00 pounds for the whole time, which will bring 
two cents per pound or $1.80 for the corn fed to 
make 18 pounds of mutton,—thus costing ten 
cents per pound ; while on the 1st of March 
sheep would not bring here over the seven cents 
per pound- Thus we see the mutton made by 
heavy feeding would cost here three cents per 
pound more than it would bring, without count¬ 
ing the cost of the rough feed. Years ago, I 
read in your “ Sheep Husband?'}/ in the South?” 
that results were not obtained by heavy feeding 
equal to expectations, which accorded so well 
with our own experience that wo soon after 
abandoned it and have never since resumed it. 
If farmers would keep less stock in summer and 
allow their blqe grass and timothy fields to get 
a heavy growth in the latter part of the. season, 
they would find it far more economical as a win¬ 
ter feed, either for store or fattening sheep, than 
hay and grain in such large quantities as are 
commonly used. 
I should like to see the subject of fattening 
sheep for mutton discussed in the columns of 
the Rural. Yours, &c., 
Gibson T. Btnns. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE, MINOR 
ITEMS, &c. 
Poisoned bt Laurel —Mr. Cephas Breed, of 
Big Flutts, Chemung Co., N- Y„ says he has lost sev¬ 
eral sheep by eating laurel, and that “ by vomiting they 
might have been saved” He therefore asks if sheep 
can be made to vomit by administering emetics. They 
can be, and the best emetic to administer iu the case of 
that class of poisons which sheep usually find access 
to, is warm water- Mr. Youatt recommends that 
“ warm water be injected into the paunch by means of 
Read’s apparatus, and pumped out again, and this 
repeated until either vomiting is excited, or the poison 
has been rendered harmless by dilution” He also 
recommends active purgatives, and after these have op 
erated thoroughly a few doses of gentian and ginger to 
restore the tone of the stomach. We believe this is the 
very best advice that could bo given. The common 
India rubber stomach pump (merely a bal] and single 
tube with a hole near the end of the latter,) would, 
with a tube of sufficient length, answer the purpose 
well. Davidson’s India rubber syringe. If a little dif¬ 
ferently mounted, would operate far more rapidly, by 
alternately inserting the different ends or it into the 
stomach. 
Mr. Breed etates that his sheep thus poisoned some¬ 
times lie ou their sides, wholly incapable of standing 
for three or four days, and then recover. This, we 
have also learned from several other reliable sources, 
is one of the usual characteristics of the malady. The 
sheep also grate their reeth, c.ougb, retch, and some¬ 
times vomit. Having never seen a case, we apdopted 
Mr. Morrell’s description of symptoms (given iu 
Amrrica.ii Shepherd,) into the Practical Shepherd. He 
wrote as if personally familiar with the disease—but 
such could not have been the fact. Mr. Morrell 
recommends gagging to permit the contents of the 
stomach to run from the mouth, and feeding roasted 
onions and sweetened milk freely. The Practical 
Shepherd gives other popular remedies, such as—1, A 
strong decoction of white ash, made by boiling the 
bruised twigs for an honr, administered a gill at a dose 
and tbc dose repeated if necessary, 2, Drenches of 
milk and castor oil. 3, A gilt of melted lard; and we 
now add in addition to the lard, raw eggs, two or three 
given a day. We should, however, much prefer Mr. 
Yquatt’s prescription. Lard is not so good a purga¬ 
tive as epsom salts. 
Montarco Merinos — Mr. Enos D. Ferris, of 
Benton, Luke Co., Ill, alluding to our mention of these 
sheep in the Practical Shepherd, says he “would be 
pleased ir we would give a history of them, and state 
their size, complexion, and the character of their 
wool.” 
We do not recollect that any European or American 
author gives a separate and detailed description of the 
Montarcos. By a letter addressed to us in UMl, by 
Hon. William Jarvis, (see Transactions of N. Y. 
