322 
* 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAY U 
of the finest sirup that he has ever tasted 
made by farmers, was raised on their sandy 
soil, and some of it soil that would not raise 
corn.Mr. Schwa? z, it appears 
according to the same authority, has been 
raising cane upon the same field for eight or 
ten successive years, and every year he has 
obtained a better quality of sirup and about, 
as much cane, if not more, per acre. He is 
very careful to keep his ground as clear of 
weeds as possible. ...... The first 
accurate aualysis of a vegetable was not made 
till the year 1810. and so late as 1838 the Got¬ 
tingen Academy offered a prize fora satisfae* 
toiy solution of the question whether the in¬ 
gredients of the ashes are essential to vegeta¬ 
ble growth.The N. Y. Herald 
makes the too-sweeping assertion that Guinea 
fowls will keep all bugs and insects of every 
description off garden-vines; that they will 
not scratch like other fowls or harm the most 
delicate plants.An exchange 
publishes an article headed " How to Tell a 
Mad Dog.” We have nothing to tell a mad 
dog that we cannot communicate by telephone 
or postal card.—BoBte-n Transcript. 
“Pa, what is ensilage!" “Why—h‘m—en¬ 
silage, my son, is ur-ensilage is—ob, some¬ 
thing like mucilage, my son; something like 
mucilage; used to stick things together, you 
know. There now, run away to your play, 
and don't distrub me now.—"Boston Trane- 
script.Whenever, says the edi¬ 
tor of the New England Farmer, we look over 
another’s farm that shows in any way superior 
management, we always want to get out our 
note book and sit down and quiz him—" inter¬ 
view” is the American word.The 
Prairie Farmer thinks from present indications 
the yield of wheat will be at least one-fourth 
less than the Winter wheat crop of last year. 
Attention is called to the advertisement of 
Geo. E. Pomeroy, Toledo, Ohio. An oppor¬ 
tunity is here offered for any one desirous of 
obtaining a good farm on easy terms. 
RURAL 8PECIAL REP0RT8. 
Ark., Poteau, Scott Co., April 2?.—Fruit is 
about all killed here. Peaches all killed; 
apples about half. This has been the latest 
and coldest Spring for years. h. o. b. 
Ga , Waehluglon, Wilkes Co., April 27.-In 
reply to an iuquiiy made by J. B. K., of West 
Pauliet, Vt\ In a late Ritual, as to the adapta¬ 
bility of Northern and Eastern Georgia for 
general farming, that is. for producing oats, 
corn, potatoes, butter, cheese, etc., you say 
Georgia is certainly not a first-class place either 
for dairying or raising Irish potatoes. L live 
In the eastern part of the State, and think 1 
can give your correspondent a correct state¬ 
ment of some of the productions of this sec 
tion. Oats are raised by some farmers as the 
main feed crop; 60 bushels per acre can be 
made easily- Corn is grown successfully both 
ou uplands and lowlands; as much as 120 
bushels per acre have been gathered from bot¬ 
toms in this county. Irish potatoes are not 
raised for market, but I believe no place in the 
United States will produce larger crops per 
acre, and two crops every year at that. Dairy¬ 
ing, as a business, is not followed by any of our 
people; but why caunot butter and cheese he 
made where clover, lucerne, all grasses, cow- 
peas, sweet potatoes, corn, oats, wheat, bar¬ 
ley, turnips, beets, carrots, and, last but not 
least, cotton, can be raised in abundance? 
Cotton Is mentioned in this connection,because 
1 have found nothing better to produce large 
quantities of rich milk and butter than cotton¬ 
seed and cow-peas mixed. The farmers are 
behindhand here in getting in their corn and 
cotton on account of had weather. The oat 
crop is looking splendid, acreage large ; wheat 
is backward, little sown; barky is in full head, 
tall and luxuriant; straw berries and other gar¬ 
den crops will be abundant from present ap¬ 
pearances. J. o. n. 
