230 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
EVemcli "Tree Tomato is a novelty yet, 
not thoroughly tested; but from last year’s experience, 
we do not want it. It is not tree enough to stand alone. 
Cotton in Kansas.— “G. L.,” SnobnyHill, 
Kansas. The sample of cotton sent us is a very fair ar¬ 
ticle, of “ medium ” grade, worth to-day 44 cents per lb. 
There can be no doubt that this staple can be grown sev¬ 
eral degrees further north, with profit at the present 
prices. Kansas is a good field for the experiment. 
Preparing- Cltickory for Use.—“ S. 
N. Y.” Dig the roots with a potato fork, in the Fall, be¬ 
fore hard freezing; wash and scrape them, and split the 
larger roots lengthwise, and cut into pieces 3 inches long. 
moisture, avoiding scorching. Pack in bags and hang in 
adry room until wanted for use, when the roots are cut 
into smaller pieces and roasted and ground like other 
coffee. Mix 1 part of the chickory with 3 parts pure 
coffee. We do not advise its general use, however. 
Crreat Crops of Potatoes.— S. J. Wells 
communicates to the Country Gentleman the result of ex¬ 
periments with one half bushel each of five varieties of 
Mr. Goodrich’s seedling potatoes raised in Onondaga Co., 
N. Y. They were planted on a rich loam of clay and 
gravel, with no manure, though the land was heavily 
dressed for tobacco two years previous. The tubers 
were cut into pieces of 2 and 3 eyes each, and dropped in 
drills IX feet apart in the row, the 22d of April. Some va¬ 
rieties occupied more ground than others, owing to a 
larger number of eyes. When dug they were perfectly 
sound, with the exception of a few of the “ Copper Mine.” 
The following results were obtained: 
Copper Mine.22 bush, at rate of 594 bush, per acre. 
Cuzco.20 do do 560 do do 
Pink Rusty Coat. 17X do do 475 do do 
New Kidney.15 do do 400 do do 
Garnet Chili..14 do do 378 do do 
Mangel Wurtzel Seed. to Jlse Aci-e. 
— “ D. G. E.,” Ill. The rule is four pounds of beet seed 
to the acre. We generally use a little more, preferring to 
have a surplus of plants. 
Carrots as a field Crop.—“ It. H. S.,” 
Pa. The seed is drilled in rows thirteen inches apart, if 
you use hand cultivation ; thirty inches, if you use horse. 
The roots are stored without washing. Clean cultiva¬ 
tion and manure are the secrets of success. 
Potato IVomenclature.— “ W. B.,” Kan¬ 
sas. This comes appropriately under the work of Hor¬ 
ticultural Societies. The names of most varieties are 
pretty well fixed in the East, and we are making progress 
in this matter every year. 
SMg-giaR- Machines.— The purchaser of 
the O’Reilley Terracultor invention, a large sized speci¬ 
men of which machine was exhibited some time since at 
Rochester, Mr. H. C. Hepburn, of this City, has con¬ 
structed one on that principle, but on a smaller scale than 
the one then exhibited, calculated for a single pair of 
horses. Its teeth penetrate the earth to the depth of eight 
inches, and cut about twenty to twenty-two inches in 
width, leaving at least the [surface in a light and finely 
pulverized condition; but it is yet evidently too hard of 
draft for two horses. Some changes will have to be made, 
we judge, to render the draft of the machine comfortable 
work for one span. 
Recently another implement of this character, Com¬ 
stock & Glidden’s Rotary Digger, from Milwaukee, has 
been exhibited in operation in this vicinity. We saw it 
dig up heavy stubble ground to the depth of about eight 
inches and nearly three feet in width; its draft, also prov¬ 
ed much too severe for one span of horses. The struc¬ 
ture of this machine differs considerably from the other, 
and its effect on the soil differs also, in that it lifts 
the subsoil more, but does not leave the surface so finely 
pulverized. From what we have seen we are entirely 
satisfied that this method of tilling the soil may be made 
feasible and economical. Neither of these machines is 
perfect by any means, but a great advance has been made. 
We regard them with great favor and shall watch with 
interest their further development, but as yet would not 
like to express a decided preference between them. 
The ellect of Tillage obi the Moist¬ 
ure of Soils.—“ A. S. D.,” Ohio, asks if new land will 
not make better pasture than that which has been plowed, 
and if it will not stand drouth better? There is a mani¬ 
fest reason why both these questions should be answered 
in the negative, even if we had no facts to sustain it. 
