1874.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
209 
Paris Green.— D. Rex asks “ if Paris green 
is a safe remedy for insects upon every kind of plant and 
which is the best way to apply it f ” We should not ad¬ 
vise its use upon salads, cabbages, or any other plant the 
foliage of which is to be eaten. One part of tbe green, 
provided it be pure, mixed with twenty parts of flour, is 
sifted upon the foliage when wet with dew from any con¬ 
venient tin box with perforated cover. For small opera¬ 
tions a wide-mouthed bottle like a quinine bottle with 
muslin or other open fabric tied over the mouth will 
serve. Keep to the windward and avoid breathing.the 
dust, and keep the poison always where no accident can 
occur. It is found that the poison is so neutralized in 
the soil that no danger can arise from its being intro¬ 
duced into the system of the plant. 
How to Feed Salt.—“ G. H. A.,” North 
Conway, N. II. The plan of keeping rock-salt before 
horses and cattle continually is a very good one, but it 
has some inconveniences. Our plan is to have a barrel 
of salt in the feed-room, and to scatter a handful upon 
each bushel of feed as it is cut and moistened in the 
feed box. In summer time an equal amount of salt is 
scattered along a trough in the yard daily. 
Tomatoes Hying.— “A. N. S.,” Savan¬ 
nah, Ga., reports that in Effingham Co., Ga., tomato- 
plants grow well enough until the fruit begins to ripen, 
when the whole plant dies down suddenly, and asks us to 
prescribe a remedy. The first thing we should do in this 
case would be to carefully examine the root and ascertain 
whether any insect, large or small, is the cause of the 
trouble. Should no insect enemy be found we should 
then try what effect pruning would have. It may be that 
plants allowed to grow at will set more fruit than can be 
ripened, and in the rapid swelling of a large quantity of 
fruit more nourishment is demanded than the root is able 
to supply. We shall be glad to hear more of this. 
Clematis from Seed.— “Mrs. A.L. R.” 
The best way is to sow the seeds as soon as ripe in a 
box of earth, and if the plants do not appear the same 
season, keep the box in a cold-frame over winter and 
they will be very likely to start the next spring. If no 
cold-frame is at hand cover the box with boards to keep 
the storms from washing the earth. 
Tate Crop of Turnips.— “W. W.,” 
Baraboo, Wis. Rutabagas may be sown with safety as 
late as the first week in July ; they will, however, be 
better if sown in June. A good crop of white or yellow 
turnips may be taken from an oat stubble if the ground 
is in good order and the seed is sown by the first of Au¬ 
gust or soon after. The best fertilizer after barnyard 
manure for any root crop is superphosphate of lime or 
fine bone-meal. 
Why they do not Lay.—“ C. F.,” 
Detroit, Mich. Fowls will not lay unless they have ex¬ 
ercise. A coop five feet by four, and only three feet high, 
is much too small for a single fowl, much less for seven. 
A run fifteen feet by four is also insufficient. If the 
fowls are turned out they will probably begin to lay very 
soon. They should also have a roomy, airy place to 
roost in. It is probable that fowls kept up so closely, 
and well fed, are overloaded with fat, and possibly are in¬ 
fested with lice. 
How to Secure a Calf.—“S. W. J.,” 
Fordenskjeld, Minn. It has long been a custom when a 
cow failed to breed to drive her some miles to a bull, 
and the plan is generally successful. Recently an Irish 
breeder followed this plan with some Shorthorn cows 
which had failed to breed for several seasons, and they 
all became in calf. The ancient poet Virgil' speaks of a 
similar practice as being in use in his day, and also of 
redneing the quantity of food and the condition of the 
animal—cow or mare—as a means of procuring fertility. 
We know of no modern practice that is so effective as 
these old ones. 
“Beautiful Moral but Bad Bot¬ 
any ” is the heading of an item in the New York 
Weekly Tribune. That the paper can judge of a moral 
we do not care to dispute, what its practice in morals is 
we shall briefly show, but for it to pretend to judge of 
botany of any kind, good or “ bad,” is simply too laugh¬ 
able. In that strange medley which the Weekly facetious¬ 
ly terms ‘’agriculture,” there have been some absurd¬ 
ities to which we have good natnredly called its atten¬ 
tion. This has set the Weekly to hunt up something in 
retaliation, and naturally enough it went into the juve¬ 
nile department, and in the pages of 1868. with the aid 
of “A Correspondent,” it found a “ tender, sweet little 
story ” which involved a botanical question, and paraded 
it in its columns as the opinion of “ the Editor of the 
Agriculturist." The editor of the Agriculturist never 
saw the article before, and is no more responsible for it 
than he is for the absurdities which appear in the 
Weekly Tribune. lie, however, has his opinion of that 
kind of journalism which will descend to making an error 
of the head of a distinct department, made several years 
ago, appear as his opinion. The ” moral ” may be “ beauti¬ 
ful,” but the morals which will bring up an obsolete 
affair as an opinion of to-day, and state it is from the 
American Agriculturist without reference to date or 
place are of a kind we do not care to qualify. Anything 
more microscopically small has not occurred in our edi¬ 
torial experience. 
