■itlb (Crops. 
WHY TOBACCO SHOULD BE TOPPED, 
A writer in Tolmeco Leaf, tells why 
tobacco should be topped and the suckers 
removed as follows:—“ Topping is doue to 
throw the strength, which would go to de¬ 
velop seeds, into the leaves. It must, there¬ 
fore, be done as early as the seed buds show 
themselves, if not earlier. This work must 
be done, and the question is, How to do it? 
If there are but few leaves on the plant, even 
these will not ripen if it is not topped; if 
there are many, then the grower has the 
choice either to break off the flower stalk 
only, or to take off one or more leaves also. 
This should be done in answer to the ques¬ 
tions—1st. Is there lime enough to ripen even 
the upper leaves fully ? 2d. Are the plant and 
soil strong enough to ripen all the leaves, 
even the upper ones? The answer to these 
queries will decide the way of topping. If 
yes, he lakes off the flower stalk only. If no, 
he tops to eight, ten, t welve, fourteen, or six¬ 
teen leaves, according to his judgment: that 
is, he allows so many leaves to remain on the 
plant. Here will he seen the importance 
and benefit, of starting the plants early from 
seed. This alone may increase the yield one- 
half. 
Suckering follows after topping, and is 
done for the same reason—to concentrate the 
strength of the plant in the lea ves. A sucker 
is a little branch appearing at the place 
where the stem of the tobacco leaf joins the 
stalk. They draw off nutriment, while they 
will never he good for anything, and there¬ 
fore must ho removed. This is one of the 
tiresome operations in tobacco culture, for 
these suckers do not all appear at. the same 
t ime. They first appear on the lower leaves, 
then on the middle, and lastly at the top 
leaves. They even push out again some¬ 
times after they have been removed. They 
demand the planter’s whole attention, and he 
has no rest on account of them until the 
plant is fully matured. 
Priming, topping and suckering must he 
done during a rain, or when the dew is on 
the plant, or they will get rust spots, which 
will get larger every day, and at last destroy 
the whole leaf. 
-- 4 -*~*- 
FIELD NOTES AND QUERIES, 
- r 
Witch Grans. 
Please find enclosed sample of grass for 
a name. This kind of grass has made its 
appearance with us in the past few years, 
and grows where other grass has run out. 
This samplo grew under favorable circum¬ 
stances beside the fence, but in the field it 
covers the ground completely like a mat, A 
mowing machine has to be in good order to 
go through it. Is this common in other 
places, and what is its name?— Pouter 
Frisbee, Delhi, N. 7. 
The scientific name of this grass is Pani- 
cum capillare. It is also known as Witch 
grass, as it appears in stubble and cornfields 
late in the season. It is worthless for feed¬ 
ing, and should ho treated as a weed and 
exterminated if possible. 
Spvinu nnil Winter Burley. 
Will you inform me if barley with six 
rows is superior to the two and four rowed 
barley, and will it do to sow spring barley 
in the fall, and, if so, at what lime?— b. o. b. 
Six rowed barley is, we believe, the varie¬ 
ty most, generally cultivated and is consid¬ 
ered superior to the two rowed, although 
in some localities the four rowed is preferred. 
There is both a winter and spring variety of 
the six rowed, and originated from the same 
species, hut we presume that 1 heir habits 
have become so permanently fixed during 
long cultivation that it would not do to 
change the season of sowing. We should 
be happy to hear from any one who has ex¬ 
perimented to determine whether it would 
do to change the time of sowing or not. 
Corn after Whcut, 
The experiment of the President of the 
Illinois Agricultural Society in planting corn 
immediately after harvest, is practiced with 
success in part of North Carolina. Tt was 
the custom of my father to select a good lot 
or two out of his wheat fields and plant them 
in peas and corn as soon as his wheat was 
harvested. The peas ripened well and a 
considerable part of the corn became hard. 
