Colling — Robert and Charles —commenced breed¬ 
ing them in England about, the year list* They select 
ad the beal. uni mule they could get without regard to 
their blood relations. These animals they closely inter¬ 
bred in every possible relation of consanguinity—even, 
in one raise, to six consecutive crosses or one bull — 
Favorite—and he very closely interbred—to his daugh 
lor, grand daughter, and so on, and the Inst descendant 
of this Incestuous breeding was equal, if not superior, 
in stylo and quality to any of her maternal ancestors. 
Comet, a son of the same hull — Favorite—by his own 
daughter, from her and his own mother, was considered 
the heat, bull of his day, and sold by Cuas. Colli mi 
for $5,000, the highest price ever paid for a hull, up to 
that time, in England. Charles Cor.i.tNQ quit breed¬ 
ing in the year 1SH), a Her continuing the business thirty 
years; and his brother Robert bred thirty-eight years, 
until 1818, when he died, and his herd was sold No 
Short-Homs in England possessed higher reputations 
than those of the Colungs, nor brought higher prices 
at the time, and the Choicest animals uow of the breed 
known, truce their pedigrees back to the Colling herds. 
There were contemporary breeders, who, like the Col- 
linos, pursued the same practice of in and tu breeding. 
They were the Maynards, and Booths, and Wetjjeu- 
ki.ls, and WRIGHTS, and Trotters, the late Earl 
Si-encku, Bit Charles Knihutly, and sundry others, 
all more or less practicing the same method of Improve 
ment. The late Thomas Bates, whose herd or Short 
Ilorns, at his death, stood the very first in Eugland— 
and the prices his calile brought since have proved fi¬ 
bred for fifty years, and in the closest possible manner 
He frequently asserted that he never went oat of hU omr 
blood for a fresh cross, but. to his damage. The lute Mr 
Price, the most celebrated breeder of Hereford cattle 
of his day, asserted, in a communication to the British 
Fanners' Mogatine ,that he had not gone out of his own 
herd for n breeding atii mal for forty years. The Devon 
breeders — the two Davys, QUARTLY, Merson, and 
others, so far as their course Is known, have interbred 
their stock from the closest affinities, and their cattle 
approach us near perfection in their kind as is possible 
Here are “facts’ 7 for our Pike Hun friend's 
consideration, and facts w hich do not rest on the 
authority of floating newspaper paragraphs, or 
on vague tradition. They rest on the explicit 
authority of the persons named in most in¬ 
stances—in all, on undeniable authority. Is 
any one prepared to present an equal array, or 
any approach to an equal array, of successful 
breeders of cattle, who have effected their im¬ 
provements without breeding in-and-in? Of 
another kind of domestiic animals, Mr. AlLKK 
truly says:—The English blood horse, in his 
finest developments of speed, power and en¬ 
durance, has sprung from very close inter-breed¬ 
ing, as his various genealogies are traced in the 
stud books.” The same is the case with most 
of the improved English species of smaller pure 
bred animals, such as pigs, poultry, rabbits, 
pigeons, etc. 
We come now to the direct subjects of the 
question under discussion — sheep. By far the 
most valuable ancient breed—the most fixed and 
perdurable one in its characteristics—the hardi¬ 
est one (which possesses any general value) to 
withstand all varieties of climate and other cir¬ 
cumstances—namely, tue Merino, has been bred 
•in-and-in from a period of time “whereof the 
memory of man runneth not to the contrary. 7 ’ 
The traditions of Spain are persistent in this 
particular, no one pointing to a period, far back 
in the ages, where any different mode of breed¬ 
ing prevailed. Each cabana, or flock, furnishes 
Its, own rams perpetually; and the cabanas are 
net or mixed together.* What signs did they 
exhibit of decay when introduced into the 
•United States? They almost instantly became 
acclimated, and when acclimated they excelled 
all our own breeds in hardiness—not even 
■excepting the “native 7 ’ wood-ranger! Wc 
scarcely, know of any domestic animals which 
rivaled them in this particular, unless they were 
the donkey and the goat! Mow here is a fact— 
not exceptional, not influenced by this or that 
incidental circumstance, but proved by the ex¬ 
ample of a whole race, and by an experiment of 
ages — to oppose to the theory that in-and-in 
breeding necessarily produces constitutional de¬ 
generacy and decay. The Spanish flocks were 
kept weeded of those feeble animals which 
ought not to be allowed to breed, by two causes. 
