254 
problems during tho season of tlie year wlien be 
works along every day. There is little difficulty en¬ 
countered in feeding a horse that works every day, 
rain or shine. The irregularly worked horse that is 
over-run one day and idle the next is the real prob¬ 
lem, and the careful feeder regulates the amount of 
grain in direct proportion to the amount and kind of 
work done. By reducing the grain by one-half on 
idle days and Sundays, many ailments will be eluded. 
F. c. M. 
Military Roads in Europe 
N OW we're getting a little time to think it over. 
Things have slackened up considerably since 
we crossed the Rhine. During our A. E. F. travels 
we have noticed one thing particularly, namely, 
roads, just roods. What a myriad of pictures that 
stirs up! England's quiet macadams; the broad 
highways of France; shell-torn roads of C’lntceau- 
Tliierry, of Soissons ;_that lovely streaming "molas¬ 
ses” in the Argonne; and these bum German roads. 
After all, they were pretty good friends. But we've 
learned a lot. Which is—to appreciate the value of 
good roads. 
It seemed like trespassing to use some of those 
roads in the S. (). £>. Charlie Dickens’ aunt couldn’t 
have kept them much neater. What pride they took 
in good roads, handed down by the Romans, possibly. 
They were of a macadam variety, with an unusually 
deep foundation. The stone was mulatto colored, 
and of an apparently softer texture than our trap 
rock. It seemed to have a malleable quality, giving 
a surface as linely joined as though of concrete. The 
width was sufficient for two trucks to pass com¬ 
fortably. Drainage seemed to be especially empha¬ 
sized. It did not end with the rounding profile of 
the road itself as ours is so prone to do. About every 
75 feet on each si<je of the road a slanting gutter, 
cut through the sod. carried the water entirely off 
the roadbed. These shallow ‘'run-offs were usually 
located near the base of the trees that lined either 
side, also at about 75-ft. intervals. At very frequent 
intervals there were small piles of crushed stone, all 
ready for business. And every few kilometers there 
appeared a small stone liut for implements, etc. 
From the standpoint of beauty it was one long white 
boulevard, bowered by the touching brandies. On 
each side to the edge of the checkered fields there 
was one long lawn (not hay nor weeds). All along 
the way, white stones indicating direction and dis¬ 
tance, at every crossroad, the uniform iron sign 
posts with white letters on a blue celluloid-looking 
background. Also, here and there, a lean-back bench 
for the weary. Indeed, they were very fine roads, 
although we did not then fully appreciate them. 
That appreciation was soon to come. From near 
the British front we were suddenly projected over¬ 
land by a French camion (auto.) train. A 12-limir 
rule brought us close to Chateau-Thierry. We had 
passed over French roads, we had passed over roads 
supposedly hard hit by four years' military use, and 
third, we had passed over roads just shelled by the 
Boehe. Notice that "passed over." Neither the had 
weather nor the ruined towns, still smoking, stopped 
us, except for a short delay at \ illers-Cotterets. 
While the Germans didn’t have much time to blot 
out roads, somehow as we advanced during the next 
few days they became more precious. The layout 
of a division’s advance would depend upon the lines 
of communication. Although our advance was rapid 
ammunition, food and water was never far behind. 
It was, of course, a ceaseless task for the Engineers 
to keep the vital communications open. 
Probably our next great impression of French 
highways was on our way up to the Soissons front. 
That great span between the mighty though stricken 
trees accommodated not two but four trucks abreast 
(Soissons-Rouen highway). Munitions, supplies 
going forward; wounded returning; endless lines of 
camions taking up fresh divisions; lines of empty 
camions returning—all day long—all night long! -V 
majestic sight, and more so in the moonlight with 
bombs as accompaniment. We first learned here 
what a noble work is a road. It seemed to rise from 
the common level to the heights. We looked upon 
it as one of the great works of man. Its builders 
seemed to class with sculptors. In its pkfinness it 
was an intricate work of art. 
Well did we remember it later over in the Argonne, 
north of Verdun. There it was "it kingdom for a 
road.” You never miss the roads till the roads run 
“ icet Every delay was costly in lives. Not until 
our Engineers- made long stretches of corduroy road 
could the artillery come up and our advance con¬ 
tinue. That was an instance of what years of shell¬ 
fire will do. As a rule, however, the roads in the 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
battle areas appeared loss injured than would be 
expected. Even a direct hit often left, it passable 
space at one side. We found many German mines 
designed for destruction. I only recall one that suc¬ 
ceeded. It completely cut the road, making a chasm 
about 25 feet in diameter. 