New land or virgin soil so far as it is richer, will, of 
course, bear more grass than soil often plowed and crop¬ 
ped. But if the soil were equally good, we have no.doubt 
that the plowed land would bear the most grass. Plow¬ 
ing loosens and deepens the soil, and of course gives a 
deeper pasture ground to the roots of grasses. This loos¬ 
ening of the soil gives freer access to the air, which im¬ 
parts moisture and guards against drouth. 
Hoi-se-B&oes.—“ S. H. B.,” Newtown, Conn. 
Shares’ Patent is one of the best. They are generally 
lighter than the cultivators, and work admirably in smooth 
land. The agricultural stores at Hartford, New-Haven, 
or at Bridgeport, will probably furnish them. 
Angle Worms.— Mr. L. R. Murray, of Jef¬ 
ferson Co., N. Y., wants to know if a very large number 
of angle worms in a soil, originally clay, but worked and 
manured so long as to be tolerably mellow, effect any in¬ 
jury ; and if so, what is the remedy ? We have never 
seen any evidence of serious injury effected by them. 
It is even thought that their presence is advantageous to 
the soil, by rendering it more porous, and otherwise mak¬ 
ing it finer and better. 
To Prevent Wall Paper from Pa- 
ding.— A Connecticut subscriber recommends a lump of 
alum as big ashen’s egg dissolved in 6 quarts of paste. 
A Short Method with Night Caps. 
—“ H. H. B.,” Wis. Aunt Cinda’s method is to tie a knot 
in each of the opposite corners of a handkerchief, 'about 
two inches from the end. Put it on the head one knot 
before, and the other behind, and tie the other two ends 
under the chin. Look in the glass and keep from laughing 
if you can. A shorter method still is to put a not before the 
whole kerchief instead of knot in the two ends. We 
eschew night caps and dogs. A clean head makes a clean 
pillow case. Soap and water at the roots of the hair are 
better than cotton at the other end. Keep the head cool. 
Why Grease Bread Pans ?— “Eunice,” 
of Columbia Co., Wis., does not see the utility of the al¬ 
most universal practice of greasing bread pans before 
baking. She does not do it. In the multitude of coun¬ 
cillors there is wisdom. Who speaks ? Many people 
bake the bread on the oven-bottom, sprinkled with ashes, 
and some to the ashes, or instead of them, add flour and 
cafraway seeds. Such use no grease. 
Rancid IS sifter is said to be cured by mix¬ 
ing soda with the cake or cookery in which the butter is 
mixed. We doubt the cure and still more the whole¬ 
someness of the compound. Fresh butter, if you please. 
Medicine for Summer Complaint. 
J. L. Holmes, Bristol Co., Mass., says, steep rhubarb 
root in water, add molasses, and boil to a syrup. If the pa¬ 
tient is weak, add a teaspoonful of brandy to a teaspoon¬ 
ful of syrup, and give a teaspoonful 2 or 3 times a day. 
Brying Sweet Corn for Succotash. 
—“ J. F. H.,” Lancaster, Pa. We know of no good oven 
or furnace expressly for this purpose, and one is hardly 
needed for preparing family supplies. Where a business 
is made of drying apples and other fruits they have an ap¬ 
paratus expressly for the purpose. For the family a bush¬ 
el or two may be dried with the common stove without 
any difficulty. The corn is boiled slightly in its milky 
state, scraped or cut from the cob, dried a day or two 
upon sheets in a bright sun, carrying them in atnight, and 
then finished off in a brick or common stove oven. No 
family should be without a full supply of this article. 
Succotash once a week is wholesome, economical, and 
“not bad to take.” 
Rain in England.— From tables kept in 
London, England, we find the amount of rain which fell in 
1861 was 20.7 inches ; the average fall there is 25.4 inches. 
Climate ef Washington Territory. 
—J. H. N., a citizen of that region says : “ The climate is 
much milder than in the States. The farmer can work 
half of the time in the winter season. I have left potatoes 
in the ground and found them uninjured in the Spring. 
Cattle need very little foddering in winter. Corn yields 
about forty bushels to the acre, wheat the same, and po¬ 
tatoes five hundred bushels; other grains in proportion !” 
