1887 
tural paper does its duty in the matter of ad. 
vising farmers what not to buy. They, in 
the interest of advertisers, advise the purchase 
of all sorts of uew implements and devices; 
but never do they offer a word of caution 
against new things in the implement line. 
The barn and shed of the average farmer are 
all cluttered up with old tools and implements, 
some of which were discarded as compara¬ 
tively useless even before they w'ore paid for. 
The average farmer cannot afford to experi¬ 
ment with new tools, or seeds, or fruits. He 
cannot afford to run iutn debt for things 
which may or may not bring back to him 
enough to pay their cost. A mortgage for 
the necessities of life is bad enough; but a 
mortgage for unnecessary buildings, new, un¬ 
tried implements, plants, seeds, or household 
luxuries, pianos etc., is ruinous. Yet the 
bulk of the mortgages are given to satisfy the 
taste for these things, which are unnecessary 
and in mauy cases foreign to the actual busi¬ 
ness of farming. Agricultural papers should 
devote as much space to warning readers 
what not to buy as they do to advising them 
what to buy. j. q. c. 
Care of Tools, —Now that the tools are 
not in use, it will pay good wages to look out 
for them. 1 estimate that farmers who let 
their tools rust all winter lose 15 per cent, of 
their value. It’s no use talking to the men 
who let their tools rest under the fence all win¬ 
ter—they are past all hope. The men who 
house their tools should go a step further and 
protect them from rust. When I bring my 
tools in, in the fall, I wipe them clean and dry, 
and then rub them over with a good coating 
of lard or tallow; axle grease will do. This 
will keep them clean and bright. In the 
spring I wash the grease off with kerosene 
and find the tools all ready for service. Try 
this one season, farmers, mul you will never 
give it up. The wood work can be well painted 
with linseed oil and then wiped dry. 
Stark Co., Ohio. henry gray. 
Half-fed Horses. —We have neighbors 
who have acted through the summer on the 
principle that a good whip can take the place 
of oats in a horse’s ration. At least they have 
half-fed their horses and forced them through 
the summer's work by thrashing them every 
few moments. They seem to think this is the 
best way to make the muscles of the arm 
count in the farm work. When one of these 
horses lay down and died, the other day, the 
owner could net understand how it happened. 
People can do almost everything by means of 
chemistry, but changing a thrashing into oats 
is too much. J. H. green. 
Bucks Co. Pa. 
R, N.-Y.—For years some of the street rail¬ 
roads of this and other cities deliberately kept 
their horses half starved—mere frameworks— 
for economy’s sake: but they found it was 
very poor economy in the long run. They 
acted on the supposition that it would costless 
in the aggregate to feed the horses poorly, 
work them hard and get as much out of them 
as possible at the least expense for a short 
lifetime, than to treat them well and get a 
longer period of work out of them. Of course, 
it was barbarously cruel to act deliberately in 
this way; but “soulless'’ corporations generally 
look more to economy than humanity. Ex¬ 
perience, however, at length taught them that 
it would be money in their treasuries to feed 
aud care for their beasts well. Economy and 
humanity go hand in hand in stock feeding. 
I hear many farmers complaiu of bard 
times and the difficulty of saving a cent. 
Whenever I ask them "If you should live as 
your father did,couldn’t you save money with 
present prices f there is not one who cannot 
answer "Yes.’’ 
n. g. a. 
Litchfield Co., Conn. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must tie nccompauied b.v the name 
and address or the writer to Insure attention. Before 
askttuf a question, please see If It Is nol answered lu 
our advertising columns. Ask only afew questions at 
one time. Fut questions on a separate piece of paper.l 
GASOLINE. 
./. H. J., Peabody , Kans. —1. What is gaso¬ 
line composed of aud how is it made! 2. Can 
consumers manufacture it for their own use 
cheaper than they can buy it? 
A ns,— 1 . Gasoline is derived by distillation 
from petroleum, and is one of the lighterjhy- 
drocarbous, which leave the still ut compara¬ 
tively low temperatures ,in the process of re¬ 
fining the crutle oil in order-.to make it safe as 
an illuminating material. Gasoline then is, 
in reality, a certain grade of naphtha; and it 
owes its name to the fact that it has been used 
to carburet air in the so-called “gas ma¬ 
chines,” the air serving as the carrier and dil- 
utenfc of the hydrocarbon vapor with which it 
becomes saturated. The extreme volatility of 
gasobua allows the air to become saturated 
with gasoline vapor without the application of 
heat; for gasoline has a boiling point varying 
from 60° to F, according to its specific 
gravity, which is usually about one-half that 
of water. 2. The manufacture of gasoline is 
attended with a great deal of risk aud danger 
from fire aud explosion, and its manufacture 
by the consumer is, therefore, out of the ques¬ 
tion, both on this score and that of expense. 