On the march to the Rhine we encountered roads 
that reminded us of home. “Bum—just like ours in 
the States,” was the general comment. As a rule 
the road bed was narrow and shallow, and drainage 
w as neglected. The Germans told us how they had 
purposely kept the Metz-Coblenz road in poor con¬ 
dition. This was built by Napoleon, and was for- 
morly a lino military highway. The districts con¬ 
trived to evade making appropriations for repairs, 
as they reasoned that the Kaiser’s troops would 
otherwise ho billeted upon them. In Luxemburg the 
highways wore evidently well cared for. Through¬ 
out this little duchy and for a long way in Germany 
fruit trees bordered the roads. The good condition 
of these trees (mostly apple) was a source of marvel. 
Iterc they were, stretched all along the way. with 
no house in sight, and the towns miles apart. 
Where an old tree had died a young one had sup- 
plantod it. How careful they were in training these 
young trees! Not one that didn't have a wooden 
support to keep it straight. Most of them were pro¬ 
tected by wire netting'. The fruit, we were told, was 
held (by law?) for sale in tbe Spring. So much for 
the idea of shade for the longevity of roads. No 
doubt, too, the trees are supposed to act as drainage 
factors, and their root systems as mainstay, network 
carriers for the roadbed. l. k. wilkins. 
Rendsdorf. <lermany. 
Curing Cow Pea Hay 
Y<>ur article on page 6 on the subject of curing cow 
peas has excited some comment among the neighborhood 
farmers. I know of no forage crop over which the 
farmers of this community do more “fussing” in the 
curing than cow peas. Stakes, tripods and all sorts of 
fixings are used. Last Summer I cured a crop in 
windrows and cocks, and when stored they seemed to 
he perfectly cured. Today my neighbors are laughing 
up their sleeves, for my cow pea hay is till mildewed 
and mohly. Will you not give u« an article, in detail, 
on the curing of cow pea and other leguminous hays? 
Some seedsmen are strongly advising the sowing of 
German millet with cow peas, claiming that the millet 
will absorb much of the moisture generated by the 
sweat of the cow pea. and thus prevent (he mildew and 
mold in the cow pea stalk. What say you? u. w. o. 
Drewry’s Bluff, Va. 
HERE are hundreds of farmers in the South 
a\ ho have tried the method I have often sug¬ 
gested for the curing of cowpea bay. and have made 
a perfect success. Since I cured the bay in this 
manner for many years, and never bad any moldy 
hay. it is evident that those who have had the hay 
mold have not followed directions completely. 
Everyone must use ids own brains to some extent 
and take the particular condition of his crop into 
consideration. I once stated that under favorable 
conditions in (lie maturity of the crop and the in¬ 
tensely hot and dry weather, I had put the hay in 
the barn on the third day. At once correspondents 
all over (he country jumped to the conclusion that 
the third day was the important point in the curing, 
and they at once began to store their hay the third 
day, when in many cases it was too green to store. 
Some years ago 1 sent a sample of my cowpea hay 
to the editor of the Southern Planter, an English¬ 
man. He stated in his paper that it was the prettiest 
hay he had scam in America and looked more like 
English hay than our hay usually does, for tbe dry 
leaves in it were perfectly green in color. Those 
who use stakes and other contrivances to cure cow¬ 
pea hay always let it go dry, and then they handle 
it and shake off all the leaves, the bbst part of the 
bay. and have only a mass of sticks. I can see some 
of this sort stacked in an adjoining field as I write 
this, and cowpea hay stacked without stack cover 
is very poor stuff. To recapitulate my method 
oriefly. I mow in the morning till noon with a tedder 
right after the mower, rake into windrows in the 
afternoon. Turn windrows next morning and that 
afternoon cock the hay and let it stand until you 
can twist a handful from the interior of tbe cock 
and can wring no sap to the twist. Then put it into 
the barn and let it severely alone, and it may heat 
some', but it will cure all right. /./ you go to stirring 
it irlirn heating, you tv ill liore noddy hoy. That is 
the point where most of tin* moldy hay originates. 
