1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



655 



and tlie tail on both surfaces, is white. This broad 

 stripe commences on the forehead about two inches 

 from the point of the nose, running near the ears, 

 and in a straight line along the sides and over the 

 haunches, taking in the whole of the tail. The 

 nails are white; the whole of the under surface of 

 the body black, with here and there a white hair 

 interspersed. 



This Texan variety is more beautiful than those 

 found in New England, but the latter are very 

 handsome when seen in their native haunts. At 

 some seasons the hair is long and thick, and the 

 fur beneath quite fine and soft. The skins are 

 purchased by furriers and are used in many forms 

 of work. 



How they can be thoroughly divested of the 

 odor which is sometimes imparted to them, we do 

 not know. Burying the skins in a moist loam in 

 the garden, for three or four days and then taking 

 them out and exposing them to the air for a day 

 or two, and then burying them again, and so 

 changing for a few times, we should think would 

 accomplish the purpose desired, and not injure 

 the skin. 



If they are instantly killed, there would be no 

 offensive odor in the skin. This may be some- 

 times done by shooting them and hitting the brain. 

 If in a hole like that of a wood-chuck, they may 

 be drowned out by collecting a considerable quan- 

 tity of water in tubs, and tui'ning it in at once. 

 The moment they appear at the mouth of the hole 

 a rap between the eyes will destroy all sensation, 

 and there will be no odor. We have seen this 

 done. Perhaps some reader of the Fakmer may 

 be able to answer the question of our correspond- 

 ent. 



six rows of each of the phosphates, and one row 

 of ashes, and one row of nothing. The land was 

 sandy loam, with no perceptible diflerence in the 

 quality. I gave it the same care, and this is the 

 result. 



Wilson's Ammo'd Phosphate 6 rows produced 5>^ bu. 



Bav State Bone ..." 6 " • 8,i^ " 



K. Frank Coe's ..." 6 " Hi% ". 



Br.uiley's " 6 " ISfiJ " 



Cumberland . . . . " 6 " 13>^ " 



Ashes 1 " 3 " 



Nothing 1 " IJ^ " 



I could see no ditference through the whole sea- 

 son between the Cumberland and Bradley's, but 

 the H ilson's was a failure from the lirst. The 

 Bay State bone started the best but did not hold 

 out till the end. The ashes were made from a mix- 

 ture of pine and hard wood, the greater part pine. 



I also tried potatoes the same way, only I took 

 three rows with each of the phosphates, an 

 each with ashes, plaster and no fertilizer, with the 

 following results : — 



Nothing 6 bu. Bay State Bone . 9 bu. 



Plafter 8;^ " E. F. Cue's .... 7 '■ 



Ashes 9 " Bradley's .... 8 " 



Wilson 6?i " Cumberland . . . 9% " 



Of the potatoes, those on the Bay State Bone 

 were the largest in size ; those on the Wilson's 

 were the smallest; those on the Cumberland were 

 the most even in size ; those on the ashes showed 

 the least rot, and those on the plaster were the 

 whitest. There were less small ones where there 

 was nothing than on the Wilson's Phosphate, 

 though there were three pecks more in the whole 

 of the latter. 



The land on which these crops grew was an old 

 field badly run out and no other kind of manure 

 was used. The cultivation was the same on the 

 whole, and every etfort was used to give a fair and 

 impartial trial. I give the results, and readers can 

 judge for themselves. H. W. Loking. 



LewUton, Me., Oct. 30, 1871. 



CHEMICAL REASONS FOR SAVING LIQUID MANURE 



Much has been said about the saving of liquid 

 from the barn or stable. But there is no doubt 

 that many of your readers do not understand the , 

 chemical reasons why the liquids should be saved, i 



Chemistry tells us that ammonia is one of the 

 most active elements of manure ; it is produced by 

 putrifaction of all organic substances containing 

 nitrogen, and as it is highly volatile, it constantly 

 tends to escape into the air, where it is lost. The 

 fluid excretions of animals evolve it in large quan- , 

 titles. If these are collected in tanks, and sul- 

 phuric acid added, fixed sulphate of ammonia is 

 formed in the liquid, and all the ammonia is thus 

 saved for farm use. Sulphate of lime, (plaster,) 

 and sulphate of iron also serve to fix ammonia. 



The application of ammonia increases luxuri- 

 ance of vegetation. It enters the roots of plants 

 dissolved in water, and, according to Liebig, is 

 absorbed by the leaves from the air. 



I am a reader of the Farmer and hope some- 

 time to be a farmer myself, but am at present 



A Young Student of Chemistry, 



Boston, Mass., JS'^ov. 7, 1S71. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH SUPERPHOSPHATES. 



According to promise I will now wi-ite you the 

 results of my experiments with five kinds of su- 

 perphosphate of lime in comparison with ashes, 

 with plaster and with nothing. 



In the first place, I planted one and one-half 

 acres of pop com. There were thirty -two rows ; 



Rye for Milch Cows before Calving. — 

 George C. Kirtland writes the Rural New 

 Yorker, recommending that for each cow to 

 calve the herdsman should procure a half 

 bushel of rye, grind it if convenient, and com- 

 mence, two weeks before calving, to feed a 

 single handful of meal upon which a gallon or 

 more of boiling water has been poured. Feed 

 when cold, increasing the amount both of 

 meal and water, so as that the cow shall have 

 consumed the half bushel of rye about the 

 time of calving. If the rye is not ground, 

 boil it until the grains will mash easily between 

 the thumb or finger. Mr. Kirtland has prac- 

 ticed the above treatment for about fifteen 

 years, and has had no ills to cure in his cows 

 after calving. 



Destroying Worms in Pots. — The worms 

 in pots may be destroyed by stopping up 

 the holes in the pots with corks, and water- 

 ing with lime-water until it stands on the sur- 

 face. The lime-water may remain for an 

 hour ; then, on removing the cork it will pass 

 oiF. The lime-water may be made by pour- 

 ing thirty gallons of water over ten pounds of 

 fresh lime. Stir well up, and allow the whole 

 to stand two or three days ; then employ the 

 clear liquid. — Journal of Horticulture. 