What did not mature was in a good state to 
start the liog6 and furnish the horses for 
6ome time. They also furnished fiue roast¬ 
ing ears through the fall. Visiting the old 
farm recently I found that, a colored man, 
who formerly belonged to my father and is 
successfully tilling the land this year, keeps 
tip the old custom, and has now a fine lot 
covered with a luxuriant growth of pea 
vines and corn that is nearly grown.— n. c. 
Larire Corn for Soiling. 
In vacation letters, page 90, speaking of 
corn fodder, you ask if any one North has 
tried the large varieties. It lias been in use 
by all the New Hampshire milkmen of my 
acquaintance for years, aud on a small scale . 
by many of our mixed husbandry farmers, 
for at least fifteen years, as a fall feed for cows. 
While many argue that the yellow corn is 
quite as good as the white, there are plenty 
of buyers willing to pay more difference per 
busbel iu favor of the latter than a bushel of 
such corn is worth in the West. The white 
seems to have more leaf, and perhaps is bel¬ 
ter for early sowing on land that is in good 
heart. 
So far as I know, Southern corn lias not 
been extensively cured for winter fodder in 
our section, until the present season, when 
hundreds of acres will be dried as a substi¬ 
tute for hay. 
One of our neighbors has used most of his 
manure for three or four years on this crop, 
sowing both broadcast and in drills, in May, 
and seeding to grass at the same time. I be¬ 
lieve such a practice is as sale to recommend 
to New England farmers (excepting those 
near good truck and Iruit markets,) as that 
promulgated by several of our influential 
farmers and members of our State Board of 
Agriculture—that “New Hampshire should 
raise her own corn.”—J. L. Geiuush, Web¬ 
ster, N. 11. 
Tu Keep Irish anil Sweet Potatoes In 
Louisiana. 
Mrs. B. R. Hall, Parish of Iberville, La., 
asks for some informat ion about putting up 
and keeping Irish and rvveel potatoes to pre¬ 
vent rotting. We suppose it is not difficult 
to keep sweet potatoes in Louisiana, hut it 
may be more difficult to keep Irish. The 
latter should he dug when mature, and 
stored, dry, iu as dry, cool and dark a place 
as possible, aud not in large bulk in Louisi¬ 
ana. Perhaps sonic of our Louisiana read¬ 
ers have had successful experience and will 
furnish it through our columns. 
To keep sweet potatoes, the essentials are 
to dig carefully before host lias touched 
them, dry the tubers perfectly, pack them iu 
dry sand or dry forest leaves, so that they 
will not touch each other, and keep in a dry 
place, at. a temperature of 70° or 80°, This 
is what is essential in the North. We be¬ 
lieve in the South they arc piled up out of 
doors, in a dry spot, and covered with forest 
leaves at first and then a little earth finally. 
Our Southern correspondents who have had 
experience can answer. 
I 34 
die •Uinfmtrb. 
P* 
icrrsrman. 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Ovcr-Rcacliliitr Coll. 
I have a four-year-old colt—a natural 
pacer—that strikes'the inside of his fore feet 
with Ids hind feet just above the hoof, and I 
would like to know if there is any remedy 
fur it. Would pulling high shoes on his 
front feet help it any ?—N. Manrase, Bu¬ 
reau Co ., III. 
Let experienced horsemen who have had 
such case: as above described answer. 
Alum for Fonniter. 
W. II. W., Library, Pa., asks us to inform 
him how the alum is given (as staled in the 
Rural New-Yorker, Aug. 12, page 95) to 
the horse. We cannot answer. We have 
never tried it, and gave all the information 
we had concerning it in the article referred 
to. If our readers have used the remedy, let 
them tell all about it. 
To Cool Hoi-m-h wlien Ilot. 
There is danger of congestion when 
cold water js thrown on the body of horses 
when very hot and tired; and yet, how 
many do it! The better way is to throw 
water Ireely on the fore legs of the animal. 
This corresponds to the well known custom 
of persons, when overheated, bathing the 
wrists for some time before drinking much. 
—N. C. 
