THE BUBAL NEW 
ABRIL 3 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
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HIP OB STIFLE LAMENESS IN’ A MAKE. 
E. L ., Madison , D. T .—While harrowing, 
a mare, frightened by the report of a gun, 
sprang forward, and since then she has been 
lame in the left hind leg. She pulls and works 
all right; but when trotting she is lame, and 
in the stable she always rests, ou the other leg. 
No swelling is apparent. What is the trou¬ 
ble? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORXE, B. Y. S. 
The injury is, most likely, a sprain of the 
hip joint, and tenderness may perhaps be 
found by pressure over the joint, midway be¬ 
tween the anterior aud posterior angles of the 
hip bone. If in no other way, you cau proba¬ 
bly locate the seat of the sprain by alternately 
moving the hip, stifle and hock joints, and 
also by closely watching the movements of 
the animal. There will be least movement in 
the affected joint. A long period of rest is 
the first essential in the successful treatment 
of such lameness—from three to six mouths. 
After ascertaining the exactseat of the in jury, 
apply a cantharides blister over tbe region. 
An excellent blister may be made by thor¬ 
ough! v mixing two drams of freshly powdered 
cantharides, one ounce of laid, two or three 
drops of oil of peppermint or lavender, and 
five grains of camphor gum dissolved in five 
or 10 drops of alcohol. Cut the hair from the 
part and apply the blister by rubbing in well 
against the direction of the hair for 10 or 15 
minutes. When the blister is well raised, 
wash off with castile soap suds, and smear the 
surface daily with vaseline or fresh lard. Tie 
the mare’s head so that she caunot reach the 
blistered surface with her mouth. When the 
effects of the first blister have passed off, a 
secoud may be applied. If there is no im¬ 
provement after a few weeks, it may be 
necessary to place her in slings at night to 
prevent her lying down. Do not work her 
until several weeks after a full recovery. 
PUTTING SECTIONAL ROLLERS TOGETHER. 
E. C. B., Cuckoo , Louisa Co., Va *—To put 
together land rollers having several sections, 
if of two sections, a frame is made having 
three pieces somewhat longer than the com¬ 
bined length of the sections, which pieces are 
morticed into end pieces of sufficient length to 
allow room for the sections to run between 
the two hinder pieces. The forward long 
piece should be 3x6 and placed edgewise up 
and down; the other long pieces should be 
either 3x3 or 3x4, according to the length of 
the roller. The sections have square iron 
plates 10x10 inches, and one-half inch thick, 
to which are cast either boxes to ruu on a 
shaft, or short bearings to run in boxes, and 
having half-inch holes in each corner for fast¬ 
ening tliem to the “heads” of the sections. If 
the sections are to run on a shaft, the shaft 
should be of 1%-ineh iron, and have a thread 
and nut on each end, or it may have in each 
end a key hole through which a key is put— 
the first is preferable. This shaft passes 
through the end pieces, and the center is sup¬ 
ported by a piece of iron one-half inch by 
four inches, having in the middle a hole 
through which the shaft passes and its ends 
split aud bent each way and bolted to the 
long pieces before and behind the rollers. 
Where the end [dates have short cast jour¬ 
nals, a box is bolted to the under side of each 
end piece and also to the iron passing between 
the section in the middle of the roller. We 
much prefer the shaft. Where three sec¬ 
tions are used, place the forward two iu a 
frame similar to the one above described, only 
long enough so that they shall be nearly as 
far apart as each is long. The third section 
should be placed in a frame of its own, and 
behind the center of the forward one so as 
to roll the space left by the forward ones. 
This frame is attached to the other by a 
chain about 13 inches long, from each corner. 
TEMPERATURE IN A GRAPERY, ETC. 
C. S. N., Lewiston, Mo —To grow and ripen 
grapes successfully in a “hot house” or hot 
grapery (which yours seems to be,) the tem¬ 
perature will depend upon the time when the 
house is started, and how early yon want the 
grapes to ripen. From 50 to 00 degrees 
is a good night temperature for a forcing 
house; and from 80 to 90 degrees for a 
day temperature when- the suu is out. It 
should not go much below 80 degrees on cloudy 
days. When it reaches the highest point 
named, begin to ventilate at the top, and not 
at tbe bottom of the bouse. This should give 
you early grapes. For grapes a little later, a 
night temperature of about 50 degrees will do, 
and a day temperature of 75 to 80 de¬ 
grees. Sudden changes iu temperature should 
be avoided at all times. 2. The vines should 
be occasionally syringed iu addition to wet¬ 
ting the ground. Do it gently. Suspend the 
syringing when the grapes are ripening off, 
as they will ripen better in a comparatively 
dry air. 
SORE TEAT ON A COW. 
