1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
279 
i?lixiiis KiirtU ^vitli Manure.— "J. 
R. L.." Schuylkill Cn.. Vii. By mixiiii; earth witli maimre, 
it will certainly he kept from ovur-hcatiiig or dry-rotiing. 
But the same cflV-cr may be procured by turning the 
manure over whfu it beconu-s hot two or three times. 
This i.s not so much labor as carting earth to the heap 
and then carting it back with the manure to the fluid. 
Ho^T to Feed Kreeding- Sotvs. — 
*' Mr. F. B.," Gallipolis, O., wiitr^ : '• I have a fine two- 
year-old imporled sow. She is in pig byau imported 
boar. I paid $00 for her. and wish to raise good pigs. 
The sow is as '* thin as a rail," and I want to a«k your 
opinion, whether it will hurt her to make her pretty fat. 
If she is 03 poor when she farrow?, as she is now, there 
will be nothing to suck."— Our own rule is to keep breed- 
ing sows in good, thrifty condition, but not too fat. 
When in pig the sows should have as much exercise as 
possible, and nearly or quite as much food as tii'^ywiil 
eat. If the ?ow is fat, give her a stomach full of food 
once a day, but let the food be of a bulky and innutiitions 
kind, such as turnips, grass, bran, brewers" grains, and 
elop:^ from the house. A sow not so fat might be fed the 
eaiiie food twice a day. If tlie sows arc not in good, 
thrifty condition, give fine middlings iustcad of br;iu— all 
they will eat. If very thin, feed still richer food, such as 
ekini-niilk, fine niidillings. and say half a pint of corn 
meal or oil-cake meal per day. Cook and feed in the 
form of warm slops, two or three times a day. As a 
general rule, well-bred sows have a tendency to store up 
fit, rath'-r than to produce milk. We do not think starv- 
ing them will make them anymore likely to give milk. 
A highly refined, thoroughbred, sow can not stand ps 
great a tax on her strength and constitution, as a coarser 
and less refined sow. Her strength, or force, has been 
diverted from the natural tendency to propagate the 
specie-^, to the rapid accumulation of flesh and fat. If 
audi a sow is as thin as the one described by F. B., it ia 
probable that she was allowed to breed too cavly, or too 
rapidly. It would be well, in such a case, to let her have 
a litter only once a year. Feed her moderately well, and 
let her husband her strength. 
Covu fov SoiliMs.—''L. S. A.," Decatur, 
El. Corn stalks will not sprout from the roots if cut 
when they are m:Uuro, but if late planted corn is cut when 
partly grown, it will sprout or sucker. Sprouts are not 
worth depending on for a soiling crop, as there are sever- 
al things that may be brought in at that season. Corn 
fodder ought to be cut when it is in tassel or blossom, 
and as near the ground as possible. Other crops, 
such as rye sown early and pastured, for instance, should 
be ready to follow the corn, or a succession of corn 
plantings which will last until frost arrives, when turnips 
or beets ought to be ready. 
To Wake a Compost Heap.—" H. 
B.," Chicago, III. There is no need to dig a trench or 
plank up a space for a compost heap, nor to cover it with 
a roof. Such a heap needs all the rain that falls upon it. 
to provide snfl&cient moisture for its decomposition. 
Cemented barn cellars for manure, are useful under some 
circnmslances, but there are many objections to them. 
I>ry riimates. — '*J. H. E.,*' Torotito, 
Canada. The dryest climates of the United States are 
found in Colorado, Utah, and California. Of these places 
probably the most preferable is Ctdorado. There are 
several successful colonies, established originally on the 
cooperative plan, but now self-dependent, which offer op- 
portunities for new-comers. Tlie industries followedare 
mainly farming, gardening, and stock-raising. Greeley 
and Fort Collins are two of these established enterprises, 
where persons, seeking a dry climate for their health, 
would find cheap homes and congenial associations. The 
Cnltivation of the soil there ia wholly by irrigation, 
Xho Cheapest Fence. — "F. A. S.," 
Montgomery, Ala. The cheapest fence is the most pet- 
manent one. A post and board fence, or post and rails, 
mortised together, made of chestnut or cedar posts, and 
chestnut rails or boards, will last 40 years. We know of 
several fences, now good, that arc as old as that. But 
the posts should be charred at the bottom, well seasoned, 
and the post-holes should be filled with stones, instead 
of earth. The fence also should be capped with a hoard 
laid sloping, to shed rain. 
