SEPT. 25 
That which was drilled in on good, well drained 
ground proved better than what was Bown 
broadcast or among the corn. Spring wheat 
is not averaging over seven or eight bushels 
per acre. Rye yields 20 to30bushela per acre; 
barley 25 to .30 bushels; oats 35 to GO bushels 
per acre—will average about 40 or 45 bushels, 
I think. But it is difficult yet to estimate 
correctly the general yield of the various crops. 
Corn is very promising in this locality, but 
south ot this it has suffered severely from 
drought. It is uow nearly out of danger 
from frost. Our early potatoes have not turned 
out as well as was anticipated. The Beauty 
of Hebron has proved better than the Early 
Rose planted side by side at the same time aud 
cultivated alike. We think the late potatoes 
(Peachblows) will do well, but cannot tell yet. 
Garden vegetables and small fruits have been 
very plentiful, and apples are abundant and 
cheap. All things considered, notwithstand¬ 
ing the partial failure of some crops, this has 
been a bountiful season so far and the farm¬ 
ers have prospered in general. w. b. d. 
Minn., Tracy, Lyons Co., Sept. 8. —Crops 
are good here, especially flax, of which there 
is a good deal raised. Some have thrashed 
and report a yield of It) to 20 bushels per acre. 
Several fanners have from 150 to over 200 
acres of flax. A company from Philadelphia 
has located here, and is putting in machinery 
to work up the fiber. They own land here 
and have raised considerable flax this year. 
D. P. 
N. Y., Tonawanda. Erie Co., Sept. 12—The 
Beauty of Hebron potatoes proves to be ahead 
of the Early Rose here. The tubers are larger 
and the yield 100 per cent, more, planted side 
by side. I agree with what Colonel Curtis 
says in a late Rural in regard to his neigh¬ 
bor’s practice of spreading raw manure on sod 
and plowing it under. It may not agree with 
the theories of those who profess to farm sci¬ 
entifically, but practically it answers an excel¬ 
lent purpose, as the abundance of the crops 
shows plainly at harvest time. I clean my barn¬ 
yard every Spring and Fall; consequently the 
manure is all raw ; but I think my average is 
probably as good as that of some who use con¬ 
centrated manure aud have cellars and com¬ 
post, at ranch expense. My average wheat 
yield for eight acres of sod, put in after mow¬ 
ing, as above, was 32 bushels per acre of 
Red Mediterranean, and on eight acres of new 
land, black soil mixed with clay, the average 
was 30 bushels of Clawson. I hold that high¬ 
bred stock and fancy strains of animals and 
composting manure to drag in with the grain, 
and a great many other fancy notions held 
forth by writers, will not pay a practical 
farmer to follow. I work the land at the 
right time and well; give it plenty of stable 
manure and clover, and I find ample returns 
from the soil, as a consequence. c. f. r. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and 
address of the writer to insure attention.] 
Feeding Figs. 
H. T. M., no (uldress, says: “I remember 
reading a few mouths ago of an euthusiast who 
laid himself out for fattening hogs at a cent a 
day. His plan was to mix corn meal and salt 
in water, until it fermented. May I ask if this 
is the best way to prepare a substitute for 
whey ; if so, must it be hot water or cold, and 
must the liquor be bunged up, or prepared in 
an open barrel. Cut bay and meal steamed, I 
suppose, i6 the most economical food for 
Wiuter. Help your readers to the knowledge 
of fattening the poor mau’spig." 
