! S. S. RATHVON'S Fll?4fl IIIMIY. ^x "THE FARMER IS THE FOUNDER OF CIVILIZATION.'-WEBSTER. Cjtr> IW im^fm mMmmMm.^M^mmrmimW^ A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE, PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY. DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND GENERAL MISCELLAN\. EDITED BY PROF. S. S. RATHVON. VOLUME XI-1879. LANCASTER, PA.: JOHN A. HIESTAND, PUBLISHER 1879. "THE FARMER IS THE FOUNDER OF CIVILIZATION.'-WEBSTER. '■^^mmK^^ jiiWM^mhiMMlm^M^MMMLMi^Mif MW A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER: DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE, PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY, DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND GENERAL MISCELLANV EDITED BY PROF. S. S. RATHVON. VOLUME XI-1879. LANCASTER, PA.: JOHN A. HIESTAND, PUBLISHER 1879. CONTENTS OF VOLUME ELEVEN. About Corn and Wheat, 189 Annual Meeting State Board of Agri- culture, 2 A New Grain, 2 As Others See Us a, 17 Andidote for Currant Worms, 3 About Eels, 4 Accepting Invitations, 14 Ammonia in the Air, 27 Agricultural and Horticultural Society Proceedings, 11, 37, 42, 57 74, H9, 106, 133, 138, 153, 170,186 Ampelopsis Vietchii, 30 Ammonia in the Household, 31 Albemarle Apple, The, 30 A Grape Swindler, 34 A Chapter on Macaroni, 36 A Word iu Reply, 41 Ancient House and Barn, An, 46 American Wheat in Spain, 47 American Produce Abroad, 47 A Model Postmaster, 49 Around the Farm, 53 An Experiment in Planting, 62 About Eggs, 69 Amounts of Sugar iu Nectar, 73 An Immense Farm, 76 A Good Night Lamp, 77 Apple Preserves, 78 A Good Word for Bees, 79 A Flock of Hens, SO A Word More, 86 American's Advantage, The, 86 A Champion Wheat Field, 88 About Potatoes, 92 Apple Dumpliug, 94 Ambei Pudding, 94 Apple Orchards, 109 Artificial Fertilizers, 117 Analysis of the Farmer, 177 Aphids Persica, 179 Apluds 179 A New Wheat, 125 About Corn, 125 Advantaire of Staying in Bed, 126 Animal Food, 137 Altitudes in Pennsylvania, 153 A New Use for Miillein, 153 Ajjple Piclting and Keeping, 157 Apple Omelet, 158 American Butter and Cheese in Eng- land, 109 Apples and Apple Trees, 174 Abutilon, The, 174 Apple Jelly, 175 Apple Tree Borer, The, 16 Among the New Strawberries, 135 Application of Manure, 155 Agricultural Society as a School, The, Best Time to Cut Scions, 10 Bedrooms — Ventilation, 14 Butter-Malcing, 14 Burning Green Wood Wasteful, 14 Bitter-Swei-t, 23 Balance of Trade, The, '£i Buy Your Trees at Home, 30, 'U Bake-Egtrs, To, 31 Bee-Keepers' Association, Proceedings, 43, 90, 124, 171 Broiled Kidney, 48 Best Kind of Eggs, Tlie 48 Buckwheat Cakes and Sausages, 51 Balance of Trade, 53 Boston Meat Pie, 62 Burns and Scalds, 63 Book Farming, Ii7 Bone Dust, 76 Bananas, 77 Baked Fish, 78 Belostomo gratuKs, The, 81 Bee Labor, 86 Borers' Eggs, 108 Barns and Barnyards, 109 Best Yeast Known, The, 109 Butter-Making, 109 Balky Horses, 111 Black Bass, The, 119 British Wheatfields, 120 Butter Factory Organized, 120 Best Time to Cut Wheat, The, 125 Bags for Protecting Grapes, 125 Blackberry Wine, 126 Bake Buckwheat Cakes, To, 126 Bake Eggs, To, 126 Baked Indian Pudding, 126 Barnyard and Coop — Profits of, 127 Bark-Lice on Apple Trees, 141 Blackberry, The, 142 Breakfast Bacon, 142 Brattleboro Fricassee, 143 Breakfast Biscuit, 143 Boiled Pudding, 143 Bees Work in the Dark, Why, 144 Balance of Nature, The, 153 Beet Sugar, 157 Beef Soup, 158 Bone Dust, 173 Bakers' Gingerbread, 175 B-own Leghorn, 80 Contributors, To, 1 Cold Snap, 4 Cooking feed for Stock, 10 Couch Grass for Hay, 13 Corn and Cob Meal, 15 Christmas Rose, 18 Correction, IS Culture and Trainin;;' of the VinCi 21 Cattle of Lancaster County, 22 Cattle, Texas, 22 Corn Drills, 29 Color for Wicker Baskets, 31 Crantjerries, 31 Chocolate Cake, 31 Correspondents, To, 33 County Fairs, 33 Chemical Fanning, 36 Care of Fruit Trees, The, 39 Current Slug, To Destroy, 46 Clover Seed^Fly, 46 Cranberry Culture, 55 Corn Culture, 61 Cup Fruit Cake, 62 Cookies for Children, 62 Cranberry Rools, 62 Caponized Fowls, 63 Chicken Cholera, 6j Cofilinu Motli Bands, 66 Cider Vinegar from Beets, 71 Composts for Tobacco, 72 Cream Insteail of Butter, 77 Cleansing; Brussels Carpet, 78 Cheap Pudding, 78 Color iu Jerseys, 78 Corn-Plant Weevil, 83 Couatdns Obscurux, 83 Compound Grape Gall, 83 Couimuuicatiou, 84 Correspondeuc, 84 Cypripedum Acaicle^ 85 Cord Wood in an Acre, 93 Cooking Potatoes, 94 Charlotte Kusse, 94 Chilliugham Wild Cattle, The, 95 Cheap Puultry House, A, 96 Uow Biintiiii:, ^-i-., The, 99 Calulpa Tree, The, 99 Curciilii), Tlie, lUU Cussida Gullala, 107 Capturiiii; Curculios, IDS Curious Facts About Insects, 108 Charcoal on Land, 108 Cuti.inu; Cornstalks, 109 Corn Cubs, 109 Curiosities iu Pomology, 109 Cottage Pudding, 110 Cook Pumpkin, To, 110 ' Coffee Cake, 110 , Cows, 111 ' Calves, 111 . Cultivated Wheat, 115 I Cutting Away our Forests, 121 1 Commou Elder, The, 122 County Fair, A, 1-4 Cutting and Curing Hay, 124 Cultivate More Turnips, 125 Cleanse a Itubber Piano Cover, To, Cranberry Jelly, 12G Caterpillars. 130 Cuttock for Hogs, 137 Cabbage Worm, The, 141 Currant Culture, 141 Care of Farm Implements, 142 Cheese Pudding, 143 Cucumber Pickles, 143 Common Sense, 145 Cultivating Wheat in England, 15« Chinese Cookery, 158 Cheap Ice House, 158 185 Coflfee Ice Cream, 158 Cows in Winter, 158 Cattle Belt, 159 Colic in Stock, 159 Chicken Cholera, 160 Cold Snap, The, 163 Colorado— Pitkin, 164 Coptix Trifolia, 165 California, 165 Comfortable Quarters for Stock, 168 Changing Seed, 173 Care of Potatoes, &e., 174 Care of Plants in Winter, 174 Cheap Ice House, A, 175 Clean Wall Paper, To, 175 Clean Black Lace, To, 175 Condensed Truth, 178 Cicada Septendeeim, 180 Christmas Greeting, A, 180 Cisterns, 180 Coffeee— A Coffee Field in Brazil, Cough Mixture, 190 Cliickens to Boil, 189 Cleaning Fruit Trees, 189 Comparative Value of Woods, 186 Cleaning Tinware, 190 Cracked Hubs, 190 Cream Muffins, 190 Chicken Cheese, 190 Choosing Stock for the Farm, 190 Dwarf Pears, 13 Diseases of the Pear, 30 Deep and Shallow Plowing, 47 Degeneracy in Fowls, 48 Destroy House Insects, To, 78 Difference, The, 78 Disinfection, lOi Dutch Dairy Farm, A, 105 Dominique Fowl, The, 111 Duchesse Potatoes, 126 Delicious Vegetable Soup, A, 126 Destruction of Lice on Fowls, 128 Depth of Sowing Wheat, 189 Dysentery as a Bee Disease, 191 Delicate Cake, 190 Duty of Our Farmers, The, 183 Drop-Worm, 130 Drivinu- Aft.T E;ilin-, 143 Des 1)8 158 Dulc Dressed Boiled Fish, 94 Entomological Manipulations, 8 Essays and Address, 5 Evening Milk Richest, 31 Earache, 31 Essays on Entomology, 33 Essay— I. G., 40 Experiments with Moths, 46 Early Cabbage and Tomatoes, 47 E.xperimeut in Planting, 63 Eggs in Case of Trouble, 63 Eggs for Winter Use, 192 Eggs from Ditlerent Breeds, 64 Eggs-traordinary, HI Exercising Cows", 79 Eggs and Egg Culture, 79 Evidences of Success, The, 88 Economical Feed-Trough , An, 96 Elm-Tree Beetle, The, 97 Elderberry Wine, 136 Essay on Manuring, 151 Experience in Draining, An, 164 Eggs from Different Breeds, 176 English Sparrow, The, 98 Extravagance of American House- keepers, 157 Feeding Mowing Lauds, 189 Fruit Exports of the United States, 189 Faastening Zinc Labels on Trees, 189 Fried Chicken, 189 Feeding Cows, 190 ugge 190 Fattening Turkeys, 191 Feed Troughs for Poultry, 192 Fox Squirrel, The, 3 Fruit as an Article of Food, 7 Felling Trees, 13 Flowers, 17 Farm Life vs. Prof. Life, 18 Fertilizers and Formulas, 25 Fruit-Growers' Society, The, 26 Fulton Farmers' Club, 28, 45, 59, »1, 139, 154, 173 Flower Pots, 30 Flowers on the Table, 30 Frosted Feet, 31 Fish Question, The, 38 Flower Garden Hints, 61 Flannel Cakes, 62 Full Blood, 63 Fowls Eating Feathers, 64 French Bread, 78 Farmers and IJees, 79 Fowls in Orchards, 80 Facts Worth Remembering, 80 Flockof Hens, A, 80 Flies, 83 Farming on a Large Scale, 91 First Employment of Guano, The, 91 Future of American Farming, 92 Fruit-Growing in England, 93 Fish Cakes, "94 Fillet of Beef and Dutch Sauce, 94 Fighting Against Trespassing, 105 Fultz Wheat, 108 Farmers, Keep Accounts, 110 Fruit Pudding, 110 Fertilizers and Fruit Trees, 125 Fruit Jars, 136 Foul Air, from Walls, How to Expel, 126 Feeding Dry Cows, 137 Fattening Calves, 127 Fall Plowing, 141 For Pennsylvania Farmers, 141 Famous Apples of Lancaster County Origin, 142 Frogs and Tomatoes, 143 Fruit Jelly, 143 Fertile Workers, 144 Fall Plowing for Corn, 156 Facts About Flour, 158 Fall Plowing for Corn, 173 Facts About Flour, 175 Feediuif Cattle, 175 Forestry, 99 Feeding and Treatment, 113 Fifty Years Ago vs. the Present Day, 24 Fence .Making on the Farm, 20 Gold Fishes, 2 Greatest of all Grain, The, 29 Growing Ivy in Rooms, 30 Growing Fuseliias in Baskets, 30 Ginger Cookies, 31 Ground Hog .Meteorology, 34 Galley- Worms and Craue-Fly, 39 Garden Seeds, Sowing Them, 61 Gooseberries and Currants, 62 Glucose, ti> Grain in Orchards, 70 Grafting Grape Vines, 76 Grape-Growing, 76 Grape Vines in California, 77 Grain Sylvanus, 84 Gooseberries and Currants, 93 Oonaphea Ciemba, 107 Growing the Crab-Apple, 125 Green Sage, 126 Grass as a Renovater, 141 Grape Vine, 142 Green Tomato Sauce, 143 Green Tomato Pickles, H'? Galled Shoulders and Backs, 143 Growth and Development, West, 150 Growing the Pear, 156 Goose, Roast, Greeu, i&c., 157 Gumbo Soup, 158 Geese, and Something About Them, 182 Grain Crop, The, 18S Green Tomato Soy, 153 Grape Phenomenon, 162 Grafting Grape Vines, 174 Ginger Snaps , 175 Grain and Fruit Crop of 1878, 26 Glimpse of the West, A, 101 Household Receipts, 14 History of Horned Cattle, 15 How to Choose a Good Cow, 15 How to tell that Eggs are Eggs, 1 Hessian, Fly, The, 16 Hand-Made Moth, The, 38 Hide-Bound Trees, 47 How to Neutralize Skunk's Odor, 4T How to Pickle Artichokes, 47 INDEX III. How to Destroy Molhe In Feathers, 47 How to Friiassec Chicken, 47 How to Stew Soup Beans, 47 How to make Turnip Salad, 47 How to Manage Setters, 48 Harrowing Wlieat In Spring, 60 How to (irow Broom Corn, 61 How to Vreserve Cut Flowers, 61 How to use Coal, 62 Honey, 63 How to fasten Comb Foundation, 63 How Insects Hear, 75 How to riant IVas, 77 How many Tobacco Seeds to an Acre, 77 Home-made Cracked Wheat, 77 Ham Dressed iu Claret, 78 How the Youujt Bird is Hatched, 79 Home Advice as. to Poultry, 80 History of Celluloid, 88 Home-made Fertilizers, 92 How to Make Sauce and Croquettes, 93 Hints to Housekeepers, 94 Houcy in the Boston Market, 96 Honey Product, 97 How to Raise a Bull, 100 How to Preserve (irapes, 101 How Civilization Benefits our Birds, 105 How to Cook Cheese, 184 How to Keep Fowls, 186 How Far Bees will go for Honey, 191 Harmful Insect, A, 107 Hint on Lawn Hedges. A, 109 Hints on Cooking Poultry, 110 Horses Lyinu: Down, 111 How Perches Should be Made, 111 Have a Fish Pond if You Can, 126 How to Deal with Rati, 126 Hot-beds with Muslin Sashes, 142 Hints for the Kitchen, 143 Hurrying the Cows, 143 Home and Export Tobacco Market, 149 Hints for Horse Trainers, 159 How to Make Cows tiive Milk, 159 Hints to Poultry Breeders, 159 Hints for the Kitchen, 175 ^air Invigoralor, Henslow on Self-Fertilization, 67 Horn Ail, &c., 55 It Stands to Reason, 2 Insect Sagacity, 3 Imperial Walnu: Moth, 4 Industry of Bees, 16 Imported Cattle, :il Incorporation, 33 Indian Tobacco, 41 Is the Lowest Price the Cheapest, 51 Imported Currant Worm, The, 60 Indian Turnip, 70 Insects and Animal Diseases, 75 Ice Cream Cake, 78 Information About Cheap Lauds, 83 InHuence of Forests on Climate, 88 ■ Interesting Fads Concerning Bread, 93 Irish Stew, 94 Injurious Insects, 107 Ingrowing Nails, 110 IsClover'a Fertilizer? 1J5 Introductory, 146 Inspect Your Cellars, 175 Incubator, The, 178 Ice Houses, 183 Intelligent Farmer, The, 184 Indian Meal Pancakes, 190 July Iteport Dep't Agriculture, 120 Juice of Tomato Plant an Insecticide, 153 Japanned Ware, 190 Kitchen (iarden in April, 50 Keipinir Work Ahead, 73 Keep Pure-bred Fowls, 112 Letter from Iowa, 5 Letter from North Carolina, 7, 85 Laying Out a Farm, 10 Lancaster County Poultry Society, 11,38, 4:^,58,74, 89, 106,123, 134, 138, 154, 171, 187, 188 Lemon Vies, 190 Linnaian Society, 12, 39, 46, 59, 75, 91, 10(i. 12J, 140, 155, 172, 188 Length of Roots, 13 Look to the Farm Trees, 13 Lemon Verbena, 14 Literary and Personal, 16, 32, 48, 64, 80,96,112,128,144,160, 176, 192 Liquid Manure, 22 Langshaw, 32 Lancaster Farmer, &c., 33 Lime, 49 Large Farms and Stock in Lancaster County, 68 Lemon Pic, "78 Large Farming Precarious, 81 Lancaster County Tobacco, 97 Lime and Limestones, 99 Large Catfish, 101 Lancaster Virginia Farming, 108 141 156 Larva of Saturnia lo, 116 Lamp Wicks, 143 Large Water Beetle, 145 Letter from Missouri, 146 Lancaster County Cattle, 148 Labor-Saving Implements, 151 Lemon Cake, 175 Law of Newspapers, 82 Little Pudding, 110 Monthly Reminder, 2, :54, 67, 101, 163 Miscellaneous Notes, Ac, 2 Moonlight, 5 Muscovy Ducks, 15 More About Eels, 17, 42 Modern Fruit Houses, 20 More About Cattle, 24 Mince Pies, 31 More Light, 40, 53 Migration of Eels, 53 Mulching, 62 Milk, 66 Market Gardeners, 67 Moonshine, 85 McKinstry's Great Orchard, 80 Mulching Planted Trees, 93 Milk Soup, 94 Maccaroni and Cheese, 94 Moon's Influence, 69, 102 Maccaroni with Tomato Sauce, 110 Milk Beef, 111 Magnolia Glauca, 116 More Moonshine, 116 Mother of the Chickens, The, 127 Migatory Quail, The, 137 Mottled Horn-Beetle, 150 Moon's Signs and Phases, 132 Moon Seed, 133 Mlnesota Wheat Crop, Maple Coccus, 145 Mulching Strawberries, Metelotte D'Anguilles, 158 Mock Oysters, 158 Memories of Bees, 162 Management of Horses, 169 Meeting of State Board Agriculture, 17 Meteorological Contrast, 178 Mauuriug Fruit Trees, 189 Mince Pics, 190 Mixed Foods, 190 Mixture of (Jrasses, A, 173 Miss Parton's Angel Cake, 175 Meat Cheese, 126 No Farmer Need Expect, Ac, 16 New Subscribers, 17 New ?B0 Grape, 36 Nests for Setters, • Non-Recognition of Agriculture, t New Way to Cook Oysters, 110 New Departure, The, 113 No Egg Good as Fresh Ones, 142 Natural Fertilizer, A, 163 New York Seed Leaf Market, 167 Nice Tea Cake, A, 175 Non-Hatching, 96 Necessity of Sun Light, 62 Our Paris Letter, 9 Our Orchards. 18 One Year's Experiment, 20 Orange Cake, 31 Oats as Fool for Horses, 42 Oatmeal Cakes, 63 One-Eye System of Potatoes, 71 Ozone, 89 Origin of the Apple, 92 Omelette Sounie, 110 Oil for Sewing Machines, 110 Our Local Exhibition, 114 Onions for Fowls, 128 Our Late Exhibition, 131 Origin of Wheat in America, 141, Oats and Wheat, 141 Our Late Local Exhibition, Olives in Califoruia, 1.57 Organization, 161 Oatmeal in the Household, Our Contributors, 177 Our Grain Capacity, 182 Oatmeal, 183 Oatmeal Pudding, 190 Orange Pudding, 190 Our Receipt for Curing Meat, 190 Pennsylvania Fruit Growers Society, 145 174 Practical Hints for Young Farmers, 6 Presidents Address, 8 Progressive Agriculture, 8 Planting Corn in Old Times, 13 Parlor Flowers, 14 Profit with AmUBcraeut, 16 Product of Eggs in Winter, 15 Protection of Bees Against Wasps, 16 Peach Bark Louse, 17 Polled Cattle, 2;^ Pruning Fruit and Ornamental Trees, 30 Practtical Essays on Entomology, 33 Peurl Millet, 37 Pulmonary Spiders, 39 Pruning— Its use and Abuse, 41 Premature Evolution, A, 46 Pruning Trees, 47 Potatoes and Nep, 47 Plucking Poultry, 48 Personal, 51 Planting Grape Vines, 61 Potato Fancy, 63 Preservation of Furs, 63 Pasturage for Bees, 6.) Preserving the Proceedings, 66 Pruning Peach Trees, 77 Potato Noodles, 78 Practical Bee Culture, 79 Poultry Profits, 80 Peach Tree Borers, 84 Promise of Crops, K6 Pleuro Pneumonia, 87 Plowing iu Croijs as Manure, 91 Pruning Evergreens, 93 Poisoned by Mushrooms, 93 Potato Croquets, 95 Packing EgifS, 101 Pear Blight, 109 Potato Putr, 110 Potato Cutlets with Tomatoes, 110 Potato Curry, 110 Pudding Pies, 110 Puff Pudding, 110 P'Tches for Flowers, 111 Parasite on Hens, 112 Paliscr's American Cottages, 114 Peach Beetle, 115 Preserving Flowers, 126 Pigs, 127, 143 Phylloxera in France, The, 133 Planting and Transplanting, 136 Pruning Fruit Trees, 141 Pruning Grape Vines, 142 Preserving Sheep from Dogs, 143 Poultry Notes, 144 Poultry, 144 Production and Keeping Eggs, 150 Plowing Down Green Crops, 165 Putting ill Wheat Crops, 165 Putting away Potatoes, 157 Proverlis in Cookery, 157 Petroleum, 1.58 Polling Cattle, 1.59 Plowing by Electricity, 189 Principles of Pruning, 189 Pie Paste, 190 Pumpkin Pudding, 190 Poultry Interests of America. 