874 
g RURAL MRW-YORERR. 
0 ¥. 21 . 
per acre than the White, or Silesian beet; but 
the latter contains a higher per cent ago of sugar, 
and a lower per centage of water and saline mat¬ 
ters, and is undoubtedly the kind ior the farmer 
to grow who proposes to make his own sugar. 
Enormous quantities of the Mangel Wureel 
are grown in England. Authenticated reports 
are giveu of 38 tuns 16 cwt. In one instance, aud 
39 tuns 13 cwt. in another, per acre, and there is 
evidence of nearly or quite as large a yield in 
this country. On the Continent, however, the 
average yield seems to be about 15 tuns per acre. 
A brief description of the beet root and its 
structure and composition, may not be out of 
place here. If a root be cut down or across, as 
represented in cut on firnt page, it will be Been 
that it is composed of eccentric zones or layers, 
differing in color more or less, according to the 
variety. The skin contains the mineral and 
azotized matter, immediately beneath which lies 
the herbaceous tissue, containing the coloring 
matter, an essential oil, and other peculiar or¬ 
ganic components; to this succeeds the concen¬ 
tric zones of vascular and cellular tissue, con¬ 
taining the saccharine matter. 
The average of numerous analyses, shows it 
to consist of: 
Sugar..10 
Soluble salts, Ac. 63 
Water. 33 
Woody fiber, &c. 4 
100 
In the later and most improved process of 
manufacture, there is but little difference from 
the German method. The roots must be washed 
entirely clean, and rasping is recommended as 
the only way to reduce the root to a pulp, for 
the reason that the small cells which (as it has 
been shown) hold the sugar, are bettor broken 
up by that than any other process, and the finer 
it is done the better. A small jet of water is 
allowed to trickled upon the rasp while in mo¬ 
tion, to prevent its becoming clogged. 
The juice should be pressed out of the pulp as 
soon as possible after it is ground. That pro¬ 
cess has already been alluded to, and does not 
differ from the general mode. The bags should 
be cleaned after using, and well dried. It is also 
important that the juice should not stand any 
length of time after it is pressed out. 
The process of clarifying is the same substan¬ 
tially as the one already described. The tme of 
animal charcoal is unnecessary, unless to get rid 
of the color. When it is an object to make a 
very nice white article, it will be necessary to 
pass the simp, before it gets too thick, through 
that substance. We apprehend, however, that 
any person who knows how to make good maple 
sugar, can malic as good beet root Bugar. 
To those who wish to become familiar with the 
manufacturing of sugar from beet root on a 
large scale, we would recommend the perusal oi 
the article referred to. Of the profit of making 
his own sugar, we think the farmer at the North 
can have no doubt. Allowing fifteen tuns of 
roots as the average product per acre, or that 
four tuns could be grown upon the quarter of an 
acre, and the statement of the account would be 
about as follows: 
Expense of tillage...... ....$ 4.00 
Do. manulaoture.. .. 10.00 
Allowing but 7 per cent, of sugar and 3 per 
West—and the immense interest it is designed to ninety-five pounds of surplus. This, at twenty ercise, he will contract another set of diseases, 
promote. A large meeting is expected, as cehts, would be nineteen dollars. The man who is regular and systematic in his 
everybody Is invited,—do not wish it confined to | The above are exceptional cases, and are far own habits of living, is most likely to enjoy 
Ohio,—but ask ‘all interested in the growth of above a general average of profits afforded by health and long life, while he who indulges in 
wool’to take part. The Illinois Wool Growers’ bees. Mr. QriNRT estimates the average yield excesses of any kind is sure to suffer from fre- 
Association will co-operate, as will the West in good seasons about three dollars worth from quent and violent attacks of illness and end his 
Rural Notes emit Stems. 
Association will co-operate, as will the West 
generally.” 
SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS, 
fFrom the Maine Farmer,] 
The shortening days and the changeable 
weather,— one day warm, hazy and spring-like, 
and the next cold, raw aud windy, give tokens 
of the coming winter season, and everything on 
and about the farm should be put in readiness to 
meet it The remaining roots should be secured, 
the grain thrashed, and permanent improvements 
made in buildings, fences, draining, Ac. We make 
the following notes of seasonable operations, not 
so much for information as to call attention to the 
subjects named. 
