rated, and effectually separated from them at 
shearing — i, e., placed in enclosures having 
fences which are good enough to discourage all 
attempts to escape. This is far better than de¬ 
pending on yokes, hopples, or clogs. When but 
one or two rams are kept, and it is necessary to re¬ 
sort to either of the latter contrivances, bopples 
made of strips of strong leather, about an inch 
and a ball' wide, securely fastened by sewing, 
just above the pastern joints of one fore and one 
hind leg—drawing these together a little more 
closely than they would be in the ordinary 
standing position —constitute the safest and 
best mode. The orchard, where the rams are 
frequently pastured, is the worst place on the 
farm for them. The shaded grass is sour—and 
the Merino ram does not put on that dark color, 
now considered so desirable, if kept much in 
the shade. Cross rams should have leather 
blinders so attached to (licit* heads as to prevent 
them from seeing, except dowuwards and back¬ 
wards. 
Killing Ticks. —Lambs should be dipped in 
some tick-killing solution, within a fortnight 
after shearing. A decoction of tobacco was 
formerly in exclusive use for this object—and 
refuse tobacco of various kinds is still employed 
in regions where the plant is cultivated. But 
good tobacco is too expensive, and its place is 
supplied by various washes sold for that pur¬ 
pose. As convenient an apparatus as any whicth 
w T e have seen for dipping lambs, (or old sheep 
when necessary,) is exhibited by the following 
cut from the Practical Shepherd: 
work, there is a legitimate mode of prevention. 
It consists in removing the sheep, or in remov¬ 
ing or neutralizing those causes. If land is too 
wet, for example, for sheep, it is “ sound prac¬ 
tice ” to drain it. If we could devise any way 
to prevent the sheep gad-fly from laying its eggs 
in the nostrils of the animal, it might be desira¬ 
ble to do so. If proper food—that is, a portion 
of green food in winter, will prevent colic in 
sheep, we should give it to them. If tar or fish 
oil near a wound will repel flies from that 
wound, it is prudent to put them on parts of 
sheep very particularly subjected to wounds. 
All this is simply proper management Jt does 
not come in the category of drugging and dosing 
healthy sheep. 
A healthy sheep requires nothing internally 
but proper food, drink and salt. Sait is a condi¬ 
ment as much adapted to its instinctive appetite 
and desires, as is its food. Nature, therefore, pro¬ 
claims its usefulness to sheep, even in health; 
but she makes no such proclamation in respect to 
any other substance, which is included iu the 
list of preventive medicines. 
Communications, Ctc 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE, 
Scare Crows. 
In response to an inquiry by E. M. P. in a 
recent Rural, we have the following, which, 
though late for this season, we place on record: 
S. B. J., of Kingston, writes: —“Take three 
common steel traps—fox or rat traps—set them 
on the angles of a triangle-just fur enough 
apart to put in half a dozen rotten eggs inside 
the triangle. Cover the traps with tine dirt or 
sand, having the traps elevated above the eggs. 
I think the punishment the one gets that gets 
into the trap will keep the rest a war.” 
A. McD., of Orleans Co., N. Y., writes us 
that he raises black fowls which he hangs in his 
corn field —three to eight acres —and is not 
troubled by the crows. 
A. J. G., of Benson, Vt., writes that as soon 
as the corn began to come up, he Covered two 
steel traps nicely with dirt, staked them down 
strong and sprinkled corn over them. He adds: 
“The next morning I had one of the black 
thieves. I took a strong cord and tried his legs 
to a stake. He soon commenced cawing, and in 
a short time had mostof the crows in the neigh¬ 
borhood flying over him. They took up the 
caw; and in a short time I had caw-musio 
enough. They soon deserted him, and although 
I sprinkled corn temptingly over the traps, no 
crows came near. The plan was a success.” 
RAISING AND CURING SOWED CORN. 
