9 
«* 9 
Jsiu 
m 
Jo x 
\ over-doing, and will share the fate of that, celebrated 
i worm which was out so early as to be picked up by 
z the early bird, the legend of which our fathers loved 
l so well to repeat to us. This insect, which now 
seems bent upon the sacrifice of the •'first, fruits,” 
has usually been content with the latest, and its day 
has soon been over. It matures and passes to an¬ 
other form in a few days, or dies, and hence I think 
this early scare on its account is not well founded. 
Though we must expect to hear direful accounts— 
and already I see them in short newspaper para¬ 
graphs coming np from all the land, from the frozen 
North to lower Egypt—yet following this favorable 
seed time just passed, T have faith in the divide 
promise of harvest. The external prospect of the 
country certainly l>ear8 me out in the faith that is in 
me.—J. B. C., Madison, Wis., June 9, 1862. 
Advick to Young Men. — I have noticed several 
inquiries in the Rural in regard to young men 
starting in life, wishing to know whether a young 
man could start with little or no capital and become 
il well off,” or at least in comfortable circumstances. 
I certainly think they can, and 1 speak experiment¬ 
ally. Three things are necessary before commenc¬ 
ing, and these are, Honesty. Punctuality, and 
Industry ; and they are all equal in importance and 
cannot be separated —indispensable to attain the 
desired result. Without this happy combination, no 
one can raise himself above the level from which he 
started. Il a young man starting in life can have 
these three things affirmed of him, he can obtain 
money and credit. When 1 speak of credit, how¬ 
ever, I do not mean that you should wish to obtain 
Buch unbounded confidence among your associates 
that your ‘‘paper” will be considered as good as 
the “ bank” even after more has been issued than 
can be met. But you must have created among the 
influential men of your vicinity such a respect that 
they can safely recommend you as a strictly honest, 
upright business man, and be careful to fulfill all 
promises at the exact time, whether bound to do 80 
or not This will tend still more to increase your 
good name. But if you are honest and punctual, 
yet habitually lazy, it is plainly seen that you can¬ 
not succeed, since you have no means and no inclin¬ 
ation to exert yourself to obtain them. Therefore, 
young men, starting in life, with nothing but your 
strength to depend upon to secure you a comfort¬ 
able home in old age, select some occupation now, 
and be careful of your expenditures, always remem¬ 
bering to be honest , 'punctual , and industrious .— 
Jacob Stoolfire, Hebron, Ohio, 1862. 
Thosf, Lam ns .—Keeping Sheep — In the Rural 
of May 24th and 31st, of the present volume, there 
are inquiries about “ what ails the lambs.” I would 
say my experience has been that, to feed sheep 
grain to any extent is down hill business. Some 
twelve or fourteen years ago we started with a small 
flock (I think about IS or 20,) of good healthy 
sheep. In order to have them nice we fed consider¬ 
able corn, and kept the flock in good order all the 
while; but when they began to drop their lambs, 1 
about two-thirds died with kernels in their throats. 1 
Saved a few by cutting off their tails soon as drop¬ 
ped; but after three or four years’ trial, gave it up 1 
and sold out. About live years since 1 bought eight 
ewes, let them run in the lot and yard with other 1 
stock — say from 30 to 40 head of cattle and some 
colts — till just before lambing time. Then I 1 
yarded the sheep by themselves and fed roots 
chopped line, and sometimes a little bran or prov- 1 
ender mixed with roots; I think carrots a little the : 
best. Such ha9 been my practice for several years. 1 
Now from those eight sheep I have 33 owes and two * 
bucks, (one that weighs over 200 lbs.) Sell all J 
buck lambs readily for $2 per head to the butcher, 1 
and get, on an average, 5 lbs. of wool per head from 1 
ewes. They have no other shelter than the grove, ( 
except, during lambing time. My motto is, plenty 
of good clover and timothy hay, roots, and their ( 
liberty to range about, and you will see no kernels 1 
on lambs. ! 
The prospect for a wheat crop is very slim here. 
The Hessian fly has destroyed a vast amount of j 
grain in this region.—A. C. Powell, Cherry v alley, 
Winnebago Co., Ill, 1862. 
increasing the depth of cultivator each succeeding 
time. otli. Let it be spaded and shook out around 
stumps and trees. In stony knolls let all the stones 
knocking the plow out be dug or picked out of every 
furrow. The balk or fence row must not be plowed 
into or else totally plowed up by removing the fence. 