Asparagus. — Cover the beds three or four 
inches deep with horee manure, to be forked in 
next spring. 
Apples.—Market the earlier varieties before 
they decay. Pick over and store away the win¬ 
ter varieties. Keep the cellars well ventilated 
until the cold necessitates their being closely 
secured. 
Buildings .—Put them in repair for winter. 
Clear out sheds and stables for the accommoda¬ 
tion of stock. A board here and a shingle there 
will save its cost in fodder. 
Cabbages, Carrots, and Beets.— Dig and store 
before freezing, if not already done. Feed the 
tops and stray leaves to the cattle. 
Grain .—Thrash and select the very best of all 
kinds for the next year’s seed, for “ like produces 
like.” 
Grapes .—Take the vines from the trellises and 
cover with earth, straw or boughs. Transplant 
vines, roots and layers. Prune away ull unnec¬ 
essary wood and preserve the cuttings in sand 
for planting nut next spring. 
Planting 'Prees .—Set out deciduous trees early 
in the month, but leave evergreens till spring. 
Fall planting of fruit trees is advocated by many 
experienced tree growers. It does not matter 
much whether fall or spring, if the act is only 
performed. 
Plowing .—Plow heavy, tough, strong lands, 
intended tor cultivation, so that the winter's 
frost, eun and wind may soften, pulverize aud 
render it more friable and easily worked. Leave 
it unharrowed, as it will thus present a larger 
surface to the atmospheric influences. 
Scions .—Collect aud preserve such scions as 
you wish to set next spring. Cut, if possible, 
from bearing trees, and of proved varieties. Tie 
them in bundles, label carefully and correctly, 
and pack in boxes of earth in the cellar. 
Bhubarb,-- Set crowns and roots and cover 
with coarse mauure for protection from the win¬ 
ter cold, and for forking in next spring. 
Garden Plants. — Cover and protect with 
boughs,—spruce are the warmest and best 
Bend down shrubs, or protect by setting up 
evergreens about them. Take up tender plants, 
put in boxes and keep them in the cellar till 
spring. 
Produce.— Don’t be in a hurry to dispose of 
a stock. If yon add to this the yield from the 
first swarm, which he says is often more than the 
parent stock, you will have a profit in honey of 
six dollars. In good seasons you will get two 
swarms, worth eight Collars more, making four¬ 
teen dollars as the profit in one season. Mr. 
Langstroth says:—“With proper management, 
five dollars’ worth of honey may, on an average 
of years, bo obtained for each stock that is win¬ 
tered in good condition. The worth of the new 
colonies he offsets against all expense of labor, 
hives and interest. This he thinks a moderate 
estimate. Mr. Dziekzon. the eminent German 
Apiarian,—although living in a poor, sandy dis¬ 
trict of Lower Silesia,—estimates, in ordinary 
seasons, his profit at from thirty to fifty per cent, 
and in very favorable seasons from eighty to one 
hundred per cent L. L. Fairchild. 
Rolling Prairie, Wis., 1803 
Wintering Bees. 
The Effect of Ice or Frost on Beks 
and Comb.— When the bees are not smothered, 
this water in the hive is the source of other mis¬ 
chief. The combs are quite certain to mould. 
The water mould or dampness on the honey 
renders it. thin, and unhealthy for the bees' 
causing dysentery, or the accumulation of ferces 
that they are unable to retain. When the hive 
contains a very large family, or very small one, 
there will be less frost on the combs, — the ani¬ 
mal heat of the first will drive it off; in the latter 
there will be but little exhaled. 
Frost may cause Starvation. — This frost 
is frequently the cause of medium or small 
families starving in cold weather, even when 
there is plenty of honey in the hive. Suppose 
all the honey in the immediate vicinity of the 
cluster of bees Ib exhausted, and the combs in 
every direction from them are covered with 
frost; if a bee should leave the mass and venture 
among them for a supply, its fate would be as 
certain a3 starvation. And without timely in¬ 
tervention of warmer weather, they must perish! 
