these  voracious  vermin  must  have  devoured; 
how  in  their  movements  they  must  have  irritated 
the  intestines ;  rolled  in  masses,  as  they  often 
arc,  they  must  frequently  have  formed  an  almost 
hopeless  obsti'uction.  Thankful  would  this 
wretched  victim  be  to  shuffle  off  this  mortal  coil. 
new  vigor  seemed  imparted  ;  often  a  change  was 
perceptible  in  a  few  hours.  Boussingault  experi¬ 
mented  with  the  very  fertile  soil  of  his  garden, 
which  was  esjuicially  rich  in  nitrogen  wliich,  were 
it  in  the  form  of  ainmoma.  would  be  equivalent 
to  more  than  seven  tons  per  aero  taken  to  the 
depth  of  13  inches;  or  if  existing  as  nitric  acid, 
would  correspond  to  more  than  43  tons  of  salt¬ 
peter  at  the  same  do))tli.  Tlio  same  authority 
made  Homo  beautiful  experiments  with  the  sun¬ 
flower.  In  a  soil  destitute  of  nitrogen  was  ob¬ 
tained  a  crop  weighing  (dry)  4.  (>  times  as  much 
as  the  seeds.  In  a  second  pot,  with  the  same 
weight  of  seeds,  in  wliich  the  nitrogen  was  doub¬ 
led  by  adding  of  a  gramme  in  form  of  nitrate 
of  soda,  the  weight  of  the  crop  was  nearly  doub¬ 
led— was  7.()  times  that  of  the  seeds.  Li  a  third 
pot,  where  the  nitrogen  was  trebled  by  adding 
-OOeti  graiTuno  m  form  of  nitrate,  and  the  crop 
was  nearly  trebled  also — was  11.3  times  the  weight 
of  the  seeds.  The  experiments  were  also  con¬ 
tinued  by  Using  garden  soil  which  already  con¬ 
tained  a  certain  proportion  of  nitrogen,  and  be¬ 
yond  a  certain  proportion  there  was  no  percepti¬ 
ble  increase  in  the  weight  of  the  crop. 
THOUGHTS  ON  PLANT  GROWTH 
From  a  paper  by  J.  V.  H.  Scoville  of  Paris, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y..  read  before  the  Central  N.  Y. 
Farmers'  Club,  we  take  the  following  : 
Witliin  the  past  quarter  of  a  contnry  there 
have  spnuig  up  on  the  continent  of  Europe  a 
corps  of  observers  ivhose  investigations  have 
done  mucli  to  lift  the  darkness  wliich  surrounds 
the  growing  plaut,  Boussingault  in  Franco,  La- 
CHICCORY  ROOT  FOR  HORSES 
A  WRITER  in  the  Germantown  Telegraph  says : 
— I  once  raised  1,800  bushels  of  chicoory  roots  on 
Long  Island.  The  roots  look  Uke  parsnips,  and 
are  as  easily  grown  as  carrots  or  other  roots.  I 
found  my  horse  very  fond  of  the  tops.  I  alse  fed 
the.  trimmings  in  winter  in  place  of  grain.  I  had 
half  a  ton  that  got  moldy  after  di-ying,  so  much 
so  that  I  did  not  attempt  to  sell  it.  fliii.s  I  fed  to 
my  horso  the  next  summer  in  place  of  grain, 
about  ono  pock  a  day.  Ho  kept  fat  on  it  witli  no 
grain ;  and  as  it  is  very  bitter  it  is  a  sure  ciue  as 
preventive  of  worms  and  bots.  I  never  raised 
any  seed,  but  it  can  1m«.  obtained  at  most  general 
seed  stores.  Sow  same  as  carrots,  sandy  or  loose 
soil  preferred.  I  think  rarniers  woul<l  do  well  to 
try  it  on  a  small  scale.  I  am  sutb  chiccory  is 
worth  double  of  carrots  for  horses. 
when  returning  emp^.  the  day’s  work  having 
been  done.  I  am  awaro.that  work  horses  should 
never  be  driven  faster  than  a  walk,  but  when 
n^ssary,  as  in  the  above  case,  I  should  consider 
the  latter  the  best,  as  to  adopt  the  former  would 
be,  in  my  opinion,  to  tire  your  horses  just  at  the 
tmie  that  they  needed  all  their  strength.— Kan¬ 
sas  Subscriber. 
