JAW. 47 
THE BUBAL WEW-YOISKIR. 43 
epavin is an effort of nature to throw out bon e 
to strengthen the joint. This bone causes the 
joint to become stiff and 6ore. Any ointment 
which will abate the inllamaiiou or promote 
absorption is good. In all eases the animal 
should have absolute rest. Caustic applica¬ 
tions have sometimes produced cures, but the 
safest and surest is firing,followed by softening 
and mollifylug liniments, which will soothe 
the parts and stimulate the ligaments. Thor¬ 
ough rubbing is also good. 
Remedies for Lice on Calve*. 
A Subscriber, New market, N. J., asks for a 
remedy for lice on calves. 
Ans. — A very simple one was given in last 
issue—rub dirt or sand well iu among the ver¬ 
min. A correspondent in the Rural of Feb. 
6, 1878, says he found plaster ground very fine 
and dusted ou the backs of the animals, an 
effective exterminator. It should be thoroughly 
dried ou the stove before application. Wash¬ 
ing the infested parts of thu animal with strong 
suds of carbolic soap, is certain death to all 
pestiferous vermin. Carbolic crystals can be 
bought at any drug store at from eight to ten 
cents an ounce at most. To one pound of 
common bar soap placed in a pan with some 
water, and melted down, add one ounce of the 
crystals, stil ling well; aud from the mixture 
make suds which will bo cheaper than that 
made from prepared carbolic soap and at least 
as efficacious. Two or ihroc applications at, 
least, of any remedy, arc needed, as the nits 
keep on hatchiug. The stable surroundings 
of thy iufested animals should also be thor¬ 
oughly washed, as the vermiu often harbor 
there aud thence find their way to the bodies 
of clean animals. There is a host of other 
remedies, more or less efficacious, but a good 
washing with carbolic suds is hard to beat. 
I'uiicii aud Jlldy. 
A. P. Ii., asks wbat is the origin of the pup¬ 
pet show of the above name. 
Ans.— The exhibition is of Italian origin, 
its Italian name being Policiuella or Pulciuella 
which is said to have been derived from Puccio 
d'Aniello, a buffoou of Acerra, near Naples, 
whose humorous eccentricities in the I7h cen¬ 
tury were- transferred to the Neapolitan stage. 
Another theory derives its name tcompoUioe, the 
thumb, a name of dwarfs in seveial languages. 
The modem drama of "Punch," so commouly 
exhibited iu the streets of European.cities to 
’ the huge delight of crowds of children, and 
sometimes seen here, is supposed to have been 
composed by Silvio Fiorellu, an Italian come¬ 
dian, about 1000. It embodies a domestic 
tragedy followed by a supernatural retribuilon, 
the whole of which is treated iu a broadly lur- 
cieal mauner. Puuch is a short obese person¬ 
age, with a grotesquely euormoas hump ou his 
back and wide mouth, long chin and hooked 
nose, and wearing a three-pointed eap. His 
wife, Judy, aud his dog,Toby, are, so far as the 
names are concerned, of Anglo-Saxon origin, 
as is much ot the cudgel brutality of wifely cas¬ 
tigation. 
The Audiplwme. 
C. G ., Damascus, Pa., aud several others ask 
information from those who have actually 
tested it, about the Audi phone, lately invented 
by M r. Rhoades, ot Chicago, aud described some 
weeks since in the Rural. 
Ans. —For the last week or two we have had 
one of these devices here, aud have tested it ou 
two very deal people, neither of whom has 
been benefited by ii; yet when a person with 
hearing powers unimpaired, closes cis ears so 
as to shut out ordinary suuuds, he can Lear 
quite well by moans of the Audiphouo. It 
would be unfair, therefore, with our present 
knowledge of it, aud in view of the high claims 
put forth iu its behalf, to say anything definite 
as to its merits. By next week or at most the 
week after, we expect to have tested it so fully 
in many cases, as to be able to -peakdecisively 
on the matter, and until then we would advise 
any of our friends who uiuy be thiukiugot bny- 
ing one, to await the results of our investi¬ 
gations. 
