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si®: 
MILKING COWS.—WHO SHOULD DO IT? 
Tins is a question asked and answered in two 
ways by correspondents of the N. H. Fanner 
and Mirror. One assigns the duty of milking 
to the men, the other to the women, as we infer 
from the remarks of each. In a well regulated 
farming family, where the rule is for each mem¬ 
ber to perform a part, the question iB a divisible 
one. In the morning — we have reference spe¬ 
cially to the summer season — the men should 
do the milking, while the women are preparing 
the breakfast. In the evening this labor should 
devolve upon the females, since the men, labor¬ 
ing In the fields till the setting of the sun, or 
after, ought to be excused from further service 
on that day. By such a division of labor the 
affairs of a farm will go forward like clock-work 
— each performing an allotted share of labor, 
rendering the whole easy of accomplishment, 
and burdensome to none. 
But in the winter when farm work is not driv¬ 
ing the milking should devolve upon the men 
both night and morning — especially if the 
weather is any way severe. In such cases to 
make the women break a path Irom tha house 
to the barn through snow-drifts while healthy 
men are roasting by the fire, is shameful. We 
have seen such things, but never without an 
inclination to administer a Btrong persuasive 
under the “lugs” of the lazy shirks of the 
male gender. 
Thanks for Appreciation and Efforts.— 1 Though 
we have little space for mutual admiration matter in 
the Rural —wherein to extol its merits or quote 
what a good many people and papers are saying in 
Its praise—we must tender sincere thanks for the 
kind and substantial tokcnB of appreciation daily 
received from all parts of the country. While two 
or three have lately epoken of the price of the Rural 
as being higher than that of some other papers,— 
naming reprints from dailies or otherwise cheaply 
gotten op Journals,—hoite of Its agents and friends 
have remitted our fall rates, and many of them say 
they would not be without it if it cost $5 a year. 
The large number of $3 subscriptions we are receiv¬ 
ing is truly gratifying, especially as many of those 
remitting reside in localities where lower priced (hut 
not cheaper) rural journals are published. Many of 
crar regular club agents are doing and promising to 
do more than ever before,—while a host of other 
friends are now for the first time acting as recruiting 
officers for the Rural Brigade, Thanks, kind friends, 
everywhere 1 
WINTERING BREEDING EWES, 
Thirty-five years ago, when we began to manage 
our sheep for ourselves and observe the management 
of others, few farmers gave them any separate winter 
shelter. Bometlmce the barn stood on uneven ground, 
so that on the lower side there was space between the 
floor dud the ground for the entrance of a few rheep, 
but more commonly they were compelled to crowd 
into the diminutive barn yard ehed with the cuttle, 
colts, etc., or huddle uuder the eaves of a stack, or on 
the lea-side of a fence. They were usually fed hay 
and straw, on the ground in the barn-yard, with all 
the other stock—and were as innocent, of receiving 
grain or roots as if these commodities were worth 
their weight in gold. 
So far as feed was concerned, however, they did 
better than wonld seem probable on a first view. Few 
flocks exceeded a couple of scores. In summer: they 
had an unlimited range, over Hold and woodland, and 
consequently came into winter quarters strong and 
fleshy; and sheep experienced in such matters hold 
their own, when fed with cows and horses, quite as 
well as the latter animals. True, now and then one 
was tossed into the air, with belly ripped open, on the 
horns of a pugnacious cow-or had its back and legs 
broken by a stroke from the fore feet of a colt anxious 
to get its share of Iced; but this was uot felt to be of 
much account. As they grew thinner towards spring, 
however, the cold storrne told on them, and if there 
were feeble old ewes or late lambs, they perished. 
Bat they were nnsubjeet to many of the ovine dis¬ 
eases of the present day, especially among young 
lambs. Rheumatism and goitre were unknown. 
Weak, unedveloped, undersized lambs aL birth were 
rare, and this disease or imperfection never assumed 
the form of an epizootic. 
