The Practical Shepherd.— This new and complete 
work on Sheep Husbandry, by Hon. H, S. Randall. will 
be published in a few days, and contain about 450 large 
octavo pages. We subjoin the Table of Contents: 
CHAPTER I. 
Flnv-Woolcd Breeds of Sheep. 
.The Spanish, French, Saxon, and Silesian Merinos 
CHAPTER n. 
Introduction or Fine - AVooled Sheep Into the Cnited 
State*. 
Early Importations of Spanish, French and Saxon Meri¬ 
nos. 
CHAPTER nr. 
American Merinos Established as a Variety. 
The Mixed Leonese or Jarvis Merinos — The Infantado or 
Atwood Merinos—The PanJar or Rich Merinos—Other 
Merinos. 
CHAPTER IT'. 
Enter Importations of Flne-Wooled Sheep into the 
Fnlted State*. 
French and Silesian Merinos Introduced. 
CHAPTER V. 
Br!tl*h and Other J-onc and Middle-AVooled Sheep 
in the. Fnlted State*. 
Leicester?, Cotswold*. Lincolns New Oxfordshire?, Black- 
Faced Scotch, cheviot. Fat-Ruinped, Broad-Tailed, 
Persian and Climes* Sheep. 
CHAPTER VI. 
British Short-Booled Sheep, etc., in the fnlted States. 
The South Powiim. H.irapshite Downs. Shropshire Down-, 
and Oxfordshire Dow ns. 
CHAPTER VII. 
The Point* lo be It retarded in Finc-B'ooled Sheep. 
Carcass— Skin — Folds o- Wrinkles — Fleece — Fineness- 
Evenness -Trueness and Soundness— 1'liancy and Soft¬ 
ness—Style—and Length of Wool. 
CHAPTER Till. 
The Same Subject Continued. 
Yolk —Chemical Analysis of Yolk —its Uses — Proper 
Amount and Consistency of it —its Color — Colonnc 
Sheep Artificially — Artificial Propagation and Preser¬ 
vation of Yolk- 
CHAPTER TX. 
Adaptation of Breed* to Different Situations. 
Markets —Climate —Vegetalion—Soils—Number of Sheep 
to be Kept -Associated Branches of Husbandry 
for rats and mice. You will then set studding 
on this strip, about two feet apart, all around the 
wall, two or three inches from it The upper 
end of studding will he nailed to joists: then 
line the inside of the cellar with rough boards, 
nail laths up and down a fool apart, then lath 
and piaster with one brown coat. Nail a nar¬ 
row strip on each side of your joists, one inch 
from the lower side—lay a double floor of rough 
siding, fill up to upper edge of joists with saw¬ 
dust_then lay your floor of good matched floor¬ 
ing for the upper room. You now have an air 
J left free from an incumbrance whien is leu to ul 
a serious impediment in the way of successful 
cultivation. Should the land be of an argillace¬ 
ous or clayey consistency, and heave badly, the 
f roller may be applied in the spring. This, how¬ 
ever, will rarely be necessary, as in most cases it 
will settle as it dries, and present a perfectly 
smooth and even surface to the scythe. 
« Grass seed sown in tho fall, i. e.. in October, 
will vegetate before the advent of severe cold ; 
but as sowing is often deferred till later in the 
season, it is sometimes not seen till the subse¬ 
quent spring. If sown on stubble fields, after 
wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, or peas, the pro¬ 
cess is nearly the same, the only modification 
being the substitution of the plow for the cultiva¬ 
tor or harrow in securing the requisite tilth. A 
small seed plow is the most suitable for this pur¬ 
pose. and one that lays a ./hi furrow is preferable 
to one that does uol, as the stubble, in order to 
secure a clean surface, should be turned down 
and completely covered. The harrow in its 
transit will necessarily disturb and bring some 
of it to the surface 5 but this, by the subsequent 
action of the roller, will be disposed of. In this 
way any farmer may secure a good grass field." 
half of the posts, bringing the top ends of one- 
half down. I used some for the posts in building 
my door-yard fence, and let a neighbor have 
some for the same purpose. In ten or twelve 
years some of the posts rotted off in my fence. 
