S4-Q 
AMERICAN AORTCUETTJRIST, 
fJuLT, 
To|»««li*e!»si 2 a«|- ©-fiisw.—“You say in the 
Slarah miinner of the AgriciUturist: ' We do not believe I 
are top-dressin" vnth animal manures m the spring.' 
Please inform mn, why yon do not?” 1st. Practically; it 
has been (lemonstrnted to our satisfaction that grass 
makes the best n>e of bulky manure in the late summer, 
or autumn. Tliat tliere is no time wlien tlie crop will Ite 
so niucli affecte I by manure as Just after one crop is re¬ 
moved . to much so that ue tnivocate applying manure 
or comnost directly upon the freshly mowed fields.—2nd. 
Theoretically.—The gra.ss in the autninn and after cut¬ 
ting has no chance to mature .seed, heitce is stre.tgthen- 
ing its rool.s to bear the winter and pro.Ince see I, in the 
spring. Tlie manure cmnc.s in time to help it do this i ery 
well. The dry groiind is open, and as the showers carry 
down the etirichmem, it is quickly taken up. In the 
spring, the feeding roots tire not very active until the leaves 
liave pushed ueli.and the ground is full of moisture, 
and .so does not ttdto ttn the mantire with such avidity ; 
besi'les there is danger of wa'hing rains. We approve 
entirely of liquid manure, or of soluble lop-d'-es.sing.s like 
guano, unle.iched ashes, plaster, etc., applied in spring. 
NssiiK'il.— G. Taylor, Hammonton. 
Appareniiy the Grape Hyacinth, e.seaped from cultiva¬ 
tion. The plant wag figure I in October last .....M.Jl. 
A.. York Co , Me. Oeranium maoulatam, Cranesbill : 
and the on» previously sent i Aralia Iri/ol.ia. the Dwarf 
Ginseng, sometimes called Groniidniit . ...M. Hclme, 
Ailrian. mo Stata). Anemone nemorosa.tUe Wind flow¬ 
er: Senecio anrens. Gol len Rag wort, or Squaw Weed ; 
Equtsetum arvense, o(\Pa called Ground Pine; and a 
Vicia. too poor to m.'ike out ... L. Lanber. Lane Co.. Pa. 
The “liitleheU” is Stapkylea trifoHa. the Bladder-nut, 
H Hire I in May. iS65 ; lli9-o;her is Vibaruiijn LentagOj 
Sweet Vibiirnuin. and also called Nanny berry about 
New York Jas. B. Ilay. Watertown. C. W. Atra- 
gene Americana, a lieantifnl climber related to Clematis, 
and the Pearly Everlasting, Anlennnria margaritacea..., 
N. C. A.. Ha wley, Pa. Trillium, erytkrocarpum, the 
PainiPtl Trillintn ...J. K. Ks^pnei*, Oimstead Co.. Minn. 
The prostraie evergreen plirab is Arr.iostaphyfos Uoa^ 
nrsi, the Bear-berry, somelimes called Upland Cranberry. 
from Irvine.— 
If from double ilowerji Woi'e planled, you may ex¬ 
pect a gooil s)i:ire of Vnurs tO ne double. If any c;orrje 
single, puii ihem up aa soon :ta they sliow their charac¬ 
ter, and save seed only from the best flowers, 
ISosie iat CasUsire, — Mrs. 
Al.. Wasiiitigiud. D. C,-—A very small quantity might be 
Servici-able to roses and similar plants, but not enough 
Mibnl I be ad-ied to produce active fermentaiion. Tliere 
is always great danger in the use of manure upon delicate 
{ilanls, Good earih with plenty of leaf mo!!l an-I sand, is 
lisUaily rioli enough. If manure is used at ail, let it be 
Weil decomposed, like tiiat from an old hot-bed, and 
thoroughly mixed with the soil before potting. 
Cliina. Ci»M»;age jni«l Heasis,*’—E, 
«f. Tliank you fw your good intentions, but the seeds 
did not reach us. 
Tsiai Hltni'k fos* — C. 
