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284 
and cull out any that show any appearance of 
deformity, such as crooked backs, breasts or 
wry tails. Those defects are often overlooked 
in pullets, yet they are very easily seen in a 
matured hen. 
Shade Trees should be planted in all poul¬ 
try yards. The chicks will not thrive in hot 
weather without them. It is not enough that 
they can get in the house out of the sun. I 
have known persons to insist od not providing 
foliage shade, arguing that the birds had sheds 
or houses into which they could go if they 
wanted shade, and even while the chicks kept 
dying off from the effects of a broiling sun, 
still these people couldn’t be convinced it was 
for want of green shade; so the chicks died 
and the obstinate owners were the losers. 
We cannot change the nature of an ani¬ 
mal’s natural instincts. Poultry, like gypsies, 
have a very strong desire for the greenwoods. 
Rows of blackberries, raspberries or currant 
bushes afford them infinite amusement to 
scratch under, as well as for shade iD the heat 
of the day, or to dust themselves. I never find 
they do the fruit any material damage; even 
if a few roots are laid bare, more good than 
harm is the result. 
Guinea Fowls. —It is curious to notice in 
nature that while some species are liable to 
much variation, others change but little. 
This is so in birds in their natural state, as 
well as in domestication. While so much 
change is seen in poultry and pigeons, how 
little is found in the Guinea fowls: domesti¬ 
cated for centuries, they keep of a very even 
size and form. The principal change is seen 
in the color alone. Some are lighter than the 
ordinary color and vary from that to white— 
a color which occurs in all species of domesti¬ 
cated animals. Although the feathers are so 
beautiful and finely marked, there is a re¬ 
markable uniformity in size and form. 
Bones. —In some parts of the country it is 
difficult for farmers to procure ground bone 
for poultry. This difficulty is easily overcome 
by getting a common hand bone mill, which 
can be sent anywhere. Every farmer has 
bones left from the table. These can be ground 
and fed. They are in every way as good as, 
if not better than the market article. When 
no mill is at hand, burn the bones till they 
powder, and feed them to the hens in a pan, or 
the powdered bones may be added to their soft 
food. They are also good for young growing 
chicks. 
Ducks lay much better in small companies 
of three and five than in a large flock. When 
there are many together not more than half 
the number of eggs per duck is laid. They 
are restless beings in a crowd. A continual 
excitement seems to prevent laying. 
State Agricultural Colleges would do 
well to experiment with poultry, especially 
with diseases. It is to be hoped that if any 
experiments are tried it will be on useful 
matters. Some things have been worn out 
and settled years ago, such as the sex of eggs. 
Every little while some one pretends to have 
made a discovery. After much care and 
science every pet indication of the sex of eggs 
has failed. All attempts to find out the sex 
are almost sure to be a waste of time. One 
matter of interest worth trying is the number 
of eggs laid by hens of different breeds for 
the first, second, third and as many years 
thereafter as they may live. Various breeds 
differ very much in this respect, and little 
light is shown on the subject. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address or 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.] 
MANURING FOR A ROTATION OF CROPS. 
E. K. j P., Paden's Valley, W. Va. —I follow 
a rotation of crops on river bottom land as 
follows: clover, wheat, corn, oats, wheat, and 
then clover again—a five years’ rotation—and 
have manure for only one field each year, and 
having five fields, two of them are in wheat 
each year, and the others in clover, corn and 
oats. When and on which crop should the 
manure be applied? It is coarse barnyard 
manure, made principally by sheep, which 
are fed corn fodder, hay and grain, and al¬ 
lowed to run to the wheat and oat straw 
stacks. I have contemplated applying the ma¬ 
nure on the wheat stubble in the fall preced¬ 
ing the corn crop, the wheat crop having been 
made on clover plowed under, as the corn 
would then get the benefit of the rotted clover 
and manure. Can the Rural suggest a bet¬ 
ter plan? 
Ans. —It is not desirable to take three grain 
crops in succession, nor is it well to grow two 
clover crops too close together. If you find, 
however, that your land is not deteriorating 
under your present rotation, and wish to con¬ 
tinue it, it might be better to plow in the ma¬ 
nure in the spring for the corn, as corn does 
better with raw manure than wheat does. Or 
you might, if you wish a change, follow corn 
with oats seeded with clover, which is turned 
under for wheat followed by oats again sown 
with clover to be followed by corn again. We 
never knew the condition of the soil known as 
“clover-sick,” which is an exhaustion of nitro¬ 
gen most likely to occur in this rotation, be¬ 
cause of two crops of clover coming in this 
way, viz.: with wheat and oats between them. 
