1878.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
'207 
Why they Itmn Corn. — U A Farmer's 
Boy," Nebraska, tells us why they bum com out there. 
He lives twenty miles from timber, aud by going that 
distance can buy green cotton-wood for $0 a cord, paying 
for it with corn at fifteen cents a bushel. At this rate, 
counting the value of two days' hauling, one cord of 
■wood co>ts 100 bushels of corn, which will burn three 
times as long and make a better fire than the wood. It 
is therefore the cheapest fuel that cau be procured, to say 
nothing of its convenience. 
Cure Tor Hoven.— A. Chavannes, Knox- 
ville. East Teun., writes that in cases of hoven in cattle 
he has administered, with entire success, a table-spoonful 
of sulphuric ether in one pint, of water. If the case is a 
bad one, a second dose is given in fifteen minntes after 
the first. The cow is made to walk up and down gently 
until relieved. 
Will it Pay to Draw Manure 
Seven Miles ?— A correspondent has recently bought 
a run-down farm, seven miles from Montreal. lie has 
been hauling manure all winter with two teams, one trip 
per day; men receiving $20 per month and board them- 
selves. He "can get any amount of manure merely for 
the hauling. Will it pay? Also, is the manure Irom 
cow-stables as valuable as horse manure? " "We think it 
will pay well, especially if you cou!d find something for 
the teams to draw into the city. If the cows are fed on 
bran, brewers' grain, and clover hay, the manure is better 
than ordinary horse manure. 
What to l>o with the iHaiiKre.- 
The same gentleman asks whether he had better use his 
manure for hay or for potatoes, both of which, he says, 
bring a good price in the Montreal market.— We think it 
would be better for the land to apply it to grass. First 
make the land rich, and then a few years hence grow 
potatoes. 
Flovr of Water Through 8*ij>es. — 
" P. T. D.," Deans Corners, N. Y. It depends altogeth- 
er on the amount of pressure or the height of the spring 
above the discbarge, what amount of water would pass 
through a % inch pipe 1,500 feet long. If the head was 
40 feet there would be a pressure of over 15 lbs. per square 
inch, which would be sufficient to overcome the friction 
and yield a good flow. But if the head was only 2 feet or 
less the flow would be very much diminished by friction 
or the adhesion of the water to the sides of the pipe, unless 
the diameter were increased. In the writer's experience 
a half-inch pipe of over 1.200 feet with a head of three 
feet above the outlet only yielded a few drops of water in 
a minute; and when half the pip? was changed for an- 
other an inch in diaraeter.it gave about one pint per 
minute ; with the other half changed tolyi inch there was 
a good flow. 
Potash on Sandy Soils.— " D. F. W." 
Such very soluble fertilizers as carbonate of potash, 
(common potash) and other chemical manures, have not 
been found of much use on light, sandy soi's. They are 
very soon washed out of reach of the root 3 of plants by 
rains and lost. Stable manure or clover plowed under 
has been found of greater use in improving such soils 
than anything else. 
Steaming- Fecrt.- " H. A. 8.," Hartford 
Co., Ct. It makes no difference in the process of steam- 
ing feed whether the steamer is higher or lower than the 
stenm-ch st ; but the steam should always enter at the 
bottom of the chest. It. is not easy to drive heat down- 
ward. There would be no greater consumption of fuel 
worth speaking of with a pipe 100 feet long properly pro- 
tected than with a pipe 5 feet long. The amount of fuel 
needed for a Prindle Steamer to steam for 20 head for 6 
mouths, would be about two cords of dry, hard wood, or 
two tons of coal, or somewhat less. 
Spotted Essex Pi;?**. — A correspondent 
asks : " Are the pure, improved Essex at the present day 
ever parti-colored ? My case is this : An Essex sow 
bought in Mass., of a most reputable breeder, has ju6t 
had her third litter from a boar purchased of the same 
breeder ; and there are three of the pigs spotted, buff and 
black and white and black. Her two previous litters 
from another boar were all jet black." — We have heard 
of such cases before. It does not necessarily follow that 
the pigs are not pure-bred. The truth is, however, that 
there is a kind of mania among pig breeders both in this 
country and in Eugland for "improving" their pigs by 
crossing, and the probabilities are that some of the an- 
cestors of these pigs came from such a breeder. The 
breeder from whom our correspondent got the pigs may 
have been a most careful and reliable man, but if he got 
eomeof this cross-bi-ed stock the alloy may show itself 
many years afterwards. The Essex was originally a 
parti-colored pig, and this may be another instance of 
reversion. Still we should be inclined to reject the stock. 
