338 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST.'. 
[October, 
Why X^anan 4i*rain Weighs ILess* 
than E>ry Grain.— This was one of the things that 
puzzled us when a hoy. " This wheat is damp and will 
weigh heavy " we once said to onr father. " You ought 
to know belter tfcim that," he replied; "damp wheat never 
weighs as much as dry wheat." We could not understand 
how this could be the case and were afforded no ex- 
planation. Wc fear this is rather a common fault with 
fathers. The truth of the matter is this. Take two acres 
of wheat, each of which will yield precisely the same 
amount. Let one be harvested and thrashed in perfect 
condition and the other in a wet state. The latter, if 
thrashed out clean, will weigh more than the former by 
exactly the amount of water it contains over and above 
the other. But the former will weigh more per busfal. 
The water absorbed swells the wheat and we get a greater 
bulk, but it is lighter in proportion to bulk than the 
dry wheat. This is all there is to it. 
Cnre for BogN Eating: Eggs.-S. M. 
Allen writes: " Some years ago I had a favorite spaniel, 
that became very troublesome on account of eating eggs ; 
he was cured entirely by breaking a small hole in the end 
of an cg^ and putting Cayenne pepper in it and giving it 
to him. The next egg was then wet and rolled in the 
pepper. He tasted the broken egg, but left it at once and 
ran to the nest, smelling the nest-egg very cautiously, but 
did not touch it ; and I never could persuade him to touch 
one afterward." 
IVIisahs. — "We are called upon for information 
in regard to mink-breeding, putting up minkcries, requi- 
sites, where stock may be obtained, etc., and would be 
glad to publish an accurate statement about this matter. 
I>ra£ning-.— Xhere*s Nothing; I^ilte 
Knowing How.— Col. Waring (see his article on 
page 374) has found that by employing men who know 
exactly how to do it, he can cheapen the cost of digging 
and tile-laying about half. This ought to stir up thous- 
ands of men to learn how to do draining. They will 
have employment enough, at good wages. The rainy 
season at the West will set the farmers at getting rid of 
their surplus water, and at the East millions of dollars 
are ready for investment in tile drains, if the cost can be 
reduced to anything like what the Colonel's figures 
would indicate. 
Soiling; Cattle at the West.— "Plain 
Plodder," Carthage, Ind., writes : "To ns here in the 
West, where land is cheap and labor scarce and high, so 
much talk about soiling sounds away off."— No* doubt. 
And we have never recommended soiling in such circum- 
stances. But our esteemed correspondent should re- 
member that the American Agriculturist, while it has 
tens of thousands of subscribers on the broad prairies 
and rich bottom lands of the West, has also thousands of 
readers in sections where we have to use the utmost in- 
genuity to make manure and enrich our land, and where, 
soiling in whole or in part is very useful in enabling us 
to keep more stock on a few acres. There are places at 
the West, too, where soiling can be-practiced to advant- 
age, at least in part. And in the neighborhood of large 
cities everywhere soiling is generally profitable. Even 
on large farms where land is cheap, a piece of corn 
fodder would often prove of great valiuj in seasons of 
drouth. In fact at the West as at the East, dairying to be 
as profitable as it is capable of being, requires a partial 
adoption of the soiling system. 
Early Rose Potato.— It is seldom that 
a comparatively new thing gives such general satisfac- 
tion as has the Early Rose. We have before us a large 
pile of letters, from all parts of the country, written by 
those who had received them as Premiums, or had pur- 
chased them. We cannot publish these letters, they are 
so numerous; and the variety is now so generally distrib- 
uted, that it is not necessary. Mr. M. Ileaton, Fulton 
County, 111., raised S lbs 10 oz. from a singie eye, and E. 
C. Long. Erie County, N. Y., US lbs from 1 lb. We have 
heard of but one instance of rotting, and that was at 
Aurora, N. Y., where all varieties rotted. 
Winter ISarley. — O. Edwards, Kansas. 
We have had but little experience with winter barley. 
When the midge made its appearance in the western part 
of N. Y. State, and destroyed our wheat, farmers turned 
their attention to the cultivation of winter barley, in- 
stead of wheat. Large breadths were frequently grown. 
Sometimes as high as 75 bushels per acre was obtained. 
The land was prepared and f-own precisely as it would be 
forwhc.it. When we found, however, that the Mediter- 
ranean and other early varieties of wheat, when sown on 
good, dry, well prepared land, generally escaped the 
midge, the farmers gradually took heart and returned to 
the cultivation of winter wheat; and now Ecarcely any 
winter barley is raised. Spring barley is more profitable. 
