Iifib 
ALSIKE CLOVER. 
1 of.servk you liavo a short article on 
“ Alsike Clover,” page 358 of the big Rural, 
by Hr. Baldiudor of Illinois. I also notice 
that you were disappointed by the non-receipt 
of the specimen plants he proposed to semi, 
or had sent. Allow me to present you with 
a single plant of each of the red. tlin while, 
and the Alsike, which are forwarded by this 
mail. 
In attempting to describe this clover, in 
answer to the numerous inquiries as to 
“ What it is like,” or “ IIow it differs from 
our common varieties,” I liavo called it a 
perfect “ hybrid between the common red 
and white,” as it partakes of the habits and 
qualities of both. I have sent the three 
plants that you may be able to compare 
them and describe the plant In suell a man¬ 
ner that the eager inquiries about this plant, 
—that is to take, in a great measure, the 
place of the red clover, as it is said to make 
better pasture, better hay, and more of it, 
from a given quantity of laud, — may he 
answered. 
Farmers generally want to know, first, if 
this Alsike w ill prove equal to the red clo¬ 
ver for enriching their lands. This has not 
been proved, to my knowledge, in tills coun¬ 
try. You will observe, however, that its 
roots resemble those of the red, especially in 
that important particular of a long ami 
strong tap-root; hence, wo see no reason 
why it may not posses;? the same fertilizing 
properties. The flower of the Alsike re¬ 
sembles the white clover, except it is tinged 
with red; the seed is produced in the same 
form and is about the same size as the white 
clover seed. Sofar.it resembles the latter. 
The while is a trailing vine, throwing up its 
leaf and flower stalks from the ground, wbile 
the Alsike is erect and branchy like the red 
variety. These three plants were taken from 
the same field, and till within a square yard, 
showing conclusively that the same soil is 
equally adapted to the growth of either plant. 
The plant is a yearling; seed sown in May, 
1868; t he first of our experience with it. 
West Macedon, N. Y. i. w. B. 
Tor plants tame in good order, and our 
correspondent has so clearly described the 
difference in the characteristics of the three 
varieties that little need be added. We do 
not advise, however, a general substitution of 
Alsike for the common red clover. It bad 
better be tested first. In the more northern 
latitudes, wliern there is abundance of moist¬ 
ure in the atmosphere, it will doubtless he 
found a profitable forage crop; that, it will be 
found more profitable than the* red clover is 
not yet determined to our satisfaction. But in 
the more southern latitudes, where long 
drouths occur, and -where the atmosphere is 
dry and exhausting to the vitality of vegeta¬ 
tion, we have good reason to doubt if it can 
be profitably grown. We advise our readers 
to hold fast to what they know to bo good 
until they have proved to their entire satis¬ 
faction that they have found something bet¬ 
ter.— Eds. Rural. 
•-- 
SEED GRAIN. 
I fear that, the majority of our farmers 
do not fully realize tho importance of secur¬ 
ing good, clean grain for feed; and to this 
one cause is to be attributed a large percent¬ 
age of tho failures in farming. Their grain 
is never merchantable, except at a reduced 
figure. Take, for instance, spring wheat. 
Every farmer who tins stored spring wheat, 
oats and barley iu the same barn, under¬ 
stands how difficult it is to keep the. oats and 
barley from mixing with the wheat. It mat¬ 
ters not how careful w<> maybe, to sow noth¬ 
ing lmt. pure sued, nor with wlmt. care we 
guard its growth and safe transit to the bam, 
if, at thrashing time, we do not exercise the 
utmost care to prevent, it. gets mixed. Tho 
main difficulty, however, lies in the fact that 
the. wheat is seldom or never free from other 
grain when sown; and as the oats increase, 
perhaps, twice as fast as tho wheat, although 
the wheat may liavo boon very clean when 
sown, in the course of two or three years it 
will be found to be badly mixed. 