111.. Pana, Christian Co , April 30,—About 
February 25, I wrote you that tbe prospeetfor 
the wheal crop was good. So it wa6 at that 
time, but at this date I must say the outlook 
for the Winter wheat crop is bad. During tbe 
latter part of March and the fore part of April 
it was neaily ruiued. On the prairie there are 
not more than 15 acres of wheat out of every 
100 acres sown last Fall. In the timber it is a 
little better, and there it will be about 33 per 
cent, of a full crop. I think apples, cherries, 
raspberries and pears are not injured. Cher¬ 
ries are blooming. Home think the grapes are 
injured somewhat. The weather is flue. Oats 
are sown and plowing and planting corn are 
under way, Grass is coming on finely. Some 
are turning out their stock afterfive montbsof 
steady Winter. », b p. 
111., Godfrey, Madison Co., April 25 —The 
prospects are good for a frer crop of straw¬ 
berries. raspberries and hlackherriee. A great 
many o i the strawberry plants in old planta¬ 
tions, however, were killed by tbe crown borer 
in the Fall of last year. The Wilson and Kerr's 
Prolific seem to be particularly subjeet to its 
ravages. w. j. 
Kan., ParsonB, Labette Co., April 25,— 
Weather for two weeks unprecedentedly fine. 
The pole and the equator have embraced; heat 
and moisture in abundance. Corn planting 
two-thirds done, and much corn up and 
looking well. Wheat splendid, but chinch 
bugs thick. Grass enough for stock. Latter 
very scarce and high. Apples goiDg out of 
bloom. j. p. 
Kan., Roxbuiy, McPherson Co,, April 23.— 
We have had a very late Spring—three orfonr 
weeks later than usual. All farming Spring 
operations have, therefore, been kept back. 
No corn has yet been planted and vejy little 
plowing has been done for it. Fall-Bown wheat 
has been badly hurt by the alternate freezings 
and thawings in March, but the weather is 
very favorable now—cool and wet with no 
fro6t. Peaches were killed except in well pro¬ 
tected situations. The outlook for small fruits 
is very promising. L. c m. 
Kan., Salina, Saline Co., April 23 —We are 
having nice warm showers and everything is 
growing finely. The prospect for wheat is ex¬ 
cellent; I have lived here 12 vear6 and never 
saw it look better. Peach buds were nearly 
all killed; but In favorable localities a few are 
still uninjured. A. o. w. 
Mich., Athens, Calhoun Co., April25.—After 
a long and tedious Winter, Spring has finally 
come again. Fully two-thirds of the wheat are 
killed, so the prospect for a good harvest has 
failed; but if the weather is favorable we may 
get enough to live ou. A great many farmers 
are talking of re-plowing and putting in Sum¬ 
mer crops, and others have locked their gran¬ 
aries and intend to keep the wheat they have. 
Peaches are all killed in our section here, and 
most, if not all, the cherries and raspberries. 
There is a fair prospect for pears and apples. 
R D. B. 
Mich., Martin, Allegan Co., April 25.—The 
past Winter was the coldest and this Spring is 
the most backward, I have seen in 20 years. 
Wheat has been very badly winter-killed. 
Wneat is worth $1 per bushel; corn, 50c; oats, 
40c; hay, Is 12 per ton. b, j. 
Mich., Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo Co., April 
23—Winter wheat is very badly killed in this 
county. Some of it is being plowed up ; it 
looks now as if there would not be half a crop. 
g. n. T. 
