1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
75 
ground, no air will collect in the upper bends, unless 
they are above the level of the spring. In that case the 
pipe becomes a syphon, and will be liable to all the diffi¬ 
culties usual with syphons. It would be best to lower 
the elevations, or lay the pipe around them, so as to have 
no part of the pipe above the level of the spring. 
International Grain Exchange.— 
An international seed and grain market lias been estab¬ 
lished in Hungary, at the city of Buda-Pesth. The plains 
of Hungary are in the European markets the great grain- 
producing competitors of our Western prairies, and this 
effort to attract purchasers proves that the competition 
to sell grain is becoming active and close. The greatly 
increased use of agricultural machinery in Europe is al¬ 
ready telling in the increased production of wheat, and 
there are as great efforts making there to reduce the cost 
of freight to market, as in the United States. It is a se¬ 
rious question for us to consider, how long the foreign 
demand for our grain should fix its price in our barns, 
and how long the profits of American farmers can safely 
depend upon the accidents, which affect foreign crops 
and foreign demand for our produce. Although wheat 
and corn are necessaries of life, yet an over-production of 
them is as unprofitable to a farmer, as an excess of any 
other article. 
Amount of Potash in Wood. Ash¬ 
es.— “0. Y. W.” Wood ashes contain from 10 to 20 per 
cent of potash. The quantity varies not only with the 
species of wood, but also with the manner of burning. 
Wood, when slowly burned, produces richer ashes than 
when it is burned rapidly. At least such is the experi¬ 
ence of potash burners. According to analyses of ashes 
of various woods given in Prof. Johnson’s “ How Crops 
Grow,” the ash of oak contains 10 per cent of potash ; 
of willow and birch 11 per cent : beech, poplar, and 
white pine 15 per cent; elm 21 per cent, and linden, 
(basswood;, 35 per cent. 
Foreign and Ihoniiestic Sal*;. —“ A. L. 
B.,” Chautauqua Co., N. Y. As to the safety of using 
American salt, the Onondaga, N. Y., factory filled salt is 
without any doubt perfectly safe to use in butter, and it 
is freer from objectionable impurities, than any other 
salt in the market. The Ashton salt has 1.43 per cent of 
sulphate of lime, while the Onondaga “factory filled,” 
has but 0.91 percent. It is the presence of lime which 
is most objectionable, and the Ashton salt has about one- 
half more of this than the Onondaga. Experience is 
strongly in favor of the American salt. A pail of butter 
put up by Mr. L. C. Flowers, of Onondaga Co, N. Y., two 
years and four months ago, was opened recently, and 
was as sweet and solid as could be desired. There can 
be no better test than this. 
Sowing’ Machines.— “ P. D. H.,” Gans- 
voort, N. H. There is a broadcast sowing machine, 
whioh distributes both seed and dry. fine fertilizers very 
evenly, made by Seymour & Co., Bloomfield, N. Y. We 
have used it for sowing plaster, guano, superphosphate, 
ashes, etc., and with one horse and a driver 10 acres a 
day may be sown. Any one of the standard grain drills 
is as good as another upon either sandy or clay soils. The 
kind of soil makes no difference ; if a heavy clay is 
properly plowed and fitted for the crop, it is as easily 
sown as a sandy loam. 
Wagoii-Jacli.— “E. D. S.,” Wayne Co., 
N. Y. Your drawing of a wagon-jack is received. It has 
already been illustrated in the Agriculturist. 
Peanut Straw.— “C. W. R.,” Hickman, 
Tenn, writes that peanut straw is a very valuable fodder 
if saved with care. When the crop is harvested, it should 
be stacked in tall narrow stooks until the nuts are dry, 
when they are picked off or thrashed, and the straw is 
housed or safely stacked. About 1,200 pounds per acre 
is the usual yield. It is greatly productive of milk, and 
will keep stock in good condition without grain. 
Grass and Clover in tlie Sontli.— 
“ D. O. H.,” Jackson Co., Miss. That clover and some 
of the grasses will succeed in the South, has been proved 
in several places so widely apart, that the possibility may 
be considered general. In your own State clover that 
had been pastured through last winter, was 18 inches 
high and in blossom in May last. A field of clover in 
another part of the State, was this year in its fourth year, 
and still in good and thrifty condition. Timothy is not a 
success in the South except in the mountains, where we 
have seen a heavier growth than anywhere else. Orchard 
grass, red lop, and blue grass, grow and thrive in Missis¬ 
sippi, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, where 
properly sown and cared for, but especial care is needed 
to resist the dry, hot season, and the temptation to over 
pasture the grass in the winter. It*?s useless to try to 
raise grass upon barren worn out soil where a long dry 
season has to be contended with. 
