ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
01 some game chickens m the Rural, but have 
lont the address given. Will you please inform 
me where the chickens or eggs can bo obtained ? 
Ans.— Those wno advertised with us, seeing 
this, will probably answer you. 
About Indigo. 
J- If. Close.—I would like to know ( 1 ). Wheth¬ 
er Southwest Texas is adapted for the cultivation 
of indigo ; (2). How much of the pure indigo is 
an average crop per acre ? (3)- Where can the 
indigo seed bo obtained ? (4; There is plenty of 
wild indigo growing here in Missouri; could the 
tame or merchantable article be raised here suc¬ 
cessfully? 
Ans.-(I). Wo know not why it should not be, 
at least about the N— * * 
mens 
and Guadeloupe. (2), 
Coloring principles in the 
apparent by oxidation as 
tney dry—or the green leaves are submitted to 
a procesaof fermentation and oxidation. (2.) We 
are uneblo to inform you how much is an aver¬ 
age crop per acre. (3). Wo can not ascertain 
that they are foe Bale. 
Iudigofora tinotoria and Anil furnish most of 
the indigo of commerce, and are most cultivated 
in the South, where they have run wild. I. Car- 
oliuianuru (the species to which you refer) is 
wild from North Carolina south; but we are not | 
aware it is valuable for your onroose. 
Mr a. F. J. i.—Mother brought home two Tea 
plauts from tho Smithsonian Institute a year 
ago last summer. Now our soil does not seem 
to agree with them. Can you tell me where I 
can send for dirt that will make t hem grow, and 
wnat would bo the price for a small quantity ? 
An-s.-Wc are not positive that wo know what 
you moan by “Tea" plants. The Matrimony 
vine (Lyceum barbarum) is sometimes so-called. 
Camellias, to which the Tea plant proper is close¬ 
ly related, are sometimes called Tea plants. You 
can not mean Matrimony Vine, however, since 
nobody ever experienced hut one trouble with 
that, vl*.. to stop it from growing. Wo would 
advise yon to clear the roots of ns much of tho 
old soil as may bo ronto rod without injuring 
them, and then repot in rat her rougl*. peaty loam. 
We should not think a florist would nuke any 
396 
Bandy 
place, 
you 
e or 
t has 
xcept 
berry 
~- —you would need. 
Hew to Construct n Dam. 
Ptwt.—I have a stream running through mv 
place, from springs m the hillside. I contem¬ 
plate building a d*m about four feet high, at a 
suitable poiut for a fish-pond. Stone is fmmd 
close by, with which to construct the dam. How 
Bhall ttin dam ho best constructed-^straight 
curved, or angular? What are (he best mate¬ 
rials to bo need in the construction of it ? What 
arrangement of gates is best to keep Mm water 
from overflowing in case of heavy rainfalls ? I 
have never seen the water more than twelve 
inches higher than the ordinary levtd at (or 
above) the poiut aforementioned. Any other in¬ 
formation on the subject you may choose to give 
will bo thankfully recoived. 
Ans.—W o should prefer stone and cement. A 
dam and conned tons well constructed of such 
materials, would probably last for many venrs 
A curve Would not be needed. Build it consid¬ 
erably wider at tho bottom than at the top 
building out on tho inside and sloping to the 
top, tlic outsido being perpendicular. The sur¬ 
face of the top may bo fiuishod with heavy blue 
tlags bedded in cement. Wo can not see that a 
gate would be needed. A ten-inch earthen pipe 
cemented through the bottom, would serve to 
empty the lake when desired. A thick wooden 
plug is easily fitted, and retained in its place bv 
the pressure of the water. It should fit rather 
loosely at first, so as to leave space for the swell¬ 
ing of the wood when in contact with the water 
A heavy iron bolt or staple should be secured to 
this plug aud aslrong chain^ttached-since con¬ 
siderable power Is required in extracting it to 
overcome the pressure of the water. 
Root Grafting. 
