listed. And the sooner these tradltioner’s bees 
“run out," the sooner will this wild mismanage¬ 
ment become extinct, and a new era—a rational 
system of culture—will lx? the inevitable and happy 
result. 
The trouble required by any system of tee-man¬ 
agement has much to do with its universal adoption. 
The writer having had no inconsiderable practical 
experience with bees, is aware that the undertaking 
of the manipulations recommended seems very much 
like offensive warfare, and to no one any more so 
than originally with himself; but none now are less 
timid in this “later ol love” than he is. Among 
the host of contrivances for furnishing bees with 
liquids, noue possess so much merit as one which is 
the discovery of J. D. Eggleston, Esq., oi Canaan, 
Conn. This feeder may be used with any form or 
style of hive, is simple, and the very perfection of a 
bee-feeder. C. J. Robinson. 
Richford, Tioga Co., N Y"., 1862. 
with; they are liable to get bruised and cannot be 
kept from rusting. Bucket-pails are just as good, 
with half the cost, and last just as long.” 
an increase of fertilizing materials for other crops. 
Would not harrow in the seed except with a light, 
fine-toothed harrow, made on purpose for such 
work, but rather “ brush" it in. Rolling is prefer¬ 
able when the land is in suitable condition, being 
previously well pulverized. 0. W. True. 
Near Pliillips, Me , 1 Vj2. 
Rural IXo tea anir Stems 
BEDDING DP LAND. * 
As I travel over this farm in this prairie soil, and 
examine the winter wheat and the winter rye, I 
become more firmly convinced of the importance 
and profit of throwing all fall-plowed lands in nar¬ 
row beds, whether designed for winter crops or not, 
and whether underdrained or not The wheat and 
rye we examined are safe yet; but the surface of the 
ground has thawed out two or three inches deep, 
while it is frozen hard below, rendering it impossi¬ 
ble for the water to reach the underdraws; and the 
surface teing level, it holds water like a bucket If 
this water freezes to-night and the sun thaws it to¬ 
morrow, it will destroy the wheat band should be 
thrown up in narrow teds or trenched deep and left 
in ridges in the fall, in this prairie country. There 
is a greater need of lliis in sections where there is 
but little snow than in the colder northern climates 
where snow lies on the ground from November to 
April. But even there, it is the safer mode, inas¬ 
much as the early spring freezes play the mischief 
with roots often. 
Wkathkr op tttk First Half of Marcil— The repeated 
falls of snow had continued the sleighing good into March. 
The rain, which begun at 9 P. M. of the 3d, continued to 
miduight from the 8. F. , but did not destroy the sleighing, 
and before 1 A. M of the 4tb the west wind brought cold arxi 
snow, and on the pleasant Sth the sleighing was excellent, and 
much of it brought into actual use. The heat of the Sth and 
9th. and the rain of the forenoon of the 10th, with heat at 
noon to 48*. finished the sleighing, while the snow abounded 
still in the fields. On the 9th, the Genesee had risen a foot 
and rose till the ice moved off in a splendid crash at 11 A. M. 
of the 12th. So gradually had the snow melted, and bo much 
of the water passed into the earth, that the hope was indulged 
that a high flood would not result from the great amount of 
snow. What will be the effect of the great rain of the 16th 
and the night previous, is yet to be seen. The rain yet con¬ 
tinues at 11 P. M. 
The average heat of this half is 30.6’—only half a degree 
above the mean for 25 years. The greatest cold was IS”, on 
the 1st; and the greatest heat was 49V on the 10th. The coldest 
day was 20.7% ou the 1st of the month, and the 2d only a little 
higher, and the mean heat of only six days has exceeded 32’, 
and on the 10th the mean was 41,3V The cold has not been 
so great at any time as to injure our tiuit trees or their flower 
buds.—C. D., Rochester, March, 15/A, P M , 1862. 
— During the night of the 15th, (and soon after the date of 
Prof Dbwky’ 8 record, as above,) the rain changed to a snow 
storm, and on Sunday morning the flakes were falling fast. 
The storm continued through the day, giving us a fall of 6 to 
8 inches, and raakinggood sleighing until this (Tuesday, 18th,) 
morning. The snow is now melting rapidly and the Genesee 
river is higher than it has been for many years, and still rising, 
Much damage is anticipated here and up the Genesee Valley. 
