76 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
Keeping Ice Without Ice-Houses. 
Ice has passed from the list of the luxuries to that of 
the necessities of farm life. Whoever lives where ice is 
formed, and so near to a body of water that the hauling 
will not be too costly, should have an ice-house. Ice 
keeps best in large masses, and in building it will be found 
that a house to hold enough for two years will cost but lit¬ 
tle more than one for a single year’s stock. Occasionally, 
as last winter, the :ce crop fails over the greater part of 
the country. A mild winter will cause no anxiety to one 
who has a supply of ice left over. In Dec., 1679, p. 503, 
a plan is given for bnilding an ice-house in a corner of 
a roomy barn ; the hints there given will enable one to 
convert any spare out-building into an ice-house. In 
March, 1879, we showed how a temporary ice-house could 
be made and how ice may be kept without a house. If 
one has an abundance of ice, but no ice-house, and has 
straw in plenty, it may be worth while to stack up a lot. 
though it can hardly be expected to iast all summer. The 
ice-stack is especially useful when the ice-house is not 
large enough to hold a full supply if the ice is freely 
used. An ice-stack to be drawn upon during the early 
part of summer, will allow the store in the house to be a 
Jong time undisturbed. If the stack can be made in a 
shady place, all the better ; select a spot where the water 
will drain off, and lay down a tier of rails a foot or so 
apart; on these put a layer of brush, and upon the brush, 
straw to the thickness of a foot. If possible set a strong 
pole in the center. Now stack up the ice as in an ice¬ 
house, taking care that the mass does not incline to one 
side The covering for the sides may be straw, salt hay. 
swale hay, or even leaves, but the latter will need to be 
held in place by boards. A foot in thickness of pro¬ 
tecting materials will do, but thicker will be better; old 
boards, with braces to press them against the straw, etc., 
may be used if needed; the stack is to be finished by 
a roof of straw, put on with pins and ropes, as in finish¬ 
ing off a hay-stack. On grain farms, where straw is 
abundant, the mass of ice may be covered with a great 
thickness of straw, by building a stack of it over the ice. 
In using from such a stack the ice should be taken off 
on all sides regularly, and care taken to properly replace 
the covering. The larger such a stack the better. It 
should not be less than a cube of ice 12 feet on each Bide. 
Prickly Comfrey in Nova Scotia. 
The history of the Prickly Comfrey in this country 
shows that our farmers do not readily adopt a plant 
that is quite unlike any to which they have been 
accustomed. Its present status seems to be, that the 
large number of those who tried it gave it up whenever 
they seemed to have a good reason for doing so, while a 
few, who have overcome all obstacles, regard the plant as 
of the greatest value. W. R. Stewart, of Nova Scotia, 
writes thus: “If every farmer in this Province had an 
acre of Comfrey, it would be a great boon, indeed, as no 
other crop will yield anything equal to it.”—Mr. Stewart 
started in 1878 with a few plants, and has increased his 
stock by cuttings each succeeding year. He says that the 
yield of his second year’s planting, at the first cutting on 
June 15th, last, was “ the greatest yield of any crop I ever 
saw growing. Thirty-six (36) tons to the acre was yield¬ 
ed at the first cutting, and at that early date. Some por¬ 
tions of the crop were over six feet high. I had two 
later cuttings, which were not so heavy, but very fair, 
during the greatest drouth we ever experienced. I be¬ 
lieve that for soiling purposes the Comfrey is far ahead 
of any other plant, as the first cutting alone yields twice 
as much as I can procure from any other plant for the 
whole season. I find cattle thrive well on the Comfrey 
alone. In fact, I never fed any food to cattle that will 
fatten them so quickly, and it is good for milk also. I 
think no other crop of so much value per acre to the 
farm, these dry seasons, as the Comfrey. Onr pastures 
are getting very thin, and thinking farmers are seeking 
some other way of feeding stock in the dry time of sum¬ 
mer, than pasturing.” 
