STS THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. SEPT j 
good deal of lumbering is done. On account 
of the extensive lumbering and mining inter¬ 
ests, we have excellent home markets for our 
produce, and shall have for years to come. 
Oats for several years past have sold for 40 
to 50 cents per bushel in the spring, and hay 
from £12 to £1(3 per ton. Potatoes here do 
splendidly, and a large quantity is raised from 
the newly-cleared land. We are singularly 
free from many of the insect pests which are 
plaguing other States. Our proximity to the 
lakes has a very marked effect on our climate, 
softening the rigors of winter, and codling 
the atmosphere in summer, j, G. 
Tennessee. 
La Vkrgne, Rutherford Co., Aug. 17.— 
We have been suffering heavily from 
drought since about the first of June. Our 
wheat crop was about an average in acreage 
and yield. Corn will be 50; clover hay 50; 
clover seed, uoue; potatoes, 50. Our fruit 
crop is small and dropping before it has 
matured. We have almost no garden veget¬ 
ables. Stock water very scarce. i. n. g. 
Virginia. 
Hampden Sydney, Prince Edward Co., 
Aug. 22.—Taking 100 as an average crop, 
wheat acreage, SO: yield, 100; oat acreage 
and yield. 100; cloverand grass acreage, 110: 
yield, 100. These crops were all secured in 
fineconditiou. Corn acreage, 150; yield,126; 
tobacco acreage 70: yield 110; pastures 125. 
The Surprise Wheat, sent me several years 
since by the Rubal, has proven a good vari¬ 
ety for the South, It is a heavy yielder, and 
makes splendid flour. The Blush Potato has 
many good points; it yields heavily, resists 
drought, never becomes scabby, and is an ex¬ 
cellent late keeper. The only objection to it 
is its liability to be hollow when the growth 
is very large. it. c. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see if It Is not answered tu 
our advertising autumn*. Ask only a few questions at 
onetime. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
GAS-LIME AND NIGIIT-BOID, 
A. H., Ottawa, Canada,. —1. J have a farm in 
the immediate vicinity of this city, and am 
receiving a large quantity of night-soil. I 
can obtain ammoniated gss-lime for 50 cents 
per vragou-load. Will night-soil and gas-lime 
composted together make a valuable manure; 
or would the effect of gas-lime be to destroy 
the fertilizing qualities of the night-soil, or 
vice versa ? 2. What is the best work ou the 
utilization of night-soil as a fertilizer ? 
Axs.—1. Gas-lime, not being caustic, would 
not seriously injure night-soil by mixture 
with it, but as uo possible benefit could be 
gained, the labor of composting will be lost. 
But gas-lime contains sulphurated hydrogen, 
which is the impurity it is intouded to re¬ 
move from the gas, and this substance is fatal 
to plants Hence, when used fresh, this sort 
of lime is very injurious to crops, aud should 
be applied to the soil only for a summer fal¬ 
low, and for the destruction of wire-worms, 
cut-worms, aud other noxious insects. Dur¬ 
ing the exposure for the few months while the 
land is lying idle, the injurious gas escapes or 
is decomposed, leaving the lime in the form 
of gypsum (sulphate of lime) or carbonate of 
lime, both of which are useful. Night-soil is 
so readily decomposed in the soil that com¬ 
posting it with anything that may be supposed 
to improve it, is labor thrown away; but it 
may be usefully mixed with such substances 
as swamp-muck, for the purpose of improving 
them. “Ammoniated gas-lime” is a misnomer; 
ammonia and lime are both alkaline, and do 
not combine, so that the lime takes up no am¬ 
monia and contains none. The lime is used 
in the manufacture of gas, to take up and re¬ 
move the disagreeabl 3 r -smelliug sulphuric 
compounds. The ammonia of the gas is re¬ 
moved by washing the gas with water which 
is able to dissolve 700 times its weight of 
ammonia. 2. Storer’s “Agriculture” contains 
considerable on the subject. 
HYDRAULIC RAMS. 
W. D. C., Keelersville , Mich .—I have a 
spring which affords 25 gallons of water a 
minute. A fall of eight feet cau be obtained 
at a distance of 50, 75 or 100 feet from tho 
spring. I want to bring the water from the 
spring to my house, 100 rods away and 70 feet 
higher up a gradual ascent. What should be 
the size of the ram aud of the feed or drive 
pipe, aud also of the raising or discharge pipe ' 
A neighbor, whose house is 35 rods from mine 
and eight feet lower, wishes to get a part of 
the water. Now if we put in an inch-pipe 
from the spring for a distance of 80 rods and 
then one-half-inch pipe to his place 15 rods 
away, and another half-inch pipe to my house 
20 rods distant, would we get equal shares of 
the water ? 
