1876.] 
275 
AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST. 
American IBes'Jkslaire ISecord.— The 
early distribution of tho first volume of this work, is 
announced by the Secretary of the Association, A. M. 
Garland, Esq., Springfield, Ill., from whom it can be pro¬ 
cured for $3.30, postage paid. It is also announced that 
pedigrees for volume 2 are being prepared ; entry blanks 
and iiiformation as to entries, etc., will be given to appli¬ 
cants by the Secretary. 
Tiie Use of Dysaamite for Remov¬ 
ing Stumps and. Stones. —‘'A. J. B.” Dynamite 
or giant powder lias been extensively used in clearing 
laud of stumps and stones, in England and Scotland, and 
as it is more effective than common powder, it will 
doubtless be 'fbund useful here for the same purpose. 
Moles in Cow’s Teats.—“C. D. 8.,” 
Scioto Co., Ohio. It will be impossible to heal up these 
ho'es while the cows are milking. When they are dried 
off, a cure may be effected by a simple surgical operation, 
viz: cutting the skin from around the hole, making a 
short slit, and closing it with a surgeon’s stitch ; the 
wound will heal in a few days and close the opening. 
A 3Sifing- Coll.— “R. T. .EL,” Kings Co., 
N. Y. Colts are frequently taught the trick of nipping 
with their teeth, by their owners injudiciously playing 
with or teasing them. Once learned, the habit is cured 
with difficulty. The best remedy we can suggest is to 
treat the horse very carefully, avoiding all playing with 
it, and whenever it attempts to bite to whip it across the 
nose with a switch. 
The Ca,wse of Hard Times.— “B. T. 
R.,” Monroe Co., N. Y., writes in regard to the causes of 
the “ hard times.” The pith of his remarks is that “ tho 
great cause of the paralysis of business is tho depression 
of the farming interest; let farmers prosper, and all 
classes prosper.”—This is taking the effect for the cause. 
Almost every industry of the country is worse oft' than 
farmers arc at the present, time. Quarrymen are working 
for 90 cents a day; car-drivers and conductors in the 
cities get $1.75 for 16 hours work, and stable-men $1.00 
for the same time. Masons get $2.00 for 10 hours work, 
and these men pay one-third of their wages for rent. Be¬ 
sides thousands of workmen are idle. It is clear that 
they can not afford to buy the clothes and food that they 
otherwise would, and consequently the price of wool, 
wheat, pork, and butter is falling. This is why farmers 
suffer, but they are suffering little as compared with me¬ 
chanics, thousands of whom are as near starvation, as 
they can well be. The hard times are affecting every 
class, and patience must help us ail bear the burden. 
Breeding' Pure-Bred Ponilry.— “A. 
W. W.,’’ Wyoming Co., N. Y. Poultry cannot be kept 
pure unless each breed is confined in separate yards. If 
allowed to become mixed at any time of the year, there 
is danger of cross-breeding. One impure cross would 
affect the eggs of a hen for an indefinite period, perhaps 
for as long as she lived. 
Mow «1<> Ewes Recognize Iheir 
Lambs ?—“ S. J. II.,” Tuscumbia, Ala. We have never 
found any difficulty with ewes disowning their lambs 
after being shorn. At first the lambs have some trouble 
to find their dams, but manage very well in a short time. 
The story about Mexican shepherds is improbable. These 
shepherds have a great many sheep in their flocks, and 
could not possibly remember to which ewes each particu¬ 
lar lamb belonged. We would rather trust the instinct 
of the sheep than the memory of the shepherds. 
SIiort-I»onis and Durham Cattle. 
—“ J. B.,” Preston Co., W.Va. Formerly the cattle now 
known as Short-horns, were most numerous in the County 
of Durham, England, and in the district around it. They 
were then called Durham cattle. Now they are very wide¬ 
ly spread, and go by the general name of Short-horns. 
Turnips oil Siimmer-Eallow.—“ C. 
H. J..” Watervtiet, Mich. Turnips may be sown in July 
or early in August, as a fallow crop, to be fed off' from the 
ground or harvested. But to raise such a crop would de¬ 
stroy some of the effects of a summer-fallow, and change 
its purpose. A summer-fallow is intended to prepare the 
ground for a fall grain crop, by repeated plowings and 
cleanings from weeds; if it is sown with turnips, the 
field cannot be prepared for a fall grain crop, and the 
principal purpose for which the work has been done is de¬ 
stroyed. One pound of turnip seed is enough for an acre, 
if Igood roots are desired; two pounds will produce a 
thick crop. White turnips should be sown after the mid¬ 
dle of July, and ruta-bagas or Swede turnips may be 
sown up to the 12th inst. The seed is worth 50c. a pound. 