To Bestroy Briars. — “J. R. C.,” 
Athelstone, P. Q. To destroy briars by means of sheep, 
the pasture must be largely overstocked. A'hundred-acre 
field is too large for such a mode of improvement. Be¬ 
sides, if the briars grow strong, they seriously injure the 
fleeces of the sheep. We would suggest that the briars 
be mowed, and the spots where they grow be salted. 
The sheep will then eat the young sprouts closely, and 
will stay upon those parts that are salted. But there must 
be enough sheep to keep the sprouts eaten close. We 
have succeeded in this way in killing out a quantity of 
dewberries, upon a field which we did not want to plow; 
the sheep being fed a small quantity of bran and oats 
daily, to make up for the poverty of the pasture. 
Bam for Early Eaml>s.— “R.," Pitts- 
grove. A Cotswold ram, crossed upon native sheep, 
having some merino blood in them, or upon grade or 
full-blood merinos, produces the best early market lambs 
for the farmer’s profit. A pure Southdown lamb would 
doubtless be better eating, but while the highest prices 
are paid for size and fat, the Cotswold ram would be 
preferable to a Southdown. We have known a difference 
of 15 pounds between the weights of Cotswold and South- 
down grade lambs of the same age (three months) and 
keeping, and this will frequently make a difference of 
$1.50 in the price of the lambs. 
Feeding - in Gonlliiicmcitt, etc.—“ W. 
F. B.,” Packerton, Pa. Any animal will fatten, or make 
flesh faster, when fed upon an equal weight of roots 
washed and sliced, than when fed upon roots as they are 
taken from the ground. This is clearly evident, because 
the weight of earth adhering to the roots newly harvest¬ 
ed, is considerable, and there is no nutriment in earth. 
An animal will also fatten and make flesh faster, when 
confined in a space sufficient to allow it to move freely, 
than in a space in which it can make no movement. An 
animal in a cramped, uneasy position, can not be con¬ 
tented, and would probably lose weight, instead of gain¬ 
ing. Comfort and ease is necessary for a feeding ani¬ 
mal. This is not only reasonable, but has been proved 
by experiment, in which animals, fed in roomy sheds, 
gained 2 lbs. for each 100 lbs. of turnips eaten, and others 
in close cribs gained only 1% lbs. on the same food. If 
the confinement was so close, as to affect the animal’s 
health, the meat would suffer in quality. 
Mill Ibr Grinfilng; Bones.—“ W. R. 
S.,” Sussex Co., N. J. We know of but one mill that 
will grind bones fine enough for a fertilizer, and that can 
be used without risk of breaking or wearing out. This 
is the Bogardus Eccentric Mill. A small mill, which 
costs $204, may be run with 3 horses, and will grind 10 
tons of bone a day. The same mill may be used for 
grinding corn ears into coarse feed for stock. For grind¬ 
ing feed a two-liorse power would be sufficient. 
Care of Stock in I lie South.—“ W. J. 
E.,” Birmingham, Ala. The main trouble with cattle 
brought to the Southern States from the North, occurs in 
July and August when fresh succulent feed becomes 
scarce. The dry fodder eaten becomes packed in the 
paunch, where it remains undigested, a source of irrita¬ 
tion and disease. This is the cause of what is known as 
“murrain,” which is a blood disease produced by defec¬ 
tive nutrition and irritation of the digestive organs. 
Cattle should be taken South while young, and in the 
winter season. The first year they should be sheltered 
from extreme heat, provided with pure water frequently, 
and with succulent green food, care being taken not to 
change the feed suddenly. Salt should be given at least 
once a week, and at the first appearance of costiveness, 
a dose of epsoin salts should be given, or an injection of 
soap suds until the bowels are moved naturally. 
Barley for Horses.— “J. C. G.,” Fair- 
field, Me. Barley is a very safe and nutritious feed for 
horses. The cavalry horses in nearly every European 
country are fed with barley, and no other grain, and until 
recently when our corn has been largely used in England 
for horse feed, barley was there the staple grain for horse, 
is well as for poultry feed. There is less husk in barley, 
'.n proportion to the kernel, than in oats. There is no 
more danger in feeding barley than other grains, and 
less than in feeding corn. We believe this grain is too 
much neglected in our agriculture, but the excuse 
probably consists in the better cultivation needed for 
this crop, than for oats. 
