WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES, 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Touji correspondent “E. W.,” in Kura n of 
Dec. 8th, objects to my assertion some time 
since, that “ the mission of Agricultural Soeic- 
cieties is ended,” and asks, “Will not Mr. 
Bkagdox canvass the subject again, and sec if 
Agricultural Associations may not be turned to 
some account?'’ 
It seems to me that, read in connection with 
the article in whieh it is found, the above asser¬ 
tion could neither be misunderstood nor misap¬ 
plied. If I had said “the mission of Agricul¬ 
tural Societies, as at present organised, is ended/* 
I judge from hi- article E. W. would have 
agreed with me. And yet the quoted sentence, 
with the context, means just that —nothing 
more nor less. And E. W. agrees with that 
proposition, for he says, “That Agricultural 
Societies, of late years, have been run in the 
ground, we are willing to admit; but for all 
that, the growth of their usefulness has just 
commenced. They must be turned into other chan¬ 
nels, that is all,” 
Exactly my position! How turned into other 
channels ? By the association of men engaged 
in specific branches of husbandry, for the pro¬ 
motion of their own best interests, and the pro¬ 
tection of their rights —sheep men into wool 
growers’ associations, cheese makers, butter 
makers, cattle breeders, pork producers, grain 
growers, &c.« Ac.. into distinct, separate, and 
independent organizations —where they may 
exert a positive political and commercial influ¬ 
ence outside their own respective organiza¬ 
tions, and at the same time stimulate produc¬ 
tion and progress in their respective branches 
of industry, by discussions, correspondence 
and exhibitions. I not only believe that 
the best interests of the industrial classes de¬ 
mand this resolving of Agricultural Societies 
into these organizations, but that the signs 
of the times indicate that it icill be so, right speed¬ 
ily. The people are getting justly tired of the 
routine which elects officers, whose work for 
the year culminates in an exhibition which cost.- 
all engaged in it more than it amounts to—which 
learns the people little and satisfies them less— 
which is conducted with no other aim than to 
make the biggest possible exhibition, sensation, 
and the most money for the treasury. Success ? 
If this aim is attained, it is a “ success,*’ is it 
not? Does E. W. include any other elemeut in 
the successful exhibitions he asserts have occur¬ 
red in Michigan the current year? 
It is only the hope and belief that organiza¬ 
tions of men engaged in the different branches 
of husbandry will be more efficient and profit¬ 
able in all their relations, if distinct, that in¬ 
duces me to welcome the signs of decay appar¬ 
ent in the old organizations. All that your 
correspondent believes could and should be 
accomplished by Agricultural .Societies, may be 
better accomplished by these specific associa¬ 
tions. If each interest takes into its own hands 
the management of its own matters, and en¬ 
trusts the execution of its plans and the further¬ 
ance of its objects to men engaged in the same 
branch of husbandry, the work may and will be 
better done than if mixed up with a ball' dozen 
other distinct interests, and put in the hands of 
a set of men who have some other than a gen¬ 
eral and perhaps an incidental interest in acting 
at all. 
There must be a financial interest lying behind 
all these efforts. The object of Agricultural 
Societies, as at present organized, is to improve 
the financial condition of the farmer. 11' not, 
what is it? If an exhibition is called a “ suc¬ 
cess,” reference is had by this term, by nine- 
tenths of those who use it, to its financial suc¬ 
cess. But do the public receive adequate benefit 
for the money they pay into tli e treasury ? I fear 
not. And with the end of the fair the organiza¬ 
tion hibernates until the next lair comes round. 
It exerts no political influence, because there is 
no specific money interest organized—no com¬ 
mercial influence, because the producers of arti¬ 
cles of commerce have divers interests as they 
have divers products to dispose of, and are not 
organized so as to secure united action in rela¬ 
tion to any one product. I would not make 
these proposed organizations merely political, 
nor purely commercial, but I would have each 
class of husbandmen so combined, so united, 
that they may speak in reference to any political 
project affecting their interests, or any financial 
scheme, with one voice, and with such volume 
that it may he head and exert its Influence. 
If your correspondent will carefully re-read 
my former article, he will see that I am not 
opposed to Agricultural organizations—but that 
I am anxious they should be made powerful and 
useful. 
