FEB. 49 THE RURAL HEW-Y0BK1B. 
(ftojjtojjtn. 
RURAL SPECIAL EEPOETS. 
Alabama, South Lowell, Walker Co., Jan. 
28.—The cotton season is about over. Owing 
to the continued wet weather, much of the 
staple was picked wet. and consequently much 
of the seed has heated and is spoiled for plant¬ 
ing. and possibly a poor stand will be the 
result of next planting. b. a. 
Canada, Listowel, Perth Co., Feb. 1. —Veiy 
little can be said about the prospects here. 
There was a large acreage of wheat sown in 
the Kail and a moderate growth was attained, 
but not like the year before. The snow fell 
early and the ground has been well covered 
since. The farmers are dolDg more logging 
than for many Winters previous and prices for 
farm products being good, they are in good 
spirits and doing well. A. .r. c. 
Conn., South Glastonbury, Hartford Co., 
Jan. SI.—'The extreme cold of the past month 
has severely tested the hardiness of our rasp¬ 
berries. The only varieties that have escaped 
are the Turner and Caroline, they showing no 
signs of injury. Brandywine, Cuthbert and 
Doolittle are badly damaged, but not entirely 
killed. All other varieties—some 15 in all—are 
killed to the snow line. Peach buds all right 
so far. The thermometer was 83° below 
zero here on the morning of January 1st and 
10° below on the 24th. J- u. h. 
Illinois, Villa Ridge, Pulaski Co., Jan. 31. 
—The lowest temperature here was 6 °. The 
snow has protected the strawberries. Young 
peach stock is badly damaged. There will be 
very few white and yellow peaches, while the 
red ones are nearly uninjured. I planted a 
half peck of Blount’s corn first of Juue’80, 
three kernels to the hill, and in spite of a 
drought just as it was tasseling and shooting, 
with no extra cultivation, no manure, have 
harvested 87J bushels of shelled corn. Aver¬ 
age number of ears to a stalk, three and four, 
although quite a number had seven and eight 
ears and a few had nine. I consider the Corn 
Number invaluable. H. it. w. 
III., Ludlow, Champaign Co., Jan. 34.—We 
have, had steady Winter weather, without much 
variation lor a couple of weeks, thawing little 
neither freezing hard. With a dtizzling rain 
on the 18th, and since then sigus of anow neat¬ 
ly every day but none falling to speak of. 
Roads good. Corn 30 cents; oats, 28 cents; live 
hogs, $4 25 per cwt. : butter, 18 cents. 
A. M. G. 
Minn., Hawley, Clay Co,, Jan. 30—As the 
weather and the amount and kind of crops 
produced iu any section of country are always 
interesting to farmers, I will give you a few 
items. We have had steady cold weather with 
but little wind and suow. It has been very 
comfortable compared with what we some¬ 
times get here. Wheat is onr main money 
crop, but this year it was hardly up to an 
average yield. I hear of some who had 80 
bushels per acre, while many others did not 
have half that arnouot. The trouble I believe 
is iu poor farming, or iu trying to cultivate too 
much land, and in many cases the seed is not 
adapted to the soil. Oats have been a good 
crop here; so has barley although there is but 
little of that grown. Potatoes were 6 mall and 
few iu the hill; corn is but little grown; but 
let us get our laDd in good tilth and 1 see no 
reasou why it will not do as well here as iu 
northern New England. We have good suc¬ 
cess with cattle, and they must here, as every 
where else, bo tbe foundation of successful 
farming. Our pasturing is practically unlim¬ 
ited. Hay of an extra quality can be put in 
the stack for two dollars a ton, and with our 
large straw piles for the cattle to run to, it will 
not require more than a ton and a half per 
head, to winter an average lot of cattle. Wheat 
is worth 80 cents per bushel; oats, 30 cents; 
bar ley, 45 cents; butter, 25 to 30 cents per 
pound. h. B. 
N. J., Titusville, Mercer Co., Feb. 1.—Peach 
buds are nearly, if not quite, all destroyed, so 
that tbe peach crop must bo very light in this 
section. i. J- b. 
N. Y., Clinton, Oneida Co., -Jan. 28.—The 
first cold snap, about December 1 st, killed 
peach bads and all the cherries, except Early 
Richmoud aud other sour varieties. Trees are 
not iu j ured. They went into Winter with wood 
well ripeued, which is the all-important point. 
