1867.1 
AMERICAN AG-RIC ULTURIST. 
395 
intelligent part of Scotchmen do not believe they eat 
grain, "and they won't touch carrion. I was told by a rela- 
tion that, (it must now be 80 or 100 years ago,) he was one 
of those employed to kill off the rooks, which they nearly 
effectually accomplished, but ere many years they were 
glad to get them back, the land having become entirely 
overrun with grubs and wire-worms." 
Fine Bulbs.— The stock of J. M. Thorbum 
& Co. is this year very full and fine. We have no doubt 
that of other dealers is fine also, but we happened to see 
theirs just as it was opened, and were struck with the 
great variety and the excellent quality of the bulbs. 
Coal Ashes.— I. F. H. Will pay for carting 
a short distance. They contain the mineral constituents 
of the plants from which the coal was made, and as they 
are usually found in cities and villages, small quantities 
of potash and lime from the wood and charcoal used in 
kindling. Judging from the rapid disappearance of kind- 
lings in our kitchen, this must be an important item. We 
. have often used them for top dressing for moist grass 
lands. They are particularly good for muck lands and for 
heavy clays, serving to make the soil more friable. 
Compost of Forest Leaves.— "Craw- 
ford." Gather the leaves in dry weather, use them as 
litter for cattle or penned hogs, and compost them with 
manure. If yon have not enough manure, pile leaves by 
themselves with a small quantity of wood ashes or lime. 
House Strains.— The best are glazed earth- 
en pipes with socket collars, (each pipe fitting into" the 
next,) with cement mortar filling arouud the joints wa- 
ter tight. The pipe for an ordinary family should be the 
smallest that comes, which is two inches in diameter. 
Small pipes will keep themselves clean. They should 
be laid not less than two feet deep. Large pipes give 
space for filth to accumulate. All house drains should 
be as small as will carry the water, and be laid In ce- 
ment, so that all the water wall run through, and should 
be uniformly inclined as much as one inch in 10 feet, 
that the flow may be rapid, and wash out all sediment. 
A lEeqnest Repeated- Advertisers are 
always gratified by learning in what paper their notice 
was seen by parties writing for circulars or sending or- 
ders. We repeat the request that our readers will please 
give information, when writing in answer to advertise- 
ments in our columns. 
Coal Tar for Fence Posts.— Immerse 
them in coal tar, as far as they go in the ground, and 
sand afterwards ; it will make them much more durable. 
About Lime.— A. R., McVeytown, Pa.,asks: 
"Does lime made from stone gathered on the surface of 
the ground possess the same fertilizing properties as that 
made from stone taken from the quarry ?" Undoubtedly, 
if the stone found in the two places is the same. Some 
limestone contains much silcx and other impurities, and 
these may occur more abundantly in the surface stone 
than in that taken from below. As far as the mere fact 
of exposure goes, it can make no difference. 
Cheap Lands in Virginia.— In Fau- 
quier, Culpepper, and Albemarle Counties, are some of 
the finest lands of the State. Here the desolations of the 
war were severely felt, and the farmers are anxious to sell 
a part of these lands to get money to work the balance. 
This is a good field for the northern capitalist. 
The Trapper's <S-uide.— This is a neat 
octavo volume of 416 pages, illustrated with a large num- 
ber of good engravings of the fm-bearing and game ani- 
mals of America, together with articles of the hunter's 
outfit. It ia written by Mr. S. Newhonsc, an expe- 
rienced trapper, and published by the Oneida community. 
Mr. X. ia the manufacturer of a very good style of Bteel 
traps, ana " The Tripper's Guide "was originally writ- 
ten to extend their sale by instructing in their use ; now 
it is much enlarged. There i- so much in the book likely 
to interest many of our readc :s that we place it upon our 
list ; but must say that neither Mr. Newhouse or his edi- 
tors have much of the spirit of truo sportsmen when they 
recommend the practice of taking in traps animals which 
the world over are recognized as " noble game," and en- 
titled to a chance for their lives. Trappingdcer is heath- 
enish. It is far worse -than taking trout in nets, which 
is justly punished by heavy penalties in some of the States. 
Plants Sained.- E. S. Resh, Pa. No. 1. 
