Tht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1031 
Vertical Drainage and Blackberries 
fWe would like to have a full discussion of the follow¬ 
ing problems, particularly the one about drainage. This 
seems to be a question which cannot be well answered 
except by a general discussion.] 
IVEN some 20 acres of heavy clay soil under¬ 
laid with limestone bed rock to be tile-drained 
in a thorough manner. No outlet possible except 
for a slow grade for a full mile over premises of 
other persons not favorably inclined. Bed rock 
about 20 feet below the surface. Answers are 
sought to the following questions: 
1. Is it a reasonable expectation that a sufficient, 
and non-clogging flow of the drainage discharge 
could'be had by digging to the bed rock and install¬ 
ing a vertical line of tile as intake with which t > 
connect V 
2. Assuming the vertical line of pipe to become 
tilled for about its full height would the weight of 
such a column of water force a dispersion at the 
rock surface that would he fast enough to avoid 
overflowing at the top? 
Are there supposed to he water movements on 
the surface of the bed rock at depths indicated as 
would carry such drainage as proposed with them'.' 
4. Would it he a worth-while expenditure to em¬ 
ploy a so-called “divining-rod man" to traverse the 
area about the proposed location of the vortical 
intake pipe with whatever prospect might attach 
of locating a subsurface water course? This if 
found would no doubt serve our purpose splendidly. 
5. Ought the vertical pipe if carried to bed rock 
bo large enough so that a man might descend in it 
for the purpose of re¬ 
moving sediment or 
other stoppage. 
The problem is perti¬ 
nent of a real condition 
that the questioner lias 
to meet. lie desires to 
act upon the best in¬ 
formal ion available for 
which he will be very 
grateful. 
BLACKBEKlil ES.— 
So far as the writer’s 
knowledge goes (lie 
handsomest and the 
sweetest berries of the 
blackberry family are 
those that grow on run¬ 
ning vines and are therc- 
f o r e appropriately 
called running black¬ 
berries. It may he they 
have a better sounding 
name. They usually 
come in as a volunteer 
growth on light sandy 
soil, which by over¬ 
cropping and under¬ 
feeding has become so 
exhausted of its fertil¬ 
ity as to make the grow¬ 
ing of usual farm crops 
unprofitable. Is it likely 
that these berries could he grown commercially at 
a profit? Would they be easy to propagate, and 
would cultivation he likely to lessen tin* sweetness 
that characterizes them as they grow without culti¬ 
vation? 
There is much land of the kind here described 
that could he had through rent or purchase at too 
low a cost to be mentioned here, and near to large 
cities that would afford a good market. Are there 
any possibilities along this line that would make an 
effort worth while? A. n. 
New York. 
The Way Potatoes Should Look 
T HE picture at Fig. 430 is sent us to show a 
good potato lield in South Jersey, and also t<> 
show that potato growing in that State is not exactly 
child’s play. This big field is level as a floor, and 
even in quality of soil. If is in the district where 
the famous strip of green sand runs across New 
Jersey and down along the river. This contains 
some of the best potato land in the world, and many 
farmers who are located on it are experts in their 
line. They use tractors and all improved machinery, 
and give their crops the finest care. As will be seen, 
this picture was taken at blossom time. The plants 
are well grown and even, and free from weeds. 
That is the way potatoes ought to look, hut in sea¬ 
sons like the present we cannot always handle 
things as we ought to. 
Figuring Returns from a Thrashing 
Machine 
Four farmers, A. B, C and D. buy a thrashing ma¬ 
chine, each investing and owning equal shares, each 
using his own power and labor; machine to be operated 
exclusively among themselves, and on such a basis as 
to permit each man to thrash at actual cost of interest 
and wear on machine. At the end of three years they 
have thrashed as follows: A 1.006 bn., B 1,001) bu., C 
3,810 bu.. D 6.715 bu.. and settlement is to be effected 
so that the ones thrashing less may receive cash from 
those thrashing more, to compensate for larger wear. 
There were repairs and labor on machine to the extent of 
S15 during this time. I would like- to have this figured 
out on a pro-rata per bushel basis, so that every man 
is treated fairly. How can the rate per bushel be 
obtained, through the effect of interest and depreciation, 
or in some other way? In case of person wanting to 
sell, how shall his share of depreciation be determined? 
New York. s. 
HE only fair and equitable way to solve this 
problem, as 1 see it. is to get the cost per bushel 
under the conditions described: that is, without 
power or labor. This can ho done by adding to the 
first cost of the thrasher the depreciation for three 
years. In order to get at this I consulted a friend 
who is a lifelong thrasherinan. His machine sepa¬ 
rates about 45,000 bu.'’of grain yearly. He considers 
the depreciation under these conditions at about #100 
for the lirst year, and this cost will increase rapidly 
from year to year. In this case the machine has 
only thrashed out 13,500 bu. in the three years, and 
I should consider that in the case in question $25 
yearly, or $75 for the three years, would be a fair 
estimate. By adding this to the first cost, with the 
$13 for repairs, and dividing this amount h.v the 
whole number of bushels, by this you would get tin- 
cost per bushel. Then compute each man's bushels 
by this. The depreciation in the belt in a ease of 
this kind, where so small an amount of grain is 
thrashed, is far more than the wear on the sepa¬ 
rator in proportion. I believe this solution of the 
problem will lie fair to all parties. h. e. c. 