My neighbor’s place changed hands, and the 
present owner, four years ago, built a new 
picket fence in the place of the old one. I 
was present and examined the post 0 . About 
one-balf of them were rotted off, and had been 
for some years: the other halt appeared quite 
sound, so much so that he re-set them in the new 
fence. The carpenter that was building the fence 
and 1 examined the posts to see the cause of the 
difference, and we found by the notches near the 
heart that the sound posts were set with the top 
or upper ends down. I had heard that posts set 
top end down would last longer, which made me 
curious to know which end was down. Seeing 
it spoken of in the Run at* I went this morning 
and examined the old posts that are now stand¬ 
ing. They appear quite sound and will stand for 
some years to come. At the surface they are 
worn about half off. They have been set twenty- 
four years last April. The log was a Burr Oak. 
Pleasant Valley, Iowa, 1863. G. W. F. 
The State and County Fairs.— Several State Fairs 
are “in session ’ this week—including those of New York, 
Ohio ami Kentucky;—also the Provincial Fair of Canada 
East. The New York -Rate Fair, at Utica, promises to be 
a success. As we write (Tuesday noon, 15th,) the weath 
cr is delightful—lust the kind to favor large and success¬ 
ful exhibitions 
The Orleans Co. i N. V.) Fair has been postponed until 
next week—-ept. 23—24. Liberal premiums are offered, 
and no expense has Keen spared In making arrangements 
for a tine display.- Thr Ontario Co. Fair is to be held at 
Canandigua, Sept. 20th and Oct. 1st and 2d. “Compe¬ 
tition open to all persona in all classes, within or without. 
the County. '- The Tomphint Co. Fair takes place at 
Ithaca, Sept. 5$, 80 and Oct. 1.- Tonawcmda T'af.’ty 
Ag. Fair is to be held at Attica on Friday and Saturday, 
Sept. IS—lb 7V Danfat Union Fair (YatesCo.) is an¬ 
nounced for sept. 30th and Oct. Island 2d; and the Pal 
myra Union (Wavne Co.) for Oct. 5th, 6th and 7th. The 
above are all the changes or additions we are advised of 
since publication of list of Fairs in Rural of 5th inst.— 
to which list we refer all interested. 
Sre.rKCTS for Discretion AT State Fair. Mr. Secre¬ 
tary Johnson has furnished us the following relative to 
the subjects suggested for discussion at the State Fair, at 
Utica, this week. Though rather late (it was not received 
in time fox our last number,) the item will reach many of 
our readers before ibe discussions take place, and will in¬ 
terest others. 
1. The most economical method of supply ing the sur¬ 
face soil with the mineral food of plants, whether by its 
direct application, by sub soiling or by the plowing in of 
deep rooted plants. The question to be restricted to those 
cases where the surface soi! has been subject for a period 
of at least tifteeu years to the ordinary methods of culti¬ 
vation by a rotation of crops, and when the subsoil, wheth¬ 
er of sedimentary or primary formation, is not below the 
surface of an average distance of over six feet. In all in- 1 
stances of such soil and sub-soil adduced for illustration 
in the discussion, the same to be accurately described. 
2. Tlic best rotation of ciops suited to the climatic con¬ 
dition of the middle tier of Counties in the State, on 
farms having at least eighty acres of good arable land. 
The question to he considered with the end in view of ob¬ 
taining a maximum annual revenue in ensh. and at the 
same time the largest amount of manure of the greatest 
fertilizing value. The amount paid for labor, its proper 
application, and the capital invested for stock, whether of 
sheep, cattle, horses, fite., of one or more of these kinds 
of domestic animals, being the same in all cases, and the 
condition of the markets for tho several products of the 
farm being an average one. 
3. The heat method of husbandry. The manures ob¬ 
tained from the methods proposed in the 2d problem (in 
the rotation of erupt, &c.,) and the best time of applying 
them on the several crops, the economy of management 
in this respect on the farm being the same. 
THE VERMONT STATE FAIR AND WOOL 
GROWERS CONVENTION. 
THE OSAGE ORANGE FOR HEDGING, 
seeds of pestilence and death. Diphtheria and 
typhoid fever are not unfrequently the result of 
miasms accumulated in close underground apart¬ 
ments where vegetable and animal matters are 
allowed to decay and decompose. Organic mat¬ 
ters of any kind should never be kept in any 
room or place unless free and ample circulation 
of air is secured. The IF orbing Farmer gives 
the following plan for ventilating cellars, which 
we commend to the consideration of our readers: 
“ A stove on the first floor may have a branch 
from Its smoke pipe passing down through the 
floor so as to receive the top air of the cellar. 
