134 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Mat, 
Into which are thrown various useful or interesting 
Items, Replies to Questions, Extracts from Letters, Glean¬ 
ings from other Journals, etc. 
Errors always Corrected.—If by misunder¬ 
standing, any error or mistake should by chance occur in 
forwarding any premium exactly as promised, all needed 
corrections will be gladly made. 
Dwarf Broom Corn — Error. — Our printer 
placed Mr. Chandlee at Sandy Spring, Pa., last month. 
It should be Mil., as it appears in the present paper. 
Tlie Premium Dictionary. —In proof of what 
we have said of the value of Worcester’s New Dictionary, 
we invite attention to the opinions of some of the leading 
literary men of the country which appear in the Pub¬ 
lishers’ advertisement on page 158. 
First rate Premiums for All.— We invite the 
attention of all our readers to the very valuable premiums 
offered by the publisher, for a short time only. See last 
page (160). These offers must close next month. All the 
books and the hydropult are excellent, anti worthy of the 
effort required to secure them. The “ standing premiums ” 
on page 154 can be secured at any lime. 
Draining- Questions. —We are highly pleased at 
receiving a great number of queries on draining, as they 
indicate a largely increased interest in this important sub¬ 
ject. It will be impossible to answer each question by 
itself, but the series of articles now in course of publica¬ 
tion will include every point referred to by our various 
correspondents. The more questions asked the better, 
however, for they show what information is most needed 
and suggest points that might otherwise be overlooked. 
MEuysag Implements, Trees, Seeds, House¬ 
hold Articles, etc.—We again commend to our read 
ers the Purchasing agency of Mr. Lane, advertised in our 
columns. The convenience to the public of such an agen¬ 
cy is obvious. The entire reliability of Mr. Lane, may 
be judged of by the strong recommendations he has from 
some of the ablest substantial business men of N. Y. city 
and elsewhere. One half of these men alone own prop¬ 
erty to the amount of at least ten millions of dollars. We 
are the more interested in this enterprise because it was 
started at our own suggestion, because it is a matter of 
convenience to our readers, and saves a world of busi¬ 
ness correspondence hitherto addressed to the editor of 
the Agriculturist, and because Mr. Lane was, in former 
years, one of our highly esteemed instructors. 
To Persons Offering Free Seeds. —Frequent 
letters are received for publication, offering various seeds 
to those who will forward prepared envelopes. Most of 
these offers are prompted by generous impulses; a few 
take this method of getting the names of persons to whom 
they enclose a few seeds, perhaps worthless, and in the 
same letter an advertisement of some humbug. We can 
therefore only publish offers from known reliable per¬ 
sons ; and even then it is seldom that any one has seed 
enough to supply a tenth of the calls that would be re¬ 
ceived. For example, a subscriber offered to distribute 
among his fellow subscribers, four quarts of good squash 
seed. After giving away all he had in small parcels, 
more than a thousand others applied. A good deal of 
trouble and scolding was the result. 
Sorghum Sugar—Inquiry.— While most have 
succeeded in producing good syrup from the juice of the 
Sorghum, or Chinese Sugar Cane, few persons have ob¬ 
tained good sugar. There are many inquiries for infor¬ 
mation, and we would respectfully request all who have 
been successful in making good sugar to send us the de¬ 
tails—giving the whole process, from the time and mode 
of cutting the cane, to the production of sugar. 
Market Fair.— May 1st and 2d, the second Market 
Fair, under the direction of the Bedford Farmers’ Club 
will be held at Katonah, Westchester Co., N. Y. Visitors 
are admitted free, and also all articles except live animals, 
upon which a small charge of 3 to 10 cents each is charged 
to cover expense of providing for them. This Fair is de¬ 
signed to bring together all those who wish to sell or buy 
farm or garden products, animals, etc., etc. We trust the 
enterprise will prove so successful as to warrant its con¬ 
tinuance as a permanent institution, and the general in¬ 
troduction of this new feature in our country. For 
information address any one of the Committee, viz.: 
Messrs. John Jay, Jared II. Green, and Oliver Green ; or 
the Superindent, Mark Harris, Katonah, N. Y. 
wsnt«*»--niiPiDig «*! Drained I.g»d.—“Farm¬ 
er,” ,of Chi Uicothe, 0.,a?lfs: “ What goodwill drains do 
when the ground is deeply frozen, but thaws three inches 
and is then soaked to that depth by rains, followed by 
many night freezings and day thawings.”-The point 
is well taken, and it is perhaps too much to say that win¬ 
ter-killing never happens on thoroughly drained land. Yet 
such cases as are described by “ Farmer ” are rare. In 
most cases the ground breaks up when a thaw commences. 
