390 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
DEC. 4. 
I eball be light or hard. Sheep are rather scarce, 
worth in the neighborhood of two dollars. Cattle 
are plenty, jearlings worth $8 or $9; two year olds 
$14 to $16—not many three year olds for sale— 
cows plenty and cheap, worth about $18—they 
hare not made the usual amount of butter and 
cheese this season in the dairy region owing, it is 
thought, to the poor quality of the feed. Batter 
is worth 18 cents. 
I called at the celebrated cheese factory of Robt. 
Nokton, in Rushford, Allegany Co., where the 
“Pine Apple Cheese” are made. They resemble a 
pine apple in shape, and weigh four or five pounds. 
Dairymen from the surrounding country bring 
their curd to this establishment, for which they 
receive, generally, from seven to nine cents per ft., 
when pressed. The curd, after being brought into 
a peculiar chemical state, is cut fine by a machine, 
and then forced into moulds of the requisite shape 
and pressed. The cheese are then put into net 
bags and suspended to dry. Their flavor is different 
from common cheese; they aer considered richer, 
and are highly prized. They meet with a ready 
market in New York where they are principally 
sold. Thirty to forty thousand pounds of cheese 
are made annually. Mr. Norton, a son-in-law of 
Hon. J. Hosforo, of Livingston Co., has retired 
from business and left his factory in charge of Mr. 
Elmer, to whose courtesy I am much indebted. 
The market for horses is very indefinite, each 
man trades on his own hook, if he trades at all_ 
Hens are a shilling apiece. I met an old friend, 
in the hen business, and a very conscientious man 
he is too, for he makes it a matter of 'principle not 
to trade unless he thinks he can make by it—he 
won’t pay but a shilling for hens and says that an 
unusual quantity of chickens were hatched last 
spring. 
I called on CoL Tabor, of Castile, Wyoming Co,, 
who took the first premium on his farm. It is well 
arranged and well conducted. He haB ditched a 
good deal and thinks it has paid. I saw his wheat, 
on which he had sown two bushels of lime and 
plaster, mixed, to the acre — he used a drill which 
had an attachment for sowing plaster, so construct¬ 
ed that the plaster, &c , would pass into the same 
tube which conducted the grain into the ground, 
thus mingling the fertilizer with the seed. The 
Colonel’s wheat showed a very luxuriant growth. 
His sheep, of the French Merino variety, yield from 
six to seven pounds of wool per annum. Has a 
calf which received the milk of one cow, weigh¬ 
ing, at 8 months old, 935 fcs — quite a beef. The 
Colonel knows how to appreciate fruit. 
At Portage, called upon Mr. Henry O. Brown 
whose fine corn and wheat spoke well for the Por¬ 
tage hills—they have long been known as sublime, 
but their fertility is a more recent discovery. For 
some time to come, Rochester and vicinity must 
get its principal supply of wood along the Gene¬ 
see Valley Canal above Portage; it is selling as you 
go up, at fourteen shillings per cord near Portage, 
and eleven near Cuba. Lumber is low and little is 
doing in that business. Occasional skirts of pine 
and hemlock show that this once famous lumber 
country might, if pressed, squeeze out a few more 
boards and shingles. Oramel and Belfast are the 
principal places between Portage and Cuba—they 
are rivals, and aspire to universal dominion. 
Returning through Rushford and Centreville, 1 
.wss overwhelmed with delight at the fine appear¬ 
ance of those towns. “ Can any good come from 
Allegany?” would be a very impertinent inquiry. 
The people live in good houses and seem to be ac¬ 
quainted with the arts of civilization. At the vil¬ 
lage of Rushford is a fine and prosperous Academy 
under the able superintendence of Prof. Buck, and 
a pretty full assortment of churches. 