— (pibdjys Mysteries of Bee-Keeping. 
gwat spirit oi fto $xm< 
cent of molasses, this would give 280 lbs. of 7 0lir produce. Prices are not likely to decline, 
choice sugar, and about 12 gallons of superior aud ma y advance. Remember that by changing 
g j rU p your grain, hay and vegetables into stock, and 
280 lbs. sugar at 8 cents.$22.40 disposing of it in that form you are adding to the 
12 gallons simp, 76 cents. 9.00 producing powers of' your farm; but if yon seli 
-- your hay and grain, your soil must deteriorate 
' ' 00 unless supplied from some outside source, as by 
Showing a profit of nearly §17.00. But after all, the use of artificial fertilizers, which do not 
this does not convey n true idea of the profit or always pay. 
saving. For, in point of fact it to so much slock ,_ Keep tte of klnds , and mU llle 
money saved as tfw sugar Mu d cost which is inferior, if you have it. Don't 
consumed l,y the fatally. 1 is simply a question drortr ick ^ he „ ere a , l4ewe 
whether the farmer can make his sugar cheaper 
than he can raise the wheat or corn, or make * . 
the butter or cheese to exchange for it. We say, Sheep. Give them good and early protection 
without any hesitation, that it is by far the and feed, for they are now the best of property. 
cheapest to make the sugar. We bave no advice S 1 ™ about woo) ’ but we 
cannot think it will be lower. Its price depends 
so much upon circumstances that it is not safe to 
MASS FETING OF WESTERN WOOL predict. However, seventy-five cents a pound 
_' is a fair price, and many will be wise who dis- 
A Convention of Wool Growers is called at * mse ot ' their clip when they can realize that 
Dolumbus. Ohio, January 5lh, 181)4. All Wool amovmt ' 
Growers are invited — especially those of the Wood. —Get some dry wood ready for winter. 
Western States. There should be delegations to Cut dead and decaying trees, and pick up limbs 
ibis meeting from every State in the Union. I and fallen wood in your permanent wood 
Ull assured that Hon. Henry 5. Randall is growths, and pile it up ready to be hauled to the 
ixpected there, aud it is hoped will be induced door-yard at the first sledding season. Prune 
o deliver an address, It is important that there up and cut out worthless varieties. A plenty of 
hould be concert of action, and an united policy good wood, well fitted for the stove, will have 
MASS 
MEETING OF WESTERN WOOL 
GROWERS. 
A Convention of Wool Growers is called at 
Columbus. Ohio, January 5lh, 18G4. All Wool 
Growers are invited — especially those of the 
Western States. There should be delegations to 
this meeting from every State in the Union. I 
am assured that Hon. Henry 5. Randall is 
expected there, and it is hoped will be induced 
to deliver an address, It is important that there 
should be concert of action, and an united policy 
among men engaged in the same branches of a good effect on the temper of the household, 
business. This is necessary as a protective mea- -►«-- 
sure. It is politic as a means of progress. It is 
right in all respects, if the motive be a right one, 
and prudence and charity control thejaction and 
give tone to the voice of such a Convention. 
The State Sorghum Association and the State 
Board of Agriculture meet at the same place, 
the same day. I have before me an official invi¬ 
to Western Wool Growers to attend.—c. d. b. 
A prominent Ohio Agriculturist and Wool 
Grower writeB us concerning above Convention 
in this encouraging wise:—“Do you know that 
we have a live Wool Growers' Association in 
Ohio? It is true—and it will hold its annual 
meeting in Columbus the first week iu January, 
(commencing on Tuesday, January 5th.) The 
Ohio State Board of Agriculture, the Ohio Sor¬ 
ghum Association, and the Legislature, also 
meet at the same time and place:—thus you see 
much of the best Agricultural talent of the 
State will be improvised for the benefit of the 
‘W. G. A.’ Besides all this, Dr. Randall has 
kindly consented to deliver the address. You 
may be assured that no effort is being spared to 
make the meeting worthy of our Slate — the 
X X p t X , 
Profits of Bees. 
In the summer of 1862, Mr. Solomon Saw¬ 
yer, of this place, had four stocks of bees that 
gave him. in surplus honey and swarms, over 
sixty dollar?. 
