MM’S Him 1IW 
,1* 
PT. 
profitable. Spayed heifers feed remarkably 
well—generally better than steers,and when 
good, are equally sought by all butchers 
who want to furnish choice cuts lor their 
customers.” 
Ihtrj) of it lUtntltsl. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE 
Prom Hie Diary of :i Gentleinau near New 
York Oliv. 
Effect of Coin on Tree*. 
Sept. 4 —A few weeks since I cut down a 
specimen tree of the Downing mulberry, 
ten years old. This tree bad begun to show 
signs of failing, and the north side of the 
slcm was partially dead. To-day I cut up 
this si cm for the purpose of obtaining a 
specimen of the wood lor my cabinet, and 
the difference in the amount of wood de- 
posiied upon the north aud south side was 
quite remarkable. At the distance of a foot 
from the ground, the stem was seven inches 
in diameter, and although perfectly sound 
and healthy at this point, there was more 
than one inch in thickness of wood deposited 
upon the south side of the heart than upon 
the north. Higher up the stem, where the 
cold had somewhat injured it, there was ft 
still greater difference. Afier procuring tv 
section of the mulberry true I visited n wood 
not far distant, where several hundred forest 
trees of various species had been felled for 
timber during the past month, and examined 
their stumps to learn whether there was a 
similar variation in the deposit of wood. 
Wherever the trees had stood in masses, 
affording protection to each other, there 
was, as a rule, no difference In the amount 
of wood deposited on the north or south 
sides; hut where a tree had been exposed 
to cold northerly winds for many years, the 
difference was, in some instances, as great, 
as in the mulberry tree. 
While oaks seemed to be less affected 
than chestnut, it being a hardier species, 
although on two specimens on the. north 
side of l ue wood one had deposited ten 
inches and a half on Hie north and eleven 
and a half on the south, while in the other 
the difference was six inches between the 
north and south sides. A chestnut tree near 
by Imd deposited fourteen inches of wood on 
the north side of the heart and eighteen and 
a, half on ino south. This Lroe wasseveniy- 
niuc years old. 
A very little observation of this kind 
would soon enable us to determine the im- 
poriance of giving protection to fruit as 
well as ornamental trees as an assistance to 
wood growth, even if no other benefit is 
derived therefrom. 
Sijna»li itliat Melon Diiita. 
Sept. 5. —I have never known insects so 
abundant oil squash and muskmelon vines 
at this season of the year as at the present 
time. The common squash bug [Coreus 
tristis, Dti Geek,) arc devouring both vine 
and fruit. The three-lined cucumber beetle 
(Lema tnlinenta , Oi.lV.) is also abimdaul,but 
the 12 spotted Diabrotica [Diabrotica 12- 
punetata ) swarm in myriads—in some in¬ 
stances completely filling the open flowers 
in their strife to reach tiie pollen, upon which 
they feed. 1 must tty to kill these pests or 
few vines will escape their ravages next 
season, li is through negligence in not de¬ 
stroying Lite late broods of these pests that 
our early vines in spring are bo often infested. 
A bun <lu lit Drop «f Melons. 
Sejit. 6.—To raise an abundant crop of 
choice melons requires considerable care, in 
addition to a suitable soil and climate. But 
if we have the two latter requisites in our 
favor the other is readily added. Ever since 
1 purchased my present garden, the soil of 
which is a light, sandy loam, to have an 
abundance of choice melons has been the 
rule, with scarcely a single exception in the 
past ten years. We have now all the choice 
mountain sweet watermelons and musk- 
melons of different varieties that we cun use 
at home, and a goodly number to give to 
our less fortunate friends. I think if those 
who cultivate a clayey soil and do not suc¬ 
ceed in growing good melons, would take 
this hint and mix in plenty of sand and light, 
leaf mold, their future success might show 
the benefit of a change. 
OriHipre amt Anarers Quinces. 
Sept. 7.—“ Are the Angers and Orange 
quinces the same?” is a question I have lmd 
asked me a score of limes; and my answer 
lias always been in the negative. There are 
many varieties of the common Orange 
quince, some are nearly globular; others are 
pyriform ; ami llierc is aisoagreat difference 
in ; slid they are quite distinct from the 
Angers. I have varieties of both kinds now 
in bearing as I have bad for many years past, 
and the difference between the two is quite 
marked at this lime. The varieties of the 
Orange, including the celebrated Rue’s seed¬ 
ling, are now of a deep yellow color, skin 
nearly smooth, except near the stem, all very 
large, varying from three to four in cites in 
diameter. The. Angers are small, seldom 
over two inches in diameter, nearly round, 
with a slight elongation at the insertion of 
the stem ; color dark green and the entire 
surface covered with a woolly pubescence. 