With the spread of Saxon sheep through the coun¬ 
try, and with the establishment of large flocks for 
wool growing purposes, a different system of winter 
management was introduced. The Bhccp were better 
fed, (breeding ewes generally received about a gill of 
oats per head por day,) and separately sheltered. But 
at first their shelters were generally Jong, narrow 
sheds, open on one side throughout their entire 
length Those answered a very good purpose when 
the wind was in the right direction — but when in 
front, or when the sheds were drifted fall of enow, 
their comfortableness was not so apparent; and they 
were miserable places for the rearing of lambs In otu 
iron climate. 
A much better shelter was at length introduced 
extensively in New York, and, we think, in parts of 
New England. It consisted or a barn large enough 
to hold and feed abOutseventy-five sheep Su the ower 
story—the upper one holding the hay neces-ory or 
them. Racks were bmit on the sills, to be used In 
stormy weather, but at other times the "ock w»s Hin¬ 
dered on the snow or turf—for there 1 >«ri,«- were gen¬ 
erally placed each by Itself In the mint i. tbcmcadow 
Irom which the hay was cut. They usually had no 
yards about them but the meadow fences. Ventila¬ 
tion and light wore socurod by the ever open door. 
'We do not wish to see healthier or better condf. 
tioned flocks tbau we have often seen in Washington 
and Rensselaer counties, N. Y,, and in various other 
places, under this system of winter management. It 
was an animating sight on some of the largo sheep 
farms, where dispatch In feeding was requisite, to sec 
the shepherd on a bright winter morning foddering 
the flocks with his horse and “ pang”—scattering the 
fragrant flakes of hay right and left us he dashed for¬ 
ward over the creaking and glittering snow—the sheep 
scampering after him, bleating in every conceivable 
key, and the merry juniors kicking np their heels I 
Bat bams or tills kind were not adapted to the 
lambing period-even though in nearly all Saxon 
flocks it commenced as late as tho first, and in many 
as late as the tenth, of May. They wore not warm 
cnongh in the inside, as to obtain sufficient light and 
ventilation tho door was always kept open; and re¬ 
ceiving no protection from other buildings or fences, 
their inmates were exposed to cold winds when they 
ventured out. They had none of those stables, rooms, 
sheltered pens and paddocks which arc commonly to 
be found about form buildings where they are located 
together, and which are so convenient for the confine¬ 
ment of ewes whose lambs require extra cure. They 
were too remote from the farm house for ready and 
convenient access by night and by day, and their 
scattered poeltion in different fields enhanced the 
difficulty. For these reasons they have now gone 
ont of nse. 
The Bax on sheep were unquestionably shorter lived 
than the fine wooled sheep of the present day. Bnt 
they owed this rather to feebleness of constitution 
than to any specific forms of disease. Their maladies, 
or rather the maladies of their period, were consider¬ 
ably less numerous than those which now attack onr 
flocks. For example, although their lambs were al¬ 
ways born comparatively small and weak, they rarely 
exhibited an exceptional imperfect development, and 
we do not. remember ever to have heard of a case of 
goitre appearing at birth. Infl ammatory diseases and 
those affecting the brain were much less common than 
now among tbe grown sheep. 
The mode of wintering sheep in the North, since 
the days of the Saxons, lias essentially changed. 
Sheep are fed higher and kept much more warmly and 
closely. The open sheds or bams have given place to 
stables, which, when shut np, are often as close as 
human dwclliug houses. Ventilation is secured by 
Agricultural Department.— In his annual report 
the Commissioner of Agriculture states that from all 
the data in his possession it is pretty safe to estimate 
the wheat crop of 1666 in the United States at 180,- 
000.000 buRhels. The corn crop is large in quantity 
but deficient in quality, and is pnt down at880,000 000 
bushels. The rye and oat crops were quite large, 
while that of hay is somewhat deficient. The cotton 
crop is put down at 1,750,000 bales at 400 pounds each. 
Horses in all the States east of the Rocky Mountains, 
5,724,<>71; mules, 768,227; cattle, 19,681,376; sheep, 
86,705.533; hogs, 22,400,125. 