State Ag Society, 1811,) and by other letters of his un¬ 
der our eye, it appears that amoug the Spanish flocks 
confiscated aud sold by the Spanish Junto in 1399, was 
that of the Condo dc Montarco, then numbering about 
20,000. Most of it was bought by a Spaniard aud a 
Portugese, but about 2,700 were shipped to tUe United 
States Mr. Jarvis shipped about 200 of these. The 
flock be eventually reserved for himself was composed 
half of Paulais, a fourth of Aquelrrea, and the oilier 
fourth of Escurials, X egret li- and; Montarcos. He 
bred these separately from 18)1 to 1816, and thenceforth 
mixed them together and bred indiscriminately- Mr, 
Jarvis, in a letter to L. D. Gregory, says “ tbcMontar- 
co bore a considerable resemblance to the Escurials,” 
and that like the Escurials and the Gaudalotipes they 
“ were not iu general so heavy horned' as the Paulars, 
Nogrettis and Aqueirres. This is substantially all we 
know about tUem, as we have never seen a flock of 
them; and we have no information that any flock of 
them has been preserved distinct in the U. S. They 
were considered among the prime Leormu — i. e. the 
best Meriting of Spain—but if Mr. Jarvis’ statement 
is correct that they resembled the Escnrials, they were 
less valuable, according to American ideas, than the 
Paulars, lnrautados and some other families, because, 
althongh fiuer, they were lighter fleeced and more free 
from yolk. f 
We are of opinion, however, that more importance 
has been attached to these family distinctions as a test 
of value in our country, than was ever attached to them 
te Spain. American Merinos now do not depend so 
much for their valuable qualities on the Spanish Ca¬ 
banas from which they are descended, us on the skill 
and judgment with which they have been bred. A 
prime American Paular or Infantado bears very little 
resmblatiee to iIs Imported ancestors — und is almost 
every way a different^ Improved, and essentially supe¬ 
rior animal. 
Siibeb Epizootic in New Hampshire.—Henry F. 
Pearson, of Webster, Merritnac Co., N. H., writes us, 
(April 25th):—“ Iu this section sheep have come from 
the barns in very bad condition Some farmers have 
lost half and some three fourths of their flocks—these, 
however, are extreme cases. But. there is hardly w 
sheep owner but that has lost, more sheep this season 
than iu any one within the last twenty. The decline In 
condition among grown sheep caused the destruction 
of a large proportion of curly-dropped lambs As to 
the cause of t Ids loss there arc various opinions—but 
one thing is acknowledged by all, viz., that the quality 
of the hay is unusually poor—far-below the average. 
A large portion of the hay was washed with rains for 
two weeks after it was tit. to out. The weather was 
very dry in June and very wet in -Inly. Those sheep 
that, have been kept on this hay, (which in the most 
favorable winter would hardly sustain life,) have per 
idled in groat numbers. They have, had no apparent 
disease, but have gradually grown poor and weak, and 
died Others that have been better fed have exhibited 
a disease in every respect resembling the Epizootic 
Catarrh, described in your Sheep Husbandry in the 
South. I think that t he principal causes of this catarrh 
have been the sudden changes of temperature, from ex¬ 
treme warm to extreme cold, which have marked the 
winter, and which ttie sheep in their debilitated con¬ 
dition were iu no situation to withstand. There are 
some flocks, which were kept ou old hay, or hay cut 
before the rains, which have done nearly as well as 
usual. I have come to the conclusion that hay cut and 
cured at the proper time is worth fifty por cent more for 
sheep than very ripe, hard hay." 
