822 
DEC. 20 
THE BUBAL HEW-VOBKEB. 
dfftjrgtolm. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Mass., Amherst, Dec. 7.— The changeable¬ 
ness of our New England weather was well 
illustrated during the past autumn. The 
weather of most of October would have 
been no discredit to midsummer, the 
mercury ranging from 70® to 80® on many 
days. This ended on the 24th with a hard 
thunder-and-hail atom, followed by a foot or 
so of snow and a week or two of real winter- 
weather, the mercury going down to 4® on the 
5th of November. Then we had two weeks 
more of warm weather, after which came an¬ 
other “ cold wave,” few days in midwinter 
being colder or more disagreeable than Friday, 
the 21st. Now it is as warm and pleasant as 
September, 3ud no frost in the ground. Corn 
was about an average crop, but a good deal of 
it was soft and poor. Potatoes were a good 
crop, but they rotted badly in some fields, 
those on moist land and manured with animal 
manures suffering most, while many fields on 
dry, sandy land were entirely exempt. Apples 
were unusually good for the odd year, and the 
crops of pears, peaches and grapes were 
large. Pear) Millet is not wanted in this cli¬ 
mate; it maybe valuable further south, but 
here corn is preferable for fodder, and has the 
advantage ot being more easily grown. The 
Millet so nearly resembles some kinds of wild 
grass, when young, that it is almost impossi¬ 
ble to tell the. difference. As I wanted to see 
what it would do on ordinary soil, I planted a 
couple of rods ou land that would probably 
produce 30 bushels of corn per acre, but gave 
it up as a bad job at the first hoeing, after 
picking out one row. The plants in this row 
grew to a bight of four to six feet, and headed 
out somewhat before frost- Some of it was 
offered to the cows, but they would not touch 
it unless very hungry- 1 adopted the Rural’s 
suggestion, started a plant in a pot the middle 
of April and transplanted it to the center of a 
highly-enriched flower-bed the 1st of June. It 
proved very effective for this purpose, and 
many were the inquiries from visitors and 
passers-by as to what it was. Jt grew to a 
bight of eleven feet and a diameter of five, 
producing 58 stalks, which weighed, when 
dried, 23 pounds. L. w. g. 
Ohio. Norwalk, Ilurou Co., Dec. 2. —We are 
having splendid weather for this time of year. 
Business is quite lively, and this little town )6 
improving very fast. The winter wheat looks 
very nice. Price of wheat, $1.25; corn, from 
40@44c.; oats, 30c.; onion6, $1.20 per bushel— 
the highest figures they have brought for years 
in this town; potatoes, 35@40c. 
Constant Reader. 
Kansas, Everett, Woodson Co., Dec. 7.— 
We have had a very fine fall, taking it alto¬ 
gether. The crops were not as heavy as we 
expected, owing to the dry weather in the 
spring; but they are fair. The fruit-crop here 
this year was very short. J. 4. D. 
Kr., Milton, Carrol Co.. Dec 6th.—The Hes¬ 
sian fly has done irreparable damage to our 
wheat. The very lute sown escaped its attack, 
but it is ill prepared to stand the winter. I 
found 35 of the pests in the flax-seed state in 
one stem of wheat. Who can beat that ? Corn 
is light, avoi aging about 30 bushels per acre ) 
worth 25 cents per bushel. Wheat iB selliug at 
$1.20 per buBhel; apples, 50 to 00 cents; pota¬ 
toes, 35 to 50 cents; oats, 30 cents; beef cat¬ 
tle, $2.75 to'$3.50 per cwt..; bogs, $3 75 to 
$4.25 per cwt.; butter, 18 to 30 cents per pound ; 
egg6, 20 cents per dozen. Our tobacco crop is 
much better than we expected it would bo, and 
is selliug at $7 to $17 per cwt. Tobacco grow¬ 
ers are the only men iu this vicinity with short 
faces. s. e. h. 
