9 
THE B0 Fi AL I3EW-Y0BKEB. 
771 
although of A1 quality, turned out only about 
half a crop. Spring wheat got hurt by the 
frost and most of it will only make chicken- 
feed. Oats turned out good; the frost hurt 
them but little. Potatoes were good, both in 
quantity and quality. A. a. 
Kan., Parsons, Labette Co,, Nov., 2.—We 
have had ice a quarter of an inch thick. 
Wheat never looked better in spite of the 
small rainfall; our dry time is of two years’ 
duration and is manifested now in the drying 
up of the creeks. The R. R. shops here are 
bringing water on the tenders for the use of 
the shops. Further west the roads have car¬ 
ried the water for the use of the engines, 
nearly 200 miles. The two eastern tiers of 
counties in the State have nearly an average 
crop of corn, but it is known that Kansas 
will need all the corn that she has raised. 
Hay is being shipped from Kansas City 200 
miles west for the use of stockmen. Can this 
pay? No, but a gieater 1o6b may thus be 
avoided. Why don’t they sell the stock? 
Because the stock is so thin it is not salable, 
aud the hope is entertained that a mild Win¬ 
ter and the dry grasses of the Southwest will 
tide them over the Winter. Corn is being 
brought to maikat rapidly and being 
shipped as far as Galveston, Texas. It is as 
dry as corn is in Illinois in May. Wheat, 
potatoes, oats, apples and flour are being 
shipped to Texas. Cabbage, onions etc., also 
pass here daily iu car-loads to the same 
destination, and there never passes a train 
from or to St. Louis that has no lager beer cars. 
Texas has a good crop of corn this year, 
but probably not half as much as is required. 
Her corn is generally poor iu quality, and the 
weevil makes sad havoc with it. Cotton and 
sugar growing will continue to buy bread- 
stuffs and meats from the West, simply be¬ 
cause it is a matter of economy, in spite of the 
spasmodic cry of raising enough for home 
consumption. We are haviug the business 
boom strong. Bricklayers are receiving $5 
per day and carpenters are receiving $2 25—an 
increase of 50 cents in two months. Winter 
wheat is worth GO to 75e; corn 21c; oats, 25c; 
flour, choice, $3 35 per 100 lbs. by the quantity; 
potatoes, 00c; onions, 60c; apples, 50c ; coal 
12Jc; per bushel; pine lumber, $25 to $50 per 
1000 feet; castor beans, 85c. per bushel of 46 
pounds. The price a mouth ago was $1.30. 
The crushers have agreed to crush prices. 
The crop was light this year, but the high 
prices at which most of the crop was sold 
have made it the be6t payiug crop of the year. 
As usual farmers are all “going into beans’' 
next year, when, of course, the few crush¬ 
ers will pay them just enough to induce them 
to put lb another crop. •!. b. 
Mich., Fowlerville, Livingston Co., Oet. 
30.—Wheat is worth 9Gc ; corn, 25e ; potatoes, 
25c; butter, 20c; eggs, 16c, so we farmers 
ought not to liud much fault. H. o. 
N. Y., Erieville, Madison Co., Nov. 8.—The 
Eunobled Oats would have done splendidly were 
it not for the grasBhoupers. The straw grew 
very heavy aud the heads were fine ; but the 
hoppers took more tbau half of them. I only 
got three quarts, but these 1 have put carefully 
by and hope for better luck next year. The cow- 
peas I planted m rows about feet apart, and 
oue foot apart in the rows. They grew about 
two feet high, spread out about four feet aud 
made a perfect mat. They ripened iu Septem¬ 
ber and I have saved seed enough to try them 
again in a larger way uuxt year. The Beauty 
of Hubion potato did splendidly this year. 
Last year I had bad luck with it; but I saved 
“ seed ” enough to plant 72 bills this year. The 
first ton hills I dug would have made a bushel, 
but 1 left a part of them in the ground until 
late when 1 found them badly rotted. They 
ought to be dug when mature; then there is 
no danger of their rotting if stored in a cool 
cellar. My cellar is cool and dry aud my po¬ 
tato bin is raised six inches fiom the cement 
floor and in itthe tubers are put as soon as dug. 
