and purchased clean seed to sow this year.” 
This was questioned, and tho result showed 
that one quart contained fourteen grains of 
chess, or about 450 grains to the bushel. 
One example more. While on a visit to 
Western New York a few years since, I 
made inquiry in several towns to find some 
clean wheat, or rather some that was tree 
from red root seed, but could find none, and 
I only bought a peck each of two individu¬ 
als. Both were famed in their own neigh¬ 
borhood’s for raising clean wheat, and both 
warranted theirs to be “perfectly clean, 
but still each parcel contained about a dozon 
grains of chess and red root. This was as¬ 
certained by picking each parcel over twice 
by hand. 
It is not necessary to multiply examples, 
but if TIiel will tako a bushel of his “clean 
wheat” from tho last in a bin, or tho fast 
from a pile on tho barn floor, and spread ;t 
on a clean floor in a light place, or examine 
it by putting a small parcel at a time on a 
plate, he will find (somewhat unexpectedly, 
perhaps.) what will convince him that it is 
not fair to charge “ Nature’s legerdemain 
with the faults that properly belong to an¬ 
other. Linus Co * e - 
Troy, Michigan, May, 1853. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
New Disease among Pigs. 
Mr. Editor: —I saw an earnest inquiry 
in the Rural of May 14, from one of your 
correspondents concerning a disease among 
spring pigs. In answer, I would say that I 
lost a litter of five pigs last year, in March, 
that were diseased exactly as stated by your 
correspondent. In August following the 
same sow had a litter ot eight pigs, that she 
reared without any trouble, which thing I 
mention to show that the fault was not with 
the mother. 
This year, Feb. 26, tho same sow had a 
litter of eight, that did well for three weeks, 
when I noticed that the sow was feverish, 
and as a matter of course, failed to a great 
degree in her milk. A part cf the pigs be¬ 
came diseased, and I sought a remedy. Af¬ 
ter trying various things, to no offect, I 
turned her out of tho pen on tho wheat.— 
I noticed a change for the better, with the 
pigs in two days; and after three or four 
days, I shut her up, because she rooted the 
ground so badly. It was but a short time 
before the pigs looked as bad as at first, and 
I then put a ring in her nose and let her go. 
The result is, the pigs have all lived and 
done well, but those that were diseased the 
worst, are not more than one-half as large 
as those not diseased at all. So I come to 
the conclusion that the trouble was with 
the sow, caused by not having access to the 
ground and something green.—W. L., Lew¬ 
iston , JY. Y., May, 1853. 
Mr. Editor :—I tako my pen in hand to 
answer a communication in your paper of 
tho 14th ult., headed “New Disease among 
Pigs.” 
In tho spring of 1845, I had a sow and 
seven pigs, prized highly on tho account of 
their being purely white. At tho age of 
three or four weeks old, one died and two 
more becamo dumpish, as we call it. I 
communicated my ill luck to an old neigh¬ 
bor, saying I feared I should lose them all. 
He said they had the black tooth; that I 
must knock out their tusks, as I would find 
them all turned black. In the course of 
tho second day one died, over this I held a 
sort of backwoods, jack-knife, post mortem ex¬ 
amination. Found tho throat slightly swol¬ 
len, the breathing hole very much contract¬ 
ed, and the tusks black. There was a pros¬ 
pect of losing tho whole of them shortly, so 
we got a pair of pliers, (such as are used for 
bonding wires,) and mashed all their tusks 
even with the gums. The disease stopped 
when tho third pig died. 
Many died in this section the same spring 
some one year old and over, but all that 
died were confined in tight pens. Your 
correspondent will only have to give his 
pigs free access to tho earth, and take out 
tho tusks of the sick ones, (if not too far, 
gone,) and his anxiety will be at an end as 
far as healthy pigs are concerned.—D. M., 
Friendship, A". Y. 
Security to Granaries. 
