AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
79 
same may be said of her sister, Mary H. 
(See last volume page 67.) So “ Eliza,” 
(see same vol., pp. 105 and 210) is a daugh¬ 
ter of one who held a very high political sta¬ 
tion in our country. If “ Anna,” and “Eliza,” 
and “ Mary,” and “ Minnie,” and “ Libbie,” 
and sundry others of our esteemed lady con¬ 
tributors—who not only know how to write 
about, but also how to direct the affairs of 
the household so well by their own daily ex¬ 
ample—should at any future time wish for a 
familiar interview, they can arrange a meet¬ 
ing at our office, and we will then, with their 
permission, give a personal introduction. If 
“ Libbie ” should come, there would be a 
“ sweet” interview; and should each bring 
along one article only of the cheap but beau¬ 
tiful household conveniences which their 
Own hands have fabricated, our sanctum 
would be most conveniently “ furnished.” 
For the American Agriculturist. 
ONE WAY TO SOW RUTA BAGAS. 
This is now so generally known to be an 
excellent turnip for feed during the winter 
months, and is such a general favorite, that 
I take the liberty of sending you the results 
of an experiment tried this season in its cul¬ 
tivation. 
Having sown some seed on lists, or ridges, 
thrown up by the plow, they did not come 
up well, although put in at a„ good season 
and well covered, and the ground in fine 
order. Being compelled to sow again, I 
tried the following plan with complete suc¬ 
cess : The ground was plowed and harrowed, 
and the seed scattered broadcast and covered 
in with a gleaning rake, run both ways— 
lengthwise and across. They came up ad¬ 
mirably, and when they had arrived at a size 
fit for working, I had one-half the teeth taken 
out of a harrow and harrowed them over 
just after a shower of rain. They afterward 
made rapid growth, and are now better by 
far than any I have on ridges, and a beauti¬ 
ful, even crop, with much less work. 
I object to sowing in ridges, unless on 
very wet land, for the reasons that, these 
being above the general level, the ground 
dries so quick after sowing that the seed has 
not a fair chance to germinate, unless favor¬ 
able weather ensue. If dry weather set in, 
the moisture of the land scarcely reaches 
the top of the ridges, in which case it is all 
dried out by 9 o’clock in the morning under 
a bright sun ; and even if the seed come up 
well, they are more liable to be taken by the 
fly, than when sown on the level, as these 
little pests will attack them as soon as the 
soil is dry enough to be comfortable for 
them—which is much sooner the case on 
ridges than on the level ground. In sowing 
broadcast, the plants get the advantage of 
more moisture, beside being less trouble in 
sowing and working them. 
The wheat gleaner, or Yankee rake, as it 
is called here, is the finest thing that I have 
ever tried for putting in turnip and other 
seeds. One man, with a horse, can cover 
more seed in an hour than three men can in 
a day with the old wooden hand-rake, and 
leave the ground in better order. With one 
boy and a pair of mules, or horses, he can 
work the seed in in a very short space of 
time, while the ground is in order. I intend 
putting the whole crop in next season in this 
way.—W. Summersbey, Virginia. 
WASTE 0E LIQUID MANURES. 
The propel construction and location of 
barn-yards is a subject entitled to most re¬ 
spectful consideration. If the question, 
“ are liquids flowing from manure heaps 
valuable ?” were seriously submitted to the 
farmers of this country, it would provoke a 
smile of derision, that any one of common 
sense would propound so simple a query. 
And yet, notwithstanding this perfect knowl¬ 
edge of the fact that this liquid is comprised 
of a large portion of the most valuable fer¬ 
tilizing ingredients of the manure heap from 
which it flows, how very few farmers ap¬ 
pear to consider it worth their while to save 
it from utter waste. We have been led to 
these remarks from having had very frequent 
opportunities during the past two months of 
observing the reckless indifference mani¬ 
fested by very many farmers in the consrtuc- 
tion and location of their barn-yards. In¬ 
deed it appeared to us, that had it been the 
fixed design of the owners to afford the most 
complete escape for all the liquids from their 
barn-yards, they could not have accom¬ 
plished it more effectually. It is almost im¬ 
possible to conceive of a more complete dis¬ 
regard of true economy. The farmer who 
year after year witnesses the streams of 
rich liquid manure flowing from his barn¬ 
yard to the nearest rivulet, to be lost to him 
forever; or running along the road side, 
rendering it unpleasant to the eyes and ol¬ 
factories, has a poor right to complain if his 
crops are less abundant than his neighbors. 