Communications, Ctc. 
POTATO CULTURE-THE ROT-MUCK, 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:—Y our corres¬ 
pondent, Daniel Higisee. of Michigan, gives 
an interesting experience In raising potatoes. I 
have raised potatoes twenty-three years, and 
have never failed having a full supply for the 
table the whole year, except two seasons, when 
I moved into new and uncultivated farms. 1 
have experimented in various ways, and the 
result of all my experiments and experience may 
be summed up in a few sentences. 
Plant early, whether of early or late sorts, as 
soon as the frost is well out of the ground, and 
the ground in a condition to work, no matter if 
it be in March. For the earliest crop plant 
whole potatoes of medium size, or large ones cut 
into two or three pieces; for later crops and for 
winter, plant pieces containing only two or three 
eyes; if planted thick, say 2 by 2 feet, or 3 by 5 
feet, only one piece in a hill—somewhat depends 
on the variety, however, as some kinds have 
twice as much top as others, and the larger the 
tops the more room they require of course. The 
small pieces will produce quite as many bushels 
as the larger, and less proportion of small ones, 
but do not come forward quite as vigorously 
early in the season as the larger seed, and are 
consequently not quite as early. 
Plant early sorts for the main crop. The Early 
York is the best and most prolific early sort I 
know of: in quality it is excellent l'or summer, 
and not less than second rate for winter. If 
planted early, it is fully ripe in August, and as 
your correspondent recommends, had better be 
dug immediately and stored in a cool, dry place, 
as little exposed to the light and air as possible, 
though I have never had that variety rot. when 
left in the ground till November—but think the 
quality deteriorates by being left in the ground 
through the usual fall rains, I would not 
recommend digging any sort, however, as long 
as the tops are green and thrifty, for I think as 
long as they continue so, the potatoes are grow¬ 
ing larger or better. 
The Peach Blow is an excellent and reliable 
sort for late potatoes. It is round, smooth, of 
good size and quality, and yields abundantly. I 
have raised twenty or more sorts of potatoes, 
and have discarded all but these two for the 
main crop. Raise a few Meshanoeks for late, 
summer and fall, and Wild Mexicans for baking. 
That the rot is caused by an insect, I do not 
believe. That insects may be found in rotten 
potatoes, and on the diseased tops, is very pro¬ 
bable ; they are found in all decaying vegetable 
matter. What the cause of the rot is, I am 
unable to say: but I know that we can in a great 
measure prevent the disease by early planting, 
early digging, planting on dry ground, and clean 
cultivation. The skill of the agriculturist is 
shown by his overcoming difficulties and produ¬ 
cing good crops under unfavorable circumstances. 
Any one can raise good crops when all the 
elements conspire to help him. As the potato 
question is now started, let us have the experi¬ 
ence of others. “In a multitude of counselors 
there is safety.” 
If friend IIigbek has a marsh where “the 
muck is from two to ten feet deep,” he has a 
mine of wealth. The first thing to do is to get 
rid of the surplus water by thorough draining 
in such a way as to leave no standing water 
within two feet of the surface. Next clear off’ 
the timber and mow the brush, or any way to 
clear the surface as much as possible; burning 
would be good if practicable. Then sow on 
timothy and red top, and perhaps a little clover 
seed in the spring. Turn in cattle aud pasture 
it until the roots are sufficiently rotten to admit 
of its beiug plowed. The cultivation afterwards 
will be plain to any farmer. S. W. ARNOLD. 
Cortland, Illinois. 
FARMING IN CONNECTICUT, 
Mr. Moore:— Haying seen an article in a 
recent number of the Rural wishing farmers 
to give their experience in farming, I thought 1 
would respond to the call. As I am not an 
experienced writer, I shall not write with a 
fluent hand, but hope my example will induce 
others to write, both East and West: for I think 
that we can benefit one another by doing so, 
I hail from the “ land of Steady habits,” where 
wooden nutmegs do not grow on the trees — 
where turnips do not grow in the sand — where 
pork is not made by the hogs running in the 
woods — where butter is not made by keeping 
cows on a sandy desert. Now. for my experi¬ 
ence in raising turnips, keeping a dairy, and 
fattening pork on a small scale. First—I have 
raised the. past season thirty-six bushels of white 
flat turnips on four rods of ground, the largest 
weighing nine pounds. Second —I will give 
you what three cows have brought me in from 
January 1,18153, to Jau. 1, 1804: 
600 lbs. of batter, sold at 25 cents.$125 00 
025 quarts milk at 4 cts. 25 00 
HuIDt and milk used in family,. 25 (10 
Three calves sold to the butcher,.. 28 80 
Milk for the pigs,. 27 00 
Manure sold,... 15 00 
$240 80 
This makes $80,27 for each cow. 
