AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
S6 
more stringent than those of any other journal, in shut¬ 
ting out all medical and deceptive advertisements, and 
all persons whom we do not believe to have both the ability 
and intention to do just what they promise. Our readers 
can therefore write to them in confidence of receiving 
fair treatment. In writing to any of these men, or order¬ 
ring, or sending for catalogues, circulars, or information, 
it is well to let them kuow that you belong to the great, 
wide-awake Agriculturist family. It will please the ad¬ 
vertisers and perhaps stimulate them to extra care in 
pleasirg you, for marked failures to do the fair thing 
would exclude them from these columns afterwards. 
P. S.—As we go to press, our printers inform us that 
many of the last arriving advertisements must be left 
-out for want of room. 
Hillsboro, Iowa, Feb. 10,1877. 
“_I have taken and read the American Agriculturist for 
15 years, and would not be without It. ..I transfer it this year 
to the name of my sou, a small boy, to give him a feeling of 
proprietorship and increased interest in it....” 
The first part of the above extract from a subscription 
letter, is a sample of thousands of similar ones which 
stimulate the editors in their work. The second part 
contains a valuable suggestion to parents. 
Bulletin of* Wool Hlauiifticturc.— 
We have received No. 4 of Yol. 6 of the Bulletin of the 
“National Association of Wool Manufacturers.” This 
journal, issued quarterly, is the organ of the American 
woolen manufacturers, and contains matter of interest 
not only to them, but to wool growers who, to thoroughly 
comprehend their own business, must necessarily be in 
close communication with those who purchase and use 
their product. An article in this number on the “ Wool 
Industry in Our National Economy,” should be studied 
by every sheep breeder and wool grower. 
Cuttle Disease in England.— A seri¬ 
ous outbreak of disease amongst cattle is threatened in 
England. The disease is rife in some parts of Germany 
and Holland, from whence importations of live stock into 
England is now prohibited. Already the disease has 
been introduced by means of imported animals, and seri¬ 
ous fears, if not consternation, have seized upon the 
farmers and graziers. A great impetus has been given 
to the trade in American meats, which, after all, promises 
to become an established business. Now it is imperative 
for our own interests, that the possible importation of 
these destructive European diseases should be prevented 
by the utmost care and strictest supervision. 
Bliss & foil’s I*o 4 si to Catalogue 
has descrip'.ions of old and new varieties of potatoes for 
seed, but besides this it is a very interesting document, 
as it gives a report of the awards of the prizes offered last 
year. The largest yield of “ Alpha ” from one pound of 
seed, was obtained by H. C. Pearson, Pitcairn, N. Y., 
who had 1707K lbs. The same gentleman also took the 
first prize for the largest yield of “ Ruby,” of which he 
raised 1982 lbs. from one. The other yields, even the 
lowest, were equally astonishing. As these reports, 
from five different States, and one from Scotland, were 
sworn to, these wonderful results must be accepted as 
having been achieved ; the methods of cultivation are 
given in this catalogue for the benefit of others. 
Ayrshire Breeder’^ Association.— 
At the Annual Meeting of the A. B. A., held at Boston, 
January 18, it was reported that 122 animals had been ap¬ 
proved and recorded for the 2nd Vol. of the Ayrshire 
Record. The Treasurer, Secretary and Editor having de¬ 
clined to receive any money compensation for their ser- 
vizes, copies of the hern book were voted to them. It 
was»resolved : That a firm may be admitted to member¬ 
ship, but shall be entitled to only one vote : also, That it 
is inexpedient to insert cuts of animals in the next vol¬ 
ume of the Ayrshire Record. Among the officers elected 
are President, William Birnie, Springfield Mass., and 
Secretary, J. D. W. French, No. Andover, Mass. 
A Work on AltfaUa.—“ J. H. T.,” Lin¬ 
coln, N. M. There is no work exclusively devoted to the 
cultivation of Alfalfa or Lucern. It is treated pre¬ 
cisely like clover, except that it is best sown in drills 
nine inches apart, and without any other crop ; it then 
needs cultivation, to prevent weeds, until it takes full 
possession of the ground. Use 12 pounds of seed per 
acre when drilled, and 20 pounds broadcast. 
The Kinderpest in Europe.—Its 
Indirect Effects on America.— A serious out¬ 
break of the destructive cattle disease known as Rinder¬ 
pest, or Steppe disease, has recently occurred in Germany. 
This disease is a typhoid or enteric fever, and very much 
resembles in its symptoms and effects, that which is 
known in our Western States among hogs as hog-cholera. 
No more suddenly fatal or more contagions disease exists. 
