MAY 4 
283 
and put the liquid in a bottle for use. To make 
a golden yellow, one teaspoonful of the liquid 
to six quarts of cream is added to the cream at 
the commencement of churning. Ordinarily 
it would probably be better to use some good 
prepared coloring, like any of those advertised 
iu the Rural. 2, From all we have learned 
with regard to home-made iucubators, we 
would strongly advise our correspondent to 
have nothing to do with them, as an experi¬ 
ment in hatching with them is nearly certain 
to end in vexation and loss. 
“Scours” In Calves. 
J. S. P., Belden, 0., asks how to treat calves 
that have the “ scours.” 
Ans. —This disease, so fatal to young calves, 
is most common where cows and calves are 
housed, and among calves brought up arti¬ 
ficially. Apart from hereditary tendency and 
the new demands on the digestive functions of 
the young thing, it is mainly due especially iu 
calves brought up at the pail, to long fasts and 
subsequent rapid gorging, or to being compelled 
to drink sour, stale milk, sometimes given too 
warm. Sometimes, even when led ualurally, 
the milk contains injurious matters, owing to 
the cow being over-driven, excited, or having 
access to foul water, or ou account of the milk 
having been retained too long iu the udder. 
The early symptoms are:—a dirty tail, dullness, 
disregara of food and abdominal fullness, with 
fluid, bad-smelling yellow or whitish fieees dis¬ 
charged with violence or pain. As treatment, 
the patient should be removed to a cleau, airy 
but warm box. If put on the milk of a farrow 
cow, it should have that of one tnat has calved 
more recently; audit the health of the nurse 
fails or the bag cakes, the call should be sup¬ 
plied from a more healihy source. 11 the little 
thiug is given to rapid driukiug, an artificial 
teat iu the pail for it to suck at will partially 
remedy the habit. The stomach should be 
cleared of irritatiug food and acrid discharges 
by a doBe of one or two ounces ot castor oil 
and a teaspooutul of laudauum. If the skin 
or membruucs of the mouth, uose or eyes, are 
of a yellowish tint, two grains of calomel aud 
20 grains of chalk may be added aud repeated 
daily for some time, la the absence of the 
yellowish tinge, give with each meal a table- 
spoonful ot sherry wine iu which oue-eighth of 
the fourth stomach of a calf has been steeped 
for 24 hours. A tablespoonful of tincture of 
cinnamon, with 20 grams each of chalk and 
gum-arabic, will he an excellent addition. 
Finally, if the aodomeu is tense or tender to 
the touch, it should be rubbed over with a thin 
pulp made of the best ground mustard and 
tepid water, aud covered with a bandage to 
prevent drying uutil it has taken effect ou the 
skin. 
Cost of Growing Tobacco. 
J. S. B., Monroeton, Pa., asks, 1, about 
what is the cost per acre of growiug tobacco; 
2, about what would be the yield ou bottom 
land—a gravelly loam that yields about 50 
bushels of com per acre; 3, what would the 
product sell for when cured. 
Ans. —The cost of growing a crop of tobacco 
per acre would depend much ou circumstances, 
varying with the character and eoudiuon of 
the soil upon which it is to be plumed. A 
gravelly soil, while it is well suited t o the 
growth of tobacco, requires a greater expen¬ 
diture of labor in the cultivation than a clay 
loam free from 6toues. Much also depends 
ou the condition of thu soil, whether it be iu 
good tilth, free from weeds aud weed seeds, or 
hard aud Jumpy aud foul with weeds, all of 
which should be considered. Accurate ac¬ 
counts with a four-acre field of tobacco a few 
years ago by a friend with a view of finding ns 
actual cost per pound, showed that tbe yield 
from the lour ueres was 0,0i0 pouuus, or au 
average of 1,505 pounds, per acre. The 
C06t, including manure, rent ot land, shed for 
curing, together wim team work, was about 
eight cents per pound, or $120 40 per acre. 
The cost of the labor alone would, ot course, 
be much less, probably uot more than $00 per 
acre. The yield which our correspondent 
will realize from Ins gruvelly loam bottom land 
will depend ou the amount aud quality of ma- 
uure he applies to his tobacco ground, aud the 
culture which he gives the crop, aud the season. 
