42 
M’f'g Co. ? C. How and at what price can the 
reports of horticultural societies be obtained? 
Ans. —1. Yes, if one spades too near tbe 
plants. Treat the suckers as weeds; hoe the 
surface near the main plants and spade up 
the soil elsewhere. 2. You should not spade 
the manure used to protect the plants under 
in the Spring, if you want a crop of berries. 
This should not be done until after the fruit 
season. Then spade it under. 3. We suppose 
you mean profitably, and it all depends upon 
the soil and crop to be grown; four quarts 
would be at the rate of over 50 bushels per 
acre, and if of the best hard-wood ashes, this 
would be a fair dressing and would be equiv¬ 
alent to 165 pounds of potash per acre. 4. 
There is no “best” method for everybody and 
every kind of grape. Tbe Kniffen, or some 
modification of it, is quite generally adopted 
in the Hudson River Valley, and we think is 
gaining in favor wherever it has been tried 
5. S. Evans & Co., Middleport, N. Y. 6. 
The reports can bo had of the secretaries by 
becoming a member. The annual fee is 
usually one dollar. The Am. Pomological 
Society charges $4.0U for a two-years’ mem¬ 
bership, or £20 for life. 
WEAKNESS IN T1IE HIND-QUARTERS OF PIGS, 
BTC ; FEED FOR LAVING HENS. 
M. L. D., Sherman, N. Y. —1. My five- 
months-old pigs eat well, and are growing 
thriftily, but they are so affected in the hind¬ 
quarters that they can scarcely stand up, their 
hind legs beiDg almost useless, what is the 
remedy W hat is the best food for laying 
hens? 
Ans. —Stiffness or weakness in the bind legs 
is often caused by worms in the kidneys. In 
such cases the pigs will drag the hind parts. 
As a remedy, give a tablespoonful of turpen¬ 
tine diluted with milk. One or two doses a 
day for two days will be sufficient. Tne tur¬ 
pentine will be absorbed and pass the kidneys 
and kill the worms. Sometimes the ailment 
is due to founder, generally caused by eating 
too much corn. In such cases the food should 
be changed to wheat middlings or oatmeal. 
Immersion in water as hot as they can bear 
will help them, and they should be kept there 
20 or 30 minutes, and be then well rubbed, 
especially on the legs. Tbe heads should be 
kept out of the water. A tablespoonful of 
suljjhur should be mixed with their food daily 
for a week, and they should have all the char¬ 
coal they will eat. Weakness in the back and 
hind legs is also sometimes caused by inflam¬ 
mation of the spinal membrane, which pro¬ 
duces a nervous weakness or partial paralysis. 
In such cases apply turpentine or mustard 
paste to the loins, and give a tablespoonful of 
linseed oil. 2, Hens need a great variety in 
their food: wheat screenings, oats, rye, w heat 
middlings, scraps from the table, including 
boiled potatoes; also green food, such as cab¬ 
bage or chopped beets, carrots, or potatoes. 
They should in Winter have free access to 
lard or tallow scraps. The only corn advis¬ 
able is a feed of whole corn, the last thing at 
night. They should also have free access to 
ground bones or oyster shells. We have also 
found an occasional feed of Imperial Egg 
Food to pay. 
FISTULA IN a MULE: SEQUEL OF FOUNDER. 
u Subscriber,” Villisca, Iowa. —1. What ails 
my mule, and how should she be treated? 
There is a bunch on her left shoulder. It is 
open at the top and front, and discharges 
bloody matter. 2. A mare of mine bas a 
shrunken shoulder, which is so stiff that she 
can hardly walk. She was foundered two 
years ago, when four years old; can anything 
be done for her? 
