1876 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
419 
one interested is, can the business be made perma¬ 
nent ? At first we were doubtful, foreseeing the 
great risks, the heavy expenses, and the small 
margin for profit. That the business increases in 
magnitude week by week, is not, to our mind, any 
proof that it is either profitable or will be perma¬ 
nent. In the London “Agricultural Gazette,” of 
September 4th, we find the following: We con¬ 
tinue to receive American consignments of excel¬ 
lent quality ;’ ‘ American supplies continue about 
the same with regard to quantity, condition, and 
demand.’ As regards the value of beef in New 
York, or the charges of transmission, I can give 
no information ; as a consumer, and not a producer 
of meat, my anxiety as to the ^ success of the ex¬ 
periment is at an end. The week ending Aug. 19 
was remarkable for great heat, the mean tempera¬ 
ture exceeding the average for the same week by 
no less than 10°, and we have no complaints of the 
condition of the foreign meat that appeared in the 
metropolitan market. Every obstacle appears to 
be removed, the home trade monoply broken 
through, and meat from the far West exhibited on 
the Newgate market shambles during the tropical 
heat of this summer as perfect in condition as meat 
sent up from Leicester or York; in fact in finer 
condition, ripened by having been slaughtered 14 
days—tender and ready for the table. This mar¬ 
vellous triumph of art over nature bursts upon the 
consumer by surprise. The rapid development 
of the trade is astonishing. The first trial cargo 
arrived in Liverpool at Christmas, and proved so 
successful that the flow of meat is checked only 
by the difficulty in preparing the holds of the ves¬ 
sels for the reception, and the necessary engineer¬ 
ing arrangements. It is impossible to measure the 
effect that this opening of the meat market will 
have upon British agriculture. It is beyond con¬ 
troversy that a large portion of the native meat 
exhibited on the butchers’ stalls is of inferior qual¬ 
ity. The artificially fed meat is disproportioned as 
regards the lean flesh and fat, owing to the in¬ 
judicious use of oleaginous substances, greatly to 
its deterioration. Meat so prepared will not be 
able to compete with the beef from American grass 
fed bullocks.”—In the same paper we notice that 
250 carcasses of American beef sold in Glasgow 
for 61 pence sterling per pound. This is equal to 
141- cents of our currency (not gold). The same 
week the same cattle could have been sold in New 
York at 13 cents per pound. 2i cents per pound 
can scarcely pay more than the expenses, leaving 
but a shade of profit, and no margin for loss by 
occasional damage. If this were all, the business 
would probably stop suddenly. But there is another 
influence under which support is given to it. Our 
market is drooping under an excess of supply, and 
a general downward tendency of prices. So long 
as this continues, a scarcity, whether natural or 
artificial, of the best grades of cattle here, helps to 
sustain the market considerably, and although the 
foreign trade yields no profit, it will continue so 
long as an indirect advantage can be gained by it 
in the home market. But it will continue no longer ; 
nor will any persons enter into it, except such as 
can make it count in this way to their advantage 
here. When the state of the markets here promises 
a fair profit on all the stock brought forward for 
sale, or the condition of the English markets offers 
no inducement for shipments, they will cease. The 
business is simply a double acting safety valve, 
which yields to pressure upon either side, and 
when the pressure is equalized, ceases to act. 
There can he uo permanence about such a business 
unless the conditions become permanent. The 
variation is so small and must continue to be so 
small, which may serve to upset the conditions, that 
neither any great benefit nor any serious harm can 
happen to cither of the interested parties, here or 
in England. We cannot see that farmers here have 
any thing to hope for, or consumers have much to 
fear in the shape of higher prices, nor that English 
farmers have much to dread, or English consumers 
have any great expectations as to lower prices 
there. The gain will be to the English people, who 
will discover that the long vaunted British beef has 
disappeared, and that America now produces the 
best beef in the world. This will be an agreeable 
thought for an American, although he may have to 
pay something more for his roast as an offset. That 
the business will continue depends upon circum¬ 
stances, the continuance of which cannot be pre¬ 
dicated, the only thing which can make it per¬ 
manent is the continued neglect in England of the 
breeds of beef cattle, that are most productive of 
beef of the first quality, and the continued ex- 
penditnre of capital, labor, and land in the pro¬ 
duction of fancy stock, which does not contribute 
food to the markets any more than do so many 
elephants or giraffes in a menagerie. 
---- 
How to Make a Perforated Bit. 
The perforated bit for sucking cows is not made 
for sale anywhere, so far as we know. It can be 
made very easily as follows. Take a piece of half¬ 
inch iron pipe, nine 
_ 
tu 
inches long; split the 
pipe at each end for an 
inch and a-half, and cut 
off one-half of the split. 
The pipe then appears 
as at a in the illustra¬ 
tion. The ends are then 
heated and worked on 
the anvil into loops, as 
shown at 6. The pipe is 
then held in the vice 
and a few holes drilled through it, as shown at c. 
It is then ready for use, being fastened by a head¬ 
stall, strap, or old bridle on to the cow’s head. 
PEEFOBATED BIT. 