The cold of December was more fatal to buds 
from tbe diyness of the atmosphere, b, p. p. 
N. Y., Ui winds, Yates Co., Feb. 3—Wo are 
having a fine Winter, with good Blelghiug. 
The cold has uot hurt the buds yet; 12° below 
zero iB the coldest it has beeu here. We are iu 
aeed of water, as many wells are dry. Hay is 
scarce aud straw is being fed up. Most farm¬ 
ers are selling off all thestock they can iu order 
to winter through. G. A. b. 
N. Y., Kddytown, Yates Co., Feb. 1.—Feb¬ 
ruary starts out light royally for Winter. The 
thermometer haB 6 tood at 3 ° to-day, aud to¬ 
wards night is falling. We have had the finest 
y y ’ . . ■ ■ : ■■ 1 j — 
run of sleighing I ever knew—snow enough 
for a good run and yet not enough to make it 
bad getting about in the fields and woods, and 
but a little drifted. I have examined only a 
few peach buds, but I find them nearly all 
killed. It was In a severely exposed locality. 
Other fruit I have-not examined; I might say 
grape-wood is in good order. w. h. o. 
Omo, Garretteville, Portage Co., Feb. 1.— 
Stock is doing well. List season crops of all * 
kinds were better than the average except 
potatoes which rotted badly. b. h. b. 
Pa., Pughtown, Chester Co., Jan. 29.—The 
weather has been very cold here, aud the 
ground has been covered with snow since De¬ 
cember 2L. Ice is 15 inches thick. All the ice 
houses in this vicinity are filled. Our hay 
crop was a light one, but the rest of the crops 
were good. Wheat brings 61.10; rye, 70c; 
corn, 58; oats, 35; potatoes, 75; apples, 61.; 
butter, 35c ; eggs, 38c ; chickens, 13c. lluy is 
worth 420 per ton and hard coal 65. h. 
Virginia, Naffs, Franklin Co., Feb. 2. —We 
have had cold aud suowy weather for five 
weeks. Dec. 20 suow fell to the depth of 17 
inches and tbe thermometer dropped from the 
freezing point to eight orten degrees below 
zero for several days. It has snowed to the 
depth of three or four inches several times 
since. Alternate freezing and thawing, snow¬ 
ing and raining have beeu the programme. 
Tbe ice harvest has been bountiful. No farm 
work of any consequence has been done since 
Christmas aud for once we miserable farmers 
could do nothing but get a iittlo firewood, at¬ 
tend to our choree, eat our hash, toast our shins, 
burn our boots, read the dear old Rural aad 
all the other papers we could get. A word 
here for the Rural. I candidly believe that, 
if each family in the U. S. would take it and 
read it, we would be a much better and happier 
people. Stock of all kinds are wintering 
badly, even with extra feed and care. Owing 
to very late Beediug, wheat is looking very 
bad. The prospect is the poorest we have 
had at this season for several years. Wheat 
is worth from 90c. to 61-00 per bushel; corn, 
40 to 45c ; oats, from 33 to 35c; green apples 
75c. per bushel; pork 45.50 to 60 00 per cwt; 
beef 63 50 to 45 00. Horses very low. Butter 
15 to 25c. per pound ; eggs, 20c. per doz , pota¬ 
toes dull. j. w. N. & BRO. 
Vt., Newport, Orleans Co., Feb. 7.—We 
have had 75 days together now without a drop 
from the eaves. Thermometer, to-day, 25 de¬ 
grees below. T. H. H. 
ANSWEE8 TO CORRESPONDENT!* 
Manure Against Human. 
M. Y., Cincinnati , Ohio, asks whether com¬ 
mercial fertilizers or manure will furnish the 
humus in the soil which authorities state are 
“necessary and indispensable to vegetable 
growth, if it can be supplied to tbe soil in that 
manner, can it also be supplied through liquid 
manuring; would not liquid manuring be mure 
available? Being in a soluble state, would not 
liquid manuriug, other things being equal, 
give as good results as applying commercial 
fertilizers or manure to be plowed in. 
