18G7.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
169 
<iSoiii;; to l^oitdoii, ef«*.— Sev¬ 
eral KiibKcrlbors in (llffiTout imrts of the country have 
from time to time astked about the methotls and expenses 
of 8011111!,' to the Exhibition at Paris this summer. There 
are many steamers advertised, but it is hanlly in our lino 
to 80 into |>articulars. In renuinbranco, however, of a 
most delightful voya 80 In the world-renowned “Great 
Eastern.” in ISIJS, without the least sca-slckucss or other 
discomfort, we can commend a voyage In her as a most 
desirable thing. This Leviathan of the deep has even 
bi-en greatly iinprovctl (not “ cn/rtri/ed,” as editors say), 
and will leave New York for Brest May 28 and July 9. 
(For circulars, etc., address Wells & Fargo's Express 
Comimny, New York City.) A railway extends through a 
beautiful part of France from Brest to Paris. First class 
fares to Brest are $100, $125 and $140 each in gold—the 
different rates depending upon the size and location of 
state rooms. Tliis fare includes all necessary expense on 
ship-boartl. Railroad fare flora Brest to Paris $7.50. 
This makes the trip to Paris, at present prices of gold, 
about $11-1, or $173, or $200 in our curre..cy. One may 
allow abtiut $5 a day in Paris for expenses, sight seeing, 
riding, etc., or $100 for twenty days. The round trip will 
therefore cost flora $400 to $500 currency, according to 
style of going, extras, etc. A $100 or more, taken along 
to u.sc In purchases, etc., if desired, will not come amiss. 
-When in Paris, one will want to nin over to London, 
which can be done by suveral routes, in 11 to 10 hours, 
and for $0 to $S in gold, according to the route and ac¬ 
commodations chosen. As much more will take one up 
through the heart of England to Liverpool.—Another 
very pleasant, short trip, for one pressed for time, is 
to go from Paris to Lyons; thence to Geneva, Switzer¬ 
land—a romantic ride up into or among the Alps—; thence 
to Frankfort, Germany, diverging to Strasburg if time 
serves; thence to Mayence; thence down the most inter¬ 
esting portion of the Rhine by steamer to Cologne ; thence 
to Bm-sels; thence to Paris, or to London via Ostend. 
We give partly fhjin memory, and partly from our notes 
made in passing over portions of the route in 1862, an ap¬ 
proximate table of the distances, first and second class 
fares (the latter about equal to our first class cars), in gold, 
and the through time by express trains, not allowing for 
stopping to rest or for sight seeing. Starting from Paris : 
Paiiis 
imes. 
Hours. 
Ist Class. 
id Class. 
To Lyons. 
To Geneva. 
. Sir, 
11 
$11.00 
$8.00 
. 100 
5 
3.50 
2.50 
To Frankfort... 
. 31.3 
16 
9.00 
6.50 
To Maycnce.... 
. 21 
1 
80 
50 
To Cologne.... 
. 127 
10 
2.00 
1.50 
To Brussels ... 
. 150 
8 
5.00 
4.00 
To Paris. 
. *215 
10 
7.00 
5.50 
Or to Loudon.. 
. 210 
11 
10.00 
7.50 
^^lo\v Torture at llie Staclf. — An 
“ Iowa Farmer ’’ should cypher on the problem of the 
cost of fattening steers in the field rather than in the bam 
in the winter. One third of the food at^castgocs to keep 
up animal heat, and is wasted. Com is cheap in Iowa, 
but is it cheaper than boards ? In the East, store cattle 
and cows have little to eat except com stalks, straw and 
hay, and this often of poor quality. If kept at the stack 
through the winter, they grow poor and suffer. 
■Vnre II. T. L;ijce, Portage Co., 0. 
We know nothing better to preserve posts than to dip the 
butU In hot coal tar, let them drip, and then roll in sand. 
^Vliut .Tluniire** wliall IVc Hiiy V— 
“ J. M” Peravian guano, at present prices, is out of the 
reach of most cultivators, and yet it is so reliable, and so 
certain to produce immediate results, that some will buy 
it at any price. Snpcrjjhosphatc of lime is always good 
for certain crops, if you get a genuine article, and for this 
you have to rely upon the Integrity of the manufacturer. 
Bone dust is in the same category. The cheapest manures 
in the market, this spring, we think, arc the fish guanos, 
or the dried ptimace from the fish-oil factories. Tlicse are 
of two kinds, the refuse as it comes from the press, de¬ 
prived of all the oil, and the refuse still further dried and 
ground to a coarse powder, so that it can be sown in drills 
or broadcast. The latter Involves considerable more 
labor in Its preparation, and stands higher in the market. 