Pike, in Wyoming county, has also a fine 
Academy, a good water power, and a factory, be¬ 
longing to Mr. Marcus Hull, which turns out a 
hundred yards of woolen cloth a day. Marcus is 
a man of acknowledged patriotism, and deserves 
praise for encouraging American industry—there 
is also an excellent woolen factory at Perry, be¬ 
longing to Mr. Smith. At Pike I went a mile out 
of my way to see a horse thirty-five years old, be¬ 
longing to the family of Judge Dole, — the horse 
was plowing half a mile off, and I waited with 
much interest to see what sort of a horse would 
live and be smart at that age. I found just what I 
expected, a low-built, round-bodied, French-look¬ 
ing horse, with an ample chest. Mr. Vincent, son- 
in-law of Judge Dole, showed me a magnificent 
French buck from the unrivaled flock of Mr. John 
D. Patterson, of Chatauque county. 
At Gainesville is a very prosperous Female 
Academy. Mr. Wm. Bristol, an enterprising busi¬ 
ness man, resides here, and I told him to keep the 
Rural posted as to the state of the markets. War¬ 
saw, six miles further north, is the county seat of 
Wyoming county. It is a smart business place, 
has a good Academy, and is the residence of the 
Hon. Augustus Frank, member of Congress elect. 
Wyoming, six miles further north, has also a good 
Academy. I think I did not mention the Academies 
at Perry and at Belfast I doubt whether you can 
find in any territory, of equal size and population, 
in the United States, a greater number of well- 
supported schools than you will find on the route 
I have mentioned. I may add that the Rural 
New-Yorker is extensively taken in the best 
towns, which circumstance, in connection with 
the aforesaid schools, may explain the surprising 
“ Progress and Improvement ” alluded to above. 
H. T. B. 
About Corn and Corn Planters. —Having had 
some success in raising corn, I will throw my mite 
into the Rural. In the spring of 1857 I plowed 
six acres of clover sod, ten inches deep, and on 
June 3d planted, with eight-rowed yellow corn, in 
drills six feet apart Used no manure, but plaster 
and ashes dropped in the hill. I kept clean with 
the cultivator, using no hoe at alL As it began to 
ripen cut up at the roots and set in large stooks, 
and husked by measure, 620 bushels ears of corn. 
In cutting up corn, as I most always sow to 
wheat, I cut eleven rows one way and set in one, 
then about five the other, making 55 hills in one 
stook, which, if well bound at the top, will make a 
corn stook, that will stand ninety-nine chances in 
every one hundred, and I had not one down which 
was well-bound this year on five acres, neither did 
I ever have any hurt on account cf the size of the 
stooks. The cutting abpve is calculated for corn 
planted four feet each way — in the drills I cut 
seven rows.—T. P. H., Farmington, Mich, 1858. 
BARN CELLARS, MANURING GRASS LANDS, &c 
“Manure, in large quantities, is the basis of all 
successful farming. All the poorer fields should 
be turned into pasturage, and the whole energies 
and resources of the farm bestowed upon less 
acres.” So says a writer in the New-England Far¬ 
mer, and the same idea has recently been advanced 
in your, “ Hints on Farm Improvement”— (Rural, 
Aug. 28, 1858.) The subject is worthy of the best 
thoughts of your farming correspondents, and of 
all the light which may be thrown upon it from 
any and every quarter. 
