THE RURAL WEW-Y 
APRIL SO 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Making CaponB. 
Chan. Bennington , Otsego Go., K. T., inquires 
how capons are made. 
Ans.— Tho beat birds for capons, are the large 
breeds, Asiatics or Dorkings. They should be 
two to three months old. Before the operation 
they should be deprived of food for from twenty- 
four to forty eight hours, so as not to have their 
bowelB distended. There are instruments made 
for the operation, which can bo purchased in 
most cities. 
The bird to be operated on, must bo fastened 
down on his left side to a board or bench through g 
an auger hole; the wings should be drawn to r 
gether over his back and well scoured; the legs g 
drawn backward the upper one drawn out c 
furthest and secured. Tho feathers must be f 
plucked from the right, or upper side, near the 
hip joint, on a line with and between the joint £ 
of the shoulder. The space uncovered should be t 
about one and a-half inch in diameter on an or- ( 
dinary-sized bird. Draw the skin of the part ^ 
backward so that when the operation is finished ^ 
the skin slides back to its natnral position and ( 
covers the wound in tho flesh, and does not, when ^ 
neatly done, require sewing. Make an incision } 
with a fin e sharp penknife (or proper inBtru- 
meut is best), between the last rib and hip, com- ( 
mencing about an inch from the back-bone; ^ 
extend it obliquely downward, from an inch to , 
an inch and a half, just cutting deep enough to ( 
separate the flesh; take great care not to wound 
the intestines. The wound must be kept open 
with an instrument with a spring, called a re¬ 
tractor, or with something answering the same 
purpose, stretohiug it wide enough to afford 
room for the work. Then, carefully cut the 
membrane covering the intestines which, if not 
sufficiently drawn up, may be pushed towards 
the breast-bone lightLy by a spoon-shaped in¬ 
strument, or tho handle of a teaspoon. The 
organs to he removed are readily ri cognized—a 
small reddish-yellow cylinder attached to the 
spine on each side, covered with a fine mem¬ 
brane or skin which must first he removed with 
forceps and a fine hook to draw it away. With 
the left hand introduce the bowl of a spoon (an 
instrument is made for the purpose) under the 
lower or left testicle, which is generally a little 
nearer to tho rump than tho right one. Then 
take tho instrument called a cannula, which is a 
hollow tube with a horse hair passed through it 
forming at the end a loop which can be tightened 
by pulling on the two ends of the hair at the 
other end of the tube, l’asa this loop around 
the testicle with the help of something to plaoe 
it in position, the cannula has a hook for this 
purpose, so as to bring the loop to act upon the 
parts which connect the organ to the back. 
Then by drawing tho ends of the hair-loop back¬ 
ward and forward, and at the same time pushing 
the lower end of tho tube or caunula, towards the 
r um p of the fowl, the cord or fastening of the 
organ is severed. A similar process is then to 
be repeated with the uppermost or right testicle, 
after which any remains of the organs together 
with the blood around the wound or it the bot¬ 
tom must be removed with the spoon. The rea¬ 
son for operating on the left or lower organ first 
is to prevent the blood from covering the lower 
one if left last. When the operation is per¬ 
formed, which if skillfully done occupies but a 
few miuutee, the retractor is taken out, the skin 
drawn over the wound, which if it was drawn on 
one ride before cutting (as mentioned above), 
will conueot at a place not exaotly opposite the 
wound in the flesh, thereby covering the flesh 
wound. If skillfully done it requires no sewing. 
The old l rencli system was to operate on each 
side of the fowl, but the system here described 
iB considered an improvement on the antiquated 
Gallic method. 
Salt as a Fertilizer, 
8. P., Center Village, Broome Co., N. V., 
having seen salt recommended as a fertilizer, 
inquires what quantity should be used and on 
what kind of soil and crops would its effects be 
benefioial. 
Ans.—T he uses of salt in agriculture are far 
more frequently discussed than they are under¬ 
stood. It is chiefly valuable for the very large 
proportion of soda contained in it, and this gen¬ 
erally exists in the soil in considerable quantity. 
