777 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
have already obtained value received for seed and 
labor in the pasturage. I allow^ed it to be grazed down 
close, and then removed the stock, and it has spread 
out, making almost a perfect mat over the surface. 
The roots seem to have added extra growth since 
grazing off the tops. It looks as though it had nestled 
down close to the ground for protection from the 
winter’s cold. I mail you a sample of the poorest and 
best from a corn field sown about August 1. The poor¬ 
est seems to be changing its color since we have had 
a very hard freeze—temperature 18 degrees above zero. 
I am anxious to know whether it is customary for the 
clover to change to such a color during the cold 
weather. 
S. M., Harlan, Ind. —What clover huller is used for 
thrashing Crimson clover seed ? 
Ans.—T he purplish shade observed on this Crimson 
clover, is not unusual on individual plants in frosty 
weather. It is not an indication of injury, and should 
cause no alarm. I still think this clover will prove 
hardy wherever Eed clover is, and of much greater 
adaptability to varying conditions and requirements. 
The seed is hulled by the ordinary clover hullers, 
using ju.st enough of the concaves to knock off the 
heads, which is very easily done, and adapting the 
mesh of the screens to the size of the seed. I think 
all the manufacturers are now posted on these points. 
I have about 20 acres sowed with Winter oats and 
Crimson clover, some early and some late—all to be 
cut for the silo. Last year, I used rye and Italian 
Rye grass with the clover, but the Rye grass seed is 
too expensive; the rye hardens too much before the 
clover is ready, so neither quite fills the bill. When, 
last summer, I saw the statement of your Tennessee 
subscriber about making hay from his mixture of 
Winter oats and Crimson clover, the “missing link” 
seemed to be found. Using much manure, as I do, 
and growing very much clover and cow peas, it seems to 
me that the combination is not only the ideal for for¬ 
age, but equally so for utilizing the great stores of 
nitrogen accumulated by the legumes, and doubtless 
leaves ample supplies for the corn of the rotation. 
Many correspondents of the agricultural papers 
speak of giving heavy dressings of manure to their 
promising and thrifty Crimson clover, to keep it from 
freezing out. I do not think it needs any mulch more 
than it provides for itself. If it needs any fertilizer, 
dissolved rock and potash would fit the case better 
and cheaper, while the manure might find some other 
crop more hungry for it. Some of your experimenters 
will find next spring that their Crimson clover is a 
very robust grower, and did not need so much coddling. 
Delaware. e. h. Bancroft. 
Hollow Celery; Best Varieties. 
T., Leamington, Ont. —1. What causes certain varie¬ 
ties ot celery to become hollow ? 2. What is the most 
nutty variety of celery to grow on muck land ? 
Ans.— 1. Dry weather. A check in the growth of 
celery means more or less hollow stems. 2. The 
red varieties—it matters little which—are the most 
“ nutty.” 
“ Big-Head” In a Colt. 
F. D. R., Cumberland, Md .—I have a two-year-old 
colt that has considerable swelling in the face about 
six inches above the nostrils. It has been coming 
about four months. Several persons pronounce it big- 
head. About two months ago, the same colt became 
frightened while being driven, and made a few long 
leaps to the sidewalk, or rather on to the sidewalk. 
She at once showed considerable lameness in the left 
front leg. . We treated this for several weeks, when 
the soreness seemed to affect her all over—especially 
in the hind quarters. We have had to lift her a num¬ 
ber of times, and when she can get up herself, she 
rises like a cow—hind parts first. 
Ans.—T he colt is evidently suffering from osteo¬ 
porosis, commonly called big-head. This is a disease 
of mal-nutrition of the bones, and consists of an ex¬ 
cessive development of the soft tissues of the interior 
of the bones ; causing the bones, especially of the face 
and of the joints of the limbs, to become swollen, 
softened and brittle. In addition to the swelling of 
the bones of the face below the eyes, you will find 
the branches of the lower jaw thickened and rounded. 
This is usually the first outward sign of the disease. 
Later will occur lameness in one or more of the limbs, 
with swelling of the joints from the enlargement of 
the ends of the long bones. The animal will become 
weak in the back, and finally unable to rise without 
assistance. Various theories have been advanced as 
to the cause of the disease, but as yet no satisfactory 
explanation has been given to account for the per¬ 
verted nutrition of the bones. The general opinion 
has been that it was due to a deficiency of some of the 
nutritive elements in the food. 
Cattle and sheep, as well as horses, suffer from the 
disease. Horses suffer most commonly at two to four 
years of age, and rarely, if ever, after seven years. 
