STRAWBERRIES IN NEW-JERSEY.

I think this hellebore will destroy all kinds of insect on the vines and flowers of our gardens. There will be no danger in trying it on cucumbers, melons, radishes and anything else.

In those localities where the bushes are already destroyed this year, it would be well to obtain a small quantity of it, so as to have it ready for use. have it sent to them by mail. Twenty-five cents will Those who are distant from large drug stores can pay postage and all, on one-fourth of a pound. Auburn, N. Y., June 3d.

S. EDWARDS TODD.

COMSTOCK'S ROTARY SPADER.

I put a few spoonfuls of it in a pepper box, and sprinkle it all over the bushes, as lightly as possible; and L. TUCKER & SON-We are now in the height of turn up the bushes, and throw it all about the base of our strawberries; commenced ten days since, on the the bushes-not on the ground-but on the stems and on the leaves, in the middle of the bushes. Put it on at 27th ult., being three or four days earlier than usual. any time, whether the leaves be wet or dry. The least The damp atmosphere, with frequent showers, is fill- atom of it will arrest their ravages. Therefore, sprinkle ing out the late setting finely so as to insure a long sea-lightly, although a liberal sprinkling will not injure the bushes. son and large crop where the beds have been kept in tolerable good order. Some growers being scarce of help, omit to have their plantations of strawberries cleaned after they have taken off a large crop of fruit, but if it is intended to produce fruit again it must be cleaned and cultivated. Last season I contracted with the hands that as soon as they got done picking, to go over again and take out the grass and weeds, at fifty cents a row of several hundred rows, we running the subsoil plow along the alleys ahead of them; which then seemed a high price, but the result now shows that the fruit produced by the rows uncleaned is scarcely worth one dollar; the others are worth from five to ten dollars each. Let every farmer resolve to cultivate his crops well, and supply the growing plants with nourishment, and there is no fear for the results. Our earliest berries were Iowa, Scarlet, Cutter, Jenny Lind, Bartlett, Downer's Prolific, French, and Albany -all of which have brought high prices. French, rather leading, on account of its bright, handsome color and fine appearance, sold readily last week in Philadelphia at 50 cents per quart; Lady Finger and Hovey, 30 to 40 cents, and Albany 25 cents per quart. It is the opinion here that there is as much money to be made from Wilson's Albany as any one variety, commencing early and continuing through the season to yield abundantly. Russell is yielding finely, and giving great satisfaction where it is near some staminate variety, but cannot be relied on for a crop of perfect fruit by itself. Alternate rows of it and the Albany would make a valuable plantation. The fruit might be picked and sold together with advantage. Cinnaminson, N. J., 6 mo. 6th. WILLIAM PARRY.

SAVE YOUR CURRANT BUSHES. The currant bushes and gooseberry bushes-excepting the black currants-are all being destroyed in this section of country, by small green worms, which devour the leaves in a few days, leaving nothing but the naked bushes.

We have just discovered that pulverized white hellebore, Veratrum album, will effectually destroy every worm in less than one hour without injuring the fruit or the bushes.

In regard to this implement, a notice of which appeared in the COUNTRY GENTLEMAN a few weeks since, M. L. SULLIVANT, the great Illinois farmer, writes as follows to the Rural New-York:

"I am in receipt of your favor of the 12th inst., and take great pleasure in replying to your inquiries about, and giving you my experience with Comstock's Rotary Spader.

"I commenced working one of them on the 19th of April, preparing ground for corn, and have worked it constantly since, when the ground was in condition for working. It has spaded, up to this time, about 75 acres. A few days later I started two more, and a fourth some ten days since; they have all been running constantly when it was not too wet. I'am working two of them with four horses and one man each; the other two we work in a gang, with a team of six pairs of oxen, driven and managed by one man.

"These machines work 3 feet in width and 8 inches deep, pulverizing the soil more thoroughly and preparing a better seed bed than I have been enabled to do with the plow and harrow. The horse machines do one acre each per hour with a speed of two and threequarter miles; the gang will do one acre per hour, with a speed of one and three-eighth miles; but these calculations you can readily make for yourself.

