Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-03-30
Agricultural.

A paper has been received by the Paris Academy of Sciences from M. Comaille on the comparative value of the hen and duck as egg producers. His observations were limited to three hens and three ducks, all fine animals, matched at the same time in the month of February. During the following autumn the ducks laid 225 eggs; they recommended laying in February, and continued to do so until the middle of August. The hens laid no eggs during the autumn, but began in January and left off in the middle of August. The totals of each at the end of that time were: the hens, 257 eggs; the ducks, GIT. NJ. Comaille next examined the nutritive value of each kind of egg, and found the duck more profitable than the hen.
 A correspondent of the Country Gentleman says: I had some fifty pounds of rancid lard, which was val ueless as it was. Knowing the ante septic quality of the chloride of soda, I procured three ounces, which was poured into about pailful of soft wa ter, and when hot the lard added.
 After boiling it thoroughly together for an or two, it was set aside to cool. The lard was taken when nearly cold, and was consequently boiled up. The color was restored to an Alabaster white, and the lard was as sweet as a rose.
 Put the wick into the lamp, and fill the latter about half full with coarse salt, and then put in about one inch of oil, and it will be found that great saving is the result. The salt wastes gradually away during the burning, and must therefore be renewed from time to time. The light is purer and more brilliant than without the salt, and the wick requires no snuffing.
 Conrad, of Chester, Maryland, a practical agriculturalist, who has de- voted much attention to the growing of the cane and manufacture of sor- ghum syrup, gives his plan of planting and cultivating, as follows:
 Select, if you have it, sandy soil with southern exposure. In general, good corn land makes good cane land :; sod is preferred. Flow deep, as early as the ground is in order. At the mid dle of May pulverize thoroughly, plant in drills north and south, four feet apart. Time may be gained by scala ing and soaking the seeds until sprouts appear. Cover lightly, thin out eight to twelve inches in row. When eighteen or twenty -four inches high, cut out the suckers. Cultivate as corn, allowing no weeds to grow.
 Two quarts of prime seed will plant an acre, which, on good ground, may yield two hundred gallons of syrup and thirty-fvo bushels of seed. Cut when heads arc clcverly turned brown.
 At five years of age horse has forty tecth--twcnty- -four molar or jaw teeth, twelve incisor or front teeth, and four tusks or canine teeth, between the mo- lar and incisors, bnt usually wanting in the mare. At birth only the two nippcrs or middle incisors appear.
 Alta year old, the incisors arc all visible on the first or milk set.
 Before three years the permanent nippers have come through.
 At four years old, the permanent di- viders, next to the nippers, are out.
 At five the mouth is perfect, the second set of teeth having been com pleted.
 At six, the hollow under the nippers called the mrrk, has disappeared from the nippers, and diminished in the di- vidcrs.
 At seven the mark has disappeared from the dividers, and the next teeth, or corners, are level, though showing no mark.
 At eight the mark has gone from the corners, and the horse is said to be aged. After this time, indeed, good authorities say after five years the age ofa horse can only be conjectured. But the teeth gradually change their form, the incisors becoming round, oval, and then triangular, Dealers sometime bishop the teeth of old horses; that is, scoop them out to imi- tate the mark but this can be known by the absence of the white edge of enamel which always surronds the real mark, by the shape of she teeth, and other marks of age abont the animal.-- [Rural Gentleman.