L5u 
the hushes up and peppered the worms with 
lime until the ground was white with it. A 
half dozen limes one season was enough; 
the worms are gone and the hushes do well. 
—II. 3 Iii.es, Pine Valky y N. V. 
An Enemy of ilie Colorado Potato Butt in 
Ohio. 
II. W., Shiloh, O., writes the Run at, New- 
Yorker :—“ A hug has been discovered here 
destroying the Colorado potato hug. Some 
patches of potatoes have been almost cleared 
of the latter by these new hugs, which are 
not numerous hut very active.” Cannot II. 
W. send us specimens of this new insect? 
Tlie Colorado l’oiato Bhr in Canndn. 
W. II If, Paris, Ontario, writes July 13: 
“ This morning the veritable Colorado pota¬ 
to bug w T as found here. From the appear¬ 
ance of some of the hills of potato vines, 
the ability to destroy is only limited by mini- 
hers." 
- +++ - 
Entomological Note*.— J. O. JOHNSON asks 
what will destroy wire worms. They are de¬ 
stroying his corn. 
MR BURRAS’ CORN HUSKING. 
On page 10, present volume of Rijbai. 
New Yorker, 8 , 0. wishes to know how 1 
can crih and husk 1,330 bushels of corn for 
$3. Had 8. C. applied the fundamental 
principle of mathematics to the column of 
figures, he would have found the product to 
he just $00 less than the sum total given, 
and a slight examination of the account 
would have shown the proper place to have 
credited it. The account should read sixty- 
three instead of three—a mistake, probably, 
of the type setter overlooked by the proof 
reader, or it may have been a mistake of 
mine; if so, I would beg leave to correct it. 
The cribbing and husking was a larger item 
of expense than usual, ns ciremnsl auccs were 
such that much had 1 <> lie hired husked, at 
five cents per bushel for the husking only. 
Some seasons the cost for husking and crib¬ 
bing will not average over four cents per 
bushel, and in others it has cost seven cents, 
owing to the difference in help, condition of 
fodder at the time of husking, and size of 
ear, Ac., Ac. 
Judging from the papers and practice of 
farmers, there is a wide difference of opinion 
upon many points in corn culture. 1 notice 
that many of your Eastern farmers think 
that corn should receive no cultivation after 
it is three feet high, claiming that the injury 1 
the roots sustain more than counterbalances 
any good effects. This may he the ease in 
some soils and under some circumstance?, 
but is not always so, as a thorough cultiva¬ 
tion, even after the corn lias silked out, lias 
proved of great benefit; and, as a rule, the 
more thoroughly worked, the hotter the crop. 
Thorough loosening of the soil by the 
plow, more than compensates for the loss of 
roots. An excellent tool for this purpose is 
1 lie double shovel plow, made in such a man¬ 
ner that instead of having to mount, a stone 
upon it to get it to di'j, you have to hold it 
up to keep from going too deep; then go 
through and pull every remaining weed and 
all extra stalks; these can tie saved and fed 
to stock if there are any amount. 
When to (.’in Corn. 
At what time shall we cut corn, and in 
what manner? Shall wo cut at the ground, 
top, or not cut at all? These me questions 
seldom discussed in our agricultural papers; 
still they should he thoroughly understood 
by all growers. I am aware that many East¬ 
ern growers practice topping; and if this is 
the best, method, we should all practice it. 
Contending that it is not , I will present a 
few thoughts in lavor of cutting at the 
ground. Leaves are the lungs of plants, and 
none can be removed while (lie crop is ma¬ 
turing, more particularly while ripening, 
without decreasing the amount of such crop. 
At the time that the lopping is usually done, 
the leaves removed are the lines most essen¬ 
tial to growth, and you prevent the corn 
from receiving the nutriment that it would 
have derived from them had they not been 
severed from the stalk. 