Er>s. Rural Nkw-Yorkkrs— Having been 
successful in growing and curing sowed corn for 
several years, I will send you my method. First, 
I sow as early in June as I can, about five bush¬ 
els of shelled corn per acre. I use a Buckeye 
wheat drill, and let all the spouts run the same 
as for wheat. It then comes up and grows so 
thick that no weeds or grass can get up among it. 
When ready to cut, I take a corn knife and 
step into the corn to where 1 w ant a shock to 
stand, and take a few stalks from four different 
ways, pull the tops together and tie them to hold 
up the shook. I then commence cutting close to 
where the shock is to stand, and set up against 
these stalks that are tied together. I cut and 
set up as much as I can tie conveniently around 
the top, the same as the other corn. 1 do not 
cut out the center of the shock; it is unneces¬ 
sary. Just before winter sets in, bind in bun¬ 
dles and put in the barn or stack. 
Be sure to let it stand until late in the fall 
before binding or it will beat. j. c. 
Raisin, Mich., ISM. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE, MINOR 
ITEMS, &c. 
Sheep Songs.— We have received four. “ The Sheep 
on the IJill Side,’’ by “A Farmer’s Daughter,” contain? 
pleasing ideas expressed in pleasing lines, but it is 
unequal in its parts. “A Sheep Ballad,” by “ M. B.” 
Is respectfully declined. “ A Sheep Song,” by “O. A. 
M. ” is a creditable production for a young gentleman 
“only fifteen years old,” but docs not meet our wishes. 
“The Passionate Shepherd to his Love,” by “Myra 
Myrtle," is not without considerable merit, qjne title 
is unfortunate, suggesting, as it. docs, a comparison 
with Marlowe’s lines under the same name, which 
have been regarded as a gem of poetry for more than 
two hundred and fifty years. 
We heartily wish wc could clothe our rejection of 
these kindly meant offerings in words so gentle that 
they would fail to wound. But that wo fear is impos 
sible. We have tasted of the same Marah. Once when 
about as old as O. A. M. we made an attempt to “ wreak 
our thought" upon poetical “expression ” With what 
secrecy our literary progeny, carelully dressed up in 
feigned penmanship, was conveyed to the little fat 
beer drinking village editor—then as awful as Rada 
manthusin our yonng eyes! The little fat follow lei 
us down a? easily as possible, by desiring “ an inter¬ 
view with the author "—as if he was in a quandary on 
the subject of publication. We were not deceived. 
TO CURE A KICKING COW. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: —They say no 
one knows so little but what something can be 
learned from him; 90 I thought I would give my 
remedy for a kicking cow. First, secure her; 
if in the stable, all the better; if out of doors, by 
a three-cornered pen made of boards; in either 
case, secure her so that she oannot move for¬ 
ward ; then place a bar or pole (by boring holes 
through boards secured on each side) across her 
back just forward of her hips; if it causes her to 
crouch down a little, all the better. Then place 
another bar just above her hocks, (to prevent her 
from backing,) and then another bar in front of 
her bind legs and just low enough so as not to 
interfere with milking, and close enough to the 
bar, behind her, to prevent her from moving her 
legs much. If this is properly done and don’t 
prevent her from kicking, I think the sooner 
she “kicks the bucket” the better. a. m. 
Monroe Co, N . Y., 1804. 
Remarks. — Would it not be well for A. M. 
to secure a patent for Ills process? A friend at 
our elbow suggests that it might he an improve¬ 
ment to place the legs of a cow in masonry, 
cemented with water lime. Seriously, we think 
a strap over the knee of the animal the most 
effectual and simplest preventive of kicking. 
There are few animals that are not easily 
tamed by such means, combined with gentle, 
kind usage. 
Relative Weights of Water, Milk, Cream, &c. 
S. S. 0., Deer River, N. Y., writes us:— 
“Conversing, a few days since, with a practical 
farmer—one whose large fields are among the 
best of our State—in regard to the weight of 
water and milk, rich milk and poor milk, butter 
and water, cream and skimmed milk, he af¬ 
firmed that milk was heavier thau water, rich 
milk heavier than poor milk. 
cream heavier 
than skimmed milk, and that common oils were 
heavier than water, all of which is contrary to 
my experience aud education. I tluyefore sub¬ 
mit these questions to you, or your numerous 
loaders, for conclusive answers.” 
