1872 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
287 
SScad Tax in Ohio.— Referring to some 
remarks ia “Walks and Talks” in the June number of 
the American Agriculturist, Jno. S. Bowles, of Ohio, 
writes: “ Here in Ohio a man is taxed so many dollars 
road-tax according to property, hut he has the privilege 
of working it out at $1.50 per day, or $3 per day for a 
man and team, and wagon, or scraper. No supervisor of 
roads ever objects to a man’s working his road tax in the 
spring. On the contrary, he very often insists on it. It 
is the farmers who generally object to working out road 
tax until fall, when they have nothing else to do. Some¬ 
times, however, they do the work in May. When we 
plow and scrape we only have as many teams as there are 
scrapers. When we draw gravel, in which most of out¬ 
work consists, we have a number of teams and wagons 
at it. and enough extra shovelers to keep the teams on 
the road, and not at the gravel-pit, nearly all the 
time. Every man has a poll-tax of two days’ work 
to perform yearly. The supervisor can either allow 
one day with a team, or call for two days at shovel¬ 
ing gravel. If he needs shovelers, he will do the latter. 
More work can be accomplished at the same expense by 
the teams being constantly on the road than if every 
man’s team stood still until he filled his own wagon.”— 
No doubt about that. We fear, liowevet, that every dis¬ 
trict is not favored with such a sensible supervisor. 
Road-making or repairing requires some experience and 
much good judgment, and we can not but fear that a 
good deal of time is lost in doing work at the wrong 
season, and in not half-doing it. The commonest mis¬ 
take is in not providing good drainage. Three inches of 
well-screened gravel laid on a thoroughly-drained and 
rounding road-bed will make a far better and more en¬ 
during road than a foot of unscreened gravel laid in the 
wet spots. There is dirt and sand enough on our roads 
without drawing them from a gravel-pit. 
—“ C. C.” asks how he shall use 
two loads of night-soil.—Mix it with a few loads of fine 
earth, and put a handful or two into each hill of corn. 
The Wisconsin State Dairymen’s 
Association has decided to establish the coming 
season semi-monthly market days at the city of Water- 
town, for the sale of dairy products. 
Wliat is tlie Matter with llie 
Horse?— “A.L. B.,’l Trenton, Pa., has ahorse which is 
stupid and dull, as though something were the matter with 
the head. Possibly there is : if there is redness of the 
eyes, it may be caused by inflammation of the brain, or 
it may be caused by overfeeding, or a too tightly fitting 
collar. Books in such a case are useless, and the trouble 
is so ill-defined that we can not offer any advice except 
to consult a veterinary surgeon about it. 
A i ( lit 'Wanted. — “ S. S.,” Bedford, 
Pa., sends us a sketch of a farm-gate which he claims is 
a new thing, and wants our opinion about it. As the 
claimed improvement lias not the least novelty, we give 
our opinion, and would not advise “S. S.” to spend any 
money over it. We think that the gate business, being 
already hampered with over 100 patents, should now be left 
in peace, and inventors turn their attention to methods 
of doing without gates at all; and fences as well. 
Buffalo Bulls. —If “ P. B. B.” will send 
his address (former one mislaid), we will give him the 
address of parties who can furnish him with a young 
buffalo bull, or he can apply to the party who advertised 
them for sale in the July Agriculturist. People often 
don’t know that they want many such things until they 
discover that they can get them, and the “Basket” is 
not exactly the proper vehicle for carrying buffalo bulls 
and the like between seller and buyer. 
Shall lie Buy or Hire a Bull?— 
“P. M.,” Pleasant Run, Kansas, asks if he shall buy a 
tkorongh-bved Shorthorn bull at $200, on a year’s credit, 
or take him on shares of half the value of his services. He 
lias 20 good native cows. We would advise the latter 
course, lest when pay-day comes inconvenience should 
arise in meeting it. A farmer, as a rule, should never run 
in debt, except to drain or manure his farm, and then only 
in rare cases. When the funds are in hand , then buy a 
bull as soon as possible. 
To Improve nn old Mendow.— 
“J. F. R.,” Norwalk, Ct,, wants the best manure to 
start the grass on an old, run-out meadow, in the absence 
of stable manure. We would harrow the meadow with a 
sharp, heavy harrow, and spread 300 lbs. of fine bone- 
dust early in sprine. with a little timothy seed where the 
ground is bare. Harrow again with a vory light harrow 
ora hush. If swamp muck could he dug through the 
eaimntr, a fbpJdrcEfslng in the fall wouTfl be useful. 
