THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
dbergtojjm. 
EXPERIENCE WITH SEEDS OF FREE- 
SEED DISTRIBUTION IN FLORIDA. 
I have delayed writing to thank the Rural 
for its gift of seeds, not because we did not ap¬ 
preciate them, hut because I thought 1 would 
report our success with some of them at the 
same time, knowing that a report from this 
quarter must be In advance of any from colder 
climates. 
The Beauty of Hebron potato we planted, 
and from the pieces raised nineteen hills. They 
did not do as well with ns as the Early Rose: 
the potatoes were smaller though a little 
earlier, aud, I think, superior in taste; hut we 
do not consider it a good test, as Irish pota¬ 
toes do better here on new land, and our land 
has been under cultivation for ten years. Next 
tall we intend to send North lor more seed aud 
give them a trial on new laud. 
Of Vookhis Watermelon we have five 
hills, some of them in bloom. The vines are 
looking better than any others we have. The 
favorite melon here last year, was called the 
Iceland. The seed was brought from Pitts¬ 
burg, aud they produced some Immense mel¬ 
ons. This is a great watermelon country. 
The Blunt Corn wo planted about the 5th 
of April, and nearly every seed came up ; but 
the birds pulled some. I counted to-day 99 
good stalks, some of them were 18 inches high. 
My husband says be never saw corn grow so 
fast, although it is on a very poor piece of 
land. We have but fifteen acres under culti¬ 
vation, and the other crops were nearly all in 
when the corn came, so, in order to put it 
where it would be (east likely to mix with the 
other corn, we had to take a poor place ; but 
we will try to make up in fertilizing aud culti¬ 
vation, for we are anxious to get a better va¬ 
riety than any raised here. The sort grown 
here only averages one car to a stalk, aud a 
small one at that. 
The Pearl Millet we did not know how to 
plant, so my husband drilled in some of it. and 
some he planted in hills. When we learned 
from the Rural that it would not make seed 
in that way—aud seed for auother year is what 
we want—we thinned it out to one seed in a 
hill; I could not bear to have it wasted, so I 
transplanted some of it, just to see if it would 
live. We had no rain for a long time after it 
was transplanted and t supposed it would all 
die. To-day, however, 1 have been looking at it, 
and, to my astonishment, found two-thirds of 
it growing. 1 have put one plant, in the middle 
ot my nasturtium bed which I had made very 
rich, and I hope to a&touieh people with it after 
a while. 
The Flower Seeds have uot been very suc¬ 
cessful with me. Borne of them 1 could prevail 
upon to grow, and some I could not. Perhaps 
it is because l am so much interested in the 
farming operations that my llower-gardeu has 
had to sulier somewhat in consequence. I 
have some very fine plants of the Hibiscus 
ruilitaris; a few of the Hollyhocks; some 
Columbines, aud two nice little trees of the 
Pinus edulis. As this is a pine tree country, I 
think they will do well, perhaps. I have saved 
some of most of the seeds, to try again after 
the hot weather is over. 
The Acme Tomato 1 had uearly forgotten to 
mention. We planted the ^ceds at the same 
time we plauted those of Gen. Grant. Plants of 
the latter are in bloom, but the Acmes are uot, 
though the vines are looking thrifty. We had 
to leave them in the seed-bed too long, ou ac¬ 
count of its being too dry to trausplaut them. 
We had scarcely any rain here all through 
April. In Illinois everything would have been 
dried up with so little rain and such hot 
weather, but here ibe heavy dews we have 
every night., keep (kings growing. 
Remarks. —It is splendid cotton weather, 
they say. We have a little cotton, sugar-cane 
and rice, all of which are lookiug well. We 
are only farming a little while waiting for our 
orange grove to grow, but what we do, we arc 
anxious to do in the best way, and to test the 
capabilities of the soil and climate to the ut¬ 
most- The soil here is very poor, aud will not 
pay for cultivation without plenty of manure. 
