MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
FEB. Tt . 
Bected by a creek, it was subject to periodic floods, 
and was not considered favorable to health. Be¬ 
ing an advocate for the cultivation of the Bun- 
Flower, I wished to practice what I preached, and, 
in order to do so, sowed sun-flower seed in every 
vacant nook and corner around the homestead.— 
A stately crop of noble sun-flowers awarded my toil, 
and ornamented the garden and door-yard. The 
spring and summer were wet; ague and fever, and 
other bilious disorders, made their appearance in 
almost every family around me; but my family en¬ 
joyed perfect health, so much so, indeed, that the 
neighbors frequently expressed their astonishment 
that some of us were not afflicted like the rest of 
the inhabitants of the locality. 
I have since heard of the virtues of the Sun- 
Flower as a preventive of disease, and do not hesi¬ 
tate to attribute our safety in this case to its in¬ 
fluence in counteracting the effect of miasma 
which arises when stagnant water is evaporated by 
the heat of the sun. When its useful properties 
are all taken into consideration, it must be admit- 
that the sun-flower is a most valuable plant: its 
seeds are greedily devoured by all kinds of poultry, 
and contribute, in a remarkable degree, to their 
laying and fattening qualities, which, under other 
feeding, are usually incompatible with each other, 
while the stalks and leaves are excellent food for 
cattle. In many parts of Europe, horses and cat. 
tie are fed, for a considerable portion of the year, 
on its leaves; an excellent oil is obtained from the 
seed whilst the refuse which remains at the oil 
mill, after the oil is expressed, is good and fatten¬ 
ing food for hogs. It is said that the stems make 
very good paper; the ashes of the stems are much 
valued for manure. 
The sun-flower has been cultivated extensively 
in England as an oil plant, but from the coldness 
and humidity of the climate, the seed had to be 
sown in hot-beds, from whence the plants were 
transplanted into the field and placed in drills 
three feet wide—with spaces of eighteen inches 
between the plants in the rows. 
The sun-flower produces a greater quantity of 
seed than any other plant; it is easily propagated, 
and, as it contributes to the health of the human 
race and the sustenance of the domestic animals, 
it should be cultivated extensively by every farmer. 
Detroit, Mich., 1858. Edward Mason. 
CATTLE AND PRODUCE MARKETS. 
Eds. Rural: —In your issue of Dec. 12th I no¬ 
ticed with much pleasure an editorial article on 
“Cattle and Produce Markets,” and I sincerely 
hope the subject will be kept before the people 
until a thorough reform is accomplished. “Our 
system of buying and selling,” you remark truly, 
“operates alike injuriously upon both buyer and 
seller.” I must say, however, with due deference 
that I have little sympathy for the man in these days 
who sells his cattle or his butter for two or three 
cents less per pound than they are w T orth. If it is 
true (which I doubt not) that “ in many cases farm¬ 
ers are sadly imposed upon by being unacquainted 
with the market value of their stock,” it is also true 
that such fanners will be the last to be benefited by 
any change. It is true, too, of such farmers, that in 
nine cases out of ten they are the worst class to 
buy of, for, knowing so little of the value of their 
produce, they will ask a price that, if they knew 
■more, they would be ashamed of. If they are bled 
by speculators, it will be a blessing to them, for I 
believe nothing but experience will do them any 
good. As for me, show me a man who has his eyes 
open and knows the value of what he offers for 
sale, and we can trade. The New Y ork and Boston 
papers, and our own Rochester papers, are open 
not only to you and me, but to our friend from 
Sodus, and probably his loss on that one load of 
butter would equal the cost of two or three of 
them for a year. In these he would see the care¬ 
fully revised market reports for every day or week. 
But, to get back to the point, I believe that 
thousands of buyers and sellers, producers and 
consumers, would say, give us the regular market 
days, where stock, produce, &c., could be bought 
and sold, and prices become known and published. 
Had such a thing existed during the last three 
months, in which everybody has been troubled 
with the worst kind of “shorts,” and in which 
farmers have been obliged to sell anything they had 
for which they could get money, at such prices as 
the buyer chose to give, the latter being very 
scarce—had the prices become known and pub¬ 
lished which the producer received of the butcher, 
we would see at once that excellent beef cost 
much more than it should have done. I see no 
reason why such an institution could not be profit¬ 
ably and pleasantly connected with “Agricultural 
Societies,” thereby drawing many into them who 
now take but little interest in these organizations. 
