755 
NOV. 22 
THE RURAL HEW-fORKER. 
whether the latter caused the former, or vice 
versa. 
Ans.— “ Horn-ail" or “ hollow-horn ” is one 
of the imaginary diseases of cattle. What is 
commonly called by those uauies, is not a dis¬ 
tinct ailment, but merely a symptom of some 
more deeply seated malady. In all serious 
troubles of animals there are times when the 
extremeties—the ears, horns, and limbs—grow 
cold or alternately hot and cold, hence the 
error of supposing that the ail is there. The 
base of the horn is very thin and covers one of 
the most vascular parts of the whole body. If 
that place is cold, therefore, it shows that the 
blood is no longer circulating through the 
small vessels, but congesting around some im¬ 
portant organ, which is the seat of inflamma¬ 
tion. The symptoms sometimes accompany 
catarrh, and are also caused by exposure, indi¬ 
gestion, constipation, and want of proper at¬ 
tention ; in fact, by any thing that causes an 
unnatural distribution of the blood. Both the 
garget and the symptous designated " horn- 
ail ” may be due to the same deraugemeut of 
the system, in this case produced perhaps by 
taking cold. For the treatment of garget, see 
Rural of Sept. 14. In the absence of further 
information as to the real cause of the “ horn- 
ail " symptoms, we would advise our corres¬ 
pondent to stimulate the digestive organs, to 
use aperients, if the animal is constipated, and 
to apply stimulating liniments to the roots of 
the hoiu. 
Kidney Inflammation in a horse, 
B. G. /., Decatur, Til., has a poor, weak mare 
that began to fall away about the first of last 
December. She has been worked only very 
moderately since then. She foaled in April 
while in poor condition, and has been failing 
steadily siuce. At times she is so weak across 
the loins that she gives down while drawing an 
empty wagon a few miles. This faintness is 
first shown by a dragging of the hind legs; 
then she reels like a hog affected in the kidneys. 
Her urine is varnish-colored, and very ropy or 
as thick as the white of an egg, with a 6curu on 
the top of it, after it has settled, and he asks 
what ails the animal and what should be the 
treatment. 
Ans. —The horse is suffering from inflamma¬ 
tion of the kidneys. The treatment is to give 
a pint of linseed oil and repeat in two days ; 
to foment the loins with hot water and apply 
a hot bran poultice lor an hour; after the 
poultice has softened the skin aud opened the 
pores, a mustard plaster is to be applied. 
Warm drinks of slippery clrn hark decoction 
or linseed gruel arc useful, but no diuretic 
should be given ; saltpeter and resin which are 
popularly supposed to be proper iu such eases, 
are seriously injurious. After this treatment 
has been applied for a few days, a course of 
bitter tonics should be given, viz: half an 
ounce of powdered gentian root and oue 
drachm of sulphate of copper, which may be 
giveu in the food. No corn should be given, 
but bran mashes or Irtiled oats. Musty hay or 
grain is a frequent cause of this disease. 
Weakness of the Loins in Raius. 
G. S. II., Warihen, Ga., has a fine ram that 
is weak iu the loins, aud he asks whether there 
is any remedy. 
Ans.— The weakness is caused by disease of 
the spinal marrow or its covering membrane. 
The nerves which control the motion of the 
hind-quarters and the action of the digestive 
orgaus, proceed from the spinal cord near the 
loins, and disorder there affects not ouly mus¬ 
cular action but the digestion as well. The 
usual treatment is to apply a counter-irritant 
to the loins, such us turpeutiue or a mustard 
plaster, aud wrap a warm rug about rhe animal; 
also give a good warm, soft bed, and bran slops 
slightly warm, with one drachm of saltpeter dis¬ 
solved in each morning’s feed. Sometimes 
the paralysis is caused by disease of the kid¬ 
neys, in which case I he above treatment is 
appropriate. 
Miacelloncouf*. 
