850 
[October, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Fatal Uisease anioag’ S®©iilti*y.— 
Lemuel D. Dobbs, of Brownsville, Texas, writes; “My 
young cliickens, clucks, and turkeys are all dying. I have 
just lost two entire broods. A swelling commences 
around the eyes, nostrils, and the ekiii on the under part 
of the bill. These places rise up like great warts, and in 
from one to three days from the time that the disease first 
appears, the chickens die. I think it is the biting of 
mosquitoes, an.cl have tried to prevent it by cooping them 
at night under a mosquito bar, but it does no good. All 
my neighbor’s chickens are aftected the same way.” 
Whether our subscriber’s suspicions are well founded or 
not, we would recommend the application of warm pine 
tar, smearing it over all the afiected parts, but not stop¬ 
ping up the nostrils. If this does not cure, we would try 
painting the parts with a Eolution of nitrate of silver, 
{lunar caustic,) applied with a feather. 
Inciil>at©r«, oi- Artiiicia,! Kgs' 
Hatcliers.—We have several inquiries for these arti¬ 
cles, or for descriptions of them. It is, perhaps, enough 
to say, we know of none which we believe it worth while 
to attempt to use. There are several advertised, and 
used more or less abroad, but none that we know of in 
this country. It seems to be a fair subject for experi¬ 
ment. What is needed is a tolerably uniform tempera¬ 
ture, not far from 100° Fahrenheit, a certain slight degree 
of moisture in the air, and daily turning of the eggs. 
Tegetmeier, in The Poultry Book, speaks highly of 
Mauasi’s Patent Incubator. The French plan is taking 
heir turkeys, forcing them to sit on false eggs a few days, 
and, when they are contented, putting good ones under 
them, as many as they will cover. The chicks are re¬ 
moved as fast as hatched, and other eggs substituted. 
This plan has been tried by one of our neighbors, with 
success. A turkey covers twice as many eggs as a hen. 
Wlaat Uircls are ** Fowls.’’-“There is 
an article “going the rounds ” of the press, distinguish¬ 
ing fowls as birds which take their young to their food. 
The absurdity of this definition is apparent on a mo¬ 
ment’s thought; for, though applicable to farmyard 
poultry, in distinction from the birds of the hedge, it will 
not bear a more extensive application. It is unfortunate 
that, in English, we have no single word for our barn¬ 
door or dung-hill fowls. Even the names cock and hen 
they share in common with a score of other birds from 
Cock-robin to Cock-turkey -- (Cockroach and Hood’s 
Cock-memiaid included)—Hen Sparrow and Pea Hen as 
well. Poultry fanciers have, of late, with an unanimity 
which is remarkable, confined the use of the word fowl 
to this, in English, nameless hird~ ffallus domesticus. 
Millis&g- at ilae Paris 
Abattoirs,—Mr. Judd writes; “ To-day, (July 15th.) I 
visited the .extensive new Abattoirs, or slaughter houses, 
now partly completed, within the city walls, but beyond 
the thickly-settled portion, on the north-northeast side of 
Paris. The grand market, not yet finished, is an imm ense 
H’ou structure, with iron and glass roof, supported on 
iron columns, and to remain open on the sides, I believe. 
A strict prohibition to visitors, at present, prevented mv 
examining it fully. The roof covers several acres; the 
pens are small and low, and arranged in streets and 
avenues, and the bottom is as hard and smooth as roimh 
cut stone. The slaughter-houses near by are nice blocks 
of stone and stucco building, each apartment opening 
ihp n’ avenues running between 
t-ie blocks. The whole looks like a village of tasteful 
nouses, joined side to side along the streets, which are 
bent at a small angle frequently, so as to diminish the 
..gdit of too many operations at one view. The floors of 
both buildings and streets are solid cement, with an in- 
Swers°“ W into subterranean 
eeweis. Mater is arranged to wash the whole surface 
wai“wh’ th r Ladies can 
® establishment without soiling 
p..tehc,, .cc,.,, 
and dressing eight to twelve beef cittin ic. i i ’ 
according to the size of the animal and the activity TS 
nnarket. I watched the entire process of S L in 
dressing a bullock, w^hich was as follows. The min a 
W’as driven in at one door, the other being closed ■ a .one 
w as lassoed over his horns, and the other end put throno-h 
*ort,8pe.,Jife 
-ivU riV ^ column, just back of the horns It 
^ as clone 111 an instant, and the animal droppecras siif 
shoulders as possible, and opened the arl 
the heart, apparently to give the best outlerto the w'd’ J 
which flowed off into an opening in the floor, and was all 
saved in a clean condition. The animal was then moved 
and pushed about to promote the entire expulsion of all 
the blood. One man then skinned the legs up to the 
gambrel joint, and cut them off". The other, in the mean 
time, made one small oiiening through the skin on the 
belly, just back of the forelegs, and another between the 
hind legs. Into those apertures he thrust a round-pointed 
half-inch steel rod, a little curved, and made openings 
along under the skin in diflereiit directions. A large 
hand bellows was then thrust into each of the openings, 
and one long lever arm w^as worked, while the other ^vas 
held upon the floor with the foot. The air rvas thus 
driven in with great power and permeated every part un¬ 
der the skin and throughout the entire flesh and interval 
fat. The carcass swelled to nearly double size, and ivhen 
beat with a stick to promote the circulation of the air, 
the skin sounded like a heavy, loosely strained, bass drum. 
