such an experiment. We first obtained the seed 
from Prof. Kiktland of Ohio, who recommended it 
to the writer as a very choice variety of the mustard 
family. It appears to be a dwarf] and does not 
spread its branches laterally as much as other varie¬ 
ties. Bees work on the blossoms very freely, and 
the yield of seed is enormous. We shall ourselves 
sow all the seed we have on hand, and perhaps we 
can give away some of it the coming harvest, as we 
would like to see it tried in other sections of the 
country. 
3d. Melilot Clover. —But, all things considered, the 
best honey plant we have yet found is Melilot clover. 
This clover has a rank growth, and branches very 
much like buckwheat; it should, therefore, be sown 
quite sparingly. It comes into blossom about the 
first of July, in latitude 42’, and remains in bloom 
through both drouths and frosts till winter sets in ! 
The plant is very hardy, and wiU grow under the 
most unfavorable circumstances. It thrives well in 
the open fields, in fence corners, under the shade of 
trees and hedges, and eveD among stone-heaps; all 
it wants is a foothold. But it yields the most honey 
when grown on moderately dry soils of a loamy, 
sandy, or gravely nature. 
The plant is very fragrant, and the blossoms are 
rich in honey , which is of a light color and good 
quality. We are so well pleased with the Melilot as 
a honey plant that we shall rely upon it as our main 
dependence for our crops of surplus honey. An acre 
of this clover, while in bloom, will support not less 
than ten hives of bees and their increase, giving 
them full and constant employment. As the blos¬ 
soms make their appearance at about, tbe close of 
the white-clover season, and when our colonies are 
strong in bees and brood, it will be seen that we 
have good reason to regard this honey plant as of 
considerable importance. The plant is a biennial, 
and therefore does not bloom till the second year 
after sowing. If the seed be permitted to fall, once 
sowing will be sufficient. The plant of this clover 
makes a good fertilizer when turned under after a 
growth of about three feet. But just now it is per¬ 
haps -worth more for tanning purposes. The extract 
of the plant, which is obtained by steaming, is used 
to a considerable extent by the tanning fraternity. 
They prize this extract very highly, as they use it to 
modify the astringent properties of Japonica. This 
is also a vegetable extract, and is highly impreg¬ 
nated with tannin. The leather produced by tbe 
combination of these two extracts is said to be 
tough, cheesy, plump, of good quality, aud has the 
appearance of chestuut-oak tanuage. Several tan¬ 
neries are in successful operation in different parts 
of the country under this comparatively new and 
rapid system. 
We would be pleased to have bee-keepers try the 
Melilot clover iu different sections of the country, 
so can ascertain whether it may not be grown as 
a national honey plant. We think it wiU succeed 
well in the South, and, if so, it may prove to be 
quite an acquisition. Having more seed than wc 
have properly prepared ground for its reception, 
this season, we will send a small packet to any appli¬ 
cant who will inclose a few stamps to cover the post¬ 
age thereon, and the trouble of putting up. Please 
apply early , so as to give it a fair trial. 
St. Charles, IU. M. M. Baldridge. 
2. On all unwashed fleeces, fleeces stuffed with tags, 
murrain wool or any other foreiap substance, black fleeces 
and all washed buck fleeces, d deduction of one-third 
BhaU be made. 
8 . On uh washed buck fleeces a deduction of one-half 
shall be required. 
We have again and again pointed out the unjust 
and unequal operation of these “rules,” and urged 
wool growers not to recognize or submit to them. 
When about to comment on this new attempt to 
enforce them, we found the following remarks on 
the subject in the Lansing State Republican, which 
so Dearly express our views that we quote tbe ar¬ 
ticle entire. It is from the pen of Sanford How¬ 
ard, Esq., Secretary of tbe Michigan State Board of 
Agriculture: 
“It was to have been hoped that the ill feeling, amount¬ 
ing to actual warfare, which has for some time existed 
between the manufacturers and wool grower? of the 
country, would have been done away by the removal of 
all grounds of complaint on both sides. But here is an 
attempt to continue some of tbe wrongs which originated 
the strifb. How any men who are willing to deal on the 
principles of the Golden Rule, or on the maxim. 1 Do as 
you would be done by,' cau adopt such a platform, it i6 
not easy to comprenend. 