It has rapidly spread from Germany, to Holland and Bel¬ 
gium, and has appeared amongst a cargo of imported cat¬ 
tle in England. By an order of the British Privy Council, 
all importations of foreign cattle, sheep, and goats, from 
German, Dutch, French, and Belgian ports are prohibited, 
and all cattle exhibiting symptoms of the disease, are 
killed and the carcasses destroyed. The present scarcity 
of beef and mutton in England, will be increased by the 
loss of the usual imported foreign supplies, unless the 
shipments from America are considerably enlarged. Al¬ 
ready it is proposed to fit up more of the ocean steamers 
with cool larders, for the preservation of the meat, and to 
build steamships specially prepared for the traffic. The 
largest ship in the world, the Great Eastern, may even 
find in this trade a reason for its existence, which its un¬ 
fortunate proprietors have been anxiously seeking ever 
since it was first afloat, without avail so far. 
“ Peruvian Guano, its Qualities, Brands 
Under which it is sold, and Brief Directions for Using it. 
Hobson, Hurtado & Co., Agents for the Peruvian Govern¬ 
ment, 63 Pine St., N. Y.” This handsome pamphlet of 40 
pages is something more than a mere business circular, 
as it gives information as to the most important and best 
of all commercial fertilizers that is of interest to every 
cultivator, who uses guano or other concentrated manure. 
It describes the composition of the different brands, there 
being five different forms of genuine guano, gives the 
composition of each, shows which is the best suited to 
particular crops, gives the method of applying and much 
other useful information. The publication maybe had 
of Hobson, Hurtado & Co., or of C. V. Mapes. 
Summer Podder Crops for Minne¬ 
sota.— “T. A. H.,” Otter Tail Co. Probably the best 
for your locality would be Hungarian grass, or German 
millet. Buckwheat is not healthful for fodder, and many 
cases of injury have occurred by feeding it. Corn planted 
late, in rows, and very thickly, would yield a heavy crop 
of fodder, which would be good for horses. German 
millet and Hungarian grass, are very nearly alike, and re¬ 
quire the same treatment. The seed is sown by itself in 
June or July, at the rate of two pecks per acre. 
Stock for a Dairy Turin.—“ W. K. 
M.,” Chattanooga, Tenn. For such a locality as yours, 
probably the best stock of co ws to be kept would be high 
grade Short-horns. To procure these, some of the best 
native cows should be selected, and a good, pure Short¬ 
horn bull, of a milking family of cows. From this stock 
the future dairy cows should be raised. The great advan¬ 
tage of the Short-horn is, that the cows are good feeders, 
and when past their prime as milkers, they can be turned 
into beef quickly. Or it may be that a herd of pure Jersey 
cows might be suitable. This depends upon the market, 
and the demand for young bulls that would not be want¬ 
ed. Jersey bull calves do not make desirable'beeves. 
Adamant Plows. — A new material for 
plow shares and mold-boards has been introduced by the 
New York Plow Company, Beekman St., N. Y. It is a 
remarkably hard metal, of even quality throughout, and 
so.tough, that it can be broken only with difficulty. The 
metal scratches glass with ease, takes an exceedingly fine 
polish, and will not rust ; it therefore scours in any soil 
as well as a steel plow. A silver medal was awarded for 
these plows by the American Institute at the last exhibi¬ 
tion. By a peculiar arrangement of the beam, which can 
be moved upon the standard, the draft is brought upon 
the center, the pressure upon the land-side of the furrow 
is removed, and the plow is very easy to hold. 
Proposed (lure for Warts.-“ C. C.,” 
Washington Co., Neb., gives the following as a cure for 
warts on cattle, viz: take equal parts of salt and lard, 
mix together, and rub the wart daily with the mixture. 
Hot Water for the Cabbage Worm. 
—A correspondent in Canada, refers to our note in Janu¬ 
ary last on killing the caterpillar of the cabbage butterfly 
by the use of hot water, says: (1) “ Did it occur to you 
that water hot enough to kill the worm, would as surely 
kill the cabbage leaf, as it would kill the worm ? (2) and 
common sense should tell you, or any other person, that 
a half-cooked cabbage would not grow.”— Ansicer. (1) 
Yes.— (2) We are quite agreed.— Remarks. We are not 
accustomed to make recommendations, unless upon our 
own knowledge, or upon the authority of those in whom 
we have confidence. And we expect that “common 
sense ” will be used in putting them to the test. The use 
of hot water to kill insects on plants is very old—we 
practised it 25 years ago, (and it was no novelty then,) 
by immersing potted plants in hot water. Some insects are 
killed hy a less heat than many suppose, and some plants 
will stand a degree of heat without injury, that those who 
have not tried it would fear to risk. Soft insects, like 
plant lice, grubs, and some larvce, are killed at 120“ to 
130°. “ Iron-clads,” like the Potato Beetle, require more. 
