1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
77 
Wild Kice.— Wishing a quantity of the seeds of 
Wild Rice, Zizania aguatica, we found it could be pro¬ 
cured of Mr. R. Valentine, in Wisconsin, who in reply 
to inquiries states that he has disposed of about 1,000 
hashols during the last five years. This tall grass is 
very abundant on the margins of some western waters, 
and its grain was largely collected by the Indians for 
food. It is the thick growth of this that makes the bor¬ 
ders of the Delaware such a favorite resort for gunners in 
tee Reed-bird season, and elsewhere it attracts numerous 
ducks. Mr. V. says that he has sent the seeds to nearly 
every State and Territory to be planted along water 
courses to attract wild fowl. It is also sown in artificial 
fish ponds to afford cover and shade for the young fry, a 
purpose for which it is especially suited. It succeeds 
best where there is a muddy bottom and six inches to 
two feet of water, and care should be taken to place it 
where its roots will be covered with water at all times. 
“Common Sense” in tlie Dining Room. 
—A few years ago we gave'it as our opinion that the 
rocking chairs called “Common Sense,’’ were most com¬ 
fortable and durable affairs. We now learn that the 
maker has applied the features which gave excellence to 
the other styles, to chairs suited for the dining room, 
and makes them with maple or black walnut frames. 
The Sorghum Convention held at St. Louis, 
Mo., on the 22d of Dec. last, included the leading cane 
growers of the country, and is reported as having been a 
success. J. A. Hedges, of St. Louis, who has long 
been prominently identified with sorghum culture, was 
elected President, and N. J. Coleman, of the same city. 
Corresponding Secretary. The meeting was addressed 
by Gov. Crittenden, who with others predicted that the 
United States would ultimately be independent of for¬ 
eign countries for its supply of sugar. 
The Pie Melon. —“W.W. N.,” Mitchell Co. Kans., 
found two “volunteer” vines, of what he learned was 
the “ Pie Melon.” He harvested from these vines 45 
melons, none weighing less than 10 lbs., and some over 
20 lbs. He found that they would keep all winter and 
were readily eaten by stock. Since then he has culti¬ 
vated them more largely, and has tested their feeding 
qualities. He says: “lam getting more milk and mak¬ 
ing more butter of a better quality from the same cow, 
under the same conditions than last year.”—He says that 
each vine covers nearly a square rod, and produces 12 to 
20 melons weighing from 20 to 40 lbs. each. The Pie 
Melon, which we have not before heard of in several 
years, appears to be unlike any other water melon, as it 
has greenish seeds of a different shape from any other. 
The flesh is white and not palatable in the crude state; 
stewed, sweetened and flavored, it is found acceptable as 
a substitute for apples in making pies. While it may 
serve as a pleasing variety in the food of a milch cow, 
we doubt if it could be adopted as her sole food. We 
hope our correspondent will continue his experiments 
upon the Pie Melon for feeding and report his results. 
Scribner’s liUinbcr and Log Book.— That 
the value of a book is not to be measured by its size, is 
illustrated by this little work, the sale of which has been 
immense. It gives, in a compact form, ready methods 
for getting at the measurement, and consequently the 
value of lumber, whether in the log or made up into the 
different forms in which it is sold. There are tables on 
various kindred subjects, including interest, wages, etc. 
Sold by the Orange Judd Company for 35 cts., by mail. 
Chinch Bug and Millet.— An intelligent farm¬ 
er from Tarrant Co., Texas, who called to make sundry 
inquiries about grass, states that the “ Golden,” “ Hun¬ 
garian,” and other millets of that character, are in bad 
repute in his part of the State, as they are regarded as 
nurse-grounds for the Chinch-bug. The millets, he says, 
come in time to carry the insect over to the next season. 
The millet is always found infested by the bug. 
A Gleam from Nova Scotia.— An editor, though 
he may never see one in a thousand of his correspondents, 
feels in closer relations with them than they, perhaps, 
suppose. When we read letter after letter, asking about 
matters that we have explained so frequently that it would 
seem that they should be generally understood, we natur¬ 
ally feel despondent, and think that our work is not 
telling. But there are two sides to the shield. Nowand 
then its bright side is towards us, and we go on with our 
work, feeling greatly encouraged. For example: here is 
a letter from Nova Scotia, which says: “In 1865, when 
we began to take the American. Agriculturist, there was 
no County AgriculturaJgSociety ; excepting a single Jer¬ 
sey bull, we had no thorough-bred cattle or other improved 
live stock, and but little was known of the modern meth¬ 
ods of agriculture, of fruit growing,or of horticulture gen¬ 
erally. Since that date thousands of dollars have been 
expended by our Society (organized in 1867) in the im¬ 
portation of stock, in fruit and ornamental trees and 
plants, in seeds, implements, etc. Probably no town in 
the Dominion, shows so great progress in Architecture, 
Horticulture and Rural Improvements as ours. A large 
share of this progress is due to the American Agriculturist, 
through which a knowledge of, and taste for, better 
methods of living have been developed.”—That is a most 
gratifying letter and full of encouragement, and more¬ 
over was accompanied by a report of the last County Fair, 
which was carefully read, and we felt all the while a per¬ 
sonal interest in the fact that Mrs. C. E. B. had the best 
Brown Bread; that Mrs. W. W. R. had the best Geraniums; 
that C. E. B. had the best Jersey Cow; S. C. took the 
leading prizes in Devons, and so on all through the list. 
