134 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
Warts on Horses. — John Emory, Ran- 
dolph Co., 111. The most certain cure for warts is to re- 
move them with a sharp knife. Caustic applications may 
be successful, where cutting is not practicable. Nitrate 
of silver, (lunar caustic) is often used for the purpose. 
Mayliew, recommends a paste made of sulphuric acid 
and powdered sulphur, which can be applied by means of 
a flat piece of wood. Warts should be removed as soon 
as they make their appearance ; if neglected they be- 
come unsightly, and additional ones are apt to grow. 
I^ice on Horses. — Elijah Bailey, Latnbton 
Co., C. W. Sweet oil, well rubbed into the hair of the 
horse will destroy lice. Other oil or grease will answer, 
but it would not be so agreeable to the animal or his owner. 
Xo Perent Sows Over-laying I*ig;s. 
— This is a frequent occurrence, generally happening in 
small pens or where much long straw is allowed for bed- 
ding. The Ohio Farmer suggests a remedy to prevent 
the pigs from being crushed against the wall, viz.: to put 
aboard in the form of a shelf around the wall, about a 
foot above the floor. The board may be 8 or 10 inches 
wide. This will leave a space underneath for the pigs, 
where the sow can not lie upon them. 
For tlie Rats. — Mahlon Guenn, of Morris 
Co., N. J., writes to the Agriculturist that, after 20 years 
of ineffecLial contest with Hie rats in his barn, he has fi- 
nally expelled them by sprinkling fresh slaked lime around 
the sills, and wherever the rats will be likely to get their 
feet into it. They don't like it, and quit the premises. 
Mr. G. pronounces this a certain remedy. Several other 
correspondents recommend chloride of lime for the same 
purpose. Some say it burns their feet, and others that 
the rats don't like the odor of the chlorine gas. 
Rats OnaM in**- Harness.— J. C. Marsh, 
Winnebago Co., Wis., inquires how to prevent rats gnaw- 
ing harness after it has been oiled. Kill the rats. 
A Great Egg. — I. Sues, Jefferson Co., Ky., 
sends a description of a mammoth egg laid by a lien 10 
months old, a crossed breed of the Spanish and com- 
mon dunghill. It measured nine inches in circumference 
one war, and seven inches the other, and weighed five 
and l-16th ounces. That is large enough to crow over. 
What the I>ogs did in Ohio.— A. B. 
West, Licking Co., Ohio, sends to the Agriculturist an 
extract from the Report of the Slate Auditor of Ohio, by 
which it appears that during the last year tha dogs killed 
32,061 sheep, worth $63,868.07, and also injured 24,301 
sheep to the amount of $23,224. Yet there are men op- 
posed to dog laws ! 
Xo Expel Hornets, etc.— Thomas H. 
Smith, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., writes that hornets, bees, 
wasps, etc., may be effectually expelled from their quar- 
ters by spirits of turpentine, applied with a large syringe. 
I,ioe on Cattle.— Ely Stone, Fairfield Co., 
O.— Apply grease or oil to the parts affected, rubbing it 
well through the hair, on to the skin. Kerosene oil will 
perhaps answer a good purpose, if most convenient. 
Weigfht of Hay in a Mow.-A Penn- 
sylvania farmer found, upon actual trial, that 450 cubic 
feet of hay, taken near the top of a mow, made a ton in 
weight. The average was about 400 cubic feet — less near 
the bottom of deep mows, and more at the top of the 
mow. This would be a tun for every foot in hight of a 
mow 20 feet square ; or 10 by 40 feet ; or 15 by 26% feet. 
The Corn-llarlcer Improved. — Sev- 
eral correspondents write that they use a corn-marker 
similar to the one described on page 41, (Feb. No.) but 
with the addition of another runner, so that three marks 
are made at each crossing of the field. 
Invention of the <*rain Cradle.— 
Joseph E. Armitage, Bucks Co., Pa., inquires, " When, 
where, and by whom was that useful implement, the grain 
cradle, invented ? 
Flax Puller Wanted.— A. S. Plummer, 
Portage Co., O., inquires if there is any machine worked 
by horse power, for pulling flax. We know of none. 
Such a machine if simple and effective would be valuable. 
Sorgho in Connecticut. — A correspond- 
ent at New-Milford, Conn., writes: "We intend this 
year to give sorgho a thorough trial. Two mills for the 
manufacture of the cane into syrup are being erected in 
this town ; one by Mr. George McMahon, the other by 
Messrs. Elijah Hull <fc Son. There will be at least 30 
acres of cane planted in this immediate vicinity." 
