AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January 
8mall-]»ox. in Sliecp.— Tins is reported to 
have been quite prevalent of late in England, and to prove 
the efficacy of vaccination, the Government has purchased 
200 sheep to experiment with. They propose inoculating 
a portion of them with the virus direct fi om the cow. 
Poultry Profitable.— Mr. R. W. Davey, 
of Middlesex Co., Mass., in a letter to the American Ag- 
riculturist, says he finds it pays well to give poultry warm 
quarters with plenty of feed. He reports the cost of 
keeping six fowls II months, from January 1st, to Decem- 
ber 1st at $6. (14. The returns were: 551 eggs at 16; 3 e. 
per doz. $7.66. Poultry sold. $4.70. Fowls added to 
stock, $1.50; total $13.S6— a net profit of $7.82, or more 
than $1,25 for each fowl. This is certainly a very good 
showing on a small scale. Mr. D. justly attributes this 
success to the care bestowed upon his poultry, which he 
does not include in reckoning the cost. 
The I&ens Do Lay. — " A Constant Read- 
er" writes ; M I have 21 liens, good layers, but they en- 
tirely ceased giving eggs in the latter part of Hummer. 
Acting upon a hint in my American Agriculturist, on Oct. 
1st, I sent to the soap-fat triers, and got a 50 pound cake 
of scraps at one cent per pound, and placed it in a clean 
corner of the barn-yard. The hens, though abundantly 
supplied with grain, pitched into the scrap cake as eager- 
ly as a boy would into a pound cake, though they found it 
hard work to get off much of the substance until after a 
rain had soaked it. Two weeks after, the eggs began tj 
be dropped, and now how they do lay ! We have kept no 
account, but we must have got a dozen and a half a day 
for some time, as we have consumed all we could eat in 
the family, and have sold a surplus oflO dozen at the rate 
of five for a shilling, or $3, which I enclose herewith for 
three copies of the paper for myself and two friends, as 
named below. The eggs eaten at home more than paid 
for the meat (not yet half gone) and the other feed." 
Mow MucH Grain for Fowls?— C. N. 
Bement, writes to the American Agriculturist, that he has 
ascertained by actual experiment, that in the months of 
December, January and February, a common sized fowl 
will consume on an average one gill per day of coin, bai- 
ley, or buckwheat, if permitted to take it at pleasure. 
Fowls Cuanging; Color. — E. P. Berrian, 
Westchester Co., N. Y., writes that he has a 2-year old 
black Spanish hen, which was originally a jet black, but 
during the last six months she has been changing her 
coat, and is now almost entirely white. He asks the Ag- 
riculturist readers to account for the phenomenon. 
As»e of Poultry. — C. N. Bement, writes to 
the American Agriculturist, as follows: "It is easy to 
judge of the age of a plucked fowl by the state of the 
legs. If a hen's spur is hard and the scales on the legs 
rough, she is old. Examine the head also. If the under 
bill is so stiff that it can not be bent down, and the comb 
is thick and rough, leave her, no matter how fat or plump, 
unless a lough case is preferred. A young hen has only 
the rudiments of spurs, the scaleson the legs smooth, glos- 
sy, and fresh-looking, whatever the color may be ; the 
claws tender and short, the nails sharp, the under bill 
soft, and the comb thin and smooth. An old goose 
when alive, is known by the rough legs, the strength of 
the wings, particularly at the pinions, the thickness and 
strength of the bill, and the fineness of the feathers ; and 
when plucke ', by the leg*, the skin under the wings, by 
the pinions and bill, and the coarseness of the skin. Ducks 
are distinguished by the same means, with this addition- 
al mark, that a duckling's bill is much longer in proportion 
to the breadth of its head, than the bill of on old duck. 
Oyster Shells for Poultry.— H. A fc Sla- 
ter, Hartford Co., Conn. These broken fine are as good 
or better than slaked lime ; they answer in part for grav- 
el, as well as lime. 
Thanksgiving; Turkey Sacrificed. 
—A subscriber (Pliny N, Ward), of Worcester Co., Mass., 
in renewing his subscription to the American Agricultur- 
ist for 1S63, writes: " 1 know of no agricultural pub- 
lication equal to yours in several respects. Its rich vein 
of sound, practical, common sense, causes its perusal to 
do good like a medicine ; and I should wish for its month- 
ly visits if I did nolown a single foot of land, for its moral 
and religious influence. You will believe my statement 
above, when I assure you that, our Thanksgiving Turkey 
was sold to obtain the dollar herein forwarded." [Such 
kind appreciation, and this letter is only a sample of 
many, Is certainly a strong stimulus to increased effort on 
the part of the Editors.] 
