Agricultural illisccllang 
about the thighs becomes a mass of filth—often 
fly-blown—and if not attended to early, tbe sheep 
is lost If properly and seasonably tagged, the 
labor of washing the sheep is diminished one-half. 
The process of tagging may be interesting to 
the uninitiated. Set the sheep on his rump, on a 
clean floor, or on a shearing table. If a wether, 
cut the woo tawny from the sheath and scrotum; 
then Bhear from the inside of tho thighs, and 
down the leg to the fetlock, grasping both feet 
with the left band and drawing them toward 
him; the shearer can then clip all that is neces¬ 
sary about the dock. With the ewe, the wool 
Bhotild be sheared from the bag and immediately 
about it, which permits the lamb, in its first 
attempts to find the teats readily, and often saves 
it from being chilled and prostrated. The sooner 
the lamb gets nourishment after it is dropped, the 
better. Ewes, heavy with lamb, require to be 
handled with the utmost care, and tbe owner 
should never entrust this duty to careless hands, 
without being present to see that the most 
humane care is exercised. 
If the hoofs of sheep need cutting or paring, 
nowiB the time to do it While one person holds 
the animal on his feet, another is ready with a 
sharp chisel and a mallet, and cuts off as far as 
the hoof is turned or broken. 
spade for subsoiling; and a kind of spade-hoe, or 
a hoe whose blade is in form and size like a large 
spade, with a long and heavy handle, is nsed for 
breaking up the fallow ground. This instrument 
is raised above his head by the muscular arm of 
the Chinese gardener, (for his farm is but a gar¬ 
den in extent and culture,)and by its own weight 
and the additional force given by tbe laborer's 
arm, !b buried ten or twelve inches in the soil. 
The farmer in China ranks higher than the me¬ 
chanic or the merchant, since they say the fruit 
of his toil is necessary to feed the world. To 
encourage and give honor to agriculture, the 
Emperor holds the plow, and to honor and en¬ 
courage the distaff and the loom, the Empress 
cultivates the mulberry and turns the wheel. 
stitution of the farm, during the long period 
mentioned. 
And a very good thiug Is an ox carl. It is 
cheap and durable. It is capable of bearing great 
burdcnB. The team ia quickly attached and un¬ 
loosed. It is readily arranged for the different 
kinds of farm work. Its loads are aometimes 
“dumped” where wanted, without all having to 
be re-handled. It Is an old fashioned vehicle. Its 
rate of speed, with a pair of oxen before it, is 
moderate. For these last named reaBoms, 1 like 
it. It is a slow establisment. We arc altogether 
too “ fast.” We can't stop to adjust our expenses 
to our income,—can’t stop to pay onr honest 
debts,—can’t think of seeking a livelihood in 
honest sweat, or of being satisfied with such a 
living as honest sweat will biing. The spirit of 
the age is altogether in another direction. It is 
[o —go ahead! Let creditors take care of their 
dues as they best can. “ Let the dead bury their 
dead.” We sniff the genius of the times, and are 
after — progress! 
What a monstrous delusion is hidden in the 
word “fust /” A preacher onee began an address 
as follows:—"We live three timcB as last as our 
fathers did. Our children will live three times as 
piece had formerly been oiicnea turee rous 
apart, and I am catting a ditch between, which I 
think will prove very beneficial, and dry the 
ground effectually. H. A. Whjttemork. 
Fluvanna, N. Y., i860. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— In reply to T. P. II., 
Farmington, Mich., I have a ditch through quick¬ 
sand, each as he described, that ban been in suc¬ 
cessful operation for a year and more. It is 
made of four inch tile, laid on a board, then 
lightly covered with straw to keep the dirt from 
the joints, and carefully filled. Cups of the same 
material as the tile, and closely lilting over the 
joints, would be much better than straw. 
1 think a drain could be made through muck, 
the same as through quicksand. An underdrain 
would he preferable, not only for convenience in 
plowing, but it will convey off tbe water much 
better. Ditches three rods apart, and three feet 
deep, w ill drain wet, marshy land, having a clay 
subsoil. N. M. White. 