Subscriber, (address mislaid ).—One of my 
cows which dropped a calf two weeks ago, 
has on one of her teats a sore that looks like 
a ring-worm, aud it is hard work to get milk 
out of that teat; what should lie done? 
Ans.— After each milking apply an oint¬ 
ment made of equal parts of almond oil and 
spermaceti, melted together. If this does not, 
succeed alone, touch the whole sore with a 
stick of lunar caustic or with a chloride of 
zinc w r ash—one dram of zinc chloride to one 
pint of water. Milk carefully and keep the 
teats dry wliile milking, if there is much 
difficulty iu milking, a milking tube to draw 
the milk w'ill be necessary. 
PARALYSIS OF HIND-QUARTERS IN PIGS. 
.S’. H. TF., Upper Falls , Md .—The paralysis 
in the hind-quarters of young pigs may be 
due to the breeding, feeding, exposure, strain¬ 
ing or other injury. In general, remove the 
cause, (five a laxative—two ounces of castor 
oil. Apply a blister of one part of powdered 
cantharides and four parts of turpentine, to 
the loins, or send a current of electricity 
througb the hind limbs and loins for 15 or 20 
minutes daily. If the animals are very fleshy 
they may be too heavy for their limbs aud 
should be fed less liberally, or perhaps, most 
profitably, sent to the butcher. 
SORE EYES IN DUCKLINGS. 
J. E., Dnxbwy, Mass .—Of 60 ducks hatched 
last June, I lost 31; the trouble seemed to be 
sore eyes; wiiat should have been done? 
Ans. —The ducks suffered from colds, prob¬ 
ably due to exposure to air draughts Top 
ventilation often causes the difficulty. Keep 
them in a w’arm, dry place, and bathe the eyes 
aud heads iu a solution of a teaspoonful of 
boracie acid in a glass of water. It would 
not be out of place to examine the heads 
closely for the large red louse that often 
causes sore heads. 
RAISING CELERY. 
C. II. IF., TFesf Shaken , N. Y.— In spite of 
your recent failure to raise celery plants, you 
will never fail, provided you get good seed, 
aud follow these suggestions: A friable soil 
mixed with vegetable mold and sand is neces¬ 
sary for a seed-bed. Pulverize it thoroughly; 
sow the seeds on the surface and merely sift a 
light sprinkling of the same soil over the 
seeds. Then cover with boards raisod an 
inch or so, which will help to retain the mois¬ 
ture of the soil until the seeds sprout. 
-— 
Mlscenaneous. 
D. C., Homer , N. I'.—1. Does pure water 
running over land enrich or impoverish it? 
2. Is there anything new’ and true in the 
new system called “The New Agriculture?” 
3. Of what value are ashes from hemlock tan- 
bark? 4. If I have potash in wood ashes, 
would it pay to buy phosphoric acid and ni¬ 
trogen to go with it, and, if so, where aud m 
what shape can I get them cheapest? 5. Are 
the Red Canada and McIntosh’s Red identical, 
and are they desirable for this section? 
Ans.—1. No. lhire water contains nothing 
needed by the plant except the oxygen aud 
hydrogen of the water; but where running 
over a piece of rich land it would both dis¬ 
solve and carry along with it more or less of 
the fertilizing elements of the soil, and if 
then running on, and standing on other land, 
it would, no doubt, deposit these elements 
and thus enrich the luud. 2. Yes, both; but 
‘‘the new’ is not true, aud the true is not new.” 
We can see no new principle iu this system. 
There is no doubt that certain lauds are great¬ 
ly benefited by underdraiuhig; others by 
trenching, and in certain soils u little water 
might be retained by the ditches advocated in 
this system; but we should advise every one 
to go slow in investing money in it. 3. Very 
little indeed—scarcely enough to pay for 
drawing, if to lie hauled any distance. 4. It 
would pay certainly, if your laud needs it, 
and what land docs not? We caunot say 
without knowing the facilities for obtaining 
them near you. In a general way, phosphoric 
acid may be got most cheaply in a very tine 
bone flour. Nitrogen can be had iu hen ma¬ 
nure, taukage, dried blood, sulphate of am¬ 
monia and nitrate of soda. 5. No. They arc 
very distinct. Wo fear the McIntosh Red will 
spot badly in this country. It does so even 
iu its native home, Canada. If not, it is a 
ver j’ beautif ul apple and of good qual it y. Red 
Canada is also liable to spot in some countries. 
If they are not raised about you, get a few 
cions and try them in a small w r ay. 
J. A. L., Philadelphia, Pa,— What disease 
killed my hogs? Symptoms, they refused to 
eat; their ears turned to a dark purple; their 
bristles fell out; their bodies were inflamed 
all over; hearts uunaturally hard; lungs, 
spotted with black; livers, unnaturally dark 
and charged with clotted blood? 
