4889 
FLOWERS FOR A WINDOW GARDEN; PROPA¬ 
GATING BEGONIAS; GOOD LATE GRAPES; 
parsnips; shade trees. 
S. H., Kock Hall, Md. —1. .What are good 
flowers for a window garden? 2. How are 
begonias propagated? 3 What is a good 
hardy white grape? The Pockliugton is 
weakly with me. What is a good late black 
grape? Name a red one also. 4. Why do my 
parsnips have many small roots instead of 
growing a single symmetrical root? 5. What 
is the best maple for shade? Should maples 
and other shade trees be manured now or in 
the spring? 
Ans. —1. Begin in Octobor with carna¬ 
tions and chrysanthemums, and with these in¬ 
clude in November bouvardias and lobster- 
claw cactus All enter December, and add 
callas, Paris daisies, stevias and Chinese 
primroses. To these in January add Chinese 
and white narcissus, Roman hyacinths, cycla¬ 
men and oxalis, and pass into February with 
petunias, fish geraniums, Begonia coccint a and 
B. manicata, freesias, cinerarias and tea roses. 
In March to many of these will be added a 
host of others, as tulips, “ Dutch ” hyacinths, 
daffodils and other narcissus, and dwarf 
deutzias and fuchsias, and in April hydrangeas 
in pots, mignonette in pots, large-flowering 
cactuses, calceolarias, show pelargoniums and 
many other seasonable flowers. In May 
it is more a question of emptying 
than filling the window, and we turn 
the plants out on the piazza to har¬ 
den them off prepat atory to resetting or 
planting them out, and in this way do the 
plants a good turn and give the good wife a 
chance to clean house. 2. All begonias can 
be raised from seeds. Species come true from 
seed, but varieties are variable. Rex and 
other large, fleshy-leaved begonias are usuallv 
raised from leaf-cuttings; B. insignis, B. 
fuchsioides and other branchy sorts from cut¬ 
tings in the ordinary way, and tuberous 
begonias from seed. 3 Late red, Jefferson; 
black, Worden; white, Niagara and Victoria. 
4. Land plowed shallow, a stiff subsoil, and 
fresh manure near the surface of the ground 
will cause short,rooty parsnips,salsify or other 
crops of that nature. But good, long, clean 
parsnips should be produced on land that had 
been well enriched for last year’s crop and 
subsoiled but not freshly manured with barn¬ 
yard manure for the parsnip crop, though a 
little artificial fertilizer instead, would be ad¬ 
visable. 5. The Sugar Maple; but the Nor¬ 
way Maple will give shade sooner. Shade 
trees should be manured preferably in fall, so 
that the rains and snows of winter may wash 
the nutriment down to the roots; but a ma 
nure dressing now or at any time will do 
them good. But don’t manure a newly plant 
ed tree before it has “ taken ” to the soil and 
started to make good feeding roots. 
CORN AND COOKED AND UNCOOKED CORN- 
MEAL AS HOG FEED. 
J. M. C., Evansville, Ind. —About a year 
ago one of the Eastern agricultural colleges 
made some experiments in feeding com and 
cooked corn meal to hogs. As nearly as I 
can remember, the results showed that a 
given amount of corn put one pound of 
meat on the hog in a certain time; 
whereas the same quantity of corn ground 
made 1 % pound of meat, and the same 
amountof meal, when cooked, made 2% pounds 
of meat, all in the same time. Who can tell 
auythiug more on this subject? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. W. H. JORDAN. 
The inquirer cannot refer to the Maiue ex¬ 
periment in feediug raw aDd cooked meal, as 
the re-ults of that experiment, continued for 
nine years, were in favor of the raw meal. I 
give below a summary of the results for each 
year. 
In 1870 scalded meal fed warm was to raw 
meal fed cold 
as 
95 5 to ICO 
In 1871 value of cooked meal to raw meal as 
11.8 to 100 
“ 1372 
*• 
M 
“ " 
•» «« << it 
82 . to 100 
“ 18 3 
ii •• ii ii 
91 6 to 100 
M 1871 
u 
98.8 to V 0 
“ 1375 
“ *• 
•i ii i* ii 
72.3 to 100 
*• 187B 
ii ii ii it 
88 8 to 1(K> 
“ 1877 
ii ii ii ii 
64.2 to 100 
•* 1873 
ii ii ii •« 
78.5 to 100 
It seems 
to mo that 
these results 
are con- 
elusive. Iu regard to whole corn vs. corn 
meal, I can only refer to the results of out 
experiment on that point, which were 
published in the Maine Experiment Station 
report for 183(3-7, where six pigs from the 
same litter were divided into two lots of 
three each, one lot being fed whole corn and 
the other the same weight of meal ground 
from the same corn, and the growth was 
almost exactly the same in the two cases. 
