1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
1 69 
ANSWER  TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every  query  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the 
writer  to  insure  attention.  Before  asking  a  question,  please  see  if  it  is 
not  answered  in  our  advertising  columns.  Ask  only  a  few  questions 
at  one  time.  Put  questions  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper.] 
Grasses  for  Muck  Soil. 
B.  C.  R. ,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. — What  grasses  will  seed  and 
thrive  best  on  black  ash  and  elm  muck  land  dry 
enough  to  produce  corn  or  onions?  Will  Alfalfa  do 
well  and  what  is  the  best  fertilizer  on  such  lan<j  ?  It 
has  been  cropped  a  number  of  years  and  most  of  it  has 
received  little  or  no  fertilizer  ? 
Ans. — Probably  the  best  results  will  be  obtained 
from  Timothy  and  Red  Top.  It  would  certainly  be 
worth  while  to  try  Alfalfa  in  a  small  way  at  first,  but 
I  do  not  now  recall  any  instances  where  Alfalfa  has 
been  tried  on  such  land  in  the  climate  of  western  New 
York.  In  all  probability  the  best  results  will  be  got 
from  the  use  of  fertilizers  rich  in  phosphoric  acid  and 
potash,  and  it  is  more  than  possible  that  either  lime 
or  salt,  or  both,  would  give  just  as  good  immediate 
returns  as  a  true  fertilizer.  I.  p.  Roberts. 
Grape  Grafting:  ;  Use  of  Salt. 
H.  G.  N.,  Cumrningsville. — 1.  In  grafting  the  grape, 
how  far  below  the  surface  should  the  stock  be  cut  off  ? 
2.  How  long  should  the  scions  be — one  or  two  buds  ? 
3.  What  is  salt  worth  as  a  fertilizer  to  be  sown  broad¬ 
cast  on  growing  crops  ? 
Ans. — 1.  The  stock  may  be  cut  off  at  the  surface  or 
a  little  below,  depending  upon  the  stock  itself.  It  is 
desirable  to  select  a  smooth  portion  free  of  knots. 
Then,  after  inserting  the  scion,  hill  up  several  inches. 
2.  Preferably  two  buds.  3.  It  depends  upon  the  needs 
of  the  soil.  It  may  be  worth  nothing,  little  or  much. 
A  trial  alone  can  determine.  See  answer  to  another 
inquirer  in  this  issue. 
Plum  Trees,  Japan  Chestnuts,  Kerosene  Damps. 
P.  W.J.,  Pontiac,  Mich, — 1.  Can  a  thrifty  plum  tree 
of  a  dozen  years’  growth  be  successfully  grafted  like 
the  apple  and  pear,  or  must  it  be  budded.  2.  What 
nursery  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  deals  in  nut-bearing 
trees,  including  filberts  and  the  Japan  Chestnut  ?  Is 
the  latter  the  one  to  plant  for  ornament  and  profit? 
3.  Would  trees  from  Monmouth  County,  N.  J.,  be  as 
hardy  for  Michigan  as  those  from  New  York  State  ? 
4.  In  cooking  stoves  which  is  the  more  economical  of 
time  and  fuel,  the  six-griddle  range  or  four-griddle 
stove  ?  5.  A  member  of  our  family  persists  in  blowing 
out  kerosene  lamps  and  lanterns.  I  claim  this  to  be 
all  wrong,  while  he  claims  it  is  all  right.  Will  The 
Rural  be  judge  ?  6.  I  claim  that  glass  reservoirs  for 
lamps  ought  to  be  prohibited  by  law,  as  half  the  acci¬ 
dents  happen  by  accidental  breaking,  while  by  using 
brass  these  accidents  would  not  happen.  Two  or  three 
ladies  in  Pontiac  have  died  horrible  deaths  from  such 
accidents  within  a  few  years.  What  does  The  Rural 
think  ? 
