1877 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
35 
it. The presence of oak and hickory, or other potash 
consuming growth, is an indication of the presence of 
potash in the soil. When such lands, however, have 
been so worn .that when turned out, stunted old field 
pines spring up, it is safe to assume that the addition of 
a moderate quantity of potash will increase production. 
Concerning the use of potash on pine lands, the advice 
is given without statement of the grounds upon which it 
is based. It is presumed, however, that the statements 
would not be made without good reason. In lack of 
stable manure, the plan of composting the cotton-seed in 
layers with three or four times its bulk of earth would 
doubtless be excellent. 
Acid Phoshates. —In Table 36 in the December Amer¬ 
ican Agriculturist, were mentioned two superphosphates 
without nitrogen. These were imported from England, 
where they are manufactured cheaply, and of very high 
grades. A sample exhibited at the Centennial, and said to 
be made in this country, was guaranteed to contain about 
31 per cent of soluble phosphoric acid. The price was 
$65 per ton, which would bring the soluble acid at about 
10J4 cts. per lb. The acid phosphates of our markets, 
however, are very seldom as rich as this, but more fre¬ 
quently contain 5 to 15 per cent of the soluble acid. 
Generally speaking, the highest grades are the cheapest, 
in the large markets were they are manufactured or im¬ 
ported. In places distant from the markets, the difference 
in favor of the high grades is still greater, on account of 
the cost of transportation. It costs no more to freight a 
ton of a 30 per cent, than a ton of a 10 per cent article. 
In the one case, the cost of freight is divided over600 lbs., 
in the other, over only 200 lbs. of soluble phosphoric acid. 
The greater part of these articles are manufactured from 
the fossil and mineral phosphates from South Carolina 
and Navassa, and contain more or less of useless material, 
as iron and alumina, which are valueless, increase the bulk 
and weight of the fertilizer, and, still further, cause some 
of the phosphoric acid, which has been rendered soluble 
by addition of sulphuric acid to change to theless soluble, 
and consequently less valuable form, known as “ revert¬ 
ed,” “reduced,” or “precipitated ’’phosphoric acid. 
Still, since the supply of bones and bone-black is not 
sufficient to supply the demand for phosphoric acid, these 
materials must be used, and are used with profit. 
How Bone-Dust is Made.—“J. W. S.,” 
Union Co., Pa. Bone dust is made either as a refuse pro¬ 
duct in the manufacture of knife handles, buttons, and 
other articles, for which the shins and other hardest 
bones are used, or common bones are ground in a mill, 
such as the Bogardus Eccentric Mill, or others made for 
tfie work. The ground bones are sifted and separated into 
coarse, fine, or finest, or sold as they come from the mill. 
Special Fertilizers. —“E. E.,” Linden, 
N. J. Soluble fertilizers, such as guano or nitrate of soda, 
are useless, if not injurious, in a dry season. Without 
abundant moisture their solution is too concentrated, and 
destroys the tender extremities of the rootlets by which 
nutriment is absorbed. Too much water would carry the 
soluble matter down to the roots faster that it could be 
taken up, or if the plants are not in active growth, the 
fertilizing matter could not be appropriated. For these 
reasons we would use but very little of such soluble fer¬ 
tilizers in the fall, but apply the bulk of them in the 
spring, as soon as growth begins. Guano and nitrate of 
soda are generally used at the rate of about 250 lbs. of the 
former, and 150 lbs. of the latter, per acre. 
Draining' a Marsh l*y Bumping.— 
“Subscriber.” There would be no difficulty in draining 
a marsh by raising an embankment around it, and pump¬ 
ing the water out of the ditches, if the land is worth the 
expense. The work would probably cost $40 or $50 per 
acre, and the pumping would be a continual expense. 
Before engaging in it, a competent engineer should be 
consulted, or the cost may be double what it ought to be. 
Sprain of (lie flip Joint.— “ G. D.,” 
Beans Corner, Me. The wasting of the muscles of the 
hip do not certainly indicate disease of the hip joint. 
The trouble may be in the hock. If it should be ascer¬ 
tained beyond doubt to be in the hip, the horse should 
have perfect rest for a few weeks. Cloths dipped in cold 
water should be laid over the hip, to reduce any heat of 
the parts, and when this is removed, the following may be 
rubbed on with the hand every second day, viz., turpen¬ 
tine one ounce, oil of cloves two ounces, creosote one 
ounce. Perseverance for a few weeks in this treatment 
may result in a cure. If not, a seton may be used, but 
only by a veterinary snrgeon. 
The Basis of Vainest of Fertilizers. 