A rich gravelly loam where clay does not pre¬ 
dominate too much, that is not easily affected 
by drought, should, with good culture, pro¬ 
duce a flue quality of.tobaceo, aud with proper 
management, yield from 1,200 to 2,000 pounds 
of cured tobacco per acre. What a crop of 
tobacco will sell lor per pouud, is a question 
not easily ausweied. it will depend on the 
general quality of the crop, the way it is 
handled and the state of the market. Look at 
the market prices in the Rural aud do a little 
figuring on the above basis. 
The Uuiai of Gilead. 
A. L., Port Richmond, W. i\, asks, whether 
the tree called Balm of Gilead, a native of this 
country, is the same as the Balm of Gilead 
of the East—the kind meutioiiod iu the Bible; 
aud, if so, what part of the tree is used as 
medicine. 
Ans. —Abies balsumea, or Balm of Gilead 
Fir, and Populus baisamifera var. caudieaus, 
the Balm of Gilead Poplar, are both kuowu as 
Balm of Gilead simply, in many parts of this 
country. The true Balm of Gilead—that re¬ 
ferred to in the Bible—is the BalBamodendron 
Berryii (B. Gilcadense of De Candolle), a tree 
belonging to the genus Amyris, or Balm trees. 
It is a low tree or shrub growing in several 
parts of Abyssinia and Syria. To obtain the 
juice, the bark is cut at the time the sap is cir¬ 
culating the most vigorously. As the juices 
ooze through the wound they are received into 
small earthen bottles, each day's produce being 
poured into larger bottles and corked. Each 
tree is said never to yield more than GO 
drops a day, so that the balm is very scarce 
and difficult to procure unadulterated, even in 
the East. It is used chiefly as a cosmetic, aud 
taken internally in small doses to stimulate 
the stomach. The Abies balsamca furnishes 
the Cauada balsam of commerce, u very trans¬ 
parent substance with a delicate yellow color 
and mild turpeutine odor. It is used for the 
same purposes as copaiba, but chiefly for 
mounting preparations for the microscope aud 
as a varnish. H is collected by puncturing 
the blisters on the bark, in which it gathers, 
and receiving the liquid in a bottle or other 
vessel. The Populus baisamifera var. candi- 
cans, is a variety of the Balsam Poplar, knowu 
also as the Tackmahack. A tincture made by 
putting tbe buds into spirits, was formerly a 
popular remedy for chrouie rheumatism and 
pulmonary complaints. The resiu of the buds, 
too, is apparently a stimulant, like turpentine 
and the balsams. 
Fertilizers for Hops. 
A. T. W., Brantford Ont., Canada, asks 
what is the best artificial fertilizer for hops. 
He is growing them ou a black loamy soil, 
rich aud deep, with a gravelly subsoil—a reg¬ 
ular rich bottom land. Of late stable man¬ 
ure has failed to produce the ordinary quantity 
of hops, and he thinks that some lacking con¬ 
stituent might be supplied by a chemical fertil¬ 
izer. 
Ans. It is highly probable that the use of 
lime ou this sort of soil, rich by nature aud by 
frequent application of baruyard mauure, 
would have au excellent effect. It iB just on 
such 6oils that lime produces the best results, 
and Us use iu the hop-yard under like condi¬ 
tions has often quite or nearly doubled tbe 
yield. In the spring about a piut of air-slaked 
lime aud wood ashes to the bill would serve as 
a good fertilizer and drive away grubs. The 
best results we have heard of, however, were 
obtained by applying a quart of flue unslakcd 
lime to each hill in the fall, covering it with 
dirt and using no other dressing. In this case 
ordinary manure had been used liberally for 
the four previous years, and after the applica¬ 
tion of lime alone, the yield was more than 
doubled. A good special fertilizer is made of 
four barrels of ashes, two of plaster aud oue 
of salt to the acre to be applied in the spring 
after the hops have been tied up. Another is: 
—Six or eight pans of charcoal dust, two of 
pulverized lieu manure aud oue of plaster. 
