surface vegetate, and repeating this process 
until all grass and weed seeds have ger¬ 
minated and their vitality is effectually de¬ 
stroyed. 
When this is effected, the manure thus 
prepared is to be evenly spread on the sur¬ 
face, and special pains taken in its applica¬ 
tion that more may be applied on that por¬ 
tion of the ground'which in a state of nature 
presented elevations, which were removed 
in the use of the grader, and deposited in 
the depressions, by which the former is left 
thin and barren and the soil of the latter 
doubled in thickness; lienee will require less 
fertilizing. 
This domestic manufactured manure hav¬ 
ing been applied as directed with a liberal 
hand, and well incorporated with the sur¬ 
face soil to the depth of three inches, the 
last operation to he performed before apply¬ 
ing the grass seed is to liberally apply pbos- 
phatie and anunoniated fertilizers by sowing 
them broadcast and cultivating them in only 
so as to incorporate them with the surface 
soil. This completes the preparation of the 
surface for seeding, the most, difficult branch 
of all; the more so from the fact that it is 
impractical to construct a seed sowing ma¬ 
chine for broadcasting mixed lawn grass 
seeds that will apply the mixture scantily; 
hence the seeds are to be mixed and sown by 
hand. The writer has never been able to 
employ any one who could perform this 
branch of landscape work to his satisfaction. 
It cannot he properly done without great 
experience, and the hand must be thoroughly 
pract iced, or portions of the ground will be 
set so thickly that it cannot grow, and other 
portions too scantily seeded, being fertile, 
will grow worthless weeds, and the result 
attained will be anything but satisfactory. 
The best mode of covering grass seed on 
the lawn is by the use of the close steel rake; 
the next best, is by dragging a brush harrow 
by hand. Teams should not be allowed to 
travel over the lawn after the seed is sown 
until the sward is well formed, and then not 
more, than is absolutely necessary. With a 
properly constructed roller, two men will 
roll an acre of lawn well in a day. The 
work of seeding and rolling having boon 
completed, trees and shrubbery may be 
planted, which completes the work. 
When the holes for trees and shrubs have 
been staked out, as the soil excavated for 
setting is moved, it is to be deposited on a 
platform made of hoards battened together, 
similar to a brick-layer’s mortar-board, only 
larger. The use of the board will prevent 
disturbing the newly set grass. 
- -♦♦♦ - . 
gced* v*. Turf for Forming i» Slew Lawn.— The 
comparative cost mut resulting character of 
forming a now lawn from need or laying of sod 
taken from old pasture lands. Is one of consid¬ 
erable interest. I have directed the making of 
lawns for many years, and never tailed of ob¬ 
taining a good, smooth, soft, velvety turf, firm 
enough for any one to walk upon, ny tho flrstof 
July. This I have done by preparing tho ground, 
somet imes with a plow, sometimes with aapado— 
according to extent —raking smooth, seeding 
heavily, and putting on the lawn mower as soon 
as the grass was three inches high. I have also 
directed sodding, but only small plots, because 
the cost of buying the turf, outtlng it, hauling 
two, throo or four miles, and laying, overbal¬ 
anced t hat of seeding more than four fold; and 
after three mouths the sod was rot as good.— 
Addi. 
ilje (5iirir(ntr. 
TRAINING TOMATOES. 
A coiutKSPON dent of the Boston Culti¬ 
vator trains his tomatoes in this wise:—I 
set poles about six feet long to the plants, 
then I sucker them as you would tobacco, 
and let only one stalk grow; tills 1 tie to the 
pole as it needs it. In suekering the plants 
some may think there is danger of taking 
off fruit stems ; but there is no danger at. all, 
for the fruit stems put forth from the. body 
of the stalk, while the suckers come forth 
with the leaf, and besl les the fruit stem is 
seen long before the suckers; so there Is no 
danger of pulling off fruits sets for stickers. 
When the plant, has grown about four feet, 
I cut oir the top and a part of the leaves, 
and keep it well suckercd, for the purpose of 
ripening the fruit. I think this the best 
mode for raising tomatoes extant. 1 raised 
one bunch year before last that would fill a 
half bushel, and many tomatoes that would 
weigh half a pound. I had several that 
weighed one pound apiece, and one that 
weighed two pounds. I am never troubled 
with my tomatoes rotting. 
- <*-*♦ - 
THE GROWING CANTELOUPES. 
A writer in the Germantown Telegraph 
says:—“In thinning out tho number of 
plants in a bill to about three, bo careful to 
allow the strongest to stand; and in removing 
the weeds and hoeing the beds, do not disturb 
the vines alter they commence running. A 
very large proportion—indeed much the 
greater proportion—of the nourishment of 
the vines is derived from the rootlets attach¬ 
ing themselves to the soil as the vine grows. 
