MARSH 48 
IS* THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
plowiug. Piease tell in i how to avoid the deep 
plowing and ridging and still kill the weeds. 
DBM. 
[We use a shallow cultivator as shown and 
described in the Corn Number. The horizm- 
tal blades destroy the weeds between the rows. 
Hand cultivation is the only answer we can 
give.— Eds ] 
N. Y., Afton, Chenango C'o ,Feb. 25.—We are 
having a very severe Winter in this section. 
The snow is about two feet six inches deep in 
the woods. Hay is worth $14@15 ; oats, 40c.; 
corn-meal and feed. $25@30 per ton; buck¬ 
wheat, 55c.; potatoes, 3S@40c. A desire is 
springing up among the farmers for better 
farming aud greater improvement of farm 
stock of all kinds. A number of the wealthier 
farmers are getting thoroughbred stock. This 
seems to be the case generally all over the 
country, owing greatly to the agricultural 
press. We must have better dairies to com¬ 
pete with the oleomargarine trade. There is 
quite a little activity in the lumber trade; j>ec- 
ple seem crazy to get rid of their timber. The 
time is coming when timber will be scarce and 
high, it farmers keep on selling it around here 
for the next five or six years as they have been 
doing for the last five or six. There will not 
be timber enough left for building purposes 
and for fencing. o. a. s. 
N. 0., Brookston, Warren Co., March 1.— 
The early peaches are nearly all ‘‘gone up the 
spout.” Common late seedlings seldimfail, 
and, by the way, don’t yon think that is the 
sort that has failed “ but twice in fifiy years ” 
in that much-lauded Thermal Belt ? I asked 
Dr. McAboy in reference to that; but he evad¬ 
ed a direct answer. M b p. 
Ohio, Middle Bass, Ottawa Co., March 1.— 
Our Catawba and Delaware Grapes have been 
much injured by the extreme cold, so that it is 
hardly possible we can have a crop the coming 
season. Concord, Clinton and that class are 
uninjured. o m h, 
Ohio, New London, Huron Co., March 5.— 
Wheal is as yet unhurt by the Winter, though 
it has been very diy since sowing. Good hay 
is worth from $12 to $15 per ton. it having 
been rather a better crop here than at most 
other pidces about us. Corn was a very good 
crop. Oats started to be very heavy, hut rust 
made the beny very light. Potatoes were rather 
light. Wheat was a Very fine crop. Factory 
cows paid from $40 to $60 per head; but daily 
cows paid somewhat less where butter alone 
was made. Black leg slaughtered some calves 
here last Fall. I lost three and 1 charge the 
loss to neglect to let them have plenty of salt. 
These were the first I have ever lost by this 
complaint, and the first that ever went without 
salt ouce a week at least. The rest of the 
herd, four in number, came out all right from 
among their dead companions, as they were 
fed heavily on salt. Now, ye knowing ones— 
farmers of experience—tell us, through the 
good old Rural, is not salt a preventive of 
this calf-killer ? How many farmers are in the 
habit of salting their calves as they do their 
other stock. If this is an error, combat it; if 
truth, brace it up! Buckeye. 
Pa., Berlin, Somerset Co., March 1.— We 
have had a splendid Winter ; snow fell on Dec. 
20. and the grain has been covered ever since; 
we could sleigh from that day until this, and 
it goes veiy well yet- This is a great maple- 
sugar count)y, and the farmers are all waiting 
for it to get warm so they can make something 
out ol that before Spring work comes on. The 
price of the sugar is from 10 to 12J cents per 
pound, aud some farmers reallzj a handsome 
profit from It. 8 . b. p. 
Wis., Albany, Green Co., March 3 —One of 
the meanest things to be 6een all through the 
country at this cold Beason is the poor fowls 
sitting in the tree tope until they fall stiff aud 
dead. Winter wheat brings 75e; Spring 
wheal, 60c.; oats, 27c.; com, 30e ; potatoes, 
25c.; butter, 25c.; eggs, 22c. w. L. 
