70 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mabch, 
Xlie "J^ative" Breed of Cattle.— 
At the Annual meeting of the Cheese-makers' Association 
held recently at Rochester, this resolution was enter- 
tained. " Resolved, That Native cows are the best and 
most profitable for dairy purposes." The discussion 
which followed was upon Durhams, Devons, Ayrshires, 
Aiderneys, and tlieir grades, but the so called " natives " 
were not discussed at all. It seems strange that an asso- 
ciation of sensible farmers should attempt to discuss a 
resolution advocating the merits of a breed, that not one 
among them could describe the characteristics of, and 
the very name of which conveys only an idea of a class 
of animals of the bovine species with no uniformity of 
character, except general inferiority, combined occasion- 
ally with special excellences, such as milking qualities. 
$37,500 Horse. — The famous tliorough- 
bred race-horse " Blair Alhole," was sold not long since 
in England for 7,500 guineas, which is equal to the above 
named price in Federal currency (gold). 
Four Ijambs at one Birtli. — E. F. Mc- 
Crea, Shelby Co., Ind., writes that a ewe, owned by a 
neighbor of his, recently diopped three white lambs and 
one that was jet black, and that they were all living at 
the time of writing. Four lambs at one birth is not a very 
great novelty however. We have seen five, and know 
of seven having been dropped at a yeaning. 
XUeFoodof Animals.— The little book 
by Dr. Thomson, of Glasgow, on the food of animals 
and man, contains a great deal of true philosophy, which 
is applicable to the every day practice of American 
farmers. The views expressed are, to a great extent, 
based upon a a series of experimental researches under- 
taken by order of the British Government a few years 
ago. Price $1.00. 
Xo Keep Rats Trom Harness.—Ia 
response to a query in the February number of the Agri- 
culturist we can lay before our readers the following 
recipes and statements: One correspondent says, "Take 
about a tablespoonful of good cayenne pepper, and 
mix thoroughly with eveiy quart of oil used. This will 
prevent the rats and mice from gnawing the harness, and 
also prevent horses and colts from chewing their halter." 
Another signing himself " Sadler" writes; "Aloes incor- 
porated in oil, will prevent rats and mice from injuring 
harness ; 4 oa. to one gallon of oil will suffice" John 
Griest, of Jay Co. Ind., says : " Thirty years ago a Dutch 
neighbor of mine told me, I could prevent rats eating my 
harness if I would put a small quantity of pine tar in the 
oil, but not much, as it would cause dirt to collect. I 
think I have not used as much as a tablespoonful to a 
quart of oil. When I did so, my harness was not trou- 
bled, and when I neglected it for a year or two they were 
badly eaten." L. S. Lichtenwallner, of Lehigh Co., 
Pa., uses a gill of tar to the quart of oil ; C. Schutt puts 
a teacupful to 2 quarts and " C." has a rat-terrier dog. 
Cow IVlilkingr Herself.—" J, B. C," of 
Dover, Del., says he tried the tongue-slitting operation 
described in the November Agriculturist, and it did not 
work. He could not have done the work well. A split 
tongue cannot suck. It probably closed in healing. 
Steers Turning: Xbeir YoliC— " Sub- 
scriber," of Howell, Mich., writes : **I take a stick of 
light wood, of sufficient size for strength, put two holes 
near each end, to correspond in distance with the bow- 
holes in the yoke, then strap it, not too tight, to the fore- 
head of each steer. This will not only prevent turning 
the yoke, but effectually remedy the habit of one hook- 
ing the other while in the yoke. When tying tails is 
practised, should they, by any chance, be unyoked with- 
out untying, any one may Imagine the consequences," 
I>ncl£s — Aylesbury — Kouen— Cayuga Black. 
— " G. H. I. W.," asks which are the best, and who 
has them for sale at the Westt We favor the Rouen, but 
are not so set in our way as not to admit good arguments 
against our pets and in favor of others. It is not *' rule 
or Rouen" with us exactly. Sellers unknown. 
Soaring Clover -w^itli Oats.— A call for 
testimony in regard to the practice of seeding clover 
with oats, made last month, has elicited many responses. 
It seems that in many parts of the country, where winter 
grain is constantly grown, the custom prevails of sowing 
clover upon the rye or wheat, and with barley, but not 
oals. Throughout the wheat regions of the middle 
States, where this grain is sowed upon a clover ley, turn- 
ed under in the summer, the clover seeding is usually 
done with oats. When clover is sowed on winter grain, 
hard freezing once in a while, after it has sprouted, kills 
it. Sowed with oats, the trouble is, that as the crop is 
very leafy, it is apt to chbkfe the clovter, and make rt 
grow spindling; then the oats arc inclined to shell, and 
the stubble fields often grow a rank crop of young oats, 
which seriously hinder the grass ajid clover stocking. 
