f 
and allowed to go in or out of their shelters at their 
option in winter—according to the general old- 
fashioned custom, and the still prevailing custom 
among a vast majority of American wool growers. 
Under such treatment, no manufacturer dreams of 
Objecting to the amount of ‘grease” in the un¬ 
washed wool, when it is bought as unwashed wool, 
(He is exceedingly glad to get it under the arbitrary 
one-half shrinkage rule!) But if the American 
Merino sheep is housed from summer and winter 
storms — so that all or nearly all the yolk secreted 
during a year is contained in the fleece at shearing, 
then it unquestionably exhibits what would 
was completed, II, C. Merriam commenced pub- 
fishing misrepresentations about it on bear-say; and 
from tin period of its completion until the present 
time, ht has filled every agricultural Journal of the 
land which would give him a hearing, with attacks 
on it and on those officers of the National Associa¬ 
tion who had shown themselves so insensible to bis 
merits. This is the witness — a man unable to write 
»u article on sheep husbandry without betraying 
ludicrous ignorance of its most common concerns * — 
whose statements, In the judgment of the Country 
Gentleman, are entitled to more confidence than 
official figures, aud whose opinions of the wool tariff 
ought to outweigh those of the Morrells, the Bing¬ 
hams, the Delanos, the Garfields, the Colfaxes, 
the Grinuelift, the Moorheads, the Lawrences, the 
Daweses, and all the other firm friends of wool pro¬ 
tection in Congress, who united on the bill without 
any of them even offering an amendment; aud also 
out weigh the opinions of the great body of practical 
wool grower* of the country! The facts alleged by 
this remarkable witness have already been suffi¬ 
ciently examined. 
The Country Gentleman while puliagly deprecat¬ 
ing the almost universal indignation felt for its con¬ 
duct, (as a bushel of letters received by us from 
eminent men testify,; aud while it dares not reaffirm 
its former positions, directly admits no error in it- 
statements (of Jan. lfith) except as to the rate of 
duties! Its flagrant misrepresentations in respect 
to the average protection which United States wools 
have received under the tariff; its untrue state¬ 
ments of the average and comparative value of the 
different classes of imported wools; its own im¬ 
proper interpretation of the intent and meaning of 
the classification and wholly inaccurate assertions 
and inferences in reference to the interpretation it 
receives from the Custom House officers ; its crude 
and absurd views concerning the general theory of 
the tariff; in short, its glaring mistakes in regard 
to every material disputed fact it attempted either 
to prove or disprove — arc all passed over in silence. 
EDITED BX HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D. 
The Season. — A Glimpse of Spring. —As noted in 
in oar last, March opened with the most severe snow 
storm of the season, and the 3d was I be coldest day of the 
year in Rochester—the thermometer marking 4 to 8 below 
zero at S a, m.. when the polls of u warm Charter Election 
opened ! About 18 inches of -now fell during the storm : 
but. a warm rain (on the 6th and 7th) melted much of the 
snow, and now (9 th) wheels have taken the place of run¬ 
ners after nearly one hntidrod days of almost continuous 
sleighingIn Rochester and np the Genesee Valley there 
has been great apprehension of a flood like uuto that of 
1805. but the indications are that r.he remaining snow and 
ice will pass off, and be absorbed by earth and air, without 
damage,—so the people ‘’breathe Ireer.” Some, who be¬ 
lieve in the Almanac and sunshine, arc so confiding aud 
hopeful a« to hum the words of Thomson— 
"nail! gentle. Spring: ethereal mildness, coma!” 
And we, in behalf of the Rural Population “ and the rest 
of mankind. ' sincerely trust that the long winter will end 
right, speedily, giving place to glorious, vernal Spring | 
CANADIAN DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 
THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN AND THE 
WOOL TARIFF. 