191 Poultry Breeding, 191 Profitable Bees, 191 Pure Bred and Common Fowls, 192 Pasture Fields, 168 Poultry Habits, 176 Questions, 18 Queries and Answers, 53, 68 Queen Biscuits, 62 Queer Fish, A, 163 Quinine Flower, 174 Rolling After Sewing, 189 Roasted Chicken or Fowl, 189 Roast Duck, 189 Rice Pudding, 190 Random Thoughts, 5 Rules lor Gilt-edged Butter, 56 Regular Meetings, &c., 57 Remedies Against Insects, 60 Rolling Grain in Spring, 61 Remedy for Hoarseness, 63 Rose Legends, 89 Rosewood, 109 Remedy, A, 111 Red Rust, 116 Raising Pigs, 127 Revised Fruit List, 148 Raising Horses in Texas, 149 Ranciil Butter, 1.58 Rabbit Stew, 15S Runaway Horses, 159 Red Canary Birds, 160 Rest After Eating, 175 Rice Snow-Balls, 175 Rolls, 175 Remedy for Diphtheria, 183 Rabbit Cutlets, 175 Second Crop Pears, 1 Scouring Rush, 2 Surface Manuring, 13 Save the Liquid Manure, 13 Save by Handsfull, 15 State Fruit-Growers' Society, 95 State Millers' Association, 25 Smilax, 30 Sweet Omelet, 31 Sour Milk Cheese, 31 Selecting Breeding Turkeys, 38 Society Proceedings, 33 St. Matthew's Day, 35 Sowing Oats Early, 47 Soup, 48 Silk Culture, 49 Supposed Sulphur Shower, 50 Strawberry Proteetws, 51 Spring and Winter Tree Cleaning, 51 Seeds, 55 Splenic Fever, &c., .55 Salt as a Fertilizer, 61 Special Notice, 177 Sooty Chimneys Cured, 190 Senator's View of Farming, A, 180 Statistical, 186 Sugar, 18B Sowing Garden Seeds, 61 Spring" Planting of Slrawl>errle«, 61 Sprouting Potatoes, 62 Some Items About Sugar, 62 Sick Headache, 62 Small Fruits, 68 Spring Days, 69 Sandy Soils, 73 Store of Grain in the West, 76 Sowing Garden Seeds, 77 Signs of a Prosperous Farmer, T7 Stallion Shows in Spring, 78 Southward, Ho I 81 Soot vs. Wlreworms, 84 Sale of Short-Horns, 95 Swarming of Bees, 95 Summer Time, 101 Sugar from Indian Corn, 104 Sorghum Sugar, 104 Spined Soldier Bug, 107 Squash Bugs, 107 Sowing Wheat, 108 Soot as a Manure, lOS Steamed Pudding, 110 Stewed Pears, 110 Sirangc Ginger Bread, 110 Sponge Cream Cake, 110 State Agricultural Fair, 114 Setting out Strawberries, 125 Sheep and Wool, l'.;7 Something Abont Tomatoes, 129 Science and Agriculture, 129 Soiling, 140 Saddleback Moth, 140 Self-Binding Reapers, 141 Storing Hay, 141 Suckers Around Apple Trees, 141 Spiced Cantaloupe, 142 Sheep in Cornfields, 143 Save the Choice Fowls, l44 Specter Insect, 145 Sheep Husbandry in U. 8., 149 Standard of American Jerseys, 153 Singular Discovery, 1.53 Smut in Grain, 155 Small Fruits, 156 Sailed Dressing, 1.58 Squash Pie, 158 Swiss Dairymen in California, 159 Salt for Stock, 1.59 Strecker Prof. Herman, 162 Starting a Flock of Sheep, 168 Summer Cultivation of Wheat, 173 Storing Fodder-Corn, 173 Stewed Pigeons, 175 Straw as Food for Cattle, 175 Sugar Beets to Fatten Swine, 170 Salt for Poultry, To our Patrons and the Public, 1 To Our Patrons, 177 The Fox Squirrel, 3 Twelve Thousand Caterpillars, 5 Thoroughwort, 5 The Wheat Crop, 12 The Scarcity of Quinces, 12 Taming Stubborn Bees, 16 Tobacco Growers Society, 28 The Late Summer Grass, 29 The Kulahaga, 29 To Preserve Potatoes from Rot, 81 To bake Eggs, 31 Tapioca Cream, 31 To Lessen Friction, 31 The Sleep of Children, 31 The Poultry Association, 32 Tar in the Chicken House, 32 Treatment of Cholera, 32 The Lancaster Farmer, 33, 163 Table Sauce, 47 The Best Kind of Eggs, 48 The Balance of Trade, 53 Turtle Head, .54 The Imported Currant Worm, 60 The Tobacco Worm, 60 The Use of Entomology, 60 The Hours of Children, 62 Test Record of Dairy Cows, 6.3 Tramps ahd Incendiaries, 66 Timber and Fences, 71 The Pennsylvania Board of Agricul- ture, 71 The Wheat Crop, 76 The Question of Weeds, 76 To Preserve Gum Solutions, 78 To wash Silk Stockings, 78 Treatment of Cows at Calving, 78 Tender and Small Feet, 79 IV. INDEX. Threshing Ducks, 80 The Beloetoma Grandis 81 The Law of Newspapers, 82 Tobacco Culture in Pennsylvania, 87 The Evidences of Success, 88 The Future of American Farming, 92 The Wheat Crop of 1879, 92 Treatment of Trees, 9 J, To Boil Potatoes, 94 To make Puff Paste, 94 Turkish Soup, 94 Trussed Fowls, 95 Terrapin, 95 To Break up Sitting Hens, 9f> The Elm tree Borer, 98 The English Sparrow, 98 The Moon's Influence, 102 The Crops of the Country, 103 The Use of the Feet in Planting, 103 Thomissns celer, 107 The Best Yeast Known, 109 To Make Good Cottage Cheese, 110 Tapioca Pudding, 110 To Cook Pumpkins, 110 Tarragon Vinegar, 110 The Value of Sheep, 110 The Dominique Fowl, 111 The New Departure, 113 The Tobacco Fly, 114 The Black Bass, 119 The Common Elder, 132 The Best Time to Cut Wheat, 125 To Keep Potatoes from Rotting, 126 To Preserve Cut Flowers, 126 To Expel Foul Air from Wells, 126 To Cure Hams, 190 To Stain Wood, 126 To Keep Seeds from Mice, 126 Tomato Stew, 126 To Make Butter Pure in Flavor To Wash Stockings, 126 The Sheep Range, 127 The Mad Itch in Cattle, 127 The MIgatory Quail, 127 The Cutlock for Hogs, 137 The Sun, 137 The Snake Worm, 141 The Cabbage Worm, 140 Toads, 141 Treatment of Wornout Meadow The Blackberry, 143 The Quince, 143 Tapioca Cream, 143 The Harvest White Honey, 14 The Weather, 145 Thanks, 145 The jrepatica, 147 Tobacco, 151 The Cattle Disease, 153 To Kill Sorrel, &c , 150 To Prepare a Strawberry Bed . To Polish Steel, 158 To Destroy Aphids, To Remove Rust from Steel, 1 I To Pickle Fruit, 158 Tomato Soup, 1 and 2, 158 The Wild Cattle of Britain, 15 ! The Cattle Belt, 159 ! To Tell a Horse's Age, 159 j The Cold Snap, 163 The Poultry Show, 163 I The New York Leaf Market, I To Clean Wall Paper, 175 Tobacco Culture in Lancaster Co., 117 I Turkeys, 127 Uranine, 4 Unhorning Calves, 191 Use of Lime, 61 i Uncovering Protected Plants, 63 Use Plenty of Paint, 77 Uradine Fungus, 83 Utilizing Night Soil, 125 . Vermin on Poultry, 15 Velvet Cake, 78 Vermin, 96 I Value of Earth Worms, lOS 1 Varieties of Wheat, lOS , Valuable Hints to Farmers, 131 Valuable Advice, 136 Vegetable Fruit, 144 Vi.sit to Herman Strecker, 163 Write for Thk Farmer, 1 ' Water for Farmers, 13 ! Window Boxes, 14 Winter Treatment of Poultry, 15 ! Warwick Farmers' Club, 3S, 44, 59, I 123 ^ Winter Peaches, 30 I Window Plants, 30 ] What is Castile Soap, 31 Waterproof Boots, 31 Wafers, 31 Winter Management of Sheep, 31 Weaning Calves, 31 I What Stock Needs, 31 What and How to Feed, 48 What Becomes of the Birds, 67 Wants to Know, 69 Where Tomatoes were First Eaten, 77 Whitewash, 77 White Fruit-Cake, 78 Worms in Hogs, 79 What Breed Shall I Keep? What I Know About Roup, 79 Wonders Will Never Cease, 82 Wonderful Feats with Bees, 191 Waste in N. E. Farming, 92 Wood Ashes for Peach Trees, 93 Welcome Guest Pudding, 94 Watering Horses, 95 White Shrips in Graperies, 108 Ways to Use Stale Bread, 110 Walnut Catsup, 110 White Grub-Worm, 115 Wheat Fields, 189 Wool Manufacturers and Sheep Hus- bandry, 181 Whisky— Revenue Lists of the States, 185 Washing Fowls, 185 Wheat and Oats, 189 Weeds and Hay Fever, i24 Waffles, 126 White Duck Laying Black Eggs, 128- Whole Acres of Perfume, 153 Western Farms Much Favored, 186. What a Farm Deed Includes, 169 When to Sell, 170 Welsh Rare Bit, 175 Winter Care of Fowls, 176 Whole Wheat for Fowls, 176 Young Fowls, 160 ^^^ L . i. ^mm mi\^i\ i ONE DOLLAR FEE ANITULI-SZITGLE COFZES 10 CENTS. Dr. S. S. EATE70N, Editor. LANCASTER, PA., JANUARY, 1879. JOHN A. HIESTAND, PuWisher. CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. . To Our Patrons and the Public, .Write for The Farmer, . . - - To Contributors, .-..-- Second Crop Pears, 'Annual Meeting of the State Board of Agriculture -MoLthly Reminders, . . . - - I Entomological Manipulations for the Month, Miscellaneous Notes and Queries, - - - 1 Gold Fishes, - - I A New Grain, .-..-- ."Scouring Rush," . . - . - , As Others See Us, ."It Stands to Reason," - - . . - • Insect Sagacity, The Fox Squirrel, ------ •Twelve Hundred Caterpillars Taken from a Single Tree, -------- ■ Antidote for Currant Worms, - - - . Imperial Walnut Moth, - - - - - " Cold Snap," ------- About Eels, - - ♦Uraninc, -------- ' Pennsylvania Fruit-Growers' Society, . Essays -Oflicers ind Addresses— Committee for ! . Letter from Iowa — W. H. Spera, - . - • Thorough Wort— /. 5to!OHSIRI.E PRICES. Fully guaranteed. No. 106 EAST KING STREET, 9-1-12] Oppmite I.eopnid Ifotfl. GLOVES, SHIRTS, UNDERWEAR. iH SHIRTS MADE TO ORDER, AND WAERANTED TO IIT. S. J. EHISMAH. 56 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. ." Carriages, Buggies, Phaetons, etc. CHURCH-ST., NEAR DUKE, LANCASTER, PA. Large Stock of New and Rfc:)Ud-Uaud Work ou hand, very cheap. Carriages Made 10 Order. Work Warranted foroueye4ir. [7:1-1-12 TREES. Fruit.Shadeand Ornamental Trees. Tf you intend ilauti "spring, write for LOUIS CLYTE Bird-in-Hand P. O., Lancaster co.. Pa. Nursery at Smoketov.'n, six miKjs east of Lancaster. WIDMYER & RICKSECKER, UPHOLSTERERS, And Manufactun FURNITURE PD CHAIRS. WARF.nOOM.S: 102 East King St., Cor. of Duke St. LANCASTER, PA. EDW. J. ZAHM, AMERICAN AND FOREIGN WATCHES, SOLID SILVER & SILVER PLATED WARE, CI.OCKS, JEWELRY ITABLE CUTLERY. Sole Agent for the Arundel Tinted SPECTACLES. R?piiirmg strictly attended to. North Quesn-st. and Centre Square, Laniaster, Pa. THOROUGHBRED SHORT-HORN BULLS AND BULL CALVES, FOR SAX.^, AT PRICES TO SDIT THE TIMES. A. M. RANCK, 79.1-2] B;rd-in-Haud, Lancaster CO., Pa. M. HABERBUSH, MAXDF.\CTURER OF Plain and Fine Harness, SABSJI.IK. COLLARS, "WHIPS, PLY NETS. &c., .^LSO DE.\LER IX TRUNKS, TRAVELING BAGS, BUFAI-O ROBE.S, Hor.se Covers, Lap-Rugs, Gloves, &e., No. 30 Penn Square, Til-l-lil LANCASTER, PA, ESTABLISHED 1882. * Mauufacturers and dealers io all iiuds of rougli a::d fluished X.X7I^B£:R, The best Sawed SHIXGI.K.S iu the country. Also Sceh, Doors, Bliude, Mouldiugs, &c. PATENT O.'g.WEATHERBOARDING OFFICE AND YARD : Northeast Comer of Prince and Walnut-sts.. LANCASTER, TA.. 79-1-12] lor Grapes, tSeedlingB, Evergreens, etc., etc. Send for Catalogue. J. JENKINS, 10-9^m] WISrOSTA, Columbiana County, Ollio. TljE LATEST! T^e Nev/ Tariff of Rales ['0 P-DAVO' JIade by OAK HALL, four weeks ago, sold off larj;e lots of loods, and lias INDUCED MANY TO IMITATE US! JSi®" Whatever is Done Elsewhere We always do Better.-'^gSg This is the latest tariff for the A-S FOt.T-,O^VS: All EleprantBiisine.ss and Dress Suit, All-wool Black Cheviot, §10. Identical quality of floods sold by other parties as a great bargain at $io. AVe never sold them for more tliart §1.". 54.89 buys a First Quality Dress Trousers, sold heretofore at $10. Fur Beaver and Cliinohilla Over- coats, Good and Warm Cloth Bound, SiS.SO, 18.50, 18.50, $8.50. Next Higher Grade, Beautifully Made and Trimmed, Cloth Bound, Silk Velvet Collar, $10, ^10, SIO, §10. The Same Goods in Young Men's Sizes, $7, $7, $7, ^7. Boy's Double Cape Overcoats, with all the Late Imjiruvemenl.s, .s.'i, P."), 555. Boys' and Ynuili.s' Tii.n.ser.s All Wool, ?2.31), ?2.:;'i,,--.:;ii,s-.:;;i. Hundreds of Latest .^tyles Child- ren's Overcoats, Soft Plush Lined, Elegant Goods, reduced from S8.75 to ?6.50. ?25 Fine French Fur Beaver Over- eo.ats reduced to Slo. (Beautifully made. Piped with Cloth and the Finest Linings) A clear saving of 12.50 on a Fine Dress Suit. At our low prices we have sold thousands of them at ^15. 00; but to- daj' make a clean mark down to $12.50. They are not odds and ends?, but complete lots. Hundreds biggest men can be iitted. This one lot of goods contained 55,120 yards, and has proved the best bargain wo liave had for our customers this season. A customer can come one hundred miles, and the saving on almost any Suit or Overcoat will pay the fare Doth ways. Wananjaker & Brown^ OAK HALL. Sixth and Market Streets, PHILADELPHIA.. . The Largest Clothing House in America. The Lancaster Farmer. Dr. S. S. EATHVON, Editor. LANCASTER, PA., JANUARY, 1879. Vol. XI. No. 1. TO OUR PATRONS AND THE PUBLIC. With tills nuiuber we commence tlie XI. ' Volume of The Lancaster Faumek, and ; our expuriencos ihu-ing the past ten years . utibrd us some appreciatioi.i of the task tliat | is before us. 'We have never abated any of the feeble energies with whieh we are en- dowed heretofore, and we have no intention I to abate them now. We are on tlie thresliuld of the new year— young, vigonms and Impc- ful 1870— and we have not lost eonlidenee in \ its ultimate propitiating influences. AVe con- tidently look to it as a puinl of departure to a better"an(l more prosperous state of things ; not only for our patrons and ourselves, but also for the "toiling, moiling millions," who have been suffering almost to the last stretch that patient waiting can sustain, for the past three or four years, and for whom humanity desires a surcease of idleness. We l.u.k for such times as will enable, them to become more liberal and punctual patrons of the farm- ing public. That the return of prosperity to our whole i)eople will increase the existing "vacancy" for our journal in the county, the State, and elsewhere we have not a doubt, and our aim shall be to make it worthy of public i)atronagc. There arc many new fea- tures we desire to introduce into its general composition, and we look chiefly to our agri- cultural friends to sustain us in oiu- progressive enterprise. The great county of Lancaster— a conimonwealth"of no mean dimensions in itself— occupies a too prominent position in the Union to act the part of a mere subordi- nate in the march of events. The eyes of the whole country are upon her, and she is looked to as a second " mother country " to a large portion of the agricultural population in other counties and States, who either have resided within her bordei-s themselves, or whose ancestry have had their origin here. Editorial intercourse with our farmers during the last ten years has convinced tis that they possess the literarv and inti'llectnal abilitv to make their Ib.iuglits and experiences known through the medium of the press to an extent that will compare favorably with any other portion of the " Keystone State," and in this respect, during the same period, they have made much more than the ordinary progre.s.s. 'We desire to make this ability — which we know they possess — more available in tlie future than it has been iu the past. liesides the general good of difl'tising their knowledge among their agricultural brethren, they will be instructing and greatly benefiting them- selves, intellectually, morally and socially. The minister in his pulpit, the professor in his laboratory, the tutor in his school room, and the editor in his sanctum are equally bciie- lited in the exercises of their various functions with those whom they are instructing. These acts come under the denomination of those that are "twice blessed," blessing the giver as well as the receiver. The practical deduc- tions of the farmer's experiences in his honor- able calling are not exempt from the ojiera- tions of the same rule. Every experience or observation he records, and every essay he composes and writes out fixes the facts and principles involved in them the more deeply in hi<> own memory. ]?y such a process many men have educated themselves who have never had the opportunity to become educated at a school, a seminary or a college. Our aim is to difrnse the furts pertaining to agriculture among the people— such facts as experience has demonstratt d to be of para- mount value in the field, the orchard, the gar- den, the barn and the household. If the light exists it should he shed abroad. We arc ad- monished, from the very highest authority, that our candle should not be hidden under a bed, or under a busluO, but should be set on a caiulle.stick, and none are so poor but that Ihev have s<,„„ light. We are not always the best judges ot tlie (piality of our own light. The i r feriymau knew nothing about alge- bra, and astronomy, and poetry, and the classics, but he could swim; and, therefore, when the boat foundered in the middle of the stream, that knowledge was worth more to liiin tlian all the philosopher's lore, and for the want of which the latter went to the bot- tom, whilst the former reached the shore in saf'etv. This is not intended to discredit the learn'ing of the philosopher, but to illustrate the worth of the practical knowledge of the illiterate or the humble. Therefore, friends, give us your facts, no matter how common- place llu'y may be, or how ungrammatically thi'y ace written. We will sec that they are not' discreditable to vou, nor prcjiulicial to oursehvs, iiiphu-in- them bel'ure tlie public. It is not absolutely neccssarv that we should be a practical farmer to edit an agricultural journal (although it would not disiiualify us if we were), our function being to make our columns a reflex of the thoughts, the experi- ences, and the practices of those who con- tribute to them for the instruction and edifica- tion of the farming public. By an announcement in another column, the patrons of TuE Fahmer will perceive that there has been a change in the publisher. This arrangement was absolutely necessary from the very nature of the case. The former publisher's duties as a printer, precluded the possibility of giving the necess.ary attention to the usual details so essential "to the suc- cessful issue of the publication. Hence a change was made, and we congratulate our patrons on the change as a progressive one. The new publisher was boru and reared on a farm, and is allied by consanguinity with some of the best farmer blood of the cotmty. His experience, and his position as publisher of one of the oldest and most influential news- papers in Lancaster county, is a guarantee of his ability to make our local journal the peer of ,any in our country. Of course, the more hearty and liberal the co-operation of the people is in his efforts the more efliciently will the progressive work be accomplished. Every subscriber iu the comity, or elsewhere, should at least add one name more to his own to begin the volume of 1ST'.). " Knowledge is power," and knowledge also dissipates preju- dices and .suspicions. The knowledge we have gained during the last two years has given us clearer ideas of what it costs to print a paper than we ever had before. And now, dear liatrons, we have endeavored to portr.ay our objects, aims, ends and needs, as well as the relations we sustain to each other and our joint relations to the world at large. Having said this much, we cannot more properly con- clude than by wishing you a healthful, a prosperous and ii Happn iVcio Ytar. WRXTE FOR THE FARMER. The County of Lancaster, we are convinced, has as many practical thinkers and workers among its population, proportionally, as any other district in the State of Pennsylvania ; and any one who is a practical thinker and worker, in this age of the world, is able to write or dictate a practical article on subjects relating to his secular occupation. We are not particular as to the grammatical construc- tion of the article, so that it contains the fads of the subjects, as they have been de- veloped througii the experience of the writer or dictator. We know that m.iny competent persons plead that they cannot write, but this may be owing to the circumstance that they wont try, lather than to a want of time or ability. Writing stimulates research and develops ideas that would lie unu.std and rust- ing without such stimulant. There is no merit in keeping our knowledge "hidden under a bushel," merely becau.se we liave a notion that it is of no impmfance, or we may not be able to difTuse it in as eU ;.'aiit phrase- ology as we would like. " I'reely ye have re- ceived, freely give " ought to admonish us to let our "liglit so shine that men may see it." And to facilitate this end, if the patrons of The Faioieii will kindly funiish us with the results of their experiences in relation to the various departments of agriculture, we will see that they appear in our columns in a creditable l'(U-m^ TO CONTRIBUTORS. As it is proposed in future to issue The Faumsu within the first week of each mouth, our