Preservation of Eentlicr. 
M. J ewe, of Elgin. Kane Co., 111., writes to the 
Prairie, Farmer , in answer to an inquiry for a pre¬ 
servative for leather, that he ha3 two—one for bools, 
and the other for harness, which he “ obtained from 
a man who had been employed in cleaning and oil¬ 
ing harness in the East India service — as he said— 
by paying for it; the former was given him as an 
especial favor. lie says: 
“ I have tested them both /or several years, and 
find them first rate. They are as follows:—For 
boots and shoes, take six ounces bayberry wax, four 
ounces beeswax, six ounces mutton or beef tallow, 
one-third paper lampblack pulverized. Melt and 
stir a good deal. Ileal a brush to apply with. For 
harness —Beeswax, one-half ib; mutton tallow.one- 
half pound; neatsioot oil, one pint; yellow soap, 
one-fourth pound. Boil until completely melted, 
keeping them well stirred all the time. Apply 
warm; the leather being moist and clean. Hang 
the harness in a warm place —a warm, sunny day 
is test When finished, if rubbed briskly with a 
dry, clean cloth, a fine polish will be obtained, giv¬ 
ing every appearance of new leather. If any black¬ 
ing is needed, add lampblack. I am confident that 
fifty per cent will te added to the wear of harness 
treated once a year with the above preparation.” 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker;— In one of your late 
papers a correspondent requests light ou raising 
corn after buckwheat I had beard it remarked fre¬ 
quently that it was poor policy to plant corn after 
buckwheat, and not teing satisfied but it was one of 
the old saws of by-gone days, I thought 1 could 
raise a good crop, provided 1 manured the land suf¬ 
ficiently, Now for the result I bad a piece of 
sandy land that had buckwheat on the year before, 
the ground in a good state of cultivation, and clean 
as a garden. Drew on some 70 two-horse wagon 
loads of good stable manure, plowed it under with 
a jointer plow, turning the manure under clean so 
that the harrow did not disturb it; planted about 
the last ol May; cultivated twice each way, hoed 
well twice, left the ground perfectly clean. It was a 
good season for corn, though rather wet on low land, 
1 did not get half an ordinary crop. 
Now r what was the matter? 1 thought 70 loads of 
manure on three acres, with good cultivation, would 
make corn grow anywhere, on good corn laud. I 
never had any crop Jail on that piece of land before. 
I know it was the buckwheat crop that used up the 
corn; it had the ague all summer. It is said that it 
is a good crop to use up wire worms. Well, I agree 
with the friends there, because you cannot raise 
enough on the same land to keep them trom starv¬ 
ing to death, and that would be cruel indeed. 
Troy, Mich., 1862. William Conb. 
Bees Swarming. 
How IT HAPPENS THAT WEAK COLONIES SOME¬ 
TIMES swarm first.— In answering Mr. Dart, of 
WTs., in Rural of Jan. 4th, as to why his neighbors’ 
bees, which were weak, swarmed before his own, 
which were strong, and much the best in early 
spring, you do not fully explain the cause. I would 
■suggest a further reason, or rather go a little further 
with the principle that you suggested. During the 
time that I have kept tees, I have become quite 
familiar with the phenomenon of a weaker colony 
Ihrowing out the first swarm. It happens in this 
way. at least, in this section. The stock that is full 
of bees, and well supplied with honey at the begin¬ 
ning of the season, commences rearing brood even 
before any flowers appear. This brood Is increased 
with the appearance of the flowers, the most of 
which produce only pollen until fruit blossoms. 
The honey already in the hive of last year induces 
the rearing of a large brood of early drones, which 
use it up. If the weather has teen such that fruit 
trees and dandelions have furnished only a moderate 
yield of honey, our good stocks have their combs 
nearly full of brood—often including young queens. 
