1230 
cipally from him, and they were worth about a dol¬ 
lar a head more for Fall sale than those of the other 
ram, which looked just as good to me. The Shrop- 
sliire was worth a hundred dollars in the two years, 
where the other was valueless. I wouldn’t take a 
mongrel as a gift. Then there was something else 
unsatisfactory. Several of the mongrels got in¬ 
clined to dirt at both ends, and called for doctoring 
and clipping. When you see a dirty, disgusting lot 
of coarse wools you may blame it on parasites, un¬ 
suitable feed, etc., and iierhaps you are right, but 
you may often go on back of that and blame it on 
the unwise use of a mongrel which brought suitable 
conditions for trouble. 
DEI.AINES.—Delaines are simply a class of pure¬ 
bred Merinos that are the result of selection for a 
larger body, longer wool fiber and less grease. They 
have more size and mutton quality than strictly 
Merinos. At the time of the Civil War, when wool 
was a dollar, it was the only object, and breeders 
tried to get all the weight possible with denseness 
and grease. It was a case where “they took no 
thought for the body,” and my first shearing was 
trying to push the shears near the bodies of little, 
gnarly, knotty, yellow greasy animals, called “Gold 
1 )rop.” Talk about the fun of being a boy! Oh, 
how I longed for the dinner bell and the shades of 
evening so I could not see that yellow! As mutton 
sheep they were a total failure, and the coarse 
sheep owners had the market, or all there was. Also, 
at that time, there was one political party very bom¬ 
bastic aboTit its w’ar recoi’d, and the other, with no 
record, looked about and saw a tariff on wool, and 
jumped on to it. It was their mainstay, so between 
their constant abuse and the enemies they made for 
the wool men, fine wool breeders began to I’each for 
mutton, and they have kept at it ever since. 
HAPEY FUTURE FOR SHEEP.—For 50 years I 
have watched the abuse, privation and neglect of 
sheep, have talked and written for them, have owned 
a few thousands and tried to treat them right, and 
now I have lived to see sheep come into their own. 
None but breeders had a kind word for sheep until 
1917, and now they have come into their own. A retro¬ 
spect will show anyone that men have shown more 
“boneheaded” traits in regard to sheep than in re¬ 
gard to every other interest, but men are crying 
for sheep now, and they will continue to for some 
time, and the useful, gentle friends will have all 
the care, feed and comfort they demand and merit 
Ohio. W. W. REYNOLDS. 
Shape of Maple Tree for Sugar Production 
O N page 1155 is an inquiry regarding the best 
shai)e of a maple tree. Assuming that the in¬ 
quirer has reference to the best shape of a tree for 
sugar-yielding purposes I want to say that the maple 
ti-ee, in common with all other trees, ansiracts mois¬ 
ture from the soU by means of its roots and root- 
hairs. This moisture consists of a very weak solution 
of the various mineral elements which form the ashes 
when the substance of the tree is burned. It is 
ti-ansferred to the trunk of the tree and, by the 
action of some power the nature of which is but 
little understood, is forced up into and through the 
leaves. Air is also forced through the leaves, and 
during the passage of these two substances the water 
abstracts the carbon from the air, giving off oxygen 
in its place. More than thi.s, a portion of the water 
is broken into the elementary forms of hydrogen 
and oxygen, and these, uniting with the carbon, 
form starch. This, in the maple, is again trans¬ 
formed into the more soluble form of sugar, and is 
taken into solution by the moisture, which is now 
termed “elaborated sap.” In this form it re-enters 
the circulation of the tree, and is carried to those 
parts where new tissue is being built. So much as 
is needed for the growth of the present year is 
used and the remainder is stored in the trunk of the 
tree, to be used in the early part of the following 
season, before the leaves can begin their work. 
Thus it seems that the trunk acts as a tank for the 
storage of the surplus sap and, this being the ease, 
it follows that the larger and longer the trunk the 
greater the storage capacity and, other things being 
equal, the more sap the tree will yield. And this is 
true in practice. 
On the other hand, since the leaves are the factory 
in which the sugar is manufactured it follows that 
the more leaves a tree has in proportion to its 
storage capacity the sweeter will be its sap, and 
this is also true in practice. Thus a tall, long-bodied 
tree, such as is found in the thick forest, will al¬ 
most invariably yield more sap than the low, short¬ 
bodied, but heavily-limbed tree of the open field. 
