you do that it will be no better than rye straw. 
I think it better sown thick in drills, sufficiently 
wide apart to pass the cult ivator through several 
thn’es, until it is too large. Clover hay is very 
good for milch cows, if cut sufficiently early and 
is got in without rain, but if once wet, it iB no 
better, and hardly as good, as bright straw. Such, 
Messrs. Editors, are 60tne of the conclusions I 
have arrived at, and not, I can assure you, with¬ 
out, paying for them.— G. W. B.,in Country Gent. 
the kettles clean. When the former get a little 
slippery or soured they are set out from the tree 
to catch rain water, and arc then scrubbed out 
and turned down till the next run. When the 
kettles cannot be washed clean they are. filled 
with hickory bark and burned out, which is far 
the bC6t way of getting off the burned stuff from 
the top of them. 
When the eirup is done, it is stored away in 
barrels or casks, until they have leisure and a 
fair day to 6Ugar it, which is done in the same 
kettles where it was boiled into sirup. Should 
the sirup become ropy (sour,) salcratus or soda 
is used to sweeten it. 
In sugaring the tops of all the kettles are 
greased aud a Btnall piece of fat pork thrown 
Into each with four or five gallon* sirup and 
boiled with a light brisk fire until it will break 
in water, when it is dipped Into wooden pails 
and emptied into long stirring-troughs, where It 
granulates and cools, and when the lumps are 
worked out it U put away for use or sale. 
In conclusion I may say that too much care is 
not likely to be used to keep the kettles clean, 
that very rapid evaporation in small quantities 
(not much together) Is necessary to make good 
sirup, and that insures good sugar. 
New California, Ohio, 1866. A. 8. Chapman. 
To Correspondents. — Articles intended for the 
outside of the Rural (pages 1, 4. 5 and 8) should 
reach us from ten days to two weeks previous to the 
date of publication,—and for the Inside a week or ten 
days previous. Advertisements must reach the office 
six days preceding date of publication to secure in¬ 
sertion, as the pages of onr last form (inside) are 
closed Monday afternoon. Ea< h correspondent must 
send us his or her real name and address, even if the 
contribution bo published as anonymous, or over 
initials or a worn dr plume. This is necessary for our 
protection. Wc cannot become responsible for the 
return of the manuscripts of rejected articles 
N. Y. Sheep Breeders’ and Wool Growers 
Association. —The Executive Committee of the New 
York State Sheep Breeders’ and Wool Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation will meet at Syracuse, March 13th, atl o'clock 
P. M., for the transaction of business. 
Henry S. Randall, President. 
Elder Leaves and Insects, 
The leaves of the elder if strewn among 
corn or other grain when it is put into the bin 
will effectually preserve it from the ravages of 
the weevil. The juice will also kill bed .bugs 
and maggots. Insects never touch elder bushes. 
The leave* of the elder scattered over cabbages, 
cucumbers, squashes, and other jdants Bubjeet 
to the ravages of insects, effectually shield them. 
The plum and other fruits may be saved by 
placing on the branches and among them branch¬ 
es of the elder leave*.— Ex. 
LETTER FROM DR. RANDALL, 
Cortland Village, N. Y., Feb. 84. 
Mr Dear Moore: — I shall not ho able to 
resume my editorial duties in your next Isbuc, 
but have r ow no reason to doubt I Bhall resume 
them in the paper of Murch 10th. I Inclose yon 
an interesting article on “ Shepherd Lift* in 
Buenos Ayres,” which I cut from the New York 
Times. 
In my private letter, published by you last 
week, an omission occurs which makes me do 
injustice to Mr. Hammond of Vermont. In 
speaking of my propositions made to the Manu¬ 
facturers, I am made to say “ Mr. Montgomery 
firmly concurred in every word of them.” The 
sentence as I wrote it was, 44 Mr. Hammond and 
Mr. Montoomekt firmly concurred in every 
word of them.” Another mistake occur* of con¬ 
siderable significance. I am made to say “I 
cannot for the life of me see how they (the 
Manufacturers) obtain any advantage by it (Llielr 
agreement with us) they do not now possess, 
except the advantage of enormously increasing 
home protection,'' 1 &c. For pro! action read pro¬ 
duction. Yours truly, 
Henri 8. Randall. 