Ans. —We do not recall the statement to 
which H. T, M. refers, but com meal wet up 
with water and a pinch of salt (uo more than 
the pig needs) would be considerably better 
thau whey for the poor man's or any other 
man's pig. Whey is mostly milk sugar before 
fermentation turuB it iuto lactic acid, and has 
not sufficient muscle-forming matter to grow 
the muscular system of the youug pig. Whey 
is only fit to be given to lean, grown hogs that 
need only to be filled up with fat, which the 
milk sugar is well adapted to do; but much ot 
the whey fed from cheese factories has under¬ 
gone so much fermentation as to be nearly 
worthless for pig feediug, unless mixed with 
linseed meal, decorticated cottou-seed meal, 
wheat bran, Oats, or other food rich iu muscle- 
forming matter. As to keeping a pig upon one 
cent per day, it must be a very small one, or 
kept upon a very small ration—aud in either 
case the result would also be small, aud per¬ 
haps discouraging. We cannot encourage the 
readers of the Rural ever to expect auything 
but a square, houest return for the food given 
to the pig or any other auimal. It is always 
so much for so much, not “something for 
nothing." If in the West corn be purchased 
for 28 cents per bushel, this would give two 
pounds for one cent, but two pounds ot corn are 
only sufficient food for a pig that weighs 25 to 
THE BUBAL fjEW-¥0BKEB. 
30 pounds; and, for such a young pig, corn 
alone is not a proper diet. It does not contain 
a sufficient proportion of nitrogen to grow the 
muscular system. The pig is a grass-eating 
animal, aud young clover and corn meal will 
go well together, because the clover is more 
nitrogenous than the corn meal; but half bran 
and corn is better. 8o the cheapest food in Sum¬ 
mer is grass, corn and bran, as these will keen 
the pig healthy and give it a rapid growth. 
Grass cut and fed in the pen will answer every 
purpose. For Winter feeding, a little linseed 
meal (one-fourth to one-half pound) per day, 
and the balance in corn meal or. bran is as 
cheap as anything. A little fermentation will 
improve it, bnt it should not get much sour. 
After using the slops of the kitchen, a little of 
these other foods will fatten the pig rapidly. 
The pig utilizes its food better than any other 
one of our domestic animals; but there should 
be no half-way in hi6 feeding; let him have a 
full diet. 
Mange in Swine. 
W. IT. M., Warren, Ohio , asks for a remedy 
for mange in swine, 
Ans, —Mange in the lower animals is of the 
same nature as itch in human beings, and in 
all cases is due to the irritation and ulceration 
caused by the buriowings of minute insects, 
all of which pretty closely resemble each other, 
though they are known by different names 
according to the animals they may infest. 
The disease is contagious, always requiring 
for its development the passage of the mites 
or their eggs from diseased to healthy animals. 
This transfer may take place by the sound 
animal coming in contact either with an ail¬ 
ing one of the same kind, or with some object 
on which the mites or their eggs have found a 
resting place. Any animal may accidentally 
be the carrier of contagion from diseased to 
healthy subjects—for instance, a dog cau 
carry the disease from one hog to another— 
but it is essential for the development ol 
the disease that the insect should be proper , 
to the animal, so that a mauge insect of swine 
cannot produce mange in a dog ; this can be 
done only by the mange iusect of another dog. 
Iu swine the disease usually shows itself first 
on the thin akin uuder the arm-pits and thighs 
and on the inside of the fore-legs. Small, red 
blotches oi- pimples appear at first, and these 
spread as the insects multiply and burrow 
under the skin. The only way to rid auy aui¬ 
mal of the maDge is to kilL the mites that cause 
it and their eggs. This can be done only by 
application of the remedy to the parts affected. 
It may be well to give sulphur aud other cool¬ 
ing medicines in the food, but the insect and its 
eggs must be killed by local applications. The 
body should first be covered with soft soap 
and thoroughly washed with warm water and 
well brushed; a good wash is made of one 
part of caustic potash to fifty parts of water; 
or one part of creosote to forty parts of water, 
well mixed; or a decoction of tobacco in the 
ratio of one to twenty-five. Carbolic acid, 
diluted, is also au effective wash. Several 
poisonous applications are also sometimes 
used in severe cases, but we do not recom¬ 
mend such dangerous remedies. A day or 
two after the thorough application of 
either of the above washes, the body should 
be again well cleansed either with the same 
wash or with potash lye. AU the surround¬ 
ings of the affected animals, too, should be 
thoroughly cleansed, such as the sty, rubbing 
places, etc., at least twice, at intervals of a 
couple of days, so as to kiU the mites that 
might in the interval hatch out. For this pur¬ 
pose, a covering of lime or chloride of lime or 
a good rubbing with petroleum will generally 
prove effective. It would be well, however, 
not to put any sound hogs into the pen of a 
diseased one for a month or two after it had 
beeu disinfected. Most of the above will also 
apply to mange in other domesticated animals. 