- -*■-*-* - 
To Keep Files from Horses. 
The following is recommended One 
of the simplest means we have ever heard 
of keeping flies from annoying horses or 
cattle, is to take a hunch of smart weed, 
bruise it so as to cause the juice to exude. 
Rub the animal thoroughly with this bunch 
of bruised weed—especially upon his neck, 
legs and ears. Neither flies or insects will 
trouble him for at least twenty-four hours. 
If preferred, an infusion may be made by 
steeping the weed and applying the liquid 
with a spouge.” 
Remedy for Boue Spavin. 
On page 122, Rural New-Yorker, Aug. 
26, B. Rockwell inquires for a cure for bone 
spavin. I have found the following remedy 
entirely successful, applied to a mare I have. 
She was spavined three years ago, and had 
been lame about two months when I began 
to use this remedy. 1 applied it about three 
weeks, and cured it so that, she has not been 
lame since. The enlargement of the joint 
remains the same as when using the remedy : 
Take Can I ha rides, I oz.; mercurial ointment, 
2 oz.; tincture iodine, 1^4 oz.; turpentine, 2 
oz., corrosive sublimate, 1 Vg dr. Mix the 
above with one pound lard. Clip the hair 
on the enlargement and apply for three days. 
Then wash clean with soap suds and grease 
it for two days; then apply the remedy again 
as before.—ti S. Gardner. 
SOUTHERN GRAPES. 
As many growers in the North are anx¬ 
ious to learn about the Southern fruit, I 
thought a few items at this early date might 
prove interesting. Among the first arrivals 
were some Hartfords front North Carolina, 
which arrived July 22d, and sold for twenty 
cents per pound. After this dale the quan¬ 
tity increased very rapidly. Several of the 
Southern Stales sending their crops, most of 
which were Concords, the prices fell swiftly 
to a mere nominal figure. 
The low price prevailing was owing more 
to the large quantity of peaches in market, 
than the quality of grapes. Some 1,200 car 
loads of peaches arrived during the week 
ending August 13th, and in said week the 
most of the grapes arrived. Peaches were 
so plenty that good fruit sold at twenty-five 
cents per basket. This fruit so engaged the 
attention of every one, even the peddlers, 
that few or no grapes could be sold at any 
price. The weather was also extremely hot 
and damp, which caused many of the grapes 
to spoil before they could he sold. 
This condition of our market was dupli¬ 
cated in all our Eastern cities. They all 
said, “ we want no grapes; peaches are so 
plenty that we cannot sell them.’' 
Delawares from Virginia began to arrive 
Aug 5th, and sold for twenty cents per 
pound. The quantity increasing, prices fell 
to fifteen and sixteen cents, when the grow¬ 
ers stopped sending, as they said they could 
do better at home with them for wine 
purposes. The quality was very good 
—the best. I have ever known to come from 
the Southern States; and they were well 
packed in small boxes. 
As all fruit growers are aware, this has 
been a very peculiar season for fruit. The 
area in which it is grown is so large that 
frillt from one section arrives before it is 
wanted, tit least by those growing in another 
section, and varieties are so inlenvovcn and 
mixed up that we have too many varieties 
in our market til once to make all profitable. 
It is becoming pretty well known that cer¬ 
tain fruits can be sent to market sooner than 
wanted, at profitable prices to growers. 
New York, Amr. 26. Now and Then. 
GRAPES'iTEAR PHILADELPHIA. 
To-pav I have been among mv grapes. 
They are mostly Concords and tire Coloring 
fast. They seem to be ripening earlier this 
season than they did last. I put out a num¬ 
ber of kinds of grapes on trial, a large part 
of which are failures. Among 11 1 esc arc the 
Adirondack, lsraella, Iona, Delaware, Diana 
and Crevcling. The Norton’s Virginia may 
succeed with good care. The Ives Seedling 
does well so far, and seems likely to he 
profitable and he n favorite here. It ripened 
its first fruit this season about the middle of 
August. The Hartford Prolific ripened about 
the same time. This variety may succeed, 
hut as yet my vines, though several years 
old, have made but little growth. It is said 
to he doing well near here. 
