1873.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4=7 
I'otntoes Mixing. — U F. G. M." We 
have answered the question often. Potatoes of different 
sorts planted together 'will not. so far as is known, mix 
from the influence of one plant upon another. Potatoes 
often vary or sport, whether planted near others or not, 
and this has given rise to the idea of mixing in the hill. 
Questions about Potatoes. — I( G. G.," 
Cornwallis, N. J., asks the following questions aboat 
potatoes: (]) What depth should potatoes be planted? 
(•2) D'>cs the depth at which they are planted affect their 
rotting? (3) Does the use of stable manure cause them 
to rot more than superphosphate? (4) Should diseased 
potatoes be fed to cows?— (1) 3 to 5 inches. (2) No. (3) 
Rank-growing crops suffer more than less thrifty ones, 
and mineral manures cause a less rank growth. (4) No, 
nor to any other animal, unless they are cooked. 
Stringy Parsnips. — "C. C. S.," Lee 
Co., Iowa. If parsnips arc checked k in their growth by 
drouth, they arc apt to have a hard center. Such, if left 
in the ground through the winter, will be found in better 
condition than if dug in the fall. 
Hints about Laying- Tiles.— F. L. 
Beffer, D. C, gives us the following practical hints, re- 
sults from his experience in laying 2,700 rods of drains : 
Have a bucket of water close by when digging drains, and 
dip the spade therein each time it is put into the ground. 
In clay soil, the work is made much easier, and the dirt 
does not stick to the spade. In finishing the bottom 
pour some water into it ; this is better than any level, as 
water will make no mistake in finding its way downhill ; 
a pint to three feet is sufficient. When laying tile, sort 
the soft and hard tile by themselves previously, and then 
lay the soft tile below the hard ones ; a soft tile of 2 inches 
is equal in carrying capacity to a 2»4 inch hard one. (?) 
Before laying the tile always look through it ; there may 
be something in it to prevent the passage of water, by 
which the drain may be spoiled. In laying 15 miles of 
drains, he has found a dozen tiles closed cither with 
mice-nests or something else. 
Ice-House.-"C. 0. G.," Hannibal, Mo. In 
the Agriculturist for December, 1S71, WO gave plans and 
elevation of an luu-nouse, with full descriptions, of which 
we have had several favorable reports, and which for 
ourselves did good and satisfactory service. 
Broom-Sedge.- ( W. S. T.," Hawksville, 
Ky., asks how broom-sedge may be prevented from 
spreading over the meadows or be destroyed. When his 
lauds are laid down to grass, the broom-sedge appears 
after two years and takes entire possession. — This is a 
difficult matter. This grass— for though it is called a 
sedge, it is a grass— thrives on poor land and on rich, and 
manuring only increases its vigor. There is no help but 
in its thorough eradication from the soil by a summer 
fallow followed by hoed crops for a year or two, and in 
these processes taking care that no roots are left in the 
soil to sprout again. 
Jerusalem Artichoke.— " B. F. C," 
St Joseph, Mo., sends us a printed hand-bill describing 
the Jerusalem Artichoke, and offering seed for five to 
eight dollars per bushel It Etates that the average crop 
is 1500 bushels per acre, besides six tons of fodder from 
the tops, with many other equally fraudulent and 
absurd statements. He asks, what do we think of it ?— 
"We think any one paying $5 for a bushel of seed will live 
to discover that he has been swindled, and will fail to 
realize the promises of the man who offers the seed. 
LolUn~ ot" the Tongae.-"E. A.," of 
Iowa, wishes to tell O. y. C, that the reason a horse leta 
his tongue hang out of his mouth, is that he has it over 
the bit; the remedy is to take care to keep the tongue 
beneath the bit by any means possible. 
Proper Pipe for a Ram.-"G. Van 
&.," Buckingham Co., Va., proposes to make a pipe of 
pieces of heart-pine hollowed out. so that when two are 
nailed together they will form a pipe ; this he designs to 
convey water from a ram. Would it answer ?— We think 
not. There would be too much waste, which would use up 
more water than a ram could supply. We would recom- 
mend tin-lined lead pipe for the discharge, and cast-iron 
pipe for the feed. 
Draining.—" A. M. W.," Mitchell Co., Iowa, 
asks, Should drains in an orchard be put under the rows 
of trees or between them ♦ Will subsoiling fill the place 
of underdraiuing ?— Drains should be put between the 
rows of trees, for many reasons. In an old orchard, they 
could not bo put otherwise; in a young one, the roots 
wtmld soon penetrate and choice tb* drains if they 
were beneath the trees. Subsoiling can only permit the 
water to sink in the soil ; it can not remove it or lower 
the water-level, but draining does. Subsoiling dries the 
surface, draining dries the subsoil as well as the surface. 