Place a small piece of slate, which, is the best, 
though a piece of shingle or hoard will 
answer, under each cantaloupe when half 
grown, and it. will prevent tho earth from 
extracting the flavor from about one-fourth 
of the fruit, as we commonly And it to be the 
case with the purchased cantaloupe.” 
-- 
When Arc Melon* Ripe t -Can any of tho 
Ritual readers.{five me a suroguidu to tell when 
watermelons are ripe ? Somo toll by thumping', 
some by one method and some another, yrl, I 
have wen all fail. I see in last week's Rural 
one of the Professors of the New York Fruit 
Growers' Club says that when the second curl 
from tho stein Is dead the melon is ripe, Now, 
which does be mean -the second curl towards 
the root or towards tho bud end of the vine? 
r. w. h. 
Thk second curl towards tho root of the vine. 
-- 
Striped (tug*. A desperate correspondent, 
named George Wakeman, who has tried “pias¬ 
ter, white hellebore, ete., etc., ad mflnttum , but 
In no purpose," and whose " patience is worn 
out," and who has “raised the black flag,” asks 
“some one to tell him the right kind of ammu¬ 
nition,” then he will "send the whole vfllinous 
horde to bugdomo come." Has ho tried soot? 
If so and failed, and the black flag is good for 
anything, catch the bugs and crush them. 
isrttsstons. 
if llhrrmirtr. 
COST OF GRAPE TRELLIS. 
An acre of grapes, with rows eight feet 
apart and fifteen rods long will contain 
twenty-two rows, or three hundred and 
thirty rods of trellis and one thousand rods 
of wire, using three wires to a row. The 
following is the estimated cost per acre, at, 
present, prices, for a trellis complete. 
41 tinmen, hemlock, n t 7c. $.1 ns 
4t short. Mnkos fur root of braces, lit 3c. I ,'tl 
133 srnnll pins for rail post*. 30 
44 end posts, 5 Inch chestnut, nt-’Oe.... 8 SO 
»(«> smaller imst*. say 3,q inch, nt HH-. 20 no 
s Ihs. staples, »t 12 'i'e,..., .. . 1 01 
Driving post*, three days. 4 50 
Putting up wire, brnoes, Ac., four days. <; no 
Total..... $45 00 
Sl«« nf Nil, fret. O.t Nr,. Hi,. Cmt Ilf wlro Totlil nut 
win*. |*rr 100 lldl. Ml 1 100 Hm. p.T (vr ■. ,wr nrnr. per irr,‘. 
No.il 1,034 *7 78 1,010 $78 Nt $123 58 
No. 10 2,1*10 8 50 825 70 12 115 12 
No. 11 2,5i!< m 50 av. .y, 117 10007 
No. 12 3,333 8 80 405 43 88 88 80 
We use No. l!3 first quality annealed wire, 
and consider it. nearly or quite as good as a 
larger size. The cost, of posts and expenses 
of putting up trellis will vary in different 
places. We give the cost in this locality; 
KXPKNKK Ok MRINdtNU AN ACRE INTO IIKAHtNO. 
Average cost, Ilf land per aero.. .$100 IN) 
Average cost of plants " 411 m 
Repairing ground, snhsolllog, Ac. 10 IN) 
Setting plants, mid work, flrut year. 2". 1*1 
Interest. 10 00 
Cost at the end of And year.$18,5 (X) 
Work, second year. 20 00 
Interest. pi up 
Cost nt the end of second year.$218 IN) 
Trellis, third year. !io no 
Work, third year... ftp no 
Interest.... 22 pp 
Deduct ono ton grapes, at 8c. not,. 
$;wo 1*1 
. 180 00 
Cost at tho end of third year...$220 00 
Coat after Third year jirr Acre, inch Year. 
Tying up, seven days...$ in 50 
Cultivating, man and horse three days....,_ U no 
Hoeing, sis days. fl op 
Pinching, thirilnng, ruhhitigout, Ac,., 5days.. 7 ftp 
Picking two tons, eight days. 12 1 *) 
Pruning, five days.. id 1*1 
Twine and willow, for tying. II*) 
Interest on $300. 21 00 
Repairs. ft 1*1 
Total expense per year.$ R5 on 
Two tons marketable grapes, at 8c. not. 320 0*/ 
Net prollt per aero.....$235 00 
Many varieties will average much more 
than the above, but we consider eight, cents 
net as a fair average, and as much as it is 
safe to calculate upon, with a mixed vine¬ 
yard of common varieties. Expense ol pre¬ 
paring land and cultivating in some sections 
will cxcccrl our estimate. Many poor grapes 
will undoubtedly be sold at low rates, but 
with good care, clean culture, and a moder¬ 
ate crop, so as to leave the vigor of the vine 
unimpaired, we think it safe to estimate tho 
price at eight cents for several years to come. 
