230 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
are good, but the latter especially so. For the finest re¬ 
sults, the seeds should be sown in September, and then 
the plants lightly covered in Winter. Early in the next 
season, and for a long time, they will display their double 
hyacinth-like flowers, blue, pink, white, pearl color, etc., 
and all very beautiful. 
Kicking' Cows.— A subscriber in Essex 
Co., N. Y., who has had a large experience with cows, 
and especially in breaking in heifers, says that gentleness 
and straps around the legs are the best things to use. He 
buckles the front foot upon the milking side, back upon 
the leg, and passes another strap around the two hind 
legs just at the hough joint, fastening the legs near to¬ 
gether. In this position it is impossible for the animal to 
kick or step about; then, soothing words and gently rub¬ 
bing the bag will soon take away the inclination to luck. 
Cooking Boot! ibi- Swine.— Wesley Y. 
Houten, Suffolk Co., N. Y. It is generally believed that 
food is better fitted for fattening purposes by being 
cooked, but it is not certain that the advantage in this re¬ 
spect will repay the necessary outlay in fuel, labor, and 
time. Careful and extended experiments are needed to 
determine this point. The subject is important enough to 
warrant the trials necessary to decide the question. 
Cover tiie Swill Tsib.- Passing by a 
neighbor’s sty the other day, we noticed five dead ducks, 
and upon asking the cause of their death, were told, they 
got into the swill tub and were drowned. How though 
the duck is a good swimmer, it cannot make its way 
through, nor out of thick swill. We have frequently seen 
barn yard fowls, goslings, turkeys, and even pigs, pulled 
out of the swill tub in an exhausted state or already dead, 
and this last exhibition reminds us to say, keep the swill 
tub or barrel always covered, unless it is inaccessible to 
animals of all kinds. 
Chaff for Ceed.— S. B. Granger, Mont¬ 
gomery Co., Md. The chaff of wheat, oats, etc., wet 
and mixed with ground feed, is readily eaten by horses 
and cattle, and is probably as nutritious and healthful as 
out straw or hay. Used in tills way it will give a better 
article of manure than if thrown directly into the barn¬ 
yard, as is usually practised. 
Prevention of Smut.— George Larned, 
Calhoun Co., Ill. The following preparation may be re¬ 
lied on to prevent smut in wheat. Spread the grain rather 
thinly on the barn floor, and sprinkle it with human urine 
at the rate of three to four quarts to the bushel. Then 
add one to two quarts of fresh-slaked lime, and shovel 
the whole over until the kernels are uniformly coated. 
This should be done immediately before sowing, to pre¬ 
vent injuring the seed. This dressing will also give a 
quick and strong start to the young growth. A strong so¬ 
lution of blue vitriol (sulphate of copper) used in the 
same way, is efficacious in preventing smut, but the first 
named preparation is often available where the vitriol 
cannot be readily procured. 
Potato Vines for Manure.- Henry 
Gerau, Lewis Co., N. Y. Potato vines contain a large 
amount of organic matter, valuable for plant food, and 
are worth saving for manure. Make a compost heap 
with the vines and muck, say a layer of the latter four to 
six inches thick, and a foot of the vines, and cover the 
whole w ilh muck ; or use common loam. The vines will 
speedily undergo active fermentation and decay, and the 
muck or soil will retain the gases passing from them. 
Aslies for Manure.— William L. Smith, 
Orange Co., N. Y. Ashes are valuable as manure, in 
some degree on account of the ingredients which they 
contain, but without doubt also because of their action 
upon vegetable matter in the soil. They hasten its de¬ 
composition, and set free the elements which go to 
nourish the plants. Unleached ashes are of course 
preferable, as containing the most alkali, which is the 
active principle in their composition, but leached ashes 
have much value. They form an excellent addition to the 
compost heap in which muck is used. 
Btestroying Weed Seeds. —E. H. Par¬ 
sons, Williams Co., O. The seeds of weeds thrown into 
a compost heap will lose their vegetating power if the 
manure ferments with sufficient thoroughness. There is 
danger however, that many seeds near the outside of the 
pile will be unaffected, and be ready to grow where fhey 
scattered with the manure. It is safest to burn all weeds 
the seeds of which are near maturity. 
W. J. State Entomologist.— Dr. I. P. 
Trimble, of Newark, has recently been appointed ento¬ 
mologist to the New-Jersoy State Agricultural Society. 