There is one way to decide all such questions, 
and that is by nctual test; and it is such a simple 
matter to test it where one hug the material, 
that we do not know why there should be any 
discussion about it. Without actually knowing 
by test, it would be our opinion that the practi¬ 
cal farmer is right. 
The Advanced Rates or the Rubai, (from 1st 
Inst..,) are cordially acceded to ns just and proper, by 
both agents nnd subscribers, so far as ascertained. 
Indeed, some admit that the new rfltca aro too low, as 
1 hey certainly are, considering the prices of provision?, 
and goods, wares and merchandise generally. But we 
shall endeavor to stand by our terms, in the hope of a 
change ere long In price of paper, etc-, so that we 
may auuther year realize some profit. The single aud 
club subscriptions coming iu at new rates look well, 
but we should prefer the old terms at the former cost of 
publishing the Rural Those remitting for the paper 
should obflet ve the present subscription rate-. 
A Lice Exterminator. 
O. T. Hobbs: —“Lice on trees, lice on 
cattle, lice on anything, lice on everything, will 
‘ vamose’ on application of Seneca (petroleum) 
oil. On bodies and limbs of trees use pure oil; 
on cattle, &c., dilute with milk. How many 
inquiries will be made about “lice” during the 
next year? Don’t answer any one till they try 
the only safe and reliable remedy known.” 
lamb “advised us 10 try rhymes.” We looked blank enough! 
then We could have cried out with Shylock, “ thou slickest 
Jfully a dagger in me!” It broke us of poetry. We conclu 
lally, lllal tl)e W| isca were not *• onr affinity.” We have 
tilled dd<lw ' miU) y n bobby since, but never Lave attempted 
main even ,0pUt 0l!r foot in tbe slirn, P of the winged Pe 
gasus—at leant for a public canter. Aud we have an 
abiding conviction that the world has not lost seriously 
*eady by Otir concluding to remain a pedestrian. 
jpor- Yet why should a failure in a department ofliterature 
jpen- which demands the highest genius or the most cultlva 
and art-in reality, u strong mixture or both—ennse 
>r all 8UC * 3 bitense morilflcation to young and comparatively 
inexperienced writers!’ What right have they to ex¬ 
pect to succeed on the first or the twentieth trial f Na- 
pre- tttre now and then turns up a marvel of poetical prcco- 
and city, like Pope or Chatvkkton. or a rough diamond 
In a like Burns. Bnl they arc the rarest things in the 
)rdi- world, unless it is successful Commanders ln-Chief in 
1-uct thr Urm -V of ,lu ‘ Potomac. Byron’s early c-tlbne were 
iritl p ' u ’ rile enough, until, like the Virginia blacksmith, he 
" had “grace pounded into him"' by the Edinburgh 
UUI1 Reviewers. 
Don t let us despair of a Sheep Song yei—perhaps of 
_ half a score of them! Viaom’s 
Tappahannock White Wheat.— Some days ago 
Willad Hodges, Esq , of Brighton, this county, left 
at Rural office, several heads of the above named va¬ 
riety of wheat grown from seed obtained (through 
Patent Office) from Maryland. It was sown Sept 10, 
and hin vested on the ad tn?t Grew by the side of 
Dickinson wheat (as early a variety of while wheat na 
we have in this region.) which wa? still green and ap¬ 
parently would not ripen in a week or ten days. The 
label on the package of seed said—“It is earlier than 
the Blue Stem, and makes lir^t quality flour.” The 
k'errv Is plump utid fine, but the heads short. It may 
pro,"•* the long sought desideratum for this region,— 
time aus d experimenting will decide. Mr. Roughs bus 
no seed K ' r snlc > but thinks very favorably of the 
variety, aud p.irp«« continuing its culture. 