The Country Gentleman has at leugth (Feb. 27th) 
brokeu silence agaiu on the wool tariff In a former 
article, we did not give the editor credit for much 
pluck; hut we certainly were not prepared for any¬ 
thing like the following. To escape from the re¬ 
sponsibility of his imputations on the designs of the 
framers of the law, he now says;—“The primary 
definition of the word * design,' as given by Web¬ 
ster, is a ‘ plan or representationthe use of the 
word as synonymous with 1 purpose, or intention ’ is 
secondary aud derivative.” Iiad our contemporary 
simply affirmed that he intended to use the word iD 
the first sense, we should not have felt entitled to 
go behind the. explanation ; hut when, avoiding any 
such explicit assertion , he wades through nearly half 
a column of pedagogical argument to show’ that 
such was the proper and necessary interpretation of 
the word, in the connection iu which lie used it, he 
not only maintains a wholly untenable position, hut 
irresistibly gives rise to the suspicion that it is an 
after thought, dictated by a wholesome fear of con¬ 
sequences. We need not say that derivative signifi¬ 
cations are just a* legitimately employed, either in 
expressing or construing ideas, a* primary ones. 
When a doubt arises which was intended, it must 
he decided by the form and spirit of the context. 
It would be a most remarkable circumstance that 
a writer possessing an ordinary commaud of Eng¬ 
lish, could not, if he chose to do so, in arraigning the 
public acts of a body of men, avoid the use of lan¬ 
guage which may he as readily under,Mood to arraign 
their motives also, as to have any other meaning,— 
and which, judged by the prevailing tone of the 
articlo, would be sure to receive that interpretation 
from the public generally. And he who expresses 
himself thus ambiguously, when acting in an accu¬ 
satorial capacity, always justly renders himself re¬ 
sponsible for the most offensive construction. The 
fact itself under discussion does not possess an iota of 
importance; but it is well occasionally to hold vol¬ 
unteer calumniators to a strict accountability. 
Our contemporary proceeds in the same depreca¬ 
tory vein. He lias finally discovered that there are 
among the wool growers “ individuals aud Associa- 
appear 
to he an unnecessary and excessive amount of 
“grease,” The apparent excess is therefore an inci¬ 
dent of treatment and not of breed. 
The "Vermont breeders of American Merinos, for 
reasons which we will by-and by state, almost inva¬ 
riably house their sheep from -torms throughout the 
year; and they began this custom in the United 
States. Hence it is that the charge of over-“greasi- 
ness ” is usually first and chiefly brought against their 
flocks. But it is also said that crosses with their 
sheep on the flocks of New York, Ohio, Michigan, 
Illinois, etc., have produced the same property of 
over-' 1 greasin csss ” — as ir the blood carried along 
that quality or characteristic with it. Now every 
man acquainted with the facts, perfectly well knows 
that this cross has not only greatly increased the 
actual weight of clean wool on drier and coarser 
wooled sheep, but has rapidly improved its quality: 
and that it usually requires several such crosses to 
establish in the progeny a degree of yolkiuess equal to 
that of the full-blood. If very 11 creasy ” fleeces now 
come from the West, it is only because the summer 
and winter housing system has followed the full- 
blood thither. Western men who have bought ex¬ 
pensive sheep naturally wish to sell their progeny at 
“breeders’ prices.” To do this most successfully, 
they must put them in “show” condition. There¬ 
fore they house their sheep. 
But we contend that even the degree of yolkiness 
produced by housiug throughout the year, is not a 
valid objection to wool, on the part of the manufac- 
turer, providing the yolk is soluble. It in no respect 
injures the manufacturing properties of wool. It is 
simply extraneous matter, for which or for the trans¬ 
portation of which, the manufacturer does not pay. 
Both are deducted from the price. He has only to 
scour out more yolk, a process of no difficulty, and 
productive of no noticeable increase of cost. Nearly 
all foreign tine wool Is imported in the “grease; ” and 
much of itis quite as “greasy"’ as American weather- 
washed wool. It is often, too, very burry, a ten-fold 
greater objection. Yet who complains ? The man- 
*,*ck Adv ertising Rates. — Those who write us for our 
lowest advertising terms, etc., are respectfully referred to 
the published rates given in each number of the Rural. 
A« we iio not believe in publishing one rate and accepting 
another, we cannot consistently allow others to make 
prices lor ns,—especially such a? contrast our rates with 
those of papers which do not circulate as many hundreds 
as the Rural does thousands. Though disposed to do 
our “level nest"’ to accommodate ,e cinnot put our 
rates on a level with the views ol -ueb applicants—par¬ 
ticularly when nnr limited advertising space is in such 
demand t hat we are constrained to defer, decline or refuse 
advertisements every week for months in succession. 
