1878.] 
AME RICAN AGR1C ULT URIST. 
367 
all kinds of dairy implements, designs and models of 
bams, milk-houses, creameries, cheese-factories, etc. 
The exhibition of specimens of typical dairy stock, 
from various herds, is under consideration, but is not 
yet decided upon. The Secretary reports a very favora¬ 
ble response from all sections of this country, and from 
Europe, and the prospect is good for a successful exhi¬ 
bition. The purpose of the fair is to stimulate this in¬ 
dustry, and show our dairymen its immense possibilities. 
It is estimated that the product from the cows of the 
country exceeds tire hundred million dollars annually. 
Recently in a single day 42,000 boxes of cheese were 
shipped to Liverpool for the European market, and the 
exports of butter from the U. S., during the year ending 
June 30th, 1878, amounted to 21,834,141 lbs., and a value of 
$3,930,840; the previous year to 21,527,242 lbs., valued 
at $4,424,616. Cheese for the corresponding periods 
amounted to 123,783,730 lbs., having a value of $14,103,529 
in 1878; and 107,364.666 lbs. in 1877, valued at $12,700,627, 
which is a rapid increase, especially for butter, over pre¬ 
vious years. Yet the trade is but partially developed. 
If the proposed fair shall help dairymen to appreciate 
this fact, and teach them how to meet the increasing de¬ 
mand with better products, it will result in great bene¬ 
fit to the industry and to the country. 
A Strange Way.— A letter comes and we read: 
“Will you please give me the name of the enclosed 
fruit.”—As the letter contains nothing, we propose to 
write to the Bender that he has forgotten to inclose his 
specimen, but on turning over the leaf find it signed 
“Monmouth.”—Let us sum up the result of this utterly 
nseless custom of omitting the name in writing to an 
Editor. “ Monmouth ” wastes paper, envelop, stamp, and 
time occupied in writing; he has a tree of which he 
knows but a single one, he wishes to know the name, 
but carefully hides himself in “Monmouth,” so that we 
cannot reach him. Our interest in so rare a tree is ex¬ 
cited; we too would know what it is, but are unable to 
take another step. We are put to the trouble of writing 
this item, which the person in question will not see un¬ 
til October, and quite too late to repair the omission. 
Cleaning and Burnishing Iron.— Mr. E. N. 
Jemiin.s, i f Cornwall, N. Y., an excellent horse trainer, 
recently showed us a contrivance in use in the Prussian 
army, for polishing the bits, stirrups, and other parts of 
the harness or trappings made of iron. It is simply a 
piece of hardened steel, 4 or5 inches long, inserted in a 
handle, ns shown in the engraving. The cross section is 
an oval: or, if round, it would probably do just as good 
work. It is made of J^-inch steel, with the surface 
smooth and polished. To brighten a tarnished or rusty 
AN IRON POLISHER. 
piece of iron or steel, the instrument is simply rubbed 
.vigorously upon it, making it bright and clean in a short 
time. Where there are facilities for the work, an old, 
half-round file may be readily ground and polished to 
form a similar burnisher. 
Invitatlons to Fairs, have, as usual, been re¬ 
ceived from every section by the Editors. But the num¬ 
ber has been so large, and our work so pressing, that we 
have been compelled to decline all, save a few to the 
largest, or more representative of these exhibitions. We 
thank the many friends who have thus shown their in¬ 
terest in the American Agriculturist. We look upon 
these fairs as among the best experiences of the farmer’s 
year; and we preach according to our practice, when we 
advise every farmer to attend all he can of them. 
Is a IiCg of Mutton a Sail 1—“ II. C. W.,” of 
Westport, Ct., asks if it is "'against the law to chase 
wild ducks in a row-boat with a ‘ leg-of-mutton sail,’ the 
law prohibiting any vessel propelled by steam or sails.” 
Now. if a “ leg-of-mutton sail,” is a sail, then it must be 
against the law to chase ducks with a boat so propelled. 
The important point is, whether “ a leg of mutton ” is a 
sail. The law evidently intends that.no means shall be 
used to propel a boat, which will beat the ducks; hence, 
we suggest that you try the “leg-of-mutton” on the 
ducks, and if you catch them, to conclude it is a sail ; if 
you do not, then keep on chasing them. Yet, the law 
only mentions “ chasing ” ducks, not catching them, so 
that won’t work. Suppose, as a last resort, a convention 
of leg-of-mutton-sailors and ducks, i. e., of chasers and 
chased, be called to decide whether a “leg-of-mutton” 
is a sail. If that does not decide the point, ask us again. 
Bifliciilty with Plums. — “O.,” Homer, N. 
