1914. 
THE RURA.L NEW-YORKER 
887 
RAINFALL AND THE SOD MULCH. 
M Y attention has been called by Prof. 
K. C. Livermore of the State Col¬ 
lege of Agriculture to the fact that in 
the recent bulletin from this Station on 
tillage and sod mulch in the Hitchings 
orchard there is no comparison of the 
rainfall in the Hitchings orchard, where 
the sod mulch method is successfully 
used, and in the apple counties farther 
west where the sod mulch method is a 
failure. Readers of the bulletin on the 
Hitchings orchard will call to mind that 
the chief cause assigned for the suc¬ 
cess of the sod mulch method is, the 
greater quantity of moisture available 
to the Hitchings trees from the deep soil 
acting as a reservoir and from seepage 
from nearby hills. It was not feasible in 
carrying on experimental work in this 
orchard to take rain records and, there¬ 
fore, there was no discussion of the rain¬ 
fall in the orchard. 
Now Prof. Livermore comes with the 
statement that “The rainfall in the sec¬ 
tion about Mr. Hitchings’ orchard is or¬ 
dinarily 25 or 35 per cent, greater dur¬ 
ing the growing season than in Western 
New York.” Asked for proofs, Prof. 
Livermore submitted a map showing the 
normal annual precipitation of New York 
as computed by the Weather Bureau of 
the United States Department of Agri¬ 
culture. A study of this map shows that 
the rainfall in the part of Onondaga 
County in which the Hitchings orchard 
is located is about 10 inches, or 25 per 
cent, greater than an average for the 
five great apple counties of Western New 
York. Prof. Livermore has calculated 
the rainfall for May, June, July, Aug¬ 
ust and September in the Hitchings lo¬ 
cality and his calculations, taken from 
data in six different points in Onondaga 
County, show that there is about 25 per 
cent, greater rainfall during the growing 
season in Onondaga County than in On¬ 
tario, Wayne, Monroe, Orleans and Ni¬ 
agara—the apple counties of New York. 
The writer is anxious to add this evi¬ 
dence to that submitted in his bulletin 
on the Hitchings orchard to show that 
moisture is the most important factor in 
influencing the results in sod-mulched or¬ 
chards. This greater Summer and season¬ 
al rainfall in the Hitchings orchard 
means that the trees in sod have a much 
better chance than those in orchards to 
the west, where the rainfall is a quarter 
less. It is evident that in Onondaga 
County apples can be grown in sod as 
in England and in localities along our 
Atlantic seaboard where the rainfall is 
heavy, much better than they can be 
grown under the same conditions in 
Western New York, in the Mississippi 
Valley or on the Pacific Coast, where the 
fall of rain is not so great. 
Since Prof. Livermore has called my 
attention to this matter I have taken 
opportunity to study the maps and rec¬ 
ords showing the rainfall of New York, 
and am much surprised to find how 
greatly these records vary not only in 
different parts of the State but even with¬ 
in the limits of a single county. I am 
somewhat surprised to find that the ap¬ 
ple belt of Western New York, both 
for the whole season and for the growing 
months, has the lowest rainfall of any 
section in the State. I am sure that 
fruit growers and farmers will be well 
repaid by a close study of the rainfall 
records of the State. These, if I am 
rightly informed, can be had by applying 
to Prof. W. M. Wilson of the State 
College of Agriculture at Ithaca. Be¬ 
yond doubt, a careful study of other 
weather records would prove quite as 
profitable as those of the rainfall. There 
is no question but that differences in 
rainfall and temperatures should be given 
much more consideration than they now 
receive in dealing with all such farm 
problems as tillage, fertilizing, spraying 
and seeding, in selecting crops and in 
adopting farm practices to local con¬ 
ditions. 
In closing, attention must be called 
however, to the fact that rain is not an 
unmixed blessing, as we who have suf¬ 
fered so much from drought rather uni¬ 
versally think it to be. Unfortunately, 
wet Summers and wet localities in New 
York are almost invariably not only 
moist but cold as well, while dry Sum¬ 
mers and dry localities are as a rule ex¬ 
cessively warm. The condition most de¬ 
sirable is half way between the two ex¬ 
tremes, and Summers of normal rainfall 
and localities where seasonable rainfall 
is the rule are those in the long run most 
to be desired. tj. P. hedrick. 
Geneva, N. Y. Agri. Station. 
Mullein Foliage for Sale. 
C AN you tell me where mullein foliage 
can be sold, and the price per pound, 
also how to prepare it for market? 
