APRIL 
THE RURAL &EW-YOBKER. 
bladed knife may be used in the same way. 
There is no risk about the operation; as soon 
as the. bloating is over the wound heals very 
quickly. But a dose of a quart of linseed 
oil should be given, and the food should be 
very spare for a few days after to permit 
the stomach to regain its tone, 
IRISH POTATOES FOR THE SOUTH. 
J. 8., Bush Hill, N 0., asks whether there 
is any Irish potato that will thrive in that sec¬ 
tion and keep well through the Winter. 
ANSWER BY M, B. PRINCE. 
The variety that can be depended upon for 
the accomplishment of so desirable a purpose 
has not, probably, been yet introduced, and I 
doubt if it ever will be; still there are two 
ways to a partial success, though both plans 
are so entirely dependent upon temperature 
and rainfall that I have become discouraged 
and only attempt the culture of a few Early 
Rose for Summer use. The ways referred to 
are, first, to plant a second crop of early pota¬ 
toes in July, or whenever the first crop is 
fully matured; and, second, 1 have known fair 
crops of Poachblows planted in June. A mulch 
of leaves, straw or any other litter is of great 
benefit in keeping the soil moist and cool. 
Early kinds usually decay soon after matur¬ 
ing, and late kinds amout to nothing if plant¬ 
ed early, I join with J, S. in the request for 
information on this subject. If any Rural 
reader has succeeded in raising Irish potatoes 
of the desired sort let us know it; but bear in 
mind that we are talking of this Cotton Belt 
only. RS 1° locality, also that we are not par¬ 
ticularly interested to hear of the results of 
just one year’s trial, but of a series. By either 
of the plans mentioned above we can raise po¬ 
tatoes in a wet Summer, if not too feariully 
hot, but when the range of the mercury runs 
above 90 degrees, day after day for months, 
and there is not rain sufficient to wet through 
the hill*, it were better to eat our “murphies' 
before planting. 
CELERY CULTURE, ETC. 
J. F. r Sabatha, Fans. 1, How should celery 
be planted and cared for ? 2, Will Alfalfa 
seed the first season, and should the first crop 
be allowed to go to seed! 
Ans. 1. In your climate, sow the seed in the 
open ground about the middle of April, Sow 
in shallow drills, after having made the soil 
mellow and rich. It is a very good plan to 
eut back the tops after the plants grow to a 
hight of three or four inches, thus inducing a 
stockier growth. Early in August and later 
the plants may be set six inches apart in deep 
trenches, shallow trenches or upon the surface 
of the ground. After having tried the three 
ways we prefer digging out about three inches 
of earth and planting in this shallow trench. 
They may thus be mulched or protected 
against drought better than if planted on the 
surface. Banking up to bleach may begin in 
early October for the earliest, and later for 
later celery. Our friend must disabuse him¬ 
self of the idea that there is any special diffi¬ 
culty in raising splendid crops of celery. The 
only difficulty is to provide against excessively 
dry weather. In this event, watering must 
be resorted to. 2, Alfalfa will seed sparingly 
the first year. In our own plot of Alfalfa the 
blossoms upon a few plants were first noticed 
in September, though the drought of last year 
much retarded their growth. Alfalfa should 
not be cut the first year. 
WORKS OH EQUINE DISEASES. 
T. H., La Pinepville, Oregon. —What is the 
best work on diseases of the horse, their 
causes, symptoms and treatment, using plain 
language, and giving such remedies as can be 
found within reach of frontier ranches. Most 1 
writers on the subject seem to think every 1 
horse owner is within easy reach of a drug 1 
store and is the possessor of a classical educa¬ 
tion. 
