326 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



red clover, the first year's growth is the best and heaviest for 

 purposes of fertilizing the soil. 



Dr. Snodgrass said he had heard it stated that guano was of no 

 value as a fertilizer. In Virginia they were employing guano to 

 make red clover grow. A dressing of guano gives the young 

 clover a good start. 



Mr. John Crane. — It is important to sow clover and timothy 

 together if hay is the object. Timothy requires clover to shade 

 thp ground. It is often difficult to get a good stand of timothy 

 without. In two years the clover will die, the timothy will feed 

 on the old clover roots. 



Mr. H. B. Smith said three years ago he raised a crop of heavy 

 clover, and removed it. This he thought was a great error. He 

 should have plowed it under, in order to have received the great- 

 est amount of benefit as a fertilizer. 



Dr. Hexamer said the great advantage of the clover crop is, it 

 will benefit the ground. The leaves take more fertilizing matter 

 from the air than most other plants. Therefore a crop of clover 

 wdll accumulate more material than there was in a field before a 

 crop of clover was produced. 



Salting Hams. 

 Mr. T. D. Balderston, Lahaska, Bucks county, Penn. — I do not 

 put the hams in pickle, but rub them with a preparation, as fol- 

 lows : Fom- pounds fine salt, two ounces pulverized saltpetre, 

 four ounces brown sugar. Rub the meat well all over, particu- 

 larly about the bones, then lay on a shelf. In five days, if any of 

 the mixture is left, rub again. In sixteen days they are ready for 

 the smoke house. 



Cure for Caked Bag in Cows. 

 Mr. Balderston also furnishes the following cure for caked bag 

 in cows : Take lime water, about the consistence of thick white- 

 w^ish, put it in an earthen plate, and about the same quantity of 

 flaxseed oil, beat them well together with a case knife till they 

 arc thoroughly mixed, anoint the bag two or three times a day, 

 rubl)ing it well in. I have used it for many years. Last summer 

 a neighbor had a young sow with pigs ; her bag was so hard he 

 thought she w^ould die. I prepared him some of the mixture, and 

 in a few days she suckled and raised her pigs, they having fed 

 them with a spoon while the mother was sick. 



