1878. J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
235 
painting,” which could be produced for $5, at a profit, 
would ho quite satisfactory. Wo can not write the thing 
down as a humbug, unless we know that the pictures are 
worth less than they cost to those who receive them. 
The only evidence we have as to the kind of paintings 
sent out, is from a lady in New Jersey, who writes:— 
“ The painting has come, and it is one of the vilest, 
cheapest daubs imaginable, not worth the canvas it is on, 
and instead of adorning, as they say, ‘ the walls of the 
most sumptuous homes,’ I would not put it in my kitchen, 
and would not give 25 cents for it.” But as the thing is 
a game of chance—a “Gift Distribution,—the next paint¬ 
ing may be worth 37>rfc. or 50c., and so up along. We 
can only say to those who do not like these offers, it is 
the easiest thing in the world to let them severely alone. 
How to Rot Straw.—“J. T. G.,” Sulphur 
Hill, Ind. Siraw alone is not easily decomposed. This 
is seen in the case of straw used for thatched roofs, 
some of which are a hundred years old or more, and are 
yet sound. Still they have been exposed to heat and cold 
and wet for all these years. Straw can only be rotted 
quickly by mixing some actively fermentable matter with 
it. But straw may be used on Western farms to good 
purpose, by spreading it upon the ground and plowing it 
in. Thus all the benefit that could be derived in any way 
from the straw, will be gained by the soil, because in 
whatever manner we use the straw we do not really add 
anything to it. Much good may also be derived by 
spreading straw over winter grain, as a mulch and a pro¬ 
tection against sudden changes of the weather in winter. 
Why do Hogs Eat Coal ?—“ H.,” Re¬ 
no Co., Kansas. Swine are intended by nature to get a 
portion of their subsistence from roots, and to dig these 
roots from the soil by means of their snonts, which are 
well adapted to this. In eating roots so procured, a large 
quantity of soil, or mineral matter, is swallowed, and it 
seems to be intended by nature that this should be done, 
as, when prevented from pursuing their natural bent, 
they evince a strong appetite for such things as coal! 
earthy substances, or even decayed wood. It is always 
healthful for hogs that are closely penned, to be supplied 
with sods, soft coal, or charcoal, moderately, but when 
they have been deprive! of these for some time, caution 
ehould be observed lest they consume them to excess. 
A Question of Manuring - .— “R. C. M.,” 
OJney, 111. It is not always that the trouble and cost of 
composting manure will be repaid by the benefit gained. 
Sometimes it is cheaper in the end to spread manure as 
it is hauled through the winter on to the ground. Where 
land is flat the danger of washing is very little or nothin", 
except under unusual circumstances. As to this, judg¬ 
ment should be exercised. Unless it is very clear that 
a gain is to be made by laborious composting, that course 
Is not advisable ; it is better to cart the manure directly 
on to the land, and spread it at once; not leaving it in 
piles more than a day or two at the utmost. When 
manure can be had plentifully for the hauling, it will 
not pay to compost it. That is only a device to increase 
the bulk of the manure when it is scarce and costly. 
Blow to Keep a Hydraulic Ram 
at Work.— “J. A. G.,” Lewisburg, Pa., writes that 
if a small air-hole is made in the feed pipe of a water 
ram, about two inches in front of the ram, there will be 
no stoppage on account of want of air in the air-cham¬ 
ber. He has had a ram at work for 30 years without ever 
a stop from this cause, except when back-water covered 
the hole. If the hole is too large, it may be made smaller 
by tapping around it with a riveting hammer. 
F’licese Factory in IVew Jersey.— 
“ P. F.,” Woodstown, N. J. We do not remember of any 
cheese factory in the State of New Jersey, excepting 
those in which “foreign” cheese is made, or rather 
imilations of a French and other European cheeses. 
Doubtless there are openings for such factories in many 
parts of the State. The capital required fora small factory 
is not heavy. The building need not be expensive; the 
machinery can be furnished complete by Whitman & 
Burrell, of Liltle Falls, N. Y., who would give estimates 
on application. See articles in February number. 
To Repair an Old Chain-Pump. 
—“ S. W., - ’ Mineola, L. I., gives the following plan for 
mending an old chain-pump that will not raise the water. 
First take a stout cord ; make the chain fast, so that it 
cannot drop down the cistern or well, then unlink one 
of the bucket-links, take the heel of an old India-rubber 
boot, or some rubber packing;cut a hole through the 
rubber, press one eye of the bucket-link through suffi¬ 
ciently far to admit of linking again, and then with a 
sharp knife pare the rubber down sufficiently small, so 
that it will exactly fit the trough ; the round, penny-shape 
bucket wilt be a sufficient guide in cutting the rubber- 
bucket perfectly round. Then re-link the bucket upon 
the chain, and repeat this on every fourth bucket the en¬ 
tire length of the chain ; it is unnecessary to put the rub¬ 
ber-buckets closer than every fourth one. Be careful that 
when putting the rubber-buckets back on the chain, that 
the old metal bucket shall be under the rubber one when 
entering the trough, so that it will be supported and held 
firm by pressure against the trough. Do this carefully, 
and your old pump is good for several years longer, and 
it will throw water faster than when new. 
