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Communications, Ctc 
Tub Rural New-Yorkbk for 18fl6 —'Terms, &o.— 
As the season hue arrived for making arrangement# 
for our next volume, and as we have received some 
inquiries as to whether there would be any change ia 
Term#, &c., we take this occasion to briefly announce 
that the Subscription Rales of the Rural will proba- 
bly continue the same as at present during the ensuing 
year and volnme — as they certainly mast unless there 
is a material decline In the prices of printing paper, 
labor, provisions, Ac. Wc bad hoped to be able to 
reduce the price on the first of January, but the recent 
advance la paper, (with a proBpoct of its continuance 
at exhorbitant rates,) will render It Impossible for us 
to do so and Tarnish such a Journal as wo have re¬ 
solved to make the Rural for 1806. By uniug inferior 
paper, and otherwise redncing our expenses, we might 
lessen our subscription rvcs,-but instead of that we 
hare concluded to improve the Rural tu several par- 
ticn'are without changing Its price. Tills we think 
will be entirely satisfactory to ail, and surely no far¬ 
mer will ask or expect ns to change onr rates, when 
he considers the prices he is receiving for liis products 
—most articles bringing from twice to three times 
what they did before the war. 
A HINT FOR THE FARMERS, 
REPLY TO MINNESOTA GIRL JSY A KANSAS BOY. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker : —Allow me to 
attempt a reply to “A Hint for the Farmers,” 
which “Minnesota Girl” was so kind as to 
give us through the Rural. 
It is indeed ft cruel shame that the farmer is 
thus treated by the people of the cities and 
towns; but, until there is a change in farming 
from what it is now, we shall always be com¬ 
pelled to ask, “What will you give for it? ”—and 
“How much will you take?” He have not a 
just appreciation of the value of a thorough knovi- 
save the timber Irom the worms or oorers. 
May used to be called peeling time; much was 
then done In procuring bark for the tanneries, 
when the sap is up in the trunk and all the pores 
full of Eap; whereas in October these pores are 
ail empty—then is the time to cat, and there 
will be no worms. 
When yon see an ox-bow with the bark tight, 
there are no worms, no powder-post, and you 
cannot separate it from the wood, and what is 
true in one kind is true in all kinds of timber, 
and every kind has its peculiar kind o! worm. 
The pine has, I believe, the largest worms; and 
these worms work tor many years. I have 
found them alive and at work in white-oak 
spokes that I knew had been in my garret over 
twelve years, aud they were much larger than 
at first; they do not stop iu the sap, but con¬ 
tinue in the 60 lid part. I do not think of buy¬ 
ing timber unless it is ent in the time above 
alluded to. 
I have wondered that there has not been more 
said on this subject, as it is one of great impor¬ 
tance, even for firewood, and especially forship- 
Uor. Jhston Recorder. 
edge of Agriculture, and too often think that if 
a man can handle a plow or a hoe, he needs no 
more knowledge of farming—when It is this 
want of appreciation, and our imbecility in 
adopting new systems as a farming commu¬ 
nity, that has caused us to rely on the city for 
market prices for produce, instead of the city 
relying on the farmer or the country. I have 
been on a farm all my life, and speak from my 
own observation. I have seen men— called 
farmers — who about half plow their ground (or 
not at all) before planting; then carelessly plant, 
and mope around while the crops are growing— 
letting them be choked with weeds, and getting 
but half a crop as a consequence. Such men are 
generally “hard up” f< 
large family to clothe, 
rely upon, must 6Cll at 
appearance” tells the 
makes his “pile.” 
Have seen others who were afraid to ask a 
decent price for their produce, and depend on the 
MR. WRIGHT’S INFANTADO RAM “BLACKTOP. 
What it Costs to Live — A Comparison.— The 
following table, giving the prices in the Rochester 
markets in the winter of 1851, and now, shows the 
comparative cost of living then and now, and that 
producers—farmers especially—arc ahead: 
1831. 1865. 
Flour, bhL.$8 00 $14 75 
Pork, bbl. 18 00 33 00 
Beef; CWL. 4 00 16 00 
Lard, ewt,. 8 00 81 5o 
Haras, cwt. 8 00 28 00 
Shoulders, cwt. 5 50 16 00 
Potatoes, bush. 38 60 
Bntter, lb.. 14 
Cheese, lb. 7 20 
Turtles, lb. .. 10 22 
Chickens, lb. 9 19 
Codfish, cwt. 3 50 10 00 
Salt, bbl. 125 300 
Apples, bbl. 75 5 00 
Eggs, dox. 18 30 
Beans, bush. 1 00 1 25 
Wood, curd,. 8 50 12 00 
It will thus be seen that flour, pork, shoulders, bat¬ 
ter, cheese and cod fish, are held at about three times 
the valueof the same articles in 1851. And while beef, 
lard and hams are nearly four times the prices of that 
year, apples ate more than six prices, wood nearly 
four, chickens, turkeys and potatoes about double. 