Although the Angers quince is a much 
smaller, later and less showy variety than 
i the Orange, its quality is excellent. It is 
also less liable to the attacks of the quince 
curculio owing, no doubt, to its hard surface 
and woolly coat; and ripening late it is a 
good keeper. 
Fall 1* I anted Potatoes. 
Sept. 8.—In tny garden, potatoes that hap¬ 
pen to be left in the ground over winter 
usually grow the next season. It bus often 
occurred to me that it would be a good plan 
(for securing an early erop) to plant in au¬ 
tumn and then cover the surface with a 
dressing of coarse manure or other kind of 
mulch. A few of the potatoes that sprouted 
last spring where they had remained during 
winter in the garden were allowed to re¬ 
main undisturbed, a thin mulch of bog-bay 
being spread over the surface of the ground. 
To day we dug one hill, the product of a 
single small tuber, and the yield was exactly 
ten pounds of large potatoes, there being 
only two or three small tubers among the 
number. I do not know how this plan will 
answer elsewhere, but my experience with 
accidentally fall-planted potatoes encourages 
me to continue the experiment in a more 
systematic manner hereafter. 
Ilow in Sludr tlio llaliitfi of Innirctw. 
Sept. 9.—11 appears to be a great mystery 
to some persons bow entomologists learn the 
habits of insects. It requires some study as 
well as observation, but in this respect does 
not differ from the manner of gaining infor¬ 
mation m any other direction. As an in¬ 
stance of tny method of studying the habits 
of some Of the more common species, J will 
name a few examples now under considera¬ 
tion. When I examined the Locust trees, 
(referred to in my Diary of Aug. 19,) for the 
purpose of obtaining specimens of that ele¬ 
gant little beet le, the Clytus picta, 1 cut down 
a small tree and divided it. into sections of 
about a foot in length. Out of some of these 
pieces I procured the larva?,(borers or grubs,) 
pup® and perfect beetles. These were care¬ 
fully preserved in alcohol. 
Blffce that time I have been watching the 
beetles as they came out of some pieces 
placed in a glass jar, aud have learned bow 
long after they appeared before the female 
oommeueed laying her eggs and where she 
deposited them ; their size, color, form, us 
well as bow long a time was required for 
hatching, etc., etc. In an old shoe box cov¬ 
ered with mosquito netting I have a hickory 
log filled with the pup® and larv* of some, 
other kind of wood borer, while other boxes, 
jars and flower pots contain similar speci¬ 
mens. Now, all these observations would 
seem to require one’s entire time, and so it 
might il I could afford it, and felt disposed 
to do nothing else; bill I only devote about 
one hour per day to this subject; still, in the 
course of a few years, 1 expect to learn the 
habits of some of our common insects, in 
addition to the pleasure afforded. 
arm (hconomrL 
STORING CORN STALKS, 
Your correspondent, R. P. Smith, asks 
for the best method of storing corn stalks. 
Corn stalks should be seasonably well cured 
in the stook before being finally stored away. 
1 have generally stored my own in my bay 
bay alter the grain has been threshed that, 
was stored on the bay. My bay is forty by 
eighteen feet, and runs lengthways north and 
south. L first, tack a strip of ten feet width 
across the end of the bay, beginning next, to 
floor, and lay a tier across the ten feet, with 
butts towards the floor. I then lay my next 
tier with butts the same way, lapping on the 
first precisely as you would lay shingle on ft 
roof, and so l continue to do until I cover 
my space of ten by nigh teen feet. You see 
that nothing bat the butts ol the stalks is 
visible only on t he last, tier, I lie same as a 
shingled roof only shows tlie butts of the 
shingles. I then give a slight sprinkle of 
salt over these butts, say two quarts to the 
ton. I next begin where I left off and re¬ 
verse the order, and turn the butts the other 
way, with the tops coming towards the floor, 
but shingle them on and salt as before, lu 
this way I continue reversing each layer and 
salting the same until the space is finished. 
I then take another ten foot space and build 
up as before, and so on until the bay is filled. 
Now for my reasons:—Why I shingle is 
that the application of the salt shall all be 
made to the bulls ; its tendency is to soften 
them, and the cattle will work them up 
clean, and it is a curative or preventive from 
mold, of which be complains. 
My reason for packing in separate por¬ 
tions of the same hay is two-fold. One 
reason is that there being a few feet of bay 
underlying the stalks, I may wish to use 
from it before I shall have fed out all the 
stalks, and when one division is used up I 
can then get at so much of the hay as they 
covered, and so on. My more prominent 
reason for making the divisions in the stalk 
now is that in feeding out I do not wish to 
expose to the surface more than I can avoid. 
