•YORKER. 
The poultry show is a marvel in extent, 
and of good averge merit. 
I am very sorry the dairymen as a class 
have again failed to exhibit, leaving the lib¬ 
eral prizes to be taken by a few, and the 
visitors to comment on the greatly superior 
attractiveness of the butterine exhibit in an¬ 
other room. 
The attendance is good, but I wish there 
were ten times as many farmers to share with 
me the pleasure and the instruction coming 
from hour after hour of careful study of the 
huudreds of specimens of the triumphs of the 
skill of the breeder, feeder, and showman. 
G. E. M. 
OF ARSENITES FOR INSECT 
PESTS NOT DANGEROUS. 
PROFESSOR A. J. COOK. 
Mischievous allegations ; harmlessness of 
Paris-green on potatoes experimentally 
demonstrated ,; London-purple on apple 
trees innocuous ; when and how they are 
to be applied. 
THE FAT STOCK SHOW AT CHICAGO. 
RURAL SPECLAL REPORT. 
Large , but not striking, cattle exhibit ; pure- 
breds and grades', sheep: hogs; horses: 
poultry; dairymen don't help to advertise 
“o/eo.” 
Chicago, Nov. 11,1887. 
The exhibition as a whole is, at least, the 
equal of any former one. In popular interest 
it is superior. As yet details as to the number 
of entries are not accessible, but two days’ 
careful study gives these impressions: 
The cattle exhibit is abuudautly large, of 
high average merit, without many animals of 
such striking merit, that attention is especially 
centered on them. There are a tew very large 
and coarse beasts, one weighing nearly 3,200 
pounds. The largest yearling ever shown here 
is found in a pure Short-horn weighing 1,685 
pounds. An Angus two-year-old weighs 2,000 
pounds. Quality couuts well against quantity 
in the awards so far made. 
As to numbers, the grades, or cross-bred an¬ 
imals, are in largest force—possibly of highest 
excellence—20 throe-year-olds and about 40 
two-year-olds were in the ring to-day. Nat¬ 
urally most of them huve some Short-horn 
blood on the side of the dam, but both grade 
Herefords and Galloways are in good number. 
Of pure-breds there is a fair number of pure¬ 
bred Aberdcen-Angus, of remarkable quality; 
a creditable show of Devons; a small show of 
tine Herefords; several excellent Sussex, and 
a largo and high-class showing of Short-horns. 
I note probably the best herd shown by one 
man is Mr. Harvey’s Angus from Nebraska. 
The Michigan Agricultural College makes an 
instructive exhibit of steers of various breeds, 
not excessively fat. 
The sheep show is good without being re¬ 
markable. There is too large a percentage of 
only medium animals. The Downs are best 
represented. The Dorset horned are an inter¬ 
esting novelty. Their great fecundity and 
good size may counterbalance their rather 
coa se make-up. 
The hog show was very creditable. I am 
almost sorry to see a Tainworth hog weighing 
960 pounds—not sorry because he is a Tam- 
worth, but because I doubt the profit of such 
large size. 
The horse show, although a recent feature, 
has become the roost popular with the average 
visitor, especially if from the city. It is very 
large and very good, mainly composed of 
heavy horses with French, English. Scotch, 
and Belgian horses, well shown. There are 
lino classes of both English and French coach 
horses, exceedingly attractive to many, and a 
good exhibit of roadsters, etc. 
In the Canadian Horticulturist for August, 
18S7, is au article which I think is mischiev¬ 
ous as it endeavors, and as I believe by eri o- 
neous statements, to frighten farmers and 
fruit growers in the matter of using the ar- 
senites in destroying insects. If, as I believe, 
these specifics can be used with immense ad¬ 
vantage, and no possible danger, then any 
effort to create alarm is greatly to be de¬ 
precated. 
The writer in question wisely calls attention 
to the fact that one-half, or one-fourth, or 
even one-eighth of a graiu of Paris-green may 
se symptoms of poisoning, while one graiu 
luse death. He then says that in the 
is readily taken up by the roots of 
especially those of the coarser 
vegetables like potatoes, etc. He also adds: 
“Similarly, al-o, in applying solutions of 
Paris-green to the apple blossom, it is not only 
that the petals are destroyed, and this itself is 
no small matter, hut the poison may be ab¬ 
sorbed by the fruit, or find its way into the 
ovary of the pistil, and in this way, if no 
greater mischief results, those who have a 
fancy for chewing the seeds of the apple may 
some day find themselves attacked with symp¬ 
toms of arsenical poison.” Here we find a 
long series of assertions with not a single dem¬ 
onstration or word of proof that one of them 
is true. It were far better that such writers 
were silent. 
Let us now investigate this matter with au 
eye to facts. More than 16 years ago, in 1871, 
having demonstrated the value of Paris-green 
in destroying the potato beetle, 1 set about to 
study the matter in relation to the safety of 
its use. I applied to potato-vines all the 
Paris-green I could without killing them— 
much more than would be necessary to des¬ 
troy the insects. I also spread the poison on 
the ground under the vines. The plants were 
watered and well cared for, and in autumn 
or hue summer, the foliage and tubers were 
botb carefully analyzed by Dr. R C. Kedzie, 
and not a trace of the poison was found m 
either. Here, then, the matter was crucially 
settled by a method strictly scientific, and not 
by simple assertion. 