Though agreeing with you in your opinion of 
the value of Manure Cellars (Rural, Nov. 6, '68) 
I think it would be of interest to your readers to 
copy “in brief,” the views of Mr. Pierce, — the 
writer above mentioned — on their value and uses 
—hence, I condense the same:—A good barn cel¬ 
lar, he sajs, sufficiently capacious for making large 
quantities of manure, is requisite to success. In 
this, in the fall, put leaves, leaf-mould, muck, straw, 
brakes, and other vegetable matter, upon which 
throw the hard droppings of the cattle, and con¬ 
duct thereto the urine also. For this purpose a 
vat must be built under the stable, with wide spouts 
beneath the floor where the urine falls, conducting 
the same to the vat, from whence by pipes or spouts 
it may be conveyed to any part of the cellar. All 
highly concentrated manures, as night-soil, the 
dung of poultry, hogs, and sheep, should always be 
dilated in several times their bulk in water and 
poured over less fertilizing substances. A large 
quantity of manure may be made in this way from 
an ordinary stock. This is for the field crops of 
next season. When drawn out, gather more muck, 
road-wash, sods and soil, place it in the cellar—tie 
up your cows at night, during summer, gather into 
the vat as before, all the powerful stimulants to be 
diluted and poured upon the heap, shovel over and 
mix together—this is for the grass land in the falL 
That this course will Becure a large quantity of 
excellent manure, we do not doubt, but it requires 
a good deal of labor, “and the question is,” as 
you remark, “ whether those who have not such a 
cellar, cannot secure nearly the same results, by 
composting with materials which will prevent the 
escape of ammonia,”—by littering stables with the 
“Fixers of Ammonia,” you mention, (Rural, Nov. 
6, ’58,) to absorb the urine; by using straw freely 
in the stall and in the yard; and by care to prevent 
drainage of manures, to an injurious extent at aDy 
time,—all this at much less expense of labor than 
is required in composting in cellars, as above 
described. 
Upon dry, grass-land, Mr. P. would spread ma¬ 
nure in the fall — about the first of November.— 
This would be a very favorable time—but aDy time 
during that or the following month, would answer. 
Meadows of light, sandy soil, have produced three 
tons of hay, per year, only receiving eight cart 
loads of barn cellar compost, per annum; a result 
certainly cheaply produced. How much better 
this, than to mow four to six acres for the same i 
amount, and of far inferior quality, at that. Le 
the farmer, taking as much as he can thorough! 
do at a time (say five acres,) put it in thorough goo 
condition by cultivation and manuring, then see 
to grass in the best manner, and keep it good by 
an annual manuring, and he will find his hay of 
much better quality, and secured at much le 
expense. 
Milk is fast becoming “a leading article of pro¬ 
duction in the Northern States.” The economy 
dairy farming is receiving more and more attc 
tion. Mr. P. says — how truly we cannot ave 
that “it is well understood among thinking fa:n 
ers, that green, early cut hay, and rowen, is the ! 
best fodder for producing milk in the winter I 
months, or as soon as grass fails in the fall.” Such 
hay, he says, will “ sustain a bountiful supply of 
milk for ten months in the year, instead of seven, 
as fed upon dead hay and dry corn stalks in the old 
way.” Early cut hay, well cured, is well known to 
be of greater value for fattening stock; that it 
should be so for producing milk, seems reasonable 
—it is certainly better relished by cows. Whether 
its use will do away with the necessity for green food 
in the way of roots, as asserted, is questionable. 
— My main object in thus referring to this whole 
subject is to call out the experience of dairy farm¬ 
ers in regard to the winter food of cows and 
especially in regard to the value, for producing 
milk, of good hay, good corn fodder, and other va¬ 
rieties of winter forage. A Young Farmer. 
Niagara Co. N., Y., Nov. 11, 1858. 
BEES AND BEE-HIVES. 
MY EXPERIENCE — NO. VH. 
The other variety includes quite a number of 
patents. The boxes are usually made, say from 
12 to 16 inches from front to rear, by 6 or 6 the 
other way, and 16 or 18 high. Two or more of 
these are set up together, with holes in each at the 
sides, for the bees to pass from one to the other. 
These patentees are quite sure to get in the sectional, 
and consequently objectional feature, and then base 
their patent on a platform, drone trap, moth trap, 
or some useless, if not positively injurious, fixture. 
