1868 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
9 
Compost. —“IV. B. B,” The wood mould will 
make an excellent garden compost, if mixed with one- 
third its hulk of stable manure, and worked over after the 
fermentation has become active through it, which may be 
known by the warmth, testedby a stick or two kept thrust 
into the heap. Laid up with strawy manure, trodden 
pretty hard, and wot with barn-yard water or stable urine, 
it will also make good compost, if treated in the same 
way. Spread in layers, and sprinkled with dry slaked, 
(not air slaked,) lime, using about one bushel of the un¬ 
slaked lime to the load of mould, it will probably become 
very fine and powdery, and will, at any rate, make a nice 
top dressing. It would be valuable also for making soils 
for potting plants, and mixed with manures of any kind, 
guano, bone-dust, hen manure, etc., for fine composts for 
top dressings, for corn in the hill, and many uses. The 
first way of disposing of the leaf mould will probably be 
the most profitable, if you have much of it. 
Best Use Fes* Wood AsSies.— They 
should bo kept dry, and free from chips and sweepings, 
and bones. If bones that would be long decaying, and 
that cannot easily be broken up fine, are burned in the 
fire, they may be pounded fine, and may then be left in 
the ashes. There is no garden or field crop which ashes 
do not benefit. Perhaps the best use for a portion, at 
least, is in the onion bed. Leaf mould composted with 
ashes, makes an excellent dressing for strawberries, work¬ 
ed into the surface between the plants. 
Coal Aslaes. —The best use to which coal 
ashes can be put in winter, is probably to mix them with 
recent night soil in the privy, using them every day or 
two, to keep the contents dry and covered. They must 
be thoroughly sifted, free from large bits of coal, slate, or 
clinkers. Coal ashes may bo used to good advantage as 
a top dressing for grass, or mingled with stiff, clayey soils. 
©5»e UEsmidfsil of ESay is a small matter; 
one handful a day for six months makes a pretty large 
bundle; twenty handfuls a day for six months make quite 
a stack; if each handful weighs a pound, the stack will 
equal 3,G50 pounds, or more than 1% tons—worth about 
$23, at $12 a ton; or $30.50, at $30 a ton. How many 
farmers, keeping twenty animals, allow each to waste a 
handful or a pound of hay a day for want of a little atten¬ 
tion to the feeding arrangements 1 A few straws at a time, 
dropped here and there, and trampled under the feet, will 
soon make a handful, and we have seen above what the 
handfuls amount to. This is a small matter, says one, but 
upon j ust such small matters depends a man’s success or 
failure. One man attends to them, and at the end of 
twenty or thirty years has a competence for old age ; an¬ 
other neglects them, and is always behindhand—ho lives 
and dies, short in the pocket, and short in comfort. 
A BSraiialfml of SBssy is a large matter, as 
shown above. Suppose an animal in a warm stable to re¬ 
quire 15 pounds of hay a day to supply the waste and 
growth of the body, and keep up the heat. A small crack 
to let in a stream of cold air will necessitate at least an¬ 
other pound of hay per day to furnish the extra internal 
heat required. Even the difference between a cold and 
warm shed will often increase the consumption of hay 
by two or three pounds a day. A single wind break or 
screen of evergreens or straw, or a tight fence, may save 
two pounds a day on each animal thus sheltered. “ A 
word to the wise is sufficient.” 
A Single Ma,m«lfnl of Mammre put 
into a hill of corn will often make the difference between 
four or five little “ nubbins,” and six or eight great plump 
cars that will shell their bulk of sound corn. A thousand 
handfuls count up heavily in the autumn corn crib. How 
many handfuls of manure are daily lost in y'mr stock-yard 
that might be saved in nice order by a little care in heap¬ 
ing up, and covering from washing rain ? These hand¬ 
fuls of manure are more valuable to the cultivator than 
the separate grains of gold that the miner, with careful 
toil, gathers and washes from the earth and sand bank, 
lie hunts, gathers, and saves them all, and thus accum- 
mulates his “pile.” Philosophical, successful cultivators, 
can see the glitter of gold even in the manure heap ; they 
only wait a little longer than the miner for the pure gold 
to be washed out by the growing process, instead of in 
the wash pan. “A word to the wise is sufficient.” 
Tall Sinew of tile AMies-Icaa Poul¬ 
try Society.— This youthful society held its first 
exhibition during the first week in December. No 
money premiums were offered—two silver cups, silver and 
bronze medals,diplomas, and books,being the prizes. The 
show of fowls was by far the best we have ever seen in this 
country, and though a really good hall could not be secur¬ 
ed, and the light was very poor, yet all who visited the 
exhibition, and took pains to study carefully the different 
coops, were gratified and instructed. The most notice¬ 
able features of the exhibition were the Brahmas, 
Cochins, Gray Dorkings, Black Spanish, and French 
fowls, (Crevecoeurs and Iloudans). White Dorkings and 
Games were tolerably well represented, as were also 
Hamburghs and White Leghorns. Bantams have marvel¬ 
ously increased the number of varieties within a few 
years. This department was rich in fine specimens. The 
Seabrights, the most beautiful of all, and most difficult to 
breed true to markings, were not numerous. The Polands, 
Black and Golden, were excellent. There were several 
remarkably good pairs of ducks, both Aylesburys and 
Eouens, and a number of coops of ornamental ducks. 