Fancy Casmumebe# Made in Western New York. 
—We saw a few days since a largo number of samples 
of fancy cassimerea manufactured by Oliver Ali.bn, 
Esq., of Mnmford, In this County. In both quality 
and appearance they were highly creditable, and 
good enough for the beat of people to wear. Why so 
many should purchase foreign caseimere* when such 
an excellent article can be obtained of American 
manufacture is a question worthy of aolutlon. Wo 
learn from Mr. A. that ho has rocontl y double ft h o 
capacity of hi* factory bfproenrin;; ne w a nd addi- 
squarc, like tiles or brlcKB,; inis is Kepi unaer 
cover, und if properly prepared burns with a 
clear bright blaze, affording a comfortable fire. 
It is perfectly inodorous, being in fact vegetable 
refuse with a very little animal matter. 
LIGHTS. 
When wc kill a wether we save all the tallow 
carefully, and from this we make our caudles, 
and it i* also used for cooking purposes. The 
remainder is shipped for the market, 
HOUSES. 
The houses of the shepherds are not remarka¬ 
ble for elegance —no palatial dwellings, you 
may be sure. They are built of the soil brick* 
of the country, mortared with a mixture of mud 
and ashes I believe, the walls plastered with the 
same material mixed with straw; the walls are 
generally about a foot In thickness; the floors 
aru composed of brick*. Our iqatrassos are 
made of sheep skins, or rather are composed of 
sheepskins, which make a soft, cleanly ned. 
SOCIETY. 
Wc are not fashionable; my * * wife keeps 
her silk dress folded away, as I do my best coat, 
for extraordinary occasions. We meet together 
now and then at* the neighbors, where wctalk of 
home, and get up old songs or a dance. I am 
generally called upon at such times for a story 
or 6ong, «fcc , then I give the “ Myrtle and Steele” 
in style. If you could hear me, you would 
think there never was a more unduuutod fellow. 
FOOD. 
Our market la not luxurious, aud —to own 
up—T do sometimes covet a litte better variety. 
Such as it U wc have an abundance. Our staple, 
of course, is mutton. Now mutton is very well 
under certain restrictions, (and ours is fine 
flavored, indeed, very fine; an epicure, even an 
English gourmand, might relish it,) but to break¬ 
fast upo i mutton, dine upon mutton, sup and 
lunch upon mutton, Is apt to make a fellow feel 
rather sheepish. 
Last summer I had a fine little garden, but the 
great drought of which I wrote you used it all 
up. Potatoes, melons, and, 1 idecd, all kinds of 
vegetable*, grow luxuriantly in this fiue climate. 
Had we but friends, the church-going hell and 
the school-house here, we. should he quite con¬ 
tent, for truly onr children are “some.” My 
boy, little more than four years old, l« out on a 
large horse looking after the sheep, and Eliza¬ 
beth anil Sophie are perched up on a big Beat, 
with a lamb between them, happy as queens. 
They are beauties — of couth". 
Drink for Milch Cows, 
Cows that give milk la winter will add much 
to their profit by giving them a bucket full of 
warm water twice a day, with a little meal or 
even the slop 3 of the family with it. Every one 
has noticed how an extremely cold day will af¬ 
fect their milk, or when they have become wet 
even in summer. A little salt with meal floating 
on the surface of such drink will soon teach any 
cow how to drink it. They will drink at the 
pump all the better for a little salt.— Me. Farmer. 
tional machinery—the best obtai nable in New Eug - 
l&nd. IIo can, and does, produce caaaimeres equal to 
any of the same stylo* made In New England, and 
we are glad to chronicle tho fact that Western Now 
York i« thu* progressive In an important branch of 
manufactures. 