It is not so plump or handsome a berry as winter barley, 
but it brings a higher price for malting purposes. For 
feeding purposes the winter barley is much the better, and 
the same is true of two-rowed spring barley as compared 
with the six-rowed kind, although the latter brings a 
higher price in the Eastern markets for malting. 
Illncfchcrrles.— The Kittatinny stands at 
the head of the list this year. We have favorable reports 
from various quarters, East and West. 
Rotting; out Stumps by Chemical 
Means.— " J. H. C. S.," of Carsville, Wis., has to con- 
tend with many stumps on a newly cleared farm. They 
are chiefly black oak, and it costs 50 to 75 cents apiece 
to dig them out. lie asks if we know of any chemical 
means of rotting them. Oil of Vitriol poured into one 
or more cavities bored with an auger has been said to 
effect this result. We can not contradict the statement, 
and have some evidence to indicate its beneficial effect. 
Any one who knows will favor us by giving accurate In- 
formation. 
Another Larni JPIant.— We some time 
ago mentioned the use in France of the common Yarrow, 
as a lawn plant. Now they speak highly of a Pyrethrum 
(P. Tchikatchewii), a plant belonging to the same family, 
which is said to be adapted to soils so poor that they will 
not raise grass. It is claimed that the plant is dwarf and 
hardy, and bears cutting well. 
Sassafras. — "J. A. R.," of Battle Creek, 
Mich., says Sassafras may be entirely eradicated frOm 
the land by pasturing with sheep, as they are very fond 
of the young shoots and will keep the plants trimmed 
down so close that they caunot live. 
New York State Fair. 
INAUGURATION OP A NEW PRINCIPLE. 
The New York State Fair was held at Elmira, begin- 
ning on the 14th of September, and we are unexpectedly 
able to give our readers, in brief, the results of the first 
two days. The inauguration of a new principle in hold- 
ing fairs in this country was attempted, and the fair was 
looked forward to with no little solicitude. Few who 
have not experienced it can conceive the perplexities 
which surround and harass the managers of a great fair 
and cattle show. Some of these trials are unavoidable; 
many have been swept away this year by adhering rigid- 
ly to the rule that every thing must be entered on the 
Secretary's books three weeks before the show. 
This order was not known by all, and they were al- 
lowed to exhibit their goods subject to such commenda- 
tory notices as the judges saw fit to give, but to take no 
prizes for articles not regularly entered. The result of 
this rule is that the Secretary was able to prepare a full 
printed catalogue of all entries, systematized and num- 
bered, furnishing a catalogue of very great service to any 
one who wished to examine critically the stock and arti- 
cles exhibited. In this catalogue the name and address 
of the exhibitor are given in full, and in many cases a de- 
scription of the article, its mode of working, uses, etc. To 
the mere lounging strollers, who constitute three-quarters 
of the visitors, the catalogue is of no service; to others 
it is of incalculable advantage. To the numerous re- 
porters it saves much time, and enables them to be more 
accurate in their statements than ever before. The ad- 
vantage to exhibitors is immense. Another great advant- 
age of making early entries is that the Superintendent 
can provide proper buildings. and shelter for every thing 
entered. Thus, after the entries were in, it was found 
that more sheds for cattle were wanted, and these were 
at once put up. When the opening day came, the judges 
were promptly present, having been notified that their 
expenses would be paid if they reported themselves at 
9 o'clock. The catalogues, bound, and interleaved with 
note paper, served as committee books, and the judges 
went at once to work. The award* were made that day, 
and the prize cards and ribbons were attached the next 
morning, which was the first public day. Thus from the 
outset the public were instructed in the relative qualities 
of the stock and articles. 
In making entries so long before the show, there will, 
of course, always be some animals and articles which 
cannot be shown, as accidents happen and disappoint- 
ments occur; but after putting the Society to the no 
slight expense of preparing stalls or space for the ani- 
mals or articles entered, it should be a point of honor not 
to allow a trifling thing to interfere with the presentation 
of the artir-les. It was unfortunate that the listof entries 
was allowed to be published in an agricultural paper 
some two weeks before the show, for this doubtless 
influenced some persons not to exhibit in the face of so 
strong competition. To many this motive was freely, 
and, we doubt not, falsely imputed by exhibitors who 
were present. 