In cut ting corn we have in view the pres¬ 
ervation of the fodder for feeding purposes; 
to lie of much value it must lie cut. previous 
to frost; cut at the proper time and well 
saved, they make excellent feed ; hut cut 
after they have become dry and hard, or 
frost-bit ten, they are nearly worthless. I 
believe that it is an accepted fact, that wheat 
cut as soon as the kernel becomes hard, and 
while the straw is still green, properly 
shocked, improves in the shock, will make 
a heller quality of flour and more of it than 
if allowed to stand until the straw is dead 
ripe; and I have no doubt, hut corn cut at 
the ground before it is fully ripe, shocked 
well, will he of better quality than if allowed 
to stand until tins stalk lias become dry ; 
for, if cut at such time, the circulation 
of sap continues until the stalk becomes 
dried and the corn ripens and improves in 
the shock, whereas in topping you entirely 
remove that portion of the stalk most need¬ 
ed in the ripening process. There is cer¬ 
tainly a certain lime at which corn can he 
cut when the shrinkage in the corn will 
hear no comparison to the loss of fodder if 
allowed to stand longer; at. just what stage 
this is, each must judge for himself. My 
rule is, when the corn is all well glazed and 
rather more than half the ears begin to turn 
yellow, cut and put up in small shocks, and 
as soon as the corn is sulliciently cured to 
crib, husk, binding the fodder securely, and 
selling nine shocks of corn in one of fodder. 
O. Bunn as. 
North Fairfield, O., 1871. 
-- 
LOIS - WEED0N HUSBANDRY. 
The New York Slate Agricultural Socie¬ 
ty offers a premium of one hundred dollars 
for the best experiment in growing winter 
wheat upon the Lois-Wkedon system,which 
consists in growing the crop upon alternate 
strips of the field, the vacant strips being 
thoroughly and deeply cultivated as hare 
fallow during the season, and sown in the 
autumn to bear a crop the next year, dur¬ 
ing the growth of which the aluhble strips 
are cultivated, and so on for n series of years, 
no manure being used during the course. 
Seven plots of equal size, not less limn one- 
tenth of an acre each, in the same field, and 
of as nearly equal character and condition 
as possible, Shall be taken and treated as 
follows: 
No. 1 to he continuously cropped with 
winter wheat upon the Lois-Wkeden sys¬ 
tem, the alternate spaces or st rips to he twen¬ 
ty-seven inches, the wheat strips to he drilled 
with three rows at nine inches. No. 3 to he 
alternately wheat (drilled) and hare fallow in 
the ordinary way, beginning with wheat. 
No. 3 to be alternately wheat (broadcast) and 
hare fallow, beginning with wheat. No. 4 
to he ns plot No. 3, hut beginning with fal¬ 
low. No, 5 as No. 3, hut beginning with 
fallow. No. 0 to he duplicate of No. 1. No. 
7 to he the same as No. 1, but the" wheat 
drills to he hoed in the spring, if possible 
twice. 
'I’lie same kind of wheat to be grown 
upon illl the plots throughout the experi¬ 
ment, and in preference the hardiest kind 
known in the vicinity. The quantity of 
seed on Nos. 1, 0 and 7, to he three pecks to 
the acre—which would be six peeks to the 
aero if the whole ground were sown ; on 
Nos. 3 and 4, six pecks to the acre; and on 
Nos, 3 and 5 not more than eight peeks to 
the acre, all the plots to he sown on same 
days. No manure whatever to he applied 
in special preparation for or during the 
course, which shall he three years, and at 
the end of that time, if the experiment for 
which the premium is awarded promises 
valuable results, the same to he continued 
three years longer at the option of the So¬ 
ciety under the same renewed offer of pre¬ 
mium, 'I’lie results to lie 'accurately re¬ 
ported immediately after each harvest. 
Persons desiring to engage in these ex¬ 
periments are requested to notify the Sec¬ 
retary before the 1st day of September, and 
if desired, further explanation and informa¬ 
tion will he given. 
-- 
COST OF GROWING CORN IN ILLINOIS. 
