JUNE 23 
THE 
RURAL WEW-YOMEB. 
305 
wheat seeded to clover, thus returning to clo¬ 
ver. Or the corn stubble might Vie used for 
growing fodder coni; rye followed by fodder 
corn the same year and both crops used for 
soiling in part; millet, and other fodder crops, 
while wheat,potatoes and other vegetable crops 
might be grown for sale along with the butter 
made, and pork he made from the waste milk 
No doubt this would be the best use to which 
the land could be turned A few sheep might 
be kept for early lambs for market and these 
would live on what the cows leave. 
FRUITS FOR WISCONSIN. 
•S'. M. } Kelly Brook , TFis.—1. I want to set 
out. 300 apple trees for market and home use, 
say, 250 Winter and 50 Summer apples. Are 
the Bon Davis, Smith’s Cider and Northern 
Spy, suitable for Northern Wisconsin? What 
would be the best for cider making; How 
about dwarf apples? 2. Which are the four best 
pears for home use in this section? 3. How 
about the Kieffer, Bartlett and Flemish 
Beauty? Would the Russian Mulberry thrive 
here? 
Ans. —1. The Ben Davis does fairly in some 
parts of your State. We would mention 
Duchess of Oldenburg and Red Astraehan for 
Summer: Fnmeu.se, Golden Russet of W. New 
York and Tollman's Sweet. The Northern 
Spy succeeds fairly—Smith’s Cider not. at all. 
We would not advise you to try apples on any 
dwarf stock. 2. The Flemish Beauty is 
the only pear we can recommend for your 
climate. Bartlett, Doyenne d‘ Etc, Lawrence, 
Seckel and Winter Nelisdo well in some parts. 
Do not. select Kieffer’s Hybrid for family use. 
3. The so-called Russian Mulberry may do well 
with you. 
BRAIN BLADDER WORMS IN SHEEP. 
J. IF., Burton's Creek, Va. —I have lately 
lost two fine ewes from a disease of which 
these are the symptoms: They first, wandered 
about, in a stupid way; later they kept turn¬ 
ing in a small circle, always to the right. If 
started suddenly they would run oil’ apparently 
without, any idea as to where they were going. 
Although in a fine pasture they became re¬ 
duced to skeletons. They had the larva? of 
the gadfly in the sinuses of the head: what 
ailed them? 
Ans. —This trouble is the effect of hydatids 
in the brain. These are the larva* of tape¬ 
worm—Coanurus cerebralis—and no treatment 
is effective. The only preventive is to permit 
no dogs aliout. the sheep, ns the eggs of the 
tape-worms are dropped by infested dogs on 
the grass and are swallowed by the sheep at 
pasture. The minute larvie find their way to 
the brain and remain there. Finally the dogs 
devour the dead carcasses and the worms 
mature in (heir intestines. This is the round 
of this curious parasite's life. 
SEEDING TIMOTHY AND CLOVER WITH BUCK- 
WUEAT. 
J. L. Y., Fulton Co., Ohio. Can Timothy 
and Clover hay lie sow n with buckwheat late in 
June or early in July with a good prospect of 
success? Ground low, a sandy kind of muck, 
wet in the Spring. 
Ans. —We have succeeded in getting an ex¬ 
celling stand of grass with buckwheat, hut we 
consider that there is a little more risk than 
by sowing with small grain for two reasons:— 
1 there is more danger from drought as the 
rays of the sun arc very powerful in July and 
August , nu<l, 2, if the ground is rich and the 
buckwheat makes a heavy growth, it. may 
lodge and smother the young plants. We 
would advise that the luud be made smooth 
before sowiug the grass seed and then go over 
it with u light plank drag or roller after it is 
sown It if is intended to pasture the next 
year, and there is not a good stand of grass, 
sow a bushel of rye to the acre as soon as the 
buckwheat is cut, aud run over it with a har¬ 
row. Rye will grow with very little covering 
and w ill start very early in the Spring. 
SPLENIC FEVER IN CATTLE. 
A. D. N., Dallas, Texas. —For several years 
we have lost cuttle at intervals in Spring, 
Summer and Fall by what, is here called 
bloody murrain by some, and Spanish fever, 
by others. So far every case has proved 
fatal: symptoms—first, nose aud horns cold, 
with dysentery; after a few hours the afflicted 
animals pass from the bowels a dark, mucous 
substance streaked with blood. The urine is 
a bright red, looking as if half blood. Some¬ 
times the boasts appear iu great pain; while 
at other times they are quiet They usually 
die from 12 to 21 hours from the first attack. 
Ou post mortem examination of one to day, 
the stomach was found full of green grass, 
show ing that, no food had been digested since 
the animal fell ill. 