Our laud never had auy at ull. until we 
began to cultivate it. We do not buy commer¬ 
cial fertilizers, but keep horses, cows, goats 
and chickens, all the manure from which is 
carefully saved and mixed with ulack muck. 
We also keep a compost heap into which we 
throw everything which we thiuk will be of 
any use to the laud. 1 keep a leacli for liquid 
manure. My hushaud says it is my hobby. I 
always used it a great deal in my flower-garden 
iu Illinois, and I find it of great value here. 
Starke, Bradford Co., Fla. Mrs. J. S. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Florida, Tallahasse, May b.—As informa¬ 
tion from all sections is in order I “drop a 
line” not to catch fish, (by the by, our lakes 
are full of them), but to say thus far wc have 
had a most delightful spring. Oats are good; 
corn is doing well ; gardens are 6 Upcrb aud 
cotton, now being lioed out, promises to be all 
right. The “ Pearl Millet” seed sent us. I find 
to be what every farmer here has been rais¬ 
ing all the time, and we would as soon think 
of doing without the never-failing ‘ 1 Coiiard 
Patch” as our little field of “ Cat-tail” Millet 
so-called, as it resembles when reaching ma¬ 
turity the Cat-tail Flag of Western New York. 
In our warm climate but few kinds of green 
food can be given to horses and mules during 
plowing season without danger of sickness. 
Big, or Cat-tail Millet, while itis nutritious, is 
perfectly harmless. Wc plant it about March 
1 st in rich ground, stalks six inches apart. 
When eight inches high, we cut it two inches 
from the ground. The oftcucr you cut. it the 
faster it will grow. Cultivate sufilcienlly to 
keep dowu grass nod weeds, and render the 
ground soft. With us it will bear cutting six 
times during the summer, and seed plentifully 
in the fall- There is money in furnishing seed 
here at .fa per bushel. Whoever cuts it for 
hay. will do a losing business. I would not 
give one dollar a ton for it when dry, except 
for the manure bed. The Acme tomato 
proves to he tire “Large Red Smooth.” Wc 
have for the past four weeks been luxuriating 
in Irish potatoes, green peas, beets, snap beans, 
and lettuce, aud will in a fortnight have plenty 
of tomatoes—and when I see by the papers that 
Cayuga Lake was frozen over April 8 th—I 
wonder who would uot live-in Florida. 
A Subscriber. 
Missouri, Kiug 6 ton Furnace, May 10 .—This 
whole region is suffering for want of rain. 
Oats are doing miserably, aud many acres will 
be turned under aud corn substituted. Much 
corn will have to be replanted. It Is cold as 
well as dry. Wheat on the uplands is injured; 
in the bottoms it still looks well mid is almost 
ready to head out. There are no peaches, ex¬ 
cept. a few oil very high laud. Apples hid fair 
to make a crop. There are some cherries. 
The winter killed the grape buds, above the 
snow, of the Ioua, Delaware, Jlerbcnumt aud 
Catawba. Clinton, Concord, Norton's Virginia, 
Ive's Seedling, Cunningham, Hartford Prolific 
and Taylor's Bullet do well here under ordina¬ 
ry vineyard culture ; but Iona, Delaware aud 
Catawba make uo growth aud do uo good un¬ 
der like treatment- Taylor’s Bullet will do to 
cover arbors or trees and its fruit is delicious. 
N. W. B. 
Baileyville, Ogle Co., 111., May !J.—The 
weather is very dry and cold here; nights 
frosty ; unfavorable to vegetation. Crops are 
suffeiiiig, especially the late-sown spring wheat 
and barley aud oats, which have been injured by 
reccut frosts. Grain seediug was about all fin¬ 
ished by the 35th till., and corn planting begau 
on 39 th, and now a large amount is planted; 
nearly all in this section will have finished plant¬ 
ing by the last of this week. Unless rain comes 
soon, all crops will be light. We have had no 
rain for a month, except a very light shower 
ou 34 ult. ami another on the 3d inst., but not 
enough cither time to “lay the dust.” Cherry 
and plum trees commenced blooming here by 
the 1 st of May and are full of blossoms ; but I 
thiuk most of the tender varieties of fruit are 
injured by front and will fall oil. w. b. d. 