Torturing a Cow.—A correspondent has a cow 
that refused to eat or drink. At first she was “ doctored 
for horn-sickness,” by cutting her tail. Next, with the 
help of two neighbors he tried to get some gruel down 
her throat, but failing that they forced down a small 
piece of pork. Then turpentine was put at the back of 
her neck, and at last the owner wrote to know how to ■ 
apply a blister and if it would do any good. No doubt 
the owner is one of the kindest of men, and will be 
shocked at the idea that he was torturing the cow—but 
nevertheless it is true that the poor animal was subjected 
to needless pain in what was done to her and in what 
was not done. It is a most strange fact that all over the 
country, it is the popular notion that when a cow is sick 
she meet either have the “ horn-ail ” or “ wolf in the 
tail.” In the first place the horns are bored, and in the 
other the tail is horribly gashed to let the “wolf”— 
whatever it may be—out. In the present scarcity of 
veterinarians, every country physician, as a matter of 
humanity, and if for no other reason than to prevent 
useless torture, should be willing to advise in sickness 
among animals. If this cow could neither eat nor drink, 
most likely something had stuck in her throat; at any 
rate a physician’s probang would have told the state of 
the case at once. The strong desire to do something 
often leads one to following the most absurd advice. 
“ The American Garden ” was first published 
as a monthly by a Brooklyn seed-house, and after vari¬ 
ous changes has passed into the hands of Messrs. B. II. 
Bliss & Sons. Being edited by Dr. F. M. Hexamer; the 
readers will be sure that its teachings will be sound and 
practical, and that it will not be a mere advertising sheet. 
An Improved Coal-Scuttle.— To supply coal 
to a “base-burner” or other stove fed from the top, by 
pouring in the fuel from an ordinary coal-scuttle, or hod, 
too severely taxes the strength of a delicate person, male 
or female. In holding the scuttle by the bail with one 
hand, and turning out the coal with the other, there is a 
AN IMPROVED COAD-SCUTTLE. 
great waste of strength; the utensil is for such use 
wrongly hung by the bail, as the coal has to be needlessly 
lifted through a large part of a circle. In the coal-scuttle or 
hod here figured,the coal will run out with a slight inclina¬ 
tion, without the hard work necessary in the other case. 
Tlie Value of Ensilage.— The Year Book of 
Agricultural Chemistry (Jahreslericht uber Agricultur- 
Chemie ), for 1879 gives some experiments by Moser, of 
the Vienna Experiment Station, which will arrest the 
attention of all who are interested in the question of 
ensilage. His experiments were not made from corn 
fodder taken from large silos, but upon that preserved in 
a small way in pits. We expect to refer to the matter 
more in full at another time; just now we can only say 
that the experiments of Moser throw doubt upon the 
economy of the process of ensilage. It is of more im¬ 
portance to our farmers than those of any other country, 
to know the real facts in the case, and as the matter now 
6tands it is one to which our agricultural chemists may 
well give their attention. Thq fanners have largely 
reached the point where they are ready to adopt the 
method, and if it is to pay them no better than Moser's 
analyses would show, they should know it at once. 
Burke’s Texas Almanac.— Those who write 
us asking where they can learn about Texas, are re¬ 
ferred to this almanac, which is full on matters relating 
to the State. A very fine map is furnished with the 
work, which is published by J. Burke, Jr., Houston. 
Substitutes for Plows.— Though the plow in 
some form has been in use from the earliest times, the 
fact that now and then some new invention appears, 
shows that all are not convinced that plowing is the best 
method of preparing the soil that can be devised, and 
that there is a constant effort at finding some better way 
of making the soil ready for the seed. At the last exhi¬ 
bition of the Royal Agricultural Society, Darby’s Steam 
Digger attracted much attention, and appears to have 
real merit, but the fact that the machine in England 
costs £1,000 (which would be over $ 5,000 here) leaves that 
out of the question. In this country the “ Chicago 
Screw Pulverizer,” is making its way among wheat grow¬ 
ers; it is a machine that lifts and stirs the soil upon a 
different principle from any other that we have seen, and 
has given great satisfaction where it has been tried. It 
is a horse-power machine, but whenever steam power 
shall come into general use on our farms, it may be 
easily modified to be moved by that power. 
Change of Occupation.—As a general thing 
when asked by correspondents to advise them as to a 
change of occupation, we decline to do so. We should 
hesitate to influence an intimate friend in a matter that 
might affect his whole success in life, and we could ad¬ 
vise a stranger much less safely. But one case presented 
itself recently in which we did not hesitate to give ad¬ 
vice. A young man asked us if we would advise him to 
give up farming and learn short-hand reporting. As we 
were led to infer that the young man was already well 
established in farming, we bad no hesitation in saying 
“No.” Short-hand reporting is a most respectable and 
useful pursuit, but like many other occupations it is 
limited. Its scope is confined to just what one person 
can accomplish, and it can not be greatly extended. A 
farmer, on the other hand, can employ not only his own 
labor, but that of others, and can extend his operations 
so far as it may be safe to do so. No; young man. we 
would not advise you to give up farming for short-hand 
or any other kind of reporting—and we may add, not 
for any other business of which we have any knowledge. 
