1M4] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
47 
starts again and the increase in the bulk of the 
manure will also be found to be a very great 
addition to its value. 
Where are the best Cattle? 
The most valuable breeds of neat cattle origi¬ 
nated in Great Britian—the Short-horns, De¬ 
vons, and Herefords in England; Ayrshires in 
Scotland; and Alderneys in the Channel Islands. 
It would be natural to suppose that the best 
specimens of these breeds are still to be found in 
Great Britain, but we are by no means sure 
that this is necessarily the case. Among the 
great variety of soils and climates in this coun¬ 
try, there are those peculiarly adapted to certain 
of these established breeds, and considering the 
tendency of the surrounding circumstances to 
change the type of animals bred for several ge¬ 
nerations under similar influences, and tbs con¬ 
stant study of our best stock-breeders to improve 
their herds, we may reasonably expect marked 
improvement in favorable localities. It is cer¬ 
tainly true that we have as fine Devons and 
Ayrshires as there are any where. Alderneys 
too have been selected with great care, the 
highest prices have been paid, and many prize 
animals have been imported. Our Short-horn 
breeders have been exceedingly liberal and judi¬ 
cious in their purchases in England, paying the 
highest prices and taking off the very choice of 
the best herds of England in repeated cases. A 
few years since American bred Short-horns be¬ 
gan to find their way back to British pastures, 
and now we notice that descendants of these 
Americans are prize-takers at British Shows. 
At the Royal Agricultural Society’s Show in 
Worcester, the 1st prize for heifer calves over 
G and under 11 months old, was awarded to 
D. McIntosh, for Lady Oxford 5th, 11 mos. old, 
got by 3d Duke of Thorndale out of Lady Ox¬ 
ford 4lk—both of which animals were bred by 
S. Thorne of Thorqdale, Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
Pleuro-Pneumonia in Cattle- 
Notwithstanding the great efforts and noble 
sacrifices made by the citizens of Massachu¬ 
setts to stay this disorder when it first appeared 
among them, we still hear of it in that State 
and elsewhere, and no doubt we shall hear more 
of it henceforth. It is acclimated, the seeds 
are sown from Maine to Minnesota, and they 
will bear fruit. In European countries where 
regular Veterinary surgeons are sustained by the 
government, and a police system exists which 
men dare not come in conflict with, this disease 
is controlled by most stringent measures. The 
infected herds are isolated, treated by educated 
veterinarians, and we believe the cured animals 
are fattened and killed. All exposed herds are 
thus annihilated. After this, the buildings 
are thoroughly purified, and only when the sur¬ 
geon gives a certificate, may they be reoccupied. 
In this country if a man suspects that the 
disease is in his herd, and knows the danger— 
nothing hinders him from selling out his entire 
stock, fumigating and liming his barns, and 
stocking his farm anew. Thus the disease is 
scattered, surely to break out in distant locali¬ 
ties. The man who does this is guilty of in¬ 
flicting upon numerous farming communities the 
greatest possible scourge—the most insidious 
and terrible malady which can befall their herds. 
The need in this country of educated veteri¬ 
nary physicians and surgeons, is very great, and 
will continue so long as the quackish'horse¬ 
leeches and cow-doctors are encouraged in their 
quackery by reading farmers, and until young 
men of character devote themselves to the 
study of the diseases of animals, gaining a thor¬ 
ough education, and thus proving themselves 
worthy, are received into the fraternity of edu¬ 
cated professional men. Had we such men in 
every county, this disease could be recognized 
at once, and the proper isolation effected. Pub¬ 
lic sentiment would uphold the town, county, 
and state officers in taking very severe meas¬ 
ures to stop the spread of the malady even now, 
were men of influence to inform themselves 
thoroughly in regard to the necessity of prompt 
and energetic action. Indiscriminate immedi¬ 
ate slaughter is not to be recommended. Iso¬ 
lation of the herd and inoculation with the virus 
from the lungs of a slaughtered aniijial, in 
the tails of all (in which the disease has not 
made great progress,) will enable the farmers to 
save most of their animals not much diseased, 
and fat them for beef. This subject is one 
which demands the attention of all our agricul¬ 
tural societies, and in fact, has a great personal 
interest for every farmer. 
Wagon Wheels. 
Wagon wheels ought to stand perfectly plumb, 
and the face of the tire should be parallel with 
the axles and with the plane of travel, if it is a 
prime object to have the load upon the wheels 
drawn with the least outlay of power. Carriage 
and wagon makers have, it would appear, long 
been in the habit of following in the ruts of old 
usage, and have not worked philosophically. In 
this they are like the rest of the world and 
especially like us farmers. In the Coach-ma- 
makers Journal we find some sound reasoning 
about the shape and position of wheels. Car¬ 
riages are made to run straight forward. Wheels 
are often made “ conical” or dishing,” that is, 
having the rim a narrow section of a cone. 
