AUG 48 
thorn a little corn, boil the ears until the corn 
is soft, and feed only one ear a day. That is 
quite enough. Also see that they have plenty 
of good water; but by all means stop giving 
thorn the salt, air-slaked lime, sulphur and 
copperas, which cannot help but bo Injurious 
and sufficient to make any pig sick. There is 
not one case in perhaps a thousand in which a 
pig needs any physic, if it Is only fed reasona¬ 
bly of such food as it can digest. 2, Cut Tim¬ 
othy hay for horses after all the bloom has 
fullenofT and it is entirely free from dust. 
ROUP. 
W. W. W., Fountain, CW.-What ails my 
poultry? They suffer from swelliug of the 
head and dyseutery unt 1 they get weak and 
die. Others become very lame without swell¬ 
ing of the head and at times cuunot get up; 
these also finally die. They eat and drink 
very heartily even when sick and are fed 
moderately with coni meal, outs, bran and 
com. They do not lay and the hens are only 
in go<xl order—not too fat. Both old and 
young suffer. They have a large run and 
there is no dampness in their house. 
Axh,—T he trouble is caused by a contagious 
disorder known as roup. This is really ma¬ 
lignant catarrh, which affects the head, t hroat, 
stomach or bowels, or all of them at once. 
The lameness is not in the limbs but is caused 
by the tenderness of the nbdomeu and the 
pain of moving. The cure is to wash the head 
with warm vinegar and to give 10 drops of a 
solution of 20 grains of chlorate of potash in 
one ounce of water, once a day. Feed very 
1 ghtly, as overfeeding may be the cause of it, 
producing iudigestlon, irritation of the intes¬ 
tines and then iuflammation which poisons the 
blood and spreads through the system. 
“MJTBS” ON BIRDS. 
J. E. R ., Trenton, Tenn,—We are plagued 
with a multitude of mites that infest our poul¬ 
try houses and all our poultry, as well as our 
canary cages and all our canaries. The pests 
are whitish in color until they get on the birds, 
when they become red; how can we get rid 
of them? 
Ans.—A ll birds are infested more or less 
with these mites. They are red when tilled 
with blood, and otherwise grayish. If the 
hen-house is examined closely, patches of 
bluish-gray dust will doubteas be found where- 
ever there are cracks amt joints. These con¬ 
sist of the mites and their cast-off skins, for 
they frequently change their outer coverings. 
They breed in t he droppings and iu dust. They 
will avoid a clean place or one that is kept 
white-washed. To get rid of them, clean the 
hen-house thoroughly; wash it with hot lime- 
wash; till every crevieu with it. Then grease 
the perch vs well, especially at all the joints 
and corners with any kiud of grease and as 
much kerosene oil, or pour the kerosene oil 
freely all over the perches. The pests will 
not trouble the hens any more. Apply kero¬ 
sene oil to the ends and crossings of all the 
wires iu the bird cage and put some on the 
perch, especially at the cuds, with a feather. 
Mlt.K FROM HRIVERS IN CALF. 
G. A. McB, Lakewood, N. J. —My 22-months- 
old Jersey heifer is to calve in December. 
The second week iu June her bug became 
noticeably distended, and on examination 1 
found milk in the teats; what should be the 
treatment. 
Ans. —Such cases occur, but not commonly, 
by one animal sucking another. They also have 
been known to occur from pathological causes, 
a diseased condition, in fact, of the udder, 
arising from the state or pregnancy. It is 
quite usual for the udder to become enlarged 
soon after the heil'er is in calf, this beiug one 
of the indicat ions of this eondftiou, and occa¬ 
sionally mill will be found in the udder. This, 
however, Is rarely of such a considerable 
amount as to cause trouble and it disappears 
in a short time. When it is otherwise and 
the udder is found to be distended, the milk 
should be drawn oil in the usual mauoer. 
This will So no harm and will avoid any pos¬ 
sible danger. 
IIORSE MANURE. 
