THE RURAL WEW-YOMER. 
delay of even a few bom's is necessary before 
planting, the trees should be “heeled in,” or 
the roots well covered with damp earth. If 
the smaller-sized seedlings are to lie cared for, 
they are host set in bods, and protected from 
the heat and dryness of sun and wind in mid¬ 
summer by screens of lath, which may be 
shifted or removed as occasion demands. It 
is cheaper to procure trees several times trans¬ 
planted in the nursery, unless the purchaser 
is skilled in tree culture. 8, Shearing trees is 
an unnatural practice, aud in bad taste, unless 
in a hedge where a formal shape is admissible. 
The close-growing sorts, like the Red Cedar, 
the junipers and tho Arbor-vibes, are alone ad¬ 
apted to such modes of training; but the tree 
lover prefers to bring out their peculiarities 
rather then to bring all down to the same or 
similar set forms. 
Ag’l College, Manhattan, Kans. 
titk cut-worm lion. 
•/. N. L., Haw Patch , hul .—I send a speci¬ 
men of an enemy of the cutworm, which will 
kill more than a lazy boy. What is its uame? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. A: J. COOK. 
The iusect is the grub of one of our most 
valuable predaceous insects—Calosoma cali- 
dum. It is black with a horny back, and it 
needs this shield, as any one may readily be¬ 
lieve who sues it attack a savage caterpillar 
much larger than itself. Like most larvae of 
beetles, it has six-jointed legs just hack of the 
bead, and two caudal horns, resembling jaws, 
at the opposite end of the body. The mature 
insect is one of our most common and hand¬ 
some ground beetles. It is black with three 
rows of silver or gold-colored spots along the 
back of each wing cover. Both the grub and 
mature beetle are worthy of our regard, as 
both feed extensively on our worst insect pests. 
This grub is sometimes called, with good rea¬ 
son, the Cut-worm Lion. It is very exciting 
to see one when hungry attack a cut-worm. 
Though the latter may be much the larger 
and stronger, the hungry grub fearlessly fas¬ 
tens its jaws into its prey, changing its hold 
till it secures a position in which it is safe 
from the strong jaws of its victim, or at least 
such a position that the cut-worm can bite 
only the horny back of its destroyer. The 
stronger cut-worm will turn over, writhe 
about, twist ai'ound, and double up, and yet 
all the time the fiery grub will maintain its 
hold, evidently sucking the blood from its 
prey, as proved by its own increasing size, aud 
the rapid diminution of its victim. In about 
live minutes the discouraged cut-worm gives 
up. and is then soon despatched by the tri¬ 
umphant, but no longer hungry, grub. There 
is something wonderful in the economy of 
Nature as seen in the way by which the 
balance is maintained. Last year the cut¬ 
worms were terribly destructive in Indiana 
and Michigan. This, of course, gave plenty 
of food to these Cut-worm Lions, and so, of 
course, they prospered with exceeding pros¬ 
perity. Bo we may hope, with much reason, 
that the cut-worms will do far less damage 
this year. With the cut-worms thinned out, 
the grubs will fail of food, and soon will be 
far less in numbers. Then our enemies, the 
cut-worms will again thrive. And thus we 
study tho marvelous relations of life on the 
globe. 
KEEPING AND USING MANURE. 
<J. C. V., Port Scott, Kans .—How is manure 
best kept through the Bummer for use ou Fall 
crops? 2, Which is better—to manure in the 
hill or broadcast? 
A NS. 1—If in barns aud t rodden quite com¬ 
pact, manure will keep nicely; but it should 
uot be allowed to become so hot as to burn. 
This may bo prevented by a liberal use of 
water; but the better way for the majority of 
people and circumstances is to draw it out and 
put it into broad piles, or it may bo piled in 
the yard. In either case it should be put into 
broad piles, the outside all round being kept 
a litt le the highest so as to cause all the raiu 
falling on it to run into the pile. It is well to 
mLx with it plenty of vegetable matter, such 
as straw or seedless weeds or any spoiled hay, 
aud also to mix the manure from the horses, 
cows and other stock well together, so as to 
have au even grade. If there is too large a 
proportion of horse manure, it would pay to 
put over the pile, while building, an occasional 
layer of muck or other rich soil—good rich 
prairie soil is good—so as to prevent so rapid a 
fermentation a-s to cause fire-fnngiug. After 
the manure has all been placed in the piles, a 
thin coat of soil over them will greatly retard 
fermentation aud also arrest any escaping 
ammonia. If the manure gets hot, it will also 
pay to apply water, if convenient, in quantity 
sulficiant to moisten the pile and thus control 
the fermentation. 2. There is no doubt that 
the plants to which manure is applied will take 
up a larger proportion of the fertility when it 
is applied m the hill, and particularly so when 
only a limited quantity is to be used; but such 
application has a tendency to forward tho 
crop while young, and .to starve it later, so 
that broadcast manuring is cpfite as satisfac¬ 
tory. One thing should be always kept in 
mind: manure gives the largest returns and is 
most satisfactory when mixed with the surface 
soil. In no case should it ever be plowed iu 
deep. 