A Farmer , Ithaca, N. ¥., says that from 
the two small seed potatoes sent him by the 
Rural as Beauties of Hebron, he has obtained 
two distinct varieties of tubers : one, much 
like what the Beauty would be accordiug to 
the description of It, but mottled, though a 
good table potato; the other, a large, white 
very prolific potato, but not a first-class cook¬ 
ing one. Of this he sends a specimen, and 
asks Low the difference, could have occurred. 
Ans. —lu 60 me way or other the seed pota¬ 
toes are "mixed.” We have never seen Beauty 
o Hebron •' mottled ” The potato sunt us 
resembles more a Suowflako than any other 
kind we are familiar with. But the quality of 
the Snowflake is excellent. It is barely possi¬ 
ble it is a “ sport” of the Beauty. Such 
“sports" not uufrequently occur. Late Snow¬ 
flake i6 a “sport” of Early Snowflake; Late 
Rose a “ sport" of Early Rose, etc. 
II. G., Peterborough, Ontario, asks where he 
can obtaiu a bonc-grindiug machine, and what 
would be its probable cost; and also if we can 
give him the name of any publication that 
offers information on the crushing of bones. 
He will also be glad to know if the bones un¬ 
dergo any treatment before they are ground. 
It is proposed to crush the bones small for 
agricultural purposes. 
Ans. —The United States Wind, Engine and 
Pump Co., Batavia. Ill , and L. J. Miller, Cincin¬ 
nati, Ohio, make mills that are adapted to the 
above purpose; the price will vary with thesize, 
and can best be ascertained from the manu¬ 
facturers. We know of no publication espe¬ 
cially devoted to the treatment of bones for 
this purpose. Manufacturers of fertilizers 
ordinarily clean Hie bones of any meat or fat 
that may adhere to them, but this is not neces¬ 
sary. We know of no manufacturer of grouud 
bones situated near enough to the above place, 
to whom we could refer our friend for prac¬ 
tical information. 
J. A. B., Quantico, Aid,,, having seen the 
Japau Quince recommended as a hedge plant 
in the Rural, asks, 1, if it will do well in 
that climate ; 3, how many years will it take to 
make a good hedge; 3, will it turn stock as 
well as the Osage Orange ; 4, where can he get 
seeds or plants. 
Ans. —1, Yes. We see uo reason why it should 
not do well in Maryland. 3. That depends 
very much upon the treatment of the hedge. 
If judiciously pruned, it will form an efficient 
fence in four years. 3. It will turn stock as 
well as the Osage Orange, but it. canuot do it 
so soou as the latter, since it does not grow so 
fast. 4, Seeds and plants can be obtained from 
any large nursery firm, like Parsons Sous’ Co. 
Flushing, L. I., EUwauger & Barry, Rochester, 
N. Y., and others. We would recommend to 
set plants one year old from cuttings rather 
than raise them from seed. 
J. A. P., Conn., asks, 1, what will prevent a 
cow from milking herself; 3, whether hens 
can be kept too well, so as to prevent them 
from laying freely. He has 48 hens aud 
doesn’t get over an egg a day from the whole 
four dozen, though corn is always at their dis¬ 
posal. 
Ans. —There are various mechanical devices 
for this purpose, oue of which was illustrated 
and described iu the Rural for July 36. 
2. Yes. Hens are often fattened so much as 
to impair their prolificacy, aud sometimes to 
almost entirely prevent their laying. Corn all 
the time is uot a good food to promote egg- 
production. Hens, like humans, are fond and 
in need of variety. Give these plethoric birds 
less corn aud more of other kiuds of food ; do 
uot allow them to gorge themselves, except 
from the results of their own industrious hunt¬ 
ing, aud there should be eggs enough for the 
whole family for breakfast, with plenty for 
eustaids besides. 
Mrs. A. C. It , Itoanoke, Ind., wants to know 
what she shall do with her salsify roots. Mr. 
Vick has told her to treat them like parsnips, 
but these she leaves iu the ground all winter, 
aud if she also left the salsify out, the roots 
would uot he available when wanted most. 
Ans.— Dig up all that are wanted for winter 
use, and pile them 6nitgly with alternate layers 
of moist sand on the floor in the cellar or iu a 
box and put this under shelter tn au out-of-the- 
way place. The roots should be kepi moist to 
prevent their withering. What are uot wauled 
for use can he left iu the ground, being per¬ 
fectly hardy. 