Economy in Cutting - Feed.-“ A. Q. 
McG.,” Estes Park, Colorado. The economy in cutting 
feed consists in the prevention of the waste which occurs 
with long feed, and also in the less consumption. It is 
very certain that a less weight of long fodder, cut, moist¬ 
ened, and mixed with ground grain, will keep an animal 
in equally good condition as a larger quantity of uncut 
fodder with ground grain. This effect occurs in two 
ways; the animal exercises less muscular exertion in 
masticating the prepared food, and the food is more per¬ 
fectly digested. We have found the saving to be from 
a fourth to a half with some animals that are of unusu¬ 
ally wasteful habits, or of inferior digestive powers. 
Value of Pond Sediment.—“H. T.,” 
Milltown, N. B. The soil left by the draining of ponds 
is generally very valuable for meadow land. A pond 
that is filled with mud to within 6 inches of the surface, 
may doubtless be drained by cutting an outlet to carry 
off the water. The mud will settle considerably, and the 
drain may need to be 5 to G feet deep. As soon as the 
surface is dry, it should be sown with grass seed, lest 
bog grasses spring up and produce a growth of tussocks, 
which would spoil the surface. Open ditches should be 
cut through the ground as soon as the surface is solid 
enough to work upon. The reclamation of such land 
will require probably two years, if not more. 
Spaying Sows.—“ J. W. P.,” Wells Co., 
Ind. There is no certain way of preventing sows from 
breeding except by spaying. • There are different other 
methods proposed, but they arc all shams and humbugs. 
Pennsylvania Corn. — “ C. C. E.,” 
Waynesburg, Ohio. A very large and prolific variety of 
yellow corn is grown in Southern Pa. We have grown 
it, having 32 rows, and shelling nearly a quart to each 
ear. But it requires very rich soil and a climate equally 
warm as that where it originated. 
Concrete For Cellar Walls..— “T. E. 
W.,” Clinton Co., Ohio. Concrete makes a very strong 
cellar wall. It is stronger and better in every way when 
made with hydraulic lime (or cement), than with com¬ 
mon lime, although a good concrete may be made with 
common lime. We have built walls of each kind of con¬ 
crete, and much prefer the hydraulic cement. 
Artesian Wells.— “J. L. B.,” Greenland, 
W. Va. Water can not always be made to overflow from 
a well, however deep it maybe. There must be an un¬ 
derground stream tapped, which has its source above the 
level of the mouth of the well, and the stream must be 
confined by an impervious bed of clay or rock. Unless 
these conditions exist, no flowing well can be had. 
Plowing Under Green Crops.— 
“C. S.,” Syracuse, N. Y. It is a great mistake to sup¬ 
pose that land too poor to grow anything, can be restored 
by growing and plowing under green crops. Green 
manuring is useful to keep good land in good condition 
without other manure. But to raise the condition of 
poor land in this way, would be to get something out of 
nothing. The easiest manner of restoring poor soil, is 
to use some artificial fertilizer to grow clover, and then 
plow under the clover. 
Sulphate of Copper as a 'I’onic For 
Pigs.— “ R. L. C.” Sulphate of copper, properly used, 
is a valuable tonic for animals. The proper quantity is 
from half a dram to two drams fora horse, ox, or cow; 
10 grains to a sheep, and 15 grains for a pig. It is poison¬ 
ous when given in large quantities, as are almost all 
medicinal drugs. Sulphate of iron (copperas) is less 
active than the sulphate of copper (blue vitriol;, and is 
used in doses four times as large. It requires a knowl¬ 
edge of the case to distinguish the need for the one or 
the other of these drugs. 
To Split Knotty Uogs. —“B.,” Cheshire 
Cp.,N. H., writes: Take a six or seven-quarter auger 
for large, tough, knotty logs that are to be split. Boro 
into the log you wish to open, for one-third or one- 
fourth its diameter, put in a good charge of powder. 
Take a piece of wood six or eight inches long, suitable 
to make a spile or plug—pine is the easiest to work, and 
the best—run a 3 /, 6 bit through the tap—that is, to be 
fitted to drive tight and firmly to the charge—then prime 
and set a match that will give time to get out of the way. 
Nuts and Nubbins. 
“ Sealskin sacks are worn longer.” Same way with all 
the rest of our clothes. 
When a man has no bills against him he feels as though 
he belonged to the nobility. 