I killed two spring pigs December 14tli. The 
weight of one was 309 lbs.; the other weighed 
333. I sold one-half of each pig for $31.50; 
allotting that for the other makes for the two 
$03. The first cost of the pigs was $8.50, and the 
expense of feed, &e., $27.50, — making their 
whole cost $30. Deducting thirty-six dotlars 
from sixty-three leaves $27, which I have cred¬ 
ited to the cows for the milk. 
Agriculturists and Horticulturists, you all can 
write something and lot us know whether you 
lose or make: for that is the way to make a 
paper interesting. We of the East can give our 
mode of fanning as well as those of the West. 
Now, let me say unto you, one aud all, make an 
effort, aud we will have a paper for the times. 
C. N. Beecher. 
Woodbridge, Conn., Jan., 1801. 
HOW TO FATTEN POULTRY, 
lx the Rural of Dec. 12th, under the above 
heading, a writer tells us how to fatten poultry. 
From his course I wholly dissent. Common 
sense teaches us that ease and comfort will con¬ 
tribute more to fattening than will discomfort. 
I shall not, therefore, discuss the subject, but 
give my own experience for a series of years 
past. 
In the first place, I would not inclose the 
poultry in a tight coop, with barely room to 
change position, but in a small stable or pen 
with a plank floor, and high enough for the fowls 
to fly up to roost—admitting no light except 
that coming through the cracks. Here 1 would 
place three vessels—one containing whole corn, 
or any other grain it is proposed to feed. In No. 
two I would keep a good supply of pounded 
brick and charcoal, not pounded to powder, hut 
broken about the bize of grains of corn. No. 
three should be kept filled with clean water. 
All these vessels should be kept well supplied. 
Two weeks is all the time required to fatten 
poultry to fit the most fastidious taste. Not 
believing poultry fit for the table or market 
straight from the dung-hill, tbc above has been 
my practice for several years past. The result 
has been quite satisfactory, my poultry selling 
in market from two to three cents per pound 
higher than that not fattened, aud selling more 
readily. 
If the above, from a pen that never writes 
for the press, will benefit any of your host of 
readers, you are at liberty to use it — provided, 
agreeable to promise, you trim the rough edges. 
Maumee City, O., Dec., 1863. A. D. Williams. 
gurnl spirit of the 
Relieving Choked Cattle. 
Relieving choked cattle is of no small 
importance, considering their liability to be 
choked, and the danger of removing the cause. 
There are several ways used for relief, among 
whieh are, forcing the substance down with a 
stick, firing a gun under the belly, holding up 
one leg while the animal attempts to walk, 
crushing the offending substance by two mal¬ 
lets, Ac. But are they a sure ami ready means 
of relief ? A writer on this subject thinks not. 
I ouce saw a tine cow relieved at night by the 
first method, whieh died before morning, the 
stick having passed through the gullet. I have 
seen the fourth method work well in crushing 
apples, but should think potatoes too hard. The 
other methods I have not proved, but will give 
one that I have proved—haring relieved several 
within a few years, and two last fall. It is easy 
and safe. 
Tie the animal with its nose inclined upward, 
either by a rope around the horns and head, or 
by two strong men holding it. Let a strong 
man, with his thumb and fingers placed below 
the substance in the gullet, force it upward to 
the mouth as far as possible, keeping the grasp, 
and pressing the windpipe at the same time, 
causing a cough, by which the apple or other 
article is thrown into the mouth. This I have 
not known to fail. — J. C., in Boston Cultivator. 
Corn Cobs. — Experiment. 