Oth. Blowings may be bad in place of some culti- 
vatings. To make sure finish, till three or four 
years before seeding down, always growing some 
thick growing grain or hoed crop. Care and perse¬ 
verance will conquer it. 
If any reader has a bettor and more payable mode, 
will he please publish it for the benefit of his lellow 
farmers as well as the subscriber? 
Parma Center, N. Y., June, 1862. A. G. Newton. 
-- ■ —i ^ | ♦- 
THE WOOL BUSINESS. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: — As the season for 
sheep-washing, shearing, and wool-selling, is upon 
us, I wish to say a few words about certain facts in 
relation thereto, in which both the wool-grower and 
manufacturer are deeply interested. 
Owing to the different modes in which wool is 
prepared for market, some farmers sell their wool , 
for from five to fifteen per cent more than others in 
pose to give an answer to this question, inasmuch 
as it is a question of much importance. Before do¬ 
ing so, however, I would remark that here is another 
illustration of cause and effect. It is obvious that 
the effect herein specified is the death of the bees, 
and it should be our purpose to search lor the true 
cause. Many bee-keepers who are averse to patent 
hives would, without doubt, assign as the cause that 
tho hive killed the bees! Such bee-keepers are sel¬ 
dom guilty of correct reasoning on bee matters! 
From the data given it seems as though it would 
be obvious to every candid thinker that the colony 
under consideration died from starvation, which 
then must be the cause of the bees dying. ‘ How 
can that be?” says the reader. “ l thought you said 
they had fifteen or twenty pounds of honey.” So I 
did, and notwithstanding that statement I also said 
that the bees died from starvation 1 Let mo illus¬ 
trate the why. We have had a protracted spell of 
cold winter weather: the weather has been such 
that the bees, wintered out-of-doors, have not 
changed their winter quarters. It was evident to 
ray mind that the bees in this colony had occupied 
that part of the hive where they wore found, with¬ 
out changing their locality since the beginning of 
cold weather last autumn. The five combs they 
proportion to its value, while the manufacturer, if occupied could not have been very well supplied 
he pays the just value of clean wool, pays that 
much more than the market value for dirty wool. 
On engaging a man to assist in washing my sheep 
the other day, he asked if 1 wished them washed 
dean. On replying in the affirmative, be said he 
was going to help Mr.-wash, who told him he 
“only wanted them thrown in and swashed round a 
little.” Now, I happen to be acquainted with this 
Mr.-’s manner of “doing up things” generally. 
He never “tags” his sheep, and as a consequence 
many of them are ornamented or burdened with 
many pounds weight of manure appended to their 
posteriors at the time of shearing. The larger or 
more objectionable balls are then thrown aside and 
the rest rolled up in the fleece. When the buyer 
comes around, he seems to know or care little what 
is inside, provided he can buy the lot within certain 
figures, which insures his commission. 
This is lar from a solitary case; and while there 
are so many who possess neither honesty nor honor 
HOW TO KILL COUCH GRASS. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— Nearly every weed 
or grass that is a pest to a farm has its peculiar 
mode of successful destruction, although all come 
under the principle of destroying its source of life, 
that is, the leaves. Yet I have not seen a successful 
mode of killing Couch or Quack Grass, in my 
perusal of the last eight volumes of the Rural, 
that is within the practical means of every 
fanner, rich and poor. Ten years of experience 
has at last given me confidence and courage to offer 
an easy mode ol conquering its tenacious living 
qualities. A brief det ail will contain all particulars. 
The greatest obstacles are the fence or balk row, 
atony knolls, and trees or stumps; yet deep and 
careful plowing will overcome, them. My first, suc¬ 
cess was in an orchard, somewhat, accidentally. I 
bad mowed it for two years, then plowed about six 
inches deep for corn, hoed once, and when done, the 
first part hoed was more grassy than before hoeing. 
Owing to the lateness of the next spring, the grass 
was so high that it was mowed at hayiDg time, yield¬ 
ing nearly a tun per acre. Getting desperate, I 
plowed it the lollowlng spring when pretty wet, so 
that the ground baked a little. "When it was a 
couple of inches high, 1 cultivated it with Ike's 
W heel Cultivator one and a halt inebe* deep, let it. 
lie a week or two, and orems cultivated an inch 
deeper, and so on to the bottom of the plowing, 
alter intervals enough between each cultivating to 
let the grass sprout, being careful to have all the 
roots around the trees spaded up and shook out. 