Arkansas, Sebastian Co., Dec. 8. —The im¬ 
mense forests of Western Arkansas present a 
more extensive variety of timber than can be 
found in any other Western State. Men who 
have only cultivated lauds opened by their 
fathers, or who have been unduly impressed 
by the advantages of a prairie land, may have 
some dread of a forest country ; but the extra 
labor of cleariug a forest farm is but a tithe 
of the cost of feuee and fuel on the prairies. 
Good water, fuel, building-material and tim¬ 
ber for all kinds of implements and tools, 
always on hand, are not 8mall items in the 
cost and comfort of life. A man who arrives 
here during the months of November and De¬ 
cember will have ample time to erect a log- 
cabin and commence getting fields fenced and 
ready for the plow by the 1st of February. 
They actually plow here right in the woods. 
The roots of the trees project downwards, and 
one can work as close to them as lie could to a 
rotten stump. Of course, the timber iB first 
girdled, unless the trees are needed for rails, 
when they are takeu off first. Any one coming 
here is surprised to see immense fields of corn, 
cotton, sorghum and sweet potatoes growing 
right among the dead timber. No cold winters 
here to eat up the fruits of the summer’s labor ; 
climate unsurpassed; high elevation, and a 
splendid country for fruit. Pioneer. 
Querist. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
We have repeatedly said that any inquiry 
sent to this department must contain the 
writer’s name and address, to iusure attention. 
Yet quite a large number of questions now 
remain unanswered because this requirement 
has not been complied with. Where the answer 
would be of general interest, we have frequently 
disregarded our rule of paying no attention 
to anonymous correspondents; but where the 
inquiry is of a personal cliaractei 1 , and one 
that should therefore be answered by mail, 
we have not felt justified in taking up the 
space that belongs to our readers iu replying 
to those who have neglected to observe the 
rules which have been established for excel¬ 
lent reasons. It would be a great convenience 
also, if, in writing to us, our friends would 
put on a separate piece of paper any question 
they may wish to have answered in this de¬ 
partment. We shall always he pleased to an¬ 
swer all questions from those who comply 
with the above Biinpie proviso. 
Ground Lliiientoue and Lime. 
<S. Ji. M., Saltsburg , Iruliana Go., Pa . asks. 
I, does the burning of lime add to, or abstract 
any good properties from the limestone as a 
fertilizer; 2, what is the difference in the ac¬ 
tion on the soil between ground limestone and 
burnt limestone; 3, to what degree of fineness 
should the limestone beground. There is lime¬ 
stone on his land and throughout the surround¬ 
ing region, and if it is worth using as a fertili¬ 
zer, he intends to procure a mill to grind it. 
Ans. —1, Itaw limestone is a carbonate of 
lime ; that is, it consists of lime and carbonic 
acid for which the chemical formula is Ca 
C03. Iu the process of burning, the carbonic 
acid (C02) is expelled, and the oxide of lime 
(CaO) remains. This change in composition 
causes also a change in properties. Limestone, 
or carbonate of lime, is mild iu its alkaline 
properties; while burnt lime is caustic, i. e., it 
has a very strong alkaline reaction. 2. Apt- 
plied to the soil, the action of earbonnv of lime 
and that of burnt lime are widely different. 
Powdered limestone will he of little value to the 
soil, beyond furnishing one of the essential 
elements of plant food which is generally 
abundant in the soil naturally, and, if it is ap¬ 
plied in large quantities, it may alter the soil 
physically; but its actien on substances in the 
soil is feeble and very slow. Burnt lime, on 
the other hand, is a powerful agent in decom¬ 
posing the inert or inactive vegetable matter 
in the soil, and making these available plant- 
food- Besides this, it also acts on the com¬ 
pound 6il ; cate6 of the 6oil and liberates potash, 
another essential element of plant food, one 
that is seldom found in large quantities in the 
soil in the soluble form, and is therefore readily 
exhausted. Anyone can readily satisfy him¬ 
self of the difference in action between burnt 
lime and ground limestone, or chalk, by com¬ 
paring the effect of slaked lime—as in fresh 
mortar—on his hoots with the effects of chalk 
on the same. In the long run, the caustic lime 
is again changed into carbonate of lime, but 
not until it has combined with its full supply of 
carbonic acid. Its activity is vastly greater 
than that of carbonate of lime, however finely 
ground tbe latter may be. In the caustic state 
we have lime “ with the feather edge ou.” 3. 
