48S4 
points: first, petroleum is in no sense a paint; 
second, orchre or other earth paints are no 
better than so much mud orelav, and really 
have no body; and, third, the quantity of lin¬ 
seed oil is not sufficient to unite with that 
amount of pigment to form a coat upon the 
surface. 2. Use on this roof, first, the crude 
petroleum alone, putting It on slowly so that 
it may be taken up by the wood, and fill the 
pores. In sodoing it will preserve the timber 
and prevent the paint, when med, from pene¬ 
trating beneath the surface. One week after 
this has been put on, apply a coat of paint 
made of linseed oil and "Rossie” paint. This 
latter is simply ground Iron rust and contains 
about 45 per cent of iron, and with the oil it 
forms a very hard and durable coat Two 
coats of this upon the surface should be suffi¬ 
cient body to last 10 or 15 years. Mix about 
eight pounds of the pigment with one gallon 
of oil. The “Rossie” paint should be for sale 
in all hardware or paint stores. 
LIME FOR LAYING HENS. 
F. P., Stockport, Col. Co., N. T.—l. Is it 
absolutely necessary that fowls running at 
large should be fed bones or oyster shells? How 
should they be prepared—burned or raw ? 
How fine should they be broken? Why are 
they fed at all? 
Ans.— Laying hens use a very large amount 
of lime in forming the shells of their eggs, and 
if, for any reason, they cannot obtain a suffi¬ 
cient amount, they either do not lay at all or 
else produce '‘soft-shelled'’ eggs—eggs with no 
shell; hut with merely the skin that lines the 
shell ordinarily. Lime iu some form is fed to 
supply the needed amount. Hens running at 
large iu Summer usually manage to pickup 
a sufficient amount to moot the requirements 
of egg production; but it is always well to 
keep a box where they can eat as much ns they 
please. There is no danger of their eating 
more than they need. Oyster shells and bones 
are both good, and are both better if fed un¬ 
burned. They should he broken about the 
size of wheat or corn. A very convenient 
little machine to have Is Frank Wilson’s bone 
mill, one of which you can get free for a club 
of 13 subscribers to the Rural, and after you 
have used it a month, if you don’t find it just 
what you want we will take it off your hands 
at Its price. 
SEEDLING APPLES FOR ORAFTING. 
E. P. F., Sterling, Ky.—l. Why ure not 
seeds from apple pomace made from mixed 
fruit good to plant? 3. Where can apple seeds 
from seedling trees be obtained, and is that 
the kind generally used? 
Ans —The more improved the variety, the 
more imperfect the seed, the Jess its vitality 
and the more feeble and more likely to hedis 
eased is the plant grown therefrom. The seeds 
of wildlings nearly always produce strong, 
vigorous growing plants, and these make 
much the best stocks for productug healthy 
trees. There are plenty of places in New Jer¬ 
sey and Pennsylvania, and, we think, in New 
England as well, where thousands of bushels 
of seedling apples are grown, and where muny 
seeds could lie obtained if nurserymen paid 
enough to encourage the people to gather and 
preserve them. We are sorry to say that hut 
few nursery trees at the present time are 
grown from this sort of seed. Common apple 
seeds—those saved from mixed pomace—are 
so cheap that the temptation to employ them 
is too great to be overcome, and then, people 
buy the cheapest trees, regardless of how they 
are grown. 
TREATMENT OF MANURE. 
S. K. C., Green Briar , Fa.—1. Can I prevent 
the “fire fanging” of manure by the use of 
salt, and is there any objection to using it 
plentifully? 3 Can I compost coarse manure 
under cover with unslaked lime and salt ? 
3. I have a formula—1,900 pounds of stable 
manure, 100 pounds of lime and 100 pounds of 
salt made into a pile 10 feet square—is it to 
be commended f 
Ans —1. It would require more salt to pre¬ 
vent fire-fanging than you could profitably use. 