The next year nothing but chick weed was on it 
before sowing to buckwheat. The success was 
mainly owing, I think, to the time of plowing and 
mode of cultivating. The hardened ground did not 
let the roots push around and slip by the cultivator 
teeth as they do in mellow soil. Being cut off in 
inch pieces was a death blow to it. Extraordinary as 
some statements are, no snfierer will doubt it. This 
mode may fail in low, wet fields, and in very rainy 
seasons. 
But in general I deduce the following brief mode 
from my vexatious experience, hoping it may 
benefit some snfierer:—1st. Plow deep and well, 
turning all grass under, using, if it is to be had, a 
plow-coulter or small plow on the beam. 2. Plow 
early in the spring, and wet enough to pack down a 
little. The benefit exceeds the damage. 3d. Let all 
after tilling be done when the ground is dry and in 
the sunniest days. 4. After allowing the grass to 
sprout on cor two inches, drag it well after plowing, 
then use the wheel cultivator, allowing time be¬ 
tween each cultivating for the grass to sprout well, 
with honey, or the bees would not have consumed 
it so early in the season. This colony was examined 
about the first of February of this year. The bees 
having eaten all the honey in said combs, and fhe 
weather still continuing cold, they could not, with¬ 
out endangering their lives, change to that, part of 
the hive yet amply supplied with stores. Had they 
made the attempt to move to the opposite side of the 
hive they would, most probably, have been instantly 
chilled, and hence would have survived but a short 
time thereafter. The bees, from instinct, would as 
soon prefer starvation as to make the attempt in 
cold weather to change their quarters, which would 
only hasten their destruction. Besides, in this case, 
there was an inducement for the bees to stay where 
they were, as they had brood to protect, 
“ Well," says the reader. “ What should have been 
done in such a case to save the bees from starving?” 
The answer is simple, nevertheless important, viz: 
The combs should have been properly arranged br¬ 
io induce right action, the question arises, how shall /ore the commencement of cold weather. Had they 
the evil be remedied? Caunot the manufacturers 
adopt some rule by which their agents shall be 
governed in purchasing, which shall do justice both 
to the seller and their employer? Our apple buyers 
require the name of the seller upon each barrel. 
Cannot the lots of wool be numbered with some 
rapid method of attaching the number to each fleece? 
The agent’s book, with the number annexed to the 
name of the seller, might be kept for reference when 
the wool was opened lor manufacturing. 
F.ast Kendall, N. Y. A Wool Grower. 
BONES FOR MANURE-HOW PREPARED. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: —Seeing an inquiry 
in your paper, requesting some of your readers to 
give some information in the preparation of bones, 
I will give the modus operandi by which I prepare 
bones for my own use. 
I barn my bones in a stove until calcined. (This 
can be done in the winter, and the burning bones 
will answer for fuel.) As soon as cold, I add to 
them diluted sulphuric acid, one part weight acid to 
four of water, until they are covered. In from four 
to six weeks you will find that the bones have 
absorbed nearly all the water and have bocome 
quite brittle. I then break them, by means of a 
hammer and a large flat stone, almost to a powder. 
As they are still too wet to handle, I add almost any 
dry absorbent to them, as leached ashes, sawdust, 
or dry sifted ground, until the mass is dry and 
easily mingled. 
In a series of experiments in regard to the econ¬ 
omical preparation of bones at the Pennsylvania 
Farm School, it was seen that bones left to the 
action of alkali, such as ashes, urine, ammoniacal 
dung water, Ac., will speedily decay. In ashes 
alone, bones, in the space ot three months, will 
become decomposed and gelatinous. This is the 
more easily understood when we remember that 
bones consist, to the amount of one-third of their 
weight, of cartilage or animal matter. This in the 
open air dries and hardens, but in a state of fermen¬ 
tation is decomposed, thus leaving the fiber of the 
bone to be more easily affected by the decomposi¬ 
tion already commenced. 
I will tell you how I have prepared bones for 
some years. In my back yard I have a hogshead 
into which all the waste from the kitchen, sweep¬ 
ings of the house, ashes, Ac., Ac., are daily thrown. 
