MARCH IS 
4/2 
cases 100 pounds of gypsum (plaster) have had 
an excellent effect. You cannot well tell un¬ 
til a trial has been made which of the ferti¬ 
lizers would be most beneficial and economi¬ 
cal too. But wood ashes rarely foil. 2. It 
would be very unwise to repeat potatoes on 
the same ground where they rotted last year. 
The $p*ound is now stocked with the disease, 
which is a fungus. 3. No. But if you sow' 
the clover in August witn a pound of w'hite 
turnips, you will inn an excellent chance 
to have a good crop the next year. The tur¬ 
nips may be pulled or left to protect the clo¬ 
ver through the W inter and make manure for 
it, which will be a very cheap way of feed¬ 
ing it. 
J. L. W.,East Bethlehem, Pa. —1. Is sun¬ 
flower seed as good for milch cow's and horses 
as flax-seed? 2. Is Pride of the North the same 
corn as Early Canada, and where can they be 
obtained? 
Ans— 1. Sunflower seed is not good for 
horses or cattle. It is rich in oil, but unsuited 
for feeding stock. It may be ted to poultry 
in small quantities. Flax-seed is also too oily 
to be fed in a perfect form. Iu the form of 
linseed cake it is excellent to mix with other 
meal in small quantities, not more than one- 
fourth of oil meal. Good oil meal is not ob¬ 
tained by the new process, as little or no oil 
is left in it. 2. Pride of the North is an early 
dent corn and is not at all like the Early Can¬ 
ada. It can be obtained from Hiram Sibley 
& Co.. Rochester, N. Y., and from other 
large seedsmen. There are several varieties 
of Early Canada Corn, which cau be ob¬ 
tained of William Rennie, Toronto. Canada. 
TF. H. A., Fairport, N. Y, —1. Where can 
Burr’s New Piue Strawberry lie obtained? 2. 
Are there two kinds of barberry; and where 
can plants be obtained? 3. Which is the ear¬ 
liest Black cap? 4 What varieties of raspber¬ 
ries. strawberries, pears, plums and peaches are 
best for succession for market and family use? 
Ans.— 1. Send for small fruit catalogues. 
You will find it in many of them. 2. There are 
many kinds. They vary from seed. They can 
be obtained of any nurseryman. 3. Soubegan is 
as early as any. 4. Hansell, Turner and Cuth- 
bert. For Black caps, Soubegan and Gregg. 
Strawberries: Duchess, Sharpless. Charles 
Downing, Kentucky. Pears: Bartlett, Tyson, 
Beurre d’Anjou, Beurre Bose, Dana’s Hovey, 
Lawrence. Plums: Coe’s Golden Drop,Duane’s 
Purple; Pond’s Seedling, Washington, Mc¬ 
Laughlin. Peaches: Alexander, Crawford’s 
Early. Oldmixou Free, Stump the World, 
Ward’s Late Free. 
TF. H. K., Knobnoster , Mo.—I How deep 
must a 10 acre pond be to hold water enough 
to irrigate 100 acres of bottom land? 2. How 
should a collar tumor be treated? 3. What is 
soap linament? 
Ans —1. Under the cirenmstauces it will 
not pay you to irrigate. A stream is required 
which cau be flowed over the laud. To pump 
the water will cost too much. A hundred 
acres of land would require at least 12 inches 
of water all over it through the dry season, 
which would require the pond to be 10 feet 
deep. It is impossible to say how much sur¬ 
plus water will fall on or flow off from 100 
acres; it depends upon so many contingen¬ 
cies. 2. A collar tumor should be treated 
with iodiue ointment unt'l it breaks, and then 
with tincture of benzoin until it heals. A 
good-fitting collar must then be provided. 3. 
Soap linfl ment is made of ammonia water and 
sweet oil. 
II. R, S., Brixcondale, Canada. —1. Wliat 
is the best mixture fora milch cow? 2. What 
will clear a horse of worms? 3. My heifer 
calf has twoteats very close together,one beiug 
smaller than the other; will this condition 
continue? 
Ans. —We would suggest the following 
mixture: Two parts bran, one part pea bran, 
one part corn meal and one part pea meal. 