Ans.— The disease was swine-plague or hog- 
cholera. See article in the F. C., January 23, 
1886. There is no known remedy that will 
cure severe cases, and even mild cases can 
rarely be profitably treated. Prevention is 
the better method. 
F. C., Leominster, Mass.— My quinces are 
on wet land, and having been neglected, are 
not fruitful; what manure is best to make 
them so? Are horn shavings of any use? 
Ans.— First drain the land so that water 
will not stand. Wood ashes, old farm man¬ 
ure of any kind are gooib The horn dust is 
good, but very slow in acting. Any manure 
that is good for any fruit tree, for corn or 
cabbage, will be good for the quince, 
"Friend,”Hollu, Mich. —The best incubators 
iu the hands of a novice so often produce poor 
results, that we cannot advise any “beginner” 
to try so crude a device as a home-made in¬ 
cubator is likely to be. All tbe incubator* 
advertised in the Rural are favorites w ith 
many. As we have not tried them, w'e can 
not decide which is the best. Each claims 
special merits. Descriptive circulars of all 
will be furnished gratis on application. A 
seasible man after reading these would not be 
likely to err in selecting the machine best 
suited to his circumstances. 
IF. IF. S., Vevuy, hid ,—To get a railroad 
check for baggage, after paying your fare, 
show your ticket to any of the railroad 
porters about the station, and he will give or 
get you a check for it to the place to which 
you have bought a ticket, or to any interme¬ 
diate point at which you may tell him you wish 
to “stop over.” When you arrive there, you 
can get your baggage on showing your check 
to any of the porters in charge of the baggage, 
if you see it on the platform, or at the baggage 
room if it bas been carried there. 
H. T.. Tyndall, Dakota Ter. —The insect 
eggs found iu bunches ou the branches of 
your apple trees, specimen of which you for¬ 
ward, are those of the tent-caterpillar (Clisio- 
eampa Americana), or of its close relative, 
the Forest Caterpillar. The insect which has 
bored into the apple twigs sent, is, in its per¬ 
fect state, a small beetle. Its manner of pro¬ 
ceeding is much like that of the Currant 
Borer. We have never seen this insect in the 
East, and care should be taken not to intro¬ 
duce it. 
Subscriber, EllenviUe, N. Y. —t. The Rus¬ 
sian Apricot is reported as having endured 
below zero. The fruit is medium in size 
and of fail* quality. We doubt if it is exempt 
from insect injuries. 2. Some kinds of Japan 
Chestnuts will bear in three years; others 
will not bear in eight years. This we know. 
Seedlings vary as much as our American 
Chestnuts. [Some are hardier than others. 
See Rural reports. 
./. II. S., Three Rivers, Mich. —If the 
“Oriental Potato Bug Powder,” w’liieh is re¬ 
ported to have been lately invented, proves as 
efficacious as the inventors say it is, it will 
soon be in the market and widely advertised. 
Until then, use the tried aud w’eil known in¬ 
secticides. 
O. IF. IF., New York City. —To remove 
lice from a horse, rub the animal all over 
with a mixture of kerosene aud lard, equal 
parts, and after a day or two wash him to 
remove the grease. Of course, he must be 
kept warm while being washed and until 
fullydry. 
E. J. IF., West ford. Mass .—i. Saltpeter 
waste, at 813 per ton, would not be advisable 
as a dressing for grass laud. 2. Neither would 
it and cotton-seed meal make a better fertil¬ 
izer for jKitutocs, corn and beans than the 
cotton-seed meal alone. 
A. N. 1'., Frankfort, Fans. —Your goose¬ 
berry bushes “started three years ago from 
small sprouts,” will not be benefited by prun¬ 
ing as yet. 
DISCUSSION. 
TREE PEDDLERS AND NURSERYMEN. 
C. H. W , West Shokan, N. Y.— I have 
had the same exjierience as thut related by 
Mr Morrill in a late Rural, with regal’d to 
purchasing fruit trees. Those iu oue of my 
orchards were purchased from a man who 
went around soliciting orders, and they turn¬ 
ed out first-class, and nearly all were time to 
name. The next year I set out another or¬ 
chard on laud joining. The latter I purchased 
direct from what was said to be the largest 
and most reliable nursery in the State, and I 
have not one-third of the varieties I ordered, 
aud what I have are very inferior stock,some 
being absolutely worthless The number of 
trees and varieties were exactly duplicated, 
and now, after growing side by side for 20 
years, what a difference in the trees and fruit! 
Tbe nurserymen made no pretence of substi¬ 
tuting other varieties ; for the trees came 
labeled to conform to my orders. Now these 
men hold their beads very high, but they are 
no better than the w’orst swindlers. When I 
see in the noiyspapers the wholesale denuncia¬ 
tion of the traveling tree agents, I think the 
winters do not know what they are writing 
about, or they knowingly misrepresent things. 
