ZTAe RURAL, N E W-Y O R K E R 
3^.9 
Big Beans—What Variety Are They? Fig. 151 
Life in Butter Fat 
T he cliCMiiists !it tiio Wisconsin ExiKM'iincnt Sta¬ 
tion arc doing some fine work in Initter inves¬ 
tigations. 'J’liey liave found tliat milk and its pro¬ 
ducts contain a principle avliieh is absolutely needed 
to lu-oniote growth in animals. This principle is 
found ill Alfaifa hay and other plants, but is not 
found in grains or most vegetable oils. Some re¬ 
markable experiments have been worked out in 
these demonstrations. The picture at Mg. 152 
M. Vigorous Growth of Soy Beans. Fig. 154 
Playing Ducks and Drakes With Quack 
Grass 
A x ea.sy way to kill quack grass is to cut for 
hay the middle of June, plow shallow and disk 
without cutting deep enough to turn up sods. Wake 
it smother itself. When the Aveather and soil are 
in good condition phint corn in drills with the fur¬ 
rows and put in tSoy beans with the corn, about 
three quarts to the acre. The accompanying pic¬ 
tures of corn and Soy beams, Figs. i5.‘l and 154, 
were grown by li. E. Hronson on heavy black soil, 
one quart of Soy beans to the acre. There is a 
great adA’antage in plowing in middle of June, 
becamsc the quack has .spent its strength in getting 
ready to s{*ed, and cutting it as it begins to head 
and making into hay you get a crop of hay, and 
also com and Soy beans, which help balance the 
corn in protein for silage, and also carries nitro¬ 
gen into the soil as clOA'er does. Notice the niti-o- 
gen nodules on the roots of the accompanying 
bunch of Soy beans, Fig. 154. b. ii. i,. 
Ormo, Wis. 
Eradicating Witch Grass 
riants resemble animals, inasmuch as tliey have 
their likes and dislikes, and A\iH 
flourish only Avhen conditions of en- 
viroMinent are .satisfactory to them. 
Thus it follows that the most <*f- 
fi'Ctual method of exterminating a 
noxious Aveed is to make its sur- 
i-(»unding.s so obnoxious that it avUI 
be glad to depart of its OAvn free 
Avill. This is e.spocially true in re¬ 
gard to Avitcli grass, which, though 
one of the nio.st cosmopolitan of 
I)]ants. has its A'ulnerable itoint. 
While it Avill flourish aggre.ssively in 
rich or poor .soil, in W(‘t or dry lo¬ 
cations, in the hardest clay or the 
lightest sand, in the brightest sun¬ 
light or the demsest shade, it re¬ 
quires a free circulation of air 
around and aboA’e it. Tf deprived 
of this it Avill smother and die. 
Hence the best method of attack¬ 
ing it is to depriA'e it of air .and, 
when this is done, tlie rest is easy. 
Years ago, when the jiractice of 
growing dent com as a soiling ci'op 
was first introduced, it Avas custom- 
:iry to .sow the corn broadc.ast, .at the rate of two 
bii.shels to the acre. It Avould mak(‘ a rank, den.se 
groAvtli of forage, that would lx* Aveak and Avatery, 
and perhaiis hickiug in nutrition Aviien compar<‘d 
with its Aveight and bulk, but it aa'us palatable, and 
the cattle AAmuld dcAOur every morsel and call for 
more. It AA'as a A'ery cheai» method of groAviug a 
clnaip .sort of roughage, but the crop Avas difficult 
and exiKHisive to harvest, and the method AA-as .soon 
.sui*erseded by the drill .system. I’.ut it requinsl 
ouIa' a single season's treatment <*onq»letel.A* to jad 
the Avorst infested field that Avas ever known of 
Avitch gra.s.s. Not a single root or .spear AA’ould sur¬ 
vive. We found that it aajis eipially effectual in 
clearing fields of Eanada thistle.s, pigeon gi-ass and 
mu.stard, and all other classes of Aveeils. and even 
Butterfat and Cottonseed Oil.—A Comparison in Growth. Fig. 152 
rjispbmry ;iiid bl.-ickberr.v roots. It would CA'cn giA’e 
<hoke-chorry bushes and hazel brush a ])rotty .seA’ere 
tus.sle. Fnder the present conditions of labor, and es- 
jiecially the impossibility of hiring caiialile men 
who 4ire skilled in the use of the old-f.ishioned 
sickle, Avhich is the instrument necessary in the 
harA'csting of such a crop, it is doubtful if it AA'ould 
pay to groAV corn in this manner for tbe sake of 
the crop, but, in many instances, it might be AA'orth 
while to give the use of the land for one year for 
the .sake of destroying the Avitch grass. Eesides, 
it Avould seem that com grown in this manner 
Avould be a A'aluable crop to turn under for the sup- • 
plying of humus to the soil. 
Still, it is not alAA'ays advisable to get rid of witch 
gras.s, no m.-ittcr hoAV desirable it m.ay seem to do so. 
