1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
34: 
jYIaiKure from <l»e BrcM^orios — ICag- 
AVeed.— "J. W. T.," of Ellict, Me., nsks: **Willitpny 
to put hoi;>s and mall refuse from the breweries upon 
grass land at two cents a bushel ? We have a field that 
is full of rag-weed. What will kill it out ? Some of the 
ground was laid down tlu'ec years ago, and it is full of it 
now."— The hops and malt manure will probably pay well, 
rotnpost it with loamy soil, sods or nuick. It will heat 
quickly, and ns soon as it bet'omes lioniogeneous. it may 
he applieil. It is highly nitrogenous, and you must judge 
f.f its strength by the ariiviiy of the fermentation of the 
irompost heap The way to gt;t rid of rag-weed 
(Artemesia) is In put on hoed crops, manuring well, and 
keep them well hoed, not letting a weed go to seed for 
two years, then seed down with a small grain crop. .\ 
strong sward will keep down rag-\\ee(l, but lliis needs a 
soil in good heart. The plant is an annual, aii'l the seeds 
usually not long lived in the soil. 
Oyster ^Uclls oi- Oyster Sliell S^iiiie. 
— .Moriis Moses asks, in which condition oyster shells are 
most valuable ns a fertilizer, burnt or ground.— In the 
first place they are more cheaply reduced to a fine 
powder by burning than by grindirig ; 2d, the powder of 
the slaked lime is infinitely finer th;in the ground; 3d, 
the lime is a very active substance, producing imtnediate 
and marked results, (ov good, usually, for evil, if im- 
properly applied; Ith, the ground shell is an inert sub- 
stance, decomposing very gradually and prodvicing no 
ill effects, and good ones only in case the ground lacks 
calcareous matter, except so far as 1 to 1,'a per cent. 
of animal matter and a trace of phosphoric acid will go. 
Many soils need calcareou.s matter, and 5 pounds of 
*ilaked oyster shell lime will go much farther to supply- 
ing this for a crop or two, than SO of ground shells. 
Clover ibr <)rreeit ifKaiptre. — G. J. 
Gilbertson, Mitchell Co.. Iowa, asks : " In order to im- 
prove our dry sandy prairie land, I wish to sow clover ; 
what kind shall I get, anil when shall I sow it? "'—Plow 
at once, giving the land a dressing of gypsum (three to 
five bushels per acre), and sow twelve pounds of large 
red clover seed of good quality on a March snow. 
l*8aster aiL«l Heii-tliiit^' Compost oii 
Potatoes,- Daniel Edwards, of Allegany Co., N. Y., 
writes : *■ G. H. Case planted half an acre of potatoes 
Jas! spring on a sward of Timothy and wild grass, with no 
manure. After they were up, he put on 2 bushels of 
plaster and hen manure, equal parts, leaving two rows 
undressed in the middle of the field. The two rows have 
been yellow and of small growth ; the others have adeeji, 
rich, healthy green, and are twice as large as those un- 
dressed, and indicate double the quantity of potatoes that 
there would have been, but for the dressing. I am near 
70 years old, and never saw such a contrast produced by 
any kind or quantity of manure." 
Morse-rsiciuft" — Agricultural Socie- 
ties.^The number of cofuments and complaints, not to 
say bewailings, over the prostitution of agricultural 
societies to- the interests of horse jockeys is greater than 
usual, and shows either that the evil is growing worse, or 
that farmers are feeling it more. The fact is, that agri- 
cultural societies must be suppoited. Without the horse- 
races, which we dislike thoroughly, and consider demor- 
alizing and only bad as generally conducted, the fairs too 
often do not pay expenses. The farmers have the thing all 
in their own hands ; they may canvass the district before 
the annual meeting, elect officers who sympathise with 
their views, and then guarantee them the expenses and 
the premiums. In this way they \vill have the fairs to 
suit them. But will they do it? The farmers are 
slow, the horse-men are fast and free with their money. 
So they have things their own way, and (he farmers may 
thank them, not themselves, that they have eveii $10 
offered for the best bull, and $2 for the best mower and 
reaper. $200 offered in merely agricultural prizes will 
iiardly bring 50 people into the grounds, while for every 
dollar offered as a trotting prize, 50 people may seek en- 
trance. This, unfortunately, is the way tlie thing works, 
Sussex Co., rV, J. — The northernmost 
county in New Jersey is called Sussex, which might bo 
wondered at in any Stale except New Jersey.— H. C. N. 
reports that, braving the scoffs of his neighbors, he intro- 
duced a corn planter this spring, nilh which he planted G 
acres a day, and also a horse corn plow with which he 
finishes each row at one plowing. So he saved himself 
fully half the labor of corn culture, and though the neigh- 
bors called them humbugs, the machines held their own. 
Old Sussex County is famous for milk and butter. 
