ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Will Mrs. Kate S. Burr please send her ad¬ 
dress to the Literary Editor, at this office ? 
Mrs. M. E. lioardman.—Ny house plants are 
dying, and I find the dirt in the pots infested 
with worms, the product of a small fly. Can 
you tell me the cause and remedy ? 
A> s .—See the floricultural article by Mr. Wil¬ 
liam Ealconer last week. 
O. if. 0., Beloit, 117s,—Will the Rubai, please 
tell me what it thinks of Edwin Alden’s Adver¬ 
tising Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio? The said Alden 
sent me catalogue of the principal American 
newspapers, and claims that he inserts adver¬ 
tisements in any paper in the United States at 
publishers’ lowest rates. 
Ans.—O ur transactions with Mr. Alden have 
extended over a term of years, and we have al¬ 
ways found him to bo exact-, trustworthy, and 
obliging. 
Subscriber.— If Bussell & Co., jewelers, No. 
37 Bond St., are not a good house, they are try¬ 
ing to swindle a great many people. 
Ans. —It is not too much to say that if these 
fellows practice any of them swindling methods 
on readers of the Rural Xew-Yorkkb, it will 
not be because of lack of ample warning on our 
part. We have on three occasions, given a his¬ 
tory of this firm, and we can only repeat, that 
they should be rigorously shunned. 
T. H. 8., Va —Will the Rural please tell me 
(1) Where I can get Chufas for seed ? I wish 
to give them a trial. (2) Also peas, to be plowed 
under in the fall. (3) Which is the best turnips 
for stock? 
Ans.—( 1 and 2). Prom R. H. Allen & Co. of 
this city, Whitman & Son, l’ratt St., Baltimore, 
or through any dealer in agricultural seeds and 
implements in the next town to you. (3). The 
Swedish turnip or ruta baga, containing less 
moisture than the other varieties, is more nu¬ 
tritious, but is better for fattening than for pro¬ 
ducing milk. In England, twenty tons of swedes 
are considered equal in nutritions value to t wen¬ 
ty-five tons of the common yellow sort, or thirty 
tons of the white variety. On the whole, there 
is no doubt but this is the best turnip for stock. 
Bleaching Broom Corn. 
A. 8. n .—llow is broom corn bleached ? Is 
it done before or after the broom is made ? How 
am I to ascertain what quantity to take to make 
it look right ? 
Ans.—B room corn is bleached after it has been 
properly dried, but before the brooms are made. 
It is only necessary to bleach the wrappers. In 
a small way, this can be done iu a hogshead or a 
dry-goods box, capable of holding, say, enough 
for forty brooms. Perforate a few holes in the 
bottom, place it over a depression in the earth 
containing an iron basin in which is half a pound 
of sulphur for each bleaching. This can be 
readily melted by the application of a hot iron or 
otherwise. The corn should be wet before 
bleaching, and spread out or hung up so as to 
expose a largo surface, aud the receptacle should 
he covered with a piece of old carpet, to confine 
the fumes of the burning sulphur. 
Remedies for Lice on Cattle. 
P. , Waym Co., Pa —Will the Rural please 
inform me of some safe and effectual method for 
destroying lice on cattle ? 
Ans. —Lice on cattle are the result, in nearly 
every case, of a low condition brought on by 
insufficient food, aud the surest remedy, there¬ 
fore, is to keep the animal well fed, for no ap¬ 
plication will long protect an emaciated beast. 
Mercurial ointments, generally recommended as 
a remedy, are daugoroua, aud should bo avoided 
by all except those who are very careful. The 
best method of destroying the vermin is by rub¬ 
bing their hides well with an ointment composed 
of cayenne pepper or Scotch snuff, mixed with 
hog’s lard, or any kind of oil, or soft grease. 
Carbolic acid soaps and compounds are also very 
safe and effective remedies for these pests and 
other animal parasites. 
What a Creamery is. 
A Novice.— Will the Rural please tell me 
what is meant by a creamery ? 