Mr. Editor :—I suppose it is not general¬ 
ly known that tar is very offensive to rats 
and mice. It is so, and acting upon this 
fact, I have experimented with it in build¬ 
ing granaries. I set tho bottom of the studs 
on which tho ceiling is to bo made, in from 
the outside boarding of the barn, about four 
inches, so as to give room for a cat to pass 
around. If the granary is in a corner of 
the barn, a notch should bo sawed out of 
the post so that she can go through. I 
first begin with the lining to the floor; lay 
this first, then put on one board of the ceil¬ 
ing all around, and put a good coat of tar 
along the edgo and lower ends of the boards. 
The floor is then laid (before putting on 
more ceiling, as it is more convenient cut¬ 
ting in the floor.) Tar is put on all around 
tho odge, and tho ceiling then finished, 
using tar freely at the corners. I make the 
door sill of a piece of hard-wood scantling, 
two inches by four, set up on edgo. 
Finished in this way, and tho door kept 
specimens that have been brought to this 
city, have been purchased at $20 to $23 the 
pair. Tho most reputable Boston dealers 
have sent such here at $20 tho pair. And 
in a single instanco only do we learn that 
$35 was paid at second hand, for one such 
shut, no rats or mice will ever get into the j pair. Ono hundred dollars the pair thoro- 
granarv. It is seldom we see a mouse hole 
in a plain board; they aro almost always in 
the corners, so use the tar thero freely. I 
have tried this ten years, and have experi¬ 
enced no trouble from these pests in my 
granary.— H. S. Husted, Le Roy, A". Y., 
May 26, 1853. 
Staking and Capping Fence. 
Eds. Rural :—Tho following cheap and 
substantial method of staking and perma¬ 
nently securing tho common rail fence, in 
my opinion, takes down all others that ever 
came under my observation. I will try and 
discribe it understanding^. 
First build a fence and for riders use rails 
or long poles, laid lengthwise, on top, in the 
centre of tho fence, and for stakes any thing 
handy or convenient,—old stakes, broken 
rails, any sticks long enough to reach from 
tho ground to the top of the fence will serve. 
Place them in tho inside corner between the 
rider and fence; one end on tho ground 
close to the fence, the other leaning in and 
wedging between the top rail and rider, and 
in every short corner, which secures it, fence 
and all, against all common levelcrs. 
Its advantages over tho common fashion, 
of staking, over or across the corner, and 
any other of tho many different ways in 
vogue, needs neither forensic eloquence nor 
cunning sophistry to make it apparent to 
any experienced farmer, who I think will 
agree, that, the usual method, including cost 
of material and labor in sharpening and set¬ 
ting, will amount to nearly one half tho 
whole expense of a fence, besides tho value 
of land which the stakes occupy. Much 
might bo said in favor of my favorite meth¬ 
od, but I deem it unnecessary, and if any 
one can benefit himself by the above, ho 
need not say, or feel, “ thank you ” to me, 
for I would be very happy to pay all I owe 
of such a nature in this way.—S. Graves, 
Marccllus, JY. Y., May 25, 1853. 
The Care of Harness—Once More. 
Friend Moore :—My first article, (the 
first I ever wrote for publication,) has callod 
out a reply from the author of the piece I 
criticised, and I find a Doctor down upon 
me. May I say a few words in reply to his 
second article ? 
In his first, which was published in your 
paper of April 9th, ho says “ Take your 
harness to pieces as far as you can unbuckle 
it. put it in a tub or barrel and pour boiling 
soap suds over it, and let it stand all night.” 
This I said would be destruction to any 
harness, and I say it again; boiling suds will 
damage any leather. He gets around it by 
cooling tho water on its way to tho barrel. 
We will admit that it is possible, that water 
which has been boiled—the tub containing 
the harness being at some distance, and a 
large quantity of cold harness being placed 
therein, &e.—may so reduce the tempera¬ 
ture as to be quite harmless. 
The Doctor begins to oil his harness as 
soon as it is cleaned, hanging it in tho sun 
or by the fire to dry. My method is to 
clean and dry, hanging the harness in the 
shade, and then apply tho oil. Look at it 
philosophically. If you oil a strap of leath¬ 
er that is full of water, it will not penetrate 
at all—the water must be dried away before 
the oil can take its place, and on clean dry 
leather it will strike in as soon at it touches 
it. Now Doctor, and all interested, try my 
method, and if your harness is not as plia¬ 
ble as his, your draft for damages shall be 
honored by—H., Le Roy, JY. Y. 
foro, cannot bo a necessary and reasonable 
market price. 
