48S7 
THE RURAL HEW-TORKfh. 
encounter. The pruning shears soon puts all 
this to rights, as a barber’s shears trains a 
wild-looking head of hair. 
Where it is desired to assure the well-doing 
of a vine, especially if it has not fully ripened 
its leaves and wood, it should be allowed to 
lie on the ground during winter, and held 
close down by some weight. It is necessary 
to prune before this can be well done. Vines 
requiring this treatment should slant up from 
the ground to the trellis and be trained wholly 
on the other side of the latter; they are then 
easily bent. down. In some seasons we have 
found oven the Concord much the better for 
this protection from parching winter winds. 
Even if the wood does not perish from cold or 
drying the buds open so late that neither the 
fruit nor the leaves nor the wood mature 
properly. 
But the chief reason for pruning in October 
is one that applies to trees generally, as well 
as vines. The wound heals over by a film of 
growth which exudes during what is left of 
the season of what we may call, foe want of a 
latter term, the prepared—ap circulation. 
That this is sufficient to heal wounds is proved 
by the success that attends grafting in early 
October. Grafts may he set quite late ou 
stocks that could not be budded, os of pear or 
plum, that bad lost their haves by blight; 
and will succeed even better than if left till 
spring, while for all such work the dry soil 
and delightful weather of much of October are 
eminently favorable. w. g. 
tttrm Copies. 
I 
RUMINATION. 
HENRY STEWART. 
TnAT Grand Cartoon, “Tbe Modern Go¬ 
liath aud David,” teaches farmers a most use¬ 
ful and pertinent lesson. The school-house is 
indeed the stronghold of the American peo¬ 
ple, and if no treason is done in it, it will bo a 
perfect defence against all the enemies of 
liberty—social, political and financial. But 
do farmers cherish their schools as they should / 
The city schools are vastly superior to the 
rural ones, and this is one reason why the 
city overpowers the country; why * 1 •boodle” 
ollieials are able to rob and encham the popu¬ 
lace. They have the best education that 
schools afford, and hence are all the more 
dangerous when led iuto dishonesty by politi¬ 
cal methods. I was once a director of a 
country school, and when I suggested that a 
good teacher should he procured aud paid $50 
a month, and hired for the whole year, I was 
met with a storm of objections. One farmer 
said he could get the best plowman in the 
country for half the money, and a teacher 
was not worth more than half os much as a 
g >od plowman. Farmers, cherish your 
schools and get the best possible teachers for 
your children. They need as good an educa¬ 
tion as the children of the city saloon keepers, 
who are the rulers (and the ruin) of all the 
cities in the country. 
Drainage and the Water Supply.— The 
statement of Mr. B. F. Johuson that the water 
level of the wells in the prairie districts has 
been lowered from 8 to 10 feet to three times 
that depth in the past -to years is very remark, 
able. Mr. Johnson is a very accurate aud 
trustworthy observer, mi l no one can doubt 
bis testimony upou any subject in which fact 
is the point at issue. The rapid removal of 
the surface water by drainage is sufficient to 
account for this loss of subterranean water, 
aud it opens the question if the benefits which 
it cannot be denied are afforded by drainage 
of the land, may not be purchased too dearly 
It seeuis as though a certain proportion of the 
land must lie waste, either in timber or in 
grass uiulrained or in slough or swamp, to pre¬ 
serve the water supply for the wells aud 
springs. 
‘'Mischief of Herd Books."— When Prof. 
Sanborn remarks "upon the poor stuff iu herd 
books,” he repeats what had bceu said in the 
Rural some years ago by your correspondent 
1 Stockman,” and which then met with severe 
criticism. It is too much for the breeders of 
thoroughbred stock to make believe that every 
one of the progeny of pure-bred stock is as 
gooil as its parents And if this is true, there 
are thousands of animals recorded which are 
not deserving of the credit thus given to them. 
