i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
625 
rasped dowu the edges of her hoofs, and drove her as freely 
as be'ore. In three months she moved without a limp, 
her hoofs were sound and free from chipping, and seemed 
to have worn to suit her way of going. I used her almost 
every day, on all sorts of roads, for two winters and one 
summer, in dust, ice, snow and frozen mud, in the country 
and on city pavements, and she traveled as well and freely 
as any horse, and did not interfere, and her hoofs stood the 
wear perfectly, while on ice she traveled as well as a 
sharply-shod horse. M. C. 
Much tame grass is being sown; we sow grass seed among 
the wheat and oats stubble after harvest, letting the 
rains wash the seed in. This method usually succeeds well, 
the stubble holding the snow and keeping the young plants 
from winter killing. The tame grasses do well in Eastern 
Kansas. s - F « 
Anderson County, Kansas. 
Killing “ Bold, Bad Germs.”— The dilution of milk to 
assist rapid creaming is a very important practice, especially 
since the experiment stations have shown that the process 
equals cold, deep setting. I have been from the first an 
advocate of using moderately hot water—say at a temper¬ 
ature of 125 degrees—or 130 degrees for diluting, which in 
practice actually means boiled water, cooled down. In 
such water the bold, bad germs would be destroyed, and 
the mineral matter precipitated in whole or part. I do 
not know that this is any better than using cold water, 
and the latter has no claims of superiority except in a 
short time in summer, when the hot water causes the 
cream to ripen rapidly, which is objectionable when only 
enough cream is secured for churning on alternate days. 
On the other hand, if the well water is so impure as to 
spoil milk, and is yet pure enough for family use, the 
remedy would be to boil it, let it cool down to 08 degrees, 
and then use some from the top of it. If this reme ies the 
fast-multiplying of germs so far as the dilution is con¬ 
cerned, it might be well to boil the water for the cow, and 
get germ free milk. JOHN GOULD. 
Portage County, Ohio. 
Some Illinois Potatoes.— The potato crop is a bad 
failure in Illinois. Here and there early planting (April) 
in rich soil has given, perhaps, half of a crop, or even three- 
fifths; but the average is certainly one-fourth or less. A 
party living a few miles from me only obtained three 
loads (90 bushels) from five acres. A near neighbor had 
half a bushel, where last year the same piece yielded eight 
bushels. Another dug 45 hills for a “mess” for two. A 
few patches and fields favorably located as to moisture 
and fertility will yield richly for this season, and perhaps 
well for last year. But the cry from all parts Is, failure ! 
failure ! As regards my personal experience, I have some 
fine yields, even for any season. Having every new variety 
of any prominence, there are only five or six that have done 
well. Among the older kinds of national reputation the 
Early Ohio has proved the first on the list. In size of 
tuber and uniformity this has exceeded nearly all, the 
average yield being about equal to last year’s. Among the 
new kinds yielding fine, handsome tubers are White He¬ 
bron, a now Polaris, and Mackinaw (a seedling from the 
Ohio), The late kinds are nearly all dismal failures, but the 
Rural No. 2 and two or three others will show some good 
tubers. Prices rule about as follows, according to locality: 
$ 1 , $1.20, $1.50, and $1.60 per bushel. The cause of the 
potato failure is no doubt atmospherical. 
Bureau County, Ill._ J. w. B. 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address 
of the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question, please 
see if it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask only 
a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate piece 
of paper.] 
Substitutes For Apples. 
F. K. Phoenix, Delevan, Wis .—Having greatly enjoyed 
a stew of X onions and % green tomatoes, I wish to in¬ 
quire if green tomatoes can be profitably canned or pre¬ 
served for winter pies and stews ? Tomatoes ripen so 
slowly and apples are so scarce this fall that we should 
bring forward all the good substitutes we can get. A 
first-class lady cook near us has for many years made great 
use of green grapes picked before the seeds harden and 
covered with molasses in stone jars in the cellar, for winter 
pies. 
