1S07-] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
169 
Ooan^ to E*a.ris, London, etc. — Sev- 
eral subscribers in different parts of the country have 
from time to time asked about the methods and expenses 
of getting to the Exhibition at Paris this summer. There 
are mauy steamers advertised, but it is hardly in our line 
to go into particulars. In remembrance, however, of a 
most delightful voyage in the world-renowned ".Great 
Eastern." in 1ST>2, without the least sea-sickness or other 
discomfort, we can commend a voyage in her as a most 
desirable thing. This Leviathan of the deep has even 
been greatly improved (not 4i enlarged" as editors say), 
and will leave New York for Brest May 2S and July 9. 
(For circulars, etc., address Wells & Fargo's Express 
Company, New York City.) A railway extends through a 
beautiful part of France from Brest to Paris. First class 
fares to Brest are $100, $125 and $140 each in gold— the 
different rates depending upon the size and location of 
state rooms. This fare includes all necessary expense on 
ship-board. Railroad fare from Brest to Paris $7.50. 
This makes the trip to Paris, at present prices of gold, 
about $144, or $178, or $200 in our currency. One may 
allow about $5 a day in Paris for expenses, sight seeing, 
riding, etc., or $100 for twenty days. The round trip will 
therefore cost from $400 to $300 currency, according to 
style of going, extras, etc. A $100 or more, taken along 
to use in purchases, etc., if desired, will not come amiss. 
When in Paris, one will want to run over to London, 
which can be done by several routes, in 14 to 16 hours, 
and for $G to $S in gold, according to the route and ac- 
commodations chosen. As much more will take one up 
through the heart of England to Liverpool. — Another 
vory pleasant, short trip, for one pressed for time, is 
to go from Paris to Lyons ; thence to Geneva, Switzer- 
land—a romantic ride up into or among the Alps — ; thence 
to Frankfort, Germany, diverging to Strasburg if time 
serves ; thence to Mayence ; thence down the most inter- 
esting portion of the Rhine by steamer to Cologne ; thence 
to Brussels ; thence to Paris, or to London via Ostend. 
*We give partly from memory, and partly from our notes 
made in passing over portions of the route in 1SG2, an ap- 
proximate table of the distances, first and second class 
fares (thelatterabonteqnal to ourfirst class cars), in gold, 
and the through time by express trains, not allowing for 
stopping to rest or for sight seeing. Starting from Paris : 
Paris Miles. Sours. 1st Class. 2d Class. 
To Lyons 310 11 $11.00 $8.00 
To Geneva 100 5 3.50 2.50 
To Frankfort.... 313 16 0.00 6.50 
To Mayence 21 1 80 60 
ToColognc 127 10 2.00 1.50 
To Brussels .... 150 8 5.00 4.00 
ToParis 215 10 7.00 5.50 
Or to London... 210 11 10.00 7.50 
Slow Torture at tlie Stacl*. — An 
u Iowa Farmer" should cypher on the problem of the 
cost of fattening steers in the field rather than in the barn 
in the winter. One third of the food at least goes to keep 
np animal heat, and is wasted. Corn is cheap in Iowa, 
but is it cheaper than boards? In the East, store cattle 
and cows have little to eat except corn stalks, straw and 
hay, and this often of poor quality. If kept at the stack 
through the winter, they grow poor and suffer. 
Fence I»osts.— H. T. Lake, Portage Co., O. 
We know nothing better to preserve posts than to dip the 
butts in hot coal tar, let them drip, and then roll in sand. 
Wliat Manures shall We Buy? — 
11 J. M." Peruvian guano, at present prices, is out of the 
reach of most cultivators, and yet it is so reliable, and so 
certain to produce immediate results, that some will buy 
it at any price. Superphosphate of lime is always good 
for certain crops, if yon get a genuine article, and for this 
you have to rely upon the integrity of the manufacturer. 
Bone dust is in the same category. The cheapest manures 
In the market, this spring, we think, are the fish guanos, 
or the dried pumacc from the fish-oil factories. These are 
of two kinds, the refuse as it comes from the press, de- 
prived of all the oil, and the refuse still further dried and 
ground to a coarse powder, so that It can bc'sown in drills 
or broadcast. The latter involves considerable more 
labor in its preparation, and stands higher in the market. 
It has about 9 per cent, of ammonia. It is better for cer- 
tain purposes ; is more conveniently applied either in the 
hill or to growing crops, and can be more evenly distri- 
buted upon the surface for harrowing or plowing in. Tho 
unground refuse Is lumpy, and needs to be mixed with 
large quantities of turf, loam, peat, or muck in compost, 
and to be thoroughly worked over, in order to uso it 
economically. "We have used both varieties with excel- 
lent results, and at present prices, wo think we get more 
fertilizing material, for tho money, in fish guano than in 
any other articlo in the market. The market is generally 
at tho factories, and, for tho most part, the articlo is kept 
In first hands for salo ; so that there Is not much chance 
for adulteration without detection. Until quite recently 
the local demand has taken it up about as fast as made. 