First, by the annual culling out and killing or 
the inferior lambs by the shepherds. This was 
a.duty kiu'sf thoroughly experienced men could 
■wo>4- perforin, though in that enterprise, general 
knowledge, disposition to investigate and com¬ 
pare, freedom from prejudice, and disregard of 
cost, which are necessary to great and rapid 
improvements, they were immeasurably behind 
our American Merino breeders. Second, the 
migratory flocks (the best) of Spain, annually 
traveled on the average 800 miles, in their Jour- 
nies to and from the mountains. They started 
when their lambs were young — found much 
short feed on the road—and in thickly populated 
districts were often necessarily pushed iorward 
even twenty miles a day to obtain subsistence. 
This finished the weeding out of the flocks, if 
/the shepherds left it Incomplete. According 
4c the theory of the opponents of in-and-in 
breeding, it should, hundreds of years ago, have 
destroyed alt of them! 
iUuwuuT Bakewki.l was the first great Im¬ 
prover of sheep in modern times. It is true 
that kis-wlginal selections were made from dif¬ 
ferent and probably unrelated flocks: and it is 
•even contended that he chose from different 
varieties, — though there is no proof on the 
subject pro or con. Hut it is admitted on ull 
sides, that after getting together his materials, 
lie was a eons taut mid close in-and-in breeder, 
llis sheep spread over Great Britain, and in 
some extent over Europe ami America; and to 
this day they hold-rat her the first place among 
the British people. .No one avers that they de¬ 
generated during the life of Mr. Bakkwj.i l. 
In the hands of some of his successors the pure 
bloods degenerated in no known particular ex¬ 
cept size. Willi Others, they acquired a certain 
delicacy of constitution and became less prolific— 
until they took a dip of other (usually Cotswuld) 
’ At least this was irue down to the period of the last 
important Importation of Merinos into this country in 
1811 and 1812; and if any change has been made since, 
we are not informed of it. 
blood. Bakkwell’S system of breeding in¬ 
volved the attempt to produce a highly artificial 
form of body — an unnatural amount of fat — a 
peculiar distribution of the fat and lean parts of 
the meat — and a remarkable and unnatural pro¬ 
proportion of carcass (meat) to bone. Bis rule 
in the latter particular, was to leave his sheep 
barely sufficient bone to sustain their weight 
and perform the other animal functions depend¬ 
ent thereon. Fie consequently purposely sacri¬ 
ficed the locomotive powers, the. animal vigor, 
and capacity to endure hardship. In effecting 
the above objects lie deranged the order and 
course or Eotne of the secretions: ho enfeebled 
certain functions and be strengthened others: in 
short, he created a more artificial animal than 
the world ever saw before, and it required a 
proportionably artificial aud skillful system of 
breeding, feeding and management generally, to 
keep the wonderful machine perfect, and in per¬ 
fect “ working order. 7 ’ nere, thou, are a multi¬ 
tude of circumstances w holly outside of in-and-in 
breeding, highly calculated to result In ultimate 
deterioration —which, indeed, require the appli¬ 
cation of the most consummate skill to prevent 
deterioration. Of the amount of skill applied 
since BAKEWKLL'8 death we can not speak. 
But whether much or little, any loss of consti¬ 
tution, or any necessity for the infusion of fresh 
blood, which has occurred, is not necessarily 
attributed to in-and-in breeding; and with the 
great Merino example before our eyes, we are 
not authorized to attribute it specially to that 
cause. 