There will be no doubt in the minds of any, that 
could we have had the benefit of established mar¬ 
ket days during the panic, much more produce 
would have exchanged hands, and community 
would have been much less in the power of those 
“ Shylocks” who always “ pitch in” when the times 
are hard. Not only the English are thus favored, 
but in some sections of this country, fairs are per¬ 
manently established, and apparently very much to 
the interests of the people who go to them, to buy 
and sell. Estates are settled and the property sold 
at these sales; farmers go and buy lean stock for j 
the purpose of feeding out their coarse grain, and 
then dispose of the stock in the same way. They 
know whe n and how they can make sales at fair 
prices, which is no small convenience. This sys¬ 
tem would do away, too, with the necessity of pri¬ 
vate auctions, to a great extent, which so often re¬ 
sult in disappointment, and are expensive and 
troublesome. I hope this subject will not be 
dropped, but that those who are in the habit of 
writing and leading off in matters of a public na¬ 
ture, will see the importance of it, and act accord¬ 
ingly. F. h. n. 
Mendon, N. Y., Jan., 185S. 
Seed Corn. —Now is the time to try seed corn 
and know for certain that it will grow before plant¬ 
ing time comes. The following is a test which I 
have proved as sure. Remove with a knife the 
covering from the chit, if alive it will present a 
bright and healthy appearance, if dead it looks as 
though it had been boiled. Corn was very late in 
maturing last fall in this vicinity. The farmers 
gathered in the usual season; the cob was not dry, 
consequently there is but little sound corn in the 
country.—D. W. A., Paw Paw, Michigan, 1858. 
HUNGARIAN GRASS. 
Eds. Rural: —In your paper of Jan. 2d I noticed 
some queries concerning Hungarian Grass, where 
the seed could be procured, &c. I am an old farm¬ 
er of Iowa, who has not been in the habit of writing 
for the papers, but am opposed to monopoly, and 
wish my brother farmers in other localities to be 
benefited by the discoveries and improvements of 
the Far West, as well as we by those of the East. 
So I will try to give your readers an account of 
my observations and experience with it. 
This grass was introduced into Iowa about three 
years ago by Hungarian emigrants, who came to 
settle a colony. It was mostly confined to one or 
two counties until last season, when its value as a 
hay crop became known, and its seed sought for 
and scattered through some other parts of the State. 
The demand, however, could not be supplied; farm¬ 
ers could obtain only small quantities, and that at 
very high prices. Its popularity has so increased 
that even yet, notwithstanding its great prolific 
properties, the home demand absorbs all the seed. 
This grass is, I think, destined to form the great 
hay crop of the West, as it appears specially 
adapted to prairie soil. It is, no doubt, a species 
of millet, but different from anything farmers here 
have been acquainted with by that name. It grows 
to the height of from four to five feet; is thickly 
set with blades the entire length of the stalk, so 
that it appears, before the head shows itself, like a 
dense mass of blades waving in the wind. Our 
common cultivated grasses are not to be relied on 
for a supply of fodder, the roots being too short 
and slender to reach below the influence of a dry, 
hot summer, in the light prairie soil of the West, 
which, in fact, is not adapted to timothy. But the 
Hungarian grass appears to be exactly the thing 
for our deep, loose prairie soil, and is, perhaps, a 
better crop in Iowa than in its native country. The 
secret of its great success here lies in its vitality, 
stout roots, and adaptation to a dry soil. Its great 
vigor and strong roots can pierce below the reach 
of drouths, and draw upon the moisture and fertil¬ 
ity which lie beneath. The average yield per acre, 
I think, will run as high as four tuns, though five 
or six tuns have been raised under favorable cir¬ 
cumstances. 
It is not the hay alone which gives value to this 
crop. It produces seed to the amount of from 
20 to 25 bushels per acre, which is as heavy as 
oats, more oily and nutritious. As hay, it is supe¬ 
rior to timothy. Horses prefer the Hungarian, and 
will thrive on it alone when not worked. It also 
demands a higher price in the market where known 
than any other kind of hay. One bushel of seed 
will sow three acres. Harrow before and after 
sowing until well pulverized, then roll, so as to 
have a smooth surface to harvest over and make it 
come up evenly. It should not be sown until some¬ 
time in May, and be cut after oat harvest. 