Bahlwinitvllle, N. Y.. I860. 
THE STEAM PLOW. 
Let the steamship ride on the ocean tide, 
And plow tbe deep blue sea— 
I'll lend a hand to the Rural band, 
And plow on the flowery lea. 
I’ll plow Band or clay, by night or day, 
I'll either baw or gee— 
Shallow or deep, I’ll do It neat, 
If you’ll only call on me. 
I'll whistle and plow np the mountain brow, 
Oi down Id the valleys green— 
Hitch ob, bitch ou! ('ll take all along, 
The subsoil or the iron beam, 
Carry me on to the bahny West, 
Make fast my iron tands, 
And 111 invert tbe “ Prairie State," 
And lay l£.auea» lip Ip " lands.” 
There's no ring-bones on my iron joints, 
No spring-halt, nor spavin, have I— • 
I never tire, r>or kick, nor baulk, 
I never lay down and die. 
Just feed me wood for my daily food, 
And keep your hickory dry— 
I can’t stand drouth, so wet my mouth, 
And I’ll never blow you high. 
Ypallantl, Mich , 1860. Stratum. 
COUCH GRASS. 
■With interest I 
Edb. Rural Nrw-Yokker 
have read what was said in tbe Rural of April 
28tb, in regard to conch or quack grass, and 
sympathizing with all those who are cursed by 
such a thing, am induced to give my experience 
with it. Two years ago the last of the present 
month, when the couch was about ten inches 
high, I dropped potatoes among it and covered 
it up with straw about a foot deep. In the fall 
1 forked oil the straw, and gathered nine bushels 
of good potatoes from the piece, which was two 
by eight rods, or sixteen rods of land, and found 
the grass all dead and the laud in the finest order. 
A year ago I dropped potatoes further on the 
plat, and forked tbe remains of the straw over, 
with the same success as regards the grass, but, 
it being a very dry summer and fell, gathered but 
a few potatoes. I have seen Canada thistles suc¬ 
cessfully treated in this way, with the exception 
that the ground wan first plowed, and the potatoes 
slightly covered with earth, which, I presume, 
would be belter for the crop, and also a lighter 
covering might answer. a. a. h. 
Nauapee, Wia., May, 18(50. 
POLL EVIL, ONCE MORE. 
Ens. Rural New-Yorker:— In your paper of 
the 28th of April, I noticed an article on “Poll 
Evil, Causes and Remedy.” I fully agree with 
the writer in respect to the causes of the disease. 
It generally originates from bruises or irritation, 
and is hard to cure successfully, after it is allowed 
to break out, therefore it is of the utmost im¬ 
portance to begin in season, and cure it in its 
first stage, which may be known by observing 
that the horse has a stiff neck, and that ho throwB 
his nose out straigliter than common. When 
drinking, the water will run out through the 
nostrils, and the horse will not allow its owner to 
bear hard on the nape of tbe neck, which, in 
almost all cases, is the seat of the disease. It 
soon begins to swell, and if taken as aoon as dis¬ 
covered, ami tbe swelling baa not too much 
maturated at tbe Beat uf the disease, it can be 
cured in nine cases out of ten, in the following 
Take a bottle, and put in two ounces 
Inquiries emb ^Instocrs. 
Baku Yard. —How large a barn yard will be required 
to keep forlv cows in, comfortably and safely? What is 
tbe bust mode of securing a dry yard, on a teuse.imm 
liard-pansoil that will surely punch up?—J. A , /Bay,1860. 
Cows Leaking tukir Mu.il,—Can yon, or any of your 
subscribers, Inform me if anything can bo donu lo pre¬ 
vent a cow from leaking her milk, and what it is? In 
doing so. you will oblige a subscriber.— R. A. ltiLKT, 
Lakeville, i860. _ . .. . - 
Cotton Skkd sob Ms.al.—W ill some of tbe Rural 
readers detail their experience in the use of cotton seed 
as feed for stock? Any practical information on the 
subject of soiling, will be beneficial to more than—O nk, 
JSc.tnr.asUe, Del. Co,, A Y., 1860. 
