1873.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
471 
OUR SPECIAL PREMIUMS 
TWENTY FARMS 
TO BE GIVEN AWAY! 
SECURE A GOOD HOME, 
AND 
SECURE IT NOW. 
The Best Chance Ever Offered 
FOH 
JVIen and. "W^omen, 
Boys and. Grirls 
TO 
Secure Good Homes ! 
There are throughout the Eastern and Middle 
States thousands of people anxious to secure for 
themselves homes in the West. Many of these 
have not the means to spare to make a tour of ex- 
amination of the different portions of the West and 
then purchase the lands they so much need. To 
meet the wants of some of these the Publishers of 
the American Agriculturist and Heabth and 
Homs have secured a number of farms in one of 
the most beautiful, fertile, and healthful locations 
in the great West, and now offer them as Special 
Premiums to Agents for procuring subscribers to 
the American Agriculturist or Heabth and Home 
or both. 
Location of the Lands. 
These lands are within the limits of the well- 
known and popular National Colony, located in 
Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. In beauty, 
fertility, and adaptability to general agriculture 
they are not surpassed by any in the United States. 
The Colony is organized upon temperance princi- 
ples, and no intoxicating liquors are allowed to be 
Bold within its limits. The St. Paul and Sioux City 
Bailroad is completed, and regular trains are run- 
ning through the Colony lands, thus affording ac- 
cess to the best markets. The lands are being 
rapidly settled by moral, industrious, and en- 
terprising people, thus insuring good society, 
churches, schools, and all the comforts and conve- 
niences of an old-established community. There 
are now over fifteen hundred families within the 
Colony limits. This rapidity of settlement insures 
a rapid increase in the value of property, so that 
those who secure these premiums will get property 
not only valuable to-day, but which can not fail to 
increase in value very rapidly. 
How to Get Them. 
We can offer eight farms of forty acres each ; 
eight of eighty acres each, and four of one hundred 
and sixty acres each for subscribers to our publica- 
tions upon the following terms, viz : 
Forty Acres for 310 subscribers to the 
American Agriculturist, at $1.50 each; or 155 to 
Heabth and Home at 83.00 each, or 17© to 
both papers at $4.00 each. 
Eighty Acres for «520 subscribers to 
American Agriculturist at SI. 50 each; or 310 to 
Heabth and Home at S3. 00 each, or 310 to both 
papers at $4.00 each. 
One Hundred and Sixty Acres for 
\'2 fiO subscribers to the American Agriculturist at 
$1.50 each ; or 68© to Heabth and Home at $8.00 
each, or ©8© to both papers at 84.00 each. 
Value of these Lands. 
These lands were appraised more than three 
years ago by disinterested men at $>8 per Acre, 
and the rapid rate of settlement in the National 
Colony will increase their value to from $25 to 
$5© per acre in a very few years. Better lands 
can not be found anywhere. 
Selection of the Farms. 
Persons securing any of these premiums will re- 
ceive a certificate to that effect, with which they 
may locate the lands themselves, or have some one 
else do it for them, or we will have it done without 
charge by a disinterested person, and forward the 
deed by mail. 
Go to Work at Once. 
Now we are confident there are among our read- 
ers several thousand mon and women, boys and 
girls, who could easily secure one of these valuable 
premiums. The winter's leisure (too often wasted) 
employed in this work could hardly fail to secure 
one of these farms, and thus prove the foundation 
of a comfortable fortune. Such an opportunity 
for securing a home has rarely, if ever, been offered 
before. As will be observed, we offer but twenty 
of these farms— eight of 40 acres, eight of SO acres, 
and four of 160 acres each, and the rule must neces- 
sarily be "first come first served." Therefore, 
those who intend to compete for these valuable 
premiums should begin at once. 
Remember 
that one of our beautiful chromos (as advertised 
in another place) is given to every subscriber. 
Any further information concerning these pre- 
miums may be had by addressing 
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 
345 Bboadwat, New Tobk. 
Chimney Building.— " J. C. C," Henry 
Co., Mo. In building a fire-place it is necessary for secur- 
ing a good draft to contract the chimney at the throat, 
and allow it to expand again immediately. There is 
always a circulation of air required to produce a steady 
upward current, and room for downward currents and 
eddies must be allowed for. A throat 4x16 will be large 
enough for an ordinary fire-place. 
Beet Sngar.-"Wm. J. C," Warren Co., 
Ky. There is no doubt that the sugar beet may be suc- 
cessfully grown in Kentucky ; but that the manufacture 
of sugar from the beets would be successful admits of 
much question. No plant is more dependent upon 
peculiarities of soil for the character of its juiceB, than 
the sugar beet ; and it is found in practice that very 
trifling differences in soil are sufficient to prevent the 
profitable manufacture of sugar from these roots. As 
very large capital is required for tho business, it is nec- 
essary for experienced men even to experiment carefully 
before embarking in it. In Europe the manufacture has 
been of slow growth, and it is improbable that it will be 
introduced here without many costly failures. Crookes' 
"Beet Sugar Manufacture," is the only work we know 
of that treats the subject thoroughly. 
