HOOKE’S KBKAL 
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SOTTED BY HENB.Y S. BANDALL, LL, D. 
To COERK8POXPE.VT6.-Mr. Land all's address Is Cort¬ 
land Village, Cortland Co., N. V. All communications 
Intended for this Department, and all Inquiries relating 
to sheep, should be addressed to him as above. _ 
TRANSPORTATION TO 8TATE SHEEP FAIR. 
*_ 
Those who bold Superintendent's Certificates of 
having taken Sheep to and from the State Sheep I air 
and receipts for Freight on the N. Y. Central Kallroau, 
are requited to forward them to A. F. Wilcox, 
Treasurer N. Y. S. S. B. & W. G. A. prior to the 10th 
day of July next, for settlement. Those not received 
by that date cannot be acted on. 
HENRY S. BAND ALL, 
Prcs’t N. Y. 8. 8. B. & W. G. A. 
MORTALITY AMONG SHEEP. 
A greater mortality occurred among ■well 
kept and valuable sleep, during the winter of 
1865-6, and the succeeding spring, than in any 
previous ones during our recollection. It does 
not appear to have been confined to any particu¬ 
lar State or region of country. We hear of it 
east and west, north and south. As always 
happens In such cases, however, its prevalence 
■was by no means uniform In the regions of its 
visitation. In those which suffered most, many 
flocks remained entirely healthy. And the best 
managed flocks often lost more than the most 
ordinarily managed ones, when all the apparent 
conditions of climate, locality, keeping, &c., 
were the same. 
The deaths of valuable stock rams was per¬ 
fectly unprecedented. Some died of inflamma¬ 
tion of the lungs, some of brain fever, and some 
of that wasting away (characterized by paleness 
of the nose and eyes and waxiness of the latter,) 
which has received no recognized name*. The 
-greatest mortality fell upon tegs and this 
spring’s iambs. We will give ft few samples of 
our correspondence. 
John McClelland, New Alexandria, West¬ 
moreland Co., Pa., writes that he wintered 250 
Sheep, divided into five flocks —each having 
comfortable and sufficiently ventilated sheds— 
each having a separate yard from half an acre to 
two acres in extent, with water, »fcc. They were 
fed in their sheds, confined at night, and let out 
at 10 in the morning. They were fed regularly, 
good timothy hay twice a day and a little grain 
at noon, generally oats, but part of the winter 
mixed with corn. The only point wherein Mr. 
McC. doubts the correctness of Ills treatment js 
the fact that the manure was allowed to accumu¬ 
late in the 6heds through the winter. His tegs 
wintered well and ate well until the middle of 
April, just before turning out to grass. Three 
or four died before turning out and thirty after¬ 
wards. Thu symptoms were dullness of the eye, 
loss of appetite, stupidity. Some shook their 
Leads, but this was observed in but few cases. 
There was a slight yellow discharge from the 
eyes and nostrils — that from the latter often 
tinged with blood. “ After death liver and lungs 
did net appear healthy—looked rather white—lu 
some cases gall had overflowed—all had more or 
loss bloody water in thorax.” Eight or ten 
heads were examined. There were strong traces 
of inflammation. In every case there were from 
8 to 15 grubs of different sizes. Mr. McC. sus¬ 
pects that the irritation caused by grubs might 
have produced the inflammation. (We wish we 
could give his letter entire.) 
J. Healt, South Danville, N. Y., commenced 
the winter with 200 sheep, 57 of which were tegs. 
He lost one-third of the latter. They died very 
suddenly, when in good flesh—sometimes within 
an hour of being visibly attacked. Some re¬ 
fused to eat, drooped two or three days, then 
were attacked by diarrhea and died two or three 
days afterward. Others had diarrhea at first, 
but retained their appetites. Most of these re¬ 
covered. They were well fed and cared for in 
all respects. After death, mere than a quart of 
vsvater was found, in some instances, in the cav¬ 
ity ot the-cbest, while the pericardium, or heart- 
case, was distended to twice its usual size with 
clear, yellowish water. The sheep were watered 
from a now cistern, and Mr. H. thinks it possi¬ 
ble the lime might have exercised an injurious 
effect. (We do not tliiuk the malady can be 
accounted for in this way.) 
