’8 nuaiL 
2. V* 
MX, 
W s. •© P. 
a living, moving, acting brotherhood outside of 
our own circle? We would plant but few trees 
immediately in iront, unless the house is so ele¬ 
vated as to overlook them. Shrubs will be just as 
ornamental and more appropriate. Room enough 
can be found to the right and left, to put out 
whatever will make a larger growth. We have 
seen many a home (whose owner would feel in¬ 
sulted, if accused of bad taste.) so closely hidden 
by evergreens that scarcely a glimpse of the man¬ 
sion itself could be obtained from the walk; and 
the question came to us unbidden, why this 
labored attempt at seclusion?—what satisfaction 
in living thus? We would locate the homestead 
far enough f rom the street to secure a pleasant 
privacy, but we would not make it a mere mo¬ 
nastic retreat. 
Other thoughts wait upon our pen, in connec¬ 
tion with this topic, but we can at present only 
tap the subject, and present a small stream of 
opinion and suggestion. w. s. f. 
-- . » - 
RURAL EXPERIENCE.-No. VIII. 
PROFIT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF STOCK. 
Horses are profitable, if kept to work the 
greater part of the year; if uUe, they soon eat 
enough to pay for another team, (in a large 
farm think that three mediumaUedhorsen are belter 
than two large ones. On quite small farms, think 
one horse better than two, if the owner is so situ¬ 
ated as to exchange with some one else, or even 
hire one to put in with his to plow. Wo notice 
that many small farmers feed half they raise to 
their team. Think that “fast horses” seldom 
prove profitable to their owners. Oxen are the 
thing on a new farm; iu the. woods, and many 
other places, better than horses. If a farmer is 
obliged to keep two teams; think one horse team 
and an ox team better than two horse teams. 11 
don’t pay to team on the road with one horse or 
an ox team. 
If it will pay to keep a team, it certainly pays 
to feed and take good cart of it. A team in good 
Condition will eat less than one poor in flesh: be¬ 
sides they fed better, look better, and are better 
in every respect. 
Cows we all know are profitable. Think at 
the relative prices that butter and cheese usually 
bring, that it is much more profitable to make 
cheese than butter. To illustrate this fact we will 
produce the figures. The market price of cheese 
is about 12 cents per lb., and butter 20 cents per 
pound. Good dairymen say they can make two 
and a half pounds of cheese from the same 
quantity of milk that will make one pound of 
butter, and in very warm weather can make three 
pounds of cheese to one of butter. Now. multi¬ 
ply the price of one pound of cheese (12 cents,) 
by two and a half which give 30 as a product, or 
in other words the price that a pound of butter 
ought to bring. Some may say, now is an ex¬ 
ception to the usual price. Last season cheese 
sold for 7 to s cents per tb., and butter for 10 and 
12 cents. So you see that the prices were nearer 
together Ilian they are to-day. 
As to the labor, it is usually acknowledged to 
be more work to make butter than cheese. Think 
that the Union Cheese Factories are “ a grand 
institution and if adopted throughout the State, 
would be a great benefit to all interested. Think 
that most dairymen arc not particular enough to 
hove all first-rale cotes; usually about two-thirds 
good ernes and the remaining third inferior and of 
little profit, borne men forget the fact, that it 
costs no more to keep u good coic than a poor one, 
and the former is ten times more profit. More 
anon. Observation. 
Near Browerton, Onondaga Co,, N, Y., 1803. 
ABOUT WASHING SHEEP. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— It is an old say¬ 
ing. that there must be a first time, and such is 
the case in my addressing the editor and patrons 
of an Agricultural journal. I have many times 
thought it a duty to contribute something, as an 
equivalent for the valuable information gained 
from the Rural during the last ten years, but 
have lelt incompetent to interest its enlightened 
readers. The question of washing sheep has 
induced me. however, to give my experience. 
