wm 
animals, however. The best horses are found in the 
I-irovincca oT Shoa aud Godjain, where the favorite 
war horses are procured. The rest are very inferior 
animals. Mules are the favorites with the Abys¬ 
sinian transport. There are great numbers of them 
found in the Gallas country, Shoa, and in some 
parts of Tigre. 
It must not be supposed that the Abyssinians are 
without markets for their produce. At present the 
English army payB good prices for whatever it can 
get in the country where its line of march crosses. 
Some idea of the extent of the produce may be in¬ 
ferred from the fact that the purchase of the English 
army in one day, at Autalo, amounted to 11,000 Its. 
of harley, 12,000 ibs. of flour, 1,800 lbs. of bread, 
dfcc., at an expenditure of £3,000. (Autalo is in 
Ashaugi, called the “granary of Abyssinia.”) A 
dollar is paid for 250 fi>». of grass or chopped 6traw, 
or 18 lbs. of grain, 9 Jbs. of flour, 7 V>3. of bread, 
3 lbs. of honey, 5 lbs. of coffee — everything being 
calculated on the basis of the dollar, (Austrian.) 
In ordinary times the natives hold a weekly market 
Id the neighborhood of the large towns. Generally, 
bowever, a place is selected at an equal distance 
from a large number of small villages, and there, 
lonely as it. is, hundreds resort to buy and sell. 
Here can be bought whatever the country produces: 
bay, grain, potatoes, ghee, butter, milk, chilis, pep¬ 
per, tobacco, onione, honey, etc. The women gen¬ 
erally stand in the markets, and are described as 
being good tempered; but always try to get the 
best of the bargain. A correspondent thus describes 
them: — “First one woman, old and shriveled, 
•forced her way to the measure of the commissariat, 
and on her share of flour being found insufficient, 
she violently abused the impassive H'radostaui, but 
at length bad to take back her goods. The next 
was likewise a little deficient, and as she was plump 
and good looking she tried coaxing, but her bland¬ 
ishments were utterly thrown away; then a third 
came on the scene, but she declared she would make 
up the amount wanting from a relation’s bag, which 
Bhe did eventually, first trying to content the repre¬ 
sentative of British interests with about Lalf the 
quantity due.” John F. Jackson. 
The Agricultural Press —Few Rural Journals.— It 
affords us great, pleasure to note The Increasing prosperity 
of the Agricultural Press of lhe United States and Do¬ 
minion of Canada. Jndgiug from such indications as 
appearance, contents, etc., we tufer that most of our con¬ 
temporaries—especially those which have been published 
for years-are established on a permanent and paying 
basis. But they merit far greater support than they ate 
receiving, for many of them struggled long and manfully 
before realizing any profits, and tben bad a “hard road to 
travel’’ during the war-losing rat her than making money 
for some years. It required a vast amount of pluck aud 
perseverance to carry the leading Agricultural Journals 
Through the rebellion, and those which survive —having, 
through years of adversity, faithfully maintained their 
fidelity to lhe Rural Interests of the Country—ought to 
be substantially remembered by the great Industrial and 
Producing Class whose prosperity they have constantly 
sought to enhance, We therefore ask all interested,— 
Farmers, Honicnllurisrs, Stock Growers, &c>,—to see to 
it that the Agricultural Press is neither neglected nor for¬ 
gotten during the coming political campaign, for whoever 
is President, or whichever party prevails, it is of vast im¬ 
portance to the Country and People that good and large 
crops be produced. Let every well-conducted journal de¬ 
voted to the interests of the Rural Population be recog¬ 
nized and sustained according to its merits, and the pros¬ 
perity of the Nation will be continuously augmented 
through its influence. Most of the long-established Agri¬ 
cultural and Horticultural Journals are too well known to 
bo enumerated in this connection — having often been 
favorably noticed by us,—but we subjoin a list of new 
journals, (most of which have been commenced within a 
few months.) giving address, price, etc., of each, for the 
information of all interested : 
Rural West. Monthly—16 page quarto. By T. M. Rog¬ 
ers, Quincy, Ill.—$1. 