Ans. — A creamery, in the usual acceptation of 
the word, is an institution to which the farmers 
of any neighborhood send their milk to be man¬ 
ufactured into butter, just as others send theirs 
to cheese factories, to be made into cheese. It is 
owned either by one person who manufactures 
the product for a stipulated, consideration, or by 
an association of the patrons who appoint a 
manager or superintendent to conduct its busi¬ 
ness. The milk is brought either once or twice 
a day. Some creameries also make skim cheese, 
while others feed the skim milk and buttermilk 
to calves and swine. In the former case, it 
makes little difference whether the milk is 
brought once or twice a day, as any loss of but¬ 
ter resulting from the delay is compensated for 
by the extra richness of the skimmed milk, and 
consequently of the cheese manufactured there¬ 
from ; in the latter case, however, it is usually 
considered advisable that the milk should be 
brought every morning aud evening to insure 
the greatest possible amount of butter. 
communications received for the week ending 
Saturday Jan.7tu. 
M. R. B.—A. C. W.—J. II.—J. B. L.—F. W. T.— 
W. J. I<\—Q. G.—S. B.—Clinton.—T. G. L.—E. M, 
S. —F. J., we will try to do so.—“ Ermeugarde."— 
I. P. R.-L. K.—J. W. L.—F. E. W.-A. L. J.— 
“ Seymour.”—“ A Rural Reader.”—J. A. A.—C. H. 
T. —K. 8. B.—T. T. L. thanks.—G. G.—T. B. M.— 
M. B. P.—J. W. K.—A. M.— M. B. B.—L. D. W.-J. 
he R. N.—B. P. M., thanks—L. It. It.—S. B. P.— 
N. R. 
Ildus of tk twitch. 
CONDENSED NEW YORK TELEGRAMS. 
Tuesday, January 1st., 1878. — The President’s 
silver wedding was celebrated yesterday. So 
was Mrs. Hayes’! An embargo ot mud out West, 
roads impassible exeept on horseback. 
The Czarowleh will remain iu Bulgaria, with 
Todleben in actual chief command. Russia, whtle 
ready to listen to direct proposals for peace, 
doesn’t think an intermediary necessary. Theie 
are 25,000 sick Russians In Bulgaria. 
England has gone to war with the Caffres In 
southern Africa. There Is much danger that the 
trouble will spread—perhaps as far as Russia. 
Spain has broken off all relations with the late 
queen who will never be allowed to return to 
that country, cause—her recent advances to Don 
Carlos, 
Wednesday, Jan. 2 .—The two Houses of the 
New York Legislature organized yesterday — 
Hosted, Speaker ; Vrooman, Clerk. Strong oppo¬ 
sition manifested to resumption of specie pay¬ 
ment ; farmers and lawyers less in number than 
usual; merchants more. 
A junction has been made before Erzeroum ot 
the forces under Gena. Mellkoff and Tergukassoff, 
Russian officers In Bulgaria have orders to re¬ 
ceive proposals for an armistice If sent in direct 
by the Turks. More engines, bridges and cannon 
ordered by Russia from Germany. Gambetta has 
gone to Rome to hold consultation with the Ital¬ 
ian Government. 
Thursday January 3.—Two tons ot nitro-glycer- 
lne exploded at Neegaunee, Mich., while being 
loaded on a railroad car. Loss seven lives aud 
$2,000. Ex-Governor Bullock of Ga-is on trlarwi ■ 
Atlanta on charge of being a cheat, a swindler 
and a felon. It Is supposed that there are some 
millions belonging to the late Confederacy depos¬ 
ited in the Bank of England, and Uncle Samuel is 
“after them.” 
The English vice-consul in Crete has been at¬ 
tacked by a fanatical Turkish mob, and there Is 
talk of England seizing upon the island. A Rus¬ 
sian force has crossed the Balkans at Ktropol 
Pass. .Suleiman Pasha has fixed his headquarters 
at Ielitiinan, so as to bar all advance from the 
direction of Sofia. It Is probable that Turkey 
will soon open direct negotiations for peace with 
Russia. After two cabinet councils the English 
ministry have resolved to Insist on a voice In the 
settlement of the terms for peace. The British 
peace party are unusually active. The brave 
Roumanians are uneasy at the rumor that Rus¬ 
sia will reclaim a strip of Bessarabea she was 
forced to cede at the close of the Crimeau war. 
The King cf Italy speaks forcibly on the necessi¬ 
ty of having the army iu good trim In view of 
possible complications. 
Friday, Jan. 4.—it Is probable that some ami¬ 
cable arrangement will be made to heal the Bpllt 
In the Republican party. Several swlndll ng bank 
directors have been Indicted at Hart,ford, Cenn. 
