JAN \% 
throw upon the compost heap. The price of 
milk must always be high enough to pay what 
it will coat to restore this fertility to the soil, 
or thero is an inevitable loss in the business. 
The Major is sure that, taking one year 
with another, four cents per quart is the very 
lowest figure milk can be sold for, without in¬ 
curring a loss to the farmer who makes it, or 
to the soil that produces it. To remedy these 
difficulties, the milk must pass more directly 
from the producer to the consumer. A quart 
of milk is something of too small value to be 
handled or levied upon by many middlemen. 
-- 
MULTUM IN PARVO. 
Is the Mass. State Board of Agriculture a 
Ring? A prominent farmer—one whose name 
is widely known—was in the office of the 
Homestead last week, who was promised a pre¬ 
mium, provided he would exhibit his stock. 
He was a man of principle, and seeing in that 
promise a complete lack of principle, declined 
to exhibit and made up his mind that he 
would never do so as long as the society is run 
by men who will descend to such an act as 
that. 
We admire spirited animals, but deliver us 
from a wildly enthusiastic mule. Detroit Free 
Press....... 
Corn isn’t shocked by electricity.—[New 
York News... 
“ Yes, I’m picking up a little,” the invalid 
said in the strawberry patch.—Fruit Grower. 
Among the first natural advantages on a 
small farm are a good husband and a good 
wife, says J. B. Olcott. and the Rural thinks 
he speaks a truth often lost sight of. 
Celery is said to be good for nervousness. 
The Tribuue and Farmer thinks that salary is 
also............................. 
It also says that garlic will cure malaria 
and wants a cure for garlic. 
Of all the apples exported from Boston, 
ninety per cent are Baldwins, says Col. 
Wilder. 
Clapp’s Favorite, he says, is the largest and 
handsomest early pear, and, if picked early, 
is all that cau be desired....... 
He has a Bartlett and a Buff um standing side 
by side, and the Buffum is twice the size of 
the Bartlett and will bsar 15 bushels when the 
Bartlett will not give five. The fruit is just 
what the million want...... 
Mr. Wood says he would plant apple trees 
40 fee*, apart and between them plant three 
times as many peach trees, which would give 
a crop in three years and die before the apple 
trees needed the room. 
0ucn]uil)crc. 
RURAL SEED REPORTS. 
Florida. 
Fort Dadk, Hernando Co., Dec. 28.—The 
Rural Dent Corn, planted May 2, grew and 
eared reunu kably well for corn in this part 
of the country this year. It was mature 
enough to cut up and shock in 90 days after 
planting. It grew faster, matured earlier and 
eared better than the corn alongside that was 
planted at the same time, though the seed 
was acclimated and both received the same 
treatment. The Lima Beans and squashes 
were very good. r. b s. 
Illinois. 
Metropolis, Massac Co., Dec. 20.—The 
Golden Heartwell Celery is all I have to boast 
of. It is worth more than the paper cost: 
had over 800 plants when banking It. Counted 
103 stalks from one plant; and after cleaning 
the dirt off the roots as well as I could with 
my hands, it weighed 13% pounds. The 
stalks are firm and solid, which is not the case 
with other kinds. D. H. f. 
Kansas. 
Edgkkton, Johnson Co.—My Thoroughbred 
Flint Corn did splendidly. Several ears were 
15 inches long when gathered. It bore away 
the first corn premium at our county fair. 
Wheat a failure owing to grasshoppers’ rav¬ 
ages. I took the potato premium on my White 
Elephant at our county fair. I have seven 
nice hollyhocks. a. b. d. 
Michigan. 
Cadillac, Wexford Co , Dee. 18—The 
second planting from the W, E Potato yields 
me 15 bushels. The Washington Oats are a 
perfect success: they yield the best of any 1 
have ever heard of in this country. Aspara¬ 
gus and pinks are genuine. 1 intend to sow no 
others than the W. Oats the next season. The 
celery grew splendidly: I put out 200 plants 
and they all grew to perfection. One holly¬ 
hock grew but did not bloom. The Lima 
Beans did not ripen. Perfect G. 8quas.li grew 
well and yielded a great number of rightly 
uamed perfect gems, small but excellent in 
flavor. Rural Heavy Dent Corn did not 
ripen; I think it too late for this couutry. 1 
did not plant Thoroughbred Flint Com but 
am anxious to try it next Spring. I sowed 
the wheats In due season and they were look¬ 
ing fine when snow came, I am deeply in¬ 
terested in your yearly Distributions and 
cannot afford to be without the Rural, j. h. 
New York. 
Coopebstown, Otsego Co, Dec. 18—The 
seeds we received last year did as well as 
could be expected for the care they received. 