contributors will confer a special favor by sending in their papers intended for publi- cation, at least williiu llie last week of the preceding month— rather earlier than later. If those having essays to read before the society will furnish us the manuscript in time we will put them in type and furnish them with a slip, as well as return the manuscript. This will give them an opportunity to read their papers from a printed copy, and also make the nece.s.sary connections, before they appear before the public. By this means we will be able to issue our journal within a day or two after each meeting of the society. The regular publication of the proceedings of the society and the discussions which take place will constitute a valuable epitome of the agri- cultural progress of the county, especially as the society contains some good and practical off-hand speakers, who may not have the time, even if they have the inclination to write their remarks on paper. AVe hope we are understood. All cs.says, contributions, communications, queries and other papers intended for publica- tion in Tin: FAioiElt .should be sent to the editor, No. 11*1 North Queen street. All mat- tei-s of finance, subscriptions, advertisements, exchanges and general business should be transacted, whether personally or by letter, with the ptiblisher. No. OXorlh Queen street, (Kra);i(iifr building). Also all accounts due FAiniEii iptions, advertising or otherwise, previous to .Tanuary 1st. 1879, which have not been settled up to that date, .should be settled with the iircsent publisher as above, who has full authority to .settle and re- ceipt for the same. SECOND CROP PEARS. Mr. .Tolin (irossmaii, of Warwick township, Lancaster county, has a pear tree which has bloomed twice every season for twenty years, but the present is the first year that he has noticed that it formed any fruit. The fruit it formed this year, a specimen of which is now before us, measured nearly two inches in cir- cumference when green, and about an inch iu length. Of course second crop fruit, even in thi.s latitude, is not an unusual thing, but it is not usual for fruit trees, especially pears, to bloom twice every season for twenty years in succession. This'is a small yellow pear, with- out anv .special name, which ripens about the middleof .luly, and seldom, if ever, fails to bear a crop, "if such a pear tree were re- moved to thcCarohnas. (Jeorgia. or Alabama, or perhaps to any of the Southern States, might we not reasonably suppose it would m.ature two crops of pears; for a sec- ond blooming for twenty years in succession seems to indicate that this extra effort at fruition has become a fixed characteristic V This tree seems never to have been enervated , by its duplicate bloom. THE LANCASTER FARMER. [ January, ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. The fiillowiiig is the programme of the aiinuiil meeting of the Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture, to be held at Ilarrisburg, com- inencing Wednesday, January 22, 1879, at two p. m. : Reading of minutes ; election of ofticers ; reception of credentials of newly elected mem- bers ; reports of standing committees ; reports of special committees ; reports of secretary. Essays and Subjects for Discussion. 1. C4rape Growing in Pennsylvania ; Varie- ties and Treatment, by Dr. James Calder, President of State College. 2. Foreign and American Agriculture, by John P. Edge, member at large. o. Tlio Industrial Education of Europe as it Aftects Agriculture, by Prof. J. P. Wicker- sham, Superintendent of Public Instruction. 4. Farm Drainage, by Prof. F. A. Allen, member from Tioga. f). Drainage with Stone, by Col. James Yoimg. 0. Drainage with tile, by the Secretary. 7. Till' nst'luhiess and profit of farming, and the relation which it bears to the other in- terests of the State, by W. G. Moore, member from Berks. 8. How we may elevate the standard of agriculture, by C. C. Musselraan, member from Somerset. 9. Sunny and shady sides of farm life, by George "\V. Hood, member from Indiana. 10. The Guenon system ; negative side, by Eastburn Reeder, member from Bucks. 11. The care of fruit trees, by Calvin Cooper, President Lancaster Comity Agricultural Society. 12. The production of milk, by J. P. Barnes, member from Lehigh. 13. Mineralogy as related to agriculture, by F. Prime, jr.. Assistant State Geologist. On Wednesday evening, .January 22d, there will be a lecture by Dr. H. Leffmann, Micro- .scopist of the Board. .Subject, "Fungi— large and small — and their relations to agriculture. " Sulijcct for general discussion— "Tickets of admission to county fairs and their price." Other subjects will be discussed if time will permit, and any question of a proper nature, handed to the Secretary by a member of the Board, will be referred, by the President, for an answer. MONTHLY REMINDERS. .January is unfavorable to out-door labor ; in the garden especially but little can be done. The forcing-beds and green-houses will, of course, require particular attention ; and the active man may liud something to do in pre- paring for a more congenial season. Poles and rods for beans and peas may be made ready to be used when needed ; manure collected ; compost heai)s formed (by the way, compost is beyond all comparison the best form in which to apply fertilizers, to most vegetable crops, and ample supplies may be readily made by proper attention, as the materials present tliemselves from time during the year). Fruit trees pruned ; hedges clippetl- those formed of evergreens not till after frost has disap- peared ; asparagus beds top-dressed, prepara- tory to being dug when frost has ceased ; when new ones are to be made, plant the Colossal. Hot-beds for early forcing may be made, and other jobs will present themselves in antici- pation of spring. AVhere there e.xists the will to work the opportunity for useful disposition of time is ever present. ENTOMOLOGICAL MANIPULATIONS FOR THE MONTH. Farmers, gardeners, fruit-growers, and even citizens of the towns, should now give some attention to«their trees, .shrubbery and plants, as well as outhouses, sheds, fence-corners, and otlier "nooks and corners." During the season when the trees and shrubljery are leaf- less, the cocoons and chrysalids of such in- sects as hibernate, in that form, may be dis- tinctly seen adhering to, or dangling from their branches. If these are now collected fmd burned a great nuisance will be abated, and much vexatious labor saved through the sum- mer season. The spindle-shaped follicles of the "basket worm" may now be plainly seen. The egg-bands of the "American tent catterpillar" may also be seen encircling the branches. Clusters of the eggs, or of the young, of the "spring web-worm" may also be seen in the forks of the branches. If they are out of reach a small swab of tar, on the end of a pole, will effectually remove them if properly used. The naked chrysalids of the "white cabbage butterfly" will be found hang- ing angularly on the undersides of fence rails, window frames, door frames, or in almost any secluded corner. A few days ago we saw one in the angle of a window sash, one about mid- way on a vertical sash, and one absolutely fastened to the glass itself. If these are care- fully gathered in this and the next month and destroyed it will not only save a great deal of vexatious labor next summer, but also much of the cabbage crop. It will not do to delay this work until too late in the season, for only a year ago we found some of these butterflies evolved and on the wing in the months of February and March, in one in.stance even when the ground was still covered wit4i snow. Look also under the loose bark of dead trees, and under the chips of bark of living trees, for the "apple moth," the "squash bugs," and the large "northern lady bird," (yellow with black spots). The "potato beetle" also hiber- nates in cellars, under door steps, and many other places ; therefore keep a bright lookout for them early in the season, and get before- hand with them. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND QUERIES. Gold Fishes. To anxious inquirers in regard to " Gold Fishes "or " Golden Carp " ( Cyprinus atira- ius,) we would say that most of them die for the want of oxygen ; the most vital element in the composition of atmosphere and water. The great mistake people make is in getting fishes that are too large for their aquariums. Two fishes of six or seven inches in length should have at least six gallons of water, and a sufficient number of healthy and growing aquatic plants to maintain the normal equili- brium. Plants absorb carbon and give off oxygen. The fishes absorb oxygen and give off carbon ; so, it will be seen, tliat one, when rightly proportioned, supports the other. When fishes suspend themselves vertically in the water with their noses at the surface gasping for air, it is a certain indication that they do not find enough oxygen in the water to support their lives. If one or two persons were confined in a small room, as entirely cut off from nature's great reservoir of oxygen as fishes are in a small tank, the would soon suffocate for the want of oxygenated air. It is true, this difficulty may be in a great mea- sure, or entirely overcome by the frequent changing of the water ; but then this involves a vast deal of labor— more than is commensu- rate with pleasure. The gold fish was originally brought from China, about two hundred years ago, when it was a greater curiosity than it is now. Some, therefore, imagine that they must be kept in water that is several degrees above the freezing point (or lukewarm,) because they originally came from China. If other things are "all right," they will live and thrive iii water that is thickly covered with ice. They do not want much food, and need not be fed more tlian once or twice a week, and then nothing more than they will devour at a time. The over- plus if it remains in the tank will ferment or putrify, and this renders it unhealthy, and often leads to their death. They don't want to be pampered, they only want ajdain living. Many ponds are in the United States aiid Europe where they thrive and greatly multiply withouthout the least care ; but, if from any cause the water becomes impure, they are almost certain to die. They can "stand" a good deal, but not poisoned water. A New Grain. A new grain, resembling rye somewhat, only twice as largo, with straw and beardless head, resembling wheat, is the subject of com- ment in some of the California exchanges. When cut, as it is passing into milk, it is said to make hay far superior to wheat hay. The discovery of this grain is claimed by a farmer in Surprise Valley, in the north part of the State, who took it from the crop of a wild goose which had been shot. Sowing the seed innnediately lie had the satisfaction in due time of reaping more than a hundred fold. He considers it in every respect superior to rye. If it is only superior to rye it may not be quite the thing we want at this time, but let it "circulate," it may have quantiti/ if not qualil'j, and that is somelhiny. Mr. W. L. II., liapho township, Lancaster county, Pa. — The long whip-like or tail-like I)lant, growing at two places along the mar- gin of the Ijiltle Chickies creek, on your farm, is called " Scouring Rush" (Eqidsctum hyemale,) and is used in some places where it abounds plentifully, for purposes of scouring. This property is derived from its finely corru- gated external structures, and the presence of an immense number of minute silicious gran- ules on its surface and in its internal composi- tion. It belongs to and is the typical genus of the EcjuiSETACE.E, or "Horsetail" family ; the name of which is derived from cquus, a horse, and seta, a hair. We need not tell you that it never bears leaves, for that fact must have been apparent to you whenever you saw it during the summer. It only, however, exhibits one of those singular links in the long chain of vegetation which unites in a har- monious whole, the various productions of the vegetable kingdom, and of which every clime produces its counterparts. As Others See Us. Newark, Dec. l~Hi, 1878. Mr. Ratuvon— I'm)- ,Sir: I am so well pleased with TiiF, T,ANiAfTEi: Fakmeu Ihaf I have received tliis last vrai- that I i-ii-lnsr Sl/_5 lurtlic renewal of ™r»"cV .!'/.///'-'/«',• ,i„~l /,.C((r tiir : On Saturday last, by request of Ransom Jaco' s, I sent you for him by mail (to^'ether with the extra papers you mailed to him,) $1. "11 ill currency to pay his subscription up to lirst ot .laiiu.uy, Lsi'.i. You may continue sending The Lam A>ri:u rAiiMKK to me upon former con- ditions, llilii- iuMjic.-iiii.ii meets with your appro- bation let nie kiinw tlin)iii;li TliE Fakmek.— ro!(fS tnihj, Martin liirhwbir. [All right. Let us hear from you often, and send us all the new names you can, for we do not wish to conceal our light "under a bushel."— Ed.] QUARRTVILLE, Dec. 1.5, 1S78. Dn. S. S. Rathvon — Dear Hir: I send you this morning the lonn; looUed-for female opossum. I am sorry it is dead, and not " playing possum." Possi- bly I may send you a live one some of these days. Please let me know if you received it all right, and oblige yours truly, J{. C. E. [Your " opossum " {Didclphis virfjinianus,) came safely to hand, and in due time will be ■scientifically, if not gastronomically, dis- cussed. Please accept our thanks:— Ed.] "IT STANDS TO REASON" That The L.vxcasteii Farmer must be the best advei'tising medium in the county of Lancaster, in everything of a permanent and useful character that relates to farming, gar- dening and housekeeping. It is a fireside journal ; is (.•onvenient to refer to ; always near at hand ; and is a permanent institution of the household, the workshop, the manu- flictory and the farm. This ' 'stands to reason. " 1879.] THE LANCASTER FARMER. INSECT SAGACITY. The olcaiulor In Los Anijck-s, like the oraiiijc ti-oo, is iiifestc."), .")(iG 'pounds, averaging a fraction over :!.■).") pounds. They were splcndiil ho;;s, for the greater part were Berkshire breed. Cattle— But few have been offered as yet, though there arc large herds that will be ready for market early in 1879. rotacco.— This county bids fair to become a tobacco growing county. The cxiierimeut has been tried the past summer, and we ;ire informed with very satisfactory result, (^uite a number of farmers intend going into the business next spring. That veteran tobacco- nist, John S. (Jable, of your city, who, by the way, owns lart,'e tracts of land in this county, isof o)iinion tliat tlie soil of this county "is well adapted to llie growth of the weed, and says, that from the samples which he saw and examined, he is free to say that tobacco culture in Grundy county will form one of tlie main features of her agriculture. All that is wanted are men who understand how to gro\v and cure the crop, and success will bo certain, lie told US some montlis ago, that ''somebody will come here and m.ike a fortune in raising tobacco in this county." Game.— This section of county abounds with feathered game. Prairie hens arc abun- dant, as are also quail, the latter however are not molested, as there is better game on the wing. Wild geese come hero in large liocks, as also ducks and brants. We are told that at Wall Lake, Storm Lake, and some others northwest from here, game is more than plenty. The Markets.— Corn is being brought here in large quantities. The grain men are driving a bri.sk trade ; immense corn cribs are being erected, (the corn lieing all in the ear,) hold- ing thousands of bushels. ()u<' crib was fin- ished to-day, being four hun.lred feel long. fourteen wide ami fourteen feet Ingli ; there is fair prospects of many nuire being built. Grain is also coming in lively ; the two eleva- tors, mill and three grain w-arehouses are running two sets of hands, night and day in handling grain. Though that the grain crop was a failure there are large quantities of grain in the county, and firmers are not as particular as they should be in the manner their grain coincs'iuto market. Large quanti- ties of barley arc raised here. Butter is plenty here at present. Mr. Anthony Traser, in the grocery business here, (formerly from Lin- coln, Lancaster county,) took in on .Saturday last five barrels of butter ; this is good for one store. There are three others in town. Eggs are not very plenty ; the farmers do not give their chickens the necessary atten- tion. Live iwultry is being brought in, though not in large numbers.— H'. JI. Spera. N. B. Fi;()|-. Batiiton: Please send me a copy of TliK Fai!Mi;u. Of whom can I procure the'J-arge ( lounl ( 'oru.aud Small < lounl Seed- only small (piantities for trial in this county. The al)ove corn can be obtained at the reli- able agricultural, implement and seed store of Wji. 1). Si'ifEciiER, of this city. — Ed. For Till! Lanoarteu Fabmeb. THOROUGH WORT. This i.lant is dedicated to Enpator Mithri- dates, who lirsl brought it into notice. Dio- scorides mentions this jilant in his work on botany. Mithridates, King of Poiitus, sur- nami'd 'Fuiiator"' and "the Great" was the son of Mithridates VI., the lir.st king of that country who entered into an alliance with the Romans. At the death of his father, 1-2:5 B. C, he succeeded to the crown when he was only about twelve years of age. But I am not giving the biography of Mithridates, which i find quite lengthy and interesting, but subject matter in connection with our most common plants. The scientific name is Eupalorhini perfoliulum, the specific name refers to the stem apparently growing through the united leaves. Hence we find the many common names— such as Tiiorough AVort, Thorough Stem, Thorough Wax, (,'ross Wort, besides that of Indian S.age and Bone-Set. This latter name is ipiitc common. Who has not been recoiniiniiilcil to drink "Bone-Set tea?" Tliis (1.1(1 n:iinc iiiines from an early belief that it aided in joining or knitting broken bones. Plants have their history, as well as uses. I shall not give a description how to recognize the plant, because the cut sliows it. and it is found in fiower from niid- suuiiner to Septduber from Xoya .'scotia to boguy .soils. Il" belongs, of course, to the ex- tensive order of Composila-, or what arc termed compound llowers, that is a number of tubular or strap-shaped fiowers on a com- mon receptacle surrounded by a common in- volucre. Every part of tlic Eupatoritmi has an in- ten.sely bitter taste, combined with a fiavor peculiar to the jdant, but without astringency or acrimony. This bitter principle is alike .soluble in water and in alcohol, imparting its sensible cpi.alitics to both, and neither .solution being rendered turbid, at leiist for some time, by the addition of the other solvent. Tannin exists very sparingly in this plant. Dr. An- derson, of >'ew York, wlio details numerous experiments, concludes that a single decoction forms the best tonic stiiuulanl. i;iycn in inod- eratequ;u)tities. Tliesubstaru c, cold infusion or decoction, promote digestion, streugtiiens the viscera and restores lone to tlie .system. Like other vegetabl.