1884.] 
AMEEIOAI^ AGEIOULTUEIST, 
205 
Chat with Readers. 
Sweet Potatoes in Massachusetts. — T. Volk, 
Tall River, Mass. The variety generally cultivated at the 
liorth is the Nansemond. All the New Tork seedsmen keep 
the sets at the proper season for planting, which is In May 
and June. 
Water Cress.— (?. Ball, Berkley, Mass., thinks he 
has just the place for water cresses, and asks if he can find 
a ready market should he grow them. In large cities there 
is a ready sale. As the crop can only be grown in localities 
that are watered, the supply can not be increased indefi¬ 
nitely. The New York market is never over-stocked, and 
they generally bring paying prices. 
Pop Corn.— S. Rowe, Washington, Kans. We have no 
statistics as to the yield of pop corn per acre. There are 
several varieties and they differ greatly in the size of the 
ears. The varieties most used are the Shaker and the Rice, 
the former is a favorite with those who pop it for sale. The 
Dwarf Golden is a curiosity on account of its small size, 
and it pops well, but is too small to be profitable. 
Pruning an Arbor Vitte Hedge.—X. JV. Cook, 
Salem, N. C. The hedge may be pruned for two purposes ; 
one, to promote a stronger growth, and the other to di¬ 
minish the vigor of the trees. For the first purpose, 
prune in autumn, after the summer’s wood has ripened, 
usually in October. To weaken the growth, and keep the 
tree within bounds as a hedge, prune before the new wood 
is ripe, in June. 
Vine to Cover a Building.— G. Smith, Norfolk, 
Conn., wishes to cover a building, and asks if there is any 
evergreens that will endure the winters in his rather bleak 
locality If not, what grape-vine would be best. There is 
no evergreen vine that can be depended on for such a place. 
If the grape vine is to be used without reference to its 
fruit, the Clinton is one of the most suitable. Indeed the 
fruit of this, if allowed to mature thoroughly, is very ac¬ 
ceptable. The Concord would be hardy enough, but its 
leaves are not so pleasing as those of the Clinton. 
Why Blanch Celery ?—A. if. Smith, Manistee, Mich., 
asks us: “ W hy is it necessary to blanch celery, why not eat 
the stalks green?"—If our correspondent will make one 
trial—even a single bite—of a green stalk, and one that has 
been properly blanched, the question will be answered. 
The absence of the green color is of no consequence in it¬ 
self, but it Indicates that the light has been excluded, that 
the stalks have become crisp and brittle, with few strong 
fibres, and especially that they have lost their strong bitter¬ 
ish taste, which is so disagreeable that no one would eat 
celery if it remained, leaving just a trace that gives a pleas¬ 
ant fiavor. liked by most persons. 
Hog Cholera.— J. W. P. King, Shannock Mills, R. I. 
—It is so improbable that the disease known as “ Hog Chol¬ 
era ” in the Western States, can have appeared among your 
swine, that you should first consult a veterinary surgeon, 
and ascertain what is really the trouble, before you seek a 
remedy. The best authorities regard the so-called Western 
hog cholera as due to a low condition of the system, result¬ 
ing from impure water, exposure, and poor food. The con¬ 
ditions of swine-keeping in New England are rarely such as 
will produce this low condition among the animals, and the 
safest course will be to ascertain what the trouble really is, 
before attempting to treat it. 
How he Managed his Potatoes.— J/r. G. Q. Cook, 
Red Lake Falls, Polk Co., Minn., adds his experience to the 
methods we liave already given for forwarding early pota¬ 
toes. As this may still be useful in some far-Northern 
localities, we give it. The seed potatoes were selected as 
nearly of a size as possible, set on end in boxes or crates, 
in a warm and sunny place. When good healthy shoots, 
from half an inch to an inch long had grown, the potatoes 
were so cut as to leave a piece to each shoot. These pieces 
were dropped every nine Inches in rows three feet apart and 
kept well cultivated. The varieties. Early Rose and Peer¬ 
less, yielded three hundred and four bushels to the acre- 
good farming or gardening—which ever it may be called. 