The Rural Flint Corn proved a failure. The 
early frosts prevented it from ripening. The 
hollyhocks did well and are in fine condition. 
Of the success of the wheats it is yet too eai'ly 
to form any opinion. H. w. 
Ohio. 
Lucas Co., Dec. 24.—The producteof Rural 
seeds were very satisfactory, especially those 
of the Gem Squash. From five vines I pieked 
over 100 squashes and found them very sweet 
and good keepers. Hollyhocks all nearly 
three feet high. o. f. 
Vlrifinla. 
Big Spring, Montgomery Co., Dec. 24 .— 
I value the Rural seed distribution very 
highly, though I have not yet profited much 
from it, owing to bad luck and bad seasons. 
The W. E. Potato is first rate. The Dent 
Corn, I think, will do well. I lost the seed of 
most of the others. o. w. b. 
Wisconsin. 
Fund du Lac, Fond du Lac Co., Dec. 28.— 
Almost all my 140 kernels of Rural Flint Com 
grew. Stalks very coarse and ears very long. 
Got about half a bushel of shelled corn. The 
other seeds did only moderately well, h d p. 
(l\)t l/lucost. 
AN3WERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must De accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention.] 
DRAINING A SWALE. 
Farmer, address mislaid .—On my farm a 
creek rises which is cold in Summer aud so 
warm as never to freeze in Winter. The 
springs cover about six acres. In most of the 
space cattle can go safely, though in one or 
two places they will mire. There is much 
marl, and these lime beds generally are in 
mouuds risiug up llveor six feet from the hot 
tom of the creek. Everywhere after we get 
through the muck we come to a bed of gravel 
that seems thoroughly cemented with lime. 1 
have straightened tne ''reek which formerly 
was very crooked, and have run some side 
ditches where the springs were most abund¬ 
ant. This does good, but is not satisfactory. 
These ditches are down to the bottom of tne 
muck but seldom enter the gravel. How can 
the place be best and most cheaply drained ? 
Ans.—S uch ground as this requires thor¬ 
ough and deep draining which will reach into 
this hard pan and give an outlet for the water. 
A systematic drainiog will be cheapest. If 
the tiles cannot now be procured, pipes of six 
inches wide strips of spruce or hemlock made 
in the form of a triangle and placed with a 
point downward, thus V, will be much cheap¬ 
er and about as good as tile. The boards will 
last a great many years, as the water will be 
always flowing through them. A few notches 
sawed in the edges of the boards will give 
inlets for the water. It would be beneficial 
to the muck to spread the marl from the 
mounds over it. In draining such land it is 
necessary to penetrate the gravel so as to 
lower the water level below the muck, other¬ 
wise the springy places will not be dried, and 
it may be necessary to make a drain from a 
copious spring out of the line of the regular 
drain specially to carry off the water from it. 
The exercise of some good judgment in laying 
out the drains so as to cut the springs which 
have a large flow may save some labor and 
expense and make the work more effective. 
APPLYING LIME. WORKING A MARE IN FOAL. 
T. M., Rogerttville, Ohio. 1. What is the best 
way to apply lime to my land—some a heavy 
clay ; some a sandy day, and some a light 
sandy soil I 2. 1 am working very lightly a 
mare heavy with foul. She is 16 years old, 
and whenever she starts to pull there isa gush 
ef water as if there was a heavy pressure on 
the bladder. She seems to be sore internally, 
though she eats well, how' should she be 
treated? 
Anh. 1. The lime should be applied to corn 
land, aud spread upon the harrowed grouud ; 
it does uot require to be harrowed in ; it w ill 
very quickly work its way down into the 
soil. This is tho only crop of grain to which 
lime cau be applied iu tho Spring with advan¬ 
tage. It may be spread upon gross and 
clover land, but in this case should be sown 
before the Spring; when the last snow is 
melting or very soon after would be a good 
time, as lime is dissolved more quickly iu 
cold water than in warm. It is most usually 
applied in the Fall when the ground is pre¬ 
pared for Fall grain. 2. You had better be 
careful with this mare; when an animal in 
this condition pulls a heavy load, the muscles 
of the abdomen are strongly contracted and 
the watery discharge which escapes is a proof 
of this. If this exertion Is permitted it may 
result in Buch injury as might produce abor¬ 
tion. The unusual size of the abdomen may 
be an indication of dropsy or possibly of 
some internal injury already effected. Noth 
ir.g, however, can be done but to U3e the 
mare carefully. Exercise of some kind is 
indispensable ; but work must be given cau¬ 
tiously. Toe probable internal soreness may 
be due to a strain. 
TENDER FOOTED HORSE. 
A. A., Russellville. Ala .—My ten-year-old 
horse is constantly inclined to rest his fore¬ 
feet, and when under the saddle he takes the 
side of the road as if he were tender footed; 
yet he is not lame and seems in perfect 
health. He has been troubled in this way for 
years. What ails him and how should he 
be treated ? 