> bitters, however, if given in large quantities, especially in warm infusion or decoction, il proves emetic, sudori- fic and appericnl. Even in cold infusion it tends to bring on diaphoresis, (promotes pers- piration). It may be luescribed in the low stages of fever to support strength, jironiote a moisture of the skin, without materially increasing the heat of the body. And as a tonic in loss of aiipetite and other symptoms of dyspepsia, a.s well as in general debility of the system.—/. Stavlfir. MOONLIGHT. I have not written anything for The Faumeu for some time, but as there appcans to be a little more "moonlight" desired at Dobbs' Ferry, N. Y., I thought I would "rise" again.' I ha\c no cxpei-ieiice in potato planting with rcln-i nee lo the i m. Hut 1 may sav, potatoes u;inl lo'.sc soil. 'I'hci-cfore, plcnv in" the risill^' of the moon, if the .soil is heavy or clayey. It tlu' soil is naturally loose I doi"rt lookto" the moon. Should Ihe soil lie too li-ht and hm.se, plow in the .selling of the moon. Haul the, manure on the ground you intend tor potatoes in the fall, even if it is washy. Then ^yail until you want lo plow; spread it evenly ; plow early in the spring ; any time between now and spring, so that it will freeze after it is plowed. As to the proper time to plant, that will depend some- what on the character of the weather. Ac- cording to my (xperience the best time is about the miildle of April. When 1 com- menced fanning I planted three times every season. The hist tinif as early as I could— sometimes in March the secoiul time in the middle of Aiuil, and the third time on or about the 1st of .May, This I did for .several years, and nearly always the middle planting turned out the be>t. On .stilT soil it would be well if \ye could work tlie soil always in the rising of the moon. But there might he too long an interval belweeii ; the weeds would get too far ahead. A farmer told me one of his neighbors runs a subsoil ploiii;li through the rows just liet'oic he lays Ihe potatoes in ; that is. hehaiidws it out as UMial and then runs the subsoil plow thnuigh, and he beat all his neighbors in raising potatoes. 1 intend to try that plan the present year. — /. (I., War- wk-k\ JiUiiMrn 1, 1870. RANDOM THOUGHTS— No. 7. Fodder Crops. For some years past there has been much seeking after new plants for fodder crops that would'answer better the ends than any of the old s]ieeies. .\s far as (luantity is concerned there isiiodoul't but that at leasl two plants have been lirought forward that far outstrip all the old species. Among tlie most prominent of the old species may be enumerated the following : IhoKlitriiiii Grilse, a millet, was introduced probably more than twenty years ago, but it did not" come into g^aieral favor over the country until considerably later, and it is even now condemned by many, they thinking it injurious to horses, that it lessens the flow of milk in cows, &c. Tlu'ic may be some weight in the latter claim, and I have no doubt but that it has lessened the flow of milk, but not from any inherent fault in the grass but from the fact that in many ca.ses it lias been allowed to over-ripen and thus be- come worth little more than straw for feeding purjioscs. I have never heard any complaint when the grass was cut early enough so as to have a nice green color when dry. Its quick growth and heavy yield should certainly make THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, it a favorite, it being possible to raise a good crop after the farmer sees that tlie other crops on which lie depended for hay or fodder will be a failure. , . , , . . ■, i. Peas and oats, or oats by itself is raised at many places for the purpose of making hay. I do not think that either will be ever very popular in this section on account of the un- certainty of the oats reaching any respectable heio-ht. North of us where oats is a pretty Sute crop, peas and oats are no doubt in much favor, for the pea vines make a great bulk of fodder equal in value to clover hay. Bye has been tried to some extent, but does tiot seem to grow in favor, for unless taken very young the fodder will be hard and wiry and not relished by stock. Corn is the stand-by as a fodder crop over a larger extent of couiUry thuu pniliably all the others combined, and its nutiu loiis oood quali- ties give it rlghttothis iii-ominoucc. It seems to have only one ftuilt of any prominence, and that is the difficulty of curing it, unless the weather is favorable. It is some satisfaction to know that in no country have they more favorable weather to harvest all crops than in this country. All the above crops are also useful for soiling, cutting and feeding green in stalls, but rye is the least so, on account of its becoming hard so soon, and, in fact, the only good claim rye has is its earliness, being generally fit to cut two weeks or more before any of the other crops used for soiling come in. Of the new candidates for favor we have two : Prickly comfrey was disseminated a tew years ago witli a great tiourish of trumpets. "It was not claimed as a real fodder plant, but for the purpose of soiling was said to be un- equaled, producing as much as one hundred tons of green feed to the acre on rich soil, and that it was greatly relished by cattle, pigs, sheep and horses, and that it put them in a thriving condition. Now for the reports. Its great yield is generally acknowledged, and I think in one case ninety tons reported, which comes near enough for a new plant for which so much was claimed. One man re- ports that his cattle will not touch it ; and that, thouch it may be eaten by some poor foreign cattle, he does not think an intelligent American cow could be made to do so unless driven thereto by starvation. Others report that tlieir cattle would not eat it at first, but were educated to it by throwing cornmeal on it. One man, probab'ly a Yankee, whose cat- tle somewhat tabooed the new introduction, liit upon the novel plan of throwing it upon some kind of scaffolding, where the cows could hardly reach it, and then they went for it with a whim ; these cows probably had in them considerable hum;in nature, that is of the contrary kind. One man reported that his cattle liked it both green and dry. There is no doubt but that in very rich soil it is unsurpassed for soiling, but it will take time to determine its real claims to quality and usefulness in this respect. It requires good culture and plenty of manure to bring it to perfection. That parties not acquainted with it may have some knowledge as to what kind of a plant it is I will state that it is a near relative to the common comfrey (swartz wurzel) of the garden, the botanical degree of relation being closer than that of rye to wheat. Pead miUct, also called Egvptian milTfet, is a newer caudidato than the "last mentioned, this lieing the lirst year that there were any extended trials made in the North, and I have this far seen but two of the reports, both being found in the American Agricultur- ist, and which I condense for these columns : Mr. Peter Henderson, near New York city, prepared a piece of good .strong loamy soil, as if for beet or turnip, applying ten tons ma- nure to the acre and plowing ten inches deep. The millet was sown oh May l.'ith, in drills 18 inches apart, at the rate of 8 quarts to the acre. Twelve days afterwards it was culti- vated, after that cultivation being unneces- sary, as the rapid growth smothered all weeds that came up. First cutting, July 1st, being seven feet high, weighed, green, at the rate of :iO tons per acre, U tons, dried, as hay. Sec- ond cutting, August 15th, height 0 feet, weight 55 tons green; 8 tons dried. Tliird crop started as rapidly as the second, but the cool nights in September lessened the growth, but when cut, on October 1st, weighed 10 tons green ; U tons dried. Total, 05 tons green fodder, or 16 tons when dried to hay. lle- sembles cornfodder, and supposes it equally nutritious. Ilor.ses and cattle ate it greedily, whether green or dry. If sown broadcast about 1(5 quarts seed should be used. A. Coindet, of Montreal, sowed a paper on May 20th, in his yard, soil not manured, and had the sun only about two hours each day. Cut July 15 when five feet high ; again September 15 when six feet high ; last time, October 1st, when the stalks were nine feet high. Both his horses and cows were very fond of the millet, green or dry. When reports from such widely distant points coincide as these two do, there must be some merit in the millet. I have no doubt but what it will to some extent displace corn as a soiling and fodder crop, because it can be cut oftener for soiling and more weight of fodder raised. The heavy manuring given by Mr. Henderson will be apt to strike some far- mers with dismay, the amount being more than the average quantity applied to that manure-devourer, tobacco. But then consider sixteen tons of hay from one acre ! With a few acres of this what a number of cattle could be kept, and I am afraid the, farmer would get frightened at the size of his manure Suppose that clover would be a failure, and the farmer had only the timothy to cut which gives no aftermath'. As soon as the hay was off the field he might sow it to this millet, and forty-five or fifty days afterward cut a mass of stufE that would make eight tons of hay, as was done in the second cutting as re- ported by Mr. Henderson, who can be relied on as saying just what he knows. Tea Raising. In December number of The Farmer J. B. G. thinks that the article in October number under the above heading " might lead some people to infer or suppose this plant can be cultivated anywhere." I did not in- tend that my remarks should lead to any such impression, and think that the second sentence wherein it is stated that the Agri- cultural Department was sending out plants " to such places as seemed suitable for the growing," would put people on their guard. Further, our florists arc ii(i\v-a-days so liberal with their lists and < :ital<.-urs tliat few could help but know that VA. w , ( h inose Tea Plant,) was classed in the ./'■" -i-//<-»n, collections. The plant is probably not quite as tender as the remarks of Mr. G. would seem to imply, for it is cultivated in Japan as far north as the northern boundary of Nortli Carolina, but it is probable that there are varieties that are more hardy than others, just as in some of our fruit trees. I am in the habit of putting off writing articles intended for publication to the last minute, and then have not time to prepare them as they should be. I hope Mr. G. will n-ive me a " rowing up " on all such occasions, and I will then as now thank him for it. Laying Down to Grass. I have often seen it recommended that this or that grass should be more used in seeding to grass. I will give the price it would cost per acre, as the seed was sold one year ago by one of our most reliable seedsmen : Red Top, (Agrostis imlrjaris,) S2.25 ; Mea- dow Foxtail, (Alnpnnrnts pamtcnsis,) flo.W ; Rescue Grass, (l!,;.nu,s ,rln:nlcri,) |24.00; Meadow Fescue, (F,shir,i pnamsis,) S512.00; Italian Rye Grass, (/.'./;'((-/ Ihillrum,) $10.50. Red Top is the only kind that is at all reasonable in price, and this is not much raised in Lancaster county. All the others are entirely too high in price, unless it could be shown that they are much superior to the varieties now in vogue, and even then the laying down must be more permanent than is usually the case with us. The Rescue Grass is in great favor with English farmers, they being able to remove from four to five green crops each year. I suppose this is accomplished by means of irrigation. Meadow Foxtail and Red Top do well m this country ; of the others I have no knowl- edge.— A. B. K. For Tbe Lancastee Fap.meu. PRACTIC.A.L HINTS FOR YOUNG FARMERS. Another year has passed and a new one has begun. But had we not the stores of the year that is past we could not live. All is frozen and dead, and we depend for months upon our treasures of the past, until mother earth gives life and vigor again to the vegetable kingdom. At this season of the year not much is to be done on the farm, except the feeding of the stock, which should be well cared for, and not wholely trusted to tlie boys. When boys feed stock watch them closely, or some animals may not get enough to eat and others get more than they can eat and become "stalled ;" and the stable doors and shutters may remain open in cold, stormy weather and be closed when the weather is mild and warm. Horses.— When hay is plenty horses can bo kept in in good condition with very little else than good hay, during the winter season, or while tliev have no worl; to do. Give them daily one or two quarts of oats, corncob meal and bran mixed together. Mix a little chafE with it and moisten it with pure water. Give them enough of good hay ; curry them daily ; water them twice every day ; remove their shoes and let them walk or stand shoeless ; but at tlie same time have one or two shod sharply, to drive to market and to mill, and to do other work necessary to be done ; but those should have a little more grain than those that are standing idle. As spring ap- proaches, and when they begin to change their coals, increase their food a little, gradu- allv, so that tliey will get strong enough to endure labor when spring opens to work. Keep their stables comfortably warm ; stop all holes where the cold air comes in ; open the south side doors or windows while the sun shines warm, but close them again before the stall gets cold. On mild days open both sides, that the air may pass through, and clean the stables once, twice or thrice a week, but never less than once. . Cows.— Attend well to the cows ; have then- stables warm ; shut up all the holes in cold weather; let no manure freeze behind the cows ; open on the south side during midday when the sun is shining, but close again as early as three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Feed well three times a day— say at 5 o'clock in the morning, at 11 in the forenoon, and at C o'clock in the evening. Mix corncob meal and bran in equal parts together, and feed to each cow two quarts or more every meal. Mix it with cut cornfodder or chaff, and moisten it with clean water. Cut cornfodder is the best, but hav flowers can also be mixed with the feed. After that give them as much hay as they will eat up clean ; water them at midday, once a dav. On warm days turn tliem out of the stables into the barnyard for an hour or two, but when it is cold put them into the stable as soon as they are done drinking. Bed them with straw, but let neither straw, hay nor fodder go to waste, even if you don't need it. It may transpire that the next year's crop may be short or a , failure, and tlien it will be needed and come j Calves.— To wean calves at first give them j the milk from the cow, until they get accus- tomed to drinking out of a bucket. Then mix a little skimmed milk and a little bran and hot water. Increase the quantity of skimmed i milk gradually until you have no sweet milk amongst it any more. In addition to this give them young clover hay. Of coiuse the | 1879.] THE LANCASTER FARMER. longer they are fed on this milk diet the bet- ter, but wlirn luim is scnn-r tlicy r:iii brconio I aceustcmird to wal.T ;ill.'i- mm nil wv.ks, l.ul then they must have >ou,r luiui aii.l niils. lir- ^ sides li;\\', (ir \vr caiinnt iNprct llirin In llu-ivi'. Vkai;i,im;s. -Calves iif a year old must have nnr iir twci (luarts of bran, oats or cob meal, or scmutliiriL; similar to it, besides hay, or they will not eonie out well. Also a little salt daily— indeed all animals should have salt. SwiXE.— Hogs arc mostly all slaughtered for the pre-seiit winter ; but \vc now must earn for the stock of next year or next season. Young i)ii:s and shoats should have a warm stable. If the iiIl; stable is imi wll rl,.se.l and warm put conilndder ;llniin(l il to kir]i (ilT the cold winds, l.ase ..nlv tlir soulh ^ide open, which ^alal:d)li', healthy and invigorating bieaktii^t forti family of live or six, costing not over Ihrei' cents each, as neither butter nor coffee is needed to relish such a meal. '■'■ Gnml ijmri'nis I''^ our coffee topers will say, in amazement, " brealc- fast without r';|;;.f."' Vis, linaLf„M. sneh as above des(-rilied, can be leli-ln.! iiisl as much asany other. Ii.\ peisnns iu a iminril euiidition and with uniieixerPij api.'lihs. Ii i~. Iiow- il.V liquid of tol)aeeo, or li.pioi-. nr PVen of colTec, spices and eondinients <-an fully relish sneh a meal as just described. 15ut why not give the children a chance to grow up heallhlblly and in a more normal condi ion V iMany of the aches, pains and doctors' bills would be avoided by adhering to a more simi)le bill of fare. Then^ is no doidit in the mind of the writer that those much dreaded scourges— scarkt fever, diiitheria, and eruptive diseases generally, would not allliet so many families were a farinacious and fruit diet, in connec- tion with pure air, suhstitnted tor pork, and the almniination of the frying pan abolished. The fumes of the latter wouk" not be carried about in the clothes of so many, to (ill the olfactories of -whomsoever they meet unsup- plied with such aionia. But to return to the more pleasant suliject fruitf : We have i eason to believe that 'the abundance and el .