A better way is to mix the manure with its 
bulk of muck or with good earth, treadiug the 
pile bard ; or, if the manure is thoroughly 
soaked and closely packed and covered with a 
sprinkling of plaster, it would not be liable to 
injury. 2. Don’t mix lime with manure under 
any circumstauces. It liberates and drives off 
the ammonia, and there is nothing about the 
salt to absorb this or in any way to benefit 
the manure. For composting use muck or 
sods or even loam. 3. it is no good; lime 
should never be mixed with decomposing 
manure. The salt could do no good either. 
VALUE OF SMALL POTATOES AS STOCK FEED. 
A. E. G., Shelby, Mich .—What is the value 
of small potatoes, raw or cooked, for fatten¬ 
ing cattle? 
Ans.—A ccording to Dr. Wolff’s tables, po¬ 
tatoes contain 75 per cent, of solids, and esti¬ 
mating meadow hay as worth one dollar per 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
100 pounds, potatoes are worth 46 cents per 
100 pounds, which would make them worth 
about 27 cents per bushel as feed. This Is. of 
course, their eutire value; but the starch in 
a potato is iu such form that, if fed raw, very 
much of it is undigested and wasted; and 
wbeu cooked, potatoes are not good cattle 
food, unless they have been very carefully 
washed and are fed freshly boiled. We think 
their value is much greater fed as a succulent 
food io connection with richer dry food dur¬ 
ing the winter season Practically we should 
not consider them worth more than one-fourth 
the price of corn, and then they should be 
fed only in connection with com. 
RATSINO MANGEL SEED, ETC. 
Mrs. T. K. G., Groton, Dak. —1. I wish to 
cut back some cotton wood trees this Fall for 
cuttings to be used next Spring for propaga¬ 
tion : how shall I treat, them for the Winter? 
2. Some of my mangels the first year frotn seed 
have gone to seed. Will the seed grown be 
good for use? 
Ans. —1. Bury the cuttings oue foot deep in 
some dry place just before severe freezing. It 
would bo better if they could be buried below 
frost, if that were possible. 2. Under no cir¬ 
cumstances should such seeds be used. They 
are probably not mangels, however, but some 
annual very nearly akin to mangels. If you 
wish to grow your own seed, select the most 
perfect roots you have, and keep them as per¬ 
fect as possible over Winter, and plant them 
as soon as frost is no longer feared, in rows 
four feet apart and three feet apart in the row, 
and if they grow very large, they should be 
carefully tied to stakes to prevent breakage 
by wind. It is usually quite as cheap to buy a 
small quantity as to raise it. 
PLANTING APPLE SEEDS. 
T. F. M., Fredericksburg, Va. —Wheu istho 
proper time to plant apple seeds in this sec¬ 
tion, and how? 
Ans. —Apple seeds may he planted either In 
Fall or Spring—better in Fall if the mice are 
not too troublesome. If held for Spring 
planting, they should bo kept not too dry, aud 
should bo planted very early. They are 
usually planted in rows about 3 1 / feet from 
center to center, A trench is opened an Inch 
deep and about six inches wide; the seed is 
scattered ovouly over the whole bottom and 
covered with an inch of soil. The ground 
around the young plant-; should be cultivated 
and kept clean, and if the i>lants come thicker 
than one in every two Inches square, they 
should bo thinned to that distance. 
TREATMENT OF AN OLD HARNYARD. 
Wm. FT. /?., New Berlin, N. Y. —1. What 
crop will best, succeed on ground that, has 
been a barnyard and under a barn for 40 
years? 2 Had I best plow it this Fall or wait 
till Spring? 
Ans. —1 It is quite probable that'you can¬ 
not get, a good crop of anything on it next 
year. The ground is so filled with nitrogen 
that we should recommend some crop that can 
be planted very late, like cucumbers or late 
sweet, com. 2. By all moans plow at once 
and plow again just before freezing up. anil 
agaiu early in Spring. You need to get rid of 
the surplus of ammonia or nitrogen. It 
might even pay to haul nwav fiveorsix inches 
of the surface soil, spreading it on grass 
land and haul back other soils in its place. 
