152 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURISl 
The Back Volumes of the American Agriculturist, 
neatly bound, can now be supplied from the commence¬ 
ment. These of themselves constitute a beautiful and 
valuable Farmer’s Library, embracing a compendium 
of all the important agricultural articles that have ap- 
peareed during the last thirteen years. First ten volumes, 
new edition, furnished bound for $10. 
Bound volumes XI, XII and XIII (new series), $1 50 per 
volume ; unbound, $1 per volume. The whole thirteen 
volumes furnished bound for $14 50. 
^nterinw Agriculturist. 
New-YovBs, Thursday, May 17. 
jggy This paper is never sent where it is 
not considered paid foi—and is in all cases 
stopped when the subscription runs out. 
Wk occasionally send a number to persons 
who are not subscribers. This is sometimes 
done as a compliment, and in other cases to 
invite examination. Those receiving such 
numbers are requested to look them over, and 
if convenient show them to a neighbor. 
LOOK INTO THE CELLARS. 
We hear not a little said of the superiority 
of country over city residences. Much of 
this is doubtless true, and yet we think there 
are some advantages enjoyed by the deni¬ 
zens of many parts of New-York city, which 
are not found generally in the country. We 
refer more particularly to the freedom from 
noxious vapors and malaria arising from de 
caying vegetable matter. Where the streets 
are supplied with sewers and an abundance 
of Croton water to wash away all organic 
matters, including the washes from sinks, 
privies, &c., the air is pure compared with 
that around many farm-dwellings near which 
are located the barnyards and outhouses. 
One of the most fruitful sources of ill 
health connected with country residences, 
however, is the impure air from cellars 
which rises through the different rooms 
above, and really renders them unfit for oc¬ 
cupation during the day, and especially at 
night. The effluvia from the remains of a 
heap of potatoes, cabbages, or other vegeta¬ 
bles, is quite sufficient to breed a pestilence. 
At the earliest possible opportunity in the 
spring the cellar should be freed from every 
particle of vegetable matter likely to decay. 
The bottom should be supplied with pulver¬ 
ized freshly-burned charcoal, or chloride of 
lime ; or, in the absence of these, with com¬ 
mon lime. Not only health but neatness and 
comfort will be greatly promoted by white¬ 
washing the walls and ceilings. Let cellars 
also be frequently opened and ventilated. A 
little early attention to these matters may 
save you a large doctor’s bill, to say nothing 
of loss and suffering from poor health. 
The Forthcoming Volume of the Ameri¬ 
can Herd Book. —Mr. L. F. Allen informs us 
that almost every breeder of any note in the 
United States, has responded to his Circular, 
and that about two thousand pedigrees are 
already received. The volume will contain 
thirty illustrations or more, and be fully 
equal if not superior in its getting up 1o the 
English Herd Book. Those designing to 
send their pedigrees must do so immediately , 
or they will arrive too llte for publication, in 
this volume. 
RULES FOR THE APPLICATION OF SUPERPHOS¬ 
PHATE OF LIME. 
Superphosphate of lime consists mainly of 
bones decomposed by sulphuric acid. In 
this form it is entirely harmless when ap¬ 
plied about the roots of plants. But to in¬ 
crease the activity of this fertilizer and add 
to its qualities, which it possesses only in 
a very limited degree, guano or sulphate of 
ammonia is added. Ammonia is a very act¬ 
ive alkali,' and like quick-lime and potash, 
readily combines with and destroys or seri¬ 
ously injures almost every substance brought 
into contact with it. Containing like guano, 
this caustic quality in a similar, yet in a 
very subdued degree, the rules for the appli¬ 
cation of superphosphate are in a great 
measure similar to those for the application 
of guano. 
It may be sown broadcast or in drills, but 
in either case should be covered with earth 
by subsequent plowing or thoroughly har¬ 
rowing. The seeds or roots should never 
come directly in contact with the superphos¬ 
phate, though the covering of earth may be 
less than for guano. When applied as a top¬ 
dressing to grass land, it may first be mixed 
with several times its bulk of peat or swamp 
muck, that has been exposed to the air for 
six months ora year, or with rich turf, char¬ 
coal or plaster. 
