trees, cut the grape vines and lettuce, and com¬ 
mit other depredations. 
If, however, proper care is taken, they may 
become a pleasant, harmless and profitable 
amusement. The proper mode of keeping the 
rabbit is as follows:—Take one or more dry- 
goods boxes and mark a trench, which dig six 
inches deep and fill with stones, set on the box, 
pile up the earth around it, and arrange a proper 
door with a lath grating for summer. A small, 
low box with an open door, should be placed 
inside for them to lie in during the hot weather; 
then turn in the rabbits. If this plan were fol¬ 
lowed, it would save the farmer much vexation 
and trouble; if not, we would advise him to kill 
them at once. A. r. C. 
Madison, ft. J., ISM. 
seventeen to seventeen and a half cents per 
pound, and they have nearly as many on hand 
at present. 
Never has there been a time since hops were 
first raised iD this region, when yards were 
looking as badly as at present. Old fields, nearly 
all, died last winter, while those of younger 
growth, many of them, amount to nothing. 
There being a great scarcity of labor, yards 
have not received the care which was formerly 
bestowed upon them, and this has something to 
do with their appearance. From reliable 
sources, I learn that it is nearly the same in 
Otsego county, and if it be so, very few hops 
will be grown in the best hop-growing section of 
the United States. I think I may safely say that 
there will be no more than half a crop grown in 
Madison and Otsego counties. Observer. 
Hamilton, N. Y-, 1364. 
Management of Sheep.—Seymour Joiner, above 
named, writes ns“ My management of my sheep last 
winter was as follows: 1st of Jan- separated rams and 
tegs from breeding ewes—putting the ram and ewe tegs 
In separ ate inclosores. Fed them hay twice a day and 
straw once—a quart of corn to ten tegs—and an occa¬ 
sional feed of turnips. Feed breeding ewes hay and 
straw in same way—common, field turnips once a day, 
half a bushel to 25—after 1st of March 4 to 6 quarts per 
day of corn and oats to 30. All confined to yards until 
there was a good bite of grass—with access to water. 
Raised 27 latnbs from 27 ewes. Two ewes disowned 
their lambs, but confinement for a few days in a dark 
stable brought, all right, &c.” Mr. J. gives many more 
details of bis management, but it is the same practiced 
by the great body of careful and j udicious flockmasters. 
oats, they will .keep their flesh and not get 
stunted. It should be your chief care to keep 
them growing j put them on clover if you can 
for a few days, and then on grass, as sometimes, 
if the weather is dry and hot, the clover will 
be too heating for them. As they get older, I 
give them a small quantity of split or ground 
peas, with the other feed. I think you will 
find this combination feed them quicker than 
anything else. I begin when first taken from 
their mothers with about one-fourth pound each 
per day, feeding them once. After a few weeks, 
I double the quantity, feeding half at night and 
half in the morning. Be sure to feed them reg¬ 
ularly as to time. In the summer my time is 
Bix A. M. and six P. M., and if you carry it 
yourself they will do better, as the “ eye of the 
master maketh the ox (or sheep) fat.” You can 
increase the quantity as you find need through 
the winter. From November to March we 
keep them on cole-seed, turnips, or cabbage. 
After the rams are shorn, as soon as the wool is 
long enough, we tie small lead tickets with num¬ 
bers stamped on, to a lock of the wool at the 
back of the neck, just on the top of the shoulder, 
Also, a few days before we begin to let or sell, 
we brand on the side with hot pitch and tar 
mixed, with a small piece of lard put in 
to keep the brand from sticking, similar num¬ 
bers to the lead ones. The figures are 2j 
inches in size, and the number is thus easily 
seen by the purchaser. The brands are iron 
figures with a handle to each. We have 
branded 100, having that quantity to let 
Rural Notes anil (Queries 
The Season—Harvest, Drouth, &c~— The weather 
of the past week baa been cxcewivcly warm and dry, 
Though this haa been favorable for harvesting opera 
tiona, spring crops are suffering from the aevoro drouth. 