There is now a dearth of flowers between fruit and 
clover blossoms, longer or shorter —trom one to 
three weeks—according to the weather. That por¬ 
tion of the brood in the combs unsealed must te 
fed, which often nearly exhansts all the honey on 
hand. To save the colony, the drones must be sac¬ 
rificed; first, such as are sealed up are pulled out 
and destroyed; those just leaving the cell are not 
fed. and they are Buffered to creep from the hive 
weak and feeble; the older ones are dispatched with 
a sting. The young queens share the same fate of 
the drones; and no regular swarming ever takes 
place under these circumstances. The bees do just 
what human reason and forethought would suggest 
in such case. Swarming would be the height of 
imprudence. The. swarm would not only want 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker;— In answer to your 
correspondent from Fort Wayne, Ind., 1 would say 
that 1 think his inquiries not sufficiently definite. 
The test breed of sheep for one man would not be 
the best breed for another man in different circum¬ 
stances. For instance, access to market for early 
lambs bringing $3.00 per head about July 1st, and 
the necessity of limiting the number on a farm to 
fifty or less would most certainly point to South 
Downs, Cotswolds, Lei costers, and the grades of 
these breeds. But it one is so situated that he 
depends principally on the wool for profit, and can 
keep one or two hundred, then 1 should most cer¬ 
tainly Bay fine-wooled sheep would te much the 
best for him. Coarse-woolcd sheep do not, thrive 
well when kept in large flocks. Some years since I 
had about fifty coarso-wooled ewes. The wool more 
than paid the keeping, and 1 sold a lamb for each 
ewe before July 1st, at $3,00 per head. The next 
spring I put in as many tine-wooied ewes, and they 
all had the same chance the season through. In the 
fall the fine-wooled ewes were in good condition for 
wintering, some being fat. while the eoarse-wooied 
ewes were quite thin. I found the fine-wooled ewes 
paid the greater profit, and what is a very important 
item, were in much better condition to winter again. 
Although 1 got from 25 to 50 cents more per head for 
the coarse lambs. I got nearly one dollar less for the 
coarse fleece than for the line. 
In regard to the different kinds of fine-wooled 
sheep, I do not prefer the French Merino, because, 
in my opinion, they ai'e not a breed or species, lmt a 
forced variety. They do not breed directly. Like, 
will not produce like. The purest flock of French 
sheep 1 ever saw would produce an uneven lot of 
lambs. Their reputation is evidently on the wane. 
I do not prefer the Saxons, because I am convinced 
that they lack hardiness of constitution. In my 
experience among sheep, there is no one point more 
perfectly settled in my mind than this—that the first 
great requisite to make a flock of sheep profitable 
to farmers in general, is not beauty of form, or 
fleece, nor even weight of fleece, so much as a hardy 
constitution. If this be wanting, the extra care 
necessary will absorb the profit. 1 do not prefer the 
Silesian for much the same reason as expressed in 
regard to the Saxons, although they are not nearly 
as objectionable. Some persons with a particular 
fancy for beautiful wool might choose the Silesian, 
but for farmers in general 1 think an extra pound or 
two of wool per head with ordinary care, is far 
preferable to a few cents extra per pound with 
extreme care. The pure blood Spauish Merino 
sheep is my choice. They arc a hardy, strong consti- 
tutioned breed,good shearers.good mi lkers.wi 11 thrive 
in large flocks with ordinary care, and I think will 
pay for more than ordinary care better than any 
other breed. But there are some strains of this 
blood that arc quite objectionable, because the 
breeder has been breeding towards an imperfect 
model. Now, your correspondent asks us to “give 
the reason of the faith that is iu ns.” My “ reason " 
is simply my own experience. 
We have about 200 sheep,Spanish Merino and grades 
of the same. Our lambs, and a few old ewes, have 
a little grain with their hay all winter. But our 
ewes are wintered on good hay except that for one 
or two months before lambing they have a half 
bushel of mixed corn and oats (one-third corn) to 
the hundred, and we rarely lose a lamb. Our ewes 
average nearly six pounds of well washed wool, and 
I am sure will average quite six pounds this year, 
and of a quality that of late years readily brought 
fifty cents per pound. wm. m. h. 
Greenwich. N. Y., 1862. 
Los* by Selling Hay. 