NOTES ON THE RURAL OF FEBRUARY 10. 
Toe arc no donbt aware that the great “ Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker Brigade” 1* composed of 
widely scattered volunteers, having greatly vary¬ 
ing idea* and notion* of matter# and things as 
they exist, and as its Captain, in his 44 Mural 
Brief Mention" in today'* issue expresses grati¬ 
fication at efforts for its advance, one of its 
44 rank and file” ventures his likes and dislikes 
of it, the contents of said Issue, as follows: 
The “Corn Cob” discussion 1* the most sen¬ 
sible of anything upon the subject yet out, and 
only forgets to tell the farmers that timely fact 
that cobs are the best article to smoke their 
meat at their command. 
Farmers’ Clubs. —Let. It be a “ briefly repeat ," 
until every town has its farmers’ club,— and 
those towns where an old club U apparently in 
its last kick aud gasp for dear life, finds numer¬ 
ous students to help the old, worn veteran doc¬ 
tors, give it new life and action in the great field 
now needing its usefulness. 
“ Sorghum in Wisconsin.”— A valuable bint 
to farmers to count the cost before entering upon 
untried, visionary projects, and to mechanic* 
to put reasonable prices upon their wares if they 
desire continued patronage from producers. 
44 Among the Stumps.”— It is always refresh¬ 
ing to hear from your old scout, “II. T. B,,” 
Fearless, right and left, “ cut and slash” service 
in the 44 Brigade"—exposing the ** cut and cover” 
plowmen to the ridicule they deserve, ami a hint 
to farmers who arc unnecessarily destroying 
their timber and replanting none, without re¬ 
flecting that they are saving to their oam chil¬ 
dren, 44 1>— I take the hindmost.” 
“SmiDKLiAN ok Farm House.”—W ithout any 
note of the merits of internal divisions of this 
modern popular plan of building, (I think ot 
Downing origin,) 1 here venture to offer the 
first vote ever ventured against so much want 
of utility, economy and convenience as appears 
on top of this plan. It adds no room, but oth¬ 
erwise, compared with a common sense, much 
less expensive and more durable plain roof of 
double rafters as far back as to Include kitchen 
and pantry, with wide protective eaves and ga¬ 
ble*. To my eye, these pigeon-house ornaments 
always appear repulsive, hut eyes educated to 
admire horns* on cattle rather than the smooth 
head of the harmless mooly, and the enormous 
41 rat’s nest” supported by a slim neck and slen¬ 
der waist, may endure like want of propriety 
surmounting our country homes, where all our 
study should be to banish the pretension* that 
are not productive of true economy and real 
happiness at home. 
44 Siikef Husbandry.” 
Not “National" but State.— A New England 
agricultural contemporary gravely announce# that 
“the National Wool Growers’ Association assembled 
In Pittsburgh, Penn., on the 8th inst., and a perma¬ 
nent organization was effected"—that Dr. Julius F. 
LeMovne of Washington Co. was ch(>MU-. President— 
aud that “the object of uie Association Is to advance 
the wool growing interests of the United States, and 
harmonizu the interests of the producing and manu¬ 
facturing chinees of the United Stales, eo as to nfivance 
the prosperity of our common country.’’ Inasmuch 
as a National Wool Growers’ As-oeiation waa perm a-- 
nenlly organized at Syracuse, N. Y, on the 12th of 
December last-electing Hon. Henrt S. Randall of 
New York, President, W. F. Greer of Ohio, Secretary 
and IIknrt Clark of Vermont, Treasurer—we sus¬ 
pect onr contemporary must be in error. A Pennsyl¬ 
vania Wool Growers’ Association was formed) at 
Pittsburgh about the time named, (see particulars 
in last week’s Rural.) and hence the main error is 
In giving the title a* National instead ol ft tale. 
WINTER MEETING OT N. T. STATE AO. SOCIETY. 