I have kept more or less sheep for the last ten 
years. My neighbors all washed sheep, and why 
should 1 not do likewise? (which! shall endeavor 
to answer before I close.) About the first of 
Juno I had to decide whether to purchase a jug 
of liquor and employ a man to wash the sheep 
and drink the liquor, or expose myself to the 
fust Bufferings of the harmless animals. Rut I 
had this advantage—I could exchange my wet 
suit, while they were compelled to endure wear¬ 
ing theirs day after day, until dry enough to 
shear. It is not at all strangethat 1 occasionally 
lost one by disease, or that they were iu need of 
a pocket handkerchief, or that they did not thrive 
well. I continued the annual wash uuLil ls60, 
when, from the pressure of other business, 1 
resolved to clip the wool without washing, and 
it averaged about one-quarter more pounds. I 
sold it at two-thirds the price of washed wool, 
and concluded the time of washing, and the 
comfort of all concerned, amply paid for the 
fractional loss occasioned by the sale of un- 
cleaused wool. In 1861 pursued the same course, 
(fleeces a little heavier.) “When I came into 
market I found no buyers for unwashed wool, 
which was a strong argument for falling back to 
the old practice; but as I did not like to retract 
until I had examined a little further, I delivered 
it to a woolen factory, and the next I saw of it 
was in a piece of sheep's gray, a suit of which 
bids fair to last two winters, instead of one. as 
heretofore, (which was the case with purchased 
cloth.) In 1862 unwashed wool had no sale. 1 
manufactured again, and sold the cloth at 11s. 
per yard, and realized, after paying all expenses, 
the same per pound for unwashed wool that my 
neighbors did for washed wool, to wit:—5s. per 
pound. 
I have experimented some in breeds of sheep, 
and have found none to pay so well as the South 
Down crossed with the Spanish Merino. The 
fleece weighs from five to eight pounds, accord¬ 
ing to age. I sold a lot of one and two-year old 
wethers, after shearing, for $4. andmatured (fat) 
sheep, I find no trouble in selling from $6 to $10 
per head. g. c. m. 
Ithaca, Tompkins Co., N. Y r ., 1803. 
Mr. Moore: — I pee articles in the Rural 
opposing the washing of wool on tho sheep. 
My opinion is that, it is best for the buyer and 
seller to wash the wool on the sheep, from the 
fact that some unwashed wool (of the gummy 
and oily kinds.) would wash out about one-third, 
whereas the more open and lighter-fleeced sheep 
would not wash out more than one-eighth. 
When both kinds are well washed they would 
sell for nearer their fair value than when un¬ 
washed. I think the expense of washing would 
be saved in shearing. Alfred Lines. 
^Barre, N. Y\, 1863. 
-- 
FLAX-DRESSING, GROWING, &c, 
One of the Rural’s subscribers asks for infor¬ 
mation as to a flax-dressing machine. There is a 
very good one at South Waterloo, owned by Jas. 
McLean, who is now in the Legislature at Al¬ 
bany. HC will probably sell it., as it has done no 
work for several years in default of the rough 
stock. By writing to him all the necessary infor¬ 
mation could be had. i . ... i... 
Previous to the advent of the wheat midge, 
flax-growing for the seed was a very profitable 
crop in Seneca County. The seed sold for a high 
price to our oil mills, and the rough flax, or 
lmulm. threshed by horses feet of its* seed, readily 
sold for $ti the tun, to the dressing machine. 
The flax crop comes off early in August, leaving 
the soil a nearly prepared wheat fallow. But 
when the wheat was destroyed by the midge, 
farmers refused to grow (lax for the seed and 
haulm alone. Then the oil makers became dis¬ 
couraged, as imported seed was too expensive, 
and the price of oil was also reduced by the 
imports of English oil, and still more by the 
competition of the adulterated oils of New York. 
Finally the flood of petroleum came and they 
gave up the ghost. Three hydraulic, double¬ 
piston presses here, once worked night and day 
making flax seed oil; now they arc for sale with 
all the other improved apparatus. 
