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EDITED BT EENRT 8. RANDALL, LL. D. 
*' FIGHTING THE DEVIL WITH FIRE.” 
It seems there has been some difference of opinion 
among the friends of the wool interest in regard to 
the necessity of taking direct and active steps to 
i\jsiet the enforcement of the “rules” for buying 
wool, attempted to be imposed on growers by com¬ 
binations of buyers. The New England Fanner, 
one of the best conducted Agricultural journals of 
the country, says on this subject. 
“ For our own part, we have considered the idea of es¬ 
tablishing any gueli arbitrary and preposterous rule-. for 
buying wool a? too absurd fur serious protest. Suppose 
that a convention of consumers were to fix n standard of 
‘ merchantable cloth,” and then adopt a one-third or any 
other positive rate of shrinkage on which they would buy 
all other cloths, and who would fee] called upon to define 
Jhie position on that question,or to attempt to bring such 
combination rules into discredit and disuse J Or, try it 
on horses or cattle, houses or lands, sugar or salt, stock¬ 
ings or shoes, and what would he said to ft proposition to 
administer trade on any such principles ? 
“Still we very well know that wool growers have long 
enhmlttcd to somewhat similar edicts, and perhaps their 
emancipation from their unjust operation is more distunt 
than we had supposed, ft may yet be necessary, os sug- 
g-sited by Dr. Randall, for the producer* 1 tofight the- devil 
with tire,' by forming a combination of their own to check¬ 
mate the combinations of the buyers.” 
In a portion of his article, not above quoted, our 
contemporary seems to suppose thut the resolutions 
of The Woolen Manufacturers’ Association of the 
Northwest, at Chicago, last February, and those 
■p&oBcd at the New York State Convention of Buy¬ 
ers, at Rochester, last year, comprise all the public 
and combined action taken by the dealers to enforce 
their shrinkage rules. This i6 an error. The Ohio 
State Buyers’ Association passed similar resolves 
last year, and has recently, in a State Convention, 
reaffirmed them. Various other State and local As- 
feociations have taken the same action,—but we have 
not preserved recordB of their places and times of 
meeting. The movement is general in the principal 
wool growing States,—nor has it been confined to 
mere words — “puffs of empty air,” as the New 
England Farmer elsewhere terms them. It is noto¬ 
rious that buyers, in all parts of the country, are 
attempting practically to carry out these “ rules,” 
and that they are rapidly becoming more fixed and 
peremptory in this —alleging them to be the established 
c *.egnlatkms of the trade. We have made extensive 
recent inquiries on the subject, and regret to &ay 
that, in our opinion, there is no doubt that a large 
proportion, if not even a majority of growers, — 
though protesting against the injustice of these ar¬ 
bitrary exactions,— actually submitted to th em in 
celling the clip of 1867. 
Let our friend of the New England Farmer make 
Inquiries among the wool brokers and dealers at 
home, in Boston, and ascertain what proportion of 
than recognize and act on the one-third shrinkage 
rule, in their transactions in domestic wool. We sus¬ 
pect that he will find that nearly all of them practice 
the rule, and that they took the lead of the country 
dealers in the matter. As long ago as December, 
1805, at the National Convention of Wool Growers 
and Manufacturers at Syracuse, Mr. Geo. W. Bond, 
One of the most eminent and well informed wool 
brokers in Boston, or iu the United States, declared 
that 41 he understood that the (one-third shrinkage) 
rale commonly prevailed among the buyers and sell¬ 
ers of American unwashed wool—so much so, that 
iu the absence of a contract, the rule would be un¬ 
derstood to prevail as a matter of course.” And 
how tenaciously Boston dealers are disposed to cling 
to the rule, and resent its infraction among them- 
wcives, may be inferred from the following fact. We 
recommended a Boston house, to which, on the sup¬ 
position that itsoldwool “on its merits,’”we had 
advised Borne lot6 of wool to be sent in 18(57, to 
advertise that it would so sell in all cases; stating 
that by so doing it might confidentlyjanticipate 
large consignments from the interior of New York. 
