159 



tlie ])()sts Mcave in tliree sawed or split pickets, wliieli slionld not reach 

 the ground. Staple the wires to the pickets. 



Otoe County, Nebraska, — A correspondent writes ns that the 

 winter-wheat has been badly injured in this county, though the full ex- 

 tent is not known. Osage-oraage hedges arc thought to be almost en- 

 tirely destroyed. 



FiiuiT niosPECTS IN Illinois. — Mr. J. Cochrane, of Havana, Mason 

 County, Illinois, writes, under date of "April C, that about half the 

 peach buds in that section are killed, those that are yet good being 

 mostly seedlings. The prospect for apples, pears, and cherries could 

 not be better. ^ 



Washington Terkitory. — Mr, xV. H. Miller, a resident for twenty 

 years of Yakima County, Washington Territory, sends us some interest- 

 ing facts concerning that Territory. He bas never seen the snow exceed 

 eight inches in depth, nor remain on the ground over two weeks in 

 ea^h year. The Avind rarely blows a gale even in the winter season, 

 and the cutting blasts of the prairie States are never felt. As a gen- 

 eral thing stock can be well kept through the winter on uncut grass. 

 Cows, dried in the fall, get into good order for beef by spring, and 

 calves and yearlings steadily gain in size without any other feed than 

 that obtained by grazing. The soil is measurably good — in some places 

 remarkably productive. While one spot may possess a rich, black, 

 loamy soil, the ground a few yards distant will be white with alkali. 

 Corn, wheat, oats, barley, sorghum, broom-corn, millet, herd's-grass, 

 melons, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, &c., yield good crops with fair cul- 

 ture. One farmer raised last year on sod land 40 bushels of sound corn 

 to the acre and 73 bushels of goose-wheat or Eussian rye. Another 

 raised CO bushels of white winter- wheat to the acre. It is no uncommon 

 thing to cut from 80 to 90 bushels of oats to the acre. The cultiva- 

 tion of sorghum promises to be successful, as does that of the larger 

 and smaller fruits. 



Odessa WHEAT. — Mr. L. H. Eaton, of Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin, 

 has cultivated the Odessa wheat for five years, with good results. 

 Twice during this time other varieties failed, but the Odessa produced 

 20 bushels to the acre. The berry is small, but weighs G3 pounds to the 

 measured bushel. It is equal to winter-wheat for milling purposes. It 

 is eight days later in ripening than other varieties. 



Winter-wheat. — Mr, John J. Thompson, of Thompson's ranch, Da- 

 liota Territory, writes under date of March 8 that he has 40 acres of grow- 

 ing Baldwin wheat which has stood the winter finely, and is now quite 

 as green as it was the 1st of November last. 



Effects of the severe winter. — Mr. E. E, Baldwin, writes as 

 follows from Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas, under date of March 30 : 



The winter has been one of unparalleled severity. Twenty tlionsand cattle 

 have perished in the Solomon Valley Irom starvation and the cold weather. Potatoes 

 Iniried for spring use and for seed are mostly frozen, the ground freezing sometimes to 

 the depth of three feet. Early-sown winter-wheat is almost an entire lailure. That 

 sown late in the fall and not germinating is now coming up, but must inevitably make 

 a very light croj). 



Trial of agricultural iijipleivients, — The Ohio State board of 

 agriculture have appointed a trial of agricultural implements and ma- 

 chines, to take place at Springfield, June 18, 1872, The followiug is a 

 list of classes designated for competition, with the premium for the best 

 of each description : Plow for general purposes, stubble-plow, sod-plowy 