If  more  pains  were  taken  to  break  colts  into 
fast  walking  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  trot 
them  in  intervals  between  hard  work.  Trotting 
is  a  hard  pace  for  a  horse  on  a  hard  road-bed, 
and  more  horses  are  proinaturely  disabled  by  fast 
driiing  to  and  from  market  than  by  the  severest 
work  they  do  ujion  the  farm.  Still,  if  a  horso 
is  kept  in  good  working  condition,  he  ought  to 
and  will  want  to  go  taster  than  a  walk  when 
drawing  an  empty  wagon,  and,  in  anch  cases, 
most  working  horses  will  not  hurt  themselves  by 
fast  trotting.  Often  the  team  is  as  anxious  to 
get  to  its  crib  and  feed  of  oats  as  the  driver  is 
for  his  supper,  and  we  don't  know  why  it  should 
be  held  in,  to  the  discomfort  of  both.  As  for 
whipping  or  urging  a  poorly-fed  or  hardworking 
horse,  either  to  or  from  work,  it  should  never  be 
allowed.  It  is  much  bettor  to  take  the  Irish- 
man’s  advice  and  “  put  the  whip  in  the  manger." 
A  WORM  IN  A  HORSE’S  FOOT 
The  Scientific  American  is  responsible  for  the 
following:  A  horse  was  taken  to  a  veterinary 
mirgoon  recently  to  be  cured  of  a  corn  in  the 
foot.  In  paring  the  corn  the  ojicrator  found  a 
worm  aljont  X  ituh  long,  I-IC.  of  an  inch 
thick,  and  sharp  at  each  end  as  a  needle.  Ono 
end  was  black  and  the  other  end  wliitc.  The 
black  end  was  nearest  to  the  sole  and  the  white 
end  was  in  the  flesh.  After  removing  the  worm 
and  burning  with  niti  ic  acid  the  corn  was  entirely 
removed  and  tJic  horse  pcrmaiirmtly  cured  of  liis 
lameness. 
TR1M.MINO  roR  UNUER-USEN,  ETC. 
vees  and  Gilbert  in  England,  Wolf  and  Fleischer 
and  Pugh  and  Kuop  m  Germany,  have  given 
rniicb  of  their  valuable  lives  to  the  solution  of 
those  proltlems.  ProfcHsor  Johnson  found  a 
cubic  foot  of  wheat  soil  from  tlio  souUiem  part 
of  Onondaga  County  to  woigli,  when  dry, 
pounds.  In  this  proportion  an  aero  to  the  depth 
of  ono  foot  weighs  2.7G8.000  pouiuUi.  This  soil 
oontiiins  a  largo  proiiortion  of  slaty  gravel.  Cora- 
niou  arable  land  varies  between  80  and  00  pounds 
|)or  cubic  foot,  while  very  rich,  mellow  soils  are 
ligbU'r,  peat  soils  weighing  from  30  to  50  pound« 
iwr  cubic  foot.  Taking  thoso  facts  into  careful 
consiflcration.  we  are  able  to  comprehend  how 
largo  an  amount  of  avail»fl>le  plant  food  nature 
generously  prorides  upon  an  acre  of  land,  and 
this  is  seldom  used  in  .(Unericaii  culture,  for  there 
are  few  farmers  who  stir  the  soil  to  the  depth  of 
12  inches.  There  aro  some  few  favored  spots 
whore  nature  Hocm:;  to  restore  itself  and  supplies 
with  a  generous  liand  the  plant  food  abstracted 
from  the  soil  liy  the  growing  plants.  Tliis  is  os- 
peciaUy  noticealilc  in  some  looalion.s  in  the  Mo- 
liswk  river  valley  and  in  locations  whore  annual 
overflows  leave  a  rich  deposit ;  and  it  is  remarked 
that  the  rich  valley  of  the  Scioto  river  in  Olilo, 
though  bearing  wlicat  and  corn  for  60  years,  shows 
no  perceptible  exJiaustion.  The  great  proportion 
of  our  soil  being  upland,  the  ingredients  coiupos- 
iug  it  aro  coarser  anrl  to  the  cubic  foot  it  is  heav¬ 
ier,  and  as  a  con.seqncncc  there  is  less  available 
plant  food.  The  sources  of  supply  arc  tlio  appli¬ 
cation  of  manures,  iihosphates.  nitrates,  Ac.  ITie 
more  thorough  is  the  tillage  of  flic  soil,  the  finer 
its  pulverization  ;  the  more  fmpicntly  it  is  stir¬ 
red  the  more  vigorous  and  healthy  are  tiie  grow¬ 
ing  plants.  This  frequent  stining  of  the  soil 
facilitates  the  ab.son>tion  of  ammonia  an<l  nitric 
acid  for  the  uses  of  the  planL  Rain  water  has 
been  frequently  analyzed  for  ammonia  and  found 
in  minute  quantities,  and  this  property  may  also 
be  absorbed  from  the  atmosphere  by  the  leaves. 
SEED  FAILURES 
The  following  are  some  of  the  principal  causes 
of  failure  of  seeds : 
1 .  Homo  cultivators,  through  ignoraiico  or  for¬ 
getfulness  of  the  fact  that  tlui  products  of  a 
garden,  being  natives  of  various  soils  and  oli- 
niates,  roquiro  peculiar  mnnagoment,  deposit 
theii-  seeds  in  tho  ground  at  an  improper  season. 
