328 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
Stopning ILeahs in a. Roof, — Mont- 
c'ii\'.\ When a shingle roof becomes worn and leaky, the 
cheapest plan in the end is to have a new roof. There 
arc a variety of roof paints which will make a temporary 
repair, lint the contraction and expansion by heat and 
nioistnre, wjll soon open the cracks again, and the roof 
will he as leaky as before it was painted. 
Spaying Melffers or Cows.- "R. M." 
Both heifers and cows are sometimes spayed. The for- 
mer are thus made to grow to a larger size for beef, and 
the latter are made to give milk for several years without 
intermission. Spaying cows is useful, when milk is de- 
sired regularly, in places where bulls are not kept, as in 
cities. The operation should be performed by a vctcrin- 
srirgeon. It can not be done safely by a person who 
knows it only from books. 
Leaky Cisterns.— ll S. II. H.," Tioga, Co., 
N. v There is no help for a cistern, at the bottom of 
wlucn there is a spring of water. The water will break 
. h in spite of all one can do, in most cases if not in 
: .."!. We would abandon such a cistern rather than be 
bothered with it, and try another place. 
Fodder Crops for the South. — 
Alabama. Cat-tail millet is one of the many varieties of 
what is known as Hungarian grass (Setaria Germaniea, 
botanically). It is an excellent fodder crop for the South. 
The Southern pea is a good fodder crop. Oats and rye 
may be sown for winter feed. Barley and vetches sown 
together are also an excellent fodder crop. With these 
and corn, beets, cabbage, and rape, a succession of fod- 
fler crops might be had throughout the season. 
Irrigating: Corn ©r Cotton. — Ala- 
bama. It would undoubtedly pay to water both corn and 
■cotton during drouths, if the water can be procured with- 
out expense. But it is useless to water crops during the 
day time, and under a hot sun. The water should be 
applied (in ring the evening or in the night. The cheapest 
method would be to turn the water from a stream direct- 
ly into furrows between the rows if this is possible. 
Watering by means of sprinklers upon wheels, might be 
used while the crop is small, but it would be slow and 
costly. If a width of G feet is watered at one passage 
through the lows, every voUq travelled would water 
three quarters of an acre. It. is a question altogether of 
the cost of procuring the water. 
A Gorged Cow. — "J. H. F.," Canadensis, 
Pa. "When a cow has been carelessly allowed to gorge 
herself with dry meal, the safest remedy is to withhold 
water, except in small quantities, to give a pint of lin- 
seed oil, by the mouth, and injections of soap and 
water, until the bowels are evacuated. No food should 
be given until the stomach and bowels arc freed. 
The American B*oultry Pedigree 
Book.— We have a sample sheet of the forthcoming 
'•American Pedigree Poultry Book." We have already 
expressed our opinion of this book. The "American 
Swine nerd-book," failed to become a fact, from its 
obvious impossibility. But a poultry pedigree book is 
more impossible still, if we may use such a term ; it is an 
absurdity that we could hardly suppose would be enter- 
tained. To what vast proportions it must arrive in two 
or three years, if it is generally used ! and if it is not 
generally used, it becomes worthless. The impossibility 
of identifying any bird, and the confusion which exists 
from the beginning, will certainly lead to frauds which 
cannot be detected, and there will be no confidence in it. 
Ami then there will be complaining and trouble. 
Clipping tlie Toes of a Cow. — "R. 
M.," Salt Lake City. When the hoof of a cow, ox. or 
sheep, grows too long at the toe, it may be shortened 
by taking a pair of strong pincers, such as are used by 
blacksmiths for horse-shoeing, grinding the edges 
sharp, and culling away the toes, until they arc reduced 
to a proper shape. Or a strong paring knife maybe 
used if handled with care, but it is not nearly so safe as 
the pincers. Animals with feet too long at the toe, 
should be attended to at once, or lameness may result. 
To ISaise a Spring.—^T. L., 11 Gadsden, 
Ala. It would not answer to build a wall around a 
spring, in the hope to raise it IS feet. The water would 
break out somewhere elso. The best plan perhaps would 
be to put in a hydraulic ram. 
Seleeting Eggs fp*' Pullets.— A cor- 
respondent sends us a slip, containing an article from an 
English paper upon this subject. It is stated that the 
position of the air-buhble in the egg will determine the 
sex of "the. chicken. There are four illustrations of the 
forms of the eggs, and the positions of the air-bubble. 