■apiiessof aoj.les tliis win- ter have indueed niaiiv faiuili.-s to snpi.ly themselves to sii,-l an .xleiit astoniakeinno- vations upon tliei • Inrm. r liill i.r fare bv iu- corpoiatiiig ai'ples niniv lar-ely tlierewilh. We have Slhh s i-niej laith in fruits as food as to believt' tha il the result of the con- sumption of the apple ci-t>p of 1S7S could be computed, including its hygienic cffectfH it would make interesting reading, and would, no doubt, tend to increased consumption of all fruits throuLrhout the year. We are all aware how innovations upon customs and habits are resisted, ridiculed and frowned down of limes, so tliiit there is little liope for an article like the foregoing to make any serious impression niion the public mind. Should it, however, interest but a few, the writer will consider his elTorls not spent iu vain, for according to a saying wisely applied, th.tt "a little leaven leavelielli tlie whol<> lump ;" although this will not fully apply to the above saying, it mav, in iiart, and should it elleet no more 'than simply to elicit diseiisiion. the re- sults may i>i-ove more i^ratifyiiii; than we ex- pect.—7/. M. Enijk, M.mrti,', .lai,. :',, 1S7'.1. LETTER FROM NORTH CAROLINA. SALisufKY, N. C, Jan. 2, 187!». Lancaster Farmer : Allow me to congratu- late you in having worked your way thus far, and I think under disadvantages, which I hope will not be so iu the future. Having entered into a new year, I hope 1S7'.I will be one nt pro.'ipcritii with ;i"u in mm .sense of the word, iind hope your people will support and uphold it for ail time to come, both with brains and means, and do not see any valid reason why tliev should not. Yoiu-s is re- garded the be-t agricultural couidy in the Fnited States, the wealthiest peojili' upon a whole, hold more CHited Slates gov.-rument bonds than anv otlnn- eounty iu the Union. During ls7i) 1 traveled in and through several States, and now hhisto- pheles behind the counter follow out his re- tiring figure with a sliglit elevation of tlie eyebrows and a terrible mouo.syilable uttered to one of her companions. " The modest foreigner goes through another ordeal with the flower girl. With a smile as bright and attractive as her flowers, she asks him if lie will not have one. He would prefer not to encounter those winning eyes, and endeavors to pass on, but he may not do so ; she holds him as securely as the Ancient Mariner held the wedding guest, and he signilies liis ac- ceptance of the tendered opi'uing bud. He mav not receive it with liis hands ; she with her nimble liimrers will allacli it to his button- hole, and ihe enil.ariasscl man stands while the girl foniUes o\'er the rcLrion of Ids heart, and looks into the whites of his half-averted eyes. And the havoc thus committed in ten. short minutes ni.ay not be repaired in six months. Tliei-e is no fixed price for such a favor, and he is told with an expression that would have troubled the soul of St. Anthony, that it is anything he may please to give. His betrothed Bilinda, alas I would think it dear at any price. The wide dissemination of art-feeling among the French has a refining tendency on the manners of all classes. Beautiful squares and parks, with walks and shady forests, foun- tains and lakes, are open to all. The eyes of the people are made familiar with architec- tural beauty, as exhibited in the boulevards, bridges and public edifices of the great city. The magnificent art galleries are free to all w-ho wish to see them, and the working peo- ple visit them fretiuently, especiiiUy on Sun- day and fete days, when they are kept open for their benefit. Thus the man in blouse is often familiar with the great pictures of French masters. In the houses of the poor there are no rapid, keepsake heads, in glow- ing colors, but copies of pictures exhibiting more or less merit. The deep red and blue Daniel in the Lion's Den, and the doll-faced Mary Ann, surrounded witli an inch of bright mahogany, are not seen on their walls. The square, loud-striking and loud-ticking clock, 01 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [ Jsliiuary, in red wood, aud plaster of Paris rabbit or cat, painted in unnatural lines, have no places On their mantles. In humble cafes are found pictures which would be considered fit to hang in some of the best restaurants of London and New York. The' signs over shops show a talent not possessed by our sign painters, and many a ganjute has grapes and vine-leaves jniinted over its door which merit a better pl:v0e. — Louis. COOKING FEED FOR STOCK. We have received a copy of tlie report of the last meeting of the jNIontgomery County (O.) Farmers' Club, with a request that we publisli the part relating to the above subject. This was a paper read by Simon Emerick, and consisted mainly of extracts from tlie published opinions of various persons who had tested the matter. It cannot fail to be inter- esting to all farmers who have given this sub- ject any attention, but who are still undecided as to whether it will pay to cook food for stock or not. The question was the same dis- cussed by our Farmers' Club last winter— " Does it pay to feed cooked food to stock ¥" The one chief obstacle that men in business have to contend with these stringent times is, that there are no profits. This is no less true with those commanding an extensive trade and employing large capital than it is with persons conducting a small business ; no less true with tlie farmer than with the manu- facturer. The complaint is well nigh uni- versal that there is no margin in business or trade. The cost of production of an article seems to be about equal to the price obtained for it, though often it does not bring so much as that. Now, with a view to solve this problem for myself, as a farmer I have been induced to investigate whether cooking food for stock would not yield the much sought for profit. I take some statements from the evening discussions of the New York State Fair, 1867— Subject : "Cooking food for domestic animals." Hon. G. Geddes, of Syracuse, New York, said that " there was no branch of farming that was less understood, and promised more advantages tliau the prepara- tion of food. He had thoroughly proved years ago that cooking food, whether ground or not, doubled its value for animals." George A. Moofe, of Erie county, said "he had fed two hundred sheep on cooked food, and had fully satisfied himself that the value of food was tripled by cooking." Mr. E. AV. Stewart, who had eleven years' experience in cooking food for stock, said that "tlie cooking rendered the food soft and in a condition to be eaten even in the more perfect manner than by cut- ting, and proved by experiment that two bushels of steamed hay were equal to three of unsteamed, and that steamed fodder was similar in its character to fresh pasture, and that horses diseased by coughs or heaves have been cured by such food." Professor Mapes says— Transactions Ameri- can Institute, 1864, page 373, "the experi- ment often tried has proved that eighteen or nineteen pounds of cooked corn are equal to fifty pounds of raw corn for hog feed." Mr. Mason, of New Jersey, says that "pork fed on raw grain cost 12i cents per pound, and that from cooked 4J cents; that cooked corn stalks iuc as soft and almost as nutritious as green stalks; that cattle can be fattened at about half the expense upon cooked food as upon uncooked." The American AgricuUurist for January, 1860, says: "Experiments made by C. M. Clay, of Kentucky, showed that one bushel of dry corn made 5 pounds 10 ozs. of pork ; of boiled corn 14 pounds 7 ozs. , and boiled meal 16 to 18 pounds. The Practical Farmer (published in Phila- delphia), in October, 1808, says: "We con- sider the cooking of food for stock as no longer an open question ; its economy has been demonstrated by scores of our best practical farmers." I could add much more like this— enough, it would seem, to settle the question, but how is it that so many farmers who have incurred the expense of fitting up for cooking food for their stock, have discontinued it ? I have interviewed some of those farmers in this way : Does it pay to cook food for stock ? The answer generally is, " Yes." Well, why don't you continue it ? " Oh, it is too much trouble." Now, this disposition of the cook- ing business won't do. If the above state- ments are correct as to the gain by cooking food for stock, it would certainly be too much trouble to raise grain, and then throw fifty or even twenty-five per cent, of it away, when there is always a cash market for it. Mr. Dodds, of Bloomington, Ind., in re- plying to my inquiries in the agricultural col- umns of the Cincinnati Gazette on this subject, states that he fed six steers last winter one and a half bushels of boiled corn per day, and they gained 1,810 pounds in three months. The business of stall-feeding cattle for market I am familiar with, and I do not hesitate to say, that if farmers could obtain such results as Mr. Dodds did, by cooking food, that would be a good margin for profits. But as young converts are proverbially zealous, this testi- mony is insuflicient to put this question at rest ; so, to obtain the experience of others, I addressed numerous farmers, living in ten different States, who have been engaged in cooking or steaming food for their stock, tliese questions : How long since you com- menced feeding cooked food to your stock ? Have you discontinued it ; if so, for what reason V Have you made any tests to ascer- tain the approximate gain by feeding cooked food y In order to better understand and deter- mine the proper value of the replies I re- ceived, I will first give a summary of those from parties who have but recently com- menced the business. A gentleman of Fulton county, Indiana, writes that "he commenced feeding steamed food last January to his cattle, and continued till he turned them out to pasture ; experts to use it again this fall for both hogs and cattle ; thinks that one cord of wood will steam one hundred bushels of corn on the cob— steam ten bushels of corn in one hour by renewing the lire once ; has not made any test to ascer- tain the relative value of steamed food, but tliinks there is a saving of one-third by steaming." Another gentleman, of Knox county, Ohio, says that "he has been using steamed food the past season ; has not discontinued it nor does not expect to as long as he has anything to do with stock feeding ; thinks that a practical test would show a saving of one-third by feed- ing steamed food." A party in Michigan writes that " he has been using steamed food for one year, and considers that fifty per cent, is saved by its use ; has not made a practical test." Another party in Indiana states that " he has been steaming food a few months ; is con- fident that it is healthier for stock, and that one-third less grain is required. ' ' Another in Pennsylvania writes that "the steaming of food would result in great benefit to all farm- ers who arc in the stock raising business." I might add extracts from other letters, but the statements here given are a fair sample of those who wrote me who have been but recent- ly engaged in steaming food. Now, to proper- ly estimate the value of these statements, it is well to bear in mind that it is natural for men to recommend that in which they think they are more progressive than their neigh- bors, and also that when a party purchases an implement and takes an agency to sell it he will recommend it as a matter of business. I notice that some of the gentlemen who wrote me are acting as agents to sell the machine they arc using for cooking food.— P)-octicoZ Partner. I FIND that six bushels of peas are equal to ten bushels of corn for fattening my hogs, and that peas yield a larger number of bushels to the acre than corn.— Toronto Globe. LAYING OUT THE FARM. One great mistake farmers usually make is in not giving sufficient thought and attention to laying out the farm, and distributing the crops and labor in the best possible manner. There are few kinds of business which require such careful forethought and study as planning the year's crops on a farm in such a manner as to distribute the labor throughout the season as evenly as possible, and get the largest returns for the land under cultivation, and the money invested in labor. When we consider the variety of crops which may be raised with profit on almost any farm, the great number of causes which in- fluence their growth, the nature and condi- tion of the soil, the prospects of the markets, the possibilities of double cropping, the rela- tion of this year's crops to a rotation and the distribution of labor, so as not to have more at any one time than it is possible to do, and yet to have enough at all times, the question becomes interesting and at the same time exceedingly complex— yet all these things should be carefully considered, not only each by itself, but in relation to each other, and wlioever overlooks one of them is likely to majvc serious blunders. He may sow his seed on soil not in proper condition, and so fail of a good crop, or he may raise a good crop and have no market, or he may be so crowded with work as not to be able to give it the proper attention at the critical time. My manner of laying out a farm is this : In a book I write the name of each field, and the different crops for which the soil by its nature and present condition (with the fertilizers which I put on it) is beft adapted ; also the time of sowing and harvesting, with the amount of labor required and tlie times of year it will be needed. I then compute, as nearly as I am able from past experience and the condition of the market, the probable proceeds of each crop per acre, deducting cost of seed and labor. This will show which of all the crops for which each field is adapted will give tlie largest probable returns. Having gone through with each field in this way and decided what crop or crops will give the largest net returns, I next put them all to- gether, and see how the labor is distributed, and how much grain of each kind I am to sow or plant. If I find too much labor re- quired at any one season, I turn back to the pages containing the fields with the conflicting crops, and select the best crop which will remedy the labor difticulty. Much can be gained in the way of economy in form labor by using the best means and implements. Fall plowing of wet lands and surface draining when needed, greatly facili- tate early work in the spring. New and im- proved tools are also a great advantage in doing work quickly and economically. Far- mers often work year after year with old, wornout tools, when the extra crops which could be raised with new labor-saving imple- ments in one year would pay for half a dozen such tools. The neglect of cultivating hoed crops, until the weeds get fairly rooted, not only injures the crop, but adds greatly to the labor of caring for it and destroying the weeds. Cultivation promotes earliness as well as growtli, and partly supplies tlie place of manure, and, in laying out the year's work, every farmer should be careful not to put in anythina which will have to be neglected. Better till five acres well than plant ten acres and leave the crops to fight it out with the weeds. Plan your work carefully, making due allowance for rainy weather and lost time; cultivate thoroughly and manure well, and you will be sure to get the largest possible re- turns for your labor.— ^n Old Farmer in Bural JVcio Yorker. The best time to cut scions is any time during the winter, or in the month of March. They°should be kept in good condition in meadow moss, or with the ends stuck into moist earth. We know of no way to keep them so well as in moist meadow moss. i l87(i.J tHE LANCASTER FARMER. a OUR LOCAT. ORGANIZATIONS. Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agricul- tural and Horticultural Society. Tl.c regular stated nieeliiig of the Lancaster Couuty Aericullural aud Uorticultural Society was held on Monday afternoon, January Gtli, iu tlieir rooms In the City Hall. The President, Calvin Cooper, called the meeting to order. The following members were present ; Calvin Cooper, President, Bird-in-IIand ; Joseph E.Witmcr, Secretary, Paradise ; Johnson Miller, Corresponding Secretary, Warwi.U : l.ivi W.Cirolf, Treasurer, West Earl; Ilenrv M 1 n^l. . Nhimiui; W. .1. K;inVoth, West Earl ;'l)i, i i -. n, riiy ; (\ M. l|„su-lter, Eden; F. K. Im: I ! m :,. i\; Levi S. l;,.isi , .Man- lieini ; Peter S. i;> i i, l.m : M. I). Kcnili;;, Minuir ; Casper Hiller, Con, stn;;a : Henry Kurtz, Mt. Joy; John C. Linville, Salisbury ; Wni. McComsey, city; Daniel Smeych, city ; C. L. Ilunsecker, city; Israel L. Landis, Manheim. On motlou, the reading of the minutes of the pre- vious mceliug was dispensed with. Phares B. Schwarr was ailmitted to membership. Fertilizers. Johnson Miller, chairman of the Committee on Fertilizers, reported that very little had been done, and requested that the committee be continued. lie reported the season as having been very unfavorable to experiments. Casper lliller had done a little in the matter, bu: not enough to be worth a report. M. Brosius, of the committee, made remarks of a like kind, aud at his request the committee was con- tinued. Joseph F. Witmer, another member of the com- mittee, briefly related several experiments he had made. II. M. Engle suggested that Mr. lliller read the report he had made of his experiments, which was agreed to aud Mr. lliller read the following ; Artificial Fertilizers. Artificial fertilizers are often said to be more in the nature of stimulants than manure, and occa- sionally comes a wariuing against their use, as in a brief article a few weeks ago iu the Nctr Era, be- cause they will, after a few years, fail to produce good crops, or in other words, that they will exhaust the soil. This bugbear that they exhaust the soil is at this age of experience too absurd to talk about. Twenty-five or more years ago the late Major Hoopes used guauo on the old commons of Martic township, and raised twenty bushels of wheat per acre. The same prediction, that guano exhausts the soil, was then made. This land was so poor that not a head of wheat would have made its appearance without the use of the guano. Suppose it had been as poor after the crop as before ; the fact was here that the wheat was worth more than the cost of guauo and labor combined. But it was not as poor. Major Hoopes ."owed clover among the wheat, and the result was a crop of Lay and a sod for future im- provemeut. The late Mr. Boyd, of Martic township, who had no superior as an improver of soil, and, as a good farmer told me, that he eould distinctly trace the efl'ects of an artificial fertilizer ten years after the application. John I. Carter, of the Eastern Experi- mental Farm, has shown that a dressing of acidu- lated South Carolinarock had adecidedly better effect on the crops of a five years' rotation than stable Prof.Stockbridge, of Conn., says that chemicals are better than manure, because they may be more cheaply transported, handled and carried to distant parts of the farm and more thoroughly mixed with the soil. They are better than yard manure, because they not only enable us to grow as abundant crops with less labor, but their supply can equal; any de- mand. They enable the farmer to crop his land, sell the crops, and yet maintain the fertility of his soil. In my experience I have seen nothing to cast and discredit on the professor's opinion, (iood com- mercial fertilizers are composed of nitrogen, phos- phoric acid and potash. These ingredients are all to be found in stable manure, and when they are all abstracted therefrom there is little of value left. I believe that under certain circumstances, and iu certain localities, it would be entirely feasible and profitable to sell all the hay, straw, fodder and corn, except what is wanted for the few horses needed and for feeding as many cows as would supply the family with milk and butter. The amount of labor s.ived by such a course would be very great. These special fertilizers have sometimes been brought into disrepute by taking it for granted that because an extra crop of wheat has beer raised by their use, the same can be done again and again by an annual dressing of the fertilizer. In many cases this has proven unsatisfactory. Suppose we had a field that had a proper supply of nitrogen and pot- ash, and If on this we apply a fertilizer, rich in phos- phone acid, and from this we raise a first-class crop of grain, might it not reasonably follow, that in re- peating the process for several years we would ex- haust the nitrogen aud potash, and the consequence would be poor crops ! Stable manure has a similar effect. I know of a case where stable manure was applied annually on wheat ground, with the following result : First year, forly-flve bushels ; second do., about twenty-five ; third do., twelve ; fourth do., almost a totil failure. Would you say the manure exhausted the soil? \ery little of our land is adapted to special crops. It wants rotation. Our main crops are clover, corn and wheat. Oats should be discarded altogether. They rarely pay cost of production, and are the most exhaustive of all cereals. Our artificial fertilizer rotation should begin with a clover sod. Apply a fertilizer rich In the elements that corn requires. In the fall sow the corn-stalk ground Iu rye, and the following summer, when iu bloom, plow it down and let It lie fallow until time to sow wheat. Or, if you will raise tobacco, haul on this ground the manure made by your stock. When the time for seeding wheat comes, apply the proper artificial fertilizer for wheat. Follow with a one or two year's run of clover, and the laud will belli better condi- tion without a doubt than if it had received the usual dressiug of stable manure. Better, because in the rotation, it received two dressings of fertilizers and had a green crop plowed down. If we depend on stable manure for our fertilizer. We must see to it that our mauure pile is not only of large dimensions, but it must be of good quality. I have known farmers who would not sell a load of straw for love or money and who hauled stuff on their fields which they called mauure, while others called it straw. If we want a good manure pile we must put all the hay, straw, cornfodder, oats and corn that are raised on the farm Into the pile, and if we can run several car loads of Western corn into it, it will be all the better. When all this is done there will still be a goodly corner of the farm crying for more. When we take into consideration the value of these raw materials, together with the vast amc of labor required we find it to be a very costly pili I do not say that it does not pay to do all this, I do know many farmers who follow this plan that are eminently successful. But we cannot all be cattle feeders. The experience of the last ten years with artificial fertilizers has fully shown that it is not necessary that we should be. William McComsey stated that he had also read the article in the New Era, and hail cut it out. He requested the Secretary to read it, wln'ih was done. H. M. Engle said that in this proijiessivu a"e when fertilizers have been tested so thon. uglily we cannot regret the beneficial effects known to arise from them. It is a mistake to regard fertilizers as mere stimulants. In some crops they may not be so good because they contain elements not required by the crop. But some other crop ma> take up the ingredi- ents and in this way tliey are not wasted. Tlie soil will hold them until needed. However, we cannot dispense with barnyard mauure. What'a fertilizer is worth cannot be told from a single crop, but a test of a number of years must decide the question We should have fertilizers adapted to the crops in- tended to be grown, and for this reason they should all be labeled with the ingredients they contain to show the farmer what he needs. He told of an ex- periment made with a fertilizer on corn and potatoes. The results in the first named crop were excellent but very discouraging in the latter. ' William .McComsey advocated the use of barn- yard manure. He hiped the committee will continue their experiments aud determine how valuable arti ficial fertilizers are to our soils. He had tried them but the results hardly wrrranted their use largely If they are all that is claimed for them, it is well that fact should be known. Henry Kurtz had tried various kinds of artificial fertilizers aud believes they are a stimulant. They may benefit one croi> but fail in another. Clover plowed down is worth all the fertilizers. The price of fertilizers is too high ; the manufacturers make all the money and the farmer can make nothing Most of them are not worth the bags that hold them One hundred bushels of lime are worth two tons of fertilizers. H. M. Engle said that if the farmers of Pennsyl- vania have been humbuged it is their own fault and not the fault of the fertilizer. And it will be so until the Legislature enacts that every manufacturer mark on each bag exactly what it contains. An aiticle sold in a State in which the law prevents adultera- tion of fertilizers may be very good, but when sold in this State it is not worth anything. We should have a law to protect fertilizers. John H. Linville seriously questioned whether it paid to use fertilizers ; to put $10 worth of fertilizer on an acre of ground and get §20 worth of wheat off Casper Hlller said it certainly would not pay to use »K' worth of fertilizer for wheat only, but it is well known that the fertilizer benefits all the crops in a five years' rotation. But we must learn what the ground needs, and apply it. Progressive Agriculture. On motion, the rules were suspended to allow 1 eier b. Keist to read an essay on "Progressive Ag-ri- culture." [Seepages.] ^ Election of Officers. On motion, the society proceeded to elect officers lor the ensuing year. Calvin Cooper was nominated for re-election &i President, but immediately arose to decline. lie said that he had served the society faithfully for three years, sometimes under pecuniary loss, and tliou"ht they might relieve him for one year at least. II. M. Engle objected to his declination. He be- ll-ved In adopting any measure that conferred the greatest good on the greatest number, and moved that Mr. Cooper be re-elected. The members were unanimous for his election and Mr. Cooper gracefully submitted, declaring that he would do his best to advance the interests of the society, but that If busi- ness callc.1 wluii I lie Kr.,i,.tv also claimed his atten- tion he woull i.i . \ 1 1 r I, I ,,,,.,. call. •■"o'" Vi.. I \\\ II. Bi-osius, Jacob B. Garber, .M. |i I, ,, I, M \l. Eniile and Casper Ilil- nominated ; for Corresponding,' .-^n rii;ir\ . .Jnhnsoii Miller; for Treasurer, Levi W. (imil : to, l.iinariaii Simon P. Eby; for Agricultural ( hdniht, Jacob Stauffer, and lor Entomologist, IJr. S. S. Kathvon. The nominations then closed, and C. L. Hunseeker was instructed to cast the vote of the society for the ofliccrs nominated. Auditing the Treasurer's Accounts. On motion, a committee of three, Cusper lliller. Johnson Miller and W. J. KaflVotli, were appointed to audit the Treasurer's accounts. They reported them correct, and a balance in the treasury of i>i>;:£i. Fair or no Fair. C. M. Hostetter proposed that the question of holding a fair be opened for discussion. John C. Linville thought the hour was too late to begin such a question. It should be deferred until next meeting. William McComsey thought the question should be settled to-day or some day in the near future. If the discussion is postponed until next mouth mea- sures should be takeu to have a full attendance on the day of meeting. It has been sai4 that the State Agricultural Society meets at llarrisburg soon to select a place for holdiug its next fair. If the society has any inducements to oiler to persuade them to hold the fair in this city, he thought a committee should be appointed to lay them before them. Daniel Smeych moved that a committee be ap- pointed to confer with other societies, and bring the matter in a business shape before the next meeting of the society. His motion was carried and the following com- mittee was appointed : D. Smeych, C. M. Hostetter, H. M. Engle, M. D. Kendig and John C. Linville. Essays to the Farmer. Dr. Rathvon, editor of The Lancaster Farmeh, said it was proposed to issue The Fahmek as early in the month as possible, and therefore he requested all who were to read essays to send them to him not later than the 2.5th of the month. They can then be put in type, and the essayists can read them from printed slips. Business for Next Meeting. It was announced that John H. Landis will read an essay next month. A question, "Will it pay to chop . was referred to Joseph F. Wltnior. "Witl) • ■ raise ' Gioff. Lecture in Prospect. H. M. Engle said that he had written to Professor Caldcr, President of the State Agricultural Colleo-e, asking him to deliver a lecture before the society. The professor had consented, and will probably lec- ture next month. as suggested that there would be too much for hogs?" Vith labor and land at present prices can we wheat at §1 per bushel '(' Keferred to Levi W. On motion, it was resolved to hold the February meeting at one o'clock iu the afternoon, thus gain- ing au hour. On motion, it was also resolved to postpone the lecture uutil the March meeting. Business Committee. President Cooper appointed the following Business Committee : M. D. Kendig, I. L. Landis and JohnC. Linville. Report of Fruit Committee. The Fruit Committee reported the following varie- ties of apples as of most importance in such dry and hot seasons as the one just past. They hang well on the tree and are keepers: York Imperial, Koxbury Russet and English Kusset. .\djourned. THE LANCASTER COUNTY POULTRY ASSOCIATION. The following named gentlemen interested In poultry breeding, met iu one of the parlors of the Cooper House on Monday afternoon, December IG, and took steps to organize a permanent county asso- ciation. Totiias D. Martin, New Haven: Jlilton J. Kaffroth, West Earl; Frank B. Buch, Lititz; B. F. Evans, Lititz; Rev. D. C. Tobias, Lititz; Jacob A. Bueh, Lititz; L.B.Martin, Spring Garden; G. A. Geycr, Spring Garden; Chas. E. Long, Lancaster; J. B. Lichty, Lancaster; H. G. Hirsh, Lancaster; J. H. 12 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [ January, Minnicli, Spring Grove; Colin Cameron, Brickerville; John F. Evans, Lltitz; William Siioenbercer, Lan- caster; H. H. Tshudy, Lititz; Joshua H. Ilabbaker, Spring Garden; F. R. Diffenderffer, Lancaster; J. M. Johnston, Lancaster; John F. Reed, Lancaster, were present. The meeting was organized by calling Rev. D. C. Tobias to act as chairman, and John F. Reed to act as secretary. The chairman stated the object was to form a poultry society. An informal meeting was held at Lititz some time ago, which resulted in the determi- nation to call a meeting in this city. About all that It is designed to do is to elect the proper officers and committees, and to draft a set of by-laws. He thought men should be selected who have heretofore shown an interest in the subject. Men sometimes are willing to accept such positions, but give little attention to the matter afterwards. H. H. Tshudy approved the idea of having a com- mittee on by-laws and a constitution, but he saw no use in the other committee. Men who have the organization at heart are the ones who should be chosen. Colin Cameron said it was not a pleasant task to get up and say that man was not acceptable ; if two "sets of officers were proposed there would be a choice to select from. 11. H. Tshudy, of Lititz, remarked this was a pre- liminary meeting towards effecting a permanent organization. Perhaps we ought not to elect officers to-day. It might be left to a"committee. He asked for an expression of opinion. Chas. E. Long agreed with Mr. Tshudy. He favored a committee of five to select and propose permanent officers for the government of the society. Colin Cameron thought several committees should be appointed ; one to name officers. Chas. E. Long thought that the two committees would give us more suitable officers. The two com- mittees could not fail to propose acceptable men. Colin Camergn proposed that two committees of three persons each be appointed to propose the names of permanent officers, and one of three to propose by-laws. Carried. VV. J. Katfroth suggested the committee meets to-day a week to attend to the duties assigned to them. Chas. E. Long concurred in the last suggestion. The chairman thought the time should be ex- tended to a later period on account of the holidays. Mr. Tshudy favored the views of the chairman. The present is a very busy time for almost every one. Colin Cameron suggested a permanent meeting day be fixed, and tlie first Monday in every month be the time. Charles E. Long moved the second Monday in January be appointed as the regular meeting day. Colin Cameron offered an amendment to Mr. Long's motion, that the society meets on the first Monday of each month at 10:30 a. m. Carried. Tlie chairman appointed the following committees: Ou organization and by-laws, Charles E. Long, Frank R. Diffenderffer and J. B. Lichty ; first com- mittee on selection of officers, H. H. Tshudy, Colin Cameron, Jacob A. Buch ; second committee on selection of officers, William Schoenberger, J. M. Johnston and John F. Reed. It was moved the next meeting be held at the Cooper House, Lancaster. A motion to adjourn was made and carried. January Meeting. The adjourned meeting of the proposed Poultry Association of Lancaster County was held on Mon- day morning, January 6th, at the Cooper House, Rev. D. C. Tobias in the chair. The role was called and the following members were present : Tobias D. Martin, New Haven ; Frank B. Buch, Litiz; Rev. D. C. Tobias, Litiz ; J. N. Buch, Litiz ; G. A. Geper, Spring Garden ; Charles E. Long, Lan- caster; Colin Cameron, Brickcrville ; Wm. Schoen- berger, city ; 11. H. Tshudy, Litiz ; F. R. Diffenderf- fer, city ; J. F. Reed, city; Clair Carpenter, city ; J. B. Lichty, city ; W. J. Kafroth, West Earl ; M. D. Keudig, Manor; Jos. F. Witmer, Paradise. The minutes were then read and adopted. The following new names were then proposed for mem- bership; John C. Barnes, city; Charles Lippold, city; O. F. Heubener, Litiz ; Frank Howell, city; M. K. Brubakar, Laudisville ; David Brosey, Manheim ; R. T. Robinson, city; Amos Ringwalt, city; A. H. Shreiner, Manheim ; Milton Ruth, city ; Martin L. Grider, Mount Joy ; J. H. Miller, Spring Garden; Samuel E. Stauffer, Adamstown; J. A. Stober, Schoe- ueck ; John E. Schum, city. Chas. E. Long, Chairman of the Committee to prepare a Constitution and By-Laws, then read the rules drawn up by the committee, and recommended them to the society for their adoption. On motion of H. H. Tshudy, the report was received.. On motion, the constitution and by-laws were then read separately, by sections, for adoption by the society. These are of the usual character that govern similar societies, and are therefore not reproduced here. Tlie two committees on nominations of officers re- ported two sets of names for officers of the society, after which the following compromise ticket was oiTered : For President, Rev. D. C. Tobias, Litiz ; First Vice President, G. A. Geyer, Spring Garden ; Second Vice President, W. J. Kafroth, West Eari ; Recording Sec- retary, J. B. Lichty, city ; Corresponding Sec'y, Colin Cameron, Brickcrville ; Treasurer, T. Frank Evans, Litiz; Executive Committee, II. H. Tshudy, Litiz; Chas. E. Long, Lancaster ; T. D. Martin, New Haven; Jacob Miller, Spring Garden; and A. H. Shriner, Manheim, who were then elected by accla- mation as the officers of the society for the present year. On motion the members then came forward and paid their initiation fee of $1 each. On motion of Chas. E. Long, the recording secre- tary was