In some remarks before the Worcester North 
(Mass.) Agricultural Society, Mr. Brooks, of Prince¬ 
ton, spoke as follows: 
It was his belief that if fanners would expend 
more of their surplus funds in improvements on. 
their farms; rear and feed a larger number of cattle, 
sheep, and swine; cultivate more root crops; expend 
a larger portion of their produce upon the farm, 
and rely for profits upon the sale of beef, mutton, 
pork, butter, and cheese; they would by so doing 
find their manure heaps constantly enlarging, their 
crops annually increasing, instead of diminishing, 
as they now do, by the practice of selling the crops 
off the farm, and placing the proceeds at interest, to 
l>e eventually more or less of it lost by bad invest¬ 
ments. Many farmers believe themselves growing 
rich by selling their bay, especially if they purchase 
and return to the farm as much manure as the hay 
sold will make, and if they do not, their farms will 
soon become worthless, or nearly so. The average 
market price of a tun of good hay in Worcester 
county, for the last ten years, will not exceed fifteen 
dollars; a tun of good hay will make more than two 
tuns of solid manure, weighed when recently drop¬ 
ped by the cow or ox, but we will call it two tuns. 
The liquid excretions discharged by an ordinary 
cow or ox, while consuming one tun of hay, with a 
suitable supply of water, will be admitted by all 
who understand the matter, to te equal in value to 
the solid. Thus four tuns of manure is produced 
by a cow while consuming one tun of hay. Four 
tuns of fresh manure is equal, by measurement, to 
one and one quarter cords weighing sixty-four 
hundred pounds the cord, or fifty pounds the cubic 
toot, the value of which we will estimate, at four 
dollars the cord, and one tun of good marketable 
hay we will call worth six dollars the tun, for feed¬ 
ing stock on the farm. If these promises are cor¬ 
rect, the amount will Btand: 
Dr. 
Delivering I tun of hay sold,___ $1.50 
Cash paid for If* cords of manure,. 5.00 
Carting 4 tuna, or 1 cords of manure to farm,_ 6.00 
Value of hay for feeding stock on the furm,. 6.00 
Aftf.r thk Illinoisans.— The recent claims set forth as to 
the agricultural capabilities of the Sucker State —that it can 
produce cotton and coffee, as well as sugar — are waking up 
the people of Wisconsin and Iowa, and the papers of the 
latter are indulging in a little sarcasm and humor on the sub¬ 
ject A Wisconsin paper, for example, opens the topic in this 
wise:— “ If all the claims of the agriculturists of Illinois be 
allowed, there is scarcely anything In the whole catalogue of 
the multitudinous products of the earth which may not be 
grown within the borders of that great and fertile State. Not 
only fruits and grains of eyery description for the use of man 
and beast, but sugar for the sweetening of the whole world, 
cotton for the clothing of all the loyal citizens of all the loyal 
States — if not indeed of ‘the rest of mankind'—and then 
that immensely popular, almost indispensable but just now, 
expensive article of commerce, coffee, arc susceptible of econ¬ 
omical culture there I” And, after further talk in similar 
style, the article closes thus suggestively:—“ If wo were called 
ui>od to advise our prairie neighbors, wo would quietly say, 
Don't be too sanguine of the capabilities of your ‘semi-tropical 
climate.’ Possible and economical production arc very differ¬ 
ent things.” 
— An Iowa paper perpetrates the following: ‘ J four to Lind 
a Fool —Ask any man you meet if he expects to grow cotton 
to any profitable extent iu Illinois. If he answers yes, be sure 
you have found your man." Brother Miller, of the Iovxj, 
Homestead., quotes the squib, and adds — “Yes, and if you 
want to find a bigger fool, find a man who tliinks he can raise 
it to profit in Iowa." 
Watering Bees in Spring. 
nn’HEKTO one fruitful cause of “ill luck” 
attending bee-keeping in cold climates consequent 
upon the Inevitable confinement of tees to the 
hives, is their want of water, or in other words, 
water dearth. That bees cannot raise brood without 
water has been known to somefor at least a century. 
If bees, while weather-bound, are not iucidently 
or otherwise supplied with it at the regular Beason 
for raising brood, the breeding will not only be 
retarded, but it supplies of moisture fail them during 
these periods their brood will te sariticed in any 
stage of development. After rigorous winters, 
should foul weather prevail, old bees in large num* 
bors. and even whole colonies perish, in consequence 
of this dearth, which may occur here and there, 
earlier or later, and produce more or less injury. 
The Creator has given the. tee an instinct to store 
up honey and pollen, which are not at all times to 
be procured in any climate, but not water, which is 
ever accessible in its native regions. Hence, the 
loss ol tees by water dearth is the. result of climate, 
because the tee is not a native of a northern climate. 
