1870 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
4,9 
Si«l»stit.wttes lor “ ISiick."—Swamp 
muck is vegetable matter in a state of slow decomposi¬ 
tion. In the swamp the decomposition is exceedingly 
slow—when dried and mingled with the soil, much more 
rapid. Any vegetable matter may be used in a manure 
heap as a substitute for swamp muck or peat. Wood mold 
is the closest approach to it. The parings of wet meadow 
land, or any grass sods taken from the fence rows or sides 
of the road, laid in a heap to decay, resemble it closely, 
and both these articles may be used when dry in the sta¬ 
bles or yards, as absorbents. They will make mud, how¬ 
ever, if they get very wet. 
Hay noiel Straw Cnilter.—“J. AV. B.,” 
Dutchess Co., N. Y., asks, “ What hand machine, for 
cutting hay and straw, do you consider the best, and least 
liable to get out of order?”—-We regard the Copper Strip 
Feed Cutter as decidedly the best as a hand machine, and 
know of some large stables in New York City where 
power cutters are set aside, and two men, in an hour’s 
time, daily, cut all the hay for 100 horses, with a large sized 
Copper Strip cutter. They are extensively advertised. 
Tan-bark Askes. — “L. H. C..” New 
Madison, O. “ Are ashes made by burning spent tan- 
bark at the tan-yard of any value as manure on stiff, 
clayey land?”—Yes; of high value.—“Will it pay to 
haul it two miles?”—Yes; ten.—“What crops are most 
benefited?”—Grass, potatoes, tobacco. It must be ap¬ 
plied according to the crop—broadcast, in the hill, or 
upon the hill, just as the plants break the ground. 
ESotai-y Harrows. —A “ Subscriber,” of 
Salem, N. C., asks for instructions how to make a Rotary 
Harrow. The only implements of this kind with which 
we are acquainted which work well are patented, and 
upon the patented device their usefulness depends. 
They possess several advantages over other harrows, in 
that they drag evenly on side hills, cover grain very well, 
smooth down the furrows in sod land, make a mellow 
seed-bed without cross-harrowing, and tear up no sods. 
Nutritive Value of Jteans. — “ X.” 
asks what quantity of small, white, old beans equals one 
bushel of good corn ?—According to Wolff and Kopp’s 
tables, given in Johnson’s “ How Crops Grow.” Field 
beans contain 23 l /i per cent of albuminoids, or nutritive 
substances, and maize contains but 10. On the other 
hand, maize contains 7 per cent of fat, or oil, and beans 
but 2 per cent. It is safe to say beans are worth some¬ 
thing more than twice as much as corn if judiciously fed. 
Moiled. Beans, or Bean-Meal.-lVc 
know no reason why boiled beans should not be quite as 
healthy as bean-meal for any kind of stock except sheep. 
CSootl Crops of Potatoes ai««l of 
Corn.—John Kiernan has charge of the farm and gar¬ 
den of the Sisters of Charity, at Mt. St. Vincent, on the 
Hudson. He sends us a statement by a civil engineer in 
regard to his crop of Harison potatoes, which certifies 
to a yield varying, in different parts of the field, from 400 
bushels to 040 bushels per acre. The total yield is not 
stated. They were planted early in Slay, in hills 4 feet 
apart each way, on clean land, in fine condition, culti¬ 
vated twice, and kept clean of weeds until they stopped 
growing. The corn crop was planted 4 feet each way, 
dressed with top manure; four stalks were left to the 
hill, and 70 bushels of shelled corn were harvested. The 
land was plowed in the fall and again in the spring. 
The Cow “Fancy.” — In compliance with 
the request of a correspondent, we publish the follow¬ 
ing measurements of this animal (pictured in our Decem¬ 
ber number). Length from base of horn to point of 
rump, 0 feet, 7 inches ; length from centre of hip bone to 
point of rump, 1 foot, 6 inches; height at hip, 3 feet, 
1014 inches; height at shoulder, 4 feet; height at belly, 
from ground, 1 foot, 8 inches; girth around the chest, 5 
feet, 2>4 inches; girth around the belly, 7 feet, 2 inches; 
circumference of fore leg below the knee, inches. 
Blow to Make it Pay.— “W. L. C.,” of 
Appanoose Co., Iowa, writes that he needs our advice 
about managing a 10-acre farm to make it pay. (1.) “How 
shall I arrange the buildings? (2.) What kind and how 
much grain shall I raise ? (3.) What kind and how much 
live-stock shall I keep to consume the grain, etc., to best 
advantage?”—1. Put the buildings as near the centre of 
the farm as you can, having due reference to convenience 
to the highway, to water, to shelter from prevailing cold 
winds, etc. Better haul crops down than up hill to the 
barns. 2 and 3. Keep half as many cows or beef animals 
as you can cut and cure tons of good hay, and fat as 
many beeves or twice as many hogs as you can raise 
acres of corn that will yield twenty bushels or more 
per acre. Keep grade Shorthorn cattle, and Chester 
County hogs. Raise, besides, some corn fodder for 
shoats and cows in summer; some roots, for cows and 
sheep ; potatoes and buckwheat. When your land is in 
good tilth, raise wheat, taking, at first, your neighbor’s 
advice as to variety. Let your sales be beef, pork, poul¬ 
try, and wheat, and perhaps wool and lambs. Apply all 
the manure to corn. Avoid under estimates, and know 
where the money goes. 
