AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
& 
1878.] 
Beel’Scraps for Manare.-H, B. Peek, 
Ct. usks the value, as manure, of beef-scraps left after 
tbc tallow is pressed out. as compared with bone-dust. 
- It is a much more active manure than bone-dust, and 
when immediate effects are wanted, if ground and applied 
at the rate of 301) pounds per acre, would be worth as 
much as bone-dust • but not so on all crops or where a 
lasting manure is needed. It contains a large proportion 
of nitrogen, and its market value would probably be, 
when dry. $35 per ton. 
“ ,> T oii-SiUers ” Sitting.—“ S. W. W.,” 
Flushing, L. I., has a White Leghorn hen, usually called a 
“non-sitter,” that has hatched and brought up this sea¬ 
son a brood of chickens. Nevertheless, White Leghorns 
are non-sitters; but the rule has exceptions now and 
then, as all others have. 
Spent Lime.—“W. S.,” Oswego, N. Y., 
sends a sample of lime which has been used in the man¬ 
ufacture of corn-starch, and asks what are its fertilizing 
properties for market-gardens. Also the value of gas- 
lime.—This lime comes in the state of a paste which, on 
drying, would form hard lumps. This would be objection¬ 
able to its use as a fertilizing agent, for which purpose 
it should be in the finest possible state of division. Its 
real value at any rate is small; it contains a small portion 
of vegetable matter, and if lime at the kiln can be pur¬ 
chased for 15 cents per bushel it would be cheaper than 
this waste stuff at nothing. Otherwise, on clay soils it 
would be worth hauling and mixing with the soil at the 
rate of 100 bushels per acre. Gas lime in a fresh state is 
absolutely poisonous to vegetation, and when old is about 
equal to the above-mentioned waste. 
A’o Herd Law.—“A. R. C.,” Newton, 
Kansas, wishes to correct what may probably be an erro¬ 
neous impression arising from a statement made by F. 
Phillbrick, in the Agriculturist of January, 1S72, regard- } 
ing the herd law. Unfortunately, or otherwise, as the 
case may be, that law has been pronounced unconstitu¬ 
tional by the Supreme Court, and consequently there is 
no herd law in Kansas, nor will be until one is passed by 
the State Legislature. 
Apples for Illinois. —At the Illinois 
State Fair, the following six apples were unanimously 
recommended for Northern Illinois; Maiden’s Blush, 
Snow, Dominie, Jonathan. Ben Davis, and Willow Twig. 
Rooks County, Kansas. —Wm. Law¬ 
rence, Bull City, Kansas, sends ns an interesting letter 
relating to the western part of that State. It is the old 
story of immigrants flowing in and occupying the coun¬ 
try. and selecting all the claims which have water and 
timber. It is in the buffalo-grass region, with a soil of 
rich sandy loam, especially favorable to grazing. The 
winter pasture generally is ample; even in tbc unusually 
cold winter of 1871 there were only ten days when hay 
was needed, and the bulk of the losses occurred from 
want of water and not from want of feed, the streams be¬ 
ing frozen and no places being opened for the stock. He 
advises energetic young men with small capital to choose 
this as their home. 
Chestnut* In Iowa. —D. AY. Kauffman, 
of Des Moines, tells of healthy chestnut-trees from seed 
planted six ycarB ago, a.itl cultivated fouryears ; they are 
sixteen feet high. 
California, Chestnuts.— The Chestnut 
of the Pacific Coast is the Golden-leaved Castanea Chrys- 
ophylla, so called because its evergreen leaves are yellow 
on the under side. It is, however, more nearly related 
to the Chinquapin than the Chestnut, it producing but a 
single nut in a bur. It has heretofore been recorded as 
a small tree, but Dr. Kellogg reports to the California 
Academy of Sciences that he has discovered trees 100 to 
200 feet in hight and four to six feet in diameter, with a 
clear trunk of 60 or 70 feet. 
Western Pennsylvania Ponltry 
8ociety will hold its annual exhibition at Pittsburgh 
on January 14th-18th. C. B. Elben is Secretary. 
Itlolasses for Cattle. —Successful cattle- 
feeders in Europe give molusses constantly to fattening 
cattle and milch cows. A large German farmer gives a 
pint a day mixed with oil-cake to his cows, largely in¬ 
creasing their milk. We know one very success!! 
American farmer who gives his cows molasses in their 
feed with very good results. 