Beans alone bear any relation to former prices. 
- Shall we increase the price of the Rural to cor¬ 
respond with the prices most of its subscribers are 
receiving for their products ? 
imoney — often have a 
|ve but their crops to 
\s cost. Their “ Beedy 
Re, and the merchant 
every five yeare is making a revolution in those 
details ? The transcendent skill which is being 
brought to bear on breeding the mutton sheep 
of England, is constantly producing] marvellous 
and marvellously rapid changes. We have an 
example in the improved Lincolns, partially 
described by Mr. Beebe. * There are other in¬ 
stances in the Oxfordshires, Oxfordshire Downs, 
SbropBhires, &c. Indeed, in some of the sheep 
exhibited by Mr. Thorne, at the recent State 
Fair at Utica, we thought we saw a manifest im¬ 
provement on the South Down model of Mr. 
Ellman— once so familiar to us—and even on 
that of Webb. These improvements and changes 
take place to a considerable extent annually. No 
man can be “ posted ” in them who has not the 
sheep under his eye, or who does not read some 
periodical which gives constant information on 
the subject. 
If the Rural New'-Yorker fails to give this 
information, it is not our fault. We have gone 
neither to huxters nor speculators for it, but we 
have again, and again, and again asked, nay 
solicited, such information from these eminent 
breeders of English sheep whom it is our pleas¬ 
ure to know personally. We have asked it 
orally and by letter. "We could show a package 
of unredeemed promises on this subject from 
distinguished breeders. They breed for their 
own diversion doubtless, but they also breed to 
sell. Why then this reticence! We have re¬ 
ceived more than fifty inquiries, within a year, 
from persons wishing to make, or to inform 
themselves as to the expediency of making pur¬ 
chases. We have occasionally referred them to 
such breeders as we knew. It is our sincere 
building, &e. 
Grand Farming. 
The New York Post notes a corn field oi 
one hundred and sixty acres, on the grand 
prairie, in the plowing, planting and cultivation 
of which no man walked a step. A rotary 
spader, drawn by four horses, and driven by a 
man upon the box, plowed the field to a uniform 
depth of eight inches, and gave such thorough 
tilth that it was not necessary to use a harrow at 
all. A cornplanter, drawn by two horses, and 
driven by a man upon the box, next planted the 
seed. A cultivator drawn by two mules, one 
walked on each side of the knee-high corn, and 
driven by a man npou the box, completed the 
culture of a row at a single operation ; and in 
the tool-house lay another machine, also to be 
drawn by horses, which will cut down the corn 
when it is ripe and lay it in regular rows, to be 
finally gathered by hand. But it is expected 
that by next year this machine will be so im¬ 
proved as to gather up the corn also. 
for mow,—aud, “if we arc not willing ts» take 
that much we need not sell.” 
Until we can force our farmers to he diligent, 
and raise good, marketable crcps, and to know 
when they are getting enough, and when they 
are not. we cannot make the citizens of our 
cities and towns pay onr prices. Another hin¬ 
drance is our lack of sociability iu this respect. 
Every farmer feels that he is Ids own lord and 
master, and no one has any business to meddle 
with hie affairs, and lie does not with theirs; at 
least such is too much the case. You will ask 
farmer Horton how tVrmfr* Rollons Is getting 
along, and how much he pays for help, and he 
cannot tell you, though he is his nearest neigh¬ 
bor. I hope it will not always be so, and that 
the day is not far distant when the farmers, as a 
class, will reach that standard of excellence they 
deserve, and will take a pride In flue stock, line 
improvements, fine crops—will value the power 
of united effort, and that in “union there is 
strength; " and will &trive that all may have 
“ Excelsior” for their motto. When that day 
comes, \f it ever does come, we can set onr prices, 
and the merchant, will say “ What will you take /” 
Death or tub Imported Horse “Consterna¬ 
tion."— MmJ. J, B. Burnet of Syracuse, writes us 
(dating 20th alt.) that he has just received a letter from 
Chas. n Bldrsd, Carrollton III., Informing him that 
hie (Muj. B.'s) imported horse “ Consternation" died 
at Mr. E.’s stable on tne 13th. He had been serving 
mares there the jmer. season, and np te a few days be¬ 
fore his denth was vigorous and active. Consternation 
was bred in 1841 and imported in 1845. He was well 
known in Central and Western New-York, and his 
stock is widely spread throughout the Northern States. 
