1858 . 
155 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
of last month, destroyed about half the buds, includ¬ 
ing those which had become most prominent; and nine 
degrees below on the 5th of the present month, destroy¬ 
ed about nine-tenths of the remainder. Every one, 
except the rare few which had been started or had 
swollen but little, has been destroyed. 
Fig. 3 shows the magnified appearance of the inte¬ 
rior of a fruit bud which has been killed—the outer 
part of the bud being uninjured ; but the inner part, 
consisting of the petals and anthers, turned brown or 
nearly black. It sometimes happens that the color is 
less changed, and they present the yellow appearance 
of a half decayed or frozen apple. But all uninjured 
buds, when cut through the center, are always fresh, 
plump, and sound, without any change of color. This 
difference in the color of the interior of the fruit buds, 
as most fruit-growers are aware, readily indicates 
whether a peach crop may be expected the following 
season. 
Small Octagon House. 
The object in this plan has been to arrange a house 
for a small family, where the mistress has to do or see 
to her own work, and to secure the most conveniences 
for the least cost. 
7T™ Tv~| 
" KITCHEN I 
"j 13SX16. 
HALL 
■ CEO ROOM 8 
CHAMBER PLAN. 
o . FARLOR 
^FT.WIDCg 
> 1 msxie. ' cL -j 
PRINCIPAL FLOOR. 
This house is erected in what is called a balloon frame. 
The lower rooms are 8 feet 8 inches high, the upper 
rooms 8 feet. Roof to project two feet. Cellar wall 
18 inches above ground. Weather boards either com¬ 
mon clapboards or vertical inch boards battened. The 
plan explains itself, and is thought to be very conveni¬ 
ent. Cellar stairs under hall stairs. Chimney in the 
center. Hall lighted as other rooms from the side, 
rendering the cupola unnecessary. Sides 13§ feet long 
inside. Built with four inch scantling, it is about 33£ 
from outside to outside. L. H. Reynolds. Occo- 
quan , Va. [We have re-drawn and reduced the plan, 
made one or two very slight improvements, and added 
an elevation. We cannot give the precice cost, but 
think it should be well and plainly built for twelve hun¬ 
dred dollars. Eds.] 
§3f“ The Long-Island Lands advertised in this 
paper, are worthy the attention of all those who think 
of changing their location. 
Feeding Spring Figs. 
Messrs. Editors — I would like you to let me know 
the best mode of raising spring pigs—what feed will 
make them grow the fastest. I have a lot of very fine 
sows, Chester, Berkshire and Suffolk crossed. G. W. 
Evans. 
The best food for young pigs is milk —first from the 
sow, and after this ends, skim-milk from cows. In all 
changes of the food of animals, the transition should 
be gradual. Sudden changes always injure. Pass 
gradually from new milk to skim-milk, and from the 
latter to sour milk. If there is not enough skim-milk 
and sour milk for all the pigs can eat through spring 
and summer, then reduce their number. Or, barley 
or pea meal may be gradually added and increased in 
quantity. As the pigs grow larger and the milk de¬ 
creases, grain takes its place. There is a great mis¬ 
take often made in feeding milk to pigs, by allowing 
slop and dish-water to be thrown into it, which dilutes 
it, and consequently the animal cannot take in enough 
for his most rapid growth. Feed the milk in its con¬ 
centrated state. We have known spring pigs fed for 
the first few months with all the milk they could eat, 
and afterwards properly fattened, that weighed 300 to 
350 pounds at ten months. 
Creek Mud and Compost. 
Is creek mud, obtained from the small creeks run¬ 
ning up into our salt marshes, of any value as a fer¬ 
tilizer 7 If so, how is the best way to apply it, and 
to what crop? Can you give the result of any exper¬ 
iment with it 7 I have used it alone, but with no ben¬ 
efit. I have since thought that by composting it with 
lime the effect would be better. Is Mapes* salt and 
lime mixture to be preferred 7 (which, by the way, is 
too complicated for the ordinary farmer.) By giving 
the above information you would not only oblige me, 
but many farmers living near the salt water. 
I have used the salt meadow turf with much advan¬ 
tage, by drawing it in my cow yard and hog pens to 
decompose. W. B. Perth Amboy, N. J. 
In judging of the value of creek mud, we must know 
its sources and the character of the land to which it is 
applied. Where the quantity of water is small, and 
where much animal matter is thrown in from slaugh¬ 
ter houses, manure yards, <fcc., it may deposit valuable 
matter. But this is rarely the case,—for more com¬ 
monly, nothing is deposited but the washing of the 
earthy banks, or soil from fields; hence the mud is 
little better than the same quantity of earth thrown 
over the land. It has the advantage only of being 
free from stones, and hence may be conveniently used 
in some cases as the earthy constituents of compost. 
Sometimes it happens that streams run rapidly through 
a clayey region, and deposit a good addition to the 
more sandy lands they afterwards pass through ; and 
at other times rapid streams may bring down a good 
sandy dressing for heavy soils. In the latter instances 
it will only pay to cart on gardens. As a general rule, 
the slow and long continued deposits in still ponds, is 
apt to be more valuable than the rapidly heaped sedi¬ 
ments from running creeks. We know of no practical 
trials of the mixture referred to. 
-- •» - 
It is said Prince Albert has consented to be 
chosen to the Presidency of the London Hort. Society, in 
place of the late Duke of Devonshire. 