This is good the first year aud afterwards. 
Wood ashes, plaster and bone dust are all 
beneficial together or separately. Either a 
compost of decomposed sod or barnyard and 
stable manure thoroughly rotted, is, how¬ 
ever, the chief reliance iu the hop-yard. 
The Crescent Seedling Strawberry. 
P. C. S, Hurlock, Md., asks what we think 
of the Cresccut Seedling Strawberry for a 
market berry. 
Ans. —We should uot recommend it for 
planting iu Maryland if to be shipped to New 
York, or anywhere else uuloss it be for a home 
market. It is wonderlully prolific and of fair 
size ; but it is decidedly soft. Its bright color 
is in its favor, reudering it attractive at all 
times; the flavor is at least third-rate—poor. 
A peculiarity of tbe variety is that on extreme¬ 
ly light land the berries are much firmer aud 
better iu poiut ot flavor than when grown on 
any other sort of laud, aud it is so excessively 
vigorous the plants will maintain a footing 
anywhere 
Miscellaneous. 
5. C., West Northfield, Mans., asks 1, how 
cau birds be kept from destroying cherries 
and other small fruit when it is ugaiust the 
law to kill them: 2. how cau the large black 
buga'be kept off from young squash plants; 
3. when Strawberries are in bloom aud a 
small stream of water is turned on to the 
ground during the night, will it be a safe pro¬ 
tection ugaiust frost. 
Ans. —1. There is noway of doing so that 
does not cost more than the fruit is worth. 
2. Insects may to some extent be kept in 
check on young squash aud melon plants by 
dustiug these with ashes, plaster, or even dry 
road dust. Not knowing what “black bug” 
is referred to.we can only suggest hand-picking 
and the crushing of the eggs if found on the 
leaves, S. Practically it would not. Water in 
freezing parts will heat. It would require a 
considerable body of water to exert auy 
marked influence. 
II. A. T., East Troy, Wls., has secured from 
the Agricultural Depurtuiout at Washington a 
quamity of rye grass seed, aud he asksshould 
it be sown with other grass seeds, or sown 
down with grain; is it good for pasture, and 
what is the best time for sowing it. 
Ans. —Wbat kind of rye grass? If it is Ital¬ 
ian rye grass, that needs a moist, rich soil, and, 
being an enormous feeder, is usually sown by 
itself and cultivated for cutting green, yielding 
immense quantities of fodder iu a season. It 
is often mixed with other grasses for pasture 
and hay, and is then seeded with a grain crop 
in the usual ruauner. If it is perennial rye 
grass (Loliuin perenne) it Bhould be sown in 
company with other grasses and Dot alone, as 
it has not the vigorous habit of the Italian 
grass. Either should be Bown as early as pos¬ 
sible in the spring, as in fact should all krnds 
of grass. Pereunial rye grass has not so far 
succeeded in our dry climate. 
Reader, Lewis Centw, Ohio, asks, 1, which 
is the fuller and more complete, Chambers' 
Encyclopedia advertised iu the Rural for $10 
for 20 vols., or Zell's which sel’s for $28; 2, is 
Chamber’s Cyclopedia of English Literature a 
standard work. 
Ans.— 1, Chamber’s Encyclopedia is much ful¬ 
ler and more complete than Zell’s—the articles 
on each subject are longer, and more topics 
are treated of. The edition of Chambers’re¬ 
ferred to contains the same amount of reading 
matter as the more expensive one ; but tbe 
type is considerably smaller and so is each vol¬ 
ume. 2, All Chambers’ publications on educa¬ 
tional matters arc standard works, containing 
the best and latest information on the topics 
discussed. 
0-. A. A., Potsdam, asks how he can pro¬ 
cure the annual reports of the Signal 8erviee 
aud also of the Commissioner of Agriculture. 
Ans. —All the compilations published by the 
Government are, as a rule, divided among the 
members of Congress—Senators and Repre¬ 
sentatives—for distribution among tbeir con¬ 
stituents, and we would advise each aud every 
one of our readers to apply to tbe member for 
his district or State for auy one of the works 
he may want, and although none of them is 
quite as interestiug as a first-rate novel, they 
all coutain a vast deal more useful informa¬ 
tion. 