-- 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
(See page 191 for other notices of books reooived.) 
We have received from A. li. Foote, of this 
city, a copy of a petition which will 6oon be 
presented to the Legislature of this State, ask¬ 
ing that, by proper legislative enactments. 
Bureaus of Statistics, Laws and Information 
be established—first, for all corporations rep¬ 
resenting capital only, in which the control of 
the corporation is determined by out vote for 
each 6hare of capital; secoud, all corporations 
representing humanity only, in which the con¬ 
trol of the corporation is determined by one 
vote for each member, said vote to be cast in 
person ; third, that this bureau include in its 
duties the collection of statistics and informa¬ 
tion relating to industries and employments 
and the wcli-being of wage-earners generaliy; 
fourth, that these bureaus be placed under the 
exteutive administration of one or more com¬ 
missioners for each, having full authority. 
Repost of the Kansas State Horticul¬ 
tural, Society fok 1879. This work of 400 
pages, octavo, is excellently gotten up, and 
contains a great wealth of horticultural infoi- 
rnation atiout Kansas. It contains reports of 
the proceedings of the State Horticultural 8o- 
cieiy for its ninth semi-annual meeting held at 
B-loit, June 17, IS, 19. and of its thirteenth 
annual meeting held at Holton. December 10, 
17, IS, 1879, together with the proceedings of 
D.vlsion, County aud local Societies. 
®i)f Querist. 
I-urcy — Marly Symptom-, of Contagiou* Pleuro- 
Poeuaroniit, 
M. o. c., Oihbon, jVteb, asks the cause of, and a 
remedy for, sores on his horse's leg. There are 
three on the Inside of the ham, two below the pas¬ 
tern Joint, and indications of several above, TUey 
commence as hard lumps, the size of a hickory-nut 
or leas, and break; but there Is no discharge of 
pus, but merely a raw surface sticking out like a 
wart, which refuses to heal, and bleeds when the 
scab Is removed. The horso is in first-rate condi¬ 
tion. feels well, and Is not. lame; but the leg stocks 
and sores are very tender; 2, what are the symp¬ 
toms observable to the non-proreattonal in the first 
stages of pleuro pneumonia among cattle, and 
what remedies should then be applied ; 3, by whom 
and for what price la any paper published In the 
Interest, of veterinary practice. 
A ns —l. on reading the customary symptoms of 
farcy In our last Issue, our mend will see that he 
describes the symptoms of that disease. As there 
stated, farcy and glanders are one and the same 
disease, dependent on the same cause, namely, “a 
speclflc blood poison;" but each has a different 
manifestation, glanders showing ulcers on the 
nasal septum, discharge, etc , while farcy Bhows It¬ 
self on the line of the lymphatics In small tumors on 
parts of the body, notably on the Inside of the hind 
legs. This disease Is highly dangerous to man and 
other animals; for if any of the pus rrora these 
tumors should get on a man's hand on whloh there 
is a recent out, and tnereby be absorbed into the 
system, It would be sure death. This animal 
should, therefore, be destroyed, and the stall, har¬ 
ness and everything' that be came in contact, with 
should be disinfected bcTore allowing another 
horse to come In contact with them, if the owner 
Is not satisfied that the disease Is glanders or far¬ 
cy, let him inoculate some old, worn-out horse with 
the virus from one or these tumors, and he will 
find out in two weeks that he has transmuted the 
great scourge of the horse. It cannot he cured In 
horse or other animal. Farcy runs Its course until 
glanders develops, which will close the scene. 
Many men have died from this disease, contracted 
from the horse. In the Interest of our friends, 
therefore, we arc anxious that each should be able 
readily to distinguish the malady, aud should know 
why, for his own sake and that of his neighbors, 
he should at once get rid or ihcafilieted animal, 
2. The earliest notleeablesymptoms are cbk rly the 
following;—There Is a slight rise In the tempero- 
ture, discernible by the use of the thermometer. 
