diet are very desirable. Any remaining 
chronic swelling may be partially reduced 
by applying compound tincture of iodiue 
twice a week, or by repeated mild blisters. 
DWARF APFLES FOR NEBRASKA. 
A. P., Worden , Neb. —1. This is a newly 
settled country, with no railroads, orchards, 
etc. A short item published by the Rural, 
led me to inquire of several nurserymen as 
to the advisability of planting dwarfs for a 
commercial orchard where apples are likely to 
remain high for several years,as apples cannot 
be laid down at nearest railroad point—Val¬ 
entine, Neb.—short of 81.50 per bushel. The 
answers received are contradictory. One 
says: “We would advise planting all dwarf 
apples for early bearing, and especially in a. 
country where you can get 81.50 per bushel 
for the fruit.” Another says: “Dwarf apples 
should not be planted for a commercial or¬ 
chard and I do not advise you to use them, as 
they give much dissatisfaction. I do not grow 
them or offer (hem for sale.” 1 incline to give 
them a trial, for if they pay in a small way in 
the East, where land is high and apples cheap, 
I see no reason why they should not pay here, 
where laud is worth next, to nothing and 
apples arc, and likely to remain high. What 
would be a moderate average yield of an acre 
planted eight feet apart each way? Is there 
no danger of the stock winter-killing here, 
soil a sandy loam, open and porous; greatest 
cold last winter 34° below zero? What hardy 
apples bear best on Paradise stock that are 
salable, good keepers and adapted to this 
latitude? 2, Will very close pruning in the 
fall injure a young grape-vine? 
ANSWERED BY PROFESSOR J. L. RUDD. 
As a rule, dwarf apple trees do not succeed 
west of Lake Michigan, as the Paradise root 
on which they are worked is subject to winter- 
killing. In time, however, dwarf trees will be 
used for yards and small inclosures and for 
the trial of uew varieties as iu Eastern States. 
Rut they will be worked on the hardy dwarf 
apple of East Europe known as Pyrus toringo. 
We find all varieties of the apple work .freely 
ou this stock. As yet we have not tested their 
bearing habits, but in Europe the varieties 
worked on the Toringo bear as well as those 
on the Paradise. The varieties that will pay 
best in that region as dwarfs or standards 
will be such thick-leaved, hardy sorts as 
Thaler, Duchess, Wealthy, Longfield, Aport 
and Striped Winter. No damage will result 
from close fall pruning of the grape, if the 
work be deferred until the wood is hard, ma¬ 
ture in early November. As a rule we prune 
the lateral of bearing vines to three eyes. 
CARE OF ORCHIDS. 
M. M. C ., New Hampshire, —How should 
orchids be treated? I have some, brought 
from a warm climate, and do not know what 
to put them in or anything about the treat¬ 
ment they need. 
Ans. —It would be easier to give instruc¬ 
tions if more definite information was given. 
Our correspondent says the plants come from 
a warm climate, but they may be either 
terrestrial or epiphytal orchids; it is impos¬ 
sible to tell without further description. If 
from Mexico they are, most probably, epi¬ 
phytes, and should not be potted, but grown 
on a block of wood. The plauts should be 
sponged over carefully, so as to remove auy 
insects, and any decayed portion should be 
cut away. They are then to be wired to the 
block in the most natural position, with a 
little moss behind tbeui, hut no earth. They 
do not require so much water when they arc 
flowering—through the autumn and winter— 
as during the rest of the year. Mexican or¬ 
chids, such as Laclias and OdOntoglossums, 
flourish in a cool house, and so will some 
of the South American Cattleyas, but 
East Indian varieties require a very 
warm, humid atmosphere; they cannot 
be grown with any success without a house 
specially for them. If terrestrial, the orchids 
must be potted iu fibrous peat and sphagnum. 
They must have ahuodent drainage: potsherds 
until within three or four inches of the rim, 
a layer of moss on top of this, and the re¬ 
mainder a mixture of peat and moss. After 
potting they should not have very much 
water at first, until they begin to make roots, 
and they must never be soddened. Most 
epiphytal orchids will grow in pots though 
they rarely do quite as well as on blocks. 
Wants on blocks are of course huug up. All 
orchids require a season of rest, after they 
have finished making growth, during which 
they must have very little water. These gen¬ 
eral rules apply to all members of the family; 
it is impossible to give more explicit direc¬ 
tions without kuowing the plant. 
CHRONIC COUGH IN A HORSE. 
