482 
MARCH 47 
THE RURAL HEVV-YORKER. 
on the snow now, as they can be more evenly 
spread? 4. If kept dry, will ground bones 
retain their strength for a year or two? 
Ans. —1. The trouble is that these very 
coarse bones will take years to decompose. 
No, the application will not be extravagant, 
except in the sense that you deposit in a bank 
that will pay you tardy interest. 2. We do 
not think it would. If you intend to manu¬ 
facture superphosphate every year , it might 
pay you to prepare for it. Sulphuric acid is 
bad stuff, and it is easy to gain a dearly- 
bought experience. 3. YeS, it would be a 
first-rate plan to sow the bones at once if your 
land is level. 4. It is difficult to keep bones so 
dry that they will not heat if kept together in 
any quantity. 
LUCERN OR ALFALFA. 
F. S., Copake, N. F.—What is Lucern? 
What is its feeding value? In what kind of 
soil does it thrive best? Is it adapted to the 
climate of South-Western New York? Is it 
hard to cure it for winter feed? Will it cut 
an average of six tons per acre, and do its 
roots extend down 20 feet, as lately represent¬ 
ed in an agricultural paper? What is its fer¬ 
tilizing value? 
Ans. —Lucern is known by several names, 
as Alfalfa, Chilian Clover, Spanish Trefoil, 
Purple Medick. It is botanically known as 
Medicago sativa, a leguminous plant nearly 
allied to common clover. It has been well 
known for thousands of years in older coun¬ 
tries, but is of late years attracting much at¬ 
tention in America. “It is a child of the sun,” 
says Prof. Beal, now our first authority tin 
such plants. It prefers a rich, sandy loam. 
It does not usually thrive on a compact clay 
subsoil. While young it is somewhat weak 
in its growth and a poor fighter. It requires 
at least two years to become well rooted. It 
should be sown in the spring without any 
other crop on well prepared land. If the land 
is to be plowed every three or four years don’t 
sow Alfalfa. It is a perennial, and may be 
relied upon to produce good crops for many 
years in succession. It is a great dry-weather 
plant, and its roots go far down, but just how 
far on an average no one knows. They have 
been found to extend from 10 to 20 feet below 
the surface. It must be mown just as it be¬ 
gins to bloom or the stems will become woody 
and of far less value. About 20 pounds, of 
seed are required to the acre. It is cured 
precisely the same as clover, though requiring 
more room in the field as it soon spoils if 
rained upon. We hear of cases where the 
field has been cut three times averaging two 
tons to the cutting. Such yields are excep¬ 
tional, and we doubt if they will ever be given 
in New York. Its feeding value is thought to 
be somewhat greater than that of Red Clover, 
and its fertilizing value is probably as great. 
SLOBBERS.—SALIVATION IN HORSES. 
J. H. B., Cooperstown, Pa .—What is the 
matter with my horses? One nine years old 
commenced to slobber last fall in October. 
He has kept it up ever since. He has very 
bad breath; his hair turns the wrong way; he 
looks stupid, but drives free and eats well. I 
gave him linseed oil until he was quite loose, 
washed his mouth with borax water, and now 
a seven-year-old is slobbering. What shall I 
do for them ? 
Ans. —Carefully examine the teeth to see 
that none are decayed or overgrown. As 
treatment, frequently wash the mouth with 
cold water and vinegar. Night and morning 
give one dram each iodide ot potash and car¬ 
bonate of ammonia, and one half ounce pow¬ 
dered gentian. Rub iodine ointment on the 
salivary glands beneath the ears and between 
the branches of the lower jaw. Feed only 
good hay, oats, and wheat-bran, with one- 
half pint ground flaxseed or flaxseed-meal two 
or three times daily. Closely examine the 
hay for any weeds, which may be the cause 
of the trouble. 
slaughter-house refuse. 
B., Fredericksburg , Va .—I can secure a 
lot of slaughter-house refuse, composed mam- 
y of the entrails of cattle, which has been 
standing some time in bulk. Is it suitable for 
market gardening and how should it be man¬ 
ipulated? 
Ans. —Slaughter-house refuse is a very val¬ 
uable fertilizer containing a large proportion 
of nitrogen in the animal matter. Much of 
its value depends upon the manner of using it. 
It is best to compost it with enough earth, 
yard manure or swamp muck and plaster un¬ 
til it can be spread easily. Or it may be 
spread at once upon the land and turned un¬ 
der when it will soon mingle with the soil and 
make a natural compost. It is useful in any 
kind of market garden crops, but especially 
for cabbage and onions. 
the acme harrow. 
L. L ., Oallaten, Dak .—What are the ad¬ 
vantages of the Acme Harrow over others on 
prairie soil, which is loose in texture and 
nearly free from stones? 