Rural Mi Wenger. Monthly—16 page quarto. ByjERi- 
ah Bonham, Chicago, Ill. -£1. 
Rural Wed Virginian. Monthly—16 page quarto. By 
David Cosorn, New Creek, West Ya.—$1. 
The Ruraltit. Monthly —16 page quarto. By J. S. 
SnEpr.vKD, Cincinnati, Ohio.—£1. 
The Ann riean Farmer's Magazine. Monthly—.3*2 pages 
octavo. By Charles Burnett, Cincinnati, O.—$1.50. 
The Farmers' Friend. Monthly—16 page quarto. By 
Taylor & Blew, Vineland, N. J. (No priee given.) 
Journal of the Farm Monthly—16 page quarto. By 
Baugh & Sons, Phila, Pa — 50 cents. 
The Fanners' Union. Monthly —8 page qnarto. By 
W. A. Nimocks, Minneapolis, Minn.—50 Cents. 
Vodil Farmer Semi-monthly—32 pages octavo. By 
Hey & Baku. Corinth, Miss. 
The Far England Thyme stead. Weekly—S pages donble 
quarto. By 11. M. Burt & Co., Springfield, Mass.—$2.50. 
The Duly- Farmer. Weekly—Hi page quarto. By Wm. 
S. Buts & Co., Columbia, Terra.-$3. 
W. H. Wright, Ewe; age 2 years; time of growth of fleece. 
1 vear and (5 days; weight oi carcass. 55as.; weight Ot 
fleece, 14its. 
O. Co'liris : Ewe; age 13 mos.; time of growth Of fleece, 13 
uios ; weight of eareass, 50k tbs.; weight of fleece, 13 Its. 
Wm, II. Wright-. Ewe ; ago 2 yrs; rime of growth of fleece. 
1 vear 6 day? ; weight of carcass, 50 It s; w't Of fleece, tbs. 
If. W. Beckwith ; Ewe, age 1 year 15 days: time oi growth 
of fleece, l vear 15 days; weight of carcass, 6h Tt.s: weight of 
fleece, Vl'/ S tta. 
Baker & Ilarrigan- Bam; age 2 years; time of growth 01 
fleece, 1 year 4 days; tv't carcass, ill !t,s.; w't tlouce.SQH tbs. 
Shearing Premium on Ram tegs awarded to O. Coffins. 
On rams two years old or over, to Baker & liarrigan. On 
Ewe tegs, to O. Collins. Whitehall. On Yearling Ewes, 
to Wm. 11. Wright. On Breeding Ewes, to 11. W. Beck¬ 
with. 
The Ram shorn by E. L. Campbell, was shorn to com¬ 
pete for the scouring test; there being no one in compe¬ 
tition, the fleece from Baker & Harrtgau's ” Cashier" was 
entered to compete with Mr. Campbell's Ram fleece, the 
two fleeces are in the Committee's hands, who will make 
the report as eooii as the fleeces are cleansed and returned 
t o them. 
President Beckwith exhibited eight. Ewes with lambs 
by their sides, which he did not enter for competition. 
The lambs were extra good ones, and attracted much at¬ 
tention. 
The Association were well pleased with the manner in 
which Mr. C. G. Mason carried out. the arrangements of 
pon«, shearing. &c_. and are underobligations to him, aud 
to Mr. Wilson, the landlord, for free use of room for Ex¬ 
ecutive Board, &c. I. V. Baker, Jr., Sec'y. 
Comstock’s Landing, May, 1S6S. 
first State in the Union. Nearly every tree and 
bush has a vine, and the mustang will yield a barrel 
to a vine. Every foreign and native variety do re¬ 
markably well on being cultivated. The ramie is 
being put on trial, and I have no doubt will prove 
a success. Hops do well and would pay largely 
if grown. The culture of silk is only a question 
of time. 
Beef packeries have been started all along the 
coast, aud at iuterior points along the railroads. 
