1286 
crop is removed, add to the soil’s fertility or impov¬ 
erishes it. In fact, I did not work this out until a 
year or so after this had all happened. Being legume 
crops, I guessed that they would leave the ground a 
little richer than they found it, especially when they 
were inoculated as these were. This is a mistake 
which very many farmers have made with different 
legume crops. They grow clover, Soy beans, etc., 
removing everything except the roots, plow the field 
up again and expect it to produce much more heavi¬ 
ly than it did before growing this crop. 
FIGURING SOIL DRAFT.—I now figure that the 
soil draft from growing Soy beans when inoculated, 
cut for grain and the entire tops removed, figures 
about as follows: “Estimated yield per acre, 1200 
pounds grain; nitrogen soil draft, 25.8 pounds; value 
nitrogen soil draft, $5.67.” When this crop is 
plowed under, I figure the effect to be as follows: 
“Estimated yield per acre, weight of entire plants 
including roots, 5,250 pounds. Pounds nitrogen 
gathered from air per acre, 83.4. Value nitrogen 
gathered from air, $1S,34.” You will thus see that 
if my figures are at all right I was taking out about 
$5.67 worth of nitrogen in removing the entire crop 
the first year, whereas in justice to the plant, if the 
whole thing had been plowed under, I would have had 
$18.34 worth of nitrogen turned under into the soil. 
SOY BEANS AGAIN.—The second year we made 
a second mistake, that of sowing the entire hundred 
acres, which had grown the beans the first year, 
back to Soy beans again. That year things went 
wrong in other ways. My tenant did not prepare a 
very good seed bed, and did not cultivate at all well 
either. It was a dry season, and this together with 
the poor seed bed and the poor cultivation helped to 
make a very unsatisfactory yield. I was no doubt 
also receiving an injurious effect from having taken 
out some soil fertility with this crop the previous 
year. In justice to the Soy bean plant as a soil 
restorer, I must continue a little farther In the 
Fall of 1912, we had some ricks of these beans to 
spoil, owing to the worst weather conditions for the 
season of the year that 1 have ever seen here. Since 
that time, around these ricks vegetation has cer¬ 
tainly shown a great deal of thrift. Gradually I 
am getting the entire field to be uniform, but es¬ 
pecially after the first year, the superior growth 
from the spoiled beans was very noticeable. 
WHEAT AFTER BEANS.—In 1913 I tried sowing 
wheat after Soy beans, using ;> one-horse wheat drill 
between the rows. The result of this was quite 
satisfactory. I was unable to get quite enough 
wheat on the ground, the space occupied by the 
beaus being a little bit too wide, so that my stand 
looked a little uneven and thin, but Soy beans leave 
the ground wonderfully mellow, and the wheat 
throughout the entire season throve on the bean 
ground about a half better than it did on a stubble 
field right to the side of it. It made a larger growth, 
showed a better color, and stooled out very much 
better. I now think that wheat should, in most 
cases, be the crop to follow the Soy beans, and I 
would fertilize both crops, especially with phos¬ 
phorus. I have not as yet plowed any crop of Soy 
beans under, but I have fed them and returned the 
manure to the soil. The benefit from the latter 
method has been very satisfactory indeed; as much 
as I could very well ask for. If, however, I were 
in much of a hurry to restore my soil’s fertility, I 
would plow the entire crop under instead of feed¬ 
ing and returning the manure. I think the returns 
would be greater and quicker. Most of us, however, 
hate to plow under a really' valuable crop, but like 
to feed it and return the manure. There is not the 
least question, that Soy beans will do remarkably 
well on even very poor soil. Do not make the mis¬ 
take of sowing them on a poorly prepared seed bed, 
and do not fail to cultivate them, especially on 
ground that is inclined to become hard and bake 
during the Summer time. ciias b. wing. 
Ohio. 
Raising the Guinea Fowl. 
Part II. 
