r^S; 
•Slicqt cOttsTuinkn. 
EDITED BY HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D. 
To Correspondents— Mr. Randall's address is Cort¬ 
land Village, Cortland Co., N. V. All communications 
Intendedffor till* Department, and all inquiries relating 
to sheep, should he addressed to him as above. 
- -- 
HOW TO RAISE LAMBS AND TEGS. 
NUMBER ONE. 
Wb have during the past winter received many in¬ 
quiries—especially from the remote South and West, 
where new beginners In sheep husbandry abound—in 
regard to the best mode of treating lambs when newly 
dropped, and at subsequent stages of growth up to 
their first shearing. This is the critical period of a 
sheep’s life; and the annual enormous loss of lambs 
and tegs in the United States demonstrates the im¬ 
portance of a careful Investigation of the best modes 
of management, not only for the benefit of young 
flock-master?, but for that of many who have had 
more experience, and who do not suspect themselves 
of any want of skill. 
Thirty-five years experience has not, certainly, left 
ns without pretty decided opinions of onr own on the 
points to be considered, and we have published our 
opinions on the main points; hut in reviewing the 
ground we have, for several reasons, chosen to call 
others into counsel. The world is progressive, and 
improvements or discoveries are liable at any time to 
be made In a wide circle of experimenters. More 
over, thorn arc frequently several good ways of doiuga 
thing; and he who can avail himself of the results of 
many experiences stands a better chance of learning 
modes which are adapted to his own peculiar circum¬ 
stances. And the practices of well-known and sue* 
cessfu! men are always subjects of Interest and 
laudable curiosity to those engaged in tko same avo¬ 
cations. Finally, it is a real plea-tire to place beside 
our own, in the investigation of au important mailer 
of sheep husbandry, the names and opinions of old 
and faithful eo-laborers in this favorite pursuit. Ac¬ 
cordingly we sent out a list of questions to a number 
of such persons, and they were in most Instances an¬ 
swered. 
We originally intended to extend our inquiries ranch 
further—to persons In all the principal wool growing 
States; and with this view, commenced with New 
York and Vermont. But after getting partly over 
those States, ill health and the pressure of Indispen¬ 
sable business Interrupted further correspondence on 
the subject until It became too late to obtain answers 
in time to be used in a paper published before the 
lambing season of 1867 should open. Bat while we 
aver there are hosts of oilier shepherds in the same 
and other States whose opinions we should have been 
proud fo copy, wo may be permitted to express the 
opinion that they would have been found substantial¬ 
ly to coincide, in almost every Instance, with some of 
those which arc herewith submitted to onr readers. 
To prevent an unnecessary repetition of full names 
and addresses we will, In advance, give a list of 
those persons who answered our inquiries; and to 
avoid all semblance of Intimating a preference be¬ 
tween opinions, where we do not distinctly ex¬ 
press that preference, wo shall in all cases use the 
names, aa far as convenient, in alphabetical order. 
Our correspondents are A. Y. Raker, riammonds- 
port, N, Y.; K. K. Brown, New Hope, N, Y.; E. O. 
and A. II. Clapp, Manlius, N. Y.; P. Emthakp, 
Bridgeport, Vt.; John Gregory, Northfield. Vt.; 
Edwin Hammond, Middlebury, Vt.; Carl Heyne, 
Red llook, N. Y.; O. F. and F. J. Marshall, Wheel¬ 
er, N. Y.; W. It. Pitts, Honeoye, N. Y.; E. B. Pottle, 
Naples, N, Y,; Virtdla.n Rich, Richville, Vt.; Wm. 
H. Sanford, Orwell. Vt.; N. A. Saxton, Vergennes, 
Vt.; A. F. Wilcox, Fayetteville, N. Y., and Victoe 
Wright, Middlebury. Vt. It should be borne in mind 
that all these ure breeders of Merinos; and that llieir 
opinins on some of the bends—particularly the first- 
may not he applicable to other breeds of sheep. 
AGE AT WHICH KWKS SHOULD COMMENCE BREEDING. 
All our correspondents, except the Messrs. Clapp, 
agree that under ordinary circumstances ewes should 
not breed until three years old. Elitharp succinctly 
states the reasons; that the tendency of earlier breed¬ 
ing “ is to diminish the 6ize of the the sheep and re¬ 
duce the constitution of the dock.” Brown. Elitharp, 
Gregory, Hammond, Heyne, Marshall, Sanford and 
Baxton, express the opiuiou, in which probably all 
would concur, that very’ large and forward two-year- 
olds may safely have lambs. In that cate, however. 