Ans.— Answers to these questions are requested from 
those who are able to reply. We can see no reason why 
green tomatoes may not be canned; we know that green 
grapes and pie-plant are frequently saved in this way. 
Apple substitutes will be in great demand before winter is 
over. Our experiment stations might well investigate 
this matter. Try some green tomatoes and report results. 
More Silo Ouestlons. 
Different Subscribers.— 1. Where can I buy the silo paint 
mentioned by .John Gould ? It is not for sale at the corner 
groceries. 2. How can I join wood and stone so that a 
stone wall can be utilized for part of a silo ? 3. How can 
I fill in whole fodder so that there will be no loss at the 
sides and corners ? 4. Should plank or cement be used for 
a silo floor ? 
answered by JOHN GOULD. 
1 . The paint is too inexpensive for the trade to handle. 
It is simply gas tar—the refuse of the gas retorts—and gaso¬ 
line—the common ten-cent per-gallon fluid sold anywhere 
for summer vapor stoves. The proportions are one gallon 
of tar and tw r o quarts of gasoline. The latter is very vola¬ 
tile, and only about a gallon should be mixed at a time 
and the mixture should be quickly applied. No fire should 
be used in mixing it or about it. It quickly dries on the 
wall, making a hard, glossy surface that the silage does 
not dim. 2. The best plan, especially in a cold country, is not 
to join stone and wood, but to let the wood-work go down 
to the bottom inside the stone wall, and make an air-space. 
Then the stone and silage do not come into contact, and 
the chances are greatly in favor of good silage along the 
walls. 3. I am not able to see either the advantage or 
economy of filling a silo with whole silage, and feeding it 
is not satisfactory unless matters are so arranged that one 
cow cannot interfere with another’s ration. But if a man 
fills his silo with whole fodder, he should be careful to lay 
the fodder, butts and tops, along the walls, across the tops 
of the fodder in the corners and tread them in well. Then 
he should have a load of green hay at hand, and quite 
often throw a forkful into each corner and tramp it down. 
This will be of much service in preventing air from going 
down a't the angles. A layer of hay now and then along 
the sides will be of great service in making a close “joint.” 
4. If there were little or no danger from surface water, I 
would not use either. Clay pounded down compactly is 
superior to any wood or grout floor. In a soil so charged 
with water that a few tiles will not drain it thoroughly, a 
cement floor may be needed; but clay pounded down with 
a few inches of concave in the center, is the perfection of a 
silo floor; at least such has been my experience. 
. Bloody Urine In an Ox. 
E. E. M., Whatcom Coxmty, Washington.—My six ye&v ; 
old ox passes bloody urine, otherwise he is in good condi¬ 
tion. The trouble is worse when he works; what can I do 
for him ? 
Ans.—G ive him a full dose of salts to open the bowels, 
(one pound each of sulphate of magnesia and common salt 
with two ounces of ginger dissolved in two or three quarts 
of warm water and given as a drench.) Repeat the dose in 
24 hours if the bowels are not freely moved. Apply a 
mustard poultice over the loins, using one-half pound of 
ground mustard, wet up with tepid water to the consistency 
of sweet cream, and rubbed well into the hair over the 
loins and extending down on to the right side. Cover with 
a blanket. Repeat the poultice If necessary. Exercise 
should be moderate, without straining. The diet should 
be changed if convenient and restricted to one-half the 
usual rations for several days. Give bran mashes or green 
feed to keep the bowels loose. 
Parturient Apoplexy or Milk Fever In Cows. 
B. S. S., (Address mislaid ).—We have lost two fine 
cows from milk fever, both within three days of calving. 
Both were under the care of a veterinarian, and had all 
the symptoms of puerperal apoplexy when attacked. What 
should have been the treatment ? 
ANSWERED BY DR. E. L. KILBORNE. 