We have any amount of it, and it is 
about 18 inches high. F. E. B. 
Pennsylvania. 
There is a rather limited demand for 
mullein flowers and leaves by the large 
drug houses and concerns making a spe¬ 
cialty of botanic drugs. The price is 
variable. The flowers sometimes bring 
75 cents per pound and the leaves very 
much less, depending on how much they 
are wanted. It should be dried carefully 
in the shade, and packed in clean bags, 
free from stalks or trash of any kind. 
CROP REPORTS. 
T HE drought is hitting us hard in 
Western New York, especially in 
hay. We shall not harvest 20 tons 
from 30 acres. Clover is ready now— 
six inches high! Those who sowed oats 
and peas for the canning factory will 
also suffer heavily. I am glad we cut 
out both crops this year. It was good 
judgment. We got our bean ground 
plowed early and now have 24 acres 
in fine shape—all the early moisture has 
been saved for use by good cultivation 
and preparation of seed bed. Peach trees 
are recovering from leaf-curl now. The 
apple set is not good, but will give a fair 
crop, as the blossom was exceptionally 
heavy. Pears are scarce and plums about 
average. I have a 20-acre wheat field 
which promises 30 bushels an acre. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. M. 0. B. 
June 1G. Corn on the ear is worth 
81 a hundred; wheat $1.05; oats 50; 
potatoes from 90 to $1 a bushel. Butter 
30 to 35; eggs 20. At this writing very 
little fruit and vegetables for sale. Many 
of our farmers are engaged in the dairy 
business, and are now receiving 2*4 cents 
per quart. Very few cows or beef cattle 
for sale. n. M. B. 
Hampton, N. J. 
June 19. Everything here is late; hay 
crops on most fields very light, grain 
coming well, the chief grain raised here 
is oats, but some wheat, and barley; 
field crops all in good shape. The sea¬ 
son started cold, frost as late as J line 
0, and dry; lately plenty of rain, but 
cool nights. The Brown-tail moth is not 
very bad here this year, but the tent 
caterpillars are everywhere. The Gypsy 
moth has not made much of an appear¬ 
ance around in this section as yet. 
Green horses, not first class, sell for from 
$200 to $275 in the Rockland market. 
Cows, new milch, sell from $00 to $90; 
four-weeks-old pigs $4 to $5. Pork $7 
to $10.50 per cwt. Cornmeal and most 
mill feeds $1.60 per cwt.; oats 54 cents 
per bushel. Eggs 25: butter 2G to 29. 
South Thomaston, Me. J. c. s. 
June 1G. These are local prices only; 
nothing is shipped out so far to amount 
to much except sweet potatoes. Beef cat¬ 
tle are sold to local butchers at from $15 
to $25 per head (native stock, generally 
poor.) Milk retail 10 cents a quart, 30 
to 35 per gallon. Butter 35; eggs now 
20, Winter 30 to 40. Potatoes, Irish 
$1. Sweet $1.25 now—later 60 to 75. 
All sorts of gardening products generally 
sold by the local dealers for growers, get¬ 
ting 10% commission for trouble. 
This is a Summer and Winter resort, 
and a good deal of truck is raised around 
here to supply the local demand. In a 
few years the pecan and Satsuma orange 
plantings will overshadow everything 
else. Land has risen in value from 50 
cents to $1 per acre to $15 to $40 per 
acre according to location (cut over wild 
land), and near the coast is partly well 
sold out, no more to be had unless back 
from coast 10 miles or more. 
The local truck grower realizes his 90 
cents on the dollar right enough, though 
in the trucking centers—Long Branch, 
Miss., St. Elmo, Irvington, Grand Bay, 
etc., all in Alabama, the tale would read 
differently, as all of their truck goes 
North. Satsuma oranges and grapefruit 
brought fine prices to the growers, prac¬ 
tically all sold to the consumer at from 
$3 to $4 per standard box. Pecans 
(fancy) are about all sold direct to the 
consumer and brought from 40 to 75 
cents per pound by 100 pounds or bar¬ 
rel lots. So you see the grower of truck 
and fruits have no kick coming, unless 
against the express company; stealing 
of contents very common, and redress 
hard to get. c. E. r. 
Ocean Springs, Miss. 
