196 



TTIE GENESEE EAKMEK. 



Inquiries and Answers. 



Brbwino Alb.— Among the "Inquiries and Answers" 

 in your May number, is one in reference to "brewing ale 

 for family use," the correctness of which may be ques- 

 tioned. The malt should not be steeped in boiling water, 

 but in water at a temperature of lf>5° to 160" F. It 

 should be thoroughly intermixed, and uniformly moist- 

 ened, that no lumps may remain. It should then be cot- 

 ered, and stand three hours. The wort should then be 

 drawn off, and the grains sprinkled with water at 180", 

 at intervals of fifteen minutes, drawing the wort ofl'each 

 time, till the desired quantity is obtained. The wort 

 should then be boiled with hops three hours, half a pound 

 of hops being used to a bushel of malt. A small hand- 

 ful of hops thrown in a few minutes before the boiling is 

 completed will improve the flavor. It should be strained, 

 and cooled as soon as possible to 50° or 60«, and brewers' 

 yeast then well mixed with it at the rate of a pint to a 

 barrel of ale. The fermentation should be gradual, and 

 continue for several days; when apparently subsided the 

 beer should be carefully drawn from the yeast and put in 

 a barrel in a dry, cool and dark cellar, and closely bunged 

 as soon as fermentation ceases. 



It may be well to state that the grains will retain, and 

 the boiling dissipate, about three-eights of the water; 

 hence, if a barrel of ale be required, forty-eight gallons 

 of water should be used. Three bushels of malt, in this 

 country, will make one barrel of ale of good quality, and 

 tlie best months for brewing are October and March, and 

 next the winter months, including November. — John 

 Beadfield, Bochester, J\\ Y. 



Drawing Sand ON Clay Land.— If the question is of 

 8ufticient importance, I would like to know if it would 

 pav to draw a light sandy soil one hundred rods to put on 

 a stiff clay soil, and viee'rersa, to drHWclav upon a sandy 

 soil ?— L. WoouwoKTH, Johnson's Creek, N. Y. 



Drawing marl or clay on sandy soil is a time-honored 

 practice, and where labor is not too high it is very gen- 

 erally profitable. On the light soils of New Jersey marl 

 has been used with great advantage. Much undoubtedly 

 depends on the nature of the marl. If it contains a con- 

 siderable quantity of carbonate of lime, so as to eflfervesce 

 freely when strong vinegar is poured upon it, it is 

 usually a good manure, but in addition to this it should 

 contain phosphoric acid, double silicates, Ac. Before 

 drawing out marl to any considerable extent, it would be 

 better to procure an analysis of it. 



Drawing sand upon clay is of doubtful utility. We 

 know an instance where an English farmer drew out sev- 

 eral hundred loads on a tenacious clay soil, and no bene- 

 JU vcu ever apparent from it. It is an old adage, " Clay 

 upon sand makes good land ; sand upon clay is money 

 thrown away." 



To Removb a Film from a IIoRaB'sETH.—In answer to 

 Mr. W. Frazibr's inquiry, "What is the best medicine 

 to take the film off a horse's eye?" I say, without hesita- 

 tion, Trask's Magnetic Ointment is a sovereign remedy 

 for horse or cattle. Take a little on your finger and put 

 i4 well around the ball of the eye, and in a pay or two ap- 

 ply it again. Two or three applications will afifect a cure. 

 I never knew ii to fail.— W. C A. Crawford, AW Ox- 

 ford, Canada Wut. 



Tabks or Vetches. — In the last two numbers of tl 

 Genesee Farmer, short articles have ai)peared on the cu 

 tivation of vetches for a soiling crop ; but as yet little ii 

 formation concerning them has been given. They a; 

 superior to corn in this : they do not require sucli ri( 

 land, and are much less exhausting to soils; but in wh 

 are they superior to our conniion red clover 5' Can tbi 

 be used earlier in the season, and do they yield u inuc 

 greater amount of fodder? 



Some good soiling crop is much needed, and if oi 

 could he found combining earliness and productivene 

 of fodder, many farmers would be gUd to avail thei 

 solves of its nu\. The vetch may supply the want of su 

 a crop, but with us it is entirely uiiKiiown— many hu 

 never heard the name. A fViu'id'vriote to Rochester h 

 week, but no seed can be procured there. I should Ii 

 to try some this spring. Could you not procure set 

 and sell it to those who may wish to try it? — S. D. Ri 

 MAN, A'ewfane, Niagara county, N. Y. 



We have repeatedly urged our seedsmen in this city 

 procure some vetches for seed ; but there is so little i 

 mand for it that they think it would not pay. 



We consider red clover one of the very best of en 

 for soiling purposes. Spring-sown vetches would not 

 as early as clover, but the produce per acre is greater, 

 the crop is good. 



Live and Dead Weight of Sheep. — (R. Thomas.) 1 

 English rule is to weigh the sheep when fasted, and 

 vide the weight by 7 and call it quarters. Thus, a sh 

 weighing 140 pounds, would give 20 pounds a quarter 

 the dead weight. If the sheep are in good conditi 

 this rule is sufficiently accurate for all purposes. P 

 sheep will tall below the mark, and extra fat ones 

 over it. 



Black RrsT on Pears.— Can you tell me, through 



F'lrmer, the cause of the blackness upon the shoots i 

 buds of the pear, causing the latter to dry up ? I has 

 appearance of a smut or black rust, and remains on j 

 trees for months. It is equally as bad on drained » 

 as undrained.— A. W. Dekdmax, Delaware, C. W. 



LiCB ON Apple Trees.— Orchards in this vicinity 

 infested with lice, and unless something can be dom 

 stop their increase I fear they will ruin the trees. If 

 of your numerous contributors know of any remi 

 they will confer a favor by publishing it.— H. L. TaTI 

 Wolcottnlle, Ind. 



Suffolk Pigs.— If any of our readers wish some g 

 Suffolk pigs, we would call their attention to the ad 

 tisemeut of M. F. Reynolds, Esq., in this number of 

 Farmer. We had the pleasure of looking at his stoc 

 few days since, and have rarely seen anything finer, 

 sow is an imported one, and the boar was purchase! 

 Mr. Isaac Sticknby, of Boston. 



Nbw York State Fair.— We are indebted to the f 

 retary for a copy of the List of Premiums and Reg 

 tions for the Twenty-third Annual Fair of the New T 

 State Agricultural Society, to be held at Utica Septen 

 15-18. Parties can get them at this oflRce, or by addr 

 ing the Secretary, B. P. Johnson, Albany, N. Y. 



A Valuablb MrcnoscorB.- We are indebted to 

 Hhnrt Craio, of New York, for one of his excel 

 microscopes. We can cordially recommend it to 

 friends who wish to stiidy the minute insects, fit 

 Ac, which prove so destructive to our farm and g» 

 crops. For price, Ac, see advertisement in this papt 



