1885 
tiou, with an equable temperature is the best. 
This can be found in parts of northern central 
Texas, and especially about Ran Antonio. 
Parts of Southwest Virginia, Northwest 
North Carolina, South Carolina about Aiken, 
the mountainous parts of Tennessee, and in¬ 
deed, certain parts of most of the Southern 
States afford the desired conditions. Prefer¬ 
ence among so many salubriotis localities 
would depend on business rather than on san¬ 
itary considerations. 2. In the North, horse 
breeding would probably be the more profit¬ 
able; and rnule breeding in the South. The 
practice generally followed in any section is a 
fair guide to what Hue of business is most 
profitable there; though, of course, a uew en¬ 
terprise may prove exceptionally remunera¬ 
tive in any locality; but there is alway's more 
risk in such undertakings than iu following 
the customary' routes to gain. Much depends 
on the amount of a man's capital; still more 
on his own character and ability. 
W. ./. B., address mislaid, —1. When should 
seedlings strawberries nowin pots.be trans¬ 
ferred to beds? 2. How eau potatoes now 
ripe and ready to dig be best preserved? 8. 
Where grape vines iu very rich laud have 
grown 20 feet or more, could l not leave more 
than three eyes to a cane when pruning next 
Winter? 4. What grape is next to Concord, 
11 thinks considered? 5. How isBuhaeh appli¬ 
ed? (5. How soon is it safe to put corn iu shocks 
14 hills each way f 7. With 800 such shocks 
and 20 tons of wild hay, how much corn 
should I feed 80 head of cattle of all ages, in 
Winter, with no shelter but a wind break? 
Ans — 1. At once, making the bed rich, 
dampening the earth in the pot and transfer¬ 
ring without breaking it any. 2. Leave them 
in the ground, or, better, dig and pit, tilling 
earth in all among the potatoes as well as 
over them, putting up some sort of shade to 
keep the sun off the pit. 8. Not if you prune 
on the spur system; three are better than a 
larger number. 4. Try the Niagara; we 
think it ahead of the Concord. 5. Lu water, 
as frequently mentioned iuthe Rural; or dry 
with any sort of bellows, 6. As soou as it is 
fully ripe, taking pains to stand it up well. 
7. Enough to keep them from falling off in 
flesh ; better sell them than have them get 
poor. But why can't you make a shelter, if 
only a straw baru? 
J. R. Af., Wheeling, W. la.—1. What is 
the best work on farming? 2. Where oau the 
best farm implements be obtained? 3. What 
is the Rural’s opinion of the land on the 
Little Kanawa in this State? 
Ass.— 1. The Home aud Farm Manual, “a 
practical cyclopedia of (be farm, gardeu and 
household,” by Jonathan Pertain; published 
by N. D. Thoiup?on <fc Co., New York and 
St. Louis; price, in cloth, $5.00, and in leath¬ 
er, 86.00, Ss as good as any. The People’s 
Farm aud Stock Cyclopedia, edited by Waldo 
F. Brown, published by Jones Brothers .V Co., 
Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis, price, 
$3.50, in cloth, is good of ita kind. 8. See 
advertisements iu the Rural during the year. 
3. In Wood County, the surface of the coun¬ 
try is hilly, aud the soil fertile. Iron ore and 
bituminous coal abound. Wheat, corn, oats, 
rye, tobacco aud potatoes are the chief pro¬ 
ductions. A good deal of hay is also grown, 
and a considerable amount of butter and 
cheese is produced. In Wirt County, the sur¬ 
face is still more hilly, and the soil here too 
is generally fertile. Iron ore und bitumin¬ 
ous coal are still more abuudaut. Consider¬ 
ably less is done here iu the way of agricul¬ 
ture than lower down the river,near Parkers¬ 
burg, in Wood County. 
C. R W., Westfield, N. J.—L Hoes the 
Acme Harrow work well iu stouy ground j 
2. Does Paris green and water Injure potato 
vines ? 3. Is there a better pump for washing 
aud sprinkling than Whitman's, that costs no 
more than $8.50 ? 4. I have a rich, sandy 
loam, part quite stroug, which 1 wish to seed 
for permanent mowing and pasture laud. 
