best wash for apple trees, to remove rough 
bark ami make them look well ? 2. In an or¬ 
chard planted on a rather steep hill side, 
would it be advisable to dig trenches two feet 
wide and four feet deep parallel with tlie hiU- 
side and between the rows of trees, and nil 
them with small stones to retain moisture and 
the percolations from the manure applied to 
the orchard? 
Ans,— 1. See editorial page of Rrsan of 
March 29. There isnothing equal to that. 2. 
It v ould be a capital plan. It would dispose 
of the stones, catch moisture and manure, and 
prevent all washing or gullying of surface. 
N. L. C.s Eden , Erie Co .. N. I.—Is kero¬ 
sene oil good for spraying trees to keep away 
insects, and how should it be applied? 
Ass.—Kerosene is applied as an emulsion 
and is to be prepared as followed: Take one 
gallon of sour milk, and four ounces of kero¬ 
sene oil, put them in an old jug or can toge¬ 
ther, and shake until thoroughly mixed. 
Then add four gallons of water, aud it the 
shaking was sufficient, the kerosene will be 
entirely dissolved and held in solution. For 
applying, use some sort of force pump; for 
trees, the Field Force Pump, made by Field 
Force Pump Company, Lockport. N. Y., is a 
good one. being cheap and efficient. 
A. H. Bayport, L. /.—What is the best crop 
to put on land to bring it into grass as soon as 
posable. It has not been plowed for eight 
years, and when last plowed it was not seeded 
down. „ . „ 
Ass.—Plant corn. Blount’s or Chester Co. 
Mammoth will do well if the season be not too 
dry. Next season sow oals. Examine the 
catalogues and judge for yourself. You had 
better select early white oats. Sow at t ie 
rate of 300 pounds of chemical fertilizer—pure 
ground bone, or the fertilizers prepared for 
oats. In the Fall, use all of the farm manure 
you can afford and sow to wheat and seed to 
Timothy and clover. 
S. S. W., Hickey O-rove, Pa .—Wbat crop 
would do best on a piece of land on which 
wood has been sawed and stored until a large 
quantity of chip dirt and sawdust has accu¬ 
mulated on it? 
An s.— If the debris has become thoroughly 
rotted] this land should be very rich. Possi¬ 
bly go much refuse may have accumulated 
that nothing would grow until a part was re¬ 
moved. As early as possible plow it twice, 
and harrow till entirely fine. It would do w ell 
for corn, peas or cabbages; potatoes would do 
extra well there, unless it is infested with 
wire-worms or white grubs. 
PIC S., Salisburyh, Ind ,—y raspberry 
bushes are set four feet apart each way. They 
grow very luxuriantly, and the main stems 
split with the weight of the fruit; the stems 
also wilt at the top. I have four stalks m a 
hill. Wbat is the trouble, aud a remedy i 
Ans. — Your vines are too near together. 
They should be six feet apart, and more shoots 
should be allowed to grow in a hill (say eight 
stalks) so that the production of the vines will 
not be too heavy. From the fact that the 
vines wilt and break, we think they are troub¬ 
led with borers. Examine the vines carefully 
now, and cut off all infested shoots, and burn 
them. 
W. H. T., Beatrice, Neb. —1- Which is the 
best to fatten hogs on, shelled corn soaked m 
water until soft, or com fed on the cob and 
-nven dry. 2. How should corn meal, ground 
oats and wheat bran be mixed to be fed to 
vouuk pigs? 3. W bat amount of linseed meal 
should each pig have a day? 4. Where can I 
get German carp for stocking a pond f 
Ans. _Shelled aud soaked till soft. "1 here is 
very little difference between the two. 2. 
Two parts bran, one com meal, one oats. 
This is for growth. To fatten, two parts corn 
meal, one oats, and one bran. 3. A gill is 
enough. 4. From C. 8. Medary, Little halls 
N. J.; Kans. Ag'l College, Manhattan, Kan. 
R w S, Elmer. N. J.—Decay has set in 
toward tbe'center of the trunks of my apple 
trees, at the spots from which limbs have been 
cut; what will arrest the decay ? 
