should be protected from the weather and chaffed 
and steamed or pressed when fed to cattle. In 
a cold day I have seen young cattle leave bright 
wheat straw to eat the chaffed but* of the large 
stalks of the Dent Corn. A cow will leave the 
beet of thrashed straw to eat the worn out straw 
of a long used underbed; but this may be owing 
to its easier mastication. 8. w, 
Thanks— Are eminently due and gratefully tendered 
to Correspondents, Agents, and numerous other warm 
friends of the Rural Nbw-Yorkkr, for favors, efforts 
and influence bestowed and made In iu behalf dnring 
the past two months. Did not those Interested com¬ 
prise a myriad we would endeavor to respond to the 
kindness of each in a more direct and personal man- 
ner,—but situated as we are it is utterly Impossible 
for us to make any other than this general acknowl¬ 
edgment of the mountain of obligations with which 
we have been overwhelmed by generous and noble- 
hearted friends. After a little—when oar dally labore 
and cares are lees constant and irksome—we hope to 
more appropriately manifest our appreciation of the 
efforts of litraxLisrs. 
E»s. Rural New- Yorker In my last 
“burry-Dotes" on “Horses and Breeding,” I 
mentioned Gen. How ard, of reaper celebrity, as 
an extensive breeder. Since then I have paid a 
visit to his farm, which is about four miles from 
the city, road-wise. I was driven there behind a 
very handsome pair of gray Normans, bred near 
Lockport. At times, they were allowed to show 
their plates, which they did in good style at 
about a three-minute gait 
The General, an you may be aware, is a man of 
means, living in elegant style on Delaware street, 
and farms it from ft simple passion, turning his 
attention largely to the raising of stock. He 
has in his stables four very fine throe-year olds 
of the Royal George and Norman breeds of 
horses, while In hla yard arc several yearlings of 
the same breeds, with the exception of two which 
were sired by the celebrated Erricson Horse, of 
Detroit. Both of these colts show the value of 
proper crossing. One of them struck me as 
unusually shapely iu form, and springy in its 
movements, and I have no doubt if properly 
attended to will early make his mark as a trotter. 
One of hia Royal George colts deserves par¬ 
ticular mention. He stands about sixteen hands, 
has great bone and muscle, and In color and 
look is the picture of his sire. The stable-man 
informed me that he gives every sign of speed, 
and that the General intends to retain him for 
stock purposes. As this is a favorite breed of 
horse* here, this announcement will be received 
with pleasure by those in this county who are 
paying any attention to the breeding of the 
horse. 
Perhaps, though a little out of the main pur¬ 
pose of these “rough notes," it may not be 
Breeders’ and Wool Growers’ Association, at 
Syracuse, January 10th. The minutes of the 
meeting were hauded to us by the Secretary and 
were forwarded to the Rural New Yorker for 
publication, in time for the issue of January 
27th. They wore not received, and In their 
place, Mr. Mookb gave an imperfect report of 
the proceedings, copied from a Syracuse paper.* 
They will be correctly published hereafter. 
From this meeting wc proceeded directly to 
New York to make Investigation ia regard to 
the kind of wools imported into the United 
States, and the respective amounts of duties 
paid on them. This was done under a resolu¬ 
tion of the National Wool Growcnss’ Associa¬ 
tion, and we were accompanied by Hon. E. B. 
Pottle, as a colleague. On the 17th of Janu¬ 
ary the Executive Committees .of the National 
Wool Growers’ Association and of the National 
Association of Wool Manufacturers, met, by 
appointment, in New York, and remained in 
session until the 24th. They then adjourned to 
meet again in New York February' 0th. A 
public disclosure of the proceedings of the Con¬ 
ventions now would be premature. 
