J10V. 30 
e 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER. 
St. Joseph, Mich., Nov. 14,1STS. 
We hftvo had splendid weather for fall work 
and onr farmers have improved it. Wo had no 
frost until the end of October. That enow 
storm mentioned some time back by a Rubai. 
correspondent from Jackson, in this State, did 
not reach ua. Wheat wan a light crop. A good 
breadth of it has been sown this fall and it is 
looking well. Corn was an excellent crop and it 
has been mostly secured in good shape. Of 
small fruits we had an abnndanoe, except on low 
ground where the May frosts hurt them. Peaches 
we have discontinued raising for the present 
owing to the Yellows. Appics are abundant, 
but prices range so low that people hardly know 
what to do with them—although they have 
managed to get rid of most of them in some way. 
Gropes havo been a light orop, owing to May 
frosts. m, vr. 
Roselle, N. J., Nov, 24tli, 187S, 
Mil. Makvts wants us to tell about our Grapesi 
so I would say that tho Rogers’s No. 1 and 53 
seem scalded aud the 41 mildewed badly. O:' 
two No. 15 vines, standing side by side, and in 
all re poets eqi tl, ouo failed to ripen well. The 
D,anas rotted an ! the Marthas wete mall. The 
Rubai, does not think much of the Concord, but. 
they do bettor than anything else around here, 
and with them wo are always sure of a crop. 
Some of my pear trees which were apparently 
all right six weeks ago, now show the blight 
badly in the body of the tree. I concur with 
Col. Curtis in hoping that wo have soon the end 
of it for thirty years to come, but this does not 
look very much like a realization of that hope. 
j. n. 
Florence. Benton Co., la., Nov, is. 
We are having spleudid weather, warm and 
bright. The ground has not been frozen any 
this full. Miuy farmers have finished gathering 
corn aud are now plowing. All kinds of crops 
were good except potatoes and wheat. Prices 
are low. wheat, 50o. per bushel; oats, 15 j.; 
oorn, 12%*.; potatoes 2 o 0 .; apples from GOo. to 
75o. Too highest price for hogs is $2 35 
per owt.; butler from 8o. to 12%;>. per lb. 
Either a poor prospect, isn’t it, for farmers 
who axe in debt ? a. t. s. 
Marshalltown, Marshall Co., Ia., Nov. 9th. 
We are having splendid weather here — 
real Indian summer, Binee th* first of this 
month. October was very changeable—very 
hot and very cold. The farmers are now in the 
midst of oorn harvest; tho quality of the grain 
is goud, but the yield is not what appoarauco in¬ 
dicated, as the ears are rather email. Corn now 
sells for 13a; wheat, 30 to ooa; oats, 10c.; bar¬ 
ley, 20 to 30 a; rye, 30a; potatoes, 80s ; butter, 
12 to 15c.; oggs, 15o : hogs, §2 30 to $2.50 per 
cwt j cows ate from $2 50 to $3 50. n. l. o. 
Iola, Allen Co., Kins., Nov. 14,1878. 
It makes mo home-sick to read about luscious 
raspberries aud strawberries in the Rural. The 
native strawberries here have been destroyed by 
fire, aud the only raspberries aud blackberries 
to be seen arc a few that folks have bought. It 
la a due country, nevertheless, for small fruits. 
We have hitherto hail only thren or four light 
frosts this season. e. m s. 
Granvillk, Washington Co., N. Y., Nov. 12. 
The first snow to whiten the ground fell on the 
8-h inst. Wo have been having cold weather for 
a week, but arc hoping for more warm weather 
yet. Fall work ia nearly all done, except that 
now and then there is a little corn to husk. 
Potatoes are selling for 70j. per bushel; corn, 
GOc.; oats, 40a; apples, $lperbbl.; butier, 20a, 
cheese, 8@9o. a. r. t. 
Starke Co., Florida, Nov 11.1S73. 
Is this part of the State crops have been 
almost a failure, especially with newcomers, 
owing principally to the excessive rains, but we 
hope for much batter times the coming season. 