Brown, Hammoud and Sanford, think the lamb should 
he taken from its dam and put on a foster mother. 
Gregory and Marshall have the lambs of two-year-olds 
come late—after grass has started. Hammond has 
them come as early as March and takes them from 
their dams at live or six days old, so that the wool 
which is apt to shed from the heads and legs on dry¬ 
ing their milk, will start again before shearing suffi¬ 
ciently to bo clipped — and thus give the succeeding 
fleece its proper appearance. Early lambing, too, en¬ 
ables the ewe to he dried off more readily, and to 
attain nearly the Bixc and condition she would have 
done if dry. And besides this the ram lambs are 
now large enough for fall sale. 
E. O. and A. II. Clapp believe that breeding gener¬ 
ally at two makes ewes better milkers and mothers 
subsequently; and that they yean with more safety 
to themselves and to their offspring than when in the 
usually higher condition of three. 
Our own opinion is that in high-priced ''breed¬ 
ing’'* flocks, where it is desirable to gain a year's 
growth on lambs, and where the ewes ure so led that 
they are. quite as large at two as ordinary fair kept 
ones are at three — and where they can receive extra 
care and skill—and have their lambs taken off, it will 
“pay” to breed from two-year-olds; bat that under 
other circumstances it is wholly inexpedient. 
TIME FOR LAMBS TO DROP. 
Baker prefers April and first part of May; Brown, 
A. n. Clapp, Elitharp, Gregory, Fitts, Sanford and 
Wright, April: E. O. Clapp, to commence dropping 
April 20th; nammond, for stock rams to be used 
the ensuing fall, February or March — otherwise, 
April 20th; Heyne, November and December; the 
Marshalls, from March 18th to May 1st.; Pottle, with 
proper shelters, March and April —without them. 
May; Rich, from March 25th to April 10th; SaxlOu, 
from March 20th to April 20th; Wilcox, May 1st. In 
“breeding” flocks, having close stables to yean in 
and skillful management, we should prefer March- 
in other cases, in the climate of New York and Ver¬ 
mont, April 20th. 
FEUD OV rUEGNANT BWBB. 
Baker, besides hay. feeds oats, corn and buckwheat 
mixed find ground, or oat? and corn whole; prefers 
Here, and elsewhere iu this article, we shall nso this 
tern, in its technical sense, l. e.. as applicable to Bocks 
which arc kept mainly neither for wool nor mutton, hut 
to raise lambs from to he sold at extra prices for breed¬ 
ing purposes. 
oats if fed alone; has fed carrots and red beets, and 
considers them very heathy for the ewe and lamb, hut 
has abandoned them on account of expense in storing 
and feeding, and because he considers clean oats nearly 
as good; thinks housed breeding ewes In good condi¬ 
tion should be. fed no dry grain until two or three 
weeks before lambing, and then In very moderate 
quantities. Brown feeds early cot clover and timo¬ 
thy hay, and no grain except to old ewes, until ten 
days before lambing — then a hushed of yellow sugar 
beets and six quarts of grain (corn meal, oats and 
shorts in equal parts,) to fifty ewes; after lambing 
doubles the. grain feed; has tried carrots and 
Swedes, hot prefers beets. E. O. Clapp feeds some 
early cut cornstalks trod straw, but no grain until a 
week before lambing, and then continues it until the 
ewes, are turned entirely to grass; perfers oats, buck¬ 
wheat and wheat in equal parts; has tried carrots one 
season without good results, but says he doubtless 
fed too liberally. A. H. Clapp feeds June clover twice 
a day and straw once, with corn, beans or peas; has 
fed carrots and “had extra tuck raising lambs. Eli¬ 
tharp consider.* early cut red clover and timothy hay, 
cured without being wet, sufficient—but any deficien¬ 
cy in these conditions is to be made up with clear, 
bright oats; has tried all kinds of grain, bat succeeds 
best with oats; has not tried roots because hi* ground 
is not adapted to their easy production. Gregory 
finds that early cut, bright hay, fed with regularity 
three times a day and without requiring the orts to 
be eaten, will keep ewes improving which enter the 
winter In good condition ; ha? had the best success in 
not feeding grain until four week* before lambing, 