Bermuda Gra*s. 
F E. H., Granite, Cel., referring to a late 
query and answer on the above grass, in the 
Rural, says that from the description therein 
given of it, he is satisfied it is just the grass 
he wants ; but he wishes further information; 
1 . does the top after dying down in winter 
grow again iu spriug? 2, will it bear irriga¬ 
ting? 8, where can the seed be obtained for 
trial ? 
Ans. — 1, Ycb. 3, Yes. 3, Seeds cannot be 
obtained. It does not bear seeds in this couu- 
tiy. Mr. J. B. Killebrow states that it grows 
luxuriantly on the lop of Lookout Mountain, 
having been set there mauy years ago. This 
mountain is 2,200 feet high. It must he prop¬ 
agated by cuttings of the roots, which may be 
dropped iu furrows three feet apart. 
Wood Aklie*. 
J. E P., Ilornellsville. N. 1', asks, the 
value of pine and tiumlock ashes as compared 
with hard-wood ashes, aud how much oue can 
afford to give for ashes for potatoes when the 
latter are worth 25 to 85 cents per bushel 
Ans. The ashes of soft, timber, as pine and 
hemlock, while they are light and small in 
quantity, are rich in the valuable ingredients. 
Pine gives blit 5J pounds of ash per cord. 
Hemlock gives about 6 pound** to the cord. 
Yet these ashes contain 15 per cent, of potash; 
the full contents are as follows ; 
Pine. 
Hemlock. 
Potash. 
. 15.8 
15.3 
per cent. 
Soda. 
. 9.9 
7.7 
** 
Magnesia. 
24.5 
41 
Xiime. 
27.1 
M 
Phosphoric Acid. 
1.7 
U 
Sulphuric Acid........ 
. 3.0 
1.7 
3.9 
it 
u 
Chlorine. 
0.6 
Ii 
Piue ashes are therefore worth 96 cents a 
bushel of 80 pounds at the rate of 6 cents a 
pound for potash and phosphoric acid. 
Black Teeth in Swine. 
J. S , Mahoning, O., asks for the cause aud 
a remedy for black teeth iu swine. 
Ans. —Black teeth is an .effect and not a 
cause of poor condition consequent on indi¬ 
gestion. In the course of this disease acrid 
secretions corrode the enamel and blackeu the 
teeth Of course, the pig cauuot thrive, hence 
a superficial judgment pronounces the effect 
which is most apparent to be the cause of the 
trouble. The teeth are injured, aud probably 
cause irritation or pain, aud should be removed 
with pincers and not a punch. The pig should 
then get a dose of physic, or such treatment 
as would real ore the digestive functions. 
Miscellaneous. 
0. C. D., Welloille, Va., has a field of winter 
wheat sown ou rather poor laud; owiug to 
pressure of other work, he had no time to 
manure it before sowing, aud he asks, whether 
a top-dressing of muck and lime would be 
beneficial; 3, should the muck aud lime stand 
a considerable time after having beeu mixed, 
before being used; 3, what would be the proper 
time to make the applicatiou—the land is 
rather a light saudv loam aud the wheat was 
plowed iu. 
Ans. I. We do not think the top-dressing of 
muck aud lime would appreciably affect the 
present crop. A spread of short manure now, 
or of superphosphate (250 bushels to the acre) 
iu the early spring, would be preferable. 3, 
Yes. 8, Spring or fall—we do not know that 
it matters much which. You do not state 
what you intend to raise after the wheat. 
A Subscriber, (address mislaid) sends us a 
pinkish stone and wantsto know what it is aud 
what it is good fur. Ho has seen large masses 
of it iu Mexico. 
Ans. —It Is gypsum, or plaster stone. Chem¬ 
ically it is a sulphate of lime combined with 
two equivalents of water. Its uses in the arts are 
maullold Ground to a powder, it is applied to 
the laud as a fertilizer. When the water is 
driven off, it forms the well known plaster-of- 
Paris used for formiug casts, as a cement, etc. 