English ami American Farining'. 
—There is comfort for the American farmer still, notwith¬ 
standing that he is so much berated for his poor farming, 
as compared with that of England. At a recent meeting 
of Scotch farmers, Mr. Hope, a well-known farmer and 
speaker upon agricultural subjects, stated that “ not one- 
fiftieth part of the land in Great Britain was farmed as it 
might and should be.” Mr. Hope undoubtedly sets his 
standard very high, for he is known as one of the best 
amongst the highest class of Scotch farmers, but it is 
some comfort to learn that all tho poor farmers are not to 
bo found in America. Mr. Hope's concluding remarks, 
however, are well worth notice. They are as follows: 
“ The conclusions I draw from what I have stated are 
that it takes a large expenditure and a very long term to 
put land in the best condition for cropping ; but when 
that is once obtained, the profits are undoubtedly large. 
People have not faith in what land can really do when 
liberally treated. 1 also know if the outlay for manure 
or labor is withheld for even two or three years, it takes 
double the time to regain what has been lost.” 
To Treat aw Ohslrwctcd Teat.— 
“ J. S. W.,” Sterling, Ill. From various inflammatory or 
accidental causes, the teat of a cow may become injured 
and partially or wholly closed. When this happens, and 
it is necessary to draw the milk to prevent serious con¬ 
sequences, the following plan may be adopted. Procure 
a sound goose quill, rather small in the barrel, and bake 
it in a warm but not hot oven for an hour, or dip it into 
a sand bath made sufficiently hot to dry and harden the 
quill, and make it transparent without scorching it. 
Then cut off the feather part and the extreme point, re¬ 
moving tho pith, and leaving the barrel clear and about 
three inches long. About one inch from the thicker end, 
carefully make two small holes through the quill from 
side to side, and pass a fine copper wire through tho 
holes. With this wire fasten a ring of sole leather around 
the quill, so that when it is inserted in the teat, it cannot 
TUBE FOB TEAT. 
pass any further than the leather ring. When the milk is 
to be drawn, insert the quill, haying previously oiled or 
greased it, and the milk will flow through it. When the 
milk lias all come away, remove the quill. The accom¬ 
panying illustration shows how the quill is arranged and 
how the ring is fitted. 
ITalne oT SjSiBoi* iia Asneriea. —A sug¬ 
gestive comparison may be made of the difference in the 
cost of labor in Europe and American both in agriculture 
and other industries. For instance, the average wages 
paid to tanners in Europe is one dollar a day, -while 
American tanners pay fifty per cent more. Yet the best 
authority upon matters relating to tanning, estimates our 
higher wages as really the cheaper, considering the num¬ 
ber of effective labor-saving machines in use here. It is 
the same as regards agriculture. With our lighter and 
more effective tools and machines, a farm laborer here 
can do more effective work for a dollar than the English 
laborer can ; at the same time we pay doable the wages 
the English farmer pays. Our great mistake is in using 
less capital in our farming, and thus producing less 
from an acre of ground than the English farmer does. 
Crop Prospects.— Messrs. Semple, Birge 
& Co., of St. Louis, forward us a number of reports of 
tbe condition of the crops throughout the Western States, 
from Nebraska to Texas, gathered by them in response 
to a circular issued to a large number of correspondents 
in various localities. These reports agree in estimating 
the wheat crop as promising a largely increased yield 
over that of last year; oats promise a good crop, and 
corn has been more largely planted than last season, and 
looks well. 
Mraining' Flowed Land. —“H. F. G.,” 
Jefferson Co., N. Y. One of the chief benefits from drain¬ 
ing land is the preventing of water from flowing over it 
in the spring and fall. Land that most needs draining, 
may be very dry and cracked open by shrinkage in the 
summer. The flowing of water over the surface washes 
away the fertility of the soil, which is not thus removed 
when the water simply passes through it into drains. 
Drained land can be worked early in the spring, and crops 
upon it are not injured by standing water in the fall and 
winter. 
Paralysis in S®ig's. — “L. W.,” Kent, 
Mich. Paralysis of tho hind-quarters in pigs, is some¬ 
times caused by inflammation of, and consequent effusion 
upon the spinal marrow, causing pressure and loss of 
nerve power. Sensation and power of motion may often 
be restored by the application of a mild irritant to the 
loins. Turpentine, or a thin paste of mustard, rubbed up¬ 
on the loins over the spine, generally leads to a cure. It | 
is brought on by cold and damp quarters, or exposure to 
cold rains, and is more frequent in young pigs than in 
older ones. Lambs are subject to a similar complaint, 
arising from the same causes. A chill will sometimes 
produce it very suddenly. 