Now it would be but a small matter to 
obviate this difficulty If wo could separate 
wheat from oats and barley with tho fanning 
mill. But hero lies tho difficulty; for the 
heaviest kernels of oats and barley cannot 
he removed from the wheat by any process 
of sifting or winnowing now in use, (or at 
least that we are acquainted with,) notwith¬ 
standing numerous parties have claimed tho 
honor of hav ing discovered this long sought 
for invention. During the last five years we 
have purchased and used several different 
screens and inventions which wore recom¬ 
mended for this purpose, but with very un 
satisfactory results. 
After trying various methods, we have 
adopted the following :—Take any ordinary 
wheat sieve that has an even, smooth, sur¬ 
face, put it in the slanting groove occupied 
by the chess board, give the mill the- lightest 
shake, and if the shaking connection has 
become worn so that it works tho sieves 
with a jerk, it may be remedied by drawing 
a few pieces of leather in the crevices where 
the bearings are much worn. Turn steady, 
and do not feed too fast. This process will 
not remove all the oats, but will do the work 
us perfectly as any invention that we have 
ever used; and we feel sale in saying that it 
is not patented. 
A few years ago we cleaned two bushels 
in this manner, and during the winter eve¬ 
nings, spread a few quarts at a time on a 
table, and in three evenings picked out the 
remaining oats, since which time wo have 
grown clean wheat. To many this may 
sreni like small business, but I venture to flay 
that one trial will satisfy any sensible farmer 
that it will pay. 
And now that I have introduced tho sub- 
[ ject of cleaning grain, allow me to give my 
method of cleaning c hess from winter wheat. 
The praclico most common among farmers 
is to use a coarse eot'ueu, which will not only 
allow the chess, but also more or less wheat, 
to pass? through, which can ho used only' for 
feeding purposes. Our plan is as follows:— 
Firxt, remove all the sieves except the screen, 
which should remain if it is not, coarse enough 
to allow the wheat to pass through, Second, 
adjust, tho chess-board so that the wheat will 
fall about midway of tho sieves, give a light 
shake, and turn sufficiently hard ho as to 
blow the chess over behind tho mill, allow¬ 
ing the wheat to pass down in front. To 
accomplish this successfully it is necessary 
in turn the mill very steady; for if the force 
of the wind is increased it will carry a por¬ 
tion of the wheat over with the chess, or if 
allowed to diminish the chess will fall short 
of the dividing line and pass down with the 
wheat. 
We would not advise farmers to purchase 
new and untried varieties of grain at fabu¬ 
lous prices, until they are satisfied that their 
soil and climate arc adapted to their growth. 
There seems to he quite a tendency' among 
farmers to reject, our home varieties of grain 
in their eagerness to procure Home celebrated 
foreign kinds. This may he good policy to 
some extent, bat wo would not advise a very 
great outlay in this direction. Wo have of¬ 
ten thought that if there was tho same earn 
and pains taken with some of our best va¬ 
rieties that uro often lavished on foreign 
ones, the results would ho equally as flatter¬ 
ing. But in order to make sure of having 
good seed we inubt set about it and not wait 
until speculators liavo seen rod it, and then 
pay a bonus of half a dollar per bushel, or, 
perhaps what, would lie worse, sow an in¬ 
ferior article, and then attribute} the failure 
to the bad season. c. f. k. 
- 4 " » —• 
PEA BUGS-LATE GROWN PEAS. 
A short time ago, an editorial in the Ru¬ 
ral asserted that tho pea bug is headed off 
by sowing from the first crop, thus making 
the second one later in the season. Is there 
not some mistake in this? Here, in tho 
Northwest, peas sown later than the month 
of May, become covered with mildew, and 
the crop is a total failure. 1 have seen large 
fields of peas growing in Canada, evidently 
for die main crop, so much advanced in July 
as to preclude any possibility of being tints 
planted. With us the Canada pea lias tho 
name of being altogether free from the pea 
bug, owing to some climatic peculiarity. 
Some of our progressive farmers declare 
that the mortality in Block, particularly hogs 
and cattle, is caused by feeding too largely 
of corn. This grain is altogether too beat ing, 
and makes oil and fat, instead of flesh, and 
blood, and hone, lienee, hog cholera, and 
kindred diseases which have been so very 
rife of late years. It is further asserted that 
seven bushels of peas are more than equal to 
ten of corn, and they would he very largely 
grown were it not for the certainty of that 
nuisance, the pea weevil, swarming all over 
our premises and eating out the substance of 
the grain. It is impossible to destroy it, in 
quantity, by scalding, or any such process. 