Ahs.—W© do not know of any work on dis- * 
eases of the horse that will “ fill this bill.” 1 
Veterinary works are written for the general c 
public who own stock, and the general stock- s 
owning public can, without much difficulty, 1 
obtain the drugs prescribed. It would be well 
for farmers and others living at a distance ^ 
from drug stores to keep on hand a small ^ 
stock of the drugs commonly used for the cure 1 
of human and other animal ailments. Among ^ 
the best veterinary works those which come £ 
nearest to the requirements of our friend are: h 
Law’s Farmers’ Veterinary Adviser, $3, which 1 
treats, in a plain yet trustworthy style, of the S 
diseases of all farm animals; Dadd’s Modern Ci 
Horse Doctor, $ 1.50, which treats in an under- ^ 
standable way of the diseases of the horse; a 
Mayhew’s Illustrated Horse Doctor, $3, which ^ 
Is a trifle diffuse in giving the cause:; of horse w 
ailments and the treatment of them, but per- c< 
haps on that account all the plainer to the or¬ 
dinary reader; and Stonehenge on the Horse 
in the Stable und Field, f 3.50, the best standard . 
work on the horse. The two last are Aineri- I u, 
can reissues of English works. 
° Ill 
PREVENTIVE OF SQUASH-BUG INJURY. T] 
S. H. B., Huntingdon, Conn .—What is a R 
remedy for the grub that destroys my Winter tb 
squashes, especially the Hubbard '? 
Ans.— The grub or borer here alluded to is 
the common enemy of the whole family of 
squashes, and a certain preventive is still a 
desideratum. There is no remedy for mischief 
of this kind. Some market gardeners on 
LoDg Island and in New Jersey have tried to¬ 
bacco dust and castor-oil pomace with more 
or less success, their odor seeming to be offen¬ 
sive to the insect to the extent of preventing 
it from depositing its eggs. The pomace is 
spread on the ground close around the stem of 
the plant. The tobacco dust is thrown on the 
stem and over the plant, and it should be 
done early in the morning, and both sub¬ 
stances should be used while the plants are 
young as a preventive, aiid the tobacco dust 
repeated if washed off by the rain. As both 
the pomace and tobacco dust are good ma¬ 
nures, the labor of applying them is not lost. 
We have tried both, and with a good degree 
of success. It is well to let more plants grow 
for a time than are wanted, to be subsequently 
removed when danger is passed. The tobacco 
dust is also good for the so-called squash bugs. 
REMEDY FOR LEAKING TEAT OF COW. 
II. M. W. 11., Salem, N. JT, t asks for a rem¬ 
edy for the leaking of milk by cows. 
Ans. —This matter was fully discussed by 
Henry Stewart, under the caption “The Dairy 
Cow,” in Rural of February 11. Speaking 
from wide experience in the matter and with 
a full knowledge of ttie various “ cures ” pro¬ 
posed, he says it is doubtful if any permanent 
remedy can be found for the trouble. A tem¬ 
porary remedy, and one of easy application, 
is to smear the teats of a leaking cow with 
photographers’ collodion as soon as she is 
milked. A bottle of the collodion may be 
kept in the barn (always well corked or it will 
evaporate soon), and a small quantity may be 
rubbed over the teat and on the end of it with 
the finger. The collodion contracts consider¬ 
ably as the chloroform evaporates from it, and 
pi actically forms a tight bandage around the 
teat, which compresses the duct. Of course, 
it would hardly pay to take the trouble of 
using this remedy except when tha cow loses 
a good deal of her milk. A rubber band 
placed around the leaking teat is a remedy 
often suggested, but it is likely to cause 
trouble by obstructing the circulation. 
BUTTER WON’T COME. 
IF. H., Van Wert, Ohio, Two milch cows, 
about four months from calving, give daily 
about a gallon each of milk from which we 
can get no butter: feed, good clover hay, 
bran, and sometimes radishes and turnips; 
occasionally, too, they get “condition pow¬ 
ders,”—why doesn’t butter come l 
Am.—We suspect some of the trouole is due 
to the feed. Radishes aud turnips should 
never be given to a cow that is expected to 
yield butter, as they will almost certainly 
give a bad flavor to the milk and butter. 