Curative treatment of the disease has been unsatisfac¬ 
tory. The best I’esults have followed a course of 
nux vomica, together with a nutritious diet. Groiind 
fiaxseed or linseed cake with oats or bran, are espe¬ 
cially indicated. Of the powdered nux vomica, give the 
colt one-half teaspoonful in the feed twice daily, for 
three or four days ; then one-teaspoonful doses for a 
like period. Continue increasing the dose by one-half 
teaspoonful every three or four days, until jerkings or 
twitchings of the muscles occur, which can be made 
more noticeable if a quick movement is made to slightly 
excite the animal. Then reduce the dose to one-half 
of what is being given at this time. For a full-grown 
horse, begin with, and increase the dose by teaspoon¬ 
fuls instead of half teaspoonfuls. f. l. kilborne. 
Swelling on the Horse's Withers. 
S. M. F., Takoma, D. C. —One of my horses has a soft 
swelling, about as large as a goose egg on his withers, 
which I am afraid will prove to be fistula. I first no¬ 
ticed it about five weeks ago. At one time, he could 
with difficulty get his head down to graze. What is it 
and what shall I do for it ? 
Ans. —Cut the swelling freely open. If it is found 
to contain pus, wash out daily with a two-per-cent 
solution of carbolic acid. Allow no pressure of har¬ 
ness or saddle to come on this region for at least two 
or three months. f. b. k. 
How to Pack First-Class Apples. 
F. W. W., Chatham, Canada. —Will The R. N.-Y. de¬ 
scribe the best plan of an improved fruit-packing 
house and stationary barrel press to use in it, and any 
other utensils for filling baskets, kegs, barrels, crates, 
etc. ? I have the largest orchard in Canada, and wish 
to have the very best conveniences for putting up the 
fruits in the best possible way to sell for the highest 
prices, whether the markets are glutted or not. 
Ans. —If I had the “ largest orchard in Canada,” I 
would build a packing house somewhat after the gen¬ 
eral plan used by the orange growers of Florida. 
Either by building on a hillside or slope, or by bridg¬ 
ing or grading, I would arrange to unload the fruit 
in the second story of the building. I would empty it 
into a shallow, padded-bottomed, fan-shaped hopper, 
slanting downward into the first story, and inclined 
j ust enough to allow the fruit to roll along, and not 
pile up as it is run into a sizer or grader, one end of 
which adjoins the lower and narrow end of the hopper. 
I would build the hopper 10 or 12 feet wide at the top, 
converging to about one foot at the lower end. and 1.5 
or 20 feet long, Jarge enough to hold a wagon-load of 
fruit. 
The sizer consists of two inclined, nearly parallel 
strips of wood, diverging somewhat. It allows the 
smallest fruit to drop through first, the intermediate 
sizes next, and the largest fruit to roll off at the end. 
One can make any numer of grades or sizes desired. 
Oranges are usually graded to seven sizes—three or 
four would be sufficient for apples. A man standing 
where the hopper joins the sizer, can sort out all im¬ 
perfect fruit as it rolls along. Shallow bins under¬ 
neath the sizer, also inclined sideways from the sizer, 
will convey the fruit directly into the crates, baskets, 
or barrels, thus taking advantage of the attraction of 
gravitation, avoiding all lifting and carrying. 
Carefully pad all places where there is a fall of 
m ore than a few inches, with sheep skin, cotton or 
wool. A long, low, narrow truck with iron axles and 
wheels, as wide as a barrel and long as the sizer, 
could hold the barrels while they are being filled, and 
then be easily and quickly placed under the stationary 
press. They may then be drawn to the storage room 
or car, headed, nailed and stenciled, without remov¬ 
ing them from the truck, while another truck-load of 
barrels is being filled. Have the floor of house level 
with the wagon box, or car fioor, if the packing house 
adjoins the railroad, for convenience in loading. 
I have never seen a stationary press for apples, but 
I think I could contrive one. It would be a modifica¬ 
tion of the lever press, worked with the foot, now in 
general use in this section. The screw press takes too 
long to operate. 
If Mr. W. wishes to put his fruit up in extra fancy 
packages, so as to “ sell highest and sell anyway, 
whether the market is glutted or not,” let him add to 
his outfit, an orange-wrapping machine, which will 
wrap in tissue paper, stamp his name and addess 
on each wrapper, and place in crates or barrels, 60 
apples, pears, peaches or quinces per minute. If he 
start back in the orchard, growing fine, highly-col¬ 
ored fruit, pick with care, and pack as I have indi¬ 
cated, I think the fruit will sell. e. c. gii.lett. 
Yates County, N. Y. 
To Get Rid of Ants. 
H. L. C., Winchendon, Mass. —What will drive ants 
out of the ground and away from their haunts—some¬ 
thing that could be put in the ground near trees and 
plants and not injure them ? Would chloride of lime 
or bi-sulphide of carbon do it with safety ? 