authorized and instructed to have postal cards printed and distributed, requesting parties to join the society. Agreed to. On motion, the society then visited the rooms of the Agricultural Society, and after inspecting them accepted the terms offered by the latter organization for holding the regular monthly meetings there, at a cost of seventy-five cents per month. There being no further business the society then adjourned. LINN/EAN SOCIETY. The society met on Saturday afternoon, December J8th. The donations to the museum were quite ex- tensive and interesting. They consisted, 1st, of a fine well-mounted setter dog, of large size, from Mr. George Flick, taxidermist, of this city ; 2d, a female specimen of the opossum (Didelphis Virgihiana), captured near Quarryville and donated by Mr. R. C. Edwards, also well mounted by Mr. Flick for the society; .3rd, a beautiful specimen of the goldfinch, or as the Germans calls it, "Thistle Finch," Fi'in- piUa carduella, presented by Mr. Charles Lippold, bird fancier, of this city ; 4th, two specimens of the golden carp, (Cyprinus Auratus,) that had died for want of oxygen in too small an aquarium, per Mrs. Rathvon ; several species of Salamanders, Plethodon (salamandra) enjthronota, and Plethodon glulinosus, from Rapho township, on the farm of Mr. Washing- ton L. Hershey, found under stones, &c., per Dr. Rathvon ; a bottle containing four snakes and a species of "Salamanders," (genus, Amblstoina,) per Mr. S. Landis, received by him about ten years ago, said to have been captured in South America. The chairman on Herpetology and Ichthyology, -Mr. J. Staufi'er, reports that one differs but little from our native species, the ring-necked snake, (Diadop/dx punctata) ; another agrees with our well-known species, Storeria Dkaii, a small reddish-brown snake, having several series of small round dorsal spots ; the other two snakes in the bottle are of the same species, and are not found in Pennsylvania, and may prove to be true Lamprosoma Occipitalc of Dr. Hal- lowell, and the species figured and so named in the United Stales and Mexico railroad report should be called Lamprosoma Annulatmn. Mr. S. has written to Professor Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, for correction or confirmation of his views, giving a drawing of the reptile and form, &c., of the cepha- letic plates, scales, &c. A large circular leaf, fully twenty-two inches in diameter, of the Nelumbiuiii (the Ceylonese name is jVfiMnifto). The iV. luteum, or "water chinquepin," is related to "Lotus, or Sacred Bean of India," very closely. This leaf was donated by S. T. Davis, M.D., of this city, who re- ceived it among roots, seed-pods, &c., sent to him from the West to associate with his water lilies growing so finely in a pond in his yard on Prince street. The leaf was pasted on stifi' paper by Mr. Stauffer, it being rather dry to handle and too large for the herbarium. A bunch of "scouring rush"— EiptUetum hi/emale— per S. S. Rathvon. Mr. W. P. Bolton had a plant of the composite family, desiring to have its name. It is the Cacatia Articulata, also called "Candle Cactus," from the Cape of Good Hope, in 1775; considered a green- house evergreen. Mr. F. W. Beates, of Londonderry twp., Dauphin CO., donated forty arrow-heads and spear-heads found on hia farm during the last year, turned up by the plow. This afl'ords food for reflection upon the past. Mr. Henry Becbtold, of this city, donated a fine large specimen of dark-brown mnber, from Mifflin county. Pa.; on trial it proved to be equal to the best in the market. Mr. Washington L. Hershey donated three specimens of that peculiar "algea floreseeut" mark- ings, known as the Dctidritic limestone, from a quarry on his farm. Historical Relics. Mr. David M. Stauffer donated eleven specimens, mostly historical or war relies : No. 1, an old-fash- ioned cartridge box, full of fragments of missies, collected on the battle field of Antietam, im.i, and four others from Harper's Ferry ; No. 2, portion of brass rack from the rebel iron-clad Tennessee, Mobile, 1865 ; No. 3, shell fragments, with those of No. 1 ; No. 4, a portion of a thick cotton rope from the rebel ram Manassas, destroyed in the attack on New Orleans ; No. 6, a portion of a chandelier from the burnt State house. Baton Rouge, La., 1863; No. 7, an old fashioned bayonet scabbard, from Antietam battle field ; No. 8, a sugar planter's knife, used as a . cutlass on the Rebel ram "Missouri," Red river, 1864; No. 9, the veritable Whitworth steel missle, fired into the United States iron-clad "Essex," Bayou Sera, Louisiana, 1864; No. 10, a United States Navy shaving box. No. 5, a cutlass holder, made out of very thick cotton dritling, used by the rebel seaman. No. 6 marks an old city lard-lamp for two ificks among the deposit. Additions to the Library. Part II. April and September, 1S7S, of the Pro- ceedings of the Academy oi Natural Science, Phila- delphia ; copy of The Lancastuu Fakmer for De- cember,1878; quite a number of catalogues of scien- tific and miscellaneous books and papers published. On motion of Mrs. Zell, Miss M. Gill, of this city, was elected a correspondent. Papers Read. Dr. S. S. Rathvon read a descriptive memorandum (No. 506) of many of the things deposited, and also notes on his visit to Mr. W. L. Hershey, who occupies the farm on which the doctor spent seven months, fifty years ago, in bis boyhood, of course. He notes the changes, as also some portions highly interesting to the liotanist, having been invited to make a birth- day visit December 1.5, 1878, to Mr. Hershey. It was there the doctor collected the scouring rush, and he enumerates the ferns, &c., found on a hillside at this late season— many things new to him in the botani- cal line ; the paper in reading vividly brought to recollection the finding of rare plants, new to the writer, (then twenty years or more ago,) in that same locality, while resident of Mt. Joy, and never since met with in other localities. J. Stauffer read an illustrated paper (No. 507) on the bottle af Reptilia, deposited and donated by Mr. Geori-e S. Lanlis. Tlie Curators' Report for 1878 was then read (No. 508) by Dr. Rathvon. The do- nations to the museum during the year may be briefly stated thus : Three mammals, seven birds, two bird's nests and five eggs, seventeen fishes, ten reptiles, six crustaceans, twenty shells, nineteen fossils, and of various kinds of insects, 500 speci- mens ; SiO minerals, fifteen coins, eighteen historical relics, ten old documents, thirty-two old maps, 4-20 historical clippings, fifteen volumes of books, thirty- eight pamphlets, besides a large number of cata- logues, circulars and papers; seventeen original papers read. Few as the active members are in number, they work under all the drawbacks and feel thankful for the many things sent to them. Mr. J. Staufter read a letter in reply to one of inquiry respecting the fish donated by Mr. Sheetz, of Safe Harbor, and which Mr. S. reported as the Amia Calva at a former meeting. Tarlton II. Bean, M. D., now associated with Prof. S. F. Baird, of the Smith- sonian Institution, Washington, D. C, says in the letter referred to : " From the drawing sent there is no doubt about the identification of the species, inas- much as LinniEus name of Calva carries in its train twelve synonyms," (these are enumerated,) and he concludes, "that no satisfactory account of its coast rant'e further north on the Atlantic was known than the rivers in the Carolinas." This establishes its northern extent to the Susquehanna river, and is therefore of interest. This shows how men who are not scientific can place into the hands of those who are much valuable information appreciated by the lovers of science and research, and is desirable that they be encouraged in so doing. Report on Stock Subscriptions. The report of the Treasurer was read, and although the dues paid in amounted only to $34.14, with the old balance of $10.64, the current expenses were all paid, leaving a balance of ?9.44. But the heavy extra expense of ?3i3.65 was incurred, and stock sold to the amount of §206, leaving the association in debt $18.21. Considering the amount of addi- tional cases added to those removed from the Athe- nfeum, the society has no cause of complaint, and looks hopefully forward to an increase of members and means. Election of Officers. This being the day of election, and no ambitious aspirants laying claim to rotation in office, a motion was made and seconded that the old board be re- elected. The only change made was that of Assist- ant Recording Secretary. The ballot being cast, re- sulted in the election of Rev. J. Stahr, President; Rev. J. H. Dubbs and Prof. J. R. Baker, Vice Presi- dents ; J. Stauffer, Recording Secretary; W. P. Bolton, Assistant Recording Secretary; Rev. D. Geissinger, Corresponding Secretary ; Dr. S. S. Rathvon, Treasurer; Mrs. L. A. Zell, Librarian; Messrs. C. A. Heinitsh, S. S. Rathvon and W. P. Bolton, Curators. After some scientific miscellany and propositions discussed, the society adjourned, well pleased with the session held in the well-warmed second floor of the Library rooms of the Y. M. C. A. Felling TnEES.-Mr. Gladstone, the distinguished statesman, as our own Horace Greely was, is fond of the axe. He has been giving a correspondent some leaves from his note-book . He considers Yew the most dlflicult tree to fell; next come Beech and Ash; Oak, though very hard, fells well ; but the easiestof all is Spanish C\\eiin\A.— Gardeners' Monthly. THE LANCASTER FARMER. i3 AGRICULTURAL. Couch-Grass as a Hay Plant. No one who has been lor many years coiKlucling an ap^riculttiral jourual but picks ujiattimpsan **cyc- oponcr" of a eonsiJcrablc size; but wc do not know wlicn we liave been more astonislieii tlian when re- cently wc read in an Eastern ajrricullunil journal a recommendation to cultivate the coudi or twitch grass as a hay plant. Our euloirist liiids it thrive wonderfully well on dry, poor soil, aud as such de- mands attention to its merits. All this is very well. It recalls the story of the Western farmer, who, familiar with the fact that the black f uakeate rats and mice,introduccd the "critter" to his barns aud stables. The veriniu soon disap- peared under his snakeship's rule, but so did cgifs, chickens, ducks, etc., until In this instance our farmer friend thought the great serpent was quite as black as he is painted, and he was banished, if no worse fate befell him. This couch-grass is worse than a black snake. True it docs bear tolerably heavy In very hard ]>l;ups. We remember once seeing a small patch whirli hail taken possession of an old stone quarry, whieli nnnle a thick dense mass of herbage from two anil a half to three feet high. It would cut probably a ton aud a half to the acre — pretty good lor a dry, barren, worthless piece of ground. But no one would w.int to have a crop of hay forever in the same ground ; and when the time for change conies how is this grass to be disposed of its hold upon the soil. The snake might be discharged, couch-grass never. For our part we should taboo couch-grass at once and forever, no matter how great its good qualities might be ; and we cannot regard, as a friend to agri- culture, any one who would seriously recommend its culture. With as much reason might one recom- mend the culture of the Canada thistle. It is an ex- cellent food for jackasses, and moreover we have heard New Torkers, when they failed to eradicate it from their premises, praise it as making excellent "cow-hay." But, somehow, whether couch-grass or thistles, we prefer to let them a.\oiie.— Telegraph. Planting Corn in Old Times. Wc suppose thirty to forty years ago means "old times." In preparing corn ground at that time a dif. fercnt process was followed than the present, but not as we see it stated, by merely throwing two rough furrows of unplowed ground together, and, after running cross furrows, to simply plant the corn on the top of the ridge. We do not pretend to say that this miserable way was not pursued by some lazy or ignorant farmers, but it was not the com man way by any means ; indeed we never saw it followed, though accustomed to notice farming for nearly sixty years. This, however, was the way mostly followed : Manure and plow the land, harrow thoroughly, then ran two opposite furrows aud also run like cross furrows. Planting on top of the little ridge by this means made the rows uniform both waj's, and ad- mitted freely of plowing both ways if necessary. This plan was more laborious than the present one and was more "scientific." The crops produced by it on good farms were as abundant as now. For many years after the present method was introduced this was continuei as the best, und that looked upon as lacking in skill and good sense. But as a rule far more attention is paid to the crop now than forty or fifty years ago. It was always customary to either manure in the hill or apply "iilaster" after the plant had grown two or three inches. And we repeat that we have witnessed as line crops of corn by the old method as we have by the new. This much we feel enjoined to say in behalf of the way our fathers and grandfathers cultivated the corn crop. Length of Roots. Tlie nature of the soil has much to do with the length and number of the roots. In light, poor soil I find roots of June grass four feet below the surface. People are apt to uuderestimatc the length, amount aud importance of the .roots of the liner grasses, wheat, oats, etc. A young wheat plant when pulled up only shows a small part of its roots. They often go down four or six feet or more. The roots of -a two-year old peach tree in light soil were found seven feet four inches long. In dry, light soil, this season wc pulled up one parsnip three feet and a half long. Of course, smaller roots went down still further. The noted buffalo grass on the dry, West- ern i)n\iries is described in the agricultural reports at Washington as having very short roots ; but Mr. Felker, one of our college graduates, found, where a well was being dug, that the roots went down seven. The roots grow best where the best food is to be found. They grow in greater or less quantity in every direction. If a root meets with good food it flourishes and sends out numerous branches. Koots do not "search" for food as vegetable phvsiologists now understand it. Many of the smaller roots of trees die every autumn when the leaves die, aud others grow in sprinj:. Near a cherry tree in my yard was a rustic basket without bottom filled with rich soil. On removing the basket and earth, which had been there several years, cherry roots were found in large nunibe this rich soil. Roots in such soil w well as down. up The Wheat Crop. The October returns of the Department of Agri- culture did not materially change the aspects of the wheat crop as foreshadowed by the monthly reports of condition. The December returns, including estimates of yield per acre, confirm and somewhat enlarge previous estimates. A computation from all the returns show an aggregate crop of about 42.'),000,000 bushels. But, onaccountof the strongly expressed public anxiety for reliable figures, a jior- tion of the inquiries have been referred to the statis- tical correspondents for revision. It is now believed that the result will bo materially different. The in- crease in the final out turn of the crop is due to the large increase of acreage which was at least one- sixth greater than of the previous year. Many of the larger wheat-producing States very greatly reduced their average yield per acre. Virginia fell from 10.4busheU to 7.2; Tennessee from 8 to 5; Kentucky from 12..5 to 9..3; Illinois from lfl..5to l.'J.fi; \Vi.sconsiu from 1.5 to 12; Minnesota from IH to 12; Iowa from U.5 to 9.4; Missouri from 14 to 11. On the other hand other States show a marked increase. New York rose from 18 to 19; Pennsylvania from 13 to 1.5; Ohio from 1.5 to IS; Michigan from 17.5 to 18.3; Indiana from 14.5 to 15.8; Kansas from 13.5 to 10.3; California from 9.5 to 18.4. The Territories show an immense expansion of wheat cultivation, with the high average yield characteristic of virgin soils. The yield of some of the Territories was con- siderably more than double that of the previous crop. Water for Farmers. The past very dry summer and autumn In Penn- sylvania, at least, put many farmers to great iueon- venience in supplying stock with suitable water, some having to drive their cattle twice a day from one to two miles to streams, and even some of them were nearly dry. Now, we have often referred to this subject and suggested how farmers could supply themselves with water at all times at a moderate expense. The roofs of buildings which shelter the stock of a farm would furnish a supply at all times, if cisterns of sufficient capacity were dug to hold the water. Where the water does not lie too deep, wide wells should be dug and wind power applied, and they would seldom'if ever fail. The roofs of the houses, however moderate the rain-fall may be, will furnish water, if run into a cistern, that would supply all the water needed for washing, bathing, etc. We cannot imagine in what way a small expenditure of money could be expended to more profit than in supplying a premises with an abundance of water. It is of the first importance to every household and farm. Indeed, being liable in droughts to suffer a scarcity is something to look forward to with dread ; but when it is shown that at a moderate cost this scarcity can be averted, it seems to us, and must to all thoughtful people, surprising that provision is not made on every farm, where needed, for a good supply of fresh water at all limes.