The great improvers of the South Down 
sheep, Ellman, Webb, etc., have all been 
close in-and-in breeders. 
Even the English advocates of crossing be¬ 
come in-and-in breeders in course of ti me. They 
intermingle two families to obtain certain prop¬ 
erties from each: but when those properties are 
obtained—when the desired new standard is 
reached, it. is thenceforth perpetuated by close 
breeding. How could it be otherwise perpet¬ 
uated? Could a middle animal between two 
varieties be obtained, beyond the first genera¬ 
tion, by resorting alternately to the males Of 
each pure variety? For the purpose of broad 
illustration, let us suppose a cross between a 
Merino and a South Down. The progeny has 
half the blood of each. Let this half-blood 
animal represent the standard aimed at by the 
breeder, and which he wishes to perpetuate. If 
the half-blood ewe should be coupled with the 
pure South Down ram, the progeny would be 
three-quarters South Down Instead of half, and 
would proportionably differ In its characteristics 
from a half-blood. Thus the desired standard 
would be departed from at once. Unrelated 
half-bloods, it is true, might be coupled together 
— but few take tills trouble; and it would thus 
be rendered vastly more difficult to obtain 
st rictly homogeneous materials—animals of very 
close resemblance—for Inter-breeding. 
But we have not done with the Merinos. One 
great branch of them has been bred strictly 
in-and-in, for upwards of sixty years, in the 
United States. There is not a particle of 
doubt that Colonel Humphreys’ imported 
sheep exclusively of one cabana- and it is 
now generally believed that it was the cabana 
of the Duke of Infantado. Colonel II. never 
went out of his own flock for rams. Stephen 
Atwood bought one ewe of him in 1813, bred 
her to pure Humphreys rams until about 1830, 
and subsequently to rams of his own rais¬ 
ing, Edwin Hammond bought a portion of 
Mr. Atwood’S flock in 1844 and 1840—and has 
kept them pure from any other intermixture 
from that day to this—breeding first from rams 
purchased of Mr. Atwood and since from his 
own rams. The original stock had been bred 
in-and-in for ages in Spain—and has since been 
bred far jnore intensely in-and-in, by reason of 
the smallness of the American flocks we have 
named. 
What is the result? Mr. Atwood somewhat 
improved the size and form, aud materially im¬ 
proved the fleece of one of the prime cabanas of 
Spain. Mr. Hammond has improved more on 
Mr. AtwooD’s sheep than Mr. Atwood im¬ 
proved on the Spanish stock. He has not only 
Very greatly increased the fleece, but he lias 
changed a smallish, comparatively flat-sided, 
small-boned and attenuated animal (the old 
Spanish type) into a good-sized, extremely 
round and strong boned one. He hag shortened 
the legs, shortened and f hick filled the neck, 
given more fullness to the quarters, and in¬ 
creased the substance In every direction. All 
this lias been done without sacrificing anything 
useful in the constitution, and with an improve¬ 
ment to it in some particulars.* 
The other leading branch of American Me¬ 
rinos—the i’aulars -was bred in-and-in strictly 
by Andrew Cock, Hon. Charles Rich, and 
his son John T. Bicii, from the period of their 
importation until 1842- thirty years—and they 
bad become at the last named date proverbial 
for their compactness and hardiness. A dip of 
Jarvis blood was then taken to improve the 
fineness and evenness of their fleeces, but not 
with the most remote idea of adding anything 
to the constitution. The Messrs. Rich, Ekas- 
tus I ton in son, Tyi.hr Stick n k y and others, 
subsequently took more or less inf anualo crosses 
The Spanish sheep, Jean, narrow, deep chested and 
longer lugged (tin, very model ol' a iravellne animal) 
would doubtless better endure the lone Journeys to 
which It was subjected in 8pain, than would l im round- 
chested and short-legged American Merino. D probably, 
too, could better withstand extreme privations of food. 