Ans. —None of the ants of northeastern America 
feed upon the leaves of trees or other plants. Often¬ 
times, ants are seen running about in trees, and up 
and down the trunk, but they are usually there seek¬ 
ing some other insects—like the plant lice—which 
secrete the sweet “honey dew” upon which the ants 
are fond of feeding. The nest from which the ants 
come, is usually some distance from the trees which 
they may frequent. So the correspondent will either 
have to get rid of the “honey dew” makers, or find 
the nests of the ants and kill them in these nests. It 
is an easy matter to kill them in their nests with the 
carbon bi-siilphide. Make a hole with a crowbar in 
the center, or in several places in the nest, and pour a 
tablespoonful or more of the liquid in each hole and 
quickly stop the hole with earth or sod. The fumes 
will quickly spread all through the nest, and kill all 
animal life. The fumes are not very destructive to 
the roots of vegetation. I shall soon describe an in¬ 
strument, just devised, for applying the liquid to cab¬ 
bage plants to kill the cabbage-root maggot. An ap¬ 
plication of the liquid around the roots of the trees 
frequented by the ants, would probably have but little 
effect on their numbers. Find out what the ants are 
in the trees for, and then fight the cause of their 
presence. m. v. sbingerband. 
Onion Growing Under Glass. 
F. J. T., Norwich, N. Y. —1. Ilow thick can the small 
bulbs be planted in a greenhouse to grow bunch onions 
for winter market ? 2. How rich should the soil be ? 
3. Will they endure as much cold as lettuce and rad¬ 
ishes ? 4. Is there danger of overwatering when 
forcing them like lettuce ? 5. Which are the best 
kinds for greenhouse work ? 
Ans. —1. Three by four inches is about as thick as 
they can be grown ; 3x6 is safer. If grown 3x4 inches, 
alternate rows may be taken out as soon as large 
enough for market. 2. One-fourth to one-third rotted 
manure, the rest, good, sandy garden loam or rotted 
sods ; 1-50 bone dust, or 1-150 (in bulk); good fertilizer 
may be added after growth has begun. 3. They can 
endure more cold than lettuce or radishes, but are 
easily checked by low temperature when in full 
growth. Give them an average of 70 degrees F. 4. 
As the leaves do not cover the soil and prevent evap¬ 
oration, there is little danger from overwatering; 
nevertheless, onions do no ue sodden ground. Have 
the benches well drained; water thoroughly, and let 
the top soil dry perceptibly before repeating. 5. The 
quick-growing American varieties give best results ; 
Philadelphia, Silverskin and Yellow Globe Danvers 
are excellent. The sets should be carefully selected, 
of uniform shape, and less than one-half inch in diam¬ 
eter. Onions are rarely forced under glass now, and 
are of doubtful profit, owing to competition from the 
other hardy perennial onions, which 
grow throughout the winter in the South and are 
shipped to the Northern markets as early as Febru¬ 
ary. There is a possible profit in growing the Egyp¬ 
tian onion under glass in cold localities, but I am not 
aware that it has been tried commercially. The bulb- 
lets, which form in place of seed, could be planted in 
flats of rich earth, six inches deep, well watered and 
attended to until freezing weather, when they could 
be covered thickly with straw until needed, or brought 
under glass at once. The after treatment would be 
similar, except that a temperature below 65 degrees 
would prove most satisfactory. w. van fleet. 
What Ears*Should Be Taken for Seed Corn ? 
,). B. I., Eden Hill Farm, Pa. —I have noticed for the 
past two seasons in particular, an article going the 
rounds of the agricultural press, advising farmers in 
selecting their seed corn in the fields, to procure ears, 
if possible, from stalks bearing two ears, and always 
to take the lower ear. I always select my corn for 
seed in the field, and have tried to find a good lower 
ear on the stalks having two, but I have not yet been 
able to find one such ear which would be satisfactory 
for seed. I am desirous of knowing whether this is a 
fault of my corn, or whether it is given as mere theory 
by some unpractical writers. 
Ans. —For 20 years The R. N.-Y. has carefully se¬ 
lected seed corn. The Rural Thoroughbred Flint is a 
selection of 45 years by The Rural family. For 20 
years we have selected the Chester County Mammoth 
Yellow dent. The Flint was always selected with a 
view of increasing the length of the ear ; the Mam¬ 
moth with a view of raising two or more ears to a 
stalk. We succeeded in both cases. But the two ears 
of the Mammoth give no more weight of grain than 
the one ear that the original variety was prone to give. 
So, too, for many years, we selected ears of the so- 
called Blount’s Prolific in the hope of obtaining a 
variety that would give more ears to a stalk. We se¬ 
lected seed only from plants giving five ears or more. 
We are not sure that anything has been gained by 
this selection. The lower ears are always small or 
imperfefct. We have raised plants bearing 10 ears to 
a single stalk, but many of the lower ears were mere 
nubbins. Many assume that if we select the best 
lower ears, that we may thus produce a strain that 
bears its ears lower upon the stalk, and we incline to 
this opinion. One thing is certain, however, that the 
very best ears are the highest, not the lowest. 
