262 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September 
uments at all the corners. Purchasers of real estate will 
thereby avoid for themselves and those that come after 
them the unpleasant difficulties with neighbors, unfortu¬ 
nately so common among farmers in the older States.” 
Free Homes— Homestead B.siw.— 
Sundry inquiries are all answered plainly and clearly in 
the Homestead Law itself, which was published in full in 
the July Agriculturist 18fi2, (that is, Vol. 21, page 195). 
Copies of that number can be sent post-paid for 12 cents 
each.—One provision of the law has not been much talk¬ 
ed of, viz., that the 60 or 160 acres of land thus given as 
a homestead, can not be taken to satisfy any debt con¬ 
tracted prior to entry upon it. Any person, male or fe¬ 
male, native or foreign, if 21 years old, (or of younger 
ace it he has been a soldier,) is invited to select a Home¬ 
stead of 80 or 160 acres from any of Uncle Sam's survey¬ 
ed lands not already occupied by some one else. The 
only cost is $10 for expenses of papers, etc. Five years’ 
residence upon the land gives a man an absolute free 
title to it forever; or he can at any time after going upon 
it purchase it for $200, instead of occupying it five years. 
Rescue Grass.— A. Berry, Cincinnati, O., 
writes'that this was introduced by a gentleman in Geor¬ 
gia some 20 years ago, and that the seed sold at $20 per 
bushel, it was called Rescue because it was alleged 
that it would grow well on poor land and rescue it from 
its worn-out condi’ion. It was also called Short-awn 
Horn Grass. Mr. B. says that as it germinates in Septem¬ 
ber, it is of value at the South as affording pasturage 
during winter and spring. The grain, which is about one 
fourth the size of th» oat, matures in June and will yield 
on good land 20 to 25 bushels to the acre. It shells out 
so easily, that it is best gathered by stripping, it as itstands 
in the field. This is a very different thing from the wild 
oat of California—that is a true oat {Aveua fatua). 
Salting Farm Stool*.— G. W. Palmer, 
Susquehanna Co., Pa., writes: “ I keep a small stock 
and give them salt as often as they get out. I have my 
yard shedded, or enclosed with a shed, and in a convenient 
place under that shed, I have made a stationary box and 
keep salt in it, so that whatever I pasture can go to it 
when they choose (summer and winter), and my experi¬ 
ence is that it costs less, and my stock thrive better than 
when salted at regular intervals. One thing is certain, 
that any animal will not cat salt if it does not want it. 
After being salted daily for one week no animal will 
eat enough to do it harm ; while if allowed to go to the 
box at first, there would be danger.” 
’I’obacco ought to be cut as soon as the 
leaves arc ripe as described in the August No., page 237. 
The crop should be harvested and hung up as there also 
described. This is September work over a good part of 
the tc banco raising part of the country. After the plants 
are hung in the sheds, or wherever they are, give good 
ventilation, closing the shutters in high winds. On damp, 
close days the shutters must be closed, for the tobacco 
will absorb moisture, and the object is to dry it as soon 
as possible. This is much expedited by fires, keeping up 
a gentle heat in the building. Frost is fatal to the stand¬ 
ing crop ; too close hanging in damp, warm weather 
causes incipient decay and mouldiness known as “pole 
burn ”, which is to be carefully avoided. Winds do most 
injury after some of the leaves are become dry and brittle. 
A Cow’s Milking Herself is no crime, 
t»t bad taste, and a pernicious habit. A correspondent 
advises attaching a stick of suitable 
length, at one end to the girth, and 
at the other la the halter. This will 
allow the beast to move her head 
freely up and down but not round 
to either side—to the cow a very dis¬ 
tressing way to effect the end, in fly 
time. The spike-muzzle figured 
herewith is much more humane. 
The muzzle-strap is stiff leather, large 
enough not to interfere with opening 
the mouth and full of shingle nails. This is fastened to 
the head by a head-strap and throat-latch like a halter. 
Curious Prejudices.— There arc fewer 
popular superstitions and prejudices In this than In any 
other civilized country. Such things disappear before 
free schools and newspapers, so that they have become 
extinct throughout most of the Northern States, or only 
rememberjd as “ old w Ires’ fables.” Two curious state¬ 
ments, which are thoroughly believed in, come to us from 
Maryland. One suhscribcr asks how it is that the Per¬ 
simmon tree planted on sandy soil produces clay, “which 
Is an established fact.” If there be any foundation at all 
for this, It Is probably to be found In the fact that the Per- 
rlmmon delights In clayoy soil, and Is to be found on such 
spots where they occur in a sandy region. Another Mary¬ 
lander insists upon it that there is a certain hour and day 
wherein any tree which is cut, pierced, or hacked in the 
trunk, by any implement, will surely die at once,—that 
the knowledge of the day was held only by an old negro 
mathematician owned by Gen. Washington, and impart¬ 
ed by him to no one, lest great damage might be done 
through malice, which was very considerate of the old 
fellow. It is needless to say both of these are absurd no¬ 
tions which could hardly have found credence except 
where the ignorance of a large part of the community 
was established and maintained by law. 
