1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
T35 
Oil i<u>E* Harneiss. —“R. W. W.,” Perry, 
N. Y. The best oil for leather is one that does not read¬ 
ily dry or turn rancid. Neats’-foot oil, which is procur¬ 
ed by boiling the feet of cattle, is considered the best oil 
for dressing leather, and drying oils, as linseed oil, the 
worst. We have not tried the fat of geese or fowls as a 
leather dressing, but it would be very easy to test the ef¬ 
fect of either of them upon an old boot. When you try 
it please inform us of the result. 
Soup 55«-:sii".—“ B. W.,” Warren Co., N. J. 
The beans which are sold under this name in the shops 
are a kind of dwarf bean with black skins. They are 
used mostly by the Italian and Spanish residents of the 
large cities, and sell in moderate quantities at a compar¬ 
atively high price. A large supply would overstock the 
market and could not be sold. They are as easily grown 
as any other bean, and are generally raised amongst corn 
by dropping two or three beans in the hill with the corn 
at planting time. The double crop seems to do very well. 
Ca,rl»otic Soap Tor Slaecp Dip.—“W. 
H. N.,” Erie Co., O. Carbolic soap would be too costly 
to use for sheep dip, so would carbolic acid and white hel¬ 
lebore, both of which must be used with great care. The 
tobacco dip is the most effective, the safest, cheapest, 
and easiest to apply of any we know of. The Scotch 
sheep dip made by Malcolm McEwen, Louisville, Ky., 
is one that is in general use amongst Scotch shepherds, 
and has been for many years. 
r l’o get ritl ©f Fleas.—“R. W. G. W.,” 
East Greenwich, R. I. If a dog infested with fleas is 
made to liefor a few daysupon a bed of fresh litter from 
a horse stable, all the fleas will leave him. He must then 
be washed with soap and water, and supplied with a 
clean bed. A common cocoa-fibre door mat makes a 
good clean bed for a dog, and is repulsive to lice, espec¬ 
ially if the bottom of it is occasionally smeared with 
common pine tar. Soft soap and water used frequently 
is the best preventive of fleas. 
Cheap Boot Nllcevs.—“S. P.,” Say- 
brook, O. In the American Agnculturist of April, 1873, 
were given directions for making a cheap sheer or pulp- 
er for roots or potatoes. 
Hoi-ii Slsaviag's.—“ J. H. J.,” Sunnidale, 
O. The parings of hoofs and lrorn shavings and cuttings 
are a valuable fertilizer. They contain a large propor¬ 
tion of ammonia (as nitrogen), and in the English 
market sell for $40 to $50 a ton. 
BSeans for Sheep.—“W. K.,” Kanawha 
Co., Ya. We would not advise you to raise beans for 
sheep. Peas are much more valuable, and are more 
readily eaten. Corn is a far better crop than beans. The 
field beans grown in England for stock feed are quite dif¬ 
ferent from our beans, and although they have been tried 
here, by some of the editors of the American Agricultur¬ 
ist. as well as others, they have never yet been successful¬ 
ly grown. The blossoms fall off and rarely produce seed, 
and the plants are badly infested with lice. We have 
no hope of success for them in this climate. 
Millc for Figs—Sow’s Milk.— “W. 
W. F.,” Galien, Mich. If possible we would feed 
skimmed milk to pigs while sweet; but sour milk never 
seems to come amiss to them. It would be very strange 
if sow’s milk were not, like that of other animals, sweet. 
Sourness in milk is a result of partial decomposition, and 
of the change of the sugar in the milk to acid. As every 
kind of milk that has been examined has been found 
sweet, and containing a certain quantity of sugar, it is 
safe to say that the milk of the sow, which, so far as 
we know, has never been analyzed, does not differ in any 
material point from other milks. 
Cost of a Laundry.— 1 “ W. H. G.,” In¬ 
dianapolis, Ind- The cost of a laundry depends alto¬ 
gether upon its capacity for business, and the amount of 
machinery. The larger it is the cheaper in proportion 
it can be furnished. If large enough for steam power to 
be used, the first expense will be greater, but the cost of 
operating it will be less than by manual labor. A small 
one that may be sufficient for a village, would cost $703 
to $1,000. Larger ones suitable for the business of a city 
would cost $3,000 and upwards. 
Thumps isi Swiasc.—“ J. B. L.,” Musca¬ 
tine, Iowa. The disease, of which a very distinct symp¬ 
tom is labored respiration or “ thumping of the sides,” 
is that known as pleurisy, or inflammation of the pleura— 
the lining membrane of the lungs and cavity of the chest. 