1 u reply it solicited a favorable notice from us, 
which it did not receive,) but declined to comply 
with our suggestion on the ground that it might 
thus “incur the enmity of (wool) merchants! ” 
in view of the above facts, we confess it is impos- 
tible for ns to regard the general combination among 
buyers and dealers—every day acquiring a more sys¬ 
tematic organization, and every day adding new 
force and solidity to its rules by custom—as an evil 
which can longer be 6afely submitted to, or safely 
permitted to take its own course. Our writings on 
sheep husbandry, for the last twenty years, will 
show whether we ever have been either an alarmist 
or an agitator on this class of subjects. We have ever 
believed that the triumphs of peace, if attainable, 
are cheaper and better than those of war; and, as a 
general thing, we have believed them more attain¬ 
able. We regard an internecine conflict between 
the diflerent branches of the same general interest 
as especially deplorable. But when one branch of 
such an interest persists in disregarding common 
sense and common justice in its dealings with an¬ 
other branch, and, mistaking patience and modera¬ 
tion for approaching submission, arrogantly assumes 
that its will is the settled law in the premises—what 
r emedy remains to the injured party but outspoken, 
energetic and organized resistance ? 
■Some persons seem to suppose that inasmuch as 
4 ‘ it takes two to make a bargain”—inasmuch as the 
buyer cannot enforce his rules on the seller without 
the consent of the latter—it is safe to leave the 
matter entirely to individual action. The history of 
the last two or three years teaches a different lesson. 
The buyers’ rules have steadily spread wider in their 
tleld of operation and been more and more success¬ 
fully enforced. What else could be expected, when 
they were supported and acted upon by a powerful 
and organized body of men, and met with no organ¬ 
ized opposition? Was there not, ostensibly, even 
some ground for the buyers’ pretence that they were 
“ established laws of trade" when buyers’ associa¬ 
tion after buyers’ associationlsubstantially proclaim¬ 
ed them such, and the growers’ associations geue- 
r.-Jly remained silent on the subject ? Was it to be 
anticipated that the scattered sellers—especially the 
- mall sellers, who in the aggregate grow most wool 
— would make an obstinate resistance, when they 
were not encouraged by their associations to do so, 
when they saw their neighbors giving way to the 
exaction, and when they were doubtless led to appre¬ 
hend that they would lose the sale of their clips if 
they stood out? But if the same men learn that 
their neighbors and the wool growers of the country 
will stand by them; if they learn that their breth¬ 
ren, as 8 class, appeal to them to join, as a matter 
of -duty and principle, in protecting the common 
rights —none but weak-kneed and milk-and-water 
men, or those who must sell on the first chance, 
from pecuniary necessity, will abandon the common 
cause. 
We have spoken of growers’ associations, in pre¬ 
vious years, remaining silent on this topic. There 
has been at least one exception. The New York 
State Association—after inviting the State Buyers’ 
. Association to join in the deliberation—held a meet¬ 
ing on the subject of the “ buyers’ rules” at its An¬ 
nual Fair at Auburn, in May, 1867. Not more than 
one member of the Buyers’ Association attended. 
One mannfacturer was present. After a full discus¬ 
sion, resolutions were uuaulmonsly passed setting 
forth the glaring injustice of “ the rules,” and of 
some other buyers’ customs which were alluded to 
by us la&t week. But no recommendation was made 
in favor of a general and united defensive movement. 
It was then hoped that BUch Bteps would not be 
necessary. Many believed that the buyers’ resolves, 
in their public meetings, were “ puffs of empty air” 
—mere expressions of their wishes —and that such 
absurd and unjust regulations would not be insisted 
on in practice, at least by country buyers. And for 
reasons heretofore given by us, a confident expecta¬ 
tion was entertained that the National Association 
of Wool Manufacturers would soon repudiate the 
obnoxious rules, and thus bring them into disrepute 
both among city and country dealers. Detesting 
anything savoring of combination in the affaire of 
trade, unless rendered absolutely necessary in self- 
defence, the New York Growers’ Association judged, 
and we believe wisely judged, that it was not expe¬ 
dient to resort even to defensive combination until 
the necessity should become palpable, imperative 
and apparent to all. 
Another season has rolled by. The “ sober 
thought” has brought no change in the action of 
the buyers. They are again fulminating and reiter¬ 
ating resolutions in favor of their odious and insult¬ 
ing rules. A majority of the individual clips of 1867 
were, as already said, sold under those rules. And 
we leam from undoubted sources that a most de¬ 
cided effort will be made to enforce them univer¬ 
sally in buying up the clip of 1808. We most sin¬ 
cerely believe, then, that the struggle cannot be 
safely put off longer. We believe that if the clip of 
1868 is sold under “ the rales,” subsequent resist¬ 
ance will be rendered ten times as difficult, if not 
altogether unavailing. We. believe that such would 
be the deliberate and unanimous conclusion of every 
State growers’ association if they were convened to 
obtain an expression on the subject. But the meet¬ 
ings of moBt of them will not be held before most 
of the new clip will probably be sold. 
