APRIL 0 
THE BUBAL 
243 
barb wire fences, and I prefer the last to 
either of the others. Reasons are: It takes 
fewer posts, costs nothing for repairs and is a 
barrier to all my stock, and no stock that are 
accustomed to it will be injured. Twice in the 
past year I had a pair of horses, attached to a 
wagon, run away In a field fenced with barb 
wire and in both instances they ran twice 
through the only open gate in the field before 
being secured. Frightened as they were they 
kept clear of the barb-wire. 
Ptrethrum. —A. writer in the same journal 
gives his experience with pyretbrnm which 
well accords with what has appeared in these 
columns respecting its value as an insecticide. 
“ I have tried good pyretbrnm (Persian or Dal¬ 
matian insect powder) for lice on pigs, cattle 
and horses, by sprinkling it upon and rubbing 
it into the hair, and on chickens by blowing it 
under the feathers with a bellows, and find 
that it is harmless to the chick just hatched, 
also sure death to flaa5 on dogs. I have tried 
it on many kinds of insects—cabbage worms, 
potato bugs, flies, bees, moths, spiders—and 
I have failed to find the insect that would not 
succumb to coutact; and, tarring the expense, 
I consider it ahead of all other powders, with 
the added benefit that it seems not to be the 
least injurious to vertebrate animals.” 
Economizing Land —We see it somewhere 
recommended, but it is by no means a new 
idea, remarks the Germantown Telegraph, 
that, in setting out apple orchards, the trees of 
which should not be less than 30 feet apart, to 
plant peach trees between the apples. They 
will not interfere with the young apple trees 
for many years, and then not until about two 
generations of the peach tree shall have passed 
away. We have referred to this economizing 
of space on several occasions, having seen it 
adopted by some first-class fruit raisers. 
The Lumberman says that in New York there 
are about 500 venders of sawdust, having a 
capital of $300 000 invested, and doiug a busi¬ 
ness of $3 000,000 annually. Forty years ago 
the mills were glad to have sawdnst carted 
away ; 25 years ago it could be bought for 50 
cents a load, but the price ha9 increased, and 
now it brings §3 50 a load at the mills. It is 
used at the hotels, eating-houses, groceries and 
other business places. It is wet and spread 
over floors in order to make the sweeping 
cleaner work. Plumbers use a great deal about 
pipes and buildings to deaden walls and floors. 
Soda-water men and packers of glass and 
small articles of every kind use it, and dolls 
and some living creatures are more or less 
stuffed with it. Yellow pine makes the best 
sawdust, as it is the leasi dusty, and has a 
pungent, healthy smell. But any white wood 
dust will do. Black-walnut sawdust will not 
sell, and is burned. 
8 ome one who has had a sad experience in 
the purchase of a horse Bays that he asked the 
dealer how much he would take to warrant the 
horse good, and that the philanthropist replied 
at once that he would not make any charge— 
that is, he would warrant him good for noth¬ 
ing.Appearances are nothing if you 
are in the right; but if you are in the wrong, 
you must pay especial attention to them. 
<£.bfnrto|jftt. 
18th and continued without intermission nntil 
late at night on the 19tb. At least 20 inches of 
snow fell and is now tbawiBg rapidly. This 
will delay Spring work at least another week, 
as the ground was already too wet to work; 
and as creeks ami rivers were already fall this 
may cause considerable damage by floods. 
This time last year farmers were through sow¬ 
ing oats, but so far no one has sown any at all. 
In fact, quite a number of farmers have not 
been able to gather out all their corn, and this 
fact will in some measure retard Spring work. 
Fruit is damaged considerably, but is not all 
killed. I have examined buds and find a few 
peach buds alive aud also some of those of the 
apple and plum. Winter wheat looks well con¬ 
sidering the backward Spring. Fodder with 
a large number of farmers Is getting scarce, as 
the Winter has been an uncommonly long one. 
n. j. a. 
Mo., Montgomery Co., March 22—The 
storm of March 19 was the worst of the season. 
Fully 18 inches of snow fell and in places the 
drifts completely block up the roads, s. b. c. 