CARE OF YOUNG.—The hatching of the little 
keets is most successfully carried on in the early 
Summer, though I have had success with them 
hatched as late as the first of September. At this 
late date they need considerable care and atten¬ 
tion, for they are liable not to full feather by the 
time cold weather sets in. The advantage at this 
late date is in having young birds to market late in 
Winter. The little birds should be fed very soon 
after hatching, and my best success has perhaps 
been with bird seed and finely minced hard-boiled 
egg and raw onion. Water should be before them, 
but not so they can possibly get in all over, as damp¬ 
ness spells death to them when little. They must 
have food frequently, as their crops are very small; 
THIS RURAL NEW-YORKkR 
in fact a fast of three or four hours will also prove 
fatal. When they are five to seven days old a little 
green food is given—preferably lettuce. I have not 
made a practice of feeding mashes, though dry bread 
slightly soaked brings good results. In fact as near 
as possible I have tried to feed them as Nature 
feeds her wild. This of course means more animal 
food than other poultry receive, for the natural 
food would consist of large quantities of insects. 
As they grow older fine ground or cracked grains are 
fed, and when allowed full liberty they receive or¬ 
dinary ration of the common fowl. If confined this 
ration must contain more animal food than for the 
Common fowl. If allowed to roam the adult will find 
the bulk of their food; and further exterminate in¬ 
numerable insects and pests. They do not scratch 
as a rule, but are quite fond of “garden sass,” es¬ 
pecially ripe red strawberries. This is not a trait 
confined to them alone, you know, and what thgy 
destroy in this manner they make up in the insects 
they eat. There are no diseases peculiar to them 
but they are susceptible to many of the poultry 
diseases, especially lung trouble it closely confined 
in the Winter; otherwise they are extremely hardy 
and long-lived. 
MARKETING EGGS AND BIRDS.—The eggs are 
somewhat smaller than hen’s eggs, the former weigh¬ 
ing about 3.4 ounces each while the latter about two 
ounces each. There is as yet no special demand for 
them in the general market, but I find a private de¬ 
mand can readily be secured, and in time as they 
A Seven-foot Vine of Vetch. Fig.474. See page 1287. 
become appreciated in general market the price wili 
rise. For home use I consider them superior to 
hen’s eggs for making cakes and custards There 
is a delicate richness of flavor noticeable when 
boiled, and many fine hotels place them on the 
menu as plovers’ eggs, as they place the fowl as 
partridge or pheasant. The birds when young, 
weighing a pound and a half to the pair, which 
they reach when about three months old, are very 
tender, and find a ready market, as their flavor re¬ 
sembles game, quail or partridge. At this weight 
they bring anywhere from 75 cents, to $3, according 
to the market. I find more demand when they weigh 
about four pounds to the pair, and usually sell to 
private trade and get as high as $3.50. As they 
mature they become tougher and perhaps stronger 
in flavor. At maturity they should weigh about 
four pounds. I find this weight more in the cross¬ 
breds than purebreds, and I also find the ci’oss pro¬ 
duces a nicer gamer-looking bird than either 
straight-bred; it satisfies my trade better. The 
flesh in either case is far darker than chicken and 
has shorter fibers, and the breasts are extremely 
meaty. One new customer questioned me as to the 
freshness of a bird because of the purplish-looking 
breast, which color is quite prominent through the 
thin skin. We have never made a praerice of fat¬ 
tening, but always keep the stock in plump condi¬ 
tion. A few who have readily laid on fat have not 
seemed as appetizing, for the fat carries an extreme 
wild flavor in our minds. To those who desire fat¬ 
tening their birds care must be taken not to overfat- 
October 30, 1915. 
ten. Not more than 10 days should be allowed for 
the process and confined exercise allowed. Our 
method of preparing for market—private trade—is 
the same as for home use, entirely feathered and 
drawn. Great care must be taken in cooling, as the 
flesh, as all wild flesh, decomposes quickly. In the 
city markets they are usually found undrawn, heads 
and feet on, the breast feathers removed only. 
