Hamilton’s Old Ram, bred by Tyler Stickney of 
Vt., by Old Robinson, out of a Robinson ewe — 
graud dame a ewe of Noble’s old flock. Leyi No¬ 
ble, senior, now deceased, founded the flock over 
forty years ago. They were Merinos, and Gideon 
Pitts, who was his near neighbor, and familiar with 
ig the whole time, says 
he knows that Noble neither crossed with Mutton 
sheep nor French Meriuos; thinks he took a dip of 
Saxon blood, but Is not positive. For a great many 
jears he bred from rams he ruisad by taking ewes 
away to Meriuo rams, aud occasionally buying a 
ram. But he did not bay more than two or three 
ewes during the whole time.' 
We have given unusual attention to, aud bestow¬ 
ed unusual space on, this case, because the facts, if 
strictly true, are very iuterestlug and important. 
W’e rememher no preceding instance on well authen¬ 
ticated record, in this or any other country, of a 
Merino fleece producing within nearly or quite a 
pound so much of scoured wool. The Spanish Me¬ 
rino ram at the beginning of this century produced, 
on the average, but 8 to lbs. of unwashed wool. 
It is not a great many years since, that an American 
Merino ram which yielded 0 lbs. of well washed 
wool, was considered a good one. Recently a few 
American Meriuo rams have yielded 8 lbs., or a little 
over, of scoured wool; aud more might have done 
so, or perhaps considerably exceeded this amount, 
if their owners would have consented to subject 
their fleeces to this test. But the truth is, the own¬ 
ers of Merino rams most celebrated for weight of un¬ 
washed fleeces have almost universally been uawil- 
lingto have their fleeces scoured, fearing that they 
thus might loose the pre-eminence gained by them 
in Weight of wool in the yolk. The same is true of 
ewes. We scarce remember an exception to this 
remark. 
If Mr. Noble’s ram has beaten the field, among 
Merinos, we believe he has still farther beaten all 
other breeds, the proportion of wool to carcass 
being takeu into account. W'e have heard much of 
late of the “ enormous” shrinkage of 11 greasy Me¬ 
rino WOOL” We have been told that while the wool 
of certain other breeds shrink only 15 to 25 per cent, 
in cleansing, that of the Merino shrinks CO or 70 per 
cent. Well, what of that, providing the Merino yet 
carries the greatest proportion of wool {cleansed 
wool to meat ? The scouring tests of the past have 
sufficiently demonstrated this fact. 
In these remarks we offer no disparagement to 
the Mutton breeds. We regard them as the best 
sheep in their placet We are heartily rejoiced to see 
them increase and flourish in our country. W'e have 
uniformly encouraged their propagation, and shall 
continue to do so. But when It is claimed that they 
yield more wool than the Merino in proportion to 
size, or au equal amount, the claim is made by those 
who are totally unacquainted with the facts. 
female eggs, and is usually accomplished on tee 
wing, and is ample for a lifetime. But one queen 
to a colony is tolerated for any considerable time, 
and these exceptions are when an old queen is about 
to die or to lead off a colony. Drones are etingless, 
do not accumulate stores, and are useful only for 
fertilization of the queens. The workers determine 
the number of drone cells, and hasten to kill off the 
gentleman bees as soon as the honey harvest is gath¬ 
ered and the swarming season is over. 
The workers perform all the labor of the hive, 
make wax, build the combs, fill them, hatch and 
feed the young, raise queens, keep the domicile 
clean, aud provide for the general welfare. It re¬ 
quires generally sixteen days to develop a queen to 
maturity, twenty-one for workers, aud twenty-four 
for drones. Each strong colony rears one or more 
young queens, and when about to emerge the old 
queen lead6 off with a swarm composed of workers 
and drones. The first queen that emerges, after the 
swarm has left, takes the place of the old one, and 
if the stores are plentiful and the colony strong this 
one also leads out a swarm as the second young one 
is about to come forth. Sometimes four swarms 
emerge from one hive in a season—in extreme cases 
five. Thumping pans, ringing cow hells, blowing 
horns and tiring off gnns, though practiced by 
some, are deemed entirely useless. If the swarm 
has determined to cluster near the old hive, they 
will do it without noise or commotion, but if 
bound for the woods, they are pretty sure to get 
there despite of all the noise made to prevent them. 
The first swarm out is called a prime, the second a 
cast, the third a colt, the fourth a Jilly. 
A swarm from a swarm, the same season, is called 
a maiden., aud is accompanied by the same queen 
that led out the “ prime.” Those emerging in 
August or later are called buckwheats, are usually 
very weak, aud it iB recommended to destroy the 
queen and return the swarm to the parent hive or 
add to some weak colony. No eggs are laid in the 
old stock after a swarm leaves uutil a young queen 
comes out and is fertilized, which is from two to 
three weeks. Some hours before a swarm is to 
leave a “ piping” sound is heard in the hive, made 
by the old queen, resembling “peep,” il peep," 
which seems to be answered by another resembling 
"off" “ off." By applying the ear close to the 
hive these preparatory sounds may be heard, as 
they sometimes are at quite a distance from it. 
The same piping precedes the flight of each 6warm, 
which usually succeed each other from eight, fifteen 
or twenty days. Usually, if no piping is heard after 
fifteen days, it is a sign that no more swarms are to 
be thrown off that season. 