"I expect in a day or two to have a machine the full width of a corn row (3 feet 8 inches) at work, with a self-acting corn-planter attached. This machine will be capable of preparing and planting the ground at the rate of one acre per hour, with a speed of two and a quarter miles; we think four horses, or six oxen, and one man will work and manage it readily..

"As to my opinion of it, I have no hesitation in say

I sprinkled our gooseberry bushes with less than one cent's worth of it; and, in less than two hours, every worm was either dead on the ground or in the last ago-ing that I think it is the greatest step forward that has nies of death.

Yesterday morning they appeared in untold numbers on our currant bushes. The bushes were sprinkled with it; and, in less than two hours, only now and then a worm could be found.

I then placed a few of them on a paper, and sprinkled them lightly with it; and, it gave them all sorts of fits; and they seemed to go into the worst kind of convul sions; and all kicked up and died in a few minutes.

crop of leaves.

One army of these worms will come up and destroy the leaves; and, as soon as the leaves appear again, eggs will be deposited on the under side of the leaves, from which another crop will soon rise up to devour that White hellebore is death to them. The least amount of it, when sprinkled on them, "will give them fits." White hellebore is very poisonous. But there is no danger in using it, if care is only exercised to keep it from flying into the mouth and nose. It would probably cause a person to sneeze to death in a short time. It is a drab-colored powder, very light, and will fly like flower dust. It can be obtained at drug stores, at 50 or 60 cents per pound. A quart of it will weigh about a pound. A fourth of a pound will kill all the worms on a long row of bushes.

been made in agricultural machinery. I believe they will supersede the plow on our prairies, and similar soils, and cause a great revolution in Agriculture. So far, the wear seems slight; and I do not believe that the cost of keeping them in repair will be greater, relatively, than plows.

"I can, by the use of these Spaders, prepare the soil and plant it to corn for fifty cents per acre, estimating the wages of men at one dollar and a half per day, and horses fifty cents each. Aside from the reduced cost of doing the work, as compared with the plow, I shall expect, from its deeper and more thorough comminution of the soil, to get a yield of from twenty-five to fifty per cent. more with the same cultivation than with ordinary plowing, which does not average more than four inches in depth in this State.

"Our spring has been backward and wet, the weather is now fine, and plowing and planting are going on as rapidly as is consistent with the scarcity of labor throughout the State. By the aid of the Spaders, I am getting well forward with my corn planting, and hope to finish in good season-much earlier than usual."

Sheep Husbandry---Scours---Grub in the Head. on the upper lip. A twitch is a loop or cord which passes through a hole in a piece of board; by turning MESSRS. EDITORS-With this I forward a letter re-the board the cord grasps tightly anything within the ceived a few weeks since from N. P. ATKINSON, Esq., of Wheeling, West Virginia. I think it contains some vaulable facts in sheep management, and you can publish such portions of it as you think proper.

L. BARTLETT.

DEAR FRIEND—I noticed in a recent number of the Co. GENT., your remarks on the diseases of sheep, and particularly those of your neighbors which were dying off with the scours. Some twenty years since I lost ninety out of one hundred and fifty, in the way you allude to. They commenced dying in September, and continued on until winter. I used to have a medicine

chest, and consulted a celebrated sheep doctor, but my success was usually so poor, that I soon dispensed with everything but good keeping. The scouring of lambs is in some measure owing to the character of the season. The best remedy that I have found is to commence feeding them with oats or bran as soon as they are weaned. Continue it on until winter. I have found by long practice, the clover field to be the best place to wean lambs.

In your remarks you allude to the grubs in the head. In this department of sheep diseases I have sustained considerable loss. I have injected with a syringe strong tobacco juice up the nostrils, but am not certain that I ever effected any cure by it. For the last ten years I have lost none by the grub until this fall and winter, and up to this time I think we have lost somewhere between thirty and forty. This grub in the head seems peculiar to young sheep. I think by good keeping early in the fall, I have measurably kept clear of them for the last ten years. Last fall I was absent, and my young sheep were somewhat neglected. When the grub is fairly located in the head, I doubt if there is any remedy. In the fore part of the winter I noticed some of my lambs failing. I picked out seyen or eight, put them in a place by themselves, fed them with oats morning and evening, and yet they dropped off one after another until all went by the board; some of them continued six weeks, and then died.

loop. This caused her to stand perfectly quiet until I got into the carriage, when I caused her to be led a short distance by the twitch.

