9 
JAN. 28 
$1.25 per pound; but Mr. Milco, of Stockton, 
California, who has for the last few years 
urown this plant very successfully, has in¬ 
formed Professor Kiley that he has grown 
147 poimds to the acre, and that the 
whole expense of putting it on the market 
need not exceed six or seven cents. When its 
culture becomes common, then we may expect 
that the price will not exceed that of London- 
Purple. Mr. Milco grows the P. cinerariiefo- 
lium, and so manufactures the Dalmatian 
powder under the name of •* Buhach.” It is 
probably true that this plant cau be grown in 
the Southern States, and very probably in all 
sections of the United States; if so, we may 
expect very soon to find it in the market at 
rates within thu reach of all. 
During the past season I have tried this 
pyre thrum, “ Buhach,’’ which I received 
through the kindness of Professor Kiley, on 
the lame and images of the potato beetle, on 
the cabbage caterpillar (Pieris rape) on squash 
bugs, on plaut lice, on house Hies, aud on 
mosquitoes, and found it speedy death to al* 
except, the squash bugs, which even lived in 
the powder for three days before dying. I 
also found that one tablespoonful of the pow 
der to forty of Hour was effective in killing 
the cabbage caterpillars, aud that the same 
amount of powder to two gallons of water 
was even better, owing doubtless to its more 
thorough application. The result, seems to 
depend more on actual coutact than upon the 
amount of powder. 
The significance of these facts is fairly start¬ 
ling. We have a cheap, non-poisonous insect¬ 
icide, by use of which noxious caterpillars are 
brought low, beetles and their grubs extermin¬ 
ated, Hies aud their maggots put hors de com¬ 
bat, plant lice overcome, parasitic lice—of 
course I mean those affecting sheep, cattle, 
fowls, and other of our domestic animals— 
exterminated hou6«Jlies and mosquitoes sent 
where mankind has long wished them. 
To apply this substance to insects which 
destroy vegetatiou. we cau best mix with 
water and apply with a fountain pump. To 
kill house flies we have only to throw the dust 
about the room by use of a bellows. To de¬ 
stroy vermin on our domestic animals we 
can wash them with the liquid mixture, or 
dust it will through their hair, wool and 
feathers, aud in case of close rooms like 
poultry houses, fill the room with the dust. 
The Millstone of October has the follow¬ 
ing:—** A most commendable enterprise of 
the Rural New-Yorker is its experimental 
farm. Upon this farm scientific tests are made 
with the numerous plants about which farmers 
dispute, and development is given to discoveries 
that are results of the expeiiments. Au 
unimpeachable authority for the editorial 
opinions of the paper is thus practically set 
forth, making it. a thoroughly reliable, Inter¬ 
esting and invaluable publication. An illus¬ 
trated article showing a comparison of the 
wheats most iu favor among farmers, is about 
as interesting reading as we could select, and 
coming from ibe source it does, we have no 
doubt will receive the earnest attention of 
every reader." 
(fotrtJtDgm. 
FACTS ABOUT IOWA. 
Here are a few facts concerning Iowa, 
gathered during a trip through different sec¬ 
tions of the State. The surlaee of Iowa is 
generally undulating, and in some places 
almost hilly; yeti think it has less of waste 
laud in proportion to tillable land than any 
other State iu the Union. The soil iu the 
eastern part of the Suae is a rich black loam, 
intermixed iu some localities with sand, and 
in other places, with gravel and clay; while 
that of Western Iowa is known as the "bluff 
deposit," peculiar to the Missouri slope. 1 
wish to draw special attention to the superior 
advantages Iowa enjoys for the successful 
breeding of all kinds of stock, for, while the 
plains abouud in rich, nutritious grasses, 
affording excellent pasturage during the Sum¬ 
mer, these grasses may be cut and cured for 
hay at a stuull cost. Then again, as this 
State ranks second iu the production of corn, 
it will be seen that plenty of feed can be had 
for Winter use. Another essential to the keep¬ 
ing of 6tock iB water, which can be had in 
great abundance here ; for if there is no 
stream running through or adjoining one’s 
farm, water may be had by boring wells vary¬ 
ing in depth from ten to forty feet, according 
to locality. The State now ranks first in the 
raising of hogs, and fifth in the number of 
milch cows, while the raising of sheep is fast 
assuming rust proportions ; aud we confident¬ 
ly believe that Iowa in the near future, ie des- 
tiued to become the first State in the Union in 
the production of both wool aud mutton. 