Of this from four to eight pounds a day may 
be given w ith hay or corn fodder. 1 f the fod¬ 
der is cut and wetted and the feed mixed w’it.b 
it and given twice a day, it will probably do 
one-third more good than if the feed and fod¬ 
der are given dry. 2. Give one ounce of san¬ 
tonin in the bran for six mornings following 
eaebother; then give a pint of linseed oil. 3. 
We would not raise a heifer of this kind for 
the dairy. In choosing a calf to rear, well 
formed and well-placed teats are indispensa¬ 
ble, 
J. L. M., Utah, Pa. —1. From whom can I 
get tabulated analyses of chemical fertilizers 
manufactured in this State? 2- Should I 
spread manure now as fast as it is hauled out 
on sod for corn, or keep it in heaps and spread 
it on top as the sod is turned under? 3. If I 
spread it now, should I then plow it deep or 
shallow? 
Ans. —1. From Prof. Jordan, Professor of 
Agriculture, State Agricultural College, State 
Center. Pa. 2. By all means spread as fast 
as made unless the ground is liable to over¬ 
flow. The Spring rains will wash the soluble 
elements into the ground, causing a rank 
growth of grass, hut don’t feed this grass off; 
let it grow and turn it under. This will 
greatly increase the efficacy of the manure. 
3. The depth dependssomewdiat on thedepth of 
soil, but in no case plow more than six inches. 
TF. M. D., New Pans. —1. Where cau I get 
grafts of the Salome and Clark’s Prolific Ap¬ 
ples? 2. Wbat is a good work on agricultural 
chemistry: ditto, on poultry 1 3. What is the 
tit'st variety of currants, also the second best? 
4. Is the Apex Harrow as good as the Acme? 
Ans. —1. For Salome write to Arthur Bry¬ 
ant, Priuceton, Ill.; for the other, W. G. 
Clark, Albia, Iowa. 2. A Familiar Exposi¬ 
tion of the Chemistry of Agricult ure Address¬ 
ed to Farmers, by J. A. Stoekhart. Price 
$2.60. Nichols’ Chemistry of the Farm and 
Sea, $2.25. JohDson’sHow Crops Grow, $2.00, 
aud How Crops Feed, $2.00. To be procured 
of Robert Clark & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. 
Lewis’s Practical Poultry Book, $1.50; 
Wright’s Practical Poultry-keeper, $2 00. 3. 
Fay’s Prolific, for best; White Grape, second 
best. 4. We have not tried the Apex. 
R. C. R.- Sandusley, Ohio. —1. Are the new 
Welcome Oats.advert.ised by Johuson & Stokes 
and W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the same? 2. What 
can be said of the Erie, Sandusky, Huron aud 
Seneca County Bohemian Oat Association? 
The parties offer oats at $10 a bushel, giving 
the purchaser a bond certifying that they 
will sell double the amount purchased before 
my ment for what has been bought, wo lid it 
be advisable to invest? 
Ans. —1. We presume they are the same. 
We should write to either firm and trust their 
statement. 2. We would by no means advise 
anybody to invest a cent with it. The plan 
here set forth, has been adopted several times 
already by humbugs, and we do not remem¬ 
ber a single instance in which the investor did 
not lose. 
R M. A ., Tecumsch, Neb— My 13-year-old 
mare has been constantly voiding since she 
took the stallion. Since feeding oats or corn 
makes no difference, how should she be treated? 
Ans.—I s the mare in foal? That is import¬ 
ant to know. If she is, give two drams of 
chlorate of potash in a bran mash once a 
day for a week aud observe the effects. If 
necessary, repeat for another week. If the 
oats and corn are at all musty or smutty, 
they should be scalded in plenty of water and 
the water poured off when cold. If the corn 
is not quite sound it would have this effect. It 
would be advisable to give a dose of oil (one 
pint of raw linseed oil) at the start. If the 
mare is not iu foal, please write, saying so, and 
describe the case more particularly so that 
you can be advised as well as possible. 