White China Geese were in full force, presented by several 
exhibitors. E. A. Wendell had some remarkably fine Bre¬ 
men Geese. J. Haven exhibited beautiful Lop-eared Bab¬ 
bits, taking 1st and 2nd prizes, and there were several ex¬ 
hibitors of pigeons, making an attractive show at one end 
of the hall—Pouters, and Tumblers being most prominent. 
The show was remarkable in all classes for the great 
excellence of the stock exhibited. The $25 cup was 
awarded to A. M. Halstcd, and the $15 cup to C. 0 
Pool; the former for the best and largest collection 
of poultry of different varieties, the latter for the best 
and largest collection of different varieties of fowls. 
Wo know it is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, 
to conduct such an exhibition, so that no one can, with 
any show of justice, find fault with its management, and it 
is with no carping or fault-finding disposition that we make 
note of some things which ought to be avoided at future ex¬ 
hibitions,—for instance; In the first prize Brahma coop, 
the cock had but one eye, a disqualification for competing 
at all. The first prize Aylesbury duck had black streaks 
upon her bill, which, according to Tegetmcier, the author¬ 
ity relied upon by the society, is also a disqualification. 
This award is the more noticeable, as the beautiful pair 
of Mr. Haines had no such blemish, and were otherwise 
apparently as fine. We do not ourselves believe that the 
judges were knowingly biased in their judgment, but the 
fixets stated, with many others we might name, were, the 
subjects of comment among the visitors to the show. 
A Treatise on tlac — The super¬ 
intendent of the government Corral, at Washington, Mr. 
Harvey Biley, has given to the public, through Dick & 
Fitzgerald, publishers, a practical treatise on the mule, 
of really solid value. It is a work of 107 duodecimo pages, 
illustrated by 14 lifelike engravings, from photographs— 
all portraits of army mules famous for either good or bad 
qualities. We have only space to give the book a very 
hearty welcome. The earnestness of the writer, his fa¬ 
miliarity with his subject.liis excellent common sense,and 
his clear way of putting homo truths, lead one to overlook 
a lack of system in treating his subject, which is really of 
no disadvantage to the reader, who will be the more in¬ 
clined to read the book through; if one is really in¬ 
terested in the subject, he can hardly help doing so. The 
book should be in the hands of every mule owner or 
driver who can read. 
Wallace’s Aianerlcaa Stasl-lbooli:.— 
Volume I of this work has appeared. Published by W. 
A. Townsend & Adams, New York, 1S67, containing 1017 
large octavo pages, and embellished with seventeen well 
executed steel engravings of famous American horses, 
both thoroughbreds and trotters'. The work gives evi¬ 
dence of very thorough, conscientious labor, and honesty 
of purpose. Twenty-four pages only are devoted ’to pre¬ 
face and introduction, the remainder being: 1st, the stud¬ 
book proper, giving pedigrees of horses, from “ No. 1, 
Abafiino, gr.,” to “No. 2S21, Zohrab, b,” and, (we esti¬ 
mate,) 2430 mares, regarded as thoroughbred; 2nd, an 
appendix of “ pedigrees not extended,” containing some 
3600 names; and, 3d, a trotting supplement, containing 
the names, pedigrees, and occasionally bits of history, 
breeders’ and owners’ names, of some 900 of our famous 
trotting animals and of young horses coming of stock of 
high repute on both sides. The work is very valuable 
to horse breeders, and of interest to all owners of thor¬ 
oughbreds or fast trotters. Sent by mail for $1(). 
Another Morse HSnoIk .—'■'■Horse Por¬ 
traiture ,” by Joseph Cairn Simpson, 45S pages, 12mo., 
published by W. A. Townsend & Adams, New York, 1SG8. 
This is a gossiping book, containing a great deal of valu¬ 
able information about the breeding, rearing, and train¬ 
ing of trotting horses, their management in the stable, on 
the track, and in preparation for trials of speed, thorough¬ 
ly diluted and diffused through ever so much “horse 
talk,” anecdotes of horses and horsemen, etc. The author 
selected for his book the most tiresome of all styles, to 
us, that of the rhetorical and high-flown dialogue, as if the 
whole book consisted of 1-minute to 15-minute speeches, 
alternately pronounced by “ Preceptor” and “Pupil” in 
the most absurd and unnatural way. The absurdness is 
not less marked when we find “ Pupil ” sagely instructing 
“Preceptor” in some of the simplest matters of horse¬ 
manship. There is, as we have said, good in the book,— 
how much, it is hard to tell, for the “ Contents ” runs 
over eight pages in fine type, and there is no alphabetical 
index of subjects. It is pleasant reading, and when any¬ 
thing that may be of future use is found, the reader should 
be sure to make a note of it. 
