made from yellow meal, if white could be 
obtained. Dr. Igham said yellow meal, when 
old, was apt to have a bitter taste. Yellow corn 
contained more oil than white, and when the 
meal was kept some time, the abundance of Joii 
had a tendency to become rancid, hence, the 
bitter taste of the meal.—.V. Y. Farmer's Club. 
If he finds the colonies in ODe class of hives giv¬ 
ing double the amount of surplus that col®nies 
give in the other class, or classes of hives, he 
would not hesitate which to prefer. If they 
gave seven times as much, he would put no new 
swarms in any other class of hives but the suc¬ 
cessful one, If he could obtain them. The rule 
would apply here with much propriety, “ prove 
all things, hold fast that which is good.’’ Trials 
made in different sections of the country, and 
made public through the press, might thus not 
only satisfy experimenters, but likewise prove 
a public benefit. Jasper Hazes. 
Albany, N. Y. 
Remarks. — We heartily endorse our corre¬ 
spondent’s practical suggestions. Carefully con¬ 
ducted, impartial experiments, such as will de¬ 
cide the merits of more than cme article or sys¬ 
tem in the comparison, arc one of the greatest 
needs of Agriculture in this country. Agricub 
tural schools and State experimental farms could 
accomplish much in this direction. 
selves if our requirement* were acceded to. and 
evincing a personal willingness to accept i>U £ basts , 
provided It should prove acceptable to the Govern¬ 
ment of their Association and other lL^diuB Manufac¬ 
turers, they traggestod art adjournment until b eb_Wh. 
This exactly met our views, lor we too felt inclineO 
to consult nur constituent*; hence my ctrcuUx ol 
January 29th. , ..... 
Had 1 retted during the recess, 1 should, as the 
event has proved, acted wisely, hot knowing there 
was slid a decided chance for disagreement, and 
knowing that it would be too late Alter the adjourn¬ 
ment to prepare our report to the Revenue Coimals- 
eiou, 1 resolved to put Lhe '• bars op' for any contin¬ 
gency. (The Manufacturers. I may remark, had a 
report nearly written wtitcb they could, use In case of 
disagreement.) bo 1 fluug myself 'on 
When completed tt comprised one hundred foolscap 
pages ; and a more voluminous appendix ol taoiee, 
documents, &c. You. will, thereto re. readily guess 
that I returned to New York not very «■*»» rested I 
On getting there, 1 found all our Committee aasem.- 
blert but Dr. Loiuno. We again submitted pur prop¬ 
osition of the 24th, word for word. Our base was 
accepted, but tome deviations proposed, and the 
mode and manner In which the Manufacturers ex¬ 
pected it* receive equal protection were set forth. 
The deviations were not concurred lu, but the expe- 
nltlou was accepted and the result li as stated in the 
brief editorial I sent to-day. 1 could not tiring away 
copies of the joint report and come other papers, and 
tauer explanations cannot be made until 1 get tnem. 
My health Is better than 1 expected it would be, 
and 1 hope a few days rest will eel me * aU right, as 
the New York waiters say U> every word you utter I 
Next week 1 win try to offer a historical account or 
our proceedings to the Rural readers, fcomewhat Oil 
lerent from and better than this letter, wnlcb 1 have 
an wittingly spun out to such an unconscionable Jengdi. 
Show this However, to —-and- . 
1 cannot close without adding a word, 'lhrilanu- 
fadurr.n have kept faith with it*. As 1 n “ tl,j rt*no toe 
terms of the arrangement, l cannot lor the tue oi me 
see huw they obtain any advantage by It the} do noL 
now poaaesa, except me advantage ol euoimousiy 
Increasing borne protection, the advantage Of having 
us friends and allies, and the hoped-lor advantage *■! 
securing stable Icglslatiun. On the other hand we 
gain much all we have a right lairiy My ask. but 
more on tMs topic hereafter. And if UeGovernment 
will repeal the onerous and unprecedented t«x on 
manufacturer*, the cuonge in tariff legislation pro¬ 
posed will not bear with any disproportionate weight 
“ 6 
We have received a letter from u member of Dr. 
Randall’s family, dated 10th Inst., which states that 
he WHS attacked by dipthcrin on the 13th, and although 
the case is not considered an alarming one, ho will 
DR. RANDALL’S HEALTH AND LABORS. 
Natural Springs of a Horse’s Hoof. 
Every one knows the additional power of 
resisting or sustaining concussion and weight 
any fibrous substance bits, If struck or pressed 
in the direction of the fibers, besides if acted on 
in any otber. Tlie hoof of the horse is com¬ 
posed of an infinite number of dense libers, 
strongly agglutinated together, and to enable it 
with lhe greatest advantage to meet and sup¬ 
port the concussion there is when it strikes the 
ground, these fibers are every one of them so 
placed in the unshod foot as to receive the shock 
directly on tbeir ends. In addition to this, the 
front part of the hoof, where the force of con¬ 
cussion is greatest, is twicc’or thrice as thick 
and strong as the sides and heels, its elope indi¬ 
cating exactly the direction of the descent of 
the horse’s weight. 