How much and when shall I sow ? 5. If 1 
sow rye this coming Fall, will it make growth 
enough by potato planting time to pay for 
turning it under ? (1. Will clover sown with 
winter grain, or alone, make growth euough 
iu one year to pay for turning under ? 
Ans —1. Very' well if there tu e not too many 
fast or large stones; but not as well as where 
few or noue. 2. Yes, if put on too stroug. If 
pure,a quarter of a (touDd to 40 gallons of water 
isenough, 3. Lewis’s band pump is just us good, 
and costs much less. For heavy work the 
Field Force Pump is “boss,” and costs aliout 
$<>.00, we bel ievo. 4 Did you not read the 
Grass Number ? If not, read it now. Use 
Timothy, seven pounds; Red Clover, 10 
pounds; Alsiko, oue pound; Orchard Grass, 
seven pounds, aud half a bushel of oats for 
each acre. Sow us soon as it mins. The oats 
are to protect ttie growth next Winter. 5. 
Yes, for lute potatoes sow atouee. 0. Yes. 
H. J. I!., Ponca, Neb.— I. Can Euglish wal¬ 
nuts or butternuts be grafted on black walnut 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
trees? If so, what is the proper time and 
how? 2. Can pears and apples be grafted on 
the thorn apple? 
Ans. —1. We see no reason why this cannot 
be done, provided the grafts have been well 
preserved, that Is, kept from growing. We 
don't, remember, however, having ever seen 
the experiment tried. It is doubtful whether 
English walnuts would ripen iu your 
section. The best season for grafting would 
be the end of April or beginning of May. 2. 
Pears can be grafted on the thorn; but we 
do not see what would be gained by the opera¬ 
tion. We believe the ordiuary pear stock is 
the best. We would never think of grafting 
the apple ou the thorn. 
E. .4. W.. Emnsville, Ind. —1. Is the old 
Iron-clad a profitable market berry? 2. How 
can I obtain plants from red raspberries, that 
do not sucker much ? 3 My three year-old 
colt has a lump on his jaw bone the size of a 
hen’s egg and as hard as the bone, what can 
lie done for it? 
Ans. —1. It has not been sufficiently tried to 
say, but the indications are against it. 8. 
Make root cuttings this Fall by cuttiug the 
larger roots into pieces from four to six inches 
long, bury them below frost or iu a celler over 
Winter, and plant them in Spring in rich 
ground. They will make first-class plants. 
3. We can hardly say, from so slight a des¬ 
cription. If it is an abnormal growth of bone, 
it is best to let some competent voterinary' 
surgeon look at it. It may be necessary to 
cut it off. 
F. B. B , Maryland .—Is the Gem Organ 
Co., of Washington, N. J., reliable, and does 
it warrant its goods ? 
Ans. —Its credit is rated “good” by the com¬ 
mercial reports, and it gives a warranty, 
agreeing to put uny organ found defective in 
good repair, “at our manufactory,” which 
means that the purchaser must seud it there to 
have it repaired, paying charges both ways. 
When the mercantile reports state that the 
credit of a firm is “good,” “very good,” etc., 
they refer only to its promptitude in meet¬ 
ing all just claims iu the way of paying bills: 
they have no reference to the quality of the 
goods offered for sale. 
R. C. M., Portland, Ohio —1. Where can a 
small clover Muller be bought ? 2. What is 
the best method of saving the seed ? 
Ans.— Clover liullers, we think, are not now 
made very small. The old method of thrash¬ 
ing first and hulling afterwards is scarcely 
thought of now. The modern machines take 
the seed from the straw, and at one operation 
deliver it ready for sale. These are made by 
Birdsall M't’g. Co.. South Bend, Indiana. 2. 
We have the pleasure of referring toau article 
ou this subject, on page 560 of last issue, from 
a man who has raised many hundreds of 
bushels, and who speaks from experience. 
Af. L. S., Tarlton, Ohio .—Can you explain 
why a seedliug of two black grapes, crossed, 
will be white ? 