We would nut advise the application of ground 
limestone, except where the soil is destitute of 
lime iu sufficient quantity to supply what is 
needed as plant food, and this is rarely if ever 
the case, and the finer it is then divided the 
better, even then we would use lime in pref¬ 
erence. 
Apple tree Pests. 
J)., Little Mock, Ark. has several trees 
which grow thriftily, make wood freely, bloom 
well aud bear fruit abundantly until the latter 
are about the size of a hickory-nut, when they 
begin to fall off and continue to do so until* 
they are all off, or till those tha t remain are 
ripe, when they seem affected with dry rot aud 
have a musty core. When the fruit is halt- 
grown, the core is moldy. The roots are full 
of small fibers looking like tufts of grass, and 
the large ones are disfigured with knots, show¬ 
ing that insects have been at work on them. 
Our correspondent asks what can he do to 
cure the trees without cutting them down. He 
has applied half a bushel of lime to each tree, 
as well as wood and coal ashes, and likewise 
salt and gas-house lime. 
Ans. —The apple-root aphis causes excres¬ 
cences upon the roots. When very numer¬ 
ous, the growth of the tree is checked. The 
pest is destroyed by digging tbe earth away 
and washing the roots with strong suds. We 
have several apple trees at the Rural Farm iu 
tested with the borer, that act much as those 
described by our friend. It should be borne 
in mind that these insects may be for several 
years destroying the inner bark of the tree 
while there is little evidence thereof on the 
outer bark. They enter as litile grubs. They 
come out as perfect insects three-quarters of 
an inch long, cutting round holes just large, 
enough for their bodies to pass through. Sup¬ 
posing that they remain in the tree but a year 
(as many say), several of them might so nearly 
destroy the outer wood and inner bark as to 
greatly impair the tree’s vitality. In this 
case, the tree blooms—makes an irregular, ec¬ 
centric growth—sets fruits but has not the vi¬ 
tality to nourish them to maturity. The round 
holes caused by the borer’s exit, are easily 
overlooked by the careless observer. Some¬ 
times they area little beneath the surface soil. 
The female deposits her eggs in May, June or 
July under the scaly hark. The worm which 
hatches out, eats into the tree, making a hole 
no larger than a buck-shot. At this time a 
knife or wire (as we have often explained) 
may be effectually used iu crushing it. This 
is really tbe only effectual remedy. Washes 
applied iu May aud June will ofttlmes prevent 
the beetle from depositing its eggs. The salt 
and ashes (except as fertilizers) can do no 
good and the gas-iime will prove injurious. 
Bermuda Grass. 
A. (/., Eagle ford, Dallas Go., Texas, has an 
orchard of peach trees ou a slope of sandy 
land, and heavy rainfalls wash the sand away. 
To prevent this he has it in mind to turf the 
land with Bermuda grass; but some of his 
neighbors say it will kill the trees ; others, 
that it would spread all over bis fields iu spite 
of all his efforts, and he asks what kind of 
grass should he use for the above purpose. 
Ans. —Our friend cannot get a grass that 
will answer his purposes without some at- 
tendiDgdisadvautagee. Bermuda grass (Cyno- 
don dactylon) will “run all over.” It will run 
over rocks six feet across and cover them. It 
will grow vigorously on Bandy hill-sides and 
prevent them from washing. WheD fully es¬ 
tablished, it is hard to force a plow through 
it. It is sometimes said of this grass in the 
South that it would “take a team of six hull 
elephauts to draw a thuinb-laucet through it." 
It was cursed in the South before the war, but 
is now in many parts, looked upon with much 
favor. It will stand parching suns and pre¬ 
sent a fresh appearance if kept mown. It is 
therefore a good grass for Southern parks in 
summer. In winter it disappears from view. 