Newcomers are still arriving and settling fast 
all around ns. Last summer was tho wettest 
kn iwn hero in 40 or 50 j ears. d. d. 
Belle Plain, Ia., Nov. 20,1878. 
Wheat hereabouts was a poor orop; only from 
two to fourteen bushels per acre; nearly all 
marketed now for from 45 to 55c. Corn was a 
light crop, yet, sweet and ripe, it is only worth 
16o. II gs tiro worth 2%o., and at that price 
there is plenty of thorn. n. b. 
Herndon, Fairfax Co, va., Nov. 17,1S7S. 
We have had a very fine, warm fall. Crops of 
all kiuds have been good- Corn never has been 
better hereabouts. Onr farmers are improving 
their worn-out lands very fast. 8. k. 
Danvers, McLean Co., Ill., Nov. is, 1S7S. 
Weather very line ; crops moderately good; 
coru veiy solid; produce low; times lather 
hard; money scarce. T ar'o. 
East Hamilton, N. Y., Nov. 15,1S7S. 
I raised 40 bushels por acre of Clawson wheat 
during the past season. s. c. a. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Salt a* a Fertilizer on Sandy Soil. 
D. D. JV., Latdon, Mich., asks, whether an 
application of salt t<* sandy soil would be bene¬ 
ficial. 
Ass.—From long before the Christian Era 
salt has been used as a fertilizer, yet there are 
not many kinds of fertilizers tho precise effects 
of which are still more in dispute. So much de¬ 
pends ou Ibe constituentpf the soils on which 
it is used, and on tho degree of availability as 
plant food of those cions* iuitejits, and also upon 
the crops to bo grown on them, that experi¬ 
ment is the only test at all reliable as regards its 
value iu each case. In many oases it has boon 
found very beneficial, especially upon cereal 
crops, particularly in inland districts, while in 
other cases its action has been neutral or injuri¬ 
ous. On looking over our record of txperi- 
ments in this connection, wo Jiud that Mr. C. 
Johnson found salt to answer extremely well on 
light, gravelly soil at Great Tulin; m, Ea-ex, 
England. The produce of wheat per acre on a 
part of his land that had not been manured for 
four years w as found to be, without salt 17 
bushels, 26 pounds; with 5 bushels of 6a.lt per 
acre, 26 onsheisl2 pounds. Of barley, the land 
yielded without salt 30 bushels per acre; with 16 
bushels of salt to tbe acre, it, gave 51 bushels; 
for oats, no Balt, 51 bushels; with three owt. of 
salt per acre, 53 bushels. An aiticle giving a 
condensed account of tno beat experience of salt 
as a fertilizer, was published iu thid department 
Of the Itu hal on April 20 last, page 250. 
Thoroughbreds and Grades. 
8. Cary, Barton, N. Y., ask 1, what is meant 
by a thoroughbred animal; 2, what by a grade ; 
3, what are ttio requirements to h:.vo animals 
registered in thell.rdC -oka. 
Ans.— 1. A thoroughbred animal is one whose 
pedigree can bo traced back through the II rd 
Bmks of the breed to whicn it may belong, mus 
proving that it possesses the distinctive charac- 
leiiatics of that breed so firmly as to be able to 
trausunt them with certainty to its ptue bred 
offspring and, to a great extent, when crobaod 
either with another pure-bred or with a sorub 
animal of no particular breed. 
2. The result of such a cross is a “grade” 
which takes its narno from the breed to which 
its sire bolonga ; for iustauoe, the effspriig of a 
Short-horn bull and a “ native ” cow, is a Short¬ 
horn grade. 
3. The condit.ons of entry to the Herd Bocks 
of tho different breedd of oattle and of other 
animals, vary considerably, so that unless the 
particular breed is mentioned, it would be im¬ 
possible to give detailed inform ition. Iu all 
oases, however, the rules are designed to ex¬ 
clude from the Herd Books all but thorough¬ 
bred animals. 
Large Yield of Hangarian-grass Seed. 
