it*'*, 
it will not be as profitable as farther south, for 
the long, cold winters of this Territory will re¬ 
quire vast quantities of fodder for stock—to 
raising which, farmers must resort in a greater 
or less degree. 
Before I came to this region I was told of the 
“clear, soft, pure water of Minnesota,” but on 
arriving I found no “pure, soft water” in the Ter¬ 
ritory. Its soil is based upon limestone, and all 
the springs and streams spring from and run 
upon this rock. The land is generally sandy, 
and is said to be very productive. As I have 
purchased a farm upon which I intend to com¬ 
mence operations in the spring, I presume I 
shall be better qualified to write upon that after 
j I have had at least 
BOIB MANURE POE OATS. 
A correspondent of the Germantown Telegraph 
gives his experience with bone dust as a manure 
for oats. Had the comparative expense of each 
application also been given, it would have been 
more satisfactory—still it can be easily estimated. 
He says : 
“ 011 a piece of light soil that had been pas¬ 
tured for a period of upwards of thirty-five 
years, and which had been broken up deeply, 
and with an even and perfectly inverted furrow 
slice, the previous autumn, I sowed twenty-five 
bushels of bone dust and wood ashes, half and 
half, after harrowing, and sowed on oats, two 
and three-fourths bushels to the acre, the surface 
being limited by accurate measurement. On an 
adjoining piece of equal extent, sowed also in 
oats, the same quantity as in the first case, 
twelve bushels of ashes alone .were used, and on 
a third piece—one acre in extent—the oats 
were sowed without any ashes or other stimu¬ 
lant whatever being applied. The same quanti¬ 
ty of seed precisely, was allowed on each acre, 
and the sowing was done on the same day, as 
was the preparation of the soil, and harrowing 
in of the seed. 
“ 0n harvesting and threshing the crop, I as¬ 
certained the following results The acre not 
manured, produced twenty-one and a half bus.; 
straw tall and very heavy. The acre manured 
with twelve bushels of wood ashes, yielded 
twenty-seven bushels and five quarts, with a 
thinner and more delicate straw; while the 
product of the boned and ashed amounted to 
forty-seven and three-fourths bushels, the straw 
being fine and short, the principal development 
being in the heads." 
The Agricultural Press of the Country 
apparently commences the new year with re¬ 
newed zeal and energy. Almost every one of 
our exchanges thus far received, exhibits im¬ 
provement in either matter or manner, while 
many of them indicate progress in both these 
essentials to general acceptance and prosperity. 
Aside from personal considerations, we sincerely 
rejoice at this evidence that journals devoted to 
the discussion and elucidation of important 
practical subjects —to usefulness rather than 
mere amusement, the strife of politics, or the 
elevation of this or that party—are becoming 
better appreciated, and supported in preference 
to the low-priced (and in some respects more 
attractive,) periodicals which have been so 
popular heretofore. And we predict that, if the 
conductors of the Agricultural Press properly 
discharge their duty, the day is not far distant 
when every sensible, intelligent, progressive 
farmer will take, pay for and read an Agricul¬ 
tural Newspaper — when those who impart 
valuable information will, instead of living on 
hope and staring at starvation, reap a reward at 
least equal to that hitherto bestowed upon those 
who pander to the vitiated appetites of politi¬ 
cians, readers of yellow-covered novellettes, and 
the deveurers of Joe-Millerish and Vesuvius-ish 
literature. May our contemporaries not only 
live to see, but participate in the “ good time ” 
for which many are so earnestly laboring—and 
surely these who are endeavoring to benefit 
their fellow men and the country, will then be 
remembered with gratitude. 
— Changes have been made in several of our 
Agricultural exchanges, while a number of new 
recruits have enlisted — all which will be duly 
chronicled herein, so soon as we find time to 
note particulars. Meantime, we congratulate 
our contemporaries upon their “ good looks ” 
and better manners! — as typographically dis¬ 
played. 
“ sick man," if they haven’t stamina to carry | 
them through adverse weather, it is all over 
with them. Business operations have their 
prosperous and adverse seasons; it is utterly 
unsafe to enter upon any adventure Avifhout 
ability to outlive a loss. 