Itulkeley^s Seedling' Potato,— Mr. J. 
W. B. Manning, of Reading, Mass., states that he culti- 
vated this variety for one year, and that although the 
yield was good, the potatoes were of poor quality, and 
not fit for the table when many belter ones are to be had. 
Mr. Wm. F. Barrett, Atlantic Co., N. J., writes that in 
1862 he planted Bulkeley's seedling, obtained from Mr. 
Bulkeley, and Garnet Chili from Mr. Goodrich, side by 
side, and that no difference could be seen in the vines, 
or the resulting tubers of the two varieties. Mr. Barrett 
states that he wrote to Mr. Goodrich upon the matter, 
and the latter informed him that he had giveif Mr. Bulke- 
ley, some years previously, specimens of his seedlings 
—the Garnet Chili among ihem. We have before 
had it staled that the Garnet Chili and Bulkeley's seed- 
ling were the same potato, and It is very possible that 
Mr. Bulkeley in cultivating a great many varieties mis- 
took the Garnet Chili for one of his own seedlings. 
Finite Potato. — We have numerous inquir- 
ies for this variety. It is common about Rochester. 
Those who have any for sale should advertise them. 
An Experiment With Potatoes.«« 
Isaac Hicks, Long Island, writes as follows : " A neigh- 
bor last spring cut out all the eyes but the strongest one, 
and planted the potaloes in a row, giving them the same 
chance as others planted in the usual way. When dug, 
these potatoes, Peach Blows, yielded by weight double 
the quantity of the same variety growing adjoining Ihem. 
They. were also of larger size. His theory is that one 
good strong shoot, takfng its support from a large potato 
when it begins to grow, will produce much more than 
when the substance, or food, is divided among several 
shoots, or even one shoot with but a small piece of potato 
to commence its growth with. As this was the fact, will 
it not be a good plan for others to try the experiment?" 
Wheat withont Plo-w^ng.— John Ma- 
lony, Dubuque Co., Iowa, asks how it will do to put in 
wheat on corn stubble, without plowing the ground in the 
spring. If the soil were light, friable, in a good state of 
fertility, and free from weeds, he could raise a fair crop. 
But it would pay well to plow before sowing, whatever 
might be the quality and condition of the soil. If the soil 
were rather heavy, it would probably, not produce half 
an ordinaiy crop without plowing. We have tried sow- 
ing barley, wheat and oats in the spring, on fall-plowed 
ground, without plowing again, and we were satisfied 
that if it had been plowed again in the spring the crop 
of grain would have been considerably larger. 
Plaster and Ifione I>nst.— '* W. B. M." 
of Plymouth (no State given), asks, " will it answer to 
sow plaster or any other manure with bone dust ?" Yes. 
Sow plaster with anything you please, it will do no harm, 
and is an advantage with ammoniacal manures. Bone 
dust may be mixed with anything except ashes and lime. 
Plaster and bone are an excellent mixture. It is usually 
best to apply plaster with guano. Sprinkle it over 
manure heaps, and about the stable, under cattle and 
horses. It will repress an odor of ammonia at once. 
I>^varf Rroom Corn.— E. M. Graves, 
Erie Co., Ohio, gives his experience with Dwarf Broom 
Comas follows: "One of your subscribers writes 
that he has raised Dwarf Broom Corn, and the tall 
variety for several years, that he likes the Dwarf much 
the best. His experience is different from mine. I have 
planted it and the tall variety every year for three years, 
and like the tall kind much better, and shall not raise any 
more of theDwarf. The brush is generally one-third of it 
too limber to make a good broom — about like a mop. It 
is about two weeks later in gelling ripe, and I cannot get 
nearly so many brooms off an acre as I can of the tall 
kind. For seed, the balance is in favor of the tall. 
ff'ine Indian Corn, — Mr. J. L. Husted, 
Fairfield Co. Conn., has put on exhibition at this oflSce 
some remarkably fine corn. The ears average about a 
foot in length, and are well filled with white flinty kernels 
having a slight dent. In 1839, Mr. H. purchased an ear of 
the " China Tree Corn," a variety which was highly 
praised at that time, but which has nearly passed out of 
cultivation, and by each year selecting the best for seed, 
he has established a variety which, with ordinary culti 
vation, gives him 75 bushels of shelled com to the acre. 
Iflanurin;^ "With CJreen CIoTer. — 
Friend Preston Eyre, of Beaver County, Pa., writes; " I 
have never failed to raise a heavy crop of India corn 
when I have plenty of old clover stalks to plow under. 
