396 
AMERICAN AGEICULTURIST. 
INoVEMBEK, 
Steamed Fodder— Testimony Want- 
cd.— Will not some of the readers of the Agriculturist, 
who practice steaming fodder for cattle, give their expe- 
rience. What kind of a boiler is used ? Does the waste 
steam from an engine impart a flavor offensive to stock ? 
What estimate of the net savings can be made ? 
Butter Dairy.— u E. S. M. H.," of Otsego 
Co., N. Y., from six cows, made and marketed 1100 lbs. 
Of butter, besides using all that he wanted in his family. 
This from a dairy herd consisting of 4 old cows, and 
2 two-year old heifers. Next year he calculates on mak- 
ing an average of 200 lbs., at least, to each cow. 
MilUiug; Machines.— " T. J. B.," of Ore- 
gon. No machine has yet been devised which stands the 
test of use. Few, if any, of the many articles patented 
for this purpose, are now offered for sale in this country. 
Swans in tlie Central I'ark.-S. G. 
Harvey, Woodford Co., Ky. The swans are a success 
here, and would be with you. Some of the first importa- 
tions died, partly from not understanding their habits, 
and partly owing to improper food given them by visitors. 
There are now some 25 or 30 of them, sailing majestical- 
ly upon the lake in the Central Park; they are so tame 
they will eat out of one's hand. 
Leached Ashes. — A Young Farmer in 
Windsor, Ohio, asks: "How much can one afford to 
pay for leached ashes and haul them }-i niiie for a clayey 
soil." Belter pay 25 cents per bushel for unleached 
than 5 cents for leached ashes as a general thing, but 
after all the leached ashes may be worth to you even the 
former price. They are often an excellent application 
to grass land, and a desirable ingredient in composts 
from which they do not liberate the ammonia. You will 
have to experiment for yourself, as the effects of leached 
ashes are very different on different soils. On many 
parts of Long Island, fanners prefer to pay from 14 to 28 
cents per bushel rather than do without them. Hundreds 
of canal boat loads are brought from the interior and 
western New-York, and sold here. 
« ill it Pay to Buy and Haul Ma- 
nure.— "C. G. M.," Highland Co., Ohio, can get ma- 
nure by paying 25c. per load, and hauling it to his farm 
% mile — and asks will it pay 1 Figure it thus : Manure 
25 cts.; man and team (going empty 10 minutes, loading 
20 minutes, returning loaded, 30 minutes,) 1 hour's work 
25 cts.— total cost 50 cents ; and then ask yourself if a 
load of such manure as you can buy will be worth 50 cents 
on your farm. It probably will be worth at least three 
times that, if you make a proper use of it. 
Xo Char Saw-dust. — "A. L. B.," of Perry 
Co., Pa. Saw-dust may be charred in any vessel from 
which the air can be excluded, and which can be exposed 
to a strong heat, a gas retort for instance, or an old stove- 
pipe covered with a coat of clay and sand, having one end 
stopped tight, and the other only partially closed, to allow 
the free escape of the gases evolved during the healing. 
Refuse (hair and hits of hide) of 
Tanneries.— Frank, of Louisville, Ky., asks what to 
do with this refuse, and if he may add lime to it ?— Com- 
post it with good soil if you have not peaty muck, grass 
sods, weeds, straw, etc. It will convert a great bulk of 
vegetable substances, otherwise not worth much, into 
good strong manure. Don't let lime or unleached ashes 
come near it. Apply it to any crop benefitted by good 
stable manure, and after a little practice you can judge 
of the strength so as to graduate the application accord- 
ing to the needs of the crop and the land. 
Brakes in Pastures. — "B.," Proyidence, 
R. I., writes that he has succeeded in destroying brakes 
in laud where they rendered several acres useless, by 
mowing them while they were in full and vigorous 
growth — once near the end of June, and again in August. 
After the second year they have mostly disappeared. 
Lime — A Chemical Question.— " Why 
does lime or ashes act as a disinfectant, and yet release 
the ammonia from manures?" asks " J. R. P." The 
action of lime on organic matter is much like ley upon 
the grease and matters mixed with it In soap making, 
Ammonia being formed only as nitrogenous substances 
reach the final stage of decomposition, when the lime 
or ashes is added to any substance in which ammonia ex- 
ists ready formed, the ammonia escapes, and further de- 
composition is in a measure checked. 