To grow flax for the seed. 22 quarts of seed 
to the acre is the rule; it thou tillers out und 
grows large, bearing large, plump seed. It is 
cut with a scythe, like hay, hauled in and 
threshed immediately. The mill here, it is said, 
cosi about’ §300. It cleans tho flax without 
rotting it well enough for either rope or paper- 
making; it is then pressed into square bundles, 
like hay, and sent to New York, where it always 
sells well. 
To grow flax for the lint, it should Ire sown 
much thicker, and pulled before tho seed has 
well ripened, as they do in Ireland. The Irish 
farmers sow imported seed. Water-rotting is 
the true process lbr preparing flax for lint, but 
the very little grown in this Conntryfor domestic 
use is generally dew-rotted. 
To grow flax successfully, the soil must be 
well drained, und iu as fine tilth as for a crop of 
barley. It must also bo sown early. Let none 
but thorough farmers attempt to grow flax. The 
slovenly grower rarely gets good crops of 
either barley Or flax; hence arises the senseless 
cry that the flax crop is exhausting and uncer¬ 
tain. 
As textile plants to supply the place of defunct 
lung Cotton, will now be a desideratum for 
years to conn 1 , let every farmer who would do 
something for humanity, plant at least one acre 
of flax. Who does not like a linen shirt, or a 
linen sheet, in summer? Our noble farmer, 
Joseph Wright, is preparing to sow twenty 
bushels of flax seed. He has lots of the best 
laud in the best order, a large working force, 
facilities fur water-rotting, ,Vc. The blood in his 
eye gives an earnest that he intends to distance 
other farmers as much in his flax crop as he 
never fails to do in his crops of the large Dent 
corn. s. w, 
Waterloo, N. Y., March 3d, 1863. 
TYING UP WOOL. 
Eds. Rural Ne w-Yorker:—I noticed in my 
last Rural a description of some man’s way of 
tying up wool, and thought perhaps it would do 
no harm for me to give my plan, which is as fol¬ 
lows: 
Make a box of inch pine boards, about sLx feet 
long, having three sides, (the top being open,) 
the lop to be about ten inches wide, and about 
the same in height, or a little more. Nail two 
narrow pieces of hoard across each end, one at 
the top to keep the box from spreading, and one 
at the bottom with three saw cuts in it, (equally 
divided in distance.) for the twine. Plane the 
inside of the boards, of course. Cut the twine 
in pieces a little longer than the box. and lay it 
down in the. bottom of the box. drawing it down 
info the same cuts, at each end. Roll the fleece 
in from each side, leaving it long, and lay it in 
the box; then begin at the tail end, (after rolling 
the neck in a little to bring the shoulder out.) 
Take up the three strings at that end, and tuck 
them over into the wool; then roll away, keep¬ 
ing your knee on the wool, if yon are not afraid 
of greasing your pauts, and the larger the fleece 
becomes by rolling it, the tighter the twine will 
draw. Take up the other ends of the twine, 
draw them tight and tuck them under, and you 
have a fleece fit to play ball with, and which will 
look square and nice, and please buyers very 
much indeed. Most any farmer who knows any¬ 
thing can make the box, for it is only nailed 
together, and no dove-tailing about it. My box 
went around tho neighborhood last season, and 
tho neighbors thought it just the thing. 
Tompkins Co., N. Y., Feb. 24,1863. A. D. L. 
11 lie v 
The Hive for General Use. 
It may be wondered at by some that I 
should recommend the common box hive, when 
there are so many patent ones, each claiming to 
be in advance of the common box hive. But 
patent hives have proved a failure in most cases. 
