616 
rieties of corn, where the progeny of individual ears 
is planted in separate rows and seeds saved from 
the best producing individuals; it is the same prin¬ 
ciple which underlies the selection of potatoes by 
Peach Performance Records. 
Variety. Block. Rows. 
Tree No. Aug. 28. Sept. 1 Sept. 3. Sept. 5. Quality. Total. 
1-6-24 3 bkt. 2% bkt. J A bkt. V4 bkt. Good 6% bkt. 
1-6-25 3 bkt. 3 bkt. 216 bkt. 1 bkt Very good 9% bkt. 
(lie individual hill method where the hills are har¬ 
vested separately and seed saved from those hills 
which are most desirable. The chief value to my 
mind of tree records lies in the gaining of accurate 
and reliable information as to orchard work and 
of the introduction of systematic methods for im¬ 
proving established orchards. It is well worth a 
trial and, as suggested in the beginning of this let¬ 
ter, it is particularly worthy of trial by the younger 
generation of fruit growers who are desirous of gain¬ 
ing more information as to the behavior of varieties 
and of methods of improving the production of these 
varieties in their respective orchards. It is most 
intensely interesting work and will appeal particu¬ 
larly to those who are desirous of getting first-hand 
information as to their orchard conditions. 
California a. d. shamed. 
SOME FACTS ABOUT SKUNK BREEDING. 
C AN you give me information as to the raising and 
care of skunks for commercial purposes? I have 
five that I have caught in traps which I have in 
a pen 12x12. Is there any danger of these ani¬ 
mals dying from the effects of bruises on the feet? 
Is tliis place large enough for them? What would I 
best feed these animals? How can I distinguish be¬ 
tween the male and female? c. Q. L. 
Ohio. 
The first consideration in the breeding of fur¬ 
bearing animals is to comply with the game laws 
of your State. Then one must be sure that none of 
the arrangements be made in such a way as to con¬ 
flict with the breeding habits of the animals to be 
kept. For instance, in breeding foxes it is neces¬ 
sary to keep one male and one female in the breed¬ 
ing pen all the time; if the male is taken away the 
young are likely to starve. In other cases old and 
young, male and female, can be left together; in 
still other cases males, females and young must be 
kept separated most of the time. 
Skunks are easily tamed and submit readily to 
confinement. If the scent glands are removed they 
are said to make very good house pets and much 
better mousers than cats. This operation can be 
easily done when the animals are about six weeks 
old, but becomes very dangerous later. When the 
animals are kept for fur allow about 800 square 
feet to each, or about 50 skunks to the acre. The 
enclosure should be on a well-drained sandy hill¬ 
side, partly shaded by trees and partly open mea¬ 
dow. The fence should extend at least three feet 
under ground, and should have the lower edge pro¬ 
tected in some way to prevent digging under it. 
Skunks have been known to dig under a three-foot 
wall. The protection can be secured by turning the 
bottom of the wire in a foot or more or the bottom of 
the trench can be filled with stones or concrete. 
Above ground the fence should be of inch mesh 
wire three feet high, with a foot-wide board laid 
on top of the posts. To keep out dogs, etc., it will 
be well to carry the fence.up with barbed wire three 
feet or more above the board. The inside fences 
should be similar to the outside one and three feet 
high. There should be a pen for each breeding fe¬ 
male, one for males and one for just weaned young. 
In the general enclosure the dens may be made of 
hollow logs, of trenches lined with boards and cov¬ 
ered with earth, or simply holes bored in the hill¬ 
side with a post auger. There should be a den 
for each animal in the pen. The breeding dens may 
he made of old boxes if they are rain-proof. 
The sex of the animals can be told by examina¬ 
tion. In handling them grasp the animal firmly 
by the thick part of the tail and swing it quickly off 
its feet. It will probably be wise to wear old 
clothes while one is getting acquainted with the 
skunks. 
Skunks in captivity eat a great variety of food, 
including meat, fish, insects, bread, cooked and even 
raw vegetables, and ripe fruits. Table scraps will 
keep the animals in good condition but occasional 
meals wholly of raw meat are desirable. The meat 
should not be putrid nor very salty. More of it 
should be fed in the Spring. It is lack of meat in 
the diet that causes old skunks to eat. the young. 
