70 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[March, 
Is Old Seed Wlieat Best ?— Daniel J. 
Banta, Dubois Co., Ind., writes to the Agriculturist, that 
he has been experimenting upon the wheat crop, and 
among other things finds that seed one year old brings 
the best crops. It is said, by pretty good authority, that 
cucumber seeds several years old will produce less 
vines and more fruit, but this is the first similar state¬ 
ment we have seen with respect to wheat. A considera¬ 
ble number of observations in different localities and un¬ 
der a variety of circumstances, will be needed to settle 
the question. Who have any facts to put on record ? 
Wlieat Insects.— E. D. Hewit, Columbia 
Co,, Wis. We can not tell what the insects are without 
seeing them. They can be sent by mail in a box. 
Lister’s Superphosphate.— Solomon S. 
Mead, of Fairfield Ce., Conn., sends a lengthy account of 
experiments with manures, which we have not room for. 
The gist of the matter is, that in all his trials the super¬ 
phosphate made by Lister Brothers, and ground bones 
from the same source, have given excellent results. In 
comparative plots of corn in the same field with equal 
quantities of this superphosphate, and “Flemish Manure,” 
the superphosphate gave the best results by at least 25 per 
cent. As this superphosphate is honestly made, we be¬ 
lieve, and is made nearly or wholly of unburned bones, 
simply dissolved in sulphuric acid, we should look for 
good results from its use. We applied it pretty freely to 
a plot of oats last year, but were not at home to watch the 
effect. The man in charge complained that, it was “too 
good,” causing the straw to grow so large as to fall down. 
Specimens of Grass.— Andrew S. Nash, 
a young farmer of Westport, Conn., has brought us a col¬ 
lection of the grasses of his vicinity. We are always glad 
to see young people, especially young farmers, take an 
interest in the common plants and objects about them. 
They will find that there is enough to study without trav¬ 
eling far for material. 
WBieu to Sow Millet.— Robert F. Roberts, 
Racine Co., Wis. Hungarian and other millet may be 
sowed in Spring at about the time for planting corn, and 
up to June 10th or later, if for fodder. The Mammoth 
variety promises to be the most prolific. It is on our list 
for free distribution in small parcels as abeginning. 
Paper from Straw.— Coarse paper has 
long been made from straw, but the process is now so 
perfected as to produce a white and strong article. Some 
of the daily papers in this city are printed on straw paper, 
and we have been shown samples of excellent writing pa¬ 
per from the same material made by Mr. L. W. Wright. 
Corn for Fuel. —The Nebraska Farmer says 
that corn is extensively used for fuel in some parts of that 
State. Two bushels of corn are considered worth one 
bushel of coal, and with corn at 10c. and coal 20c. per 
bushel, farmers think they may as well use the grain as 
the mineral fuel. The economy of burning corn was 
discussed at length in February Agriculturist last year. 
Cotton Samples.— We have received by 
mail, samples from Charles Peters, Athens Co., Ohio, 
and 0. P. Williams, of Portage, Wis. The latter thinks 
that it should be grown as an ornamental plant even 
where it will not ripen. We have distributed seeds for 
ornamental purposes several years, and keep it on our list. 
Cotton In Utah,— E. H. Howard sends ns 
from Great Salt Lake City, a sample of the cotton grown 
In Utah. The quality is not quite equal to that we 
have seen from Illinois. About 200 acres, in Washington 
Co,, were in cultivation during the past season, and gave 
an average yield of 375 pounds to the acre. 
New Cotton Substitute. —Small samples 
of fiber and cloth made from “ China Grass,” have been 
placed on our Exhibition Tables by Messrs. Wright & 
Whitman, of Boston. The fiber has a very silky appear¬ 
ance, and takes color well. There is also a specimen of 
the raw material which, though it is called grass, is the 
product of one of the nettle family, Boehmeria nivea. 
We are not aware that it has been introduced into this 
country. It is largely cultivated in India, and has been 
raised in the Royal Gardens atKew, near London. 
Tliree Crops of Peas in a Season.— 
E. L. Walts, Lasalle Co., Ill, writes that he sowed the 
Daniel O’Rourke pea, obtained from the Agriculturist 
distribution, April 10th, and had them in bloom by the 15th 
of May. Some of the ripened peas were scattered on the 
ground and produced a second crop, and from the seed of 
these he had green peas by the middle of September, 
some of which ripened, making the third erop. 