“The maniifaufnrers have complained that they were 
imposed on by farmers; that wool was sold them iu such 
condition that they were deceived iu regard to its value; 
that wool which wa? nominally washed was too dirty, or 
contained too much extraneous matter, aud that worth¬ 
less substances were sometimes incorporated with fleeces, 
for the purpose oi cheating the purchaser, 
“ Now, so far a- relates to any intent of deception, its 
defense will not be attetnted. On the contrary, all honest 
men will admit tbe wrong, and join in efforts to abolish 
it. But as two wrongs do not make a right, would not 
trated manures; that these manures are so ele¬ 
vated, and widely distributed that rain water by 
simple gravitation alone will carry them down 
aud far away from rugged mountains, inaccessi¬ 
ble to tbe plow, aud spread them over indefinite 
millions of acres of wheat fields, com fieldB, mead¬ 
ow.- and pastures; and thus euuble the thought¬ 
ful farmer, by saving aud properly applying these 
fertilizing atoms, I repeat, brought down to him and 
his posterity forever from mountain masses of rocks, 
it i? finer and shorter. Bucuos Ayres “Saxony' 
and “Merino” wools (grades higher than No. 1 
Mestiza) are about as fine and short a? the former 
choice Saxon wools of the United States, and con¬ 
sequently are materially finer thau the great body of 
the “American Merino” wools of the present day. 
But Mr. Harris surely does not mean to be literally 
understood to assert that the Buenos Ayres wools 
are superior in the respects uamed to “ any Ameri¬ 
can grown wool.” Has he tested them alongside 
with what were formerly generally known in the 
trade as “Washington County Wools 11 —grown in 
Washington Co., Pennsylvania, and adjacent por¬ 
tions of Virginia and Ohio?—such wools as “Old 
John Brown” of Harper’6 Ferry memory, used to 
deal so largely in ? If he has instituted such a test 
aud pronounces the Buenos Ayres wool6, or any 
which come into our markets, 
The Season —Weather, Drouth, &e. — The weather 
during the month just passed has been very singular. In 
Western New York the opening of March was marked 
by the worst snow storms and the coldest temperature of 
the winter, while the last two weeks have been bright 
aud sunny, and snow and lrost have disappeared. The 
melting enow* anti showers of rain which attended the 
change from winter to spring, swelled the streams, creat¬ 
ing freshets,—but when the surface water ran• ofi, which 
it quickly did, the spring? and streams diminished to a 
very low mark, and in many case? dried up. So severe a 
drouth as now prevail? cannot be remembered as having 
occurred at the same season of the year by that famous 
personage who is standard authority, the “oldest inhabi¬ 
tant.” The dry grass burns and blackens the lines of 
railroad, and some fences are consumed Ou clay land it 
is difficult to plow, so hard and dry Lb the earth. Plowing 
was begun two weeks ago; last week the work was 
pushed hard by energetic farmers in localities where the 
sol) was favorable. Oats are being sown, but it Is too 
early for barley. It is a good time to pick stone from 
meadows, haul manure, and to harrow wheat fields-as 
we sa.v one farmer doing this morning. We hear no 
complaints of scarcity of fodder, and stock has wintered 
well. Farmers are sowing clover seed on winter wheat; 
the latter, though generally small in top, looks green and 
healthy in this region, and has wintered well throughout 
Westera New York generally. 
other foreign wools 
to be superior to these, tbe weight of testimony is 
quite as much against him as it is on the effects of 
the wool tariff in depressing manufactures,* 
Some of the sheep bearing “ Washington County 
Wools” are yet grown. Fiue Merinos have been 
comparatively recently imported from. Germany 
which yield similar wools. From these and their 
grades, and the old high grade Saxon flocks yet ex¬ 
isting to some extent in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, Michigan and other States, the production of 
such wools it is believed fully equals the present 
limited demand, aud will increase as fast as the de¬ 
mand ; and it was one of the objects of the tariff to 
stimulate both their manufacture and production. 