The  early  ond  most  hardy  species  and  varieties 
should  not  be  planted  until  the  ground  can  bo 
brought  into  good  condition,  as  some  species  of 
plants  that  In  an  advanced  stage  of  growth  wi^l 
stand  a  hard  winter,  are  often  cut  off  by  a  very 
slight  frost  while  yomig,  ospociaUy  if  exposed  to 
tho  sun  afti'r  a  frosty  night. 
2.  Home  sjiccios  of  soods,  such  as  bean,  beet, 
cabbage,  lettuce,  radish,  salsify,  turnip,  Ac.,  be¬ 
ing  from  their  natmo  apt  to  vegetate  quickly, 
aro  often  destroyed  wliilo  germinating,  tlirough 
variabloness  of  the  weather,  and  some  are  liable 
to  bo  devoured  by  insects  in  48  hours  after  they 
are  sown,  and  befuro  a  plant  is  seen  above  the 
ground,  unless  a  suitable  remedy  is  applied  in 
time  to  annoy  tho  insects. 
3.  Some  species,  as  carrot,  celery,  leek,  onion, 
liarsloy,  parsnlji,  spinaoli,  Ac.,  being  naturally  of 
tardy  growth,  taking  (In  unfavorable  seasons) 
from  two  to  tJuroe  or  four  weeks  to  vegetate,  are 
apt  to  perish  through  incrustation  of  tho  soil,  or 
other  untoward  and  niiacconntable  clrcniustances 
winch  cannot  always  bo  controlled. 
4.  The  feiliiroM  often  occur  through  seeds  being 
<lcpoBited  too  deeply  in  tlic  ground  or  loft  too 
near  tho  surface.  Soinotliucs,  for  want  of  suffi¬ 
ciency  of  seed  in  a  given  spot,  solitary  plants  will 
perish,  they  not  having  sufticiont  strength  to 
open  the  pores  of  the  earth,  and  very  frequently 
injudicious  management  in  maniming  and  pre¬ 
paring  the  soil  will  cause  defeat.— Circular. 
BIG  JAW  AND  ITS  REMEDY 
Pre^jcntive  of  KpUootic. — A  correspondent  of 
tho  Baltimore  American  says  that  ho  prevented 
his  horses  from  having  tho  epizootic  by  an  ex¬ 
pectant  treatment,  and  that  friends  used  the 
same  moans  with  success.  lie  dissolvcil  ono 
teasfioonful  of  crystal  chlorate  of  potash  in  a 
bucket  of  water,  this  amount  making  a  morning 
dose  for  four  horses.  Another  dose  was  given  at 
night.  A  dose  at  noon  is  recommended  if  the 
disease  is  developed. 
aiiJi  Itlaiuifrs 
A  CHEST  PRESERVER 
Our  engraving  represents  a  chest  preserver 
which  may  be  easily  made  by  any  one  who  can 
kmt, — and  we  belie vo  innny  still  do,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  introduction  of  knitting  machines. 
The  material  is  Hhctland  wool.  The  work  is 
plain  knitting,  tlic  details  of  which  are  so  plainly 
shown  in  the  illustration  as  to  require  no  ex¬ 
planation.  For  persons  with  weak  lungs,  these 
preservers  are  of  great  use  and  comfort. 
MARES’  MILK  FOR  FOOD 
Mr.  Alexis  Elishoff,  a  Russian  gentleman, 
visiting  America  for  the  study  of  its  dairy  prac¬ 
tice,  thus  referred  to  mares*  milk  after  visiting 
the  ••  Western  New  York  Dairy  Farm.'*  Three 
years  ago,  while  traveling  in  Eastern  Russia  and 
Tartaiy,  I  became  accustomed  to  the  use  of  this 
milk  for  foixl.  When  the  natives  first  offered 
it  to  me  I  was  very  much  set  against  it,  but  habit 
and  example  rules  us  in  the  end,  and  in  a  few 
weeks  I  could  drink  down  a  bowl  of  mare’s  milk 
with  as  keen  a  relish  as  any  wild  Tartar.  An  in¬ 
toxicating  beverage  is  also  produced  from  this 
milk  that  the  people  of  Tartary  drink.  It  is  called 
koumiss.  The  mode  of  making  it  is  very  simple. 
Place  the  milk  in  a  leather  bag.  Into  this  new 
milk  put  a  quantity  of  soui-  milk,  and  shake  it  up 
several  times  a  day  for  three  days.  In  this  man¬ 
ner  a  kind  of  spirits  is  produced  that  is  very  in¬ 
toxicating.— London  Ay.  Qazrttc. 