The latter, however, will yield much the sweeter 
sap, but it will seldom be of enough better quality 
CAe R U R AL N E W.YO R K E R 
to compensate for its lack in quantity. Thus, assum¬ 
ing that a tall tree will yield 100 pounds of three per 
cent sap, and a low tree wall yield 50 pounds of four 
per cent sap, the former will produce three pounds 
of sugar and the latter but two pounds. This is 
the reason for the decline in the yield of maple sugar 
per tree. The long-bodie<l, high-yielding trees have 
been cut for lumber or fuel, and we are utilizing the 
low-yielding trees for sugar. This is also one reason 
why transplanted shade trees are of comparatively 
little value for sugar-making purposes. 
The ideal tree, then, for the sugar-maker, is one 
with a large, long, smooth trunk, crowned with 
a large, thick, leafy foliage; and individual trees 
of this nature that will yield from 12 to 15 pounds 
of sugar are not uncommoru C. o. obmsbee. 
Vermont. 
Cost of a Bushel of Wheat 
I notice considerable discussion in the pai>ers in 
regard to the cost of growing one bu.shel of 
wheat in New York State. We had the subject up 
for discussion recently and decided the enclosed 
figures were about right. Of course, the average 
yield determines the price. I thinK a farmer who 
has wheat land and is “onto his job” can depend on 
an average yield of 20 bu.shels; some years it will 
be higher, some lower. 
I think the price fixed by the Government, ^2.20, 
w’hich nets us about $2.05, taking everything in con- 
.sideration, is fair to the farmer. We ought to be 
willing to live and let live and not want the earth. 
I think the farmer, in view of the high price of live 
stock, wheat, etc., is doing better out of the war 
deal than any other brand of bu.siness. I know of 
farmers in this section who have I'alsed 100 lambs 
this season, and can sell them for $1,.100 or better. 
It would seem that this price ought to satisfy most 
people. We are told that we ought not to make 
money out of the wax’, wdiich is right, but if we 
have the stock and someone wants to buy, how can 
we help it? 
Cost of growing one bushel of wheat in 10-acre field, 
average yield 20 bushels per acre: 
10 acres land, at ,$100 per acre (investment). 
Five days’ plowing, at $5 per day. 
Five days’ fitting, at $5 per day. 
One ton fertilizer. 
20 bushels seed wheat, at .$2.10 per bushel- 
25 lbs. twine, at 25 cents per lb. 
Thrashing machine, 200 bushels, at 5 cents per 
bushel . 
Food and help for thrashing 200 bushels, at 5 
cents per bushel. 
Thrashing, coal. 
Drawing in barn. 
Drawing to market. 
Setting up . 
Cutting 10 acres, at $1 per acre. 
$1,000 investment, at 5 per cent. 
.$1,000 school tax, at 1 per cent. 
$1,000 town, county and State tax, 1 per cent.. 
Miscellaneous . 
$ 1 , 000 . 
25.00 
25.00 
.SO.OO 
42.00 
6.25 
10.00 
10.00 
5.00 
7.50 
7.50 
5.00 
10.00 
50.00 
10.00 
10.00 
10.00 
$26.3.25 
Cost of growing 10 aci'es of wheat, average yield 20 
bushels per acre, per bushel, $1.31; average yield 15 
bushels per aci’e, per bushel, $1-75; average yield 25 
bushels per acre, per bushel, $1.05; average yield .30 
bushels per acre, per bushel, 87 cents; average yield 
40 bushels per acre, per bushel, 65 cents; average yield 
10 bushels per acre, per bushel, $2.63. 
Rushville, N. Y., Grange. S. c. tviLLiAMS. 
Alfalfa and Clover for Horses 
I have a report that Alfalfa hay has been given up 
as fodder by a large horse owner. I had been thinking 
of putting down several acres of oystershell heaps left 
by Indians on our river bank to Alfalfa and of trying 
to do away with the great trouble in growing corn for 
our stock by using clover. Alfalfa and cow peas as a 
diet for them. I believe that this horse owner had a 
large quantity of Alfalfa and overfed and didn’t use 
any variety. Would not a good way be to keep, say 10 
head of stock (cows and horses), to sow 10 acres of 
common clover, mow early and save for Winter, and 
then sow on same land cow peas and mow them in time 
to sow common clover again? This with, say three acres 
of Alfalfa, ought to keep 10 head without more feed. 
Maryland. e. W. 
W E think there was something wrong with the 
Alfalfa hay or the manner of feeding it. We 
have had many reports of success in feeding Alfalfa 
to horse.s. The plan you suggest would produce a 
large amount of fodder, and shows what can be done 
in the climate of Maryland and on South. We have 
seen .something of this worked out in Delaware, 
Crimson clover and cow peas working in well to¬ 
gether. The Crimson makes a good hay for all 
kinds of stock, hut there has been some trouble from 
feeding it to horses. The heads of this clover are 
long, and when dried form little hooked spines. 
