1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
637 
growth.  The  meadow  should  not  be  eaten  down  too 
closely  at  any  time,  but  especially  in  the  fall,  and  the 
damage  by  mice  should  be  guarded  against  by  setting 
poisoned  meal  in  holes  bored  in  small  blocks  of  wood 
scattered  on  the  field.  These  pests,  if  not  prevented, 
will  do  more  damage  to  a  grass  land  than  any  other 
agent.  The  varieties  of  grass  are  to  be  selected  with 
reference  to  the  kind  of  soil.  Mere  reseeding  alone  is 
not  sufficient  to  keep  a  pasture  in  good  condition.  It 
is  the  want  of  fertility,  food  for  the  grass,  that  first 
causes  a  meadow  to  run  down,  and  to  supply  this  want 
is  the  first  requisite.  h.  stewart. 
Feeding  Smutty  Corn  Stalks. 
Have  you  ever  noticed  any  bad  effects  from  feeding  corn  stalks 
that  have  smut  on  the  ears  ?  What  symptoms  were  noticed  from 
such  disease?  Ho  you  take  any  special  pains  to  throw  out  smutty  stalks 
In  feeding  cattle  ? 
I  think  some  varieties  of  corn  are  more  subject  to 
smut  than  others.  This  year  only  one  affected  stalk 
was  noticed  in  4^4  acres  of  Pride  of  the  North  corn 
raised  for  fodder  but  very  well  eared.  Rows  of  sweet 
corn  15  rods  long  will  average  one  stalk  to  the  row 
ruined  by  smut.  Here,  in  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.,  smutty 
stalks  are  always  thrown  out,  but  no  particular  pains 
are  taken  to  destroy  them.  There  is  no  increase  of 
loss  by  smut,  and  no  damage  to  cattle  has  resulted 
from  feeding  affected  corn  stalks.  c.  s.  rick. 
Every  farmer  has  had  more  or  less  experience  with 
corn  smut  and  some  of  them  attribute  to  the  feeding 
of  it  any  peculiar  symptoms  of  disease  with  which 
their  cattle  may  be  afflicted.  Judging  by  my  own  ex¬ 
perience,  here  in  Baltimore  County,  Md.,  there  is  no 
danger  whatever  in  feeding  smutty  corn  fodder,  or 
corn  ears  that  are  smutty.  I  am  speaking  now  of  the 
average  amount  of  smut  seen  during  an  ordinary  sea¬ 
son  ;  there  may  come  a  season  when  corn  will  be  more 
than  usually  smutty  and  the  proportion  of  smut  to 
fodder  be  so  large  that  cattle  fed  with  it  may  suffer 
from  its  ill  effects,  but  I  have  never  seen  such  a  season 
and  have  never  noticed  the  slightest  disease  symptoms 
that  could  be  traced  to  smut.  In  cutting  up  corn  in 
the  field  I  always  clip  off  the  very  smutty  ears,  not 
because  of  any  danger  to  cattle  from  feeding  them, 
but  because  they  are  such  disagreeable  things  to 
handle,  either  wet  or  dry.  I  notice  that  the  farm 
hands  sometimes  do  the  same  thing  and,  I  suppose,  for 
the  same  reason.  A  good  deal  depends  upon  how  the 
cattle  are  cared  for ;  if  they  are  half  starved  and 
allowed  very  smutty  fodder,  they  may  get  so  much 
smut  that  it  will  injure  them;  this  is  a  question  for 
the  stations  to  answer  and,  also,  the  question  as  to 
whether  smut  fed  in  large  quantities  will  injure  well- 
fed  cattle.  A.  L.  CROSBY. 
No  bad  effects  come  from  feeding  corn  stalks  whose 
ears  are  smutty,  if  only  a  reasonable  amount  of  the 
smut  is  consumed  at  one  time ;  and,  provided,  also, 
that  an  abundance  of  drinking  water  is  always  pres¬ 
ent.  In  the  West,  the  cattle  are  turned  into  the  stalk 
fields  and  sometimes  carelessly  left  there  all  day  when 
first  turned  in.  They  will  hunt  the  field  over  and  eat 
all  of  the  smut  they  can  find,  as  they  like  it  even  bet¬ 
ter  than  corn  ears.  But  any  one  with  a  grain  of 
common-sense  should  know  that  there  would  be  so 
many  missed  ears  in  the  large  corn  fields  that  the 
cattle  should  be  left  in  only  for  a  short  time  each  day 
till  they  had  cleared  the  field  of  corn  and  smut.  I 
have  known  of  considerable  trouble  from  smut  in  cold 
winters,  when  the  water  supply  was  not  kept  carefully 
open  ;  but  none  where  the  cattle  had  easy  access  to 
water  at  all  times.  Impaction  of  the  manifolds  is 
usually  what  occurs.  We  never  take  any  pains  to 
throw  out  smutty  stalks  in  feeding.  i.  p.  Roberts. 