O. E. D., Hampton, Fa. —1. How Iowa tem¬ 
perature will pears, quinces and apricots 
stand? 2. Would it be worth while to plant 
pears where the thermometer reaches down to 
40 degrees below zero? 
Ans —1. We have known the wood of the 
quince and of the pear as well to he seriously 
injured at a temperature of 25 to 28 degrees. 
Apricots will stand even lees than the peach, 
say 16 to 18 degrees of the thermometer, but 
in each case very much will depend upon the 
variety, and the amouut of moisture held iu 
the tissues of the wood. 2. Without refer¬ 
ence to varieties, or the ripeness of the wood 
growth, we should not expect pear trees, even 
should they survive a single exposure to 40 de¬ 
grees, to continue healthy, or to be valuable 
thereafter. 
./. II., New Springfield, Ohio. —1. Arc there 
other plums that ripen at the same time as the 
Canada, Orleans, aud Italian Prune, that are 
tetter or as good ? 2, Is the Weaver Plum a 
profitable one to raise? 3. Is iron dost good 
for young trees? 4. Are coal ashes and rotten 
tan-bark good for such trees? 5. Would it be 
well to sow oats in a young plum orchard to 
be plowed under? 6. Is there a book on plum 
culture? 
Ana.— 1. Yes: Jefferson, Smith’s Orleans, 
and Lombard. 2. No, not in the North. See 
what is said about this plum elsewhere in 
“ Querist, 1 ' 3. Better use ashes and plenty of 
mauure. 4. They are good as a mulch. 5. 
Yes, if not allowed to get too large aud not 
plowed too deep. 6. Not exclusively. 
TF. H. S. D., Weymouth Bridge, Nova Scotia. 
—Wbat are the best varieties of peaches for 
this climate? 
Ans.— Deming’s Orauge is the only peach 
starred in the Am. Pom. Soc.’s catalogue for 
Nova Scotia, but undoubtedly most of the 
varieties successful iu Eastern Massachusetts 
would be found to do well there. Among those 
of good repute are Cooledge’s Favorite, Craw¬ 
ford’s Early, Oldmixou Free, Foster, George 
the Fourth, Early York, aud Hale’s Early. 
Very good peaches can be grown from seed. 
It is said that the Foster, above named, a very 
hardy and gool sort, always comes true from 
seed. Winter mulching of the trees with 
strawy litter would be advisable in a climate 
where there is so little snow. 
“New Subscriber," Kingston, Pa.— 1. Would 
the following mixture be a good application 
to secure a good crop of early cabbage: One 
ton. of Peruvian guano and 500 pounds of 
kainit to the acre, or 600 pounds sulphate of 
ammonia, 600 pounds dissolved S. C. rock and 
500 pounds of kainit. Soil a good alluvial river 
bottom on which a good clover and Timothy 
sod was turned under last Fall. 
Ans.— We could not improve upon the first. 
As to the second, we should make the kainit600 
pounds and the sulphate of ammonia 450 
pounds. Really there is much guess-work 
about this. Your laud may be comparatively 
rich in either phosphoric acid, ammonia, or 
potash. 
N. R. M.. Montreal— We have a farm in 
Manitoba and are obliged to “break” 80 acres 
a year; this year we intend to seed 80 acres to 
meadow —half of it to Timothy, which does 
well; wbat other tame grass would be likely 
to thrive on the other 40 acres? Clover gets 
badly winter-killed and will not suit. 
Ans.— This is a difficult question, because 
there has been little experience with the va¬ 
rious grasses in Manitoba as yet. Red 
Top, Meadow Fescue aud Tall Oat Grass make 
a good mixture, but it would be advisable to 
try a small area before seeding 40 acres with 
these grasses, the seeds of which are very 
costly. 
A. G. B, Riehview, Out.— Is black barley 
good feed for hogs and cattle? We can grow 
35 bushels per acre, weighing 60 pounds to the 
bushel. 
Ans.—I t is not so good as peas or corn for 
fattening; but it is a most excellent food for 
growing animals, and just the thing to mix 
with either coni or peas. A mixture of meal 
and bran is always better for any animal iu 
any condition, and this barley is valuable to 
lighten either corn or pea meal, and can lie 
made to take the place of brau, on which it is 
an improvement. There is nothing better 
than barley for suckling animals. 
