THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
the current, thus turning the wheel. The 
wheel, being fitted with a fixed axle, which 
turns in proper bearings, would easily operate 
a crank, and work a force pump attached to 
the wheel frame. This pump, with such a 
wheel and a current flowing four miles an 
hour, would easily elevate water enough for 
two acres of land 00 feet above the water level. 
A two-incli pipe might be used which would 
furnish water enough for perhaps four or 
five acres. The whole arrangement, includ¬ 
ing pump aud pipe, might cost not more 
than £10; and a cheap pump and iron pipe 
would cost perhaps $10 or $12 more. There is 
no reason why a competent perst>n should not 
adopt this simple method to raise waterenough 
from such a river to irrigate a whole farm, 
furnishing water for 2(H) acres at a very reason¬ 
able expense, aud with less cost than that of 
making a long ditch. A two-inch pipe would 
discharge about three square inches of water, 
and supply about 2,000 cubic feet every 24 
hours. Iu a very dry climate one cubic foot 
per second of water is sufficient to irrigate 200 
acres of land. The mud in the water would 
be au advantage, as it would make a valu¬ 
able fertilizer. A hydraulic ram would 
not operate iu such a case as this. The 
power of the stream would lie cheaper aud 
more desirable thau a wind engine, giving 
more power for the same cost, and a constant 
power instead of a variable oue. The method 
of raising water above described might be 
varied by using the submerged propeller motor, 
which would work at any stage of the river, 
in high or low water; or by fitting the wheel 
on a floating platform, which would rise and 
fall with the river, and could be held to the 
bank or auchored in the river, aud could be 
adapted to thousands of cases where water 
could be made useful in irrigating meadows 
aud crops, market gardens, etc., in dry sea¬ 
sons. The present season is prolific of in¬ 
stances of this kind. 
iien manure, ashes and plaster. 
E. E. B., Norfolk, ('«.—In a quotation 
from Mr. Henry Stewart in a late Rural, we 
are told of the great value of a mixture of hen 
manure, ashes and plaster; now, would not 
the addition of wood-ashes to hen manure 
liberate the ammonia, so that it would be 
lost? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
The mixture of the common home-made fer¬ 
tilizer, poultry manure aud wood-ashes, is 
really one of the most valuable manures, be¬ 
cause it contains every element of plant food. 
But it has somewhat of the quality of soda 
water, viz., that it must be used as it is made, 
because, like this exhilarating beverage, 
the mixture produces a gas which escapes very 
rapidly and leaves a ‘'flat, stale and unprofit¬ 
able” residue. It is one of the peculiarities of 
alkaline substances that they have a strong 
action upon nitrogenous suhstanees. convert¬ 
ing inert nitrogen and nitrates into ammonia, 
which is volulile and so rapidly escapes into 
the atmosphere. Hence to mix ashes or lime 
with manure of uny kind, is to start an eJTtr- 
vescence. so to speak, as in the soda water: then 
is produced a volatile gas which is lost, unless 
the mixture is used immediately. This activ¬ 
ity of the mixture is oue of its good and useful 
points when one understands it,- but otherwise 
it is a dangerous one. In all cases it should 
be guarded against and controlled, and this is 
best done by adding plaster to the mixture, 
Plaster is sulphate of lime, a combination of 
sulphuric acid and lime, and when it is brought 
into contact with ammonia (the carbonate is 
usually the form in which this exists iu ma¬ 
nures), (he lime and sulphuric acid separate; 
the former takes carbonic acid, for which it 
has a stronger affinity than for sulphuric 
acid, from the carbonate of ammonia, and the 
ammonia and sulphuric acid then unite and 
form sulphate of ammonia, which is not vola¬ 
tile, The mixture Is then safe, aud can lie 
kept without loss until it is used. Hence the 
great usefulness of plaster as a deodorizer and 
purifier of stubles and poultry houses, as well 
as domestic cess-pools and drains. My own 
practice has been to mix plaster with the ma¬ 
nure by dusting it thickly over the floors of 
poultry houses, horse stables and cow stables, 
thus using it where uud when it will do the 
most good most conveniently. 
SAVING CLOVER AND SORGHUM SEEDS, AND 
CRIBBING CORN. 