Two applications of the twitch completely cured her. She, however, always required very gentle and firm treatment, and would never bear the whip or harsh

treatment.

I drove her several years, and considered her as safe a horse as could be found, with a proper driver. I never struck her with a whip. This method might not answer with all horses. I have frequently used it (always with success when used with kind but firm treatment) on colts that were high spirited and difficult to harness, which colts, if properly broken, make the most safe and useful horses.

If the horse is balky, and will not start with kind, but firm treatment, I think it can be cured effectively. Last fall I traded for a mare of very fine appearance, and quite fast. The person of whom I bought her recommended her very highly, particularly for standing without hitching-said she would stand for hours. I found this was a fact, and that she would not start at all some times. She was put to the carriage one morning. I was in quite a hurry to get to town. She would not start, and coaxing, scolding and whipping had no effect on her. I called one of the men, and told him to stand by her until I returned, and if she offered to start, to stop her, and to give her nothing to eat or drink until I came home at night.

After standing about six hours she wanted to start, but was prevented. On my return home, after she had stood about twelve hours, I got into the carriage. She started at the word, was driven about six miles, put in the stable and fed, and has never been any trouble since-never has balked the least. G. G. L. Wilmington, Del., June 7, 1864.

SELECTION OF MALES FOR BREEDING.

The season has now arrived when a horse has to be chosen to which the mares must be taken to have foals by. The time is near at hand when a bull will have to be selected to have the cows breed by, and after a while it will be necessary to decide where a ram shall be bought to serve the ewes next fall. The

If a person in the sheep business is determined on success, he must keep them in first rate order from the time they are weaned until the spring they are two years old. So says my experience, which is of fifty-importance attached to securing proper males for siring one years standing.

N. P. ATKINSON.

MANAGEMENT OF RESTIVE HORSES. EDS. CO. GENT.-I notice in your paper of the 26th inst. an article from X. Y. Z. on the management of restive horses, which I approve of, particularly the advice to use no severity with a horse of that dispo

sition.

Several years since I owned a very fine young blooded mare, of great nerve and spirit, and endurance almost incredible. She required constant and daily use or she would become unmanageable with most

persons.

I could keep her quiet while being harnsssed, but as soon as I left her head and took hold of the lines two men could not hold her. She would rear, plunge and start off on a run.

the next generation will at once stamp the character of any farmer who attempts to be the raiser of live stock. Many, very many, look only for an animal which can be used at the least outlay of cost and trouble. Any horse is good enough, and the bull easiest obtained will do, and as for rams the two or three little dwindling wretches which were refused by the drover and butcher last summer cannot be put to a better purpose than allowed to run round. Thus in the finest country under the sun for stock raising, the continual cry is, it don't pay to keep stock; the land is not good enough, for nothing fattens without giving more than the profits in grain, meal, &c., besides such bad luck attends the rearing of the young, and the cows give so little milk, the sheep cut next to no wool, and the horse raised rarely pays for food and attendance. Let shame attend such men, for they not only injure

I completely cured her of this by putting a twitch themselves and families, but deter others from keep

ing cattle and sheep, and thus entail a vast loss to the whole community, and moreover occasion the land they occupy to "run out," or become exhausted to such a degree that it will not pay for cultivation.

It is surprising that the wives of these farmers possess far more sense than their husbands, for should they hear of a breed of fowls superior to their own, a setting of eggs is sent for, and the next season every rooster on the premises has to have his head off to make room for the young ones of the better sort, and through attention much money is made by poultry, whereas others have no success, and don't believe there is any profit attached to keeping them.

to the mill. The bulk was decreased so much by the process that the boy took it to the Park on his way back, scattering it on the greensward as the horses continued walking along.

