1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
339 
Take Notice 
THAT THE FOUR VALUABLE 
Special Premiums, 
Leland’s Farm Homes, 
Best Hew Strawberry Plants, 
Silos and Ensilage Book, 
Hew “ Trichine Tester,” 
are offered during the month of August 
ONLY. They are eminently worthy of atten¬ 
tion. For description and full particulars 
seepage 299 of July American Agriculturist. 
Clearing Swamp land.-" E. V. T.” There 
Is no better time than the present month for cut¬ 
ting off the thick growth of weeds, coarse sedges, 
and grasses that are found upon the swamps. After 
the cut material has become dry in the hot sun, it 
should be burned, unless it can be used as bedding. 
The surface of the soil being clean, a fine-toothed 
cultivator or a disk-harrow may then be passed 
over the land to prepare it for the seed of tame 
grasses, which should be sown at once. It is fre¬ 
quently a great advantage to apply a dressing of 
lime to the land, as it acts upon the vegetable mat¬ 
ter in the soil, setting free a good supply of plant 
food. If put on before using the cultivator, the 
lime will become more intimately mixed with the 
soil, and therefore have a quicker and more thor¬ 
ough effect. There are many “ low places” that 
could be reclaimed with very little outlay, and 
make the best of land. Underdraining may be 
necessary in many cases. 
Mack Knot. — The rough and irregular 
excresences upon the plum and cherry trees are 
fungus growths and should be removed by a knife, 
burning the removed parts that the trouble may 
not spread by means of the millions of spores which 
the knots contain. 
All Books for All Readers. —We frequently 
receive inquiries from subscribers regarding the 
price, character, etc., of books which are being 
published from time to time in New York and else¬ 
where. These inquiries are now becoming so 
numerous that the publishers of the American Agri¬ 
culturist have arranged to furnish in the future the 
books of all publishers, at the advertised prices. 
Hereafter, therefore, any person desiring any book 
can have it forwarded to him, post-paid, from this 
office on receipt by us of the published price. 
Seventeen- If ear “ Locust.” — This insect 
has made its appearance in a number of localities 
during the present year. Those interested in the 
peculiar habits of the Cicada (Cicada septendecim) 
and it should be called Cicada in distinction from 
the true locusts that devastate the Ear West, will 
find valuable information in the article by Professor 
Riley on page 312, with engravings of the Cicada 
in all its stages of growth. 
--«s3~es»—-- 
Cutting Timber.— “ R. S. G.” Those best in¬ 
formed on timber agree that to insure the greatest 
durability, trees should be cut in midsummer after 
the rapid growth of spring is over. At this time 
the sap is rapidly dried up by the hot weather, and 
if the bark is removed, the logs will become very 
dry, and the timber strong and lasting. To insure 
a still more thorough curing, the trees may be 
stripped of their bark and left standing for several 
weeks in late summer. This method makes the 
best of timber for posts, etc. 
Farm Products Exported. 
We have received, from Joseph Nimmo, Jr., Chief of 
the Bureau of Statistics, the following completed siifin- 
marv of exports for the first eleven months of the past 
Fiscal Year, from the principal points of the United 
States, including San Francisco and Willamette, on the 
Pacific Coast, with the figures for the same period (11 
months.) in 1880: Exports Value. 
Wheat, 1881.139.293,074 bushels. $154,695,928 
“ 1880......138,786,486 bushels. 172,208,666 
Wheat. Flour, 1881.... 7,279,941 barrels. $41,211,651 
“ 1880.... 5,487,754 barrels. 32,325,199 
Indian Corn, 1881.... 82,374,158 bushels. $45,415,541 
“ 1880. . 82,145,398 bushels. 45,249,852 
11 Meal, 1881 ... 381,946 barrels. $1,113,993 
“ “ 1880.... 303,861 barrels. 852,089 
Rye, 1881. 1.874,398 bushels. $1,825,622 
“ I860. 2,758.226 bushels. 2,333,489 
Barley, 1881. 868,445 bushels. $539,787 
“ 1880. 1,117,979 bushels. 779,u74 
Oats, 1881. 331.037 bushels. $152,848 
“ 1880 . 570,881 bushels. 228,459 
The following figures are for the Exports during the 
first five months of 1881 and of 1880: 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Fresh beef. 1881. 