Keeping Slicep on Shares.— “A 
Reader.” The usual arrangement made when sheep are 
taken on shares, is to divide the wool and the increase, 
which means that all the losses are borne by the person 
who takes care of the flock. He returns at the end of 
the time, an equal number to that which he received, and 
half the lambs which have been raised, with half the 
wool yearly. It is thus that the best efforts of the shep¬ 
herd in caring for the sheep, are secured; else there 
is no safeguard against neglect and bad management. 
Good Yield of Potatoes.— “C. H.,” 
Escanaba, Mich., writes that he planted 3% bushels of 
Early Rose potatoes, on June, 11th, and dug the produce 
in October, which was 111 bushels. (E. H. must try 
again. This yield has frequently been doubled in 
northern Michigan, and not far from Escanaba). 
Varieties of Asparagus.—“B. F. M.,” 
N. J. This matter has been discussed in former years, 
and we do not see how any one who has compared one 
year old plants of the “ Colossal,” with those of the 
common varieties of the same age, can doubt that there 
are differences sufficient to make oner preferable to the 
other. It is held by some that the plant being dioecious, 
i. e., with staminate and pistillate flowers on separate 
plants, it is impossible to establish a variety that will 
come true from seed. This same objection would apply 
to Gpinach, of which there are several varieties which 
come true to their character. 
Sheep massing- 5 m tine West.—“A. 
O. B.,” Derby, Vt. Probably the Arkansas Valley, in 
South-west Kansas, is one of the best places for sheep 
raising. It has the advantages of plentiful water, good 
pasture, dry soil, moderate winters, nearness to markets, 
and cheap land for a homestead, with good and extensive 
back range. It is also free from competition with the 
cattle men, which has been found troublesome in parts 
of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. 
Ponlts-y for Texas.— C. B. Prior, De 
Witt Co., Tex. The breed of fowls, which combines the 
qualities of hardiness, productiveness, and size, in the 
greatest degree, is probably the light Brahma. There 
would be little difficulty in making underground shelters 
for the fowls in the mid-day, or low sheds of sod, be¬ 
neath which they could take shelter. 
Mortality anaong'st Hogs.— We hear 
of serious losses amongst bogs in the Western States. 
Unfortunately there is little accurate knowledge amongst 
the owners as to the nature of the diseases, and none as 
to the remedies. Thus we are told by some that it is 
bog cholera, that it is caused by trichina} spiralis , that it 
is worms, and others do not suggest any opinion. It is 
impossible for any private individual to make the neces¬ 
sary investigations into the causes or proper treatment 
of these diseases, which annually cost millions of dollars 
to our farmers. There is an Agricultural Department at 
Washington, but this serious matter is not considered 
there of sufficient importance to attract notice, or to be 
worthy of an expenditure of a few hundred dollars, for 
the purpose of gaining some knowledge of it.. Why do 
not the Patrons take hold of this matter, and procure a 
thorough investigation of the causes and nature of these 
destructive diseases ? 
Lime for Canada Thistles.—“ J. W. 
H.,” Morris Co., N. J. There is an easier way of killing 
Canada thistles than to spread enough lime upon the 
ground to destroy them. That would require several 
thousand bushels to the acre. It is best to plow the 
ground lightly when the thistles are coming into blossom, 
and cultivate the ground very frequently. The next sea¬ 
son potatoes or corn should be planted, and these crops 
grown alternately for three or four years, killing every 
thistle as it appears above ground, with the hoe. 
Profit of Breeding’ Mules.—“W. W. 
S.,” Tuscumbia, Ala. The profit of breeding mules is at 
least equal to that of rearing any other farm stock. 
There is little risk, and if a good jack and extra sized 
mares are used, large and valuable mules can be pro¬ 
duced. The usual expense of raising a mule in Kentucky, 
is about $70, allowing oust up to weaning $50, and feed 
for 18 months, $20. The value of a two-year-old is $150, 
leaving a profit of $80. Southern planters are content to 
pay Kentucky and Illinois breeders to do this business 
for them, and expend several times the labor and care 
in raising cotton to pay for them. 
Injury to a Plow.— “C. T. C.,” Fort 
Dodge, Iowa. It will harm a plow but little to leave it in 
the furrow over night. It is the constant exposure for 
weeks and months when not in use, that destroys these 
and other &rm i mplements. All these should be kept well 
painted, and ordinary use will be slight injury to them. 
When out of use they should be laid away in a dry tool- 
house. A well made plow ought to last at least 10 years 
in prairie soil without much repairs, if properly cared for. 