The reports wc receive relativ e to the whea t harvest an d 
crop In thla region are, however, general IySiavorablei 
The yield U said to be fair and quality good. 
Should the present dry weather continue through this 
week, (we write on Tuesday, 19lb,) much loss must re¬ 
sult over a wide extent of country. Yesterday (isth) 
the thermometer reached 96 In the shade, and at G P. jl 
marked 80 In oar offleo. The temperature w as ne arly 
Uie same for several preceding days. Humanity Buffers) 
vegetation is withering, and the earth parching for the 
want of moisture. We have accounts of the burning 
or fields of grain and grass, fences, etc., on the line of 
the Central Railroad, and fear the fiaujago will prova 
material. 
Tegs.— Sheep are only called “tegs” between wean¬ 
ing and their first shearing. Befor weaning they are 
called lambs; after their first shearing they are called 
yearlings. 
UNDER BARK FOR HANGING TOBACCO. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— Last year I 
had a little tobacco to hang; twine could not 
be had at the time, so I resorted to my stock 
of linden bark, which I always keep to tie buds 
in budding time. I tied the strips (about one- 
fourth inch wide) together, wrapped them on a 
ball, placed it in a basin of water whilst using it, 
in order to make it tough and pliable. It an¬ 
swered an excellent purpose. I prepare the 
bark about as Mr. Ewer describes on page 231 
of the Rural. The linden bark is a beautiful 
fabric or structure; if properly macerated in 
water its inner bark may be separated many 
times, say six or eight—each layer making a 
strong ribon; tear these into strips one-fourth 
or three-eighths inch in width, and you have a 
string stronger than most any other substance of 
the same bulk. 
The bark may be put to soak any time be¬ 
tween this and the first or even last of August, 
Germantown, Ohio, 1864. H. Unoeb. 
SALTING HAY AND HORSES, 
Communications, elite 
Heading off the Chinch Bugs.— An exchange in 
Wisconsin 9ays a farmer, whose name it haa forgotten, 
after seeing his crop of small grains pretty thoroughly 
cleaned out by this annoying pest, and finding the 
“varmints ” making for his twenty acres of nice com, 
determined to give the enemy battle. Accordingly he 
levelled a path around his field with » hoe and dropped 
thereon a lot of coal tar, over which the bug could not 
pass, but not being willing to abandon the corn without 
further effort, immediately commenced a “ flank move- 
mont” But for this the farmers strategy was sufficient, 
and he had prepared several pita into which the bugs 
tumbled by the peck, We have not visited the farmer 
ourselves but are told by those who have, that the plan 
is working admirably, and it la behoved by many that 
a general system of “ holelng ” will go far toward ex¬ 
terminating these pests that are annually costing our 
farmers Hundreds of thousands of dollars. If this plan 
is not effective, or is too expensive, will it not suggest 
something better?| ESJ ~x«-B8LAil 
Eds. Rural Nkw-Yorkkr:—I saw in a late 
issue of the Rural an article on salting hay. 
I will give my experience. A few years Ago I 
put up my hay in good order. I salted it. 
Well, when I came to feed it out, it was so mow- 
burned it was not worth half-price. Since then 
I have tried salting with similar results, till 
last year, as I did not know what spoiled my 
hay. I fill on both sides of the barn floor alike 
with hay; on one side I salted, the other I did 
not- The latter came out bright, while the 
salted was badly burned. 
My way to salt horses is to take equal parts of 
salt and ashes, wet, and put in the trough where 
they eat their grain. D. s. 
Warren, HI., July, 1364. 
Remarks.—O ur friend does not tell us how 
much salt he put on to the tun. We have used 
not over two quarts per tun, and never had hay 
burn—we could not discover that it was injured. 
But such experience as that given above is 
valuable. 
THE BEE-MOTH 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— The bee-moth 
must certainly propagate in other places besides 
the bee - hive, or it would soon become extinct. 