II. B. Nevx.vs, Perry, N. Y., writes that some 
flocks in Ills vicinity lost half their number of 
tegs. “ The first, symptoms were loss of appe¬ 
tite and ruuuing at the eyes. They became 
costive, stood with heads down and eyes half 
^closed. They gnawed the fences, and some 
pulled the wool from others and ate it. They 
ate a little grain at first, but finally would al¬ 
most refuse to eat it. There was but slight dis¬ 
charge from the nose, in some instances none at 
all. Their heads, *fi belug opened, appeared 
like those of healthy sheep. The maniplns was 
filled perfectly full, aud its contents were as dry 
as meal.” This Mr. N. considers the cause of 
the disease. Every kind of remedy was re¬ 
sorted to—cathartics, tonics and stimulants— 
but all to no effect. 
J. M. Forrest, Fowlerville, N. Y., writes 
41 Almost, if not quite every, flock owner in this 
section has lost more or less tegs this spring by 
a disease that seems to me to resemble con¬ 
sumption more than anything else, although 
nine men out of ten say it is grub in the head.” 
<We shall try to And room for this letter entire 
hereafter.) 
J. H. Dudley, Henrietta, LoraLue Co., O., 
writes : — “ Last winter was Vue hardest one 
within ruy experience to keep sheep j u jjood con¬ 
dition. Some farmers lost a good many, others 
none. The only visible symptom besides being 
thin, was a bloody or dark-colored mucus at the 
nose. If it was a catarrhul nlicction — which 
* Some have termed it consumption, but the ap¬ 
pearance ot the lungs, after death, shows the utter 
h.appropriateness ot the name. 
seems probable—it was more malignant than 
anything of the kind previously seen among ns. 
The lamb-drop fell behind that of previous 
years.” 
Don C. Gates, Wheatland, Clinton Co., Iowa, 
writes: (Jan. 23d,)—“A large proportion of last 
spring’s lambs in Iowa have died. They com¬ 
menced discharging at the nose, and after droop¬ 
ing a few days death ensued. Upon examina¬ 
tion their lungs presented the same appearance 
as a person’s who has died of pneumonia, borne 
farmers have lost as many as 200.” 
J. 8. & 8. N. Elder, Elder'6 Mill, Beaver 
Co., Ba., write that they have been quite unfor¬ 
tunate with their tegs. They went into winter 
in good condition, were well and carefully man¬ 
aged and continued to improve until the middle 
of March. They then continued to eat well, 
but fell off in condition until early in April. 
“The pulse became feeble and lips and skin 
colorless. Two were opened. The web was 
much inflamed and about a pint of bloody water 
was found about the stomach and bowels.” 
I. T. Pierson, Crystal Lake, McHenry Co., 
I1L, lost half his lambs from 110 sheep, by goitre. 
M. D. Morse, Tiro, Crawford Co., O., lost 20 
lambs out of 67. Small boned, weak, and many 
had appearance of being dropped prematurely. 
No indications of goitre. Mr. M. abo lost one 
third of bis ewe tegs. Henry Osborn, West 
Hoosick, N. Y., lost a portion of iris lambs by 
white scours. John Vandbvort, Sublette, Ill., 
says that out of a small flock of Merinos, he has 
but two lambs living. “ They were dropped 
very small and feeble —some not more than a 
fourth of the usual size. They died from one to 
24 hours alter birth.” Samuel Boabdman, 
West Rutland, Vt., writes that nearly one-fourth 
of his lambs had goitre. Most of them died in 
a few hours. He says — “It is prevalent in al¬ 
most every flock in this region.” 
We might copy similar statements from a 
large number of letters received from nearly 
all parts of the country. The complaints of 
weak, imperfect lambs, are far more numerous 
than those of goitre. The destruction of lamltB 
is probably as great, in point of number, taking 
the Northern States together, os Itwas’lu the 
great epizootic of 1862, — though perhaps it is 
not so great, in any one region, as it then was in 
portions of New York and other States. 
