1803.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
How often Should Hares Breed ? 
—E. S. Phelps, Bureau Co., Ill. A healthy mare of 
strong constitution may safely bear a colt annually for sev¬ 
eral successive years, but it is exhaustive of strength, and 
is usually best to intermit every third year, and in many 
cases every other year. 
Cure for Scratches on Morses.— T. 
Lashbaugh, Laporte Co., Ind., writes that he has never 
failed in curing scratches in horses, by applying melted 
tar to the affected parts. It should be rubbed in well, 
and the hail smoothed down over it. 
The f urrycontb in Summer.— Farm¬ 
er’s Boy, inquires whether the currycomb and brush are 
necessary for horses in warm weather. Certainly, even 
more than in Winter. Remove dust and perspiration 
gathering under the hair to keep the skin healthy. 
Kicking' Pilules.—M. B. Turner, Lee Co., 
Iowa. Mules may be cured of kicking, and otherwise 
made gentle, by the application of Rarey’s system of 
taming. A full description of his method is contained in 
Herbert’s Hints to llorsekeepers. 
Koolt for Horsekecpers.-C. T. Vin¬ 
cent, Hartford Co., Conn. We know of no better work 
for general directions and sound every-day practical 
suggestions on the management of the horse, than Her¬ 
bert’s Hints to llorsekeepers. We can send it post-paid, 
by mail, for $1.25. 
To Prevent Elens Sitting. —Christian 
Paltz, Buffalo Co., Wis. Hens may sometimes be cured 
of a propensity to sit by dousing them with cold water. 
Blow Many Sheep to tine Acre ?— S. 
S. Wiest, Lancaster Co., Pa. From three to nine sheep 
per acre of grass land may be kept, according to its qual¬ 
ity and the kind of sheep. It is generally reckoned that 
8 Merinos consume about as much as an ordinary cow. 
Corn an;I Wool .—“ J. M.,” Logan Co., 
Ohio., inquires whether it be true that every pound of corn 
fed to sheep will add one ounce to the growth of wool. 
It might in some cases, but the statement appears to be 
rather a loose one. Sheep breeders are interested, and it 
would be instructive to hear the results of careful experi¬ 
ments made to ascertain the value of corn for this purpose. 
A Good Mog.—Wm. T. Bussell, Ulster Co., 
N. Y., writes to the Agriculturist that in August last he 
commenced feeding a shote weighing 100 lbs. live weight. 
For two weeks his provender was best quality wheat bran 
and milk : from that time to December 2d, he received all 
the Indian meal he would eat, with a very small quantity 
of inilk. He was fed just 107 days, and gained 257 lbs. 
in that time. (2% lbs. per day—less 10% lbs. on the whole.) 
A Patent Bios' King.—Daniel Brown, 
Marshall Co., Ill., sent to the Agriculturist office some 
time since, a newly invented hog ring for which he has 
received a patent. It consists of a spiral coil of wire 
forming a spring, which rests in front of the animal’s 
snout; the two ends of the wire are bent so as to enter 
the nostrils and clasp the membrane within, where they 
are held by the spring. It is easily applied, and Mr. B. 
says was found very efficient last Summer in a herd of 
one hundred swine. 
Sulpliur for ff.ice.—Several correspondents 
have written to the Agriculturist , that sulphur fed to 
cattle, will rid them of lice. One who says he has used 
the remedy successfully in a number of cases, directs “to 
give two tablespoonfuls in a quart of meal to each animal, 
to be given daily until cured.” Sulphur is used in the 
human system as a gentle laxative, and for several dis¬ 
eases of the skin. That it escapes from the surface of 
the body, is shown by the odor, and by its blackening sil¬ 
ver articles in the pockets, and on this account, it is not 
unlikely that it may affect inseets on the bodies of ani¬ 
mals. A few doses may, in some instances, by its cathar¬ 
tic effect improve the health of the animal, and thus prove 
effective against lice, which are chiefly found upon de¬ 
bilitated or sickly animals. The common sulphur powder 
frequently produces griping when used as human medi¬ 
cine. to counteract which it is mixed with % to }£ its 
bulk of calcined magnesia, or cream of tartar, and this 
mixture would probably be the best to give to animals. 