My plan is to let the clover get in bloom before turning 
the cattle on it. They will eat the finest, and tread the 
rest down. Then if there is 40 bushels of lime applied 
per acre, the fertility of the soil will be kept up, and good 
crops will be produced, I think it a wrong practice for 
farmers to put on so much stock as to eat all grass off 
close to the ground."— On some soils it will not pay to 
apply iirae. The true way to determine whether it will 
pay, is to experiment with it upon small plots of ground 
where different kinds of crops are grown. 
Ijeather Scraps as a Mannre. — Mrs. 
E. J. McLaughlin, Clark Co., Ohio, Leather scraps, 
composted with fermenting stable manure, will decom- 
pose and form a valuable manure for giapes, applied upon 
the surface, and worked in with the hoe or •cultivator, 
So^ving^ Oats After Oats. — Preston 
Eyre, Beaver County, Pa., inquires how it willdo '* to 
sow oats after oats ?" and if it will pay better than to 
plant India corn after oats ? Oats will do well after oats, 
on good soils, for several successive seasons. But it is 
bad management to grow the same crop twice in close 
succession, unless the land is well manured. In case a 
farmer has little or no manure, as Friend Eyre suggests, 
instead of sowing oats after oats, we would plant Indian 
corn, and manure it in the hill with good superphos- 
phate, and it would be much better for the soil. In some 
localilies in the State of New-York nothing but oats are 
grown for six or eight seasons in close succession, and 
with apparent profit to the proprietors But it would be 
far better both for them and their farms to raise other 
crops in connection, establishing a systematic rotation. 
Plowing- in S nperphosjjhate.— A 
subscriber inquires if "it will pay to sow about three 
hundred pounds of superphosphate per acre, broadcast on 
sod ground previous to plowing it for a crop of Indian 
corn?" We would not, as a general thing, apply super- 
phosphate thus to corn, but would rather put it in the hill. 
Then it will be sure to benefit the young corn, and give it 
an early start, whereas otherwise it would not tell until 
later, when the roots have spread well. When it is ap- 
plied In the hill, it is much better to sprinkle tlie 
handful over an area a foot in diameter, than to throw it 
in a heap as most farmers usually do. 
» Applying Coarse Mannre. — A cor- 
respondent inquires " which is the best way to apply 
manure to gravelly soil — draw out the long coarse 
manure in the spring, and apply it directly to the soil, or 
pile and rot it, and apply it in the fall?"— If a crop of 
Indian corn or potatoes is to be raised, apply the coarse 
manure in the spring. For growing either winter or 
spring wheat the manure ought to be well rotted before 
it is applied, as coarse unfermented manure is not the 
right kind of fertilizer to apply to wheat, barley, oats and 
flax. In case a sandy soil is to be summer fallowed, it 
would be belter to pile the coarse manure, or compost it 
and apply it in the fall to winter wheat, or the following 
spring to such crops as are to be raised, than to mingle it 
with the soil 8 or 12 months before the seed is sowed. 
'* Onglit Farmers to I^abor ?"— 
This absurd question is being seriously discussed by the 
contributors to some of the agricultural journals. The law 
regulating the reward of labor, viz., supply and demand, 
seems to be overlooked, as well as the principle which 
underlies all just governments, that all men have a right 
to amass property, seek their own happiness, and con- 
duct their own affairs in their own way, provided they do 
not interfere with other people doing honestly the same 
thing. If a farmer's labor in the field is worth $2 a day, 
and if he can earn three times as much, in managing his 
business, buying stock, selling his products, and over- 
seeing labor, of course he will hire an extra man, put 
him into the field and clear $4 a day by the operation. 
It will almost always be necessaiT^ for every farmer to do 
some work— at any rate it is a great advantage for a farm- 
er to be able to do any kind of farm work, and to do it as 
well or better than any man he can hire, and to this end 
he should " keep his hand in." 
Canada Xhistles.— D. L., of Wood Co., 
Ohio, writes: "I knew a man to kill ten (10) acres of 
Canada Thistles in one summer, and the field was so 
covered with them that a person could scarcely get 
through. He plowed them once each month during the 
growing season." Our correspondent adds : *' This 
plowing was done when the sign was in the heart." An 
important (?) fact— but these thistles were "heartless 
intruders." 
Fence Posts Top End Up.— C. Fro- 
vines, Indiana, writes: "Some strange ideas prevail 
here in regard to fence posts. Intelligent farmers tell me 
that posts will last as long again by being well seasoned 
before they are set, and the top ends being placed in Ihe 
ground. And I see all the fences built in that way,* He 