I have recently had ten bushels of Indian 
corn — the small, eight-rowed variety, com¬ 
monly known as the Canada corn — ground in 
the ear, cob and all. ten bushels of shelled coni 
and ten bushels of cobs. Three cows, of equal age, 
weight and size, were selected, the first fed with 
a given quantity of hay, uncut aud in its natural 
state, and four quarts of pure meal per diem; 
the second received the same allowance of hay 
by weight, and six quarts of corn and cob meal. 
The third in addition to the hay, received eight 
quarts of cob meal. The first, No, 1, fed on the 
pure meal and hay, did the best, and the last. 
No. 3, the worst; but the difference was so 
slight that it was scarcely perceptible, and to a 
person not knowing that they had received dif¬ 
ferent keep, and knowing liothing of the relative 
difference in the quantity of milk, would never 
have been observed. The manure afforded by 
No. 3 exceeded that of either of the others by 
nearly one-fourth; so that if we set aside the 
latter circumstance, and make a fair and equita¬ 
ble allowance for the difference in quantity (and 
perhaps quality also) of the milk, cob meal w ill 
be found to be nearly one-half as valuable for 
feeding purposes, as the meal produced by the 
pure corn itself.—W. G., in Gennantmm Tel 
An Onondaga County Farm 
A Pomdky correspondent of the Syracuse 
Journal gives the following account of the pro¬ 
ducts of a farm in that town: 
I saw an article in your paper a few days 
since, stating the amount of wool the lion. 
George Goddes drew at one load and the sum of 
money received for the same. You ask if it can 
be beaten? Yes, easily. Mr. Morris Heard, of 
this town, from four hundred and eighty sheep, 
clipped this season three thousand and ten 
pounds of washed wool, besides raising one 
hundred aud twenty-live lambs. Last week he 
sold his wool for seventy-five cents per pound, 
and delivered at Fayetteville two thousand six 
hundred pounds atone load, drawn by one team. 
Mr. Beard owns two hundred and twenty 
acres of land, from which he has raised this year 
five hundred bushels of barley, two hundred 
and seventy-five bushels of winter wheat, one 
hundred bushels of clover seed, and hundreds of 
bushels of oats, pens, corn and potatoes, besides 
one thousand pounds of tobacco. Within the 
last eighteen years he has built over two thou¬ 
sand rods of quarry-stone wall, four and one- 
half feet high, dug aud laid miles of ditches, 
built a new house, repaired old buildings, Ac. 
Can Camillas beat this ? 
Sweet Corn for Hogs. 
The editor of the Routine (Mich.) Jaclsso- 
semian says:—“During our visit at the East we 
were asked to look at some fattening hogs in 
the sty of Dr. Caleb Plaistridge, of Lebanon, 
N. H. They were very tine ones, but not a.-, 
good, we were told, as the Dr. usually raises. 
His system is this.'—For twenty years past, he 
has planted one-fourth of an acre of sweet corn, 
aud killed throe hogs. The hogs have a good, 
large, and airy sty, with feeding troughs so 
arranged that they can not interfere with each 
other at feeding time, and free access to a large, 
dry yard, through winch runs a spring of clear 
water. W hen Ills sw eet com is large enough to 
roust, lie commences feeding it, stalk and all, in 
the yard, giving them all the twill they will eat. 
This lie continues until they refuse to eat the 
stalks, after which the balance of the corn is fed 
in the car, and the fattening process finished 
with coni meal. During the whole twenty 
9 
years he has failed but twice of killing hogs of 
over live hundred pounds’ weight each, and he 
gives credit for most of the weight to the sweet 
corn. He says, properly fed it adds at least two 
hundred pounds to each of his hogs. Until the 
frost kills it, they will eat the sweet com, stalks 
and all.” 
Flax and Cotton. — Less attention has 
been devoted to the cultivation of flax by our 
farmers than we anticipated. Owing to the 
scarcity of cotton and its high price, remunera¬ 
tive rates could have been obtained for very 
large quantities of flax fiber, and for several 
years to come it may bo cultivated as a profitable 
crop. In connection with this subject, we urge 
the cultivation of cotton in Delaware and Mary¬ 
land, as it is a historical fact that Amerieau 
cotton was first successfully raised in these 
States.— Bci. Am. 
Silk Manufactures are increasing among us. 