ISalF Buffalo Bee3. —After the article on 
crossing the buffalo with our common cows, on page 13, 
was in type, we learned with no little regret that the cow 
had been sold for slaughter. Just as we are closing the pa¬ 
per forthis month, we are able to add our opinion of the 
quality of the beef, having dined with Mr. Swain atone of 
our best restaurants,where the carcass had been purchas¬ 
ed. The animal had been dry but one month,and though in 
fair condition to begin with, surprised every one with the 
amount of fat laid on in so short a time ; yet she was far 
from fat. The beef was moderately marbled, of a bright 
red color, and the fat had a golden hue. We eat roast 
beef from the fore quarter, rib pieces, and tenderloin 
steak, and found it equal to the best beef we have ever 
eaten, if not superior. We regret all the more that this 
fine young animal could not have been kept to become 
the mother of many beeves or heifers like the one Mr. S. 
still possesses, in order that the peculiarities of her race 
as milkers and beef makers might be the better deter¬ 
mined. Circumstances made it impossible for Mr. Swain 
to keep her, and he had offered her to any one who would 
breed from her, at a veiy low price. 
Sale of Stmporf e«l Stools. —The first 
sale at the Clifton stud farm, Staten Island, occurred 
Nov. 19th. The stock was recently imported by B. W. 
Cameron, Esq., and consisted of Sliort-horns, Devons, 
Alderneys, and racing horses. Most of the cattle sold at 
only moderate prices. The best two Alderney heifers, to 
calve in the spring, brought $235 and $250; the best 
two Short-horns, $400 and $410. Two Guernsey cows 
brought $210 and $235. The horses, mostly under two 
years of age, though of excellent pedigree, did not secure 
satisfactory bids, and were withdrawn, with few excep¬ 
tions. $2,000 has come to be thought a small price for a 
racing colt of good promise. 
'Vlaiasaa’e B®it. —“X.” asks: “What kind of 
cement must I nse to make a liquid manure pit, when it 
would freeze ?” Good water lime, (hydraulic cement,) 
commonly called “cement,” will usually set in a few 
months, so as to bo frost-proof and water-tight. 
Spent Tnsi Bark. —This article, so often 
used for road making, or thrown into the river to get rid 
of it, may bo economically used in several ways. It makes 
good bedding for horses and cattle, and keeps the stables 
sweet. When saturated with urine, it should be thrown 
into the compost heap with the other manure. It may be 
used to good advantage in styes or privies, or wherever 
absorbents are needed. It is good to mix with lieavy.clay 
soils for the purpose of making them lighter. It is ser¬ 
viceable in a compost heap to mix with fresh stable ma¬ 
nure. If thoroughly dried, it makes a slow fire, of use in 
mild weather to temper the heat of wood. 
Booiiaag-.—“Would a board or shingle roof be 
any better if it should be painted with gas tar, and then 
sanded?” Ordinarily not. Aboard roof would probably 
last longer. If the tar be applied when the boards or 
shingles arc laid, and all parts exposed to the weather or 
not, except the under sides, painted over with hot coal tar, 
as the work proceeds, and, finally, fine sand thrown over 
the whole, a very durable roof will be the result. Water 
from such a roof will taste of coal tar for a long time. 
A 'Workshop. —A farmer is “accomplished,” 
if, in addition to sufficient knowledge of farming to be 
successful, lie has enough of one or two good trades, so 
that he can turn his hand to them, and do fair sort of 
work as his needs require. Most farmers must do some 
carpentering, and all ought to be handy with joiners’ 
tools. The ability to use an awl and waxed end in patch¬ 
ing harness comes often in play, and when a man can do 
a neat bit of soldering, when tin wares leak, he will find 
his soldering iron and accompaniments among the most 
essential articles of his shop furniture. Every farm 
should have a good workshop, with all the tools in it that 
the farmer has occasion to use, if he can use them well : 
keep them constantly in order for immediate use. 
Clipping? Morses.—“D. W. T.” This is 
an old custom in England, and is getting to bo quite com¬ 
mon among horsemen in our cities. We have never heard 
a good argument in its favor. At this season of the year 
it is quite dangerous, as the shaved horse requires the 
closest watching to keep him from talcing cold. Nature 
provides a thick coating of hair for the protection of the 
horse, and with this ho is none too well guarded against 
the extremes of our severe and changeable climate. 
