leys rich and the crops heavy in them, so that 
the honest farmer could gather the reward of 
his labor without toiling up the steep hill sides. 
But our farmer had read of the advantages of 
underdraining, and among them that the laud 
would not wa,th } as the water would sink into 
the drains, and not flow from the surface. So 
he dug ditches up the dry hill sides, and opened 
the clay crests, and put tile in them. Did the 
heavy thunder showers thereafter linger on the 
sharp, hard pinnacles, aud sink gently down to 
the artificial channels 4 Not a hit. In its wrath 
the water tore up the earth deeper than the 
drains and sent the tile in a heap to the bottom. 
I was about to moralize further on the foolish¬ 
ness of squandering money in enterprizes that 
are scarcely begun ere they are abandoned for 
something more enticing, or from a fear that 
they will not prove profitablo; but it recalls 
disagreeable recollections, and I quit. Ckiel. 
purity of blood of all of them. He at first bred 
the Blakesley ewes to the Blakesley ram, hut 
subsequently used three different rams bred by 
Mr. Cutting of Vermont. At Mr. Has well's 
sale, he purchased his stqck ram of Atwood 
blood. He next used two rams, one a Paular 
from the Sticknet flock, and the other a half 
Paular and half Infantado, bred by Hon. E. B. 
Pottle of Naples, N. Y., got by a Paular ram 
out of a Sanford ewe. After he had increased 
his flock from the above named sheep to about 
300, he purchased at two different times eight or 
nine ewes from the II as well flock. Mr. Has- 
well, it is well known, bred Saxou sheep, but 
he also bad Merinos. Mr. Brown holds his cer¬ 
tificate that the sheep bought of him were 
Merinos, theft he bred them from sheep pur¬ 
chased of Jacob Tobias, and that T«bias bought 
them of Effingham Lawrence and Walter 
Bowers who bred them from sheep imported 
by Mr. Crowinshield. We regard the above 
statements of Mr. Brown as entitled to the 
fullest credit. 
ported “ Grandee,” used as a stock ram in the 
Government flock of Prance, yielded 12% lbs. 
unwashed wool. The writer ot this stated in 
Sheep Husbandry in the South, that, in 1314 his 
ram “Dctiuuee.” IS months old, produced 8 lbs. 
and his ram “Premium” produced 10 lbs., of 
“well washed wool.” In 1845, Stephen At¬ 
wood's best ram produced 12 lbs. 4 ozs. of un¬ 
washed wool. “Old Black,” purchased about 
the same period of Mr. Atwood, and so famous 
in the history of the improved Infantados of 
Vermont, produced 14 lbs. unwashed wool. Ihe 
“ Old Robinson Ram,” still more removed in the 
animals of the Paular family, produced the 
same. Rams at that period were uuhoused in 
the summer and were not generally confined 
under shelter in winter, so that the shrinkage ot 
their wool would not probably exceed that of 
Spanish rams, which we put at fiO per cent. This 
would leave 5.60 lbs. as the weight of scoured 
wool of the t wo most famous American Merino 
rams of their " day aud generation.” 
Let ns now turn to the rams whose fleeces 
were cleansed under the direction of the N. Y. 
State Sheep Breeders' aud Wool Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation the present year. With one exception 
they were but portly grown animals, most of 
which had not attained anything like their ulti¬ 
mate weight ol' fleece, and none of them were in 
extra condition. Three of the five were but 
yearlings, one a two-year-old. and odc a four- 
year-nld. Not one of them was selected for this 
cleansing experiment with any expectation on 
the part of his owner that he would produce a 
remarkably heavy cleansed fleece, compared 
with those of larger animals. They were selected 
purely in reference to the weight of cleansed 
wool in proportion to the weight of carcass — that 
being the sole test established by the Associa¬ 
tion. And by that test the lightest fleeced ram 
of the five might, and actually did, stand highest 
in the scale of merit. Witness the following 
table, condensed from the official one, in which 
the competing animals are placed in the order of 
merit. It will be remarked that we do not give 
the total amount of cleansed wool in each fleece, 
but that proportion of it which was produced in 
ODe year: 
Wt. scoured 
Owner or Age in Wt. after Wt. of wool pr’cd 
ram. yrs. days, shearing, shorn fl. in 1 year. 
