158 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Apbel, 
effect; and considerable quantities of tallow or other 
grease are added to the slacking lime, which combines 
with a portion of the lime to form an insoluble lime soap 
which serves, when applied, to hold the rest of the lime 
in place. Whitewashes may be colored or tinted with 
any of the earthy paints, such as yellow ochre, umber, 
and Spanish brown, either alone or in combination ; the 
colors should be dry ; experience can only determine the 
quantity to use; to j udge of the tint, spread a little upon 
some surface and let it dry. We annex a few recipes, 
most of which have been given in former years. Slake 
half a bushel of lime, add sulphate of zinc, (white vitriol), 
2 lbs., and common salt 1 lb_One part of water-glass, 
(silicate of soda or potash), to five parts of whitewash, is 
said to be very permanent. We have not tried it — Using 
water enough to slake the slime and skimmed milk to 
thin the wash instead of water, will make it more perma¬ 
nent. .. .While the lime is slaking and hot, add 1 lb of 
tallow or other clean grease to what will make a pailful 
of wash, stir thoroughly, and dilute while the lime is 
still hot, with water gradually added. Careful stirring 
and diluting while hot, or with hot water, are necessary 
to prevent the lime soap from curdling_The follow¬ 
ing is nearly the same as the recipe sent out by the U. S. 
Treasury Department to keepers of light houses. We 
have nsed this to some extent, and it has worn fairly for 
two years, considering it was upon rough boards. Take 
half a bushel of unslaked lime, slake it with boiling 
water, covering it during the process to keep in the 
steam; strain the liquid through a fine sieve or strainer, 
and add to it a peck of salt previously well dissolved in 
water ; three pounds ground rice boiled to a thin paste, 
and stirred in boiling hot; half a pound Spanish whiting, 
and a pound of clean glue which has been previously dis¬ 
solved by soaking it first, and then hanging over a slow 
fire in a small kettle inside a large one filled with water; 
add five gallons of hot water to the mixture, stir it well, 
and let it stand for a few days covered from the dirt. It 
should be put on quite hot; for this purpose it can be 
kept in a kettle on a furnace. A pint of this mixture 
will cover a yard square of the outside of a house, if ap¬ 
plied with a large paint-brush. 
“ Are You diioing to Paint ? ”—“ We 
are.” The question is upon the circular of the Averill 
Chemical Paint Company, the answer is ours. If the 
questioning be carried further, and we are asked, “ What 
paint shall you use ? ” and we reply “ The Averill Chemi¬ 
cal Paint.” “ That’s because you get your paint free for 
this notice,” adds a skeptical reader—not a hit of it. We 
never had a drop of the paint, and never expect to have, 
without paying for it in money. When the paint was 
first freely advertised, and much talk made about it, we 
had just built a barn and other out buildings, and in or¬ 
der that we might know something about the paint, for 
which such claims were made, we went, unknown to the 
agents, and purchased enough to give one building one 
coat, and another two coats; that was between 5 and 6 
years ago ; the paint then applied being so satisfactory 
at the present time, that having built a tool house, and 
work shop, and a shed, and having a fence that needs 
painting, we shall order some more of the Averill paint 
to use upon them. When we have tried a thing and 
found it good, we give the readers the benefit of our 
experience, and if any advantage results to those who 
have the article for sale, it is their good fortune. 
Tlie Soii 1 21 Haven (Midi.) homo¬ 
logical Society. — Michigan is rapidly rising in im¬ 
portance as a fruit-growing State ; its various pomological 
societies are prosperous, and their meetings show that 
the people take a great interest in fruit culture. At the 
January meeting of the South Haven Society a well con¬ 
sidered programme was adopted for each monthly meet¬ 
ing during the year, and steps were taken towards con¬ 
tributing to the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. 
Wide-Aw alee Agricultural deal¬ 
ers.— Messrs. Geo. A. Allen & Co., of Newbern, N. C., 
dealers in agricultural implements and fertilizers, have 
adopted the very sensible plan of offering copies of the 
American Agriculturist to their customers. Any one buy¬ 
ing goods to a certain amount receives as a premium a 
year’s subscription to the Agriculturist. This benefits 
the farmer by giving him a good guide for his work, and 
it benefits the dealer by teaching farmers that they need 
to use his wares more liberally. In addition to this pre¬ 
mium, the Messrs. Allen give prizes for the best crops 
grown from their seeds, or with their fertilizers, and thus 
cause a healthy emulation among their customers. This 
giving of prizes for the best crops grown from seeds 
bought of them, is largely done by English dealers ; but 
few in this country have adopted it. While we com¬ 
mend the good sense of Messrs. Allen & Co., of New- 
bern, N. C., in selecting the Agriculturist for premiums, 
we hope that their enterprise in this and other matters 
will bring them good returns. This firm shows further 
enterprise in publishing a sheet of “ Timely Topics for 
our Customers,” in which they gather up the reports of 
crops raised by their customers, fertilizers used, imple¬ 
ments employed in working, the quantity harvested, cost 
of raising, and amount for which it was sold. This little 
sheet of only two pages, not quite so large as this, is 
clear, compact, and much more instructive and useful 
than many of the lumbering reports printed by some 
agricultural societies. 