Ans.—T he disease is splenic fever, a blood 
disorder which is nearly always fatal. It is 
produced by malaria originally, but, like the 
yellow fever of mankind, or common typhus 
fever, it is exceedingly contagious aud spreads 
among cattle which pastures on the same 
ground* with diseased cattle. Treatment is 
rarely of any use. One-ounce doses of chlorate 
of potash, alternated with the same quantity 
of hyposulphite of soda, might be found use¬ 
ful. If the bowels are inactive injections of 
warm water would be of benefit. 
A CHEAP ROOT HOUSE. 
B. S. W., King Valley, Oregon .—What is a 
plan of a cheap root house? 
Ans. —The plan lielow, Fig. 343, of an ex¬ 
cellent root house is cheap, simple, easy ami 
effective. The ground is dug out as long and 
wide as may be desirable aud four feet deep. 
It is best to stone the sides or build them up 
with logs. Split logs or slabs are then put up 
as shown, and covered with bark or straw'. 
The earth from the bottom is then heaped 
over the frame. A double door is made in 
the front and a loading door at the other end. 
“ nOOKS” IN HORSES. 
S. Urbana, Kansas., What are the 
causes aud a remedy for “hooks'” iu horses? 
Ans.— Hooks is inflammation of the haw. 
or memlrrana nictitans, which sweeps the eye 
from the inner corner to clear it of foreign 
matter. This membrane becomes swollen aud 
the lachrymal duct is obstructed, causing 
severe tenderness of the eye and sometimes 
general sympathetic fever. Give one pouud 
of Epsom salts; nnd apply to the diseased 
part with a camel’s hair pencil the following 
solution, viz: one dram of sugar of lead and 10 
grains of morphia iu half a pint of water 
Protect the eye from strong light, and use the 
lotion frequently. Some foolish persons cut 
out this diseased membrane under a mistaken 
idea of it, aud so deprive the animal of a nec¬ 
essary organ. 
NAVICULAR DISEASES IN A HORSE. 
D. B. IJ. Balh-on-lhe-Hudson, N. Y. —My 
horse seems to have a soreness iu her feet 
somewhere; she • does not show it driving, but 
as soon as she stops she keeps lifting up her 
feet and more especially her left fore-foot 
which she throws out in front. What is the 
probable cause and w hat should the treat¬ 
ment be? 
Ans. —The pointing forward of the foot is 
an indication of navicular disease. To test 
this examine the frog closely, to discover if 
there is any foetid discharge, or inflammation 
or soreness when it is struck If so, poultice 
the sole and apply some active liniment to the 
coronet and heels; give the horse a rest and 
a dose or two of linseed oil—one pint at nu in¬ 
terval of two days. Feed lightly, such as 
bran mash, without grain while under treats 
ment. 
“MOON BLINDNESS” IN A HORSE. 
J. C. W., Vincta, Idaho. —At every full 
moon over the eyes of my five-vear-old mare 
there comes a scum that reuders her almost 
blind and remains for a week or ten days, 
when it clears off. What is the cause aud 
what should be the treatment ? 
Ans. —This is so-called “moon blindness 
but properly periodical ophthalmia, occur¬ 
ring at intervals of three or four w r eeks. 
Each attack generally is worse than the pre¬ 
vious one until dually blindness, first of one eye 
and then of the other, occurs, it is generally 
constitutional and is rarely cured. The only 
useful treatment is to reduce the periodic 
fever by the use of a pound of Epsom salts, 
and then to use half-ounce doses of jieroxide 
of iron anti the same of Peruvian bark, with 
the bast feeding possible. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
T K. B.. Lamar, Texas, 1. I have seven or 
eight tons of bones gathered from the cattle 
ranges, aud am offered $7 a ton for them, 
how can they lie utilized as a fertilizer with 
out grinding? Would it he advisable to mix 
decayed leaves, barnyard manure, etc., with 
them? Should the fertilizer be applied before 
or after plowing in the Fall or Spring, and 
how much should be applied per acre on light, 
sandy, level land? 2, How should sea weed be 
applied to land as a fertilizer? 3, Is old lime 
concrete of any value as a fertilizer? I. Is 
there any remedy for the ravages of a white 
nut that injures my grapes by eating off the 
bark under ground? 
Ans. —l. This question is answered fully else¬ 
where iu this Department, The bones and 
earth may bo spread on the laud immediately 
before sowing and harrowed in with the seed. 
2. Sea-weed may be spread directly upon the 
land in the Fall quite thickly as it shrinks 
very much as it decays and mav be plowed-in, 
in the Spring. There is no need to pile it up 
to rot as it decays very rapidly on the surface 
and complete^ when plowed under, in a very 
short, time: 100 wagon loads to the acre may 
lie used. 3, The old lime concrete will be use¬ 
ful blit only in a small measure; it may be 
scattered over the surface and plowed under. 