The above estimate is intended to apply to a 
locality like our own, where we arc com¬ 
paratively exempt from frosts, mildew, rot, 
ike., and can depend upon a good crop, say 
six years out of seven. As has been often 
remarked, we need not fear overstocking the 
market with a prime article. 
Fredonlu, N. Y. T. S. Hubbard. 
- — 
VINE LEAVES-THEIR USE. 
A writer in the Philosophical Magazine 
says:—“From experiments which I have 
made, I find that, on being dried, which 
should he done in the shade, and infused in 
a tea-pot., the leaves of the vine make an 
excellent substitute for tea. I have also 
found that, on being cut small, bruised and 
put into a vat or mashing-tub, and boiling 
water poured on them in the same way us 
with malt, the primings of the vine, produce 
liquor of a fine vinous quality, which, on 
being fermented, makes a very fine beverage, 
cither strong or weak as you please; and, 
on being distilled, produces ail excellent 
spirit of the nature of brandy. In the 
course of my experiments, 1 found that tho 
fermented liquor from the primings, particu¬ 
larly the tendrils, when allowed to pass the 
vinous, and to run into the acetous fermenta¬ 
tion, makes nncomonly fine vinegar.” 
- *■-*■+ -— 
Clinton an«l Taylor an Shock*.- E. A. ItKIHl., 
Alton, ft]., says t hat, he has almost entirely failed 
in making grafts take upon either the Clinton 
or Taylor stocks. 
NEW YORK FARMERS’ CLUB. 
AVe continue our notes on tho sayings and 
doings of this distinguished body of scientific 
agriculturists. 
Deadening Hnninl.—A correspondent of the 
Club asks how he shall deaden the sound caused 
by rolling barrels over the floor above Ids Office. 
A learned Professor from Florida suggested that 
In* cover the floor with stupidity, since ho seems 
to have a large stock of it, else be would not ask 
such iu question. Tho considerate Commander 
of the Club rebuked tho inconsiderate Florida 
Professor, and said the correspondent, could 
readily deaden the sound by scattering eluy over 
tho floor. 
Don't Buy Western T,audit of Eastern Owners. 
C. B. Dean, Springdale, Humboldt Co., Iowa, 
w riles: 
I want, to say to any thinking of coming to tho 
Northwestern part ot thu State, don't trust tho rep¬ 
resentation of Eastern owners. Such as do aro bad¬ 
ly sold. A person passed through hero, lately, the 
holder of a deed nt ono hundred and twenty acres, 
orm mile distant from the county seat of a county 
northwest of us; said place lie supposed to have 
,'!,(**) pnimlatlon: he paid $2.5110: If in lint worth iu'it 
tin mill $.m Now. a decent map of a recent data and 
a. book of current, statistics would Inform him. or 
any One else, as to the voting population Of any 
county lust fall, and much ns to political party 
strength also. Any one, before leaving for the West, 
should write, to ttplsp who live where they wish to 
go in get replies amt eopies or trie local newspa¬ 
pers. By these can he learned much of the business 
of the vicinity, prices nt land, cost of living, Ac. I 
am fifteen miles north of Fort Dodge, t he present, 
terminus of the nil bond from Dubuque. We have 
a splendid country with a fair supply of timber, 
plenty of limestone, a good eltiss ot Eastern people, 
churches, schools, water-power mills, Ac. Anyone 
Ciili see that-With the railroads ftlil$hod that are al¬ 
ready begun we shall soon have the world at our 
doors In almost any portion of this comparatively 
new part ol the State. 
Improving Poultry.— JoiXN Sorrell wrltostho 
Club: 
"Allow me to Inform those desiring to Improve tlie 
breed or poultry that the same law regulating the 
breed ,,f sheep i.s also applicable to tbe.se birds. In 
order to get Urst-elass layers and tlrst,-elans chickens 
for the table you must breed from pure breeds. Tho 
Indian fowl Is best (thu gaum fowl will answer); 
crossed with the Dorking, will produce stock un* 
cqnnlerl. They are strong and vigorous as chickens: 
fhelr dealt Is while, lino and ot due flavor. Tim 
dabblness of the Dorking Is counteracted by thu 
hard, gristly tlesh of thu Indian fowl.” 
Concrete Walls. J, B, TATTERstr a i.r., Hamil¬ 
ton, Mo., want* to know how to build concrete 
walls, how to mix t.lm mortar, &c. Tho Com. 
umiuler of tho Club advised blm to buy u book 
entitled “Todd's Country Home- ." by bis dis¬ 
tinguished friend, Sekend F: v vans Todd, Esq. 