Skunks usually breed but once a year, but may 
have a second litter. The mating season is in Feb¬ 
ruary and eax-ly March. At this time keep one male 
and five to eight females together. If two males are 
in the same pen they are likely to fight. The period of 
gestation is about nine weeks, the young coming in 
May. Leave them alone the first six weeks and 
wean them when about two months old. The young 
KUKAL NKW-YORKKR 
become prime in December and breeding animals 
should be selected at the end of this month or the 
first of January. Keep only the darkest ones, and 
sell for fur all light or rusty animals. It is said 
that in three or four generations one can get a strain 
that will all grade No. 1. 
Skunks for breeding should be caught in a box 
trap. There is always danger of severe injury if 
the animal is caught in a steel trap. A box trap 
should have some device like a trap-nest to prevent 
the skunks raising the door. Alfred c. weed. 
Wayne County, N Y. 
HOW FIELDS MAY VARY IN PHOSPHORUS. 
As Shown by Analysis. 
IELDS, like people, have characteristics of their 
own. Often fields on the same farm vary more 
than two farms or two localities. Why this 
variation? From the standpoint of fertility the 
usual reasons given are lack of nitrogen, humus, or 
lime. But what about phosphorus? Just now we 
are hearing a good deal about potash. I’otasli con¬ 
tent in the soil runs from 1 to 5%, while phosphorus 
is high if it runs .4 of 1% How evident then, if 
the same amounts of potash and phosphorus have 
been removed by crops throughout the generations, 
that in fertilizing phosphorus should receive due 
consideration. 
Years ago in the Eastern United States when 
our fields were first laid out the phosphorus con¬ 
tent may have been the same. Unequal treatment 
of the fields by a succession of farmers have now 
produced an unbalanced condition—or at least such 
is indicated by many soil analyses. One instance 
of this is the 85-acre farm of Jos. W. Croot, near 
Chester, Morris Co., N. J This farm is typical of 
that region, and is here selected as an illustration 
because Prof. Alva Agee of the New Jersey Experi¬ 
mental Station advises the use of phosphorus for 
that district. The farm contains seven upland, cul¬ 
tivated fields. Analysis for total phosphorus is 
shown in diagram. 
We have on this farm one field high, two low, 
and four medium in phosphorus content. The high¬ 
est contains more than four times as much phos¬ 
phorus as the lowest; and the subsoil of the lowest 
(.042%) contains only .030% so there is no hope in 
it. Analysis of these fields for nitrogen, potash, or¬ 
ganic matter, and lime requirement showed varia¬ 
tions; but the outstanding variation was that of 
phosphorus. 
The field containing the highest percentage phos¬ 
phoric acid is Mr. Croot's best field; that contain¬ 
ing the lowest is his poorest field. Last Spring phos¬ 
phoric acid fertilizer was applied to one of the 
fields containing a medium amount of phosphorus 
(.403%). Oats were drilled in, and the application 
of phosphoric acid could be "told to the row” from 
the very start of the oats. An application of phos¬ 
phoric acid to the field containing .185% showed no 
such significant results—evidently that field con¬ 
tains enough phosphorus. What is true of this farm 
has also been found true for central and southern 
Jersey farms. Furthermore, it may apply not only 
to New Jersey but to all of the Eastern States. In 
the West if phosphorus is needed it is for the whole 
farm alike. But in the East, where farms have been 
subjected to various treatments longer, and fields 
have become so fixed that they ai’e called by name, 
the fields of the same farm are found to vary con¬ 
siderably in their phosphorus content. 
New Jersey Exp. Station. l. k. wii.kins 
April 24, 1915. 
WHAT FODDER FOR CATTLE AND HORSES? 
I have 3% acres, sloping east and northeast, planted in 
oats and corn last year and seeded to rye last Fall. Two 
acres low and flat planted in garden two years, and 
manure plowed under last Fall; one acre sloping east 
planted in oats 1013 and cut green, then with rye in 
Fall cut ripe last year. Then millet plowed under and 
seeded to rye last Fall; three acres sloping south and 
east seeded to rye last Fall. What and when would 
you plant to feed two oxen, two cows and one horse? 