When the inflation was complete, the skinning was easily 
and quickly performed. Great tact was exercised in run¬ 
ning the knife along so as to have its curved point leave 
the surface of the meat slightly gashed in stripes, at 
various angles. A small iron windlass, -with ratchet 
ivheel and pulleys, served to raise the carcass as fast as 
it was skinned. Napkins or towels were kept at hand to 
remove the slightest trace of filth or blood. The pufliness 
of the flesh, its ciearness from blood, and the line cutting 
where the red integument appeared, together with the 
neatness everywhere exercised, gave an exceedingly 
beautiful appearance to the dressed sides as they were 
conveyed to the store-room, and hung up for sale. One 
can eat meat in Paris ^vithont any qualm I'roni slaugh¬ 
ter-house recollections or associations. The entire ab¬ 
sence of apparent pain or motions in the dying animal, 
and the inflation of the meat, though often read of, -were 
novelties to me in actual observation. Calves and sheep 
are dressed in the same manner. I priced some of the 
meats to-day as follows; The best sides of beef, 142 francs 
per 100 killogrammes equal to about 12 cents per pound 
in gold, or 16@17 cts. per pound U. S. currency. Other 
qualities ran down to 110 @100 francs per 100 killogram- 
mes.^ Very good carcasses of sheep were selling at 15 sous 
per livre, (about IS cents gold per pound, equivalent to 
21 cents cuirency;) and dressed pork at 17 sous per livre. 
Miami Maspberry.—Mr. W. Johnston, 
South Bend, Ind., dissents from Mr. Fuller’s estimate of 
this variety, and gives his own experience as follows: 
I fiuited it in connection with seven other I'arieties; 
the time of ripening first berries was as follows: Kirtland,' 
June 30th ; Golden Cap and Miami, July 3d ; Doolittle 
and Philadelphia, July 4th ; Ohio Everbearing and Cat- 
awissa, July 7th. Thus, it has a very favorable season. 
Compared with the Doolittle, which, Mr. P. says, is 
‘ very la,rgc and very productive, and a profitable market 
heiiy, its superiority over it was, in all respects, quite 
noticeable—the bush larger, more hardy and thrifty, the 
berry larger, more abundant, flavor decidedly superior 
and berry much firmer. I had the Philadelphia'in its 
perfection, I believe, and it is a magnificent berry, givino- 
more fruit during the best days of its season than the 
i.Iiami, but as the season of the latter is from ei'dit to 
ten days longer, I think it will yield full as much fruit 
and IS a more profitable market berry, as the Philadelphia 
18 quite too soft for long transportation. Thus we know 
of no raspberry superior to the Miami, and if Mr. F. does 
we wish he would name it, for it is wanted.” ’ 
similar form from seeds of Napoleon III. These de¬ 
partures from the normal type are interesting; they, how- 
•ever, show a general debility in the plant, as in neither 
of the three recorded cases was the fruit of any value. 
IVa-Micd.—H. A. Slater, N., Man¬ 
chester, Conn. Blue Joint-Grass, (Jalamaxjrostis (Jana- 
demis....n. F. Roberts, Woodworth, Wis.—A’rayrosftv 
IMcmides, an introduced weed, for which we know no 
common name....New Egypt, N. J, (can’t read the 
iVAmoj—TriUcunh repens, the Couch, Quack, Quick, or 
Twitch Grass. Valued in some places for pasturage, but 
a terrible pest in cultivated lands ... “ SubscribtT,’’St. 
Paul, Minn.—I’he purple specimen is Barn-yard Grass, 
Panicum Cnis-gaUi; the long one is Indian Grass, tior- 
ghian nutwns ; that of which two specimens were sent, 
is a. Beard Grass, Andropogon furcaius ; and the most 
delicate of all is Sporobolus heterolepis. M'lien more than 
one specimen is sent, they should be numbered. AVith 
the exception mentioned in reference to Couch Grass, 
none of them are of any agricultural value, and many of 
them are so little noticed that they have received no 
popular names. 