Conditiou powders are also bad for cows; they 
contain antimony and assafcBtida which are 
by no means desira.le matters to flavor milk 
with, and the milk gets nearly all of the flavor 
of the food. Then we suspect the milk is no t 
kept at a proper temperature, which should 
be 62, and not over 65 degrees. Then again, 
your cream may be too cold when it is 
churned, and you cannot get butter if that is 
the case, if you should churn all day. With¬ 
out knowing how you manage your milk and 
cream—and you do not tell this—we cannot 
say precisely what is the matter. 
CAKED TEATS AND UDDER. 
P. B. C., Amelia C. H., Fa. I have a 
very fine Jersey cow that has never yielded 
milk trom one of her teats. At the time of 
her last calf—the third—I tried to open the 
teat by inserting a quill and afterwards a 
knitting-needle, but failed. Last Fall owing 
to the carelessness of the milker another of 
the teats became closed, and I failed to open 
this in the same way. Whenever she has a 
calf her bag is apt to become hard, but I have 
softened it in a few days by rubbing it with 
warm linseed oil, how can the teats bo opened ? 
Ans.— We fear there is no remedy and that 
the quar ters of the udder are permanently in¬ 
durated and lost for all further usefulness. 
The writer has restored a teat so damaged by 
beginning to milk it as soon as the udder be¬ 
gan to swell before the calving, and continu¬ 
ing to do this and to gently rub and knead 
the part of the udder which supplied the teat. 
Such an accideut can be easily prevented by 
care, but it is not often remedied afterwards. 
No penetrating instrument will do any good 
and may do much harm, because it is not the 
teat which is closed, but the udder itself of 
which the glands and milk ducts have be¬ 
come hardened and changed in character. 
CAUSES OF STREAKS IN BUTTER. 
A. P. C., Dumbarton, N. II., asks the cause 
of the light streaks iu butter. The cows have i 
had good feed—grain, corn and cotton-seed 
meal. Some are farrow, and some new milk. 
The Ferguson Creamery is used and Weils, 1 
Richardson & Co.’s butter color is mixed with 
the cream before churning. 
Ans.—T his is caused by insufficient work¬ 
ing, by which the coloring is not properly in¬ 
corporated. It is no fault of the butter, but 
of the butter-maker. When the butter is 
churned it should be well washed and worked 
free from the buttermilk, then spread and 
salted and half of the salt lightly worked 
in- The mass should then be turned and the 
under side worked and spread and the rest of 
the salt worked in. The butter should then 
be gathered into a well-shaped lump and set 
away for a day, or at least several hours. 
During this time it will become quite 
streaky and sometimes patchy. It is then 
worked over carefully, until every streak is 
worsed out and the color is even. Blanch¬ 
ard’s Sons’ butter-worker does this in a very 
easy and excellent manuer and much better 
than the ladle. 
FEED FOR A BULL IN HARD SERVICE. 
RURAL BRANCHING SORGHUM. 
IF. of. IF., Amesville, Ohio. 1, How should 
the R. B. Sorghum he planted? 2, Can it be 
transplanted? 3, How much seed to an aere'? 
Ans.— 1, Where this plant succeeds, each 
plant will throw up an average of 10 stalks. 
These, if not efit, will reach the hight of 10 
feet or more. It will be seen, therefore that 
a gcodly space must be allowed. If planted 
iu drills, the seed had better be dropped every 
two inches or so to insure a full stand. The 
drills not less than four feet apart. The plants 
may then be hoed out so as to leave a space 
of two feet between the plants. If planted in 
hill or checks, we should drop six seeds or 
more and leave two plants to a hill—allowing 
the hills to be three by four feet apart. 2, Yes, 
it can be transplanted. 3, Should think a 
quart should suffice for an acre. 
GROUND LIMESTONE. 
S. R. T., Lincoln, Neb. Are there any 
trustworthy experiments on the fertilizing 
effects of limestone dust or ground limestone? 
Ans. —It scarcely requires any experiment 
to satisfy a reasonable person that raw lime¬ 
stone can be of no use as a fertilizer because 
of its almost complete insolubility and also 
because all soils, without exception, contain a 
considerable proportion of carbonate of lime. 