In  feeding  green  stalks  to  cattle,  especially  milch 
cows,  here  in  Christian  County,  Ill.,  we  usually  throw 
out  those  that  are  very  smutty,  or  cut  the  smutty  part 
off,  though  I  have  not  noticed  any  bad  effects  which  I 
was  certain  resulted  from  feeding  such  stalks.  When 
corn  stalks  are  cured  in  the  shock,  most  of  the  smut 
falls  off,  or  is  rubbed  off  in  the  handling,  and  very 
little  of  it  gets  into  the  mangers.  Some  years  ago  an 
experiment  was  conducted  at,  I  think,  the  Iowa  Agri¬ 
cultural  College,  to  test  this  matter.  Several  cows  were 
fed  quantities  of  smut  daily  for  some  time,  and  the  re¬ 
sult  was  that  all  of  them  were  sickened  and  some  of 
them  died.  The  idea  prevails  among  feeders  gener¬ 
ally 'that  smut  is  injurious  to  cattle,  but  to  what  ex¬ 
tent  does  not  seem  to  be  known.  fred  grundy. 
Settlement  of  Texas. 
L.  M.  S.,  Gonzales,  Texas. — When  was  this  State  first 
settled  by  white  men,  and  about  what  was  the 
American  population  when  the  Lone  Star  State  joined 
the  Union  ? 
Ans. — The  first  permanent  white  settlement  in 
Texas  was  made  as  long  ago  as  1710.  In  1765  there 
were  over  750  white  inhabitants.  In  1806  the  white 
population,  many  of  them  from  the  United  States, 
numbered  upwards  of  7,000.  In  1835,  when  the  Lone 
Star  State  gained  her  independence,  the  American 
population  numbered  over  20,000  ;  while  in  1845,  when 
she  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  the  population  from 
the  United  States  was  over  25,000. 
Treatment  for  a  Foundered  Horse. 
0.  H.,  Basking  Ridge,  N.  J. — I  have  recently  come 
into  possession  of  a  horse  said  to  have  been  foundered 
through  drinking  or  feeding — which,  is  not  known. 
What  is  the  best  mode  of  handling  him  to  aid  recovery  ? 
The  chest  has  been  affected,  and  is  now  badly  sunken. 
Should  the  shoes  be  left  on,  now  that  the  animal 
is  running  in  pasture,  and  should  he  be  taken  in  at 
night  ?  Should  grain  be  withheld  ?  The  accident  took 
place  at  night  and  was  not  discovered  until  morning, 
when  a  pailful  of  blood  was  drawn.  This  happened 
about  six  weeks  ago,  since  which  time  to  within  a  week 
he  has  been  in  a  city  stable. 
Ans. — The  description  of  the  present  condition  of 
the  horse  is  too  indefinite  to  enable  me  to  advise 
anything  but  general  directions  for  his  treatment. 
Yes,  the  shoes  should  be  removed  whenever  a  horse 
is  placed  in  pasture  for  the  benefit  of  his  feet, 
unless  there  is  some  condition  requiring  a  special 
shoe  for  tlie  protection  of  the  foot.  The  nights  are 
so  cool  at  this  season  of  the  year  that  it  would 
probably  be  better  to  take  the  horse  in.  A  moderate 
allowance  of  grain  should  be  given,  sufficient  to  keep 
the  horse  in  good  condition,  but  not  too  fat,  preferably 
oats  and  bran,  with  oil  meal  and  little  or  no  corn  meal 
for  the  present.  If  the  feet  still  show  the  effects  of 
the  founder,  blister  the  coronet,  or  the  front  and  sides 
of  the  foot  for  two  inches  above  the  hoof,  with  cerate 
of  cantharides  ointment,  and  repeat  two  or  three 
times  if  desirable,  at  intervals  of  two  to  four  weeks, 
or  as  soon  as  the  effects  of  one  blister  have  nearly 
passed  off.  An  ointment  of  equal  parts  of  pine  tar 
and  vaseline  applied  to  the  feet  daily,  will  keep  them 
from  unduly  drying,  and  stimulate  the  growth  of  new 
horn.  [DR.]  F.  L.  KILBORNE. 
Ailing:  Peach  Trees. 
C.  T.,  Niagara,  Ont. — The  bark  of  some  peach  trees 
that  have  been  planted  four  years  and  have  made  a 
good  growth,  has  died  for  a  few  inches  just  above  the 
ground,  so  as  to  girdle  the  trees.  They  seem  to  grow 
for  two  years  and  die  the  third.  Would  slitting  the 
bark  in  good  time  have  any  preventive  effect  or  is  it  a 
disease  that  must  run  its  course  ? 