Ans. — 1.  The  plum  tree  can  be  grafted  just  as  easily 
and  successfully  as  the  apple.  2.  Write  to  Ellwanger 
&  Barry,  Rochester,  N.  Y.  They  have  all  the  trees 
named  on  their  list,  and  will  answer  your  questions  as 
to  their  hardiness,  etc.,  better  than  we  can  here.  We 
believe  the  Japan  Chestnut  will  be  found  hardy,  but 
would  give  it  a  trial  first,  in  the  absence  of  positive 
assurance.  3.  We  do  not  think  the  difference  in  lati¬ 
tude  of  the  two  places  would  have  any  appreciable 
effect  upon  trees  planted  in  Michigan.  4.  As  a  rule, 
the  four-lidded  stove  is  most  economical  of  time.  It 
can  be  made  hot  enough  for  cooking  or  baking  in  less 
time  than  the  six-lidded  range  style.  There  is  but 
little  difference  in  the  consumption  of  fuel.  5.  You 
are  entirely  right  in  the  matter.  A  full  lamp  seldom 
or  never  explodes.  When  the  oil  is  largely  burned 
out,  leaving  room  above  it,  the  space  becomes  filled 
with  gas  arising  from  the  oil.  In  that  confined  con¬ 
dition,  it  is  harmless,  but  blowing  out  the  lamp  some¬ 
times  forces  the  flame  to  the  gas,  or  the  gas  to  the 
flame  and  an  explosion  follows.  To  put  out  a  kero¬ 
sene  lamp,  you  should  always  turn  down  the  wick  be¬ 
low  the  top  of  the  inclosing  tube.  If  you  blow  it  out, 
leaving  the  wick  up,  the  oil  keeps  coming  up  by  capil¬ 
lary  attraction,  and  runs  over  on  the  outside  of  the 
lamp,  going  to  waste,  making  the  lamp  untidy  and 
tainting  the  atmosphere.  6.  Doubtless  if  metal  should 
supersede  glass  as  material  for  lamp  bodies,  the  per¬ 
centage  of  accidents  would  be  largely  decreased. 
Fertilizer  for  Onions  ;  Onion  Insects. 
A.  J.  W.,  CanastoUi,  N.  Y—  1.  What  is  the  best  and 
cheapest  fertilizer  for  onions  on  black  muck  soil  ?  Can 
I  use  ashes  or  phosphate  with  the  hand  drill  and  follow 
with  the  seeder  in  the  same  row  and  without  injuring 
the  seed  ?  I  think  of  using  ashes  and  bones  or  ashes 
and  fish — drilling  them  in  separately  and  following 
with  the  seed  ;  will  this  do  ?  I  shall  try  Canada  ashes, 
but  think  the  land  needs  something  else.  I  used  some 
salt  last  season  and  thought  it  did  very  well  as  the 
weather  was  dry.  2.  The  black  grubs  destroyed  one- 
half  our  crop  last  season.  What  can  we  do  to  stop 
them  ? 
Ans. — 1.  Ashes,  if  bought  low,  and  fine  raw  bone  are 
just  about  perfect.  A  little  nitrate  of  soda  (100  pounds 
to  the  acre)  might  well  be  added  a  week  after  sowing 
the  seeds.  Sow  broadcast  in  every  case.  2.  The  ashes, 
if  liberally  used,  may  keep  thei  maggots  away.  Lime- 
water  is  a  good  remedy.  If  this  does  not  suffice, 
change  of  location  is  the  only  remedy. 
Feeding'  Dried  Brewers’  Grains  ;  “  English  Hay.” 