The treatment of milk fever in cows is very unsatisfac¬ 
tory, and a large percentage of the animals will die even 
under the best known courses of treatment. The symp¬ 
toms are also quite different in different animals, so that 
no specific course of treatment can be advised that will 
apply to all cases. In general, I have found aconite, car¬ 
bonate of ammonia, and powdered nux vomica, together 
with frequent and copious hot injections to give the best 
results. The aconite may be given in doses of 25 to 35 
drops of the tincture every four hours; and alternated 
with the ammonia and nux, one-half ounce of the carbon¬ 
ate of ammonia, with one to two drams of powdered nux, 
dissolved, and given in cold water, every four hours (leav¬ 
ing two hours between each dose or alternated). In¬ 
jections of eight to 10 quarts of Castile soap-suds, 
as hot as the hand can comfortably bear, are given 
every hour, and continued until the bowels are very 
freely purged. Obstinate constipation can often be re¬ 
lieved by these injections alone. When such large 
and frequent injections are given, it is necessary du¬ 
ring the injection and for 20 or 30 minutes after, to firmly 
hold the anus so that the injection cannot be forced out, 
as rapidly as given. This can be done by grasping the 
circular muscle of the anus between the thumb and index 
finger. The hand should be kept dry and covered with 
dust or chalk to prevent slipping. The injection can best 
be given through a two-quart funnel, to which is attached 
four feet of one-half or three-fourths inch rub er tubing. 
Insert the tube about one foot and elevate the funnel until 
the water will quickly pass into the bowels. When the 
animal can be safely drenched, one to two pounds of salts 
(preferably equal parts each of Epsom and common salt) 
with two ounces of ginger, may be given at the outset and 
be followed by the injections until freely purged. If the 
animal is in a comatose or drowsy condition, as is com¬ 
monly the case in acute or severe attacks, all medicines by 
the mouth must be given slowly, and with as little eleva¬ 
tion of the head as possible, otherwise the cow may be 
strangled from her inability to quickly swallow the liquid. 
While the animal is down it is important that she be made 
as comfortable as possible. Elevate the head, and with 
bundles of straw or sacks of hay to the back and shoulders, 
keep the animal up in a natural position, and change from 
side to side three or four times daily. 
The successful treatment of this disease is so uncertain 
that prevention is the only safe remedy. Fortunately the 
disease can usually be prevented by a little extra care just 
before and at calving time. This matter of prevention is 
so important that I repeat the precautions which I have 
previously given in these columns. The two conditions 
which appear to be most conducive to the disease, and 
which should therefore be guarded against at calving 
time, are plethora and costiveness. Cows that are fat and 
those on flush feed or receiving a full grain ration should 
have their rations reduced to one-half or one-third the 
usual quantity, at from one to three weeks before parturi¬ 
tion. This precaution alone will almost always prevent 
the appearance of the disease if the bowels are moving 
freely. But as an additional precaution, especially in 
heavy milkers, following an easy, rapid delivery, it is de¬ 
sirable to give a good active purgative as soon as possible 
after the calf is dropped. In special cases where danger ia 
apprehended, the salts may be given to advantage a few 
hours before calving, when it is evident that parturition 
is near at hand. Repeat the dose in 16 to 18 hours and 
follow with the injection if no effect is produced by the 
first. A recovered case should be closely watched at the 
following parturition, as very liable to a second attack. 
Following a difficult parturition, or a retention of the 
afterbirth, and especially if the cow is much weakened, the 
salts are not necessary, and should not be given to weaken 
an animal already exhausted. Plenty of exercise is also 
very desirable. Free access to salt and good drinking- 
water will tend to keep the bowels from becoming costive, 
and thus remove one source of danger. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
A. M. P., New York City. —1. Where is the best place to 
buy Paragon Chestnut trees ? 2. Can they be had at Roch¬ 
ester, N. Y. ? 3. When is the best time for transplanting 
them—in spring or fall ? 
Ans. —1. Of H. M. Engle & Son, Marietta, Pa. 2. Not 
that we know of. 3. We should prefer spring. 
J C. D., Viola, Del.—What does The Rural mean by its 
directions for setting out the new wheats sent free to its 
subscribers ? 
Ans. —We meana single grain one foot apart each way. 