Ans. — We  are  not  able  to  explain  this  difficulty  or 
suggest  a  remedy.  Perhaps  some  of  our  readers  may 
have  knowledge  of  the  matter. 
Wants  to  Sterilize  His  Milk. 
A  S.,  Sayers,  Tex. — I  am  much  interested  in  the  arti¬ 
cles  on  sterilization  of  milk,  which  I  think  will  revolu¬ 
tionize  the  milk  business.  I  would  like  to  hear  of  a 
method  by  which  I  (an  ordinary  farmer)  can  sterilize 
in  a  practical  manner  say  50  gallons  daily  for  a  nearby 
market.  I  should  like  to  know  where  to  procure  proper 
bottles,  pints,  quarts  and  half-gallons,  and  precise  in¬ 
formation  about  cooking,  and  whether  it  is  essential 
to  put  the  milk  on  ice,  or  can  we  not  put  it  away 
in  a  temperature  of  80  degrees  or  over.  Waxed  cloth 
is  mentioned  ;  is  it  necessary,  and  why  and  where  can 
it  be  procured  ? 
Ans. — The  method  last  described  was  invented  by 
Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg,  of  the  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium,  Bat¬ 
tle  Creek,  Mich.  We  presume  that  he  can  supply 
some,  at  least,  of  the  needed  implements.  There  is 
no  doubt  about  the  value  of  sterilizing  milk  ;  the  won¬ 
der  is  that  no  one  has  discovered  and  put  on  the  mar¬ 
ket  a  simple  process  before  this.  The  R.  N.-Y.  has 
talked  about  it  for  three  years  almost  alone. 
Ammonia  is  Weakened  Nitrog-en. 
J.  G.,  Niskayuna,  N.  Y. — Why  do  the  analyses  of 
some  brands  of  fertilizers  give  a  certain  percentage 
of  ammonia,  while  others  give  a  certain  percentage 
of  nitrogen  ?  Why  is  it  that  all  fertilizers  do  not  con¬ 
tain  the  latter  ? 
Ans. — This  letter  well  illustrates  the  confusion  that 
results  from  the  way  some  manufacturers  label  their 
fertilizer  bags.  Ammonia  is  composed  of  nitrogen 
and  hydrogen.  By  weight  ammonia  is  three  parts  hy¬ 
drogen  and  14  parts  nitrogen.  The  advantage  of  fig¬ 
uring  the  nitrogen  as  ammonia  is  that  the  hydrogen 
can  be  counted  and  thus  a  higher  per  cent  can  be 
given  than  if  the  nitrogen  alone  were  counted.  It 
looks  bigger  and  that  is  about  all. 
Best  Systems  of  Irrigation. 
C.  T.  S  ,  Swanton,  Garrett  County,  Maryland. — Of 
sub-hose  in  ditch  irrigation,  which  is  most  expen¬ 
sive,  and  which  most  practical  and  profitable  ?  If 
certain  conditions  alter  the  case,  what  are  they  ? 
Where  coal  is  $1.50  per  ton,  a  good  current  of  air 
generally  blowing  in  one  of  two  directions  and  water 
is  available  for  power,  will  a  steam  jet  pump,  a  wind 
wheel  or  water  wheel  be  the  most  economical  and 
profitable  ?  Where  wind  power  is  used  and  ultimately 
the  water  is  to  be  carried  190  feet  high,  can  such  a 
stand  pipe  take  the  place  of  an  elevated  reservoir  ? 
At  my  place  estimated  cost  of  dam  and  water  wheel 
$200,  of  stationary  wind  wheel  $50,  old  boiler  and  set¬ 
ting  $75.  Hope  to  hear  much  of  irrigation  in  The 
Rural. 
Ans. — Sub-irrigation,  that  is,  irrigation  by  pipes  laid 
a  foot  under  the  surface,  is  the  most  expensive,  both 
on  account  of  the  cost  of  the  pipes  and  the  labor  of 
laying  them.  Hose  irrigation  costs  less,  as  less  pipe 
is  required  and  less  digging  to  lay  it,  or  the  pipes 
may  be  laid  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  But  the 
application  of  the  water  to  the  crops  is  somewhat 
more  costly  on  account  of  the  increased  labor  of 
directing  it.  Ditch  irrigation  is  the  cheapest,  and 
the  simplest  in  application.  The  only  conditions 
that  will  change  these  differences  are  such  as  locality, 
supply  of  water,  and  other  special  circumstances  that 
may  make  one  more  convenient  than  another.  Sub¬ 
irrigation  is  permanent,  and  when  once  fully  installed, 
there  is  no  labor  attached  to  the  use  of  it,  the  water 
is  to  be  turned  on  or  off  as  desired,  that  is  all.  Water 
power  is  the  cheapest,  and  is  more  steady  than  wind 
power.  It  is  very  much  cheaper  than  steam,  although 
the  wheel  will  cost  as  muffi  as  an  engine,  but  the  fuel 
and  engineer’s  services  are  saved  Wind  power  is 
rarely  strong  or  steady  enough  for  the  purposes  of 
irrigation,  but  where  the  power  is  light  and  water  is 
not  available,  wind  is  a  cheap  and  useful  power.  A 
steam  jet  is  not  so  useful  as  a  force  pump,  on  account 
of  the  indirect  application  of  the  power,  and  the  im¬ 
possibility  of  applying  it  to  greater  heights  than  30 
feet.  A  stand  pipe  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a 
reservoir,  only  it  holds  a  smaller  quantity,  and  must 
be  used  in  connection  with  a  pump  constantly  work¬ 
ing.  It  is  used  to  get  a  steady  head,  which  cannot 
easily  be  got  by  a  pump  alone,  and  at  the  same  time 
serve  as  a  storage  of  small  capacity.  h.  s. 