Manufacturing belongs to civilization, and, 
excepting the cruder sorts, to advanced civiliza¬ 
tion. It grows upon aggregations of capital 
and of population. It has its laws that do not 
bend to anybody’s caprice or convenience. It 
may grope its way blindly and slowly, led by 
“ manifest destiny,” or its progress may be 
hastened and its results improved by fore¬ 
thought and concerted action—Laving this lat¬ 
ter end in view, we have thought best to suggest 
what is herein contained. 
Roads, buildings, fences, clearing, cropping 
and incidental outlays absorb the entire capital 
and labor of new settlements ; manufacturing is 
impossible at this period, as it is unprofitable in 
that which follows, when a virgin soil yields to 
a little labor, large returns. 
There are, however, reasons for believing that 
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, with portions 
of other Western and Middle States, have ad¬ 
vanced sufficiently in wealth and population to 
warrant the introduction or extension of manu¬ 
factures. The writer has good reason to know 
that our laborers are often destitute of remunera¬ 
tive employment during the winter; such persons 
might be temporarily employed in factories, 
while there are many who from physical defects 
are disqualified for farm labor. Whatever may 
be our present financial embarrassments, and we 
shall always be subject to them, owing to the 
expansive character of our country and its popu¬ 
lation, means are accumulating from commerce 
and prosperous agriculture, from our gold mines, 
and from the increase of bank cnpital which 
might be employed in the advancement of these 
objects—capital is often misemployed in business 
destructive of morals and health, and in specida- 
dions, (such as buying wild lands to re-sell to ac¬ 
tual settlers,) which, if invested in legitimate 
business would be widely beneficial. 
Success in manufactures will depend upon 
impressing the public with the indirect profits of 
manufacturing capital — the 'direct returns may 
not be such as to encourage investment. 
Farmers, mechanics and merchants about 
Lowell and Lawrence know as much about/ 
profits as do the “ corporations” of those celebra¬ 
ted towns. Let a neighborhood which has a 
good unemployed water-power, or abundance of 
wood or coal, calculate how much it would add 
to the value of farm products, and of real estate 
within a circuit of ten miles, if factories should 
be established, and several thousand people be 
employed in fabribating articles for general use. 
The men and women who used to grub out a ’ 
Scanty living on the hills and barrens about 
Nashua, Manchester, Fall River, Watertown, 
can tell something about this if they will! 
Every dollar expended on factory buildings 
and machinery in those places, has added an¬ 
other dollar to the value of their real estate, and 
to their general business interests. Rather 
.than not to have had these factories established, 
it would have been better for the inhabitants 
to have raised by a tax on all property in their 
vicinity the money necessary to put them in 
running order, and then make a present of the 
entire establishment to persons who would carry 
them on successfully. 
What was true of those New England towns, 
is now true of numerous places at the West. Any 
project backed up by a strong unanimous pub¬ 
lic sentiment is incapable of defeat. Let every 
day laborer, mechanic, merchant, farmer, and 
money-lender, be willing to do work or furnish 
materials for a manufacturing company, and 
take it in stock according to his means, and a 
broad, firm basis is established which promises 
success. Such an establishment will not be lelt 
to the tender mercies of money sharks, who will 
seize upon any untoward circumstance to strip 
it of every thing — money will not have to be 
raised at usurious rates, nor goods sacrificed to 
meet bank paper. There are men so intensely 
selfish that they would never favor any scheme 
that could benefit any one but themselves. A 
man so unsocial, has no business in society — he 
ought to be abated as a nuisance. There is, how¬ 
ever, reason to suppose that public spirited. 
one year s experience. 
Soon after I came here, 1 commenced keeping 
a Thermometrical Register, which may be in¬ 
teresting to the many desirous of leaving a good 
home in the East and emigrating West for the 
purpose of making money easier, as they expect 
to do here. For the last half of November, it 
shows a mean temperature of 24 ° at G A. M., 
and of 30 ° 33' at 9 P. M., ranging, in the first, 
from 10 ° to 32 °, and in the last from 14 ° to 
41 ° . The river closed on the 19th of Nov., and 
there has been good sleighing since the 26th. 