These hives are operated by taking out a full sec¬ 
tion, and replacing it with an empty one, whenever 
it is desirable to renew the combs; the advantages 
of which are to preserve the bee at full size — but 
we will consider that point already examined. But 
suppose it was of the utmost importance—there 
are many difficulties in the way. We wish to re¬ 
new the combs in one apartment of this hive. The 
combs will be made, in the two apartments, similar 
to those described in the dividing hive—brood 
combs in one part, and store combs in the other.— 
We wish to remove the one with brood combs, of 
course, because that has been used chiefly for 
breeding, and is much the darkest, containing 
cocoons, bee-bread, &c. In which apartment will 
the queen be? In the one containing breeding 
cells, of course, where her duty is. We want that, 
and take it out, and set at a distance away for the 
bees to return to the old stand. How is she to get 
back? She must go back or we have many chances 
against one of losing the stock—but her majesty 
will remain perfectly easy, as well as some of the 
workers, wherever you put the box. There seems 
to be no other way but to break up the box, and 
look her up, and help her back. Now, for a time, 
at least, until they can construct new combs in the 
empty box, they must use the other for breeding! 
where most of the cells are unfit—there are alto- * 
gether too many drone cells; these, and the few 
worker cells, will Eearly all be too long, and will 
have to be cut off to the proper length—a waste of 
wax as well as labor. But the greatest waste or loss, 
is the rearing so many useless—worse than useless, 
drones. The job of getting a new swarm to enter 
such hive, I fancy will not be desirable to many. 
Beside the facility for renewing combs, four 
other advantages are enumerated for this kind of 
hive. “Secondly, because smsll, late swarms may 
be eas’ly united. Thirdly, because large swarms 
may be easily divided. Fourthly, because, however 
late a season may come off, it may be easily sup¬ 
plied with honey for the winter, by taking from a 
full hive a surplus drawer, and placing it in the 
hive of the late swarm. Fifthly, because a column 
of air between the drawers and the outside of the 
hive is a non conductor of both heat and cold, pre¬ 
venting the melting of the cemb, and securing the 
bees against frost and cold.” “Secondly, thirdly, 
and fourthly,” are available with any other hive as 
well as this. But “fifthly,” allows “a column of air 
between the drawers and outside of the hive,” &c. 
This is an advantage not possessed by the common 
hive; neither does the common hive offer such 
conveniences to the moth worms, by affording such 
snug quarters for spinning their cocoonp, where 
they cannot be destroyed without considerable 
trouble, more than will usually be taken at the 
proper times. 
The construction of these hives is an item worth 
taking into consideration. Each division (with 
the holes for communication, which must match or 
they are no use,) is as much work or more than the 
simple box, which is much better for all purposes, 
and any man can make it There is much lees risk 
in winter, and it fs available for obtaining surplus 
honey in every form and variety. And if aDy bee¬ 
keeper ever really found a change of combs neces¬ 
sary, it is so much less trouble to drive out the bees 
than to construct the extra drawers, that I cannot 
imagine any object save the one of interest in 
patents. I expect a great many will give me any¬ 
thing else but hearty thanks for these remarks; but 
as I have no interest in any patent to be destroyed 
or injured by their influence, I may get along 
without their sopport. Perhaps a few will give 
me credit for honesty, in wishing to advance the 
best interests of bee-culture. M. Quinby. 
8t. Johnsville, Mont. Co , N. Y., 1858. 
OXEN vs. HORSES. 
No one who observes the working of both ani¬ 
mals together at general farm work, but must 
acknowledge the superiority in point of quickness 
of horse over ox power.— Rural of Nov. 20. 
Granted. But is “ quickness” all that is wanted ? 
Are there not some other things worth considering 
in the matter of “ Horses vs. Oxen?” Let us see. 