Stallions of bis gel are now serving mares in twelve 
different States. We believe Consternation was im¬ 
ported by Maj. Burnet. 
Angle Worms in WellB. 
Many families find their wells badly affected 
without tracing the difficulty to its right cause. 
As soon as the 6oil becomes a little dry, angle 
worms descend to a considerable depth in search 
of moisture. They will descend till they reach 
the hard pan or gravel below the soil. Attracted 
by the moisture they will frequently drop into 
wells and render t hem very offensive. IVe had a 
well in this condition, and the remedy was a 
very simple one. We had a trench dug around 
the well next to the stone work, about 3 feet 
wide, and down to the pan. We filled this up 
Milk-Weeds and Canada Thistles.—M r. Joshua 
J. Tucker, Montgomery Co., N. Y., writes“ I have 
seen two articles on ihe subject of killing milk-weeds. 
One says pasture sheep on them, or strip the leaves off 
and leave the stalk standing. Perhaps either may 
kill, but the last would be quite tcdiouH If ono had 
two or three acres, and had no sheep, us the writer 
says it will not do to mow them because they sprout 
up so much, i have seen them killed in a number of 
fields by mowing Ibem once a year in pastures or 
meadows; but if plowed all the time they are pretty 
difficult to kill. Canada thistles are kept down better 
by seeding and mowing than In any other way short 
of a war of extermination.” 
A California Farmer. 
Mu. Bowles of the Springfield Republican, 
writes from Chico, California, of the farming op¬ 
erations of Gen. Bidwell, the newly elected 
member of Congress from that State:—“Gen. 
liidwcll became the owner of one of the famous 
Spanish grants of land in the richest part of this 
valley, and now has a farm of 20,000 of its acres, 
of which 18,000 are under cultivation. Ilis crop 
of wheat was 30,000 bushels in 1808 trom 000 
acres of land, or at an average of 40 bushels to 
the acre. The general average of the valley Is 52 
bushels. Of barley and oats, his other principle 
crops, he usually harvests 50 bushels to the acre. 
Ills garden aDd orchard cover 200 acres. A large 
llouriug mill is among his concerns, and its pro¬ 
duct is the favorite brand of the State. 
GIVE BOYS TRAPS IN PLACE OF GUNS, 
A Productive Turkey Hr.N.—Under dato of Peters, 
bnrgh, N. Y., Oct. 15, Mr. David Macon writes:—“I 
see by your last Rural that one Mr. Pond of Wal¬ 
worth, New York, has a turkey that has laid 111 eggs. 
Now I have a turkey that commenced to lay the first 
days la April, aud with the exception of about two 
the practice of gunning, as a general thing; 
though when settling in the forest It would be 
well to know how to use a rifle, for self-defence 
against wild animals. As for profit and amuse¬ 
ment I should prefer trapping. Let me tell you 
why. 
When I was eight years of age I was allowed 
the us# of a gun. At first at home—then in the 
woods, and next at gunning matches. My first, 
gun cost five dollars, I must have a bettor one; 
i$ cost thirty-five. This did very well for a short 
time; then I wanted a double-barreled shot-gun ; 
it cost twenty dollars. This was just the thing 
for a year or two. Game began to get shy. In 
hunting I found both riiie und shot were needed. 
This was a doubtful case. My father said I had 
guns enongh. However, I succeeded. He paid 
thirty-five dollars for a rifle and shot. All must 
confess this the handiest gun in use. I was 
greatly attached to my guns — took great care 
of them —was called one of the best shots and 
always careful. Shooting at the mark one day 
the cap snapped, — gun did not go oil’. A piece 
of the cap Btruck me in the eye and the sight is 
gone forever. One eye is good yet, and often 
looks over a guu. I cannot give It np. Paid 
ENGLISH SHEEP 
Sheep Breeders’ and wool urowers Associa¬ 
tion has, in all its official steps, evinced a desire 
impartially to foster all the useful kinds of 
sheep. It offered as large premiums to mutton 
as to flne-wooled sheep. It appointed jndges 
of Long-Wooled and Middle-Wooled breeds who 
were supposed to be familiar with the standards 
of those breeds, and who were expected to be 
rigidlv governed hy them. The judges appoint¬ 
ed on Long-wools were Richard Peck of Lima, 
John R. Page ol Sennet, and William Beebe 
of Northport. The judges on Middle-Wools 
were Samuel Thorne ot Washington Hollow, 
j. McD. McIntyre of Albany, and A. T. Bar- 
sons of ChlU. Has anybody anything to object 
to either committee? Were better ones ever 
appointed in the State? If hut a portion of 
these gentlemen were present to act, it was not 
certainly the fault, of the Association. The 
places of the absentees were filled with com¬ 
petent and disinterested judges. 
