AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
235 
manured, and dug only 10 to 12 inches in depth. Mr. T. 
estimates the cost of picking worth atleast $1 per bushel, 
besides the labor of cultivation. The varieties he thinks 
were mostly the Boston Pine, with a few Hovey’s 
Seedlings, and two other varieties. Large berries would 
not cost so much to pick. 
Strawberries—Hyln'itltziias'.—J. G. Marchant 
Adams Co., Ill. The strawberry is not usually a dioe¬ 
cious plant. Some varieties, however, have stamens and 
pistils oa the same flower, others have pistils alone rare¬ 
ly does a plant have only stamens. The seed and not the 
berry is affected by dusting the pollen of one variety upon 
the pistils of another. Seed planted from such fruit will 
• produce a.hybrid. A particular variety can only be prop¬ 
agated with runners or division of roots. The seeds from 
a single stalk will produce a dozen or more varieties. 
Raspberries.— Sept 11th, we received from Chas. 
W. Elliott, Esq., a bunch of Raspberry plants, heavily 
loaded with fruit in all stages of growth from the just 
closing flowers to fully ripe berries. A box of the just 
gathered fruit accompanied the plants. The fruit is of 
moderate size, rather above the wild varieties, 
and of good flavor. Berry, nearly round, red color. 
Mr. Elliott calls it the “ Bagley Everbearing,” and says 
it is hardy, needing no covering, and yields a moderate 
succession through the season. The plants before us 
indicate that it will continue bearing until stopped by 
frost. 
Ground or Winter Cherry.— Reuben T. Os¬ 
trander, of Geveva, Walworth Co., Wis., offers to send 
enough seed for a small plot to any reader of the Agricul¬ 
turist who will forward a directed and post-paid envelope 
—so far as his crop will go. He has both yellow and blue 
varieties 
Cheap Fruit.— An American writing from Gibral¬ 
tar, says: “I bought two pounds of Grapes, two of 
Apples, two pounds of Peaches, two of Lemons, and a 
basket to carry them in, and all for a quarter of a dollar.” 
Grapes at the North.—Win. Pringle, of Mark¬ 
ham, Canada West, will find the Concord Grape, suffi¬ 
ciently hardy for his latitude ; it ripens its fruit several 
days earlier than the Isabella, and is hardy. The 
Clinton is also well adapted to cold climates and short 
seasons. The Canadian Chief is a new Grape for which 
large claims of hardiness and good quality are made. 
A season or two will decide the question. 
Sngar-Caue Suclters.— T. R. J., Jr., Accomac 
Co., Va. The suckers spring directly from the stumps of 
plants cut down early in the season, as will be seen on 
close examination, and they may be treated in all re¬ 
spects like the original stalk, if forward enough to ripen. 
They cannot injure the old roots, as these will not be 
needed next year, it being advisable to cultivate this plant 
as an annual—sowing new seed every year. When not 
badly frozen, the roots will send up new shoots a second 
year, but according to the experiments in France and in 
Africa, the second year’s canes are very slender. 
Chinese Sugar-Cane in Va.—R. Sherman, of 
Prince George Co., Va., writes that on the 17 he visited a 
friend in Dinwiddie Co., who planted 4 ounces of seed, 
from which he made three barrels of excellent syrup, and 
two barrels of vinegar from the skimmings, and the hogs 
eat the stalks after the juice was expressed. Amount of 
ground not stated. 
Cola Frames.— J. M., Eppley, Pa. See page 219. 
Onions, Steeping-, &c—D. J. Weller, Bullett 
Co., Ity. Onions should be kept during Winter in a cool, 
dry situation away from frost. If placed in a warm room 
they commence growing and soon decay. They will re¬ 
tain their freshness for a long time if put in barrels with 
dry sand sifted in among them- Sets may be kept in the 
same manner. 
ESeet Sugar.— Benj. Butterfield, Will Co., Ill. The 
manufacture of this is now not attempted in this country. 
It will not pay unless on a large scale, as in France, with 
extensive works and much experience and skill. 
Manures for Fioug Island.— W. I. Gould, of 
Suffolk Co., L. I., asks “ what is the best manures for 
Old Long Island.” This question is about as indefinite 
as to ask what is the best medicine for a sick man with¬ 
out naming his disease. Long Island has almost every 
variety of soil, and what would be good in one would be 
worthless or injurious in another. As in medicines, so in 
manures, there has been a great amount of humbug in 
setting forth some specific or cure-all. Thus Brandreth’s 
Pills have been recommended as being always good 
for about every disease that flesh is heir to. So cer¬ 
tain manures have been recommended as universally 
beneficial. This is all wrong. On a heavy, damp, cold, 
sandy soil, lime is usually beneficial. On a clay soil sand 
is often a good application, while on many sandy soils, 
clay is the best possible application. On some compara¬ 
tively poor soils of Long Island fish produce almost mirac¬ 
ulous effects. If we could recommend but one manure 
for all kinds of soil it would be good stable manure before 
all things else. With this we would mix all the muck a 
or swamp mud possible, in all cases. Guano, if genuine 
Peruvian, is very good almost everywhere. Bone dust, 
finely ground, is also good anywhere. 