Nor should it be a matter of surprise to him 
if after having applied the same quantity of 
manure, plowed as deeply, pulverized as 
thoroughly, and in every other respect given 
his crop the same attention, the yield should 
fall short of his who does not permit the 
washing rains to exhaust the most valuable 
portion of his manure heap. 
It should be a cardinal principle with every 
farmer to economise his manures. Upon it 
depends his success, and without it, his la¬ 
bors must to a very great extent, be without 
profit, if not attended with absolute loss. If 
it is found necessary to have the barn-yard 
on a hill side, it is equally necessary to have 
the lower side of it protected by a wall, or 
some other arrangement by which the es¬ 
cape of liquid manure may be prevented. It 
is almost equally important to have a spout to 
convey the rain water from the roof of the 
barn in some other direction than directly 
through the barn-yard. It is bad enough 
that the manure heap should be exposed to 
the rains which fall directly upon it, with¬ 
out adding to it the droppings from the roof 
of the barn. If such improvident farmers 
were to behold the actual value of the fertil¬ 
izing material thus lost, rolling from their 
purses in the shape of dollars and cents, how 
energetically would they labor to prevent 
the waste. The loss of a single little gold 
dollar would stir them up to greater activity 
than the direct waste of a hundred times that 
little gold dollar’s value in the form of liquid 
manure. Year after year, silently but 
steadily, the golden streams are flowing 
from their purses. Tell them of their error, 
and they acknowledge it, but rarely does it 
happen that being reminded of it in a friend¬ 
ly manner, they make a single effort to cor¬ 
rect it. How many are there, who after a 
life time of steady, unremitting toil, find them¬ 
selves no richer in lands or money than 
when they began. They can not explain the 
reason. Other causes may have led to such 
discouraging results, but if the drain of li¬ 
quid manures from their barn-yards had 
been checked when they began farming, 
very many of these unsuccessful ones would 
have been as prosperous as their more provi¬ 
dent neighbors.—Progressive Farmer. 
Female Jockeys. —At a recent horse-race 
in Doylstown, Pa., twelve females, each 
mounted on a “ sporting horse,” entered this 
list for the prize. Among these were three 
circus women from Philadelphia. They 
started and made the race in the presence of 
thirty thousand people. Commenting on the 
proceedings, the Buffalo Express remarks : 
“ What a comment upon the taste, the mor¬ 
ality of the times. Here are twelve females 
—the wonder and admiration of the gaping 
multitude—on a race-course, when they 
should have been adorning twelve house¬ 
holds with the dignity of modest refinement. 
It would have been far better for them had 
they been engaged that afternoon over twelve 
wash-tubs, rather than riding twelve horses 
in a heat over a race-course surrounded by 
vile men and imprudent women. This is a 
kind of progress which bodes no good to a 
refined and moral-toned society. When our 
mothers, daughters and sisters turn horse- 
racers and gamblers, their influence upon 
the generation that follow will be such as to 
fill the earth with all manner of iniquity.” 
A nice Country to live in. —A gentleman 
who was doing well, but wanted to do better, 
in Kentucky, removed to a farther western 
State, and, in answer to a correspondent, 
wrote back the following flattering account 
of the country and its inhabitants : 
“ You ask me how I like the country and 
the people thereof. As to the land it is 
cheap as dirt, and good enough, but the 
climate is rainy, blowy and sultry. The peo¬ 
ple die so fast here that every man has his 
third wife, and every woman is a widow. As 
for the people they are perfect Christians ; 
they fulfill the Scripture to the letter, where 
it says, “ Let God be true, and every man a 
liar !” 
A wag in Detroit has been taking liberties 
with the reputation of the Pontiac Railroad. 
He was asked if he knew of an accident on 
that road, and replied : “ Never. But once 
a middle-aged gentleman left Pontiac for De¬ 
troit, and died of old age at Birmingham— 
half way !” 
What is the difference between an auction 
and sea-sickness ? One is the sale of effects ; 
the other effects of a sail. 