The expenditures of the Department from Decem¬ 
ber, I860, to November, 1866, were $162,600.43. Bal¬ 
ance In the Treasury to the credit of the Department 
to date, $85,084.38. The report closes with express¬ 
ing a conviction that a new era of progress is about 
to d iwn on the Agricultural interest of the whole 
country. 
MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 
cramp (or lockjaw,) sets in give two tahlespoonsful 
of tar and one of hog’e lord, well mixed. Given 
warm, nine times in ten it will effect a cure. Some 
have asserted that the disease may be prevented by 
mixing salt with tar as loDg as it can be made to ad-> 
it alone to salt with daring 
teach it to dig through snow to obtain green feed, 
even when supplied plentifully with hay. Wc have In 
effect deprived an animal of all exercise during preg¬ 
nancy, while at other periods it Is allowed to take,and 
does take, constant oxettjlso-a course alike danger¬ 
ous tohnmiiti beings and briiles. Many of ns have 
also given onr sheep, during pregnancy, a good deal 
higher and more stimulating feed than they get any 
other season of the year, lor the purpose of exhibiting 
them in a more showy condition to visitors. 
Under such treatment breeding ewes become slng- 
gich and fat; and these conditions reciprocally repro¬ 
duce each other. Sluggishness increases fatness, and 
fatness sluggishness. These induce p eiliora, or ex¬ 
cess of blood, a condition favorable to inflammatory 
attacks, and unfavorable to the progeny both before 
and after birth. And these injurious cairn* must be. 
and are, rendered tun times as fatal whore vemilatlon 
is imperfect—where sheep lie on hot beds of festering 
manure—or where the stable is habitually damp. 
Many on reading this may say, “I have kept my 
sheep close and led well, hut they have not suffered.” 
A caretul ebeep breeder made this remark to us, add¬ 
ing that he had “ uiod the experiment, too, a good 
many years.’ ‘ Our response was ; 11 ft may come your 
turn yet”—and so it did. For the two EucceediDg 
years be lost a very heavy per ccntage of his lambs. 
On the other hand, many arc ready to declare thatthey 
have avoided the exciting causes, above mentioned, 
yet their flocks have suffered iu the same way. It 
theso contradictory facts render the proposed ex¬ 
planation of the origin of onr recent sheep maladies 
State Agricultural College, ( 
Lansino, Mich., Nov. 21, 1866. ( 
Ed. Rural New-Yorker— Dear Sir: A re¬ 
mark in a communication marked B,in your issue 
of Nov. 17, may tend to discourage tbe efforts 
of friends of Agricultural Colleges; and 1 am 
requested, on this account, to ask you to insert 
in your paper a correct statement [relative to 
this institution,] Tho College term continued 
from Feb. 27th to Nor. 13,1866, inclusive, with 
no other interruption than a recess of ten days 
about the 1st of J uly. It has been as long and 
as uninterrupted every year. Our total number 
of students was 108. Our roomB have been 
crowded throughout the term. Word was wide¬ 
ly disseminated early in tbe term that we could 
admit no more, yet thirty-four applicants, some 
of them qualified for our Higher classes, bad to 
be turned away. Very respectfully yours, 
T. C. AiidOT, Pecs'i of the College. 
Remarks.— We cheerfully give place to tbe 
above, and arc sincerely rejoiced to learn of tbe 
prosperity of an institution whose success we 
have ardently desired, and both publicly and 
privately commended to tbe attention of those 
interested in tbe subject of Agriculttual Educa¬ 
tion. We hope B.’s communication will elicit 
as favorable responses from similar institutions 
elsewhere. 
Best Fowls For Layers. — Mr. C. N. Bement 
write* iu the Country Gentlaman that “As layers, vie 
Consider the Spanish and the Black Poland Top- 
knots altogether unrivaled as abundant layers. The 
whole family of Hamburg*, including the Bolton 
Greys, are prolific, and arc known ns everlasting lay- 
f.rs. All great layers are non-sitters. There is also 
another variety, the Leghorns, (some call them the 
White Spanish,) may be classed in the eamc category. 
