MARCH 20 
THE RURAL MEW-YOBKEB. 
often ronfouuded, but they are really quite dis¬ 
tinct, the former being a uativeof the eyaletof 
Angora in Asia Minor, about 230 miles E S.E. 
of Constantinople, and the latter a native of 
Cashmere, Thibet. Tartary, and Mongolia. The 
Angora’s hair covers the whole body aud a 
great part of the legs with close, silky ringlets. 
It is composed of two kinds, the one short, 
coarse, and of the nature of hair, lying close to 
the skin; the other long and curly, and of the 
nature of wool, forming the outer covering. 
Both sorts are used by manufacturers, but the 
latter, of which the bulk is much the greater, 
is much the more valuable. The average clip, 
which is taken in the spring, amounts to 
about2J pounds, The best quality comes from 
castrated males, females producing the next 
best. The Cashmere goats have delicate heads 
with long, wide, semi-pendulous ears. The 
hair varies in length, fineness und color with 
different animals. As in the Angora, the coat 
is composed of two materials; but here it is 
the under coat that resembles wool, and the 
outer, hair. Tho inside one, always of a uni¬ 
form grayish-white tint, is beautifully soft and 
silky, atul of a Huffy description, like down. The 
inner coat only is sold, aud this, which is 
combed out in Bpring, in a good specimen 
weighs half a pound. The Angora gout was 
iutroduccd into South Carolina in 1849, and 
from that and subsequent importations it lias 
been pretty widely destributed over the coun¬ 
try since. It has thriven best in California, 
but even from there the latest accounts of its 
profitableness arc not encouraging. A few of 
them among sheep may be useful, however, 
beyond tho intrinsic worth of their fleeces, as 
they are said to be a 6uro protection against 
dogs. There is no regular market iu this 
country for their wool, which is known as 
mohair. The price ranges from 40 cents to $1 
per pound; the factories—of which there is 
one at Jamestown, N. Y., and others in Phila¬ 
delphia—payiDgabout60 cents to65cents. The 
fleeces here are very uneven, and generally of 
poor quality, and imported mohair is generally 
used. Cashmere goats were introduced here 
by Dr. J. B. Davis, of Columbia, S. C., some 
years ago; and from that place the stock was in¬ 
troduced into Tenn and some other States; but 
it has greatly deteriorated everywhere, except 
perhaps in California; and from there no late 
accounts have reached us on the subject. 
About Sorghum. 
E. B., Greenville. IS. C.. ask 1, which is the 
best variety of sorghum for that section; 2, 
where can seeds be had and at what price; 3, 
whether any work treating of the subject has 
been published. 
ANSWERBT C. M. SCHWARZ. 
The best varieties for auy section can only 
be found by actual test in planting several of 
the best known. I would recommend the three 
best for sugar and slrnp, commeneiug with 
Early Amber as the first to ripen, although not 
yieldingquite as much as the later, nor as 
much South as it does North. Next comes 
Early Orange, stalks short hut heavy, like 
those of the Liberian of which it is a cross, 
ripening 12 to 15 days later than Early Amber, 
Honduras is next, the latest but largest of all, 
but I would not recommend it north of the 
latitude of St. Louis. For 6irup alone the Li¬ 
berian is perhaps the be6t; it will not make 
sugar, but stands any amount of rough treat¬ 
ment. It is for that reason called the lazy 
man's caue. Tho comparative yield with mo 
this season (being a very dry one) per acre in 
gallons of heavy sirup, wae:~Earljr Amber, 150; 
Early Oraugo and Liberian. 190; Honduras, 
230. 2, I can furnish seed of either at 40 cents 
per pound by mail postpaid; 20 cents by ex¬ 
press ; 10 pounds or more, 15 cents per pound. 
3, The proceedings of the Miss. V. C. G. Asso¬ 
ciation, published in book form by I. A Hedges 
St. Louis, Mo., price 51, is perhaps the best 
for general information on the subject. Bly- 
myer’s Annual on Sorgo, can be had free by 
addressing Blymyer M'f’g Co., Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 
The best results are obtained here by plant¬ 
ing in drills averaging two stalks to the foot 
n the row, and rows three and one-half to 
four feet apart. Cultivate like corn, but tho 
seed should be covered very lightly. The crop 
is not to be worked after it is four feet high. 