SKIM-MILK AS PIG FEED. 
F. W. C., Springfield, Mass. —How much is 
swpet milk from a creamer worth aB nig 
feed? 
Ans. —Sweet skim milk contains, on an 
average, nine per cent, of solid matter; at 
least eight per cent, of this is available food 
—Wolff’s tables say eight-and-a-half. Of the 
avadahle food five per cent, is carbohydrates 
or fat or heat-formers, and over three per cent, 
is albuminoids or muscle-formers. Milk also 
contains considerable phosphates or bone- 
builders. It would seem, therefore, better 
adapted to growing than to fattening pigs, and 
this in practice proves true. Fed with wheat 
middlings and corn meal, it is a fiue pig food, 
and we should think it would be worth at 
least one cent per quart for that purpose, in 
Massachusetts. 
THE RURAL UNION CORN. 
“ Rural," Toughkenamon, Pa. —What sort 
of corn is the Rural Union? 
Ans —The Rural Union Cora is quite pro¬ 
lific, bearing from one to three ears on a 
stalk; it grows from six to nine feet high, 
the bight depending upon t-be soil. The cob 
is small and the kernels are Targe and flattened. 
As illustrated in the Fair Number for 1883; the 
best ears measure one foot in length, andtwo- 
and-one-quarter inches in diameter. It ripens 
in from 90 to 100 days. 
Miscellaneous. 
E. P. R., Midland, Mich. —1. I have apiece 
of. ground seeded last month to rye, to be 
plowed under in the Spring for manure, will 
the rye, if plowed down seven or eight inches 
deep, interfere with the planting of potatoes 
by the Rural's method? 3. Can you give me 
any hints for the arrangement, of rose bushes. 
I wish to plant 15 or 20 at one side aud partly 
in frout of the house. 8. Also the best ar¬ 
rangement of flower beds in the same situa¬ 
tion? The plot for both roses and flowers is 
about 30 feet square aud situated on one side 
of the walk, from house to street, the dis¬ 
tance being 100 feet. 
Ans. —1. riow the rye under well, using a 
chain on the plow, aud then furrow as deeply 
for the potatoes as possible, not disturbing 
the rye, aud unless the ground is very rich, use 
some fertilizer above the seed. 2 and 8 Itis very 
difficult to give definite directions for arrang¬ 
ing either, without, knowiug all about the sur¬ 
roundings. If the plot is just square, 80 feet 
each way, it might, be arranged in n system 
of beds of irregular shape; but care must b3 
taken not to have too much of the ground oc¬ 
cupied by walks. Usually it is better to ar¬ 
range together roses having about the samo 
degree of vigor of growth; but of ns varied 
times of flowering as possihle: remember 
you can hardly get the soil too rich for the 
rose, and most, varieties should he cut back 
sufficiently t,r> keep up a vigorous growth. 
G. T. D., East Randolph, Vt.—\. Will the 
Downing Everbearing Mulberry endure our 
Winters where the mercury often sinks to 30 c 
below zero? 2 Is the Russian Mulberry 
worth raisiugf 3. Is Kllvvanger & Barry’s 
new gooseberry smooth or covered with hairs? 
Ans.—1. We think not. 2. It is hardier 
than the Downing, but the fruit is inferior. 
3. The fruit is moderately covered with hairs. 
A”., Bincastle, Manitoba, Canada. —Here, 
where commercial fertilizers cannot Vie ob¬ 
tained, what manures would bo the best to 
produce large crops of potatoes, and what 
is the earliest potato suitable to this section, 
where all the seasons are short, except Winter? 
Ans. —Well decomposed farm manure and 
wood ashes will supply all the food needed by 
potatoes. Lime will do no harm—it may do 
much good, (live your potatoes plenty of 
such food, and try the Rural’s method of 
cultivation. The Pearl of Suvoy we have 
found as early as any, and in every way de¬ 
sirable. We received our seed from Joseph 
Breck & Sons, 53 North Market Street, Bos¬ 
ton, Mass. 