The horse is more subject to disease and acci¬ 
dent than the ox. If the one breaks a leg the loss 
1 total, for the people of this country do not esteem 
beef —while the other in such case, is wo; 1 
caot proportion to its condition and weight 
There is ordinarily as much time consumed in 
the care of a single spaa of horses as there is 
given to a whole barn-yard full of cattle, two or threo 
yokes of oxen included. And “time Is money.”— 
Then, in addition, perhaps not uh often as every 
other day, one or both must be taken to the shop 
for a shoe, or to have a uail drawn or gravel cut 
out to stop the limping, and the alternate days— 
perhaps not every one — some one must go to the 
wagon or harness shop for repairs; or to the far¬ 
rier’s or store for medicine; or to the neighbor’s 
! .its or your own grain fields, to find where me 
horses are. Rainy days are necessarily used in 
making up new whiffletreep, eveners, &c., and get¬ 
ting them ironed all ready for further breaks. When 
the year comes round, if the animals have not died 
outright, from some of the countless diseases to 
which they are subject, or suffered any special 
depreciation in value because of wind galls, heaves, 
spavins, etc., tjie owner finds, on horses of full age, 
a natural and inevitable decline in the market 
value of his team, equal to, say ten per cent., on 
cost—his oat bin, plethoric to begin with, is now as 
empty as air, $50 to $100 worth having gone there¬ 
from to the feeding boxes, and as much hay and 
pasture in addition as a pair of oxen would con¬ 
sume; and if $25 prove sufficient to pay the black¬ 
smith’s and doctor’s bills, and cover the wear and 
tear of farm wagon and harness, his animals are 
of the prudent and economical sort, and not 
remarkable for “quickness.” Who will say these 
figures are wide of the mark? A team that is kept 
at constant service 313 days in the year, and is 
required to roll the family to church the remaining 
52 days, may possibly pay. 
How is it with oxen? They move slower and 
will not stand heat as well, it is true; but for very 
much farm work, such as hauling hay, grain, stone, 
manure, wood, rails, logs, &c., unless the distance 
be too great, they make the cheapest and most 
convenient power. When you come to plowing 
and harrowing, certainly, if the weather is warm, a 
little management is necessary. Instead of sitting 
on the plow-beam while the oxen are panting, have 
a fresh yoke close by to take their place. With the 
two pair, the plowman will get along satisfactorily, 
the oxen will come in at noon and at night com¬ 
paratively fresh and ready to eat; with generous 
pasturage in the summer, and good hay and stalks 
in the winter, they may grow and thrive all the 
while, and after a year or two in service, by adding 
to their feed on the last, and a little of the grain 
that the horses haven't ate up, they may be turned 
off at $25 to $50, and even more, beyond cost— 
They thus become almost as profitable as steers for 
their growth, the labor they have performed has 
cost but little, your mechanics’ bills are essentially 
and gratefally less, no insatiable maw has eaten 
your oat bin empty, and you can reflect with plea¬ 
sure that daring the live-long year, the person in 
your employ or yourself as the case may be, has 
had the opportunity morning and evening to do 
something else than groom, and doctor, and fuss, 
and run, with and for “the ’ osses .” 
Of course a man’s situation as to markets, mills, 
Ac., may be snch as to render a horse team neces¬ 
sary, bat beyond a single pair, would not ordinary 
farmers do better to make up the balance of power 
needed with oxen? And he is extremely fortunate 
who is so situated as, beyond a single horse, to be 
able to get along with oxen only. As a general 
rule, it seems to me, thrift more uniformly follows 
the one than the other. But I am unmindful that 
“ Young America” will fairly bleat at these old- 
time notions, for there is nothing he likes better 
than to hold the reins while the horses dance, and 
prance, and champer the bits, and “boss” or papa 
pay 8 the bils. -w, b. p. 
Prattsburgh, N. Y., 1858. 
A ROOT CELLAR. 