Ans.—W e cannot say how it would act on 
sod, never having tried it except upon fallow 
land or after plowing. Now, we do not know 
of any other harrow of its weight and draft 
that performs more thorough work in break¬ 
ing up lumps and pulverizing the soil. The 
firm sends these harrows to responsible farm¬ 
ers on trial, as we understand it, so that one 
need not purchase unless it proves entirely 
satisfactory—a sure guarantee of the faith 
and integrity of the firm which sells this 
valuable implement. 
BERMUDA GRASS. 
0. C. K., New Lebanon, Pa .—Has anybody 
raised Bermuda Grass in New York or Penn¬ 
sylvania? What are its good and bad quali¬ 
ties? 
Ans.—T he R. N.-Y. has raised it both from 
true seeds and from cuttings or sods. It is 
not hardy so far north, even with protection. 
We carried over a small plot one winter with 
protection. The next winter killed it entire¬ 
ly. It is a highly nutritious grass, and the 
sole objection to it in the South is the difficul¬ 
ty of getting rid of it when once a strong 
foothold is obtained. 
“esparsette.” 
O. B. W., Washington Bar, M. T .—Does 
the Rural know anything as to the value of 
Esparsette—a kind of clover—a circular con¬ 
cerning which 1 have just received? 
Ans.—O ur friend is referred to what has 
already been said of this in our columns. Its 
name is Sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa). It is 
valued in many parts of Europe as a forage 
plant for lime soils. It has been widely dis¬ 
tributed by the Department of Agriculture, 
but we hear of no favorable reports. 
Miscellaneous. 
S. H., Rock Hall, Md.—l. Can'you inform 
me what are the best manner and time to bag 
grapes; the kind of bags used, etc? 2. At 
what time should I gather the Strawberry To¬ 
mato or Winter Cherry? 3. What varieties 
of sugar corn can be planted at the same time, 
so as to insure a succession for table use dur¬ 
ing the season? 4. What variety of potato 
would you recommend for general crop? 
Ans.— 1. Use Manilla bags. Any paper that 
will not hold a pin firmly will not answer. 
The sides of the bags are slit down and a slit 
is made in the middle, front and back, to 
make a place for the stem of the grape. Then 
the front is rolled over the cane away from 
you, the back brought over towards you and 
pinned at each side. It is well to cut the low¬ 
est corner of the bag off so as to make a hole 
for water to pass out. Bunches may be bag¬ 
ged at any time before they color. To get the 
full advantage of bags, the bunches had bet¬ 
ter be bagged as soon as the berries are well 
formed. 2. The Yellow Alkekenge begins to 
ripen before frost, or in late August, The 
fruit within the bladder is golden yellow when 
ripe. The plants need a warm situation, and 
prefer a sandy soil. 3. Northern Pedigree, 
Cory, Moore’s Concord, Squantum, Triumph, 
Stowell’s Evergreen, Ne Plus Ultra. 4. See 
editorial, page 132. 
E. C. S., Cornwell, S. C.— Intending to kill 
a sow, I weaned her pigs all at once, and fed 
her moderately for three weeks. Then I be¬ 
gan to increase her ration, feeding corn on 
the cob at night and corn-meal and peas in 
the mornings and at noon. She became sick 
and died in three days. She didn’t eat the 
corn given her at night or in the morning; 
would not get up but lay on her side breathing 
as if she had fever. At noon she ate a little 
meal, and continued to eat a little the next 
day. On the third day she was found rapid¬ 
ly scraping the ground with her fore-feet and 
rooting. She would lie down, then get up 
and root, scrape, pick up a stick and shake it 
furiously. When last seen before her death 
she was standing in her pen panting very hard. 
There was no foaming at the mouth or dis^ 
charge. Was it a case of, hydrophobia? A 
mad dog was killed in the yard 13 months 
previously; but if the sow was bitten I didn’t 
know it. If she had hydrophobia, will the 
pigs be affected? 
Ans.—T he sow evidently did not die of 
hydrophobia, and there is no danger that the 
pigs will have the disease. The sow was in 
distress, but whether from the too sudden re 
moval of her pigs or some bowel trouble we 
are unable to say from your description. The 
history of the case would lead us to suspect 
the former cause. 
J. S., Caledonia, N. Y.— 1. Which is the 
best asparagus—Palmetto, Barrs, or Colossal? 
2. Is nitrate of soda as good a fertilizer as 
guano. Where can I get it and at what price? 
3. What is the best way to pack celery plants 
for shipping? 4. Where can I get the kind of 
potash used by woolen factories for scouring 
wool, and at what price. I want it for a fer¬ 
tilizer. 
Ans.— 1. Our experience is that there is no 
material difference in asparagus; culture and 
soil cause all supposed differences. 2. No and 
yes. Nitrate of soda may be serviceable 
when the land is well supplied with potash 
and phosphate. But if also well supplied with 
nitrogen, the nitrate of soda will not pay. 