MltcheUa repens, or Partridge-berry ; it could only be cul- 
tivated in a shadv place. No. 2 is our commonest blue 
Violet, yiolacucuma...J. J. K., Alton, Maine. The 
Cockspur Thorn, Crakegus Crus-gatti, one of the finest of 
our native thorns. The Buckthorn is a widely different 
plant. . . .E. H. Stiles, Lake Mills. Wis. The Pasqueflower, 
Anemone Pulsatilla, not known east of Wisconsin; very 
beautiful . . . .Mrs. A. A. McElwee, Ulster Co . X. T. Two 
species of Trillium; the purple one is Trillium, erectum, 
and the white one with purple stripes on the petals is 
Trillium erythrocarpum . . .J H. Clendenin, Galiopolis, 
Ohio. The common English Plantain, Plantagolanceolata, 
often called Rib-grass, though it is no grass at all; neither 
is the one sent us "a grass." It is one of the Sedge Family, 
of a species too young to determine. . . .O.W.Fuller.Black- 
stone, ilass. Xo. 1 is Velvet Grass, Hdcus lanatus; No. 
2 is Reed Canary Grass, Phalaris arundinacea : neither of 
them of any great value. . . .M. W. Philips, Chatawa, Miss. 
Arrhenalhernum avenaceum, orOat Grass, both specimens 
the Eame, though unlike in appearance, probably from 
difference of situation. Xot valuable at the North. 
Beantifnl Lobelias.— Messrs. B. K. Bliss 
& Son have sent us specimens of some very fine hybrid 
Lobelias. They are hybrids between Lobelia cardinals 
and L. syphilitica, our two most showy native species ; 
the flowers present every gradation of shade between the 
intense scarlet of the one and the equally intense blue one 
of the other. These hybrids have attracted much atten- 
in England, and are a fine addition to our list of hardy 
herbaceous perennials. 
Pond Lilies. -P. L., New York, wishes to 
know how to destroy " Pond Lilies that infest fresh wa- 
ter ponds." If he means the white lily. (XympMa 
odorata,) we cannot conceive how he can have too many. 
If the yellow ones are in question. (Nympluza advena.) a 
few would content us. To get rid of these or any other 
water plants is an easy matter, if the pond can be drawn 
off. and the bottom cleaned. The roots of the lilies are 
large, and might be dredged up without much difficulty. 
Osage OraBBge Seed. — Machine 
Wanted.— A. D. Chase writes from the Chickasaw 
Xation. that the old method of getting out Osage Orange 
seed is very tedious, and asks if there is auy machine for 
the purpose. We never heardof one, and the demand for 
such is likely to be so small that there is little induce- 
ment for machinists to get up one. Some of the mills for 
crushing grapes do the work without breaking the seeds, 
and we should think that a mill like the " Improved Buck- 
eye" might, with a little adjustment, do the work. 
Ditching Plows.— We know of two which 
give good promise ; neither is yet fairly offered to the 
public, we believe, but both will be as soon as their 
owners are satisfied that they cannot essentially improve 
them, that they will do good work, and the de- 
mand can be supplied. One of these plows, which is in- 
tended for swampy or boggy land of a peaty character, 
cuts the whole ditch at a single furrow, and lays the slice 
at one side like a well. The other is for any land not 
very stony, and will cut a ditch about three feet deep. 
Substitute for Stable Manure in 
Market Gardening.-" A. M. K.." Poultney, Vt. 
Tou can probably, by exercising reasonable vigilance, 
pick up many fertilizers which now go to waste in your 
vicinity. The muck and ashes compost with guano would 
be good, but no doubt yon can secure the contents of 
pri vy vaults for the trouble of clearing them out, and 
perhaps even be paid for doing it. Then, too, there is 
probably a brewery, paper mill, tannery, or some similar 
establishment near, in the wastes of which you may strike 
a mine. The first and last have each peculiarly fertiliz- 
ing wastes which must be used with care. Make friends 
Willi the butcher for blood and offal useless to him, and 
so before you buy much guano, exhaust home resources. 
Soap Snds on Melon Vines.— Walter 
S Knight, Ohio. Your fault doubtless was the deluging 
the encumber and melon vines with soap snda once a 
week, during the drouth, and doing little else. If you 
had dug about the hills and thoroughly mellowed the 
soil and then poured the water into one or two depres- 
sions near each hill where it would gently soak away, 
wetting the ground not so much on the surface as at a 
depth below, the vines would probably have thriven. 
Soapsuds from the tubs on washing day, has with it 
much scum which will not follow the water into the 
ground This should be raked, or stirred into the soil 
in some way. or it will be very likely to form an incrus- 
tation impervious to air and moisture upon the surface. 
Bats.— Mr. Laugstroth, (see May number, p. 
ITS.) catches rats easily after getting the first one. Alex. 
II Hallcr says, he will find no difficulty in taking the first 
rat, if ho will try a little of the oil of Rhodium on his 
bait. We know this is very attractive to mauy animals. 
