[ 1861 . 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
107 
Into which are thrown various useful or interesting 
Replies to Questions, Extracts from Letters, Glean¬ 
ings from other Journals, etc. 
Mead the Chapters on Draining.— However 
imperfect may be our articles on Draining, the subject is 
one of the highest importance, and no one can fail to get 
some useful hints and suggestions from what is said in 
these chapters. The first articles should be read by those 
who have as yet omitted to study the earlier numbers of 
this volume, beginning with February, page 36. The day 
is not distant, when he who does not understand and 
practice thorough draining, will certainly be far in the 
rear of the front rank of successful cultivators. 
The Special Premiums, of new Wheat, Tur¬ 
nip Seed, and the Barometer, which are seasonable this 
month, will be found on page 220. A few Special Book 
Premiums will be found on the last page. The Standing 
Premiums for the volume are continued on page 218. 
Advertisements of Good Articles by reliable 
parties, will be found on pages 219, 221, 222, and 223. 
Sale of Jonas Webb’s Sheep.—Owing to the 
.nfirmities of age, and a desire to retire from active pur¬ 
suits, Jonas Webb, the most noted breeder of sheep in the 
world, has decided to give up breeding South Down 
Sheep, and he has announced for sale at Public Auction, 
without reserve, his entire flock of about 1000 head. The 
sale will commence July 10th, at his residence, Babra- 
ham, England. 
Try May and Grain Caps.—We wish our read¬ 
ers would try these excellent implements this year. Get 
coarse sheeting; IK to 2 yards wide ; tear it into square 
pieces, and rough hem them ; sew upon each corner a 
cord to form an eye or loop ; provide sharpened stakes a 
foot or so long ; spread one of them over each cock of 
uncured hay or shock of grain, fastening it down at the 
corners with the wooden pins; then sleep soundly if it 
does rain. These caps, without any preparation, if put 
on in the form of a tent, will shed off the rain, and allow 
he hay to cure beautifully, and the grain to dry out at 
pleasure. They will last for years ; and generally pay 
for themselves each year. 
Salting Hay. —This is a well established practice 
among farmers, and is of use if the hay is not fully 
cured when housed. We prefer to have hay well cured, 
without salt, and this can always be done, now that we 
have hay caps to guard against storms. Salt has a pre¬ 
serving quality, but the hay may be so green as to heat 
in spite of it, or so much coarse salt tnay be used that it 
will not all be dissolved. Fine salt is better* than coarse, 
as it can be more equally distributed through the mass. 
American Herd Bools, Vol. V— Containing 
Pedigrees of Short-Horn Cattle, with Introductory Notes, 
by Lewis F. Allen, Black Rock, Erie Co., N. Y. This 
standard work is of great value, indeed, indispensable to 
to breeders of Short-Horn or Durham Cattle, and is so 
well known that we need say little more than to merely 
announce that it is ready for delivery. Both this and the 
preceding volumes should be in the archives of all Agri¬ 
cultural Societies where Short-Horns are bred and ex- 
nibited, for reference In deciding upon the points of blood 
>f competing animals. It can be obtained by forwarding 
io Mr. Allen, as above, $5.00, or $5.40 if the book is to be 
sent by mail. The three previous volumes can be had for 
$ 11 , or the four for $15. The first volume is out of print. 
44 United States Mail” is the name of a valuable 
monthly Journal, published at New-York by the Editor 
and Proprietor, J. Holbrook, the well known Special 
Agent of the Post Office Department, who has probably 
had more to do with ferreting out Post Office robberies, 
than any other man in this country. He is the author of 
an interesting book entitled “ Ten Years among the Mail 
Bags.” The journal is filled with a great variety of use¬ 
ful information in regard to all matters connected with the 
Mails, Post Offices, etc. Terms, $1 a year. Address 
‘ Publisher of United States Mail, New-York.” 
Bee Books.— E. E. Brown, Jones Co., Iowa. 
Langstroth’s Hive and Honey Bee, ($1.25,) and Quinby’s 
Mysteries of Bee Keeping, ($1.00,) are both good books, 
which will give you the desired information. We can 
send them post-paid on receipt of price. 