But notwithstanding this known character of 
limestone, some very careful experiments 
have been made, and all known to us have 
resulted in tlie same manner. We can refer 
yon to Professor G. H. Cook's experiments at 
the New Jersey State Agricultural College, 
which showed that pulverized limestone had 
no appreciable effect. 
GRAPE-VINES. 
A. A. O. C, Fairview, N. Y., 1, If my 
grapes-vines that were set out last year should 
have been winter-killed above ground, will 
they sprout from the roots this Spring '? The 
ground has been bare nearly all Winter. 2, 
Which is the better for grape-vines—sheep or 
hen manure l 3. Considering the difference in 
price, which are the better for setting out—one 
or two-year old vines. 
Ans. — 1. That depends. Last Winter billed 
a Salem vine of ours, six years old, root and 
stem. Others were killed to the surface of the 
ground and then threw up strong canes, show¬ 
ing the roots were not harmed. Scratch away 
the soil from the neck aud cut into it with a 
knife. If green, new shoots will grow. 2. 
We should say that there is little difference. 
3, We should prefer two-year vines. 
SHEEP AS FERTILIZING AGENTS. 
E. D. C., Cherry Valley, N. Y. I notice 
the statement: “ One reason why our wheat 
crops are only about half as much per acre as in 
England, is because the British farmer employs 
sheep as grain growers, while with us sheep 
are only considered as wool or mutton makers. ” 
How are sheep employed as grain growers in 
England; and why are not our sheep as pro¬ 
fitable as grain producers t 
Ans. —Sheep are used in England as a pre¬ 
paratory means of fertilizing the soil. A 
green crop, such as turnips or rape, is grown 
and fed off by sheep penned upon the ground. 
This supplies the land with some excellent 
manure very evenly distributed. This process 
will shortly be described in an article fully 
illustrated, to which you can refer for fuller 
information. 
APPLY1NO GUANO TO FALL-SOWN WHEAT IN 
SPRING. 
F. B., Nominy Grove, Fd.—Last Fall, after 
I had sowed wheat, rainy w r eather set in be¬ 
fore guano could be applied and harrowed in; 
will it answer a good purpose to sow the 
guano on the young wheat this Spring and 
harrow it in. I always harrow and cross¬ 
harrow my wheat in the Spring as the opera¬ 
tion loosens the soil aud causes the wheat to 
tiller more. 
Ans. —It will do just as well to apply the 
guano in the Spring, and better perhaps for 
the young crop, especially if sown late, be¬ 
cause tho w heat then was not in a condition to 
avail itself of tho fertilizer and this being very 
soluble its effect would have been lost. You 
are quite right in harrow ing the wheat if you 
are careful to wait until the surface is dry, 
otherwise injury would be done. 
W. A. H., Galway, N. F.—What would be 
s the best grain ration for a three-year-old Jer- 
1 sey bull in July so as to fit him for hard ser- 
1 vice, also which would be the better—to feed 
I him on dry hay or soil him on green clover. 
Ans.— Give him two quarts of oats twice a 
day. There is no more invigorating food for 
£ a breeding animal than this grain. As the 
bull must be kept up, it would be better to 
give him dry hay for the bulk of the feed, 
3 with a noon ration of some green fodder- 
grass, clover, oats or corn in their season. 
Miscellaneous. 
r H. H. F., West Cheshire, Conn, 1, What 
. is the best way of applying commercial fertil¬ 
izers, such as the Mapes and Stockbridge, to 
soil for raising potatoes—on the hill* or drills, 
under or over the “seed.” 2, How deep 
should the “seed” be planted, and which is 
’ the better—flat cultivation or billing. 
Ans. 1, Our plan is always to sow chemical 
1 fertilisers broadcast. But from a number of 
tests it would appear that for potatoes, better 
1 results have been obtained from sowing in the 
■ hills or drills. Both firms mentioned prepare 
a potato fertilizer which is strong in potash. 
