4,06 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[XoVEfiTBEE, 
Xlae Farmers- CIsal>.— This remarkable 
body still meets, and though wc arc unable to give full 
reports of the talks it lets loose, we are unwilling that 
our readers should not have an occasional taste of the 
richness there poured out. We learn that "Smut is a 
disease of wheat that is not understood any more than 
consumption is in the human race." Smut was first cor- 
rectly described in 1T00. In 1S05 Sir Joseph Banks pub- 
lished a memoir on the subject, with a colored plate, and 
' since then Brogniart, Tulasne, Berkley, Cook, and others, 
have made its history as well known to people outside of 
the Club as that of wheat itself A well-educated lady, 
brought up to know the points of ahorse and a bullock, 
has chosen to make an honest living by reporting the 
cattle markets for a daily paper. One of the clubites de- 
scribed her appearance in the cattle yard, and said, "The 
gentle sheep opened not their mouths, but the emaciated 
calves set up a doleful 'Ma, ma, my ma.' " This passed 
unrebuked, and will probably go abroad in the Transac- 
tions, to edify and instruct the world Here is more 
11 farmers' *' talk. One asks how to destroy cabbage 
worms; the reply is— "Don't have cabbages, as Dog- 
berry would say, it is ' tolerable and not to be endured.* " 
Hydrophobia in Cattle— Mr. A. E. 
Downes, of Chemung Co., X. Y., in a letter to the Agri- 
CUltwkti mentions the loss by a neighbor, David Titus, 
of several young cattle by this distressing disease. No 
doubt they were bitten by a mad dog, but "without the 
knowledge of the owner. They sulked standing alone, 
frothed at the mouth, attacked other animals, anything 
moving about at times throwing them into paroxysms 
of raving, doubtless accompanied by severe pain. They 
were always docile towards their master, suffering him 
to lead them, administer medicine, etc., without resist- 
ance or demonstration of violence. Prof. Law, of Cor- 
nell "University, declared the disease Hydrophobia, for 
which no cure is known. 
The Best Stock Fowl.- Henry S. An- 
derson, Ontario Co., N. Y., asks: "What breed of 
poultry do you consider as the best for raising fowls to 
sell?— also which is the most profitable to keep, take 
them all in all ?" — We like the Brahmas as a stock fowl 
better than any other breed. This answers the second 
question.— There are always more or less fowls which 
arc not up to the standard required for breeding, it the 
breed is to be kept up. Brahma pullets of this kind, 
mated with large Dorking cocks, produce a fine large 
fowl which cannot be excelled by any pure breed 
for hardiness, quick growth, and case of fattening. 
Chickens. — IPreeocIoMs ILayers.— 
Cross-bred chickens are often the best as layers or for 
fattening. " D. B-," of Pittsburgh, Pa., writes : " I had 
a brood of chickens come out about the 15th or 20th of 
March. On the 17th of July one of the pullets began 
laying, and laid 21 eggs in 21 days. Soon after others of 
the same brood commenced, and all the pullets of that 
brood have been laying through the month of September. 
The Dorking blood predominates, and they arc, perhaps, 
a quarter Dominique."' 
California StaSe Fair.— The Sixteenth 
Annual State Fair held at Sacramento, in Sept. last, was 
a success, pecuniarily and otherwise. The Rev. I. S. 
Diehl gave the address, which was devoted to silk culture. 
Tlia silk growers and manufacturers made a great dis- 
play of their products. 
BsiHs £u the At root. — A few days ago vtg 
encountered a bull leading a lad of eighteen through the 
streets of New York. The animal appeared to be two- 
and-a-half to three years old; he had no ring in his nose, 
and was controlled in but slight measure by the lad, who 
was drawn along by his side by means of a cord or small 
rope, as large as one's finger. The boy shouted, to clear 
the road, and on they went, the bull stopping now and 
then to paw dust and bellow wildly. Behind this party 
came three others, a few months younger. All the bulls 
were led by poor, miserable little ropes, looking half rot- 
ten, and some in several pieces, and none of the boys 
appeared to be twenty years old. Crossing Broadway, 
the leader was caught in a rush of omnibuses and swept 
down with the current a full block, when, somehow, he 
turned and came back with the ascending stream of vehi- 
cles, getting many a crack from the whips of reckless 
drivers, who would as lief as not witness the fearful 
■pcctaclc of a mad bull in the streets. The next day we 
read the account of a bull which escaped from one of 
the mid-city slaughter-houses, and rushed madly through 
several of the most crowded business streets, chased by 
police, and followed by a crowd of one or two thousand 
persons of all ages and sizes. lie was clubbed, shot at, 
hooted at, and stoned from one end of his route to the 
other. Persons wen- gored, run over, shot, and hurt in 
many ways, and finally the bull was shot and killed. If 
the people of New York will have slaughter-houses in 
their midst, and insist upon allowing cattle to be driven 
at all times of the day and night through the streets, 
surely they will not object to either excluding bulls, or, 
if (hey arc admitted, let them come with rings in their 
noses, and a strong rope about their horns, and another 
tied to one fore-leg, so that they may be tripped up and 
shot if they become unruly. 