It may be more agreeable for Mr. Harris to linpwrt, 
under tbe three cent duty, which he asks for in his 
letter, that little sprinkling of very fine wool, and 
also that of the quality of the higher grades of MCs 
tiza, which he uses—and for Mr. Slater to import 
the bulk of his broadcloth wools—at a first cost of 
seven, eight or nine cents a pound, (the present 
prices iu Beunos Ayres,) or for the ordinary cost, say 
from twelve to fifteen cents a pound, than to pay 
barely a remunerative price to the United States 
grower. But other manufacturers of fine cloths 
cordially “ accept the situation ”— believing it for 
the ultimate good of all parties — and they find no 
difficulty, even now, in obtaining their raw material 
from domestic sources. That they can use it at a 
profit, would appear to be conclusively shown from 
the fact that they continue to manufacture it. 
But says Mr. Harris, “ a large portion of the 
woolen machinery formerly employed in making 
fine goods is stopped,” in consequence of the 
“exorbitant duty on fiue wools;” and even the 
present price of wool is not “ low enough to warrant 
starting said machinery.” On this point let us hear 
another manufacturer of reputation. We have not 
his permission to publish his letter, but if we with¬ 
hold his name, it simply gives the other side of the 
story, without compromising any personal delica¬ 
cies* The references to Mr, Harris’ motives are 
a little tart; but when he stepped out almost single- 
handed to oppose the wishes aud the action of the 
•Treat body of those engaged in the same occupation, 
and to break up the entente cordlale between two 
great industrial interests, be probably did not ex¬ 
pect. to escape some rubs. The following is the 
letter: 
1 ‘ In answer to the letter of Mr, Edward Harris I will 
suv. that few of tbe tnaruiracturere of cassimeres and 
cloaking? have closed their mill?. 1 will only name a few 
that have not. The Riverside Mills. Lippfit Mills. Ouby 
A Metcalf, neat' Providence, H. 1., Ed. !?. Hall, Millville, 
and Messenger A Wright, of Worcester. Mass., and many 
others in the vlclnltv of Mr. IT arris' Mills; the Globe 
Mills and Steam Woolen Mill at Utica .the. Empire Mill at 
Clay ville. the Elbocni'and Mohawk Mills til I.ittle Fails, 
Read toe Advertisements !—This is uur admonition 
to all who wish to procure any article in the agricultural, 
horticultural, domestic or any other useful or ornamental 
department. The advertising columns of the Rural tell 
how, where, and at what prices, can be obtained numer¬ 
ous things wanted uow-aday? by tens of thousands of 
people all over the country. We trust our myriad of read¬ 
ers in want of any kind of machinery, implements, stock, 
trees, plants, seeds, etc., will not “forget to remember” 
to look over the announcements of manufacturers, grow¬ 
ers, dealers, etc., in each number, and respond to the 
offers of the reliable parties who are so sensible as to 
advertise their wares in such an excellent medium as the 
Rural. Those who do this will no doubt find it to their 
advantage. We frequently receive ivicjnirie6 as to where 
articles can be obtained, though the same arc being (or 
recently have been) advertised in this paper, To such 
we say, with unction, Read the Advertisements which 
have appeared for four weeks preceding, before writing 
us for information about what is or ought to be in our 
advertising department. 
— We may add that, though several columns of new 
advertisements are given this week, we are obliged to 
defer or decline a? many more (over three columns) for 
want of space. Regret this, but are doing the best we 
consistently cad to accommodate all advertisers who com¬ 
ply with our published rates and terms. 
EDITED BT HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D. 
MB. HARRIS’ LETTER ON THE WOOL 
TARIFF. 
