JUNE 42 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBftEB 
378 
tor’s address is Lynn P. 0., Polk Co., N. C,, 
and we are assured that he will take pleasure 
In answering any questions relative to the. 
Tryon Valley, and this, too, without, sa far as 
we can judge, any selfish motive. The writer 
of this and many acquaintances afflicted with 
throat and pulmonary weaknesses of various 
kinds, were much improved by the climate, and 
we are glad of the opportunity of recommend¬ 
ing it to those of our readers who may he suf¬ 
fering from the same causes.— Eds ] 
New Jersey, Montclair, Essex Co., May 29. 
Our hot term is virtually at an end, at which 
all rejoice. Commencing on the 23rd, with a 
temperature of 90 deg. it rose daily to 94 deg. 
90 deg. 99 deg. culminating at 102 on the 27th. 
With more air Btirring, the latter temperature 
was more endurable than that of the preced¬ 
ing days. On the evening of the 27th. there 
were slight indications of showers in the dis¬ 
tance, resulting in a cool breeze from the 
north, which sent the temperature down to 
60 deg, on the morning of the 23th. During 
the day shower indications came nearer, but 
passed to the south and east, reaching Newark, 
New York city aud probably the Rural Farm. 
We hide our turn hopefully and the indica¬ 
tions this evening are that a lainfall is near at 
hand. The “oldest inhabitant” does not re¬ 
call so hot and dry a May. Vegetation wilts 
at midday as it is wont to do in August. The 
hay crop iu old meadow is lost beyond re¬ 
demption and the most promising crop of 
strawberries is irretrievably injured. Much 
corn and potato plauting has been deferred for 
want of sufficient moisture to cause the crop 
to vegetate* Plowing sod ground has been 
almost impossible. Newly set trees and plants 
have died to a greater extent than ever before, 
being literally burned up. Life in many a 
plant has been retained only by irrigation. 
Roses, rhododendrons, weigelas etc., have 
had a hard struggle to open their flowers 
which have been of very brief duration, with 
less color and character than usual, some be¬ 
ing actually scorched by the intensity of the 
sun’s rays before unfolding their petals; but 
the redeeming feature of this drought and heat 
is the readiness with which the most persistent 
weeds die, and great ha6 been our satisfaction 
in their destruction. A twenty-four-hour rain, 
steady and gentle, is greatly needed. e. w. 
New Yoke, Sharon Center, Schoharie Co., 
May 29.—May has been a remarkable month in 
some respects—very cold in some parts, very 
hot in others, and unusually dry all the time. 
In the early days of the month we had ice, and 
in the closing days the thermometer staid 
steadily up about 90 2 iu the shade. On the 
evening of the 20th a thunder storm accom¬ 
panied with hail passed over the town doing 
considerable damage—a church was struck by 
the lightuing and several trees up-rooted, a 
number of persons knocked senseless, and 
several hop-yards cut clean to the ground. 
Since that time wo have had a very rapid 
growth of crops, corn planted ten days ago is 
all up ; one can see the rows across the fields ; 
mangolds and beets started the same or next 
day are all up. Cucumbers and melons plant¬ 
ed five days ago were up last night. Grass is 
very poor. Last year’s seeding is of no ac¬ 
count ; old meadows and pastures are short 
and thin. Wheat may be halt a crop ; several 
pieces have been plowed up. Stock of all 
kinds, however, are in very good condition. 
Cows can be had for $30—rather a low figure 
when btitter and cheese bring 20 aud 12 cents 
a pound repectively. The article upon home 
consumption of cheese iu the last Rural re¬ 
minds me of a little incident which proves the 
truthfulness of all said therein. A grocer at 
Cauajoharie ordered three cheeses trorn our 
factory at Sharon Ceuter. When they were 
delivered, one of them was cut. There happen¬ 
ed to be a number of heads of families in the 
store at the time, and, of course, each one had to 
have a taste; the result was when the last man 
had goue to dinner, the last pound of that 
cheese had gone also, aud the grocer had to 
order cheese very often to keep a supply. 
Had the cheese been poor, everybody knows 
what would have been the result. l. s. 
Oregon, Portland, Multnomah Co., May 26. 