If 1 remember aright, “Stockman” advocated 
tlie record of animals only which should pass 
a certain standard of excellence so that the 
record would indicate the actual merit of the 
animal. There are cows ou record, among 
the dairy herd books, which never paul lor 
their feed in mUk aud butter. Hence, these 
are “scrubs” and not entitled to the credit 
given to them and their progeuy as "herd 
hook stock.” 
Veterinary Quackery. —Dr. Kilhoru is 
fully justified in his remarks upon veterinary 
quackery. I once heard the veterinary editor 
of a weekly paper declare that worms in horses 
were “nutural” to them (meaning of spon¬ 
taneous origin) just as maggots in cheese 
were produced by the decomposition of the 
cheese. It is not surprising that some old 
fogies, relics of the days of Youatt, who said 
in his book on sheep that scab mites were pro¬ 
duced by the unhealthy condition of the sheep, 
should still retain their ignorance and pre¬ 
judices against modern science. But there is 
<p>ackery alsoin the medical profession, which 
deserves all the animadversion thrown upon 
the other kind of quacks by Dr. K, 
Lawn Trees. —Will you permit me to*pro¬ 
test against the suggestion (page 041) that 
lawn trees should be trimmed high. The 
sweeping gracefully bent branches of trees on 
the lawn area thing of lieauty, while a lopped 
stem gives one the shivers. If one wauts to 
see perfect lawn trees 1 would- advise him 
to travel 1,000 miles, if necessary, to the 
Rural Grounds. By the by, why is not the 
chinquapin a good lawn tree? Tnere is one 
near a small village in an old field in North 
Caroliua, which many persons would give 
$1,000 for if it could be placed upou their 
lawn. I measured and found it 152 feet 
around; and a perfect semi-globe of perfect 
foliage, with bent limbs sweeping to the 
grouud; and under was a canopy supported 
by a low stem hut high enough to afford room 
for a rustic scat around it. The pretty little 
nuts, too, are ornamental and very good eating. 
The litter of the husks is the only objection, 
and a lawn rake will quickly remove it. I 
dare not take up more space over tbe many 
excellent things in the grand number which 
introduces October, although I feel a strong 
call to. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must oe accempanleil by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Before 
asking a quesllou. please see If It is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on aseparate piece of paper.) 
GOOD nORSE LINIMENTS. 
J. E. M ., Paterson, X. J .—What is the com. 
position of a good horse liniment for external 
use for sprains aud swellings, without being 
strong enough to bib t er ? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORN. 
There are a great variety of popular 
liniments, nearly all of which possess 
some virtue when properly used. They 
usually contain two or three essential 
constituents with a long list of less im¬ 
portant substances that add but little aud 
often no value to the liuimeut. A good exam¬ 
ple of these popular compound liniments, and 
one probably as good as any of them, is the 
following: One ounce each of oil of origanum, 
oil of hemlock, oil of spike, oil of wormwood, 
oil of turpentine, camphor gum, aud aqua 
ammonia, two ounces of olive oil, and one 
pint of proof spirit. This is an excellent 
liniment, but for ordinary uses the more 
simple ammonia or soap liniments are equally 
serviceable aud much cheaper. The ammonia 
liniment—strong aqua ammonia one part, 
olive or cotton-seed oil one to three parts, ac¬ 
cording to strength desired, bottled and 
shaken vigorously until thoroughly mixed— 
is an excellent strong liniment, aud if repeat¬ 
edly applied and well rubbed in, it may be 
used us a mild blister. For a mild stimu¬ 
lant the soap liuiment is good—white Cas¬ 
tile soap in fine shavings four ounces, camphor 
gum two ounces, oil of rosemary four drains, 
alcohol one pint, water oue-half pint. Dis¬ 
solve the soup iu the water aud the camphor 
aud oil in the alcohol; then mix the two solu 