I wish to feed the stalks in as soil, moist 
state as I can. I do not wish to throw down 
on the floor any more than I am going to 
feed at the time. This may seem like being 
over fastidious; but experience is a good 
schoolmaster, and I think if your corre¬ 
spondent will take one lesson from it be will 
be satisfied. J. h. h. 
Prattsburjfh, N. V., 1871. 
- 
HOW TO DISSOLVE BONES. 
It is to be supposed that every farmer and 
gardener is well aware of the great value of 
bones as a fertilizer fur all kinds of vegeta¬ 
bles. The expense usually to be incurred in 
grinding or dissolving bones, prevents their 
use to a considerable extent, except near 
large cities or villages where there are mills 
for grinding, or acids can be obtained for dis¬ 
solving. Bones may be softened and made 
brittle without either mill or acid and with 
nothing else but water and hard wood ashes. 
The Scientific Press tells bow this may be 
done ns follows:—“ Collect as many bones as 
you desire to operate upon, and break up 
the larger ones with a sledge hammer, or if 
you have access to a coarse grinding bark 
mill, all the better. Take a half hogshead, 
or dig a pit in clayey ground, according to 
the quantity of bones which you have on 
hand. It would ho well to pound the bot¬ 
tom of the pit hard, ami cover with cluy, if 
dug in a porous soil, ho as to prevent the es¬ 
cape of I be liquor. Cover the bottom of the 
pilAvith a layer of fresh horse-dung, or other 
barnyard manure, ami place thereupon a 
layer of bones. Repeat these layers alter¬ 
nately, until all the bones are thus-disposed 
of. Moisten the heap, now and then, with 
water, liquid manure, or hot soap-suds. An 
active fermentation will be induced, under 
the influence of which the bones will soon 
become partially decomposed, soil and brit¬ 
tle, in which state they may be easily crush¬ 
ed in almost any kind of mill, or reduced 
quite fine on a fiat rock under the face of a 
sledge-hammer or the head of an ax. 
“ The addition to the heap of, say two bush¬ 
els of good hard-wood ashes t* a hogshead 
of the mixture will greatly hasten ami per¬ 
fect the process. The heap should remain 
undisturbed for six or eight, months—a year 
would he better. It should lie frequently 
moistened—in fact kept constantly wet, and 
the warmer the better.” 
he Storm-Ibrir. 
CROSS-BREEDING SWINE. 
In the Rural New-Yorker of Sept. 3, 
you have a short article from Mr. L. Mann, 
in which he takes the ground that in cross¬ 
breeding between the Suffolk and Chester 
White hog, it is best, to use the Chester 
White male. This is contrary to my ex¬ 
perience. I have hied Chinn, Suffolk, Berk¬ 
shire, Chester While and Poland China, or 
Magie hogs, and 1 have always found it. best 
in cross-breeding to use ihe male of the 
small breed. I have also bred horses to a 
considerable extent ami I have almost in¬ 
variably found dial the small male and large 
female produced the best colts. I think the 
large female gives her offspring a better 
chance to develop its form than the small 
one, and when the breeding is calculated to 
increase the size of the offspring, it stands to 
reason that Hie large female and small male 
should be bred together. 
In relation to the “ two Suffolk pigs in 
one pen and a Chester White pig of the 
same age in an adjoining pen, and the two 
eating no more than the one," I have to say 
that Mr. Mann should have given another 
fact in order to make Ins statement of any 
value, <5., the weight of the pigs in each 
pen. Now, if il® Chester ate as much as 
the two Snffolks and weighed as much as 
both of them, then die Chester is the best 
breed to make pork from. As I said in t he 
commencement, I Ifave bred Suffolk, Ches¬ 
ter White and other pigs, and I find the 
Chester White the most thrifty growing pig, 
according to the amount of food consumed, 
of any that I have bred. And I undertake 
to say that 1 can take one of my Chester 
White pigs and make more pork at one year 
old, for the amount of food consumed, than 
can be made with a pig of any other breed. 
I have pigs now running at large that 
have never had a drop of milk except what 
they obtained from their mother; nor have 
they had any slops of any kind, their food 
being dry corn, grass and clear water, that 
will average, taking the litters of five, six 
and seven, one hundred and forty-six pounds 
weight to the pig, aud they are only four 
months and five days old. No two Suffolk 
pigs, with the same chance, can be made to 
weigh as much as one of these at the same 
age. LYsander W. Babbitt. 
Couuoil Bluffs, Iowa, Sept. 8,1871. 
cuntifac antr wstfvtl. 