“Dbadenino " TiMHKit —Will some of your numerous 
correspondents please answer a few inquiries through 
the Rural? At what season of the year should timber 
be deadeued, that It will hist longest when plit into 
rails?—also, at what lime will hickory timber rot soonest 
when deadeued?—WM. Ii. McB , Jlaninglon, Pa,, 1860. 
manner 
oil of spike; two ounces oil of amber; two ounces 
oil of origanum; two ounces Venice turpen¬ 
tine; eix cents worth of quicksilver; then three- 
fourths of a pint of common turpentine. Shake 
well every time you use, to keep the quicksilver 
mixed with the other ingredients. Apply the 
slime upon the part swelled,—on a place as large 
us the swelling, and no larger,—three times a 
day for three days, skip two days, again apply 
three days, and so on till entirely well. 
While applying the liniment, the horse should 
he fed bran mushes, with Epsom salts enough in 
to physic him moderately every day. If thor¬ 
oughly doctored, as above, it will never return 
again. 1 have cared them when tbe swelling 
appeared to have risen an inch and a half, upon 
the nape of the ueck,—in one case upon a horse 
that was fourteen years old, and the horse, for six 
years after, was well, sound, and his neck as lim¬ 
ber as when a colt. 
The person applying the liniment must be 
careful not to get it upon the horse only except 
where the swelling is, and before using be must, 
each time, remove the dandruff. It may be put 
on with a sponge. Six shillings’ worth of the 
liniment will be sufficient to cure the worst case, 
and ordinarily one-half this umount will be all 
that is required. This recipe, if carefully pre- 
SinoLiiig Seed Com. 
At a late discussion of a farmers' club in 
Illinois, Mr. Ide said that he selects bis ears in 
the field before frost; hangs them in a smoke 
house—the more smoke the better. The pyrolig- 
acid imbibed by tbe corn will bring it up 
Kkkimnu Rutter Through tub Summer. — WIiud T 
wish to ascertain something that I do not know, my 
mind iininudiatalv rovon# to tho Rubai, for snob infor- 
mation. L would like to find out the boat mode lor keep¬ 
ing buttnr, swoct and nice, through tbe summer *ea#ou. 
after being packed in firkins. Al«o, whether a screw pre ¬ 
wound work well for pres>iDg cheese:—K. R . Ilucana, A. 
Y., I860. __ 
What Ails thk Piqs?—I w ish to make inquiry through 
our paper with regard to my nigs. I bad two nice lit¬ 
ters, of six pigs each. When they were about two weeka 
old, 1 noticed one of tbem was'drooping. 1 examined 
him, found his eye# closed tight,and be soon died. Two 
more were soon taken,—not-e aod ears commenced turn¬ 
ing black, or rather blue, nnti! it went all over them, 
and they soon died. The two litters are about half gone. 
1 think there will be none left in oue week. It appear* 
to be contagious. Can any of the render* of tbe Rural 
tell the cause?—M. Barkk. Kalamazoo, Mich., 18(50. 
HCOUH 
in dry or hot weather, and at the end of four 
weeks the growth will be twico that of corn 
planted at the same time without smoking, and 
will be left entirely alone by the mice, squirrels, 
or worms. 
Profit* of Farming. 
In a lecture on sowerage, recently delivered 
at the Farmer’s Club on Monday evening, Mr. 
Alderman Mechi, referring to his Tiptree Hall 
estate, said;—“For the last few years my gain as 
landlord and tenant on my little farm of 170 
acres, has been nearly £700 per annum. Even 
this year, with wheat at 42s. per qr., I have gained 
£G00 after paying every expense. Of course, 
much of this benefit has arisen from steam 
power, drainage, deep cultivation, and other im¬ 
provements; but the liquified manure system has 
greatly contributed to this result.” 
Planting PotnroeM. 
