4888 
four ounces, powdered gentian, ginger and 
niter each one-half pound; mix. Free access 
to common salt at all times is excellent as a 
preventive, and will also aid in the expulsion 
of the worms already present in the intestines. 
SEEDING A POOR HILL-SIDE; STRAWBER¬ 
RIES, ETC. 
E. M., Stanford, N. Y. —1. What is the best 
way to get a good start of grass on a field of 
about 11 acres, sloping to the south. Some of 
it is a steep hill-side. The land is poor; what 
would be the best fertilizer? Ashes here are 
worth 50 cents a barrel. Would they be use¬ 
ful and cheap? 2. On half of another field of 
about 12 acres, nearly all level, there has been 
no grass of any account for several years. I 
sowed rye last fall and needing pasture this 
spring, I turned in the sheep to graze on it. 
If after pasturing the growth were turned 
under and grass seed were sown late in the 
summer would it be likely to succeed with 
manure, which I would have to buy, as I need 
all I make for other parts of the farm? 3. 
Strawberries sdll for 10 cents a quart, would 
it be advisable to set out, say, a quarter of an 
acre? If so, what varieties should be used 
and how should the work be done? 4. What 
is the best way to apply sheep manure to the 
corn crop? 
Ans. —1 and 2. It is a tiresome business to 
get a good start of grass on a poor hill side. 
The fall is the worst time in the year to sow 
grass seed on such land, as it is almost certain 
to be winter-killed or thrown out by the frosts 
in the spring. Probably the best way to get 
this land in grass would be to sow it with 
clover as soon as it can be got ready, plowing 
and harrowing the land until it is quite fine, 
and then sowing a peck of seed to the acre. 
If grass will grow, clover will, and the second 
year the clover sod may be turned under and 
grass seed sown to get a sod. If it is thought 
any fertilizer is needed—and this seems to be 
the case—300pounds per acre of chemical com¬ 
plete manure would be a great help. The 
first crop of clover hay will more than pay 
for it. For this field the course above des¬ 
cribed would be judicious. 3. A strawberry 
plantation is very profitable when well man¬ 
aged. It is difficult to select varieties for any 
special locality, as no other fruit varies so 
much in respect of soil and locality as the 
strawberry. The market is also an important 
item. If it is near-by, some of the soft varie¬ 
ties can be grown with more profit than 
others, because they are more productive. 
The most productive varieties are Crescent, 
Wilson and Champion. These are all good for 
market. But it would be the best plan to in¬ 
quire of your neighbors as to the kinds which 
do the best in the vicinity, and plant only 
three varieties. Strawberries require good scil, 
and in the absence of manure a mixture of 
450 pounds of bone, 200 pounds of kainit, and 
50 pounds of nitrate of soda would make a 
useful fertilizer. .It is useless to try to grow 
strawberries for profit on poor land. In rows 
three feet apart is the usual manner of grow¬ 
ing them for market. The second year each 
row would be about 12 inches wide. Runners 
should be cut off when the crop is bearing. 4. 
Sheep manure, or, in fact, any other, should 
be turned under with lap furrows and mixed 
with the soil by harrowing before the plant¬ 
ing. 
LICE, MANGE OR INDIGESTION. 
J. H. Y. (no address).—-What ails my horses? 
They scratch and rub and bite themselves un¬ 
til they get most of the hair off, rubbing even 
their hide off in places. The first one com¬ 
menced about two months ago. The ailment 
seems to be contagious, as six more have it at 
present. The trouble isn’t caused by lice, as I 
have examined them closely. 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
From your incomplete description I cannot 
say definitely what causes the severe itching 
of the skin of your horses. It may be due to 
lice, the acari of mange, or to the feed. Are 
any fowls kept or allowed to run in or near 
the stable? If so I suspect the cause is hen- 
lice, which might not be found on the skin un¬ 
less you examine the animals with care in the 
stable at night. The treatment would be to 
thoroughly clean and whitewash the stable, 
and especially the compartment occupied by 
the fowls, with freshly slaked quicklime, to 
which add one pint of kerosene to each bucket 
of whitewash. In the absence of fowls, exam¬ 
ine the skin to see if it is covered in patches 
with scurf or scabs, indicating the possible 
pressure of the parasitic acari which cause 
mange—also known as acariases, scab, itch, 
etc. This disease is treated by washing the 
skin with warm, strong soapsuds, using a stiff 
brush to break up and remove the crusts or 
scabs. Then apply a lotion of tobacco (tobac¬ 
co one pound, boiled in two gallons water) 
and repeat on the third and sixth days. The 
stable, harness, brushes, combs, etc., should 
receive similar treatment. Finally if the skin 
is clean and the itching is constitutional, it is 
probably due to the feed or indigestion. 