— Germantown Telegraph. « Surface Manuring. It was not known until discovered by Way, and confirmed by Liebig and others, that a few inches in depth of surface soil has the power to fix or retain all, or nearly all, the food of plants which our manure contains, such as potash, phosphate of lime and ammonia, thus preventing its passage into the poor subsoil, and it is not even yet knowu that nearly all the feeding roots of plants are within a few inches of the surface where the nutritious elements are. We now and then find roots many feet below the surface, and because they are so found people have theorized that manure should be planted deep, and that there was a nutritious principle deep down iu subsoil culture. Deep soil holds moisture, and so far deep soil is of value. A few roots have to do duty as drawers of water for the community ; but such roots arc few, aud these are the roots the deep explorer finds. But where one little root can be found running down like this, hundreds will be found spreading away beneath the surface, and these arc the ones that are collecting the solid food. For liese reasons manure should never be buried deep, but be always kept as near the surface as possible. Save the Liquid Manure. How strangely we overlook the value of the liquid crement of our animals ! A cow under ordinary feeding furnishes in a year two thousand pounds of liquid. The comparative money value of the two is but slightly in favor of the solid. The urine of herbivorous animals holds nearly all the secretions of the body which are capable of producing the rich nitrogenous compounds so essential as forcing or leaf-forming agents iu the growth of plants. The solid holds the phosphoric acid, the lime and magne- sia, which holds the seed principally ; but the liquid holding nitrogen, potash and soda is forming the stalks and leaves. The two forms of plant nutri- ment should never be separated or allowed to be wasted by neglect.— J/(?;iidc the larger one, filling the space between tlieiii with sand or tan or straw; have holes bured in the bottom of both boxes, and place pieces of broken charcoal to insure drainage ; fill with the best earth procurable, remembering that good, rich soil will insure you the finest flowers; )ilace in the end of your boxes German' ivy, morning glories, madeira vine, and any other climbers that you like, and along the sides maurandia, thunbergia, othonna, nasturtion and kenilworth ivy, and just inside of these oxalis of dificrent colors and varie- ties ; in the centre j'ou must place j'our tallest plants and the lower growing ones around it ; have some cowslips, Chinese primroses, sweet alysium, migno- nette and vinca myra ; a mountain of snow geranium gives variety to the appearance, as will also the canary bird flower, which will give masses of yellow flowers if it has the sun, and the blue of the lobelia will also heighten the efl"ect. Lemon Verbena. It is stated that the well-known, fragrant plaLt, the lemon verbena, is used by the Spaniards for other purposes than to delight the olfactories. It is re- garded by them as a fine stomachic and cordial. They use it either in the form of a cold decoction, sweetened, or as a flavor to tea, the hot tea being jioured over five or .six leaves in a teacup. The tea thus prepared is said to be simply delicious ; and it is added, as a further and very pratical inducement to the use of it, that one who does so will "never suffer from flatulence, never be made nervous or old- maidish, never have cholera, diarrhiea, or loss of appetite." DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Bedrooms— How They Should be Ventilated. The London Lancet has some comments on this topic which may be read with as much profit in this country as in London. It says : "If a man were deliberately to shut himself for some six or eight hours daily in a stuffy room, with closed doors and windows (the doors not being opened even to change the air during the period of incarceration,) and were then to complain of headache and debility, he would be justly told that his own want of intelligent fore- sight was the cause of his sufl'ering. Nevertheless, this is what the great mass of people do every night of their lives without no thought of their impru- dence. There are few bedrooms in which it is per- fectly safe to pass the night without something more than ordinary precautions to secure an inflow of fresh air. Every sleeping apartment should, of course, have a fire-place with an open chimney, and in cold weather it is well if the grate contains a small fire, at least enough to create an upcast cur- rent and carry oflT the vitiated air of the room. In all such cases, however, when a fire is used, it is necessary to see that the air drawn into the room comes from the outside of the house. By an easy mistake it is possible to place the occupant of a bed- room with a fire in a closed house in a direct current of foul air drawn from all parts of the establishment. Summer and winter, with or without the useof fires, it is well to have a free ingress for pure air. This should be the ventilator's first concern. Foul air will find an exit if pure air is admitted in sufficient quan- ty, but it is not certain pure air will be drawn away. So far as sleeping-rooms are concerned it is wise to let in air from without. The aim must be to accom- plish the object without cansinir a great fall of tern pcrature or a draught. The windows may be drawn down an inch or two at the top with advantage, and a fold of muslin will form a "ventilator" to take off the feeling of drauglit. This, with an open fire-place, will generally suffice, aud produce no unpleasant consequences even when the weather is cold. It is, however, essential that the air outside should be pure. Little is likely to be gained by letting in a fog or even a town mist. Butter Making. Some years ago, when it was first proposed to in- troduce cheese manufacturing est-ablishments into the eastern counties of this State, our readers will remember that we staled our objections to them, as well as arguments in favor of the making of butter- good butter— for the Pliiladelpliia market, where there was always a ready demand at remunerating prices. While the State of New York and others in the Northwest and West might succeed in budding up and maintaining profitable cheese making fac- tories, the eastern part of this State at least was far better adapted to butter making and held out far greater gains. Where the advice was not heeded failure and loss was the consequence. But who has ever heard of the butter making business, where conducted with the least degree of care and indus- try, coming short of yielding a remunerating profit? We now hear of one or two of these establishments being started, and we have no manner of doubt but that they will be successful. We know of an establishment in this city, to which sutHcient cream is supplied, that yields nearly two thosand pounds per day, the churning of which is done by machinery.- '/fi-»i««/uw'« Telegraph. Burning Green Wood Greatly Wastefol. Water in passing into vapor absorbs and hides nearly 1,000 degrees of heat. A cord of green wood produces just as much heat as a cord of the same wood dry. In burning the dry wood we get nearly all the heat, but in burning the same wood green, from one-half to three-fourths of the heat produced goes off latent and useless in the evaporating sap or water. Chemistry shows this, and why, very jdaiuly. Therefore get the winter's wood lor fuel or IciLidlings, and let it be seasoning as soon as possible, and put it under cover in time to be dry when used. It will, of course, season or dry much faster when split fine. A solid foot of green elm wood weighs 60 to 6.5 lbs., of which 30 to 35 lbs. is sap or water. As ordinarily piled up, if we allow half of a cord to be lost in the spaces between the sticks, we still have a weight of about two tons to the cord, of which nearly one ton is water or sap. Such wood affords very little useful heat ; it goes off in the ton of sap. The great saving of hauling it home dry is evident— as we get the same amount of real fuel for half the team work. Beech wood loses one-eighth to one-fifth its weight in drying; oak, one-quarter to two-fifths. Accepting Invitations. In accepting an invitation to fete or parly, the note of response should be simply courteous- nothing more. A too familiar and over-cordial note of le- sponse is almost as offensive as one which expresses no interest at all iu the parties who extend the invi- tation. There is a happy medium in the formalities of even kindly wishes . It is not unnatural to suspect an acquaintance of insincerity when excesses of lan- guage are used in society matters. Household Receipts. To Remove Marks of Rain from a Mantle.— Take a damp cloth and damp the place marked with the rain ; then take a hot iron and iron the mantle all over, and the marks will be removed. A Gaugle for Sore Throat.— Half a pint of rose-leaf tea, a wiueglassful of good vinegar, honey enough to sweeten it, and a very little Cayenne pepper, all well mixed together, and simmered in a close vessel ; gargle the throat with a little of it at bedtime, or oftener, if the throat is very sore. French Mustard.- One ounce of mustard and two pinches of salt are mixed in a large wiueglass- ful of boiling water, and allowed to stand twenty- four hours. Then pound in a mortar one clove of garlic, a small handful of tarragon, another of garden cress, and add to the mustard, putting vinegar ac- cording to taste. CouciH SYRnp.— Put five cent's worth of pine pitch into a pint of water. Let it simmer until the water is well impregnated with the flavor. Dip out the gum which remains undissolved and add honey enough to sweeten, and make a thick syrup. Strain this and bottle. Dose, a teaspoonful four or five times a day according to the severity of the cough. It will afford speedy relief. To DvE Black Woolen Cloth Dark Green.— Clean your goods well with beef gall and water, and rinse in warm water ; then make a copper boiler full of soft water boiling hot, and take from one pound to a pound and a half of fustic, put it in and boil twenty minutes; to which add a lump of alum as big as a walnut ; when this is dissolved in your cop- per boiler, put in your goods, and boil it twenty minutes ; then take it out and add a small wineglass three parts full of chemical blue, and boil again from half an hour to an hour, and the cloth will be a beautiful dark green ; then wash out and dry. JIus. Reed's Plumb Pudding.— One pound beef suet, three-fourths pound loaf sugar, one pound flour, six eggs, pint of milk, one pound of raisins, one pound of currants, three-fourths pound of citron, two nutmegs, niaee, cloves ; add at pleasure two glasses brandy. Chop the suet tine, rub it to a cream, add sugar aud flour, each time rubbing it w ell ; add the spices fruit and brandy. Beat the egg, add them, then the milk ; tie it moderately tight ; boil it eight hours. This quantity makes one very large pud- ding—two if boiled in quart bowls ; three if in pint bow-Is ; when cold cover up tight with paper, and put them awiiy until wanted. When one is wanted boil an hour. — Germantown Telegraph. < The Hunterdon Monitur says : " We feel it our duty to give a recipe for the cure of diptheria, which we know from jiersonal knowledge has cured several severe cases. It is .^iniiily to put some pure tar on a plate and apply hot coals to it, not hut enough, how- ever, to create a blaze. Then place a funnel upside down over the tar and let the patient inhale the fumes arising from the burning tar through the spout of the funnel. It will give instant relief, and may be repeated as often as may be necessary. Tar spread on a piece of cloth and applied to the thi-oat in eoimectiou with the iiihailing process is also good, much better than old lliti-h or liniments. It should not be removed until the throat is relieved of all soreness." Salt with Nuts.— One time, while enjoying a visit from an Englishman, hickory nuts were served in the evening, when my English friend called for salt, stating that he knew of a case of a woman eat- ing heartily of niits in the evening, who was taken violently ill . The celebrated Dr. Abernethy was sent fir, but it was after he had become too fond of his cups, and he was not in a condition to go. He mut- tered, "Salt ! salt !" of which no notice was taken. Next morning he went to the place and she was a corpse. He said that had they given her salt it would have relieved her; and if they would allow him to make an examination he would convince them. On opening the stomach the nuts were found in a mass. He sprinkled salt on this and it immediately dis- solved. I have known of. a sudden death myself, which appears to have been the effect of the same cause. I generally eat salt with nuts and consider it improves i\\en\.—(iermautoien Telegraph. I^How TO Make "Whipped Cream."— A corre- sjjondent desires to know the best process for making 'whipped cream, such as is used in the Vienna coffee." The following is the process given l)y "Aunt Addie" in the New York Times, but whether it is the same used by the Vienna coffee people we are not prepared to say : Beat tlie yolks of Ave fresh eggs and half a pound of powdered sugar until very Tisht -tnd white ; put one pint of milk aud oneounee of i.sin-lass in a sauce- pan and boil 10 miimtcs, stirrin- .■onlinnally ; flavor with vanilla and lemon mixed, or any other flavoring; pour the milk on the eggs and sugar ; put on the fire, stir well toget'.ier, but do not let boil ; pass through a fine hair sieve into a round dish ; when cold set on ice, add I wo liquor-glasses of JIarasehino; keep stir- ring rapi^y all the'time ; when it begins to thicken stir into i'l a pint of cream, whipped to a froth ; put into a mold on the ice until you wish to use it. THE LANCASTER FARMER. 15 LIVE STOCK. Saving bv Handsful. One handful of :i;iv i^^'i"'' iinicli, nor, for the mat- ter of that, arelwiiiiv haiidhlul ; the eavin.ffor wast- Inpofso much would n.illuriiuiko nor break a man. But with twenty head of eatllu to feed, twice or tliricc a day, the eavinx of a handful apiece every time would amount to somethine before our pastures arc preen again upon our frost-bitten hills. Do you ever think of It ? We arc not hintiuB at sllnttug the cattle. But how many of us allow aninuils to waste a handful each at every feed for want of a little at- tention to feeding arranfrcments ? How many head of stock on our Northern farms require ii handful more of hay at every feed to keep up the aniniiil heat than they would rciiuire if their si iiblcs had all the cracks stopped that let in the cold winds of winter? A handful of manure is but a tritlc, yet the addi- tion of a sinp-lc handful in a hill of corn may make the dilfcrence between Ions, <""" e»i'6 and stinted nubbins when the harvest comes. How many handsful of manure arc going to waste every day about our yards and buildings ! Could you not save half a bushel a day by being careful ? And the liquid manure— is there not enough lost every day to make a good many long cars where we shall probably liud only nubbins uexl fall '. Handsful of hay ; handsful of manure ! — these arc small matters say you? Yet upon just such small matters depends many a man's success or failure in life. Here is one man that attends to them carefully, and at the end of twenty or thirty years he has a competency for old age ; another neglects them as beneath his notice and is always behindhand ; he lives and dies short in pocket and short in comfort. We do not preach niggardliness ; it is by saving when we may that we prepare ourselves to be liberal when wc will. Save the handsful. — Rural New York. History of Horned Cattle. The original native home of horned cattle is lost, but up to about four hundred years ago, there were many herds of wild cattle in England. Some of these were captured and have been preserved in some of large parks of the English aristocracj-, of one of these tlie /Mohf/isl, a London magazine, says: Herds of this breed are recorded to have existed in a semi-wild state in various portions of England. Those at Burton Constable were all destroyed by a distemper. When Bewick published his History of Quadrupedx, at the close of the last century, he was enabled to show that only five herds then existed. Since that date the herds at Wallaton and Gisburne have died out, and the breed having been introduced (subsequently, it is presumed to Bewick's notice) or re-introduced at Cadzow (Hamilton), in Lanark- shire, the ancient seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, there now survive at the present four herds only, of which the following account is given from recent inspection by Mr. A. H. Cocks. Of these the Chilling- ham breed, belonging to the Earl of Tankerville, are said to be the purest. They are characterized especially by the form of their horns, which may be described as curving, first backward and upward, and then sweeping forward and downward, while the pomts turn upward. In the skull the forehead is flat or slightly concave, and the occipital ridge be- tween the horns is straight and level. In form these- cattle are beautifully shaped, with small heads, straight backs and short legs. Their color is white, except the ears and muzzle which are either red or black, according to the breed. The horns are white, with black tips. Corn and Cob Meal. Corn and cob meal, which was formerly largely fed by many farmers, has of late been so severely condemned in the agricultural journals as to deter thousands from continuing its use. Some years ago, however, Professor Mott, of Columbia, Ohio, wrote prize essayonthc subject, iu which betakes ground in favor of its use, saying, "Advantages and econo- my are attained by fattening and feeding stock with corncob and meal together, and also by grinding all kinds of grain." As we shall want the ensuing winter everything that can be converted into food for our animals, it is to be hoped that the question will be satisfactorily disposed of before the cobs are used lor fuel or thrownin the hog-pen to rot, or rather to waste. We have read some strong arguments against the use of the cob at all ; and some equally strong, indeed, in our judgment, stronger in favor of grinding the corn and cob togcther,as food for horscs,cattlc and swine. We are ready to open our columns for information n the subject, and trust that our farmers will give s their experience and opinions. — Gerinanlon