Ans. —It will not always or ordinarily be 
white. The color does not depend upon any 
radical difference in their organization, except 
in the skin itself. A seedliug of a single black 
grape may (not will) be white. For instance, 
the Lady, Martha andVietoria are all seedlings 
of the Concord. Of the Miner seedlings, said 
to l»e of Concord parentage, a large number 
were white. Why this is so, no “feller knows” 
at present. 
D. D. D., Enfield, Out .—1. How many 
pounds of plaster in a standard barrel? 2. 
Where can genuine rubber trimmings for 
harnesses be obtained, and what is the price 
per harness? 
Ans. —1. Land plaster is sold by the ton, 
3,000 pounds, and not by the barrel. Stucco 
plaster or calcined plaster of Paris is sold by 
the barrel, containing 265 to 270 pounds 2. 
King & Co., Owego, N Y., or R S. Luqueer 
& Co., (17 Murray St.., N. Y. City. The price 
is from $80 to $40 per set, according to 
quality, eto. 
.4. F., Lowell , Mass .—Can carp be raised 
in artificial ponds where the temperature is 
sometimes 20° below zero? 
A NR,—Yes; but they thrive much better in 
a warmer climate. It is absolutely ueeessary 
that a part of the pond should be so deep that 
it will never freeze, so that iu the severest 
weather, they can hibernate there in safety. 
If they are frozen, they are sure to perish. 
S. L.. Sharon Center, N, V. —Do you kuow 
of any kind of chimney made that is better 
than a brick one, aud if so, where cau the 
material be obtained, and at what price? 
Ans.— We kuow of nothiug better than 
brick for chimney building. People in uew 
countries are sometimes obliged to use a 
stove pipe or “stick and-mud” arrangement, 
and a cement pipe is also sometimes used, 
but where good bricks can be obtained there 
is no need of seekiug uew materials. 
H. II. F., Center Lisle, N. V, —We want a 
wheel hoe or hand cultivator that will work 
in a row from six to 18 inches wide. I don’t 
find any advertised in the Rural, is there 
one? 
Ans. —There are several good ones, among 
which are the Planet Jr., made by 8. L. Allen 
& Co., Philadelphia: and the Practical Culti¬ 
vator,made by the Higganuin M’f’g Company, 
Higganum, Conn. 
If. F., Center Lisle, N. 7, —1. Is there any 
benefit derived from sprinkling plaster on 
potatoe vines, corn, peas and other cultivated 
crops? 2. In the Rural of June 13, you say 
“never run a plow between the plants after 
they are a foot highwhat do you mean by a 
plowl A cultivator? 
Ans. —I. Home soils give better crops if 
plaster is used, some not. We should answer 
in the negative, however, as a rule. 2. No, 
we do not mean a cultivator, we mean a plow. 
But even cultivators should not be run deep 
after corn, potatoes, etc., are a foot high, 
since the roots will be cut. 
A. W. S. , Plainrille, Conn. —1. Do you 
grow rape ou the Western N. Y. Farm ? 2. 
Where can the seed be obtained ? 3. What do 
you think of the Soja Bean or Cow-peas as a 
green manure ? 
Ans. —1. We have never used it. 2. Of 
Wm. Reunie, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 3. 
We have no faith in them in the North; they 
are splendid in the South. 
R. H. M., Seneca Falls, iV. F.—What is the 
price of the work composed by Gen. Grant 
just before his death, aud by whom is it pub¬ 
lished? 
Ans. —The price varies with the binding. 
The lowest price for the two volumes is $3 50; 
library style, $4.50; half moroco, $5.50; full 
ditto, $0; tree calf, $25, Is is published by 
Webster & Co , Union Square, New York 
City, and is sold only by subscription, through 
cauvassers. 
C. II. F., Steuben, Maine. —1. What is the 
address of some reliable firm from which I 
can buy stereoscopic view's at wholesale or 
retail? 2. Are the Damon Chemical Works 
of New Bedford, Mass., reliable . 8. Where 
can I get a book on the manufacture of dy'na- 
mite and nitro-giycerine ? 