This  "  Koumiss,"  as  may  well  be  imagined  from 
the  description  of  the  method  of  its  manufacture, 
is  a  filthy  and  disgusting  potation — luiendurable 
to  any  but  the  most  depraved  appetite.  Only 
an  inveterate  toiier  could  relish  it,  and  he  only  in 
default  of  other  intoxicating  liquors.  As  for 
using  mare's  nulk  as  food,  we  believe  whenever 
a  mare  gives  milk  there  is  always  a  colt  needing 
all  that  its  mother  can  supply. 
TRIMMING  FOR  UNDER-LINEN 
We  illustrate  a  specimen  of  trimming  for  un¬ 
der-linen,  etc.,  which  most  of  our  lady  readers 
EFFECT  OF  CAMPHOR  ON  SEEDS 
Certain  curious  and  all  but  forgotten  experi¬ 
ences  of  muoli  interest  to  agriculture  and  garden¬ 
ing  have  lately  boon  revived  by  a  German  savant. 
Very  many  years  ago  it  was  discovered  and  re¬ 
corded  that  water  saturafed  with  camphor  had  a 
remarkable  influence  on  the  germination  of  seeds. 
As  of  many  other  useful  hints,  the  stupid  world 
took  no  notice  of  this  intimation :  but  a  Berlin 
professor,  having  seen  tho  record  of  it,  appears 
to  have  established  tho  facts  that  a  solution  of 
camphor  stimulates  vegetables  as  alcohol  does 
animals.  Ho  took  seo^  of  various  sorts,  some 
being  three  or  foiu*  years  old,  and  possessing  a 
slight  degree  of  vitality,  and  placofl  them  be¬ 
tween  sheets  of  blotting  paper.  Some  of  these 
he  wetted  with  pure  water,  and  others  with  cam¬ 
phorated  water.  In  many  cases  the  seeds  did 
not  swell  at  all  under  the  influence  of  the  simple 
moisture,  but  in  every  case  they  germinated 
whore  they  were  subjected  to  the  camphor  solu¬ 
tion.  The  experiment  was  extended  to  different 
kinds  of  garden  seeds,  old  and  new,  and  always 
with  tho  result  of  showing  a  singular  awakening 
of  dormant  vitalism  anil  a  wonderful  quickening 
of  growth.  It  also  appears  from  tho  professor’s 
researches  that  the  young  plants  thus  stimulated 
continued  to  increase  with  a  vigor  and  vivacity 
much  beyond  that  wf  those  which  wore  not  so 
treated.  When  pounded  camphor  was  mixed 
with  tho  soil,  it  appeared  to  exercise  a  rather 
bad  effect  upon  the  seeds.  The  dose  in 
this  latter  case  was  possibly  too  strong.  At 
all  events,  this  action  of  camphor  is  worthy  of  an 
examination  by  seedsmen  and  gardeners,  and 
oven  farmers  might  determine  how  far  wheat  and 
barley  may  be  profited  by  tlio  strange  grower  this 
diTig  appears  to  possess  over  the  latent  life  of 
vegetable  ^ovmn.—HorlicuHurisL 
INTESTINAL  PARASITES  IN  HORSES, 
Enthusiajsticallv  following  up  his  specialty, 
looking  everywhere  for  worms,  and  ascribing  to 
them  many  and  varied  ailments.  Prof.  Cobbold 
marshalls  a  considerable  amount  of  evidence  to 
show  that  colic  in  horses  is  frequently  in  this 
coimtry.  as  well  as  in  India,  produced  by  the  as- 
caris,  strongyli,  and  other  internal  worms.  Over 
1,200  ascarides  be  mentions  as  having  been  re¬ 
moved  in  a  post-mortem  examination  of  the  in¬ 
testines  of  one  unfortunate  horse.  It  is  a  pity 
wo  have  to  record  of  the  sensations,  tho  gastiic 
arraugemciit,  the  thiifiless  api>earance  of  this 
much-afflicted  animal.  \Miat  an  amount  of  food 
will  readily  understand.  The  edge  is  worked  in 
buttonhole  stitch.  Tlie  cross  band  is  ornamented 
with  narrow,  diagonal  tucks.  The  frill  is  on  the 
bias. 
- 
Light  Colors  will  prevaU  in  Milliners’  materi¬ 
als  this  spnng.  Black  bonnets  aro  by  no  means 
to  be  abandoned  however. 
1  iiave  oDservea  tnese  influences  more  percep¬ 
tibly  in  the  cultivation  of  the  hop  than  of  any 
other  ])lant.  At  that  peculiar  season  of  growth 
when  it  is  just  in  the  bnrr,  I  have  noticed  that 
with  many  hills  the  growth  was  apparently  sta¬ 
tionary  ;  but  when  I  used  the  plow  and  the  culti¬ 
vator  freely  and  threw  fresh  dirt  about  the  hills. 