W, F. Gibbs. 1.1 50.50 11.81 8.94 
O. S. Williams, 2. 61. 10.81 4.48 
Theron Steele, 1.60 77.50 15.72 4.75 
A. J. Blood, 4. 95. 20.09 6.20 
L. J. Bovee, 1.16 10S.50 18.09 4.94 
It will be seen that Mr. Gibbs’ small teg,— 
about two months short of the age at which the 
first fleece is usually taken off,— exceeded the 
average product of the fall grown rams of 
Spain; and that Mr. Blood’s grown ram, though 
considerably under-sized for an American Merino 
of the present day—smaller even than Spanish 
rams of prime cabanas*—exceeded the average 
product of Spanish rams, towards one hundred 
percent, in scoured wool! He also exceeded 
the product ot “Old Black” and the “Old Rob¬ 
inson Ram” by three-fifths of a pound — more 
than ten per cent.—of scoured wool. 
If we compare the Spanish rams, and the 
American rams of twenty years ago, with prime, 
full grown ones of the latter variety at the pres¬ 
ent day, like Baker A Harrigan’s ram, we.find 
a still greater disparity. The last named animal 
more than doubles the scoured product of the 
Spanish rams, aud exceeds that of the choice 
American rams of twenty years ago by nearly a 
pound aud a half. Yet we have good reasons 
for supposing that there were ten or fifteen rams 
on the Fair Grounds at Canandaigua, last May, 
only in good ordinary condition, which would 
have equalled B. H.’s in scoured product. 
We trust the question ot our highly respected 
correspondent is now answered somewhat to 
his satisfaction. We trust he te convinced that 
the modern heavy yolky fleeced American Me¬ 
rinos, exhibited at our Fairs, “amount to" 
considerable besides exemplifying “ whose sleep 
are capable of carrying most dirt aud filth ?" 
The truth is, the world moves , in wool as well as 
in some other matters! All wisdom did not die 
out either 50 or 20 years agoamong Merino sheep 
breeders — and our decided impression is that it 
is not dead yet 1 We have no donbt the next 
twenty years, besides generalizing present im¬ 
provements., wilt witness important new ones in 
our Merino sheep. 
To our correspondent’s last question we an¬ 
swer that our impression is that a “ select flock 
of one hundred Merino breeding ewes and one 
ram, kept in the best manner,” would annually 
produce of brook washed wool for two consecu¬ 
tive years from seven and a half to eight 
pounds per head. Washed as thousands now' 
wash their wool they would produce a pound 
more per head; washed like some Australian 
samples now lying before us, they would pro¬ 
duce at least a pound less per head. 
* Petri gives the weight of the Negretti ram as 
97 lbs., of the Infantado 100X lbs., Gaudeioupe 97>2 tbs. 
The Rural New-Yorker Progressing.— For the 
information of its hosts of friends, near and distant, 
we take pleasure in stating that this Journal Is con¬ 
stantly increasing in circulation, and that its pros¬ 
pects were never more encouraging. Though it is 
many months since we have made any effort, by adver¬ 
tising or otherwise, to augment either its circulation 
or advertising patronage, both arc satisfactory,—and 
now that tin war is over we anticipate large accessions 
to our subscript ion list during the year ensuing. We 
gratefully appreciate the kind offices or all who so 
generously aided the Rural during the trying years 
of the rebellion—a period so disastrous to newspapers 
that many of our contemporaries were obliged to sus¬ 
pend—and trust that their manifestations of approval 
will be continued. While we pledge constant and 
earnest endavors to render the paper increasingly 
acceptable and valuable, we bespeak the influence of 
Us friends everywhere—frankly asking them to aid 
in maintaining and augmenting its circulation and 
usefulness in their respective localities. And wc 
need not remind the intelligent reuder that the 
present is a favorable season to manifest, in a sub¬ 
stantial manner, his or her approval of the Rural 
and its objects. The long evenings are. coming on 
apace, the bountiful harvests will soon be gathered, 
and during the approaching season of comparative 
leisure, thousands of farmers and others who have 
never taken it, will want such a paper as this for them¬ 
selves and their families. All wo desire, now. Is That 
You, Reader, will do us and your neighbors the favor 
to introduce the Rural New-Y'orkkr to favorable 
notice, by simply stating its character and objects and 
inviting all to give It a trial. 