THE BEST DOMESTIC FOWLS 
imjMiHfSi and gamtwsi 
Union Sewing Machine.— If D M ,of Kansas, will 
turn to page 158, current volume Rural, he will find 
an answer to his question concerning this machine. 
People’s College —(W. M., Earlville, N. Y.) Ad 
dress Hon. Crab. Cook, Havana, N. Y., or Rev. Amos 
Brown, LL. D., at the same place, for the information 
you deslrP, 
hair a score of them! 
Eclogues and Georgies, and many 
an old English pastoral, prove 
0 «. UUI ur 1UB ***** A VA 
Second Annua.. Rft- ulture op Mich, for 
the ijtatk Board op Abrtv.- . e U9 lt is made 
the Year 1863 —This report V «.***. j t yfl ) earn 
by C. A. Ken ASTON, Scc'y pro tem. ^ been 
that the attention of the Board, the past y S8f,< h* 
mostly devoted to the State Agricultural College'. '*■ -. 
report discusses the object kept in view by tho'H D 
cliaige of the College, which lm? id ready been reviewed 1 
in our column?; it also contain.? ti brief history of the 
College, w ith an appendix embracing the Faculty’s 
Report, Report on t he Relations o'? the Farm aud Gar¬ 
den to the Instruction of the College, Chemists’ Report, 
Register of Mcteorological Observations, Pedigrees of 
Stock, and other papers. The volume of flu pages’ i? 
a valuable one us Illustrating the progress of Agrlcui' 
tural Education nnd effort in that prosperous State, 
N. Y. Commission Merchants. — S. Pettit, of 
North East, Pa , writes in response to the inquiry of 
E. J. Baker, page 11 ) 8 , that Ills opinion and experience 
is, that the less Mr. Baker 1ms to do with New York 
Commission Merchants, the better for him. 
E that. the subject is a poetical one. 
“The hour will come, and the 
man (of woman) will come,” 
by-and-by. Meanwhile let all 
who fancy they feel the inspirn 
Bon, put its genuineness to the 
--- @>s — test One tiling we religiously 
promise: there shall be no “kiss 
ing and telling.” No eye but 
our own, now or hereafter, shall steal a glance at 
condemned productions. Once passed upon, we will 
promptly consign them to the Buddhist Nicban, or 
Heaven—annihilation. 
throughout Great Britain. He took seventeen 
first prizes on his Black Spanish. The prize 
cock he sold for $400. The same winter I pur¬ 
chased a trio of the Andalusians of Her Majesty 
the Queen. The original stock were presented 
Victoria by Earl Derby. At the same time 
I bought several other birds, paying as high as 
£15 for one pair. One hen, chick of ten months’ 
growth, weighed ten pounds, down weight. 
The true English Speckled Dorkings are 
large, aud the most noble, graceful and handsome 
feathered birds of the hen species, They are 
good layers and careful sitters. Their eggs are 
of the common size, white shell and rich meat; 
their skin and flesh white, and of the finest of 
flavor. Birds bearing yellow legs and skin are 
never exhibited at their great poultry shows. 
At the Smlthfield exhibition, London, I pur¬ 
chased a trio of Speckled Dorkings of W. FISH kk 
Hobbs, Boxtcd Lodge, Essex, for which I paid 
twenty-six guineas, ($130.) lie exhibited several 
trios of the same class and beauty, for which he 
took the highest award?, and sold each trio at 
the same price. One coop was purchased for 
the Queen, who employed Harrison Wikr, 
the celebrated bird painter, to make a Fife size 
picture of them, fur which Her Majesty paid 
him £100. I sought hi? skill in putting on to 
the block for the engraver, delineations of sev¬ 
eral of my birds, which 1 intended should hat e 
Bek?S wAPMrxo.—Will Mr. Quinby, of thiaBta*.', or 
FomeexpmeAked bee keeper bo y tiow often bee? swarm 
—whether tirsi ?wnrin» swarm the same season a aiifl? 
—a. b. a, »v?yW(/, a* r. 
