circulate iu tlieui? Why do they hear uniform 
fruitage? Why are auiraals reproduced as they 
arc ? Why should the food they consume be con¬ 
verted in part into blood, and this blood convey 
nutriment to all the structures? Why should the 
peculiar individual qualities of parents be transmit¬ 
ted to their o lisp ring? The only answer we can 
give to the last question is to be found in the Divine 
mandate:—“ And God said, Let the earth bring forth 
the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creep¬ 
ing thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and 
it was so.” The answer to the preceding questions 
is the same—God wills it. Science may reason 
more or less definitely in regard to the means 
through which the great laws of nature operate; 
but it can offer no other solutiou of their establish¬ 
ment, or of the causes which set their wondrous 
machinery in motion. 
As the conventional name expressive of breed or 
kind, we know of no objection to the term blood. 
It is as convenient and perhaps as significant as any 
one which can be devised. It has the merit of be¬ 
ing generally established aud understood alike. 
But let not thinking men be led to mistake the 
name for the came of the phenomenon. . 
upon them, rendering them poor and unfit for laying 
or for other use. The walls, also, should be white¬ 
washed often and liberally, as a means of preventing 
the accumulation of hen pests. 
In the summer time, if fowls have a free rauge, 
they will have recourse to their natural and favorite 
food supplied by worms, grasshoppers and various 
crawling and creeping things; but, when housed, 
this source of supply is rnuiuly cut off, hence feed¬ 
ing liberally will be essential to success. In cold 
weather liberal allowances of refuBe meat from the 
butchers’ stalls, chopped or cooked, will tend to 
keep them in good heart and largely augment the 
egg product Refuse bones and scraps from trying 
ct - Icepcr s department 
EDITED BY HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D. 
HUNTING BEE TREES 
i in steam flow Coming.— i ears ago we prophesied 
that the steam plow would yet be a success in this coun¬ 
try, and notwithstanding the many failures since, we are 
still confident that the object sought will ere long be 
attained. Many practical men-inventors, mechanics and 
farmers—are quietly but industriously contriving and ex¬ 
perimenting to produce the long-sought desideratum, and 
we believe some member of the ‘•Universal Yankee 
Nation" will succeed. The steam plow exhibited at the 
recent Louisiana State Pair has already been noticed in 
the Rural, and now we learn from the California Farmer 
that the farmers of the Pacific States are hopeful of soon 
plowing by steam. It says that ,l to Messrs. Coffin & 
Standish of Martinez, belong the honor of beginning 
this great work, which will soon revolutionize the plow¬ 
ing seasons of California, The ^ame authority avers 
that the new steam plow ascends a heavy grade with 
ease, cutting six feet wide,—aud that it is intended to cut 
THE EFFECT OF BLOOD IN REPRO 
DUCTION. 
As the weather moderates, bees, both domestic 
aud wild, will become restive, and, if not restrained, 
will fly away, and becoming chilled, most of them 
will be lost from a lack of power to regain their old 
quarters. In the case of wild bees, this propensity 
to early flying affords a good chance to find the trees 
containing the swarm and to secure their surplus 
stores, or, better still, of getting a good stock for 
the apiary. 
Among breeders the term “blood” implies breed. 
It is used iu the same signification iu regard to the 
human race. It seems to be a generally accepted 
opinion—accepted traditionally without any investi¬ 
gation or even thought on the subject—that blood 
is, ax a physical substance, the special controlling 
agent which constitutes or establishes the breeds 
and qualities of animals. Some have goDe so far as 
to suppose that crossiug a fiue wooled ewe with a 
ram of coarse breed, renders the ewe thenceforth a 
mongrel; because there is a circulation of blood be¬ 
tween the dam and the foetus, and the former must 
therefore receive into her veins foetal blood sup¬ 
posed to be generated by the coarse wooled ram. 
In proof of the same theory, it is asserted that 
mares once bred to a jackass are very liable thence¬ 
forth, when bred to a horse, to produce colts with 
extraordinary long cars. Other such marks of hybrid 
aud mongrel crosses are claimed to perpetuate them¬ 
selves under like circumstances. 