One was erected at Columbus, within three miles of 
me, last November, and in four months gave u 
profit of §10,0U0. Cattle, hogs,, horses and sheep 
require but little more attention than chickens in 
New York. Columbus is finely situated on a bend 
of the Colorado, with immense facilities for water 
power. It has always been a healthy town — is the 
terminus of the B. B. B. & C. Railroad —and is the 
lowest point of steam navigation. It has trebled 
its population in four months and will become a 
large inlaud city. 
Land sold for four times as much before the war 
as now. Wild lauds range from 25 cents to §L per 
acre—when improved, from £5 to £10. You cau 
buy on time if desired. Stock cattle are worth 
about 82.50 per head; milch cows #5; oxen §20 per 
yoke; sheep £1 per head; goats 35 cents — pork 5 
cents per pound; beef 1 to 2 cents. Stock horses 
are worth £10 per head; saddle and work horses 
from £25 to $(10—and same for mules. 
Our soil has been 43 years under cultivation with¬ 
out manure, and without any evidence of exhaust¬ 
ion. With advantage of proximity to market — of 
three, mouths earlier maturity of crops — of far less 
labor ip making them —with all the necessaries of 
life so low, and the people actually begging for emigra¬ 
tion, where can either the honest hard working 
man, or the capitalist, find euch an opening in the 
whole world ? Wool and cotton manufactories, 
tanneries,— butter, broom, rope, soap, Ac., Ac., 
factories — are all wanted, and all cau make first- 
rate profits. 
There are but few negroes in Western Texas, and 
they are rapidly removing. AU the alurin and poth¬ 
er about “a war of races ” is the sheerest nonsense. 
We have learned to let politics alone. Our business 
now is to develop the national prosperity of our 
country. A good deal of emigration is coming from 
the Northwest, and from Europe — but nothing iu 
proportion to what the inhabitants desire and the 
country needs. Especially do we want families. 
We will cherish virtuous and industrious ones as 
the apples of our eyes. They will be as secure, and 
we trust, as happy amongst us, and have far better 
openings for successful industry, than are to be 
found in their present Northern rural homes. 
Yours very respectfully, R. K. Gay. 
uirji -Department 
VERMONT BUTTER MAKING, 
A Vermont dairyman supplies the St. Albans’ 
Messenger with some notes in reference to butter 
making last fall. The milk stood thirty-six hours 
before beiug skimmed and the cream twenty-four 
hours thereafter, It was then churned, and the but¬ 
ter washed with spring water till the milk was all 
carried off, leaving the water clear. Ashton salt was 
then worked iu by band, at the rate of an ounce to 
a pound of butter. It was then set away fur twenty- 
four hours, when it was haud worked, small quanti¬ 
ties at a time, till the brine was all expelled, when 
it was pounded down in a tub. When nearly full, a 
clean linen cloth was spread over the butter, and 
covered with a thin layer of salt. Cream, churned 
the same day it is taken from the milk, sometimes 
has a disagreeable taste, which disappears after 
twenty-four or thirty-six hours, when the churning 
may safely take place. There is uotbing new about 
this that we are aware of, still the hints may be use¬ 
ful to new beginners in the dairy line. 
EDITED BY HENRY 8. RANDALL, LL. D. 
Past Seasons and the Present.— Col. S. G. Innis, in 
the Ohio Chronicle, takes a back sight on the seasons and 
crop conditions, commencing wiih 1845 and coming up 
to the present year. Tn the year mentioned, severe frosts 
occurred in May, and finally, on lhe 25th of that month, 
there was a sweeper, which cut the corn clean down, and 
the ground had to be planted over again. The wheat was 
also cut aud severely injured, except in sheltered places. 
This was followed by very dry weather till the first of 
Jnne, when a fine fall of rain occurred, and planting the 
third time commenced on the 3d, and was continued up 
to the 10th or 15th of the month. The result was a hetter 
corn crop than for several preceding years. Wheat was 
pretty much a failure. The years 1855 and 1653 were 
hard ones at lhe West, owing to continued wet. weather. 
