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Settlement of Washington Territory. — The settlemeut of 

 Western Wasliington is proceeding at a rapid rate. A hundred new 

 farms were lately opened in one week, and a greatly increased acreage 

 of land has been placed under cultivation in the Chehalis Valley alone. 



Malfor^iation of Calves. — A regular correspondent in Monterey 

 County, California, notices " a remarkable disease this spring among 

 calves'^on some dairy and stock ranches." The cows producing them 

 are a cross between the native and the Durham breeds. The calves are 

 born deformed, rickety, with large heads and joints ; legs weak and 

 spreading at an angle from 10° to SO*^' 5 many cannot walk at all. By 

 being held up to suck they often gain strength and are able to walk. 

 Many are still-born. The cases are limited to a few ranches and are 

 supposed to represent the progeny of diseased bulls. Some ranchmen 

 and dairymen think they are the result of pregnant cows feeding upon 

 acorns in autumn. Sheep, goats, deer, and other animals eat freely of 

 the acorns without injury. The water of these ranches is excellent. 



Proportion of seed awd cultitre foe a crop of potatoes.—A 

 correspondent at Albany, New York, is of the opinion that, in raising 

 potatoes, farmers generally err in two respects: they use too much 

 seed and give the land too little tillage. In illustration of his view he 

 gives the results of an experiment. His tenant, in selecting Early Eose 

 potatoes for planting, had thrown out all not larger than an English wal- 

 nut. He gathered 22 quarts of the rejected ones, cut them in two or 

 more pieces according to size; planted, without manure, in ground of or- 

 dinary tilth; cultivated and hoed them thoroughly three times, and 

 dug (is bushels, by measure, of unusually large potatoes. 



Fescue grass in Texas. — A correspondent in Montgomery County 

 reports that the fescue grass proves to be of great value. In illustra- 

 tion he states that on less than two acres four mules and two milch 

 cows, besides hogs, were pastured all winter, and adds that there is a 

 perceptible difference in the flavor of milk and butter after pasturage 

 on this grass. 



Meteorology in Colorado. — A report of meteorological observa- 

 tions, for the month of August, kept at Colorado' Spring, seventy- 

 five miles south of Denver City, (the present terminus of the 

 narrow-gauge railroad between Denver and Eio Grande,) the lati- 

 tude of which is about 39<^, and the elevation G,000 feet, contains the 

 following interesting facts: The lowest mean temperature on any 

 day Avas (29th) 50o.5 ; the highest, (20th,) 74o.5 ; the average for 

 the month, G8o.3 ; the amount of rain, 4.02 inches, of which 2.92 inches 

 fell during the last six days, on each of which rain fell. At this loca- 

 tion, under date of September 9, vegetation of all kinds is reported as 

 growing luxuriantly, corn as a heavy crop, and wheat harvested in 

 good condition, considering the frequeut rains. 



Farming in Iowa, — James P. Coulter, of Johnson County, raised 

 tast year 12,000 bushels of corn, 2,000 of oats, 500 of wheat, 900 of 

 timothy-seed, and GOO of flax-seed ; keeps 300 hogs, 40 cattle, 18 horses, 

 and has G40 acres of prairie-land under cultivation. 



Extraordinary yield.— It is reported that of Fultz wheat sent 

 by this Department to Botetourt County, Virginia, Mr. Grayhill sowed 

 3| pounds on the IGth of October, and harvested the crop on the 29th , 

 of July last. It yielded 5^- bushels by measure, the whole weighing 333 

 pounds. 