The consumption of water by a stock of bees begins 
so soon as the queen commences laying, which occurs 
in some colonies early in January. This, however, 
is very variable, depending on the vigor and favor¬ 
able conditions of each individual swarm. 
The amount ol water consumed by a populous col¬ 
ony dining any given period has not been definitely 
ascertained by the writer in his own practice, This 
point, however, has been duly determined by the 
experiments of that prince ofmodern Apiarians, the 
Baron of Berlepsch. The Baron says, that in March 
and April “in 1*50. during a protracted period of 
unfavorable weather, we gave all our bees water, 
and they i efnained at home in quiet , while those of 
other apiaries were flying briskly in search of water. 
At the beginning ol May our hives were crowded with 
bees, while the colonies of our neighbors were mostly 
weak,'' * * * “ One hundred stocks required 
eleven Berlin quarts per week to keep on breeding 
uninterruptedly. Dysentery is one of the direct 
consequences of water dearth—the tees, in dire 
need of water, consuming honey immoderately, and 
taking cold by roaming about the combs.” it is 
said that “in the Isle of Wight the people have a 
notion that every bee goes down to the sea to drink 
twice a day.” 
The particular use or uses which bees may make 
of water, remains one of the “ mysteries of the hive.” 
Its agency, however, in the raising of brood, is that 
of a diluter indispensable in the forming of honey 
and pollen into “jelly” for feeding the larva. Thus 
it will be perceived that bees are unable to progress 
with the raising of brood without the daily consump¬ 
tion of water fur that purpose. Indeed. the common¬ 
wealth of the hive, in consequence of the dearth of 
water, arc brought to the verge of min. Further¬ 
more, that the Author of Nature did not arrange for 
the storing up of water by bees, therefore they are 
not susceptible of being naturalized to cold climates. 
Hence it ought not to be expected that they should 
thrive ami flourish in a high degree except it be by 
culture from the intelligent supervision of the Apia¬ 
rian. 
Bees, when confined by stress of weather after 
breeding has begun, can obtain the water they need 
only (if duly ventilated) from the watery particles 
contained in the honey. A knowledge of these 
facte reveals not only the truth and nature of a nat¬ 
ural obstacle to success, but also the mode of coun¬ 
teracting it. Thus, by feeding bees limited quantities 
of honey or sugar largely diluted with water, at 
short intervals during March and April, they 
promptly store up a very dilute honey from which 
they get adequate supplies in ordinary contin¬ 
gencies. This affords them ail the facilities needed 
to “multiply and replenish” the hive. Herein con¬ 
sists the means of bringing forih curly swarms, by 
which only the ultimat um of success is attainable. 
Bee-keepers, who have given any attention to 
feeding colonies, unite in affirming that stocks thus 
fed will swarm some ten to fourteen days earlier 
than they otherwise would. This is of paramount 
importance, as the few days thus gained in the 
“Harvest Moon” secures to first swarms some fifty 
per cent, more stores, besides affording to after 
swarms like benefits. The eauscoflhcse advantages 
have generally, through misapprehension, teen 
ascribed to the incitement produced by the. saccha¬ 
rine matter of the food, while the water, though 
overlooked, is evidently the chief cause, as judicious 
feeding will produce the samo effect with colonies 
having an excess of honey, as with those having 
limited stores. Many Lee-keepers still manage bees 
according to “popular” notions, which consist in 
hiving the swarms when they issue, and giving them 
a careful “ letting alone,” and thus they expect to 
follow nature by counterfiting 'wild bee-keeping. 
Those who persist in this, of course will not be bene¬ 
fited by experience or anything that might te pub- 
Amerjoan Maoiiinkkt at tub World's Fair.— Though 
our Government furnishes no aid to American manufacturers 
wishing to exhibit at the approaching World's Fair, at 
London, wc are glad to learn that several of our most enter¬ 
prising inventors and manufacturers are to bo represented at 
the great International Exhibition. A number of Western 
New York inventions and productions have rJ ready been sent 
forward, and others will probably follow in due season. 
Among others, specimens of Flour have been sent by Stkii 
hits Ik Co., of this city, the “ American Barometer " by Prof. 
