474 
grass seems to satisfy them, provided this is kept 
in a fresh condition by frequent mowing. The few 
vegetables especially tempting to chicks, such as 
lettuce, spinach, beets, are to be planted within 
some enclosure. Corn, beans, peas, squash and tur¬ 
nips do not tempt them. Tomatoes suffer in no 
way until the fruits begin to ripen. However, I 
must not omit the indispensable condition that the 
chickens are to be fed regularly and have an un¬ 
failing supply of drinking water close at hand. I 
once returned from a day’s absence and found the 
chickens picking into the ripe tomatoes, and soon 
traced the cause to empty water fountains. In case 
they get the habit of eating this fruit it is easy to 
save the crop by picking at first turning color and 
putting away in some warm place to ripen. 
FEEDING TIIE CHICKS.—It is my custom to 
keep whole wheat constantly before growing chick¬ 
ens; and in addition to feed a moist—but not wet 
—mash each morning. This mash is composed of 
ground oats in large part and wheat by-products, 
and contains a varying proportion of fine sifted 
beef scrap, is mixed with milk when procurable, 
and is fed as nearly dry as a wet mash may be 
made. A sloppy mash is a good fattening ration, 
but not a proper one to secure growth. Regular 
feeding is just as important to get well developed 
chicks as to prevent their experimenting among the 
garden crops to appease their hunger. With proper 
management I have grown a flock of 200 chickens 
in a two-acre garden, and at the close of harvest¬ 
ing the sweet corn for market, both early and late, 
I have had the satisfaction of teaching the chicks 
to clean up the refuse ears. Systematic manage¬ 
ment is the keynote of successful chicken garden¬ 
ing. A single mature fowl would queer the whole 
system in an hour’s time if allowed freedom in the 
garden. 
POULTRY ECONOMICS.—It cannot be gainsaid 
that the New England farmer has unmatched ad¬ 
vantages when it comes to real economical growth 
and upkeep of poultry. Neither corn nor chickens 
display so much thrift as when grown together, and 
at the close of the season the one will begin to 
feed the other. It has been shown repeatedly that 
in connection with farming corn may be grown at 
no actual expense, the feeding and manurial value 
of the stalks paying for the crop of ears. Again, 
a properly managed flock of chickens gives us pul¬ 
lets at maturity clear of cost, the marketed cocker¬ 
els paying the bill. With both the flock and its 
feed at zero as regards cost, and our market clam¬ 
oring for fresh nearby poultry products, the ques¬ 
tion forces itself upon us: Why does New England 
bring the bulk of supply from outside? The answer 
is easy. The boy in the story went to'mill with 
the stone in one end of the bag to balance the 
grain in the other, “because father did.” The 
money that should represent profit pays for both 
Western-grown grain and the transportation of it, 
in order to make milk to sell at starvation prices; 
and the farm’s fertility thus depleted, they give 
transportation another lift by purchasing chemical 
manures. Opportunities have developed which the 
farmer has not yet opened his eyes to. 
The good old corn-crib, which has become almost 
a mere tradition with us, is bound to return. In 
feeding value for poultry our flint corn is superior 
to the dent varieties, approaching nearly to that of 
wheat, when well seasoned. I know a farmer who 
uses two corn-cribs and keeps a crop over one year 
before feeding, with remarkable results in the pro¬ 
duction of Winter eggs. This plan was adopted 
after experience had demonstrated the new corn to 
be a comparatively poor egg-producing food. 
HENS- AND DAIRY.—It is unnecessary to sup¬ 
plant the dairy in order properly to develop the 
poultry interest, for poultry may be most econom¬ 
ically handled only in connection with cattle. Where 
convenient to a demand for cream, this or the but¬ 
ter can be economically marketed together; and the 
skim-milk or buttermilk is a most valuable food 
for the poultry. Where the corn-crib displaces the 
silo, the dried fodder is still an approved ration 
for the cows. I am getting more milk this Winter 
from my family cow (now two years farrow), feed¬ 
ing hay and stalks alternately, than she was giv¬ 
ing last Winter upon a ration of hay and shorts. 
Red clover should regain its former place as a 
farm crop, both as a soil improver and to help out 
the hens’ bill-of-fare. When properly harvested, re¬ 
taining the leaf and blossom and finely chopped, 
they simply revel in it. With mangels or ruta¬ 
bagas raised in abundance to eke out the corn and 
clover, a good share of the food for poultry is pro¬ 
duced on the farm. 
