1S70.J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
409 
Asparagus SSetl. — "Subscriber." If your 
old bed is planted ia the old way, with the plants a foot 
or S3 apart, all that you ca:a do to renew it is to give 
heavy, surface manuring. If the plants are three feet 
apart, then trenches can be opened between the rows and 
manure placed ia them. Asparagus beds are usually 
made in the spring, bat there is no reason why they 
should not be made in the fall. Abundant manure with 
plenty of room between the plants are necessary to the 
best results. Stable manure, bone-dust, and phosphate, 
are all used. Set the plants with the crown at least 
inches below the surface. See article iu Jan. last. p. 22. 
Holes — The LatcsJ Cure.— A sub- 
scriber iu Maryland, apparently in all seriousness, says : 
'•Raise the ground in the center of I l„ to 3 | 4 of an acre, 
one foot high and 5 feet in circumference, sloping, and 
put the head of a horse in the center of the mound, 3 1 4 of 
the head sticking ont, nose down. Ton will not be 
troubled with any more moles."— Mr. Fuller is expected 
to try this before he awards that £100. "We can't say 
whether the bead should have a horse attached to it or 
not : better try both ways. 
BInbbard's Early Ctirled LeafTo. 
lltato. — E. Hollister and D. L. Hull, in the report of the 
Alton (111.) Hort. Soc, speak in commendation of this 
variety. We have heard favorable reports from others. 
Seeping Tuberoses, CaladiiiEns, 
and Caimas.— -A. B. C. N." Tuberoses may be 
kept too hot and dry, if such an atmosphere is main- 
tained as is common iu some houses. To guard Tube- 
roses, Caladiums or Cannas, against shriveling, they may 
be wrapt up when dry, iu cotton wadding, to the thick- 
ness of an inch, and placed in a draper or upon a shelf. 
This will prevent the dry air from actiug on them, aud 
will keep them pl-amp until spring. 
Osiers on Sandy Soil. — We recently 
called upon Sir. Charles Clifton, a basket-maker, with 
horticultural tastes, who lives at Suffolk Station, on Long 
Island. The land at that place bears a natural growth of 
scrub-oaks and pines, and one would hardly select it as 
a suitable place for growing Osiers, which arc generally 
thought to flourish only in a rich and moist soil. Wc 
were quite pleased to And a thrifty young plantation 
of willows which is already famishing valuable basket 
mat-rial. A comparison of the rods with those from 
France and Belgium, confirmed Mr. Cliflon's statement 
that those produced npon his own grounds were greatly 
superior to the imported ones. 
The Agriculturist Strawberry. — 
Fur the benelit of the editor of The Horticulturist, wc 
quote the following from the Report of the Committee 
on Small Fruits of the Alton ail.) HVwticnltnral Society. 
'• From M. W. Seaman. Shipman— very large and fine 
specimens of ' Agriculturist.' As a berry for the aina- 
ti'tir wc consider it one of the best; requires high culti- 
vation and to be grown in hills." 
Know jonr Enemies.— The Alton (111.) 
Hort. Soc, which is always doing some sensible thing, 
has ordered a cabinet of insects injurious to the fruit 
grower. Every Horticultural Society should have a 
"rogues gallery" of this kind. 
B>rlnware Urapos.- The Delawarcs have 
been a great success this year. The crops have been fine, 
aud the fruit of excellent quality. On Sept. 15, they were 
selling in the X. Y. market for Sc. per lb., at retail. So 
abundant and cheap were they that wine-makers have 
bought them for pressing. The finest specimens we have 
seen were from Mr. Capron. Waldcn, Orange Co.. N. Y., 
and were not open to the fault usually found with the 
Delaware— that of being too small. 
Gronse Cochins and Plymouth 
ISix-k Fowls.— T. s. Slnrgis, I! iston, writes : " Will 
yon please describe the plumage of tiie ' Grouse Cochin ' 
fowl in the Agriculturist. 1 saw the other day some fowls 
with plumage like the 'Dominique,' and with feathered 
legs, and thought they mi Qronse Cochins.' If 
no:, can you inform me what they were? I also saw a hell 
of the Brahma form, aud with rcathcred legs, said to he 
a Dark Brahma, but I think she was not, as her plumngc 
was not cloudy, but beautifully spangled like a Ilamhnrg, 
Can yon also tell moot what breed she is?"— Tiie fowls 
probably what are called iu Massachusetts, Plym- 
outh Rock Fowls. These, as we have seen them,' are 
large Dominique-colored fowls, win, single combs and 
yellow legs, more or less feather I. What the other 
fowls are v, o are at a loss to conjecture, unless, indeed, 
the tendency to spangled feathers often seen in Light 
Brahmas has been cultivated or has accidentally devel- 
oped. Grouse, or Partridge, Cochins are described iu the 
" Standard of Excellence," of the London Poultry Club . 