J. II. Spofford of Genesee Co., iV. T., asks 
how muon is considered a good yield for Hun¬ 
garian grass. He thrashed from one aud a half 
acre fifty-two bushels of seed, which he con¬ 
siders an enormons yield. 
Anh —Probably the average yield of seed to 
the acre of this grass would be about from 23 to 
25 bushels, although a yield of from 25 to 30 
bushels is by no means uncommon. From our 
own observation and the records ia this oon*>ec- 
tiou, we arc disposed to consider our friend’s 
yield of 31% oushels per > an unusually large 
oue. 
Keeping Celery in Winter. 
Mrs. IF. H. G\, Sprinyboro, Ohio, asks how 
Celery can bo kept through tho oold winter 
weather. 
Ans. —Wo have alroady given instructions in 
recent numbers of Rural. Briefly, trenches 
should bo dug in dry places, the celery placed 
perpendicularly therein aud covered with soil to 
the tops. Over the ridge place boards at such 
an angle as to shed rain, aud then cover with 
hay, straw or any uther like material. Oue end 
is left open so that the celery can be taken out 
as needed. Small quantities may be preserved 
in the collar in deep boxes, the roots being cov¬ 
ered with moist soil. 
When and How to Plant Seeds of Rural Froe 
S?ed Distribution. 
M. S. F, Kingston, asks whether it would be 
better to plaut seeds from Rural Free S ed 
Distribution wliou they come, or wait until 
spring ; in the open grouud, or in boxes. 
Ans.—T he hardy shrub seeds, may be planted 
at ouoo in boxes or pots with advantage, but 
they may all bo sown in the open grouud in the 
spring. 
Miscellaneous. 
N. E Richardson, Matthews Co., Fa., refer¬ 
ring to a new invention for applying paper bot¬ 
toms to Bhips, described iu Rural of Aug. I7tb, 
asks wbat comp .utiou would fasten the papier- 
mache to the hulls, and whether common roof¬ 
ing felt would not do as a coating for ordinary 
sail boats. 
Aota.— Tho accouut referred to was an extraot 
from the columns of an English paper, which 
gave no details nf the adhesive composition, 
which is probably either a chemical secret or 
covered by a patent. Tho object of coating ves¬ 
sels with copper, copper paint, or papier-mache is 
to preserve the timber from injury by boriDg 
marine animals or to prevont the vessel's speed 
from being slackonod by the accumulation of 
barnacles aud other posts on her bottom. Roof¬ 
ing felt would afford little rnsintanoe to animals 
that readily honeycomb hacmatack or oak, would 
afford a comfortable Testing-placo for tho barna* 
olo family, and, moreover, its rough surfaco 
would material y increase the friction of the 
water on the boat’s bottom and consequently les¬ 
sen her speed. 
L. P., Danville, Pa., asks whether the Ca- 
hoon broadcast, hand seed-sower is of prac¬ 
tical value, and whether it would pay a 
farmer having from 25 to 50 acreB of small 
grain to sow by hand, to purchase one of them, 
not being able to get a drill. 
Ans. —The Gaboon Broadcast Hand-sower ia a 
good implement, and doe* its work satisfactorily, 
but as there ia a marked difference between 
broadcasting aud drilling, we cannot eay which it 
would pay you beat to bny. If you think it 
cheaper to broadcast, the Cihoon Sower is what 
you want. We aend you onr Premium List by 
mail, and in it you will find both the Gaboon 
Seed-sower. And the Matthews’ drill offered as 
premiums. You could procure either by sending 
us a club, and h ive your choice whithout pay¬ 
ing anything for either. 
Mrs. D. O. H., Homer, JSF. T, asks 1. the 
name of a fern a description of which she gives. 
2. The name of a Gictu-<, a flower which she 
sends. 3. Are Deutzia crenata, and Wistaria 
hardy for out-of-door culture as far North a* 
central New York. 
Ans —(l). We cannot tell the name of the 
plant from the description given. 
(2) Cereus fUgolliformis. 
(3) Yes, Epipbyllum truncaium. Dmfzia is 
perfectly hardy. The Wistaria will suffer unless 
covered up for winter. 
