it that you mention, namely, Anne Marie de 
Montravel, white, and M’dlle Oicilo Brunner, 
pale salmon pink, were raised in Prance a 
year or two ago. 5, Hollyhocks do pretty 
well, in most cases, when treated as biennials, 
and the weaker sprouts are removed: as peren¬ 
nials they are not always satisfactory, any 
more than when perpetuated by meaus of 
slips as in the case of named sorts, but some¬ 
times, by transplanting annually and each 
time reducing the crowu to a good sprout, 
they may be kept in fair condition for some 
years. Good, double-flowered hollyhocks are 
so easily raised from seals that “diseased” 
plants are not worth bothering with, 0. Asa 
rule from three to five years, according to the 
kind of shrubs and the circumstances under 
which they arc grown. T. Any prominent 
seedsman should be able to supply you. Lo¬ 
belia syphilitica is not so showy as the Cardinal 
Flower, but it keeps in bloom later into the 
Fall. 8. Deep orange-scarlet forms of the ; 
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are not 
uncommon: of course, a good scarlet variety 
would be a desideratum. 
CREAMERIES. GERMAN CARP. 
J. H. R .. Raton. N. M. , Which is the best ol' 
the creameries advertised in the Rural ? 
Would I be justified in incurring the expense 
of one for a dairy of 50 cows' 2. Where can 
T get German carp to stock a pound of two 
acres, and how many would l>e required' 
Ans.— 1. Each of the creameries referred to 
is considered tin* “best” by many jiersons: all 
as a rale give satisfaction to those who use 
them. Each can show first prizes, diplomas, 
etc., obtained at comity, local and other fairs 
in competition with the others. Some of them 
are better adapted than the others to particu¬ 
lar methods of dairying. Tin* Ferguson Bu¬ 
reau Creamery has given ns entire satisfac¬ 
tion. We would advise our friend to send for 
the descriptive circulars of the different man¬ 
ufacturers. and judge which would be the 
most likely to suit his circumstances. The 
use of one would certainly "pay” where 
other satisfactory methods of setting milk are 
not already in use. 2. Gorman Carp are sup¬ 
plied in homeopathic quantities by Sjiencer F. 
Baird. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. 
Washington. D. C*. The application must be 
made through the Congressman fertile appli¬ 
cant’s district, and the fish will la* sent when 
the Commissioner shall think fit. German 
earpare advertised in the Rural by Chas. S. 
Medary, Fassaic Valle-, Carp Fisheries, Little 
Falls, N. Y. He will furnish them promptly 
in any desired quantity. By the way. for carp 
destined for propagation it is essential that 
care should 1 >c taken to prevent hybridization 
with other species, for although the progeny 
may be as good for the table as the pure carp, 
they will not propagate. We understand 
that great care is taken by Mr. Medary that [ 
only “pure-bred” carp shall leave his Fisher¬ 
ies, a precaution neglected by some other 
sellers of this fish. A very small uwmlier at 
the outset, will stock a two-acre poud in a 
short time, as the increase of carp is exceed¬ 
ingly rapid under favorable conditions of lo¬ 
cation, food and protection from enemies. 
The number (if eggs in each fish is enormous. 
CRACKED HOOFS IN HORSES. 
K. A. S., Amnia, N. T. How should a crack 
in a horse's hoof Is? treated, and are such in¬ 
juries permanent? 
Ans.— Cracks in the hoof of horses, or sand- 
cracks, are due to brittleness and dryness of 
the hoof, frequently caused by bad shoeing. 
The ailment, is sometimes produced by driving 
on solid roads. When the horse leans on the 
foot the crack opens; when the foot is lifted 
the crack closes. Sand and dirt work into 
the cleft, causing much pain. The crack gen¬ 
erally occurs where the hoof is thinnest—the 
inner quarter in the fore-leg and the toe in the 
hind. In a recent case remove the shoe; 
cleanse the crack thoroughly; draw the hoof 
together closely by means of two thin clinch 
horse-shoe nails—one at top and one at bottom 
and fill the crack with the following composi¬ 
tion : half ounce tallow; ounce turpentine: two 
ounces resin; four ounces beeswax. Melt to¬ 
gether and till crack with it- quite warm; then 
let cool. If the crack is older and there is in¬ 
flammation, the edges should be pared and 
the fissure opened enough to admit of the 
thorough removal of grit and dirt. Foment 
the crack to reduce inflammation if any ex¬ 
ists: bring the parts closely together by means 
of clinch nails, and till with above composition. 