It is easy to see why, in early times, so much 
Residents in the backwoods are accus¬ 
tomed to sally forth during the warm days, early in 
March, in search of bee trees. These are found by 
means of the dead or chilled bees which have fallen 
upon the snow. At first but a solitary bee may be 
found, but by pushing ahead, more will be encoun¬ 
tered as the tree is approached, till the snow will he 
literally sown broadcast with dead bees. If these 
are found around a single tree, or a cluster of them 
in profusion, it is safe to assume the home of the 
colony has beeu found. To decide on the precise 
tree containing it, if the cluster is composed of well 
grown hemlocks, it sometimes a difficult business , 
but patience and a free use of the ax are cer¬ 
tain to discover the right one at last. Ordinarily 
this is done at once without the use of the ax or a 
protracted scrutiny. When the tree is found aud 
felled and the portion containing the bees remains 
intact or unbroken, a suitable section may be cut 
out aud the colony removed to the premises of the 
successful tiuder and set up for future propagation. 
If properly used they will stick and multiply as 
readily as though brought up in the “ home circle” 
or were never wanderers from it. But if honey is 
the simple object of the hunter, he will, of course, 
secure it as speedily as possible, lest the owner of 
the ground on which the colony is located should 
interpose a prior claim to the coveted stores. Occa¬ 
sionally a party will fiud several trees in a single 
day,—hut it is but just to add that such luck is rare, 
the wearied hunter frequently returning at night 
with “never a bee tree” to boast as the result of 
his tramp. 
Mr. W. C. Daily of Falls Village, Conn, 
, writes 
us“ Having been a reader of your very excellent 
paper for some time, I take the liberty to ask your 
poultry keeping correspondents if they know of a 
disease among poultry called the ‘scurf leg.’ I 
have a few choice fowls of the ‘Dominique’ breed, 
among which such a disease has made its appear¬ 
ance. I first discovered it on the leg of one of my 
hens. The leg looked as though it was covered 
with meal, aud I woudered where she could have 
got it; but upon examination I found it was a scale, 
or scab, which subsequently covered the whole leg 
and foot. I tried bathing, greasing, and bandaging, 
but all to no purpose, as it seemed.to eat up the leg, 
and the fowl died. One of my neighbors lost a tine 
rooster in the same way. I would very much like to 
know the cause and a remedy.” 
Remarks.— We do not fiud, in any work on the 
diseases of poultry, mention made of that described 
by our correspondent. The nearest approach to it 
is what is denominated “ white comb,” which affects 
not only the comb, but the neck and breast. “ This 
disease,” says the Poultry Book, “makes its first 
appearance iu the form of small, white spots, so 
thickly clustered together as to be sometimes mis¬ 
taken for a sprinkling of meal or other white pow¬ 
der.” This may be the same disease mentioned 
above as affecting the legs of the fowls in question. 
If it is, an application of cocoa-nut oil and tumeric is 
recommended. The proportions are. about one 
quarter of an ounce of tumeric powder to an ounce 
of the oil. ThiB forms a yellow ointment, to be 
applied to the affected parts. A few applications 
are generally sufficient to effect a cure.—[E d. 
CONDITION OF WOOL 
Editor of Rural ;— I have just read an article iu 
your invaluable paper headed “Condition of Wool.” 
This is a subject that ueeds more thorough ventila¬ 
tion, and I do hope some way may be contrived to 
discriminate a little more in the prices paid for clean 
and greasy wools. 
Why must some of us continue to sell our clean 
and well-handled wool, year after year, at the same 
price paid for dirty, untagged, carelessly-handled, 
inferior wool? Will any one answer? One year 
ago 1 had a thousand cards printed, containing my 
address iu full, and placed one of them in thecenter 
of each fleece of wool, before rolling, thus inform¬ 
ing the manufacturer, when he comes to using it, 
where it catne from, and if there has been any fraud 
practiced he kuows from whence it came. My wool, 
although nearly thorough-bred light (or white) top 
Merino, had to be sold at the price paid for common 
wool. 