Its mere use is dangerous, because, as above 
stated, its boiling or flashing point is so low 
that the ordinary temperature of the air is 
sufficient to volatilize it, and the law prohibits 
the sale and use of any petroleum oil product 
whose flashing point exceeds 100° Fahr. 
AN AILING HORSE; BOOKS ON HORSES. 
E. F. B., Sherman. Neb. —1. I have a horse 
which has been ailing for nearly a year. I 
took him up off the range six months ago and 
he seemed to have the common distemper, so I 
turned him loose again. Have kept him up 
for the past two months. He breathes hard,and 
by spells discharges a small amount of mucus 
from each nostril, of light yellow color. He is 
swollen about the nose. He eats well and 
keeps in good condition. What is the trouble? 
Is there any cure? If so, what? 2. What is 
the best work on horses—breeding, training, 
doctoring, etc. ? Where can it be obtained, 
and at what price? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORXE. 
1. Give six drams of Barbadoes aloes to 
open the bowels, and then keep them moder¬ 
ately loose by feeding oue-balf pint of ground 
linseed in the feed three times daily. Steam 
the nostrils at evening by feeding a hot bran 
mash, ruade by pouring boiling water over 
four quarts of wheat bran in a bucket, and 
allowing the animal to eat it while steaming 
hot. Night and morning give one-half ounce 
powdered gentian, two drams niter and one 
ounce Epsom salts in a pint of ale or water. 
Rub the throat twice a week with strong am¬ 
monia liniment or apply a mild blister. 2. 
There is no single work I can recommend 
that covers the subjects of “breeding, train¬ 
ing. doctoring of the horse, etc.” For general 
purposes “Stock-Breeding” by Manly Miles, 
price $1.50, is excellent. Ou “horse-breeding” 
alone, there is a recent work by J. W. Saun¬ 
ders, of Chicago, price $2. For training, 
there are a large number of works, all of 
which contain some very good points. Of the 
smaller works, “The Horseman’s Guide and 
Farrier,” by S. O. R. York, of Auburn, N. Y., 
price, $1., or Rarey’s “Horse Tamer and Far¬ 
rier,” price, 50 cents, is as good as any. For 
larger, more expensive works. “Taming and 
Educating Horses,” by Magner, price, $5; or 
“The Illustrated Horse Management” by May- 
hew, price $3, possesses many good features. 
On the treatment of the horse, as well ns that 
of other domestic animals, there is nothing 
better than the Farmer’s Veterinary Adviser” 
by Dr. James Low, Ithaca, N. Y., price $3. 
Any of these works may be had of W. R. Jen¬ 
kins, S50 Sixth Ave., New York City, or of 
the author where the address is given. 
FEED FOR SHEEP AND FATTENING OXEN. 
A. B. S.. East Thorndike , Me. —1. Which 
is the best aud cheapest feed for sheep that are 
to have lambs in April, one flock to have En¬ 
glish hay, the other swale hay; feed at the 
following prices: corn-meal, per LOO lbs, $1.20; 
cotton-seed meal, $1.40; shorts, $1.10. State 
the amount each sheep should have. 2. Which 
kind ami what amouut would be required to 
fatten oxen? How much more should they 
have when fed on oat straw than on hay 
Ans.— 1. Cotton seed is not a desirable food 
for any breeding animal, for the sufficient rea¬ 
son that its effects encourage abortion. Again, 
line foods are not suitable for sheep, which 
masticate their food most thoroughly. Corn 
and other carbonaceous foods are also not good 
for sheep except in small quantities. Sheep 
are warmly clothed and do not require so 
much carbonaceous food os other animals do. 
They are kept for wool and lambs, chiefly, and 
as the wool contains Id per cent, of nitrogeu 
ami the lamb needs special provision for its 
flesh and bone, foods rich in nitrogen and 
phosphoric acid are required. Hence clover, 
as pasture aud hay, should be the main feed¬ 
ing for sheep, and bran aud oats, with a little 
corn only, should furnish the grain food. 