ANSWERED BY C. S. OAWTHROP, WILMINGTON, 
DEL. 
A No. 8 ram should be used with a two-inch 
galvanized iron feed pipe. This ram will use, 
with eight-foot fall, about 13 gallons of water 
per minute, and will raise to W. D. C.’s house 
(at au elevation of 70 feet and distant about 
100 rods) about four quarts per minute, or 
about 1,400 gallons every 24 hours. The rais¬ 
ing pipe should be run first to the higher 
house, and at this point there should be a 
tank; then from the bottom of this tank a pipe 
should run to the other house. The tank 
should be large enough to hold as much water 
as the ram would raise at uight—in this case 
500 or 600 gallons. As stated above, the feed 
pipe should be two-inch galvanized iron. It 
should be about 60 feet long and be laid 
straight and with a gradual fall toward the 
ram. The raising pipe may be K-iucb gal¬ 
vanized iron; ono-iueh pipe would be rather 
better, as it would cause less loss by friction. 
The pipe from the tank to the other house 
should be .H^-inoh galvanized iron, and have a 
stop or cock at its lower end. All these pipes 
should be at least 30 inches under ground. At 
the spring there should be a cistern of lumber, 
stone or brick about three feet by two feet in 
the clear, the feed pipe entering it through 
the end. It should be run up about a foot 
above the ground and extend down a foot be¬ 
low the end of the feed pipe, the feed pipe be¬ 
ing 12 or 15 inches below the surface of the 
water in the cistern. There should be a lid ou 
this cistern with a lock and key and tho dirt 
should be banked around so as to keep out sur¬ 
face water. It is very rarely necessary to 
provide a bottom for this cistern. The ram- 
house may be round, about four feet iu diam¬ 
eter inside, ami be built of brick or stone. It 
should have a lid or roof on it with lock and 
key, and be protected from surface water by 
baviug dirt banked around. The ram may 
sit on a plank or flat stone iu the center. It 
should always set level. The waste water 
may be taken away in a terra-cotta pipe or 
woodeu box. There should be a stop or cock- 
on the raising pipe in the ram-house, so that 
the ram may be takeu apart without empty¬ 
ing the raising pipe. If it is desired to raise 
less than 1,406 gallons of water every24 hours 
a smaller ram and feed pipe may be used. A 
No. 2 ram with a l}£-rach feed pipe would 
use nine gallons or water ppr minute and 
would raise about three quarts per minute, or 
1,000 gallons every 24 hours. This feed pipe 
ueed only be 50 feet long and be l ' a iucli gal¬ 
vanized iron. The other pipes should be the 
same size as those for the No. 3 ram. The 
tauk need only be of about 400 or 500 gallons 
capacity. The cost of the No. 3 ram would 
be £18; that of a No. 2 £14 50. Iu regard to 
the durability of a ram the writer can say 
that he knows of rams which have worked for 
20 and 25 years. In almost every case where 
a ram is protected from freshets, &c., and 
where the water is free from sand or other 
gritty matter, a ram will last at least 20 years 
without costing a dollar for repairs. The pipes 
may or may not last this length of time, it 
depending on tho kind of water, kind of soil 
iu which they are buried, &e., &e. 
SEEDING AN UNSODDED FIELD TO GRASS. 
./. D. Ii., Riverside , III. —I have a pasture 
lot that was this summer stripped for sodding 
purposes and is now bare ground so baked by 
the sun as to be even weedless. What is the 
proper culture for it this fall to get it back 
into grass as soon as possible ? 
ANSWERED BY WALDO F. BROWN. 
A field that has been robbed of its sod, is en¬ 
titled to some compensation, and should have 
a good dressing of manure before it is re¬ 
seeded. If manure cannot lie had, use not 
less than 400 pounds of fine bone meal, 200 
pounds of superphosphate and an equivalent 
of potash in some form. Do not re plow the 
laud, but work the surface fine and mellow to 
tho depth of three or four inches. The best 
implement for this work is a disc or Acme 
harrow, but if you cannot get these, use a 
double corn cultivator, working it both ways, 
aud then follow with a common straight¬ 
toothed harrow. After it is well mellowed, 
use a good roller or heavy plank drag to 
smooth it off and compact it. If the charac¬ 
ter of the soil had been mentioned, it would 
be easier to tell what kind of grasses to sow. 