This has been a poor season with us, yet some 
of the best stocks belonging to the writer have 
paid a profit of ten dollars, not estimating inter¬ 
est or cost of hive or honey boxes. When the 
writer lived in Northern New York, he several 
times; had stocks throw off three swarms, the 
first swarm storing twenty-five pounds of surplus 
honey, and the second and third enough to carry 
them through the winter, the old stock storing 
twenty-five pounds, — making a total of fifty 
pounds, worth ten dollars, at twenty cents per 
pound. The three swarms were worth twelve 
dollars in the full, making a total—not counting 
hives or interest—of twenty-two dollars revenue 
from one stand. 
Jasper Hazen states, in the Country Gentle¬ 
man, that he had one swarm, in 1861, give him 
How to Keep Sweet Potatoes, 
In answer to an inquiry In the Country Gen¬ 
tleman u correspondent writes from Gloucester 
Co., N. J., as follows: 
1 I will endeavor to give the mode practiced in 
this, the heaviest sweet potato growing county 
in the Union. When it is desired to keep but a 
few, barrels or dry-goods boxes are used. Place 
3 by 4 pieces upon the floor, set the box upon 
them, a few dry leaves in the bottom of the box, 
pour in the potatoes, which should be exposed 
to air only long enough to dry off outside moist¬ 
ure, and all cut or eaten ones taken out. When 
the box is full, put a few dry leaves on top. cover 
loosely with the lid. leaving spaces for the moist¬ 
ure to escape. Place another box on top of it, 
and proceed to fill in the same way. The pota¬ 
toes should be put at once where they are to 
remain—not left three or lour days and then 
moved. 
If the desire is to keep a quantity, houses are 
are built of any desirable size, say 30 by 86 feet, 
of frame, two stories high, brick, paned, and 
plastered—if a very dry situation, a cellar un¬ 
der—the floors not extending out to the walls by 
four inches—place 3 by 4 pieces against the 
walls of each story: board up to them 5 or 6 
feet high; put dry leaves upon the floors, and 
then pour the potatoes upon them to the depth 
of about five feet, and cover over with dry leaves 
or straw. It is best to have loose boards the 
whole length of the room, to put up to make 
bins four or live feet wide, for convenience in 
putting in and taking out. The lowest story 
that is used, must have dead air spaces under 
the potatoes—4 by 5 pieces laid down, and loose 
boards laid on them, on which the potatoes must 
be put. 
The cellar will not keep them well unless very 
dry. While the house is filling, the door and 
windows must be kept open and the fire going. 
As soon ns placed iu the house, the potatoes will 
commence “•sweating," when every effort must 
be made to keep them well ventilated and dry. 
After the “sweating process” is gone through 
with, close the windows and shutters, except one 
window down a little for ventilation, and keep 
dark. 
The Btove must be placed in the lowest story 
used: the heat will flow through the dead air 
spaces between the walls and the potatoes, so 
that the upper rooms will be warmer than the 
lower. The heat should be kept at about sixty 
degrees. 
Dig the potatoes before touched with frost, 
although a slight frost to kill leaves will not hurt 
Potatoes, to keep well, should be grown on dry 
land. The chief sources of success are—venti¬ 
late well while sweating, keep regular heat and 
exclude air and light 
If your correspondent desires to keep but a 
few for family use. any room in which the tem¬ 
perature is not allowed to fall below forty de¬ 
grees will answer, though there will be some 
smell from them, especially if they do not keep 
well. _ 
Feeding Horses-Regularity, &c. 
This will show itself in determining the 
time and amount Of feeding, and of feeding and 
of working. Nearly all the diseases to which 
the horse is subject come from irregularity in 
these respects. If he is under-fed and over¬ 
worked, the tone of his system will become 
quent and violent attacks of illness, and end his 
days prematurely. It Is hardly less so with 
man’s favorite animal, the horse. 