If there are any signs of rottenness iu any the 
affected tubers are sorted out, aud whenever a 
new load is added, I sprinkle u little uusluked 
lime over them, aud I’ve never had a potato to 
rot. Blount’s Coru 1 planted agaiu this season, 
and itdidu’t grow so high as. it did last year. 
It had two to three ears on a stalk and part of 
U ripened. 1 think that next year I can get 
it all to ripen, if we have a good corn year. I 
plauled the Bearl Millet on Juae 10, and it 
grew eight feet high aud headed, aud 1 think 
some ol the seed will grow, but 1 hardly thiuk 
it would be safe to raise it here for a fodder 
plant—as it was a warm sandy place on which 
I tried it. Some Early Amber Sugar-cane of 
mine grew L2 feat high and ripened seed; I 
could raise it as well as coru, if enough of my 
neighbors also grew it so that we could get 
the proper machinery for rnakiug sirup. 
s. J. v. c. 
New Yoke, Corning, Steuben Co., Nov. 3.— 
Wheat Is looking flue—very different from 
what it looked a year ago. The past season 
has been one of good cheer to the farmer; for 
most crops have been good, aud although they 
may not bring so much money as on some 
other years, he naturally feels better with 
heavy crops, than with light ones. Apples 
have been a very heavy crop here as well as in 
other places, and we are obliged to dispose of 
them at a very low price and thousands of 
bushels will not be gathered; but they will not 
be lost for all that, for the cattle aud other 
animals can make good use of them, as it is 
found of late years that they are of much more 
value lor stock feeding than was formerly sup¬ 
posed. I hear the Beauty of Hebron Potato 
spoken well of by all who have Lied it. Many 
farmers complaiu of the Early Vermont rot¬ 
ting badly, while other varieties, by the side 
of them, rotted but very little. What is the 
verdict of the Rukal Nbw-Yohkbk’s readers? 
Is it more subject to rot than other varieties? 
Corn husking is not yet completed. More 
plums were raised the past season thau in sev¬ 
eral ytaiB together. I tried Lhe experiment of 
planting field corn in drills this year, and will 
say that, for one, I do not like the plan at all; 
for it is more work all through the season, and 
the corn was not as good as where planted in 
hills. The best method, I believe, is to row it 
both ways, so as to run the cultivator both 
ways. f. h d. 
®j?r <$turai 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and 
address of the writer to insure attention.] 
West Highland Cattle, 
It. If., Lovett, Md., asks : what sort of cat. 
tie are the West Highlanders, and whether any 
have been imported into this country. 
Ans. The West Highland cattle, also known 
as Kyloes, are a 6mall breed, the weight of a 
well-fed bullock usually ranging from 600 to 
800 pounds—flesh, hide and tallow. TheY are 
an original breed, bred for centuries in the 
Scotch Highlands and the Hebrides, the rough- 
cat elitnute and country in Great Britain. O w¬ 
ing to the nature of their ranges and thorough 
treatment they receive, they possess great har¬ 
dihood and endurance, and the bulls are re¬ 
markable for their power of transmitting their 
special characteristics to their progeny when 
crossed on cows of other strains. They mature 
early aud their tte6h is beautifully interlarded 
and laid ou thickly on the choice points. From 
exposure to inclement weather for centuries 
their coat is very shaggy and thick, enabling 
them well to withstand the rigors of Winter. 
They are very picturesque and aristocratic iu 
appearauce and hence are highly prized for 
pasturing among deer in English parks. Their 
prevailing colors are black, red, yellow, dun, 
cream and hr in die. Thu head is short with 
fine muzzle; the forehead broad and overhung 
with long, shaggy hair ; the eye prominent; 
the horns wide and curving gracefully; the 
ribs boldly arched ; the legs short and muscu¬ 
lar; the back straight; aud, as remarked, the 
body covered with a profusion of shaggy hair. 
We do uot know of any importations of cattle 
of this breed into this country; though they 
would certainly be profitable in some of the 
rugged regions of the West, as their hardiness 
of constitution aud thick coats would adapt 
them excellently to the conditions of such dis¬ 
tricts, while their activity would enable them Lo 
pick up a livelihood where other breeds would 
starve, especially as, like sheup, thej ihrive on 
coarse pasturage which others would refuse. 