“The Bee-Moth ( Tinea mellonellaJ is mentioned 
by Aristottle, Yjrgil, Columella and 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE, MINOR 
ITEMS, &c, 
Sheep Shearings.— We received invitations to be 
present at a number of these about the first of June. 
Circumstances did not at the time permit of our leav¬ 
ing home; and contrary to oar expectations, we have 
not since round leisure to answer the letters of our 
friends on the subject. We trust that these statements 
will be received as our apology by all who addressed 
us. We would have willingly published the results of 
each public shearing, had they been communicated to 
ns as well as to the local papers; and will do so yet 
where it is specially requested 
Tnn Franking Privilege.— The following is a copy 
of the law recently passed by Congress, restoring to 
the Agricultural Department (with others! thejfull 
frauking privilege, by which it wi ll be seen that n o 
prepayment. Of postage is required in addressing small 
parcels, seeds, cuttings, &c , to the said department:— 
“ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represent¬ 
atives of the United States or America In Congress 
assembled,—That all communications relating to the 
official business of the Department to which they are 
addressed, of whatever origin, addressed to the Chiefs 
of the several Executive Departments of the Govern¬ 
ment, or to such principal officers of each Executive 
Department, being heads of bureaus or clmT clerks, or 
one duly authorized by the Post Master General to 
frank official matter, shall be received and conveyed by 
mail fioe of postage without being indorsed * Official 
Business,’ or with the name of the writer. Approved 
June 1, 1804 ” 
GLEANINGS IN READING. 
Muck. —Dr. It. C. KEDZiE,Prof. of Chemistry 
in the Michigan Agricultural College says:— 
“ The peat muck is of very little value except 
for mulching orchards when straw fa scanty. 
Its transformation into the powdery muck fa 
very slow. Experiments had been made dur¬ 
ing the postseason at the Agricultural College, 
from which it was shown that when muck was 
used, an increase of one-fourth in the hay crop 
was produced. It was also shown that when 
the corn crop was cut, off by the frost, that 
treated with muck was ten days ahead of that 
to which no muck had been applied. The in¬ 
crease in the potato crop was 44 per cent, from 
the same application. 
The Use of Lime ,—Lime may be U3ed instead 
of manure, as it has nearly all the properties of 
manure. It is one of the moBt efficient aids the 
farmer has. But it can not always he used, 
because it is not always found in the locality, 
and to transport it from a distance, makes it 
co6tly. 
Let farmers, then, always bear in mind that 
lime fa a manure; and let them bear another 
thing in mind, that lime has properties valuable 
to the farmer which manure has not. Lime 
sweetens your sour, wet soils; it is an enemy to 
sorrel; it adds mealiness and sweetness to pota¬ 
toes and roots; it strengthens and brightens the 
straw of your grain, which lodges the less in 
consequence; and it lasts for years without a 
renewal. 
A hundred bushels Of lime to the acre, on 
soil that never has been limed, is the general 
rule. But often much more fa used, and oftener 
A SWARM WITH THREE QUEENS. 
Shepherd Does.— John Hepburn of Marshall Co., 
Ill., writes: “ Some of your subscribers ask yon about 
good sheep doge. I can tell yon where you can pur¬ 
chase them by the score or dozen Mr. P. P. Seller, 
Sutherlandshire, Norwich, Scotland, A”. S., has got about 
30,000 sheep, and about 30 shepherds. They keep 
Scotch dogs for sale all of the time. Price £2 to £ 5 ," 
getting to enter the hive. The bees soon be¬ 
came quiet, and those outside to make toward 
the entrance. While watching, I discovered a 
second queen, which I carefully caught. Soon 
after, I saw still another, this f succeeded in 
catching. Suspecting that the one that I saw 
enter, had again issued, 1 retained the two I had 
caught, until I could watch and satisfy myself, 
if the swarm still retained a queen. They re¬ 
mained quiet and I took them to their perma¬ 
nent stand. In a fejv moments I saw bees issue, 
mark their locatioja, and start for the field. 
