212 
THE C U L TIY A TOR 
July. 
for pasturing, and the imagination generally magnifies 
these items to such a degree that the question seems 
to be settled at once. The time, trouble, and expense 
of driving to and from pasture is usually forgotten, 
ignored, or kept out of sight. Upon this subject one 
who has practiced soiling and knows whereof he affirms, 
has given the following testimony in our volumes for 
1857, (see Cult, page 271, and Co. Gent. July 30 :) “I 
have found by actual experience, that I can feed my 
cows night and morning as quick as I can drive them 
to and from pasture, and the time spent in feeding at 
noon is paid one hundred fold by the manure saved by 
keeping them yarded.” 
' If the whole of the article from which the above is 
quoted be read and candidly considered, some other 
prejudices and objections against soiling will probable 
be greatly abated or entirely disappear, and the mind 
be thus prepared for a fair consideration of such ad¬ 
vantages as we are now to suggest. Let the reader, 
therefore, turn to that article—“My Mode of Farm¬ 
ing ”—and then consider candidly the following points 
of superiority of soiling over pasturing : 1. Soiling re¬ 
quires much less land than pasturing, by which means 
more cows—three or four times more—can be kept on 
the same area, or more be taken for tilling. 2. Fewer 
fences are required, and thus a great saving may be 
effected. 3. The waste of food incident to pasturing 
may all be prevented by soiling. 4. The condition and 
comfort of cows, &c., are greater and better by soiling 
than by grazing. 5. Cows also give more milk, es¬ 
pecially in a time of drought, when pastures fail more 
or less. 6. Perhaps the greatest advantage of soiling 
arises from the greater quantity of manure which it 
enables the farmer to make. 
With this very brief mention of the chief points 
wherein soiling has a superiority to pasturing, we leave 
tho subject for the present. Should any of our readers 
be inclined, after considering the foregoing statements, 
to make a trial of summer-feeding by soiling instead 
of pasturing, they will find some hints about fixing 
stables, sheds, stanchions, yards, &c.,—hints that must 
be of much value to many—in the article already re¬ 
ferred to, and in another article by the same writer, 
entitled “My Milk-Yard,” in Cult. 1857, page 278; 
and in Co. Gent., Aug. 6, 1857. 
Cure for Sweeny. 
Messrs. Editors —Are the numerous readers of 
The Cultivator aware of the curative properties of 
G. W. Merchant’s celebrated Gargling Oil 7 Last 
March one of my mules got lame in one of his forelegs, 
which proved to be the sweeny, which we cured by in¬ 
flating with wind. In about two weeks he was well 
again. Shortly after that he commenced to go lame in 
one of his hind legs, so much so that we could not work 
him for two weeks or more. At first we could not find 
out what was the cause of his lameness, but soon found 
that it was the sweeny also. We immediately inflated 
the affected place with wind, expecting to cure in a 
short time, but we were disappointed this time, for in¬ 
stead of getting better it got worse. We then com¬ 
menced using Gargling Oil three times a day, well 
rubbed in with the hand on the affected place. (I 
should also mention that in both eases the skin was 
kept loose by pulling out with the hands.) In a short 
time it commenced to get better, and in about four 
weeks was entirely cured. 
I was told by my neighbors that it was nothing to 
cure sweeny in or at the shoulder-blade, hut very dif¬ 
ficult to cure at the hip, and some not to be cured at 
all. So much for the Gargling Oil. I consider it one 
of the best preparations for all external application, now 
in use, for either man or beast. H. Keller. Wrights- 
ville , Fa. 
Bees in California. 
Luther Tucker & Son —One of your subscribers 
wants to know if there are flowers here, and if bees 
would do well, and has asked some of your correspond¬ 
ents in California to let him know. The request is a 
very reasonable one, and I will try to answer. There 
are several large valleys in this State, almost perfectly 
level, but probably the greater part is mountainous. 
The valleys from about the first of March to the first 
of May or June, abound in flowers of innumerable va¬ 
rieties, and the California poppy blooms all the year. 
The mountains and river bottoms produce flowers much 
later than this ; but no where do they bloom in such 
profusion as on the uncultivated prairies in the later 
spring and early summer months, when every weed 
has its flower and every flower its smell. 
The introduction of bees into this State is of recent 
date, and good hives are held at $50 each, and very 
scarce at that. In fact I don’t know where I could get 
one at that price even. They flourish well at San Fran¬ 
cisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and Stockton ; and Co¬ 
lumbia, in the mines, is said to be well fitted for them. 
There are wild bees . here, the many statements to the 
contrary notwithstanding. I have seen them on the 
peach blooms, every spring, and on the wild poppy. 
Two fine samples of native honey were exhibited at 
the fair last year ; Win. Buck of San Jose, took the 
premium for the honey and best collection of bees. 
M. Walthall, Jr. Stockton, CaL 
Wild Turlieys. 
I cannot agree with 0. E. Wood, that wild turkeys 
will entirely lose their roving propensities in two or 
three generations. I believe that our domestic turkeys 
have never yet lost it. How shy they are in going to 
their nests—how disposed to ramble all over the farm 
and neighborhood. The greatest trouble I have ever 
found with turkeys is to keep them at home. Like E. 
Allin, I am disposed to obtain those that are least 
disposed to ramble. 
We frequently find wild turkey nests, and put their 
eggs under hens to hatch, and though perfectly gentle 
while young, they invariably ramble off, if not killed. 
They will even lead off the tame turkeys, some of 
which I have shot wild in the woods. Again I believe 
it is a mistake about their being hardier. The wild 
hen lays her eggs about four weeks later than the tame 
one—her brood is then hatched when the weather is 
•warm ; besides the woods are clear of grass and weeds, 
so fatal to our domestic turkeys when wet with dew. 
They are not considered as easily raised here, and I 
know of no one who will tolerate their crosses here 
where we know so much about them. I have killed 
many wild gobblers, and I never found one yet that 
was mature under five years of age. The length of the 
beard is generally considered by hunters a very good 
index to their weight. This has been invariably the 
case with all I have killed, which, by-the-bye, is much 
less than 0. E. W. obtains. The heaviest I ever shot 
was a few mornings ago, which weighed 23! lbs. ; the 
heaviest I ever heard of being killed was 26! lbs I 
would advise all, then, (unless for variety) not to em¬ 
bark in the wild turkey trade, but if any one is still so 
disposed, I can furnish any amount of them at 65 ets. 
per pair. H. L. B. Fayette, Mo. 
