potatoes. Does freezing the tops off injure 
potatoes further than to retard their growth? 
5. Would cotton-seed meal and ashes he a good 
fertilizer for potatoes * 
Anh.— 1, Yon should apply at the time of 
sowing the oats by all means, and with them 
sow bone dust or acid phosphate made of 
South Carolina rock; sow 150 pounds of bone 
dust, 100 pounds of cotton seed meal and 150 
pounds of ashes per acre, more or less as you 
have them; but about in this proportion. 2. 
Our reports of the earliest new varieties will 
be printed early enough to serve you. 3. Of 
any of the Northern seedsmen. 4 Yes. Any¬ 
thing that injures the vines will lessen the 
crop. 5. Yes. We should add fine bone flour. 
S S. C., Rower City,Pa. —The National Pub¬ 
lishing Co.,23 Dey St. N.Y., advertise as “a big 
offer" that they will give away a washing 
machine. Is the company reliable, and the 
machine of any value? 
Ans. —The machine is given away as a 
premium with Stoddart’s Monthly (a poorly- 
printed eight-page paper), subscription price 
$1. The machine is of the kind known as the 
steam washers. It has a zinc base, say 4x6 
inches, with an upright tiu tube, a foot or 
more in bight. The clothes are—in theory 
at least—washed by the passage of the current 
of hot water through them, which is supposed 
to bo kept in circulation by the heat of the 
fire beneath. We know uothing of the reli¬ 
ability of the concern, and prefer not to place 
a valuation upon either the '‘monthly,’’ or the 
washing machine. 
S, P. S., Clark, Pa.— 1. A good mare of 
mine has a swelling between the fore legs, 
extending back on her belly, what is it? 2 . 
My young horse appears lame in the hind¬ 
quarters; he is all right if used constantly; 
but when he has stood in the stable a week or 
two he becomes lame; why? 
Ans. —1. It is an anarcous swelling due to 
generally debility or unhealthy surroundings. 
For treatment give one pint of olive or lin¬ 
seed oil; and, three times daily, two drams 
each of chlorate of potash, nitrate of potash 
and powdered cinchona bark, with one half 
ounce each of powdered gentian and ginger. 
Abundance of good food, pure water, clean, 
airy stables, or pastures with shelter from 
wind and storm, are essential. 2. See F. C. 
of July 13, under “Lameness in a Mare.” 
■/. R. IF., Charlton , Mass. —What is the 
matter with the inclosed raspberry leaves, 
and is there a remedy ? 
Ans. —The leaves are covered with remains 
of what have evidently been several vigorous 
colonies of the Raspberry Riant Louse (Sipho- 
nophora rubi). The lice have all been de¬ 
stroyed by the larva 3 of some Lady-bird Beetle 
or of some Syrphus fly, so that in all proba¬ 
bility no remedy will be needed. Should they 
appear again next year, they can readily be 
destroyed by spraying the plants with a dilute 
kerosene emulsion solution. 
J. R„ Little Falls, Wash. Ter. —1. I have a 
Madeline Pear tree, on which the leaves are 
rusted; give the cause and a remedy? 2. How 
much gypsum should be applied per acre on 
clover? S. Which is the best field pea? 
Ans. —1. It ^is hard to tell with so little 
knowledge of the conditions. The cause may 
be in the soil or it may be climatic. Try 
spraying it with sulphur and lime-water. 2. 
From one. two to three bushels are used. 3. 
The Black Eyed Marrowfat is msot popular 
here for large; Canada June for small. 
A. IF., llodney, Miss., sends specimens of 
grass for name. 
Ans. —No. 1 is Hairy-flowered Paspalum 
(Paspalum dilitatum) a nutritious aud valu¬ 
able grass for stock feed. No. 2 is Chess or 
Cheat—Brooms secaliuus. No. 3 is Wild 
Rye (trass, or Smooth Rye Grass (Elyrnus 
Virgiuieus). It makes a coarse hay aud is 
thought by some to be valuable; but it is gen¬ 
erally considered of no special value for agri¬ 
cultural purposes. No. 4 we cannot name, 
unless we have a flower along with the grass. 
H. A. C., Blairsvilte, Pi. —1. Are sunflower 
leaves a wholesome food for cattle? 2. 1 have 
a pig three months old which has been trou¬ 
bled with trembling since birth; it is also 
weak in its back, otherwise it appears well. 
Its mother, before its birth, was troubled with 
what was called kidney worms. What shall 1 
do for this pig? 
Ans. — 1. Perfectly so. 2. We cannot tell 
from such vague data what ails the pig. We 
suggest tryiug giving a half teaspoouful of 
turpentine daily for a week. 
IF. S., Glade Mills, Pa,— 1. Are there any 
schools where butter maklug is taught? 2. 
Are there any books ou the subject? 
Ans. —There are no schools of the kiud in 
this country; but there should be no difficulty 
in learning it at some farm dairy which has a 
good reputation for butter rnakiug or at a 
creamery. 2. Willard’s Practical Dairy Hus¬ 
bandry, $2.50, and Willard’s Practical Butter 
Book, $1, are the best low-priced works on 
the subject. Both can be obtained through 
the American News Company, New York. 
