AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
51 
crumble away into the trench, and you will And 
your roots in order for sustaining the plant in 
future. But I have never known this process 
alone to answer for the Tulip tree. I have 
never seen this tree removed in the ordinary 
way and grow, it invariably dies, at least as far 
as my observation extends. The tap-root of 
the Tulip tree is a very important root, almost 
the whole life of the tree, as a general thing out 
growing the other roots, and growing quite 
straight down, so that it cannot be removed by 
any reasonable digging. This will readily ac¬ 
count for the difficulty of transplanting a tree 
of this species of much size successfully. Now 
to the proper way: 
Select twice the number of trees you think 
you will need from among those about half 
grown to the size you wish them for removal. 
Choose handsome trees, in an open situation. 
Choose a time when there is easy digging if 
possible, and with a good steel spade dig down 
only on one side of the plant till you reach the 
tap-root , about 8 or 10 inches from the surface 
of the ground, at any rate below the branching 
roots. Clear away the dirt, and with a saw 
cut off the tap-noot twice, sawing out a piece 
full two inches long to make sure work of it. 
Replace the dirt, marking all plants thus treat¬ 
ed, and leaving them to stand where they are 
three or four years, or until you wish to remove 
them. Then go home and make a memorandum 
of your work, how and when done, (April, May 
or June,) not forgetting to credit the American 
Agriculturist for the little piece of information 
that enabled you .to remove successfully one of 
the most beautiful native shade trees within 
your reach. 
But my chapter is ended, and my story only 
begun. You shall hear from me again, giving a 
select list of ornamental shade trees of the nur¬ 
series, and the reason why they generally suc¬ 
ceed better than wild trees—the proper manner 
of setting out, &c., &c. W. D. 
Morristown, N. J. 
——• - 
For the American Agriculturist. 
TURNIPS FOR COWS—SUPER-PHOSPHATE. 
I noticed an article in the American Agri¬ 
culturist, (No. 2 of present volume,) respecting 
the value of turnips for cows giving milk. With 
all due respect to the writer, I would say that 
his experience differs very widely from mine. 
That there is a very great difference in value of 
the different kinds of turnips for feeding, any 
farmer of the least observation who has ever 
tried them must be willing to admit. My expe¬ 
rience with the different kinds is somewhat 
limited. I must confess, however, I have tried 
the Swedish, the common white flat, and a va¬ 
riety called the yellow Aberdeen. For fear of 
being too lengthy, I will only give my experi¬ 
ment with the last-named variety, which I con¬ 
sider superior to the common white, yet not so 
valuable as the Swedish turnip. Last fall I 
gathered from about one-third of an acre of 
ground, 220 bushels of as fine turnips as ever 
grew. When grass failed, and I was obliged to 
commence feeding my cows on fodder, I gave to 
each cow one-half bushel of turnips each day. 
My cows were confined in a yard, and not per¬ 
mitted to go out except to get water. Their food 
besides turnips was corn stalks of a very poor 
quality. The cows had given milk since last 
May, and were nearly dry when I commenced 
feeding the turnips. They began in a few days 
to increase in their milk until they gave nearly 
as much as when they were on fresh pasture. 
Without wishing to boast, I will give you the 
amount of butter we have sold since the first 
day of January last, being what two cows have 
made since that time, over what we have used 
in our family which consists of six persons. The 
amount sold since January 1st, is 31£ lbs. of as 
nice yellow butter as could be made from the 
same cows in the month of May. Besides this 
we have sold several gallons of milk to one of 
our neighbors. The cows have kept in fine con¬ 
dition during the whole of the time, without any 
grain at all. 
I have fed a good many turnips to my horses, 
and consider them worth half as much as oats 
for horses, fed once a day with other grain. 
As a table turnip the yellow Aberdeens are 
preferable to the common white turnip. 
These turnips were raised on very poor land, 
which had a dressing of super-phosphate of 
lime, at the rate of 500 lbs. per acre. They 
were sowed in drills, fifteen inches apart from 
drill to drill. If ^ou would publish an analysis 
of the different kinds of turnips, showing their 
value for feeding as compared with carrots, 
beets, and parsneps, you will much oblige a sub¬ 
scriber to your valuable publication. 
I made several experiments with guano, bone 
phosphate, and mineral phosphate on wheat last 
fall, and if you desire I will detail to you the 
result, if life and health be spared until harvest. 
Have any of your correspondents ever tried the 
mineral phosphate on corn, if so I should like to 
hear from them. I). S. Gray. 
Beltsville, Prince George's County , Md. 
We shall be glad to receive the details of the 
experiments upon wheat. We prefer farmer’s ex¬ 
periments to analyses, though chemical analyses 
are valuable as suggesting experiments. 
We have omitted in the above communication, 
as we do in all others, to mention the name of the 
manufacturer of the super-phosphate. There 
are in the market several articles under this 
name which we consider equally good, if honestly 
made. See another column for our opinion of 
super-phosphate. 
-»* *- 
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING CAPONS. 