It is simply a question of preparing as your trade 
demands. The age of bird is more easily discern- 
able to the customer when prepared in this manner. 
A young bird has soft feet with sharp short claws, 
a small helmet, pointed ends to outer wing feathers 
and flexible breast bone, while in an older bird the 
reverse. There is Tittle question in my mind that the 
future of the guinea from the producer’s stand¬ 
point is encouraging. As our game birds decrease, 
which they certainly will, markets will demand a 
substitute. So far the guinea has proved satisfac¬ 
tory. A well-built private trade, the birds mar¬ 
keted in an attractive manner, will mean attractive 
returns, faith paddock Ingraham. 
Vermont, 
The Truth About Willow Culture. 
I N reply to your question, “Who can tell us the 
truth about willow culture,” I will give you a 
few plain facts in regard to same. I have had 32 
years’ experience growing basket willow. Any good 
black soil or sandy loam will raise good willows. 
The ground should be plowed and dragged in the 
Fall. The willows should be set early in Spring, 
soon as frost is out of the ground. The month of 
April is the best time. The sets should be cut 10 
inches long, vines planted three feet apart. Some 
people set 3% feet. The sets should be planted from 
eight to 10 inches apart in a row, leaving about two 
inches out of the ground. Don’t plant sets with 
bud upside down; green help may do this. It will 
take about 14,000 sets for an acre. 
The first year the crop should be hoed twice and 
kept clean between the rows by frequent cultiva¬ 
tion The first year’s crop is not fit for market. 
They are cut and thrown on the brush pile. The 
second year will produce a fair crop, hard to sell un¬ 
less you have a lot of willows from old stubs, then 
you can mix them in. 
After the third year the crop is first-class stock 
if not injured by insect pests. Willows should never 
be cut till the leaves are off, about the first of No¬ 
vember in Western New York. The willows must 
be cut close to the stub, A poor cutter will leave 
his wages each day on the stub, besides spoiling it. 
Ground that is subject to overflow is the best for 
growing willows. This keeps them fertilized. Some¬ 
times after willows have been set a number of years 
they do not produce a good crop. It is time to let 
them rest for two or three years. Let the crop 
grow up, this will smother out the weeds. This 
growth when cut, is used for bottom sticks for 
baskets and furniture, worth from $30 to $34 a ton 
delivered at Liverpool. The stubs will then produce 
a fine crop for several years. 
Two insect pests, the cottonwood beetle and wil¬ 
low gall midge have put a good many willow grow¬ 
ers out ot business. The beetle feeds on the termin 
al shoots of the willow. The gall midge punctures 
the young willow and deposits an egg. The larvse 
hatch and produce galls or swellings on the body of 
willows Second brood comes in July, which sting 
them on terminal cut of growth. 
Willows varied in price from $36 to $2S per ton 
last 10 years, delivered at Liverpool (35 tons min¬ 
imum.) It costs $2.50 per ton car lots from our 
station, part car, $4.50 per ton. It costs from $6 
to $10 per ton to cut them. Willows will produce 
from two to five tons per acre, a good average yield 
three to four tons. A few small willows are left 
on the stubs when crop is cut. These leaf out in 
Spring before the main crop starts. They should 
be cut; if not they will make branchy willows and 
will hurt sale of crop. 
One serious problem is the cleaning up and plow¬ 
ing out of an old piece of willow. It will cost from 
$35 to $40 an acre. Thirty and 40 years ago all 
willows were sap-peeled in May and June. The 
high cost of labor would not permit of it being done 
now. The willows are all steam-peeled now. They 
are put in what is known as a steam box and 
steamed for about two hours. They can be peeled 
any time after this, usually let by the ton to Aus¬ 
trians and Poles. 
The willow market is controlled by a number of 
dealers who buy the willows for the basket makers, 
and pay them a stated price for the different sizes 
of clothes baskets and hampers. The growing of 
willows is just like any other business. There are 
good years and bad years. w. b. freer. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. 