Having always plenty of turnips for the sheep, none was given to them, but should it be introduced here, it might be valuable where no roots can be grown, if a little meal was sprinkled among it in troughs. It would be folly to expect sheep to do any good by browsing, and, moreover, they would lose half their wool by crowding between the bushes. It appears to be very hardy in winter, and will be found in bloom in the coldest spells. There is an old saying, that "when furze is out of blossom, kissing's out of fashion."

Foreign Notices.

J. B.

A great deal has been written and said of late on the subject of in-and-in breeding, but the writer of this has known several cases of great losses occurring through this mode, which, though not taking place in any instance in the first progeny, yet surely showed in Market Fairs.-We have often commented upon the future generations, even after fresh blood had been advantages attendant upon the establishment of these introduced. This was in the cows and pigs, particu-occasions, and expressed the hope that they would ere larly with the latter; the chief mischief was abortion in the cow stock, and in the small number of pigs at a birth with the sows-three, two and one being the whole litter in numerous instances. The fact of large sheep owners doing this with impunity proves naught; but watch these flocks, and in a few years every head of the in and-in bred ones will be sold off under some pretext or other, the real cause being barrenness and utter incapacity for propagating their species. J. B.

Gorse as a Crop for Rough Land.

long become an American "institution," as they have fording an example, we observe that the farmers in the been an English one for a long period of time. As afvicinity of the town of Hertford, about 20 miles from London, have just been giving a dinner to a firm of auctioneers who were instrumental in establishing a regular fat stock market there in 1852, at first held monthly, but since 1861 once a week, and the benefits of which this compliment was intended to mark. At the weekly auctions held in 1863 it seems that 1,877 oxen, 22,489 sheep, 123 calves, 2,702 pigs, and 1,166 lambs were sold-total head of stock 28,357; total value £107,013, or over half a million dollars. The sales of 1856 were less than £20,000, showing a gradual increase every year until 1863, as above stated, the amount was five-fold that of seven years before.

The French Crops.-All reports agree that up to the first or second week in May the season was an unfavorable one in France. "A prolonged drought and a temperature generally too low for the season have ag

The

frosts of winter, which occurred without the ground having been protected by a mantle of snow. wheats and the oats present a sad appearance, and spring forage is very backward. Agriculturists who have not food in reserve for their stock, begin to be in the greatest embarrassment, and lean cattle are selling at low rates." Toward the middle of May there was some improvement, the temperature being more genial with fine ruins.

Having planted twelve acres of furze, or gorse, in England, and had it mowed and bruised by machinery with water power for thirteen years afterwards, it may not be amiss to state a few particulars. I was farm bailiff for Lord Northwick, who, having erected a bone mill, obtained another machine for grinding and crushing gorse, to work from the same water-gravated the prejudice occasioned to all cultures by the wheel. Most of the seed was had through "Thomas Gibbs & Co.," the agricultural seedsmen of London. It was French growth, but some was gathered from the common kind growing in our own fox coverts, which did equally well. It was drilled, twelve lbs. per acre, twenty inches apart, and came very thick. It cut from 40 to 60 tons per acre on the part best suited for its development, which was a very poor, soft, sandy loam; on a portion which was stony and Statistics of Disease among Cattle.-A correson the hill-side the crop was two-thirds lighter. It pondent of the North British Agriculturist gives a stawas mowed down close to the ground, and if there tistical account of the number of cattle bought, sold fat, was more than could be eaten, it was all cut and oth-sold diseased, and buried; with the description of anierwise disposed of, because it would turn to wood the mals kept each year since June, 1839, on a farm in Edinburghshire. The whole number bought in the twentysecond season. Horses eat it, and there is a saving of five years was 1867; of these, 1677 were sold fat, and 99 other fodder. It improves the flavor of butter when were diseased, 9 were slaughtered on account of accigiven to cows, but it is astringent in effect, and has dent, 7 died from constipation, 9 from stomach stagnothing in it to fatten, barely keeping any cattle ingers, 67 from lung disease, and 7 from splenic apoplexy. store condition. As his lordship had 600 deer, we Of these, 777 were of Scotch breed, 168 English, and gave the chief part to them, and the pulpy mass of stuff was devoured with the greatest avidity, and in consequence several stacks of hay were saved and the herd increased in number to 800. A man and boy attended to the machine, and another man mowed and pitched on the loads; a second boy doing the hauling with two horses to a cart used for the purpose. The gorse was placed on similar to hay, and, by tying on with ropes, very heavy loads were taken