It is better to cover the seed-pieces slightly and 
1 sow the fertilizer then. 3, The seed should be 
planted six inches deep. Few reliable expexd- 
menta have been made as to whether hilling 
up or flat cultivation is better We hope that 
many of our readers will try the experiment. 
Select two small plots of uniform soil 
Plant the same number of eyes in each. HiTl 
up on one and cultivate the other flat. We 
propose to try it at the Rural Farm. Several 
of our subscribers who have tried flat cultiva¬ 
tion seem positive that more and better pota¬ 
toes can be raised in this way. 
A. IF. S., Bunker Hill , Fans., wishing to 
raise a two-inch stream of water ten to fifteen 
feet from a sunken stream fed by several 
springs, asks whether a hydraulic ram would 
do the work; its price and where it can be 
obtained; also the name of some work treating 
of such subjects. 
Ans.— It would take a very powerful hy¬ 
draulic ram and a good-sized stream, with at 
least four feet fall, to elevate two inches of 
water. A hydraulic ram is a very wasteful 
means of raising water, as it requires a very 
large quantity to set a very small stream in 
motion. You will find the whole subject of 
irrigation treated of folly in Stewart’s Irrigar 
tion for the Farm, Garden and Orchard, 
price ?1 50, to be had of any book-dealer. 
There are some irrigating wheels which da- 
[ scribed in it, especially the so called l£ Noira,’ 
j which would probably be much more available 
than a water ram. Prices of rams vary with 
I the size. Write to L. M. Rumsey & Co., St. 
j Louis, Mo., stating particulars, and ask for 
prices and circular. 
II. M. IF, Georgetown, Texas, 1, Which is 
the best garden drill made? 2, How should 
Ptarl Millet be raised in this State ? 3, When 
should the W. Elephant potato be planted 
here? 4, How and when should Rice Corn be 
sown here? 
Ans. —1. We eannnot answer which is the best 
with regard to anything where there are many 
different kinds. LTnless we had carefully test¬ 
ed each kind, it would be unjust to the many 
to select any one as the best. All those adver¬ 
tised in our columns are good. 2, Pearl Mil¬ 
let sends up a dozen stems from a seed—some¬ 
times many more. It will be seen that each 
plant needs considerable space. One plant 
every two by four feet is close enough. If the 
land is rich even four feet by four would be 
| close enough. Plant at once in your climate. 
It may be cultivated the same as corn. 3, Now. 
Earlier would have been better. 4, At once. 
The same as Pearl Millet, if it is the branching 
kind; if not sow in drills four feet apart and 
thin out to 12 or 14 inches in the drills. 
G. S., Lamar, Mo., 1. What kind of grass 
will do well on a rather sandy soil? 2. Will 
Bermuda Grass make a good pasture, and 
where can it be bad? S, Where can Berkshire 
hogs be obtained. 
A NS.-I. Kentucky Blue Grass, Orcha rd Grass, 
Red-top. 2. We must refer to back numbers’ 
in which these questions have been answered 
repeatedly. We this week give an illustrated 
article. It makes an excellent pasture for 
cattle. It can be obtained probably in your 
own State—in Tennessee, Georgia, etc: It 
does not seed—cuttings of the stems aud root* 
are sown. 3. W. P. Hayzlett, Bolckon, Mo., 
H. H. Clark,Onarga, IU.; J. H. Pieper, Bluffs, 
111.; Juo. Francis, New Lennox, Ill; Hewer 
Bros., Belvtdere, Ill., are -earer Lamar than 
any other dealers we are acquainted with. 
D. J. C., Caledonia, N. Y.— 1. Would it be 
worth while to plant wild blackberry vines f 
3. Would they bear fruit if cultivated ? 3. Is 
there any value in the black mold found in 
woods ? 
Ans —1 and 2. Some plants if transplanted 
to the garden would, no doubt, bear well 
The thing is to find them. You might try 50 