We regard the above as a very sensible explanation 
of one of those remarkable winter mortalities among 
Sheep, which occur Iu our iron climate every few years 
—usually when the winter is characterised by rapid and 
excessive ductuations of temperature—and which, as 
we have repeatedly stated elsewhere, artor once being 
fairly in progress, baffle evurv effort to arrest their rav¬ 
ages. The only remedy is prev-ntion, and the only 
prevention is good keep —commenced in the very begin¬ 
ning of winter and eteadjly kepi up. Poor bay is not 
sufficient for sheep in the best win tors-in bad winters 
it brings about such disasters as have been witnessed 
in New Hampshire. Grain has been loo high for the 
good of our sheep > Suppose the sheep farmers of New 
Hampshire bad, during the past winter, fed their sheep 
a bushel of oats each, worth say from 60 to 80 cents— 
or if that was not enough, a bushel and a half each— 
instead of selling them to feed army horses. The nd 
ditionnl amount of wool would have about paid for the 
oats—and the saving of life in the sheep and their 
lambs would have paid for them probably from ten to 
twenty times over. The same is true to a greater or 
lesser degree throughout vastly more extensive regions 
than New Hampshire. It has been a hard winter to 
sheep, kept in the oidinaiy way, throughout nearly 
every portion of the United States from which we have 
obtained particular information- 
We emlrely agree with Mr. Pearson as to the com¬ 
parative worthlessness of “ very ripe, hard hay ” for 
sheep, whether it consists of timothy, June grass, red- 
top, clover, or any mixture of these. No sheep will 
thrive on it—and it is peculiarly bad for togs. 
The Poston OullivaUrr says: 
“ We understand that in some parts of New Hamp¬ 
shire sheep are dying in large number,- from what is 
snppnsed to be ‘the worm in the head,’ and we are 
desired to give some in formation in recurd to a remedy. 
If we were to give, in the briefest space possible, the 
best prescription within onr knowledge, U would be 
that given a few years since by Dr. Dadd now of Chi 
eager who on being asked vvliat was the best remedy 
for ‘ the grub in the head of sheep,’replied, • Grub in 
the belly? ” 
We concur in the remedy exactly, as the proper one, 
or what administered in time would have been the 
proper one, for the desolating epizootic which has 
swept with more violence than elsewhere over New 
Hampshire- We also concur with our respected con¬ 
temporary, that it has not been occasioned by "Grub 
in the head.” But we cannot agree wilh him that the 
real malady is generally, or to any considerable extent, 
rot or " inflammation of the liver.” Hunger-rot, how¬ 
ever, would not be a very bad name for it, and so in 
deed we used to hear it called by old-fashioned fanners. 
Mr. Robinson's Sample or Wool.—Darwin E. 
Robinson, of Shoreham, Vt., has sent us some speci¬ 
mens of wool from his favorite rams and ewes. The 
samples are long, of good quality, and have the bull or 
golden tinge now pretty generally sought by breeders 
or heavy fleeces. Mr. R. is the sou of that Erastus 
Uobinson, from whom a valuable branch of the im¬ 
proved Puitlars—“the Robinson sheep”— take their 
name. He(E R,) is said by tbc old flock-masters of 
Vermont to have been u breeder of marked ability, as 
well as a useful, upright man. The son Inherited a 
portion of his father’s flock, and they have been bred 
pure down to the present day. The pedigree of the 
Robinson sheep will be found in Practical Shepherd, 
pages 41(5—41S. 
Correction.—W c were made in our reply.to Mr. 
Bond (April 30lh,) to talk about “productiveincome” 
being made to boar the burl hen of taxation. This was 
of course a typographical error. We said “produc¬ 
tion, income, everything must be taxed,” &c. 
iHomnutnicolions, (Etc. 
MANURING AND DRAINING. 
Eds. Rural Nkw-Yokkek:— Much is said 
in all the agricultural journals in regard to the 
value of manure, and the mode and time of its 
application. Farmers are exhorted to accumu¬ 
late and save everything that has a tendency to 
fertilize the soil. Whole columns are devoted 
to convincing other.' that manure must he kept 
under cover,—that it must be often stirred over 
by swine to prevent fire-fang,—that the liquid 
should be mixed with the solid; and various 
rules aud suggestions are given in regard to the 
amount to be used. 
Now, far be it from me to wish to decry the 
use of manure. It is a fact not to be contro¬ 
verted, that much, very much, benefit is derived 
from its use; but that manure is the great desid¬ 
eratum for the production of crops, 1, to say the 
least, very much doubt,—in fact, three-fourths 
of the manure that is applied to the soil is vir¬ 
tually lost, for the reason that the soil is not 
properly prepared for its reception. 