M. B. R , 2fv id Smyra, Fla., a>k-s: 1. where 
“Pearl” millet seed can bo procured. 2. Also 
that of common millet. 
Ans —1. Through tho Rural Free Seed Dis¬ 
tribution. 2. From any prominent sedsman. 
D. J. R., Sardis, Pa., asks the name of the 
plant a leaf of which he iaoloses. 
A 
Ans —It seems to bo Mesembryanthemum 
cor Ufolium variegatmn, and a very pretty plant 
it is for vases, baskets or rockeries. 
Communications rbcrivko fob this week ending 
Saturday, November 23d: 
M. B R.-E. M. C.-V. D O.—W. J. F.-G. F. T.— 
G. H., such practical notes always weleou e—C. 
H. S.—H. S— R. L H.-E. B.—R G—D K , Jr.— 
W. G. W., Sr.—B.—N. T. C.—D S. M.—W. H. I.— 
D. E. S.—IT. H. R.—L. S. H.—S. R. M.-J. D.—J. 
H.—H. L. K —Rose Geranium—F. S. W.—W. H. 
Y.—F. A. C. M.—IV. A. H.—M. W.—W. W. R — 
G. D. N.-W. H. Y -L B. S.—W. B. Y.-3. R. M.— 
D. W.-A. L. J.—W. II. W.—M. E. A.—E.—11. H.— 
F A. A.—R. L. 
Diirious, 
MANDRAKE. 
J. STAUFFER. 
The May Apple—Podophyllum peltatum—has 
active purgative properties, and was used among 
the Indians as a cathartic before the country 
was settled by the whites. It has different local 
names, such as Mandrake, “ Wild lemon," “ ltac- 
cooa-berry,” “Iadian apple,” etc. This is an¬ 
other instance of the necessity of a universal 
term for a specific thing, in medicine at least. 
The Atropa Mandragura or Mandragcra offici¬ 
nalis, however, is the real Mandrake and has 
been known by that name fur ages, as a power¬ 
ful narcotic poison. But this latter grows in 
rich soil and is a native of the countries border¬ 
ing on the Mediterranean. It is mentioned by 
old authors, as Hippocrates, Galen and Oelaus, 
as having some wonderful powers, ana is said to 
have been the drug which Hannibal infused in 
the wlue left iu his camp, when he feigned a 
retreat, aud thus rendered his enemies who par¬ 
took of it, unable to withstand Lis subsequent 
attack. Its use, however, ia almost abandoned 
iu Medicine. 
Many were the superstitious notions about this 
plaut that prevailed in early times. That half- 
doctor and magician, Albertus Magnus, assorted 
that the most potent roots grow under a gibbet. 
Again, it is stated that it must be collected 
with magic rites ; a circle was traced three times 
arouud it with a naked sword, and as the person 
who plucked it from the ground was considetod 
in danger of his life, a cord was attached to a 
d og and fastened to the plant to tear it out. 
The dog was beaten till, by his effort to escape, 
the thing was accomplished ; the result was— 
tho death of the dog. Griffith, in bis Medical 
Botany, mentions this. He also states that £t 
A 
was said to be eminently aphrodisiac, and wag 
rmioh used for the purpose of exciting love, 
hence tho name of Mandragontis bestowed on 
Venus. 
In our Bible we find, Genesis xxx chapter, 14th 
verse:—" And Reuben went in the days of wheat- 
barvest and found mandrakes in the field, and 
brought them unto his mother Leah. Then 
Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of 
thy son's mandrakes. ADd she said unto her, Is 
it a small matter that thou has taken my hus¬ 
band? aud wouldust thou take away my son’s 
maudrakes also ?” Again, in the Sengs of Solo¬ 
mon, vii., verse 13, the word occurs:—“The 
mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all 
mariner of pleasant fruits, new and old. which I 
have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” Now 
there is no pleasant smell connected with tbs 
mandrake or mandragota, which is rather nause¬ 
ous aud offensive. Scholars have discussed the 
matter, and think different plaots are meant by 
tho word translated mandrake. The Hebrew 
word is Dudaim, from Didim, breasts, or Dodin, 
friends, twins, to signify something double, as 
the mandrake root, wn ch is bifurcate and used 
to promote love. But in the Talmud it is also 
orlled Siglin, which was referred to as a Jasmine 
or Lily, and hence it must have a pleasant smell. 