Roots or Corn.— A farmer of Lawrence 
C>., Pa., asks: *' Does the culture of roots pay equal to 
that of corn ?" and " which is most profitable, rutabagas 
or beets?" There is no doubt but ordinarily more nutri- 
ment may be obtained from an acre in rutabagas or man- 
gel wurtzels, than from an acre of corn. This does not 
settle the question "which pays best." Corn is a much 
more concentrated form of food, adapted to different uses ; 
both are excellent, and no stock farmer should neglect 
either crop. For milch cows, beets (either the French 
sugar, or the mangel wurzel,) are best ; for other slock, 
rutabagas are equally good, and probably yield a greater 
amount of nutriment per acre. A variety of roots is al- 
ways useful ; sometimes the fly hurts the turnips while 
the beets escape ; or a blight may attack the beets, and 
turnips escape injury. Avoid relying on one crop. . 
Clover Seed Hnllers.— Many inquiries 
have been received at the Agriculturist office for infor- 
mation concerning the price of clover seed hullers, where 
they may be obtained, etc. We usually refer such par- 
ties to reliable agricultural warehouses, but it would be 
money in the pockets of the manufacturers of good ma- 
chines, and a great saving of time to us, if they would 
properly advertise articles wanted by the public. 
Highly Agricultural. 
Amoug the 
prizes offered at an Agricultural and Horticultural Socie 
ly held in one of the Eastern States this year, were two 
silver cups for the best rifle shooting ! — An extra entrance 
fee of 25 cents was charged for admission to this part of 
the performances. 
Costly Rahhits. — A suit has recently been 
decided in England awarding $500 damages to a tenant 
for injuries to his crops by the landlord's rabbits. They 
gnawed through the dividing hedge and destroyed the 
wheat and vetch crop to that amount. The decision is 
regarded as an important one to those renting lands 
where the game laws prevent entrapping or shooting 
game, even on leased premises, except by special license. 
Xoads in market. — Live toads form a 
regular article of commerce in the London Market. 
They are generally imported from Fiance, and sell for 
from 50 cents to $1 50 per dozen, according io size and 
activity. They are purchased by market gardeners in 
the vicinity of the city, to protect their choice vegetables 
from slugs and insects, which they do very effectually. 
Weeping Willows not Hardy at 
the North.— " S. T.," Waldo Co., Me. The weeping 
willow, when well grown, is a very beautiful drooping 
tree, but can not be relied upon in your northern climate. 
It often winter-kills in latitude 42°, on the Atlantic coast. 
■ Ian Trees and other Vegetation.— 
A subscriber in Boston, Mass., says that he has been 
advised to cut down his elm trees, as they will destroy 
all his flowering shrubs, etc. — The Elm makes a dense 
shade and its abundant surface roots extend to some 
distance. — Shade is not generally favorable to flowering 
shrubs, and but one set of roots can well occupy the same 
soil. Beyond the extent of these influences, the elms 
can not exercise any prejudicial effect, that we know of. 
Fruit from Iowa, — Wesley Redhead, Esq., 
Prest. of the Des Moines Horticultural Society, brings us 
some specimens to show that fruit can be grown in 
Iowa. We certainly never saw finer Rhode-Island 
Greenings. Lyman Pound Sweet was of very large size, 
and Bolmar's Washington Plum of excellent quality. 
Mr. R. informs us that Mr. Smith, one of his neighbors, 
and the oldest tree cultivator in the vicinity, has about 
4000 bushels of apples which will bring him from $1 50 
to $2 per bushel. The Diana Grape has done well this 
season, but the Concord is the most successful variety. 
Pears for New- York Market.— J. S. 
Fisher, Niagara Co., N. Y. The Bartlett pear always 
sells readily in this market, at high prices, if well grown, 
and received here in good condition. They brought $12 
to $25 per bbl. the past season. The White Doyenne, 
(Virgalieu) is a good pear to raise in localities where it 
does well. It will probably grow fair with you, and is a 
high priced, well-known pear. There are many other ex- 
cellent pears, but they have less reputation in this mark- 
et— the Seckel excepted. The Louise Bonne is not a fa- 
vorite in this market. Better set mostly standards. 
Large Flemish Beauty Pears. — E. 
W. Hewitt, of Astoria, L. I., placed on our exhibition ta- 
bles two very fine Flemish Beauty pears, the product of 
a dwarf tree which bore this season for the first time. 