It is the commonly received opinion of most 
farmers, that draining is necessary in some 
places on the fawn,—for instance, iu the sloughs 
where it is impossible for animals to gather the 
coarse garbage growing therein without eudau- 
gering their existence; yet they never seem to 
think that any advantage can result from drain¬ 
ing land otherwise situated, nor that It Is neces¬ 
sary to drain previous to the application of ma¬ 
nure, in order to receive any benefit therefrom. 
We often sou them apply manure in the spring 
on laud so wet that it is almost impossible to 
drive a team across it, vainly expecting to reap 
an increased product by the application. Again, 
we see them move the stouc into large heaps on 
moi.it land, buy manure and draw the same 
three or more miles, neglecting to use the stone 
where a drain would serve to rid the laud both 
of them and the moisture. 
Careful observation has convinced me that if 
the amount of labor and money that is expended 
throughout the country, in manuring, should be 
expended in draining, there would be double 
the amount of product realized. Look in what¬ 
ever direction you may, and you are forcibly 
reminded of the presence of water on or near the 
surface, by the growth of rushes aud wild grass, 
which, in a very short time, nearly stifle the 
grain or grass sown. And yet farmers, instead 
of sinking cl rains through such land, and thereby 
removing the cause that produces such wild 
grass, turn over the soil, apply a coat of ma¬ 
nure, take off one or two crops of grain, and 
seed with grass, to be again plowed up in two 
or three years, at the same time complaining 
that theirs is not natural grass land. Now, 
land thus managed, notwithstanding the use of 
manure, will annually become less and less pro¬ 
ductive. 
Some suppose that high and sloping laud can 
not be wet, and that what is done in draining is 
a useless expenditure of time and money, not 
thinking that on the summits of our slopes 
there are natural basins formed, which, iu some 
cases, retain all the water that falls upon them, 
and, in others, that it gradually oozes out on the 
hillsides and in the valleys, causing the surface 
to remain cold und wet. 
In regard to tbe kiud of drain used, farmers 
must be governed by the material at hand. For 
land that has a sandy subsoil, tile are best; in 
fact, they are the only material that should lie 
used; but on stony and gravelly soil, stone make 
an excellent drain, if well made and carefully 
covered. It is useless saying auything about 
tbe manner of making drains, as there arc nu¬ 
merous works that treat ou the subject; and 
besides, all have seen more or less of the pro¬ 
cess. Now, if farmers, during the wet weather 
of the present spring, instead of plowing their 
land when totally unfit, would first drain the 
same, the yield will be much greater at the time 
of harvest. s. s. G. 
Millet to, N. Y., May, ISM. 
Remarks.— The above article is timely and 
sound. It is worthy the serious consideration 
of our readers, and merits a practical applica¬ 
tion in husbandry. 
ABOUT “CHEAP” SEWING MACHINES. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: — In answer to 
an inquiry of “ A Rural Reader of Fairfield, O.,” 
in regard to sewing machines, I wish to say that 
the Union Ten Dollar Sewing Machine has been 
(not used) in my bouse for the last year, aud 
that instead of being a “ Union, 7 ' it is a Disunion 
machine from the following facts: — 1st, it'will 
not unite cloth firmly together, but will disu¬ 
nite tbe cloth by friction in passing between the 
rough cogwheels. 2d, it will disunite the needle, 
(separating it iu two parts,) every half minute; 
and, finally, the different parts of the thing is 
easily disunited, the shafts upon which the 
wheels are placed being a round wire and the 
wheels fitted loosely to it, not being keyed, 
allows them to slip entirely from tbe shaft; 
and tbe same is true as regards the crank. It is 
the opinion of those competent to judge, that it 
is not manufactured for the good of the people, 
but to smouge them out of four dollars on each 
machine, which has been done to a great extent. 