In our last we gave a synopsis of the first day's 
proceedings at the annual meeting of the N. Y. State 
Agricultural Society, and now give the result of the 
Exhibition of Fruits, Grains, Implements, &e. The 
display was limited, yet did not compare unfavorably 
with those of several years past. From the reports 
of the examining committees wc give the following 
remarks and li»t of Premiums Awarded: 
FIELD CRors. 
The Committee on Field Crops make the following 
report: —The three entries made by Miss Amanda 
Newton were not found, and had probably not arrived. 
The Committee, after examining her statements and 
affidavits, believe that her entire* may be worthy of 
premiums and If they shall yet be present, and t: om- 
ply with the rules of the Society, we would leave It 
to*the discretion of the Executive Committee. 
In regard to the. enlrv of winter wheat, by Norman 
Gowdy, Lowvllle, Lewis Co., we have found that It 
does uot comply with the requisition* of the Society, 
which require. 40 bushels, but still it ts a tine, plump 
berry, and a very fair yield, in consideration of which 
we award a premium of.$10 
In beans we find one entry, by L. L. French, Rich¬ 
field Springs. First Premium, .$8 
To Do Witt C. Forest, DeFrce*tville, we recommend 
for a bushel of verv fine potatoes, a premium at the 
discretion or the Society, believing they are of first 
quality, and wc find no premium for that article. Vol. 
Trans. . „ , , 
Mr. S. Allen, East Greenhush, presented lor the in¬ 
spection of your Committee, the Early Samaritan Po- 
Into, and, from examination* and affidavits, and cer¬ 
tificates ami specimens of the potato presented, wo 
believe it to be u valuable potato, ami cordially re 
commend U to the public as, in our opinion, a valua¬ 
ble acquisition to the conulry. Vol. Trans. 
STATISTICS. 
Agricultural Statistics Steuben Connty, G. Den- 
uieton, Prat teburgh... $30 
VINEYARDS. 
Beet viueyard of grapes, F. W. Lay, Greece, Mon- 
roc county,. 20 
ORA IN AND SEEDS. 
Winter Wheat—1. N. Gowdy, Lowville, 58 lbs., 
per .. 3 
Kve—1. Henry Scbermerhom, Ocdar Hill, 57 lbs,, 3 
2." A. E. Van Allen, DePreestvllle, 56 lbs... 2 
Barley, 4 rowed—1. Henry Wler, Jolmsonville, 
Rensselaer county, 47Ibe.,. .. 3 
Barley, 3-rowed — 1. Norman Gowdy, 48 lbs., — 3 
Oats-1 L. L. French, Richfield Springs, Otsego 
county, 41jtf lbs..... .. .. 3 
2. FI. Wicr, 4t lbs. 2 
Yelow Corn I. Henry Wicr, 00 lbs.,. 3 
2. A. E. Van Allen, 67 lb*.,.-. 2 
White Corn—1. 11. Wicr, 601b*., . 3 
Sweet Corn—1. Henry Schoonmaker, 47 lbs.,. 3 
Peas -1. Norman Gowdy, 60 ihs.,. 3 
2 . L. L. French, 62 tbs.,. 2 
White Beans -1. II. Wier, 63 lbs.,. 3 
2. L. L. French, 85 lbs.,. 2 
Clover Seed-1 Uobt. Bcarcroft., Mohawk, 61 Ibe., 3 
Timothy-1. Norman Gowdy, 44 lbs.,. 3 
Flax Seed—1. 11. Wier,63 lbs.,. 3 
9. L. L. french, 49 tbs.,. 2 
Buckwheat—1. 11- Wier.53lbs.,. . 3 
2. 11. Schoonmaker, 60 lbs.,.. 2 
Sugar Cane Seed—1. H. Wier, 30 lbs.,.. 3 
Millet—1. H, Wier, 60lbs..,. .Vol. Trans. 
Discretionary.—F or three varieties corn in ear, 
white wheat, red wheat, oats, aud barley in 
stalk—Norman Gowdy, LowviUe,.Vol. Trans. 