A N s —Not much can be done for them. 
Make a good cement of water-lime or quick¬ 
lime by mixing with sand, and fill the aper¬ 
tures. Alter the cement has dried well, mix 
as a mastic quick lime, very Cue sand, linseed 
oil aud resin, and place on top of the dried 
cement. It is not necessary that this coat 
should be over one-fourth to one-half inch 
thick, but it should be well plastered on the 
cement, and over to the edge of the bark. 
A.P. Lab- Co.,Ind.—1. Which is the best 
strawberry for home use in Northern Indi¬ 
ana. on rich sandy soil? 2. Which are the 
best breeds .of dogs for use with stock and 
watching about the premises? 3. Where is 
the nearest phosphate factory? 
A N s —l. Wilson's is the only berry double- 
starred in Indiana by the American Pomolog- 
ical Society. Besides this, try the Crescent 
and Cumberland Triumph. 2 The Scotch 
collie is the best dog for the above purposes. 
He is a fair watch dog. 3. There is a manu¬ 
factory at Detroit, another at Cleveland, and 
one at Chicago. 
ilf. S, H., Maryville, Mo. —1. Wbat ails my 
Plymouth Rock lieu ? She makes a croaking 
noise, aud strains in a violent manner, contin¬ 
ually. 2. What makes my chickens eat them 
feathers? 
Ans.— 1. She is probably an “oldsettler, that 
has outlaid herself, and straiusintbe endeavor 
to produce that which she hath not. You had 
better curtail her existence as soon as possible. 
2. Feed them bones brolieu as ilue as you can 
with hammer or old ax. They eat their lea¬ 
thers because of a want of such food, b eed 
also some meat scraps from the table, or ge 
some from the butcher’s wbat they call lard- 
cake. 
j c Middle Haddam, Conn .—How should 
a mixture be made of salt and lime for appli¬ 
cation to the soil? . 
Ans —If the lime is fresh lime and m the 
stone or unslaked state, mix one bushel oC salt 
made fine with about five bushels of hme. and 
then add a saturated solution of salt and water 
to slake the lime. This will make a very strong 
chloride of lime, which is quite stimulating to 
plaut growth, if lime isalready slaked, make 
salt fine and mix oue bushel of salt to abou • 
seven or eight of lime. There is much diff er¬ 
ence of opinion as to the value of salt as a ter- 
tilizer. The most of its effect is stimulating. 
r c., McOrawviUe, N. F.-Which is the 
best two horse cultivator for pulverizing land 
and working among corn and potatoes? 
Ans. _The sulkies are by all means the bes 
and some are now made especially for work¬ 
ing among corn and potatoes. We have no 
tried them all, and cannot, therefore, decide 
which is the best. We would advise all need¬ 
ing an implement of any kind to scud to the 
different manufacturers advertising m the It. 
N -Y., telling them where they saw the advei- 
tisement, and get their circulars. In this way 
each will be able to judge for himself. 
Amateur, Washington, D. C.—l have a 
heavy clay field to be plowed for corn this 
Spring, aud wishing to lime and manure it 
should the manure be first harrowed m, and 
the lime then applied, or should thelattei >e 
spread first, or both together? 
Ans.—W e should advise applying the ma¬ 
nure on the surface and plowing it m, and 
after plowing, apply the lime and harrow and 
cultivate, working the lime into the surface 
soU thoroughly; the rains will dissolve and 
carry it down within reach of the roots of the 
gro wing plants. 
L. M. S., Cardiff, N F.-l. What is the 
most prolific breed of swine having the fol¬ 
lowing characteristics:—the quietest; easics 
keeper; fattening at any age; keeping fat on 
Red Clover; making from 100 to 200 pounds of 
pork when 10 months old, and suitable to raise 
in Central New York? 2. Where can I get 
them? ... 