Bogs. —A “ Farmer ” want* to know what can 
be done about the dogs. He and his neighbors have lost 
their flocks, and although their country is a sheep coun¬ 
try, they are unable to follow sheep-ralslng.—We can see 
no help for the shepherds of this country, unless In the 
proper restriction of the dogs. If dogs must be kept as 
pets, or for guards, they should be kept chained up ; if 
they are allowed to run as wild animals, they should be 
treated as such, and shot on sight when out of their pro¬ 
per bounds. If male dogs were highly taxed, or the 
brutes were prevented from unrestrained reproduction 
by the same methods which keep other animals in due 
bounds, the vagrant dogs without responsible owners 
would soon decrease in number. Farmers’ clubs and 
associations should ventilate this question. 
Egg-Plants la England, — A corre¬ 
spondent of the Gardener's Chronicle says of the egg¬ 
plant : “ A very handsome and useful kitchen vegetable, 
perhaps about as wholesome as the cucumber, and used 
much in the same way for picking." What hope can 
there be for a country that knows not bow to cook egg¬ 
plant? It was well that this writer added: “But on the 
dangerous ground of giving any directions for cook¬ 
ing, I dare not enter.” We should say so. 
Boiling' Cider.— “C. P. F.,” Grand Rapids, 
Mich., asks which is the safest for boiling cider, a vessel 
of copper or of braBS. —Brass is less liable to oxidize 
than copper, but either should be made 'perfectly bright 
and clean before using. 
Renting a Market-da rden.—“ Sub¬ 
scriber,” Cleveland, Ohio, asks if we would advise him 
to rent a market-garden by the year, and if not, why not. 
—Decidedly not; and for the reason, that no one can prof¬ 
itably work a market-garden without expending much 
money and labor in improving the soil, and a year is too 
short a term in which to recover the expenditure. A lease 
of five or six years is short enough for market-gardens. 
<»:iiig-Plows. —“ D. B. J.” wants the be6t 
gang-plow. The use of gang-plows is not nearly so com¬ 
mon as it might well be. In California they are largely 
used. In England also they are quite common, and 
double-furrow plows drawn by three horses are found to 
do the work of two two-horse plows and two men with 
great ease, and a large saving of expense. The principal 
difficulty in their introduction here, is the cumbrous 
frame attached to them, which makes them unhandy to 
use. The best and lightest double-furrow we have seen 
used, is of English make. Makers of American gang- 
plows would do well to consider this want here expressed, 
and by meeting it promptly encourage the use of these 
implements. 
The Rural Sun. —The agricultural papers 
which have appeared and disappeared in the Southern 
States within the past six years are many. We have seen 
none that editorially or mechanically gave better promise 
that it had come to stay than does the Rural Sun, a hand¬ 
some weekly published at Nashville, Tenn. 
Palling offof Fowls’ Feathers.— F. 
H. Graves, Washington, Iowa, wants a reason for the 
falling off of the feathers from the necks ,of his “ Hon- 
dans.” It is a continual trouble, and does not arise from 
molting or feather-eating. — Who can shed light on this 
matter i We would suggest that it is caused by the heat¬ 
ing of the system from having too much grain and not 
sufficient green vegetable food. AVe never knew fowls 
which had access to clover or grass fields to he troubled 
in this way, but those which arc cooped up in runs often 
suffer from this disorder. Plenty of chopped cabbage 
would probably meet the difficulty. 
Tnlc Potato.— The California papers are 
talking about a tuber found in the tule swamp lands, 
which they call Tide Potato. It is the tuber of an Arrow¬ 
head (probably Sagittaria variabilis), which is also com¬ 
mon in wet places all over the country. Our California 
friends have nothing new this time, ns Kalm gave an 
account of it a hnndred years ago, and says that the 
Ea-t Indians used it for food, and called it Katniss. It is 
the Wapatoo of the North-western Indians, who, as well 
as Chinese and swine, are very fond of it. 
Farmers’ Flub in California.—E. 
S. Holden, Stockton, Cal., sends us reports of the meet¬ 
ings of the San Joaquin Farmers’ Club, of which he is 
president. The club numbers 124 members, and is what 
he calls a live institution. The mode of procedure in this 
club is for members to note and record everything that 
occurs in their daily operations, the experiments made, 
the system under which they work, and the rc6nlts they 
achieve, in the field, garden, and orchard, and amongst 
their stock. These matters are introduced into the meet¬ 
ings and give rise to comparison of note6 and results, 
disenssions as to differences of methods, ana so forth, 
and any new or worthy idea is at once common property. 