HOW TO LOAD A WAGON- 
I was somewhat surprised to find, at this 
late day, my suggestions for loading a wagon 
radically controverted. A few weeks ago, 
one of your correspondents advocated load¬ 
ing the back and the front wheels equally, 
and now we have a correspondent, who ad¬ 
vocates loading the front wheels the heavier. 
W^^ve thus three different theories ; now, 
if MFpractieal theory can be established, by 
dint of pleasant argument, I think the read¬ 
ers of the Rural New-Yorker will be 
both interested and instructed. It seems to 
me that when W. Stevens says, “ The 
larger the circumference of the wheels the 
more readily will they overcome obstacles in 
the road,” lie grant* all I advocate, viz.:— 
That the larger wheels should bear the 
greater burden, for the object, of wheels is 
to overcome obstacles. This position is 
fully recognized by wagon builders, for a 
great majority of wagons are built in such 
a manner that if the bodies arc loaded equal¬ 
ly deep throughout, and then the load di¬ 
vided equidistant between the two axle 
trees, it would be fonnd that a greater weight 
rested on the bind than on the front axle, 
or in other words, the body of a wagon ex¬ 
tends further over from the hind axle-tree 
than it does from the front one. 
Probably this may be the origin of the 
rule “Load well forward,*' for the tendency 
in loading a wagon must, on account of its 
construction, be toward the hind axle. 
Another objection to loading the front 
wheels, even to the extent of their diametri¬ 
cal proportion of the load, is that their axle 
lias to work on a pivot or king-bolt, aud the 
lighter the load on it Ihe more readily it 
cramps, and consequently bears loss on the 
team when turning, or working into position. 
But of course no general rule is applicable 
to all situations. If the route of tit© loaded 
wagon is up bill, and of the empty wagon 
down hill, the load should be more to the 
front than if the load is down hill and the 
empty wagon up hill. The nature of the 
load, too, requires consideration. The more 
I think of it the more importance there 
seems to attach to this subject. I hope, 
therefore, soon to give some facts and theo¬ 
ries that will lie interesting, but which I 
have not now lime to stale. T. G. s. 
East New York, N. Y., 1861. 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC) ITEMS. 
How in build <t Lime Kiln. 
J wtsn to enquire through the Roral- 
Nkw-Yokker, how to build a lime kiln 
that will burn at one time from 100 to 150 
bushels of lime. I have no experience in the 
business. I wish to apply the lime to clay 
land.— Josiaii Peck, Wash. Co., A. Y. 
/Eiial Navigation. 
1 Would like Lo make public an idaa 
which, if practicable, would be ol great 
value to all men, and especially to formers. 
1 propose that balloons be constructed as 
school globes are now made, it would cost 
no very great sum to build u wooden model, 
say fifty or sixty feet in diameter upon which 
any number of balloons might be molded at 
a moderate expense. These balloons would 
lie strong, enduring and would retain gas for 
an indefinite length of time. When the 
balloon is made and filled with gas il should 
be sealed aud its car so loaded dial it would 
have little or no tendency to rise or fall of 
itself. Such a balloon, weighing practically 
nothing at all, could easily be raised or low¬ 
ered at will by suitable machinery without 
ever letting the gas escape. I know it could 
not be navigated against the wind, but if it 
merely floated along with the breeze, it would 
be of great use to mankind.— Inventor. 
Ti> Tau a Dost Skin Wilh Hair On. 
In a late Rural New-Yorker H. T. A. 
asks for a recipe for tanning a dog skin, lmir 
on. Procure a cask, or barrel, holding from 
fifteen to eighteen gallons, in which make a 
liquor of six gallons of water, one and a 
half pounds of alum, five pounds of salt; 
in this, soak the skin about, ten hours, or 
until it is in its original condition. Then 
place the skin on a board and carefully re- 
iu«ve all the flesh and grease, finishing by 
scraping with a dull knife and rubbing with 
sand-paper, or better, pummice stone. Add 
to the alum and salt liquor stx gallons of 
sour oak or hemlock liquor, ivhich can bo 
procured of any tanner(ov leached from pul¬ 
verized bark) in which again place the skin. 
It will tan in about two weeks, becoming as 
soft-and pliable as cloth.— Tanner. 
A Hoad While wash. 