“A Young FarmerNorth Lcverelt, Mass, 
—1. Which of all the wheel barrows is the 
best/ 2. Is there a swivel plow that, works on 
level ground as well as a land-side plow? 8. 
Who is a reliable fur dealer in New York 
City? 4 Is sawdust worse than nothing for 
cattle bedding? 5. Is Full or Spring the 
better time for top-dressing on wetland? 6. 
Will rye sown in the middle of May bo early 
enough for soiling ? 
Anh.— 1. We have not used all, and therefore 
cannot truthfully say which is the best. Send 
for circulars of those advertised in the 
Rural, and see which suits you best. 2. The 
Syracuse Chilled Plow Company, Syracuse, 
N. Y.. and the Belcher & Taylor Agricultural 
Tool Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass , make first- 
class swivel plows—ns good as any we know 
of 3. W. Ester & Co., 4 W. 14t,h Street. 4. 
Sawdust makes a good bedding, and that, from 
hard wood is a good absorbent, of liquid ma¬ 
nure. 5. Spring. 6. Ordinarily it would, but 
a good deal will depend on the season. 
P. D. IV., Willow Springs, Kan. —Every 
Winter lumps hard and as big as a man’s fist 
appear on my cow’s throat; they break in 
Spring and pain the animal a good deal. She 
is in poor condition aud has ceased to give 
milk; how should she be treated? 
Ans. —The cause of this trouble is probably 
poor feeding ami impure blood resulting from 
it. Give the cow now one drain of sulphur in 
a teacupful of linseed oil, twice a week, and 
continue for a month. Then mix four ounces 
of powdered ealisayu Lark and two ounces ol’ 
powdered sulphate of iron, give two teagpoon- 
fuls every morning in some bran mash. This 
will probably prevent the trouble this Winteri 
but the cow must have good, wholesome food, 
and no smutty corn-stalks or corn, or frozen 
fodder. A cow requires as good care iu Kan¬ 
sas as anywhere else or she will suffer. 
S'. M. W., CassvU.le, Ohio. -By this mail I 
send a box of wild grapes, which for canning 
and cooking we think bettor than the tame 
ones. The vine that bore them is an old un¬ 
pruned one, and had probably 10 bushels of 
grapes; would it be a good parent on which 
to cross for improved sorts? 
Ans. —The grapes were very good specimens 
of the wild Frost grape of the West, Vitis ri- 
paria or cordifoiia—we could hardly tell which 
by a broken cluster of fruit. We should 
hardly recommend using thi3 as a parent, al¬ 
though many of the promising newer sorts 
have this blood on one side. 
Z. H. B., Luveme, Minn. —1. What is a 
remedy for a green worm which eats the 
leaves of the strawberry? 2. How can the 
striped squash and the melon bug be destroy¬ 
ed ? 
Ans.— 1. The worm is the larva of the 
Strawberry Saw-fiy—Emphytns maculatus. 
Norton. When full-grown it, is about three- 
fotirttrt of an inch long, and of a pale-greenish 
color. The fly is black. Hellebore and water, 
or Paris-green and water, showered on the 
vines, will destroy the pests, 2. Wo have 
successfully used the kerosene emulsion. A 
lust,lug with Paris-green and flour is also 
recommended. 
M. R. L. ft ., Fair Haven, Minn .—What is 
ft remedy for scale lice on oleanders? 
Ans. —These insects are difficult to exter¬ 
minate'; it may be necessary to destroy the 
infested plants. Try washing the hitter with 
soap suds made of whale oil soap, and heated 
to 100° Fah. Give thorn rich soil and favor¬ 
able conditions for growth, as vigorous plants 
are less liable to bo attacked by insects. 
V.G.. Camp Point, Fll .— 1. Money for heirs 
wns paid to a county treasurer in North Caro¬ 
lina 22 years ago; but it has never been called 
for; can the heirs get it now by proving their 
claim? 2. Should apple seeds be sown in Fall 
or Spring? 