A great deal of money has been swindled out of 
the bee-keeping community on this very patent 
hive business, and after all, many abandon the 
use of them. It is generally the case that, bee¬ 
keepers are rather anxious to try something else, 
to see if their bees will not do better: and here is 
where the inventors of hives have taken the ad¬ 
vantage. We see engravings of hives iu the 
agricultural papers from time to time, that appear 
to be just the thing; but after seeing them in use 
they prove to be inferior to the box hive. Say¬ 
ing nothing of tho cost of constructing them, it 
requires a good mechanic to build them, they are 
so complicated, and quite an expense. It's my 
opinion that the common box hive is the best 
hive in use for the generality of those that 
keep bees. 
The majority of those who keep bees cannot 
lie considered as bee-keepers, (merely keeping 
but a few stocks and paying little or no attention 
to them, except in cage of swarming, and if they 
do anything it is their good luck, and if they 
play out, all right, not caring enough about them 
to investigate the cause. Perhaps they leave the 
hive for a more convenient, time to remove the 
contents, and probably forget it, having some¬ 
thing more urgent upon the mind, until the mil¬ 
lers destroy the combs—leaving nothing lmt 
& mass of webs and excrements, resembling 
ground coffee in appearance. Thousands of 
millers soon issue from ihe ruins, and are in 
time ready to deposit the seed of destruc¬ 
tion in and around the rest of the hives. Most 
patent hives afford great facilities for millers and 
a great chance for the moth to wind up to un¬ 
dergo the change to a winged miller again. 1 
suppose most of those that keep bees are ac¬ 
quainted with thewomsthatmay be seen crawling 
about the hives, but probably are not aware that 
in time they will change to a winged miller. Some 
have an idea that they are trying to get into the 
hives when seen at such times crawling from the 
earth in and about the hives; but this is a mis¬ 
take. When seen leaving they have done all the 
mischief they are able to do, and rather have a 
desire to emigrate to some more convenient 
place, where they can spin their cocoons with¬ 
out being molested. 
The great aim of the inventors of patent hives 
is to add something that will appeal- novel and 
to make the thing take, when, in reality, it is a 
detriment to the bee? and an advantage to mil¬ 
lers. The added flumadiddlen, such as valves, 
slides and tho like, are all a humbug. I will 
admit that those who understand the history of 
bees, and the whole subject from beginning to 
end, would do well to use the Lanostrotu 
hive. But I doubt about bees making any more 
honey in one kind of hive than anotner. They 
will make as much honey in a rough box as they 
will in a nice painted hive, although this is con¬ 
trary to the notions of patentees of hives. They 
argue that in these hives bees will make twice 
the amount, of honey in half of the time - that they 
can in any other. Cannot bees build comb in the 
box hive as fast as they can in a patent one, and 
as many work In the field gathering materials to 
store it with? Cannot they raise their young 
as well as though the owner had paid five dollars 
for the privilege of their doing ?o? I could not 
recommend the Langstroth hive (o those that 
have but a few stocks, merely because they have 
them; but those having a large stock and making 
a business of it. probably would find some ad¬ 
vantage in using it, more especially if they 
intend to Italianize their bees. 
The foregoing remarks may be considered severe 
by some interested in patent hives or the patent 
hive business: but they must excuse me, for I 
have given my ideas candidly upon the subject 
Forestville, N. 1,1863. M. S. Snow, 
— Though he tells considerable truth, we think 
Mr. S. is entirely too sweeping in his condemna¬ 
tion of patent hives. There are some good pat¬ 
ent hives which we reckon he has not tried—two 
or three of which, of recent invention, we pur¬ 
pose illustrating and describing in early future 
numbers of the Rural. —En. 
Wintering Bees in Houses. 
The method of wintering bees practiced by 
Mr. Hogan, of Dupage county Ill., is thus de¬ 
scribed in the Prairie Farmer; 
He builds a house of suitable size to contain 
his stocks, sometimes like an ice-house, of joists, 
Clap-boarding the outside and lining the inside 
with matched siding, leaving a space of four 
inches all around. This is filled with chaff (spent 
tan bark would do as well.) and the hives are 
ranged four rows high all around the inside. 