Its action may be beneficial, jb often the reverse 
and not seldom neutral. For purposes of pro¬ 
moting vegetation it has been found specially 
useful in inland districts, because to a conside¬ 
rable distance from the sea, rain always brings 
down an appreciable quantity of salt, amounting 
near the seaboard, in an annual ramfall of 31 
inches, to a deposit of 641 pounds of salt to the 
acre, according to the calculations of Dr. Mab- 
den. Numerous experiments in Europe go to 
prove that its application has produced a con¬ 
siderable increase in the yield of wheat, barley 
and oats besides strengthening and brightening 1 
the straw. Prof. Way Btates that ammonia- l 
silicate is much more soluble in a solution of i 
common salt than in pure water, and as the 
silica in cereals is probably largely derived from 1 
this source, and the ammonia is also thus 
liberated, the action of salt on these crops is 
readily intelligible. From 10 to 20 bushels to 
the acre have been applied benefioially to them, 
experience determining the exact quantity that 
produces the best results on each kind of soil. 
Experiments have also shown that lime slaked 
with a strong solution of brine, iB superior as a 
fertilizer to ordinary slaked lime, with or with¬ 
out a separate application of salt. 
The use of salt for root crops is also recom- 
meudod, and since, on analysis, turnips contain 
2 pounds of salt to the ton and mangolds 6}-£ 
pounds, the reason why they are benefited by a 
saline application is apparent. Experiments 
made by Dr. Voelcker show that while weak 
solutions of salt benefit cabbages, field-beans, 
onions, lentils, annual meadow-grass, radishes, 
and several noxious plants experimented on, ap¬ 
plications progressively stronger had an injuri¬ 
ous effect in the following order: A salt solu¬ 
tion containing -48 grains to the pint was preju¬ 
dicial in a month to lentils, ohiekweed, ground¬ 
sel and annual meadow-grass. A solution con¬ 
taining 96 grains to tho pint, was injurious 
to cabbages and field peas. A solution of 192 
grains to the pint was prejudicial to onions, and 
nearly fatal to cabbages. A solution of 24 
grains to the pint decidedly benefited radishes, 
onions, lentils and cabbages. Grasses were more 
readily affected by salt than any plants he exper¬ 
imented upon. Bulbous plants and those with 
succulent leaves were especially benefited by the 
application of Balt. 
Berthollet says that in a calcareous soil salt 
is decomposed by the carbonate of lime the soil 
contains, and that by a double decomposition 
carbonate of soda and chloride of oaloium are 
formed. Now, carbonate of soda dissolves silioa 
so as to supply it to the plant in a readily avail¬ 
able form, and is also a solvent of phosphoric 
acid, organic acids, eto., and may therefore ex¬ 
ercise a beneficial effect by carrying these con¬ 
stituents into the vegetable organism. Experi¬ 
ence with salt as a fertilizer is not yet sufficient¬ 
ly large to determine on what kinds of land it 
will produce the best effects; but where it is 
neutral or injurious to tho cropB above enume¬ 
rated, observation has shown the following con¬ 
ditions : The soil has been supplied with suffi¬ 
cient salt from the sea or local deposits; the 
land is naturally‘poor and ill manured, »n*>f hen 
the application of salt will do little to raise its 
fertility ; salt is given to stock pastured on the 
land or whose manure goes on it, so that it re¬ 
ceived an ample sufficiency from the supply nec¬ 
essarily contained in the voidings of the animals. 
The whole question of the effects of Balt on 
soils and orops needs more study before an accu¬ 
rate opinion can be formed on the matter. Every 
farmer who uses the article in this way and care¬ 
fully notices the result, is an expei i menter w hose 
knowledge, if properly made known to the pub¬ 
lic, would contribute often very beneficially to¬ 
wards the general fund of practical agricultural 
1 information. 
less lean in proportion to tho fat. The wool 
from the Leicesters formerly made a little more 
per pound, being of very fiue quality. 