Where auy considerable number of fowl? are kept, 
a fow which are net inclined to inenbate, and lay a 
large number of eggs through most of the year, are 
much to bo sought after and encouraged. It should 
be remembered, however, that continued laying 
tcndB very much to debilitate the constitution of the 
bird; and for purposes of breeding, hens that are 
known to bo good sitters must be used for hatching 
the eggs.” 
here together—usisg 
yeaning time. The swelling of the joints, or ulcers 
forming, is clearly Black Quarter, which never was 
successfully treated by—U kkdman. 
“I*, g,—The same disease was treated of in the 
Philadelphia Saturday Courier, (afterward the Amer¬ 
ican Courier,) in 183S and J842. ” 
CHEESE MAKING.-FACTORY REPORT 
In a recent issue of the U tica Herald was a 
statement of the result of the cheese season at 
the Verona Factory, furnished by the Superin¬ 
tendent, Gardner B. Weeks. The season com¬ 
menced on the 8th of April and closed'Nov. 3d. 
The greatest number of cows attached to tbe 
establishment was 615. Average for tbe season, 
about 500. The cheese weighed, green, 221,871 
lbs.; when cured 212,975 lbs. Shrinkage 8,396 
lbs or 3 79-100 ner cent. This is about $76 per 
cow. 
Ponnds of milk required to make one pound of 
cheese (green,) April, 9 84-100; May, 9 32-100; June, 
9 48.100; July, 9 73-100; Angast, 9 14-100; Septem¬ 
ber, 8 70-100; October, 8 23-100; November, 7 61-100. 
Average lbs. required for oue pound of cheese, green, 
9 37-100; cured. 9 74-100. 
It will be seen that the November milk was 
richer In casein than that produced in any other 
month of tbe season. Tbe cost of making tbe 
cheese was 1% cents per pound. 
The results of some of the individual cases 
are subjoined as follows: 
“Mr. O. W. Blair Bent one milking daily from 
one eow for three months and twenty-two days 
which produced: 
222# lbs. cheese Btl7 92-100 . $39.82 
1 646 auarts of milk sold at 5 cents. 82.40 
62 lbs. butter “ “ 45 “ . 27.90 
7 “ “ “ 95 “ . 2.45 
Calf sold, 4 days days....... S.OO 
$155.57 
This 6um was realized between March 24th 
and Nov. SOth. Besides the above tbe same 
cow has furnished all tbe milk required for the 
fftmilv during tbe months named. She is a 
Stock Feeding — it aw and Cooked Food.— The 
question as to which Is the most profitable lor feed¬ 
ing stock, raw or cooked food, still engages the at¬ 
tention of the agricultural press. The majority of 
voices are In favor of the cooking process. A Ken¬ 
tucky farmer fed raw corn for a given time to his 
hogs—weighing them at tho time of commencing the 
experiment, and again when a change was made to 
cooked food. The result was as 6 # to 17# — a large 
balance In favor of cooked food after deducting tho 
expense of preparing the latter. Even one-half of 
the above difference wonld justify the feeding of the 
cooked material in preference to that in a raw state. 
untenable, so they do the explanation of the causes of 
various human diseases which have been adopted by 
the wise and learned tor ages, For example, the 
typhus fever Is claimed by the latter to he occasioned 
by certain impure conditions of the nmosphero. Yet 
the most pestiferous conditions of the atmosphere 
often exist for years, especially in cities, without pro¬ 
ducing scarcely a case or this malady among the sur¬ 
rounding inhabitants, whereas it not unfrequcntly 
visits with destructive fury the most neatly keptlarm 
houses, on dry, healthy hiIJs, far remote from aoy ap¬ 
parent sources of disease. And when either human 
or ovine diseases become epidemic (or epizootic) they 
THE POTATO ROT-EXPERIMENTS 
Eds. Rural New.Yohler. —Some time since 
I read in your paper an article 6tyled “ Potato 
Rot^-Its Cure,” wherein it is stated that a Steu¬ 
ben county farmer has learned tbe cause of the 
potato disease and how to prevent it The 
cause, he says, is the bite of an insect, and lime 
sown on the vines at the time the insects appear 
will drive them in myriads to the fences adjoin¬ 
ing, where they may be seen, lie Bay6 lime has 
always proved effectual, the fields so treated be¬ 
ing alway8 free from rot. I cannot count up 
just now how many causes of rot and its eure 
have been offered the public since It first 
showed itself, to the great dismay of the farmer. 