At any rate, we would not breed from any that are not 
entirely black. 
Three Question*.— Win. Marshall, Adams- 
town, Md., asks, 1st. "Does the bottom of a carriage- 
wheel move when in motion ; if so which way?" 2d. 
"Will two railroad trains of equal weight moving with 
equal velocity collide with greater force than one of equal 
weight and velocity running against a solid rock ? " 3d. 
"Does the pendulum of a clock stop between its vibra- 
tions f "—Replies.— 1st. The motion of any given part, of 
the circumference of a wheel is in the form of an arc of a 
circle whose chord is equal to the circumference of the 
wheel, and whose height is equal to the wheel's diame- 
ter. The direction of the motion of any point in the cir- 
cumference would be that of a succession of these arcs. 
2d. The two trains would collide with double the force 
with which the one would strike the rock. 3d. A pendu- 
lum stops for an instant of time between each vibration. 
There can be no abrnpt change from a forward to a 
backward motion without such a stoppage. 
Would he a. Civil Engineer.- " J. F. 
S.," Hanover, N. H. There is no other method of becom- 
ing one of a corps of engineers on a railroad survey than 
first becoming a competent engineer, and then procuring 
a situation from the engineer-in-chief who has charge of 
the survey, or through some party having influence with 
him. The latter is the most difficult part of the business. 
What is a Ton of Manure.— "J. E. 
C," Douglas, Mass. When "a ton of manure " is spoken 
of, 2.000 pounds is meant. " A load of manure " is sup- 
posed to mean an ordinary two horse farm wagon loaded 
in an ordinary manner. Generally such a load of barn- 
yard manure, not water-soaked, will weigh about one ton. 
If the manure is piled up until no more can be put on 
without squaring up the s des, two tons may be put on to 
a wagon, but few farmers haul more than a ton on to the 
soft soil of their fields. 
flf yuraulic Cement Pipe. — " J. W. R.," 
Buckhannon. W. Va. In the Agriculturist of November, 
1S72, will be found directions for laying cement pipe, fully 
illustrated with engravings. 
Advice to an Immigrant. --G. Walker, 
Ballinasloe, Ireland. A young man intending to pur- 
chase a farm in America would do well to stay a year 
with a good tanner here ; but as " farm stewards " are 
unknown in this country it would not be possible for one 
to act as such. Neither would it be likely that a young 
foreigner could secure a salary for the first year's work 
except as a laborer, because, instead of being of any value 
to an emp'oyer, he would have much to learn of our cli- 
mate, soil, productions and method of agriculture, all 
widely different from those peculiar to Ireland. 
"Orange Co. Pails." — " J. H. B., n 
Burlington Co., N. J. The Orange Co. butter package is 
a pail or tub holding 50 pounds, with a close-fitting'iid, and 
painted, genera ly, blue. A very excellent butter pail is 
made of oak the same size and shape as the Orange 
Co. pail, with metal fastenings, and known as the "West- 
colt return pail." 
Is Pea-Siravv Injurious.— "A. J. S.," 
Eel River, Cal. There is nothing in pea-straw itself, 
Eaved in good condition, to account for a fatal attack of 
red water in cattle fed upon it, nor indeed, for any ill- 
effects on the urinary organs. But sometimes a species 
of rust, or a fungoid growth similar to rust, appears upon 
pea-straw, especially when a heavy crop has been laid 
aud the weather is hot. Plants affected by smut, mildew, 
and similar diseases, arc unwholesome to cattle, and it 
was probably something ofthat kind which injured them 
in this instance. In such cases a pound of Epsom salts 
should be given immediately, and copious drafts of linseed 
tea. The disease called red water originates almost 
every time from unwholesome fodder. 
Burning: Bones.-"S. F.," Chester Co., 
Pa. It will be cheaper to burn bones than to give half 
for grinding them. The fat contained is of no nee as 
manure for any purpose, but the gelatine is valuable as 
it furnishes nitrogen. This, oi course, is lost in the 
burning, and it amounts to about 40 per cent in dry bones. 