War Book. —“A Manual of Military Surgery, or 
Hints on the emergencies of field, camp, and hospital 
practice, etc., by S. D. Gross, M. D., Professor of Surgery 
in the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelpiua,” is the 
title of a valuable little work for the times, published by 
J. B. Lippincott & Co. Price 50 cents. 
Cliess produced from Wlieat by Slteep, 
etc.—Among the multitude of claims for the cliess pre¬ 
mium, Mr. John W. Puffer, of Kewaunee Co., Wis., 
sends in the following, which we will put “ on rec¬ 
ord Sow winter wheat in Spring; let sheep feed it 
down during the Summer; and the next year it will yield 
a crop of chess—Let those who have faith enough try 
this method_William Eckly, of Genesee Co., Mich., 
makes a similar claim_N. N. Hartzell, of Hancock 
Co., Ill., says he has been successful by two somewhat 
similar processes, and asks for the premium.—1st, he 
mowed the wheat down after it was in joint or stalk, and 
it grew again and headed to chess at six inches high.—2d, 
he covered the wheat with a plank until yellow, and then 
cut it off, preparatory for a growth of chess. 
'Wlieat and Cliess—Final answer for the Present. 
—We are compelled to beg a “truce,” and “retire from 
the field ” for the present, that is so far as replying to the 
letters fired at us by companies, regiments, and whole 
brigades. We begin to despair finding storage room even, 
for these missives that continue to come faster and thick¬ 
er than ever. A simple offer of a premium of $500 was 
made to the first one who would go to work and ascer¬ 
tain by repeated experiments, just how wheat can be made 
to produce chess, if it can be done ; to ascertain this so 
definitely, that we and others can repeat the experiment 
and produce the same result. We want to grow a crop 
of chess, ( not shrunken wheat) from good wheat seed, 
if it can be done. When this is accomplished, the $500 
will be ready, and cheerfully paid. This plain straight¬ 
forward offer has called forth a host of applicants, many 
of them demanding the premium on the strength of being 
able to prove that sometime within the last twenty years 
they have found chess growing where it could only have 
come from wheat. The offer was made on no such easy" 
terms. If it is not large enough to stimulate the trans- 
mutationists to make new and careful experiments, such 
as will establish the fact, and definitely ascertain how the 
thing can be done, and repeated with success, we will 
double or triple the amount—but not for any half-way 
guess work. While such experiments are being made, 
please let us have a truce in the useless letter contest. 
Can’t do It—lotteries.— Several persons write 
that they have purchased Lottery Tickets through dealers 
in Wilmington, Del., which, they are sure, drew prizes ; 
but the dealers refuse to send them the full report of the 
drawings, or to answer their inquiries. The best of the 
joke is, that some of these persons write desiring us to 
interpose in their behalf, and even offer us half of the re¬ 
ceipts for our trouble.—Can’t do it, gentlemen ; we could 
not consistently use the money obtained from such 
sources; and besides, there would be little hope of getting 
it. These lottery dealers are sharp, unprincipled chaps,up 
to any dodge ; and any one who would trust to their for¬ 
warding a prize, even if drawn, must pay whatever he in¬ 
vests, for his information. There is not a lottery in the 
country that is not an unmitigated swindle ! And such a 
thing as an honest dealer in lottery tickets is not to be 
found this side of the hot regions ! What they have down 
there, can’t tell—and hope never to know. 
Lime and Barn-Yard Manure together.— 
A subscriber asks if in the use of lime and manure in 
Autumn or Spring, they may be applied at the same time. 
We answer, generally not. Manure from the yard is 
usually somewhat decomposed, and the decay will go on 
fast enough without the aid of alkalies. Lime, ashes, or 
other alkalies, act beneficially by decomposing unferment¬ 
ing organic matters in the soil, such as small roots, peat, 
muck, etc., and fitting them to nourish growing plants. 
Fresh lime, or ashes, mixed with manure, decompose it 
too rapidly. When both are to be used, it is better to ap¬ 
ply one to the soil at a time, and thoroughly work it in 
with a plow or harrow. This may be done in Autumn or 
Spring. Then, at the latest period before using the soil, 
work in the other ; if lime were used at first, apply the 
manure ; and, vice versa, apply the lime if the manure 
were previously used. 
Transient Showers and Draining.— John 
P. Cone, Atchinson Co., Kansas, asks if draining would 
not be detrimental, when only transient showers fall, at 
long intervals, as happened in Kansas last year. Doubt¬ 
less temporary injury would result; yet the constant de¬ 
posit of moisture from the air circulating through the 
drains, and up through the soil, would more than counter¬ 
balance the occasional cases like those referred to. 