Remedy lor Collar Gulls, 
J. O., Momence, Neb,, asks what is a good 
wash for sores on a horse’s shoulder. 
An 3.—In order to prescribe properly, we 
ought to have a more particular description of 
the sores—whether they are running ones, 
have been of long standing, etc. If they are 
mere coUar galls, they are easily and quickly 
cured by first washing them out clean very 
gently with warm soap-suds: let them dry and 
then apply a thin smearing of white lead. 
This usually dries up galls in three or four 
days. If during this time it is necessary to 
use the horse, put a breast collar on, and do 
not work him hard, aud only part of the day. 
We have ofteu cured galls by applying neat’s- 
foot oil to them two or three times per day, or 
as often as it dries. We presume sweet oil or 
whale oil would do pretty well, but kerosene 
would be too harsh. Keep flies away from the 
sores, and anything else likely to irritate 
them. To prevent galls, take the horse with 
his collar on him to a saddler and let him see 
that it fits properly. Then keep it clean of 
lumps and dirt, and lightly oiled inside every 
week or two with ueat’s-foot oil. If the inside 
leather of a collar is kept soft and pliable, aud 
it is of the right size, and fits snugly to the 
shoulder, it scarctly ever galls the horse. 
Remedy for Ticks on Sheep. 
II. B., CobbleskiU, N. Y., asks for a remedy 
for ticks on sheep. 
An 3 .—The way to get rid of this pest is to 
dip the sheep in some liquid which kills the 
insects. Of the various preparations used for 
this purpose Uryeilic Sheep Dip is as good as 
any. A safe and very effective one can also 
be made of tobacco and sulphur in the propor¬ 
tions of four ounces of the former and one of 
the latter to a gallon of water. The water is 
brought to a boiling heat, and the tobacco, 
either coarse cheap leaf or stems, which are 
equally good, ib steeped (but not boiled) in it 
until the strength is exhausted. The sulphur 
is then stirred in the liquid. When it has be¬ 
come reduced in temperature to 120 degrees, 
it is ready for use. The sheep are entirely im¬ 
mersed in the liquid so that the wool is com¬ 
pletely saturated. The dipped auimals should 
be kept in a yard uutil the wool no longer 
drips, lest the pasture should befouled, and the 
sheep sickened by the tobacco juice. After ten 
days the dipping is repeated to destroy any 
newly hatched mites. 
Cow and Sheep Manure, etc. 
Cr. E. N., Aflon, N, Y., asks, 1, whether 
Guenon’s work on the escutcheon in cows is 
illustrated; 2, will a ton of hay give mature 
of the same value for crops, if fed to sheep as 
it would if fed to cows; 3, what is the best 
breed of sheep for that section. 
Ans— 1. Yes. 2. As cows produce milk, it 
is readily understood why they should abstract 
more of the nutritious qualities of their food 
than sheep which only supply the waste caused 
by the exercise of the vital functions. Hence 
the manure from cows fed on hay alone (or 
grass) is very poor; while that from sheep is 
much richer iu fertilizing elements. Practi¬ 
cally, we should estimate sheep mauure to be 
worth nearly twice as much as cow manure. 
3. What is the beat, depends upon the use the 
sheep are put to. If for mutton and wool, the 
best would be native grade ewes crossed by 
Cotswold or Hampshire-Down rams. If your 
pasture is light South-Down would make a bet 
ter cross for your locality. 
Arbor-Vltaes from Ctutinga. 
W. , 7., West Salem, Wis., asks how to prop¬ 
agate arbor-vitfes from cuttings. 
Ans. —Flower-pots well provided with drain¬ 
age aud filled with sand will answer. Make 
the cuttiugs five inches long. Remove the 
lower leaves and a part of the upper ones 
Insert these two iuches deep in the saud. 