Should the temperature of a healthy animal, ror 
Instance, bo about 100 ®, that of an Infected one 
would, at tms stage, range from 102 ® to 1U4®. At 
the same tune there Is a slight loss or appetite; a 
decrease In the flow of milk; rapid respiration; 
falntly, unusual sounds In the bronchial tubes; a 
peculiar grunt when forced to move; a dribbling 
of saliva from the mouth; a slightly accelerated 
pulse; often an occasional shivering fit; rarely a. 
slight, hard, dry cough, especially after drinking; 
a disposition to keep apart from the rest of ihe 
herd, and, If pregnant, abortion. Like consumption 
In human beings, this disease cannot be cured; yet 
all cows suffering from It do not die, for nature In¬ 
closes the diseased lung with a membrane, and In 
favorable cases the other organs of the body return 
to their normal functions. Stilt the recovered ani¬ 
mal Is not cured, for she has the effects of t he dis¬ 
ease Inclosed within her body; and many Instances 
are on record where a recovered cow has carried 
this disease into healthy herds a year after such 
recovery, aud all tills time she appeared perfectly 
healthy to non- professional eyes, There is, there¬ 
fore, no cure for this malady, and the sooner the 
Government takes the matter In hand and stamps 
out this terribly fatal scourge the better It will be, 
not only for the Eastern States, but lor the whole 
country, else we shall soon come to iheeoudliion 
of Australia, where It la an Impossibility to control 
the disease, owing to the wild state of the country 
and the wide range afforded cattle, 3 The ••Amer¬ 
ican Veterinary Review,"published monthly;** 
per annum; A. Llautard, M. D. V. s., editor ,141 
West 54th Street, New York. 
Very (lardy Flowering (shrub*. 
A Subscriber, Fayette Co., Ia., writes us : 
“ In looking over the columns or the Kukal’s 
hardy tree special, It seemed to me that 1 was 
learning more of tree culture than could be 
learned by observation In a year. Still 1 am in 
doubt as to the hardiness of many (mosi) or the 
flowering trees arid sbiubs, and the thought, will 
they stand Iowa weatnet ? puzzles me. The pres¬ 
ent Winter has given us three months of severe 
weather already, with no prospect of tvarming up 
at present; the ihermorneter has atood as low a 3 
38® once and at 20 ® for several days at a time. I 
have been a resident or Northern Iowa for tirteen 
yeare and have never Been only one year m that 
time during which the mercury sank as low as 3.1 o. 
Will you please give a list of shrubs and vines 
that will stand such weather, it there are any ex¬ 
cept natives. 
The lowa farmer’s first tree planting is usually 
White Willow for wind breaks ; then a lew apple 
(and the hardy ones are few) Cottonwood, Bolt 
Maple, Box Elder and a few nallve pines. If they 
can be obtained. Shrubs are confined to lilacs 
and snowballs.’’ 
ANSWERER BY BLEWANGER & bAKUY, ROCHESTER, 
NEW YOKE. 
It Is very difficult, without actual experiment, to 
name any considerable number ol flowering shrubs 
that will endure a climate where the mercury fre¬ 
quently falls during Winter to 30® below zero. 
We will name a few that we think will stand, bur 
they will be much more likely to do so If sheltered 
from the prevailing winter and early .Spring 
winds, aud planted on dry ground where they 
win rlpm their wood well. This is Important, be. 
cause on the rich, moist prairie scyis plants grow 
so late and so succulent that even very hardy 
things get. winter killed. Then a little protection 
for the first, and perhaps the second Winter would 
not bs amiss. 