G. G., Summit, O .—My young flve-year-okl 
mare is in fine condition in every respect, 
with the exception that she h<& had an occa¬ 
sional cough and her eyes run somewhat. The 
coughing is heard most frequently when she 
is first hitched up and as she is driven it 
disappears only to be repeated under the 
same conditions. This condition has lasted 
three months. Nothing has been done for it 
except dampening her feed. Running on pas¬ 
ture did no good. She is with foal since May. 
What should be the treatment? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORN. 
Take of solid extract of belladonna and 
niter each two drams, and Sufficient sirup to 
make a thick paste. With a long wooden 
spatula smear this dose upon the back teeth 
and tongue to be swallowed at leisure. Re¬ 
peat two to four times daily as occasion re¬ 
quires. Also give night and morning in the 
feed or ns a drench one ounce each powdered 
gentian and Epsom salts. If the bowels con¬ 
tinue costive add two drams Barbadoes aloes 
to above powder until relieved. Externally, 
to Die whole region of the throat, apply strong 
ammonia liniment—equal parts liquor am¬ 
monia and olive or linseed oil well shaken to¬ 
gether before using—rubbing well into the 
hair with the palm of the hand for 15 to 20 
minutes. This may be repeated every three 
or four days, but not sufficiently to severely 
blister the throat. Steaming the throat at 
nigh* by feeding a hot bran mash, prepared 
by pouring boiling water on wheat bran and 
allowing the animal to eat at it from a bucket 
while hot, is excellent. Until relieved the 
mare should have only moderate exercise. 
Light, warm, dry, comfortable quarters are 
very essential; anil the animal should not be 
exposed on cold, wet or windy days. Give a 
restricted laxative diet and continue to 
dampen the dry fodder. 
INJURY TO STIFLE JOINT OF COLT. 
P. J. S., Marksboro, N. J ,—My 15-montlis- 
old colt I found hurt in the field about seven 
weeks ago. He had a small cut on the inside 
of one of his hind legs near the stifle joint, 
with some bruises on the other leg. He was put 
in the stable and by night he could not touch 
the floor with his foot. It swelled quite badly 
about the stifle and was very hot. He would 
hold up the leg, jerking it. up sometimes very 
high and at others a short distance. The 
inside of the leg was very tender. The swell¬ 
ing has almost entirely disappeared, but there 
is still some heat there, and he keeps jerking 
up his foot a good deni, though not so much 
as formerly. Sometimes he touches the 
ground with his toe. It hurts him most wheu 
he first gets up. In doing so he often sits on 
the ground like a dog. I can pull his leg 
backwards or forwards for a considerable dis¬ 
tance, but if pulled very far it hurts him, and 
so it does to pull it sideways. What nils him 
and what should be done for him? 
ANSWERED BY DB. F. L. KILBORN. 
There was evidently a bruise, a severe 
strain, or both, probably caused by slipping 
or perhaps falling, while miming in the 
pasture. It is impossible to satisfactorily 
treat a case of this kind by correspondence; 
and especially several weeks after the injury, 
daring which time, if recovery has not been 
going on, complications may have been added, 
so that it is even more difficult to treat those 
at first, making it all the more necessary for a 
personal examination of the case At the 
time the injury was first discovered, if the 
colt had been placed in a comfortable stall 
with a high rack, and his head tied short so 
that he could not lie down, being made to 
stand night and day for a few days or a 
week, and wet bandages kept constantly ap¬ 
plied to the injured joiut, a speedy recovery 
might have been looked for. The liniments 
you used, if strong, were not appropriate at 
this stage of the disease, but would have been 
after the inflammation was relieved by sooth¬ 
ing applications, on the wet bandages or 
fomentations. Now, a much longer course of 
treatment w ill probably be required. One of 
the first essentials will be to place slings under 
the colt, close enough so that he can stand on 
hLs feet without pressure from the sling, or 
settle into the sliug at pleasure, to rest. He 
should not be allowed to get down and up 
until recovery is well advuueed. For the 
local treatment secure the personal services of 
a competent veterinarian if possible; other¬ 
wise the treatment should bo as follows: 
With the aid of the slings keep the colt stand¬ 
ing constantly, and apply wet bandages until 
the swelling and inflammation are mostly 
reduced Then apply a stimulating soap or 
aunnoula liniment daily. (Six ounces hard 
soap dissolved iu throe Ounces each strong 
liquor ammonia? aud water, after which add 
ouo pint each proof spirits aud linseed oil, or 
one part each of liquor ammonia-, oil of tur¬ 
pentine and water, with four parts of Jiuseed 
oil.) Later apply mild blisters and repeat 
several times if necessary. During the treat¬ 
ment the diet should bo restricted aud laxa¬ 
tive, and the bowels kept loose with warm 
water injections or dram (loses of Rarbadoes 
aloes with four drams geutian night and 
morning if uecessary. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. J.,Moine, III .—What is the best time and 
method in starting Timothy and clover seed 
on a Blue Grass side-bill meadow-—a clay-soil, 
Ans. —For your climate we should prefer 
to plow iu summer aud sow the Timothy early 
iu the fall. Whether it. would be better to 
sow the clover seed in the spring or fall 
would depend upon whether it is or is not 
liable to be killed out during the winter. 