Would it uot be to the advantage of the wool 
grower in general, or at least such as desire to put 
their wool up as it should be, to do as I have done— 
“ card it ? ” I would like to hear from the man who 
used my wool of this year, and if he desires any al¬ 
teration in its “get up” I will try to accommodate 
him. j, d, 
North Liberty, Pa. 
the flesh is in the blood,” and the absolute prohibi¬ 
tion to the Hebrews to eat blood, invested it with 
additional importance. The xiew that it is the life 
of the flesh—that it is the proximate agent in con¬ 
ferring vitality on all the parts and tissues—has re- 
' ceived some striking confirmations from the experi¬ 
ments of Dr. Brown-Sequard. It is not, therefore, 
in the least remarkable that, among its other attri¬ 
butes, it was supposed to control the phenomena of 
breed, or the hereditary transmission of physical 
qualities. 
But in the light of science or established facts, it 
is impossible, we imagine, to show that the blood of 
itself has any more influence in creating or perpetu¬ 
ating breed, than the other essential parts of the 
system. It is not an independent substance, trans¬ 
mitted by ancestors and remaining always the same. 
It. is as much supplied by, and dependent upon, 
nutrition, as the muscles, bones and other parts; 
and it changes more rapidly in its constituents. 
The solid structures of the human body are vari¬ 
ously estimated to undergo an entire change in from 
four to seven years. Haller gives the case of a 
person who lost one thousand pounds of blood in a 
year, and others nearly as remarkable. Here the 
blood was changed—i. e., removed and re-supplied— 
many times in a single year*. Its rapid and enor¬ 
mous power of reproduction has been demonstrated 
by numberless experiments. 
Now let us suppoeq a Merino and a Cotswold 
sheep each bled to the verge of safety, and then fed 
exactly the same kind of feed to restore the natural 
amount of blood. The physical processes would be 
precisely the same. Then why would uot the blood 
be the same in quality ? If not the same, it could 
only be because the system of a Merino and Cots wold 
sheep, in converting food into blood, endowed the 
blood of each with different and peculiar qualities. 
And this would prove that the system controlled 
the qualities of the blood, aud hence all its effects, 
whether in breeding or elsewhere. 
Blood has, under medical prescription, been taken 
from the veins of oue person aud injected into those 
of another. The same process has been repeatedly 
performed on brutes. Was it ever pretended that 
this change of blood produced any change in the ! 
physical characteristics or breeding properties of the 
person or brute into whose veins it was injected ? ] 
Does anybody suppose that the most frequent aud t 
extensive injections of Cotswold blood into the ( 
veins of a Merino would go a step towards convert- 7 
ing a Merino or Its progeuy into Cotswolds ? If not, s 
what becomes of the embryological theory we have t 
adverted to—that the blood of the dam may become ' 
corrupted or mongrelized, if we may be allowed to 1 
coin a word, by the blood of the fetus ? Long 
eared horses, Ac., must, we apprehend, have some \ 
Condensed Correspondence, Items, &c 
Great Snow Storm. —While we are closing this paper 
for the press (Monday p, m., March 2 ,) the most severe 
enow storm of the season is prevailing over a wide extent 
of country. In New York City a raging storm set in last 
eveniug and continues to-day. The railroad? and streets 
are obstructed worse than ever. Thu same is true of 
Rochester, (he storm being the worst experienced for 
many years. Similar storms are prevailing in Oswego, 
Toledo, and other distant points, as wo learn by telegraph. 
The storm comes from the northeast, and is accompanied 
by most chiding blasts. The snow is badly drifted, and 
all the great thoroughfares must be blockaded, seriously 
affecting travel by both pike and rail March, 1 S 68 , thus 
“ opens like a lion ’’—more so than any of its predecessors 
for a score of years—and will no doubt become note¬ 
worthy in the weather records of the present century. 
May it “go out like a lamb," giving us an early and 
genial Spring! 
Herodotus on Sheep !—Three or four weeks since we 
gave from Shakespeare’s “ Winter's Tale ” a price current 
of wool and an acconnt of the usual weight of fleeces in 
England two hundred and sixty-four years old. In read¬ 
ing Herodotus not long since, we came across a much 
more venerable item on sheep matters, In Book III. 