Mixed with other substances, as alum, borax, 
sulphate of potash, et various compositions 
are formed that are of more or less importance 
in the arts. 
A. 11.. Oakland Co., Mich., having seen in 
the engraving of the Rural Grounds, iu our 
Fair Number, that a rustic fence incloses them, 
asks how it is made, of what material, if it is 
painted and whether it is durable. 
Ans.. —The fence is made of red cedar, with 
the bark left upon it. The posts were tarred 
seven years ago when the fence was built. 
They arc yet as sound as ever apparently. 
Thu cross-pieces are merely beveled or cut out 
with au axe or saw so as to make them con¬ 
form iu appoarauce with each other or with the 
posts. The work is very simple. Of course, 
uo paiut is used. We consider it very durable. 
T. S. B. asks whore a bran thrasher is man¬ 
ufactured in the Eastern States. 
Ans. —Machines are made for scouring, that 
is, removing every particle of flour or middl¬ 
ings from bran, which is what we suppose you 
refer to. These are called bran " dusters,” or 
scourers, and not thrashers. They are made 
by those who supply gri-t-mill machinery. A 
popular machine ot this kind iu the Eastern 
States is made by Huntley <fcCo., Silver Greek, 
N. Y. Write to them for information on the 
other points inquired about. 
P. P. S , Cornwallis, Oregon, &ends a beetle 
and asks tor its name. 
Ans. The beetle belongs to the family Cer- 
ambyeidte a d the genus Prionns. The species 
has not yet beeu named, as far as we know, 
though it is closely related to Priouus brevi- 
coruis. The fauna of ihe Pacific slope has not 
beeu thoroughly studied up; there are still 
mauy specks which are new to science. To 
classify and name these would be au excelleuf 
opportunity for some enterprising entomolog¬ 
ist to make himself famous. 
J. G. 0., Emporium, Pa., asks whether there 
is any means of detecting the presence of lead 
ore, in the same way that the presence of iron 
is indicated by the magnet. 
Ans.—W e have never heard of any such 
meaus; nor can our inquiries and investiga¬ 
tion discover any ; nor do we believe that any 
exists. 
LI. M. T., Paris, Ark., asks, where eau he 
get a couple of vines of the Duchess grape, 
remarking that he cannot afford much of a 
vineyard, but that he wants a few choice vines 
for home comfort. 
Ans- The Duchess, as remarked here more 
than once wiiliin the last couple of mouths, 
can be had of J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, N. J. 
This is a new variety, and we cannot advise 
our correspondent to invest in ‘‘novelties”, 
however highly we may think of them. Any 
one who enjoys good health is never too old or 
too poor to plant a few good Grape-vines, if he 
can spare the ground. 
H. W. H., JVobscot, Mass., asks: 1, whether 
the " History of a Poor Farm," as published 
during the past year in the Rural, is a true 
story ; 3, whether Cow Peas would be the best 
fodder to sow for winter feed for sheep ; 3, if 
so, where can they be procured. 
Ans —l. It is essentially true. The writer 
owns a poor farm aud is working it up as de¬ 
scribed. 3. Perhaps not. Experiments are 
needed to test ihe value of Cow Peas iu the 
North. 3. We shall distribute them free. We 
learn that somp of our seedsmen propose to 
offer them. 
//. G„ Independence , la., asks as to the 
economy of cooking food for hogs and steers. 
Ans. This query is answered at large by 
Prof. E. W. Stewart under “Herdsman”; our 
friend will apply the general information 
therein contained to his own special circum¬ 
stances. 
W. N. N, Her milage, Mo., sends a mineral 
which he desires us to name, and he wants 
also to know if it contains silver. 
Ans. —The mineral is sulphide of lead (PbS.). 
commonly called galena. It does not contain 
silver. 
S. W., SI. Clara, W. Va., is informed that the 
Chester Mammoth Coru is a yellow variety. 
Communications received for the week ending 
Saturday, Jan. loth. 