Monroe <’o.. X. Y\ 
Simple Direction About Peach Yellows 
<)n page S7S I saw an article on poach trees, signed 
l» Geo. A. Cosgrove, giving a limited description of 
"yellows.” 1 am new at the game; have about 230 
pencil trees, one to five years old. and some three or 
four have yellow leaves, a reddish tinge on some of 
them: leaves not as large, but it seems more of them 
on a tree. Trees are not making as good a growth as 
their mates, and I notice little hunches of leaves, say 
three or four in a cluster, on the inside main limbs. 
Is this tin* yellows? Is it contagious? Should they be 
( id down? I gave them extra care last year, and they 
responded somewhat, but now have no fruit, and the 
(•lusters' of leaves as above. They have no grubs. 
Chatham. N. J. 0. L. w. 
Y ES. these trees with the brush of small leaves 
that come out on main branches or trunk of the 
trees, are a sure sign of the yellows. I do not 
mean little bunches of two or three leaves of nor¬ 
mal size that come out on the limbs. The leaves on 
the little hushes which show the yellows are very 
small leaves, and very numerous, a thick bunch of 
small leaves not a quarter ns large as the normal 
peach leaf. 
The disease is very contagious. In taking out 
these trees be very careful that the leaves do not 
touch any other tree. J. II. Hale told of hauling a 
tree that had the yellows down through a row of 
trees in taking it out of his orchard, and every tree 
in the two rows that the branches of the yellow 
tree touched had the yellows later. The mere fact 
of a tree having a few yellow leaves on it does not 
mean that the tree has the yellows. 
One of the first indications on bearing trees of the 
yellows is a premature ripening of the fruit. This 
ripening may he on part of the tree only, or all over 
it. The next year the little hunches of very sum 4 
leaves on twigs six inches to a foot or more long 
will come out on main branches, showing clearly 
that the tree has the yellows. 
Not a sign of peach leaf-curl on any of my trees 
this year, and this is the second year that it has not 
appeared. The cold Winter two years ago seems to 
have destroyed completely the spores of the peach 
leaf-eurl. The branches are bending now under the 
weight of the half-grown peaches, up here in the 
Connecticut hills, while 200 miles or more to the 
southwest in New Jersey, near Philadelphia, all the 
peach blossoms wore killed by tin* cold. 
GEORGE A. COSGROVE. 
How to Handle Seed Corn 
I expect to have several acres of a hew variety of 
corn this year ami wish to save the seed to best advan¬ 
tage. How do seedsmen and good corn growers handle 
tlieir seed? j B. 
New Jersey. 
UR plan in saving seed corn is to get it thor¬ 
oughly dry just as quickly as possible in the 
Fall. Then it does not matter very much what you 
do with it, just so it is 
kept dry. We go through 
the field and pick the 
best ears as soon as the 
husks begin to turn dry. 
Then we hang these up 
in a well - ventilated 
place in the barn or in 
the driveway of the 
crib, or some such place 
as that. We have spe¬ 
cially constructed racks 
with wire prongs so you 
could slick an ear on 
each prong, and in this 
way the ears will uot 
touch each other, hut if 
you do not have any¬ 
thing of the kind you 
can hang the ears with 
strings, or any way to 
keep them from touch¬ 
ing each other, and al¬ 
low a free circulation 
of air. The matter of 
ventilation or air circu¬ 
lation is the all-impor¬ 
tant part. 
After it is thoroughly 
dried out you can pack 
it anywhere you please. 
If you are afraid of rats 
or mice getting it. you 
can put it in a crate covered with wire screen. We. 
of course, in handling big quantities of it. have to 
have a mouse-proof building to keep it in. and hang 
it or pile it right out in the open. The ohl-fasliioncd 
Missouri farmers bang tlieir seed corn in the smoke¬ 
house. so it will get smoked, and they claim that rats 
and mice will not touch it after it has been smoked, 
also that crows and squirrels will not touch it next 
Spring after it has been planted. Also, they think 
the smoke has a beneficial effect in killing germs or 
spores of any disease, such as smut or rot. which 
may be on the grain. 
Iowa. IIENRY FIET.D. 
The Trespassing Bull 
T HE wandering or trespassing hull is a nuisance 
and damage to any community. We have fre¬ 
quent complaints from readers who are trying to 
build up herds of purebred cattle, and it seems al¬ 
most impossible for them to obtain protection or 
redress. There is a law in New Jersey, approved in 
March, 1920, which ought to help if it is enforced. 
The way to enforce a law is to enforce it. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
(lie State of New Jersey: 
1. No person shall suffer a bull of the age of one 
year or over, whereof he is the owner or has the keeping, 
to run at large out of the inclosed ground of the owner 
or keeper; and whosoever shall wilfully or negligently 
do so. after having notice thereof, and being admon¬ 
ished to confine such bull, shall forfeit and pay the sum 
of $25, to be recovered by any person who shall sue for 
the same in an action at law, with costs of suit, in any 
court having cognizance thereof. 