Numerous causes arc suggested by the writers 
of the letters. As a general thing, they are not 
satisfactory—and in many cases are contradic¬ 
tory. Long observation has thoroughly satis¬ 
fied us that the origin of disease cannot possibly 
be traced, in a multitude of cases, to direct, visi¬ 
ble causes. One man assigns It to circumstan¬ 
ces which exist in ten thousand other instances 
with perfect impunity. We believe that among 
sheep, as among human beings, there occur 
seasons of peculiar unhealthiness. This 
arises probably from atmospheric conditions. 
In 6ome cases these elude scrutiny — in others 
they are partially apparent. For example, one 
year is marked by the prevalence of typhus fever 
among the people. The next year it does not 
come, although every visible circumstance 6cems 
equally to invite it. When It prevails, families 
that allow no impurities about their premises, 
that live in high, dry situations, where no gen¬ 
erating causes of malaria are discoverable, arc 
frequently scourged with its severest visitations. 
In years when it does not prevail, those who 
live in the worst situations, and in dens of tilth, 
escape its ravages. So it is among brutes. The 
goitre, imperfect development, and rheuma¬ 
tism among lambs —pneumonia, affections of 
the brain, catarrh, aud the destructive pale-dis- 
ease among tegs—are common to one year, 
while they are'hardly heard of the next, though 
the management of the sheep is substantially 
the same. 
Some of these maladies of sheep are, it is true, 
becoming much more common than formerly— 
and they seem to be, to a certain degree, con 
tinuous in particular flocks and localities. In 
such cases, We should carefully look for special 
exciting causes. 
We attribute the general increase of disease 
among American sheep, in a great measure, to 
causes within human control. In England and 
portions of the Continent of Europe, where 
highly artificial systems of management have 
long been practiced, disease has prevailed to a 
ten-fold greater extent than in the L nited States. 
We are beginning to pursue similar courses with 
similar effects. It is natural to sheep to rove at 
will. It is natural to it to seek high, dry, airy 
situations and to work for its food. Its uaturnl 
food was simple and varied. In the winter storm 
it sought the shelter of the cliff, but never bur¬ 
rowed in a hole or crawled into a cave. It was 
emphatically a dweller In the open air and the 
sunshine. 
Civilization and its attendants — farming pro¬ 
fit — demanded a modification of these habits. 
The sheep must crop the lands of its owner and 
every man does not own a mountain, or a square 
league of pasturage. Hay costs money, aud 
economy in its use requires that it be fed under 
cover and in racks. The farmer cannot afford 
to have every feeble sheep or weakly lamb die. 
They mustthcrefore be sheltered from the rigors 
of winter in northern climates. This somewhat 
lets down the standard of hardiuess in the 
healthy, and it preserves the weakly to grow up, 
breed, and thus debase the vigor of the flock by 
introducing into it animals of weak constitution. 
The changes from the natural habits of the 
sheep are necessary—but are they not carried too 
far? Do we not give our sheep too much “ bread 
and butter” to eat? Do we not confine them 
too closely ? Do we not house them too much 
aud too warmly? Every man says, “I feed 
nothing but hay and a little grain." But his 
sheep are fat during the entire period of preg¬ 
nancy, when for the good of their young they 
should be only in good fair condition. Every 
man has a yard to his stable. Sometimes it is 
two rods square and its bottom is covered with 
straw and manure. The sheep has little tempt¬ 
ation to go out where it cannot dig for green 
food. Many a flock fed indoors exclusively, 
and even watered indoors, grows fat and lazy, 
like other pampered animals, and scarcely moves 
out of the stable once a day, Every man’s 
shc-ep stable, is, in bis opinion, well ventilated; 
yet when yon first enter it in the morning it 
literally reeks with the gases escaping from the 
warn bed of manure, saturated with urine, which 
covers its bottom. 
In our opinion, this high keep, this confine¬ 
ment, this want of the natural proportion of 
green feed in winter, and these close stables are 
reducing the stamina of our sheepand arc prom¬ 
inent among the causes which arc subjecting 
them to the numerous ailments and epizootics 
which have long been known in Europe, but 
which are mostly new in our country. 
Uflttwwmwatiflttis, (Bit. 
MOWING MACHINES. 
