366 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[October, 
Aes 4i —“ G. H.” writes us in regard 
to a question which we consider settled, and therefore 
can not reopen. But. lest he might think we. treat him 
discourteously, we would say that he is as incorrect in his 
main idea as he is when he speaks of an “almost uni¬ 
versally established axiom.’’ An axiom is a self-evident 
truth, as that, “the whole is greater than one of its 
parts.” and therefore can not be said to be “almostuni¬ 
versally established,” or admit of any qualification at all. 
F:t35 Treatment of ©1*1 Meadows. 
—Old meadows which have partly run out, and which it 
is not convenient to plow up, may be renovated by tearing- 
up the old sod and hare spots with a sharp-toothed heavy 
harrow driven rapidly over it. When the surface has be¬ 
come 'oosened, f-esh seed may he scattered, and a rolling 
immediately afterwards would he a help. Some fine 
manure o- other fertilizer should he applied, and a light 
dressing of lime or ashes would also be a great benefit. 
U.ojEsIj'trdy JPojtlm* — TSue Other 
Sidle,—“ G. W. G.,” Iroquois Co., Ill., givos his view of 
the Lombardv Pop’ar as follows: “I believe the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist has proved itself a friend to that much- 
abused tree the Ailar.thus, and now to have it turn around 
and a’ use one of the most beautiful trees our broad 
prairies p assess is beyond my comprehension. We have 
no tree better Ilian the Lombardy Poplar to protect us 
from the winds that b ow across our prairies. Ton may 
talk about your bean-polo Ailanthus and the other trees 
you speak of, but when it comes to the real facts, which 
we ought to know, living on the prairie, yon will find the 
Lombardy Poplar supplies a place which very few trees 
can do. and r.t least none that you have mentioned. I 
can go on and tell scores of uses which the Lombardy 
Poplar can b ■ put to, but will refrain from troubling you 
now. Please let me ask you to tell the Nebraska man to 
set a grove around Ins barn-yard, farm, or anywhere, four 
feet apart each way, and T can prove to him that there 
will be in time to come few groves more beautiful, none 
more useful, and no part or place of ground on his farm 
more valuable.”—As our correspondent speaks of the 
Lombardy Poplar ns “beautiful” and “useful,” and the 
Ailantlms as a “bean-pole,” we suspect that h- does not 
know the Lombardy, and must be talking about some 
other tree. 
JPoSsat.oesi a.n<l alee Ftmtsito-FSiig;,,— 
“A. W.,” Phillipsburgh, Ohio, asks if the potatoes the 
vines of which have been defoliated by the bug and 
checked in growth, will be good to use.—No injury is like¬ 
ly to come to the potato by the work of the bugs upon the 
leaves. If the potatoes cook well, we should eat them. 
Yield oC Crops.—The average 
yield of crop -, according to the census returns, is only 
about fourteen dollars per acre for all the land in cultiva¬ 
tion in til- United States. This is a poor showing, and 
shows the great need for improvement in our agriculture. 
r jT3ne Crops «f 1151 nnoisi.—According to 
the census reports, the Sta‘e or Illinois produces larger 
crops or grain than any other State, and in total products 
of all kinds she comes second only to New York. 
ISsrpSi-nm SJeetts.—“ W. B. H.,” Berea, 
Ey. The Egyptian is the best early beet when you can 
get it pure. Ours came up full half Bassanos, some ras¬ 
cally European seedsman havingmixed them. It is likely 
that this year our dealers will have home-grown seed. 
A. CrswiSi: —Mrs. J. F. B., Martin 
Co., Minn. Try the Blanchard Churn, made by P. Blanch¬ 
ard’s Sons, Concord, N. II. We are never over twenty 
minutes in churning. The butter can be almost entirely 
worked in the cbnrn. If there is any better churn than 
this, we should like to know it. 
IPlsanns E6«rf a sistt'.—“ E. I 5 .,’’ Indianapolis, 
Ind. The rott ing just at the time of ripening is not an 
unusual thing with plums, especially in some seasons. 
We have heard much complaint this season. We have 
seefi no satisfactory reason given. Good culture and 
thinning of the crop are the best advice we can give. 
Melon Seeds — ILisisn, Elcjatti«.—Mrs. 
C. U. M.. Naples, Ill. The seeds sent are those of the 
Apple-seeded Watermelo i, a good variety, which keeps 
well after it is ripe... The proper Large Lima bean is 
always white. There arc mottled and purple varieties, 
which are hut little grown. 