A nice-looking sirup can be made by rapidly 
boiling dowu tbe juice without the use of lime 
or other re-agents ; bat this will not remove 
the objectionable Borghum flavor, and to defe¬ 
cate successfully requires a good deal of ex¬ 
perience, To defecate well, heat the juice in a 
plain pau to 180 => Fahr. to coagulate the 
vegetable albumen ; then mix in milk of lime 
13* or 15° density of Beaiune saceharoraeter, 
3 to 5 pints to 100 gallons of juice—the quan¬ 
tity varies with cane grown in different soils. 
Bring to boiling heat aud draw the fire—it 
should not boil. In a few minutes the 6cum 
may be taken off and the j nice run out to settle. 
To retain a light color the juice should bo 
made slightly acid again before evaporating. 
Dilute 6u)phurie, muriatic or citric acid, or good 
vinegar can bo used for that purpose, but it 
must be borne in mind that those acids can 
only be used for sirup; they will invert the 
sugar, I diij not meution the pQxous alum 
compound for the reason that it is troublesome 
for beginners to use. I would not advise these 
to defecate unless they have first had a chance 
to see it done by an expert. This will of course 
exclude them from making sugar. 
Ed wards vllle, Ill. 
Thumps In Horses. 
IF. M. K., Washington, I). G., has a young 
horse that puffs and blows very hard after 
having been driven briskly for a mile or two. 
During the warm weather last summer he 
did not blow under the hardest driving but 
began to puff just as soon as cold weather 
came on. After long or constant driving he 
gets a “ second wind,” and stops blowing. 
On the second day lately after having been 
driven bard, he seemed affected with the 
“ thumps,” but later ou, seemed to be ull right, 
and the ailment aud a remedy are sought. 
Ans. —This trouble arises from functional 
disorder of the heart, and is known as thumps. 
The blowing is caused by interference with 
the action of the lungs by the interrupted cir¬ 
culation. The action is intermittent aud ir¬ 
regular and usually comes ou after some ex¬ 
citement, such as severe wotk or rapid move¬ 
ment. The proper treatment is to keep the 
animal quiet for a lime, during which u regu¬ 
lar course of sedatives aud t'mics should be 
administered. These cousietof 15-grain doses 
of digitulis given three times daily lor a week, 
and then half a drachm of iodide of iron with 
four drachms of powdered gentian root given 
daily. The feeding should be the most nu¬ 
tritious aud digestible; for instance, ground 
or crushed oats, 6ound hay and, once a day, 
two quarts of linseed steeped in hot water for 
12 hours, with two quarts of wheat bran al¬ 
ternately. 
Mixing Cream from Fresh and Farrow Cows. 
Af. B., Andover, AT. 1"., asks whether the 
cream from a farrow cow’s milk mixed with 
cream from a fresh cow's milk will make tho 
same amount of butter as if the cream from 
each cow were churned separately. 
Ans.—I t iB impossible to say precisely, be¬ 
cause the conditions are such that no exact re¬ 
sult can ever be known and only relative knowl¬ 
edge can be gained. Thus wo may add the 
creams -together and churn them and produce 
60 much butter; but it is obvious that we can 
go no further, and cannot tell what would 
have happened had the creams been churned 
separately. We may also churn tho creams 
separately and get so much butter, hut wo can 
uever know what tho result would have been 
had the creams been mixed. A good many 
years’ experience confirms the opiaion of the 
writer that more butter is made by mingling 
the cream of a herd than by churning separ¬ 
ately. Sometimes a farrow cow’s cream will 
not churn alone, but will make butter when 
mixed with other cream. 
Treatment or Coma on a Horse’s Foot. 
W. H, J., Newark, N. J. asks how to treat a 
corn on his horse's foot. 
