MAY 45 
3M 
THE RURAL ?3EW-Y©RKER. 
®Dtri]tobm. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Arkansas, Beebe. White Co., April 29.— 
Crops are looking well, except that wheat is 
inclined to rust. Cotton is almost all planted, 
and some are plowing corn. Frnits look prom¬ 
ising now, and my clover is a sight that draws 
the neighbors’ attention. People around here 
have been depending almost entirely on corn 
and cotton and have to buy from the North all 
the wheaten flour they use—they use a good 
deal of corn meal, however, for bread. That 
whirl-wind noticed in the Rn raj/s News, or an 
ofE-shoot of it, visited this section, passing by 
El Paso, a little town about ten miles away. 
It moved in the shape of a funnel. It struck 
the corn-crib of a friend of mine, scattered the 
corn, crib and fences so that not a trace of 
them could be found, killed the wheat over 
which it swept; then rose up from the ground 
for a bit, but soon descended in a piece of timber 
and burst its way through, tearing even the 
stumps out of the ground. It next struck a 
house of two large rooms and two shed rooms, 
killed the housewife and three children, one of 
whom wa6 whirled a mile away where it was 
found with its brains ont. The husband, Mr. 
Pool, waB carried as far with a child iu his 
arms, and knows not how he got to w’here he 
recovered consciousness, beside a stump. The 
child is getting well and he, too. is somewhat 
better. The only signs of where the house 
stood are a few r stones that mark the site of the 
chimney. The man's pants, with a knife, store 
key and 30 cents in the pockets, were found 
ten miles away. He had $3,000 in a trunk, 
$2,000 of which were in money, the rest in 
checks, etc. The lid was torn from the body 
of the trunk and swept away with the $2,000 
in a pocket attached to it. Both were found a 
mile away, while the checks, etc., and the rest 
of the trunk have not yet been heard of. Next 
morning a feather bed was found seven miles 
off in the yard of a man who recognized the 
tick and returned the bed; while a shawl and 
a skirt were picked up eleven miles from the 
ruined homestead. Eight houses, in all, were 
demolished, and another neighbor of mine was 
killed and several wounded. Corn is worth 
75c. to 80c. per bu6hcl; oats, 65c.; eggs, 10c. 
per dozen ; butter, 15c. to 20c. per pound. 
Everything the merchants bring down here is 
of inferior quality ; many of the farmers have 
to mortgage their crops, and so soon as the 
store-keeper learns this, he stops credit; so 
that some folks here have to live on “ mighty” 
meagre fare for a large part of the year. h. b. 
North Carolina, Brookston, Warren Co., 
April29.—“.Old winter still lingers”—not ex¬ 
actly winter, but since our big rain in March, 
we have had pretty cool and dry weather. We 
had snow on the 8th inat., and the mercury 
was down to 29 deg. on the morning of the 
12th ; but little iniury was done to vegetation. 
Early Peaches were nearly all ruined before 
that time and the dry winds have swept away 
the remainder, with a few exceptions. We 
have fair prospects lor our usual full crop of 
grapes. The showing for other fruit is fair, 
Strawberries are suffering tor rain, which has 
just now commenced falling, and they are 
probably safe. Wheat is above the average 
both in acreage and appearance. Corn planted 
early inthemonthis coming on unusually well. 
More than the usual area will be planted in 
cotton. Fodder, owing to the short crop of 
last year and the late spring, is scarce and high 
in price—from $1.25, away up to $2.00 per ewt. 
Many farmers, the writer among the number, 
are obliged to allow their cows to range on the 
commons—result, one cow aborted, all are thin 
and the milk-pail light—it doesn't pay. In 
consideration of having discovered a land 
where the potato blooms and grows and 
flourishes, and can be eaten fresh from one and 
the same hill for nine months in the year, I 
move that the “Major’s'* S. C., friends be 
instructed to promote him a grade or two. 
Though military titles, except private, seem to 
be pretty nearly all appropriated hereabouts, 
please tell him to move along up this way and 
we will give him anything iu that line that he 
may ask for, besides rendering all the aid in 
our power in the makiDg of new discoveries. 
m. b. p. 