Moreover, their beef would be just the thing for 
exportation, as its finely marbled character 
always secures the top prices iu the English 
mat kets—usually a couple of cents a pound 
above that of any other breed. 
Composting Wooten Waste, 
F. (}. H,, Worcester, Mass., says: “I have a 
quantity of waste shoddy from a satinet mill, 
principally wool shoddy. I wish to work it 
into a compost to fertilize a kiteheu garden. 
What chemicals would be best to mix with the 
shoddy aud old leaves end rofuse from the gar¬ 
den, to decompose the wool so as to make it 
into a line compost? There are large quanti¬ 
ties of this waste shoddy thrown away in this 
country, aud if you could inform your readers 
how to work it up properly, it would be appre¬ 
ciated. Its effects are excellent, scattered ou 
grass land, but it mats together when used in 
the garden, so one cauuot cultivate easily.” 
Ans. —Wool waste decays or putrefies slowly, 
partly because it is greasy, aud the treatment 
it requires is such as will i^move the lac. If 
the material is soaked iu putrid urine or ma¬ 
nure water, or in milk of lime, the removal is 
accomplished in part. In the last case where 
lime is used the fiber is made much more fri¬ 
able. A similar effect is produced by steam 
under a pressure ol three or lour atmospheres. 
We should therefore recommend that if this 
last process cauuot be applied, the shoddy be 
soaked in thick milk of lime, and then to 
worked into a compost with the manure of 
the yard. ‘Some more euergetic mixiuro is 
needed thau old leaves or garden refusii—some¬ 
thing that is itself strongly prone to putrefac¬ 
tion. But if no other materials than these can 
be had for composting, the addition of a mod¬ 
erate quantity of lime to the mixture, the shod¬ 
dy having been previously itself soaked in 
milk of lime, may hasten the decomposition. 
The pile should be kept always moist, but not 
soaking wet, and should be forked over from 
time to time to keep it porous aud secure free 
access of air. 
Paralysis of the Hindquarters of Pigs. 
B. R. IF., Lilts, Mo., has a couple of six- 
months-old pigs that cauaot stand on their 
hind legs, though otherwise they appear to be 
iu good condition and eat heartily ; they drag 
themselves along on their fore legs and cauuot 
use their hindquarters, and he asks for the 
cause and a remedy. 
Ans.— Paralysis of the hindquarters of pigs 
is due to various causes. If there is a sore¬ 
ness or tenderness on pressure over the loins, 
it may be due to either a Bprain. rheumatism or 
lumbago. It may also be owing to the pres¬ 
ence of a large number of worms in the intes¬ 
tines, coupled with constipation. Diseases of 
the spinal marrow or its envelopes, scrofula 
affecting the bony structure and “ kiduey 
worms” may all produce weakness of the 
hindquarters. Owiogtothe number of differ¬ 
ent causes to any one of which the ailment 
may be due. it is hardly possible to prescribe 
at a distance lhe best sort of treatment. If 
owing to worms in the kidneys. Fowler’s solu¬ 
tion of arsenic may be given in doses of a 
spooufnl morning and evening, every second 
week for sometime. If the cau-eisnot Known, 
it would be well, as a general treatment, to 
apply over the loins a liniment made of one 
part of powdered cautbarides, two parts of oil 
of turpentine and two of olive oil. If there 5 b 
costiveness, give to each pig from one to three 
drachms of powdered castor-oil seeds and a 
quarter to half a pound of rye flour mixed 
in a pint to a quart of sour milk or thin gruel 
the first thing in the morniDg, and repeat it 
once a week, the qnantity depending on the 
age of the pig. Besides this, it would be well 
to give, twice daily, fifteen grains of powdered 
camphor, four grains of powdered nux vom¬ 
ica, hi If a drachm each of powdered aniseed 
and ginger ; mix with a little treacle and rub 
ou the roots of the tongue. Half the dose will 
be enough fer pigs less than three months old. 
Give sloppy or steamed food and plenty of 
sour milk. A few sliced raw onions daily in 
the food are good, and free access to clear 
drinking water is necessary. A cure in 
such cases is generally slow and uncertain. 
Ilee Uneries. 
