I 860 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
185 
It is quite likely that this scientific gardener like many 
ethers we have known, depended too much en what he 
read in books, without using his own eyes sufficiently; 
which reminds us that a new relative has just knocked at 
our sanctum, to ask the privilege of talking a little with 
you. We introduce to the Agriculturist family “Aunt 
Blsie”—hear what she says about 
EYES OPEN. 
“ Come on, Will, it is time wo were off. The sun is 
getting high, and w e want to pick our strawberries in 
time to go to the old mill this afternoon.” 
“ Wait just a minute, Harry, while I see Jacob put this 
piece of work together.” 
Will was Harry’s guest, and as he was an obliging boy, 
he did not hurry him again, but whistled about a little 
restlessly, until he was ready. As they walked on to the 
strawberry field, Harry could not help saying, 
“I can not see why you take such an interest in old 
Jacob’s tinkering. He is always about some such works, 
but I never think of watching him.” 
“ Well, I watch him to learn. He has taught me, at 
least half a dozen new things since I have been here this 
week. Indeed I have made it a sort of rule lately, to 
pick up what knowledge I can everywhere. It is only 
necessary to keep the eyes open, and it adds a great deal 
to one’s enjoyment.” 
“ But you will never have occasion to use this knowl¬ 
edge. You are not going to be a carpenter, or a black¬ 
smith or any such thing, your are going to college.” 
“ Still some knowledge of all these things may be very 
useful to me some day, or enable me to be of use to some 
one else. Besides our teacher says that every new idea 
enlarges the mind, and fits it better for action in any busi¬ 
ness.” 
“ Well, I hope your knowledge will be very useful, 
but here we are at the strawberry field. They are thick 
as clover, and red as little Nelly’s lips. We will put the 
very biggest we can find into this little basket for her, I 
brought it on purpose, and she will be so pleased.” 
When the boys reached home again with theirwell filled 
baskets, they were very warm and thirsty. As they passed 
the barn, Harry suddenly remembered that he had for¬ 
gotten to water his beautiful chestnut pony, and the poor 
fellow must be suffering. 
“ Oh, I am so sorry, Will,” he exclaimed, “Let us 
hurry as fast as w e can.” 
But he made “ more haste than good speed,” for in 
seizing the moss-grown bucket, and dashing it down into 
•he well, a link in the chain which was quite worn, gave 
way, and down went the bucket to the bottom, twenty-five 
feet from the well curb. There was no one at home, as 
Harry’s father and mother had gone to town to spend the 
day, taking little Nelly with them. Harry was quite in 
despair, but Will seemed much at ease. 
“ If you can get me a pair of steel yards and a rope, I 
think I can bring up the bucket,” said he. Harry ran to 
the “ cellar-way ” and brought out the clothesline and 
steelyards very quickly. The rope was then fastened 
securely to them, and carefully lowered to the bottom 
of the well. After sounding about a little while, one of 
the iron hooks caught in the chain, and the two boys were 
able to draw the bucket up quite full of sand and water. 
When the accident had been repaired, Harry expressed 
his surprise that Will was always ready for such emer¬ 
gencies. 
“ It is only by keeping my eyes open that I learn such 
little things. I saw a poor black-washerwoman we had 
once, fish up our bucket in that way, when just such an 
acident happened at our house. So you see even a poor 
colored woman can teach us something useful.” 
Harry was quite impressed by this little incident, and 
resolved from that time to follow his young friend’s ex¬ 
ample. 
I wish I could induce all my young readers to do the 
same. Sir Walter Scott tells us that he never met a per¬ 
son so ignorant or stupid, that he could not gain some new 
idea from him, which was worth possessing. Try to re¬ 
member this wherever you are, and at all times, and see 
what a valuable treasury of new ideas you will acquire 
in even a single week. 
A PLUM PUDDING STORY. 
Aunt Sue contributed this for her relatives of the 
“Merry” family, but will not object to repeating it to her 
many friends in the Agriculturist household. 
A friend of ours tells a story of a Yankee captain and 
his mate, something after this fashion: “ Whenever 
there was plum pudding made by the captain’s orders, 
all the plums w ere put into one end of it, and that end 
placed next to the captain, who, after helping himself, 
passed it to the mate, who never found any plums in his 
partofit. Well, after this game had been played for 
some time, the mate prevailed on the steward to place 
the end which had no plams in it ifext to the captain. 