Y., has trees which bloom and set full, but an insect 
stings the fruit; he has tried lime and ashes with no 
effect; thinks that bottles of sweetened water have done 
some good, but he wants a “cure.” It is the old story 
over again of the Curcnlio, which we have told so many 
iimes. Yet it is still new to some. Tiic bottles of sweeti 
etied water may have caught many insects, but probably 
few of the guilty ones. Though innumerable experiments 
have been made, no application has been found to pre¬ 
vent the attacks of the curcnlio. Where this insect 
abounds, plums cannot be bad, unless the trees are 
shaken, after the fruit sets, at first every morning,and as 
often thereafter as the number of insects caught shows 
the necessity for it. In the morning the insects are tor¬ 
pid ; a sudden jarring of the tree will cause them to drop; 
they are caught upon a cloth spread for the purpose, and 
killed. This must be done, or no plums will ripen. 
Covering Strawberries.— “ C. II. S.,” Sussex 
Co., N. J., protects bis vines in winter by covering 
the ground between the rows with corn-stalks, bring¬ 
ing them close to the vines, and lays bean-poles across, 
to keep the stalks in place. This lias long been followed 
in some of the Western States, and we give it now, to re¬ 
mind those who have not other material at hand, that 
corn-stalks will answer the purpose. 
Surfeit in a Horse.- “P. L.,” York, Pa. Horses 
are subject to a skin disease known as surfeit. This ap¬ 
pears generally in the spring as small lumps, which break 
and exude a watery matter and then become covered with 
scabs. The irritation causes the animals to bite its skin 
or roll upon the ground, and in your case it lay and rolled 
in the spring to allay the itching which existed pre¬ 
viously. This action most probably was not the origin of 
the disease, although a sudden chili may cause it. The 
treatment is to give one ounce each of sulphur and cream 
of tartar daily in the food for a week or ten days, repeat¬ 
ing for another period if needed ; and to wash the skin 
with water slightly diluted with sulphuric acid. One 
drachm of the acid to a pailful of water will be sufficient. 
Weeds, Briers, and Brusli, In Iligii- 
ivays. — The. N. I'. Laic, passed March 11th, 1818, reads:— 
51.—It shall be the duty of every person, or corporation, 
owning, or occupying under a lease for one or more years, 
any cultivated or enclosed lands abutting upon any high¬ 
way, lo cause all noxious weeds, briers, and brush, growing 
upon said lands, within the bounds of said highway, to be 
cut or destroyed between the fifteenth day of June and the 
first day of July, and between the fifteenth day of August 
and the first day of September, in each and every year. Hut 
Boards of Supervisors may fix a different period, or periods, 
for such cutting or destruction in their respective counties. 
This section shall not be construed to restrict any of the 
powers heretofore conferred upon Boards of Supervisors. 
-52.—It shall be unlawful forany person to place, or cause 
to lie placeu, any noxious weeds, or the seeds of such weeds, 
within Hie bounds of any public highway.-53.—Any will¬ 
ful neglect or refusal to comply with the provisions of sec¬ 
tion one of this act, or any willful violation of section two 
of tills act, shall subject t lie person or corporation so offend¬ 
ing to a penalty of ten dollars and costs in and for eacli 
road district in which any of these provisions shall he vio¬ 
lated, to be sued for by the commissioner or commissioners 
of highways of the town wherein said road districts shall be 
situated, or by the street commissioner of villages, when 
such village constitutes a separate road district, and recov¬ 
ered before any Juslice of the Peace having jurisdiction; 
said fine, when collected, to be paid into the highway fund 
of such town or village. - 54.—It shall lie the duty of com- 
nii-sioners of highways of towns, or street commissioner of 
villages to prosecute every person or corporation violating 
any of the provisions of this act in their respective towns or 
villages, and to include in eacli annual report of such com¬ 
missioners a detailed statement of all fines recovered under 
the provisions of this act. 
Planter oil Wlicat.— “A. S..” Blair Co., Pa., 
says wc recommend certain artificial fertilizers on wheat, 
bat that they cost too mnch, and asks if it would not be 
a good plan to sow plaster after the wheat is sown. We 
have advised the use of fertilizers, because, if used in¬ 
telligently. they increase the crop more than enough to 
pay the extra cost, and thus are profitable. Plaster - which 
is a fertilizer' . may frequently help the crop somewhat, 
but it contains only lime and sulphuric acid, and cannot 
supply nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, which are 
generally most useful to wheat, particularly the first two. 
Plaster is, on very many soils, very helpful to clover. 
'S’lie Best Fowls lor Winter lL:»ying.— 
“F. G..” Fort Erie, N. Y. The Light Brahma lias the 
best reputation for the production of eggs in the winter. 
