1880 .] 
AME RICAN AGERIC ULT UIII ST 
161 
“ Tbe Botanical Gazette.” — This journal 
commenced its 5th volume with the present year. From 
small beginnings it has gone on improving and is now 
just such a medium as working botanists need for com¬ 
municating with one another and with the world in 
general. The Messrs. Coulter deserve much credit for 
their efforts, and all botanists should aid them in what 
always must be a labor of love, by sending the price of 
subscription ($1) to J. M. Coulter, Crawfordsville, Ind. 
Michigan Pomological Society.— The Report 
of the Secretary of this flourishing Society for 1879 
comes to us full of valuable information ; and especially 
rich inits “Portfolio” items, which the Secretary, Mr. 
C. W. Garfield, has selected with great care. Michigan is 
a good fruit State, and its Pomological Society is doing 
good work, as shown by the high character of its reports. 
Batter Coloring is so generally used in winter, 
"that it becomes a matter of importance to have one that, 
while it gives a satisfactory color, shall be free from all 
unpleasant odor and taste, and especially from anything 
unwholesome. Abundant testimony is given that the 
Perfected Butter Color of Wells, Richardson & Co. meets 
these requirements, not only by American dairymen, but 
in England and other parts of Europe it has met with 
great success and approbation. 
The Bobbins Family Washer.— We gave 
last year our opinion in full as to this Washer and the 
principle upon which it works, which could not have been 
seen by our newer readers, and those sending us numer¬ 
ous letters of inquiry. We can not find time to write to 
each one of these in detail, and we must make this gen¬ 
eral reply serve for many. The Washer acts upon the 
principle of the “ bucking tub,” so generally in use in 
bleacheries, etc., where immense quantities of fabric are 
to be cleansed, and causes a continuous stream of boiling 
snds to fall upon, and pass through, the clothes. If the 
suds is clean it will make clean clothes. If already 
charged with the soiling material from very dirty clothes, 
it will not make but slightiy soiled ones cleaner. Used 
with common sense and judgment, it can be a great help 
in washing, Left to those who have neither sense nor 
judgment, and who have a natural prejudice against what¬ 
ever is different from that to which they have heretofore 
been used, such people will contrive to make it a failure. 
Draining, and tlie Reasons Why.— Some¬ 
times a catalogue or price-list is much more than it pre¬ 
tends to be. An instance of this is presented in a price¬ 
list of only four pages, by Wm. M. Bell, Smyrna, Del. 
The description of the tiles made and the prices at which 
they are sold occupy but a small space, while the rest is 
occupied by a condensed, well put treatise showing why 
people should drain, aud telling how it should be done— 
whether to increase the crops of the farm or to promote 
the health of the family of the farmer. 
A New Work on Peach Culture.— Mr. John 
Rutter, a skilled Nurseryman and Fruit Grower, of West 
Chester, Pa., has just published a small work on the 
Cnlture and Diseases of the Peach. The Author claims 
that peaches may be successfully and profitably grown, 
outside of the few localities heretofore regarded as es¬ 
pecially “ Peach Districts,” and that the failures from 
“Yellows,” and other diseases, are due to bad culture, 
or rather want of culture. He gives in a plain and 
unassuming style, the methods that he has found so suc¬ 
cessful himself t that he commends them to others. We 
trust that the work may be the means of greatly extend¬ 
ing the culture of this favorite fruit. 
“Forty Years’ Experience in Pear Grow¬ 
ing by William Parry, of Cinnaminson, N. J., is the 
title of a pamphlet of 20 pages, mainly filled by an address 
given by Mr. Parry, before the N. J. Horticultural So¬ 
ciety. Much space is given to the Kieffer, and other new 
pears that are regarded as hybrids, between the Chinese 
Sand Pear, and our cultivated varieties, and of which Mr. 
Parry has strong hopes. The Author presents an ex¬ 
cellent portrait of himself with the work, which will 
cause people to think that he must have begun pear cul¬ 
ture at a very early age, in order to have gained 40 years 
of experience. 
A Slight ©mission, but an important one. 
Some one writes to inquire if a certain paper has stopped, 
as he can get no answer to the letters he has'written to 
the office. If the letters sent to the other paper were 
like the one to us, it would be rather difficult for him to 
get an answer, as he gives neither town, city, or State. 
J nst How.— A correspondent wishes to know if we 
can not give an article.that will tell him “just how” to 
prune his grape-vine. We could not do this without an 
exact diagram of the vine as it now is, and such direc¬ 
tions for pruning this would be of no use as a guide for 
any other vine or for the same vine next year. The 
growth of the vine is according to a few simple laws, 
and one to prune a vine properly, must, in the first place, 
have a definite idea of what he wants to do with it; then 
keeping in mind the manner in which he can do it in ac¬ 
cordance with the laws governing the growth. There is 
no way of removing the necessity for thinking. 