Six years ago, iu 1881, after finding that the 
arsemtes—1 prefer London-purple and so 1 
have used that most, although Paris-green 
serves well—were wonderfully effective in re¬ 
sisting the ravages of the coddling moth, I 
prepared to investigate the question of safety 
in its use. First, let me add, that it should 
never be used on the trees while they are iu 
blossom. This is too early for the coddling 
moths, and there is danger of poisoning 
the bees, which are the pomologist's best 
aids just at this time. Hence the argu¬ 
ment, or assertion, rather, about the blos¬ 
soms is of no interest to us, even were 
it true, which is far from probable 
I treated a branch of au apple tree so 
thoroughly, and with such a generous supply 
of poison, that I blighted the foliage. I used 
far more poison than was necessity or desira¬ 
ble in simply fighting the insects. 1 had a 
purpose iu this as will be seen. About the 
middle of August I cut a funnel-shaped piece 
at the calyx end of euch fruit from one hun¬ 
dred of the apples, where this concentrated 
mixture was applied the previous Juue, and a 
thorough analysis of the pieces was made by 
Dr. Kedzie. The sumo operation was repeated, 
aud not the slightest trace of poison was found 
in either case. Hence we know that the above 
assertions are simply not true. 
The value and safety of this remedy are 
demonstrated alike by scientific method and 
by practical use. No man cau wisely use Lou¬ 
don-purple in his orchard in Juno without re- 
MOV §6 
ceiving immense benefit. It only remains to 
be said that the mixture should be applied 
early, before the larvue enter the apples. If 
not done till the apples are as large as tbo end 
of one’s finger, it. will be too late. The right 
time is just after the blossoms have fallen, 
when the fruit is not larger than a small pea. 
A second application three weeks later will 
make the work more efficient, but even one 
application is astonishingly effective. It is 
also best to use a very weak mixture; one- 
hall' pound of the poison t.o 100 gallons of 
water is enough. Then we can make the ap¬ 
plications so thorough that every apple will 
receive some of the poison. In large orchards 
the Field force pump is invaluable. This is 
operated or moved by power from the hind 
wheels which connect by gearing with the 
pump. Thus, by urging the horses to a rapid 
walk, and passing on each side of the tree— 
that is, passiug up and down in each space be¬ 
tween rows, both ways, north and south, then 
east aud west—the work is made very 
thorough and is quite inexpensive. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
(.Every query must lie accompanied by the name 
and adures8 of the writer to Jusure intention. Before 
asking a question, please sec if U Is not answered In 
our advertising Columns. Ask only a lew questions at 
one time. But questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
FEEDING VALUE OF HUNGARIAN GRASS. 
L. J. K., Alt liras, Cal. —What is the value 
of Hungarian Grass for hay for horses and 
cattle? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
Hungarian Grass and millet differ in no es¬ 
sential respect as regards feeding value. They 
are related very closely botanically,and differ, 
iu general appearance only iu the form of the 
panicle which is close and compact in the for¬ 
mer and loose and somewhat open iu the lat¬ 
ter. They may both be considered together 
as regards their feuding value. Tins depends 
very much upon the maimer of growth, the 
stage iu which the hay is cut and the manner 
iu which the hay is cured. When the crop is 
thinly sown and the soil is rich, the stems 
grow thick and woody, aud if then cut late 
and when the stems are hard aud the seed is 
formed in tbo heads, it makes very poor feed 
and is even dangerously injurious to horses be¬ 
cause of its indigestibility and the stiff¬ 
ness and sharpness of the awns with 
which the houds are abundantly fur¬ 
nished. If the crop so grown and cut is left 
to dry in the sun before it is taken up, the hay 
may bo considered almost worthli ss for fodder, 
being hard, woody, and almost incapable of 
digestion. 
On the other baud, if the crop is sown 
thickly, say half a bushel of seed to the acre, 
early in the season, and not later than the 
middle of June or even two weeks earlier,and 
the hay is cut when the blossoms are first ap¬ 
pearing, and is left on the ground no longer 
than a few hours to wilt, and is then gathered 
into cocks aud cured in this way, the hay is 
exceedingly nutritious aud is eaten with avid¬ 
ity anil with safety by all kinds of stock. 
The following figures give the feeding charac¬ 
ter and value per 100 pouuds of this crop ns 
compared with Timothy and clover hay, all of 
the best quality: 
Tim- 
<—Hungarian Grass.—, othy. Clover 
Early eul. Late cut. 
Albuminoids, 10 8 5.0 9.7 13.5 
Crude Fiber, 20.4 28.1 22.7 24.0 
Carbo-hydrates, 30.5 42.1 45.8 87.1 
Fat, 2.2 1.4 3.0 2.0 
Money value, 80.66 $0.40 $0.70 $0 79 
The lessoned value of the lute-cut crop is 
thus shown very conspicuously, the hay being 
rather less valuable than corn cobs. The di¬ 
gestibility of Hungarian hay is less than that 
of either Timothy or clover hay. At least 
this is stated in the best authority we have, 
viz: the feeding tables of the German chem¬ 
ists. But my own experience in feeding mil¬ 
let buy (wliich, as I hav e said, is practically I ho 
same as Hungarian) to cows kept for milk and 
butter does not quite bear out this statement. 
My hay was grown from a thickly sown 
crop and was as fine as ordinary Timothy, 
very leafy and with soft stems; it was more 
of a bright green color and was quite fra .rant 
when taken out of the mow. The cows I ad 
been feeding oil mixed Timothy and clover 
previously and when given the millet quickly 
gained In milk and butter both. This would 
go to show that the lmy, and especially the 
fat, was more digestible t tin it the Timothy. 
After the millet was used up, clear clover of 
the best quulity was fed without any per- 