922 Irish. Thus, during a quarter of a century, out of an average herd of cattle, amounting each year to about 75 head, 67 died from lung disease and 22 from other ailments. The writer adds: "I have no reason to believe that the above results vary much from what is the average experience of most feeders of cattle. Of course some parties may have had more disease, while others may have had fewer cases. Still, these figures justify no such absurd alarm as has been raised, nor support the idea that disease arises from contagion."

When grass hoppers, and other insects of a like character, fail him, he resorts to the cruel practice of catching and eating various small birds. These he of An amusing anecdote is told of one of these Owls, ten treats to the same horrible death that he does which had settled upon the rigging of a ship by night grass-hoppers-impaling them alive upon sharp thorns, to rest after its long journey. The bird was quietly where they are left to die a miserable death. seated upon one of the main yards, when it was sudAccording to WILSON, the Butcher Bird, or Great denly aroused from its slumbers by a sailor who had been sent aloft to perform some nautical duty. The Northern Shrike, builds its nest in the upright fork of man, terrified at the two glaring eyes that suddenly a small tree in the midst of a wood. It is outwardly opened upon him, descended precipitately from the rigging, declaring that "Davy Jones" was sitting upon the main yard! It is perhaps unnecessary to state that "Davy Jones" is the sailors' name for the evil spirit. J. P. NORRIS.

HOUSE-CLEANING.

Papering. If you must do this yourself, look over your wall, and fill any little breaks or cracks with a little plaster of Paris mixed up with water-(mix very lit

tle at a time, as it soon hardens,) or with putty. Brush over the wall with a solution of one pound of glue to three gallons of water. Have ready a smooth paste of flour, allowing one pound alum to three gallons of paste. Trim one side of your paper neatly and cut it in lengths of the ceiling's height. Have a long, clean table, and lay the right side of the paper down upon it, and, with a white-wash brush, spread the wrong side of the paper smoothly with paste. Take the two ends of the paper in your hands, (the right side folded in) step quickly up on your platform, and begin at the top, pressing the paper down smoothly with a clean towel. The trimmed edge of the second piece will lap over the untrimmed edge of the first piece, and so on. The figures must be

matched exactly, as in a carpet, and you should begin in the most obscure corner of the room, putting on the first piece by a plumb line. The border will have to be cut in pieces that you can handle easily, and that, as well as the paper, may be so accurately joined that not a seam will be discernible. Simple and small figures are easiest hung.

fine sand-paper successively, until smooth as satin; proceed to varnish, and you will be astonished at the result of your labor.

A fine feather brush and soft silk cloth should be used

daily on fine furniture. The dust should be beaten out of the cushions with the hand; brocatelle or hair cloth wiped with a clean cloth; velvet with a worsted plush roll, or better still with the hand only.

with luke-warm water and a sponge; grease spots or
Marble.-All marble should be washed commonly
stains can be removed by washing with salts of tartar
or repeated applications of fine chalk.

of lemon, and washing after with cold water.
Iron Spots may be removed by rubbing with a piece

Alabaster should be washed with a brush thoroughly with aqua fortis in clear water-(an ounce to a half pint)-then rinsed in cold water and set in the sun to dry. Ink Spots on wooden furniture may be removed by

rubbing on oil of vitriol mixed with two parts of soft water. The white marks from heat may be removed by rubbing first with oil, and after with alcohol, or with spirits of hartshorn.

wood, may be polished several ways, and by frequent Unvarnished Mahogany, or any other furniture rubbing be kept very nice.

