1873 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST.. 
437 
Aunt Sue’s Prize Matter. 
(Continued from, page 428.) 
Over 200 have been given by Melviun A. S., Shannon 
'\W. P., M. D. C., and F. R. Benson. 
Between 100 and 200 by Fred Wilson, Howard B., Syl 
Seely, J. X. IX., E. XV*. F., S. J. I)., and M. E. L. 
Between 50 and 100 by Frank P. L., Addie B., Moigan 
S., J. N. Gets, M. D. Walton, Fayetteville (no signature), 
E. E. W., F. P. S., J. P. L., L. Me F., Alfred W., C. M. 
W., Millie Mead, Addie A., May S., Sadie A. R., E. L. 
Ernest, H. H. B., F. P. D., L. H. L., A. T., C. S. D., 
D. H. T., L. F. B., L. A. B., M. A. M., H. A. A., H. S. B., 
E. A. C., G. II. W., L. J. K., and E. T. 
Between 20 and 50.—Carrie K., Nettie M., A. E. C., 
W. H. F., D. L.W., M. T. B., W. R. F., H. B., Anna 
Bi C., H. E. J., O. F. R., A. C. W., Jr., L. V., A. W., 
Belle B., T. A. C., F. H., W. C., E. M., M. E. F., 
L A. T., C. A. M., J. P. D., E. S. C., L. A. W., F. E. H., 
losieE., M. L. O., Frank P., D. H. R., Jesse T. B., 
2. C., E. H. L., F. L. S., J. W. M., J. A. P., Ida G., 
H. M. M., J. L. C., E. C. M., C.-C. Y„ and C. R. C. 
20 or under.— H. M L., A. K. S., I. G. N., M. C. T., 
L N., Miss S., R. E. W., E. H. P., A. T. C., H. M. H., 
u. B. F., Hudson G., H. S., B. F. B., G. T. McC., A. Y., 
tt. Y., E. N. P., H. F. B., and A. L. C. 
The industrious but unfortunate ones who selected 
Ganges (“Mexican Cordilleras,” “ Macgillycuddy’s 
leeks,” “Sierra Nevada,” “Cumberland Mts.,” etc.), 
md who have given between 150 and 200 rivers, are 
Xrthnr H. T., G. Franklin, A. L. Jackman, and W. H. N. 
Between 100 and 150.—Emmeline O. Do F., Clara J.W., 
J. Potter, E. H. S., Mrs. A. F. S., Sarah A. W., and 
Jorton B. 
Between 50 and 100.—Mabel L., L. A. D., H. C. D., 
I. A. McC., W. F. C., F. W. C. C., A. M., C. L. N., 
’acie P., M. C., W. B., D. L. F., G. P. F., A. M. B., 
\ H., A. W., Bertha Elliott (very neatly written list), 
;nd Gussie H. T. 
50 or less by B. F., H. A., A. R. G., E. E. H., C. M.W., 
>. R., I.S., C.TJ.S., C.E. L., J.E.F., M. O., Mrs. I.H., 
'. L. S., H. A. C., C.E. C., F. O. B„ TJ.M.Y., K.M.E., 
l. C. G., I. N. H., A. M., R. H. N., E. H. P., H. D., 
l. M. R., and F. Y. S. 
-——-—a®!—-- «-- 
Paving- Stalslcs.—“ G. E. H.,” Iugersoll, 
intario. The method of paving a barn-yard or stable 
nth cobble-stones was described in the Agriculturist 
jr November, 1871. 
Damp Cellar. —“J. H. M.,” Decorali, 
swa. A damp cellar should be underdrained. A drain 
iuttwo feet below the wall and communicating with an¬ 
ther drain to carry off the water collected will render it 
ry. Sometimes the surface water or the. drop from the 
:>of of the house is the cause of the dampness. In such 
case proper spouts should be fixed to the house, and a 
rain made to carry off all the water away from the 
uilding. 
Soft Eggs.—“ G. W. A.,” Chillicotke, Ohio. ■ 
nperfect eggs or eggs without shells or any kind of eggs 
bnormally shaped are due to an irregular condition of 
re oviduct. This passage is sometimes inflamed in 
arts, when the fnnetions of the inflamed portions are 
ispended. Thus the secretion of tire shell or the inner 
aembrane or even the white albuminous part of the egg 
uay be prevented, or by want of proper action there 
:iay he a premature secretion by which eggs with- 
nt yolks or two misshapen eggs attached together may 
e produced. Yery often this is due to over exertion or 
lasing about of heavy bodied fowls, or by injury from 
imping from high roosts. The remedy lies in remov- 
ig the causes; one grain of calomel and one twelfth 
f a grain of tartar emetic in bread pills, and providing 
lenty of bone-meal or pounded oyster shells has also 
een recommended as a remedy for these troubles. 