SILAGE A YEAR OU TWO OLD. 
E. A. 13., Talladega, Ala .—What can lie 
said of the quality and feeding value of silage 
kept over one year in the silo? My silo was 
filled last year; but not quite half was used, 
and the remainder is still in the silo. The end 
exposed to the air will, of course, be spoilt; 
but will that in the center? The weight of 
stones has never been removed from that part. 
Ans. —There are sevoral well-authenticated 
records of corn silage kept iu this country, in 
sound aud palatable condition, for more than 
a year. Well packed and pressed and left un¬ 
disturbed, particularly if in a masonry silo 
underground, so the temperature varies little, 
there is no evidence contrary to tho belief that 
silage can be kept for an indefinite period. In 
this special case we do not hesitate to express 
the opinion that tho bulk of the remaining 
silage can bo kept unimpaired for another 
year. There will undoubtedly be a total loss 
of the material ou the face of the exposed sur¬ 
face, extending into the mass from eight to 
twelve inches. If above ground, and exposed 
to varying temperature, the decay may pene¬ 
trate farther. If the empty half of the silo 
should be filled this season there would prob¬ 
ably be a loss of an equally thick section of 
the new material where it joined the old. But 
this could be largely avoided by a partition of 
hoards set on end aud fitted tightly against 
the bank of old silage. Without this there 
might be difficulty in the new lot settling eveu- 
ly ou the side next the old. A friend writes us 
that within a few days he has examined silage 
in good order in silos in the Carolines and 
Georgia, which gives every indication of keep¬ 
ing well for months to come. 
FORCING A PIG. 
II. C. K., Blodgett's Mills, N. Y .—What is 
the best grain ration for a Spring pig to give 
the greatest weight by December 1, in addi¬ 
tion to all the milk it will drink? Which 
would be the better—keep it out-of-doors or on 
a lloor? 
Ans. —By all means put the pig oat-of-doors 
where it can get grass. Let it have a bed 
sheltered from the hot sun and rain, aud tho 
range of a pasture. The exercise will give it 
an appetite which may be aided by allowing 
it to have all the charcoal it will eat. This may 
be kept in a box aud in another there should 
be a mixture of salt and sulphur, w here piggy 
may take a lick whenever he desires. These 
helps will keep the stomach in good order. 
Mix tine wheat middlings with the milk, and 
allow this swill to get slightly fermented. 
When the pig is two mouths old, put iu one- 
fourth of corn-meal, and when it is six 
months old make tho meal part of the food 
oue-balf corn-meal. Barley meal is excellent. 
Wheat bran may be mixed with finer food. 
There must lie coarse aud fine food to keep up 
a perfect and healthy working of the bodily 
functions. All fine feed will make a disorder- 
oil stomach and fever, and all coarse will not 
furnish sufficient nutrition for tho blood to 
make a rapid growth. A grown hog may be 
fed all corn, for its body is already grown. 
INCREASE OF CATTLE. 
F. M. Ashtabula , Ohio .—If I let out, on 
shares, a heifer with a calf by her side, aud 
she aud her offspring have calves every year 
on April 1—just the day the first is two years 
old—how many head will there be in all with- 
iu the live years: 1 
Ans. -These would be most remarkable cattle 
to have heifer calves with such regularity, but 
if they did, and none of the calves died, the 
answer may be figured out. The start would 
be made with two animals. At the end of the 
first \ ear tho heifer would have calf, thus 
making three animals. At the end of the 
second year both the cow and her first calf 
would have calves, thus making five animals. 