Texas, San Antonio, May 4.—Oar drought 
was broken on the 33d ult., and iu three day 6 
there fell six inches ol water. It came with a 
sufficient moderation to penetrate the earth, 
but we were nearly deluged. There was uo 
damage done, however, except a little washing 
of crops. Three days before the raiu a fire 
swept over thousands of acres, licking up every 
spear of grass, greeu or dry; but after the 
rain, in eight clays, the grasb was three to six 
inches high all over the burned streteb. Crops, 
early planted, look well. Some corn is kuee- 
high, while iu other parts of the same field, 
folks are just planting. Watermelons, musk- 
melons, etc,, are blooming, but they are late 
owing to the spring drought. m. 
New York, Pitcher, Chenango Co., May 13. 
—The weather here is cool aud very dry. 
Grass has started but very little as yet. We 
have to feed our cattle almost as regularly as 
in winter- The old laud-marks of winter have 
not all been removed, as there is occasionally 
a snow-bank to remind us of what we have had 
to encounter of late. Small grain is mostly 
sowed; many arc plantiug potatoes, while 
some think they are growing much faster io 
the cellar than they would be in the ground. 
1 don’t know of anyone that has ventured to 
plant corn yet,. Produce is very low; butter, 
13c.; eggs, 10c. per doz.; potatoes, 75c. per 
bushel; oats, 35e.; maple sugar, from 7 to lOe. 
per pound. L. w. s. 
Canada, FernhUl, Out., May!).—The weather 
here is very cold and dry. With a few excep¬ 
tions we have had very hard frosts every night 
until date. Trees are showing very few signs 
of greenness. Peaches are badly damaged in 
this neighborhood. Beeshavc done very poorly 
this spring and winter; very many were frozen 
to death, and others died of diarrhea; but they 
are doing better now. Hay will be a very poor 
crop unless we soon get some rain, of which all 
crops are in need. A great many have started 
in the grazing business in these parts, but the 
prospects for success now look very slim. 
a. m. w. 
Virginia, New Market, Shenandoah Co. 
May 9.—Wc are having a very dry season 
here, the ground having been too wet for 
cultivation only once since March 1st. Farm¬ 
ers have finished planting corn; fruit trees 
of all kinds have already blossomed. The 
prospects for plenty of all sorts of fruit arc 
fine. Weather pleasantly cool, with slight 
frosts. 'Wheat 95c. to 9<5c; corn, 45c. to 50c ; 
butter, 10c ; eggs, 8 c; bacon, Sc. to 9c. 
I\ s. w. 
New York, North Lawrence, May 9.—The 
birds came in good season this spring, lint the 
snow-banks remained till the end of April. 
The weather is cold and raw most of the time, 
yet some have planted potatoes; but if the 
seed escapes rotting, most likely the plants 
will lie injured by frost. A new creamery 
opened here to-day, and another, about three 
miles away, will open next week. A. h. 
Michigan, South Lyon, Oakland, Co.. May 
12. Wheat is not looking as well as usual at 
this time of the year. The Fly thinned many 
fields, and cold, dry weather has held what is 
left in check. Buyers arc paying to-day 99c. 
per bushel for wheat, and many are waiting 
for the oven dollar. Corn is plentiful at about, 
40c.; oats, 30c.; potatoes, scarce, at 75c.; store 
hogs are again in demand. Fat steers bring 
4}c. per pound ; butter, 10e.; eggs, 7c. a. b. 
New York, Harris Ilili, Erie Co., May 10th.— 
Early-sown wheat looks well; late sown, how¬ 
ever, looks badly. Stock of all kinds look 
well. Farmers in this vicinity are all about 
through sowing. Farm products are as fol¬ 
lows: Wheat, 97c.@.f 1 ; barley, 65c.; corn, 
43c.; oats, 33c.; butter, 14c.; eggs, 13c.; aud 
yet wc are more hopeful in the future. 