L. S., Thibodaujc La.—I, \\ r hat, is the pro 
]>or way to save clover seed? 2. How are sor¬ 
ghum seeds saved? 3. Is then' any device for 
putting corn in the crib direct from the wagon 
instead of dumping it on the ground, and then 
throwing it by hand into the crib! Could 
the corn be elevated by hydraulic pressure 
from water pumped into a tauk by a wind 
engine? 
A ns. 1. Clover seed is saved from the secoml 
cutting. It can be very easily gathered by 
using a mower with a cloth attached to the 
cutter-bar, upon which the heads gather, aud 
can be raked off by a boy following, with a 
light, wide rake. To separate the seed, it is 
run through a machine called a huller, which 
rubs the pods and breaks them, and so liber¬ 
ates the seed. Except for market and for 
ordinary sowing, the rough, unhulled seed 
may be used, sown on the freshly harrowed 
soil and covered with a brush harrow or 
smoothing plauk frame. Wo have separated 
the seed from the hulls reasonably well by 
usiug a common thrashing machine with a 
bag over the discharge opeuing, so confining 
the chaff aud choking the machine, 
aud making it discharge so slowly that 
the hulls are rubbed to pieces and the seed 
freed. So much seed always remaius in the 
chaff that it pays to sow it on the meadows 
and pasture lots as a reinforcement. 2. The 
seed of sorghum is thrashed out with flails, the 
heads being cut when the canes are trimmed, 
and saved for the purpose. 3. The most effec¬ 
tive way of unloading corn is by elevating the 
whole load, the wagon-box with its contents, 
aud dumping it into the crib. This can be 
done by simple machinery made to wind up a 
rope running through some blocks, aud then 
tipping the wagon-box. An elevator with 
large cuj>s could be made, into wb ich the corn 
could be shoveled; but this method would uot 
be much saving of labor. Au excellent method 
is to have boxes bolding each a bushel, made 
light of strips, and easily lifted. The corn is 
thrown into these boxes as it is gathered; they 
are lil ted iuto the wagons and taken to the 
crib, aud emptied very quickly, A hundred 
or more of these harvesting boxes would be 
exceedingly useful for this and other purposes. 
There is no gain in using water for the pur- 
pose^mentioued, but a loss of power, aud it 
would be better to use the power directly. 
SMALL FRUIT QUERIES. 
F. C., Leomensfer, Mans.— ]. What are the 
best varieties of black aud red raspberries for 
home aud market in this section? 2. Is it true 
that the Shaffer throws out no suckers? 3. 
What are the best sorts of strawberries? 4. 
Who is a reliable nurserymau near here? 5. 
1 an upland or other wild cedar lie transplant¬ 
ed this Fall! li. Can the tall sort of shadbush 
be successfully transplanted in August or Sep¬ 
tember? 7. My quince trees bear a great 
many small, dead twigs, some say tbe cause is 
fire blight; isn't the injury due to the lack or 
preseneeof something in the soil, which is wet? 
8 - IstEe Versaillaise the largest aud best cur¬ 
rant? 9. What is the best gooseberry free 
from mildew ? 10. What is tbe surest way to 
kill Crab Grass? tl. What is the best black¬ 
berry? 12. Is any thornless raspberry or 
blackberry profitable for market? 
Ans. —Red. Hunsell, Marlboro, Cuthbert. 
Yellow: we are inclined to think that Golden 
Queen will prove the best. Black: Sou 
hegan. Try the Hilborn and Earhart 
Everbearing. 2. It throws out suckers spar¬ 
ingly. 3. For market we should name the 
Crescent, Jewell and Sharpless. For home the 
Cumberland. Downing and Parry. 4. Ste¬ 
phen Hoyt’s Sons, New Canaan, Ct.; Hale 
Bros., South Glastonbury, Ct. 5. We should 
wait until Spring. Select small plants with 
all the earth about the roots possible. 6. Yes, 
in September. 7. We cannot say. 8. We 
prefer Fay’s as the host red. 9. Downing. 
10. Cultivation when the soil is dry. 11. 
Probably the Dorchester is best for you. We 
prefer the Kittatinny, its only failing being 
tenderness. The Snyder and Taylor are 
hardy. Fruit good, but not large. 12. No. 