.... 50,404,946 
$4,715,231 
“ “ 1880 . 
.... 42,201,154 
3,641,599 
Salted beef. 18S1 . 
.... 15,976,449 
$1,091,278 
“ “ 1880. 
... 19,753,165 
1,247,648 
Tallow, 1861. 
.... 37,299,004 
$2,524,129 
“ 1880 . 
.... 49,034,797 
3,503,526 
Butter. 1881... 
.... 7,452,569 
$1,493,059 
1880... .. 
.... 10.113,192 
2,053,778 
Cheese, 1881. 
.... 32,023,771 
$3,714,261 
1880. 
.... 22,503,308 
2,825,297 
Pork, 1881. 
.... 48,794,967 
$3,838,100 
taso. 
.. . 38,021,117 
2,488,250 
Bacon and Hams, 1881... 
....328.941,291 
$27,876,703 
“ “ 1880.... 
.372,333.585 
26,277,898 
Lard. 1881. 
.160.839.515 
$16,312,464 
1680. 
14,071,677 
Average prices of the Exported Articles. 
1881. 1880. 
Wheat. $1.11 per bush. $1.24 per bush. 
Flour. 5.66 per bbl. 5.90 per bbl. 
Indian Corn . .55 per bush. .55 per bush. 
Fresh Beef. 9.35 per 100 lbs. 8.63 per 100 lbs. 
Salt Beef. 6.84 “ “ 6 33 “ 
Butter. 20.00 “ “ 20.33 “ 
Cheese. 11.60 “ “ 12.55 “ “ 
Pork . 7.83 “ “ 6.54 11 “ 
Bacon.■ 8.47 “ “ 7.06 “ 
Lard. 10.14 “ “ 7.83 “ “ 
The Country School House.—There is no 
rural building that needs more improvement than the 
school house in the country. The writer s recollections 
of youthful school days are associated with a small, for¬ 
bidding, once red, but then weather-stained, and much 
disfigured “ shed,” standing in a small treeless “ yard,” 
that was open entirely to the road and reached by pass¬ 
ing through a ditch that had been made by the “ work¬ 
ers on the road,” and left in an unfinished state many 
years before. The interior of the school-room was any¬ 
thing but tasteful or neat—anything hut inspiring to 
the children and teacher. We will not describe the state 
of things as it is too familiar to many of the readers of 
the American Agriculturist even to day. It was but 
recently tnat we were driving through one of the richest 
and best counties of the “Empire State,” and came to 
a structure seemingly in its last stages of dissolution, 
but probably “good ” for many years to come. It was a 
“school house,” and a sorry sight, standing there close 
by the roadside. It was a building that the adjoining 
farmers would pronounce unfit for a cattle shed—and in 
contrast with the neatly painted farm houses and large 
new barns, it was an unsightly monument to the folly 
of man. Let ns have good, clean, and comfortable 
school houses, surrounded by neatly kept and shady 
lawns, and the elevating influence which they will exert 
upon the youth of the land will last to the end of life. 
The Vine Hopper or Tbrips.—R. J. Kron, 
Stanley Co., N. C., writes, that this pest of the grape 
vine may be kept under by the use of an infusion of 
Quassia. An ounce of Quassia, which is kept at the 
drug stores in chips, is placed in two gallons of boiling 
water. The infusion, when cold, is applied by the use of 
a garden syringe or engine with a fine rose. Care should 
be taken to bring the infusion ns much as possible in 
contact with the lower sides of the leaves. 
