1878.] 
AME RIGAN AGPJC ULTUEIST, 
455 
The Next Volume 
Of this Journal, will/ar excel the present one, and 
all previous ones, in useful, practical , and varied 
information, which will be valuable to every reader. 
Reading Pays, not merely in what tells one that 
Sie can at once do, but the thoughts he gets in reading 
what others do and say, incites tlioughls and plans in his 
own miud that result in profit. The reading, thinking 
man makes his head help his hands. Brains tell every¬ 
where, and in nothing more than in farming, gardening, 
and housekeeping. The fewer brains one has of his 
own, the more should he get all the facts and suggestions 
he can out of other people’s thoughts and experience. 
Round Copies of this volume, and of every pre¬ 
vious volume back to Vol. XVI. (1857), neatly bound, with 
gilt hacks, Index, etc., are supplied at $2 each (or $2.30 
if sent by mail). See Publishers’ Notes, on first page. 
The Kind of Farming- that Usually Pays. 
—In his “ Talks,” pages 402-3, our contributor returns to 
a subject that lie has often talked about and brought for¬ 
ward in many ways, and with numerous illustrations. 
But the lesson is none the less important, and it should 
be carefully considered by every cultivator.—Timothy 
Bunker, Esq., over the signature of “ Connecticut,” gives 
a forcible example on page 463. Land so drained and 
worked as to be independent of rains and drouth, and so 
'treated as to secure a large yield, as a general rule, is 
sure to be profitable, taking one year with another. Take 
this Connecticut instance: Which would have been the 
most profitable: to have continued trying to get some¬ 
thing from the land worth $5 an acre; or, if necessary, to 
have sold 9 acres of it, and expended the $45 got for it, 
on the other two acres ? In the latter case, he would get 
a good profit from the work on the two acres; but he 
would grow poorer while working the 11 acres. Brethren, 
think on these things. Thinking pays as well as work¬ 
ing—and reading other men’s thoughts helps one to 
think. “ Brains ” is a most excellent manure, as our 
good friend Timothy Bunker, Esquire, would say. 
Borers.—“ J. A J.,” N. Y. City, does not bore one 
by the length of his letters. “ Please let me know how I 
can get rid of borers in an apple-tree ? ”—is plain and com¬ 
prehensive. He allows us to infer that he knows they 
are in the tree. The Round-headed Borer, the one known 
in the Eastern States as the borer, lives for two years on 
the sap-wood of the tree, and may be cut out by the use 
•of a strong knife; in the third year it enters the solid 
■wood of the tree, when it must be followed by a wire and 
'.punched to death. When the borer is once in the trunk, 
no external application will avail; equally useless is 
plugging the holes, recommended in some papers. 
NewZealand. Wagon.— “ S. F. E.,” Dunedin, 
•Otago. New-Zealand, sends a sketch of a wagon with the 
following description: “I had a double-shafted wagon 
built to order, with hind-wheels 6 ft. high, fore-wheels 5 
ft., tires 6 inches wide, and iron axles; body 3 ft. deep, 
■and 12)Z ft. long. This wagon was so easy-running, on 
A NEW ZEALAND FABM WAGON. 
account of the high wheels, that I drew it myself, a yard 
forward, and backed it, though it weighs 1 ton 8 cwt., 
and I weighed less than 11 stone at the time. It was 
used in carting some manure from 8 miles away, 4 horses 
being attached (2 and 2), and for the last load, to finish 
the job, we drew 5 tons 16 cwt., or 7 tons 4 cwt., includ¬ 
ing the wagon. The road was good, but hilly: the horses 
were of moderate size, but drew the load without diffi¬ 
culty.” This experience is valuable, as showing the 
superiority of high wheels for ease of draft. High wheels 
compare with low wheels just as a long lever does with a 
short one. The broad tires and iron axles doubtless 
added to the easy running. Such wagons are inconve¬ 
nient for loading, and perhaps less economical than 
lower and smaller ones for ordinary farm-work; but for 
large loads and long distances, this style is worthy of 
•consideration. Thanks to our far-away correspondent 
for his interest in the American Agricultutrist. We have a 
large constituency in that part of the world, and like to 
hear from them often. America can learn from, as well ’ 
as give instruction to, other countries. 