3. If Norway SpruooB are planted for a wind¬ 
break or soreen in a single row, eight feet apart is 
about the proper distance. If room can be af¬ 
forded, two or more rows are better, and then 
the trees should be set in each row opposite the 
spaces between those in the next, and at a dis¬ 
tance of, say five feet from the center of the 
space. The actual distfiuco then between tho 
trees will be the hypothenuse of a triangle the 
other ends of which are five and four feet. 
grain is fed ground usually, but we know no 
reason why it should not he used like oats or 
barley. _ 
Communications received for the week kndino 
Satprdat, ATOL, 13th. 
B H.-A. L. J.-C. M.- M. V. S.—“ Jim Crow”- 
II. U., No. 2.- S. A. L. - “ Wild Cherry”—M. E. S. 
- F. D. C.—L. K. — W. J. F. — M. Q. R. — L. R. — 
“Clinton”—M. G. B.—S. W. M.—M, O.—T. B. M. 
M. M. W.— A. G. L.—J. S. — E. W. S.—W. M.N.— 
« Giantess”— WV II. W.—T. B. M.—L. S. M. M, S. 
R. A. — C. E. R. — “ Connecticut” — T. T. L.— 
A. O. G.—C.—S. R. & CO.—M. 1.—J. F. 
Dry Yards: Leicester and Cotswold Sheep: Nor- 
way Spruce "Wind-Breaks, 
IV. H., Iona, Mich., wants (1.) a plan for keep¬ 
ing his yard dryer, as it is now a mass of mud 
except where well littered. Building on north 
side of rood; yard open to, aud facing the south, 
inclosed on three sides; land slopes one foot in 
sixty ; soil clay; plenty of small stones at hand, 
and of sand about a mile away ; till obtainable 
for drainage; but he is very properly anxious to 
retain all the liquid manure he can. 2. He ask* 
what is the difference between Leicester and 
Cotswold sheep, aud in their wool. 8. He like¬ 
wise wants to learn at what distance apart Nor¬ 
way Spruce should bo planted for a wind-break, 
and how many rows iu width. 
Ans.— 1. The yard should slope the opposite 
way and the buildings should have spouts to 
carry all rain water into cisterns or right-away. 
Waste water or any little streams r unn i n g from 
the road or from any direction and finding their 
way into the yard should be caref ally diverted 
from that direction. Tho small stones would be 
just the thing and might be put thick enough to 
thoroughly prevent any mud in future. In Eng¬ 
land wherever stones can be had they are broken 
small and put two feet thick and, in this instance, 
if door-ways will allow, the stones could be put so 
thick on the present lowest part of the yard as to 
make it the highest. It is a great injury to the 
manure to have so much moisture. Don't spare 
tho stones aud they will be sure to pack without 
sand. 
2. The Cotswold sheep have wool on the top of 
the head, quite a bunch, aud they have more on 
the legs. The wool is rather coarser and the 
fleeces heavier. The weight of the Cotswold iB 
greater at a year old by at least 30 pounds, and 
before dashes of Cotswold blood were given to 
the Leicesters there was a greater difference. 
The Leicesters will fatten very quick but there is 
Gas Lime and Barn-yard Manure. 
Waller Severly, Vernango Co., Pa., inquires 
1. What is the comparative value of gas 
lime as a fertilizer, on what kind of soil and iu 
what quantity should it be used. In his section 
stable manure costs 50 ceuts per load at a plaoe 
from which four loads can be hauled in a day ; 
and gas lime $1.50 per load, at a point whence 
only three loads can be drawn daily to his farm: 
Which should be taken ? 
Ans.—I n view of the relative prices of gas 
lime and barn-yard manure, here given, the 
greater ease in hauling the latter, its suitability 
to all kinds of crops and the safety with whiob 
it may be everywhere employed, it has in our 
opinion a very decided advantage over gas lime 
at the figure quoted. The latter has, in reality, 
but comparatively little fertilizing value, re¬ 
quires time to fit it for application to any crop ex¬ 
cept to one of weeds, aud, apart from this 
exception, should always be used with caution. 