These sometimes fonn bunches or balls in the 
stomach of the horse and cause colic, or even death. 
Several cases of this are reported. Early-cut hay is 
not dangerous, hut when the heads ripen and dry 
* October 27, 1917 
before cutting there may he trouble and such hay 
is safer for cattle. 
A good plan followed in some of the Southern 
States is to seed Crimson clover in the standing corn 
as a cover crop. The corn is cured in the xisual 
way, giving a good crop of grain. Then the Crimson 
clover comes on and furnishes a good hay crop the 
following Spring. After cutting the clover a coat 
of manure is put on or a light application of phos¬ 
phate and the sod plowed for com once more with 
another cover crop of clover. This may be followed 
year after year, crops increasing and the soil grow¬ 
ing better. The corn fed with the clover will give 
a better horse ration than clover and cow peas alone. 
The Argument of the Feed Dealer 
TheR. N.-Y. has had many articles about feed and 
feed dealei’s. Naturally, as 95 per cent of our people 
buy feed rather than sell it, most of our correspondence 
has been from the standpoint of the feeder or buyer. 
Now we are asked if we are fair to the feed dealer! 
We desire to be fair to all, and therefore the following 
letter Rom a feed manufacturer is printed. It seems 
to give the feed dealers’ side of the case.) 
O N page 10.50 i.s a little article headed “Feeding 
Cows Without Grain,” which quotes a letter 
from a man in Broome County, N Y., who stated: 
Last Winter farmers wanted more money for their 
milk, which really belonged to them, but as xisual the 
feed dealers came back to get the benefit of the raise. 
I think it is about time that the feed dealers as a 
class were absolved from blame for the high prices 
of feeding stuffs.* It is a very easy matter for the 
farmer to blame the high price of feed on the feed 
dealer, and apparently most of the agi’icultural papers 
join in the chorus; but a little consideration would 
show that the feed dealers have nothing whatever 
to do with the price of feed. They are merely dis¬ 
tributors, and take it from one end of the year to 
the other, sell their products on a reasonable margin 
over the cost. They cannot control the cost in any 
way whatsoever. Of course it is true that a year 
ago feexl prices were much lower, and that there 
has been a gradual advance, and that the dealers 
have followed the advance, but a little consideration 
will show that this is not unrea.sonable, becau.se 
when markets decline they have to go down 
with them. Dealers who might make $8 or $10 per 
ton on fortunate purcha.ses will be just as likely to 
lose that same amount on unfortunate purchases, 
as many of them did last Spring when the price of 
corn dropped over 50 cents per bushel, and oats like¬ 
wise took a big .slump. 
It is no part of the dealer’s duty to speculate for 
the benefit of his customers, but I think it is safe to 
say that a fanner can at any time buy feed fi*om 
a dealer at a very reasonable margin of profit over 
the wholesale carload price that is in effect at the 
time the purchase is made. If the dealers bought 
feed a year ago at low prices which they subsequently 
sold at high prices, it is equally true that the farmer 
could have bought feed at the same time at similarly 
low prices. The market for feedstuff’s is open to 
every buyer, and there is practically no time when 
a farmer cannot buy whatever feed he wmnts at the 
prevailing price. When prices are low he, can buy 
cheap, and when they are high of course he will 
hav to pay the high price. 
However, disregarding the matter of advances 
that took place last Winter, which really profited 
the feed dealers very little as subsequent declines 
in values wipejl out all their profits, and considering 
today’s prices only, anyone who knows about feed 
markets knows that the retail dealer, or the feed 
jobbei’, is not making any more money than he 
usually does. The per.son who is really making 
money off high-priced feeds is the producing farmer. 
Can it be denied that it is the Western farmer who 
is getting the money for the high-priced corn? Or 
getting the money for oats at 60 cents per bushel 
or more? Take wheat bran and wheat middlings 
as a sample. The prices of these commodities are 
fixed by the millers, and they in turn make their 
prices on feed according to the demand, and the price 
they get for their feed, plus the price they get for 
their floui’, is in harmony with the cost of their 
wheat; so in the final analysis the Western farmer 
producing wheat is the man who gets the money 
but of the selling price of the flour and the bran 
and middliug.s, less, of course, the incidental ex¬ 
penses of the miller, which today are being very 
closely regulated by the Food Commissioner. 
Take the matter of cottonseed meal. That is a 
by-product, and the cottonseed miller must get out 
of his meal and out of his oil the price that he pays 
the Southern farmer for his cottonseed. Assuming 
that the cottonseed miller is not making any un¬ 
reasonable profit (and that of course is a matter 
about whicn I have no knowledge), it is apparent 