A piece of beeswax as large as an egg, half as much rosin, melted in a pint of spirits of turpentine, spread over a table evenly, and when cold well rubbed with a

soft cloth, looks well.

A gill of spirits of turpentine, one of sweet oil, and a pint of sweet milk, makes an excellent polish-well rub

bed after-or

Screens, &c.-By the bye, if you have any fire screens, bed canopies, or rugs, to make, it is well to do it while your hand is in. The screens or canopies must have a firm cotton cover, tacked on smoothly and tightly. The paper is then pasted on them as on a wall, and their good looks depend on the neatness with which the border and centre piece, if they have any, are put on. Take a cake of pure beeswax, rub it all over the surCheap Rugs. Very good rugs for hearths, wash-face you wish to polish; then wrap a linen cloth over a stands, or bed-sides, may be made by stretching a stout warm smoothing iron, and rub it over the table until piece of cotton cloth, the size you desire, on a clean the wax is evenly spread; then with a woolen cloth rub floor or table; paste a pretty paper on it, and a suitable until smooth and bright. We used to spend much time border around. When dry, give it two or three coats of in an old pioneer house, the best rooms of which were varnish, and bind and fringe, if you like. These rugs are finished with black walnut, and kept, with this polish only, quite pretty, and will last astonishingly, and may be as bright as mirors. cleaned just as oil cloth. They do very well for plain, spare chambers, and they have the recommendation of being very cheap.

Furniture.-Bedsteads should be taken apart at least at the fall cleaning, washed thoroughly in the crevices subject to the attacks of bugs, and when dry, coated with corrosive sublimate dissolved in alcohol, mercury mixed in beaten white of egg, or, for common coarse furniture, fill all the crevices not likely to come in contact with the bed clathes, with strong, common brown воар.

Then rosewood, mahogany, or any fine furniture, must be freed from dust and wiped clean of fly specks or other soil, and after rubbed over with very fine rotten stone mixed with olive oil, and when dry rubbed off with a soft silk cloth. If your fine furniture needs varnish, get a first rate professional hand. But, with good cabinet-makers, varnish and suitable brushes, for common furniture, you may do the job quite well yourself. Be sure to have the article clean when you begin; have the varnish thin; put on a small quantity at a time, and rub it in well, following the grain of the wood.

Picture Frames, gilt ornaments, &c., and the glass over pictures and engravings, should be cleaned with whiting as directed in previous receipts for cleaning glass. Water may injure both picture and frame. The gilding should be brushed or wiped very softly and carefully.

Oil Paintings may be wiped with lukewarm water and a soft sponge, and dried with a soft cloth. The gilding cannot be cleaned by any trials I have made, and I have had woeful experience in trying.

Venetian Blinds should be brushed between the slats every morning, and occasionally cleaned as other painted work, care being taken not to discolor the trimmings with water.

Oil Blinds must be stretched out on a table, held firmly and washed quickly with mild tepid soap suds, and wiped dry.

Vermont.-The State Fair is to be held at White

River Junction in September. On the first day of the fair there will be a wool growers' convention at which Gov. Brown of Concord, Mass., will deliver an address; on the second day the Hamburg flag will be presented to the Society by Col. Needham, and on the third day will be delivered the annual address. Competition open to other States and the Canadas.

If you live out of reach of a cabinet-maker's aid, you may repair and varnish up considerably, if you have patience and skill. If a piece of veneering is off, cut off the edges of the break smoothly, fit in a piece of veneer exactly, (the grain running with that of the furniture,) paste it in with glue, and tack it in with a number of Massachusetts.-We observe that at a meeting of the common pins slightly. When the glue hardens, draw Trustees of the Agricultural College in Boston last week, out the pins, and, with a piece of glass, scrape the new-it was voted, 8 to 4, to locate the college at Amherst. ly joined edges perfectly even. Now, if the piece of fur-There were several towns which had applied for the locaniture is much scurfed and abused, scrape off all the old tion, and the citizens of Northampton had made particuvarnish with glass carefully; then rub it with coarse and lar efforts to secure it.