Tho fish-oil factorios aro increasing, and as the refuse 
multiplies, it has to go farther from home for a market. 
It is coming into use on the cotton plantations, and wher- 
ever it is fairly tried the demand for the article increases. 
TT3ae Price of Farm. Labor — as given 
in the Monthly Report of the Agricultural Depart- 
ment is: In the Eastern States $3.3.30 per month; in 
the Middle States, $30.07 per month ; in tttc Western 
States, $28.91 ; in the Southern States, $16.00; in Oregon, 
$35.75 ; in California, $15.71. In Massachusetts the price 
is $3S.94 per month, which is higher than in any other 
State except California. This is attributed to the great 
variety of industry in the State, only about one-fourth of 
the people being employed in agriculture. This makes a 
very lively demand for all farm products. The greater 
variety of occupations in a State the better for laborers. 
There has been an advance in the price of labor of about 
seventy per cent, in the last forty years, notwithstanding 
an immigration of 5,000,000 of people. The greatest want 
of the country is labor to develope our resources. 
"Where Farms are Advertised* — 
G. Ober. Farms for sale are frequently put into the hands 
of real estate agents in the neighboring cities, who ad- 
vertise in the daily or weekly papers. A visit to a read- 
ing room in the city, where all the papers are kept, would 
give yon the desired information. The cheapest farms 
will generally be advertised in the local papers in regions 
where there Is the least enterprise. 
Boston HSarrow §«ua§2a for Milcla, 
Cows in "Winter. — At the annual meeting of the N. 
Y. State Agricultural Society, Judge Osborn, of Albany, 
made interesting statements in regard to his mode of cul- 
tivating, preserving, and feeding this important crop. 
He thought it very valuable as a part of the winter feed 
of milch cows. After the fall feed was over, he fed with 
cabbage until about the 1st of January, and then with 
squashes for two months, and followed with mangels and 
then with carrots. He thought one pound of the squash 
equal in nutriment value to five pounds of pumpkin. 
The cows "were very fond of them, and they imparted no 
disagreeable flavor to the butter. He sometimes fed. 
fifty pounds of squash to a cow in a day. 
He cultivated the Marrow among his corn, reserving 
every fourth row for this purpose, running clear across 
the field. The rows were four feet apart. The squashes 
thus had a fourth part of the land, and as much sunshine 
and manure as the corn had. He did not approve of the 
too common method of stealing a crop by planting pump- 
kins in the same hill with the corn or potatoes. He had 
two methods of guarding the vines against destruction by 
bugs. As soon as the vines began to run vigorously, he 
covered all about the root3 with fine manure to induce the 
formation of new rootlets near the snrface. This has- 
tened the growth, disturbed the bugs, and helped the 
starting of new roots. A little later in the season he cov- 
ered the vines at the joints, so as to make them strike 
roots there. If they lost their first roots by the hugs, as 
they sometimes did, they would be nourished by the 
joint roots and perfect their fruit. Plaster was used to 
prevent injury by the striped bugs in the early stages of 
the growth of the vines. It required considerable labor to 
guard the squashes against freezing after they were gath- 
ered in the fall. His rule was to keep just ahead of the 
frost in protecting them. They were gathered into heaps 
in the field and covered when frost threatened. As the cold 
increased, they were carried to the cellar and laid upon 
shelves where they could be easily examined. The de- 
fective ones were removed as fast as decay made its ap- 
pearance. He thought this squash was not in perfect 
condition for eating until the 1st of January. 
National Trial of IPIows, Har- 
rows and. Cultivators.— There will be a great trial 
of these implements held under the auspices of the New 
York State Agricultural Society near title*, N. T., on the 
7th of May and days following, by n committee consisting 
of nearly the same gentlemen who officiated as Judges at 
tho trial of Mowers, Reapers and other hay and grain 
harvesting Implements, at Auburn last year. The pro- 
gramme was not received until after the April number of 
the Agriculturist waa In tho hands of our subscribers. 