Summitville, Lee Co., Iowa, Feb., 1858. E. J. W. 
Remarks. —We give the above relative to the 
Hungarian Grass for the benefit of our readers, 
but are constrained to omit the advertisement which 
was very neatly “ hedged” in the closing paragraph. 
If, “ notwithstanding its great prolific properties, the 
home demand absorbs all the seed ,''—as stated by the 
writer in his second paragraph,—we cannot con¬ 
ceive liow he intends to supply the Eastern market 
“What is worth doing at all is,” doubtless, “worth 
doing well,'' but on patent rights and the seed ques¬ 
tion there is such a thing as piling on the agony .— 
If “ an old farmer” desires to benefit co-laborers, 
he must hereafter draw it mild— especially in stating 
where, of whom, and at what price the article eu¬ 
logized can be obtained.—E d. 
FIELD TRIALS OF REAPERS AND MOWERS. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— Your issue of Feb. 
13, contains a well-timed article on the subject of 
the Trial of Reapers and Mowers at Syracuse last 
summer. The writer should not, however, condemn 
all trials because the one at Syracuse was a failure, 
and disappointed public expectation. My experi¬ 
ence is that trials got up in a neighborhood or town, 
or even in a county, are much better managed than 
those large unwieldy trials, where there is a great 
parade. 
I have been informed that the prize machine at 
Syracuse broke down on the first day. Why was it 
not ruled out? On looking over the Report, I dis¬ 
cover that, on many points, the Sub-Committees 
did not make any mention at all as to some ma¬ 
chines, and as to some of them that the Chairman 
assumes the responsibility of giving credits from 
his own private memorandums. This may account 
for the fact that the prize machines have a good 
many credit marks, and are noticed on the “ scale 
of points,” while as to others— Ketchum, Burrald 
Seymour & Morgan, Hull & Sanford and others — 
the column is entirely blank on such essential 
points as durability, draft, quality of work, facility 
of management, &c. 
This fact affords an easy solution of the manner 
in which certain machines obtained the premiums, 
and of the difficulty in making awards that should 
do justice, and give satisfaction to the public. The 
value of the Report is very much depreciated, and 
I am not surprised that leading agriculturists at 
the Annual Meeting of the State Agricultural So¬ 
ciety were loud in tlieir denunciations of the Re¬ 
port and insisted that it should be suppressed and 
the awards be retained. Ontario. 
SHOEING HORSES. 
Eds. Rural: —You are probably aware that there 
are as many theories about horse-shoeing as there 
are horses, and having had about twenty years’ ex¬ 
perience in the shoeing business, I thought a few 
lines from me might be interesting to your 
readers. 
As a general thing, the first fault most writers 
have to offer is, that blacksmiths cut away the frog 
too much, and thereby weaken the foot. This is 
very true, but is not the worst of the case. In my 
practice I have found that smiths do not take the 
pains they should in fitting the shoes, and one great 
fault is in making the shoe too peaked around the 
toe—too much the shape of a Y, and then cutting 
off the hoof to fit This, I contend, is a gross 
error. The shoe should always be fitted flush with 
the sides of the foot and as round a shape as may 
be, and if the foot is too long, pare it down from 
the surface, and then rasp around the toe sufficient 
to bring the foot in proper form. Furthermore, 
never fit the shoe too wide at the heel, so much so 
that part of the foot would sink between the shoe, 
for this causes the foot to contract. Fit the shoe 
flush around the heel so as to give the whole foot 
a bearing on the shoe. Do not cut more from the 
frog than is neeessary to dress it, and always be 
careful to get the calks as short as may be, for long 
calks prevent the frog from coming in contact with 
the ground, and thus the foot is expanded. After 
following these hints, it still wants judgment and 
experience to become a good shoer, as nearly eve¬ 
ry horse wants some different treatment Many 
farmers^cause their horses to be spoiled in shoeing 
by dictating to the smith how the horse shall be 
shod, taking the experience of 10, 15, or 20 years 
all out of the hand of the blacksmith, and com¬ 
pelling him to shoe to their notion, right or wrong. 
Tomhannock, Ren*. Co., N. Y., 1858. Old Shoer. 
INQUIRIES AND ANSWERS. 
Staggers. —(G. K., Benton Ridge, Ohio .)—Your 
hog undoubtedly had the staggers, w'hich is caused 
by an excess of blood in the head. It is not in¬ 
fectious. Bleeding and purging are the remedies. 