Again;- five dollars is statod to bo the 
prico of Chittagongs, when it is now settled 
that most of the so styled Brahmas are 
nothing more than the white Chittagongs 
with black tails common through the ontire 
region of the sea-board. Ono pair oach of 
Cochins, Shanghais, and white importod 
Dorkings are also sold at $5 the pair. Now 
it is equally clear, that this is not tho fail- 
value of good birds of these classes. Birds, 
such as a professional breeder for market 
sales to private gentlemen, would find it 
necessary to possess, cannot bo had for loss 
than twice this sum at least. Cochins at 
$20 tho pair, have recently been sent to 
gentlemen in this city from Boston dealers, 
who have also sent Brahmas at $20 tho pair, 
at the same time. 
What now must naturally bo the effect of 
a published notice of such prices as are 
stated in tho sale above ? What, but un¬ 
reasonably to enhance tho supposed excel¬ 
lence and the cost of tho Brahmas; and 
unduly to lessen tho estimato, and the mar¬ 
ket price, of the other varieties -which might 
be considered rivals ? Brahmas sent from 
tho East, from 8 to 18 months old, and fine 
as any in this market, have been sold here 
at ten to fifteen dollars the pair. Twenty- 
five dollars would bo a high fancy prico, for 
the finest pair of any varioty of fowls that 
could be produced. Cochin Chinas, Shang¬ 
hais, and white imported Dorkings, if good 
birds of pure blood, are worth ton dollars 
tho pair. Those that can bo bought of an 
extensive and professional dealer for half 
that price, must not be the stock from which 
to breed for sales to intelligent men. 
In viow of all these things, tho salo, whoso 
published notice has called forth theso com¬ 
ments, was, to say the least of it, a curious 
and singular transaction. Shanghai. 
AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE. 
I 
Brahma Fowls. 
Mr. Editor :—A statement appeared in 
the Democrat of the 12th inst., of a recent 
sale in this city, of “improved fowls,” at 
prices quite unusual. The same statement 
was published in the advertising columns of 
the Rural New-Yorker of tho 20th inst. 
We should not criticise this sale, had it not 
appeared in an Agricultural journal,— a 
source to which the farmer looks for cor¬ 
rect, reliable knowledge, in regard to the 
character and value of the various kinds of 
stock and products, that come within tho 
circle of their peculiar province.* 
Three Brahma Pootras aro stated to have 
been sold at $50 each—$150 for the three 
fowls. Eight Brahma hens and two pullets 
at $99,83, while ono pair each of Cochins, 
Shanghais, importod white Dorkings, and 
Chittagongs, are sold at $5 the pair. Tak¬ 
ing all together this salo is a remarkable 
one, and being thus mado public, invites 
comment. 
In tho first place then, there is no intrin¬ 
sic reason why three Brahmas should com¬ 
mand the price of $50 each. The best 
•The statement was published as an advertisement, and 
not otherwise endorsed.—E d. 
possible, increase its premiums—and that 
tho award bo divided equally between the 
plowman and the entering competitor. 
Alfred Fitcii, 1 
Moses Pettingill, \ Com. 
P. B. IIOLDRIDGE. ) 
Churchville, June 4,, 1853. 
Class No. 2—Furrows seven by twelve 
inches—the Committee award the following 
premiums: 
1. Wm. Cannon, Riga, Curtis’ Plow No. 
10, $6; 2. Thos. Brodie, do. Caledonia Plow, 
$4; 3. T. Bishop, Sweden, Eagle No. 50, 
$2; 4. Wm. Belch, do. do. Yol. Trans, and 
$1; 5. S. Fox, Brighton, Hallock’s No. 21, 
Yol. Inst. Trans.; 6. P. Slocum, Swoden, ,j 
Eagle No. 5, Yol. Inst. Trans. 
A discretionary premium of $3, in addi¬ 
tion, was given to S. Fox, of Brighton, for 
the most perfect compliance with the rules 
as to tho depth and width of furrow. 
Edwin Tatlor, ) 
Ephraim Kellum, V Com. 