Ans. —1. The mule is suffering from a fistu¬ 
la, which must he treated with care on ac¬ 
count of tbe dilficult situation of it. In a case 
like this, the matter, or pus, cannot escape, 
and burrows downward among the bones, 
forming pipes of hard,cartilaginous substance, 
which must be removed. The bunch, or swell¬ 
ing, should be opened freely, and the pipes all 
cut through. The wound should then be thor¬ 
oughly cleansed with a sponge and plenty of 
warm water, to which one-fifth part of pyro¬ 
ligneous acid is added. It must then be tilled 
with some soft tow or lint, dipped in a solu¬ 
tion of one part of nitrate of silver to 10 of 
water, until the pipes come away. The open¬ 
ing is then dressed twice a day with the pyro¬ 
ligneous acid mixture, and thoroughly 
cleansed with a soft sponge until it gradually 
heals from the bottom. Unless it is thus 
healed, it will break out again and be as bad 
as ever. 2. Tbe mare is suffering from the 
effects of the founder, which is fever of the 
feet, or laminitis. The fore-feet should be put 
into hot water twice a day, and then dressed 
with a mild blister around the coronet. The 
sunken shoulder is the result of the condition 
of the feet, and is caused by the want of 
proper action of tbe muscles, due to the lame¬ 
ness. This will probably always remain; but 
can be prevented from becoming worse by 
brisk rubbing of the shoulder by tlio hand with 
a strong liniment. Gombault’s Caustic Lini¬ 
ment will be an excellent application both for 
the shoulder and the feet, if applied according 
to tbe directions. It would not ho advisable 
to breed from a mare in this condition, as a 
tendency to this disease generally becomes 
hereditary. 
PROPAGATING CURRANTS; INTEREST ON COST 
OF LAND. 
J. S., Muscatine, la.— 1. I wish to increase 
a Fay’s Currant by cutting, vrhen and how 
shall I do it? 2, Why do men, in figuring 
the cost of a crop, allow for interest on the 
land ? For instance, Mr. Woodward in reck¬ 
oning cost of wheat, allows $7.50 for interest 
on land. It seems to me this should be profit, 
the same as though I loaned a man money and 
he paid me interest on it. 
Ans.— 1. The cuttings can be made at auy 
time when not frozen: but the sooner the 
better. Cut into pieces about six inches long, 
and bury iu the cellar or anywhere below 
frost. 1’laut as early as possible, iu rich 
ground, and with only one eye out of the 
ground. 2. If a man buys a piece of laud on 
which to grow a crop, running in debt for it, 
he would certainly have to pay the interest 
out of the crop before he could count any pro¬ 
fit. It is the same with our laud; we call it 
worth $150 per acre, aud as money is loaned 
on good farms at five per cent, we called that a 
fair interest, making $7.50 per acre—the in¬ 
terest is the profit to the lender on money 
loaned; but it has to be paid by tbe borrower 
for its use before he can declare any profit on 
its divestment. So the land has to pay the 
interest on its value before we can say there 
was any profit in the crop grown. 
PLUMS FOR THE SOUTHWEST. 
A. B., Malvern , Ark .—How do the Shrop¬ 
shire Damson, the common Blue Damson, and 
Forest Rose Plums succeed as far south and 
west as Arkansas: 
ANSWERED BY T. V. MUNSON, DENISON, TEXAS. 
The Damson Plums promise to do fairly 
well here—climate very similar to that in Hot 
Springs Co., Arkansas; but it takes them six 
to eight years to get well into beariug, 
while the Wild Goose begins bearing profit¬ 
able crops when three years old. As to the 
Forest Rose Plum, it is notj'ot kuowu herein 
the orchards. In this connection, I would say 
that tbe blue plums generally, such as the 
Gages, Prunes, etc., come into bearing iu 
about six years, aud almost every one rots by 
the time it is two-thirds or three-fourths 
grown, making such varieties a great deal 
worse than nothing. There is a blue plum, 
however, called by Downing, the Blue Plum 
of the .South, which reproduces from seeds or 
suckers, bears in about four or five years, is of 
only ordinary quality and size, and sells well 
in market, as it is early; but it seldom makes 
a crop, on account of being easily destroyed 
by late frosts. The Wild Goose aud other im¬ 
proved Chickasaw varieties — of which we 
uow have a complete succession from over a 
month earlier than Wild Goose till a week 
later, in September, than the Heath Cling 
Peach—are almost exclusively planted. The 
fruit of all of these can be picked several days 
before it is fully ripe, and shipped to New 
York, if necessary. Afterwards the plums will 
i ipeu up well, and arc favorites in market, 
owing to their bright colors. No one here 
thinks of planting extensively for market any 
plums but those of the Chickasaw class. 