Claicory.— Solon Robinson, Esq., has placed 
upon our Exhibition Table fresh roots of chicory, and the 
same article sliced and dried ready for roasting. It is 
largely used as a substitute for, or to mix with, coffee, but 
for reasons often given, we can not commend its use. 
Hubbard Squash.—S. M. Bell, Rush Co., 
Ind. It will not do to plant this among corn. If you wish 
a crop, it must have the ground all to itself, and the soil 
must be well manured. It is one of the very best sorts. 
Squash Worms. — Mrs. C. C. McGinnis, 
Clinton Co., Ill. Your Hubbard Squash vines were 
destroyed by the’squash bug (Coreus tristis). Plant the 
seeds in well manured soil to insure a vigorous early 
growth. Look them over in the cool of the morning to find 
the bugs, which at that time are very quiet. A little vigil¬ 
ance exercised in time will free you from their ravages. 
A Faying Crop of Onions.— Hanson 
Ordway, of West Newbury, raised half an acre of on¬ 
ions which yielded at the rate of over nine hundred bush¬ 
els to the acre. Corn land was manured the year before 
with ten and-a-half cords of barn yard manure, which 
was plowed in 5 inches deep. In the Spring it was treated 
with 100 bushels of leached ashes, cultivated anil harrow¬ 
ed, and raked. The crop, which took a premium from 
the Essex Agricultural Society, cost $60.50, and sold (at 1 
cent per lb.), for $251.40,—a handsome margin of $170.90. 
Salt Around. Fruit Trees.— M. Foster, 
Jr., Essex Co,, Mass. Two quarts of salt can be safely 
spread around a pear tree, and frequently with good ef¬ 
fect. Let it extend to a distance of ten feet from the 
trunk. For small trees a less amount is sufficient. 
Books on Evergreens.— B. Albertson, 
Bucks Co., Pa. We know nothing of the work by Bi own, 
to which you allude. The last edition of Downing’s 
Landscape Gardening is out of print. Warder’s Hedges 
and Evergreens contains brief descriptions of the latter. 
It is in our list of books ; see advertisement. 
Kiteben Garden in an Orchard.— 
W. Hendry, Conestoga, U. C. Vegetables may well oc¬ 
cupy the ground between rows of young trees; but when 
the roots extend and need the ground, let them have it; 
good fruit will pay as well or better than vegetables. 
Feaeii Borer Remedy,- M. Kelly, Fay¬ 
ette Co., Ind., advises to remove the soil for two inches 
in depth, about the trunks of peach trees, thus exposing 
the track of the worms. With a sharp knife, or pointed 
instrument, follow the worm path, which usually goes 
around the tree, and kill every borer. By attending to 
this in Spring and Fall, nearly all the trees can be saved. 
An expert hand can worm 50 or more trees in a day. 
Of course the earth should be returned about the trees. 
Worms at I Sir Boots.— Mrs Jas. P. Bo- 
gardus, Sullivan Co., N. Y., and Mrs. C. C. McGinnis, 
Clinton Co., Ill. These pests are the larvae of small flies, 
and are often so numerous as to quite destroy certain 
crops in the garden. The only remedy is to repot the 
plants with soil from another locality. By turning the 
ball of earth out of the pots and placing it in a pail of wa¬ 
ter, the soil may be washed out without much injury to 
the small roots. See that the roots are entirely free from 
the worms and repot with fresh earth. 
Osage Orange Seed.— Wm. Polly, Dark 
Co., Ohio. In Texas, the source which formerly sup¬ 
plied the most of the seed, it is cleaned by allowing the 
balls to rot and then washing out the seed. 
Grapes lor Australia.— James Damage, 
Fairfield Co., Conn. It is impossible to tell what grapes 
will succeed best in Australia. We should advise taking 
but a small stock of Catawba, Delaware, Concord, 
and Creveling. Probably you will find some good wine 
grapes under cultivation there, better adapted to the coun¬ 
try than any you can take out with you. 
Fruiting Grape Vines.— J. Sutton, Bo¬ 
naparte, Iowa. You did quite right with regard to your 
vines. In pruning always cut to a bud. Although a 
branch may come where there is no visible bud, it is not 
safe to trust to its doing so. 
Cranberries.— Wm. Kramer, Dayton, Ohio. 