It would be worth most in clayey land. 4. We 
cannot identify the insect. Please send a few 
specimens in a piece of wood bored and 
corked up tightiy and by mail and we w ill ex¬ 
amine them. 
G. L. T., Starke, Florida. 1. How long 
does a Guinea fowl sit < 2. What are their 
habits and the best way of caring for the young 
chicks ? 3, What will a setting of Bronze 
Turkey eggs cost, aud how should the young 
turks be treated ? 
Ans. —1. It requires a month’s time for the 
eggs to hatch, but the Guinea' hen is a poor 
sitter, consequently the common hen is usually 
employed to hatch the eggs. 2. The chicks re¬ 
quire food within six hours from hatching, 
and, imlike common chickens, they require 
constant feeding. They have exceedingly 
wandering habits, aud unless fed constantly 
at home they will be very likely to roost else¬ 
where. The females are very shy. Among 
themselves the males are very quarrelsome. 
3. That will depend somewhat upon whom you 
buy your eggs of: a setting of 13 will cost 
about $4. Their feed max* be bread crumbs, 
chopped meut. meal mixed up with thick milk, 
buckw heat and the like. One thing to be borne 
in mind is that variety of food is essential. In 
this respect young turkeys are quite particular, 
and often refuse to eat w'hen offered the same 
kind of food day after day. Be careful to give 
them nothing salty. 
T. S. B., Hew Point , Mo. —1. What will 
purify water in a foul cistern? 2. What is the 
best pipe for carrying water underground for 
100 yards from a spring which discharges 
about two gallons per minute? 
Ans. —1. When a cistern fa foul it requires 
cleaning. To keep it clean the w ater should be 
filtered as it goes in so that the filth from the 
roofs may not lie washed down into it with 
the water. Nothing will purify the water if 
there fa a foul sediment at the bottom, hut it 
may be freed from any bad scent by putting a 
bag with a bushel of washed charcoal in it 
into the cistern. 2. For 100 feet the best con¬ 
veyor of the water would be half-an-inch 
lead pipe. If the fall is several feet so as to 
get a velocity of 300 feet in a minute, equal 
to a mile in about 18 minutes, or rather more 
than three miles an hour, the pipe would dis¬ 
charge more thau two gallous per minute; 
with less fall it would discharge less water. 
J. K., Union, Mo. —What ails my chick¬ 
ens ? They are lame, can’t stand up, and 
when forced to move they do so as if cramped 
in the legs. In other respfects they appear iu 
good health, eat and drink well and lay eggs. 
They are fed on corn, oats, bran and steamed 
potatoes and have the run of the orchard lie- 
sides a large yard. 
Ans —Perhaps they are too fat. That will 
produce this effect. If their house is damp, 
that would produce rheumatism which appears 
in this way. With the feed mentioned and 
the ample exercise there is no adequate reason 
shown for this lameness, and we can suggest 
no explanation without knowing how they are 
housed and lodged. Try some ground black 
pepper and some crushed bone in the feed. 
These may be useful. Be quite liberal with 
them. 
If. D.. Fitzu-illianr, AT. FI. 1. What is the 
address of J M. Beck of Boston, who fa said, 
in a late Rural to be employing 100 men in 
catching frogs for market ? 2. Can a sow be¬ 
come pregnant nine days after parturition, 
and is such a thing harmful ? 
Ans. —1. We do not know; but a letter to the 
above address may reach him, as he must do 
au extensive business. 2. In most eases a sow 
will take the boar from the second to the 
fourth day after farrowing, and if she is not 
served then or fails to get with pig, she will 
not. as a general thing, breed again until the 
pigs have been weaned two or three weeks— 
generally iu three weeks if not too much 
suckled down. As a rule it fa not well to al¬ 
low the sow to take the boar until after the 
pigs are weaned. 
IF. F. B. Breckenridge, III. —How is lubri¬ 
cating oil made from lard? 
Ans. —The lard fa put in sacks of thick ma¬ 
terial. as duck cloth, and these are piled one 
upon another iu a press. A very powerful 
pressure fa brought upon them by screws or 
by hydraulic punqis, and the olein, or the 
liquid part of the lard, is squeezed out. 
When the lard is cold-pressed iu the Win - 
ter. a fine limpid oil is procured which wil* 
not freeze except at a very low temperature. 
Summer-pressed oil congeals much sooner 
Thu refuse is made into candles or soap 
C. W. R., Francisco, Mich. 1. Do carrots 
fed to horses affect the kidneys ? 
Ans—I t has been charged against carrots 
that they have a diuretic effect, but only when 
fed in large quantities. In moderation this 
effect with their laxative influence generally 
is healthful, as it tends to cool and purify the 
blood and generally to maintain a healthful 
condition. 
IF. T. W., Lexington, Va .—Where can I 
get the Bid well and Bid well No. 2 strawberry 
plants and also the Seth Boyden and Triple 
Crown? 