Hastings, M. T., Dec. 3,1855. D. B. Waite. 
imports can come direct from Canton and Cal¬ 
cutta without the intervention of New York 
dealers. To effect the general objects contem¬ 
plated above, requires tbe co-operation of the 
public which is to be benefited by the change, 
and that co-operation I am persuaded will be 
secured by an impartial and full investigation 
of the facts bearing upon the subject.— h. t. b. 
CORN MEAL POE MILCH COWS. 
In the fall of 1852,1 began to feed three far¬ 
row cows for the purpose of supplying a milk¬ 
man in this vicinity with milk for market. I 
had a few sugar beets and turnips with which I 
begun, and, as I designed the farrow cows for 
the butcher in the spring, I commenced giving 
them meal from corn and barley, some ten 
bushels old grain; then corn meal alone, in¬ 
creasing till they eat one peck each per day. I 
tried it cooked and raw, wet and dry, mixed 
with cut fodder, composed of hay, straw and 
corn-stalks cut up together, varying the amount 
of each as convenience might suggest, (as I 
think all animals require a variety.) 
Now for the result. The cows increased in 
milk, giving more on the above feed than they 
had done on grass during summer. Contrary 
to my expectations, they did not improve very 
fast in flesh on the food given, and I was oblig¬ 
ed to dry them up early in March, to get them 
fit for the shambles. My cows that were com¬ 
ing in in the spring, had two quarts corn meal 
each per day, and they also gave milk liberally. 
The milk being sold daily, gave an excellent 
opportunity for testing the amount given at the 
time. I made up my mind that corn meal was 
the best for milk of any food for the milch cow, 
and still think so if good, rich milk is wanted. 
It has been tried considerably in this vicinity, 
with the same results as here given. I fed cut 
feed, but I do not think that would vary the 
result; with me, if the cows get their daily al¬ 
lowance, I get the returns. Farmers, please try 
it, and report the effects. J. Tai.cott. 
ECONOMY OE THE STABLE. 
The economy of the stable is a question, of 
import to those employing horses and who con¬ 
sider the condition and consequent welfare of 
the animal. To the successful performance of 
labor required from draught animals, health is a 
pre-requisite, and to its preservation, judicious 
feeding, both as regards quantity and quality of 
food is .an essential. This is the point which 
should receive the serious attention of agricul¬ 
turists, as so much, depends upon having, at 
specific times, the animal system strengthened 
and fitted to prosecute with energy the routine 
of farm work. 
As food for draught horses, oats are placed in 
the front rank, and it is customary to feed a cer¬ 
tain amount, by measure, to those performing 
hard work. All that seems to be required in 
the grain is brightness of color, purity of scent, 
freedom from dampness or mold, and should 
these externals be satisfactory, the examination 
closes. But the item of paramount importance 
has been overlooked — the nutrition of the oat 
lies in the meal, and its. consequent value de¬ 
pends upon its weight per bushel. A material 
difference will often be found in samples which 
to the hand and eye appear identical. 
The following table, showing the quantity of 
meal which in ordinary seasons is generally 
obtained from this grain, will exhibit some of 
these peculiarities : 
Oats. Meal. Husk. 
42 lbs. 25 " lbs. 2 oz, 16 lbs. 14 oz. 
Cob Meal for Poultry.— The following hint 
in regard to feeding corn, to poultry in winter, 
from the Maine Farmer, is worth attention : 
“We find it good economy to grind the corn 
and cobs together fine for poultry. They will 
eat it just as well and as readily as if the cob 3 
were not there. In this way you turn your 
cobs into eggs and chickens. We have this 
winter fed such meal out to hens, geese and 
ducks. We put it into a shoal trough, made by 
tacking together boards four inches wide, like a 
Y, and gave it to them dry. It all disappears 
before them, and does them good. Hens and 
other poultry, you know, like to have some grass 
to eat, and they do better if fed during the 
winter with some substitute for grass, than if 
fed upon nothing but dry grain. The corn cob 
is somewhat like grass in its chemical ingre¬ 
dients. To these, cabbage, ruta bagas and ap¬ 
ples, cut fine, may be added, all of which they 
will eat readily and thrive upon, if they have 
enough, even in mid-winter.” 