Throe pounds of good clover bay and four 
ounces of mixed bran, oats aud buckwheat 
would keep a sheep of UK) pounds’ weight iu 
good condition, along with as much oat and 
pea straw as it will eat. 2. For fattening 
oxen we would give four quarts of corn-meal 
with one-fourth its bulk of cotton-seed meal, 
10 pounds of good hay and what oat straw 
they will eat. This allowance is for one day. 
The meal should be finely ground and fed dry. 
EVAPORATED FRUIT. 
F, L. N ., Fair Haven, N. Y. —1. Is the evap¬ 
orated apple industry likely to be overdone 
by so many goiug into it this year? 2. Are 
the best evaporated applies used in the United 
States or shipped abroad? 3. From what sec¬ 
tion do most of the evaporated apples come? 
4. Is the business confined to any particular 
States? 
Ans. —1. Prices this year are reported very 
good owing principally to the fact that the 
apple crop was light in many sections. Next 
year indications are that, prices will be low 
again, as without doubt many will enter the 
business tempted by this year’s prices. It 
may be said, as a general rule, that profits in 
the business will depend almost entirely upon 
the apple crop. A large crop means low 
prices for evaporated fruit as a rule. This is 
an excellent business for co-operative societies 
such as are organized to conduct creameries. 
2. Probably 90 per cent, of our evaporated 
fruit and about all the sun-dried are consumed 
m this country. Great quantities are used in 
the Far West and Northwest on the large 
farms and ranches. 4. Western New York is 
probably the most noted seefciou. Michigan 
sends out a great deal of first-class fruit. New 
England is gaining, and in most of the States 
north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi 
the business is more or less developed. Of 
course, California is noted for her fruit pro¬ 
ducts and there are many locations in the 
Gulf States where evaporating could be made 
profitable. 
ABORTION IN A YOUNG HEIFER. 
G. W. C., Hope , Dak.—My heifer took the 
bull when ten months old. About five weeks 
later I noticed some blood about the vagina 
and on the tail. Shortly afterwards she came 
in heat and has done so several times since 
at varying intervals from two to four weeks 
apart. I did not take her to bull the first time 
but have at every heat since then. About 36 
hours after taking him, she passes a little blood 
and is uueasy for about an hour. What is the 
trouble ? 
Ans.—It is apparently a case of abortion. 
Wait at least three or four months before al¬ 
lowing the heifer to take the bull. In the 
meantime keep her in good, healthy, growing 
condition. Is there any chronic discharge 
from the vagina? If so it should be reported 
for treatment. 
MANGE ON A COLT. 
P. A. R., Apalachin, N. Y— About two 
months ago the skin ou the neck of my three- 
year-old colt became wrinkly amt scurfy. 
The affect ion has spread since; what’s the mat¬ 
ter? 
Ans.— Wash the colt with warm, strong, 
soap-suds, using a stiff brush, to break off and 
remove all the scurf and scabs. Then apply a 
decoction of tobacco (tobacco one pound, 
water ten quarts) rubbing it well into tbe skin. 
Repeat the application on the third and sixth 
days. Good grootniug will do much toward 
keeping the skin in a good, healthy condition, 
and give the coat a fine, slick appearance. 
Miscall aneous, 
G. P. H.. Seville , Fla.—I have a young 
blooded mare brought from Tennessee last 
March. She was in good health uutil about a 
month ago. Now she has little appetite and is 
drawn up. She has run down in flesh and her 
hair has turned from sleek to rough, and alter 
she urinates she passes just a little blood. 
She fliuches when her loins are pressed. 
Though she is never severely worked, she is 
stiff and sore behind—apparently in the hips 
below' the line of the flank. What ails her ? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
Consult a competent veterinarian if possible. 
In the absence of such, take a quantity of the 
urine and supposed blood to a chemist or 
physician for examination. Seud us the re¬ 
port of such examination, with a careful de¬ 
scription of the case, and we can prescribe 
treatment. Without such examination treat¬ 
ment. might be worse than no treatment. 
A. T. Z., Tarry town, N. Y.— The Spangler 
fertilizer distributor is a good implement. 