In all eases that part of the hoof where the 
crack occurs must have rest, which in the fore 
foot may be effected by the use of a bar-shoe. 
Then light work may be done; but if the crack 
is in the hind foot, complete rest must be given, 
as the toe cannot lie relieved by any possible 
contrivance. If the job is properly done; the 
downward growth of the hoof will in time 
cause all signs of the injury to disappear, as 
t he affected part is pared off in shoeing. 
TANNING SKINS WITH HAIR ON. 
R. M. L., Mohawk, Oregon.— How can 
skins be tanned with the wool or hair on them' 
THE RURAL 
MARCH 40 
I I wish to prepare some for sleigh robes and 
| house rags. 
Ans. —If the hides are not freshly taken off, 
soak them in water with a little salt, until they 
are soft as when green. Then scrape off the 
flesh with a flashing-knife, or with a butchers 
knife with a smooth, round edge; and with 
sheep skius the wool should lie washed clean 
with soft soap and water aud the suds be 
thoroughly rinsed out For each skin take 
four ounces of salt, four ounces of alum 
and one-half ounce of borax. Dissolve them 
in one quart of hot water, anil when cool 
enough to liear the hand stir iu sufficient 
rye meal to make a thick paste, with lmll 
an ounce of Spanish whiting. This paste 
is to be thoroughly spread over every part 
of the fleshy side of the skiu, which should 
be folded together lengthwise, wool side out. 
and left for two weeks in an airy place. Then 
remove the paste, wash and dry the skin. 
When not quite dry it must be worked and 
pulled and scraped w ith a knife made for the 
the purpose, shaped liked a chopping knife, or 
with a piece of hard wood made with a sharp 
edge. The more the skiu is worked aud scraped 
as it dries, tlie more pliable it. will be. For 
smaller skins such as those of the muskrat, 
mink. etc.. stretch them on a board or a frame, 
and scrape off all the flesh. If they are dry. 
soak them with warm water on the fleshy side, 
then cover them on the same side with a mix¬ 
ture of powdered alum and salt in equal parts; 
lay the skins together m pairs, fleshy sides 
together. After a week, shake out t he skins, 
and add some fresh mixture. When the skins 
are eOnipletcly "tawed” (uot tanned), stretch 
them aud nib them with chulk and pumice- 
stone until no more chalk will lie absorbed, 
then pull and stretch gently until dry and soft. 
HENS EATING FEATHERS. 
K. .1., Fort Ripley, Minn. —1, Why do liens 
eat feathers, and what isa preventive: 2, Which 
is t,he i letter—to give scalded feed hot to a milch 
cow or let it cool before feeding,iu cold weather. 
Ans.— 1. This habit is due to a depraved 
appetite in the fowls, usually' caused by a de¬ 
ficiency of animal food and by other causes. 
It is most common during the confinement of 
Winter, for when allowed to run at large the 
fowls obtain what is needed for themselves by 
catching iusects, etc. Once the habit, is ac¬ 
quired, however, like bad habits generally, 
even among “mifeathered bipeds,” it is ofteu 
difficult to “break it off.” The liest. preven¬ 
tive is animal food, such as fresh meat, kitchen 
scraps, the waste from bn tellers' blocks, etc. 
This should be given iu moderat ion tw< i or three 
times a week—a heaping tablespoon fnl per bird 
each time is quite enough. An excess of ani¬ 
mal food may make the bird sick or give a bad 
flavor to the eggs, or cause the quill feathers 
to become dim-god with blood, when the birds 
will certainly |>erk at the plumage until they 
leave the skin bare. Burnt bones, oyster 
shells, charcoal and clean water are also ex¬ 
cellent preventives, aud if these fail the only 
effectual remedy is to put the feather-hungry 
birds into the pot. 2. Give it slightly warm. 
CHEDDAR CHEESE. ETC. 
