6 
[January, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
also be addresses and general discussions by farmers in 
attendance. It is announced that the chief object of the 
Institute is to give young farmers who cannot regularly 
attend the University sessions, an opportunity to get a 
fair idea of some of the most important principles of agri¬ 
cultural science and practice. 
Tlie Population of tlie World, according to 
the latest German estimates we have seen, is 1,340,145,- 
000; of whom 413,000,000 are reckoned as Christians (in¬ 
cluding tlie Protestant, Catholic, and Greek Churches); 
Israelites, 7,000,000; Mahomedans, 120,000,000, and the 
rest numbering over 700,000,000. are reckoned as heathens. 
tabor in a Vegetable Garden.-" J. B.,” 
Normal, Ill., wrote to inquire how much vegetable garden 
one man and four boys from S to 10 years old, with all 
appliances furnished, could tend. This being a matter 
with which our contributor, Mr. Peter Henderson, is per¬ 
fectly familiar, the letter was referred to him, and lie 
writes: “ Much would depend on the kind of crop grown 
and on the condition of the soil. In our Jersey market 
gardens, where we have a rich sandy loam, and grow 
crops so close that all are worked by hand-weeding, the 
average labor employed is one man per acre. This in¬ 
cludes preparing ground, manuring, planting, and work¬ 
ing the crop up to maturity, as well as tlie washing, ty¬ 
ing, and preparing of tlie vegetables for market. This, of 
course, is for the double crops, such as: first cabbage, let¬ 
tuce, beets, onions, etc., in spring, followed up by celery, 
herbs, beets, etc., as the second crop. If the condition of 
things where J. B. resides, is tlie same as here, one man 
and four boys from 8 to 10 would not cultivate well more 
than an acre and a half in vegetables, for the four boys 
would not be likely to do the work of more than the half 
day’s work of a man, after deducting attendance at school. 
Small 5»riiitin”'-Presses, when introduced sev¬ 
eral years ago, met a general want, especially among those 
tradesmen, such as seedsmen and druggists, who use a 
great variety of labels, and with country store-keepers at 
a distance from printing offices, who could stamp their 
bags and wrappers. These soon started an active com¬ 
petition in the manufacture of presses, reducing the price 
it is true, but reducing the quality a great deal more, un¬ 
til some of those offered in flaming advertisements are 
worth little more than their value as ohl iron. In an 
article like a printing-press, with many moving parts, 
which must work with ease and accuracy, there is°a point 
beyond which cheapness cam only be attained at an ex¬ 
pense of quality. Among the really good small presses, 
is the “ Model Press,” advertised elsewhere by J. W. 
Daughaday ; these have been carefully examined and 
they appear to fully sustain the claims of the makers. A 
good small press is an excellent thing for a boy of me¬ 
chanical tastes; we know of several intances where boys 
make a clever sum by printing handbills for store-keep¬ 
ers and others, in places were there is no printing office. 
A Handy Drying Kaek.-An ingenious im¬ 
provement on the ordinary styles of drying horses in use 
at the back door 
of every thrifty 
farm-house, is re¬ 
presented in the 
engraving. Itcon- 
sists simply in a 
light buggy wheel 
that has served its 
time in its first 
field of usefulness, 
mounted on a low 
post. The upper 
end of the post is 
made to receive 
the hub like the 
axle of the wheel. At the door where we saw the one 
from which this .sketch was made, were two of these 
wheel-driers—if we may coin a word—one for cloths and 
the other for dairy utensils. As the maid stands with her 
pile of pans or handful of cloths, she places them on the 
wheel one by one, revolving it to suit her motions. It is 
a convenient and efficient contrivance, and very easily 
provided, as any one can get it up without expense. 
The Farmer’s Friend.—At the trials of Grain- 
Drills at the Paris Exposition, in which there were over 
20 drills entered, including American and European, 
“ The Farmer’s Friend ” carried off the highest honors in 
the gold and silver medals. The first prize, a gold medal, 
was given by the jurors on a field trial, 50 miles from 
Paris. One part of this field trial was the removal of the 
“ hoes,” and tying sacks to the delivery tubes ; then driv¬ 
ing over a road for about a mile, weighing the grain sep¬ 
arately from each tube, and driving back over the same 
distance and weighing again. The result was a variance 
<of only an ounce and a half. This triumph of the 
“ Farmer’s Friend Grain-Drill ” in France, will please 
those who have proved its excellence by actual use here. 