I will give you my experience and observation 
on the subject, especially that of the past sea¬ 
son. There is but little complaint this season 
about tbe rot with us, still there is some, and 
my experience the past season being somewhat 
singular, I will here give it you. 
I had a piece of ground about forty feet wide 
and long enough to make 52 square rods, lying 
along a ridge parallel to a wood, and about 6ix 
rods from it. The land is a light clay loam, ap¬ 
proaching to a sandy loam at one end of the 
piece; tbe difference, however, not being very 
great. White skinned kinds were planted on 
the lightest soil, and they were free from rot, ex¬ 
cept one row, a very early variety planted on 
one side of the piece, and which ripened before 
the others. These were one-third rotten. These 
white potatoes were thin skinned, having a 
bright silvery look, such as they had forty years 
ago. At the other end Western Reds, hitherto 
a hardy variety, were planted, and they were 
dull looking and considerably rotten^ Again, I 
had another piece somewhat smaller than the 
first, a heavy, clay loam; here there was no dif¬ 
ference of soils. Precisely the eamc result fol¬ 
lowed here as in the other piece, and wherever a 
stray hill of red ones grew among tuc whites the 
same inclination to rot Bhowed itself as when, 
grown by themselves. As far as I know any¬ 
thing of the matter the dark colored varieties 
have", from the first, been tbe freest from disease, 
often going almost free, while the whites would 
be scarcely worth the digging. And this is the 
testimony of others expressed to me. Many 
years since, when the rot that appeared in Liv¬ 
ingston county, my father had a plat of various 
kinds. From a strip where we looked for thirty 
bushels of Mcshaunocks, a small, bean-shaped 
Fattening Hogs.— Make the pens which contain 
the fattening hogs warm, at this season. Shut the 
doors and windows to bar out the cool wind, and 
give ample bedB of straw. What necessary warmth 
is not supplied by artificial means must be taken 
from the food which otherwise would form fat. Also 
feed meal if you are not already doing so.4J The 
soundest com must be fit to grind—take a load to the 
mil] and change the diet of yatir swine In form If not 
in kind. 
Swinb—New Breed.— In thePalaski Democrat of 
recent date, there was an account of the slaughtering 
of a number of hogs of a new variety denominated 
the “ Weed Breed.” One of these hogs at two years 
old weighed, dressed, 700 lbs. Another one was 
ready for slaughtering as heavy or heavier than this. 
Eleven pigs, averaging 241 days old each, were killed, 
weighing aggregately 3,192 lbe„ Bhowlng an average 
growth per day during the whole time of nearly 1 # 
pounds. 
The Library and Work-Shop. - Weenvy the com 
fort a farmer can take who is injindependent circum¬ 
stances and has a taste for, and devotes mnch of his 
time in the winter to, his library and work-shop. 
Both should be well stocked — one with food and 
stimulants for the mind, the other with material which 
shall enable the farmer to give practical shape to 
ideas of comfort and improvement. 
exhaustive examination of the arguments for or 
against onr theory or explanation. Vfe started merely 
ro express our earnest convictions. We advise no 
man to keep any of his sheep poor. But we zealously 
urge every sheep farmer to keep his breeding ewes, 
feed them no excess or condensed, stimulating food, 
like grain—to make sure that they get green feed sev¬ 
eral times a week from the fields or from the root 
cellar—to afford them habitual and ample exercise— 
and to see that they are never confined too long at a 
time in their stables, or at all in ill-ventilated, dirty, 
or damp ones. 
Indiana Board op Agriculture.— The President 
of this Board gives notice that its fifteenth annual 
meeting will be held at the State House, Indianapolis, 
on the 8 th of January next. Ail County Agricultural 
and Horticultural Societies are renueBted to send 
delegates and make their annual reports to this meet¬ 
ing, which Is expected to be one of more than com¬ 
mon interest to the people of that State. 
