1GG 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Juke, 
Horse (i«anor.-P. S. Brokaw, of Som- 
erset Co., N. J., objects lo using currycomb, or brush, or 
the Implement described in May Agriculturist (page 141) 
for removing mud from horses, because it is unpleasant 
to be so near the animal while using them. He recom- 
mends the stunap of a worn out broom, with which the 
work can be equally well done and at arms' length. 
A Cow Cursing; Ri«;s.— B. Beaver, Wash- 
ington Co., R. I., writes that a farrow cow owned by him 
was seen on several occasions lying in the barn yard, with 
twc. of a litter of pigs in the same enclosure busily draw- 
ing supplies of milk from her well furnished bag. The 
cow seemed to rather enjoy the novel eiperiment. 
El ungarinu 4»rass for Sheep.— Luther 
Allen, Randolph Co., Ind- requests those who have tried 
feeding sheep with Hungarian grass to give the results. 
Boole on Sheep.— C. T. "Wilson, "Washing- 
ton Co., Wis. We know of no better work on sheep 
raising than " Randall's Sheep Husbandry," price $1.25. 
We can forward it by mail, post-paid, at this price. 
Choice Eg-gs.-G. "W. Cook, L. I. Poultry 
fanciers sell eggs of their stock, but there is great risk in 
transporting them. Jarring often destroys vitality. If 
packed at least carefully, partial success may be realized. 
Sex. of Eggs. — M. Gcniu, in a communication 
addressed to the French Academy, slates that eggs which 
contain male chicks, have wrinkles on the smaller end, 
while those which are to bring forth females are smooth. 
We should like to hear results of observations and experi- 
ments to discover the truth or falsity of the matter. 
Good Maple Sugar — A Hint. — The 
cake of Maple Sugar reported on our Exhibition Tables 
last month, from L. Wolcolt, Croton, N. Y., has since 
heen tesled. and proved unusually excellent in flavor as 
well as in internal appearance. The lesson to be learned 
is, that the secret of making such sugar is expressed in 
one word — cleanliness. There is no doubt that pure 
white, well flavored maple sugar can be made by catch- 
ing Ihe sap in clean covered vessels, and boiling it down 
in clean vessels shielded from falling smoke, ashes, 
leaves, or other filth. The nearer we can approach lo 
this point, the nearer perfect will be the sugar. Those 
who have permanent sugar groves would undoubtedly 
find it a paying investment to secure a set of good cover- 
ed buckets with an arrangement by hook or staple to 
suspend them on nails or spikes driven into the tree. 
Blackbirds.— A. A. Stewart, Logan Co., O., 
speaks in behalf of these persecuted birds. He does not 
find them pulling corn or molesting the young of other 
birds. "They follow the plow and pick out large num- 
bers of worms and grubs, and are the farmer's best friends. 
Not so the crow and blue ay, which devour the eggs or 
nestlings of other birds. True, the crow destroys large 
numbers of insects, and claims some leniency, but the 
sly jay merits shooting at sight." 
Prolific Bee*. — Thomas Thompson, of 
Wansheka Co., Wis., says he purchased a swarm of bees 
last Spring, and during the Summer took 8 swarms from it. 
The Asparagus Beetle. — Dr. Asa Fitch, 
staled at a recent meeting of the Executive Committee 
of the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, that the Aspara- 
gus Beetle, which has recently proved very destructive 
to this vegetable on Long Island, is readily devoured by 
chickens. As they do not injure the crop, they may be 
made serviceable in extirpating the pest.— Worth trying. 
To Keep Striped Bugs from Squash- 
es. — In sending some squash seeds to the Agriculturist 
Office for trial, an Illinois correspondent says he keeps 
the striped bugs from his vines by watering with filthy 
suds from the wash room, and then dusting with coal ash- 
es. This is repeated as often as the ashes are washed off, 
and the squashes are nut injured by the application, or by 
bugs. In the absence of coal ashes, dry soil may be used. 
** Booting- " o* 1 * Grubs.-A writer in 
the Country Gentleman says that, having lost a corn crop 
by grub worms he turned in the hogs, and they instinct- 
ively sought out the grubs, rooting them up and devour- 
ing them. On another occasion, an old pasture was bad- 
ly infested with this worm, and the hogs being turned in 
after haying, they rooted up the worms wherever the 
wilted grass showed their presence. Such a thing 
might occur on very light soil, but we very much doubt 
whether as a general rule hogs would root after grubs 
without finding some other food inducement in the soil. 