J. U. L., Shelby, A. 1., asks, 1, what is the 
value for manure of one lou of night soil us it 
is taken from the privy vault; 3, does it dete¬ 
riorate by lying in the vault for a few years ? 
Ans. —t. The value ol night soil is much less 
lhau is generally supposed. It is worth very 
little more than good barnyard manure. Oue 
ton contains 16 pounds of uilrogm, 12^ pounds 
of phosphoric acid, and 4^ pounds ot potash, 
being poorer in nitrogen ami potash, and rich¬ 
er ouly in phosphoric acid than mixed barn¬ 
yard manure. 2. Alter lying in a vault a year, 
the nitrogen will have been lost by dissipation. 
A Subscriber, Newark, N. J., has a sod lot on 
which he intends to plain potatoes next spring 
and be asks, 1, which is the belter plan—to 
plow it now or wait uutil then. 3. lie inquires 
whether the Japauese Peioiuimou would prove 
hardy, if grafted ou a native hardy tree. 
Ans. —1. We should plow as soon as time 
aud suitable weather and condition of the soil 
permitted. 2. Gruftiug it upon our Persimmon 
(Diospyros Virglniana) would not help it 
much. What other stuck is there to graft it on ? 
G. M., Houston, Texas, seuds a leaf and 
a part of a dower taken from a herbaceous, 
tuberous-rooted, climbing plaut, aud asks 
the name of the pfaui. He also wants to know 
where lie can obtain t.e bon Jurdiuier, a French 
work of over 1U00 pages, edited by some of 
the besi French hoi tieulturisis, botanists and 
nurserymen, aud treating exhaustively of the 
whole horticultural art. 
Ans. —1. Autigomma leplopus. 3. From F. 
W. Chriateru, 77 University Place, this city. 
0, M. T., Orland, I ml., asks where lie can 
obtaiu seed of Pearl Millet aud Beauty of 
llebron, aud at what price. 
Ans. —These can now be had iu any well 
appointed seed store. We do uot know the 
price of Millet; Beauty, 84 per bbl. 
W. H., Norwich (one of the seven in the U. 8.) 
wants the address of a firm in New York that 
he can buy groceries of in small quantities, 
and get good goods. 
Ans. —H. K. & F. B. Thurber, New York 
city; F. W Leggel & Co., Reade St., N. Y. 
G. W. M., Leesbury, Florida., asks if there 
is any barbed wire manufactured with the 
barbs one inch apart. 
Ans.— No, so far as we know. 
------ 
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THK WEEK ENDING 
Saturday, Nov. 15. 
A. W. A.—-J. B.—I. A. P.—W. M. C.—G. G. W., 
thanks—F. 1). P —T. 1>. V — M. E. M.—F. McM — 
A. J. €.—Subscriber—L. J\l. J.—B. & E., thanks— 
W. S. F.—11. D. F. M. M. W.-,T. F L.—W. II.—W. 
-T. L. — M. M. N —,1 G. B. -G. M.—G. G.—S. W. ,T. 
—E. J. T.—P. L. C.—“ Farmer"—“Two Sisters”— 
J. w. S.-M. H. If. -W. S. S -\ 1 . E. W.-G. J. <}.- 
W. M. C.—U. 1I.-W. .T. If —8. O. S.—A. M. B.-S, 
C. 8.-F. D. O.-J. N. 1).—I. J. B.-W. J. F.—H. L. 
W., have attended to-fcl s —W. 1. C.—I,. A. it.— 
W. B.-U. r>. T.-G. G.—S. B. M.-E. G.—F. If. D. 
—J. R. S.—C. D. B.—C. A. B.—H. B.—F. K. M. 
isffllancons. 
PLANT RESISTANCE TO COLD. 