Now a cone naturally rolls in a circle, and a 
cylinder rolls straight forward. The tire of a 
wheel therefore should be a narrow section of a 
cylinder, for there is a loss of power in making 
a cone roll in a straight line. The power which 
it is required to move a cone in a straight line 
may be judged from the fact that the most pow¬ 
erful means for grinding the hardest materials 
is a cylinder forced to roll in a circle. And the 
same “ tw£l# or “ drag” which grinds the paint 
in a paint mill worked on this principle, wears 
out the wheels, pulverizes the road, and adds to 
the draft of wheels if made conical. It is un- 
philosophical also to have tapering axles and 
conical hub-boxes, both should be perfectly 
cylindrical. If the ends of the axles are bent 
down, the only good effect is to give the mud 
thrown when driving rapidly a tendency to fly 
away from the carriage. The wheels, however, 
roll upon the edge of the tire, and are drawn at 
a mechanical disadvantage. 
Eggs Four Cents a Piece. 
There need be no pullets sent to market be¬ 
cause corn being $1,50 per bushel, it will not 
pay to keep them. In this city fresh eggs 
bring 40 to 45 cents per dozen, and the price will 
likely be higher before it is less if the practice 
of killing off the pullets lasts longer. Four 
cents a piece is the price when left at the door 
by a man whose character is a guarantee that 
all are as represented—fresh laid. At such pri¬ 
ces it will pay to put up a regular hennery with 
glazed southern front, a roosting and feeding 
room, and retired laying and hatching room. 
Warm water given twice a day to liens thus 
quartered, with plenty of grain food, some meat 
or fresh bones pounded fine, fed regurlarly as 
often as every other day, and some green feed 
also, aslettuce, celery, cabbage, etc. on the alter¬ 
nate days, will all conduce to pursuade the hens 
to keep up a steady laying all winter. 
Look Out for Help. 
It is rather to be hoped than expected, that 
the scarcity of farm help experienced last year, 
will be alleviated this, by the early return of 
the stalwart yeomen who left the field of indus¬ 
try for the field of battle. At best, they can not 
participate in the spring work. It therefore be¬ 
hooves all employers to look out in season for 
needed help. When a reliable man can be se¬ 
cured, lose no time in engaging him. Good help 
is cheaper at high wages, than inexperienced or 
careless hands at the lowest rate, and an unim¬ 
portant difference of price should not prevent a 
bargain with one known to be trustworthy. It 
may be necessary for many to employ green 
hands. The sooner they are found and set to 
work, the better. Fortunately an immense in¬ 
crease of immigration is partly supplying the 
demand for laborers. Many who are now leav¬ 
ing the old countries have practised the modes 
of farming as conducted there, and if properly 
trained, will soon become familiar with Ameri¬ 
can ways. The employers in a township where 
many hands are needed, might profitably en¬ 
gage a suitable agent to look out for the re¬ 
quired number from the Germans, Irish, and 
others now flocking into this city and other 
Ports of Entry. He will need to be a man of 
considerable address, or the substitute brokers 
will secure them by the ship-load, to be retailed 
out at a heavy profit, as has occurred heretofore. 
In many cases good help might be obtained 
through the services of those having friends 
across the Atlantic, to whom they would at 
once write upon application. 
Labor-saving machinery may be now intro¬ 
duced upon thousands of farms with especial 
advantages. The mower and reaper, grain- 
header, horse-hoe, horse-rake, hay-spreader and 
horse-pitchfork, should be secured at every 
practicable point. Cultivators will do well to 
look out for these and other needed implements 
before the busy season comes on. Last year 
many were unable to procure them, through the 
unprecedented demand which exceeded the 
ability of manufacturers to supply. Our adver¬ 
tising columns will indicate where to send for 
catalogues and other information concerning 
the various implements. 
A Mammoth Grasshopper.— A Frenchman 
while translating an American book, came to a 
sentence which related that a soldier tied his 
horse to a locust (tree) standing in front of a 
house. Looking at the dictionary he found the 
word locust to be in French, “ lanternelle," mean¬ 
ing “ grasshopper.” He therefore used the 
word lanternelle in his translation, thus convey¬ 
ing the idea to his readers, that in this country 
grasshoppers were large enough to admit of a 
horse being fastened to them, and that one was 
at the time conveniently standing by the door. 
-———.»«»——► -- 
A little boy ran to his mother with, “ 0 Ma ! 
Johnny took the last egg out of the neat, and 
now the old hen ain’t got any pattern to lay by.” 