S'. F ., Joliet, III— What is the value of blast 
furnace stove dust, of which the following is 
an analysis: Soluble matter, 14.91 percent.; 
silica, .25 percent.; sulpb. lime, 3 25 per cent.; 
sulpb. magnesia, 0.28 per cent.; potass, sulph., 
7.4S per cent.; Jiotass, chloride, 2.87 per cent.; 
insoluble matter, 85.09. 
Ans.—T he potash salts are the chief valua¬ 
ble elements, and are worth 25 cents per 100 
pounds of the dust. This analysis applies only 
to iron furnaces where charcoal is used. Coke 
or anthracite furnaces deposit no potash in the 
oven dust. 
B. B„ Saratoga Springs, N. Y. —1. Would 
ashes at 50 cents a barrel pay on a sandy soil 
iu poor condition? 2. How should they be ap¬ 
plied? 3. How should dry, lumpy lien manure 
be reduced to a flue state fit for use. 
Ans.—1. Without doubt it would pay. 2. 
Sow broadcast and harrow in when there is no 
wind. 8. Spread the mauure on the floor and 
teat it fine with the back of a shovel, break¬ 
ing all lumps. Then mix with mold or dry 
muck, say four parts of either to one of man- 
ui e. 
J. S., Marshall, Mich.— 1. Will corn grown 
near Philadelphia ripen in Southern Michi¬ 
gan early euough to make a crop? 2. What 
kind of corn is the Learning: will it do for 
Michigan? 
Ans.— 1. Not unless it is an early-ripeniug 
sort. The gourd-seed or dent, corns that 
ripen well in Pennsylvania, could not be 
trusted with you. 2. The Learning Is a yellow 
dent, aud we have never seen anything re¬ 
markable about it. Try it in a small way 
only. 
S. N. H. B., St. Catherines, Can .—What 
does the Rural mean by level culture of 
potatoes? 
Ans.—L evel cultivation for corn and pota¬ 
toes is a pet method with the Rural. We 
have practiced it aud advocated it for many 
years, and the method is now being advocated 
by other journals. By “level cultivation” 
for potatoes, we mean planting the seed pieces 
in drills and not hilling up any more than 
would be necessary for onions. 
S. H. B. } Huntington, Conn. —Has the 
Rural had auy personal experience or knowl¬ 
edge of the benefits of Compound Oxygen, 
advertised by Starky & Palen, of Philadel¬ 
phia. 
Ans. —While traveling iu the South four 
years ago, we met several invalids at Aiken, 
S. C., who had great faith in this remedy. 
The publisher of the Inter-Oeeau, Mr. Wm. 
Penn Nixon, deems it an invaluable remedy 
for pulmonary weaknesses. 
J. G., Grand Rapids, Mich. —How can I 
certainly tell whether my cow is in calf? She 
had the bull last September; I have uoticed 
no signs of heat; but about New Year’s some 
blood flowed from the vagina. 
Axs.—It is doubtful if the cow is iu calf, as 
the discharge of blood is au indication of heat. 
It would be well to notice any future indica¬ 
tion of the kind aud have her served then; or 
wait 19 or 20 days afterwards and then- take 
her to the bull. 
TF. TF. B., Carrollton, Mo. —The year be¬ 
fore last I bad three Toulouse ganders and 
two geese; Inst year one gander and two 
geese, but not an egg hatched in either year. 
On breaking the eggs the whites were found 
to be thin and the yelks perfectly whole; 
why this sterility ? 
Ans.—W e presume the ganders were too 
old. Probably by using younger ganders bet¬ 
ter results would follow. 
E. B. P., Wesley, hrwa.—l. Who deals in 
Bronze Turkeys near me? 2. Will turkey 
eggs shipped here from Philadelphia by ex¬ 
press, batch? 
Ans.— 1. Fred. E. Baldwin.Des Moines, Iowa. 
2. If the eggs are good aud fresh when sent, 
and have been carefully handled, we should 
think so It will not do to send them in too 
cold weather, however. 
