334: 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
fNoVKMBEU, 
Good iVIaniire Going: to tUe ^Vinds. 
-A subscriber in Tinga Co., has h compost heap — n mix- 
lure of " fleshings of hides, liair, lime, ashes, weeds, chip 
inanurp. eic, really, most everything." It was piled up 
in a fonical heap, and he recently found it "dry and 
very hot," and being buined up. He wants to know 
what is to be done. Simply work it all over, rn:iUing a 
new pile aril mingling it wiili at least its own bulk of 
muck or peat, or sod's and parings of turf, or simple soil. 
This will slay the tlcstiuciion in a measure. The mis- 
take was in the original mixture. There probably ought 
to have been a greater proportion of vegetable matter, 
weeds, chip manure, etc., but there ought not to have 
been any lime or as^hes mix("d with the fleshings, hair, 
and oiher aidinal matters. Wlien lime and animal mat- 
ter are mixej, as in some of the refuse of tanneries, 
the inflnence of the lime must be counteracted as far as 
posMble, by the addition of mtiek, soil, etc. The dele- 
terious action of lime and alkalies in such a heap is to 
expel the nmmonia in gaseous form, which is hope- 
lessly lost. A loss Just of the same character lakes place 
whenever manure heats and burns. 
** Marl." — We very often iiave letters asking 
about marl. Farmers have beds of it. or it abounds near 
them, etc., and tliey want to know liow muuh it is worth, 
and how to u^c it. The different kinds of marl vary 
greatly. Some marl is chiefly minute shells, like clam or 
snail shells, consisting of carbonate of lime, ;ind some is 
so solid that it can be burnt for lime. In other mails, tlie 
shells ars mingled vvilli sand, clay and vegetable matter. 
These are oflen very viseful as applications to the soil, 
raw, composted, or having been exposed to frosts. When 
lime is beneficial, marl usually is also. The only con- 
venient way for most persons to ascertain the value of 
any particular kind is to try it. Apply it liberally and 
sparely upon grass land, in fall or early spring, to the 
com crop, to poialoes, elc, in each case making careful 
lecord of Ihe results, fur your own and others' benefit. 
jl^one I>ust for ~%VUcaft. — T. Liudsey, 
Harrison Co., Indiana, inquires " for information through 
the Agriculturist, KS to the economy of paying $30 00 
per ton for bone dust for manuring wheat." Farmers 
who have applied bone dust as a top-dressing to wheat, 
have almo.^t invariably come to the conclusion that it 
does not pay. Bone dust is the great fertilizer for tur- 
nips, :ind usually most excelknl for grass. Bnt wheat re- 
quires a manure conlaining a larger proportion of nitro- 
genous matter. Bone dust is no doubt of some value for 
whe.it. 500 pounds per acre is a medium quantity, 
idtiiough one ton is much better. There is little danger 
of sowing it too thickly, for it is a very valuable thing to 
have in the soil for other crops. 
Sa.ivdust for lYIanurc. — *' Please tell 
me how it is best to make manure out of sawdust?" 
Some stiff clays would be benefited by raw sawdust ; 
here you have manure out of sawdust, ready-made. For 
a sandy soil it would, we judge, be better were it some- 
wiiat decayed, therefore it might be laid up and moist- 
ened through uitli warm barn-yard liquor or urine ; this 
would soon start a lie.it, and it would turn brown 
and soft, in wliich state it would make a tolerable ma- 
ure. It makes very good bedding for horses or cattle, 
being easy to manage, clean out. etc., but it heats rapidly 
iu the manure heap. Unless it can be mixed with some- 
thing else, it ought to be kept trodden down hard and 
wet, or composted with muck or sods. 
Maniiriaig House Plauts. — " Mrs. M.," 
Washington, D. C. Well rntlcdcow manure mixed with 
the potting soil is the best. Poudrette is generally un- 
reliable, and guano apt to do more harm than good. 
Camellias and other hard \\ooded plants are very apt to 
be injured by the injudicious use of guano, though it may 
sometimes be used on herbaceous ones with good results. 
A teaspoonful in a quart of water may be apolied once a 
weeii. A very weak infusion of cuw or stable manure 
may be used sparingly. If the plants are lagging, it is 
belter to repot tnem ; if no good compost is at hand, it 
may be procured of the fiorists. 