Cashmere Goats. —We have received from R. 
Peters, Esq., of Atalanta, Ga., a catalogue of his 
improved stock, comprising Devon Cattle, South 
Down Sheep, Essex Swine, and Cashmere Goats. 
He has two full bloods and some fifteen grades, 
one-half Cashmere and one-half the common 
goat. The original stock was obtained from 
Thibet, by Dr. Davis, of Columbia, S. C. En¬ 
gravings are given of these animals in the cata¬ 
logue. In regard to their habits, Ac., Mr. 
Peters says :—“ They closely resemble sheep, 
with the exception of being able to protect 
themselves from the attacks of dogs. They 
prefer weeds, briars, shrubs, and leaves to grass, 
and will keep fat on inferior pastures, where 
sheep would starve. They should be sheared 
twice a year — in April and September. The 
ewes yield about 4 lbs., and the bucks 6 to 7 
lbs. at the two shearings. The wool of the kids 
and the yearlings is adapted to the manufacture 
of the most costly , shawls, that of the old ewes 
and bucks is of a coarser, but stronger character.” 
George the Third’s Sheep.— A Royal Pres¬ 
ent. —Mr. Coke relates the following anecdote 
ol George the Third :—The King had invited 
Mr. C. to visit his farm at Oatlands, to inspect 
his Spanish sheep. Whilst looking over the 
specimens, the King abruptly said to him, 
“Look, look here. Coke,” pointing to some sheep 
in a pen, “ these sheep are for you, I have select¬ 
ed them on purpose. You must take them, and 
make the best you can of, them ; see what you 
can do with them.” Of course Mr. C. was very 
grateful for this mark of royal favor, thinking it 
a handsome present. The sheep were carefully 
sent to Holkham ; but, behold ! in a few days 
came a letter from his Majesty’s steward, in the 
shape of an account for the sheep, at the rate of 
some twenty or thirty pounds per head!”— Marl- 
Lane Express. 
DISEASED SHEEP. — INQUIRY. 
Eds. Rural : — There is a disease among my 
flock of sheep, the like of which I have never 
seen. The first indication is a swollen eye— 
thus far the rigid eye, accompanied with pain. 
The animal otherwise appears right, only that it 
does not feed well. In a few days the eye-ball 
is protruded from the socket, and without sight. 
The swelling extends to other parts of the head, 
and then to the body, when it kills. Putrefac¬ 
tion is then so far advanced as to render it im¬ 
prudent, if not impossible, to take off the pelt. 
If any of your readers will tell what the disease 
is, and the remedy therefor, they will do me a 
great favor.—w. b. p. 
Home-Made Tiles. —A correspondent of the 
0. Cultivator proposes to use concave brick for 
underdraining, which he describes in the fol¬ 
lowing manner :—“ My moulds shall be 8 inch¬ 
es long, 5 wide, and 3 thick. I shall take a 
piece of timber three inches in diameter, and 
saw it lengthwise through the centre, and fasten 
one-half in the bottom of each mould, then 
mould-m sand with stiff mortar, and burn well.” 
These he proposes to lay double, the concave 
faces together, so as to form a passage 3 inches 
in diameter—two courses where a larger amount 
of water requires it—and he thinks the cost 
will be but ten cents a rod, for a single drain. 
He is preparing to make the brick in the spring, 
and we shall probably hear more of it, if it 
proves successful. 
It will readily be perceived from the above, 
that the animal fed upon grain of the last de¬ 
scription, loses almost one-third of the nutri¬ 
ment to be gained from the same amount (by 
measure) of that of the first class, and, as a con¬ 
sequence, will not be in as good condition or 
capable of performing the amount of work that 
would result from more careful treatment and 
superior provender. 