—A gentleman who has traveled somewhat 
extensively through the Willamette Valley 
during the past two weeks reports that, in a 
residence of nearly thirty years iu Oregon, he 
has never seen a more enconragiug outlook 
for the wheat crop. In almost every locality 
visited the young plant appeared to be growing 
finely, being of excellent color aud healthy. 
With a moderutely favorable season for the 
next two months, a harvest of unusual abun¬ 
dance of the “ stall of life ” is assured. Simi¬ 
lar reports reach us here from the wheat-grow¬ 
ing sections east of the Cascade Mountains, 
and there seems to be good ground for the es¬ 
timate of a surplas of at least 250,000 tons of 
wheat to find its wav to the markets of the 
world. Fruits and vegetables are also said to 
promise well, and Oregon will still retain the 
appellation of the land of plenty. h. l. s. 
Pa., Rockland, Venango Co., May 23.—The 
weather here is very dry. Vegetation is suf¬ 
fering for rains. Frost two weeks ago injured 
to some extent the fruit crops, except apples; 
but did not entirely kill the rest. The present 
prospect is good for an immense crop of 
apples. If the drought continues much longer 
the hay will be very slim. Wheat is looking 
very bud—the outlook is not as good as in 
March. The freezing and thawing of that 
mouth must have injured it 6omewhat; then 
the dry weather is not helping it at all. 
G. L. j. 
Texas, Dayton, Liberty Co , May 22.—The 
season has been all that the greatest grumbler 
could desire. Corn and cotton are now rioting 
in our glorious sunshine. The former is in 
silk and tassel. My “ Blount’s Prolific ” is not 
the same as I got from the Rural. It is only 
knee-high and in tassel, while last year it was 
10 to 12 feet high. This was purchased from 
Mr. Carson in New York City, so I think he has 
beeu swindled by some one. Mold’s Ennobled 
Oats are 30 inches high, but look sickly, 1 am 
sorry to say—they are yellow, I have sprinkled 
them with ashes, salt and lime, hut this treat¬ 
ment apparently does no good. I suppose the 
seed was sowed too late—February. In this 
latitude—30®—it ought to have been sown in 
October. My cow-peas went down in a frost, 
as described by your Waco correspondent. I 
thought they were peas, but it seems they are 
beans. I could have saved them easily, as I 
did my melons, cucumbers aud Limas, but I got 
fooled that time. However, your Alabama 
advertiser supplied me with a quart that are 
now growing nicely—so nobody is hurt. The 
mangels are undergoing a crucial test from 
some insect, and 1 am doctoring them with 
ashes. My Cuthbert raspberries died, owing, 
I think, to too much petting. In the same row 
I have a dozen Kittatinny blackberries, from 
your advertisers, E. & J. C. Williams; they 
are doing nicely, but 1 have let them alone. A 
large area of cotton baa been planted this year 
in our neighborhood—aoout double that of 
last year. From 7 to 11 cents a pound makes 
all the difference from penury to plenty, and 
if no cotton worm appears, Texas will march 
up to the front rank of cotton-growing States. 
Yet the cotton worm ought not to be a set-back 
with any prudent man. Years ago when “ Daily 
Rural L'fe” enlivened your columns, I sent 
him a vial of cotton worms, staling that I had 
no faith in Paris-green, but he insisted that I 
should persevere, and ever since it has been a 
perfect success. While my colored brothel's 
field, just over the fence, was a forest of with¬ 
ered 6talka, mine was green and blooming 
until Christmas. I have never been able to get 
a negro to use it. They are afraid of it seem¬ 
ingly, or think it is “conjuring.” The great 
mistake made is in not having the poison on 
hand, so as to give it at the right moment. I 
buy mine before the cotton is planted and thus 
make certain work of it. One year I had a 
pet acre of the Dickson seed, and, though I 
had plenty of Paris-green, I concluded to stifle 
them with finger and thumb. I succeeded ef¬ 
fectually, but it was a tedious, nasty business, 
and I never could get any of my boys to do it, 
and I really don t think I would do it again 
unless from necessity. This may aid some of 
the new-comers, who know nothiug of the 
cotton worm, for this is the (ruth. a. a. 