.4. B. Y., N. Y. City, —What is the way of 
preparing horse uiauuro for application on a 
neglected, ruu down farm? 
Ans. —Pure horse manure is very poor stuff, 
and becomes very much jxiorer when it is 
kept uuder cover. It is too dry and hot, and 
iu a short time becomes worth no more than 
the ashes of it. If it were mixed with four 
times its bulk of swamp muck it would make 
a most valuable compost; or if plenty of 
straw is used for litter and the manure is taken 
out of the stable and spread where it can 
bo moistened, and tl" it is theu turned 
over now and then, it w ill !«• in excellent con¬ 
dition for use in the Spring. If uotliing else 
enu Ini done with it, w e would put it In a pit, 
trample it down bard, mixing earth w ith it 
and plenty ot plaster, and be sure that it is 
kept moist. It will theu take no harm and 
will come out in two or three mouths very 
Hbb manure. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
GUINEA FOWLS. 
A. H. Bayport, L, I., N. Y. — Wherein 
does the value of the Guinea Fowl consist? 
How are they raised ? 
• 
Ans.—T heir chief value lies iu the fact that 
they are great destroyers of noxious insects 
and their larvae. They are of very unstable, 
rambliug disposition, ami make poor mothers, 
hence their eggs must be placed under hens 
for hatching, which process takes from 2(3 to 
30 days. .They require to be fed morning and 
evening regularly, curds, grits and other food 
of a similur nature such as is given to young 
turkeys. The young chicks require food soou 
after hatching—within six hours at least. It 
u well to allow them plenty of liberty. They 
ueed more constant, feeding than any other 
chickens; a few hours’ abstinence may prove 
fatal. 
CATARRHAL GARGET IN COW’S TEATS. 
L. S, P., Baker City, Oregon .—A cow of 
mine runs on good pasture, and gives three or 
four gallons of milk a day. At the last of the 
milking season there are hard, stringy lumps 
sometimes iu one teat, ut other times iu 
another, but never iu more than one at a 
time; what is the cause, and what is a cure? 
Ans. —The cause is catarrhal garget, or in¬ 
flammation of the lining membrane of the 
milk ducts. This may be caused also by irri¬ 
tation of the udder produced by over disten¬ 
sion by excess of milk, but is not probably in 
this case. Bathe the udder with warm water, 
and then apply a mixture of sweet oil and 
ammonia. Give the cow a pound of Epsom 
salts, and take care she is not exposes! to rain 
Storms alter great heat, by which she may 
become chilled. 
SCALY LEGS IN CHICKS. 
G. F., I Vest Alexandria, O .—My chickens 
are afflicted with a very thick scab on the lower 
part, of the legs, which finally affects the 
whole body, 1 applied coal-oil to the feet and 
rubbed hog's lard on the under-side of the 
body; is that the right treatment? 
Ans. -The remedy would have been all right 
if it lmd been applied where it was required. 
These scaly legs are caused by a species of 
scab mite which burrow under the scales of 
the legs. To destroy them, first wash the 
legs iu warm, soapy water; theu apply a 
mixture of lard or oil of uuy kind with 
kerosene oil in equal parts and work it 
in under the scales with a brush. A few' ap¬ 
plications will cause the scales to come off and 
a new, clean growth w ill appear. 
UMBILICAL RUPTURE IN A FILLY. 
C. C., Murford, Ala .—My two-months-old 
filly is ruptured at the naval, the hole being 
about an inch long; w hat should be the treat¬ 
ment? 
Ans,- This rupture may be closed by means 
ot it pair of elatns. Catch the skin where the 
rupture is, first taking care that none of the 
gut is taken in, and clamp it in the clams. 
Leave the clams on until they drop off, when 
the opening will have been closed. It is caused 
by the failure of the orifice of the umbilical 
cord to close, and should be attended to at 
once. A soft pad held in its place by straps 
and pressing on the opening would be very 
likely to close it. 
TOO MANY ** BUGS”. 
