1874.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
^07 
Sweep or Tre:ul-Power,-" R. J. H.," 
Bedford, Ohio. With a well made tread-power the whole 
i useful effect of the horses is secured. This is not done 
with the best of the sweep-powers. When heavy horses 
are used in the tread-power, their weight is usefully ap- 
plied, but in the sweep there is often no advantage in 
using heavy horses as against light ones. There is a 
great economy of space also in using tread-powers. 
There need be little fear of danger from their use ; we 
have used a tread-power for many years without any ac- 
cident or approach to one, and have not yet heard of any 
accident with one. 
Field, Cover, and Trap Shooting, 
by Adam II. Bogardus, and published by J. B. Ford & 
'€0. The author nf this work is known as the ''champion 
wing shot of America. 1 ' This work shows great experi- 
ence, close observation, and a happy maimer of relating 
Adventure and imparting instruction. It is a most 
interesting book, and one likely to be welcomed by 
sportsmen. Sent from this office, post-paid, for $2. 
Choice Receipts, by M. S. W., is the title 
of a work just from the press of J. It. Osgood & Co., 
Boston. It is a perfect gem in the way of book making, 
being neat and tasteful to the degree that makes one feci 
sure that the dishes for which it gives directions must 
be as good as the manner of presenting them is elegant. 
This is not a cook-hook, but a collection of choice 
recipes in the different culinary departments, accom- 
panied by concise directions for compounding them. 
While all else is so complete, it is a wonder that 
''receipts' 1 should be chosen for the title, instead of 
recipes. There is but one way to test the value of works 
of this kind, which is to put them to frequent use, and 
just what we propose to do with this one. Price $1.50. 
Some Species and Varieties of the 
Lily, is the title of a pamphlet in French, of 35 pages 
and several illustrations, by J. H. Krelage, Haarlem. A 
-second part is to appear. This work Bhows that the 
anthor, besides being one of the great bulb growers of 
the world, may claim a high rank as a horticultural writer. 
Sore Eyes in I*iffs.— " Reader." In- 
flammation of the eyes, from which pigs are seriously 
suffering in some parts of the West, is only a symptom 
■of a disease which is known as apoplexy. It is a blood 
disease, closely related to cholera, and canses an exces- 
sive congestion of all the membranes of the head, which 
ia shown in their inflamed condition. There are some 
other symptoms, very similar to those of " black quarter " 
in cattle, viz. : black soft patches in various parts of the 
body, just beneath the skin. The best treatment is to 
give a strong dose of salts at the first appearance of 
restlessness and redness of the eyes, and put the animals 
upon low cooling diet. The cause is want of pure water 
and too sudden over-feeding, or feeding with unripe corn. 
Eight Toes upon one Foot. — "G. 
II.," Clinton Co., Ohio, sends us a foot of a chicken, 
which has eight toes upon it. It was very nearly a case 
of a three-footed chicken, as the line of juncture of two 
legs is very apparent, and there arc two distinct leg-bones. 
Sheep Fence.— "G. B.," Coos Co., Oregon. 
To have a secure fence for sheep it ought to be at least 
four feet high. If made of boards, the lowest one should 
be 6 inches from the ground, the second 6 inches from 
the first board, the third 9 inches from the second, and 
the fourth 10 inches from the third. This will give 31 
inches of space and 24 inches of boards, in all 55 inches, 
which would be safe for any hut very brcachy sheep. 
Canvass Itoofin**-. — " F. G.," Herkimer 
Co., N. T. The chief fault of canvass roofing is its cost. 
It makes a tight, durable roof, if kept well painted. The 
roofing felt made by Fay & Co., Camden, N. J., is much 
cheaper and is as tight and durable as canvass. 
Aphtha in Cattle.— u S. A.," Moosup, 
Conn. This disease, much more serious than that known 
as foot-rot, is often taken for it, because the fuot is first 
affected. It is an eruptive fever, which occurs but once 
in the life of an animal. Itaffects first the feet, and gen- 
erally the off or right hind foot is first attacked. Small 
blisters form hetween the claws and around the coronet 
of the hoof, causing great pain, and the animal holds the 
affected foot backwards and shakes it, or lies down, and 
is disinclined to rise. If the mouth is now examined, 
the tongue, lips, and inside of the jaws, are found in- 
flamed in patches, and small blisters as large as a pea 
appear. By and by these, as well as those on the feet, 
burst and run together, forming raw surfaces, which are 
very sensitive and painful. The hoofs often slough en- 
tirely away. In a few days the raw surfaces are covered 
■.with scabs, the fever is lessened, and from the tenth to 
the fifteenth day the disease abates. It is highly con- 
tageous, and fresh animals introduced into the farm or 
stables where it has prevailed, are taken down rapidly. 