E.  L.  S.,  North  Truro,  Mass. — Some  dried  brewers’ 
grains  have  arrived  at  my  place  and  provoked  some 
very  unfavorable  comments  from  the  “  know-alls.”  My 
objection  to  them  is  the  size  of  bucket  required  to  hold 
a  ration.  1.  Is  it  known  whether  their  effect  on  the 
bowels  is  laxative  or  constipating  ?  2.  Would  not  the 
second  combination  suggested  on  page  115  be  good 
horse  feed  ?  3.  Is  there  any  better  way  of  mixing  a 
few  hundred  pounds  of  meal,  etc.,  than  with  a  shovel 
in  a  large  box  ?  4.  Names  vary  so  much  with  locality 
that  I  am  never  sure  I  understand  a  stranger.  Mid¬ 
dlings  and  bran  are  both  rare,  but  a  grade  between  is 
the  universal  adjunct  to  corn  meal ;  20  years  ago  it  was 
called  middlings.  We  have  no  silos  and  grow  no  corn 
(except  sweet  for  market,  and  fodder  for  summer  use) 
or  other  grains  except  a  very  little  rye.  Oats  are  made 
into  hay  and  I  am  just  learning  to  use  wheat  and 
barley  for  the  same  purpose,  and  to  sow  clover.  5.  By 
meadow  hay  I  suppose  is  meant  mixed  hay  without 
clover.  With  us  it  is  hay  grown  on  reclaimed  salt 
meadow  ;  otherwise  we  call  it  upland  hay. 
Ans. — 1.  We  have  not  noted  that  dried  brewers’  grains 
were  notably  either  laxative  or  astringent ;  if  either, 
they  incline  slightly  to  the  former.  2.  It  might  be  a 
good  ration  for  horses,  but  we  would  like  it  better 
were  oats  substituted  for  the  oil  meal.  3.  None,  if  the 
bin  is  large  enough  for  the  shoveler  to  stand  inside 
and  shovel  from  one  side  to  the  other.  4.  Wheat  bran 
is  the  coarse  bran,  so  light  that  40  pounds  will  fill  an 
ordinary  two-bushel  bag.  Hence  it  is  called  40-pound 
bran.  The  next  in  fineness  is  «0-pound,  then  80-pound, 
then  middlings,  which  is  nearly  white.  The  00  and  80- 
pound  grades  contain  some  of  the  whiter  parts  of  the 
grain.  The  old-fashioned  “  middlings”  or  “canaille” 
of  20  years  ago,  has  disappeared  from  our  markets, 
except  occasionally  a  little  from  some  old-fashioned 
country  mill  where  modern  processes  have  not  been 
introduced.  5.  You  are  right  as  to  what  we  mean  by 
meadow  hay. 
Why  is  Salt  Useful  P 
L.  M.  N.,  Kalamo,  Mich. — 1.  What  effect  does  salt 
have  on  wheat  ?  2.  When  is  the  best  time  to  sow — 
spring  or  fall  ? 
Ans. — 1.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  soda  is  not  a  plant 
food,  or  if  it  were,  few  soils  there  are  that  would  not 
supply  the  fractional  amount  found  in  most  plants. 
Salt  often  does  good  service,  however,  by  dissolving 
plant  foods  previously  not  available.  Prof.  Wolff  once 
grew  some  buckwheat,  one-half  of  which  received  a 
large  quantity  of  salt,  the  other  nothing.  An  analysis 
of  the  straw  showed  that  the  part  which  received  the 
salt  contained  less  soda  but  more  potash  than  the  other. 
Evidently  in  this  case  the  salt  released  the  potash. 
Muriate  of  potash  or  kainit  would  doubtless  have 
served  better.  Salt  induces  the  decay  of  humus  by  so 
acting  upon  lime  as  to  form  soluble  alkalies.  For 
several  years  The  R.  N.-Y.  tried  the  effects  of  salt  upon 
wheat.  In  no  case  did  it  increase  the  yield,  while  in 
doses  of  300  pounds  to  the  acre,  the  yield  was  lessened. 
In  other  soils  (especially  those  far  away  from  salt 
water)  it  has  often  been  known  to  have  good  effects. 
Only  a  trial  will  answer  the  question.  2.  We  should 
prefer  fall. 
Lump  on  Horse’s  Ankle. 