Roots in Drains.- There is upon our ta¬ 
ble a mass of roots which 
clogged a 4-inch pipe for car. 
rying off the waste water 
from a water-ram. The 
pipe was of glazed ware and 
laid three feet below the 
surface. No trees are with¬ 
in 3o0 feet, and the only 
plant in the neighborhood 
likely to send its roots so 
deep is clover. The water 
usually one quarter filled 
the pipe, The proprietor 
cleared it of roots for a dis¬ 
tance of 60 feet from the 
discharge end, by inserting a 
stout iron wire having teeth 
cut in it with a cold-chisel 
and bent in the form represented. When an obstruction 
was encountered, the wire was twisted round and round 
till it entangled the roots and was then withdrawn. 
A Model Strawberry Report.—“ W. 
G., Jr.,” Dorchester, Mass., sends to Ilovey’s Magazine 
a report of his experience with several varieties of straw¬ 
berries, which we copy as a model, as it condenses into a 
tabular form all that could be expressed in a page of the 
usual way of making such records. The table gives the 
result of one row, 60 feet long, of each sort named. It 
shows earliness, length of bearing, relative productive¬ 
ness, and flavor all at a glance. In the column where the 
flavor is designated, 1 is placed for the highest, and the 
higher the numbers, the poorer the flavor: 
Names of the 
varieties reported 
upon. 
First Box gath¬ 
ered. 
Last Box gath¬ 
ered. 
j Lasted in days. 
Product in boxes, 
per row. 
o 
s 
Princess Fred’k Win. - 
June 19. 
July 4, 
16 
7 
11 
Boston Pine, - - - - 
“ 23, 
“ 6, 
14 
11 
4 
Hovey’s Seedling, - - 
“ 23, 
“ 8, 
If) 
14 
6 
Brighton Pine, - - - 
“ 23, 
“ 8, 
16 
20 
3 
Marguerite, - - - - 
“ 23, 
“ 6, 
14 
30 
10 
Scott's Seedling, - - 
“ 24, “ 8, 
15 
21 
9 
Oscar, ------ 
“ 25, 
“ 7, 
13 
1 
Empress Eugenie, - - 
“ 27, 
“ 6, 
10 
6 
5 
La Constante, - - 
“ 23, 
“ 13, 
16 
23 
2 
Triomphe tie Gand, - 
“ 29, 
“ 13, 
15 
14X 
8 
Due de Malakoff, - - 
July 8, 
“ 8, 
1 
IX 
7 
In a column of remarks, which we have not room for, 
he notes : Princess Frederick William, very poor; Mar¬ 
guerite tasteless and soft; Scott’s Seedling, small; Oscar, 
Empress Eugenie, and La Constante, largest size; Tri- 
omphe de Gand, medium ; Due de Malakoff, needs more 
than one year’s trial. 
Have some Good. Strawberries !— 
A very little expense and trouble this month, will provide 
a bed of plants that will begin next summer to afford 
large, delicious, healthful fruit, close at your door, with 
no roving over fields, and trampling of meadows, for 
little stemmy fruit. There are plenty of good kinds for 
sale at low rates, which can be ordered of dealers near or 
distant, as they are easily and cheaply sent by mail. Get 
a full supply of them, with a few of the choicer, costlier 
kinds to be making plants from. Good strawberries can 
be raised by the bushel cheaper than wheat! Try it this 
month—this week. This and the last two numbers of 
the American Agriculturist give all needed directions. 
The advertising pages of this and previous numbers 
tell where to get plants. 
Have You No Grape Vine?— A good 
vine costs a few cents or dimes, at most, and a trifle 
of labor to piant it and train it up the house, or on a 
stick or pole, or on a trellis that may be of the rudest 
kind if you have no time or money to make a better one. 
IIow beautiful is a grape vine, and how soon it will hang 
with noble clusters of delicious fruit, inviting you and 
yours to pluck, cat and enjoy. Get one vine—say a Con¬ 
cord, if your first one, started this very autumn. While 
about it. add a Delaware, a Hartford Prolific, perhaps a 
Crcveling, but get one vine any Way. Make a dry bed foi 
it to stand in, and see it grow! A dozen good men 
offer vines in our business columns. Grape vines can 
go by mail, at very cheap postage. 
