I860.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
285 
TDie Chm-los E>o truing Strawoer* 
ry,— We put out plants of this variety this spring only, 
and our knowledge of its fruiting qualities comes from 
others. Mr. W. S. Carpenter, who has, after our friend 
Downer, had the most experience with it, speaks in the 
highest terms of it. Mr. Wm. M. Doty, of Star Landing, 
N. J., has given it a careful trial. From a bed 30 feet 
square he picked from June 10th to the 30th enough 
fruit to bring- $203.25, besides selling $(J worth of 
plants. It is not fair to reckon an acre by the product of 
a small patch, but had an acre been equally productive 
with this small piece, it would have produced $1616.00. 
Wc thank Mr. D. tor his answer to our question " Will 
strawberries pay ?" Now let us have the other side. We 
may add that some berries from Mr. Doty confirmed our 
impression that the Charles Downing has more of the wild 
strawberry flavor than any cultivated variety with which 
we arc acquainted. 
Strawberries in Wcvr Jersey. — The 
West Jersey Fruit Growers' Association, which includes 
the large growers at Cinnaminson, Moorestown, and all 
that -away, have sent us a report of a meeting held '"5th 
month 10th, 1 ' whereat a vote upon the best five varieties 
was taken. The result was as follows : Albany (Wilson), 
Agriculturist, Lady Finger, New Jersey Scarlet, and 
Downer's Prolific. This strikes us as a most sensible 
vote. The Wilson takes the lead, the Agriculturist is next ; 
this variety on some soils is wonderful. Then comes 
the Lady's Finger, which is the firmest berry of which 
we have any knowledge. New Jersey Scarlet we do not 
know so much about, but it is found profitable in 
Burlington Co. Downer's Prolific wc are glad to sec in 
the list. It is sour and not very firm, hut for a near 
market we have no doubt but it is a profitable berry. 
Transportation Wanted. — Many in 
the warmer States have gone largely into raising fruits 
and vegetables for the more Northern markets. As wc 
have before stated, a share of these will be disappointed 
In their returns, for the reason that, their produce was 
not properly packed ; but others, who have exercised all 
due care in sending their stuff to market, will meet with 
heavy losses for want of proper means of transportation. 
We have had sore complaints on this score, and have 
seen perhaps ton?? of chenic«, strawberries, etc., from 
further south thrown into the scavengers' heap because 
they perished on the voyage. It i< very hard on fruit and 
vegetables to pack a large quantity in the close hold of a 
vessel ; but when that vessel is a steamer, the heat from 
the boiler makes decay the more certain. Now what is 
wanted is a Hue of vessels which will bring things from 
southern points in good order. If the existing lines 
cannot so modify their arrangements as to accomplish 
this, then the parties interested must get together and 
establish their own line of steamers. The thing is prac- 
ticable, and will ultimately be done one way or another. 
Tlie Oneinusali SEortienltui-al So- 
ciety will hold its annual exhibition on Sept. 7th. We 
warn all people near Cincinnati to be on hand. The ex- 
hibition of last year was a grand success, and this is to 
be its successor. Boston and Philadelphia must look out 
for their laurels, for Cincinnati has waked up. 
Tlie GcncTa, IV. Y., Iffortfienlttirnl 
Society has held its first exhibition, and everybody 
concerned is delighted at its bucccss. We judge, from 
looking over the list of contributions, that the exhibi- 
tion must have been one of great interest, and wc hope 
this young Society will go on and prosper. 
W.ardian Case.— "S. E. S., 1 ' Alleghany, 
Pa., made aWardian case with a glass globe, and the 
globe burst. It could hardly have happened " from the 
globe, being air-tight." The accident was more likely 
due to imperfect glass. Globes and shades arc often 
badly annealed, and crack without any apparent cause. 
Tlie NfeW Roehelle TIHarkherry in 
Illinois.— N. II. Davis, Knox Co., 111., gives his expe- 
rience as follows: '"In 1S5S I obtained three or four 
plants from Messrs. Ellwangcr & Barry, of Rochester, 
N. Y., which I planted in my garden. They have in- 
creased to several thousand, while I have never failed to 
obtain a crop since the second or third year from plant- 
ing. This year, at the present writing, the prospect is 
more flattering than ever. I think it safe to estimate it 
at ten bushels. Some seasons I have gathered fruit as 
late as the ISth of Sept.; and from present appearances, 
this will be the case the present season. I like this 
fruit. There maybe better, but I shall not part with 
mine until I have good evidence of the fact. My method 
is to cut back freely during the summer, both the main 
and side shoots, and in carlyspring remove the oldcanrs 
and the dead ends from the branches. I use a pair of 
large pruning shears for this purpose. The berry is not 
without objection, which is found in the hard core, but 
this may he remedied in part by letting the fruit remain 
on the bush until fully ripe. Tiie above is the only ob- 
jection I find to the Lawton."^— Mr. D's treatment is 
excellent, though we should prefer to remove the old 
canes as soon as the fruit is off. Where tlie New Roehelle 
will endure the winter it is enormously productive. Its 
great fault, is that it is not ripe when it is black, and 
when thoroughly ripe and fit to cat, it becomes of a dull 
color. We have a large patch which wc shall root out as 
soon ns our Kittatinny and Wilsons are in bearing. 