Grape Vine Patent.— “H. S.,” sends 
the circular of J. B. Tillinghast, setting forth the excel¬ 
lence of his vineyard, and at one side a cut of a vine 
with two canes trained spirally around a stake or post, 
over which is printed Patented Oct. 13, 1874, and below 
proposals to sell the patent. Can it be possible that our 
Patent Office has granted a patent for the spiral training 
of a grape vine ! We have known so many foolish things 
to be done there, that improbable as it seems, we fear 
that they have given a man a patent fer twisting a vine 
around a stick. In the picture the vine is twisted from 
left to right, and we have no doubt they would give 
another patent for twisting from right to left. We can 
not see what possible good this patent will do Mr. Til¬ 
linghast, for it is not at all likely that he will fine any¬ 
body for the right to train their vines spirally; as has 
been done from very early times, and has been published 
over and over again in both Europe and America. Nature 
has many a time taken her wild vines spirally around a 
trunk or branch, but now she had better stop, as Joseph 
B. Tillinghast has gone and patented that little trick of 
her’s. And whole provinces of Italy and Spain, ought to 
be advised that the Great American Government did not 
know that a vine had before been twisted around a stick, 
and has granted a patent for this great discovery. 
Egyptian Corn, and Japan Pea. 
—Both these articles are advertised so extensively, and in 
such an extravagant manner, that we do not wonder that 
many write to ask whether or not they are humbugs. Of 
the “ Egyptian corn,” we can judge only from the adver¬ 
tisement, not having seen the grain, but think we are 
safe in assuming that it is not any variety of Indian corn, 
but a sorghum, varieties of which in the eastern coun¬ 
tries are largely cultivated, and there occupy the place 
that ordinary grains do with us ; since the beginning of 
the century there has now and then been introduced 
some variety of sorghum with an attractive name, and 
great claims as to its value. None of these have ever 
found a permanent place in our agriculture, and we 
doubt if any ever will. In this, as in all such matters, 
we advise that a trial, if made at all, shall be an experi¬ 
mental one only... .The Japan Pea, as stated last year, 
promises well as a fodder plant; it is a tall, bushy, hairy 
plant, does not run or climb, and bears a great profusion 
of small, few-seeded, hairy pods. Having had no de¬ 
scription of its character, we planted the seeds too close, 
and the plant did not develop properly; but we should 
judge that the yield would, under favorable circumstances, 
be very large. As a plant to plow under, or to grow for 
fodder, it is worthy of attention, especially in the south¬ 
ern states ; it is a mistake to recommend this as a table 
pea. 
As to S!iee|».—“Dr. W. C. P.,” Hoovers- 
ville, Md. A Cotswold ram would make an excellent 
cross upon ordinary middle wool sheep, and a young 
vigorous ram would serve a flock of 50 ewes. If lambs 
are wanted in February, the ewes are coupled in Septem¬ 
ber. Ewes go in lamb 5 months. The advertising col¬ 
umns is the proper place to look for information as to 
shepherd dogs and other stock. Good pasture land 
ought to carry 5 sheep to the acre. 
Pig's and Fork. — “ Dr. W. C. P.” There 
is nothing in the objection to black swine, that their 
flesh is darker than that of white ones. The color is not 
even skin deep, and when properly scalded and cleaned, 
a black pig’s ham can not be distinguished from that of 
a white pig. Chester Whites can be procured of parties 
whose names will be found among the advertisers. A 
sow should be a year old before she is allowed to breed. 
The litter of a sow younger than that is generally a failure. 
Corn Ci-iislier.—“ J. H. N.,” Navrosha, Ga. 
The Little Giant corn and cob crusher, would break up 
corn ears in the shuck, so that the whole could be fed 
together. If not made sufficiently fine the first time, it 
should be ground a second time. It. II. Allen & Co., 1S9 
Water street, N. Y., make the machine. 
Piimiikiii Seed for Cows.—“ E. M. 
S.,” Warren Co., Ohio. Pumpkin seed are thought to 
have a diuretic effect, and therefore act injuriously upon 
milking cows. In feeding pumpkins, it is safe to have 
the seeds removed. 