Lodi I’oudrette.—A i.fued L, B. Zerego, Lou. 
don Co., Va., nafta l'or tho ox erfenoe of mom. 
bora of the Club with tlila poudrotfo. Mr. Lyman 
had found I tun active fertilizer early iu tho Hen¬ 
son, but not. lusting in its effects; Utter in tho 
season, when the plant uccdH the aid of fertilizers, 
its strength seems to have been exhausted. 
Mas decided to puruhuHO hereafter of tho com. 
merolul fert ilizers only those eottipostal of bone, 
Mr. flttUEN agrees with Mr. Lyman as to tho 
relative value of poudrcl to uinl ground or pow¬ 
dered bo no. But bones must be used with euro, 
especially on strawberries. Applied to some 
strawberry plants, ho obtained from Seth Boy- 
den, nt tlm rale of a gill ton plant, it killed every 
plant. Mr. VV i r.i,i AMS bad used I tone meal on his 
strawberry plantation, at the rale of seven hun¬ 
dred pounds per acre. Ho found It especially 
valuable on sandy soil. Pond rel i c i.s not worth 
to the cultivators what i.s asked for it. 
Noli', from Montana,— JOSEPH Boyer, Rod 
Mountain City, Montana Territory, writes the 
Club as follows. 
‘‘The seasons are too short, and tlio nights are too 
COM here lor corn' but wheat is produced it) large 
qnuitUlles; In fact, nearly enough t.<> supply the 
home demand. There arc several llourlng mills 
which make an excellent quality of dour. Potatoes, 
nn<i splendid ones, are raised in ahundanflo. In fact, 
all of the common vegetables, with tlio exception of 
tomatoes, that nourish In the States, are produced 
here • that is when thu grasshomiers let, them alone, 
Rut there is tho rilh. Cor Die. two preeedmg sea¬ 
sons they came iu swarms, and murio sad havoc with 
tho crons. This season they nru not 60 bad. You 
can go through tlm country and see plenty of grant 
farming lands vacated now. Why is Mils? Because 
the placer mines have worked out, the miners have, 
left, and there being no inannfar.t.uriug v literary, or 
artistic mouths to food, tho farmer* have to leave 
also. This would bo a glorious country If folks 
Would only come here to slay. Xt uould be made a 
Mil-sustaining country. Wo could raise all the 
cereals except corn; all of tho vegetable* that 
would bo necessary: In fact,, everything except cof¬ 
fee, tea, and somo of the luxuries. If wo had a per. 
ruunont, population maiiufactorlos of all kinds would 
pay. But the folks won’t stay; they came here to 
rough It; t.o make money and take It to the States, 
and there enjoy themselves. Yotf meet John, and 
way “ Well. John, when aro you going homo(” Huy* 
John, “Oh! so soon a* l make my pile.” Well, the 
Johns all make their piles, and Instead of settling 
down and going to farming, or Into somo business 
hero, they Lake their money to t.h<i Ht.utu* to squan¬ 
der It, thereby enriching that already fal, portion of 
Uncle Bam'* domain, and impoverishing tho gallant 
little Territory that waa so generous to thorn. 
.Scarcely a mao comes here with the expectation of 
staying, and the most, of them that you nee here are 
too poor to leave.'” 
Suppose that half the money that has Imen taken 
out of the placers and lodes here were in Circulation 
to-day, I rather think tho times wonlil he good, and. 
Instead of everybody grabbing for the fow green¬ 
backs that have been put in circulation here by a few 
one-horse bankers and capitalists, every man would 
be Jliigllugllln colli,os they do tn self-supporting,man¬ 
ufacturing California. The only sure way to make 
money bore, or. at least, one or the sore ways, is to 
go into the stock business. If two nr three men hart 
it couple of thousand dollar* each, or even loss, and 
would invest It in yearlings at. $»ll per I mad, In three 
years time they could increase their original capital 
eight-fold. They uould, if shrewd, energetic, sober 
and enterprising, go into several kiurts i t business, 
such as raising |*niHry and selling eggs, producing 
trout artificially, and so ruling them to market, Ac., 
Ate. This is a apUlodhl grazing country. Tlio valleys, 
and ('specialty the Jefferson Valley, Ilf Icon miles 
from hero, has not holm visited by snow any winter 
since wo have been hero Pl'l) that has not,disappeared 
In at most iwunly-fobr hours. There aro acres upon 
acres ol long bottom gra*s along thu rivers that could 
be < ut for hay, aod'tiilles upon mile* of bunch and 
luiltiilp gras* upon the uplumlsund moiintHins that is 
all nutriment, rattening stock in tlie summer almost 
miraculously, and sufficiently nutritious tn tho win¬ 
ter for them to retain the tlesh gained tn summer. 