Change of diet, cleanliness, and good shelter 
should not be overlooked. For the horse run¬ 
ning at large, as in a wild state, the diet which 
nature gives him is all-sufficient, but for one 
confined, stabled and worked, much attention 
should be given to his food. Hay and oats are 
doubtless the best food, all things considered, 
but even these should have an occasional varia¬ 
tion. Carrots, potatoes, bran, fresh cut grass, 
should be green him in their place and time! 
During summer it seems only simple justice that, 
when practicable, the horse should be treated for 
a time to the food roost natural to him—fresh 
grass. If every stabled, hard working horse 
could have a summer vacation of several weeks 
in a pasture, it would soften his dry and cracked 
hoofs, correct his digestion, improve his wind, 
his skin, and indeed renovate his entire system. 
But where this indulgence cannot be eDjoyed, a 
horse should have frequent messes of loosening 
food, such as x'oots, bran mashed with cut straw, 
fresh grass, etc. 
As to cleanliness, both good looks and health 
demand this. A horse well curried will make a 
peck of oats go much further than one un¬ 
groomed. Good shelter saves many a horse 
from taking cold when coming in from work, 
and adds much to his health and daily comfort 
American Agriculturist. 
Increasing your Soil. 
By deepening the cultivation of your soil 
you add to its quantity. Thus, having your soil 
eight inches deep, where before you bad it only 
four inches, you double jfe capacity, somewhat 
as though you had two acres now where you had 
only one before. Did you ever thiDk of this? 
Eight inches of cultivated soil has double the 
strength of four. This is a new way of increasing 
your land — not new to our best farmer*, who 
understand all this—and hence they cultivate 
deep, not deep at once, but, gradually, each year 
a little deeper, or at every plowing. Tlowing 
alone makes the soil mellow, has a wonderful 
effect, even without manure; but manure, it 
must be remembered, is the main reliance al¬ 
ways. 
In deepening your soil, judgment i s required. 
Not too much of the raw subsoil must be brought 
up at a time, unless it is rich, then plow deep. 
In clay soils, little at a time is the true theory. 
Cut off half an inch of clay, more or less, at each 
plowing. This, thrown up to the action of the 
elements, will be reduced to powder, and it at 
once goes to work drawing strength from the 
atmosphere—clear profit, you see; it has the 
effect of plaster. Then it is a manure In itself. 
These heavy clay beds are valuable beds of ma¬ 
nure. Asthey are generally spread out with your 
soil, you need only to adjust your clevis-pin to ma¬ 
nure your ground. But this must only be done 
when the super-soil is thoroughly friable, in good 
cultivated order! Too much clay brought np 
will stiffen your soil; and air and heat and rain 
are kept out; and thus it remains stiff, (cold, stub¬ 
born soil, on which little or nothing can be grown. 
Grass is the only thing that stands the least 
chance.— Valley Farmer. 
Change of Seed. 
On this subject a late number of the Scottish 
Farmer remarks: 
Iu every instance in which the seeds of grain, 
potatoes, and turnips, have been procured from 
u distance this season, we have noticed the im¬ 
mense benefit that is evidently going to be 
derived from having taken this.trouble and 
expense, It is an expense, however, that we 
are sure is very soon repaid; and the farmer who 
did net change his seed-corn last autumn and 
spring in this part of the kingdom, must suffer a 
loss. The poor braird of Swedes, grown from 
the ill-ripened seed of 1862, is doubtless the 
result of a want of buu, as we have seen English 
seed growing alongside of Scotch-ripened seed 
Bown the same day. and the English crop ap¬ 
pears at present just worth about double the 
other. As this seed is so small, it must be of 
great importance that it should be well ripened. 
During last autumn the Lothian farmers were puz¬ 
zled about their seed-wheat, the crop of 1862 was 
so bad-looking. Many sowed if, however; only 
about half came up, and Borne fields had to be 
plowed up. We know cases in which the seed 
crop of 1861 was used last year, and the crop is 
likely to turn out fine, while alongside of it wheat 
from the south of England was put in; the latter 
grew so well that it got far too thick, from having 
all of it vegetated. May not this fact account for 
the small quautity of seed-corn which our Eng¬ 
lish friends can venture to seed their land with? 
Kttquirifis atui gwiswM. 