I*a,ris-f5reesi on Trees.—“M. W. G.,” 
a Salle, Ill., writes that observing that a favorite walnut- 
•ee was being stripped of its leaves by “ worms,” he 
^ringed the foliage with water in which Paris-green 
ad been mixed, and eveiy caterpillar disappeared. He 
links that the same treatment would rid fruit trees of 
II insects, including the Codling-moth. So far as the 
odling-moth goes we doubt its utility, as the moth only 
isits the tree to deposit her eggs in the blossom end of 
le young fruit. 
Am to SorfjhuiB.—“ W. T. 8.,” Ouchita Co., 
.rk., asks: 1st. *What is the value of sorghum seed as 
:ed for fowls as compared with coni at $1 per bushel ? 
I. Is the fodder of sorghum that is stripped from the 
stalks when well cured as good feed for horses as corn- 
fodder? 8d. Are the frost-bitten suckers that shoot up 
from the butts of cane-stalks after they have been cut in • 
jurious to cattle when eateu? Replies: 1st. We cannot 
say; our fowls could never he induced to eat sorghum 
seed. We shall be glad to hear, from those who know 
about it. 2d. Yes. 3d. Not absolutely injurious, but in- 
nutritious. 
Wolf" —“ G. S. N.” It is not gener¬ 
ally credited that wolf teeth injure the eyes of a colt. If 
the colt’s eyes are suffering you may give it the benefit of 
the doubt and draw the teeth with forceps. They are 
easily drawn, and it can do no harm in any way 
Wiser© as 4lae AfdLvs&jaits&g-e ?—“W C. 
C.,” Lindale, O. If a full-blooded merino ram can be 
procured for $15, the profit or his use with fifteen com¬ 
mon ewes would be found in the increased value of the 
fleeces of his progeny. If the value of native wool be 30 
cents a pound, that of half-bred grade meriuos will bring 
40 ceuts, and three-quarter bred fleeces will ruu up to 40 
to 50 cents. Besides, the weight of the fleeces increases 
from 2 y t pounds in the common native up to 4>4 or 5 
pounds in the high-bred grades. If this improvement 
can be procured for so small an investment as the differ¬ 
ence in price between a native and full-blood ram costing 
only $15, there is no question about the advantage. 
How to S£eej» M!3k Sweet,— 1 “C.W 
Milford, Pa. We know of but one way to keep milk from 
souring dur'njg the hot weather, and that is to keep it in 
a cool, well ventilated cellar or milkhouse, or in pans set 
in a stream of cool water. Anything added to the milk 
to prevent souring will spoil the flavor. 
Sugar from — “ Subscriber.” 
Beets contain a great variety of others matters besides 
sugar, from which the sugar is separated only with diffi¬ 
culty. It is therefore impossible to make beet sugar suc¬ 
cessfully without costly machinery and chemical pro¬ 
cesses of defecation and refining. 
Stra-w*foerries UsstSen* ©laws.—C. Her¬ 
rick. Strawberries may be forwarded by two or three 
weeks in a cold frame. The soil should be rich, and the 
earliest rooted plants put out, and the runners kept cut 
off. When cold weather comes on, and the ground has 
frozen, cover the plants with leaves or salt hay, and put 
over sashes or shutters to keep the rain oat. In Febru¬ 
ary the leaves or other-litter are removed, the sashes put 
on, and the plants started into growth. Care must be 
taken in airing and covering at night as with other 
plants under glass. Any good, per-fect variety may he 
used. Triomphe do Qand, Trollope’s Victoria, Presi¬ 
dent Wilder, and many others force well. 
CorEi-wienl ISraaa tfoir MiS-cSn 
Cows,-“M. H. B.,” Winnebago, Ill., writes: “I have 
sold my oats at 27 cents per bushel, intending to buy 
bran at $10 per ton, or middlings at $11 per ton. Corn is 
worth 30 cents a bushel of 60 pounds, or $10 per ton. 
One of my neighbors thinks I had better feed corn-meal 
alone. I have been of opinion that, to produce milk to 
make butter, a mixture of corn-meal and bran would be 
better than corn-meal alone. What is your opinion ?”— 
If you have abundance of good grass that costs little or 
nothing, we would feed corn-meal alone. Corn-meal, 
weight for weight, is far more nutritious* than bran. 
Bran i3 a good substitute for hay or grass, and in the win¬ 
ter, if bran costs no more per ton than hay, we should 
much prefer to feed a mixture of bran and corn-meal 
than corn-meal alone. 
Concrete 1 ®iisos,—“ C. Hamlin,” In¬ 
dianapolis. Atwood’s Country Homes, price $1.50, con¬ 
tains all that is necessary to know about using concrete. 
The cost of such a house is about half that of brick. 
To I>estroy Lice.—“J. F. B,,” Montgom¬ 
ery Co., Pa. Lice of all kinds may be destroyed by the 
application of lard or sweet-oil in which carbolic acid 
has been mixed at the rate of one part of acid to one 
hundred of oil or lard. For poultry, the mixture should 
be rubbed beneath the wings and on the top of the head, 
except in the case of sitting hens, which should never 
have grease of any kind applied to them, lest the egg* 
be injuriously affected. 