But individual growers can take the remedy into 
their own hands. They are called upon by every 
consideration of interest and of manhood to do so. 
Let every one remember that his own submission to 
the buyers' rules—even if he has not half a dozen 
fleeces to be affected by them—is an abandonment 
of the rights and interests of his class and is directly 
giving aid and comfort to those who are, in this 
matter, the enemies of his class. 
-»* * ■» ♦«» - 
Condensed Correspondence, Items, &c. 
The Sheep Shearing.— The following is the report of 
the Judges of the sheep shearing at Shelburn, Vermont, 
May 6th: 
RAMS—TWO TEARS OLD AND OVER. 
■be ihiirn department. 
Wt. of 
Days of 
Wt. of 
Fleece. 
Growth. 
Carcass, 
lbs. oz. 
lbs. 
Henry Thorp. 
. 22 6 
364 
123 
Thorp iS Newell.. 
. 21 
372 
105 
S. H. Weston. 
. 17 6 
335 
88 
RAM TEGS. 
L. S. Drew. 
. 16 3 
437 
72 
Henry Thorp. 
. 9 9 
387 
48 
L. S. Drew - 
. 14 12 
387 
70 
EWES—TWO years old and over. 
B. F. Van Vleit... 
12 5 
362 
69 
H. N, Newell. 
. 16 8 
372 
53 
H. N. Newell.. . 
. 13 12 
372 
56 
H. N. Newell. 
. 11 8 
372 
59 
L. S. Drew. 
. 14 15 
372 
62 
L. S. Drew. 
. 15 9 
372 
58 
S. H. Weston. 
. 12 12 
367 
52 
S. H. Weston. 
. 12 1 
365 
43 
EWE 
TEGS. 
L. S. Drew. 
. 10 15 
437 
52 
L. S. Drew. 
. 11 8 
437 
49 
L. S. Drew. 
. 13 2 
438 
49 
B. F. Van Vleit... 
. 15 8 
402 
72 
B. F. Van Vleit... 
. 12 6 
402 
68 
B. F. Van Vleit. 
12 15 
395 
69 
S. H. Weston. 
. 12 12 
367 
48 
For Ram of any age that shall shear the greatest 
amount ol” wool according to time of growth: 1st pre¬ 
mium, Henry Thorp; 2d premium, Thorp & Newell. 
To Ram Lamb, &c.: 1st premium, L. S. Drew; 2d pre¬ 
mium, L. 8. Drew. 
To Ewe of any age, &c.: 1st premium, H. N. Newell; 
2d premium, L. S. Drew. 
To Ewe Lamb, <Ssc.: 1st premium, B, F. Van Vleit; 2d 
premium, B. F, Van Vleit. 
Committee— J. L. Baretow and J. M. Knox. 
Report of Committee on Full Fleece:—Rams, (full 
fleece:) Best, Henry Thorp; 2d, Thorp &, Newell. 
Ram Tegs, (fleece:) Best, Henry N. Newell; 2d, Lem¬ 
uel S. Drew. 
Ewes, (full fleece:) Best, Henry N. Newell; 2d, Lemuel 
8. Drew. 
Ewe Tegs, (fleece:) Best, Lemuel S. Drew; 2d, nenry 
Thorp. 
Committee —T. D. Chapman, Henry Giddings, E. S. 
Stowell. 
The Committee ou shearing awarded to Alfred Wash¬ 
burn of Milton the first premium as best shearer, the 
second to David St. Peters. Charlotte, and the third to 
Samuel Millham. The shears used were from the house 
of Hoary Seymour & Co., New York. 
Annual Fair of the Northwestern Wool Growers’ 
Association.— At the meeting of this Association at Bel- 
videre, May 6tb, the following officers were elected for 
the ensuing year: President— D. W. Gates, Belvidere. 
Vice-President —Chas. U. Smith, Genoa, Delvalb Co. Sec¬ 
retary—J, H. Fitch, Belvidere. Treasurer —B. G, Eaton, 
Belvidere. Executive Committee ——Stacy, Wheaton, 
DuPago Co.; John C'hllson, Blackberry, Kane Co.: H. 
Aiken, Lockport, Will Co.; S. Alden, Cortland, DeKalb 
Co,; W. H. Chamberlain, Belvidere, Boone Co.; J. 8. 
