AUGH 
§07 
THE RURAL MEW-YORKER. 
(&vexymtyact. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Dakota Territory. 
Swan Lake, Turner Co., July 30. —This 
month has teen very wet so far, and very hot 
and sultry. Com is an average crop with a 
large area planted. Flax good. Oats an 
average, about a quarter more .sown than last 
year. Wheat in Southeastern Dakota, is not 
going to be as good as prospects indicated, 
owing to much wet, which is causing it to rust 
badly; the heads are poorly filled. h. l. 
Knmtaa. 
8 ALIN A, Saline Co., July 20.—Weather dry 
and hot. Corn suffering. In some places rain 
will not save it. Listed corn the best. 
Wheat and oats splendid; both being thrashed. 
Yield of wheat 7'ft per cent, of last year's crop. 
Increase of acreage ten per cent. Oats same 
as last year. w. J. b. 
IHIcblftnn. 
Bekkyvillk, Otsego Co., July 23.—This is 
mostly a new country having some strange 
peculiarities. The ground uever freezes, the 
crops sown or planted reproduce themselves 
yearly. I find that in the case of old varie. 
ties of potatoes, such jus the White Kidneys or 
Cow-horns, that were first planted six or seven 
years since sill seeds loft in the soil or on the 
ground spring up, often becomiug a nuisance. 
On November 18 it began to snow with inter¬ 
missions, but it soon ranched a depth of three 
feet, thawing next to the ground, settliug 
nn il prostrating all bushes and shrubbery fiat 
on the ground. It did not rise much above 
that level or sink much below it all inter- 
On April 7 l wished to set out some raspberries 
and strawberries, but to do so 1 was obliged to 
remove the snow which was two-aud-a-half 
feet deep, with a crust that would hear up a 
person. On the 8th it began to thaw> 
and on the 18th of the same mouth 1 had two 
acres plowed and sowed to Spring wheat. 
Though our Summers are short, I am trying 
the Shoe-peg Corn. It looks fine and I think 
will mature. The Rural B-h Wheat I think 
will not mature as u Spring wheat. It does 
not head out. There are some 80 heads 
without beards and six bearded. Three heads 
afford a fine sight forming one center head 
with ten off-shoots, making so large a bunch 
that 1 have to set a stake to tie them to, the 
straw bciug too weak to support the weight of 
the heads. Some of these heads are seven 
inches long, not counting the length of the 
beards. o. P. b. 
RIliMioiirl 
Eldon, Miller Co., July 24.—The past three 
weeks have been very favorable to the corn 
crop. The earliest varieties are tasseliug out. 
and with one or two good rains will give us a 
full crop. Wheat is all harvested. Many 
fields wore not cut at all. Farmers turned 
their stock upon them, that being considered 
the most economical way of getting the most 
benefit from the crop. Oats were very good 
and will make a full average crop. Potatoes 
are also good. Meadows a little lighter than 
last year. Quite a number who sowed Hun¬ 
garian Grass aud Millet failed to get a start— 
too much ruiu. ». J. s. 
New York. 
Smithtown, Suffolk Co., L. 1 , July 25.— 
Wheat, oats aud grass have been very good 
erops—above the average. Potatoes are mt 
as good ns at the same time last year, uot hav¬ 
ing had as much rain this mouth ns they re¬ 
quire to make a good yield, hut the area 
planted is much larger. Corn looks well, but 
needs rain. The weather has been drier here 
tlmu in most sections around us, there having 
been several showers to the west and south 
which we did uot get. Taken as a whole, 
however, it has been a remarkably productive 
season. J. s. A. 
Ohio. 
Zanesville, Muskingum Co., July 28. All 
things considered, wo have hud a good season 
so far. Thrashing has begun aud wheat is yield, 
lug better than was expected. The hay crop 
was an abundant one, and it was put up in 
excellent condition. Corn is looking tine. 