Plants when w-ell rooted and established In the 
ground can resist cold much better than those 
whose roots are near the surface. But we would 
say to your correspondent that even If all 
these which we are about to name should suc¬ 
cumb and ho were to fall back on his lilacs 
and snowballs, he would not be as badly off as 
he might be. lie may bave twenty varieties of 
lilacs If he chooses, white, red and purple, with all 
Intermediate shades and a great variety of foliage 
and habit of growth. If he will plant twenty or, 
better still, hfiy of these (in groups of a dozen), 
and mix with them the snowballs and other vibur¬ 
nums equally bardy, he w ill have a display worth 
a journey of many miles to see. However, we 
think the following If properly managed, as we 
have suggested, will stand by him through his 
hardest Wlmers:— 
Berberry (Canadensis), our native; Cornus (Dog¬ 
wood), Red-branched and Variegated-leaved; 
Deuizla, scabra aDdcrenata: Lonlcera, the Up¬ 
right Honeysuckle, all the species and varie¬ 
ties; l'hiladelphus (Syrlnga or .Mock orange), 
several species and varieties; Splnea—BUlardl, 
crenata, obovata, opulltolla and its golden 
variety, perhaps, some others; Lilacs-tweury 
or more species aud varieties, all beautiful and 
fragrant: Viburnum-lantanoldes, prunlfollum, 
rugosum, opulus (the High Bush Cranberry) and 
Opulus sterllis, the snowball. 
Hardy Cumbers.—A mpelopsls (qulnquefolla), 
the "American Ivy," Honeysuckles—The com¬ 
mon Woodbine; the scarlet Trumpet; the Yellow 
and the Canadensis—perhaps others. Among 
flowering trees which will stand, we would sug¬ 
gest the thorns aud Crab Apple. 
Your correspondent, even In hla very cold clL 
mate, might succeed with many fine shrubs, not 
named above, fiuch as Wetgelas, etc., etc., by giv¬ 
ing them some protection in Winter. We advise 
him to try them ; It will not cost much. 
Club Ituot In Cuhbngea. 
A. O , Mead vi Ur, J’a., asks the cause of, and rem¬ 
edy for, club root In cabbages. 
ANSWBK UY <1 U FRENCH. 
‘‘Club root," or * elump root," Is a disease uffect- 
ing the roots of cabbages, causing them to be very 
much enlarged, one waiter says It Is caused by 
the larva of a small beetle boring aud burrowing 
Into tbe root* soon after they are transplanted, or 
11 may be later In the season. Another writer at¬ 
tributes the disease 1.0 the larva of what Is known 
as the cabbage fly (Anthomyla bratskfe), working 
In the same manner in the roots. v\ ithout argu¬ 
ing as to which la correct, It la evident the disease 
Is caused by an Insect. The malady Is found to be 
most common on ground that has been set to cab¬ 
bages every year for a number of years, while the 
cabbages are seldom affected with ihe disease 
when set on new ground, or when alternated with 
some other crops. This suggests to ua the most 
easily applied remedy—that of not raising cab¬ 
bages on the same ground during successive 
years. A great many things have been applied as 
remedies to but little purpose, usually because the 
damage is mostly done before the presence of the 
disease Is suspected, and therefore the remedies 
are applied too late. One w riter states *• that he 
has found by long experience that club root In 
cabbage can be remedied by boiling leaves and 
tw igs of the seal let-berried elderberry to a strong 
decocilon.and pouring a gill, cold, on ihe center of 
each plant One appllcat Ion Is generally sufficient." 
The English, I am told, guard agatust all kinds 
of root-eating insects in catb igea by the following 
method: Before each plant Is set Its roots are wet 
and then dipped in soot, after which they are set 
In the ground as usual. This makes a more or less 
complete coating of Boot around the roots. This 
serves to keep away insects, it being distasteful ro 
them, aud If uot too strong serves to Invigorate 
the growth of the plant. 
Fertilizer Queried. 
