8 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
Tlie Comnii^siosiei" of* Agriculture. 
— The President has nominated, and the Senate confirm- 
ed, Col. Horace Capron as head of the Department of 
Agriculture. The gentleman has assumed a position in 
which he has an opportunity to do much good or to be 
considerably worse than useless. We shall watch his 
doings with much interest, and shall be as ready to com- 
mend any good work as we have in the past been to 
censure official incompetency. We hope for the best. 
' Sowing Grass Seed, on Old ?Iead- 
OWS.— W. D. Arnold, Saxonville. The grass seed would 
catch if the meadow were scarified with a harrow, and 
the seed bushed in. Sow four quarts of Timothy and four 
pounds of clover seed to the acre, the last of March. 
Farmers' 'Fruit Cliios,— Some good 
friend sends us the proceedings of the Alton, 111., Horti- 
cultural Society, cut from the local paper, and we wish he 
would send one to every reader of the Agriculturist, just 
to show what may be done in every town throughout the 
country. Do you wish to know what apple* to plant? 
Ask Smith to come and take tea with you next Thursday, 
and stop and bring Jones as he comes along, on condition 
that each shall bring a specimen of every apple he has in 
eating condition. Overhaul your own apples, and if there 
is any particularly nice variety in the neighborhood, or 
on sale in town, get a sample. After tea, talk (and eat) 
apples. Probably twenty sorts will be thus got together, 
and the talk will be worth five to fifty dollars to each one 
present. There will be a Pomological Society before you 
know it ; of course next month all will meet at Jones', 
and each will ask in one or two more. The varieties of 
fruit are so many, and their success so local, that these 
neighborhood meetings are of the greatest value. Begin 
them in the afternoon, so that the orchards can be seen, 
the pruning explained and criticized. If the names Horti- 
cultural or Pomological Society seem too formidable, call 
it a Fruit Club, and don't spend time about constitutions. 
Is l*ol>elia a Poison ? — In October last, 
we protested against the recommendation in the reports 
of the Farmers' Club of the use of so "violent a poison" 
as lobelia. This has brought out a number of letters, some 
defending lobelia as the most harmless of weeds, and 
others asking our authority for the statement. We could 
give any amount of authority, but we turn to the first one 
at hand, Taylor's Medical Jurisprudence, and find that in 
England, in 1853, the coroners' juries brought in a verdict 
of manslaughter in six cases of poisoning by lobelia. We 
do not consider lobelia to be any more poisonous than 
many other drugs ; we object to the recommendation of 
the indiscriminate use of any potent drug. Lobelia lias 
its place in medicine, but, like every other violent poison, 
it should only be administered under proper advice. 
A. Long;, Straight Shot. — During the 
night of Nov. 20th, a huge mass of iron, (the steamship 
Aleppo,) was shot out from the south end of Ireland west- 
ward, and kept in rapid motion 250 to 300 miles a day, by 
steam and wind power. The winds blew in great gales, 
now from one direction, and now from another — at one 
time with such force as to tear a strong sail into a thou- 
sand tatters. The sun and stars remained so concealed 
from view as to prevent any accurate observations. The 
compass, as is well known, varies as much as 30 degrees 
from the true north in some parts of the Atlantic. No 
land was seen, and no ships spoken that could tell us 
where we were, yet so nicely were calculated the swerv- 
ing effects of the different winds, the ever varying veloc- 
ity given by the sails and screw, with the retarding of the 
head seas, and the changes required by the compass' 
variations, that on the first sight of land, on the morniug 
of the 30th, we were only a few miles'south of Fire Island 
Light House, ox jus,* ich- re we 'ranted to be ! That an im- 
mense floating mass can thus be burled forward more 
than 3000 miles over a wilderness waste of waters, affected 
everywhere by so many changing in tluences, and yet strike 
at exactly the desired point, is wonderful, to say the least. 
What would Columbus pay if he could return, and now- 
cross the Atlantic in a steamship 1 
Crossing- tlie Atlantic— The failure of 
the Great Eastern, last May, after the leading passenger 
ships were filled, drove us into the Tripoli, of the so-call- 
ed " Extra Canard Steamers," We were so well pleased 
with the ship, its officers, and all its appointments, that 
we came home from choice in one of the same class of 
ships. These screw steamers, strongly built entirely of 
iron, though designed mainly for freight, have a dozen 
rooms or so for Cabin passengers, located on the deck, 
capacious, well fitted up, and airy, with large windows 
looking out upon the sea. The table is served the same 
as upon the mail steamers, with plenty of attendance, and 
the cozy, uncrowded dining salon is more agreeable 
than that of regular passenger ships, while the fare is 
lower. The only objection is, that they are usually a day 
or two longer in making the passage— a thing of no con- 
sequence to those who go for pleasure, as the sea voyage 
is usually enjoyed after the first few days of " breaking 
in." And the time is not bad, usually within twelve 
days, from New York to Liverpool. We left Queenstown 
in the Aleppo, Capt. Harrison, on the evening of Nov. 