The early potato crop is very abundant; the 
late looks well. The apple crop is poor around 
here. Peaches plentiful. Grapes show some 
rot. Strawberry mid raspberry crops good. 
Blackberries very abundant. Wheat $ 1. Corn 
6ft to 70 cents. 
I’cnmyl vuiilu. 
Waynesboro, Frauklin Co., July 80.— 
Haying and harvesting about ended. Hay a 
largo crop. Wheat injured to one-fourth of 
the crop by the Hessian fly. Corn doing finely 
except, some of the early planting which is in¬ 
jured by wire-worms. Early potatoes will give 
a good yield; late ones appear fine, The vines 
of the Blush are in appearance aud habit like 
thosb of the Peachblow. Apples rather 
fcS'alVn; peaches premiss h good creb Little 
attention is given to fruits of any kind here¬ 
about. I have no doubt but that if proper at¬ 
tention were paid to fruiting wo could rival 
New' York in apples; Delaware in peaches 
and the whole United .States in plums. I form 
this opinion from the appearance of fruit 
trees after year after year of neglect. Wheat 
raising being considered the rock ou which a 
farmer should build his hope, all other crops 
seem to he grown only to minister to the suc¬ 
cessful wheat field. A farmer plants corn to 
clean and fix his field for wheat, he sows 
clover that he may enrich his laud for more 
wheat, he buys phosphates almost without 
discrimination, and uses them with hope of 
increasing his wheat yield. It is his money 
crop, and was his father’s money ci op, aud 
it is ouly surprising that it continues to do so 
well after a century of usage, aud does it not 
prove that w'heat. farming as a speciality is 
pretty well systemized or that our lands are 
next to inexhaustible? G. 
Vermont. 
Shelburne, Chittenden Co., July 14.—Far¬ 
mers have just commenced haying. The bay 
crop is much above the average. Coru and 
potatoes although planted late are looking 
well, owing to seasonable rains ami warm 
weather. Apples are falling badly. Of pears 
there is an abundance. Farm help is plenti¬ 
ful, although scarce early in the season. There 
is still an active demand for old potatoes. 
w. H. R. 
West Paw let, Rutlaud Co.. July 23—My 
Shoe-jteg Corn came up aud is now six and a 
half feet high with leaves five inches broad 
and lias uot tasseled out yet. The B-b wheat 
does not head out at all; but stools profusely. 
Farmers are busy haying. They are finding 
out the benefit of having improved farming 
tools. Grain drills were introduced here this 
Spring and have proved a success. Hay ted¬ 
ders huve been extensively sold here this hay¬ 
ing, and are a grand thing. One or two far- 
uiere are trying the sulky plow; but I don’t 
hear any one singing very loud in its praise. 
M. E. P. 
% (Querist. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
|Every query must t>e accompanied by the name 
anil address of the writer to Insure attention.) 
LAMPAS IN HORSES. 
O. P. B., No address. —What causes Inmp- 
as in horses aud how can it lie cured i 
Ans.—L ampus is an inflammation or swell¬ 
ing of the ridges, or “ bars,” iu the roof of a 
horse’s mouth behind the upper front teeth. 
It. generally occurs in young horses while 
shedding their teeth or putting up the tushes. 