The cock as having a red face and deaf ear, a red head, 
red hackle and saddle with a black stripe down the mid- 
dle of each feather, rich, dark-red back, and shoulder 
coverts, wiugs, rich, dark-red; the greater and lesser 
coverts, metalic, greenish-black, forming a wide bar; 
breast, under parts aud thighs, black; tail, black; legs. 
dusky yellow. The Grouse hen as having, face and 
deaf car, red ; head, brown ; neck, reddish gold color, 
with a broad, black stripe down the middle of the feath- 
er; the rest of the plumage, rich brown, with distinct 
pencilings of darker brown following the outline of the 
feathers; legs, dusky yellow, with feathers of the same 
color as the body. The Partridge hen is described as 
very similar to the Grouse hen, but having more brilliant 
contrasts of color, and having " the shafts of the feath- 
ers on the back, shoulder coverts, bow of the wing, and 
sides, creamy white. There is no difference between 
Partridge and Grouse cocks. 
SBEtnttty Cons.— G. Thompson, Leelcnaw 
Co., Mich. The spores of smut are so very minute that 
we know of no way to prevent their distribution, and 
thas prevent your having smutty corn another year. 
The best you can do is to cut away the smutty ears as 
soon as discovered and burn them. This will prevent a 
scattering of spores (seed) from your own crop. Before 
planting next year thoroughly wet the seed in strong 
brine or solution of blue vitriol, and dry off in plaster or 
ashes, this will k»l any smut that may be adhering to 
the seed. Of course you will not put corn next year upon 
the land where the crop was so badly affected this season. 
Eggs— A good Average.— Mrs. I. J. B.. 
of Angelica, N. Y.. kept an acconnt of the eggs laid by a 
lot of i|j-bIood Dorkings in 1S69. She begun with 14 
bens, and ended with !). The total number of eggs laid 
was 1.219. Had no hens been killed or sold, we calculate 
she would have had 1,517 eggs, which would make more 
than 10S eggs to each ben. They had only commou care. 
Thorn Seeds.— A. W. Comfort. The seeds 
do not germinate until the second year. Put them in a 
heap and cover with several inches of soil and let them 
remain a whole year ; they may then he sown in the fall 
or in the spring, as may be most convenient. 
The Freemason Steads. — Messrs. 
Ecmp & Kerr, nurserymen, Denton. Md., send us spec- 
imens of a new variety called tiie Freemason, which 
originated with Mr. Nathan Todd, of Caroline Co., Md. 
It is a large, white free-stone, with a red cluck. It is of 
excellent qnality, aud very late, ripening after the Smock, 
and vastly superior to that variety. The treo is repre- 
sented as hardy and an abundant bearer. 
E3ow to keep Eggs.— "Subscriber," of 
Plainfiold, X. J., asks : " Can you inform me in what 
manner lions' eggs can be laid down for winter use ?"— 
"We have had tolerable success in keeping eggs when they 
were simply greased with sweet lard. Packed in crock's 
filled up with milk of lime aud coverod from the air. 
eggs will keep very well, but though sweet, arc not like 
new-laid eggs. The nearest approach to perfect preser- 
vation of the eggs is accomplished by placing a few at a 
time in a wire basket (an ox muzzle will do), and plung- 
ing them into a kettle of actively boiling water for a few- 
seconds, say while one can count 20 rapidly. It is well 
to raise the basket once or twice and lower it suddenly 
in the water so that the eggs shall float up and settle bnck 
again into a changed position. This surrounds the c^g 
next the shell with a film of coagulated albumen, which 
is perfectly air tight. 
Seedling Peach.— G. L. Osborn, Dobl/s 
Ferry, X. Y.. sends us a yellow-fleshed Clingstone, 
« igl ing ■ ';_ or.. It is from a tree which bore this year 
for the first lime, and ripened 51 peaches nearly as large 
as the specimen sent. The fruit is beautiful iu color, 
and or good quality. The variety, if it combines as it 
has begun, should be exhibited another year and brought 
to the notice of pomologlets. 
The Sylvester Apple. — Dr. E. Ware 
Sylvester, Lyons, x. Y.. sends us specimens of his sccd- 
ling Apple; which we figured in January last. Though 
not as high colored as the one w.' figured, their eating 
qualities showed that wo did not overestimate the variety. 