20th, and reached Sandy Hook before noon on the 30th, 
making the pagsage in 9 days and 23 hours, allowing for 
the change of time. From our pleasant experience on the 
Tripoli, last May, and on the Aleppo, in the boisterous 
month of November, we can advise our friends crossing 
the Atlantic, to look out for the Aleppo, the Siberia, the 
Palmyra, the Tripoli, the Tarifa, etc., of the Extra Cunard 
line, and if they can fall in with Captains Martyn, Harri- 
son, or Watson, they will be fortunate, we are sure— 
though for ought we know the other Captains of this 
line are equally as pleasant and efficient officers. 
Another Foot Warmer.— Mr. Judd, 
not being aware that we had an article on this subject al- 
ready printing on the inside 
sheet, (page 25.) sends us the 
following: "Keep the head 
rr^ 
f 
Fig. 2. 
cool, and the feet warm," is 
I the old wise adage, put forth 
j when people walked more 
than now ; but how is one to 
keep his feet warm in a cold 
church or in a railway or 
other carriage ? I picked up 
in Paris, (for 12 francs, or 
$2,35 specie,) a convenient 
Foot Tr«/7n<T.sketched here- 
|HP with. It is a tin case of the 
y. f 1 form shown, 11 inches long, 
8 inches wide, and 3 inches 
through in the middle ; oue edge is thicker than the other, 
to fit it to the bottom of the feet when it lies on the floor. 
The tin case is closely covered with dark green carpeting. 
A small brass funnel is filled into one side of the end, and 
inside, at the bottom of this, is a tightly fitting screw, of 
the form shown in Fig. 3. The small handle is very con- 
venient for carrying it to church, where the floors seldom 
get well warmed at morning service. One of these well 
covered, and filled with hot water, retains its heat a long 
time. Ours was filled at London, and on a bitter cold 
day kept the feet of two ladies warm all the way to Liver- 
pool, 200 miles, and when the water was poured out 
there, it was still a little warm. This can be used as 
bed warmers also. It may be of 
any desired size, and long enough 
to accomodate three or more per- 
sons. The form and size of ours 
is a convenient one for carrying in 
tlie hand; the dark green cover- 
ing renders it inconspicuous. Any 
tin-worker can make one for a few shillings, and it can be 
covered at home. The funnel and screw as sketched is 
the most convenient form we have seen ; probably a 
good cork, fitting tightly, would answer, though it would 
perhaps leak slightly. If a cork is used, this and 
the carrying handle miglit be placed so as to always 
be on the upper side, and thus prevent leakage. 
Painting.— With a little practice, any man 
can use a brush well enough for common purposes, and 
in all moderate weather outside work may be done very 
well at this season. Living rooms ought not to be paint- 
ed except at a time when the windows can be open. 
Keeping Fish in Moss. — In December 
we gave an article on Peat Moss (Sphagnum) and its uses. 
Mr. C. F. Austin, an enthusiastic student of mosses, 
writes us of another use for Sphagnum: " When I was 
down in the pines of New Jersey I was told that fresh fish 
could be kept better in warm weather if wrapt up in this 
moss than in ice, and I gave it a trial. I took from a can 
about a dozen pickerel, aud a lot of catfish and eels. and put 
them up for a friend in New York— all alive— in a basket of 
sphagnum, at nine o'clock in the morning on a hot day 
in June, and I was told by a member of his family 
that the next morning when the basket was opened in 
New York every fish was alive." 
Coal and. Feat Aslies. — W. D. Arnold. 
If they are half peat, as stated, it will pay to cart them 
several miles. On moist clay loams, coal ashes are a good 
top dressing, and you may expect to get pay for your 
labor if you cart them a mile. 
Sonr Milk lor Laying- Mens.—" W. 
S. S„" Maine. Hens will eat eagerly almost any kind of 
animal food, in the winter, and will be benefited by it. 
We have fed butchers' offal from the markets, chandlers' 
greaves, clams, small fish, and sour milk. The laying In 
winter depends quite as much upon the physical com- 
fort of the bird as upon the feed. They must have 
both shelter and warmth if they are expected to lay. 