June 15. The drought in the vicinity 
of Lawrence has been much worse than 
it was here last year up to the evening 
of the 11th, when we had a rain of more 
than three inches, and again last night 
of more than an inch, so that we are now 
well supplied with moisture. The dry 
weather cut short our strawberry crop 
and was beginning to tell on our rasp¬ 
berries, particularly our earliest black¬ 
caps, which commenced to ripen one week 
ago. A wonderful change for the better 
has taken place within the past four 
days. We had a fair set of apples, peach¬ 
es, pears and plums, but the report at 
our horticultural meeting was that the 
fruit had fallen off so much that at best 
we could have but a partial crop of the 
larger fruits. We have several varieties 
of raspberries, black, red and purple, and 
all now promise a full crop, also black¬ 
berries, Early Harvest and Mersereau, 
are as promising as ever. Also the Lu- 
cretia dewberry, but the McDonald black¬ 
berry, which seems to be a cross between 
the blackberry and the dewberry, does 
not suit me. If anyone wants 300 or 400 
and will take them off my place they can 
have them. In strawberries Parker Earle 
and Dunlap are our leaders, Marshall is 
good, but does not give us fruit enough. 
Lawrence, Kan. w. B. 
In this section, the season has so far 
been quite favorable to the farmer. The 
wheat is all in head and promises to 
be a bumper crop, the Hessian fly both¬ 
ering but little. Oats are doing well and 
corn is in some places knee high. The 
hay harvest is fast approaching, the crop 
promising well. The Medium Red clo¬ 
ver is the principle grass grown for hay, 
and is usually sown in the wheat or rye 
in March. Alfalfa growers have already 
begun harvesting the first crop of the 
season. Owing to the droughts which 
often prevail during August, it is hardly 
possible to cut more than three crops in 
a season. Pasture is now about at its 
height and in consequence the milk flow 
is abundant. The price has fallen from 
$1.50 to $1.30 per cwt. with prospects 
that it may go still lower. Dairymen 
are not complaining, however. March 
pigs are scarce and it is believed that 
the supply of pork next Winter will be 
somewhat short. The strawberry harvest 
is in progress, and cherry picking will be¬ 
gin next week. Apple orchards are in 
poor shape. There will be some early ap¬ 
ples but Fall and Winter apples will- be 
scarce. The prices of farm produce are 
somewhat as follows: wheat 92; oats 
37 ; rye 57; corn $1 per cwt.; hay, Tim¬ 
othy, $13.50; clover $13.50; dressed 
chicken 17 ; dressed veal 13 ; potatoes 75 ; 
eggs 17; butter 1G. d. l. 
Elkhart Co., Ind. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
34 Folding 
BROWNIE 
'J'HE No. 3 a Folding Brownie takes a 
picture just the size of a post card 
(3 % x 5 Yi inches). Like the other 
Brownies it loads in daylight, using 
Kodak film cartridges of six or ten expos¬ 
ures. It is fitted with automatic shutter 
for instantaneous or time exposures. 
The developing and printing can be 
done at home without a dark-room, or if 
you prefer, films being light and non- 
breakable may be readily mailed to your 
dealer for developing and printing. 
Brownies from $1.00 to $12.00. 
Illustrated catalogue of Kodak and Brownie 
Cameras free at the dealers , or by mail. 
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, 
387 State Street, Rochester, N. Y. 
T he stoutest telephone line 
cannot stand against such a 
storm as that which swept the 
Middle Atlantic coast early in 
the year. Poles were broken off 
like wooden toothpicks, and 
wires were left useless in a 
tangled skein. 
It cost the telephone com¬ 
pany over a million dollars to 
repair that damage, an item to 
be remembered when we talk 
about how cheaply telephone 
service may be given. 
More than half of the wire 
mileage of the Bell System is un¬ 
derground out of the way of 
storms. The expense of under¬ 
ground conduits and cables is 
warranted for the important 
trunk lines with numerous wires 
and for the lines in the con¬ 
gested districts which serve a 
large number of people. 
But for the suburban and rural 
lines reaching a scattered popu¬ 
lation and doing a small business 
in a large area, it is impracticable 
to dig trenches, build conduits 
and lay cables in order that 
each individual wire may be 
underground. 
More important is the prob¬ 
lem of service. Overhead wires 
are necessary for talking a very 
long distance. It is impossible 
to talk more than a limited 
distance underground, although 
Bell engineers are making a 
world’s record for underground 
communication. 
Parallel to the underground 
there must also be overhead 
wires for the long haul, in order 
that the Bell System may give 
service universally between 
distant parts of the country. 
American Telephone and Telegraph Company 
One Policy 
And Associated Companies 
One System Universal Service 