This disease either results in recovery, or the effusion of 
serum or “water” in the chest. It is then that the 
thumping occurs, and the effects are often fatal, unless 
prompt and proper remedies are applied. These are 
diuretics and absorbents, together with stimulants to 
support the system. The following has been recom¬ 
mended. Dissolve one dram of camphor in one ounce of 
nitrous ether, (sweet spirits of niter), and add a pint of 
water, the water precipitates the camphor in fine pow¬ 
der, and makes it easy to bo administered. A quarter of 
an ounce of saltpeter is then added, and the whole well 
shaken up before giving. Half the above is to lie given 
every six hours, until the kidneys are active. Then half 
tlie following should be given twice daily, viz : 1 dram 
sulphate of iron ; 1 dram common alum ; % pint infusion 
of quassia. This disease is caused by cold and damp, 
and is frequently the result of rheumatism, which is 
shown by a stiffness of the joints of the animal, and an 
indisposition to move about. 
Scabby Legs in Fonltry.—“ W. A. C.,” 
Rockcliff, Col., gives the following cure for scabby legs 
in poultry, viz: take equal parts of lard and kerosene 
oil, and thicken with sulphur into a paste. This should 
be rubbed upon the legs until the scabby parts come off, 
when they should be smeared with sweet oil. He states 
that the scabs are caused by filth, which view is not the 
correct one, as we have learned that they are caused by 
a parasitic insect similar to that which causes scab in 
sheep. The treatment above recommended, however, is 
an excellent and effective one, whatever the cause. 
'File Best Wheat.— 1 “ W. L.,” Talbot Co., 
Md. It is impossible to say which is the best variety of 
wheat for any locality; the variation in soil and climate 
have much to do with the success or failure of different 
kinds of seed. The most popular wheat at present ev¬ 
erywhere seems to be the Clawson, which has proved to 
be hardy, productive, and of excellent quality. It origi¬ 
nated in New York State. 
IPa'lBsciples of Cosisti'iicdoii of an 
3ce Mouse.—“ J. A. S.,” Baltimore. The principles 
necessary to be observed in the construction of an ice¬ 
house, are as follows : first, a perfectly well drained foun¬ 
dation ; second, perfectly air tight floor and walls ; the 
drains must also be managed so that while they let water 
out, they will let no air in ; third, non-conducting spaces 
or materials in the walls, to prevent the transmission of 
heat from without; fourth, ample ventilation above, and 
lastly, dry absorbent packing material, in which the ice 
must be imbedded and surrounded. The top ventilation 
may be secured by means of a cupola or hood, or two of 
them, in the roof, and the covering of sawdust upon the 
top of the ice should be two feet thick. The evaporation 
from the surface of the covering, that is occasioned by 
the currents of air passing over it, cools it and prevents 
mold or mildew. By observing these necessary require¬ 
ments, the ice-house may be constructed in any shape, or 
of any material, and may be built above ground, or in an 
upper story over a cool chamber, if desired. 
Am BlBSsi'Soslt Farmer’s Mistake.— 
An English farmer who had purchased a quantity of ni¬ 
trate of soda to use upon his meadows, received by mis¬ 
take a hogshead of sugar, which was at once sown upon 
the grass. By and by the grocer who had bought the 
sugar, and received the nitrate of soda instead, discov¬ 
ered the mistake, but too late to recover his sugar. This 
curious blunder shows'that at least some English farm¬ 
ers are either remarkably careless, or ignorant of their 
business, or that sugar must be a scarce article with them. 
The Hog A'>a.is»Bsce. —A recent case in 
Scotland is worthy of notice here. A dog which had 
worried a number of lambs, was ordered by the judge of 
a Scotch court to be destroyed. The judge remarked 
that it was not necessary under Scotch law for a dog to 
prove itself to be dangerous by committing injury; the 
fact that it was at large and not under proper control was 
sufficient to subject its owner to prosecution. He hoped 
the public would co-operate with the authorities in sup¬ 
pressing what had become an intolerable nuisance. It 
would be a matter for congratulation if we could hear an 
American judge utter similar remarks, for the same dog 
nuisance has long since become intolerable in various 
parts of this country. 
SSeimoval of a Wart.—“ W. L.,” Pater¬ 
son, N. J. The raw spot left after the removal of a wart, 
either naturally or otherwise, should bo dressed with a 
solution of blnestone (sulphate of copper), or with the 
same finely powdered applied dry. This will dry up the 
surface, and help to form a scab beneath which new skin 
will grow. The dressing will need to bo repeated daily, 
and to keep flies from the wound, some crude petroleum 
may be smeared over the scab and the adjoining skin. 
!>ra£iulaa£' l>y 'Wells.—“ A. K. T.,” Hen¬ 
rico Co., Ya. The useful effect of draining a marsh by 
means of wells, depends upon the existence of a sub¬ 
stratum of sand or gravel, through which (he water will 
escape. The fact of a marsh being upon high ground, 
indicates that there is a subsoil of clay, which retains 
the water. The best plan would be to make a few trial 
pits, and search for a porous stratum beneath the clay. 