Shick, Union Co.. 111. Tliere was a notion sometirnS 
ago. tliat tan bark was a specific manure for sirawberriea 
on account of the tannic acid it contains. Now it is gen¬ 
erally admitted that its cldef, if not its only value, is its 
Ineclianioal action as a mulcli. 
IJntler Straw,—J. Hollocher, 
Manclie.ster, Mo., will find this subject discussed in the 
Agriculturist for November, 1SG3. We cannot see any 
reason wliy they slionld not keep as well and be as 
W'holesnme as potatoes raised in any other way. 
The Cii*s*i»c»Tino Flea ISeetle, ■—C. 
Brinlon. Lancaster Co., Pa., ssmls us specimens of this 
little -steel bine beelle, whicii is iKc HaHica chahjliea, of 
the Entomologists, It is very destruciive to the biid.s of 
llie vine, and we have iieard more of it thi.s year than 
ever before. The Insect is only ahoiit one-sixth of an 
incll in length, and appears very early in the Season. 
Tliey are easily shaken from tlie vines, may be caught on 
fc slieet and destroyed. We know of no other remedy. 
«i*aiie.s sm«l Wiinc.-“ The Culfivttiion of 
the Native Grape and Mannfaclnro of American Wines, 
By George Hnsm.ann. of Hermann. Mo.” The above is 
tlie title of a new work on ilic g'ape, inib'islic I by G'eo, 
E. & F. W. Woodwa-d. New York; and written by a | 
gentleman well known as a coiuribntor to onr horticul¬ 
tural journals, and as an e.xlpnsive eullivaior of lire 
grape. The work iseminenlly praclieal and tells in plain 
language just liow the iiiillior raise.s grapes and makes 
wine. There is a great deal of individuality about ev- 1 
erytiiing tliat Mr. H. write.s, and this hook is no excep¬ 
tion ; as to varieties, he cltums togive only Ins experience 
in his own loealiiy, and here lie 1* very decided. Wliat 
will make this work particularly ac.ce’.>table is the treati.se 
on W'iiie making, in which the directions are full and 
clear. Probably the antlior will receive some adverse 
criticism for his advocacy of Gill’s metlioil, but this is a 
.sidiject that has two sides, and we kn-nv of no one better 
able to defend himself than Mr. Hnsmaiin. For sale at 
this office and sent by mail at $1.50. 
F'iUiiigsi’p aroatJid Tr^e.si.—H. 0. Crane 
wi.slies to know if it will be likely to insure his trees lo 
fid up around them nearly two feet. It will b ; very like¬ 
ly to damage them. It puts tlie roots too far from tlie 
surface. 
A 'ffSfstr'Si of TreR €|tsofies.—M. L. Car¬ 
ter. De Kalb Co.. Iil. Quince stocks are more generally 
bud led than grafied. Stone fruils may be grafted, but 
the wood is apt to gum, the plum les.s so tlian other.®. It 
is better to grtifi. one year o'd stocks by <.Uiip-grafiing, 
than those iwo years o'd by nlefl-grafling. as a modi 
m ire nerfect union results. Whio-grafling may look d f- 
fioiilt in the description (Jari. 1854'. but it i-i perfectly 
j easy in practice. , Try it on a few twigs. Any black- 
sinilh can make .a scuffle h'>e. if you s'kiw him tlie en¬ 
graving. The other queries we are unaiile lo answer. 
Wkfitif! file Matterwitli SlieTwiiy? 
—!I. 0 Crane. Brown Co., Wis , sends a twig from an 
aptde tree wliicli exhibits a'nmt tlie worst ease of the 
ba it Seale we ever saw. I; should liave been attended 
to be'’ore tlie leaves app-ared, A strong soliirion of soft 
Soap or moderalelv strong ley. (1 lb. potash to-t gallons 
of water.) applied ilioroughty wilh a sc.ruhlitng brush, 
will remove them Head back the t"ps if the small 
limbs are affected, and get a fresh growtii. 
