raise our seed from whole, fair sized, well 
formed potatoes. Like produces like. Why, 
then, can we not, by a judicious and contin¬ 
uous selection of seed, attain a uniformity in 
the shape of our potatoes, as well as of our 
cattle? Would not the seed be also more 
vigorous and productive, if raised for a term 
of years from flue, whole potatoes, than cut 
ones? Would it not, with proper selection 
of soil and culture, prevent, varieties from 
running out, and improve our best old sorts? 
If so, we can improve, as well as increase, 
our varieties. Of course those intended for 
the main crop may be cut as usual. 
D. IIarrod Bell. 
Cumberland Co., Tenn. 
Remarks. —Potato tops, like appearances, 
sometimes deceive. Let our correspondent 
note the difference in the product, if any, 
when lie digs his crop, and report. It is not 
always trim the finest vines produce the best 
or the most tubers. In our opinion, an eye 
from a well developed, well matured tuber, 
will produce just as good results as the whole 
potato from which the eye may be taken. 
-» ♦» - 
FIELD NOTES. 
Curing Sowed Coru. 
It is a laborious task to cut by band sev¬ 
eral acres of heavy sweet corn. My neigh¬ 
bor! tors find it almost impossible to gather 
the shocks into stacks, or mow, and prevent 
spoiling. Besides, standing in the shock in 
the Held through very much wet weather, as 
we often have in the fall, greatly lessens its 
value. My plan is to prepare the ground 
well, sow early, and roll after sowing; let it 
stand until it begins to ripen. Here is the 
main point of success. When the lower 
leaves begin to turn yellow, the saccharine 
matter begins to turn to sugar, and then 
there is lees water to dry out, and the corn is 
of much more value. The ground being 
rolled smooth, you can cut with a machine 
close to the ground; let. it. lay four or five 
days in the sun, then rake with a horse rake 
and cock up, allowing it to remain in cock 
two days, when it can be battled with as 
much dispatch as the same amount of timo¬ 
thy Imy. W ith the aid of one man and hoy 
we hauled off, lust fall, three acres in one 
day, putt ing Into small stacks and mow, and 
it kept as bright as needs be. We have 
practiced this plan for several seasons, and 
have never lost any.— 1 Trumbull, Greens- 
burgh , July, 1870. 
White Clover Dying: Out. 
A farmer who was brought up on the 
Western Reserve in Ohio, says that through¬ 
out the dairy region the white clover that 
was once so plentiful in all the pastures had 1 
almost entirely disappeared. A few years 1 
ago the pastures were while with blossoms, ( 
or twelve days I intend to stack, probably, 
sprinkling with salt. My neighbors say, 
notwithstanding cattle may relish it, it has 
no strength, and will do them no good. 
What says the Rural New-Yorker?" 
The corn does not contain as much nutri¬ 
tion for slock as it will later; but there is 
evidence enough in the experience of those 
who have fed coin before it. began to tassel 
that cattle thrive on it. Cattle relish and 
thrive best on the first growth of grass in 
spring; hut according to theory, tliesc grass¬ 
es do not then contain the amount of nutri¬ 
tion they do about blossoming time. We 
should not throw such fodder away nor re¬ 
gard it worthless. 
Airrosiin Scabva Grass. 
J. C. E., Clayton, N. C., writes:—"I send 
you a specimen of grass which has made its 
appearance oil a lot of low ground which 
was cultivated in corn the pasl season. 
There is a thick mat of it over the whole 
ground. 1 wish to know whether it is tit 
for hay. Stock seem to relish it green. It 
is entirely new in this section of country.” 
The grass sent is Ayr ostia scahra. This is a 
native grass found ull over the United States, 
from New England to California, and lie- 
longs t,o the same genus us the grass various¬ 
ly known as Red-top, Herd’s Grass of Penn¬ 
sylvania, Fine top and Burden’s grass, this 
latter being known to botanists as A grout in 
vulgaris. A. scabm is known in various 
parts of the country as Hull- Grass, Fly-away 
Grass, and Tickle Grass; it is of little value 
for agricultural purposes. It is called Fly¬ 
away Grass because the panicles, when ripe 
and dry, become very brittle and break easi¬ 
ly from the stalk, and are blown about by 
the wind in ail directions; a provision ol na¬ 
ture for distributing the seeds. 