If you wish to pasture it next spriug. [ 
would recommend that it lie seeded with rye 
at the rate of two bushels of seed to the acre 
and twelve quarts of Timothy seed, these to 
be sown together early in September. Then 
in February add clover and Blue Grass seed, 
sown on the frozen surface to be covered by 
the freeziug and thawing. If it is to be a 
permanent pasture I would sow one bushel to 
the acre of Blue Grass, and about four quarts 
of clover, half common red and half Alslke, 
If yon are expecting to plow it up again in 
two or three years, omit the Blue Grass, and 
use more clover. If there are other grasses 
which flourish on adjoining land—such as 
Red Top or Orchard Grass—add them to your 
mixture. One can hardly make a mistake in 
sowing too many varieties of grass on a per¬ 
manent pasture. Jf you wish to pasture next 
summer, the rye must not be omitted as it 
will not only protect the young grass during 
winter, but the cattle will eat it in the spring 
until tho grass becomes well established. I 
have found such pasture very satisfactory. 
Miscellaneous. 
E. F. G., Mendham . N. J. —Are the Ridge 
Avenue Nurseries, Miami County, Ohio, 
trustworthy? They are run by J. II Skiu- 
ner & Co., and their agents are selling “re¬ 
producing” peach trees, six for $5, here¬ 
abouts. They say the trees will be sure bear¬ 
ers for years, like apple trees, aiul that the 
pits, when planted, will produce trees that 
will bear the same kind of fruit. Is this 
true ? 
Ans. —We are not acquainted with the 
firm. The pits of some kinds of peaches will 
often produce trees closely resembling the 
parents in all respects; but none, so far as the 
Rural knows, can be trusted to do so. The 
claims of the firm as stated, are palpably un¬ 
trustworthy. 
M. II. If., Dripping Springs, Texas. —1. In¬ 
closed is a specimen of a vine which is 
spreading on our cultivated fields iu spite of 
thorough cultivation; what is its name,aud 
how can I get rid of it? 2, Inclosed also are 
specimens of what is called Spanish Burr 
hereabouts. It is a formidable weed. The 
Colorado potato beetle is so very fond of it 
that it feeds on it exclusively here, never 
troubling Irish potatoes, so far a-s I have 
noticed. What is it ? 
Ans. —1. The vine seems to be Calystegia 
sepium—Rutland Beauty. We, as a rule, 
cannot name plants without flowers. This 
vine belongs to the Convolvulus family, is a 
perennial, and a great pest. Frequent sur¬ 
face cultivations and raking up the roots, are 
the best means of eradicating it that we 
know of. 2. The plant known as Spanish 
Burr is Solauum rostratum—a vile annual 
weed belonging to the potato family. 
II. R. B., Oscoda , Mich. —What are the 
plants specimens of which are inclosed ? 
Ans. —The smaller of the specimens sent is 
Setaria glauca, Bigeou Grass or Bottle Grass. 
It furnishes a considerable amount of fodder 
in stubble fields aud is about as nutritious as 
Hungarian Grass, though not so productive. 
No 2 is Panienm Crus-galli—Barn-yard Grass. 
Iu the North it is looked upon as a worthless 
grass, but iu the South it is held in higher es¬ 
teem. 
It. S. E., Or reck, Mian. —What is the best 
grass to sow on well manured, light, sandy 
laud arouud the house ? When should it be 
sown, aud where can it be got ? 
Ans. —For your climate we know of nothing 
better than Blue-Grass. Sow three bushels to 
the acre (14 pouuds to a bushel). You may 
sow now as soon as the soil can be thoroughly 
prepared; otherwise early in spring. It might 
be well to adil one bushel of Red-Top, os that 
will sprout before the Blue Grass. It cau be 
obtained from any seedsman. 
E. P., Atlanta, Gu. —What is the best vet¬ 
erinary school in the United States ? 
Ans. —“Comparisons are odorous,” and we 
do not care to make one by deciding which 
is the best. The American Veterinary Col¬ 
lege, No. 141 W. 54th street, New York, A. F. 
Liaturd M, D. V. S., is as good as any. 
C. L. S., Akron, O. —J. M. McCullough’s 
Sons, of Cincinnati, advertise Orchard Grass. 
They issue an illustrated catalogue of grasses. 
DISCUSSION. 
COLIC IN HOUSES AND MULES. 
A. B. Allen, Flushing, N. Y.—At 
page 481 of the Rural, Dr. Kilborne 
gave some excellent remedies for the colic; 
but the iugredients for these are scarcely ever 
kept iu any farmer s house, aud the owner of 
the ailing animal may be so distunt from an 
apothecary as to make it impossible to obtain 
them in time to relievo the sufferer, or save 
him from inflammation, followed perhaps by 
death. In consequence of this, allow me to 
give some simple remedies that cun usually be 
instautly made up at ever}' farmer’s place. 