Herd i-avr in Kansas. — A correspon- 
dent, who is one of the Commissioners of Crawford Co., 
Kansas, states that their Legislature a year ago gave 
County Commissioners the power to prescribe what hdi- 
mals should not be permitted to run at large, and provid- 
ing for the recovery of damages by parties injured against 
the owners of trespassing stock. The Commissioners of 
Crawford Co. have made an order restraining all stock 
from running at large. The fact, therefore, that special 
enactments for separate counties were decided to be un- 
constitutional should not lead to the mistaken idea that 
there is no " herd law " in Kansas as stated by a former 
correspondent. 
I-ate Corn.— "W. M. M.," Northampton 
Co., Pa. We have secured perfectly ripened corn which 
was planted so late as the 24th of June, but it was an 
early sort, viz.. the early Canada, which is excellent for 
replanting or for planting on a newly-mown clover sod. 
The Best Fertilizer for Corn.— "W. 
JI. M.," Easton, Pa. Our observations last year proved 
very satisfactorily that the best fertilizer for corn is the 
dried flesh-and-blood manure. It acts immediately, pro- 
duces a great growth, and pushes the crop rapidly for- 
ward, thus causing aa early ripening. 
Manure tor Corn.— "J. F. W., M Center 
Co., Pa. Bone-dust is not sufficiently active as a manure 
for corn. The best manure we have used or know of for 
corn is blood or flesh-manure. It has a large proportion 
of ammonia, is very soluble, and acts immediately. If 
not possible to apply it with the seed a handful may be 
hoed in around the young plant with the best results. 
Horse-Powers.- " J. G.," Bristol, Ct. 
There are but two kinds of horse-powers, the lever pow- 
er and the tread-power. The latter is the most conven- 
ient where two horse-power is sufficient, as it occupies 
but very little room and may be set up on the barn floor. 
There is no danger to be apprehended in using a tread- 
power if common precautions are taken, and oxen may 
run them as well as horses. 
Managing- Manure.— "F. H. W., 1 ' Bun- 
combe, N. C. It is a disputed question whether it Is 
most economical to draw manure fresh from the stables 
and spread it on the surface where it shall remain until 
plowed under or it has rotted on the surface, or to work 
it in the barn-yard until it has rotted and become fine, 
The latter practice is the one generally adopted, and ali 
though it causes more work, yet there is abundance of 
time during tlio eoaeon when fluid work can not be done, 
when this may be without extra cost. If the manure is 
piled up and fermented and then turned over and heated 
once more with proper care, it becomes so flue that it 
may be worked into the soil with the harrow along with 
the seed. We do not know how manure can be more 
profitably used. 
Corn on Muck Land.-"C. H. S.," 
Miami Co., Ind. Corn will not thrive on muck land 
without a good dressing of wood aBhes or lime. The rea- 
son of the crop turning yellow and perishing on such 
laud is simply that vegetable matter alone will not sup- 
port a crop ; mineral matter is needed. If not too costly 
a process the addition of two or three hundred loads of 
clay to the acre would vastly improve muck laud. 
Fodder Corn.— " J. M.," Jefferson Co., 
Ohio. There is no better crop to raise for fodder than 
corn. It may be planted in rows 30 inches to 3 feet apart, 
at the rate of 3 or 4 bushels per acre, which will give 12 
grains to the foot or thereabouts. It should be cultiva- 
ted as carefully as ordinary corn, and on rich soil will 
yield an immense crop. Sown broadcast it will not 
yield so much as when in rows. 
Loss of "Wool.—" J. M.," Butler Co., Ohio. 
Loss of wool is not necessarily a sign of disease. Some 
sheep have a habit of shedding their wool in the sprin". 
Such should be sheared as soon as the fleece becomes 
loose, and|ifthc weather is excessively cold protect them. 
Mole-PIow Ibr Irrigation.— " S. B. 
W M " Greeley, Col. In a loose friable soil it is not likely 
that the channels made by a mole-plow would last for 24 
hours. If water were turned into these channels they 
would collapse at once. It would not pay to go to the 
cost of making the experiment. In a stiff" clay the chan- 
nels might be more permanent, but it is inevitable that 
loose earth would fall in and close them very frequently. 
Irrigation must necessarily be from the surface. 
Ess-Eating; Fowls.-"G. H. W.," Htib- 
bardtown, Mass. When fowls are confined they will eat 
their eggs, and no persuasion but that of the axe will 
prevent them. They must be freed from confinement and 
given their natural employment of scratching, or they 
will get into this mischief. 