Qaestions not Ans'wered. — Wc do not 
wonder that many of our kind readers, who interest 
themselves for the Agric^dtunst, and who send us 
questions, are disappointed at not seeing them answered, 
and it is but fair that we sliould occasionally explain. 
Our space is very far too small to allow us to give as 
much as 10 lines to each question. Often we are able to 
answer half a dozen in one. Frequently questions re- 
([uire study and investigation, which it is sometimes dif- 
ficult to find time for before the oeason is passed for the 
current year. Then again there come questions which 
we can not well answer. Here, for instance, is one: 
IIo^v to lYIaUe Sod Fcuce aud Ditch. 
— " llow should a sod fence be built, or a ditch fence, or 
a sod fence and ditch ? "— " J. B. C," Montgomery Co., 
Iowa. This question we are happy to propound to our 
readers, and some *' old country man " will probably have 
to answer. Turf or sod fences, with or w ithout ditches, are 
common in Europe, especially in Ireland, but rare here. 
Settiu^ Fence KpSit^. — "N. C.^' advises 
to set posts without p'reparalion, but to apply "a large 
shovelful of wood aslies to each post just at the surface." 
A l>ninpMig- MTagon Wanted.— 
" What is the best plan tor a w;igon. the body of which 
will tilt, to dump its contents like a cart?" 
LeaUy Tts| R<jQr.— " G. S. K." When a 
tin roof proves itself good for nothing from any cause, 
rip it off. The plastic slate roofing is coal tar, mixed 
with slate flour, ground very fine. It is said to make a 
gooti roof if applied on a good felt, or wrapping paper. 
Roofing--— " V. H. F.,'' aud others. Froiu 
our own examination, from what we hear, and from the 
nature of things, (but not from the rather extravagant 
statements made by the parties who have it for sale), we 
are inclined to think that the so-called "Plastic Slate 
Roofing" is equal to the best roof of its kind. 
SicW Cl^icltens.— >Ir3. ''J. R. T.," of Flem- 
ingsburg, Fleming Co., Ky., is very much distressed 
about her fowls. She has lost 200 or more of her young 
chickens, and 25 or 30 hens. 75 young turkeys &.nd sever- 
al old ones. They droop a day or two, seem to have sore 
throats, and '*tiie scours," then die. Of course we can 
only guess what may be the matter. We have kn^wn a 
similar trouble from fowls eating cariion and maggots, 
and would put them in a yard, feed softened grain, or better 
grain ground and scalded, mixed with fine charcoal, and 
wood ashes. ' We have checked scours by giving a wine- 
glass of ale with 10 or 15 drops of paregoric to full-grown 
fowls ; sop bread in the ale. and put it down Iheir throats. 
IVtarking; diickenn^i. — "Progress" says; 
" When I v\ish to mark chickeas as I take them from 
the nest, I cut the web between the toes. As there are 3 
toes on each font, there are 4 places where you can have 
life-long marks on the fowls." 
'^i/cliuftg* or S^vitcliinj;- li>r Wa- 
ter,—'- T. M. L."— The only result that usually comes 
from following the witch-hazle-switch indications of 
water, is, that people locate their wells in very inconveni- 
ent jdaces. If a man digs a well deep enough, he usual- 
ly gets water, whether the hazle switch indicates it or 
not. Still, people who mean to speak the truth, tell very 
mnrvellous stories, which we have no wish to di<:put,e. 
Only we will say, when a writer like one in an esljj^pigd 
contemporary runs mad in his philosophy, aijd mate^ 
electricity do more wonderful things than talk across the 
Atlantic, we must protest. 
C%eesc X^apt^yy i^ ColHiu]l|yi^ Cq.j 
N. Tf*— We recently visited a new cheese factory just 
erected at Rider's Mills. Columbia Co.. N. Y. The build- 
ing is 100x30 feet, two stories high, erected in a vcrysiib- 
stantiai uianner. It is calculated to work up Ihe milk 
from 600 cows. Tiic iiication is an admirable one both 
as regards conveniences for manufacture, and excellence 
of the surrounding pasture, from \\ hich the very choicest 
butter has long been derived. The enterprise is a new 
one in that section, but it will undoubtedly pay, as it is 
intended to establish an A No. 1 brand in market. 
^Vill Root!^ Knter Cisterns ?— *' Chris- 
topher." of Nautucket, asks, if the roots of grape vines 
planted near a brick cistern will interfere with it. They 
will not if the bricks are well laid in cement, and liie 
cistern is water-tight to ihe top. Roots will penetrate a 
wall loosely biid. ruiddo often go through common cellar 
walls, even though cement mortar may have been used, 
but they will not go where water cannot. 
Co^v Avitla tlie iffeaves.--Wm. Wade, of 
Bristol, Ohio, has a cow wiiich has had something very 
like the heaves in horses for 2 years. The heaves is 
similar to asthma, and we know no reason why cows 
should not have it now and then. If it is asthmatic in its 
nature, it will be hard to cure, but probably may be al- 
leviated by common heave remedies. 