E. n. Olmsted.—I noticed in a late issue of ! 
your paper, an article by W. J. Fowler on ‘-Nurs¬ 
ery Stock." Will he, or some of yonr readers 
explain the method of Itoot-grafting in winter ? 
The trouble with trees bought from tho large i 
Dorset las and plautod here, is that either from . 
being too long out of the ground, or from change , 
of climate and soil, they will not do well. 
Ans.—U se seedlings for stocks if you choose f 
two-year-olds—say one quarter of an inch in di- i, 
ametor. Cut off the stem at the neck, and all It 
irregular roots. Whip-grafting is usually pre- n 
ferred. A composition of bees-wax, tallow, and h 
oil is used for saturating bands of calico or paper o 
Whioh are wound around the graft, seeming the 
ford Ct aDy PlRDt ‘ R ‘ D ' Hawley » nart * 
J. JL. Shorty, Box 530, Albion, N. F.-Can any 
of the Rural readers tell me of a good musical 
school? and if so, the address? Also if there 
are any Normal Music Schools ? 
Communications received for the week ending 
Saturday, Dec. Sl.h. 
„ W 1 T ’ B - H * n - T ‘ n - H., thanks—E. M. 
« u - E -—T. B. M.—W.H. tV.— L. R.—C. V. s.— 
S. P -S. B. F.-E. S.-S. S.—B. G.-S. C.-J. H. 
. 8. C. L.—II. 8. M. C.—Alfred—L. A. R.—G. 
M.-br g.-W. H. W.-E. K. S.-Subscrlber,- 
I a. on (?)—k —L. L.—T. M. C.—M. B. P —A R 
G. Mis. Rural Reader-E. N. G.-R M -T V 
k.-S. It, M„ many thanks.— L. A. R., No. 2 . 
_JUtos of tljf Mirth, 
home news paragraphs. 
'• accompanying illustration if this is the shrub to 
which you refer. 
y (Dissolving Bones—Manure for Hops. 
• AfOOps. (1). What is the cheapest way to 
a, make bone-meal, so as to be strong? (2). What 
1 Wild of manure i* best for hops? (3). Is barn- 
r yar “ Ina,lUre e 0 °d for both large and small fruit 
• otl3Cir words, is it good for currants, 
. blackberries, and large fruits ? (4) Gan you tell 
t " Lcre 1 «*“ K'fi some Connecticut seed-leaf 
tobacco seed ? 
Ans.— (1). From the wording of your inquiry, 
, we suppose you wish to learn how to dissolve 
bones for manorial purposes. In that case, the 
following methods are the simplest and most 
convenient:—In the absence of a bone-mill for 
grinding the bones, they should he broken rea¬ 
sonably fine with an old ax or sledge-hammer, 
and wet with water in a half-hogshead or largo 
trough, or some other cheap vessel. Then, if 
they are to be dissolved with Bulphurie acid, a 
pound of the acid, diluted with tlir;o or four 
parts or water to ouo or acid, should be added to 
two pounds of bones. Finely-ground bones 
treated in this way soon form sulphate of lime 
aud a soluble phosphate, but coarse fragments 
require a longer time and frequent stirring. A 
better, and loss dangerous way, however, is to 
decompose the bones with good wood ashes. 
This may be done by putting alternate layers of 
ashes and fresh bones into an old hogshead until 
it is full, and from time to time wetting the 
mixture slightly with hot water or urine from 
the stable or barnyard, to hasten the chemical 
action. The bones readily become broken down 
in this way, and if intended for manure, are 
similablo plant-food. 