(“ Thalia,’’) Section C3CI3I, giving an acconnt of the pro¬ 
ducts of Arabia, be says;—“There are in this country 
two kinds of sheep to be found no where else, and well 
deserving of admiration. One of them is remarkable for 
an enormous length of tail, extending to three cubits or 
more. If they were allowed to drag them along the 
ground, they would certainly become sore from the fric¬ 
tion, but. the shepherds of the country are expert enough 
to make little wagons, on which they fasten the tails of 
the sheep. The tails of the other variety are of the size 
of a cubit.” The ancient cubit was of the length of a 
man s arm from the elbow to the tip of the fingers,—or 
in the neighborhood of eighteen inches. This would 
make a long tail for the first named species! But the 
delightful old historian, though extremely accurate as to 
what he himself saw, was rather credulous in regard to j 
the tales of other observers. 
The Practical Farmer commends the bronze variety 
of turkeys—a cross between the tame and the wild 
family—as being superior to the common turkey in 
size, hardiness and teuderness of flesh—the latter a 
prevalent trait of wild game. The male wild turkey, 
in a fully developed stage, is an imposing looking 
a weight of forty pounds or 
The general hue of their plumage may be 
called black, but often relieved by a 
their 23)-& pounds surplus honey. Look at what is 
gained. 1st, Not a bee has been out since I put them 
in; a great gain, as no loss by falling in the snow or 
by cold lias occurred. 2d, The surplus honey is 
saved for early brood in the coming spring. 3d, If 
uot used for early brood, the surplus honey fills the 
cells, and box honey will be made as soon as honey 
can be collected from early flowers. 4th, The quiet is 
better for the queen and the whole hive, and they 
will be the more energetic in the spring, just as if 
rested, yet with no winter; but all the bees are not 
quiet. Cold as is the cellar air, some hives have for 
' days beeu buzzing at the wire-cloth covered en¬ 
trances; yet no harm has resulted. Those bees are 
the most restless that arc hatching brood. Those 
with no maturing brood are almost perfectly silent. 
The greatest loss in dead bees in the winter is the 
chilling of the outside bees of the cluster, for they 
never occupy in winter all the hive, but make a clus¬ 
ter to keep warm. This chilling is by a few at a time, 
and they are generally healthy, strong bees; and 
often out of doors, half of the hive lie dead on the 
bottom board. This will occur to some extent in 
the cellar, but the loss is comparatively small. 
The worst thing both out of doors and in the 
cellar is when a hive has a poor queen. Then there 
are large numbers of bees that stuff' themselves full 
of food. Their bodies become long and strong, and 
every warm day they either go out or try to, and 
once out they never return to the hive. This I call 
gluttony , and next to foul brood is au evil to be 
avoided, which is not easy iu either case. 
Ithaca, N. l r ., Feb. 6, 1368. S. J. Parker. 
bird, often attaining 
more. 
strong bronze 
or copper color, giving them a rich appearance when 
the sunlight falls fairly upon them, At certain sea¬ 
sons of the year the male of the wild turkey is full 
of the fire of battle. Frequently the solitude of the 
forest will be broken by a sonorous gobble of defi¬ 
ance. Anon a response, equally belligerent, will be 
heard. Guided by these notes of challenge aud ac¬ 
ceptance, the parties rapidly approach each other, 
and, when in full view, tlfsy rush together with a 
startliug shock, aud the tug of war commences. It 
is rational to infer that au infusion of wild blood 
would tend to hardiness, a characteristic in which 
the young of the tame variety are greatly deficient. 
A brief ramble in wet grass usually suffices to finish 
up a young tame turkey, while a wild one, of like 
age, will rarely succumb to a kindred drenching. It 
is owing mainly to this hardiness of constitution 
that the bronzed or crossed breed is so highly prized 
by poultry breeders aud the general public. 
Patrons of Husbandry.— This is the title of a secret 
ordei recently organized iu Washington, D. C., whose 
object is declared to be the promotion of the interests of 
Agriculture and Horticulture in the United States. Wm. 
N. Saunders bolds the position of Master; John R. 
Thompson, Yt., that of Lecturer; Aaron Bartlett, 
Ohio. Overseer: Wm. Mum, Mo., Steward; Rev. A. B. 
Grosh, Pa., Chaplain; W. M. Ireland, Pa., Treasurer; 
O. H. Kelly', Minn.. Secretary, atui E. P. Fabis, Ill., 
Gate-keeper. In a circular the officers say a constitution 
has been prepared for the guidance of the order. The 
initiatory degrees will be four, representing the seasons. 