B. F. J., a Champaign Co., Ill., correspon¬ 
dent of the Country Gentleman, says:—“ Ten 
hours and ten minutes are required to make 
an acre of corn, according to the experience 
and judgment of that great forty thousand 
acre corn farmer, Mon. M. L. Sui.livant <4 
Iroquois county in this Stale. In conver¬ 
sation recently with this writer, Mr. Suli.i- 
VANT said in substance;—I raised six thou¬ 
sand acres of corn, nearly, last year; this 
year 1 have ten thousand, mid next year I 
Intend to have sixteen thousand. My crop 
averaged forty bushels an acre Inst year, and 
1 think it will do as well this. 3Iy land is 
new, and of course comparatively free of 
weeds—I am satisfied it Ought not to require 
over one day to the acre to make a crop of 
corn. Last year the average lime per acre 
was one. day of ten hours and ten minutes 
over. 1 plowed the land, harrowed, planted, 
rolled and cultivated three times. I required 
my teams to plow two acres, plant sixteen, 
cultivate seven ami a-lialf and harrow and 
roll in proportion for a day’s work. One 
man with a team and wagon, will not husk, 
haul and crih over one acre per day, average; 
so that making the crop is not more than 
half the expense of raising it. 
Whether 1 own the teams and hire the 
men, and feed and lodge both, or whether I 
hire by the day’s work, $3 per day is about 
the worth of a man and team and the use of 
the necessary loots. I estimate it costs 
fifteen cents a bushel to grow corn. Tl is 
about the only crop that, will pay to go into 
hugely, because it is the only sure one, year 
in and year out.. The Decatur and Chicago 
Railroad runs eleven miles through my land. 
It will lie finished this fall. 1 gave the com- ! 
pony the right of way and thirty thousand 
dollars gratuity, considering that its con- , 
struclion would add $10 an acre to forty < 
thousand acres. Such is Air. Sulltvant’s 
present estimate of the cost of raising corn 
and the value of railroads in appreciating 
farm lands. That Mi - . Bullivant cannot 
grow corn at fifteen cants per bushel, I do 
not pretend to say ; but it is my own judg¬ 
ment, and 1 can reinforce it by the testi¬ 
mony of the best farmers in Central Illinois, 
that the prime cost of growing corn, every 
item ami expense considered, lias been, for 
the last five years, almost three times Ids es¬ 
timate—that is, from thirty five to forty cents. 
-♦♦♦-- 
FIELD NOTES AND QUERIES. 
White Maltese Wheat. 
Is the white Maltese wheat grown in some 
of the Western States a winter or spring 
wheal? Who can give its history and tell 
of its merits from experience?—M. A. Simp¬ 
son. 
To Keep IIiirh from Troiililina J’otnfnem, 
“A Young Farmer” writes the Western 
Farmer:—'"To keep potatoes from being 
troubled with the hugs, put. the potatoes on 
the ground and cover them with straw. The 
hugs have never been on my potatoes, and 
I have had them that way two seasons and 
I think they will not trouble them, though 
they are thick elsewhere.” 
Iiifnrinnlion About Wheat Wauled. 
I SUGGEST that your correspondents in 
the wheat growing districts tell each other 
something about their experience the pres¬ 
ent year with the. different varieties of win¬ 
ter wheat. Really wo know too little about 
the merits of varieties. If you would give 
space to such experiences before ihe time 
for fall seeding, you would greatly oblige an 
—Old Farmer. 
fulling; vn. I’mmi itrintr Clover. 
In considering this question, the Mark 
Lane Express takes the ground tlml land 
from which a second crop of clover has been 
out and carried away, is in heller condition 
for the grow I h of w heat than when the same 
clover is consumed upon the field on which 
it is grown. Indeed, we may go .so far as to 
say that even when such clover has been al¬ 
lowed to stand for seed, if is not uncommon 
for the. same, result to he observable. It 
thinks that pasturing dwarfs the growth of 
the clover plant, and it does not, therefore, 
accumulate so much vegetable matter in the 
roots, ns when allowed to attain full growth 
as before cutting. Besides, the advantages of 
shade to the. soil are lost, The manure left by 
stock in feeding off the clover, does not com¬ 
pensate for the loss of these advantages. If 
this view is rorfWt, it follows that the best 
method ol Using clover for enriching the soil 
would be to let the entire growth remain on 
the ground,neither pasturing nor mowing it. 