Colorado Potato Ifieetle.— That which 
we feared has been done. The Colorado Potato Beetle 
has been scattered along our Eastern States. A friend 
in Paulding, Ohio, sent specimens in a thin pasteboard 
box which reached us in a smashed condition, with one 
remaining larva to show what it had contained. The 
perfect insects arc doubtless distributed all along the line 
of the mail route. We last year requested our friends to 
exercise care in this matter, for fear of some such acci- 
dent, and it has now happened. The beetles have es- 
caped, and we may look for them anywhere at the East. 
We described and figured the insect in September, l$(i(>. 
Wherever it appears, destroy it at any cost. 
Coal Tar Water.- Will water strongly 
flavored with coal tar hurt plants ? Will it keep off in- 
sects ? If so, what plants will it injure and what insects 
will it drive away? 
Three Seasons in She IHuropean 
Vineyards.— By William J. Flagg. Pp. 332. N. Y. : 
Harper & Brothers. From a cursory examination of this 
work wc judge that the author has told pleasantly what 
he saw abroad, and given many excellent suggestions 
which will be valuable to the American grape grower. It 
is illustrated by engravings showing the European 
methods of training, etc. Sent by mail at the publishers' 
price, $1.50. 
Landsenpc CJarfllening;. — The Cleve- 
land Herald gives an account of a place which was " too 
poor to rnise white beans, 11 which was converted by onr 
old friend, F. R. Elliott, into a charming spot, and a 
most valuable experimental fruit garden. We should 
not be surprised at anything F. R. E. might do. except 
to make his long-promised revision of his Fruit Book. 
Here is a man whose head, as Capt. Cuttle would say, " is 
the chockfulledest of knowledge, " who gives out by drib- 
lets what be ought to do in a lump. Elliott, take warning. 
Clnh-loot in Cabba-es.-'J, D. H," 
Piermont, N. Y., attributes club-foot in cabbages to 
ants, and finds that a large pinch of salt placed aronud 
the plant prevents it. Mr. II. is mistaken as to the 
cause, but he may be right as to the remedy. 
The Oyster-shell ItHrh-lotise.— T. 
D. Plumb, Esq.. a well-known horticulturist of Madi- 
son, Wis., at a recent call, gave us very good news con- 
cerning that pest to horticulturists, the Oyster-shell 
Bark-louse. He finds that there is some insect that preys 
upon the eggs. Upon examining thousands of scales he 
found only one with perfect eggs. We must know our 
insect friends as well as enemies. It is wisely ordered 
that no insect shall become over abundant before some 
other insect conies and preys upon it. The poet " build- 
cd stronger than he knew," when he wrote " Big 
fleas have little fleas, and these have less to bite 'em. 
And these fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum." 
Fertilizers tor a ftardon. — " Iota," 
Ouatoma, Minn. In the long run there is nothing equal 
to stable manure, but it often pays to use other manures, 
for a change. Make pondrcttc by deodorizing your night- 
soil with dry earth. Save all the hen manure and buy 
all you can. Ashes and plaster seldom come amiss, and 
ground bones are valuable. If you can obtain muck, 
make a compost with that and stable manure and use it 
in the hog-pen. For a quick stimulant there is nothing 
like guano. If this is not accessible, the next best thing 
is hen manure. Most garden crop's maybe greatly for- 
warded by the use of liquid manure, made from cow-dung. 
Wc have repeated the hot-bed story almost every spring, 
and it would be out of season to do so now. 