Long aimtiul journeys and starvation urn not required 
of sheep In this country. The American Merino is 
quite equal to ull that is demanded of it, aud far stir 
pusses the EugliflU Improved varieties in these particu¬ 
lars. In circumstances of plenty, it is a belter feeder 
than the original Spanish sheep, and makes a far better 
return for Its feed, both in meat and wool, It is more 
prolific, and a better nurse and mother. We do not 
think it so subject to certain diseases, or that it suc¬ 
cumbs so readily to disease. It is a stronger, but less 
active animal. 
— founding several diflerent and well known 
families; but fresh crosses with the Infantado 
were not generally continued. These proprie¬ 
tors thenceforth bred from their own rams, or 
from those of tlicir neighbors of the same blood 
and family. In other words, breeding in-and-in 
was resumed, and has been, in many cases, con¬ 
tinued to tills day—a period amply sullieicnt to 
“run out’’ the families, if 6uch were the ine¬ 
vitable results of this kind of breeding. V et 
the sheep so bred, continue proverbial for their 
easiness of keep and good constitutions. 
We need not go into Vermont to find the 
above facts. All the most celebrated flocks of 
heavy wooled American Merinos in the United 
States are from one or the other of the above 
stocks, or are crosses between them. If pure of 
either stock, they are necessarily as much bred 
in-aml-in as is the parent stock. What does it 
matter that Mr. A. B., when he went to New 
England, five or twenty-five years ago, bought 
of different proprietors—of proprietors, if you 
please, incapable of tracing, or even unconscious 
of any near relationship between their flocks. 
Yet if pun Atwood or Hammond sheep, every 
one of them are descended from the one ewe, 
bought by Stephen Atwood of Colonel 
Humphreys In 1818—and from a stock bred 
intensely in-and-in ever since. The pedigrees 
of Mr. Hammond’s sheep, published in the 
Practical Shepherd, (page 121,) throw a flood 
of light on this subject. We will select out a 
single example iu the case of the world renowned 
ram. “Sweepstakes.” His dam and grand-dam 
were got by the same ram, “ Old Greasy ” —so 
that the latter wsis both bis maternal grand-sire 
and great grand-sire. “Old Creasy” was also 
bis paternal great grand-si re. The dam of “ Little 
Wrinkly,” the 6ire of “Sweepstakes,” was got 
by “ Wooster,” the sire of “ Old Greasy.” “ Old 
Wrinkly,” the grand-sire of “Sweepstakes,” 
was got by “Old Greasy,” and his maternal 
grand-sire was “ Old Greasy.” “ Old Greasy’s” 
paternal and maternal grand-sire was the same 
animal, “Old Black.” Mr. Hammond’s pres¬ 
ent favorite ram, “Gold Drop,” is as closely 
bred — and so indeed are all his choicest 
animals. 
With tho exception of the few dips of other 
blood adverted to, the Improved Paulars have 
been bred in the same close way — though it is 
not probable that one breeder in twenty icho 
does not Icecp a record of individual pedigrees, 
is conscious of the closeness of his own in-and-in 
breeding! 
The Silesian Merinos of the United States are 
the result of a cross commenced in 1811 between 
four Negrctti rams and one hundred Infantado 
ewes. Since then—a period of fifty-three years 
—they have been bred strictly in-and-in. These 
sheep are much larger than either of the parent 
stems, and vi^kl double the amount of wool. 
“Medium aged ewes,” says Mr. Chamber- 
lain, “ shear from 8 to 11 lbs., bucks from 12 to 
1G lbs.” of unwashed wool. They are also im¬ 
proved as breeders and nurses. 