Of course the bones from the table and kitchen go 
there too. The rain that falls usually keeps it 
moist enough. If very dry I give it an occasional 
bucket of water. As soon as the weather becomes 
freezing, I empty it in a heap in the yard and cover 
with dry earth until spring, and then not a bone 
can be found. I have thrown shin bones of beeves 
and mutton legs into the vessel, and in three months 
they were completely decomposed. 
See also Johnson’s Lectures on Agricultural 
Chemistry, and the “Preparation of Bones as a 
Manure.” w. 
gff-jgfjc jm*. 
Wintering Bees — Cause and Effect. 
Some time sinoe, 1 called upon one of my bee¬ 
keeping friends to examine his bees, and thereby 
ascertain how they were wintering. He had but 
one colony, which was in a movable frame hive—the 
Langstroth hive. The same colony I had examined 
early last fall, and found that it was a very good 
one, there being plenty ot bees and stores. On 
opening the hive at the time of my late visit we 
lound, to our surprise, that the bees were dead! 
“Just as might have been expected,” says the 
reader. “I have often said that those highly extolled 
patent hives will yet cause the ruin of all the bees 
in the country!” Well, reader, you reason about as 
sensibly as most bee-keepers who are not foolish 
enough to use movable frames! But to return to 
our subject LiftiDg out the contents, by taking out 
each comb separately, we found that the dead bees 
were occupying five combs; there was a large quan¬ 
tity of them. They had eaten every particle of 
honey in the five occupied combs, and had com¬ 
menced breeding; there was considerable worker- 
brood sealed over, showing that they commenced to 
breed about the middle ol January. On the oppo¬ 
site side of the hive were three frames of comb filled 
with honey— some fifteen or twenty pounds. The 
hive contained eight combs, and, as will be ob¬ 
served, the bees had clustered on one side of the 
hive, instead of in the central part, as they generally 
do at the beginning of cold weather. 
been properly arranged in season, tho bees would 
not have starved. Bees usually, when their combB 
have not been misplaced, breed centrally—storing 
their honey in shallow frame hives in the outside 
combs. Their last brood will generally be found in 
the combB most central. In the central post of the 
hive is where the bees should locate themselves at 
the beginning of winter. It would seem that the 
combs in this colony had been misplaced by their 
owner, w T bich would account for the bees being on 
one side of the hive. Care should be taken to re-' 
place the combs, in general, in the order hi which 
they are taken out, that is, in the breeding season. 
The brood should be kept together. 
I will now briefly state how the combs in this 
colony ought to have been arranged. One or two 
combs, nearly empty, should have been placed in 
the center of the hive, and the full combs of honey 
arranged equally as possible on each side of them. 
This should not be done, however, till breeding 
ceases. It would then have been advisable to per¬ 
forate each comb in the center, from front to rear, 
and about one-third of the distance from the top. 
A hole an inch in diameter would l>e sufficient for 
each comb. This would allow the bees free commu¬ 
nication from comb to comb. A veiy few minutes 
work would arrange the combs properly for winter¬ 
ing. This can be done when every colony should 
be carefully examined to known their condition 
before winter sets in. Some colonies are so well 
supplied with stores in every comb that it is not 
necessary nor advisable to arrange the combs dif¬ 
ferently; in fact,it might prove injurious to the bees 
in case they were differently arranged. It is advis¬ 
able, however, in all cases, to make winter passages 
through the combs. The bee-keeper will find it 
necessary to exercise some judgment in properly 
preparing his bees for winter. 
The frames, as must be evident, will enable the 
bee-keeper to take out the contents of bis hives at 
any time, by which means he can readily determine 
whether his bees are in proper condition to winter 
to tho best advantage. Without the frames this 
could not be done. It some colonies have more 
honey than they need, while others have an insuf¬ 
ficiency, their contents, by means of the frames, may 
be quickly equalized. When bees are wintered in 
the open air, they should have from 20 to 25 pounds 
of honey to insure their wintering safely. 
Before I conclude I would call the attention of the 
reader to the fact that it is very poor economy to 
winter bees on their summer stands. The bees need 
and should have the very best protection. Bees will 
winter much better in a good, dry, dark cellar. It 
is very necessary that the cellar be dry. The best 
place, all things considered, to| winter bees, is in a 
suitable repository, termed a clamp. For want of 
room, at this time, I caunot give the reasons why. 
