1861.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
57 
Into which are thrown all sorts of paragraphs—such as 
Notes and Replies to Correspondents, with Useful or 
interesting Extracts from, their Letters , SfC., IfC. 
Good Letters. —We desire to return many thanks 
to our readers, not only for their kind words of apprecia¬ 
tion and encouragement, but also for the numerous facts, 
experiments, suggestions, questions, etc., that have been 
recently forwarded for our columns, and especially for 
the “ Basket.” This department is to receive increased 
attention; it will be seen that we have made a be¬ 
ginning in the present paper, though a large number of 
letters are necessarily laid over for want of time to attend 
to them during this busy month. Let us have abundant 
material. Every subscriber could contribute at least one 
•tem, and is requested to do so. 
1860 and 1861 Mixed Up.— -While printing the 
J anuary number, we also printed an extra edition for 
January 1860, for bound volumes. The binders seemed 
to get befogged about the years, and stitched some of the 
inside sheets for one year with the outside sheets of the 
>ther. There were only a few of them, but any subscriber 
having one will please mail it to this office, with his Post 
Office Address, and receive a perfect copy. 
Oil No ! —The San Antonio Ledger, Texas, intending 
to do the American Agriculturist a good turn, after speak¬ 
ing of its character, etc., says : “ It is unquestionably the 
most voluminous agricultural magazine published in this 
country for the money, viz., $1 per annum. Proprietor, 
Orange Judd, New-York.”_“Prof. Mapes, who has 
obtained much notoriety, nay, celebrity, as an agricultural 
chemist, is its conductor and principal contributor.”-A 
grand mistake, friends McLeod & Dashiell, of the Ledger ! 
Mr. Mapes, th*e self-styled “ Professor,” is not “ conduct¬ 
or ” or “ contributor,” nor in any manner connected with 
the Agriculturist. He has a journal of his own, wherein 
to puff his “ nitrogenized ” and other “super-phosphates;” 
“ progressed elements,” and other articles of merchandize. 
The Agriculturist , on the contrary, is an independent 
journal, published for the people, and not to editorially ad¬ 
vertise the wares, or chemical theories of any man, or of 
any establishment whatever. 
The Lime Questions.— Several replies have come 
in since the printing of the one on page 40. Several of 
the most valuable will be published as we have room. 
Fruit Stealers to toe Felons. —The fruit grow¬ 
ers of New-York will learn with pleasure that a bill is now 
pending in the Legislature, and has been favorably re¬ 
ported by the Committee to whom it was referred, which 
provides for the punishment of fruit stealers or trespass¬ 
ers, as felons. We have not yet seen a copy of the bill, 
but anything that will afford protection to those who are 
tiying to raise choice fruit, will be hailed with pleasure. 
If the owner could be assured of being permitted to enjoy 
the fruit himself, there would be a large planting of trees 
the coming spring—especially of the choice kinds. 
Messrs. Legislators, please give us the law, the best you 
can make it, the present season, and farmers, gardeners, 
and horticulturists generally, will unite in a unanimous 
vote of thanks for this act, whatever else you may do or 
not do. We have opportunity to know the general feeling, 
and we are sure that there is a universal desire to have 
more stringent laws against those who would scorn to be 
called thieves, but who have no hesitancy in picking a lot 
of pears, apples, etc.—perhaps the first ever grown by 
some individual, of a choice variety. 
N. If. State Agricultural Society.— The annu¬ 
al meeting of this society will be held at the Agricultural 
itooms, Albany, on Monday, February 13th. 
'File Grape Growers of Connecticut met 
recently at New Have-n, and chose Daniel S. Dewey of 
Hartford, President, and Mason C. Weld Secretary. The 
convention voted its preference for the following grapes 
in the order named. 1st, Diana; 2nd, Delaware ; 3d, Re¬ 
becca; 4th, Isabella; 5th, Hartford Prolific , 6th, Con¬ 
cord. They recommended the Diana for its great excel¬ 
lence and certainty of ripening in all fair exposures. By 
“ resolution” the convention says : The Delaware prom¬ 
ises well, but has not been so extensively fruited as to 
enable them from personal knowledge, to give positive 
assurance that it is worthy of the high character claimed 
(or it by many, The Reheccq lias been sufficiently tested 
to show, that it is a fruit of great promise and excellence ; 
hardy, and likely to ripen, at least in good exposure. 
We give this as a news item ; the general opinion gives a 
higher indorsement of the Delaware ; and is less favorable 
to the Rebecca, which is not so hardy or vigorous a 
grower, as could be desired for a fruit of so much ex¬ 
cellence. The order of merit, we nearly agree with. 