Ci.ttM, and the “Agricultural Caldron and Steamer” by D. 
it. Pkindlh, of Genesee county. A Troy paper says that Mr 
Walter A. Wool), of Hoosiek Falls, who has already quite 
nn extensive trade in England and ou the Continent, recently 
shipped four of his reaping and mowing machines for the 
World's Exhibition. No. 1 was a Self-Raking Reaper—No. 2 
a combined Reaper and Mower, hand rake—No. 3 the “Wood 
Mower ”—and No. 4 similar to the last named, with the add) 
tion of a reaping attachment, which, it is said, must make the 
11 Wood Mower ” immensely popular in this country and 
abroad as a combined machine. Wc are pleased to note the 
enterprise of our manufacturers in this line, and trust they 
will again win the prizes. 
One tun of hay sold, average price,.... $15.00 
Loss to balance,.... 3.50 
$18.50 
Thus we see, by the practice of Belling hay, instead 
of gaining, as many believe they do, we are losing 
at the rate of three dollars and fifty cents for every 
tun sold. 
California and Okkgo n—L osses by the Itrccnl Floods.— 
In a late letter, our Pacific Correspondent (8. B. Rockwell) 
thus writes relative to the floods which have proved so disas¬ 
trous in that region:—“California has suffered greatly by 
floods The property of the State is estimated at $300,000,000. 
The loss in stock, fences, buddings, mills, bridges, mining 
property, &c., Xe.. is estimated to be full 10 per cent, or 
$30,000,000! It amounts to a fearful calamity, but the recu¬ 
perative power of the people and the country is great, and 
within one year California will have recovered from the blow, 
and be ready to push on her career of unpi'ccedented prosper¬ 
ity. Oregon has also suffered by the late Hoods, anil property 
to the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars lias been 
swept away and forever lost. Hut the new gold mines lately 
discovered east of the Cascade Mountains, in Washington 
Territory and Eastern Oregon, are undou bteWy rich and cx-tm 
sine, and will, the coming season, be filled with thousands of 
miners who must be fed, and the farmers of Oregon will have 
an excellent market for their beef, mutton, flour, fruits, and 
vegetables. Oregon will soon redeem herself from lierprescnt 
disasters, and rise in the scale of prosperity. Success to these 
new and Loyal States.” 
gmiuiWiS aurt 
Cribbing.— Will one of the new subscribers to the Rural 
for 1862, if no otiier, tell me through its columns how to cure 
a young and valuable horse of cribbing, or a temporary pre¬ 
ventive other tlntn a strap buckled tight around the neck, and 
oblige— Rural Reader, Lisbon, A. Y . 1862. 
Root Cuttkks anti Wasuinu Maciunks. - Now is the time 
for feeding roots to stock, and wc farmers who raise them arc 
looking around us for suitable machines to prepare them iu 
an easy and rapid manner. If they art' manufactured, they 
are not advertised. 1 a/ldrcrs the Rural fur information 
We want an efficient machine that lias hern thoroughly tested 
Where rau ope he obtained, and at what priceV Also, tin 1 
Union Washing machine, what price, and where found?—E. 
E. 8 ., North Chili , A K, 1862. 
Improving a Marsh Meadow.—I have afewacres of marsh 
meadow that I wish to improve and get into lame grass. Will 
some of the Rural's readers inform us through its columns 
the best mothod of obtaining Lite desired object? A portion 
of the time during the summer the ground is quite dry. The 
bogs on it are quite small, and no tame grass. When will be 
the best time to sow seed, what kind, how get it in, &e., &c ?— 
C. G. C., Litchfield. Mich , 1802 
Wart in a Stkbb'8 Nobk.— Some six weeks sinee I dis¬ 
covered a wart, or something very much like a wart, growing 
out of my steer’s uose. about an ineb from the lower extrem 
ity of his’nostril. So rapid was its growth that in two weeks 
it had attained the size of a small hen's egg. Constant licking 
causes it to blood profusely, and renders it hazardous to apply 
remedies of a poisonous nature. Any oue Bending through 
the Rural a remedy, will greatly oblige—A Soiisckihkk, 
Munition, A. Y , 1802. 