R T., Cleveland, N. Y. asks : 1, the best time 
in the year to purchase bees ; 2. about how 
many bees in a strODg colony; 3. what would 
be the price per colony with hive; 4. how 
many pounds of honey per colony for winter¬ 
ing- 
Ans. 1. It is safe to purchase an y time in Sum¬ 
mer. If purchased in April or May one should 
get strong colonies, and he can afford to pay 
more for them than later on, as he will get 
more honey from them. If one purchases bees 
iu the Fall, he should insist ou getting them at 
least one-third cheaper than the regular price 
in Spring, or else the seller should guarantee 
that they will wiuter safely. It is always 
bestto get the bees from somu apiarian near at 
hand. 2. A prosperous colony at the begin¬ 
ning of the swarming season consists of a fer¬ 
tile queen, a few hundred drones aud about 
40,000 workers. 3. The price will depend 
somuwhut upon the relation of supply aud de¬ 
maud ; but it will give a fair idea of what it 
should be, to say that for box hives crowded 
with black bees—Italians are rarely found in 
such hives—five dollars per colony are about 
a fair price. For the same sort of bees in 
hives such as one may desire to use, eight dol 
lars per colony are a reasonable price. For 
pure Italians in such hives, ten dollars per 
colony are not too high a figure. 4. To win¬ 
ter safely each colony should have 30 pounds 
by weight of good capped honey. 
Miscellaueoua. 
J. II. S., Chetco, Oregon, asks, 1, what sorts 
of watermelons aud inuskuielons would be ti e 
best for that climate; 3. what is ammoniated 
bone dust; 3, its cost; 4, how much of it 
should be put in a bill; 5, is the Canada Victor 
Tomato earlier than Hathaway’s Excelsior. 
Ans -1, We cannot answer this question. The 
best way is to procure a paper of each adver¬ 
tised in seedsmens' catalogues aud plant a few 
hills of each. We have tried all kinds of mel¬ 
ons at our Experiment Grouuds. But we 
have uo idea what would thrive best in your 
very different soil and climate. 2, “ Ammon¬ 
iated bone dust” is the addition of blood or 
flesh or guano, sulphate of ammonia or some 
other nitrogenous manures, to hone. Bone 
(raw) also furnishes ,-ome ammonia. 3, About 
$85 per ton- 4, A mblespoonfni would sufflee. 
We should not put it in the hill. It is better 
to mix it with the soil. 5, There is no differ¬ 
ence worth speaking about between them. 
G. H., Fountain Green , Del., asks, 1, whether 
catalpa seeds should be planted this Fall; 3, is 
the rhododendron hardy in that latitude, aud 
what would be their price ? 
Ans.— 1. Better place the catalpa seeds in 
boxes of sand and bury the boxes. Flant next 
Spring. 3. Some rhododendrons are hardy, 
some are not, for your climate. Try the fol¬ 
lowing Lee’s Dark Purple, Grandiflorum, 
Ptirpurenm elegans, Album elegars Everestia- 
num, Roseum superbum. Rhododendron Cataw- 
blense grows wildfrom Virginia southward and 
is very pretty. R. maximum grows in the 
North and 8outb. westward to Ohio. The 
v rietie- first, mentioned would cost at retail 
about one dollar each. Many of the catalogue* 
we shall notice between J jnuary and March in 
our columns will furnish L3ts and prices. 
J. T II . Cauidll, N. Y., says he is going to 
Maryland to start a small fnjil orchard of 
2,000 trees with a small capital, and be asks our 
advice as to selecting thebest kinds fortheNew 
York market, also the names of a couple of 
trustworthy nurseryman in that section. 
Ans —The best way to ascertain what fruit 
to plant in Maryland for the New York market 
and what will succeed best in the location in 
which our friend intends to settle, is to visit 
that neighborhood and make inquiries of the 
fruitgrowers there as to the most valuable and 
profitable kinds to plant. D S. Myers, Bridge- 
ville, Delaware is a reliable nurseryman and so 
are the Iloopes Brothers and Thon a*, West 
Chester. Chester Co., Pa.; and so is John Saul, 
Washington, D C. 