When fresh, it is a mixture chiefly of sulpherot 
of calcium with carbonate of lime and a varia¬ 
ble quantity of caustic lime, and iu this condi¬ 
tion its application to plants would he disas¬ 
trous. By exposure to the air for three or four 
months during which it should now and then be 
turned over, the poisonous sulphuret of calcium 
absorbs atmospheric oxygon, and is converted 
into a oheap sort of gypsum. Spread upon 
mowing or pasture laud at the rate of three 
tons to the acre, it would have a good effect on 
the subsequent crop ; and its influence, properly 
weathered, would be beneficial wherever an ap¬ 
plication of gypsum would produce good results. 
It should be used in moderate quantity and 
with caution, as an application of eight tons 
to an acre, has been known to entirely destroy 
vegetatiou. 
Broody Hens—Food for Chicks. 
A Subscriber, Lincoln, Loudoun Co. Fa., has 
tvro Cochin hens from whioh he would like to 
raise as many chicks as possible, and therefore 
inquires whether when they beoome broody, it 
would be advisable to break them up so aB to 
induce them to lay again. He also asks, what Is 
the best feed for very young ohicks and whether 
broom-corn Becd is good. 
Ans.—Y ou oan sometimes break up the Bitting 
fever of your hens, by putting them iu an empty 
coop on the ground without nest or food, which 
oan be repeated as often as they are inclined to 
sit. By bo doing you oan get more eggs from your 
two heiiB—many breeders do this. The best 1 ood 
for young chicks is variety, as oatmeal, cracked 
corn, buckwheat, wheat and rice slightly boiled. 
Boiled egg is good for them when first hatched 
for a few days as is paste made of the corn meal, 
oat meal or wheat meal. As Boon as ohicks 
oan eat broom-corn seed it is good. 
Bono Dust and Barn-yard Manure. 
J. IF. S inquires whether it would be ad¬ 
visable to uso bone dust as a compost with barn¬ 
yard manure. 
Anb.—Y es. Many excellent farmers consider 
such a method of employing bone dust seooud 
to none, and in our own experience it ha6 
proved highly satisfactory, iu piling iu tho 
spring, place a layer of manure, say eight iuohes 
thick, for a foundation, then ft sprinkling of 
bone dust, say at the rate of a bushel to what 
will make a ton of manure, and oontinue these 
alternate layers uutil tho heap is finished. 
Turn it over in August and after the winter 
wheat has been gathered in, the compost will be 
in prime condition to be applied to grass land. 
It is an excellent application to permanent 
pasture or for meadow laud intended to be 
broken up for corn the following spring. 
Feeding Sorghum to Horses. 
E. H. Field, Kansas, asks how Sorghum 
should be fed to horses. 
Ans.—T ho seed is sow as soon as the ground 
is warm—best in drills, and encouraged by some 
cultivation, especially in weedy laud. The green 
crop may be cat and fed as soon as it attains a 
snitablo bight, and is as acceptable to stabled 
horses as it is to cows, but it must not be fed so 
freely as to produco laxity of the bowels. When 
folly grown and before tho seed formB, the 
stalk becomes quite sweet, and it is then fit to 
cut for caring like corn fodder—thoroughly 
wilted, bound in bundles, set up in BtookB whioh 
are bound at the top like corn stocks to protect 
them from the weather. Thus drying, when 
cured it may be fed freely to horseB or cattle, 
best, of course, with hay and other feed. The 
®j]t J$luillF§iTir. 
MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG FIGS. 
PROFESSOR E. W. STEWART. 
Thf. science of feeding animals is boooming 
much bettor understood, and the best feeders 
are fast changing their ideas of the proper 
management of young animals. It is not long 
since pig feeders thought a slow, early growth 
the best for tho constitution, and even the pro¬ 
fit of the feeder. This was carried to such an 
extent that pigs were not ready for market till 
18 to 24 months old; and it was thought de¬ 
sirable to reach a weight of 400 to 600 pounds. 