Considering the need for poultry especially in the 
growing period to get to the tilled soil and enjoy 
the benefits of shelter among growing vegetation 
U'riK RURAL :M B W -VOR IvtCK 
in order to thrive at their best, also the need to 
turn their manure to practical account, the farm 
has a manifest advantage in the economical pro¬ 
duction of poultry and eggs. Permanent runs soon 
grow foul and the effect is soon apparent upon the 
fowls. But the rotation possible upon the farm, 
with new and wholesome quarters for the young 
broods, is essential to best results. The farmer 
who consistently works into poultry, establishing 
a corn and chicken partnership, so to speak, has a 
lead upon the poultry specialist in constricted quar¬ 
ters in every economic sense. frkd w. proctor. 
Massachusetts. 
PROPER GROWTH FOR TREE. 
It seems to me a correct course to take, during 
the first few years of the orchard, to attempt to get 
the tree quickly from the nursery size, as planted 
in the orchard, to a well-balanced, well-grown tree, 
ready for its business of fruit production. After 
this purpose is attained, so to handle or control con¬ 
ditions as to get these returns from the tree as 
regularly, and of as good character and large vol¬ 
ume, as consistent with regular bearing. In 
handling the peach, the tree formation period may 
be expected to cover three growing seasons, and I 
would not object to any large growth obtained dur¬ 
ing this period, provided the trees finished their 
growth by end of Summer, say September 1, for 
this locality, (Southern Connecticut), so the new 
wood growth would ripen up well before freezing 
weather might be expected to set in. 
In a well-drained soil, and with the use of a 
well-balanced fertilizer, so made up and applied as 
to give the push to the trees early in the season, 
I should be glad of the large wood growth that 
would be reasonable to expect, especially when ac¬ 
companied with good tillage. With different condi¬ 
tions of soil and a fertilizer treatment and tillage 
conditions that would tend to late growth, I would 
want but a moderate growth on account of danger 
of weakening the tree from freezing the immature 
or soft wood that might result from a vigorous late 
growth. 
To a certain extent the handling of the apple 
might be along similar lines as the peach. When 
the size of the tree is such as to make the fruit 
yield worth while, as to quantity, I would want 
to slacken down the growth of the tree somewhat, 
especially the apple, and be satisfied with a moder¬ 
ate new wood growth each season. 
In a middle-aged peach or apple orchard, I should 
be satisfied with a new wood growth of 12 inches, 
provided it was accompanied by the foliage color 
indicating vigor and the setting of fruit buds and 
spurs in abundance. In a young orchard, in the 
(permissive) strong-growing period, I would not ob¬ 
ject to the growth of three or four feet or more 
provided, as said, the growth was made early in 
season. j. norris barxes. 
Connecticut. 
A STUDY OF SOIL WATER. 
The Literary Digest, January 10, 1914, reports an 
interview by the Wilmington (Del.) Morning News 
with Samuel Wesley Long, in which Mr. Long pre¬ 
dicts that within a comparatively short time—50 years 
or less—if the present rate of deforestation and care¬ 
less methods of cultivation are continued the United 
States will become a desert. 
Commenting on the above the Literary Digest says: 
“That the ground-water level of the United States has 
lowered nearly to the danger point is shown by data 
collected by the late Dr. W. ,T. McGee for the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture. Reports from 30,000 sources 
covering practically every county in the country show 
that the rate of change varies from region to region 
and State to StaU ranging from a slight rise in irri¬ 
gated districts to a lowering of about 3.5 feet per 
decade. In the 31 States covering the half of the coun¬ 
try best adapted by natural conditions to feeding and 
clothing a great people, the average lowering since 
settlement would appear to be no less than nine feet, 
i. e., from well within to about the limit of capillary 
reach from the surface. Will The R. N.-Y. explain just 
what is meant by the ground-water level? What 
determines the “limit of capillary reach from the sur¬ 
face?” Travelers tell us that the land in China has 
been tilled for 2,000 years and it is still very produc¬ 
tive. Dow have they succeeded in maintaining the 
fertility and soil moisture for so long a period? Do 
they retain much land in forests and do they plant 
trees to keep up the acreage? Europe is also a much 
older country than this, yet their tand is much more 
productive, their average wheat yield per acre is. I 
believe, more than twice that of the United States. 
How have they succeeded so well? What portion of 
their lands are in forests? A few years ago we heard 
much of the benefits to be derived from subsoiling. 
Why do we hear so little about it nowadays? Has 
it proved beneficial to any kinds of soils and if so, 
what kinds? What is a “plow soil?” Is it reasonable 
to expect any possible benefit from subsoiling sandy 
soil with its already too porous subsoil? R. J. E. 