Corn for Forage Condemned. 
At a meeting of the New r England Milk 
Producers, a physician recently said lie was 
strongly opposed to corn fodder. The very 
condition of it. when used showed that, it 
was unfit for producing milk. It was full 
of juice, and so are sour apples, but they 
will not increase the (low of milk. To pro¬ 
duce milk, food is required that will nourish 
the system and excite the lacteal functions. 
Corn fodder will not do this; it acts merely 
as an irritant on the stomaeli and bowels of 
cows. It would be like a man sitting down 
to a diet of cathartic pills. Hogs won’t eat 
fodder corn ; it is so indigestible. The doc¬ 
tor then referred to the excitement in regard 
to the sorghum a few years ago, which lie 
pronounced a humbug. The doctor said lie 
had raised millet with great success. One 
acre will produce enough to keep twelve 
cows during the season for soiling. It is 
Jhtrm (|t0)tamg. 
TO ADJUST THE FANNING MILL. 
Speaking in a general way, light seed or 
grain require heavy shake and little wind, 
and vice versa. I sometimes tack a narrow 
strip of lath on the hack part of the riddle, 
so that if the mill should be fed by a care¬ 
less band too fast, it cannot do any injury. 
necessarily wearied by traveling over the 
plowed surface at the ends, and the land will 
be left in a more desirable and suitable state 
for tillage. 
If the soil is about level and smooth, of a 
porous nature, or well underdraiued, plow 
the headlands by passing round and round 
the field, turning the furrow from the fence, 
if at the last plowing it was thrown towards 
the fence. It matters not in what manner 
or when you plow the headlands. Never, 
anh Gcpartmrnt. 
WHAT CORRESPONDENTS SAY. 
From Madison, Georgia. 
Although it is over two years since I 
wrote a long letter to the Rural New- 
Y'orker, descriptive of Middle Georgia, 
communications are being received all the 
time, asking for information and citing 
less hand too fast, it cannot do any injury. at two plowings in succession, throw the fur- time, asking for information and citiu 
To clean buckwheat, legal weight, forty- row 01 * r p ni ’he fence. It leaves the laud that letter. I take this method of inforiliin 
four pounds to the measured bushel—when * n undesirable condition for proper tillage one and all, that to appreciate ibis mos 
thrashed by tramping off with the horses— and is a very uuplcaeing sight for the care- wonderful climate, a person must see fo 
first time shut the blinds lmnlr nnrl nin in lul, scientific fafiner. L. D. S. himself. To one who has never visited lit 
thrashed by tramping off with the horses— 
first time shut the blinds, hook, and pin, in 
outer hole, coarse solve or riddle in middle 
grove, slanting down toward end of the 
shoe. Put in the ruke and fine screen. Mo¬ 
tion a little more than ordinary. Second 
time as above, only change the coarse for a 
wheat riddle. 
Wheat as usually threshed by the ma¬ 
chine may he fitted for market by passing it 
through the mill once; weighs sixty pounds; 
blinds all open ; pin in outer bole ; book in 
inside hole; shoe raised up to last hole of 
the hanging irons; chessboard in upper 
grove extending outward about three 
inches; wheat riddle in the middle standing 
groove; tine wheat screen in bottom groove; 
motion rather stiff. Wheat to he cleaned 
for seed requires rather harder motion; 
Coarse wheat screen ; extend the chessboard 
to about five inches in width. 
For oats, as threshed by the machine, 
shut the blinds; hook in outer hole; pin in 
middle hole; coarse riddle in middle slant¬ 
ing groove; screen or not as you choose; 
weighs thirty-two pounds. 
For hurley shut blinds half-way ; hook and 
pin both in inner hole; exteud the chess 
board four or five inches; when free from oats 
use barley riddle; otherwise use wheat rid¬ 
dle in middle slanting groove; the course 
wheat screen in bottom grove will takeout 
a great many oats, &c.; weighs forty-eight 
pounds measured bushel. 