Remedy for Hoven. JoffNlIOOGES, Hockdulo, 
Crawford Co., Pa., recommends the following ns 
un “infallible euro tf applied fifteen minutes 
before the animal would otherwise die:" 
Take half a pint ot salt unit cover It with water 
and Lay It on the animal's back over the kidneys., and 
have tho skin thoroughly Impregnated with the 
brlno, portion larly whore tlie paunch adheres to the 
piOUI'lt,on the left side, just back of the lust, long 
rib. 1 have followed droving for morn than twenty 
years, and t learned this from a brother drover. I 
oocg turned it drove of cattle into Hush feed on the 
Susquehanna, and a rainy evening, a little ufter sun¬ 
set, a very fine young ox came to me with hi* tongmy 
as far net ns he could get It, breathing so that ho 
might bo board twenty rod* or more I sent my boy 
Into the house for a tin cup half full of salt, cover¬ 
ed with water. Thcold Dutchman said I might cal¬ 
culate to take III* bide off In the morning, I told him 
1 should do rio such thing. Me said ho would die iu 
less than ono hour: that there hud more than a 
dozen died on his farm just, so, and never one cured. 
I In was so had I was tempted to stub him, led did not, 
and said I would wait live minutes to see if the brine 
would euro. I n less than ten minutes his tongue was 
in his mouth, and he was chewing Ids cud before !i 
o'clock. 
Wire for Fencing. -A North Carolinian asks 
au to tlio durability of who fence. The non¬ 
sensical story of animals being injured by run- < 
ning against it was repealed; and OIK) of the t 
learned gentlemen had made Inquiries ut. an iron < 
house and found t hey were selling litt le wlro for < 
fencing and it got id deni for grape trellis, bid ho i 
could net. give tlio amount sold for either. A i 
man with u head Unit is level on most pmeiieul 
topics, wild it Is all very well lor gentlemen to 
decry wire here, but he fancied that out on tlio 
prairies where timber Is scarce mid fence lum¬ 
ber high, wire would continue to ho used In tho i 
abseuca of hedges. If well made, it makes a 
good fence. No. i) annealed wire is most used 
for fencing. 
Remedy for n Horse Cough.— In reply to a. 
lady's inquiry for a remedy for a liorso's cough, 
n,vN iki Williams sends tho following recipe: 
"Take two lUdiaeo each of ttqullls, lleertee pow¬ 
dered, uir. amt honey; make Into eight pills; give 
one pill a day for three day’s, then omit three day*; 
then throo more pill* a* before: thou omit three 
days: then give tho other two, one at u lime. Roll 
the pills la Hour to keep them from sticking. 1 ' 
A Liniment for Hpralns, Fde, Daniel Wil¬ 
liams sends the following recipe, which ho says 
la tho boat he ever used on a horse for sprains 
and wounds of all kinds, and benefits humans 
afflicted with sprains, rheumatism, or lameness: 
“ One pint alcohol, one ounce oil origanum, one 
ounce ammonia, ono ounce camphor gum, half 
ounce oil amber. Bathe the parts affected with 
tho nnimont. For humans, use hull ounce more 1 
of ammonia.” 1 
Brook Trout.— Thomas Brush has a spring , 
from which flows a two-luoh stream of clear, 
cold water, and asks how many brook trout it 
will bo safe for him to hatch and rear. Mr. 
Crowell replies that It, depends upon Che tem¬ 
perature of tho water. Water at l’orty-slx to 
forty-eight degrees will support a great, many 
more trout than at fifty-six or sixty degrees. 
Fruit Preserving Powder*. -An Inquiry con¬ 
cerning tho efficacy of these powders resulted 
In the Commando! of thoClub announcing that 
one of his committees hud decided that these 
powders were worse than useless. A Very learned 
and distinguished editor of a horticultural peri¬ 
odical announced that he had used them with 
satisfactory success. 
To Prepare a Dessert In an Emergency. Mrs. 
J. BittTic, Saugertles, N. Y., writes:—“ If any 
lady should wish for something for a dessert 
when she has company unexpectedly and not 
prepared, the following recipe will bo found ex¬ 
cellent, and the dish wholesome and very quioltly 
made:—Ono pint of milk uml half a pint of 
flour, two eggs, pinch of sail. Haver with rmt- 
nieg, bake In square Mu pans in a hotovon about 
half an hour, as if is quickly made, uml can be 
put In tho oven Just before silting down to din¬ 
ner ami be Just ready when wanted. Serve with 
butter and sugar. 
