118 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[August, 



a decoction of May-apple root. If this last 

 remedy is successful, it is one that can be 

 easily obtained, at least in the "West. — Ameri- 

 can Entomologist. 



Contributions. 



NEW MEXICO. 



Albuquerqtte, N. M., July 12, 1880. 

 Dr. S. S. Bathvon, Lancaster, Fa. 



My Dear Sir: I have received your es- 

 teemed favor of the 2d instant, and infer 

 from its contents you desire reliable informa- 

 tion concerning our mining prospects, vicin- 

 ity, etc., etc. In reply I beg leave to say that 

 an extended personal acquaintance with the 

 mining regions of the territory and a know- 

 ledge of similar districts in other localities 

 outside of New Mexico, gained from repoi'ts 

 of persons now liere who have worked in the 

 mines elsewhere, induces the belief that this 

 district, the Sandia and Manzano, far sur- 

 passes them all in mineral richness. The 

 extent of this mineral-bearing district is 

 about fifteen miles square, and while it has 

 not been by any means prospected as it should 

 have been, shows within its limits mines that 

 run high in precious metal. The Star mine, 

 for instance, which has been opened to a 

 depth of but thirty feet, shows by assay S128 

 to $161 in gold. The assay of 128 was made 

 from ore taken from six different places in 

 the shaft, and is considered by all who know 

 the mine a true average test of its real value 

 per ton. On this same vein are two other 

 shafts which show in pyrites of copper an 

 average of thirteen per centum of copper and 

 eight ounces of silver ore per ton. There are 

 six other locations in the district in which the 

 Star mine is located which show equally good. 

 Another thing, the veins are not mere streaks 

 of pay ore, but their width is almost marvel 

 ous, that of the Star above referred to being 

 fully ihirty-five feet wide between wall rocks. 

 This in itself makes the mines extraordinarily 

 valuable, for while in some sections the pay 

 streak of true vein is only a few inches wide, 

 here they run from thirty to forty feet from 

 side to side. North of the district above de- 

 scribed other mines have recently been dis- 

 covered, which promise to be very valuable in 

 silver. They are only about four miles nortli, 

 and like the Sandia and Manzanas, have in 

 the immediate vicinity an abundance of both 

 timber and pure, .soft water. In this special 

 neighborhood I know of only seven locations 

 having, as yrt, been made, as the parties who 

 first discovered it have been keeping it quiet 

 until they and their friends could have the 

 first choice of locations. From what I know 

 of the district and its formation I am positive 

 the best locations have been overlooked, and 

 if my interests in other localities did not oc- 

 cupy all ray time and attention, I would soon 

 acquire property there. As- to our climate, 

 none can be better suited to mining opera- 

 tions than this ; for here we work all the year 

 round in both winter and summer, and find 

 no inconvenience. As you know, I nra far 

 from being a robust man, and yet during the 

 whole of last winter, I lost only two days 

 from mining by reason of inclement weather. 

 We suffer neither the extreme of heat nor 

 cold, but enjoy an agreeable temiierature all 

 the year round. If your son should decide to 

 come here, or any of your friends visit Albu- 

 querque, I would take great pleasure in show- 

 ing these mines, and as they are located only 

 some fourteen to eighteen miles from this 

 place, the journey, lying through a very pic- 

 turesque country, would be more like a holi- 

 day jrtimt than a visit to a mining camp. In 

 looking over what 1 have written concerning 

 the newly discovered silver district, I find I 

 omitted to state that the average taken from 

 top rock, or the exposed parts of the vein, 

 shows a value of from four to one hundred 

 and seventy ounces in silver. 



If you desire to use this letter for publica- 

 tion, you are at liberty to use my name as 

 authority for the several statements made. — 

 Fery respectfully, W. T. Strachan. 



Selections. 



CROP REPORTS. 



The report of the Agricultural Bureau for 

 July contains the following : The condition 

 of winter wheat averaged 95 against 91 in 

 1879, and 101 in 1878. It is a slight improve- 

 ment on the June average, which was 94. The 

 small crop of the New England States is 10 

 per cent, below the average, owing to the 

 heavy loss in Vermont, where in addition to 

 winter killing, spring drought is complained 

 of. The Middle States report a crop of 3 per 

 cent, above average, in spite of drought and 

 insect ravages in same counties. The Hessian 

 fly is noted in Genesee, New York, and North- 

 ampton, Pennsylvania, and the army worm 

 in Sufiblk, New York, Cape May, New Jersey, 

 and Kent, Delaware. The general conditions 

 in this section have been quite favorable. 



The South Atlantic, Gulf and .Southern in- 

 land States, all report a heavy depreciation 

 in their crops ; the only State south of the 

 Ohio river showing a full average is West 

 Virginia. This whole section will fall off 

 nearly one-fourth on the whole. The general 

 complaint is either drought or rust. 



The great winter wheat region north of the 

 Ohio river shows a comparatively high condi- 

 tion, 98 against 101 in 1879. Illinois fell short 

 7 percent., but Ohio and Indiana were con- 

 siderably above average. 



West of the Mississippi the crop fell off 

 one-sixth, being but 84 against 89 last year. 

 Missouri, the great winter wheat State of this 

 region, is 7 per cent, short ; Kansas, 27 per 

 cent. Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska pre- 

 sent low averages, but their growth of winter 

 wheat is too small to greatly aftect the gen- 

 eral result. The general complaint is drought. 

 On the Pacific coast Oregon reports 104. The 

 crop of California is generally classed as 

 spring wheat. 



