I860.] 
AiViiiiHlGAN AGRICULTURIST. 
303 
yoned ways,” were far superior to any that my 
neighbors could show. 
To be sure, I had many failures at first. The bugs 
would destroy the vines, the hens scratched out 
some of my finest seeds, and some of my plantings 
turned out nothing, because of my ignorance, but 
at the wid of the first Summer, I found that by 
working morning and evening, with an occasion¬ 
al day when the weeds threatened to get the start 
of me, and with only a little paid out for manur¬ 
ing, plowing, and preparing the ground, I had a 
full supply of choice vegetables for the family, 
had sold enough to help pav the store bills, and 
had learned sufficient to try gardening on a larger 
scale the next season. 
I then ventured to hire two acres additional, in 
which, besides giving better pasture for my cow, 
I could plant a patch of potatoes and another of 
corn. It was a good year with me. A large 
strawberry plot which I had set out the previous 
Spring, according to directions in the Agri¬ 
culturist, yielded finely. The fruit sold at good 
prices, and brought me nearly $40. Other products 
of my garden were even beyond my expectations, 
and the corn and potatoes would have done hon¬ 
or to any farmer. This was not all. The fami¬ 
ly were never so healthy, and my two boys were 
becoming quite expert in the garden, to &eir 
advantage and mine also. We worked hard, but 
we saw the fruits of our labor and were content. 
I now felt it safe to invest my little capital of a 
few hundred dollars in buying a place which I 
could call my own ; and the next Spring received 
a deed for ten acres of land, a little more distant 
from the village, but yet near enough to enable 
me to continue my regular business. I did not 
feel quite ready to give up my trade, at which I 
could make a comfortable living, though it was 
becoming more and more irksome, and I longed 
for the time when I could lay down the saw and 
the plane, and take hold of the plow and the hoe. 
This year I hired a young man to assist in work¬ 
ing my new land. 
It is not necessary to give further details. I 
am now a farmer, and have arrived at that digni¬ 
ty one step at a time. My place is not large, only 
twenty five acres, but six of those are in fruit, and 
I count their produce equal to all the rest. The 
great point I want to make for the benefit of oth¬ 
ers, is, that a change to farming, to be successful, 
must be made gradually. There are thousands 
of discouraged mechanics that can do as I have 
done, if they will but work patiently, and be con¬ 
tent to become farmers by inches. If I had 
bought twenty five acres of land the first season, 
and depended upon cultivating it for a living, I 
am convinced I should have failed, with the loss 
of my capital and my courage, and gone grum- 
ling back to the shop. Now, wife and I feel as 
happy as mortals can ordinarily, and I am pre¬ 
pared to say to my brother mechanics, “ go and 
do likewise.” George Terret. 
Putnam Co., N. Y. 
Miniature Cows. 
A writer in the Agricultural Gazette, England, 
thus describes the Bretonne cow imported from 
Brittany, France, one of which he has lately pur¬ 
chased : “ she stands three feet high, will calve 
shortly, and promises to have a bag of milk near¬ 
ly, if not quite equal to an Alderney. She is too 
years old. Two dairymen have pronounced judg¬ 
ment upon her to the effect that she is a perfect 
little wonder, and will be likely to give eight quarts 
of milk Der day with her first calf. These ani¬ 
mals are just suited for gentlemen’s families. 
They are of diminutive size, hardy, and little 
eaters, and furnish pure milk for a family’s con¬ 
sumption.” [Would not this breed be the very 
thing for our suburban residences, where an acre 
or so of lawn, is all that can be afforded 1 Our 
agricultural societies have been paying premiums 
for the largest breeds, who will encourage im¬ 
porters to furnish us smaller animals, say of con¬ 
venient pocket size I— Ed. Agriculturist .] 
----- BOOB—-- 
Premiums for Fast Walking Horses. 
*• '-ri ' -»- 
Lewis B. Brown, Esq., of New-York, a life mem¬ 
ber of the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, has 
placed at the disposal of the Executive Commit¬ 
tee $25 for premiums on fast walking horses. 
The Board have accepted it, and offer $15 for the 
best and fastest walking span of matched horses 
or mares, and $10 for the best and fastest walk¬ 
ing horse, mare, or gelding. The same gentle¬ 
man donated a like amount, $25, as a premium 
for the fastest walking horse exhibited at the 
National Horse Show at Springfield, Mass. We 
are-glad to so soon see carried out the sugges¬ 
tions which were offered on this subject in the 
American Agriculturist of August last, (p. 270.) 
-- 
Arabian Horses. 