Recipe Tor n Delicate Mullln.—Mrs. F. SMITH 
sends the Club the following recipe, which she 
says produces a muffin us delicate as it. is excel¬ 
lent < hie pint, of milk, one pint of Hour, two 
eggs, and olio pinch of salt. They will bo very 
light, and should be baked in small tin cups or 
Iron corn-cake pans, in a hot, oven. There Is no 
sulerat.us used, which Is not lit, to put In tho 
Btomactaof anyone.” 
To Sink Large (Stone*,—A. P. Averill, North 
field, Vt„ asks tho right way to go tn work to 
sink largo stones--such as are loo largo to re¬ 
move, and are not needed In walla—without, 
danger to tho Operator. Tho Commander of tho 
Club had used a stump-lil'ting machine to take 
the stone out of its lied, suspend it, excavate the 
required depth without danger, and drop It in. 
Mr. Averill was recommended by others to 
excavate beside tho stone, being careful not to 
shove it, in its place until a hole is dug huge 
enough to receive It, when cut nr 1>urn tho rope 
off tho prop and lot it t untblo in. 
Oral Long Wooleil Hheep. A Vermonter asks 
ror the opinion of tho Club lUt to tho most profit- 
able breed of long wooled sheep for Central 
Vermont, where Iho object is to raise early 
lambs for market. No dolln ito answer was given. 
Turnip See,1. An Ohioan who has a lot of tur¬ 
nips which stood 111 the ground all winter and 
aro now gone to seed, asks if tho seed is 
worth anything. Members expressed a negative 
opinion. 
An Egg Coniiundrum. A. Wright, Frederiek- 
town, N. J., asks:—“'Does n, often occur that a 
hen will lay two eggs per day, for any number 
of ilays Iu succession? Mrs. Samuel Stanley, 
of this place, has now a hen which has boon lay¬ 
ing two eggs per day for the past toil days, and 
at the wimo time. Ono of them is larger than 
an ordinary one, ami tho other about the size of 
a quail's egg." 
In consequence of tho above muiniinccmcnl, 
a socrlligloua attempt was made by the Com¬ 
mander of t he Club and another ambitious wag 
to win the tit-lo and tlio laurels from the present. 
Professor of Wit and Humor. But their wit was 
too old and stale, and not agricult ural. 
The Rose (Slug. Mrs. N. G. I)a vrs says that 
soap suds, made with lye soap, if strong enough, 
will destroy tho slug. She add*: •“ I tried sev¬ 
eral years will) no success, because I was afraid 
of using too much soap. Last year I destroyed 
them entirely with one application. This year 
only a few came and those lato. Oucsprlnkllng 
killed those. Make a very (strong suds, then put 
in some mere soap, sprinkle tlio bushes tbor- 
ougly, at night, when the slugs are on the upper 
side of the leaves." 
KniiMn* Fruit*. C. II. TOPPING, Ottawa, Kan¬ 
sas, grew an aero and a quarter of strawberries, 
of Wilson Albany, which produced most satis¬ 
factorily. Ho writes the Club: 
"I have been experimenting. Settled hero eight- 
een months since, ami was doubtful as to the ad¬ 
aptation of Hull and oltnuile Tor many kind* Of fruit. 
I llml tht* .luounda u good nearer here, but too *oft. 
for shipping, and too Insipid and tasteless for tlio 
table. I never tried U Ln Southern Illinois. ThoTi i- 
cunpho De (Jand, firmer and butter flavored, hut it shy 
bearer Our soil deep, black day lomu—*o teriaolon* 
that cistern* do not need plastering -are stoned up 
like wells. Ranpburrlfls promise well. The Lawton 
blackberry froze clown In the winter ot 1887-g, bat 
went (through the past winter nnoly. i.nir latitude, 
38Vi degree*. The railroad he* reached till* place, 
and Is going twenty-live mile* south till*season. Im* 
migration very large, and tending southward. Land* 
ch,)up, comparatively, but rising in value near good 
towns, firajlety excellent, because settlers are near¬ 
ly all from Northern ami Eastern Suues. Churches 
and schools after Knstern models, Climate dcHtratile. 
with less ague and fever than 1 have ever known In 
new country with so rich a soil, which I think I* ow¬ 
ing t* tho entire absence of marshes and the undu¬ 
lating surface of the entire country. No prairie*: a* 
flat us In Illinois and Indiana. Homo demand fur 
corn. outs. Wheat 'lour. Ac., in execs* .if supply; 
therefore, prices high and likely to remain »<’. The 
ilrst crop or corn or wheat generally will pay for tho 
land.” 
Protection Agnlo»t Grasshopper*. — W. W. 