THE ftUBAK, HEWofORREH. 
Avoid feeding all such heating agents as corn, 
buckwheat, bean and pea meal, and feed only 
such lighter grains as oats, wheat bran, etc., 
with only a moderate allowance of good Tim¬ 
othy hay. Give each horse in the feed twice 
daily one tablespoonful of a mixture of equal 
parts of Glauber salts and carbonate of soda. 
Any sore of the skin may be washed with a 
weak solution of sugar of lead—one dram dis¬ 
solved in each pint of water. After treatment 
for either of the above diseases the skin should 
be stimulated by thorough daily grooming. 
TUMOR ON NECK OF COW; AN AILING COLT; 
COUGH IN A CALF. 
O. A. S., Otisco Center, N. Y. —1. There’s a 
lump the size of a hen’s egg on the under side 
of the right jaw of a cow of mine, up near the 
neck. The animal is in good health and spirits 
and hasn’t let up on her milk. 2. My two- 
year old filly is at times badly bloated. She 
switches her tail, but doesn’t rub it against 
anything. She will stand on one hind leg for 
a time, and then on the other, and appears 
uneasy. I have kept her tied up in the stable 
the same as the other horses, letting her out 
for exercise in fine weather. She is well fed. 
What ails her? 3. What is good for a cough 
in a week-old sucking calf? 
Ans. —1. Probably a tumor or the result of 
an injury. If it continues hard and painless 
clip the hair and paint daily with compound 
tincture of iodine. If movable and only skin- 
deep it might be most easily removed by cut¬ 
ting it out. 3. Either intestinal worms or in¬ 
digestion, very likely the former. Watch the 
dung for worms, especially small, white, point¬ 
ed ones about an inch long, to see if the colt 
is passing any. If not, the trouble is proba¬ 
bly indigestion, for which give one table¬ 
spoonful of the following powders in its feed 
night and morning: One-half pound each of 
powdered gentian, ginger and sodium carbon¬ 
ate, and four ounces of the best aloes. If 
worms are present or there is no improvement 
after giving the above powders, follow the 
course of treatment recommended for intesti¬ 
nal worms described elsewhere in this issue,— 
giving the colt only one-half the doses there 
prescribed for the adult. After the treatment 
feed one-fourth pint of ground or boiled flax- 
seed twice daily. 3. Steam the throat once 
or twice daily by holding the head over a 
bucket of boiling water for 20 minutes. See 
that the calves have dry, comfortable quarters 
where they will not take cold. Mix one-half 
ounce of solid extract belladonna with four 
ounces of honey and give one-half teaspoonful 
three or four times daily, simply placing it 
well back on the tongue. 
ABOUT SETTLING IN VIRGINIA. 
G. E. K., Lansing, Mich.—l. Can a person 
with a small capital do well in Virginia? 2. 
What can good land be bought for near 
Richmond? 3. Which would be the best part 
of the State for a man to locate? 4. Can a 
man do well there working land on shares? 
Ans. —1. It will depend, to a great extent, 
on the character of the man. Such ques¬ 
tions are altogether too indefinite to be ans¬ 
wered without more information. 2. The prices 
vary considerably: it may be said, however, 
that land near Richmond will fetch 1100 per 
acre without buildings. 8. This will de¬ 
pend upon the kind of farming one de¬ 
sires to follow. If mixed farming, particu¬ 
larly stock farming, the central or western 
parts of the State would be advisable, as land 
can be bought cheaper there in proportion, 
and springs and running water are more 
abundant, which are a help to grazing. If 
truck farming is desired, viz: growing vege¬ 
tables for Northern markets, then the vicinity 
of Norfolk is to be preferred, as it has more 
direct and cheaper freight accommodation. 
In consequence of competition between steam¬ 
boats and railroad a barrel of produce is now 
carried from Norfolk to New York for 17 
cents. This is, of course, lower than freight 
would be in other parts of the State. Then 
the climate is milder near Norfolk than it is 
farther inland and it is better adapted to 
winter crops, like spinach, kale, cabbage, 
etc. 4. There are plenty who do well on 
shares; others do not, just as in the Northern 
States. It would be advisable to see the 
country first. If our friend could arrange to 
work for part or whole of a year first, he 
could learn more than would be possible by 
writing. 
GROWING LEMON TREES. 
E. T., Chappaqua, N, I.—How are lemon 
trees grown in the house? I have a tree 30 
years old, which was a great bearer. I re¬ 
potted in a tub which once contained asbetos 
for roofing, and since then it hasn’t thriven? 
Why? 