Sometimes, however, it comes on iu older 
horses owing to indigestion, a common cause 
of which is over-feeding with graiu after a 
run on gross. The mucous membrane of the 
roof of the mouth swells so that it projects Ire- 
low the level of the nippers and is so tender 
that the animal either 4 • cuds” its food or re¬ 
fuses to eat any but what is soft anti uuirritat- 
iug. When this condition is due to dentition 
lancing the gums aloue will often cause re¬ 
lief. Scarification of the affected part with 
a sharp penknife or lancet will cause the 
swelling to subside iu a day or two; but 
should it cont inue obstinate, as it occasionally 
will, a stick of lunar caustic should be nibbed 
gently over the part daily until a cure is com¬ 
pleted. This will seldom be necessary, bow 
ever, ami is recommended ouly in obstinate 
eases. The roof of the mouth is nearly insen¬ 
sible so that there is no cruelty in the opera¬ 
tion. If the lampas is owing to the cutting 
of a grinder relief will te afforded by an iueis- 
ion in the form of a cross iu the protruding 
gum. After lancing the mouth should be 
washed with a solution of the tincture of 
myrrh, two ounces to a pint of water, or a sol¬ 
ution of alum in water, repeated twice a day 
for three or four days, during which time a 
kind-hearted man will frail bran mashes or 
flax seed gruel ami a little new grass when 
procurable. Mo hay, corn or oats should be 
fed for a week or so. At the end of that 
period the teeth will be able to masticate or¬ 
dinary food. Often all that is needed iu 
treating lampas is sponging the mouth two or 
three times a day with a weak solution of 
alum; or an infusion of witch-hazel or barberry 
bark will answer the same purpose. In no 
case should the senseless and brutal practice 
of burning the "bars”of the mouth te followed. 
THE GRAPE PHYLLOXERA. 
IX. li R., Paris III., sends some leaves of the 
Clinton Grape badly Injured by an insect, aud 
asks why this grape is so affected while others 
close-by are uninjured; what is the name of 
the damaging pest, and whether it is likely to 
attack other grapAfc 
ANSWERED BY W. L DEVEREAUX. 
The gall-like swellings on the Clinton leaves 
are caused by the grape-vine gall-louse— 
Phylloxera vastatrix. The leaf-inhabiting 
type is called Gallicola, and the more dangerous 
one on the root is known as the type Railiei- 
cola, or root-inhabiting. These two forms be¬ 
long to the same insect, as shown a number of 
years ago by Prof. Riley', who has studied it 
both In this country and France. Serious in¬ 
jury' to the vine seldom happens from leaf 
galls. It is to the prevalence of root-galls 
whereby whole Vineyards are destroyed, that 
the serious damage is due. Vines having leaf- 
galls are uearly exempt from injuries at the 
roots, and my vineyard experience has pointed 
out the fact that such varieties of vines as are 
liable Li have leaf-galls, protect in a measure 
adjoining varieties which are subject to root 
attacks. With us,the Isabella and lonaaremost 
apt to be attacked by the root-lice. The only 
varieties which are notably preferred by the 
phylloxera for leaf breeding, and which are 
proof against root attacks, are the Oporto and 
Clinton. The Oporto is preeminently such a 
one, aud this is sought iu Europe for stock to 
graft upou. The late Dr. E. W. Sylvester, of 
Lyons, N. Y\ for a number of years gathered 
up all of the Oporto wood obtainable and sent 
it to France for that purpose. Although 1 
have known Clinton vines to lx* uearly' free of 
the leaf-galls while adjoining ones were 
badly infested it is only exceptional, and for 
one year. I apprehend that E. B. R. has only 
one Clinton, aud the other viues close-by are 
mostly varieties of the Lahrusea sort, and 
thus are uever attacked ou the leaves. The 
fact that from 50 to 400 eggs are laid in each 
gall, according to its capacity, points out the 
simple remedy of plucking and destroying all 
freshly Infested leaves during the mouths of 
July and August. 
BLACKBERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES FROM 
SEED. 
W. I. B., Salma, Kan. —How can I sprout 
blackberry' aud strawberry seeds from this 
year’s berries? 
Ans. —Gather the largest berries when fully 
ripe and mix with them dry sand, crushing 
the fruit aud so completely' mixing up the en¬ 
tire mess that the seeds will be entirely separ¬ 
ated. Then sow the sand iu some half-shady 
locality or in pots <>r boxes. The soil in which 
the seeds are sown should be light, sandy 
loam. Do not cover the seeds over one- 
quarter of an inch. Keep the soil moist and 
the plants will appear in a few weeks. Upon 
the appearance of four or five leaves transfer 
into open ground. If sown in open ground, 
better let them remain there until the next 
Spring, protecting during the Winter with 
straw. In case of the blackberry seed, it 
might, perhaps, be better to wash the seeds 
from the berry, aud preserve them iu sand 
until ready to sow or sow immediately' iu 
open groimd. If sowu iu the Fall they' ger¬ 
minate the following Spring. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
R. L.. Argentevil, Con.—1. The berries on 
the raspberry canes, specimens of which are 
inclosed blighted badlv: why ? 2. My' grape¬ 
vines are healthy but do uot bear fruit heavily. 