G. ir, G„ Mnndan, Dal*. —1. What is Ched¬ 
dar cheese ' What is bagasse ? 3. How is 
“ acme” pronounced ! 
Ans. —1. Cheddar is a kind of cheese made 
in accordance with certain rales hardly altered 
since before the days of Queen Elizabeth, in 
the. little, village of Cheddar at the foot of the 
Mendip Hills iu Somersetshire, England. The 
Cheddar system, however, has of late years 
beeu pretty widely adopted, although Cheddar 
aud its vicinity are still the headquartoi-s for 
the manufacture of this sort, of cheese. It is j 
made of new milk only, ami contains more fat 
than other soi-ts of cheese. A well-made Ched¬ 
dar should be mild, rich und solid; cure 
slowly' and keep for a long time. 3. Crushed 
sugar or sorghum cane. 3. Ak-meh. 
MALT SPROUTS AND MANURE. 
F. I 1 ., Muskegon, Mich .—What is the relative j 
percentage of potash, nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid in malt sprouts and stable manure ? 
Would itlie practicable and economical to com¬ 
post. malt sprouts with some other manure, 
and on what crops would an application pro¬ 
duce the tw-st results t 
Ans.—A ton of manure and the same weight 
of malt sprouts contain approximately— 
Potash. Nlii-often. Plios. add. Value. 
Manure.sum. 101b. 0 lb. Srl.sii 
Malt sprouts...Hlbs, 88 lb. :n Ih. is.w; 
This computation values potash at six cents, 
nitrogen at 15 coots and phosphoric acid at 
eight cents. No general estimate of the value 
of those sulmtances, when applied to the field, 
cun bo made, as soil, season and cultivation 
will greatly' modify results. In Eugluud mult 
sprouts are used as an absorbent of the liquid 
manure in stables, and then applied as a top- 
dressing with good results. The stuff should 
lie in Iw-aps for a few (lavs till it begins to 
ferment, before it is applied. It seems to be 
very desirable for root and tuber crops—tur¬ 
nips or potatoes. 
SETTLEMENT IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY. 
F. II. /?., Grand Rapids, Mich .—Is there 
any land in the eastern part of the Indian 
Territory open to settlement: 
Ans. —There is no land that, is open to set¬ 
tlement in any part of the Indian Territory. 
Capt. Payne and his followers claim that a 
strip Of some 8,500 square miles claimed by 
the Cberokees, has been ceded to the General 
Government and is open to settlement; but it 
is likely that the railroad companies that are 
anxious to continue their lines through the 
Territory, are paying Payne to keep up the 
agitation so as to lead to the early “opening” 
of the country. So long as the law prohibits 
the settlement of white men there, iu the inter¬ 
est of public morality the Rural must ole 
ject to raids like those of Payne. Whenever 
the Territory shall lie thrown open to settle¬ 
ment, probably the railroads will appropriate 
most of the best parts as laud grants. 
RAISING WHITE PINES. 
./. J. B., Saratoga Springs, A. I'.—1. Will 
it do to sow the seed of White Pine on a field 
of Winter rye aud drag them iu lightly iu 
Spring : How much seed should be sown per 
acre .' 2. Four-yea rs-planted chestnuts a re not 
doing well, are they' likely to thrive ? 
Ans. —1. No; the little plants are too deli¬ 
cate to w ithstand such treatment in our dry 
climate. Ten pounds of seed per acre would 
lie a moderate sowing, aud would cost $80 and 
would probably yield you nothing for your 
pains after waiting years to And it out. The 
growing and nursing of these evergreens is a 
business of itself, requiring much knowledge 
and care—with proper appliances. Purchase 
seedlings from nursery men. and even these will 
need further nursery care before they an* fit to 
set out aud able to contend with weeds and 
grass. Sandy lands are well adapted to pines. 
LEAVES OF MOUNTAIN LAUREL POISONOUS. 
.1. N.. Mansfield, Ru .—Are the leaves of the 
Mountain Laurel (Kalinin latitolia) poisonous? 