To ventilate it, he constructs an air tube from 
the outside, under ground, to the center of the 
house, where it is admitted through a perforated 
board, or a plate of metal. At the top a passage 
is made for heated air to escape. The whole is 
arranged to exclude every particle of light The 
hives are left open as in summer. The heat gen¬ 
erated by the bees is sufficient to keep the air 
warm enough for their safety and comfort. 
To which the editor of the American Agricul¬ 
turist makes the following remarks:—Some thirty 
years -ago a farmer of our acquaintance in West¬ 
ern New York, built a house very similar to the 
above, using lath and plaster inside, instead of 
the double walls, llis bees had been p rosperous 
previously, in straw hives set on rude stands, and 
protected on the back and above with boards. 
He moved his ninety hives into the new house, 
and for a short time they did well. But they 
soon began to rob each other, the moths got in. 
but they were carefully cleared out several times; 
the bees gradually died off from some undiscov¬ 
ered cause, and the third year only half a dozen 
swarms remained alive. These were put back 
into the old position, where they maintained 
their own for three years longer, when the whole 
died out. The high hopes of tho farmer of suc¬ 
cess in bee-keeping were dashed to the ground. 
He made his bee house an addition to his dwell¬ 
ing, and until his death always insisted that 
though fond of queens, bees are too democratic 
to thrive in a fine house. 
Driving Bees— “M. Quinby,” of “St. Johns- 
ville, N. Y.," would doubtless oblige numerous 
readers of the Rural, if he would communicate 
his method of “driving bees.” For what pur¬ 
pose does he “ drive throughout the warm sea¬ 
son?”—H., Ohio, March, 1863. 
■■ ■ - — » ♦ •» - 
gnQUims atui gVnsuw. 
Thk Ace or Seeds. —There is one question 1 should 
like to ask, nnd it semis to me to he on important one to 
all that class of farmers who fail or neglect to save their 
own garden seeds annually. It is: How long will the va¬ 
rious gatden seeds that arc usually planted in a kitchen 
garden, retain their vitality and germinate * I hare seeds 
of various kinds on hand that arc two ami three rears old, 
such as lettuce, radish, melon, celery, tomato, carrot, 
beet, spinach, onion, squash, ,V'. &e, Cannot you, or 
some of your readers enlighten me ?—A P. Bell.' 
Much depends upoti the care taken of them. If kept 
cool and dry, well matured seeds of all kinds will keep 
much longer than is generally supposed. We give you 
Uie experience Of an old seedsman and horticulturist 
Parsnips and rhubarb, two years; beans and pens, two to 
three years; carrot, n&sturtions, mustard, parslej, lettuce, 
three to four years; pepper, cabbage, spinach, tomato, 
turnip, salsify, radish, egg plant, from four to five years; 
asparagus, onion, celery, chr», broccoli and cauliflower, 
five to six jears; beet, cucumber, gourd, melon, Squash, 
pumpkin, corn and other grains, six to teil years, and 
longer. This is nn interesting inquiry, and farmers would 
do well to institute some experiments in this matter, and 
re curd Abe results of the same. 
Soaring Butter Firkins. —I have soaked some of mv 
butter firkins three or four days, and yet, when made o’f 
oak, they flavor the butter badly. Will not some of your 
readers fell us what arc the best kind of butter tubs," and 
flow host to prepare them lor the reception of buttery— 
Housewife. 
White ash it, probably the best timber for firkins. In 
countries where it grows it is most used. In Flint's work 
on Dairy Farming it is recommended ‘‘to dissolve com¬ 
mon, or bicarbonate of soda in boiling water, as much as 
the water will dissolve, and water enough to fill the tub— 
about a pound will be required to a thirty-two pound tub, 
and the water should be poured on it. Let it stand over 
night, and the tub may he safely used the next day. This 
mode is cheap and expeditious aud if adopted, would of¬ 
ten save great losses.'’ Whether it will prepare nnk firkins 
we are not advised It requires longer time to remove the 
wood flavor from au oak than from an ash firkin. 