Bone Manure- " S. S. P.," writes: "I 
have the bones of 2,000 sheep near hero. Olid Ithinkil 
sihlc to convert them into mauure. Plea mallow 
to do it through your valuable journal." Sheep bones 
maybe ground in an ordinary bark mill, at bust they 
may be cracked up tolerably fine. They may he cracked 
np in a corn and cob mill, without much risk, If it Is a 
-" ingono, especially if they are not fresh. They may 
be sledged npou a rock and so ponnded quite fine. I 
they can be reduced to about the fineness or ground tan- 
bark, they may be laid up in layers with horse manure, 
heu dung, and other heating substances, and so subjected 
to the action orrermentation, they will decay. The heap 
will require to be frequently wetted to keep the fermen- 
tation within bounds ; and it will probably be best to 
make it over with fresh manure after it has ceased to 
heat up readily. 
SSoard ffioofs.-ff. M. Carr asks : " Will a 
roof made of 1-iuch pine boards, well pitched with pine- 
tar or pitch and well sanded, cost more than a pine 
shingle roof ?"— Ans. No.— "Will it not lastas long as any 
wooden roof? "—Ans. No. The sun will wring and warp 
it all to pieces, the pitch will drip from the eaves, and 
you will be sick enough or the job, no matter how well 
yon rabbet or batten the edges. A well-made asphaltum 
or coal-tar roof madewith cheaper boards, covered with 
best quality roofing felt, would ho cheaper than shingles 
and last with proper care nearly as long. A roof of good 
pine or spruce hoards, planed on the under side, having 
a rather sharp pitch and covered with good, strong slate, 
will cost more than shingles, but will last a lifetime, and 
bo a great safeguard against fire. 
BSaiad-Povrer ^Ea<-hisae for sawing wood, 
etc., is inquired for. Manufacturers can answer profita- 
bly by advertising it. 
Mounting 35aps. — B. Plnmstead. We 
hope you will not find it necessary to mount any maps of 
the " seat of war " hereafter, but as the information may 
he userul Tor other maps, etc., we give it. The muslin, 
which shonld be an inch or two larger each way than the 
map, is to be tacked to a smooth board or table ; then 
cover the back of the map with a good, smooth coat of 
boiled flour paste, made as stiff as it will work well 
with the brush, and place the map, paste side down, 
upon the mnslin; if the map is large, it will require two 
persons to do it well ; and it must be handled very care- 
fully, as it will tear readily when wet with paste. When 
the map is properly laid down, smooth it with a soft 
cloth, rubbing gently from the center towards the edges, 
to remove all the air bubbles. Put down the edges 
securely, and let it dry. In drying it will wrinkle batfly, 
but when perfectly dry, will be quite smooth. As the 
paper dries it shrinks, and brings a powerful strain npon 
the tacks, which should not be more than an inch apart. 
They need not bo driven down to the heads, as they 
would then be difficult to remove. When thoroughly 
dry, take oat the tacks and trim the cloth. 
The Providence (E. J.) Josirnal 
is so well known as one of the best journals in the coun- 
try, that it does not need our praise, but we must say a 
word iu commendation of its columu of " Rural Notes 
and Notions," which show not only an excellent knowl- 
edge or rural affairs, but exhibit a pleasing fancy and 
genial spirit not often met with in writings of this kind. 
©Id Plaster.— " What is the value of old 
plaster, taken from the walls of houses, used as a top- 
dressing?"— Old plaster contains lime and hair, both or 
which are userul upon the land ; besides, a considerable 
portion or plaster or Paris is often present. To use it as 
a top-dressing on grass, it should be beaten small and 
run through a coarse sieve. In fact, lhis should be done 
at any rate, ir hair its value is to be gained. 
Unfortunate. — Many complaints have 
reached this office concerning the dealings or Thomas 
B. Smith & Co., or Plantsville, Conn., for whom a single 
advertisement was inserted in the American Agricultur- 
ist, several mouths since. Their method or doing busi- 
ness appears to be such that we cannot advise parties to 
send orders to them. 
Expensive Processes.— A correspond- 
ent in Michigan complains that some or the operations 
we describe are too expensive to be followed in a new 
country, and cites the account wo gave of maple BU"nr 
making last spring, as one of these. lie says: "Thee isl 
of sugar house and fixtures wonld be more than all the 
sugar we should make for years to come." And farther 
along ho says: "Here, everything is new: we have :., 
chop and log, and burn the Umber, and then work among 
the stumps for years," Exactly so. You have started lo 
make a farm in the wilderness, and are not ready for all 
the aids that machinery an 1 inventive skill arc ready to 
offer. The preliminary work must bo done first, and in 
a few years you wiil bo prepared to adopl improved pro- 
cesses which now appear, ai iuld be, cspensivo 
in yonr now surroundings. As far as the maple sngar 
articlogocs, it * tains suggestions which will materially 
aid those who. from necessity, ore obliged to makeEngarin 
the primitive w ty. The same may be said of other articles. 