and then a “ chowder,” consisting of corn, oatB and 
coarse rliorts, mixed with carrots and Swedes. Ham¬ 
mond thinks the best feed tbrongh the winter and 
prior to lambing is ground oats and wheat shorts, 
mixed In equal quantities by weight, and sugar beets 
ns often us every otheT day; has used corn, peas, beans 
and coatse wheat flour, but thinks they arc more 
likely to render the milk thick and not so good for 
lambs. Heyne feeds tbrongh the winter hay that is 
not marshy or burnt, corn-stalk*, and straw of all 
kinds; feeds beets, but says they make more work ; 
prefers oats among grains; considers other grains 
good, but not eo safe. The Marshalls give early cut, 
fine timothy hay twice a day, and oat, pea, or other 
good straw once, and also half a bushel of oats to 
seventy-five ewes; recommend mixing oil meal with 
the oats, if attainable; have never fed roots to any 
amount. Pitts feeds bay (prefering clover,) and corn¬ 
stalks; and for grain, corn, oats and shorts in equal 
parts; has never fed roots. Pottle prefers oats, “ or 
other grain that makes muscle,” and roots once a day; 
has also tried corn, buckwheat, peas, poor wheat or 
screenings, beans, barley and rye. Rich prefers oats 
aud peas, with a bushel of beets or potatoes, the lat¬ 
ter given once a week to one hundred sheep; has 
fried oats aud corn (three parts of oats to one of 
Coru,) with carrots, with good success. Sanford feeds 
corn and oats prior to lambing, afterwards oats— 
which be considers "first rate lor milk,”— with mill- 
feed, if conveniently attainable, and roots; prefers 
sugar beets to earrots to make milk. Saxton feeds 
“a variety of grains and bran mixed with carrots.” 
Wilcox foods hay, composed of clover and timothy in 
equal parts, cat and cured green, with corn-stalks and 
straw “ for a change,” and a daily feed of roots; pre¬ 
fers shorts to othergrain, and Bugarbeets among roots; 
has tried oats, corn, peas and, beans and pumpkins; 
and among roots, carrots, parsnepu, turnips and pota¬ 
toes. Wright, if breeding ewes ure fat in the fall, 
thinks they require nothing but fine old meadow or 
clover hay, cut early, until six weeks before lambing; 
then that they should he fed oats, wheat bran and a 
little coru mixed together, with a small quantity of 
sugar beefs or turnips; after lambing, and “ after the 
bag Is cleaned out," oil meal instead of corn, one 
quart per day ; he pronounces oat6 and peas in eqnal 
parts, ground and made into slop with water, “a 
splendid feed” for the production of milk,—and ho 
thinks much depends, In the same particular, on the 
quality of the hay. 
It- will ho understood, of course, that where hay Is 
not mentioned iu the above modes of feeding, it is 
always given: and that where timothy or meadow' 
hay is mentioned, it probably Invariably includes 
some portion of Juno grass, white clover, &c., aud 
not unfrcquenlly a small amount of red-top. We con¬ 
sider a|l the above system? of feeding substantially 
good ones. Our own mode, apart from grain and root 
feed, lias generally becu the same as that given by 
Wilcox, until a month or six weeks before lambing, 
according to the condition of the flock, when onr owes 
have received oats, ground or ungronnd, generally a 
gill a head per day, and the amount increased after 
lambing, until the sheep arc turned out to grass. Our 
old or thin ewe* receive grain during the winter, and 
for them we have sometimes added say a fourth of 
corn to the oats; but should have preferred peas had 
they been equally attainable. We have fed ewes slop, 
made of shorts and oat meal, during lambing, with 
good results; but without special conveniences it 
costs a good deal of trouble to prepare and feed it to 
a large flock. We regard shorts and bran as good 
mixtures for any kind of sheep feed, but find some 
difficulty in getting them, and think that oat-meal and 
roots leave little to be desired for breeding ewes. 
Among roots, we grow Swedes, or a turnip resembling 
them in size and form, but smoother and freer from 
roots, white within, rather tenderer and sweeter, and 
keeping as well. It is known here locally aa the 
“ Sweet Turnip.” We have generally fed it, cut by a 
machine, daily to all our sheep through the winter. 