C. G,—A. C. H.—O. C.—T. A. E.-J. L.—P. R. U. 
—L J. G.—M. W.—J. 8. W.—A. B. A.—J. H. P. S.— 
\V. C. H.—I. 8.-R. H. S.—N. A. H.—J. W. T.—J. 
W.—R. G.—O. W. H.—A. R. L , thanks.—W. J. B. 
-A. C. S.—E. A. W-—II. A.— E. W. S.—N. J. C.— 
J. D. VV.— J. A. \V„ thanks.—K. R— N T. L.— W. 
O.—M. L. S.—K. T.—H. Y.—G. L. R.—T. H.—S. R. 
W.—T. O.—M. R. N.—B. D.-S. T. M. 
VVHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Cotton in California. “ In 1870, the first 
year that any cotton was grown iu the State, 
34 haks were produced," say6 the good Pacific 
Rural Press “Since then the production has 
beeu irregular—one season ii reached nearly 
300,000 pounds while last year it was but 
163,000 pounds. Most of the cotton received 
here is grown on the banks of the Merced, 
near Hopetou, although it has been raised 
successfully on the King’s River and other 
points in the San Joaquin valley, as well as in 
Los Angeles county. There is a large area of 
laud in the southern section of the State espe¬ 
cially suited for the cultivation of cotton, aud 
whenever the time arrives that proper induce¬ 
ments are offered iu the way of manufacturing 
advantages aud the cultivation shall be carried „ 
ou uuderstaudiugly, California may reckon 
cotton as one of her staple productions. Here¬ 
tofore there has been little encouragement held 
out to those desiring to cugage in its cultiva¬ 
tion—the demand has beeu irregular and the 
want of care iu preparing the laud and caring 
for the plant as well as picking and placing it 
in the market, has not had the effect of im¬ 
proving the staudard quality of the production. 
California ranks with New Orleans middlings 
in the market; the staple is rather short, but 
the color is superior, and if the same care was 
taken as iu the choice of seed and selection of 
fruits aud cereals, there is little doubt that it 
would take a high place in the estimation of 
manufacturers.” 
• How to Remove Bee Glue from the 
Hands Dr. A. B Mason writes as follows in 
the American Bee Journal:—“ I had been ex 
atnining all my hives and my hands were pretty 
badly smeared with the trim*. My next job 
was some repairs iu, aud whitewashing my hen 
house. When washing toy bauds to remove 
the lime, I noticed they became quite yellow*, 
as did the water I was washing in, and I did 
not understand wbut caused it, but I soon dis¬ 
covered that the bee glue was nearly all gone 
from my hands. Since then I keep some 
slaked lime ready for use during the season 
when handliug bees. I moisten the places 
that 1 wish to cleanse and rub with the wet 
lime tiil the propolis is removed. If I use 
much lime, 1 then moisten my bauds with 
vinegar. This is much cheaper than alcohol, 
aud as I am sometimes called from work 
among the bees, to work at some one’s mouth, 
1 am not annoying my patients with the fumes 
of turpentine.” 
A ILvndsome Compliment is paid to us by 
tbe current number of tbe Center Democrat of 
Bellefonte, Pa.: “As a coantry-homejournal 
no one within our knowledge better deserves a 
place at every fireside than the old Rural 
New-Yorker. It is original, independent and 
conscientious to the highest degree, and in all 
respects worthy the entire confidence of its 
readers, The able management of Mr. Moore, 
its founder, baa been succeeded by one much 
more able. Forms aud precedence, sb far as 
they Interfered with the entire independence 
and rapid progress of the paper, have been 
discarded, and it stands to-day alone in a 
number of its more important and valuable 
features. The company which conducts it is 
composed of a few wealthy men who seem to 
work more for the purpose of doing good than 
accumulating riches. Connected with the 
paper are eighty-two acres of ground devoted 
to experiments aud worked in the interests of 
its subscribers." ThaDks, Mr. Woodward. 