T. A. J ., Binyhnmtan, N. F.—What is the 
name of the inclosed bean. Is it a pole bean? 
Ans.—W e never saw anything just like it. 
The seed resembles both White Dutch Runuer 
and Lima. The pod has a resemblance to the 
Runner more than to the Lima, but is unlike 
the Dutch Case knife pod. We think it may 
be a cross with the Lima mqre probably tbau 
with the Case-knife. Wo also think it is a 
pole beau. 
•S'. B. II., Grawfordsville, Ind .—What is the 
price of nitrate of soda in 100 pound lots or by 
the ton? 
Ans —The price in New York is $2,50 per 
10(1 pounds. For a larger quantity a small 
reduction is made. 
J. K., Union , Mo .—Is the color of Martin’s 
Amber Wheat white? 
Ans.— No, it is a light amber. We have 
lately seen what purported to be Martiu’s 
Amber, of a rather reddish amber. 
DISCUSSION. 
BREEDING FOR SEX. 
W. G., Charlotte, N. C.—My attention 
was forcibly drawn to the articles in the Ru¬ 
ral of October 8th, upon breediug for sex. I 
am no scientist, but a plain, practical farmer, 
aud my opinions ou controlling the sex are the 
result of observation. My observation does 
not sustain the theory of alternation of sex. 
Some females have a tendency to produce one 
sex continuously while the reverse occurs 
with others. The argument of Professor 
Roberts that sexual and physical vigor not 
only transmit tpialities of the parent, but also 
control the sex of the offspring has in rather a 
long course of observation proven to be true 
in a sense the reverse of the Professor’s idea. 
A cow turned in the beginning of the heat to 
a vigorous bull will bring a heifer calf or, the 
reverse of the vigorous parent. My theory 
has proven correct iu about niue cases out of 
ten, m breeding to my Jersey bull, Lord Pem¬ 
berton, a very large and exceedingly vigorous 
animal. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
I.oiilsintin. 
Parish of Livingstone, October II, — 
Crops as a whole are heavy and average bet¬ 
ter than last year. Corn is almost universally 
fine. Oats begin to be more ard more culti¬ 
vated here, and a fairly good crop was har¬ 
vested iu May. Rye, barley and buckwheat 
are not growu here; but 1 know- that buck¬ 
wheat would succeed, for I once planted a few 
seeds in the garden and they grew up and 
htaded heavily in June. Irish potatoes were 
very fine, but on aeeouut of drought the crop 
was snort; prices however were remunerative. 
Sweet potatoes, lurge and delicious, but not a 
full crop. Garden vegetables were fine in 
early spring, but w ere soon burned up. Figs, 
for lack of moisture, only half a crop. Col¬ 
ton fairly good, and picking out well. D. c. 
Nebraska. 
Weston, Saunders Co., October $).—We 
had two heavy ruins; one in May and one on 
June 12; then we hadn’t any till August 20. 
Since then we have had rain enough to make 
fall {flowing good. The rains revived pastures 
and some of the corn. Drought aud chinch 
bugs damaged the crops very much. Wheat, 
very little sown; crop light, but of good qual¬ 
ity. Oats, a big acreage, yield from 12 to 40 
bushels. Flax and broom coru light crops. 
Field corn half a crop; potatoes fair; hay 
scarce. P. T. N. 
Sorghum Sugar Making.— Com. Colnian, 
in reply to an interviewer of the St. Louis Re¬ 
publican, said tfiat although we made over 
50,000 pounds of sugar at Fort Scott, last year, 
yet on the whole the experiment was a failure 
and many left despondent. The obstacles 
have been surmounted and the factory works 
ltke dock work, each ton of cane turning out 
at least 125 pounds of excellent sugar, and, by 
working 20 hours per day, would turn out 
nearly 20,000 pounds per day. Wheu Mr. 