Stanger, Oregon, Ogle Co.; A. Crlll, Rockford, Winne¬ 
bago Co.; E. B. Ferry, Benton, Lake Co.; A. Goodsit, 
Marengo, McHenry Co.; C. Brackett, Lee Center, Lee Co. 
We have not seen the list of awards. 
Medina (Ohio) Wool Growers' Meeting.—Wm. P. 
Clark, Secretary, writes the Ohio Farmer that the semi¬ 
annual meeting of the Medina Co. Wool Growers' Asso¬ 
ciation was held at the Court House in Medina May 6th. 
An informal discussion was had upon the diseases of the 
feet of sheep and the means of cure. Also upon grades 
of wool The following resolutions were also discussed 
aud adopted: 
First, That the practice of buying wool ou commission 
tends to induce the buyer to purchase wools inferior both 
as to quality and condition, and should be abandoned. 
Second, That wool, like other articles in market, should 
be sold upon its merits, and that the rule of deduction 
adopted by the Wool Buyers’ Convention, recently held 
at Cleveland, cannot be enforced without great injustice. 
BORAL BRIEF - MENTI0N1NGS. 
The first wheat sown in Ohio was at Marietta, in 1788,' 
by Truman GuetriL 
Our western exchanges continue to speak hopefully of 
the grain prospects in ihat section of the country. 
Cnic kens fed on Indian mcaP'shonld have it cooked, 
“any are choked to death or die from eating It raw. 
Good dry earth is said to be the most healthful material 
to place in a poultry house. It Is an excellent absorbant. 
The army worm has appeared In the cotton fields of 
Louisiana, causing much despondence among the planters. 
On stiff, heavy soils, designed lor wheat, it will be 
louna to pay well to sow peas as a prelude to the former. 
The people in the swampy sections of New Jersey are 
doing up the cranberry business on a large scale this year. 
It is reported that some eight thousand yearling mut¬ 
ton sheep are sold every Saturday at Norwich, England, 
at from $ 12 to $14,50 per head. 
.. A Canada farmer objects to feeding whey to cows, as 
It affects unpleasantly the flavor ol the butter produced 
after such feeding. 1 
A breed of horses known as the Bashaw is attracting 
considerable attention just now. The former owner of 
Dexter recently paid $16,000 for one. 
BUTTER FACTORIES. 
An occasional inquiry is made about butter facto 
ries and the chances of their general introduction 
into regions where dairying Ib the more exclusive 
or predominant interest. It is believed that an 
occasional factory of this description may be formed 
iu this State, or rather as an attachment to the cheese 
factory, but aDy considerable multiplication of them 
is not deemed probable at present, if at all. The 
general impression, in the dairy districts, seems to 
be that the factory system has been pushed to such 
an extreme as to render it, on the whole, non-remu- 
nerative, and that necessity will compel many dairy¬ 
men to fall back on a system of mixed farming by 
which their contributions of milk to the factories 
will be somewhat diminished and the chances of 
butter making, through the same medium, cor¬ 
respondingly lessened. In sections where mixed 
farming is the rule, and exclusive production the 
exception—and these embrace much the larger por¬ 
tion of farming lands — batter factories would seem 
to be out of place because affording no reasonable 
prospect of a remunerative return for the expense 
involved. 
A farmer, with half a dozen cows or perhaps 
double the number, has usually help enough to take 
charge of the stock and to manufacture all the but¬ 
ter likely to be produced by it. Some may contend 
that factory made butter Lb superior to that made at 
isolated dairies, hence the factory system should 
find favor with the owners of dairy stock. This is 
mere assumption, and not warranted by anything 
connected with farm butter making. A poor article 
can be made anywhere, and so can a good one, if 
proper intelligence directs in one case and the oppo¬ 
site the other. Good butter, factory-made or other¬ 
wise, is the result of suitable food for dairy stock; 
Judicious feeding of the same; cleanliness in all that, 
pertains to the milk; the cream, and the conversion 
of It into hutter; the extravasation of the butter¬ 
milk; the due application of salt, and proper 
packing for use. All these essentials are at the 
command of the individual farmer, if he has the 
Intelligence and disposition to use them, as well as 
of the factory, hence the latter is not essential to 
the production of good butter even did circum¬ 
stances conspire, which they do not, as a general 
thing, to give promise of success to the factory 
system of butter making except in some locations 
peculiarly adapted to this branch of farming industry. 
MANAGEMENT OF COWS. 