There are more opportunities of noting the 
powers and idiosyncrasies of plants in districts 
where they are exposed to severe climatic 
trials than where they have an even tempera 
ture. Just where the writer lives, the frost of 
May 12, last, cut off the blossoms from all fruit 
trees and Grape-vines: only a few sorts of 
Pears and Grapes saved, here and there, a 
sample of their fruits. The season up to that 
date, had been the most favorable and promis¬ 
ing, ill through autumn, winter aud spring, 
that could be remembered. There had been 
au exuberance of congratulation and delight 
over the mildness, the geniality, ami the pros¬ 
pects of abundant food for all the faculties of 
enjoyment possessed by man as a tenant of 
the earth. 
A singular effect of this cruel sweep of un¬ 
timely cold was the fact that the more tender 
sorts of Grapes, such as the Iona and Eumelau, 
suffered less than the ones that resist, as to 
their wood, the utmost severity of our winter’s 
cold, such as the Clinton. Hartford and Con¬ 
cord. These lost all their fruit, excepting, 
here and there, a bunch sheltered under eaves, 
while the sorts more tender as to wood, re¬ 
tained aud perfected a number of bunches, 
although they were in free air. quite unpro¬ 
tected. But we see a similar pheuoniemm in 
the behavior of half-hardy trees and shrubs, 
such as the Peach, the Fig, the Orange, Olean¬ 
der, etc which retain their leaves and seem 
unhurt by October frosts, while the leaves of 
our native Grapes aud trees generally are 
curled aud killed by the first hard snqp. Among 
herbaceous plants I have noticed that the Egg- 
Plant, which cannot bear eveu a ^pgle chill 
when it is young and growing, bus not suc¬ 
cumbed quite to the three or four frosts that 
wc have had up to the end of October. 
In this connection 1 will mention that, hap¬ 
pening to have covered a favorite young 
Geranium with a newspaper to protect it from 
a frost in early October, the paper was 
dreuched with t ed stains, like blood, next day. 
This came from an Achyraulhes which hud 
been left to its fate as too large for the house, 
and which leaned over the Geranium. The 
frost, light as it was, had burst the cells and 
eveu the outer integumeut, and thus the un¬ 
fortunate plant had literally bled its life out. 
In the ability which some tender plan* show 
to resist severe trials by frost, there seems to 
be some analogy with the behavior of women, 
apparently weak, yielding, and ready to faint 
aud drop, who yet. on the occurrence of dis¬ 
tress or trial, show oven more capability of re¬ 
sistance aud endurance than sturdier man. 
They seem to bend, like the reed, and reeover 
themselves from a storm that lays Oaks pros¬ 
trate, 
1 may add to this that the grape bunches 
that escaped, have kept unusually well and ex¬ 
cel in flavor. They were formed early, had 
little competition, aud so had fully matuied. 
It is a lesson as to the policy of thinning out 
the bunches well, if we would improve the 
quality and keeping properties of grapes. The 
kinds that had then 12 to IS inches of strong 
growth entirely frozen dead to the base, made 
very much less than the usual quantity of 
wood, but what they made, ripened very well, 
thanks to the dry and protracted autumnal 
weather. w. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Light and Heavy Oats.— The N. Y.Tribune 
gives a summary of good evidence to show 
that light oats are not always the best. A 
short time ago Grande&u published, in the 
Journal d'Agriculture Pratique, a very inter¬ 
esting paper showing that there is no relation 
between the weight of oats per bushel and 
their feeding value, as measured by their nu¬ 
tritive ratio. Mr. Ottenheituer, seeing this, 
wrote to inform Grandeau that his own experi¬ 
ence corresponded with his results, and he 
gave the following account of an interesting 
experiment of his own;—He had under his 
care two sets of horses driven by the same 
postillion over the same post route, for the 
same distance and at the same speed, and in 
every respect made to do the same work. 
The horses were of the same breed, and of the 
same age and size, and numbered 12 in each 
lot. One set was supplied for six months 
with the lightest oats that he could get in the 
market, weighing 38 pounds to the bushel ; 
the other set was supplied with the heaviest 
oats he could procure, weighing 40 pounds. 
During the whole period of the experiment 
the two setB of horses appeared equally strong 
and hearty, and both were iu equally good 
condition at the end of the six months. In 
conclusion, Grandeau says that a chemical 
analysis of the stock of oats on hand for the 
season, furnishes the only safe basis for decid¬ 
ing on the proper quantity to be put into the 
ration. The General Carriage and Omnibus 
Couipany of Paris now has such analyses made 
for this purpose. 