C. S. White. ) 
Class, No. 3—Boys eighteen years of age 
and under — roceived tho following premi¬ 
ums : 
1. John Sutphen, Swoden, Curtis No. 4, 
(iron beam.) $4; 2. D. II. Root, do, Kouka 
Plow $3 ; 3. D. Locke, do, do, $2; W. Bro- 
die, do, Caledonia Plow, Yol. Inst. Trans, 
and $1. 
A discrotionary premium of $2 and Yol. 
Trans, was given to Jas. C. Ross, of Ogden, 
for skill and speed in Plowing. 
Your Committee would report that the 
plowing in this class was exceedingly cred- 
itablo to the boys, rendering it difficult to 
determine tho different degrees of merit.— 
There was much difference in the land to be 
plowed, which has been taken into tho ac¬ 
count. Tho skill of tho plowman has not 
been the only consideration that has deter¬ 
mined tho awards. They feel it due to W. 
Brodie, to say, that had this been tho case, 
ho would have been entitled to a higher 
premium. Joseph Harris, } 
J. G. Ramsdell, > 
Dudley Root, 3 
(Report on Implements, &c., next week.) 
Com. 
Monroe Co. Plowing Match. 
The Spring Plowing Match of our Coun- 
Ag’l Socioty took place at Churchville on 
he 4th inst. The day was fino and over a 
thousand farmers from this and adjoining 
Counties were present. Nineteen teams 
were entered for competition, all of which 
performed their work in a creditable man¬ 
ner, rendering it difficult for tho Commit¬ 
tees to decide between them. 
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 
Class No. 1, (furrows eight by fifteen inch¬ 
es) is reported upon as follows : 
Premiums. —1. Wm. Bond, Riga, Cayuga 
Co. Plow improved, (with Sprague’s Regula¬ 
tor) $6 ; 2. J. B. Smith, do. Hallock’s Trojan 
Plow, No. 6. $4 ; 3. Jas. Cannon, do. Curtis 
Plow, No. 12 $3; 4. Wm. Hutton do. do. $2: 
5. L. Babcock, do. do. $1 ; 6. Augustus 
Outhout, Sweden, Ganson Keuka Plow, Vol. 
Trans; 7. Wm Swan, Lord Plow, do. 
Also a special Premium of Transactions 
to Mr. Brinkeriioff, Batavia, for a Self 
Holding Plow with two wheels connected 
by an axletree. The Committee thought 
the work of this plow not inferior to any 
other ; it was the only ono that maintained 
the uniform furrow required and the wheels 
were regarded as an improvement. It was 
not regularly entered, and so could not bo 
classed with the others. 
The field selected presented an uneven 
surfaco crossed by tho old furrows, and the 
sod was a mixture of Timothy and Clover 
of two years standing, not stiff enough to 
prevent breaking in turning the furrow by 
plows of moderate length mould-boards.— 
The soil varied from a sandy to a clayey 
loam, the sub-soil on a portion of the field 
a stiff clay ; on other portions small stones 
prevailed, both stones and clay coming near 
enough to tho surface to bo reached by the 
plow when guaged to tho requisite depth 
As tho above obstacles in the way of turning 
a smooth, uniform furrow existed to a great¬ 
er extent on some of the parcels plowed 
than on others, the Committee found it ex¬ 
ceedingly difficult to decide between the 
claims of the different competitors. 
Compared with former years the Com¬ 
mittee are of tho opinion that a fair improv 
ment has been made, both in the skill of tho 
plowmen and in the superiority of tho plows 
used. And yot in a County rich in Agri 
cultural resources as our own, and with a 
wheat soil unsurpassed by that of any other 
in the State, wo ought, and with suitable en 
couragements might do better than we were 
premitted to witness on the present occa 
sion. For the encouragement of this im 
portant branch of farm labor, tho Commit 
tee would recommend that great attention 
in future bo paid to the selection of a uni 
| form plot of ground,—that the Socioty, if 
Orleans County Flowing Match. 
We gather from the letter of a corres¬ 
pondent, somo items of interest relating to 
tho recent Plowing Match at Gainos, Or¬ 
leans Co. Thoro were nine competitors for 
the premiums, each with good teams and 
doing good work. Mr. Curtis had a plow 
there running on wheels and needing no 
holder, which attracted considerable atten¬ 
tion. 
