94-6 
AMERICAN AG-KICULTITRIST. 
[July, 
Xop'4lre!«Miii;;' Gi*5i.*i-S. — "You eny iu the 
March miiniier of the Agri'-idlunst : * We do not behcre 
in top'd'cs^inz vitk aniiual innnures m the spring.* 
Plea'-e iiif'iim mp. "hy yon dn nnt ?" 1st. Pcaciipally ; it 
has bGRii clemoiiSti":iteil to vnr satisfiiction that grass 
makes the ucst ii>e of bulky niunnrc in the iaie summer, 
or autumn. Thai tln^ru is tut lime wlien the rrop will be 
50 much afTenle i by manure as just after one crop is re- 
moved . so miicli 50 Ih.it we ailvocate applying manure 
or comiiosi di.ectly upon the ficslily mowed fieMs.— 2iid. 
Thenietically.— The grass in the autmnn and afier cut- 
ting lias no chance lo mature peed, lietice is stre.:gtlien- 
ing its rnois to iicar the winter and prcMJnre seel in the 
spring. The manure cunt-s in time to help it do this \ery 
well . The dry ground is open, and us tlie showers carry 
down the enriclimeni, it is quickly taken up. In llie 
cpi Ing, Iho feeding roots ai'e not very active uiitiMhe leaves 
liave pushed well, and the gi-ontid is full (»f inoistnre, 
and so doe* not take up Ihe manare with furh avidity; 
besides there is tiangt-r itf washing r:iin=. We approve 
eniirt'ly of liquid manure, or of soluijie top-dressings like 
guan-i, unle.iched ashes, plaster, etc.. applied in spring. 
I*9aiit!>« I\aaiiO€l. — G. Taylor, Hammonton. 
Appareniiy the Grape Hyacinth, escaped from culiiva- 
tion. The plant was figured In October last .M. R. 
A.. York Co., Me. Geranium inaculatum, Cranrsbill ; 
and the one previr)usiy si^nt ; Aralia frt/oUa, tlie Dwarf 
Ginseng, sometimes called Groundnut. ... ..M. Ilelme, 
Adrian, (no S;aie). Anem'me nemorosa, i\\e Wind-flow- 
er: Seyircto aureus. Golden Rig wort, or Squaw Weed ; 
Equisefum arvcnse, often called Ground Pine ; and a 
Vtcia. too poor lo make out L. Lauber, Lane Co., Pa. 
The "little beil" is Staphyfea tri/jlia. ihe Uladder-nul, 
fi!;;ured in May. 1805; the oiher is yiOurnutn Lenta:ro, 
Sweet Viburnum, and also called Nannv berry ab'iut 
New Vork .. Jas. D. liay, Waleriown. C. W. Atra- 
grne Americana, a beautiful climber related to Clematis, 
and the Peady Everlasting, Antennaria mnrgnrttacea . . .. 
N. C. A., Ilawley, Pa. Trillium erytlirocarpum, the 
Palmed Trillium J. K. Kepner. Obnstead Co.. Minn. 
The prostrate evergreen shrub is Arr.tnstaphijlos Uoa- 
ursiy the Cear-berry, so.aielimcs called Upland Cranberry. 
IIoHySiocUs i'l'oau Sce«l. — M. Irvine. — 
If SPed from double flowers were planted, you may ex* 
pect a good share of yours to iie double. If any come 
single, pull them up as soon as Ihey show their charac- 
ter, and save seed oidy from the best flowers. 
ISoue I>8sst isi Pot CiiUiire. — Mrs. 
M.. WasUingiun. D. C— A very small quantity might he 
Eeiviceable to mses and similar plants, but not enough 
should be adiied toprodui.'tr active fermentaiiou. There 
is always great danger in the use of manure upon delicate 
plants. Good earih with plenty of leaf mold an. I sand, is 
usually tich enough. If manure is used at all, let it be 
■well decomposed, like that from an old hot-bed, and 
thoroughly mixed with the soil before potting., 
'* Clsina Cabling;*! and Beans.**— R. 