Churns.— "Which is the best one?" We have 
had quite a number within a few months for trial. Clift's 
" Aerator " Churn works with great rapidity, and pro- 
duces butter which cannot be excelled. The " Julleu 
Churn and Butter Worker" turns easier, and produces 
equally good results, but not so rapidly. Both are good. 
Small Hard Coal Most Econom- 
ical.— There is a very common opinion that large coal 
burns longer, and is, therefore, the cheaper. Dealers 
have to put the finely broken coal at a lower price, to get 
rid of it. This opinion we believe to be erroneous. (We 
speak of the hard or anthracite coal ; the soft or bitumin- 
ous coal, which will burn in the single piece, may well be 
of large size.) With large pieces, one must have a consid- 
erable number of them to keep the fire burning at all. A 
given weight of coal will in burning throw out the same 
amount of heat, whether it be in large or small pieces. If 
of small size, a thin layer over the grate will supply heat 
enough for all usual temperatures, and for cooking, aud 
be quite as effectual as a deep mass of large lumps. A 
layer of two to three inches of nut or pea coal will usual- 
ly do better service than six or eight inches of stove or 
0'^ size, either in cooking or warming a room. After ex- 
amining the subject experimentally and theoretically, we 
have come to use mainly pea and nut coal for the cooking 
range and small stoves, with a moderate quantity of stove 
size when a strong fire is needed during the middle or 
latter part of the day. We also use the pea coal for start- 
ing the hot air furnace in the morning, with a little dur- 
ing the day to fill in the spaces between the large coal, 
which saves the use of a deep bed of it when but a mod- 
erate heat is required. When a fire is needed over night 
in the furnace of the dwelling, or in the green-house, wo 
bed with a layer of large coal, fill the interstices with pea 
coal, and cover with ashes, or regulate by the draft door. 
A small quantity will thus remain ignited all night, when, 
if no small coals were used, a foot in depth of large coal 
would be required to keep the fire from going out. We 
are convinced that most families would find it economical 
to use more small coal, and less of it, in order to secure 
a quick, constant, aud lively heat. 
Starting- a Fire.—" It takes a fool or a 
philosopher to build a fire well," runs the old adage. We 
suppose the former blunders into doing it well, aud tho 
latter goes at the work scientifically. As few people be- 
long to either of the two classes, there must be much 
poor fire kindling and there is. With wood fires, the 
essential thing is to have a few thin pieces of dry stuff; 
then the larger pieces brought near enough together to 
keep each other warm ; and, most of all, to arrange the 
whole so as to secure a draft. Place the fuel so that air 
can outer underneath, and so that the first heat can pro- 
duce an upward current, and draw in fresh air to the 
burning point. With hard coal, there must be kindling 
enough at one point to produce sufficient heat to ignite 
at least two or three pieces of the hard coal, and then 
concentrate the draft of air upon the ignited point. With 
plenty of kindlings, the grate may be covered, but witli 
only a smalf quantity of tinder, it should be placed all 
together in the middle or at one side, and a few pieces of 
small coal be put around it. If the grate be larger than 
the size of tlie hand, it is well to cover all but the kind- 
ling point with ashes, to confine the draft to that place, 
and then remove the aslies as the fire spreads. A small 
layer of thin paper spread over the grate under the coal, 
and opened directly under the kindling point, is very use- 
ful. It confines the current of air to the kindling point, 
and burns away as the fire spreads. 
Fire " Kindlings."— A good supply of 
these often gains half an hour's time in getting work 
started in the morning. Previous thorough drying is 
esseutial. A few fine shavings or slivers, and then larger 
well dried pieces to get up a strong heat at one point, are 
better than all line stuff. In some European countries we 
found the common kindling material to be shavings 
dipped in melted resin or pitch, aud then wound in balls 
two or three inches in diameter, like knitting yarn. They 
were very effective, seldom failing to ignite wood or coal, 
though where hard anthracite is used, a little charcoal is 
placed around the pitch ball. These balls are clean, easily 
handled and used, aud are sold by the piece or by the 
measure, like potatoes here. (In most of Europe, potatoes 
and other roots, and all kinds of fruit are sold by weight, 
as they should be always— eggs included.) Another novel 
kindling material, in common use in several places, is 
pine cones. Those we saw at hotels were very effective 
in starting wood fires. They contain resin enough to 
give a flame for several minutes, if there be a little draft. 
