AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
WINTER PARSLEY. 
FROM MINNESOTA, 
We are kindly permitted to make a few 
extracts from a private letter to a friend in 
this city, from St. Anthony Falls, Minneso¬ 
ta, which briefly convey an intelligent idea 
as to the condition of this new country. 
After mentioning that he had been on a sum¬ 
mer tour through most of the Minnesotean 
wilds, the writer says : 
“ * * * The absence of the usual rise in 
the river has retarded the growth of the ter¬ 
ritory to a considerable extent this year, and 
many have found themselves on a “ wild 
goose chase” who had anticipated something 
of a flourishing business. We were to do 
this and that, “ when the logs come down 
but they didn’t come, and hence many of the 
this's and that's remain undone. Money has 
been worth five per cent a month some part 
of the season, and will probably command 
three per cent a month for some time to 
come. Notwithstanding this extraordinary 
lack of the great lever that moves the world, 
we have plenty to eat, and the wherewithal 
to hide our nudity. 
u * * # o ne great curse to a new country 
has found room to spread on this—the east 
—side of the Mississippi, and that is, the 
sale of the public lands to other than actual 
settlers. While much of our side of El Rio 
is comparatively in a state of nature, with 
few of those accompaniments of civilization 
that are inviting to the New-England emi¬ 
grant, the west side is being rapidly filled up 
by bona fide settlers, who build school-houses, 
churches, and otherwise environ themselves 
with the belongings of their old Yankee 
home. The residents—other than specula¬ 
tors—of a new country, have good reason 
to denounce that system of disposal of our 
public lands which permits any but actual 
residents to become owners of the public 
domain. Help us, therefore, to enact the 
Homestead bill—for, as the old song says, 
“ Uncle Sam is rich enough to give us all a farm." 
[Accompanying this letter was a very 
beautiful daguerreotype view of St. Anthony 
Falls, in which connection the writer pro¬ 
ceeds to say:] 
“ We have, in this far-off wilderness, some 
of the most beautiful natural scenery that 
ever eyes beheld. I have none of those 
views which I consider the most picturesque, 
or that are remarkable for their majestic 
grandeur, but send you the view immediately 
in front of my door, from which you see the 
falls of St. Anthony proper, (there being a 
small fall, on the eastern shore, which is sep¬ 
arated from the main one by two islands.) 
with the islands, the suspension bridge— 
with its span of 600 feet—the river, and the 
miniature city of Minneapolis on the western 
shore. But the scenery is altogether a 
secondary inducement, in my estimation, for 
immigration to this region. The climate is 
so uniform that pulmonary complaints are 
successfully treated—in my case entirely 
eradicated—while more fertile soil can not 
be found under the convex ethereal expanse. 
I was much interested with the paper you 
sent me—the American Agriculturist—-and 
think it should be in the hands of every 
farmer throughout the land. * * * ” 
Our neighbor, Mr. Wm. Saunders, offers 
the following valuable hints on winter pars¬ 
ley. This useful herb is much in demand 
in the culinary department, especially is it 
so during winter when everything green is 
at a premium. A good supply may be had 
by planting a glassed frame and protecting 
it from severe frosts. Those who have the 
convenience of a greenhouse or grapery, will 
find the following a desirable method of cul¬ 
tivating a sufficient quantity of roots. 
Procure an old flour barrel and pierce the 
sides of it with holes 1 inch in diameter and 
about 9 inches apart. Three or more holes 
should also be made in the bottom for the 
escape of water. Prepare a quantity of light 
loamy soil, mixed with a portion of well 
rotted manure or decayed leaves, and com¬ 
mence filling the barrel by placing three 
int hes of oyster shells, or any other con¬ 
venient material for drainage; over this 
place a turf to prevent the earthy particles 
from mixing with it. Then fill in enough 
soil to bring a level with the first circle of 
holes, draw the roots of the plants ihrough 
from the outside, all but the tops. Proceed 
in a similar manner until the barrel is filled ; 
then plant the top. When finely grown it is 
an ornamental object, as well as a useful one. 
Although an old system, I had never seen it 
practised, and my first attempt was almost 
a failure. I found a difficulty in keeping the 
soil properly moistened, on account of the 
numerous holes on the sides through which 
the water escaped without penetrating to the 
center. This I remedied by building a per¬ 
pendicular drain in the center of the barrel. 