When no Merino flock-master iu the United 
States or the vvrld, can show animals of this 
breed comparable with the Improved American 
families named—comparable in production and 
superior or even equal in hardiness of constitu¬ 
tion—is it not the most transparent nonsense for 
any man to assume that in-and-in breeding must 
inevitably end In degeneracy and decay 1 
Against such an array of affirmative “facts,” 
what have dissentients like our Pike Run friend 
and Mr. Saunders, to offer? Generally, 1st, 
a comparatively few instances where in-and-in 
breeding has been attended with injurious effects: 
hut whether those effects wore caused by the 
closeness of the breeding, or by an error in 
breeding, is not proven. 2d. A specification of 
instances where crossing has proved highly 
advantageous. Granting the truth of all such 
allegations, it does not establish the fact that 
in-and-in breeding has not led to equal or still 
greater successes — and it unqestionably has 
done so. 3d. A quotation from early authors, like 
Sebright, Clink, etc., objecting to close In- 
and-in breeding. These men did not under, 
stand the term in the sense It Is now understood 
in the United States. Sir John SEBRIGHT, 
who is oftenest quoted, did not consider procrea¬ 
tion between parent and offspring to be breed¬ 
ing in-and-in! He thought breeding between 
brother and sister might “ be called a little 
close,” but “should they both be very good, 
and particularly should the same defects not 
predominate in both, but the perfections of the 
one promise to correct in the produce the imper¬ 
fections of the other, he did not think it objec¬ 
tionable /” He also says breeding in-and-in 
“ may be beneficial, if not earned too fur, par¬ 
ticularly in lixiDg any variety which may be 
thought valuable.” The last object, substituting 
the word “improvement” for variety—which 
would not alter the Intended meaning of the 
author—is the most Important one oi all in-and-in 
breeding. The objection to inter-breeding ani¬ 
mals not nearly connected, wc understand to be 
principally confined to the United States, where 
it has never been practiced, and consequently 
tested, to any << insider able extent! 
The objections to to the popular views and 
practice on this subject are these. They lead to 
a constant sacrifice of very valuable rums, aud 
consequent trouble and expense in procuring 
new and unrelated ones, in order to keep up im¬ 
provement, anil at the same time avoid in-and-in 
breeding. Second, unless iu the case of extra¬ 
ordinary good judges in the selection of rums, 
and of auy Who have a definite standard of 
breeding, they also lead to constant changes in 
the character of the flock. A short-legged, com¬ 
pact ram is succeeded by a comparatively tall, 
“ rangy ” oue—a short and thick wooled ram, by 
a long and open wooled one—a moderately yolky 
fleeced one, by an excessively yolky fleeced one, 
and ho on. The flock is thus kept ever vibrating 
between extremes—without any fixed type or 
standard of its own. This greatly impairs its 
intrinsic value, and is, very properly, ruinous to 
its reputation. 
Are we asked if we advocate close intermar¬ 
riages of human beings, and a close general 
inter-breeding of sheep? By no means. High 
moral considerations stand in the way of the 
former. And no man can inter-breed sheep 
closely with safety, unless he thoroughly Under¬ 
stands the phj Biology, the “ points,” and the ten¬ 
dencies to diseases and defects in each animal. 
This is a degree of knowledge which but few 
persons possess, or are capable of attaining even 
in respect to their own flocks. Without It, in- 
and-in breeding, the most rapid source of im¬ 
provements, and the surest mode of fixing them, 
is an “ edge tool ” liable to cut the fingers 
attempting to use it, But it is necessary for no 
one to plunge so far into the opposite extreme as 
the popular notions on the subject demand, and 
to incur the resulting losses. Wc advise that no 
farmer having sheep possessing the. points which 
he desires to perpetuate, and sheep which he 
knows to be habitually healthy and hardy, 
hesitate to breed between those not closely 
related — not more closely related, for example, 
than cousins. 
■ - - 
SHEEP WORK IN JULY. 
Having commenced the discussion of the 
subject of in-and-in breeding, we have preferred 
to continue it to its close, this week; and our 
second article on the subject is so long that 
our usual paper on sheep work, for the cur¬ 
rent month, must go over until next week. 
gwjttiritfis ana gwj&wm. 
A Potato Digger Wanted —Where can I get a 
machine to dig potatoes ?—8. B. J., Kingston. 
Jab. Harris, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y.—We cannot 
furnish you the book you ask for. 