(2). Some hop growers prefer well-rotted bai n* 
yard manure and others compost when Betting 1 
out the hops. The difference is very slight, and 
depends chiefly ou tho character of the soil. The . 
same manures that produce good crops of corn ! 
or potatoes, will he equally successful with hops 
In the after cultivation, according to the corn- l 
mou English practice, a dressing of guano aud t 
superphosphate of lime is applied about the be- 1 
ginning of .Tune, at the rate of three cwt. of the 1 
former aud one cwt. of the latter per acre. This a 
is placed in equal quantities round each hill and 
hoed in, care being taken not to allow anv of the ^ 
mixture to come in contact with the* plant. ° 
American hop-growers, however, as a rale, use [! 
only barn-yard manure during after cultivation. e 
(3). Well decomposed barn-yard manure is e 
M. T. Sulltvant, an Illinois farmer, will gather 
over 1 , 000,000 bushels of corn this year. 
Two widowers In Perry County, Texas, have 
Just married each a daughter or the other. 
•••••-' , The ^Preselon of values lu Western Tennessee 
is much greater than that in the Baste, n part 
oi tne (state. 
/ ,„!f? re r WaS a chlld at the baby show la teiy held 
^ mother? di.‘ Cli ^ tC ° *° Urs aUer lts 
■/ Charlotte (N. C.) Observer steps up with a 
sow ten years old that has raised 149 pigs—“>a 250 
pounds or pork-42,235. L ’ 
The receipts on all the railroads In Pennsylva- 
— nla last year, are r<-ported to aggregate from all 
sources, $125,769,641.57. man 
111 the rree delivery service of the Post-office 
^ CtbCbt * t,lore are employed 82C3 carriers, or 
iviuch number 1513 are native-born citizens. 
- populaUoti or Georgia is nine 
" hundred thousand souls, and the number or 
L S £!“ 5 “““ 18 ‘<>«”•* 
Tne Hessian Fly i s making terrlbte havoc In 
some or the wheat, growing sections or New York 
State Nome fields In Seneca county have been 
plowed up and resown. 
I The total amount or anthracite coal mined in 
Pennsylvania this year thus far, is said to a-grl- 
te 1$,641,022 tons, au luereaae of i,496 654 tons 
over the quantity mined last year. 
dticolonization and Agricultural In- 
dusto company has purchased one hundred 
tho«g‘.ad acres or land In Cullman county, Ala¬ 
bama, upon w inch to locate a colony. 
:o 16 Uas bei?n ,lela hr the New York city Board or 
l a m tlU>re ‘ S “° law n t:-fiust cremation. 
’ L ‘ a pi0per truncate or death, may 
obtain a permit lo cremate a corpse. 
it * Gilveston man has a specimen Bntzuiau hog, 1 
1 - ^ g ,? Dt,auJ a ),au Pound, age six months. 1 
he mother is still smaller. Tne whole. family or 1 
it six may be carried In an ordinary hand basket. 
!; 1 ,IC P roal( i'.'nt of the South Carolina Stite Fair ' 
II Association sold his cmlre crop of bread corn to 1 
f G u V G. LeDue, United States Commissioner or 1 
Agriculture. This corn will be distributed 1 
throughout the United states lor seed 
s ! P uljl1 '- debt, Dec. 1st, less cash in the Trei. 0 
s was *-A46,oeo; decrease during November 1 
«r,:i2ii.«35r since June 30, $14,181,157. com in the 1 
. Jreusurj,$ 128 , 970 , 214 ; uurreucy.f 16,622,293 ; rrac- e 
Uonal currency outstanding, $ 16 , 943 , 021 . 
Twenty years ago no Southern port had steam P 
communication with Europe; now lines aro run- * 
nlng l'rom Norfolk, New-Orleaus, Galveston 8a- p 
vannah, U llmlngton and Baltimore, d n^ out- v 
going freight Is luade up principally of cotton. 