CSieaji Cisterns. — Plenty of good water is of 
prime importance everywhere. There can be no better 
water than that naturally distilled, falling as rain or snow. 
On the average, at least 300 barrels of it fall upon every 
building 20 feet square, annually—in some places more, 
in others less. To catch this from every roof and keep it 
for use as wanted, is not difficult if one has cisterns 
enough. Cheap cisterns are easily made wherever there 
is solid ground within 2, 3, 4, or even 5 feet of the surface. 
Remove the lighter surface earth (A),down to that which is 
compact (C.) Dig as many egg-shaped cisterns as are 
required, 6 to 9 feet in diameter at the top, and 6 to 10 
feet deep. Put upon the sides and bottom an inch thick, 
or so, coating of mortar made of clear sand and any good 
hydraulic cement, often called “ water-lime.” At the top 
of the solid earth, cover with any durable timber, heavy 
plank, or even poles or rails laid across with the ehds ex¬ 
tending 12 to 18 inches upon the solid ground. Leave a 
man-hole (iff) for entering, and for inserting pump-pipe 
(P), or for drawing water with buckets. The entrance of 
water is through the pipe (E). Spread cement over the 
wood covering. Fill in the earth (A), raising it above the 
level to shed off water. To apply the plaster (IF), first 
coat the eartn with a thin layer of equal parts of sand and 
cement, mixed soft and apply as soon as mixed, begin¬ 
ning at the bottom. Next apply an inch or more of mor¬ 
tar made of 1 part cement and 3 of sand. If tlie soil be 
not very firm, or if it is springy, let this coat be 1)4 to 2 
inches thick. Finish with a thin coat of equal parts of 
good sand and cement, and “ white-wash ” with a brush 
with a thickish mixture of cement and water with no sand. 
Put a flat stone (S) at the bottom for entering water to 
fall upon, to prevent wearing the cement. We have earth- 
wan cisterns like the above,covered with loeust poles,that 
have done good service for over 20 years, with no signs of 
failure yet, and we know of many others like them. 
W Suit, Must a Farm Do to Support Itself? 
asks a subscriber, adding that “he has disputed all sum¬ 
mer with another, on that subject.”—If our correspondent 
were a farmer, he would not ask that question of us, but 
would stop disputing with his neighbor, and show by 
his work what one farm could do to support itself. It.is 
not by talk, but by work, that such disputes are settled. 
There is but one answer, viz.; A farm to support itself, 
must have its receipts at least balance its expenditure, 
and that without deterioration of the soil, or allowing 
the buildings and machinery to get out of repair. 
Standard of Excellence for Slieep.—“L.,” 
Columbia Co., N. Y. There are no settled or published 
standards of excellence for sheep. The points which con¬ 
stitute an acceptable standard are all given in “Stewart’s 
Shepherd’s Manual,” of which a new edition lias been 
recently published by the Orange Judd Co. 
To Free Calves from Juice.— “ G. B. B.,” 
Dong Island, N. Y. When calves are infested wilh lice, 
it is difficult to rid them of the vermin. Beside the neck, 
the brisket, flanks, and under the thighs are favorite 
places for lice. The calves should be well carded all over 
with a card dipped in kerosene oil, and well shaken; 
then thoroughly brush every part of the body, especially 
where the vermin harbor. Give a tea-spoonful of sulphur 
daily in the feed, and the skin in harboring places well 
smeared with a mixture of raw linseed oil and sulphur. 
A Spring Show of Milking Stock is in 
contemplation, and it is proposed to hold it at the 
American Institute, New York. The exhibition is to be 
something after the manner of those held in Great 
Britain, at Birmingham,Glasgow, London, and Tavistock. 
Dairymen who have had experience at those shows say 
that New York is as good a location as any of those 
mentioned, as the City is easily reached by rail and 
water from all sections of this country and Canada. 
Such an exhibition ought to call out a numerous attend¬ 
ance, though the long distances—obstacles which Eng¬ 
lish and Scotch farmers do not have to contend with— 
may prevent it. That the dairy regions of the East at 
least might gain much from such an exhibition is shown 
by the success of the exclusive cattle shows of the West. 