Clover seed weighs sixty pounds; should 
be cleaned same as wheat, only exchanging 
wheat riddle for clover seed riddle; the 
chess board need have but two inches in 
width of its surface exposed for use. In the 
place of a screen I use a board so as to run 
the seed on the floor. 
Timothy is usually tramped with the 
horses, for the reason that, threshed with the 
machine there will be three-quarters of it 
hulled, which is said to impair its keeping 
qualities through the summer for fall seeding. 
After tramping it, is more expeditious to run 
it through a large old-fashioned clover bolt 
with which all elderly fanners are familiar. 
Legal weight forty-five pounds. Proportion 
Utilizing Nislit Soil. 
A correspondent of the Country Gen¬ 
tleman says:—‘‘I have a method of utiliz¬ 
ing the night soil from my privy, that I like 
much. In a tight box I place galvanized 
iron buckets built flaring, with two sets of 
loops, one set at the top and one at the bot¬ 
tom. The droppings arc caught in these, 
and empt ied as often os necessary on a heap 
of muck ami worked in. If emptied in the 
morning before being disturbed, it is not un¬ 
pleasant. When frozen, I hang them over 
the compost heap by the bottom loops, and 
pour a quart of boiling water over the 
bucket, and it is clean. A large pile of the 
best of compost is the result." 
hut now a white clover blossom is rarely nitniious, and is more like herd sgrass than of seed as compared with the whole pile is 
iwsm. .i..i..•_ _ ji.nxrtInner nlao * _ 
inn v-niv^i |IU JUSJUUU LUC rratdCmwm 11., . lu ^ vJilCSoUOH.ru, HO MS 10 USG IIS WHO 10 BUT* .. 
iiiiisiwiB j,. a a gentleman whose name i do not remember, ,• , . . . . ohlniur « 
11, . T' r , * »»<l wlw dill iuteml to go into the ImsimJ ftce ' 1,1 , tl ‘“ lMck e “ d °< ^'« «>»”«»* Sr^nded T.v , 
111 if , otttousivety. A gold or silver mine however, l "'“ ™» *'•« ““»% •» '»* V o, H , led 
If r Vm, . S ° PWWd » greater attraction, nml lie left oer «*“» “>»>«• »» «* door hav mg passed over “ 
seen. Outside the dairy region, where a 
different system of farming prevails, the 
white clover is as plentiful as ever. 
One cause for this may be thal none of 
the clover is allowed to perfect seed. If the 
farmers will make a liberal use of gypsum, 
and allow the while clover to reseed the 
ground, the probabilities are in favor of a 
return of this desirable grass. R has been 
mentioned as unusual, in some portions of 
Erie Co., N. Y., that pastures where little 
white clover has heretofore been known are 
now filling up with it, whether by the use 
of plaster we cannot determine, though in 
our own grounds, where plaster was a com¬ 
ponent part of the manure applied, its in¬ 
crease has been very great. 
Savina Sweet Potatoes, 
A correspondent of the Southern Plan¬ 
ter at Benlomund, Ark., gives this method: 
“ Construct a house after the following plan; 
Build u double wall, with a space of ten 
inches between the walls, and daub closely 
inside and out; then till up the space be¬ 
tween the walls with dry dirt. At the 
proper liiglit place a loti of logs closely laid 
and daubed, leaving a square hole two by 
three feet to admit air immediately over the 
door. The potatoes should be dug as soon 
a3 ripe, which may be known by breaking 
and laying up for a few hours; if ripe, they 
anything else. 
Boar Grass in Texas. 
Enclosed I send you a sample of the 
fiber of the hear grass, a species of the Span¬ 
ish Dagger which grows abundantly with ns. 
The fiber I send you was gotten out by a 
rather small. Wants no wind the first time 
through; make blinds by tacking shingles on 
each side ol' the mill; all the shake; clover 
seed screen in the bottom groove; wheat 
screen iu the upper groove, where the lake 
and chessboard are usually placed. Fasten 
the chessboard, so as to use its whole sur- 
'toim-mtb. 