Population and Industries of 
Kansas.—We have received through the kindness of 
Mr. Alfred Gray, secretary of the Kansas State Board of 
Agriculture, some extracts from the annual report of that 
institution for 1S73. The exhibit of the present condi¬ 
tion of this young but rapidly growing State is very 
favorable. The population of the State is now over 
605,000, against 304,000 in 1S70 and 107,000 in 1860, a vast 
growth in thirteen years ; and to this should be added 
the population in twenty-nine counties which are not yet 
organized. The increase in productions and in material 
wealth is equally striking, and shows that those who 
have made this State their home have gone there to 
work, and that their industry has been crowned with 
success. The report is worthy the study of those who 
are interested in the affairs of that State. 
Hitcliing’ Machine. —“A‘Western Far¬ 
mer,” Springfield, Mo. The Carter improved ditching 
machine cuts a drain three feet deep and a foot wide, 
leaving the earth in a ridge at one side. With four 
horses and two men from 3,000 to 5,000 feet of drain may 
be dug in one day. The machines are made in St. Louis. 
We have seen the machine doing excellent work in 
heavy clay soil free from stone. Largo stones would be 
an insuperable obstacle to its use. 
Peruvian Guano. —“Market Gardener.” 
The quality of guano is variable, being frequently adul¬ 
terated, and to procure it genuine it should be purchased 
of some trustworthy dealer. It can be procured genuine 
as imported, in small or large lots, of R. Balcazar, 53 
Beaver street, New York, who is the special agent of the 
consignees of the Peruvian government. 
Cutting’ and Grinding' Corn- 
Stalks and Ears. —“ L. D.,” New Iberia, La. We 
have found it easy to cut corn-stalks, with ears unhusked 
and in the sheaf, by using a Telegraph fodder cutter run 
by a two-horse tread power worked with one horse. The 
ears and stalks are cut into slices from a quarter to half 
an inch thick. If the fodder is then steamed it is eaten 
clean by cows, oxen, or calves, and would be so undoubt¬ 
edly by mules. If, however, it is desired to make the 
fodder still finer, a Little Giant cob-crusher would reduce 
it to coarse chaff. Two-horse power would be sufficient. 
Potatoes, and Old. —“Subscrib¬ 
er,” Goshen, N. Y., thinks that our correspondent at 
“The Pines” in calling Vermont the “mother of pota¬ 
toes ” overlooks the claims of New York State and the 
labors of Mr. Goodrich in improving the potato. We 
are quite sure that the gentleman referred to gives full 
credit to Mr. Goodrich, to whom we are greatly indebted 
for having started the race of potatoes which finally cul¬ 
minated in the Early Rose and other choice sorts. Had 
it not been for Mr. Goodrich’s labors we should have had 
no Early Rose, and it is to be regretted that he died just 
as his work was on the eve of manifesting its usefulness. 
Our Goshen correspondent says of potatoes in his 
vicinity: “We have produced some new seedlings, both 
early and late, from the Early Rose. They are very good, 
and the public arc beginning to look after them. The 
‘Carpenter’s Seedling’ has become quite popular as an 
early variety. Next in season (some later) is the ‘ Ice 
Cream.’ Very productive, and of superior quality. For 
the main crop, taking the place of the Peachblow, it is 
likely to be a particular favorite, especially with the 
West, on account of its being almost exempt from the 
ravages of the Colorado beetle. The ‘Lawrence’ is an¬ 
other variety, only two years from the seed. It has not 
been thoroughly tested. It is very promising; a hand¬ 
somer potato in appearance.”—Our correspondent has 
obligingly furnished us samples of these, which will be 
tried with numerous other new and as yet unfamed sorts. 
Catalogues, Pamphlets Etc., Received. 
Mahlon Moon & Son, Morrisville, Bucks Co., Pa. 