A correspondent of the Practical Farmer treat¬ 
ing of the management of dairy stock, says: — “I 
look upon a cow as similar to a steam boiler; no 
matter how good they may be, unless the boiler is 
well supplied with water aud good fuel, also well 
attended to, the supply of steam will be short, or it 
will be in proportion to the fuel and attention. So 
also with the cow; no matter how good she may be, 
if she is not well and plentifully fed and cared for, 
her product will be shortened. 
“Another very important matter with cows is 
that they should be protected from storms and bad 
weather. They should be fed andjkept under shelter 
when the nights are wet and inclement; this more 
particularly in the early season, when the cow is 
fresh and in full milk; one exposure to a cold, wet 
night, has frequently reduced milk one-half. Also 
in the fall, when the uighte become frosty, never let 
them remain out; be particular to stable them; and 
in the morning never turn them out on the pasture 
until the frost is melted off by the sun, as nothing) 
perhaps, dries a cow or reduces her milk more than 
eating grass with the frost on it. To many of these 
requirements the generality of fanners pay no atten¬ 
tion whatever. In'the early season, as soon as there 
is any pasture whatever, the cow is turned out of 
the barn-yard to eat what she may find, and to re¬ 
main day and night until the winter comes; there is 
also nothing grown or fed to eke out the scanty sup¬ 
ply of pasturage that almost invariably occurs at 
some time in each season.” 
DEVON COWS-BUTTER MAKING. 
D. H. Prest, Ontario, having seen Mrs. Cragg’s 
statement about her butter product in the Rural, 
sends a communication giving his experience in 
butter making. Four years ago, having purchased 
a Devon cow, it wae resolved to test the value of 
the purchase by keeping an account of the butter 
made from her milk. The first week’s cream was 
churned by itself, and produced 14 pounds of but¬ 
ter. . The milk stood from morning till night, and 
from nicht till morning, and was skimmed and fed 
to the calf before it got sour. That calf, when a 
heifer two years old, was milked separately like the 
dam, and produced in a week 10% pounds of excel¬ 
lent butter. Another heifer, from the same mother 
as the last, came in also at two years old, and in the 
second week in March produced 1011-16 pounds of 
butter, which was sold at 47 cents per pound. Our 
correspondent adds:—“I was not trying to beat 
any one, but only testing the character of the Devon 
cows as compared with others I had on hand. I 
think I could better this by a good many pounds 
should I make it my study.” 
JjfVSJ 4.\ 
\mm i 
CHEESE MAKING. 
Owing to the general backwardness of the season 
cheese making is not as far advanced now as it was 
at the corresponding period last year. There will 
probably be more attention paid to butter making 
than for some time past, though cheese will not be 
forgotten. In New York butfew, if any, new factories 
will go into operation, but at the West, where the 
product of cheese is not up to the local demand,. 
large additions are anticipated. It is probable there 
may be a falling off in factory-made cheese the pres¬ 
ent year, hut the deffciency, whatever it may be, 
will be more than made good by the products of 
private dairies, though the grade of the article may 
be a little lowered by the change. 
Food for Cows.— In the correspondence of the 
Ohio Farmer occurs the following: — I have had 
twenty-five cows to milk, and found timothy and 
wild grass the best. To feed in winter, use shorts, 
ground oat6, shorts and corn meal; shorts make 
more milk than clear meal; oats ground do better 
than either; but corn me&l with shorts [makes richer 
milk, but no more of it. 1 have fed potatoes largely; 
they do tolerably well, but milk a day;or two old 
gets strong. Rutabaga turnips and carrots would 
not do for me to make butter from the milk; but of 
all the roots I ever tried, sugar beet is the best. I 
heard pumpkins were good to make milk, and tried 
them. I had twelve milkers; I divided them; fed 
six with pumpkins three weeks, and all run on grass 
alike. Those that had pumpkins gave not a gill 
more milk than the others, but I believe it was a 
little richer. 
-■* ♦»»» ♦»- 
Adulteration of Milk. —The Canada Farmer 
states that an act was recently passed by the Legis¬ 
lature of the Dominion of Ontario to prevent the 
adulteration of milk supplied to cheese factories. 
It makes provision against diluting milk with water, 
depriving it of cream or the strippings, as also 
against sourness and taint from lack of due cleanli¬ 
ness and care. Any two magistrates^may convict 
the offender and enforce the penalty — not less than 
five dollars nor more than fifty for each^offense, and 
in default of payment imprisonment not exceeding 
twenty days. 
