1877 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
£80 
IHtcliing l*l»w. —“ W. C.,” Lockport, HI. 
Ditching plows which cut the channel and throw out the 
earth upon one side, are the cheapest in the end, as they 
finish the work. Randolph’s ditcher, recently described 
and illustrated in the American Agriculturist , is perhaps 
the most complete and effective implement of this kind. 
R. H. Allen & Co., of New York, have a ditching plow 
which makes a finished ditch. The New York Plow Co., 
and Ames Plow Co., whose addresses are given in the 
advertising columns, have cheap plows, which loosen the 
earth so that it can be thrown out with a shovel. 
management of Slow Breeders.— 
“C. A. S.,” Washington Ter. There is no way of hasten¬ 
ing the breeding of cows which are slow in this respect. 
The best method is to keep them in company with the 
hull constantly; it is often the case that the period of 
heat passes without being noticed. This will not hap¬ 
pen when the herd is made complete by keeping a bull 
on the premises. It is best to get rid of slow breeders. 
Thumps in Hogs.— “W. B.,” Columbus, 
Ga. For this disease, which is inflammation of the 
lungs, or of the lining membrane of the cavity of the 
chest and lungs, nothing an be done but to give good 
nursing. Keep the patient warm, give drinks of luke¬ 
warm gruel and rub a paste of mustard and water upon 
the brisket and sides of the chest. 
Building Cisterns.—“ A. R. W.,” Sal¬ 
mon Falls, N. H. We have given frequent descriptions 
and illustrations of cisterns in the American Agricultur¬ 
ist , for instance in Nov. 1875, May and October 1874, and 
August, 1876. Any one of these would answer to keep 
water for household purposes. 
To make ;i Pasture of Alfalfa in 
Colorado. —Las Animas, Col. To get a good stand of 
alfalfa upon dry soil, the ground should be deeply plow¬ 
ed and subsoiled, as this is a very deep-rooted crop, at 
such a season as will give the largest supply of moisture. 
The ground may also be thoroughly irrigated in the fall, 
and early in spring may be plowed, harrowed and sown 
in drills 9 inches apart; and then rolled with a corrugat¬ 
ed roller so as to make water furrows between the drills. 
The crop may then be irrigated without danger of bak¬ 
ing the ground, or if necessary, the ground may easily 
be cultivated between the drills. The Thomas Smooth¬ 
ing Harrow would serve a very good purpose, in mellow¬ 
ing irrigated land that has become baked, without in¬ 
jury to the young crop. 
Fall-Fallowing. — “P.,” Franklin Co., 
Mass. Fall-fallowing is useful where the soil is full ot 
weeds and is inclined to clay, on light soils it is of no 
special benefit, except to clean the land, and as a timely 
preparation for spring work. Fall plowing may be done 
for oats and early potatoes with benefit, if the furrows are 
left high and rough. 
All Aliout Irrigation.—“ W. A. C.,” 
Wilmington, Del. The methods and effects of irrigation 
are fully described and explained in Stewart’s “Irriga¬ 
tion for the Farm, Garden, and Orchard,” published by 
the Orange Judd Co., price $1.50. 
To Cook Egg Plant.— Every summer 
there are inquiries about cooking this vegetable, which 
appears to be new to many. Slice the fruit crosswise, 
about half an inch thick, peel and stack up with a 
sprinkling of salt between the slices, put a plate with a 
weight (a flat-iron will answer) on top, or lay the slices 
in strong salt and water. The object in either case is to 
remove a slight bitterness. At the end of two honrs, dry 
the slices on a cloth, and dip in a thin batter of egg and 
flour, and fry to a light brown. Instead of the batter, dip 
first in beaten egg and then in cracker powder. Serve hot. 
Fried Ciicimikers.— Cucumbers that have 
grown too large to use in the ordinary way, even when 
they begin to turn yellow, may be sliced, and treated in the 
same way as egg-plant, but it is not necessary to salt them 
first. Many are very fond of them cooked in this manner. 
tireen Corn Pudding.— Grate the com 
from four good-sized ears; add one pint of milk, two 
well beaten eggs, and a piece of butter the size of an egg, 
salt and pepper to taste. Stir 3 tablespoonfuls of flour in 
a little cold water, add it to the rest, beat all well to¬ 
gether, and bake an hour. 