Ans. —How does he rest his feet ? This is 
very important. If he extends bis foot and 
rests on ihe toe it is likely to be navicular dis¬ 
ease; If he rests the foot on the heel it is in¬ 
flammation of the lamina.' next the horn, or 
general inflammation of the interior of the 
foot. Examine the foot well and find the 
exact seat of the pain. If it is at Che frog or 
sole or between Che heels it is navicular dis 
ease aud the treatment should be rest, a dose 
of one pound of sales and a poultice over the 
frog aud the heels and arouad the coronet. 
If the foot is tender round the horn in front, 
when it is struck with a hammer, it is 
lamiuitls. In this case wrap the feet in cloths 
and steep them with hot water; let the horse 
rest; give him the physic as above and apply 
a stimulant lotion around the coronet. In 
either case feed no grain, but bran mash, po¬ 
tatoes or carrots. 
SHEEP FOR 10 ACRES OF CLOVER. 
G. IF. P., Bellefontaine, Mo. How many 
sheep can be kept in 10 acres of orchard 
seeded to clover? Which is the best kind to 
keep, and how much would the fleece weigh ? 
Ans.—T he number that could be kept on 10 
acres of clover will obviously depend upon 
the vigor and luxuriance of the growth. 
Nearly twice as many can be kept on the same 
grouud, if the pasture is divided; for instance, 
if tho orchard is made into four fields of two- 
and-a-ha)f acres each by two cross fences of 
a temporary kind, such as light hurdles, 60 to 
100 sheep might be kept on it by changing from 
oue to another at intervals of a few days or a 
week. This gives time for the growth to re¬ 
cover and give the sheep a good bite. The best 
kind to keep is the common native ones; aud 
these might be crossed with a large, deep- 
bodied, long-wool Merino, of the sort kuown 
os delaine wool sheep. These are large sheep 
and the wethers mike very good mutton. The 
wool of these, too, is now the most profitable 
kind to grow. A fleece of the common sheep, 
if they are well selected, might weigh Tour or 
five pounds; that of the first cross would 
weigh six to eight and the second and third 
cross would reach eight to ten. 
GOITRE IN LAMBS. 
R. J, R., Springwater, .V. F.—What is the 
cause of goitre, or swelled neck, in lambs? 
My neighbors and myself have had such 
wretched luck with sheep that we are giving 
up keeping them. 
Ans. —The disease is caused by bad water, 
poor feeding, constitutional weakness of any 
k nd or by anything which reduces the 
condition. If the water contains magnesia 
and lime, m which case it would be very 
hard, this would be sufficient reason for giv¬ 
ing up keeping sheep, unless rain-water can 
be used; if the water is of average purity, 
there must be some other reason for the dis¬ 
ease , which should be sought for. But the 
general failure indicated would seem to show 
that some local cause was at the bottom of it. 
A cure for this disease is very slow and tedi¬ 
ous; nothing has any good effect bus contin¬ 
ued doses of iodide of potassa.—oue scruple for 
a lamb and three scruples for a sheep—given 
daily for months, with liberal feeding of bran, 
oats and linseed-cake meal, with rain-water 
for drink. 
SALTING AND BARRELING PORK. 
S. C ., Oriskany, N. I’., asks a number of 
questions about salting and barreling pork, 
all of which are briefly answered as follows: 
Ans.— Saltpeter is not used in pickling or 
curiug pork. Molasses is never used for pork 
but is used for hams; so is saltpeter—four 
ounces to 100 pounds of meat, and two quarts 
of molasses, or from three to five pouuds of 
sugar. Saltpeter is used for beef—four ounces 
to 100 pounds. Brine for pork is made by boil¬ 
ing salt and water until enough of the salt is 
dissolved to float a medium-sized potato one- 
third above the brine. A layer of two inches 
uf salt should be put in the bottom of the 
cask and a layer of at least an inch between 
each layer of pork. It makes no difference 
how much salt is used in packing pork, as the 
meat will only absorb so much, but there 
should always be a reserve of salt in the brine. 
Coarse salt is generally used. Beef should 
first be put into a weak brine, six pounds of 
salt for a 100 pounds, and after a few weeks a 
new brine put on it at the rate of eight pouads 
of salt to 100 pounds of meat. Hard water Is 
best, but either hard or soft may be used. 
PAINT FOB FARM WAGONS AND CARTS. 
G. IF. D., Birmingham, Conn .—Would a 
coat of coal tar be a good application to 
wagons and carts, and, if not, what would 
be better? 