Mr. Carr, of Lafayette, la., relates, in tbe 
Ohio Cultivator, an experiment on tbe depth of 
planting potatoes. He was stopping with a 
friend whom he found planting potatoes, covering 
lightly, say two or three inches deep, and advised 
deeper covering. His friend thought not, but 
allowed him to cover a row in bis own way. He 
picked out the largest potatoes, (his friend had 
them cut up quite fine,) and dropped a row, cov- 
The row did not 
IvniAN Corn for Fodder.— It i# well known that, in 
Herkimer Co ami adjacent dairy districts, Indian Corn is 
planted thick, or sown broadcast lain to the kporod for 
late Iced Will you |d«ii*p inform a Western auiamioer 
‘■1,,IW the tmng* la Ilomr" -wiioiliel' planted, dr»lled. or 
sowed: how much seed to ihe acre; and, particularly, at 
w hat time to plant or sow? Our native prairie grasses 
arc comparatively worthies* fur feed after August, amt 
►i Pimm thing green " might not ho outof place. -A. W B., 
Wilmington, III, 1800 , 
CORN for fodder t# often BOW n broadcast, but this affords 
no opportunity for culture. The bettor way, we think, is 
to sow thickly In hroad drill*, say five or six inches wide, 
leaving space between the rows sufficient to admit the 
uu> of the cultivator. In this way, between three and 
four bushels will be needed to the acre 
Tmc CATTLK Disease (Plnero-Pneuraonia,) so conta¬ 
gious and fatal In Massachusetts, is causing much alarm 
throughout New Eugland. Speaking of it, the N. Y. 
Tribune says:— 11 The State of Massachusetts has a erfeis 
impending over it more direful than almo»t any other 
which could be imagined." It adds that "the whole 
agricultural interest of this conntry is liable to receive 3 
blow from which it may not recover in many years." 
No State Fair ia to be held tbia year in Massachusetts, 
and we presume the local Cattle Shows will also be 
omitted in that and probab'y other New England States. 
Measures will no doubt be adopted to confine the dis¬ 
ease, if possible, in tbe district# already affected. It is 
certainly the duty of the State Legislatures, and other 
authorities, to prevent the spread of the. fatal disorder 
by stringent enactments—making a boundary over which 
no neat animal shall pass on penalty of a heavy fine. 
Should the disease reach this and the Western States, 
the loss would prove almost incalculable. 
HORN SckapiNOS FOR Manukk.— I frequently see ac¬ 
count# of the great efficacy rff the scrapings of horns ns 
a manure. As I have a large quantity of them on hand, 
and no sale, can you, or any of your numerous corres- 
pnndpnta, inform me how. or whether they can be put 
through any process to decompose them, so as to make 
manure.—J. li Stkwakt, Cherry Tree, Pa. 
Tub scrapings or horns aro an excellent manure, when 
il. The largest crop of wheat 
in this country, was raised in this 
comb-maker, who applied large quantities 
EXPERIENCE IN DITCHING. 
season. I consider a norsc, niter tins tnsease 
breaks out, good for nothing, and should they get 
well, with a stiff neck, 1 consider them next to 
worthless. Old Farmer. 
Adrian, Michigan, 1860. 
Eos. Rural Nk5v-Yokkek :—Noticing an in¬ 
quiry about ditching in your issue of May 19th, 
I will give the gentleman my experience. I do 
not think be will ever sncceed in keeping open 
his ditch through quicksand. I should advise 
him to put in tile. Ttvt) inch will answer a very 
good purpose, and carry oil' a great quantity of 
water, if he lays them so that there will be no jogs 
at the ends of the tiles. 1 should dig down six 
inches more in the “ gravelly strata,” and then 
no plank will he needed under the tile. He should 
cover them with shavings, and put the top soil 
next to them. If lie has no shavings, straw will 
answer very well. In regard to the "flood” of 
water, 1 think it will do no hurt, as the tile will 
carry it off before he wants to work the grouud, 
hut it will not do to leave the top open so that 
the water can wash in the sand. 1 think he will 
find it advisable to have one open ditch through 
the mucky pieee of giound, and then run tile 
into it at two rods apart. The open ditch should 
be six feet on top, one at the bottom, by three 
feet deep. By giving it this shape it will not he 
very likely to cave in. It is necessary to keep 
the mouths of his drains open, as they are very 
likely to till from this cause. 