Ans.— 1. W. T. Gregg, 318 Broadway, N.Y. 
2. We do not recommend them. 3. D. Van 
Nostraud, 23 Murray Street, N. Y. 
S. E., Westfield, N. F.—Is there a market 
for sage, and if so, at what price per pound ? 
Axs.—The sage used here and sold from 
here, is nearly all Imported, and the price is 
only a few cents per pound—too low to pay 
Americans for growing it. 
D. P. D .—Is there any way of preventing 
chickens from picking off their own feathers ? 
Ans. —Yes; put them in the pot. We know 
of no other effectual preventive. 
R. R. II., Rewey, Wis ,— See what is said 
about “Swelled Logs iu Horses” in the Rural 
of August 8., page 532. 
B. T., Oreas, W. T .— Which is the most pro¬ 
ductive field pea? 
Ans. —Black-eyed Marrows are most popu¬ 
lar here for large, and Canada June for 
small. 
IF. B. H., Como, Mont. T., sends grass for 
name. 
Ans. —It is Bromus racimosus—Upright 
Chess—iuferior for forage. 
II. .4. B., Brice, Michigan, sends plant for 
name. 
Ans.—I t is Horse-tail 
DISCUSSION. 
SCAB IN POTATOES. 
W. H. B , West Springfield, Mass.—I 
have noticed much discussiou in tne Rural 
iu regard to the cause of the scab on potatoes. 
My experience has beeu that potatoes raised 
ou our saudy' out lands, were less affected 
than those home-grown ou our alluvial loam: 
a rich and fertile soil. 1 have tried both 
leached and unleached ashes iu the hill with 
the seed, as well as manure of all kiuds, both 
animal and chemical, in all stages of decay, 
aud I have had a uniform quantity of scabby 
potatoes—about one-fifth, and sometimes 
every potato would be more or less affected. 
I have tried for seed home-grown tubers, and 
those from distant sections; those perfectly 
clean ami those from the bin,without selection, 
und the result has been very uniform—at least 
one fifth have been scab-marked of those 
grown on the heavy' land, while there has 
been a remarkable freedom from scab in the 
light, dry soil. Now, I am iucliuod to attri¬ 
bute the freedom from disease to the clean 
sandy soil. The dark alluvial laud full of 
vegetable mold seems to afford the proper 
condition for the growth or appearance of the 
scab. The same treatment ill the different 
soils will givediffercut results:—smooth tubers 
in the sand, and rough in the loam, in the 
same year. 1 have tried all the experiments 
that have come to my knowledge,aud nothing 
■ so far has proved a successful preventive in 
584 
the heavy soil. I think we have much to 
learn in this direction before we arrive at 
actual facts and to a universally acceptable 
and unfailing “cure-all” for this troublesome 
potato blemish. 
R. H., Alton, III.—In the Rural’s reply 
to A. R. F., in a late issue, it fails to note 
that there are two varieties of peanuts—the 
red and the white. The red has an erect 
stem, and therefore can be cultivated largely 
with a plow; and it is usually planted in 
ridges. The directions given to A. R. F. ap¬ 
ply to the white variety. I would advise the 
Nebraska correspondent to go slow on peanut 
culture. I have never heeu in Antelope 
County; but I have been in the adjoining 
counties, aud I would think the soil unsuitable 
to peanut culture—too much like the soil here 
in Western Illinois, where peanut-growing 
for market is a failure. The soil should be a 
bright, light clayey one, filled with pebbles. 
There is such a soil to be found not far from 
St. Louis, and there I have seen peauut 3 grow¬ 
ing nicely on an extensive scale. 
What is said, in reply to C. H. B., Rockport, 
Texas, (page 533) with regard to the “wash¬ 
ing” of his ground, is good; but I would 
farther advise him to keep his washy ground 
as little as possible in cultivated crops. My 
farm is about evenly divided into hilly and 
level land. The hilly land I keep mostly in 
w'beat, oats and grass, while I put the pota¬ 
toes and corn mostly upon the flat land. And 
in this section, at least, hilly land is the better 
for uncultivated crops, and flat land for cul¬ 
tivated ones. 
