1872.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
447 
Trapping the Fox.—The article on page 
461 was lent us by a correspondent whose name we have 
lost. He promises us other articles, and we shall be glad 
to hear from him. 
“ I find Throe Papers enough.”— 
So says one who isfortunately able to supply himself with 
as many as three newspapers. “ 1 take my religious pa¬ 
per, for of course everybody wants to read about the work 
of his own denomination ; and my local paper, for who 
wouldn’t patronize that ? and the American Agriculturist, 
for I must have that , sure. And I find three papers 
•nongh.”—We commend our friend’s selection. 
Steaming Food.—“ R. W. B.,” St. Louis, 
Mo., says he keeps 1 horse, 2 cows, and 100 hens, and 
asks what is the best plan of steaming food for them.— 
We would not steam at all. It will not pay for such a 
small stock. If thought desirable to cook the food, we 
would pour boiling-hot water on the chopped hay or straw, 
and cover it up tight for a few hours. The simplest way 
to cook meal is to boil the water, and then, while it is still 
boiling on the fire, stir in the meal, gradually, a little at 
a time, and let it boil until it is well cooked and converted 
into pudding. 
How to Hake Ten Acres Pay.— 
11 R. W. B.,” who asks about steaming, also says : “ I do 
business in the city, and live about 10 miles out on a 
railroad, and am trying desperately hard to make my 
place often acres pay part of ray family expenses, but have 
not had much encouragement yet.”—We do not think 
steaming food for your small stock will help matters. 
Food is much cheaper than labor. Better devote the time 
and labor to making the land clean, rich, and highly pro¬ 
ductive. As a rulo, a man can not do business in the city, 
and carry on a farm or market-garden to advantage at the 
same time. 
The Report of the Bepartment 
of Agriculture for October contains the usual crop 
statistics, but these fall into insignificance by the side of 
an article by the Commissioner himself, upon the “ Cul¬ 
tivation and Hybridization of Wheat.” The profundity 
of the physiological knowledge there displayed would 
amaze us, were we not blinded by the dazzling brilliancy 
of the style in which it is conveyed. We at home expect 
nothing better, but what must, scientific men abroad think 
of such stuff as this in an official document ? The chemist 
tells us about zinc tree-labels, written upon with a copper 
solution, which may be new to him, though not to others. 
The microscopist informs us that, when weeds and brush¬ 
wood arc burned, “caustic potash” is liberated. Then 
there is an account of Prussian experiments in crossing 
the Zebu or Brahmin cattle upon European stock. The 
Department docs not seem to be aware that such crosses 
were made in this country years ago, and that grades are 
still being raised which are highly valued. The Prussian 
account, allowed to pass without comment, would give 
the reader an impression that the grades were nearly 
worthless. But this is a wonderful Department. 
A I>ry Well. —“ J. M. S.,” Yonkers, has a 
well run dry for the first time ; what shall he do with it ? 
—Dig it deeper; this is the best season for doing it. Put 
a wooden curb inside the stone-work, and wedge it tight. 
Dig the new well of a diameter equal to the lining of the 
old well uutil water is reached, when it should he stoned 
np a foot or two higher than the old bottom. The curb 
should be removed as soon as the new lining reaches it. 
It is not probable that the water will fail again. 
Pumping toy “ Clock«Work.” — 
“L.,” Brooklyn, Ct., asks if there is any machine of half 
or a whole horse-power, that could be wound up by a 
horse, and that would saw wood or pump water or cut 
feed.—Such a thing is impracticable, for the reason that 
no power is absolutely gained by employing machinery, 
and a horse-power would require ahorse constantly work¬ 
ing to keep it in motion. If power is to be stored up, a3 
in “clock-work,” by elevating weights quickly, to run 
down slowly, it would take 10 horses working one hour 
to make one horse-power for ten hours, to say nothing of 
the power lost by friction, so that no gain is made, except 
in time only. A boy with a taste for mechanics might 
use clock-work to churn with, for amusement, but for 
practical use it will “ cost more than it comes to.” 
To Kill Moss on Fmit-Trees.— 
There is nothing better than carbolic soap and lye. We 
have used it on apple, pear, peach, and cherry trees with 
manifest advantage. It will kill every particle of moss 
or parasitic growth of any kind that it touches. Apply 
it at any time. Lye alone will answer, but we prefer to 
add carbolic soap to it. The lye need not be so strong. 