Ans.— 1. We know' of no pig that will so 
completely till the above conditions as the 
Essex; if auvtbing, they keep too easy, and 
are always too fat. 2. Of H. M. Jaques, 
Wright’s Corners, N. Y. 
E. if., Lamont, Iowa.—l. Which is the best 
for hog-house tloor—two-inch plank, or one- 
inch boards doubled? 2. The best mode of 
killing Horse Sorrel in meadows? 
Ans —1. We should much prefer a floor of 
two inch pi auk, as the one made of double 
boards would admit moisture and air between 
the hoards, and rot much more rapidly than 
a solid two-inch floor. 2. The land needs some¬ 
thing to change its condition-wood ashes, 
caustic lime or muriate of potash. 1 f you can 
get none of these, try a good top dressing of 
manure, to stimulate the grass to overgrow 
the sorrel. 
S C, S ., Estherville, la. —W hen standing 
still my mare holds up first one hind foot, 
then the other, but in other respects she appeal's 
souud. What causes her to act so? 
Ans.— This is caused by some irritation of 
the kidueys. which produces weakness of the 
loins Apply some active liniment to the 
loins; give infusion of slippery elm hark, with 
one bunce of sweet spirits of niter daily. Con¬ 
tinue for two weeks. Steep the oats m boil¬ 
ing water with one quart of linseed added, and 
feed when cold. 
A. B., Milan, N. H .-Will dwarf apples, 
worked on Paradise stocks, be hardy here, 
where the thermometer sometimes goes 4U W 
below zero? . 
Ans.—T he Paradise is a slow-growing ap¬ 
ple and if worked low, so as to keep the en¬ 
tire stock below the surface of ground; we do 
not think it would have any effect on the 
hardiness of the tree. Any variety hardy m 
that latitude as a standard would, we think, 
be hardy as u dwarf. 
M. P, Douglas, Mich. -1. What is a remedy 
for gi een lice on plum trees? 2 . How should 
hen manure be applied on corn ? 
_1. Use a pintof kerosene toa quart or 
sour milk; shake well. Then add one part of 
this to five of water, and spray upon the leaves 
through a pump or spray bellows. 2. A safe 
way is to mix thoroughly with muck—two 
barrels of muck to one of manure. Scatter 
in each hill about one quart. 
./. D., Rothesay, N. B.—\. What is the best 
kind of pumpkins for sheep, and how should 
they be grown? 2. What is the best kind of 
turnip? 
Ans.—1. Pumpkins are very difficult to 
keep, and for this reason we would advise 
raising them only as a secondary crop ineoru- 
flelds. We know of nothing better for that 
purpose than the Large Yellow. 2. The uest 
turnip for stock food isSkirving’s Purple lop 
Swede, It is of good size, very shapely, a 
goodyielder, solid, and a splendid keeper. 
E. H. C, MattisviUe, Ind —Much of my 
wheat appears yellow, though the central 
blades are green and growing vigorously; 
investigation can find no insect or trace of 
one. Why are the outside blades turning 
yellow? ,, , 
Ans.— The wheat is all right; the blades 
grown last Fall are usually more killed by 
Winter than now. Having escaped destruc¬ 
tion by Winter, they are now dying of old 
age, and the new growth will take their place, 
R B., Ambcrley, Canada.— My 20-mouth- 
old Short-horn bull has been unable to serve 
any cows for some months, although he is 
quite willing, aud has been well fed and cared 
for. Last season he was very sure; what ails 
him now ? 
Ans _The animal is already worn out by 
premature service. It is hardly probable that 
he will lie of sufficient value to keep, aud it 
might be advisable to emasculate him and 
feed him for beef, or fatteu him as he is. 
IF. E. //., Corvallis, M. T —How can a cow 
be cured of a habit of jumping fences? 
Ans.— Make a poke like a half yoke and put 
it on her upside down after having iusertediu 
the under side a stick about, say, two inches 
in diameter, which will project four or more 
feet iu front. It would be better to get rid of 
the beast at once, Iwfore she teaches the tnck 
to others. 