Ans. —Corns in a horse are different from 
those on the skin of a human being. They 
are first produced by blows or braises which 
start inflammation aud the formation of mat¬ 
ter under the sole, or cause a deposit of horny 
matter which presses upon the sensitive inner 
parts of the foot. They are frequent in flat- 
footed horses, the frogs of whose feet have 
been pared away so as to bring the sole to the 
ground and subject it to continued bruises 
from stones. The usual mode of shoeing is 
one that protects the tender spots on the sole 
Irorn blows in traveling. This is to put a shoe 
of sole-leather under tho iron shoe and stuff 
under the leather with tow soaked ia glycerine 
to keep the sole cool and moist. If the sole is 
very tender, the feet should be prepared for 
shoeing by keepiug them upon a puddle of wet 
clay for a few days, and by frequeut dressings 
of cold water and by giving tbe horse a cool¬ 
ing medicine, as eight to twelve ounces of Ep¬ 
som salts. 
To Mnlie a Hot-Bed. 
L. G., Brownxboro, Ala., asks how to make 
a hot-bed. 
Ans.— Dig out a pit two feet deep, six feet 
wide aud as long as needed, line the sides with 
rough boards which at the front, or toward the 
south, reach three inches above the ground and 
at the back nine inches above ground. Fill this 
with a mixture of stable manure and leaves 
which have been turned over a couple of times 
so as to be heated uniformly throughout. Put 
on six inches of light soil, aud when this is 
uniformly heated aud the heat in the soil has 
fallen below 90 deg , as shown by the thermom¬ 
eter, the seed may be sown. Hot-bed sashes 
can be bought already made at. sash-and-blind 
factories; theusuil size is three by six feet. 
When the soil is ready to plant, strips should 
be uailed across the frame on which to slide 
the sashes. In the North the depth of the bed 
should be 2^ to three feet so as to allow room 
for a sufficient amount of heating material 
After the plants are up give air liberally by 
raising the sashes. 
Roots for Sheep. 
J. S., Kendallville, Ind., has 200 head of 
sheep, all of thorn owes, aud haying this spring 
felt the need of roots for them, be asks which 
would be the best kind for them ; will one acre 
produce enough for such a ilock ; how much 
seed should be used per acre. 
Ans. —Raise the Kinver Yellow Globe or the 
Long Red mangel. Oue sheep will eat a peck 
of cut roots per day; 200 sheep will eat 50 
bushels daily or 5,000 bushels in 100 days, but 
two quarts daily will give an excellent supply 
of this kind, so that about 1,200 bushels would 
be the smallest allowance for this flock. A fair 
crop would be 800 bushels per acre. If the 
seed is sown by band iu tbe drills, six pounds 
per acre will be sufficient ; sow as early as pos¬ 
sible after the grow ud is in good condition for 
working. 
Crippled Uogi. 
M. W., Laporle, Neb., a&ks what ails her 
hogs; they first lost the use of their hind legs 
and then of their fore legs and are badly crip¬ 
pled up. They were doctored for kidney 
worms, without auy good results. Their appe¬ 
tite is good, however. 
Ans.— We would certaiuly advise the remo¬ 
val of these swine to higher ground and good 
beds as well as cover from iuclement weather. 
Then give a full purgative, as castor oil, three 
to five ounces, according to size of animal. 
Afterwards give tonics twice a day—either 
sulphate of iron, pulverized and one-half tea- 
spoonful mixed with feed, or tincture of nux 
voiuiea, one-half ounce doses. Perhaps a blis¬ 
ter over the spine will be required if the pig is 
very sick. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. G., Fremont, Minn., asks, 1, whether 
European carp would thrive in a pond 12 rods 
long, five rods wide and 12 feet deep in the 
deepest part; 2, where can they be had; 3, 
where can the veterinary works referred to in 
Querist Department of Kuual for Feb. 14, be 
purchased. 
Ans.—1 . European carp will thrive well in 
any pond in which the water is not too cold. 
A temperature of 60 degrees suits them best. 
A deep pond wou d be necessary iu Minnesota 
where the climate is cold in the winter. Vege¬ 
table food is required and a swampy shore or 
muddy bottom with water plants, is the most 
suitable. 2. We do not know where they are 
to be procured. Perhaps the Commissioner 
of Agriculture at Washington can inform you. 