And this, we think, is sound practice. 
AI tn till for lln; Son III. 
Tite Practical Planter answers an inquiry 
by saying:—“California, burr clover would 
he successful'; so would Alfalfa; and red 
clover, we hold, has passed beyond the point, 
of doubt. We advise every reader of the 
Planter to sow a few pounds of Alfalfa Ibis 
fall. The Lcspedeza Striata was a false 
alarm.” Commenting on the foregoing, the 
editor of the Southland says; — “If our 
brethren succeed in introducing the Alfalfa, 
they will thereby create an alarm that they 
will regret is not false. AVe are informed by 
intelligent gentlemen, who have spent some 
years in California and have experimented 
extensively with Alfalfa, that it is the most 
intolerable curse that ever infested a farm, 
not even excepting the Coco or Nut Grass. 
They describe it as a very coarse grow th, 
the leaves on the. trifolium order, the stems 
large and decidedly woody—so much so 
that cattle eat it only when driven thereto 
by extreme hunger. When Ihe worthless 
stuff once gets a hold, it is next to impossi¬ 
ble to eradicate it.” 
Muhins SI,100 out of ISix Acres. 
The Memphis Avalanche records, as 
among the most remarkable results of farm¬ 
ing on a small scale, the crops raised last 
year by O. M. Dnuttv of J)e Soto county, 
Mississippi. lie went to Mississippi, went 
into fanning to the extent of six acres, one- 
half of which he devoted to cotton, and the 
other half to grain and root crops. Recent¬ 
ly the, house in Memphis, with which his 
business in this city was transacted, closed 
out the last of his products, and made to 
him an account of sales, showing the follow¬ 
ing result : 
Sweet potatoes, net...._ 
Five bales of cotton, net. 
Total........*1,101 
The average weight of the cotton was 
441 pounds per hale, and the average yield 
per acre 735 pounds. Besides what the pro¬ 
ducer marketed, he raised on the six acres 
enough oats, vegetables, Ac., and half 
enough corn for the use of his stock and 
household, which left him only some gro¬ 
ceries luul a little meat to purchase. Ji is 
presumed that lie will raise his own meal 
this season. In preparing Ihe land, Mr. 
Ditifitv plowed with a Brinley Plow, suh- 
soiling with what is termed a full longue. 
In bedding he used stable manure and 
wood-pile Inish, and incucli acre he applied 
one bushel of salt. The average of his pro¬ 
ducts per acre, as marketed, was $184. 
I 1 ” Apiarian. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS, 
The Best Bee to Keep. 
"Where a large number of hives are to he 
kept, in one place, we think the Italian lice 
is superior to any other. We would not ad¬ 
vise any one, however, to try this bee if they 
do not intend to give their bees care and at¬ 
tention. Where bees are to he left to take 
care of themselves, we do not think the 
Italian equal to the native. Let, no one en¬ 
gage in bee culture with a view of making 
money thereby, without labor. The best 
way, where one has the black bees, is in our 
opinion, to purchase queens of reliable thal¬ 
ers, and Italianize them. This we think is 
preferable to purchasing full colonies. 
Artificial Swarming. 
The term artificial swarming is used when 
bees arc increased by artificial means, or 
when new swarms arc secured in any hut the 
natural way. In the Rural New-Yorker 
of December 17,1870, will he found a method 
whereby bees may he safely increased by ar¬ 
tificial swarming. 
Been in Winter. 
Bees require much care and attention to 
he successfully wintered. The great loss of 
bees in the winter season is one great im¬ 
pediment to successful bee-keeping with the 
majority of apiarians. Nevertheless, bees 
can he wintered with no more danger of loss 
than is experienced by Ihe skillful herdsman 
with his slock. We will, in a future num¬ 
ber of the Rural New-Yorker, in season 
for the coming winter, give such information 
as will enable the novice to safely carry his 
bees through the winter. 
