THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
534 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
("Every query must be accompanied by the name 
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THE COW KILLER INSECT. 
L. P.. Palmer, Col. —What is the strange, 
stingiDg insect, a specimen of which I send 
the Rural in a box. It is quite common 
here and is always found traveling on the 
ground as if in a great hurry. It has no 
wings. When teased it squeaks like a mouse. 
ANSWERER BY PROF. A. ,T. COOK. 
This ant-like, wingless insect with a formid¬ 
able sting, is the cow-killer (Mutilla coecinea) 
of the South and West. I have received this 
insect from Southern Illinois and south as far 
as Texas. It is reported in some sections to 
be a serious enemy of the l>ee. It is said that 
it enters the hives and fearlessly attacks the 
beas and feeds on the brood. The female is 
hairy and looks somewhat like a wasp devoid 
of wings. The male has no sting, but has 
wings. The specimen sent is a female. She is 
an inch long, quick iu her motions, and is 
marked with red and black as follows: The 
top of her head, thorax and the base and tip 
of her abdomen are red, while the remainder 
of her body is black. It seems strange that 
this insect can safely enter a bee-hive; but her 
hard crust makes her secure against the savage 
darts of the bees. Mr. P. speaks of the noise 
which this strange insect makes when dis¬ 
turbed. I received the insect alive and 
plainly heard it making the noise when I 
could see that there were no movements of 
legs, mouth-parts, antenn® or segments of 
abdomen. I am led to conclude that the 
sound comes as a result of forcing air through 
the spiracles; in other words, that it is a real 
voice. 
FERTILIZING CORN. 
L. S.. Thibodeaux, La .—]. Will not corn 
produce n larger yield if fertilized successively, 
tho fertiliser being each time placed farther 
from the stalks where the roots cau take it up. 
than by simply enriching the ground at the 
time of planting? 2. Shouldn’t the last appli¬ 
cation contain a large amount of phosphoric 
acid to make the large ears? 
Ans.—T he plant food of fertilizers is (or 
should be) in a highh r soluble condition. If 
much rain occurs in the earlier part of the 
season, much is washed through the soil and 
lost to the crop. Again, if fertilizers are ap¬ 
plied late, and dry weather follows, the corn 
will receive little benefit. When the trouble 
of subsequent applications is considered, we 
should prefer to spread our fertilizers before 
the corn is planted, though in some cases the 
crop might be materially increased by subse¬ 
quent application. 2. There is little danger of 
giving land too much phosphate, still, if it 
needs potash and nitrogen as well, the land 
must be supplied with all, and it needs them 
all while tho grain is forming more than at 
any other time. We should use u fertilizer 
containing three per cent, of ammonia, 10 per 
ceut. of phosphoric acid and three percent, of 
potash, at a venture, not knowing in what the 
land was rich or poor. Other questions will 
be auswered later. 
ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 
It. IF. IF., Knob Lick, Mo .—I want infor¬ 
mation about nsjvirngus culture. I sowed 
some seeds in Spring, and don’t know what to 
do next. 
Ans.—D id you sow the seeds in the bed 
where the plants are to remain? If so, keep 
this bed free of weeds until Fall. Then ap¬ 
ply a heavy mulch of well-rotted mauure, and 
in the Spring thin out the plants so that they 
will be two feet by four apart. If they are 
not intended to remain in the seed bed, then 
enrich a plot of the proper size. You need 
not fear spading under too much manure. 
Sparle up the soil as deep as you cau, and set 
the plants just so as to cover the crowns. This 
may be done in November or next Spring. 
KILLING SORREL. 
B. /?., (address lost ).—One of my fields is 
covered with horse sorrel, and I cannot got 
rid of it nor get seeding to catch; what cau be 
done to kill the pest? 
Ans.—T ry this: plow the land deep this 
Fall. In the Spring plow shallow. Spread 
three bags of kainit and two of raw-bone Hour 
to the acre and harrow in. Nitrogen iu the 
form of nitrate of soda might be added—say 
100 pounds to the acre, besides that contained 
in the raw bone. If our friend cau afford to 
spread farm manure, do so in the Fall after 
plowing, and allow it to remain on the surface 
all Winter. We are presuming the land is 
level. 
STRAIN OF HOCK IN COLT. 
A. B. T., MonticeUo, la. —My three-year- 
old colt lias been somewhat lame all the time, 
and sometimes she has been hardly able to walk 
owing to a strain in the hock-joint while play¬ 
fully racing about this Spring’. Applica¬ 
tions of liniment and Kendall's spavin 
cure did no good. Blistering relieved the 
lameness for two weeks, but it returned as 
bail as before. She has been running to pas¬ 
ture until the last week, when I thought it bet¬ 
ter to tie her up. How should she be treated ? 