TTindinills r»i" Irrig^ation. — We are 
asked tin- following questions : "IIow much power is a 
la.foot windmill supposed to have in an ordinary wind?*' 
{Ans. About one Irn-sc-power). "How much powpr 
would be required to force water through al^ inch pipe, 
into ft reservoir fifty feet from ihe windmill, and twentT- 
flve feet above the wafer in the well T" (Anf:. Consider- 
able water would dt-nblless he forced by a 6-foot mill; 
an 8-foot mill would supply 50 head of cattle ; a 10 or 12- 
foot 2:in would iiimish a vjry iurge amount). " In water- 
ing strawberries, etc., with a reservoir and pipes, what 
size of hose is generally used? " (Ajis. Tluee-quarter 
inch or 1-inch). "How much land can a man water in 
ten hours, and give the ground a good soaking— say )i 
iucli of water all over it?" This last question is not 
easy to answer with accura y. To cover an acre of land 
half an inch deep, would require about 13.500 gallons. 
With a cylinder 3 inches in diameter, and a stroke of 6 
inches, the pump making GO strokes per minute, there 
would be delivered about 11 gallons per minute, or about 
115,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. It would be fair to 
suppose tliat such a pump, driven by a 15-fnot mill, in a 
reasonably well exposed sittnition, would average twelve 
hours per day in work, giving 7.500 gallons, or enough 
for rather more than half an acre of land. If the irriga- 
tion is to be carried on so extensively as this, that ia, 
with such a considerable flow of water, it would be 
cheaper and better to adopt a regular system of grades, 
allowing the w.iter to overflow the land from ditches, as 
is done in all regular irrigation works. It would, in this 
case, be necessary only to have a large storage capacity 
for water, and this need not be elevatedabove the liighest 
point of the land to be flowed. 
'* Egrs" Oats."—'* E. H. M.," Danbury, Conn. 
The oats in which eggs are packed, are generally dam- 
aged by rotten eggs, broken in the barrel, or are light, 
inferior oats, chosen for this purpose. Tlicy are not 
proper feed for horses, and are generally used for poultry 
or pigs. On account of their inferiority they are sold at 
a low price. 
Xo SOeooinpose Tanners* Waste,— 
'• A. R.." Warren Co., Pa. Hair and fleshings from a 
tannery should not be spread upon a meadow when fresh. 
They dry up without decaying, and will be raked up with 
the hay. The hair is difficult to rot in any way. If the 
waste is mixed with stable manure and the heap turned 
over occasionally, all but the hair will be decomposed in 
a few months, but that will remain a great while. We 
have found the best method of using this waste, to spread 
it upon the sod to be plowed for corn, or upon the oat- 
stubble to be plowed for wheat. We have seen it spread 
upon a meadow in the fall, and after exposure to the 
rains for half a year, there was scarcely any of it to be 
seen on the ground. 
To l>econipose SiraM'.— " J. S. H." II 
a bushel or two of quickliuie is put into a straw st.ack, it 
may, as soon as it gets wet, set fire to and destroy the 
stack. This is probably not the sort of decomposition 
you want. To reduce the straw to maimre by means of 
lime, it should be scattered until thoroughly wetted, and 
then heaped up with about ten bushels of dry slacked 
lime to the ton of straw, well intermixed. The heap 
sliouUl be exposed to the rain, as moisture is needed to 
assist the rotting, and considerable heat is evolved. 
Xreatin;^ a Fistula.— "L. H. T.," Buck- 
land, Mass. A fistula cannot be cured by medicine given 
internally. It requires mechanical treatment. The 
"pipe" must be destroyed by injections of mineral 
acids, and the sore then carefully healed from the bot- 
tom. It would be best to apply to a veterinary surgeon, 
and not use a hot iron, which might do mischief. To 
breed a mare at two years of age is too early— she should 
be fully g^o^vll. 
Unirorm S. S. I^essoMS— Oripriii.— 
A series of Sunday School Lessons is now in use through- 
out this whole country, and largely in Europe, each de- 
nomination giving its own accompanying notes and ex- 
planations. It is a beantifnl idea that on every Sunday 
millions of children are all studying the $ame Bible les- 
son. The N. Y. Independent quotes with endorsement 
this from the Presbyterian: '* Without doubt this 
Uniform Lesson movement has done more to stimulate 
Bible study in scliool and at home tlian any one event in 
the history of the Sunday School or perhaps in tlie his- 
tory of the church." In 1819 Mr. Oranoe Jcdd pre- 
pared a series of Sunday School Lessons, and placed them 
against the church wall near the pulpit, so that the 
people would all have the lesson for each Sabbatli promi- 
nently before them. This led to more careful study of 
the lessons at home. Following up the idea, in 1859-60 
he had prepared a series of 52 lessons, entitled " Lessons 
for every Sunday in (he F^ar," embracingconncctedly the 
leading events in the Four Gospels and Acts. These 
were first printed in the American Agric'fifuri-'?i 14 years 
ago (1861). They were widely adopted; hundreds of 
thons.ands of cards coutiining them were printed for 
distribution, and many rcHirious journals copied them. 
This was ihe beginning of the use of Uniform Lessons. 