®j}t <$tunst. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every ijuery must be accompanied by the name and 
address of the writer to insure attention.] 
Fence Law In New Jersey. 
(?. G-, Bergen Co., N. J., says that a large 
tract of laud adjomiug his place has lain in 
common for years. The division fences will 
hardly sustain their own weight, no one being 
willing to repair his share. Stray cattle col¬ 
lect on the common aud are constantly raiding 
the adjoining fields, and our friend asks who 
is responsible for the damage ; would it be 
just to impouud such cattle, in view of the 
worthlessness of the fence, aud demand dam¬ 
ages from the owuer, 
Ans. —If the division feueo has been appor¬ 
tioned in accordance with the provisions of 
the New Jersey Fence Act, your neighbor will 
be liable for the damage caused by his neglect 
to repair his portion of the fence. If the neigh¬ 
bor reluses to repair his portion of the fence, 
you may repair it, and upon an appraisal of 
the expense of such repairs by any two of the 
township committee residing nearest the laud, 
and the non-payment of the amount appraised, 
you may sue him and recover the amount ap¬ 
praised together with the commissioner’s legal 
fees. If the division fence has not been appor¬ 
tioned and each one’s share remains unascer¬ 
tained, neither can elaim for himself or inr 
poBe upon the other the provisions of the fence 
act. If you cannoi mutually agree upon tho 
portion of fence to be maintained by each, you 
must then call in two of the township com¬ 
mittee, who will determine the portion of such 
fence that each must maintain. Their decision 
is binding upon the parties and upon succeed¬ 
ing owners. Cattle owned by, or in charge of, 
your neighbor, coming upon your premises 
through his defective fence, may be impound¬ 
ed, or the neighbor may be sued for the tres¬ 
pass. If the cattle stray from the highway, or 
are turned without your neighbor's consent 
upon his land and then trespass upon your 
land, you may impound the cattle or sue the 
ownerg for trespass. One may turn his land 
into common, but may not remove division 
fences without first giving twelve months- 
notice in writing to the adjoining owner, of his 
intention. Should he remove the fence before 
the expiration of twelve months, he becomes 
liable for all damage caused by the removal, 
and after the removal of the fence he must, see 
to it that the land is not used in such a man¬ 
ner as to work injury to the adjoining owner. 
Improving a Muck Swamp, etc. 
L. I). Belmont Station , N. Y., has a black 
muck swamp in which the muck Ib from three 
t© thirty inches in depth, and he asks. 1, whether 
iu improving it, it shonld be underdrained 
before plowing; 2, what kind of manure 
should be used; 3, and what kind of grass 
seed shonld be sown on it; 4, is Prickley Com- 
frey a humbug; 5, what is the best method of 
clearing up laurel and blueberry land and the 
best plow for the first plowing. 
Ans. —1, The swamp should be drained: 
not necessarily with tile, but perhaps open 
drains may serve the purpose, especially if the 
land is to be need for grass. The ditches may 
be made two feet deep and four or five feet 
wide with gentle Blopes, and seeded on the 
sides. 2, If the swamp is dressed with 100 
bushels of lime per acre, no other manure 
will be required for some years. 3, The best 
grasses for such land are red-top ; fowl mea¬ 
dow grass, (one bushel cf each) and five 
pounds of timothy. This will make hay or 
pasture. 4, Prickley Comfrey is not ex¬ 
actly a humbug. It will produce a good deal 
of fodder on good soil, but will not thrive on 
poor soil, as has been claimed for it; some 
cows will eat it eagerly and some cannot be 
coaxed or starved to eat it. We don’t think it 
will ever be so valuable as com, but as it is 
a perennial and grows very early in the sea¬ 
son it may serve a good purpose in some 
cases. 5, Laurel and brush land is best plowed 
with a pair of oxen, or a steady team of horses 
or males and a sharp-edged steel or chilled 
pl«w with a sharp, 6teel coulter. A Syracuse 
chilled plow may answer the purpose. It 
might be well to write to some plow makers 
whose addresses may be found in our adver¬ 
tising columns, and procure a plow that is 
suitable for such work, or get oue made ex¬ 
pressly for it. 