Girdling Timber.—W ill some Rural reader inform 
me through its columns what time of the year is the best 
to girdle beech and maple timber,—L, C, S., So. Boston, 
Mich.. 1S63 
Red Top ox Wet Laxd. —I desire to know if red top 
will do well on land that is subject to inundation in the 
spring. Information from some one who knows, will be 
gratefully received.— Scbsckiiier, Illinois, 1803. 
Feeding Horses.— What is the best method of arrang¬ 
ing a horse ham for feeding hay to horses ? Whether 
Should it be in racks, or mangers, or what manner ? Va¬ 
rious wavsare practiced, and which one is best is what I 
wish to know Will some Rural reader advise,—E. W., 
Geauga, Co., Ohio, 1863. 
Feeding Grain to Sheep. —Will you or some of your 
numerous subscribers please inform me as to the best 
method of feeding sheep with grain ? I propose feeding 
relaxed, and disease be likely to set in. So, if] bS idapUVproducetoel, est 
he is over-fed, and has deficient or irregular ex- results.— R L B , i Varraiham, Pa. 
1 The Wherefose.—“ Not much of a paper, this w eek,” 
. did you say, on glancing over this issue of the Rural ? 
j Well i perhaps so—for, after several months of almost 
constant attention to basinets, we are at last on the sick 
list, and interdicted, by the Doctor, from visiting the 
otlioe. [Mm.—This Doctor is the same “individual,” 
■ who remarked to «*, a few years ago, that he wouldn’t 
be an Editor—adding, that if a patient was neglected 
, the M D. would be excused, but if next week's paper was 
. not »11 right, the Editor, well or Rick, would suffer the 
consequences,Stop roy paper. 1 ' Our Doctor is a phi¬ 
losopher.) Bnt we think our office assistant has gotten up 
a good “ outside ” ;«ee 1st, 4th, Sth and 8th pages,) with 
• a little “ aid and comfort ” from nj—whereat we are sur- 
• priied, he being a military man, and just now expecting 
to be engaged in “defending the frontier" (Buffalo, 
Rochester, &c., included,) from the anticipated rebel at¬ 
tack via Canada. Of course (to Terify the adage that “it 
never rains but it pours,") our contributors and corres¬ 
pondents—always “reliable” except when we are in want 
1 of their favors—are mostly silent this week. Our West- 
1 eru Aid, H. T B , and a host of other generous friends 
I would have “rushed to the rescue," without doubt, had 
they supposed us in the hospital for repairs, resuscitation 
or recuperation. 
Another thing—this blockade by disease and the Doctor 
, has precluded the publication of the RraAi. Show Bill, 
&c., usually issued at tills season of the year—though we 
confess to a previous Indisposition in regard to making 
much ado in that direction, considering the] recent great 
advance in paper, materials, wages, etc. In fact, our con¬ 
fidential clerk and cashier —a man of experience, and 
withal venerable—not long since modesUy suggested that 
if we were to offer Rural subscriber* a premium not to 
renew, (instead of offering prizes for clubs, etc.,) we 
should gain thereby [ Bnt we are not ao sanguine on that 
point, and beside like to do a wholesale- business, in a 
good cause, regardless of the profits Hence we merely 
suggest to each and all reader* hereof that a full Rural 
Brigade during 1864 is extremely desirable, and that 
every private who re enlists, and every recruiting officer 
who brings in new recruits, will be hailed with pleasure. 
If we make no money thereby, we'll help improve and 
save the country, and that Is of vital importance. 
Ohio Wool Growers’ Congress — Address —The 
Ohio Wool Growers’ Association is to hold a meeting at 
Columbus, Jan. 6th, 1864. As the State Board of Agri¬ 
culture, the Legislature, &c., meet at the same time, it is 
proposed to have a great Wool Growers' Congress, with 
delegates from other States. We learn that the Address 
will be delivered by Hon. Henry S. Randall, author of 
“The Practical Shepherd," and other valuable works on 
Sheep Husbandry, and will of course add to the interest 
on the notable occasion. 
— Since the above was written we have received two 
items relative to the proposed Convention, and give them 
In a preceding column. Wc trust the Mass Meeting of 
Wool Growers will be generally noticed by the press, and 
largely attended. 
