1879 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
293 
Muck, when of the best quality, contains a large amount 
of nitrogen ; ami it is an excellent absorbent for liquid 
manures, and above all, is of great value in composting, 
as this process renders the elements of the muck availa¬ 
ble to the plant, while at the same time the muck pre¬ 
vents too rapid, and therefore wasteful, decomposition of 
the other materials of the compost heap. 
Driving after Eating. —The digestion of a horse 
is governed by the same laws as that of a man, and as we 
know that it is not best for man to go at hard work the 
moment a hearty meal is eaten, so we should remember 
that a horse ought to have a little rest after his meal, while 
the stomach is most active in the processes of digestion. 
Many a good horse has been ruined by injudicious haste 
in working him with a full stomach. 
Storing Hay.— When properly cured, hay keeps 
the best in a large mow in which it has been thoroughly 
packed. Hay thrown up loose on a scaffold loses that 
aroma and freshness which characterizes that from the 
center of a large mow. Hay does not demand the large 
spaces between the outside boards of many barns in 
order to preserve it. Put the boards close together and 
keep out the air and rain, and save the hay which would 
otherwise spoil by weather staining. It looks better, too. 
Butter Not Gathering.— “ L. B. K.,” Hunter¬ 
don Co., N. J. The food has a great influence upon the 
milk. So has the condition of the cow. When the but¬ 
ter will not gather, but remains in the condition of a 
thick emulsion, it may sometimes be brought into order 
by throwing into the churn a gallon of cold water in 
which a handful or two of salt, have been dissolved, and 
then operating the churn slowly to gather the butter. 
The cream maybe improved in condition also by stirring 
a teaspoonful of salt in the jar in which it is kept. But 
to give the cows a daily feed of bran, or meal, if only one 
quart, is perhaps the Ijest remedy, and its cost will be re¬ 
turned in the increase of butter. It pays to give this 
extra food even when cows are on pasture. 
Sour Grass on a Sivainp.— “P. T.,” Maywood, 
N. J. Timothy will not grow on a swamp vigorously 
enough to crowd out the wild grass, although the tus¬ 
socks have been cut off. The land should be thoroughly 
drained and well limed, 50 to 100 bushels per acre, and 
then, after a few years mowing, the Timothy will take the 
place of the sedges and keep it, if the drains are kept 
open. Manure will not help such land; lime will. 
Cooking for a Few Cows. —“ S.” The prac¬ 
tice of cooking food for cows is rarely followed now. It 
seems to have been more laborious than profitable. We 
would not advise it under any circumstances for 4 or 
•even 10 cows. It may answer well for a larger number. 
Harrow for Grass Seed.— “W. L.,” Cresfield, 
Md. A light harrow should be used for covering grass 
seed. A flat plank drawn over the surface, will cover 
the seed sufficiently, and will smooth the surface. A 
brush harrow is an old fashioned and homely implement, 
but if well made, is both effective, and cheap. 
Where Should the Forelock Go?- u H.D. 
M.,” Somerset Oo., Pa. The forelock may be placed un¬ 
der, or over the forehead band of the bridle. It is a mat¬ 
ter of fancy. If the lock is short, it may go outside of 
the band: if it is long, it should go under. If long it 
may blow about, and aunoy the eyes, and is therefore 
best under the band. There is no rule about it. 
Seed Corn.—' 1 A. R. S.,” whose locality in Virginia 
we do not quite make out, in a letter giving an account 
of fair crop prospects, says: “ There is much complaint, 
that seed corn does not grow,” and very properly sug¬ 
gests, that this trouble may be avoided, by selecting 
corn for seed, and proper care of it afterwards. Corn 
taken at random from the crib in the spring, where it 
has been exposed to all weathers, can not give so good 
results as seed selected as our correspondent says: 
“ Select at once, the earliest and best ears, and they will 
give an earlier and larger crop, than any from seed taken 
from the crib. He adds that: “Farmers will be surprised 
at the difference produced in their crop, by a careful se¬ 
lection of seed corn.” 
Tlie Mass. Agricultural College.— We learn 
that the Hon. Chas. L. Flint, long the able Secretary of 
the Mass. State Board of Agriculture, has been elected 
"to the Presidency of the College. We have not learned 
whether Mr. Flint accepts the position or not, but if it 
involves giving up the Secretaryship of the Board, we 
hope he will hesitate. Presidents are much more easy 
to find than good Secretaries. 