[The Major would be pleased to accept this 
friendly invitation were it not that “ his foot 
once more is on his native heath.”— Eds.] 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[AH queries must be accompanied by the name and 
address of the writers to insure attention.] 
- » i 
Guernsey Cattle. 
O. E. N., Aflon, N. T. asks for a descrip¬ 
tion of the Guernsey cattle—their size, color 
and butter qualities, and where they can be 
bought. 
Ans. —Guernsey cattle are either bred or 
descended from those bred on the island of 
that name. The cattle on this island are dis¬ 
tinguished from those on the adjoining Islands 
of Jersey and Alderney by their great uniform¬ 
ity of color, being usually yellow with white 
markings, coarser hair, less delicacy of form 
and limbs and by their yellow muzzleB, those 
of the Jersey being black with a white fillet 
around them. The Guernseys are a trifle 
larger than the Jerseys and their butter quali¬ 
ties are as good, though as yet they have not, 
in individual instances or iu herds, equaled 
the latter in amount of production. The 
earlier importations of Jersey6 into this 
country had Guernsey markiugs and the buff 
nose occasionally re appears in the progeny 
of the purest-bred Jerseys: but of late the 
line of demarcation between the islands has 
been drawn so close that there has not been 
for years, nor can there at present, any inter¬ 
mingling of the two breeds. Within a year 
or two past the Guernsey breeders in the Uni¬ 
ted States have formed an association simi¬ 
lar to that of the “American Jersey Cattle 
Club” and publish a Herd Register. Messrs. 
E. F. Bowditcb, South Framingham, Mass., 
and Charles M Beach, of Hartford, Connecticut, 
were early importers of Guernseys and usually 
have a good stock on hand, and will give any 
imformation to inquirers. There are also 
several prominent breeders of Guernseys in 
the State of New-Tork as well as at tbe West. 
The prices are about the same as those of Jer¬ 
seys, from $150 to any sum above that, that 
fancy may suggest. 
The Centrifugal Creamer. 
J. F., Buffalo, N. Y., asks, 1, for informa¬ 
tion as to the uew process of separating the 
cream from milk, by the Centrifugal Creamer; 
2, whore such business is carried on; 3, is 
it a success; 4, what is the cost of the 
machine. 
ANSWER BT PROF. L. B. ARNOLD. 
The last annual Report of the American 
Dairymen’s Association contains the most 
complete account of the working of the Cen¬ 
trifugal Creamer I have seen published. This 
report is sold for the benefit of the Association 
by T. D. Curtis, Sec’y, Utica, N. Y., for 25 
cents a copy. The machine is iu use by E, 
Burnett, Sonthboro, MasB,, and for sale by 
Whitman & BurrilL, Little Falls, N. Y,, of 
whom special information can fco had by mail. 
1 have seen Ibis machine in operation at dif¬ 
ferent times, and have carefully noted its 
peculiar work. It is a cream and milk purifier, 
as well as a separator. By exposing the cream, 
as it is separated, in the thinnest imaginable 
strata to the strong current of air occasioned 
by the rapid rotation of the machine, all 
foreign odors are carried away and the ripen¬ 
ing necessary for easy churning and for tight¬ 
ening the flavor of the butter, is obtained in¬ 
stantly, instead of by long exposure to the air. 
All dirt and dust or other impurities heavier 
than the pure liquid milk, are, by centrifugal 
force, separated by being thrown to the side 
of the vessel containing the rotating milk, and 
held there, leaving the 6kim-milk cleaner aDd 
purer aud sweeter than it can be obtained by 
any other means I know of. I have no doubt 
of the superior work of the machine, but there 
stand opposed to its general introduction the 
cost of the machine, and the motive power 
and skill to run it. 
Norway Spruce Hedge*. 