Tcc.-iding on Foes.— Mr. A. writes that 
his pet flower was spoken of disparagingly, and Mr. B. 
thinks there is a reflection upon his favorite straw berry. 
It would be “nice” to be able to please everybody. When 
a fruit or flower is brought to us, our notice is for the 
readers of the Agriculturist and not for the person who 
brings the specimen. If he receives any benefit from it 
he is welcome, but we are looking out for the interests 
of the half million who will read the article. If a new 
thing is good, it is a pleasure to aid in its distribution, 
and the proprietor of it gets benefited as well as the pur¬ 
chaser. If a tiling is bad. it is a duty t» say so. One per¬ 
son is offended, but thousands are saved from unprofit¬ 
able investments —Notices cannot be bought.—A plant 
pul before the public is like a new book, open to fair crit¬ 
icism. We try to judge fairly, and if an error is made 
we are open to conviction and will revise the verdict. 
Tlic BSest Raspberry.—M. P. James. 
The Franconia is the best in the list named. We would 
not he confined to one kind however. Exceedingly fa¬ 
vorable accounts come to us of the Philadelphia Rasp¬ 
berry, and vve should be disposed to try that. 
Works oil Elorticulttire. — G. II. F. 
Woods, Macoupin Co., III., and others. One of the best 
general works on horticulture is Watson’s Home Garden. 
It treats concisely on all branches. For special depart 
ments there are more extended works. Fuller's Grape 
Culturist is the standard work upon that subject. Down¬ 
ing’s Fruits of America is full in description of varieties, 
and gives directions for culture. Bridgemnn's Kitchen 
Garden Instructor has long been an authority, and though 
it is rather behind the times in its selection of varieties, 
its general directions are reliable. 
American JPomelojaicat Society.— 
Fruit Growers are again reminded that the meeting com¬ 
mences on Sept. 13th, at Rochester The meeting Will 
be an important one, as the Society’s catalogue of fruits 
will be revised. Two dollars makes one a member and 
entitles him to the volume of transactions. Send parcels 
of fruit to James Vick, Rochester, and admission fee 
to Tlios. P. James, Treasurer, Philadelphia, Penn. 
Montreal Horticultural Society.-- 
There will be an Exhibition of Fruits, Flowers, Veget¬ 
ables, Agricultural products, etc., at Montreal, on the 
15th, 16th, and 17th of September, on the Victoria Skating 
Rink. This bid's fair to equal any former exhibition in 
the Province, although the amount to be distributed is 
small compared with American Fairs. The Montreal 
Horticultural Society we notice has beon in existence 19 
years, and has held its Exhibitions regularly for that pe¬ 
riod. Cheap fares will be adopted on all lines leading to 
Montreal during the Exhibition. The officers are G. 
Desbaralts, Pres., S. I. Lymans, V. Pres., J. E( Gill, Sec. 
Flowers tor Children.— The II. I. Society 
for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry have dis¬ 
tributed 2660 packages of flower seeds to the chiidren in 
the public schools in 18 towns in the State. This is a 
good move, and the excellent example of “Little Rhody ” 
should be followed by bigger States. Our many Rhode 
Island readers can help in this good work by saving seeds 
and sending them to Judge Staples, the Secretary of the 
Society, as it is desired to furnish all the schools in the 
Slate with seeds, another year. 
Important Remedy tor Dinrrlintn, 
Bowel Complaint, etc.—A great deal is said about 
Blackberry wine, brandy, etc., for looseness of the bow¬ 
els, and no doubt some of the spiced and other prepara¬ 
tions of blackberries are useful as mild astringents. But 
the chief medicinal virtue of the Blackberry plant exists 
not m the fruit, but in the root, and fortunately the root 
is to be found almost, everywhere and at al! seasons, and 
it is easily preserved dry. Dig, say half a pound of the 
small roots, with the bark only of the larger ones ; wash 
clean ; put in a tin, or glazed ware dish, with a quart ot 
water. Steep and boil until there Is a pint of fluid left. 
Strain this off into a bottle and It Is ready for use. It 
will keep any length of time by adding a gill or so ol 
alcohol, or of strong brandy or whiskey to prevent fer 
mentation. A tablcspoonful three times a day is a dose 
for a grown person. Even the “ army diarrhoea”, which 
Is “chronic from Us commencement", yields to this, 
with proper precautions as to food. This remedy Is 
down in the medical works, but has been mainly over 
looked by physicians, as one of the “ old women’s rem» 