Wheat is a nitrogen and potash crop; and 
growing two crops of wheat with but one of 
clover between, will supply plenty of nitrogen 
for the wheat, but will be apt to exhaust pot¬ 
ash. Still in all farming we are to be guided 
by results, and if your crops continue to be 
satisfactory, there is no need to borrow trou¬ 
ble. If not, we think the change suggested 
will be found advisable. 
PLUMS AND CHERRIES; CROP FOR AN OR¬ 
CHARD. 
W. W. T , Waterville, Ohio. —1. How far 
apartshould plum and cherry trees be planted 
in an orchard? 2. Are not the European va¬ 
rieties the most profitable for Northern Ohio? 
3. What is the best crop for a young orchard? 
I was thinking of planting currants—a row 
midway between the rows of plums—but 
feared they might be in the way when jarring 
for the curculio. I aim to fertilize and culti¬ 
vate well, and am not crowded for land? 
ANSWERED BY PRES. T. T. LYON. 
1. Plum and Morelia cherry trees should be 
planted in an orchard from 14 to 16 feet apart. 
The larger growing sweet or Mazzard cher¬ 
ries and also the Dukes should be allowed 
more space—say, from 18 to 20 feet each way. 
2. The European or “Domestica” varieties of 
plums are decidedly superior in quality and 
are also very productive, in fact, quite exces¬ 
sively so, but they are so decidedly liable, in 
most localities, to the premature loss of foliage 
and to the rotting of the fruit before maturity 
that it becomes very important that such va¬ 
rieties as Damson, Englebert, Lombard or 
Bradshaw be selected as less liable to these ma¬ 
ladies. Such varieties as De Soto and Rolling- 
stone of the “Americana” species are free 
from this liability and are highly successful in 
the Northwest. I would advise a careful trial 
of these. The “Chiasa” varieties of the South 
are found to be unproductive at the North, 
though abundantly hardy. 3. If a crop is to 
be grown among such trees for the first five 
or six years at least it should be a low, hoed 
crop, such as beans, potatoes or garden vege¬ 
tables; and its draft upon the soil should be 
provided for by a more liberal use of manure. 
Currants, planted between, will scarcely be¬ 
gin to yield profitably before they should be 
removed to leave room for the extending roots 
of the trees. 
ABOUT AN INCUBATOR. 
O. W. D., Davis, Mich. —1. I built an incu¬ 
bator according to Mr. Jacobs’ plan. It is a 
failure with me. I had the tank built of tin— 
a little smaller than the dimensions given for 
150 eggs. 2. What is the best material for a 
tank? Would it not be better to have it deeper 
to hold more water? 3. I used green sawdust; 
would it pay to dry it before using? 4. What 
make of thermometer is best to use, consider¬ 
ing the price. 5. I bought two cheap ones, as 
I could not get any others here. They register 
alike at freezing, but as they go up they vary 
about five degrees, which may account for my 
failure. I find the eggs made no development 
after 10 or 12 days, 6. Should the ventilator 
be kept open usually? 7. Would heavy wrap¬ 
ping paper be of any use for lining the boxes; 
to make them warmer? 
ANSWERED BY P. H. JACOBS. 
1.—Tin will soon rust, but otherwise will 
answer. 2. Galvanized iron or zinc. The 
deeper the tank the larger the volumes of 
water and the longer the retention of heat, 
but there is more labor in handling the 
water. Seven inches is a proper depth of 
tank. 3. Any moisture in sawdust serves as 
a conductor of heat, and, of course, causes 
loss of heat. The sawdust should be 
dry. 4. Write to Taylor Bros., Rochester, 
N. Y., and ask for incubator thermometers. 
They are not over $1 each. 5. Such variation 
was fatal, as it gave you no indication of the 
correct temperature. The thermometers 
must record correctly. 6. It may be closed 
the first two weeks, if preferred. 7. Not 
necessary, but will do no harm. 
LAME PIGS. 
W. P. S. (no address). —I have five pigs, 
bought last fall; since weaning they did very 
well until about a month ago when I noticed 
one began to'be lame; since then two more 
have become) similarly^ affected . w The lame¬ 
ness is worse in the front feet. The first one 
taken is so bad that he will not come to the 
trough to eat unless I help him, but he will 
eat when urged to. He seems hungry. They 
have been on a floor till within a few days. I 
have fed them corn quite freely so that they 
have left very much of it untouched a few 
times. Their swill has been mixed with meal 
and bran, but they have had very little milk. 