A Frenchman, an old vineyard 1st. came iuto 
my garden lately. I tiad two-year-old vines 
with two main shoots tied to posts. One of 
them he broke off to a length of five feet, and 
the other to two feet, besides breaking off all 
the laterals, saying, “Prune the long shoots to 
six joints next Fall and the short one to three 
buds. In the Spring, tie the longer shoots to 
t he post iu the form of a hoop, and allow two 
shoots to grow from the shorter one for the 
following year's fruitage, aud follow this 
course every year." Was this advice good? 
Ans. —1. The berries were crushed. No 
doubt the turners were not perfect, i. e., they 
lacked stamens which furnish the pollen for 
the pistils. 2. We should have permitted the 
two canes to grow only pinching out all lateral 
buds as soon as they appeared. This would 
have given the largest canes for another year 
which might iu the Fall be cut back as the 
French gardener proposed. 
H. ft’., Hillman , Mich. —1. Will the Bar¬ 
berry do well as a hedge-plaut iu this latitude 
—45^ north? 2. What is the difference be 
tweeu the Virginia Ivy and the Poison Ivy? 
3. How aud when should I change my aspara¬ 
gus bed i 
Ans.—1. We should think that it would. 2. 
TheVirginia Ivy or Creejier has five leaflets, the 
Poison Ivy only three. They belong to en¬ 
tirely different families of plants. The V i r- 
ginia Creeper climbs by means of rootlets as 
well as tendrils, attaching itself to walls 
or trunks by Sucker-like disks. Poison Ivy 
throws out a multitude of rootlets by means 
of which it clings to objects for support. It is 
poisonous, while the Virginia Creeper is uot. 
S. Transplant Fall or Spring. Prepare the soil 
for your new bed well—have it rich, deep and 
mellow A sandy, well-drained soil is best, 
plow or dii» tranche's a foot, deep Four feet 
apart and set the plants two feet apart in the 
trenches. Spread out the roots well, and cover. 
FIGHTING WIRE-WORMS, ETC. 
G. IV. P., Portville , N. Y., 1, The lower part 
of my horses’ sheath is swollen up, though^ it 
was cleaned a month ago; what should be 
done? 2, How can I rid my land of wire- 
worms? 
Ans. —1, The swelling may be caused by 
inflammation before cleaning. Wash with 
strong extract of witch-hazel. Give one- 
fourth of a pound of Glauber salts daily' for a 
week or more to act ou the kidneys and purify 
the blood. 2, Summer-fallowing is the most 
effective mode. It should be so thorough 
that nothing will grow. Salt is said to destroy 
them if it is liberally applied. Wood ashes 
in the hill will keep them out. Plow the land 
two or three times this year ami the last of 
September, or first of October sow' with 
wheat or rye, according to the character of 
the land. Use superphosphates freely' unless 
the land is rich. 
C. P. B.. Neodesha. Kan. —1. Which is the 
most productive strawberry for this climate— 
the Wilson. Sharpless or Bidwell ? 2. When is 
the best time to plant them? 3. What is the 
best treatment? 
Ans. —1. At the last annual meeting of the 
Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, the 
general impression was that the Wilson was 
test, notwithstanding the current report that 
it is deteriorating as a first-class berry'. The 
Sharpless is an excellent berry, as is also the 
Charles Downing. We prefer the Charles 
Downing as it grows iu the Rural Grounds, 
taking everything into consideration. 2. If 
you have the plants it would be well to trans¬ 
plant now, although the Spring is the best 
season. 3. Give them plenty of manure, wa¬ 
ter anti thorough cultivation. With those 
three wants supplied, you ought to be suc¬ 
cessful. 