Satisfied that all was right, I killed the two 
queens I had caught. The swarm prospered, so 
there could be no doubt about the swarm having 
three queens. L. L. Fairchild. 
Rolling Prairie, Dodge Co., Wis., 1864. 
Grub in the Head.—J. McDonald Glenn & Bro., 
Noblestown, Alleghany Co., Pa., write us:—“Grub in 
the head is now being a good deal written about We 
knew of a ram which was thought hopelessly affected, 
and being so reduced that he was unable to stand, it 
was determined to put him out of his misery. He was 
struck two or three severe blows with a heavy stick on 
the forehead up near the boras. This dislodged 10 or 
12 large grubs. This being observed be was let alone, 
and in two hours he got up, and his recovery com 
menced. Would it not be advisable for those having 
sheep thus affected, to place a bit of wood on the fore 
head and strike it smartly with a hammer to see if the 
concussion will not dislodge the worms ? We think it 
worth the trial.” 
Great Salk of Wool by Producers. —We notioc 
in the Chicago Post of the 14th inst, the announcement 
of a sale of 120,IKK) pounds of wool by the great sheep 
farmers or Sangamon Co., III., the Messrs McConnell, 
for $120,000. Their wool is Merino, French and Span¬ 
ish. We cannot say which predominates—probably 
the former, for they were large breeders of the French; 
and in their climate they were found to succeed well. 
But latterly they they have paid more attention to the 
Spanish, and have bred some most excellent sheep. 
Vermont Agricultural College.— It is announced 
that the University of Vermont, at a recent meeting, 
voted to become incorporate with the institution pro¬ 
vided for in “ An act to Incorporate the Vermont State 
University and associate Colleges, and to appropriate 
the proceeds of the scrip for public lands granted to 
ilie State under the net of Congress, July 2, 1S82." 
The act, according to its provisions, was to become 
void if no one of the existing College corporations 
should elect to come under it antecedent to November 
2, 1864. 
Tartar Sheer.—S. R Richards, Clarks HiU, Tnd., 
writes:—” How have the Tartar sheep, that were im¬ 
ported into this country some ten years ago, succeeded? 
They were represented to be hardy—to have from two 
vc fo.'ir lambs at a birth—to produce mutton superior to 
any other, &c-. &e. Have they turned oui a Moms 
WHAT HOGS TO WINTER. 
A. Hinsdale, of Ohio, in an article in the 
Ohio Farmer , gives the following very sensible 
advice:—“(Jet a good breed of medium-sized 
hogs that will fat at any age; such as will weigh 
from 300 to 400 pounds when matured — if you 
have no cheaper feed than corn. Keep over 
winter none but breeding stock. Be sure and 
keep enough of that, for if you have too many 
pigs you can always do something with them in 
the spring. Have your pigs come about the 1st 
of ApriL Keep no more than you can keep 
well growing. Be sure and have good pasture 
for them. Make all the pork you can from 
cheaper feed than corn,— which must be the 
base of fatting. 
“ J presume that When corn 1s over fifty cents 
per bushel, it will pay well to grind and cook it; 
butl have not tried it fairly. Fat well, and kill 
your pigs about Christinas, aud they will ordi¬ 
narily weigh about 200 pounds of as nice pork as 
was ever put into a barrel. It will frequently 
out-sell heavy hogs in market 1 think that 
when corn is fifty cents per bushel, to make 
pork-raising a good business it should bring $4 
per hundred, and for every ten cents advance on 
corn, pork should advance $1.” 
WuUtcttuu’s speculation, or are they really what they 
were represented?” The “Nankin sheep," as we be¬ 
lieve-the tores,'! above alluded to is generally called, 
are extremely pi olific, and onr impression is they are 
sufficiently hardy; >>ut we are not aware that they have 
anything else specially to recommend them. They are 
comparatively worthless for wool, and as a mutton 
sheep do not, as we understand it, make any head 
eqaiust the improved English b.'ceds 
The Chinch Buo in Illinois.—B y conversation 
with gentlemen from Illinois, from correspondents, and 
through the papers, wc hear of great destruction of the 
Wheat, corn, sorghum, Jtc., in Northern Illinois from 
this great pest. 