At the end of the third year calves will be 
dropped by the cow, a three-year-old and a 
two-year-old, making eight animals. At the 
end of the fourth year calves come from the 
cow, a four-year-old, a three-year-old and two 
two-year-olds, making 18 animals. At the 
end of the fifth year additions are from the 
cow, the original calf, a four-year-old, two 
three-year-olds and three two-year-olds, mak¬ 
ing a total of 21 animals. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. T., Gusenaw, IF. Va. —1. Would it be 
advantageous to mix muriate of potash with 
stable manure, the same as kuinit? 2. Would 
it lie advisable to mix bone-meal and lime to¬ 
gether; or what form of phosphoric acid 
would do well on land which has had a heavy 
dressing of lime within a year, as I see some 
object to using superphosphate ou limed laud 
on account of its reverting? Would tho lime 
be detrimental to floats, or undissolved South 
Carolina rock, on such land? 8. Which is the 
better feed, all things considered, prices being 
equal, cotton-seed meal or new-process linseed 
meal? 
Ans.— 1. Yes, if your land is poor in potash. 
2. No. There is nothing to be gained and 
something to be lost. If you wish to lime 
land, spread it alone. Use bone, that is, raw 
bone flour. Any kind of soluble phosphate 
will revert when there is plenty of lime in the 
soil. But the reverted add is nearly as valu¬ 
able as the immediately soluble, because that 
reverts in a short time. 3. Cotton-seed meal 
A. P., Highland Falls, JV. Y. —1. How is 
Boston Lettuce raised? 2. How can I get 
mushrooms to grow in my fields? They do 
not seem to be indigenous here. 
Ans.—1. The Boston Market or White-seed¬ 
ed Tennis Ball is a small, solid-hearted varie¬ 
ty, excellent for use between November and 
May, but of no use iu Bummer. Boston-Curl¬ 
ed is a pretty-appearing lettuce, but not, in 
our estimation, of flue quality. Lettuce likes 
rich, mellow, moist soil, and to have it crisp 
aud tender it should be grown quickly. 2. 
After a soaking rain in August plant pieces of 
fresh brick spawn, about the size of an egg, in 
the field, aud some two or three inches under 
the sod. But even then there is no certainty 
that mushrooms will grow there. 
J. B., Pittsburg, Pa .—Some of my pear trees, 
standing in grass and not manured for some 
years, are very full of fruit. The grass will 
be cut early in July; what would be a quick- 
acting fertilizer to scatter around the trees to 
help them to produce large fruit? 
Ans. —We should not do it. It will be too 
late, and might only servo to start the trees 
into a late growth, which would be killed by 
the Winter. Again, we should not apply 
soluble nitrogen alone, and if at all in the 
Spring. Then it would be better to use the 
nitrogen with wood ashes, sulphate or muriate 
of potash and bone. 
H. M., Wyanet, Ills. — The horse collars 
should be kept dean aud soft. Of course, no 
man will drive a horse with a collar that does 
not fit. Scrape the dirt away from the leather 
and beat it frequently with a stick. Oil the 
leather at intervals. Where the collars are 
kept as they should be, we do not think sweat 
pads are necessary. Write to the Commis¬ 
sioner of Immigration, Dos Moines, Iowa for 
information in regard to lands. 
G. E. B., Wayiu’srillti, Mo .—Probably the 
most practical way to remove the stumps 
would be to dig them up by the roots. We do 
not advise experimenting with explosives un- 
lass one is accustomed to their use. In some 
localities parties make a business of blowing 
out stumps, and can thus do tho work cheaply 
and effectively. Dig a ditch around the 
stump, and with axe and grub-hoe cut off all 
the roots you can reach. A good team can 
then pull the stumps out, and the hole can tie 
filled 
F. IF., Neenah, TFis,—For an account of 
the Norfolk aud Suffolk Red Polls, see Rural 
of May SO. Yes, they are excellent general- 
purpose cattle. For milk and beef combined, 
they are probably as good as, if not bettor 
than any of the other pure breeds. While the 
improvement of t.he“poor man's cow”—the cow 
for the man who keeps only one—is greatly to 
be desired, it is a trifle doubtful whether it 
would be worth while to produce a general- 
purpose cow, or whether one could be produced 
in any case. 
IF F. K., Clinton, La .—Of the grasses sent 
for name. No. 1 is Loliurn perenne, Italian 
Rye Grass. Early maturity and rapid growth 
after cutting are its leading characteristics. 
All animals are fond of it. It is valuable for 
green fodder or hay. It is very nutritious. 
The second is Cheat or Chess—of no special 
value. 
G. M., Wingham, Ont .—The Japan Quince 
is propagated by cuttings, by offsets and 
grafting. Grafting ou the Japan Quince. It 
makes a curiosity to graft the white, red, 
dark-red, etc., ou one plant. 
- — - »»» 
DISCUSSION. 