The following directions for caponizing, are 
furnished us by a gentleman who has had many 
years’ experience in the business. They have 
been published in part before, but at our re¬ 
quest he went over them carefully, and added 
such particulars as he thought advisable to 
make them complete. We have seen dressed 
poultry of his caponizing, and found them very 
fine. Any one desiring implements for operation, 
can be furnished them after the Chinese pattern, 
which the writer considers the simplest and 
best he ever used. 
Fowls intended to be caponized must be kept 
at least twenty-four hours without food, other¬ 
wise the entrails will fill the cavity of the belly, 
and render it almost impossible to complete the 
operation; besides, when they have been starved 
the proper length of time, they are less lia¬ 
ble to bleed. 
The chicken is taken at any age, from five 
days’ old, until it begins to crow, or even after. 
Lay the fowl on its left side on the floor, draw 
the wings back, and keep it firm by resting the 
right foot on its legs, and the other foot or knee 
on its wing. The table with the apparatus 
does away with the necessity of this stooping 
position. Be careful that the head of the fowl 
is not held down, or even touched during the 
operation, as it would be sure to cause it to 
bleed. Pluck the feathers off from its right 
side near the hip joint, in a line between that 
and the shoulder joint; the space uncovered 
should be a little more than an inch square. 
Make an incision between the two last ribs, 
having first drawn the skin of the part back¬ 
ward, so when left to itself it will cover the 
wound in the flesh. In some fowls the thigh is 
so far forward that it covers the last two ribs ; in 
which case, care must be taken to draw the 
flesh of the thigh well back, so as not to cut 
through it, or else it would lame the fowl, and 
perhaps cause its death in a few days after the 
operation, by inflaming. 
The ribs are to be kept open by the hooks— 
the opening must be enlarged each way by the 
knife, if necessary, until the testicles, which arc 
attached to the back bone, are entirely exposed 
to view, together with the intestines in contact 
with them. The testicles are inclosed in a thin 
skin, connecting them with the back and sides 
—this must be laid hold of with the pliers, and 
then torn away with the pointed instrument; 
doing it first on the upper testicle, then on the 
lower. The lower testicle will generally be 
found a little behind the other—that is, a little 
nearer the rump. Next introduce the loop, 
which is made of a horse-hair or a fibre of cocoa 
nut; it must be put round the testicle which is 
uppermost, in doing which the spoon is service¬ 
able to raise up the testicle and push the loop 
under it, so that it shall be brought to act upon 
the part which holds the testicle to the back; 
then tear it off by pushing the tube towards the 
rump of the fowl, at the same time giving it a 
quick sawing motion. Then scoop it and the 
blood out with the spoon, and perform the same 
operation on the other testicle. Take away the 
hooks, draw the skin over and close the wound ; 
stick the feathers that you before pulled off, on 
the wound, and let the bird go. 
Ternaries .—If the operation be performed 
without sufficient skill, many of the fowls will 
prove not to be capons ; these may be killed for 
use as soon as the head begins to grow large 
and get red, and they begin to chase the hens. 
The real capon will make itself known by the 
head remaining small, and the comb small and 
withered ; the feathers of the neck or mane will 
also get longer, and the tail will be handsomer 
and longer ; they should be kept to the age of 
fifteen or eighteen months, which will bring 
them in the spring and summer, when poultry 
is scarce and brings a high price. Take care, 
however, not to kill them near moulting time, 
as all poultry then is very inferior. The opera¬ 
tion fails, principally, by bursting the testicles, 
so that the skin which encloses the soft matter, 
remains in the bird, and the testicle grows 
again. The cause of the bursting of the testi¬ 
cle is, that the front part of it, is more delicate 
and tender than the string which attaches it to 
the back bone—this presents the chief difficulty 
of the operation, for if the least force is used, 
while giving a sawing motion to the loop, in 
separating the testicle from the back bone, it 
bursts in front, and the bird will prove a red 
head. 
Birds of five or six months are less liable to 
have the testicles burst in the operation than 
younger fowls, but they are more apt to bleed 
to death than those of from 2 to 4 months old. 
A skilful operator will always choose fowls 
of from two to three months ; he will prefer 
also, to take off the lower testicle first, as then 
the blood will not prevent him from proceeding 
with the other ; whereas, when the upper one 
is taken off the first, if there should be any 
bleeding, he has to wait before he can take off 
the lower testicle. 
The large vein that supplies the entrails 
with blood passes in the neighborhood of the 
testicles; there is danger that a young beginner 
may pierce it with the pointed instrument in 
taking off the skin of the lower testicle, in 
which case the chicken would die instantly, for 
all the blood in its body would issue out. There 
are one or two smaller veins which must be 
avoided, which is very easy, as they are not dif¬ 
ficult to see. If properly managed, no blood 
ever appears until a testicle is taken off; so that 
should any appear before that, the operator will 
know that he has done something wrong. 
If a chicken die, during the operation, by 
bleeding, of course it is as proper for use as if it 
bled to death by having its throat cut; they 
very seldom die after, unless they have received 
some internal injury, or the flesh of the thigh 
has been cut through, from not being drawn 
back from off the last two ribs, where the in¬ 
cision is made ; all of which are apt to be the 
case with young practitioners. 
If the testicles be found to be large, the bam¬ 
boo tube should be used, and it should have a 
strong cocoa-nut string in it, for small ones the 
silver tube with a horse hair in it, is best. 