Now, if your reader of Fairfield wishes to pay 
a dear price for wit, let him order a half dozen of 
“J. R. Clark, Dayton, Maine ^ but he can get 
wit at my expense much cheaper; for if he 
wishes l will send him one free, except express 
charges, and be glad of the chance; for I or¬ 
dered a half dozen, and can neither sell, lose, or 
give them away here, though my friends gener¬ 
ally take anything that is given to them. 
Yours, for the good of the public, 
D. Allen, 
Byron, Wis., April 25,1864. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
Sod Ground for Onions. 
N. F. R., of Paine’s Hollow, N. Y., writes 
us that good sod ground Is entirely the best for 
onions, requiring much less cultivation. He 
says “be careful not to plow too deep. 7 ’ He 
gives the above as the result of Ills experience. 
To Cure Harness Galls. 
Edmund Hewitt, of Galway, writes:— 
“ Take dry white lead, have it fine, put a little 
iu a paper in your pocket, and when you stop 
your team, or several times during the day, put 
a little of it on the galled places. They will 
soon heal. 77 
Cure for Ring-Bone. 
M. S. Barrett writes us that he had a 
bad case of ring-bone of three years’ standing, 
on which he used the Oil of Spike freely, rub¬ 
bing it well with his linger twice a day for one 
week, with no apparent benefit at tbc time. 
But soon after the lameness disappeared, and 
has never returned, although the callous re¬ 
mained. 
To Prevent the Ravages of Wire-Worm. 
G. D. B., of Milo, Y'atcs Co., writes:—“In 
answer to Mr. PeckHam’s inquiry for a pre¬ 
ventive against the ravages of the wire-worm 
iu corn, I give you the following, which is ef¬ 
fectual. Before planting, soak the seed from 
twenty-four to forty-eight hours in coppem- 
watcr, then mix with it some sulphur —enough 
to about cover tbe gram —and plant. It will 
not only keep off the wire-worm, but your 
* flock of crows, 7 also. 77 
How to Use Coal Ashes, 
M. S. Barrett writes:—“Tbe best use to 
make of coal ashes is to make your own pou- 
drette with the addition of a little earth and 
peat. The principal ingredient you can guess 
at or inquire after. 7 ’ Our correspondent need 
have no delicacy in naming the principal ingre¬ 
dient. It is a species of prudery which no 
American farmer should allow himself to in¬ 
dulge in. Evidently our correspondent refers 
to night soil, which is too generally wasted by 
large aud small cultivators, although it is the 
most valuable fertilizer—properly prepared— 
within the resources of the farm. 
Raising Turkeys, 
31 ns. Wikr, in response to an inquiry on 
page 110, current volume Rural, writes:— 
“ When your turkeys are hatched, confine the 
old ones in coops and let the young ones run out 
and in at will until two weeks old, when they 
will be strong enough to follow the old one. 
Give them sour milk to drink, sometimes. Let 
their feed be sour curd mixed with wheat bran 
and raw buckwheat. They will leave the buck¬ 
wheat for a while, but will soon learn to eat it; 
then you can discontinue the other feed. This 
will make them strong and healthy. 77 
Income Tax on Dogs. 
L. L. F., writes:—“ Nine-tenths of the ca¬ 
nine race cost their owners more than the bene¬ 
fits received. One pig, or several sheep, can be 
kept as cheaply as a dog. One half, at least, or 
all the dogs kept are a nuisance to their owners 
and their neighborhood, aud a source of no profit. 
Thousands, aud tens of thousands of sheep, and 
other valuable property, are yearly destroyed by 
dogs. Why not then abate tbe nuisance? Why 
not Congress assess a tax of from $5 to $10 per 
head upon all male, and double that sum upon 
al I female dogs ? Let this source of income not 
be overlooked, as it may be made a source of 
revenue to the Government and at the same 
time a blessing to the country.” 
Varieties of Hops. 
On this subject 31. A. Abbey writes:—“ D. 
