50 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
Xestiug' EgSTS Easily. — Ilousekeepei-s 
know liow annoying it is, to have the liftli or sixlli egg 
brolten in a ilisli. prove a bail one, anJ spoil ail llie otiiers. 
With laie exceijlions, as in the case of a leiy Ihiclc shell, 
U is quite easy to know a 
5SS3^. 
good fiom a bad egg, by 
simply holding it between 
tlie eye and a light, as in 
the annexetl engiaving. 
Hold the egg so that the 
hand will cut oil' all direct 
rays of light, except those 
passing tlirough the trans- 
lucent egg. If in a dark 
room, the elTecl \\ill be all 
the more striking. Dealers 
in our markets test eggs in 
tills way very rapidly, as many as three to five dozen a 
minute, by taking up three at a time in each haiui, and 
[lassing them quickly between the eye and the candle, in a 
partially darkened room. It is so easily done, that all 
dealers ought to test their stock before selling or packing. 
Wants to »>c " Posted.'*— "D. K.," Ke- 
okuk, Iowa, writes : " I am unable to come to any con- 
elusion, as to whether any thing can be done to a ilry 
white oak {or other) post to cause it to stand longer, than 
it would if set without any preparation. I have set three 
acres of posts for trellises, and cliarred some and dipped 
others in co.al tar, lint tiicy have not been in Ihe ground 
long enough to test the question. I shall set 4.'2 acres 
more in tlie spring. I have seen many persons of ex- 
perience who say, that neither tar nor chai ring does any 
good; while others say both are good. It is a matter of 
much importance, as thousands of acres are being ' post- 
ed ' every year." The evidence wiiich we have is all in 
favor of tarring, that is setting the biits of posts in hut 
coal tar (still better is it to immerse the posts). Charring 
does very little if any good, except under certain condi- 
tions which are not well imderstood ; for some charred 
posts stand a very long time, while others decay as quick- 
ly as if nothing had been done to them. AVc are always 
glad of /acts that go to prove any thing. 
>. Y. State Agfriciiltiii-al Society. — 
Tlie annual meeting takes place at Albany, February H'; 
Miimire— ^Vater -»s. Salt to Prevent 
Biirwiug.— C. Killmer, Oswego Co., N. Y., is told that 
two quarts of salt to the load of manure will prevent 
hiiriiing, and asks our opinion. It will probably have a 
tendency to prevent burning or " lire-fanging," but w.ater 
judiciously applied, is a perfectly sure preventive. Slake 
the heap flat and ujion sucli a foundation that water will 
drain off from it readily ; make also a tank or vat to hold 
the teachings, and then set a pump with uhicti, as often as 
the heap gets warm, drench it with tlie leacliings, or with 
fresh water. The labor will be well rewarded. The 
heat of Ihe interior of the heap may be always known by 
a hard-wood pole kept thrust several feet into it, w-hich 
may be occasionally withdrawn and felt of. Such a ma- 
nure heap may contain two-thirds or more of its weight 
of straw, salt hay, or muck, and be worth in spring three 
times as much as if it were only rhannie. 
Woolen "IVaste.— " S. K. " mnkes the fol- 
lowing inquiries through the Agriculturist: — ** How 
shall I treat woolen waste in which there are many seeds 
of weeds, so as to prepare it for maiiuie?*' The best 
way is to put a large handful or so around eacli hill of 
Indian corn or potatoes. The seeds of weeds will soon 
vegetate and can easily be eradicated. If applied in tills 
manner, they will all vegetate during tiie growing sea- 
son. If plowed under, a portion of the .^ee.l may not 
vegetate within several years. Woolen waste is an ex- 
cellent fertilizer for all giains, vegetables, and fruits. 
Barn AVeevils, — TI103, Ma'^uire, Datiphiii 
Co., Pa. We published last year the only sure cure for barn 
weevils which we know. It is In hum t/ie burn; but if 
any one can tell of a plan, even tiiough not sothorough, 
which will either exterminate or partially desti"oy this 
pest, we shall be happy to publish it. 
Xlie Selection of a liil>rary is a work 
which needs high literary aliiiity, good common sense, 
and business tact. Prof. II. B. Lane, whose advertise- 
ment will be f jund in our pages, possesses eminently 
these qualifications, and has given great satisfaction in 
the selection of both private and. public libraries. 