M. B. P., Henderson, N. C.—Is not Mr . 
B. F. Johnson (Rural of July 25) slightly 
mistaken in his estimate of the nutriment 
contained in our Southern grasses. It is a 
short and quick way to dispose of a subject 
by jumping to a conclusion from a cursory 
examination. I can not say' whether South¬ 
ern stock to day is any better than it was 30 
years ago or not, as 1 was not here to see; but 
probably the same causes exist now as then 
to produce this ill condition, namely, starva¬ 
tion and exposure daring Winter, and early, 
continuous close grazing in Spring and Sum¬ 
mer. That we have fine native cattle along 
our coast and among our mountains, and that 
they fatten readily on the wild or native 
grasses is a fact too well established to need 
comment, and that the same truth is applic¬ 
able to the cotton belt is evident to any one 
who has had experience. Stock receiving the 
same treatment on other grasses are no better 
in any country, no matter what vegetation 
composes their diet The trouble lies in this 
—that, as a rule, our cattle are obliged to 
“work too hard for a living,” even in Sum¬ 
mer. Instances are numerous where cattle, 
walking skeletons in Spring, have made in the 
Fall, beef good enough forunybody, and that, 
too, on Broom Sedge, Bermuda and Crab 
Grasses. Of course, where the pastures are 
overstocked, the result Is disastrous, as it is on 
Timothy, clover or Blue Grass. 
J. M. S., St. Louis, Mo.—If the “Russian” 
wheat spoken of by J. H., White City, Kan., 
in a late Rural, is the same as that called 
“Russian” here, he will probably find it as 
hardy as any. It has been grown in this 
locality ouly one year, and it suffered the 
least damage of any sown. It will be sown 
quite extensively this Fall. 1 am inclined to 
think it will not do so well in the future as it 
did the past year, os it has been our common 
experience that new varieties—notably Fultz 
aud Clawson—do better the first year than 
afterwards. From the appearance of this 
Russian wheat and one year’s experience with 
it, I would say it is very hardy, of good 
quality, hut I doubt If it will, year after year, 
equal in yield some other varieties. 
If the same correspondent defers sowing his 
wheat until after September 25, as he can 
safely do iu his latitude, provided his laud is 
not poor and he prepares the gronnd well, he 
need not fear the Hessian fly. A dry season 
proves fatal to them. 
M. S. J., Quincy, III.—I am clearly of 
opinion that J. B., Parsons, Kan., will find 
the underdraining of his uplaud unprofit¬ 
able. If he had the more productive bottom 
land of Labette Couuty, it might be profit¬ 
able to undordruin. About all the advantage 
imderdrainilig would be to him would be to 
deepen the soil aud retain more moisture in 
the ground, aud the productiveness of upland 
there will not justify that for 50 years y T et. 
He certainly would have no trouble iu getting 
an outlet. But I would advise deep cultiva¬ 
tion and green mauuriug rather than under¬ 
draining. 
-» ♦ 
Communications Kkckivkd kok the Wees Ending 
S A TIMID AT, Alucst 22, ISS5. 
J. II.—I. C. G.—J. L. L.,we illd not think them early 
-A. L. P. —J. 51 • - i. • H. - a. W. 8. —J. W. P.-D. 
S. H.-.I. W. Cl.—L. aud H.—J. R. H.. thanks.—F. R.— 
A. W.S.-.I. A. B.-F. P.—W. H. W.-J. D. R.-F. J. 
D.-0. J. B.-A. J.-W. C. L.—E. A. S.-J. A. W.-C. G. 
-J. C B.-H.O. P.. thanks.-R. R. R.-I. V. S.-J. A. 
K.—W. F. S -J. H. R-W. T.-J. L, S.-E. V. V.-F. X. 
S.- M. L. D.-M L. B.-G. S. S.-A. H. T.—G. C. B.— 
J. D. R.-R. C.-H. 3. D.-O. R. L. C.-R. T. R. 