3. Any book referred to in these columns may 
be procured through any local bookseller from 
his New York agen t or from the American News 
Company, New York. The latter will also tell 
the prices. 
A subscriber—no address —complains that 
some inquiries sent us formerly were not an¬ 
swered, and asks, 1, do fancy-foliaged Calad- 
iurns blossom; 2, is there a epotted Calla; 3, 
should the young bulbs that form round the 
roots of a Calla be removed: 4, the name of a 
plant a specimen of which was sent us; 5, what 
will thoroughly clean a blue cashmere dress 
without injury. 
Ans. —We have frequently said here that the 
name and address of each inquirer must be 
sent to secure attention to his or her questions; 
tho non-compliance with this rule was prob¬ 
ably the cause why the former questions were 
not answered. 1. They are pbamogamous or 
flowering plants, but do uot usually blossom 
under ordinary greeubouse culture. 2. No. 
3. Yes, in May and set out in the open ground. 
4. We nave not received the specimen referred 
to. 5. We recommend "Household Ammonia” 
for the cashmere dress ; it can bo procured at 
almost any grocery store. 
II. G, F., Elmira, N. Y., has a rose bush 
that was purchased several years ago of a 
traveling man for $1.50, but although it has 
made a vigorous growth every year it has 
never bloomed. It has been propagated and 
the young plants possess the same nou-bloom- 
iug peculiarity. He asks how to treat the 
plants to make them bloom. 
Ans —.Arc you sure it is a rose bush ? We 
have heard of a traveling man selling a Vir¬ 
ginia Creeper for a Grapevine, this may be 
a parallel case. We can suggest no course 
of treatment that will oblige this doubtful 
character to bloom. 
W. 17., Cambridge, Mass., asks what books 
on botany aud bee-cnlture we would recom¬ 
mend for beginners. 
Ans.— For young students use Gray’s Lessons 
in Botany, price 51.50; for pupils of maturer 
minds, Gray’s Structural Botany and Wood's 
Botanist and Florist are both good ; cost about 
53.00 each ; can be had through book stores. 
For Instruction in bee-eultnre use Cook's Man¬ 
ual of the Apiary, published by T. G. Newman 
<fe Son, Chicago, Ill., price $1.00. 
W. U. IF., Hanervilfe, Wis ., asks where can 
he get seeds of Iris lievigata, I. aurea, and some 
others. * 
Ans. —All seedlings of Iris laevigata (known 
as Kiempferi in catalogues) are almost sure to 
have beautiful flowers. Iris aurea is rare in 
cultivation, but all may be had from Woolson 
& Co., Passaic, N. J. 
M. T., East Shelby, N. Y., a6ks if mangels 
will do well on a timothy sod, plowed fresh 
this spring. The land, which Is a heavy loam 
with clay subsoil, has been in pasture for 
many years, and is very rich. 
Ans. —If the land is well pulverize 1 we see 
no reason why it should not give a good crop 
of mangels, though the soil would be better 
fitted hud it been plowed in tbe fall. 
A.A.B., Jamaica, N. Y, Bays: “Please inform 
me what kind of grass is suitable for woods, 
pastures ; when to sow the seed and what 
amount is required per acre.” 
Ans. —Kentucky blue grass and orchard 
grass. The seed may be sown early iu the 
spring at the rate of one bushel of each per 
acre; but the grass should not be used for pas¬ 
ture until the fall. 
A. IF, River Fads, His., has some late tur¬ 
keys which are lame, some In the foot and 
some in the joints, and a remedy is asked for. 
Ans.— Little can be done for this sort of 
lameness. Rub the legs with alcohol and cam¬ 
phor, or kerosene and sweet oil, twice daily 
for three or four days and give stimulating 
food, such as dough made with oatmeal, 
chopped onions, etc. 
A. 8., Lawyer settle, N. Y, asks 1, whether 
the Plymouth Rock and the Brown Leghorn 
would make a valuable cross; 2, is Soul’s 
wheat a valuable variety, where can it be ob¬ 
tained and its price. 
Ans. —1. We have heard good accounts of 
such a cross, and in view of the excellence of 
both parents, the offspring should turn out 
good. We don't know the variety. 