B. SiiATLKY says “ the variety of hops is by 
no means a matter of indifference; and that ‘ tbe 
Canterbury, the Goldings and the Farnham are 
the deepest rooted and require a deep soil, while 
the grape or Kent is more shallow-rooted.’ Till 
w’ithin two years I have been a hop-grow r cr in 
Madison county, and I am sure that there are just 
two kinds of hops grown, or known jn the town 
of Hamilton, where Mr. Shatley resides. 
They are called the ‘ big kind 7 and the ‘ grape. 7 
Iu England there are several kinds, and amoug 
them those named by Mr. Shapley. Mr. S., 
when he writes on hop-culture again, had better 
write from experience.” 
■ ■ ■ f - 
gfttQUirifS ana guiswm* 
Emilt SicEKR.—Will you please send us your post 
office address? 
Black Polands.—W here shall I send for some full 
Wooded black Poland chickens? I have had sufficient, 
experience in all the others; give us once moresomo 
black Polands —Fred Htkanahan. 
Patent Loom.—T he party who asked about a pat¬ 
ent loom on page 134, current Vol. Rural, should nd 
dress Wm. E. Howlet, Sandy Creek, N. Y., who 
informs us he owns the right in Oswego Co. 
Potatoes after Buckwheat.—A correspondent 
asks if potatoes will do well after buckwheat. We 
have never had experience with such a snccesson—have 
our renders ? 
Remedy fob Bloat or Woven in Cattle — Draw 
out the tongue as far as possible, put a handful of fine 
salt as far back ou It as possible, and the animal will 
be relieved immediately.— S. D. H., Bedford, A*. 17 
To Prevent a Horse Rubbing ms Mane and 
Tail —M. S. Barrett writes in response to on inqui¬ 
ryIf he (inquirer) will use strong brine freely, he 
will be satiafled with the remedy.” 
Black Tooth in Pius.— In reply to E. B., Lucas Co , 
O., page 118,1 think his pigs are troubled as miue were 
—with black tooth. I took a punch aud a hammer and 
knocked the black teeth out and the pigs got well — 
Charles F. Smith. 
Wants that must be Answered by Advertise- 
mlnts.— G. G. S., of Orleans Co., N. Y., asks where he 
can get "Barley Wheat” seed.-Correspondents 
arc inquiring where they can obia'm Osier Willow Cut¬ 
tings. -A correspondent, asks where slate for roof¬ 
ing houses can be obtained. Says there arc many 
persona would liku to change their shingle roofs for it. 
Cayuga Chief Mowing and Reaping 3Iachines. 
—In response to sundry inquiries we say that these 
machines are manufactured by Iiuuris & Beardsley, 
Auburn, N. Y. They arc iron machines, and wherever 
we have seen them in operation they have done excel 
lent work. At the great Reaper Trial at Dixon, Ill., 
in 1862, the work they did there was uot excelled, in 
our opinion, by any machine on trial. 
Seedino ruth Flax —I noticed some one wished to 
know svhothor flax Is a suitable crop to seed with. I 
have been in the farming business for over forty years; 
bo it follows Unit 1 have been through tbc ancient years 
of flax raising. I give it as tuy opinion that there is no 
better crop for seeding; after the flax is pulled, it will 
excel in growth the seeding with any other crop.—I. D 
Pratt, Steuben Co., N. 17 
Size of Sap Spouts— Correction. —Wm. W. Horton 
informs us that in his article on page 110, current Vol. 
Rural, instead of “as much sap will run from a 
inch hole as a reasonable man would require,” ho 
would have it read “ from a l i inch hole." He adds :— 
n I have boiled 570 lb*, of sugar from 197 trees tapped 
with a half inch bit, and part of the trees are less than 
eight inches lu diameter. Have used but one pan for 
boiling." _ 
TnE Chinch Bug in Corn—(A F F., Iowa.) 