A correspondent who signs himself “ A real 
Friend of the Wool Growing Interest,” thus writes 
us from Chicago: 
“ Mr. Edward Harris, the great Rhode Islaud wool 
manufacturer, iu his letter to the Congressional commit- 
tec of Wavs and Means, Jan. 30tb, states some facts vs ell 
worth the attention of wool growers. He says that.in 
thirty-seven years’ experience in manufacturing, he ha? 
never ‘seen the business so depressed; that tor tite 
past few years he has been endeavoring to make the unert 
and best goods made in this country; that to enable him 
to do this, he has used partly wool from Buenos Ayres, 
sometimes, and generally mixed with the finer quality ol 
American woolthat' he finds this South American wool 
has qualities Tor fcltiug, aud lot a nice, solt finish supe¬ 
rior to any American grown wool. that, ii takes three 
pounds of Buenos Ayres wooMo make one pound of 
sooured woo), and consequently that every scoured pound 
of it pays a duty, under tbe present tariff, Of upwards of 
30 cents in gold ; that ' the consequences of such a duty 
are such that we cannot go into tbe Buenos Ayres market 
no purchasethat the effect of this ‘ i» that a large nro- 
nortion 0 f the woolen machinery formerly employed in 
»rsaV\nt> fino floods i* stopped And Hit: price of American 
The American Wheat Culturist.— Mr. S. Edwards 
Todd, widely and favorably known as the author of “ The 
Young Farmer's Manual,” with other works, aud as the 
Agricultural Editor of the N. Y. Times, has produced, in 
the volume before us, a very practical and suggestive 
treatise on wheat culture. It embraces a brief history 
and botanical description of wheat, naming many varie¬ 
ties, and gives practical and plain instructions for select¬ 
ing seed, producing new varieties, cultivation, with hints 
about the adaptation or the plant to various soils. The 
avowed object of the author was to produce a work of 
valne to the beginner in wheat culture—to the young 
farmer,—and to contribute as far as lay in his power to 
the increase of that most magnificent cereal. In his pre¬ 
face, Mr, T. modestly says “ there are scores of success¬ 
ful farmers who know most of what is contained in these 
pages,”—but wc think none can peruse tbe book without 
adding to their stock of ideas and information from the 
fund which is there gathered from the author's own expe¬ 
rience, and other and widely separated sources. The il¬ 
lustrations are of that kind which interests aud instructs, 
in addition to pleasing the eye. The volume is nvatly 
printed and comprises 428 duodecimo pages. Taintor 
Brothers & Co., New York, are the publishers. 
making fine goods is stopped and the price ol American 
wool? has foutra lo quite a low point,—but still not low 
enough to warrant starting said machinery. 
• - xbwl ask you, Mr. Editor, whether you do not be 
lieve Mr Hakim- to be a truthful and conoid man, and an 
every wav well e uuMed witness lo speak on this subject '• 
Jf ha does tell the truth, will yon urn! your wool .growing 
friends persist in stopping American machinery and thus 
destroying the market for your own wool*, in order to 
protect something which U not and cannot he grown m 
this country ? W ill you Cling to the manifest advantage 
which the strong desire of the manufacturer? to act uni¬ 
tedly with vour people, unfortunately enabled you to se¬ 
cure over them in the adjustment of the tarffi—a barren 
victory to vou and a most destructive oiu* to them . Ate 
vou, personally, willing to occupy such a portion before 
tbe wool interest of the world? " 
We know Mr. Harris personally, and believe he 
means to be a highly truthful and candid man. AV e 
believe him as well qualified a witness on the sub¬ 
ject, where he speaks of facts which are matters of 
knowledge and not of inference, as any person prob¬ 
ably can be who has great pecuniary interests at 
stake, aud who, we must be pardoned for saying, 
entertains old, preconceived views and traditional 
class prejudices which, most likely unconsciously to 
himself, strongly bias his judgment. We shall en¬ 
deavor in what follows to treat him and his testi¬ 
mony with entire respect; but, called out thus 
pointedly, we should do injustice to our cause if 
we did not speak plainly. 
