4=4:(5 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
IT WILL I* AY to supply yourself, your 
eons, and your workmen with good papers and books. $5 
to $'20, or more, expended in this way, will come back 
every year. Your sons will be kept from idleness and mis- 
chievous company ; they will understand and respect 
their work more ; they will gain new ideas and learn to 
think and reason better ; they will learn to make their 
heads help (heir hands; they will labor more intelligently 
and be happier because their minds will be developed, 
and they will have something to think about while at 
work. Better sell an acre of land than not to have these 
mind-cultivators. Any intelligent man will make more 
off from 9 acres than the unintelligent one will from 10 
acres. Think of this in planning and providing for your 
sons in the future. Store their growing minds with use- 
ful ideas, or the devil will fill the vacancies with very un- 
desirable tenants (ideas). (The premium list on page 469 
will afford to many an opportunity to get some books free 
of expense ; and plenty of good books, to be delivered by 
mail or otherwise, will be found in the advertising pages.) 
Please ^peakof our Ciennan Edi« 
tion.— This has all the principal articles and engravings 
of the English edition, besides a Special German Depart- 
ment, by ITon. Frederick Mimch, a practical cultivator in 
Missouri. This paper is useful to the great number of 
German-speaking cultivators of tlio country, and espe- 
cially so to the scores of thousands of new-comers from 
Faderland. Terms the same as for the English edition. 
Clubs may consist of cither edition, or partly of both. 
Sir^ T B>rcY HUMBUGS.— A long chap- 
ter of humbug exposures, in type, is unfortunately crowd- 
ed over to our next paper, by the Index, which takes off 
four pages of space this month. Among the schemes 
and names in the article are: Bank of England Notes; 
Sawdust, imd '•Queer;* 1 B. F. Grayson ; Robert M. 
Jameson; Win. and Jno. Wood ; Wm. Potter ; Hudson 
Wood & Co. ; Br. Lorand ; Dr. J. Hermans ; G. M. 
Washburn; B. H. Longstrcet; Spanish Policy; G. W. 
Jackson; Wm. T. Neal ; Louisville, Ky., Library: A 
West Virginia Sister of Charity Gift Enterprise ; Luther 
& Son ; a Minn. N. W. Book Co. ; Turkish Lozenges (dan- 
gerous); Consumption Cure, by returned missionaries and 
other ministers ; and all advertised cures ; professed Can- 
cer Cures; University Medicines; R. II. Foster; Sarah 
B. Lambert; Books of Recipes; Prophylactical Star; 
Good Samaritan; Newspapers advertising Quack Medi- 
cines, Patent Medicines, Swindlers, etc., etc. We shall 
continue a faithful showing up of the various swindlers 
so long as they continue operations. This department 
of the paper will alone save to individuals, and the 
people at large, ten times its entire cost to the country. 
Crops and Ps-ices. — Now that the re- 
ports of the crops all over the world are in, it is found 
that the anticipated large yield will not bo realized, and 
yet there will be abundance to supply all wants. With 
the present facilities for procuring rapid information, the 
effects of good or bad yields of crops are immediately 
discounted, and markets are influenced accordingly. 
Whether the prices of grain will maintain themselves 
throughout the season, depends greatly on circumstances 
quite foreign to the amount to be marketed. The state 
of the money market will probably influence them more 
than anything else. Farmers, therefore, who bold on to 
their crops will do so as speculators, and will have to 
take the risk of profits or losses as sneh. 
IFoi-est Trees : A. New Work.- 
" Forest Trees for Shelter, Ornament, and Profit," is the 
title of a recent work by Arthur Bryant, Sr. Mr. Bryant 
has long been known as one of tlie most eminent horti- 
culturists of the West, and is at present the President of 
the Illinois Horticultural Society, and anything from his 
pen is sure to be founded upoa intelligent experience. 
Mr. Bryant has long made the propagation and cultivation 
of forest trees a specialty, and we know of no one better 
qualified to give instructions to others. The advance 
sheets of the work show that the author has taken a large 
view of the subject, as he discusses not only the methods 
of raising trees, but their meteorological and economical 
relations. The illustrations arc well done, and the work 
presents a pleasing mechanical appearance. Sent from 
this office by mail for $1.50. 
Aucitba — Afeeoaa. — In the item " Plants 
Named, ,; on page 409, last month, the types made us say 
that Aucuba Japonka is a charming climber. We of 
course intended to write Akebia Jap silica. 