“ The American Entomologist.”— When 
Prof. C. V. Riley, nine years ago, found it necessary to 
suspend for awhile the publication of this Journal, the 
fact was regretted by all interested in Eutomology, 
whether in its scientific aspects or in its relation to Agri¬ 
culture and Horticulture. That its publication, after an 
unexpectedly long interim, has been resumed, will equal¬ 
ly interest the same persons we may feel sure, but the 
appearance of the Journal should be welcomed by that 
large number who, during its suspension, have become 
interested in Entomology as a science or as an important 
part of a cultivator’s knowledge. The Journal re-appears 
with its former mechanical form. Its editorial force has 
been strengthened by the addition of Mr. A. S. Fuller, 
who brings valuable aid to Prof. Riley. The Journal 
promises to be, as it formerly was, not merely the organ 
of scientific entomologists, but one which the fruit¬ 
grower and cultivator generally can not well do with¬ 
out. The same prominence, as before, is given to the 
practical aspect of the science, and the Journal is one 
worthy of abundant support. This time the Journal is 
published in N. Y. City by the “Hub Publishing Com¬ 
pany,” No. 323 Pearl St., to whom subscriptions ($2.00 per 
annum) may be sent. 
Peanuts' In California, are chiefly grown in 
eleven counties. The total number of acres is 436, with 
a yield of a trifle over a thousand pounds per acre. 
Weaning Calves. —“ L. E. B.” The method of 
weaning calves by means of an artificial teat in the bot¬ 
tom of a pail, is very simple. All that is needed is to 
make a mold of elder wood, and cover it with soft leather 
or rubber tubing, and fasten this to the bottom of a pail. 
A sufficient opening must be made in the- bottom of the 
tube to let in the milk, when the calf sucks the upper part. 
Farm Wages.— The official reports show that with 
few exceptions the price paid for farm labor in the various 
States of the Union was 3 to 15 per cent lower during 
1879 than the previous year. In New England, for 
example, the average rate was $20.31 against $22.60 for 
1878. The decline in the cost of living has been in about 
the same ratio. In Minnesota, California, and other 
States and Territories in the Northwest, wages have been 
an exception to the rule throughout the East. As the 
wages have increased in the Pacific States, so has the 
cost of living in u much greater ratio. The English 
agricultural laborer receives on an average $15.60 per 
month and that without board and lodging. In Ireland, 
Italy, Spain, and France, it is 5 to 12 per cent less than in 
England. In view of this the American farm laborer 
getting $ 1 and board for eight months, and in many 
cases for the whole year, is doing well. 
A Modern State Fair: Graphic Descrip¬ 
tion. —Gov. Furnas, of Nebraska, must have been 
traveling eastward, for it seems hardly credible that his 
graphic picture, and unfortunately a too true one of some 
cases, could have been inspired by anything that would 
be allowed by the good people of Nebraska...“ Bands 
of Music, Dance Halls, Horse-races, Mule-races, Slow- 
races, Foot-races, Sack-races, Ballofin Ascensions, 
Greased Pigs. Greased Poles, Wheels of Fortune, Rock¬ 
ing Swings, Tight-rope Performances, Female Pedestri¬ 
ans, all manner of Venders, from the Peanut Stands, ad 
infinitum , together with numberless nameless incidents, 
et hoc genus omne— all securing a crowd, good times, 
large gate receipts, and enabling the Board to ‘ pay out.’ ” 
Carp Culture in California.— A correspondent 
of the“ Pacific Rural Press,” gives his experience in the 
culture of the carp, which, to say the least, is very satis¬ 
factory to him, and encouraging to all who may desire 
to grow this kind of food. In January, 1876, he bought 
six carp, one of which soon died. The first year he raised 
2,044, and in 1877, 2,672, from the same five fish. In 1878, 
he disposed of two of the old fish and reared 4,000 from 
the remaining three. The crop foy 1879 has not yet been 
put into figures. The four fish ponds cost $50 each ; first 
cost of fish $30; food $10; total, $240. He has sold $415 
worth of fish, and has from 6,000 to 8.000 carp in his 
ponds, besides his family has been eating carp for the 
past 18 months. The ground devoted to this industry, 
that is, the area covered by the ponds, etc., is about a 
half acre; and it is to he remembered that it was wet, 
waste,and otherwise comparatively worthless land at that. 
