FARMERS’ CLUB. 
world have carefully studied smut, yet mauy 
important questions bearing on its cause and 
development remain unsolved. It is a little- 
understood plant. Decidedly^yes. 
ENZOOTIC OPHTHALMIA IN SHEEP. 
J. Ii. B., Foiclcrriilc, Mich. —Wliat ails my 
sheep? Their eyes become inflamed, and, as 
the disease progresses, a white film Corel’s the 
eyes until they become blind iu about 10 days, 
leaving the eyes of a pinkish tinge, l have 
doctored for inflammation without success. 
Ans.— The trouble is probably enzootic oph¬ 
thalmia, which occasionally occurs as an epi¬ 
demic among sheep. Foul,'close stables may 
ulso favor the development of the disease. 
Clive each sheep three to six ounces (according 
to size and condition) of Glauber salts and night 
and morning dram doses of niter. Fasten a 
soft bundAge over the eyes and keep it mois¬ 
tened with the following solution; Nitrate of 
silver, one-half dram: sulphate of morphia, 
teu grains; water, one pint. Also carefully 
paint the eyeball daily, using a small camel’s- 
hair brush. Coutiue the sick animals in a dark¬ 
ened, dry stable and keep as quiet as possible 
on a laxative diet—scalded bran, or oats,roots, 
potatoes, linseed rneal, etc. 
■/. W. T., Staunton, Va .—My mare was 
blistered on eacit side some years ego. The 
hail’hasn’t grown in the places since. What 
can be done to make it grow? 
Ans. —The hair follicles were probably de¬ 
stroyed by too severe blistering or want of 
proper cave afterward, ill which case there is 
no remedy, except, perhaps, by skin grafting, 
an operation requiring the skill of an expe¬ 
rienced surgeon. 
./. .S'. D., Black Earth, Wis,— The Well’s 
Rustless pipe eau be obtained front Well’s 
Rustless Irou Co., 7 and 9 ClilT St., New York. 
owiug to the low prices for their products, 
which, added to an almost entire failure of 
crops, makes it rather difficult to balance ac¬ 
counts at the end of the year, but the average 
Kansas farmer is not easily discouraged. Ho 
has scon the festive grasshopper regale him¬ 
self and friends on his wheat and coni’, he 
has been entertained l*y the sweet-scented 
chinch- bug v bile cutting corn, but he is al¬ 
ways ready to get up and I ry it again, hoping 
to do better next time. A great many of us 
at present have a number of half-grown hogs 
on hand, aud in order to realize on them must 
buy 49-cent coni to feed them, and then sell 
them for from three to four cents per pound. 
Whether this will pay or not ut this time of 
the year remains to be seen; blit, like many 
other things farmers do, it has to be done to 
save what we have. Cattle are wintering 
well; thus tar a very small percentage have 
died; some herds of 200 and IK Ml have not lost 
any yet, aud iu spite of the long, dry spell 
which dried up the prairie grass so early, cat¬ 
tle came off the pastures iu good condition 
and seem to havestood the cold weather better 
than usual. We have had no blizzards as yet, 
aud ha ve only had about three inches of light 
suow, which fell on the 8th of Jan. This 
county is securing its share of the railroad 
boom iu this State. The Chicago, Hock Is 
land aud Pacific is buildiug a southwestern 
branch through this State; it crosses the Mis¬ 
souri Pacific at this point, which is a very 
high altitude. Water is found at a depth of 
100 feet, bqt there is plenty of wind power to 
raise it aud nobody complains. The water is 
excellent; none better iu the wide world. Fat 
cows are worth at present $2.25 per cwt. on 
foot; hogs, $4: hay, $0 per tou; oats, 3o cents 
per bushel; potatoes, 50 cents; soft coal, *7 
per ton: wood, $3.50 per cord. Whiskey, 
none to be had. j. r. 
Sew Vorb. 
Utica, Oneida Co., Jauuary 25.—The offer¬ 
ings iu butter are light aud trade rather dull. 
The demands for choice are steady and strong, 
but most that is offered is stable butter and 
not of an extra quality. Roll butter lias 
fallou off aud the demand is much greater 
than the supply. It will meet a good sulo if 
brought in ut once, aud if of good quality. 
Prices ruuge from 21 to 2(1 cents. The bulk 
sells ut 22 to 24 cents, and 25 and 2il cents 
for strictly fancy. About 100 packages were 
received here last week. The market will re¬ 
main steudy. 'there is little new iu cheese, 
sales being steady at 13 and 14 cents for cream 
and 11 cents for skims. There is no hop mar¬ 
ket, and no sales are reported this week. 
ft. i. 
animals will not drink sufficient ice-cold water 
to supply their wants. This waut of water is 
one reason for the common emaciation of 
farm animals in this season. Flesh contains 
75 per cent., of water, and unless the water is 
supplied the growth cannot be made, and food 
is wasted. It pays to warm the water for all 
farm animals to a temperature of at least 70 
or 75 degrees, and thus not only avoid the 
chilling effect upon the stomach of taking in 
ice-cold water, but encourage the animals to 
drink us much as they may need. This pre¬ 
caution is specially needed in the whiter 
dairy.,......,... 