Scoured Wool in Michigan. — We find in the 
Western Rural the following table of the shrinkage 
of ten fleeces, scoured under the direction of the 
Farmers, Mechanics and Stock Breeders’ Association 
of Jonesville, Michigan: 
ewe. 1 
ewe. 
ewe. 
buck.) 
buck. 
buck. 
buck. 
buck. 
buck. 
buck. • 
A BIG FLEECE OR A BIG STORY 
Wants Yet IJnsupplied. 
The Maine Farmer has these timely and 
sensible remarks, which will apply to other 
localities than New England: 
The labors of another haying season, a season 
abont terminating, and one which has given 
employment to a greater number of machines of 
various descriptions than lias heretofore been 
employed, have taught several lessons which 
should not be forgotten, aud we allude to one 
or two now, hoping that some one will improve 
upon our suggestions and endeavor to aid in 
perfecting what so much needs to he accom¬ 
plished. 
1. A better horse-rake is needed. We have 
witnessed the operations of many different rakes 
the present season, and are satisfied they are all 
more or less defective. Whitcomb’s rake is 
highly recommended, and is, perhaps, as good 
as any in use among us, but after having exam¬ 
ined its operations upon several fields, we are 
satisfied it can be much improved, or wholly 
superceded by a rake that will give better satis¬ 
faction. It is toolong in unloading. The home 
travels three feet or more while the hay is drop¬ 
ping from the elevated rake—consequently the 
winrow i6 loose, flat and uneven, and requires 
considerable labor with the hand-rake to put it 
in shape to bunch up to advantage. Could the 
rake be elevated and dropped quicker, or the 
form of the teeth so constructed as to dear 
itself of hay sooner, it would be much better. 
The true principle of a horse-rake is the revolver. 
It. rakes cleaner and makes & better wlnrow. 
But the old revolver possesses many disadvan¬ 
tages, which, we think, are overcome in Wallace 
& Carpenter’s wheel revolver. The latter is a 
rake w r e think very highly of, although it Is 
somewhat complicated, 
2. We want a better contrivance for unload¬ 
ing hay. The horse pitch-fork was a great im¬ 
provement over hand power—especially in con¬ 
veying hay to the top of high mows, and even 
now it is the best thing of its kind In use. But 
we want a contrivance to unload a rack full of 
hay at a time. We believe that carts and barns 
can he so constructed that with the single poll 
of a horse, a load of hay can be dumped at once 
into the bay. This cannot be done of course 
after a certain amount of hay has been hauled 
in, bnt we believe with the aid of a little Yankee 
ingenuity, the thing can be accomplished, and 
all barns now built be so altered that the thing 
would work. 
Other improvements in machines for perform¬ 
ing farm labor will suggest themselves to ob¬ 
serving men, who are invited to communicate 
the same. 
The premium offered in this case, we leam from the 
Rural, was for the “best cleansed fleeces." The 
weight of carcase does not appear to have been taken 
into consideration, — and we do not leam from the 
table how old each fitter was. We are left to filler 
that by “ best fleeces ’’ was meant heaviest fleeces, for 
the table exhibits no estimates of their respective 
value. If this is so, a respectable Cotswold, or a 
good grade eheep, if admitted to competition would 
have won the prize. 
Poultney, Vt., July 24, 1865. 
Mb. Editor :—I noticed in the Rural of June 10th, 
the report of a Sheep Shearing Festival at Griunell, 
Iowa, at which the buck Gold Drop sheared 20V lbs. 
wool, weight of carcase 94 ibs,; which is said " so far 
as is known bus no equal in weight, considering car¬ 
cass.’’ I wish to report 3 case to compare with it. 
Mr. B. F. Dewet. Poultney, Vt, has an American 
Merino buck three years o'd, uf his own raising, which 
sheared this season, {growth of wool little less than 
one vear.) 28’ lbs. wool; weight of carcase. 101 lbs., 
which we think places old Vermont still ahead. 
Very Respt’y, W. W. Hibbard. 
remarks. 
This is the most extraordinary proportion of 
fieece to meat we have yet seen, so very extraor¬ 
dinary that we feel compelled to ask Mr. Hib¬ 
bard plainly if he is prepared to offer satisfac¬ 
tory proof of the accuracy of his statements ? 