I?Ssasft5Efig-Faiifll Shavlaags, etc. — " J. 
H.," of Rocky Hill, N. J., wishes to be informed whether 
pine shavings, fresh from the planing-mill, arc useful or 
injurious as mulching for strawberries, blackberries, and 
raspberries, and if they arc good spread upon sod to be 
plowed for corn in the spring. — Ans. — They arc not to bo 
commended as mulch for anything, but may be used in 
the stables as absorbents of manure, and when decayed 
or partly decomposed, arc useful as an ingredient of ma- 
nure, but are not worth much. They would be of still 
less value if spread upon the surface and plowed in, 
though, unless in very large quantities, they would 
probably do no harm. When in masses upon or under 
the soil, such things (sawdust, shavings, etc.) form at- 
tractive wintering places for certain insects, and besides 
remain long undecomposed. 
Fertilization of &an«l. Barrens,— 
W. S. Young, of Brooklyn, prefers sand to mosquitoes, 
and writes: *' I have been traveling about the east end 
of Long Island, and am so well pleased with many parts, 
with the pleasant appearance of the country, its hcalth- 
fulncss, and its frecdorn from that pest of the west end, 
mosquitoes, that I would prefer to live there if I knew 
some way to give fertility to the sand and gravel. Can 
you tell how I may, at an expense not out of rea- 
son, give to one hundred acres of those sandy barrens 
such permanent fertility that I may raise profitable crops 
of wheat and corn there?'" — Ans. — The east end of Long 
Island is a good deal better to cultivate than the central 
portions, but it is fair to say that no treatment can give 
to such soil jyermanent fertility. We think it may be 
brought up to yield 20 bushels of wheat or 40 to 50 bush- 
els of corn to the acre, without unreasonable expense, by 
the use of fish manure aiftl sea-weed compost, and plow- 
ing in green crops — buckwheat, corn sowm in drills and 
plowed under wheu beginning to tassel, and clover, — in 
all cases keeping the enriched soil as near the surface as 
possible, until a good degree of fertility is established. 
lloaises Wanted. — We have received in- 
quiries from parties in remote sections inquiring whero 
ready framed houses can be purchased. Those engaged 
in the business will find it pay to answer through our ad- 
vertising columns. 
ISachleherry Cnltnro.— " B. G. S.," 
Cambridge, Mass. "We know of no one who has attempt- 
ed huckleberry culture beyond setting out here and there 
a bush of the taller kinds as an ornament. Mr. Fuller, in 
his Small Fruit Culturist, suggests that attempts should 
be made to procure improved seedlings, but wc are not 
aware of any one who has done so. As long as the fruit 
grows in such abundance in the wild state there is no 
great temptation to engage in its cultivation. 
"Bfodg-e Questions.— Several ask why not 
sow the seed where the hedge is to stand. The young 
plants are not likely to get so good culture as when grown 
in a seed-bed. By taking up the plants and burying 
them, or keeping them in the cellar the first winter, they 
are saved from the injury likely to result from being 
thrown out by frost, and besides a greater uniformity in 
the hedge is secured, as the planter is enabled to assort 
the young trees E. Audigicr, Ark., has a young Pyra- 
canth hedge, and wishes to know what to do with it. It 
is difficult to advise without knowing more of its present 
condition. The great trouble with hedges is in securing 
a good bottom growth. "We have very little experience 
with the Pyracanth as a hedge plant at the North. "White 
recommends to trim it in the fall in the shape of a broad 
wedge, one foot high, and six inches broad at the base, 
and in future prunings the base should increase in breadth 
four inches for every foot in hight. The young growth 
should be trimmed in June also "J. PI. S., 1 ' Hunting- 
don, L. I. We should not advise the Osage Orange on 
Long Island. It is a little too tender. The Honey Lo- 
cust will suit your purpose much better. Set in spring. 
The Queens Coniaty Agp. Society 
(Long Island) held the largest and most successful 
fair it has ever had last month. There were 113 
entries of cattle, 20'J of horses, and 207 of poultry, be- 
sides a good show of sheep and swine, and a most excel- 
lent display of vegetables, potatoes being very fine and 
in large quantities. There was a creditable show of 
fruits also, as well as of flowers. The President, S. T. 