Near Trov. N. Y„ I860. W Goodrich, Jr. 
applied directly to the s«i 
we ever saw grown 1 
county, by a 
of horn shavings and filings to the surface of the soil 
before dragging. For use in the garden, and for pear 
trees, wo have composted the shavings with manure. 
In this way they rapidly decompose. 
Curing Warts ON CATTLB, Once Mork.— In answer 
to J. G. roUHCK's inquiry, I will say that they may be 
taken off bv cording tight around the ueck of the wart, 
or close to the body, with a small cord, so as to stop all 
circulation of fluids. Then leave them to take care of 
themselves, and in a few days they will be missing.— 
il. C. H. 
In a former number of the Rural, I notice J. G 
PottRCB wishes information in regard to warts ou cattle. 
His is, truly, a bard case, yet 1 think they may be re¬ 
moved by the close application of castor oil to the parts 
affected. Those that are large enough to admit of tyiDg 
a cord arouud, may he removed in that way. Tie a bow 
knot, and tighten every day until removed. Castor oil 
is a sure cure for warts on hands, cows’ teats, &c., if 
faithfully applied.—U. E. Mills, Amber , IStiO. 
ing six or eight inches deep, 
come up as soon as the rest, hut when the plants 
did come their superiority was manifest as far as 
you could see them, and they kept ahead through 
the season, and at digging time told the whole 
story, yielding two or three times as much as any 
other row. 
Son king Seeds in Chemical solutions- 
The following is an extract from the Trans¬ 
actions of the Highland Agricultural Society:— 
I steeped the seeds uf the various specimens 
exhibited in sulphate, nitrate and muriate of am¬ 
monia, in nitrate, of soda and potash, and in com 
binations of these: and in all cases the results 
were highly favorable. For example, seeds of 
wheat steeped in sulphate of ammonia on the fifth 
of July, had, by the tenth ol'August, tillered nine, 
ten, and eleven stems of nearly equal vigor; while 
seeds of the same sample, unsoaked, and sown at 
the same time and in the same soil, had not. tillered 
into more than two, three, and f'onr stems. I 
prepared the various mixtures from the above 
specified salts exactly neutralized, and then added 
from eight to twelve measures of water. The 
time of steeping varied from fifty to ninety-four 
AGRICULTURE IN CHINA. 
Emperors themselves plowed, and their Empresses 
cultivated the mulberry tree. Though supremely 
honorable, they disdained not to labor, in order 
that, by their example, they might excite the 
millions to laydue stress ou tbe radical principles 
of political economy. Snffer not a barren spot 
to remain in the wilderness, or a lazy person to 
abide in the cities. Then the farmer will not lay 
aside the plow and the hoe, or the house-wife put 
away her silk-worms and her weaviug. Even the 
productions of the hills and marshes, of the 
orchards and vegetable gardens, and the propa¬ 
gation of the breed of poultry, dogs, and swine, 
will be regularly cherished and used in their 
season to supply the deficiencies of agriculture.” 
There are few things in the animal or vegetable 
kingdom not converted by the Chinese into arti¬ 
cles of food, such as birds' nests and sharks' fins, 
puppies and poultry, snails and sea slugs, rats 
and radishes, oysters and ants' eggs, unhatched 
oliickensand embryo lambs, hotel nut aud bam¬ 
boo roots, lettuce and leeks, garlics aud guavers, 
ginseng and ginger, lemons and lichees, plantains 
and pomegranates, maDgoes and mangosteens, 
maise and millet, wheat and barley, pumpkins 
and potatoes, turnips and taro, onions, eggs and 
fish in variety for one to each day in the year. 
The food and mode of cooking for four hundred 
millions of Chinese, would furnish in the descrip¬ 
tion a thick volume, and food for tlionght. 
about the month of 
Tur tUiRT Farmer is a well-conducted octavo of 32 
page#, published monthly (at 50 cents per annum,) by A. 