One of* Z?3nuy« — Wc very frequently receive 
letters like the following, in regard to the esteem in 
which the Agriculturist is held. This comes from Ohio: 
"Have been a subscriber for several years: should not- 
like to do without it, although I am not a farmer, having 
only one acre of ground in town or city of A . I have 
about 200 grape -vines— principally Concord and (.'leveling, 
with some twelve or more other varieties. I also grow 
several varieties of raspberries and blackberries. Am a 
carpenter by trade, but do not work at it at present, as I 
have been in the mail service for two years and a half, as 
route agent." 
IF the Dogs loll tBac Sheep, the only 
remedy is to kill the dogs. If the owners of the dogs 
can prove damages, pay them. But at any rate kill any 
dog that is discovered prowling about the premises. Or 
if he is a respectable dog that is worth training, put a 
t charge of peas in a shot-gun, and when the dog is about 
50 yards distant, let him have a taste of them. He will 
not like it; and one or two doses will convince him that 
home is the pleasantest place for a well-behaved dog to 
spend his evenings. lie will also be likely to tell his 
friends that there i3 something about a sheep-farm that 
renders it an unhealthy place for dogs to visit. 
tolling 1 Spring: CJraiu.— " J. A. C," 
of Wisconsin, asks "if it is a good plan to roll spring 
wheat, barley, and oats after they have come up, and if so, 
how high should the grain be, and should the roller be 
heavy or light?" We usually roll *ur barley with an 
ordinary two-horse roller, a few days after it comes up. 
It can be rolled with safety until it is three or four inches 
high. We roll not so much for the benefit of the crop, as 
to have the land smooth for the convenience of harvest- 
ing. Wc should be glad to hear from the readers of the 
Agriculturist on the subject. We apprehend that much 
depends on the character of the soil. The rolling some- 
times, in our experience, caused the land to bake worse, 
apparently, than if it bad been left unrolled. Still, on 
the whole, wc think the practice beneficial. 
Sows flhat hare Lost their Appe- 
tite. — A correspondent in Minnesota has some sows 
that " will not eat corn, rough or boiled, corn- meal, or 
barley-meal, or oat-meal, made into slops. They will 
drink milk, but that is not to be had. 1 ' Try them with 
scalded bran or fine middlings, mixed with sufficient 
water to look like milk. Let them have all the bran they 
will eat or drink, and give no corn or other grain. If 
not diseased, they will recover their appetite on this diet. 
Let them have clean, dry, warm but well-ventilated pens, 
and plenty of opportunity for exercise out of doors. Give 
them all the salt, ashes, and charcoal they like to eat, and 
if possible let them root in the fresh earth. A few roots 
or potatoes might help them. 
Iff o iv to Get B2i«l of the Woolly 
Taste iu Mutton.— Sir. Collins, of Michigan, writes 
that he has a way of dressing mutton which makes it 
sweet and palatable, and entirely destitute of woolly 
taste. "As soon as possible after the sheep is dead, 
skin the legs and hang up. Then make an opening in 
front, as high up as possible, and turn in with a cup or 
dipper as much cold water as the carcass will hold- 
usually from one to one and a half pailfuls. Then go on 
and skin and dress as usual." Wc do not see the phi- 
losophy of the plan, but it is simple and easy, and is 
worth trying. The method we try to adopt is, to make 
the sheep quite fat before killing. We have never 
known it fail. There are sheep which it is almost im- 
possible to fatten. On such we would try the water-cure. 
One ISiintlrctl X*oublus of Pork 
from 7 or S Bushels of €orn.-"I. H. S.," 
East New York, is feeding seven pigs with one and a 
half bushels of ears of corn per day, but can not make 
pork at the above rate. IIow can he mend his practice ? 
By shelling and grinding his corn, and either soaking it 
in boiling water or cooking it and feeding the mush cold, 
there will be a large saving. Feeding corn in the ear is 
expensive. 
r JTlie SJest TTaaaie to IEslbbI Lime. — 
" S. O.," Middletown, Ct., asks when to haul and spread 
lime. There is no better time than the present. Unload 
it from the wagon into small heaps ; a bushel every two 
rods each way, would make forty bushels per acre. It 
will soon slake by exposure to the weather. Spread as 
soon as it becomes fine. 
Sniflles *« Hogs.— E. P. McClurc, Grant 
Co., Ind., asks how this disease operates and the remedy. 
Wc are not acquainted with any complaint thus named, 
but suppose it is what is known as " cold, 1 ' which affects 
the head and snout. Harris, in his work on "The Pig," 
recommends a table-spoonful of Glauber salts with a 
little ginger, and a dry, comfortable bed. 
Violets. — R. L. Schrock, Laclede, Mo., has 
bad two pots of Violets for IS months, and they do not 
bloom. The plants arc too old. They should have been 
turned out last spring aud new offsets taken this fall for 
winter blooming. 
