experiment. I do not believe that scab is 
caused by wire-worms. Let those who want 
to investigate put some wire-worms in glass 
jars or pots, with a sound potato in each, the 
whole beiug covered with soil, and see how 
much the worms will eat of the potatoes. Let 
them also put a partly decayed and scabby 
potato in some of the jars with the sound one, 
and keep the earth moderately moist in some, 
and quite wet in others, keeping the jar.' at 
about summer heat. I think they will find* 
that the sound potatoes will not be eaten, while 
the decaying and scabby specimens will be 
preyed upon so long as there is any left for 
the worms to eat. ^Experimenters should .also 
apply sulphur to some, but not to others, and 
notice the difference in effect. J. b. 
Marlboro, N. Y. 
[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 In 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.l 
PROSPECTIVE PRICE OF POTATOES IN THE 
EAST. 
D. E. S., Apalachin, N. Y. —1. Are pota¬ 
toes likely to be higher in price? They start¬ 
ed at 00 cents per bushel and that is all they 
sell for now. 
Ans.—T he general opinion is that potatoes 
in this State and the neighboring States will 
not rise much in price this season. The .for¬ 
eign shipments have been heavier than, was 
expected, and it appears that many growers 
have held their stocks for the expected high 
price, wnich would have been realized but for 
the large imports. 
GREASE OR SCRATCHES IN A HORSE. 
J. C. H.,. Summerville, Ga.— My young 
horse is troubled with greasy heels, or 
scratches. An offensive, greasy-looking mat¬ 
ter exudes from his heels, extending up to the 
pastern joint on the back part of the legs. 
There are a number of colts in the same stable. 
How should the affected animal be treated? 
Ans,—C lip the hair short and wash thor¬ 
oughly with warm castile soap-suds. Then 
dress daily with a lotion of one-fourth ounce 
chloride of zinc aud one ounce of glycerine in 
one pint of water, and apply a bandage from 
the foot up. If little or no improvement fol¬ 
lows several dressings, try e strong solution 
of sulphate of copper, to which add a little 
glycerine. Should the discharge extend well 
down into the cleft of the frog, pare away all 
diseased horn and fill the cleft with powdered 
dry calomel and sulphate of copper well 
pressed in on tow or lint. In obstinate cases 
of this kind a change of dressing is often ben¬ 
eficial, and the treatment may need to be con¬ 
tinued for a considerable time. When the 
discharge ceases, it will be well to replace the 
above caustic dressings with the benzoated 
oxide of zinc ointment. After the skin be¬ 
comes healed over it may be kept soft and pli¬ 
able by the occasional application of sortie sim¬ 
ple, bland ointment like spermaceti and al¬ 
mond oil. 
THE RURAL TRENCH SYSTEM OF POTATO 
PLANTING. 
J. Y. D., Robbinsville, N. J. —How are po¬ 
tatoes planted by the Rural trench system, 
and why does the Rural think the yield will 
be greater by this than by the ordinary 
method? The ground is a Timothy sod, has 
been manured for two falls in succession, and 
is moderately rich. I intend to plow in the 
spring and apply 800 pounds of Stockbridge’s 
special potato fertilizer to the acre; would it 
benefit the crop to apply, in addition, from 
500 to 800 pounds of steamed bone to the acre 
broadcast, the special fertilizer to be put in 
the trenches? 
Ans.— We want the land mellow for pota¬ 
toes, no matter whether the soil is inclined to 
sand or clay. Consider how the potato grows. 
The seed-piece gives the first food for the 
sprout. The true fibrous roots start from these 
sprouts. The sprouts may really be consid¬ 
ered rooted cuttings. The seed piece will sup¬ 
port the sprouts until their roots can make 
way through, and so to speak take hold of the 
soil. Hence it is that the soil for the starting 
potato may be looser, more friable than would 
be best for the vegetation of other cuttings or 
of seeds. By the time the tubers begin to 
form,the roots have extended in all directions 
two feet or even more. Now the trench se¬ 
cures a medium in which the tuber can form 
with less opposition than a more compact soil 
would give, and it further secures more mois¬ 
ture to the roots which support the tubers as 
well as the tops. The trying, telling time for 
potatoes is when the tubers are forming—and 
not until then. Seventy-five per cent of the 
tuber is water. Any method of culture that 
will help supply this moisture at the needed 
time must help the yield. We believe the 
trench does assist in this way. The word 
“trench” has been used by the Rural for want 
of a better word. A shovel.plow will answer 
the purpose or a double furrow will serve very 
well in the absence of the shovel plow. Yes, 
we would advise trenching a nine-acre field 
and we should endeavor to have the trench at 
least 12 to 18 inches wide and the soil as mel¬ 
low as possible. The soil, of course, where a 
plow is used may be turned back to fill the 
furrow or trench. Whether the steamed bone 
would help the crop would depend upon the 
needs of your soil which, we cannot guess at 
The potato fertilizer, if of high grade, should 
furnish all the crop needs. 