A Subscriber, Norwich, AT. 1’., asks, 1 , what Is 
the value of night soli as compared with horse and 
cow manure, and how Bhould it be used ; 2, what Is 
the value, or the scrapings or hides from tanneries - 
hair and lime, mostly; 3, what would be the effect 
of plaster on horse manure aud straw as the stuff 
comes from the stable. 4, Deferring to a recent 
article in the Rural, under the caption, “ Manure 
against Humus,” he asks whether $100 could be 
more profitably spent In producing nitrogen, phos¬ 
phoric acid and potash by purchasing grain. Un¬ 
seed meal, cotton-seed meal and wheat bran to be 
fed to farm stock, than if the same burn were paid 
directly for commercial feri lllzera. 
Ans.— l, There is very little difference between 
night soli and animal manure. The following 
figures will show the relative fertilizing values: 
2 
2 2 
—• 03 
MIQ 
: cr 
In 1,000 pounds of 
et 
►* 
O 
* 
It 
5 
B" 
s 
; 0 
• 
• 
• C5 
Mixed barnyard manure, fresh. 
Fresh night-soil, liquid aud nolid .. 
4.5 It.. 
7.0 lb. 
2.1 lb. 
2.6 lb. 
5.2 lb 
2.1 lb. 
Night sou Is best uf.ed mixed with earth in suffi¬ 
cient quantities to make a dry mass. 2, This kind 
of tannery waste Is usually sold at one dollar a 
two-horse wagon load or 40 bushels, which is 
about Ha full value; hair contains less than one 
per cent of ash and about 17 per cent of nitrogen, 
but the nitrogen Is very slowly available. 3, The 
effect would be to absorb any ammonia that 
might be produced In the manure, and nothing 
more 4, one hundred dollars spent In such feed 
as you mention would be of greater benefit than 
If spent In commercial fertilizers; a large portion 
of the feed would be returned in milk, flesh or fati 
and the remainder would add hirgely to the value 
of the manure; the two returns togeiher w T ould be 
considerably more In value than the cost of the 
feed, always suppsslng that the feeding should be 
done skillfully and economically and the manure 
well saved and managed, 
Alanure in Trxn», Etc, 
it. Ji. A , 1 Hue Creek-, Handera Co, Texas , has 
the manure accumulated from loOO aheep since 
1878, and wishing to raise Chester county Corn 
he asks, 1 , how many two-horse loads he should 
put on per acre; 2. It onions will di well so far 
South, and when they should be sown to bave 
them for sale in t he Fall and Winter; 3, will small 
mills, strawberries, raspberries, etc., thrive In 
that locality; 4 , who has pure-bred American 
Merino sheep for sale, and how much will they 
shear per head annually; 5 , Is English rape good 
feed for sheep 7 
Ans —1. It will depend entirely upon the present 
fertility of ihe soil. The virgin soli or Western 
Texas Is, as a rule, rich, and does not need much 
manure. We should think that 2. r > or 30 loads per 
acre would be sufficient, or even less, 2 , Onions 
will do well In your latitude. Bow the seed In 
January or early In FebuUry. Harvest the crop 
when It Is ripe, and preserve them In a shaded but 
airy place till you wish to sell. 3, The climate In 
Bandera County la too hot and dry for small fruits. 
The plants will In all probability be killed by the 
sun during July and August. Hut try a few straw¬ 
berry and raspberry plains, by way of experiment, 
and report the result to the Rural. 4 , J. M. Camp¬ 
bell, Tllden, McMullen Co., F. W. Shaeffer, San 
Diago, Duval Co., and George Reynolds, 1’enltea, 
Nueces Co., Texas, arc breeders of American Meri¬ 
nos. The average weight of the washed fleece Is 
about six pounds per bead annually; but occa¬ 
sionally we hear of a ram of extraordinary size 
and qualify shearing 15 to 20 pounds. 5. Yes; es¬ 
pecially for feeding In Fall or Winter or early In 
Spring. 
Culture of Cucumber* For Fickle*. 
E.j. s., Oneida, N. Y., asks tor information as 
to the culture and profit of cucumbers tor pick¬ 
les. 