B*oppies for lijigs.—Mr. Jnruis Price, 
Whitehall (no States, .sows poppy seed in the hill willi 
his sqtia'li, and other .seed.®, and finds tliat tlie bugs do 
not tronnle tlie vine.s. The poppv is usually so slow and 
iinnertain about coming from seed, unless self sown, tliat 
we doubt it will be a very reliable remedy. 
A Perseverins' l,l!y. — D. C. M.irtin, 
Dauplilii Co., Pa., write.s, tliat he filled up tiisyaid2y 
feet with solid yellow clav, and that a Tiger Lilv tliat 
was in the soil penealli forced its way to the surface, 
wliere it foiiinl a board a foot long and half us wide, 
which It lifted a.® it grew. 
illrdig aaid Chet*rie«.— D. Yarrington, 
Luzerne Co., Pa., complains of the raids of armies of 
birds—wliinli do not leave liim a .single early cherry. 
Scarecrows, cow-bells. and colored .streamers have no 
terrors for them, an i he pathetically asks ; Is there no 
help for this evil?” Probably the only sure way is to 
grow trees with low lieads and cover them with netting. 
A Mad. St®iie,—One of our correspondents 
wishes us to advertise a “mad Slone,” which we must 
decline doing, and advise him. if the slone is very mad, 
lo send it to the iiearest Lunatic Asylum. This is a re¬ 
vival of an old snperstitioii that certain stones have the 
power to cure those bitlen by rabid animals. We are 
surprised to find that any believe in it at the present day. 
The Civil War isi America, by Ben¬ 
son J. Lossing. We have received from the publishers 
the first volume of this work, a handsome book of over 
600 pages, very copiously illustrated. The author is 
well known for Ids industry and accuracy in colleoling 
liistoricnl materials, and lie lias brought together in the 
present work a picture gallery of persons and places 
identified willi our great struggle, which is of great inter¬ 
est now, and will be of immense value in the future. 
Sponge for ll-fifs.—“Piper, of Hamlin, Jr.,” 
send® 113 an old presoriplinn for getting rid of rats and 
mice that may be new to some. He soaks hits of sponge 
in melted tallow, and when cold, place® them where the 
vermin will And tliem. They eat, get the dyspepsia, and 
either die or go vvliere they are not “ sponged upon.” 
All Ai“t.i«$l® 081 Triclsiusup. — A gentle- 
iman send,® us a co iimunlcation on tliis .'iibjeot. but a.s lie 
fails to say uliere lie lives, we caanot reply by letter .and 
take this mO'ho I of informing Idm that no amount of 
argument can overthrow a f.ict. Our article was not 
pnblishe'l without Its fir-'t being seen by Ihe editor.s, and 
its statements are In accordance witii later anil moiie e.x- 
tensive iiivestigalions in this country and in Europe. 
Tlio Itianloriiest., not'witlistandin'j; the 
:great precautions taken, haa broken out In Ireland. A 
single case occurred in Cminly Down, where im'nedialely 
measures were taken to prevent its -spreal. This time 
there was no lempnri.i-ing—no attempts at CU'C. no lime 
taken to study the pathology, nor to get a diagnosis of 
tlie case, nor to allow veterinary surgeons nor liomeo- 
palliists to iry to cure or arrest the infection, but the pole¬ 
axe had er'eryihiiig ils own way. The cow was killed, 
all that had been expose-l we're killed and buried, a 
cordon was placed around Ihe farm, and all iravel by cSt- 
tle upon the ro i Is was stopped, and all the cattle fairs 
were put off ihrnuglioiii that entire region. We can 
but conS-'lently think llicre is hope for Ireland that these 
energetic measures will stay the plague. 
Toljjiceo Wos’sst SSLs»jlas. — Those large 
moths fly at night and suck hoaev from flowers whioli open 
town ids evening, and are not visited by the hees, Sucli 
are especially Ihc .slur-vy flmvers of the common Even- 
I ing Primrose ((Enofhera'', and ihe Stranio .iuni, which 
' indeed i.® open all day. but it is showy, and ihey find it 
■ easily at night. Poisoned honey may be placed in these 
flowers, and it wiil kill great numbers of the moths. 