Among maples, says L, W. Russell at a late 
meeting of the Mass, llort. Society, the Rock 
or Sugar Maple is the best. It is n handsome 
tree from the start.—stately and well balanced 
in maturity. Its foliage is deep and cooling 
in summer, and gorgeous us the sunset clouds 
in autumn. It will bear more mutilation and 
ill-usage, and still thrive, than almost any 
Other tree. As a wayside tree in exposed sit¬ 
uations it, lias no superior. As a pastui e shade 
for cattle it. is one of the best of trees. It 
would give comfort to the cattle aud please 
the eye by its beauty. 
The lied. Maple, also known as the Swamp 
and improperly as the White Maple, is too 
little esteemed for ornament aud shade. Al¬ 
ternating with Rock Maples, they form to¬ 
gether a far more attractive row for the road¬ 
side than either alone. This arrangement 
breaks up the monotony and stiffness of a row 
of one kind only, and gives, especially iu Oc¬ 
tober, that iniugliug of gorgeous colors, of 
mellow tints aud shades, so characteristic of 
the autumn foliage of these trees. 
Mr. Russki.i. further remarked that there 
is nothing about the old home, not even the 
well sweep aud the bucket, which more en¬ 
dears it to the boys, win u grown to manhood, 
than the trees which they helped to plant. He 
deplores the exodus of young men from the 
New England homesteads to the West and 
other parts of the country. If we would keep 
them, we must make them love the land of 
their birth, and one factor iu this work is to 
attach them to the soil through the practice of 
tree-planting...... 
The Orchard aud Garden says that Japan 
Chestnuts are neither as “brittle, tender nor 
sweet as our native chestnuts.” And this is 
true of the Japan seedlings thus far fruited, so 
fur ns we know. But we ha ve eateu Japan chest¬ 
nuts raised within 40 miles of N. Y., that 
were as good in quality as our American 
chestnuts, And it is such trees that should be 
selected for propagation. \V r e look foru vari¬ 
ety of Japan Chestnut, that while it shall be 
ornamental for its dwurfuess ami valuable 
for early bearing, shall also give nuts twice us 
large us the American of, at least, fair quulity. 
PROF. Bron says, iu the Iowa Register, that 
a large percent, of Western tree planters need 
not be told that wo have no other tree equally 
rapid iu growth which has proven as durable 
for posts, viue stakes and hop poles as the 
locust. Vet very few seem aware of the fact 
that grown intermingled with trees with heav¬ 
ier foliage it is not attacked by the borer to any 
serious extent. Prof. Budd has recently lost 
no opportunit y for advising the general plant¬ 
ing of this tree for economic use over our great 
Western prairies. But plant it iu alternate 
rows with green ash, box elder, soft maple, 
liaril maple, catalpa or some other donse- 
foliaged tree that will shade the Stems of the 
locust ..... 
A whiter in the N. Y. Tribune says that 
every improvement is met with ridicule at 
first. He then returns to the udvoeaoy of 
using four-inch drain tiles for blutiching celery. 
Then he suggests that a paper be tied around 
each tile “to check the excess of heat. ” Yes, 
we judge that this particular “improvement” 
will bo “met with ridicule,” except it be con¬ 
sidered too absurd to merit any notice what¬ 
ever... 
N h hol’s Cucumber is about the best kind 
for pickles we have ever tried. The vines are 
strong aud prolific, the cucumbers of medium 
size and of uniform shape.. 
• 
Orchard anu Garden impresses it upon 
its renders that nut growing for pleasure and 
home use will soon become popular; while nut 
growing for profit, will glow into a mighty 
industry, and become one of the most import¬ 
ant branches of horticulture.. 
PROF. Bunn, ill the above paper, says that 
the pecan has a wide distribution and can be 
introduced over wide areas of our country 
where Nature did not plant it. The varieties 
of Missouri and Kansas lie finds hardy iu 
Iowa where such apples as Ben Davis fail to 
do well..... 
Piucs. Lyon calls Whitney No. 20 one of the 
best of crates.... 
The live-stock ranching on the Western 
(Jains is the most heartless business on earth. 
