fKI RURAL UIW-Y0RKIR. 
71 
answers to correspondents. 
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buckwheat as stock feed; best standard 
RATION FOR A MILCH COW; SEEDING TO 
GRASS. 
O. B., Lombard, N. Y .,—1. Is buckwheat 
mixed with oats a wholesome and profitable 
feed for horses? What would be the proper 
proportion of each? 2. What would be the 
best proportion of each kind of feed in a mixt¬ 
ure of wheat-bran, corn-meal and linseed- 
meal for milch cows? 3. In the reply to my 
question in a late Rural, with regard to re¬ 
storing fertility to a worn-out soil, it was 
presumed that this is a winter-wheat section; 
whereas it is not. I was advised to use 300 
pounds of high-grade fertilizer to the acre; 
should I do this in spring and sow grass seed 
with some grain? What kind of grain would 
he the best for this purpose? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
1. Buckwheat should be fed with caution 
because of its highly nitrogenous character. 
This is, however, more clearly indicated by 
practice than by science, aud presents a case 
in which the scientific standards are to be 
taken with some allowance. For instance, 
the tables give the quantity of albuminoids in 
buckwheat as only nine per cent, and the 
nutritive ratio as one of albuminoids to 7j^ of 
carbohydrates; but the bran of buckwheat 
contains 17 per cent, of albuminoids and its 
nutritive ratio is one to four. Now, this 
large quantity of albuminoids renders this 
grain too heating for horses, and in practice 
it produces inflammation of the skin and so 
much irritation that the animals will rub the 
hair off their necks, tails and other parts of 
the body; consequently, if buckwheat is fed, 
it would be better if mixed with corn, which 
contains a large excess of starch, which is a 
carbohydrate. One part of buckwheat, one 
of oats and three of corn make a very good 
feed for horses, when it is coarsely chopped. 
In fact, it is good for all kinds of stock, es¬ 
pecially for pigs. I have fed it largely to 
horses, mules and colts with much advantage. 
2. The best standard ration for a dairy cow, 
I think, is one part of wheat-bran and two 
parts of corn-meal, and of this four pounds 
may be given twice a day,morning and night, 
with dry hay at noon. Linseed-meal is not 
a desirable food for cows kept for butter. 
Cotton-seed meal is preferable, as it seems to 
give a desirable flavor, color and hardness 
to the butter, while linseed-meal does the op¬ 
posite. I long ago abandoned the use of lin¬ 
seed-meal in the dairy. 3. Thera is no neces¬ 
sity for sowing any grain crop with grass 
seed; the grass and clover may be sown alone 
with the best results. If any spring grain is 
sown, oats are as good as any, and the grass 
aDd clover seeding is now done with this 
grain more than with any other. 
SHOULDER LAMENESS—SWEENY OR SHOULDER 
SLIP IN A COLT. 
H. R. G., Ann Arbor, Mich. —My four- 
year-old colt slipped on the ice while playing 
two years ago, aud went lame for a while. I 
used a strong liniment for a short time. On 
breaking and working her, I find that she 
goes quite lame in the left front leg. It is 
difficult for her to back up, as she drags her 
foot. When stepping over a log, she swings 
her foot out sideways, from the body. Her 
foot and whole leg seem to be drying up. 
There is no fever in the foot. What causes 
the lameness, and what can be done for her? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
The lameness is iu the shoulder. There Is 
probably no trouble in the foot. You have 
given a very good description of shoulder 
lameness, but whether it is duo to a sprain of 
the large tendon which plays over the point 
of the shoulder directly in front, or to a 
spraiu of the muscle which fills the posterior 
cavity of the outside of the shoulder-blade, 
and plays over the outer side of the shoulder- 
joint, I cannot say positively. We will sup¬ 
pose the latter to be the case, this being the 
more common seat of sprain, causing what is 
commonly called sweeny. If our supposition 
•s correct, the characteristic symptom will be a 
rolling outward, of the point of the shoulder, 
readily seen by standing directly in front of 
the animal. There will also be a marked 
wasting of the muscles on the outer surface of 
the shoulder-blade, although the other muscles 
of the limb may be somewhat wasted from 
disuse. 
Apply the following liniment to the wasting 
muscle every three days, until the skin be¬ 
comes slightly blistered, then apply only once 
a week, but not so as to blister too severely. 