" Fs*yptinn SorgSio or linphce." — 
M. Beck, writes to the Agriculturist from Wayne Co., 
O., that he planted 17 rods of what was called Egyptian 
sorgho there, on a rich clay soil, rows two feet apart, and 
canes 4 to 5 inches distant, which grew luxuriantly and 
ripened in October. The juice evaporated on Cook's pan, 
yielded 40 gallons as fine syrup as he ever saw. This 
was at the rate of 375 gallons per acre. 
Barley— Weight of a Bushel in Me. 
—On page 375 of December Agriculturist, the weight of 
barley given at 56 lbs., is a typographical error; it should 
have been 46 lbs. 
Prolific Bean.— S. G. Willard, Windham 
Co., Conn,, says, a subscriber to the American Agricul- 
turist in that County raised 326 merchantable beans of a 
large, white, running sort, from one seed trained on a pole 
5 feet high. He thinks the "Agriculturist did it." 
Northern Cotton — Specimens lately 
Received.— Ten pounds of Upland, well grown, but 
rather short staple, from Rev. J. A. Bent, Washington 
Co., 111.— Small samples from 6 pounds of two varieties, 
grown by G. D. Furber, Macoupin Co., 111., from seed 
s?nt out by the Agriculturist. Both of these (Upland and 
Sea Island,) are well-grown and fine. Specimen long 
staple from H. Davison, Defiance Co., O., grown from 
Alabama seed, which proved too late for that climate. — 
Also specimen of short staple, fine fiber, from J. G. Stack- 
pole, Meigs Co., 0., from plants growing five feet high. 
Sillc in Ohio. — From the Census report of 
1860, we learn that 2,166 pounds of cocoons were pro- 
duced in Ohio (hat year. Michigan comes next, that 
Stale being credited with 1,043 pounds. Correspondents 
who have frequently asked where they can obtain eggs, 
will douhtless find them by addressing prominent agri- 
culturists in those States. 
Tree Cotton Seed.— Mrs. B. Davis, Ash- 
tabula Co., O. There is none of this seed that we know 
of, to be had in this country. The parties who set forth 
the wonderful merits of the plant a few months since, 
proved unreliable, disappointing many parties who had 
paid money for the seed. 
Sweet Potatoes Profitable at the 
North. — Several years of experience, always success- 
ful, and a great many reports from those who followed 
our advipe last Spring, and tried them, fully confirm the 
belief that it pays well to cultivate at least a small plot of 
sweet potatoes for home use, in any garden south of lati- 
tude 42°, where a light warm soil can be had, and even 
further North in favorable localities. 
Cesspool Slops.— W. Gilbert, N. T. Cess- 
pool slops are among the most valuable, especially if the 
chamber slops are added, or water closet pipes enter into 
the cesspool. Clean out frequently, mixing the contents 
with muck, and a rich compost will be formed. 
Salt Preserves Timber. — Asa M. Holt, 
Middlesex Co., Conn., writes to the Agriculturist that he 
built an out-cellar in 1828, covering the roof with sawed 
chestnut timber laid from the ridge pole down over the 
rafters. Upon this was put three feet of earth, with an 
outer roof of pine boards to turn rain. The roof lasted 
ten years, and then fell in. He then had a similar roof 
put on by the original builder, but before covering will) 
earth, a bushel or more of coarse salt was sown over the 
timber roof. This last roof has been on 24 years, and 
bids fair to last some time longer. 
Hardy Apples in Minnesota.— H. D. 
Ives, Napello Co., Iowa, referring to an item with the 
above head on page 288, August Agriculturist, says the 
Roxbury Russet bursts its hark in their prairie soil, and 
is lender beside. The same is true of the Baldwin and 
R. I. Greening, though in a less degree. 
Vicar's Improving*. — "Don't touch the 
Vicar's," was the advice of an old woman who has sold 
pears in Washington Market for I he past ten years, lo a 
person about negotiating for some of this variety. "They 
won't sell," added she. True, as ordinarily grown and 
ripened, they are uninviting to sight or palate, but as of- 
fered at the Agriculturist Fruit Growers* Meeting, they 
wove really good. The secret lies just here. Thin the 
fruit while growing, pick late in the season, handling 
with care. A little frost don't hurt them. Put in a barn 
or other building for a week, to sweat, then take to acool 
cellar, and if packed in cut hay, oats, or oat chaff, all the 
better. Two weeks before wanted, bring them to a warm 
room — say 65° to 75° — ar.d they will often coloj" up finely, 
and if they are not No. 1, they are more than good, at a 
time when very few pears of any kind are to be had. 
Ignoramus Quince.— Such is the label 
on a very fine specimen of pear quince on the Agricultur- 
ist tables, which has a history. A progressive farmer in 
New-Jersey asked his neighbor why he was culling 
down his quince trees. The reply was they were worth- 
less, and he could not succeed in raising quinces. Our 
friend advised him to take the American Agriculturist, 
where he had seen good directions for growing quince.*. 