Becayed. Leaves—Saw-Bast.—Junius May, 
Davis Co., Ky. These are of a character similar to muck, 
and are equally good for composting with manure. Saw¬ 
dust is useful, especially as an absorbent, but not as valu¬ 
able as muck and leaves ; the latter decay more readily, 
and also contain more nitrogen or ammonia. 
Arboricultural Works.— S. S. W., of Lancas¬ 
ter Co., P., asks what books we recommend for instruc¬ 
tion in the culture of ornamental and forest trees There 
is a deficiency in this class of literature which we would 
be glad to see supplied. “Loudon’s Encyclopedia of 
Plants,” is too voluminous and expensive (selling at $17) 
for general use. “ Meehan’s American Hand-Book of 
Ornamental Trees,” is not sufficiently explicit, or ex¬ 
tensive. It is a small work, selling for 75 cents, and if one 
only wishes for a description of ornamental trees this 
will be of service to him. 
Winter Management o£ Rees.— Many dif¬ 
ferent modes of protecting bees during the Winter have 
been recommended and tried. J. M. M., of Schuyler Co., 
as the result of more than twenty years’ experience, ad¬ 
vocates the plan of burying the hives in the ground. He 
digs a ditch in a gravel or loam soil, deep enough to bring 
the top of the hive, w hen resting on scantlings, even with 
the surface of the ground. He covers the bottom of the 
pit with straw, and packs eight or ten inches of straw or 
litter around, between and upon the hive, and finally 
heaps up the dirt taken from the trench, making a furrow 
if necessary to carry off the surface water. Here he 
leaves the bees from the 1st of October until they 
can get a living in the Spring, with a saving, as he thinks, 
of two-thirds of the honey which they would consume if 
left unprotected_There is undoubtedly a saving of hon¬ 
ey when bees are kept in perfect repose, and are protect¬ 
ed against sudden excessive changes of temperature. It 
is a nice matter, however, for inexperienced persons to 
decide when to carry bees into Winter quarters, and es¬ 
pecially when to bring them out again to the open air. 
The great difficulty with Mr. M.’s plan seems to ,us to be 
that it does not provide sufficiently for the ventilation of 
of the hives, and for keeping them dry by ventilation. We 
should expect to find the combs black and mouldy after 
such treatment, even if the bees lived ; and we are in¬ 
clined to think that the most essential thing, so far as pro¬ 
tection against extreme cold is concerned, is upward ven¬ 
tilation sufficient to carry offi all the vapor of the air. 
Roe BlotUs.— See page 104. (July No.) 
Gapes ill Clviclteua.—Samuel Lowery, oi Nash¬ 
ville, Tenn., whites that he is sure the cause of the gsq es 
is a little red worm in the throat which must be removed. 
His ‘best half’ has cured a great many thus: “ Double 
a horse-hair; put it down the throat of the fow., and 
twist it round, and then pull it out. It will bring out the 
worm, and if its stay has not been too long there, a cure 
will be effected.” Mr. L. thinks the various remedies 
proposed, such as, red and black pepper, salt, powders, 
&c., have only been of temporary service “ in strengthen¬ 
ing and stimulating the fowl and momentarily neutraliz¬ 
ing its sensibility.” 
Meg CJiolera.—Wilton, Alleghany Co. We, and 
all others, are as much in the dark as yourself on this 
point. The best speoific we have heard is, to keep the 
animals clean, and give an occasional dose of salt. Dr. 
Dadd, Vet, Surgeon, recommends “ mixing equal parts 
of salt, powdered charcoal and sulphur, giving each ani¬ 
mal a table-spoonlul with its food twice a day; keep clean 
and warm." 
Cfops in Miami Co., ©.—A correspondent 
writes; Sept. 14, “Wheat, oats and flax, have been 
gathered to exceed any former year. The Com crop in 
the Miami Valley is tremendous ; there never was as 
much in any former year, and many farmers are cal¬ 
culating on 120 to 135 bushels per acre. Stock hogs are 
selling on foot at $5 75, per 100 lbs. gross w'eight.’ ’ 
Maine Items.—We extract the following items 
from a letter from Mr. Wm. P. Atherton, of Hallow-ell : 
The Summer wet and unfavorable, but an abundant yield 
of most kinds of produce, especially of hay. Grain good, 
except on low wet land. More wheat and barley sown 
than usual. The two-rowed barley considered best, is 
taller, yields better, is cleaner, and ripens later, at a time 
when it can be harvested conveniently. Weevil (midge) 
and rust somewhat injurious. A new kind of wheat, 
called the Java or Egyptian, promises well. Mr. Tabor, 
of Vassalboro, obtained 28 bushels to the acre. Corn and 
potatoes promise well ; not much complaint of rot up to. 
