Q78 
AMERICAN AaRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
Darn Yard ^lannre— A Request.— In 
Older that agriculturists may be able lo renson correctly 
in regard to the aff:iirs of farmers in different parts of the 
country, several important elements shouK! form a basis 
for such reasoning. The marltets we all consider— that 
ts, the ease with which crops, animals, or animal pro- 
ducts may be sold or realized upon. We have e\ery fluc- 
tuation in the markets reported daily, and every farmer 
finds it to his interest to be as well posted as he can be 
about prices of pork. beef, butter, corn and flour.— Bnt 
there is another element which the farmers of tlie 
Eastern and Middle States at least know how to value, 
and which is almost always taken into their calculations 
wiien thinking about buying or bettering a farm, viz. : 
manure— the ability to make it. or to buy it. In all the 
older settled parts of llie country barnyard manuie has a 
market value. We are desirous of learning what the 
value of it is in all parts of the countiy. and will think 
any of our readers «Iio can conveniently do so, if liiey 
will give us the price at which they can buy Ljood stall 
or yard manure of mixed dung and Utter from common 
farmstock. Manure is usually sold by the load, which 
means a load for a pair of oxen or horses, but for ac^cu- 
racy we will call it half a cord, 64 solid feel. The price 
within our own knowledge varies from $6 to bO cents. 
Those sections where farmers move barns to get tliem 
away from the accumulated manure are gradually grow- 
ing less in number. That the comparison may be the 
more accurate, we ask also that the price per bushel of 
shelled corn or corn on the car. by weight, on the farm, 
shall also be given. A collection and classification of an- 
swers to those qiiesdoiis will be intei esling and valuable. 
Aslies Tor Manure in IlUnoi<$. — ''L. 
E. R." says, lliere is a sle:im mill near his farm where 
iheyburucual and wood, and that he can have all the 
ashes he wants. His question is whether Ihey will pay to 
haul and put about fiuit trees, etc.. on a yellow clay soil ? 
We think it will pay. especially if the ashes are cle^n, 
free from ciinkers and slag. Coal ashes would be of 
doubtful utility alone, but mixed as we infer they are with 
wood ashes, the vnlue of the mixture depends chiefly 
upon the wood ashes. If there is much wood burned, it 
might pay even to sift the ashes (provided they can be 
easily run through a common coal screen), In order to 
remove the slag and clinker. 
** Flonr of Boue.'^ — In April, pasje 139, 
we gave a general caution in reference to all fine ground 
fertilizers. The Agents of the "Flour of Bune," (ad- 
vertised elsewhere in this paper.') inform us that certain 
Interested dealers quote our remarks as specially appli- 
cable to their manufacture. That can h;trdly be possi- 
ble, for the case of fraud referred to, w as distinctly stated 
to have occurred two yea-s ago—or before the Boston 
Company's "Flour of Bone" was lie.iri! of. We iKive 
had no reason to doubt that the '* Flour of Bone" adver- 
tised by them, is pure bone, except the 5 per cent, salt 
added, whifh they claim to add, esjiecially if furnished 
direct by the Company, or their authorized reliable 
agents. Our only controversy «ith them has been in re- 
gard to the price, and \^hether tiie "floured" material 
is as cheap as the lower priced coarser ground. That 
was the main point alluded to in April. 
Xhe Convenient Farm Oate described 
In the June No. fp. 219). is said byseveial correspond- 
ents to be chiimed as a patented article and rights offered 
for sale. We know of its having been in use several 
years, and never licfore heard that the principle had been 
patented. Whose patent is it ? 
Trouble viitlt Sqnasihes.— Several coia- 
piain that they are obliged to give up Winter Squashes 
on account of the borer. One writer finds a borer in the 
root. This is a new trouble, or one new to us. The or- 
dinary borer we have had atiackthestems, and have some ■ 
limes dug him out and saved tiie plant ; but the mischief 
often gels beyond remedy. The parent insect which lays 
the eggs to produce theborei has anorange-coloted body, 
with black fore wings and transparent liinder ones, and 
long fringes on its hind legs. It lays its eggs upon the 
vine, near the root, from June to August. If any such 
moth is seen ahout the vines, it is quite sure to mean 
mischief, and it should be caught. They are not very 
numerous, and It is probable thrtt they may be headed 
off. if suflicienl care be taken. Vines killed by this 
insect sliould be burnell. or, at any rate, the grub should 
be killed, to prevent its increase. 