Relative Influence of Sex in Fertil¬ 
isation. —IL has been stated that, in order to 
obtain double flowers, it is advisable to make 
use of the pollen from double flowers, where 
it is possible to obtain it, aud to apply it to the 
stigma of single ttowera from which it is de¬ 
sired to procure double-flowered seedlings. 
M. Leruoine, of Nancy, it appears from the 
Heme Horticole, has tried this plan with suc¬ 
cess. and was desirous of experimenting in 
this manner with Lilacs, but tbe ouly double- 
flowered Lilac then kuown haduo stamens, and 
consequently no pollen. M. Lemoiue then de¬ 
cided to reverse the process, und to fertilize 
the stigmas of certain double-flowered Lilacs 
with the pollen from some of the best single 
varieties. The experiment was so far a suc¬ 
cess, that out of forty seedlings thirty at least 
yielded semi-double or double flowers, one of 
them being very remarkable for its beauty. 
Christmas Dinners im California. —It 
would be a matter of surprise to our Eastern 
friends to read a bill of-fare of adiuuersuchas 
we sat down to Christmas Day Iu addition to 
oysters, soup, salmon, turkey, etc., at the 
bottom of the bill-of-fare (they ought, to bo at 
the top), are delicious grapes, strawberries, 
peaches, apples, walnuts, almonds, raisins, etc. 
Aud then a further surprise would appear when 
they were iuformed that peaches are of such 
infinite variety iu Los Angeles, that they are 
ripening from the fifteenth of June till the 
first of December, while grapes are abundant 
from July to December. Oranges are in mar¬ 
ket ten months in the year, and potatoes are 
gathered every month, le not such a laud at¬ 
tractive to lovers of luscious fruit ?—Cal. Hort. 
The Problem.— The editor of the Garden¬ 
er's Monthly says : A., au excellent gentleman, 
does not want the office. B., a poor stick, 
does want it. A. aud his friends stay at home 
and do nothing, believing that the office should 
seek the man. B. has his frihnds actively 
at work. They tell C. D. E. F. and so on, what 
a magnificent fellow B. is. and that if he is 
elected there will he work for all, aud perhaps 
more, which the demagogue knows how to put 
forth plausibly, aud the result is that B. goes 
iuto the office. 
Now, the problem for our good-wishing 
friends to solve is, how to get the office to the 
good man who docs not want it. and to keep 
out the bad but industrious worker who is not 
fit for it. 
England as our Pupil.— It is often seen 
that the home-staying father, partly from af¬ 
fection, but even more from new ideas, mod¬ 
ifies his notions and methods upon the know¬ 
ledge which young Hopeful brings back from 
schooi and college; and, comparing similar 
re’attonship 0 . it is more than probable that 
American may play a similar part to English 
agriculture. The former has nothing to un¬ 
learn ; she has au enormous variety of infor¬ 
mation from a rapidly iuereusing population 
of mixed origin. She may well be able to 
give a lesson to ourselves who are burdeued 
with traditions, aud not always wholesome 
prejudice in favor of what once was in vogue. 
Cotsvvolds in England.—I have always 
been a great admirer of Cotswold sheep as the 
grandest of the lout-wools. Many years ago, 
when I wanted to establish a herd of pure-bred 
sheep in my county, where at the lime the 
principal fei'ure in all herds was mongrelisin, 
I wrote to Mr. J. B. Lawes (who knew my 
district well), and asked him what breed of 
sheep he would advise me to go in for. Here- 
plied that, according to his experiments, the 
Cotswnlds gave the greatest weight of flesh in 
proportion to the expenditure for food.—Yeo- 
uiuu's Note Book. 
How to Use Hen Manure.—As soon as he 
has his poultry houses cleaued, Mr. Kern tells 
the Ohio Farmer, he takes the manure and 
spreads it over his wheat field, or a poor spot 
iu his meadow, andyoucau take his word that 
a man with uue eye can see where he puts it. 
To put hen tnutmre iu a box or barrel and keep 
it one year before it is put to a crop, he thinks 
is a wrong way. 