Mrs. D. L. B., Wilbraham, Mass.—I have 
several hundred seedling strawberry plants; 
how shall I care for them this Winter? 
Ans. —If the plants are in pots, put them at 
once into very rich ground; if in the ground 
already, apply some sort of manure so as to 
make them grow as rapidly as possible until 
Winter; then after they have frozen up, 
mulch with corn-stalks, evergreen brush, or 
almost anything that will hold the snow in 
Spring ; cultivate well, and most ofJ[them 
ought to show some fruit. 
A W, M., Eaton, N. Y .—Has the Rural 
ever published a treatise on celery culture ! 
Ans.—N o: nothing has ever been published 
at the Rural office, under its present manage¬ 
ment, except the paper itself; hut numerous 
articles on celery culture, giving pithily but 
fully all the latest information, have from 
time to time appeared in the paper, and doubt¬ 
less we shall have to repeat much of the in¬ 
formation hereafter, adding anything new 
that may come to our knowledge. 
F. P., Stockport, N. Y. —In this vicinity 
the twigs and larger limbs of fruit trees are 
dying. Pears and quinces suffer most. What 
is the cause and cure ? 
Ans. —From so vague a diagnosis we can 
only guess it to be the twig blight, and cannot 
even guess the cause. _Tbe best treatment at 
present known is to cut off and burn the 
affected twigs as soon as the trouble appears, 
cutting several inches down on the sound 
wood. 
F. R., Point Breeze, N. Y, —1. How far 
above the highest ear should corn be topped I 
2. When can it be topped and bladed ? 3. 
What effect does topping have on field corn ? 
Ans.—L It may be cut between the ear aud 
first node, or joint, above. 2. As soon as the 
corn is glazed at the tip. 3. It does no harm 
to the grain, while the tops and blades make 
the finest kind of fodder. Aside from the 
labor involved, there is no better way of get¬ 
ting the largest return from a field of corn. 
E. D. B., Yonkers, N. Y. —Where can l get 
a book that treats in an easy and practical 
manner of the various uses to which electricity 
can be put? 
Ans. —There is a little book, recently pub¬ 
lished, entitled “Electricity, What It is and 
Where It Comes From.” By Thomas Kirwau. 
Price 50 cents. It can be got through the 
American News Co., New York. There are 
other books suitable for more advanced pupils, 
but most of them are quite expensive. 
A. 8. P., Mitchell, Iml., sends a beetle for 
name. 
Ans.— It is Allorhina nitida of the family 
Scarabseidae or Lamellicornia-beetles. It is a 
very common species in the more southern 
portions of the country, and causes not infre¬ 
quently considerable damage, by eating into 
ripe fruit of all sorts. Its larva closely re¬ 
sembles, in general- appearance, the common 
White Grub, and feeds under ground on the 
roots of grasses. 
G. E. S., Cincinnati, Ohio .—Who publishes 
a small work on hot-beds ? 
Ans. —There is no separate work on the sub¬ 
ject; but it is treated of iu all the works ou 
market gardening, such as Heuderson’s Gar¬ 
dening for Profit; Quinnu’s Money iu the Gar¬ 
den, etc. Most of the seedsmen’s catalogues 
also give instruction enough iu the matter for 
ordinary occasions. 
.7. I), R., Reynoldsville, Pa.— 1. What is a 
good selection of plants for soiling purposes? 
2. What is the best method of curing corn 
fodder in drills or broadcast? 
Ans. —L Fall rye, oats, Red Clover, sowed 
corn, late sowed barley. These will extend 
through the Summer aud Fall. 2. Tie in 
medium sized bundles, and set up in good- 
sized shocks, aud when fairly cured, put into 
very large shocks—a fair load in each. 
J. T., North Unadilla, Ind., sends for 
name, a bug that has been playing havoc with 
tomatoes. 
Ans. —It is the common Indian cetonia 
(Euphoria Inda). It is a common speeies and 
often feeds on peaches aud other ripe fruit, 
but we have never heard of its injuring ripe 
tomatoes to any extent before. It should lie 
picked off by hand and killed. 
C. P., Tioga Center, N. I".—What is the 
prospect for potatoes t 
Ans. —Taking the country through, the 
yield will be an average one. See “Crops aud 
Markets" and other reports in the Rural. 
All the information that reaches us during 
the week is eoudeused therein just before we 
go to press. 
IF. II. J?., Trevose, Pa. —How can a well be 
freed from carbonic acid gas—otherwise “foul 
air”? 
Ans.—P our water into it in a fine spray; 
the water particles will soon absorb the gas. 
R. H. Stockton, Me. —How is a cold-frame 
made? 
Ans.—A cold-frame is made in all respects 
like a hot-bed, except that no manure is used; 
the whole dependence for heat is upon the sun. 
C. L. Chatham, N. J. —At what age should 
the dishorning process described in a late Ru¬ 
ral be practiced on a calf? 