J. II. M., East PouUney, Yt., has a five-year- 
old cow that was lately due to come in; con¬ 
sequently, he begau about six weeks before 
that date to dry her off; aud after some diffi¬ 
culty he succeeded in doing so just about the 
time he became convinced she was farrow; 
and he now asks whether it is likely he can 
get a full milk yield again by milking her reg¬ 
ularly. or if it would not be better to turn her 
into beef, 
Ans.—M ake beef of her unless she is worth 
keeping over the summer on pasture; the 
milk will not return to any considerable ex¬ 
tent.' 
H. F. S., Wmlerburn, Pa., asks what kind 
of grass would be suitable for a very wet piece 
of land, and when should it be aown. 
Ans. —For wet soils there are no better 
grasses than red top (Agrostia vulgaris), and 
fowl meadow grass (Poa serotina), Creeping 
bent (Agrostis stolonifera) makes an excellent 
addition to the above two species. The seeds 
—bush, per acre in all—should be sown as 
soon as possible. 
A. R., Paducah, Ky., asks whether there is 
any book that gives instructions as to the 
treatment of stallions and jacks during the 
season. 
Ans. —There is no book which has informa¬ 
tion about jacks; “ Stonehenge on the Horse** 
refers generally to the management of stal¬ 
lions, aud that applies equally to the ass as to 
the horse. 
J. M., Selma, Ala., sends some seed for identi¬ 
fication. 
Ans. —Sweet clover, Melilotus alba. 
Communications recbitkd for the week ending 
Saturday, April 24th. 
A. B. D.— A. C.—R. Y.—H. B.—A. B. A.—J. G. 
n.—A. B. A.—R. A. W.-I. A. H.—S. H. R.—T. C. 
O.-R. M.-W. J. 1C.-F. D. T.-F. H. 8.-S. P. H.— 
S. P. S.— S. A. M.—W. 8. C.—W. B. D.—W. M. P.— 
C. S.— M. R. 8.—J. B.— W. G. H.— L. J.—T. J. K — 
R. O. G.-W. \V. W.-T. H. R.—M. S.C.-T. R. B.- 
J. J. K.—M. MCM.-S. T. II.— R. N.-R. R.-J. H. 
G — H. O. B.-S. R. 11.—T. W. A.—N. A. W.—J„ H. 
G.—N. J. 8.—G. P. O.—T. B. L.—N. J. S.—G. P. 
O.— T. B. L.— J. H. L.—S. W. H.-J. J.—J. 5L—H. 
F. S.—R. J. S.—G. A. A.—R. II. T.—Thanks.—E. 
E. A.—M. B. H.-B. C. D.-J. B. M.—W. T. T.—C. 
G. T—M. C.—W. G. D—R. C.—A. F. M.—F. D.—I. 
8 . H.—L. J. K.—F. A. S.—J. W. S.—G. E. B.—H. A 
PRESIDENTS OF AGRICULTURAL 
COLLEGES. 
Our agricultural colleges have been making 
very moderate progress during the six to six¬ 
teen years since they have been respectively 
organized. The act of 1S63, grantiug a largo 
fund in lands to the several States for the 
equipment of these colleges, should justly mark 
au cri) 1 agricultural progress. Its pur¬ 
pose i. lay the foundation of scientific 
and practical schools of agriculture and the 
mechanic arts. The law is entitled. “ An act 
donating public lands to the several Slates and 
Territories whieb may provide col 'eyes for the 
benefit of agriculture and the. mechanic arts." 
The fourth section of this act declares that the 
“ leading object ” of these colleges8 hall be “ to 
teach such branches of learoiug as are related 
to agriculture and the mechanic arts.” It is 
perfectly plain that the framers of the law in¬ 
tended these as special, and not as general 
schools. However much general learning the 
presidents of these colleges possess, it does not 
and cannot atone for a avant of the special 
knowledge required for the management of 
institutions devoted “to teachiugsuch branch¬ 
es of learning as are related to agriculture 
and the mechanic arts ” This was so obvious at 
tbe first glance, that no one could come to 
any other conclusion unless the “wish became 
father to the thought.” 