Warbles in Cattle. 
IF. A., Shell Bock, la., has a valuable young 
Short-horn bull on whose back a little lump 
appeared about two months ago. Since then it 
has grown very fast aud looks now like a big, 
ugly-looking seed wat t, aud a lot of small ones 
have appeared around it, and our friend asks 
the cause and a remedy. 
Ans. —These tumors are caused by the lar- 
vaj of the common gad-fly—mstrus bovis. The 
larvte are commonly called wormals, wor- 
mils, wonrnils or warbles. The fly attacks 
the animal, pierces the skin and deposits its 
egg iu the orifice. In a short time a swelling 
appears which grows larger by the deposition 
of lymph aud the growth of the larva. Be¬ 
fore long the latter is discharged, drops 
usually to the ground and, when fully devel¬ 
oped, assumes wings and soon begins to 
deposit its eggs as its mother had done. When 
the fly is about, cattle may be seen galloping 
about the pasture with tail uplifted, aud evi¬ 
dently in a state of great excitement. The 
tumors sometimes reach the size of a walnut, 
and animals plagued with a number are fever¬ 
ish and suffer considerably. Usually they do 
not need treatment, but in bad easeB the grubs 
eaa be squeezed out by the pressure of the 
fingers. Sometimes the knife is required to 
make the opening large enough for the expul¬ 
sion of the"bot.” Bathe the wound with a 
solution of carbolic acid aud water—1 to 40. 
Putting uj> Pickles for Sale—Making French 
Wash for Fences—Walnut Stain for 
Wood-work. 
]). M. H., Bichmond, To., asks, 1, how 
pickles are put up " commercially3, how 
to make French gray wash for fences ; 3, how 
to stain wood-work on the inside of houses a 
walnut color, at tho least cost. 
Ans. —Pickles are put up for sale in the 
following rnauncr :—The small cucumbers 
when gathered aro laid upon broad trays on 
tables aud spriukled with salt, aud left to drain 
for a day. They are then sorted into sizes, 
aud put iuto large casks with brine, where they 
are kept until wanted for sale. They are then 
drained from the brine and washed in fresh 
water, drained and put with some spices into 
glass bottlea, jars or kegs, which are filled up 
wilh yinegar, the best being pure eider vinegar 
of moderate strength. Such pickles are not 
green hut of a brownish tinge, and are chosen 
by those who prefer quality to looks. The 
green pickles are “ coppered” aud packed in 
diluted acetic acid, but these are not at all 
wholesome or desirable. 3. A French gray 
wash for fences Is made of lime wash to which 
glue water and a little lamp-black and Prus¬ 
sian blue are added. The lamp-black makes a 
steel gray; the blue added gives the tinge 
known as French gray. 3. Walnut stain is 
made by brushing the finished wood with 
asphalt varnish thinned with turpentine. This 
varnish consists of asphalt dissolved in turpen¬ 
tine, and if it cannot be procured ready-made, 
it is easily prepared. One coat is sufflrie it. 
A sample piece should be tried first. 
Relative Value of Fine and Oak Ashes as Fertil¬ 
izers. 
IT. IT. IT. Griffin, Ga , asks, 1, is there any 
value in pine ashes for fertilizing purposes, 
and, it so, what is tbeir value as compared 
with that of oak ashe6; 2. will saltmarsh muck 
make a good fertilizer for asparagus and other 
vegetables, and, if so, how should it be pre¬ 
pared. 
Ans. —1. Pine ashes contain about as much 
of the fertilizing elements as oak wood, but 
pine wood yields but half as much ash as oak. 
The following will give the exact proportions: 
Pine. Oak. 
Total ash per c-nt......2.4 5.1 
Potash per cent...0.4 0.5 
Soda per ceDt.0.2 0.2 
Maxuesia..0.1 0 2 
Linie.1.2 3.7 
Phosphoric acid..0.2 0.3 
Sulphuric acid.0.1 0.1 
Silica.0.2 0.1 
It is Been that piue ashes are richer in potash 
and phosphoric acid than oak ashes, weight 
for weight, although the pine yields Jess ash 
than the oak. 2. Salt marsh mud makes an excel¬ 
lent basis for a compost, and when mixed with 
maunre in cow pon6 or in stables it will make 
a good fertilizer for asparagus or any other 
crop for which stable manure is used. Alone 
it is of no use for such crops, but used as a top¬ 
dressing for grass it has been found very useful. 