The constant and BCvere labor which has de¬ 
volved on us, and which will continue to 
devolve on us, together with resulting imperfect 
health, will preclude our giving the usual atten¬ 
tion to this Department, until the subjects before 
the above named Executive Committees (an 
attempt to agree on the details of a wool and 
woolen tariff,) arc satisfactorily disposed of, or 
arc placed by each party, lrorn it* own point of 
view, before Congress. We trust our readers 
will remember that we arc laboring with all our 
might, and unpaid, in the cause, We trust that 
our correspondents of every description, will 
wc arc 
(lock the next year. One peculiarity is that it 
seems usually to attack the fattest lamias, but 
this is not invariably so. I knew one flock kept 
hungry on purpose to avoid the disease, but still 
it did not escape. Another peculiarity la that 
it does not often attack lambs less than two nor 
more than live weeks old, and I have never 
known It to exceed the extreme range of from 
four days to six weeks. 
I do not propose here to offer any suggestion 
as to what the disease is or what are its causes; 
but I will venture some opinions as to what it is 
not. It is not in the breed, because I have seen 
it in the Merino, the Baxon, the Cotswold, the 
coarse-wooled “Wood Rangers," and all their 
grades. It is not In housing, because It prevails 
among flocks which are well housed — partially 
housed—and not housed at all. It is not in the 
feed of the mother, because the same land has 
afforded healthy pasturage, and hay and water 
since the settlement of the country. It is not 
in the health of the mother, because frequently 
one of a pair of twins will die and the other, 
drawing it* support from the same ewe, will 
remain entirely well. And again — In case a ewe 
loses her lamb from this disease, an <5 a foster 
lamb is given her, It thrives as well as any, and 
I do not remember ever to have seen a second 
lamb die from a ewe by this disease in one year. 
It is not in the kind of land, for it appears on 
the sand and loamy river bottom —on the gravel 
hills — aud on the most tenacious clay. It is 
Double Minded Farmers. 
One great principle for success in business, 
is learning a trade well and then sticking to it. 
It roquiree a long time to know everything con¬ 
nected with successful business. An acquaint¬ 
ance, a seed-dealer, stated that for the first five 
years, he could not ascertain that he made any¬ 
thing. But he was learning. Before ten years, 
he was clearing five thousand dollars per year. 
Another was doing well in manufac turing ropes. 
But he was unstable in mind, and although his 
friends advised him to “hang io the rope*," he 
was not getting rich fast, enough, but he med¬ 
dled with business he had not learned suffi¬ 
ciently, bought a mill, bought grain, and then 
broke a bank by his large failure. Some farm- 
era come to the conclusion that cows are the 
most profitable; purchase animals, erect build¬ 
ings, and begin well. But bring new business, 
they do not succeed a* they expected; they 
might if they would stick to it. The next year 
they sell their dairy and bny sheep. The price 
of wool is low that year; and they hear that 
much money has been made by raising tobacco. 
Thus they go on, changing from one thing to 
another, and never succeeding in any. Stick to 
your business. 
Sorghum Sirup - Culture op Sorghum, &o.—Wc 
are indebted to L. S. Robin-on of Phelps, Ontario Ce., 
N. Y., for a very nice article of Sorghum sirup of hia 
own manufacture. Its flavor is unexceptionable and 
equal to the best New Orleaus molasses. He cultiva¬ 
ted last year eight acres, which produced 100 gallons 
to the acre. It was planted In hills 8% feet apart, 
with 5 to 7 stalks in each hill, was cultivated and hoed 
twice and in gathering he only reserved from fonr to 
live joints of the lower part, which wae properly 
ripened and the saccharine principle fully developed, 
rejecting the upper and unripened and green parts— 
the true process in this northern climate. He uses 
no time or other chemicals to refine it, as he finds no 
necessity for their use. The refnee or tops, and the 
strippings, are cured to feed cattle, which he finds 
superior to the best hay; and the ekimmings are fed 
to the hogs with great advantage. The bagasse, or 
stalk* after pressing, he applies to mulch his young 
orchards. Ileuses Claris's Victor Mill and Cook's 
Evaporator, both of which perform all their require¬ 
ment* to perfection and produce 40 gallons every 
twelve hours work. 
Many large districts at the Weetare how producing 
all the sweets they require, in some localities making 
very fair sugar, an article which we will not be' dble 
profitably to effect here; but if a good, cheap and 
palatable sirup can be produced in these dear, or any 
other times, it most become a very valuable addition 
to onr product*, and worthy every farmer's attention. 
Plana and Management. 