SjBwsluwt for IBealdsssjr.—“A. S. T..,” 
of Center Co.. Pa., writes that he has used sawdust to 
bed horses and cattle for fifteen years. “ It is a good 
bedding,” he says, “ hut, except for trees, very poor 
manure. The manure ‘ firefangs’ easily. I once lost a 
hundred dollars worth of good manure by using too much 
sawdust.” By keeping the manure-heap moist enough, 
firefanging may be prevented, or the manure might be 
drawn out and spread on the land directly from the stable. 
@>i*ais5ijag' T'IsB>l>rs*eitl Sweibbbp-IjIbmsI. 
—A Pennsylvania lumberman writes : “It pays to drain 
swamps that are covered with tr -es for the benefit of the 
timber. I have seen mucli valuable timber die for 
want of draining.”—There seems to he some difference 
of opinion on this subject, and we should be glad to hear 
from any who can furnish facts hearing on the point. 
Fn:rsfft anal SEoMseltioIc! MeSjs.—Adrien 
Briggs. A letter sent to your address was returned 
ns unclaimed. Its purport was that we know of no such 
facili ies for obtaining help as you speak of. nor at the 
prices named. If you can find us a good woman to do 
housework who will agree to stay a year for $100, we will 
give you $25 for your trouble. If any Chinese laborers 
are seeking employment in New York, we have never 
heard of them. Those who come to the city daily have 
as much difficulty in finding help as you who live at a 
distance. You have been deceived by some one. 
A CAood Clow. —II. E. Wright, of Meadville, 
Pa., writes ns that, lie has a cow “the mother of which 
was part Devon and the father a thorough-bred Short¬ 
horn. She gives the richest of milk—none better except 
the Aldernevs. The last, time she calved (1871) she gave 
during- the months of May and June 72 lbs. of milk each 
day, and one day SO lbs. I milked lier three times a day.” 
A S®s*«fes@or* ofi* IHoriat'-aElStiaB'e.—Mr. 
Charles S. Sargent, of Brookline, Mass., has been ap¬ 
pointed Professor of Horticulture in Bussy Institution, 
which is the “ Farm School ” of Harvard University. Mr. 
Sargent is well known to the readers of the Agriculturist 
as the maker of the highest-priced butter sold in America, 
and as the most successful grower of azaleas. He is 
still a young man, with much enthusiasm and more 
knowledge in horticultural matters, and he enters upon 
his %vork with a determination to make it practically 
useful. An important feature of his department is a 
commercial greenhouse find garden in which pnpils can 
obtain not only practical ins'ruction, but actual expe¬ 
rience of the business of gardening. We know of no 
better opening for any young man who may desire to em¬ 
bark in the pleasant and profitable profession of com¬ 
mercial gardening than to place himself under Professor 
Sargent’s tuition and guidance. Incidentally to the giv¬ 
ing of instruction, it is proposed to grow and to distri¬ 
bute at a low price such of the clio'cer and more useful 
plants as are not easily to be obtained in the ma-ket. We 
are glad that Massachusetts lias at last an institution 
where horticulture is taught, and slia'l watch the career 
of this new school with much interest, b lieving it well 
calcu’ated to accomplish most useful work. 
An AtastrsiBiais Fasta&log-wie.—Those 
who are accustomed to regard Australia as a place quite 
out. of the world would be surprised if told that horticul¬ 
ture is there in a most flourishingcon ’ition, and that the 
smaT cities are far ahead of New York in all horticul¬ 
tural matters. We-have just received f om Anderson, 
Hall & Co., Sydney, their seed and p'ant catal -gne, 
which in mechanical appearance and illustrations, and 
the character of its contents, will compare favorably with 
those issued by the New York and London seed estab¬ 
lishments. In looking over the seed lists, we find that 
most of the novelties in vegetables and flowers are offered. 
Conover’s Colossal Asparagus finds a place, and the Early- 
Rose potato is mentioned as of great prom'se, and just 
introduced. In looking over the list of fruits we find the 
varieties, as might be expected, mainly English. The 
many fine apples of our Southern States should be tried 
in Australia. The list of Australian seeds, the remarks 
on t-ee-growing — in fact, the whole catalogue we have 
perused with much interest. 
Will it I®:ay to BBalse <’©rsi ? — A 
correspondent of the Agriculturist , at Wawatosa, Wis., 
writes: “As you are a practical farmer, I would like to 
ask if you think it will pay to raise corn where we give 
one third for husking, and raise 50 bushels per acre, and 
sell the pork it makes for five dollars per hundred?”— 
We do not see how it can pay the farmer. It would pay 
the man who does the husking very well ind e l. lie can 
well afford to seli pork at five dollars per hundred pounds. 