For Instance, during the past week we have, among oth¬ 
ers, declined an offer of $1,000 fora single insertion of an 
advertisement to occupy one page. The offer was tempt¬ 
ing-hut we wish to give every subscriber “value re¬ 
ceived” for his nr her money, and hence unlike most of 
onr contemporaries, decliue many tempting proposals 
lest our reading departments be circumscribed. 
WESTERN DAIRYMEN’S CONVENTION 
The second annual convention of the Illinois and 
Wisconsin Dairymen’s Association was held at Bel- 
xidere, Ill., Feb. 11th and 12th, 
It, was called to 
order by the President, W G. King, who gave a 
succinct history of the dairy business in the North¬ 
west since the formation of the Association. The 
cheese market at the West, as elsewhere, during 
the past season has been depressed as compared 
with other farm products, but during a portion of 
the time remunerative prices were obtaiued. The 
address was succeeded by the Treasurer’s report, 
showing a small balance on the credit side. The 
annual address was delivered by X. A. Willard, 
Esq., of Herkimer Co., N. Y., and was listened to 
with evident satisfaction. To the address succeeded 
a general discussion on the subjects of milk, ren¬ 
nets, curing cheese, butter, grasses, grain for dairy 
stock, and butte: ami cheese making—these topics 
constituting the programme for the occasion. Many 
members of the Association gave their views on 
theipC several points, but we baye not space at, 
present for a more extended notice. The general 
tone of the remarks evinced hopefulness for the 
future of the dairy business in that section of the 
country. The following board of officers was elected: 
President.— Win. G. King, Rockford. Vice-Presidents 
—J. B. Hose. Belvidere, III,; J. 11. Rigart, Rock Co., Wis,; 
Wm. T. Sammons, Joliet, Ill.; R. W. Stewart, Hebron; 
Dr. Joseph Tefft, Elgin; Mr, Gillett, Albany; Daniel 
Duuton, Dunton, Ill.; R. H. Hueston, Kenosha. Wis.; 
Stephen Favill, Lake MillB, Wis.; S W Brewster, Free¬ 
port Secretary—R. It. Stone, Richmond, 111. Treasurer 
—W. A. McConnell, Richmond. 
Missouri.— Saks of Land—Progress, As we occa¬ 
sionally receive inquiries about the most promising sec¬ 
tions of the West and Southwest, we take the liberty of 
giving the following ext ract from a private letter jnst re¬ 
ceived from Geo. S. Harris, Esq., Laud Comniis:- iouer of 
the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Co., which indi¬ 
cates the rapid settlement and improvement of a fine 
agricultural region :—“We are selling onr Railroad lands 
mura rapidly than ever. Our sales in February, 1868, 
amounted to $163,743.87. This is nearly $4,000 more than 
was sold in the three years of 1861, ’62 ami ’68, during the 
war, and more tliau was sold in the whole year of 1864. 
We now often sell more laud in one day than we did in 
the whole years of 1861-2, and more in one day than in a 
whole month in 1865. Our total sales in February, 1865, 
were only $3,836.17, and now, iu February, 1863. they are 
$163,74387, — about $160,000 more now than then per 
mouth, And the reasons are plain ones. Missouri is 
now reconstructed; freedom is established; law and 
order are restored, and all personal arid social rights and 
privileges are more secure than before the war. Hence 
the rapid influx of Northern aud Eastern people in great 
numbers.'' 