Is there any way to grow peas south of 
Canada, and yet be free from tiiis pest? 
Northwest. 
We have seen tw r o good crops of peas 
grown in a season on the prairies of Illinois. 
The firet, seeding was as early as the farmer 
could work the land. The product was 
sown the same season, and produced peas as 
free from bugs and as handsome ns any Eng¬ 
lish peas we ever saw. Who of our readers 
can give us experience?— Eds. Rural. 
--*-*-*-- 
Pens vs. ItiicUwlivai for n Green Crop to Plow 
VUnler. — i Ini VC t rie<l both on clay anil on sandy 
gravelly soil, stile by side, time and again, and 
I would sooner have peas at a cost of three dol¬ 
lars a hir-tiel 1'nr sped to the uere, and plow in 
the growth just as they ootne Into blossom, than 
f would have the buckwheat for nothing, and 
the labor of plowing thrown in. Lot any one 
try them side by side, and watch the result one 
year with another, and wo shall hear no more of 
buckwheat as a green crop for manure. — A. 
Thorn. 
•--- 
Hop Vine*. -J. J. Seelye Is Informed that the 
“largo rank vines" are considered the most 
Suitable to be tied to the poles; they will grow 
more hops than the smaller ones, and mature 
them earlier.—O tsego. 
Pc l)orsctmm. 
HANDLING COLTS. 
I have bred horses quite extensively, and, 
I might say, successfully, and have handled 
them from earliest infancy to maturity. I 
do not defer training my colts until they arc 
three or four years ot age, but begin by 
handling, petting, fondling when they are 
but mere balms. I do not begin all at once, 
but gently and by degrees accustom them to 
my presence and my touch. Kindness and 
perseverance, together with patience, will 
accomplish almost anything. 
Home coltfl are shy by nature; it is bred in 
them to he wary; it will take no little time 
and not a little patience to overcome their 
timidity; hut be lavish in your attentions, 
and you will overcome that shyness and em¬ 
ote in them a feeling of affection that will 
amply repay the extra outlay of time and 
labor. 
Borne men lot their colts run wild until 
their third year. They are fed in sheds pro¬ 
vided to shelter them from the inclemencies 
of the weather; are not hullcr-broken until 
tho time comes to break them for work, and 
are then found to be so obstinate and intract¬ 
able that in nine cases out of ten the trainer 
is obliged to use coercive measures to reduce 
them to the proper state of discipline. 
I have not a colt on the place that I can¬ 
not approach in the open field and take as 
many liberties with as 1 can when they arc 
securely fastened in the stable; and it is all 
the result of judicious handling. Borne colts 
are naturally docile, while others are vicious. 
Now, viciousness, even though it be inherent, 
can 1)8 cured by gentle means, if taken in 
time, while docility can be turned to vicious- 
ness, if the colt be abused. Many very good 
colts are made cross—aye, positively ugly, 
by men and boys poking them with sticks to 
Bee them kick or bite, just for fun. 
Now, a man or boy who does not possess 
common sense, or know how to behave him¬ 
self cannot come around my stables, for I 
will not. tolerate annoyance to horse or colt. 
Annoying by tickling or making motions 
towards, or in scores of ways disturbing the 
equanimity of colts, 1 do not allow. A lesson 
learned in youth is long remembered. A 
temper soured by ill usage can never be re¬ 
gained. Therefore, Isay teach your colts by 
gentle mean* to l>e affectionate in disposi¬ 
tion; to welcome the approach of man as 
the approach of a friend, and not as that of 
i n u.ieray, at whose hands they may expect 
nothing but harsh treatment. 
I have a stallion, naturally high strung, 
all life and ambition, full of the fire and fury 
characteristic of the home in his uncast rated 
state, that I handle as I do a gelding, and 
with no mare fear. Men express won¬ 
der that I go about him in so unconcerned 
a manner. But I reply, “ There is nothing 
to fear; he has never been abused.” Wlien 
in the friskiness of colthood lie snapped and 
kicked, 1 did not take a gad and belabor 
hint into submission; but I went to work 
and, by kindness, won his affections, broke 
hint of liis faults, and to-day have a stallion 
as gentle as a lamb. 
