1873.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
23 9 
within the present generation they will become 
so far reduced iu numbers as to cease to be 
available for food to our pioneer settlers. This 
would be a national calamity. Now the fron- 
tiersman is mainly subsisted by the food which 
this animal furnishes, until lie can get his quar- 
ter section under cultivation and begin to raise 
domestic cattle. It must put new obstacles in 
the way of the settler to have the buffalo exter- 
minated. Congress has the power to stop this 
wholesale slaughter, and to give the buffalo 
some protection against its enemies. The ani- 
mal is of most value in the winter, when the 
fur is iu best condition, and the weather favors 
the transportation of the meat. The rest of the 
year, say seven months from the first of March, 
should be a close season in which no buffalo 
should be killed, and no fresh hides or meat al- 
lowed in the market. The penalties should be 
so heavy as to effectually break up the traffic. 
As the business is all carried on over a few rail- 
roads and the most of the buffaloes are slaughtered 
in the immediate vicinity of forts, it would not 
be a difficult thing for the Government to regu- 
late this slaughter and to preserve the race un- 
til the great pasture grounds over which they 
roam are wanted for settlement. The cows 
drop their calves in spring and suckle them 
through the summer. It is essential to the pre- 
servation of the race that they should be left 
undisturbed by the hunter during this season. 
Our clubs for the preservation of game, our 
agricultural societies and papers, should press 
this matter upon the attention of Congress until 
the needed legislation is secured. 
Sweeping Chimneys. 
— ^ 
"J. B.," Onondaga Co., N. Y., asks how to 
get rid of soot in his chimney, where it accumu- 
lates and takes fire, endangering his buildings. 
As this is a very common trouble amongst far- 
mers, who rarely sweep their chimneys and 
run serious risks of fire in consequence, we give 
an illustration of a very simple contrivance for 
removing the soot. Two pieces of board six 
inches square are provided. Holes are bored 
ra<§ 
A CHIMNEY SWEEPER. 
in the center, or screw-eyes are fitted, to which 
cords as long as the chimney are fastened. 
Holes are bored at each corner, to which com- 
mon 2i-inch carriage-bolts are fitted. Birch or 
liemlock is placed between the boards, so as to 
form a sort of broom, and the nuts of the bolts 
are screwed tight. One person mounts the roof, 
and lets the end of one cord down to another 
person who stands at the bottom, and the brush 
is drawn up and clown until the flue is cleared. 
A blanket should be hung over the fireplace if 
there is one, or a cloth over the hole iu the flue 
if a stove-pipe is used. If the flue is crooked, 
a round stone fastened to the cud of the cord 
will carry it down. 
The soot i3 a very valuable fertilizer, more so 
than ashes, and is useful to protect young cab- 
bage plants or turnips against the black flea, 
and on account of its pungent odor and tasle is 
very obnoxious to many of the insect pests. 
A Land Measurer. 
An instrument for measuring land or laying 
out certain spaces iu a field is shown on this 
A LAND MEASURER. 
page. It consists of a handle of wood of such 
a size as may be conveniently taken in one 
hand, into the bottom of which are affixed two 
curved bars of heavy wire or light iron rod. A 
cross bar is loosely riveted to the lower part of 
one of the curved bars, and holes are punched 
into the other end of it of the same size as a 
hole punched through the second curved bar. 
A small thumb screw or spring key passing 
through the holes keeps the curved bars or legs 
of the instrument stretched apartat the required 
distance. If it is required to measure a certain 
number of rods aloug a fence, the legs are set 4 
feet and one and a half inches apart. Four of 
these spaces equal one rod. The instrument 
taken in the right hand is turned around as the 
person walks along in a straight line, and as the 
points of the legs touch the ground each one 
marks off a quarter of a rod. If drills or hills 
are wanted, the legs are set at whatever distance 
apart they are required, and the spaces may 
be set off as quickly as a person can walk. 