As the season is nearly at, hand for using 
mowing machines, allow me to offer a few sug¬ 
gestions to farmers who contemplate purchas¬ 
ing, as this da86 is very numerous. Having 
had considerable experience with them, and 
used various kind*, I wish to point out some 
of the necessary qualities eff a good machine, 
that those buying may be able to obtain the 
best. It is not my purpose to discuss the value 
and importance of the mower, for it has become 
a necessity and is a paying investment. The 
relative value of the hay crop is greatly in¬ 
creased by its use, as it can be cut in exactly the 
right season and secured in the best of order ; 
it can also be cut closer, thus increasing the 
yield. 
In the first place, two drive-wheels ate indis¬ 
pensable for a mower alone, but for reaping ohe 
is the best. Both wheels should have cogs and 
be geared so as to act in unison with each other 
when going ahead, hut should not drive the 
knives when backing. The cutter-bar should 
be forward of the drive-wheel, as It is safer, 
more convenient and easier drawn—as the nearer 
the team is to a load the easier they will draw 
it j more convenient, as it enables one to see the 
knives and horses at the6ame time; safer, as, in 
case the driver is thrown from bl6 seat, he will 
fall behind the knives. How often it happens 
that the driver is horribly mutilated by being 
thrown forward of the knives when they are be¬ 
hind the drive-wheel. This fact should be borne 
in mind when purchasing. As it usually falls to 
the lot of boys to do the driving, it is but just 
to insure them as far as possible from being 
crippled for life. It is claimed by manufactur¬ 
ers of rear-cut machines that any obstructions 
can be more readily discovered,—but this is 
merely a whim, as iu thick grass nothing can be 
seen unless it is above the top of the grass, and 
could be seen equally as well with a forward- 
cut machine. 
A machine 6biould be light and strongly made 
of the very best material, and geared sufficiently 
high to prevent clogging. The lever to raise 
the cutter-bar should be placed in a convenient 
place, and 6hould possess sufficient power to 
easily raise the bar to any height desired. The 
guards 6bould bolt on to the cutter-bar, and not 
riveted, as many are, being readier taken off and 
replaced by new ones. They should be of mal¬ 
leable iron, cast- with a bevel edge, hardened for 
cutting. The machine, together with the cut- 
ler-har, should run entirely on wheels, and those 
of the bar so arranged as to be readily raised or 
lowered to vary the cut high or low. Little or 
no weight should rest on the horses’ necks. 
And last, though not least, the machine should 
be as simple as possible and answer the purpose 
designed. Avoid all unnecessary or intricate 
gearing; few gear wheels, and those large, are 
by far the best. 
By observing these simple directions, none 
need be deceived with a poor or inferior ma¬ 
chine. Ago. 
Southern New York, 1866. 
Remarks.— Our readers will understand that, 
lu publishing a communication, we do not neces* 
sarily endorse the ideas of the writer. Nor do 
we, in giving the above, wish to open a discus¬ 
sion on the merits of the various machines be¬ 
fore the public. Many, at least, of the ideas in 
the above article are doubtless sound, but we 
will remark that it is not materially essential to 
have the cutter-bar of a mower placed forward 
of the driver’s seat in order to ensure good work 
or easy draft. In point of safely for the driver 
it may be better, but in a combined muehine 
this position of t he cutter-bar is manifestly not so 
advantageous as the rear position. Nor should 
we fully endorse our correspondent’s assertion 
that it is necessary for the cutter-bar to run en¬ 
tirely on wheels, shoes being of as easy draft and 
wearing longer. 
GOODRICH SEEDLING POTATOES. 
As your readers are interested in whatever 
proves worthy of cultivation, and superior to 
old varieties of plants, fruits and vegetables, a 
little experience with a few of these new pota¬ 
toes will not be out of season. 
Not having anything to sell in this line, 1 can 
speak from comparatively disinterested motives. 