It is a matter of doubt if this breed is not surpassed by 
the Leghorns. But the Brahma has other good points 
which the Leghorn has not, aud this probably gives the 
former the advantage. 
Preparing- a Heifer for Exhibition.—'"'J. 
W. P.,” Marshall, Texas It is hardly possible to bring 
a i very young animal into what is called “show con¬ 
dition ” by feeding. If overfed it becomes sickly, poor, 
and miserable; its digestive organs are unable to dis¬ 
solve the excess which goes into the intestines in a crude 
form, and causes disease. A calf of 10 weeks old can be 
brought into good healthy condition by feeding about.G 
quarts of new milk daily in 3 meals of 2 quarts each, and 
giving about a pint of mixed wheat, bran, linseed, and 
oatmeal between times. A little fine hay or fresh clover 
may be added. With this feed the animal will not 
become fat, but will appear sleek, lively, and healthy. 
North American Ayrshire Register, Vol. 
Ill, is received from its editors, E. L. and J. N. Sturte- 
vant, South Framingham, Mass. This is an independent 
Herd-book, in which every animal is traced to importa¬ 
tion, being in opposition to ttiat of the “regular” Herd- 
book of the Ayrshire Breeder's Association, which is said 
to he less strict in its requirements of the animals ad¬ 
mitted for record. The N. A. A. R. has the merit, that 
all who refer to it may be reasonably sure of the 
purity of the pedigree of the animals found therein. 
Cooking for Milch Cows.— “A. T.,” Milltown, 
N. B. Whether or not it will pay to cook the feed for 30 
cows, is a matter of figuring ; the value of milk and the 
cost of labor being the chief items in the calculation. 
There is a saving in the quantity of food used which will 
go towards the cost of the apparatus and the feed. If a 
man can be procured at one dollar per day, and the extra 
milk gained will be worth more than that amount, there 
will be a profit in it. One man can prepare the food for 
30 cows, and have half his time to spare for other work. 
A Combined hatch and Hasp, affording 
double security, is represented in the engravings. The 
hasp is made to combine the convenience of the 
latch, by simply putting a strap over it, to hold it in 
place, as shown in figure 1. The staple (fig. 2) has a 
raised portion on each side, 
to catch and hold the latch. 
By this simple device, a 
door to a box-stall, or other 
door or gate, which it is 
often desired to close 
quickly, may he shut., and 
firmly fastened without 
delay; additional security 
may be obtained by slip- 
Fig. 2. —THE STAPLE- 
CATCH. 
ping a pin into the curve of the staple, as seen in figure 2. 
A Cheap Boat.- “R. W.,” of Russellville, Ky., 
will find a description of a cheap boat, “ suitable for 
fishing on mill ponds,” or similar purposes, in the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist for November, 1876. 
Can a New Breed of Fowls be Pro* 
diiccd 1 —“ M. M.” There is r.o doubt of the possibility 
of producing a distinct breed of fowls by selecting some 
good common liens and a cock, and carefully selecting and 
breeding the progeny closely in-and-in so long as the 
process is successful. The Plymouth Rocks are an in¬ 
stance of this, and although from a variety of bloods, the 
breed, in about 6 or 8 years only, has become quite 
fixed and reproduces itself very true to feather and 
character in the hands of skillful and patient breeders. 
Orchard Treatment.— “B. F. II.,” Fairfax, 
Iowa, understands exactly what, he wishes to ask, and 
knows how to put it in the clearest possible manner. 
Some'would cover one or two pages in order to express 
the following: “ Is it desirable to let bogs run in an ap¬ 
ple orchard to keep the grass down ? (1)—or would sheep 
he better? (2)—or still better to mow? (?>).—Am. (1). Yes, 
they will convert the grass into manure, and by eating 
fallen fruit, greatly diminish the insect crop. (2). No, 
swine are preferable. (3). No. 
Visiting Farms. —A professional duty with every 
good farmer, ill the early fall, is to visit some of the best 
farms in his county or Slate, and lake a few field lessons 
in agriculture. The illustrated farm journal is very good, 
and pays abundantly. But there is nothing like a morn¬ 
ing’s talk with a live farmer among his stock and crops 
to stir up one’s pure mind by way of remembrance, and 
put him upon improvements at home. If you have been 
thinking for years of draining a field, go t .0 some farmer 
who has a job of draining on hand, or completed, mid 
study the process and its results. Such visits are not 
only a needed recreation that a busy farmer is fairly en¬ 
titled to, but profitable in many ways. They give new 
facts, show one improved implements and new methods 
of culture, and help to economize labor and make money. 
Think twice before 1 paying you can not afford the time. 
Certainly you can not afford to do without these visits. 