Ans.—H amus, Liebig describes as “vegeta¬ 
ble matter in a state of ilecay always contain, 
ing ammonia in combination.’’ A large 
amount of this vegetable matter renders stiff 
soils porous aud easily pulverized. It absorbs 
and holds moisture and is therefore a protec¬ 
tion against drought. It furnishes carbon to 
plants and furnishes the mineral elements of 
plants in a soluble form. It absorbs aiumouia 
from the air aud holds it for the use of crops. 
The carbonic acid of humus furnishes a sol¬ 
vent fur mai y compounds in the s««*, such as 
silicate of puiash and phosphate of lime,render- 
lug these available to plants. It may be con¬ 
sidered a storehouse of plant food, and is a 
most important part of the composition of a 
soil. 
But our correspoudent 6 eems to suppose 
that there is much soil devoid of vegetable 
matter, and is queiyiug as to whether this 
may be replaced by commercial fertilizers 
which contain all the elements of the crops to 
be raised. Now, there is very little soil on 
auy of our cultivated farms, however badly 
exhausted, devoid of humus. The value of 
humus, where the elements of crops are for 
nished by commercial manures or farm yard 
manure, is iu its mechanical effect, and as an 
absorbent. The friability of a soil is impor¬ 
tant, but with plenty of the chemical elements 
of plants furnished to the soil in manure, aud 
properly worked into a thoroughly pulverized 
soil there will be no lack of crops,. 
As to a judicious use of uiiueral fertilizers 
we can refer to Mr. John Front’s practice, on 
a stiff soil in England, for the last 20 years. 
This has as little vegetable matter as can be 
found upon almost ary farm iu this country, 
llis farm of 3-40 acres has paid as good a pro¬ 
fit as any farm iu England for the last 17 years 
of continuous cropping with no aid save com¬ 
mercial fertilizers; and the crops have been 
sold off the land—nothing of them is returned 
to the soil. 
He grows immense crops, and has applied 
from 610 to 413 worth of raw bone dust, su¬ 
perphosphate and guano per aore annually— 
sometimes applying dressings of potash or 
sulphate of ammonia. Humus is produced by 
the decay of vegetable matter, and if Mr. 
Prout applies the elements to grow his large 
crops every year, then the roots of those crops 
are left in the soil as an addition to what it 
possessed before, His crops are now double 
what they were at the start of his present 
practice, which would seem to prove that the 
humus of his soil has been constantly increas¬ 
ing. 
Liquid manure, containing all the elements 
of fertility, is in the best possible form for ap¬ 
plication. But this is usually more difficult 
to haudle, and cannot stand transportation. 
If a farm were so situated as to have liquid 
fertilizers convenient and cheap, they should 
be used; and liquid manure will distribute 
itself more evenly through the soil than in any 
other form. 
But we believe, in this country of cheap 
land, it is more profitable, generally, to feed 
animals, and obtain the extra manure by pur¬ 
chasing food, than to pay money for com¬ 
mercial fertilizers. More pounds of nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash can be applied in 
the manure made from one hundred dollars 
worth of grain, linseed meal, cotton seed meal, 
tutd wheat brau fed to animals, than if the 
hundred dollars were paid direct for coiumei- 
eial fertilizers. And besides this the hundred 
dollars paid out for food may be received 
back in the urowth or fattening of the animals, 
aud the manure really costs little or nothing. 
It would extend this answer too long to give 
examples, but this is the direction that our 
farming on depleted land should take. 
MiacellaneuiiN. 
W. H, Salem, H. Y., asks, 1, whether the 
catalpa aud European Larch will prove hardy 
as far north as Troy, N. Y , and what is their 
value for poets as compared with chestnut; 2, 
what kind of locusts are used for posts and 
where can be obtain the young trees. 
Ans. —1, Yes, the European Larch is hardy 
still further north—in Canada, if we mistake 
not. It needs a high, well drained situation to 
do its best. It is probably the most enduring 
timber we have. Experiments have been made 
to test the relative powers of this larch and the 
oak. Posts of each were driven in the water 
where they were alternately covered with wa'er 
and then left dry. The oak posts were twice 
renewed while tbe larch posts remained alcnoft 
unimpaired. As to the catalpa, it is thought a 
Western variety known as Speclo6a is haidier 
than the species (Bignonoides). But, from our 
best information, it would not prove entirely 
hardy north of 42 degrees. As to the durabil¬ 
ity of the wood of the catalpa for posts, as 
compared with chestnut, unquestionably tbe 
former Is far more valuable. 2, The Common 
and Clammy Locusts—Robinia Pseudscaeia 
and viacosa. The first is best because the tree 
grows larger and the timber is heavier. You 
can obtain the young trees by planting sects 
or from the nurserymen whose advertisements 
appear in our columns. 
