deal of worse than useless labor is expended 
in hilling potatoes, as well as corn and 
other crops. Won't some of the farmers in 
different parts of the country try the ex¬ 
periment of level culture of potatoes next 
year, and report the result to the Rural 
New-Yorker? 
Experiment with Applying Superphosphate 
to Potatoes. 
I also planted one-fourth of an acre with 
Peerless, with just one bushel cut to single 
eyes, two pieces in each hill; soil, light 
sandy loam, manured with a shovelful of 
yard manure to four hills. On half of the 
piece in alternate rows, a small tablespoon¬ 
ful of superphosphate was put in each hill. 
Before the last hoeing a handful of un¬ 
leached wood ashes was put on the hills of 
the whole piece. The half on which phos¬ 
phate was put produced seventeen bushels 
and ten pounds of iarge, and five bushels 
and fifty pounds of small potatoes. The 
part where no phosphate was ptitproduoed 
thirteen bushels and thirty-five pounds of 
large, and seven bushels and fifty - five 
pounds of small potatoes—a gain of three 
bushels and thirty-five pounds of large po¬ 
tatoes in favor of the phosphate, and a gain 
of two bushels and five pounds of small po¬ 
tatoes in favor of no phosphate. The value 
of the phosphate applied to one-eighth of 
an acre wus fifty cents. 
1 have cultivated some twenty-five varie¬ 
ties of potatoes, and think the Peerless is 
the best of them all in quality, productive¬ 
ness and freedom from disease. Several 
varieties planted close to the Peerless this 
year rotted badly, while scarcely a tuber of 
the Peerless was affected. L. w. g. 
Amherst, Mass. 
SOWING GRASS SEEDS. 
We prefer (In answer to several inquiries 
on our table) tn sow grass seed early in the 
Fall, or late in Summer, so that the plant 
may get well established before the ground 
freezes. If sowed late in the Fall, and yet 
early enough for the seed, to germinate the 
young plants are more likely to winter-kill 
and the seed is lost. Tf the seeding cannot 
be done early in the Fall, wait'until Febru¬ 
ary to April. Sown at, any time after 
February the seed will germinate early and 
get a full season’s growth. 
We recommend the reseeding of both 
pastures and meadows. Especially is it 
important in the case of meadows where 
the practice is to out the crop while in 
bloom or before the seed drops; and es¬ 
pecially if it is in the main a Timothy 
meadow. For Timothy is a biennial grass 
and will “runout" in two years if not re¬ 
newed by reseeding—hence the remark 
common among farmers that the red clover 
runs the Timothy out. This rule also ap¬ 
plies to closely fed pastures. I ho constant 
cropping with only the tough, wiry, wild 
grasses which the stock will uot eat, going 
to seed, soon runs out the bettor sorts, un¬ 
less seed is sown more frequently than it 
is. Harrow over the old pastures and give 
them a re-seeding with white clover,orchard 
grass, Timothy, redtop, etc., once in two or 
three years, and increased forage will repay 
the trouble. 
Lands that are overflowed in the Fall and 
Winter, aud arc liable to be washed badly 
by snob overflow, whether pasture 01 
meadow, are better for frequent re-seeding. 
Indeed, it is essential if the tame grasses 
are to be kept in them at all; otherwise the 
coarse, innutritions marsh grasses will 
surely succeed them. On such lands the 
seeds should be sown as soon as the water 
has subsided from them in Spring. 
---- 
FIELD NOTES AND QUERIE8.EJ 
Oswego Potato.—This is the name of a 
new seedling grown by S. Worden of Os¬ 
wego county. New York, which he says 
was raised from a seed ball of Early Rose, 
fertilized with Vauderveer. Grown beside 
Early Rose, Campbell’s Late Rose, Excel¬ 
sior, Peerless, Davis’ Seedling and others, 
in yield it was uot excelled by any. lie 
has grown them three years without sign 
of rot. Tops bushy, light green, ripen with 
Davis' seedling; produce but few small 
oues. He says nothing as regards their 
comparative quality. 
The Late Roses.—A half-dozen potatoes, 
more or less, called respectively “Late 
Rose," yet all unlike and eaoh said to excel 
the other, were put on the market last 
Sprlug. Cannot some of the Rural’s read¬ 
ers who have grown them give us some in¬ 
formation as to their respective merits?— 
Jhtrir of a 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
fROM THE DIARY OF A GENTLEMAK HEAR HEW YORK CITY. 