Condensed Correspondence, Items, &c, 
Return of Scoured Fleeces. — Owners of the 
fleeces scoured for the premiums of theN. Y. S. S. 
B. & W. G. Association can get them by addressing Mr. 
Duncan, Superintendent of Syracuse Woolen Com¬ 
pany, Syracuse, N. Y., and informing him where 
they shall be sent. 
Flax Mill.— The Rockford (Iff) Register has an 
exultant notice of the establishment of an extensive 
flax mill in that place, from whose operations much 
profit is expected. Cordage, twine and cloth are 
made at this mill with great celerity, and a thriving 
business in the flax liue in that region is anticipated 
from the establishment of the manufactory. The 
average value of flax per acre there is about $38. 
Sueep Sale.—“ A Subscriber ” writes“ Will yon 
please pttblieh the following Sheep Sale which took 
place this week, (Nov. 7.) Mr. David Tinekan of 
Mount Pleasant, Westmorelaud county, Pa., bought 
of RoniuNs & Parkhill of Cornwall, one two-years- 
old buck for one thousand dollarc. A iso five yearling 
ewes of H. 1. Manchester of Cornwall, for seven 
hundred dollars, bred liy H. R. Holden or Middle- 
bury. Also two yearling ewes of Elithalet Samson 
of Weybridgc, for two hundred and fifty dollars.” 
An average per cow ( net,) of 82,75. 
Win. Wyman irom four cows obtained 
2.229# lbs. cheese at 17 92-100 .$399.53 
Deduct for making and materials. 60.91 
g3d».02 
Being an average (net,) of $87.15. 
These four cows have furnished milk for a 
large family through the season, and since the 
factory closed have produced 100 pounds of 
batter.” 
Inquiry aisoct Tanning Skin?.— Could you or any 
of year readers inform me through the Rural how 
to tau the skins of the Taccoon, skunk, woodchuck, 
<fcc., and remove the scent, and make them pliable 
lor muffs, &c,? By 60 doing you will oblige a con¬ 
stant reader.— J. PfTTS, County Line, A T . Y, 
We hope some of our readers will respond to the 
above inquiry and furnish the desired information. 
We receive mauy inquiries of this sort. 
Disease or Lambs.— “Herdman," Lake Village, 
Arkansas, sends the following which we publish 
without vouching for its accuracy in any particular: 
“In the Rural of February 10, ’66, is a letter 
signed R. M. M., in which be confounds two diseases 
in lambs —first is a feebleness or stiffness of tho 
joints, caused by the dam having eaten a small vege¬ 
table suDstance—(not classed in any Botanical work 
1 have ever eeen,) that grows on fields plowed be¬ 
fore September —which disease is not as rapid in its 
progress as represented. It can be seen in the eye run¬ 
ning water—and a continual disposition to urinate— 
by the lamb when four or five days old. If the main 
artery under the loin or between the kidneys is ex¬ 
amined it will be found mnch inflamed and corroded— 
Before 
Dairy Profits. —During the present season 
Samuel Thompson of Whiteside County, Ill., 
milked 42 cows, whose daily product was $2,- 
037.50, or about $48 per cow. Another farmer, 
Mr. A. Wilkinson, of the same town, milked 
32 cowb, whose product for the dairy season 
amounted to $40 per cow. At this rate a eow 
will pay for herself daring a single cheese sea¬ 
son, besides materially contributing to the sup¬ 
port of a family in the way of milk. 
Tub Trial Trip of the Rural is proving a great 
success. We have already received several thousand 
subscribers lor the Trial Quarter, (Oct. to January,) 
hut wc can still furnish those who wish to give the 
paper a trial. _ _ 
Disagreeable Habit in a Horse.— Can von, or 
any oue else among the ” rest of mankind, tell me 
how to prevent a horse from carrying his tongue over 
the bit? I believe some of the horse tamers teacn 
this, but I have had no opportunity of learning.— a. b. 
frequently having separated before death. 
9 
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