ANSWER BY F. L. KILBORN. 
If you had repeated the blister a few times, 
and kept the colt quiet, you would probably 
have cured her. Apply a Spanish fly blister to 
the swellings anil over the point of the hock. 
As soon as the effect of the blister has passed 
off, repeat until all lameness disappears. If 
a puffy swelling still remains, paint it 
twice a week with tincture of Iodine. Keep 
the horse in a box-stall or small yard where 
she cannot ru n for at least two months after 
recovery Feed grass or other laxative food. 
NAIL IN HORSE’S HOOF. 
“Subscriber" [no address). —Two weeks ago 
a horse stepped on a nail which entered the 
foot about half an inch, and she has been 
lame ever siuee. I cut into the foot, and the 
sore is wet from matter oozing out. What 
shall I do for her? 
Ans. —Pare away the horn around the open¬ 
ing to allow free escape of the matter. Wash 
out with an astringent, autiseptic wash (chlo¬ 
ride of zinc or sulphate of copper, etc., one- 
half dram iu a quart of water) and stuff with 
tow rolled in tar. If necessary put the foot in 
a small sack to keep the stuffing m place, 
and to keep the foot clean. Keep the animal 
quiet iu a small yard or pasture until fully re¬ 
covered. 
0 
BLOOD SPAVIN.—BOG SPAVIN. 
A. H. T., Jamesport , L. I. —1. What will 
cure a blood spavin on a farm horse? 2. Are 
advertised spavin cures any good. 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORN. 
I. Blood spavin is simply an enlargement of 
or dilatation of a vein which crosses the seat 
of spavins, and does not cause lameness. 
Treatment is not advisable. If your animal 
is lame it is due to some other cause. A fluct¬ 
uating swelling on the artero-internal aspect 
of the upper part of the joint would indicate 
bog spavin, due to inflammation of the hook- 
joint proper. In treatment, firstsubdue active 
inflammation, if present, by fomentations and 
rest, and then blister extensively or preferably 
in five points. 2. While some advertised 
“spavin cures” may possess merit, others are 
worthless. As a rule we cannot recommend 
“patent specifics” of any kind. 
ABSCESS IN A COLT. 
& F. R., BrogneriUe, Pa, —My eight-weeks- 
old colt has a yellowish, sticky discharge from 
the urinary organs, but it isn’t uriue. What 
should be done? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORN. 
There is evidently an abscess, the nature aud 
cure of which we cannot tell from your des¬ 
cription. If you can reach the cavity or sur¬ 
face from which the discharge comes, wash it 
out daily with a weak solut ion of chloride of 
zinc (one-half dram to each quart of water), or 
carbolic acid, one part acid to 50 parts water. 
After a few applications, dilute the wash one- 
half, aud continue until all discharge ceases. 
GARGET IN A COW. 
77. R. R. (no address). —How many drops 
of tincture of aconite is a dose for a cow 
troubled with gurget, and how much salt¬ 
peter should be given with it? How often 
should the dose be given? 
Ans. —Tincture of aconite, 20 to 40 drops; 
salt-peter, one to two tablespoonfuls. The 
size and frequency of the dose should vary with 
the fever. In ordinary oases 25 drops of acon¬ 
ite tincture and one large table-spoonful of 
salt-potor, three or four times daily. With lit¬ 
tle or no fever neither is required. Special at¬ 
tention should always be given to the manip¬ 
ulation of, and 1 iK* til applications to the udder. 
Ul l’Tt'RE IN A COLT. 
J. IF. O., Cora, Pa, —What can be done 
for a rupture just forward of the navel in 
my sucking female colt ? 
Ans. —Return any protruding organ after 
carefully washing with a one per cent, solu¬ 
tion of carbolic acid or other disinfectant; 
stitch the edges of the rupture together with 
white silk or cut-gut, and apply a bandage 
around the body uutil the rupture is healed. 
Dress as an ordinary wound. Keep the animal 
as quiet as possible. Are you sure the rupture 
is not at the navel ? 
TREATMENT OF KNOCK-KNEED COLT. 
C. 77. F., Queenstown, Can. —My eight- 
weeks-olil colt has been weak in the front legs 
since he was a week old; and is now knock- 
kneed; how should he be treated? 
Ans. —Apply splints to the limbs to keep 
them in the natural position, until able to go 
without them. See that the mare gives plen¬ 
ty of milk. Such colts sometimes entirely 
recover, but very frequently they are not 
worth working over, being constitutionally 
weak and not easily strengthened. 
BRITTLE HOOFS IN A COW. 