Three other series, of 5*2 lessons each, were afterward 
prepared by Mr. Juild. and in 186-2 a Lesson and Question 
Book on the first series of Lessons w.as issued, in which 
Mr. Judd was largely assigtod by Dr. James Strong, 
S. T. D., and Mrs. Dr. Olin. The copy-right was present- 
ed to a Sunday School Publishing House, and nearly a 
million copies were scattered through the country. The 
first school adopting them was that of Dr. Alexander, 
N. Y., Presbyterian ; the second that of Dr. Porter, 
Brooklyn, Reform Dutch, and then they went almost 
equally into the schools of various denominations. As an 
indication of the religious but unseetarian character of 
these books, Mr. Judd received many letters from Baptist, 
Congregational. Methodist, and Presbyterian clergymen 
and teachers, all supposing him to be a member of their 
individual organizations. Three other books, each en- 
titled " Lessons for Every Sunday in the Year," and the 
four embracing the whole Bible, were subsequently is- 
sued. March 14, 186:i, Dr. Hart, LL.D., editor of the Sunday 
School Tinies^ Philadelphia, wrote, "We have just beea 
examining a little book, prepared by Orange Judd, New 
York, called ' Lessons for Every Sunday in the I ear,' and 
have risen from the examination with a feeling of thank- 
fulness that such a book has been made. We have never 
seen a Question Book containing so many corveuiencea 
and advantages, as this, so many excellencies, both posi- 
tive and negative. Mr. Judd is a life-long Sabbath School 
man. and this book is the fruit of the experience of him- 
self and some of liis friends, in trying to meet Ihe prac- 
tical wants of the Salibath School. Like all good text 
books, it has grown out of the actual necessities and expe- 
rience ; it is agrowth rather than a work. We advise every 
Superintendent to send at once fora copy." After the 
general attention thus awakened, various new booka 
sprung up on the same plan, and the original works have 
been somewhat overlooked, though they are still much 
used. What is said above shows that, like many other 
good enterprises, this ''Uniform Lesson" movement 
originated in and through the Anwricaii A.gnciUturUt, 
Talue of "Wooa Ashes.— "Old Subscri- 
ber." Wood aslies made at lime-kilns and brick-yarda 
are generally mixed with a quantity of rubbish, which 
reduces their value proportionately. As the fuel ia 
burned with great heat, these ashes are less valuable 
than those burned at a lower temperature. Unleached 
ashes are worth considerably more than leached ashes, 
because the latter contain no readily soluble potash, in 
which the chief value of wood ashes consists. Bat 
leached ashes contain some potash, which becomes solu- 
ble in the soil after a lapse of time, and are thus of soma 
value. They also conUiin some phosphoric acid. G^jn* 
erally leached ashes from the soap factories are worth 
one-fourth the value of unleached ashes; those from do- 
mestic leach-tubs are worth more than that, possibly ia 
some cases, one half the value of unleached ashea. 
When ashes can not be procured for less than 25 cents a 
bushel, it will be more economical to buy the German 
potash salts, (Kianit.) 
All Inipiire ^Vell.— '* W. M. F.," North- 
ford, Ct. The fact that the water in a well changes its 
character, becomes impure fora lime, and then improves, 
is sufficient evidence that organic matler finds its way 
into the well. A similar thing occurs when river water, 
containing impurities, is put into large casks for use 
upon ships on long voyages. For a few weeks this water 
undergoes a change, known amongst sailors as " sweeten- 
ing," in which a very fettd odor is given off, the impuri- 
ties, after the fermentation is over, are precipitated, and 
the water becomes sweet and pure, and remaiLis so with- 
out furl lier change. This alteration is probably due to 
the oxidation of the organic matter contained in the 
water. In your case, we should suspect a leak from a 
cesspool near by, or the admission of surface water 
without its having been purified by filtration through 
clean soil. There should be at least 30 feet between a 
well and any possible cause of impurity, such as a barn- 
yard, cesspool, or kitchen sink. 
Scal>l>y r.es!* iu ■»«iilti-y.— *' H. W. B.," 
East Saginaw, Mich. The cause of scabby legs in poul- 
try, is a parasitic insect, similar to the scab acarus o( 
the sheep. The remedy is similar to that for scab. 
Wash the logs with a solution of potash, until the scaba 
are softened and peeled oft", then dress them with an 
ointment of lard and sulphur, or wash them with carbolic 
soap suds. 
Remedy Tor <^uarf er-Craclf.— '* W. 
C.,'' Schultzville. Pa. To cure a quarter crack, pare 
down the edges of the crack up to the soundhorn above, 
if there is any, making a ^v shaped cut into the horn over 
the termination of the crack. Rasp the hora over the 
cut and keep the crack dressed with clean tow dipped 
in glycerine. The hoof should be bound up in a leather 
shoe tightly laced, to prevent the crack from spreading, 
or an India rubber shoe used. As the horn grows 
downward, the crack will grow down also, if care is used 
and all goes well. If there is no sound horn above the 
crack, but it reaches to the coronet, it is a very dlfflcalt 
thing to cure, r.nd a surgeon had better be employed. 