J.  E.  D.,  Waverley,  N.  Y. — A  four-year-old  mare  got 
in  the  habit  of  pawing  in  the  stable  at  about  feeding 
time,  and  sometimes  while  eating  her  grain  ;  in  doing 
this  she  struck  and  bruised  the  knee  and  ankle  joints 
on  a  board  in  the  manger.  Before  I  was  aware  of  it, 
they  were  inflamed  and  much  swollen.  I  then  turned 
her  out  in  a  yard  and  used  salt  and  vinegar  and  smart- 
weed,  and  took  the  inflammation  out ;  but  a  lump, 
perhaps  the  size  of  a  silver  dollar,  remained  right  on 
the  point  of  the  ankle  joint.  It  is  like  a  callus  and 
does  not  seem  to  be  sore.  Sometimes  it  is  swollen  a 
little  more  than  at  other  times.  Is  there  any  way  to 
remove  it  ?  Is  Gombault’s  Caustic  Balsam  that  is  ad¬ 
vertised  in  The  Rural,  a  good  application  ? 
Ans. — Paint  daily  with  compound  tincture  of  iodine, 
until  blistered,  and  then  once  a  week  for  several 
weeks.  Gombault’s  Caustic  Balsam  would  be  very 
good.  If  this  fails  to  remove  the  lump,  apply  a  cerate 
of  cantharides  ointment  blister. 
Mare  Out  of  Condition. 
E.  B.,  Hartford,  Minn. — My  nine-year-old  mare  eats 
well,  but  does  not  drink  as  well  as  usual.  The  belly 
is  swollen  directly  behind  each  fore  leg  in  two  long 
ridges,  which  are  sore  to  the  touch.  She  has  a  very 
gaunt  appearance,  and  is  sunk  in  at  the  flanks  and 
looks  as  though  she  had  been  without  water  for  several 
days.  When  turned  out  in  the  yard  she  will  run  and 
play  as  usual.  I  have  neyer  worked  her  hard.  She 
has  been  idle  three-fourths  of  the  time,  and  has  raised 
a  colt  every  summer  for  three  years.  There  are  others 
in  the  neighborhood  affected  in  the  same  way.  What 
ails  them  ? 
Ans. — We  cannot  give  a  positive  diagnosis  in  this 
case  from  your  description.  Try  the  following  powders, 
giving  two  tablespoonfuls  in  the  feed  twice  daily  : 
Sulphate  of  soda,  one  pound ;  powdered  nux  vomica, 
four  ounces  ;  powdered  gentian,  eight  ounces  ;  nitrate 
of  potash,  four  ounces  ;  mix. 
Horse  Knuckling1  Over  at  the  Knees  :  Knee-Sprung. 
C.  N.  R.,  Canton,  Pa. — I  have  a  fine,  stylish,  standard- 
bred  gelding  coming  four  years  old,  that  without  any 
training  has  trotted  a  mile  in  2:50  and  would  be  a  most 
perfect  colt  except  for  his  knees.  They  were  always 
a  little  crooked,  but  since  he  has  been  used  they  seem 
weak  and  he  has  partially  lost  control  of  them.  Can 
The  Rural  help  me  ?  How  should  he  be  shod  ? 
Ans. — We  suppose  the  horse  is  knuckling  over  at  the 
knees,  or,  as  it  is  commonly  known  by  horsemen,  knee- 
sprung,  a  weakness  for  which  there  is  usually  no  satis¬ 
factory  treatment.  A  long  period  of  rest,  or  careful 
driving  for  a  year,  at  a  slow  pace  and  not  long  enough 
at  any  time  to  cause  fatigue,  may  do  much  towards 
strengthening  and  straightening  his  knees.  But  he 
will  propably  never  recover  so  as  to  stand  the  strain  of 
fast  driving  for  any  length  of  time.  Frequent  rubbing 
of  the  back  tendons  with  any  good  stimulating  liniment 
will  also  prove  beneficial.  Shoe  by  gradually  lowering 
the  heels  so  as  to  throw  the  knees  back  into  line. 