For the winter feeding of horses, and for the 
road, oats are not only unnecessary, but careful 
experiment has demonstrated that various roots 
and grains are much to be preferred. An ac¬ 
count was published in the Sporting Magazine, 
by Dr. Sully, an experienced horseman, in 
which was given his mode of feeding, after re¬ 
peated investigation of many years. His horses 
were constantly in use, driven singly, upon long 
journeys at rapid pace, and were kept in perfect 
health and excellent working order. The food 
for his horses was divided in four classes, the 
ingredients in most cases the same, but differing 
in quantity of each, used according to the 
amount of labor performed. The ratio was as 
follows : 
1st. 2d. 3d. 4 th. 
Beans, Peas or Corn, ground... 5 lbs. 5 lbs. 10 lbs. 5 lbs. 
Hay, cut. 7 “ 8 “ 10 “ 8 “ 
Straw, do. 7 “10 “ ll “ 8 “ 
Potatoes, steamed. 5 “ 5 “ 0 “ 0 “ 
Oilcake. 0 “ 2 “ 0 “ 2 “ 
Brewer’s Grains. 6 “ 0 “ 0 “ 0 “ 
Bran. 0 “ 0 “ 0 “ 7 “ 
30 30 30 30 
2 oz. salt to each mess. 
The weight of each class was equal, and the 
elements of nutrition Avere supposed to be the 
same in each, yet his greatest success was de¬ 
rived from the first and second classes. The 
peculiar developments of these two were a clear, 
bright eye, a healthy, mellow, clean skinned 
hide, without much fat, and a general appear¬ 
ance of health. Carrots, if fed to our horses 
with their usual allowance of good hay, Avill 
produce the same results. From one peck to 
half a bushel, as judgment may direct, and use 
require, Avill be found to benefit the animal. 
Franklin Square, N. Y., 1856. AV. T. K. 
Effect of Climate on Corn. —A Avriter in the 
Maumee Visitor, formerly from N cav England, 
gives some curious facts, showing that corn has 
a tendency to conform to the climate wffiere it is 
grown, and changes from year to year even if 
kept unmixed Avith the varieties usually grown 
there. He took white flint corn from the East, 
a small eight-rowed variety, and planted on 
Ohio bottom lands; and selecting seed from the 
same from year to year, found that in three 
years it changed more or less to dent corn, hav¬ 
ing from eight to sixteen-rowed ears, Avhich 
were tAvice the size of those first planted. We 
think it may harm mixed from some of the com¬ 
mon corn in the neighborhood, and so become a 
hybrid of the two varieties. 
SEVERAL INQUIRIES. 
Is there any danger of plowing too deep on 
sandy land, where the subsoil is nothing but 
sand and gravel ? How deep should clover or 
any other green manure he turned under on 
such land ? What is the difference betiveen 
plowing very deep with a common plow and 
subsoiling 1 Will manure sheds pay,Avhere the 
manure is all hauled out early in the spring ? 
What method is the best and cheapest for sav¬ 
ing the urine from low stables, where there is 
no manure cellar:—to have the floors Avater- 
tight, and let it go with the manure to the Leap, 
or collect it in some kind of A r at under the sta¬ 
ble, or what other way ? An answer to these 
from yourself or some of your numerous sub¬ 
scribers would he very acceptable to—A Sub¬ 
scriber, Norway, N. Y. 
Short-Horns — Recent Importation. —Tavo 
very superior Short-Horn Bulls have just been 
imported from England, by Mr. Samuel Thorne, 
of Dutchess Co., N. Y. “Neptune ” (11,847) is 
deep roan, five years old, and was bred by Mr. 
John Booth, of Killerby, England ; his dam, 
“Bloom,” was bred by Mr. Richard Booth, one 
of tbe most noted breeders in England.— 
“Grand Duke, 2d” - (12,961) was got by tbe 
“4th Duke of York,” out of “Duchess 64,” and 
cost Mr. Thorne $5,000. These animals are 
said, by the Am. Agriculturist, to he among the 
finest yet imported. Mr. T. is one of our most 
energetic breeders, and this proof of his enter¬ 
prise Avill be appreciated by the lovers of fine 
stock. 