Drive-Well.— " J. M," Solon, Tenn., wants 
to know all about the drive-well. It cousists of an iron 
pipe with a sharp solid point at one end, and with several 
holes perforated immediately above the point. This 
is driven into the soil until it reaches a spring, when a 
pump is attached and the water with loose sand is drawn 
up until the water runs clear. It is then complete. Of 
course it does not answer for wells deeper than 24 feet. 
Complimentary. — We arc often in receipt 
of letters similar to this from Mr. K , of Elizabeth ; 
but this comes in such a shape that we confess it to be 
very satisfying. He says: "I wish to tender my thanks 
for the suggestion of the muzzle for a cribbing horse in 
the October Agriculturist. I tuok the paper and my horse 
to my blacksmith, and he made a muzzle like the one de- 
scribed, and my horse, which is a valuable oue and had 
no other fault, is cared. This alone is worth to me more 
than ten times the subscription to the Agriculturist?* — 
This letter needs no comment. We have many like It 
every week, and it is one of our compensations thatonr 
efforts to diffuse useful information are successful aud 
are appreciated. It would further gratify us to know 
that our friends would take sufficient interest In the wel- 
fare of their friends and neighbors to see that tbey read 
the Agriculturist also. 
Contributor. — "T. R. M.," who wishes to 
write for the Agriculturist and Hearth at\d Home, is ad- 
vised to learn to write and spell before appearing in print. 
Cheese Factory. — A. Logan, Milwaukee, 
intends to start a cheese factory, and wants to know the 
cost of one, and the number of cows necessary. Six hun- 
dred cows would be as few as could be made profitable ; 
a factory for that number would cost $1,200 to $1,500. 
Parties having such intention, should visit Little Falls, 
Ilerkimer Co., N". Y., where there are a dozen factories 
located, and inspect them for themselves. 
Enlarged I^irer.— " T. C," Union Co., 
Ohio, says his hens are dying with an unknown disease: 
the comb turns black, the fowl drinks a great deal, seems 
stiff, and dies ; the liver is four times as large as it should 
be.— It is caused by over-feeding. Give less grain and 
more vegetables, chopped cabbages, crushed or finely 
chopped potatoes, and if they are cooped np, plenty of 
gravel, and a little copperas in the drinking-water. 
English Breakfast Bacon.-"M, F. 
R.,*' Springfield, O., wants to know the method of curing 
the English breakfast bacon, and how to prepare the yel- 
low cloth it is wrapped in.— The bacon is made from the 
belly and thin rib ; the bones are removed, the pieces of 
meat arc rubbed with salt on the flesh side, and laid on a 
bench from which the moisture can drain away, one 
upon another, with the flesh side upward. They are 
rubbed with fresh salt every day, and reversed in order, 
the top piece one day, at the bottom next day, and so on 
for ten days ; they arc then smoked. When packed they 
are wrapped in brown paper, and then sown up in cotton 
cloth and covered with thick limc-waBh, colored, if de- 
sired, with yellow ocher. 
Best Stock for Mountain Pas- 
ture*.— "T. W.," Tnscumbia, Ala., wants the best 
stock for a mountain pasture, also the beEt winter pas- 
ture for them.— The best horned stock for such localities 
as this is the Devon, if beef only is wanted, or the Ayr- 
shire if dairying is the object. The best sheep, if -wool 
only is sought, is the Merino ; if wool and mntton is the 
object, the Cotswold. The best hogs would be the Essex 
or Berkshire. Native stock might be purchased, and 
good males of the above breeds used on them ; in a few 
years the improvement would be very great, and much 
profit result. Blue-grass (Poa prattnsis) pastures specially 
reserved for the purpose make the best winter feed ; 
orchard-grass and red clover the best early pasture ; 
timothy and blue-grass mixed is the best summer pasture. 
The Australian Blue-Gum.— " J. R. 
R." asks if the Blue-Gum, Eucalyptus globulus, of Austra- 
lia, would probably be found hardy in North Carolina, 
planted around ont-house6 and barns as shade-trees.— It 
has not succeeded in Georgia, but flourishes finely in 
Florida, and promises to be the leading shade and tim- 
ber tree of California. 