It will be remembered by many of our readers that 
on the 8 th ut Nov. last, a meeting of the Govcrment 
of the. National Association of Wool Manufacturer* 
was held at the St. Nicholas Hotel, New York, and 
that Dr. Randall. im honorary member of that As¬ 
sociation, was present by special request and took 
part in the proceedings. The substance of these was 
given In our issue of Nov. 25th, Feeling that the 
groat step ol calling the Syracuse meeting wa* adopt¬ 
ed In consequence of bis own suggestions, and feeding i 
keenly' alive to the immense Importance of that step, 
should it prove successful, he made very groat exer¬ 
tion* by writing letters to secure both a full and a 
proper representation of the Wool Growing interest. 
At the same time he was engaged in a large corres¬ 
pondence commenced to meet the wishes of the 
United State* Revenue Commission. 
The Syracuse Convention wan held on the 13th of 
Dec., and it* auspicious and highly important respite 
arc before the country. To meet the united wishes 
of all connected with the Wool Growing interest a 
National Wool Growers’ Association was there organ- 
land and Dr. Randall chosen it* President, Heat 
once, laid before it- Executive Committee hla corres¬ 
pondence with the t S. Revenue Commission, and, 
to meet the. wishes of the latter body , a scries of inter¬ 
rogatories was prepared to draw out Information from 
leading Wool Growers concerning the existing con¬ 
dition of the wool-producing interests of the country, 
lie mailed several hundred of these circulars, ami 
perhaps wrote as many letters and notes to corres¬ 
pondents on the same subject He attended the meet¬ 
ing of the N. Y. State Wool Growers’ Association on 
the 10th of Dec., and on the 11th, in pursuance of a 
vote of the National Association, with bis colleague, 
Mr Pottle, repaired to New York to make Investi¬ 
gations in regard to tho quality and condition of im¬ 
ported wools and the duties respectively paid on them. 
They were Joined by the lion. Edwin Hammond of 
Vermont and the Hon. R. M. Montgomery of Ohio, 
additional members of the same committee. Their 
investigations were pursued rapidly and successfully 
and the results materially contributed to tho success 
of their subsequent negotiations with the Manufac¬ 
turers by placing them on the firm ground of positive 
knowledge In regard to competing wools and the 
comparatively trivial duties paid on foreign wools 
finer than our own. Further allusion to the facts 
discovered by litem will be found In Dr. R.’s arti¬ 
cle given In another column, 
They remained thus engaged until Dec. 17th, Dr. 
Randall’* colleagues, as he wrote us, kindly assisting 
him to examine and collect lhe answers received from 
the Wool Growers to his circulars. The timely assist¬ 
ance was most fortunate, for already the over-worked 
machine gave indications of breaking down. On the 
17th, the joint committees of the Wool Growers and 
Manufacturers met, as had been agreed upon at Syra¬ 
cuse. at the St, Nicholas Hotel, In New York, for the 
purpose of ascertaining whether common representa¬ 
tions and recoilmv-ndiil ions could not be made by 
both in respect to the effect of the present tariff laws 
on wool and woolens and the amendments which it 
is expedient to make in those laws. The following 
letter from Dr. Randai.i., not written for publication, 
but which we trust under the circumstances we shall 
be considered excusable for placing before our readers, 
will explain what followed: 
Cortland Village, N. Y., Feb, 12. 
Mv Dear Woork:— My former note brought down 
proceeding* to our meeting with the Manufacturers. 
Jan 17. This opened with an unpleasant episode. I 
had been suffering for two or three days with an ex- 
traordlnary sensation about the. head-the eotimv 
quenc*. doubtless, or overwork, for I have written 
since onr negotiation* with lhe Marinfaeinrers com- 
irn-nned a little more than twelve hundred letters — 
not a few of them long and anxious ones; and I have 
done this while keeping no with other matters. Ir 
proved too much for me. On the evening of tho 16th. 
while conversing with mv colleagues everything sud¬ 
denly became dark and I fell Into a Slate which those 
present apprehended for a short, time to be approach¬ 
ing appopb-xv or paralysis This passed away. 1ml 
a dlz/.y aepsation remained. In the morning T felt 
better and ibought 1 c.onld goon with work. I had. 
however, scarcely taken my seat, in the Joint Com¬ 
mittee when, os sudden as a thunderbolt, another 
attack like to but severer than the flret again prostrated 
me. I have only a con (Vised re.collec.tlou of what 
occurred fora couple of days. for. though after a lit¬ 
re mv Judgment kepttime and tune when I lay quiet 
in bed, my grlflf anamortRlCAliOfL not to name a les* 
excusable fading, at being compelled to lie there at 
sne.h a time, kept, tip sueli a state of mind that all 
seem* like a dream as I look hack to it-a confused 
ami commingling series of tableaux — kind friends 
watching over me — committ ees calling— guests sod 
stranger- respectfully presenting thernH<‘lv< s, Ac.. <fcc. 
