328 
AMERICAN AGRIC ULTURIST, 
[September, 
Stopping Leaks in a Roof. —Mont¬ 
clair. When a shingle roof becomes worn and leaky, the 
cheapest plan in the end is to have a new roof. There 
are a variety of roof paints which will make a temporary 
repair, but the contraction and expansion by heat and 
moisture, will soon open the cracks again, and the roof 
will be as leaky as before it was painted. 
Spaying Heifers or Cows.—“R. M.” 
Both heifers and cows are sometimes spayed. The for¬ 
mer are thus made to grow to a larger size for beef, and 
the latter are made to give milk for several years without 
intermission. Spaying cows is useful, when milk is de¬ 
sired regularly, in places where bulls are not kept, as in 
cities. The operation should be performed by a veterin¬ 
ary surgeon. It. can not be done safely by a person who 
knows it only from books. 
ILealcy Cisterns.— “S. H. H.,” Tioga, Co., 
N. v There is no help for a cistern, at the bottom of 
whrcn there is a spring of water. The water will break 
through in spite of all one can do, in most cases if not in 
all. We would abandon such a cistern rather than be 
bothered with it, and try another place. 
Fodder Crops for the South.— 
Alabama. Cat-tail millet is one of the many varieties of 
what is known as Hungarian grass ( Setaria Germanica, 
botanically). It is an excellent fodder crop for the South. 
The Southern pea is a good fodder crop. Oats and rye 
may be sown for winter feed. Barley and vetches sown 
together are also an excellent fodder crop. With those 
and corn, beets, cabbage, and rape, a succession of fod¬ 
der crops might be had throughout the season. 
Irrigating Corn or Cotton. —Ala¬ 
bama. It would undoubtedly pay to water both corn and 
cotton during drouths, if the water can be procured with¬ 
out expense. But it is useless to water crops during the 
day time, and under a hot sun. The water should be 
applied during the evening or in the night. The cheapest 
method would be to turn the water from a stream direct¬ 
ly into furrows between the rows if this is possible. 
Watering by means of sprinklers upon wheels, might be 
used while the crop is small, but it would be slow and 
costly. If a width of 6 feet is watered at one passage 
through the rows, every mile travelled would water 
three quarters of an acre. It is a question altogether of 
the cost of procuring the water. 
A Gorged Cow.—“ J. H. F.,” Canadensis, 
Pa. When a cow has been carelessly allowed to gorge 
herself with dry meal, the safest remedy is to withhold 
water, except in small quantities, to give a pint of lin¬ 
seed oil, by the month, and injections of soap and 
water, until the bowels are evacuated. No food should 
be given until the stomach and bowels are freed. 
Tlie American Poultry Pedigree 
Bools.—We have a sample sheet of the forthcoming 
“American Pedigree Poultry Book.” We have already 
expressed our opinion of this book. The “ American 
Swine Herd-book,” failed to become a fact, from its 
obvious impossibility. But a poultry pedigree book is 
more impossible still, if we may use such a term ; it is an 
absurdity that we could hardly suppose would be enter¬ 
tained. To what vast proportions it must arrive in two 
or three years, if it is generally used! and if it is not 
generally nsed, it becomes worthless. The impossibility 
of identifying any bird, and the confusion which exists 
from the beginning, will certainly lead to frauds which 
cannot be detected, and there will be no confidence in it. 
And then there will be complaining and trouble. 
Clipping the Toes of a. Cow.—“ R. 
M.,” Salt Lake City. When the hoof of a cow, ox, or 
Bheep, grows too long at the toe, it may be shortened 
by taking a pair of strong pincers, such as are used by 
blacksmiths for horse-shoeing, grinding the edges 
sharp, and cutting away the toes, until they are reduced 
to a proper shape. Or a strong paring knife may be 
used if handled with care, but it is not nearly so safe as 
the pincers. Animals with feet too long at the toe, 
Should be attended to at once, or lameness may result. 
To Raise a Spring.—“ T. L.,” Gadsden, 
Ala. It would not answer to build a wall around a 
spring, in the hope to raise it 12 feet. The water would 
break out somewhere else. The best plan perhaps would 
be to put in a hydraulic ram. 
Selecting Eggs for Pullets.— A cor¬ 
respondent sends us a slip, containing an article from an 
English paper upon this subject. It is stated that the 
position of the air-bubble in the egg will determine the 
box of the chicken. There are four illustrations of the 
forms of the eggs, and the positions of the air-bubble. 
Two of them we have studied and compared together. 