It has almut 9 i>er cent, of ammonia. It is better for cer¬ 
tain purposes; is more conveniently applied cither in the 
hill or to growing crops, and can be more evenly distri¬ 
buted ui)on the surface for harrowing or plowing in. The 
unground niflise is lumpy, and needs to be mixed with 
large quantities of turf, loam, peal, or muck in compost, 
and to be thoroughly worked over, in order to use it 
economically. We have used Iwth varieties with excel¬ 
lent results, and at present prices, we think we get more 
fertilizing material, for the money, in fish guano than in 
^any other article in the market. The market is generally 
at the factories, and, for the most part, the article is kept 
in first hands for sale ; so that there is not much chance 
for adulteration without detection. Until quite recently 
the local demand has taken it up about as fast as made. 
The fish-oil factories are increasing, and as the refuse 
multiplies, it has,to go further from home for a market. 
It is coming into use on rtie cotton plantations, and wher¬ 
ever it is fairly tried the demand for the article increases. 
'1 li<’: oi' —as given 
in tlie Montlily Report of tlie Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment is: In the Eastern States $:w.:30 per month; in 
the Middle States, $.30.07 per montli; in the Western 
States, $28.91; in the Southern States, $16.00; in Oregon, 
$;35.75; in California, $45.71. In Massachusetts the price 
is $;18.91 per month, which is liigher than in any other 
State except California. Tills is attributed to the great 
variety of industry in the State, only about one-fourth of 
the people being employed in agriculture. This makes a 
very lively demand for all farm products. Tlie greater 
variety of occupations in a State the better for laborers. 
Tliere has been an advance in the price of labor of about 
seventy per cent, in the last forty years, notwithstanding 
an immigration of 5,000,000 of people. The greatest want 
of the country is labor to developc our resources. 
Wlioro Tariim arc Art vert isc*!.— 
G. Ober. Farms for sale are frequently put into the hands 
of real estate agents in the neighboring cities, who ad¬ 
vertise in the daily or w'eekly papers. A visit to a read¬ 
ing room in the city, where all the papers are kept, would 
give yon the desired information. The cheapest farms 
will generally be advertised in the local papers in regions 
where there is the least enterprise. 
lloston ^larrow Sqiiaiiili for 
CovvH III winter.—At the annual meeting of the N. 
Y. State Agricultural Society, Judge Osborn, of Albany, 
made interesting statements in regard to his mode of cul¬ 
tivating, presening, and feeding this important crop, 
lie thought it verj’ vahuable as a part of the winter feed 
of milch cows. After the fall feed was over, he fed with 
cabbage until about the Ist of January, and then with 
squashes for two months, and followed witli mangels and 
then with'carrots. He thought one pound of the squash 
equal in nutriment value to five pounds of pumpkin. 
The cows were very fond of them, and they imparted no 
disagreeable flavor to the butter. He sometimes fed 
fifty pounds of squash to a cow in a day. 
He cultivated the Marrow among his corn, reserving 
every fourth row for this purjiose, ninning clear across 
the field. The rows were four feet apart. The squashes 
thus had a fourth part of tlie land, and as much sunshine 
and manure as the com had. He did not approve of the 
too common method of stealing a crop by planting pump¬ 
kins in the same hill with the com or potatoes. lie had 
two methods of guarding the vines against destruction by 
bugs. As soon as tlie vines began to mn vigorously, he 
covered all about the roots with flue manure to induce the 
formation of new rootlets near the surface. This has¬ 
tened the growth, disturbed the bugs, and helped the 
starting of new roots. A little later in the season he cov¬ 
ered the vines at the joints, so as to make them strike 
roots there. If they lost their first roots by the bugs, as 
they sometimes did, tliey would be nourished by the 
joint roots and perfect their frait. Plaster was used to 
prevent injury by the striped bugs in the early stages of 
the growth of the vines. It required considerable labor to 
guard the squashes against freezing after they were gath¬ 
ered in the fall. Ills rale was to keep just ahead of the 
frost in protecting them. They were gathered into heaps 
in the field and covered when frost threatened. As the cold 
increased, they were carried to the cellar and laid upon 
shelves where they could be easily examined. The de¬ 
fective ones were removed as fast as decay made its ap¬ 
pearance. He thought this squash was not in perfect 
condition for eating until the 1st of January. 
.National Ti-isil oU I’lows, Har¬ 
row* and Cultivator*.—There will be a great trial 
of these implements held under the auspices of the New 
York State Agricultural Society near Utica, N. Y., on the 
7th of May and days following, by a committee consisting 
of nearly the same gentlemen who oftlciatcd as Judges at 
the trial of Mowers, Reapers and other hay and grain 
harvesting implements, at Auburn last year. The pro¬ 
gramme was not received until after the April number of 
the Agriculturist was in tlie hands of our subscribers. 
According to the tcmis it announces, entries must be 
made two weeks before the trial, and $20 entrance fee 
paid for plow8, ($5 if for exhibition only). The plows must 
bo exactly as they are sold to farmers, and they are ar¬ 
ranged under ton gold medal classes, as follows : I. Stiff- 
soil sod-plow; II. Stiff-soil stubble-plow; III. Light-soil 
sod-plows; IV. A plow which will plow 12 inches deep in 
stubble land, inverting tlic soil—(“ raise the Unuest soil to 
mrface of the furrow "—rrogrmnrm ): that is, probably, 
‘ raise the lowest soil to the surface of the furrow slice.’ 