I bedded them during winter, but they wet 
the bed so badly that I have allowed them to 
lie on the bare floor. I have let them out, 
which seems to help those that can walk. 
What is the trouble? 
Ans. —The lameness is apparently due to 
want of propei; care, and too exclusive feed¬ 
ing on corn. Pigs not infrequently become 
lame on a wooden or concrete floor, especially 
if fed too heavily on corn alonq. The remedy 
is to feed more of such grains as middlings, 
fine bran, ground oats, etc., and less corn. 
Then place the pigs on a ground floor where 
they can have a place to wallow and a dry 
bed with plenty of straw or other litter, pro¬ 
tected from wind and storms. They should 
be carefully helped to and from the feed until 
they are able to help themselves. 
SCIRRHOUS OR INDURATED SPERMATIC CORD. 
D. B , East Baldwin, Me. —A colt of mine 
was castrated last May when one year old. 
He did well till some time in January, when 
the parts swelled up quite)badly and the swell¬ 
ing broke and discharged matter where he 
was cut. After a few days he seemed to be 
all right till about a week ago, when the parts 
began to swell again. The sheath is swollen 
very badly and on one side near where he was 
cut is a lump the size of a small hen’s egg, 
which is quite soft. The other side is swollen 
a great deal more and appears to be caked 
quite hard. How should he be treated? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
A tumor has probably formed at the end of 
one or both cords where the testicles were re¬ 
moved. If possible place the colt in the hands 
of a competent veterinarian as such cases us¬ 
ually require a more or less difficult opera¬ 
tion, according to the location and extent of 
the induration. In the meantime any abscess 
should be opened and washed out with a two- 
per-cent solution of carbolic acid, or other 
antiseptic. Fomentations to the swellings or 
slight scarification of the swollen sheath with 
the lance will reduce the swelling. A laxa 
tive diet with one-half ounce doses of nitrate 
of potash night and morning will be beneficial. 
ORIGINAL OR CRYPTORCHID. 
G. W. D.. Davis, Mich. —My two-year-old 
colt has only one testicle as yet; what is co be 
done? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
You evidently intended to say that but one 
testicle had descended to the scrotum, or bag, 
the other being retained in the upper part of 
the inguinal canal (the passage to the scrotum 
from the abdomen) or perhaps entirely with¬ 
in the abdominal cavity. This abnormal con¬ 
dition in which one testicle (more rarely both) 
fails to descend to the scrotum, is not uncom¬ 
mon in the horse, the animal then being 
called a ridgling, original or cryptorchid. 
There is nothing you can do to cause the de¬ 
scent of the other testicle, which will probably 
never appear. You can either have the hid¬ 
den testicle removed by a competent veterin¬ 
arian or expert gelder, or keep the 
colt as an entire animal if he does 
not become too troublesome. If castrat¬ 
ed at all, both testicles must be removed or 
the operation will have little or no effect. 
The castration of cryptorchids is much more 
difficult and dangerous than the ordinary op¬ 
eration, and should be attempted only by a 
competent practitioner. 
-«♦« ■ — 
Miscellaneous. 
H. P., Apalachin, N. I.—How should I ap¬ 
ply hen manure and ashes to potatoes? Is there 
any difference in weight between oats grown 
in Ohio and farther north? 
Ans. —In order to preserve the ammonia of 
the hen manure they should be kept separate. 
If applied one on the other, little loss would 
occur if covered with the soil soon after the 
application. We prefer not to allow either 
unleached ashes or hen manure to be placed in 
contact with the seed pieces. 2. Oats raised 
in Ohio will not weigh as much as those grown 
further North; otherwise there is not much 
difference. 
B. B. (no address). —What is the lowest 
temperature to which the roots of trees, 
grapes and berries can with safety be exposed 
in planting? 
Ans. —We cannot answer positively. They 
ought not to be exposed at all to the air,as our 
correspondent well knows. We have known 
the roots of apple trees and several conifers 
exposed to a temperature only two or three 
degrees above zero and yet the trees lived. 
H. M. G. (no address). —1. Water came 
into my cellar and my seed potatoes were 
covered for a week. Are they injured for 
planting? 2. What is phosphoric acid in acid 
phosphate worth per pound? 3 Is it as last¬ 
ing in its effects as in bone treated with sul 
phuric acid? 4. Is Arthur S. Core, 170 Front 
St., New York, reliable? 