Two of them we have studied and compared together. 
One of these is said to show the kind of egg that " will 
hatrh a lively cockerel," and the other " will hatch a pul- 
let. " This is definite ; but unfortunately, on comparing 
the engravings, the shapes of the eggs, and the positions 
of the air-bubble are exactly the same in both. A similar 
result has occurred in every case, in which we have close- 
ly investigated the statements of those who have pre- 
tended to know more of this thing than any other man. 
The fact is, as yet this question of sex is undetermined, 
and a long series of observations, scientifically conduct- 
ed, are needed, instead of vague surmises, and haphazard 
conclusions, before we can safely determine anything 
about it. 
Permanent Grass.- "J. W. C," Rock- 
ford, 111. There is no more unanswerable proof that 
permanent meadows may be established in our climate, 
than the prairies which have been broken up and chang- 
ed into corn-fields. Forages these prairies have produced 
grass, and have supported millions of animals which 
have grazed upon them, and yet they have increased in 
fertility during all those years, so that since those ancient 
pastures have been plowed, they have borne repeated 
crops of grain year after year. What has been may 
again be. It is a great benefit to a farm to have a portion 
of it in permanent grass, and every new prairie farm 
opened, should have at least one-third of the area 
reserved from the plow, for pasture only. 
Boue-Dnst Tor Wheat.— " A. P.,"Pep- 
pertown, Ind. We would rather use Peruvian guano for 
a wheat crop than bone-dust. The bone-dust is only 
very slowly soluble, and there would bcTery little effect. 
150 to 200 lbs. guano per acre, on the contrary, would 
have a very good effect upon the wheat. It should be sown 
with the wheat in the drill, or broadcast, and harrowed 
in along with the wheat. 
Sweet Potatoes for Feed.— "J. M. 
D.," Pierce Co., Ga. "We have never fed sweet potatoes 
to stock, but should expect them to be more valuable than 
round potatoes, turnips, or beets. 
Xo Dispose or Straw, Shuehs, and 
Cobs. — ' ; B.F. B.," ITvaldyCo., Texas. We can suggest 
no way of making up these matters into manure, but by 
penning cattle upon them ; unless it be by scattering 
them upon the ground, and plowing them under the 
surface. The latter will probably be the easiest and 
cheapest method. It is better than not using them at all 
or burning them. 
Itloody 31 HI*. — u Subscriber, 1 ' Orlando, 
Ind. Bloody milk is generally caused by a congested 
state of the lacteal vessels, through which the red coloring 
matter of the blood, which is called fie?natosin, escapes 
into the milk. Cooling food should be given, and a 
strong dose of cpsom salts, (12 to 16 ounces). The udder 
should be bathed in cold water freely several times a day. 
As to Draining.— "G. G.," Greenville, 
111. Before so costly a work as underdraining a farm is 
undertaken, it would be well to count the cost. It is well 
worth the small sum of $1 .50, to have the means of doing 
this. "Waring's Draining for Profit and Health, M can 
be had for this price, and will give all necessary informa- 
tion as to cost and mode of doing the work. 
Top-dressing Meadows.-^W.W. S.," 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. There is no better season for top- 
dressing meadows than the present month. Anything iu 
the shape of manure or fertilizers is better than nothing. 
Well rotted fine manure is the best application that can 
be made. Next to that is coarse fresh manure, decom- 
posed woods' earth, rotten chip dirt, tanner's waste, or 
sweepings of village streets. "Where refuse from woolen 
factories, slaughter houses, or city waste of all kinds 
can be procured, these should be composted with earth 
from the roadsides, or bottoms of ditches, and lime or ' 
wood ashes, and after remaining a month in the heap, 
they may be spread upon the grass. It is well to harrow 
up bare spots, and sow some more grass seed upon them. 
The earlier this can be done the better for the meadow, 
as the heavier coating of fall growth, that can be procured, 
the safer it will be from injury by frost. Meadows 
should not be closely pastured at this season. 
Charleston Superphosphate.—" J. 
M. I) ," Blackshaw, Ga. The prepared Charleston phos- 
phates will be valuable for cabbages and turnips. These 
crops are specially improved by manures containing 
phosphoric acid. 
Cutting Corn for Fodder.— "C. T. 