A. B. D., Edgerlon. Kans .—The hoofs of 
one of my cows are all cracked in several 
places, aud a part of one lias fallen off, and 
more threatens to do so. They are as brittle 
as if burnt. She runs in the same pasture 
with the other cows, none of which are affect¬ 
ed in the same way. What is the matter? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORN. 
There appeal's to be a natural predisposition 
to brittleness of the hoof, which may or may 
not be aggravated by unknown general or 
local causes. Try keeping the whole hoof well 
covered with an ointment of equal parts of tar 
and lard or vaseline. Around and just above 
the top of the hoof, apply a blister of equal 
parts of oil of turpentine, ammonia and lin¬ 
seed oil. Repeat once a week, or often enough 
to keep the hair standing erect, but not suffi¬ 
ciently to raise a scab. 
RLOATTNG IN A CALF. 
F. 77. /?., Dudley, If is.—Every time I feed 
a four-weeks-old calf.she bloats up and acts as 
if she was in great pain. Whether I feed new 
milk, skim-milk or hay tea, the effect is just 
the same. What should be done? 
Ans. —Feed often and in small quantities. 
At each feed, add two or three tablespoonfuls 
of lime-water. As soon as the difficulty is 
checked,gradually dimmish the dose and fin¬ 
ally cease giving, if the trouble does not re¬ 
turn. 
Miscellaneous. 
X. Y. Z. y Madison, Ind. —My eight-year- 
old mare has, at times, gone lame for the last 
two years in front. Her feet show fever and 
the hoof gets as hard as a shell. She goes as 
lame on soft as on hard ground. Her should¬ 
ers appear perfectly sound; and all say she is 
not foundered, nor are her hoofs contracted. 
What is the matter ? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KTLBORN. 
It is usually impossible to diagnose such ob¬ 
scure lameness from description. In the pres¬ 
ent case navicular disease is suspected, but we 
cannot state definitely. If such is the case, 
and being of so longstanding, treatment would 
probably be unsatisfactory, and any treat¬ 
ment that would be most likely to be success¬ 
ful would require the service of a veterinary 
surgeon. 
J. 77. Hillman, Mich. —A short time ago 
the ends of the limbs of an apple tree were 
literally covered with small green lice. I put 
half a tablespoonful of Paris-green in a pail 
of water and spriugled the tree thoroughly 
with it by means of a Whitman pump. I 
killed nearly all the lice and entirely killed 
every leaf on the tree. How can I get rid of 
the pests? 
Ans. —Paris-green will not kill insects by 
contact. They must eat it. Aphides or lice 
suck the juice of plants, aud are therefore not 
hurt by the Paris-green. We have tried it 
repeatedly. Fresh hellebore (powder or iu 
water) will kill them, but it is expensive. The 
best thing we know of at present is tobacco 
tea 
T. II. S., Mannsnille , X. 1'.—When my call 
was t wo weeks old a hard, slightly movable 
lump appeared on its jaw, slowly disappeared, 
but soon returned again. It is now about the 
size of a butternut. How should it be treated ? 
Ans. —If the bunch is on the side of the 
jaw, and movable with the skin, it can best 
be removed through a vertical incision in the 
skin, the skin to bo stitched together after the 
operation. If beneath the lower jaw, it is 
close to important structures and should not 
be disturbed except by a veterinary surgeon. 
IF. A. &, Tyre, N. F.—Mr. Plumb, of the 
New York Experiment Station, says the 
Washington Glass Wheat is the same as the 
Surprise sent out by the Rural some years 
ago in its Free Seed Distribution; is it, aud 
where can it be obtained ? 
Ans. —We tlunk the Surprise (sent out by 
the R. N.-Y.l is not the Glass. We raised this 
wheat years ago. Wo are not aware that the 
Surprise is offered for sale. If any of our 
readers have it for sale, we will state tho fact 
upon being so advised. 
C. K. 7?., Northville, Ten a—My six-year- 
old cow, usually once in about two weeks, has 
great difficulty in voiding urine. She strains 
hard, and sometimes takes five minutes in 
voiding. There is nothing unusual in the 
color or quantity of the urine. Salt appears 
to givetenqxirary relief. What ails her? 
Ans.—W e cannot tell the difficulty from the 
description. Consult a veterinarian, if possible. 
R. L. B., Reform, Mo. —What will make a 
cow come in heat? 
Ans. —Very little, if anything can be given 
a cow to make her come in heat. The most 
you can do is to keep her in a good healthy 
condition—not too fat—and give her time. 
If, after several months she does not. come in 
heat, she is probably sterile, owing to some 
disease or abnormal condition. 
C. G.. Melrose, Kans .—What ails my pigs? 
They become stiff in the hind ankles and walk 
with the ankles bent forward, and finally 
walk on the ankles, with the foot bent back 
growing worse until they die. 