The guano is a complete though not a well-bal¬ 
anced fertilizer, and should serve to help all 
crops in any land that needs food. You can 
get the nitrate of soda of any leading ferti¬ 
lizer firm. See advertising columns. The 
price is about $55 to $60 per ton. 3. Old 
shoe boxes are generally used. They are 
about the right shape and can be purchased 
at almost any country store. 4. We do not 
know. 
A. McM., Darlington, Pa .—Over a year 
ago my five-year-old mare got lame in one of 
her fore-feet. I could find no cause, but I 
worked her very little during winter, and in 
spring she got better and showed very little 
lameness in summer. Last fall she got worse, 
and is now stiff in both fore-feet and shoulders. 
The cords on the back of her legs are hard 
and contracted. What shall I do for her? 
2. While standing in her stall she swings her 
head about and strikes her nose on the feed- 
box. Does this indicate some ailment? She 
is with foal. 
Ans. —1. You should have described the 
lameness more fully. Does the lameness im¬ 
prove or become worse with moderate exer¬ 
cise? Is the toe dragged? In standing are 
both fore-feet on the same line, or is one ad¬ 
vanced several inches in front of the other ? 
Can the mare readily step over a bar 12 or 15 
inches high? Carefully describe position 
when standing, action when traveling, and 
any other points you may notice. 2. It may 
be a habit or some brain disorder, the result 
of a previous injury, or some exciting disease. 
Give one tablespoonful of the following pow¬ 
der night and morning in the feed: Sulphate 
of soda, niter, powdered gentian and ginger, 
each one-half pound; mix. 
E. A. B., Talldega, Ala. —1. I have a horse 
that is very weak in his loins, having been 
growing worse for several months. He has 
fallen away in flesh and has no appetite. He 
gets up with difficulty after lying down and 
is very lame in one leg, holding it off the 
ground if handled much. His shoes were 
taken off and on examining his feet 1 found 
the frog had shrunken away very much and 
had a foul smell. How should he be 
treated? 2. Is Law’s Farmer’s Veterinary 
Adviser the best veterinary book for general 
use? 
Ans.— 1. Give one pint of raw linseed oil 
every other evening until the bowels become 
quite loose. Apply a mustard poultice or am¬ 
monia and oil liniment to the loins, rubbing 
well into the hair, and cover with a blanket 
for a few hours. Repeat daily until the skin 
becomes thickened and the hair erect, indicat¬ 
ing that the surface has been mildly blistered. 
When the effect of this blister has passed off 
repeat the application if necessary. For the 
feet, see treatment of thrush and contracted 
feet in back numbers of the Rural. 2. Yes. 
J. H. E., Webster, Mass.— 1. I have a 
hedge of about 50 12-year-old arbor-vitaes 
which, never having been pruned, are of un¬ 
equal spread and hight. Should they be cut 
back to the hight of the shortest? 2. My 
wood lot consists principally of young chest¬ 
nuts, maples and oaks. Some grow in clumps 
of from two to four trees, and there is a vig¬ 
orous growth of underbrush. I have begun 
to clean off this and thin out the clumps to one 
or two trees. The work certainly improves 
the appearance of the lot and is a safeguard 
against fires; but the neighbors say it is un¬ 
wise to act in this way, and that I shall live to 
see the folly of it. What does the Rural say? 
Ans.— 1. Yes, that is precisely the thing to 
do—the only thing to do in our opinion. Do 
not cut off the tops flat, but conically. Cut 
them back just as soon as there is no longer 
danger of severe frosts. 2. We can not see 
any objection to your course and would be 
pleased to learn what objections are made. 
C. S., Plover, Wis.— In a late Rural it was 
said that it isn’t advisable to manure potato 
ground in the spring. I couldn’t manure 
mine in the fall; but I have now two piles of 
last season’s cow and horse dung in separate 
places. On the top of these this winter’s 
manure is spread. Will it not be best to put 
the new manure on corn ground, and the old 
on that for potatoes, or would it be better to 
put new on the latter—soil quite sandy? 
Ans.—P otatoes need a soluble manure or 
fertilizer. The old manure will serve you far 
better than the new, and the latter might bet¬ 
ter be used on the corn we believe. If you 
would supplement the manure for the pota¬ 
toes with potato fertilizer, we think you 
would be well paid. Try a portion at any rate 
with the fertilizer supplement and see if we 
are right. 
H. J. H., Hickory, Md.—l have an Alderney 
bull that has a lump on his under jaw. I 
have applied a blister of Spanish flies, with no 
success. What must I do to cure it? Give 
symptoms of distemper in horses, and what to 
do to cure the ailment. 
Ans. —1. You must be more definite in 
your description. Is the lump hard or soft. 