Hungarian Millet. —Could you, through the 
columns of the Rural, give me any information 
concerning the Hungarian Millet—the kind of soil 
and climate it requires, with the mode of culture? 
Also where and at what price seed can be obtained? 
—W. E. H., Ceres, N. Y. 
Remarks. —See article in present number on 
Hungarian Grass. We know of no seed for sale 
in this State. Those who have it should advertise. 
Knots in Cows’ Teats.— I have an excellent 
cow, four years old next spring. Last spring she 
had no calf, but gave a good mess of milk. There 
came what I call knots in the inside of the teat, 
and she lost one of them entirely. The milk could 
not be got out. Can it be cured? If so, how? I 
read of almost everything in the Rural, but have 
seen nothing of this, yet it is not an uncommon 
thing with cows.—A Subscriber. 
Remarks. —Will not some of our readers give us 
the benefit of their experience on the question? 
It is no doubt the result of local inflammation, and 
might be remedied in the first stages by the appli¬ 
cation of Linseed oil well rubbed in, Arnica, &c. 
A tube of glass might, perhaps, be inserted so as to 
aid in the milking until the inflammation could be 
allayed. 
Treatment of Founder. —Will you or some of 
the numerous readers of your paper, give a reme¬ 
dy for Founder in horses, as I have just had a 
valuable horse meet with this misfortune?—J. F. 
Abbott, Portageville, N. V, 1858. 
Remarks. —First, create a free action of the 
bowels by using the following cathartic:—Powder¬ 
ed aloes, 6 drachms; powdered lobelia, 2 drachms; 
wmrm water, 1 pint. The bowels must be kept 
loose, and the following ingredients, mixed and 
given as a drench, will meet the requirement:— 
Cream of tartar, sulphur, podophyllum—2 drachms 
each—wine of colchicum, 2 drachms, thin gruel, 1 
pint. As an external application, Dr. Dadd recom¬ 
mends sweating by steam so as to keep up a relax¬ 
ation of the capillaries. When this is not obtaina¬ 
ble, take two ounces of spirit of camphor; 1 ounce 
tincture of Indian hemp; 4 ounces of olive oil; 
mix together and lubricate the parts daily, cover¬ 
ing them with flannel. The diet, if inflammation 
has set in, should be light, consisting of mashes. 
Linseed tea and water acidulated with cream of 
tartar, make an excellent drink during the fever. 
Muck as a Top Dressing for Grass. —Can you 
or your correspondents give us any facts in regard 
to the beneficial effects of muck applied as a top¬ 
dressing to pastures or meadows? I find a plenti¬ 
ful growth of such weeds as grow on the muck to 
follow such an application, when applied raw, and 
of weeds natural to the meadow, when applied af¬ 
ter lying in pile over winter. The grass also seems 
to receive some benefit Should be glad to get the 
“light of experience” on the whole subject of ap¬ 
plying muck unmixed to the soil. —J. H. B. 
Remarks. —We have seen great benefit from the 
use of muck as a top dressing for grass, and never 
have observed an increase of weeds. We once 
saw it applied to an old meadow—which for a year 
or two had not given enough hay to pay for mow¬ 
ing—in the following manner. The muck was 
spread over the surface, which was then dragged 
with a common harrow. After this it was dragged 
with a brush drag, and the result, in part, probably 
caused by the scratching of the surface, was aston¬ 
ishing. More than one tun and a half per acre of 
fair hay was cut the first season. The next spring 
a top dressing of stable manure was given, the sur¬ 
face treated in the same manner, and two tuns per 
acre was the result. 
CONDENSED ^CORRESPONDENCE. | gj^J 
Soiling Stock. —The Chinese Sugar Cane has vUU 
been talked largely of for soiling purposes. I made —■ 
thirty gallons of thick syrup, and have also tried it President of the State Ag. Society.— Hon. 