Among the counterbalancing disadvantages 
of Ibe Statu may fee mentioned the high rates 
of iutereet; taxation of live stock, which, 
however, is light, as the valuation is put at a 
low figure t the chinch bug, which is not as 
THE 
destructive as is generally believed, a large 
acreage of wheat having been harvested the 
past season; and occasionally in the Fall a 
heavy wind and snow storm called in the West 
a “ blizzard." But there are disadvantages 
to be met with everywhere, aud here the 
chances are greatly in favor of men of energy, 
who wish to invest their all in a home, be¬ 
coming independent iu a few years. There are 
yet thousands of acres of first-class land in 
Western Iow a for Bale on reasonable terms. 
Land of this sort is fast being taken up, how¬ 
ever, as the immigration to the Slate is im¬ 
mense. and is composed mostly of the better 
class of citizens of the United States and Great 
Britain. m. l. f. 
■» -*■■* - 
RURAL 8PECIAL REP0RT8. 
Ark , Poteau, Scott Co., Jan. 1.—We have 
had some very cold weather the past two 
weeks for this country. On the morning of 
the 29tb ult. the thermometer was below zero. 
There has been but little snow since Novem¬ 
ber. Crops of nearly all kinds were good the 
past season, except wheat Jt was very poor. 
Corn averaged from 25 to 50 bushels per acre; 
cotton on good land yielded a bale per acre. 
Prices are about as follows : cotlon, 10 to lOJc.; 
corn, 50c.; wheat, none selling ; pork, 3 to 
5c.; oats 50c.; eggs, 15c.; butter, 20c.; honey, 
12^ to 16$c. 4 N. 0. B. 
Ills., Champaign, Champaign Co., Jan. 8, 
—With the exception of five or six days, 
the earth in this part of the country has been 
covered with a light, dry enow since early in 
November. This meaus that the Winter has 
been dry and cool—but not very cold, except 
the last week in December, when a northern 
blizzard, or a 11 Manitoba cold wave," came 
down upon us with great force and sent the 
mercury down to 24 degrees below zero. Since, 
it has snowed a little every other day or 60 , 
and the temperature has been only seasonably 
winterish. In its generally moderate temper¬ 
ature, its many but light snows, its freedom 
from thaws aud rainfalls, this Winter very 
closely resembles that of two years ago, after 
which we harvested the phenomenal Winter 
wheat crGp of 1879. The feeding season has 
been a very favorable one for stock of all 
kinds, except on the occasions named, when 
cattle aud hogs suffered very much and shrunk 
severely. It is not the degree of cold that 
stock suffer from so much as the force of the 
wind, 10 degrees above zero, with a gale of 
wind, being far worse to bear than SO degrees 
below, in a still atmosphere. Fancy then, how 
stock must have suffered on the 29th of De¬ 
cember, exposed to a strong wind and the 
mercury ranging from 24 deg. at sunrise, to 10 
deg. or 15 deg. below zero in the evening. 
This blizzard made itself felt over the entire 
country, killing the orange trees to a certain 
extent in Florida, and making skating in 
southwestern TexaB, where such a thing wns 
never known before since “Americans" 
have lived there,—that country having been 
only lately settled in 1835, when there was 
a sudden storm similar to the one uuder 
notice. The peach trees and all the black¬ 
berries but the Snyder, are reported mostly 
destroyed as far south as 38 deg., and the 
tender raspberries and balf-hardy grapes have 
gone iu the same way. In this latitude, I have 
never known the apple aud the pear crops ser¬ 
iously injured by the frost, and what we Jack 
in one direction, may be made up in another. 