I Get the apothecary lo rub a g’ain of strychnine in an 
: ounce of honey, dilute it wilh about half il® bulk of wa- 
; ter and pin a few drops in these or any flower,® vi.sited 
! by these large night-flying motiis. It is best l<» take flow¬ 
ers that will wi'her when the sun ri-es or lo pick tlie 
flowers, so as not to kill bees, when they eome out. 
Slississi|jpi Cr©|»»i.—“Subscriber” writes 
from Columbus, May 27 : “ Freedmen entered tlieir new 
I career viitli landible indn.stry. and in most cases have 
C'lmplied wilh contracts, givingve-y general s itisfaciion. 
Owing to unfavorable vveniheronr hones have very much 
' decreased. Cotton has germinated badly. Excessive 
i rains liave liindere I cultivation, and crops have suffered 
very much. The low land.® liave been drowiie I out. The 
corn cro > is the poore.st I liave ever seen in ihis county. 
There was not a sufficiency planted for home use. many 
lliinking it clieape' to raise cotton and iniv cen ; and the 
wlieat crop is almost a total failure. It is too late to re¬ 
plant cotton ; corn may yet be planted on the overflowed 
lands, and if tlie season is favorable, make something.” 
ISi-icks — Aclolje. — Hawly 
Ro.ss, vvritiiig from Quincy, III., says, in answer to a 
question in the Febnmy Agriculturist: “Tliere was a 
Congregational Ciiurch huilt in Nile.s, Michigan, in 1846, 
of unhurnt brick. As near as I can remember the siae is 
about 40X80, walls aliont 20 feet high. I .saw Ihe bricks 
when they we-e building : they are 6 inches thick and 2 
feet square with a goo-l deal of .straw mixed in the clay 
lo hold them together, and then dried in the sun. The 
roof is sliingle. pin on the same as for a brick lionse ; it 
is plasterei witli cement on the outside, and common 
plastering on the inside. The clmrch has a steeple with 
one of the large.st sized Western church bells. I attended 
meetings most of tlie time in tliis cliuroli for 15 years, but 
have not seen it for four or five years.” 
Aelobe Houses.—“ G.,” of Eden Gardens, 
Canada West, writes i “ A neighbor of mine built a hou.se 
of adobe twenty-two years ago, an-1 U[) lo last Summer it 
had stood perfectly sound. The lioiise wa® built one and 
half stories high, 18x36 feet, and covered with Shingles. 
The walls were pla.stered on the outside with lime 
mortar and rough-casted willi gravel. The proprietor, 
wi.shing to make some alterations in the building last 
summer, took down a portion of Ihe walls and used the 
adobes again in the same building. The bricks were 
made 18x12 inches and 6 inches in thickness. There 
was one small spot in tlie wall near the base where the 
plaster had been knocked off; the adobe had suffered 
somewhat from the action of the weather. Latitude 
iiere 44J| Degrees.” 
l>oit1»le Hjisliers im Cliiii’iis-—John 
Bennet, of Riplev Co., Iml.. says; “Tell your readers 
that it pays to imt a double dasher in their elmrns. It 
saves half the trouble churning.”—Perhaps it does. 
— E. H. Webb, Wayne Co., 
Ind.—A piece of ground covered during the winter with 
water from surrounding slopes, dry in summer, and which 
Cannot be drained, is not a promising place for cranber¬ 
ries. Drainage and command of water are considered 
essential. We have no confidence in llie profitable cul¬ 
ture of cranberries on upland. 
Ti*ojt1»lo witia SI Mrs. 
Judge B.j Biiiler, (no Slaie). The little bug that “ Segina 
to have no life,” is probably the cause of ilie trouble 
with yonr lemon tree. It is one of Ihe .«cale insects, arid 
is often very injurious to hard-wooded lionse plants. 
Strong soft soap suds, if applieJ with a stiff brush, will 
usually kill them, if they do not yield to the brush, rub the 
bark with a soft pino stick, or corn cob, to remove them. 