Estimatijrag; BStashels sm«S GaMoiis. 
—“H. C. Y. W.,” Maryville, Tenn., sends the following 
rule for estimating corn in the crib—viz.*: Multiply 
height and width of crib (when the. sides are straight) by 
half the length, which gives the number of bushels of 
Shelled com. This is on the basi3 of taking two cubic 
feet, equal to 3.450 cubic inches of earn, of corn, for a 
shelled bushel, and is approximately correct lor Western 
or Southern corn with large ears. The contents of a 
cistern are found by finding the number of cubic feet 
contained, and multiplying the amount by 7 which 
gives the number of gallons very nearly. 
SlBifflisig' Birds and Aiiimsils. — 
“A. G. N.” “Maynard’s Naturalist’s Guide" is the 
best work on the subject. It is not practicable to treat 
the matter with sufficient detail in the paper. Price of 
the work $2. 
CuaeBamtoer IPicIfles.—“U. C.,” Earls- 
ville, O We believe that all the bright green pickles are 
cooked or soaked in brass or copper vessels. It is said 
that if the salted cucumbers are soaked with grape-leaves 
they will be green—but we have not tried it. 
Oaowelsow.—“ Shelter Island.” The com¬ 
position of the English preparation is a secret with the 
makers, and we have never seen any successful attempts 
at imitating it. 
CJaariosis Eg”-.—J. N.. Walker, Haskins Co., 
Tenn., sends us a sketch of a curiously-shaped egg laid by 
one of his hens. It was rather a double egg, consisting 
of two perfect eggs, excepting that they were soft ones, 
or without shells, each containing a yolk, and the two 
were connected by a cylindrical sac \ of an inch long 
and % of an Inch in diameter, the contents of which 
were not. connected with those of the eggs. 
IFIjm© Toma-toes.—Altogether the finest 
and largest, tomatoes we haye seen this year came from 
Forestdale, the residence of W. T. Blodgett, Esq., Bran¬ 
don, Yt., and reflect much credit upon his gardener, Mr. 
L. Longnor. They appear to be Trophies. 
II ©u.*: ©:• l*ft ticks*—“ G. W. H.,” Cranford, 
N. J. There is no variety of duck that is more prolific in 
eggs than the common or so called “native.” The 
Aylesbury and the Rouen ducks are of heavier weight. Wo 
have known a common duck to lay an egg daily for 70 
days without intermitting a single day; yet, while this is 
more than any hen ever did with us in the same time, 
we would not change our hens for ducks ns egg- 
producers. 
Puerperal or Mills: Feier.—“ L. H.,” 
Tilden. The symptoms of puerperal fever are easily con¬ 
founded with those of the more common nervous debility 
after calving, or the more fatal parturient apoplexy 
which is not at all uncommon amongst highly fed and 
well kept cows. They are at first a hardly noticeable in¬ 
crease in temperature of the extremities, the horns sud¬ 
denly changing from hot to cold, and an increased pulse, 
which occur within twelve hours after the birth of the 
calf. Restlessness follows and the cow changes place 
often, then she is unable to get up and after rising on to 
her knees rolls over on to one side or the other. Then 
great suffering is expressed by the convulsive motion of 
the legs and the turning of the head to the flank. The 
last symptoms are rigidity of the muscles and limbs, the 
stomach is distended, and death occurs very rapidly. 
The treatment consists in bleeding at the first possible 
moment, brisk purging by means of a pound (or 24 ounces 
in case of a strong animal) of Epsom salts and 2 ounces of 
ginger, given in two quarts of gruel. Injections of soap 
and water should also be given, aud the skin should be 
sponged with cold water and then rubbed dry aud the 
cow covered witli a blanket. In two hours the cow 
should he given 4 ounces of acetate of ammonia with 30 
drops of tincture of aconite in a pint of warm oatmeal 
gruel. This should he repeated every four hours reduc¬ 
ing the aconite by five drops each time until only 10 drops 
a.ro given. It is best then to discontinue it. If the later 
stages have occurred the case will he almost hopeless, 
and nothing can be recommended but to procure the ser¬ 
vices of a veterinary surgeon who knows his business. In 
the later stages bleeding must be avoided as it wifi 
probably suddenly kill the animal. Some, cows after ar¬ 
riving at adult age are subject to this complaint, especial¬ 
ly those which are heavy milkers and keep in good flesh. 
The sudden change in the cow’s system after calving and 
the excitement of the circulation consequent upon that 
event are the causes. 
Mill for flrwsliiug Ears ®f Corn.- 
“ J. H. N.,” Nacoochee, Ga. We have found a common 
bark mill, such as is used to crush bark for tanneries, set 
so as to run backwards, an excellent mill to crash ears of 
corn. If the com ears are desired to be ground finely, 
the broken cobs and grain with the tom shucks may be 
run through a pair of mill-stones or a steel mill; the 
meal may then be fed to stock and the whole of it con¬ 
sumed. We have used such meal for all kinds of stock. 