The poorest soft-wood ashes will answer for making the 
leach. We use the lye simply as we would water to dis¬ 
solve the carbolic soap—say half a pound of soap to a 
three-gallon pail of boiling lye. It may be applied to 
the trunks of old trees while boiling-hot. Use a swab 
or a large paint-brush. Go over the trunk and all the 
large branches. It will kill the eggs and larvae of insects 
as well as the moss, and will greatly improve the appear¬ 
ance of the trees. Try it. 
Foil-Evil. — “C. F. K.,” St. Joe, Mo., wauts 
a remedy for poll-evil in a young mare.—Apply a poultice 
of linseed-mcal or boiled carrots to the tumor until it 
suppurates, when it should be washed often with a solu¬ 
tion of one dram of chloride of zinc in a quart of water 
until it heals. It is sometimes necessary to use the knife, 
but this is unsafe in unpracticed hands. A cloth dipped 
in tar should be kept over the wound, and a breast-strap 
should be used instead of a collar. 
Feeding Figs and Fomltry on 
mouse Refuse.—In reference to an article in regard 
to feeding pigs on city swill, which appeared recently in 
the Agriculturist, a correspondent at Philadelphia sug¬ 
gests that it might be more profitable to feed it to poultry. 
Probably the better plan would bo to keep both pigs and 
poultry. In Philadelphia he says there are several par¬ 
ties who do nothing els 3 but collect swill and feed hogs, 
some to the number of several hundred, and the pork is 
sold in market at as high a price, and gives as good satis¬ 
faction, as any other. 
Severs*! t^jaestiosas.—“Is old plaster as 
good as that freshly ground? ”—There is a very general 
opinion that it is not. There is no chemical change, and 
we believe it is just as good, provided it is kept dry and 
does not adhere together in lumps. “ Is salt a valuable 
manure ? ”—Sometimes it has a wonderful effect on 
wheat and barley, and, when cheap, is well worth ex¬ 
perimenting with. It is generally beneficial on mangel- 
wurzel. Average quantity, four to five bushels per acre, 
sown broadcast. “ Is it well to mix salt with guano ? ”— 
If salt is cheap. Yes—say 200 lbs. ammoniacal guano and 
100 lbs. salt per acre. “ Is nitrate of soda as good as ni¬ 
trate of potash ? ”—No; but it is far cheaper, and better 
in proportion to cost. 
Water in Taaraaips and. other 
ESoot 3 .—When fresh from the field, common white 
turnips (the bulbs) contain about 94 per cent of water; 
Aberdeens, 92 per cent; ruta-bagas, 90 per cent, and 
mangel-wurzel, 88 per cent. The amount varies some¬ 
what, according to the rapidity of growth, size, etc., but 
the above figures are not far from the average when 
these roots are growing in the field or are in a fresh 
state. After they have been gathered and exposed for 
some time,, they may contain one or two per cent less. 
Frice of’Fiare Colts wold Sheep.—A 
gentleman in Pennsylvania complains of the high prices 
asked for thorough-bred Cotswold sheep by some of the 
breeders who advertise in the American Agriculturist. 
He says: “ I am asked §50 for a good ram, and yet two 
years ago I bought a good one, direct from Canada , for 
$25, and will now sell him for §15. I can only get from 
$8 to $10 for yearling rams.”—That may well be. A 
sheep “ direct from Canada,” no matter how good he 
might appear to be, would, in all probability, bo at best 
only a grade, and would be dear at $25. There are very few 
breeders of pure animals either in England, Canada, or 
the United States. What our correspondent wants is a 
ram “ direct” from a responsible breeder, and not from 
Canada or elsewhere. Fifty dollars is quite a reasonable 
price for a good, thorough-bred Cotswold ram. Our cor¬ 
respondent would smile to hear a Canadian say he got 
a Chester White pig direct from Pennsylvania. 
Sowing Flaster in the Winter,— 
When plaster is cheap and the mill is a considerable 
distance from the farm, and you have no convenient 
place to stow away the plaster, it is a good plan to draw 
it in the winter and sow it on the clover at once. If 
there is not too much snow on the land this can easily 
be done. Our own plan is to put a boy to drive, and a 
man on each side the wagon-box, and one behind, and 
scatter the plaster with a free hand as the horses walk 
along. We sow two to three bushels per acre. A little 
of the plaster may be carried off by the melting snow in 
spring, or blown to the fences with the drifting snow, 
but not enough to occasion any serious loss. And it is 
certainly a great convenience to draw plaster on a sleigh 
rather than in the spring, when the roads are almost im¬ 
passable, and the fields so soft that you can not take a 
team on to them without injury. 