It is about as poor economy to winter bees on their 
summer stands as for the farmer to winter his stock 
in the open fields without shelter. 
M. M. Baldridge. 
Middieport, Niagara Co., N Y , 1862. 
-» . ♦ . *- 
ifural spirit of tho gross. 
Cultivating Indian Corn. 
S. Edwards Todd communicates the following 
timely suggestions through the Country Gentleman; 
“ As hands are scarce this season, wages high, and 
various kinds of farm labor is urgent, just at the 
time when Indian corn needs most attention, we 
need to make our horses and horse hoes perform all 
that is practicable. We need to keep this agricul¬ 
tural proposition distinctly before the mind — hoe 
corn with the horses. 
“ In mechanics we are accustomed to compute the 
strength of one horse as equal to five active men. 
In cultivating corn, one horse with a skillful man 
will perform much more labor than this; and with 
an unskillful laborer to handle the cultivator or 
horse hoe, much less. There is need of the exer¬ 
cise of much skill in cultivating corn and potatoes, 
in order to save hard labor. 
“ In the first place, it is highly important to have 
the cultivator or horse hoe in good order. The 
teeth or diggers should be not only sharp but well 
polished, so that the earth will slip well. When tho 
teeth are rusty, and the earth adheres to them, the 
work will not be performed half as well, usually, as 
If the surfaces were bright. Let them be put on a 
grind stone and well polished before they are used; 
and wheu they are not in use, let them be oiled or 
varnished to keep them from rusting. Now, in 
Now, the question naturally arises in the mind of order to perform the operation of cultivating or 
the candid thinker, What killed the bees? I pro- horse hoeing corn in a skillful manner, it is neees- 
i sary to run as closely to the corn rows as practi¬ 
cable. This will cut up and cover up all the grass 
and weeds, and leave but little to be performed with 
the hand hoe. But if a laborer is not an active, 
skillful workman, or is careless, and allows the 
horse-hoe to move along hap-hazard, and does not 
make an effort to run the cultivator close to the 
rows, there will be a vast amount of hard labor to 
be performed with the hand hoe. 
“ When farmers have raw hands or unskillful 
workmen, they should spend an hour or two with 
them in showing them how to handle a horse hoe or 
cultivator with skill and efficiency, in order to save 
hand labor. We may tell some laborers how to 
perform this or that job, a half dozen times, and 
they will not be able to do it a3 they desire. But, 
take hold of the implement yourself, and let them 
walk by your side, and direct their attention to the 
more important manipulations, and they will soon 
learn —if they have but little gumption—to culti¬ 
vate Indian corn and potatoes in the best and most 
fariner-liko manner.” 
Protect Sheep after Shearing. 
Last season, about the 20th of this month, we 
had a very cold storm of rain; and as many sheep 
had just been sheared, hundreds of them were 
chilled to death; and many a farmer learned a 
lesson on protection of animals which they will 
never forget. 
Let us who have sheep, all recollect to allow them 
to have access to a shelter during cold storms, which 
usually occur during this month, and sometimes in 
July also. In our changeable climate, where we 
at-o so liable to very sudden transitions from heat to 
cold, our improved slock of all kinds will sufl'er 
very sensitdy if they are not protected. My own 
practice always has been to bring even my horses 
and cows to the stable dining the cold and chilling 
storms ot June and July, or of any other month. 
When the storm continues all day, allow them to 
graze for about two hours at one time, and then let 
them return to their shelter. Removing the fleece 
from a sheep is as great a change as it would l>e for 
a man to wear over-coat, under-coat, and vest, until 
mid-summer, and then take them all off at one time. 
-lb. _ 
Sheep Husbandry in New England. 
Levi Bartlett, writing to the Boston Culti¬ 
vator , on sheep and wool growing, says he prefers 
the Merinos to the South Downs and other coarse- 
wooled breeds, because they can be kept in large 
flocks, are hardier, and will yield a greater quantity 
of wool, worth more per pound. The average 
weight of the fleece of the Merino, in Massachusetts, 
is 3 tbs. 2 oz. In New Hampshire, Mr. Bartlett’s 
section, they average from 4 lbs. II oz., to 5.J lbs. 