Mr. Harris distinctly carries the idea throughout 
his letter (an entire copy of which is before ns) that 
the late and present extrasrdinary depression in the 
woolen and wool market is entirely attributable to 
the present wool tariff He does not mention or 
even hint at auy concurrent causes. Can it be sup¬ 
posed that he was ignorant of the vast over-supply 
of woolens in our markets on the passage of the 
tariff; that short crops iu the West and famine crops 
in the South in 1860, and the comparative failure of 
the cotton crop in 1807, most seriously diminished 
tbe means of purchase and consequently the usual 
consumption of woolens in those extensive portions 
of the United States; that utter commercial paraly¬ 
sis still reduces the Southern woolen market to a 
shadow of its former magnitude; that our Govern¬ 
ment itself has been a formidable competitor of 
both the manufacturer aud grower, by throwing on 
tbe market its immense surplus of army woolen 
goods at prices generally far below the cost of pro¬ 
duction ; that grinding taxation, fears of monetary 
revulsion, &c., have taught our laboring population 
generally a chariness in purchasing superfluous arti¬ 
cles, which has severely affected all trade, and wool¬ 
en trade among the rest ? We caauot doubt that, on 
direct interrogation, Mr. Harris would admit all 
these facts. If, then, he chose to present the sub¬ 
ject in so purely an eX parte light, we submit whether 
it, is not rather cool in our Chicago correspondent to 
ask us to accept his testimony as covering both sides 
of the ease, and as decisive! 
We have, another reason for not doing so. The 
cause which Mr. Harris assigns for the depression 
of the manufacturing interest, viz., the wool tariff, 
Is not even recognized or one of the causes of that dc- 
prmton, by the great body of wool manufacturers. 
Their National Association, comprising probably 
more than nine-tenths of the most prominent wool 
manufacturers in the United States, at its last annual 
meeting, Oct. 2d, 18*37, unanimously passed the fol 
lowing resolution;—“The present tariff on wool and 
woolens is as well adapted, as any legislation which 
can notv be devised, to promote the growth and develop- 
tnent of wool manufacturing and wool growing, and the 
interests of consumers and the public revenue;” 
and in another resolution, the Association as unani¬ 
mously objected to auy “change, however trivial,” 
in the present tariff. We know of but two eminent 
manufacturers besides Mr. Harris, — namely, Mr. 
Hazard of R. I-, and Mr. Slater of Mass.,—who 
stand in opposition to the views of the Association 
in this particular. The weight of testimony, there¬ 
fore, is utterly against Mr. Har ris’ conclusion in 
the premises. 
Mr. Harris manufactures fine and admirable cas- 
simeres, as we can cheerfully attest from our own 
familiar knowledge and use of them. But when he 
carries the idea that they owe any of their special 
excellence to an admixture of Buenos Ayres wools 
as such, wc feel entitled, notwithstanding his great 
practical experience, wholly to dissent from his 
opinion, They certainly owe none of tlicir good 
wearing qualities to it,— for it is notoriously and 
coneededly inferior in strength to United States 
wool. If some of it has felting and finishing prop¬ 
Condensed Correspondence, Items, &c 
The spirited illustration ou our first page repre¬ 
sents a group of the prize birds at the late exhibi¬ 
tion of the American Poultry Society, held in 
Masonic Hall, New York City. Prominent among 
them are the common Turkey; Japanese Brahmas, 
Light Brahmas, Buff Cochin, Spanish and White 
Leghorn Chickens; Blue Pied and Red Carrier 
Pigeons; the common American and the Muscovy 
Ducks, and the common American Goose. The ex¬ 
hibition was altogether a very interesting one (as 
already noticed in the Rural,) affording breeders of 
poultry a fine opportunity to display the results of 
their care and skill to an admiring public. The scene 
is represented to have been animated and beautiful, 
Magnificent fowls, bellicose gobblers, comfortable¬ 
looking ducks, and lovely pigeons, in almost endless 
variety of plumage, were on exhibition. The com¬ 
mon barn-yard fowl was most largely represented by 
the Brahma, Black Spanish, Game and Bantams. A 
pair of Brahmas shown were valued at $100, and the 
President of the Society, Mr. Boole, exhibited a 
pair of White Doeskius, which were valued at $200. 
So long as chickens and their products bring eggs- 
traordinary prices, we favor encouragement to the 
biddies, aud go for “Hen Conventions,” Poultry 
Exhibitions, and all like measures to augment tbe 
supply of poultry and eggs. Let tbe “hen fever” 
prevail, therefore, and become contagious alt over 
the land! 