DISEASES OF HOGS. 
A writer in the Missouri Democrat con¬ 
tributes the following:—With regard to the 
diseases of hogs, they are fortunately few, as 
it is easy matter to administer medicine 
to them. The safest plan is to kill them 
when any symptoms of an epidemic make 
their appearance, hut thousands of them can 
be cured by timely and proper treatment, 
Ilogs are infested with a louse, ( Ilocma - 
topimus suis,) like all domesticated animals, 
commonly called “ sow lice," they being 
very obnoxious to them after raising a litter 
of pigs with bad feed and worse care. Head 
and thorax arc of a dull, rusty color, the 
former pear-shaped and narrow, with an 
angular black point at the apex and one on 
each side before tbe eyes; abdomen large, 
flat and oval, of a bluish or yellowish ash- 
gray color—most of the segments with a 
black, horny prominence at each side, sur¬ 
rounding a white breathing bole; legs a pale 
ocher yellow, the thighs marked with dusky 
hands; length, from one and a quarter to 
one and three-quarters lines. This species 
are sometimes very plentiful on poor hogs. 
In walking it. uses the claw and tibial 
tooth with great facility (which acts as 
finger and thumb) in taking hold of a single 
hair; the male is much smaller, slih-orbicu- 
wbnderful climate, a person must see for 
himself. To one who has never visited the 
South, a more pleasant and instructive trip 
could not be taken. Let a person come to 
Middle Georgia and take the time to look at 
the country and become acquainted with 
the people, and then they will be able to de¬ 
termine whether it is safe for Northern 
people to live here. A residence for five 
years at this place convinces me that, taking 
everything into consideration, heaUbfuluess, 
water, timber, &c., there is no place in the 
land as desirable. 
The country, in one sense, is new ; but it 
has all the advantages of being fenced, 
stumps charred out, railroads built, schools 
established, and churches of every denomi¬ 
nation. The cheapness of living in so mild 
a climate, the high prices for which the pro¬ 
ductions arc sold, and t he cheapness of labor 
are facts well worth remembering. To es¬ 
cape the rigor of the Northern winters seems 
to be the object of many who contemplate 
removing South. To those in delicate health 
it seems to me almost impossible to find a 
more genial climate. There may be loca¬ 
tions in the South where it would not be 
pleasant for Northern people to live; but 
here I can vouch for a hearty welcome. 
Thirty Northern families have settled here 
in this county (Morgan) since the war, mak¬ 
ing the largest colony of Northern people 
that has settled at any one place iu the 
State. These have devoted themselves to 
agriculture. The large plow, the various 
kinds of labor-saving machines, the diversi¬ 
fied system of culture, the raising of clover 
and the grasses, the division of large farms 
into smaller ones, practiced by the Northern 
farmer, is having a wonderful effect. 
A more delightful winter residence could 
not be found. In my opinion it is even 
healthier than Aiken, South Carolina, and 
has the advantage of being backed by a 
thriving farming community. The country 
in the vicinity of Aiken is almost barren, 
the soil being composed almost entirely of 
white sand. We have here a soil naturally 
strong, with good foundation and susceptible 
of t he highest improvement, 
Mr. Reuben Miller, formerly of Hudson, 
N. Y., is astonishing the people here by his 
success in raising stock, lie furnishes the 
market with the most delicious fat beef and 
mutton, raised upon Ida magnificent fields of 
lur, and the segments lobate. The egg or clover. Surely the South Is commencing to 
“nit” is three-quarters of a line in length “ blossom as the rose." 
proved a greater attraction, and lie left our 
State. From my observation, there is twen¬ 
ty-five per cent, of fiber in the plant. The 
root of this same bear grass is largely used 
by Mexicans, as a soap, and is now used in 
a woolen manufactory at New Braunfels. 
Texas, in place of the common soap for some 
particular purposes. What do you think 
such fiber would sell at per pound ? 