The Early Goodrich Potato has here proved all 
that has been claimed for it, both in regard to its 
earliness, inroduetiveness aud eatableness. While 
it is about as rapid a grower as the Michigan 
White Sprout, it yields much better, and is of 
superior quality, which considerations will give 
it the first rank in a few years, and we think it 
will long stand unrivaled—the result and reward 
of the labors of him whose name it bears. I see 
it in a number of gardens along side the White 
Sprout, and the vines are the most flourishing 
and vigorous of any I ever saw in the month of 
May, and bid fair to yield double those of the 
White Sprout 
Of Goodrich’s late sorts, the Cusco, Gleason, 
Pinkeye, Rnsty Coat and Copper-Mine have been 
tried. The first named turned out wonderfully 
for the season, and the quality wa3 good, though 
not equal to the others. As a market potato it 
certainly will be most desirable, as it will yield 
1 nearly (yes, quite,) double some of the others, 
and bring as much per bushel. Last year the 
Cusco brought us ten cents more in the Phila¬ 
delphia market than the well known Buckeye. 
Odessa, Del., 1S66. B. H. 
PROPER FOOD FOR STOCK. 
Editors of Rural: —In commenting on the 
objection • of the Boston Cultivator to eat, 
ground and cooked food for stock you ask: If 
it is injurious to farm stock, Is it not equally so 
in the case of man ? I answer yea; and if we 
carry the deviation from the natural diet of 
stock to the same extent that we haTe man’s, 
they will ere long be subject to as many diseases, 
and need as many doctors and hospitals as we 
now do. If man has shorteued his days from more 
than 900 years to 00 or 70, it is certainly not very 
flattering to his improved mode of living; but 
this is of bnt little consequence in a pecuniary 
point of view, since man now so universally 
owns hitnsolf. But when we come to horses 
and other Jurm stock, it is quite a consideration, 
for they cost money. This being the ease, 
would it not be well to study nature and her 
Inexoriable laws more, and let them cut, shell 
and grind their own food, as nature appears to 
have designed they should, aud thus escape the 
penality attached to a violation of Nature's laws. 
How few farmers appear to think that grass 
was designed for horses, if we judge from their 
practice of keeping them from It till the middle 
of summer. If we wish to keep them bealthy 
we should allow them grass as soon as it grows 
in the spring, and not stint them in their allow¬ 
ance of hay and grain in consequence. Grass 
will not spoil their appetites, as many suppose, 
but will keep them healthy; and a healthy horse 
always has a good appetite. Watery food for 
warm weather, aud dry food for cold weather, is 
Nature’s rule; and if we Observed her laws 
more we should have less cause to complain of 
sickness iu onr families, and among our stock. 
Regard Nature, and she will regard ns. 
Schoolcraft, Mich., June, I860. I. W. C. 
Horse-Shoeing. —We advise your correspond¬ 
ent, T. W. B. of Lowville, and all other black¬ 
smiths, to consult Mr. A. Tyrrell of Batavia, 
N. Y., Patentee of the Expanding Horse Shoe, 
for information on quarter cracks, contracted 
feet, Ac., Arc., and we advise Mr. Tyrrell and 
all others possessing important improvements 
on shoeing or anything beneficial to horses and 
horsemen, to advertise them in the Rural.—a. p. 1 
jrpittt d the § xm. 
— 
Extraordinary Calf. 
The Highland Democrat tells of a calf in 
the vellage of Peekskill, which weighed, when 
six hours old, 136 pounds. It is a brother of a 
celebrated steer of that village, from the same 
mother, weighing 2,000 pounds, and about three 
years old The mother Is what is called a Swiss 
cow, and the father an imported pure Durham 
of Henry Ward Beecher’s herd. 
A New Farm Yearly. 
The Rural Advertiser, for J une, in remarking 
on the various fertilizers used by farmers says 
there is one-unfailing source of supply within 
reach of every farmer. This is found in deep 
plowing aud a proper pulverization of the soil. 
In other words, “depth of soil beneath their crops 
and fertilizing atmospheric gases above them.” 
By plowing an inch deper every year, a new 
farm, so to speak, is obtained. Of course there 
is a limit to this, but the trouble generally is, 
that but few persevere till they reach it. 
Agriculture in Canada. 
Tnk quantity of grain produced in Canada 
annually seems almost fabulous. Of wheat last 
year over 25.000,000 bushels were grown; 12,-’ 
000,000 bushels of peas; 40,000,000 bushels of 
oats; over 1,500,000 tons of hay; 13,000,000 
bushels of buckwheat ; 28,000,000 bushels of 
potatoes; and 10,000,000 bushels of turnips. 