Pea Bug or Weevil.— Permit meto inquire through 
the Rural if any means are known to curtail or pre¬ 
vent the depredations of the little pen Bug, or riureuho, 
who perforates the young pea and deposits its egg in 
i(. ThcsiVd peas sent by the .-eed stores are all free 
from this injury; mnMc-qtirrHly those who grow them 
must be In posereeion or some means to prevent their 
depredutions All peagrowers, and lovers or peas, 
will admit that a knowledge of these means would be 
UlgUly satisfactory — V. Bhbitii Atrrr, Jierrten Co., Mich. 
The pea* sold by seedsmen are mainly i mported peas 
—generally grown in England, where, we believe, this 
pea weevil (Urachus Pisi,) is not known, for it is 
claimed that tt is ft native of this country, and not yet 
introduced Into Europe—except, perhaps, in Isolated 
localities. But peas can be grown In tils country 
without the bugs. Wc have seen ,it done. Wo have 
known two crops grown the same season—the first 
being the product of early seeding, contained the Ian * 
of these weevils. Of this crop seed was again sown 
and another crop was produced The first crop was fed 
to swine; the second saved for seed. No bugs or 
weevils are found in peas sown after the 25th of May 
or first of June The insect does Its work and is out 
of the way before peas sown at that date are in any 
That is the only effectual remedy we know of. 
Length of Wool, 4 xo Wrinkles. — SeymoOE 
Joiner, North Egreraont, Berkshire Co , Mass., wishes 
our advice in choosing a stock rum. No. « yields hall' 
a pound most wool, the quality is better, but it is 
shorter. His skin is filled with fine wrinkles. No. 7 
has a “smooth hide,’ aud is therefore preferred by 
some of Mr. J.'s neighbors. Wecaunot judge between 
two rams without seeing them. There are many more 
points than those above named which would iulluence 
the selection. In the abstract, the best length of wool 
iB that which gives the most weight. If excessively 
long, It usually lacks thickness—and If very short, no 
degree of thickness will bring it np to first class weight. 
The heaviest Merino rams’ fleeces, (after first fleece,) in 
proportion to weight of carcass we have ever known, 
have been from 2’j to2 \ inches long—averaging about 
ifS inches. Fine, soft wrinkles all over the body (of 
the size of a half segment or a pipe stem,; which offer 
no impediment in shearing, especially when accompa 
nied with a delicate, pinky skin, are splendid points in 
a Merino ram or ewe It shows \ hat looseness of ekiu 
which indicates high breeding and heavy fleece. High, 
Stiff wrinkles, which must be carefully cut round with 
the shears, on the body of a sheep, are nuisances— 
though a short wrinkle hack of the elbow, some small¬ 
ish ones ou and wound the tail and breech, and a cor¬ 
rugated or plaited flank, are now fashionable points. 
The more wrinkles on the neck the bettor for show 
sheep, according to the fashion—though the older and 
sonnder breeders are not anxious to have them in ex¬ 
cess oulheir stock sheep, a “ smooth hide,” if tight- 
drawn aud stiff, indicate.-, bad breeding. If additionally 
colorless, oi of a butternut l.rown color, it indicates 
bad breeding and a bad pedigree. 
CHEESE FACTORIES, THE HOP CROP, &c. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— Madison coun¬ 
ty presents many attractive features and points of 
interest, prominent among which fa the Valley of 
the Chenango—beautiful river—from which the 
county of Chenango fa named. The river rises 
in the southern part of Madison, and flows 
south through a valley of surpassing beauty 
and fertility, aud at. last empties itself into the 
more majestic Susquehanna. The valley ex¬ 
tends from the center of the State to its south¬ 
ern boundary, therefore embracing a variety of 
soli and production; the northern portion, with 
the hills around, being devoted to dairying and 
hop raising— while in the south, wheat, with the 
other grain- common to the State, are grown. 