Thawing and freezing t-wice or thrice will not destroy the 
roots, or we should have no Winter crops. It is a suc¬ 
cession of such changes on wet soils that breaks and tears 
the roots; and it is safe to say that the injury is tenfold 
less when the soil is kept dry, except in occasional in¬ 
stances like those named. 
Giant Rye.— Giant Wheat. —O. M. Lord. The 
grain sent by you is sometimes called “Wild Goose 
Wheat.” It is really a mammoth rye. The Giant Wheat 
distributed from this office, is not the same with the “Wild 
Goose Wheat,” largely advertised in some quarters, but 
is a variety improved by careful selection for years in 
England. As heretofore stated, we can not vouch for its 
superiority when grown in this country, but it is of suffi¬ 
cient promise to warrant trial on a small scale. 
The Japanese Wheat Humbug Still A- 
live. —We notice that the persons engaged in swindling 
the public by offering millet seed under the spurious 
name of “ Japanese Wheat," ard*still operating. As late 
as April 13, a lot of the circulars came to our own Coun¬ 
ty Post Office, addressed to various farmers, and among 
others one to our own name ! Though our caution, pub¬ 
lished in the February Agriculturist, page 38, has been 
widely copied by other papers, yet the operators hope, by 
sending the circulars all over the country, to occasional¬ 
ly reach some foolish man wdio has “ not read the pa¬ 
pers.” As the millet seed costs comparatively nothing, 
if sent at all, they will make money at it if one person in 
50 or 75 of those addressed forward the dollar. 
44 Egyptian Corn ” Humbug.— To J. A. Lee, 
Pike Co., Mo., and others. Two or more parties are dis 
tributing plausible handbills, advertising to send, for a 
dollar, a little parcel of seed that they call “ Egyptian 
Corn,” of which they tell wonderful stories. It is the 
Dourah corn, or what was a few years since called 
“ Egyptian Wheat.” It is not worth the dollar. Many 
persons, (including ourselves,) have tried it during half a 
dozen years past, and while some have thought it worth 
raising for chicken feed, and even for other animals, very 
few have grown it a second or third year. The special 
humbug in this case, is in the price asked, and the stories 
told of its origin, value, etc. 
Dwarf Broom Corn Seed.—J. A. Voorhies, 
Middlesex Co., N. J. Box of seed received, for which 
please accept thanks. 
White Rye. —We hear from several subscribers 
most excellent accounts of this variety, which was for¬ 
merly in our premium seed distribution. E. It. Cady, Co¬ 
lumbia Co., N. Y., who sowed about an acre, states that 
it yielded finely, gave grain several pounds heavier per 
bushel than the ordinary variety, and made a very supe¬ 
rior quality of flour. 
Sods under IPotato Hills—Bugs.— Edmund 
Bacon, Worcester Co., Mass., writes that though he had 
good potatoes for three successive years, on land liberally 
manured, he lost many of them by rot. Last year he used 
no manure, but put an inverted sod under the seed in each 
hill. The result was, he had a fair crop of good mealy 
potatoes, and very little rot ; while his neighbors who 
planted in the usual way, suffered from the rot as much 
as ever. He used seed saved from potatoes that rotted 
the previous year, and kept them in the same place- 
The striped bugs have annually visited the vines in large 
numbers. Last year when the bugs began to appear, he 
dusted the vines with a mixture of 2 parts ashes and 1 
part plaster, applied through a meal sieve. The bugs 
“ seceded ” at once. 
Hubbard Squash, Pure.— E. P. Pike, Waldo 
Co., Me. The pure Hubbard squash is shaped much like 
the marrow, rather smaller in size, of a dark green color, 
very rough and hard shell, with dry, yellow meat, very 
sweet and fine, especially in winter. 
Melons Rotting.— Wm. Platts, Scott Co., Iowa, 
says he had % acre of Skillman’s Netted Muskmelons last 
year which fruited well, but before quite ripe enough to 
gather, about one-third of them cracked open, molded, 
and became sour. They were planted in good season, on 
a rich sand loam, facing the southeast, and the vines ap¬ 
peared vigorous. He asks the cause and the remedy. 
We can not give it; we had almost the same result with 
three varieties, last year, scarcely a melon being fit to 
eat. We could attribute it to nothing but the unusual 
weather. Perhaps the long drouth prevented a sufficient 
development of roots, and a new rapid growth of these 
and of vines, when the autumn rains came, (pay haye 
checked the maturing of the fruit. The question is be 
fore the meeting. 