Depth of Milk in Dans.— The best depth for 
setting milk in pans may be ascertained by making a con¬ 
siderable number of experiments like the following, re¬ 
lated by a correspondent of the Homestead: He set 
twelve quarts of milk in each of two tin pails, of such 
size that the milk stood ten inches deep. Total weight of 
milk 47 lbs. 10 oz. The next day the same quantity of 
milk from the same cows was put into pans at a depth of 
two inches, and placed on shelves by the side of the pails, 
the temperature of the room being about 50°. In foul 
days the first milk was sour, and on being skimmed, gave 
3 lbs. 2 oz. of cream, which, after standing one day, 
yielded 24 ounces of butter. The milk in the shallow 
pans, after standing four days, gave 4 lbs. 8 oz. of cream, 
which yielded 33 ounces of butter, or 9 ounces in favor of 
shallow pans—equivalent to 37K per cent increase. A 
number of experiments, varying the depth of the milk, 
would be desirable.-We shall be glad to receive re¬ 
ports of accurate experiments for the Agriculturist. 
Dwarf Apples.—Several inquirers. The Paradise 
and Doucain stocks are small distinct varieties of hard 
sweet apples, propagated from cuttings, layers and shoots. 
The Paradise is preferred. By cutting down the main 
stem and banking up about the stool, an abundance of 
rooted suckers is obtained for separate planting. These 
are afterwards grafted, or budded with standard varieties, 
and the growth is stinted or dwarfed. They are also 
raised from cuttings, the same as quinces. 
Shortenting-in Peach Trees.—David Engle, 
Industry. Your trees, pruned Aug. 15, were cut too lata 
in the season. The after growth did not harden off suf¬ 
ficiently to stand the Winter. Better head back from 1st 
to 15th of July, no later, unless it be left till the season’s 
growth is over, say in October. 
Priming White Pine.—“ Querist” may prune his 
pine trees in June or July. Nip the shoots with thumb 
and finger if a dense shrubby habit be desired, and cut ofi 
the lower branches if a tall naked body be the object. 
Barren Strawberries.—Jas. Stephens, Putnam 
Co., Ind. Hovey’s Seedling Strawberry, is a pistillate and 
will not bear alone. Better cultivate in hills, setting one 
of Wilson’s Albany, Large Early Scarlet, or some other 
perfect or staminate variety to ten plants of Hovey. A 
small plot of staminates, growing near the pistillates, 
answers the same purpose. 
Small Private Green Houses.— Several In¬ 
quirers. The information asked, will be given when we 
can have it well done. 
Worms at the Moots of Pot Plants.—S. A. 
Snowdon, Clinton Co., O. In potting plants place a little 
pulverized charcoal in the bottom to keep worms from 
entering. When already there, apply lime water freely, 
or drown them by immersing the pot in a tank of water. 
The Army Worm, is committing ravages in the 
Western States, as we learn from numerous private let¬ 
ters. J. H. Abbott of Christian Co., Ill., says they ar® 
destroying the com and wlieat fields, and asks what will 
check their depredations. It is recommended to plow or 
dig a trench around the fields which are threatened by 
their invasion. The insects usually come in armies from 
one direction ; one account says they are traveling from 
east to west. Before they reach a field or farm, plow 
around It, turning the furrow from the field, leaving 
smooth clean cut which the worms can not easily ascend. 
Two furrows are still better, throwing the second one out 
with a spade, or following witli a subsoiler. Then throw 
out the loose soil, and leave a smooth perpendicular cut 
one foot in hight, next the field. Great numbers of the 
invaders might be destroyed after they have entered the 
furrow, by covering them with straw and burning it, re¬ 
peating the operation as often as a sufficient number are 
collected. 
Borer on the Plum Tree.— J. W. R., Philadel 
phia, Pa., sends to the office of the American Agricultur 
ist, a specimen of a worm found at work in the bark of a 
green gage plum tree. It is evidently a species of borer, 
resembling the eegeria exitiosa, which is very destructive 
to the peach, and is also found upon the plum. The lat¬ 
ter insect, however, so far as we know, confines its at¬ 
tacks to the bark of the root. The only sure remedy for 
the borer, is to cut it out from its hiding place, which can 
be found by examining for punctures in the tree, and fol¬ 
lowing the track with a wire or knife. The parent in¬ 
sects may be entrapped in large numbers by hanging bot¬ 
tles partly filled with sweetened water in the tree. 
Absconding Bees. —The Bee Journal says that the 
only reliable means of preventing the absconding of a 
swarm, besides the forming of artificial colonies, is to 
drum out the first and second swarms at the proper period. 
To prevent a natural swarm from decamping after being 
hived, place it in a cool room or a dry cellar for twenty 
four hours, supplying it plentifully with honey. The bees 
will commence building comb, and will remain contented 
when afterward brought out and placed on the stand. 
Wax or Cement for Bottles. —J. Truman, 
Hampden Co., Mass., 2 pounds of rosin melted with about 
2K ounces of tallow o,v lard, makes a cement which will 
not crack, and is equally as good as “ sealing wax.” 