It is an abomination iu the sight of God, and 
[Continued from page 89.) 
investment if it could be made to put $4.50 
into the farmer’s pocket for every hundred¬ 
weight used. Allowing lor it a reasonable 
value, this mixture is a good manure. So far 
as it goes, it is a complete manure, contain¬ 
ing all the nutrients required by crops, aud 
it is not expensive at the rates given for the 
materials to be mixed composing it. In a 
bushel of mi leached ashes of average quality, 
weigh’ug about 45 pounds, there would be 
about 2.2 pounds of potash aud one pound of 
phosphoric acid, costing, if we charge all the 
fertilizing value of the ashes to these two con¬ 
stituents, a little less than three cents and a 
little less»than four cents u pound respective¬ 
ly; the retail cost iu the fertilizer markets of 
the same nutrients of about the same degree 
of solubility would lie about, 5,5 nnd seveu 
cents; therefore, they are cheap in wood ashes 
at 10 cents u bushel. For ground bone $38 a 
ton is a fair price, provided it is of good qual¬ 
ity, contamiug about 21 per cent, of phospho¬ 
ric acid and 3.5 per cent, of nitrogen. It, is 
claimed that, when hone is treated iu the man¬ 
ner described by the inquirer, both the nitro¬ 
genous compounds and the phosphate are 
made more soluble, aud hence more valuable 
for crop-production; but the claim is not 
based on any reliable experimental data. Oc¬ 
casionally good results are reported from the 
use of the mixture; it, is worth tryiug where 
the materials cun L>o cheaply procured and of 
guaranteed good quality, and where complete 
commercial fertilizers are used, with profit. 
SMALL FRUITS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA. 
W. IT. G. t Chesterfield, Fa,—I have set 
about 909 strawberry plants, and will set out 
three acres to grapes, whatkiud would be best 
to set out for the maiu crop, prolificacy aud 
hardiness beiug chief considerations? All are 
to be gi-owu for market, and T should like 
some of the earliest as well as some of the 
latest. What are the two liest varieties of 
raspberries, currants, and gooseberries, and 
the best Japan Chestnut, jieean, aud Russian 
Mulberry ? 
Ans. —Grapes: Moore’s Early, Concord, 
Delaware, Worden, anil Niagara, and un¬ 
doubtedly a good many others. We would 
recommend Moure’s Early, Concord, and Wor¬ 
den for the main crop. In raspberries, Gregg, 
Cutlibert, Turner, and Brandywine would 
thrive, and probably some of the newer sorts 
may do equally well. In currants. Cherry 
and Vcrsailiaise, and probably Fay’s Prolific 
would be better than either, but we have no 
positive knowledge to that effect. From our 
knowledge of gooseberries we would recom¬ 
mend White Bmith, Smith’s lmpiroved, and 
Industry, although the latter has not, been 
tested in the above section, so far as we know, 
but it has the reputation of standing hot wea¬ 
ther. We would plant the Monster Japan 
Chestnut. We would not plant the Russian 
Mulberry anywhere for fruit where the New 
American and Downing’s Everbearing would 
grow'. 
FOUL SlIEATH IN A COLT. 
C. B. . 1 ., .S', Sana per, N. Ii. —My four-year- 
old colt was castrated wheu two years old. 
He is all right, except that his sheath keeps 
foul and bally swollen all the time. After 
cleaning the thing it soon become s foul again, 
and it seems unnaturally warm aud a trifle 
irritable; while the secretions are unusually 
thiu. What, should be done? 
Ans.—A personal examination would be ne¬ 
cessary tu ascertain tin’ cause of the trouble. 
If possible, take the horse to a competent vet¬ 
erinary surgeon for examination aud treat¬ 
ment. It may be that you have handled the 
sheath too roughly iu cleaning. Thu organs 
are frequently severely in jured by such rough 
handling. If there is much inflammation fre¬ 
quently bathing the sheath with cold water 
may be beneficial. Very carefully wash out 
theshealh with a solution of ouc-hulf dram 
sulphate of zinc and twenty drops carbolic 
acid in a quurt of tepid water; aud repeat oc¬ 
casionally if the wasli appears to be beneficial. 
SMUT, 
J. B ., Morris Cross Road, Pa. —1. What is 
the cause of smut in oats? 2. Will seed from 
a crop which is considerably infested with 
smut produce a smutty crop? 
Ans. 1.—Smut is a parasitic pluut, botani¬ 
cal ly known in (he oat. as ustilago. It makes 
its first growth from spores—little microscopic 
bodies that act as seeds, Under favorable 
circumstances where spores are on the seed, 
they develop w hen the plantlet vegetates, and 
enter into the cellular structure of the plant. 
The spores produce a multitude of minute, 
delicate threads called mycelium, and u> the 
plant grows, these penetrate the cells iu every 
part of it, The smut makes its first external 
appearance in the panicle or head, destroying 
the ovaries, aud tilling the space they should 
occupy with a blackish substance consisting 
ofjspores. Sornoof the ablest scientists of the 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS 
4 anaila. 
