Ifliles on the Ifforse-s Foot. —Good 
Bhoeing must be systematic. The Miles system has stood 
the test of thousands of miles under the horse’s foot, 
and that after all is the best test. It has the approval of 
the best Veterinarians, and many a man who has given 
the book to his blacksmith, and insisted on the horse¬ 
shoeing being done just right, has been rewarded in his 
own case, and thanked by his neighbors, and by the 
smith, again and again. See book list. Price, 75 cents. 
><ingle Fines and Fort . Hand 
Plow.**.— P. p. 'Wislar, Bucks Co., says : It would be a 
rare sight to see double lines to drive a plow team in Lan¬ 
caster County, Pa. More than three-fourths of a century 
ago, the left hand plow was introduced into that County, 
and at the present time there are scarcely any right hand 
plows and double lines seen in that region. The”farmers 
use the left hand plow and single line altogether • drive 
the leader, or near horse, in the furrow, and tie a jockey 
stick to the inside ring of his harness, and the other end 
of the stick tied to the outside ring in the blind halter of 
th<; off horse, and a tying strap to the inside ring of the 
same, fastened to the furrow horse, to keep the off horse 
ftom going too fast, and make him walk true to his work 
This IS the modern style of plowing, and quite an im- 
provement on the old plan of using a right hand plow, 
and double lines cast over the neck or “ round tJie back of 
iM plowman," with the horses’ heads tied together to 
harass and baffle them in fly time. With a good leader in 
a left hand plow, I have set boys, twelve years old in the 
middle of a square field to plow what is called ‘ haw round ’ 
after giyingthem a start. They would plow the whole 
field without using any lines. The horses turning at the 
corners like a perfect machine, and the horse on the land 
Bide, pressing against the jockey stick, would walk so 
true, that, in stiff sod without stones, the plow boy could 
leave the plow to run alone for several feet on a stretch 
which makes it a light task, compared to the old plan.’ 
Farm*I»roverl>s._“D. E.” writes: 1. Use 
diligence, industry, integrity, and proper improvement of 
time, to make farming pay. 2. Choose a farm with a soil 
either naturally dry or drained, not too level nor vet 
too steep, well fenced in proper sized fields, not too lar<^e 
3d. Good, snug buildings, with dry, if not clean, yards 
and cellars, especially barn and stabling. 4. Economy in 
accumulating, saving, and properly using all manures and 
01 tihzcrs possible, no matter how rich your land may be 
natur.-illy. 5. Agood and tolerably fast team, better smart 
than large. 6. Your farming implements well made of 
f^son*” in 
season. 8. Always sow good clean seeds. 9 Do not 
harvest before your crop is fit to harvest. 10. Don’t keen 
more live stock on your fai-m than you can keep well 11 
House all things as much as possible-animals, utensils 
do'^nffl”^ nnei 
do not store for rats and speculators. 
-A-lvrays Too Fate. —Notices of the winter 
meetings of several of the Western Horticultural Socie¬ 
ties, to be held in January, were received after our paper 
was printed and being mailed. Nothing of this kind is 
sure to be noticed that reaches us later than the 10th of 
the preceding month. Will Secretaries of Horticultural 
bocieties please send notices in season ? 
“ Cornea Restorers ” and “ Eye 
Sharpeners.”— Several have lately asked our opinion 
of these things, probably new subscribers, as we had an 
item upon the matter last year. An application was made 
to us to advertise a thing of this kind, and while our im¬ 
pressions were all adverse to it, we took the trouble in 
justice to the advertisers as well as to our readers, to con¬ 
sult one of our most eminent oculists, who confirmed 
our impressions by his opinion that it “would do more 
harm than good.” If one wishes a watch repaired or a 
piano tuned, he goes to some one who understands their 
mechanism and does not tinker them himself. An eye is 
more valuable than all the watches and pianos that were 
ever made. Do not trifle with it. 
^..'lieated l>y tlie “Doctors.” _J. W 
Way, sends the names of two quacks, who Avarranted to 
cure him for certain sums, and who got his money but 
left him no better. He wishes us to publish the names 
of these as a warning to other sufferers. If we were to 
publish the names of all the quack doctors, of whom Ave 
have complaints, it ivould not do a particle of o-ood as 
these chaps don’t remain long under one name.” If anv 
one who has read the Agriculturist for a year, v-ill em¬ 
ploy a “Doctor,” who advertises that he can do this or 
that, or who will warrant a cure for a given sum, we can¬ 
not pity him very much, as he has already had abundant 
warning. Nor can we, as J. W. W. requests, publish the 
names of reliable Doctors. We have no doubt that there 
are several in his OAvn town who could give him o-ood 
advice, and in his case he needs that rather than medicine. 