for fodder for the past year, but cannot recommend Wu. T. McCoun, the newly elected President of 
it for that purpose. I can, however, recommend our State Ag. Society, is, we are happy to learn, 
something far superior to cane, corn, or anything something more than a lawyer, and hence we cheer- 
else that I know of, viz., Egyptian Millet. Two fully amend our brief and hastily-written answer to 
years since I fed what grew on ten rods to five the inquiry as to his antecedents. One of our con- 
cows, for a period of six weeks. It increased their tributors says Mr. McCoun, though formerly a law- 
milk sensibly. We estimated the increase of but- yer and Vice Chancellor, (as we stated last week, 
ter made inconsequence at $10, or one dollar a is an ardent friend of Agricultural improvement 
rod. I can recommend it to all such as keep up The Long Island Farmer states that Judge Mc- 
any stock during the summer, or have short pas- Coun was for several years President of the Queens 
tures, as it comes just in the time the dry weather Co. Ag. Society, and “enjoys the confidence and 
usually begins and feed is short. The past season esteem of our farmers generally.” It also says— 
I fed the Millet to a yearling bull which was kept “ We note that a correspondent of one of the New 
up all summer, and in about four months gained York papers intimates that Judge McCoun is not 
320 lbs. or 2£ lbs. daily. It grows from eight to ten a practical farmer. To those who have often seen 
feet high, and when two and a half or three feet the Judge ‘in the fields,’ and know his accurate 
high should be cut and fed. It immediately springs knowledge of the soil, the idea is absurd. We 
up from the old roots. Three crops can be ob- have few farmers more tlioijpughly practical or 
tained in a season. Can commence to cut the last successful. He will reflect honor upon the post so 
of July or first of August. Horses, pigs, and all well filled, in days agone, by our distinguished 
kinds of stock eat it with the greatest relish. I ob- townsman, the present honored Executive of the 
tained the seed while traveling at the south, and State.” 
was informed by those who were acquainted with — Ah which we are glad to learn and take pleas- 
it, that ten rods sown to the Millet would keep a ure in publishing. Judge McCoun is therefore 
cow.—F. U. W., Sunderland, Mass., 1858. entitled to the floor and Presidency, even though 
■- i a resident of the Stale of Long Island. 
The Potato Rot.—A Rural correspondent— C. ___ 
G., of Parke Co., Indiana,—asks how to prevent the The p LO w.-Some one-it sounds very like Tay- 
Potato Rot? gives us his experience and suggests L0R> tbe poetical aatho r of “ January and June”- 
that others give theirs. I do not say that the fol- thus speak8 of tbe progress of this long-time prom- 
low ing course is a never-failing preventive of the j nent and indispensable implement:—“One cannot 
rot, and very much doubt whether any particular fail to be j mpress e d with the truth that the Plow, 
plan can be pursued that will, in all seasons and all tbough unquickened by tbe Telegraph, and as yet 
soils, entirely prevent it From experience and undriven by steami baa yet kept pace, strangely 
observation I am satisfied, however, that this j enougk) with the progress of the age. Where are 
method is the best for me. I plant on soil that will tbe O i d . fa8h ioned affairs, with timber enough in 
not long retain water, in the hill, and use no ma- , tbem to make a mill? where is the huge beam, 
nure on the land the year I design it for potatoes. , tbftt uged to rob many a barn 0 f one 0 f chief 
I prefer a sandy or gravelly loam, manure it well, fcat ures, and the grim old share, that it took two 
have one crop of corn on it^ and the next year plant; f or g es and foundries to make? The superfluous 
to potatoes. Plant early. Should there be indica- wood is hewn away; the mass of metal has become 
tions of rot, let them remain in the ground till last a rarc 8ur gjcal instrument in fashion and finish.— 
of September or first of October. M hen digging, There is grace in the very handles; the adze and 
carefully select out any that may be infected, put kbe axGj and tbe old dull ‘ drawing-knife’ that used 
the sound ones in heaps, cover with a little straw | ko ban g j n tbe shed, have given place to the plane, 
and dirt, let them remain two or three weeks, then the b j e> the sand-paper and the brush. In a word 
carefully sort over and put in the cellar. In pur- j kbe tinker has made way for the artist, and the 
suing this course for the last ten or twelve years I | p ] ow of to-day is the product thereof. We have 
have lost but ver}' few, even when the rot has been ; always entertained a secret wonder at that absurd 
very general in this section. Jas. J. Coit, Hast- : p eople away in the ‘drowsy East,’ who set up one 
ings Centre, Oswego Co., N. Y., 1858. 
of the old-fashioned, red-oclired plows That some- 
The Winter, Crops, &c„ in Michigan.-TIiis is I body was good enough to send them-setit upand 
the warmest winter I ever knew. We have not had 1 * 0 ?** e * , But we 8hould not 3ndcr s ° niucb ’ 
„„„ * i . . ... if they should do it now, since the plow has be¬ 
any sleighing here and for the greater part of the ... , . 