Having provided a quantity of small pieces 
of brick, and charcoal I placed a cylindrical 
tin tube (an old quart measure minus the 
handle and bottom) in the center on top of 
the drainage, and filled it with these materi¬ 
als, drawing it up and filling again as the 
planting proceeded. This had the desired 
effect, and allowed an equal distribution of 
moisture through the soil. 
Young plants raised from seed the pre¬ 
ceding spring are best; secure all the roots 
and trim in the leaves close when planted. 
The stronger and more luxuriant the plants 
are before winter the better will be the sup¬ 
ply. The month of September will be early 
enough to plant, and the barrel should be 
kept fully exposed and regularly watered un¬ 
til taken into the house before frost.—Hort. 
“Some Squash.” —Mr. Warren Webster, of 
Gowanda, Cattaraugus county, planted this 
season, one squash seed, the products of 
which were: 2 vines and branches, 272 feet 
in length; 2 do. do., 128 do.; I do. do., 245 
do.; 1 do. do., 240 do.; 1 do. do., 43 do.; 
total length, 928 feet. From the above vines 
were gathered 20 squashes, weighing 828 
lbs. The vines and squashes were exhibited 
at the late fair in that county, and filled a 
lumber wagon box. We have heard of “some 
pumpkins,” but squash is about a “neck 
ahead.” 
Knowledge is the treasure, but judgment 
the treasurer, of a wise man. 
STAGGERS IN HORSES. 
As is usual at this season of the year, we 
continue to see and hear much of a disease 
peculiar to horses during the end of July, 
August, and early part of September. The 
affected animals are first of all observed to 
be weak in the back ; in a day or two more 
they reel greatly with the hind parts, and 
seem in danger of falling; they are disin¬ 
clined to lie down, apparently from fear of 
being unable to rise, and in bad cases there 
is considerable dulness of countenance, also 
a partial loss of voluntary power in the fore 
legs. In the majority of instances, however, 
the loins and hind legs are almost exclusive¬ 
ly effected. The appetite is little impaired, 
for some days after the complaint has be¬ 
come confirmed ; the bowels are rather con¬ 
fined, but there is not any disturbance of 
respiration, and the pulse, although some¬ 
times fuller than natural, is seldom much 
quickened. The disease is rarely fatal 
when proper treatment is employed; in 
neglected or mistreated cases, however, the 
brain becomes congested, the animals are 
unable to stand, get down, grow restless, 
feverish, and not unfrequently die. The dis¬ 
ease is almost exclusively confined to horses 
which are fed on ripe, green food, such as 
seeding rye-grass, vetches in full pod, or old 
rank meadow grass. We have known nine 
horses on one farm effected at once, while 
they were feeding on ripe rye-grass, but three 
other horses standing in the same stable, and 
fed on other food, remained well. Some 
persons suppose the disease due to atmos¬ 
pheric influences; this has never been 
proved as yet, and we know, on the other 
hand, that change of food will cure or pre¬ 
vent the disease, although atmospheric in¬ 
fluences may remain apparently the same. 
The treatment must be commenced by a 
complete change from food the animals have 
been eating, to simple bran diet, and small 
quantities of good hay. A full dose of 
aloes must be administered, and tepid water 
is to be supplied until this has operated. 
When the medicine has set, half ounce doses 
of sulphate of iron and ginger may be given 
twice daily. Along with this medicine the 
horse may take half bran and half oats till 
the staggering subsides. No bleeding is 
needed.—North British Agriculturist. 
A Few Preserves. —As most of our read¬ 
ers know, we do not approve of metalic cans 
for fruit. There is always danger of such 
cans being acted upon by the acids pro¬ 
duced in fruits, however preserved, and the 
compounds thus formed are generally of a 
poisonous character. We give, from a Cin¬ 
cinnati paper, the following items, simply to 
show what is being done in that city : 
“ At least half of all the housekeepers, in 
both town and country, have canned peaches 
this summer, and not only peaches, but oth¬ 
er fruits and vegetables. We know of one 
house which has sold 200,000 cans. There 
are a great many varieties of cans in market, 
and immense quantities sold. We suppose 
that 600,000 cans of fruits and vegetables 
have been put up in Cincinnati and vicinity. 