White Michigan llye—Henry Schinmmakcr, Cedar 
Hill, 67 lbs.,.Vol. Trans. 
Yello w Blaze Com -II, Schoonmaker, 58 lbs., V. Trans. 
12 ear* Pop Com— do Vol. Trans. 
Pop-corn, very nice— A. E. Van Allen,.Trans. 
BUTTER. 
Best 3 tubs butter made at any time—1- Norman 
Gowdy. . $'5 
2. L. L. French,.... • • • 10 
Best 3 tubs made in June, Aug., aud Nov.—1. L. 
L. French,. I 5 
2. Mr*. 11. Wier. 10 
Best Winter-made butter-1. Mrs. II. Wier,. 5 
2. Henry Sehooumaker,. 3 
3. L. L. French,.Trans. 
CHEESE. 
Three cheese—two in June, one in Nov.—1. Nor 
man Gowdy,. 15 
FRUIT. 
Apples—Best 20 varieties—1. P. Van Wie, Bethle¬ 
hem,...,. $4 
Best 15 varieties—P. Van WJe,. . 3 
Single dish- 1. K O. Frost, Highland Nurseries, 
"Tompkins Cn. King,” Schuyler Co.,..S. S. Medal. 
2. Willard Ives, Watertown, “Northern Spy,” Truus. 
For a very line collection of 12 varieties, Willard 
Ives,.Trans. 
Mr. I. 11. Cocks, North Hempstead, exhibited 
some beautiful specimens of Nutmeg Oranges 
grown by iumscli,. Trans. 
DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. 
Mrs. Henry Wier, JohtmonvLUe, Reus. Co., exhibit¬ 
ed specimens of Domestic Goods, manufactured from 
wool aud flax raised on their own farm, and made 
during the past year; also, very superior Cord-bread 
aud Farmer’s Fruit-cake, and three beautiful bou¬ 
quets, (immortelles,) collection,.$20 
SHEPHERD LITE IN BUENOS AYRES, 
[EXTRACTS FROM A PRIVATE LETTER.] 
Bueno* Ayres, Sunday, Nov. 12,1805. 
Dear Mother :—I had just taken my pen and 
your letter before me, designing to write you a 
long reply, when there seemed some disturbance 
among my sheep, aud I waa obliged to go und 
sec what was the matter. I found It Intensely 
dark, so that I could see nothing; but one of 
my dogs acts In rather a sneaking manner, and I 
have her tied up for the night. I hate to kill 
her. Dogs will sometimes get 44 demoralized” 
and worry sheep, when wc have to kill them. 
Yon ought to sec my dock* in the lamb season, 
when 1 sometimes have thirty a day, and in a 
few weeks count seven hundred lamb# —a pretty 
sight, and full of promise to the farmer, although 
they require much more citre In a large lloek, 
from the danger of their being trampled upon. 
These timid creatures are subject to panics, 
which often prove fatal to the lambs. 
mounted sheep farmers. 
I will tell you about sheep-farming, and how 
we live out here, away from all old friends and 
acquaintances, and subject sometimes to terri¬ 
ble heartaches from homesickness, and then you 
will be able to localize us and bring us nearer to 
you at home. In the first place, yon must bear 
In mind that our winter is at the time of your 
summer, our severest cold being in July. When 
I say hot summer it will bo perhaps January 
with you. The country, as I have before said, 
is one vast plain — nothing to obstruct the view 
or relieve the eye but now and then a cottage, a 
flock of sheep dotting the grass, and perhaps a 
horseman here and there driving in the loitering 
flocks. A farmer needs horses, more or less, 
according to the size of his flocks. I have at 
present five. It is a good business when a flock 
of fifteen hundred doubles in two years. Mine 
will do nearly so, notwithstanding I have lost 
three hundred lambs during a succession of 
storms. One man can take care of fifteen hun¬ 
dred sheep, if capable and willing to work. A 
hired man thus employed will earn from $12 to 
$20 (gold) per month, including hoard und lodg¬ 
ing ; and at the end of two years a capable man 
is pretty sure of being trusted with a lloek upon 
shares, which greatly enhances his income. As 
Clothing here cost* but a trifle, and character 1* 
important tuid fashion unknown, a prudent man 
will save money even when only upon hire. 
