1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
4r05 
prise would in no wise interfere with the Agriculturist, 
fearing that this paper might in some measure be neg¬ 
lected for the weekly. We can inform all such anx¬ 
ious friends that their fears are groundless, and we may 
point to the present issue of the Agriculturist as a proof 
that we intend no change in that but for the better. 
Copley’s Plain and Ornamental 
Standard Alphabets.— By Fred’k S. Copley, New 
York: Geo. E. Woodward, Publisher. This is a set of 
handsomely engraved plates giving examples of the dif¬ 
ferent styles of lettering in modern use. If some of the 
sign-letterers of the present day would study this we 
should be spared the many painful exhibitions of poor 
lettering that are to be met with in every street. Those 
who have occasion to do lettering of any kind will find 
this a useful guide. Price $3.00. For sale at this office. 
Flax Straw as Fodder. — “ G. D.” 
writes: “ I would be glad if you will state in your paper 
if flax straw has any bad ffifect on milch cows. Many of 
my neighbors think it m\kes the milk thin and poor, so 
that it yields but a sma! amount of butter. Calves and 
all young stock seem tc do well on it, and the cows seem 
to prefer it to oat or wl jeat straw.”—Here is an excellent 
opportunity for the lactometer (Titus Oaks’ or Mr. vom 
Hofe’s) to show its value. Feed two cows three days on 
hay, and test their milk; at the same time give two cows 
all the flax straw they want, and test their milk; then 
change, giving the hay-fed cows the flax and the others 
hay, and note and report the result. 
Disease among Fowls and Fig- 
eons.—“G. K. T.,” of North Adams, Mass., writes: 
“ I have lost a good many pigeons and hens this sum¬ 
mer, they stop eating and continue growing poorer until 
they die. I have found no remedy yet and have a valua¬ 
ble rooster sick now.”—Almost everybody knows the 
look of the tissues and internal organs of a fowl in a state 
of health. Every one who has the care of poultry certain¬ 
ly should know this. In such a case as “G. K. T.” de¬ 
scribes as soon as the first chicken or pigeon died it 
should have been carefully examined. To do this, first 
pick the bird; then with a sharp knife cut across the 
ribs on each side, and across the abdomen in front of the 
vent, takiDg care not to injure the vicera. Next lift the 
breast thus cut free from its lower and hinder connec¬ 
tions, and bend it over towards the head. A pair of cut¬ 
ting pliers is handy to cut bones or tendons that do not 
yield. This will lay the whole of the interior open, and 
jach part may be examined for inflammation, disorgan¬ 
ization, or other evidence of disease. The examination 
should begin at the vent and bowels, and proceed to¬ 
wards the head. Of course the symptoms during life 
•hould be closely observed, but nobody should expect 
jven veterinary surgeons to tell what could be the matter 
with a yard of fowls on such a statement of the case. 
We surely would not ask one to try his guessiDg powers 
on such a case. 
Substitute for Barn-yard. Manure. 
—“ F. C. W.,” of Norwalk, O., asks: “ When stable ma¬ 
nure cannot be obtained, would bone-dust be the best 
riling to use in place of it on a sandy soil to raise sweet 
ootatoes and other vegetables ? I thought to plow it up 
Ihis fall, and in the spring top-dress it with bone-dust 
4nd harrow it in.”—Bone-dust is, perhaps, the very best of 
all manures for common use, when good stable manure 
;annot be obtained in abundance; but it would be de¬ 
cidedly better to compost with muck, sods, or good sur¬ 
face soil for a few months, than to apply it raw in the 
spring. Ground raw bones would quickly get up a heat 
if mixed with three or four times their bulk of earthy or 
peaty materials. If you have a single cow, a horse, or a 
dozen fowls, their manure, solid and liquid, if used to 
make such a compost, enriched by a liberal use of the 
bone-dust, and worked over as often as it comes into a 
good heat, adding more muck or earth, will make a big 
heap of compost very rapidly. 