S'%vect l*otato Tiues. — Frauk Parker asks, 
if it is absolutely necessary to lift the vines dining the 
growing season. No. Neither is it a^so/u^f/i/ nn-.essary 
to raise sweet potatttes at all. The vines make roots 
throughout their entire lenglli, and on these roots little 
potatoes will form, but never mature. On this account 
the vines are torn up from the ground, or cut oflT to stop 
their running now and then, and the strength then goe^ 
to perfecting the tubers in the hills. 
Propag^atlng; lKlack1>erries and 
Raspberries.— M. Korff, Gray's Summit, Mo. These 
are propagated extensively from root cuttings. The 
roots are cut in pieces one or two inches long ;ind planted 
in spring, with a slight bottom heat. 
Beardless Barley. — The beardless or bald 
barley does well in Canada, and that fact answers the 
question as to its bearing a northern latitude. The 
Nepaul Barley is naked as well as bald. 
^fP)> ^HH^"'^ ^^** People ^Vei;^'U ? — 
jM. Queleiet, of Brussels, Belgium, conceived the idea of 
ascertaining the average weight of people at different 
age^, with other items. To this end he weighed many 
thousands of persons of all ages and occupations, in dif- 
ferent parts of Europe. The following is the result: 
«.— Infants, at birth, vary from 2X to II Jbs, 
//.— Infants, average weight -^ i.'^' lbs. 
c— Young men, at 20 years old, nvernge 1-13 lbs. 
rf.— Young women, at '20 years old, ; verage 129 lbs, 
e.— Men weigh most at 35 years old, nveia^ing 1^2 lbs. 
/.—Women vveigh most at 50 years old. averagint; l:i9lbs. 
£■.— Men and women together, at full growth, av'ge 140 lbs. 
* Boys, a little more ; girls, a little less. 
There is apparently some error in the last item, (•n- with 
the average weight of men of full growth at 152 Ih.<;., and 
of women at 139 lbs., the average weight of both taken 
together should be 145^ li^^- Probably the l;i.-t figure 
refers to men and women of all ages taken together, for 
taking the given averages (c, rf, e, /", above) the average 
is HO'^' lbs., and allowing for the usu:il excess of fe- 
males, the average of all would be reduced to about 140 
lbs. It is noteworthy that men reach their greafe<;t average 
weight at 35 years, and women not until 50 yenrs nf age. 
The figures refer to Europe; we tidnk the average 
weight of women in the United States would fall below 
129 lbs. at 20 years old, and 139 lbs. at 50 years. 
Rats* — The question how to get rid of rats 
meets with a ready answer from "J. C. F.,'* Litchfield 
Co., Ct. He says: "My method is to catch a rat, and 
din him all but his head in red paint, and let him go. Tlie 
rest do not like his looks and so leave the premises."' 
Preparing S"\veet Corn.— G. Mannhnn, 
Eikiiart Co., Ind. The corn is boiled just enough to 
harden the "milk," and then cut from the cob and dried. 
A inachine has been invented for cutting the corn from 
the cob, which will soon be advertised. 
dj^f^lfg' Meats. — '* Massachusetts Hams '* 
wTiij?^ : " I cure and smoke 50,000 to 100,000 pieces per 
year, and know my business. Meatcured in pickle made 
of water is not as good, and only used because more 
profitable aad less laborious. The flavor of cured meats 
depepds mainly upon the kind of molasses used. Tho 
be.st temppiiituic is 40°, frozen meat will not cure, and if 
aijpvg S.O'', \vill be liable to taint. For 100 lbs. meat, take 
8 lbs. s^^t, 1 quart best molasses or 2 lbs. sugar, ,^ lb. 
saltpeter. 2 ounp^§ ground alum ; mix and rub on the 
fleshly sid,e of the meat placed in pans, so as to keep all 
the mixture; repeat the rubbing every three days, rub- 
bing in thoroughly. For large pieces, and cold weather, 
60 days will be required ; if mild weather, 50 days, and 15 
days less for small pieces. The skin and fnt of hams 
should be cut clean from the face, as far down as the 
second joint, to allow the salt to enter. The recipe for 
keeping meat, viz., in ashes, given in September Agricul- 
turist, \s good. Smoking is of no benefU ; it is only a 
quick way of drying. Most people would prefer drying 
without smoke. If you smoke, use only walnut or yellow 
birch wood, or mahiigony saw-dust. Be sure your meat 
is well cooled off before salting ; ten days after killing is 
better than ten hours." 
Home-made Ink— Correction, — In 
some of the first printed copies of August Agriculturist, 
one of the ink recipes was spoiled by Ihe use of wrong 
letters in a word intended to be Bichromnte nf potash, 
which is an abundant material, found in most drug 
stores. Many others have recommended similar prepa- 
rations, and sent us specimens of writing with the ink, 
most of which are very good. See page 294 (August). 