B. F. s. 
Illinois, Dear Park, La Salle Co., May 10.— 
Weather cold and dry. Had frosts the first five 
nights iu May, with do rains for the previous 
month. Com planting in full swing; but the 
ground is &o dry that much of the seed will not 
germinate until rain comes. Small grains look 
sickly and grow but slowly. The prospect for 
small fruit is good; hut apple trees are almost 
without blossoms. u. s. e. 
Pennsylvania, Muncy, Lycoming Co. May 
13. —Spring is very backward here ; fruit buds 
are just opening out. There is a prospect of 
au abuudaut fruit crop of all kinds this season. 
Most Of the corn is planted. I think them 
will be a large area jilanted to potatoes. Wheat 
does not look promising—too dry. r. f. s. 
Illinois, Wheaton, May 13.— The weather 
has been very cold and dry for some weeks, 
with frost every uight until within the last 
three or four days. Since then, however, 
there lias been a warm change and plantiug 
is progressing rapidly. o. f. s. 
Alabama, New Market, Madison Co. May 
9. —Corn is 10 inches high and looks well. 
Fine prospect for crops of all kinds. Fruits, 
however, are mauy of them killed ; but vege¬ 
tables are abundant. Strawberries are ripen¬ 
ing- G. d, n. 
Illinois, West Derby, Starks Co., May 9.— 
Weather cold and dry ; nights frosty. Apples 
aud cherry trees are gay with blossoms, but I 
fear the cold weather has blighted a good deal 
of the fruit. Farmers are busy planting corn, 
of which a large area has already been planted. 
u. e. mc’c. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Concerning Sheep. 
B. F. C., Elklon, Ohio, asks, 1 , whether fine- 
wooled and eoarse-wooled sheep do well to¬ 
gether, or should they be kept separate; 3 , 
should breeding ewes be “grained’’during ges¬ 
tation ; if so, what kind of grain and how ranch 
of it should they have ; 3, at what time of the 
day should it be fed to them ; 4, when wool is 
30c, per pound, and corn 40c. and oats 25c. per 
bushel, will it pay to ieed stock sheep the year 
round ; 5. how often should sheep have salt, or 
should they have access to it all the time; t>, 
what is the best, remedy for foot-rot; 7 . with 
Spanish sheep which Will pay the better—to 
wash the wool on the sheep’s hack or to shear 
without washing , 8 , what is the best time for 
shearing sheep. 
Ans.— 1. As different breeds require differ¬ 
ent treatment, they should bo kept separately. 
3. Breeding ewes in lamb should by all means 
have a little extra food, half a pint of rye, corn 
aud oats mixed In equal proportions for each 
day may bo useful. 3. At noon is a convenient 
time for feeding grain, but any time may be 
chosen, being careful to maintain regularity 
iu the feeding, else much of the benefit is lost. 
4. It will not pay to keep sheep without pas¬ 
ture; cheap land aud grazing are necessary 
for profit in 6 heep keeping. 5 . Once a week 
at least; they may be supplied continually, if 
the supply is regular and sufficient. 6 . Paring 
the hoof and removing all dead bone and dress¬ 
ing the diseased parts with blue vitrol. 7. It 
is more, profitable to sell the wool in the grease 
without washing; usually the deduction for 
unwashed wool is less than the loss of weight 
by washing. 8 . As soon as the settled weather 
arrives; one hot day does not make a summer, 
it must be rememnered. Full information on 
these and other points are given in Stewart's 
Shepherd’s Manual. 
Trenlment of Corns In n Horse. 
M. A. B., Springfield, Moss., lias a horse 
whose usefulness and value nre seriously im¬ 
paired owing to lameness due to corns con¬ 
tracted three or four years ago. Blacksmiths 
say they can shoe him so as to prevent, the 
lameness, but have always failed to do so and 
he asks what can he do for the animal. 