-- 
Cheese Market — Little Falls.— There was a 
limited delivery of cheese at Little Falls on the 18th 
owing to inclement weather. The principal offers 
were from farm dai ries — much of the cheese from 
skimmed milk aud sold from 8 to 12 cents. The 
better grades from these dairies sold readily at 14 
cents to 14% cents. Factory-made sold at 14%@ 
15%. Butter, good quality, sold readily at 30 cents. I 
HANDLING BEES. 
C. E. R., South Argyle, N. Y., writes “ Can you 
inform me, through the Rural, how to handle bees 
without getting stung? I have heard of men selling 
a secret to handle them, but never had an opportu¬ 
nity to obtain it. If there is each a secret I would 
like to find it out, as 1 get stung every time I hive a 
swarm or take out drawers,—in fact, almost every 
time I come in sighl of them.” 
We have heard men profess to be in possession of 
a secret which enabled them to handle bees with 
entire impunity,—but no practicable proof accom¬ 
panied the pretension, though the means of testing 
the matter were within reach. There is do question 
that bees discriminate between different individuals 
—rancorously assailing some, while leaving others 
of the same company unmolested. The bee ha6 an 
acute sense of odors, hence if a person, reeking with 
6weat and with an offensive breath, approaches the 
hive in the working season, he will be at once as¬ 
sailed by a squadron of bees aud forced to beat a 
retreat. It is probably an offensive effluvia arising 
from the person which aronses the ire of the bee6 
and induces these assaults. Let the same party be 
cleanly washed and appareled and scented by some 
extract of an agreeable aroma, and the chances are 
ninety-nine in the hundred that the bees will show 
few or no 6igns of irritation on the approach of the 
individual so circumstanced. The writer of this 
once followed a stray swarm of bees to a tree and 
watched them till safely housed in it. The tree was 
cut down at uight and a section removed to the 
door-yard and placed in position. It proved a con¬ 
tented and hard working colony, and was visited 
often during the week, but especially on Sunday, if 
the weather was propitious. During the week days, 
when severe labor had induced excessive perspira¬ 
tion, the bees, when visited, were uniformly irrita¬ 
ble and unfriendly. But on Sundays, after the cus¬ 
tomary ablutions had been performed and clean 
apparel donned, the same bee6 evinced no disincli¬ 
nation to receive calls, showing that while they de¬ 
tested dirt and foul odors, they had a proper appre¬ 
ciation of their opposites. 
From these facts,—for facts they are—the conclu¬ 
sion is deduced that, when bees are to be handled, 
the operator should consult cleanliness both of ap¬ 
parel and person, if he would secure the good will 
of the colonies to be manipulated and escape the 
punishment customarily inflicted on those who 
court familiarity without the proper preliminary 
’ preparation for it. We have seen persons handle 
bees readily by simply covering their faces with a 
veil and their hands with leather gloves,—but where 
these are not available we know of nothing more 
likely to afford the operator impunity than the sim¬ 
ple preparations we have named. Some Emear their 
hands and faces with honey and let it dry on before 
handling the bees, which Is said to work well, though 
we never tested the matter by experiment. It is one 
easily made, aud can do no harm should it fail of 
accomplishing the immunity from assault intended 
by it. There is another thing which it may not be 
amiss to mention. Bees sometimes act as though 
determined on war with or without cause. The best 
way, in such cases, is to act as though their belliger¬ 
ent intentions were un perceived. They will circle 
about the intruder’s head in a noisy manner,—but 
the chances are that no assault will be made, the 
whole ending in bluster and nothing else. 
-- 
TRANSFERRING BEES. 
H. B. K., Kinmundy, Ill., wants to know the best 
or readiest way to transfer bees from old box hives 
to new and improved ones. We know of no better 
way than that recommended by Lanostroth in his 
treatise on the honey bee. When a colony is to be 
transferred, a box sufficiently large to hold the 
swarm is provided aud placed on the top of the hive 
to be vacated, with an aperture for the admission of 
the bees into it. This done, the entrance holes of 
the old hive are closed and the sides rapped upon 
smartly with a stick. This continued for a while 
will cause the bees to escape up through an opening 
in the hive to the extra box, where they can be se¬ 
cured for the time being. When they are out, suffi¬ 
cient store and brood comb for the colony may be 
cut from the old hive and fastened in the new one 
in such a manner as to keep it in place till the bees 
can have time to attach it permanently to the mov¬ 
able frames. This done, the new hive is placed in 
the position on the stand occupied by the old one, 
and the bees in the box turned down in front of it 
to seek their new home. This they will generally 
do without much remonstrance, and the work of 
accumulation and propagation will go on as though 
the process had suffered no interruption by the 
transference from one domicil to another. 