tions. The strength of the soap.liniment may 
be considerably increased by adding one- 
fourth part of the strong aqua ammonia. A 
touch stronger liniment than either of the 
above can be made by mixing equal parts of 
aqua ammonia, oil of turpentine and olive or 
cotton-seed oil. This hnimeut will blister 
quite readily, aud is especially serviceable for 
cattle, with their thick skin, upon which the 
mild liuiments have little effect. It is too 
strong for the sheep and dog. All of these 
liniments should be kept closely stoppered and 
be well shaken before using. To increase their 
effect when applied, the parts should be cov¬ 
ered with a loose bumlago to prevent the evap¬ 
oration of the essential constituents. The pre¬ 
vailing practice of applying stroug liuiments 
or other equally stimulating dressings to re- 
eent sprains, bruises or other injuries, is both 
wrong aud injurious. Whensuch injuriesare 
at all severe there is always considerable in¬ 
flammation; and the application of such stim¬ 
ulating dressings, instead of relieving the in¬ 
flammation and pain, tends and in a great 
many cases actually increases, the inflamma¬ 
tion and distress. For all severe injuries 
soothing applications, as fomentations, poul¬ 
tices or wet bandages, should lie applied at 
first, aud the liniment applied only after the 
inflammation has been reduced, to stimulate 
a healthy recovery. In slight sprains or in¬ 
juries, however, or in chronic cases, the lini¬ 
ment is usually in order at the outset. 
GREEN FODDER CROPS; ROTATION OF CROPS. 
./. (j., Gaylord, Mich, —1. What is the value 
of rape as a green manure to plow under, in 
comparison with rye? 2. Is it safe to pasture 
cattle on rape in the fall or on white turnips? 
3. Can rape or white turnips be harrowed iu 
to advantage with a view to fall pasturing on 
sod land after being plowed early in July, the 
object beiug to subdue the June Grass prepar¬ 
atory to sowing oats in the following spring? 
4. Would the following rotation be advisable: 
After a three year-old Timothy and clover 
sod. sow rape or white turnips for fall pasture, 
then oats the following spring; plow the oat 
stubble immediately after harvest and sow 
rye for early spring pasture and plow down 
for corn; after corn sow barley or spring 
wheat and seed down. Barn-yard manure to 
be spread on the rye before plowing down for 
corn. 6. Would the following rotation be 
preferable: First, after sod plant corn or some 
root crop; second, oats; third, barley or wheat, 
and seed down. 6. If the latter rotation 
be ad op ted, can rutabagas and white turnips 
be grown with the com by .working them iu 
with the last cultivation, and by sowing some 
superposphate; and would it be better to sow 
clover with the oats, pasture it or cut it for 
hay aud the next year plow it and sow barley 
or wheat? Soil a saudy and gravelly loam. 
A ns. —Rape will make a heavier growth 
for turning under than rye, but rye is slight¬ 
ly more valuable as green manure. 2. Rape 
makes an excellent fall aud spring pasture 
for cattle aud for this use is healthful and 
safe. 3. Yes. 4. The rotation would be ad¬ 
visable where pasture or soiling fodder is de¬ 
sirable. 5, This rotation is preferable where 
grain crops aloue are desired, fi. We think 
it is desirable to sow a crop of clover with 
oats always; take the hay, and either pasture 
the aftermath or plow it uoder for wheat or 
some succeeding crop, A lengthened rotation 
is advisable when grain crops are grown and 
by seeding to clover with oats two years of 
an excellent fertilizing crop are gained, aud a 
valuable green manure (the clover sod) is af¬ 
forded for the wheat. 
bees-wax; hunting bees. 
E. A., Torrington, Conn. — 1. Of what do 
honey bees make wax, and how? 2. How can 
I tell whether there is a queen in a colony 
taken from the woods iu a log? 3 What is the 
best perfume to use while huuting bees, to 
make them rally? 1 have worked three or 
four lines unsuccessfully this fall; how should 
they be worked to succeed? 