J. Thank you im your good intentions, but the seeds 
did not leach us. 
Tmt Bark: for Stra^vberrles. — C. 
Shick, Union Co., III. There was a notion sometime 
ago. that lan bark was a specific nianiire for sii awijenies 
on account of the tannic acid It contains. Now it i^ gen- 
erallv a imilted that its chief, if not its only value, is its 
mechanical action as a mulch. 
Potatoes Under Stra-\r.— J. Hollochei-, 
Manche:ter. Mo,, will fni'l this subject discusned in the 
Airricu'tunst for N-nembei. 1SG5. We cannot see any 
leasou why :hey shoul I not keep as well and be as 
wholesome as potatoes raised In any other way. 
TUc Orape-vine Plea Beetle. — C. 
Brinton. Laiirasier Co . Pa., sends us specimens of this 
little steel hlne bf-elle. whicii is ilu- Hnltica ckuiybea, of 
the Enlomolo2i-ts. It is vcy desiruciive l > the bud'^ of 
the vine, and we have heard more of it this year than 
ever before. Thp inject is only about onesixih of an 
inch in length, and appears very early in the season. 
Tiiey are easily shaken frrmi the vines, mav he caught on 
a .^heel and desiroyei We know of no other remedy. 
<i«rai>es assd "^Vine.— *' The Cultivation of 
the Native Grape and .M.innfacture nf Anieiican Wines. 
By George Ilnsinaiin, of [ierniann. Mo." The above is 
the liiie of a new work nn the gape, pub'i->he I by Geo. 
E. & F. W. Woodvva-d. New York; and written by :i 
sentleman well known as a c tni-ibuior to our liorttcul- 
tural journal-, anri a-; an eTtpn-^ive cultivator of the 
grape. The work is eininenily practical and le'ls in plain 
laiiguaye just how the author rais".<: yrapes and makes 
*vine. There Is a great deal of individuality about ev- 
erything that Mr. H. writes, and this book is no excep- 
tion; as to vaiieiies. he claim* to give only Ids experience 
in his own lo;'aliiy, and here he 1-= very decided. What 
will make this work particularly acceidable is the treatise 
on wine making, in which the diiections are fdl jin 1 
clear. Probably th^ author will receive some adverse 
criticism for his advocacy of Gair.*; method, but this is a 
subject that has two sides, and we know nf no (uie belter 
able to defend him<:elf than Mi. Ilnsmann. For sale at 
this office and sent by mail at $1.50. 
Filling^ii|> aronnd Tree*;. — H. 0. Cr^tnc 
■wishes to know if it will be likely to insure his trees lo 
fill up aronnd them nearly two feet. It will hs very like- 
ly to damage them. It puts the roots too far from the 
surface. ♦ 
A BatcU or Tree <t«eriei«,— M. L. Car- 
ter. De Kalli Co.. III. Quince ^t']cksare more generally 
bud led t'lan grftfied. Stone fruits may be grafted, btit 
the xvood is apt to gum, the plum less so than others. It 
is betier lo graft one year okl stocks by whip-grafiing, 
than lho?e two years old by cleft-grafting, as :i much 
m'U'e perfect union results. Whin-grafting may look d f- 
ficult in the descrlntion (Jan. 18641. but it U perfectly 
easy in practice. Try it on a few lwig>. Any black- 
smith can make a scuffle hoe. if you show him the en- 
graving. The oiher queries we are unable to answer. 
WSaat i<i tlie [flatter Mi^li ilieTwijr? 
— H. 0. Crane. Brown Co., Wis , sends a twig from an 
aptde tree wduch exhibits aliont the worst case of the 
bark scale we ever saw. It should have been attended 
to before the leaves appeared. A strong solution of soft 
soap or moderalelv strong ley. (1 lb. potash to 4 gallons 
of water.) applied ihoioughly \^ilh a scruhhtng brush, 
will remove them. Ileal back the tops if the small 
limbs are aflfecled, and get a fresh growth. 