They measured one foot in circumference, and weighed 
17 and 17X ounces respectively. The trees were highly 
manured from the pig pen. 
Cranberries in Canada.— A reader of 
the Agriculturist in Tavistock, C. \\\, asks if cranberries 
will do well there. They doubtless will-as they thrive in 
Michigan, and the difference of climate is not great. 
IKaspberries Killed in Iowa.— Ada 
Martin, Clark Co., Iowa. You have too tender sorts. The 
Hudson River Antwerp, and Belle de Fontenay, are prob- 
ably the best to stand your severe winters. All raspber- 
ry canes arc better for being covered in Winter. Bend 
down and cover with a little earth. 
When to Set Orape Vines.— J. Camp, 
Westchester Co., N. Y. Early Fall, soon after the 
leaves have fallen, is a good time for selling hardy grape 
vines. The ground is usually sufficiently moist, and the 
roots will often push out fibres before Winter, and in 
Spring be ready for an early start. Besides, there is more 
leisure In Autumn, and the transplanting can be more 
carefully done. 
Fruit Pictures.— Among the many inter- 
esting articles on Exhibition at the Agriculturist office, 
special mention should be made of a series of twelve oil 
paintings representing the fruits ripening during the suc- 
cessive months of the year. They were copied from 
specimens shown from time to time upon our Exhibition 
Tables, and are well executed. They were painted 
by Miss Anne Newberry, of Brooklyn, N. Y., a young 
lady who gives promise of great excellence in this pleas- 
ing department of the fine arts. 
White Lilies.— Ada Martin, Clarke Co., 
Iowa. These are hardy in much colder latitudes than 
that of N. Y. We have no doubt that they would live 
without prolection ; but some litter thrown over the sur- 
face ought to make them safe. If you prefer to take 
them up, do s» after the leaves are killed and before the 
ground freezes, and put them in earth in the cellar. 
Plans tor Farm Houses.— "W. C. V.," 
Jefferson Co., Ind., sends to the Agriculturist a plan foi 
a one story cottage— good in many of its details, but 
faulty in others. There are five rooms, and five outside 
doors, all opening directly into the rooms. There are two 
porches or small verandahs. One broad piazza or veran- 
dah would be preferable and would in Summer be almost 
like another room. There are only two closets— there 
should be many. There is no provision for wood-house, 
wash room, etc. There are three chimneys, two of which 
are in outside walls. Chimneys should be in inside walla 
so as to retain the heat in the house. Two outside doors 
are usually enough for any small house, and they should 
if possible open info entries or halls in whiah the stair- 
cases may be placed, and much room saved. In general 
study to have as little outside wall as is compatible with 
convenience. 
Round Fined Chimneys.— U W. C. V., 1 
Jefferson Co., Ind., constructs his chimneys with round 
flues. Setting a joint of y inch stovepipe as a mold, he 
builds, filling in around it with mortar, brick, or stone 
and then drawing up the pipe as the wall progresses. 
Salting Beef.— George A. Lowell, Wash- 
ington Co., Me., inquires for directions for salting beef in 
the Fall so tliat it may not spoil by the following June, 
and yet not have it too salt and hard to be palatable. 
Will those having successful experience, please commu- 
nicate their methods for the general benefit. 
An Ingenious Swindle. — The Yan- 
kees are generally supposed to be the cutest swindlers, 
but the following shows that some other nations are not 
far behind. At a show of implements in England there 
was a trial of steam engines, and one rough little porta- 
ble machine surprised every one by apparently doing the 
most work with the least fuel. The fireman was shovel- 
ing<in only old cinders and ashes, and yet the fire-box was 
full of flame. At last the secret was discovered. One of 
the fire tubes had been previously filled with grease, and 
plugged up with wood. As soos as the plug was con- 
sumed, a flood of combustible matter was added to the 
fire, which, kept the engine running long after its due por- 
tion of coal had been consumed. 
Sill* from Utah.— Mr. O. Ursenbach De 
la Harpe, sends us a fine specimen of raw silk, raised by 
him at Great Salt Lake City. He thinks that the raising 
of silk will in time become an important branch of in- 
dustry in Utah. Next year he proposes to feed a portion 
of his worms on knot-grass (Polygonum aviculare) which 
he says has been successfully used in Italy. We siiallbe 
glad to hear the result. 