Messrs. Ed3.: —Being a reader of your very 
valuable paper, and noticing an article in the 
Rural of Nov. 13 tb, relative to out door cellars or 
root-houses, and having a good one, I here send 
yon a description of it. It is bnilt on a gravelly 
ridge, and has good natural drainage. I dug in 
the earth about three feet throwing the dirt so as 
to be used for banking and covering. The walls 
are about four feet six inches high, built of stone 
cemented with mortar, about eighteen inches 
thick. On the side walls are placed oak plates, 
about six inches thick, for the support of the low¬ 
er part of the roof. In the centre of the roof is a 
strong ridge pole supported on three posts. At 
each end the walls are built high enough for the 
support of the ends of the ridge poll?. The roof 
is planked, with rough oak planks about three 
inches thick. On these is placed a covering of 
straw six inches thick and over this is a covering 
of earth two feet thick. Size inside 15x25 feet— 
Height seven feet in the centre. It is used for 
storing away roots for feeding cattle, and for this 
purpose it is very convenient, being built about 
twenty feet from the stock barn. As to its utility 
there is no necessity of saying anything, as every 
person who has tried them, and given them a fair 
trial would not be without one. 
Point Abino, C. W., 1858. H. C. Dickout. 
CHEAP ICE-HOUSE. 
For the benefit of those who wish to enjoy a 
little cool luxury daring long, hot summer days, I 
send yon the plan of a cheap Ice House in which 
I kept ice from February to October, using from it 
every day after warm weather commenced. Nailed 
up a pen, 10 by 12 feet, four feet on the ends, seven 
feet on the sides, leaving the gable ends open—the 
ground descended about one foot in twelve—filled 
in sawdust about six or eight inches deep—sawed 
the ice as square as possible with a cross-cut saw, 
and packed it in, leaving a space of a foot on the 
sides all around. Pounded the cracks between the 
ice full of fine ice; filled the space around with 
sawdust, stamping it down so as to make it close 
as possible; then covered the whole 12 or 15 inches 
deep with sawdust and put on the roof. After 
warm weather commenced I generally went over 
it once a week to see if there was any melting; if 
there was I pounded the place full of sawdust— 
This house will hold from 2£ to 3£ cords. If it is 
allowed to freeze solid, more will be wasted than 
used. I have tried that plan, bnt if left as it is 
packed you can roll out a block and saw off with a 
hand-saw as much as is wished. t. b. t. 
jkford. Ill., Nov., 1858. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
A bout Fish Ponds. —The way the reservoir at 
Buffalo is made, is clay about a foot thick. After 
being put on like cement, then brick are laid in 
Jr lime — E. E. A.. Ripley, N. Y., ip8. 
A Good Pig. —Mr. Okvil Smith of this place, 
butchered a pig on the 11th nit., seven months 
and twenty-seven days old,— a cross of the Leices- 
• and Suffolk—that weighed, dressed, after hang- 
. : about six hours, 413^ fts. He was fed as fol¬ 
ic 's:—Taken from the sow at the age of four 
weeks; fed on sour milk for two months; sour 
milk, and corn soaked in clear water, the next two 
months; the remainder of the time with corn-meal, 
milk, and water, mixed at every feed. Mr. Smith 
does not claim that his method of feeding is the 
best, but the most convenient. The result is, at 
least, satisfactory. If others can beat it we should 
like to hear from them through the medium of the 
Rural. —J. W. Collins, Sodus, N. Y., 1858, 
A Great Calf.— Great Calf is a term often made 
use of in the common parlance of the day, and it 
is significant of much meaning in its biped appli¬ 
cation. I think, however, here is a case where it 
may be used for a different purpose, and its quad¬ 
ruped representative be fully expressive of the 
qualified term. I have a heifer calf, which at 36 
hours old, (Oct. 23,) weighed 107 lbs.—now jast 4 
week’s old, is 36 inches in height, and is as hand¬ 
some as it is large,—color, a dark red. I am neither 
farmer nor stock grower, bnt I am raising this calf, 
of course, and if I don’t beat the crowd at our next 
Fair—why—somebody else will, that's all. Now 
for pedigree, a very important item, I suppose, 
with stock growers. All I can say on this point 
is in relation to “Bridget,” the mother. She is a 
very fair-looking, white-faced, red cow, with no 
foreign blood—as her name might seem te indi¬ 
cate— bat a pure Native American, one of the four 
regular “Know-Nothings,” yet standing at the crib 
in town. Is Orleans ahead? Bring on your big 
calves, for everybody can’t have mine.—L. W. M., 
Medina, Orleans Co., N. Y., Nov. 23, 1858. 