The experiment was repeated later, and tho 
pigs fed on whole corn gained the most. The 
r,suits of this latter experiment are not yet 
publ shed. Take notice that the first ex¬ 
periment occupied 194 days and the latter 
about 90. In both instances the pigs were 
thrifty, and very uniform in size and quality. 
I am of the,opinion that in the past much 
money aud time have been wasted iu grinding 
and cooking corn as food for hogs. 
FEED FOR FATTENING STOCK; SEEDING TO 
GRASS. 
W. C. M., Blackstone, Mass. —1. I am giv¬ 
ing some three year-old steers, weighing be¬ 
tween 1,100 and 1,200 pounds, one quart of cot¬ 
ton-seed-meal aud five quarts corn and-cob- 
meal (one-quarter oats, ground) twice a day, 
with good hay, rye fodder, and Hungarian 
Grass. I wish to fatten them. Am I feeding 
enough grain and a good proportion? 2. I 
sowed a two-acre plot last spring with rye and 
grass seed, but the latter caught In only a 
small part. Would it work to sow grass seed 
on the frozen ground in spring, or had I better 
harrow then and seed and roll ? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
1. This feeding is not sufficient to fatten 
animals of this weight as quickly as is profit¬ 
able. The cotton-meal might easily be 
doubled; in fact in feeding beeves with the 
most profitable results it is desirable to give 
them all they will eat up clean; but not to 
overdo it lest they should get off their feed 
for a few days and fall off. Scarcely any 
bunch of beeves are found that will consume 
the same quantity of feed each. It would 
be doubtless advisable to add gradually to the 
cotton-seed meal above mentioned and watch 
each animal and fix the full ration at the 
quantity he will consume with good appe¬ 
tite. It should not be forgotten that flesh and 
fat contain 75 per cent of water, and conse 
quently fattening animals should be well sup¬ 
plied with water of a moderate temperature, 
not less than 55 or 60 degrees. It hastens the 
fattening of stall-fed beasts to give sufficient 
meal stirred in the water to make a thin gruel 
of it. 2. It is quite possible that the failure of 
the grass seed was due to the want of sufficient 
fertility in the soil. If the land should be 
harrowed in the spring, with a light sloping- 
tooth harrow, and some fine manure could 
be harrowed in with the seed, no doubt a good 
stand might be secured. Poor soil is more 
often the cause of failure of grass seed than 
dry weather. The work should be done as 
early as possible, 
KEEPING CARP IN A POND. 
E S. A., Torrington, Conn. —I built a dam 
on a small stream to make a pond, covering 
about one eighth of an acre, of a good depth, 
for the purpose of supplying ice for home use. 
The overflow is eight feet long and four wide. 
At times there is a sheet of water eight feet 
wide and a foot deep or more; at other times 
a two Inch pipe would carry off all the water. 
The pond is stocked with carp. How can I 
fix the ovi rflow so as to keep the fish in while 
letting ’he water out? The overflow is made 
of planks with an apron. I fear ice will clog 
up the passage and force the water over the 
banks. 
Ans.— The difficulty may be met by making 
a double lining of the dam iuside, as shown at 
Fig. 30, and fixing a half-inch wire gauze 
screen at the bottom to prevent the fish from 
coming up under the screen. The covering 
liuiug should be made with space enough to 
carry off the whole of the water, and if the 
water is carried over the face of the dam it 
will prevent the closing of the space by the 
formation of ice. If ice should form in very 
cold weather it shjuld be cut away. The 
water in the poud would then never be up to 
tho top of the inside plank lining, which need 
be made only over the waste gate. Carp will 
not move in the winter in your climate. They 
are snugly buried iu the mud where they will 
keep warm, consequently no trouble need be 
borrowed about their escape in the winter. 
Iu the spring, and when there is no ice, you 
can put the half-inch screen on the top of the 
darn to keep the fish from going over. 
CORN-AND-COB MEAL. 
E. T. /?., Swedesboro, N. J. Is cob-meal a 
good feed for “butter cows,” say, six quarts 
thrice daily? Would the feed be improved if 
wheat-bran formed apart of that quautity? 
Ans. —The cob of the corn acts as a dilu- 
teut of the corn-meal rather than as an addi¬ 
tional nutriment. Six quarts of the corn-and- 
cob meal are about equal in feeding value to 
3)4 quarts of clear meal, which, given alone, 
would be too heavy a feeding for some cows 
and would tend to bring on an attack of gar¬ 
get. The cob, however, will act in much the 
same manner as bran would do, but as bran 
is much more costly than the cobs, as a mat¬ 
ter of ecomony, if not in every way, the cob- 
meal may be preferable to the bran. 
HOG-DRESSED VEAL CALVES. 