Length of Broadcloth Wool. —“Enquirer,' Colum¬ 
bus, Ohio, writes:—“You have remarked once or twice 
that American Merino wool is usually too long for broad¬ 
cloth wool. How long should it be for that purpose ?” 
Wool for the warp of fine broadcloths may be from \% to 
2 inches long, or even a trifle upwards. The filling is 
usually the shorter wool front the same fleeces, aud may 
be from 1 to l’<. inches long. In plain broadcloths the 
warp constitutes about one-third and the filling about 
two-thirds of the fabric. 
were so handsomely aotlccu at rue rang -exposition.); 
Lire Burlington Mills aud 8. Woodward’s, of Vt. : the 
Yttulico Mills, Frank! in. N, J., and the Newark Woolen 
Mil!?, <’C*0. r. Evans Mill- of Philadelphia, and u, great 
many others make as fine goods as Edward Harris, or 
can make them, and aLI made or nearly so of Americau 
wool. Many of the mills mentioned make medium goods 
a?, well as lino. T saw as fine a piece of goods of silk aud 
wool, within a week, that was made in Indiana, as Ed¬ 
ward Hakims can make. Did the manufacturer get bis 
wool Horn South America V Not a bit of it. It was 
raised in the United States. There Is plenty of fine wool 
and at fair prices, to those who can give good city paper 
or cash. If the mills named are losing money, the con¬ 
signee of foreign goods is losing more. 
>■ The Importations are falling off, and if the tax of two 
and a half per (Sent, is taken off. the manufacturer will 
survive in spite of the pauper labor of Kurope. In Austria 
15 cts. is the price per day of a man's labor I We huve 
as flue a wool-growing country as there is in the world. 
West Virginia bus produced the finest wool iu the world 
according to the statements contained in the work of 
Abnilla Brown, of Philadelphia. We. can and should 
grow onr own fiue wool; and it will be done unless such 
theories as Mr, Ha obis' prevail. It is the manufactur¬ 
er?’ interest to use our invu wools and eiiconrage our own 
grower?. The staple is stronger aud better adapted to 
our business than south American wool. 
“ Wuat nils Mr. Harris is that he has held his goods, 
many ol' them old styles, for one and two years ; and he 
now tlDds it. hard work to compete with moat of the mills 
A Dairy Mission to Eurofe.— At a recent meeting of 
the State Dairy-mens' Association at Fulton, N. Y., a 
proposition wae made and assented to imposing a tax of 
two cents per cow on all the dairy Associations in the 
United States and Canada for the purpose of defraying the 
expenses of an agent to reside for a time in England, to 
promote the interests of American dairymen. A com¬ 
mencement was made at Fulton, aud, if the proposition 
is generally concurred in, an agent will be sent to Europe 
accordingly. If not, the two cent tax levy will be return¬ 
ed to the contributors and tbe scheme abandoned. A reso¬ 
lution endorsing the plan was passed, and the duty of 
carrying it out confided to a committee, who will report 
at a subsequent meeting of the Association. Should this 
arrangement be consummated, it is most probable the for¬ 
eign agency will be confided to Mr. Willard, wbo has 
already been over the ground embraced in the scope of 
the contemplated mission, and is otherwise eminently 
qualified for the position. 
California Sheep and Wool.— From the exhibit of 
the Survey dr General, taken from returns of Assessors, 
in California, (condensed by H. D. Dunn in monthly re¬ 
port cf the Department of Agriculture,) it appears that 
the number of sheep in 1867 was 1,346,749; product of 
wool, 5,184,826 lbs—or about 10 lbs. 2 oz. per head. An 
Increase of 25 per cent, is anticipated in the clip of 1868. 
