24-8 
AMERICAN AG-RIC ULTURIST. 
Yield, of Cora isa Nc'bi’aslcra.—The 
State Board of Agriculture, of Nebraska, offered a pre¬ 
mium of $00 for the best yield of corn in that State in 
1873. The premium was awarded to 31. 31. Nelson, of 
Cass Co., whose crop was raised on thirty-five acres of 
ground, which was broken two years before. The state¬ 
ment sworn to by tire grower was as follows : 
Yield of corn upon the 35 acres....3,202>^ bushels. 
Average yield per acre. 91% “ 
Weight of corn, per bushel. 03 pounds. 
Total cost of the crop.$106.25. 
Costperacre. 4.75. 
Cost of corn, per bushel. S’lm cts. 
The variety grown was known by the local name of 
Mahoganj'. The cost is made up of the very reasonable, 
or we may say, very low charges of $1.25 per acre for 
plowing, 45 cents for planting, $1.80 for cultivating, and 
$1.25 for harvesting. We suppose the ears were stripped 
from the stalks, which were not “ cut up,” as is the 
method in the Eastern States. 
Soseae B>airy Siessas.—“Subscriber,” Col¬ 
orado Territory. The lactometer is not made expressly 
for testing milk; its purpose is simply to test the specific 
gravity of a liquid. Used alone, it is a very fallible in¬ 
strument, and is calculated lo mislead as much as to in¬ 
struct. A cream gauge should be used along with it, aud 
then, in the hands of a skillful and judicious person, 
who is able also to use other tests in corroboration of its 
disclosures, it may be of some service. Any dealer in or 
maker of scientific instruments, or dairy implements, 
could furnish a trustworthy lactometer and cream gauge. 
We could hardly advise you to purchase at present Short¬ 
horns of pure blood for dairy purposes, with a view to 
profit. The cost of cows of a good milking strain would 
he such as to preclude any profit, with milk at nine cents 
a gallon. At present, this class of stock is held and 
dealt in by breeders only, aud is therefore scarce. It is 
in course of distribution, and by and by, as its numbers 
increase, it will become reduced in price. But it has a 
large field to extend over, and until that becomes fairly 
occupied, we may expect to see the best strains of Short¬ 
horns retain a value which places them beyond the reach 
of a dairyman. However, it is probable that by search¬ 
ing amongst some of the breeders in Colorado, a young 
hull of good character could he picked up which might 
be crossed upon Ayrshire or extra good native cows with 
benefit. The Ayrshire and Shorthorn cross lias produced 
some excellent dairy cows. In selecting a bull for this 
purpose, one should be chosen from a heavy milking 
dam, and having fine hone, a fine neck, wide chest, a 
loose mellow skin, and fine hair; the heavier beef-pro- 
ducing qualities may be ignored in a bull for dairy pur¬ 
poses. Butter at 35 cents a pound is more profitable 
than milk at nine cents a gallon, in a dairy of good 
butter-yielding cows. 
Meceist Discovery of Guano.—A 
short time ago, some extensive beds of guano were dis¬ 
covered in Peru, to the south of the Province of Tara- 
paca. An examination of the beds has recently been 
made by two surveyors, which were sent out by the Cen¬ 
tral Board of Engineers of Lima, Pern. Their report is 
of very great interest, as it shows that several large 
beds of guano, of excellent quality, exist in that locality. 
Those which have been surveyed, are estimated to con¬ 
tain nearly eight million tons; one of them alone con¬ 
tains five million tons of fine quality. These fortunate 
discoveries not only remove all fear of a present failure 
in the supply of guano, hut indicate that there are yet 
other undiscovered beds in existence, which will provide 
a practically inexhaustible supply. 
IPeacIa 5Boi*ers.—“L. F. M.,” Piedmont, 
Mo. We doubt if coal oil or any other application will 
destroy the borer, when once at work within the tree. 
The only sure treatment is to kill the grub by some me¬ 
chanical means. In the peach districts of Delaware and 
Maryland, “ worming is done as soon as the crop is off, 
as then there is a plenty of labor at hand. Each person 
is provided with a hoe, to remove the earth from the 
.base of the tree, a strong knife, to cut away the bark and 
wood, to find the channel of the borer, and a wire or 
whalebone, to pass into the hole, and kill the invader. 
As the borer often enters considerably above the base of 
the tree, we can not see how coal oil, applied to the 
roots, will reach it. 