G. W. I)., Danvers, Mass —When my chick¬ 
ens are about six weeks old their wings droop 
and they die. On post-mortem examination 
their crops uro choke-full of small black bugs 
or booties; do these cause their death, ami how- 
should they be treated? 
Ans,— It is vary likely that these beetles 
are the cause of the trouble. The chickens are 
eating too muny of them. It would be better 
to shut them up and feed them cracked corn 
or wheat for a time. Or feed them with the 
grain before they are let out so that they 
will not devour sc, many of the insects. 
STRETCHES IN SHEEr. 
M. C. IF., Leona , Pa.— What ails my sheep? 
They stop eating; they drink little, and now 
and theu they stretch themselves, dying in two 
or three weeks. 
Ans. —The disease is culled ‘’stretches” by 
shepherds, but it is simply indigestion aud im¬ 
paction of the stomach with the undigested 
food. A dose of one ounce of linseed oil, fol¬ 
lowed by copious drinks of linseed or oatmeal 
gruel, made thin, will usually relieve the 
sheep. Injections of warm water or very thin 
linseed infusion will tie useful. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
J. L. J., IHUertown, Fa. —1. The milk 
from my cows looks all right, but the cream 
doesn’t part readily from it, aud it seems 
watery. 1 have given the cows different cattle 
powdei-s iu vain; w hat is the matter? 2. How 
can a horse be prevented from carrying the 
bit uuder the tongue? 
Ans. —1. It is impossible to hazard a guess as 
to the reason tor the trouble which is so indefi¬ 
nitely described that we canuot understand it. 
Please be more particular and mention how 
the cows are fed and watered, and how the 
milk is set and in what sort of a place. It is 
probable that the trouble is iu the place where 
the milk is kept. “Different, cattle powders” 
may be the cause of it too, as these powders 
vary very much in composition and some may 
be injurious. See that the feed is good, the 
water pure, the milk utensils quite clean, the 
milk kept iu a perfectly sweet, cool place, and 
do not leave the cream on the milk after it 
has become sour. 2. Put a plate of steel about 
the size of a hen’s egg, cut through the cen¬ 
ter lengthwise, on to the hit so that it lies 
lengthwise of the tongue; the horse cannot 
get the tongue over it then. The plate must 
be binged loose on the bit or it may hurt the 
tongue when the bit is pulled. 
J. N. P., Kansas .— 1. When a cow fails to 
cast the afterbirth what should be done? 2. 
A cow, though served by three different 
bulls, bus failed to get with calf; how should 
she be treated? 3. Is the Guernsey superior 
to the Holstein for beef and butter? 4. How 
should I treat a brood mare that is difficult to 
get with foal ? 
Ans. —1. In such a case, when the mem 
branes are not expelled in six or eight hours, 
the cow may be given the following; Savin, 
or Red Cedar leaves, one ounce; carbonate of 
potash, half an ounce; infuse in a pint of hot 
water, strain aud give when u little warm. 
Repeat the dose every six hours. 2. Give the 
cow now au ounce of hyposulphite of soda 
daily until her time comes around again. Then 
drive her four or five miles before being served 
aud leave her with the. bull all night, 8. The 
Guernsey is quite different from the Holsteiu. 
or rather Dutch cattle. As a rule the Guern¬ 
sey is the better butter cow and the Dutch the 
better lieef animal, although she is usually a 
fine milker. 4. Drive or ride the mare until 
she is tired before bringing her to the horse. 
Then let her rest quietly. 
./. D. S. Whitewater, Wis., —What is the 
best w ay to treat barley and oat stubble—to 
seed to Timothy without graiu this Fall, or to 
sow rye or wheat seeding to Timothy ? There 
is always a market for good bay here at good 
prices. Wheat is uot. always a sure crop and 
rye I know little about, having never raised 
it. What depth should it be plowed? What 
would be the best time for sowing? 
