38 
AMERICAN AQRICULTURIST. 
[Februaky, 
Calced JSag:s — Garget.— M:iuy of the 
applications which are used cffentively to reUeve the 
acute diseases of men and animals savor strongly of 
quackery: yet they are so efficient that the recipes are 
treasured as of great vahie. Here is one such : *' Take 
chamber lye. hot as hand can bear, and bathe the parts. 
Then take a large, smooth stone, wrap it in flannel, and 
rub firmly all over for ten minutes. Then rub well with 
hot lard and molasses. Do this every hour. Cows with 
very tender bags give every evidence of enjoying the 
operation." We wovild substitute brine for urine, and 
gentle rubbing and kneading with the hand for the stone, 
and effect the same results. Bathing in waim arnica 
water— either the aqueous extract or the tincture dissolv- 
ed in water— we have found very efficacious. 
Kicking: Cows.— J. P. W., Tipton Co.,Ind., 
writes: **A leather strap buckled tightly around the 
loins of the * kicking cow* succeeded admirably with 
me, and I recommend it as simple and easily apphed." 
F'lax SHives— t.inie Waste on*aper 
IVills and. Gas Work*.— " Enquirer," Livingston 
Co,, N. Y,, asks the value of these articles. We advise 
this experiment. Takethree-fourthsor four fifths flax 
shives, and one-fourth or one-fifth lime of either sort, or 
both mixed, and lay up a compost heap, which open and 
work over after a few weeks, working in more shives, 
according to your judgment. Gas lime needs thorougli 
pulverization, and months of exposure to the air before 
it will do to bring it in close contact with growing crops. 
And we presume bleachers' waste needs similar exposure. 
Broom Corn Briisli. — C. G. Eggleston, 
Peoria Co., III., asks about the price and demand for this 
article in our market. Thej-e is a brisk demand for a 
good article. It should be bright, light colored, long and 
put up in compact, strongly wired bales. The prices 
quoted for medium to prime are $16 to $18 per cwt. 
Xlie CiisKCO Potato.— This one of Good- 
rich's seedlings seems to have given large returns in 
many hands. E.C.Allen, of New Haven Co., Conn., 
reports 11 bushels from 4qiiarts, cut to single eyes as 
nearly as possible— equal to an increase of 80 from 1.... 
J . Tracy, of Grant Co., Wis., received by mail 4 potatoes 
of this variety, which cut up into one-eye pieces, yielded 
400 potatoes averaging larger than the original four, 
and measuring 3 bushels. This is 100 for 1. 
Potatoes— Ijarge or Small Seed. — W. 
H. Cook, SufTolk Co., N. Y., reports 260 bushels of large 
potatoes to the acre, raised from small seed. 
Biillcley's Seedliii;^ Potato. —J. T. 
Mapes. Orange Co., N. Y. We have not heard of this 
variety for the past two years. Perhaps some of our 
readers can tell about it. — We knew it by no other name. 
Injured PeacH Trees. — G. R., Berrleu 
Co., Mich., has bought a place, upi>n which is an orchard 
of peaches, the trees in which have been injured by 
cattle, and asks what he shall do with them. The treat- 
ment will depend upon the age of the trees, and the ex- 
tent to which they are injured. If they are young and 
vigorous, and shnols can be obtained from above the 
junclion of the bud with the slock, they may be headed 
back, and one or three shoots allowed to grow to renew 
the head. It is no objection that the head is formed 
cldse to the ground. The work may be done at the time 
the buds swell, as at that time the dead and living por- 
tions are best distinguished. 
Exposure fov Pear Trees.—" JToung 
Orchaid," Sandy Hook, Conn. Any other than a full 
Southern or Eastern exposure is to be preferred, it being 
generally admitted that one source of disease in pear 
trees is the sun's action upon the naked and frozen limbs. 
A Productive Plot of Oronod. — "We 
receive statements of the great returns from small parcels 
of ground, too numerous for publication, but they are all 
interesting as showing how much good management, 
with high manuring, will produce from a small area, and 
teach a lesson that may be profitably considered by farm- 
ers as well as gardeners. One of our correspondents 
forcibly states that "retail manuring and wholesale crop- 
ping don't pay." A subscribev. in Westchester Co., obtain- 
ed from a plot of ground, 12x24, tomatoes which sold for 
$14.50, at which rate an acre would yield over $2,000. In 
statements of this kind, we seldom have the cost of pro- 
diicti.in given, nor any intimation whether the crop was 
sold at wholesale or retail prices. 
cut work, which does not require to have the logs drawn 
to and moved up to the saw, but which may be drawn 
to the logs and will cut them as they lie. It may be tliere 
are such saws. If so, they shou Id be advertised. At any 
rate, here is an opportunitj' for inventors. 