Hum ford, of Tulo, Tulare county, Dal., hits dis¬ 
covered a remedy against tho grasshopper, that 
so far seems perfect, for the protection of trees. 
He trims them up four or live foot from the 
ground, puts a disc of smooth tin, funnel 
shaped, just beneath the lowest branch, largo 
end downward. It the bark of the trunk is ten¬ 
der, protect with matting. The grasshopper 
does not jump high, but crawls up the tree, or < 
stalk of a plant, in this way they will gn to 
the top of a telegraph pole. Have some small 
trees protected by gauze netting. They rarely 
InJuiTi early sown grain, as it is too near ripe 1 k‘- 
foro their advent. Have three trees with heads 
only twenty inches from the ground, protected 
by the tin discs, and so far they are safe, al¬ 
though tho ground around is alive witli tho pass¬ 
ing horde. 
Ilow tn Economize Fuel.—A correspondent of 
the. Club sends tho following: 
“ Put t’nul upon the grate to tho depth of about 
three melios, and mure ir the tire-box l* deep. Upon 
this light a wood tire, and anyone trying It, will be 
surprised at the quiintRy of heat winch a small 
amount, uf fuel will produce. Keep the coal con¬ 
stantly on tho grate, and supply the waste (which 
will be very slow.) so a* to maintain the required 
depth. An occasional shaking uf the grate will ho 
necessary fur the draught (if air lliruugh the coal. 
By following this miggcstlun, the trouble or ehnng- 
Itu: grates, brick lining, Ac., will be avoided, and. If 
for any purpose a heavy coal fire is wanted, the stove 
l*all ready, a* iii winter. The philosophy ol'Hus 
met hod (which will readily occur to any one giving 
It attention) Is tinsIn most stoves In which wood 
Is burned the arrangement (or the draught I* such 
that, a large portion of the air passes into the atom 
without passing through the ignited fuel, und Is 
heated merely by relloetltm. Tills, of course, lessens 
the intensity id tho heal. In the stove. When tho 
grate Is covered with coal the drumdit i«. of course, 
through Its luterstli'o*. wliieh Is sulficienl to supply 
combustion, anil, the coal soon beeomlng warmed, 
the nlr passing through It Is also, thus producing tho 
effect, in a small way, of tho hot-air blust Iu smelting 
furnaces.” 
A Hoiilhcro Weed. \v. \V. Pnntr, Assump¬ 
tion, La., sends a plant for name, of which bo 
says: 
“ It has made it* appearance In sonic of our cano 
Held* within t he last eight years, and tn supposed to 
have been Introduced with the cane Imported by the 
Government. It attain* a height of from three to 
six feet, depending on it* locality, and from tlio 
yotmg stalk, when broken, exudas a substance re¬ 
sembling milk—henco Itls known here as thcmllk 
weed. Whilst, young It Is very tender and brittle, 
uml easily destroyed. Between the rows of cane It, 
comes in* very thickly, (almost like the hairs on it 
dug's back.) and attains a Inegnt (if three feet: on 
Hie rune ildge, supported by the cane, It will attain 
a height nf six reel, it Inis u tap root, ami a stalkby 
Itself will put forth limbs like a cotton stalk. It 
dues not materially interfere with the cultivation 
before Jimii. From the rapidity of It* growth and 
density It overshadows and chucks the growth nf 
(bo coco glims, and elVectuulty Interferes with Iho 
growth of the row |ma. which we plant as a fertilizer. 
At maturity It hear* a pod of seed of which the birds 
lespeelnllv the doves) are exceedingly fond, and 
through lludr instrumentality the weed is being 
gradually spread over the country. Wc wish to 
know if It cun be considered a hTt.Ill7.t r II turned 
ninter hi a green stale, which would be difficult, as It. 
umturoisand the stalk becomes lianl before the plow 
can be used. The great objection to it is that It Is 
so thick us to till up the space between the eano row* 
and exclude the air mid nun, winch are necessary to 
make the cane mature. 
Me. Fuller thought it might bo an Axclciilnn; 
iho specimen was not perfect enough to enable 
him to decide. Tho flower or need stalk should 
have been enclosed. 
Care Wanted for Chilblain*. L. (f. Tanner, 
AlJogany county, N. Y., who has hud five physi¬ 
cians and gels tin relief from chillblalns, asks 
for n. remedy. A physician present says, cease 
doctoring them and nature will euro I hem. 
A New Filter Plant. — I*. II. Van Dkrwevde 
exhibited a plant received from California with 
which lio bus boon cx perimcntlng, ami finds nn 
excellent, dye-stuff can be produced from tlio 
blossom ; eonhlKO from the liber, amt from tlio 
root, pulverized and mixed with plaster, a com¬ 
position is obtained which resembles meer¬ 
schaum, and may bo carved like it or ivory. Ho 
thinks it may lie utilized. It grows In great pro¬ 
fusion in California. It was pronounced a spe¬ 
cies of Mail'd or Mallow. 