, Morsclceepers.—There are 
Jw books Avhich all who own or use the horse, peruse 
with greater .atisfaction than this. We may tnUy Z 
that we know of no book better worth its price. \t is 
full yet very much condensed; pleasant reading yet ex 
ceedingly pithy and terse. Price, $1.75. See Book lS. 
Cotton Planters’ Hannal.—This lit¬ 
tle volume contains much that is valuable, especially to 
the novice in cotton culture. It is the collated experience 
of veteran planters. A single good hint from an ex¬ 
perienced cultivator might enable a farmer to make a 
crop by avoiding erroneous practice, or providing before¬ 
hand against difficulties or damages which might other¬ 
wise be unthought of until too late. See our Book List. 
Ronltry Booic.-The little work on Do¬ 
mestic Poultry, by Mr. Saunders, which we published 
mom than a year ago, and which was subsequently thor¬ 
oughly revised, receiving important additions, has reached 
Its seventh thousand. In the appendix is an account 
Ml. Gcyelin s visit to the poultry yards of France 
Mhich m connection with the great interest now-a-days 
being taaen in French fowls, has a peculiar importance. 
Binding-. — “ W. H W ” 
taking an aivl and prick- 
ifioeo of SI""' thread. Pasting a 
Lsfe "^tth a strong 
JJd adZt« I"" ‘’t flour, wet up cold, 
solved in two inches square, dls- 
sohed in hot water, to a half pint of paste, Take pkste- 
seiv ^'*"8 ”®'«t,^5^’’°«k-binders, of a sultable^ize. 
On the bacr^ah stitched, including fly leaves 
On the back, with your paste, put a strip of enamelled 
cloth, cut to the proper length and width. Now eover the 
BlulTton Wine Company. —A Com¬ 
pany for canning on the culture of the grape and wine 
making on the large scale has been organized in Missouri 
George Husmann is President, and Dr. L. D. Morse Sec¬ 
retary. The lands of the Company are chiefly in Mont- 
County, and have a front of about three miles on 
the Missouri River. Mr. Samuel Miller, of Avon Pa the 
originator of the Martha, Black Hawk, and other sUdlino^ 
IS Superintendent of out-door propagation and cultivation! 
TectU amd Hair.— “A. A.” asks if Zozo- 
dont IS good for the teeth, and what kind of a hair re¬ 
storative we would recommend. As we do not know the 
composition of Zozodont, we can’t say, and do not recom¬ 
mend any hair restorative,” believing them to be of no 
other use than to put money in the venders pockets If 
there m any disease of the scalp, go to a physician, if not | 
keep It clean and healthy by washing and friction, and if ' 
the hair don’t grow no fertilizer will make it grow. 
Fatiting Fpoit Ado1>e "^Valls._ “West” 
writes “ please tell us if an adobe wall, without studdino- 
maybe furred for lathing by nailing strips directly on the 
sun-dried brick. Will not the bricks be cracked inevitably 
in the process ? To avoid the cost of timber, such as stud¬ 
ding would be a great reason for adopting the adobe ” It 
would be easy in laying up the adobe to put into the Avail 
strips of board; say, a foot or 18 inches apart, for the pur¬ 
pose of holding the nails. This Avould be the safer Course 
and less expensive than furring in the regular Avay.-En. 
Rais«ing Calves Witlioiit Hillc.— 
c. V. B.,” of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Nov. 5, Avrites: 
In regard to bringing up calves Avithout milk the plan I 
have always found to work Avell is to feed on “ Bean 
Soup prepared as for family use, and Avith the same 
quantity of salt-say, two tablespoonfuls in each mess 
(of two quarts.) I have ahvays found the calves to thrive 
upon this as well as upon milk. I take them from the 
cow at one week old, and they are never troubled with 
scours, nor Avith the opposite tendency. 