R. G. C ., North Amherst, Mass. Wbeic 
can I obtain light crude petroleum? A firm 
in Boston offered to sell me a ban-el of petro¬ 
leum, but I could not learn whether it was 
heavy or light. 
Ans.— It was. in all probability, light petro¬ 
leum they offered you. The heavy kind is 
used maiuly for lubricating purposes. We 
kuow of no point nearer to you than Boston, 
where you can obtain it. 
H B., Mi. Elgin, Ont., Can.— 1. How can I 
plant and care for black aud red raspberries? 
2. What is a good work on small fruits? 
Ans—S ee answer to G. C., Baugor, Mich., 
in Querist of April 19. 2. Success with Small 
Fruits, by E. P. Roe, price *5; Dodd, Mead 
& Co. N. Y., is the best. Fuller’s Small I>ruit 
Culturist is good, but a trifle old; to be had 
through the American News Company, N. \ , 
City. 
j r Yerkes, Pa. —1. Is the Kemp manure 
spreader used on the Rural Farm? 2. Is the 
inclined tooth harrow better than the Acme? 
3. Has the sulky harrow an advantage over 
other kinds? 
Ans —1. No: it gives neighbors satisfaction. 
2. They are both good, each possessing some 
special advantages under certain conditions. 
3 Yes. it is easier handled. 
J H , Dayton, Ohio .—What will prevent 
pears from failing off trees before they are 
ripe? , 
Ans —You don’t say whether the pears are 
standards or dwarfs, but we advise au applica¬ 
tion of half a bushel of hard-wood ashes and 
from one to three quarts of bone dust to the 
soil around each tree, and thorough shallow 
cultivation. 
E. B. B., Taunton, Mass.— Would cow-peas 
be a profitable crop in this section? 
Ans.— They will never be planted exten¬ 
sively in the North. They require a longer 
season and are well adapted to the Southern 
States, where droughts aud hotter suns pre¬ 
vail. 
H. G. D , South Greece, N. Y — l.What is the 
fertilizing value of sediment from the Erie 
Canal? 2. How should it be applied? 
Ans.— 1. We should think but little of it ex¬ 
cept for firming very light Lands. It can 
have but little more value than any mud. 2. 
Apply on surface aud cultivate or harrow in. 
N. A. M., QtiseiUe, N. Y .—Who near me 
make the best churn for a small dairy, to be 
run with power? 
Ans. _Porter Blanchard’s Sons’, Coucoid, 
N. H„ and the Davis Swing Churn, made by 
the Vermont Farm Machine Co , Bellows 
Falls, Vt., ore both tip-top. 
W. E. U., Rook's Centre, Kan — Where can 
I get books on etiquette and letter-writing, 
and the price? 
Ans.—O f A. S. Clark, 34 Park Row, N. Y. 
City. Habits of Good Society, $1. Arts of 
Reading, Writing and Speaking, SI. New; 
postage paid. 
J. M. L., Georgeville, Ind.— 1. Where can I 
get half-ounce paste board boxes; 2, also half- 
ounco bottles? 
Ans —1. Of Robert Gair, 161 Chamber 
Street, New York City. 2. Of Isaac W. Pick- 
ford, 4U3, 405 and 407 East 23d Street, New 
York City. 
C. E P., Queens, N. F. — Give address of 
some dealers in second hand books. 
ANS.— A. S. Clark, 34 Park Row; Leggat 
Bros,, 81 Chamber Street, New York City; 
Leary & Co., 9 South Ninth Street, Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. 
“A Subscriber ,” Birch Run, Mich. V lieie 
eau the Creeping Fig, the Princess Alexandra 
Lilac and the Weeping Napoleon Cherry le 
obtained? 
Ans.— The Creeping Fig of James Vick— 
the others of James Dougall, Windsor, Ont., 
Canada. 