Ans.—C oal tar, if put on hot, makes a very 
good paint for farm wagons and carts. It 
will keep out the water and preserve the wood; 
but it does not make a nice finish. One of 
the most durable as well as cheapest paints, 
is “The Orange Mineral Paint.” It does not 
need to be ground when used, and, as paint¬ 
ers say, goes a good ways. Red lead is also 
a cheap and durable paint, costing about 
eight cents a ponnd. Venetian red is cheaper, 
costing about four cents a pound. The lead 
and mineral paints should be mixed with 
boiled linseed oil, and may be made darker 
by mixing in lamp-black or amber. 
FEEDING CORN TO HOGS. 
O. F., Lucas Co., Ohio .—On November 29tb 
12 young pigs and three old hog* weighed 2,700 
pounds. For 20 days thereafter I fed them five 
bushels of ears of corn per day, and weighed 
them again, when they turned the beam at 
3,300 pounds. I am buying corn at 30 cents 
per bnshel for ears; does it pay to feed that 
corn to hogs? 
Ans.—Y ou do not say at what price you 
can sell your hogs. The gain for 100 bushels 
of corn has been 600 pounds of hog. The 600 
bushels cost $30, how much can you get for 
the 600 pounds of hog? Then you must not 
lose sight of the valuable manure the hogs 
have made. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
J. B., Boston, Mass. —In a late Rural it 
was stated that a hen, if of the right kind, 
would yield a profit of $5 a year—what sort 
of hen would yield this profit or be the 
most profitable ? 
Ans.—T o answer the above question we 
should be obliged to go over subjects that are 
well treated in our columns,in the course of 
every year. We must refer our friend to the 
Poultry Department. Good strains of Plymouth 
Rocks have pleased us as well as any; Light 
Brahmas next. Clean warm houses, good 
and varied food, clean water, etc., are essen¬ 
tial for the best success with any sort of 
fowls, and to obtain the above profit the high, 
est conditionsof care and feed are as necessary 
as the beat breed of fowls. 
• IF. F. R., Wesljield, N. J. —What are the 
best books on dairy farming by “soiling” 
only and where can they be procured ? 
Ans.—W e know of no work devoted ex 
clusively to “ soiling ” for dairying. The sub¬ 
ject is pretty fully handled, however, in all the 
regular works on dairy husbandry, such as 
Willard’s Practical Dairy Husbandry, $3; 
Sheldon’s Dairy Farming, $12, etc. The first 
can be obtained through any book-store; the 
second is published by Cassell, Petter, Galpin 
& Cx, N. Y. 
E. C, Jefferson Springs, Ark. —What is the 
best stock book for a farmer i 
Ans.—F or what purpose—to give him infor¬ 
mation about the different breeds, species and 
genera of farm stock, or to let one know how to 
treat them when ailiog: We know of no book 
that gives both kinds of information to a 
satisfactory degree. Perhaps the “ Illustrated 
Stock-Doctor and Live Stock Encyclopedia ’» 
published by Hubbard Bros. 723, Chestnut St., 
Philadelphia, P., price $5,50, is as good as any. 
E. B., Eau Claire, Mich .—My two-year- 
old colt is weak in the stifle joint. How 
shall I treat him ? 
Ans.—B athe the part with alcohol, rubbing 
it well in the skin twice a day. Keep him 
very quiet and in a loose stall and take care 
he does not slip in any way. 
IF. L. S. Sodus, N. Y., says that the pro¬ 
duct of bis White Elephant potato this year 
amounted to six bushels ; but the tubers were 
of very poor quality, and he asks whether the 
potato sent him was really the White Elephant. 
Ans.—I t was the White Elephant if it was 
received from the Rural under that name. 
H. II. MaN. , New Springfield, Ohio .—What 
are the five black points in Jersey cattle ? 
Ans.—H orns, hoofs, tongue, eyes and switch 
—with black bail's on scrotum for bulls. 
-♦ ♦ ♦- 
F. W.—J. R.-D. N.—D.W.L.—J. T.S.-H. L. W. W. 
I. C.—C. K P,—11. E. II—7. \V., thunks for the corn re 
ports to vrhlchyou refer. We have more thou we can 
publish.—S. C.--JL \V. T.—C. H.-W. R. C.-L. K.-.l. L. 
D.—A. I W.—F. B D.—J. H.—A. CUutou, thanks—H. 
K.-G. W.-F. C. A. M.W.--D. K S.-A. J. C.—Isaac 
A . should say, yes.—A. A. C. C.—C. E. P.—J. S. S.—F. 
D. C.—H. L. W.—R. W. F., thanks for ear of corn, 
toll Is a rare specimen.—A subscriber.—T. T. L.— 
Mr s . E.H.W., thanks.—O. F.—W.W. de G., thauks.- 
J. P.— B. F J.—C. C. G., thanks for corn. 