Nothing so encourages one as to know that his work 
tells, and such a letter as this makes those from over 
critical people who—when an artist forgets that his en¬ 
graving will be reversed, puts the driver on the wrong 
side of the oxen, and makes a man left-handed in the use 
of the axe—get wonderfully smart, and write as if they 
had made a new discovery, in a matter that we only 
noticed when too late to remedy it. Thanks to our Nova 
Scotia friends, and may they continue in well-doing. 
Sweaty Feet. —It is sometimes the case that the 
feet sweat so profusely that it amounts to a disease, and 
the exuded matter soon becomes offensive. Noticing in 
a recent medical journal that Dr. G. Thin, of London, 
had proposed a remedy, we advised a friend who was 
badly troubled with his leot to try it. The result was so 
satisfactory at once that we think proper to make known 
the remedy, as it. may relieve others from an annoying 
affliction: The treatment is merely to soak the feet of 
the socks fora few hours in a saturated solution of Bora- 
cic Acid, dry them, and they are ready to put on again ; 
the change is made twice daily. It is also advised to 
use cork in-soles, which are similarly soaked and dried 
and changed with the socks. Boracic Acid, the acid of 
Borax (in which it is combined with Soda), is not very 
soluble; an ounce in a quart of water will make a solu¬ 
tion near enough to saturation. The acid is a natural 
product, and not very expensive ; it is kept in the drug 
stores in large cities, and others can easily procure it. 
The antiseptic or preservative powers of this acid are 
very marked, and its application is rapidly extending. 
Feed Cutter for ‘Wind Power.— “T. A. G.,” 
near Milwaukee, Wis., would like to use his windmill 
for a part of the time, in cutting feed, and wishes to 
know what cutter will answer.—A machine for this very 
purpose in your own State, is set forth in our advertising 
columns. The “ Belle City,” made at Racine, Wis., may 
be used as a hand machine and if desired may be driven 
by wind power. Full particulars of this cutter are 
given in the circular, which may be had on application. 
“Horses Teeth,” is a treatise on their mode of 
development, physiological relations, anatomy, etc., by 
William D. Clarke, NewTork. Published by the author. 
This is a remarkable work as showing what a mass of in¬ 
formation can be brought to bear upon a specialty. The 
industry of the author in bringing together all of value 
that has been written upon the subject, is something 
wonderful. While it can not be regarded as a popular 
work, its exhaustive character will make it of value to 
veterinary surgeons, and its very full vocabulary of tech¬ 
nical terms increases vastly its usefulness to any intel¬ 
ligent person interested in the dentition of the horse. 
ported, the sick animals are paid for, according to their 
value at the time, but all that are taken sick after that are 
paid for at their full value. It is a singular fact that all 
the disease in Pennsylvania is traced to Maryland. It 
is hoped that Congress will take up the matter and make 
the work of suppressing the disease a national one in¬ 
stead of leaving it to the independent action of the States, 
which work without any concert or uniform plan. The 
official figures, showing the cost of suppressing Pleuro¬ 
pneumonia in Pennsylvania, from March 20, 1879, to 
November 30, 1880, are as follows: 
For Animals killed by order.$3,164 26 
“ Surgeons lees and expenses. 1,743 57 
“ Salary and expenses of Special Agent. 1,705 09 
“ Expenses of Commission of Government... 313 21 
“ Office expenses, stabling, pasturage, etc_ 273 84 
“ Expenses on a joint resolution. 147 32 
Total...... .$7.332 28 
Cash received from State Treasury.. 6,961 18 
Deficiency.. $368 10 
Wheat-Which is the Best Variety?— 
This is what Prof. Tracy wishes to find out, and so does 
every other wheat grower. He has himself tried over 100 
kinds, and he now wishes to hear from others in order to 
compare results. Those engaged in wheat-growing can 
help the cause by sending a postal with the names of the 
varieties grown in their neighborhood, with yield of 
each, to Prof. S. M. Tracy, Agr’l College, Columbia, Mo. 
Profitable Poultry.— The following is from 
“ An Old Subscriber,” Remington, N. J.: “ I came in pos¬ 
session of 120 chickens, all common barn-yard stock. 