Equal parts of strong aqua ammonia and lin¬ 
seed or sweet oil, and one-eighth part oil of 
turpentine; shake well before using. If this 
fails to replace the wasted muscle, after a few 
weeks apply a cantharides blister—powdered 
cantbarides, two drams, vaseline, one ounce, 
spirits of camphor, 12 drops. Follow the 
directions and precautions frequently given 
in these columns. In the abseuce of the char¬ 
acteristic symptom of sweeny, carefully ex¬ 
amine the point of the shoulder in front, 
pressing firmly upon the center of the tendon 
and at each side. If tenderness is found ap¬ 
ply the cantharides blister at once, and repeat 
as soon as the effect has nearly passed cff. 
In this case it would be well to apply a high- 
heeled shoe. A rest of several weeks may be 
necessary to effect a recovery. In either case 
the colt should be put to work gradually after 
recovery, aud not be put to the plow until 
the shoulder is well hardened by other work.- 
ORNAMENTAL HEDGE PLANTS. 
“ Snowdrop ,” Oswego County, N. Y .— 
Having bought a small farm, I am desirous of 
making it attractive to my wife aud children 
by surrounding the house with a flowering 
evergreen hedge, using the inclosure for a 
flower garden. Will the Rural assist mein 
selecting varieties of evergreens that would 
furnish bloom from early spring until late 
fall? Where could I obtain the plants and 
how far apart ought they to be set out? My 
soil is a sandy loam. 
Ans. —You cannot have such a selection in 
any Northern State. Of evergreen plants for 
hedges, we have plenty; for instance, Norway 
Spruce, White Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, 
Hemlock Spruce (in situations congenial to it) 
and American Arbor-vitee; but not one of 
these is what is familiarly known as a “flower¬ 
ing” shrub or tree. Hardy rhododendrons 
and Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) are 
handsome evergreens and lovely blooming 
shrubs, but they bloom in early summer, 
and neither is adapted for hedge-work. If 
you insist on having an evergreen hedge, try 
one of the hedge plants mentioned above and 
restrict it to hedge proportions; then within 
the inclosure, as taste and circumstances may 
advise, use a goodly variety of such handsome 
floweringsbrubs as forsythia«,spiraeas,deutzias, 
deciduous magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas, 
lilacs, mock-oranges, snowballs, hydrangeas, 
altbaaas and the like. The Japan quince, of 
which we have pure white, pink, and crimson- 
scarlet-flowered varieties, makes a really 
pretty division ornamental hedge, but should 
not be pruned in hard—merely enough to 
keep it within bounds and orderly. Hedges 
made up of mixed shrubs are not to be recom¬ 
mended. The proper distance apart between 
plants in the hedge row depends on many 
things; but more especially on the sort of 
plant selected,the object in view, whether it is 
to be a stiff or flowering ornamental hedge, 
and also whether it is meant to act a3 a fence 
against cattle. Don’t use a hedge of any kind 
nowadays as a cattle fence. If it is to be a stiff 
hedge three fiet apart will be close enough, 
and four feet after a few years, will be 
better; but if it is to be a flowing, flowering 
ornamental hedge, four to six feet will be 
about right. The plants can be got from Ell- 
wanger & Barry, the Storrs & Harrison Co., 
or from any of the other nurserymen who ad¬ 
vertise in the Rural. 
TREATMENT OF BONES AND FLESH FOR FERTI¬ 
LIZING PURPOSES. 
J. M. W., St. Mary's, Pa. —1. How long 
must bones be steamed uuder a pressure of 
80 pounds to reduce them to a semi liquid 
mass? 2. How much plaster should be com¬ 
posted with every 100 pounds of flesh to fix all 
the ammonia! 
ANSWERED BY W. H. BOWKER. 
1. I do not think any steaming of bones, 
however high the pressure may be, will reduce 
them to a semi-liquid mass. The steaming of 
bone breaks down its animal texture, and 
throws out the grease, which rises to the top 
and is drawn off. The bone which is broken 
down is tal^n out at the bottom and pressed, 
in order to extract the water and what addi¬ 
tional grease there may be, aud then the mass, 
which is iu a pasty condition, is placed iu 
large revolving driers, aud dried to a flue, 
dry powder. In some cases I presume it is 
taken from the tanks aud pressed aud then 
spread out in thin layers on the floor, and 
dried in this way. Bone, to keep well, should 
be dried down to ten per cent, moisture and 
below. 2. I suppose the flesh in this case to 
be raw, and I have had no experience in mix¬ 
ing plaster with this article. I should say the 
better way would be to tank it the same as 
the bone is tanked, under 80 pounds pressure 
of steam, in order to get out the grease which 
is of no value as a fertilizer, and then press it 
in order to extract the moisture, and then dry 
it by spreading it out in thin layers or in a re¬ 
volving drier. If the latter course is not 
practicable, plaster might be mixed through 
it, and put over it as a cover in sufficient 
quantity to keep down all odor, and how 
much plaster that would require experience 
alone can tell; but I should say that a layer 
three or four inches deep would accomplish 
that end. 