To Prevent Canvas from Shrinking.— 
“Enquirer,” Marshall Co., Iowa. If the canvas on 
your harvester is coated with boiled linseed oil, it will 
not absorb water and will not shrink. Apply two coats 
on both sides of the canvas, and give it a coat every 
season afterwards. A large sheet, thus prepared, may be 
thrown over the machine when there is danger of rain. 
The Japanese Persimmon or Kaki.-The 
Rev. Henry Loomis, San Francisco, who has been en¬ 
gaged in introducing the Japanese Persimmon into Cali¬ 
fornia and other parts of the country, sends us a neat 
album containing reproductions in colors from Japanese 
paintings of this fruit. There are nine varieties of differ¬ 
ent sizes and shapes; they are mostly scarlet in color, 
two of them being yellow. We have before mentioned 
the excellence of the fruit, and hope it may be found 
adapted to a wide extent of country. The limits of its 
hardiness have yet to be learned by experiment; our own 
experience, a short distance north of New York, has not 
been favorable. It is hardy at Washington, D. C., and 
is reported to be so at Flushing, Long Island. 
Convenient Gate-hatch.— “A. V., ’’New York, 
hands us a sketch of a gate-latch, which is an improve- 
SELE-FASTENING GATE-LATCH. 
ment on the ordinary form. It is a long flat bar of iron, 
turned up at the outer end,and fastened by two bolts near 
the inner end. as indicated in the engraving. By this ar¬ 
rangement the latch becomes a spring, and forces itself 
into the catch when the gate is closed, with the surety of 
keeping it there, even when slammed to. The failure of 
a latch to stay in the catch, is a frequent cause of annoy¬ 
ance and inconvenience, and often results in the stray¬ 
ing of animals from the pasture or yard. 
Rape. —“ S. C.,” State Center, Iowa. Rape may be 
grown for feeding, but it will not pay to grow it for seed, 
because there is no demand for it ns a source of oil. It 
is, however, an excellant crop for fall and early spring 
feeding. A peck of seed is sown per acre as for turnips, 
in July, to be eaten off in September and later. Or it 
may be sown in September, and eaten off in the spring. 
A Good Dinner for Four Cents seems a very 
low price, yet it is possible in a family of six—two 
adults and four children, as stated last month in our no¬ 
tice of Miss Juliet Corson’s little book entitled “ Twen¬ 
ty-five Cent Dinners.” It was there announced that the 
Orange Judd Company were to become the publishers of 
this work, which they have done at the suggestion of 
the editors, who were so well convinced of its useful¬ 
ness, that they felt it should have the widest possible 
circulation among all classes of the community. The 
work was written to teach the wives of mechanics and 
others of moderate income, how to live both well and 
cheaply. Many cook-books in then - recipes direct this 
and that, without regard to expense ; in this little work 
the cost of everything is counted, and we regard this as 
a most useful feature of the book, as it is quite as im¬ 
portant for the wives of farmers and villagers to count 
the cost, as for city house-keepers. But after all, we 
think that the chief utility of the work will be in showing 
how easy it is to have a variety of food, and whatever 
will do this must be useful. Fried meat, or the meat 
put into an oven, baked to a crisp, and called “a roast,” 
are quite too frequent in this country, whether in city 
homes or farm houses, while soups and stews are corre¬ 
spondingly rare. The present edition has a chapter 
prepared especially for it on the preparation of fruits for 
the dessert. The “Twenty-five Cent Dinners” is sent 
for Twenty-five Cents from this office, by mail, post-paid. 
liiglit in the Dairy—Animal ©dor.—“J. A.,” 
Wash. Territory. Light has the effect of deepening the 
color of both cream and butter. It is well to have abund¬ 
ant light in a dairy, but let it be protected from the direct 
rays of the sun. lest the temperature be raised excessive¬ 
ly. The so-called “animal odor ” is something of ahum- 
bug. It is a new sensation in dairying. When cows are 
cleanly fed and kept, the animal odor is not disagree¬ 
able. The “ sweet breath of the heifer ” was noticed by 
Virgil, and by every dairyman since. But these sweet- 
breathed heifers do not eat horse-droppings in filthy 
yards, nor stand up to their knees in dung. That is 
where the animal odor usually comes from. 