If one is found, then some deeper pits may safely be dug 
as the outlets for the drains. If no sand or gravel 
is found, it would be useless to attempt this plan. 
Mot CSlamlei's.—“L. W. T.,” Greeley, Col. ■ 
Glanders consists in ulcerations of the lining membrane 
of the nostrils, and is manifested by a thick, gluey dis¬ 
charge, which may not be copious. The cause of this 
is a diseased condition of the blood. Bleeding of the 
nose and the sudden discharge of matter in large quan¬ 
tity are not symptoms of glanders, but rather of an ab¬ 
scess in one of the nasal sinuses. We would give in such 
a case daily doses of one ounce of sulphite of soda for a 
week or ten days, with alternate doses of one dram of 
sulphate of copper and half an ounce of powdered gen¬ 
tian root. All these to be given in cut feed. 
The Second Cutting' of Clover not 
Good for Horses. —“A. K. F.,” Richmond, Ya. It 
is a general opinion that the aftermath of clover is injuri¬ 
ous to horses, that it irritates the salivary glands, and 
causes a flow of saliva from the mouth. In our own ex¬ 
perience, upon investigating the cause of this, we found 
the clover aftermath plentifully mixed with Lobelia and 
St. John’s Wort, the occurrence of which was amply suffi¬ 
cient to account for the effect noticed. Whether the sec¬ 
ond growth of clover is really of so acrid a nature as to 
cause the slobbering, is a doubtful point; we are inclined 
to think this is due to the presence of these weeds, the 
seeds of which are generally mingled with clover seed. 
■Whsat shonlUl lie ISalse iia Louisi¬ 
ana ?—“C. N. F.,” Worcester, Mass., asks what crop 
he should raise the. first year upon a farm in Louisiana, 
until he gets acquainted with southern farming. That 
depends upon so many circumstances of which we are 
entirely ignorant, that we can not give any advice. But 
it would bequite safe fora newcomer, before he deter¬ 
mines upon his plans, to learn the condition of the soil 
of his farm, and the general practice of the neighborhood, 
and to consult the most intelligent of his new neighbors, 
as to the best course to pursue. A new comer into any 
place, is too apt to think he can teach the natives a few 
things, but he is generally wrong, and finds in time that 
local customs are founded upon some necessities or con¬ 
dition, which can not safely be ignored. 
Mang'c Ihi a, Morse.—“ P. W. L.,” Fort 
George, Fla. Mange in a horse should be treated as fol¬ 
lows. Make au ointment of lard, twelve parts, carbolic 
acid one part, and sulphur two parts. Rub these together 
thoroughly, until it is well mixed and smooth. Work 
some of this ointment into the affected portions of the 
skin twice a day. Give an ounce of flowers of sulphur 
daily in the feed, until the perspiration of the horse 
smells strongly of it, then discontinue it, but continue 
the use of the ointment for some time longer, until the 
skin recovers a healthy appearance. Whitewash the sta¬ 
ble and stalls with lime, and cover the floor also with 
it, as the mange insect will live upon the wood-work for 
some months, and return to the horse if not destroyed. 
BSreenlIsag' to a IPca'cheron.—“A. B. 
L.,” Monterey, III. In breeding a medium sized mare of 
racing blood to a Percheron horse, we would select a 
stallion of well knit compact frame, fine in the bone, with 
a fine head, good shoulders, clean barrel, and small hoofs. 
A loose built, broad-footed, large-boned horse would offer 
such an antagonism of points, as would probably produce 
a colt of no character whatever; while the other sort of 
horse would match with the marc, and probably produce 
a shapely colt. 
Feedles"- Coi-ra-FoaiUlei-, etc.—“ G. F.,” 
Warren Co., N. J. The usual method of feeding corn- 
fodder is to cut it in a fodder cutter in half-inch lengths ; 
wet thcchaff, and sprinkle upon ittho allowance of mixed 
feed, which is generally corn and bran in equal parts 
ground together quite fine. Of this we have fed 4 lbs. 
per day to a cow in full milk, and two quarts to one Half 
dry. At noon lialf-a-bushel of turnips, sliced with a root 
cutter, or chopped with a spade sharpened on the edge, 
may be given. Linseed oil-cake meal is not advisable 
for a steady feed ; for fattening stock, or for animals in 
need of a gentle alterative or laxative, a quart or two a 
day may be given. When fed regularly or in considerable 
quantity to dairy cows in milk, the cream is light-color¬ 
ed, and the butter loses in flavor and texture. 
Fish fhr Hogs.— “C. II. C.,” Smyrna, Fla. 
Hogs will eat fish with avidity, and will thrive upon this 
food if some vegetables are given with it. We know of 
no reason why a mixed diet of fish and sweet potatoes 
or corn should not be healthful for your hogs, but fish, 
alone would not make a suitable food. 