Minn., Winnebago City, Faribault Co.. April 
25.—The long Winter terminated quite sudden¬ 
ly to-day, when the mercury at 2 p. m. marked 
83 deg, in the shade. Less than a week ago 
the &now lay over the land several feet deep in 
many places. The fields are settling and drr¬ 
ing fast. I think wheat sowing will commence 
in earnest about Tuesday the 26th Inst, Al¬ 
though wheat is the principal crop hereabouts, 
oats, barley, corn and potatoes give good re¬ 
turns. Sorghum sufficient for home ubc is 
raised by nearly every farmer, and the yield is 
about 300 gallonB per acre, with good cultiva¬ 
tion. We have cause to be thankful, as wo 
have had no suffering greater than cold feet 
during the lODg, 6evere Winter juBt ended, aud 
no floods to seriously damage property. The 
Blue Earth River, which flows north through 
this town emptying itself into the Minnesota 18 
miles north of here, is full to overflowing, but 
is passing rapidly on itB course carrying off 
the surface water made by the melting snows 
fast enough to prevent alarm. Our stock 
wintered well. Workhorses are “ spoiling " 
for work j nearly every farmer hereabouts 
keeps from four to ten horses. Day and coarse 
grain are plentiful. Seed corn scarce; in fact, 
there is none at all. Not one in ten that de¬ 
pends. as heretofore, on crib corn wJll find any 
that will grow. 1 picked mine early and hung 
it up in a dry place, but all failed to grow ex¬ 
cept that which I hung in theSummer kitchen 
near the Btove. This is a fine corn-raising 
country. Farmers plant enough annually for 
feeding purposes for all their Btock, horses 
aud hogs; it yields well—40 to 50 bushels 
per acre. Price of produce and stock: wheat., 
No. 1,85 c.; barley, No. 2, 65e ; oats, 20e.; 
corn, SOe ; potatoes, 50c.; butter, 15c.; yearling 
steers, $15; milch cows, $25; work horses 
from $100(2)125; hay, per ton $5; fat hogs, 
per cwt., $4.50; improved farms of 160 acres, 
$3,000; raw prairie, per acre, $10; oak wood, 
per cord. $3; bass wood, $2 75. n. F. s. 
Mo., Richmond, Ray Co., April 23.—We 
have a fine county here for raising corn. Many 
ears measure from eight to ten and even 
eleven inches in circumference, and I have 
shelled off of one ear nearly one quart of grain. 
I claim that the larger the ears grown the 
greater will be the yield. t. n. c. 
Nebraska, Plum Valley, Knox Co., April 
20th.—I have just come to this State, but peo¬ 
ple who have lived here 15 or 20 years think 
the past Winter the hardest they remember. 
Snow commenced to fall last October and re¬ 
maining on the ground ever since is four 
inches deep now, and lots of old snow drifts 
are from five to ten feet deep. Farming and 
stock raieing are the general industries here. 
A great many cattle have died; some estimate 
the loss in the State at half of all the cattle in 
it—cause poor feed and poorer care. Very 
few have what can, even by courtesy, be called 
barns. Usually crotched sticks are stuck in 
the ground and poles laid in the crotches and 
straw piled on them for a cattle shelter. Some 
dig a hole in the side of the bluff, put poles 
across the top, then pile on some straw and 
the cattle shed is completed. I ask how many 
cattle would live through the Winter in York 
State in such a place, But here stock so shel¬ 
tered are well off, for many have no shel¬ 
ter, and no food but what they can pick on the 
prairie—I think this sort of stock-keeping 
cruel. Wheat is worth 75c ; corn, 40c. on the 
cob; potatoes, 50e; cows, $35 to $40; oxen, 
$100 to $120, a pair ; horses, $100 to $125 per 
head. poDies, $15 to $50 per head; hogs, live, 
$4; dressed, $5 50; bacon, 10c. This part of 
the State has been only eight years settled. We 
are 20 miles from the Missouri River, i. F. 
N. Y., Clyde, Wayne Co.. April 26.—A few 
light 6howers greeted ns today, the first rain 
this Spring. "We had numerous enow storms 
up to the 13th, and freezing nights tHlthe!8lh ; 
at present we have very hot weather. Plowing 
began on the 9th, aud a general commencement 
was made on the 14th. Sowing began the 18th; 
all of this first sowing which was rolled is now 
up. Wheat appears desperately poor. Too 
thin seeding, sowing a trifle late and poor pre¬ 
paration of the ground for sowing last Fall, 
ill prepared it for Winter the latter part 
of which was extremely severe, while the 
wheat was entirely unprotected by snow. In 
driving through the country one cannot, on 
an average, see more than one good piece to 
five miles. Or one may stand on the highest 
hill-top and yet not see a single entirely even 
green slope or flat. Still, nearly all those 
pieces which were put in with great care, well 
fertilized and sown early, are beautiful to look 
at now, except on steep hill-sides. In such 
places the wheat is thick and even and stands 
nearly six inches high. The buds of peach 
trees are quite large, and on opening, one can 
see the stamens, etc., of the as-yet-uninjured 
flower. The wild flowers, Blood-root (San- 
guinaria CanadensiB), Adder’s Tongue (Erj- 
thronium Amerieanum), Squirrel Corn (Di¬ 
centra Canadensis, aud the Dutchman's Breech¬ 
es (D. Cucullaria), were in bloom a week ago. 