Nebraska. Doniphan, Hill Co., March 14 — 
We have had the severest Winter here ever 
known. It set in early and since November 
1st, we have had but few pleasant davs, and 
since the 1st of December we have had snow 
upon the ground from three to eighteen inches 
deep, and good sleighing most of the time. 
Small fruits are not injured. There is but 
little of other kinds raised here yet, this being 
a new conntiy. Rye looks well: but little Fall 
wheat is sown here. Farmers expect good 
Spring wheat this year, if the Summer season 
is favorable. 0 H - 
N. Y., Cliuton, Oneida Co., March 25.—We 
have had a splendid Winter for business, al¬ 
though there has been some very cold weather, 
with good sleighing since the mlddleof Novem¬ 
ber. The 8 h of March saw the first wagon on 
the road, so that we had 115 days’ good 
sleighing. Winter wheat is looking fine, hav¬ 
ing been covered with snow all Winter and 
having made a good growth last Fall. Owing 
to the dry season hay is scarce and is selling 
for $18 to $20 per ton; oats, 50c., potatoes, 
50c.; corn, 60c to 65c. s. c. G. 
N. O., Lynn, Polk Co., March 21 —The con¬ 
tributor to this department from Brookston, 
N- C., in referring to the “much landed 
Thermal Belt” in the Rokai, for March 19, 
does an injustice when he says Dr. McAboy 
“ evaded a direct answer,” when asked whether 
common late seedling peaches were not the 
sort that had failed here "only twice in 50 
years.” Now, I could not answer that question 
from my own knowledge, as I was not here to 
know the tacts. I take it for granted that nn¬ 
til I planted budded fruit here, some nine or 
ten years ago, all the fruits on the " Belt were 
native seedlings. We do not know any differ¬ 
ence between the late and early, or between 
setdlirga and budded fruit. The " Belt" had 
a full crop last year and there was little or no 
fruit for 100 miles north or south ot us The 
papers say that the trees are killed far south 
of us as well as the fruit. At this writing the 
peach trees are in full bloom giving ‘assurance 
of abundant crops. Should this prove, true the 
fame of the Belt will be established. The 
Spring planting is now over and at least 5,000 
peach and pear and apple trees have been 
planted this season. No blight is feared in pear 
trees. L ' R- M A> 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Kansas, Caldwell, Sumner Co., March 18.— 
It has been snowing all day, but melting as it 
fell. We have had the severest Winter ever 
known in this part of Kansas. All peach 
buds are nearly or quite, killed. Raspberries 
and blackberries are badly frozen back. Win¬ 
ter wheat that was sown broadcast Is very bad¬ 
ly frozen out. Drilled wheat is all right 
Sowing oats and plowing for com are the 
order of the day at present. About two-thirds 
of the oat crop are sown. We begin planting 
corn abont the first of April. A great many 
cattle have died in the Indian Territory south 
and southwest of us, this Winter. All the 
streams have been frozen over, some of them 
^lid to the bottom, causing stock almost as 
much suffering from thirst as from cold and 
starvation. All the large herds of Texas cattle 
have to go through the Winter on the range 
without grain or fodder of any kind, which is 
pretty rough on them when the prairie grass 
is covered with snow for weeks at a time, as 
it has been this Winter. s. *• 
Kansas, Downs, Osborne Co., March 18 — 
This is the mo6t backward Spring we have 
ever had in thi6 part of Kansas. No farm 
work is done yet. A considerable quantity of 
corn is still in the fields. It is too wet to get 
on the ground and it is freezing eveiy night. 
Early-sown wheat looks well; late-sown makes 
no show. With the usual amount of rain we 
expect good crops the coming season. 
W. A. H, 
Mo., Pleasant Mount, Miller Co.. March 31. 
—We have just had the heaviest snow-fall of 
the year It commenced on the evening of the 
ANSWER8 TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Muriate of Poin»li and Wood Anhes. 