Cause of the Potato Rot. — Having read in 
the Rural something relative to the potato disease, 
I have an inquiry to make. A man in Michigan 
says that the cause of the rot is electricity, and 
gives a theory to remedy the evil. Mr. Henderson 
says it is an insect This insect I discovered years 
ago, and felt satisfied that it was the cause of the 
rot, but the potatoes did not rot that year, and my 
faith was shaken with regard to the cause. I have 
seen the fly every year since, including the present 
one. Its depredations were plainly visible the past 
season, for a long time, upon the tops, but no dis¬ 
ease in the potato was apparent until after digging 
time. Then it appeared quite extensively. We 
had but very little thunder through the summer, 
but a little before potatoes were ripe we had 
quite a number of heavy thunder storms. Now 
tde question that I want answered is this: — Will 
the fly alone produce the rot? or will electricity 
do it alone? or, is it necessary that both should be 
combined in order that the disease appear?—O. M, 
Granby, Nov., 1858. 
Remarks. —The insect we know does mischief to 
the vines, whether it causes the rot, or not. Mr. H. 
does not claim that the injury from the insect is 
very apparent until after digging, though the 
tubers are stuDg previously, and the disease pro¬ 
gresses until they are entirely rotten. This subject 
is enshrouded in mystery. We do not know that 
electricity has any connection with the disease, 
though some observing men think so. 
Sorghum Fever in Illinois.— The Secretary of 
the Illinois State Ag. Society, S. Francis, Esq., 
writes Emery's Journal of Agriculture thus:—“ Oar 
publio houses are now using the Chinese sugar 
cane syrup for the ordinary purpose of molasses. 
We shall havetohold back our farmers next spring 
or they will go headlong into the cultivation of 
sugar cane. Before they plant they must know 
how they are to work up their cane. Few realize 
that a good acre of cane, cat and prepared for the 
mill, will weigh 20 000 poundp.” 
So highly is Sorghum syrup esteemed by the 
farmers of Illinois, that the State Ag. Society, fear¬ 
ing Egypt may trade off corn for cane, is taking 
into serious consideration a proposition to put 
“on the brakes,” and thus slacken the impetuosity 
of the rush into its culture when spring calls to 
field labor. Gentlemen, it ain’t fair; we all want 
a large amount of “ sweetenin,” and an acre or 
two, more or less, will be an item of little import¬ 
ance. Besides, there is such excellent opportunity 
to make tests of its powers as a corrective of 
acidity—by operating upon one or two Agricul¬ 
tural Journals which emanate from that center of 
influence and of the world — Chicago. We speak 
fora trial —if it succeeds, doubts and doubters 
may hide their diminished beadp, for, verily, great 
will be the saccharine properties of Sorgho Sucre! 
— The difficulty, in the opinion of Mr. Francib, 
will be the want of proper machinery to work the 
cane and manufacture the syrup. Let it be defin¬ 
itely settled that Chinese Sugar Cane is a “pajing 
institution”—that farmers hereafter will give a 
certain amount of attention to its cultivation, and 
mills will quickly be in operation, in precise ratio 
to the demand upon them for assistance. 