Corn was planted as late as the 3d of July, but the crop 
was light and the price wont up to eighty cents per 
bushel, or sixty-five cents higher than iu 1817. In 1859 
there was a killing frost on the morning of the Cth of 
Jnue, which cut down the corn, greatly damaged the 
wheat, and made a clear sweep of the fruit. Planting 
»ver again wa= the order of the day, and a fair crop was 
the result. Two fruitful seasons succeeded, and, iu 1861, 
com sold for 20 to 25 cents per bushel. Mr. Innis says 
he finished planting com that year June 15th. Since that 
time the seasons have fluctuated about the same as 
during the period mentioned,—some wet and some dry, 
with variable productiveness,—but the intervention of a 
four year's war, followed by continued disruption to the 
present time, worked a change in prices greatly dispro- 
portioned to those generally prevalent previous to that 
event. Notwithstanding the drawbacks of the present 
season—including a light frost on the morning of the 8th 
of Jnne-it is safe to asssnme that, an average crop, all 
things considered, may yet reward the labors of the hus¬ 
bandman. The prospect is not the fairest for the last 
twenty years, nor is it the least assuring of the series. 
Columbus, Texas, May 11,1S68. 
Hon. Henry 8. Randall— Sir: I have read for 
many years past your able communications upon 
Sheep Husbandry iu Texas —iu which you display 
not only thorough knowledge of the subject of 
sheep husbandry, but of our soil and climate. 
They immediately awakened among our people a 
deep interest in sheep raising; and our innumerable 
and increasing flocks demonstrate the correctness 
with which you predicted the adaptation of this 
country to sheep. To you aud Kendall, Texas is 
indebted for her present flocks, and the State owes 
you a perpetual debt of gratitude. * * * * 
But Texas is not, as yon are well aware, exclu¬ 
sively a sheep aud stock eouutry. In salubrity of 
climate, in fertility and durability of soil, in capaci¬ 
ty and range of production, in inexhaustible and 
illimitable resources, she has no superior In the 
Union. Public opiniou in the North has been 
grossly misled in regard to the state of society here 
and to our feelings towards Northern emigrants, 
Life and property are as secure hero as elsewhere. 
Emigration from the North is warmly welcomed. 
We know that in mechanism, in the economies of 
life, in energy and enterprise, and in Agricultural 
skill, you far surpass us; and we want you to come 
here for our benefit and your own. 
The present situation of affairs offers great induce¬ 
ments to such an emigration — that is, the emigra¬ 
tion of reputable aud industrious men. We want 
n .0 more of those adventurers who have come 
among us penniless and unprincipled to make for¬ 
tunes by swindles of one kind or another. We 
want good shepherds, good farmers, good mechan¬ 
ics—honest, stable, and industrious men who come 
here to find homes—who come here to build up the 
country and to be built up with it. Such persons 
will find au immediate passport to the confidence 
and respect of our people in all circles of society. 
They will rapidly prosper in their pecuniary affairs. 
They will And honors and promotion before them. 
Urge your friends to come and make the trial. 
They will not be disappointed. * * * * 
It would be egotism in me to attempt to tell you 
what you do not already know about the capacities 
of our soils. But I write for others; and let me 
state their capacity and raDge of production in my 
own vicinity, and the advantages which they pre¬ 
sent to the emigrant. I have traveled over the 
whole of the United States except California, the 
Pacific slope and the new territories—all over 
Texas agaiu and again. I have lived upon the Colo¬ 
rado for fifteen years. In my opinion the golden 
region of this State — and I prefer it to auy region I 
have ever seen elsewhere—is that through which 
the Colorado runs centrally, bounded east by the 
Brazos and west by the Guadalupe. 
Its present agriculture is most defective. Four 
inches is the utmost depth of plowing in breaking 
up. Most generally it is but three; aud often a 
furrow is made with a bull tongue plow, com 
planted in it and covered by throwing two more 
farrows without any preparation, — and frequently 
the middle is just broken out, especially if the 
ground is fresh, and the crop is thus finished 
-saving thinning. Corn never requires more than 
three plowings, generally two. Cotton usually re¬ 
quires about three. Hitherto these have been the 
main crops, but others have been planted sufficient¬ 
ly for experiment. 