Ans.— If grass is desired, we would choose 
to seed dow n at once, by harrowing the stub¬ 
ble—uot plowing it—very thoroughly only on 
the surface, and continue until a very fine tilth 
had been procured. Then sow half a bushel 
of Timothy seed, half each way toget un even 
seeding, and then roll. If the soil is in good 
condition, there will be a crop of hay next 
season, and the meadow w ill be much better 
than if it bad been seeded with rye. But it 
all depends upon having a very fine and mel¬ 
low surface and a firm soil under it, 
M. E. B. North Rochester , Mass .—What 
should be the treatment for a horse whose 
shoulder has been lamed by drawing a mow 
ing-machme? A neighbor recommends put¬ 
ting in a dowel; is that advisable? 
Ans,—W e suppose he means a rowel or 
seton. That would not be judicious as it 
would tend to weaken the muscle. If it is 
really the shoulder which is sprained, rub it 
with any good liniment or with a mixture of 
sweet oil and ammonia. Rub it well and for 
15 or 2<i mluutes, so that as much of the lini¬ 
ment will be absorbed as possible. The rub¬ 
bing, however, will do the most good. 
J. M. K., Gauges, Mich .—This year l have 
utterly lost two acres of spleudidly set grapes 
ow ing to the greatest of our pests—the Rose 
Bug. I sprinkled the pests with coal-tar wa¬ 
ter with no effect, and hand-picked them for 
two weeks without apparently diminishing 
their number; is Hammond’s Slug-Shot,which 
1 see advertised as a remedy, really effectual? 
Ans. —The Slug-Shot, is a preparation of 
Paris given, " C believe. It does uot appear 
that any poison will serve against Rose Bugs, 
since it must lx 1 eaten to kill them and would, 
therefore, have to be applied to the blossoms. 
There is, as yet, no remedy for this formidable 
post except baud-piekiug or knocking them off 
into pans of keroseue and water. 
“ .1 subscriber," Chatham, (hit .— 1. Will the 
Rural send me some Niagara Grape seeds; 
2. Some of my Concord Grapes are affected 
with mildew; w hat is the cause ? Would sul¬ 
phur dusted over the affected vines, be l>en- 
efieial ? 
Ans.—W e shall not baveauy Niagara Grape 
seeds until the grapes are ripe. 2. We 
cannot judge without seeing the vines. 
For mildew we blow flowers of sulphur 
upon the vines early iu t he morning before the 
dew is dissipated by the sun's rays, through a 
bellows. This must be repeated as often as the 
mildew appears. It is uot a specific remedy, 
but the best that is known. Other questions 
will bh answered later. 
523 
J. S. D., Bismark, Mo. —1. Is there any way 
to tell the color of a grape by the vine or leaf 1 
2. Would cow manure and ashes, mixed 
together and rotted lie a good application to 
a strawberry bed the coming Fall? 3. Which 
is the more profitable—Miner’s Prolific or 
Sharpless? 
Ans. —l. The color of the grape canuot be dr 
termined by the color of the stems or by any 
peculiarity of the foliage. 2. Yes, if well rot¬ 
ted,but there would be less loss if applied separ¬ 
ately. 3. It is hard to say. They cannot be 
compared together. The Sharpless bears a 
much larger berry but it is not so prolific. We 
ure supposing that both do well in a given 
locality. 
C. II. B., Gaines, Orleans Co. N. Y., Is 
there any cure for a tumor or wen about 
the size of a heu’s egg on the jaw of my two- 
year-old cow? 
Ans. —The only thing that can be done for 
it is to apply iodine in the form of ointment 
or the tincture. Bat it is probable it comes 
from the bone, either caused by an injury or 
from scrofula, in either case it had better re¬ 
main as it is or it may become worse. A 
tumor of a similar kind treated by injection 
of carbolic acid has been cured; but such 
treatmeut is only advisable by au experienced 
person. 
PI. S. K., Haring, Mich .—A healthy cow 
dropped a calf with a soft tumor, the size of a 
large apple, just under the chin. Is it goitre, 
aud what is the best treatment to remove it? 