W. Eaton, Little Falls, N. Y The number before us 
contaius several valuable articles on tho specialty to 
which the paper is devoted. Emanating from the cele¬ 
brated Herkimer dairy region, aud conducted by such 
experienced men as L. B. ARNOLD, A. L. FlSH, and X. A. 
Willard, the Farmer must prove worthy the special 
attention of all engaged in dairying. 
Sale or Imi-koted Stock —It will be seen by refer¬ 
ence to an advertisement in this paper that Hon. A. B. 
Concbk, Ex-I’resident of the State Ag, Society, offers at 
public sale choice selections of his Herds of Ayrshire, 
Devon, and Short-horn cattle, and also a few horses, 
Berkshire, Essex, and Suffolk, swiue, etc. Those wishing 
to procure improved stock will note the announcement. 
Eds. New-Yorker: —In looking over the Rural 
my eye rested on an inquiry in regard to ditch¬ 
ing,—"llow can I construct a ditch through a 
Ac. Two years ago I had 
bed of quicksand 
120 rods of ditch cut on a four acre lot, a part of 
it lying through a bed of quicksand, which we 
effectually filled up by laying the side with brick 
and covering with fiat stones. This ditch has 
discharged water two years, drying the land quite 
effectually within its influence. I am now cut¬ 
ting another ditch, 2^ feet deep, 3 feet wide at. 
top, and 20 inches ou bottom, which, bottom and 
sides, for 8 inches up, is one continuous bed of 
quicksand. This I shall construct as follows:— 
In the bottom of the ditch I place a board, on 
the sides I lay poles (i inches through, then cover 
with boards and a coating of straw 3 inches 
thick, to prevent dirt from working through the 
crevices, and fill with dirt I am convinced your 
inquiring correspondent can succeed by so doing. 
I have seen this method tried in several cases, 
and in each a complete success. 
In cutting a ditch through a marsh, the deeper 
the better, if fall enough to carry off the surplus 
water. I am ditching a small, wet pieee, border¬ 
ing on and running to the lake shore, with ditches 
one rod and a half apart, three feet deep, and 
covering as for the quicksand ditches. This 
Oregon State ag. Society.— The farmers ot ureco 
organized a State Society lu February last— adopted 
constitution, elected officers, and designated the second 
week in October as tbe time for holding the first Annua. 
Fair. Officers: President — W. II Rector, of Marion 
county. Car, Secretary—Samuel E. May, Marion. R'.r 
Secretarn — I.uoien Heath, Marion. Treasurer—J. H. 
During the third moon 
April,—occurs the annual ceremony of the Em¬ 
peror plowing. This ceremony used to he per¬ 
formed in person by the Emperor, but latterly it 
is sometimes done by proxy, the Prime Minister 
holding tho plotv in behalf of His Imperial Ma¬ 
jesty. The plow is highly ornamented, and drawn 
by a bullock led by o'ne of the high ministers. 
The rule is that the Emperor shall plow three 
furrows, the princes five, and the high ministers 
nine. The ceremony finished, the Emporor re¬ 
tires with his ministers to a terrace lor inspec¬ 
tion, while a husbandman finishes the field. 
The Chinese plow has hut one handle, and is 
all made of wood, except a small point of iron, 
and the furrow ia in proportion to the strength 
of the plowman. They depend chiefly upon the 
numerous in stems, (some uuving not jess man 
fifty-two.) but not so tall as either those from the 
sulphate or muriate of ammonia. 
Tugging Slicep. 
C. Betts, in the Ohio Fanner, says, before 
sheep are allowed to go to pasture, they should 
be thoroughly tagged; that is, all the wool from 
the dock down between tbe thighs, should be 
clipped; then if sheep scour, tbe fleece does not 
become filthy. Many valuable sheep are annually 
lost by a neglect of this trifling duty. The wool 
“ Consternation.”—A ttention is directed 
vertteement of this thorough-bred stallioD, £ 
fact that the charge for pasturage of mares 
cents a week r instead of 75 cents as hitherto pi 