We have no facts concerning the culture of the cranber¬ 
ry on dry land, away from the sea-shore. Its success 
even there Is not well established.-“ Sucker.” Your 
slough would no doubt make a good cranberry patch if 
you have the means of flowing the land during a part of 
the year—an essential to the successful culture of this fruit. 
Treatment of Flowering - Sbrnbs.— 
Lulu S. Lauber, Lancaster Co., Pa. Unless it is desira 
ble to obtain seed, the flower clusters should be removed 
as soon as their beauty is past, or much of the energies 
of the plant will be expended in maturing useless seed. 
Chrysanthemum on a ISosehnsh.— 
Mrs. James, Harrisonville, Me. We can not undertake 
to account for an alleged phenomenon without seeing it. 
While it no doubt appeared that a rosebush bore a chry¬ 
santhemum flower, we have no doubt that there is a 
mistake somewhere. If a like phenomenon should occur 
another season, please let us see it by all means. 
Bridal Hose.— M. S. Shaler, Broom Co., Wis. 
Your “ rose,” really akind of double blackberry, probably 
needs repotting. Prune severely and repot in rich earth. 
Flower Seeds.— S. M. Bell, Rush Co., Ind. 
We can nottell why your seeds did not come up, without 
knowing how they were planted. The most common 
causes of failure are sowing too deeply and sowing loo 
early, before the ground becomes warm enough to make 
them germinate, when they may rot or lose their vitality. 
Thing's in Center Co., Pa. — A “ Sub¬ 
scriber of the Agriculturist," writing from this County just 
at mid-winter (Jan. 14) says: “A most remarkable Win¬ 
ter we are having ; no cold weather, hence no ice for ice¬ 
houses or skating ; very little snow, hence no sleighing; 
no rain, hence almost no water in our wells and springs; 
it has not been so dry for many years. Our last wheat 
crop was good ; our corn rather poor ; our oats destroyed 
in some places by army worm ; our potato crop below 
the average, but no rotting; our fruit pretty good ; our 
Union men patriotic; our Secessionists rabid; our voi 
unteers more than the quota ; our ladies agreeable and 
pretty (w - e think.)” 
Bees in a Chimney.— L. W. Leake, New- 
York. In the case of bees making a permanent residence 
in a chimney, Mr. Quinby says there seems to be no other 
way but to remove enough bricks near their locality to 
reach them, quiet them with tobacco smoke, and remove 
the combs. If it be desired to save the bees, place the 
brood combs with the bees on them, as near as possible 
in a natural position, in a hive bottom up, where the bees 
will soon fasten them ; then turn the hive over. The 
proper season for this would be, after flowers have ap¬ 
peared in Spring, that the bees may repair all damages 
and continue labor in their new home. 
Grain Aphis isa 1802.— W. Hendry, 
Conestoga, U. C. The grain aphis appeared in the same 
localities in 1862 as during the previous year, and also 
was found over a much larger extent of country. 
Cut Worms.—“ G. A.,” Harrison Co., Ohio, 
writes that he has seen the cut worm turn into Hessian 
Fly. We have no doubt that he has seen some kind of a 
fly produced from the chrysalis of some kind of a worm. 
What is generally known as the cut worm, produces a 
kind of moth or miller, while the proper Hessian fly is 
not the large, long legged, yellow fly he describes, but a 
little fellow not more than an eighth of an inch long. 
Braining - .— R. F. Roberts, Racine Co., Wis. 
This subject was treated of at length in several chapters 
in the volume of the Agriculturist for 1861.—French’s 
Farm Drainage is a work devoted to the subject, which, 
may be had at this office for $1,25. 
Corn Brooms.— J. M. Martin, Lewistown, 
Pa.—In the Jan. and March numbers of the Agriculturist 
for 1860, two illustrated practical articles upon this sub¬ 
ject were published. If you have not the back volume 
we can supply it, or these two numbers, at the usual rates. 
Water Lime.— J. Dunn, Jr., Pa. Hydraulic 
or Water Lime is made from a kind of limestone which 
contains a considerable amount of magnesia, silica, elc. 
It is also known by the name of Hydraulic Cement, and 
is the kind used for lining cisterns, or for similar purposes. 
Good Brink for Summer.— David H. 
Harris, Rock Island Co., Ill. We know of nothing bet¬ 
ter for a summer drink than pure, soft, cold water. In a 
limestone country where spring and well water is hard, 
or where from any reason good water could not be ob¬ 
tained otherwise, we should use a filtering cistern. One 
form of construction is described in this number, page 73. 