Berrien Co., Michigan. 
The ground water level is the depth below the 
surface at which the ground is saturated. This is 
shown by the height of water in ponds and wells. 
Statistics of the changes of level in the latter 
through the country were used by the late Dr. 
March 28, 
W. J. McGee as a basis of his study of the relative 
amount of soil water to-day and at the time of the 
settlement of the country. 
The capillary reach from the surface is deter¬ 
mined by the character of the subsoil and ranges 
usually from 10 to 30 feet. The finer the soil parti¬ 
cles the greater distance will capillarity be effective 
in bringing ground water to the surface. As to the 
productivity of China, it is the result of most thor¬ 
ough tillage and conservation of every source of 
humus and plant food, the cheapness of labor being 
favorable to this intensive farming. Forestation 
is not a feature there, but a beginning is being 
made in tree planting of recent years, and as their 
production is mostly in the river valleys, the supply 
and level of ground water must be maintained by 
these streams. Irrigation, hand watering, and their 
extensive use of rice, which is grown in wet lands, 
may also help to explain how their millions are fed 
in a land that has had 40 centuries of farming. In 
Central Europe, forests are maintained in the inter¬ 
est of conservation, Germany not allowing the cut¬ 
ting of trees except under regulation of law that 
requires replacement of those removed. The larger 
crop yields abroad are again owing to hand labor 
and intensive cultivation. About one-fourtli of Cen¬ 
tral Europe, we are told, is in forests; and no re¬ 
port has come to hand of any lowering of level in 
the ground water there. 
The plow sole (a condition that is more common 
in the South) is a product mostly of poor plowing 
and can be remedied by use of a better type of 
plow. This, an otlicial of the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment informs us, is now being worked up by the 
department. Crops with long tap roots, like clover, 
penetrate and break up this under crust, too, and it 
is a condition easily remedied by good farming, Sub¬ 
soiling is less practiced than formerly by the best 
farmers, probably owing to more tile drainage and 
the greater use of deep-rooted plants in their rota¬ 
tions. These plant roots, I believe, are the best 
subsoilex^s for most soils; certainly for those that 
have a gravelly bottom. 
To return to the subject of diminution of soil 
water in the country; this is true. Dr. McGee states 
that this loss approximates 10 per cent, of the 
original store, and has viewed the result of this 
loss already realized, and of its continuation, with 
serious concern; yet not as an alarmist, as his as¬ 
sociate Dr. Newell of the Reclamation Service, tells 
me. The loss though continuing, is becoming less 
in recent decades, and were serious consequences 
to our national productiveness to follow, they 
would appear not in 50 and perhaps not in 150 
years. Meanwhile these remedial measures are 
suggested by him: The forestation of a proper por¬ 
tion of the country; the tillage of the farm area 
with a view to the absorption into the soil of all 
rainfall possible to secure, and generally to avoid all 
surface waste of storm water. This whole matter 
is treated at length in Bulletin No. 92, Bureau of 
Soils, United States Department of Agriculture. 
E. F. DICKINSON. 
SAVING THE CITY SEWAGE. 
In European cities the question of the proper dis¬ 
posal of sewage from the large towns has become a 
big one, not only because of the menace to health, 
which this sewage presents. It also contains large 
quantities of fertilizing and building material which 
cught to be utilized. Millions of dollars worth of 
plant food are flowing on to the ocean through the 
rivers of this country, and too little effort has been 
made thus far to put a stop to this flood. Without 
question, the future must see a change in this mat¬ 
ter of handling sewage. We must make use of the 
plant food rushing away in this manner, and the 
question of health demands some radical action. 
German and French cities have taken hold of the 
subject, and have made much progress. Reports 
from our foreign consuls give interesting statements 
about the way the work is done. In some cases, the 
sewage is filtered and the liquid part used to irri¬ 
gate farms and gardens at some distance from the 
cities. Certain parts of the sewage, such as the 
bones, are boiled or steamed, and this appears in 
the form of tankage, which is ground up to be 
used as a fertilizer. In other cases, the sewage is 
burned, the heat thus produced being utilized for 
the production of electric power. The ashes and 
cinders mixed with concrete are pressed into build¬ 
ing blocks, which are said to be of a very high 
quality for certain uses. All sorts of devices are 
being made on the other side to handle this sewage 
in an economical manner. In fact the time has come 
in Europe when wastes of this kind must be pre¬ 
vented under the greatest economy of social life. 
We have not quite reached that point in this country 
yet. but must consider saving these wastes. 