General management in farming is what 
is of vital importance to every one who tills the 
soil, whether on a large or small scale. 
Success 
iu farming, as in all other branches of business, 
does not depend upon mere luck, as many sup¬ 
pose, but upon a thorough knowledge of the 
business, united to judicious plans, by which all 
work shall be performed in season. The farm¬ 
er's business should not drive him, but he should 
drive his work, so that there need be no per¬ 
plexity, needless haste or confusion. Farmers 
should keep correct accounts: by which I mean 
something more than merely keeping debt and 
credit with the trader and mechanic, highly im¬ 
portant as tills is. He should once a year take 
an inventory of his property, including his lia¬ 
bilities and assets. This may be easily attended 
to during the stormy days and long evenings of 
winter season, without serious interference with 
his customary labors.— Selected, 
appreciate the circumstances in which 
placed, and not expect public or private answers 
to their communications for the present. 
* After waiting for Dr. Randai.i/* account nntil the 
latest practicable moment, Mr. Moore gave the only 
report obtainable, supposing it to be mainly correct. 
Toe Secretary’s ndnntes'wrni received a day too late 
—having been u held for postage ** (some ten days) in 
the New York post-office, for the reason that the old 
style of stamps had accidentally been used. The 
document would have been sent to the Dead Letter 
Office, had not a friend of our* in the N. Y. office 
discovered and kindly forwarded the same to our 
address.— m. 
| celebrated trotting stallion “Pelham Tartar." 
This horse was sired by Toronto Chief, one. of 
the very fastest trotting horses under saddle that 
lias ever showed on the track, lie is seven 
years old, of good size, of very handsome ap¬ 
pearance, and has already made his mile in 2:32, 
Mr. Wells raises colt* for sale, and ha* already 
disposed of some very promising ones. It is 
to be hoped that he will retain Pelham here, for 
breeding purposes, as he is of that style ot horse 
that will bring good colt* from even the ordinary 
farm mare, iu his stable Is also a little horse of 
the Black Hawk brged, known by the name of 
“Sam Slim," who sometimes exhibits his heels 
on the road to his competitors with an ease t hat 
shows that the little horse Is every inch — a 
trotter. He was got by the McCracken Horse, 
now in California. One of the colts which 1 
saw among Mr. Wells’ string was sired by Crit¬ 
tenden, now owned, I believe, in your city. 
THE NEW LAMB DISEASE, 
[The following clearly written account of this dis¬ 
ease is from the pen ol' lion. R. M. Montgomery, 
President of the State Wool Growers’ Association of 
Ohio. We commend it to the particular attention of 
our readers,—Eo.] 
In the RuraL of July 29, 1865, there appeared 
an article on “ Disease of Lambs,” called out 
by a letter from my friend amt neighbor, J. L. 
Binouam. As he has given but a slight account 
of the disease, 1 propose to add the result of my 
observations, which 1 would have done at an 
earlier date, but I hoped that, some Other gentle¬ 
man would give a fuller and more intelligible 
account than I am able to do. 
The disease referred to came under my notice 
first in the spring of 1863, and has reappeared in 
each succeeding spring. Iu 1.862 it was confined 
to one small flock, so far as I am informed, but 
iu that flock it was terribly fatal. Since’thcn it 
has widened its field of prevalence, but has, 1 
think, in some measure modified its form, and 
perhaps slightly abated its malignity. On its 
first outbreak, it may be said (with at, least some 
propriety,) that it had no “ symptoms,” because 
it terminated so suddenly that there was no 
opportunity to observe the sickness. There 
were but twenty-one lambs in the flock, and 
out of these there died one u day for six days, 
(being a little over 25 per cent.,) and although 
they were seen every half day, five of the six 
were dead when they were found, and the sixth 
one lived but n few minutes, after It was dis¬ 
covered to be sick. The balance of the flock 
remained entirely well. The lambs which died 
Were about three weeks old, and quite fat and 
strong—had been but -slightly housed, and lu^cl 
abundant ventilation and exercise, and were 
kept on land where lambs had been entirely 
healthy for the thirty previous years, and almost 
entirely healthy (on that farm) since then. 