Ans. —As soon as the button of the horn 
appears. 
S. B. Boston, Mass. —Where can a report 
of the next meeting of the American Pomo- 
logical Society be obtained ? 
Ans.—A full report wili be published in the 
Rural. 
W. S D,, Corry.Pa. —When is the best time 
to sow Orchard Grass ? 
Ans. —In the Spring as soon as convenient. 
C. G., Blanco. Texas. —Our Country Home 
is published at Greenfield, Mass.; the Ameri¬ 
can Dairyman, in New York; the Dairy 
World, and the U S. Dairyman, in Chicago; 
the Drainage and Farm Journal, in Indiana¬ 
polis, 
G. S. S., Penn Yan, N. Y. —The purplish 
grass is Panicuru sanguinale—Crab or Finger 
Grass. The other specimen is a Cyperus—a 
sedge of no value. 
R. C. B , Kingston, Canada. —Yes; Kemp’s 
Manure Spreader is all that is claimed for it. 
DISCUSSION. 
C. H., Chicago, III.—The Rural, page 566, 
in speaking of the proposed test of dairy cows 
at the Fat Stock Show, says: “Is there no use 
trying to improve the ‘scrubs’ that you make 
no offers for them?” It seems to me pretty 
generally settled that the easiest and most 
practical way to “improve the scrubs” is to 
grade them up by careful crossing with thor¬ 
oughbred males. The offering of a premium 
for the best “scrub” might result in bringing 
out a cow that would beat the thoroughbreds 
—such things have been done—but what would 
it prove? That the breeding of “scrubs” is to 
be a profitable business, or that the years of 
patient thought and labor expended by breed¬ 
ers in fixing the qualities of their cattle, have 
been useless? There are natural mathema¬ 
ticians, men, who with very little of what we 
call education, have performed wonderful 
mental work. What does it prove, that edu¬ 
cation is not absolutely necessary? Suppose 
such a man should win a prize over an edu¬ 
cated man, would careless people—and like 
the “scrubs” they make up the mass of the 
population—think more or less of education? 
It is the power of the thoroughbred to trans¬ 
mit his qualities to his offspring that makes 
him of value. The calf from the best “scrub” 
cow in the world cannot be depended upon to 
be anything like its mother. It is true that 
the bulk of our butter is made by “scrubs,” 
but does anyone claim that thi3 butter cannot 
be improved iu quality and made with less 
cost? The “scrubs” of to-day are no better 
than the “scrubs” of 50 years ago, while the 
thoroughbreds of the various breeds have gone 
on improving. It seems to me that the “scrub” 
has received its full share of senti-rent. In 
the light of the hundreds of tests that have 
been made, it would seem wise to breed the 
“scrub” off the face of the earth, instead of giv¬ 
ing its friends fresh ammunition. 
L. M. H. Big Rapids, Mich.—S ore shoul¬ 
ders on horses, (see Rural, page 580,) are much 
too common. They could be avoided in nine 
cases out of 10, by using clean, well fitting 
collars. Some years ago while working iu 
the pine-woods, I saw a fine team almost in¬ 
capacitated by being forced to wear narrow 
collars, A new teamster took a wider collar 
and placed a thick piece of sheepskin under it 
so as to bring the rough surface away from the 
sore place. The wound was bathed frequently 
with a tea made from white oak bark, to which 
urine had been added. In a few weeks he was 
able to show the horses, as he expressed it— 
“without a pimple.” 
J. D. S. Write Water, Wis.—I n the Ru¬ 
ral of Aug. 22, in reply to “J. M. B." the 
statement is made that the Acme Harrow can 
be made to do good work in the corn field by 
removing one or two of the center teeth. 
With me the Acme has a sidewise motion oc¬ 
casionally. which I have not been able to pre¬ 
vent, that will take out the corn if one wishes 
to work near the row. I tried four or five 
rows with the Acme rigged as above described, 
then stopped; It was taking too much corn. 
If that motion could be prevented I think the 
Acme would be a capital tool for small corn. 
Communication Rkcbivbd kor tbk Wkkk Ending 
Saturday, September li, 1885. 
R. R. Y.-4. S. B.-P. D. K.-D. E. E.—H. K , thanks. 
—C. C.—L. E. B.—Mrs. D. Consln, thanks.—F. S.—A. 
J. C.-Q. B. R. L. W.-L, R.-L. A.-L. N. J.-H. H. 
John Rowland, tliauks.—F. B, O. S. H,—F. B.— C W. 
HL-N. B. P.-B. P.-O. M. R.-C. A. A.—U. S. K.-E. 
G. -C. C —F. N. G. P. D. S.-M. J.—L.C.—W. H.—J. J— 
H. A.C.-R. G. B.-J. H.—Mrs. G. L.-Mrs. T. L.—P. 
M. A.—J. W. G.—G. T., answered by letter.—S. S.— 
R. L. D.-W. L. D.. thanks.—G. E. M.-W. R. L. 
BEST OFFER 
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