According to the terras it announces, entries must be 
made two weeks before the trial, and $20 entrance fee 
paid for plows, (£5 if for exhibition only). The plows must 
be exactly as they aro sold to farmers, and they are ar- 
ranged under ten gold medal classes, as follows : I. StifF- 
soil sod-plow; n. Stiff-soil stubble-plow; tit. Light-soil 
sod-plows ; rv\ A plow which will plow 12 inches deep in 
stubble land, inverting the soil — (" raise the lowest soil to 
surface of the fu?row "—Programme) : that is, probably, 
1 ralso tho lowest soil to the surface of the furrow slice. 1 
For a plow which will turn a furrow of this kind, not less 
than five Inches wide— tho large gold medal. V. Michigan 
(sod and trench) plow ; VT. Sub-soil plow in connection 
with an ordinary (?) plow ; VH. Ditching plow for open- 
ing drains ; Yin. Machine for excavating ditches ; IX. 
Steel plow for soils that will not scour ; X. Swing or side- 
hill plow. A medal is offered for the best Harrow, and 
"Cultivators" are divided into two classes in each oi 
which two gold medals are offered. The New York State 
Society by this action will place the public under renewed 
obligations to it and its public spirited officers. The trial 
will, we donbt not, result in great good. 
TTEae Kew BSeglstercu Letter §ys<= 
teni, which is to be a very great improvement in tho 
matter of security, goes into operation June 1st, as we 
learn from official sources. We state by request, that 
some Post-masters are erroneously attempting to carry it 
out now ; they should wait for the new " Register Pack- 
age Envelopes," the chief feature of the new system. 
^Jsaasasrsvered. Letters, Special Note. 
In addition to the usual business and editorial letters, 
referred to Mr. Judd for advice and direction, he is in the 
constant receipt of many letters marked " Personal," on 
various topics, including friendly epistles he would like 
to answer, personal inquiries, offers of implements, etc. 
He has kept these along, responding as fast as possible— 
to the most important first— but they have accumulated 
beyond his hope of getting to the bottom of the drawer. 
He must soon have more time for rest, or cease to write 
at all. Will his correspondents please kindly excuse this 
seeming, but by no means designed or desired, lack of 
courtesy or attention to their favors and requests. 
The gmall Fruit Culturist.— Bj A. 
S. Fuller. The only work devoted to small fruits. Special 
treatises of this kind have the advantage that the author 
can more thoroughly discuss his subject, and go into 
greater detail than in a work embracing both large and 
small fruits. Mr. F. has been so long identified with the 
culture of small fruits, that it is unnecessary to speak of 
his qualifications as a teacher. The work covers tho 
whole ground of propagation, culture, varieties, packing 
for market, etc. "While many will differ with the author 
in his estimation of the value of some varieties, all will 
agree as to the thoroughness, and clearness, of the prac- 
tical part of the work— except perhaps those few growers, 
who wish to keep the secrets of the trade to themselves , 
these should recollect that the work was written for the 
people. The work is most abundantly illustrated. About 
800 pages, $1.50 by mail, 
Meuicinfics to Try. — "We ask those who 
send ns specimens of this kind to excuse us. We have 
no desire to compete with the Farmers' Club. 
A Caret. 
BAROMETER CHALLENGE TO SOLON ROBINSON 
OF THE TRIBUNE. 
Sir:— In your "reports" of the New York Farmers' 
Club you have more than once spoken of the Barometer 
in a manner to convey the impression that it is worthless 
to farmers, and its sale to them a humbug and swindle. 
Ton have said that " in your opinion it is utterly worth 
less to fanners; that it does not predict rain r.t all; that 
the rules laid down in scientific works for the observation 
of the Barometer are utterly fallacious, and that persouB 
who depend upon the Barometer will fail fifty-nine times 
out of sixty in their weather predictions." Now, you 
have told me, in presence of witnesses, in cfl'ect, that 
" you knew nothing at all about mercurial Barometers, or 
their operation, that all the chance you ever had to ob- 
serve the movements of a Barometer, was from a few 
weeks' use of an imperfect Aneroid, and that you did not 
feci competent to decide upon their merits." Knowing 
your reputation as a writer of fiction* ("Me-won-i-toc, &c.) 
I, of course, know how to appreciate the first of the above 
statements, but appearing, as it did, in a widely circulated 
journal, the public is liable to be led into hurtful error, 
from the great difficulty in discriminating facts from fic- 
tion in your" reports. V To got at tho truth of tho mat- 
ter, I make yon these propositions : 
1st. There aro many thousands of "Woodruff's Barome- 
ters In the hands of practical farmers in this country. 
Ton may procure as many certificates as yon can from 
persons using my Barometers to prove yonr point, and if 
I do not show forty certificates from fanners of its value 
and practical utility for every one you can produce to the 
contrary, then T will yield the point. 
2d. I will place one of my Barometers in the hands ofa 
practical, disinterested man, who shall keep a record of 
its movements three times a day tor thru- month?, and 
from Its movements alone, daily predict the coming 
weather. In strict accordance with a printed "card of di- 
rections," which I will furnish, and for every time he 
fails to predict correctly Hie coming weather, I will for- 