C. 0., Arcade, N. Y.— Who manufactures 
evaporators for making maple sugar? 
Ans.—B lytner Manufacturing Company, 
Cincinnati; Geo. L. Squier, Buffalo, N. Y.; 
aud the Farm Machine Company, Bellows 
Falls. Vt, 
G. E. D., Rice Co., Minn.—Does the privet 
sucker less than the barberry, and which would 
be the better for a hedge lound a farm? 
Ans.— We would never plant a privet hedge. 
The barberry does not sucker enough to be 
objectionable. 
E. D. R., Rutland, Pa.— How and when 
should I sow Italian Rye Grass? 
^NS_Sow at once in a fine rich seed bed, 
brushing iu only lightly. A large brash or 
small tree drawn over the surface is the best 
thing. 
H IF. B., Steuben, N. Y .—V hat makes my 
horse tender round the ears? His neck is lim¬ 
ber, but he twitches aud jerks his head while 
standing. . ... 
Ans.—F urther information is needed to 
diagnose this case. 
Many Inquirers.— Where can I get the 
Creeping Fig described in the Rural in a late 
issue? 
Ans.— Of Jas. Vick, Rochester, N. Y., at 
25 cents each, or doubtless of any other exten¬ 
sive grower of greenhouse plants. 
IF. IF. F , Waierville, O.— How early can I 
dig and store potatoes? 
Ans.— Dig as soon as thoroughly ripe, dry 
thoroughly, store in bins of any size iu a cool 
cellar, and air frequently so they will keep dry 
R. E„ Middlcburg, Vt. —What variety are 
the inclosed beans? 
Ans.—T hey are commonly known as White 
Rice Beans, but the variety cannot be deter¬ 
mined to a certainty, 
F. V, Clyde, N. Y.—Ot whom can I get 
Aylesbury Duck eggs, aud their price? 
Ans.— Richard Young, Morton. Pa , aud 
Chas. Mauu, Rochester Depot, Ohio. Send 
for prices. 
J. F. G., Watertown, N. F.—Where can I 
get buckthorn hedge plants? 
Ans.— Of EUwauger & Barry, or of Chase 
& Co., Rochester, N. Y. 
C. E. F., Needham, Mass. —Who manufac¬ 
tures wire fencing? 
Ans.— The Washburn & Moen M’f’g Co., 
Worcester, Mass. 
D. E. C .. Caledonia, N. F.—From whom 
can I get White Leghorn eggs? 
ANS.-From G. S. Josselyn, Fredonia, N. Y. 
IF. P. Dexter , N. Y.— Is the wagon-jack 
shown in the Rural of March 8, patented? 
Ans.—N o. 
r. Jj., Langworthy, Iowa .—Will the Golden 
Beauty Dent Corn ripen in Northern Iowa? 
Ans.— We do not know. 
Will Mr. E. E. Colicu, of Waupaca Co., 
Wis., please tell what kind of spring-tooth 
harrow he uses, and how are the irou guards 
put on, 08 mentioned by him in Rural of 
February 23, and oblige P. M., died ford Co., 
Mich. 
C. O. W., Muscatine, Iowa. —The experi¬ 
ments with potatoes at the Rural Grounds are 
not printed separately, and we cannot supply 
the back numbers of the Rural in which they 
appeared. 
J. T. E. Sharptown, Md .—We shall be 
pleased to hear from you, and will see that all 
mistakes are corrected. 
S B. Hurlburt, Spring Hills, Pa., would 
like a few good 1,100 to 1,200-pound horses. 
Who has them for sale? 
IF. F. Denial i, Grand Blanc, Mich. M bore 
can spruce butter pails bo got? 
Several Inquirers. — Absolutely nothiug is 
sold at this office except the Rural. We ca u- 
not furnish any seeds or plants whatever, ex¬ 
cept those uf the Free Seed Distributiou of this 
year. We caunot substitute other seeds or 
plants for those included in the Distribution. 
