376 
T HE C ULT I V AT0R. 
Dec. 
gfiipiriegi anfl gwwfltf. 
Coal Ashes. —Will you or any of your correspond¬ 
ents inform me through the Country Gentleman, wheth¬ 
er there is any fertilising qualities in coal ashes or not. 
Among all the controversies about manure and com¬ 
post manures, &c., I have never seen this question 
touched. If, as admitted on all hands, that mineral 
coal is from vegetable substances, why should not the 
ashes have some alkaline properties in it as well as 
from ordinary wood coal I Among all the Geologica{ 
and Chemical works that I have read, I never have 
seen anything in reference to it. Large quantities are 
produced, and so far as I have observed, thrown to 
waste. I have used a little of it mixed with earth, 
bones, and other manure, in beds, particularly when I 
have planted grapevines, but have not had time yet to 
mark results. S Ryder. Alton, 111. [Coal ashes con¬ 
tain little potash, except what is derived from the wood 
used to kindle the fire. Theorists may account for its 
absence, whether correctly or erroneously we cannot 
say; we merely state the fact. Coal from different 
localities is different in composition, but its ashes gen¬ 
erally contain small portions of lime, magnesia, and 
other substances promoting fertility, and the ashes are 
therefore of some value, although far less so than wood 
ashes, except as a loosener of clay soil, and as an ab¬ 
sorbent of liquid manure ] 
Club Spring Wheat. —Will you inform me where I 
can obtain the Club spring wheat, and what it will cost 
per bushel, by railroad to Olean. C. B. I. [We pre¬ 
sume this wheat can be procured at the seed stores in 
Rochester, and most likely at Bath.] 
Hungarian Grass Seed. —“A Constant Reader 4 ’ 
inquires as to the value of this seed as compared with 
oats, for feeding horses. If to be fed unground, as 
oats usually are, we should prefer oats; the grass, or 
more properly millet seed, owing to its small size and 
hardness, would be very likely to pass undigested 
through the animal. 
Draining Tools. —Are there spades and other im¬ 
plements especially adapted to tile draining for sale in 
3 r our city ? What are they and the prices ? Tiles are 
manufactured at Fort Wayne, sixty miles from here 
by canal and railroad, and a number here are intend¬ 
ing to use them next season. A. A. C. [The set of 
draining tools spoken of in English works, are not for 
sale here, nor are they necessary. A spade for com¬ 
mon earth, a shovel for loose earth, a pick for hard sub¬ 
soil. a narrow spade for the deeper portions of the 
drain, a long-handled pick for the operator to work the 
narrow bottom while standing above, and a narrow 
scoop hoe for cleaning out the narrow bottom, are all 
that are commonly required ] 
A Lame Horse. —A friend of mine is the owner of 
a valuable mare about twelve years old, which from 
some unknown cause, has become lame in the left 
shoulder. When first put upon the road she goes very 
well, but after trotting a mile or so begins to limp. 
Can you tell me what ought to be done for her ? Old 
Subscriber. [We cannot] 
Ingersoll’s Hay Press. —Will you be so good as 
to inform me whether the “ Ingersoll Hay Press” is 
in good repute with you, and whether there are any 
in successful operation in your neighborhood. G. W. C. 
[We know of no one in this vicinity who has used In- 
| gersoll’s hay press, the farmers in this neighborhood 
J being satisfied with Dederick’s, which is made here.] 
Potatoes and Honey. —Can you or any of your 
subscribers inform me where I can obtain a bushel or 
so of Prince Albert Potatoes, nearer to Fairfield, Iowa, 
than New-Jersey ? Can you give a recipe in the Cul¬ 
tivator for making artificial honey? C. N B. [We 
do not know that the Prince Albert Potato has as yet 
been cultivated any where at the west. Perhaps some 
of our correspondets can furnish a recipe for artificial 
honey.] 
Ringbone. —Noticing an inquiry a short time since 
in your paper, as to a cure of the ringbone on horses, 
I reply by referring the inquirer to Mr. G. W. Tippits, 
Huntersland, Schoharie county. Mr. Tippits has suc¬ 
ceeded in curing quite a number of cases. I under¬ 
stand the remedy is quite simple, and does not disable 
the horse from moderate work while using it. I do not 
remember as to the time it requires to effect a cure, 
but understand that the remedy is perfect,—the appli¬ 
cation of one bottle of the liquid (cost SI,) being, I 
think, sufficient. G. W. Durant. Rensselaerville # 
Cisterns. —I will state for the benefit of those whom 
it may concern, that to cover cisterns with timber and 
have them durable, the timbers should be entirely 
covered with a coat of cement. I cannot say that the 
timber would last forever, having never tried the ex¬ 
periment, but see no reason why they should not last 
a great number of years. G. W. Durant. 
Bedford Swine. —In reply to S. K. of Zanesville, 
0., I would say that many years ago we had the Bedford 
breed of hogs in this section of Pennsylvania, and I 
have always considered that it was from that blood 
that we were enabled to establish our justly celebrated 
Chester County breed, which is now and has been for 
many years, more extensively propagated than any 
other. J. Cope. West Chester , Pa. 
Delaware Grape. —Will you confer a favor by 
stating in the December no. of the Cultivator whether 
the Delaware grape is earlier to ripen than the Isabel¬ 
la., and also the quality—would it be a desirable grape 
for this latitude. E. S. G. Easton , Ct. [The Dela¬ 
ware is one of the earliest of all the American grapes 
—it ripens some weeks before the Isabella—is scarcely 
equalled for its excellent flavor—the vine is very har¬ 
dy—and the only drawback is its small size. It holds 
the same place among American grapes that the Seck- 
el does among pears. It would undoubtedly succeed 
finely at the locality of our correspondent ] 
White Rye. —I notice an inquiry in your paper as 
to where seed of the “ white rye ” may be procured ; 
and although the distance of the inquirer from thi 3 
place is too great for that purpose, yet to encourage all 
who may be interested in it, I will mention what I 
know about it. 
It was first introduced into this (Medford) township 
about six years ago, since when the black variety has 
been generally discarded by those farmers of our coun¬ 
ty who have been in the practice of growing rye. I 
suppose nine-tenths of the rye grown hereabouts the 
past season, was of the white kind. It appears to be 
considerably more productive, but I do not notice much 
difference in the size of the grain. It yields a flour 
that will make bread about as white as thatTfrom 
wheat; if not ground too close, it would be difficult to 
say which is the whitest; though different soils might 