Tukksbi.vg iiy Steam. —“A Friend,” Geneseo, N. Y'., 
is informed that steam-power can be used advantageously 
iu threshing grain Much more grain can be threshed 
per day, and the work better done by steam power than 
horse power. In threshing by steam power, straw and 
ch&fl’ stackers are used, which saves the labor of two or 
three hands. The cost of a threshing machine engine is 
1760. They are called 8 horse power engines at the shop, 
hut if the engine is a good one it will give more power 
than 12 horses. They are built ou iron axle wagons, the 
wheels about forty inches high The weight is about 3,000 
pounds. They require one third to one-half cord of wood 
and about ten barrels of water per day. Tbo escape steam 
passes into the chimney and kills the sparks. The top of 
the chimney is eovered with a wire screen, which pre¬ 
vents danger from fire. —J P. Alley, Metamora, hid. 
Balky Horses.— Noticing an inquiry in your last for 
tho most approved method of managing balky horses, 1 
give yon my way, plain and simple, the least trouble and 
most effectual, which 1 have tried several limes, und with 
different horses, with the same result. When your horse 
balks take a rope und fasten firmly to the tail of the horse, 
aud then to the whiftletrec. Looseu the truces, place them 
Over the back of the lmrsc; then take the lines and drive 
ahead. Tliis way 1 know to be “sure cure.” Try it, broth¬ 
er farmej-B, and all you who have balky horses.—W. B. 
Cokykll, Seneca Falls, N. I". 
“Wktmkr-iiOG." —In a receut article on sheep, copied 
from an English paper, 1 saw the term “wether-hog” 
used. Will the editor of tho Rural tell us what it 
moans ? Webster does not enlighten me.—S hepherd. 
It is u term applied to a male lamb from the time he is 
weaned until lie is sheared, if he has been castrated; 
if not, ho is called a hog, a hogget, a hoggerel, a lamb-hog, a 
tuphog, or a teg. These are English terms, and rarely 
used in this country. 
Soft Maplh run Fence Posts. — I noticed in the Rural 
of Fob. 21st, an inquiry as to the durability of soft maple 
for fence posts. I have used them. They will last about 
eight years. 
1 will give you a recipe for curing sheep that have been 
poisoned eating libber, or Itch Root. Give two-thirds of a 
tumbler full of good sharp vinegar. I have never known 
It to fail—J 1>. Mills, WclhsviUe, N. Y. 
Wax from Husky. —Tliis is a question we have been 
discussing in our neighborhood—whether bees make their 
wax from honey. There are some people who believe 
they do. We should like the opinions of more experi¬ 
enced operators on this subject.—O. P. Q. 
This is not a settled question, we believe, among apiari¬ 
ans. It will answer to observe closely the coming season. 
How thk Colt war Taught to Back —Our colt would 
not back. We pulled on the lines until he fell down. 
We used liiui for some time, hut he must go ahead. A 
neighbor said he could back him. He struck him a few 
times on his nose, or in his face, with his open baud, and 
he hacked a few steps. Repeated several times, the fault 
was cured.—W m. O. Taylor, Bedford, Ohio. 
Madia Caick. —In reply to his question, W, F. is in¬ 
formed that Madia Cake is a species of oil cake resulting 
from the manufacture of oil from the seeds of the madia 
saliva, a plant grown in South America for its oil. The 
oil of this plant is high]} esteemed, aDd the cake is valua¬ 
ble as a food for stock 
Essex Pigs Wanted.—P ermit me, through your col¬ 
umns, to inquire where I cun obtain a pair Ot Essex pigs, 
or a cross of Essex and Leicester Will some one who lias 
them answer at au earl) day ? I want nothing but thor¬ 
ough-bred, aud would like them two or three mouths old. 