!>efective Teats In Cows. —Abraham 
Williamson, Hendricks Co., Ind., inquires whether the 
half of a cow’s bag which has from some injury ceased 
to give milk, will yield It again, at the time of her calv¬ 
ing. Trobably not, although it may depend somewhat 
on the nature of the injury. We have never known a de¬ 
fective teat to be thus restored. 
E.Izartls in a Sfl>ring.— E. Day, Kingston, 
Ulster Co., N. Y. We would not advise to destroy 
lizards. They are as harmless as fish, and as they feed 
mainly upon insects, they help to keep the water pure. 
Ants.— H. L. Moss, Minnesota, wishes to know 
how to kill ants in his flower garden. He has tried hot wa¬ 
ter, sulphur, ashes, salt, carbon oil, etc., ineffectually, and 
so have we. Who can tell how to kill ants in the garden 7 
ESunaing the Striped ESiag.— F. Thos. 
Reilly, Ottawa Co., O., recommends to burn brush over 
the ground on which melons and other vines are to be 
planted, and also in the Fall, on spots which they have 
occupied, to destroy the larvae of Striped Bugs and other 
injurious insects. This would undoubtedly kill many in 
the immediate locality, if the fire were large enough, but 
numerous others would undoubtedly come from the sur¬ 
rounding ground, to take their places. 
B5ee Queries.— A, Webster, most of your 
inquiries are answered in the “ Apiary” for the present 
month. To introduce Italian bees into a large Apiary, 
movable comb hives of some kind are indispensable. 
CSiIorolbrailng Bees.— T. H. Mason, 
Litchfield Co., Conn. This has been practised by a few 
parties without injurious results to the bees, but we 
should be fearful lest an over-dose might, in unskillful 
hands, destroy the swarm. A little tobacco-smoke blown 
into the hive will usually render the bees inoffensive. 
Insects on Pine Trees.— C. A. Nelson. 
The “little white fuzzy insect” described, is doubtless 
the Pine Blight. It mainly affects slow-growing trees in 
poor soil. Remove it by scrubbing the bark with soap-suds. 
Insects on Fraait Trees.— At a recent 
Fruit-Growers’ Meeting, Mr. W. S. Carpenter stated, 
and many members agreed with him, that he relied 
upon a healthy growth to keep off insects. It was his 
opinion that a perfectly vigorous tree would defy the at¬ 
tacks of the different varieties of bark-lice, while a tree 
set out with no more care than if it was a post, and 
afterward neglected, would soon be injured by them. 
Insects on Roses.— H. B. Comstock, Cort¬ 
land Co., N. Y. The color of the rose-leaf hopper is 
yellowish white. We can not tell the other insect from 
the description. The cut worm usually works near the 
ground, it may climb bushes but we never knew that it did. 
Unseasonable Grasshoppers. — Mr. 
J. H. Patterson writes that Grasshoppers appeared near 
St. Clairsville, O., about the 20th of March, in large 
numbers, and that they passed through two snow storms 
and continued wet and cold weather without injury. 
Aphis In Australia. — A friend in that 
far off land sends ns a slip from an Australian paper 
which says, they destroy the plant lice with a decoction 
of an astringent bark. This completely “tans their 
hides.” Will some of our friends try the effect of a few 
applications of a decoction of oak-bark, and report result 7 
Egg'* on Apple Trees.— J. P. Funk, Md. 
The specimens sent were the eggs of the Katydid. 
Cementing; Cellars.—“ J. J. W.,” Meriden, 
Conn. If we had a damp cellar we should cement It 
even if floored with brick. See article on page 174. 
EJesIgnating Grapes byLeaves and 
"Wood. —L. Varies, Madison Co., Ill. A person famil¬ 
iar with the different varieties of grapes can in many 
cases pick them out while growing, by examining the ap¬ 
pearance of the leaf, color of wood, length of joints, etc., 
without waiting for them to ripen fruit. 
©cep Planting- of Tines.—C. R. 
Thomas, Warwick Co., Ind., says that the Germans in 
his neighborhood set grape vines three feet deep in the 
soil, to prevent rot, and asks our opinion of the practice. 
If wc wished to kill a vine, or put it where it would have 
to struggle for its life, we should put its roots three feet 
below the surface. The vines may survive, but it will be 
because they throw out roots near the surface, while 
those far below will soon become a decaying mass. 