But when he ha* an interest in a lloek, and hor¬ 
ses, dogs, Ac., of his own, he Is on the road to 
much more than a competence. 
SHEPHERD WORK. 
In summer we let the 6heep out very early in 
the morning, before sunrise, and if t he season is 
dry, we drive them to water, sometimes three or 
four miles. In the middle of the day while the 
heat is oppressive, they crowd up together and 
take their siesta, seldom moving from the spot 
for four or five hours, or until the cool of the eve¬ 
ning, when they commence feeding again. At 
sunset we shut them up to the corral (pen.) In 
winter we do not let our flocks out till the sun 
has melted the frost and dried the grass, folding 
them always at sunset. 
This is the/fllr-weuthe.r side of sheep farming 
when it does seem as if we might talk of 44 gen¬ 
tle shepherds” and 41 pastoral life,” and piping 
reeds, <toc., but during a bud winter mid severe 
storms we shepherd* have to take It in grim 
earnest. The rain will fill the corrals (pens) and 
they will become a mass of mire, which would 
soon spoil the wool; beside, the young lambs 
would he trodden to death by the old sheep. 
Then we have to “round” them, that is, be up 
all night with the sheep in the open country, 
and do our best to prevent straggling and statu 
pede#, for when the wind blows high the crea¬ 
tures sometime* take to their heels, and run 
like all possessed, and the shepherd will need 
use patience and skill to arrest the panic. On 
these occasions several flock* will get mixed up, 
and there is much diflkultv in separating them. 
The old sheep are easily recovered by tlic mark , 
but there is always more or less loss of the lambs. 
MARKING OR “'SIGNALING." 
When a flock of sheep numbers several hun¬ 
dred lambs, we call the neighbors together (peo¬ 
ple who live within four or five miles of each 
other arc neighbors here) for a " signaling," 
That ife done by cutting the ears of tin- creature 
into a certain shape. Here I give you my sig¬ 
nal— a sheep’s head with a notch in the oars. I 
hope you admire my artistic skill in drawing 
that head. Where the signaling is well done it 
is easy for every man to know Ids own. 
SHEARING. 
About the beginning of November commen¬ 
ces the shearing of "the flocks, which is the 
shepherd's harvest time. W T e then drive our 
A Lame Mare Burning Corn tor Fuel.—I have 
a valuable inn re that j» lame from her hoof getting 
too hard. I should like to inquire through UioRubal 
what can be done for her J 
Wc arc running opposition to the railroad* by burn¬ 
ing corn here.—saving them the trouble of carrying 
one bushel of corn for throe, aud then bringing us 
coal at 85 cent* per bushel.—J. 11., Cedar Co., Iowa. 
For the lameness, take a pint of linseed oil, half a 
pint of ether, four ounce* of turpentine, *ix ounces 
of tar, three ounce* of origanum; mix well and apply 
of the. liquid every night to the horse’* hoof. Do not 
be over-confident of a cure, however. 
It seems wicked to burn corn for fuel when so many 
poor people in eastern cities are Buffering for the lack 
of it to engender sufficient heat to sustain human life. 
Selling all the Hay from a Farm, &c.—Will 
yon or some of year correspondent* inform me 
through the Rural, 1. -How it wouldafl’ect a farm to 
draw away all the manure that is made from each and 
every tun of hay that 1* grown on it? 2 What is 
the best kind of grain to feed sheep when they have 
become weak and poor in winter f—A Sursoribek, 
Yemen, N. 
1 .—If no other manure were made or bought to 
replace it, such course would eventually ruin the 
farm. 2.—Ground oat* ud beans, equal quantities 
by weight, mixed and fed moderately, and regularly, 
twice a day. 
MAPLE SUGAR MAKING. 