The captain no sooner saw the pudding, than he discov. 
ered he had end of it. Picking up the dish, 
and turning it in his hands, as if merely examining the 
china, he said—* This dish cost me two shillings in Liv¬ 
erpool’—and put it down again, as though without de¬ 
sign, with the plum end next to himself ‘Is it possible V 
said the mate, taking up the dish—‘I shouldn’t suppose 
it was worth more than a shilling’—and, as if in perfect 
innocence, he put down the dish with the plum end next 
to himself. The captain looked at the mate—the mate 
looked at the captain. The captain laughed—the mate 
laughed—‘I tell you what,’ said the captain, ‘ you’ve 
found me out, so we’ll just cut the pudding lengthwise 
this time, and have the plums fairly distributed hereafter.’ ” 
o 
Into which are thrown all sorts of paragraphs—such as 
Notes and Replies to Correspondents, with Useful or 
interesting Extracts from their Letters , <fc., <jc .—to be drawn 
from as we have room left here. 
Our Circular Letter—Explanation. 
During the present year, several changes in the address 
of subscribers, have been made on our books ; some names 
have been changed from a single address to clubs ; others 
have changed their post office address, etc. To be sure 
that our books were right, and to give notice of expira¬ 
tions of subscriptions, we addressed a circular letter on 
April 2nd and 10th, to all names on our mail books, where 
the address was not continued the same as last year. The 
names were simply copied off by a mail clerk, and in two 
or three instances we find errors wore made in not ob¬ 
serving the renewal. We supposed the postscript would 
sufficiently explain the object of the letter, but it seems 
this was not always fully understood. We desire there¬ 
fore to repeat here, that the regular receipt of the Agri¬ 
culturist, is always proof positive that the name of a sub¬ 
scriber is right on our mail books, and that the paper is 
paid for. As stated in our standing prospectus on the 
last page ; The paper is considered paid for whenever sent, 
and no one need ever expect a bill for papers already re¬ 
ceived. If you get the Agriculturist at all, somebody has 
paid for it, or caused it to be sent to you without expense to 
yourself. Please consider this a standing receipt. 
Address Wanted. Will Mr. E. Remington please 
send his full address: naming the Post Office, County, 
and State, that we may make the change he requests. 
Looking through our whole subscription list for a single 
name, is like examining a forest to find one particular 
leaf. We index the Post Offices but not individual names. 
Wire Fences.— “ Uncle Jacob” sends a communi¬ 
cation on this subject which we cannot find space for at 
length. He recommends the use of No. 8 wire, which 
costs about six cents per lb., and weighs nearly one lb. to 
the rod. He prefers putting the wires on posts set in a 
low wall, say 18 to 20 inches high, which will prevent 
cattle from thrusting their heads through. He thinks 
staples better than holes in the posts to support the wires. 
Four wires with a wall are sufficient. They are kept to 
proper tension by a weight hung on the middle of the 
panel. 
Thread Worms in Horses.— H. W. Williams, 
Winnebago Co., Ill., inquires for a certain remedy for this 
difficulty with which his young horses are affected. Her¬ 
bert recommends to administer balls of two drachms of 
tartar emetic, one scruple of ginger, with molasses and 
linseed oil sufficient to form the ball. Give one dose 
every other morning, half an hour before feeding time. 
Bloody Urine in Cattle.— J. R. Schane, Wil¬ 
liams Co., Ohio.—This usually indidates congestion and 
inflammation of the kidneys, and is attended by constipa¬ 
tion of: ne bowels. Its cause can not, in all cases, be well 
determined. Animals in high condition are subject to it 
when near parturition, though at times it proceeds appa¬ 
rently from something taken with the food in the pasture 
ground. Youatt directs to bleed copiously at first, and 
repeat it if necessary, and administer Epsom salts, a 
pound for the first dose, and half pound doses every eight 
hours after, until the animal purges, which is usually the 
signal of recovery. 
SheepPoisoned by Laurel.— David Hall, Sulli¬ 
van Co., Pa. In the first stages of poisoning by Laurel 
(Kalmia Angustifolia ), the animal throws up a greenish 
fluid, and immediately swallows part of it. If this can all 
escape, it usually gives relief. It is recommended by 
Morrell to tie a stick in the sheep’s mouth in such a man. 
ner that it will be kept open, and «he swallowing pre¬ 
vented, until the retching ceases. Roasted onioiss and 
sweetened milk are also prescribed. 
Remedy for Ho von in Cattle.—J. T. Budd, 
Cecil Co., Md , contributes the following. Dissolve three 
tablespoonfuls of super-carbonate of soda in a pint of wa¬ 
ter and give it as a drench. This will, he says, give re 
lief in five minutes. It appears harmless, and is worth’ 
the trial. 