last month the ground has been bare. Several af- | come a 1, " ht ’ 111 fact allJlost an cIe S ant ’“Plement” 
ternoons we have not had any fire and yet it has j 
been warm enough for comfort. This mild weather, Variety of Farm Products. — A celebrated 
I fear, will prove destructive to winter wheat, which French agriculturist, Gasparin, speaking of the 
is extensively grown in this vicinity. It looked j advantages of cultivating a variety of farm pro¬ 
well last fall, but now much of it looks frost-bitten. 
Last year wheat was good here; so was all other 
crops; but there is no market for them now. We 
ducts, eloquently says:—“We write upon our flag, 
Yaiiely! That's my device. That rapid locomo¬ 
tion which explores the world, which interrogates 
are, however, looking forward to the “good time ab climates — that spirit of investigation which is 
coming,” when “hard times” will be no more the characteristic of our age —all will concur in 
known. Wages, which have been from a dollar a concentrating upon our soil the young productions 
day and upwards lor bcvciui year*, a.o down, »nfl snatched from rich countries, and which we shall 
the laborer can scarcely find work at any price.— ! bnd means to naturalize, me mu»i, Humble tabic 
Lumbering, which has been carried on extensively I shall be covered with new gifts: like that of the 
here in the winter season, is suspended on account j rich, it shall enjoy a diversity of food, which is the 
of the going; but if we should chance to get a run | pledge of health, strength, and contentment. Lni- 
of sleighing it would commence with redoubled j formity, whatever may be the scale that we assign 
vigor, as some of the mills are nearly out of work.— to it, is the worst of conditions: It is the spleen 
Israel P. Bates, Arlington, Mich., Feb. 1, 1858. of tbe North; it is the misery of Ireland; it is the 
- rule and the chastisement of convents, the home- 
Cure for Sitting Hens.—A s the time has ar- sickness of the barracks.” 
rived when well kept hens begin to “shell out” 
dividends, and as I have one that already has finish- 
Raising Eggs in the City. — A gentleman re¬ 
ed her “lay,” and manifested her determination to siding in New Yo rk city, and who has but so much 
sit, I thought a cure for sitting hens w'ould prove 
both timely and acceptable to your readers — 
of a single city lot as a good sized house on it 
leaves uncovered, writes to the N. Y. Times that 
especially as the last writer for your columns on ; duriug tbe year following Thanksgiving, 185G, he 
that topic, left his heps sitting, incorrigibly and ' kept an average of 15 hens, and received from 
irremediably sitting! Well, the remedy is simple i them 2,008 eggs. He has carefully kept an account 
and sure. j 0 f the expenses of his flock, and is sure that his 
Make a coop on the ground mine is about four eggs C03 t him much less than he could have bought 
by six, and five leet high in front by four in rear— them for—besides being a fresh article and always 
with a good shelter at top and a roost in it, but no re ]i a ble. Cleanliness about the poultry house, raw 
litter. Here imprison the refractory biddies, soli- f resb meat once a week, and other orthodox treat- 
tary, or in such numbers as the case may require ment was of course furnished. He believes that 
feeding them liberally i\ith grain scattered inside, pou itry are profitable, and that whosoever has half 
and letting them drink from a trough through the a city lot at bis command can make them so. 
slats. One week’s imprisonment will generally __ 
effect a cure,-but, if not, give them another term. J()WA CoLLEGH AND Experimental Farm.-Mt. 
While caged, especially if several are together, , mcHABM0Kf of Fayette Co., Iowa, has introduced 
they will take the roost the first night-L. S., At - intotbe Assem bly a bill “To provide for the estab- 
tica, A. Y., l eb. G, 1858. I jj sbmenb of a State Agricultural College, with a 
State Board of Agriculture.” Each Judicial Dis¬ 
trict to elect one member to State Board, and said 
Planting Potatoes — An Inquiry .—Will your 
correspondent, W. Beckwith, of Quindaro, K. T., 
Sheep, Lambs and Sweet Apples.— I would like 
to be informed through your paper what is the 
best feed for sheep with lambs in the winter time. 