Eice oil Dogs. —Our young farmer friend 
Harmon, of Ogden, N. Y„ who reads the Agriculturist and 
believes in it, is in trouble and thinks we can help him. 
He has a valuable and favorite shepherd dog that has had 
the distemper, and is now troubled with lice. He wants 
to know how to kill them. Nothing is easier. Get some 
carbolic soap and dissolve quarter of a pound in a gallon 
of boiling soft water, and when cool enough to bear the 
hands in, wash the dog all over with it. Put on some 
old clothes, get a sponge, and make a thorough job of it, 
wetting every part of the dog, and rubbing it into the 
hair. If the work is well done one dressing will kill 
all the lice, but if after three or four days any lice are 
found on the dog, wash him again. This is a far better 
and safer remedy than mercurial ointment. 
White'Wire-Work:.— The useful and in¬ 
genious articles made of white wire, described last 
month on page 425, are made by Woods, Sherwood & 
Co., Lowell, Mass., who have a patent for the process. 
As in the article referred to, it was mentioned that the 
French make articles beautiful in form of comparatively 
cheap materials, some have inferred that the wire-work 
was of foreign origin. It is due to Messrs. W., S. & Co. 
to say that the manufacture is a purely American one, 
and instead of being imported large quantities of tho 
goods are sent abroad. 
Fine Fruit.—The collections of apples and 
pears from Ellwangcr & Barry, Rochester, N. Y., have 
formed an attractive feature at many of the fall fairs. 
Messrs. E. & B. not only raise fine trees, but large 
quantities of fruit of a perfection of form and beauty 
of color and bloom not often seen at exhibitions. 'That 
the beauty of the fruit is more than skin-deep we can 
attest, having received some samples sent to convince us 
of the same. 
Fainting- Himplesaaeiatts amd Ma¬ 
chines.—We know of nothing so cheap and so easily 
applied as crude petroleum. Put on all the wood will 
absorb. Cover the whole implement or machine with 
it—wood and iron both. It will keep the iron from 
rusting. So not mix anything with it. If you prefer to 
use a paint, you can get it ready for use at the painter’s. 
Give it time to dry. 
SBest Food for a '5 r ©ussg- Pi,”-.— 
“A. R.” There is nothing better than fresh slummed 
milk and cooked corn-meal. Stir the hot corn-pudding 
into the milk, and feed warm, but be careful that the 
pudding is well broken up and mixed with the milk, so 
that there shall be no lumps or balls of hot pudding to 
scald the pig. 
Chip Masaiare.—The chips themselves are 
worth little or nothing for manure. Better rake them 
out and burn them. The finer particles are good to 
spread on the grass in an apple orchard, or it may be 
used as mulch. Wo are afraid to use chip manure about 
pear-trees, as it favors the growth of fungus. 
Mow to Keep Cider Sweet.—A cor¬ 
respondent says: Use only sound apples. Make the cider 
when the weather is almost cold enough to freeze the 
apples. Expose the cider during freezing weather, and 
stir it till the whole cf it is reduced as near the freezing 
point as possible without freezing. Then barrel it, bung 
up tight, and place it in a cellar kept nearly down to the 
freezing point. As long as you can keep it cold enough 
it will not ferment, and as long as it does not ferment it 
will remain sweet. 
What Moots to Feed First.—The 
White Strap-leaved turnip and similar varieties should 
be fed first, then such kinds as the Yellow Aberdeen. Tho 
different varieties of Swede turnip or ruta-bagas should 
not be fed until after the former kinds are gone. They 
are in their prime from February to April. Mangel 
wurzel and other beets should be reserved to the last. 
Bean Straw. —If well-cured and free froa. 
mildew, the pods and leaves of bean straw make excel, 
lent fodder for sheep and cows. If you have only a little 
bean straw do not feed it all out at once, butreserve it to 
feed occasionally, by way of a change. 
A New Agricultural Implement 
House.—Mr. George W. Carr and Mr. J. W. Hobson, 
for a longtime withR. H. Allen & Co., have established 
the firm of Carr & Hobson, for the purpose of carrying on 
the agricultural implement business ct 56 Beekman st. 
Christmas-Tree ISosettes. —There are 
several devices for decorating Christmas trees, and none 
prettier than these rosettes. By ingenious combinations 
of brilliant-colored papers and exceedingly neat work¬ 
manship, a very pleasing and ornamental effect is pro¬ 
duced, and more cheaply than by most other decorations. 