A.vs.—-The leaves contain a poisonous nar¬ 
cotic property which has proved futal to 
sheep and some other animals. It lias never 
harmed goats or deer. It Is said that death 
has been occasioned by- eating' the flesh of 
partridges and pheasants which have fed ujsiu 
the lea ves and buds during the Winter. Dr, 
Barton states in his “ Collections ” that Indians 
sometimes use a decoction of the leaves to 
destroy themselves. We have plants of it 
growing at the Rural Grounds, which are 
always admired when in bloom; but they are 
not accessible to cattle. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
A'. \ . /... Rost on. Mass. —Is there any kind 
of field corn that will yield a fair crop of corn 
aud of fodder for next Winter’s use in this lat¬ 
itude before Au gust 25? 
Ans. —Lackawaxen is the earliest flint we 
have tried. It ripened with us in !I5 days, 
planbsl June 8th. This is an 8-rowed white 
coin, growing six to seven feet high and dick¬ 
ering considerably. The ears a re long, some¬ 
times 15 inches, earned low. It yields well. Of 
dents, the Queen of the Prairie is the earliest 
we have tried. Tile ears are of medium size; 
raws variable. Planted June 1st it would ripen 
with you in favorable seasons by' Sept. 15. We 
should not choose a dent corn for fodder, D. 
M. Kerry & Co., of Detroit, Mich., sell the first, 
B. K. Bliss & Go., of New York, the second. 
Sibley’s (Hiram Sibley, Rochester, N. V.) 
Pride of the North is said to be the earliest of 
the dents (yellow). The ears closely resemble 
those of Queen of tin- Prairie. It is said to 
ripen in 90 days. We have never known a crop 
of corn, whether dent or fliut (except sweet or 
pop), that would do it. Our friend should try 
Wysor’s Shoe-peg, 14 kernels of which will lie 
found iu our present seed distribution. 
•/. If., Whcele rebury, O. —1. Have the La 
Dow and Acme harrows lieeu both used at the 
Rural Grounds' 2. If so. which is the better 
general-purpose harrow? 3. Whichisthe better 
to put corn-stubble iu good order for sowing 
oats without the use of the plow? 4. Which is 
the better for light soil; which for heavy soil? 
5. Which has the lighter draft? •>. Will the 
extra-hardy apples. Yellow Transpa rent. Duch¬ 
ess of Uldeuhurgh, Weal thy, Magog Red 
Streak and Scott’s Winter, do well in Southern 
Ohio? 7. Where can they' lie had? 
Ans.— 1. Yes. 2. Acme. 8. The La Dow 
Disk Harrow. 4. They' cauiiot be compared in 
this way. The Disk Harrow is good to cut up 
sod or a w r eedy surface, whether the soil is 
light or heavy. 5. The La Dow wheel, li. It 
is probable that since their introduction time 
euough has not elapsed to permit of their trial 
in that section. Indeed, there is no need of 
these “iron-clads” so far south. The Duchess 
of Okknburgh is the only one mentioned by 
the American Pom. Society as thriving in 
Ohio, where it gets one star. 7. Dr. T. H. 
Hoskins, Newport, Vt., and Ellwauger A 
Barry, Rochester, N. Y., have raised these 
“ironclads” for sale. 
IT. IT. FT,, Paulding, O. —1. How much 
leached ashes should Vie put on an acre of very- 
poor day land? 2. May' the application of 
ashes be straightway' followed by one of stable 
manure? 3. What are the two best varieties 
of potatoes for family use? 4. Which are the 
three liest raspberries for the home garden, 
and the three best straw-berries? 
Ans. —1. There is no fear of using too much 
—50 bushels if the price permits—15 bushels 
should suffice. 2. You can follow at ouce. 3. 
There are lots of good potatoes. Those which 
are best for us may not so prove on your soil. 
The Beauty of Hebron for early is, all things 
considered, ns good as any if you like tasteless 
kinds. The White Elephant for late. 1. Of 
raspberries we should choose Turner, Cuthbert 
aud Caroline (yellow) at present; and of straw¬ 
berries, Cumberland Triumph, Charles Down¬ 
ing. Hart’s Minnesota promises well with ns. 
The Slmrpless averages the largest berries. 
R. A, C., La Conner , IF. Ter .—Is the Pacific 
Tunnel Company of Colorado a safe in¬ 
vestment ? 
