378 TUANSACTIONS OF THE 



John G. Bergen.— I should tliink that a handful to the hill was rather 

 strong. 



Mr. Carpenter replied that the quantity was perfectly safe. He had 

 often tried the experiment. • 



Doctor Trimble thought there was too great a disposition to mix manures. 

 They should never be mixed at random. Hen manures is good enough 

 without plaster. 



Mr. Smith, of Lebanon, Ct.-"-It is thought that mixing plaster and hen 

 manure is an excellent plan. It is said that twenty-five hens will manure 

 an acre. I put plaster into my henroost often. "We are satisfied that feed- 

 ing grain to hens is an economical use of it, on account of the value of 

 their droppings. Wc use a small handful of the droppings and plaster to 

 a hill of corn. 



DELAWARE GRAPES. 



Reuben Hale, of Otsego, Otsego county, N. Y., says : 



" My father obtained a small vine at Delaware, Ohio, six years since, 



which produced the fifth season over half a bushel of splendid grapes, and 



has now some fifty bearing vines in the garden." 



CATTLE FORAGE — HOW TO PRODUCE THE GREATEST QUANTITY. 



D.- H. Searle writes from " Centerville," and probably he knows what 

 State ; that he is convinced that more cattle can be kept on a farm devoted 

 to grain crops than one of equal size in grass, if the berry is ground and 

 fed with the straw and chail". He then says : 



If this position be well taken, the next query is, how can the berry 

 straw and chafi" be most cheaply reduced to a homogenous mass, in such a 

 condition as will be convenient to feed to live stock, and so prepared as to 

 go furthest in sustaining the same. My suggestion is, that mills be con- 

 structed combining the process of cutting the straw and grinding it, together 

 with the chafi" and berry, without thrashing. Bags may be prepared to 

 stow it in secure from the ravages of rats and mice. When fed out it 

 could be dampened if dry. The attention of the Farmers' Club, which 

 you report, is called to this fact. The question should be discussed before 

 spring sowing, so as to guard against another hog famine." 



I have no doubt of the position here assumed. The only question, too, 

 whether the grain should be allowed to ripen, or whether it should be cut 

 in a green state, like sowed corn, and cured and fed as hay. It is a sub- 

 ject worthy of thought by many farmers. 



CORN AND COB MEAL. 



I have another letter upon the same general subject, that of winter feed 

 for stock. It comes from A. H. Nichols, of Burlington, Iowa, who wants 

 us to answer the following questions : 



" 1. Does corn and cob meal ever injure stock when well ground ? 



*' 2. Is there an instance, to your knowledge, that any kind of stock was 

 ever killed by feeding corn and cob meal ? 