Effect of Blood in Reproduction.— A. G. Percky, 
Newark, N. Y., writes“ I perceive by Dr. Lee's article 
that be takes exception to your views of 'blood,' in its 
effects on the future progeny ol‘the marc, impregnated 
by one of her own race, after having bred a mongrel colt. 
I have a work in my possession which presents the same 
views as to breeding^’mare to an ass, and afterwards 
breeding from a boreewlt states that the colts Wave the 
marks of the hybrid fu three gene rations, aud attributes 
this to the poisonous'etfect of mingling the blood of the 
a?e with that of the horse. If this is so, ‘ blood ’ does tell 
with powerful results, and may be of as much benefit as 
damage. It is conceded on all sides that the mule is 
much longer lived than the horse, aud if the * blood' of 
the ass mingled with the * blood' of the mare has such a 
powerful effect during pregnancy as to control her future 
offspring, why should it not add several years to the life 
of the horse, thereby making a colt much more valuable 
for a farm horse than it would be if the mure had never 
bred a mule? But does not this ass story lack confirma¬ 
tion ? Did not the a?E run with the dam during preg¬ 
nancy by the horse, and mark the colts instead of her 
4 blood,' having been poisoned by the ’ blood’ of the ass ? 
I have known eeveral instances of mares producing 
sorrel, white faced, white legged colts, sired by black 
Black Hawk horses, and in every instance the mare ran 
with just such a colored horse, or ran beside or next to 
a horse of that color, belonging to a neighbor, on the 
other side of the fence, showing conclusively that the 
colt was marked. I cau readily see why the impregnation 
of a superior ram should alter the pile of the offspring, 
by diffusing greater stamina into a weaker one, thereby 
controlling the foflns during gestation, without which 
we could not expect to improve sheep husbandry to any 
extent; but that it should effect the future offspring of 
the dam, I cannot believe, without better evidence than I 
now possess.” 
Copious Flow of Milk.— The Attica Atlas 6ays that 
a favorite cow, the property of F. D. Wilcox of that 
village, gave 10gallons of milk in twelve hours, 
or 41 pounds. The milk was weighed for several 
successive days, and the average was 40 pounds. 
Cheddar Cheese.— James Mo Adam is making Ched¬ 
dar cheese at bis factory in Manheim, Herkimer Go., 
at the rate of thirty-four per day. lie uses the milk 
of 1,000 cows, and says it requires no more labor to 
make Cheddar thaD auy other kind or style of cheese. 
The May sales brought I5%c. per pound. 
Cheese Market .—The market at Little Falls, on the 
1st inst., was rather sluggish, and the stock offered 
quite limited. Skimmed cheese, from farm dairies, 
sold from 10c. to 13c., and the pure article at 13@ 
14c. Factory sales were made at 14@151^C. Butter 
sales were made at 29c., with but little offering. 
Dairying in Chautauqua County.— The Fredoniu 
Censor states that the farmers iu that vicinity are 
very generally sending their milk to the cheese 
factories, instead of making butter as they antici¬ 
pated earlier in the season. The decline in the 
price of this article is the cause of the change, as 
cheese is deemed to pay best. 
Shade for Cows .—If pastures for cows, during the 
hot months, are destitute of shade trees, lhe ani¬ 
mals will suffer much from the effects of heat and 
the biting of flies. Their productiveness will be 
considerably diminished from these causes, conse¬ 
quently it will pay well to furnish a temporary shel¬ 
ter till trees can be grown at suitable points for the 
comfort of dairy stock. 
To Keep Butter Sweet in a Cask. — A compound 
of one. part Bugar, one pint nitre, and two parts of 
the best Spanish salt, beat together into a fine pow¬ 
der, and mixed thoroughly with the butter in 
proportion of one ounce to the pound, has been 
found to keep the butter in every respect sweet and 
sound during two years that it was in cask. It is al¬ 
so said to impart a rich marrowy flavor that no other 
butter ever acquires, and tastes very little of the salt. 
It might be well to give it a trial. 