T. N. K., Fairfield Co., Ohio.— In raising 
grade cows for beef aiffl milk, from what breeds 
should the bull be selected ? 
Ans. — From a milking family of Short¬ 
horns. There are several families of this kind 
belonging to different tribes. Mr. Stoddard, 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y.; Jonathan Talcott, 
Rome, N. Y., and Mr. Hoffman, of the Hus¬ 
bandman, tilmira, N. Y., have herds of this 
sort. 
I' .K. M., Watertown, N. Y.— Who are the 
principal makers of imitation dairy’ products? 
Ans. —This is impossible to tell. These peo¬ 
ple “hate the light because their deeds are 
evil” and besides, “their name is legion.” 
Thousands of farmers and creameries are en¬ 
gaged in the business beyond a doubt.; but 
they all work in the dark. 
F. C. McO., Beech Grove, Ind — 1. Will 
coal ashes make the soil light and loose, and if 
so would not coal ashes he a good application 
in the melon patch? 2. Will different varie¬ 
ties of oats mix if planted close together? 
Ans.— 1 Yes, in limited quantity thor¬ 
oughly intermingled with the soil. 2. No, 
they will not. 
J. E, S., Burbank, O. —Which is the better 
maple sap spout, the Eureka or the Record? 
Ans —The Eureka costs $2 50 and the other 
$1, so that the former should be the better. 
An excellent spout. “ The Sugar Maker’s 
Friend,” of which we have heard good ac¬ 
counts, is made by C. C, Post, of Burling¬ 
ton, Vt. 
S. H. R.. Viroqua, TFts.—1. Should a cow 
in any event be forced to swallow a pound or 
more of salt pork? 2. What effect would such 
a dose have in a case of indigestion? 3. 
Would it be likely to help to expel the after¬ 
birth? 
Ans.— 1. No. 2. Make it worse. 3. No. 
TF. M. B., Gallon, O.—l. Can I make good, 
unbleached muslin water-proof by several 
applications of linseed oil? 2 Can the Rural 
recommend anything better? 
Ans. —Yes. 2. Add one well-beaten egg to 
a pint of unboiled oil. It will improve it as a 
water-proof coating. 
L. R. T., Poe, Ind. —1. Will barley sown 
here in tl\e Spring do well ? 2. Where can I 
procure Mensurv Barley ? 8. Where can I pro¬ 
cure Brown Leghorn fowls and eggs? 
Ans. —1. Yes. if sown early on rich land. 
2. Of Howard Tryon, Flemming, N. Y. 3. E. 
B. Vincent, Sunumn, Ind. 
IF. B., Oakwood, Ontario, Can. —How can 
payment be forwarded for seeds, etc. ? 
Ans—I f yon wish to send for seeds in quan 
tity send a money-order. Canadian money 
orders are honored in the United States. If 
you mean to send for a package of our free 
seeds send Canada stamp. 
R. H. S’., Wadsworth, III. —Who, in this 
State, deals in Holsteins? 
Ans.— Hiram Severy and D. Severy & Sons, 
Lelaud; W. H, Mann & Co., Gilman; S. N. 
Wright. South Elgin, and John M. Severy & 
Co,, Sandwich. 
J. IF. C., Lovettmille, Ya. —Will the Phoenix 
Fruit Tree Invigorator do all that is claimed 
for it? 
Ans.—W e do not know anything about it 
from trial, and have not confidence enough in 
it to try it. 
J. A. G., Vandalia, III —How can liquid 
manure be made from ben droppings? 
ANS.—Put a shovelful of the droppings iu 
a barrel of water; stir thoroughly. Use this 
aud repeat. 
“ Reub.'" asks what variety of com will be 
best for his district, but not a word iu his let¬ 
ter gives a hint as to where he lives. Of 
course, wo can’t answer his questions there¬ 
fore. 
O. A S., Santa Barbara, Cal— Where can 
I procure the new Banana Muskmelon ? 
Ans.—I t is spoken of in many of the cata¬ 
logues wo have noticed. 
n. D., Baraboo, lFt's.—For treatment of 
collar tumor, see auswer to W. H. K., Knob¬ 
noster, Mo. 