Washington will be the next Territory to knock 01 
lor admission Into the fatally or States, its dod- 01 
ulaUonnow is 00 . 000 . Its mountains arc covered w 
with tercets, and its valleys bear all the croDs 01 
that nourish in Oregon and Northern California^ 
A Maryland termer thinks he has round a - bU ie sc 
cmv' tor Oauadla thlsiies. It consists in sowing hi 
the land infested by them with buckwheat earn Sl1 
In tne spring, allowing it to grow till it is m as 
lull blossom, turning it under and again reseed¬ 
ing with the same grain. The last crop 13 m. r v- N< 
ested when ripe. tr , 
A Broadway store In New York displays some lL 
curious gilts ter the Pope Horn converted Indians bJ 
01 ths Mission of St. Jguace. in Michigan. Tin re ! 
are miniature Implements of war and hunting a r ° : 
small canoe, ilchly ornamented, and bearing the wl 
legend, “ The otuwa Indians to Plus IX ’’ snow vo 
shoes, moccasins, and a little cradle. The girts tbl 
will soon be forwarded tc Rome. " Th 
, Last year ‘ tfifi-teeu counties lu Texas produced 1 
»,500,099 bushels of wheat, valued at ts.ooeuoo 
and the section now devoted to its production is 8m 
gradually Increasing. Many counties which have tb ^ 
hitherto been used ter tne cultivation of comod we 
are now producing large grain crops. This wheat ius 
is better adapted lor export than that or the atJ( 
Northern States, especially lor south America lrtl 
and warm climates. ' the 
There are 25 packing-houses In Baltimore, em- » 
ploying each from 50 to 450 hands, and handling Chi 
6,000,000 bushels of raw and 15 . 000,000 or canned wit 
oysters each season. Besides, there are 50 steam- the 
lng houses, where 25,000,000 cans are prepared and 
each season by 7,000 men. Nearly 2,000 men are dra 
engaged In making cans. Oyster shuckera make oni 
Hart- on an average tLM per day. but some experts 
make ns much as $5. A bushel of oysters In the 
lan any sited win make ten cans, and one firm have shuck- 
nusical ed and cann( ‘ fl as mar ‘Y as 7.500 bushels a day. 
r there General Ord believes we should have 5,000 troops 
on Ibe Texan frontier, including three regiments 
I or cavalry. He favors following raiders and pun- 
thln g f bem aSa bPtUT ana less expensive plan 
than tt frontier patrol. Tim President has ordered 
2 000 or 3,000 cavalry to the Ringgold barracks on 
the Texan frontier. Six companies or the Fourth 
Cavalry, in the Indian Territory, are ordered to 
leave at once, and as soon as infantry can be sent 
to Fort Sill to relieve the cavalry guarding Indi¬ 
ans there, the latter will he sent to the Mexican 
border, in a few weeks the four additional regi¬ 
ments of cavalry authorized by law- will rtlnrorce 
the troops on that frontier. 
Statistics lately made public, show the sheep In 
the various countries noted below' to be as lollo ws • 
In the United Kingdom, in 1S7C, there were 32 - 
252,5,9sheep; in Russia, in 1370, there were 43 - 
l30,oo<i; in Germany, in 1873, there were 24 , 999 !- 
406; in Austria, in 18T1, there were 20 , 103 , 395 ; m 
!• ranee, In 1872, there were 24.589,647; and in 
spate, In 1805, there were 82,054,967—showing a 
total Ui Europe, Of about 190.000,000. In Austra¬ 
lia, In 1S75, there were 62,000,000; Cape of Good 
Hope 16 , 000 , 000 ; River Plata, 60,000,000; North 
Amertca, so.ooo.ooo; remainder of America, 6,000 - 
too; and total, 3S5, 000 , 000 . Turkey, North Africa 
Persia, etc., say 65,000,000; India and China, say 
15, 000 , 000 . Grahd total, 4 S 4 , 000 , 000 . 
-- — -- 
FOREIGN NOTES. 
_ 
In several districts of England orders have been 
ssued for the confinement of all dogs. 
At the last show in Paris fifty different kinds 
if grapes from one district were displayed. 
The Japanese make a blrd-limo with which 
hey catch animals as large as monkeys. 