Is it attached to the skin only, to the muscles 
beneath, or immovably attached to the jaw¬ 
bone? Did it appear suddenly, or develop 
slowly? “Distemper” is an indefinite general 
name commonly applied to several diseases— 
mostly of the respiratory organs. We can¬ 
not, therefore, tell which disease you wish de¬ 
scribed. Give us the symptoms of the disease 
you have in view, and we can then give you 
the proper name for that particular disease, 
and prescribe the treatment. 
Subscriber (address mislaid). —What is the 
best thing to put a wooden-framed aquarium 
together with, so that it will not leak? 2. My 
canary bird was a good singer until he was 
mated with a female bird, about a year ago. 
Since then he hasn’t sung, and seems very 
poorly; what can I do for him? 
Ans. —1. Make cement with white lead, stiff¬ 
ened like putty, with red lead or litharge or 
part of both, and a little Brown Japan. 2. No¬ 
thing can be done with the canary to restore 
his song, if putting him in a cage by himself 
and good care do not have that effect. 
R. N. H., Dover, N. H.—I have a yearling 
heifer, whose bowels are very loose all the 
time. I am feeding her with good hay and a 
pint of oats twice a day. Some of the oats 
come from her whole. I think she was troubled 
the same way while out to pasture. Since 
coming to the barn she has gained well, and 
eats well. What should be done for her? 
Ans. —Examine the mouth and teeth to see 
if there is any apparent cause for the failure 
to chew the grain. If none can be found, try 
feeding ground feed—ground oats or mid¬ 
dlings or both, but no corn meal—and give 
three times daily in the feed two drams each 
of powdered gentian and bi-carbonate of soda 
S. F. W., Waseca, Minn. —1. What makes 
the edges of the leaves of many of my cab¬ 
bages all through the head turn black, while 
the bases of the leaves near the stumps 
are good? 2. What is the best way to keep 
cabbages through the winter in this State? 
Ans. —1. Without knowing more about the 
cabbages in question, we cannot say. 2. Keep 
them in sheds or cool cellars, where they can 
be got at readily in winter, and where they 
can be covered with earth or other material 
to partly protect them from severe frost; but 
particularly avoid warm quarters. 
B. W., Atwater, Ohio. —How can a stall or 
place to hold a cow or bull while the beast is 
dehorned, be made? 
Ans. —An ordinary box stall with stanch¬ 
ions at one end will answer. The animal’s 
head is fastened in the stanchion. A halter is 
then put on the head, the rope passed up 
through a ring or over a beam and by 
pulling on the rope the animal’s head is held 
high up. This is all the holding that is re¬ 
quired. 
H. J. P., Homowack, N. Y .—What kind of 
potatoes are good for early market? Can the 
Rural provide them? 
Ans. —Charles Downing, Early Maine, Stray 
Beauty, Early Essex, Pearl of Savoy, Thor- 
burn and Early Puritan. As we value the 
confidence of readers in our reports, we never 
sell anything to our subscribers. 
A. K., Washington, Mo .—1. Which is the 
best grass or grasses for meadow on rich, dry 
soil. 2. Is John A. Salzer’s “extra mixture 
for meadows” as good as or better than Timo¬ 
thy alone? 
Ans. —1. Probably Red-top and Blue Grass. 
2. We cannot say. Our own way would be 
to buy the kinds of seed desired separately. 
G. C. L., Lawton, Mich .—Where can I ob¬ 
tain Jerusalem artichokes? 
Ans. —Of Storrs, Harrison & Co., Paines- 
ville, O. (page 6 of their catalogue); J. M. Mc¬ 
Cullough’s Sons, Cincinnati, O. (page 65 of 
their catalogue); J. C. Vaughan, Chicago, Ill. 
(page 17 of their catalogue). 
J. S., Hammonton, N. J .—Has the Rural 
any Everett potatoes true to name for sale? 
Ans.— J. A. Everett & Co., Indianapolis, 
Ind., are the introducers. In order that the 
R. N.-Y.’s reports may be accepted as impar¬ 
tial we never sell anything. 
E. E. F* Brigton, Ohio.— Would it be ad¬ 
visable to sow Red-Top for a lawn as late as 
May 1, or would it be better to wait till fall? 
Ans.— It is rather late. Its success will de¬ 
pend upon the season. We should risk the 
May sowing. 
C. W. W., Shiloh, N. J.—Where can I get 
the Christmas Roses spoken of by Mr. Falcon¬ 
er, in a late Rural? 
Ans. —From Woolson & Co., Passaic, N. J.; 
John Saul, Washington, D. C. 
C. E. F., Brighton, Ohio.— Can capons be 
yarded the same as other fowls? 
Ans.— Yes. Capons are quiet and will not 
fight as roosters will. 