Hand-Power for Sawing Wood.— 
“ E. M. S.,” Twenty Mile Stand, Ohio. Nothing is gain¬ 
ed by substituting a hand-power for sawing wood, in 
place of the common “ buck saw.” A cheap horse-pow¬ 
er saw can be made, which will really save labor. 
An illustration of such a machine is in preparation. 
Covering Manure.—" Western,” Atlanta, 
Ill. There is no necessity for covering a manure pile 
that is daily receiving additions. The rain that falls 
upon the heap is not more than enough to keep it proper¬ 
ly moist,-if it is made flat upon the top to prevent wash¬ 
ing, and is turned twice through the winter. The proper 
method of managing manure, depends chiefly upon con¬ 
venience, one way is as good as another if it is kept from 
over-heating or from washing. 
Black Spanish Fowls. —“W. D.,” 
Indianapolis. Black Spanish fowls may be procured of 
almost any of the poultry breeders whose addresses are 
found in the advertising columns. 
Spreading Manure.— “J. F.,” Mont¬ 
gomery Co., Iowa. The objection against leaving ma¬ 
nure in heaps for any length of time in the fields, instead 
of spreading soon after it is hauled, is that a few 
spring showers wash a large portion of the soluble por¬ 
tion into the soil, and cause an uneven distribution. The 
better plan is to spread from the wagon, or as soon after 
it is dropped in heaps as possible. It is a mistake to 
suppose that any loss occurs from spreading the manure 
upon the surface before it is plowed in ; on the contrary, 
it is well ascertained that nothing goes off into the air, 
the soil gets everything, and the more evenly it is spread 
at the first, the more uniformly the soil is fertilized. 
Over-feeding Figs.—“J. H. M.,” North 
Branch, Minn. When young pigs are over-fed, they often 
suffer from difficulty of breathing, or from congestion of 
the lungs or brain. The symptoms exhibited are stag¬ 
gering and convulsions and death in a state of stupor. 
It is probable that overfeeding was the cause of the 
death of your pigs. 
Treatment of Calves. — “ Evergreen 
Farm.” Diarrhoea in calves is often caused by overfeed¬ 
ing. Stuffing any young animal with oats, oatmeal, etc., 
and keeping it shut up from fresh air lest it take cold, is 
very unwise treatment. Give plenty of good hay and a 
quart of bran a day, and turn out for exercise every day. 
If calves will not eat grain, do not give it to them; it is 
a proof they do not need it. When a calf loses its cud, 
give two ounces of epsom salts and a teaspoonful of gin¬ 
ger. The cause is indigestion. Give them also chalk to 
lick, or carbonate of magnesia, with salt. A quarter of 
a pint of raw linseed oil is also a good remedy for loss of 
cud in a calf, a pint is a dose for a cow. 
To preveMi :t Morse from Rolling. 
—“ T. S. C.,” Catharine, prevents a horse from rolling by 
the following method, viz.: Tie one end of a cord to the 
ceiling above his head, and the other end to the top 
of the horse’s head-stall. The cord may be so long that 
the horse can nearly touch his nose to the floor on which 
he stands. He can then lie down comfortably, which is 
a great consideration if he is required to perform heavy 
v'ork. But he can not roll, because he can not throw the 
top of his head under, which some horses will do, when 
tied very short by the halter strap alone. 
Gas-lime ior Cabbages. —J. Kneidel. 
The lime when first taken from the purifiers has a very 
strong odor, and is so destructive to vegetation, that we 
can not advise its use. After exposure for some weeks 
to the air, some of the deleterious matter is evaporated, 
other portions are so changed Jty the action of the air as 
to be harmless, and the gas-lime can then be used the 
same as ordinary lime and in the same quantity. 
Skeejp-ILaurel (“ S.aiiili-kill.”)—“J, 
O. F.” Danielsonville, Conn. The plant known as lamb- 
kill is the Kalmia angustifolia , and is poisonous to sheep. 
(The book “Our Farm of Four Acres” is an English 
work, which may be a true statement of what actually oc¬ 
curred, but is inapplicable to our circumstances, except 
for its hints and suggestions.) 
Mow to Feed a Morse.—“ S. C. U. D.” 
Glenham. When a horse is brought into the stable, 
warm, after a drive, it is proper to let him cool off before 
he is fed. A small quantity of hay, or a quart or two of 
water to wash the mouth, will do him no harm, but no 
grain should be given until the horse is cool. 
Flowing for Corn. —“A Subscriber.” 
The best plan is to plow a clover sod for corn as late as 
possible, in order to get as large a growth of clover to 
plow under as maybe; afresh surface which is planted 
as soon as plowed, and while moist and mellow, so that 
the crop gets the start of weeds, and a plentiful supply 