R. II , Circleville, Ya , asks 1, how many 
cows should a fifteen-months-old bull be al¬ 
lowed to serve—would one serving every 
couple of days be too much ; 2, how many 
ewes a day should a ram serve. 
Ans— 1 Once every second day will not be too 
often for a short season, if the bull is kept in 
good coudition. 3, Four ewes a day would 
not be too much for a Cotswold or South Down 
ram properly fed and in good condition; under 
like circumstances a Merino ram would serve 
six or eight. Only one serving should be per¬ 
mitted. the ewe being removed immediately 
thereafter. 
L R. B-, Kmyon, O.. asks if the one dollar 
corn sbeller advertised in our columns is good 
for anything—if it is worth one dollar. 
Ans —We sent to the agents for one lo try, 
having the tips and butts of a large quantity 
of corn to shell for seed. It suited us exactly 
and we would not part with it for consider¬ 
ably more than its cost, if we could not get 
another. 
E C.. Menard, Texas, in the Rukae of Oct. 
3, asked the name of an English work on sheep 
husbandry in Australia and New Zealand. 
“Australian," now of Yakima City, Wash¬ 
ington Territoiy. writes us that "The Manage¬ 
ment of Sheep and Stations,” by James C. Jor¬ 
dan, published by Geo Robertson, 69 Elizabeth 
Street, Melbourne, is old but good. 
J. M. B.. N. Y. City, referring to an answer 
in this Department in our issue of Nov. 6., in 
which we say—“the grape-vine bears fruit 
only upon canes of the previous year’s 
growth,” asks whether that statement is cor¬ 
rect. 
Ans.—Y es; it is entirely correct. 
E. C. E-. Euclid, Minn., asks what is the 
address of the manufacturers of the Evans 
rifle. 
Ans —Messrs. Turner & Ross, Boston, Mass., 
manufacture the Evans rifle, and also deal in 
other repeating guus of the finest quality. 
[I. C., Gray's Summit. Mo., asks where he 
can get seed of the Chester County Mammoth 
and Blount Corn, and its price. 
Ans.—T he above is the inquiry of 100 others. 
In our notices of Spring catalogues we Bhall 
give the information desired. 
D. T-, Brooklyn, Kings Co., L. I. Place 
them in a dark, airy room or cellar in whi; h 
the temperature is just above freezing. They 
may also be kept by burying them in dry, 
gravelly soil two feet beneath the surface. 
Others questions will be answered under Do¬ 
mestic Economy. 
C. S. S., Rochester, JST. Y., asks if H. A. 
Wbittemore, (Fluvanna, N. Y..) whose an¬ 
nouncement appears iu our columns or did ap¬ 
pear last week, is trustworthy and will he 
send the two pounds of Silver nulled Buck¬ 
wheat to each person who subscribers for the 
Rural through him ? 
Ans—W e have known him for many years. 
He is among the Rubal’s best friends—so, at 
least, we have always considered him. 
8. A. M , Howard Lake, Minn., asks whether 
the pentstemon iB hardy. 
An 8.—It is in this el ini ate. 
-•»-■* " »- 
Communications received fob the week end¬ 
ing Saturday, Nov. 13. 
D. & C.—P- B. M.—S. L.—W. F. G.—A. B. A.—J. 
H. MCA.—S. L. L.-E F.-H W. R.-W. J. M.-J. 
S. , thanks-J. A. M.-H. P.-J. P. B.-F. R. S.-O. 
W. D.—L. B. T.—E. P.—A. E. W.—J. H. F,—G. D, 
p._C. B — G. E.—L. S.—T. T. L —W. J.—A. E. M — 
M. M, thanks—J. M. B.—F. H. D —T. H. H„ 
mall—T. P. MOC.-L. W.—H. C. F.-J. B. C.—C. 
R.—W. L.—G. C. C.—N. S.—D. A. D.—J. S., plants 
received, thanks -M. B. P.—J. B.—N. J. A.—E. K. 
—F. U. S.—J. L. S.—W. B. J., thanks-J. L.—W. 
B. P.-M. P. W—T. H. H.—W. S. F.—W. C. B.— 
E. M. L. 
-- 
When the brain Is wearied, the nerves unstrung- 
the muscles weak, use Hop Bitters. 