Apples lei* Miasiesola. — The State 
Horticultural Society, at its last annual meeting, lie- 
solved, That the following varieties of apples have been 
found worthy to be recommended for planting in Minne¬ 
sota.—Duchess of Oldcnburgh ; Haas ; St. Lawrence ; 
Price’s Sweet; Fameuse ; Golden Russet; Red Astra- 
chan; Talman’s Sweet; Tetoffsky; Saxton, or Fall 
Stripe; Perry Russet; Ben Davis, or New York Pippin. 
Mlxintg- Soil witli Manure.—Heavy 
loam or clay mixed with manure in a heap, has a tendency 
to retard fermentation, and may, consequently, be used 
to advantage with horse or sheep manure, which, when 
placed in a loose heap by themselves, ferment too rapidly. 
The clay will also hold the ammonia, and prevent its 
escape from the heap. On the other hand, sandy loam, 
or sand mixed with manure, regulates fermentation, 
and may be used to advantage with hog and cow manure, 
which is of a sluggish nature. The better way, how¬ 
ever, is to mix all these manures together as made. 
Exhibit bobd. at Cordova.—A fair will be 
held at Cordova, Argentine Republic, commencing on 
April 17th. Liberal facilities are offered to exhibitors. 
Manufacturers and others wishing to show implements, 
machinery, etc., can obtain circulars by applying to the 
Argentine Minister at Washington, or to the Consuls of 
that country at any of the large seaport cities. 
Cweese Without si 5*oud.—“I. D. R.,” 
asks if “ A small tub say two feet in diameter, and one 
foot deep will hold sufficient water for a pair of geese 
during breeding time.” The tub specified is too small; 
give them a tub made by sawing an oil cask in two, or a 
good big trough, one deep enough for them to bathe in, 
and they will do well enough. Wild geese and China 
geese require ponds. The earlier goslings are hatched 
the better; they should not have water enough to swim 
in until two or three weeks old, for they get chilled. 
Ice-Moit*e.—A “Subscriber” writes t,o 
know how it will do to enclose an ice-house with three 
thicknesses of boards, leaving two air spaces, instead of 
the usual way here of having one space, and that filled 
with sawdust or tan-bark. He thinks it would be more 
durable, as there would be no moisture in contact with 
the frame, and it would be less pervious to heat. This 
plan would not work well, because there would be a con¬ 
stant circulation of air in the air spaces. The aim in 
making ice-houses and in filling them is, to prevent any 
circulation of air, and this is best effected by a non¬ 
conducting filling, like sawdust, in the air spaces, and 
straw or wheat chaff under and around the ice. 
Shares’ Harrow with Steel Teeth. 
—John D. Parker, Adams Run, S. C., thinks this harrow, 
from our description of it in the November Agriculturist, 
would be “Useful in their rice fields for breaking up and 
mellowing the sods after plowing.”—If our corre¬ 
spondent buys one we should be glad to hear how it 
works. The old Shares’ harrow worked well, even with 
cast-iron teeth, and we shall be disappointed if, now that 
the teeth, or more properly the cutters, are made of steel, 
it does not prove a most effective implement for prepar¬ 
ing and mellowing all kinds of sod land, or for covering 
peas and other grain when sown broadcast. 
Mangy “M.,” of Champagne Co., 
Ohio, inquires what he shall do to prevent his pigs be¬ 
coming mangy and says: “ They arc well fed, well bed¬ 
ded, with wheat straw, and the pens are cleaned and 
bedding changed two and three times a week, and yet 
some of them will become affected.”—Mange is a dis¬ 
ease caused by the burrowing and breeding of a minute 
insect in the skin, like the itch in man, scab in sheep, 
etc. If pigs which have it or have been exposed to it are 
washed with Carbolic or Cresylic soap, and their pens and 
bedding sprinkled with the same, a cure is easily affected. 
More than one application might be required, and it 
would be best to wash the animals at an interval of a week. 