From 300 to 500 pounns per acre is a lib¬ 
eral application for exhausted lands, and 
200 to 400 pounds as a top-dressing for 
meadows. When applied near or around 
the hills, from half to three-fourths of a gill 
is sufficient for corn and potatoes. 
AN ANT TRAP. 
We have constructed, seen, heard of, or 
read of traps to catch slmost all sorts of an¬ 
imals, from man-traps down to chirp-muck 
traps ; we have set box-traps for pole-cats, 
and drowned them alive without disturbing 
their bottle of perfumery ;' have put “ figure 
fours” under the edges of inverted waggon 
or other boxes, for quails, pigeons and 
crows; have made midnight hideous with 
the screams of luckless rats which we had 
enticed into steel-traps ; have stopped the 
carnage of sheep-stealing dogs by placing 
before the muzzle of a well-slugged musket 
a piece of meat attached to the trigger by a 
string ; have caged many a bird and squir¬ 
rel by ingeniously arranged springs or levers 
—in short, much of the amusement of our 
boyhood days was drawn from “ trapping 
but in all our efforts in this line, we never 
essayed to inveigle in traps those pests 
which so greatly infest the pantries and lard¬ 
ers of the house-wife—we mean the little 
red ants. In this we must yield the palm to 
the J. J. correspondent of the Public Ledger, 
who purposes to catch and despatch them 
as follows : 
Procure a large sponge, wash it well and 
press it dry, which will leave the cells quite 
open. Then sprinkle over it some fine 
white sugar and place it near where the ants 
are most troublesome. They will soon col¬ 
lect upon the sponge and take up their abode 
in the celis. It is then only necessary to 
dip the sponge in scalding water, which will 
wash them out “ clean dead” by ten thou¬ 
sands. Put on more sugar, and set the trap 
for a new haul. According to J. J., this 
process will soon clear the house of every 
ant, uncle and progeny. 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES. 
Steamboats on the Hudson— P. Watson 
There are at least two companies running 
regular freight and passenger boats—the 
Merchants’ line and the People’s line. The 
steamers of the Merchants’ line are, the 
Knickerbocker and the Manhattan. One of 
these boats leaves Albany and the other 
New-York every evening. They are of 
light draught, and on this account are sel¬ 
dom detained by low water. Produce, &c., 
as well as passengers, are carried at low 
rates. 
State and County Shows— W.C. Gardner. 
—The next New-Y’ork State Show is to be 
held at Elmira, on the Erie Railroad. We 
shall soon speak of this more particularly. 
We are preparing a list of times and places 
of holding the next Shows, to be published 
in June or early in July, and we must refer 
W. C. G. to that list for an answer to his 
other inquiries. 
We request the officers of all Agricultural 
Societies to send us early information as to 
the location and time of their autumnal 
Shows, that we may make up our list as 
soon and as complete as possible. 
THE RUSSIAN FOWL. 
We have recently received letters from 
Mr. E. L. Hyde, of Mystic, Conn., concern¬ 
ing a breed of fowls known as the Russian ; 
and from the testimony of the above gentle¬ 
man they seem to be a variety worthy atten¬ 
tion. He says : “ The Russian fowls, after 
several years’ trial, sustain the character 
which was sometime since given them in my 
letter to Dr. Bennett. They are the most 
sought after and esteemed of any fowls we 
have ever had in this region, where some of 
the choicest breeds have been originally im¬ 
ported. They are truly ‘the farmers’ fowl,’ 
for layers, nurses, and readiness to fatten. 
In this latter respect they resemble the Suf¬ 
folk pig. 
“ They are without exception the hardiest 
fowls that I have ever seen. I knew of six 
pullets that layed constantly throughout one 
of the coldest winters in this region for sev¬ 
eral years ; and yet they roosted out of 
doors with no shelter whatever. They were 
not in the least injured by the frost, except 
in their combs ; they being, as a matter of 
course, frozen. They weigh from 15 to 17 
pounds the pair ; have large single combs, 
small wattles with a ruff under the throat; 
small wings ; large, long body ; wide breast 
and back, and very deep in the quarter ; legs 
not long but black. They are of uniform 
color, being greenish black, with red hackles 
on the cocks. 
“ I understand they were brought from the 
north of Europe, by a New-London whaling 
vessel.” 