Yale Agricultural Lectures Postponed.— 
We are sorry to learn, by a letter from Prof. Porter, that 
it has been decided to postpone the proposed course of 
Public Agricultural Lectures in February. Several rea¬ 
sons have led to this course—one of the most prominent 
being, we suppose, that some of those most successful as 
practical breeders of Stock, as well as agriculturists and 
horticulturists, are also public men, and they are just now 
too much occupied in political matters to positively prom¬ 
ise to be present to take part in the exercises. It is intend¬ 
ed to resume the course next Winter. The usual lectures 
on agricultural chemistry at Yale College, will begin 
February 1st. These are, in themselves, worthy of a large 
patronage. 
Onions lost in Storing. —W. J. Spence informs 
us that last summer he raised a splendid crop of 
white, or silver skin onions at Islip, L. I., amounting to 
500 bushels. Anticipating good returns, as this kind 
usually sells high in Spring, he prepared a good dry room 
for them, and spread them on the floor 4 to 5 feet deep. 
Following the directions of an “ old onion grower” in his 
employ, the tops were not removed, but the whole piled 
together after drying in the field. As the result, the en¬ 
tire mass heated, and 300 bushels are spoiled for market. 
He is boiling, and feeding them to hogs. He has just ob¬ 
tained our onion pamphlet, and thinks that if he had se¬ 
cured it sooner, lie would have saved his onions. 
A Stove In the Corn Crib, would often be useful 
to hasten the drying, and prevent molding. A simple pro¬ 
vision of this kind, taking care to keep the heat so low as 
to only dry the air and promote its circulation, will fre¬ 
quently save the gathered crop, and the next one too, by 
saving the seed corn from losing its germinating power 
through dampness. We practiced this 20 years ago on 
the paternal farm. 
Good for SEats and Mice.— A correspondent of 
the American Agriculturist advises to destroy these pests 
thus : Wet some pumpkin seeds, sprinkle on a little 
arsenic or strychnine. Cats or other quadrupeds will not 
eat them. The most sensible part of the advice is, to 
place the seeds at a distance from the house, with water 
near. The rats and mice will find them any where, or if 
necessary, they may be baited out by scattering a little 
grain along the route. They will eat the poison, drink 
the water, and die before they can get back to their hid¬ 
ing places in the house. But look out that the children 
do not eat the seeds. They may be put in holes, or else¬ 
where, so that neither poultry nor children can get access 
to them. 
Wild Goose Wtoeat.— Wm. Longfellow, Wash¬ 
ington Co. Me. We have received samples of this under 
the name of “ mammoth rye," which it resembles more 
than wheat. Samples were sent us from Oregon with the 
same account you give, viz., that it was taken from the 
crop of a wild goose, in that state. This account of its 
origin is probably fanciful. 
Destroying Grub Worms.— James S. Nichol¬ 
son, Weakly Co., Tenn., writes in answer to the request 
in the “Basket” last month, for experience in destroy¬ 
ing these vermin, that he accidentally proved the efficacy 
of the late plowing there recommended. A small strip of 
a field was plowed early in Autumn, to prepare it for corn 
the following year. The remainder was delayed until 
after several frosts had driven insects to their winter 
quarters. The next Spring, the corn on the early plowed 
strip was much injured by the cut worm and the “ bud 
worm,” but the late plowed piece was entirely uninjured. 
He suggests that infested fields might be turned over dur¬ 
ing February, if the weather permit, and many insects 
would be killed by succeeding frosts. 
Protecting Raspberries.—' “ Subscriber,” Peter- 
boro, C. W. The Brinkle’s Orange raspberry, being hard¬ 
ier than the Antwerp, went through the Winter better 
than the latter. The Antwerp might blossom, and still 
not have sufficient vigor to ripen the fruit. Try again, 
covering with earth instead of evergreen brush. 
Hardy Climbing Roses.-W. W. Caldwell, 
Orange Co., N. Y. A good assortment of these, of the 
colors you desire are: Prairie Queen, bright rose, very 
double ; Baltimore Belle, white, clusters. A good, hardy 
yellow can only be had among the briar sorts, of which 
the Harrisonii, is a fine brilliant variety. For purple, 
take the Boursault Purpurea,.-^ Anne Maria, a rosy pink, 
Effid Mrs, Hovey, q pure white, are also good sorts. 
Climbing Plants over tike House.—Chr. 
Vogt, Jefferson Co., Wis.—Coboea Scandens (No. 165 ol 
our free seed list), and Chinese Wistaria (to be had ot 
nurserymen), are fine plants for training over the side of 
a house. Other good climbers are mentioned on page 51 
of the present number. 