Transporting Rees.— L. G. Comstock, 
La Fayette Co., Mo. Where bees are to be sent a great 
distance, ample openings for ventilation at the top and 
bottom of the hive are required. These may be cover¬ 
ed with a wire cloth, which will retain the bees, and not 
impede the circulation of air. A very good arrangement 
was described and illustrated in the American Agricul¬ 
turist, Vol. xix, page 76, (March, 1860.) 
To Test Eggs.— L. A. Waters, Madison Co., 
Iowa. The most expeditious way we know, and which 
is generally practised by large dealers in this City, is to 
hold them between the eye and a lighted lamp or candle. 
If the egg is good, the light will shine through with a red¬ 
dish glow, but if it be injured by incubation or from long 
keeping, it will be opaque or dark. This can be more 
readily discerned by placing the egg in a paper or other 
tube and looking through it, or by partially enclosing it 
in the hand. With a little practice, a person will,thus 
examine a large number of eggs in a very short time. 
Treserviiig Eg'g's.— A. M. Ward, Hartford 
Co., Conn., writes that after having tested a large num¬ 
ber of directions for keeping eggs, he has adopted a plan 
recommended some years since in the A griculturist, viz.; 
to place them upright in holes bored in shelves, and keep 
them in a cool dry place. This he says is satisfactory. 
Millcy Eggs.— C. S. D., Westchester Co., N. 
Y., writes that eggs from his hens taken when quite fresh, 
and boiled, do not fully coagulate, but part of the white is 
of the appearance and consistence of milk. We have 
never observed any thing of this sort, and can give no 
explanation of the phenomenon. 
T roes for Transplant ins'*— D. Wells, 
Lewis Co., N. Y. Trees raised in the nursery are usual¬ 
ly preferable to those growing in the woods, for trasplant- 
ing. The latter have usually a tall spindling growth, 
which is in most cases undesirable. If wild saplings are 
taken, choose those which have grown in open fields or 
on the edge of the forest. 
Hearing Year of Apple Trees.— 
Charles Snow, Cumberland Co., N. J. It is supposed 
that some apple-trees bear only during alternate years, 
because of some peculiarity which renders them unable 
to store up sufficient fruit-making material in a single 
year. Whether this attempted explanation be correct or 
not, it has been proved that by liberal manuring and 
keeping the ground loose by cultivation, the habit may be 
broken up and a crop gathered annually. 
Cherry Trees Splitting.— J. H. Mead, 
Warren Co., O. A too rapid growth of wood upon very 
rich soil is said to often cause the wood of cherry trees to 
split. One who had lost many trees in this way says, that 
the difficulty was entirely remedied in his case by re¬ 
moving the highly manured soil about the trees, and 
supplying its place with that of poorer quality. 
Time for Setting- Cranberries.— W. 
L. Maxwell, Ontario Co., N. Y. Experienced growers 
say that cranberry plants may be set during any month 
in the year when the ground is not frozen ; we should 
however prefer May or October, as then they are in a 
state of rest, and less liable to injury by wilting. The 
plant is very hardy, and with a ltttle precaution will grow 
at almost any time. The upland variety, about which 
you inquire, is cultivated to some extent, but we are not 
prepared to endorse all the claims made for it by those 
having plants for sale. 
(hi! ii'orni:i IVinc, Wool and Stoeli 
Journal. —This monthly journal devoted to the above 
subjects has reached its sixth number. It is, of course, 
especially suited to California, but its articles on wine 
making by Mr. Haraszthy will be of value wherever 
grapes are converted into wine. The typographical ap¬ 
pearance of the journal is fine. We wish it all success. 
Tiie Apple "Worm. —Francis Thomas, La¬ 
Salle Co., Ill. This insect appears in the Spring as a 
miller, and deposits its eggs in the calyx or eye of the 
young fruit. From the egg, a worm or larva is hatched, 
which eats its way to the centre of the fruit, causing it to 
fall to the ground prematurely. If left there undisturbed, 
the larva will undergo its change to chrysaliss and winged 
insect, and be ready next Spring to multiply its progeny. 
A few swine should have the range of the orchard to 
gather the blasted fruit, and thus keep the insect in check. 