Turnips for Swine. —A correspondent of the 
New England Farmer, (A. J. Dodge, Lowell, Vt.,) 
writes that journal relative to a yield of turnips, 
and his manner of feeding them out, as follows:— 
“I raised 300 bushels of rutabagas upon 48 rods 
(or 3 10 of au acre,) of Bandy land, and not very 
highly manured at that, no pains taken to trans¬ 
plant and thin out; hoed them but twice, sowed 
them the 17th of June. The expense of pulling, 
cutting off the tops, &c., putting them into the 
cellar, as follows:—First half-day, with the assist¬ 
ance of a man over 70 years of age, I pulled, cut 
the tops, and put in the cellar, 100 bushels; the 
next day, with the assistance of two boys under 16 
years of age, I put iu 200 bushels in four hours’ 
time. The turnips were large and very smooth, 
being free from fibers. I have commenced feeding 
them to cows, and think they not only increase the 
quantity but the quality of the milk. I also boil 
them and mix corn and rye meal, and feed my 
fatting hogs, and if the turnips are no other benefit, 
they certainly improve the food so that the hogs 
eat it more readily, and fat faster than they will 
upon the meal without the turnips.” 
Warm Barns. —Where barns are so illy con¬ 
structed as to afford but little protection against 
inclemencies of weather, they can easily be made 
warm by boarding them on the inside, and filling 
ud hetw«»n the outside and inside weather 
boarding with straw or coarse relnse hay. And 
this can be done at a very trifling expense, by snch 
as cannot afford to build new barns or thoroughly 
repair their old ones; for a few dollars’worth of 
boards and nails, and a little work, which you can 
do yourself, is all that is necessary to prevent the 
ingress of the sharp winds and cold, frosty air.— 
And he who neglects or begrudges this, is unmer¬ 
ciful to his poor, shivering beaBts, who would tell 
him of his want of mercy if they could. 
Hungarian Grass. — The Greenfield (Mass.,) 
Gazette says that Samuel Stoughton raised the 
past season, from 12J rods of ground, well fitted 
and sowed with Hungarian grass seed, 937 pounds 
well dried hay, which would be at the rate of six 
tuns to the acre. The seed was sown the middle 
of June, and cut for hay about the middle of Sep¬ 
tember. For soiling, it should be cut two weeks 
earlier. The hay is good, and readily eaten by 
horses and cattle. From 14.j rods adjoining the 
other, there were obtained three bushels of well 
cleaned seed, fit for market In the opinion of Mr. I 
S. there is no humbug about this, but on the con¬ 
trary, he thinks it is one of the most profitable hay 
crops the farmers can raise on good tillage land. 
The Best way to Fatten Hogs. —A correspon¬ 
dent of the Maine Farmer writing upon fattening 
hogs, remarks:—“A pig or hog will improve faster 
when alone in a pen, than when shut up and fat¬ 
tened in company with others. Although I can 
assign no satisfactory reason for this, unless it be 
that the solitary hog is more quiet and undisturbed 
while feeding, yet I think that those who are will¬ 
ing to try the experiment will find it to be a fact.” 
Agricultural Conference at Washington.— 
A special dispatch to ihe Boston Journal, on the 
23d ult, states thst the Commissioner of Patents 
purposes to invite sixty or seventy eminent agri¬ 
culturists from different States to meet at Wash¬ 
ington in Convention early in January, to discuss 
agricultural topics, and compare statistics. Each 
one will receive five cents a mile mileage, and 
twenty-five dollars for expenses. 
Ag. Statistics of Ohio. —Interesting Agricul¬ 
tural statistics of Ohio have been published by the 
State Agricultural Society. There are $7,000,000 
worth of hogs in the State; $5,000,000 worth of 
sheep; $21,000,000 worth of cattle; $485,000 worth 
of mules and asses, and 750,000 horses, worth $45,- 
000,000. The total annual value of agricultural 
products reaches $153,000,000. 
Grain Trade of Chicago. —The total receipts of 
grain for the season at Chicago, up to the 9th nit, 
were 22,000,000 bushels, and the shipments 19,000,- 
090. There were received 452,403 barrels of flour, 
9,297,799 bushels wheat, 8,447,605 bushels corn, 
1,857,397 bushels oats, and 119,78 bushels barley. 
Sheep for California. —The Santa Fe Gazette, 
of October 9th, Btates that at least 115,000 sheep 
are now on their way to California. Of this 
number, Bernadilla and Valencia counties, New 
Mexico, furnishe 105,000. 