By the use of pure-blood rams, heavy-wooled, and 
breeding ewes to match, the weight ol the fleece has 
been doubled, and the quality improved. To secure 
this, tho following plan has been adopted by some 
of the sheep-growers of that section: Each sheep is 
numbered, and w hen sheared the following year, 
the fleece is weighed as soon as taken off, and its 
weight entered on a book opposite the number of 
the sheep from which it was taken. The heaviest 
fleeced ewes (if they are otherwise right ) are used 
for breeders. They have kept such a record for a 
uumber of years past, and each year shows an 
increased average weight of fleece. They keep an 
accurate account of all sales of wool, sheep. etc., 
and annually know how the account current of 
“profit and loss” stands. It is expected they will 
bring the average to seven pounds of washed wool. 
The coarse wool 6ells for one-fourth less than the 
fine wool, and the importation of the latter being 
largely in excess of that of the former, it is a stroke 
of good policy for farmers to increase the number 
of line-wooled sheep, in preference to those mainly 
fit for mutton. _ 
Cleaning Milk Vessels. 
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette 
truly says: “There is no product of the farm that 
presents so much difference as butter. This arises 
chiefly from using vessels lor bolding the milk, and 
utensils in making the butter, which are soured. In 
Diy notice of the effects of baring soured troughs in 
sugar-making, I stated that acidity was fatal to good 
sugar making. It is not less so in butter-making. 
Milk has a peculiar acid, very easily formed, which 
entirely takes away that rich, sweet, tine flavor, 
belonging to good butter. A very little soured 
milk or cream on vessels rapidly generates enough 
acid to take it away. To avoid this, great care is 
requisite. Cleanliness only is not sufficient, in hav¬ 
ing the milk vessels well washed, but they must be 
carefully washed in boiling hot water, and should 
be boiled in it also. But as the cream is very apt 
to stick, even in good washing, when the vessels are 
boiled in water, some pearlask or soda should be put 
in it, which destroys any acidity that may be about 
the vessels. They Bbould then be well sunned. I 
have known some good butter makers who dis¬ 
pensed with the punning when soda was used, but 
both are to be commended.” 
Sandy Soils can be Stirred too Mitch. 
A correspondent of the Fanner and Gar¬ 
dener thinks the New Jersey farmers use the plow, 
harrow, and cultivator too frequently, and the roller 
too seldom. Sandy soils are too lull of air, and 
require much heavy rolling to make them compact 
and retentive of moisture. 
-» . ♦ ■ >- 
gttQMWis ana gVnsuw. 
Rawhide Hai.tkii.-i Wanted.— In looking over a backnmn- 
ber of’the Rural, I saw where a gentleman recommended 
rawhide for halter* on account of its strength. I would like 
to i ir)H ire ol' Mime of your subscribers how to tan a calf skin 
to make rawhide, and whit shape to make a halter? I have a 
horse that will pull, and can get nothing to hold him but a 
great, bungling, rope halter. I would like something smaller, 
and as stroug or stronger. — A. H. Olmstkad, Eric Co., Pa. 
For Unruly Cattle an exchange proposes the following 
described style of jewel.'’ Though not ornamental, it may 
prove effectual, and hence worthy of adoption in extreme 
cases.—“ An OZ or cow that is accustomed to throwing fences 
may be prevented doing so by taking a large wire and bend¬ 
ing it in the shape of a bow, then bend the points in the 
shape of a fish hook; tie two strings to the wire, place the 
hooks in the nostrils lightly, and tie one string to the point of 
each horn. This will prevent the most unruly ox or cow 
from throwing fences/'_ 
Warts on Horses,— In answer to an inquiry on the sub¬ 
ject, we quote the following about curing warts on horses 
from I)r. JHNSUfOS’ work entitled “The Horse and His Dis¬ 
eases”:—“The fungous growth appear in the horse most 
frequently about the mouth, nose, and lips; but they are 
occasionally found upon other parts of the body. They are 
sometimes found in large numbers about the lips of colts, and 
are generally rubbed off, or dropped off; if, however, they 
grow large, and become deeply rooted, they may bo cut off 
by passing a needle through the center, armed with double 
thread, and tied tightly around the neck on each side. This 
prevents the possibility of tire ligatures being rubbed off; or 
they may be painted over with tire pre-maganate of potash, a 
few applications of which will entirely destroy warts of a large 
size; or they may be removed with a knife,” 
Bural Jfotcs atiir Stems. 