Perfect and Imperfect Strawberries.—P. 
B. Wenner, Columbia Co., Pa., and others. Some of 
the leading hermaphrodite, or perfect strawberries, re¬ 
quiring no other sorts with them, are : Austin, BostonPine, 
British Queen, Early Scarlet, Fillmore, Genesee, Hooker, 
Iowa, Jenny Lind, Longworth’s Prolific, Peabody, Tri- 
omphe de Gand, Walker, Wilson's Albany, etc. A few of 
the pistillate sorts, requiring, say about one tenth as many 
of one of the above varieties to fertilize them, are • Burr’s 
Pine, Crimson Cone, Cutter’s Seedling, Eclipse, Hovey, 
McAvoy’s Superior, Ward’s Seedling, Western Queen, 
etc. It was formerly supposed that the pistillates pro¬ 
duced better than the hermaphrodite, but such abundant 
bearers as Wilson’s, Hooker, Walker, Longworth’s Pro¬ 
lific, etc., overthrow this theory. 
Bulbs in Pots. —H. H. Huntress, Hillsboro’ Co., 
N. H. Both Summer and Winter bulbs, (Autumn and 
Spring flowering) can be grown in pots. The treatment 
is nearly the same for each. More care will be needed in 
Winter to protect from frost. The crowns should be two 
inches below the surface in Summer—one inch in Winter. 
H in glasses of water, let only the roots touch the water. 
Early Peas. —These may be obtained by planting in 
long strips of turf and keeping them in the cellar, or any 
place away from frost. They may be gradually exposed, 
and then planted out when heavy freezing is over. 
Loam with Manure.— “ Novice.”—You are un¬ 
doubtedly right in your conclusions. Though less of the 
valuable ammonia escapes from moist manure than has 
been generally supposed, yet there is some loss, and the 
admixture of loam will absorb and retain it. The amount 
to be added will depend on the labor involved, richness 
of the material, and its consequent value to the soil where 
it is to be applied. An equal bulk is ordinarily enough. 
Muck, black earth, or sods, are superior to loam, because 
they are, in themselves, valuable as manures. Of these, 
the more the better. 
An Unwise Idea. —A man in Michigan recently 
declined subscribing for the Agriculturist, “ because he 
had a number of hired men, who would take too long a 
nooning, if they should get hold of the paper.” Without 
doubt that man has often been annoyed with losses caused 
by the ignorance of employees. A few moments spent 
daily in reading any good agricultural journal would be 
paid for many times in the course of the year, by giving to 
the men just the information needed to enable them to 
work intelligently. 
Pears on the Butternut. —Aoraham Marshall, 
Northumberland Co., Pa. The pear will not succeed 
grafted on the Butternut; the difference in their habits of 
growth is too great. We have seen them growing on the 
apple tree, and cases of success on the Mountain Asli are 
reported, but they are of little reliability. No better stock 
is known for pears than the pear itself, or the Angers 
Quince for dwarfing,. 
Peruvian Cotton. —An invoice of Peruvian cot¬ 
ton has been received in this city, by way of Panama. The 
Journal of Commerce states that it is part of a shipment 
of 1500 bales on the way to Europe. The quality is very 
beautiful, and the samples shown would sell readily at 15 
cents. The plant from which it is taken, is said to be a 
perennial shrub, indigenous to the soil, and needing only 
a little labor by the way of cultivation, to yield large re¬ 
sults. We give this as an on dit, not knowing how much 
reliance is to be placed upon the account, nor what the 
enterprise may lead to. 
Slxeep and Dogs in Massachusetts.— The 
Massachusetts Board of Agriculture held its annual meet¬ 
ing the second week of Dec. Among several valuable 
reports presented, was an elaborate and interesting paper 
on sheep husbandry, by J. S. Grinnell, of Greenfield. 
The writer shows the advantage of mutton over other 
meats for the table, stating that the Scotch and English 
have demonstrated mutton to be cheaper and more nu¬ 
tritious than beef, and that sheep exhaust pastures less 
than cattle. He prefers the middling and coarse wooled 
varieties. The census statistics show that the number of 
sheep in Massachusetts has decreased more than 260,000 
in 20 years. The State has now 112,000 dogs and 113,000 
sheep ! He refers to the fact that in Ohio the loss by dogs 
was over $140,000 in one year. 
Starting a Nursery.— Wm. S, Ridgely, Newtor 
Co., Mich., and others. The most feasible plan for such 
enterprises is to commence on a small scale and enlarge 
as the business grows. In this way have originated tha 
mo.st extensive estahlisments in the Eastern State* 