Place the pots in a temperatuie above 40 deg., 
and shade them from hot sun. They will 
strike before Spring. Arbor-vil sc cuttings may 
be placed in mellow soil out-of-doors. If pro¬ 
tected aud looked to occasionally they will 
form roots. 
Ml*celtaneoun. 
T. D. B., Greenville -, Ky., asks, 1, for the 
cause and a remedy for the rotting of Acme 
tomatoes on the vines; 2, will it pay to give 
three dollars per cord for tobacco stems; 3, 
would it be cheaper to get superphosphate of 
lime or guano for vegetables, or stable manure 
at $2 per two-horse load, the commercial fer¬ 
tilizers having to come by express. Having 
been told that most seedsmen sell their best 
specimens of melons, tomatoes, etc., and save 
only the refuse sorts for seed, he asks, 4, whether 
we cau name a seed grower who sells seed got 
from the finest specimens only, 5, which is the 
better plan, after hauling forest leaves—to 
spread themon theground and turn them under 
or to compost them with a little manure or 
other fermentable matter ? 
Ans. — 1. If tomato vines are planted too 
closely together, the first to ripen are apt to 
rot because they receive too much moisture 
aud too little sun. But we have had mauy 
complaints as to the rotting of the Acme, and 
it may be owing to an infirmity in this kind. 
2. That depends upon the purpose for which 
you need them. Not for mauure assuredly. 
3. We should prefer at that price the mauure, 
if of good quality and procurable near home, 
so that cartage would be inexpensive. 4. It is 
to the interest of all seedsmen who value their 
good name to procure the best of seeds and we 
believe that that is the rule. 5. It would be 
best to compost the leaves or even to place 
them iu a pile to rot rather than to spread 
upou the laud aud turn them uuder. 
.4. W,, Sonthhoid, N. Y, says that his daugh¬ 
ter budded some cherry and peach trees last 
seasou according to the directions given iu the 
Rural, but only one peach grew. The buds 
of the cherry trees didn’t start at all; some of 
the peach buds started, but afterwards all died 
with one exception, aud he asks the reason 
why ; also, 3. how tall will the Amorpha fru- 
tieosa grow—is it a tree or shrub. 
Ass.—1. The failure iu budding is probably 
due to the fact that the work was not done at 
the right time. Remember the bark must part 
freely from the wood, else the inserted bud 
will generally fail. For the rest, the bud must 
be cut clean aud inserted at once or kept moist 
until it is inserted. The batk must be bound 
firmly over the inserted bud, so as to exclude 
the air and insure contact. Strong, well-ripened 
buds should be secured, and after insertion 
they should be shaded from hot sunshine dur¬ 
ing the day. 2. We have an Amorpha fruti- 
cosa (False Indigo) six years old that is seven 
feet high. It never grows beyond the hounds 
of what may be called a tall shrub. 
F. W. G-, Fulton, N. Y., Bends two speci¬ 
mens of potatoes, one marked with a colored; 
the other, with a white string. The former is 
from the Beauty of Hebron seed sent out by 
the Rural, and it yields better than the other, 
which has been sold as the Beauty by a prom¬ 
inent seedsman. Both are good; but he wants 
to know which is the genuine Beauty. Hehas 
raised, this year, 20 bushels of that sort, and 
says they yield better than the Early Rose 
Snowflake or Early Vermont. 
Ans.— We have just dug au experiment plot 
of one-fortieth of an acre of Beauty of Hebron 
potatoes, and we have carefully compared the 
two specimens sent with them. The difference 
in these two specimens is simply in the color 
of the skin. One is white, the usual color of 
the Ilebron ; the other is pinkish. The pota¬ 
toes of two hills of our plot present iust 
this pinkish appearance. All the others are 
like the specimen tied with a white striog. We 
say that they are the same potato. 
G. H. B., Reedxville, Pa,, asks, 1, where 
can he get seed of Walker wheat, and 2, 
what other varieties would be likely to do 
well in central Pennsylvania besides Fullz and 
Clawson. 