We have perused this catalogue with much interest, as 
it contains, besides the usual plants kept by florists, a 
number of good old things, things that one rarely meets 
with, and all at most moderate prices. It is a pity that 
so good a catalogue had not received more careful proof¬ 
reading. 
Bhiggs & Brother, Rochester, N. Y., issue their 
catalogue as a quarterly, and the April number is beau¬ 
tifully illustrated, and contains many items of interest 
to flower-growers. We must take exception to one 
statement. In a clever chapter on Ferns the writer says 
of them: “Spores or seeds are produced on the back of 
the leaves, and are insignificant aud of no beauty what¬ 
ever.” As it is mainly by these that ferns are distin¬ 
guished from one another, they can liardlj 7 be consid 
ered “ insignificant.” Even the common Polypody is 
handsomer in fruit than wheu sterile, and Polypodium 
venosum , aureum and others are vastly more attractive 
in fruit, as are the Goniophlebiums and many others. 
The Flower Garden is another quarterly catalogue. 
This is issued by Beach, Son & Co., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
, We have expressed our good opinion of previous num¬ 
bers, and that for April is deserving of like commenda¬ 
tion — only why don’t the editor give credit? 
Loins Lerot, Angiers, France, shows by his catalogue 
that this old nursery establishment is up to the times 
with novelties. 
Vilmorin, Andbieux & Co., Paris, have a seed-list 
that is a perfect wonder in the way of completeness. 
These last two houses, each the most extensive of its 
kind in France, have as their agents in this country the 
well-known mercantile firm of Pabst & Esch, No. 11 
Murray street, from whom catalogues may be had. 
TnE Bulletin op the Bussey Institution. Part 2d 
of this valuable contribution to scientific agriculture is 
at hand, and like its predecessor is filled with elaborate 
records of experiments made upon the farm at Jamaica 
Plain (Boston). Our readers no doubt rec-ollect that the 
Institution is an adjunct of Harvard University, and 
Massachusetts is to be congratulated on having in it a 
place where her young men can be thoroughly taught in 
the higher branches of agriculture. 
Rutgers’ Scientific School, which is the New Jer¬ 
sey State Agricultural College, sends an interesting re¬ 
port for 1873. 
Correspondence Botanique is an attempt to give 
a list of the botanic gardens of the world, in which 
there is great room for improvement, as far as the 
United States are concerned. Compiled by E. Morren, 
and published at Liege, Belgium. 
Forest Trees in Minn., a pamphlet of twenty pages, 
by L. B. Hodges, of “ practical suggestions,” etc. Pub¬ 
lished by the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company, St. 
Paul. Minn. 
Western New York Horticultural Society held 
its nineteenth annual meeting at Rochester, in January 
last, and its proceedings come in a valuable pamphlet of 
fifty-six pages. P. Barry is president, which probably 
accounts for this promptness. 
New Jersey State Board op Agriculture.— Its 
first annual report gives its organization, an account of 
the work done, a geological map of the state, and other 
useful matter. Prof. Geo. H. Cook, New Brunswick, is 
secretary. 
The Flora op Colorado, by Thos. C. Porter and J. 
M. Coulter, is one of the reports relating to Prof. Hay¬ 
den’s survey, and of great value to all interested in the 
plants of the far West. Received from the secretary of 
the interior. 
Commercial Fertilizers at Home and Abroad is 
the title of a lecture by Prof. W. O. Atwater, Wesleyan 
University, Middletown, Ct., before the Connecticut 
State Board of Agriculture, and is of importance to all 
who deal in or use artificial manures. 
The Educational Claims op Botany is an essay by 
Miss Eliza Youmans, which should bo read by every 
school officer in the country. 
Western Fruit Prospects. 
Reports from the fruit-growing regions of Illinois, 
Michigan, and Ohio, received at the Western office of 
Orange Judd Company up to May 1st, are generally favor¬ 
able, and in some cases unusually promising. In Central 
and Southern Illinois the anxiety is in regard to peaches. 
The severe winter of 1872-’73 dismantled many fine 
orchards—so many, that last season the region about 
Centralia was scarcely counted as a peach-growing dis¬ 
trict. Entire orchards were cut down, and the fruit¬ 
growers turned their backs on peaches. But the young 
trees escaped with comparatively little injury, and now 
wherever there are young orchards there is promise of 
an abundant crop of peaches. In the Alton district the 
prospect is still better. The trees will bear a full crop, 
but as there are not as many trees as of old, the crop in the 
aggregate will not measure with the full crops of former 
years. As the crop will be mainly from young trees, it 