Feeding Sheep in Winter. —It is stated by the 
Genesee Farmer, that late in the fall of 1854; 
John Johnston, Esq., of Fayette, Seneca county, 
N. Y., purchased 331 Spanish Merino sheep for 
$600. During the winter they were kept in a 
dry, Avarm, comfortable yard, and fed all the 
wheat and oat straAV they would eat, and half a 
pound of oil-cake, and three-fifths of a pound of 
corn per sheep per day. He sold them in the 
spring at $6 per head. The cost of oil-cake and 
corn was $1,63 per sheep. This is a great 
profit. Mr. Johnston pefers carefully selected 
Spanish Merino sheep to any other for feeding 
in this way. 
HOG PEN—PLAN WANTED. 
The present high price of pork has led many 
farmers in this vicinity to believe that a com¬ 
fortable and convenient pig-stye is a profitable 
investment. Not having noticed a plan in the 
Rural, I wish to suggest that some of your nu¬ 
merous subscribers Avho are already supplied, 
furnish us who are not, with some plan, so that 
Avhat we do in the matter may he done under- 
standingly. I wish to build one suitable for 
about twenty hogs, Avith a building attached for 
boiling and scalding feed, killing and dressing, 
efec., and an apartment in the same for hoisting 
by windlass or otherwise, the dressed hogs* 
where they can hang to dry and cool. —E. F. B.’ 
Jeddo, N. Y. 
Bog Cutter. —Can any reader give a plan for 
a good hog cutter ?— Old Subscriber, Maccdon, 
New York. 
Very True. —The North-Western Christian 
Advocate, a spirited religious journal published 
at Chicago says :—“ A farmer without an agri¬ 
cultural paper, is a lame horse. He can hobble 
along after some sort, but it is hard work, and 
he makes slow progress. Agricultural publica¬ 
tions do not, directly, make the soil more pro¬ 
ductive, or farm stock more profitable, but they 
help the intelligent farmer to use both to better 
advantage. The farmer that refuses to patronize 
such works, is the ‘ conservative ’ who garners, 
with great care, chaff and thoAvs. aAvay wheat; 
saA'es pence in the price of them, and loses 
pounds for the want of them.” This does not 
apply to our readers. 
Handsome Returns. —A farmer in the North¬ 
ern Neck of Virginia, from an estate Avhich 
only cost $13,000 several years since, has, dur¬ 
ing the present year, thrown into this market its 
products, yielding him the very handsome nett 
sum of $10,500. 
Gas House Lime is pronounced worthless by 
a farmer who applied it at the rate of 100 bush¬ 
els per acre, to grass land, some tAvelve yea>-s 
ago. The part limed Avas in no respect superior 
to that which received none. 
MINNESOTA.—44LIMATE, WATER, ETC 
King Philip or Brown Corn. —This “im¬ 
proved” variety has been distributed through the 
Patent Office to a considerable extent, and Ave 
observe that many who thus received it, speak, 
in the last Report, of its being an early and very 
productive variety. "We need, just such an one 
for our short summers, and should he glad to 
hear from any of our subscribers Avho may lucre 
tried it, as to its value in these respects. 
Eds. Rural :— The short time I have resided 
here, Avill not allow me to give an extended 
vieAV of the facilities and inducements which 
this Territory holds out to the farmer or the 
professional man, hut from the observations I 
have been able to make, I am persuaded that 
farming will pay well, while the home demand 
continues. When there is a surplus of products 
Carrots and Oats. —This winter we have 
tried this feed on our horse, and are fully con¬ 
vinced that it is the cheapest and best feed we 
ever used. We give her about half a peck of 
carrots with two quarts of oats in the morning, 
and she has done quite as Avell as when we gave 
her six quarts of oats per day.— Oxford Peru. 
Rev. J. A. Wight, late editor of the Prairie 
Farmer, has been engaged for a course of weekly 
lectures on Agriculture, in the Commercial 
School of Mr. Gregory, of Chicago, Ill. 
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