14 



THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



(iOI^I^ESPONDBNGE. 



Jno. F. O'Reilly, Warren, Pa., asks if trees can 

 be saved when injured by leaky gas ))ij)es. AV'e 

 fear not. The gas will destroy the roots. Use 

 iron pipes in place of wooden. 



M. H. W. Hamburg, Iowa, asks if it will do to 

 bud plums and cherries on peach stocks. We do 

 not advise it. The trees are not as liealtby and 

 are liable to tlie attacks of the peach borer. 



Mrs. G.tskill, Swarthraore, Pa. : — We have a 

 potato (Mammoth Pearl), that weighs one pound 

 nine ounces; and tiiree whose aggregate weight is 

 three pounds sev'en ounces. Who can beat this? 

 Thev are lovely while and mealy. 



+ 

 Charles H. W right, no State, asks how black 

 currants are propagated. From cuttings a foot or 

 so long, planted in the fall or early spring deejily 

 in the soil, leaving only a few buils aiwve ground, 

 usually three or four are sufficient. They strike 

 root readily. , 



Mrs. J. R. Payne, Rock Port, Mo. :—" Please 

 accept thanks for our Gladiolus bulb, it i-. in full 

 bloom; we are highly pleased with it. Will you 

 please inform me the best way to protect the bulb 

 from cold weatlier ?" Take tliem up and dry them. 

 Keep tliem in paper bags or in sand. 



G. C. Jones, of Sioux Falls, asks which of the 

 four breeds of poultry, Black Breasted Red 

 Games, Brown Legliorns, Buff or Partridge 

 Cochins woulil be best on a limited range in 

 Dakotah. We should recommend Partridge 

 Cochins, the Leghorns would be troubled with 

 frozen combs, and do not bear Cfutinement well. 

 The Games would do well if the combs are 

 closely cropped. . 



Mrs. Charles Grant, Reddick, Illinois, asks 



how to make charcoal for poultry from apple- 



T.ooo.ooo F«rm= it, ih,- wood. For a small ipianlitv 



Viiiiid si.-,i.<, i.r.oo.oiio ,,f charcoal, take tlic wood 



torul circul;ition of all Ihi- , , ■ i ^t 



A.Ticuitiirai Fopers. Bo a "nd place It ou end on the 

 mi.,ionary mid Introduce Che .'nmn,! in a cone form, the 



Farm avo (iardbn to the ♦ . , <..i ... , 



forms out ot 5 who take uo top ciuls ot Uie sticks lean- 

 impcr. The pric- at 2.i conn jn^r i,, and place sods 



a vearls always an Introduc- i ji i ^ i 



tloa, and the'quallty Is not aroUIld tllC WOOd tO Keep 



less attraetlve. So doing yut the air, leavillg Olllv a 

 Vlll enable us to matte ana- ,, , ^ i' • ,i * 



per still more worth? or the small place to kiiuile a 



greatest induslrv In tie world {[,.,. Wllell the tire lias | 



been well started, and the kiln hot, cover it up i 

 with dirt and it will slowly burn and leave only 

 coal. . 



B. G. Corban, of (''orliandalc, Tennessee, asks 

 if common brook minnows will jiurify the water 

 of a cistern That depends on the cause of the 

 impurity. If it is causeil by the decay of worms i 

 and insects, the fish will cleanse the water; but 

 if it is caused by mud and rotten wnod. lish will 

 not do it. Cleanse the cistern of all lillli if any 

 be present, aiul the fish will keep the worms out. 

 Any kind of fish usually found in brooks will 

 answer. . 



Will. J. Oberlin, Massillon, Ohio : — " In your 

 issue of Septeml)er, page li, you say " tuberoses, 

 when done rtowering, <fcc., sboultl be li-id on their 

 sides, without water, until they begin to flower 

 next spring." Do tuberoses (lower more times 

 than one? I have liad hniulreds every year for 

 the last ten j'ears, and never knew they bloomed 

 but once, and tlierefore, 1 threw them away after 

 blooming." They bloom but once; but the otfsetts 

 on tlie bulbs will bloom the secoiul year if well 

 grown. Keep tiiem drv tliiring winter. 

 '•¥ 



H. G. McGonegal, of New York City, asks the 

 origin of the name of " Kainit," and the chemi- 

 cal composition. We gave in our September 

 number of last year a full account of Kainit. 

 We reproduce from it the composition of one ton 

 of 200IJ jiounds: Sulphate of Potash, 41ii) lbs.; 

 Sulphate of Magnesia, 2.sri lbs. ; Chloride of 

 Magnt'sia, 2-52 lbs. ; Chloride of Sodium, 640 lbs.; 

 Moisture, 288 lbs. ; Insoluble, .'58 lbs. ; total, 

 20110 lbs. It is dug like common salt in Germany, 

 and exists in vast deposits from 300 to 1200 feet 

 below the surface of the earth. 