Soy Beans in the Corn Crop. Fig. 153 
fur it has c(m.siderable econondc A'alue. As a soil 
liimh'r in locations that are subject to erosion, it 
has no i»eer among the gras.se.s, and it Avill yield 
from <uie to three very fair cro]>s of very fair hay 
in locations Avhere no more valuable grass couUl be 
grown. Moreovm’, its luots have some value in the 
drug tnide and seA'eral thousand iiounds are im- 
]»orted annually. In this country aac make no at- 
ti'inpt to market them. rossibl.A', under our labor 
Conditions it Avould not paj’, but they make a A’alu- 
able ]K>ultry food Avhen fresh, and a flock of hens 
Avill d<‘stroy the roots to the full extent of their 
digestive capacit.v. Hogs are fond of tiimn and Avill 
root out and eat every' A'estige of the roots if giA’eii 
tlie opportunity. Pasturage Avith stock of any kind 
Avili destroy it, but it Avill reipiire close cropping 
and for a long lime to effectually clear a field. 
It is Avhen it infests a garden or a homi croi» that 
AA'itch grass becomes the most trouble.some. It 
spreads by means of root stocks, and, if a root is 
cut, tA\m plants AvilF ajqKmr almo.st in a day, and 
Horace (Ireeh'y Avas not far fro’in right AA'hen he said 
tiiat he Avould not undertake to k»M‘i» a Avell -infested 
area of more than three feet .sipiare, entindy free 
from Avitch grass during an entire .saxisou. I liaA'e 
seA'eral times cleaned it from an a.sparagus bed by 
giving the bed an exce.ssiA'ely heavy mulching AA'ith 
manure of a fair quality'. 4’he Avitch grass AA’ould 
thriA'e all the better for the enriching, but the roots 
AA'ould rise nearly to the surface of the manure, and 
I could easily rake them off. I haA’e also had very- 
good success in cleaning currant and gooseberry 
bushes by the same method. Still, Avitch grass is 
a mighty hard pest to fight if you are going to 
fight fair. c. o. okmsbee. 
Vermont. 
shows two rats. Potli were fed nu “bala'iired ni- 
tious" Avliicii contaiiK'd suflicient jirotein and min¬ 
eral matter. Tlie larger rat Avas giA'en butterfat, 
AA'hile tlie smaller one received cotton.seed oil. Tliis 
one failed to groA\’, Avhile Ave see by com]>arison 
AA'hat happened to his butter-fed companion. Among 
otlier things indicated by these remarkable di.s- 
coA'eries is the fact that pure butter has a food 
A'alue in excess of its actual chemical analy'sis. 
Oleo and other substitutes cannot compare Avitb 
butter as a necessary and healthful food—e.specially 
for young people AA'herc groAvth is reipiired. 
Big Beans 
U NHEIl separate cOA’er T am .smiding you sample 
of a bean groAvu in the coldest part of New 
York .State, at an allitude of l.sOd feet alioA'e s(‘a 
level. The picture .sIioaa's a hill of four vines Avhich 
Avere clipped about eight feet from the ground. 
They Avill groAV about 12 feet higli. The pods, Avhicli 
are green, groAV on a stem six to 10 inches in length, 
Avith two to six pods on each. 4'he.v Avcre last sea¬ 
son a AA'cek earlier tlian WardAvell's kidney- Avax. 
They commence to bear, clo.se to the ground, and 
if not clipped Avill bear all Summer. They might 
be calkMl everbearing, and they are ab.solutely 
Stringless. The picture AA'as taken 
Aiiugst 20, the beans Avere all ripe 
tin'll. They’ were jilanted the last 
A'.'oek ill yiay'. Caii you tell me the 
iiame of tiiem? I do not knoAV it. 
•T. O. A. B. 
Iiai(U(‘tte I.ake, N. Y. 
It. N.-Y.— 'I'lie bi'ans are shown 
at Fig. 151. We are unalile to 
ideiitif.v them from the picture. 
Perhaps .some of our bean groAA'ers 
can do so. They’ ought to make a 
valuable coA'cr crop for- that cold 
Country, to say nothing of their food 
value. 
Value of Orchard Trees 
S OMETtiME ago I saw in The 
It. N.-Y. a notice of a decision 
of New York courts in a ca.se of 
damage from fruit trees not being 
true to nanux iiy per.sonal I’ela- 
tioiis AA'ith nurserymen luiA-e been of 
the plea.santest. but I Avant to get 
Avliat information I can as to the 
fair value of ajiple and iieacli treixs, having 
had o50 out of an orchard of 4 , 5 o 0 burncAl liy 
tire from railroad. The adjuster made me a 
small offer, and Iduutly told me if I Avanted 
more they' Avouhl pay more avIkmi I matle them. 
I fee.l that a fair A'alue should be established, and 
am Aviiling to fight for the .same to the best of my’ 
ability’ and means. avm. a. edsox. 
Rfassachu.setts. 
It. N.-Y. —Here is a brother fruit groAvnr Avilling 
to fight for his right.s, and eA'er.v man avIio can do 
so .should suppl.v him Avirh evidence. Man.v of our 
readers Iuia’c made adjustmeurs of this .sort Avith 