If so, we call for that proof, and wc ask that aver¬ 
age samples of thee fieece be sent to us. We never 
heard of Mr. H. before. We intend to offer 
him no disrespect; for if his statements should 
prove to be inaccurate he may have made them 
in good faith, Bnt we feel that the time has 
come when we, as agricultural journalist, are 
called upon to scrutinize those statements which 
are made to us for publication, w T hleh so palpa¬ 
bly touch on the marvollous aud incredible as 
the above! Indeed, we believe it would be bet¬ 
ter lor every person who expects very extraordi¬ 
nary fleeces and expects to report them in the 
newspaper's, to 6hear his sheep publicly at a Fair, 
or else before such neighbors as choose to come 
to his barn after a public neighborhood invitation 
has been given. Such precautions as these are 
not derogatory to the dignity of the first man in 
the land, and unless they are resorted to, the con¬ 
test will soon be among a certain class, not so 
much who can raise the “ biggest fleece” as, in 
plain English, who can tell the “ biggest lie ”— 
and honest and respectable 6heep breeders will 
stand a poor chance, in the colurane of the pub¬ 
lic journals, among such competitors. 
Samtebs or Wool, Weight of Fleece. — A. J. 
Blood, Carlton, N. Y., sends three samples. 1. Don 
Pedro, Jr., wool one year growth, 212 in. long, good 
style and quality, yolk medium and yellow. His 
second fleece 18M third 21# Jbs. He was bred 
by John n. Thomas, Orwell, Vt., and got by Don 
Pedro ont of a Panlar ewe bred by J. T. A V. Rich 
of Vt. Don Pedro was bred by Victor Wright of 
Vt.. and got by Mr. Hammond’s Cross Tom ont of an 
Infantado ewe bred by Wm, R. Sanford, Vt. Cross 
Tom was got by Sweepstakes out of “Henry Ham¬ 
mond’s first choice of owes." Don Pedro, Jr. is con¬ 
sidered a good sire ram. He is half Paular and half 
Infantado. 2. Tom Bayers, teg wool, a trifle longer 
than preceding, but not of eo good style and quality, 
yolk tawny. 8, Ewe Lily, wool 2>, in. long, good 
style and quality, yolk medium and golden; weight 
of fleece 13 * 9 ,; bred by Udgar Sanford. (Mr. 
Blood's samples were separately and neatly done up 
in oiled silk, with nice legible labels. We wish others 
would imitate him.) 
Our Publication Day — When the Rural Goes to 
Press .—For the information of Contributors, Corres¬ 
pondents aud Advertisers, we again state that, though 
the Rural is dated on Sntnrday, it Is pnt to press, and 
most of the edition printed, eome days in advance. 
For instance our outside form (or pages 1, 4, 5 and 8) 
goes to press on Friday of the preceding week—or 
eight days ahead of date — and the inside form (pages 
2, 3, 6 and 7) on Tuesday morning, or live days in 
advance. Anything intended for the outside of the 
paper, therefore, ought to reach us at least nine days 
before the date of tho paper in which it is to appear, 
and matter for the inside pages six days in advance, 
or on Monday. All our readers interested will please 
note and remember this, especially each ae send us 
seasonable articles and advertisements which require 
early publication. Last, week we received several 
timely msUer? just a day too late, and on Saturday 
evening of the same week were favored with a page 
advertisement for the outaide of this number, after 
some twenty thousand copies of tho edition had been 
struck off I Those who wish to secure publication in 
the Rural at any specified date must, therefore, be 
prompt in sending us the copy of their favors in order 
to save loss or disappointment, for our edition is now 
so large that it is indispensably necessary to put the 
forms to press at tho times specified. 
Wheat Screenings fob Sheep.—N. S. Schuyler,' 
Birmingham, Oakland Co., Mich., writes:—“ A little 
costly experience of mine, with this kind of feed, may 
be or value to eome of yoni readers. Twenty years 
ago I fed screenings to some pregnant ewes. Some 
miscarried — some lost their lambs — some died them¬ 
selves. Being mainly from the Stickncy and Robin¬ 
son flocks (Paulars) my loss was a severe one." Wc 
can readily see how all these disasters sh on Id follow 
the feeding of screenings containing smut or ergot. 
Has any one witnessed such effects where ergot was 
not present f Let ns have the experience of others on 
the subject. 