Ans. —Lemon trees are evergreens, and the 
soil in which they are growing should at all 
times be kept moderately moist. Their pots 
or tubs should be well and efficiently drained, 
and under, rather than over-sized as compared 
with the size of the plants. Ordinary turfy 
loam forms a good compost. The earth should 
be well firmed in the pots. Lemon trees in 
pots or tubs thrive well in dwelling houses in 
winter, providing they are kept away from 
the fire place, stove or register, and gas light 
is not used much in the room where they are; 
and while they may appear uninjured, should 
the temperature occasionally fall as low as 32°, 
it is not well to let it drop under 35°. All tubs 
which have been used for anything else and 
are now to be used for plants of any kind 
should be char-burned inside. This can be read¬ 
ily done by a fire of straw or shavings. Wash 
the stems and hard-wood branches with pot¬ 
ash water to destroy the scale, and the leaves 
with soft soapy water and a sponge. Then 
lay the plant on its side and shower slightly 
warmed (125° Fahr) clean water over it. 
Don’t use fertilizers of any kind unless your 
plant is in vigorous condition; indeed, if the 
plant is sick, you should rigidly abstain from 
furnishing it with stimulants. Healthy lemon 
trees should not drop their leaves in winter. 
But what ails your particular plant, we can¬ 
not tell, without knowing more about it. 
THE “BLACK APPLE;” PEARS ON THE QUINCE. 
Subscriber (no address).— 1. Where can I 
purchase trees of what used to be known in 
New England as the Black Apple? 2. Do 
those varieties of pears that do not succeed on 
the quince, make, when double-worked on the 
quince, as desirable dwarfs in every way as 
those that do succeed on the quince? 
Ans.— 1. The New England “Black Apple” 
was probably the Black Gilliflower, a very 
dark dull red apple of an oblong conical form 
and medium size. It is a productive mid-win¬ 
ter apple, and used to be popular; but it has 
been crowded out by other more profitable 
sorts, and is now rarely found, except in old 
orchards. Besides this, there is a Black Apple, 
otherwise Small Black, Jersey Black, Black 
American, a small flat apple of a dark red 
color with a bloom; a pleasant but not high- 
flavored fruit. A large “Black Apple” is the 
one grown in Western New York and Michi¬ 
gan, most generally known as Black Detroit. 
2. They do, when the variety used as a stock 
agrees well with the one grafted on it. Strong 
growers are usually selected for double work¬ 
ing, but all strong growers are not suitable. 
Experience shows that the old White Doyennd 
is one of the best for a stock. It seems to 
adapt itself to a greater number of varieties 
than any other. 
WATERING CATTLE. 
Subscriber (no address). —1. What is the 
best time to water cattle—before or after 
feeding coarse fodder? Is there any danger 
of washing the feed from the stomach if the 
animal is watered after feeding? 2. When 
cattle lick the ground, what has been lacking 
in their winter feed? 
Ans. —1. Water is rapidly absorbed in the 
stomach and bowels, hence it should be given 
to all animals before feeding and never soon 
after it. When given soon after feeding it 
dilutes the digestive fluid and causes the food 
to pass into the bowels undigested. 2. Her¬ 
bivorous animals require a certain quantity of 
mineral matter in the food. When at pasture 
they get this with the grass and when fed on 
hay and grain the natural craving appears in 
the desire to lick earth, eat wood, bones and 
other coarse substances. Wood ashes contain 
all the mineral elements of vegetable matter 
and consequently are excellent to supply this 
needed mineral matter. A mixture of two 
parts of fresh wood ashes and one part of salt 
may be given weekly to cattle with benefit. 
LAMENESS IN THE FORELEG OF A HORSE. 
A. McM., Darlington, Pa. —My mare has 
been lame over a year. There is very little 
difference in the lameness when she is at work 
or idle. She stands with one foot in advance 
of the other or sets it back, holding it on the 
toe. She drags the toe, striking it on things 
that makes it worse. She goes down hill as if 
stiff in the shoulders, and walks on the outside 
of her front feet. She is very stiff after stand¬ 
ing. She has always been well cared for. 
What should be done for her? 
Ans. —Apply a linseed poultice to the foot 
for three or four days, to soften the hoof. 
Then remove, and keep the whole hoof, wall 
and sole, well coated, with an ointment of 
equal parts of pine tar and vaseline, to pre¬ 
vent the hoof from drying again. Now clip 
the hair from the front and sides of the pas¬ 
tern for six inch, s above the hoof, and rub 
in a cantharides blister, following the direc¬ 
tions and precautions frequently given for 
blistering in the Rural. During treatment 
the mare should have only daily walking ex¬ 
ercise. 
BUCKWHEAT SHORTS AS FEED. 