O. White, Ann Arbor, Mieh. 
Imchee FOR Sugar, in Ohio. —Will some one of the 
many readers of the Rural inform me through its col¬ 
umns whether Imphee can he grown iu Ohio that will 
make sugar v If so, where can seed and instructions for 
its manufacture be obtained >—I. T. Hutchisson, Bette 
Faint, Ohio- _ 
What is the Bust Method ok Getting Rid of Pine 
Stumps f—Some one has recommended the putting of oil 
o: vitriol in the lop, but has not given particulars. Will 
some one of vour practical subscribers give the quickest 
and best method or getting rid of these pests to cleared 
laud, and oblige—A Subscriber, DansviUe, .Y. Y. 
Rural Notes ani> Stems. 
The International Agricultural Exhibition to be 
behl in Hamburg, next July, (as already noticed in the 
Rural, 1 is to be attended by agents from several of the 
United States. The Legislature of our own State has made 
an appropriation for an Agent, and the Executive Board 
of the State Ag, Society lias appointed Hon. Ezra Cor¬ 
nell, Ex-President, to act in that capacity. Massachusetts 
has made a similar appropriation, and the Bonn! of Agri¬ 
culture has named its Secretary, Ch arles L. Flint. Esq., 
as the representative. Iu Vermont au appropriation has 
also been made and the Hon. 1>anikt Needham, Secretary 
of the stale Ag. Society, designated as agent. We pre¬ 
sume other States will he represented In like manner, and 
trust the American exhibitors will be as numerous and 
fortunate as they were at the recent London Exhibition. 
Though cursed with a wicked rebellion at the South the 
“Universal Yankee Nation’’ is still alive and prosperous, 
and should, ns it can, demonstrate the fact to the denizens 
of the Old World. 
A Wool Hoax. —On the 3d inst. an advertisement ap¬ 
peared in one of our Rochester dailies, under the head of 
Wool Wanted,” stating that Mr. D. Brown, of the firm 
of Brown Brothers, New York, w ould be at the Waver- 
ly Hotel, Rochester, on the 9th and 10th, and in Canan¬ 
daigua on the 11th and 12th insts,, “for the purpose of 
contracting wool for the following clip at 87J-& cto. per lb., 
and a liberal amount of money to bind the bargain.” 
Farmers wishing to contract were inv ited to call Seeing 
tliis ihe editor of the N. Y. Economist called upon Messrs. 
Brown, bankers of that city, who stated that they knew 
nothing of the advertisement. And when the 10th arrived, 
and some twenty farmers and wool dealers called at the 
Wuveriey, “ Mr. D. Brown ” was non cst. and they finally 
concluded they were “D—one Brown. 1 ' The “sell” was 
doubtless the work of some petty speculator in wool who 
wished to create a rise on his stock. 
Thk Season in California and Herb. —The California 
Farmer of Feb. Gth (the last number received) thus speaks 
of the season in the Pacific State:—“ After quite & ‘ spell ’ 
of pleasant weather, a Southeast storm set in last night. 
Formers liavo been busy plowing nnd seeding, hut the 
ground was getting dry again. Complaints of Short feed 
are made in the interior, the cool weather and frosty 
nights keeping the grass back.” 
— It is refreshing to read such intelligence while we are 
enjoying the piercing winds of a cold Nor’wester—with 
snow a foot deep, and the merenry near zero The win¬ 
ter win 11 open ' and comparatively warm, but spring has 
been frigid and boisterous thus far, But as March “came 
in like a lion,” we trust the old adage will prove true that 
it will “ go out like a Iamb.” Meantime, soil cultivators 
should “make ready” for plowing and seeding, nnd other 
spring work, so as to commence active operations at the 
earliest practicable moment. 
Weather Notes from Maine.— Franklin Co., Me., 
March 5.—We are having mild w eather, frequent rains, 
and March is true to her name. On the 1st there were a 
full dozen inches of snow, aud on the 3d three or four 
inches more fell. This makes six and a half feet, or more 
in many places, this winter. On the N. bide of Mt Blue, 
where people live by farming, and lumbering in the win¬ 
ter, there ha* much more fallen. On Satidy River, where 
these Motet are taken, there has been three feet in the 
woods at one time. The winter has boon a remarkably 
flue aud mild one with Us for our latitude— AY-W N. 