Guenon on Milch Cows.—(8. Timernian.) “Guenon 
on Milch Cows ” la such a book as you inquire for. 
We can send it to you post-pnid on receipt of 60 cents. 
Cutting Timber.— 0. K., Licking do., O., writes:— 
“ From an experience of twenty-six years I can indorse 
the recommendation to cut timber in the fall for dura 
bllity.” _ 
How to Build a Trout Pond —Can yon or any of 
your subscribers give or refer me to any information 
now to build a trout pond? Are two ponds necessary? 
1“ hard water as good as soft?— C. B Cure, Monroe Co., 
Wisconsin. 
On page 133, last volume of the Rural, you will find 
the information you ask for in detail 
Leached Ashes Forty Years Old —I wish you or 
some of your readers would Inform me If there‘is any 
value os a fertilizer in leached ashes that have been 
leached forty years, and laid exposed to the weather, 
for hops or tobacco?—A. B. II., Franklin Co., JV. I'. 
Very little indeed. The only good effect llkuly to bo 
derived from their use, would be their mechanical effect 
on stiff soils. Such is our opinion. 
To Kill Bo BREL.—Can you inform me what plan t 
can adopt to kill out common red sorrel? It seems to 
grow equally as well on part of my innd that, is rich 
and highly manured ns on poorer soil. Tho soil is 
sandy loam—D amos, Norwalk, V 
Sow ten to twenty-five bushels of lime per acre and 
cultivate well, keeping ground clean, aud you wtll not 
be troubled with sorrel. The presence of sorrel Indi¬ 
cates the wunt of uikalt. 
Manure Leaguing.— Would it be advisable to ma¬ 
nure my ground in ttie fall and plow it in? Thesnbsoil 
being sandy, would uot the virtue of the uiuuure leach 
out?— Damos. 
If we were going to plow manure under in your sob 
in the fall we should cover it very lightly. Whether it 
would leach would depend upon its character. II 
coarse it would leach little; if fine and rotted tt would 
leach more; although we must say that we do not have 
so much apprehension of loss from the leaching of 
manure Incorporated in the soli, as some do. 
Scours in Cattle.—Wm. Palmer writes:—“Use 
the bark of the ‘ Hopple bush ’ for the scours in cattle. 
It never failed with me.” We suppose our correspond 
ent means Ilohble bush— Vibernum lantanoidei— which 
Is common in the rocky wood" of New England and 
New York. It bears large, brilliant, white flowers 
Height about five feet. Branches long and crooked, 
olten trailing and rooting. Leaves very large, covered 
with a rusty pubescence when yonug, at length he 
coming green, the dust and down only remaining upon 
the stalks and veins. 
A Martin House —('an I obtain from you a plan for 
building a martin house? I wish to know wnut bIzo 
Him rooms should he, also full instructions, if not toy 
much trouble.— W. P. Bisskll, Oneida Co., N. 1'. 
We never owned nor built a rnarliu house. Wchavo 
seen u gouit many, but don’t know the size of the 
rooms, or whether any particular plan nr size, other 
limn the fancy of the builder is essential. Architects 
sometimes turnlsh drawings or plans with txpocisl 
view to exterior effect. If our readers know any rule 
governing size of rooms, will they inform our corres¬ 
pondent? _ 
Bchoolkv’s Preskbvatorv.—O n pnge 70, current 
Vo), of Rubai,, u correspondent asks—“ Gen you or 
any of your readers say anything about Bchoqlky’* 
Presorvatory V’ Wo did not reply because we knew 
nothing of It. Wc know nothing of its valu« now bv 
experience, nor by testimony, but wo con tell our Cei 
respondent something of its character. It is a patented 
plan for preserving fresh meat, fruit, aud other perish 
ables by the construction of a building with two apart 
inenls, one of which contains icu, aud the other the 
articles to be preserved. It is so arranged that a con 
slant circulation of air is kept up between the two 
apartments, tint fruit room having a dry, equable tern 
perulure of about 40*. It is useless to give a rnoro de 
t illed description of ils construction, since it would uot 
be available to our readers because of the patent. 