But the other two thirds, after paying for the rent of the 
land, the plow'ng, harrowing, planting, cultivating, and 
cutting in, shocking, and cribbing, will not leave much 
profit for the man who raises the crop. We must look 
for better prices. Staple articles like corn and pork can 
not long sell for less than the cost of production. 
l s ot©Biaac FrnitiGro-wcrs’ Asso¬ 
ciation. —The annual exhibition was held last month, 
and compared well with the exhibitions of national con¬ 
ventions in quality, showing that we have about us as 
good a fruit-growing region as can be found. The col¬ 
lections of fruits consisted of some 175 samples of pears, SO 
of apples, GO of peaches, 90 of grapes, also almonds, paw¬ 
paws, etc. The principal contributors were John Saul, 
Washington, 0. D. Munson, Va., C. Gillingham, Va., R 
A. Phillips, Va., and J. B. Claggett, D. C. The Agricul¬ 
tural Department and the Maryland Agricultural College 
were also exhibitors. 
fSeetlimsr Iltiwit laa tltc Fall.—“In¬ 
quirer” may seed down in the fall by plowing or harrow¬ 
ing the surface until it is sufficiently mellow to receive 
the seed, and sowing as early as possible. If clover can 
be well established before winter, or where the snow 
gives ample protection, it may he sown in the fall. 
Among- EltmcTs we judge 
there can be few if any better or safer ones than those of 
the New Canada Southern R.R. Its directness between 
New York and Chicago, its good grade, and the character 
of the men engaged in it—men who never go into a poor 
enterprise—arc al! so many guarantees of its great suc¬ 
cess. A safe seven per cent gold interest bond, at ninety 
per cent, is “ not a bad tiling to take.” We would like 
to have money enough to take the whole. See adv’t. 
Soil for Compost.—“T. A*. O.” asks: 
“In getting soil for compost, how do you keep from 
skimming the iand or leaving the subsoil bare where the 
soil is not over twelve inches deep ? ”—In England, where 
composting is far more common than in this country, the 
usual plan is to select an oi l headland or fence-bottom 
or earth-bank, or soil that has been thrown out of ditches, 
or road scrapings. We have never known a farmer go 
into a field and dig up his ordinary soil to make compost 
with. He uses material that he wants to get rid of. 
ISoisaiBier's Wletleml of MalsiEBg- Ma¬ 
nure.—“ I have just read this hook,” writes “ T. A. O.” 
“ Do you fully indorse it ? ”—No. But it is worth read¬ 
ing. You must exercise your own judgment. Try and 
separate the chaff from the wheat. If there are any spe¬ 
cial points on which you want information wo shall be 
happy to hear from yen. 
ILaMgstrotilia’s I&ive.—In anwer to “M. 
F. N.,” who wishes to know if the patent on the Lang- 
str th hive is run out or renewed, Mr. Quinby writes: 
“ In answer to Hie above, I would say that I believe that 
the second patent of L. L. Langstroth’s hive expires in 
October, 1872. His patent was renewed in 1S65 for 
seven years. As it conld not he renewed again by the 
Commissioner, many bee-keepers were apprehensive 
that he would apply to Congress the past winter for an 
extension. Accordingly, many remonstrances were sent 
in against it. I believe, however, he made no 
applic tion.” Mr. Quinby must have made a mistake in 
his date, as Mr. L. advertises that his patent was renewed 
in I860, and, this being the case. Will not expire until 
October, 1873. 
Slow many BSriclts to a Cjibic 
Foot ?—N. R. Fielding, Decatur,.Ala., wants to know 
how many bricks there are in a cubic foot.—This depends 
on the size of the brick, for there are various sizes. 
Multiply the length, breadth, and thickness of the brick 
in inches together, and divide 1,728 by the amount. 
There are 1,728 cubic inches in a. cubic foot. 
Fi-ice of CIover-Mnller.—-“G. B. L.,” 
Bernardi, Mo.—The price mentioned is that of one made 
by R. H. Allen & Co., Water street, New York. 
Alt Ill»SHa8UMaae«’ed[ Slos’se.—“ O. S. C.,” 
Danville, N. II., wants a cure for a horse which keeps kis 
tongue out of his mouth when traveling.—Fortunately 
we never owned a horse so badly brought up as this, and 
have no experience. Wearing a muzzle would probably 
prevent it. It may he that some of our readers can help 
“ o. S. C.” in his trouble. 
Fall Work on ©rains.—A “Farmer” 
asks what he can do in the way of draining through the 
fall and winter.—The fall is the very best time to prepare 
for making drains, and the winter the best time for com¬ 
pleting them. Now is the time to lay them out, staking 
the ground in the direction the drains should run, and as 
soon as frosts begin ts> occur the lines might he csve-red 
with coarse litter or swamp hay or stalks in bundles, 
which will prevent the ground from becoming frozen. 
During heavy frosts the digging should not advance 
faster than the drain can he completed 