 + 



Mrs.W. C. Israel, of Olynipia, Washington Ter- 

 ritory, asks about a wild crab-ap|de that grows in 

 the forest near the orchard. All our cultivated 

 apples had their origin in the crab-apple of 

 Europe, and will, when grown from seetl, go back 

 more or less to the old stock. Doubtless your 

 seedling is of that class, and may be a valuable 

 fruit. The difference between crab and other 

 afiples is not well marked, and they run together 

 so closely it is hardly possible to tell whether 



some of them should be classed as Whitnes. No. 

 '20, althiiugh classed as a crab, is a good table 

 fruit. Your apple may be, for its lateness, very 

 valuable ; and it may be a seedling worthy of 

 trial. 



TAKE AN INVOICE. 



I find it profitable as well as interesting to take 

 an inventory of all I have every year. I have 

 always made it a rule to keep a strict account of 

 all the different ojjerations tin the farm. 1 farm 

 to make money, ami tlie only way 1 can kiiow 

 accuratelv whether I am doing this or not, is to 

 keep a strict account of everything; and then, if 

 I have made money I want to know how, and on 

 what crop, and in order to do this correctly, I 

 take an invoice every year the first of Januarv. 

 I keep this in my account book so that 1 can 

 refer to it at any time. 



In doing this I take tlie market price at the 

 time the invoice is made, as a trnide. In farm 

 machinery, of course smnetbing must be allowed 

 for wear and tear, and iviih the lami, if the farm 

 has been kept up as it should, something cau be 

 I added for this. If the farm is cultivated and 

 attended to as it should, the value should increase 

 every year. Xo rule can be set down for this 

 kind of work, you must use your own jiulgment, 

 liiit do not let an overweaning desire to make the 

 profit side of the balance sheet as large as possi- 

 ble, induce you to make this too much. 



N. J. SHEPIIEKD, 



Elilnii. Mo. 



I see instructions in your noble paper how to 

 make an egg-tester ; but let me ofi'er a few thought^ 

 as to liow a more convenient one may be made. 

 Take a piece of pasteboard ten inches wide and 

 ei^'ht long, roll this iiil'> the sha)ie of a long fun- 

 nel, having the small enil with a hole about one 

 and (Uie half inch in diameter, ami the other 

 three inches across. Sew it so it will stay, cover 

 the large entl with thick black cloth, cut a hole 

 nearly as large as an egg; then by having a lamp 

 or the sun, liolil the egg against the large hole, 

 ami looking through the other end you can soon 

 see whetlier the eggs are fertile or not. 



W. D. ST.AMilAlGH, 



In^txtrij, Kansas. 



As I have just been preparing a dose for my 

 bug monopolisms; and noticing in the last num- 

 ber of your pajier an apjieal to your readers for 

 the establishment of a " mutual protection and 

 benefit society," I thought I would give in my 

 bit of knowledge. I have tried for four years, 

 tobacco water for all kinds of vines, cabbages, 

 and cauliflowers. I can get the stems here that 

 are thrown out by the cigar nuikers, steep them, 

 have the solution strting. I sprinkle it over the 

 vines with ray hand, it suits me better than to 

 use a sprinkler, letting it run well down the roots, 

 as the bugs work so badlv there. It will hurt 

 nothing; it tloes not kill the bugs; I only know 

 they leave. It has to be repeated perhaps every 

 day ; but we are well paid for our labcn-. Could 

 I not get the stems, I shoulil get the leaves if I 

 could ; if not, then the cheapest old plug tobacco. 



Plea^^e try it friends, and let me know if you 

 are benefiteil as 1 have been. 



Mrs. C.'VKRiE Imku, 



Monmouth, Jt'aifni Co., lit. 



If I am not mistaken in my idea that a farmer's 

 paper is for the benefit of the farming eominunity, 

 where they can exchange views, through the 

 columns of their paper, one with the other, u))on 

 till products of the farm and garden, as to the 

 best metlnxl of raising, shipping, etc. ; then let us 

 hear frois our pnirlu-iil farmers ( that are acquain- 

 ted with the subject), upon the subject of the 

 Honey Bee. I think a dej^artment devoted to the 

 Ajiiary would interest many of your readers, and 

 I know tiuite a numlier of farmers that keep a 

 few hives of Vices for their own use ami pleaj<ure, 

 who woultl be pleased to hear from their brother 

 farmers, as to tlie best mode of caring for the bees 

 through the winter; descriptions of home-made 

 hives, where the frames are easy of access, and 

 sucli other items of interest and benejit that may 

 come before them from month to month. So 

 farmers, as we are put upon this earth to help 

 one another, throw your mite into the contribu- 

 tion box of The Farm and Gakdex ; and I 

 doubt not that our worthy editors will give it an 

 appropriate place, and thank you for taking in- 



terest enough in their paper to help make n io, 

 every respect the farmers' paper of the country. 

 Old Beeswax^ 



Bethel, Marion County, Iowa. 