Hives. 
The size and shape of hives which are best 
adapted to the wants of the bee-keeper will 
materially depend on his surroundings. If 
lie wishes to obtain the greatest amount of 
surplus honey, with u moderate increase of 
swarms, and is willing to give his bees the 
attention and care they should receive, a 
shallow form ofliive will he found preferable 
to any other. A hive of this shape will 
require more care and skill to winter in Hum 
one of greater depth of comb; while, as bees 
arc usually managed, it will not cast ns early 
swarms. To all who wish to make bee¬ 
keeping a business, and are willing to give 
their bees Ihe care and attention they should 
receive, ! would recommend a frame nine 
inches in depth and sixteen inches in length. 
Use ten frames to l lie hive, and you will have 
the right size. We have received a good 
many inquiries in regard to the hive which 
we recommended in the. Rural New- 
Yo riser of December 17, 1870, which we 
answer as follows : 
The description we then gave of the hive 
was an imperfect one and ought to have 
been corrected before this. A honey-hoard 
made of lumber one-half an inch thick, and 
as large as the top of the hive is to he used 
when a newswarm is hived to keep the bees 
below until they have built combs in nearly 
all the frames. It should contain several 
good sized openings, say two by four inches, 
thus giving the bees a chance to work above 
in boxes when the hive is full, or nearly so, 
below. Cover these openings when a new 
swarm is hived, for a week or two, when 
they may he removed and boxes, having 
openings to correspond w ith those in the 
honev-hoard, may he put on. The dimen- 
tions we gave for the cap of the hive, were 
inside measure. When the} - are so made 
there will he no trouble in filling them on 
the hive. The piece in front of the hive at 
the bottom should have a couple of openings 
three inches long by one-half an inch deep, 
cut out so that the bees may pass in and out 
of the hive. In hiving a swarm take out the 
entrance-strip, spread a cotton sheet on tlie 
ground in front of the hive, letting it reach 
over the alighting board. Now shake your 
swarm directly in front of the hive, and 
direct the bees toward the entrance with a 
wing. As soon as they are all in replace 
the entrance block, and carry the hive to 
the stand it is to occupy. 
Bees do not commonly build comb be¬ 
tween the end of the frames and the hive, 
unless they are crowded for room. The 
space between the ends of the frames should 
not be more than three-eighths of an inch. 
We have not as yet seen or used a hive 
which gives first-rale satisfaction. To over¬ 
come the objections which other hives em¬ 
body in their construction, wc have invent¬ 
ed a hive of our own (don’t he scared, reader, 
for it. is not. patented nor will it he) which in 
some particulars we think Avill excel any¬ 
thing now in use. Tf, after ft thorough trial, 
it shall he found to give as good satisfaction 
as I hope it will, 1 w ill then give a descrip¬ 
tion of it to the public. 
The Moth Miller. 
The best protection against the moth is 
strong swarms. Where the moth has ob¬ 
tained a foothold in old box hives, we know 
of no better plan to save them than to trans¬ 
fer them to a new hive containing movable 
frames. This may be done any time f ro , n 
April till August. We have given full direc- 
tions for transferring, in a previous number 
of the Rural. Herbert A. Burch. 
Frodoiiiu, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. 
P. 8.—Our correspondents will please 
send their inquiries hereafter to our address 
above, and they will he answered through 
the Rural without delay. 
In Mirim- 
IMPROVED CHESTER HOGS. 
TnERE is considerable ink being slied on 
the many famous breeds of hogs; some tak¬ 
ing grounds more particularly in favor of the 
Magio hog, originated in Butler Co., O. [ 
have had a little experience with that breed 
of hogs. Their color is spotted, black and 
white, often more black than white. The 
color and fineness of hone are the great ob¬ 
jections to the slock in this section. They 
grow to a great, size, are docile, good enters, 
and will fatten at any age. I know of in¬ 
stances when fattened young, their legs were 
not strong enough to hold them up. They 
would not even get up to eat. 