The Season, Crops, Sir —There has been no favorable 
Change in the weather, or crop prospects, in this rcgj UDi gf 
our last report. The season continues very uttfavorabk— 
and cool. Others than habitual croakers complain, an ,j ^ 
prospect is discouraging in this and other sections where the 
drouth and cool weather prevail, Some crops are material) 
injured, and beyond recovery—for a fur or average yield —1 
even if rain and warmth are vouchsafed us immediately 
Last week was Unusually cold for the season, and the present 
opened more like November than the middle of Juno. Over 
coats and fires were in demand on Sunday, and a sharp f rort 
occurred that night, or rather on Monday morning —as most 
of the freezing was between 5 and G o'clock A. M of the leth 
! Though tender vegetation was more or less touched, w ,, 
think no serious damage was occasioned hy Jack’s untimely 
'Hit. We are inclined to believe, from reports received, that 
tho main field crops and fruit, escaped material injury, at least 
in this section, and we are not yet advised whether the frost 
visited a wide extent of country.-Our accounts front the 
West are less favorable than formerly, as will bp observed L 
reference to reports in this and preceding columns, yet we 
think the crop prospects moderately promising in the sections 
said to be visited by the chinch hug and army worm, and 
good in other localities of the grent granary.-From Canada 
we have unfavorable reports, a severe drouth having prevailed 
for some weeks over a large extent of territory, rt is said the 
growing crops arc suffering greatly from lack of rain. In 
some places, oats and com have not come up at all, while the 
grass crop is likely to prove a failure.-Prof De WRY, of this 
city, furnishes the subjoined report of tho weather and oondi 
tion of the crops : 
Weather of the First Half of June .—The uniformly pleasant, 
weather of this half month will find a cordial admission, but 
notan equal satisfaction—for the fortnight lias been rather 
cool, and has given but very little rain, and, as April and May 
were far below the usual quantity of rain, the earth ha* 
become dry. Indeed, the crops are suffering from the want 
of rain, especially the grass and spring wheat, barley and 
oats. The growth of com, too, is very alow. Yet the wells 
and springs have not failed. The trees have advanced rapidly, 
and winter grains, both wheat and rye, are generally fine. 
Cultivated strawberries begin to appear, and some varieties of 
cherry show their maturity is near. The woods and fields 
have abounded in tho wild flowers of the season. 
The av erage heat of this half month is 60.7 ', which is only 
2.7“ below the mean for 25years. The coldest day was the 7th. 
being 63', and the coldest morning at seven was 60*, on tho 
1st, and the next coldest 62% on the 4th ami 8th. The hottest 
noon Was 84*, cm the 12th. The 15th was cool again, while at 
the South the heat was severe on the 13th and 14th, 
The first half of June, 1861, was as much above the average as 
this is below, making this period last year much warmer than 
this, but then the season was later from the amount of rain 
and cool weather, especially in May. 
Great rains at the South have produced high and destructive 
floods in Virginia and Pennsylvania, and at the West. The 
rains have approached us on tho east and south, but left a 
large part of Western New York and Canada West to suffer 
from drouth. May wo not expect rain soon 7 
The Season in the West - Chicago. June 14, 1862.—A 
marked change in rumors and reports from the country lias 
been obtained since my last. In Soutli Ulinois the chinch 
bug and fly are at work, anil their ravages inerease. The 
army worm does not seem to make progress. The rust will 
not affect the crop. The fruit prospect continues good. 
From the central counties of die State, good reports are 
received From the north-western and northern counties of 
the State, and from some parts of Iowa and South Wisconsin, 
reports of the destruction of the w heat by chinch bug and fly 
are received. It is asserted that wheat fields have been plowed 
up and planted in corn. That there is more than the usual 
amount of this kind of talk I doubt. If two fields in a county 
are plowed tip, it will produce a great sensation all over the 
country—for it is sufficient base fora sensation rumor. There 
is wheat enough to sell every year, and more grown than is 
profitable to producers If something will happen to lead 
our farmers to adopt some other husbandry, it will he a bless 
ing to them. It is dry iu Minnesota, and crops will suffer 
some If rain has not relieved them ere this date; hut the 
prospects generally in tin; State are gratifying. Ditto in Wis¬ 
consin, with few exceptions I learn from a gentleman just 
in from across the lake that the recent frost lias injured the 
peach crop on the Michigan shore seriously. Crops, as a 
whole, may he called backward, but as a rule, there is nothing 
discouraging in their condition.— C. d. b. 