We have observed several attacks of late, in the 
public journals, on the character of American Meri¬ 
nos, for wool growing purposes. The chief objec¬ 
tion taken to them is that they have too much yolk, 
or “grease,” hi their wool. Many of these articles 
have doubtless been written in a spirit of candid 
criticism, and by men well acquainted with wool as a 
commodity in the market, and with its uses in man¬ 
ufactures. 
it is well known to those who have read our views 
on the subject, expressed in the Practical Shepherd, 
aud repeatedly in the columns of this Department, 
that we have ever considered an excessive amount 
of yolk not only undesirable, but Objectionable—ob¬ 
jectionable because useless; because the sheep bear¬ 
ing it are hot, iu our opinion, generally so thrifty’, 
hardy and capable of withstanding extreme cold; 
and finally, because we have suspected, that excessive 
secretions or excretions of this kind, take place 
somewhat at the expense of the production of wool, 
either iiy diverting its pabulum (which many have 
supposed yolk to bo) iuto another channel, or by too 
great activity as rival secretions acting in the same 
tissues. 
We may be permitted to quote the following par¬ 
agraph on the “Uses of Yolk” from the Practical 
Shepherd (pp. 77, 78:) 
“Yolk lms been believed in ali countries nod times to 
promote (lie growth of wool and render it soft, pliant and 
healthy. It scoins to me to have other and ohvion- uses 
The small, irregular-shaped masses of wool which adhere 
together in the unshorn fleece of Merino sheep, and which 
are bounded externally hy visible, permanent cracks, slide 
on each Other with every movement of the animal so that, 
in effect, the cracks are the joini* of the fleece, u dry and 
unlubricated by the yolk, the irictiou of these sliding 
masses would, on the sides subject to abrasion, wear or 
break off the tooth-like processes on the wool on which 
the felting property depends; and this same effeet would 
follow, whet her It) a greater or lesser dt?gree, I am unable 
Michigan Premium Farms.— The Michigan State Ag. 
Society offered certain premiums for farm cultivation, 
and appointed a committee 1o report upon and make the 
awards to the competitors. Three farms were entered, 
viz.:—Those of Lysandkr Woodward. Rochester, Oak¬ 
land Co.; E. L. Bowden, Webster, Washtenaw Co., and 
E. W. Rising, Richfield, Genesee Co. The competing 
farms were, not to be less than 160 acres, and were passed 
upon in the order mentioned above. The first named 
netted a profit of $8.40 per acre: the second $0.25, and 
the third $12.25. Tho report is elaborate and minute, 
and closes with a resolution awarding the first premium 
of $60 to E L. Rovden, the second of $10 to Ltsanher 
Woodward, and the medal of the Society to E. W. Ris¬ 
ing. The report, signed by C. W. Greene and John 
Allen, is highly interesting, bat we have not room for a 
more extended notice. 
Drawing the milk from the cows is an important 
point in dairy operations. We have seen milkers 
bo slovenly in this particular that well bred swine 
would hardly venture to partake of the milk, though 
freshly drawn from the udder. Some propose, as a 
means of securing cleanliness, an application of 
water to the udder before milking, but this is often 
difficult,— indeed always 60 unless the cows are 
housed in buildings fitted up with the means of 
ready ablutiou. Iu the summer time, if cows are 
properly yarded, there will rarely be atiy necessity 
for water application, and the same will hold good, 
as a general thing, in winter if suitably stabled. 
The udder should be dusted off in either case before 
milking, but not over the pail, as some slovens are 
in the practice of doing. When the preliminaries 
are gone through with, the milker should work his 
hands rapidly, keeping up a constant flow till the 
udder is clean, when, except in severely cold 
weather, the milk will he created with a foam 
fleecy as the driven snow. To arrive at this result, 
the milker and the cow should be acquainted—more 
than this, should be friends,—a relation not difficult 
to establish if the former has a kindly disposition, 
slow to anger, and not given to a ready use of the 
milking stool on slight provocation. With habits 
of personal cleanliness, a little practice in the way 
of udder manipulation, a soothing voice aud kiudly 
action, a milker will drain a cow’s udder of its se¬ 
cretions with great celerity, and present the milk in 
such a condition that no one’s gorge would rise at 
imbibing it without the interposition of a strainer. 
Slovenly, ill-tempered persons should never be 
tolerated in the dairy department, especially as 
milkers, for if the cows are not naturally vicious, 
they will educate them to become so, while their 
product will be so impregnated with filth as to ren¬ 
der it unfit for use. 