Colman left Fort' Scott there were over 100,- 
000 pounds of sugar on hand, being the result 
of the first week’s work. The Republican 
asked how the cost of manufacturing by the 
new process compares with the process of 
milling. It is considerably cheaper, answered 
Mr. Colman. The great expense for heavy 
roller mills and large steam engines to run 
them does not have to be incurred, and it costs 
much less to establish a factory under the 
new process and fewer men to run it, and it is 
equally as rapid. Resides that, it does not 
leave from 30 to 50 per cent, of the juice in 
the bagasse, as in too many cases it is left by 
the mills. The chips are robbed of all their 
juices by the saturation process. Even in 
Louisiana it is admitted that from 30 to in 
percent., ou an average, of the juice is left 
in the bagasse after comiug from the mill. 
The uew process will save all this and will 
work a revolution iu sugar-making, North 
aud South. It will euablc America to com¬ 
pete iu sugar-making with any nation on the 
globe. 
Do you think that the North will go into 
the sugar-making ou a large scale, asked the 
Republican ? Commissioner Colman replied 
that he saw no reason why our people should 
not generally make sugar south of the thirty- 
ninth parallel of latitude or below the early 
frost line. There is uo crop more easily grown 
than sorghum. It produces from 12 to 15 tons 
of cane, which would be more than 12 to 15 
hundred pounds of sugar to the acre. There 
is an over-production of most other farm 
products, and prices hardly pay the cost of 
raising them. Here is a new field opened for 
a portion of our farming population. Our 
country is paying other nations over 8100,- 
000,000 annually, and besides this, a tariff of 
850,000,000 a year. This is impoverishing our 
couutry, aud if that vast sum can be retained 
at home and he distributed among our own 
people it will be a great blessing to them. 
He could see uo reason why sugar factories 
should not be found ns common as flouring 
mills, all over our couutry south of this to 
the Gulf of Mexico. Southern Kausas is ad¬ 
mirably adapted to sorghum raising, aud he 
believes dozens of sugar factories will be 
working up sorghum caue in that State 
withiu a year from this time. Senator Plumb 
of Kansas has taken much interest iu securing 
appropriations for the development of this 
industry, and Hon W. L. Parkinson and 
Prof. Swenson at Fort Scott have brought 
the experiments to a successful termination. 
The} - would have been entirely satisfied had 
they obtained only 75 pounds of sugar per ton 
of cane; but when they get 50 pounds ou top 
of that, as they do in the first and second 
swingings, they arc overjoyed. They have 
thought it to be too great a success to be 
true, and have day after day weighed the 
cane and the sugar, aud it is improving in yield, 
instead of lessening, aud Prof. Swenson says 
he is not going to give up until he gets close 
to 200 pounds to the ton. He says the analysis 
of the cane shows the sugar is there and he is 
going to keep on tryiug till lie finds it all. 
Preserved Eggs. —There is an important 
matter in connection with the poultry yard 
which farmers and egg producers of all kinds 
would do well to study, says Prof. Long in 
the London Mark Lane Express. For the past 
few years prizes have been offered at the Lon¬ 
don Dairy Show and at the Birmingham 
Show for preserved eggs, which eggs it is 
necessary should have been preserved iu a 
particular compound, the name of which is 
stated three months before they are opened in 
the exhibition. There has been no such de¬ 
cided success hitherto as that attained by the 
use of lime aud salt. Prof Long has had the 
advantage of going through the preserved 
egg classes with Mr. Tegetmolor, the judge of 
the dairy show, aud of seeing every sample 
opened, and, although there have been a very 
large number of entries, there, can be no ques¬ 
tion as to the perfection of preserving in lime 
water and iu salt, though several other arti¬ 
cles have beeu used for the purpose. As the 
result of the competitions Mr, Tegetmcier is 
of the opinion, and from wluit Prof. Long has 
repeatedly seen, he can indorse w hat he says, 
that when shU is used it. is advisable to obtain 
a box in which the bottom is screwed ou. A 
layer of an inch of salt is followed by a layer 
of eggs packed close together, but not touch¬ 
ing each other. These arc again covered with 
a layer of dry salt well pressed in and followed 
by another layer of eggs, and so on until the 
top is reached, care being taken that the salt 
is perfectly dry throughout, and that it is 
thoroughly' well pressed in the box. When 
the box is tilled the lid is fixed, and whan it is 
necessary to commence to use the eggs the 
bottom of the box is unscrewed and the stalest 
taken out first. Where lime is adopted as a 
preservative, a different course must be pur¬ 
sued, tfc lias beau the custom t*> recommend 
a thick mixture of lime and water, or lime 
cream, but it is found iu practice that the 