Horse-PoTver Saws.— James A. Mitchell, 
Park Co., Ind., inquires for a horse-power saw, for cross- 
A. JTIacUiue for grinding or tearing up clods, 
bogs and other such like things, used to increase and im- 
prove the manure product of the farm, is called -for by J. 
Hodges. We know of none such in this country. It is 
not unusual to make the compost heaps so large and flat 
that they may be plowed and harrowed. The advantage 
to be gained by having these materials made fine by one 
operation, and at once, as in the way suggested, is a gain 
of time only ; for in the course of 6 to 12 months the use 
of lime, or fermenting manure, or often by the weather 
alone, tough bogs and sods may be made fine and soft. 
A ** ITIaniiiaetiiring: JVIachine. '♦— 
That is, a machine which makes things btf hand ; for 
manu-facturing means simply making by hand. True, we 
use these and similar words very carelessly, but really a 
manufactory is a factory where hand labor is chiefly em- 
ployed. Tlie above curious expression we notice used 
in a mechanical jouinal of wide circulation, an:l similar 
expressions are common, but none the less incorrect. 
Rurning' Ijinie. — "D. B."asks for informa- 
tion in regard to the most economical way he can burn 
lime with wood. Practical hints on this subject will 
doubtless be acceptable to many. 
Ashes Tor Asparag;ns. — John MiUen, of 
Highland Co., Ohio, covers his beds with 3 or 4 inches of 
leached ashes, and finds the crop better than with any 
other manure— weetls are completely suppressed. 
Harness lEticlcles and Trimming's. 
— A subscriber asks how harness trimmings wliich have 
lost their placing may have their beauty easily renewed. 
Is it a, False J^otion ?— An Old Farmer, 
of Brady Co., Pa., says he plants Ins corn upon hnd 
plowed, the last lime, East and West (probably not har- 
rowed), and holds the opinion that fields thus planted 
come forward earlier and yield better than those planted 
on furrows running North and South. It may be that 
soil plowed thus receives more warmth from the sun. 
Keeping Cions. — J, Woodward, Wayne 
Co., Pa., says that cions cut " in the old of the moon in 
February," put in a large glass bottle, corked tight, and 
placed in the cellar, will keep better than in any other 
way. WitSiout any reference to the age of the moon, a 
bottle may often be the most convenient vessel in which 
to put grafts, to keep them from drying, when it is not 
practicable to bury them. When sent by mail, cions 
should be wrapped in oiled paper or cloth, and if packed 
with a litlle damp moss there will be less danger of 
their drying. If to go great distances, pack in sand in a 
tin case, which is to be soldered up tight. Cions put up 
in this way usually come from Europe in good condition. 
StraAvl>erri€S tor i\e^v Jersey. — The 
Fr\iit Growers' Association, of West Jersey, hehl an ex- 
hibition of Strawberries, in June last, at Morristown, at 
which tlie value of the different varieties for cultivation 
was discussed. Mr, Clayton Lippincott, one of the 
officers of the society, sends the following account of 
the vote taken to test the estimation in wnich the varie- 
ties were held by tlie members: Russell's Prolific. 11 ; 
French's Seedling. 15 ; Downer's Prolific, 15 ; Wilson's 
Albany, 4 ; Cutter's Seedling, 14 ; Lady Finger, 7 ; Hovey, 
7 ; Leed's Prolific, 6. The vote was taken by each mem- 
ber selecting the five he considered best. There being a 
tie upon Hovey and Lady Finger, another vote was taken 
on these two, which resulted in 17 for Hovey and 9 for 
the other. Russell's Prolific, French's .*^eedlir.g. Down- 
er's Prolific, Cutler's Seedling and Hovey's Seedling are 
considered by the West Jersey Association as the five 
best market varieties for cultivation near Morristown. 
'What are Remontant Roses.— J. L. 
Remontant is a name given to those roses which bloom 
more than once in a season. They differ from the per- 
petuals in having several distinct periods of flowering. 
Cliina GJrass. — A. J. Aldrich, Worcester 
Co., Mass. The fibre is evidently that of China Grass, 
and is from a nettle-like plant, Boehmeria nivea. It is 
largely cultivated in India, but we are not aware of any 
trials here. The fibre is from the tough bark of the stem. 
Stra-vrl»erry Hropas-atioM- ~T. R. 
Payne, of iScott Co.. Iowa, asks us if it is true that plants 
from lateral runners will produce fruit inferior to those 
from the main runners. Without having tested this point 
by growing beds propagated in both ways, side- by side, 
we should, on general principles, say, that one runner 
was as good as another, if as strong and healthy. 