Silk fabrics are now made at Hartford, Conn., 
and at Cohoes, New York, and a manufactory 
has goue into successful operation in the East¬ 
ern District of Brooklyn. A large number of 
articles which wore lately r made in France, and 
imported, are now manufactured successfully in 
the vicinity of New York.— lb. 
Kwjmms aud 
White Plain. —(A. N. N., New Salem, Ind ) If you 
will make your views intelligible, you shall be attended 
to; tint articles written with a poor pencil, and obliter¬ 
ated at that, are hoy mid our time and patience. 
Hall's Stump Machine. —Will yon inform me if 
Hall’s Stump Machine is in successful operation, and 
if so, where and how it can be had'.- aud oblige—D 
Jewell, Yellow Springs, Ohio. 
We have heard little of the machine of late, but pre¬ 
sume it is in successful operation in localities where 
required. It was formerly manufactured by A. M. 
Baiigkr & Co., of this city, who can probably furnish 
the machine or tell where it may be obtained. 
IIeHERv, and Feeding Fowls, — (W. F. T., Paw¬ 
ling. N Y.) This is a subject upon which we are not 
particularly posted, but one thing we are clear about— 
that hens cannot be made to lay in winter without ani¬ 
mal food, lime in some shape, plenty of water, and ab¬ 
solute warmth by artificial heat or underground ventila¬ 
ted rooms. We advise our correspondent to procure 
either Bemknt’s or Browne’s treatise on the subject. 
Woolen and Cotton Batting.—I n tbc Rural of 
Nov, 2lst I noticed an urLicle by X. Y. Z., recommend¬ 
ing the use of rag.- as a substitute for cotton batting for 
quilting purposes. I wuuld like to inform X. Y. Z., 
and your ntlu-r readers, that I am manufacturing cotton 
and woolen rags into batting, by cleansing, picking 
and carding into matt# 45 Inches by 2-1. This article 
can be afforded cheap, and is pronounced by those who 
have used it as being superior to cotton battiDg for 
quilt#, comforters and matressee.—J. II. Mack, Og- 
densburgh , N, J'. 
Willow CTj.ti ue, Ac —I wish you or -ome nf yonr 
contributor* would tell mo how to plant. Willow and 
what kind to plant for market to make basket- Also, 
the probable expense of planting and cultivating, and 
the quantity that can be rat-cd per acre, tho price per 
tun in market, aud the best around to plant upon, whetb 
or dry or wet 1 have a piece of land In Gcinvoe emm- 
tv that lias a swamp upon It, and will clear It for willow 
if 1 find the profits are as large as 1 have heard they are. 
—A New Subscriber. 
The Practical Shepherd.— For the information Of 
parties interested—aud to save letter writing at a season 
when we have no time to exercise our poor talent in 
that )iue—we -late that the demand for this work con¬ 
tinue- so great that It Is Impossible to fill orders 
promptly Twelve editions bavo already been pub¬ 
lished, and others are being printed as rapidly as possi¬ 
ble, yet the demand is so far in advance of the supply 
that we defer the appointment of additional agents tor 
the work until there Is a prospect of furnishing copies 
for them to commence operations. Those of our 
readers wtio have applied for agencies, and received no 
response, will please exercise patience. 
— Speaking of The Practical Shepherd, hero is a note 
on the subject from lion. T. C. Peter?, former editor 
of the Woe/ Grower, which was overlooked at the time 
of its receipt and has just turned up: 
My Dear Moom: —I am greatIv obliged to you for 
an early copy of “ The Practical shepherd. 1 ’ From my 
long acquaintance with Dr Randall as a flock-master, 
and us a writer or great research and power, I nntici 
patod a very useful' and complete work. My expecta¬ 
tions are more than realized. The Dr. has surpassed 
himself in the exhaustive and condensed style of the 
book. He has not said one word too many, nor has he 
left one word out that ought to have been said. Bo 
much for the matter. 
The execution of the work in all it- detail must 
satisfy tie. very fastidious taste of the publisher in nil 
that relates to the printing art. Who shall say here 
after that Agricultural Literature is not attractive—on 
the outside, at le-e»t v The Dr has done his subject full 
justice, and you have done the. Dr. tip beautifully If 
I ever write a hub may 1 have you for a publisher. 