J. B. Pollky. 
Remarks —The fiber seems strong though 
coarse. We should think it would answer 
well for the uses to which hemp and jute are 
put; but of its market value we have not the 
least idea. 
Toppiufi Tobacco. 
James Prentice asks whether it is best 
to top tobacco as soon as the buds appear, 
or let the plants blossom first. Without 
practical experience in the matter, we should 
think that, if a strong leaf is desired, the 
will turn white where broken; if not, they e,l! Her topping would be the best; if amild- 
will become dark. When ripe, dig and leave t r smaller leaf, let the plant bloom, 
them in the patch two or three days exposed ! 3 mere theory. H our readers having 
to the sun; if cold, throw vines over them experience can enlighten us, we shall be 
to protect from frost. Tliov should remit in filaJ ’° have them do so. 
them in the patch two or three days exposed 
to the sun; if cold, throw vines over them 
to protect from frost. They should remain 
iu the sun a sufficient time to wilt, after 
which they may be housed. Potatoes should 
be sorted before being put up. Place in piles 
of thirty bushels, and sift on dry sand until 
all the crevices are filled When the weather 
is warm leave the door open to admit free 
circulation of air. The hole iu the loft 
should never be closed. This system will 
save sweet potatoes." 
Wlien to Cut Corn for Fodtlcr. 
J. L. B,, Washburn, Mo., writes:—I 
wish to ascertain when corn should be cut 
for fodder, and how it should be cured and 
preserved? Having occasion to use some 
corn land, I cut the corn as it began to tas¬ 
sel, letting it lie on the ground three or four 
days, turning it once, when it was bound 
and shocked like wheat to cure. Alter ten 
Early Hose in Tennessee. 
A. E. B., Cleveland, Tenn., writes, July 2: 
‘‘March 28, I cut into twenty pieces a genu¬ 
ine Early Rose potato, and planted as many 
hills. The potato weighed two and a-half 
ounces. To-day, digging the product, I find 
a yield of just seventeen pounds. The largest 
tuber, weighing nine and a-half ounces, came 
from the top eye. This is a little better 
yield than we have ever had in this county. 
About a New Variety of Wheat. 
W. G. Baldwin says he saw a new varie¬ 
ty of wheat, mentioned in the Rural New- 
Yorker in 1869, by S. D. Comfort, Knox 
Co., O., and would like to learn more about 
its yield per acre; if it will stand the winter, 
and its cost per bushel, &c. 
the clover riddle should be flailed out.) 
That which comes on the floor known as 
the tailing's, may, if carefully done, be thrown 
out. 
To clean for market:—Second time, open 
the movable blinds about three inches; hook 
in outer hole; pin iu middle hole; timothy 
riddle in upper groove—or it is sometimes 
used in middle groove; motion very slow; 
run the seed on the floor. 
Flax seed weighs fifty-six pounds; rig 
same as for clover, only insert flux seed rid¬ 
dle in middle groove ; turn something faster 
and shut off part of the wind. 
In almost all cases I have the shoe raised 
up to the last hole; the three holes on each 
side being to level Hie shoe, as sometimes the 
barn floor is not perfectly level. The parts 
known as the hopper and tail-board I regard 
as perfectly useless. To dispense with the 
hopper, tack a piece of cloth on top of the 
mill, using a strip of lath to nail through, 
which holds the cloth more firm, and again 
tack on the inside of the shoe, being careful 
to allow- sufficient, for the play of the shoe. 
I have used neither hopper nor tail-board 
these five years. 
These directions will, at least, apply to the 
Gilbert Mill. 
Romulus, N. Y. Peter Wykoff. 
4 ♦ ♦- 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
Plowinir Headland*. 
Many farmers practice plowing head¬ 
lands previous to plowing the remaining 
portion of the field. This is a wrong idea, 
as the trampling thereon by the team and 
plowman render the whole part of the field 
nearly as solid and unyielding to the action 
of the harrow as before the operation of 
plowing had been performed. 