G. IV., Rock Fall, IU., says that quite a num¬ 
ber of Norway Spruce hedges have been planted 
in that vicinity, and he asks. 1, within how 
narrow limits can such a hedge be made to 
flourish for ten years; 2, cau it succeed as an 
ornamental hedge in the shade of street trees 
or by the side of a fence; and, 3, would Arbor- 
viUe be better under the same circumstances, 
Ans. —1, That is optional with the owner. 
The Norway Spruce will bear quite severe trim¬ 
ming, aud by judicious use of the shears the 
hedge may be kept from increasing more than 
about six iuches in width each year. 2, No; 
the hedge may grow in the shade; but as an 
ornament it will not be a signal success, par¬ 
ticularly if it, in addition, is hampered by a 
fence, on one side. In a dense shade the 
growth will be lesB compact, and the needles 
will fail off before their time; this may be 
ascertained by examining the inner and lower 
branches of any compact Spruce. Arbor-vitre 
will do no better than the Spruce; it is of a 
slower growth and is less efficient as a fence. 
The best evergreen to plant in such a place 
would be the .Hemlock—Abies Canadensis. 
Lump in a Horse's Throttle. 
L H., JJaoenporl, la., asks how to treat a 
horse with a lump, the size of a fist, on oue side 
of itB throttle—iu other respects the animal 
seems in good health. 
Ans.— This is a case of enlarged thyroid 
gland, due generally to some constitutional 
or local derangement,lowing, maybe, to drinking 
gypsum-lmpreguated water. Give half a drachm 
of iodide of potassium mornings aud evenings 
for a week iu the drinking water, or dissolve 
it in a little water and mix it in the food. Clip 
short the hairs of the affected place, and apply 
every evening a part of an ointment made of 
two drachms of iodide of potassium and ten 
drachms of weak mercurial ointment. If the 
skin becomes sore or flakes off, discontinue 
this application for a few days or a week. The 
treatment may have to be continued for a few 
months before a cure is c ft'ected; should the 
treatment fail, the gland may be removed by 
a skillful surgical operation. Now will our 
correspondent tell us the precise size of a fist ? 
Chicks Dying in the Shell, 
W. II., Wellington, Kan., has so far this 
year set eight or nine Light Brahma hens, 
but has had poor luck in getting a brood; 
as the chicks die in the shell, being unable to 
get out. Tbe “skin” of the egg seems to 
draw like rubber over them, and he asks the 
cause and a remedy. 
Ans. —The failure of the chicks to extricate 
themselves from the shell is probably caused 
by insufficient heat or moisture—most likely 
the latter. Moisten the eggs, on the 17th and 
19th days of incubation, with warm water 
sprinkled into the ucstr-nol too much. This 
will help to soften tbe shell. The drawing 
tightly of tbe skin over the chicks Imprisoned 
too long in the shells, is due to the skin dry¬ 
ing. Should the shell break and let the chick 
out at the natural time, there is then just suf¬ 
ficient moisture ; should tbe chick fall to come 
out of the shell at tbe proper time, the skin 
naturally dries up over the little thing. 
MiiicellaneouH. 
AT. E. B., Johnson'x Junction, Ky ., asks, 1, 
whether growing flowers In the house is in¬ 
jurious to the health of the Inmates; 2, what 
is the design of the New York Flower Mission; 
3, will any other cause than accumulation of 
blood cause congestion ot the lung6, brain or 
other parts of the body. 
Anb.— 1, The presence of growing flowers in 
rooms is not perceptibly harmful or otherwise 
to the health of the inmates, provided the pots 
be keptcleau, the soil be not permitted to be¬ 
come sour or water-soaked, and tbe rooms be 
properly ventilated. 2, The mission of the 
Flower Mission iu this aud other cities is, pri¬ 
marily, to supply the pleasure of flowers to 
poor sick people at their homos, or, of tener, in 
the hospitals and other public institutions. 