Earati Wages.—I s ri«e of Ag’I Hem- 
jilensenf s.—A farmer of Fulton, Mo., writes: “ Some 
wholesome truths were set forth in the December Agri¬ 
culturist under the heading, ‘ Farm Wages Must Come 
Down.’ There is a general conviction among farmers 
that labor must come down. Some of us are already 
making arrangements to do without hiring so much as 
usual the coming season unless there is a marked de¬ 
cline. Wo have to pay high prices for all kinds of agri¬ 
cultural machinery, and are so far from the factories that, 
if any piece gives way, the freight is as great as its cost, 
besides the delay and loss in that way. It seems as if the 
reputation of certain classes of implements and farm ma¬ 
chinery were so well established, that if the manufactur¬ 
ers could hit upon some plan to put them into the hands 
of the farmer at first cost, without employing so many 
agents whose commissions the farmer has to pay, they 
would put more money into their own pockets. There 
are some classes of machinery that it costs more to sell 
than it does to make. Dealers’are satisfied if they get 
$2 or $3 for ordering a farm wagon that sells for $100, 
but must have $15 to $25 for selling a reaper and mower, 
the cost of which, to the farmer, is $150 to $200. If any 
reliable manufacturer would advertise to ship machines 
for the actual sum that he receives for his machine, after 
paying agents for selling, he would sell more machines 
than he can do on the prevalent system. 
To CiJet KitI of White B2ii*«*lacs with¬ 
out plowing or grubbing, cut in winter or spring, and 
feed close with sheep ; or, cut about mid-summer (June 
20 th) close to the ground and subsequently, as new 
shoots start once in three or four weeks. 
Veterinary Instruction.— -II. O. Fair- 
child, Steuben Co., N. Y., asks: “Will you inform me 
if there is a Veterinary School of any standing in New 
York City, or State?”-There is an excellent one, the 
N. Y. College of Veterinary Surgeons, on Lexington 
Avenue, N. Y. City. John Busteed, M. D., V. S., is 
President, and will, we doubt not, cheerfully answer 
questions in regard to the expense of gaining a thorough 
veterinary education in this country. This is the only 
veterinary school in the country so far as we know, 
which has any standing as an institution of science, or 
has the confidence of educated physicians and scientific 
men. It has a moderate endowment, very interesting 
collections of anatomical subjects, etc., a hospital in 
which animals of all kinds, not suffering from contagions 
diseases, are treated. Dr. Busteed is assisted by an 
able corps of Professors and assistants. 
Sore Month iaa Cuttle. —A correspond¬ 
ent. in Arlington Co., Mo., writes that a disease is there 
prevalent called Black-tongue, Sore-tongue, and Sore- 
mouth. Several of his neighbors have lost cattle. The 
symptoms described are foaming at the mouth, and, ina¬ 
bility to eat. Our friends of the Veterinary College ad¬ 
vise a weak solution of carbolic acid—say 1 to 5 drops 
to the ounce of water—washing the mouth every few 
hours, allowing a little to be swallowed, and follow¬ 
ing this with mild tonics and food that will not irritate 
the mouth. Fluid preparations of gentian and iron 
in small doses, given with the feed, is a good tonic ; 
for food give a warm gruel of oil meal or wheaten flour. 
•UToiaat Corn.— A variety of corn has been 
shown to us which is at least a curiosity, as it produces 
an ear at each joint. Each of the several stalks we.saw 
had from 8 to 12 ears upon them. It is small in the ear 
and grain, like pop corn, but if, as is claimed, it will 
yield 200 bushels to the acre, it will prove valuable. 
Mow to Eeed Fowls.—Fowls arc not 
fed for the mere sake of keeping them alive and healthy 
on the least possible amount of food. We wish to con¬ 
vert the food into flesh, or into eggs. In feeding for 
quick fattening it is understood that the poultry should 
be made to eat as much as possible. Our rule for feed¬ 
ing is to throw out the feed twice a day as long as the 
fowls will run after it and no longer. We are told, and 
it is our own experience also, that fowls thus fed will eat 
considerably more than if they can go to a feeding box 
and help themselves at all times. We want the fowls to 
eat; the more they eat, within reasonable bounds, the 
more eggs they will lay, the longer they will lay, and the 
better condition they will be in. Laying fowls should 
take exercise. If they can go to a trough and eat at. any 
time they wish, they will take next to none. If they are 
fed but twice a day, they will hunt insects and wander 
much more. If fed soft feed such as wheat bran mixed 
with corn meal or ground oats, they will be hungry again 
in two hours after feeding, and be off after insects, etc. 
Give feed, then, only to adult fowls while they will run 
after it—soft feed morning, whole grain at evening. Keep 
them supplied with gravel, lime (plastering, or, better, 
oyster shells), ashes to dust in, and fresh pure water, 
some meatin winter, and they will be healthy and prolific. 
Wves-ims £ei BEorses. —J. W. Brv.ce of Mass., 
asks for a cure for “the small intestinal worms in the 
horse.” Give drachm doses of tartar emetic twice a day 
for two or three days, and follow with a mild purgative, 
say one of epsom salts, or four or five drachms of aloes. 