Remedy for Borers.— W. H. Williams, 
Queens Co., N. Y. We know of no outward application 
to the trunks of trees that will prevent the boret from 
committing its depredations, where they have once ef¬ 
fected a lodgement. Resort must be had to cutting in 
until the ‘ varmint’ is reached, and extracting him. A 
sharp wire thrust into the holes will reach those that 
have not wormed too crooked a track. 
Ripening 1 Tomatoes Early. — R. S. 
Winsted, Delaware Co., Iowa. The maturity of toma¬ 
toes may be hastened by pinching off all new growth of 
the vine after a fair amount of fruit is set. The strength 
of the plant will then go to the growth of the tomatoes. 
Treated in this wmy the plants may be set nearer together 
than when they are allowed to run at will, and thus near¬ 
ly as much early fruit may be realized from a given area 
as would naturally have been produced without pruning. 
The size of the tomatoes will also be improved 
Hardiness of tlse Tritoma.— This half- 
hardy plant can be wintered, out of doors easily, by 
covering it late in the Fall with leaves or other porous 
litter, and then throwing over it a few inches of soil. 
Uncover gradually in the Spring; by the 5th of May, all 
covering may be removed. Yet, if one thinks it less 
trouble to do so, he can lift his plants in the Fall, ami 
bury the roots in old boxes, and keep them in the cellar. 
We have tried both ways successfully. 
Wax Flowers. — Generally we dislike to 
see any attempts to imitate flowers, as the artificial ones 
usually fall so far short of the natural that they are mere 
caricatures. We must confess that our prejudices have 
been lessened by the specimens placed on our table by 
Miss Van Bergh, No. 1143 Broadw'ay, N. Y., which repre¬ 
sent not only the shape but delicate texture and grace of 
the real flowers. Such a difficult flower as the Mignon¬ 
ette is represented with remarkable fidelity. 
Tiie Way file Wind Blows.— S. Ran¬ 
som, Ashtabula Co., O., kept a series of weather notes 
during the year 1S62, from which it appears the wind 
blew from the North 107 days, from the East 102 days, 
from the South 17 days, and from the West 9 days. There 
were 133 clear days, 91 cloudy, and the same number of 
rainy days. It snowed 50 days, making 31 days of good 
sleighing. The coldest weather was the 14th of February 
w'hen the mercury fell to 19° below zero, and rose to 99° 
above on the 11th of August. 
Kilns fox* Burning Oiareonl.— Walter 
S. Williams, Rensselaer Co., N. Y. These are used in 
some places, especially in connection with iron furnaces 
where large quantities of charcoal are consumed. For 
manufacturing on a large scale they are doubtless most 
economical. The walls are built of brick about nine feet 
high, and arched over with the same material. Occa¬ 
sional openings the size of a brick are left for ventilation. 
They are built to contain from forty to fifty cords of w'ood, 
which yields about fifty bushels per cord. 
Value of Zinc Taint.— W. W. Farwell, 
Oneida Co., N. Y. This article is superior for painting 
all surfaces exposed to the action of gas from coal fires, 
or from decaying matters, as in cellars, privies, etc. It is 
not affected by sulphuretted hydrogen gas, which causes 
white lead paint to turn dark. It costs no more than 
lead paint, as the same weight, though of greater price, 
will cover a larger surface. 
Sugar IProspects in Illinois. — In 
addition to the unusual breadth of sorghum sown in this 
state we learn that tiie sugar beet has been largely 
planted. We hear that Prof. Mot, an account of w’hose 
experiments were given in the March Agriculturist , ex¬ 
pects to make this Fall 300.0JIO pounds of sugar from the 
beets raised by himself and the neighbors whom he has 
interested in the culture. Success to him. 
Motlter’s Journal. —“ E. A.” This is a 
very excellent monthly edited by Mrs. Caroline O. His- 
cox, 335 Broadway, New-York. $1 a year. Its articles 
are judicious and instructive—not of the sentimental 
class so common in Journals of the kind. 
A Eadies Magazine. —“Sarah.” Minne¬ 
sota. We know of nothing else approaching so near 
what you inquire for, as the “ Ladies Repository ” publish¬ 
ed by Poe & Hitchcock, Cincinnati, Ohio, at $2.50 a year. 
It is every way a first class magazine, with fine original 
steel engravings, and full of good sterling common sense 
articles, interesting and instructive—not to grave nor too 
gay. It has an immense circulation already, but may 
well be introduced into any other family, where it is not 
yet known. The true lady, married or unmarried, wlli 
find it both entertaining and useful. 