J. H., Canajoharie. —I am feeding my cows 
in milk buckwheat shorts. I get them for $14 
per ton. Is it best to feed them alone or to 
mix with other grain? 
Ans. —Buckwheat shorts are far too rich in 
albuminoids to be fed alone, the ration being 
1:1.3, A ration to be well balanced for a 
milch cow should be 1:5. If in feeding straw 
ripe Timothy hay or corn silage for forage 
and only a small amount of the shorts were 
fed it would balance up those foods in the 
right proportion and especially if the cows 
had daily a portion of turnips or beets or po¬ 
tatoes. But to make milk production most 
profitable, the cows should be fed all they will 
digest' and 'assimilate. In that case there 
should be mixed with the shorts some wheat 
middlings, or corn meal, say, with Timothy 
hay or straw or silage as a forage food, two 
parts buckwheat shorts, one part wheat bran, 
and one part corn meal all by weight. This 
is in a general way, as without knowing just 
what the forage is no one can assume to advise 
definitely as to the ration. 
SORE EYES IN A HORSE. 
J. G., West Lebanon , N. F.—One of the 
eyes of a horse of mine got sore last summer, 
and during winter the other became sore. I 
wash the eyes in warm water and castile soap; 
what kind of a wash would be better? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
If possible we would advise consulting a 
competent veterinarian at once, as such cases 
should be carefully examined in person in or¬ 
der to give the special treatment necessary to 
preserve the sight. If obliged to treat the 
case yourself, cover the eyes with a bandage 
kept constantly wet with the following solu¬ 
tion : Lead acetate one-half dram and sulphate 
of morphine 10 grains, dissolved in one pint 
of water. The “white in the eye” may be 
touched daily with a small camel’s-hair brush 
wet in a solution of two to three grains of ni¬ 
trate of silver in an ounce of water. During 
treatment the stable should be darkened. The 
diet should be restricted and laxative. 
PREMATURE BIRTH IN A SOW. 
A “ subscriber ,” N. Y.—l have a fine Berk¬ 
shire sow from which I have been breeding 
for five years. Her last litter—in March- 
consisted of 13 pigs, which were dropped two 
weeks too soon. All the little things, except 
one, died from weakness. What'caused the 
premature birth, and how old can a sow be 
and still be trusted to breed safely? 
Ans —The age of the sow had nothing to do 
with the premature birth, which was most 
likely the result of a strain or other injury. 
She may be safely bred again if you desire to 
do so, and this may be repeated as long as she 
continues to be a profitable breeder. Sows 
usually cease to be profitable breeders afte 
three to six years’ breeding, while in practice 
most stockmen find it more profitable to breed 
only about two years, after which the old 
sows are fattened for the butcher and replaced 
by a stock of young sows. 
KNOTS ON APPLE TREES. 
J. B. W., Alpena, Mich.— What are the in¬ 
closed knots and do they injure the apple trees 
on which they are produced—Ben Davis? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 
These gall-like enlargements on the twigs of 
the Ben Davis apple trees are not new to me. 
We have found the same on our apple trees in 
considerable numbers. Close examination 
shows no sign of any insect inside. Again, 
the trees bearing these excrescences are very 
strong and vigorous; so that whatever the 
cause they seem to cause no serious trouble to 
the tree. Owing to some cause there must have 
been an excessive flow of sap at these points 
and thus a stimulated growth was produced. 
What was the irritant it is hard to say. 
PROPAGATING THE RED CEDAR. 
A. C. C., Calonsville, Md. —How can I pro¬ 
pagate the Red Cedar. 
Ans.— You may propagate by cuttings, 
grafting or layering. The trees being so high, 
it would be necessary that pots or boxes 
should be raised to a level with the branches 
to be layered. Then bend the shoot in the soil 
and secure it there. It is well either to tongue 
the shoot to be layered or to give it a twist to 
check the sap. The soil must not be allowed 
to become dry. Cuttings may be started by 
placing them inboxes of sand, the boxes to be 
placed in a hot-bed. Allow them to stand for 
a few days in a cool place, before subjecting 
them to the bottom heat. Shade and mois¬ 
ture are necessary. Without practical lessons 
and needed conveniences we doubt if you 
would succeed by grafting. 
A. B. S., Littleton, N. H .—Does the Rural 
use wire as a trellis for peas? If so, which 
number wire should be used? 
Ans.— No, but we should think it a very 
good idea if one can afford to use it. Prob¬ 
ably the No. 19 wire netting, two inch mesh, 
would do. If single wire is used it can be 
bought for about six cents per pound, 18 feet 
to the pound. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. M. K., Bristol, Md.— 1 . My 15-year-old 
mare is in good.condition; but one of her hind 