The storing system, or suspended growth, was 
almost universal. Figs were kept over winter 
with little if auy increase in weight The feeders 
did not seem, to discover that this food given to 
b tore animals was even worse than lost, for the 
animals took on an nnthnfty habit, contracted 
their powers of digestion, and required, iu 
spring, nearly a month of good feeding to re¬ 
cover from this penurious winter feeding. A 
thrifty animal, with good management, pro¬ 
gresses without check from its first to its last 
day. When a little attention was given to tho 
matter, it became evident that the profit of 
growing meat was to be found iu pushing the 
young animal as rapidly as poBBible, that it coBt 
the least to produce a pound growth in the 
earliest period of life, and this cost in food grew 
proportionately greater as the animal increased in 
age and size. This, thou, is the great fact under¬ 
lying all successful feeding of young animals. 
The pig is, perhaps - , the best exemplification of 
this law, at least more experiments have been 
noted in feeding pigs than calves. 
Experiments were tried iu 1866-68, at the 
Michigan Agricultural College Farm. In the 
first, three, and in the last, six pigs were fed 
upon milk. The pigs were from 4 to 6 weeks 
old at the commencement of the experiment. 
The average amount of milk required to produce 
a pound live weight, was : first week, 6.76 lbs. j 
second week, 7 75 lbs.; third week, 12.28 lbs.; 
fourth week, 10.42 lbs. Prof. Miles sayB the 
cause of its requiring a greater amount of food 
the third week is explained by a “ derange¬ 
ment of the digestive organs during this week, 
as shown in a tendency to constipation.” He 
oalls attention to the fact that “ the milk to pro¬ 
duce a pound live weight constantly increases." 
After endiug the experiment in 1868 on milk, 
he continued it upon com meal. Pigs and food 
were weighed as before, and the feeding con- 
tiued 20 weeks, divided into five periods of four 
weeks each. Amount of com meal required for 
a pound live weight was: first period, 3.81 lbs; 
second. 4.05 lbs.; third, 4.22 lbs.; fourth, 5.24 
lbs. ; fifth period, 5.98 lbs. Another experi¬ 
ment was tried in I860 with a larger number of 
pigs, with nearly the same result, in regard to 
amount of moaf required to make a pound of 
live weight, and showing, practicatly, the same 
increase in the food required to make each 
additional pound live woigut as tho pigs grew 
older or heavier. ... 
The point here illustrated is of the highest 
importance aud should be carefully studied. It 
1 will be seen that in the fifth period, when the 
pigs were from 24 to 28 weeks old, it took 75 
per cent, more of meal to put on a pound live 
, weight, than in the first period, when the pigs 
were 8 to 12 weeks old. In 1874 the writer 
tried a similar experiment with ten calves upon 
Blum-milk running through 12 weeks, in which 
■ the mi lk constantly increased from 11.02 lbs. 
the first week to 17.01 the last week, 
i That most pains-taking experimenter, J. B. 
Lawes, or Rothamsted, England, has also set- 
5 tied this question In the same way proving con¬ 
clusively that all profitable feeding of animals 
for human food must be made before the ani¬ 
mal reaches maturity. . , 
i These fonts aU point to the importance of 
feeding the young pigs in the most liberal man- 
nor. Homo broodors thiuk it Quite flUOiciont to 
* stint tho pig to tho milk of the dam, and thus 
a seldom givo any extra food to even a litter of 
1 ten pigs. But snch breeders have not estimated 
tho amount of food required to feeds thrifty 
, litter of eight pigs. Pigs, at birth, seldom weigh 
1 more than t hree pounds each, and when four 
3 weeks old, should weigh 15 to 18 lbs. each and 
i must therefor© gain 12 to 15 pounds eaca 
., which is an aggregate gain of say, 
This requires the bow to yield milk enougu, 
3 each day. to produce a growth of four P 0Q “ (1 ^ 
y live weight; and tho production of milk by trie 
i bow, weighing, say 800 lbs, equal to that of a 
. oow weighing 800 to 1000 pounds. How im- 
1 portaut then, that the pigs should be taught 
1 to eat other food very early. This subject wm 
, be oontinuod. 
b Erie Co., N. Y. 