--- 
BEE HIVES. 
C. E. K., South Argyle, asks the publication of a 
cut of a bee hive, which shall combine all the more 
desirable points of such an article. We cannot well 
do this without trenching on 6ome patents, for 
which we might be called to an account. These 
patents have been very numerous, but the improve¬ 
ments are not always perceptible, being variations 
rather than improvements. Bees are not very fas¬ 
tidious about the looks of their habitation, paying 
more regard to its exemption from damage from 
storms than to any thing else. They accumulate 
large stores in old fashioned box hives, doing as 
well there as iu any other. There is this drawback, 
however,—they are not as readily handled as when 
in sectional hivt*6, where portions can be removed 
and divisions of swarms made with great facility. 
Almost any person of medium mechanical genius 
and a tolerable acquaintance with bees can construct 
a liiye which will answer the purpose very well. 
The Weather and Crop?.— Looking over our exchang¬ 
es ana numerous private letters giving accounts of the 
state of the crops and weather, (which information we 
always thankfully receive, although we have not space to 
publish the letters entire) we find that the month of May, 
to the 20th inet., has been remarkably wet throughout 
most of the corn-growmc region of the country. The re¬ 
sult to the corn crop has been delay in planting, and in 
preparing the ground, to an unusually late time, and farm¬ 
ers arc getting nervouB over the prospect, aud begin to 
prophesy a short crop and high prices. But it is too soon 
to be discouraged or elated, for it is rarely the spring 
season which determines the success of the com crop. 
In corn regions and on good poil planting may be done np 
to the 10th of June and good yields harvested therefrom. 
Meantime what hae been lost by wet on com has been 
gained on other crops. All vegetation needed rain; a 
thorough soaking of the earth to raise the deep springs 
and saturate the subsoil, with days of cloud and mist, 
were highly fevorablc to grass, wheat, and spring grains. 
The earth needs such au accumulation of water to pro¬ 
vide against summer drouth. The latter crops we have 
mentioned promise well, and with the exception of grass¬ 
hoppers in limited sections of the West, and t he Colorado 
potato bug, we know, as yet, of no serious drawbacks on 
the prospects of a bountiful harvest. 
Season and Crops in Northern Ohio.— Daring last 
week we visited several points in Northern Ohio, and 
had opportunity to observe the state of the crops. 
Though much of the country wa? nearly submerged by 
recent heavy rains,— and the season some two weeks 
later than nsual, — the crops generally appeared promis¬ 
ing. In some sections corn planting had been delayed by 
wet weather, but most spring crops were starting finely. 
The copious blossoming of apples, peaches, etc., indi¬ 
cated a fine prospect for an abundant yield of fruit. 
About Cleveland, Paincsvitle, Willoughby, and other 
towns in that region, large quantities of potatoes arc be¬ 
ing planted,—the present high prices, and a favorable 
soil for the crop, inducing many farmers to make that a 
leading product this season. In one Instance, near 
PaioesYille, land is rented at $.'10 per acre for potato 
growing. We shall long remember a pleasant morning 
ride of some ten miles, from Willoughby to Painesville, 
through a very rich and fruitful district, — and much re¬ 
gret that lack of time forbade our calling at the home¬ 
steads of friends M. B. Batkham, Ex-Agrfcoltural Editor, 
and W. F. Greer, Secretary of the National Wool Grow¬ 
ers Association. The next time we travel thereway— 
and may it he soon! —we shall certainly endeavor to note 
the fruits, flowers, crops and flocks of the aforesaid 
cultivators and breeders. 
♦ ♦ • 
Ahimal Acclimation in Paris.—' There is a garden in 
Paris where exotic animals are in process of acclimation. 
Among them, a correspondent of the American Stock 
Journal mentions bisons from Russia, which are now 
found only in the Lithumian forests, bearing a strong 
resemblance to the American buflhlo; the yak, or horse- 
tailed ox, from the Himalayan Mountains, with hair 
nearly reaching the ground; the zebus or bump-back 
cattle of India; the ong-ti Chinese sheep; Ye.meu sheep, 
covered with hair instead of wool; Angora goats; the 
lama of the Andes: the vicuna, from the same region; 
zebras, wild asees from Tartary, Siamese ponies, and the 
peccary or wild hog of Texas and South America. Sev¬ 
eral crosses with cognate animals of European extraction 
have been made, but the results are not promising. 