Canada also produced 30,000,000 pounds of beef, 
sheared 5,000,000 pounds of wool, and made 45,- 
000,000 pounds of butter. The number of milch 
cows, horses, sheep and pigs is considerably 
over 2,000,000. _ 
Farmers and Barometers. 
On a late occasion, as reported in the Tri¬ 
bune, the subject of barometers, for the use of 
farmers as a guide to the weather, was up before 
the Farmers' Club iu New York city for discus¬ 
sion. Several gentlemen spoke on the subject, 
but not one of them regarded a barometer as of 
any use as an indicator of rain. There were old 
and experienced farmers present participating 
in the discussion. They had tried the barome¬ 
ter for several years each and found it useless as 
a guide to wet weather. As to wind it was con¬ 
ceded that it might be regarded with more favor. 
The South for Stock Raising. 
The Cultivator & Country Gentleman hav¬ 
ing expressed the opinion that the Southern 
States are less adapted to the business of stock 
raising than the more Northern ones, waked up 
a Mississippian who deuies the assumption in 
favor of the North entirely. He states that an 
experience of thirty years, in the South, con¬ 
vinces him that all kinds of farm stock thrive 
as well there as in the Northern and Western 
States of the Union, while the advantage is deci¬ 
dedly with the wanner section on the score of cost 
in rearing the stock, owing to a milder climate. 
All else, being equal there would seem to be the 
difference between’ the cost of feeding during a 
long winter and a short one, ii nothing more. 
total IBrM 
A New Half Volume.— Agents and others inter¬ 
ested in the circulation of this journal are advised 
that a new Half Volume will commence on the 7th 
of July proximo — duriDg the publication of which 
we should be glad to reach the One Hundred Thou¬ 
sand Subscribers which wc trust the Rural merits. 
All disposed to aid in accomplishing an object so 
laufiabie and desirable, are referred to Notice, Pre¬ 
miums, &c., at head of News Department-page 202 . 
Feveb in the Monet Market.— The svar-like 
aspect of affaire in Europe, combined with the move- 
ments in Congress to repeal the neutrality laws—thus 
opening the Canadas to the operations of the Fenian 
organizations in the States — seem to have had a gal¬ 
vanic effect upon the gold market, sending it up, 
rocket like, from 44 to 67X and then declining to 63}’ 
where it remained at last accounts — Monday, P. M. 
Whether a future advance or decline is to result will 
depend we presume mainly upon Ibc character of the 
news which may be received by the next arrival from 
Europe. As respects the neutrality laws we appre. 
heed there is little occasion for excitement, as the 
prevalent impression at Washington seems to he that 
the effort at repeal will prove abortive. Should the 
gold excitement continue, however, it is probable 
that the government will apply a soothing prescrip, 
tion, by again stepping Into the market as a seller of 
gold. If this does not assuage the gold fever it may 
be regarded as of a chronic type, curable only by the 
exhaustion usually attendant uyfon a protracted run. 
. - .-». .. .. — 
Buenos Ayres Clover.— Vegetation by a New Pro- 
cess.— Mr. C. W. Cooke, Superintendent of the Wat 
erloo (N.Y.) Woolen Mills, writes us that, bethinks 
he has discovered a new thing in the process of vege 
tation. He sends us a sample of Buenos Ayres clover 
seed found in some wool from that country. This 
wool was scoured on Thursday, in a solution of soda 
ash and muriate of soda raised to a temperature of 
140 degrees. On Friday it was boiled one and a half 
hoars In a solution of five pounds of bichromate oi 
potash and five pounds of alum for 200 lbs. of clean 
wool. On the Monday morning following, the clover 
seed, adhering to the wool, hud sprouted and grown 
one and a fourth inches in length. The seed and the 
sprouts sent verify this statement. Onr correspond 
ent. in view of these facts asks—“Cannot* modifica¬ 
tion of this operation be applied to many kinds of 
seeds,” thereby promoting a more rapid vegetation 
than ordinary? The querist adds—“We have ob¬ 
served this in our wool before several times. Once 
the operation had been continued by coloring black 
in a solution oflogwoodand fbstic—boiling one hour. 
It has generally been supposed that boiling in water 
—212 degrees—Would destroy all the vegetative power 
of seeds, but this is a plain caee to the contrary." 