Ans. —1. Honey bees make comb of wax. 
The wax is not gathered, is not a vegetable 
product at all, but is secreted upon the under 
surface of the abdomen of the worker bee. If 
a worker is examined during the comb-build- 
iug seasou. the little scales of wax can be seen 
in the little wax pockets situated between the 
joints ou the under side of the abdomen. The 
feet, are used to remove these scales from the 
pockets aud pass them to the mouth. Here 
they are mixed with the saliva and worked to 
the proper consistency, and theu they are 
built into the comb. 2. It would bo impossi¬ 
ble to tell while the bees remain in the log. 
To be absolutely sure that a colony has a 
queen she must be found. If eggs or young 
brood are present it is almost certain that the 
colony has a queen. The bees and honey 
should he transferred to a box hive with mov¬ 
able frames, then the presence or absence of a 
queen can be easily determined. 3. The best 
scent to attract bees is that which comes from 
a piece of burning honey-comb. To locate a 
bee tree, get the bees feeding at two stations a 
number of rods apart, ami get the lines as 
accurately as possible from both places. The 
lines made by two bees goiug from different 
stations to the same tree would cross at that 
tree. Use honey or sweetened water as bait. 
Hunting bee trees is usually a very expensive 
method of getting started in the bee business 
CHRONIC RHEUMATISM IN A MULE. 
IF. P. C., Augusta, Ga,— My four-yeur-old 
mule is very high-strung. I broke him with¬ 
out injury in January last. He had such a 
restless disposition and pawed so continually 
when away from the other mules, that I feared 
then he would injure himself. Two months 
ago lie fell gradually lame. T examiued for 
thrush, but found the frog sound. Neighbors 
said, “in the shoulder,” so I treated for sween- 
ey. Owing to a slight swelling in the left 
knee (the lameness started in the left leg) I 
thought the trouble was there and rubbed 
with strong liniment; thin used bandaging 
and cold water. I have also used hot water 
and n ullein leaves. Suddenly the lameness 
showed nself in the right leg. and the knee 
and ankle have swollen a little. The animal 
can scarcely get about. What i an 1 do? 
Ans. —Your description would indicate a 
case of chronic rheumatism, for which try the 
following course of treatment: Give four 
drams of Barbadoes aloes to move the bowels, 
and then keep them open by a laxative diet. 
Thrice daily, before feeding, give one-balf 
ounce each of niter and bicarbonate of potas- 
sa. Coutinue for a week, after which substi¬ 
tute tbe following: one dram of eolebieum and 
four drams of niter, to be also given three 
times daily. To the affected joints apply daily 
ammonia liniraeut (equal parts strong aqua 
ammonia and olive oil) aud cover with a loose 
flannel bandage. During treatment, and also 
for a considerable time afterwards, avoid ex 
posure to dampness, wet, or cold. 
ZINC AS A HEAT NON-CONDUCTOR. 
B. B., Farmingdale, III ,—We put zinc un¬ 
der a stove to keep the floor from burning. 
Where does the heat go that strikes tbe zinc? 
We say anything cool to the touch is a good 
conductor of heat; but the heat is not con¬ 
ducted through, or the floor would burn. 
Neither is it all reflected, as the heat is not 
appreciably greater above the zinc than it 
would be above the naked floor. Is there a 
chemical action that neutralizes the heat, or 
whatf 
ANSWERED BY PROFESSOR R. C. CARPENTER. 
The only reason why the zinc does not be¬ 
come heated is that the heat does not reach it. 
The air between the stove and tbe zinc inter¬ 
poses a great resistance to the passage of heat. 
Air gives about 1,000 times as much resistance 
when of the same thickness as zinc. Zinc is a 
poor couductor of heat for a metal, being 
ab .ut 4-10 when copper is one? and conse¬ 
quently it would heat up to a considerable ex¬ 
tent if it were actual 1}* subjected to heat. 
