424 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
See (Hie Supplement 
for the choicest assortment of premiums, for new 
subscribers to this paper, ever offered. 
(Jems and Gem Irons.— “B. S.,” Washington 
Co., Md. Gem pans or gem irons are cast, and can 
not be readily made by a blacksmith. They are sold at 
all house furnishing stores, and by the dealers in stoves. 
Some of them are made as a series of half cylinders, and 
others are circular in form. 
Cotton — SSuttcr — J.artl. — A gentleman in¬ 
terested in the oil trade informs us that of late the 
makers of bogus butter, known as oleomargarine, have 
found a method by which they can make use of cotton¬ 
seed oil, in preparing their imitation of butter, and 
that as a consequence, the price of the oil has appre¬ 
ciably risen. Another use of cotton-seed oil, is in ihe 
manufacture of bogus lard. Enough beef suet is used 
to give the needed firmness, powdered bark of slippery 
elm is added, to give a pleasant odor, and to prevent ran¬ 
cidity, while an appreciable amount of water is worked 
in to give whiteness and add to the weight. So far 
as lard goes, if people would get over their prejudice a- 
gainst oil, and use the cotton-seed oil for cooking, they 
would get a very serviceable and excellent material. 
Fairs. -Officers of various State, County, and other 
fairs, will accept our thanks for invitations to be present. 
We likewise appreciate the courtesy of those who aided 
us in presenting in our September number such a com¬ 
plete list of fairs. 
Painting Chimneys witli Yellow Ochre, 
—“A. M. B.,” Litchfield Co., Conn. The yellow ochre 
in the “ painter’s specification,” in the July number, is 
no doubt introduced, because it is cheaper than pure 
white lead, and because it makes a better priming for 
the green of blinds, and for other colors, than pure 
white would be. Any painter would know the proper 
proport.on to use. We know nothing of the ventilating 
chimney. 
“ Pond-Biver Bottoms.” G. W. Ramsey, of 
Kentucky, describes in a recent letter to the American 
Agriculturist the soil known as Pond-river bottoms.— 
As we judge, a fine, argilaceous silt deposited by the 
river, and now forming a mass of great depth (30 or 
more feet). This is a comparatively level tract, liable to 
overflow, and during the winter and spring is for months 
under water. It would probably be fertile without ma¬ 
nure if it could be mingled with sand, to prevent its 
baking like a brick, or with organic matter (humus), 
which would produce the same effect. It may contain 
some inert organic matter now, in which case a dressing 
of lime might prevent this baking and cracking, which 
is fatal to the growth of plants. If the water could be 
diverted by a dyke, and kept off or let on only when it 
might be desirable to gain enrichment from the silt, the 
management of the soil would be easy. Weeds would 
soon cover it; these, plowed under, would yield the 
needed humus, lime would co-operate in the conquest, 
and we might soon see fields of waving grain and grass. 
Carl Eduard Lucas. — 1 This most distinguished 
German pomologist died recently at the school at Reut- 
lingen. the leading pomological school in Europe. Be¬ 
sides publishing several works of his own, he. on its 
first appearance, showed his appreciation of Fuller's 
“Small Fruit Culturist,” by translating it into the Ger¬ 
man language, with the consent of the American 
publishers. 
Jersey Cattle, Herd-books, “ Herd-reg¬ 
isters.”— A correspondent asks, “what is the differ¬ 
ence between Herd-books and Club-books, as referring 
to Jersey cattle.” Sometime about 1857 or 58, a company 
of Jersey breeders determined upon publishing a Herd- 
book, for recording Jersey pedigrees. An editor was 
appointed, and a volume or two issued, which became 
the personal property of the editor. The issue of these 
volumes was continued irregularly, and for a long time 
the American Jersey Herd-book was the only record we 
had of .Jersey pedigrees, except the private memoran¬ 
dums and herd-books of breeders. There were a good 
many imperfect pedigrees in it, and perhaps some erro¬ 
neous ones. Comparatively few Jersey cattle were re¬ 
corded in it, and when, some ten years later, the subject 
came to be discussed, it was deemed better by prominent 
Jersey breeders to begin a new, rather than to use the 
old herd-book, wherein to record the pedigrees of their 
cattle. The American Jersey Cattle Club was then 
formed, and soon embraced most of the principal Jersey 
cattle breeders. This society exists for the sake of es¬ 
tablishing and maintaining an authoritative record of 
verified pedigrees. Great pains are taken, that none but 
truthful pedigrees be recorded, and, on the whole, the ed¬ 
itors have been very successful. A volume of pedigrees 
is issued every year. Pedigrees properly verified, are 
recorded for $3, for outsiders, and $2, for members of 
the club. It is a great advantage to any fairly good ani¬ 
mal to be recorded, and at the present time it is quite 
likely that one-third of the full-blooded cattle in the 
country are recorded in this “ Herd-register.” The 
rules for admission to registry have been frequently 
changed. The club is a close corporation, and naturally 
makes its rules for the advantage of its own members. 