I). G. 77., Homer, N. Y., sends the flower 
and leaf of a plant, the name of which she 
would like to learn. It was given to her as a 
Cactus. It ha3 a great many thorns on the 
branches, bears small cymes of red flowers and 
blooms all through the winter. 
Ans.— The flower sent is that of Euphorbia 
splendens. It ia not a Cactus, or in any way 
related to it. 
J. T. II., Woodbury, Ky., asks for a good 
bee journal. 
Ans.— The American Bee Journal, published 
byT. G. Newman «fc Son, Chicago, III., is an 
excellent monthly. The Bee-Keepers’ Maga¬ 
zine, 61 Hudson Street, N. Y. City, and the 
Bee-Keepers’ Exchange, Canajoharie, N. Y., 
are other journals on the subject. 
R. W. NorthviUe, Fa., sends a flower and 
leaf ami asks for the name of the plant, and 
how to take care of it. 
Ans.—I t is Oxalis rosea, commonly culti¬ 
vated in greenhouses. After flowering let the 
bulbs dry out to give the plant rest. Repot in 
fresh soil m September. 
W. II., Savannah, Ga., asks how can he de¬ 
termine the weight of horse and cow manure 
in a pile 30 feet long, 15 feet wide and feet 
high. 
Ans. —Manure in a fresh condition weighs 60 
pounds to the cubic foot. Your pilo contains 
2.925 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 87 or 68 
tons. 
A. 0. M., New Gloucester. Me., asks, which 
is the best creamery in the market. 
Ans.— It would be invidious to decide which 
is the best-, but the following are several ex¬ 
cellent ouesr—the Ferguson Bureau Creamery, 
the Cooley, the Reid, and the Mosely and Stod¬ 
dard. 
J. J. W, Nodaway, Iowa, asks where in the 
West can he buy, 1, Jersey Red Pigs, and, 2, 
Oxfordshire Down Sheep. 
Ans.— 1, Smock & Blakely, Monroe, Green 
Co., Wis.; 2, Mrs. Ann Newton, Pontiac, Mich.; 
S. H. Todd, Wakeman, Ohio. 
E. II., Kirkland, III., asks where and at what 
price is a paper devoted exclusively to garden¬ 
ing published. 
Ans. —Gardener’s Monthly, published by 
Charles H. Marot, 814 Chestnut Street, Phila¬ 
delphia; terms, 53.10 per annum. 
A Subscriber, Paxton, III., asks where can a 
6mall bone crusher be obtained. 
Ans. —Write to the Blake Crushing Machine 
Co., of New Haven, Conn., and give your name, 
not a nom-de plume as here. 
A. J. F., Windom, Minn., asks whether the 
Pulvermacher Electric Galvanic Belt Co. of 
this city is quite reliable. 
Ans —Ye6, thoroughly so. The same can 
also be said of tbe branch office in Cincinnati. 
J. E. & C. J. P-, Eornellsville, N. Y., want 
the address of a firm engaged in the manu¬ 
facture of pickles. 
Ans.— Bogle & Lyles, 87 Park Place, New 
York. 
A. F. R.. Yorkville, Ohio, asks which is the 
best season to cut Sugar Maple for boards. 
Ans —In tho fall. 
» ♦ 
W. II. J.—G. G. K.—F. D. C.—H. T. A.— A. J. H. 
—A. M.-J. W. S.—It. T.—A. T.—A. W-—N. J. B. 
—H. M.—J. A. P.-B. F. T.-G. W.— S. G. J.—A. 
J. F.—A Subscriber.—J. E. Du B.—N. C.—M. w, 
H.—W. R. B.-W. F.-A. B. A.-F. D. C.— A. A W. 
—Airs. W. V. A.—Mrs. T. D. M.—Mrs. M. L. 8.— 
Mm. C. E. J.-L. S. II.—S. H. R.—Mrs. V. F. W.— 
J. T. L.—II. O. F.—G. D. N.—A. B. A.—li. S.—C. 
L, J. r bulbs received,—C, R. D.—L. R. D,—C, N, 