Most people have great, fear of stallions. 
It. is well they have, as most stallions are to 
be avoided; but l will here say that if stud 
colts are handled in the same manner as 
other colts, they can he rendered just as 
gentle and driven with the same facility one 
drives a filly or gelding. 
A person approaches a stud colt of two 
and tnree. years with, something like the fear 
with which he would approach an African 
lion. Ttio man who handles a stallion gen¬ 
erally carries with him a stout slick with 
which to intimidate the horse. This is un¬ 
necessary if tho coll is properly handled 
when young. Do with a stallion colt pre¬ 
cisely as you do with other colts. Use no 
Imrslier means. 
The second winter I generally—say three 
times a week — put a bridle with plain 
snuffle hit on colts, allowing it to remain on 
at first not more than one liopr, but as the 
colt accustoms himself to it, two or three 
hours at a time. The third winter the colt 
is approaching his third year, and is gaining 
strength and intelligence; I put the whole 
hitting harness on him, allowing him to run 
around with it on a few hours each day, but 
not leaving it on long enough to worry him 
and make him afraid of it, but a sufficient 
length of time to give him gentle exercise 
after which I take him out, pet him a little, 
groom him slightly, and give him a few oats 
to humor him and teach him to look for¬ 
ward with delight to the bitting harness and 
its after delicacies. 
After the horse lias become accustomed to 
hit and harness, i put a regular bridle and 
harness on him, with straps dangling about 
his legs, not long enough to trip him, but 
sufficiently long and numerous to flap against 
his limbs, thereby accustoming him to things 
striking against his body. When I think lie 
is sufficiently bitted 1 drive him around 
several times with reins, and then hitch him 
up by the side of an honest horse to a heavy 
lumber wagon. Some contend that a lightei 
wagon is better. I say not. A colt is apt 
to throw himself, become afraid, or perhaps 
he may be obstinate, and if either of these, 
in his fright and fury he could destroy a 
light wagon; whereas, attached to a heavy 
wagon, lie can do no harm whatever, soon 
leaves off attempting to run away, and set¬ 
tles down steadily to work. 
After driving him several times double, 1 
take him direct from the double wagon and 
put him before a single wagon, driving im¬ 
mediately on to the road. In Ida exhausted 
state, he offers no resistance, but drives kind¬ 
ly. This once successfully accomplished, 
no further trouble need ho apprehended. 
Continue the exercise from day to day, keep¬ 
ing the colt In practice. Do not give tip the. 
lessons because he has learned one perfectly, 
but keep him constantly in practice. 
T hope that other horsemen will give their 
views regarding this most import ant subject. 
Perhaps, at some future time, I may, with 
your kind permission, write more regarding 
the horse, his care, training, &c. 
Laurens 
We shall hope you will, and that other 
horsemen will imitate you in this respect 
The magnitude of the horse interests of the 
country will warrant a constant and full in¬ 
terchange of views, experiences, and prac¬ 
tices of horsemen. For such our columns 
are always open.—Eos. 
-- 
llnr*«‘ Volte.—This cut represents a yoke for 
unruly horses, which will bo found very useful 
to those that have such stock. Many farmers 
keep their horses stabled during tho summer on 
account of being unruly, which is very expen¬ 
sive nml should be avoided part ot tho lime. 
This Is u harmless and simply constructed yoke 
and will prevent any horse from scaling a fence, 
if put up in good, substantial condition. A is a 
bow about three 
A, feet and a half long. 
Tiiis should be of 
// B tough hickory, or 
M n oak, so that it will 
If B bend readily to tit 
the neck. II Is two 
M B pins about a foot 
||l m long to go through 
J i W 8 wL. two holes in each 
lJ't-vAJup end of tho bow. 
'j I' v/cdj 3 They should be inch 
pins. C is a poke 
four feet long, with 
the top end square. 
A hole must be 
bored four inches 
from the top end so 
that the under pin 
xgyx may pass through 
it, and the four- 
Inch part may rest 
* on the upper pin. 