Rescue Grass.— G. if. D. Patterson, Robertson Co., 
Texas. The grass about which you inquire was introduced 
about twenty years ago in France, with a great flour¬ 
ish under the name of “ Schrader’s Bromus ’ (Brome de 
Sehrade). It was predicted that it would completely revo¬ 
lutionize agriculture and it received considerable attention 
for a time. Of late years we have heard nothing of it. The 
French catalogues of the present time state that though it 
has been over praised it may be useful “ in certain coun¬ 
tries and in various circumstances.” None of the species 
of Bromus are of agricultural value. You would probably 
find the “Johnson grass” (Sorghum Balepense),a peren¬ 
nial, much more useful in your locality. 
Girdled Fruit Trees.— Jfr. N. Prefontain, Beloit, 
p. Q _'w’e gave the best methods for saving girdled fruit 
trees in the Americati Agriculturist for December last 
(18831. Where the girdling is not complete, the tree may 
live after the wound is covered with waxed cioth. A mix¬ 
ture of clay and cow manure may be applied to prevent 
evaporation. If the inner bark is gnawed off all the way 
round the wound must be bridged, which may be done with 
three or more cions cut from the same tree, or one of the 
same kind. The ends of the cions are cut slanting and 
piaced under the bark above and below the wound. These 
are “ double ” cions, as both ends unite with the stock and 
furnish a passage for sap from the roots to the ieaves. If 
the wound is near the base, it may be covered with a mound 
of earth, otherwise apply one of the coverings given above. 
Carp and Ducks.— Jo/ur B. Doughty, Woodbury, 
Queens' Co., N. Y.—Has heard that German carp would de¬ 
stroy young ducklings and goslings by pulling them down 
beneath the surface of the water and drowning them. As 
one of the prominent claims in favor of carp-culture is, 
that this flsh is an exclusively vegetable feeder, it is hardly 
possible tliat it shouid destroy young water-fowls “ just for 
the fun of it.” As mud turtles have been detected de¬ 
stroying young ducks, etc., and it is alleged that bull-frogs 
will prey upon them, it is most probable that the disappear¬ 
ance of aquatic fowls is due rather to one or the other of 
these amphibians than to the quiet, well-behaved vegetarian 
carp, which is represented as having no faults. 
The jLegnl 'Weight of a Bushel of Parsnips.- 
il.Ettisberger, Burlington, Iowa.—The weight of a bushel 
of the different kinds of farm produce is flxed by the Legis¬ 
latures of the various States and Territories. There is no 
general law, and as a consequence, there is little uniformi¬ 
ty in the weights. While some States fix the weight for 
nearly everything sold by the bushel, others give them for 
only a few leading articles. Parsnips, for example, have 
received attention in only four States, and in Canada. While 
forty-five pounds of parsnips pass for a bushel in Connecti¬ 
cut, the farmer in New Hampshire and Ohio must give sixty 
pounds, while Rhode Island lets him off with fifty pounds, 
Canada has sixty pounds. Beyond these few States, none of 
the others, up to a few years ago, legislated on the parsnip. 
Parasites ou Animals.— G. Todd, Plymouth, Iowa, 
writes that he has successfully destroyed lice upon various 
animals by the use of the seeds of the Perennial Larkspur 
(Delphinium formosum) j the seeds are steeped in water 
and the infusion applied with a brush. He says that he 
finds this more effective than any other remedy he has tried 
for lice upon farm animals,and those of the genus homo. He 
suggests that farmers should procure seeds from the seeds¬ 
men, sow a small patch and raise the seed for use. While 
the infusion of the seeds is harmless applied externally, it 
should be known that it is violently poisonous when swal¬ 
lowed, and care taken to avoid accidents. Stavesacre seeds 
is a very old remedy for animal parasites. They are the 
seeds of another Larkspur (D. Staphisagrum), and are still 
sold by some druggists. 
Shells for Poultry.— Ground oyster shells is one of 
the best forms in which lime may be supplied to poultry. 
A. H. Davis, Mitchell, Ind., finding that oyster shells would 
be very expensive, asks if the shells of the fresli-water 
mussels, or clams, as they are sometimes c.slled, may not be 
used as a substitute. These mussels are very abundant in 
the western streams, and may be had for the expense of 
carting. Shells of all mollusks are essentially alike in com¬ 
position, consisting of carbonate of lime, mixed with a 
small amount of animal matter. Some of the fresh-water 
shells contain very little lime and are very fragile; others 
are nearly as hard and firm as an oyster shell. Have any 
poultry-keepers tried pounding up the whole, the contained 
animal as well as the shell ? Let us have experience with 
fresh-water mussels or clams as chicken feed. 