But the Winter wheat crop, which is now next 
to corn the great crop of the counry, having 
gone into winter-quarters in an excellent state 
of preservation aud having ample enow pro¬ 
tection, at this time promises a crop equal to 
that of 1879. with the added advantage that its 
acreage has been nearly doubled. b. f. j. 
Kan., Clay Center, Clay Co., Jan. 0—'The 
holiday week was extremely cold here—19 ® 
below zero on December 29. An iueh and a 
half ot snow on our smooth roads made 
tolerably good sleighing, which was made use 
of by every one who could find anything in 
shape of a sleigh or a pair of runners ou 
which to mount a dry goods box. a. e. s. 
N. C.. IleodersoD, Granville Co., Jan. 5. — 
Ou examining my large orchard of peaches 
this morning 1 fiod au ulmost entire destruc¬ 
tion of the fruit buds of all kinds of budded 
varieties, while the seedlings and common 
peaches of the county are not yet hurt. The 
thermometer ou the 30th aud 81st of Decem¬ 
ber 6ank here to about 3® below zero, and in 
some places to 10® below. This is a greater 
degree of cold thau ever kuown here before 
in the memory of man. This is thu third 
consecutive year iu which wa have had no 
peaches for market, but a Winter destruction 
of the buds was never before kuown. It has 
always been due to the late Spring frosts. 
H. s. 
Ohio, Toledo, Lucas Co., Jan. 11.—Ther¬ 
mometer this morning 6 ® below, w. h. k. 
Pa., Northumberland, Northumberland Co., 
Jan. 10.—This count; is noted for its agricul¬ 
tural and mineral wealth. The Sbamukiu c«al 
is known wherever coal is used, whilst another 
part abonnda iu iron **r* and iimestoue; and 
the northern part of the county is a finely 
improved farming country, devoted principally 
to a raised husbandry, so that we never have a 
total failure of crops. The hay crop was very 
light last year, as was the oat crop, while 
wheat and corn were heavy. Most of the corn 
haB changed hands at 50 cents per bushel. It 
is now bnt 45 cents. The Winter has thus far 
been very severe, and as the cold weather set 
in early it found a good many farmers unpre¬ 
pared for the change, and hundreds of bushels 
of potatoes and apples were frozen. Farmers 
that have suitable land are turning tbeir atten¬ 
tion to raising tobacco, of which about 1,000 
cases were raised this last year. Most of it is 
on the poles, on account of the cold weather, 
which prevents it from being taken down. 
r. c. m'w. 
Pa., Linevllle Station, Crawford Co., Jan. 
10.—We are haviug nice Winter weather. 
There has bean good sleighing since some 
time in November. There was fully as much 
wheat sown this Fall as in previous years, if 
not more. Owing to the dry weather corn was 
not more than an average crop; potatoes were 
rather below the average. Feed promises to 
be scarce before Winter is over. II ty is sell¬ 
ing at $1.' per ton. Wheat is worth $1 per 
bushel; corn, 30 cents per bushel in the ear; 
oats, 35 cents. B. h. s. 
Pa , Derry Church, Dauphin Co., Jan. 8—The 
weather has been extremely ccld. Oo Decem¬ 
ber 30 the thermometer stood 8 deg. below 
zero, and on January 1. 12 deg. below. The 
fields, however, aie covered with enow to the 
depth of about nine iuches, so that the grain 
dots not suffer. Wheat sells at $105; oats, 
40'.'.; corn, 50e., and rye at 80c. per bushel. 
Hay is worth $25 per ton ; butter, 25c. per 
pound ; eggs, 25c. per dozen. e e. b s. 
Wis., Chilton, Calumet Co., Jan. S—The 
weather has been intensely cold here; the 
thermometer has been at zero, and below 
most of the time for the past two weeks, the 
lowest point being 25 3 . below zero. Tim 
morning it is 15® below. We have had no 
snow to speak of—three or four inches in all. 
c. c. c. 
®|}f Querist, 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Splinter in a Horne’* Foot. 
