Proceedings op the Fakmers' Club. 497 



tied to keep in place. Placing the stick instantly releases the 

 imprisoned fonl air from the distended stomach and prevents more 

 swelling. "Whatever root sticks in the throat will in time soften and 

 go down, and no bad effect can follow unless force is used. Until 

 this summer I had never seen a case of bloating from eating grass or 

 clover. In June my next neighbor had a case and asked my assist- 

 ance. I placed the stick, and she was relieved in a few minutes. 

 The same day my cows (through a board being down in my neigh- 

 bor's fence) got into clover, and, before I knew, one died. Num- 

 bers were loooking on while she was struggling and dying, but 

 knew no remedy. To-day another neighbor had a similar case and 

 eftected a cure by the means described. 



The Chairman. — The tone of this letter indicates such kindness of 

 feeling toward the lower animals as I am always pleased to receive 

 and welcome. I doubt not tlie treatment prescribed for the com- 

 plaint alluded to is worthy of confidence and trial. 



"VVooD Ashes. 



Mr. Martin Allen, Mendota, Laselle county, 111. — Can some mem- 

 ber of this Club inform me if it will pay to haul leached ashes from 

 a soap fictory, four miles, to manure horticultural products on a soil 

 that is rich in vegetable mold, such as our ordinary j^rairie soil, and 

 if so, to what particular crops had the ashes better be applied. 



Prof. James A. Whitney. — Leached ashes is a term that may mean 

 so many things, or so many degrees of the same thing, that advice 

 must always be received with allowance. The leaching may be 

 thorough, or may take out a fraction only of the valuable elements. 

 Then again the wood m^akes a great difference. Pine ash is not 

 Avorth hauling half a mile. The ash of elm is the richest. A prairie 

 soil may be benefited by ashes just as much as a sandy or a granite 

 soil. I recommend the application of ashes in three ways. 1. As a 

 top dressing on grass land spread broadcast after mowing, or in the 

 spring. 2. In the hill with potatoes, mixing the ashes with lime and 

 a little salt. 3. On corn and grain mixed dry, with hen droppings 

 and plaster. I think a two-horse load of hard wood leached ashes is 

 worth from three to five dollars to a farmer. 



Broom Corn. 

 Mr. Martin Allen, Mendota, 111. — I will venture to ask you a 

 question or two in regard to raising of broom corn. AVhat amount 

 [Inst.] 32 