Fatality Among Lames in Texas.—F. W. Shaeffer, 
Corpus Christi. write? the Department of Agriculture 
that a great fatality took place iu August, September aud 
October last among sucking lambs in many localities in 
Texas. Some entire drops died. The symptoms were, 
lagging behind, skiD and eyes becoming bloodless, in¬ 
creasing weakness, aud death ensuing in four or six 
weeks. Disease confined to sucking lambs or those re¬ 
cently weaned. After death, VI r, S. found in the fourth 
stomach small, fine, red worms, about an inch in length, 
sharp at both ends — usually rolled up in balls. “ The 
lungs of the lambs were diseased, the intestines watery, 
without any fat upon the kidneys.” 
Prize Reapers and Mowers. —Those of our readers 
wishing to obtain mowers and reapers should read the 
announcements of leading manufacturers which appear 
from time to time iu the Rural. Last week the merits 
of Dodge's Patent Reaper and Mower, and Self-Raker, 
were set forth, and those of Walter A. Wood’s Prize 
Mowers and Reapers are enumerated in our present 
number — together with a representation of the gold 
medals and “ Cross of the Legion of Honor ” awarded to 
the inventor at the recent Paris Exposition. 
English Views of the Wool Tariff.— The great de¬ 
pression in the English wool trade, both in imports and 
exports, during the year 1867,—the prices of the raw ma¬ 
terial tending downward throughout the year, and being 
lower at its close than for many years,— is in a large 
measure attributed, says the Department of Agriculture, 
“ to the high, indeed almost prohibitory, duties on manu¬ 
factures aud the raw material imposed by the present 
American tariff,” In what situation would the American 
grower and manufacturer have been, circumstanced as 
they were in 1807, if English and other foreign exports 
had flowed in upon us as freely As in some former years 
under the former rates of duty ? It is our deliberate con¬ 
viction that the new wool and wooleu tariff averted a 
wide-spread crash among our manufacturers, and a de¬ 
pression in the price of domestic wool (if it found any 
market at all) to at least half the average price for which 
the clip of 1SG7 has been sold. 
A REMARKABLE FOWL, 
Planting Timber for Hop Poles.— C. L. W., Vernon 
Co., Wis., wishes to plant the best kind of timber for 
growing hop poles. The European Latch, Red Cedar aud 
Chestnut are suitable for this purpose. The seed of the 
Oedar and Larch may be obtained of seedsmen, and 
Chestnut almost anywhere at the proper season. 
According to the Georgetown (Ky.) Times, Chas. 
Smith, residing in that place, is the possessor of a 
noteworthy fowl —a hen to commence with, but 
gradually changing its appearance to that of tbe 
male bird. “ lu April last,” says that paper, “this 
hen commenced changing color, and we would also 
say its sex, were it not for the fact that it has re¬ 
cently laid a litter of eggs and is now setting upon 
them. Originally of a mixed color, brown and 
black, it changed to a coarse yellow and red, so 
common to the males, and is now, so far as one 
can determine by looks, as genuine a rooster as ever 
flapped a wing or crowed at break of day. Not even 
the long, gracefully curling tail feathers are wanting 
to perfect the resemblance. AU who see it at once 
pronounce it a rooster, aud can scarcely believe that 
it was once an ordinary looking hen. This trans¬ 
formation, in color aud appearance, is certainly re¬ 
markable.” Thi6 relation looks hard, and, but for 
that “litter of eggs,” we should be inclined to as¬ 
sert that it was a story of too hard a shell to obtain 
credence in the absence of a responsible jurat. 
Sowing Flax Seed and Millet.— W. H. C., Schuyler 
Co., N. Y., writes:—“Will some of your contributors 
please inform me through the columns of yonr paper in 
regard to sowing flax seed, millet or Hungarian grass 
with Bpring grain? Does it pay? tYith w’hat kind of 
grain Bhould it be sown, aud how much seed to the acre t 
RURAL BRIEF-MENTI0N1NGS, 
Toe farmers of Southern Kentucky are greatly elated 
over the appearance of their wheat fields. 
Orange orchard? in Florida are quoted at from $50 to 
$100 per acre, Other lands are much lower, 
The average yield of wheat on eighteen farms in Ame¬ 
nta, Duchess Ota, last year, was 221-6 bushels to the acre. 