It has, however, been of great service to the country, es¬ 
pecially to breeders of Jersey cattle, and is likely to re¬ 
main so fora long time to come. Its internal dissensions 
concern the outer world not at all, so loug as a fair 
record of true pedigrees is made, at a price which 
breeders can afford to pay. 
Sumach. —Each summer brings questions from dif¬ 
ferent parts of the country, respecting sumach. The 
native sumach has to compete with the imported or Sicil¬ 
ian product, and unless prepared for market in a similar 
manner, i. e, ground and bolted, there is no sale for it in 
the markets. So far as we are aware, this industry is 
confined to Richmond and a few other places, where 
there are mills at which those who gather and dry the 
leaves, find a sale for them. Unless the sumach can be 
ground, there is no sale for it except to tanneries near at 
hand. The three species common in the Middle and 
northern States, are used indiscriminately. The 
“Smooth” (Rhus glabra,) the “ Stag's-horn ” (R. typhi- 
na ,) and the “Dwarf Sumach” (R. copallina.) All of 
these have pinnate leaves, with a strong mid-rib. They 
are gathered at the end of the season of growth, usually 
in August, and dried in the shade. They are hen beaten 
with sticks to separate the “ branches,” as the mid ribs 
are called, put up in bales, and taken to the mill. 
Tlie Pencil Curl.— Mr. Wm. Mair. Ontario Co., 
N. Y., sends us some diseased peach leaves, and asks for 
a remedy. The trouble is a fungus, known as the Peach 
Curl. The parasitic plant grows within the substauce of 
the peach leaves, causing them to lose their normal 
color, and become much curled, and frequently highly 
colored. The only remedy is to cut off the affected 
twigs and burn them, to prevent the spread of the 
disease. This work can be rapidly done. 
Eighty I*a ges of Reading Matter, and over 
a Hundred Original Illustrations—that is what you 
get in the October American Agriculturist , and for 
a less amount, too, than you expend for a single 
cigar. Send in your subscriptions for 1883 at once. 
Planting Peach Seed.— “Z. H. T..” St. John’s 
Asylum, Ky. The best time for planting the seed is in 
spring, hut they must be prepared for planting the win¬ 
ter before. If kept thoroughly dry all winter, and plant¬ 
ed or sown in spring, very few will germinate ; if ex¬ 
posed to alternate freezing and thawing during the win¬ 
ter, every good seed will grow. The method of treating 
the seed depends upon the quantity, where operations 
are large, a bed is staked out and its surface is covered 
with seed to the depth of three inches, the surface is 
then spaded over to thoroughly turn under the seeds, and 
mix them with the soil; this is done just before the 
ground freezes, and the seeds are exposed to the action 
of the weather all winter. In early spring the seeds are 
separated by throwing the surface soil upon a riddle. If 
not already cracked by the swelling of the seed, the 
stone will readily separate into its two halves. Only 
those that have split, or will readily separate by a blow 
on the edge of the stone with a hammer, are planted. 
If but a small quantity of seeds are to be planted, they 
may be mixed with sand, and placed where they will 
be exposed to the action of the weather all winter. 
Tile Rose-Bug. —“ C. B. L.” writes from Mass, 
to say that he has found that Whale-Oil Soap, used ac¬ 
cording to the directions that accompany the packages, 
will keep off the Rose-bug or Rose-chafer. He states 
that he has used it for several years upon grape vines, 
and also upon peach trees that were badly infested by 
these insects. 
Keeping Apples.— Mrs. “ J. B. E.,” Mamaroneck, 
N. Y., writes us that her father has long been in the habit 
of packing several barrels of apples for late keeping. 
The varieties were the Golden and the Newtown Pippin. 
These were packed in tight barrels in plaster. She says, 
“Plasterof Paris,” but we infer that the material was 
Ground Plaster, or Land Plaster, as we have known of 
the use of this by others, while Plaster of Paris, or Cal¬ 
cined. or boiled Plaster, has such an avidity for moisture, 
that it would shrivel and injure the fruit packed in it. 