Poppies Ibr Bag;!*. — Mr. Julius Price, 
Whitehall (no State), sows poppy seed in the hill with 
his squash, and other seeds, and finds that the bugs do 
not trouble the vines. The poppy is usually so slow and 
uncertain about coining from seed, unless self sown, that 
we doubt it will be a very reliat)ie remedy. 
A Persevering- B^ily. — D, C. Martin, 
Dauphin Co.. Pa., writes, that he filled up his yard 2'2 
feet with soli 1 yellow clav, and that a Tiger Lilv that 
was in the soil beneath forced its way to the surface, 
where it found a board a foot long and half as wide, 
which it lifted as it grew. 
Birols and Clicrries^. — D. Yarrington, 
Luzerne Co., Pa., complains of the raids of armies of 
birds— which do not leave him a single early cherry. 
Scarecrows, cow-bells, and coUned streamers have no 
terrors for them, an J he pathetically asks : "Is there no 
help for this evil?" Probably the only srire way is to 
grow trees \^ith low heads and cover them with netting. 
A lYIad Stone. — One of our correspondents 
wishes us lo advertise a ** ma^l stone." which we must 
decline doing, and advise him. if the stone is very mad, 
to send it to the nearest Lunatic .Asylutn. This is a re- 
vival of an old superstition t!iat certain stones have the 
power to cure those bitten by rahid iinimals. We are 
surprised to find that any believe in it at the present diiy. 
TIic Civil WaCr in America, by Ben- 
son J. Lossing. We have receive I from the publishers 
the fir.st volume of this work, a handsome hook of over 
GOO pages, very copiouslv illustrate I. The author is 
well known for his indus'ry and accuracy in collecting 
historical materials, and he has brought together in the 
present work a picture padery of petsons and places 
identified w ilh our great sirnggle. which is of great inter- 
est now, and will be of immense value in the future. 
Spong-e rorRat*«. — "Piper, of Hamlin, Jr.," 
sends us an oil presciip;ion for getting i id of rat? and 
mice that mav be new to s nne. Jle soaks hits of sponge 
in melte I talio\\ , an I wh^n coM, places: them where the 
vermin will find them. T ley eat. get the dvspepsia, and 
either die or go wheie they are not " sponged upo;i." 
An Article on Tric1ii«:«?. — A trentlc- 
inaii sends us n cojimunicatior' on lliis subject, but as he 
fails to Say w here he lives, we cannot tcpiv l»v U-ttei" and 
take this me'ho i of iiiforming lum that no amount of 
arstiment can overthrow ;i fici. Onr article was nnt 
publishel without its fir-^t being seen by the edito'-*:. and 
its statements a'e in accordance witii later and more ex- 
tensive investigations in this country and in Europe. 
Tlio Rinderpf»«t, notwitlistandinu' the 
great precautions taken, has broken out in Ireland. A 
simjiecase occurred in County Down, where im-nediately 
measures were taken lo prevent its "Spiral. Thi^ time 
there was no temp-ni'lns— no attempts at cue. no lime 
taken to study the paiholouy. nor to get a diagnosis of 
the case, nor to allow veterinary surgeons nor honieo- 
palhists to try lo cure or arrest the infection, but the pole- 
axe had everything its own way. The cow was killed* 
nil that li id been expo-^c t were killed and buried, a 
cordon was placed around the f:irm,andall travel by cat- 
tle upon tiie ro lis w a- stopped, and all the cattle fairs 
were put off ihroughoui that entire region. We can 
but confidently think there is hope for Ireland that iheso 
energetic measures will stay the plague. 
Tobacco "^Vorni ^lollm. 
• These lar^e 
moths fly at night and suck honev from flowers which open 
tovvaids evening, and are not visited by th^r b^es. Such 
are e<-pecially Iho sliowy fiowers of the cumnion Even- 
ing Primrose {(Enotkrra, ■.\u^ the Siraino:.iuiii. which 
indeed is npen all ilay.but it is showy, and they find it 
easily at night. Poisoned honey may l>e placed in these 
fl'iwers. and it will kill great numbers of the moths. 