Ans.— 1. Yes; if the money is there: but 22 
years is a long time for county treasurers to 
remain honest with regard to trust, funds. 2. 
See answer to another inquirer in this Depart¬ 
ment. 
J P, Milton, Conn., sends a leaf from one 
of the Garden Treasures; the seed was round 
and black, about the size of a pea, and he 
asks what is it, aud is it hardy? 
Ans. —It is cfiuua; it is not hardy, but the 
roots may be kept in the cellar through the 
Winter. 
E. J. 1 ., Ridott, ///..sends several specimens 
of a small insect, and asks its mime and what 
it feeds on. 
Ans.—I t, is a seed weevil (Apion Kavi) and 
lives in the pods of the wild indigo. 
P. D. K . Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, sends 
leaves and blossoms of (lowers for name. 
Ans.—I t is Nomophiltt insignis—The Showy 
Nemophila. 
-»«» 
DISCUSSION. 
W. F., Glen Cove, L. I.—At what temper¬ 
ature should a general collection of planks be 
kept through the Winter? Answer: “At about 
60 to 70 degrees, never falling below 55 
degrees,” see F. C. p. 687. Now that is 
very different from my experience. Trop¬ 
ical plants ns boras, marantas, crotons, 
vandas ami saccolablutns, would enjoy such 
quarters; but when it comes to geraniums, 
fuchsias, carnations, Chinese Primroses and 
tho like, that, comprise the bulk of the ama¬ 
teur’s assortment, they would get suffocated. 
For a general assortment of window or ama¬ 
teur’s plants, T would advise a minimum of 40 
and a maximum of 50 degrees (occasionally a 
few degrees more or loss will not hurt the 
plants) artificial temperature and allow it to 
rise by sun heat some ten or fifteen degrees. 
On the approach of Winter, our indoor bloom¬ 
ing plants should be in their best vigor and 
sturdiness; a low temperature prolongs their 
usefulness; a high one hastens their decline. 
In a low temperature, plants remain sturdy 
and healthy in moderately shady quarters; 
whereas our only hepe of success under a 
high temperature is in full light and free ven¬ 
tilation. 
M. R., Utica, N. Y.—In the Farmers’Club 
of November 8, a correspondent says potatoes 
at, 25 cents per bushel are a more profitable 
crop than wheat at current figures. A short 
time back, in looking over the Report of the 
Department of Agriculture for 1881-2, I was 
Struck by some figures therein given in this 
connection. On page 597 a table presents the 
average value per bushel, yield per acre and 
value per acre of the potato crops throughout 
the country from 1871 to 1881 inclusive. From 
this it appears that during this period the 
average value per bushel was a trifle over 56 
cents; the yield per acre averaged only a frac¬ 
tion over 84 bushels; while the vulue of the 
crop per acre averaged $47.08, ranging from 
158.83 in 1871 to 141.14 in 1878. During the 
same period, as shown by another table on 
page 586, the average value of wheat, per 
bushel, was a shade over $1.05; the average 
yield per acre, u trifle over 12 bushels; and 
the average value per acre $12.82. It would 
certainly seem that tho remarks of the above 
correspondent had substantial official indorse¬ 
ment, People should reflect on the matter. 
♦ ♦ ♦- 
COMMUNICATIONS KKCKIVKD FOR THB WEEK ENDlfQ 
Saturday. Nov. 8. 
E. F. M.—H, I). Howes, wo should like to seethe 
“prongy potato.”—H. H.-R. L. L., for i otato prize. 
—S. H. G., ditto.—L. B. A., ditto.—A. M. A.-G. T. D.— 
T. W. L., for potato prlze.-D. 8.. ditto.—J. E. K., 
ditto.—B. F. B.-J.T.-A. R.—H. G. M.-W. P.-E. M. 
-C. J. P.-C. M. H.-S. L. W.-W. R. G. 