Small Pox among English Sheep.—" Monad- 
nock,” a correspondent of the N. Y. Times, writing 
from England, Aug. 5th, says that small pox prevails 
among the sheep of that country. This is a vastly 
more fatal and incurable malady among sheep than 
has ever prevailed in the' Ignited States, and is highly 
Obit uab v. — We are pained, though not surprised, to 
learn or the death of Henry P. Byrah, which occurred 
at Sag Harbor, LoDg Island, on the 6th ultimo. Air. 
B. was formerly editor of the Valley Farmer, for some 
years Agricultural Editor of the Louisville Journal, 
and subsequently au occasional correspondent of the 
Rural New-Yorker and other Journals. He had 
been an invalid for several years, suffering much from 
a bronchial disease, aud was in the 62d year or his age 
at the time of his decease. 
— Jambs T. Norton, for the past fifteen years 
editor of tho Livingston Republican, died at his resi¬ 
dence in Qonceeo, N. Y., on tho 15th ultimo, in the 
43th year of hlB age, Mr. N. was an honored mem¬ 
ber of the editorial profession, and his death will be 
sincerely lamented by bis brethren in Western New 
York, by most of whom he was well known and highly 
esteemed 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE, ITEMS, Ac 
Infantado versus Paular. —Under this caption 
the Country Gentleman, Aug. 4. publishes a pedigree 
given by Edwin Hammond to D. P. Pok’d, of Corn¬ 
wall, Vt., in 1847, in which he (Hammond) states that 
the eheep bought by himself and R. P. Hall of 
Stephen Atwood, Conn., in 1844, “ are of the-Paular 
Breed," and to this he appends a certificate which he 
received from Atwood when he bought them, which 
also names them ae Paulars. 
In our recent articles on the subject of Paulars and 
Infantados we stated that Mr. Atwood wrote to Mr. 
Morrell a letter, published in the Americau Shep¬ 
herd in 1S45, in whtch he said "he thoughtGon. Hum¬ 
phreys called his sheep Paulars, but of this he could 
not be positive.” All who are familiar with the his¬ 
tory of Mr. Atwood's flock at that day arc aware that 
he called them Paulars in conversation, and in certi¬ 
ficates of sale. Two of the latter are now lying be 
fore ns. One is the original certificate to Hall and 
Hammond, covering thirty sheep, which is copied in 
Hammond's certificate to Pond, aboved named. It 
is dated Jan. 27,1844. The secoud was given by Mr. 
Atwood to the same parties, Sept. 30, 1844. It covers 
forty sheep. Both documents are entirely in the hand¬ 
writing of Mr. Atwood, and both name the sheep as 
Paulars. The Vermont purchasers who bought these 
sheep as Paulars sold them ae such for eeveral years, 
and until they became convinced that Mr. Atwood 
was mistaken, or at least lacked sufficient authority 
for calling them by that name. They then abandoned 
it. Ae we have already stated (Aug. 19,) we have no 
doubt, whatever of Mr. Atwood's entire sincerity in 
the premises —nor do we understand that it was 
doubted by any of the Vermonters when they dropped 
the name. 
Delicacy towards a very aged man, and one to 
whom the sheep breeders of our country are under 
many obligations, would have prevented us from offer¬ 
ing the preceding fimte to prove that^ln the judgment 
of the most eminent breeders of his family of sheep, 
Mr. Atwood was not entitled to call them Paulars , and 
consequently that the only circumstance we ever 
heard of which in the least tended to show that they 
were not Infantados, ie removed. And to give the 
opinions or these breeders the more weight, be It re¬ 
membered that at the time they gave up the Panlar 
name it was a popular one, and they did not exchange 
it for one which was then equally popular. 
Death of “Gold Drop." — Mr. Hammond’s ram 
“ Gold Drop ” died on the 6th alt., aged four years. 
Hie disease was lnng fever or consumption. The 
Messrs. Dean of West Cornwall, Vt., offered $10,000 
for this ram; and other parties stood ready to take 
him at the eame price. He was valued at $25,000. 
A Dbouth—I s prevailing in this section, and must 
prove serious unless rain falls soon. The grass i3 
dried up, and city yards aud gardens are suffering 
greatly. As to the extent of injury to corn, potatoes, 
Ac., we are unable to sny. The only report we have 
from any distance is the following from P. P. B., dated 
Batavia, N. Y. Aug. 28: — “ Wc are having a very dry 
time. A ehort ride through the neighboring towns, 
reveals tho fact that pastures are dried up and greatly 
in need of rain. Summer fallows are dry as an ash 
heap, and it will be unsafe to sow wheat, especially 
npon stubble ground, until we get a good shower. 