A. 8-, Westover , ltd „ asks, 1, whether it is 
desirable to use muriate of potash on soils on 
which wood ashes have proved to be a good 
manure ; 2, how will the action of the potash 
compare with that of wood ashes; 3, how much 
of the potash would be equal to one bushel of 
good ashes; 4, will the potash dissolve in time 
to be of use to the present crop, if applied 
directly to the soil; 5, would the potash be a 
good fertilizer for corn, and how much should 
be used per acre. 
ANSWER BT PROF. F. H. 8TORER. 
1. That depends upon the kind of soil. It 
would he weil to tr> the experiment, anyway. 
3. For some kinds of crops, such as clover and 
beans, for example, the muriate of potash 
might perhaps do as well as wood ashes. The 
muriate is a good source of potaeslc food for 
plants, but it is a •* special " manure, while 
wood ashes lack nothing but nitrogen to bring 
them into the eategon known as complete 
fertilizers. The muriate doss not contain any 
phosphoric acid, lime, etc., as ashes do, and it 
can neither alter the humus of the soil nor the 
mechanical texture of the soil as ashes can. 
3. Can only be answered by experiment upon 
the particular field yon would wish to cultivate. 
It is probable that in some caees no amount of 
the muriate wonld serve as Weil as wood ashes. 
4. Yes. 5. It is not unlikely that it would be, 
especially If it were used in conjunction with 
guano, fish scrap, meat-dost, cotton-seed meal. 
or the like. 200 pounds of the muriate might sj 
be used to the acre. Perhaps a smaller amount oi 
than this would be sufficient. if 
Cooling Milk, etc. ^ 
O. R , Ann Arbor, Mich., ask?, 1, the best u 
method of cooling milk for retailing about the i r 
city; 2, will the use of ice injure the keeping b 
qualities; S. would pouring the milk on F 
ice as it passed through the strainer cause too tt 
sudden a cooling ; 4 wonld the amount of ti 
water added to the milk in doing this be suffi- j>: 
cient to constitute a fraud on the consumer; 
5, what is the best way to feed brewers’ grains H 
in warm weather; 6. could they be sun-dried I fi 
sufficiently to be stored safely in bulk. 
ANSWER BT PROF. Ij. B ARNOLD. 
A convenient and expeditious way for cool- ^ 
ing milk is to strain it into a tin vat surround¬ 
ed with cold water, similar to vats in cheese 
factories, and to float crushed ice aud salt on ° 
it in a tin floater, moving it frequently over » 
the surface of the milk as It is being strained a 
into the vat. By making the bottom of the j- 
floater flat and large enough to cover a con- 11 
siderable portion of the surface of the milk, it 
will be ready for distribution about as soon as j 
the milking is done. 2, If put directly into I 
the milk, yes. 3, Yee. 4, Yes. 5 Use tight ® 
casks or vats large enough to hold one day’s 1 
feeding—one tor each day between dates of I 
receiving the grains. Fill and press down with j t 
heavy weights resting on loose covers. Cover <■ 
with water to exclude air, using salt enough ‘ 
in it to supply the cows. The grains should J 
not form the exclusive feed, and should be 1 
renewed at the shortest possible intervals. 1 
Heavy feeding and stale grains make objec- I 
tionable milk. 6, Not without more labor than 
will pay. The grains are not as good after t 
drying as before. 
UunrantlDlng Live Stock. 
Jlf. F- C., Fort, Griffin, Texas, asks what is ' 
meant by quarantining cattleon account of the 
risk other cattle run of contracting contagions 
diseases from them, and whether the quaran¬ 
tining is enforced by the State or the United 
States. 
Ass.—Originally the term quarantine meant 
40 days during which a ship after arriving in 
a port, when suspected of being infected with 
a malignant or contagions disease, was obliged 
to have no intercourse with the shore, lest the 
supposed or real infection should be spread by 
I oramunication. It was thought that 40 days 
Letentioa apart would afford time to abate the 
liseaae and remove risk of infection. The term 
till implies prohibition of intercourse; but the 
engtb of time during which it is to last is m> 
tetermined oy the word. When cattle arrive I 
n this country from the United Kingdom and I 
>ther countries where con agious diseases are 
irevalent among cattle, they are quarantined 
’or 90 days—or ought to be if the laws are I 
>beyed—by the United Slates Government, 
which has charge of our commerce with for¬ 
eign nations. Some of the Atlantic states, no- I 
tably New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 
anxious to eradicate pleuro -pneumonia from 
among their herds, have lately passed laws 
authorizing properlv appointed officers to 
slaughter infected animals or to quarantine 
them until all danger of their spreading the I 
disease has passed. This is a matter within | 
the jurisdiction of the individual States, with 
which the United 8tates has not yet meddled. 