The beat is conveyed to the zinc principally 
by the motion of molecules of air which are 
heated by coming in contact with the stove. 
These give up a small portion of their heat 
only to the zinc; a certain portion of this is 
absorbed and raises tbe temperature of the 
zinc, the remaining portion is radiated or slow¬ 
ly conducted through the zinc. It is very 
seldom but that a thin layer of air exists be¬ 
tween the zinc and the floor; this again inter¬ 
poses a great resistance to the passage of the 
heat, so that the zinc affords protection to the 
floor, principally by warding off the hot-air 
currents. Still air is almost an absolute non¬ 
conductor of heat. 
VITALITY OF SEEDS. 
J. S. G.. Morristown, N. J .—How oil may 
seeds be, and still germinate? 
Ans. —Tables as to the vitality of seeds vary 
somewhat in accordance with the circumstan¬ 
ces under which they are kept and the con¬ 
ditions of planting: but the following approx¬ 
imate the periods of vitality of various com¬ 
mon seeds. 
Years. 
Years. 
Artichoke, 
, , 
5 to 
6 
Onion, . . 
2 to 
3 
Asparagus, 
* ♦ 
2 to 
3 
Parsley, . . 
2 to 
3 
Beans, all kinds, 
2 to 
3 
Parsnip, . . 
2 to 
3 
Beef, . . 
». • 
3 to 
4 
Pea. . . . 
5 to 
6 
Broccoli, . 
5 to 
<3 
Pumpkin, . 
8 to 10 
Carrot, 
# , 
2 to 
3 
Rhubarb, 
S to 
4 
Cress, . . 
• • 
S to 
4 
Squash, . . 
8 to 10 
Corn kept on 
the 
Lettuce, . . 
3 to 
4 
cob, . . 
2 to 
3 
Melon, . . 
8 to 10 
Cucumber, 
8 to 
10 
Mustard, 
3 to 
4 
/Vg plant. 
1 to 
O 
Osra, . . 
3 to 
4 
Endive, . 
5 to 
6 
Spinach, . . 
3 to 
4 
Leek, . . 
2 to 
3 
Tomato, . . 
2 to 
3 
Cauliflower, 
5 to 
(3 
Turnip, . . 
5 to 
6 
Celery, 
2 to 
3 
Pepper, . . 
2 to 
3 
Chervil, . 
2 to 
3 
Radish, . . 
4 to 
5 
Corn salad, 
2 to 
3 
Salsify, . . 
2 to 
3 
Anise, . . 
3 to 
4 
Lavender, . 
2 to 
3 
Balm, . . 
2 to 
3 
Sweet mar jo 
- 
-;l, . . 
2 to 
mm, . . 
3 to 
3 
Caraway, . 
2 
Summer savo- 
Coriander 
i 
ry, . . . 
1 to 
2 
Dill, . . . 
2 to 
3 
Sage, . . . 
2 to 
3 
Fennel, 
2 to 
3 
Thyme. . . 
2 to 
3 
Hyssop, . 
3 to 
4 
Wormwood, 
2 to 
3 
ILL-CONDITIONED MARE. 
A. C. Y., Freedom , .V. Y .—My six-year-old 
mare eats and works well, drives freely and 
sweats very easily. On putting her in ihe 
stable after using her. she breaks out in a cold 
sweat that comes out iu spots all over her 
body and limbs; even her ears get wet, and 
sometimes she does uot dry off in half a day. 
She also gapes a great deal, aud there is a 
rattling of the bowels, but no looseness. How 
should she lie treated? 
Ans —Try the following course of powders: 
Epsom salts and powdered geutiau each one 
ounce, niter two drams, to be giveu night and 
morning in the feed or as a drench iu one pint 
of water or linseed tea On every alternate 
week replace the above powder with two 
drams each of sulphate of iron aDd Barbadoes 
aloes, also given night and morning as a 
dreuch or a ball made up with linseed and 