Another Hokse Disease. — From what we 
hear of the progress of another Canadian horse 
disease now very prevalent in Toronto, it would 
seem probable that we are to have another epi- 
zootic appear amongst our animals from that 
quarter. While the catarrhal fever which ori- 
ginated in that city last year is now passing out 
of our territory on the south into Mexico, a 
much more severe complaint, a deadly typhoid 
fever is beginning to cause apprehension across 
the water, and if it should prevail there, it would 
most likely sweep southward through the 
United States. Forewarned is forearmed, and 
as we have learned to dread these Canadian 
visitations it would only be wise to be prepared 
for them when they come. Our neighbors are 
not to blame for what springs from not very 
well understood causes, but we know that much 
may be done in the way of preparation and 
prevention. Our stock must be well looked af- 
ter and kept in robust health, great attention 
must be paid to cleanliness, and taking all pos- 
sible precautions we can then meet all possi- 
bilities with equanimity. 
Training Steers. 
The future conduct of a yoke of oxen very 
much depends on the training they receive. 
This should commence at an early period of 
their lives, at least during their second year if 
possible. It should be commenced gradually ; 
one lesson being taught at a time, and that well 
learned before the next is undertaken. After- 
wards, at every lesson, those previously taught 
should be gone through, that it may be kept 
fresh and not be forgotten. Great gentleness 
should be exercised; the steers should never be 
frightened, worried, or wearied ; the lessons 
should be short, and in the teaching the greatest 
patience and firmness must be used. No com- 
mand should be given and not enforced. The 
words of command should be sharply and dis- 
tinctly pronounced, but in a low voice, and 
never with shouting or bawling. When any 
command' is promptly obeyed, the animal 
should be encouraged by patting the neck, by a 
few gentle words which are soon understood, 
and by a reward, in the shape of a nubbin of 
corn, a piece of apple, a little sugar or salt, or 
a piece of bread antl molasses. 
The first lesson is to stop when " Whoa ! " is 
said. To teach this, the steer (only one) should 
be driven alongside of a fence or barn wall up 
to another fence or wall or a wagon placed pur- 
posely, and when he reaches the impediment, tho 
word, " Whoa ! " should be spoken sharply but 
quietly. Of course, he must stop. This should 
be repeated until the word and action are fixed 
on the memory. He should then be taught to 
stop before the obstacle is reached, until he will 
stop at the word anywhere and everywhere. 
The second lesson is to Haw ! or Come around ! 
To teach this, he should be touched on the off 
shoulder or on the off side of the nctck with the 
end of the whip, and this should be continued 
until he will come around the driver iu a circle 
by the mere motion of the whip and the voice. 
The next lesson is to Gee I The driver should 
step in advance of the steer on the nigh side, 
and hold the whip at an acute angle with his 
nose, lightly touching him at the same time, 
and using the word " Gee." When the steer 
will gee round at the word while the driver 
stands behind him, and without being touched 
with the whip, and moved by the voice only 
until he faces the driver, this lesson is learned. 
The next is to hold up the head. The butt 
of the whip should be pressed lightly beneath 
the chin, and the words "Hold up your head!" 
spoken distinctly. If the steer is slow in learn- 
ing this, a smart tap beneath the chin, with the 
words spoken at the same time, will teach him 
what is wanted. Before this lesson is learned, 
he must be made to hold up his head as high as 
possible by the use of the words only. To 
Back is then to be learned. The steer must hold 
up his head, and then by a touch on the brisket, 
and the words, " Back ! whoa-a-a — back ! " 
he must be exercised until the word of com- 
mand is sufficient without the touch of the whip. 
After these exercises are well taught te each 
singly, the steers should be exercised together a 
few times, and then yoked op. The yoke 
should be a light one, made for this express 
purpose. To yoke them up is the next lesson. 
The off steer is tied to a fence or wall, and the 
yoke fastened on to him. The nigh end of the 
yoke should then be held up with the left hand. 