K. E. W., Cherokee. Iowa, 1, wants to 
know what kinds of apple trees to select for 
northwestern Iowa for Fall and Winter : 2, Is 
the Lady (Pornuiu d’api) suitable. 
Ans.— The Report of the Western Iowa Hoi- 
tk-ultural Socieiy for lb§i (Geo. Van Houteu, 
Lenox. Iowa, Secretary) gives the following re¬ 
vised list of apples for that section. Ben Dam, 
Jonathau, Winesap, Roman 8tem, DotuUk, 
Telman Sweet, Janet. Iowa Blush, Walbridge, 
Lowell, St Lawrence, Enmeuse, Cheuango 
Strawberry, Cole’s Quine*. Gres Portlier. or 
Haas, Bed Astrakhan Duchess of OUlenburgh, 
Early Harvest, Red June. Sweet June. Sops of 
IVine, Wealthy. Crabs, Hy-lup and Whitney’s 
No. 20. The hardiest of the above list ure put 
in italics. Chenango Strawberry and Early 
Harvest are probably too tender for the north¬ 
ern part of the State. Lady Apple would also 
be likely to fail. Header’s Winter is a good 
substitute for it, and is perfectly liaidy. 
L. R- B , Benton, Oregon, askr, 1, whether 
cranberries will grow iu a war t h Hooded with 
tide-water, or must it be fresh water ; 2, where 
can good plants be had; 8 how much a thout- 
aud do they cost; and how many will be need¬ 
ed to plant half an acre. 
Ans —1. The cranberry meadow must be 
flooded with fresh water; salt water is de¬ 
structive to the fruit. For method of planting 
and cultivation, see Rural of December 4th of 
the past year, page 798. 3. Good plant-* eau 
be had of J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, N. J., but 
perhaps our inquirer can fiud them of good 
quality growing wild iu Oregon, oriu Northern 
California; if so, they can Be got there. 3 The 
price varies. It is now 48 50 per thousand. 4. 
Plant six cuttings, every 12 inches in drills 
thre i feet apart. 
A. J. C., Listowel, Canada, asks, 1, whether 
Mg 
rrgf" iwp w ._ i» -.anwarr i; ■ . Hth* 1 
it is atiy use bo keep oldjMalvas for blooming ; 
2, how to make geraniums bloom in Winter ; 
3, the name of the best book on out-door vine 
culture, suitable for one who has no previous 
knowledge of vine culture and who lives so far 
north. 
Ans. —1, We do not know what Malva is re¬ 
ferred to. 2, By striking cuttings in August or 
potting iu September. 3, Hasman’s “Ameri¬ 
can Growing ” is as good as any. American 
News Co. 
H, C. B , Puteau, Kansas, asks when is the 
best time to sow buckwheat for early blooming 
for bees, and when for late blooming. 
Ans.—B uckwheat is a poor honey plant, as 
the honey is very dark, and eo it would seam 
poor policy to sow it for early crop of honey. 
It could not take the place of White or Alsike 
Clover. It blooms about six weeks after sow¬ 
ing. and is usually sown the last of June, so it 
coMffnto bloom in A«ff»at. Bees will work on it 
two or three weeks if the weather is favorable. 
It would be well to sow at two or three diffei- 
ent dates, at intervals of four or five days, com¬ 
mencing Jane 15th, and thus prolong the 
period cf bloom. 
J. T. S , Fountain, III, sends us a lock of 
wool from an ll-months-old lamb, and asks 
of what quality is it; whether it is a salable 
sort, and a good kind for growers to raise. 
Ans. —The sample of wool is a coarse delaine 
wool or a fine worsted wool as graded in the 
market, and is a salable kind. It seems to be 
a mixed Cots wold and Merino grade ac# would 
be claesed as combing wool. It should be a 
profitable kind to grow, having a staple over 
five inches long which is very good for a 
11 -tnontba old lamb. 