Perennial Rye Gris*. 
27. C. P-, Albion, Mich., asks when should 
Perennial Rye Grass be sown; what amount 
of seed should be sown per acre, and whether 
it should be sown alone or with other grasses. 
Ans —This is, we suppose, Lolium perenne, 
a grass much esteemed in England, where it is 
considered one of the most valuable of the 
cultivated grasses. But it is thought to be in¬ 
ferior in nutritive value to Orchard Grass when 
greeu. It must be cut for hay when in blossom or 
it becomes hard and is not relished by stock. 
Flint says it Is not to be compared to Timothy 
or Orchard Grass. It produces a great amount 
of seed, soon arrives at maturity, exhausts the 
soil, lasts for six or seven years, and then dies 
out. It takes just about the same place in 
England that Timothy does here. It has short 
roots so that it will not endure severe droughts 
and is therefore not adapted to gravelly, diy 
soils. Mr Kiliebrew does not think it as of 
special value for Tennessee farmers. We have 
several times referred to this grass in the R. 
N.-Y. during the past three years. Sow, as 
soon as the land can be prepared, from two to 
three bushels per acre. We should say it had 
better be sown alone—if at all. 
Mlnrellaneon*. 
E. E. 8., Papillon, Feb,. asks. 1. which is the 
proper time to be^ln farming accounts—Jan. 1 
or March 1; 3, would It hurt fruit trees that 
are bearing to put a bole through them to pre- 
e vent them from splitting where they are 
u forked; 3, where can apple root grafts true to 
n name be bought. 
5 Ans.— 1. The first of Januaryis the best time 
>f to begin farm accounts, as well as all others, 
s. But, If more convenient, they may commence 
3 , auy time between that and first of March. 2. 
;h We have seen bolts, both of wood and iron, put 
J. through trees to prevent the trunks from 
splitting; but unless the tree is pretty vigor¬ 
ous and it is carefully done, this might injure 
it more or less. The bolt inserted should not 
be any larger than the augur-hole bored 
through to receive it, otherwise in driving it 
in. you might split the tree. The safest way, 
however, which we have often practiced, is to 
put a belt of cloth around the tree, bo thick 
that a cord or rope will not cut through it, then 
tie up with a strong cord or rope, as required 
by the size of the tree. After this, If the rope 
is not sufficiently tight to hold well, pnt in 
thin narrow wedges enough between it and 
the cloth belt to make it hold tight. This rope 
should be slacked every SpriDg, as much as 
the trunk of the tree haB grown in diameter 
the preceding Summer, 3. Of any nursery¬ 
men. 8ee their advertisements. 
A, B., Plank Road N T,, asks what mode 
of training the Concord Grape is most in vogue 
in Southern New Jersey, at Vineland and 
and among the German vine-growers in Ocean 
County, and whether the Rose-bug ever shows 
Itself there. 
Ans —An # extensive viueyardist writes us 
from Vineland in answer to the above inquiry: 
"The modes of traiuing grapes with us are, 
first, single posts, eight feet apart and from 
four to eight feet high; second, two wires on 
posts 16 feet apart, vines eight feet, with from 
two to four canep, on the renewal system. Eveiy 
one has a pet theory of his own ; some have 
high posts and a trellis overhead, and so on. 
The Rose-bng has never seriously troubled us. 
A few make their appearance eveiy year on the 
white roses, and sometimes do a little damage 
to the grapes, but nothing serious.’ 
H. A. P , Zanesville, Ohio , asks where can 
the Black Alder be got. 