Yet all of these institutions were organized 
by the appointment of presidents in total dis¬ 
regard of the spirit and letter of the law—by 
placing a purely literary man. having no 
knowledge, of, and generally not even any taste 
for, rural pursuits, at the head to direct the 
teaching of scientific, and practical agriculture 
and ihe mechanic arts. Many of these presi¬ 
dents devoted their public addresses, for several 
years, to special and labored arguments, at 
tempting to show that the law did not intend 
these colleges as special schools of agriculture 
and the mechanic arts, but that they were 
broad enough to include a general and univer¬ 
sal education. This was to justify their action 
in making them merely literary institutions, 
with a f irm manager giving a few lectures ou 
general agriculture, a chemist and a botanist, 
sometimes with a machine shop. The result 
has been that the great mass of tbe students, 
nine out of tuD, have pursued precisely the 
same studies—aud no other—as they would at 
anv literary school before the oiganization of 
these colleges. This ratio is too small for the 
Michigan and Massachusetts colleges; but 
large enough to meet the facts of all the rest. 
It may not be amiss here to show bow widely 
they have deviated from the intention of the 
framers of Lhe law, by quoting a paragraph 
from the speech of Senator Morrill, the author 
of the bill, in advocating its passage. He cer¬ 
tainly ought to know what was intended by 
the law which be introduced. Answering the 
objection that they would compete with the 
colleges existing, he says: “Our present lit¬ 
erary colleges need have no more jealousy of 
agricultural colleges, than a porcelain manu¬ 
factory would of an iron fouudry. They move 
in separate spheres, without competition. * * 
Tbe farmer and mechanic require special 
schools and appropriate literature, quile as much 
as any of the so-called learned professions. 
We need careful, exact aud systematic regis¬ 
tration of experiments. We need to test the 
natural capability of soils, and the power of 
different fertilizers; the relative value of dif¬ 
ferent grassee for flesh, fat and milk-giving 
purposes; the comparative value of grain, 
roots, hay, peas, carrots, potatoes or turnips 
in pounds of beef, pork or mutton; deep plow¬ 
ing as well as drainage; breeds of animals ; 
remedies for the potato disease, and for all the 
tribes of insects destructive to crops.” 
Whatconnteuance does this give to a general 
education in these col leges ? He says, 1 ‘the farm¬ 
er and mechanic require special schools and 
appropriate literature,” but the presidents 
of those colleges, utterly disregarding the law, 
turn them into ordinary literary colleges, in 
which nine-tenths of the students are educated 
without any reference to agriculture aud have 
no intention of pursuing it. The Academy at 
West Point is a special military school, but it 
would be doing greater violence to its inteuded 
character, were nine-tenths of its cadets per¬ 
mitted to pursue a mere literary course with¬ 
out legard to military sciences, than is the 
course pursued at these so-called agricultural 
colleges a violation of the law under which 
they organized. Aud the “ special schools ” 
spokeu of by Senator Morrill were inteuded to 
be as special in relation to agriculture aud the 
mechanic arts, as is the West Poiut Academy to 
military science. 
But perhaps the late election of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Agricultural College is the beginning 
of an important movement in the reformation 
of these colleges. It is so new and refreshing 
as to require special notice and recognition. 
We refer to the announcement that Prof. Levi 
Stockbndge has been elected the fifth president 
of this college. This is an election “ fit to be 
made.” It recognizes special fitness for the 
duties to be performed, and is the firBt indica¬ 
tion that a purely literary training may be 
dispensed with in tbe head of a special college 
devoted to agriculture and the mechanic arts. 
Prof. Stockbridge has been the working, vital¬ 
izing force of that college since its organiza¬ 
tion, comprehending the duties of such an in¬ 
stitution, and now they have tardily concluded 
to give credit for services performed, and 
acknowledge fitness proved. This is a pre¬ 
cedent that will bear frequent repetition. Let 
us hope that these colleges may, in time, be 
redeemed and given the special character in¬ 
tended by tfie law, Pro Bono Publico. 