As regards the Chester Whites, tlu-y arc 
a good breed of hogs, hut, generally too short 
bodied to make largo hogs. The improved 
Chesters, originated by L, B. Silver, Co¬ 
lumbiana Co., ().,are fast taking the place of 
all other breeds here. They are an improved 
stock. They are a white hog, and grow to 
an immense size at an early age. At 20’4 
months old, they have attained the enormous 
weight of 1,280 and 1,330 pounds, gross. 
Good length, well proportioned bodies, hear¬ 
ty eaters (hut not “hogs,”) fatten readily at 
any age. I am fully satisfied there can he 
the most, flesh produced with the least 
amount of food consumed, in the least time, 
of any breed of hogs I ever knew. I have a 
pair <»f Ihissloek of hogs. When received, 
they were six and night weeks old, and 
weighed, together, 75 pounds, gross; in 17 
days they gained 100 pounds, making 235. 
I fed them well, of course, hut did not. give 
them all they could eat. I think I could 
have made them 250 pounds had I done so. 
They, as a matter of fuel, did not grow any, 
or but. little, for several days after tlieir long 
ride, notw ithstanding they made an average 
gain of nearly 31g pounds per day. 1 have a 
litter of pigs now that are perfect beauties. 
The hoar is about, ten months old, will w eigh 
300 or over, is fed nothing hut about three 
quarts of bran, mixed, in dish water, daily. 
Ilad I pushed this hog from the start, 1 think 
he would have weighed 550 or 000 now,— 
perhaps more. My hogs are admired by ail 
who see them. One old farmer, eighty years 
of age, says they are the best lie ever saw. 
F. W. Hatley. 
- *■■*■■*■ - 
NOTES FOR SWINE-HERDS. 
Seoul's in l*is;s. 
If I. A. K. of Polk City, Iowa, will give 
his pigs a few doses of blackberry root tea, 
1 think they w ill he cured of scours in a very 
short time.—F. T. M., Frederirkshurtj, Vn. 
Slioi-fFoeed Lauen wtiiee I’itc*. 
The National Live Stock Journal is re¬ 
sponsible for the statement that Air. Loose 
of Springfield, Ill., paid Messrs. Byurs & 
Campbell of Ohio $800 lor a pair of short- 
faced Lancashire pigs — a variety recently 
introduced into this country. 
Kidney Worms ill Swim 1 . 
A correspondent says:—“ Score troubled 
swine lengthwise of the hack, over the kid¬ 
neys, about two inches long and one inch 
deep, and fill it, with salt. I have practiced 
this for fifteen years without any failure to 
cure.” We should prefer the turpentine 
remedy heretofore recommended in these 
columns. 
Tn liim; lines. 
1 have tried this plan, and it did so well I 
will give it to others who wish to try it : 
Take :t plank, say fifteen inches wide, and 
boro a hole in it, and nail a strip, an inch and 
a half thick, across for the hog’s head to 
rest on; then pass a rope, double, through the 
hole, the rope being of sufficient length to 
let a lever or treadle rest, in the lower end. 
When your hog is placed on the hoard slip 
the rope into its mouth aiul over the upper 
jaw; then place your foot on the lever, and 
your hog is fast, and you can cut the snout 
or ring him at your leisure. M. N. 
Hoar Clin leva in Tennessee. 
1 would like very much to call your at¬ 
tention to that terrible scourge which is now 
ravaging this county, called Jn>g cholera. 
Cannot some one find u remedy for it? The 
Kenluckv Legislature has offered a reward 
of $15,000 for a specific cure. We are losing 
all onr hogs here—some not having any at 
all left, others only u few in a diseased state 
from which they never fully recover. I think 
it is time doctors and surgeons bad taken 
hold of Ihe matter. It has become very dif¬ 
ficult to raise a family supply of bacon here 
now, while ten or fifteen years ago a great 
deal was made for market.—T. 31. B., Clo-rks- 
ville, Term. 