This pipe should lie slightly enlarged at it* lower 
end. and it should lie supplied with a valve; | 
when the fire is being lighted this valve may be 
shut and afterwards opened, so as to leave suf¬ 
ficient draft for the stove. Thousands of cubic 
feet of damp air and foul gases will pass through 
the chimney from the cellar daily, and thus ren¬ 
der it both clean and dry at all times. Every 
philosophical mind will see the truth of this 
statement, and at the same time must admit that 
where such an arrangement does not exist that, 
to a degree, at least, these foul gases must leak 
through tho cracks in the floor, to the detriment 
of the health of the inmates, before it passes 
through the fire into the chimney. Every chim¬ 
ney should be connected in some way with the 
cellar, so as to be used as a ventilator when re¬ 
quired.” _ 
Some Hints about Barns. 
When barns are scattered about the farm 
some thirty yards from each other, and as many 
more from the house, it pays better to move and 
arrange them in a more convenient manner—as 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker I have just read 
in your last issue the remarks of E. P.,” regard¬ 
ing the Osage Orange for hedging, in which he 
says “ It thrives alike in the cold latitudes of 
the North and under the scorching beat further 
South.” This assertion seems to me so at vari¬ 
ance with facts that it needs correction. “ E. IV’ 
must be wholly unacquainted with the growth of 
this plant in “ cold latitudes,” or he would never 
have made such an unqualified statement I 
cannot speak from observation in other latitudes, 
but in this vicinity it fails to stand our cold win¬ 
ters, even under the best of care. During the 
last week I passed a lengthy hedge of ten or 
more years of age, completely killed in various 
places. The dry stalks still make a fence, but 
for the space of ten feet or more in different 
places not a living sprout was to be seen. 
I have seen thousands of these plants on the 
best of soils and under the best of care, forming 
a line offence three or four feet high, completely 
killed to the ground. These mostly sprouted in 
the spring, enveloping the dry stubs with green 
shoots, except in occasional sections which may 
have been more exposed. This was a young 
hedge of about four years’ growth, with thrifty 
and tender shoots; but each severe winter leaves 
an indelible mark upon the oldest hedges. 
If hedging is not “ played out’’ here, it has so 
nearly resulted in failure that farmers will gen¬ 
erally adhere to the old manner of fencing, unless 
something is brought to their notice which prom¬ 
ises better service than either the Osage Orange 
or the Hawthorn. m. c. r. 
Sennett, Cay ugi^Co., N. Y. 
on every side tower up chains or spurs of the 
Green Mountains. A gentleman from New 
York remarked, it was a beautiful landscape 
picture, set in a frame of mountains. 
The show of animals was uot large on the first 
day, but good. The staple production of Ver¬ 
mont, viz., Merinos, was the chief feature. Mr. 
Hammond, being President of the Society, did 
not show. W. It. Sanford and Mr. Stowell 
showed some very superior sheep. 
At two o'clock the Wool Growers' Convention 
assembled. There was considerable hesitation 
whether to have the speech of Hon. Henry S. 
Randall then, or defer it until the closing day 
of the Fair; but as it was, by request, specially 
an address in regard to sheep, and as It was 
found that many wool growers had assembled 
from all parts of the State, and from some other 
States, expressly to bear it—and that a number 
of these gentlemen could not stay through the 
Fair—it was decided that it proceed. I looked 
with some curiosity on the sheep grandees. 
President Hammond, the leader of them, is a 
noble looking man of sixty. Messrs. Sand ford, 
Wright, Saxton, Stowkll. Eu.iTUORr, Cut¬ 
ting, Cook, Bottcm, Coding. «tc., <Vc..—and 
hundreds of them whose names I did not learn— 
are substantial looking men. They looked more 
like a legislature than a crowd, when Mr. Ran¬ 
dall rose to address them. The address lasted 
an hour, and except when the body broke out 
as they frequently did, )Dto loud applause, you 
might hare heard a pin drop. Not a man 
moved or left the room, or suspended his fixed 
attention. This is the decorum of Vermont 
The speech was purely practical, and was of 
such a character as must greatly enhance the 
high reputation of Mr. R. 
