THE GENESEE FARMER. 



163 



Inquiries and Answers. 



Iests for Sogar.— (J. H. Coldwell.) The "common 

 od beet" is not grown for this purpose. The Silesian 

 ;ar beet is the variety that is grown for the mauufac- 



e of sugar. 



lljn.ois Coffee.— (John Shelton.) We would not 

 ise you to purchase any of this so-called coffee. More 

 ent information indicates that there is considerable 

 ubug about it. 



Fnderdraining an Apple Orchard. — (F. R.) Put a 

 in between each row of trees, say from three to four 

 ; deep. Drain tiles or pipes are better and cheaper 

 a stones. If you use stones, it will be necessary to cut 

 drains wider. 



Vinter Apples.— (J. B., Pennsylvania.) Our nursery- 

 q here can probably furnish you apple grafts, if ap- 

 ;d to. A good selection of winter varieties in your lo- 

 ty should contain Golden Russet, Yellow Belleflower, 

 ith's Cider, Fallenwalder, Rhode Island Greening and 

 dwin. 



v'hat shall I do with an Egg-Eating Hen? — (John 

 lliams.) Give her plenty of food — not too much of 

 ! kind of grain, but a little of several kinds, such as 

 eat screenings, barley, rye, oats and Indian corn, with 

 ittle fresh meat. If after this she eats her eggs, put 

 — in the pot with a piece of pork. 



i'oRMS Infesting the Black Currant. — (J. H. F. 



tsburg.) It is true as you state, although probably new 

 most of our readers, that the black currant, in some 

 dities, is infested with a kind of span worm (some 

 cies of Abraras) which feeds upon the leaves. During 

 present season, we shall endeavor to procure speci- 

 ns of this insect in its various stages, and wdl then 

 ak of it more fully. 



;rafting Wax.— (J. B., Drayton P. 0., C. W.) For in' 

 ir grafting, or for saturing strips of cloth to be used 

 side, the following composition will be found very 

 id: 1 lb. tallow, 2 lbs. beeswax, and 5 lbs. rosin, melt- 

 together. 



•"or grafting large trees, where the wax is to be applied 

 ectly to the graft, a mixture about in proportion of 

 bs. tallow, 3 lbs. beeswax, aud 3 lbs. rosin, will be 

 ind to work well. 



Mahaleb Cherry from Layers — Double Worked 



ars. — (R. H. M., Palmyra, Ind.) We think your ex- 



•iment of growing mahaleb stocks from layers will 



jve a failure ; if not so, please inform us. 



When a dwarf pear tree is desired of some variety 



lich does not succeed well on the quince stock, the 



ick is first worked with a sort which forms a strong 



ion with it, and afterwards the new pear shoot is 



dded or grafted with the variety which is to form the 



>e. 



3sage Orange from Cuttings. — (R. B., St. Thomas, 



W.) We have had no experience in growing Osage 

 inge from cuttings. A gentleman in this city informs 



that some green cuttings clipped from the!hedge at the 

 st summer pruniug, that were accidentally nearly cov- 

 jd up, were found after a few weeks to have many 



among them that were well rooted. A friend of his says, 

 also, that he has succeeded in a measure in striking ripe 

 cuttings. 



There has never yet existed a necessity here to employ 

 this mode of progagation, siuce the seeds are to be pro- 

 cured so cheaply. 



Smut in Wheat.— (J. H., Buffalo, JV. Y.) There are 

 several ways of preparing seed wheat to prevent smut. < 

 The spores of the smut adhere to the seed wheat, and 

 the object is to destroy them before sowing the seed. 

 The common way is to moisten the seed with fermented 

 chamber lye, and then dry it with quick lime. The 

 spores of the fungus contain considerable oil, and the 

 ammonia of the lye and the lime attacks this oil, forming 

 a kind of soap and destroying the vitality of the smut. 

 An equally effective remedy is to wash the seed wheat 

 with a solution of blue vitriol (sulphate of copper). For 

 each bushel of seed, dissolve three or lour ounces of blue 

 vitriol in about one quart of hot water. Spread the wheat 

 out on a floor, about six inches thick, and, when cool, 

 sprinkle the solution equally over it, and then mix thor- 

 oughly with shovels till every grain is moistened. Old 

 wheat will require a little more water. The seed will be 

 ready to sow in two or three hours, though it is better to 

 allow it to remain a day or two before sowing. When 

 treated in this way, lime should not be used, as it will 

 decompose the sulphate of copper and do harm rather 

 than good. » 



Madder Seed. — Can any one tell me where I can get 

 madder seed or sets, price, etc.? — E. Ware, Hancock, 

 N.H. 



Java Wheat. — Can any of the readers of the Genesee 

 Farmer tell me where I can procure some Java wheat 

 seed? — Geo. N. Peacock, Porter's Corners, Saratoga Co., 

 N. Y. 



Hard Soap. — Will some one, through the Genesee Far- 

 mer, give us a receipt for making hard soap. It would 

 please me, and probably many others. — D. E. Davis, Dun- 

 daff, Pa. 



Cotswold Sheep. — I wish to buy a Cotswold ram the 

 coming summer. Will those who have one from 8 to 24 

 mouths old tell me the price, etc. — S. Amsbaugh, Domes- 

 tic, Williams Co., Ohio. 



An Old Orchard. — I have purchased a farm which has 

 an old orchard on it that has not been trimmed for some 

 time. What is the best course to pursue in such a case ? 

 — G. R. Lawson, Murray, C. W. 



Cranberry Culture. — Your subscribers in this vicini- 

 ty would esteem it as a favor if some one would give us 

 information respecting the culture of cranberries, the 

 most desirable varieties for market, etc. — M. Guernsey, 

 East CobbleskUl, K Y. 



Hungarian Grass and Flax. — I should like to obtain 

 some information in regard to the cultivation, product, 

 value as food, proper time for cutting, etc., of Hungarian 

 grass. Probably some of the readers of the Genesee Far- 

 mer can give the desired information. 



Also, some information in regard to cultivation of flax, 

 produce of straw and seed per acre, and also the amount 

 of clean flax, with the best mode of preparing it, proper 

 time and best plan for rotting, for cottonizing purposes. 

 — B., Fvansville, Ind. 



Underdraining an Orchard. — Will some of your cor- 

 respondents who have had experience give me some in- 

 structions about underdraining. I have planted some 

 apple trees on a piece of ground a little rolljng or de- 

 scending, so that some fall may be obtained. The ground 

 is not wet, but I have been led to think that underdraiu- 



