1872.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
24L7 
Celery.— "A. G. J.," West Cleveland, 0. We 
know of no special manure for this crop. The market 
{gardeners near New York grow celery as a second crop. 
The ground is heavily manured for early cabbages, and 
when they arc off, the celery goes in without additional 
manure. Sometimes ashes, flour of bone, or other 
stimulating manure is strewed along the rows, in order 
to give the plants a good start. A dressing of salt may 
be useful in keeping the ground moist. 
Sted Spiders. — "Subscriber" has a bed of 
stocks which arc badly injured by the red spider. He 
says " dampness has no effect upon them, as it has rained 
nearly every day since the plants were placed there." — 
The spiders naturally work upon the under side of the 
leaves, where they are sheltered from the rain. Use a 
syringe, by means of which the under surface of the 
leaves can be wetted with a solution of whale-oil soap 
or common soft-soap. 
Seeds of Forest Trces.-T. F. Healy. 
With the exception of White and Red Maple and Elm, 
which should bo sown in June, seeds should be planted 
in the fall, or properly kept in sand during the winter, 
and then planted in early spring. We can not tell you 
the best varieties unless wo know whether you wish the 
trees for shelter, fire-wood, lumber, or ornament. 
A Cook-Book*— u A Subscriber" writes: 
""Will you recommend through the columns of your 
paper a good, sensible, reliable cook-book?" The 
"eensiblest" cook-book we know of is "Common- 
Sense in the Household," by Marion Harland. It can be 
sent from this office for the price, $1.75. 
Those Patent Gates.— H. C. Blake, 
Louisa Co., Iowa, writes on behalf of several of his 
neighbors, stating that two men are going about claiming 
five dollars from each farmer who has a gate similar to 
the one figured in the Agriculturist as early as Nov., 18G4, 
for the right to uso thisgate, which they say i3 patented. 
It may be patented ; we have met men in the country 
celling rights, but the patent is invalid, and the claim 
should bo resisted, for the gate has been public property 
for fifteen years at least. It is worth while for the 
farmers to consider whether some restriction should not 
he put on the issue of patents for inventions, so called, 
which are utterly devoid of novelty, and make a move in 
the matter for their own protection, 
Slees, their Management and Cul- 
ture— We have received the advance sheets of a little 
work, by Mrs. Tuppcr and Savery, of Bes Moine*, 
Iowa, entitled, ""Bees, their Management and Culture." 
It is devoted mainly to the ways of Italian bees, and to 
explaining the more difficult methods — to ordinary bee- 
keepers, at least — of managing artificial swarming, and 
increasing the production of honey. Mrs. Tuppcr is a 
bee-keeper, and what she knows of them has been 
learned by handling and observing them. 
The Mahaleb Cherry. — J. Beachy, 
Preston Co., West Va. — The Mahaleb Cherry is a native 
of the mountain regions of Southern Europe. It differs 
from any of those cultivated for their fruit in having the 
flowers in racemes or strings, after the manner of our 
common Wild Cherry. When young, the tree grows 
freely. You can ascertain whether the stocks you have 
purchased are the Stahak-b or Mazzard by the odor of the 
bark, which in the Mahaleb is very strong and peculiar. 
Rape or Coleseed. — U S. T. II.," Leroy, 
N. Y.— Rape will flourish on a great variety of soils, pro- 
vided they are clean, rich, and mellow. It is useless to 
sow it on cloddy, poorly-prepared land. Thorough culti- 
vation previous to sowing the seed is absolutely essential 
to a good crop. Sow from three to five pounds of seed 
per acre, broadcast, and harrow in with a light harrow. 
Two bushels of plaster per acre will be beneficial. Wc 
pr'Siime the seed can bo obtained at the Rochester or 
Buffalo seed-stores. We got our seed last year from R. 
II. Allen & Co., New York. 
'JThoanas's Smoothing* Harrow. — 
" II. V.," Mendocino Co., Cal., asks if Thomas's Smooth- 
ing Harrow is useful to harrow in grain. Yes, excellent. 
Grapes in Indiana. — "W. A.," Logans- 
port.— What you describe is apparently the grape-rut. We 
do not know of any cure for it. The best cor.r<e la to eet 
t-ucli varieties as do not rot in your soil aud locality. 
You do not say what your varieties are. 
Chester White Pigs.—" A Subscriber," 
Watertown, Ct., asks who is the mo6t enterprising and 
active breeder of Chester White pigs. If he wants the 
most trustworthy one amongst these breeders, possibly 
he may not be the most enterprising and active. Some- 
times most enterprising and active men come to grief 
and bring their customers there too. The names of 
breeders who wo have reason to believe are honest and 
trustworthy, will be found in the advertising columns. 