Tlielarge beet does not snccoodas well on our land, and 
it would cost too much labor to grow a sufficient sup¬ 
ply of smaller roots, We do not-require our breeding 
ewes to eat all the orts of their hay, but feed these to 
colts and horses. Though t his fact is not mentioned 
by our correspondents, (no question being put to 
them iu respect to it.,) there is not probably one ot 
them that compels his ewes to consume orts. Ewes 
before and after lambing should have constant and 
ready access to water. 
attention to lambing xwes. 
It is scarcely necessary to specify separately the 
practices of each of onr correspondents in this par¬ 
ticular, Those having the most valuable sheep visit 
lambing ewes constantly during the day, late in the 
evening and early in the morning. Some visit them 
once in two hours during the night, and if a ewe 
is found about to yean, watch her until she has done 
so and the lamh is taken care of. The amount of at¬ 
tention required depends much on the state of the 
weather, Unless sheep are very tame and accustomed 
to see the shepherd aud his light, it is much better for 
him to keep away from them in the nieht. Otherwise 
the lambs will be run over or separated from their 
dams in the resulting confusion, and young ewes will 
sometimes take no paius to look them up again; aud 
young ewes lVLhtened away or disturbed, soon after 
yeaning, arc much more likely to disown their bnnbs. 
CONDITION' OF THE DDDES. 
Ail onr correspondents but two expreee themselves 
in favor of examining the ewe’s udder, at the time of 
lambing, to see what is its condition, aud that the 
milk flows freely. The teat is often stopped at the 
lower end and requires considerable pressure by the 
lingers, wetted with milk or spittle, to force out what 
some of our farmers term the “ plug.” Pitts does not 
examine the ndder If the lamb Is strong enough to 
suck. Wilcox omits the examination for a few boors 
j to avoid unnecessarily disturbing or exciting the ewe. 
I Tbewe differences are probably rather apparent than 
| real, If the lamb helps itself from the outset, sack¬ 
ing and obviously obtaining milk from both sides of 
the ndder. and Obtaining enough of It, no one would 
feel called on to interfere; if not, and especially if the 
weather 1* cold and the lamb betrays weakness, the 
examination would not be long deferred by any one. 
Our own views on the subject are fully given at p. 146 
of the Practical Shepherd, and It la not worth while 
to take up room to repeat tbem hero. We consider 
the objection to disturbing ewes unnecessarily, espe¬ 
cially young ones, worthy of attention; for we have 
repeatedly seen a ewe with her first lamh, run away 
from and betray ereat indifference to it for some time 
afterwards, if disturbed while licking it dry. We 
would meddle with no ewe while licking her lamb dry, 
and while the latter was vigorously making its first 
efforts to suck, if in anything like a comfortable tem¬ 
perature. 
FIRST MILK. 
Onr question to our correspondents was: —“If the 
milk is thick and gummy do yon milk It out on the 
ground or let the lamb take it ? ” Baker, A. U. Clapp, 
Gregory, Heyne. Pitts and Pottle have the lamb take 
it. Brown and Wright milk a little on the ground ami 
then have the lamb take it. E. O. Clapp milk? tt on 
the ground If In abundance, if not, lets the lamb take 
it if St can. Elitharp milks It on the ground if very 
thick and cummy, so a? to be difficult to draw, but if It 
comes easy let* the lambs take it. Hammond milks 
it on tbe ground and suckles the lamb on another ewe 
“until the milk becomes good.” The Marshall* let 
the lamb draw it if he can. Rich milks it out once. 
Sanford, if It is qnite thick, roiJk* it out, but likes to 
have the lamh take it a* soon a? he can. Saxton first 
lets the lamb draw a little, and then milks out the bag 
clean on the ground. Wilcox lets the Iamb take it if 
he will, but If not, after a few hours milks it out. 
Our practice has conformed to that of the Marshalls, 
which 1? substantially the same with that of Elitharp, 
Sanford and all those who say they let the lamb 
take it; for we suppose none of them mean to be un¬ 
derstood that they draw it by hand from the odder 
and feed it from a spoon, or the like, to the lamb, if, 
as sometimes occurs, the miik has that thick, gluey 
consistency which renders It Impossible to be drawn 
by the lamb. We do not think it well, however, for a 
weak lamb at least, to have a continued surfeit of this 
thick, first milk, If it physics it too freely. It Is, as Mr. 