Camellias Blooming. — Nov. 18.—The _ 
opening of several Camellia flowers this 
morning reminds me of the many com- t| 
plaints 1 have heard about the uncertainty ^ 
of success with these beautiful plants. It 
is true t here is an abundance of time for 
camellias to drop their buds, as these are 2 
formed live or six months before the flow- t 
ers appear, and extremes in dryness or too t 
much water will certainly produce disas- t 
trous results; but too high a temperature s 
is more fatal than either of the other two, li 
still I do not know of any exotic evergreen ] 
that will succeed with less care. I think v 
that too frequent watering, re-potting and r 
the application of stimulating manures, j 
kills more camellias than neglect. 1 have t 
cultivated many varieties of this plant 1 
with success; in fact a dozen choice sorts 
was almost my first venture in house plants, t 
when a young man, and before the Rural c 
New-Yorker existed, and although my 1 
treatment may not differ materially from 1 
that generally practiced by florists, I will i 
I ive it for tdio benefit of those who are not t 
iccesaful. J prefer a good, stiff, but rich, 1 
lainy soil and leaf mold from the woods, in i 
qual parts. Jf the soil is not rich enough, i 
very little old cow manure is added; hut 1 
liis should he broken up fine and thorough- i 
7 incorporated with the other two. When > 
lauts are received from dealers the ball < 
bout the roots should not he broken, but 
laced in pots a little larger than the ones 
ii which they were grown. If taken from 
live-inch pot, put them in a six-inch, giv- 
ng plenty of drainage; and bo careful to 
,aol< t he iresh soil firmly about the roots, 
or if this is neglected, the water applied 
,ftcr re-potting will pass down the sides of 
he pots, and not soak into the soil about 
ho roots. 
1 re-pot my plant s only once a year, do¬ 
ng this just after blooming. The plants 
hen commence their new growth, and from 
Ills time until Spring give plenty of water 
iverhoad, washing the leaves thoroughly 
vith clean water every evening, but never 
ipply it when the sun is shlnlug upon the 
ilantB. The temperature of a house where 
ithertender plants are grown is usually too 
ligh for camellias; but by placing them in 
he coolest part, or whore fresh air can be 
requently given, they will not Buffer. 
As soon as all danger of frost is over I 
’emove the plants to a shady place in the 
ipen ground, and plunge the pots up to 
,he rim in sand or other light soil, and let 
diem remain there until there is danger of 
freezing in the Fall. During the Summer 
-hey are watered occasionally if there is a 
iroutll, or danger that they will suffer for 
want of moisture. When brought in from 
the open ground the plants should he placed 
in an atmosphere that is not above 66 to 65“ 
Fahr., aud given plenty of air, shading the 
plants during the middle* of the day. Ca¬ 
mellias require a cool atmosphere while 
blooming; even a little frost is uot so inju¬ 
rious as too great beat, lu watering, apply 
it liberally whenever required; hut do not 
give a liLtle at a time and every day, for 
this will only moisten the surface while the 
center of the ball of earth about the roots 
maj T remain dry as dust. All that is re¬ 
quired is to keep the entire soil moist hut 
not constantly saturated with water. If 
the plants become sickly aud the leaves 
t urn yellow and drop off, re-pot aud remove 
all the soil from the roots and wash clean, 
then put them in fresh soil, aud cut away 
tbo greater port ion of ibe branches. 
Exoehordia Grandiflora.—Nov. 10.—1 
procured a plant of this beautiful Chinese 
shrub several years ago, and planted it in 
the border adjoining my lawn, where it has 
grown rapidly, showing its magnificent 
flowers every Spring and in the greatest 
profusion. This plant is yet so scarce in 
the nurseries that very small specimens 
sell for a dollar each. ;l think the soarcity 
and consequent high price is owing to the 
difficulty of propagation; at least, it has 
puzzled mo more or less for several years, 
as outtiugs of ripe wood have failed to 
show any signs of rooting, no matter how 
carefully handled. Perhaps cuttings of 
the green wood, grown under glass, might 
do better; this method I have not tried, but 
shall the present Winter. I put down lay¬ 
ers two years ago, and they failed to pro¬ 
duce roots the first season; but upon ex¬ 
amination to-day, I find about half are well 
furnished with roots and in good condition 
for removal from the parent plant. This 
waiting two years for layers to produce 
roots is not a very rapid method of propa¬ 
gation. still, the Exoehordia is no worse 
than Moss Roses, Magnolias, and many 
other plants that might he named. 