Horiously, though, the book Is one that both you and 
the Dr may be proud of, and deserves the patronage of 
all the farmers in the t uiou KiudJy yours, 
Darien, N. Y., Oct. 24,1863. T. C. Peters. 
Rural Notes anil Stems. 
Delay or this Number, and Wiit.—F or the first 
time in years the Rural goes to press two days “ bo 
hind time”—on Thursday instead of Tuesday afternoon 
or evening—and consequently this uurnber will not 
reach its subscriber? at the time they usually receive 
the paper. This delay was unavoidable. It was caused, 
first, by an unexpected rush of orders after our last 
number had goue to press, rendering it necessary to 
print a large extra edition to meet .the demand—and, 
second, by the stoppage of the presses upon which the 
paper is printed to repair the steam engine- The delay 
of one number of course affect# another, (the present,) 
but we hope to be fully “ up to time,” with a clear track 
ahead, in a week or two. Meantime we trust readers 
all will be ns patient as practicable—for wo are doing 
our utmost to again issue the paper promptly, and also 
to till the unexpectedly large number or orders with a* 
Little delay as possible. 
The Rural’s New Drews —which is pronounced 
very neat and becoming by good judges, including many 
of our contemporaries—is from the foundry of Nathan 
Lyman, of Buffalo, us we Intended to huve stated in 
our last We have aforetime commended Mr L and 
Ilia establishment in the strongest terms, aud the pres 
eut appearance of the Rural constrains us to again 
direct the attention Of our friends of the Dress to the 
tiume source for honorable treatment and good material. 
Recruiting for the “RuralBuioadk.'’— Confident 
that the intelligence will be gratifying to all it? mem¬ 
bers, both officers and privates, we take pleasure in 
reporting that the recruiting service of the Rural 
Brigade was never in a more prosperous condition 
than at preeont Indeed, tho number of names received i 
lust week so far exceeded our expectations that a large 
number of them are not yet enrolled, though our entire 
force, and several temporary' nids, aru performing extra 
duty, working early and late tn keep pace with the 
reports of officers. The receipts *• at these headquar¬ 
ters” during the past ten days have been fully a third 
more than anticipated, especially aa no large bounties 
were offered. In fact the rush has been so great, that we 
could not expect to furnish ‘‘papers ’’ to nli the volun¬ 
teer- without adding largely to the original estimate for 
supplies, and hence issued orders for 15,iXX) extra 
rations (eopiesl of No. 3 to nmel the demand upon the 
(mental) commissary department. Ah a specimen of 
the drafts upon this department we give the following 
report from one of over a thousand officers who are 
doing nobly in aid of the Brigade: 
HEADQUARTERS, FRIENDSHIP. N Y., ) 
December 26, 1863. j 
General:—I have m.v quota of volunteers nearly 
raised, numbering at tin? time Ninety-One. Shalt have 
the Company tilled to the maximum number by the first 
of February next, (should 1 not be sent South with a 
detachment of recruits.) Auinearlv day I will make a 
full report. Inclosed find drnfl on New York for the 
requisite amount, which please pass to my credit, and 
oblige Yerv Truly, Your Oh’t Servant, 
W A Hart, DIM. 
To Brig. Gen. D. D T. M , Colonel Commanding. 
Commanding Dep't. of tint 
Rural New-Yorker, Rochester, N. Y 
Equally cheering reports are reaching us from many 
sections, near and distant—and what renders them 
especially gratifying is the fact that most, of their 
authors ueither compete for nor expect, any premium 
except extra copies of the Rural. Mr. H . and hun 
dreds of others who have recruited for the Brigade for 
years, are doing yeoman’s service for the love of the 
cause. To such all over the land wc are indebted for 
effort, which assure a large increase over our former 
circulation. We bend in grateful acknowledgment. 