H. H., Kingston, N. Y.—I must differ from 
Mr. Taplin with regard to what ho has said 
in a late Rural, about the out-door behavior 
of the I .a France Rose. It is a grand success in 
my garden, and what a charming rose it is! 
If not really at the head of the entire list, it is 
surely socoud for beauty, size and fragrance. 
Mr. Fish, tho distinguished floral writer iu 
England, pronounces it the best of all, without 
hesitation. Who can name its superior? This 
sweetest of all roses was raised by Guillot tho 
younger, and was first sent out iu 18157, I 
find that roses do nicely in moist soiL I 
have a lied along the l>order of which flows a 
gentle rivulet from a cool spring. The soil 
remains wet all through the year, and the 
roses grow with exceptional vigor, blooming 
profusely. Of course, tho drainage M 
and ample. What a field of labor is presented 
to the progressive nomenclateur by our rose 
list. Large plant dealers will soon need to 
run special lumber yards with cutting and 
planing machines to supply their labels. 
THE USE OF SALT AGAIN. 
L. C., Philadelphia, Pa.—I note what the 
Rural says in a late issue about the use of 
salt. The writer’s remarks show plainly that 
he really never studied the subject, aud that 
it is all guess-work. Mj r conclusions are quite 
different from those of the Rural. I looked 
into the subject myself a couple of years ago, 
and came to the conclusion that the habit was 
not only an unnecessary but a bad one, and so I 
quit it with results completely satisfactory. 
R- N.-Y.—The alleged “guess-work” indi¬ 
cates the opinion of the scientific and practical 
world on this subject more correctly than do 
the “conclusions” of our friend. It may be, 
however, that immemorial belief aud practice 
in the matter have all along been wrong; but 
it will take more than the opinion and experi¬ 
ence of any single person, or indeed of any 
hundred persons, to convince the world of the 
blunder. The subject is well worthy of dis¬ 
cussion, however, and our columns are open 
to anything valuable our friends may have to 
say on either side of the question. Contribu¬ 
tions from our medical readers would be 
especially acceptable, and we trust our highly 
esteemed contributor, L. C., will also favor us 
with the reasons “for the faith that is in him.” 
We have already anti-liquor and anti-tobacco 
agitations; are we to have an anti-salt agita¬ 
tion also? All the Rural wants is to draw 
forth “the truth about it.” 
CowxrMCAnoxs Received f«r the Week Ending 
June 13,1986. 
O. C. R., mulberries received.—E. P.—E. R. P-—F. D 
D. -C.-C. R. A.-F. R.-E. M.-F. D. L.-A. J.-C. M. S.’ 
seeds received.—J. R. P., not until August.—P. P. S.— 
N. H.—E. H.—T. C. M.—C. A. K.—C. B. W.—W. B., 
thanks.—E. W.—J. D. O. B.—E. A.—L. B. L.—H. S.—J. 
P.-W. T.—C. A. G.—W. M.-W. D. S.-C. C.—L. S. E.— 
E. —L. S. E., thanks.—H. A.—H. E. A.—L. O. R.—L. C.— 
T. T. L.-E. S. G.-A. B. C.—L. M.-C. S. T.-D. C.-A. J. 
H.-L. V.—C. A. K.-J. N. I,. 
That Tired Feeling 
The warm weather has a debilitating effect, 
especially upon those who are within doors most 
of the time. Tho peculiar, yet common, com¬ 
plaint known as “that tired feeling,** is the 
result. This feeling eau bo entirely overcome by 
taking Hood's Sarsaparilla, which give* new life 
and strength to all the functions of the body. 
“I could not sleep; had no appetite. I took 
Hood's Sarsaparilla and soon began to sleep 
soundly; could got np without that taxed aud 
Languid feeling; and my appetite Unproved.” 
R. A. Sanford, Kent, Ohio. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Sold by all druggists. $1; six for $5. Made 
only by C. I. HOOD Ss CO., Lowell, Mass. 
IOO Doses One Dollar 
REEDiBARTON 
(Established 182-1,) 
MANUFACTURERS OF 
Silver-Plated Table Ware 
Of every Description, 
Would call especial attention to their Patent 
CHINA-LINED 
ICE PITCHERS. 
The Linings of our Pitchers are held 
in position by the Cover, which is se¬ 
cured by thumb-screws and is easily 
removed and replaced, thus facilitat¬ 
ing the cleansing of both pitcher and 
lining. The lining is of the finest 
Stone China, and has no equal for 
preserving ice and keeping water pure. 
SALESROOMS: 
37 UNION SQUARE, 
NSW YORK. 