Mrs. E. says, that the apples were used through the 
month* of June and July, and retained their fragrance 
and flavor most perfectly. By packing in this manner, 
they had winter and summer apples (Early Bough.) at 
the same time. 
3iew Cover, new Type, new Artists, new 
Engravings, new Writers — “ Excelsior ” is onr 
motto for 1883 and ever after. 
Trees to India by .tlail.— A Western nursery- 
nan writes us. that few people are aware how far young 
trees can be sent by mail with safety. Young seedling 
Evergreens are sent to England and the Continent, and 
deciduons trees much further. A package of young trees, 
of Cqtalpa speciosa, packed nearly dry, was sent to 
India with directious to bury the trees for 10 days after 
their arrival. The Conservator of Forests wrote that 
the trees opened, perfectly fresh, but he buried them 
for five days, and planted them ; they all grew finely. 
Mildew in French Vineyards.— The daily 
papers publish some remarkable horticultural news, but 
one New York paper is ahead of all competitors in the 
following: “The American vines which have been set 
out in France in place of those which the phylloxera 
has destroyed are said to be causing much disappoint¬ 
ment by their susceptibility to mildew, a disease which 
they brought with them, and which has been hitherto 
unknown in France. It is said to have worked havoc al¬ 
ready in the southwestern part of the country, and to be 
spreading everywhere among French vineyards. It is 
impossible to say bow much truth there is in this state¬ 
ment. There are as many conflicting reports about the 
French vineyards as ever were circulated about a Dela¬ 
ware peach crop.” It is “ impossible to tell how much 
truth there is in this statement.” for does not the old 
proverb say: “that which is wanting cannot be num¬ 
bered.” The idea that the mildew so destructive in 
European vineyards came from this country with Amer¬ 
ican vines, has the merit of originality. Taking up the 
firit French work on vine culture at hand, Dubrieul’s, 
we find full descriptions of the malady, and figures of 
half a dozen implements for applying sulphur, the ready 
remedy. This work was published a quarter of a cen¬ 
tury ago. at a time when American vines and phylloxera 
were not known in Europe. Indeed, our knowledge of 
mildew, and of the manner of treating it, are derived 
from France. 
Boot Crops.— There is little to do with the 
roots, but to go through them, pull conspicuous weeds, 
and see them grow. Of late years, caterpillars have 
been getting more and more abundant on beets, mangels, 
carrots, and even turnips. It would be quite worth 
while to experiment with some means for their destruc¬ 
tion. for in a short time they may multiply so as to im¬ 
peril the crops. The use of poison is dangerous, for 
cattle will eat the tops. Borax, white hellibore, sulphur, 
road-dust, are innocent, and fatal to many insects. 
Size of Mail Packages.— Our friend Robt. 
Douglas, Waukegan, Ill., writes us with reference to an 
article last month on sending plants by mail, that pack¬ 
ages to Great Britain and Colonies, must not exceed 
eight inches in length, or eight ounces in weight. He 
has had parcels returned, for being over the proper 
length. Those who send plants abroad should note this. 
Tlie Basket Worm, also called the “Drop 
Worm,” appears to still be a novelty in many localities. 
We have figured -t several times, and now need only to 
say that it is a caterpillar, which makes itself a covering 
of the leaves, bits of twigs, or the thorns of whatever 
tree it happens to be on. Incased in this covering, it es¬ 
capes the birds, and it travels from twig to twig, carry¬ 
ing its house and feeding as it goes. The female never 
leaves her nest, but deposits her eggs and dies there. 
Being thus protected, there is but one course of treat¬ 
ment, hand-picking. This should be done this autumn. 
If taken in hand at first, the task is slight, but few 
or many, the only course is to collect, and burn all. 
Bound Copies of Volume 40 (1881) are 
now ready. They are neatly bound in our uniform 
style, cloth, with gilt backs. Price at the office, $2. If 
sent by mail $2.30. We can usually supply, at the same 
rate, any of the 25 previous volumes, or from volume 16 
to 40 inclusive. Any ten or more volumes, in one lot, 
will be supplied at the office for $1.75 each; or be for¬ 
warded by mail or express, carriage prepaid, for $2 each. 
About Celery.— “E. J. B .” Ill. Your questions 
are well put. and we will endeavor to answer them well 
in advance of the time. All that you have to do with 
the plants during summer is to keep them free from 
weeds, and to promote their growth by proper hoeing. 