For a plow which will turn a furrow of this kind, not less 
than five inches wide—the large gold medal. V. Michigan 
(sod and trench) plow; VI. Sub-soil plow in connection 
with an ordinary (?) pIo^y ; VII. Ditching plow for open¬ 
ing drains; VIII. Machine for excavating ditches; IX. 
Steel plow for soils that will not scour; X. Swing or side- 
hill plow. A medal is offered for the best Harrow, and 
Cultivators” are divided into two classes in each of 
which two gold medals are offered. The New York State 
Society by this action will place the public under renewed 
obligations to it and its public spirited officers. The trial 
W'ill, we doubt not, result in great good. 
Tlie Aeiv ISeg'istcrcrt ILiCtter Sys¬ 
tem, which is to be a very great improvement iu the 
matter of security, goes into operation June Ist, as we 
learn from official sources. We state by request, that 
some Post-masters are erroneously attempting to carry it 
out now; they should wait for the new “ Register Pack¬ 
age Envelopes,” the chief feature of the new system. 
IJiiiiiiswcrcrt tictters, Special Note. 
In addition to the usual business and editorial letters, 
referred to Mr. Judd for advice and direction, he is in the 
constant receipt of many letters marked “ Personal,” on 
various topics, including friendly epistles he would like 
to answer, personal inquiries, offers of implements, etc. 
He has kept these along, responding as fast as possible— 
to the most important first—but they have accumulated 
beyond his hope of getting to the bottom of the drawer. 
He mmt soon have more time for rest, or cease to write 
at all. Will his correspondents please kindly excuse this 
seeming, but by no means designed or desired, lack of 
courtesy or attention to their favors and requests. 
Tlie Small Ti-iiit Ciiltiii'ist.— By A. 
S. Fuller. Tlie only work devoted to small fruits. Special 
treatises of tliis kind have the advantage that the author 
can more thorouglily discuss his subject, and go into 
greater detail tlian in a work embracing both large and 
small fruits. Mr. F. has been so long identified -with the 
culture of small fluits, that it is unnecessary to speak of 
his qualifications as a teacher. The work covers the 
whole ground of propagation, culture, varieties, packing 
for market, etc. While many w-ill differ with the author 
iu his estimation of the value of some varieties, all will 
agree as to the thoroughness, and clearness, of the prac¬ 
tical part of the work—except perhaps those few growers, 
who wish to keep the secrets of the trade to themselves, 
these should recollect that the work was written for the 
people. The work is most abundantly illustrated. About 
300 pages, $1.50 by mail 
Herticiiic.s to Try. —Wc ask those who 
send us specimens of this kind to excuse us. We have 
no desire to compete with the Farmers’ Chib. 
A Cjirrt. 
BAROMETER CHALLENGE TO SOLON ROBINSON 
OF THE TRIBUNE. 
Sir; —In your “reports” of the New York Farmers’ 
Club you have more than once spoken of the Barometer 
in a manner to convey the impression that it is worthless 
to farmers, and its sale to them a humbug and swindle. 
You have said that “ in your opinion it is utterly worth¬ 
less to farmers; that it does not predict rain at all; that 
the niles laid dotvn in scientific works for the observation 
of the Barometer are utterly fallacious, and that persons 
who depend upon the Barometer M'ill fail fifty-nine times 
out of sixty in their weather predictions/’ Now, you 
have told me, in presence of witnesses, in effect, that 
“ you knew nothing at all about mercurial Barometers, or 
their operation, that all the cliancc you ever had to ob¬ 
serve the movements of a Barometer, was from a few 
W'ecks’ use of an imperfect Aneroid, and that you did not 
feel competent to decide upon their merits.” Knowing 
your reputation as a writer of Jktion, (Me-won-i-toc, &c.,) 
I, of course, know how to appreciate the first of the above 
statements, but appearing, as it did, in a widely circulated 
jounial, the public is liable to be led into hurtful error, 
from the great difficulty in discriminating facts from fic¬ 
tion in your “ reports.” To get at the truth of the mat¬ 
ter, I make you these propositions : 
1st. There are many thousands of Woodruff’s Barome¬ 
ters in the hands of practical farmqrs in this country. 
You may procure as many certificates as you can from 
persons using my Barometers to prove j'our point, and if 
I do not show forty certificates from farmers of its value 
and •practical utility for every one you can produce to the 
contrarv, then I will yield the point. 
2d. I "will place one of my Barometers in the hands of a 
practical, disinterested man, who shall keep a record of 
its movements three times a day for three months, and 
from its movements alone, daily predict the coming 
weather, in strict accordance with a printed “ card of di¬ 
rections,’” which I will furnish, and for every time he 
fails to predict correctly thq coming weather, I will for- 