Pleurisy in Pigs.— “L. B. M.,” Elmwood, 
HI. Pleurisy is distinguished most conspicuously by a 
labored breathing, with excessive actio»i of the muscles 
of the abdomen—otherwise heaving of the flanks—a loss 
of appetite, unsteady gait, and frequent lying down and 
rising. It may often be relieved by careful nursing, shav¬ 
ing the hair from the chest, and rubbing mustard plaster, 
or a large linseed poultice over it; and if medicine is 
given, it should be first one ounce of castor oil, followed 
by half an ounce of sweet spirits of niter, daily, until a 
change occurs. A tablespoonful of powdered gentian 
may be given alternately with the niter. The food should 
be thin oatmeal gruel, given cold. 
Value of Muck.- 11 C. W. P.,” Bernards- 
town, Mass. Muck is of much more value than sand as 
an absorbent in stables, in proportion to the amount of 
vegetable matter contained in it, which adds to its value 
as a fertilizer. Manure, made by using muck as an ab¬ 
sorbent, may be Jharrowed into the surface, which is the 
best manner of using it. 
Oleo-Jllargarine.—“ G. B.,” Broome Co., 
N. Y. A constant reader of the American Agriculturist 
should not have missed our very frequent notices for 
some years past regarding oleo-margarine. The American 
Agriculturist was the first journal to call attention to the 
manufacture, as an objectionable and injurious competi¬ 
tor with dairy products, and in spite of much adverse 
criticism, has continued to oppose its sale as butter, or as 
cream in cheese. Many respectable agricultural journals 
have aided us in this steady opposition, and it is due to 
these efforts that an act of the Legislature of New York 
was passed, to forbid the sale of the article as a dairy 
product in the State of New York. The process of manu¬ 
facture has been so frequently described, that we can not 
now repeat it. 
Beardless Barley.—“ W. J. T.,” Dade 
Co., Mo. We have had no experience with the beardless 
barley. Like the hulless oats, we consider it a variety 
that is not worth cultivation. The six-rowed barley is 
considered the most profitable for sale, and the two-rowed 
for use as feed. Barley is too much neglected as a feed¬ 
ing crop, considering its value, and its ease of cultivation. 
Basket Items continued 
on page 313. 
Lost in One Year $20,000,000, by the 
Farmers of the United States. 
Statistics show that the losses of swine of all sizes 
amounted in only 12 months to 4,000,000 animals, 
which, at a moderate estimate, were worth $20,000,000. 
This money was not lost through any fall in values, but 
an actual destruction of property. The loss fell solely 
upon that portion of the community, which, as a general 
thing, are less able than any others to bear it—the farm¬ 
ers. The most unsatisfactory feature about it is, that 
it is a loss that might have been, in a great measure, 
avoided, had the farmers been well informed as to its 
nature and means of prevention. The death of these 
millions of swine is ascribed to “Hog Cholera,” a term 
given to diseases, or various manifestations of one dis¬ 
ease, which, however the symptoms may differ, all agree 
in being rapidly fatal. In Coburn’s “ Swine Husbandry,” 
now just published, will be found the most complete 
account of “ Hog Cholera,” anywhere obtainable; this 
includes the investigations of able veterinary surgeons, 
and the experience and views of distinguished breeders. 
The disease is of more frequent occurrence in the valley 
of the Mississippi than elsewhere, probably for the 
reason that there are more swine there. While the dis¬ 
ease runs its course very rapidly, and is not readily cura¬ 
ble, all agree in regarding it as preventive, as it is due to 
causes which may be avoided. What is known as “ Hog 
Cholera ” is attributed, and with good reason, to two 
chief causes: improper feeding and want of care. The 
life of the hog consists of two periods: the growing and 
the fattening stages. While it is admitted on all hands 
that there is no grain so valuable, in this country for 
fattening, as Indian Com. and that this crop can not be 
so profitably disposed of in any other form as in that of 
pork, it is not well calculated for building up the frame 
upon which to lay the flesh and fat, as other foods, and 
the chief predisposing cause of disease is the constant 
and unvaried feeding with corn from the time the pigs 
are weaned, all through their period of growth. The 
food is not favorable to a healthy growth, and one of the 
important steps in the prevention of “Hog Cholera ” is 
to give the animals a variety of food, while making their 
growth, especially pasture and green food in other forms, 
with other grains, artichokes, and other less concentrated 
food than com. Feeding in this manner produces a 
more healthy and vigorous animal, and one better able 
to resist disease than one fed exclusively on corn, which 
both practice and science teach to be inadequate to sup¬ 
ply all the wants of the growing animal. The second 
cause of disease is crowding and want of a proper sani¬ 
tary condition of the herd. We have not space here to 
enumerate all the conditions that should be, and can he 
avoided; improper sleeping and feeding arrangements, 
impure water, and filth generally, may be regarded as the 
chief of these. There is but little wonder that animals 
improperly fed from the start and exposed to every pre¬ 
disposing condition that the ingenuity of carelessness 
can contrive, should be subject to epidemics of the most 
fatal character. The disease, having been prepared for 
through many months, when it comes is so rapid in its 
course, and so fatal in its results, that very little help 
can be hoped from remedies. Mr. Coburn’s “ Swine 
Husbandry ” discusses these points in full, and shows 
plainly that these losses to farmers, which sum up in 
such a fearful aggregate, are due to diseases which may 
be avoided by proper and inexpensive care, and were it 
only for the teaching of this important point, and show¬ 
ing how it may be reached, the book would be of great 
value. We are convinced that were this work in the 
hands of farmers generally, and they would heed its 
teachings, the number of millions of dollars would 
be speedily reduced, and that “HogCholera” would 
soon cease to be the frightful scourge that it now is. 