Veterinary College. — There is a vast 
need for competeut veterinary surgeons. The suffering 
caused by inhuman and misguided treatment by ignorant 
cow and horse-doctors, is in the aggregate immense, and 
many animals are needlessly sacrificed to this ignor- 
ance. Considering the value of the live-stock annually 
lost by various diseases, readily curable by proper treat- 
ment, in consequence of the absolute impossibility of 
getting any professional help, it would seem that the 
only veterinary college in the country shoul! be exten- 
sively patronized. The New York College of Veterinary 
Surgeons is the institution referred to. Its winter ses- 
sion has already commenced, and will last until Feb- 
ruary 1874. The fees for the course of lectures, dissect- 
ing, and graduation are $155. 
Contents of Hay Mow.-"H. P.," 
Boscobel, Wis. A hay-mow 12 X 25, and 20 feet deep, 
will hold about ten tons of timothy bay, and about eight 
tons of clover hay. If the hay is properly cured in the 
field, and pnt in the mow without being wet, there will 
be no ventilators needed in the center of the mass. 
Filing Manure. — " Some writers," says 
a correspondent, " tell us to pile our manure; some say 
spread it in the fall. Please tell me which is right, and 
why?" — Both are right. It depends on circumstances. 
"We pile manure to indnee fermentation ; to reduce its 
bulk ; to make it finer ; and last, but not least, to render 
the plant-food more available, and thus to increase its 
immediate fertilizing effect. Well-rotted manure will 
"act quicker" than coarse manure. There need 
not be any loss from the fermenting process ; but 
nevertheless, in practice, there is often much loss 
from excessive and eoo rapid fermentation, and 
more especially from the rain washing out the solu- 
ble matter from the manure. Unless the manure can be 
properly managed in the heap or pile it is better to apply 
it directly to the laxd. 
Feed for a Spring Colt.— "A Sub- 
scriber," Center Co., Pa. A young growing colt may 
easily be overfed. Good sound hay can do no harm, but 
an excess of grain will stunt instead of increasing its 
growth. Two quarts of good oats a clay, with as much 
hay, of good quality, as it will consume, is all that should 
be given during the first winter. Atwo-year-oldmay re- 
ceive double this allowance of oats, but no corn should be 
fed until the colt begins to work, and then only in modera- 
tion. A little dry wheat or rye bran might be judiciously 
given with the oats. 
A Kicking Mare.— H. Kea, Jun. Pro- 
bably the reason your mare kicks is that she has been 
teased by her drivers until the habit has become con- 
firmed. Thousands of horses are thus spoiled by the 
very foolish habit of tickling them about the flank 
indulged in by those who take care or them. Mares are 
especially nervous and restive at these tricki, which 
should be severely reprobated upon every occasion. We 
can suggest no remedy, it is now too late for that ; but 
extreme carefulness should be used in approaching the 
mare, and she should always be spoken to in a gentle, 
soothing manner, when going near her. 
Potato Bigger.— "J. W. H.," Benton 
Co., Iowa, wants a machine for digging potatoes, clean- 
ing them and lifting them into a wagon as a preventive 
of back-ache. So far as we are aware, such a machine 
is not yet invented ; although there is one at least 
which digs, cleans, and gathers them into a box which is 
carried behind it. The machine, however, needs greater 
power to operate it than a pair of horses, and unfortu- 
nately does not do its work thoroughly. 
How Much Timothy Seed per 
Acre.— "J. A. H.," of New Jersey, writes: "'Walks 
and Talks ' speaks of sowing half a bushel of timothy 
seed per acre. Here we should think a peck per acre 
drilled in with the wheat about four quarts too much." — 
If clover is to be sown on the wheat in the spring four 
quarts of timothy sown in the fall with the wheat is am- 
ple seeding. But "Walks and Talks" was speaking of 
a clay field too wet to sow to wheat. He proposed to 
break it up in the fall and summer-fallow it th» next 
year, and then in August or September sow it to timothy 
alone. In 6nch a case half a bushel of timothy is not 
excessive seeding. The object is to get the land covered 
the first, season. We have grown a heavy crop of timothy 
hay the first season after seeding in this way. 
Drawing Manure in Winter. — A 
correspondent at Blue Island, 111., writes : " During last 
winter I hauled oyer 1,000 tons of manure from distillery 
stables. It contained no bedding, only a little waste hay 
from feeding. I put it in small heaps on the field, and 
spread it in the spring as soon as the frost was out. 
Would it have been better to have piled it in a large heap f 
I ask the qnestion because I propose drawing more 
manure this winter." So much depends on circumstan- 
ces that we can hardly give a satisfactory answer. As a 
rule, we should either spread the manure on the land as 
it was drawn out, or else we should pile it in a large heap 
— not put it in small heaps. 
Grass for a Shelter Grove.— "E.R.," 
Raleigh, N. C. The best grass with which to sow down 
a grove of shade trees, is orchard grass (Dactylis glcmcr- 
aid). Sow in the spring, at the rate nf 2 bushels of seed 
per acre (2S lbs.), upon well harrowed soil, and brush in 
with a brush harrow. A few pounds (4 to 6) of white 
clover should be sown along with it. Every spring the 
leaves should be raked up as soon as the season of frosts 
is over, and removed. If the soil is light and poor, a 
dressing of guano, hen manure, or fine barn-yard man- 
nre would be a great help. 
Stifle Lameness.— "M.W.," Clearfield Co., 
Pa. Lameness from a kick in the stifle joint of a year's 
standing will be a difficult matter to cure. The treat- 
ment depends so much upon the present condition of 
the injured joint, that without knowing it no recom- 
mendation can be given. No harm and possibly good 
may result in applying cooling tonic washes, aa salt 
and water, followed by decoctions of oak bark. 