W. R., E. JSeso Market, Ind., says a four- 
year-old mare of his kicked a I oard down in 
the stable, aud after a few days he noticed that 
her leg was somewhat swollen in the morn¬ 
ings, but the swelling would go down after she 
had been used a little. She did not appear to 
be lame in the least. After some time he found 
that a large splinter penetrated right through 
the frog into the tieshy part just above. Alter 
it bad been removed, he poulticed the place 
with flax-seed and worm wood, us there was 
considerable fever in the leg from the foot to 
the gambrel joint. He washed the place with 
castile soap aud water and then used weak 
carbolic acid water and bine vitriol, but the 
inflammation continued. He then bandaged 
the leg at night, using warm vinegar and 
sometimes warm alcohol, and the trouble 
seemed to settle in the gambrel joint, which 
becomes swollen ou the inside when the ani¬ 
mal is not used. Our friend has used several 
remedies, but, not having effected a cure, he 
asks what treatment should be employed. 
Ans. —Our correspondent could not have 
done better than, directly after withdrawing 
iho splinter from the frog of the foot, to poul¬ 
tice with warm flux seed. He should have 
kept this on, if the wound suppurated, till it 
ceased running, then applied sweet oil or mutton 
tallow,and bound up with linen cloth till healed. 
The fever and swelling of thu leg which lol- 
lowed were la consequence of the pain and 
irritation of the wouud. This swelling would 
probably have ceastd soon by merely bathing 
the parts swollen with water as hot as the 
hand could bear, and then wrapping it up warm 
with bauds of white cloth or uncolored woolen 
cloth of any kind. Colored cloth should not 
be used, as its dye might prove injurious to 
the leg. This treatment may be used now. 
Then bed the mare well, so that she can stand 
on something soft, and keep her in a comfort¬ 
able stable till she gets entirely well. Blue 
vitriol, corrosive eubliaiate, turpentiuu, or ker¬ 
osene oil, ai every bad to apply to a wound. 
The two former arc poisouous to raw flesh and 
we fear have injured the limb, but it may have 
escaped. 
Mtaaellaneou*. 
C. E C-, Forestville, la., asks the best work 
on cattle, horses, sheep aud swine—their dis¬ 
eases, bretdlug, etc. 
Ans. —We know of no single work that em¬ 
braces all the above information. The bestwork 
on diseases of domestic animals, which cau 
begot at a reasonable price, is Law’s Farmers’ 
Veterinary Adviser, price a 3. Allen’s Ameri¬ 
can Cattle, price $2 50 is au excellent work ou 
cattle. Mayhew’s Illustrated Horse Manage^ 
ment, price $3, is a good work on the subject 
of which it treats. Stewart’s Shepherd’s Man¬ 
ual, price $1 50, is the latest and best work on 
sheep. Coburn’s 8wine Husbandry, price 
$1 75 is a late and good work on swine. Miles’s 
Stock Breeding, price $2, gives the latest in¬ 
formation on the principles and practice of 
stock breeding, The above works would be 
very useful in every farmer’s library. All can 
ba obtained from the American News Co., N. 
Y. City. 
r. T. Victoria, British■ Columbia, asks 
whether any of the fruit driers noticed from 
time to time in the Rural could be used for 
drying cones of the native conifers, of which 
he collects a considerable quantity; and if 
fruit driers are suitable for this purpose, 
whether we know of any made in Canada, as 
it would be desirable to save the 25 per cent, 
of import duty levied on American machinery 
introduced iDto the Dominion. 
Ans.— The fruit driers would answer per¬ 
fectly for dryiDg fir cones or any kind of seedp, 
care being taken not to run the fire too high. 
To be safe in this particular, a thermometer 
should be hung in the shaft near the lower 
trays and the heat should not exceed 125 de¬ 
grees. We cannot learn that fruit driers are 
made uuywbere in the Dominion. 
•/. E P., Braidwood, IU , asks how the milk 
of Holstein cows would compare with that of 
Jerseys for butter making. 