Culture of Flax.—1 wish to sow a few acres of flax this 
season, and not being posted, I would beg to make the follow¬ 
ing inquiries through the Rural: 1st. What kind of soil is 
best? 2d How should if be prepared? 3d. Wbet) should It 
be sown? 4tlj. How much seed to the acre? 5th. How many 
tuns of flax straw, before it is rotted, would it produce? 6th. 
How many bushels of seed will an acre produce? Of course 
all this depends upon circumstances, but wliat would lie con¬ 
sidered an average crop?— Flax Cotton, Cambria, Niagara 
county , IV. T., 1862. 
How to Cuke a Curb.—I n a late Rural, an “Old Sub¬ 
scriber ” wants to know how to cure a curb on his colt. My 
method is to tire lightly and blister. I have cured several in 
this way after other modes had been tried aud failed.—W m. 
Cook, Camborne, C. IF, 1802. 
Ln connection with the foregoing, we give Dr. Dado's man¬ 
ner of treatment, as follows: 
A curb is an enlargement which makes its appearance on 
the hind legs, about two inches below the hock. It is some¬ 
times occasioned by a blow, but the most frequent cause is 
strom of the sheath, through which the flexor tendons pass. 
If seen in its early stage, it would, in all probability, yield to 
rest and cold water bandages. But if neglected until effusion 
takes place, or the surrounding tissues become injected and 
tluckencd, and the horse becomes lame, then a different 
course of treatment must be adopted. Our usual remedy is, 
acetic acid, 4 ounces; powdered hloodroot, 1 ounce; turpen- 
tino, 1 ounce; to be applied to the part night and morning for 
at least a week; afterwards to be bathed daily with common 
vinegar. 
There are cases, however, in which eoagulable lymph will 
form, and may thus leave the parts iu a state of callosity for 
some time, which odI.v patience, constant friction, or the 
application of some stimulant, can overcome, Among the 
various applications in use, we prefer the following:—One 
ounce each of oil of cedar, oil of sassafras, oil of marjoram; 
one pint of soft soap, to bo used daily, always rubbing in a 
downward direction. 
As regards exercise, the inflammatory stage requires rest; 
and in the chronic form, exercise will be indicated, provided, 
however, the horse be not lame. 
Agricultural Fairs fob 1862.—Wenotice that several Ag. 
Societies have already designated the tiineB and (daces of hold¬ 
ing their Animal Fairs. The Genesee Co. Fair is to be field at 
Batavia, on the 17th arid 18th of Sept, and that of 8cueca Co. at 
Waterloo, on the Sth. 9th, and 10th of October. The Seneca 
Falls Union Fair is to be held Sept. 23—25. 
— In tins connection we would suggest to the boards of 
County and Local Societies whether it would not he well to 
have such au understanding among tliemsclves that County 
Fairs would not be held at the same time in adjoining counties, 
or local exhibitions in any county. Many people wish to visit 
several fairs in their region—and the State Fair also—and if the 
managers can consistently arrange their “time tables”so as 
not to conflict, it would prove a great convenience, and no 
doubt add to the interest and attendance at each exhibition. 
fflosR on Roofs. 
The Working Farmer speaks of a barn, near 
the farm of the editor of that paper, with a shingle 
roof fifty years old, the shingles now appearing 
quite as bright and in as good order as most Bhinglc 
roofs are at the end of one year. When built, the 
roof was coated with iime-wash tinted with ochre, 
fully charged with glue and salt. Twenty years 
ago ii was again coated with lime-wash tinted with 
umber. Lime-wash alone would have answered 
every purpose, although the appearance would not 
be so agreeable to the eye. The wash being tinted 
gives it more the color of new shingles just put 
upon the root _ 
Making Maple frugur. 
A correspondent of the New England Farmer 
writes his views upon the profit attached to maple 
sugar making, thuR;—“There is no season of the 
year so profitable to the farmer as iu the time of 
making sugar. Let an estimate be made, and see: 
In a good season a second growth maple will make 
about 4J pounds of sugar. Five hundred trees, at 
44 pounds per tree, will give 2,250 pounds, which, at 
10 cents per pound, would give $225. 
Cost.— One man can tend 500 trees with ease, say, 
one man one month, $15.00; 10 cords of wood, at $3 
per cord, $30.00; other necessary expenses, $20.00; 
total, $65.00, which, deducted from the income, 
leaves $160 as profit for one month’s time. 