First swarms do sometimes swarm the same season. 
We have known such instances. 
A SUED OF POLE?. 
Before this rotted away, suitable clumps of 
w^'. printed trees, set out. on knolls, would 
ue large enough to afford the requisite shade. 
Salt in Summer, ^Shbep should be regu¬ 
larly salted as much as they will eat, once or 
twice a week throughout summer, or else have 
salt kept constantly accessible to them. The 
latter would be decidedly best, did it not, during 
the busy periods of summer, tempt the flock- 
master to neglect seeing bis sheep. They ought 
to be carefully looked over at least twice each 
week—and counted as often, if pastured out of 
sight of the farm house, or iu exposed situa¬ 
tions. Besides, sheep are kept much tamer, if 
frequently called about the shepherd by their 
desire to obtain salt. 
SuLPUtxt, Alum, Ac., Ac. — Some people 
mix these and other drugs, with salt, “to keep 
the sheep healthy.” Carrying coals to New 
( Jistle, salt to Dysart, or performing any other 
work of utter supererogation, is not. in our opin¬ 
ion, more absurd than “doctoring” an animal 
in perfect health, nnd exposed to no unhealthy 
influences, in order to guard against some special 
disease, or against diseases in general. And the 
misfortune is that the substances administered 
are .not, In the stomach of a perfectly healthy 
animal, merely harmless. All the effect they 
produce, is just so far a departure from the 
usual and natural, and consequently the health¬ 
iest, discharge ol' the functions so affected. In¬ 
stead of lending, therefore, to the prevention of 
disease, they rather invite it. There is not a 
greater fallacy in tbe whole range of popular 
errors, than the one that, because a certain drug 
or substance is 
“A Drive Gate.”—( 8. C. II., Syracuse, N y.) We 
do not know, “ of our own knowledge,” whether there 
be a “ drive gate ” In u?c that will open when the horee 
steps upon the platform connected with It, and close of 
Itself alter the horse passes through It. We have seen 
models of such gates, but never saw one in hbc; neither 
do wo know where they are manufactured 
C’m sen Btfc‘ IN Marshall Co., III.— John Hei- 
burn writes:—“The bug Is destroying two thirds of 
the wheat here in Marshall and La Salle counties. The 
corn is backward this eea«tm." It Is not good evidence 
that two thirds of the farmer* In tho counties above 
named, are neat und tidy In their farm operations. If 
they Were *0 there would be faker chinch bugs. All 
refuse—com stalks, stubble, Arc —should be plowed 
under or burned up in the fall. Tin: gra*- and weeds 
should be cleaned away from the fence? also. Then 
there will be fewer bugs the next season. 
both,) which soon extends all around the head as far 
back as the eats, und on malting an Incision through 
the akin present.- the appearance of putrid JelJy, na If 
caused by a bruise; the sheep loses all use ol her limbs, 
and dies within thirty-six hours. A post mortem ex¬ 
amination lind (0 day of No. 1, a few hours after death, 
showed a highly Inflamed state of the Interior upper 
part of the face, with n secretion of a yellowish sub 
stance, which discharges more or less from the nostrils 
in the last stage of the disease. Nothing wrong about 
any pari of the body except what seemed to be un over 
flow of the gall, which emilled un offensive amell.” 
We have never witnessed ibis, or any analogous di*. 
casein abtfep, nnd should like to receive further informa- 
lion un the subject. The description of Mr. Watkotjs 
calls (o mind Professor Finlay Don's account of an 
occasional manifcstaKuh of scrofula—though we are 
not Inclined to think I but (he case? arc Identical. He 
says:-“ When n scrofulous CWisllr.utton presents itself 
prominently in an adult sheep, it t 8 generally in the 
form of a pnimunary consumption. ■* * * 
those are not the only evils which HSiHdl sheep nf n 
scrofulous constlfnl ion. They are occasionally affected 
by chronic swelling, about the neck and throat, At tb-i 
hard, but afterwards softening, bursting externally, and 
Wammuu W a cii i n k* and Wringer?,— Wishing to 
purchase a good washing machine and wringer, the 
best there i? In B9(i If possible, can you recommend 
either one that is advertised In your paper! —A Sub 
seal rek, travel and, 3/iuwnce Co., Kama*. 