Pottle remarks, “Naturo’e cathartic.” Few ewes con¬ 
tinue to give it too long, but we have seen instances 
of the kind. 
MICHIGAN WOOL GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
This Htata Association metat Ann Arbor, Feb 14-16, 
the President, Hon. G. K.Htoabt, in the i hair. The 
Wool Buyers' Association, by invitation, also attend¬ 
ed—'Tnosi as McGbaw of Detroit, President. A com 
mittec of the latter body recommended that, the fol¬ 
lowing rnles be adopted by the farmers of the State : 
1st. That sheep should not. be allowed accuse to 
straw slacks, especially of barley or bearded wheat., 
2 d. All nhcep, except perhaps bucks, should be well 
washeif if praericable in a running stream, anil aa 
;Krly in <!>.• wuMiu a* the weather will permit. 
3d. That the Stump should be shorn, weather per¬ 
mitting. within.six to ten days after washing. 
4th. At. the time of shearing the fleeces shonld ho 
carefully rolled up as snugly as pruclliable, without 
the use of boxes, bo wound wilb light colored strong 
twine brought twice each way around tin* fleece, care¬ 
fully excluding all dead wool and uuwaebed tags. 
Tho Committee also recommended the concurrence 
of the Wool Growers in tho following rules “adopted 
by the Wool Buyers of the State 
1 st. A deduction of one-half on unwashed bucks. 
2d. A deduction of (me-third on washed bucks. 
3d. A deduction of ono-third on all other fleeces, 
unwashed or excessively gummy or heavy, or other 
unconditioned wool, or that made unmerchantable by 
an excessive use of twine, or by stuffing with un¬ 
washed tag? or dead wool. 
1th. in purchasing wool thus prepared for market, 
to pay a price proportionate to it* relative worth aa to 
texture, strength aud other desirable qualities. 
At the evening session the first four rale? recom¬ 
mended by tho wool buyers were adopted without 
discussion or amendment, except the substitution of 
the words “ not too tightly pressed ” for “ without 
tbe use of boxes.” 
After a spirited discussion, lion. C. E. Stdaet 
offered, in place of the first three of the second series 
of rules presented, the following: 
"Reasonable deduction rhould be made on account 
of unwashed or otherwise unmerchantable condition, 
this deduction to be determined, however, according 
to the quality and condition in each ease, and not by 
any arbitrary rule of deduction to bo applied indis¬ 
criminately to all cases.” 
This was unanimously adopted by tbe Growers. 
Mr, Stuart offered the following resolution, which 
was adopted with little discussion: 
dissolved. That in any tariff bill which Congress 
may pass at it? present session, the duties on wool 
ought to he equal to those proposed in the House bill 
of last session. 
The following gentlemen were elected officers of 
tbe State Wool Growers’ Association for the follow¬ 
ing year: 
Resident —Charles E. Stuart of Kalamazoo. Vice 
President— Sanford Howard of Lansing. Secretary— 
W. Baxter of Jonesville. Treasurer— W. G. Beck¬ 
with ot Cassapolis. Executive Com.—C W. Green of 
Oakland; J. it. llendryksof Calhoun: L. S. Woodof 
Washtenaw; Chas, Rich of Lapeer; N. Pugsley of 
Van Buren. 
After various other proceedings —including a rec¬ 
ommendation that a State “Sheep Shearing Festival” 
be held on tho first Tuesday in May, the Association 
adjourned. 
We record with great satisfaction the unanimous 
refueal of tho Association to adopt the arbitrary and 
unequally operating rule of wool shrinkage proposed 
by tbe buyers. But we should regret Us assent to 
much contained in the 2d, Sd and 4 th of the first series 
of “rules,” if it was to he construed aa fuundod on 
considerations and circumstances of general instead 
of local prevalence—in other words, if those “rules - ' 
were believed to be applicable to all the other wool 
growing States as well as Michigan. But we have no 
right or disposition to draw such an inference. We 
shall allude to this eubject. hereafter. 
The Tariff Bill has finally passed and been signed 
by the President, as noted iu onr Commercial De¬ 
partment. It is understood that the bill as passed is 
substantially the 6amc as that of last season, but the 
telegraph reports on the subject are so mixed that we 
cannot yet safely affirm such to be the fact.—it. 