By leaving a strip at each side, from ten 
to fifteen feet in width, to be plowed after 
the other portion has been finished, much 
time will be gained. A team will not be un- 
“nit is three-quarters of a line hi length 
and of a cream color, and elegantly sha- 
greened, oblong and slightly acuminated, 
surrounded by a leash, which, when the 
young insect is ready to emerge, splits cir¬ 
cularly. 
At first they are found inside the ear, then 
around the eyes, (which they soon pul out) 
then on the back of the ears, and then all 
over the body. Death soon relievos the an¬ 
imal from being eaten alive. 
Remedy —Thorough washing with strong, 
warm soap aids, with plenty of sal soda in 
it. As soon as dry, dress with flsh oil and 
common mercurial ointment. Give clean 
beds on fresh ground, with plenty of nutri¬ 
tious cooked food, to which add sulphur 
and sulphate of iron (copperas) and your 
patient will soon give evidence of proper 
treatment. 
Consumption is a disease which affects 
hogs; it is brought on by neglect and expo¬ 
sure to cold and damp ; the animal becomes 
thin, the coat staring, the skin appearing as 
if glued to the ribs, an obstinate cough su¬ 
pervenes, discharge, is frequent from the 
nose, and glandular swelling appears about 
the neck; on dissection, the lungs are studded 
with tubercles. It. is only in the early stage 
of the complaint that anything can be done 
and the prospect of cure is very faint. 
Remedy —Clean, warm beds in separate 
pens, if possible; if not, at least plenty of 
room. Give cooked food in small quanti¬ 
ties at a time, and clean out the troughs 
after each meal. Potatoes should make a 
large part of the food. Give about one 
drachm each of sulphur and copperas, with 
salt enough to make it palatable. 
If farmers would go to the coal pits and 
get all the rejected coal and break it np, and 
keep a supply where the hogs could have 
free access to it, they would have very few 
sick ones. It is from this part that sul¬ 
phuric acid is made, hence its medicinal 
properties. 
-4-*-*- 
Inquiring for Swine-Herds.— I should much like 
to learn from men of experience the compara¬ 
tive profit of the Essex and Suffolk breeds of 
swine. It seems to me their characteristics are 
similar except color.— P. T. D. 
I noticed in the proceedings of the Fann¬ 
ers’ Club, that half-fare tickets could lie pur¬ 
chased of Reynolds & C o., No. 106 Fulton 
St., N. Y., for those who wished to visit the 
South. The Stale Fair will open at Atlanta 
Oct. 19, and continue eight days, giving 
Northern excursionists a good chance to 
view the productions of the State. 
_B. H. True. 
Nebraska—The Platte Valley. 
A. J. Stevens, Real Estate Agent, at 
Columbus, Nebraska, in writing of the 
Platte Valley, in that State, says: 
“There is one Important fact that those 
who contemplate coming West, should ever 
bear in mind, namely, that In emigrating to 
the Platte Valley, they are not going be- 
youd the bounds of civilization and im¬ 
provements, but will find that they have 
selected a location rich in all the wealth and 
advantages of a new country, to-wit, cheap 
lands , where the soil produces to the fullest 
extent demanded by the hand of industry, 
where good society abounds and where 
schools and churches are multiplying to an 
extent and with a rapidity never before wit¬ 
nessed iu the history of the West.; and in 
addition to all this, that they will be brought 
to the land thus overflowing with advan¬ 
tages in the luxuriant, coaches of a railway 
that extends from ocean to ocean, and 
which is daily conveying through our midst 
the commerce of the world, and, as if by 
magic, is rapidly blending the Orient with 
the Occident, and hastening the lime when 
that great educator, Commerce, shall make 
as one nationality, all the peoples of the 
earth. Who will hesitate to come to the 
Platte Valley?” 
Mr. Stevens is an old resident in the 
West, has had large experience in the land 
business, and those who desire to secure 
themselves homes in the Platte Valley, 
through which runs our great national high¬ 
way, the Union Pacific Railroad, caii read¬ 
ily avail themselves of Ids services. 
- 
Our Correspondents tor this Department must 
be patient. We have material of interest from 
different localities to fill an entire issue. 