b»a*aii.cl Old Flasits, —’Recently wc visited 
the grounds of a gentleman near Newburgh, N. Y., and 
■\\ ei e delighted to see a Gardenia, or Cape J essamiuc,Komc 
six feet high, and well furnished with branches to the 
base. It had good company in some Pomegranate and 
Lemon and Orange trees, all of tvhich showed that they 
had been objects of care for years. AVc have a great affec¬ 
tion for these old plants, as tve have for old furniture, old 
china, and old pictures. These plants are venerable, and 
it is pleasant to think oi the kindly care of several gen¬ 
erations that is incorporated with their growth. 
iS-cd ci.nd dlovere—Prof. AA'av, 
of the Royal Ag’l. Society, made several analyses of 
clover hay with a view to determine what substances 
clover crops extracted from the soil, and thus, if possible, 
to come at the cause of what in England is called “clover 
sickness.” This is a condition of the soil when it refuses 
under ordinary treatment to yield good crops of clover— 
and BO is called “ sick ” or “tired” of clover. Mn are not, 
as yet, troubled "with this failure of the crop upon land 
where it once did well, except as we lose the influence of 
plaster on the crop, which frequently occurs. The analyses 
show that clover makes great drafts upon the soil for 
alkalies, especially potash, and no doubt it is the gradual 
exhaustion of this ingredient which causes the failure of 
the crop. The great benefit of applications of wood 
ashes and of plaster to clover are matters of universal 
experience, and we may safely say that so long as wo 
continue them we will live in ignorance of clover sfekness. 
File Kittatinisy -ISlaclsberfy.—AVe 
two years ago, described and figured this berry. This 
year it has quite warranted all that we have said of it 
Some specimens brought us in August from E. AViiliams' 
pntclair,N. J., show it to be the very best berry that 
IS now in cultivation. AA^e have seen plants in locali¬ 
ties north of New Jersey, fruiting finely. 
Blaclc Cla,ps ii-oisi AVni. Law¬ 
rence writes: “I have a cluster of vines that produce 
much larger and finer fruit than any other that I have 
seen, and asks if they can be propagated from the seed. 
hey can be readily grown from seed, but there is no cer¬ 
tainty that the same qualities will be reproduced. The 
lesultiiig plants may produce better fruit, but are more 
likely to give that oi inferior quality. The only sure way 
IS to layer the tips of the branches as soon as they <>-et 
K-omewhat firm. See Agriculturist for August, pa<-o ofi-i 
riie One-leavetl Straw’lbei’i-y.— Every 
one knows that the leaf of the strawberry is three-parteZ 
n 1,01 a variety with a single loaf was brought to notice 
mid afterwards figured in the Botanical STagazine as 
One-leaved Strawberry. Just 
undied years after this appearance, Mr. A SFuller 
mihoroftheSmallPruitCulturist,fou 
now (JloedT Uic' giJrFrS 
1 icncu btuuvljeiTy grower, a 
Clover ill Mercer Co,, SO,—“E. L. 
M.” writes that in this hot dry summer the red clover is 
killed out, so that they have to give it up as a farm crop. 
This is also the case farther south, in many places, and 
no kind of red clover will grow. Neither will the ordi¬ 
nary grasses, that form the greensward of the Northern 
States. The only chance to get clover to stand under such 
disadvantages is to soiv it in time for the usual earlv 
autumn rains. Thus early sown, it may send its roots 
deep enough to withstand the summer droughts. 
I>©iible Pelai'g'osiisani— €xloire ile 
Nancy.—AA’’e were gratified to receive from Mr. John 
Saul, Florist, of AA'ashingtoii, D. C., some flowers of this 
new variety. It has made quite a sensation abroad, and, 
apparently, deservedly so. I’he flowers are very double, 
and of a brilliant deep rose color. It is greatly supeiior 
to the Ranunciiliflora, figured in .December last. Air. 
Saul says : “It is a noble plant, strong and Vigorous in 
its giowtli, and luxurates in our hot bright sun,blooming 
freely. The flowers are thrown up -well above the foliage, 
and, being double, are more enduring than single kinds.” 
Flaists witli Ci«i*ay Foiiag’c. —In the 
present popular “bedding out” planting, a plant with a 
gray or silvery tint is very desirable to set oft’ the more 
brilliant Cdleiis or Achyranthes, {Iresine.) IlerbsHi. Cen- 
taurea ragusina, also called candidissima is one of the 
best for this purpose, but it does not propagate fast 
enough to suit the florists, who prefer to Bell the freer 
growing Gimraria, maritima, or “Dusty" Miller.” AA’e 
have tried this latter, this summer, for a bed in the 
lawn, and find that by cutting it back freely, it may 
be made to grow bushy, and we are rather pleased 
with it. The English gardeners arc talking about one of 
onr wild plants for this purpose— Antenndria margari- 
tacea, or Life Everlasting. AA^e have never seen it in cul¬ 
tivation, blit think it worth a trial. Mr. Peter Hender¬ 
son has shown ns this season a now plant of this style. 
Gentaurea gymnocarpa, and from what we have seen of it 
with him and elsewhere we think that it will become 