T. I. E., Pleasanton, Texas, ask* whether 
the newly revised Blb'e has yet been published, 
and if so, where can he get a copy. 
Ans —No, it has not yet been published 
either here or across the Atlantic. As soon as 
it has teen given to the press, several editions 
will doubtless be given to the public. An ad¬ 
vertisement in last week’s issue shows that the 
“Book Exchange” intends to publish two 
cheap editions. 
,/. IF., Dry Saw Mills, Pa , asks full praeti- 
cal details of the process of taking tobacco 
from the poles in the shed and packing it in 
cases or boxes for market, as well sss how tho 
cases should be made and of what size. 
Ans —This question will be fully answered in 
onr columns. 
J. M. 8., Jericho. N. Y., asks how to make 
factory cheese. 
Ans —The manufacture of factory cheese 
cannot be asplained satisfactorily in the limit* 
of a reply to an enquiry. After this week this 
subject will be treated fully in the aerie* at 
articles entitled “The Dairy Cow." 
J. 0., ifoUapan, Mass., asks who offers for 
sale the new pear. Directeur Atphand, 
Anb. —It i 6 this saason offered only in 
France. We have n# doubt our noioarymen 
will import and offer it for sale in due time if 
found suited to this country. 
(7.1). M„ Wells vine, N. Y., having threaten* 
of bones, asks hffw to make bone dnst or ma¬ 
nure out of them. 
Anb. —This and several similar queries war# 
fully answered by Prof. E. W. Stewart, in th* 
issue of the Rural for Feb. 5. 
O. 8. F., Blacktionc. Mass., asks which potato 
is the earlier—Beauty of Hebron or Danmors, 
and whether there is an earlier sort. 
Ans. —We were not aware that theDunmor* 
was very early- Alpha is the earliest potat* 
we kuow of. 
S. 8., Aurora, Indiana, wishes to Warm 
where he can get ftlount’s corn, the whim 
Elephant a«d other seeds. 
Anb.—W e refer our friend to the catalogue* 
which from low on till Sommer will be an¬ 
nounced in our adverti^ff eoinmns. 
D. N., Oakville, Washington Ter., sends 
three kinds of beans for name. 
Ans —No l, Dwarf Hurtlenltural; 2, Royal 
White Riding; 3, Horticulsural Pole or 
Speckled Cranberry. 
IF. M., Lexington, N. Y., asks whom he 
should add*nee in sending articles for the do¬ 
mestic department. 
Ans —They may be addressed to Emily Maple 
at this office. 
Communications reokivkd for the wkkk bnd- 
ing Saturday, Feb. 12. 
G. S. S.—E. H. C—D. B. M.—J. B. V.—Mrs.Blng- 
ham.-S. E. M. C.—N. A.—II. S.—A. L. J.-S. R.— 
W. C.-I. J- B.—B. P.—D. T, S.-W. e, H.—K. G., 
Jr.-L. S B.-A. J. C.-V. B-Jor.-M, C.—T. T. 
I„—W. W. T.-J. B.-M. W. F.-A. B. A.—T. B< D. 
J- C.-E. E. W.—E. P. P.-U. S.-G. A. G. W.— 
“Old Maid No. 3.”-J. T. S.—J. S. W.-J. W. N. 
and Bro , thanks.—E. H. C.—D. B. M.—C. W,—W, 
W. T.—D, N„ seeds not yet come to hand,—T. H. 
H.—Shrub No. will, we tear, delay the report too 
long.—W. V. A.—R. G.—T. P. D.—T. T. L.—W. P. 
S.— E. P, P.— N. R.— C. P. F.— J. B.— L. B. and X. 
I*E. W, E.-J. F.-C. L. R.-J. W K.—A. B. 
A.-Mre, L, R.-J. J. V.—A. J. C.—E. W. S.-F. D. 
O.-J. U. U.-P. B. M.—J. H. *-D. A. V.-L. Y 
R. S.—J. H. S. -P. H.- G. S. W.—T. T. L.—C. 
F. W. 8.—tY. K. Kv-M, L. R.-F. McH.— A. D. 