'I'lie Chair ©YVetei-inaary Medicine 
at Cornell. —The Report of the Conn. State Board of 
Agriculture for 1869, contains a lecture on the Common 
Ailments of the Horse, by Prof. James Law, the incum¬ 
bent of the Chair of Veterinary Medicine in Cornell 
University. In this lecture we are astonished to find the 
Professor using the language which we quote below.- 
After speaking of the great lack of veterinary surgeons, 
implying a lack of opportunities for veterinary educa¬ 
tion in this country, he said : “New York, as one of the 
largest stock-growing States in the Union, has led the 
way in establishing under State endowment a department 
of Veterinary Medicine in her College of Agriculture at 
Cornell University; and though this is as yet in its in¬ 
fancy, I trust that in a few years, as the material resources 
of our institution are developed, we shall present to the 
world a Veterinary College claiming equality with its 
best European projenitors. The country is certainly ripe 
for such an institution,” etc. Who would suppose after 
reading or hearing this, that a Veterinary College already 
existed in the same State of New York, and, under its 
charter, haviug those excellent facilities for instruction 
for which he longs when the material resources of Cornell 
are sufficiently developed—that its faculty consisted of 
a President and five or six Professors, and severa. other 
instructors,—that its libraries and collections were large 
and valuable—that several classes of intelligent young men 
have been graduated and are now practicing,—and that 
Prof. Law had visited the institution, been cordially re¬ 
ceived, and knew much about it l —Yet this is true, and 
we take occasion to say so because the publication of 
such a statement is calculated to do the New-York College 
of Veterinary Surgeons serious wrong—and because we 
hold the institution, its honored President, Dr. Busteed, 
and its able corps of Professors, in high estimation. 
These are cultivated gentlemen and all graduates in medi¬ 
cine from some of our best medical schools. They are all 
admitted to seats in the regular medical conventions, and 
several are taking high stands as scientific men and as 
original investigators in the different departments. 
In the winter of 1867-8, Dr. Busteed, the President of 
the New York Veterinary College, was so anxious that 
Mr. Cornell should provide for a Veterinary Professor¬ 
ship in his new University, that though in very feeble 
health, he made a special effort to go with an English 
Veterinary Surgeon, who was here at the time, and in¬ 
troduce him to Mr. Cornell, that the provision for a 
veterinary chair might be secured and a competent man 
found to fill it. Prof. Law’s name was mentioned for the 
position; subsequently President White of Cornell Uni¬ 
versity, when he went to Europe, saw and engaged him. 
Thus it was through Dr. Busteed that Mr. Law has his 
veterinary chair, and—fills it. Concerning the New-York 
College, it is proper to add the following facts. A char¬ 
ter for it was granted in 1857, which received important 
amendments in 1863, and the institution went into 
operation in 1864, since which time its classes, though 
still small, have constantly increased in numbers. In its 
Hospital more than 3,300 cases were treated last year, 
and it is almost always crowded to its fullest capacity. 
We will not blame Mr. Law for forgetfulness, but regard 
it as unfortunate that we Americans are so apt to addle 
the brains of a certain class of newly-arrived immigrants, 
that they learn to look down upon American things. 
Mow to get rid of Stiamps and 
Roots.—“A. B.,” St. George, W. Va., asks: “Is there 
no preparation which, introduced into the sap of a tree 
will kill it ? our country (woodland) is full of white oak 
‘grugs,’ and other bushes. Is there no easier way of 
getting rid of them than to use the grubbing hoe To 
the first question we say No. There are, indeed, poison¬ 
ous mineral salts which will kill the trees to which they 
are applied, but they will not hasten their decay. There 
is a quicker way than to use the grubbing hoe alone. 
This is to grub by horse or ox power. A large, strong 
cart-hook may be made with very short, strong, durable 
jaws, to be operated by horses or oxen attached to a 
chain. There are grubbers made for the purpose. 
Fremiums.—Those who wish to know all 
about the various Premiums are referred to the lists on 
pages 433 to 436. 
Kansas Crops.— “F. P.,” Ott wa Co., 
Kan., writes: “Fall wheat and fall rye yielded fair 
crops; spring wheat, oats, and barley, light ones; corn 
was a complete failure with three-quarters of the farmers, 
and nearly so with the rest. This is true with only a few 
exceptions in the counties of North-western Kansas. 
I learn that in all of Eastern and Southern Kansas, corn 
and potatoes are no better.” 
Cast-Iron fkivc-lroiiglis and Con¬ 
duits.—“ W. A. O’D.” Cast-iron is rarely if ever used 
for eave-troughs in this country, except, perhaps, upon 
the cast-iron buildings now so common, but we presume 
it would be necessary to have them made to order if you 
were to put them up. The proper places to go for infor¬ 
mation would be to the makers of iron buildings. Cast- 
iron pipes for underground water conduits are easily ob¬ 
tained, being in extensive use by the Water Board, and 
for conducting gas. Any good American mechanic would 
put them up without difficulty. To prevent rusting they 
should be painted inside and out. 
Mampsliire, Fraulcllia, and Ham¬ 
den Co., Mass., Fair, this year, was considered a 
great success. The people gathered in unusual numbers, 
and seemed to be having a very good time in a very 
reasonable way, old and young joining in such social 
geniality as always does people good. The usual mistake 
was made of allowing notion poddlars to dispense their 
wares in a too boisterous manner, and sweet cider barrels 
attracted too many boys and men ; yet we saw no drunken 
brawls or fights which are so common at such places. 