Itennet—Preparation .—'The Utica Herald gives the 
Bavarian method of curing rennets, which is said to 
he preferable to the one commonly practiced. The 
contents of the rennet skin are emptied out and the 
latter inflated with air like a bladder, the end tied 
with a string, and hung up to dry. When properly 
cured, the skins may be taken down and packed 
away in a small space for use. Little or no salt is 
required, which is supposed to be an advantage, 
aside from the cost of that article, aa its free use in 
preserving rennets is supposed to materially weaken 
their coagulating power. 
Food for Milch Cows.— A dairyman writes the 
Ohio Farmer concerning the food proper for cows. 
Of the grasses he prefers timothy or the wild kinds. 
Where grain is fed the favorite mixture is shorts, 
ground oats and corn meal, iu about equal propor¬ 
tions. Oats ground alone make a good flow of milk, 
but the use of corn meal adds to its richness bat not 
to its volume. Potatoes are not bad, neither are 
they particularly good, as the milk is strong, as it 
also is when carrots are fed in considerable quanti¬ 
ties. Pumpkins make rich butter, but do not much 
increase the quantity of milk. The best root to feed 
to cows is said to be the sugar beet. 
Too Much Stool .—Cows sometimes, just after their 
calves are taken from them, show temper, and re¬ 
fuse to give down their milk, except grudgingly. 
In such cases many milkers administer a dose of 
stool, repeating at brief intervals. This is rarely, 
if ever, effective, and were better omitted on all 
occasions. The more rational way is to soothe the 
animals in their affliction, till time—which will not 
be lODg—shall Lave effaced the memory of their 
bereavement. Meantime, work at them steadily 
and they will “give down,” simply because they 
are not proof against perseverauce and good tem¬ 
per—a combination at once powerful and effective. 
Wmcu Rural?— Since the Rural New-Yorker was 
established, some thirty or more journals have been 
started with the. prefix or affix of Rural to their titlce, 
many of which have proved successful. Hence the sim¬ 
ple word “ Rural" is a very indefinite credit to any one 
member of the family, and yet it is the only mark of pater¬ 
nity urn ally given by several agricultural and other jour¬ 
nals in copying from the Rural New-Yorker. Onr 
friends might almost as well follow the example or those 
who give no credit whatever. Wc do not admire either 
style (nor that of R, JY. V., or Rural -V. F,, which we fre¬ 
quently see in exchanges,) on the score of justice. 
Condensed Correspondence, Items, &c 
Washington County Sumei* Exhibition. 
■The Fourth 
Annual Sheep Show and Public Shearing, under the au¬ 
spices of the Washington County Sheep Breeders' and 
Wool Growers' Association, was held at North Granville, 
May 5th and 6th. The number of entries for competition 
was 47 ; comprising 153 sheep. In the quality of sheep on 
exhibition, this year's show surpassed all others, and the 
list below of tloec.es shorn, shows that wc are improving 
in weight of fleece materially. 
f fount!/ Awards.— Division A, as regards quality of wool; 
Div. B. as regards quantity of wool; Dlv.C, (the higlitet.) 
a? regards quantity and quality, combined with symmetry 
ot carcass. ' 
Ram Tegs.—In Divisions A and R—Premiums to B. ,J. Law¬ 
rence ot Fori Ann. D}v. C—let prem. to O. Collins of Whtte- 
hfoi; 2d to F. A. Jti-aymer of Granville. Viewing Committee 
—Thomas Cree, AV, AY. AVright, Geo, Campbell. 
Rams One Year Old or Over.— In Dir. A—Prem, to B. W. 
Beckwith oi West Granville Corners. Div. B —Prom t i E. p. 
Harden Of Hartford; Div. C—1st prein. to Baker & Ilrtrri- 
gan of Comstock's Landing: 2d to E. L. Campbell of Com¬ 
stock’s Landing. Viewing Com.—Ira Drayton, B, J. Law¬ 
rence. It. Spring. 
Pen of Three Fire Tegs.— In Div. A and B—no awards. Div. 
C—1st prom, to Addison Willett of North Granville; 2d to 
If. W. BCckwltU. Viewing Corn.—W. H. Wright, Geo, Camp¬ 
bell, Ira Broyton. 