CTean Soe<tl 'Wlieis*.—“H. K.,” Green 
Bay, Wis. Onr course to procure seed free from 
weeds, is to go through a portion of the field, and gather 
every head of cockle and other weed that could possibly 
be harvested along with the wheat. This portion of the 
grain should be kept separate from the rest, and thrashed 
by itself, and kept expressly for seed. The usual care¬ 
less habit of throwing the screenings from the grain into 
the barn-yard, is the source of a great part of the weeds 
upon farms. All such trash should be either burned, or, 
if mixed with light grain,ground,and fed to hogs or fowls. 
©i<t! Brood Mares. — “ Horseman,” 
Orange Co., N. Y. There have been many cases of 
mares breeding after the age of twenty years. The fa¬ 
mous Lexington was foaled when his dam was twenty- 
three years old, and the dam of Dexter now has a foal at 
foot, and she is in her twenty-seventh or twenty-eighth 
year. The mare Katydid is recorded as having a foal at 
twenty-eight years. 
IFisae Mtssferoosms.—The finest exhibition 
of mushrooms we ever saw, was seen a few weeks ago 
at the seed-store of James Fleming, 07 Nassau street. 
For size, abundance, and excellent shape, they were 
truly remarkable. Wc learn that they were raised by 
Samuel Ilenshaw, gardener to J. C. Green, Esq., New 
Brighton, Staten Island, the same successful cultivator, 
whose improved Mignonettes was mentioned last month. 
Mr. H. has a cellar arranged for mushroom growing, and 
we hope lie will give our readers an account of the 
method, which produces such fine results. 
€Ji*ajsc Scissors*—There have been sev¬ 
eral contrivances for conveniently picking fruit, without 
.off by handling, and this will 
without touching a berry, 
form of the scissors. 
handling it, but we have 
seen none better calcu¬ 
lated to do this than the 
scissor^ invented by S. W. 
Valentine, Bristol, Ct. The 
stem is cut by the blades 
of the scissors, and there 
is a spring which holds 
the fruit, until it is re¬ 
leased by opening the 
handles. Grapes, especial¬ 
ly, are much disfigured by 
having the bloom rubbed 
illow the picking to be done 
The engraving shows the 
Blinharh aud Tomato Wiuc.— 
“ N. M. L-,” Iowa. Almost any fruit or vegetable juice, 
mixed with an equal measure of water, with about 
three pounds of sugar to the gallon, and allowed to j 
ferment, will form an alcoholic liquid. That anything 
bearing the remotest resemblance to wine can be made 
from either tomatoes or rhubarb, wc do not believe. We 
have seen many samples, which in the opinion of the 
makers were good, but in our opinion very poor stuff. 
IBrealciHg for Hedge Kows .—“ C. 
C. R.,” Barton Co., Kansas. The ground for a hedge 
row should be broken in August. The strip broken 
should be at least six feet wide, and should bo plowed 
deeply, with an open furrow in the center. Just before 
frost, the ground should be plowed back again, filling 
the dead furrow, and turning one more furrow of sod 
upon each side. Early in spring, the ground should be 
plowed once more, throwing a ridge in the center of the 
row, upon which the hedge plants should be planted. 
The hedge will thus stand in the center of a ridge, not 
less than eight feet wide, and with a deep furrow upon 
each side, for drainage. If fire is feared, a fire guard, of 
six feet wide, had better be plowed around the fence. 
The fence tow must be kept well cultivated. 
Mow to Make a ISoot Moase—“W. 
J.,” Reed City, Mich. Full directions for making root 
cellars of logs, were given, with illustrations, in the 
Agriculturist for October, 1873, page 376. 
As to IFicliies.— 1 “ Gardener,” Albany, Ind. 
The usual market value of cucumbers for pickles is 
about the same all over the country. We have known 
but little difference between the prices in New York and 
the Western cities; if any, the prices in the West are 
higher. In New York, pickles come to market packed 
either in brine or vinegar, in barrels of forty galls, and 
half barrels. The barrels hold 1,000, 2,000, or 3,500, ac¬ 
cording to size, and are now worth $14 to $16. The 
half barrels hold 500, 600, SOO, or 1.000, and sell for $4.75 
to $6.00. The favorite size are the smaller ones, of COO 
[July, 
! to the half barrel; these bring $5.50 at the present time. 
The fresh gathered “ pickles ” are generally sold to per¬ 
sons who pack them, at $1.25 per 1,000. The packers 
j put them down in brine, and sometimes keep them two 
j years, when the demand is dull. The value in Chicago 
i or St. Louis is about $16 a barrel, generally. An article 
j on pickles will be found on page 262. 