The Ramie Plant. —An effort is being made to intro¬ 
duce this new textile plant for Southern cultivation. It 
is a native of Java, and has been grown for some years in 
Mexico. It is said by those desirous of introducing it 
to be easily propagated by root cuttings, layers and cut¬ 
tings of the mature stalks; it is rigorous iu growth, and 
spreads by shoots and roots; it Is perennial and will 
stand some freezing; the fiber is found in the inner bark 
of the stalk; it bears cutting three or four times in a 
season, and does not waste materially by delay in har¬ 
vesting. It requires a special machine to separate and 
prepare the fiber, which is white, fine and of long staple. 
Its leaves and shoots are relished by cattle. 
Sowing Salt on Wheat.—J. J. N,, Canton, O., writes: 
" information is sought hy a subscriber to the Rural on 
sowing salt on winter wheat. In the fall or 1866 I had a 
field of wheat that turned yellow and looked sickly, and 
being fearful of losing the crop I resorted to sowing salt. 
My soil being a gravelly loam, 1 sowed about half a bushel 
to the acre, leaving strips of a few rods wide through the 
field unsown. At harvest that part sown with salt ripened 
two days sooner, and was the nicest, plumpest in the 
grain, and produced at least two bushels more per acre 
than that not sown. I would sow one bushel per acre.” 
Bone Dust on Old Datrt Pasture.— “Subscriber,” 
Shirley, Erie Co., N. Y., writes “I see it recommended 
to use bone dust as a fertilizer on old dairy pastures. 
Will it pay on loam laud? Wbat quantity’ should be 
used ? Where cau it be procured and what is the price ?” 
At the prices manufacturers ask for bone dust we don’t 
think farmers can afford to use it. nowever, as this is 
a question which careful experiment and observation only 
can decide, we advise our correspondent to help test it. 
LOOK TO THE COWS 
This is a season of the year, above all others, 
when cows require extra attention. The severe 
cold of winter does not affect them so much as the 
storms of rain and sleet which usually characterize 
the month of March, during which a considerable 
portion of the cows come in. Good shelter and 
generous feeding arc importgut to dairy stock at 
this season. When cows iu good heart are left out 
in cold rains they exhibit marked signs of discom¬ 
fort. They shiver and become doubled up, and 
when approached emit a moaning sound, indicative 
of their suffering state. It is their mode of asking 
relief, and the petition should not be passed by 
unheeded. Every farmer knows with what eager¬ 
ness cows exposed to storms will rush to shelter 
when a chance to reach it is afforded them, and how 
marked is the satisfaction which this attention gives 
them. But, in addition to ample shelter and liberal 
feeding, it will pay well to card the cows, newly 
come in, at least once each day. It imparts liveli 
ness to them, and is no doubt conducive to their 
health and productiveness. We sometimes see cows 
with their sides cased in a coating of green manure, 
rendering them uncomfortable and difficult of ap¬ 
proach for milking purposes. This cau be very 
generally obviated by a timely cleaning of their 
stalls and by supplying them with suitable bedding. 
These attentions, at this season of the year, are 
important to dairy stock, and if neglected or but 
imperfectly rendered the owner will be recompensed 
in the shape of lean cows and diminished products. 
Remedy nor Poll Era,.— K. of North Liberty, Pa., 
writes:—“As a slight acknowledgement of the many 
good things 1 have learned from the columns of the 
Rural, I send you the following remedy for the poll 
evil, which I know by experience to be good:—With a 
feather apply common tanners (whale) oil to the running 
sore freely, three or four times a day, aud a speedy and 
permanent core will be the result.” 
RURAL BRIEF-MENTIONING*. 
The Illinois Industrial University opens for the receD- 
tion of students on the 11th inst. 
Bt- feeding tomatoes to cows, it is said the milk, cream 
and butter will be much improved. 
Do not omit to card new milch cows daily. It is a 
pleasure to them and profitable to the owner. 
Thomas Jenkins, a former in Saco. Me., is 101 years 
old, and has lived in the same house 95 years, 
Carrots are specially recommended for horses as favor¬ 
able to the use initiation aud digestion of other food. 
Sheep manure and soot, a peck of each well stirred in 30 
gallons oi rain water, is good tor watering potted plants. 
The Farmer’s Chronicle, ColumhuH. O , estimates the 
guniRd devoted to Hut grape in tliat State at 12,000 acres. 