We know that the Universal Wringer Is an excellent 
machine, and have no donht that the Champion will 
give satisfaction; but the latter has never been used in 
our family. Of washing machine? per st we know 
nothing. 
Tins Canadian Parliament and Land Drainagl' 
—A correspondent of the Canada Fanner proposes that 
an Act erf the Provincial Legislature shall be passed, 
similar to that existing In England, by which money 
may be borrowed for permauent farm Improvement at 
a low rate of interest, such loan to have precedence 
over all other tncniubranees, and to be paid off, princi- 
j/ul aud interest, in Cl years, lie urges tfiui tbe great 
expense of draining—which he estimates at $ ; K* per 
acre — prevents the mass of farmers, attempting it 
extensively. 
To Remove Films prom Horses’ Eyes.—W hnt fa 
the best tiling wilh which to remove a film from a 
horse’s eye, caused by an injury received going tluoueh 
bushesV—J. II H., Chaut. Co. 
We advise you to call a skillful Veterinary Surgeon, 
If there be one near, and your horse is n valuable one 
As a rule it Is much cheaper and safer than to apply 
prescriptions given without any knowledge of the char 
aeter or extent of the injury to the eye. But if com¬ 
pelled to treat your horse yourself, buy MaYiibwV 
Horse Doctor, price $8.60, or Dadd’s, price #150, nnd 
study them carefully. 
To Cure a Hadd Milker.—I will give you my mode 
of curing a hard milker. I first take a short strap, lift 
the cow’s right fore foot, and slip the strap over tbe 
knee. Now squeeze the teat geiitly (to force the lower 
end of the teat out) with the left hand, while you cut it 
wi ll the other. The knife should bu turned and cut 
a little from both ways; this will help nine times out 
of every L-n.—8. T., Cloofaitlr, Madison Co., i\ J* 
Tad Mancvaoture.—I wish to inquire if any reader 
of the Rural can tell 11 s the process of making tar / 
have a plenty of pine pitch, and being a Hock master, 
and eonr.eqiH-.ntty using a good deal ol tar, and it being 
verv tils'll, I should ttke to make rny own.— A B C . 
tfntJhUl, a: U. 
Tar is made from block n of pitch pine, roots of fir 
trees, &c. It Is arranged in a conical stack, much as 
you arrange wood for burning cliurcoul—fitted to a cav¬ 
ity in tho ground generally made in the side of a bank. 
In the bottom of this cavity is placed a cast-iron turn 
from which a spout leads out through the bank. The 
heap is covered over with turf or sod, aud Is then fired 
as in making chi rood. Tar collects iu the latter part 
of the charring process, and run? off Into barrels placed 
to receive It. Tar is seldom obtained In quantities Buf 
ficlent to render it an object except in charring the 
resinous woods of the pine family. 
West Point Cadkt —A Monroe Co. Boy is informed 
that he should apply dlroct. to Mr. Clarke, either by 
letter or personally at once. We have not the rules and 
regulations of the school, and cannot answer your in¬ 
quiries in detail. Mr. Clarke will bo able to do so, 
probably. 
a good remedy for a particular 
disease, its administration in health, will neces¬ 
sarily act as n preventive of that diseuse. 
These rnabpathic .practitioners remind us of the 
“ f ihoolma’m ” who once a day spanked the 
school all round—the naughty-children because 
they misbehaved, the others, to keep them from- 
misbehaving! 
Where the exciting 
To Remove Warts prom the Hand?.— (Mrs. 8. I’¬ 
ll ) On page 183, current volume Rural, wo give 
a remedy. We have been successful in removing them 
by catling them off with a sharp knife or razor. They 
will bleed some, but it is but little Inconvenience. 
causes of disease are at blacksmith. 