Ans. —This is not goitre, which is a rather 
firm swelling near the throat or upon it. It is 
more probably a dropsical effusion which 
may disappear in time. If it remains without 
change for a week or two longer, give the calf 
one scruple of iodide of potassium, dissolved 
in warm water and added to its milk. Con¬ 
tinue it for two or three weeks unless the 
swelling disappears sooner. Bathe the part 
with cold water every morning and rub it 
gently with the hand. 
J. C. A., Winchester, IU .—Sends three 
specimens of wheat for name. 
Ans.— The small head closely resembles what 
we have raised simply as “ Amber. " You may 
know the true Fultz by the straw turning red. 
The long, narrow head is unknown to us VY'e 
should not care to raise it, judging by this 
specimen. Length in heads is a poor substi¬ 
tute for breadth of spikelets. 
M. M., Brighton, Canada. —Is there a con- 
trivanoe for utilizing steam heat to evaporate 
fruit ? 
Ans. —Yes. The Steam-Heat Evaporator 
Co., Charlotte, Mich., make a machine of this 
kind, and they will furnish information 
about it. 
E. W. IF., Claridon, Ohio, sends for name 
specimens of wheat there called Democrat. ' 
Ans. —We canuot give the true name. Dur¬ 
ing the past four years it has come to us under 
four or live different names—first through the 
Agricultural Department as Swamp. 
.4 subscriber, RichmondvUle, N. Y .—Whew 
ean pure-bred Cotswold sheep lx? procured ? 
Ans.— George Chick. Attica, N. Y.; Ensign 
& Brown, Jeddo, N. Y,; Geo. Ingersoll, 
Charleston, N. Y.; F. S. Peer, East Palmyra, 
N. Y.; YY. Atlee Burpee, Philadelphia, Pa. 
G. T. K., Zanesville. Ohio .—Will it benefit 
corn to sow phosphate on the ground w hen the 
corn is tasseling ? 
Ans. —It is too late to get benefit from phos¬ 
phate. Superphosphate would be felt if rain 
followed at once. 
J. B. B., SmithvUle, Canada .—Who in New 
York State, not very far from Niagara Falls, 
has Small White Yorkshire swine for sale, like 
those illustrated iu a late Rural? 
Ans. —T. R. Proctor, Utica, N. Y. 
T. B. IF., Oberlin. Kans,— Will Tea Wheat 
or W hite Russian do as a Winter wheat ? 
Ans.— We have trii>d both and failed with 
both as Winter wheats—that is, Fall-sown 
w'heats. 
-4. E., Cambridge, N. U., sends specimens of 
cherries for name. 
Ans. —The cherries were uot in good condi¬ 
tion w hen received. Should guess them to be 
May Duke, 
W. T. T., no address ,—Would it pay to 
haul spent tan-bark one mile for top-dressing 
clay land, where a team costs two dollars a day 
Ans.—N o. 
Communications received for the week Endinu 
Saturday, Aug. 111 
H. A. E.-C. S.-G. R F.—N. B. B.-E. M. T.—P, L. F. 
—A. E. L. 8.-C. T. D.-L. H.-Ilia- A B.-L. & J. S.- 
T. E. T. M. C.-L. R.—C. H. R.-A. R.-R. W. S.-L. 
A.-T. M.-S. TV. a-A. H.-L. C. S.-C. F. B.-J. S. 0. 
W. U. T.-T. B. YV.-H. A. C.-A. E.-G. T. K.—T.— 
H B.—T. Macatplne, thanks; should be glad to hear 
from you -W. i. c.— a. l, j.—g. c.—I. p. R.—w. s. 
thanks T. A. C. & Co., we will attend-T. M. W.-D. 
J. S.-H.S.I.-C. A. W.-R, L.-E. G.-H.S.-A. T.— 
• Subscriber”—W. F. C.- A. B. Y.-N. W. Y., thanks— 
A H. TI.-E. W. W.-M. M B 1 hanks-E. E. p.— Z. J. 
>1 —R. B. R -I. G. A.O . Jr -t. W.-W S.- 1. Rj 