“W. H. B.,” Lexington, Ya. The basis upon which 
the values of fertilizers are estimated, is derived, 
as near as may bo, from the commercial values of those 
substances which supply the different ingredients most 
readily. Thus the value of nitrogen is based on the 
market price of nitrate of soda; ammonia is valued ac¬ 
cording to the price of guano, or that of sulphate of 
ammonia, a constant production of the gas works and a 
staple article in the market. Phosphoric acid is valued 
•according to the pi-ice of bones or phosphates produced 
from them. In this way we get a settled basis of values. 
Ammonia is not now valued at 30 cents a pound; 25 cents 
or less, is a fair value, and phosphoric acid is valued at 
12 cents for soluble, 8c. for reverted, and 6c. for insoluble. 
Of course the prices of these substances as fertilizers 
is regulated by their value for other uses, and vice versa. 
Sowing' Wheat on Clover Sod.— 
“ I. B. C„” Holder, Ill., suggests the following manner 
of sowing fall wheat, viz., sow the seed on a clover sod, 
and plow it under, turning the sod to a depth of two 
inches only ; then roll the ground. 
Manhattan Blood Guano Co.— We 
are informed that Mr. Thos. J. Hand has retired from the 
Manhattan Blood Guano Co., and that .Mr. E. F. Cooke 
is now the sole agent. The business is now conducted 
by Messrs. Wing & Evans. 
Somebody Blundered. —The crews of 
the returned ships Alert and Discovery, of the British 
Arctic Expedition suffered terribly from scurvy. In this 
day of canned fruits and vegetables—about whioh, by the 
way, the English know but little—and when potatoes are 
so dried as to be difficult to tell on the table from fresh, 
these ships were sent to sea without proper stores. In 
our late civil war, the army was abundantly supplied 
with dried and canned vegetables of all kinds, but it 
takes people on the other side a long while to learn. 
Paralysis in Hogs. — “ W. M. S.,” Aiken, 
S. C. It is difficult to decide what has caused the dis¬ 
ease in your hogs, without knowing how they have been 
treated. If they have been kept in the woods, and have 
slept in cold, damp places, that would be quite sufficient 
to account for it. In this case the hogs should be well 
taken care of, fed with boiled potatoes, or boiled com, 
given very slightly warm, and have good, warm pens and 
bedding. The weak parts should be rubbed with tur¬ 
pentine, and a piece of blanket should be tied around 
the body. But the cause may be parasites in the muscles 
or kidneys; if so, a cure is almost hopeless. Parasites 
may be prevented by keeping the hogs in pens, and not 
permitting them to eat offal or filth. 
To get rid of Stumps.—“T. K. M." 
Probably the easiest way to remove stumps is by blast¬ 
ing. Dynamite is now used for this purpose with good 
effect. But an experienced hand is required to use the 
explosive, which is many times more powerful than 
common blasting powder. 
Popular Scientific Works. —We some 
months ago referred to the excellent service rendered by 
Messrs. D. Appleton & Co., N. Y., to the advancement 
of science by the publication of works, which, though 
popular, are by the most eminent men at home and 
abroad. “ Smatterers ” in science have had their day, and 
it is now conceded that only thorough masters of a 
science are safe popular teachers. 
Darwiniana. —Under this title are brought together in 
a neat volume of nearly 400 pages, the writings by Prof. 
Asa Gray, upon what is popularly known as Darwinism. 
Most of the chapters have appeared as articles in the 
various reviews and journals during the past 16 years. 
The general reader will probably get from this a much 
better idea of Darwin’s views, than if he read Darwin’s 
own works, and will also see how they are regarded by 
one abundantly able to test their accuracy as relates to 
at least one department of science. Price, $2.00. 
The Baces op Man, and their Geographical Dis¬ 
tribution, by Oscar Peschel. This is a translation of 
one of the most recent and valuable works of the present 
time, and presents in a readable form the present state of 
our knowledge as to the history, and development, of our 
race, a subject now receiving much attention at the hands 
of scientists, and which has an interest for all intelligent 
readers. Pp. 528, Price $2.25. 
Sound, by John Tyndall, D. C. L., etc—Those who 
heard or read Prof. Tyndall’s lectures, or are familiar 
with his former works on heat, etc., need not be told how 
admirably he presents his subjects, and the remarkable 
clearness in which he places matters usually regarded as 
abstruse. The presentwork is the third edition revised 
and enlarged. Prof. T. informs ns in his preface that an 
earlier edition enjoyed the distinction of being translat¬ 
ed into Chinese, and published by the Chinese govern¬ 
ment. Price, $2.00. 