According to my observation during the years 
I 860 , ’61, and '65, the first symptom—the first 
discoverable remove from a state of healt h—Is an 
apparent feebleness or numbness of tire limbs. 
In some instances the lamb goes first down on 
his knees and afterwards down altogether, from 
which condition I never know but one to recover, 
and that one but partially. Iu other instances 
they stand with their logs bracing each other, 
and are indisposed to move about. The eye be¬ 
comes dilated and glassy. The head is thrown 
squarely back on the top of the shoulder, (which 
js .the peculiar, the ehuraeterlHtic symptom of 
the disease,) and soon spasms occur which ter- J 
minate in death. Others, again, are found which 
Feed of Milch Cows. 
The sources of feed for milch cows in the 
Summer and Autumn arc, as we" have seen the 
present season, rather fluctuating and uncer¬ 
tain. A milch cow requires full feed during the 
entire season, and if she is stinted she will fall 
ol!' in yield. But we are liable to drought* every 
year, aud onr light land pastures are often the 
first to suffer. We should do better to look out 
beforehand for an extra supply of food to meet 
these emergencies. For want of extra sources 
to draw upon, many of ns had to put the herd 
very early upon the fall feed, and to tin- injury, 
no doubt, in many cases, of the next year’s hay 
crop. If we had looked out in season for an 
extra supply of feed in the shape of green com, 
cabbages, and other crops, it would have bee n 
better economy to have resorted to stall feeding 
during the drought, and saved our mowing lots. 
Wc can do better next time.— Mass. Ploughman. 
Vermont Rural Items— (Prepared for the Rural 
New-Yorker by a Vermont Boy)— F. L. Uuham of 
Wethersfield, recently sold an American Merino ram 
for $1,000 to a Texan flock-master.- Geo. Campbell 
of Westminster, has sold fifteen rams to go to Aus¬ 
tralia.-M. K. Griffith of Tunbridge, raised the 
past season on 51 square leet ol ground, onions at the 
rate of 1,815 bushels per acre.-Tun linosburgh. 
Center Cheese Factory made -00,000 pounds of cheese, 
last season *2,100 in number— Irom 2,100 iKX) pounds 
of milk.-A am i. rttWed and owned by V.', it. Dean 
of Factory Point, weighs 4,340 lbs. It is said to he the 
largest bull in the State, il not iu New England.- 
David Jack of Marshfield, caught 27 minks the last 
fall, which he sold for nine dollars each — David 
Haskell of Peacham. lately killed a pig 9 mouths old 
whose dressed weight was 412 pounds. 
Effect of Bad Seed. 
How slight a thing will sometimes have a 
serious effect. For instance, the farmer prepares 
u large field of corn, plants it with bad seed, as 
is so often done, and the labor is all for nothing. 
He has to plant over, and then he will get a late 
crop; the drought will affect it,and sometimes the 
frost. If a third planting is ueoessury, us is some¬ 
times the ease, the mutter is still worse. With 
wheat aud the other grains, the crop is generally 
a failure. Planted at the rigli ttirne, a re-sowing 
must be too late, and thus defeats the whole 
crop. Now, with a little care good seed may be 
had — and then all this evil will be avoided. Is 
it not sheer carelessness i We cannot be too 
careful In getting-ripe, sound, healthy seed.— 
Rural World. 
Profitable Farming. — A mend states that Mr 
James Peacock of Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y.’ 
grew last season, on four and one-half 'acres ot orch¬ 
ard, $3,384.90 worth of fruit. Ho offers $50 reward 
to the fanner who will heat that. This is hard to beat, 
in a season when apples are scarce, but read this: — 
Messrs. J. & G. Gueenway & Co., of Syracuse, N. Y., 
harvested last season from four acres ot llop Garden, 
$900 per acre—making $3,600 from four acres. This 
beats the fruit orchard — and in a season when hops 
were a failure. 