We do not know what the berry which you 
speak about is from your description. We 
should like to try a plant. 
“BLIGHT" IN CURRANTS AND CHERRIES. 
•J. J., Toronto, Can .—A blight fell ou some 
of my cherries and currants this year when 
the fruit was half-grown in some cases, and 
well formed in others. Tho Cherry, White 
Grape and Fay’s Prolific Currant were nearly 
all destroyed, while Prince Alberts in the 
same row were not touched. Coe’s Transpar¬ 
ent, Downer's I .ate ami Governor Wood Cher¬ 
ries were all badly blighted, while the Dukes 
aud Morrellos iu the same rows were not 
touched in leaf or fruit. The fruit of the 
affected trees shriveled up and fell to the 
ground. What was it? 
Ans. —The description of the “blight” re 
ferred to is not sufficiently full «ud clear to 
give us a clue to its nature, especially as it at¬ 
tacks species so distinct us currants aud cher¬ 
ries. We have seen the fohage of currant 
plants badly injured, and the crop made near¬ 
ly abortive, by thrip, seemingly identical with 
that of the rose anil the apple. This season, 
our currants, both Fay and Red Dutch, have 
lost their foliage sooner than usual, hut not to 
the injury of the present crop, though prob¬ 
ably weakeuiug the plants for next seasou 
We have also noticed the appearance of a 
partial russeting of the fruit, especially of the 
Fay, which is perhaps the work of a mite such 
as produces the russeting of the orange. Uu- 
less the blight spoken of is general iu our cor¬ 
respondent’s neighborhood, it is probable that 
it may be due to some local cause, either in the 
soil or air. Are there chemical works near 
by, or some manufacture from which fumes 
noxious to ve.getfdion might arise? Does the 
soil need underaftaining, or is it a clay soil, 
heavily manured from the stable? The latter 
would be likely to damage cherry trees, but 
hardly currants. 
FOOD FOR POULTRY. 
G. €'., Summit Sta,, Ohio .—It is not desir¬ 
able to depend upon any single grain as a food 
for poultry. Wheat gives tbe best satisfaction 
where eggs are required or for the feeding of 
young chickens. Rye fed alone would not 
give as good returns as the wheat, but mixed 
with wheat, or fed ou alternate days or weeks, 
it will prove valuable. The value of rye as a 
food for stock is uot generally understood, and 
only rarely considered. In many places it is 
very successfully used for fattening hogs, and 
many farmers esteem it highly as a food for 
horses. Compared with otlier grains, the 
chemical constituents of rye are found as fol¬ 
lows in the tables prepared by Dr. Jenkins: 
Total dry 
heat.. 
matter. 
Protein. 
Fat. 
10.(50 
1.70 
11.87 
2.13 
10.(52 
5.49 
11.30 
5.00 
•...a, 
11.71 
8.31 
12.40 
1.80 
10.00 
2.25 
Judging from tho chemical analyses given, 
rye ranks low as a stock food, but practical 
feeding shows better results. 
WOOL WASTE AS A FERTILIZER. 
H. H. Somerville., X. J .—I can buy wool 
waste for 50c. a load half a mile away: will it 
pay to use it as a fertilizer, and what is the best 
way of utilizing it ? A good deal of it is 
wasted, because farmers don’t think much of 
it. 
Ans.—H ere is a mine of wealth going to 
waste. Wool contains 17 percent, of nitrogen; 
in au unavailable form at the moment, it is 
true, but iu the form of the waste of woolen 
mills it slowly decomposes in the soil and 
gives up its nitrogen to the crops. Its nitro¬ 
gen is in such a form that it is one of the most 
lasting of fertilizers. It is highly valued, aud 
hop growers find it the most useful manure 
they can procure for their gardens—and Eng¬ 
lish hop growers pay $25 to $50 a ton for it. 
If H. H. is wise he will make a long contract 
without delay for this waste and secure a 
bonanza. It can be used for any crop, spread 
on the plowed ground aud harrowed in. It is 
excellent for wheat when thus used ; also for 
corn, turnips and garden crops as well as for 
a Top-dressing in the form of compost for 
grass land ; and. in fact, for anything, any 
where. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. W. \V., St. Mary's, Pa. —1. Does hem¬ 
lock saw-dust keep moisture in the soil ? 2. 