Agriculture nr California.—T he California State 
Fair is said to have been a success pecuniarily, but yet de¬ 
ficient in many respects. The Governor of the State, 
Lkland Stanford, delivered an excellent address from 
which we make a single extract: 
“ The law of April 25, 1862, for the encouragement of 
agriculture and manufactures in California 1* calculated to 
awaken a deep interest in those branches of industry 
which have accomplished so much in l uilding up aud 
maintaining the wealth of some of our sister States. This 
law, which appropriates $114,400 in premiums of various 
amounts for the development of our agricultural and me¬ 
chanical resources, should he examined by every farmer 
in the land. Premiums to the amount of $15,000 are of¬ 
fered in different sums for the production of cotton plan¬ 
tations and the growth of cotton, $7,200 for hemp and 
flax, $3,700 for molasses and sugar, $3,600 for tobacco, 
$4,700 for rice, $2,200 for hops, $12,000 for tea and coffee, 
beside largo sums for manufactured articles.’’ 
Minor Rural Items.—T he male agricultural popula¬ 
tion of Englaud and Wales, of twenty years and upward, 
declined from 1,149,479 iu 1851, to 1,120,104 in 1861.- 
Tiie farmers around Dayton, Ohio, made a grand demon¬ 
stration in that city on Saturday week, bringing in 325 
loads of wood. 25 drays of flour, aud 60 wagon loads of 
firm produce, for the families of volunteer^. They 
promise to repeat the donation in January.-It is said 
that the prairie tires, during the high winds of Saturday, 
October 17, did tnoie damage in Kansas by burning fences, 
crops and hay, than all the taxes levied in the State 
during the last year will amount to. The fences on the 
road between Big Spring and Lawrence are mostly de¬ 
stroyed. A large amount of com in the fields, hay in the 
stack*, sheds, barns, fitc., were burned up Most of the 
farmers lost from $300 to $600.-S. S. Sherman, Mon¬ 
tague, Mass , recently killed an eight months pig that 
weighed 410 lbs. 
The Patent Office —An exchange states that durrng 
the past year the increase of business at the Patent Office 
has more than compensated for the falling off at the time 
of the secession Of the Southern States, and enabled the 
office to pay all its expenses without any further appropri¬ 
ation. This increase is derived chiefly from patents for 
labor saving machines, particularly agricultural imple¬ 
ments, the inventions of which have been stimulated by 
the detraction of field labor. Numbers of patents have 
been issued for inventions occasioned by recent discover¬ 
ies. About four hundred are registered solely for lamps 
to bum coal oil. 
-»-» ♦ ■■ 
High-Priced Lamb.—T he If. E. Farmer learns that Mr 
Edward Douglass, of Chelsea, Vt., recently purchased 
a buck lamb of Edwin Hammond, of Middlebury, Vt., 
for which he paid five hundred dollars! We presume the 
lamb was got by Mr. Hammond’s celebrated ram “Sweep¬ 
stakes,” for which Mr. H. has several times been offered 
twenty five hundred dollars. 
-»-M-— 
The Practical Shepherd — About Agencies, &c. 
—As the Publisher is in daily receipt of many applica. 
tions for agencies for Ibis work, aud finds it Impossible to 
answer all by letter, he would state that agents bave been 
already appointed in a great proportion of the wool 
growing counties of New York, Ohio, Michigan, Ver¬ 
mont, Illinois and Wisconsin. Applicants for agencies 
in tho above, or any other States, who may receive a copy 
of the Rural with this notice marked, will please under¬ 
stand that the territory applied for has already been 
assigned. 
In several instances persons who have procured a copy 
of the work by mail have commenced canvassing for the 
Practical Shepherd in sections already assigned to agents 
Of course no one can properly or profitably canvass for 
the work until appointed agent by the Publisher, as 
copies are not furnished at wholesale price to any except 
authorized agents. No doubt many of the persons who 
have commenced canvassing on their own responsibility 
have done so innocently, in the expectation of procuring 
agencies ; but duty and justice to regularly appointed 
agents indicate but one course for the Publisher to pursue. 