Catching Faoos. — Will you please inform me 
through the Rural how frogs are caught? I have 
naught u few by shooting them, but think from tho vast 
no tubers used iu the city restaurants that there must 
lie some easier mode of calchlug them.—W. F. 8., 
F/edxrivktmon, O 
Wc have never seen a frog-catcher at his work, but 
have always supposed they were secured by Covering 
them with a clrculur net fastened to a hoop with a long 
handle. We know, too, that, some use a light spear, 
which they handle with great skill and success. But 
wc do not know the most approved mode. We do not 
! flnd any prescribed mode, in the works on frogs, at 
hand. 
Rural 'Notes attit Items, 
‘A 
Tre Season, Crops, Ac.—For two weeks preceding 
the 27th the weather was excessively warm and dry 
for the season. We never experienced snch a « heated 
term,” in June, ss that of last week in this region, 
and accounts from both East mid West speak of ex 
o.essive heat and drouth—though Iowa and portion* of 
Illinois aud Wisconsin, have recently been favored 
with copious rains. The. crops of the whole country 
are generally promising, except In regions where ef¬ 
fected by the drouth. Tn tho West sorghum and corn 
are said to look wry promising generally, having tU f. 
fered less from the drouth than other crops. 
Prof Dewet, of this oily, favors us with tire follow¬ 
ing facts and figures: 
The Uot Period of June , 1864.—This commenced on 
the 15th, when tho temperature was 83 degrees at * 
P. M , and tlm mean was Ml 7 degrees. Tha beat of 
tho 17th was 8(1 decrees at 2 P. M-, from tt cool breez* 
which came at 12 from some distant shower; hm the 
mean was 71 8 degrees. The 18th was 90 at noon and 
for the day 77 degrees. The 22d was Ml at 3 P M, and 
hot all day, so that the mean was 79.3 degrees. The 
24th was 93, aud Its mean 81.3; and the 23th wna 91, 
and its mean 83.7 degrees. This was the summn 
bonum of hot weather, and this hot Saturday will not 
soon be forgotten. Tho following day (Sabbath) wna 
uot quite so hot—91 at noon, very warm at sunset, but 
a great change occurred soon after the thunder shower 
of S P. M , which was short, but most reviving and 
grateful. At 9 P. M the beat was 10 degrees below 
that of the night before, aud 21 degrees below the 
noon. On Monday rooming, the temperature was M 
degrees below that of the previous morning, and 31 
degrees below that, of Saturday noon. No rain l»d 
fallen from the 12th, except a few large rain drops at i 
P. M. of tho 26th- 
The last five days of June, 1663, were hot., but much 
below these twelve days Four days In the [last week 
of June, 1802, were much below these. Three days, 
from9tli to 12th of June. 1861, were hot, but far less. 
Thus! days iu June, 1659, from 27th to 29ih, about 
equal those of these. Suvou days in June, 1858, 23d io 
29ib, equal some of these. The Inal, half of June, 
1860, wa* hot, but not so hot, and more variable than 
these twelve-lids memorable heated period of June, 
1861. The Barometer has been higher tills half month 
than for some months—c. n. 
From Wisconsin we have more unfavorable accounls 
concerning the douth and crops than any other State, 
but, although iu type, we are obliged to omit them. 
-44-. 
The New York State Fair— to be held in this 
city, Sept. 20-23— will, jk cording to Indications thus 
far, prove worthy of tho Society, State and locution. 
Tho grounds, buildings, etc., are being Improved for 
the occasion, and there la every reason to believe that, 
the weather being auspicious, the Fair will not only 
bo numerously attended but unusually creditable lit 
its leading departments. The June number of the 
Society’s Journal (edited by Scerelary Johnson) Bttys 
—We have the roost encouraging accounts from nil 
parts of tho State tn relation to the State Fair at Roch¬ 
ester. We assure our Rochester friends that the people 
intend to be there, aud we doubt not that every needed 
preparation will lie made for the farmers and mechan¬ 
ics of tlie Empire State, as well as our friends acrosJ 
tho liue." 