] f it hen lx. tot it heat. The time to begin the mow¬ 
ing is when tin* pods are well filled and are begin¬ 
ning .to turn yellowish. Never sow German millet 
with liens. The millet ripens before the peas and 
die ripe seed make the bay dangerous to horses, as 
they are apt to clog the* intestines. In fact, sow 
February 15, 1919 
peas and only peas, unless you mix some Soy beans 
with the peas, for we grow legume hay for its value 
in protein, and we do not want- to decrease this. 
Wo can got plenty of carbonaceous feed in corn 
stover, straw and grass hay. A method of curing 
legume hay that never failed in my hands in 80 
years can certainly claim to be a success. I do not 
know why your hay molded, as I Intel no sight of 
the crop nor the process you supposed to be mine. 
If you stirred it when heating I am not surprised 
that it molded. Clover hay will do the same if 
disturbed when heating. 
Some years ago in July T was at a farmers' insti¬ 
tute about 20 miles east of Raleigh, N. C. I told 
them how I cured cowpea hay, and invited any of 
the audience to come to my barn and see the hay 
that Fall. The Commissioner of Agriculture of the 
State was present, and said I was taking chances, 
as the hay had not yet been cut and cured. I told 
him that as T cured it in the same way every year 
I had no doubt that I could do it again. In the Fall 
a man drove up and said he came to see that hay. 
for not a man in the audience had believed what I 
said. I told him to go to the barn and look at it. 
He said he had never seen s..Hi hay before, for it 
had all the leaves on it and no mold, though lie dug 
into tin' mow as deep as he could. A week later he 
came again with a neighbor, whom he said would not 
believe him. and both wondered at the quality of 
lhe liav. Stakes, racks and scaffolds are only means 
for spoiling good hay. Cowpea hay is as easy to 
cure as any hay if you simply let it cure and do not 
:monkey with things that spoil it. But never store 
toe hay with any external moisture on it. but always 
when the leaves are still limp enough not to shatter. 
w. F. MASSEY. 
About Raising Guinea Pigs 
Will you inform me as to the following points in re¬ 
gard to ferrets and guinea pigs? Are either or both 
profitable to keep for breeding purposes? What are 
suitable breeds and right prices for each? What bous¬ 
ing is required as to warmth, light and air, yard or 
runway for exercise? What kind and quantity of food 
is required? What market is available? it. g. a. 
New York. 
HERE is a reasonable profit in rearing guinea 
pigs for market, as tbe demand is constant from 
laboratories, hospitals and other institutions where 
these animals are used for experimental purposes. 
Prices and, consequently, profits, vary with the de¬ 
mand. and it is impossible to say how much anyone 
could make with a specified number of breeders. 
The most extravagant claims are. of’course, made by 
people having stock to sell, but these claims will be 
discounted by sensible people. The ordinary smooth- 
haired guinea pigs of any color are preferred for 
laboratory use. They are said to average 12 young 
per year, and these young pigs are salable after six 
weeks of age. During the war, guinea pigs weighing 
from eight to 12 ounces each sold for as much as .$1 
per head, but ordinary prices are about half that. • 
Tho housing of guinea pigs is simple, hutches be¬ 
ing ordinary store boxes about two feet square and 
fitted with wire netting doors and windows. These 
little animals are subject to pneumonia, and must 
bo kept in reasonably warm quarters, a temperature 
of about GO degrees being most suitable. Some arti¬ 
ficial beat is needed in the Winter. If in hutches of 
suitable size, they do not need runs for exercise. 
Guinea pigs are fed upon the ordinary farm grains, 
garden vegetables of all kinds, and hay. With the 
exception of meat, they require the same foods that 
tire ordinarily given liens that are well fed; grain, 
green vegetable stuffs, and hay. Stilt and water are 
also kept before them unless a plentiful supply of 
green vegetables makes the giving of water unneces¬ 
sary. 
The market, as said, is afforded by the various 
laboratories of the country engaged in experimental 
work along medical lines. Hospitals, large drug 
manufacturing concerns and medical research insti¬ 
tutions use a very large number of these animals 
each year, and while many rear at least a part of 
their own supply, they depend upon outside breeders 
for a portion of it. in times of special demand and 
consequent scarcity, prices run high and many people 
are encouraged to become breeders; at other times 
prices fall and enthusiasm wanes. As rearing guinea 
pigs is not difficult, it is obvious that great profits 
would soon flood the market with stock. Bin money, 
at least, may be expected by those who have the time 
and facilities for rearing market guinea pigs and 
wish to engage iu it. 
As to ferrets, I am unable to give you any informa¬ 
tion. 
M. B. I>. 