Mouktar Pasha has arrived at Constantinople, 
Gen. Gourkha fought a severe battle at Tashesan 
on the 3lst., losing 700 men, but forcing the Turks 
to retreat. He Is following them closely to Sofia. 
Several other unimportant engagements. 
Saturday, January 5 .—There has been a severe 
storm, several shipwrecks and loss of life along 
the N ew England coast. The President says that 
on the whole he Is quite content with the results 
of his policy, and will make no change In his ad¬ 
ministration. Collector Slade of El Paso reports 
thst the San Elizarlo troubles were nearly alto¬ 
gether due to the conduct of Howard & Co. 
Only 40,000 Turks have retreated across the Bal¬ 
kans ; 70,060 more remain distributed among the 
fortresses of the quadrilateral. They will not at¬ 
tempt to defend Sofia. Erzeroum is now fully In¬ 
vested. Russia talks soothingly to England, In¬ 
vites a frank talk about difficulties, but declines 
mediation. England insists that she shall have 
a voice in settling the terms of peace. On this 
all the English Ministers are In full accord. 
Greece, too,looking to an acquisition of territory 
claims a voice in the settlement; but Turkey pro¬ 
tests. Several Fenians have been^released from 
prison. There Is talk of holding the Conclave for 
the election of a new Pope at Malta, on the death 
of Plus IX. 
Sunday, Jan. 6,—Chandler’s charge against the 
President will probably be investigated. There 
Is trouble between Diaz aud our minister, Foster. 
• Great destruction of property along the coast. 
■ Russian reinforcements aro constantly crossing 
s the Danube, as if intended to oppose English 
- forces In case of war, or else beselge the quadri¬ 
lateral, Rustchuk, Silestrla, Shumla andRasgrad. 
Talk about peace. Gambetta’s paper in Paris 
demands the removal of the present corps com¬ 
manders of the army on the plea that, they were 
unfavorable to the republic during the recent, 
crisis. There Is likely to be war between China 
and Slain. 
Monday, Jan. 7.—The entrance of the Kllan- 
gowan Colliery, midway between Mahauoy city 
and Shenandoah, Pa., has been destroyed by fire, 
loss nearly $100,000, and compulsory idleness for 
about 800 hands. Pros. Hayes will make no more 
nominations lor Custom-house officers at this 
city ; so ends that fight between him and the Re¬ 
publican leaders. Commissioner Hoyt proposes 
to organize the best men among the Indians Into 
a police force. 
Gen. Radetskyls reported to have crossed the 
Balkans through the Shlpka Pass, the Turks hav¬ 
ing previously abandoned their positions tUrough 
extreme cold, Sofia was occupied on the 3d Inst, 
by the Russians who only lost 30 men In a pre¬ 
liminary skirmish. Gen. Gourkha has had some 
fierce fighting at Bogrov, south of the Balkans. 
Turks repulsed leaving l.oou dead. Muscovite 
loss 200 . Both armies, but especially the Turks, 
are suffering terribly from cold, which Is killing 
large numbers on both sides. France has been 
assured by England that she has no designs upon 
Egypt. The latter country has sent 5,000 more 
troops to Constantinople. Russia insists that, 
Turkey must apply to her direct lor terms or ar¬ 
mistice or peace. The Turkish cabinet, are ut 
loggerheads; and the Grand vizier threatens lo 
resign. Germany and Austria have vetoed the 
opening of the Dardanelles to Russia only, hence 
the latter has abandoned the Idea altogether. 
The king of Italy Is dangerously sick. Gen. Grant 
is In Egypt. 
-- 
HOME NEWS PARAGRAPHS. 
In Waco, Tex,, pecans sell at $2 per bushel. , 
The total State debt of Alabama Is $9,705,676, 1 
and the Interest Is over $264, 000 . 
“The Northwestern Traveling Men’s Associa¬ 
tion ” has 1051 members. 
Nebraska raised the past year 25,500,000 bushels 
of corn and no.ooo hogs. 
Song ot the apiarist: “ Let It ever so humble- 
bee there Is no place like home.” 
An earthquake made Its very unwelcome New 
Year’s call on Virginia on the 2d Inst. 