■ — .♦» ■ — 
Not the Rinderpest, but Pi.Euno-P.slt mOKia.- 
White closing last week's Rural for the pfMg, wc 
received a copy of a telegraphic dispatch purporting 
to give an extract from a circular Just issued by the 
President and Secretary of the N. Y. State Ag. Soci¬ 
ety, announcing the appearance of ihe Rinderpest in 
the stables of New- York and Urooktyti. Supposing 
the dispatch correct wo gave it publicity. After the 
paper had been put to press, however, we observed 
that the extract read " rinderpest or pleuro-pneumo- 
nia," and as the diseases are quite different, conclu. 
ded there was some mistake. And it seems the 
statement was erroneous—for Cel. .Toi*-'.sow, Secreta¬ 
ry of the State Ag. Society, writes uh that the circular 
only announced the existence of pleuro-pneumotiia, 
and that the officers have no knowledge whatever of 
the appearance of the rinderpest In this country. 
The error war made by the publishers of the circular 
and copied by the telegraph. 
Four Rules for Borrowers. — A subscriber in 
Illinois requests us to publish the following “ for the 
benefit of those who depend on borrowing”—adding 
that his neighbors trouble him exceedingly by bor¬ 
rowing the Rural, and eometlmes without his con¬ 
sent The Rules are “ sound ”—especially the last. 
1. T/te Iron Rule, —Never borrow anything whatev¬ 
er if you can possibly do without it, nor then unless 
with the CO*i8int of the owner. 2. The Silver Rule. - 
Use the article borrowed more carefully than if it 
was your own, and don’t retain it beyond the time 
agreed on. :i. The Golden Rule.- As soon as you have 
done using the thing borrowed, return it with thanks. 
4. T><6 Diamond Rule.— Never borrow Moore's Rubai 
New-Yorker, but subteribefor it. 
- »♦»- 
Small Farm? in Maryland.— tur Southern Con¬ 
tributor, Hon. T. C. Peters, of W. Friendship. Md., 
writes ns that, as he has had seven] letters inquiring 
for small farms, and as there are none for sale in that 
part of Maryland, be has concluded to divide up one 
of his farms or about -W0 acres into two, three or 
more farms. He will sell for f 40 to $00 per acre- 
$10 down —“to persons who will agree to improve 
the property, as the inducement in selling is to get 
good neighbors." To those who wish to embark in 
the cultivation of small fruits, aud grapes, the loca¬ 
tion has great advantages. Would it not be advan¬ 
tageous to both soil owners and the country, were 
other proprietors of large farms in Maryland to do 
likewise ? 
-- 
Scratches, Wounds, &c., on Horses.—A corres¬ 
pondent writes that for scratches, galls aud wounds 
of any kind on horses he uses with good results the 
following remedy:—Add to water saltpetre enough 
to make it taste moderately strong, then blue vitriol 
sufficient to slightly color the water. Apply two or 
three times each day, I once cured a fistula on a 
horse with this preparation, and I know of nothing 
equal to it for any sore or wound. The ingredients 
may he kept on hand, and the wash manufactured 
when needed, very quick, 
An Beeoant Homestead—Is offered for sale iu our 
Special Notice column. It is one of the finest subur¬ 
ban homesteads in Western New York, situated in i 
beautifol and very thriving village within twenty 
minutes ride, by cars, of Rochester. The residence 
and surroundings are very desirable, and worthy the 
attention of aDy one possessing means and taste. 
Sow Seed Evbnly, — “A eower went forth to sow. 
We should be apt to say, a man or a farmer went forth 
to sow. Was “ sowing” a distinct trade in Palestine ? 
Whether it was so or not, the importance of sowing 
the seed evenly and properly, no farmer con donbt. 
If sown in streaks, it will grow in streak*. 
Cattaraugus Co. Annual Fair.—B y a note from 
II. S. Huntley, Esq., Secretary, we learn that the 
Annual Fair for Cattaraugus county is to he held at 
Oleau on the 18th, 19th and 20th days of Sept. next. 
Care of Oxen.— Take care of the oxen, as the 
warm weather and the shedding of their coats spoil 
their appetites for dry food. If possible, give them 