ABOUT APPLES. 
C. P., Dawn Mills, Ont., Canada. —1. 
What kind of apples are Wolf River, Scott’s 
Winter, and Mann? 2. Are budded young 
trees better than those that are root-grafted; 
if so, why? 
Ans. —1. Wolf River is a large late fall 
apple, which originated near the river in Wis¬ 
consin for which it is named It very closely 
resembles the Alexander, and is supposed to be 
a seedling of that variety, but the tree is less 
hardy. Scott’s Winter is ‘a long-keeping red 
apple of medium size, which originated in 
Orleans County, Vt., near the shores of lake 
Mempbremagog. It is hard, sour and unfit 
for eating uncooked until spring; when the 
flesh softens, and the flavor becomes milder, 
brisk and spicy. It is the longest keeper yet 
known among the American iron-clad vari- 
ties. The tree is vigorous, productive and 
an early bearer, but makes a bushy head, re¬ 
quiring considerable pruning. Mann is a 
long-keeping, green skinned apple of above 
medium size, aud not more than fair quality. 
The tree is vigorous, and productive, 
and the variety is profitable to grow. 
It has been called an “ iron-clad,” and 
advertised as being “as hardy as Duchess of 
Oldenburg,” but in fact it it but little if 
any hardier than Northern Spy. It kills to 
the snow line in winters where Wealthy and 
Scott's Winter are uninjured. 2. Budded 
trees are in no way better than those grown 
from root-grafts; but a new or scarce variety 
can be more rapidly increased by budding 
than by root-graf tiug, as but a single bud is 
required for the former, while not less than 
two buds, aud, more commonly, three or four 
are used for the latter. 
STIFLE LAMENESS IN A COLT. 
J. B. H., Friendship , N. F.--My seven 
months-old colt became lame about two 
months ago in the right stifle joint, where there 
is the appearance of a bruise. At first there 
was a gathering on the outside of the joint, 
and I lauced it, and drew off the pus; but it 
gathered again. I have blistered it a number 
of times since. There seem to be a good 
many sacs of pus on the inside of the joint as 
well as on or near the cap. I have used 
chiefly hot applications. There is but little 
heat, though the colt is very lame. When I 
hold my band on the joint and the animal 
moves on that limb, 1 can feel the joint slip 
into place. I am now using astringent appli¬ 
cations. The colt is in good health and grow¬ 
ing nicely. What shall I do for him? 
Ans. —The applications you have used are 
good; but we would not advise you to open 
any sacs on or near a joint unless you are 
familiar with the anatomy of the part, be¬ 
cause of the danger of opening into the joint 
or a synovial sac that might be troublesome 
to close. If the present swellings appear to 
contain liquid, their contents may be properly 
I drawn off with a small trocar and cannula or 
an aspirator. Try bathing once daily with a 
solution of acetate of lead—three drams in 
each quart of water. If this fails, after a few 
weeks, apply a liniment of equal parts of 
strong aqua ammonia and sweet oil. Shake 
well before using, and apply ouce daily uutil 
the skin is thickened and quite well blistered. 
Then cease, to be again applied if necessary 
when the effects of the first applications have 
nearly passed off. You could scarcely have 
actually blistered the joint a number of times 
in the two months since the colt was injured, 
because a good blister usually requires at 
least four weeks for the effects to disappear. 
STEELE’S RED WINTER APPLE. 
L. A. E., East Randolph, Vt.— Can the 
Rural gWe me any information about 
Steele’s Red Winter apple? We have a few 
trees in this vicinity, that are beginning to 
bear. The cions were obtained a .few years 
ago from Michigan. It appeals to be a fine 
and very promising apple. 
Ans. —Downing makes the Steele’s Red 
Winter a synonym of the Baldwin, on page 
85 of the Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. 
