For some time the breeders of the Black 
Cochins would not acknowledge that the 
Langshans were different from their pet 
breed but as they became more generally 
introduced their characteristics as a distinct 
breed were not only admitted but their su¬ 
periority was also allowed. We give a few 
points from the standard as furnished by 
Major Croad. The beak should be of a dark 
horn color; comb, straight and large; neck, 
long, giving a symmetrical appearance to, 
and harmonizing with the other proportions 
of the body; back, broad, the shoulders ris¬ 
ing abruptly to the tail; tail, fan shaped and 
distinct sickle feathers projecting six inches 
or more beyond the rest; feet and legs, 
black to dark slate color, the skin between 
the toes a vivid pink; carriage, graceful and 
intelligent. We find them to be of gentle 
disposition, quiet habits and good layers of 
large rich eggs. They lay the year round 
and are easily broken up when inclined to 
sit. They are hardy and attain maturity 
earlier than any other large breed with 
which we are acquainted, and having white 
flesh and skin they make a most excellent 
table fowl. We are indebted to our friend, 
Mr. J. T. Lovett, for the cut, who, though 
not a breeder, is an admirer of fine fowls. 
Rules for Successful Farming. 
The following Rules for Successful Farm¬ 
ing, written by the late T. B. Miner, are 
well worth preserving and will no doubt be 
read with interest by many of our young 
farmers: 
1. Have order and system in all you do, 
having in your mind in advance what crops 
you intend to grow; and provide the seed, 
so that no delay will occur when the time 
comes for sowing and planting. You 
should also closely estimate the amount of 
stable dung that you can spare for crops, so 
that in no case shall a crop be grown on 
land that has already been over-cropped, 
unless some fertilizer has been applied to it. 
2. Obtain good help, if possible, as half 
of your success depends on the kind of 
hired help you have; and don’t employ too 
many hands, as a man and a boy will often 
do as much as two men, especially if the 
latter are left to work by themselves, as 
they frequently spend half of their time in 
talking; but a man is not apt to talk much 
with a boy, and the consequence is that he 
attends to his work. Of all the nuisances 
that I ever suffered on a farm, I have found 
gabbling help to be the most unprofitable. 
When I hire a man, I tell him plainly that 
he must not u fool” away his time (my time) 
in talking to other men while at work, un¬ 
less he wants his ‘•‘walking papers.” 
3. Work with your help. This is the 
key that unlocks the door that leads to 
prosperity; but don’t say any more to them 
while at work than is necessary, as you w T ill 
set a b^d example by telling “yarns,” etc. 
Suppose that a farmer is hoeing corn with 
two or three men, and he says, “Boys, have 
you heard the news ?” And they all stop 
work, or partially stop, to hear the “news,” 
which takes, perhaps, fifteen minutes to 
relate, and what little corn is hoed while 
the “boss” is relating the “news,” is but 
half-hoed, and might as well not have been 
hoed at all. Now, a day is made up of 
minutes, and the waste of a few in this or 
that way constantly during the day, is sure 
to result in unsuccessful farming in the 
end. Say to your man, in plain English; 
“Shut up and attend to your work, or take 
your mone)" and go. I hire men to work— 
not to spend their time in talking.” 
4. Don't covet the name “he is a good 
man to work for;” but rather the name 
that I had for years: “He is a hard man 
to work for, but he is a good pay.” That 
meant that I made my men do a fair day’s 
work, which hired men now-a-days call 
“hard.” The fact is, farmers, that nine 
farm hands out of ten won’t do half a day’s 
work, on an average, if you are so easy with 
them that they call you “a nice man to 
work for.” 
5. To do good work, you want the best 
farm implements that you can obtain, and 
plenty of them, so that if one get out of 
order while in the hurry of work, you can 
use some other implement till the broken 
one is repaired. You will save money in 
the end, by throwing away your old plows, 
which were made about the time of the 
deluge, and getting the best patterns, with 
steel mold-boards, as they pay for them- 