Fnller's Cirape CuHnrist.— This book 
at once took the rank of a standard work upon grape cul- 
ture, as it gives in a plain and concise form not only the 
practice preferred by the author, hut the systems of train- 
ing followed by others. It is a complete manual, giving 
clear directions for every step from starting the plants 
from the seed or cutting, to the management of Ihe fruit- 
ing vine, all fuliy and excellently illustrated. Price $1.50 
The Prize Barn Plans. 
In August last, Mr. David Groesbeck, authorized us 
to offer $300 in three pjizes for barn plans, on certain 
conditions then published. Owing to the number of plans 
received, and tiie tiieal study which was required 
thoroughly to uiideisUind tiie ideas of those who submit- 
ted them, it has taken longer to comfilete the examina- 
tion of them and decide upon the best, than was at first 
anticipated. We are liappy, therefore now to relieve the 
anxiety to know the decisioit of llie committee by pub- 
hsliing it, and to announce our expectation of being able 
to give one or more of the prize plans in our next and 
stu-ceeding numbers. Tliere were I'iS plans presented. 
Of these between SO and 40 evinced much thought and 
study. Many were most carefully and even elaboridely 
projected with perspective elevations, tinted in water 
colors as is usual with fine architectural drawings, and 
some two or tliree were elaborately painted in oil or 
water colors. The plans were boxed and sent to each 
member of the committe. one after the other ; and when 
all had examined them, the gentlemen met at the Astor 
House, and after spending the day in examining and 
discussing tlie plans, and the points which each deemed 
essential to a good barn, they submitted the following: 
Report of the Committee Lvvited to Decide upon 
Barn Plans. 
To the Editor of the Auurican Ai;rtcuUurist: — Tlie Com- 
mittee after mature consideration and discussion together 
over the plans, agree as given below ; although it is fair 
to say, that they arrive at a conclusion with no little 
ditficulty, because so many of the 12S plans submitted are 
very meritorious. They find in no one of the plans all 
those points which they agree upon as essential ; never- 
theless the m.ajority decide upon the following awards: 
The first prize, SISO, to No. 51 ; [submitted by Mykon 
B. Benton, Leedsvllle. Duchess Co., N. Y.] 
The second prize. $100, to No. 112; [submitted by Geo. 
E. Harvey, Cold Spring, Putnam Co., N. Y.] 
The third prize, $50, to No. 130; [submitted by E. 
Boyden & Son. Worcester, Mass. J 
[Signed] L. G. Morris, R. L. Allen, Dr. F. M. Hex 
AMER, Samuel Thorne, Samuel J. Sharplbss, 
Co7nmittee. 
Mr. Donald G. Slitchell. a member of the Committee, 
was prevented attending the meeting. He sent, however, 
a memorandum of his views and preferences, which, it 
may be staled, do not accord with those of the majority, 
in respect to the order of tlie premiums. 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, 
No. 2G. 
I wish you had dropped in last evening. Mr. 
Chase, of the Ai/i-icuUurist was here, and would 
have been glad to meet you. I believe this is his 
first visit to Western New-York, and I fear he did 
uut form a favorable opinion of our agriculture. 
He thought we had very small barns! This, I t.ake 
if, w;is a polite way of sryiug we did not raise as 
large crops .is lie had autieip.ated. We certainly, 
as a rule, need larger barns, but we need still more 
to raise larger crops. When a man gets good crops 
it is not long before he has good barns. 
He asked me what was our prineip;il crop, aud I 
could not tell him! Whirtisit? It was formerly 
wheat, but is it so now ? We are sowing far more 
whe;it titan we did five or si.'i years ago, and I live 
ill hopes, that the " Genesee country" will in a few 
years be as celebrated for its wheat as in old times. 
At present weare rather inatransition st;rtc. Old 
style farming will not answer, our land needs drain- 
mz, and \vc must make up more and better manure. 