Here, however, they combine with this, re¬ 
ligious exhortation and psalm-singing, to¬ 
gether with little presents of au orange, an 
apple, or a nut, to such invalids a6 will accept it 
iu the hospital wards. Their visits give a two¬ 
fold satisfaction by eausiug a ripple of excite¬ 
ment in tbe monotony of a sick room, aud a 
pleasurable sensation to the visitors iu sight¬ 
seeing and the belief that they are doing good 
at a very cheap rate. 3, Congestion, strictly 
speaking, is an accumulation of any liquid in 
any organ or tissue, but its meaning is gen¬ 
erally limited in medical works to an abnor¬ 
mal amount of blood in the vessels of a part 
otherwise healthy, due, in most cases, to an 
enlargement of the minute arteries and ca¬ 
pillary blood vessels. Congestion may also 
be passive from obstruction to the circulation 
from external or constitutional causes. The 
highly vascular organs, aud those that receive 
the blood most directly from the heart, such 
as the brain, lungs, liver and Bpleen, are the 
most frequent seats of congestion ; hut the ca¬ 
pillaries, spinal cord, and viscera are also often 
affected by it. 
W. K JNewark, N. J., asks, 1, whether 
we have used the Mapes’ potato manure, and, 
2, with what effect; 3. how to treat corns on a 
horse's foot. 
Ans.— 1. Yes. 2. Good. 3. The subject of 
corns on a horse’s foot was fully discussed as 
late as in our issue of March 20. Once more 
we urge upon our readers to preserve the vari¬ 
ous u umbers of the Rural so as to form a good¬ 
ly volume at the end of the year. Our index 
will then show where articles treating on all, 
or nearly all, subjects of interest to farmers 
can be readily found. Such a work will be 
useful not for a month or a year alone, but for 
a lifetime. Many who throw aside each paper 
after reading parts only of what has cost much 
care and study, have no Idea of the mass of 
varied information contained in a yearly vol¬ 
ume. Regard for the interests of the great 
bulk of our readers, to whom our space belongs, 
must prevent us from discussing the same fea¬ 
tures of a subject at brief intervals, however 
willing we may be to oblige au individual cor¬ 
respondent, aud we are continually receiving 
so many tokens of friendliness from our sub¬ 
scribers, that we are always disposed to recip¬ 
rocate the good-will of every oue of them. 
In the present case we repeat:—put a sole- 
leather shoe under the iron shoe and stuff 
under the leather with tow Boaked in glycerine 
to keep the sole cool and moist. If the sole is 
very tender, the feet should be prepared for 
shoeing by keeping them upon a puddle of wet 
clay for a few days and by frequent dressings 
of cold water and by giving the horse a cool¬ 
ing medicine, such as eight to twelve ounces of 
Epsom salts. 
8. K. if., Samsonoille, N. Y., has a compost 
heap the basis of which is about a ton of barn¬ 
yard manure; during the past winter there have 
been emptied upon it all the urine from the 
house, the soap-suds on washing days, the salt 
and pickle from the pork barrel—making in 
all about two bushels of salt, besides some 
brine from the pork and fish of a friend in the 
village, aud some wood ashes. He says that some 
of his neighbors now say it will ruin his 
crops if he applies it, and he asks whether it 
would injure corn and potatoes to use it upon 
them. 
Ans. —It is a good compost for almost any 
crop; and it would be well if more of our 
farmers utilized iu this way more of the valu¬ 
able fertilizers that are generally considered 
waste refuse about tbe bouse. It can be used 
either in the hill, drill or broadcasted. The 
only risk iu its use would arise from a possible 
excess of salt, but even this risk, which is 
extremely slight, can be avoided by spreading 
it over a somewhat larger area than it would 
cover if no ghost of a risk existed. 
B. A., South LoiveU, Ala., sends us a piece of 
a diseased apple tree branch and wants to 
know what ails it. 
Ans.— The branch sent is affected with what 
is called twig-blight. It attacks the young 
shoots which, early in the seasoD, wither and 
turn brown. The cause is unknown. The 
remedy consists iu cutting a wav tbe diseased 
portions as soon as discovered. We have found 
that to all appearance a similar disease is very 
apt to attack the growth of the Apple aud 
Pear, and more especially the Grape-vine, when 
during the late winter and early spring they 
arc exposed to sleety weather, aud the ice 
that thus forms on the branches is allowed to 
remain till melted off by the sun. 