Various Matters.— There are numerous schemes, 
which hardly belong in our Humbug columns, yet from 
the inquiries made by our readers, need a word of notice. 
For example, in a neighboring city there is advertised 
A Piano for §5.— Though satisfied ourselves about 
the matter, yet in behalf of our readers, we requested a 
friend in the city where it is sold, to step in and examine 
it. His report is just such as we could have made without 
seeing the instrument. The price of the piano is $5— 
and it is probably worth somewhere about that sum. If 
any suppose that a piano-maker will sell his goods for 
much less than it costs to make them, or that a piano 
worth $300, $100, $50, or even $20, is to be sold for $5, 
they have very little knowledge of business. . .Here is a 
Philadelphia concern that offers 
“ Mammoth Rye, or Diamond Wheat.” 
—This is calculated to confuse. The grain is either 
a rye or it is not; it is either a wheat, or it is 
not. It can not be both rye and wheat, nor can it 
be a rye or a wheat. Those who offer it for sale 
should be able to say what it is and offer it under its own 
name. We have already described, figured, and given 
the history of this grain in March last, and have shown 
that it is a grain that has long been known in Europe as 
the Polish Wheat, Triticum Polonicum, and there is no 
possible excuse for these Philadelphia people to adver¬ 
tise it as “ Mammoth Rye, or Diamond Wheat,” unless 
they wish to “ darken counsel.” The grain has a varied 
reputation abroad, and we have reason to suppose that it 
is one much influenced by soil and climate. But we do 
not now discuss its value. It has cost us no little trouble 
and research to find out what the grain really is, and we 
have a right to insist that Messrs, naines & Co. shall put 
it forth under its real name. Gentlemen, if you know 
anything about grains and seeds, you know that it can 
not possibly be both wheat and rye_A correspondent 
in Stark Co., Ill., sends us a sample of 
Doct. M’s. “Hog Cure,” asks our opinion, 
and 11 if not too much trouble, to analyze it.” We can’t 
give an opinion,as it is a secret compound. The directions 
tell how to mix it “ for hogs ” and for “ pigs ”—and it ap¬ 
pears to be assumed, that whatever may be the matter with 
hog or pig, he is to be dosed with this same stuff “ until 
relieved.” It. comes under the head of quack medicines. 
As to Aiaalyses, we put our chemical apparatus 
away several years ago, not having the time to make 
simple examinations, much less analyses. An analysis 
would cost all the way from $10 to $50, if not more. If 
a vegetable compound, an analysis would be useless. 
Scratches In a Horse.—“ C. F.,” Washington, 
D. C. This disease is not permanently cured by outward 
applications, as it is the effect of a disorder of the blood. 
Give half an ounce of hyposulphite of soda, daily, for a 
week or two, and wash the leg with one dram of carbolic 
acid in a quart of wafer. The diseased skin should be 
dressed twice a day with this, and be kept perfectly clean. 
A Durable Fence. -The objection to the com¬ 
mon board fence, as usually made, is 
that the ends of the boards are exposed 
to the wet, without chance to dry 
quickly, and soon rot—the more so 
when a lap-strip is nailed over them. 
To avoid this, the posts may be cut 
away, to fit the ends of the boards 
tightly; the lap-strip then covers the 
joints securely, and prevents the en¬ 
trance of water. (See engraving.) If 
the ends of the boards and the mortises 
are painted, their durability is much 
increased. Many fences go to destruc¬ 
tion simply from lack of proper care 
in their construction. If we must 
build fences, let us construct them so 
that they will not go to waste, be¬ 
cause a little extra labor and cost at the outset happens 
to be necessary to insure their comparative permanence. 
Cattle Exportation.—Since writing the article 
on page 20, we learn that the British Government has 
exempted American and Canadian cattle from the pro¬ 
visions of the bill mentioned in the article above referred 
to, if accompanied by government health certificates; 
otherwise they will be slaughtered at the landing. Here 
is a chance for the friends of veterinary medicine to do a 
great favor to the profession, by inducing the Government 
to appoint veterinary inspectors to have charge of this 
certificate business. It is important that the inspection 
be put in the hands of veterinarians, or there will be 