One of these is said to show the kind of egg that “ will- 
hatch a lively cockerel,” ami the other “ will hatch a pul¬ 
let.” This is definite ; hut unfortunately, on comparing 
the engravings, the shapes of the eggs, and the positions 
of the air-bubble are exactly the same in both. A similar 
result has occurred in every case, in which we have close¬ 
ly investigated the statements of those who have pre¬ 
tended to know more of this thing than any other man. 
The fact is, as yet this question of sex is undetermined, 
and a long series of observations, scientifically conduct¬ 
ed, are needed, instead of vague surmises, and haphazard 
conclusions, before we can safely determine anything 
about it. 
Permanent Grass. —“J. W. C.,” Rock¬ 
ford, III. There is no more unanswerable proof that 
permanent meadows may be established in our climate, 
than the prairies which have been broken up and chang¬ 
ed into corn-fields. Forages these prairies have produced 
grass, and have supported millions of animals which 
have grazed upon them, and yet they have increased in 
fertility during all those years, so that since those ancient 
pastures have been plowed, they, have borne repeated 
crops of grain year after year. What has been may 
again be. It is a great benefit to a farm to have a portion 
of it in permanent grass, and every new prairie farm 
opened, should have at least one-third of the area 
reserved from the plow, for pasture only. 
Bone-Dust for Wheat.—“A. P.,”Pep- 
pertown, Xud. We would rather use Peruvian guano for 
a wheat crop than bone-dust. The bone-dust is only 
very slowly soluble, and there would be very little effect. 
150 to 200 lbs. guano per acre, on the contrary, would 
have a very good effect upon the wheat. It should be sown 
with the wheat in the drill, or broadcast, and harrowed 
in along with the wheat. 
Sweet Potatoes for Feed.— “J. M. 
D.,” Pierce Co., Ga. We have never fed sweet potatoes 
to stock, but should expect them to be more valuable than 
round potatoes, turnips, or beets. 
To Dispose of Straw, Shucks, and 
Cobs.—“ B. F. B.,” Uvaldy Co., Texas. We can suggest 
no way of making up these matters into manure, but by 
penning cattle upon them; unless it be by scattering 
them upon the ground, and plowing them under the 
surface. The latter will probably be the easiest and 
cheapest method. It is better than not using them at all 
or burning them. 
Itloody Milk. — “Subscriber,” Orlando, 
Ind. Bloody milk is generally caused by a congested 
shite of the lacteal vessels, through which the red coloring 
matter of the blood, which is called hematosin, escapes 
into the milk. Cooling food should be given, and a 
strong dose of epsom salts, (12 to 10 ounces). The udder 
should be bathed in cold water freely several times a day. 
As to Draining).—“ G. G.,” Greenville, 
Ill. Before so costly a work as underdraining a farm is 
undertaken, it would be well to count the cost. It is well 
worth the small sum of $1.50, to have the means of doing 
this. “ Waring’s Draining for Profit and Health,” can 
be had for this price, and will give all necessary informa¬ 
tion as to cost and mode of doing the work. 
Top-dressing- Meadows.—“ W.W. S.,” 
Dutchess Co., N. T. There is no better season fortop¬ 
dressing meadows than the present month. Anything in 
the shape of manure or fertilizers is better than nothing. 
Well rotted fine manure is the best application that can 
be made. Next to that is coarse fresh manure, decom¬ 
posed woods’ earth, rotten chip dirt, tanner’s waste, or 
sweepings of village streets. Where refuse from woolen 
factories, slaughter houses, or city -waste of all kinds 
can be procured, these should be composted with earth 
from the roadsides, or bottoms of ditches, and lime or 
wood ashes, and after remaining a month in the heap, 
they may be spread upon the grass. It is well to harrow 
up bare spots, and sow some more grass seed upon them. 
Tlie earlier tins can be done the better for the meadow, 
as the heavier coating of fall growth that can be procured, 
the safer it will be from injury by frost. Meadows 
should not be closely pastured at this season. 
Eliarleston Supei'itliosplmte.—“ J. 
M. D Blackshaw, Ga. Tlie prepared Charleston phos¬ 
phates will be valuable for cabbages and turnips. These 
crops arc specially improved by manures containing 
phosphoric acid. 
Culling Coral lor Fodder.— “C. T. 