Yet when the Fair day came what kind of ex¬ 
hibition was there of Euglish sheep i Without 
turning to the record, we believe there wa3 but 
one competitor in each of those classes. The 
great body of breeders throughout the State bad 
no sheep on the ground! 
Every week finds the columns of most of the 
agricultural journals of the United States teem¬ 
ing with statements about Merinos — their won¬ 
derful fleeces — the prices which they have sold 
for, &c., &c. How much space do we find de¬ 
voted in the same journals to statements respect¬ 
ing mutton, wool and other products of our 
South Down, Shropshire, Leicester and Cote- 
wold flocks ? We do not find a tenth part as 
much space devoted to the latter. 
What is the reason for this ? It is doubtless 
in a considerable measure due to tbe fact that, 
owing to circumstances which all reading men 
understand, the Merino is now in much greater 
demand than any other sheep. But this does 
not explain the whole fact. There are men 
enough who are bo situated with reference to 
Remedy fou HOQ Cholera. —This recipe for hog 
cholera la sent to the Rural New-Yorker by R. L. 
B. of Root, N. Y.:—“Take a peck of ashes, 4 lbs. 
of salt, one of black antimony, 7 lbs. of copperas, one 
lb. of sulphur, V lb. saltpetre. Bound the ingredients 
Driving Fence Posts, 
In the ordinary way of digging with the 
spade, filling In and tramping, much time l# 
couaumed, a great deal of hard labor performed, 
and it is very difficult to get the posts firm and 
solid. To obviate these three difficulties, pursue 
the following method: — In the place where, 
your posts ure to stand, make a hole with a crow- 
MB. WEIGHT’S SHEEP 
writes 
’ Victor Wright of Middlebury, Vt, 
to us;—.“I commenced my present flock in 
1847. I purchased that year of L. C. Remklf.k 
of Sborebam, ono ewe that Mr. E. Hammond 
and Mr. R. P. Hall drove from Connecticut. 
Since that date I have purchased of Edwin and 
Henry Hammond seventy-nine head of pnre 
Infantado ewes, and have their certificates to 
establish the facts. This Is the origin of my 
flock. The sheep purchased by me of C. B. 
Cook, mentioned by Mr. Henry Lank in his 
bar, und work backward and forward to widen 
the bole, making it ten or filteen Inches deep. 
Then sharpen the po6t aud drive, with an iron 
maul, another foot, which leaves tbo post very 
firm in the ground. It is more convenient to 
use a team and wagon, from which a man can 
stand and drive them, driving from post to post. 
Help and time can thus be saved.— Prairie Far § 
Experiments have 
■It ia stated that the last act 
Cornell University 
requisite for giving effect to the law incorporating the 
*• Cornell University,” baa been performed by Senator 
Corn ell, in the payment of $25,000 to the Trustees 
of the Genesee College at Lima, which the act re¬ 
quired to be done within six month* after Its passage. 
The half mi Ron of dollars to the Trustee# of the 
“Cornell University,” which the act al»o required, 
had been paid previously by the Senator,[as announc¬ 
ed in this journal some weeks ago. 
Carkotb for Horheh, 
shown that the bcBt way to feed carrots to 
horsea, is in conjunction with oats. Alone, car¬ 
rots ure not as good as oats alone, but in con¬ 
junction, they ure better than each fed separate- 
Choici Canaoa Wheat.— We have been favored by 
James Edwards, Esq., Town Clerk of Peterborough, 
C. W., with a very superior sample of white wheat, 
grown on his farm within a mile of Peterborough. It 
is equal to any wheat we have examined this year, 
from any section, and augments our opinion of that 
portion of Canada as a grain growing region. Mr. K. 
informs ns that the crop from which the sample was 
taken prodacod 41 bushels to the acre, so that the 
yield was as creditable as the quality. 
Rams’ Fleeces—Gold Drop.—Herman Compton, 
Well# Corners, Pa., asks us-“ What weight of fleece 
should a ram shear to produce offspring equal to tbe 
ewes in a flock that averages five pounds per head of 
washed wool?" We answer about nine pounds of 
washed wool; and this was generally thought a good 
ram’s fleece a few years ago. Mr. C. asks if we know 
CURINO llBNS OF Sktting.— Mr. Daren, of 
Woburn, Mass., writes the New England Far¬ 
mer, that, he cures his hens of setting by shutting 
them in a tub with an inch or two or water on 
the bottom, during the day. Puts them on the 
roost at night, and if not cured, treats them to 
the water remedy for another day and they will 
be glad to stand on their feet. 