The Business of Sheep Bbeeding.— Although 
the price of wool is lower all over the world than 
it has been for many years, there is no evidence 
anywhere of any depression in the business of sheep¬ 
breeding. On the contrary, the demand for breed¬ 
ing sheep, ewes as well as rams, is Yery brisk, and 
we have more inquiries as to choice of locations for 
sheep farms in the West, and the purchase of good 
stock animals, than at any previous time. The 
same is noticeable in other countries. In one issue 
of the “ Mark Lane Express,” (London, England), 
we counted recently the sale of no less than 11,176 
choice breeding ewes and rams, of various breeds, 
but chiefly of the more popular Shropshire sheep, 
of which one sale of 2,500, one of over 3,000, and 
another of 1,500, are from some of the first premium 
flocks.in the county of Shropshire. The growing 
demand for good mutton and lambs, is evidently 
making the growth of wool a secondary interest, 
as it ought properly to he with sheep breeders. 
A Safe Milking Tube. 
The dangers of using straws, quills, or other simi¬ 
lar tubes which may happen to he at hand, to in¬ 
sert into a cow’s teats, which may be obstructed 
by any cause, so as to withdraw the milk, consists 
in the liability of the tube to break within the teat, 
or to enter so far that it can not he drawn back. 
The consequence of such an accident might be 
very serious. A milking-tube of silver, specially 
made to draw the milk in an emergency, when it 
cannot well be done by hand, has been sent to us 
by the maker, Mr. G. P. Pilling, 701 Chestnut st., 
Philadelphia. An engraving of the tube is given 
herewith. It is made to fit a long or short teat, 
by sliding the ring up or down, and is perfect- 
MTLKINCr TUBE. 
Iy safe to use. As a set of four tubes costs but a 
trifle, it would be a great convenience to an owner 
of a cow to have one in readiness for emergencies. 
How to Keep Tools Clean. —“J. D.,” Alle¬ 
gheny Co., Pa. When tools are clean and bright, 
they maybe kept so by wiping them, before putting 
them away after having been used, with a cloth 
dipped in melted paraffine. If they are rusted they 
may be cleaned by soaking them in kerosene oil, 
and then rubbing them with an oily rag dipped in 
the very finest emery powder. 
A Rustic or Temporary Road Bridge. 
The exhibit of the U. S. Government at the Cen¬ 
tennial Exhibition is one of the mast interesting 
and instructive portions of what has been the most 
valuable of any one of the international exhibitions 
yet held. In examining the Government exhibit, 
we came across a model of a bridge, intended for 
the passage of an army across an unfordable stream, 
which was designed by Sergeant N. Gentner, Co. 
A., Battalion of Engineers. This bridge, of which 
an engraving is given on the next page, construct¬ 
ed of rough timber, and put together without a 
bolt or the use of any tool except an ax, would he 
found especially useful in case of the sudden de¬ 
struction of a road bridge by a freshet or by fire. 
Four handy men could, in a few hours, easily con¬ 
struct a bridge of this character, strong enough to 
support a loaded wagon and team. Nothing is re¬ 
quired but suitable timber, and some ropes or 
chains. For a rustic bridge, across a stream or a 
ravine, it would also .he very appropriate and re¬ 
markably picturesque; in this case, being perma¬ 
nent, chains or wire rope should be used for the 
fastenings, as bolts or spikes are unsuitable, on ac¬ 
count of the elasticity and constant although slight 
motion of the parts when under a burden. The 
illustration describes the bridge sufficiently with¬ 
out much other explanation. The ties should be 
securely fastened or knotted. When ropes are 
used, safe knots should be made, and sufficient 
lashings to resist the strain. The safest fasten¬ 
ings, if chains are used, are made by passing one 
link through another, and then putting a “ toggle,” 
or piece of stout wire or bar iron, through the link 
that is inserted. If the ends of the bar or wire are 
bent, it cannot work out of place. The main sup¬ 
ports of the floor are the ropes or chains in the cen¬ 
ter of the bridge, and those from the middle of each 
half. These are double, and to procure the proper 
tension, “ toggle poles ” arc used to twist them un¬ 
til sufficiently tight, when the “ toggles ” are held 
by or fastened to the timbers, after the manner in 
which a common bucksaw is tightened, or a load of 
saw logs arc bound down by the tightening pole. 
Chains or ropes are stretched along each side as 
guards, and a twist is taken around each piece of 
timber passed by the guards. The floor is laid in 
the usual manner, and to hold the floor-planks in 
place, and yet to permit the free motion of all parts 
of the bridge, a chain may be laid down along each 
side of the floor, and held by stout staples or broad- 
headed spikes driven into each plank. This bridge 
has the advantage of cheapness, rapidity of con¬ 
struction, and of great strength and safety with 
comparatively light timbers ; while the materials are 
of a kind easily procurable almost in any locality. 
- mma »-*♦*-«»-- 
Coloe of Bebkshire Pigs. —Several have asked 
what is the proper color of the pure Berkshire. It 
is not entirely black, but has a white spot oh the 
face, and white feet. If there is a white splash on 
the side near the shoulder, it is not a disqualifica¬ 
tion, but this is not desirable. Pure Essex pigs are 
entirely black. 
Sale of the Ellman Southdowns.— -A sale 
of a notable flock of sheep has recently occurred at 
Landport, County of Sussex, England. The flock 
was the Glynde flock of Southdowns, established 
more than a century ago, by Mr. Richard Ellman, 
of Glynde, and since then bred continuously by his 
son and grandson. There were sold 200 ewes, 400 
lambs, and 40 rams, and this flock, which has be¬ 
come historical, has now been scattered and has 
disappeared. Mr. Ellman is referred to in Stewart’s 
“ Shepherd’s Manual,” as the first breeder who 
brought the Southdowns into prominence, and 
made them the most reputable mutton and short 
wool sheep in England ; he commenced his labors 
50 yea>-s before Mr. Jonas Webb began his remark¬ 
able course of improvement upon the same breed. 