---- 
Winter in Minnesota.—E. W. C. writes us from 
Richfield, Hennepin Co., Minn,, under date of Feb. 
11th, denying a statement in the Rural in reference 
to the severity of the witer out there. He closes ju¬ 
bilantly by saying:—" We have In all not a depth of 
more than twelve inches of snow, barely enough to 
make goood sledding, and are having an unusually 
mild and delightful winter. We pity those poor fel¬ 
lows South, buried to their necks in snow." 
guntl spirit vt fit* grtss. gural gates anil gtems. 
Raising Horses. 
P. M. Jeftebds of Piscataquis Co., Maine, 
closee a long article ia the Maine Farmer, on 
the subject of raising horses, with the subjoined 
general observations, which we commend to the 
consideration of those interested. The writer 
says:—“The breeder should have a well defined 
object in view at the start, and select animals to 
breed from whose ancestors and themselves pos¬ 
sess the qualities most desired in the progeny. 
That to improve our roadsters and trotters we 
should select medium and good sized mares, and 
cross them with medium Bized and compact stal¬ 
lions, using no Large, over-grown sires thinking 
to improve the breed. I know of no objection 
to ‘in-and-in’ breeding unless the family arc 
deficient in somo important particular, then to 
breed ‘in-and-in’ would be folly. We should 
not rely much upon any one point, however ex¬ 
cellent, but should take into account purity of 
blood, size, form, family or hereditary qualities, 
both valuable and defective, and unite aa many 
good points aa possible. It will cost the farmer 
who raises a colt occasionally, no more to raise 
a good one than an ordinary one, while with him 
who makes it a specialty there ia aU the differ¬ 
ence between a success and a failure. Our horses 
are bred too much on the hap-hazard principle, 
without aim or general rule. Let us have thor¬ 
oughbred trotters and thoroughbred draft horses 
instead of the mongrels wc now produce.” 
Old Bows for Breeding. 
Some very successful hog-raiscra use only 
young sows to breed from, thinking this course 
better than to keep them through the winter. 
A correspondent of the Boston Advertiser gives 
the following reasons for thinking the contrary 
coarse the better way :—“ In rearing Bwine and 
making pork there is a universal mistake among 
. American farmers in breeding from young sows, 
before their physical system is developed. U ntil 
this time arrives, most of the food goes to the 
eupport of tbe animal’s growth, therefore she 
cannot be as good a milker, or impart the 6nme 
vigor of constitution to her offspring. Wo know 
by accurate experiment that an old sow’s pigs 
are worth twenty-live per cent, more than a 
young sow’s. They have more vigor of consti¬ 
tution, and make the largest and most profitable 
hogs. The reason why our breedB of hogs 60 
soon run out and disappear arises mainly from 
the erroneous practice of breeding from young 
sows. Therefore, Instead of killing their best 
sows this fell, farmers should keep them over 
for breeders, aud make pork ot their young 
ones. In Europe, no farmer of any reputation 
thinks of raising pigs from young mothers, any¬ 
more than of keepiug a dry cow for milk; but 
old sows are kept for breeders until they are 
too old to be profitable in this respect.” 
Down with the Crows. 
An old subscriber to the Maine Farmer has 
the anti-crow fever, in its most intense form, 
and asks the Legislature of the State to pass a 
law compelling every man in it to spend two 
days iu each year—one in the fell and the other 
in the spring—in hunting and killing crows! 
The particular sin, charged to tbe crows, and 
for which the penalty of death is invoked upon 
them, is for rilling the nests of the smaller birds, 
and thus diminishing their numbers. Borne peo¬ 
ple regard the crow us a friend in this instance, 
rather than as an enemy. But whether friend or 
foe, wc doubt if this compulsory mode of de¬ 
stroying tbe crow would result in any consider¬ 
able diminution of the numbers of the black 
rascals. They are shy birds, and won’t stand 
fire. 
Feat Swamp Land — Cultivation. 
A. B. Day, Lunenburg, Mass., writes the 
Boston Cultivator concerning his management 
of a section of his farm—a peat swamp Inter¬ 
spersed with bogs. These were bogged and binn¬ 
ed on the ground, and 400 loads of graved spread 
upon an acre. The ground was then lightly 
dressed with stable manure and planted to corn, 
with enper-phogphale in each bill. Tho yield 
was good, as was a succeeding one of the same 
kind the following year. In ’65 the ground was 
U3ed for cabbages and produced 25 tons of 
trimmed heads per acre, which sold for $1,000. 