Is it too ILsite to Sow Mangel- 
Wurzel ?—It is too late to grow a large crop. But if 
the ground is rich, mellow, and clean, a fair crop may he 
grown, sown ns late as the first week in July, Seed- 
growers who raise moderate-sized roots for the purpose 
of setting them out for seed next spring, often sow as 
late as the first or middle of July. They sow in rows, 
say feet apart, and leave the plants six inches in the 
rows. If the ground is moist and the seeds are sown by 
hand, a week or so may be gained and much weeding 
saved by soaking the seeds for 4S hours before sowing, tak- 
ingcare to change the water at least every 12 hours. If, after 
soaking for 4S hours, the ground is not ready, pour off the 
water and keep the seed moist nnti 1 you are ready to plant. 
It can be kept two or three days, or even until it sprouts, 
without injury, provided the sprouts are not knocked 
off in planting. 
“’Wlsat is a ISog'K'et ? ”—It is an Eng¬ 
lish term applied to sheep, and, like many other similar 
terms, does not seem to have any very definite meaning. 
Webster, quoting- from the American agricultural writer 
Skinner, says, “ A hogget is a sheep two years old.” As 
we understand the matter, however, the general meaning 
of the term as used by English farmers is a sheep, male 
or female, from the time it ceases to he a lamb until it is 
shorn for the first time. After it. is shorn it is a “ shearing” 
or “shearling when shorn the second time, it is a “ two- 
ehear” sheep, and when shorn the third time, a “three- 
shear” ram, ewe, or wether, as the case may be. A “hog¬ 
get,” then, is a iamb, without regard to sex, from five to 
fifteen months old, or until it is sheared. After that it 
ceases to he a hogget and becomes a shearling. For 
the sake of distinction it is, we believe, proper to say ewe 
hogget, wether hogget, etc. 
Artificial Cider. —“ D. P. B.” We have 
no formula for artificial cider, and if we had, should not 
publish it; we do not believe in sophisticating. 
Stoaclies — Insect-lPowdor. — L. G. 
Hedge. If you can get fresh Persian Insect-Powder, you 
can get rid of roaches or cockroaches. Here let us state 
that all the various “ lightning,” “electric,” and other bug- 
powders are only this done up in small packages. The Per¬ 
sian Insect Powder is the ground flowers of several spe¬ 
cies of Pyrethrum, and is put up in chests in the Cauca¬ 
sus. Its value dependeupon its aroma, and consequently 
upon the care with which it is kept. The importers, when 
they open a case, immediately put the powder into pound 
bottles, securely corked. We get ours of Lasell, Marsh 
& Gardener. No. 10 Gold st., New York, in pound bottles, 
at $1.25 each. It is sure death to every cockroach it 
touches. We use a bellows and blow it into all the cracks. 
Get your druggist to order it for you. 
Oover anaorng-st Com. — : “ A Young 
Farmer” in New Jersey is engaged in raising green corn 
for the city market and wishes to grow a crop of clover 
between the crops of corn. The corn is oft' by the first 
of August, and some of it by July 20th. no asks if clover 
will do well sown at this season of the year; if so, lie 
can grow corn every alternate year.—Yes, it will do well, 
sown in July or August, provided the land is clean, moist, 
and in good condition. Sow seed enough, say 8 to 10 
quarts per acre. If the crop can be removed and the 
land got in good condition by the middle of August, we 
should prefer to wait and plow, and thoroughly barrow 
the land before sowing the seed, and then roll. But 
otherwise it will be better to sow the seed among the 
corn after the last cultivating. 
lluggT Peas. —“ J. R.,” Wayne Co., N. Y. 
We know of no remedy. All you can do is to feed out 
your peas to the pig? early in the fall, before the “ bugs ” 
grow large enough to eat their way out of the peas and 
escape. If fed out before the first of November, there 
will be little loss of nutriment, as the pigs will eat peas 
and bugs together and grow fst on them. 
E*igfs Clioice Family IPorif.—A 
Jersey farmer writes: “ I raise quite a number of pigs, and 
sell them to people who get the city slops, and who want 
them to fatten at from six to ten months old. nave got 
my name pretty well up for raising the right quality of 
pigs, so that orders come in from three months to one 
year ahead. This with a common stock of hogs, lightly 
crossed with Chester Whites, such pigs ranging from 275 
to 300 lbs. at ten months old. Last fall I thought to si ill 
further improve part of my stock by using a Jefferson 
County boar,which lias perfectly disgusted me with them. 
The pigs are now six weeks old, and I could put any of 
them in my overcoat-pocket, while my other pigs go from 
25 to 35 lbs. at eight weeks old. Now, what I wan’t to 
know is, whether yon think a thorough-bred Essex boar 
put to Chester White or other large sows would give me 
pigs that would grow faster while young and mature earlier 
ilictti cithers in which there is no Essex bfcfcW t li —The pigs 
j from such a cross may not weigh any more at two or 
1 three months old than the Chesters, but they will he finer 
honed, smaller eared, fatter, and more stylish-looking. 