YIELD OF SCRUB STOCK. 
J. W., Jersey City. —1. What is the average 
quantity of milk given by a scrub cow. The 
quantity of milk given by thoroughbreds is 
mentioned in the papers; but never a word is 
said about the yield of ordinary cows. 
What is the average number of eggs laid by 
an ordinary hen? 
Ans. —Nobody can answer these questions. 
Scrub stock is usually owned by scrub farm¬ 
ers who do not keep any records. When a man 
thinks enough of his business to record it, he 
is past keeping scrubs. Those who measure 
milk by the “pailful” or “gallon” seldom 
know what their cows are doing. We believe 
the “average” scrub cow will have hard work 
to give 800 quarts of milk per year. The “or¬ 
dinary” hen will consider 100 eggs per 
year enough of a job to entitle her to a pen¬ 
sion. 
NERVOUS DISORDER IN A HORSE. 
W. B., Canfield, Colo. —I have a valuable 
mare apparently in good health except the 
following symptoms. She jerks her head 
from side to side and throws her nose up 
and down as if trying to avoid a “bee” or 
fly. This is the third winter she has been thus 
troubled. She is worse in winter than in 
summer. She is 20 years old but vigorous 
and strong. What is the matter? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
Heart disease is often the primary cause of 
nervous disorders of this kind. It may also 
be due to some digestive disorder, or to a 
purely local cause. Carefully examine the 
pulse and heart-beats to ascertain if they are 
normal. If found irregular or otherwise un¬ 
natural, report the condition for special 
treatment. In the absence of any apparent 
disease of the heart give special attention to 
the diet and care of the animal. If inclined 
to become very fat during the winter, feed 
more sparingly. Try the following course of 
treatment and report the result in one or two 
months, or sooner if unfavorable. Give four 
or five drams of the best aloes to move the 
bowels, and keep them moving quite freely 
with a laxative diet and occasional smaller 
doses of aloes if necessary—or two drams 
every night until the desired effect is pro¬ 
duced. Also give, night and morning in the 
feed, one dram of powdered nux vomica and 
gradually increase the dose until at the end of 
two or three weeks two drams are given three 
times daily, something after this manner: 
one dram twice daily for two or three days, then 
three times daily for a like period, to be fol¬ 
lowed by doses of one and one-fourth, one 
and one-half, one and three fourths, and two 
drams respectively, each for two or three 
days. Stop the nux if the symptoms become 
aggravated or as soon as muscular twitchings 
are observed. These twitchings must be 
watched for; and are most noticeable if the 
animal is slightly excited, especially after 
dark. 
MANURE FOR A NEW GARDEN. 
A “. mbscriberHall, Pa. —I intend to 
make a new garden on a piece of sod ground. 
I have a part plowed in the fall and some will 
be plowed in the spring. It is a tough sod. 
The ground is a dark, sandy loam in fair con¬ 
dition. 1 have a good lot of hickory wood 
ashes and plenty of barnyard manure. How 
should they be applied and how much? 
An£.—H ow much you apply will depend 
upon how rich you prefer to have the soil. 
Hundreds of market gardeners near New 
York use 100 tons of stable manure every year 
or so, and they believe it pays them so to do. 
You may use all the way from 20 to 50 bush¬ 
els of the ashes per acre. Probably at the 
rate of 20 tons to the acre of the manure will 
insure you satisfactory crops in favorable 
seasons. We should harrow the*manure in if 
it is fine enough to be so disposed of. 
ABSCESS OR URINARY CYST IN KIDNEY OF A 
HOG, ETC. 
J. W. H., Wellstown, N. Y.— 1. What was 
the matter with my hog? It lost the use of 
its hind-quarters and I was obliged to kill it. 
I want information for future use. On dis¬ 
section I found one kidney so diseased that on 
cutting it and letting the matter escape hardly 
anything of the kidney remained, and the 
bladder was over half an inch thick and re¬ 
sembled tripe in its internal appearance. 2. 
What is a remedy for a cow’s teat that leaks 
badly. 