Eoa. Rural New-Yorker. —Agreeable to my 
promise I will give you a short article on the 
making of Maple Sugar, as practiced in this re¬ 
gion by the great makers —men w ho labor hot 
for fun hut for the money—whose fathers and 
grand fathers made sugar here when moccasin 
tracks and red skins were too abundant for com¬ 
fort. 1 will not burden you with a repetition of 
all tho minute detail# of the business, but will 
merely give you an outline of their method. 
There arc some questions not yet settled 
among our manufacturers. For instance, a part 
maintain that a tree will last infinitely longer 
lapped with a gouge or ax than if tapped with a 
bit or auger, but the great majority use a half 
or live-eighth inch bltand the common elder spile 
or conductor. One old gentleman, BOme 76 years 
of age, avers that the trees last far longer to 
bore them. 
All agree that well-burned two-gallon crocks are 
the best to catch the sap, being bo easily cleans¬ 
ed,— and as they turn them down at the foot of 
the tree aud despasture the land with sheep, they 
obviate the necessity of hauling them in and 
out as they would have to do with wooden or tin 
buckets. 
Immediately after harvest they commence 
splitting up the old logs, the tops of oak trees 
aud any refuse wood—no matter how rotten, if 
it will only split and bold together—to pile up or 
stand on ond, and thus they continue to do at 
leisure times until snow comes, when it is hauled 
and stood on end at the camp-house. 
For storage for sap they use hogsheads, or 
vats made of two-inch oak plank. 
For boiling small kettles are used, holding 
from 13 to 17 gallons, and at the back of six ket¬ 
tles some place a pan to heat the sap or melt Ice, 
(particularly the latter, when they have it.) 
Sometimes a sudden freeze will eome when the 
crocks are nearly full. If it only freezes over, 
they take a little forked stick, like an old fash¬ 
ioned pot-hook, break a hole with it through the 
Jce and haul it oat with the hook. H it freezes 
solid, they hit the edge of the crock against a 
root aud out comes the ice in bulk, the saccha¬ 
rine matter preventing its freezing like common 
water. 
One peculiarity of their furnaces is the dis¬ 
tance from tho bottom of the kettles to the 
bottom of the furnaces, which is about four 
feet. Thus It will be seen that while they 
use very small kettles, they make very great 
fires under them, and here lies the secret of 
making good sugar, viz., rapid evaporation in 
small vessels. The quicker it can be got off the 
fire without scorching the better. When it 
“ leather aprons,” or 44 makes roads,” it is done. 
Great care is taken to keep the crocks sweet and 
Cashmere Goats. — As the Cashmere goat* are 
being introtlnCL-d Into till* County, and us we know 
little about them, will you give through tho Rural 
some in formation about them ? Will they pay 1 Can 
they be kept on the farm ? How milch wool do they 
shear, and what doc* the wool sell for per pound ?— 
Subscriber. Washington, Ohio. 
Wc trtmt M r. Williams of Granville, Ohio, or Borne 
other breeder of Cashmeres, will answer the above 
questions, which are similar to others recently rec’d. 
Horses Over-reaching.— Will you . or some of your 
many readers, please give me some information in 
reagard to horse* overreaching and Interfering, and 
what would be the best wtty of forming a shoe fora 
quarter cracked hoof? Also, please *end me tin- name 
of the best book on horse-shoeing, and oblige a 
Blacksmith—T. W. B.. LowviUe. 
Will some of our readers of experience answer the 
above questions’ Mile* on the Horse’s Foot is a 
good work on the subject: price 75 cts. 
■All right. Hope when 
Mr. Randai.l get* through with his present 
Convention season, he will be able to report that 
wool is worth as much ax gum. 
“noRSES and Breeding.”—I t may be w r ell 
to breed fast horses to match onr fast men, but 
they must have hay and oats to keep up their 
lime, and It is desirable to raise a stock of heav¬ 
ier horses to match the slower, yet quite as relia¬ 
ble and useful, fanning men. 