No cultivation is to be given. We merely request that 
the plots shall be mulched with manure as soon as the 
ground freezes and will bear one’s weight. Those who 
have never tried this light seeding will be surprised" to find 
that—in many trials at any rate—the plants next season 
will cover the land. It was our intention to have sent 1,100 
kernels of each of the six kinds. We are disappointed in 
being obliged to send only 225 kernels of each kind. The 
plots, therefore, will need to be but 225 square feet in area. 
T. M.,Raymond,South Dakota.— My 15-year old mare got 
her hind leg hurt about three weeks ago, in trying to kick 
another horse or having been kicked by it. The leg was 
very much swollen from a little above the stifle down to 
the foot. I used a liniment and the swelling has mostly 
gone, but she is now quite lame. By pinching her leg all 
over, I find the soreness is in the stifle joint. I am now 
using a cantharide3 blister; is that the proper treatment ? 
Ans.—Y es. A long period of rest, with repeated blister¬ 
ing, will probably effect a cure. 
C. N. R., Canton, Pa.— What does The Rural think of 
the plan of covering potatoes with a good layer of straw 
after harrowing ? 
Ans.—W e do not think it will pay at all. 
F. E. W., Warwick, Mass. —What are the inclosed plums? 
Are they Imperial Gage ? 
Ans. —The specimens were too soft for identification. 
We may say, however, that they are not Imperial Gage. 
This is green until fully ripe, when it is known by the 
“ peculiar marbling of two shades of green.” 
A. G. D., Cameron, Md. —My buildings are situated on 
a bluff 40 to 50 feet above the creek bottom. In digging a 
cistern I strike solid rock at a depth of 12 to 13 feet, hence 
I want to dig a stock-well in the bottom and bring the 
water up to my yard, say 250 to 300 feet. What is the best 
and cheapest way of doing so ? 
Ans. —The simplest and cheapest way would be the 
employment of a windmill and a force pump to raise the 
water to the top of the bluff whence it can be distributed 
through pipes. If the wind is more available on the bluff 
the use of the compressed air pump would perhaps be most 
desirable; the air being forced from the windmill on the 
bluff to work the pump on the bottom. 
E. R. M., Flat Rock, N. C. —What kind of harrow would 
be best for general farm use ? 
Ans.— In our farm work we could hardly get along with 
only one harrow ; at present we use three—the Cutaway, 
the Acme and the Thomas. Harrows are now made to do 
special work—they are either diggers and cutters or 
smoothers and crushers. There are many farms where 
a spring-tooth harrow is the only one that will answer. 
It is therefore impossible to name any one harrow that 
will answer everywhere, particularly as we do not know 
anything a bout the location and character of your farm. 
W. H. B., Maine, N. Y.— What is the name of the Cater¬ 
pillar specimens of which are inclosed ? 
Ans.— It is the Yellow-necked Apple tree Caterpillar. 
This insect is not as a rule very common. The nakedness 
of the limbs attacked may soon attract attention. Cut 
off the branch and kill the caterpillars. The moth 
measures when its wings are expanded about two inches. 
It is of a light-brown color, the head and a large spot on 
the thorax being a chestnut brown. 
J. Dutter, Angola, Ind.— What are six of the best 
varieties of strawberries ? 
Ans. —Downing, Cumberland, Sharpless, Bubach, Parker 
Earle and Hilton. 
W. A., Plainwell, Mich.—l, Is there any difference be¬ 
tween the Crandall Currant and the common flowering 
currant which is of no use for fruit ? Here they look the 
same. 2. What is the name of the Rural No. 53 wheat ? 
Ans.— 1. The Crandall is no doubt a self-seedling of the 
Missouri (Ribes aureum). 2. Beal. 
Many Subscribers,— Wherecanseed of Elmagnus longipes 
be obtained ? 
Ans.— Of Parsons & Sons Co., Flushing, L. I. and Ell- 
wanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y. Probably The Storrs 
& Harrison Co., of Painesville, O., have it. We think 
the Agricultural College of Ames, Iowa, is raising it. 
Address Prof. J. L. Budd. 