Cattle, Sheep, and Horses, were well rep¬ 
resented at the afternoon exhibition.— 
Among tho latter was a five-year old stud, 
raised by Mr. David Hood and still owned 
by him. This horse, a son of Black Hawk, 
was very much admired by all who saw him, 
and his groom had him under the most per¬ 
fect management. Tho occasion was gen¬ 
erally one of much interest. 
County Agricultural Societies. 
The Seneca County Agricultural Socioty 
hold their next Fair and Cattlo Show at 
Waterloo on tho 12th, 13th and 14th of Oct. 
The following is tho list of officers for 1853 : 
President— John Delafield. 
Vice Presidents—Abram Rappleyo, Cov¬ 
ert ; John L. Eastman. Lodi ; Isaac Covert, 
Ovid ; Poter J. Van Vleet, Romulus; O. W. 
Wilkinson, Variek; Robert J. Swan, Fayette; 
Lyman T. Crowell, Seneca Falls ; Archibald 
Munson, Tyro ; Randolph Welles, Junius ; 
A. Schooloy, Waterloo. 
Treasurer—John D. Coo. 
Secretary—J. W. Bacon. 
This Agricultural, Horticultural, and Me¬ 
chanical Association of Galen, Wayne Co., 
will hold their annual Fair and Cattle 
Show, Sept. 17. Their officers for 1853, aro 
the following: 
President—Hon. L. S. Ketchum. 
Vice Presidents—A. V. Waterbury, E. 
Jones. Josexih C. Watson, Ezra Ringer, and 
J. G. Terry. 
Secretary—Joseph Watson. 
Treasurer—Thomas Plumtree. 
Librarian—Daniel W. Foster. 
The Maryland State Fair is to bo held 
at Baltimore on tho 25th, 26th, 27th and 
28th of October. A largo number of pre¬ 
miums are offered. 
The Illinois State Fair is to bo hold at 
Springfield, on tho 12th, 13th and 14th of 
October. 
Transplanting Evergreens. —We have 
seen different times recommended for trans¬ 
planting Evergroens—some saying it should 
be dono in the fall, others in tho spring, &c. 
Whon sot in tho fall they will die univer¬ 
sally, while few will live when put out early 
in tho spring. The first half of June is the 
best time, and if carefully and judiciously 
performed then, not one in twenty will die. 
Wo do not remember a single failure in all 
our experience. A large wheel-barrow load 
of swamp muck filled in around the roots ot 
oach tree, is very beneficial.—S. W., Wha- 
lenville, JY. Y., Juno, 1853. 
THE AGRICULTURAL PRESS. 
When to Use Lime and Plaster. 
We find tho subjoined explanation of tho 
use and action of Lime and Gypsum un¬ 
credited in an exchange: 
The value of lime or plaster, as a manure, 
depends upon the component parts of tho 
soil to which it is applied. All land has 
more or less sulphuric acid in it, caused by 
tho decomposition of iron pyrites. Tho 
presence of this acid may generally bo 
known by tho appearance of tho soil, par¬ 
ticularly of the stones. If there is any iron 
rust, or oxide of iron, in the soil, or in the 
stones, or on the top of tho water that fil¬ 
trates through the soil, or if the water is 
hard, it indicates the presence of sulphuric 
acid. 
If land on which grass seed is sown is 
“ slow to catch” or sod over, or catches in 
patches , it indicates tho presence of sulphu¬ 
ric acid. If the roots of clover and herds- 
grass in the spring stand two or three inches 
out of the ground, and in detached parcels, 
with bare ground between, it is the work of 
sulphuric acid. On such land plaster is a 
positive injury. If clover and tamo grasses 
die out, and are succeeded by wire grass, 
sorrel or sour dock, it is caused by sulphur¬ 
ic acid. Put on lime and keep off plaster. 
The reason why plaster should not be 
used on land charged with sulphuric acid is, 
that plaster is composed of lime and sul¬ 
phur, and applying that is adding more of 
that with which land is already overcharged. 