After Mr. Randall sat down. Col. Needham, 
the Secretary of the Society, who attended Geo. 
Campbell to the World's Fair at Hamburgh, 
was called for, and requested to narrate his expe¬ 
riences on that occasion. He spoke an hour in 
an easy, off-hand way—and being a small man 
stood on a table. His account of the circum¬ 
stances under which the American Merinos beat 
seventeen hundred and odd competitors, taking 
the first and second prizes on rams, and the first 
and second on ewes, was most interesting. It 
seems nearly all the best flocks of Germany 
were represented, and the competition trom 
France was also strong. The Emperor Napo¬ 
leon bad forty sheep on the ground competing 
against Campbells. The agents of the Emperor 
were not suited with the pens assigned to them 
and built splendid ones at the Emperors expense. 
‘•He beat us,” said Col. Needham, “on pens— 
“ but we beat him on sheep.’ After the Fair was 
Thk “International Wheat Show”— hold in con¬ 
nection with the Monroe Co. Fair, near this city, last 
week—was not as successful as we had anticipated. There 
were but few entries, . under twenty, we believe,) and far 
less interest manifested in the exhibition than had been 
expected. Hut, though limited in quantity, the display 
was creditable to the competitors, and embraced several 
fine samples of the leading varieties of wheat cultivated in 
this State and Canada West. We subjoin a list of the 
FKHVtVMS AWARDED ON WHEAT: 
One-balf of 1st premium to J. H. Anderson, of Ham¬ 
ilton, C. W., $73. “ P. S — For Blue Stem.” 
One-half of 1st do. to K. S. Hayward, of Brighton, 
Monroe Co., N. V., $75—for Soule's Wheat. 
Second do. to Robert Embcry, of Penfield, Monroe 
Co , N. Y., $75—Soule’* Wheat. 
Second do. on Red Winter, to E A. Herald, of Can¬ 
andaigua, Ontario Co., N. Y., $50—White Mediterranean. 
Two bushels White Wheat—One half of 1st premium 
to J. H Amikh80n, of Hamilton, C W., $25. 
Ono-half of 1st do to E. S. Hayward, of Brighton, 
Monroe Co., N. Y., $25. 
Second do. to Robert Embury, of Penfield, Monroe 
Co., N. Y., $25. 
Two bushel* best Red Wheat-First premium to E. A. 
Hkbard, of Canandaigua, Ontario Co., N. Y , $40. 
Second do. to Harvey Jerrells, of Perimon, Monroe 
Co., N. Y , $20 
After making the above awards the Committee through 
their Chairman, Prof. Geo. Bcckland, of Toronto, C. 
\V ,) conclude tlieir report as follows:—“The specimen 
of twenty bushels exhibited by the Hon Jacob IIi.vds, is 
deserving of special notice and commendation; that gen- 
I Genian having succeeded, after several tears' experiment, 
[ in bringing it from a Spring Wheat to a White Winter 
to its present state of perfection. The Commit- 
MIXING GRAIN IN SEEDING. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker I take the lib¬ 
erty to write you a few lines for publication, if 
you think it worth while. All know that Uncle 
Sam is in want of help of all kinds just now, so 
whatever assists the producer wilt enable him to 
pay his taxes easier. What I recommend is this: 
—for the farmer to mix bis seed half and half 
with strange seed of same kind from his neigh¬ 
bor's.—wheat, rye, corn, barley, oats, buckwheat. 
&c. I do not wish to be understood to recom¬ 
mend mixing varhJie.H, except the best while 
wheat and rye. Then sow a small piece for 
bread or feed, especially in localities that are 
troubled with the midge. Put on plenty of seed 
—nearly as much of each as though the other 
was not sown. 
Several farmers about here who mixed their 
com say their crops can’t be beat. Two mixed 
wheat, one white the other red; both got near 
three-sevenths more than expected, the berry 
being so large. 
At the same time, let farmers change the males 
of their poultry every year—such as geese, ducks, 
turkeys, hens, A c., they will have larger kinds, 
and healthier, bettei layers. 
Lenawee Co, Mich., IS63. Lorenzo Taylor. 