On account of the mild winter fodder will be abundant, 
though It was thought otherwise last fill!. Stock of all 
kinds are wintering finely; no malignant di-eases.—o. w. t. 
Eastman’s Model Mercantile College— Under the 
management of Mr, A. R. Eastman, a competent Teach¬ 
er aud experienced Book-beeper and Business Man, this 
institution is regaining the popularity and prosperity it 
attained under the supervision of its originator, | brother 
of tin present Principal,) now deceased. We refer all 
interested to the advertisement of tho Principal iu this 
paper, repeating what w e said of the College in 18f,7—that 
“ we take sincere pleasure in directing the attention of our 
readers, in both town aud country, to an institution which 
combines such advantages, in location, mode of instruc¬ 
tion and other facilities for imparting a thorough Commer¬ 
cial Education, as to render it eminently worthy of being 
styled a Model Mercantile College. Like Our model Uni¬ 
versity, this College has become one of the permanent in¬ 
stitutions of the Emporium of Western New York, and 
we trust it* influence and usefulness may long be contin¬ 
ued and substantially appreciated.’' 
Profits of Tobacco Culture in North Illinois.— 
In Stephenson county, Illinois*, the profit of the tobac¬ 
co crop is startling to persistent wheat growers. One 
German planted two acres and received for his crop $410. 
He sold at 12}* ceuts per pound. The range per acre, 
where cultivated, U from $180 to $200. Some crops 
brought to the producer 14 ceuts per pound. My inform¬ 
ant sav* the crop is to be largely increased the coming sea¬ 
son. Hundreds of acres will be planted iu that county. 
And this D a sample of the way the farmers in tdl parts of 
the State are substituting “the weed ” for the non-paying 
cereals.—C. 0. B. 
A Sorghum Refinery is being put np at Laporte, Ind., 
for next season's operations. It is said the proprietor pro¬ 
poses to contract for refining about 500 acres of cane, hav¬ 
ing it properly topped, stripped, cut and delivered at the 
mill as needed- His plan is to refine the juice direct from 
the cane crusher aud to boil it afterward. In this way he 
has little doubt but he can at once make sugar from Sor¬ 
ghum or Imphee. It is probable that a manufactory for 
making sugar from the beet will eventually be added to 
the refinery. 
President Cornell’s Address.— We are indebted to 
Hon. Ezra Cornell fora copy of his Address, delivered 
at the recent Annual Meeting of the N. Y. State Agricul¬ 
tural Society, ou retiring from the Presidency. We lis¬ 
tened to it with much interest, aud are gjudtoseeit issued 
in ercditablo style. It contains some important facts and 
suggestions—especially relative to Farm Fences and the 
Improvement of Farm Stock—which we shall endeavor to 
give in a future number. 
-1 -- > 
Agricultural Statistics.— AVe learn from Col. John¬ 
son, Secretary State Ag. Society, that the County- of Steu¬ 
ben send* the first Statistical Report — her thirty-three 
towns complete. “ Hon. G Dkn.mstox, President of the 
County Ag. Society , has carried through tho work satis¬ 
factorily—every School District returned/' Well done 
Steuben, per Dknnjston ! 
Advance in the Prices of Threshing Machines.— 
At a convention of threshing machine makers recently 
held in Buffalo—whereat most of the manufactories of 
New York, Ohio and the West were represented—the pri¬ 
ces of machines were advauced 15 per cent., in conse¬ 
quence of tho alleged high price of materials and labor. 
The Agricultural Interest —It is asserted by those 
most competent to judge in the matter, (says the N. E. 
Farmer, ) that the agricultural interest of the country em¬ 
braces ninety per cent of the entire wealth of ihe country. 
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