T 2 ae Maine Jersey SleWi Mooli.— 
The first volume of the Herd-book of the Maine State 
Jersey Cattle Association is now in press. Over 500 en¬ 
tries have been made with pedigrees of the animals reg¬ 
istered. The price is $1.25. Entries can now be made 
for the second volume, which will be issued as soon as a 
sufficient number have been received. Orders and en¬ 
tries may be sent to the Secretary, N. R. Pike, Win- 
throp, Me. 
IProservintg- Slay. — The process 
of curing hay by preserving it in deep trenches, and cov¬ 
ered with a thick layer of earth, is being extensively 
adopted with satisfactory results in many parts of Europe. 
A correspondent of a foreign agricultural journal de¬ 
scribes His method as follows : “ The grass was put into 
a pit 6 feet deep, quite wet, on tbe day it was cut, cover¬ 
ed up to a depth of 18 inches with earth; the pit was 
opened the other day, after having been closed for eleven 
months. The process appears perfectly successful, aud 
though involving a little more expense, it is worthy of 
consideration, in a wet season, whether it would not be 
worth while securing at least a part of tbe crop in this 
manner.”—This plan would be very serviceable for the 
curing of late cut crops of fodder, for the proper drying 
of which the lateness of the season might present some 
difficulties. 
Mere Mention. — The Ac clim atiz ation 
Society, of Queensland, publish a Report showing the 
attempts made to introduce new plants and animals into 
that portion of Australia. 
The Entomological Society of Canada sends its 
Report for 1875, which shows that our friends over the 
border are wide awake, and that they give proper atten¬ 
tion to the practical aspects of their science. 
Carnivorous Plants, and other papers, read before 
the Am. Science Association, by Prof. W. J. Beal, of the 
Mich. Ag’l. College, are published in a pamphlet form. 
The Flora of Iowa.— Mr. J. C. Arthur, of Charles 
City, lias prepared a Catalogue of the.flowering plants of 
the State, which is published by the Iowa Centennial 
Commission. Copious notes add to the value of the Cata¬ 
logue, which bears the mark of thorough work. 
The Botanical Bulletin, published monthly by John 
M. Coulter, at Hanover, Ind., though mainly devoted to 
western botany, contains matters of interest to all botan¬ 
ists, and is well worth the $1 charged for a year. 
Catalogues Received. 
The number of catalogues materially diminishes as 
mid-summer approaches. We make brief acknowledg¬ 
ment of the few that have come to hand since our last, 
without classifying them. 
The Lacon Nursery Company.— Mr. D. B. Wier, 
who has long had a nursery at Lacon, Ill., has, with Mr. 
A. H. Gaston, a well known fruit grower, formed a firm, 
the name of which is given above. 
Wm. Thompson, Ipswich, England, is one of the few 
seedsmen in the world who are at the same time botan¬ 
ists, and his catalogue of flower seeds bears tbe mark of 
critical accuracy. 
Otto Ludwig, San Antonio, Texas. A list of Texan 
and other Cacti, and other plants of the far southwest. 
H. T. Jones, Rochester, N. Y., deals in small fruits ex¬ 
clusively. 
Standard Laundry Machinery Co., New York and 
Boston, send a thoroughly illustrated catalogue of their 
various machines. 
The United States Wind Engine and Pump Co., 
Batavia, Ill. Their wind-mills are of all sizes, from the 
smallest up to those large enough to run a grist or other 
mill needing 40-horse-power. 
Barnes’ Foot Power Saws and Lathes, Rockford, 
Illinois. 
Empire Thrashing Machines, made by tbe Hagers¬ 
town Machine Co., Hagerstown, Md. 
The Economizer, an engine designed for use in cheese 
factories, by G. B. Weeks & Co., Syracuse, N. Y. 
The Starling Sulky Plow, made by the Peoria 
Plow Co., Peoria, Ill. This plow took first prize at the 
Iowa State Fair in 1875. 
Swiss Cattle, owned by David G. Aldrich, Worcester, * 
Mass., the only herd of these cattle in the United States. 
Golden Extract of Annato for coloring cheese and 
butter, rendered necessary by the demand for export and 
tbe desire here for higli color, made by Wells, Richard¬ 
son & Co.. Burlington, Yt. 
Giant Powder, made by tbe Giant Powder Co., 61 
Park Place, N. Y„ which is now being used for clearing 
land of stones and stumps in preference to common 
powder. 