ESaissng- White lEeans. — Geo. Sterin, of 
Indiana, wishes information on this subject. We have 
frequently given full directions in the Agriculturist* and 
as it is now too late to be of any use this season, wc 
must answer at this time very briefly. — l$t. It is a mis- 
take to t-uppofcic that beans require poor land. They 
should be sown on good, clean land, and have the best 
of culture. 2d, They should never be sown in any other 
way except in drills, wide enough apart to admit the use 
of the horse-hoe- -say 2 feet or 2'* feet apart. Drop one 
good seed every two inches in the row, or five seeds in a 
hill every foot apart. If the land is rough, or there Is 
any doubt as to the seed all growing, plant thicker, and 
thin out if too thick. 3d, Cultivate as soon as the rows 
can be distinguished, and repeat as often as once a week 
for the first month. If any weeds escape the cultivator, 
go over the crop with a hoe ; and later in the season pull 
out by hand all weeds that are in the rows. No crop, 
except turnips, beets, etc., requires cleaner culture than 
beans, or will better repay it. 
Wheat on Prairie Sort in Jasper 
Co., III. — Will it do to break prairie sod S inches deep 
in August, and put In wheat? How deep ought wc to 
break for wheat as a first crop 1 
Casting the Withers.— In the June 
number of the Agriculturist, we described the method of 
returning the "withers,"' and causing them to be re- 
tained in cases of cows suffering from "prolapsus uteri™ 
after calving. A letter from Chauncey Case, of Earl- 
ville. 111., describes a common-sense mode of proceeding, 
which, in cases where it will work, (which probably 
would be nine cases out of ten), would be excellent. He 
says : " Prepare a good waxed-end, a shoemaker's awl, 
and a pan of new or sweet milk, blood warm. Put the 
cow in a clean stall and tie her; take the pan of milk 
and wash the protruding organ carefully; then put it back 
carefully to its place. Now, take hold of her hide in the 
small of the back, draw it up tight, put the awl through 
the hide, and wind the waxed-end around under both 
ends of the awl, tie fast, and let it remain three days ; 
then take the awl out and let her go/' 
What is a Bushel of Snellen Corn ? 
— C. H. Thompson, of Michigan, writes: "I notice 
Walks and Talks reckons 60 lbs. of shelled corn for a 
bushel. I supposed 5t> lbs. was a bushel of corn in all 
the United States. Am I not right?"— In California and 
Nevada, 5*2 lbs. area bushel of corn ;in New York, 58 lbs.; 
in all the other States, 50 lbs.; in Canada and England, 
CO lbs. In a large part of N. Y. State, where farmers sell 
corn by the bushel, custom demands GO lbs. 
I>o£' Eating K*i'g;s.-H. Ri^el writes, that 
he has " great trouble to rear dogs that won't eat eggs," 
and asks a cure. The writer has been able to effect a 
cure by the force of severe censure and disgrace, accom- 
panied by one or two or perhaps more sound floggings. 
We have heard that bad cases have been cured by con- 
cealing a steel trap in the hay of a nest, after tying a hard- 
boiled egg upon the pan by a cord passed through it. 
The trap must be watched or a hen will be killed, and the 
dog if caught will be sure to run howling off and will 
lose the trap. Another cure is said to be to catch the 
dog in the act and have an c^, hard boiled and hot, 
ready to put. in his mouth. The mouth must be held 
shut a while, and the egg must surely be very hard boil- 
ed or it will break and scald his mouth severely. 
Rflittercnps in rermanenft SleaA- 
ow*.— Buttercups are easily enough gotten rid of if the 
sward can be taken up and cultivated to hoed crops a 
year or two. When they gradually encroach upon the 
grass in permanent meadows, wdiich it is undesirable to 
bring under the plow, they are a bad weed. To the in- 
quiries of a friend, wc ventured to make the following 
recommendation. To secure such a growth of grass as 
will choke out the buttercups, as barn-yard manure has 
been frequently and regularly applied, change the manure, 
and after the hay is removed, put on a good dressing of 
leached ashes and slaked lime. Wc have little doubt, 
however, that the weeding adz would be most efficient. 
We take the liberty of suggesting this tool, for we find a 
similar thing very efficient. It is a sort of hoe, made 
heavy, 2 to 2% inches wide, and 6 inches long, of good 
steel, and kept sharp. If any of our readers have had 
good luck in clearing buttercups out of grass without 
plowing, wc would be glad to hear about it. 
Steel Plows.— A. B. Fuller, Ct., asks : " Will 
steel plows work well on stony land, or will they break 
more easily than cast-iron? and where can they be ob- 
tained V — In our own experience with four Remington 
steel plows on a rather stony farm, we have never broken 
a steel point, or a steel mouldboard, or any part of the 
plow, except one of the cast-iron standards, in four years. 
During the same time wc have broken and worn out cast- 
iron points by the dozen. We are now using one of the 
Collins cast-steel plows, and it does capital work. The 
Remington steel plows arc made by the "Remington 
Agricultural Works/ 1 Utica, New York, and the Collins 
plows by Collins & Co., Collinsville, Connecticut. 