GRAFTING AND BUDDING ADDLES AND PEARS, 
ETC. 
J. D., May's Lick, Ky, —1. When is the pro¬ 
per time to graft apple aud pear trees? 2. 
What is the best grafting wax? 3. When is 
the proper time to bud young apple trees that 
will grow from seed next Spring? 4. How 
are the new varieties of fruit produced? 
Ans.— 1. The cions should be cut at any 
time before the sap begins to move in Spring, 
and can be kept iu moderately dry sand, saw¬ 
dust, or damp leaves, or grass. If placed iu 
sand they should first be wrapped in a damp 
cloth. The grafting can be done at any time 
from the first opening of Hpring until the 
blossoms open, the earlier the better. 2. A 
good wax is made of four parts of resin, t wo 
parts of mutton or hard beef tallow, and one 
part of bees-wax. Another good sort is made 
of six pounds of resin, one pound of bees w ax 
and one pint of raw linseed oik Melt all to¬ 
gether, pour into cold water, and work well 
by pulling os you would molasses candy, a. 
Apples may be budded as soon as plump, fully 
developed buds cau be obtained on the wood 
of the then current season’s growth, the lime, 
of course, depending much on the latitude. 4. 
The new varieties are originated from seed¬ 
lings; the seed is often obtained from fruit 
grown by cross fertilization—that is, pollen 
of one variety is used to fertilize blossoms of 
another, from which the stamens have been 
removed. 
TO RAISE A LARGE CORN CROP. 
F. W. E., Taunton, Mass,— 1. I have just 
an acre of light, sandy-loam that has been 
cleared of stumps and planted to Hungarian 
Grass. It was plowed the middle of Novem¬ 
ber. I have also five cords of horse manure, 
how cau I raise a big corn crop? 2. What 
variety should I plant? 
Ans.— 1. Spread the manure at ouce. The 
rains and frosts of Winter will break up aud 
wash it into the soil in the best possible man¬ 
ner, and next Spring plow lightly again, and 
t hen put on 400 pounds of some good fertilizer 
rich in potash, and harrow that well into the 
surface. Then mark tbe ground according to 
the kind of corn, anywhere from '3% to four 
feet, aud plant the corn two kernels in a 
place, 10 inches apart in the rows. When 
ready to hoe, pull out oue stalk from each 
hill; cultivate often with a shaliow'-working 
cultivator; hoe ouce, but do nothing more 
than to hoe the weeds out. Keep the ground 
level and cultivate as long as you can get 
through without breaking the stalks. 2. 
Plant the kind that does the best in your sec¬ 
tion. We can hardly advise farther in that 
direction. 
A HOG HOUSE. 
W. F. K., Yankton, Dakota.—1. Is it abso¬ 
lutely necessary in this country to keep bogs 
well sheltered during Winter? 2. Will you 
give directions for building a barn or sheds to 
hold from one to two hundred head, with 
room enough to store from three to five tons 
of straw for bedding? 
Ans.—1. Yes; to achieve the best results. 2. 
Such a house can be built 42x50 feet, with sides 
10 feet high, and a middle, or ridge, 22 feet 
high, with four rows of pens, each 10x0 feet, 
with an alley three feet wide between each 
two rows. The sides should be boarded close, 
end sheeted inside with tarred paper aud cross- 
boarded four feet high inside of this. Posts 
should be placed at suitable distances, with 
cross-beams, and on these a floor or poles 
should be laid, and the whole loft be filled 
with straw. At least four truuks or boxes, 16 
inches square inside, should extend from the 
inside up through the loft and roof, opening 
outside, to secure good ventilation and pure 
air. Ten hogs cau occupy each pen, making 
200 hogs in the barn. The roof can be of 
sound boards battened, or lie shingled. 