Tho poke should be at an angle ot thirty degrees. 
D is a hook mortised through the lower end, 
■which will be found bcnolioial. The yoke should 
fit the neck neatly, and the ends of the bow 
should be drawn closely up to the square sides 
of tho poke. 1 have used this kind of yoke on 
my horses and completely broke them ot jump¬ 
ing.—A SUUSCat ttEH. West Canaan, Ohio. 
--*•*-*- 
Heave* in Horses.— Boelngspeavmintnndother 
articles recommended, in your last number, for 
horses, prompts me to mention my experience 
with another valuable herb in the cure of this 
distressing and irouble-some complaint. Feed 
no h:iy to tho horsofor thirty-six or forty-eight 
hours, and give only a pailful of water at a 
time. Then throw an armful of well cured 
smartweed beforo him, and let him oat all lie 
will. In all eases where the cells of tho lungs 
are not broken down, great relief, if not a per¬ 
fect euro, will follow. I have seen a horse with 
ihe heaves as bad as 1 ever saw, cured by one 
dose. Smartweed is valuable for many purposes, 
and should tie gathered and cured In the season 
and laid away for use when needed.— D. Han¬ 
som, M. D. 
-♦*-*- 
Diphtheria in Horse*.- Hero isa pract ice which 
I have followed more or less closely, with good 
succor, lu live or six eases; — First, place the 
patient in a stable by himself, and do not al¬ 
low him to drink from the same trough with 
healthy horses. Talco. away all hay, and give 
nothing lmt clean straw and bran mash enough 
to keep him In good condition. Mix strong mus¬ 
tard and sharp vinegar, Iu such proportions as to 
make a paste; rub this into tho hair on the 
throat and glands three times a day until they 
become pretty sore. Give till the cold water he 
will drink, and place b tablespoonful of salt upon 
his tongue once a day, by way of gargle. 
To ltoop him running at tho nose, burn old 
leather and lot him breathe Ihe smoke. It is 
quite important to observe this last. — C. L., 
Maori, IV. Y. 
-- 
Tho “Ailing Colt. 1 * — Tn reply to IV. Locke 
(See Rural, June 5, p. 339,) 1 think the difficulty 
with his colt is caused by castrating. One such 
case ns lie mentions came under ray observation. 
I once owned a valuable colt, troubled in ttio 
same way. I tried several horse doctors, but 
with no avail. T kept him until he was six years 
Old and sold him. I found that tho swelling 
could be kept down, in a degree, by giving the 
horse exercise every day. — P. E. W., Den¬ 
mark, Nl I". 
-♦-*->-- 
What Ails My Horse ? —After drinking, he 
stretches himself and throws up hi- upper lip, 
and sometimes throws his head to his sides; at 
oflior times he stretches himself back and forth, 
as if in great pain. Drinking cold water seems 
to, or does, make it worse. If you or any of 
your renders cun tell vac what ails him, and what 
will cure him. you will do men great favor.— Geo. 
SchoCK, Kith, Xihra-ka, June 7. 
---*-*-*■- 
To Keep o Horse’s Tongue in his Month.—H. 
C. F„ West Virginia, asks how to make a horse 
keep Ids tongue in hi-: mouth. Let those who 
know how reply. 
-♦-*♦- 
A correspondent desires us to ask our readers 
to name the best and cheapest summer feed for 
work horses. 
an* 
MURRAIN IN CATTLE. 
Please give the symptoms and treatment of 
murrain in cattle. A disease has appeared here 
among our cattle that is called murrain. They 
lose all disposition to oat or move about, lie 
down most of the time, hare a dark greenish 
discharge from the nostrils, also from the bow¬ 
els. Tlie llies seem to delight in staying on them, 
and they make no effort to brush them off. Is 
murrain contagious?—J. H. Mahable, Carbon- 
dale, Ten) T. 
All attack of murrain ifl indicated by a 
cough first, then a heaving of the flanks, 
with bloody, black, fetid evacuations, ten¬ 
derness over the loins and coldness of the 
horns. Tumors and boils sometimes appear. 