Rhubarb, or Plo-Plant. —N. E. Mertrens, 
Searcy Co., Ark. The leaf stems of this plant are an ad¬ 
mirable substitute for apples, for sauce and pies—espe¬ 
cially in a new country where fruits are scarce. The 
stems are pealed, cut, cooked, and sweetened, just like sour 
apples. Ten or a dozen strong roots will supply a large 
family well during the season. They are cheap now, and 
can be carried almost any distance. They require little 
culture, though like most other plants they pay well for 
good soil and manure. The roots increase in size, and 
are propagated by cutting them into pieces, or “crowns,” 
and planting out, 3 to 4 feet apart, as early as may be in 
Spring. All things considered, the Linnaeus Rhubarb is 
now deservedly the most popular variety. Rhubarb may 
be raised from seed, though more time is required, and 
you are not certain to get true or very good varieties from 
seed. Sow in a bed early in Spring, thin out to 4 inches, 
and transplant in October. 
Early Turnips. —S. Peters, Burlington Co., Vt. 
One of the earliest, is the Strap-leaved Red-top, called 
also the Early Red-top Dutch, which is ready for the ta¬ 
ble in five or six weeks from planting. It may be sown at 
any season up to the middle of August, or so late as to 
give it two months to grow before frost. It is les6 solid 
and nutritious than the Swedes or Ruta-bagas, which re¬ 
quire a longer season, and should be sown from the middle 
of May to the first or middle of June. For family use 
early turnips may be grown in vacant spots, between rows 
of corn and garden vegetables, and especially between 
hills of cucumbers and squashes, as they are soon out of 
the way of the extending vines. We always produce an 
abundant supply for the table without wasting any ground. 
Shallot. —R. M. Shultz, Cooper Co., Mo. This is a 
species of onion, of strong flavor, and highly prized by 
some for seasoning, especially with beef steak. Is little 
used in this country as yet. The roots are small, oblong 
and irregular, growing in clusters as offsets from the root 
set out. Cultivate just like onion sets in Spring ; or put 
the bulbs in the ground three inches deep, in October or 
November, five inches apart, in rows 10 inches apart, and 
cover with 3 or 4 inches, of soil. In Spring draw away 
most of the earth, leavingthe bulbs nearly bare, and after¬ 
wards simply keep out the weeds. When the tops are up, 
take up the roots, dry and put away for use. 
Latvn Grass. —E. E. Welbon, Jefferson Co., Ill. 
The preference now is for a single variety of grass for 
the lawn. The perennial Italian Rye grass w inter-killed 
with us. We shall now try the Kentucky Blue Grass. 
Nasturtiums, or Endian Cress. —B. N. Mieux, 
Dorchester Co., Canada. The common nasturtium is 
worthy a place in vour garden. Its flowers are beautiful 
and its green seea capsules make the finest pickles we 
have, thus combining beauty and utility. Sow on any 
good soil as early as it can be worked. They will run on 
a wall or trellis from six to a dozen feet. The dwarf va¬ 
rieties scarcely need a trellis. You can hardly fail to 
grow the nasturtium with as little trouble as peas are cul¬ 
tivated. The vines, leaves, and seed capsulses taste some¬ 
what like the common water cress. 
Marls. —J. S. D., Emmet Co., Mich. There arevari- 
l ious deposites called marls, though the term is usually 
applied to calcarious (lime shell) earths, containing 
a considerable portion of lime originally produced from 
the shells of water animals. Such marls are easily recog¬ 
nized by effervescing (or boiling) briskly, when a little 
acid, (hydrochloric, sulphuric, or nitric,) is dropped upon 
them. Many supposed marls prove to be only clay de¬ 
posites ; these are not affected by acids. The “ green 
sand marl” of New-Jersey is a different substance, con¬ 
taining potash, phosphoric acid, and organic remains, etc. 
It is applied and mixed with poor soils in large quantities 
at any convenient season, and generally with excellent 
results, if used freely. Common marl is also applied 
at any time, spread broadcast, and mixed with the soil by 
plowing or harrowing, or both. Its action is more like 
that of lime than of plaster. 
Raising Early Chickens In a Hot-foed.—- 
A “ New Subscriber” in Baltimore Co., Md., writes that 
he has raised two broods of fine early chickens, hatched 
Jan. 17th and 20th, by keeping them for a season under a 
glass protection, in an unused hot-bed — Not a bad idea. 
Very early Spring chickens command a high price in our 
large cities. A large hot-bed would offer room for a con¬ 
siderable number of chickens, which mignt be kept there 
until well started, and by gradual exposure be hardened 
off ready to take their place in the poultry yard by the 
time the glass is needed for plants. A sash costing $3 or 
$4 may thus annually serve the double purpose of raising 
early chickens, and then a supply of early plants of cab¬ 
bage, lettqce, rqd|shes, etq, 