Peii of 'Three Yearling Fires.—In Div. A—no awards. Div. 
B—Prem.toE. 1*. Harden. Div. C— 1 st prem. to W. IT.Wright: 
F Kins’ L ( - :a,ni ’ be11 ' Viewing Com.—C>. C. Rich, O. Coffins, 
Pen of Three Breeding Fires,— In Dtv. A—no awards. Div. 
B—T rein, lo F. A.Braymer. Div. C- 1 st prem. to K. I.. Camp¬ 
bell ; 2d to Addison Willett Of North Granville. Viewing 
Com— E,P.Hardin, Geo.Kingsley, H, Spring. 
There were five entries for the Sweepstakes Premium 
on rams. E. L. Campbell entered bis two year old ram 
“ Monitor," sired by Campbell’s " Old Grimes," also 
“ Millionaire," a two year old ram, owned by Geo. Camp¬ 
bell of Westminster, Vt. sired by Slowcff’e "Golden 
Fleece.” Q. C, Rich of Shorcham, Vt.. entered a two 
year old ram, “Ben. Wade." sired bv a “ Tottineham 
Retort of tub Michigan Board of Agriculture..— 
We are indebted to the Secretary of the Michigan State 
Board of Agriculture, Sanford Howard, Esq., for cop¬ 
ies of its Annual Report, for 1867. It forms a volume of 
over 500 pages, and we judge the matter therein contained 
is of particular interest and use to the farmers of that 
State, and much of it iikowiee has a more general value. 
In the table of contents we notice the report of the State 
Agricultural College; an article on the Grand Traverse 
Country; Cheese Factories in Michigan, and reports of 
many of the County Societies. 
Importation of Lincoln Sheep. — Winthbop W. 
Chenerv of Belmont, Mass., has imported some Lin¬ 
colns, selected for him by Mr. James Howard of Bed¬ 
ford, England, who thus describes them, under date of 
Oct. 25th, 1867:—“The ram is a shearling about twenty 
months old, bred by Mr. George Clarke. Can wick, Lin¬ 
colnshire. Mr. Clarke and bis brother, residing at 
Scropwick, near Lincoln, are very eminent breeders of 
this mammoth breed. The ewes, twenty months oid, 
were exhibited by the breeder, Mr, Clarke Hales of 
Bassingbourne, Cambridgeshire, at the late meeting of 
the Royal Agricultural Show at Bury St, Edmonds, where 
they took the first prize. They have been running with 
a prize ram of Mr. Hales, so that the progeny will not 
be related to the (Clarke) ram.” [Wc have carefully 
examined these huge sheep, and consider them magnifi¬ 
cent specimens of the breed.— Ed.] 
Dominion Prices.— The Barre Examiner, Simcoe Dis¬ 
trict, notes a considerable decline in the price of farm 
products in that section of the Dominion. Spring wheat 
is quoted at $1.80, oats 53c., potatoes 60c. per bushel; 
butter 15c. per pound, and eggs 10c. per dozen. In out- 
currency this would give wheat at $1.80, potatoes SOc., 
and butter 21c. 
Shropshire Down Crosses — S. M. Moore, Ironton, 
Mo., writes us: —“I have read your article on Early 
Lambs for Market, in Rural of April 29. You say that 
yon have not had au opportunity to observe the compara¬ 
tively early maturity, Ac... of the get of Shropshire Down 
rams crossed with common sheep. 1 purchased an im¬ 
ported Shropshire Down ram three years ago, for the 
purpose of making such a crosB, to get up a flock of 
mutton sheep. The cross more than meets my expecta¬ 
tions. Lambs drop in February and March with mottled 
faces and legs. The ewes encounter no diliienlty in yean¬ 
ing, although some of the lambs weighed 12,V pounds 
when dropped. The ewes fed on meal and bran, with 
clover hay, until grass, and then are turned into the 
woods upon wild grass, weeds and vines. At five months 
old I weighed half a dozen lambs. They varied from 60 
to 85 pounds,-one extra fine one weighing 90 pounds at 
four months, live weight, I have no doubt they could be 
made to weigh 100 pounds at five months, with proper 
feed and care.” 