Time to Cut Fodder-Cora.— If a crop of fod¬ 
der-corn is worth the trouble of growing, it is certainly 
of sufficient importance to be properly harvested. The 
corn plant, like every other, starts with a view, so to 
speak, to the reproduction of its kind—the formation of 
seed—and all its functions tend toward this end. We 
may divide the life of the corn plant into three distinct 
singes—germination, or getting established; assimilation , 
or the preparation of food material, and seeding, or the 
ripening of the seed or grain. Up to the time that seed 
begins to form it is engaged in rapidly collecting ma¬ 
terials out of which to make and perfect the seed, but 
this work gradually diminishes, and when the corn is 
full grown no food is being gathered. Besides the fact 
that the nourishment passes from the leaves into the ear, 
where it hardens and becomes partially indigestible, the 
soluble substances of the stalk are also changed into hard 
woody fibre to make it rigid and capable of bearing the 
ear. To get, therefore, the full benefit, of the crop, it 
should be sowed thin enough so that each plant can have 
a good wholesome and natural growth, and then cut it 
just as that growth is finished. 
Burning' Straw Stacks.— This is one of the 
swiftest methods of destroying a large amount of valua¬ 
ble organic matter which, when used as bedding and an 
absorbent of liquid manure, is of great importance. 
Multiplication of Weeds. —It has been fonnd 
by careful and patient counting of the number of perfect 
seeds produced in a number of seed pods, and then count¬ 
ing the number of mature pods, that on a single plant of 
Purslane ( Portulaca olerucea) there will be one million 
seeds matured. This will furnish a seed for every square 
foot of ground on 23 acres. Suppose each of these plants 
of the second generation does as well as the single parent, 
we will have the enormous sum of 1,000.000,000,000, as 
the seeds of the second generation from a single plant, 
or a seed for every square foot, of 23,000,000 acres. 
Hurrying the Cows.— If moderation is needed 
anywhere on the farm, it is in the driving of cows. A 
boy, or a dog, that will hurry, and therefore worry, the 
cows as they are taken to and from the pasture should be 
—to put it mildly—attended to. Boys, do not run the 
cows home, even if it is getting late, especially if it is on 
the way to the yard and their udders are full of milk. 
Raising Water for Irrigation. —“ G. S.,” 
Salt Lake City. There is no wheel made, that will run 
by means of the water raised by it. The water-wheels 
in use at the lead mines in the Isle of Man, (England,) 
are ordinary over-shot wheels, but of extraordinary di¬ 
ameter; one of them is GO feet in diameter, with only S 
feet buckets; the streams in that little island are 
small, but have generally a great fall. Unless there is 
a great quantity of water to waste, a water-wheel will be 
found far from economical, and a wind-mill will be both 
cheaper to begin with, and waste no water. A recently 
published book on Irrigation for the Farm, Garden, and 
Orchard, gives all information on this, and other points 
in irrigation. It can be had at this office, for $1.50. 
A Horse Breaking- Down.— “F. W. S.,” 
Summerville, Ga. “ Breaking down,” consists of a se¬ 
vere sprain of the suspensory ligament, by which the 
fetlock joint loses support in bad cases, and comes to 
the ground. The treatment consists of bandages, blist¬ 
ering, and rest; but it is so serious that the services of a 
competent veterinary surgeon should be procured. 
Boys at the Fairs.— There is no public gather¬ 
ing of people and things so pleasant and profitable to the 
farmer boy as a fair. Many a youthful farmer has had 
his interest in improved stock, new machinery, and fine 
fruits kindled by attending such an exhibition. By all 
means take the boys (and girls too) to the fairs. 
Rule in Buying I.ive Stock.— Mr. Wm. Mc- 
Cullock who, of late, has been buying Shorthorns so 
largely in England, to establish a herd in Australia, gives 
as his rule in purchasing animals: “ Pedigree first, beast 
afterwards; and unless both were good, I did not buy.” 
This puts the matter in a nut-shell. 
Salt to Prevent Garget.— “O. W. W.,” Ster¬ 
ling, Mass., writes: “ A friend having a herd of cows was 
considerably troubled with Garget. A portion of the bag 
would become inflamed and hard, the milk from that por¬ 
tion thick and ropy, and finally the iufiamed portion 
would become useless. Four or five years ago he com¬ 
menced giving to each cow, in her stall, a small handful 
of salt, every morning before milking, and has not had a 
single case of garget since he commenced the practice. 
He says he does not know that the salt prevents the 
Garget, but is inclined to think it does. His cows seem 
to be anxious for their salt the first thing in the morning. 