Catalogues Received. 
IMPLEMENTS, FERTILIZERS, Etc. 
A.B. Fakquhab, York, Pa., Pennsylvania Agricultural 
Works, issues a finely illustrated and comprehensive 
catalogue, including everything in the shape of a tool, 
utensil, or implement, needed on a farm. 
A. J. Nelis & Co., Pittsburg, Pa., wrought iron fences 
and gates, in addition to their well known horse hay 
fork, grapple, and other useful matters, make a specialty 
of ornamental wrought iron and steel gates and fences, 
of a variety of plain and finished patterns, costing actu¬ 
ally less than some wooden ones. 
Alex. Speer & Sons, Pittsburg, Pa. Plows and har¬ 
rows of various kinds. 
Blake, Beebe & Co., Racine, Wis., makers of the 
Champion Fanning Mill, claim to have the largest manu¬ 
factory of these machines in the world. This mill cleans 
all kinds of grains, seeds, and castor beans, and is there¬ 
fore found widely useful. 
Speakman, Miles & Co., Westchester. Chester Co., 
Pa„ manufacturers of Embree’s Rotary Butter-worker 
and folding butter molds with press for making and 
printing square cakes. Also a revolving duster for 
sprinkling Paris Green upon potatoes. 
Edwin Bayliss, Massillon, Ohio. The Massillon-har- 
vester, Riding-wheelbarrow. 
Curtis Goddard, Alliance Ohio ; the little speedy 
corn sheller which weighs only 8 pounds, and is said to 
shell 10 bushels of ears per hour. 
Mohawk and Hudson Manufacturing Co., Water¬ 
ford, N. Y., makers of the Dodge Excelsior Hay and 
Cotton Press with which 10 tons of hay can be made to 
go into an ordinary grain car. 
James Leffel & Co., Springfield, O., makers of 
James Leffel’s Double Turbine Water Wheel, issue a 
large catalogue of over 100 pages, abundantly illustrated, 
and containing much interesting matter relating to the 
use of water as a motive power. 
LIVE STOCK—POULTRY, ETC. 
Benson & Burpee. 223 Church st., Philadelphia, issue 
a finely illustrated catalogae of all kinds of live stock, 
cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. 
J. C. Long, Jr., 39 Ninth st., Philadelphia. Catalogue 
and price list of pure-bred fowls and pigeons. 
W. H. Cummings, Milldale, Conn. Pure-bred Plymouth 
Rocks. 
THE DAIRY. 
The Vermont Farm Machine Co., Bellows Falls Vt 
issue a treatise upon the manufacture of “gilt-edged” 
butter, which is descriptive of a system of deep can set¬ 
ting in coolers, by which the cream is kept sweet and 
raised very quickly. 
Mrs. B. Smith, 327 Arch st., Philadelphia, a little 
pamphlet descriptive of her butter coloring, which is 
prepared with oil, and also containing many useful dairy 
Bee Notes for August. 
BY L. C. ROOT, MOHAWK, N. Y. 
One of the principal interests of the present month is 
the care of surplus honey. It should be kept in a cool 
dry place. Box honey should be examined occasionally, 
and if moth-worms are found, they should be picked off 
and destroyed. Extracted honey may be stored in tin or 
wooden vats, or casks; if wood is used, it should be first 
coated with wax. Hives that have cast swarms should 
be examined to ascertain if they have laying queens, as 
the young queen will at times be lost when the hive con¬ 
tains no brood from which the bees may rear another. If 
a hive should be found without a queen, one should be 
supplied, or brood be given them, from which they may 
rear a queen. A hive that has been queenless will often 
contain so much honey that the queen will find but little 
empty comb for brood rearing. In this case the honey 
should be removed with the extractor. Hives that are 