Eartli. —Fine dry soil may be obtained 
y raking over a loamy spot, taking the stones off, and 
letting it dry in the sun until it may be dashed through a 
screeq with eight holes to the inch; then covering it at 
n ght, and exposing it another day to the sun. Thus dried 
it may be barreled, and is as powerful a deodorizer as 
gypsum or plaster, an excellent disinfectant and drier for 
use in privies, hen-houses, or any foul places. The best 
Ave ever used was road dust, swept up and barreled on hot 
days. It was employed in the hen-house. There are laws 
a ainst taking dirt from the roads, but if the dust were 
to be replaced by gi-avel, no objection could be urged. 
Agriciiltwre Ut Hamilton College. 
trustees ofllam- 
$30 000 from the late Silas D. Childs, of Utica, N. Y., for a 
Department of Agricultural Chemistry. A well-timed 
f 1»-. Of Aiim.! 
th f "^'-gricultural Chemistry are better Avorth 
the study of young men than the shifting statutes 
that are made and unmade by human legislators. 
Beat and Hack.— “L. F. H.,” Ohio. The 
sample sent is apparently a A-ery fair article of peat You 
can test Its value as fuel thus: Cut out 100 cakes, (like 
bucks, 2-f4+8); dry them thoroughly; Aveigh a bushel; 
of S Z ® cent. 
Avim 1 -^ l"cl. Composted 
with hme or ashes, or manure, after being exposed one 
winter, or after being treated with lime or ashes, it will 
make good manure. Three loads of fine muck, with one 
oad of good dung and litter, Avith a barrel or tivo of yard 
iquor pumped over the heap twice or thrice in four 
A ee ^s, Avill be better than four loads of bam-j-ard manure. 
Temperatare of Cream for Cliara- 
Ing.-John 8. Larover, Union County, Ill. The tempera¬ 
ture IS very important in churning, for it is hard work to 
aho it cff u Z to begin churning is at 
- 1 - °lthe agitation will 
raise It a little, and 65 is as high as it should ever be at 
the close. The richness of the milk and cream depends 
upon the feed and upon the cow; salting the coavs re-u- 
1 y, 01 having it ahvays before them, makes the butter 
come well, other things being equal. Butter comes 
easiest Avhen the cream isslightly sour. Thenlook toThe 
temperature, and make it right by setting the vessel hold- 
in cieain in an outervessel of hot or cold Avater, or lower 
atm pail of Avater into the cream, stirring the cream un- 
hntf unifoi-m and right temperature from top to 
ttoni._ Then, not filling the chum too full, churn stJad- 
ily, j,iving thorough agitation until the butter comes. 
«Etliiopian Cltang:e Hi« 
Jersey) asks : Did you ever know of a Spanish cock 
changing his color ? I have one, a splendid fellow, Avhich 
came into the world raven black, and so remained for 
neaily a year, Avhen he dropped that garb, and took on 
tho S’ w 7 occurred about 
f issued his Emancipation Proclama- 
change is not a very rare occurrence Avith 
io the so-called 
fix^ oolor is 
xetl. M e have heard of none changing back again. 
Experience Witk Eerret.s.-Mr. Jacob 
7 T ®^P“-ionoe of some years with these 
animals, falls back upon the cat as the best rat catcher. 
He says: A ferret can seldom climb to a hay mow 
they are so clumsy. I do not think they can smell a rat’ 
and are nearly blind. I have seen them Avithin one foot 
of a rat and not touch it; but if the rat squeals, they will 
attack immediately. I thought it might be better if they 
were trained, and engaged a professional rat catcher to 
come with his ferrets and dogs; but he did no permanent 
three or four years, but to no 
profit. They Avould dig out occasionally, and get over the 
fence around their pen, and kill a good lot of chickens 
bo I killed the ferrets and bought a young black cat, and 
alAvays feed her in the barn tiA-ice a day, and in no other 
place. Since the cat came I have hardly seen a rat or 
mouse about the bam, except in the cat’s mouth.” [We 
attach more importance to the confinement to the bam 
than to. the color, though dark colors are best.— Ed.] 
Ckicory.— L. B. Tifflfc, Connecticut. Chicory 
is cured by cutting up into pieces an inch or tivo in 
length, and drying thoroughly in a kiln at a temperature 
beloAV that of boiling water. After it is dry it may be 
marketed. For use it is roasted like coffee, care bein- 
taken not to char it, and ground to a coarse meal. 
Osag^e Oraiigre on Timothy Sod.-. 
Gentry County, Mo. A good Timothy sod. 
plowed in the fall, the soil being naturally rich, would, aa-c 
should think, make a very good seed bed for an Osao-o 
Orange nurserj* if dry, worked deep, and kept clean 