Taber, and C. II. Jones, each showed good Short-horns, 
Wm. Norton, excellent Uercfords, — not large, but hand' 
some, and well marked,— and Wm. Crozier, the finest Jer- 
sey bull we ever saw, and good Jersey and Ayrshire 
stock. He is an enterprising breeder, with too glib a 
tongue to praise his own and defame other men's stock. 
Mr. Crozier also showed Berkshircs, as well as Cots- 
wold and Southdown sheep, all of good quality. Mr. II. 
O. Gavitt, con of the Secretary of the N. Y. State Poultry 
Society, made an exceedingly fine exhibition of poultry. 
Thero were more coops and the fowls were in better 
feather than at the N. Y. State show. Most of the birds 
were imported and very choice. Choice birds were 
also shown by Samuel Willets, and there was in this de- 
partment its full share of trash. The victualing depart- 
ment seemed to be very well conducted. There was no 
great show of Long Island manufactures, for a very good 
reason, good wagons and carriages Conning almost a 
solitary exception. J. R. Decatur & Co., of N. Y. City, 
aud Isaac Hicks, of Hempstead, showed farm implements. 
Bresee's ^"eiv Potatoes. — The new 
seedlings of Mr. Bresec were tested by the committees 
of the Mass. Hort. Society, and twenty-eight persons 
marked their estimate on a scale of 10. The order in 
which they stood when the votes were counted was as 
follows: Bresee's No, 6 received 20S marks, and stood 
No. 1 ; Early Rose, 2; King of the Earlies, 3; Bresee's 
Prolific, 4 ; Bresee's No. 7, 5 ; Bresee's No. 5, G. 
Pratt's Astral Oil.— Jacob Kirk, Mont- 
gomery Co., Pa. The oil is placed on our premium list, 
which expresses our opinion of it more forcibly than a 
long article. It is no "safer and better than good coal 
oil." but coal oil, to be *• good," must be equal to 
Pratt's, which it is not, one time in a thousand. 
EMamting; Walnuts. — J. MeClarran, 
Powshiek Co., Iowa. Walnuts are planted where the 
trees arc to stand, cither in rows, which are to be thinned 
when necessary, or in hills, with two or three seeds in a 
place. Planting may be done in fall or in spring. If the 
nuts arc to be kept overwinter they should be mixed with 
slightly damp sand. 
Setting Trees. — "E. T. M.," Swan Creek, 
O., writes: '•You say that 'the time of setting the 
trees in the orchard has nothing to do with the bearing. 1 
There are four Pound Royal Apple Trees in Mr. A. T. 
Blake's orchard, two of which were planted in the fsjl, 
and bear one year, and the other two were planted in the 
spring, and bear the alternate year. How do yon account 
for this state of facts?" — We can readily conceive that, 
cither couple of trees may have been so injured by some 
circumstance attending the fall or spring planting as to 
give one a year's advantage over the other. 
Abronaas.- "B. II. J., ,! Niles, O. Probably 
the difficulty with your Abronias was too much moisture. 
We have seen all three, A. umbellata, A. armaria, and 
A.fragrans, growing in their native sands, in places so 
sterile that vegetation was scarce. A, cu'enaria grows 
upon the blowing sands of the Pacific shore. We have 
only oultivatcd A. vmbeUata, and then in exceedingly 
poor soil, where it did very well. A. /Migrans is most 
beautiful when growing wild, but we could not start the 
seeda in our only trial of it. 
Kansa.s at tlte IPomo log-Seal Soei- 
cty. — Kansas deserves a separate item. The State Leg- 
islature made an appropriation to defray the expense^ of 
a delegation to the meeting. The Legislature did well. 
The delegates did well also, for they had something 1o 
show and something to say. Only a few years ago Kan- 
sas was a State known to most people as something to be 
wrangled over by politicians. Now she comes with fruits 
which put the older States in the shade. The colla- 
tion, for its size and the beauty of its individual speci- 
mens, was the principal point of attraction in the room. 
Bee Notes.— By 3f. Quinby. 
Apiary for November.— In sections where there 
is not much buckwheat, many stocks will not have collect- 
ed honey enough for winter, owing to the cold, wet season. 
Some of these should be fed, and others taken up, accord- 
ing to circumstances. Where there is not comb enough to 
hold sufficient honey for winter, I would advise taking 
up just as soon as the brood hatches. This, after such a 
summer as the past, will be as early as the middle of 
October. Where there is comb enough to hold fifteen or 
twenty pounds of honey, Southern honey, ora syrnpmadc 
of sugar, may be fed with profit. I notice in the Bee 
Journal a statement to the effect that the addition of a 
little glycerine will prevent the candying of sugar syrnp 
in the combs. Where comb is wanting, it takes so much 