■ 4 « » 
Backward Seasons.— The present must be numbered 
among the backward seasons which have characterized 
the last fifty years. An old farmer supplies the Boston 
Journal with a record ol' some of the backward seasons 
within his remembrance in Massachusetts. June 8th, 
1816, snow fell iu Salem, Mass., and also in Vermont. In 
the latter section it was a foot and a half deep. In 
August of the same year there was a severe frost, which 
pretty generally cut off the corn crop. Though the pres¬ 
ent ie a backward season, and planting late, there is 
nothing in this to induce apprehension that good summer 
crops may not yet reward, the labors of the husbandman, 
- * ■ ♦ - 
“Cream Pot" Short-Horns. — Several weeks ago 
(April 11,) we gave a brief account of this family of Short- 
Horns, in connection with the portrait of a cow owned 
by Mr. Wm. II. Slingerland of Albany. Mr. S. writes 
us that, in consequence of the publication of the portrait 
and article, he ie in receipt of a number of letters daily- 
more than he has time to answer—and requests us to state 
that he has no more of the stock to dispose of at present. 
It is proper to add that Mr. S. was not consulted about 
the publication, and that it was not Intended to benefit 
| him or aDy other breeder, but merely to advise our read¬ 
ers in regard to a valuable family of Short-Horns. 
■ -»• +- 
The Three-Horse Clevis, advertised on third page of 
this paper, looks like a good thing, and we are assured by 
a disinterested party that it is really a "big little thing” 
and selling very rapidly in the West and elsewhere. 
As it purports to “ fill the hill” of a long-sought desider¬ 
atum, farmers and others will of course govern them¬ 
selves accordingly. It hails from a good section, and is 
worthy of a fair trial. 
-♦-*-*- 
“The Garden State of the Union.”—A pamphlet of 
some sixty odd pages has been issued from the office of 
the Independent, N. V, city, by Henry T. Williams, in 
reference to the soil, climate and productive power of the 
State of Delaware, which ie denominated "The Garden 
State of the Union.” It contains much valuable informa 
lion iu relation to that State, and is prefaced by a well 
executed map of it,. 
--- 
Shearing Festivals.— Sheep shearing festivals have 
been more than usually unfortunate the present season 
in respect to the weather. It has rained all over the 
country for many days—precisely at the time when these 
festivals were to come off, but in no case were the festi¬ 
vals a failure. Some of the journals counsel a week or 
two later in the season for succeeding shearings. 
--*-*-♦- 
Massachusetts Ao. College.— The managers of this 
institution have elected Dr. Charles A. Gobsmann to 
the chair of Chemistry. He is a native of Frltzlar, Prus¬ 
sia, and educated at the University of Goettingen, grad¬ 
uating in 1852. He is said to be, both by education and 
practical experience, eminently qualified for the position 
to which he has been assigned. 
-» * » - 
Cornell University.— This institution is soon to be 
enriched by the library of Prof. Borr of Berlin, a noted 
philologist. This, in connection with the Axthon li¬ 
brary, already received, will place the Cornell in the front 
rank as regards the means for imparting information on 
scientific and practical subjects. 
-- 
Chicago Ditching Machine. —A strong endorsement 
of this machine will be found iu our Special Notice col¬ 
umn. We shall embrace the first opportunity to witness 
the operation of this machine, and then express our 
opinion as to its merits. Meantime will say the testi¬ 
mony we have seen in regard to its capacity and utility 
is highly favorable. 
-4-*~*- 
The Potato Bug.— The Missouri papers announce the 
appearance of the Colorado potato bng in the region 
about St. Louis. Its advent ie looked upon with many 
misgivings, but the prevalent disposition seems to be to 
give the pest battle in the way most likely to preserve a 
portion of the potato crop from its ravages. 
Thorn Him. Farmers’ Club Fair.— The sixth Annual 
Fair of this Club will be held at Thom Hill, Onondaga 
Co., N. Y., on the 17th of June next. Facilities will be 
afforded for a thorough trial of all kinds of agricultural 
implements. __ 
New Potatoes.— The Syracuse Journal of the 23d Inst, 
gives Henry Burt of Onondaga Valley the credit of 
having grown the first new potatoes at the North the 
nrpBfmt Reason. 