The yield of gold and sliver In the States and 
Territories during the year 1S77 was $96, 500 , 000 . 
Kentucky boasts another mammoth cave as big 
as the one already famous. It Is In Wythe 
County. 
This Is the age of mire in the prairie regions of 
•the West. But then mirages are not uncommon 
In that section. 
Great Britain produces annually 160,000,000 
pounds of wool, besides Importing 360,903,270 
pounds In addition. 
Garland, Colorado, must be a nice, quiet town. 
It rang out the old year with four murders and 
rang in the new with one. 
New York has paid off her entire bounty debt, 
amounting to $13,270,337.47, over ten millions of 
which were paid the past year. 
The deaths In this city last year numbered 
36,194. against 29,152 in the previous year. The 
returns show only 25,569 births. 
North Carolina contains 1,025 distilleries, the 
largest of any State In the Union. Kentucky 
comes next with 754 distilleries. 
The number of cattle In Great Britain has fallen 
off from 10,291,000 In 1874 to 9,734,000, and that ot 
sheep from 34,822,000 to 32 , 220 , 000 . 
A Chicago man who attempted to eat forty 
quail in forty days, quailed on the sixteenth day 
and acknowledged himself a goose. 
The champion corn sliucker this time Is from 
Dodge County, Nebraska, 2.300 bushels; time 
thirty-three days, and his name is William Dale. 
The seventh annual meeting of the Wisconsin 
Dairymen’s Association will be held at White- 
water on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 23 and 
24th. 
It required nearly 15,Qoo pounds of poultry and 
5,000 pounds ot oysters to feed the Inmates of the 
public institutions ot New York City on Christ¬ 
mas day. 
A Maryland peach-grower Is said to have 
shipped twenty barrels of peach kernels to Day- 
ton, Ohio, recently, to be used tor “chemical 
purposes.” 
The German Savings Bank of Lafayette. Ind„ 
was one of the institutions that did not receive 
on New Year’s Day. It Is gone, but, unfortunate¬ 
ly, not forgotten. 
The highest price ever paid for a thorough¬ 
bred yearling Is $30,000, Lord Lonsdale having re¬ 
cently given that sum for a brother to Doncaster, 
the Derby winner of 1676. 
The gifts to our Government of articles from 
tne Centennial Exhibition are estimated to be 
worth $1,000,000, and Congress la asked to provide 
a new building for their display. 
Egypt has 705 non-navlgable canals used solely 
for irrigation, and sixty-two canals used both for 
Irrigation and traffic. Of these canals over 100 
have been opened during the reign of the Khe- 
u ivo. 
They nave got a cotton compress In Texaricana 
that reduces a bale of cotton weighing four hun¬ 
dred and forty pounds, to a cubic foot in space. 
The pressure is two thousand pounds. 
The New York Assembly of 1878 will contain 89 
farmers, 24 lawyers, seven clerks, five journal¬ 
ists, four physicians, and an aggregate of 34 mer¬ 
chants, mechanics and business men, and 15 un¬ 
classified. 
The imports of Great Britain for the first eleven 
months of 1877 show an Increase of £16,750,000, or 
4.9 per centum over tUose of the same period In 
1876, while ter exports show a decrease of £2,635,- 
000 , or 1.4 per centum. 
During December 145 new publications were 
started, of which 101 were weeklies aud 29 month¬ 
lies. During the same period the suspension of 51 
publications was reported, 40 of them being week¬ 
lies. The new dallies number 13. 
A steamer plying between San Francisco and 
Stockton keeps an eccentric and useful sheep on 
board. The sheep Is trained to go out on a gang- 
plauk at a lauding when a flock is to he loaded, 
to show that the approach Is safe, and to act as a 
pilot. 
The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics furnishes 
the following statement'The United States ex¬ 
ported in 1790, 144,734 pounds cheese; inisoo, 913,- 
843; in 1830, 688,241 ; In 1840, 723,217 ; In 1850, 13,- 
020,817; In I860, 15,515,799; In 1670, 67,296,327; In 
1S76, 97,676,204, while In 1877, the total up to a 
date lu December was 107,361,G66 pounds. The 
total amount of cheese exported from this coun¬ 
try from 1790 to 1877, both Inclusive, was 1,262,- 
952,571 pounds, or over 630 ,000 tons. 