Meanwhile our people worked in the Committee 
room like hcroer Tbehusitu»ss there was to disenes 
and tf possible agree on preliminary questions, such 
at statistical facie and figures, estimates, and espe¬ 
cially the true basis of eqnality in protection as be¬ 
tween the. producer and the manufacturer. We have 
good metal. Mr. Pottj.b Is as springy as a bow and 
as swiff and sharp as an arrow. He 1* a singularly 
keen debater. Mr. Hammond Is ns calm and as solid 
as one of bis own Green Mountains. A more dili- 
S entlv thorough. Just and faithful investigator than 
tr. Montmomebt, and one more certain to reach an 
accurate conclusion hcforc committing himself, ts 
not fonnd tn s life time. I did not sec Dr. Doming in 
the Commit tea room at ell, or beyond a passing mo¬ 
ment, a* 1 remained 111 till after hi.- departure, but 1 
have no doubt be acquitted himself ss web as usual. 
On the other side were the same clear-headed, strong 
men we met at Syracuse, with two additions—J. W. 
Romano* or Boston, a powerful looking man, using 
ramark&hiv few words, hut. evidently one of the 
Corn Simp. 
It may now be two years since we announced 
that a German Chemist in Buffalo claimed to 
have discovered a process whereby the starch of 
Indian com might be readily transmuted into 
sugar, whereof It has long been known as the 
chemical equivalent. His patent was bought 
soon afterward, by a company in this city, who 
have since been experimenting with it, under the 
direction of Mr. A. F. Ockerehausen, the emi¬ 
nent and life-long sugar refiner, 17 Rose-et. 
Wc looked in t here a few days since, and gleaned 
the following facts: 
1. No marketable sugar has yet been made 
under this patent. That which alone has been 
produced in any quantity is what is known as 
grape sugar— differing in tho form of it* parti¬ 
cles from cane sugar, and not convertible into 
the latter by any known process, acceptable as 
a substitute therefor. 
8. Sirup, of a fair quality, is made of com 
tinder till* patent, and may be to any extent. 
We do not consider it so intensely sweet as cane 
or maple sirup of equal density, but we could 
detect no alloy or other fault in it. We should 
judge that one hundred gallons of com sirup are 
about equal to 75 of equally thick cane sirup. 
The color of the two does not materially differ. 
8. The starch of the corn Is separated for 
sirup precisely a* It Is for the production of 
the edible corn starch of commerce. Beyond 
that point we did not observe the process; but 
presume the transmutation of starch Into sugar 
is akin to that whereby ulcohol Is obtained from 
grain. 
4. Mr. Ockerehausen says that a bushel of 
corn yields three gallons of sirup, worth 75 cents 
per gallon. The residum (gluten, bran, <fce.) 
sells at 30 cents per bushel for feed. 
How far the company consider their invention 
or process a success, aud whether they still 
hope to produce unexceptionable sugar from 
corn, we did not inquire; but we believe they 
are satisfied that sirup from corn is a fixed fact, 
and one of decided importance.— N. Y. Tribute, 
Corubspon denck, Ac., Deferred. —In order to 
make room for matters which “ must go In ” this 
week'* Rural, we are obliged to defer several col¬ 
umns of communications, extracts and notices which 
are tn type for this number. Regret that our space 
is so limited —that our pages will only hold “so 
much ”—and must soon enlarge or put on an extra 
condenser. Meantime, thanks to contributors and 
correspondents, with an injunction—not to stop wri¬ 
ting. but to use a condenser. We have a number of 
excellent articles which we must condense or defer 
indefinitely—as preference must be given to seasona¬ 
ble and brief matters in a journal embracing the dis¬ 
cussion of so many subjects as does the Rural. 
THE ST. NICHOLAS HOTEL MEETING, 
Points of a Breeding Sow. 
S. Lewis of Boone County, Illinois, gives In 
the Prairie Farmer his ideas upon the subjects 
above:—“ In the first place she should be square 
built, have a short nose and short ears, short 
legs and back, with latter hollow or bent. Shoul¬ 
ders should be heavy and deep. Never let her 
raise pigs until she is a year old, and never but 
Then if she proves a 
one litter the first year, 
good milker let her raise two litters per year. 
I speak of her being a good milker. This is as 
essential in a breeding sow as Sn£a good mare. 
Such an animal will raise better pigs, and, of 
course, her progeny will be better liogs for 
market. 