Does it warm or cool the soil ? 3. Does it do 
any harm / 4. How does it compare with 
leaves us an absorbent of ammonia in liquid 
manure when used for bedding stock ? 5. 
Would it be well to use it. after it leaves the 
stable, on a clay-loam truck patch I 
Ans.— 1. If applied as a mulch it would 
tend to prevent evaporation from the soil, and 
would therefore keep it moist. 2. Cools it by 
intercepting the suu's rays. 3. Yes, it har¬ 
bors insects of various kinds ; makes the soil 
sour and mouldy. 4. It is a better absorbent 
than leaves by far. 5. No, we should not use 
it unless rotted iu a compost heap. 
E. M. C.. Pittsburg, Kan .—My white grape 
vino, a week earlier than Concord, regularlv 
blasts, having never born© more than two 
pieces of clusters. It is about tho size of the 
Delaware and sweet, with a thin, deeply ser¬ 
rated leaf, aud is a rampant grower. I supfxjse 
the cause of its blasting is that it isu't properly 
fertilized; what would be a good sort with 
which to fertilize it ? 
Ans. —Yes; uo doubt the tiowers are imper¬ 
fect. It may bo, however, that the pistils are 
imperfect, in which case there is no help. Try 
Moore's Early, Lady, Cottage, Elvira, El Dor¬ 
ado, Florence, Early Victor or Jessica, 
B . F. K., Clinton , La. —Of the grasses sent 
for name. No. 1 is Fauicum Texanum, Texas 
Millet, native of Texas, first described by 
Prof. S, Ft. Buckley in IStiti. It is of vigorous 
growth, with many culms crowded at the bot¬ 
tom, succulent aud yielding a large amount 
of forage. It is by some considered far supe- * 
rior to any grass for that climate. It is an 
annual, growing five feet high. It is a much 
more certain crop than millet. All kinds of 
stock relish it. It requires rich soils. Mr. 
Ravenel has cultivated it in South Carolina, 
whore it is naturalized aud freely seeding and 
propagating itself. No. 2, Leptoehloa raucro- 
nata—Feather or Slender Grass. This is not 
of mnch agricultural value. It is nutritious, 
but several acres would be required to pro¬ 
duce a ton of hay. 
•A //., Dent, Ohio. —On new. rich laud, will 
Diehl-Meditterraaeau Wheat lodge? Velvet 
Chaff did not ou similar soil. 
Ans. —Velvet Chaff Wheats, with us have 
always developed weak culms. The Diehl- 
Mediterranean does not yield as well on the 
Rural’s Long Island Farm as it appears to do 
in other climates. It has never lodged, how¬ 
ever, and we fancy that the straw is as strong 
as that of any other variety. On Mr. Wood¬ 
ward’s (Western N Y.) farm the D.-M. is 
highly prized. 
E. E. B., Norfolk Co., 1 a. — To make white¬ 
wash, take a peck of salt dissolved in water, 
one-half bushel of well-burned, fresh quick¬ 
lime and two buckets of boiling water. Put 
the water and salt and lime into a barrel and 
put on a cover to keep the steam inside. Make 
the wash about as thick os thin cream, and 
strain through a cloth. Soak a pound of glue 
in water. Add three pounds of rice flour and 
mix. Add this to the white-wash and put 
in enough hot water to make the mass of the 
right consistency. 
DISCUSSION. 