I think more than ha! f the trees that are sold 
throughout the country are supplied through 
the so-called “ tree peddlers.” These have 
done and are doing a good woi’k in calling at¬ 
tention to the choice fruits and inducing the 
setting out of trees. In this neighborhood 
nearly all the fine fruits iu the last 20 years 
have been purchased through agents. Were 
it not for the facilities afforded by them very 
few of the farmers would be so well supplied 
w’ith fruit. Writers say oue has no redress 
when he buys from tree peddlers, I would 
like to know where my redress is. It takes 
nearly 20 years for an orchard to become es¬ 
tablished in good bearing condition, and it 
would be useless to try to recover damages 
from men who have become wealthy by such 
practices, 
Gr. F. B„ Alpha, Ia.— In connection with 
tree peddlers spoken of in a late Rural, some 
years ago one of the ubiquitous race roamed 
through Northern Iowa. He had all sorts of 
trees that grow ou the glaciers around both 
poles. Some we knew from the names were 
really iron-clad, and a few very hardy, aud 
he succeeded in making a fine haul, by prom¬ 
ising to replace every tree that would die 
within five years. The thought of doing so 
made him weary, however, and he sought an¬ 
other occupation—that of tomb-stone agent. 
Thinking lately that he was sufficiently for¬ 
gotten, aud hoping once more to take in his 
former dupes, he started througb the scenes of 
his former deceptions. “Hello! Any one 
dead m your family? I'm selling splendid 
tomb-stones for a song; how many will you 
take?” was the way he usually started conver¬ 
sation. “Yes,” was the general answer, “those 
trees you sold us are all dead, and you had 
better at ouce fix up some memorial slabs to 
perpetuate the memory of your former ras¬ 
cality. You can’t get a dollar out of any of 
your former customers; but they all want to 
see you.” He didn’t “reciprocate,” however, 
but for the good of his health, and to save 
his customers from a breach of the law, he 
took the first train for other scenes where his 
character would be more highly but less justly 
appreciated. 
J. S. S., ROXTON FALLS, PUOV. QUEBEC, CAN. 
A late Rural asks how peas are raised 
in the Dominion. Well, we sow them on 
clay land, not too rich, and if poor, we use 
land plaster by putting, say, half a bushel in 
a wash-tub with a bushel of peas, and just 
enough water to cover the peas and plaster. 
Stir well with a stick. The land plaster will ad¬ 
here to the peas. Sow and harrow quickly and 
do not give the plaster time to dry before the 
peas are buried. The drainage must tie per¬ 
fect; for the crop will be lost if water is al¬ 
lowed to remain in the field. If peas aresowu 
on sand, the land must tie rich. Two-and-a- 
half bushels of peas, or two bushels of oats 
aud one bushel of peas, well mixed, is the 
rule per acre. 1 tike the last seeding 
greatly—pens and oats. When the land is 
rich, sow little Canadian peas, and if the land 
is moderately rich, or if poor apddressed with 
land plaster, sow large peas. They must be 
sown early, or not more than half the crop 
will ripen. If peas are sowu on land badly 
infested by weeds, it will lie greatly improved 
for the next crop. Iu the valley of the St. 
Lawrence and of the Nehelieu River it is 
a common thing to obtain between 20 and 40 
bushels per aero, and this yield is sometimes 
produced on poor land by the use of land 
plaster. Vermont has splendid laud for pea 
culture, on mountain slopes. 
B. H. F. II., Union, N. J.—J. F; B., Mana¬ 
tee, Fla., who writes on page 153, was mis¬ 
taken iu abandoning orange culture. It has 
paid and is [laying constantly. It is just as 
bad to “bear” as to “bull” the business. 
-- t* *- 
Communications Received for the Week Ending 
March 27,1886. 
J. C. R., potatoes received.—fiber, dewberry re¬ 
ceived.— W. 1\, strawberry plains received.—M. V.— 
C. L.. thanks. H. W. D., thanks.—H. A. Terry, thanks. 
T. W. L.-B. F.8. K. C.-U, P.-O. K. H.-K. S. H.-F. 
o. C.—S. J. L.. thanks.—Poottttuek received without 
history.—B. W. CL— A. O. A —O. H. A., seeds received. 
—J. H. Jr.—T. T L.-A. W.-A. J. B.-W. H.-8. K. O.- 
K. S.-H. S.-C. M. II.—P. M.-M. K. N -A. W. W..-J. 
It. li., thanks.—T. M. -McA. K.—F. W. — J. G. C.—H. M 
H.-F. D. C.—T. H. H.—P. B. M.-E S. G. 