Sorghum Syrup can be made to equal the 
best article turned out at the sugar refiners. A keg sent 
to us by Blymer, Bates & Day, Mansfield, Ohio, made on 
Cook's Evaporator, without the use of chemicals or defe- 
cating substances, is very good. Good apparatus careful- 
ly used is requisite for obtaining a superior article. 
Yield of Flax per Acre. —From 9>£ 
acres of the McKee farm in Washington Co., N. Y., 
sown with flax last year, there were obtained '91 bushels 
of seed, and 4,229 lbs. of lint. The seed was sold for $2. 
67Xc per bushel, and the dressed flax at 25Xc. per lb., 
making the product of an acre $141. The cost for dres- 
sing the flax was 2) a 'c. per lb., or $11.13 per acre. 
large Product of Two Potatoes.— 
N. Varnum, Hancock Co.,, Me., writes: "Last Spring 
I planted two Garnet Chili potatoes, 4 eyes in a hill. Two 
hills did not come up, and two others sent up single stalks. 
They received ordinary cultivation ; the product 85 lbs," 
Winter Wheat in Iowa,- E. Kcnyou, 
Henry Co., Iowa, writes that winter wheat has given bet- 
ter crops than the Spring variety, in that section, for two 
or three years past : it also now commands 20 to 25 cts. 
per bushel more in price. Spring wheat has usually been 
relied on, but much winter wheat was sown last Fall. 
Straight Honey Combs.— M. Qnimby, 
during a recent visit at the Agriculturist office, slated, 
that he had found a simple and costless plan for securing 
straight combs on the movable frames. He elevates the 
front or back of the hive about 30 degrees, the frames 
running from front to rear,— and finds the bees invariably 
build straight combs. In some 50 hives on which the 
experiment was tried, there was not a single failure. 
fjnnatural Grafting*. — A story is going 
the rounds of the papers that a Mr. Smith— whether John 
Smith or not is not stated— has great success in raising 
fruit trees by grafting on maple and walnut stocks, and it 
is claimed that much hardier trees are obtained. We 
shall be ready to believe ihiswhenive see it. 
Whale Oil Soap Substitute. — Sev- 
eral subscribers living where this can not be procured, 
ask us what will serve as a substitute. Where whale oil 
can be obtained, the soap may be made in the same man- 
ner as soft soap. Probably the efficacy of this kind of 
soap is due in great measure to its disagreeable odor. A 
friend of ours, uses a compound with great success upon 
his peach-trees which might be tried on other plants. He 
mixes a strong decoction of tobacco and aloes, and dis- 
solves soft soap in it, in no very definite proportion. 
Rlaclcberries. — Those recommended by 
the New-York Fruit Growers' Society were ; New- 
Rochelle (which is sometimes called Lawton) ; the Dor- 
chester ; and the Cut, or Parsley Leaved. The last 
named is new and looks pretty, but we are not yet prepar- 
ed to recommend it for producing fruit on a large scale. 
Cold CJrapery— " J. J." After the vines are 
planted, the after care need not occupy over an hour a day. 
The Black Hamburgh, Grizly Frontignan. and While 
Sweet-Water or White Muscat of Alexandria, would 
give a good variety. 
Grape Queries.— B. L. Maurer. New and 
vigorous vines can be obtained so easily from cuttings 
and layers that it is hardly worth while to be at the trouble 
of transplanting old ones. If done it should be in the 
Fall or early Spring. (Cannot tell about lands. )— Ectus. 
The Adirondac is not well enough known for us to de- 
cide. A. H. Sprankle, Stark Co., O. If the old ground 
has been well cultivated we should prefer it to new, for 
planting with vines. 
Grapes in Spring:.— At the Fruit Grow- 
ers Meeting, March 26th, some fresh, plump Isabella 
grapes were presented by Samuel Mitchell, of Steuben 
Co., N. Y. They were packed, at the time of picking, 
in boxes one foot square and six inches deep, three layers 
of bunches with sheets of newspaper laid between them. 
They were then put in a cool cellar and not opened 
until Spring, when they came out with more flavor, and 
greener stems than we have before seen. 
Chrysanthemum— Maizena.— Lucie A. 