Afterward I purchased 30 half-blood brown Leghorn pul¬ 
lets : also six white Leghorns and a cock, which I kept 
separate, and set their eggs exclusively. They were in 
an enclosure of about half an acre ; an accurate account 
was kept of all their feed and products, is as follows: 
Poultry, Dr. Poultry. Cr. 
* J " Bv 11,937 eggs at 1 Kc ... $179 80 
120 Chickens at 40c.$43 00 
30 H. Leghorns at 50c.. 15 00 
7 W. Leghorns at $1.. 7 00 
420 eggs set, at 1 t$c. fi 30 
Fled. 80 8 7 
3chickens killed.40c... 29 20 
204 fowls on hand, 40c... 81 60 
Total... $290 60 
Total.$137 17 
Profits.$133 43 
$290 60 
No account is made of the manure, which amounted 
to over 20 b bis., and was of much value tons on the 
farm. Also, over one hundred of those I have on hand 
are pure white Leghorns, which I have reckoned only 
40c. each, which is much below their real value. The 
labor in caring for them has proved a pleasure, for which 
they ought to be credited instead of charged. Their 
principal feed has been corn, wheat, and oats, with plenty 
of crushed oyster shells, and clean, fresh water every day." 
Cow Peas for Green Manuring.— Mr. C. S., 
Montgomery, Ala., writes: “ Four years ago I sowed 
oats; the crop averaged 10 bushels lo the acre. The 
oats were followed with Cow Peas, which were plowed 
under, and the same land produced 40 bushels of oats to 
the acre, and I expect a yield of 50 bushels this year. 
As soon as the oats were off, the stubble was plowed 
under, and one bushel of Cow Peas drilled in. To plow 
in the pea vines I used an Oliver’s Sulky Plow. Two 
bushels of oats to the acre were sown and harrowed in, 
and the harrow followed with a drill that distributed 
250 lbs. of cotton seed meal to the acre; finishing with 
the Thomas Smoothing Harrow, which left the land as 
nice and mellow as could be wished. Oats will have to be 
Local Societies and Clubs.— We have often 
advocated the formation of Farmers’ Clubs and similar 
associations. We wish that they wereso numerous that 
every farmer, and every other person in rural life, be¬ 
longed to one. We are glad to learn that several new 
associations have been formed early this winter. As 
several of the Secretaries of these have asked if we 
would publish the proceedings if they were reported 
regularly, we must say that we do not know of any so¬ 
ciety in existence, the proceedings of which we could 
report regularly. The place for the proceedings of such 
clubs is in the local papers, which should be glad to have 
them; if these are sent to us, and we find any matter of 
general interest in them, we shall be very likely to seize 
upon it. These clubs are now so numerous that it is im¬ 
possible to accept and use the kind offers of our friends. 
Pleuro-Pneumonfa -What It Cost the 
State of Pennsylvania.— There is but one course 
with this disease, which is—to stamp it out. For the 
general good, every diseased animal must be killed, and 
the value of theanimal be paid for by the Commonwealth. 
This has been done most thoroughly in Pennsylvania. 
The disease was regarded as subdued, as none had ap¬ 
peared for three weeks previous to October 15th. On 
that date a herd of cows from Baltimore were sold in the 
State, and these caused a new outbreak, as they infected 
the herds. All the herds into which the Baltimore cows 
were taken were placed under strict quarantine, and all 
infected animals killed and paid for. When a herd is re¬ 
ourmaiti stay this winter for stock, as our corn crop was 
a bad failure.”—Wltoever has seen much of Southern 
agriculture, must have noticed the great value of the 
Southern Cow Pea in renovating the land, and wondered 
why it was no more used. Good judges consider that 
this plant puts the farmers in the Southern States on an 
equality, as to fertlizing, with the farmers in tlie Northern 
States, with their clover. It may be said that neither, in 
respect to its use, lives up to his privileges. 
Waterproof Boots.— “ H. B. D.” While India- 
rubber boots keep out water perfectly, and are useful 
to put on for a short time, they are not desirable to wear 
continuously, as they make the feet tender. A pair 
of heavy leather boots, with the soles made water¬ 
proof, are better for the feet than rubber. The following 
is said to have been used by the New England fishermen 
for over a century: Tallow, 4 ounces; Rosin and Beeswax, 
of each one ounce; melt together with a gentle heat and 
add an equal bulk of neatsfoot oil. This is first melted 
, and applied to the boots, rubbing it in before the fire; it 
will make them soft, and at the same time water-proof. 
Use Blade Ink. —Many of the letters that come 
to us are written with ink so pale that it is often difficult 
to find out the purport of the writing. Where ink is 
pale it will generally be found to have been frozen, 
which quite spoils it. In such cases, it is preferable, if 
good ink is not at hand, to use lead pencil. We would 
not be understood as encouraging the use of the lead, 
pencil, bnt in such cases it is the lesser evil. 