The treatment recommended is a purgative of 8 ounces 
of Epsom salts mixed with 2 ounces of gentian root 
powdered, and % a pint of molasses. This is placed 
upon the tongue in portions, until it is all Bwallowed. 
The feet are poulticed with linseed meal, or fomented 
with hot water, until the blisters are broken and sup- 
puration occurs. They are then dressed with a pint of 
water, in which 2 drams of chloride of zinc and 1 ounce 
tincture of myrrh have been dissolved. The food of the 
animal should be mashes of barley malt, with some lin- 
seed meal, or boiled oats, green clover, or chopped car- 
rots, and generally cooling laxative feed and demulcent 
drinks, as linseed or oat meal grnel. It is well to pro- 
cure professional assistance if possible. The stables 
should also be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and 
whitewashed. 
Pasturing Sheep. — "G. B.," Coos Co., 
Oregon. A newly seeded pasture should not be used un- 
til the grass has become well rooted. It may be mown 
once before sheep arc turned upon it. A year's growth 
at least should be allowed before the grass is pastured. 
Sheep will not eat ferns. 
Brick Machine.— "E. O.fo.," Tracy City, 
Tcnn. An excellent brick machine that can be worked 
with two horses and three men, is made by R. II. Allen 
& Co., of 189 Water-st, New York. It costs $450, and 
will mix clay, and make 25,000 bricks per day. A ma- 
chine to make tiles can be procured for $335. 
Cheap Food ibr Store Hogs.—" D. 
L. Z.," Rolla, Mo. Corn is neither economical nor 
wholesome food for store hogs. A small portion of corn 
ought to be fed ; hut the greater bulk of the food may bo 
made np of boiled potatoes, cut clover, hay and corn 
fodder, scalded and sprinkled over with wheat or rye 
bran, and slightly salted, mixed together and fed cold. 
We have fed store hogs upon this food throughout the 
winter, and kept them in growing thrifty condition at 
vory little expense. The clover and corn fodder is eaten 
readily along with the potatoes and bran. For drink we 
gave a thin slop of corn meal and bran, which was allow- 
ed to ferment and sour slightly. 
Floating; Curds*— "A Dairyman," Utica, 
N. Y. The cause of floating curds is much, disputed. 
Probably few dairymen, who profess to have studied the 
matter, agree upon any one thing as the true cause, and 
many allege widely different reasons for it. The cause 
has been variously said to be in the cow, in her food, in 
the water she drinks, in the air she breathes, in the foul- 
ness of the stables, in the care of the milk, in the condi- 
tion of the dairy utensils, in the condition of the air; 
electricity has been blamed for it, as has that very handy 
and useful, but indefinite cause called "germs in the 
air." It is easier to say what is not the cause than what 
is. It is still a matter for close investigation. 
Shipment of Bone-Dust. — A 500 ton 
vessel has recently cleared from Chicago for Liverpool, 
loaded with bone-dust. The sending off of this indis- 
pensable fertilizer from our own fields is to be regretted, 
the more so when we consider that the Illinois prairic3 
arc already falling off in their produce of grain, and can 
hardly spare the loss of the bone which represents their 
past fertility. 
Preservation of Manure.— Investiga- 
tions have been made by Professor Way, of England, by 
which the increased value of manure kept under shelter 
is accurately determined as against that exposed in open 
yards. The following are the relative values as deter- 
mined by analyses of the dry manures, the water'being 
nearly equal in each, and about 71 per cent : 
Covered Yard 
Manure. Manure. 
Nitrogen, equal to ammonia, per cent. ..2.37 1.7 
Organic matter, soluble in water fi.42 1.82 
Phosphoric acid 30 .26 
Alkalies 2.00 .SO 
The other constituents, not being of importance, were 
not determined. The value of the cc,"*ed manure is seen 
to be more than double that of the otacv. 
Beef Cluos.— " A Beef-eater," Akron, Ohio. 
