Agriculture is the most healthful, the most useful , and the most noble employment of man .— Washington 
VOL. VI. NEW YORK, JUNE, 1847. NO. VI 
Harper & Brothers, Publishers 
A. B. Allen, Editor. 
MILKING STOCK. 
Scarce a week passes that we do not have in¬ 
quiries for bulls bred from milking families on 
both sides, for the purpose of improving the dairy- 
qualities of the applicant’s stock. The herds of 
such persons are usually so small that they cannot 
afford to pay higher than from $20 to $40 for bulls 
form six to eighteen months old. Now such prices 
will ordinarily remunerate farmers very well for 
rearing good native grade stock ; and we earnestly 
entreat them to pay strict attention to the dairy 
points of their bulls and cows, and save those 
calves only which are well descended from ap¬ 
proved milking families on both sides. By rigidly 
observing this rule for a few generations, their 
herds will get so Avell established in their dairy 
qualities, that they can then depend upon nine 
calves out of ten proving good milkers. In addi¬ 
tion to the point of milking, we hope they will 
study to add as many other good ones as possible; 
such as fine bones and a superior quality of flesh, 
together with a reasonable aptitude to fatten, when 
dried off for this purpose. 
Good milking cows will always command from 
$35 to $50 in this market. It is surely better 
to rear .a good rather than an indifferent beast, as 
the one costs no more to do so than the other—in¬ 
deed, the good one as a general rule costs least. 
Our advice would he, to have a sufficient number 
of farmers unite in each neighborhood to purchase 
improved bulls for the use of their cows. The im¬ 
provement in their stock by this means would be 
cheap, certain, and rapid; but we know from ex¬ 
perience how difficult it is to get this done. 
Nevertheless, every good farmer is bound to do his 
best to bring about so desirable a result. We do 
not care so much for the name of the breed as we 
do for the sure possession of those points in the ani¬ 
mal which are calculated to make it the most useful 
of its kind. Let the farmers pay close attention to 
this in all the calves they may save for rearing here¬ 
after, and we shall be satisfied. If they do not like 
the imported Durham, Hereford, and Devon aristo¬ 
crat races, let them take the native democrat; pro¬ 
vided it be a good kind, we will engage not to quarrel 
with them about names. Give us the thing, is all 
we ask. 
Since writing the above, several of our friends 
have said to us that they would save bull calves 
from first rate milking cows this summer, if they 
can be positively engaged, and taken from them at 
one to three months old. Their prices will be from 
$15 to $30 each, dependent on quality and age. 
They have hitherto sent their bull calves to the 
butcher in consequence of no demand for them. 
The stock is generally a high grade Durham with 
a mixture of the Dutch milking stock, or Devon, or 
Ayshire grades. 
PREPARATION OF WOOL FOR FOREIGN 
MARKETS. 
At the convention of wool-growers, assembled at 
Steubenville, Ohio, on the 10th of February last, a 
committee was appointed to draw up a report on the 
importance of having their wool properly prepared 
for market, from which we extract the following * 
First, before washing, remove carefully with the 
shears all locks containing dirt in a hardened state 
Then wet the sheep in every part, and let then: 
stand crowded together for one or two hours. When 
first put in for wetting, they should be taken out 
of the water as quickly as may be after the wool is 
fairly wet, in order to retain a soapy substance, con¬ 
tained in the fleece, which acts upon the dirt and 
gum in the wool, while the sheep stand before 
washing. This soapy substance is the first thing 
to escape as washing is commonly done 