The Practical Entomologist.— We 
have before alluded to iliis niontlily, devote<i to popular 
entomology. It was commenced as a graluitious publica- 
tion, and its projectors soon f<Hind they had their hands 
full. They now propose to issue it at the very moderate 
price of SO cents a year, provided 5000 subscribers are 
obtained. Otherwise the publication will not be con- 
tinued after September. We trust those interested in 
insects will give it the very moderate support required. 
In$«ect!« and I^ertilixation. — The lovers 
I of the curious in nature will not fail to read the paf.ers 
under the above title, contributed by Prof. Asa Gray. 
Most of the facts mentioned in these articles are for the 
first time given to the public, and while they are presented 
in a style so popular that every one can comprehend 
them, they arc a very valuable contribution to science. 
ITnn^rmentecl Wine.— A Michigan clergy- 
man, whose lepulation induces us to respectfully con- 
sider his communication, takes exception to our state- 
ment that there can be no such thing as *' unfermented 
wine," and informs us that it is an "important Western 
production,'' and quotes us the Hebrew name f<u- it. 
Wliile we admit tliat the reveiend gentleman is right as 
to Ids Hebrew, we insist upon our English. The only 
two English dictionaries we have at hand are Worcester 
and Webster, both of whom give the definition of wine 
" the fermented juice of the gr.ipe." Until we get some 
better authority in English, we shall use the word Wijie 
with the meaning above quoted, and Must, for the unfer- 
mented juice, wliich is no more wine than dough is bread. 
The Ag;ricnlturi*<t StraMberry is 
shown at a disadvantage on page 2S8, as the engraved 
specimen was taken as the average size of a large lot 
raised in the fieM and sent to market ; while of some 
others, the largest specimens were tiie only ones at hand 
to be engraved from. The application however of a 
measure to the engraiing of the Agriculturist, will show 
it to be very large for field fruit, grown on young plants. 
The International Ifforticialtnral 
Kvhibition and Botauical Cong^ress.— The 
recent English journals are filled with accounts of the 
great show and gathering which took place in London in 
May last, and to which we alluded in our June issue. A 
friend who was present writes tliat the exhibition was a 
great success, and the display of plants probably never 
before equalletl. The Botanical Congress he describes 
as having been a rather dreary affair, as it well might 
have been with botanistsof several different nationalities, 
each reading papers in his own language. Of course 
there were guinea days for the nobility and shilling days 
for common people, and great dinners and tedious 
speeches, as is the custom with our friends over the water. 
The **Crolden Qiieen^^ Stra^'berry, 
— After our notes on varieties were made up, we liad 
sent to us specimens of a strawberry called "Golden 
Queen," by Mr. J. B. Ciine, of Rochester, N. V. We 
have had an engraving made of one which will show its 
shape, and the average size of the specimens exhibited. 
The fruit is firm, bright scarlet, of a very aromatic flavor. 
It was stated in the summer meeting of the Fruit Grow- 
er's Society of Western N. Y., that this wastlie same as 
TroUope's Victoria. It certainly has some characteris- 
tics of that fruit, but we can not decide on their identity 
without comparing the two. .Should this prove to be liie 
Victoria, it v^ill add another synonym to that variety. 
The Butter won-t Come.— Ella M. ie 
in distress about her cream, and is half inclined to think 
it is bewitclied. No amount of churning brings butter. 
It happens so sometimes in good dairies. Change the 
diet of the cows if you can, especially give them salt, but 
begin gradually if they have not been salted regtilarly, 
and keep it always where they can get it. Take good 
care of the cream, keep It cool, and begin churning at 
the temperature of 5S* to 00° Far. for Kt"* C.) 
Cancer ^uaclt;*-— Of all classes of quacks, 
those who make a specialty of cancers are probably the 
worst. .\. case lias fallen lately under our notice which 
we will record for the benefit of oiliers. An estimable 
lady, in mature life, had been for some years under the 
care of a thorough, attentive and excellent physician, 
and suffering with a cancer, which was only the obvintis 
development of cancerous disease, existing In tliat part 
of the system where it was situated. She rniglit have 
liyed for several years under the good treatment -^he w:is 
receiving, but was frankly toid by her physician that tlie 
malady would in time prove fatal. By the illjudged ad- 
vise of friends slie \isited New York, submitted herself 
to a notorious cancer quack, submiUed to a most ex- 
crucialing operation, after wliich she lapidly sank away 
and wiihin 3 months was in her grave. The quark's fee 
was $300, in addition to some 3 weeks board in the ciiy 
which must have cost $100 more, money which, though 
willing paid, cost no small sacrifice to the family. These 
rascals are all alike ; they are the cannibals of civilizeil 
society, actually devouring not only widow's house?, but 
letting not even their patient's lives stand in the way of 
iheir gain of lucre. Avoid, as you would death, any raan 
who advertises his cures. The successful cases of the 
"Cancer Doctors" are usually not cancel's, but sore 
glandular turners of some kind. 