Potatoes will be a light crop, In many places tho 
tops are dying." 
Communications, (Etc 
A Use for Useless Things. 
It is often the case that worn out articles 
lie about the premises for years without being 
of any use whatever, but which one dislikes to 
destroy. We occasionally see a good deal of 
ingenuity displuyed in converting these to some 
valuable purpose. 
Around gristmills may frequently be 6een the 
worn out stones which have been there for years. 
We saw a man take one of these and place it 
where he wanted to set a cedar post in a bad 
spot. He set the post In the center of the stone, 
and it forms a permanent foundation, and renders 
tho post less likely to be moved by frost. Split 
in twain they make good doorsteps. 
Steel hoops which are always under toot, may 
be used for tying up grape vines; some have 
recommended their use for trailing vines, but 
nobody would like the looks of them there. 
A wooden chair, minus its legs, nailed on to a 
block of wood, makes a capital milking stool. 
It can be turned down without being wet or 
soiled. 
Old barrel hoops, which often get more kicks 
than blessings, make a good trellis for tomatoes 
by nailing two of them to a stake h foot apart, 
on each side of the plant. 
l*aint-kegs are excellent for keeping soft soap 
in small quantities. 
A good sized barn-door truck screwed on to 
the end of a heavy gate, will save a good deal of 
lifting, and render it capable of being opened 
and shut by any child. We have seen a wooden 
truck answer a good purpose. 
Thus every farmer who reads this article can 
add to its value by suggesting some use for some 
other useless thing.— Maine Farmer. 
FARM NOTES, 
MAKE IMPROVEMENTS THAT “ PAY.” 
I had been reading a certain Agricultural 
journal published in Western New York, albeit 
not the one you have in your band, good reader, 
and I remarked that its teachings were quite sen¬ 
sible and practical. 
“Ye6,” said Fat, “but if ye follers thim 
editurs they’ll run ye under. They kin farm it 
on paper, bnt not a dang one of thim iver bild a 
plow handle. They’ll git ye into building, and 
sub-siling, ditchlug and boughten manure, and 
thousand dollar sheep, und you’ll promise to 
pay with &iven per cint. interest, and In a year 
or two yes farm is subbody’s ilse.” 
Pat went to work, and I smoked my pipe and 
pondered the remark. I would recall instances 
where farmers went ahead with improvements, 
without counting the cost, till it took the farms 
to pay for them. Improvements are a nice tlriug, 
if one has the ready cash to make them; if not, 
beware of the temptation. Only those should 
be made, at first, that will return the outlay 
again. Farming should be conducted on busi¬ 
ness principles. If a merchant is not able to 
own a store, he rents one. If a farmer has not 
the money to erect new buildings he had better 
get along with his old ones. If a merchant in¬ 
vests money he expects to get it all back, und 
more too. If a farmer buys manure or Merino 
sheep, he should be careful that they are 60 used 
that they return the original cost and a profit. 
If a farmer lays out money in ditching he should 
do it where two or three crops will pay it back 
with interest. 
A little learning In Agricultural Science, is a 
dangerous thing, if it is not balanced with good 
judgment. I remember a farmer who owned 
some hills, or rather he was in debt for some. 
The soil was sandy loam, except the crests of 
the hills, which were clay—the top soil having 
washed dowu. It was well enough, perhaps,—a 
wise provision of Nature, our Scientific Editor 
might call it,—to make tho difficult hill tops 
poor and the crops light thereon, and the vul 
Good Milkers. —Col. Isaac Woodman, a stock 
raiser and dairyman of Searsmont, Mo., is reported 
in the Tribune to have said that as the result of forty 
years' experience, the heifer whose first calf Is a hull, 
never proved to he much of a milker, bnt If her first 
product is a heifer, she was pretty sure to reproduce 
all the milking qualities of her mother, however ex¬ 
cellent they may have been. 
Addresses before Wisconsin State Societies. 
—We learn that the Wisconsin State Agricultural 
Society has invited Hon. Henry S. Randall, LL. D., 
of New York, to deliver the address before tho State 
Wool Gamvers' Association, on Thursday, Sept. 28th, 
and Maj. Geu. Sherman to deliver the annual ad¬ 
dress before the society, on the 29th. 