Ans. —For the last couple of years or more 
the country has been “papered” as a country 
village is often “papered” by a traveling 
theatrical company, with the circulars and 
prospectuses of mining, grazing, tunneling 
and other high-promising and high-sounding 
companies in the frontier States and in the 
Territories; but although a large number—a 
great majority indeed—of these have notori 
ously turned out frauds, humbugs or failures, 
we have yet to learn of the first one of them 
that has proved profitable to investors. We 
know nothing specially of the above company, 
but if it seeks subscriptions to its stock in this 
way. we would, on an almost infallible prin¬ 
ciple, advise our friend to let it severely- alone. 
W. G. IF., Tyrone, Pi.. What sort of an in¬ 
strument is the " revolv mg knife” that is said, 
on p. 54, to be convenient for ringing trees, 
branches, or grape-vine canes. 
Ans. —We referred the above query to Prof. 
•Maynard nf the Maas. Ag. College, w-here the 
knife has been used, aud he says that the knife 
used for girdling is nut manufactured at all on 
a large scale. He knows of only three or four 
that have been made. They are described 
aud illustrated in the Report of Mass.. Board 
of Agriculture for 1870 and 1880. For gird¬ 
ling small growths the common pocket knife 
answers all purposes, or a w ire may be twisted 
around the vine very'closely and then removed 
just before the growth is liable to cover it. 
.1. I>. C., Hubbardston, Mass. —What are the 
best works on strawberry culture aud also on 
the peach anil pear ? 
Ans. —Roe’s Success with Small Fruits, 85, 
is as good as any on small fruits. For a work 
especially on the strawberry, Barnard's Straw¬ 
berry Garden, 38 cents; Fuller's Strawberry 
CultUrist, 81.50; Pardee on Strawberry Cul¬ 
ture, 75 cents, are all instructive. Field’s Pear 
Culture, 81.25. and Fulton’s Peach Culture, 
81.50. A separate work on cither the peach or 
pear is not at all needed, however. ,T. J. 
Thomas's Ant. Fruit CuJturist, $3.75, or Bar¬ 
ry’s Fruit Garden, $2.50, will give all needed 
information. Any of the above w orks cun be 
obtained through the nearest book-store, or 
from the American News Company. 
R. /?., Rioomsburgh, N. Y. —1, Would it 
pay to raise quinces here in Orange County ? 
2, Will they grow from shoots, and when 
should they lie planted ? 3. Will they stand a 
northwestern exposure ? 
Ans. —1. Yes, as well as anywhere. 2. They' 
are propagated from cuttings or layers. Bend 
the young stems down in early Spring and 
bury them, leaving a few buds out. of ground 
They will form roots by Fall, and may then 
bo cut from the parent and transplanted. 
Cuttings arc taken In the Fall about n foot 
long and planted at. once—the same as grape¬ 
vine cuttings. A clay soil is host. Finn the 
earth well about the cuttings. Leave a few- 
buds above ground and cover with fine man¬ 
ure. 3. Yes. 
IF. I)., Jr., Beaufort, N. C .—Is the Monarch 
Lightning Saw as good as represented in the 
pamphlet sent out hy r the manufacturers ? 
Ans. —The saw is ns good as any of its class , 
but we cannot guarantee that it will do as well 
as its manufacturers claim. Wo have heard 
no complaints of its inefficiency. It. is the privi¬ 
lege of all sellers to extol their wares, and 
allowances for exaggeration are always made 
by shrew d buy ers. So long ns the article is 
ordinarily- well made and efficient there is no 
fraud in the pulling of its best qualities by 
those who wish to dispose of it. 
T. R. <!.. King and Queen Co,, Fn. —1. How 
do Russian White Oats and Prabesteir com¬ 
pare? 2. Is Teosiute (ReanU luxurians) which 
some puff, really valuable for fodder? 3. Is 
Hiawassoo Mammoth Corn worth raising 
Ans. —1. We prefer the latter. 2. We tried 
this four or five years ago, It resembles corn 
in habit and leaf. The leaves are very broad: 
it tillei-s well; cattle love it. It cannot inntlire 
in this climate and is slow to start any where. 
We have advised its trial in the South, but 
have received no reports. 8. We don’t know. 
.1. R. R .. Perry, N. Y .—What is the name of 