We have before this noticed the proceedings of this clob 
as reported in their local papers, and have often thought 
that some far more pretentious but far less useful farmers’ 
club* could profitably study the words and ways c/ 
these San Joaqninians. 
Who ? Wliere ?—An unfortunate who has 
neither name nor place of abode, if we must believe his 
letter, asks how to work up eight thousand sheaves of 
grain into manure.—If he has not enough stock to con¬ 
sume the grain when ground coarsely and mixed with 
cut straw for feed, beddiug them with the rest of the 
straw so as to make ail the manure possible, sufficient 
should be purchased for this purpose. The best kind to 
buy are thrifty young cattle or cows, which always sell 
low in the fall and higher in the spring, and thus pay for 
their feed. But not knowing where this man lives, how 
can we properly advise him ? 
Value of Good Stock.—A Wisconsin 
farmer haB sold this season one yearling and two two- 
year colts for $1500. The sire was a Hambletonian horse, 
hut otherwise these colts cost their owner no more than 
three young scrubs would have done. The best pays. 
Where Shall lie Go? — “J. G-. E.,” 
Bergen Point, N. J., lias $500, is single, and understands 
farming, and would go to a mild climate where there is 
rich prairie land.—Kansas wonld probably suit “J. G. 
E.” best; he should write to Land Commissioner Kansas 
Pacific R.R., Kansas City, Mo. 
Co-operation. —A California Farmers’ Club 
proposes to raise capital amongst themselves to 6et in 
operation a business for disposing of their own produce 
for their joint benefit, and owning their own warehouses 
and ships needed for this pnrpose. ” Man proposes,” 
but a natural law disposos of this matter in such a way 
as to leave little hope of success for these California 
farmers in taking this business upon themselves. 
Brive-Well. —A “Subscriber” asks if lie can 
have a drive-well put down in sandy ground, and through 
quicksand.—Yes; but the pipe must pass through the 
quicksand into gravel, or else the well would be choked 
and useless. These wells are peculiarly fitted <or such 
ground as this. 
Underground Treasures.- This is the 
title of a little work, by James Orton, A.M., which de¬ 
scribes 78 of the more useful and common minerals fonnd 
in the United States, and gives simple methods of deter¬ 
mining their names and character. As a first step in 
mineralogy, and as a means of interesting young people 
of both sexes in the pursuit of this engaging science 
this little work will be found of great value. Farmers 
boys and girls having a desire to know something of the 
minerals so plentifully existing in the soil and in rocks, 
can make this a hand-book of preliminary instruction ; and 
few who do so will feel inclined to stop their investiga¬ 
tions when they have exhausted its pages. Published by 
AYorthington, Hartford, Ct., and Parker <fc Co., Chicago. 
Sweet Lard. —L. F. Hopkins writes: “It 
may be useful to some of yonr readers to know that lard 
may be kept perfectly sweet and free from any stroDg 
or rancid odor, for any length of time, I guess, by putting 
into each kettleful while ‘rendering’ a handful of red 
or ‘ slippery ’ elm bark. Treated thus, it has a sweet and 
not unpleasant smell in the hottest weather, even when 
not kept in a cellar.”—This is a very old plan, the knowl¬ 
edge of which, if we mistake not, was derived from the 
Indians, who kept their deer-fat in this way. AVe have 
never tried it, but have been assured of its utility by 
others besides Mr. H. The inner bark only is used. 
Hogs and Sheep for a Honntain 
Farm.—" T. AV.,” Alabama, wants the best hogs and 
sheep for a mountain farm.—There can be none better 
than the native sorts crossed with males of the Berk¬ 
shire or Essex swine, and the Cotswold sheep. These will 
give fine grade hogs, and a grade of sheep with combing 
wool and heavy carcass of mutton. For breeders’ names, 
see our advertising columns. 
The SAvine-Breeders’ Convention. 
The National Convention of Swine-Breeders was held 
at Indianapolis, Ind., on November 4th. The meeting 
was perfectly harmonious; no jealonsy or conflict of 
interests marred the result, which is an attempt to place 
swine-breeding on a substantial basis entirely accordant 
with its importance ni a great agricultural pursuit. The 
movement, which onr readers will remember was origi¬ 
nated last May by Col. F. D. Cnrtis, of Saratoga Co., 
■ N. Y., has accomplished several reforms In swine-breed- 