Ans.—W e have never heard of the Bidwell 
No. 2. The others have been advertised re¬ 
peatedly in the Rural and can be furnished 
by nearly all the nurserymen whose names 
can be found in back issues. To mention one 
firm particularly when so many sell the plants 
would hardly be fair to our advertising 
patrons; to mention all would makes long list. 
G. II. Galway, N. Y. —What is the matter 
with my horse? His hair fa coming off, and 
he has rubbed himself sore in places. 
Ans.—W ash him with soap and water aud 
then apply solution of carbonate of soda or 
even salt water to the parts. Give him one 
ounce of hyposulphite of soda daily for a week 
or two. Feed no corn for a few weeks and 
only scalded oats, bran or linseed in a moder¬ 
ate quantity. 
IF. S, Rochester , N. Y. —What issue of the 
Rural gave full directions for silk culture, 
and where can a work giving full information 
be obtained? 
Aus.—The Rural for Dec. 9, 1882. The 
Complete Guide to Silk Culture: price 25 ets.; 
published by W B. Smith & Co., New York, 
to be obtained direct or through the nearest 
book store or the American News Co. 
H. T. N., West Point. Ark. How can pea 
bugs be prevented from destroying the vitality 
of peas to lie kept over for seed ? 
Ans.—T here are several preventives. The 
peas should be put in an air tight box, into 
which a little benzine has been poured. Per¬ 
sian Insect Powder may be sprinkled in the 
box with good effect. 
G IF. Sen ior, Texas. Who buys pecan nuts? 
Ans.—T here are several parties who buy 
pecans in any quantity in San Antonio, Hous¬ 
ton and Galveston. The writer has bought 
hundreds of hags of them in Galveston, and 
there should be no difficulty in finding a pur¬ 
chaser in any considerable town in Texas. 
5 K., Keene , Neb. Where can I get a work 
on designing lawns and yards about country 
houses ? 
Ans.—D owning’s Landscape Gardening, 592 
pages, octavo, £6.50; Beautifying Country 
Homes. $15. To be had through the American 
News Co., N. Y. City. 
H. M., Pierceton, Ind .—Where can I ob¬ 
tain a complete veterinary book; what is the 
price? 
Ans.—L aw’s Farmer’s Veterinary Adviser. 
Price £3. To he obtained of the American 
News Company. New York City. 
J. M R., Fairview, Pa. What is the best 
work on agricultural chemistry ? 
Ans —Johnson's Agricultural Chemistry, 
£1.75; Johnson’s Elements of Agricultura 
Chemistry, $1.50; To be had through the 
American News Co., N. Y. 
6 N. IF., Ithaca, N. F.—Where can I ob¬ 
tain the Yellow-Wood and Golden Bell recom¬ 
mended in the Rural? 
Ans.—O f any nurseryman. Ellwanger & 
Barry, of Rochester, N. Y., are near to you. 
H. G. N., Jacobsburg, O.—What is the 
best Quince to grow here for home use and 
market; 
Ans.—T he Angere first; then the Apple or 
Orange and Portugal. 
E. C. IF., Batavia, III .—Is there any wash 
that will kill Willow sprouts ? 
Ans.—R ubbing them off is the only remedy. 
Any application that would kill the sprouts 
would harm the bark. 
R. C., Uplands. Canada —Is maple sugar- 
making profitable? 
Ans.—Y es, where properly conducted. We 
shall treat of the matter fully before next ma¬ 
ple sugar season. 
JIT. M. S., Melville, Cal .—You can doubtless 
get it made by the Kemp & Burpee Mf’g. Co., 
Syracuse, N. Y., who make a chain of that 
kind for their manure spreader. 
-»-* ♦- 
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE WEEK ENDING 
Saturday, .fane 16: 
M. L.J.-L. B. L.-A. B, - W, F. B.—R. J. W. M.-M 
M. W,—H. C. 1’.—C. C. T.—4. C. W., there are so many 
klnils of seeds In our “Garden Treasures" that wo 
cannot name them from descriptions -A. A. B.—Mrs- 
J. H. M.-H. C. P.-J. S. N. J. S. E. 8.-L. E. S.-C. E' 
l\. thanks—E. P. G. W. R -C. L. -.1. F. S.— N\—W. H 
U., thanks—\Y. M.—N. K.—H. S.. Kansas, thunks—J 
H. R.—J. H. F.—8. C., wait for the Fair No.—L. W. T. 
—N. R. M.—S A. L.—S. M.—G. W. D., answer in Quer¬ 
ist—Elm—F.. S. G. -G. R.-J. G.-J. S. L.—F. D. C—T. 
H. G.—C. V. R.—W. P. P., thanks—E. L, D.-E. P. D.— 
\V . H, R.—IU. M. 