Ans. —1. If the cyst in the kidney contaified 
pus matter or broken down tissue, there was 
an abscess of the kidney. If the liquid was 
watery more like the urine, it was a urinary 
cyst. The former is very rare while the latter 
is not uncommon. There was also inflamma¬ 
tion of the bladder. For the cyst in the kidney 
there was no remedy. Inflammation of the 
bladder may be treated, but such treatment is 
usually not very satisfactory except under the 
personal direction of a competent practitioner. 
WORK OF THE POST-OFFICE. 
A. L., Brooklyn, Mick. —How many letters 
are mailed in the United States annually? 
How many tons of mail matter are carried by 
the U. S. mail each year? 
Ans. —There is no way of answering these 
questions exactly, as we are informed by the 
Postmaster-General. In 1887, 5,851,394,057 
packages of ordinary mail matter were 
handled by clerks on mail cars and boats. 
Besides this there were 950,613 pouches of 
through mail not opened by these clerks. 
These would probably average at least 300 
pieces each. 
Miscellaneous. 
R. L., Calumet, Quebec, Can. —I heard it 
stated last summer that fruits in a garden at 
Ottowa,where the electric light shone at night, 
ripened earlier than in places where it did not 
shine. This light is said to possess the same 
stimulating qualities for plant growth as day 
or sunlight. Is there any truth in the theory ? 
Ans.—Y es; there is some truth, as careful¬ 
ly conducted experiments abroad have shown. 
It appears, however, that there is little chance 
of the electric light ever being turned to any 
practical value for this purpose. 
J. E. R., Cloverdale, Kan. —What is the 
best time to plant walnuts? 
Ans.—W alnuts, when old and dry, will not 
sprout at all. If planted in the spring they 
should have been kept in a plump condition 
during the winter. The best way is to ore 
serve the seeds in boxes of sand sunk in the 
ground in a dry place during the winter. 
J. B. S., E. Tilton, N. Y. —From where can 
I get eggs of the true Jersey Blue fowl? 2. 
What is the best small work on fruit culture? 
3. Is the Annual Register still published in 
Albany, N. Y., and if so by what firm? 
Ans. 1. Who can answer? 2. Apply to C. 
A. Green, Rochester, N. Y. 3. We believe it 
is not published now. 
F. C. B., North Topeka, Kansas. —What is 
the Rural’s opinion of Professor Loisette’s 
memory system? 
Ans. —We haven’t tried it. 
E. L. M., Charlemont, Va. —1. Where can 
I get sods or seeds of Bermuda Grass and 
Japan Clover? 2. I propose to use S. C. 
floats and kainit for corn; what proportion 
of the two should be used? 3. What is a 
fContinued on next page.) 
Pi£c*nanmt0 
Beauty 
Skir\ & Scalp 
F^ESTOF^ED) 
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MAKE HENS LAY 
S HERIDAN’S CONDITION POWDER is absolute¬ 
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a medicine to be given with food. Nothing on earth 
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$1.20- Six cans by express, prepaid, for $6. 
I. S. Johnson & Co., P. O. Box 2118, Boston, Mass. 
If you want the best garden you have 
ever had, you must sow 
Maule’s Seeds. 
There is no question but that 
Maule’s Garden Seeds are unsur¬ 
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now have customers at more than 
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already. Every one 'pronounces 
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to the amount of $2500, and also 
beautiful illustrations of over 500 
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colors ). These are only two of 
many striking features. You 
should not think of Purcha¬ 
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before sending for it. It is 
mailed free to all enclosing stamp 
for return postage. Address 
WM. HENRY MAULE, 
1711 Filbert St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
The Best CORN AND BEAN PLANTER in the world. 
Satisfaction guaranteed. Agents wanted. Send stamp 
for circ alar and price. S. M >1 A COM HE If. 
Admits, Grand Isle Co.. Vt. 
s 
IBLEY’S TESTED SEED 
Catalogue Free i Containing 
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ddress Minim Sihlev & (lo. t 
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CC rno Myl £8 Catalogue of TV nv «Sr CBC C 
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True Seeds, at,) ust Prices. 
II. Colvin, Seed Grower. Dalton, Pa. 
S EED S 
Fresh, Reliable; celebrated 
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SEEDS 
To introduc our Seed* 
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ami Gardeners wo are giving away a 
_ lar?e collection FREE, including a pack¬ 
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SEEDS 
Johnson & Stokes' 
GARDEN & FARM 
MANUAL! 1888 
Is the best we ever 
issued. It contains 
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and hundreds of beautiful illustrations, and the 
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largest and finest onion ever grown, weigh 
ingover 3 lbs. each. Our catalogue price for 
| the onion seed alone is 20c. Mention thin paper 
IV~ Address JOHNSON & STOKES, 
219 Market St., PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