-- 
FOREIGN NOTES. 
France has had ninety-four cabinet ministers 
since 1870. 
"in Great Britain there are 316 packs of hounds, 
or about 16,000 dogs In all. 
Two Breweries,Bass’s and AUsop’s,tn Burton-on- 
Trent, England, consume as much water dally as 
would supply a towu of 45,000 Inhabitants. 
A Parliamentary document exhibits the fact 
ot an increase In tho exportation of literature. 
This year the quantity was 77,623 cwts., and the 
value £826,966, against £799,435 last year. 
m Dublin, Ireland, market last month, butter 
sold as followsFirsts at twenty-eight cents per 
pound; seconds,twenty-six; thirds, twenty-four; 
fourths, twenty-two; Inferior, eighteen to twen¬ 
ty-one. 
Japan has 3,091 post offices, which distributed 
last, year 24 , 000,000 letters and postal-cards and 
5,000,000 papers. Postal-cards, stamped wrappers, 
I money orders and savings banks are all Included 
In the system. 
Cooking by means of solar rays has been tried 
successlully at Bombay, India, and an apparatus 
has been contrived to cook chops aud steaks in 
t he open air as well and expeditiously as over an 
ordinary fire. 
With regard to swine tho United States head 
the roll of all nations with 071 per thousand ot 
the population, followed by Spain Denmark, 
Austro-Uungary, Portugal, Germany, France, 
Russia, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway and 
Greece, In the order named. 
An official document has been Issued In En¬ 
gland, showing an Increase in the value of beer 
and ale exported this year compared with the 
preceding year. The value last year was £1,743,- 
228, and this year £1,750,914. Australia took 
£453,664 worth of beer and ale. 
Tho number of goats lu Norway In 1S75 was 
323,864 or 179 per t housand inhabitants, as against 
913 per thousand of the population In Greece, 279 
in Spain, 233 In Portugal, 148 In Switzerland, 63 
In Italy, 67 in Germany, 50 In France, 43 In Austro- 
Hungary, 27 In Sweden, and 8 in Great Britain. 
The number of horses In Norway In 1875 was 
151,903. There are consequently but 64 horses to 
every thousand inhabitants as against 227 in the 
United States, 235 In Russia, 176 In Denmark, 103 
lu Sweden, 98 lu Austro-Uungary, 83 lu Great 
Britain and Ireland, 82 In Germany, and 76 In 
France. Tho countries on the Mediterranean are 
still lower on the list, owing to their general em¬ 
ployment otmule8, asses, and draught oxen. 
The value ot the grain and flour Imported Into 
Fiance In the first nine months of this year, was 
$26,200,000, as compared with $34,000,000 In the 
corresponding period of 1876. On the other hand, 
the value of the grain and flour exported from 
France, In the first nine months of tills year, was 
$ 20 , 400 , 000 , as compared with $ 10 , 200,000 In the 
corresponding period of 1676. The value of the 
. live stock exported during the same period this 
year was $5,400,M0, as compared with $6,400,000 In 
1870; of eggs, lu nino months of 1877, $6,240,000, as 
against $7,soo,ooo In the corresponding period of 
1876. 
The number of cattle In Norway In 1875 was 
! 1,016,695, being 564 for every t housand of the pop¬ 
ulation, a proportion exceeded only In Denmark 
and in the United States, where It is GS7 and 651 
‘ respectively. Lower lln the scale come Sweden 
• with 482, Holland with 395, Switzerland with 389, 
• Germany with 384, Austro-Hungaiy with 354, 
France with 325, Russia with 315, and Groat 
1 Brltlan with soo cattle per thousand Inhabitants. 
9 Norway had 1,686,806 head or sheep In 1876, The 
a proportion per thousand of the population being 
therefore, 936, while it Is 1,348 in Spain, 1,022 In 
y Denmark, aud 909 In England. Among countries 
r where the proportion Is less than in Norway, 
0 Greece has 818, the United States 8U8, France, 694, 
Portugal 676, Russia 647, Germany 609, Austro- 
Uungary 660, Sweeden 361, and Belgium 112, 
Reliable help tor weak and nervous sufferers. 
Chronic, painful and prostrating diseases cured 
without medicine. Pulvermachex’s Electric Belts 
the grand desideratum. Avoid Imitations. Book 
I 