Distance ill IMantintt. 
My vines are set out in rows six feet apart, 
and the vines arc eight feet apart in the 
rows. The trellis is four and one-half feet 
high. Though iu some respects this is a 
very convenient arrangement, yet iu others 
I do not exactly like it. It has the advan¬ 
tage of leaving hut little waste ground to 
cultivate and keep clear of weeds. The 
lowest rail is eighteen inches from the 
ground, and the grapes often get badly 
sanded. I think two feet is low enough for 
the bottom rail, and hence would have the 
trellis at least five feet high. Again, the six 
feet between Ihc rows will not allow a. wagon 
to pass. I think it would he well either to 
have the rows further apart or at least every 
fourth space wider. 
I would like to have the ideas of grape 
growers as to the best distance to have be¬ 
tween the rows and the vines in the row; 
also the best bight for the trellis, or whether 
it is best to use one, two, or three stakes in¬ 
stead of a trellis. Information upon these 
points would be of great service to those 
that are about putting out grape vines. 
George Tucker. 
West Jersey, near Philadelphia, Aug. 21. 
-•»♦■» " -■— 
VINEYARD NOTES. 
A Neirlccted Vineyard. 
A reader of the Rural New-Yorker 
says that he has “ n Vineyard of three 
years’ growth (bearing a little this year) and 
no care has been given to it since they were 
set. out. lie wishes to know what he should 
do with them this fall, the besL way to 
manure them, and the best manure. They 
are situated on a steep side hill, Southeast 
exposure, and a very early spot.” 
Get some good work on Grape Culture 
and read it carefully, then go to work and 
prime llie vines, according to directions, in 
November or December. Use barnyard 
manure, muck, bone superphosphate or, in 
fact, almost any kind of fertilizer that can 
be had, applying it this fall, and work it in 
with plow or cultivator. In the spring ap¬ 
ply lime—say 50 to 100 bushels per acre. 
Feed well and prune thoroughly, but judi¬ 
ciously, and if the variety planted is adapted 
to soil and climate, there need he no fear as 
to the results. 
A Lnrire Grape Vine. 
A few days since I was at the garden of 
the Union House in this city, owned by an old 
vinyardist. I examined his grape vines, and 
one of them so attracted my attention that I 
took its dimension. It is situated sixteen 
feet in the rear of the back or lean-to of the 
house, and is trained on posts and Slats ten 
feet high, thence on poles and slats, hori¬ 
zontally to the roof of the house. The length 
of the arbor is sixty fed; it t herefore covers 
an area ten feet high, sixteen wide, sixty 
long. The stem below the arms is eighteen 
indies iu circumference. The largest, arm 
eleven inches. The lop of the arbor is load¬ 
ed with fruit ; the upright also lias a good 
show the full bight of trellis. The variety, I 
should judge, was Clinton; the owner did 
not know.—J. P, Parsons, ChldwcUer , Mich. 
(•rnpcM nnil Grape Boxfs. 
I am having a good show of grapes this 
year. Will you or some of your numerous 
correspondents please to inform me which 
kind of boxes will he the best for me to use 
—the pasteboard or wood? I want them to 
hold 5 and 10 pounds, for retail trade; and 
where can they be obtained?—N. E. Smith, 
Ionia, Midi. 
Wooden boxes are preferable to paste¬ 
board. We presume manufacturers of such 
articles will soon advertise their wares in 
the Rural New-Yorker, from which you 
can obtain the desired information. 
lomolmjmtl. 
0 be Stuinr-literb. 
PIG PEN PAPERS. 
(Jhiiiiuinu Fuutl in Futleniiia: Swine. 
Wild not some experienced swine feeders 
give their experience in changing food in 
fattening swine? How often should change 
he made, and what the character of that 
change when the main food is boiled or 
steamed, corn or corn meal. A few facts 
may greatly help a young and— Inquiring 
Farmer. 