Ans. —Walker wheat is extensively grown in 
East Tennessee and also in some other sec¬ 
tions, as may be seen by reports in our issue 
of July 10. It is a smooth-head, medium, 
quite early winter wheat, yields fairly and is 
suitable for a rich soil. Some say it is red, 
others amber. It may be there are two vari¬ 
eties of the same name. We do not know 
where seed can be had. 2 Lancaster. Medit¬ 
erranean and Deihl are reported to do well in 
that section, and it might be advisable to try 
Muskingum, Shumaker or Silver Chaff which 
we cau speak well of from personal experi¬ 
ence. 
A. N. B., Carlisle, Pa., asks for a fuller re¬ 
port of our crop of Blount’s White Prolific 
Corn, and whether we would sell him a bushel 
of seed. 
Ans.— We shall give a full report as soon as 
harvested. The ears average medium size— 
larger thau last year. We are satisfied that 
this Blount’s Corn can be much improved by 
careful selection of seed ; that is to say, more 
ears can be raised per stalk, it will ripen ear¬ 
lier, the shanks can be shortened, it can be 
induced to grow not so tall, and to bear its 
ears not so high upou the stalks. If we 
should succeed in materially improving it in 
the above respects, we shall again place it in 
our Distribution. We do not sell anything 
except the Rural. 
C. C. G. Lockporl, IU., sends for name, 1, a 
leaf of an ivy-shaped twiner ; 2, a doubly 
serrate, acuminate leaf from a wild shrub or 
young tree ; 3, a flower that came from Da¬ 
kota. 
Ans.— 1. We cannot name plants fiom the 
leaf alone as a rule. This may be Menisper- 
mum Canadense, the Moonseed Vine. 3. You 
must send us a fruit, or flower, or both. S. This 
seems to be Cleome rosea. The order is 
Capparidaeeie—not Crucifer®. 
G. J. T., Ooxsacfcie, N. Y., asks who makes 
the best apparatus for drying fruit, and the 
price. 
Ans. —The American Drier Company, Cbam- 
bersburgh. Pa., make as good a fruit evapor¬ 
ator as auy we know. Different sizes have 
different prices. Write for full information 
which will be promptly furnished. 
E. W. K., Glens FaUs, N. Y., sends flower 
and vine for name. 
Ans. —The flower is Gentiana Andrewsii, a 
very pretty flower commonly called the Closed 
Blue Gentian. The vine is the Moonseed 
Vine—Menispermum Canadense. 
W. S. F., Reedxville, N. C., asks how far 
north will Pearl Millet seed ripen. 
Ans.— Three years ago it ripened at the Ru¬ 
ral Grounds, about latitude 40.43. As a rule 
it will not ripen so far North. 
J.A. Van T., Webstei', la., sends an apple 
for name. 
Ans. —The specimen is so bruised and dis¬ 
colored that we are unable to say what it is. 
At a guess we would say that it is Lowell, but 
we cannot be certain. 
Communications received for the week end¬ 
ing Saturday, Skft. 18. 
G. H—G. O—F. D —I. L. D.—L. D.—E. E. W.— 
D. P.-C. S.—M. W.-J. B. P.—L. J. P.—R. M. P.— 
R. V. A.—T. R. W\—C. P.—N. B.—G. I. T. A. A. 
H.—M. B. H.-W. B. A —O. W. F.—31. E. W.-S. 
31, 3IcL.—S. A. L.—S. J. D.—O. B. S.—W. B. R — 
31. A. P.—W. L. Y.—E. G., thanks.—C. E. S-, many 
thanks.—P. D. G.—W. J. C.—C. J. R.—F. L, T.— 
R. S.—J. T. H.—S. R. W.—T. N.—R. W. A. - S. T. 
H.—N. W., thanks.—S. C.—R. N. F.—W. L. II.— 
W. B—C. E. A.—31. L. S.—31. J. U.—L. B. 
Don’t use stimulants, but nature’s real brain ; i 
nerve food—Hop Bitters. 