No other names arc admitted. 
Treating Hen-?Ianure with Sul- 
phuric Acid.— l ' A Subscriber " asks whether hen- 
manure is benefited by treating with sulphuric acid. 
Not at all. It is as soluble as ,ruano, and maybe used 
in exactly the same manner. 
Poudrette or Superphosphate. — 
l *T. J. S.,' 1 Watertown, Ct., asks which is most valuable 
to apply with the seed, double-refined poudrette, or 
superphosphate. We believe from our experience that 
100 pounds of superphosphate is equal to 1,000 pounds of 
poudrette as sold in the market, but we would rather 
use Peruvian guano at $00 a ton, in preference to any 
other fertilizer, to be drilled with the seed. 
Tauninff Buckskins. — Seth Fuller, 
Bond Co., HI., sends a method of tanning buckskins, 
viz. : take a skin, cither green or well soaked, and flesh 
it with a dull knife ; spread the skin on a smooth log and 
grain it by scraping with a sharp instrument ; rub nearly 
dry over the oval end of a board held upright. Take the 
brains of the deer or a calf, dry by the fire gently, put 
them into a cloth and boil until soft, cool off the liquid 
until blood-warm, with water sufficient to soak the skin 
in, and soak until it is quite soft and pliable, and then 
wring out as dry as possible ; wash in strong soapsuds 
and rub dry, and smoke well with wood smoke. Instead 
of brains, oil or lard may be used, and the skin soaked 
therein six hours. This is called " Indian tan." 
Crrowing: CSrass.— U A Would-be Scien- 
tific Farmer M wants a few facts relative to the grow- 
ing of heavy crops of grass. He thinks it equally possi- 
ble to make six to eight tons of hay from one acre here as 
in England or Scotland. If he thinks so, why docs he 
not try to do it? Wc have seen some good hay crops 
made in Great Britain, but certainly none so heavy as 
six tons per acre, and wc have not so favorable a climate 
for grass as they have in that country. Still we are very 
certain that our average hay crops might very well be 
doubled in yield by attention to preparing, seeding, and 
manuring the soil in the best possible manner, and by 
making use of irrigation wherever practicable. 
How to use Tallow Scraps* — A 
farmer has a quantity of tallow scraps which he is trying 
to decompose for manure, but they are insufferably 
offensive and he proposes to mix lime with them ; how will 
that answer ?— Very badly for the manure, and his sense 
of smell too. The only proper method is to mix earth 
in sufficient quantities— say five or six loads to one of 
scrap — to absorb all the odors, which it will do most com- 
pletely if enough is used. They might also be spread 
on the field and at once plowed under, and the ground 
again plowed for a fall crop early in September. 
Ayrshire Cows. — An Ayrshire cow (Lizzie, 
56:2, A. H. B.;, wncd in Pennsylvania, is said, by her 
owner, to have given in seven consecutive days in 
March SSTTJ pounds of milk, from which was made 14 
pounds 1 1 ounces cf butter ; the feed was hay and two 
quarts of oats and ccrn-mcal per day. On grass she now 
gives 23 quarts of milk per day. The secret of the large 
milking of Ayrshire cows is that for scores of years 
they have been raised specially for this purpose by 
selecting for breeding stock only the produce, both male 
and female, of the most productive cows. 
An Acre. — Our acre is the same as the 
"statute acre" of Great Britain, equal to 4,840 square 
yards. But it is a difficult matter in Great Britain to 
know what an acre is, for thsre arc there in common us.c 
the Irish and Lancashire acre of 7,3i0 square yards, the 
Scotch of 0,104, the Cunningham cf 0,250, the Cheshire 
of 10,240, the Derby of 9,000, the North Wales of 3,210, 
the Welsh (.the k " erw, 1 ' however that may be pronounced) 
of 4,320, the Leicester of 2,3081, the Westmoreland of 
G,7!i0 yards, and others in still further variety ; the same 
peculiarity exists with regard to miles. And yet we can 
not abide the little indefiniteness of uur shillings. 
Spavin. — "P. C. r " Blairstown, Iowa, has a 
colt with an enlargement on the " hongh " joint, which 
lie lately blistered according to the advice of a horse- 
doctor, who called it "oscular joint. 11 The swelling 
now grows harder. It would probably be best to use 
iodiue ointment rubbed twice daily on the swelling, 
which is doubtless an approaching spavin. This may' 
effect a cure. If this has ho good effect, and tho colt is 
not lame, we would let it alone unless some really good 
surgeon can be procured to attend to it. 