Aug. 29. Apples scarce; fruit trees badly injured last 
Winter. Season too wet and cold for the Chinese Sugar 
Cane. 
White Rye.—We have received two samples of 
this, one from Wm. B. Doubleday, Binghampton, N. Y. 
the other from Phillip A. Mason, near Blackwood Town, 
Camden Co., N. J. They are both very fine, and if this 
variety grows true to its kind, and is equally hardy and 
productive with that heretofore cultivated, we see no 
reason why it should not wholly take its place. The 
heads received from Camden Co., are long, and well 
filled with plump kernels. Mr. Doubleday, says. “My¬ 
self and family prefer the rye bread (of the white variety) 
to that made from the best superfine wheat flour we can 
procure. It is lighter, more moist, and sweeter, and 1 
hink more wholesome.” 
3E vulgarian Grass—Mil let.— Taber & Nettle- 
ton, Decatur, Ill. The seed you sent under the above 
name is not a grass but a millet. From an examination 
we think it the German or Hungarian variety, ( Panicum 
Germanicum ,) which is an annual, and of course will not 
make a permanent stand like grass. It is a valuable 
forage crop, requiring the same treatment as the common 
millet. 
Tall Corn in Illinois.— In a postscript to a 
letter, dated Sept. 4, Messrs. Taber & Nettleton, of Deca¬ 
tur, Macon Co., say: “We have \ acre of Chinese 
Sugar Cane already averaging 12 feet in flight; corn 
from 16 to 18 feet—can’t reach the ears. ‘ Fact ’—Illinois 
to the last,” 
Large Field oi Flax Scetl.— A Challenge — 
David Mitchell, of Piqua, Miami Co , O., writes: “My 
son D. S. Mitchell, 21 miles South of this place, sowed 
one bushel and 41 ibs. of flax seed last Spring, (on how 
much ground?) and harvested seventy-nine bushels and 44 
ibs. Seed loaned from Messrs. Balls’ Oil-Mill, near Piqua 
and the crop purchased by them at $1 per bushel. They 
will certify this statement. Beat this who can.” 
Potato Rot.—L. Humphrey, of Windham, Ohio, 
advises gathering potato balls (seed) now, drying careful¬ 
ly and planting in drills next Spring. He thinks that new 
varieties may be produced in two or three years which 
may be less subject to rot. 
Judge Barling’s Corn Outdone.-H. A. 
Sheldon, of Middlebury, Vt., writes that an old variety of 
sweet corn which has been in his Father’s family Tor 40 
years was planted by the side of the Darling on the same 
day, and the former matured a week first, and is the 
sweetest and tenderest. From most other places we 
hear a different report, though not from all. The weath¬ 
er has been so unusual the past season, that scarcely any 
new plant has had a fair chance to show its merits or 
demerits. 
King Plvilip Corn—Premium Seeds Coin- 
ins' Back.—Ilurbert Greaves, of Sandusky County, 
Ohio, sends us ripe samples of the above corn, gathered 
Sept. 15th. He reports, "one bushel of ears from the lit¬ 
tle packet we sent him.... The corn is very fine, some of 
the ears measuring 14 inches long and 6i inches round... 
It looks very poor by the side of our 14 feet high corn, but 
will pay to raise for the grain it shows.” 
Lyman Wilder, of Whiteside Co., Ind., wntesthat; 
“Away up herein the North Inhiana woods, I planted the 
King Philip corn, June 1st, and on Sept. 1st, (3 months,) 
I had corn hard enough to grind.” He sugge'sts that by 
planting this variety on wheat ground, it will be out of 
the way by August 25th. 
Ayresliire Cows. — E . Traver, Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
By looking at our advertising columns occasionally, you 
will find plenty of Ayreshire cattle advertised for sale, 
from which you can, no doubt, makegood selections. The 
merits of the different kinds of cows have been so fully 
discussed in the pages of the Agriculturist heretofore, that 
it is unnecessary to say more of them now, when, per¬ 
haps, after all, it is chiefly a matter of taste or fancy that 
will govern the purchaser in his selections. In the “ Ru¬ 
ral Surroundings, No. 2, page 76, April No., will be found 
a description of Ayreshires, and other breeds. As to im¬ 
porting Ayreshires from Scotland, we think they can be 
obtained of equally good quality in this country—either 
in New-York,or Connecticut—and at half the cost of im¬ 
porting them. There have been so many good Ayre¬ 
shires brought here from Scotland, and their descendants 
so frequently offered for sale at reasonable prices, that one 
need not hunt far nor long to obtain them. 
Sterile Cows.—L. Barnet, of Springfield, says he 
has a very fine cow which he cannot get to breed, and that 
a reliable remedy would not only benefit him in particu¬ 
lar, but stock raisers in general. The reasons w-hy cows 
or heifers fail to breed are so various, that no certain an¬ 
swer can be given to the question. Free martens, that 
is heifers twinned with a bull, scarcely ever breed, from 
well known physiological reasons. Other heifers mav 