W. L. N-, Newark, O., asks, 1, what we think 
of a specified cow-milker; 2. what are the iu- 
gredients in the Perfected Butter color, and 
whether it is harmless. 
Ans.—1 . Not having tried the cow milker 
we cannot give an opinion; to give an opinion 
of anything of which we have no actual ex¬ 
perience is a risk we are averse to take, but 
would especially avoid it Lu regard to artificial 
cow milkers. 9, The Perfected Butter color 
has annatto for its basis. This substance is 
perfectly harmless aud the very small quantity 
which enters iuto the butter, about one grain 
to the pound, or one part in 7,680, is an addi¬ 
tional security against auy possible iujury. 
A Subscriber, Woodstock, III, asks whether 
vinegar can be made from wild Crab apples. 
Ans —The juice of wild crab apples is bitter 
and acid ; and without sugar, it is unfit for 
making vinegar. Vinegar is a product of the 
fermentation of juice containing sugar, and no 
liquid devoid of saccharine qualities can pro¬ 
duce vinegar. 
J. McG., Windsor, (one of the 23 in the 
Union) asks for the address of a firm who 
manufacture wire-fence. 
Ans —Washburne, Moen & Co., Worcester, 
Mass. 
E. A. S., WeUman, Iowa, wants to know 
where a Chinese yam can be had. 
Ans.—A lmost any nurseryman can supply it. 
-♦♦ ♦- 
CO 4MUNI0ATI0NS RECEIVED FOR THE WEEK ENDING 
Saturday, May 8th. 
J. M. L.-S. J. B.—E. S.—J. C.—It. C.—W. W.—I. 
S.—D. E. 8.—W. D.—W. It. L.—B. 8.—L. M.— 
Thanks.—A. E. A.—J. M. T.—A. \V,—L. E. S.—J. 
R. B.—F. J.—Yea.—E. J. C.—D. N. E.—It. B.—II. 
A. K.—S. L.—Thanks,—L. C.—J. W. B.—H. B.—C. 
S. —F. J. B.—F. W—G. H. P.—G. L. B.—W. P.—E. 
P. O.—W. F.—H. Q.-A. P. F.—B. W. F.-.T. C.—D. 
W.—W. B.—L. L. G.— M. C. P.-E. V. C.—Thanks.— 
C. R. D.—B. A. W.-Mrs. D. T. S.-E. V. C.—C. O. 
M.—E. A.H.—M. F. V. D.—J. R. C.—M. B. P.--J. 
W. J.-S. K. R.-J. 8. 8.—A.M. G.-T. McC.-L. B. 
A.—G H. F.—H. B—L. S. W.—W. B. B.—A. B. A.— 
T. A. T.-J. C. B.—T. M. 8.—F. II. G.—S. B—L. 
<% |ottltru |arlr. 
THE BEST POULTRY FOR THE BOSTON 
MARKET. 
In my opinion there is as much money lost 
by not selecting the .right kind of poultry, by 
each for his own market, aB by bad handling. I 
am not acquainted with any large market ex¬ 
cept Bostou; but as a good deal of poultry comes 
there from the North and West, information 
with regard to the kiuds wanted may perhaps 
benefit many readers of the Rural. 
And first as to chickens:—they should be 
yellow-fleshed, large and fat. The Asiatics fill 
these requirements best, and among them the 
best are the Light Brahmas. The Cochins are 
too thin on the breast, though when alive they 
present a wide front; but ihis is made up of 
feathers, not meat, and the old hens often 
have an unsightly bunch of abdominal fat pro¬ 
jecting out behind, which looks as much out 
of place as that on tbe fat-tailed sheep. There 
is perhaps no chicken better than the Ply¬ 
mouth Rock to be killed when three mouths 
old; but after this age chickens of this breed 
begin to grow pale in color, while the Light 
BrahmaB arc in perfection from four till eight 
months old, when, if they have been well 
cared for, they are fit food for a king or a 
farmer—I don’t kuow but the farmer should 
come first, as the more useful and ancient 
member of society. Whether there is any pe- 