Bulbs.— W. H. Orr asks what he shall do with 
a lot of Hyacintlis. etc., which were received too late to 
plant out of doors. Pot them and keep them in a dark 
and moderately warm place, until the ground opens, 
and then turn them out without disturbing their ronls. 
Pansies, etc.— T'rancis W. B. Robbins, Suf- 
folk Co., N. Y., asks if Pansies, Forget-me-nots, and 
Violets, are the same plants. Pansy is Viola tricolor, and 
the cultivated blue and fragrant Violet is Viola oUorata. 
They are both violets, but different species. Forgpt-me- 
nots is Myosotis palustris, of an entirely different family. 
Pea for a I\anie.— E. C. Clark, Harford 
Co., Md. The pea called " Coffee" is the old Chick-pea, 
Cicera rietinum. Thongh considered less digestible than 
ordinary peas, there is nothing deleterious about it, and 
it is largely used as food in various parts of the world. 
It is said to be a good sub-^titute for coffee, and as such 
the seed has been sold at a high price. We have no ex- 
perience with it as a "coffee" plant. 
]VIassaclinsetts Coffee.— J. L. has seen a 
notice in a Worcester paper, that some one in that vicin- 
ity had raised four poundsof good coffee, and asks us how 
to cultivate coffee. The "coffee" in question cannot be 
the true article, as in our climate this can only be raised 
under ghiss. It is impossible to guess which one of the 
many substitutes for coffee may have been referred to. 
Kyanizing:.— "M. P.,"Concord,N.H., -writes 
to ihe A merica7i Agriculturist: " My method of "Ky- 
anizing," may be more practicable for farmers or garden- 
ers who wish to prepare a few stakes, than that given in 
i^e Agriculturist for October. I dissolve blue vitriol in 
water, at the rate of one pound to five gallons, in an iron 
kettle. Then take well seasoned stakes and stand them 
in the liquid for four or fij^e days, n little deeper than they 
are to stand in the ground, and they will come out well 
impregnated. Sometimes, when I have wished to pre- 
pare long poles, I have cut the trees when the leaves 
were on, and put them without much trimming, immedi- 
ately into the vitrioUzed water. In a few hours the vit- 
riol will have colored the wood and leaves to the top of 
a twenty-foot pole. The saturation of the wood will of 
course become more perfect if it remains in the solution 
two or three days. The poles should then be allowed 
to dry in the air before setting them into the ground." 
ICe-sliarpening Files. — V. V. Deys, Jack- 
son Co., III. The best way is to take the old files to a 
file-cutter, and exchange them for new ones, or let him 
make new files of them. One will thus realize all that 
the worn files are worth. There are a good many file- 
cutters in the country, but they are found mainly in large 
towns, and we think, do not put themselves suflicienlly in 
business communication with their neighbors who use 
files. There is no acid or " solution" in which files may 
be dipped and re-sharpened. If a file is made very clean 
with ley or soap, and then dipped into nitric acid, for a 
few seconds, it will appear to be sharper, but a little use 
very soon will wear it down smoother than before. 
Ice "Water Cistern.- "J. C. B.," Fond du 
Lac, Wis, writes: "While in Iowa, last summer, I 
drank cold cistern water which was very acceptable in 
those hot days. Dye the bye, almost all, or at least a 
great many use cistern water— one hundred feet not be- 
ing an unusual depth required for wells. The cistern 
spoken of was filled with snow last winter, and was kept 
closed; the family could draw ice water at any time." 
Frost in Pipes and Pnnips may he 
removed by conducting hot water upon it, through a rub- 
ber tube, such as is used for gas tubing now-a-days. Tho 
best size is that with about 3-lfi bore, and 3^ inch walls. 
Put a funnel in one end, and a piece of goose quill in the 
other, (to prevent the pipe closing), then bimi this end 
to a stiff, but flexible wire, or piece of ratao, or willow, 
long enough to reach the ice. Pour in boiling water, 
keeping the tube clo?e to the ice, which will thaw most 
rapidly. Two pieces of rubber tube may be joined by 
using a goose quill, or short piece of glass or tin tube, 
to unite them, slipping the ends close together upon it. 
Keeping- Iron Vessels Trom Rust- 
ing.—" Subscriber " wishes to know how culinary ves- 
sels may "be kept from rusting on the inside. It hasbeen 
recommcntled to give them a thin film of beeswax. Heat 
the vessel and rub on enough wax to fill the pores. 
Boiling- Potatoes. — Where does the water 
go ? Potatoes contain from 70 to 80 per cent of water. 
We boil them in water, and this all disappears. Does 
water extract water ? No. but the starch grains (which 