On such land apply time, which unites with 
the sulphuric acid, and forms plaster. The 
lime thus neutralizes the acid; and the acid 
thus neutralizes tho lime, and form a com¬ 
pound nutriment for vegetation. The rea¬ 
son why tho ground appears so hard where 
tho oarth is charged with sulphuric acid is, 
that the old stubble has been eaten up by 
tho acid. 
The sulphuric acid in plaster, applied to 
land not overcharged with that substance, 
decomposes vegetation, and fits it for nour¬ 
ishing tho living plants. When thero is an 
excess of the acid, it eats vp the vegetation, 
both death and living. This is the rerson 
why soils overcharged with the acid are al¬ 
ways deficient in vegetable matter. And 
soils free from it havo an excess of vegeta¬ 
ble matter in a non-deoomposed state. 
The presonco of this acid is tho cause of 
sorrel and sour grass. Tho land is literally 
sour, and Nature is trying to throw it from 
her stomach, through these excrescences.— 
The rulo then is, if your land has too much 
sulphuric acid, or is sour, give it a good coat 
of lime; if destitute of acid, apply plaster. 
Hav8 we Heavy-Wooled Sheep 
Among us ? 
The Bourbon question has not excited 
more general interest throughout tho coun¬ 
try than has that discussed in tho following 
article, which we copy from tho Wool Grow¬ 
er and Stock Register, for Juno : 
The Bourbon humbug is uot more bold and 
transparent, than is the claim set up by sundry 
breeders of exclusively heavy-fleeced sheep. Un¬ 
fortunately, however, the sheep humbug has done, 
and is doing, infinitely more mischief than its 
Bourbon brother. That is, at least, a harmless 
subject for gossip among the credulous or curious. 
But the other has scattered the seeds of disap¬ 
pointment and distrust among a large number of 
people, and will destroy beyond all hope many a 
valuable flock of sheep, and seriously injure a 
great number of others. Cupidity and avarice 
may be successful with ignorance for a time, but 
in the end they will get their reward. A few 
men in this State and in Vermont have made for¬ 
tunes by pushing the fraud,—and probably they 
will continue to do so, for the / world likes to be 
humbugged, and nobody better than a certain 
class of farmers. 
Any man can have heavy-fleeced sheep, with¬ 
out going to Vermont or Connecticut, or France 
or Germany. And 1 will tell him how he can do 
it, and how it is done. One way is to shear 
very early one year and very late another. That 
is the first degree, — a small bug. The next de¬ 
gree improves upon the first by washing early, 
and not very clean ; or, to give the words of rather 
a celebrated Vermont breeder to his men when 
washing, they wash “ the hind legs ”—leaving all 
forward wet, but not washed. The sheep are 
driven through dusty roads, and run till late in 
bare fields, or around sand or gravel banks. This 
is the second degree, and it will give some very 
heavy fleeces of ( washed ?) wool. The bug has 
grown some. 
The next degree takes the same kind of sheep. 
They are fed high while lambs, higher when 
yearlings, and, if not sold, highest when two 
years old—so that in the third year you shall have 
a large sheep and a very heavy fleece. A part of 
the first degree is adopted in this. The sheep is 
shorn early and not very closely. The next year, 
which is to give the heavy fleece, that is to be 
put in all the papers, it will be shorn late, and 
unwashed. The sheep will be kept under cover, 
the body well smeared at shearing with about 
three pounds of tar, tallow and lamp oil, litherage 
or lamp-black; it will be well oiled at various 
times during the winter. At shearing time there 
will be a heavy-fleeced sheep among us. And 
men who have just concluded to go into the sheep 
business will go a great ways to get some of that 
kind of sheep, and will pay high prices for them. 
The bug thus attains its growth. 
Now, in the hands of most farmers, these sheep 
would have yielded, with the ordinary care and 
keeping, from 3 to 5 lbs. of clean washed wool. 
The rams would have sheared about 8 lbs.—aver¬ 
aging from 6 to 10 lbs. 
I have been much amused by the inquiries of 
many correspondents in regard to my own slice]) 
which I offered for sale last fall, (but which, I will 
remark in passing, were not sold and have been 
withdrawn from market—the demand for rams 