Partridge. In pronouncing the accent is on the second 
syllable, thus: chry-san-the-mum. — Malzena Is named 
from Maize (Indian corn), from which it is made ; It U 
not malerially different from corn starch, the name Mal- 
zena being a trade mark for a good quality of that article, 
Gladiolus and Japan Lily.— J. S. F. 
The seeds of these should be sown as soon as the soil is 
warm, In a rather shady place. The bulbs must be taken 
up in Autumn when the leaves die off. They are three 
or four years in coming into flower. 
Opium Poppy.— Root. Bickford, Boyle Co., 
Ky, Early in the present century an unsuccessful at- 
tempt was made to produce opium in this country. We 
have heard of no successful trial. Narcotic plants are 
peculiarily modified by the climate in which they grow. 
The common hemp produces in Asia the Hasheesh, 
which is celebrated throughout the East for its intoxicat- 
ing qualities, while here it yields nothing of the kind. 
We have not the S. C. Seed you ask for. 
Worms Among- the Verbenas.- Mrs. 
A. R. Sprout, Lycoming Co., Pa., finding that her Ver- 
benas stopped blooming and the leaves withered, sup- 
posed that the trouble was caused by drouth. As no 
amount of watering restored them, she dug them up and 
found that " every root and fibre was a living mass of 
insects " By thoroughly washing the roots and replant- 
ing she succeeded in saving the choicest specimens. She* 
has a seedling verbena that is "delightfully fragrant," and 
asks if it is common for them to be so. There are sever- 
al, so called, fragrant verbenas, but we have never seen 
one delightfully so. We should be glad of a cutting. 
Roses and Fnschias. — L. C. Weaver, 
Stearns Co., Minn. These can not be sent by mail. We 
do not keep plants of any kind for sale, but hand all or- 
ders which come to us to some one in the business. Our 
aim is to have no pecuniary interest in the sale of any- 
thing, so that we be without the slightest inducement 
to over-estimate the value of any article. 
Why Cactus does not Flower. — "E. 
A. H.," Nangatuck, Ct. The reason probably is that it is 
too wet. The Cactus family are generally from countries 
where there is no rain for nine months in the year. Dry 
it for a few months — you need not fear hurting it — then 
on giving water it will probably throw out flower buds. 
Xo Save Trouble or Subscribing 1 
Every Year. — A California subscriber writes : " It is 
no little trouble to send away off to the Agriculturist 
every year, the dollar subscription. We have no small 
bills, and if we had, it would still be a bother to send the 
small sum tvery year. Our paper is often interrupted 
for two or three months, as we forget to renew before the 
stoppage of the paper. I propose that you let a man pay 
$5 at one time, and then send him the paper six years. 
The extra year will be partly covered by the interest, and 
by the saving of risk in five different remittances, as well 
as the labor of re-entering the names every year." We 
accept the proposal of our correspondent, and extend it 
to any others who may prefer this course. It would 
doubtless be convenient to many to send in for two or 
three, or more years at a time, and it would save us no 
little labor in re-entering and posting the names every 
year. When three or more years are sent for, a receipt 
noting the full time paid for will be returned to the 
subscribers when requested. 
Meteorological Notes from Illinois. 
— J. S. Rodgers, of McHenry Co., ID., who has kept rec- 
ords for the Smithsonian Institute, sends us a summary 
of his observations for 1862, which we have not room for 
in full. The range of the barometer during 1862, at an 
altitude of 842 feet above the sea level, was from 2S.46 
inches to 29.66 inches. The thermometer varied from 9S° 
to 15° below 0. Mean of 4 daily observations through the 
year,45°6. Rain fall, 38.47 inches. Snow 42.80 inches. 
Latest frost in Spring, on May 20th ; earliest frost in Au- 
tumn, October 5th. 
Agriculture or Massachusetts, by 
C. L. Flint; being the Tenth Report of the Secretary of 
the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture for IS62. A 
commendable feature of this report Is the promptness of 
its appearance, which enables the farmer to profit at once 
by whatever valuable suggestions it contains. The more 
important contents are a report upon Pleuro-pneumonla — 
the fatal cattle disease ; an interesting account of a series 
of experiments upon the use of manures ; an article upon 
the insects beneficial to agriculture, and a report upon 
fruit culture. These, with other papers, including one 
giving the Secretary's observations upon European Agri- 
culture, make up not only a useful but a really readable 
volume. Mr. Flint Is doing good service to (he cause of 
Agriculture in Massachusetts, and we regard this Report 
as another evidence of the Industry and good judgment 
which he brings to the work of his office. 