The Baldwin is so well known that there is no 
need of describing it here.^ Again,on page 324, 
he makes it a "synonym of thp Red Canada, 
which in 1869 (when the work was published) 
was much grown in Connecticut and Mas¬ 
sachusetts, and succeeded well in Western 
New York, Ohio and Michigan. Tree thrifty, 
but of slender growth; very productive, 
young wood brownish-olive. Fruit medium, 
oblate, inclining to conic. Skin yellow, 
mostly splashed with *a deep red or crimson; 
some striped or splashed on the sunny side, 
and thickly sprinkled with gray, and some¬ 
times gree ish dots. Stalk short, inserted in 
a broad, deep cavity. Calyx closed. Seg¬ 
ments long, in a small narrow somewhat ir¬ 
regular basin. Core small, close. Flesh 
white, tender, crisp, abounding with a brisk 
refreshing juice. Very good to best. Season 
January to May. Ts this the apple about 
which our friend inquires? J. J. Thomas 
also, in his American Fruit Culturist, makes 
Steele’s Red Winter a synonym of the Bald¬ 
win aud Red Canada. 
CABBAGES AND CAULIFLOWERS “MIXING.”’ 
Several Subscribers. —In the recent article 
on cauliflowers grown on Puget Sound.nothing 
is said about the danger of the seed being 
mixed with that of the cabbage family. 
What about this ? 
ANSWERED BY H. A. MARCH. 
The cabbage and cauliflower cross very 
readily, and great care must be taken to pre¬ 
vent crossing, as the bees carry the pollen 
from the cabbage to the cauliflower blossoms. 
But we raise seed the same year we raise the 
beads, and our cauliflower blooms don’t ap¬ 
pear until the middle of July, so that the cab¬ 
bage family have mostly gone out of bloom 
by that time. But to make things sure, the 
boys are sent to every cabbage patch where 
seed is raised, within three miles of us, and 
with a pair of shears they nip every late bud 
and blossom to be found. That gives us 
assurance of pure seed. How about the dif¬ 
ferent kinds of cauliflower mixing ? We 
raise but one variety the same year, or differ¬ 
ent strains of the same variety. 
Miscellaneous. 
F. H. B , Black Hawk, Colorado. —You 
can get bone mills of various sizes from Wil¬ 
son Bros., Easton, Pa. 
J. J. W., Honeoye, Ont. Co., N. Y. —Is the 
Downing Mulberry hardy ? 
Ans. —It is not reliable in any severer cli¬ 
mate than that of N. Y. City. It is grown 
somewhat north with more or less success. 
W. H. M., Marshalltown, Iowa. —Where 
can I get a potato planter that will do good 
work ? 
Ans. —Write the Aspinwall Manufacturing 
Co., Three Rivers, Mich. See their advertise¬ 
ment in our columns. 
W. B. W., Leominster, Mass. —1. About 
how many two-eyed seed-pieces would I be 
likely to get from one barrel of the Rural No. 
2 potato? 2. Would it be safe for me to put 
barrels of such seed in cold storage in the city? 
Ans.— 1. We should guessabout 900. 2. Yes, 
it would be safe. 
R. B., St. Henry of Montreal, Canada .— 
Does California-grown onion seed produce 
as good a crop as Eastern-grown seed! There 
is quite a difference in the price. 
Ans.— Yes, the stock being equal in quality, 
seed grown in California produces as good 
onions as Eastern-grown seed. 
J. W. L., Rockford, 111.— Which are the 
most profitable varieties of potatoes for 
market, to be grown iu a light soil? Where 
can they be obtained? 
Ans.— Early Ohio, Pearl of Savoy, Early 
Puritan, White Star, Empire State, Rural 
Blush, White Elephant or Late Beauty of 
Hebron. Please see the seedsmen’s catalogues 
soon to be noticed, to ascertain where the 
various kinds can be obtained. 
Subscriber. —Many of the writers iu the 
“meat” articles say they put ashes in the 
w r ater in which the hogs are scalded; why is 
this done ? What chemical action is induced 
by the ashes ? 
Ans. —Any alkali has the effect, when 
applied to an animal’s skin, of loosening the 
hair. Thus ashes (potash), or lime paste, 
spread on the fleshy side of a hide, very soon 
loosens the hair or wool, and tanners loosen 
the hair by steepiug the hides in lime water. 
Hence the addition of ashes to the hot water 
—ISO 1,5 is the right temperature—helps to 
loosen the hair and facilitate the cleaning of 
the skin. 
J. H. S., Middlebury, Ohio. —I' have re¬ 
ceived the inclosed circular in regard to the 
Tree Currant, in which the nurseryman, 
among other things, claims that it never 
suckers or sprouts, and that worms'never 
eat the leaves. He' also'"claims that the 
r 