ORCHARD QUERIES. 
A. G. 1’., Massachusetts. —1. Whatsortof an 
apple is the Newtown Pippin, and does it sell 
higher thau Gravenstein; and is it a good 
bearer? 2. Is there a plum called tbe Weaver, 
and is it a good one? 3. Will the Le Conte 
Pear grow well iu this section? 
Ans. —1. Fruit of medium size; largest around 
enter, aud rounding much alike at both 
ends; sometimes a little ribbed; color a dull 
green, becoming somewhat lighter when ripe, 
with a faint brownish blush on oue side 
(sometimes), dotted with small, gray specks, 
aud a little russetted about the stem. Flesh 
greenish-white, and extra good. This is one 
of the best apples grown, and sells for the 
highest price; but unfortunately it grows 
fairly only on peculiar soil and iu few locali¬ 
ties. 2. The Weaver is a Chickasaw, or of 
the same class as the Wild Goose, and no good 
at the North. 3. It is worthless so far north. 
CATTLE FEED. 
B. tfi II., Lawrence, Texas. —1. Will cotton 
seed, or cotton seed meal and sorghum, with 
good liay, make a good .feed for milch cows 
and for beef? 2. Will the sorghum stalks and 
seed take the place of corn and stalks as food? 
Anh.— 1. There is very little difference iu 
the composition of sorghum seeds uud corn; 
yet there is considerable difference in their 
feeding value practically. Yet we think 
sorghum seed meal aud cotton seed meal, iu 
proper proportions, would make a good feed¬ 
ing ration for cows or fattening animals. 2. 
Korgkum leaves make good fodder—as good 
as corn leaves—but while the stalks are richer 
thau corn stalks, they are covered with such 
a woody coating that we doubt whether cattle 
would oat them as readily, unless broken quite 
flue. But with plenty of ijoud hay, we should not 
hesitate to feed them, letting the cattle eat 
what they like. 
SENDING APPLES TO EUROPE. 
F. O., Castleton, N. Y ,—How can apples be 
shipped to Europe? 
Ans. —Apples to be shipped should be as¬ 
sorted with the greatest care. It is worse 
than folly to ship any but the best; not an 
imperfect apple should be put into the barrels. 
The apples should be pluoed not less thau three 
deep on tbe stems, and as close together as 
possible. Then fill the barrels with perfect 
apples, shaking often; let them stand in a dry 
place a few days before heading; then, after 
a good shaking, put in the beads, pressing 
down firmly. Ship to New York in care of 
some steamship line, aud consign them to 
some roliublo house in London, Liverpool or 
Glasgow, as you prefer. Apples are usually 
sold on arrival, uud at auction. We think 
exporting apples this year has been fairly 
remunerative when a good consignee bas been 
employed. 
MULCHING WHEAT WITn CLOVER STRAW, ETC. 
M. J. C., Indianapolis, hut. —1. Where can 
I get the pea spoken of L by R. F. on page 7S0 
of the Rural? 2. Where can I get the White 
Zealand, the Probsteier, and Novelty Oats? 3. 
I have a large stack of clover straw; would it 
be advisable to spread it over a wheat field? 
Ans. —You probably mean the Abundance 
Pea; if so, B. K. Bliss, of this city, introduc 
ed it. 2. Of almost any large seedsmen. Try 
Hiram Sibley & Co., Chicago, or D. M. Ferry 
& Co., Detroit, Mich. 3. By all moans. It 
has great inanurial value, aside from its 
mulching effect. Spread it so thinly that the 
wheat will have no trouble iu coming through 
in Spring; otherwise it will smother it aud be 
harmful, and, besides, if you have more wheat 
thau you cau cover, remember that the far¬ 
ther you make it go the greater will be the 
good resulting; put it on when the ground is 
frozen. 