Spring Wheat. 



Spring wheat averages 91, the same as 

 July, 1879. Northern in New England ranges 

 up to 99. The few counties of New York 

 and Pennsylvania reporting this crop average 

 9.3; Wisconsin, 96; Minnesota, 101; Iowa, 

 91; Nebraska, 62. As the season advanced 

 the growing conditions appear to have been 

 less favorable to wheat growth, especially in 

 the great spring wheat State. Atmospheric 

 causes, together with the ravages of insects, 

 are noted in different parts of our spring 

 wheat region. At present, however; the pros- 

 pect of this portion of our wheat crop is fully 

 as jamirable as last year. 

 Corn. 



As was anticated from the large increase in 

 the area sown in wheat, the area planted in 

 corn shows but little increase from that 

 planted last year. 'j.he increase is less than 

 1 per cent, for the whole country. The New 

 England and Middle States show an increase 

 of nearly 2 per cent., the South Atlantic 

 States decline about 2 per cent., the Gulf and 

 Southern inland States retain about the same 

 area. The great corn-producing States bor- 

 dering on and north of the Ohio river show a 

 decline of 4 per cent., while the States west 

 of the Mississippi and on the Pacific coast 

 show a lage increase of from 6 to 9 per cent. 

 Potatoes. 



There has been no change in the area 

 planted in potatoes in the whole country, the 

 deficit of one State being counterbalanced by 

 the increase in another. The condition is 

 very favorable, fully as much so as in 1879. 

 New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, 

 and all the'South Atlantic States being rather 

 below the report of last year, while the West- 

 ern and Southwestern States are above. 

 W^ool. 



All the States show a wool clip equal to or 

 greater than last year, except New Hamp- 

 shire, 96; New Jersey, 99; Florida, 91, and 

 California, 99. Kansas reports an increase 

 of 42 per cent., Nebraska, 1.5 per cent.. South 

 Carolina 8 per cent., etc. A vast increase in 



the Territories is indicated, amounting to 20 

 percent., according to our imperfect data. 

 We are afraid to hazard even a guess in 

 regard to the rapid movement of progress in 

 the extreme West, but find thpt there is far 

 more danger in understating than overstating 

 the case. 



THE CARP AND ITS CULTURE. 



The carp ( Gypriniis carfiio speadaris) is so 

 called on account of the large scales which 

 run along the sides of the body. This is one 

 of the three races of carp recently introduced 

 into this country, the other two being the 

 scale carp and the leather carp, the one en- 

 tirely covered with scales, the other having 

 few or none. 



Three years ago the national carp ponds 

 were established at Washington, in the old 

 swamp and canal near tlie monument, and 

 many thousand young fish have since been 

 distributed for stocking suitable waters in 

 Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, 

 Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, 

 North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, 

 Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Ken- 

 tucky and New York. 



Persons desiring them for such purposes 

 can be supplied on application to Prof. S. F. 

 Baird. U. S. Fish Commissioner, Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



In a recent communication Professor Baird 

 expresses great faith in the future of this new 

 fish. He is quite well satisfied that within 

 ten years it will constitute a very prominent 

 portion of the animal food of the country. 



Although scarcely known in the United 

 States, and but little more, as an article of 

 extended application, in England and France, 

 the carp is in Germany and Austria cultiva- 

 ted to the highest degree, so as to constitute 

 a notable article of the market supply. 



The fish itself is probably of Asiatic origin, 

 and has been dome.sticated in China for thou- 

 sands of years. It has, however, been so ex- 

 tensively distributed in Europe as to become, 

 in a measure, a native fish, occurring in pub- 

 lic water's as well as in private enclosures. It 

 is. Prof. Baird remarks, emphatically a far- 

 mer's fish ; and may safely be claimed to be, 

 among fishes, what chickens are among birds, 

 and pigs and ruminants among mammals. 



Its special merits lie in its sluggishness and 

 the ease with which it is kept in very limited 

 enclosures, it being a vegetable feeder, and 

 its general inoffensiveness. Trout and black 

 bass require abundant water and a supply of 

 animal food for their sustenance and growth ; 

 the carp thrive in shallow ponds, and while 

 not disdaining flies, worms, larvs^etc, live 

 on the succulent roots and leaves of aquatic 

 plants, seeds as they fall into the water, and 

 other similar substances, and mey be fed very 

 readily upon corn, grain, bread, root crops, 

 raw or boiled, and, indeed, any vegetable 

 rofuse. 



Their rate of growth, too, is something 

 marvelous, and, as observed so far in the 

 specimens introduced into the United States, 

 is even more remarkable here than in Europe. 

 Among the original fish imported by the Fish 

 Commission from Europe, and which are now 

 only about three and a half years old, are 

 some from twenty-five to thirty inches in 

 length, weighing from four to eight or nine 

 pounds. 



The carp thrives best in artificial or natural 

 ponds with muddy bottoms, and sucli as 

 abound in vegetation. In large ponds it may 

 not he necessary to furnish any special food, 

 but in restricted enclosures, as for instance, 

 those of a fraction of an acre, they may be 

 fed with the refuse of the kitchen garden, 

 leaves of cabbage, lettuce, leeks, etc., hominy 

 or other substances. Grain of any kind is 

 generally boiled before being fed to the fishes, 

 but tliis is probably not absolutely necessary. 

 The refuse of malt from breweries makes ex- 

 cellent food for them. 



The Washington ponds are arranged so 

 that they can be drawn off at will, leaving all 

 the fish collected in a small basin near the 

 outlet. This is for convenience in assorting 