Bedding and Ventilation for Stock, 
Every farmer should see to it himself, how¬ 
ever trustworthy maybe lus boys or other assist¬ 
ants, that his cattle, sheep, horses and hogs are 
well bedded as well as lull fed and watered; also, 
that his barn or burns, where his stock is kept 
and fed, is or art- well ventilated. Domesticated 
animals, as well as man himself, need fresh air ; 
aud when compelled to breath a tainted and there¬ 
fore un irrespirable atmosphere, it is at the 
expense or risk of health and the highest purpo¬ 
ses which one has in stock breeding and keep¬ 
ing. Any observing farmer can tell on opening 
his barn in the morning whether the-veniilation 
thereof is ample .—Poston Outlivutor. 
Cashmere Goats.— Mr. II. Hammoxd, Jefferson Co., 
Ohio, asks: — “ Will you inform me where I can pur¬ 
chase Cashmere goats, aud at what avarage prices? 
What could one afford to pay for the purpose of grow¬ 
ing Cashmere wool ?—or, will it pay at all ? I want to 
investigate the thing, as I am a farmer and it is the 
farmer’s business to know all he can in regard to the 
different kinds of live stock. I aslc this as a favor, 
thinking that you would have a chance to know." We 
are not fully "posted" as to Cashmere goats. Will 
some one who is favor us with a communication on 
the subject? 
VALUE OF STRAW AS FOOD FOR CATTLE, 
Alderman Machi, the celebrated amateur 
English farmer, says that straw contains 18£ 
pounds of fat-forming oil iu the 100 pounds. 
But as cattle never willingly eat straw if they 
can get nitrogenous hay, rarely eating it except 
in very cold weather, it is evident that its raw 
carbonaceous matter goes more to support com¬ 
bustion and warmth in the animal’s stomach 
than to the flit, of animal tissue, lienee the 
“Scotch Farmer” is more than half right when 
it says—“ Mecht may persuade himself that, he 
is in the secret of converting considerable quan¬ 
tities of straw Into beef, but we rather suspect it 
is the straw which renders him capable of extract¬ 
ing nourishment out of the large allowance of 
concentrated food which he makes .use of." 
Chemistry tells us that all woody fiber contains 
starch and sugar, us does straw', only under dif¬ 
ferent and less available circumstances. Corn 
stalks must be still richer iu available starch and 
sugar than straw, as stalks cut and cured early 
contain, when dry, ready formed sugar crystals. 
' To make the most of straw, or stalks, they 
The Practical Shepherd.— I have one copy of the 
“ Practical Shepherd in my library'’’—the Lyndon Ag¬ 
ricultural Library contains two or more. I consider 
it one of the most useiul works published. There is 
not another book in our town library that shows wear 
like the Practical Shepherd. No wool grower of the 
present day can atl'ord to be without it.—I. W. San- 
Lorn, Lyndon, IV. 
Lice on Cattle. 
W. G. Wardenhall, Jefferson county, Pa., 
says, that “knowing larkspur seed would destroy 
lice on human beings, lie collected a quart of 
seed, ground it tine, soaked it a week in one 
gallon of strong vinegar, and then applied it 
with a sponge to all parts of the.animals; has 
never seen louse or nit since.” 
T. F. Haynes, Hartford county, Ct, writes to 
the Agriculturist;— Ikeep lice off my cattle by 
keepingjsulpbur and salt in winter where they 
can lick it when they choose; my cattle have 
had none since I practiced this.” 
Tire Largest Pig.—M r. Asa Crittenden of Groton, 
Tompkins Co.. N. Y.. killed 11 pig, w hich lacked three 
days of being ten months old, that weighed 453 lbs. 
It ate the last GO days GOO lbs. of corn meal. Who can 
make a better report J—A. T. Hol ut. 
Pulsation of Domestic Animals.— Vatel, 
the great veterinary of the continent, states that 
the rate of pulsation of the different domestic 
animals of the farm is as follows: The horse, 
32 to 38 pulsations per minute, an ox or eow r 35 
to 42, a sheep 70 to 79, the ass 48 to 54, goat 72 
to 76, the dog 90 to 100, the cat 110 to 120, the 
rabbit 120, and guinea-pig 140; of fowls, the hen 
140, the duck 135. 
Plan for a Cow Stable Wanted.—W ill you, or 
some one of your numerous readers, please give me 
through your excellent paper a good and convenient 
plan for a cow stable for six con s ?—A Subscriber 
Montgomery County , Ind. 