Chinch bugs are sometimes very injurious to the coni 
crop—especially if the corn field is near the wheat field 
in which this pest has been at work. We have known 
fanners to save their corn by leaving a narrow strip of 
laud between the wheat and corn, arid from the first to 
Uie tenth of June, sowtug it thick with Hungarian 
grass seed. The bugs will not reach the corn through 
the grass. A strip ten feet wide is enough. 
Is Hungarian Grass Injurious to Stock/—So 
askB a reader. This topic has been discussed before in 
these columns. If cured well and fed properly, dimtu 
isliing the amount of grain fed wilh It, or feeding none 
at all, and if the stock is kept well supplied with salt, 
there is no danger from It. It is a very nutritions grass, 
and Is liked by all kfhets of stock as well as the beet of 
timothy hay- If it becomes apparent the middle of 
June that the hay crop is to be a short one, Hungarian 
grass may bo sown, aud ou good rich soils it will yield 
two to four tuns of good hay per acre. 
Rural Notes an& Stems. 
The Lowest Price of this Journal is $2 a year, in 
advance. Agents who continue to remit at former chib 
rntc( $1 50) will please note and act in accordance with 
advanced rate. 
-- 
Tub Season, Crop Prospects, Jfec,—Since our last 
there lias been a great change in temperature. On 
Friday, 6th, the mercury rose to 81" in this city, and 83* 
in Syracuse, and the weather has continued seasonably 
warm—the thermometer marking 70* in the shade as 
we write, (May 10,11 A. M.) Wet weather prevails, 
however, so that few farmers have been able to plow, 
sow or plaut In this region. The oldest, rural inhnl>i- 
tauis say this has thu* far been the most unfavorably 
spring for farm oporations in a score of years, t he cold 
wcat tier, continuous rain and amount of surface water 
precluding farmers from performing seasonable work 
Though wheat was somewhat injured in various sec¬ 
tions during the whiter, especially in the West, reports 
are favorable in regard to the appearance of the crop 
hereabouts The grass crop bids fair to be large, aa 
meadows aud pastures must be thoroughly irrigated. 
Of other crops we can give no favorable report or 
indication. 
The Season in Illinois.—R. W. A., of Cortland, 
De Kalb C'o., Ill, dating April 21th. writes:—" Yester¬ 
day morningcommenced a cold N E, storm, which 
still couiinues; lias rained every day for over a month, 
four days excepted. On the rolling land, farmers have 
been able to get in most of their small giain; on the 
flat land not half has been sown, aud some of the 
early sown is rotten. Much land intended for wheat 
will lay over for corn. The roads are navigable for 
mud boats. The prairies are beginning to cast a 
shade of green.' ’ _ 
New York State Fair —Though it was announced 
that the State Fair would probably be held at Koeh¬ 
ler, the matter was not positively decided until last 
week. The “ vexed question ” of location having been 
finally settled, the Albany Journal of the 9th says:— 
“New York State Agricultural Society Exhibition for 
1864 is to be held at Rochester, September 20th, 2lst, 
22d, 23d. The President, Secretary and Treasurer, who 
were appointed to make arrangements, were at Rock- 
aster last week, and concluded the preliminary arrange- 
ments, and the grounds and erections wii 1 lie set in 
order without delay, and t lie prospects are most 
encouraging.” _^_ 
Fair of the N. E. Ao. Society-— Boston papers 
state that the New England Agricultural Society has 
decided to accept the offer of the proprietors of the 
Hampden Park at Springfield, of the use of their 
grounds for tbe Fair, provided suitable arrangements 
can be made with the railway companies for the trans¬ 
portation of stock and visitors. The rime of the Fair 
will probably be the 6th, 7th, 6th and 9th of September. 
Dr. Randall’s Address —Col. S. D. Harris, of 
Cleveland, announces in the Ohio Farmer that Dr. 
Randall’s address, nnd tin* transactions of the Ohio 
Wool Growers’ Association for Jan. 5ih aud 6th, have 
been published, and that, a copy will be sent to every 
member of the Association who ha» paid his member¬ 
ship fee of one dollar We presume that all who lie 
come members of the Association soon will receive 
copies of the address. 