I suppose that while tlie roots of the original forest 
were in the ground, they opened a sort of passage 
for the water to pass through to the porous soil 
nnderucath. And this is one reason why land that 
was formerly dry and produced good crojw, is now 
wet and comparatively unjiroduetive. Then what 
I call the "natural manure" of our laud— the rich 
deposit of leaves which had been accumulating for 
ai^cs — is now pretty much used np ; we cannot ex- 
pect it to last for ever. If we manure a piece of 
land we get good crops from it for two or three 
vears, but as soon as the manure is exhausted we 
"must furnish another dressing. Tliis is a recogniz- 
ed fact, and the sooner we realize that the heavy 
coat of manure that nature kindly put on our laud 
to give us a good start while the country was new, 
aud while we had roads to m.ake, houses aud barns 
to build, everything to do aud but little to do it 
with — the sooner, I say, we realize that this manure 
is gone, and that we must make more on our farms, 
the better it will be for the farmers and the country. 
Drainage aud manures arc wh.at we most need. 
This would make our hmd as good as it ever was — 
and better. The climate has not changed. Our 
winters are no colder, thermometricalh-, nor our 
summer hotter, than they were forty years ago. 
The only differcuce is, that then our farms were 
protected by extensive belts of timber, while now 
the severe west winds sweep over us without let or 
hindrance. This must be remedied as far as pos- 
sible, by setting out Norway Spruce .and other 
rapid-growing trees for screens. Perhaps narrow 
fields and hethjes running North and South will 
prove to be what we need. But be this as it may, 
judicious underdraining, good manure aud belts of 
trees for screens, will give us as good laud and as 
good a climate as we ever h.ad, and there is no 
reason why we cau not raise as good wheat, as good 
peaches, aud as good crops of all kinds, as when 
the country was new. 
Yesterday I found one of my men carding the 
cows ! I have tried, often tried, to get this done, 
but never could get any oue to do it williugl_v. I 
cannot account for this sudden conversion, unless 
it is owing to the fiiet that this man is fond of read- 
ing, and I lent him .an English book in which this 
practice is highly recommended. Books and pa- 
l)ers have a f\\r greater influence with such men than 
is generally imagined ; .and I really believe that it 
would pay a fanner to make his men a present 
of a good airricultural pajier, or of some such book 
as Todd's Toung Farmers' Manual. The great 
dr.awbaek to the pleasures of farming, is the miser- 
able class of laborers we too frequently get. I was 
greatly annoyed with them w'hen I first commenc- 
ed farming here, but h.ave now only married men 
that live on the farm, and we get along very much 
better. They take an interest in what is going on, 
and that is h;rlf the b.attle. I have the misfortune 
to be considered as a sort of amateur farmer, and 
of course have difficulties to overcome which do 
not fall to the lot of an ordinary farmer of estab- 
lished repute. I had not calculated on this pre- 
judice. I bought such implements as I thought 
were best. But I do not recollect one that was not 
pronounced useless. I got some steel jilows, and 
you would be amused if I could recall the objec- 
tious that were made to them. " They won't st;ind it 
on the clay spots," said one. " If you strike a stone 
where will you be?" asked another. "I don't 
believe they are steel anyway," said a third, and 
all agreed that they were very pretty things to look 
at, but they would not st.and hard work. All this, 
you say, does no harm. But in that you arc mis- 
taken. These men are frightfully conceited, and 
when once they have said that a plow will not 
work, they consider their repntatiou at stake, and 
if you jjersist in making them use it, you must 
expect pretty large blacksmith's bills. 
I have learned to pity the poor fellows, and, for 
the time being, yield to their prejudices. I laid 
aside the steel plows for the time being, and let 
them use the old ones they had been accustomed to. 
Then if they ever got short of points, I would tell 
them they must try and get along with one of (he 
steel plows till wo could get some more points. In 
this way we wore off the varnish, and the prejudice 
against them assumed a milder form. Still they 
never take one of these pilows if they can help it. 
It will probably he two or three years before they 
get accustomed to them — then they will use no 
other ! 
The Squire wanted to borrow aplowhist fall and 
I lent him one of the steel one.^. A few d:iys ago 
he asked mo for the address of the manufacturws, 
saying, "It is the neatest and best plow I ever 
saw, and I must have one of them." He did not 
know the trouble I had had with them, .and I could 
not but feel grateful for this unexpected testimony 