H. T. D., Aberdeen, D. T .—How far apart 
should vegetables and grains be planted to pre 
vent “ mixing,” and what sorts “ mix ?” 
Ans. —Coru is the ouly grain we think of 
that mixes. All of the melon or gourd family' 
will mix, and beans, seed turnips, beets and 
cabbages'are liable to. To preserve actual 
purity, they should be planted so far away 
from each other that neither wind nor insects 
could carry the pollen from one to another. 
Atueimts Inquirer , Beatrice , Neb., My' 
Oleander is covered with bloom, but no new 
buds are forming and it isn't growing. It is 
12 years old and stands in a tub nine inches 
high and twelve inches in diameter. How- 
should it be treated ? 
" Ans. —We should remove the plant, cut it 
back, fill the tub with, fresh soil, and replant. 
E. MrG., Osborn 1, Where caul ob¬ 
tain Wyandotte chickens; what will they 
cost by the dozen or half dozen ? 2. Can they r be 
shipped 500 or (500 miles without injury? 
Ans. —1, Of G. D. Millington. North Beu- 
ningtou, Vt, or Kate G. Ash. Lima Pa. You 
can ascertain the price by writing to the 
parties referred to. 2. Yes. if by express. 
N. N. , Zanesville, Ohio , sends for name 
specimens of a plant from the Rr ral F. S. 
Distribution, and also of a grass. 
Ans.— The plant is * Mignonette, prized 
for its delicate odor in bouquets. The grass 
is Reed Canary Grass, Phalaris arundinacea, 
YJ. E. G., Shelbg, Mich., Where can I pur¬ 
chase the most powerful stump-puller ? 
Ans —Of the Chamberlain M’f’g Co., Oleau, 
N. A'. We would suggest that you read the 
article upon Stump-pullers in the Querist of 
the Rural of May* 12, before purchasing. 
C. F. G., Manchester, N. H ..—What causes 
the black specks in my' Beauty' of Hebron 
Potatoes? 
Ans.—T hey are probably caused by the 
larva 1 of the May Beetles. 
J. L. \f., Utah, Pa .— 1. Give proportion of 
fertilizing elements in barn-yard manure ? 2. 
Do you know anything of the Newton Grape ? 
Ans.—L See article upon “Artificial Ferti¬ 
lizers” in t his copy of Rural. 2. No. 
N. K.. New London, N. If .— What is a rem¬ 
edy' for cabbage worms' 
Ans.—V ery warm water, not boiling hot, is 
very good. Gypsum is sometimes used, but 
cannot be depended upou as a certainty. Py- 
rethrum powder, an emulsion of soap water 
and kerosene are good. 
F. T, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Where can 
Yellow-Wood seeds be obtained? 
Ans. —Of Thorburn & Co., 15 John St. New 
York City. 
Communications' Received' for'the . week* Espino 
Saturday, Aug. 3$: 
E. E.—C. F. G.—A. W.—W. M.-H. W.—J. S. A.—M. 
E. P., thanks—J. B. R.—H. S. K.—E. H. R.—F. M. S.- 
R. J. W.-W. L. D.—G. W. T.-J, H. H-N. J. S.-C. 
M.—J. L. K.-M. C.-C. W. G. -C. S.-W. \V. O.—W. 
M.—E. S. O.—K.—H. D. S., thanks for state plan—J. 
McL.- O. P. B.-W. J. B.—A. J. C.-M W.-O. H. A.- 
A. J. C.-T. T. L.-M. P.-D. B. GreT. B. N.-H. T. 
D. -R. W. F.-O. S. B.-L. H. S.W. W. D.-W. 
F. F. C. -Mrs. M. E. W., thanks*-^. H.VA. J. C.-L. 
\ B M 11 Fork, many thhlks F r> c —H. S. C M, 