S..” Nissequoque, L. I It is possible to cut up corn¬ 
stalks with the ears for fodder. We have done so with a 
large-sized “Telegraph Fodder-Cutter,” run by a two- 
liorse tread-power, as fast as one man could feed the 
corn. Such fodder, however, should either be steamed 
or ground in a ‘'Little Giant” mill—an ordinary bark 
mill -would answer tlie purpose very well-—to prevent 
much of the corn passing away whole and undigested. 
Sug-ar from Meets.—“ A Reader.” The 
manufacture of sugar from beets needs some delicate 
chemical processes to get rid of the salts, which interfere 
with the extraction of the sugar. It is this difficulty 
which lias hitherto caused many failures in beet sugar 
making, and in a small way it would prohibit the domes¬ 
tic manufacture altogether. For sweets for home use,, 
that can be produced upon the farm, there is nothing bet¬ 
ter than syrup from sorghum. This can be made in a 
small way as easily as maple sugar. 
Breaking Hedge Hows.—“ H. E. Van 
D.,” Geneva, Kansas, recommends hedge rows to be bro¬ 
ken in June if possible, but not later than July 15th. 
The rows he broke in August, 1873, were so tough the 
past spring that the hedge could not be planted. The- 
rows should also be 12 feet wide in place of 6 feet. 
Sweet Potatoes.—“ W. H. L.,” Meberly, 
Mo, In all Northern localities sweet potatoes require 
artificial heat to carry them safely through the winter. 
They should not be exposed to a temperature below 60°, 
and those who grow them in large quantities have a 
house for the purpose, in which a fire may he built when¬ 
ever necessary. Small lots can be kept in a box or bar¬ 
rel in the kitchen, or other warm room ; we have known 
them to keep in an unusually warm and dry cellar. 
Garden Questions.— “H. S.,” Brandon,. 
Wis. It will not do good, but hurt, to take away the 
leaves of cabbages and cauliflowers while they are grow¬ 
ing. It is not essential for the forming of cauliflower 
heads to draw the leaves over the head, but it is well to- 
break down a few leaves when the head is forming, to 
keep the sun from it. Do not understand your question, 
about “ top seed ” onions ; the other is answered in an 
article on p. 341. Salsify, or vegetable oyster, will some¬ 
times bloom, as will other root crops, the first year from 
seed, but the seed from such plants should never be saved. 
Seed Wheat.—“ B. L.,” Clinton Go., Ohio. 
It is questionable if it would pay to purchase seed wheat 
from a distance, at double the ordinary market price or 
even less than that, unless in a very small quantity and 
for an experiment. It is not safe to risk one’s whole 
crop, by changing the seed without knowing exactly 
what you are doing. The finer white wheats require 
richer soil than the hardier red wheats, and the difference 
in tlie market price will not warrant paying much 
higher for the seed. It is not so ranch to tlie seed as to- 
the land, that we are to look for better crops, and by 
selecting a good sample of ordinary wheat free from 
weeds, at a few cents above the market price, one may do- 
better than by paying a double or treble price for other 
seed, the only merit of which may be that it comes- 
from a distance and costs so much. Clean selected 
seed is worth 25 cents a bushel above the usual market 
price of the same variety. 
Wheat on Corn Stnl>l»le.—“ W. W.,”' 
Mifflin, Ohio. There are times and places in which sow¬ 
ing winter wheat upon an unplowed corn stubble may be 
not only permissible, bnt proper, as tlie best thing that 
can be done. The solid bed thus gained for the seed is 
often an advantage, as is also the time saved. But where- 
tlie chinch-bug prevails, all the loose com stubs should 
be gathered up and burned, as it is in these and other 
rubbish that this pest harbors and is sheltered through 
tlie winter. Tlie clearing up of such rubbish every fail 
should be done for the purpose of destroying injurious 
insects, which would prey upon the coming crop. 
Clieese Factory at Soiiflt Bend, 
Ind.—“W. R.,” South Bend, Ind. Factory men are 
averse to investing their capital in new places, unless 
under such guarantees that they will be independent of 
any adverse action by their patrons at any time in tlie 
future. Cases have happened in which, after a factory 
has been built, those supplyingmilk have professed to be 
disappointed, and have withheld the milk, leaving the 
owner of the factory “ in a fix.” The best plan is for the 
owners of the cows to subscribe the money and build the 
factory, and lease it to the factory man. For 400 cows a 
sum of about $7 per cow would put up the factory and 
furnish it. But before it is built, it would be wise to 
have a competent person to examine the locality, and ad¬ 
vise as to the propriety of building the factory. L. B. 
Arnold, of Rochester, or Gardiner B. Weeks, of Utica, N.. 
Y., would give trustworthy advice upon this point. 