 In February number of Farm and Gardejt 



D. F. B. states that a hen, — now miiiil, o hrn, 



will lay liOO eggs, as folhiws : First year 20, second 

 year 120, third year 1:1.5, and the fourth year 115^ 

 total in tour years 300, and the rest, I "suppose^ 

 when she gets ready. This niav all be true, but 

 if a hen is a hen, why so ma'iiy kinds. That 

 kind of laying may do for Plyinonth Rocks or 

 Leghorns, but it is a libel on the Partridge Coch- 

 ins. I have six hens of that breed that were one 

 year old the 27th of June. Thev began to lav ot» 

 the liilli of March. On June 2rtli they had laid o'i 

 eggs each, and never had more than' three bone& 

 out of some old cow's legs, and never .saw wheat. 

 Somelioily had better count again, or state the- 

 kind of hen they have in mind. If a Leghorn 

 will commence to lay at four and a half or five- 

 months old, and lay as good as the Cochin, she- 

 has at least four months start (Leghorn men say 

 they will lay every day), and she ought to lay 

 lots more than 20 eggs "the first year. I put my 

 six hens in a yard with one cock, and had the 

 best of hatches. If those who cannot get the- 

 chicks to break the shell will soak the eggs in 

 warm water for a few minutes three or four times 

 a ilay just about the time for them to batch, it 

 will give satisfaction. I think I can stand it. 

 njitil next month. I have a crow to pick with 

 N. J. .Shepherd about the bugs. 



John Conner. 



EXPERIENCES 'WITH FRAODS. 



One of our subscribers writes thus : " Last year 

 seeing an advertisement in -some paper, ofi'ering- 

 a magazine and jirescnt for one dollar. I sent 

 for it. I enclose you the notice of postponement- 

 Not only did 1 not receive the present, but the 

 paper itself failed to arrive after a few months." 

 With the letter is enclosed a number of prospec- 

 tuses and notices of postponement. The jiaper 

 mentioned is the Jfoiixehold Magazine, 10 Barclay- 

 street, New York, and notice No. 1 postpones 

 drawing Ircun October l.'>tli to January 15th, No. 2 

 puts it ofl'from January 1.5tli to Marcli lotli, and 

 lastlv No. 3 names .May 30th as the hap]iy day. 

 Verily, the newsjiaper lottery is the worst beat 

 known. Remember, we told vou so. 

 + ■ 



The thill summer months have not shown much 

 activity among frauds, but Fall will awakeii 

 them. 



+ 



The Farm journal has called off the watchdog- 

 too stion, we think, in case of tlie jiublishers ot 

 County Histories. It is true the parties in ques- 

 tion arc financially responsible, and do not/violate 

 any law as far as w-e can a.scertain, but, we do not 

 consider the busiin'ss honorable to say the least. 

 The operation is this: — .V sleek agent calls upon 

 a farmer and gets his order for a County History, 

 to contain an account of the farmer and his 

 family. Incidentally the agent mentions a jirice, 

 but here it is left indefinite. When the book, 

 which is really of little value, is delivered, the 

 price demandetl is ajit to be higher than exjiected. 



A number of concerns in Ma-ssachusetts and 

 other States have swindled the imblic in this- 

 manner: — .Advertising work to do at home in 

 which there would be no canvassing, they re- 

 ceived inquiries from poor people all over the- 

 country. To these they send a circular describ- 

 ing their methods of coloring photographs, and 

 the money they paiil for work in this line. In 

 the end of the circular they ask $1.00 for a book 

 of instructions to enable everyone to enter into 

 the lucrative business. 



.-V number of these concerns have been lirokeii 

 uj> by the government as frauds ; and frauils they 

 are. as the dollar for the book was all profit. 



Hudson Manufacturing Company, 265 Sixth 

 .\venue, New York, have a similar scheme. 

 They send a circular entitled " Maltese Lace 

 Goods," describing the liberal prices they Jiay ti> 

 have fancy work dmie for them at home, and 

 ofl'ering orders for caps, tidies, and other articles. 

 The end of this circular is both suggestive and 

 interesting. "We only give orders for work to 

 those who purchase our instruction book, imple- 

 ments and complete outfit for $2.00." 



Be careful to let these peojde severely alone. 



IVIEIM WAN I til .tuple eootij" to dealc" 

 ■ " S90 A MONTH, Hotel ami travel, nj; eypensespaid 

 JUouurch Novelty Co., 174 Kdcc St., Clncinr:: r. O, 



for FALL 

 PLANTING. 

 'My Eleganllt ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE Free to All. 

 ,\ililres3 \\M. B. IlEEU, CliambersbHrg. Pa. 



RULBS^ROSES' 



A'Mv EleganlW ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE 



fays: CRAPES 



BMALL ntLITS AND TKEES. LOW TO DEALERS A>D I'LANTERB. EVERTTIII>tJ 

 . CLASS. FKEE OATALOGtl-ES. GEO. W. JOKSELYN. FREDONIA. N. T. 



BEST ItTOi 

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ITOfTK|j 

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FIRST J 