First: To ouepiut. of warm milk, add half a 
pint of molasses and two teaspooufuls of black 
pepper. Put them into a bottle which has a 
strong neck, which cannot bo easily broken by 
the horse; shake the ingredients together; 
then raise the head well up and pour the dose 
down his throat. If this does not give relief 
in half an hour, repeat the dose. Some weeks 
ago my horse had a severe attack of colic. He 
would paw with his fore feeti He down, kick 
and roll over, get up, stand a few minutes, 
then lie down again. After giving the above 
dose he was walked about, and within a half 
hour appeared entirely relieved from all pain 
aud has since kept perfectly well. 
Second: Dissolve one pound of Epsom salts 
in warm water, add a tablespoon fill of ginger 
aud give as above. If this does not relieve in 
half an hour, give half a pound more of salts 
and ginger. 
Third: One piut of linseed oil to which, 
if obtainable at the time, add one ouuee 
of tincture of opium, half an ounce of 
chloroform, and half an ounce of tinc¬ 
ture of camphor. Caution should be 
used in feeding horses. Colic universally 
follows in some from eating hay passed 
through the fodder cutter, if the ration of 
meal is added to this, and then the whole wot 
with water and mixed up. Whole corn or 
Indian meal, especially in hot weather, often 
produces colic, even when mixed with bran or 
oats. Although my horse bad beeu fed only a 
single quart of Indian meal night and morn¬ 
ing, mixed with two quarts of wheat bran, I 
have no doubt that when hot weather came 
on, the meal was the cause of his colic. In 
cool weather this ration had never affected 
him, nor indeed had two quarts of meal in¬ 
stead of one, mixed with the bran. 
THE CAULIFLOWER MAGGOT. 
Peter Henderson, New York City.—I 
am glad to read the views of II. A. N.. in the 
Rural of August 13, on the Cauliflower 
Maggot, and feel certain that his conclusions 
are right, “that nothing will kill the mag¬ 
got, which will not at the same time kill the 
plant,” I will supplement his offer to Mr. 
Perkins not only by agreeing to give a new 
hat for himself, but 10 bonnets for his wife 
(which, everyone knows, would cost 20 tunes 
the amount of one for himself), provided he 
will give us a remedy that will destroy the 
maggot aud at the same time leave the plant 
uninjured. The plan adopted by H. A. N., of 
drawing the earth from the steins, aud thus 
destroying the eggs, is the only thing that 
can be done in my opinion, to save the crop 
when the maggot is known to be present, 
Without going into the matter so thoroughly, 
we adopted a similar plan some years ago, 
and since have been comparatively free from 
their attacks. Of course, this operation costs 
labor, but wheu it comes to be a question of 
labor or losing the crop, the cost, of labor is 
not to be considered. This subject is one of 
vast importance. Tens of thousands of acres 
the past season both of cauliflower and cab¬ 
bage, have been utterly ruined by this pest, 
aud if the plan so clearly advised by your cor¬ 
respondent, is generally adopted before the 
eggs develop to maggots, there is hardly any 
doubt but it will save the crop, if carefully 
followed. 
RURAL LIFE NOTES. 
J. A. Foote, of Crawfordsville. Indiana, 
says iu a circular just received that Fulcaster 
and Poole wheats proved to be very valuable 
varieties the past season. The grain of Ful- 
c as ter is said to be large, long, hard, and of a 
“clear red” color. It is further said to be 
early, hardy, aud to stool well. In Maryland 
and Virginia, Mr. Foote says, it yielded from 
80 to 40 bushels per acre, aud in Indiana from 
26 to over 40. Alongside of Fultz it yielded 
16 bushels more per acre. This wheat is 
bearded, white chaff, the grain weighing over 
60 pounds to the bushel... 
The Poole is said to bo very hardy, yielding 
well wheu other kiuds were winter-killed. At 
the Ohio Ex. Station it yielded at the rate of 
60 bushels to the acre, more tbnu any other of 
40 sorts. It is early, tho straw is stroug, the 
grain light red, chaff red. Tho heads are 
smooth. The weight of the graiu is over 60 
pounds...... 
In the circular referred to Mr. Foote also 
speaks favorably of Finley, Martin’s Amber, 
Velvet Chaff. Early Rice, Tasmauiau, Loug- 
berry Red, Gold Dust, Patagonian Trigo and 
Wyaudot Red.. 
Among the latest kinds of wheat Mr. Foote 
mentions the following as promising: New 
Monarch, High Grade, Dietz Lougberry Red, 
Ontario Wonder, Golden Prolific and Golden 
Eureka .. 
IVk would ask Mr. Foote if Tasmania is not 
Lancaster; if Poole is not Michigan Amber; if 
Finley is not Fultz; if Early Rice is not Zim¬ 
merman; if Martin’s Amber is not Landreth 
or Armstrong ?... 
The Presbyterian say's that complaining 
people spend time and streugth iu telling what 