It would be necessary therefore to mix it with 
blue grass, and whi'e clover which would 
spring up to cover the ground in winter. Cat¬ 
tle are extremely fond of this grass. It will 
withstand any ainouut of heat and drought 
J. B. Kiilchrew says that it has (where indig¬ 
enous) a great reputation ub a fertilizer and 
that many fields so worn-out as to be worth¬ 
less, have been reclaimed by it. The labor of 
plowing it up is considerable, but some of the 
many improved plows of the present day could 
be easily dragged through it- Mr. Affleck says 
that no other grass will yield such an amount 
of valuable hay, surpass it iu nutritive qual¬ 
ities, support on an acre of pasture such an 
amount of stock, improve the soil more 
quickly, or so effectually stop and fill up a 
wash or gully. But, on the other hand, its 
extirpation is almost, impossible, though to 
cheek and weaken it, so far as to grow a grain 
or cotton crop, is easy enough. There is 
nothing better than Bermuda grass for our 
friend’s purpose. We have presented both 
sides—he must, judge for himself whether the 
reasons con are more or less cogent than the 
reasons pro. 
* 
Wurnitt Iu Swlnt. 
A. W- B., Monument, Mass., says that a 
neighbor, iu cutting the lights of a hog killed 
a few days since, found therein numerous 
small worms, about an inch long and the size 
of a fine needle. The bog seemed healthy, ex¬ 
cept that it coughed a little, and he asks what 
were the worms ; what caused their presence 
there, and a remedy for them. 
Anb.— Fluke worms and other parasites are 
often found iu the. intestiucs of hogs, aud 
sometimes iu the llosh. ft is a rare thing to 
find them in the lights (or lungs). We do not 
believe that, when such is the ease, the disease 
can be cured; at least, we do not know of any 
effectual remedy. Doses of turpentine will 
destroy tape-worms and other parasites in the 
stomach and bowels, and possibly in tne lungs. 
This can only be done by the absorption of 
turpentine into the blood, in which it will be 
earned to the lungs, and by absorption in the 
tissues of the body, by which a small portion 
will reach the lungs. Whether enough would 
do so to eradicate the disease is doubtful. 
Fluke worms in the lungs of sheep are quite a 
common disease in England, and one that is 
incurable. The presence of the worms iu the 
luugs would account for the cough, and in 
time, like Bbuep with the same disease, the hog 
would pi 06 away aud die. The hog couid 
have caught the disease by feeding where sheep 
with the same disease had pastured, by eating 
the grass, or where pigs had run, as auimals 
with parasites in the luDgs will cough them up 
(or the germs, which will produce them). 
Animals showing evidences of this disease 
should be immediately confined by themselves, 
to prevent its spread. We know of no cause, 
except as indicated above, or by animals eat¬ 
ing the flesh of others which were infected by 
parasites. 
An Exploded Swindle. 
G. IC., Litchfield, Mich , asks whether the 
Denver Laud Co., which he has seen advertised 
in several papers, is an honest affair. 
Ans. —In a short editorial In our issue of 
November 22 we warned our readers against 
having anything to do with this arrant swin¬ 
dle. The affair was gotten up by a notorious 
fellow whose last of several aliases was Grant. 
He obtained a title to some sand-hills about 30 
miles from Denver, Col., and then advertised 
in about 800 papers that he would give a lot of 
25x125 feet in East Denver. Col., for one dol¬ 
lar. Since then he has been arrested for the 
swindle, and at last accounts was in prison. 
That the gullible fools are not all dead yet was 
amply shown by the piles of letters with re¬ 
mittances that filled the mails to his address 
before his arrest. So obviously was this a 
swindle on the very face of it, that it Beetns 
strange any reputable paper should have given 
it a place e\ r en in its advertising columns. 
The advertisement was promptly rejected by 
the Rural, as are others, less obviously dis¬ 
honest, every week. 
The Best Hardy Monthly Hose*. 
J. H., Dayton, Ohio, asks which are tha best 
hardy Monthly Roses, aud where can he order 
some for delivery by express In spring. 