To Preserve the Skins of Animal*'.—A cor- 
respondent sends the following method which he says he 
obtained from a foreign journal, and has found reliable. 
Stretch the skin tightly and smoothly upon a board, hair 
side down, and tack it by the edges to its place. Scrape 
away the loose flesh and fat with a blunt knife, and work, 
in plenty of chalk w ith plenty of hard rubbing. When the 
chalk begins to powder and fall off, remove the skin from, 
the board, fill it with finely ground alum, wrap it closely 
together and keep it in a dry place a few days. By this: 
means it will be made pliable, and will retain the hair. 
Quantity of Pork from a Birsiiel of Corn.. 
Experiments made by C. M. Clay, showed that one- 
bushel of dry corn made 5 10- 16th lbs. of pork; of boiledt 
corn, 14 7-16lh lbs , and boiled meal from 16 to 18 lbs. 
Are Cultivated Parsneps Poisoneus !-Ai 
Reader in Iowa. We have not found them so after culti¬ 
vating and eating them for many years. The wild pars- 
neps are poisonous, but the garden variety has by long 
cultivation lost its hurtful quality, and there is little fear 
of its regaining it while properly cared for. It might,, 
perhaps, by many years of neglect, deteriorate to its wild’ 
habit, but having no apprehensions of this, w e have sowed 
the usual quantity this Spring. 
Improving- Growth of Blmbarb.—A con¬ 
stant reader inquires the reason for placing an open box, 
or barrel with both heads out, over rhubarb plants, fl 
partially excludes the light, and causes the foot stalk to 
shoot up taller, to bring the surface of the leaf loth® need¬ 
ed stimulus of sunshine. This increases the amount of 
the edible part, and makes it more tendeE and less acid. 
To Extirpate AVild Onions.— J. G. Laird, 
Rockbridge Co., Va. Thorough cultivation of afield with 
corn, potatoes, or oilier hoed crops, for a succession off 
years, with good manuring to keep up the fertility, is the 
best remedy we know, for this or any similar pest. 
To Keep Insects from Cucumbers.—T. 
B. Gamble, Osage Co., Kansas, writes that a few beans 
planted with encumbers will keep off the bugs ; the beans 
can be pulled as soon as the cucumber vines have grown 
large enough to be out of danger. He assures us th?.t it 
is an effectual remedy—if the bugs in our garden will be¬ 
lieve it, we shall be thankful. j 
Aphides 091 the Honey-suck le.—Robert 
McCormick, Montour Co., Pa. The insects you describe, 
as infesting your honeysuckles and roses, appear to be 
a species of aphides, descriptions of which, with means, 
for prevention, were given in the Insect articles by Mrs. 
Taylor, in the March and April Nos. 
Applying; Sulphur to Seeds.—K. Eames, Jef¬ 
ferson Co., N. Y., recommends to soak vegetable seeds 
several hours before sowing, then after draining off the- 
the water, to dust them with sulphur immediately before- 
planting. He states that by this means he has repelled' 
the striped bug and other insects from his garden vege¬ 
tables. This may do to try as an experiment, we could 
hardly trust to it alone ; some of our insects seem to care' 
little for sulphur, or any other application of the kind. 
Mr. E. proposes to try the effect of this treatment upon 
seed potatoes, to prevent rot; we wish him success, but 
have not much faith. 
How shall we Kill Cabbage Worms'? —A 
subscriber in North Carolina writes that cabbages in his 
neighborhood were almost entirely destroyed last season 
by a worm that worked its way through the folded leaves 
and eat out the heart. Snuff, brine, guano, and sulphur 
were tried without avail. He will be thankful to hear 
from any one who has succeeded in destroying this in¬ 
truder. 
Scaldigig «he Pea AVccvil.— W. W. B. cautions 
cultivators against using too hot water, for scalding 
peas preparatory to sowing. He destroyed both weevil 
and peas by this means. The temperature should not be 
above 175° or 180° Fahrenheit. Remove the peas after a 
brief immersion. 
The Scventecii Year Locust. — Charles 
Streeper, Montgomery Co-, Pa., writes that this insect 
appeared in the vicinity of Philadelphia in 1851, and pre¬ 
viously in 1834. and that the records show them to have 
come out regularly at periods of seventeen years before 
that time, dating as far back as 1706. Consequently they 
need not be expected in that neighborhood before the yea, 
1868. 