In answer to inquires in the Rural New- 
Yorker a correspondent sends us the follow¬ 
ing.—“Tell a subscriber to fill a common 
wooden bucket one-fourth full of rock lime 
fresh from the lime kiln; cover with boiling 
water; stir well until it is slaked; add one 
pint of salt, also a lump of alum the sizo of 
a black walnut liullafc Be sure and keep 
your lime covered with water, and afterward 
add enough cold water to make ns thick as 
buttermilk, when your whitewash is ready 
for use. I have been in the whitewashing 
and plastering business for t wenty years, and 
tills is the be6t recipe I can recommend. If 
this scales or rubs off, it is in the way it is 
put on, not in the whitewash.” 
To Prevent KiikHiik of Hioveplpeti. 
Do you, or some one of your readers, 
know of any way to arrest and prevent the 
rusting of stoves and pipes, in our moist, salt 
air. I have read that the Germans have a 
fashion of painting stoves so ns to match 
the furniture of the room. It must be a fire 
proof paint, and will It prevent rusting? If 
so, who know’s how to compound il? — 
Florida Subscriber. 
II*mv to make Mutches. 
What is the preparation made of that is 
put on tlie heads of matches—that is, can¬ 
not some of your readers give a recipe for 
making the preparation, with proportions, 
&C.—L. A. G. 
j^rb or inti fart. 
ARBORIOULTURAL NOTES. 
Tree Plantine In Nebraska, 
M. L. Dunlap writes the Chicago Tribune 
from Omaha,—Mr. G. L Miller of the Oma¬ 
ha Herald, has 120 acres planted lo the black 
walnut, now one, two, and three years old, 
but Mr. M. lias committed a serious fault in 
the distance apart which the trees are plant¬ 
ed, which is seven or eight, leet. They 
should have been four by four feet, which 
would give about 11,000 plants to the acre; 
but Mr. M. thinks of filling in alternate rows 
of the European larch. The black walnut 
is about the poorest tree that can he planted 
on these plains, for, while young, it has very 
little value. Few can wait one or two hun¬ 
dred years for this tree to mature, as it must 
do to bo of value. The pines, lurch, ash 
and maples are of value at almost all stages 
of their growth, but this is less the case with 
the white and black walnut. A Mr. Allen is 
about planting ten sections of prairie to tim¬ 
ber, mostly of the European latch. 
PlnniiiiK the Cherry ami Black VViUnut. 
The writer of this wishes to urge on 
farmers and other cultivators the great im¬ 
portance of planting valuable trees, espe¬ 
cially the black walnut and the wild cherry. 
The former tree is fast becoming extinct, 
and before long a full sized black walnut 
tree will be as valuable as a mahogany tree 
is now. How easy for the farmer to plant, 
here and there a tree, that in a generation 
will bring a thousand dollars. A good cherry, 
free of crotches, is a very valuable piece of 
property. Now is the proper time to* plant 
the walnut; in the spring the young plant 
will be up. 
An interest ought to be awakened all over 
our country fur soiling out these valuable 
timber trees, Just ns it is in Europe-—notably 
so lu England, where almost the solo reli¬ 
ance fur ship timber is on her oak planta¬ 
tions. Agricultural societies ought to offer 
prizes for the planting of valuable trees, 
such ns will in time supply us wilh wood for 
furniture, building, &c. What say you?— 
C. B., Lancaster , N. Y. 
Hawthorns from Seed. 
Wilt, you please inform a subscriber as 
to the proper way in which Hawthorn seed 
should lie sowed, and when?—li. BastER. 
H awthorn seed seldom germinate until 
they arc two years old. AVhen gathered, 
the fruit should be placed in a heap, where 
the pulp will rot off; and if hot water is 
poured upon il the decay will be consider¬ 
ably hastened. When the pulp surrounding 
the seed has become soft and rotten, wash 
out the seed and again place it in what nur¬ 
serymen call a rot-heap—that is, a compost 
of leaf mold and sand, or common soil. 
Mix the seed evenly through the mass, and 
then put all into a box,or other similar ves¬ 
sel, and bury it in the ground in solfleshady 
place, leaving a sufficient opening at the top 
to permit some moisture to enter, but not 
all the water that falls in the form of rain, 
unless there is a chance I>>r some ol it to 
drain off through the bottom of the vessel 
containing the seed. Seed gathered lids 
fall, and kept as we haw directed, may be 
sown in the nursery rows next fall, with the 
expectation that they will germinate the 
following spring. It is far belter to keep 
them over one season in the rot-heap than 
to sow as gathered, because if the following 
season should prove to be a dry one, the 
seed will be pretty sure lo be injured during 
the summer, unless the entire surface of the 
bed is covered with some kind of mulch to 
prevent drying. 
The principal thing to observe is never to 
allow ihe seed to become dry until the time 
arrives for growth. Moisture and a litile 
patience are the two requisites of success in 
<ri*Awin c t Hawthorn seed. 