The Japan Quince (Pyrus Japonica) is just in 
blossom. Not as many apple trees were 
planted as in former Springs. In pruning 
fruit trees, some time ago, I found the com¬ 
mon pocket pruning knife an excellent tool 
for sprouting old apple trees, being far handier 
and quicker than a saw. w. x. 
N. Y., Rockwell’s Mills, Chenango Co., April 
29 —The first thunder 6torm of the season 
came to the Unadilla Valley on April 26. It 
found the roads thick with dust while snow 
could be seen on the northern slopes of the hills. 
A hasty change of toilet daring the shower 
brought out the russet fields in robes of emer¬ 
ald. Farmers have generally sowed their oat 
fields. The creamery Is in full blast with 600 
cows. A private dairy is becoming exceeding¬ 
ly rare in this section of Chenango County. 
Two or three skilled workmen do the work of 
20 or SO and do it much better, as the facilities 
are much bettor. e. j. b. 
N. Y m Ithaca, Tompkins Co., April 25.—A 
cold, raw wiud blowing from the northwest for 
almost a month has been very hard on the 
wheat. The difference where good culture 
and plenty of fertilizers have been applied is 
plainly seen. The prospect for wheat is not 
nearly so good in this locality aB it was last 
year. Yesterday and to-day extremely warm; 
thermometer at 80 ®. Indications of rain 
which, is needed very much, especially to start 
the grass. Prospect for fruit good. i. p. k. 
N. C., Lynn, Polk Co,, April 31.—We shall 
have plenty of fruit of all kinds. Spring is 
here and the woods look like one vast flower 
garden. D. e m’a. 
Ohio, Mount Eaton, Wayne Co., April 27.— 
We are haying a very late Spring, and farmers 
are behind time with their work, as no oats 
have been sown yet, nor will any be for & few 
days. About the lBt of April snow fell on the 
level about two feet, and lay on the ground for 
about ten days. It has only been a day or two 
since there was any plowing done and the 
ground is wet enough yet. Wheat looks well 
in general, and I think, if no mishap occurs to 
it yet, wo shall have a full crop. Fultz Is 
mostly grows in this part. It averages from 
25 to 40 bnshels per acre, according to condi¬ 
tions and quality of soil. Our large farmers 
do their own harvesting almost entirely with 
the use of seif-binders. The thrashing Is done 
by steam rigs whicli thrash from 500 to 1,000 
bushels per day. Horse-power thrashing is a 
thing of the past in this section. Land is 
worth $75 to $135 per acre, according to im¬ 
provements. Wheat, $106; corn, 48e. to 50c.; 
oats, 37c.; hay, from $12 to $15 per ton and 
scarce at that; butter, 18c.; eggs, 13a. The 
thermometer indicates 87 ° . w. h. p. 
Ohto, Mt. Vernon, Knox Co,, May 2—We 
have had a very cold and snowy Winter, 
It has killed all tbe blackberries and rasp¬ 
berries so far as I can learn, but straw¬ 
berries promise well. Peaches have a fine 
prospect for a good crop. I cannot see 
why they were not killed. Potatoes are very 
high-priced—$1 per bushel; corn, 50 cents; 
wheat, $1; oats, 40 cents; onions. $2. m. w. 
Pa., Northumberland. Northumberland Co., 
April 29.—Spring has come to stay, though 
fully two weeks late. Farmers are putting 
forth their best energies. The usual area of 
oats and corn will not be sown, on account of 
the lateness of the season. All kinds of stock 
look bad this Spring, and a bad distemper 
has broken out among the horses. About the 
usual quantity of tobacco will be grown this 
year, though very few sales have yet been 
made of last year’s crop. Winter wheat—no 
Spring wheat is raised here—is looking well, 
especially along the rivers. Wheat, $1: com, 
50c.; oats, 40c. No barley is raised here. 