We have found pumpkins, potatoes and 
peas, cooked with corn, occasionally whole¬ 
some. Indeed, unless the pigs have a good 
range in clover pasture, some less concen¬ 
trated iood than Corn or meal is necessary 
to their health. 
Ueini-ily for Hoz Clio tern. 
We have in Illinois a sure cure for hog 
cholera, hut it is patented. The recipes were 
sold here for $10 each, and have been tried 
here with success for the last four or live 
years. I see by ihc Rural New-Yorker 
that there is something of the kind wanted 
very much by the citizens of Tennessee. 1 
have concluded to give it to the public, omit¬ 
ting my name and address:—Madder, 1 lb; 
sulphur, 1 lh; saltpeter, 1 11>; resin, 1 lb 
black antimony, y, lh; coperas, lb; asa- 
foetida, Y lb; arsenic,2 oz Dose,one table- 
spoonful to five hogs, in slop or ashes, once 
a day if they have got the cholera ; once a 
week to prevent it.—A Subscriber to the 
Rural New-Yorker. 
Muon Influence in Fattening Hogs. 
I saw in a Western paper that tit a meet¬ 
ing of the St. Louis Farmer’s Club a Mr. 
Hedges is reported to have alluded to the 
influence of the moon’s phases in the pork 
fattening. He stated that the influence of 
the moon was largely believed in among the 
rural population. He bad never investi¬ 
gated the matter, but it was a singular fact 
be never found a man who could disprove 
tiie influence said to be exerted Now, Mr. 
Editor, I am one of those who do be¬ 
lieve that the moon exerts such influence, 
and I should like to know whether others 
have not noticed that hogs fatten faster dur¬ 
ing the first 1 wo quarters of a new moon 
than any other time. I don’t know why it 
is, but I believe it to be a fact.—A West¬ 
ern Farmer. 
Cooked Wheat for Hoga. 
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga¬ 
zette says:—On the 4th of August, 1870, I 
put up 15 hogs, weighing 2,400 pounds, and 
fed them 5*4 bushels cooked wheat the first 
week. On the lith their weight was 3.600 
pounds; gain, 200 pounds, or a gain of 13)4 
pounds to the hog, being nearly 2 pounds' a 
day. The next week I fed them 6 bushels 
of the cooked wheat, producing an increase 
of 215 pounds, or 14)4 pounds to the hog, 
being a gain of over 3 pounds a head a day. 
The third week I fed them 10 bushels of 
cooked wheat, resulting in a gain of 260 
pounds, or 17*4 pounds a head,''or 2 10-21 a 
day. The fourth week I fed them 11)4 bush¬ 
els of cooked wheat, the gain being 320 
pounds, or 21)4 poundshead, or a fraction 
over 3 pounds a day each. The hogs were 
then sold and taken awav. They gained in 
four weeks, 995 pounds on 32*4 bushels of 
wheat. In this manner of feeding I received 
a good price for the wheat, as the hogs were 
sold at $8 25 per 100 pounds. The breed 
was the Russian China slock, about fifteen 
mouths old. 
THE WILSON STRAWBERRY, 
Allow me to say a few words in defense 
of this most liberally abused berry. It is a 
common remark that “ the Wilson is a very 
good market berry”—some say “the very 
best,” etc.—yet one of your correspondents 
would seem to regard it as a Calamity « jf 
anybody should clandestinely stick a single 
plant (Wilson) in his garden.” Now I very 
much doubt, if fbe writer of this last, quota¬ 
tion ever saw a dish of fully ripe Wilson 
berries, or be certainly would never have 
hazarded such a silly remark. 