In point of quality and instructiveness this exhibition 
surpasses, in onr opinion, any heretofore held. Every- 
body could find and see the things there which be 
was interested in. The amount of table room and stall 
room not occupied, gave the people a good chance to sit 
and rest, though it did not add to the attractiveness of the 
show. The Short-horns were in fair numbers and of su- 
perior beauty and excellence. Dcvons were also numer- 
ous and good. We cannot bear much white on a Devon, 
and prizes were awarded to some which had enough to 
condemn them utterly, though doubtless of pure blood. 
The show of Ayrshires probably could not be surpassed 
in this country, the finest unquestionably belonging to 
the President of the Society. The Jerseys were repre- 
sented by some exellent specimens, hut the stalls erected 
for Mr. W. B. Dinsmore's stock stood empty, and this 
gave the gentlemanly and veracious person in whose 
name a good deal of Jersey stock was entered the op- 
portunity to insinuate, that Mr. D., having seen by the 
published list of entries that lie was to be there, had de- 
cided not to come. We hope no honest exhibitor will 
ever suffer from like imputations again, however un- 
founded they maybe. Among the working oxen and fat 
cattle were some of the largest and finest we ever saw, 
including one pair of working oxen, not fat, weighing 
4,796 pounds, and one fat ox said to weigh 3,433 pounds. 
There was a good show of horses, but we think it un- 
fortunate that the thoroughbreds were not allowed a 
class by themselves, as other kinds of horses compete 
with them at great disadvantage, to say the least. The 
show of long-wool sheep was of great interest, Cotswolds, 
Leiccsters, and Lincolns, being well represented. The 
fine-wool sheep, represented by American and Silesian 
Merinos, attracted less attention than during the heavy 
fleece mania and "gas-tar 11 excitement, but the real fine- 
wool-bearing sheep were ont in full force, and modest 
Karl Heine, of Red Hook, had never a better right to be 
prond of his Silesians, a number of* which have been 
recently imported. Wc were proud when we came to 
the beautiful plump Essex swine of our associate, Joseph 
Harris. Thejiwere far from fat, but plump, round, low, 
fine-boned, sleek, healthy, solid, and good-natured ; and 
the young ones showing wonderful size for their weeks. 
The so-called "Cheshires" were monsters, but beaten 
for size by the Yorkshires, — an apparently healthier, 
hardier, but somewhat coarser race, having all the char- 
acteristics of a fixed breed, which neither the " Chesh- 
ires 11 nor the Chester Co. Whites can claim in an equal 
degree. The poultry show was large and good ; the va- 
riety far larger than the premium list called for. The 
show of power, horse, and hand implements, of manu- 
factures, grains, roots, fruits, and flowers, was, on the 
whole, inferior to most former shows of the Society, in 
point of number of articles, but it has been rarely ex- 
celled in the real practical value of the show. We have 
no space nor will, now, for unfavorable criticism of the 
management, though there might be found cause, and 
we shall hear grumbling enough. Success should be 
measured by the instruction afforded by the show, and 
the encouragement it gives to the exhibitors of the most 
useful and meritorious articles. 
m i i^^— »-«*■ — ■ ■ 
Lawus.-' II. McL.," Hobart, N. Y. Red-top 
makes the finest lawn— June or Kentucky blue grass the 
most enduring. Mixtures of grasses .ore preferred by many. 
One popular about N. Y. is 12 quarts R. I. Bent, 4 
Creeping Bent, 10 Red-top, 3 Sweet-scented Vernal, 2 
Kentucky Blue, 4 White Clover. From 2 to 5 bushels to 
the acre are sown. 
Kansas and the Crops. — The quotation 
of a sentence fromahalf-drowned-out Kansas correspond- 
ent of the Country Gentleman has brought us several 
letters of remonstrance. Among them one from J. P. 
Brown gives the following general statement of the re- 
sults of the unusually wet season : li This has been a glo- 
rious year for our State. The best fruit I ever ate in my 
life we have raised this year. The best crop of oats, and 
safely harvested, too, has been grown here this year. An 
excellent crop of wheat has given us encouragement to 
sow again, while corn will be as good as any farmer could 
desire. Wc have had hard, long rains, that have done 
considerable damage to some portions of the country, 
and more damage to the railroad companies, which are re- 
building the bridges washed away ; but with few excep- 
tions, the rains have been very beneficial to the crops. 
There are two classes of land in Kansas: one the low 
bottom lands, that on such occasions as the late rainy 
weather are badly damaged by overflow; the other, and 
by far the larger and better, is the vast, rich, fertile, roll- 
ing prairies, that, rain or shine, produce good crops." 