The difficulty in the way of farmers procuring a regular 
supply of fresh beef or mutton might easily be removed 
by forming beef clubs, as is done In Tennessee. One of 
these clubs has been in operation 20 years. There arc 1G 
members. Each member provides a three-year-old steer, 
or a cow, and feeds the animal so that it shall be ready 
for the butcher at a stated time. Each member's time is 
fixed at a meeting for that Dumose. Each animal is to 
be of such a quality that there shall be 12' J per cent of 
tallow to the meat, or a fine of $5 is levkd. The best 
beef draws a premium of $10. A butcher is selected in 
some central locality, who slaughters an animal every 
Saturday and divides it into sixteen portions of equal 
value. He keeps a correct account of each animal, credits 
the owner with the proceeds, and charges each member 
with his share. At the end of the term a settlement is 
made, and those who arc in debt pay the amounts, which 
are then paid over to those who have a credit. Of course 
the debts exactly balance the credits on the whole. Each 
member gets about 25 pounds of beef every week. If it 
is desirable, the club might consist of 26 members, and 
each one might provide a beef twice a year. This would 
give a constant supply. Then, if the dogs were looked 
after and a dozen sheep kept on every farm, there would 
be plenty of lamb and mutton. 
A Perfeet Harrow.— "L. D. N.," An- 
napolis, Md. We know of no perfect harrow, that is one 
that will do all the various kinds of work that harrows are 
expected to do. There are some implements that are? 
better than others for certain uses. Thus the Thomas* 
Ilarr )W is unique for light work, such as grass seeding, 
or for destroying weeds, while the Nishwitz or the 
Shares 1 Harrow will cover sod or mellow the soil better 
than any others we know of, unless perhaps it be one 
recently brought to our notice, known as the "Wheel 
Harrow," which, in addition to the excellent form of the 
teeth, can be raised or depressed, and which has some 
other advantages. A farmer that has various kinds of 
work to do, needs more than one harrow, and if he has a 
good roller, there are many uses for which it may be use- 
fully made to supersede the harrow. By and by we be- 
lieve the ordinary harrow, as we know it, will be dis- 
placed by much more acceptable implements, such as the 
grubber and the various surface cultivators. The day of 
the old-fashioned square-toothed harrow is about over. 
Salsify, When anil How to Use.— 
"G. P. 1 ' Salsify, or, as it is often called, Oyster Plant, 
may be used whenever the root is largo enough, but as it 
is never much over an inch in diameter, those who sell it 
usually let it grow as large as possible. Whichever way 
it is cooked, the first step is to scrape it to remove the 
skin, and throw each root into water as soon as scraped, 
to prevent it from turning a dark color. It maybe cut 
into inch pieces and stewed tender, adding milk, butter, 
and a little flour, to make a sauce. It may also be 
fried ; one way is to cut the root into convenient pieces, 
boll mrttl tender; dip In batter and fry like fritter** 
another, boil tender, mash, and make into balls, which 
are floured and then fried brown. The writer, who ha; 
it two or three times a week during the winter, has i£ 
cooked by stewing almost exclusively. 
'Front in Hard Water. — "Badger,** 
Berlin, Wisconsin. Trout wilt thrive excellently in hard 
water, if the hardness is due only to carbonate of lime. 
Some of the best trout streams run through a limestone 
country. Clear cold rapid running water, free from any 
other mineral impurity than lime, is well adapted for 
these fish. Washings from lead or copper mines, the 
refuse from dye works, or woolen mills, or sawdust from 
saw mills, in excessive quantities, will kill or drive 
away trout. The drawing of wagon-jack is received. 
Carbolic Acid in tlie Oairy.— "A. E. 
R.," Jefferson Co., W. Va. There is nothing that absorbs 
strong odors more readily than cream. If so strong a 
pmelling substance as carbolic acid is used in a milk 
cellar, it would certainly spoil the cream, and the churn 
would absorb some of the odor if the cream was churned 
in it. Probably the best way to purify the churn in such 
a case, would be to put it in a running stream for a few 
days, or until the scent disappears. 
Salt upon Wheat.— "Reader," Clyde, 
Ohio. Salt being veiy soluble should only be applied to 
wheat in the spring, when it can be appropriated by the 
plant. It is generally used in quantities of two to lour 
bushels per acre, to stiffen the straw. 
Compost Heaps. — "A. J. M., M Hollana- 
bnrgh, Ohio. Compost heaps arc made by mixing a por- 
tion of fresh stable manure with vegetable or animal 
matter, which by itself would not readily decompose. 
The substances used are placed in layers in a close com- 
pact -pile, made flat on the top so as to catch enough 
rain to keep it moist. The manure sets the whole in a 
fermenting condition, and it quickly decomposes. It 
frequently occurs that the pile must be taken down, 
turned over, and piled up again for a second fermenta- 
tion, before it becomes well rotted. " Bominer's art of 
making manure," describes an excellent method of mak- 
ing composts. It costs 25 cents. Patent expired. 
See Page 433. 