“ How’s your husband this evening, Mrs. Quaggsf 
“ No improvement, doctor, one way or the other.” 
A little boy went to his father crying, and told him 
that he had kicked a bee that had a splinter in its tail. 
Among the items in a plumber’s bill are: to searching 
gas leakage, fifty cents; to having found it, one dollar. 
“ I’ze right,” shouted a military officer to his company. 
“Well,” grunted a green private, “nobody said you 
wasn’t right.” 
A young housekeeper, when her attention was called 
to a very dusty chair, remarked : “ Nobody lias sat down 
on that to-day.” 
A Rochester man hung a sign in front of his place of 
business, which reads: “Twenty-five loafers wanted to 
stand here.” They don’t stand there. 
“Nice little girl: “Oh, do let me see you drink.” 
—Captain Grogson : “ Why, my dear?”—Nice little girl: 
“Because ma says you drink like a fish.” 
Some Indians use scalping knives of tortoise shell, 
probably on account of the old fable in which the tor¬ 
toise was alleged to have got away with the hare. 
“A polite man,” said the Due de Monty, “is one who 
listens with interest to things he knows all about when 
they are told by a person who knows nothing about them.” 
A mother seeing her little four-year-old nearly asleep 
in her chair, asked if she had not better go to bed.—“ Oh, 
no, mamma ; I only shut my eyes to keep the dust out.” 
“ How does the new cow answer ? ” asked one man of 
another who had lately purchased a cow.—“I really can’t 
say,” he replied, “ for I’ve never asked her any questions.” 
“My dear,” asked Mrs. J. of her husband, on coming 
home from church the other day, “ what was the sweetest 
thing you saw in bonnels ? ”—“ The ladies faces,” was 
the bland reply. 
Physician— “ Your pulse is still very high, my friend 1 
Did you get the leeches all right day before yesterday ? ” 
—Patient— Yes, sir, I got ’em right enough; but mightn’t 
I have ’em biled next time ? ” 
The following conversation took place recently in an 
hotel: “ Waiter.”—“Yes, sir.”—“What’s this? ”—“ It’s 
bean soup.”—“No matter what it has been; the ques¬ 
tion is, what is it now f ” 
A Boston paper says: “ A butterfly was caught at the 
South End yesterday.”—it may be safe enough to catch a 
butterfly at the South End, but when you go to grab a 
wasp you want to catch it at the northeasterly end, shift¬ 
ing westerly toward the head. 
“Ma,” said a thoughtful boy, “I don’t think Solomon 
was so rich as they say he was.”—“Why, my dear, what 
could have put that into your head ?”—“ Why, the Bible 
says he slept with his fathers ; and I think if he had been 
so rich, lie would have had a bed of his own.” 
When you sec a lady on the street stop and suddenly 
kick and reach backward and downward, don’t be 
alarmed; it is not a brickbat she is after. As soon as she 
shakes out the old oyster cans entangled in her trail, that 
same sweet smile will return ; and everywhere the street 
contractor hails the woman with a trail as a blessing. 
A gentleman who happens to own a paddock, and who 
had tried every effort and t hreat in vain to prevent tramps 
from making a short cut through it, was eventually per¬ 
suaded to stick up the following notice: “Beggars, Be¬ 
ware 1 Scolopemlriums and Polypodiuins planted here.” 
The effect was marvellous, and the annoyance ceased. 
The young ladies of Vassal - College feel quite at home 
in studying chemistry. They are at once on friendly 
terms with Sal Ammoniac, Sal Soda, Sal Pmnelle, Mag 
Nesium, Moll Ybdenum, Ann Timony, Cad Mium, Ruth 
Enium, Pete Roleum, A1 Umintim, Doll O’Mite, Bessi 
Mer’s Process, Mary Otte’s Law, and Ann Alysis. 
A young man, on becoming affianced, was desirous of 
presenting his intended with a ring appropriately in¬ 
scribed ; but, being at a loss what to have engraved upon 
it, he asked his father's advice. “Well,” said the old 
gentleman, “ put on, ‘ When this you see, remember 
me.’ ” The young lady was surprised, upon receipt of 
the ring a few days after, to read this inscription: “ When 
this you see, remember father.” 
Mr. Basingbal (city merchanl)—“ Most convenient I I 
can converse with Mrs. B. just as if I was in my own 
drawing-room. I’ll tell her you are here.” (Speaks 
through the telephone.) “Dawdles is here—just come 
from Paris—looking so well—desires to be,” etc., etc. 
“Now you take it, and you’ll hear her voice distinctly." 
—Dawdles—“ Weally ! ’’—(Dawdles takes it.)—The voice 
—“ For goodness sake, dear, don’t bring that insufferab'e 
noodle home to dinner! ’’ 