Last year the same ground was sown to onions, 
and produced 1,330 bushels to the acre. This is 
doiug well, on peat bog, and though the gravel¬ 
ing cost something, it was evidently a paying 
investments 
Five Pigs Killed and Weighed. 
Our friend of the Attica Atlas, having done 
justice to some forest trees, turns his attention 
to a lot of five pigs, a cross of Suffolk and Ches¬ 
ter, raised by John Skaats near that village. 
The pigB were ten months old when slaughtered 
and weighed, aggregately, 2,040 pounds, or an 
average ot 40S pounds. The breeder of these 
porkers is said to have these points in his sys¬ 
tem of breeding:—A cross of some small, quick- 
maturing variety with a larger; regular and fre¬ 
quent feeding of just eo much as will bo eaten 
up; clean lodgings and close quarters; cooked 
feed, milk and vegetables or apples forming a 
large Bhare, and shorts in preference to coru 
meal. _ 
Spring Rye. 
A subscriber, Heltonvillc, Ind., wants to 
know if there is such a grain as “ Spring Rye ” 
and, if so, where it can be obtained. We do 
not know whether any of it is grown iu this 
State or not, but it was common in Massa¬ 
chusetts some years since. It was grown less 
as an article of commerce than for family con¬ 
sumption, as the flour from it was deemed more 
delicate and better soiled to pastry purposes 
than that ®f winter rye, then in common use. 
It produces well, and is as easily grown as any 
other grain, though it requires a stronger soil 
than does the winter variety. 
Agents of thh Rural, and all wishing to do good 
and benefit themselves by becoming such, will please 
read notice of Spring Campaign, on page 82. 
The N. Y. Statb Agricultural Soctbty.— “A 
Life Member” writes a somewhat critical and caustic 
letter relative to this Society, its officers and organs, 
which wc must decline publishing, although the allu¬ 
sion to the Rukai/s “ independence and squareness 
In discussing men and societies that do not always 
possess the virtues thc-y assume,” is duly appreciated. 
The official organ of the Society should he addressed, 
ae it can probably best answer each queries as this— 
“Is the newly-elected President a brooder of Short- 
Horns, or even the owner or cultivator of a farm f — 
and if not why should he be placed in the elevated 
and exemplary position of ‘head center' of the far¬ 
mers of the. Empire State?” And this!—“How long 
is it since the Society had a real, practical farmer for 
its President, and how many each, if any, has it ever 
honored with the position ? ” Wc believe the Hon. 
T. C. Peters, President in 1865, was and is a practi¬ 
cal and somewhat extensive farmer, and that the 
same may be said of several of his predecessors, 
though the number who were bred to the occupation, 
and made it a business for life—or ever paki for a 
farm by farming—most be exceedingly limited. The 
criticism of ” A Life Member,” in regard fo selecting 
professional and military men as "unjust to the intel¬ 
ligent, enterprising and producing farmers of the 
State," certainly has some force,—yet wu suspect that 
the fault lies with the “real, practical farmers“ them- 
selvos.a? hut fc-w of them attend the annual meetings 
of the Society and take part in controling its action. 
It is hardly “on the square "for members to complain 
of what might have been avoided by their own voices 
and votes at the proper time, but we trust our corres¬ 
pondent is not (aa too many are) amenable to this 
cri tipism. 
An Extensive Reaper and Mower Establish¬ 
ment. —While in Auburn, recently, we passed an hour 
or two in visiting the head qnartcrs of the Dodge & 
Stevenson Manf’g Oo., and were surprised at the ex¬ 
tent of the establishment and the business it is doing. 
The Company (of which Col, J. A. Dodoe is President) 
has a capital of $250,000 employed In the manufacture 
of tho Dodge Harvester (Ohio and Buckeye Patents, 
with Dodge’s Improvements,) a machine which has 
attained a good and wide reputation. Its popularity 
Is demonstrated by the fact that the Company ia 
making four thousand machines for tho coming har¬ 
vest, two thousand of which are already completed. 
The manufacturing hidldlngs, shops, store-houses, 
&c., are quite extensive—the main one being 380 feet 
long, and most of it four stories, tho foundry 45 by 
170 fcot, tho blacksmith shop 150 feet long, etc. There 
aro three store-honses, each about 50 by 150 feet. 