Almost all plants will stand immersion for a few seconds 
in water at 120° ; fuchsias, heliotropes, centaureas, etc., I 
arc not hurt at 140°; pelargoniums or geraniums will 
endure 150°. The point to be aimed at is to have the wa¬ 
ter hot enough to kill the insect, and not so hot as to 
hurt the plant. The application is so simple that it is 
worth a little trouble, and the loss of a few plants, to 
learn just where this medium lies. We saw the recom 
mendation in the Toronto paper, and it so accorded will 
our knowledge of the use of hot water in other cases, 
that we gave the suggestion as worthy of the attention oi 
those, who may need to try it the coming season. We 
are not the only ones to whom it does not “ occur ” that 
water hot enough to kill the worm, will kill the cabbage; 
Maj. Hugh T. Brooks read an interesting paper on “Our 
Insect Enemies,” at the last Annual Meeting of the West¬ 
ern N. Y. Hort. Society, in which he said in speaking of 
the Cabbage worm.: “ The judicious use of iiot water, 
say 180°, will save cabbage. Sprinkle the plants as soon 
as the worm appears, and repeat as often as seems neces¬ 
sary. The bugs can be killed at a temperature less than 
boiling hot, which will not injure the "plants.” Please 
recollect that we do not advise to cook, or even “ half¬ 
cook ” the cabbages, but to exercise “ common sense.” 
Mark Twain’s V.atest Work.— 
When Lord Timothy Dexter published his “Pickle for 
the Knowing Ones,” there was not a comma, period, of 
other point in it, but at the end of the work were several 
pages of nothing but punctuation marks, with a request 
to the reader to “ pepper and salt the work to suit him¬ 
self.” Mark Twain has improved upon Lord Timothy, 
for he has not only left out the punctuation, but the mat¬ 
ter to be punctuated, and presented a volume of blank 
pages for each one to fill to suit himself. Mark Twain’s 
latest is a “ Scrap-Book,” with the pages gummed in 
such a manner that a scrap can be inserted in the neatest 
manner with the least possible trouble. Published in 
various styles and prices by Slote, Woodman & Co., J 
William St., N. Y. 
Curing Rabbit Skins.— C. Lietz, Ulster 
Co., N. Y. Remove any adhering flesh, using care, as the 
skin is very tender; tack the skin, fur-side down, on a 
board, and sponge it over with a solution of3oz. of alum 
in a quart of water, at intervals for two or three days, 
allowing it to dry each time. The requisite softness is 
produced by working; one way is to roll the dry skin , 
lengthwise, hair inside, and draw it quickly through a 
smooth iron, or other ring; then roll the skin in the other . 
direction, and pass through the ring again; instead of a 
ring, the rolled skin may be drawn against a smooth piu. 
Zinc ILsibcIs for trees are of two kinds ; 
we recently referred to one upon which the name is 
stamped with a die. Another, which in one form -or l( 
another has been long in use, is written upon with an 
ink prepared for the purpose. Geo. Raphael, New j 
Rochelle, N. Y., makes exceedingly neat tags and pot 
labels, with an ink greatly superior to the old copper so- ] 
lution. The tags, ink, wire, etc., are put up in neat j 
boxes, and afford a handy and permanent label. 
Sorrento and Inlaid Work. — The 
crowded state of our columns, last month, allowed but a j 
brief notice of this handsome volume, by Arthur Hope. 
Short as the item was, we were chagrined to find that the 
name of the publisher was wrongly given. It is issued |i 
by John Wilkinson, ( not Williamson), Chicago, and is a i 
most creditable specimen of book making in the mechani- | 
cal part, while the instructions are plain and sensible. A 
new feature, is the introduction among the designs of [ 
Silhouettes, to be worked out by the saw and used for in¬ 
laying. To those r.ot versed in such matters, it may be 
well to say that the name “ Sorrento,” is applied to 
wood-work, cut out either by a hand-saw, or by one of ‘ 
the many saws worked by the foot, and is capable of ap¬ 
plication to a great many useful as well as ornamental I 
articles, while it affords a pleasing occupation. 
B J IV Insurance is a matter of vital interest i 
to many people. The recent developments respecting i I 
unsound companies, make the undoubted stability and j 
integrity of well managed institutions all the more con- 1 
spicuous. Our advertising columns show that there are I 
some life insurance companies that are as safe as it is 
possible for any organization to be. 
The W. Y. Stale Agricultural Soc. 
did a most sensible thing at its Annual Meeting in Jan¬ 
uary last. It was to choose Patrick Barry, Esq., Rochester, 
Monroe Co., as its President. An excellent choice for 
the Society, and a well deserved honor for Mr. Barry. 
The Horticisltursil Soc., of West* 
ern New York, held its 22nd Annual Meeting at 
Rochester, in January last. Notwithstanding the storms 
and snow blockade, a goodly number assembled, and to 
judge from the newspaper reports, its printed proceed¬ 
ings will, like the previous oncs.be of permanent value. 