Kangaroo hides arc an important article of ex- 
ort from Australia. They make tho most plia- 
lo leather that Is known, admirably fitted for 
oot-legs, gloves, and rldlng-whlps. 
Something considerably over 150,000 dogs bave 
assed through tho Battersea Rome, near Lon- 
on since It w'aa first established, and not one 
ngle case of rabies has ever been detected. 
The London Times Is about to suffer yet an- 
her loss, scarcely less than that of Mr. Delane 
iinsclr. Mr. Wen. Stubbing also win retire from 
s connection with the leading Journal at Chrlat- 
j ln .lilts. It will be very difficult to replace him. 
ire- The Russian debt was, in 1831, 220 , 000,000 mu¬ 
ons tl« S ; lu 1817, 315,000,000 ; in i860, SI 000 000 • In 
1875, 700,000,000. in 1876 H win have reached 
In- 1.193,809,950 roubles, equal to |-'.oi, 557 , 700 . 
red I English physicians and humanitarians are urg- 
ilo- lng ibe Introduction Into hospitals not only of 
dowers, plants and Iruit, but or paintings, stalu- 
ior a »y, and other works or art, which have been 
on round to exert a beneficial effect upon patients, 
my There are upward of sixty public offices ln 
Great Britain whioh enjoy free postage, and their 
og, correspondence would, If paid for, cost more 1 bun 
hs. M0 ,000 a year, and the weight of It exceeds 450 
oi tons. 
In 1955 Great Britain Imported 43,029,504 pounds 
llr of cheese; In 1863, 93,567,02* pounds; white In 
to j 375 the total 182,156,250 pounds, thus show- 
of lng that ,ier imports nearly double every ten 
ed years ' 
Germany has on hand a war fund of 1 , 400 , 000 , 
>a- Banes. This Is keptln reserve for actual need 
jr, ln case war * The annual expenses of the 
he ArBay aud Navy aro paid with ordlnaiy rev- 
enues. 
A general Inventory has been taken by the 
m , eDCb M1 hlstry of all the public libraries of 
i,. * ra nce. More Than 200 towns have been found to 
a . Possess a library numbering from 10,000 to 20.000 
t _ volumes. 
The Bulgarians are the most ignorant people 
, k of Europe. Their ferociousness Is said to have 
5 _ originated tho well-worn term ** bugaboo’’ with 
a which Vienna parents formerly threatened their 
offprtngs. 
Portugal 19 willing to cede all her African pos- 
sessions, lncludteg the Azores, to England for a 
g handsome sum or money. John Bull, though de- 
siring these possessions, considers the price asked 
a as too high. 
* Forbes > w «r correspondent of the London 
_ News, says the Russians are corrupt ln the ex¬ 
treme, the Bulgarians are arrogant and self-seek- 
lng, and the Turk alone has respected himself and 
g his enemies. 
5 Season-ticket holders at the Paris Exhibition 
l following the fashion at Philadelphians last year, 
. will be expected to paste a photograph on their 
- \ouchers, a duplicate photograph being placed ln 
, the hook whence the voucher was withdrawn, 
i he price or season-tickets will bo $ 20 . 
I Reverend Pastor Broz has examined 4,579 holes 
of the owl in Germany, and leaving out countless 
1 8UQal1 insects, round the remains of no less 
than 15,289 creatures; of this number, 14,765 
were of mammalia, 84 u birds, 63 frogs and 121 large 
Insects. Of the whole number, 4,794 were useful, 
and 10,495 more or less Injurious to the farmer’s 
In Lerests, leaving a balance of 5,671 in favor or 
the owl. 
---- 
Reliable help ter weak and nervous sufferers. I 
Chronic, painful and prostrating diseases cured 
■without medicine. Pulvermacher’s Electric Belts 
the grand desideratum. Avoid Imitations. Book 
and Journal, with partlculai-g, mailed free. Ad- i 
dress Puivekuacheb Galvanic Co., Cincinnati, I 
DEC. IS 