American Poultry Society.— At a 
recent meeting of this society, the following officers were 
elected for the ensuing year. President. O C. Poole. Me ■ 
tuchin, X. J.; Vice President, S. M. Saunders, Xew York ; 
Recording Secretary, J. H. Fry, Staten Island, X. Y.: Cor- 
responding Secretary, A. M. Halsted, Rye, X. Y.: Trea- 
surer. W. A. Fitch, 151 Xassau-street. New York : Auditor, 
J. G. Finnic 11 Wall-street, New York. As will be seen 
by advertisement, in another column, the first exhibition 
is to be held the third week in November. Arrangements 
are made for a very successful show. 
Ice-Uonse in a Cellar.— R. M. M. This 
arrangement is often more convenient than any other, 
and fails generally from imperfect ventilation and drain- 
age. If these matters are properly attended to. ice will 
keep well in a cellar. The ventilation should be with the 
air from the outside of the cellar. If otherwise, it would 
make the atmosphere damp, and affect the temperature 
in the rooms above. The drainage is the most difficult 
thing to manage in a cellar. The side walls of an ice- 
house here should be made with the same care as above- 
ground. We recently saw a very ingenious device to turn 
the drainage water to practical account. The bottom of 
the ice-house was made tight, and a little sloping, with 
gutters to conduct all the water into a trough in an ad- 
joining room. The trough was made large enough to hold 
a dozen milk-pans or more. It was exceedingly conven- 
ient in keeping cream, butter, and other perishable ar- 
ticles. The temperature of the room in which the trough 
was kept was also very much reduced, which made it a 
safer place for fruits and meats. We prefer an ice-house 
wholly or in part above-ground where it can be had. 
Where to Locate ?— Wants a Farm. 
—We have large numbers of letters, of which the above is 
the purport— some of them accompanied by a strong per- 
sonal appeal. Advice as to where to locate is very 
difficult to give, as so much depends upon individual 
peculiarities, capabilities, prejudices, and previous occu- 
pation. Were we to advise one who had never raised a 
strawberry or a blackberry in his life, that Southern New 
Jersey was a favorable locality for small fruits, he would 
probably go there, fresh from rough farming, or from some 
mechanical or mercantile occupation, try it a year or two. 
fail, and then blame us for our advice. All this matter of 
location for fruit and vegetable growing is mainly a ques- 
tion of markets. A small sum expended in personal 
exploration will be more satisfactory than any advice a 
stranger can give. As to undertaking the buying or sell- 
ing farms, that is not in our line ; either can be readily 
accomplished through the medium of advertising. 
Hop Culture.— A dozen or so ask us to 
send them by letter a detailed statement of the methods 
of hop culture. To meet this very want of information 
concerning special crops, we offered liberal premiums for 
practical essays on Hop, Tobacco, Oniqjj, and Flax cul- 
ture. The best essays, several on each subject, we have 
published in the pamphlet form, and offer them at a low- 
price. The work on Hop Culture is 40 cents, and con- 
tains, (as do the other essays.) fuller information than is 
to be' found elsewhere. Wc could not afford to write out 
the matter for as many dollars as we ask cents for the. 
treatise. As to the sets, they are frequently advertised in 
our columns, and we doubt not that any of the writers 
of these essays would furnish them. 
fcjypsmn.— C. G. Reed, Wayne Co., Pa. Gyp- 
sum i's sulphate of lime. Agricultural plaster is ground 
gypsum, more or less impure. It will keep indefinitely if 
not subjected to the action of rains or water, for it is unal- 
terable in the air at common temperatures, but soluble, 
in water, 400 to BOO pounds of water being capable of dis- 
solving one pound of gypsum. Gypsum contains a little 
more than 20 per cent, of water, and this it loses if heat- 
ed for a time, at a temperature much less than a red heat. 
When ungroimd gypsum is thus heated, it crumbles to a 
powder. Groundgypsum heated or "boiled," as it is 
termed, becomes Plaster of Paris. It gradually absorbs 
water from the air and becomes gypsum again. Plaster 
of Paris then is damaged by keeping, though unhurt for 
agricultural purposes. 
" Do ron believe Toads. Fish, and 
worms, rain Down ?»-Rnlph G. Pratt. Minn. 
Tli. re is every reason to suppose that fish, worms, etc., 
are occasionally sneked up with water by the force of 
water-spouts, and whirlwinds.. Ponds and river beds are 
often emptied of water almost ill an instant, by a whirl- 
wind passing over. The same power lias often lifted 
men, women, and children, sometimes conveyed them 
long distances, and set them down unharmed. After the 
e of whirlwinds or hurricanes, fish are frequently 
foumfslill alive on cither side, and perhaps miles away 
from its track. Toads and worms might, and very likely 
woidd be taken up and suspended a much longer time. 