This Chinese novelty is a grand addition 
to our gardens, and if it is difficult to prop¬ 
agate it will be more highly appreciated. 
One of the best representations of a ma¬ 
ture plant that I have seen, appeared in the 
Rural New-Yorker of Oct. 30,1860. 
Taking Up Rooted Cuttings. — Nov. 
;>l.—As long as the ground remains open 1 
try to find something for my men to do 
that will save time next Spring. To-dny 
they have been taking up the cuttings of 
shrubs, currants and grape vines, planted 
last Spring. Most of these would no doubt 
passthrough the Winter unharmed if left 
where they had grown, but to make good 
plants next year they will require trans¬ 
planting in order to give them more room, 
therefore if taken up and lieeled-in this 
Fall, so much time will he gained on next 
Spring’s work. In addition to this there is 
danger of injury to small, feebly-rooted 
cuttings being thrown out by the frosts of 
Winter, but if taken up in the Fall of the 
first season and carefully buried this is 
avoided. Seedlings of forest and fruit 
trees often suffer by beiug drawn out by 
frosts the first season, especially if grown 
in soils not well underdrained, and the only 
safe way of preserving is to take up and 
heel-in. If there was no danger of field 
mice gnawing them, a light mulch of leaves 
or coarse hay would prevent heaving out 
during the Whiter and Spring. The first 
Winter is the uncertain time with all 
hardy plants raised front cuttings or seeds. 
No Plants For Sale.— Non. 23.—T con¬ 
clude from the many letters addressed to 
me (care of the Ruhal New-Yorker) that 
a majority of our people think a man can¬ 
not write about plants or anything else ex¬ 
cept for the purpose of making money out 
of the same. A few weeks since I men¬ 
tioned my bed of Bush Alpine Strawber¬ 
ries; Immediately there came a score of 
letters asking the price of plants, and the 
same thing has occurred in regard to other 
plants that 1 have named, in this Diary. I 
now beg to inform the readers of these col¬ 
umns, that “Daily Rural Life” has no 
plants of any kind for sale,mid it is useless 
to write him on the subject. But T am not 
penurious, selfish or deaf to the expressed 
wants of those who are not as rich in the 
beautiful things of this world as myself, 
and shall always bo pleased to exchange 
plants; or plants for insects, minerals, 
shells or other specimens belonging to any 
branch of natural history. Every man and 
woman is said to have a soft side, or a weak 
spot, if we can only find it; and 1 own that 
mine is to love a knowledge of nature far 
more than money; and if anybody desires 
to make me feel their attacks, they must 
hit me there. 
IlDgicntc 
GARGET AND BLOODY MILK- 
I have had considerable experience with 
cows having the above complaint, for the 
past few years, and have tried various rem¬ 
edies, such as saltpeter, pulverized very 
fine, giving one tablespoonful at a dose, 
mixed with one quart of bran or meal; then 
T have used with good success, skoko (or im¬ 
properly poke) root, by Bcraping or chopiug 
t he root very line, and administering it by 
cutting out the heart of a good-sized pota¬ 
to, putting the ingredients in it and then 
giving it to the animal. In many localities 
this root can not be found; and then if it is 
wanted after the ground is frozen, it is hard 
to be got. It might be dug in the Summer 
or Fall and kept for future use, but 1 would 
prefer the fresh root. 
One year ago, two of my heifers had the 
above complaint very bad, so I got a pre¬ 
scription of a veterinary surgeon and 
thought that I had them cured; hut in a 
couple of weeks, the disease made its ap¬ 
pearance again, as bad as over. I had heard 
that beans were good for garget, so I 
thought that 1 would try them, and did so 
with good success. Scald one quart of 
white, black, or yellow beans, letting them 
stand for an hour or so to thoroughly soft¬ 
en, and give the above amount per cow, 
morning and night, for severe cases. In or¬ 
der to administer it, mix the beans with a 
little meal, applying some salt to the mix¬ 
ture. Try it and report in the columns of 
the Rural. Lexington. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
HEREFORDS VS. SHORT-HORNS. 