Ana.—Without a knowledge of the post¬ 
mortem lesions we are unable to diagnose. 
The weakness may be due to any one of 
several causes, 
J. 77. S., Hickory, IF. Fa.—1. How are 
Diehl and Probsteier prounced? 2. Are the 
roots of apple trees affected with bitter rot 
suitable for grafting stock ? 
A as.—1. Deel. 2. Probsteer. 3. Nobody 
can say. It is better to propagate from other 
stock. 
J. D. D , Eldred , Pa .—The grass sent for 
name is Festuea elatior—Meadow Fescue, 
Randall Grass, Evergreen Grass. It ripens its 
seeds early and gives an early bite to cattle. 
It is one of the chief English meadow grasses 
and cattle are fond of it either green or as 
hay. 
John IF. II”. —We do not quite understand 
the question as to grass roots. Are the roots 
to be used as sod for other parts, or is it 
merely desired to rid the place of grass 
roots. If the latter, nothing but cultivation 
will do it or the use of expensive liquids such 
as coal oil, etc. 
DISCUSSION. 
E. P., Greene Co., N. Y.—As to the ques¬ 
tion of spreading manure in Winter or leav¬ 
ing it in piles, I notice, about here, that far¬ 
mers who leave manure in piles and spread it 
in Spring, get about half the crop that is ob¬ 
tained where the manure is spread as soon as 
possible after it is made. The land is certainly 
more mellow. The soil under manure is 
always more mellow than that which is 
uncovered. It is due to the action of the 
manure on the soil. Very rich soil is seldom 
hard or lumpy. I claim that the sooner you 
get the manure out on the land, the more 
rapidly it will be decomposed, and the more 
friablo the soil will be. Farmers make a great 
mistake iu not saving their liquid manure. 
I throw my horse manure in the alley behind 
the cows. It is like a sponge to soak up all 
the moisture. The cows are clean and dry. 
They never were before the manure and bed¬ 
ding were thrown behind them. The warmth 
from the horse manure keeps the heaps from 
freezing. I can haul in TV inter without freez¬ 
ing. The cow manure is so damp that the 
piles will not bum, and the cut straw makes 
the manure handle easily. I carry my horse 
manure several rods in a basket to place it 
back of the cows, and consider myself well 
repaid. Farmers waste millions iu letting their 
liquid manure go. Use chemical fertilizers, 
but save your barnyard manure first. You 
can save ammonia iu liquid manure cheaper 
thau you can buy it. The only way to make 
farming pay now is to double the crop that 
can be grown on an acre and thus save labor. 
Save the manure and make it work for you. 
W. F. K., Baton Rouge, La.—' The Rural 
is in error in saying that people here plow 
with sticks. It is true that our people are a 
long way ltehind farmers in some parts of the 
country, but we are not so far down that we 
have to plow with sticks. [We said “ eulti- 
vate’’with sticks, meaning that sticks or wooden 
hoes are used by some of the negroes in place 
of our lighter hoes.] Our sights are not “ swel¬ 
tering hot.” It is rare for us to have a hot 
night. They are, as a rule, cool and pleasant. 
This climate is not understood. The thermom¬ 
eter seldom goes above 90°, and then only 
for a few hours. In this part of the State we 
have very few mosquitoes, the great pest of 
the lowlands, Those from France say this 
section is very similar to that of Bordeaux. 
K. S., Hillsborough, N. H.—R. C., Jr. 
should clear out his well or dig a new one. 
If there is enough foul gas in it to spoil milk, 
the water can hardly be tit to drink. Hot 
charcoal throwm down the well would absorb 
the gasses, or if he could force a stream of 
aii* through the water Ms well would be all 
right. 
CoMsrcNiCATioss Received for the Week Endwis 
July 31. isstiw 
•‘Hampshire.’’—B. B.—E. S. G.—J. A. W„ thanks— 
W. A. S.—O. A. G.-H. S,-H. 8.—T. H. H.—C. S.-W. G. 
H.-J. S.—B.—W. J. G., thanks—A. W. B.—H.—R. C.— 
A. E. M. C.-E. T.-T. P. C.-B. R.-G. T.-R. S. M., the 
special will be issued Sep. 1st.—H. S.—C. S. S.—C. A. 
G. —W. V. K.-O. R. W.-G. W. p. & Soils—R. G. B.-E. 
R-W. H. T.-F. O.-L. W. P.-J. A. W.-J. H. W„ 
thanks—W. S. S„ thanks—H. B.—W. S. C.—T. V. M., 
grapes reo’d—J. D. D.-J. G. H.—J. J.—C. W. K.—C. A 
G.-P. H. J.-J H. H.-J. D. D.-H. S. 