1. Would roots be a damage to them before they 
lamb? 2. How would a cross between a South- 
Down ewe and Merino buck succeed? 3. I would 
like to know whether a large South-Down will eat 
more than a Merino sheep ? Some say they will 
not 4. I w*uld also like to know the best variety 
of winter sweet apples for late keeping. What are 
the qualities of the Winter Green Sweeting apple 
forbearing and keeping?— Earnest Farmer, Stam¬ 
ford, Feb., 1858. 
Remarks. —1. It will do no harm to feed roots 
moderately once a day. A little corn, barley, or 
bran meal, say one-quarter of a pound a day, would 
be better till after the lamb is dropped; then roots 
and good hay. If you intend the lamb for the early 
market, feed a little meal. Two or three ounces 
daily of oil meal will pay well. 
2. For wool purposes the cross would not be 
profitable. Good market lambs would be produced. 
3. The consumption of food by all animals, other 
things, as age, condition, care, Ac., being equal, is 
in proportion to their weight. Two per cent of 
the live weight will support an animal. Three per 
cent will cause an increase. 
4. The Talman Sweet is one of our best sweet ap¬ 
ples—an old favorite. The Baily Sweet is a mag¬ 
nificent red apple. The Green Sweeting is a fine, 
tender, spicy fruit, good for eating and baking—a 
good bearer, and in season from November to 
June. 
inform us whether he planted his potatoes whole, Board to hold Annual Sessions, and choose one of 
or if cut, whether one eye or more on each set- tbeir uumbcr as President, who shall also be the 
F W Coomer N Y 1858 President of the Iowa State Agricultural Society. 
__- The bill also provides that the Board shall select a 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 1 site for an Agricultural College, and Experimental 
- Farm. Tuition in said College to be free to all 
Columbia Co. Ag. Society— Officers for 1858:— pupils from the State “who shall have been for the 
President — Jas. Van Valkenburgh, Chatham Cen- year previous to application, occupied in the ca¬ 
ter. Secretary —Abram Ashley, Jr., Chatham Four pacity of farmers.” 
Corners. Treasurer —Jas. T. Shufelt, do. Receipts, —,-—- 
$4,898 34; expenditures, $4,399 09; bal., $499 09. Curious Cattle.— A Cincinnati paper thus 
Dryden Ag. Society. —The third Annual Meet¬ 
ing of the Dryden Agricultural Society, was held 
Curious Cattle.— A Cincinnati paper thus 
speaks of a lot of cattle recently exhibited in the 
Fifth-st. Market, and which attracted a large crowd: 
“They consisted of a cow of the Chinese species, 
on the 2Gth ult The report of the lreasuiei was bvc years old, which measured only thirty-six inches 
read, which showed the amount ol money leceived height; a ca lf by her side, four months old, 2G 
$2,591 44; the amount expended $2,5u9 30, leading j ncbes b j gb . and a bull, of the same species, meas- 
in the hands of the Treasurer Sol 14. The Society ur j ng ^g inches. There were also three calves of 
elected the following officers for the coming year: ^ game breedj aR Qf tbe same lilliputiaa dimen . 
President J. P. Hart; Vice-President • >n y B j ons< The cow generally gives from 10 to 15 
der; Secretary A. Snjder; Treasurer I. McLl- quar tg of mil k P er day. Full grown cattle of this 
heny; Directors D. Bartholomew and John Min- gpec j es ^[gh about 400 fits. The group in the 
neah. The next Annual Fair of the Society will marke ^ were „ reat curiosities in a small way.” 
be held on the last day of September, and first day _^_ 
of October. __ ^_ The Indiana State Board of Agriculture, at a re- 
Kentucky State Ag. Society— At the meeting cent meeting, decided to have a Trial of Reapers 
of the Board of Managers of the Kentucky State aad Mowers - atLa P orta ’ iQ tbe sec0 ? d week of July 
Agricultural Society, which was held at Frankfort next-the 7th and 8th. Also, to lmm a Inal of 
on the 11th inst, it was determined that the next Plows at Indianapolis during the week preceding 
Fair of the State Society should be held at Louis- the next Annual Fair. A motion to locate the 
ville on the grounds of the South-Western Agricul- next Fair at New Albany was unsuccessful—the 
tural Association, and to commence on the 5th of general voice of the Board being in favor of In- 
October next. W. D. Gallagher, Esq., was elect- dianapolis as the most eligible point [in the State 
ed Corresponding and Recording Secretary. tor tbe purpose. 