The American Flag Horse Collar, advertised in this 
paper, is merit ing the attention of farmers and all others 
having draught horses. From an examination of the 
collar, and testimony in its favor, we think it a valuable 
improvement, and should be commended by all merciful 
people.__ ___ 
Under lhe culture above de¬ 
scribed, if it can be called culture, the average yield 
of corn is from 25 to 50 bushels, and cotton from 
.half a bale to a bale per acre. The cost and labor 
required is less than one-third what it would be in 
the North. Cora is finished in May, cotton by June 
1st,—before hot weather has fairly set in; which, 
by the way, is not so oppressive as with you. Da¬ 
ring my residence on the Colorado, I have not had 
«n hour’s sickness. Last year was the only sickly 
year I have seen, and it was owing to excessive 
mins. 
Experiments have given the following averages of 
other crops, per acre; sweet, and Irish potatoes and 
piudars from 100 to 800 bushels; castor beaus from 
50 to 00 bushels; millet four tou6; barley 50 to 75 
bushels; broom-corn any amount; English peas 40 
bushels; poppies-10 lbs.; sugar one hhd.; aud any 
amount of tobacco. Wheat and oats are liable to 
rust. Vegetables of every variety and fruits of 
•nearly every kind flourish luxuriantly. Cayenne 
pepper, ochra, tomatoes, castor beans and tobacco 
-seem to grow everywhere in the woods without 
fence or culture. There arc mauy wild nuts and 
fruits in the forest which only require cultivation to 
. become profitable. In Grapes I believe Texas the 
RURAL BRIEF-MENTI0N1NGS. 
During the month of April, Mount Vernon, O., shipped 
2,346 barrels of eggs. 
Eighty-four acres of land have been purchased near 
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, for a Fair Ground. 
Some writers for the Agricultnral press are having fun 
over what they call the hen fever. Such parties are not 
safe visitants to the egg boxes. 
A writer in the Rural Gentleman states that sowing 
wood ashes over wheat when exposed to rust will pre¬ 
vent it from injury from this source. 
A Michigan Agricultural Society, in order to make up 
for excluding horse racing, proposes a premium for the 
best pedestrian feat during the coming Fair. 
A man tells the Prairie Farmer that he saved hie potato 
cron from bugs by spreading straw between the vines, 
driving the bugs into it, aurl then burning the straw. 
Tut: Michigan farmers complain of a new pest on their 
lands-the Red Root, Its introduction is charged to a 
New York thrashing muchiue removed to that State. 
FrvE cows recently died in Belmont Co., Ohio, from 
drinking brine emptied from a meat barrel. The deaths 
were charged to the meat, but most likely too much brine 
was the guilty party. 
The N. Y. Farmers’ Club recently decided that farming 
would not pay seven per ceut. on tne outlay. There was 
an omission on the credit side, of the table supplies horn 
the farm, and also house rent and fuel. 
Some farmers contend that mowing their timothy and 
clover ground early iu June is a paying operation. They 
eet a fair first crop, a good second oue, and often a third 
■ m ^ . . .. ^ ...I A1, n r (l [’I OrtYIU t h 
Price of Sheep and Land in Missouri.—S. M. Moore, 
Ironton,Mo., writes, (May 14:)—"Ewes and iambs have 
been selling in adjoining counties to this at. $1.50 a pair, 
with fleeces off. Several hundred can be bought from 75 
cents to $1.25 each. Lands are lrom $3 to $.13 an acre. I 
would be pleased to join with some one in Sheep Hus¬ 
bandry. I know of many good localities and cheap farms 
on accommodating terms.” 
Lame Drop in Western New York.—A. G. Percev^ 
Newark, Wayne Co., N. Y., writes:— 4 -So far as I am 
able t.o judge, there has been more than the usual lose of 
lambs in this region: aud taking into consideration the 
fact that many did not turn out their rams last fall, there 
cannot, I think, be more than two-thirde of the usual 
annual Increase." 