Several Subscribers. —What are “hog- 
dressed veal calves,” and how are they dressed 
aud shipped? 
Ans —The following extract from the 
circular of Messrs E. & O. Ward, of this city, 
will answer the question: 
“ Calves from three to six weeks old and 
weighing about 100 pounds, or, say, 80 to 120 
pounds, are the most desirable size for ship¬ 
ment to this market, and should be dressed in 
the following manner: When all is r>-ady 
for the killing, take the calf gently, (it must 
not be worried or chased, and should not be 
fed for a space of at least six hoursprevious.) 
Tie a rop° to the hind legs, and hang it up 
clear of the ground or floor; then cut off the 
bead ju«t behind the ears; when thoroughlv 
bled out, put in the gambrel stick, and cut off 
the legs at the knee-joint; then open the belly 
from just behind the kidneys to the breast¬ 
bone. then remove all the intestines, includ¬ 
ing the liver. lights and heart. If all this is 
well and properly done, the inside will pre¬ 
sent a clean apDearance, free from blood or 
blood stains. Now balance evenly on the 
gambrel, and place a stick of suitable length 
in the opening, to hold it in proper shape, then 
hang in a cool, dry place until the flesh is 
“ set”—say from eight to twelve horns; it must 
hang until the animal heat is all out. The 
stick which was placed across the openiDg 
should now be removed, unless qu te warm 
weather. Mark for shipment by sewing a 
“shipping tag” to the bag-skin, between the 
hind legs; it will then be ready for ship¬ 
ment.” 
BLOODY MILK FROM A HEIFER. 
A. McM., Darlington, Pa. —My heifer, 
fresh for the first time ten days ago, has from 
the first given bloody milk. She was fed 
clover hay and one gallon of bran and corn 
chop, cob and all—one-third corn and two- 
thirds bran. A day before she came in, she 
refused the chop and could hardly get up. 
She is in good order; but her eyes seem bulg¬ 
ed out. She eats hay and sometimes a few 
turnips, and apples; but she stands stupid. 
What shall I do for her? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
The blood in the milk will prooably disap¬ 
pear in a few days. If the udder is swollen 
or hard, apply belladonna ointment and rub 
it well in. If the heifer is quite strong, give 
three-fourths of a pound of Epsom salts, and 
one ounce of ginger as a drench; and repeat 
in 16 hours if the bowels are not moved. Also 
give one ounoe of nitrate of potash and 25 
drops of tincture of aconite every four hours 
until the fever subsides. Then give two table¬ 
spoonfuls three times daily of the following 
powders: powdered gentian and ginger each 
one-half pound; powdered nux vomica, one- 
fourth of a pouud; nitrate of potash one- 
half pound. If the heifer is quite weak, in¬ 
stead of the above, give two ounces of sweet 
spirits of niter and 25 drops of tincture of 
aconite three times daily, and four drams of 
carbonate of ammonia also three times daily, 
but alternating with the first. If the bowels 
are costive in this case give one quart of raw 
linseed oil, and follow this with whrm soap¬ 
suds injections every hour until the bowels 
move freely. 
THE ROLFE APPLE, ETC., 
J. M. M., Ont. Canada— 1. Grape-growing 
here is very unsatisfactory on account of late 
spring and early fall frosts. I am thinking 
of growing a few of such native grapes as the 
Delaware, Niagara, and Concord under a 
cheap covering of glass. If the entire place 
were covered with glass, would it be too hot 
for the vines? Would it be better to have al¬ 
ternately a row of gla«s six inches wide and 
one of boards three or four inches wide? 2. 
What are the merits of the Rolfe apple? 
Ans. —No, we should prefer all glass with 
suitable ventilation so that the heat could be 
regulated as desired. 2. The Rolfe is a rather 
new but promising apple, native of Abbott, 
Piscataquis Co., Maine. According to the 
Maine Pomologieal Society, it is a medium to 
large apple, shaded and striped with red on a 
yellowish ground. In form it is somewhat ob¬ 
late (flattened) aud angular. Stem short,cavity 
large, calyx closed, basiu large and regular. 
Tree a good annual bearer. Flesh white, fine¬ 
grained, tender, sub-acid, core small. The 
tree is partly hardy, but not “iron-clad” in 
Nirtheru Maine. The>fruit can be kept into 
the winter, but is not a long keeper. Recom¬ 
mended as a promising market apple that suc¬ 
ceeds farther north than the Gravenstein. 
LAMENESS IN A COLT. 
C. P., Howard, Dak. —My nine-months-old 
colt is lame iu the right hind leg. I cannot 
locate the seat of the lameness. While run¬ 
ning across a plowed field last fall, all at once 
she lifted the leg, going some distance on the 
other three, aud she has been lame ever since. 