A CoiBt|>o^t H^^ap.— "One who wishes to 
be a farmer," has a oompo>t heap made as follows : " A 
foundation of muck G inciies deep. . '-table manure Cinches 
deep, a thin layer of cacked bones as big as hen's eggs, 
fi inches nmck, 6 inches stable manure, 2 indies leached 
ashes, 3 inches woolen rags, and the whole covered with 
inches muck." He asks " Shall I put in some old mor- 
tar. and shall I add lime?" The old mortar will do no 
harm if it is crushei fine. The lime should be kept out 
in all probability. We would keep an old fork h:indle 
thrust irito the heap so that by drawing it out we could 
see how !nuch heat was generated. If it did not heat, it 
should be drenched preUy freely, but not soaked with the 
leachings of a manure heap, (barn-yard liquor.) The 
bones and leather will hardly decompose well unless the 
fermentation is active and the heap kept slightly moist 
with yard liquor. After it has heated well for a month, 
it should be made over, the whole being mixed and re- 
laid with more muck, or more manure, or both, according 
to how hot and well decomposed it has become. If very 
inert, one bushel of slacked lime to 15 or '20 bushels of 
compost, might be added, and the whole covered up with 
muck for the winter, but if a brisk fermentation comes 
on again, this must be kept down either by working it 
over again, adding more muck, or keeping it quite wet 
with water or yard liquor, and trodden down hard. 
Salt and t.iine.— " C. F. C." Perhaps no 
question has excited more discussion in Great Britain of 
late, than the use of salt as a manure, dud we cei tainly 
Ciin not answer your question without more data, in re- 
gard to your soil, etc. We have no doubt it has often 
increased the grass crop, and so also with grain crops. 
Sowed at plowing in the spring, it is said to have de- 
stroyed wiie worms. For roots of all kitids it may be 
applied either with tlie other manure, or as a top dressing, 
100 to 1)00 pounds to the acre.— The lime maybe worth $1 
per cask, if you can not get it for less. Exposure to 
freezing often fits muck for the compost heap, manure 
pile, or for direct application, almost as well as com- 
posting it witli lime. Both freezing and liming are useful. 
IVIaiia;^eiiient of SUecp. — Charles B. 
McClure, Dauphin Co., Pa , ta lad nine years old), hav- 
ing 14 sheep thin in flesh, wishes to know how to manage 
them. Make comfortable sheds at once for them. If 
they are to raise lambs next season, they will not require 
much grain if tliey have hay, corn stalks, and plenty of 
gooil straw, with access to salt and water. Feed roots, 
oi' apples at least twice a week, and give them hemlock 
or pine boughs often in winter. If for mutton, feed them 
one pound each, daily, of Indian corn, or corn meal and 
oil meal in equal quantities. If sheep have hay in the 
morning, straw during the day, one pound each of meal 
at noon, and corn stalks at night, with a good shed, they 
will fatten rapidly. Peas and beans are excellent feed. 
Read about sheep in former numbers of the Agncufturist. 
I>iarr]iflea in Sheep. — Charles Fiedler, 
Waukesha Co., Wis., writes: 'My sheep have had 
tlie diarrhoea for about one year, and have had no lambs. 
Is that the reason? Can you suggest a remedy?'' No 
doubt the disease prevented breeding. Turn the sheep 
into another pasture, or feed them hay once a day and a 
pint of wheat bran daily, and let them have access to 
salt. There is some weed that causes the disease, wliich 
indeed may also be in Ihe hay of your own farm. 
Xo ^Preserve IPencc Posts, etc.— 
Milo H. Moon, of Hendricks Co., Ind., savs in a com- 
munication to the Agriculturist I " By sprinkling salt 
around the posts and allowing stock to lick it, they 
will graze off the grass and weeds close to the ground, 
and smooth and pack the surface so that the water will 
readily run off, and licking the posts will keep lint from 
collecting, and add materially to their durability." 
Ijiee on Poaaltry. — A correspondent who 
has tried the use of Kerosene applied upon fowls to cure 
lice, writes to warn others against trying it. One of the 
two on which it was tried soon died, the other being in 
great pain was killed. " Their flesh looked as if seared 
w ilh a hot iron." No doubt the quantity applied was too 
great, it ought not to wet the skin at all. Neither should 
any other application to fowls, except soap and water. 
Locust Killer.— The wasp-liUc insect left 
by J. H. Bloodgood, of Perth Amboy, which digs holes 
in the garden like big ant-hills, and slings badly, is the 
Ho^ardia s;)eciosws, or locust-killer. It kills locusts {or 
Cicada,) lays its eggs in them and buries tliem, leaving 
the ground so smooth that they can hardly be found, 
and thougii their sting is bad, they can not be classed 
among injurious insects. 