I think my figures are not far from right. Every 
oue that can tap a tree ought to do so, because we 
must be independent of all duties as far as possible. 
To make sugar you should have a good sap-house 
and a convenient wash-shed, an arch and a pan. 
Sap boiled in a pan makes 5 per cent more sugar 
than sap boiled in a kettle, and saves 124 per cent 
of wood. The 6irup should te boiled as thick as it 
can be conveniently, and when done down to sugar, 
it should not be very dry; put it iu a tin can made 
for the purpose, and then drain about the first of 
May, when you will have maple sugar of the first 
quality. Tin buckets cost too much to commence 
SOWING TIMOTHY AND CLOVER SEED 
“Finding trouble in sowing timothy and clover 
seed by hand, will some of my brother farmers inform 
me, through the Rural, where I can purchase a 
machine that will do it up right, and at what price? 
Also, information with regard to the quantity of 
seed per acre, and in what proportion of clover to a 
gravelly soil? After sowing, would you harrow it 
or not?”— Rural, February 15. 
Cahoon’s Patent Broadcast Sower will do the 
sowing ot grass seeds admirably for you, if worked 
with suitable care and judgment. It weighs about 
six pounds, and costs $8. This is the hand machine, 
there being a horse machine for $35. It is probably 
on sale in New York. 
The quantity of seed per acre should vary some¬ 
what. Land before it has been cropped, and very 
stony land, does not require so bountiful seeding to 
get a good sod and large crops of grass or hay. 
Then, again, judging from the advice given through 
agricultural papers in different States, by the best 
farmers, some soils and perhaps localities require 
much more seed than others. For instance, one 
finds 10 pounds clover and 4 quarts timothy pet- 
acre to bo the best, while another finds 25 pounds 
clover and 6 to 8 quarts timothy seed to the acre lor 
seed or hay much tetter and none too much for a 
permanent grass field. On such land, here irt 
Maine, 20 to 25 pounds clover seed and 4 to 6 quarts 
of timothy would be seeding well, yet there are but 
few who seed so well, and consequently have coarse 
grass and coarse hay. on new seeded land, instead 
of thick, fine grass, making more hay and holding 
out longer, which they would have, it a liberal 
seeding down to grass had been pursued. The pro¬ 
portions as above are good tor pastures, mowing 
fields, or for seeding purposes, and then for mowing; 
still, for all but seeding purposes, a greater variety 
of seed would be an improvement in the durability, 
amount, and quality of product from the same out¬ 
lay, without any greater exhaustion of the soil, 
probably; while, on the other hand, there would be 
Feeding Domestic Animals. — Relative to the paragraph 
on this subject in our last number, (page 86,) Mr. Jou.v John¬ 
ston, of Seneca, writes: — “Good feeders, who feed three 
times a day, generally give enough so that the animals can eat 
when they choose from one feeding to another. If there is to 
be any gain in feeding more than three times a tlay it ought to 
be at midnight, ns both cuttle and sheep rise at that hour and 
feed, provided they have any thing to eat. He was not a prac¬ 
tical man that wrote the article referred to.” 
Mr. Jounston (who dates March 17.) adds: — “Last week 
great thaw and great rain; yesterday snow again. The young 
wheat looks very well.” 
A Card to Western Rural Readers. — 1 have recently 
received letters from many of my Western friends containing 
money for the Rural New-Yorker In every case the 
money has been returned to the party who sent it, because the 
regular rales of subscription were not complied with. I now 
give notice that in no ease (except wfiert now due me) should 
monies be mailed to me for the Rural; —that if monies are 
so mailed, I will not be responsible therefor;—that rnouies 
sent-me with the request to forward the Rural at less than 
the published rates, or return the sume, will not be returned, 
but will be forwarded to the publisher, and the paper mailed 
in return as long as paid for;—that I shall ho glad to hear from 
any one on subjects pertaining to any of the departments of 
Rural Economy in the West; and that my address is Chioagoi 
Illinois. Chas. D. Bkagdon. 
A Nkw Quarter of tuk Rural begins with April, a good 
time for Single or club subscriptions to commence. Friends I 
see Premium Listforthe Spring Campaign, in another column, 
and then manifest your interest in the Rural by inducing 
neighbors and acquaintances to join its standard. 