The animal holds libt head down, moans, is 
restless and staggers when walking. 
Various remedies have been given by ex¬ 
perienced hortUmen. One is, for an okl ox, 
cow, or bull, take throe pounds of fat bacon, 
cut in pieces so that they can be pushed 
back into the throat and the animal will 
swallow them freely; rub the back and belly 
with whisky. 
Iqjections are used. Take a good sized 
syringe and Inject soap and water, using 
soap enough to make the water “ feel slip¬ 
pery,” and inject at short intervals until the 
bowels of th« animal are relieved. 
Another remedy which has proved suc¬ 
cessful, if given in time, is calomel, in doses 
of from one-quarter to three-quarters of an 
ounce, with a proportionate quantity of pow¬ 
dered opium, to be given in such quantities 
as to produce an alterative rather titan a 
purgative effect, and to be followed by a 
mixture made of thick mucilage or gum 
arabic and castor oil, to which add equal 
parts each of spirits of turpentine and bal¬ 
sam copaiva, with laudanum occasionally 
added, according to circumstances. 
To prevent murrain, keep cattle on dry, 
clean pastures, and away from all miasmatic 
influences. If there are such places on your 
farm, clear them up and drain them. 
- ■+++ - 
RAISING CALVES. 
A correspondent of the Leo Gleaner 
writes as follows, concerning raising calves: 
“ For the first two or three weeks, every calf 
should have all the new milk it will drink ; 
and, if a valuable animal, to be kept for 
breeding purposes, tho milk should not be 
withdrawn for at least three months. The 
growtli of these early months is the sub¬ 
stratum on which the whole edifice will be 
framed, and its future appearance and use¬ 
fulness will, in a great measure, depend upon 
the care then taken of the animal. When 
our crops are stinted, at the start, of the 
proper amount of manure, or by drouth 
deprived of the necessary quantity of moist¬ 
ure, they never recover by any subsequent 
applications. So the calf, if hindered from 
obtaining its full allowance of proper nour¬ 
ishing food in its early growth, will never 
develop into the size and form that it would 
on a full diet. Bring up a child from its in¬ 
fancy on tea, cake and pics, instead of milk, 
good bread and other farinaceous food, and 
it will never have that embonpoint , that 
healthy complexion, nor that cheerful frame 
of mind nature intended for its daily wear. 
Bring up your calves altogether on hay tea, 
and skim milk, or other starvation diet, and 
you may be able to rear more calves on the 
same quantity of food, but when grown up 
they will be like the Irishman's horse, that 
was hard to catch—when caught, good for 
nothing! 
“ For ordinary stock, after the fourth week, 
the milk for the calf may lie skimmed, but 
warmed to tho degree of fresh-drawn milk, 
and at tho age of six to eight weeks, it may 
be tethered out upon the grass, or put in a 
small inciosure near tin* house, (bringing it 
in if the weather becomes wet or cold,) but 
feeding it with skimmed milk, or hay tea 
and wheat bran mixed, twice or three times 
a day A better feed than hay tea, and us 
cheap in the end, is half an ounce of com¬ 
mon molasses well mixed with a pint of 
skimmed rniik, to which is added an ounce 
of linseed oil meal, stirring it until thor¬ 
oughly mixed, and add tlie whole to the re¬ 
mainder of a gallon of milk; bring the 
whole to the temperature of new milk, and 
feed. As the animal grows, increase the 
proportion of pulverized oil cake. Oat meal 
in the skimmed milk is us good as anything. 
If the calves are of valuable stock, and to 
be kept for breeding, tlie best way is to keep 
each in a small pen; after two days, feed 
from the pail pure fresh milk until three 
months old, putting in from time to time a 
little oat. meal, and keeping oil meal or 
shorts dry before the calf all tho time, in a 
small box, and when old enough, cutting for 
it fresh grass every day. Give it a run in 
the yard every day in fine weather, and ac¬ 
cess to pure water. For scours, a little tine 
wheat flour in the milk is the simplest cure. 
Justify this method,selecting good calves 
to raise, and compare them at three, six oi 
twelve months, with the runts that arc stag¬ 
gering around so many barn-yards. 