The managers and people did themselves credit in every 
enjoyable way. The show of working oxen was very 
large. Thorough-bred cattle, Shorthorns, Ayrshires, 
Jerseys, and Devons, were shown in large numbers, and 
' some of them were very fine. The Mass. Agricultural 
College did itself and the State credit by a show of good 
cattle of all the fine kinds of thorough-breds, and they 
took several first premiums. We could not exactly un¬ 
derstand how the Committee could award the first pre¬ 
mium to the Jersey Bull of the College, as President 
Clark stated he was to be killed very soon, and his skin 
stuffed for a model by Prof. Agassiz, though the bull is 
only three years old. First-class thorough-breds should 
not be sacrificed so young. The show of sheep was not 
large, but included some very superior CotswoMs, which 
took three first prizes. Swine were out in only small 
numbers, and did no credit to the counties represented. 
They should improve largely in this line. The show of 
fruits, especially apples (46 entries), pears (16 entries), 
and grapes (20 entries), was large and very creditable. 
Root crops, made a moderate show, which we hope 
to see improved in coming seasons. The ladies’ bread 
and butter show was good, though there is large oppor¬ 
tunity for improvement in the working and putting up 
butter, as could be plainly seen in those show samples 
A few of the lots did credit to the makers as well as to 
the herds from which they came. Domestic articles of 
needle work, etc., were creditable. The horse show we 
considered poor for Massachusetts. More attention 
should be given by farmers to breeding fine colts, as it 
costs no more to raise them than to raise scrubs. A large 
number of people were out*to see the horse show, and 
the fair was very satisfactory to most if not all parties. 
Asbestos.—“W. R. S.,” asks if Asbestos is 
indestructable by fire.—Yes. It is a fibrous mineral which 
is neither consumed nor melted in any ordinary fire. Its 
use, however, in a roofing composition, is not its incom¬ 
bustibility altogether, but because from its fibrous nature 
it prevents the asphaltum mixture in which it is mingled 
from running when heated by the sun, and giving it a 
“ body ” which is essential to its usefulness. 
Covering for a, Shingle B£oof. —A 
subscriber asks: “ Is there any thing with which I can 
cover a shingle roof, which leaks because it is too flat ?” 
We can hardly advise simply painting with a roof coat¬ 
ing such as we advertise sometimes, but have no doubt 
the regular roofing might be applied with good results, 
even to a shingle surface. 
MilcSi Clouts.—“ Where can the best milk¬ 
giving Goats be obtained ?” is asked by a Colorado cor¬ 
respondent.—The stock of goats which we have in this 
country, have come chiefly from those brought from va¬ 
rious European countries to supply milk for the voyage. 
Hence they have been selected with only a regard for the 
quantity of milk they were giving at the time of sailing. 
They have greatly multiplied, but have been bred so far 
as we know utterly without care. Very good ones, how¬ 
ever, are often found among them, and their kids are al¬ 
most always raised. Adult goats are such poor food that 
they are not often killed if they can be otherwise dispos¬ 
ed of, so the stock increases constantly. A selection 
might be made of good milch goats in almost any of our 
Atlantic cities, but, to get really superior stock, we would 
advise importing from Switzerland, or wherever in Eu¬ 
rope care is taken in the breeding. 
'I'lie IV. Y. Stute Fair took place at 
Utica, the last week in September, and ranks as one of 
the very best shows which have ever been held by the 
Society. Our limited space forbids more than a general 
notice of its points of excellence. One was the furnish¬ 
ing of a complete catalogue of all entries, which was sold 
for 25 cts., and did more to make the exhibition really 
useful than any other one thing. The show of Horses 
was much larger than usual, but as it was made for the 
horse owners and not for the benefit of the public we 
have nothing to say about it. When the Society, that is 
the Executive Committee, can arrange to let the public 
see the horses which are shut up in close stables, it will 
begin to do its duty. It is much more important to have 
them exhibited than to award the 200-dollar prizes. There 
were about 40 head of Shorthorns in the pens, including 
the flower of Walcott & Campbell’s herd, which has hard¬ 
ly a superior in the world. George Butts, of Manlius, 
T. L. Harison, ofMorley, andV. W. Mason, of Canastota, 
were the principal exhibitors, the first mentioned making 
some 17 entries. There was a goodly show of Devons. 
Among the exhibitors Walter Cole, of Batavia, W. E. 
Arnold, of Otego, and Joseph Hilton, of New Scotland, 
made the greater part of the show, but there were sever¬ 
al other exhibitors of excellent animals. In all there 
were 47 entries. Devons seem to be getting more popu¬ 
lar again, and well they may be, for there is surely no 
more beautiful or more useful breed. The Ayrshires were 