The Theory op Sound in Delation to Music, by 
Prof. Pietro Blaserna.—This is one of the International 
Scientific Series, and its author a resident of Borne, Italy. 
It covers a very different ground from Tyndall’s work; 
that is a manual of acoustics, to illustrate principles, 
while this makes a practical application of the principles 
to music. This work commends itself to every musician 
who would understand the fundamental laws upon which 
his art is based. Pp. 187, Price $1.50. 
Botanical Hand-Book, by C. E. Hobbs, 
especially designed as a reference book for druggists and 
apothecaries. This gives the various English names, the 
botanical and officinal names of all the crude vegetable 
drugs in common use. It shows much patient, pains¬ 
taking work, and is a book which we can commend to 
our many pharmaceutical friends. Published by A. C. 
Hobbs, Sommerville, Mass. Price, $3.50. 
Reports ;md Proceedings.—In order 
to start square with the new year, we acknowledge the 
following, received in the latter part of 1876. We hope 
our friends, to whom thanks for their attention, will not 
measure our appreciation of their kindness by the brevity 
of our notices. 
The Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture.— 
The Beport of the Secretary, Chas. L. Flint, Esq. for 1875, 
though not so profusely illustrated, as some previous 
ones, seems to contain an unusual number, (even for this 
Beport), of useful and practical articles, some of which 
we have read with pleasure and profit. 
The Wisconsin State Horticultural Society.— 
Transactions of the annual meeting, held Feb. 1876, com¬ 
piled by F. W. Chase, Sec., has a handsome frontispiece 
in a colored print of Whiting’s Siberian Crab, No. 20, 
one of the “ iron-cladsthe reading matter covers a 
wide range, and what is sometimes overlooked, is local, 
and consequently useful to the people of the State. 
The Iowa State Horticultural Society’s Report 
for 1875 and a part of 1876, contains useful papers and 
discussions, but there is some of the strangest matter, 
called “ botany,” that we ever saw in print. Has the 
Society no botanist among its members to correct these 
glaring inaccuracies f—If not, suppress the matter. 
Forest Trees of the U. S.—This is a list with use¬ 
ful notes, of the remarkable exhibition of forest trees, in 
the U. S. Government Building, at the Centennial, which 
was made through the industry of Doctor Geo. Vasey of 
the Department of Agriculture. We hope that a build¬ 
ing will be provided at Washington for this collection 
which should be preserved not only for its intrinsic value, 
but as a proper acknowledgment of the labors of Dr. V., 
and those who aided him. 
Forests and Forestry at the Vienna Exhibition in 
1873. Sometimes it does happen that our Government 
blunders into putting the right man in a place. This 
was done when Dr. John A. Warder was sent to repre¬ 
sent us at Vienna, and why his experience and great 
knowledge were not made available and used in our own 
exhibition, is “one of those things no fellow can find 
out.”—They didn’t, and he didn’t, and that’s all any 
one knows abont it. This Beport on Austrian Forestry, 
and the Schools of Forestry, will in the future, when we 
think and act in this direction, be of even more value 
than it is at present. 
Educational and School Books.— 
We have received from E. Steiger, 22 and 24 Frankfort 
st., N. Y., the publisher, who has done so much to intro¬ 
duce the kindergarten: 
Friedrich Frcebel, a Biographical Sketch, by Matilda 
H. Kriege, pp. 29. Price, in paper, 25c.; in cloth, 50c. 
This sketch of his life, with a portrait of the “ Children’s 
Friend,” will be welcomed by the increasing number of 
those interested in his life-work, the kindergarten. 
The Science and Art of Education, by Joseph 
Payne, of London, is a small work uniform in 6ize and 
price with the above. 
The following have been received from A. S. tames & 
Co., No. 111-113 William St., N. Y., a firm long known as 
one of the leading houses engaged in publication of school 
books. Their works are mechanically all that can be de¬ 
sired, and the names of the authors of eminence who 
contribute to their list of elementary works, indicate the 
high character of their publications. In the crowded 
state of our columns we can only notice them as bills in 
Congress are too often read—by title: 
First Steps in General History. By Arthur Gil¬ 
man, pp. 385. Price, $1 25. 
Seven Historic Ages. Same author; pp. 144. Price, 
$1. The first of these is a compendium for the use of 
schools, and for reference; a very fnll bibliography adds 
to its value. The second is a familiar talk with children 
on the marked historic ages. 
First Steps in English Literature. By the same; 
pp. 2:43. Price, $1. 
Manual of Geometry. By W. G. Peck. Price, $1 60. 
Pooler’s Test Speller. Words with definitions, 25c. 