Ans. —1. We should say not necessarily. 
An examination of the potatoes should show 
if they are injured. 2. About two cents. 3. 
Yes. 4. Yes. 
S. T., Suffolk, N. Y .—There was a now 
style of corn cultivator at the State Fair at 
Rochester, that marie a narrow track on 
purpose for potatoes and small crops: the 
operator sat under a canopy and guided the 
machine this way and that with his toes, inde¬ 
pendently of the horses. They said the plows 
could be held very accurately to the row by 
the machine itself. Where is it made? 
Ans. It is made by S. Terry Hudson, Riv- 
erhead, N. Y. 
R. M. McC., Farmettsburg, Pa. —Why do 
nurserymen never advertise white strawber¬ 
ries? 
Ans. —Lennig’s White is as good as any of 
the so-called white strawberries, and this is 
offered by J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, N. J. 
The Bush Alpine is offered by Ellwanger & 
Barry, Rochester, N. Y. The trouble is that 
the berries are small, and the vines unpro¬ 
ductive. The quality of Lennig’s White is 
superb. 
R. M. C.,Moorton,Del. —Would amixture of 
ground bone and ashes,equal parts by weight, 
make a good fertilizer for strawberries and 
for white and sweet potatoes? 
Ans. —Yes, a first-rate fertilizer, as far as it 
goes. More nitrogen in some form might help. 
D. P. N., Castile, N. Y. —I have lost a num¬ 
ber of sheep owing to the worry of sheep 
ticks; what shall I do for the rest? 
Ans. —Try Thymo Cresol, advertised in the 
Rural. 
G D. //., North Ftadley, Mass .—Are the re¬ 
sults of the experiments at the Rural Grounds 
published in book form? If so, what is the 
cost? 
Ans. —We have never printed anything be¬ 
sides the R. N.-Y. The Mapes Co., 158 Front 
St., N. Y., published in a potato pamphlet a 
pretty full account of our system of raising 
potatoes. 
H. L. W., New York .—What is the differ- 
erence between single and double roses? 
Ans. —The normal number of petals to a 
rose is five. By cultivation this number is 
doubled, quadrupled, quintupled, etc., and the 
rose is said to be “partly” or “very double” 
accordingly. Cultivation changes the sexual 
organs to petals. 
E. A. T., (no address.) —Can quinces be sat¬ 
isfactorily grafted on apple trees? 
Ans. —Our understanding is that the quince 
on apple behaves just about the same as the 
pear on apple. It does not forma congenial 
union and is short-lived. 
S. J. S., Emporium, Pa. —How can worms 
be kept from cabbages? 
Ans.— Our Insecticide Number will be issued 
in timo to give the information in bulk. 
E. A. T., Cross Plains, Wis .—When should 
the seeds of Vick’s Pomegranate be planted? 
Ans.—S ow them now in little pots or boxes 
of mellow soil. 
W. K., Ontario , Kans. —See our Ensilage 
Special, to be published in four weeks, for the 
use of chemicals in the silo. 
DISCUSSION. 
THE SWELLING OF THE BUDS AFFECTS MAPLE 
SAP. 
E. F. C., Ellsworth, Wis.— Speaking of 
maple sweetness in a recent number of the 
Rural, the writer says: “Prof. Cook has 
demonstrated that with due care the very last 
sirup of the season is equal to the first. This 
may be true even after the buds start, but he 
is not certain.” Many years ago when I was 
a boy and lived in Ohio, I used to hear my 
father assert that with cleanliness and care 
good sugar and sirup could be made 
from maple sap whenever it could be 
obtained; it was “all nonsense about the buds.” 
Curious to know whethor.he was right or not, 
I resolved to experiment. Some time in April 
when the maple buds were swelled and just 
ready to burst, there came a night cold enough 
to freeze the ground slightly. It was followed 
by a morning as bright and beautiful as spring 
ever brought. This was my opportunity. 
Taking a clean tin pan and a new spout I 
went down on the creek bottom below the 
house and tapped a thrifty maple that grew 
there. At the end of an hour or so I had a 
couple of quarts ot sap as clear as ever was 
seen. I took it to the house and boiled it 
down (we didn’t evaporate sap in those days) 
over my mother’s cook stove. When this was 
done I found myself the possessor of two or 
three spoonfuls of waxy extract)which would 
