1864. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



83 



These are often, from lack of room, too close to 

 each other, and a foot from shelf to shelf may be 

 given as a good average distance. On these shelves 

 the seed is carefully placed, each on its end ; one 

 sack weighing two cwt. will thus require about 

 thirty square feet of superficial space. With a due 

 supply of light and air, and the occasional removal I 

 of any tuber showing signs of disease, they may 

 remain till planting time comes. The great object 

 is to secure strong, healthy and colored shoots, 

 about two inches in length ; the neglect of ventila- 

 tion and a proper amount of light producing weak, 

 colorless shoots liable both to injury in removing 

 them, and to decay when planted. The earliest 

 crops are now invariably grown from sprouted seed, 

 and they are grown a good fortnight in advance of 

 former years when autumnal planting was the rule. 

 — Journal of Horticulture. 



••» 



Why Farmers should Write for Agri- 

 cviltural Paper. 



A correspondent of the Canadian Agriculturist 

 says: 



We have examples in the Gourdry Gentleman 

 and Albany Gultivator, and the Genesee Farmer of 

 very successful and widely read periodicals, attract- 

 ing much attention In Canada. It cannot be said 

 that our Canadian periodcal has not on its pages a 

 staff of able and responsible editors, and we there- 

 fore inquire what is the matter? Every reader of 

 the American papers referred to, knows that one 

 of their leading features consists in the contribu- 

 tions by farmers themselves from all over the 

 United States ; illustrating their occupation ? giving 

 their experience ; making and answering inquiries ; 

 criticising and commenting on the various practices 

 of each other ; enjoying communications ; establish- 

 ing acquaintance ; creating interest in each others' 

 welfare, and leading branch of industry. Their 

 journals are a ready source of correspondence be- 

 tween the leading farmers of the country, who 

 comprehend that nothing is lost by imparting to 

 others valuable knowledge derived fromexperiance. 

 There is much no doubt that is crude thrown to- 

 gether in this way, but the result is a great deal 

 that is valuable and instructive. 



-•••- 



How I Killed the Botts. 



In life's experience we are inclined to remember 

 and speak of our good success, but more silent and 

 loss willing to mention or publish our failures ; 

 while if made known the unsuccessful experiments 

 might often benefit others. I am going to tell you 

 how quick I killed the botts, which attacked my 

 kind servant "Bay," as the team was fetching us 

 from the northern part of Vermont to the center, 

 some years ago. 



On the road Bay had a severe attack inwardly, 

 evidently caused by this insect. An ostler claim- 

 ing skill in horseology kindly offered to remove 

 them ; and firstly he gave him about half a pint of 

 the spirits of turpentine from a bottle ; then, after 

 an hour or so, a quart of molasses and milk was 

 administered, the contents of which was poured 

 down the nostrils. She obstinately declined taking 

 any more good things at the mouth. This soon re- 

 lieved the uneasiness and evident misery which the 

 animal was placed in. 



Soon after my arrival home another severe at. 



tack occurred. Of course I sought .and applied 

 the same expedient. The poor distressed beast 

 refused the dose by the mouth, making strong re- 

 sistance. So we poured the spirits of turpentine 

 through ilie nostrils. Instantly the blood com- 

 menced flowing as from an artery or large blood 

 ves>el uncapped, causing the death of the horse 

 in less than ten minutes, and in due time the botis 

 atso died. S. W. Jewett, 



El Tejox, California. In Co. Gent. 



— This is doubtless the only sure cure for the 

 botts: that is, first kill the horse and the botts will 

 die. Colic is often mistaken for the botts, or the 

 attack may be a slight one. Any medicine that 

 will kill the botts will be pretty sure to kill the 

 horse, as the botts will live in almost all kinds of 

 liquid poison. We think very few horses die of 

 the botts, though they often suffer from too large 

 numbers of them in the stomach. — Ed. 



From the Country Gentleman. 



Income Tax. 



The farmer's income tax is a puzzle, and shows 

 among other things, the inexcusable ignorance of 

 farmers themselves in regard to necessary accounts. 

 They do not seem to be able to give an approxi- 

 mate guess at the profits of their business for a 

 single year. And the attempts of the assessors to 

 direct them in making up their accounts in many 

 cases only perplex tUom the more. There is a 

 strange discrepancy in the taxes imposed upon the 

 farmers everywhere, some paying five times as 

 much as others, of apparently equal income. 



This is not to be charged to any unfaithfulness of 

 the assessors, or generally to any disposition on the 

 part of the farmers to shun this tax, for I am un- 

 willing to believe that they are less faithful in the 

 duties of citizen than any other class. It is a new 

 thing, and the mistakes connected with it cannot 

 be corrected at once. It may be that this tax will 

 not be levied in this manner very long. 



There are some errors which ought to be cor- 

 rected if the tax is to be continued. It can scarce- 

 ly be expected that the assessors or those who give 

 directions to the deputies, should be so well versed 

 in farm accounts as to be able to dictate to the 

 farmer how he shall make a statement of his incomei 

 What propriety is there in deciding, as in the case 

 mentioned in the Co. Gent, that the farmer sjjall 

 be supposed to have paid no more than $15 a 

 month for labor, when perhaps he has paid S,}.S or 

 more ? or that the allowauce for board shgJl not 

 exceed $6 a month, when the actual al!oi»anc9is 

 $8? 



. I believe that most assessors so interpret the law 

 as to make no allowance to the farmer, as a part of 

 the expenses of working his farm of any labor done 

 by a member of his own family, or by _any female he 

 may have employed in his family. This is often 

 wrong, as he may have employed females exclusive- 

 ly in the dairy, or members of his own family may 

 have performed labor which bes-would otherwise 

 have hired, and which is truly a part of the expen- 

 ses of working the farm, pain in the clothing and 

 other expenses of his children, as if -paid in the 

 wages of a stranger. ; y ;--* ' 