Miscellaneous. 
Wire  ;  Black  Soup  Beans. — C.  H.,  Glendale,  Mich. — 
The  Buckthorn  is  a  good  fence  and  we  think  it  worth 
all  it  costs.  You  must  make  the  comparison  yourself 
between  it  and  the  barbed  wire.  The  white  or  zinc- 
coated  wire  is  best— it  will  last  much  longer  than  any 
painted  wire.  The  Black  Turtle  Soup  Bean  is  a  very 
old  variety.  It  used  to  be  called,  in  some  lists,  the 
Tampico,  being  of  supposed  Mexican  origin.  It  is  a 
small,  black  bean  and  the  price  is  generally  high, 
though  the  demand  is  limited. 
Sheep  Losing  Wool. — D.  W.  C.,  Center  Harbor,  N.  H. 
Your  two  sheep  out  of  a  flock  of  20  that  “  are  losing 
the  short  hair  around  their  eyes  so  that  the  skin  is 
bare  for  more  than  half  an  inch  around  each  eye”  are 
probably  affected  by  some  parasite,  although  we 
cannot  say  definitely  without  a  more  complete  descrip¬ 
tion  or  a  personal  examination.  Paint  thoroughly 
with  compound  tincture  of  iodine  twice  a  week  until 
the  disease  ceases  to  spread.  Care  should  be  taken  not 
to  get  the  iodine  into  the  eyes. 
Muriate  and  Potatoes. — II.  V.  T.,  Harwinton,  Conn. — 
The  300  pounds  of  muriate  of  potash  you  use  per  acre 
on  your  corn  will  not  injure  the  following  potatoes, 
but  will  rather  benefit  them. 
“  Scratches”  on  a  Mare.” — F.  S.,  Water  Cure,  Pa. — 
To  cure  a  ease  of  “  scratches  ”  on  the  leg  of  a  mare, 
wash  the  sore  part  with  a  soft  sponge  and  a  little  Castile 
soap,  handling  it  tenderly  so  as  not  to  irritate  it. 
Dry  it  carefully  and  keep  the  horse  in  a  perfectly 
clean,  dry  and  comfortable  place.  Give  her  no  corn 
or  heating  food.  When  the  place  begins  to  dry  up, 
as  it  should  in  a  week,  grease  it  with  cocoa  but¬ 
ter  or  vaseline,  always  handling  it  with  care,  and 
never  forgetting  that  perfect  cleanliness  is  a  most  im¬ 
portant  factor  in  the  cure. 
Hollow-hearted  Potatoes. — L.  C.  B.,  New  York. — It  is 
a  new  departure  for  the  R.  N.-Y.  No.  2  Potatoes  to  be 
“hollow-hearted.”  We  would  reject,  for  seed,  evex-y 
potato  so  affected. 
Potato  for  Experiments.— J.  R.  M.,  Burgettstown,  Pa. 
— We  always  use  the  Rural  Blush  Potato  in  our  experi¬ 
ments. 
Keeping  Odor  in  Violets. — Subscriber. — We  do  not 
know  how  the  odor  can  be  kept  in  violets  as  long  as 
they  stay  fresh.  We  doubt  if  it  can  be  done,  except 
so  far  as  preserving  the  flowers  in  plump,  fresh  condi¬ 
tion.  Fragrance  lessens  with  the  age  of  cut  flowers 
generally. 
Drilling  Plaster  or  Salt. — S.  A.  D.,  Macedon,  Ky. — We 
do  not  approve  of  drilling  plaster  or  salt  (one  or  both) 
in  with  phosphate.  Neither  do  we  approve  of  drilling 
in  with  the  seeds  any  fertilizer  whatever.  Our  own 
experiments  show  that  germination  is  thus  retarded. 
Raw  bone  flour  might  not  have  that  effect;  but  potash, 
nitrates  or  ammonium  salts  or  common  salt  ought 
never  to  be  in  contact  with  the  seed. 