Sickness amongst She©p.— E. Wie- 
man, Mecosta Co.. Mich., has had sickness amongst his 
ifceep. Ttrey lost their appetite, dropped th«4i head*. 
were stupid, restless, and had much dysentery, with 
drawn-up bellies and loss of cud. They had good pas- 
ture, with a range in the woods. He asks advice. — it is 
quite probable that the sheep had eaten some poisonous 
weed. At this season of the year, the Kalmia a?iffiistifolia % 
or Sheep Laurel or Lambkill, very common along the 
edges of woods, is readily eaten by sheep and is often 
fatal. The symptoms arc similar to those described 
above. We have in such cases given an ounce of Glau- 
ber's-salt to a full-grown sheep, followed in a few hours 
by a table-epoonfnl of the following mixture : 1 pint of 
peppermint water, 2 ounces prepared chalk. This is eas- 
ily administered by means of a small long-necked bottle, 
inserted between the jaws at the back of the teeth. It is 
useful either in case of poisoning or simple dysentery. 
Injured Grape-Viues, — M Subscriber," 
Austin, Texas. — Your vines which were frozen after the 
shoots had made a foot of growth, ara no doubt much 
weakened. Tour best course is the one you propose : cut 
them down to near the ground, and grow a single cane, or 
two, as you think the root will best support. 
Utilizing Ffiffht-Soil.— " J. T. G." and 
others, Hanover Co., Va., will find a reply to their ques- 
tions in the American Agriculturist for October, 1872. 
The matter is there treated fully. 
Wells or Springs.— J. K. Roberts, Stocks- 
villc, N. C, halts between two opinions, viz. : whether 
he shall dig a well, or convey water from a spring, in 
pipes, 500 yards.— If the expense of laying the pipes can 
easily be borne, we would not hesitate a moment at the 
cost of laying 1500 feet of tin-lined pipe, \y 2 inch in diam- 
eter for the first 1000 feet, and 1 inch for the remainder of 
the distance. In that distance the pipe needs to be of 
large caliber, or the friction overcomes the force exerted 
and no water will escape at the ontlet. 
Lime and Manure.-"!. C. B., 11 Belte- 
ville, Md., asks if lime and manure should be used the 
same year, or if the lime will injure the manure.— The 
general and successful practice is to put on the manure, 
and prepare the ground for the seed, fall wheat or rye; 
then spread the lime, then the seed, and harrow both in. 
The manure is not injured if any ammonia is set free; 
the soil absorbs it and the young plants appropriate it. 
Cashmere Goats.-" J. F.," Edwardsville, 
Ind., wants to know the result of the trial of the Cash- 
mere goats.— This goat is hardy enough and thrives very 
well. In California, -there are said to be now 40,000 pure- 
bloods and gradesjn existence, but as yet there is no mar- 
ket for the wool, as there is not enough produced to fur- 
nish one small mill. When the produce becomes sufficient 
there will be a market for it, but we do not advise any 
to go into the business while they can raise sheep. 
Carbon-Paper.-" J. T.," Westfield, N. T. 
The "carbon-paper*'' used for tracing and in manifold writ- 
ing, is made by filling the pores of soft unsized paper with 
lamp-black. Oil— castor-oil or lard— is mixed with the 
black, andasmuchisrnbbed into the paper as it will hold, 
and all that is superfluous is wiped off with soft cloths. 
Catarrh in Horses.— T. Gordon, Kittrell, 
N. C.| writes that he has a horse troubled with a running 
at the nose, accompanied by a film, which grows over 
the eyes and causes temporary blindness.— It is doubtless 
a catarrhal affection, and the trouble with the eyes is 
sympathetic. Feed warm bran-ma6hes and scalded oats, 
give powdered gentian root and sulphur in the feed, and 
waBh the nostrils and bathe the eyes with a weak solution 
of sulphate of zinc. Keep the horse in a warm, well-ven- 
tilated stable, free from drafts. 
Staggers.— U C. A. M.," West Middlesex, 
has ahorse, which soema weak in the hind parts; he 
staggers, falls down euddenly, gets up, and shakes hie 
head. He does not know what ails his horse nor what 
to do for him. — This is stomach staggers, and is caused 
by indigestion ; it sometimes becomes chronic by neglect, 
and in one of the attacks the horse may never get up 
again. It may be prevented by giving the horse easily- 
digested food and keeping the bowels loose ; bran mashes 
and boiled oats and cut and moistened hay should be fed, 
in limited quantities, and he should be prevented from 
eating his Utter. 
Value of Tanner's- Waste.— "G. V.," 
Dayton, Ohio, can procure a large pilo of refuse lime 
from a tannery, in which hair and scrapings of hides arc 
mixed, and asks if it is worth hanling and if it would in- 
jure his clay land.— We have gladly paid two dollars & 
load for the same kind of waste, and believe it to be worth 
that sum for a top -dressing on grass lauds, or plowed in 
tot wheat, or Ibr eettpotfblng'wftb *wamp muck. 