I*eat.— U F. W. dc K," Rockingham Co., N. 
n., sends a specimen of peat, dug out of a salt marsh, 
where it lies beneath two feet of clay, and wants to 
know if it is valuable as manure. It contains much un- 
decomposed vegetable matter, and would need to be dug 
in the fall and suffered to freeze during the winter, when 
it would make a valuable addition to the manure pile. It 
would also make a good fuel, if properly prepared. It 
approaches more nearly to the character of the Irish peat, 
which is extensively used in Ireland for fuel, than any 
other we have met with. 
A Good Kg.— G. W. Fonrgc, Fulton Co., 
New York, sends the following account of a pig he lately 
dressed, viz. : a pig, six months and twenty-six days old, 
and dressed 341 ■£ pounds, nc asks who will beat it. 
What is tlie Best Stoclc for an Or- 
dinary Farmer to Keep ?— This depends on the 
purpose for which the slock is kept. If a milk or cheese 
dairy, Ayrshire blood should be infused ixto the best 
native stock that can be picked up. If butter is wanted, 
the Jersey stock would be preferable. If beef as well as 
butter is desired, and the pastures arc light, Dcvons 
should be. chosen. If the pasture is rich and feed abun- 
dant, Ilereford or Durham grades would be the best. 
Whatever stock is chosen, should be introduced by means 
of a thorough-bred young bull ; the use of which on fair 
native stock would soon result in a great improvement. 
How Young- I*i£;s were Raised. — 
John G. Canlkins, Knoxville, Tenn., had three little pigs 
left, When four weeks old, to rooMor themselves. They 
were fed milk five times a day, and soon some wheat bran 
was added ; after three months were fed new shelled 
corn, soaked in milk, four times a day. Killed at four 
months, they weighed 91, 80, 02 pounds. How could they 
have been made into more pork in the same time? As 
this is the season for pork stories, we shall be glad to 
hear from some of our readers an answer to this question. 
We do not doubt but many will improve on these weights. 
We have done it ourselves, by feeding corn-meal and 
milk, also boiled mush, cold. 
Osnjsre OraBg;e.-E. F. Johnson, Niagara 
Co., N. Y. — You are rather far north for the Osage Orange 
to be a sure thing. One-year-old plants are set in the 
spring. Unless you have some local knowledge of the 
success of the Osage, you had better use Honey Locust. 
€edars.- u T. B. P.," St. Lawrence, N. C.— 
The best time to set cedars is just as they arc starting 
into growth. If the roots once get dry they will not suc- 
ceed at any time. If you have to carry the plants any 
great distance, the roots must be surrounded by damp 
moss, or some other means taken to keep them moist. 
l>oul>le Gcranlmms.-" R. L. S." Wil- 
liam Pfitzcr, scarlet, and Madame Lemoine, pink, arc 
good sorts. 
To Pull Stumps. — Geo. E. Lee, Hulton, 
sends a plan to pull up small stumps. lie takes a young 
white-oak or hickory tree, 30 or 40 feet long, and thick 
enough not to spring much, fastens a short chain with a 
hook to the end of it, takes a turn round the stump to be 
extracted (the hook is attached to a root, to get a good 
hold), and by means of a team hitched to the other end, 
the stump is twisted out of the ground. 
ISrieks aai«l Leather.-" N. W., H Wies 
Bluff, Texas, wishes to engage in brick-making and tan- 
ning leather, with a capital of §3,000, and wants all the 
information about the best modes and best machines for 
these businesses. Unfortunately our space is too limited, 
or wc would gladly accede to N. W.'s request. We will 
say, however, that $3,000 may start a brick-yard, but 
would go a very short way towards establishing a tannery. 
It would be a small tannery that would not have over 
that amount constantly invested in bark alone. 
Grease from ESoiEes.— " P. S." asks if 
the grease which rises on the surface of the acid in 
which bones arc dissolving, is useful as a manure, or as a 
soap grease. It is of more value to make soft-soap. 
dumber of Feet 5sa au Acre. — Chas. 
Sims, St. Louis Co., Mo., ask the number of squar ■ feet 
in an acre, and parts of an acre. One acre contains 43,500 
square feet, half an acre 31,780 feet, a quarter of an acre 
10.S00 feet. A square of 208?.f feet makes an acre. 20S?.£ 
feet in length, and 101 feet 4 inches in width, is half an 
acre, and a square of 104 feet 4 inches is equal to « 
quarter of au acre. A city lot 100 feet long by 25 feet 
wide is less than a sixteenth part of an acre. 