S.," Nisscquoque, L. t, Ii is possible to cut up corn- 
stalks with the cars for fodder. TA'e have done so with a 
large-sized "Telegraph Fodder-Cutter." run by a two- 
horse tread-power, as fast as one man could feed the 
com. Such fodder, however, should either be steamed 
or ground in a ''Little Giant" mill— an ordinary bark 
mill would answer the purpose very well— to prevent 
much of the corn passing away whole and undigested. 
Sugar from Beets. — "A Reader." The 
manufacture of sugar from beets needs some delicate 
chemical processes to get rid of the salts, which interfere 
with the extraction of the sugar. It is this difficulty 
which has hitherto caused many failures in beet sugar 
making, and iu a small way it would prohibit the domes- 
tic manufacture altogether. For sweets for home use, 
that can be produced upon the farm, there is nothing bet- 
ter than syrup from sorghum. This can be made in a 
small way as easily os maple sugar. 
ISreahiitg Hedge Rows. — U BL E. Van 
D.," Geneva, Kansas, recommends hedge rows to be bro- 
ken iu June if possible, but not later than July 15th. 
The rows he broke in August, 1873, were so tough the 
past spring that the hedge could not be planted. The 
rows should also be 12 feet wide iu place of 6 feet. 
Sweet Potatoes.— "W. H. L.," Moberly, 
Mo, In all Northern localities sweet potatoes require 
artificial heat to carry them safely through the winter. 
They should not be exposed to a temperature below 60", 
and those who grow them iu large quantities have a 
house for the purpose, in which a fire may be built when- 
ever necessary. Small lots cau be kept in a box or bar- 
rel in the kitchen, or other warm room ; we have known 
them to keep in an unusually warm and dry cellar. 
Garden Questions. — "H. S.," Brandon, 
TVis. It will not do good, but hurt, to take away the 
leaves of cabbages and cauliflowers while they are grow- 
ing. It is not essential for the forming of cauliflower 
heads to draw the leaves over the head, but it is well to 
break down a few leaves when the head is forming, to 
keep the sun from it. Do not understand your question 
about "top seed 11 onions; the other is answered in an 
article on p. 341. Salsify, or vegetable oyster, will some- 
times bloom, as will other root crops, the first year from 
seed, but the seed from such plants should never be saved. 
Seed W hea t .— "B . L.," Clinton Co., Ohio. 
It is questionable if it would pay to purchase seed wheat 
from a distance, at double the ordinary market price or 
even less than that, unless in a very small quantity and 
for an experiment. It is not safe to risk one's whole 
ccop, by changing the seed without knowing exactly 
what you are doing. The finer white wheats require 
richer soil than the hardier red wheats, and the difference 
in the market price will not warrant paying much 
higher for the seed. It is not so much to the seed as to 
the land, that we are to look for better crops, and by 
selecting a good sample of ordinary wheat free from 
weeds, at a few cents above the market price, one may do 
better than by paying a double or treble price for other 
seed, the only merit of which may be that it comes 
from a distance and costs so much. Clean selected 
seed is worth 25 cents a bushel above the usual market 
price of the same variety. 
Wheat on Corn Stnhhle.— " W. W.," 
Mifflin, Ohio. There are times and places in which sow- 
ing winter wheat upon an nnplowcd corn stubble may be 
not only permissible, but proper, as the best thing that 
can be done. The solid bed thus gained for the seed is 
often an advantage, as is also the time saved. But where 
the chinch-bug prevails, fill the loose corn stubs should 
be gathered up and burned, as it is in these and other 
rubbish that this pest harbors and is sheltered throngh 
the winter. The clearing up of such rubbish every fall 
should be done for the purpose of destroying injurious 
insects, which would prey upon the coming crop. 
Cheese Factory at South Bend, 
Ind.— "W. R-," South Bend, Ind. Factory men are 
averse to investing their capital in new places, unless, 
under such guarantees that they will be independent of 
any adverse action by their patrons at any time in the 
future. Cases have happened in which, after a factory 
has been built, those supplying milk have professed to be 
disappointed, and have withheld the milk, leaving the 
owner of the factory " in a fix." The best plan is for the 
owners of the cows to subscribe the money aud build the 
factory, and lease it to the factory man. For 400 cows a 
sum of about $7 per cow would put up the factory and 
furnish it. But before it is built, it would be wise to 
have a competent person to examine the locality, and ad- 
vise as to the propriety of building the factory. L. B. 
Arnold, of Rochester, or Gardiner B. Weeks, of Utica, rT. 
Y., would give trustworthy advice upon this point. 