Ans. —The best hardy Monthly Roses are 
Achilie Goudot, Ardoise do Lyon, Auguste 
Mie, Baron ne Provost, Caroline de San sal, 
Charles Lefehre, Duchess of Southerland, 
Elizabeth Viguerou, Enfant de Mt. Carmel, 
General Jacqnemiuot, Glory of Waltham, 
Henry IV., John Hopper, La Heine, Gustave 
Bonnet. Mad. Lonise Carique, Mad. Trotter, 
Phtenie, Pius IX., Prince Camille de Rohan, 
Reynolds Hole. They can be had from Ell- 
wanger and Barry, RoeHester, N. Y. ; Parsons 
and Sons’Co., Flushing, L. I., aud of several 
other nursery firms. 
Miscellaneous. 
S. E. 27., Milton, Ky., asks whether we think 
the manufacture of sugar from sorghum will 
prove profitable in this country. 
Ans. —The industry is, iu reality, as yet In a 
state of probation—on trial. Some of those 
who know little or nothing about it practically, 
seem much inclined to pooh-pooh it; those 
who have invested both money, time and talent 
in it, seem quite hopeful of success, as may be 
seen by the opinions in another part of this 
issue. 
M. N. F., Monroeville, Pa,, asks where can 
he get Angora goats, and what would be their 
probable price. 
Ans. —Angora goats are for sale—or were, a 
short time ago—by W. Kloewne, Hicksville, 
L. I.; J. S. Goe, Brownsville, Pa.; Richard 
Peters, Atlanta, Ga.; price about $80 per head. 
W. W., Deer- River, N. Y., ai ks to whom 
6 hould he write concerning some property 
situated in the city of Colmar, Klsass, Ger¬ 
many. 
Ans. —Apply for information to the Consul- 
General of Germany, 2 Bowling Green, this 
city. 
E. T. F. B., Providence, R. I., has received 
some rye from California, which be has planted 
in a box, and he asks if be can leave it out-of- 
doors during the winter. 
Ans —We should sink the box in the ground 
t,o the rim and give it shelter out-of-doors. 
J. P. 8., Pittsburgh, Pa., asks if Cohoes or 
Troy is the terminus of the*Erie Canal. 
Ans. —Albany is the eastern teriniuus of the 
Erie Canal. 
W. Bros, Nashville, 'l'enn., asks where can 
the Duchess Grape be obtained. 
Ans. —From J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, Mon¬ 
mouth Co., N. J. 
UOMMCNIOATIONS RECEIVER FOR THB WEEK ENDING 
Sat cut d a v, Dec. 13. 
L. E.T.—U. B. D.-T. M.—ILK.—H. S.—G. U. A. 
A. 8—W. H. B.-G. W. S.—W. M. L.—A E. B.—H. 
M. Y.—W. U. W —“ Helitrope”—w. J. F—A. L. J. 
W. J, C.-E. A.-W. E. M.-O. E. W.-J. H. J., 
thanks—" Constant Reader” —O. W. H.—A. K. 
—W. E. A. 8.—“ Malthea”—W. L. F.^J. G. L.—N. 
C.-B. G.-H. D. R.-J. L. S.—T. G. B.-J. 8. V, \V. 
—A. B. W.-J. L. B.-M. B. P.—M. L- S.-A. L. J. 
—J. L. McD.—S. E. H.—E. & B., thanks—J. J. D.— 
M. J. G.-E. W. S.-R. V. S.-W. W.—"Bitter¬ 
sweet”—G. G.-F. K.—.M. N. F.—S. R. M.-K. C. R. 
—A. ti. R —D. AJ S.—S. O., thanks-\V, B.—G. W. 
C.—F. D. C.—P. C. A.—J. S. C. 
Various. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Adulteration of Food. —Prof. A, R. Leeds, 
of the Stevens Institute of Technology, has 
undertaken the investigation of a large num¬ 
ber ot articles of domestic consumption as a 
part of the work devolving upon him by his 