Annual Exhibitions.—Prof. W. II. Brewer has 
a word for the young farmers in his recent lecture on 
“ Agricultural Societies, What they Are and What They 
Have Done”—where he says: “Not the least of the 
benefits of Annual Exhibitions has been the effect on 
the farmers’ families, particularly on the boys. After 
the harder work of the summer is passed, how the ‘ fair 
day' is looked forward to as a grand gala day, and after 
it is passed how much there has been seen and heard, to 
talk about. It would indeed be a sad day for the far¬ 
mers’ boys, if fairs were abolished.”—For the sake" of 
the boys—the rising generation of farmers—if for 
nothirffe more, the thousand fairs in the United States 
should not only be sustained, but improved in every 
possible way. The fair must be one of the leading 
features as a means of education in our progressive 
American Agriculture. 
The Society for the Promotion of Agri¬ 
cultural Science will hold its annual meeting at 
Cincinnati, on August 16, the day preceding the meeting 
of the American Association for the Advancement of 
Science, at the same place. This Society is organized 
in connection with the A. A. A. S., and hopes to become 
one of the recognized sections or departments of that 
Association. The list of members is still small, but at 
this, its second meeting, many new names will be added. 
We hope much may come from this new Society, and 
there are good reasons for thinking that our wishes may 
not be in vain. 
The Coming Fairs—Already inquiries begin to 
come as to the times and places of various fairs. A 
large number of the premium schedules and other an¬ 
nouncements are on file, but the list is still far from 
complete. Will the Secretaries or other officers of the 
various fairs please send us the announcements of their 
coming Fairsat once? We commend the example of the 
Secretary of the Connecticut State Board of Agriculture 
to other Secretaries. He has collected the data of all 
the Fairs (save one or two), that are to be held in the 
State this autumn, and sent the List to the Agricultural 
journals, for which Mr. T. S. Gold has our thanks. 
Singularly enough the name of the State is often omitted 
from the announcements of the County and Local Fairs, 
and we are often at a loss to know where they belong. 
Dr. lawes on Nitrogen.—We take pleasure 
in calling attention to the valuable experiments of Dr. 
Lawes upon the escape of Nitric Acid from the so 
SIIoh and Ensilage.— The whole agricultural 
world, especially the American portion of it, is awake 
to the subject of Silos and Ensilage. We devote two 
pages of the present issue to the consideration of this 
important matter. One article (page 322), deals with the 
location, construction, and filling of the Silo, with 
illustrations of the leading machines now in the market 
for cutting the green fodder. Prof. McBryde’s paper 
(page 323), gives in detail his experiments in feeding the 
ensilage, and should be read, in connection with the 
tables, by every one who is interested in “ the new 
dispensation.” We should be pleased to receive any 
additional information on preserving green fodder, 
especially on the construction of silos. Details as to 
size, shape, and cost, etc., with sketches, are desired. 
Ic© Houses.—When the value of ice is most ap¬ 
preciated—as during the hot days of the present month— 
people think most of building a house for its preserva¬ 
tion. This explains the reason why the inquiries come 
to us at this time, for plans, etc., for ice houses. We 
have published a large number of plans, some of the 
best of which are in the following back numbers of the 
American Agriculturist , Oct. '70-Nov. ’71—Oct. '74- 
Dec. ’75—Dec. '77—Nov. ’78—Sept. ’b0. Any of these 
numbers can be obtained, post-paid, from this office for 
15 cents. The new book “Barn Plans and Out-build¬ 
ings” devotes a long chapter to Ice Houses. 
Carrying a Watermelon.—A watermelon is 
too large to be carried in a basket or under the arm, and 
it is not pleasant to “ tote ” it upon the shoulder. 
Since the invention of the shawl strap, it has been fre¬ 
quently employed as a means of readily carrying the 
watermelon. Many of the dealers in this large and 
cumbersome fruit now provide them with “ handles,’ 
which consist of a curved piece of wood for a handle and 
two stout pieces of twine that pass around the melon. 
With this “harness” or the shawl strap the trouble of tak¬ 
ing home a watermelon is much reduced, and therefore 
this dessert should find its way to the table more fre¬ 
quently than before. It is stated that the consumption of 
watermelons has much increased since this method 
was invented and adopted. 