- ■+++ - 
THE STORY OF A STRAWBERRY. 
In tlio spring of 1888 a new species of straw¬ 
berry was imnounecd, with clnimsof qualities so 
far superior to any known variety that It prom¬ 
ised to furnish a constant and abundant supply 
of Ibis delicious fruit fresh from the vines 
during the entire season. The Plant bore tlio 
brief ami modest name of Ihe Mitriiniliiin rm- 
njic, or Mr Mam l J rr initial- lira vino Strawhcrru. 
It was said to have been discovered by a Mr. 
Alack, near Jnlapti, in Mexico, who took up a 
single plant and brought It away In his carpet- 
bug. How the fort unnto carpet-bagger came to 
Ik: at Jaiapa, and through what nniisuul piece of 
good fortune he succeeded in getting away with 
the precious vegetable in Ids natchnl, instead of 
falling into tho hands of Ihe ti rearers, were not 
explained. But while the circulars were not at 
all definite on these minor points they were very 
much so in Iheir description of the new plant. 
It, wan modestly claimed for it. that it would 
grow luxuriantly iu any soli, spread rapidly, 
and bear it continuous supply ni' rich and uro- 
inatlcstrawberries from May to November. 
But, to the surprise 1 and chagrin of the pro¬ 
prietor!* of tills treasure, who offered to part, 
with healthy plants for the trifling sum of one 
dollar each, practical liorlleullu lists looked cold¬ 
ly on tho new berry and its claims. II, had it 
strikingly suspicious similarity to tlio Monthly 
Kod Alpine ytrawlierry, a common and well- 
known variety of (Im oldest species of straw¬ 
berry in existence— thu old iTayorin vceca of tlio 
botanists. 
But. while the new-born bantling was languish¬ 
ing over the great question, “To be or not to 
lie," Mr. Henry Gilman of Detroit, took it under 
his protection, and in a fortunate hour sent a 
Specimen to tho Buffalo Society of Natural Sci¬ 
ences. The result was satisfactory, beyond Mr. 
Gilman’s most sanguine hopes, The new fruit 
not, only passed triumphantly the ordeal uf a 
critical examination by that body, but was bap¬ 
tized Marin Uilnunal, 111 honor nf Its foster- 
parent. Hon. Goo. W. Clinton, tlie President, 
declared that a Her "consultation with David F. 
Day. Esq., the acute and critical botanist," (we 
quote Mr. Gilman,) he was satisfied that tho plant 
was a new species. The christening was duly 
performed, with tlio following formula: 
Fraijn na Gllm/tn i Cnulcdlchotnmn, foliUi tcinntts fn~ 
nolle petlalltLi, flarUnu heinnaphrodUit racemate caiiel- 
l ili un h uperfioUdihue. 
After oil this, it might have been supposed 
that tho eliding and merits of the sturdy infant 
were settled boyojmd question. It had only to 
thrive and spread itself to the great, profit of its 
proprietors, after the manner of the .Wonts inul- 
tlaudlH aiul Rohan potato. 
But tho practical horttaulturtots, with their 
prosv ideas, will not lei, il. alone. In the current, 
number ol Moore's Rural Nf.w-Yokki'.k is an 
article from liie pen of Andrew S. Fuller, the 
well-known horticultural author, instituting 
unpleasant comparisons between the promising 
youngster and Its cousin, the Monthly RM Air 
phut —iu fact, proving conclusively that the re¬ 
lationship is still closer. True, the latter be¬ 
longs to u very old family of the highest respettf- 
iihility. Bur. then it has become very much 
reduced in fortune- hi fact, very seedy— while 
such parvonues as the TrUniipUf ilc Raiul and 
NiCdnor, and even the vulgar and pietiiun Wil¬ 
son, have entirely usurped IM place in good 
society. After tho young upstart had turned 
it.* back on It* poor relation*, and had even sue- 
eeeded in pos-fug itself off as a member of tho 
strawberry aristocracy Oil ,«i distinguished a. 
botanist as Dav id F. Day, It. Ls mortifying lx- 
vond expression to be recognized und exposed 
iu lids manner by Mr. Fuller. The «ei nieant 
foreign Count at Karatoga, who was recognized 
as a barber by a man ho had repeatedly shaved, 
was left- in a position very simitar to that fit 
which Mr. Fuller's article ntuers the Mexican 
Everbearing Strawberry .—Buffalo Arpt'uio, 