About I’eanuts.— The Rev. John Otten, Morrillton, 
Ark., writes that the soil in his section is well suited to pea¬ 
nut culture, but is in doubt whether the demand is sufficient 
to warrant raising them on a large scale. In this country 
peanuts are used for eating, when roasted, and by confec. 
tioners for making “ peanut candy.” In France they are 
used for pressing to obtain their oil, for which purpose they 
are imported into Marseilles, from Africa, by the ship¬ 
load. We have not heard of their being pressed for their oil 
in this country. Cotton seed yields such an abundance of 
oil and is so cheap that it will not pay to cultivate a plant 
especially as a source of oil. The only use for peanuts, 
that we have heard of, aside from those mentioned above, 
is for the adulteration of chocolate, for which they are said 
to be well adapted. The demand for eating is so large that 
the crop is regarded as a profitable one on land suited to it. 
About Staking Trees.— J. J. Corrigan, Factoryville, 
Pa., asks us if in transplanting fruit or ornamental trees, it 
is best to set two stakes two by five inches, six inches apart, 
and then to nail strips connecting these stakes, in such a 
manner as to exclude all sunlight from the trunks, in order 
to protect the tree from cattle and sheep. Our correspon¬ 
dent finds nothing on this point in Barry’s and other works, 
and comes to us for advice. Barry and other writers 
upon fruit culture, suppose that a community settled long 
enough to have fruit and other trees will provide for shut¬ 
ting up their animals, rather than make every owner of a 
tree fence it in from injury by cattle and sheep. A few 
local laws, well enforced, or a few prosecutions of those 
who allow their animals to run at large and injure the prop¬ 
erty of others, are what are needed. Trees often require 
stakes to protect them from injury by winds, never against 
cattle and sheep. 
Asphalt or Pitch Walks.— A. C. TiUotson, North- 
port, N. Y. A number of the compositions for making 
garden walks are covered by patents. A simple mixture of 
coal tar and sand will finally become hard, but it requires 
a long time. The best home-made walk we have seen was 
made as follows: The bed of the path was excavated to the 
depth of three inches and provided with edgings of bricks, 
laid on end or with board edgings. Coal (or gas) tar, three 
parts, and common pitch, one part, were melted together 
and boiled for half an hour. This composition was mixed 
on a board platform with dry sand, just as mortar is mixed, 
and of a similar consistency and the mixture spread upon 
the path. Boards were laid upon the surface and pounded, 
to level it. Dry sand was then sprinkled over the surface, 
which was then rolled. The walk in a few days became as 
hard as one of stone. It is troublesome to make such a walk. 
Sawdust as Bedding and Manure.— Geo. G. ife- 
grail, Winona, Ohio, asks if sawdust tliat has been used as 
bedding in stables, and mixed with the manure in the heap, 
can produce, when applied to the land, any deleterious ef¬ 
fects. Shaping his question in another form, he asks: 
“ Does either chemistry or experience show that it is not 
well to make use of sawdust in our stables ? ” There is 
nothing, so far as we are aware, in tlie teachings of chemis¬ 
try, or in the practice of our best farmers, to show why 
sawdust should not be used in stables, or why the material, 
which readily ferments, should not be employed as a fertil¬ 
izer. Sawdust fresh from the mill, lias been sometimes 
used as a mulch in nurseries and fruit gardens, and has been 
charged that in this condition, it bred an injurious fungus. 
This charge is not well substantiated, and such sawdust is 
very unlike that which has been soaked in liquid manure. 
How Can Oleomargarine and Butterine, etc., 
be Detected Reese, Covington, Ky.—While the 
detection of these substitutes for butter is not difficult to 
the skilled chemist, unfortunately no method has yet been 
devised by which the consumer can readily know whether 
or not he is defrauded. Those who purchase butter for re¬ 
tailing, know what they are buying. Until we have laws to 
properly protect the consumer, his only safe course is to 
purchase of men who would no more sell him vile grease 
for butter, than they would adulterated bread to eat it upon. 