The Gent, Ill. Jlort Society held its first annual meting 
at Ouarga recently, with flattering prospects for the future 
Tub Kansas farmers are said to be in fine spirits in con¬ 
sequence of the promising aspect of the wheat crop there. 
aeout 000 hogs have been slaughtered iu the 
West this season at the leading packing esUbJfeJiments. 
AN apiarian in the lower Virginia Valley, Jefferaon Co., 
got, L60Q lbs, ot honey last season from 50 stands it. sold 
lor$46u, 
The animal aud vegetable production of a farm ought 
to bo so adjusted as to increase the productive power of 
the soil yearly. 1 
According to statistics presented to the N Y Iurtknfe 
Furmerr Club, $3’i,UU0,000 worth of cattle die annually iu 
the buffed states. - 
\\ non ashes liberally applied to potato ground will add 
materially to its productive powers. The potato is a 
great ahsorber ot potash. 1 
°‘ n S h ' raows in March and 
Apnl, timothy Heu<] uan be frown more evenly than wUen 
tiie ground is bare. The enow is a guide to the sower. 
scoured out without difficulty 
white as “ driven snow." 
In these respects we feel authorized to say that 
our sheep do not differ from the standard flocks of 
Vermont and their descendants in other States. 
They are of the same blood aud type. And we have 
the more positive evidence that we have at different 
periods, and from different flocks, Introduced hun¬ 
dreds of Vermont sheep iuto our flocks—many of 
them “gummy" beyond the average of full-bloods 
in that State—and we have always found that their 
fleeces washed as easily, and cleansed as readily and 
perfectly of all “gum” or other extraneous matter 
under the manufacturer’s processes. Our sheep, it 
is true, have not been housed to any extent* after 
the Vermont plan ; but our observations have satis¬ 
fied us that, though exposure to the weather pre¬ 
vents the accumulation of yolk or “gum,” it ren¬ 
ders that which remains less soluble. 
To this soluble “gum” the buyer can make no 
objection. As we have already said, it does not in¬ 
jure the woo) and the buyer is not required to pav 
for it or its transportation to market. 
We shall resume this subject, iu some other 
phases, in our uext issue. 
* We have latterly boused our Ijj •ortin 
and it became as 
cated by yolk — as we have stated above to be the 
prevailing opinion in all countries and times. 
The American Merinos no not, as a variety, secrete 
any more yolk than is necessary for tin purposes named, 
when they are habit nulls' exposed to summer storms 
* This opinion, formed on mature- cousldgmion takes the 
place of the doubt expressed on the subject i n 11; • pre cdfim 
quotation. It. rests not only on the fort st-.tvd in the. text— 
the non-forcible pressure iff the fibres ami sepnrete masses 
against each olher—but also on the cireuiustukos that the 
tooth-1) ke processes,or serrations, which produce felting are 
vastly more numerous, mi-.mi • 1 bha.-j-p fluted. ; th'ci e- 
l'urc presumably more ea-llv brORcu off m worn down, <M>e- 
cistly when hot properly ktbticpb-d with volk, than Hip. ma¬ 
terially larger and dtdler-miL.c r.l on* *•. of course wool. 
There are something like a Uiousa ifi more serrations uu an 
inch of Saxon than of Lelei st r wool. 
Productive Cow.—The Commercial Press, Pult- 
neyvillc, N. Y., states that Mrs. James B. Cracgs 
of that village made seventeen aud three-quarters 
pounds of butter from oue cowin seven days, be¬ 
sides using three quarts of milk per day for the 
family. The calf was raised on skimmed milk, and 
at Sixteen days oid weighed one hundred and thirty- 
five pounds on foot The customary “Beat this 
who can ” is appended to the statement. 
* we have latterly housed our hr eding rams, the loading 
object being to render them more fenfo from dogs and other 
dangers; and we have In two or three instance.!* sunuiicr- 
bolist'd small lots of owes which we wit-lied Vo pm. in holiday 
attire, in order to elw and allow others to observe the 
difference which this treatment mates in the appearance of 
sheep of the same kind and quality. 
i 
( 