I have known the Wilson for many years 
have eaten it ripened in Western New York, 
in Cincinnati, and in Missouri, and Ido not 
hesitate to say that, when fully ripe, it, sur¬ 
passed in flavor the Hovey, Russell’s Prolific, 
Agriculturist, and is fully equal to theJu- 
cunda or Tiiomplm da Gaud. And for size 
and beauty of form, 1 t hink it surpasses, at 
least in this section, either of the above va¬ 
rieties. Of course the Wilson needs no 
special endorsement from me, as it is now 
more extensively grown than any or perhaps 
all the other varieties. But the fact that this 
berry colors early and Uioku fit to pick at least 
a week before it is ripe, bus induced many to 
condemn ii as an amateur Iruit. Let any of 
your renders try the experiment of leaving 
the Wilson unpicked till it assumes a rich, 
dark color, and then try it with any of his 
favorites, and I believe be will find llmt for 
size, richness of flavor :md general accepta¬ 
bility, it is hard to beat. I speak from ex¬ 
perience. T. 
Spri ox Held, Mo., July, 1871. 
---— 
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 
A. G. Calkins asks through the Rural 
New- Yorker of July 8th, your opinion in 
regard to defoliating strawberry plants. I 
have had some experience in a small way in 
cultivating this most excellent and almost 
indispensable, fruit. I will give your readers 
the benefit of my experience in which 1 have 
never failed. * 
I keep from one-eighth to otlc-fomTh of an 
acre iu strawberries. My patch is univer¬ 
sally admiral by every one llmt sees it, I 
have heard hut one expression in regard to 
it and that is they never saw better or they 
never saw as good. In the first place it is 
ill important that we have the right kind of 
soil in order to grow a good crop. Mine is 
a clay loam and I think for vigorous plants, 
productiveness and flavor of fruit this is die 
best. 
I set my plants twenty-four by thirty-four 
inches apart and keep them iu hills. After 
the fruit is all gathered 1 .take a sharp sickle 
and cut off all the runners and the old foli¬ 
age and stems, being careful not to disturb 
the crown or new leaves that have started. 
Then I go through them with u hoe, clean 
out all the weeds, at the sumo time pulling 
out all weeds and grass that may lie in die 
lulls. I leave all the foliage on the ground. 
My advice to Mr. Calkins is never to 
spade or fork the ground among straw berries 
for in doing so he will disturb the roots and 
shorten the life of the plants. It matters 
not how compact the ground, if they are 
kept clear of weeds and grass. The above 
treatment has enabled me to pick this season 
front less than one-quarter of an acre forty 
bushels of berries, notwithstanding the frost 
killed very many of the first blossoms. 
Variety raised is Wilson’s Albany and Jtt- 
cundu. O. Bowen. 
-- 
STRAWBERRIES - PREPARING LAND. 
1 wish to make some inquiries in regard 
to preparing the ground for strawberries. 
The soil is a very light sand, formerly cov¬ 
ered with oak and pine timber. Wiil ashes 
lie beneficial to form a soil or to render the 
sand more firm and retentive of moisture? 
How many oak ashes per acre would be 
bemdh iul? 1 can procure any quantity of 
ashes from the steam mills in the vicinity. 
How near iu the rows and hills should they 
be set? Which are the best common varie¬ 
ties?—F. K. G., Dnnnmingrille, MM. 
One, or even two hundred bushels of ashes 
will not be loo large a quantity per acre, ou 
sandy soil, and you need not have any ferns 
in regard to beneficial results. The system 
after culture should he decided upon before 
planting, and tho distance apart arranged 
accordingly. If the plants are to be kept in 
rows and cultivated with a horse, then more 
space 6liould be given than when only the 
hoe is to be used. If cultivated in beds,then 
put the rows two feet apart and the plants 
a foot apart in the row, and when a horse is 
to be used ill cultivating add another loot 
between tiie rows. Perhaps, nil tilings con¬ 
sidered, the Wilson’s Albany is Ihe best ot 
the old and common sorts, but there are 
others superior to it for particular soils aud 
localities. 
----- 
To Dry Fign. 
E. G. M. asks those of our readers who 
have experience the best way to dry figs for 
market, or the way they are dried for the 
trade iu Cuba aud elsewhere. 