Ans —We do not remember the particulars 
of aiay experiments made to decide in a definite 
manner the relative proportion of batter ob¬ 
tainable from the rnilk of Holstein and Jersey 
cows. The Jersey, however, is the “butter 
co w" par excellence, her milk usually yielding 
a larger percentage of butter, and that of a bet¬ 
ter quality, than the milk of auy other breed. 
The Holsteiu milk is better for cheese-making 
or marketing than for butter-making ; as the 
yield is large and pretty rich in caseine. A 
good deal, of course, will also depend on the 
feed of the cows. 
J. IV., Rock Palls. III. sends specimen leaves 
of a plant which he thinks may be either a 
magnolia or a hibiscus, and asks our opinion. 
Ans —It is either Hibiscus militaris or H. 
Museheutos—we cannot tell which from the 
specimen, 
C. M., Marquette, Kan , kindly famishes 
figures to show that our yield of Chester Corn 
could not nave been as great as represented. 
But he overlooks the facts that it was planted 
in drills; that many grams produced more 
than one stalk and that the drills were not four 
feet apart. 
C. M II., Pleasant Grove, Minn., asks where 
cau he get cranberry plants In the Spring, and 
how to set them out, 
Ans. —Iu noticing the nnrserymen’s cata¬ 
logues just about to be issued, we shall call at¬ 
tention to those parties who sell cranberries. 
A full account of the manner of planting them, 
etc., was given in the Rural of Dec. 4th last, 
under the caption “The Cultivation of the 
Cranberry.” We must refer our correspond¬ 
ent to this article, as it is really too soon to re¬ 
peat the instruction given therein. 
W. IV., Utica, Dakota Territory, asks 
whether Blount’s Corn and the Chester County 
Mammoth Corn would be likely to ripen in that 
latitude, and where«an he get seeds of both. 
Ans—T rial alone can decide the matter 
definitely. Only a small patch of each should 
be planted at first. In noticing seedsmen’s 
catalogues, we shall meiniou those who will 
have seed for sale. It will also, no doubt, be 
advertised in the Rural in ample time before 
the season for planting. 
C. G.. Damascus, Pa., asks for a full history 
of the Chester County Mammoth Corn. 
Ans. —We have told all that we know re¬ 
specting " Chester" Mammoth. It was bred 
iu Chester Co., Penu.—by whom we know not. 
It required last season not less than 110 days 
to mature. The cobs are large, the stalks 
heavy aud tall—perhaps they will average nine 
feet. 
L. U. E., Chapman, Kan., asks how to get 
the seed outof Osage Oranges without using a 
machine. 
Ans —The seeds of the Osage Orange can be 
obtained by rotting the orange and washing 
away the pulp. 
- 
Communications received for the week end¬ 
ing Saturday, Jan. 22. 
J. B. W.—J. T.—D. S. D.—D. Rice—thank you. 
The corn Is not yet received,—M. li. c —N. j. s.— 
S. E. V.—B. F. T.—\V. E V., we can not furnish 
prices—we do not sell-A. B. A , for Hardy Shrub 
and Tree Number—W. C. u .—a 8 S, Waer, 
Texas, many thanks. We shall give the corn a 
good trlal-C. M. H — M. L F.—H. S - G C. C , tor 
wheal number-ll 8.- s R n . tor hardy t ree and 
shrub number—P. M. A—I J. B.—j. s. it &Son— 
S. R. M.—J. E. J—J. F. A —G. W.—J. T.-O. W. 
F.-L I) — J. S W—E G.. thanks-F. D. C.—J. A . 
M.-K. V. V.-V. B. M.-E. C.-R, B. A.—W. 8. P.— 
J, F. A.-J. T,—J. S VV,—T, H, U.-S. R. M.-J. 
E. J —S E. V.- B. F. T.-J. T.—J. B, W.—J. H. P. 
S —D. R.-G. W.-N. J. S.-H. C. B.—A; L. J.- 
E. W. S., yes—W. C. B.-S. F.—W. H. S.—D. E. 
8.—8. B. t.—M. W. F.—8. R. M.—F. H. 8. 