Birds ell's Comuinkd Clover Thrasher ash 
Buj.lkr. As will bo seen by reference to ndvn isc- 
ment in our present issue, this popular machine U 
now manufactured for the Western trade at Sooth 
Bend, Ind. The demand for tho machine tit Hu West, 
with the difficulty of shipping, 1ms induced the wMb 
lishment of a branch manufactory at a favorable point 
lo reach the various Western SlHtea As wc have re- 
r.cived occasional letters of Inquiry relative to clover 
machines, wc UltC lids occasion to pay that ihe 0 ,1C ' 
c,««as of Birdsell s Thrasher and duller Is evidviic# of 
Its adaptability to the wants of farmers. It i? , .H'sitl- 
ored a decided Improvement upon the old methods of 
separating the seed from the straw,—and as (he d° vcr 
crop Is of Immense value to Hie country, we commend 
this machine to nil growers thereof who have occasion 
for its use. 
Flax Culture in Canada. —The Uaimd' 1111 ' im 
manifesting great Interest in llax culture, and wisely 
too. Wo notice that a council of the count!** (,t ' ,,rl ^ 
and Peel, C. W., recently met at Toronto and resolve 
to appoint an agent to lecture t hrough the Province on 
Hie culture of flax. Fibrous products should receoe 
attention. 
Willed is tub Best Mower?— (W. F •" ■ Ii# ull!tol, » 
(’. W.) That is precisely what we would he 1,1 
know. But we never found one who could answc: the 
question yet. Tbc season Ought not to pass without 
associated trials of machinery of this kind, in all P# 11, 
of the country. 
A Wood-Splitting Machine.— We notice that a t 
Louis citizen 1ms Invented a wood splitting ma'-hho 
which Is operated by horse power, and which does 1 m 
work rapidly aud well If the price is a reason#!' i 
one, It will he a valuable aid to the funner. 
loitsK Fair at Seneca Falls.—W eackno"lc || r' 
receipt of a ticket to this Fair, which takes I'b'j ‘ 
2d anil 4th lust's, as before noticed. Also, D" 
rise Show, a'. Lyons, on tho Fourth. 
Editorial Excursion —By Invitation of the N. Y. 
Central Railroad to the Newspaper Editors of Western 
New York and Canada West, quite n number of our 
brethren of the peculiarly shaped steel said to be 
mightier than the sword, left “these parts” cm the 
evening of the 24th lust, for New York — going, In 
commodious sleeping ears, via Tioy, in accordance 
with the recent excellent arrangement of Hie Central 
which avoids any change ol curs between Bufl'ulo and 
New York. The party, Including a goodly number of 
Choice spirits, arrived tn Nuw York Saturday a. It, 
.mil were hospitably hoteled at S. T. Nicholas’ tavern, 
Broadway. Thu programme was to see the sights on 
Saturday, go to church (of course) on Sunday, take a 
steamboat trip down the buy on Monday, board thu 
new steamer “Ylbbard” for Albany on Tuesday,and 
thence proceed homeward by rail. Trust our friends 
had a good lline. and regret wc could not. accept a kind 
tnvltoiion to be one of them. We observe, however, 
by a published ltet, that the Bubal New• Yorker was 
represented, on paper at least, by 8 8 avert— s very 
clover fellow, we hope, but, though many employes of 
tills office have risen id distluctl u and are occupying 
responsible positions, we fall to recognize the name ot 
Avay ou our “slate.” Perhaps this 8. 8. Avert 
means an enterprising Rochester bookseller, who beats 
that cognomen, and if so, his kin to the craft must be 
his (xcuse for an exhibition of good taste in attaching 
himself to this journal,—but if it is any other Avert, 
wc object and protest 