Xo Bcpcl Insects. — Charles H. Snow, Bal- 
timore Co., Md., writes that plaster of Paris, mixed with 
spirits of turpentine, one pint to a bushel, and sown upon 
cabbages, turnips, melons, etc., repels insects. The plaster 
is a good preventive ; the turpentine may be an addition. 
Bissolred Bones.— "G. W. C," Queens 
Co., L. I., we have already slated that muck, or in its ab- 
sence good soil, should be used to dry the wet compound. 
Stone Gathering; Machine.— C. Bon- 
nell. Wyoming Co., Pa., inquires where a machine for 
gathering loose stones from the field by horse power may 
be obtained. We have seen descriptions of such an ap- 
paratus, but do not know if it is manufactured at present. 
The inventor or proprietor should advertise it, if good. 
Tree Chopping Machine. — Julius Mey- 
er. Potter Co., Pa. We have not seen this apparatus, 
which was patented in 1S5 ( J. It has not been brought be- 
fore the public, and we judge is not of great value, or 
its merits would have been made more widely known. 
Prospective Demand lor Sorgho 
Syrup. — In a communication to the Sorgho Journal, 
Isaac A. Hedges gives extracts from a letter written by 
Belcher, the great sugar refiner of Chicago, III., offering 
to contract for Twenty Thousand barrels of fair to good 
raw sorgho syrup, nt forty cents per gallon, for refining. 
This offer has doubtless influenced many to plant large- 
ly, under a guaranty of a good price and a sure market. 
iflannnl of Flax Culture— Under this 
title D. D. T. Moore, of the Rural New-Yorker, has 
issued a handsomely printed, illustrated pamphlet of 48 
pages, containing considerable information of interest to 
flax growers. There is less detail of experience by prac- 
tical men than could be wished, but the woik contains 
hints and suggestions fully worth Ihe low price (23 cents, 
post-paid) at which it is issued. We will have it to supply. 
Black Walnut Posts.— " J. S. S." Mans- 
field, Ohio, inquires how long black walnut posts will 
last in the ground. He reports a case in which black 
walnut and oak posts were set together, and the walnut 
are sound while the oak are completely decayed; the 
walnut posts are likely lo outlast a new set of oak posts. 
Scientific Questions. — A "Weekly 
Journal wanted.— B. M, French, Montgomery Co., 
Pa., and a number of others. It would be interesting to 
a limited class of intelligent readers, to discuss the theo- 
ries respecting the action of ammonia and oilier com- 
pound and simple elements, and a thousand other ques- 
tions, and when enough readers demand and will support 
a large weekly Journal devoted to the science as well as 
the practice of Agriculture, we shall be glad to publish 
such an one. It would pay the farmers of the country to 
support at this metropolis a journal that could not be 
issued at less than $3 to $5 a year, one giving extensive 
reports of the grain and other Agricultural markets, and 
of Agricultural intelligence generally. But the people 
are not ready for it yet. We are watching the indications, 
and as soon as there is a reasonable prospect that such 
a journal will be supported, we promise that it shall be 
forthcoming. Until then we must confine ourselves to a 
monthly at a low price, such as will meet the practical 
wants, and the views of the public mind as it now is. 
Grapes on a Boclc Heap.— A New- 
Hampshire reader of the Agriculturist writes that he finds 
grapes do the best when running over a heap of rocks. 
The rocks absorb the heat during the day, and radiate it 
gradually during the night, keeping up a gentle warmth. 
Making; Baisins.— H. A. S M will find di- 
rections on page 025, Nov. Agriculturist, 1861. Only 
sweet varieties of grapes can be used ; no sugar required. 
Standard Trees — Dwarf Xrees — 
How Produced?— In answer to inquiries from sev- 
eral readers of the American Agriculturist we explain: 
Full Standard trees are those growing on roots of the 
same variety. These are usually allowed to grow full 
size, and generally with trunks trimmed five to six feet 
high. Half Standards are those cut in somewhat, in the 
limbs, and are allowed to branch two to three feet from 
the ground. Dwarfs are usually worked on a small 
slock of some slow growing variety; and are usu- 
ally trimmed to a pyramidal shape. Thus to pro- 
duce dwarf pear trees, they are grafted on quince roots 
(usually the Angers quince) ; sometimes on the I horn. 