The late Gov. CRAPO, Flint, Mich., had a 
herd of Ilerefords of which he said“ The 
Herefords have done extremely well; in 
fact they could have done no better. They 
have had no more than ordinary keeping 
and yet they are in prime condition, and 
their coats are very fine. I have little doubt 
that the Ilerefords will yet be the stock for 
Michigan. They are docile and hardy, be¬ 
sides being very easy keepers, and I have 
no doubt will stand a lone, severe Winter, 
aud come out ahead of the Short-Horns in 
the Spring on two-thirds the cost of keep¬ 
ing. I ani pleased with them, and shull in¬ 
crease the number of my herd as rapidly 
as possible, being confident that as soon as 
their merits are known they will bo appre¬ 
ciated. There is now almost a mania 
through the country in favor of the Short- 
Horns, wliich 1 am free to admit are a noble 
and valuable breed of cattle; but they are 
adapted to the luxuriant pastures and 
milder climate of Kentucky rather than to 
Michigan. I am obliged to feed my Short- 
Horns nearly twice the grain that 1 do the 
i Herefords to keep them in the same condi¬ 
tion. Short-Horns are undoubtedly a val¬ 
uable breed with which to procure grades 
. by crossing wit h our common stock, where 
meat is the object; hut for a thoroughbred 
race of cattle, I have no doubt that in 
Michigan the Herefords for grazing pur¬ 
poses will prove unrivaled.” 
HYGIENIC NOTES. 
Remedy for Painful Wounds.—The 
enclosed is excellent and ought to be pub¬ 
lished once a year. I found it in a paper 
sometime ago, have tried it and can recom¬ 
ment it from experience:—Take a pan or 
shovel with burning coals aud sprinkle 
upon them common brown sugar, aud hold 
the wounded part in the smoke. In a few 
minutes the pain will be allayed, and recov¬ 
ery proceeds rapidly. In my oaso a rusty 
nail had made a bad wound in the bottom 
of my foot. The pain and nervous irritata- 
tion was severe. This was all removed by 
holding it in the smoke for fifteen minutes, 
and I was able to resume my reading in 
comfort. Wo have often recommended it 
to others with like results, Last week one 
of my men had a finger nail torn out by a 
pair of ice tongs. It became very painful, 
as was to have been expected. Held in 
sugar smoke for twenty minutes, the pain 
ceased, and promised speedy recovery- 
Camphor Ointment, — One ounce of 1 
spermaceti; 1 oz. white wax; oz. cam¬ 
phor gum; 2 oz. lard; melt over a slow fire. 
Add the camphor gum after the other has 
dissolved.—v. R. 
Hygienic Inquiries.—“ An old sub¬ 
scriber” a9ks some one to furnish him a 
recipe for good stimulating hitters without 
liquor—is billious and has cold feet. 
BLACK-LEG IN CATTLE. 
A CORRESPONDENT of the RURAL NEW- 
Yorker of Nov. 16th, asks for a cure for 
black-leg in cattle. You confess you know 
nothing of the disease. YoUATT & Mar¬ 
tin describe it uuder the head of “ inflam¬ 
matory fever.” It is also called “joint 
murrain,” “ quarter evil,” etc. lu this vi¬ 
cinity it is quite common, and is accepted 
as incurable, the disease running its course 
in from twelve to iwenty-four hours, and 
has been known to kill in eight to ten hours 
from the first perceivable symptoms. De¬ 
pletion is the remedy, or, rather, preven¬ 
tion. A little blood-letting from the tail, 
(or even ears,) physic, and a change to short 
pastures, or one not quite so rich. It near¬ 
ly always attacks young cattle in good flesh, 
hence tlic treatment. In neighborhoods 
where this disease Is prevalent, salt ought 
to be fed freely, and if mixed with sulphur 
occasionally, all the l etter. After the 
symptoms appear, I never saw anything 
done that saved life; have seen it prolonged 
by heavy blood-letting for several hours. 
It is as well, however, to kill the poor beast 
aud end its misery. S. E. Willard. 
Herkimer N. Y. 
Growing’ and Breaking a Yoke of 
Steers.— Will some of your readers give me 
iustructions for growing and breaking a 
yoke of steers.—O ld Subscriber. 
LVkW 