Ans. —Corns in a horse arc different from 
those on the skin of a human being. They 
are first produced by blows or bruises which 
start inflammation and formation of matter 
under the sole, or cause a deposit of horuy 
matter which presses painfully upon the sen¬ 
sitive inner parts of the foot. They are fre¬ 
quent in fiat-footed horses, the frogs of whose 
feet have been pared away so as to bring the 
sole to the ground and subject it to continued 
bruises from stones. The usual mode of shoe¬ 
ing is one that protects the tender spots on the 
sole from blows in traveling. This is to put a shoe 
of sole-leather under the iron shoe and stuff un¬ 
der the leather witli law soaked iu glycerine 
to keep the sole cool and moist. If the sole 
is very tender, the feet should be prepared 
for shoeing by keeping them upon a puddle of 
wet clay for a few days, and by frequent 
dressings of cold water and by giving the 
horse a cooling medicine, as eight to twelve 
ounces of Epsom salts. 
Sore Eyes In n Horse. 
A. II ., Worth Lawrmoe, N. Y., has a horse 
with sore eyes, which are attributed to the 
sunlight streaming in through the large high 
windows on the oast side of the stable, the 
mauger being on the west side. To modify the 
light a cotton screen lias been used, hut this is 
considered injurious by neighbors, ancl our 
opinion is asked as to the cause and treatment 
of the malady. 
Ans. —The trouble is not the result of the 
sunlight or heat; in ull probability it is due to 
the strong amtnoniacal vapors which are fre¬ 
quent iu all stables. The best place for a win¬ 
dow in a stable is on the north side, and if 
possible the stalls should be so arranged as to 
have the sunlight in front of the horse. A 
side or rear light is bad, but not so much so as 
to irritate the eyes. If the light has that effect 
in the stable, it would be worse out-of-doors. 
We would suggest that the window he covered 
with lime-wash, iu which some indigo is mixed, 
to give it a deep blue shade ; that the stable be 
kept free from pungent scents by sprinkling 
plaster freely over the floors and upon the 
litter; that the horse’s eyes be bathed in a so¬ 
lution of five grains of sulphate of zinc twice 
a day; and that a pinch of burnt alum he 
blown into each eye through a quill once or 
twice daily to start a suppurative discharge 
before the zinc is used. 
Stocking a Flsli Pond. 
H. B., Greenville, S. C., asks the cheapest 
aud best way to stock a mill pond with fish, 
and whether the pamphlet lately published on 
fish culture by L. L. Polk, aud uoticed in the 
Rural, would give helpful Information on sub¬ 
ject. 
Ans.— What kind of fish ? The proper kind 
depends upon the character of the. poDd and 
the temperature of water. If the pond is sup¬ 
plied by springs aud the water is cool, black 
bass might be kept in it: if the bottom is mud¬ 
dy aud the water warm, perch, either white 01 - 
yellow, will thrive in it; carp is a pond fish 
and a good one. All that is necessary is to 
first determine what kind of fish can he kept 
successfully iu the pond and then procure a 
supply of live fish of that kind from streams, 
other ponds, or dealers, to stock the water. 
Commissioner Polk’s pamphlet gives a good 
deal of useful information on most branches of 
fish culture. Write to him, at Raleigh, N. C., 
for it. 
Applying Guano to Corn. 
•/. M., Saltsburgh Fa., asks whieli is the bet¬ 
ter way to apply guano to corn—to sow it 
bioadeast or put it in the hill. 
Ans. —In sowing guano it is dangerous to 
place it close to the seed, lest the tender shoots 
be injured by the corrosive nature of the fer¬ 
tilizer. If a small quantity only is used, a 
tcaspnonful lor instance, it may bo scattered 
iu the hill, a little earth dropped ou to it, ami 
the sued then 6uwu. If 250 pounds or moie 
are used per acre, it would he best to sow it 
broadcast and harrow it into the soil before 
planting. 
Hit rut Flower Exchange. 
Mrs. J. O., Forest Grove , Washington Uo., 
Oregon, aud quite a large uumber of others, 
ask about the Rural Flower Exchange, or 
send communications Intended for that Depart¬ 
ment. To all such we regret to have to say 