Persons of both sexes, (females over sixteen and males 
over eighteen.) will be admitted to membership,—with 
the purpose of rendering rural life more attractive, while 
diverting attention from exciting amusements of a ques¬ 
tionable character. 
We certainly do not present 
this description of the Fut-lailed B/ieej), still occupying 
much of Africa and Asia, because we imagine it is more 
Sugar Orchards, —An exchange says:—“If a young 
man will plant a sugar maple orchard he will have a grand¬ 
child to help him boiL sap.' Will not this be contingent 
on the young man's taking a wife about the time of tree 
planting? It is added:—"About 800 trees will grow on 
an acre, and they should be so planted that little troughs 
can run from the trees to the kettles.” This “little 
trough ’’ business is a humbug in making maple sugar on 
a scale worthy of the name. We saw, many years since, 
a small sugar orchard in Tyringham, Mass., with this little 
trough arrangement, hut the owners did uot regard it, 
even with a side-hill advantage of location, as a paying 
institution, Good buckets to catch the sap, barrels prop¬ 
erly secured on an ox sled for gathering it, aud proper 
storage at the boiling place, will be found cheaper and 
more convenient for the sugar maker. 
John Salisbury, Jr. Nyack, Rockland Go., N. Y., 
sends the following;—“ Seeing a number of poultry 
accounts in your columns, I send you mine, which 
I thiuk beats them all in number of eggs as well as 
profit: 
poultry debt. 
Cost 1 cock.j 7 00 
do 10 hens. 25 00 
Feed, &c..... 53 28 
and Nehemiah were nearly his contemporaries. Rome 
was an inconsiderable power, waging petty wars with the 
Volsci and other Italian tribes. Alexander the Great did 
not flourish until a century after, Julius Caesar until 
four centuries after, and Mahoruet until about eleven con- 
tunes after. Christianity was not introduced among the 
Saxons of England by Saint Augustine until a thousand 
years after the birth of Herodotus l These landmarks 
enable ns to feel the antiquity of our sheep item! 
poultry credit. 
Eggs sold, 151 doz., average 46c. per doz 
Fowls sold. 
Increase in yard. 
Mr, Blanchard of West Gardiner, Me., says:— 
“ The best position for a hive is one sheltered from 
high winds from the north and west, and about six 
inches from the ground, as no injury will result 
from dampness.” This is probably true with re¬ 
spect to the honey season, as the dampness of that 
period is generally of short continuance. There is 
another advantage in a low entrance, as it enables 
the heavily ladened workers, when hurried home by 
a storm, as they often are, to drop below the sweep¬ 
ing wind, and thus gain shelter which an elevated 
one would frequently prevent them from doing. It 
is worthy of remark, however, that swarms which 
go wild invariably select a home well up in the body 
of the tree, though equally feasible entrances may 
be found nearer the ground. The instinct of safety 
from molestation in such cases predominates over 
all considerations of ease in storing the products of 
their summer labors. 
What Ails the Cow?—E. D, C., East Scott, Cortland 
Co.. N. Y., writes“ I wish to inquire what ails my cow 
and what will cure her. She had a sore come on the back 
side of her ankle, near the hoof, about one year ago. 1 
have applied sulphuric acid, tar and kerosene oil, without 
any good result. The leg is swollen nearly to the body. 
She does not use it at all I have had six cows affected, 
nearly the same as this one, the past year, and cured 
them by applying sulphurie acid to the part affected.” 
We should infer from the statement of this case, that the 
lameness was caused by a sprain or other injury, and 
from its long standing not susceptible of a cure. What 
do the veterinarians say to such a case ? 
Net profit one year...$ oi 49 
My eggs I sold myself in New York city. I got 
larger prices for them than your eorrespoudeuts, 
but paid three and four times as high a price for 
grain. 1 food wheat screenings and corn. My fowls 
arc the White Leghorn variety.” 
POULTRY.—BREEDS AND HOUSES. 
PROFIT OF A DOZEN HENS, 
A “New Subscriber” writesSeeing several 
accounts of the profit of keeping hens the past year, 
I thought I would give my experience iu keeping 
hens for the year ending 18(17, which is as follows : 
“ Eggs sold, 137 doz........$ 54 80 
Chickens. 58 65 
RURAL BRIEF-MENTI0NINGS, 
Flax culture in Ireland is on the decline, 
is the principal cause of this, most likely. 