Butter, 25c.; eggs, 14c. We have no cream¬ 
eries here, but we have a life insurance com¬ 
pany which is just as bad (Oh!). This has 
been the best season for rafting for a number 
of years, some 2,000 rafts have passed down 
the West Branch of the Susquehanna to mar¬ 
ket. r. c. m’w. 
S. C,, Greenville, Greenville Co., April 22 — 
The past has been the severest Winter I have 
ever seen. Did you know the California Popy y 
is an evergreen ? [Not here.— Eds ] It makes 
a nice border alongside walks. Euonymus 
plants have been generally killed here, except 
the small ones. I am expecting a great many 
plants and 500 Chinese Arbor-vitnes from Saul, 
the Washington nurseryman. The Arbor-vitses 
are intended for a hedge; others of the same 
sort have endured tbe Winter well here. I get 
a great many seeds from Vick, who is always 
reliable, and a great many from Berckmans, of 
Augusta, Ga., who is as honest a man as one 
can find. b. f. p. 
Texas. Seclusion, Lavaca Co., April 25.— 
Spring has been very dry and late, but we had 
a very heavy rain this week which v/as very un¬ 
favorable to the crops just planted. Some 
think of plantiug over again. c. d. p. 
Wisconsin, Spafford, La Fayette Co —The 
Winter here has been long and tedious. Vmy 
little Winter wheat is sown in this vicinity, 
but what there is has come out very well. 
Farmers have just commenced work this week. 
Spring work is fully three weeks later than 
usual. w. s. 
Wis., Madison, Dane Co., April 18.—We 
have a late Spring for this locality. No Spring 
work done yet. Large 6now drifts are still 
hai‘d about the fences and considerable frost is 
still in the ground. Just now the weather is 
favorable. w. b. 
®{tf <§ wrist. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Mange In n Horse. 
H. A. M., Marion, N. Y., asks for a remedy 
for mange in his horse. 
Ans —Mange in the horse, as In all other 
animals, is due to the irritation aud ulcera¬ 
tion caused by the burrowing of minute in¬ 
sects. The disease is contagious, only re¬ 
quiring for its development the passage of the 
mites or their eggs from infected to healthy 
animals. This transfer may take place by the 
sound auimal coming in contact either with an 
ailing one of the same 6ort, or with some object 
ou which the miteB or their egg6 have found a 
resting place. Moreover, any animal may ac¬ 
cidentally be the carrier of this little peat from 
infected to clean subjects. Various causes 
predispose animals to afford development to 
the mange parasites and to aggravate their 
ravages, such as neglect, dirt, starvation, ill 
usage, etc., and in curing the ailment these 
Bhould be remedied. The disease, Ja horses, 
usually first shows itself on the side of the neck 
just at the edges of the mane, and on the insides 
of the quarters near the root of the tail. Thence 
it spreads along the back and down the sides. 
The first symptom is an excessive itching, caus¬ 
ing the horse to rub himself eagerly against 
any obstacle. The skin becomes scabby, the 
hair falls off in patches, leaving the skin at 
first smooth with a few small, red patches, 
each of which contains one of the parasites, 
technically known as acari. In time the pim¬ 
ples multiply, harden into scabs, nnder which 
the acari may be found like mites In cheese. 
The constant irritation soon makes the infect¬ 
ed horse feverish, thin and wretched. 
Treatment— The only way to rid any ani¬ 
mal of the mange Is to kill the mites aud their 
eggs. This can be done only by the applica¬ 
tion of a remedy to tbe parts affected ; for al¬ 
though Internal treatment is often beneficial, 
the mites must be killed by external local ap¬ 
plications. Just like the itch mites ou the hu¬ 
man subject, the mange mites on a horse can be 
certainly destroyed by sulphur, turpentine, 
arsenic, hellebore, and corrosive sublimate; 
but inasmuch as some of these are almost as 
dangerous to the horse as to the parasites, 
milder remedies are preferable. As a first 
measure the infected animal should be as 
thoroughly as possible cleaned of scab and 
dirt with a wisp of hay and the light, gentle 
use of the curry-comb. Then prepare one of 