Two hundred men aro employed, and the establish¬ 
ment is now finishing about 100 machines each week. 
The machinery used is very perfect, and each part of 
the Harvester is apparently made with great care. 
Tho whole establishment is creditable to the Compa¬ 
ny and its pri lnator aud manager. Col. Dodo*. 
-- - 
The Condition of the Booth.— Under date of 
Washington, D. C., March 1st, the Hon. Theodorb C. 
Pbtebb, Bod them Corresponding Editor of this Jour¬ 
nal, has written for publication an interesting and 
patriotic letter to Gen. Grant, entitled “ A;Report 
upon the Condi ticre of the South with regard to its 
needs of a Cotton Crop, and its Financial Wants in 
connection therewith, as well as the safety of Tempo¬ 
rary Loans." Mr. P. gives the results of his observa¬ 
tions during a recent visit to all the commercial and 
business centers of Virginia, North and South Caro¬ 
lina and Georgia. We hope to find room for the letter 
in a week or two, hut lest wc way not, now give its 
conclusion, a* follow*: 
“1 have endeavored to place the tree condition of 
the people of tho South, and the condition of their 
resources and their urgent needs, so plainly before 
the people of tho North, that they might be willing to 
assist them in this their hour of greatest need. They 
have all the appliance* to make a bountiful harvest, 
and to recuperate their almost paralyzed industries, 
but a comparative small amount Of money, which they 
do not a?k a* charity, bat a? a short loan, for which 
they are willing,and will he able, to pay an extra rate 
of interest. They have everything but mouey—laud, 
labor, implements — but faint for lack of bread. The 
earth but awaits their labor to yield up its treasures 
in bountiful profusion, and like a gentle nursing 
mother hares her bosom, but her needy, famishing 
children, without the aid of friendly haiicl*, are unable 
to draw sustenance from her overflowing breasts." 
-- 
To ADVEETtsEiis.—Persons wishing advertisements 
inserted in the Rural New-Yorker should send us 
fair, readable copy, sped lying as to the amount of 
space to bo occupied if they wlnh display, the num¬ 
ber of insertions desired, and whether they are for 
the outside (last page) or inside of the paper—remem¬ 
bering the difference in price. Pray don’t ask us to 
copy advertisements from this or that paper, as we 
do not receive or preserve files of quite all the journals 
extant. Another thing.—Don't “forget to remember” 
that advertisements for last page should reach us at 
least nine days ahead of the date of the issue in 
which they are to appear, and for inside six days in 
advance. Our outside form goes to press on Friday 
morning of t he week preceding date, and the inside 
on Tuesday morning of the week of date. Attention 
to these matters on the part of oar advertising friends 
will avoid delay and superfluous complaints. Wo re¬ 
fuse many advertisements, and are frequently obliged 
to defer others for want of space, bnt with all appro¬ 
priate ones our rule iejfrsf come, first published. 
Grain foe the Paris Exhibition. — The Commis¬ 
sioner of Agricnltnre has issued a circular in reference 
to sending samples of onr cereals to the Paris Exhi¬ 
bition. A joint resolution was passed by Congress, 
early in January, authorizing the Commissioner to 
receive aud forward to the Agent iu New York small 
packages of wheat, corn, &c., designed for the Fair 
at Paris. These packages, not exceeding two pounds 
in weight, may he forwarded to the Commissioner of 
Agriculture, Washington, D. C„ free of postage, from 
any post-office in the United States The packages 
should be distinctly marked with the name of the 
grain and donor, and also of the town, county and 
State iu which it was grown. No provision is made 
for Bending these packages by express, they being 
free only through the mail. 
-- 
Maple Sdgae.— L. D. Mituell, Esq, of Pittsford, 
has favored ns with a sample of maple sugar of very 
fine quality. It is evident that a doe regard to cleanli¬ 
ness was exercised in ita manufacture- Though pre¬ 
sented in the cake form, it has the light and lively 
look characteristic of the article when made as it 
should be. 
-»< ■- 
Dressing CalfSkinb.— 1 “ A Farmer ” asks“ Will 
somo of the readers of the Rural inform me how to 
dress calf skins in the manner buffalo robes are 
dressed, giving the amount of materials required, ac¬ 
cording to weight of skin?” 