But he did not want any " booh fudge." '• I left him, but 
took away a few twigs of his ouince trees, cut from the 
brush heap, and treating Ihe cuttings and the trees they 
produced according to the directions given by -book 
fudge,' I now have as fine healthy trees as one could 
wish, from which I picked the specimen here sent, and 
some 60 other fine quinces. I have shown the trees and 
fruit to * Ignoramus,' and if he don't come down with the 
dollar, I think he will get a present." 
Prune the Orape Vines Hfow # — Don't 
leave them so late that the pressing sap in the Spring will 
force its way through the partially hardened cut. We 
much prefer November and December, or at laiest, Janu- 
ary for the annual trimming. Prune judiciously, rutting 
out lo within one eye, the lasl hearing cane orshoot, w hei e 
the renewal system is followed, and taking nut a portion 
of the old wood of old vines allowed to ramble over an 
extensive trellis, or on the side of a building. The new 
growth should also be shortened in somewhat, bearing in 
mind, however, that this is lo be the next fruiting wood. 
Delaware Grafts.— J. Borland, Bucks Co., 
Pa., in a letter read at the Agriculturist Fruit Growers' 
Meeting, says he raised Delaware grapes from grafts in- 
serted in old roots. He advises laying an old vine in a 
trench early in Spring, and graft by splitting it at inter- 
vals, and running the wedge of an ordinary graft peri en- 
dicularly through this split ; then cover with 3 lo 4 inches 
of earth, leaving one bud out of ground. 
What Grapes to Plant.— This is a puz 
zling question to the amateur, even, and much more so 
to a novice. In order to settle the question, the Fruit 
Glowers' Meeting have appointed a judicious committee 1 
to bring in lists, from which, afler discussion, probably for 
weeks, a selection will be made and adopted as the So- 
ciety's list. 
Grafting Large Plum *lo<lts v» illi 
Apricots.— J. Webster, Marion Co., III. Belter graft 
in the branches, if the trees are three inches through. 
Small seedlings of one or two years' growth are best 
budded close to the ground. 
"A Pomologieal Congress of I%a- 
1 ions'' is announced in the Revue Horticole to be held 
at Namur, Belgium, Sept. 28, 1863. to which delegate* are 
invited from all countries. The special object is to form 
a standard nomenclature, which will prevent a great ileal 
of confusion, and not a little loss, especially to our own 
nurserymen and fruit growers, who often import, at a 
heavy expense, what they already have growing under 
another name. 
Fruit Growers' Magazine.— E. New- 
berry, Evansville, Ind. There is no periodical in this 
country devoted wholly to fruit growing, and none gh ing 
more space to this subject than the Agriculturist. 
Goo<1 Currants.— A. A. Davison, Mason 
Co., III., says he picked 12b quarts of Red Dutch currants 
from 33 bushes, some of which were too young to bear a 
full crop. The older ones bote 6 to 8 quarts- per plant. — 
From one three-year old Houghton's Needling Gooseber- 
ry bush he picked 3 quarls of fruit. This will do for a 
beginning, but a much larger yield may be looked for. 
Brush for Scraping Trees.- We have 
lately seen a brush made of metal instead of hair, for 
cleaning trees of moss and dead bark. It is a French de- 
vice, which TanTtee ingenuity could improve' upon. But 
a house broom, c til offfoa stub, answers very well. Fol- 
low this up with some alkaline wash. 
Fruit Xallc 2SO Years Ago.— <■ The 
names of appelles which I had (her graffes from BrEn ten- 
arch, from one Mr. Pace; Item, the appelle out of L's- 
sex ; the Lether-col or Russet appelle, ; the London pip- 
pin ; the Ken gnei line, or ihe Croke ; the glass appelle 
or pearmain ; the red stear : the Nemes appelle or pi en- 
ling; the Belleabone ; the appelle out of Dorshetsheer ■ 
the Domtne quo vadis ; the Paces pear ;" etc. etc. (Ex- 
tract from the Common Place book of Jehn Trevelyau, of 
Somersetshire, 1562.)- 
Flowers from Vermont.— Miss A. M. 
Allen, Lamoille Co., Vt. Your " Eupatorinm " is Veron- 
ica Virginir.a. ,l Fall Crocus*' is Colchirum atttumntile, 
or meadow Saffron, while ihe bulbous rooled flower proves 
tube OrnithagaJum umbel latum or Star of Bethlahem. 
The while flower is probably Achillea Ptannrca. " Sibe- 
rian Ash" is Pyrus Americana, and " Lady of Ihe Lake " 
we judge from the specimen lobe Physostcgia Virginiana, 