Also, what and when would you plant to feed 200 hens? 
I have 800 cubic feet mixed manure under cover and 
14 barrels hen manure, and want the greatest returns 
from the least expense. r. e. ix. 
Ridgefield. Conn. 
N O definite advice can be given in a case of this 
sort, but as a general proposition we should 
work about as follows: Reserve say three 
acres of the best of this rye for fodder and straw. 
Cut two acres of the green rye befoi-e it comes in 
bloom, and either feed green or cure as hay. It 
makes a poor hay at best, but when cut in connec¬ 
tion with better fodder, it will help out. Let the 
remaining acre of rye ripen, and cut for straw and 
grain. When these three acres have been cut, plow 
the ground promptly and plant fodder corn. By 
this we mean the ordinary field corn seeded thickly 
in furrows or drills much the same as garden peas. 
Put these drills three feet apart and give good cul¬ 
ture. At the last cultivating sow a mixture of bar¬ 
ley and rye, working the seed into the ground. Two 
acres of the remaining rye we should plow at once 
and sow oats and Canada peas, as we have often 
described, putting a light coating of the manure on 
the rye before it is plowed under. Cut the oats and 
jieas early and cure them into hay. Then rip up 
the land as promptly as possible and sow to Jap¬ 
anese millet, cutting this in September and seeding 
to rye. We should reserve perhaps one-third of an 
acre well manured and thoroughly plowed, fit for 
mangels or carrots, to be well cultivated and used 
for feeding stock. The balance of the rye we should 
manure thoroughly and plow under. One acre might 
be used to advantage in seeding to beardless barley 
in the early Spx-ing, letting the barley ripen, to be 
used for chicken feed. The balance of the land 
should be plowed and planted to some standard 
variety of flint corn, known to grow well in that 
locality. Plant in hills and use the chicken manure 
thoroughly fined in the corn hills. Give thorough 
cultivation, and the last time you go through, sow 
barley and rye and work the seed in. This plan 
will give you rye, hay, straw, and grain; the hay 
of oats and peas, and of Japanese millet or beardless 
barley for chicken feed; grain and stalks from the 
corn, and a fair quantity of roots for all kinds of 
stock; and at the end of the season, if you follow 
the plan through, your soil will be covered with 
barley and rye. The barley will give you a light 
crop of hay late in the Fall, while the rye will go 
thi*ough the season and give a Spring crop for 
feeding or plowing in. 
WHY CHEMICALS FOR POTATOES ? 
You advise using manure on corn wherever possible. 
Why not on potatoes as well? J. 
W E advise using the stable manure on corn, and 
a well-mixed fertilizer on potatoes, for a 
number of good reasons. Here are a few: 
The manure is usually more or less alkaline, and 
as it decays it is apt to grow more so. An alkaline 
condition in the soil will increase the danger from 
potato scab. The high-grade chemical fertilizer is 
more or less acid, and thus not so likely to increase 
the growth of scab. We may consider too the habit 
of growth of the potato and the corn. The former 
must make a quick, early growth, in the cooler part 
of the season in order to perfect its vine and crop. 
The coni, on the other hand, makes its most effect¬ 
ive growth late in the season, during July and Au¬ 
gust. The potato therefore must have an abundance 
of available plant food from the very start, while 
the coiai does not require its heaviest feeding until 
the latter part of the season. Now manure is com¬ 
posed mostly of organic forms of fei’tility. In order 
to prove available these organic forms must decay 
and be broken up, and this will not happen in full 
until the soil is thoroughly warm and moist. While 
the soil during the Spring is moist enough, it is 
too cool for a rapid decay of the manure. Conse¬ 
quently, unless very large quantities of rotted ma¬ 
nure were used, a potato crop would not be fully 
fed in the early Spring. During the latter part of 
Summer, in a reasonably wet season, the soil is in 
just the right condition for the decay of the ma¬ 
nure and the formation of nitrates from the organic 
matter. This is just the time when the corn should 
make its heaviest growth, so that the manure be¬ 
comes available at just the right period to fully 
feed the corn crop. On the other hand, it is possi¬ 
ble to make a high-grade potato fertilizer so as to 
take care of the potato crop from the time it is 