Something:  About  Budding:. 
0.  K.  L  ,  Indianola,  III. — 1.  Will  The  Rural  give  me 
a  short  description  of  budding.  I  have  Prof  Bailey’s 
Nursery  Book,  but  could  not  get  June  and  July  buds 
to  grow  ?  2.  Can  I  bud  the  plum  on  yearling  peach 
seedlings  at  the  collar  of  such  stock  ?  3.  How  tight 
should  woolen  yarn  be  wrapped  to  hold  the  bud  ?  4. 
In  removing  the  “  little  or  no  wood  ”  from  the  bud,  it 
seems  to  draw  a  pith  from  the  bud.  Is  that  injurious  ? 
5.  What  Japan  plums  will  stand  the  climate  of  eastern 
Illinois  ? 
Ans. — 1.  The  description  in  Prof.  Bailey's  book  is 
about  as  clear  as  it  can  be  made — we  do  not  see  how 
we  can  add  to  it.  Of  course,  the  buds  do  not  grow 
until  the  season  following  their  insertion.  It  may  be 
that  you  used  buds,  which  were  not  sufficiently  ma¬ 
tured.  2.  Yes.  3.  Tie  firmly  but  not  so  tightly  that 
the  bark  will  be  creased  Wind  above  and  below  the 
inserted  bud  or  point  of  projection,  but  be  careful  not 
to  wind  on  the  bud  itself.  4.  No ;  if  the  bark  is  in 
condition  to  peel  readily.  It  is  not  necessary  to  re¬ 
move  all  the  wood.  Many  of  our  successful  budders 
prefer  a  very  thin  layer  of  wood  under  the  bud.  It 
will  grow  in  either  case,  other  conditions  being  cor¬ 
rect.  5.  Probably  Burbank,  Ogon  and  Abundance. 
Protecting:  Winter  Onions. 
J.  H.,  Dejiance,  0. — What  winter  protection  against 
frost  do  so-called  winter  onions  need  in  this  latitude  ? 
Ans. — The  perennial  winter  (Egyptian  tree)  onion 
is  perfectly  hardy,  and  requires  no  winter  protection 
whatever.  Just  plant  it,  rather  deep,  and  leave  it 
alone,  and  it  will  flourish  and  multiply  from  year  to 
year.  t.  greiner. 
Miscellaneous. 
J.  T.  M.,  Mount  Petit  Jean,  Ark. — The  plant  you  send 
for  name  is  Japan  Clover — Lespedeza  striata. 
Pure  White  Leghorns. — H.  L.,  Fairwater,  Wis. — Pure¬ 
bred  White  Leghorns  should  have  yellow  l^gs  and 
single  combs.  Those  with  white  legs  are  “  off.” 
Peaches  for  Ohio. — W.  A.  D.,  Leesville,  Ohio. — Here 
are  tlie  names  of  three  each — early,  medium  and  late — 
peaches  for  Ohio:  early — Mountain  Rose,  Early  Rivers 
and  Early  Crawford ;  medium — Oldinixon,  Stump  and 
Crawford’s  Late ;  late — Smock,  Salway  and  Wonder¬ 
ful.  We  should  be  glad  to  have  this  list  revised  by 
any  of  our  Ohio  readers  who  have  had  experience. 
New  Wheats. — J.  M.  Y., Woodbine,  Iowa. — As  to  the 
wheats  advertised  so  loudly  by  J.  A.  Everitt  &  Co.  : 
The  “Perpetuated”  Fultz  is  probably  merely  the 
Fultz.  Red  Russian  yields  well  in  some  places,  and 
should  be  tried  on  a  small  plot  first.  Jones’s  Winter 
Fife  is  certainly  worthy  of  trial.  We  have  heard 
many  good  accounts  of  it.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
Early  Red  Clawson.  We  know  nothing  of  Rudy  Wheat. 