Tub Wool Market —But little wool has yet been brought 
into market—in fact comparatively few sheep arc yet shorn in 
this vicinity. Of course prices are not established. Good 
medium wools are worth from lid to 40 cents. Fleeces of fine 
open wool, in good condition, bring the latter figure. The 
range of prices (including coarse Bake well wools, which 
bring a cent or two less than other ordinary kinds,) may be 
quoted at from 88 to 40 cents—the figures at which we pre¬ 
dicted the market of this region, Ohio, and Michigan would 
open. One of our dealers lias an agent iu Ohio who is buying 
at 36 to 40 cents—au average of 37L cents—which is fully up 
to our anticipation two weeks ago, when the article given in 
the Rural of the 14th was penned. From present indications 
we anticipate active competition among buyers, and a conse¬ 
quent advance iu prices. 
— in tliis connection, and partly in response to an article 
in another column, we republish a paragraph from the Rural 
Of Aug. 4, I860, as follows: 
Are me Wool Growers at Fault? —A few days ago we 
were accosted hy a wool buyer, in the street, substantially 
thus— Why don't you blow up the farmers about the ridic¬ 
ulous manner in which they put up their wool. They take 
no pains to have the fleeces'clean and nice, and put in all the 
dirt possible. Hi fii/ t,’ he added, “I don't, believe there is an 
honest farmer in the State!” To this salutation, wc simply 
replied that we had, nntil this season, annually enjoined 
farmers to take pains in preparing their wool for market, but 
finding that dealer* made no dMcrivnnatwn In favor of those 
who were partieular, bnt by their Connie actually paid a 
premium for care let me**, if not dishonesty, we hud offered no 
advice off the (subject. To the sweeping charge of dishonesty, 
we ivtorted that the purchasers were mainly at fault—for, 
inasmuch as they would not discriminate, wool growers could 
not bt> expected to take special pain, for their exclusive 
benefit. This “flea in the ear”of our Interlocutor brought 
him to Ids senses, and he admitted that we were right—that 
some of his agents hail really paid suv ranch for poor, dirty lota 
of wool, ns for good, clean ones! Meeting another dealer, 
sooti after, we inquired of him On (lie subject, and he averred, 
unhesitatingly, that our poritien was correct—adding that 
the rivalry among buyers and their anxiety to purchase, was 
such that proper discrimination was rarely in.-ule, and of course 
farmers had no inducement to be careful or painstaking. 
Hence wo infer that the dishonesty is inuiuly attributable to 
purchaser*, rather than producers, and hope the former will 
be J1 freed until they adopt the practice of paying, as they 
should, tv good price for a nice, clean article, and less for that 
which is foul or Ulterior. “ Reform it altogether," gentlemen. 
Home made Bonk Manure. —We publish a brief article, in 
another column, on the process of converting bones into 
manure; and here is an item on live same subject from a 
Maine correspondent of the Am. Agriculturist , who describes 
how he makes a good bone manure:—“A kettle holding a 
barrel or more, which is kept for boiling roots for stock, is 
filled with bones, aud caustic lye poured iu to cover them. 
A gentle fire is built for two or three successive days, to 
barely warm the liquid through. In a week the bones will 
become soft and fine. The mass obtained from one barrel of 
bones is then mixed well with about three loads of muck, the 
leached ashes from which the lye was obtained being mixed 
with the heap. After lying a while for tho muck to partly 
decompose, the fertilizer is ready for use, aud produces good 
effects.” _ 
Interesting Announcements—T he new and other Adver¬ 
tisements in out- present number. Most of them t«e seasona¬ 
ble, and quite a number are importantto fanners and horticul¬ 
turists who would properly harvest, put up, aud market their 
crops. The Horae Powers and other machines of Emery 
Bros, are so conspicuously announced as to attract special 
attention, while the advertisements of Messrs. Sobknck & 
Bko., Takiios, and others, will not he overlooked hy parties 
interested. The crowded state of our advertising department 
indicates a revival of business and return of prosperous times 
—anil also that enterprising manufacturers aud dealers know 
where to advertise their wares aud products in order to secure 
an abundance of good customers. We reject many advertise¬ 
ments, and trust all admitted in the Rural will prove bene¬ 
ficial to both readers and advertisers. 
