1342 
previous to the hatching season to gain back body 
flesh, weight and strength. In several instances pul¬ 
lets have gone through their first year with lights 
and the best of these have been selected for the sec¬ 
ond year with good results. 
WILLARD C. THOMPSON. 
New Jersey Experiment Station. 
USE AND MISUSE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT 
The proper use of illumination should increase 
rather than decrease the length of the laying season, 
and should result not only in increasing the propor¬ 
tion of eggs laid during the periods of high prices, 
but also increase, to the extent of perhaps a dozen or 
more, the number of eggs laid per year, with the 
expectation that if the fowls are given a proper 
Lever Press for Packing Evaporated Fruit. Fig. '/OS. 
opportunity to take a vacation under normal condi¬ 
tions without artificial light at the end of the laying 
year, they would not suffer the second year on 
account of having had artificial illumination the first 
year. Our experiments here indicate, however, that 
if antifk'ial light is provided during the Fall and 
Winter, and again to the same fowls at the end of 
the laying year, that the fowls do not have proper 
opportunity for rest and recuperation and as a 
result miay not do as well in their production the 
second year-. 
The above applies where the amount of illumina¬ 
tion is such that a 14 or 15-hour working day is pro¬ 
vided. This amount is likely to cause an abnormally 
heavy egg yield during the Fall and Winter as com¬ 
pared to no artificial illumination or a small amount; 
for example, twilight to 7 o'clock at night, and from 
7 o’clock in the morning until dawn, which provides 
a 12-hour day. This is the normal day. and should 
result in enabling the fowls to function normally 
throughout the year, as compared to either extreme; 
first, where no lights are provided, which is abnor¬ 
mal, because the fowls have a 15-liour night and a 
nine-hour day during the shortest days, or a 14 or 
15-hour day and nine or 10-hour night, which would 
be provided in ease we used a large amount of arti¬ 
ficial illumination with a view to increasing egg 
production. If a person properly grades and selects 
his stock with a view to using artificial light, and 
provides the right amount, in connection with the 
proper method of feeding, illumination is our most 
effective method of control of production. 
The use of artificial light may hasten or retard 
the molting of birds, depending upon the quality of 
the stock and the way in which the illumination is 
provided. In the case of early hatched pullets that 
have laid’heavily during the early Fall months and 
start to molt early in the Winter, the use of a 13 or 
14-hour day by illumination would have a tendency 
to stop the molt and continue production. On -the 
other hand, if too large an amount of illumination 
and too heavy feeding were provided, it might in¬ 
crease production very rapidly to an abnormally high 
egg yield, at which time serious disturbance, on 
account of excessively cold weather, might cause a 
slump in production, followed by a molt. The use of 
illumination during the close of the laying year has 
the distinct tendency to postpone molting and to 
continue laying. Illumination in nearly all instances 
is proving to be of a decided advantage, notwith¬ 
standing the fact that occasionally, in fact, fre- 
7hc RURAL NEW-YORKER 
quently. there is a decline in production at some time 
during the year. This, however, always occurs dur¬ 
ing the period of low prices if it has been preceded 
by a very high production during the periods of 
high prices. When a decline in production occurs 
during the Spring and early Summer as a result of 
Fall and Winter illumination, with proper care this 
should be followed by an increase in production 
later. Our chief concern should be, first, as to the 
way in which artificial illumination might affect the 
health of the birds and of their offspring; second, as 
to the number of dollars’ worth of eggs that they 
lay. When illumination is used properly the birds 
should not suffer in a loss of vitality on this account, 
and there should be a decided increase in the dollars’ 
worth of eggs produced in a year. .tames e. rice. 
Cornell University. 
Wheat in Central New York 
REPAIRING THE SOIL.—The plowing for Win- 
ter wheat should be done as early as possible. 
It is very desirable that the ground be allowed to 
settle and to sprout weed seeds for a least three 
weeks before sowing the wheat. Frequent borrow¬ 
ings should be given during this interval to conserve 
moisture, kill weed growth and to develop a fine 
tilth. If this is impossible, thorough rolling is 
practiced by successful farmers, who settle the soil 
in that way. 
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.—A very successful 
Cayuga County wheat grower who has little help 
plows at his convenience, setting his plow to turn a 
furrow S in. deep. He harrows his field-four times 
and rolls it four times, sowing early in September. 
He has no trouble with Hessian fly, and thinks it is 
not in his locality. His wheat gets a fine early start, 
winters well, makes a splendid growth of full heads 
and heavy straw, and is ready for an unusually early 
cutting. He has averaged 40 bu. per acre or more 
for years back, using this system. His soil is a very 
rich clay loam, and his fields are all tile drained. 
They had never had their fertility exhausted before 
Cement Runway to Oarage. Fig. J t 09. 
draining, had in fact been storing humus all the 
years previous. 