Correction.— In dosing up T\ P, B.’a article in last 
week’s paper, “ One of the Reasons Why," the types 
made a little muddle ot the sense. The last three 
lines should read—'• There la more danger in ‘ liberal¬ 
ity ’ than * parsimony ’ in the use of seed," Ac, 
MR. BROWN’S SHEEP, 
A Nine Tooth Drill.— In answer to D. D, Ames’ 
question, page 246 of yonr paper, I would say that 
the Roller Drill, manufactured at Dowagiac, Mich., 
aows nine drill* at a lime, 7,V inches apart, and is a= 
light draft as an eight tooth drill.—B. 8 . Morlky, 
Buchanan, Mich. 
George Brown, Whitney’s Crossings, Alle¬ 
gany Co., N. Y.. has forwarded us samples of the 
wool of each of his five ewes which took the 
first prize in the class of Delaine Merinos at the 
State Sheep Fair, at Canandaigua, in May. Their 
fleeces, a year old, weighed as follows:—9 lbs. 
5 ozs., 10 ft>s. 2 ozs., 10 Ihs. 12ozs., 10 fl>s. 2ozs., 
9 tbs.; total 49 lbs. 5 oz3. Their live weight, af¬ 
ter shearing, was about 245 tbs., so that they 
produced a pound of wool for five pounds of 
carcass. It is not necessary to describe each 
sample separately, all are eo near alike. They 
arc of superior style and quality, with a medium 
amount of clear, gulden-tinted yolk. 
Mr. Brown gives us the history of his flock as 
followsAbout eighteen years since he pur¬ 
chased ten yearling Mcriuo ewes, the average of 
the flock, and a ram of Jacob N. Blakesley of 
Watertown, Cout)., and a year or two afterwards 
five others — receiving Mr. B.’s certificate of the 
Should a Goitbed Ram be Used ?—Oscar Gran¬ 
ger, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., asks this question, and 
speaks of a rum that can be purchased at “a tenth of 
what would be his value were It not for this defect.." 
He cites the case of a ram sold by Victor Wright of 
Vt., for a trifling enm, on account of the eame defect, 
and states that the ram did not transmit it to his pro¬ 
geny. Mr. Heath, who lives near Chlttenango, N. Y., 
bought, a goitered ram which did not transmit the 
disease to his progeny. Nor have we seen satisfac¬ 
tory evidence in any case that goitre is hereditary. 
Yet we should feel exceedingly loth to use such a 
ram. It is contrary to sound principles or breeding 
to use diseased alres. If the disease has not appeared 
in the progeny, they may still possess a predtspoei- 
tion towards it which would bring it forth more read- 
lly, or generally, or severely, were they exposed to 
the special exciting causes of the malady. Or, it muy 
pass over the first general ion to appear in later ones 
— or, by that curious system of exchange In lieredi 
Platform for a Roller. — Will you or some of 
your correspondents famish, through the Rural, a 
plan of a platform fora roller? I wish to have one 
made eo that lean load, If necessary, half a u ‘ii or 
more of stoue, aud dump the load the same as with a 
cart. Anyone who will furnish such a plan will much 
oblige—A. Subscriber, Cattaraugus Co., -V. Y. 
Rocipe for Worms in Horses. 
Powdered poplar bark, two ounces; pow¬ 
dered sulphur, four ounces; table salt, three 
ounces; worm seed, one. ounce; carbonate of 
soda, three ounces. Mix, divide the mass into 
twelve parts, and mix one with the food every 
night. This will not only remove the worms, 
but also tone up the digestive organs so that the 
parasites cannot for a time generate, —Prairie 
Fanner. 
Bkk Management—Inquiry. — Will Mr. Lang- 
stroth, Mr. Quin » v, or o trier noted bee-keepers, en¬ 
lighten us thro’ the Ritual on one point of manage¬ 
ment? I have several (Lanustroth) hive * 01 l)ee8 l 
and in them the combs are of uneven thickness, so 
that it is land to get out tho first frame when examin¬ 
ing the hive, flow can this difficulty be got over ? is 
there no other way thuu by comb-guides between the 
frames, (as described In rural ot lNiv, page 126.) 
Will not. some experienced pvrson give us beginners 
au article on the subject?—v. D., Rroctyiort, . 1 . 