The "Frost Flower »♦ of Rnssia.^ 
Under this head the N.Y. Chrisiian Advocate quotes from 
a " Boston journal" a story of a wonderful flower that 
bursts "from tlie frozen snow on the first day of the 
year, it grows to the height of three feet, and flowers on 
the [ld:d day, remains in flower for 21 hours, and then 
dissolves it.self into its original element— stem, leaves, 
and flower being of the finest snow." And a great deal 
more of the same sort. Can our readers wcmder that we 
'•pitch into" newspaper science, wlien stuff similar to 
this is found in a paper in which we look for truth? The 
Advocate quotes from another journal, but it is no more 
true than if it had quoted from the Arabian Nights or Ba- 
ron Munchausen. What thing may have served as a 
foundation of this story we cannot guess, but as the mat- 
ter as presented in the article, it is just ridiculous. 
What there is in the consiitutinn of daily and weekly 
newspapers to make them pervert or get at the wrong 
end of all matters of science, we cannot understand. 
'*The €Sreat American Paint Com« 
pany."— *' I^xeelsior Paint,"— An advertisement 
of ihis, marked for 3 months inserti<m, appears in several 
papers, and many inquire of us about it. From tlie name 
and claims, one might expect to find an immense 
establishment. We found a small third-story room, with. 
one desk in it. as the office ; hut did not find the *' head 
man" in. We ?ent one dollar, however, through 
other parlies, and got the receipt, marked "copyright 
applied for." The recipe sold fur $1. proposing to make 
an "excelsior paint." seems t'> pr;»videordy for a lime 
while-wash, as tiie principal element is lime. Perhaps 
the sugar nnJ salt added, may be of advantage. We 
sliall tPy it. If on further examination and tiial. It be 
found to be any improvement, and if the "Secretary" 
can show us any right he has for discovery, etc., wc will 
help him sell it ; otherwise, we will publish the recipe, 
and what it amounts to, in our next. 
Silver's Patent Broom.— This is a 
novelty, certainly. By means of a cap and screw, the 
brusli can be removed at any lime. We have no broom 
corn at hand to lest the removal of the f>ld brush and tho 
putting in of new, but we do nut see why it c:in not be 
readily done by any one. and farmers thus raise a little 
plot of broom corn and make their own brooms, after 
buying a patent handle. The one we are using has a 
superior elasticity. 
The "Lifthtning Apple Parer'Ms 
the name of a new machine— partly we suppose to indi- 
cate the great rapidity of its work, and partly because all 
the oilier striking names liave already been appropriated 
by the thousand and one apple-parers before the public. 
IFowever that may be, we like the "Lightning parer" 
foritssimfdicity and good work, two important requisites 
in every machine. It is described in an advertisement. 
The ^* Lamh*' Family Knitting ^la- 
chiue. — We examined the machine made by tliis com- 
pany with some care at tlie last fair of the American In- 
stitute, and are satisfied that it Is a most valuable inven- 
tion, being comparatively simple, exceedingly rapid in 
operation, and adaptable to a great variety of work. 
** Orand IVational Concert " at Wash- 
ington. — Sundiy cin:ulars for tlie above come in just as 
we go to press, and have not opportunity to verify them. 
From the looks of the thing, we should hkve called it a 
gigantic " Gift enterprise " of exceedingly doubtful char- 
acter, but these circulars aie apparently fianUed by re 
spectable members of Congress. Wonder if they saw 
the "pins," "ear lings," ' sleeve buttons." "spoons," 
etc., ofl^ered ? At best it is a ilisreput;ible affair, and Is 
no belter than a huge lottery, lo say the least. The end 
not a wliit sanctifies the means. 
A Vear or the Rinderpest in Oreat 
Britain.— June 2-3d ctmipleted tlie first year of the dis- 
ease in England, Excluding the unreported cases, the 
official Repoit gives : 24S.96.') Cattle attacked ; of which 
124,187 died, 80.597 were killed, 32,989 recovered, and the 
results of 11.192 cases are not given. 31.343 cattle ex- 
posed, were slaughiered before being attacked. More 
than 1 in every 'ZQ of the cattle in Grejti Britain were at- 
tacked ; and of these, about Sol.'i in every 1000 perished. 
Of Sheep. 4.463 were officially rpporied attacked by the 
Rinderpest ; of wliich 4,002 liied or were killed and 461 
recovered. 23 counties remained unvi^ited by the dis- 
ease.— During the la-t week, the attacks numbered 666, 
The average weekly attacks during the year were 4,778. 