Apple trees are dwarfed by grafting upon the Doucnin 
stock, which is a small-growing species of apple, that na- 
turally produces small, sweet apples. The Cherry tree is 
dwarfed by grafting upon the Mahalebcherry, a naturally 
dwarf stock. Peach trees are given a dwat f shape, not by 
grafting, but by cutting in, planting in pots, etc. Orna- 
mental trees are dwarfed by grafting the finer large varie- 
ties upon roots of some ether variety of the same species. 
Xo Rccnscitale Dry Xrees. — It not 
(infrequently happens that trees imported from abroad, 
and even those sent from nurseries a long way over-land, 
are quite dry and shriveled when the bundles are opened, 
and some persons would throw them away at once as 
worthless. Two subscribers to the Agriculturist inform 
us that they received some fruit trees in this condition, 
and at once planted out the freshest of lliem and buried 
the others, root and branch, in the earth. Those planted 
out when received, mostly died, while the others, after re- 
maining buried for a week, were set out and nearly all 
lived. They were found to be restored to freshness 
when taken from the trench in which they were covered. 
Ground Cherry. — R. A. Young, Alleghany 
Co., Pa. The Ground Cherry fruits the same year from 
the seed ; it is worth cultivating for preserves. Earth Al- 
monds or Chufas are not the same as the Ground Nut. The 
tubers are planted. Both can be had at the seed-stores. 
Good Strawberry Mulch.— Z. Breed, 
Hilisboro Co., N. H., who lias raised strawberries for 
market ten years, wriles that he uses muck for a mulch 
between strawberry rows, with chaff or chopped straw 
around the plants to keep the berries from getting soiled. 
Muck absorbs and retains heat, thus warming Ihe soil, and 
it also keeps moist for a long time. 
Scorzonera is the name of the seed sent for 
identification, by S, A. Green, Pierce Co., Wis. It is 
cultivated and used the same as salsify (vegelable oysler) 
which it resembles, but it grows to a larger size, and 
the root is dark colored instead of white like Ihe salsify. 
Fine Camellias*. — Our exhibition tables 
were gay, a short time ago, with specimens of this fa- 
vorite flower, from Mr. Chorlton, the well-known horti- 
culturist of Staten Island. The varieties were : Dunlop's 
White; Speciosa; Alba plena; Lowii; Myrtiflora; Ru- 
bescens ; Marchioness of Exeter; Binneyi ; Formosa; 
Imbricala ; Prince Albert ; Donklearii ; Sherwoodii ; 
Chalmerii perfecta; Paeon i flora ; Abby Wilder j and Floy it. 
Holocanthn.— " J. H. P. G M " III. This is a 
nalive of the barren plains of Northern Mexico. It would 
not be likely to flourish, even if you could obtain it. We 
have seen it in its wild stale, and an ugly object it is. 
A Desirable Aqualic Plant.— We 
have seen in some grounds near Boston, a veiy free- 
growing and highly ornamental plant for artificial ponds: 
the Limnacharis Hutnboldtu. it has fine dark-green fo- 
liage, and bears an abundance of large lemon-yellow 
flowers. We grew it last year very successfully in a tub 
sunk In the border. The plant will not stand the Winter, 
and enough should be kept over in the house or cellar to 
continue the stock. Planted in a basket of peaty earth, 
and set in shallow water, it soon becomes established, 
and spreads rapidly. It is a fine plant for the aquarium. 
Sold by B. Greenwood, 394 Broadway, New-York City. 
Can't do Without It.."— The following 
pithy letter was received from an old subscriber in Wal- 
lingford, Conn. : "$1 for Agriculturist for 1863— can't do 
without it— * Children cry for it-' neighbors borrow it- 
Refer lo it weekly, somelimes daily — Tells me 'how to 
do it,* and ' how not to do if— vive I* Agriculturist, and its 
Editors, and Tim Bunker, Esq. — You should see my pear 
trees— my roses— my compost heap! all on account of 
the American A griculturist— keeps me bewitched about 
trees and fruits and flowers" — and all for a dollar year ' 
"Worcester's Dictionary — I*ostag;e. 
—Miss Elizabeth Bewman, Lenema Co., Cal. This book 
weighs 10 lbs., and, if pre-paid, costs $1.60 postage wilhic 
3,000 miles, or $3.20 to California and Oregon. "The 
Express Co., charges us $5.00 each, on Ihe dictionary to 
San Francisco. It is therefore cheapest to send by mail. 
Fancy Printing-.— J. J. Herst, Pa. In fan- 
cy printing or printing in colors, the work generally goei 
through the press as many times as there are colors 
Sometimes the compound colors arc produced by printing 
one color over another, as purpie. by red over blue* etc. 