Perhaps, after all, a fruit of the Plantain or 
Banana may have been meant. This latter idea, 
however, hardly meets the first case, iu Genesis, 
nor does it signify much whether it was men¬ 
tioned at all; only we find it a very ancient 
name—in use before the Ma? Apple of America 
was discovered or even the country known. 
The fact is, the charlat ns of onr later super¬ 
stitious ages, i efore employing the mandragora 
root, gave it a hnraau form either by growing it 
in a mo d or by cutting it into that ahapo after 
it became di v, and pretended this to be its natu¬ 
ral manner of growth—hence it was also known 
among the ancients by the narno of Anfbropo- 
moiphas. We find in the old botanical works 
figures of this plant, true in leaf and flower, 
while their embellished roots present a male or 
female form, which were sold to propitiate the 
birth of a son or daughter, as might be desired. 
Adansou, in hia work, has the following curi¬ 
ous passage :—“ Every plant, although without 
sensation, being animate, possesses a soul, which 
is not solo nor fixed in any part, but equally 
spread through all, and divisible, since every 
one of its integrant parts which participate in a 
oommou life, possesses in itself an isolated vital¬ 
ity, and because, when separated and detached 
from them, it grows and fructifbs, finally enjoy¬ 
ing all the properties and faculties which it pos¬ 
sessed before its separation.” I mention this 
here as an old phase of vegetable psychology, 
upheld by two or the most celebrated savants of 
studious Germany—von Martiua and Theodore 
Fechner—who considered a plant a sentient be¬ 
ing, endowed with an individual soul. But such 
fanciful notions are exploded ; modern scien¬ 
tists consider even animals, including man, as 
being only simple automatons, set going and ac¬ 
complishing their round by a blind material 
force. They set a»ide all spirituality or influ¬ 
ence as coming from or under certain creative 
laws founded in wisdom to accomplish certain 
ends. Nevertheless, all naturalists who have 
treated the question seriously as physiologists, 
maintain that plants enjoy quite as active a life 
as many animals (for instance, compare the 
Mimosa or “ Sensitive plant ” with an oyster), 
aud they also possess traces of sensibility aud 
contractility. 
Lancaster, Fa., Oct. 10,1878. 
- »» » . —— 
HAND LABOR AND MACHINERY. 
A valued correspondent w rites ns: “The writer 
of the article Hand Labor and Machinery ia in 
error I think, in bis idea that the dissatisfied 
class of laborers object to machinery per se. 
They are in favor of as much of it as possible, 
provided they may share the benefits of the 
abundant increase of production secured by it. 
They claim that under the present state of 
things, capitalists secure the lion’s share. Tbe 
method of rightiHg the wrong, pursued by the 
more ignorant among them in “ smashing ” is 
simply an ignorant a"d helpless man’s protest 
against what he feels to be a wrong. The remedy 
is for the intelligent portion of society to Celp 
him to right t he w rong. He will be docile enough 
as soon as he feels that he has influential friends. 
His violent acts are acta of blind despair. To 
call for troops and. tho police—rxeept to arrest 
actual wrong-doing at tho moment—ia only the 
spirit of the “ shot-gun ” poli v said to prevail 
among Uie aristocracy of some parts i f tho 
country. Fiat justitia ia the only basis for a 
Republic, and the only safe basis for any 
government." 
The Husbandman, which publishes each week 
a full report of the interesting discussions of 
tbe Elmira Farmers’ Club, announces that it 
will be seut to any address tho remaining weeks 
of 1878 for ten esnts. C-rtainly every farmer 
can afford to make the acquaintance of our vig¬ 
orous young contemporary on such terms 
Those of onr readers who wish to avail them- 
Belves of the offer mentioned above, will address, 
[ The Husbandman, Elmira, N. Y. 