H. T., St, Giles, Canada. —To pick up 
the salt question again. In Summer my cat¬ 
tle are fed salt, because my wife, like others, 
will not believe it is unnecessary. The cows 
are enticed to eat it by putting it into their 
feed. Then they only eat a tablespoonful once 
in 10 to 15 days. My horse eats none at all, 
but the sheep want it every day. My pasture 
contains about everything in the vegetable 
kingdom, and the cattle eat more or less of 
everything in it. In Winter my cows and 
calves get a feed daily of roots, and the latter 
have oats. They average about a tablespoon- 
ful of salt, every week. The other cattle have 
two feeds per day, one of hay, cut green, and 
ouo of straw cut before full maturity and the 
lightest grains left at thrashing. These cat¬ 
tle get no salt at all during the six months of 
Winter. They keep in fine condition, slick 
and fat. I do not pretend to say that they 
keep in good condition because i feed them 
no salt, but that they are so notwithstanding 
the fact that I feed uo salt. The argument 
that salt goes through the body unchanged is 
no argument against its utility. It is certainly 
separated from the other food before being 
evacuated, aud does not follow the greater 
vessels of the body to be as speedily gotten rid 
of as ]K>ssible, as t he injurious or neuter bodies 
are. It is taken up and found, if not utilized, 
in the most minute vessels of the body. I 
firmly believe, however, that by far too 
much salt is fed to stock ordinarily. I would 
not on any account allow my cattle free access 
to salt. My idea is that cattle, like men, in¬ 
herit a predisposition to several tastes and 
habits. Salt-fed cattle will be sure to bring 
forth salt-desiring young. After feeding salt 
to stock for many generations, it would be 
cruelty to deprive their progeny entirely of 
it. It seems evident to me that plants iu more 
inland counties do not contain as much saline 
matter as do those nearer the sea coast. This 
may explain why animals on the prairies 
or in mountainous countries will travel so 
far after salt. I claim that when we feed an 
unnatural diet containing a less proportion of 
salt thau is found in well cured green hay, 
and light grain cut with the straw, we should 
make up the deficiency and uot otherwise. 
./. M. M., Clay Co., Fla, —J. C. S., page 
495, should renew the wood of his grape-vines 
by growing new wood each year, aud cut 
away the wood that has borne fruit at the 
close of each seasou, near the ground. He 
will thus avoid all danger of his grapes rotting 
on the vines if the soil is properly drained and 
fertilized. I use cloth for bags for grapes, to 
keep off birds and insects. These bags will 
last five years if taken care of. I have 500 
vines that I shall trellis with bird-proof gal¬ 
vanized wire. 
CoMsjc.xtevnoss Received fob the Week Ending 
August 14 188(5, 
B.—F. B. G.—O. M. W.—A. G. B., potatoes received 
and plumed.—E. W. S.-M. E. S.-S. H. R.-E. L. S.-W. 
W. F.—J. M, W.—T. H. H.—J. J.—W. F. B._S. E. K_E 
M C.—H. A. R.-P. H.-E. T. r.-C. S. P.. thanka.-A. & 
H. R.— N. J. 8. —F. C. — R. J. F,— p. B. S. thunks.— 
R, W. F. J. H.—R. S. C.—A E. M. C.—8. H. R.—W. F. 
B.—H. S.-E. R —J. R.—R. C. n,—M J. C.—C. S. a—A. 
S. —J. A.—G. B.—H. H.—W. H.—,1. S. W.—S. L, F.—F.. C. 
M.. special will be dated Sept. 4.—F. D. C.- R. M. C„ 
the Rvrai.’s next S<*a 1 Distribution will be announced 
probably In October.—K M.—E. T. -R. U. W. F. B.— 
E. M. H,—C—T. F. C., we have received the eoru. -E. 
B.—O. S.—L. C., thanks.—G. L. D.— Atlantte,”-S. C.C. 
—V.—J. R.- M. W , we should be glad to have auy of 
our readers send us flower seeds In small quantities 
for our Seed Distribution. The Garden Treasures can 
uot bo too varied.—E. T. I.—E. W.—N. L.—A. S.—O. S, 
B -W. F. B—P. W. J.—M. D. H,-E. R. C-G. K.—E P 
P.-J. W.W.-H. M.-P. O. C.-I.S.-I. S. N.-C. A G 
-E. N.—J. M. B. 
!Hi.strUuncou.o’ ^ tlvcvti.siuiv 
COMPLAINT 
LIVER CUBE GUARANTEED 
Dyspepsia, Constipation, Indig stlou. Jaundice. Sick 
Headache, all rewuU from a diseased Liver and ire 
symptoms of Liver Complaint. To all suiferlmj. I will 
send a Valuable Treatise, with full partieu- L'o i.i 
lars for home tre aitnent, J: It Hi Ci 
Ur. 11, C. TYLER, DEEP RIVER, Conn. 