Silver-Plated Ware.— We have several times 
described how Plated Silver-ware is made, and shown 
that the purchaser must depend upon the representations 
of the maker, as he cannot himself tell the very thinly 
plated, from which the coating of silver will disappear 
after a little use, and that having a serviceable thick¬ 
ness of silver which, with care, will wear for many years. 
Correspondents send us the advertisement of a party in. 
New York who offers four pieces of Silver-Plated Ware, 
a Cake Basket, Caster, and two other large articles for 
$5, and asks if the person will do as he agrees to, or 
wish our opinion in the matter. The advertisement in 
question offers these wares for $5, and we have no 
reason to suppose that they will not be sent for that 
price, and that is all that he “agrees” to do. He pro¬ 
poses to send four articles at $1.25 each, and does not 
propose to send for that price anything hut silver-plated 
ware. It would appear that those who write to us ex¬ 
pect to get more than is offered. We have yet to find the 
dealer who will give any more than five dollars worth for 
$5. If any wish $1.25 cake baskets, we do not know 
where they can get more for the money. The cake- 
basket must first be made of some cheap metal, and 
then plated with silver. Compare a silver dollar with 
the cake-basket, and imagine the dollar spread out to 
cover both sides of the basket; this will give some idea 
of how thin the silver would be, provided as much as a 
dollar’s worth were put, upon it. These wares are made 
to sell. If they cost $1 25 each, they wouldn’t be sold at 
that price. If our friends would think over the matter 
in this light they would not find it necessary to wish 
our opinion. Our opinion is, that we should prefer to 
serve our cake on an earthen plate to placing it on a 
cake-basket that could be bought for $1.25. 
Tlie California Horticulturist has been 
united with the “ Pacific Rural Press,” and its existence 
as a distinct journal is, we regret to say, terminated. 
Castle Garden.— Many at a distance who know 
that this is the great depot for the arriving immigrants, 
wonder what sort of a place it is, and why it is so called. 
Originally it was a fort, erected by the U. S. Government 
in 1807, and called Castle Clinton. It is a circular stone 
structure which was formerly quite surrounded by water 
but is now connected with the main land. As a defence 
it may have been well enough against the pop-gun artil¬ 
lery of its day, but now it is quite useless as such. It was 
ceded to the city, by the U. S., in 1822, and was for many 
years a popular resort as an ice-cream garden where the 
people could enjoy the sea air, music, and refreshments, 
etc. Later it was roofed over and the fairs of the Am¬ 
erican Institute were held here for some years, and here 
Jenny Lind gave her first concert in this country. Now 
it is divided up and has various annexes to serve the 
Commissioners of Emigration. Immigrants are all landed 
here, make their destinations known, and those who are 
going inland are taken to the stations by means of 
steamers, and do not enter the city at all. The trade of 
the emigrant runners—a horde of robbers who lived by 
fleecing the new comers—is now broken up. 
Perfection In Carriage Building.— Prob¬ 
ably no other of the industrial arts is farther advanced 
in this country than carriage building—including of 
course finishing in all its forms. “ The Hub ” has long 
been a model in the way of a special journal, and this, 
with other kindred periodicals, shows that the workers 
in this department are intelligent readers. We have re¬ 
cently learned that it is proposed to open a “ Technical 
School,” which is intended to improve the art of Carriage 
Building in both design and construction, and that the 
subscriptions to this end from the carriage and accessory 
trades have been most liberal. The project is in the 
hands of a committee, and we may expect to soon hear 
that the school is established. Mr. H. Houghton, an 
American, has astonished the European carriage makers 
by starting in Paris, a French monthly Journal, Le 
Pientre en Voitures (the “Carriage Painter”). In con¬ 
nection with this periodical he offers prizes for essays 
on various points related to the objects to which it is de¬ 
voted. On the whole the carriage business appears to 
have a great deal of go in it—in fact it runs on wh/'-ls. 