-- 
Editorial Change —We are glad to observe that 
Mr. 8. L. Boardman has resumed his connection with 
the editorial management of the Maine FUmer—taking 
tho place occupied for some time pa-st by Mr. Geo E 
Brackett, who retires in consequence of physical dis¬ 
ability. Mr. B. is familiar with the use of both pen 
and plow, and is the right man for the position. 
The Wool Market — Walter Brown’s Monthly 
Wool Circular, datod May 1st, says;—“Daring the 
month under review there lias been au Increased activ¬ 
ity in the demand for Domestic Fleece Wools, and 
prices have slightly advanced- A number of agents of 
the larger manufacturing companies have been in the 
market, some of whom purchased stocks sufficient to 
carry them over the onstiiiur summer. Consumers of 
this class will not, to say the least, be compelled to go 
into the country for supplies during the approaching 
clipping season. It may not be unseasonable to advert 
here to the probable effect upon prices, both in the 
markets aud the Wool growing districts of the Wot, 
of the passage of the bill now before Congress, which 
proposes to Increase largely the duties on foreign 
Wools, and to suggest to manufacturers the expe 
dionev of anticipating their wants by purchases before 
this effect is felt in materially advanced rates. Believ¬ 
ing these precautionary view* will obtain to a consid¬ 
erable extent with consumers, we shall not be sur¬ 
prised to sec during the month an increase in the num¬ 
ber of buyers; nnd as stocks iu market continue to 
afford good selections, wc look for an animated trade 
at improving price*. Fulled Wools have been very 
active, and prices have advanced 3fo-lc. T it' Tim 
stock being light, und the demand good, there is a 
prospect of a still further rise in Wools of this descrip 
tlon. California Wools have sold freely at fair rates, 
and the market is in favorable condition for receiving 
the early lots of the spring dipping now en route bj 
steamer, to arrive probably in the present month. The 
demand for foreign Wools of all qualities has heat 
active, and there has been considerable excitement 
among importers in consequence of the new tariff 
and the high rates of gold, and a rise iu prices some¬ 
what greater than that in Aamrlean Wools has been 
established. Large sales have been effected, and fho 
market continues very firm at thu advanced fiirtires. 
The stock has been materially reduced, althongh s" n|C 
of the large parcels have merely changed owners, And 
will be again offered for sale .By late foreign advices 
we learn that all the markets are firm, nnd price of 
nearly all descriptions of Wool arc higher.” 
-■»« 
Pampulets &a Received —1. From O R. L ( ' R0 
zikr, Grand Rapid!, Mich., “The Fortress of the Re¬ 
bellion, with a brief v indication or the Constitution 
-2. The American Journal of Insanity, for April, 
edited by tbc Medical Officers of the New York State 
Lunatic Asylum, Utica, N Y., containing a line c"-” 11 
ving of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, and 
valuable and interesting essays on appropriate topics 
-3. From James O BUKLDON, White Sling Farm, 
Geneva, N. Y., his Catalogue of pure bred Short Borns- 
-4. From Mason Brothers, New York, “General 
Butler in New Orleans, by James Parton, Price i® 
cents”—a most interesting and entertaining history 
the part taken by Gen. Butler in the present war 
It is worth the money.-5. From T. G Yeom ans, 
Walworth, N. Y’., his Descriptive Catalogue of trees 
and plants grown at tho Walworth Nurseries- — 
rt. From W. il. Comstock, Soc’y, “The Keportot the 
New York State Cheese Manufacturer’s Association 
a valuable pamphlet.-7. From J. P- Reynolds, 
Soc’y Illinois State Ag. Society, the Quarterly ■fonra- 1 ' 
of Agriculture, containing the list bf premiums oiler* - 
by the Society for 1S*M.- 8. From K K Clarke, 
Rochester, N. Y., a work on Parlor Theatricals. I “ cu 
25 cents.-9. From E. W. Skinner, Madison," >”•» 
his Sorgo Hand Book. 