Get the apothecary lo rub a g'ain of stiTchnine in an 
ounce of honey, dilute it with about half its bulk of wa- 
ter atid put a few drop'; in these or any flowers visited 
by the5e large night-flying moths. It is best to take flow- 
ers that will wi:her when the sun rises, or to pick the 
flowers, so as not lo kill bees, when they come out. 
IflissisNippi Crops.—" Subscriber" wiUes 
from Columbus, May 27 : " Freedmen entered their new 
career with laudibie industry, and in most cases have 
complied with contracts, giving very eeneial satisff^clion. 
Owing to unfavorable weaiherour hones have vpry much 
decreased. Cotton has germinated badly. Excessive 
rains have liindere 1 cultivation, and crops have suffered 
very much. The low- lands have been drowiie t out. The 
corn cro:» is the poorest I have ever seen in this county. 
There was not a sufficiency plantei! for home use. many 
Ihinkinc; it clieape ■ to raise cotton and uuy corn ; and the 
wheat crop Is almost a tr>tal failure. It is too late to re- 
plant coltcm ; corn may yet be planted on the overflowed 
lands, anti if the season is favorable, make something." 
^nnbnrnt BrtcUs — A<lo1>e. — Hnwly 
Ross, wiitiiig from Quincy. III., savs. In answer to a 
question in the February Ai^riculturtst : " There was a 
Conaregaiional Church built in Niles, Michigan, in 1916, 
of uniiurnt brick. As near as I can remember the size is 
about 40XS0, walls about 20 feet high. I saw Ihe bricks 
when they wee building : they are 6 inches lIucU and 2 
feet square with a good deal of straw mixed In the clay 
to ho'd them logc^ther. and then drie 1 in the sun. The 
ro()f is shiuLile. put on the same as for a biick house ; it 
is plastere 1 with cement on the outside, an I common 
plastering on the inside. The church has a steeple with 
one of the largest sized Western church bells. I attended 
meetings most of the lime in this church for 15 years, but 
have not seen it for four or five years." 
A<lo1>e HoMses, — "G.," of Eden Gardens, 
Canaiia West, writes : " A neii^hbor of mine built a house 
of adobe twenty-two years ago. and up to last summer it 
had sior»l perfectly sound. The house wa- built one r.nd 
half stories high, 18X.16 feet, and covered with shingles. 
The walls were plastered on the out-ide with lime 
mortar and rough-castcd with gravel. The proprietor, 
wi.^-hing to make s<»me alterations in the building last 
summer, took down a portion of the walls and nsed the 
adobes again in the saine bniMing. The bricks were 
made 18x12 inches and 6 inches in thickness. There' 
was one stnall spot in the wall near the base where the 
plaster had been knockc<l off; the adobe had suffered 
somewhat from the action of the weather. Latitude 
jiere 44'3 Degrees." 
I>on1>le BasHers in Clinrns,— John 
Bennet, of Rinley Co., Ind.. says; "Tell your readers 
that it pays to pnt a double dasher in their churns. It 
saves half the trouble churning."— Perhaps it does. 
Tranberries- — E. H. Webb, "Wayne Co., 
Ind. — \ piece of ground covered during the wdnter with 
water from surronndin,' slopes, diy in summer, and which 
cannot be drained, is not a promising place for cranber- 
ric:. Drainace and command of water are considered 
essential. We have no confidence in the profitable cul- 
ture of cranberries on upland. 
Tronl»!e ^ritli a l^cmon Tree.— Mrs. 
Judge 0., Buder, (no Stale). The litt'e bug tliat ■■ seems 
to have no life," is probably the cause of the trouble 
with vour lemon tree. It is one of the scale insects, and 
is often very injurious to hard-wootied house plants. 
Strnnc soft soap <=uds. if appliei with a stiff brush, will 
usually kill them, if they -lo not yieM to the brush, rub the 
bark with a soft pine stick, or corn cob, to remove them. 