The above will be a new idea to many, and 
hardly be considered orthodox. Who speaks to 
the question ? 
top of the wall to let air in: for if closed tight it 
will caime the sill and sleepers to decay. When 
you build a bridge in front of the large doors, of 
ptone and dirt, do not put any airf near the sill, 
as the water from the roof will soon cause decay. 
I believe thousands of dollars are wasted in this 
wav every year, llemah /—Build your* bridge of 
stone or dirt within two feet of the doors, and 
place a stick of timber four inches from the sill, 
and lour short pieces from sill to embankment, 
and place two plauks upon this foundation and 
your sill will not decay here before it does any¬ 
where else. Do not nail a board on the front 
side of the sill where the doors are, as this will 
cause decay .—Colonial Farmer. 
variety. 
tec cannot l,ut regret that so few competitor* appear at 
this first attempt of an International Wheat chow, and 
earnestly hope that an object of so much importance will 
be annually attended by increased support and success.” 
— The Monroe CO. Fair, of which the Wheat chow 
above noticed was the prominent feature, did uot meet 
the expectations of the public, with the exception of the 
exhibition of Fruit, which latter was very creditable. 
A Plea for Mvi.es.— The editor of the li is- 
consin Fanner presents the following excellent 
reasons why the farmers should encourage the 
introduction of mules: 1. He is much more 
easily and cheaply reared than his cousin, the 
hoi*e. 2 . He eats but little more than half as 
much when matured. 3. lie is satisfied with and 
thrives upon ft' coarser and less expensive class 
Minor Rckal Items.— Nearly thirty-five million lbs. 
of wool were imported into this country, at New York, 
iluriug the first seven months of 1863. Our own wool 
crop, as yet, is chiefly housed by the wool grow en> - 
Much complaint is made in Way ne county, this State, in 
regard to the ravages of the grasshoppers, which caused 
great damage to the oat crop, aud are no w turning their 
attention to the growing tobacco plants. It is feared that 
the tobacco crop will be materially injured.-Anson C. 
Limlsley, of the town of Middlesex, Yates county, >". Y., 
has returned $3.'JB0 as the uet income of his farm of 300 
acres, for the year 1862, and consequently pays $119 70 in¬ 
come tax. His gross receipts were $0,461, of which 
$5,416 were derived from grain.-The heavy gale and 
A Prairie House Cellar. 
A correspondent of the Prairie Farmer, 
writing from Southern Illinois, gives his expe¬ 
rience with an independent cellar, which may 
also be very applicable to cellars in more north¬ 
ern locations, where the nature of the groiuid 
does not readily admit of good drainage, so as 
to secure a dry cellar all below the surface: 
“ I would dig four feet deep in the ground, and 
build 21 feet above the surface, or so as to finish 
up Gi feet. If brick is used they should be very 
hard burned, at least those used under ground. 
Build the wall lo inches thick, with common 
lime rnoitar. (water-lime is better;) make the 
The Fcture of Horses— The drain upon 
the serviceable horses of the country has been 
so great, that the horse interest is bound toyo up; 
the best investments of live stock 
and among 
now to be made will be the purchase of likely 
eoits for raising to maturity, the next to this the 
breeding of good horse stock for the future sup¬ 
ply, Now that the practice of government agents 
has cleared the cuuntry of low-priced animals, 
let us turn over a new leaf in our style of horse- 
breeding, aud go in for something that will do 
good service and command good prices .—Ohio 
Farmer. 
The Hop Crop.— Hop-picking is being rigorously pros¬ 
ecuted in Schoharie, Otsego, Oneida, Madison, aud other 
hop cto wing counties Ae to the crop of the first named 
county it is estimated that quantity and quality consid¬ 
ered, a* compared with the crop of 1862, this years crop 
would fall short about 33;,' per cent. or one-third The 
Cooperatewu Journal says.—“The weather has been fa¬ 
vorable for picking during the past week, and those who 
did not commence too early are gathering a better article 
than they at one time anticipated. The crop in Otsego is 
somewhat over one-half an ordinary crop; in Schoharie 
and portions of Montgomery 3boutthe same; in Madison 
and Oneida it is nearer two-thirds an ordinary crop. 
DURABILITY OF FENCE POSTS 
Manure may as well be thrown into water, as 
on land underlaid by water. 