I find that hasty pudding and milk for the 
supper and breakfast, and com for dinuer, con¬ 
stitute a very good diet for the brooding 60 w.— 
A great many farmers have fallen into an error 
in not allowing plenty of 6traw for a bed. Many 
build a warm pen in order to avoid giving her 
much straw'. Let her ruu to a straw stack and 
she will “build” a nest to suit herself. If this 
is not convenient, she should have plenty of 
straw in the pen. Attend to these matters, and 
I will warrant no trouble in raising pigs in the 
coldest of weather.” 
How to Jmdge the Weather by the Sky. 
Tuu colors of the sky at different times 
afford wonderfully good guidance. Not only 
docs a sunset presage fair weather, but there arc 
other tints which speak with clearness and accu¬ 
racy. A bright yellow in the evening indicates 
wind; a pale yellow wet; a neutral gray color 
constitutes a favorable sign in the evening—an 
unfavorable one in the morning. The clouds 
are full of meaning in themselves. If they are 
soft, undefined and feathery, the weather will be 
line; if.the edges are hard, sharp and definite, 
it will be foul. Generally speaking, any deep, 
unusual hues betoken wind and rain, while the 
more quiet and delicate tints bespeak fair 
weather. Simple as these maxims are, the Brit¬ 
ish Board of Trade has thought fit to publish 
them for the use of seafaring men. 
nies ol Italian uno name oecs, ui mves in me 
same class and size in the same field, and note | 
aud report the proceeds from each class, a few 
years’ trial may fully satisfy him, If there is a 
marked difference in their success, several trials 
of this character in different sections, reported 
through the agricultural press, would settle the 
question in the public mind, and it is a question 
of importance to the public. If one class will 
give one hundred, fifty, or twenty-five per cent, 
more than the other, that class should supercede 
the other as soon as may lie. If, on the other 
hand, sometimes one class does a trifle the best 
and sometimes the other, and no marked differ¬ 
ence is apparent, the public may be satisfied 
with the laborers they have already employed. 
A second question, of equal import, presents 
itself;—Upon the hive best calculated to secure 
success. There are several hives differing con¬ 
siderably in the principles of their construction, 
form and size. It is a general rule, that each 
approves and recommends to others the hive he 
has been accustomed to use, or in which he has 
a personal interest. This is not altogether un¬ 
reasonable, and it is cer tainly very natural. But 
this question may be easily settled by every bec- 
I keeper by actual experience, and a number of 
experiments, made by judicious men, and re¬ 
ported through the press, may lead the public 
to the adoption of th* best, if there is a marked 
and clear difference. Let the bee-keeper place 
an equal number of swarm*, as they issue, in 
hives of the different kinds that he would prove 
for his own satisfaction, and mark the result. 
ol' only 6 cts. per lb. The following statement, 
furnished the Committee by the Collector of the 
Port of New York, giving the imports of wool 
int o that port, and the duties paid, during the 
six montlie ending 81 at December, 1865, present* 
a suflident example of the proportionable 
amounts of foreign wools which pay the respec¬ 
tive duties, named in the tariff law: 
Quantity Value tn Amount of 
in lbs, Dollars. Dmy. 
Wool costing 12 cents or nQO , „ 
less, 8 (Sts. duty,.6,610,694 o(>l,039 16.1,320 S. 
Wool costing over 13 cts. 
0 ctS,“duty, Wr ^ 8,381,250 1.420,249 532,875 CO 
Wool costing over 34 cts. 
aud not over 32 cts., 12 
cts. and 10 pr. ct. duty, 60 31^ _5M0 
Total,. .11,891,991 1,984,819 60S,204 92 
Average rate of duty, 4 84-100 cts. per lb. 
* Perhaps we ought to say that a large portion of 
Manufacturers estimate that it now takes 4 lbs. of 
Mestiza wool to make a pound of finished cloth. 
The Best Corn. 
Which is sweetest and most nutriclous, 
White or Yellow Cora ? On this question there 
was a variety of opinions. Several members 
insisted that on© variety was as nutricious as the 
other. Some preferred white corn as being more 
palatable, and others the yellow. Mr. Brown 
was confident that the yellow was sweeter, and 
that pudding or bread from the white made a 
poor, white, insipid food, compared with tho 
rich yellow'. Mr. Whitman knew of many who* 
preferred the w-hitc, aud would not eat food 
Plastic Slate tom Roofing.— Have you, or any of 
vour numerous readers, had any experience with an 
article called -Plastic Slate," for roofing and similar 
tmmosea—now extensively advertised in the papers ? 
i see it is recommended very highly by some of the 
member* of tile Farmers’ Club, (American Institute.) 
but 1 would like to hear from some of the brethren of 
the “ Rural” persuasion. Will you or some one who 
mav chance to see this, inform through the Rural, 
and oblige V — AM Old Subscriber. 