Not long since lie omitted to give the usual ration of salt 
before milking, and the first cow he sat down to was so 
uneasy that he was reminded of the neglect, and gave the 
cows their salt, after which there was no trouble. The 
reason he commenced to give the cows salt in their 
mangers was, because when he put salt in any receptacle 
where the cows had it in common, only the stronger of 
the herd would get any, these driving away the weaker 
ones, which would soon learn that the salt was not for 
them, and cease all attempts to get any. 
Rye, for Soiling in early spring, should, in the 
Northern States, be sown late in August or early in Sep¬ 
tember, on rich, well drained soil. With proper care in 
cutting it before it heads out, it will spring up again, and 
in this way three or four cuttings can be had at inter¬ 
vals of a few weeks, before other soiling crops are ready. 
Rabbits. —Persons having Rabbits of choice breeds 
for sale, keep the secret remarkably well. During the 
past six months we have had numerous inquiries asking 
where Rabbits of this or that breed can be had, but have 
been unable to return a satisfactory answer. Should any 
breeder advertise that he has the animals, people would 
find it out and get his pets away from him.— Moral: If 
you want to keep Rabbits, don't let any one know that 
yon have them, but if they are kept far sale, advertise. 
Euoerne for Soiling.— This clover-like plant 
takes a deep root and equals clover in the nutritious 
character of its herbage, while the yield, under proper 
treatment, is considerably greater. It stands a drouth 
better than clover, and will grow on dry and porous soil. 
Feeding Pigs.— It is very important that pigs be 
fed with a plenty of nutritious food while they are young. 
If they are let to “ run ” for their living at this age, they 
will be stunted, and the profits of pork raising small. 
Iron in Grain.— The use of iron wire in binding 
grain in self-binding reapers, has caused a new trouble for 
the millers. With all ordinary care in threshing, some 
bits of wire will get among the grain, and these make a 
deal of trouble at the flouring mill. The iron is separated 
from the wheat by the simple device of placing a magnet 
in the grain-spout, where it at once arrests the iron. 
.Soiling saves fences, one of the most expensive fea¬ 
tures of ordinary farming; prevents the seeding of 
weeds ; and keeps stock from trampling down and wast¬ 
ing more fodder than they eat. It doubles the amount 
of stock which can be kept on any given amount of land, 
and there is a vast increase in the amount of valuable 
manure that may be saved. There is some additional 
labor, but the returns are so much greater, that Soiling 
is the system of the present as well as future agriculture. 
The Largest Was eat Farm on the globe is 
along the Red River, in Dakota, near the town of Fargo. 
It contains 40,000 acres, and gives an average yield of 25 
bushels per acre. The owner does not walk over it be¬ 
fore breakfast. 
Root Crops vs. Fallow.— The old idea of ren¬ 
ovating the soil by a season of rest, after two or more 
similar and exhaustive crops have been grown, is fast 
going out of date, and the root crop is taking the place 
of the fallow. This change is a great improvement, and 
means a mixed husbandry and rotation of crops, in place 
of the single crop system, which should be practised on¬ 
ly in a new country, and perhaps not always there. 
Drain Tiles.— As so many farmers are laying down 
tile, it may be well to remind our readers, that there is a 
choice even in drain tiles ; that there are good, bad. and 
indifferent tiles, and some worse than useless. A whole 
drain system, costing hundreds of dollars may be spoiled, 
and made useless by one bad tile ; just as a chain or 
rope may be worthless, because of one weak place. But 
the rope or chain may be repaired without much trouble ; 
while to find the defective tile, may require the undoing 
of the whole costly work. If a tile has a hole clear 
through it, it may perhaps be supposed to bo all right: 
without considering the shape of that hole. In the drying, 
some tiles will lose their shape, some will flatten out a 
little and become oval, and in the burning, some will 
curve. Every tile that is not perfectly round, quite 
straight, smooth and square-edged, smooth within, free 
from lime pebbles, and thoroughly well burned, so that 
two will ring sharply, when struck together, should be 
remorselessly rejected. No thought of the makers or 
dealers interest should be entertained; it were better 
even to pay twice for defective tiles, and throw them 
away, than to use them. But that is wasting one’s rights 
and money. No dealer should deliver imperfect tiles, 
and when one buys, he should stipulate to discard every 
unserviceable one, and do this without hesitation. 
Paint and Putty cover up a multitude of defects. 
But they are very useful also in preserving machines, 
implements, and vehicles. There is no better time than 
now, when everything is dry, to fill up open cracks with 
putty, and cover wood and iron work with a coat of 
paint. A small quantity of varnish in the paint will 
much improve it, with but little addition to the cost. 