Quince and Pear Trees.— "O. Y. Z.," 
Mowequa, HI. Quince as well as other fruit trees re- 
quire such a soil as will produce a good crop of corn or 
potatoes. Stable manure, well decomposed, is useful. 
We should not use hen-manure on fruit- trees, but re- 
serve it for corn and other quick-growing crops. Ashes 
never come amiss for pear or other fruit trees. Salt has 
been found useful as a special manure for quinces. 
Mulching is beneficial to all newly -planted trees. Some 
growers prefer to have their quince-trees in a bush form, 
with several stems from the base. We prefer a single 
trunk. In either case it is necessary to look out for 
borers, and if they get into the trees, dig them out. 
The Doctor's Talk about the Prizes. 
Tou see, youngsters, that we for reasons stated could 
not get this prize matter into the regular Boys and Girls* 
pages, so we have to come over here among the old folks. 
I will get the printer to put a good big dash at the top of 
this to separate it from the talk about mowing machines, 
sick cows, and the like— matters important enough for 
grown people, but perhaps not quite so interesting to 
most of you young ones. 
Well, the old Doctor has been happy. He did not 
think that so many of his boys aud girls would use their 
eyes and put down what they saw. How the letters did 
come in I Twenty, forty, and sixty a (lay, and how many 
times did I sit up late looking'them over, and in imagina- 
tion taking walks with you I I have been in the grand 
old forests of Oregon, I have looked at the early spring 
flowers of Maine, I have seen the lizards and the Yellow 
.Jessamine in Georgia, and I have watched for gophers in 
Kansas. I can tell you that I enjoyed it all, and those of 
you who do not get prizes will know that your letters 
were read and your lists looked over, no matter how 
small they were. So many pleasant letters there were, 
aud such a kindly feeling— it almost makes an old fellow 
feel glad that he has no children of his own, and can take 
into his affections so many boys and girls whom he has 
never seen and never may see. So many touching letters, 
tool One poor little thing was taken down with measles, 
aud had to leave her list incomplete. One boy, who sent 
a very good list, had to work all the time, and could only 
put down such animals as he saw while engaged in his 
farm labors. Sonic dear little chicks, too young to 
write, printed their lists. Such a good spirit, too, \:i 
most of the lei tors, ever so many saying that if they 
did not get a prize they were abundantly repaid for their 
trouble in the pleasure they had in making up their lists. 
You have all had a good time, and the only one who feels 
badly over it is the Doctor. I am so sorry tha f I can not 
give a prize or a personal acknowledgment to every 
blessed one of yon. As in former cases, some who do 
not receive prizes will hear from me, and those who have 
sent plants to be named will be duly answered. 
You will recollect that this time the prizes are all 
books. So I wish the prize-winners to tell me what hook 
they would like that retails for $2 or less, or at least say 
what subject they would like the book to treat of- I was 
glad to find that those who asked for book prizes for 
the stories selected works on. botany and similar subjects. 
There were in all a few over 570 letters. 
Now for the prizes, which have only been determined 
on after long examination, comparison, counting, and 
much deliberation. If the prizes were twenty for each 
class, it would not be difficult, but where there are only 
three, you can imagine how hard the task must be. 
Girls between 12 and 16. 
1st. Louie L. Eatehain,PaincsviIle, O. 
2d. Josie Bell Stewart, Lowell, Mass. 
3d. Mary J. Sinclair, New York City. 
Girls wider X% 
1st. Marian nay ward. Aver, Mass. 
2d. Alice L. Keitli, Bndgewater, Mass. 
3d. Alice Campbell Hotchkisa, New Hamburgh, N. Y. 
Boys between 12 and 1C. 
1st. Abraham Resh, Enterprise, Pa. 
2d. Eimis Dubois, Waverley, N. Y. 
3d. G. E. Shiras, Newcastle, Pa. 
Boys under 12. 
1st. Willie B. Marlatt, Manhattan, Kas. 
3d. Oscar M. Messenger, Baraboo, Wis. 
3d. Wellington Woolfolfc, Woolfolk's P. ©., Va. 
There are a number in each class to which I wish to 
give honorable mention, but as I write at the last minute, 
I have not time to do it here. 
Now let us all enjoy enrsclves quietly during the hot 
months, and be ready for more fun when the cooler days 
and longer evenings come. The Doctok. 
Other Basket Items 011 page 273. 