Moralists will do well to consider what xvill be the effect 
upon a community where the people begin the day with a 
breakfast at which they butter their bread with vile fats, 
have “ bob-veal” for their cutlets, and drink an infusion of 
peas, parched ship-bread, or rye, thinking it is coffee. To 
bring up a horse or a cow to future usefulness, we must 
give the best and most honest food. What sort of men and 
women will result from a daily food of bogus stuff? 
Au Evergreen Blackberry.— D’a B. Sturges, Port¬ 
land, Oregon, asks for information about what is known 
upon the North-west coast as the “ Evergreen Blackberry.” 
There are but a few vines in cultivation near Portland, but 
he thinks they will be valuable" to grow for canning. They 
begin to ripen after all other varieties are out of the mar¬ 
ket, very prolific, and when frost comes, they are loaded 
with green and ripe fruit and blossoms. Mr. S. can learn 
nothing about them from the books and catalogues, and 
comes to us for help. From the lateness of bearing and 
from the remark that the vines require the support of a 
trellis, we have little doubt that this 'will prove to be a 
form of the common blackberry of Northern Europe, 
Rubus fruticosus. Tliis, in England, is almost evergreen, 
and is so variable that over twenty wild varieties are rec¬ 
ognized by English botanists. One of the varieties has 
long been cultivated in this country as the •• Cut-leaved ” 
and “ Parsley-leaved ” Blackberry. Its fruit is large and 
abundant, but one who has had the Klttatinny as his stand¬ 
ard of quality, will hardly class this as among the best. 
Still it may improve in the genial climate of Oregon. We 
suspect that this is the direction in which Mr. Sturges must 
look for the origin of his Evergreen vai iety. 
A Trouble -tvitb a Cberry Tree.— IT. C. Gamerod, 
who lives just outside of the City of New York, has a single 
cherry tree with a wide spread head, and annually bears 
an abundance of fruit. The cherries are white on one side, 
and red on the other, but he has never known a single cherry 
reach maturity, or even approach it, without being unfitted 
for use by a worm. Mr. G. has tried wood-ashes, sulphur, 
and lime upon the root, and has also driven many large 
nails into the base of the trunk of the tree, all without ef¬ 
fect, and asks us what he shall do. Had he applied the 
ashes, etc., at the flag-staff on the Battery, or driven the nails 
into the lower part of that pole, they would have been just 
as effective as to have applied them to the cherry tree. If a 
worm is found in the fruit, it came from an egg laid on or 
in the fruit. As soon as the blossoms begin to fall this spring, 
watch for the insects that may be at work upon the young 
fruit, catch them if possible, and send specimens of them to 
us. If no insects are found, send us some of the cherries (in a 
box so they may not be crushed), and well advanced toward 
maturity. Is this trouble confined to this particular variety 
of cherry? How about other trees in the vicinity, are they 
free ? If there are no other trees near by, set out several, 
as they cost but little, and try to ascertain if it is a general 
trouble, or confined to a single sort. Manure applied to 
the tree will be far better than nails. , 
Castor Oil Beaus.— Each spring there are numerous 
inquiries as to the culture of Castor Oil Beans. T. D. Smith, 
of Knotwell, Phelps Co., Mo., leads the list this season, and 
we answer those who will follow through him. The uses of 
castor oil are limited, and it would be very easy to over¬ 
stock the market. Hence, several years ago, the few pres- 
sers who had put up machinery for preparing the oil, took 
care to keep the business in their own hands. They fur¬ 
nished the seed to farmers, gave instructions for cultiva¬ 
tion, and contracted to take the crop at a stated price. So 
far as we are .aware, the same conditions prevail, and out¬ 
siders who raise a crop of beans, find no sale for them. 
There is no difflculty in raising the beans on any good corn 
land. The ground being well plowed and manured, is laid 
•out in rows six feet apart, and between every sixth and 
seventh row sufficient space is left for a wagon to pass in 
collecting the crop. Two or three beans, previously soaked 
over night in hot water, are planted every four or five inch¬ 
es in the row, and these in cultivation are thinned to one 
foot after the plants are six inches high. Good cultivation 
is given all through the season, and when some of the pods 
ou a cluster crack open, the clusters are cut, taken on a 
wagon or sled to the “ popping yard,” where the beans are 
thrown out by the explosion of the pods. Twenty bushels 
to the acre is a fair average crop, but some lands yield more. 