During the travels of Hon. Wm. H. Seward, in 
Syria, he was presented with several fine Arabi¬ 
an Horses by Ayub Beg Tarabulsey, one of the 
magnates of that country. The N. Y. State Ag¬ 
ricultural Society, at a late executive meeting, 
appointed a committee confer with Mr. S. in 
relation to their care. So good an opportunity to 
improve our American stock is not often enjoy¬ 
ed, and the subject may well claim the attention 
of the Society whose work it is to advance the 
interests of all that relates to Agriculture in this 
State. There are three animals, one stallion and 
two mares, all of which will be exhibited at the 
State Fair at Elmira. They are reported by those 
who have examined them, as animals of the very 
highest grade. The stallion and one mare are 
intended for breeding, the other, Mr. S. will re¬ 
tain for his own personal use. Due notice will 
be given of the place where the horse will be sta¬ 
tioned the ensuing year.— Amer. Agriculturist. 
-- -- — --- 
Importation of Blooded Stock. 
An importation of blooded horses and cows from 
England, recently arrived at Philadelphia, en route 
to Kentucky. There are nine mares, each one 
year old, of the best stock in Europe, and which 
cost from $2,500 to $3,000 each. The cows 
number fifteen, and are all fine specimens of the 
Alderney breed. The latter are the property of 
Mr. Thonri&s Richardson, N. J. This breed of 
cows has recently attracted increased attention 
in this country, specimens of the stock having 
formed quite a noticeable feature at agricultural 
exhibitions. 
Sale op Kentucky Horses. —An annual sale 
of blooded horses is held at Woodburn Farm, 
Woodford Co., Ky., which is largely attended by 
stock men from all parts of the Union. This sec¬ 
tion of the State is considered head quarters of 
fine racing stock, which usually command high 
prices. The sales this year were less spirited 
than on former occasions. $500 was the highest 
figure obtained for any one animal—others ranged 
from that down to $50. At another sale in the 
same neighborhood, purchases were made at 
higher prices, $2,250 being paid for one stallion 
and $1010 for a mare. 
Vermont Horses for Napoleon III.—Five 
splendid Morgan horses from Vermont were 
shipped on the Vanderbilt Steamer for Louis Na¬ 
poleon. They are of deep bay color, and cost 
from $1000 to $1500 each. Three more animals 
of the same stock, were also taken out more re¬ 
cently by the Arcadia for the same party. 
-— < . M O— i a- - 
Large Importation of Spanish Asses.—A 
drove of Spanish stock asses, consisting of eight¬ 
een jacks and seven jennies, lately arrived in 
this city on the steamer Vanderbilt. They were 
purchased in Spain by Dr. W r ilson and Mr. War¬ 
ren, who drove them over the mountains and 
through France to Havre. They are fine ani¬ 
mals, some of the jacks standing fourteen and a 
half hands high. One of them is valued at over 
five thousand dollars. We believe they are to 
be taken to Louisiana.— American Agriculturist. 
■ -« ----- 
Windmills versus Moles—Bose Bugs, 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist : 
You complain of the destruction caused bj 
moles, and I can sympathize with you. I had a 
fine plot of New-Rochelle blackberry plants and 
another of dwarf pears, with which I took much 
pains. During the drouth I mulched them accord¬ 
ing to the suggestions of the Agriculturist, but 
was surprised to find that many of them were 
drooping and dying. Upon examination I found 
that the moles had mined among the roots, their 
track being concealed by the mulch, and they 
destroyed 200 of the blackberry plants, and 25 of 
the pears. Traps will catch some of them, but 
I think they can be frightened away, as they are 
very timid. I have observed that if a person 
step anywhere near their track, they will stop 
working, and remain quiet for a long time. Their 
hearing appears to be very acute, as they will 
perceive one’s approach at quite a distance. 1 
propose that a number of small windmills be 
placed on stakes not very high, and that each 
have a clapper attached, to strike on a box. I 
think the noise and jar will frighten them away 
from the grounds. 
Now then, in return for this suggestion, can any 
of your readers inform me of a certain remedy 
for rose bugs. They are very numerous and do 
great damage in this vicinity. To kill them by 
hand-picking is a hopeless task, where there are 
millions of them. P. H. Foster. 
Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
[The windmill remedy may answer, provided a 
sufficient number be erected. We fear however, 
it would require a man and a boy to whittle all 
Summer to protect an acre of ground in this way. 
Perhaps a few set around a field might keep them 
from entering, but the question is how to expel 
them when they have fairly taken possession. 
For the rose bug we know of nothing but hand 
picking, or shaking into pans of hot water, and 
deeply plowing the soil late in the season, so as 
to expose the larva; to hard freezing. Strong so¬ 
lutions of whale oil soap are rather distasteful to 
them, but they soon overcome this repugnance.] 
Bow ! Wow !—All unmuzzled dogs found run¬ 
ning at large in this City during the Summer 
months, are liable to be taken to the dog pound 
and destroyed. The number of captures the pasi 
season amounts to 5,860. Probably not more 
than one dog out of four is thus disposed of, 
which would give more than 23,000 dogs to N. Y. 
city alone. A report of the number of dog li¬ 
censes issued in Massachusetts, according to law, 
shows that community to be blessed (?) with 
32,707 canines.— American Agriculturist. 
