsum¬ 
mer, or with the tops browsed to shapeless brush in 
Winter, and when I reflect that the true cause of the 
destruction is the State, whose protecting shield is 
supposed to be a shelter against spoliation, but which, 
through its ill-considered game laws, has virtually 
robbed me of several thousands of trees, one, two 
and three years old; has caused the labor and care of 
five or six years to be expended uselessly and yet 
which refuses to admit any liability for the damage 
done, and even denies me anything more than a 
partial right to protect the trees which are left, bitter 
questions will arise as to why the food producers 
should be hampered and harassed at every turn, while 
other and it would appear less useful members of so¬ 
ciety have things legislative and legal made easy and 
pleasant. It is easy to ask such questions, but where 
is the answer to come from? One thing is certain; 
answers must be found and just ones, too, for the 
numerous problems similar to the one now under dis¬ 
cussion, if this Republic of ours is to remain one in 
anything more than name. . H. w. heaton. 
Rhode Island. 
ALFALFA IN CONNECTICUT. 
Encouraging Returns from Twenty-five Acres. 
Yes, I think I have succeeded fairly well with Al¬ 
falfa in Connecticut, especially in view of the fact that 
when I started my experiments it was considered as 
absolutely impossible to grow this legume in New Eng¬ 
land. I have heard a good deal about Alfalfa in the 
West—I had tried it sowing the seed the same as 
clover. Of course it was a perfect failure, except on a 
small hill-top over an area of about 10 feet in diameter 
there were a dozen or 15 plants that found root. 
These few plants gave me encouragement, although I 
never have been able to know until this day why this 
particular spot 10 feet in diameter would grow Alfalfa, 
except that I found that about two years before the 
Alfalfa was sown by an accident lime was spilled on 
this particular spot. This year I have cut 25 acres of 
Alfalfa with a yield of about two tons to three tons 
to the acre. I was obliged to cut it pretty late, be¬ 
cause of the wet weather. One piece that was cut 
June 15 for the first time this season was again cut 
for the second time July 11, just 26 days from the 
date of the first cutting. The yield was about a ton 
of well-dried hay to the acre. This makes from three 
to four tons of well-dried Alfalfa hay which I have 
thus far taken off this field in two cuttings. This 
particular field was sown in the Fall of 1907. This is 
the third year it has been cut, and during that time 
not one particle of fertilizer of any kind has been put 
on the field, except the fertilizer that was put on when 
the original seeding was made. 
This is a fair average of what my Alfalfa is doing. 
There are about four acres in this field—the other 20 
acres more or less were cut later, and are not quite 
ready for the second cutting. The warm weather is 
keeping it back a little bit, but, extraordinaries ex¬ 
cepted, I shall cut all my Alfalfa three times this year, 
and will have a yield of not less than four and prob¬ 
ably about five tons to the acre. I put in 25 acres 
more last Spring, and if we ever get rain here in Con¬ 
necticut T shall put in some 10 or 12 acres more this 
Fall. I have no hesitation in saying that Alfalfa will 
grow in Connecticut, that it will yield from four to 
five tons per acre, and that it is the cheapest food for 
cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and chickens that a farmer 
can raise. c. m. jarvis. 
“VINER STATIONS” FOR PEA GROWERS. 
A Warning Against Weed Seeds. 
Several canning factories are installing what they 
call “viner stations” located several miles from their 
factory, where one or more viners are installed and 
operated by a thrasher engine. The green pea vines 
are piled up in a stack or run into a silo, and used for 
feed at the viner station. Where this plan is adopted, 
it is necessary for the peas to be taken very promptly 
from the viner to the factory. They are generally 
transported in milk cans, each can containing a few 
cakes of ice to keep the peas cool. I do not think it 
would pay any one farmer to establish a station of 
this kind. There is frequently more or less lost time 
at a branch establishment of this sort, and that makes 
it pretty expensive. Possibly half a dozen or a dozen 
growers of peas in a single neighborhood might com¬ 
bine, and induce the canning factory to establish a 
viner station in their neighborhood. Then these farm¬ 
ers could divide the silage among themselves in the 
same proportions in which the peas were 
supplied by the farmers. A division of 
this sort could be made by weighing the 
loads of peas as they are delivered, but 
the viner should run the vines into a silo 
or into a stack where they can remain 
until the heat of the fermenting vegeta¬ 
tion has destroyed the germinating 
power of mustard seeds and other weed 
seeds mixed in the pea vines. Tt" the 
farmers take the green vines home and 
spread them and undertake to cure them 
for hay, they will find their farms thor¬ 
oughly peppered with mustard seed with¬ 
in the next few years, if they are not 
already. n. b. kenney & son. 
NOTES ON SILO FILLING. 
The most important thing in filling 
the silo, in my estimation, is a good corn 
crop, with ears sufficiently developed to 
give the silage a good sprinkle of corn. 
If the silage is to be fed to beef cattle 
it is well to have more corn in it than 
for dairy purposes. Assuming that we 
have the corn crop, the next thing in im¬ 
portance I think is to get it in the silo 
at the right stage of maturity, so as to 
contain sufficient moisture to preserve 
well. A number of rules have been laid 
down for determining this stage, but I 
think without some previous experience 
it is very hard to make just quite sure 
about this matter, as the locality, cli¬ 
mate, weather conditions and variety of 
corn all figure in. I find in my experi¬ 
ence that corn which was put in the silo 
at just the right stage in a wet season 
would be quite deficient in moisture in 
a dry season without some water being 
added when filling. I like to see a little 
juice at the bottom of the silo after it is 
filled a few days. I have in my time 
seen silos that were filled two or three 
weeks from which a small stream was 
still running, which I think was very 
much out of place. 
As to filling, I think every man must do that in 
such a way as to best suit the conditions prevailing. 
My two brothers and myself all live close together, 
and all have silos. We have our own machinery, and 
with our combined help and a little outside help we 
can fill very cheaply and rapidly. We use a vertical 
corn harvester, gasoline engine 13 horse power, and 
Climax cutter. With this outfit, three wagons and 
about 10 men, we fill a 12x35 foot silo in 10 hours. 
One man runs the harvester, one man on each wagon 
loads his load, drives to the cutter, unloads and re¬ 
turns to the field, one man feeds the cutter and gives 
the engine what little attention it needs, and the other 
man is in the silo. I would say right here that a 
good man is needed in the silo who will give it some 
attention, and see thaj leaves and stalks are well 
mixed, so it will settle evenly. When a blower is 
used the current of air which is caused in the silo 
always draws the leaves to one side and causes it to 
settle unevenly, which is liable to cause moldy spots 
in the silage. sam Hershberger. 
Maryland. _ 
The New York authorities will try to compel dealers 
to sell eggs and bread by weight, instead of as at 
present by dozen or loaf. Bread should always be 
sold by the pound. When it comes to eggs there are 
many complications, but sooner or later consumers will 
demand a standard weight for food instead of a dozen 
or a package. 
AN UP-TO-DATE GRAIN BUILDING. Fig. 381. 
INTERIOR OF GRAIN STORAGE HOUSE. Fig. 382. 