Ans.—T he ground should be plowed once or 
twice lu the Spring, and, If sod land, It should be 
turned over ihe previous Fall. After tbe middle 
of Juno fuirow out the field, having the furrows 
from lour to five feet apart. At a distance of four 
reel apart, In these furrows, make the hills, and In 
each bill put a shovelful or well-rotted manure, 
over which ihrowa little carih, and on this plant 
the seed The cultivator may be used la cultiva¬ 
ting, though the work around thehilla requires the 
hand-hoe. When the vines begin to run, pinch 
them off at the ihlrd Joint and the crop will be In¬ 
creased For pickles the peed should be sown the 
latter part or June or the first or July. The best 
variety ror this purpose la the Green .Prolific. It Is 
well to plant plenty of seed as the *• striped bug” 
may destroy some; and when ihu vines begin to 
run. all but three plants to a hill may be pulled 
up. Fine bone-flour epriakled on tbe hills every 
day or two orten rids the vines of these pests. A 
solution ot tobacco put on the vines in the early 
morning and then a sprinkling of bone-dust are 
effectual, but there is nothlug better than 
Hour of sulphur mixed with plaster or flnely- 
altled coal ashes. We have no statistics at hand 
concernmg the yield, coat aud profit per acre, far¬ 
ther than that a large grower on Long island real¬ 
ized a profit or from $125 to $150 per acre, when 
the cucumbers were contracted at $1.75 per thous¬ 
and. 
fia» Well*. 
A. M. T , Farmington, if F«/.., asks, 1, the ad¬ 
dress ot some persons likely to purchase coal 
lands ; 2 . in a neighboring' creek the water bolls up 
In several places accompanied wltn gas that Ig¬ 
nites readily, and our friend asks whether this Is 
a sure sign that petroleum exists below, there be¬ 
ing a petroleum well six miles away; 3, Is there 
any means or anal} zing gas, and If so, how should 
It be confined tor transportation to the place of 
analysis. 
Ans.-i. Write to Mr. B. It, Western, coal 
editor cf the Mining Record, 61 Broadway, New 
York 2. No. There are gas wells which pro. 
duoe nothing but gas. but It la a favorable In¬ 
dication or the pioxlmlry or oil. 3 Gas can be 
readily anal} zed. A sample can be procured by 
Inverting a bottle in the spring; the gas which 
enters the bottle will drive out the air and by 
keeping cue bottle mouth down wards until It Is 
corked tightly, the gas can he secured. If you 
want the gas analyzed it can be done for about $ 5 , 
through Mr. Western, the above-named. But it 
wUl be hardly worth while. The gas is u common 
product and is simply carbureited hydiogen with 
varying proportions or carbon In It. 
Alfalfa. 
S. E. S, South Livonia, y. Y , having seen an ar¬ 
ticle from the Rural attaohed to a circular about 
Alfalfa, asks ror further Information about that 
(odder plant. 
Ans.—A lfalfa needs a rich, well-drained soil. 
The plant, unlike our red clover, Is perennial. It 
makes a comparatively feeble growth the first 
season and should never be cut or pastured. It 
spreadB less than red clover and r< quires, there¬ 
fore, more seed to the acre-not less than 15 
pouuds. It succeeds admirably in California and 
Kansas, and la being tried la Northern and East¬ 
ern Slates. Wo know of one Instance where It Is 
doing well ifl Southern Canada. Jt will endure 
any amount of drought, aa Its roots extend to a 
great depth in the soli. We should have no fear 
as to "getlLng ild of It” by plowing. In Kansas 
Professor Shelton informs us that he cut “four 
large crops rrom the same ground" lu 1879. The 
ground should be thoroughly prepared, the seed 
harrowed In aud rolled. 
Dige*tibiHiy of Food*. 
F. w. L„ Smith's Grove, Ky., asks whether we 
have any data as to the time It takes cattle, horses 
and sheep to digest hay, straw and rodder corn. 