Quantity of Grain for a Colt.—“M. D.,” 
Scotia, Neb. It is not well to give much grain to colts 
during their first winter. If fed too liberally, then, they 
arc quite sure to do poorly on pasture-feed the next sum¬ 
mer ; enough should be given them, however, to keep 
them growing and healthy. A pint to begin on, and not 
over a quart a day later, is sufficient the first winter. 
Ground oats is an excellent grain-food for colts. An oc¬ 
casional small foddering of chopped roots is beneficial. 
Excess of Salt. — “ J. F. G.,” Alinont, Mich. Salt 
in excess is injurious to animals. It acts then as an 
irritant and produces inflammation of the throat and 
intestines, and sometimes it causes diarrhoea. A small 
handful is sufficient at one time, and it should be given 
with the food when not kept constantly before them. 
The Shepherd’s Manual, By Henry Stewart; 
a new edition. This work has had a remarkable success, 
and the reason is evident. It is the only work of late 
years, that gives all the breeds a fair showing. The 
American works that immediately preceded it, were de¬ 
voted to a particular breed only. In a country so varied 
in its natural features as ours, it is folly to suppose that 
one breed of sheep is best suited to all sections. This 
work is not devoted to wool producing only, but recog¬ 
nizes the fact that there is an increasing demand for 
mutton, and that the raising of early lambs is a profitable 
branch of sheep raising. The work is not merely the re¬ 
production of some English author, but its teachings are 
from American experience, and it covers the whole sub¬ 
ject of the shepherd’s management, in a very satisfac¬ 
tory manner. The work has been revised by the author, 
for a new edition, and he has added an important chapter 
upon the various localities suited to this important 
branch of agriculture, indicating the breeds and 
crosses most likely to succeed in each. Though thus en¬ 
larged, the price remains the same, and it is sent post¬ 
paid by the publishers, the Orange Judd Co., for $1.50. 
Guano on Grass Lands.- 11 J. T. N.,” St. 
John’s, Newfoundland. Guano, and other flue, concen¬ 
trated fertilizers, should be applied when growth is be¬ 
ginning, which, for grass, is in early spring. It is not ne¬ 
cessary to compost these fertilizers, unless to secure even 
distribution, as they are already in the condition to furnish 
plant-food. A fertilizer distributor is an economical ma¬ 
chine when large quantities are used (say for ten acres or 
more). When chemicals or other fine fertilizers are mixed 
together,it should be done immediately before using them. 
Subsoiling; in Minnesota.— “ K. O. S.,” Lake 
Park, Minn. It will hardly pay to subsoil rich praiiie 
land. If “ it is too rich for wheat,” sow the wheat very 
thinly, about half a bushel to the acre. There will then 
be less danger of the crop lodging from weakness of 
straw, which will be stronger, and the grain will be 
heavier, and more of it. It will pay to try thin seeding. 
A Cbeap Ventilator. —There is no necessity for 
an expensive ventilator for a stable or barn. The simplest 
method is to connect the stable floor with the outer air 
by ineaua of a square wooden tube, the upper end of 
CHEAP VENTILATOR. 
which is carried through the roof about a foot. A cap, 
made as shown in the engraving, is fixed to the roof over 
the opening of the tube to keep out rain and snow. This 
answers all the purposes of ventilation, and can be 
constructed at small cost by any ordinary carpenter. 
Guernsey Herd Book. —The prominence which 
the Guernsey cattle are assuming in this country, must 
be pleasing to those who know the value of the breed 
for its milk and butter qualities. We have at hand the 
first volume of “ The Herd Register of the American 
Guernsey Cattle Club,” recently published, and edited by 
Edw. Norton, Farmington, Conn., Secretary of the Club. 
Bulls to the number of 96, and 217 cows, are recorded, 
which indicates a larger number of pedigree animals than 
many had supposed were in the country, as these figures 
probably include but a portion of the entire number 