The Farmers’ Advertiser says none of the- new varie¬ 
ties of tomatoes are superior to the old Fegee or pink 
family, 
A clean potato, with the end cut ofi, is an excellent, 
medium for applying brick dust to knives for scouring 
purposes. 
^Oue Ohio Farmer says nobody need look for cheap 
bread until after another harvest. Will that paper guar¬ 
antee it then ? 
A Mrs. Ware, near Norfolk, Va.. derived last year 
$10,000 from a pear orchard of thirty acres. Eighteen 
acres of apples netted $3,000, 
VIDr, J. R. Nichols of Haverhill, Mass,, raised 31 bushels 
cqjcr’s Qepnrtmott 
BORAGE, MUSTARD AND MELILOT CLOVER. 
There are several parties in this county (Kane) 
that are making the culture of bees a specialty. The 
writer of this article may be regarded as one of these 
parties. We have been experimenting, more orless, 
for several years past, with honey producing plants, 
and wc purpose in this article to call attention to 
the following, and our opinion of them. 
1st. Borage.—This, is a very good honey plant,— 
but w r e do not prize it as highly as some other 
■Writers have done. It is an annual, and hence must 
be planted every year. The plant itself is of little 
value. 
2d. Mustard .—'This answers a two-fold purpose, 
as it gives considerable honey and a crop of seed for 
the market, We have several varieties of muetard, 
but only one that we would recommend for general 
cultivation as a ho?ay phut. We do not know, a? 
yet, whether the 6eed of [this particular plant is 
good for table use, but have)ittle doubt of it. The 
seed, at present, is of too much value to waste in 
An experienced poultry-keepcf expresses, in the 
last Massachusetts Agricultural Report, surprise 
that so few of this bTeed of fowls are kept by our 
farmers. He says “ they are the smallest feeders, 
good layers, determined setters, and, in maternal 
charge, would tight a dog, ot rat even, to the death. 
One fact is worthy of mention, they are never placed 
on the ‘sick list,’ which shows a stamina of consti¬ 
tution unCqualed. by any other breed. The flesh is 
very firm and heavy, and excellent for the table. 
For many years I have kept all kinds of fowls, and 
for three or four years have kept the game variety, 
and consider them the best of all fowls.” 
I have noticed iu the Rural a number of articles 
upon fowls, and never have seen anything upon the 
game fowls. Has any one got the pure breed ? 
Rural Reader. 
RULES FOR BUYING WOOL, 
“The Woolen Manufacturers’ Association of the 
Northwest” met iu Chicago Feb lflth, and passed 
the following preamble and resolutions: 
Whereas, lr. i? for the interest of both Ihe grower and 
manufacturer of wool, as well as a protection to the 
honest grower, that a uniform standard should be adopted 
throughout the West, a? to condition and manner of put¬ 
ting tm fleeces, and deeming it important that uniform 
rule?, ?o far ns practicable, be adopted by the buyers aud 
manufacturers of the West; it is 
Resolved, That the members of this Association will be 
inevitably [invariably?] governed by the following rules 
in the purchases of fieece tvooi made by them, and re¬ 
spectfully invite ail Western dealer? to conform to them, 
vrz: 
1 . Merchantable wool shall be the standard for price, 
and must he well washed, free from tags and all filth, and 
tied with only what t wine is sufficient to hold the fleece 
compactly together. 
of spring wheat from a single acre of land last season 
He refused $4 per bushel for it. 
The import of eggs into Great Britain for last year was 
nearly 500,000,000 by count. This product would require 
the services of about 25,000,000 hens. 
The subject of beet raising for sugar purposes, is at¬ 
tracting attention in Central Pennsylvania. The White 
Silesian beet is the favorite for cultivation. 
The farmer? near Ingersoli, Ontario, are moving for 
the purchase of suitable ground? for agricultural exhibi¬ 
tions and for the erection of proper buildings. 
At a recent farmer’s saic near Columbia, Pa., Durham 
cows went off at in average of $110 per head. Several 
bull calves from six to nine month? old wont at $130. 
The Charleston (S. C.) Courier notices that fruit trees 
in that section are two or three week? later in blossoming 
than usual, aud hence infers a redundant fruit harvest. 