Villages dot the banks of the river, from its 
source down, and the busy hum of mills and 
factories is heard “from early dawn to dewy 
eve. v Situated on the stream, but a short dis¬ 
tance from the boundary line between Che¬ 
nango and Madison, is one of the largest cheese 
factories in the State. The milk of over one 
thousand cows is manufactured here, making, 
at present, twenty-three hundred pounds of 
cheese per day, which, at present prices, fa 
worth nearly t wo hundred dollars. 
This factory commenced operations in the 
spring of ’63, with the milk of about five hun¬ 
dred cows, and has been increasing until it has 
reached its present dimensions. Eight persons 
are employed here to make and care for the 
choose, and are constantly busy. The milk fa 
brought to the factory, either by teams em¬ 
ployed for that purpose, or by dairymen, and, 
after being weighed, is strained into vats, six in 
number, each holding two hundred gallons— 
where it is heated by means of hot water pass¬ 
ing under it. Three hundred cheese have been 
SCRATCHES IN HORSES, 
Eds. Rural Nkw-Yokkkr:—I can not agree 
with your correspondent, page 182 Rural. I 
can not believe that scratches, like all other diir- 
eases, has its origin and arise.- from impurities 
of and feverish blood. 1 believe it is a local 
complaint. It is produced principally by causes 
that act locally, and is most successfully treated 
by local application. The grand object is to get 
rid of the inflammatory action which exists in 
the skin of the heel, aud to heal the wounds and 
remedy the mischief which it has occasioned. 
To curu the scratches, the heel should he well 
washed w ith BOap and water, and as much of the 
scurf detached as is easily removable. An oint¬ 
ment composed of onc-fourLh oz. calomel, one 
oz. laid; mix well together; apply it with the 
linger; rub it well in. It has never failed me 
to effect a cure in a very short time. 
Lamartine, Wis., 1864. A. Cokkins. 
danger. 
Wiiat Ails the COJ-T?—WUI yon. nr some nf yonr 
contributors, inform roe what ails my colt, 
numerous contributors, inform me what mis my con, 
two yours old, which has been lame since J.mu»ry laat- 
Tlie lameness conus* ou v ery severe and with great pain 
ufn-r nnv exertion, em it ns‘running, jumping, or turn¬ 
ing round quickly The lameness is In its right hind 
tg. There is no 
part that 1 can discover. 
I have applied remedies 
__ q-j. It 
, .1 could lead me to a dis- 
sense, together w ith a remedy, yoa win 
A SUIHCRIBER, 
Milwanker Or,., BVi . 
The trouble may be a sprain of the muscles inside 
the thigh; if so it may be detected by heat on the inside 
the thich nhnvn the stifle joint Verv lew men would 
leg, which It carries out wheu walkim 
swelling or dislocation of any part that 
Many Util me it is w stifled ” _ 
recommended for that with no favorable results 
l'tom the alum* 
covery of the dfw_,v, .----- , 
confer a neat favor, for the colt, though otherwise a 
valuable one, la worthless us it is —A Sense riser, 
Stretches ok Cone.— James Rkmtnoton, Alexan 
dria, Licking Co., Ohio, writes:—** I formerly lost from 
one to live sheep in a winter by stretcher* After trying 
various remedies without success, 1 commenced ud 
ministering melted lard, about three gills to every 
sheep attacked, and it uniformly cured them The 
best preventive I have found for stretches and pulling 
out wool is to keep salt wnere the sheep have access to 
it at. all times—feed some kind of roots twice a week- 
clean ont all the sheds once a month, and keep them 
well Uttered down.” Wo can recommend all the above 
as sonnd practice, except that ft better purgative than 
the melted lard can be given, if It is as convenient to 
obtain it, viz.: 1 oz. of epsoin salts dissolved in warm 
water, a drachm oi ginger and a tea-poonfal of the 
essence of peppermint, all given together. We are un¬ 
able to answer Mr. K's question about hia lambs. He 
does not describe any known disease. 
HOW TO KEEP RABBITS. 