Tiie Season. — A “Cold Term." —During the fall 
and the first month of winter, the weather was open, 
inild and favorable in this region, with occasional cold 
snaps, in December, sufficient to close the canals and 
render the skating ponds temporarily serviceable for 
Young America. Those freezings were usually suc¬ 
ceeded by rains aud open weather. Up to the close of 
December not more than five Inches of snow fell and 
remained on the ground at any time. On the first day 
Of the new year, however, old Boreas made amends for 
tardiness. A violent west wind set in, with flurries of 
enow, and a frigid temperature—the weather during 
the afternoon and night being the mi ?; unpleasant and 
boisterous we have experienced for many years, and 
the thermometer marking from 4 to 6 degrees below 
zero on Friday morning. The weather continue# cold 
to the present time, with about 4 Inches of snow, and 
we learn there is about the same depth along the fruit¬ 
growing belt of the Lake Ontario region, The “ cold 
term” was very sudden, and of course took people 
unawares and unprepared, yet we have thus far heard 
of but little suffering on the part of either mini or 
beast. At the West the storm haa been more severe 
and the temperature much lower than in Western New 
York, as will be seen by reference to a paragraph given 
elsewhere. 
Cold Weather at the West.— The new year 
opened with au extraordinarily “cold term,” especially 
In the Western States. From all parts of the West— 
Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wiconsin, &c.,— the 
telegraph brings accounts of a severe storm and tem¬ 
perature remarkable for frigidity. Tbe Western rail¬ 
roads were blockaded for several days by snow, wliile 
the temperature ranged, in different localities, from 15 
to 30 degree? 6- low *ero . The mails have been delayed 
for day?, aud we have not received any accounts of the 
storm from correspondent? residing farther west than 
Michigan. Malty persons were frozen to death. A 
letter from one of our agents in C'liuton. Mich , dated 
the 4 Lh, say?—“ For n few days past a man could not 
travel without being in danger of freezing to death, as 
we are hearing every hour of instances watch have oc¬ 
curred the past three days —to say nothing of ears, 
noses, fingers and toes being frosted. But the weather 
is moderating somewhat." A letter just received from 
Marion, Ohio, says—'‘•‘Tbi*, Jau. 1st, 1864, i? decidedly 
tlie coldest day so far of the winter. At 8 o’clock this 
morning the mercury marked 15 degrees below zero. 
Cold enough for comfort.” But we need not quote or 
comment. The “ cold term ” must have proved as se¬ 
vere as it was unexpected if not unprecedented, through¬ 
out the West. It must have proved fatal to the peach 
buds in many sections, if not to the trees also. 
-■»« 
IIale’s Improved Sueep Rack.—I n our issue of 
Dec. lit, we gave a cut and description of this rack, 
stating that a patent had been applied for, Mr Hale 
writ iv? us that one patent ha# already been granted on 
the rack, which lie owns by purchase, and that lie has 
applied for another on an improvement tie has made. 
Mr. H. adds:—“ The original patent substantially covers 
tlie ground, but my improvement is for hanging the 
inclined feeders, so that they can tie turned over and 
prevent the access of the sheep, when groin or roots 
are to be fed, or when tho cribs or troughs are to be 
Cleaned, and also for forming a table of the inclined 
feeder* by putting a bar under them for shearing upon, 
aud for doing up wool, Ac " 
New Agricultural Journal in Canada. —The 
proprietor of the Torouto Globe, Hon. Geo. Brown, 
announce# that he will soon commence the publication 
of The Canada Farmer, a semi monthly journal at $1 
per annum. If the proposed journal shall be conducted 
with the ability aud enterprise which usually character¬ 
ize tho Globe, it will prove a valuable auxiliary to the 
Agricultural Dress. 
From Canada West— We are receiving very hand¬ 
some lists of subscribers, and from some localities 
many accession? While the linings of the letters from 
our Canadian Agents aru substantial, tlielr contents 
ure encouraging in tone and spirit. We cordially 
appreciate the greetings of our trim* Ontario friends. 
New Sheep Rack.— We have seen the model of a 
combined rack and trough for feeding sheep, Invented 
by Mr. Andrew Ralston, of West Middletown, Penn., 
which strikes ns as a valuable improvement for the 
purpose. We do not, however, particularly fancy the 
idea of patenting such matters. 
-- 
Monrok Co. Ao. Society —We are requested to state 
that the next Annual Meeting of this Society will be 
held at the. Court House in Rochester, on Weduesdny 
next, Jan 13th, at 10 o'clock, A. M. 
-«-♦*-- 
To Correspondents.— A large number of commu¬ 
nications, on various topics, are awaiting attention- 
such as it is impossible for us to give at this season, 
—TV 
-tAoA 