“ Electric Weather Glass, or Storm 
Indicator.”— J. S. Fisk, Grafton Co., N. H.—Just 
to test this instrument, advertised by Lee & Co., 
wo obtained one. It is a glass vial attached to a strip 
of metal, containing camphor dissolved in alcohol and 
water to saturation, which is sometimes clear and lim¬ 
pid, and sometimes cloudy or in a crystalized state. It is 
an old philosophical toy, but after long watching we can 
trace no direct or uniform connection between the condi¬ 
tion of the fluid and, the subsequent state of the weather. 
Plants l»y Mail.—“ H. L. S.,” Provo, Utah. 
Any thing under eight ounces may be sent by mail. This 
will include all the small fruits, and some of the large 
ones. The better way probably will be to send to St. 
Louis, for such plants as can be had there of the nursery¬ 
men, and for the rarer plants to some Eastern nurs¬ 
erymen or florists, who have or can procure almost any 
plant desirable, and can forward it in the best way. The 
selling of seeds and plants is not our business. 
The Word “Balance,” in the sense of 
remainder, is derived from counting-house usages, and is 
not so strictly incorrect as inelegant. 
64 The Freedom of the City.”—“M. E. 
M.” asks: “ What is meant by granting the freedom or 
liberty of a City to an individual, as an expression of great 
regard or esteem, by its citizens ?”.... It means very little 
in this country, nothing in fact but a compliment. In the 
olden time it conferred certain valuable privileges and 
immunities ; and making a man a citizen, endowed him 
with certain profitable rights. It was often granted in 
order to induce men of reputation in science, letters, or 
arms, to make the city their residence; and in Europe it is 
even now so used. Thus, as one of the inducements 
held out to Baron Liebig, to take up his residence in 
Munich, “the freedom of the City” was voted him, and we 
suppose he became for life one of the City corporation. 
Snow 1st Utah.—“ T. B.,” informs us that 
the snow in the mountains there was 34 feet deep in April, 
and men had to go on snow shoes to free telegraph wires. 
Salic weed a Substitute Ibi* Cotton. 
—“ N. J.,” Grand View, Ind. The downy material with¬ 
in the pods of milk-weed or silk-weed has been used for 
paper making. We do not think cotton is likely to fail, 
or that the question of substitutes has any practical value. 
Cotton trorn the Balm of Gilead. 
—“ W. A. M„” Pittsburg. It is not. a freak of nature, but 
one of her provisions for scattering the seed. It does not 
appear until the tree is old enough to bear seed. It would 
undoubtedly make good paper, and perhaps serve other 
economical purposes, but at present it would cost more 
to gather it than it would be worth. It belongs to the 
genus Populus, which also embraces the cotton wood of 
the western rivers, which is named from the cotton it 
sheds when the seed is ripe. We do not share the appre¬ 
hensions of many that the southern supply of cotton is 
about to fail. 
About Cork.— (Inquirer.) It is the outer 
bark of an evergreen oak, growing chiefly in the coun¬ 
tries bordering on the Mediterranean sea. It is some¬ 
times cultivated further north, as a curiosity. When 
about 15 years old, the bark is cut off in strips ; and af¬ 
terwards crops may be taken off every eight or ten years. 
Tlae Aqna.rial Gardesas in Boston, 
—long famous as a place of public resort, have passed 
under the management of Mr. P. T. Barnum, who pur¬ 
poses to make them still more interesting and instructive. 
Morse-Racing at Fairs.—A’good thing 
to remember. In the case of a suit brought against the 
Monroe Co., (N. Y.) Agricultural Society, to recover a 
premium offered for fast horses, which suit was carried to 
the County Court, it was decided against the plaintiff, 
on the ground that “ all running, trotting, or pacing of 
horses, for any bet or stakes, in money, goods, or other 
valuable things, or for any reward to be given the owner 
or rider, foi any animal whicli shall excel in speed, is 
racing, and racing is unlawful.” 
Farmers’ Clubs.—“E. A. H.” Granby, 
Conn., wrote thus some time since about the farmers’ 
club in his neighborhood. “ We hold fortnightly 
ings—by invitation of members, at their residences 
We take our wives or daughters with us, spend the even 
ing in discussing some question pertaining to our occu 
pation, previously proposed—the ladies occupying th 
parlor with the hostess ; closing early after partaking o 
cake, fruits, nuts, etc. We separate with parting saiuta 
tions, exchanging assurances of being present at the nex 
meeting. Although a scattered community, we collect ii 
goodly numbers every other Wednesday evening, and en 
joy a social interchange of views on some importan 
question of agriculture or horticulture, get better ac 
quainted, become more attached to our occupation, and 
to each other.” This is a model club. Farmers, follow on. 