I’ve not been able to discover any fever, 
tenderness or swelling. She lets me handle 
the leg, bears her weight on it, and permits 
me to tap the bottom of the foot; but in trot¬ 
ting the movement is that of a hop as reeards 
h«r hindquarters, and she doesn’t step as far 
forward with the affected leg. What should 
be the treatment? 
Ans. —Apply the following liniment over 
the hip-joint once daily, rubbing it well into 
the skin, and continue the application until 
the skin is well blistered. One ounce each of 
Castile soap and camphor dissolved in one 
pint of rectified spirit, add onc-half pint each 
of strong aqua ammonia and sweet oil. 
REGISTERING JERSEYS. 
H. T., Erie, Pa. —How can I register the 
pure-bred Jersey calf I have just bought? 
I have his pedigree on both sides and it is first- 
cla^s; but his sire has not been registered, as 
the owner keeps him for his own use. Will 
that fact disqualify my calf for registration? 
Ans. —The sire of the calf must be register¬ 
ed before the calf itself can be considered 
eligible for registry in the books of the 
American Jersey Cattle Club. Write to F. 
W. Wicks. Secretary A. J. C C . No. 1. Broad¬ 
way, New York, who will supply instructions 
and blank forms for registration. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. B. C., Nashville, Tenn. —What does the 
Rural know about the Pearl and Dutton 
Strawberries? 
Ans. —The R. N -Y. does not remember 
ever to have tried them. 
H. J. P —We do not sell the Rural New- 
Yorker No. 2 potato. It is handled by J. M. 
Thorburn Sc Co., New York. The Hudson 
Bicycle cultivator is made bv S. Terry Hud¬ 
son. Riverhead. N. Y. The Newberry Potato 
Digger is not yet perfected, as we understand 
the matter. 
C. W. G., Waynesboro. Pa. —1. What kind 
of s*ock is used for the Kilmarnock IV illow? 
Wou’d it be advisable to nlant the Delaware 
Red Winter apple extensively? 2 Can the 
weeping maple be grafted on anv other sorts? 
Ans. 1. The Goat WiHow—Salix caprea. 
2. There are several Red Winter apples, but 
we do not know of the Delaware Red Winter. 
8 We do not know of any weeping maple. 
Kindly tell us the specific name. 
H. H. G., Nashville, Tenn —1. Is there such 
a thing as a tree blackoerry? 2 What does 
the Rural think f the Earhart Raspberry? 
Ans. —1. We made’an pffort to get specimens 
of the “ tree blackberry ” last year, but failed- 
The R. N.-Y., has mighty little faith in it 
2. The Earhart is the best ever-bearing black¬ 
cap we have ever tried. It bears fruit until 
after frost. With us, however, it seems to 
commit suicide by over-bearing and is short¬ 
lived. 
R. H., Kingsville, Ohio. —How do the Red 
Polled cattle compare with Short-horns for 
beef, and are the cows good milkers? 
Ans. —The Short-horn is considered the 
better breed for beef, while the Red Polled in 
this country is a better milker. In England, 
however, much more attention is given to 
milk production in the Short-horn than 
Americans give to this feature, and the Short¬ 
horn or its grades are more extensively used 
for milk production than any other sort. 
E. C. C., Kane, Pa. 1. What are the names 
of some horse breeders in England ? 2 Would 
it pay to import a single horse ? 3. What is a 
good Shire stallion worth in England ? 
Ans. 1 James" F. Crowther, Winfield, 
Yorkshire, England, and James Forshan, 
Carlton, Notts, England, are the largest 
breeders of English Shire horses. 2. No. We 
do not think it would pay to go to England 
for a single horse. 3 You can get one at all 
prices from $500 to $5,000 Why not patron¬ 
ize an American firm like Galbraith Bros., of 
Janesville, Wis. ? They can, doubtless, show 
as fine a stock of horses as can be found any¬ 
where. 
C. A. .If., Pierceville, Iowa. —In planting ten 
acres of corn, after getting the ground in good 
condition, I’m thinking of marking it out one 
way, and furrowing it out the other. I would 
put at intervals a forkful of manure and a 
handful of ashes, cover both with some earth, 
drop the corn and cover it. The ground has 
been under corn and oats for six years. It is 
rolling euough to let water run off it. It was 
broken in the fall. Would this kind of 
treatment pay? 
Ans.—T he R. N.-Y., can not advise such a 
course. We do not believe that corn on poor 
land ever pays when manured only in the hill. 
The young plants get a fine start, grow thrift¬ 
ily but fail afterwards. The roots extend 
three or four feet in every direction and when 
the gram begins to form they can not gather 
sufficient food for its growth and maturity. 
Better,put the^ ashes on top. 