Prolific Grape Tine.— Amos F. Haimahr, 
Portage Co., Ohio., says h« has un Isabella grape vine 
167 
which has been allowed to grow pretly much as it 
pleased, and has given good crops, with two exceptions, 
for 13 successive years. In 1850 it yielded 0% measured 
bushels of excellent grapes. Mr. H. challenges a better 
result from a single vine trained according to lhe books. 
Its roots receive two or three pails of soap-suds on each 
washing-day, and the ground is kept mulched with de¬ 
cayed leaves, rotten wood, walnut shucks, etc. 
Grapes In. April. —Not hot-house grapes, 
but Isabellas and Dianas, simply kept in the collar, the 
same as apples. So reported Mr. T. W. Field, at the 
New-York Fruit Growers’ Meeting. He saw Ihern at 
Syracuse, N. Y., the 16th of April, and lo appearance and 
taste, they were in a fine state of preservation. They 
w'ere kept by the bushel, simply spread on shelves, or 
laid in boxes with lids at different bights on side cleats 
to prevent the upper clusters pressing those below. 
Profitable ©rcliarrtlng. — Dr. I. M. 
Ward, of Essex Co., N. J., stated at one of the New- 
York Fruit Growers’ Meetings that he always realized 
from $1000 to $1200 per annum from an orchard of \% 
acres, planted with dwarf and standard pears and apples. 
He lets the trees have all the soil, but plows the ground 
lightly in the SpriBg, and runs a one horse cultivator 
over the surface at intervals during the Summer. 
Fruit tBie First Season.— C. D. Walters, 
Worcester Co., Mass. Transplanted trees, vines, etc., 
should not be allowed to ripen fruit the first season, be¬ 
cause all the strength of the plant is needed to repair the 
injury done to the roots by removing. Fruiting always 
taxes the highest energies of vegetation. 
SMsease la Apple Trees.— Henry Weaver 
writes us that the bark of his apple trees becomes black 
and the trees die. Others have made the same com¬ 
plaint. We are not able to say, without specimens, what 
the disease is. As it begins with a small spot and ex¬ 
tends, it may be some fungus. We should perhaps try 
cutting out the infected spot as soon as it appears. 
ISecognlzing Fruits.— O. C. Wilson, 
Perry Co., O.—Downing’s Fruits and Fruit Trees of 
America, gives descriptions and drawings of most of Un¬ 
cultivated'fruits, by which a person can usually recog¬ 
nize any named sort. It also contains thorough and re¬ 
liable instructions for the management of fruits. We can 
forward it post-paid upon receipt of the price, $2.00. 
Quince Trees.— C. T. Bradley, Clearfield 
Co., Penn. The unfavorable situation is probably the 
cause of the slow growth of your young trees. At the 
proper season they may be moved without risk. Suck¬ 
ers ought not to be allowed to grow, but the bushes 
should be trained with a single stem like an apple tree. 
CSaerries from Seed.—W. H. Coleman, 
Ky. There is no probability that the seeds of any of our 
cultivated fruits will produce precisely like the parent 
trees ; the stone fruits, usually vary less than others, 
Osage Orange. —Several ask us about pro¬ 
pagating this and its value as a hedge. The seeds can¬ 
not be obtained at present, and unless the plants can be 
found at the nurseries, its cultivation must stop until the 
close of the war. One subscriber wishes to know how to 
destroy an Osage Orange hedge. Doubtless, like other 
shrubs, it may be killed by cutting ; when in full leaf, 
repeat the work as often as it springs up anew. 
Propagation of Hoi. —Mrs. E. Cravath. 
Box is most readily multiplied by layers. Set the plants 
out rather deep and spread the branches in such a man¬ 
ner that the lower portion of them will be covered with 
earth. Another season it will be found that the covered 
portions have taken root, and the branches may be pulled 
apart and set out as separate plants. 
Propagating Flowering Shrubs.— 
J. C. Dubois, Ingham Co., Mich. This may be done 
with many, by layering or removing suckers, according 
to the manner of growth. Some can only be grown from 
cuttings in the propagating house, where they will have 
bottom heat; but there are many cuttings, such as Roses, 
Weigelas, Forsy thias, etc., which start very readily if kept 
from the hot sun. A hot-bed frame with the sash covered 
with whitewash, or cloth, or a frame of boards with cot¬ 
ton cloth tacked over one opening, will answer to shade 
them and keep them moist. Put the cuttings in rather 
sandy soil and keep them properly moist and shaded, 
giving them air when necessary. 