FALL SOWING.—Central New York growers find 
the fly problem best solved by sowing about Septem¬ 
ber 30. Sometimes success has resulted with much 
later sowings, though the risks of winter-killing are 
much greater. One Cortland County grower three 
years ago had unexpected developments in his work, 
and was called away from home just as his field was 
prepared for sowing in late September. He was 
away for weeks, and his help was not skilled enough 
to go ahead with the sowing. Finally actual cold 
weather seemed to have arrived and the wheat was 
not yet in. On November 1 the crop was put in at 
a venture, though he feared total loss of seed. Not 
a spear showed before Winter, nor yet in early 
Spring. It was that unusually warm Winter, and 
after a little warm Spring weather brought out a 
rich green growth, and that Fall he thrashed 40 bu. 
per acre. Favorable Winter conditions produced a 
fine crop, but such a procedure is a risk. Another 
year this same grower’s sowing was delayed until 
October II, and he had a fine crop. The writer 
three years ago had a field all prepared for seeding 
to wheat at the usual time, when a lot of emer¬ 
gency work in the neighborhood took his time for 
August 21 , 1020 
three weeks. It was so late the crop was not put in 
at all. a great mistake in that particular year, as late 
sowings wintered well and produced fine crops. 
FERTILIZERS.—Generous fertilizing pays well 
in growing this crop. Wheat is very sensitive to soil 
conditions and responds quickly to fertilizers. It 
does not exhaust the soil nearly so fast as do oats, 
and the wheat straw is a valuable source of potash 
when plowed under. More wheat could very well be 
grown in Central New York than is now being grown. 
Rut Spring wheat is not adapted to conditions here, 
and practically never produces as good results as 
Fall-sown wheat Acid phosphate. 300 to 400 lbs. 
per acre, gives splendid returns in Winter wheat 
growing. Top-dressing of all thin spots in the field 
in early Spring with barnyard manure is advisable. 
DRILLING.—Rather deep drilling is advisable, 
especially if the ground cannot be allowed to settle 
thoroughly before sowing. Three inches is none too 
deep in such conditions. Deeper sowing also pre¬ 
vents Winter heaving of the young plants to some 
extent. Rolling the ground in early Spring to settle 
the dirt around the roots and to fill up cracks and 
prevent drying out is helpful. Such practice has 
been known to increase the yield 5 bu. per acre, all 
other conditions being equal. Seed does not change 
or run out materially from year to year, owing to 
the fact that the plant is self-fertilizing. Rut very 
great results are secured by the use of improved 
varieties of seed, though one wants to be sure the 
new seed is adapted to local conditions. Wayne 
County growers are to give considerable attention 
this year to the introduction in their county of bet¬ 
ter types of seed wheat. m. g. p. 
Labor Saving on a Pennsylvania Farm 
A LL over the country farmers are seeking new 
■ways of doing farm work to save labor. The 
inability to hire help has driven farmers to all sorts 
of experiments, all aimed at doing their work in 
new and less laborious ways. The picture at. Fig. 
410 shows how one Pennsylvania farmer is working. 
The following note from Chas. R. Strickland of 
Bradford County tells the tale: 
This is my son. lie lias been managing the farm for 
three years. I am enclosing picture of the outfit with 
which (including the drill) he planted 22 acres of corn 
last May. It is now* too big to cultivate. The work 
was all done by him alone in just six days. 
Cement Runway to Garage 
CEMENT runway from the garage to the pave¬ 
ment or highway need liot be an expensive 
affair. Fig. 409 shows a two-strip runway with lawn 
filler. In this case the barn is an unusual distance 
away from the road, adding somewhat to the ex¬ 
pense. A “Y,” permitting the use of either door, 
was also put down. The strips are about 22 in. 
wide, and the construction is so simple that the aver¬ 
age farmer would find it no task to put in the run¬ 
way during spare time. One of the little comforts 
motorists derive, who live on State roads, is ability 
to get out of barn onto highway without negotiating 
Motor Implements on Pennsylvania Farm. Fig. h10. 
a lane of mud. The runway also adds touch and ap¬ 
pearance to the home grounds. a. h. r. 
Cam Lever Press 
NEW fruit press for the packing of evaporated 
apples and other fruits has recently been de¬ 
veloped in the great fruit belt of Western New Yoik 
(Fig. 40b). Unlike other presses, no screws are em¬ 
ployed, operating being on the cam lever principle. 
Another advantage lies in the double construction of 
the press, permitting one box of fruit to be held un¬ 
der pressure while lid is being nailed on another box. 
After being held firmly pressed for a moment or so 
the fruit does not at once jump up above box edges, 
interfering with affixing of lid. The press de 
veloped by a foreman in one of the apple packing 
companies of Wayne County. A - H - r * 
n 