I omit further mention now, and pobably for¬ 
ever of our reliable Rural, as it desires none 
of my weak criticisms; but I occasionally have 
an itching to “ pitch Into” little things not scent¬ 
ing to me entirely practical. From early boy¬ 
hood I have been looking upward as a princi- 
2 >le, to work myself iuto good company, and 
soon found myself in the midst of progressive 
and practical farmers and was satisfied; but, 
over three-score years of pretty severe tax upon 
my old bones has rather disqualified me for 
44 hoeing my row” w ith them, and if this finds 
a place in the Rural I shall feel yet proud of 
good company. Farmer. 
* While I write, the funeral procession of a woman 
who was injured mortally bv the hook of a cow (<*f 
course no mooly) passes niy w indow. 
Vineland Lands, —(G. W. It., New Haven, Conn.) 
Your question is a difficult one to answer, for we 
have never visited Vineland, andean only speak from 
the reports of others, which are very much "ittixed” 
—some praising and some condemning the locality. 
Go aud sec for yourself before investing your saving*. 
Thero arc many Edens, on paper, yet few real ones 
are discoverable on this mundane sphere. 
“I* ns a Breeder of Short-Hoen*?"— This ques¬ 
tion i* asked relative to the newly-eloctod President 
ef a certain State Ag'l Society. We are unable to 
answer, but can assure our correspondent that the 
new President i- a very clever raau, and we reckon 
the Short-Uoru item is not an indispensable requisite, 
precedent to the contrary notwithstanding. 
Flour of Bone.— (“New Subscriber," Lockport.) 
Yes, there 1 b a fertilizer thus named, which has boen 
highly recommended, and is probably worthy of trial 
in the case mentioned. We observe, by an advertise¬ 
ment in an eastern paper, that a firm in this region 
lias the agency for Western New York aud Canada. 
Bauomkters.— (O. B.. Ashtabula, Ohio.) We can¬ 
not say which is the best cheap barometer. We have 
tested and compared nearly a dozen different kinds, 
and find them very like a row of pins—all generally 
pointing In one direction. It will probably be safe 
to try any one you see advertised or recommended in 
an agricultural journal. 
Cortland Co. Ao’l Society.— The annual nieetlDg 
of this Society was well attended. The Society owns 
magnificent grounds and buildings and is entirely free 
from debt, owing to the enterprize and untiring en¬ 
ergy of Ha officers, particularly its veteran Treasurer, 
Morgan L. Webb, Esq., whose report shows a hand¬ 
some balance in the treasury. Officers for 1666: 
President— Henry B. Van Hobson Vice President¬ 
ial P. Hart. Sec'y-A. D. Blodgett. ?>tw.-Mor- 
>*an L. Webb. Directors —Wm. A. Boies, Cortland; 
Jas. A. Sherman, Homer; Willard Pierce, Truxton; 
Noah Hitchcock, Homer; Andrew Bowen, Homer! 
A. L. Chamberlain, Cortland; Chas. C. Taylor, Cort¬ 
land; S. D. Freer, Cortland; J. N. Knapp, Spafford. 
Making Good Butter in Winter. 
For the production of good butter in the 
winter, there is no food so good as good, well 
cored corn-fodder, aud la order to be well cared 
it must be sown at the time of planting your 
corn early in May, and then it will be lit to cut 
sometime in July, when the rays of the sun are 
very strong, and then it will dry thoroughly in 
the shocks, unless they are too large, but if left 
to the latter part of August or the beginning of 
September, it will most certainly heat and mould 
unless yon spread it out for several days, and if 
Agricultural College —(K. H. S., Ohio.) We are 
not aware that there is such an institution as you 
inquire about in Ohio. The nearest and probably 
best one within your reach and means is the Michigan 
Agricultural College at Lansing. 
Wood-Sawing Machinery.— (R. S. C., Allegany.) 
We think Westinghouse & Co., of Schenectady, 
furnish an article which will meet your wants exactly. 
Refer to their advertisement in this or a late number 
of the Rural. 