At any rate, this is our experience and observation. A 
second cross, if you select the best and most vigorous 
sows, will improve them still more. And if well fed. the 
quality of the pork can not be excelled. But it should 
he understood that such pigs will not stand starvation and 
neglect. They are bred to grow rapidly and mature early, 
aud must have something to grow with. 
Chester Co. Mammoth Corns.—“D. 
II. B.,” West Brandywine, Pa., disagrees with Thomas 
Wood, of Doe Run, Pa., when lie states that the Chester 
Co. Mammoth corn is simply the result of good culture. 
He asks if heavy feeding would make native cattle equal 
in size to the Kentucky Shorthorns, and if not, could heavy 
manuring change an inferior grain into one of great ex- 
cellon e ? The theory and practice of culture and breed¬ 
ing are against the views of “D. II. B.,” and in favor of 
those of Thomas Wood, and they prove that “the careful 
cultivation of one distinct variety ” does not deteriorate 
it, hut within certain well-defined hounds improves it. 
The highly-bred Shorthorns are the result of the careful 
and long-continued culture of a race of native British 
cattle, and are totally different in character from the un¬ 
cultivated progeny ofthe same race now existing. Besides 
it can he shown that corn cultivated without change of 
seed for sixty or eighty years, at least has not degenerated. 
Yet great improvement often results from the introduction 
of new or fresh varieties. 
Value of BoiM'-BlacIc.—“ W. A. G.,” 
Washington, asks what is the value of bone-black and 
Gnanape guano as compared with raw bone and Peru¬ 
vian guano. Bone-black having by burning lost its 
animal matter, contains little or no ammonia, and its 
value is therefore less than that of raw bone, probably 
one fourth or even more. Gnanape guano is so variable 
in composition that its actual value can not he stated. 
Generally, Dr. Voelkcr states it to he less in the best 
samples than Peruvian guano. What the poorest sam¬ 
ples are worth it is impossible to say. 
Mow to Smolke Meat.—“ T. M. D.," 
Baden, Mo., wants to know which is the best weather in 
which to smoke meat, wet or dry. It is quite immaterial 
as far as regards the dryness or juiciness of the meat. 
Tliis is affected by the degree of heat in the smoke-house. 
If the house is kept cool the smoking will leave the meat 
juicy, hut if the temperature becomes too high the meat 
is dried. Damp weather affects only the surface. 
glrlpplatg- Cows.—W. H. Barns, Oak- 
wood, Kansas, lias heard of folks stripping their cows 
into a small pail, and putting it directly into the crcam- 
jnr, claiming it is nearly pure cream, and always thought 
it absurd. It is true, nevertheless, and we supposed 
everybody who had a cow knew that the last drawn milk 
Is much richer in cream than the first. 
Alioret Bopt-ewiiig;. — A. 1 Subscriber " 
asks if we would advise a farmer who has a good farm of 
one hundred acres to borrow $2,000 to pin chase stock 
for a butter-dairy farm. If the farmer knuivs enough to 
lay out the money judiciously, the stock ought to be al¬ 
ways worth the cost, so that he really is not in debt; 
and we don’t hesitate to advise any farmer to borrow 
money to improve the productive capacity of his f arm. 
The Sawdust, or “Sneer,” Humbug'. 
This has been shown up often in those columns. The 
most extensive operator in this line now sends out the 
following circular, under seal, with no name attached, but 
a name is written and inclosed in it on a separate slip. 
As all letters to swindlers are stopped at the New York 
Post-Ofilce, this fellow uses a great variety of names, 
changing them faster than they can he followed up by 
the Post-Office clerks. Thus, in a lot of the same circu¬ 
lars before us, we find slips with the following names and 
many others, all giving the address of 22 West 4th street 
or 16 South Fifth ave., New York : Wm. Dailey, S.Yetter, 
Jonas Phillips, Wm. Coombs, Joel Jewells. John H. 
Kinkkard, Darius Driscoll, David Curran, Rollin Bur¬ 
dick. Henry Oatman, Martin Bowkcr, Lemuel Ilainas, 
Ezra Whitcomb, Joseph Hoffman, Jonas Moore. Herman 
Andrews, David Curran, etc., etc. As a curiosity, we give 
the circular entire. It will be understood that nothing is 
ever returned for the money sent, the sender not daring 
to expose himself as a would-be dealer in counterfeits. 
If one comes to the shop he is scared out of his money, 
or has it taken from him by a bogus policeman. If par¬ 
cels are sent out by express, C. O. D., they are filled with 
“ sawdust ” or other Hash, the Chffracter of which is not 
known until five recipientptild a large hill and taken 