REMEDY FOR GAPES IN CHICKS. 
J. A. L., Pittsburg, Kan. —My chickens are 
troubled with the gapes; what remedy shall I 
use? 
Ans. —Take a handful of air-slaked lime, 
aud put it iu a half bushel, or larger measure, 
according to the number of chicks to be treat¬ 
ed. Put the chicks in the measure and cover 
it. Give it a shake or so, confining them for 
from one to two minutes. To prevent gapes, 
throw' a handful in the coops from time to 
time. 
■ «♦» . 
Miscellaneous. 
II. M. G., Crovsyville, N. F.—1. I have 
been making a compost of alternate layers of 
muck and fresh horse manure. I sprinkled 
less than a bushel of fine unslaked lime to the 
cord on each layer of muck. Would that 
amouut of lime injure the burse manure? 2, 
On pitching it over, 1 find portions of the 
strawy horse-manure flre-fanged, does the 
ammonia escape or is it absorbed by the 
muck? Would it pay to draw' water, at con¬ 
siderable expense, to wet the compost heap? 
4. In an old orchard the second planting of 
apple trees do not seem to bear. Would it 
pay to apply potash ami ground bone? If so 
how should they be applied? 
Ans. —1. With that amount of mack the 
manure would not be seriously injured; but 
it would have beeu better if you could have 
applied the lime to the muck alone, say, from 
three months to a year previously. 2. The am¬ 
monia is driven off when manure fire-fangs, 
but probably the muck would take it up. 3. 
It would probably pay better to spread the 
manure in a broad,flat pile, one large enough 
to catch sufficient rain to wet it. 4. Yes cer¬ 
tainly ; if the bone is very fine sow both broad¬ 
cast and plow in. If not fine, compost them 
together now, and apply iu the Spring before 
plowing. 
J. G. N.,Parknillo, Conn .—1. What is meat, 
cooked from bones gathered from the markets, 
worth per ton as a fertilizer, compared with 
stable manure at $6 a cord, and what is the 
best way to compost it? 2. When should salt 
be applied to land to prevent worms from cut¬ 
ting off cabbages planted in Spring? 3. How 
much should be used per acre, and how? 
Ans.—I. Everything depends upon how 
much the meat is dried out and upon tbequality 
of the stable manure; probably a ton is worth 
two cords of manure, at a guess. A good way 
of using it is to compost it with the manure, 
or with muck, or even with a good loamy soil, 
spreading plaster over the surface of the pile 
every time it is forked over. If done now, it 
will be in good condition in Spying. 2. When 
planted. 8. Apply, just about each plant, a tea- 
spoonful iu the soil. 
W. S. K, Shawano, Wts.—1. Which is the 
largest and most productive black cap rasp¬ 
berry for a cold climate, like that of Northern 
Wisconsin? 2. The same as to gooseberries? 
3. What about fennel as a substitute for celery? 
4. Which is the best tender and crisp large 
celery, aud which is the best dwarf sort? 5. 
Is there a more prolific, smooth, and solid 
tomato than the “JPurugon,” aud if so, what 
is it: 
Ans. —1. The Gregg is as large as any; but 
wc should doubt its hardiness for your climate. 
The Ohio Black cap is very hardy and prolific. 
2. Houghton or Downing. 3. It is ordinarily 
eaten cooked, has a finer flavor than celery, 
aud a delicate perfume. The base of the 
radical leaf-stalk is the part that is eaten. 
We gave an illustration of it last year (1884), 
on po <■ 085. 4. The Fern-leaved is first-rate. 
The (• Iden Hoartwoll is the best of the dwarf - 
er kinds. 5. No; it is as good as any. 
S. W. E., Salisbury, Conn.— 1. What pru- 
njng do peach trees planted in the Spring of ’83, 
mid? 2. The tamo of ml raspberries? 3 The 
g :il is a deep, coarse gravel, what fertilizer 
do they need? 
Ans.— 1. Cut back about one-half of last 