Most seed drills are now fitted with fertilizer 
attachments if desired. McKeuny’s straw¬ 
berry aud lawn fertilizer machine, made by 
the Taunton MachiueCo.,Tauuton,Mass., is an 
excellent tool for lawns. The Cahoon seed 
sower does good work. For pulverizing the 
surface soil, breaking up lumps and preparing 
fall plowed land for seed, the Acme harrow 
can hardly be surpassed. 
H., West Granby, Conn.— Who are reli¬ 
able fur dealers in New York. 
Ans.— There are over 150 of them. Among 
them we may mention Belt, Butler £ Co., 106 
Reade St.; Herman F. Biadzeil, 1151 Broad 
way; C. G. Gunther & Co., 184 Fifth Avenue, 
and Joseph Froelich, 599 Broadway and 172 
Mercer St. 
gutwrtisfittg. 
a 
FURLEY&BUTTRUM 
English Merino Underwear. 
JAMES McfREERY & CO. 
Call special attention to 
tlieir Fall Importation of* 
this celebrated line of Un¬ 
derwear—in all weights, 
suitable for the season—for 
men, women and children. 
These goods will not 
shrink or w ash up in knots, 
and are equal to an y manu¬ 
factured. An examination 
is also invited of a com¬ 
plete line of the celebrated 
"OSTERODE HEALTH CLOTHING,’’ 
which, lor its excellent 
qualities.has won a repnta- 
lion throughout the world. 
ORDERS BY MAIL 
from any part of the coun¬ 
try will receive careful 
and prompt attention. 
Broadxvay and 11th St., 
New York. 
F. J ., Dandas, Can .—For full particulars 
as to brewers’ grains for feed see article by 
H. Stewart elsewhere in this issue. 
J. TV., Minnesota , Dak. —Yes; the Mesquit 
bean is too tender for your section. 
DISCUSSION. 
N. R. C., Shore, N. C., Nov. 28.—In the 
Rural of November 12, page 753,a correspon¬ 
dent of the Rural asks why is not the chin¬ 
quapin a good lawn tree, saying that there is 
one near a small village in an old field in 
North Carolina, which many persons would 
give $1,000 for, if it could be placed upon their 
lawn, measuring 152 feet around. But should 
not the writer have added chestnut to the 
name? Chinquapin Chestnut is no doubt the 
name instead of chinquapin. Thirty years 
ago I knew a Chinquapin Chestnut tree of the 
kind described. It never failed of a crop, 
each burr often containing four to six nuts. 
The tree was about 15 feet high, and the 
branches spread about 20 feet from the crunk, 
in every direction. The truuk was about four 
feet high and about 20 inches in diameter. 
It stood in the barn yard of a thrifty mechanic 
and would have been an ornament to any 
lawn. I know of but one Chinquapin Chest¬ 
nut bearing fruit. It stands in the yard of 
Dr. B. Jones, of North Carolina. 
R. N.-Y.—The Chinquapin is the full famil¬ 
ial* name of Castanea pumila. 
0vcn}ui!jcre. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Iowa. 
Oasis, Johnson Co., Dec. 3.—Crops of all 
kinds were good. Hay was rather light, but 
it was got up in fine condition. Wheat the 
best for many years. Oats yielded from 30 to 
50 bushels per acre. Corn from 40 to 75 or 80. 
Timothy seed from 2} to six bushels. Clover 
yield large, mostly cut for hay. This covers 
part of Johnson, Cedar and Linn counties. 
The drought has proved a blessing to stock,for 
it has compelled meu to dig deep wells so that 
cattle get pure water now. Stock looks fine. 
Prices away down. Hogs high and scarce. 
D. W. 
Minnesota. 
Mentor, Polk Co., Nov, 30.—Farmers liave 
about completed this year’s work of raising 
wheat, and most of them are doing their best 
at raising mortgages. It is rather slow work 
with interest at 10 per cent, and wheat at 57 
cents per bushel. All other grain is corre¬ 
spondingly low here, and tanners still think 
it pays best to raise the wheat. Cattle and 
sheep pay a good deal better, but it takes more 
capital to commence raising them, and one 
cannot turn the money over quickly enough 
for the farmers to pay debts and get a liviug. 
but iu spite of low prices the times seem to be 
improving and farmers are hopeful. The 
building of new railroads, warehouses, eleva¬ 
tors, etc., helps to make times better, and a 