Ans —The Black Alder, or Winterberry (Ilex 
verticillata, or Prinos verUcLllatns), is very 
common in low grounds in almost every part 
of the country. J t, blooms in the above section 
in late May. Possibly our friend refers to the 
Ain us incar.a, which is a true alder, and is 
sometimes called the Black Alder. Ibis is a 
shrub or small tree from eight to twenty feet 
high, forming thickets along streams. It is 
better known as the Speckled Alder. Either 
can be procured, if not in the woods or fields, 
of nurserymen in general. 
G. C. B., North Rochester, Mass., sends for 
botanical name a plant that is there grown in 
gardens under the name of “ Old Maid s Pink.’ 
It also grows among wheal; has a dull pnrpie 
flower, and attains a bight of from six to twelve 
inches. 
Ans. —Tt is probably Corn Cockle—Lychnis 
Uithago (Gray) or Agrostemma Gltbago of 
some botanists. We have never heard it called 
*• Old Maid’s Pink.” 
J. H. B., Hawley, Minn., asks whether blue¬ 
berries are likely to thrive in a dry prairie 
soil. 
Ans —Wild plants will not thrive in a dry, 
sunny position. Our only hope for cultivating 
the blueberry with success lies in the produc¬ 
tion of seedlings which may adapt themselves 
to the changed conditions. 
R. F. R., Franklin Furnace, N. J., asks 
whether there is any paper that makes infor¬ 
mation with regard to iron and the market 
quotations therefor a specialty. 
Ans.—Y es, several. In this city there are 
the Iron Age, weekly, $4 50, 10 Warren Street, 
and the Metal Worker, weekly, $1.20, 83 Reade 
Street. 
IK. J. W., Belmont N. T„ asks where can he 
obtain reliable Information about Southern 
California. 
As* —We know of no better source of such 
i information than the letters in onr * Every- 
s where” Department during the last three 
years. 
1 T. 8, L., Blossom Hill, Fa., asks where can 
Petunia hybrid* flore-pleno be obtained, and 
■ its price. 
1 Ans —The price is 25 cents per packet of a 
t few seeds. It may be found in several of the 
3 catalogues we have called attention to. 
Communications rbobiv*d fob the week end¬ 
ing Saturday, April- 2 E d. 
g. h _f. K.—A. B. A.—C. D .thanky.—W. J. W. 
S B. P., Mich., thanks.—G. C. H.—L. B. A.—E. 
A. F.-S. H. W.-J. J.-O. H. P.-E. S. B.-L. R. S. 
—W. A. H.— H. A., we do not sell the White Ele- 
pbant potato or anything else—we forward such 
communications to those who do —s. II R —G. E. 
N.-A. B.-F. n. 8.—N. J. 8.—L. E. MCA.—Q. E. 
W.—W. H. C.—J. L. P.—A. W.—N. J. S.-D. H., 
We don't think theie is much, to be said about 
potato planting and digging machines.-W. F.— 
A. R. C.—M. P.-J. T„ thanks.—J. F — S. 8., 
thanks for sample of oata.—A. B. T.—T. H. H. 
-N. S.—3. H.-J. M. C.-E. A. F.-R. J. L — 
W. K.—W. T. F. —8. S.—J. S. W.—M. E. A.—W. 
K., We are always thankful for sketches ot those 
many home-invented contrivances which might. In 
many cases, be used by others.—J, L.—W. E. B. 
W. L. F.-F. M. B -H. 8.—E. W.-G. G. S , We do 
not know the concern.—W. H. C,—B. C. C.—G. N. 
K —F. W.—D. R —H. A. M.—J. W., Klpon We 
shall try lt.-N. D. H. and 8. L.D.—w. B.H.— 
S. C. G.-C-H. 8.-A- B—“Daisy,”—O. G., 
transplant now.—K. M. A.—A, B. A.—L. A. G.- 8. 
C. G.—A. W.—N. H —U. M. C.—Seth —Mi E. A — 
D. H. 8.—J. M. G.—P. B. M.—W.—P. L. F —S. 8. 
D._T, M.—W. F. K.—W. C. W.—H. J. C.—M.L. 8 