Toe Fall in ttte Value of Land —The fol¬ 
lowing suggestive note is from London Truth. 
“If you can buy land in America as good as 
land in Berkshire for a few dollars an acre, 
land in Berkshire cannot be worth a rent of £1 
per acre for agricultural purposes. The sole 
difference, assuming land in America and 
Berkshire to be equally fertile, between the two 
values, must be the difference in the cost of the 
carriage to market- Taking four quarters as the 
yield of an acre, the rent that can be paid for 
an acre of land in Berkshire over and above 
wbat au acre is worth in a Western State of 
Americans the excess of the cost of the carriage 
of the produce of an acre iu a Western State 
to London over t he cost of the transport of 
the produce of a Berkshire acre to London. 
The reduction in the value of land in England 
is, therefore, not only permanent, hut the de¬ 
crease in value will augment in proportion as 
more and more land is devoted to agricultural 
purposes out of England, and as the means of 
transportation are facilitated. We are only at 
the commencement of the equalizing effect on 
value of iand produced by cheap intercom¬ 
munication. Why, in Hungary aud Transyl¬ 
vania. fowls, fattened on maize, may be bought 
tor threepence in any number, and they rniirht 
be brought to England in refrigerating wagons 
for about one penny apiece. To sell them, 
therefore, for sixpence each in Loudon would 
return a handsome profit. And it is merely a 
question of time when these fowls will be seen 
iu our markets, competing with the produce of 
our own farm-yards." 
Horse Shoeing.—D r. Fleming says that the 
face of the hoof should on uo account be rasped 
or scraped, so as to remove or destroy the 
beautifuUy-smooth, polished surface which au 
unshod hoof always exhibits, and which every 
hoof would show if the farrier did not attempt 
to make “fine work,” and waste his time aud 
tools. No oil or rubbish, designated hoof- 
ointments, should be applied to th>. horn. They 
are not only useless, but positively injurious. 
To the unrasped wall of the hoof, nothing is bet¬ 
ter than water applied by means of a 6ponge 
or soft water-brush when necessary. 
Another Complaint —A peculiar complaint 
about Ihc hardness of the times has just 
reached us. It is from the bacon-curers. 
Hitherto these gentlemen have done very 
well, and in Waterford many of them have 
amassed princely fortunes. But the pro¬ 
cess of accumulation has not lately been going 
on so rapidly. The bacon-curers have been 
losiug money, and the old cause is assigned— 
American competition. It seems that in this 
respect, as iu so many others, we cannot now 
successfully compete with our enterprising 
Yankee eousius.—The Farmers’ Gazette. 
Preserving Pumpkins —The editor of the 
Germantown Telegraph preserves his pump¬ 
kins on a scaffolding put up in the cellar, 
allowing them to lie side by side, but only in a 
single layer. He uses them as needed through 
the winter, and finds that from a dozen to a 
dozen and a half are ample to supply the fam¬ 
ily as long as they care for them. On two 
occasions he kept one or two over to discover 
how long they would keep, and found them iu 
good condition in August, but that was about 
the end of their time. 
To Be Followbd.— The London Farmer 
says: “We have adopted the factory system 
of cheese-making from America. Our Dairy 
Farmers' Association is an imitation of the 
Dairymen's Societies of the United States. 
There is yet another Transatlantic Society 
which may be followed with advantage. This 
is the new Dairy Record Association which is 
about to be formally inaugurated in respouse 
to a ’ call.’ ” 
PAMPHLETS AND CATALOGUES. 
Descriptive Price-list of Grape-vines aud 
small fruits; also of high-class poultry bred 
and for sale by Geo. S. Josselyu, Fredouia 
NY. 
Catalogue of Bulbs for Antumu Planting of¬ 
fered by Wm. H. Carson, No. 125 Chambers 
St., N. Y. All sorts of Hyaciuths, Tulips, 
Lilies, etc. Free to applicants. 