Miscellaneous. 
• 
G. E. IY, Afton, IV. Y., has a sugar bush of 
about 500 trees on 20 acres, and he asks, 1, 
whether he can “ underbrush ” it and sow grass 
seed, so as to make a good pasture, or will the 
trees give too thick a shade ; would it be advis¬ 
able to buru it—it is small and last fall about half 
of it was cut—or let it lie a year or so and rot. 
He also asks what grass seed he should sow and 
how treat the land to make a good pasture ; 2, 
where can drain tile be had near him. 
Anb. —If the trees shade the whole of the 
ground, grass will not grow much, and should 
not for the good of the trees. If quite scatter¬ 
ing, sow orchard glass, red top aud blue grass 
mixed. If the land lacks potash (as sandy 
soils usually do, and as clay soils more com¬ 
monly do not), burn the brush, but be careful- 
not to scorch the maple limbs. The gl ass seed 
will probably catch without harrowing, if sown 
in September or March- 2. VV. Bender, Albany, 
N. Y., is the nearest d aler m tile drains that 
we know of. Prices, etc., will be furnished by 
him on application. 
H. IT., Bochester, N. Y., makes several in¬ 
quiries as to lawn mowers, and desires to know 
whether those with ’’iron rollers” are the best. 
His lawn is small, smooth and the turf velvety 
and he desires so to keep it. 
Anb. — The Buckeye lawn-mower (Mast, 
Foost & Co., Springfield, O.,) is, as claimed, 
easy to work, handsome in appearance, simple 
in construction aud durable, so far as we can 
judge from oue season’s use. The Excelsior 
and Philadelphia are both excellent machines. 
The former may be purchased with or without 
an iron roller. For your use, we should thiDk 
the small wooden roller would suffice. 
E. D. L-, SpeedviUe, IV. Y., 1, asks where 
the Clipper mower is manufactured; 3, where 
^nd by whom is the spring-toothed harrow 
made. 
Anb.— 1, The Clipper Mower Co., Keene N. 
H. It Is sold by R- Q. Allen, & Co. of this city. 
2, Wheeler, Melick & Co, Albany, N. Y. ; 
Olin & Co., I^erry, N. Y., and Harrisou M’f’g 
Co, Janesville, Wis. 
J. G. A.. Baltimore, Md., asks how far apart 
should raspberries be set in the rows and how 
far apart should the rows be. 
Anb —It will depend upon the vigor of the 
varieties. Strong-growing sorts should be 
plauted about five feet apart in the rows, and 
the rows five and a half to six feet apart; 
weaker varieties may be set a foot to a foot 
and a half closer each way. 
G. G., Dayton, Texas, has a seedling orange 
tree, thirteen years old, that has never borne 
fruit. It has five stems as thick as his wrist, 
aud he asks whether we would advise him to 
cut off all but one. 
A„ s ._\Ve should cut it hack, and root-prune 
it. 
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COAMUNIOATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE WKKX ENDING 
Saturday, June 5th. 
B. A.-A. L. J.-E. H.—B. A.-F. H. S.-S. It. 
M.-E, D. L.-L. H. E.-D. C. M. P.-P. N. S.-G. 
M. 1.—B. G.—J. H. C.—G. I. F.—C. L.—VV. B. II.— 
P. B.—E. A. M.—E. W—A. A.—H. S.—C. A. G.— 
S. G. J.-O. W. D.—W. C. G.—T. H. H.—W. I. C.— 
W. Ii; Y.—F. E. H.-8. T.—R. H. M.—S. L.—W. G. 
R._H. M. I.—T. H. H.—G. G.-L. M. R.— W. T.— 
A. It. il.-S. K.-W. W. W.-W. S. H.-T. R.— 
J. J. J.—R. K.—T. L.—C. F. M.—J. J. B.—C. M.— 
R. L.—O. W. C.—G. G.—J< C. T. L.—1I. B. B. 