Peaches for New England.— We are glad to 
hear of the planting of peach orchards in places where 
their culture was long ago abandoned: in Eastern New 
York and Northern New Jersey peach culture has 
taken a new start, and recently several inquiries come 
from New England. One obstacle to peach culture is the 
common notion that a peach tree should last an ordinary 
life time. In some peach districts they are content if 
they get two good crops in five years. Trees are exceed¬ 
ingly cheap, and when one planting shows signs of fail¬ 
ing, set out another. Our New England correspondent 
asks for a list of about six varieties suited for market for 
Eastern Massachusetts. As to varieties nearly every 
place has one or more local varieties that succeed better 
than almost any others. For early varieties, Hale's 
Early, in many places rots so badly just at ripening, as to 
be useless. Waterloo, Amsden, and a number of other 
new very early kinds are offered, and seem worthy cf 
trial. One planting for market should look into the 
merits of these. For six established varieties: Early 
York, Crawford’s Early, Cooledge’s Favorite, Old Mixon 
Freestone, Crawford’s Late, Ward’s Late Free; also 
Morris’ White. 
Sale of Stock by Weight.— Dr. J. B. Lawes, in 
a recent number of the “Mark Lane Express” stands up 
strongly in favor of using the scales in all sales of live 
stock. There is enough uncertainty in the farmer’s occu¬ 
pation which cannot be avoided; but the guess-work 
and the great amount of time spent in making rough 
estimates, should be superseded by the quick aud satis¬ 
factory method of actual weighing. 
Experience with Canada Thistles. — F. 
Bacon writes from Lake Co., Ill., essentially as follows : 
“Eleven years ago I bought my present farm, and upon 
it was a patch of Canada Thistles covering about 1% 
acre of land, bordering on a slough. It was so boggy 
and rough that it was impossible to mow them, even 
with a scythe, so they had yearly to be cut with hoe or 
spade, making the job an expensive one. Having the 
slough first well drained, I plowed the piece—through 
the summer of 1878—plowed, harrowed, or cultivated, 
every time a green plant appeared. On the first part of 
Sept. I gave the field a thorough plowing, harrowing, and 
rolling, and sowed broadcast, by hand, 2)£ bushels of 
winter wheat. Having just threshed, I give the result, 
which was 81 bushels machine measure, weighing 66 lbs. 
to the bushel. I had one load of takings that was thresh¬ 
ed with spring wheat, that I have no doubt would have 
made 5 to 8 bushels more. Every part of it was lodged, 
and consequently there was a great deal ieft on the 
ground. I have no doubt that there were 100 bushels grown 
on the ground, and not a thistle has been seen since." 
But was this really the “Canada Thistle?” The ease 
with which it was subdued makes us suspect that it may 
have been some other thistle. 
Shrinkage In Hogs.—A western farmer, to de¬ 
termine the amount of loss of weight in killing and 
dressing hogs, selected twenty hogs that had been fed in 
the average way, on corn. etc., and weighing about 150 
pounds. The shrinkage in this experiment was a trifle 
over one-seventh of the live weight. The loss from the 
flow of blood in “sticking” was determined in two 
cases, namely, 8 and 7J pounds. But the breed has much 
to do with all this, and such statistics, to be of value, 
should state the breed of the animals. 
A Wood Shed is a necessary part of every econom¬ 
ical farmer’s home. It does not cost much in its con* 
struction ; is a great convenience in keeping the wood 
dry, and furnishes a shelter in which much, if not all the 
work, of preparing the wood for the stove can be done in 
stormy weather in winter and the rainy days of summer. 
Cure for Cribher.— “H. J. S.,” Fisher’s Ferry, 
Pa. The most effective remedy for a cribber, is to cause 
the horse to wear the cribbing muzzle, described in the 
American Agriculturist for July, 1875. This does not pre¬ 
vent eating or drinking, but the horse cannot take hold 
of his crib, or a post, with his teeth. 
North Carolina. —We have on a former occasion 
commended the enterprise of Mr. Geo. Allen, Seedsman, 
ofNewbern, in distributing the American Agriculturist, 
and in otherwise aiding the farmers of his State. He now 
publishes a bulletin, in which he gives “ Fifteen Reasons 
for Emigrating to North Carolina,” and other useful items. 
To Raise a Roof. —“R. M. C.,” Washington, Pa. 
It is an easy matter to raise the roof of a building so as 
to build an extra wall under it. Loosen the plates from 
the wall and raise the roof, one corner at a time, resting 
the roof on timbers placed across the corners of the 
building. As the roof is raised build up the wall, and as 
this is done, raise the roof. If the building is a frame 
one, the roof must be raised the intended hight first, 
resting on blocks placed on the floor under it; and the 
studding spliced and mortised into the plate. The rais¬ 
ing may be done by levers, a little at a time, or by jack- 
screws. But it should be secured as it is carried up, so 
that it cannot go over sidewise. 