“Stielsy” ILstiiil*—“J. N. 
Z.," West Charlotte, Ohio. Black sticky land, with a 
clay subsoil, would undoubtedly be improved by drain¬ 
ing. 3Iuch of the sticky character would probably dis¬ 
appear after it is freed from water, and it would become 
looser and mellow. This effect has repeatedly been real¬ 
ized by draining, and it is one of its most marked im¬ 
provements. At all events, it would be safe to experi¬ 
ment upon a strip at the lowest part of the land first. 
IMsease simoMg-st ILfaisilbs. — “J. E. 
G.” West Falmouth, Mass. We know of no disease 
amongst lambs, attended by such symptoms as sore¬ 
ness of the eyes, aud swelling of the eyelids, un¬ 
less it be what is known as opthalmia. This is accom¬ 
panied with considerable general disturbance of the 
system, as shown by a dry, hot mouth, loss of appetite, 
and suspension of rumination. The wool feels harsh, 
and the lambs keep away from their companions. It is 
probably due to poor keep, and when on a bare pasture, 
the flock is exposed to the reflection of light and heat, 
from the bare ground. Cold, damp, and exposure to cold 
winds, will also produce it. Immediate care is needed, 
to avoid ulceration of the eye, which frequently follows 
the inflammation. The lambs should be kept up in a dark 
stable, and a few drops of a solution of one grain of 
chloride of zinc, in an ounce of water, should he syringed 
into the eye four times a day. Rags, dipped in a mix¬ 
ture of a pint of water, and two ounces of laudanum, 
should be hung, by means of a string, around the head, 
so as to cover the eyes. A tea-spoonful of Epsom salts, 
dissolved in water, should he given to each lamb, and a 
quarter of a pound of liuseed-meal daily, would he a help. 
SSces.—Some one at Dennisport, Mass., sent 
his letter without signing it. Had he given his name, 
we should have sent him Mr. Qninby’s circular, which 
would have answered his questions. 
Tlie Mairy in tSae 
“W. S. S.,” Chatauqua Co., N. Y. There is no risk 
whatever as to the Duality of the product in dairying, in 
either Kansas. Nebraska or Minnesota. The native 
grasses of the prairies are abundant, and produce excel¬ 
lent butter and cheese. We have never seen anywhere 
else, than on these prairies, such high-colored or sweeter 
flavored butter or richer milk. The very common grass, 
with narrow leaves, known as Boutelova, and which is 
frequently mistaken for Buffalo-grass (Buchloe dacly- 
loides), is productive of very itch milk, and the best of 
butter. This grass does not disappear, as the Buflalo- 
grass does, when the prairies come to he occupied by 
settlers, and it would doubtless furnish the most valu¬ 
able, although rather thin, pasture for a number of years, 
if indeed it would not be permanent. The late prairie 
grass is also nutritious, and gives a heavy crop of liay. 
T'he chief drawbacks are want of water aud shelter, hut 
the first exists only in some localities, and the other will 
soon no longer exist. Already there are abundant open¬ 
ings for cheese factories and creameries, and in many 
cases tempting inducements are offered by the farmers 
for dairymen to go in and erect factories. 
Ssa■IS^meIl•=F'allowIssg• ]Ps=aii-ie.-—“ M. 
A. C.,” North Topeka. We would not summer-fallow a 
prairie soil that is rich in vegetable or soluble mineral 
matter. The chief object of summer-fallowing is to kill 
weeds, but they may be killed without it. Another ob¬ 
ject is to work up and expose a hardly used soil to the 
air and weather, to mellow it and improve its condition. 
But on a soil that is already iu good condition, yet full of 
weeds, it would be just as well to let the weeds grow, 
and plow them under before they blossom. If the 
greater part of the seeds can be destroyed, by one or two 
plowings in this way, a great good may bo done, and the 
land max then be put in fine condition for a fall wheat 
crop. But we would encourage the woods to grow, and 
keep the ground well covered until it is again plowed, 
rather than keep it hare by constant harrowing. A well- 
cultivated corn crop would answer the same purpose. 
is “ B®i ” ?—“ E. W. C.” The "word 
“ pi ” means a quantity of type scattered irregularly. In 
the puzzles on the last pages of the Agriculturist it means 
letters out of their proper place in the words, and thus 
meaning nothing; the puzzle is to so re-arrange the let¬ 
ters as to make the words read correctly. This gives 
amusement to both children and old folks, and helps to 
make boys and girls think quickly 