If a farmer would make his stock pay well he should 
feed liberally. Poor animals rarely pay expenses. 
The Missouri Ilort. Society has resolved to a?k the 
Legislature for a place in the State Board of Agriculture. 
A general exhibition of Agricultural implements is to 
take place at Brussels, Belgium, on June 20 and 21,186S. 
The Wisconsin Farmer counsels a timely preparation 
for spring plowing, as the drouth prevented plowing last 
autumn. 
In some sections of Ohio the store hogs are suffering 
severely in consequence of a malignant sore throat. It is 
generally fatal. 
The Stock Journal says the improved Suffolk hog has 
no superior. They are well formed, compact, short- 
legged and hardy. 
The Germantown Telegraph, alluding to the dog nui¬ 
sance. says no device is so effectual in abating it as a 
dollar tax everywhere. 
The best remedy for cribbing is said to be a soft, strap, 
buckled tightly about the neck of the horse. When be¬ 
ing used, loosen the strap. 
In Bedford, N. H., a man has promised a Club there a 
manurial preparation which he says will produce a fine 
crop of wheat ou pure sand. 
Plaster is regarded by some as destitute of any posi¬ 
tive manorial power, and valuable maiuly or only as a 
retainer of moisture, ammonia aud the gases. 
Some journals recommend the French practice of milk¬ 
ing three times a day. It won't pay in the winter, and is 
of doubtful utility even in the summer time. 
A Farmers' Club in New Hampshire recently decided, 
twenty to oue, that manure should be applied to the sod 
after it is turned over, and be covered lightly. 
A Kentucky stock breeder says that $1,000 made by 
cattle is about equal to $2,000 from mules, because the 
former leave the land iu so much better heart. 
An English stock breeder says fattening cattle should 
commence with four pounds ol' oil cake per day, and fiuish 
off with eight or ten pounds, with plenty of vegetables. 
Emigration 
WISCONSIN BEE-KEEPERS’ ASS’N, 
Expenses of keeping. 4S 00 
Profit for the year..$ 01 S 5 
“ The average number of hens for the year, twelve 
and a protector. They were of the Brahma breed, 
which I think are very good for winter layers, and 
bring a very high price in the market. As to the 
feed for winter, I use corn meal and beef scraps, and 
give them a good supply of pounded clam-shells.” 
Cooksville, Secretary- The formation of auxiliary 
societies was recommended for the various sections 
of the State. A series of resolutions, constituting 
a species of Bee Platform, were presented and dis¬ 
cussed. They asserted the movable frame, without 
blocks, hooks or* pins, indispensable to complete 
success iu bee culture; that a suitable permanent 
house for protection to bees in winter is preferable 
to out-door exposure; that artificial swarming is 
essential to success; that close proximity of hives 
is injurious to the bee-keeper. These conclusions 
were unanimously concurred in. A fifth resolution 
affirming the decided superiority of the Italian over 
the Black bee encountered warm opposition and was 
finally lost by a tie vote. 
Tms subject, so material to good living, and a real 
luxury and enjoyment in every household, has ne ver 
had the attention it merits. Onr experience, while 
for many years supplied by the market, has been, 
that the rule of supply proved one unprofitable both 
to buyer and seller, while that which was of profit 
to both, made the exception. Last fall, for a change, 
after grapes and other fruits were gathered, I pur¬ 
chased a quantity of young live fowls, and with the 
run of the garden fed them from one to two months 
mostly on cooked food and with a proof of marked 
and agreeable disappointment, On taking au ac¬ 
count of stock of this small matter, the figures 
showed more than double returns for the invest¬ 
ment, besides a supply for the table such as the 
market very rarely affords. S. N. Holmes. 
Syracuse, N. Y., Feb., 1868. 
Bee-Keepers’ Association. — The bee business 
seems to be attracting Increased attention in Maine. 
At a recent meeting of the State Board of Agricul¬ 
ture a “Bee-Keepers’ Association” was formed for 
the purpose of disseminating information iu reference 
to the management of the honey-bee. A June and 
an autumnal exhibition of the bee products was de¬ 
termined upon. 