Manchester, N. S.—The potato crop very 
light, but quality good. We have had very 
little snow yet, but, plenty of rain and some 
heavy winds that have left the fences in bad 
condition. A grant many Americans think 
that a majority of the people of Nova Scotia 
are in favor of annexation to the United 
States. Now if there are any in this part of 
the Province they must be very dose-mouthed, 
so close, iu fact, that, no one knows it, and 
every one is allowed to sjioak what he thinks 
here, provided he is not, too impudent and does 
not call bad names. Anyone to read the Grit 
papers would think that Nova Scotia has been 
going to the dogs since confederation; where¬ 
as the very opposite is true. But Nova Scotia 
is injuring herself very much by keeping a 
Grit local government in power at Halifax, 
spending everything they eau get their hands 
on and crying for more. Should we live to 
to see them get iu power at, Ottawa, then their 
papers will tell a very different story. 
R. N.-Y. We certainly do not think that a 
majority Of the people of Nova Scotia or of 
any of the Maritime Provinces of Canada dc 
sire annexation to the United States at pres¬ 
ent; but a decided majority of the people of all 
those Provinces have, by their votes, declared 
their desire for secession from the Dominion. 
This achieved, they, or a large proportion of 
them, expect to be able to form such u recip¬ 
rocity treaty with this country that they will 
bo able to obtain all, or neurly all, the benefits 
of annexation, while retaining independence 
in local affairs. If the local government, 
of Nova Scotia is in the hands of the Grits, 
isn’t it because a majority of the people have 
voted iu favor of the principles urnl measures 
the Grits advocate? If the Grit papers will 
talk differently about the public sentiment in 
the Marit ime Provinces after they obtain con¬ 
trol of the Government of the Dominion, it is 
rather likely they will change their tone soon. 
For ourselves, w'e believe the country will go 
on thriving under either party, and we wish 
success to that party—Liberal or Conservative 
—which will give it the largest measure of 
prosperity. 
UlillOlM. 
CHAMPAIGN ( TTY, Champaign Co., .Ian. (J. — 
The past season has been the driest that we 
have had since ’74. A great many wells are 
dry iu this part of the country. What little 
wheat was sow n in this county in ’85 yielded 
from 19 to 15 bushels t.o the acre; it was of 
good quality. The corn crop ranged from 
five to eight bushels to the aero. In our 
township we did not have over 15 bushels, on 
an average, to the acre. Oats from six to ten 
bushels. We had a hail storm about the 18th 
of July that nearly cut crops all to pieces. 
Iron-Clad Apples.— Summer apples, Dr. 
Hoskins, of Vermont, says,in Vick’s Magazine, 
in the cold North, mean only August Apples, 
for they have uothiug earlier; but their Au¬ 
gust Apples would be July Apples 199 miles 
southward. Unquestionably the first among 
these is the family of “Transparent” apples, 
of Russian origin, of which the now pretty 
well known Yellow Transparent is the type, 
and the most profitable to grow. The White 
Transparent, the Grand Sultan and the Char 
lottenthaler are perhaps better in quality, but 
the first is rather small and the second and 
third are not quite so sound iu tree. Among 
fall apples the Alexander, the Oldenburgh and 
the Red Astrnchuii need uo description, since 
nearly every one is familiar with them. They 
are quite generally regarded us the three best 
culinary apples of their season. The Summer 
Harvey has proven a perfect iron-clad and an 
immensely productive tree. Among (lie new¬ 
er Russians there uro three very fine fall apples 
that should be largely propagated, and to 
these should be added the large and beautiful 
North German Red Bellingheimer, which 
proves to lie very hardy, if nntquiteiron-clutl. 
The Russians referred to arc, first, the Au¬ 
tumn Streaked, which is a largo, handsome, 
first-class dessert apple, hardly inferior to 
Gravenstoin. In season it closely succeeds 
Oldenburgh. Next, the Zolotoreff, a large, 
oval apple, brilliantly stri)ied with shades of 
dark and light rod, also a little later than Old- 
enburgh, and of distinctly better dessert qunl- 
ity. Third, Golden White, a late fall fruit in 
fine condition November I. This is large, 
greenish white, with stripes of red on the 
sunny side, soft of flesh and delicate of flavor, 
FINALLY 
Mr. E. Williams, always on the conserva¬ 
tive side, says, iu the Garden, that the Kieffer 
Pear, hitherto only fit to be rated as a cooking 
pear, developed in Southern New Jersey last 
season qualities far superior to any he had 
supposed it capable of..... 
During this cold weather, says Henry 
Stewart, it may be usefully remembered that 
KatiHait. 
White City, Morris Co., Jan. 19.—The 
farmers iu this and adjoining counties have 
just passed through a very unprofitable year, 