Xhe IVIassacliiisetts Horticultural 
Society.— This pioneer association, which since its 
formation in 1^29 has steadily progressed in prosperity 
and usefulness, celebrated on Sept. 16th an era in its 
history. The occasion was the opening of its new Hall, 
on Tremoiit-street. The building is of granite, and the 
architectural design is chaste and elegant. There are two 
spacious halls for exiiibition purposes, and Ihe necessary 
committee and library rooms, beside the stores upon the 
ground floor and basement. The President of the Society, 
C. M. Hovey, Esq., delivered an interesting address, and 
an oile was sung, etc. On the following Monday the So- 
ciety held its ilOth annual exhibition in its new rooms, 
which seemed almost .^s much too small foi the bountiful 
contributions as did the old Hall a few years ago. The 
show of apples was meagre, as it is everywhere, though 
there were a few fine plates, especially of Baldwin and 
Hubbardston Nonsuch. The exhibition of'peais was 
great, as it always is in Boston. The largest number of 
varieties were from Hovey & Co., and M. P. Wilder, 
both interesting collections, as they contained specimens 
of new and rare varieties. Remarkably fine Sheldon, 
De Tongres, Beurre Bosc, Beurre D'Anjou and other 
leading sorts were shown by several exlubiiers. A seed- 
ling pear by Doct. S. A. Slnjrtleff, of Brookline, was no- 
ticeable for its fine appearance. It bore the name of Ad- 
miral Farragut, and if it is at all like its namesake, wilt 
perform all it promises. The show of hardy grapes was 
poor, as that of exotic ones was excellent. The only 
variety sliown in any great perfection was the Catawba. 
We expected to see a fine show of Rogers' Hybrids, but 
found only some 6 or 8 nniid)ers. whicli did the grapes no 
credit. The exhibition was weak in cut flowers, owing 
to the unusual dryness of the season, but the lack in this 
department was made up by the excellence of tlie pot- 
plants. A fine collection of these from the Cambridge 
Botanical Garden carried off several of the prizes. The 
exhibition of vegetables was very large and interesting. 
The growers around Boston are great on squashes, but 
poor on celery. We can only give the general features 
of this most interesting exhibition. As we passed through 
these elegant and spacious halis. overflowing with the 
products of the orchard and garden, remembering the first 
exhibition of this society, whirli we attended some 20 
years ago in a small hall on Tremont Row, the contrast 
was striking. A.s a New Yorker, it was painful to think 
that the New York and Brooklyn Horticultural Societies 
had dwindled and dissolved, while in what New Yorkers 
call the "provincial town" of Boston, their Institution 
goes on with increasing prosperity. 
Xl»e Worcester Co. Horticultural 
Society.— It was pleasant to find in the beautiful inland 
town of Worcester so fine a show of fruits as Mas pre- 
sented at the annua! exhibition of this society. An ample 
hall is owned by the society, and this was well filled with 
horticultural products. Pears were of course the prom- 
inent feature in the exhibition. The show of native 
grapes was better than that at Boston, and included most 
of the standard varieties. Enormous bunches of Union 
Village were shown, and some finely grown and well 
ripened Adirondacs from G. H. Martin, of Norwich, 
Conn., attracted much attention. We were particularly 
pleased with the show of vegetables, which, considering 
the comparatively cool climate of Worcester, was ex- 
ceedingly creditable to the exhibiters. There was a most 
interesting collection of potatoes, m;my ol them seed- 
lings. Mr. Jas. S Pike, Worcester, exhibited 42 varie- 
ties, and Mr. S. P. Champney, Saundersvilie, a large 
number. 
Xlie Horticultural £xliibition olt 
the American Institute. — Liberal premiums 
were ofl!"ered and abundunt room provided, but for some 
reason our cultivators failed to appear in force, and the 
show was, as a whole, a failute. Had it not been for a 
collection of pears from Ellwanger it Barry, at Ro- 
chester, tlie show of this fruit would have been pitifully 
poor. There were some good specimens of grapes, 
but the display was not one-tentli of what it might have 
been, had our cultivators done themselves justice. The 
vegetables could have all been put in a wlieel-barrnw, and 
were not worth wheeling a great distance at th-il. In 
Ulie way of pot plants it was belter, thanks to Messrs. 
Buchanan, Hogg, and otiiers. Mr. D. D. Buidianan of 
Reid's Nurseries made a creditable show of evergreens. 
We regret to be obliged to record such a state of apathy 
among our horticulturists, as is indicated by the meagre 
show at the Institute. Tlie Greeley prizes, which it was 
expected woui^ be awarded at this exhibition, are said 
to be still held in abeyance, but we are not yet ofiicially 
infoimed of the actual state of the matter. 
Xlie Death of ]V£r. Josepli Frost.— 
The friends of Frost & Co., propiietors of the Genesee 
Valley Nurseries, at Rochester, will be pained to learn 
of the death of Joseph, the junior member of the firm, 
who died very suddenly at St. Louis, on Sept. 26th. Mr. 
F. possessed a geniality of manner that endeared lum to 
all who knew him, and his loss will be felt l-y a large 
circle of friends. 
Early Ripeniiift- of Fruit.— The un- 
usually dry autumn has caused most varieties of fruit to 
ripen in advance of their usual time, and the e:irly wiii- 
ter sorts in many c;ises come into eating in autumn. The 
fruit grower should be on his guard against loss futra this 
early maturity, and sec that Ids fruit does not get beyond 
the proper state of ripeness for the table and (narket. Keep 
all winter fruit as cool as possitde, without freezing. 