By attending to these preliminary signs of swarm¬ 
ing, preparations may be made to meet each case, 
and much confusion, and sometimes loss, be pre¬ 
vented. A pound of bees contains about five thou¬ 
sand, and good swarms should contain at least three 
pounds. Occasionally swarms are said to weigh 
fifteen pounds, numbering severity-five thousand, 
which is nearly as many as a queen can produce at 
one time before the bees alive at the time she com¬ 
menced laying will have nearly all died off. A stock 
like this, with plenty of room, it is said never throws 
off a swarm, because the dying bees make room for 
the young brood aud they in turn for another. This 
is called a “ non-s warmer,” aud by some deemed 
the most profitable, as it produces much more honey 
than the swarming ones. 
Apoplexy with fowls, as in human beings, is 
difficult to cure. It is generally the result of high 
feeding, and is most common among laying hens, 
which arc sometimes found dead on the nest — the 
expulsive efforts required in laying being the imme¬ 
diate cause of the attack. 
The only hope for a cure consists in an instant 
and copious bleeding, by opening a vein with a 
sharp pointed knife or lancet. The largest of the 
veins seen on the underside of the wing should be se¬ 
lected and op ned in a longitudinal direction, not, cut 
across, and so long as the thumb is pressed on the 
vein at any point between the opening and the body 
the blood will be found to flow freely. Light food 
and rest should be given the bird after bleeding. 
Gapes, in nine cases out of ten, are obtained from 
rain or impure water, aud if a certain preventive 
(not cure) is desired, the use of camphor will be 
found proficient. A small lump about the size of a 
peanut, kept constantly in the vessel from which 
the fowls drink, will make the gapes unknown in 
your yard. Having raised over two hundred chick¬ 
ens without one case of gapes, 1 can testify that 
camphor is the only certain remedy. My neighbor, 
Mr. T-, who iB also a member of the American 
Poultry Society, and who has equal if not superior 
advantages to mine for rearing poultry, has lost 
three fourths of his chickens by gapes, which I 
attribute to his use of rain water and non»ase of 
camphor. 
Ilain water will, after having stood some time, ba 
found, by examination under a microscope, to con¬ 
tain worms identical with those taken from the 
throat of a chicken suffering from gapes. 
Roup, if treated at the outset, may be cured by 
feeding twice a day with 6tale crusts of bread soaked 
in strong ale. Dry housing and cleaning are indis¬ 
pensable. 
Fowls sometimes waste away without any apparent 
disorder. In sdeh cases a tcaspoonful of cod-liver 
oil per day will often be found a most efficacious 
remedy. 
Scouring, or diarrhaA, is caused by the too abund¬ 
ant use of relaxing food. Cayenne pepper or chalk, 
or both, mixed with meal or boiled rice, check the 
complaint. 
Leg weariness is generally caused by the size and 
weight of the body, being more than the legs can 
carry. It is showed by the bird resting on the first 
joint. Being entirely the result of weakness, the 
best treatment is that which gives general strength 
and stamina to the sufferer. Tincture of irou, say 
five drops to a saucer of water, should be given. 
in raising and feeding it, giving a little every day to 
all his stock the year round. As we walked and 
talked, be said he considered fanning the best pay¬ 
ing business in the world. My friend began life a 
carpenter, serving his time at Ills trade. He then 
preached, or as he modestly said, talked, several 
years. Ills health failing, he embraced farming, and | The history of his flock durin 
we see the result. His itinerant life gave him a 
chance to observe, and I remember that he was very 
sociable, popular with farmers, and took great inter 
est in rural affairs. His farm shows his mechanism 
and methodism in all its arrangements. Besides his 
attention to other matters, he devotes much of his 
time to bees, gardening and fruit culture, succeed¬ 
ing in all these departments. Then, take him all in 
The Season, Chops, &o. — The dangerous “ heated 
term.” so nnprecedently fatal this year io man and beast, 
is succeeded by cooler weather, which is greatly to the 
benefit of farmers who have got much harvest work be¬ 
fore them. The thermometer marks as low as 62' in the 
morning, and scarcely gets above SO at midday. This 
temperature is agreeable and safe. There is yet some 
wheat to be cut In this region, aud a quantity to be 
housed. There is considerable rust, which is unusual, 
and farmers anticipate a poorer quality of grain and a 
less yield than was promised by the appearance of the 
fields early in the summer. The hot weather deadened a 
great deal of grain and caused it to dry and shrink. 
Barley is heavy in straw, but the berry will be light and 
probably stained. Oats are heavy, aud considerably 
lodged. The excessive hot weather injured all grain and 
diminished toe weight. Ooru has run a rollicking race, 
beating time by coming in tassel fully two weeks before 
anticipated. The cropiis quite promising. Potatoes suf¬ 
fered from dry weathar .and a variety of insect depreda¬ 
tors, bnt the recent showers and cool air are giving them 
better looks The pastures are dry, and more rain is 
neeeded for grass, especially young seeding. 
EDITED BY HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D. 
Burning Stubble Ground, &c.— A commission was 
appointed in South Australia to examine into the subject 
of rust in wheat,,to present, if practicable a preventive. 
Suitable burning where ground is continuously sown to 
wheat, was recommended by many as a means of destroy¬ 
ing the fungus spores which are supposed to have the 
power of self-perpetuation. Pickitng seed wheat as 
tending to prevent rust found some advocates, but the 
general conclusion was that it did no good. Soaking the 
seed in a solution of sulphuric acid—4 oz, to the bushel, 
with as much water as the wheat will take up -was ap¬ 
proved by many; as was also a decoction of one pound 
of the flower of sulphur to ten gallons of water, with 
twice its weight of fresh slaked, hot lime. 
We published, last week, an account of the On¬ 
tario and Livingston Co. (N. Y.) wool scouring, by 
which it appeared that the fleece of a three year old 
Meriuo ram owned by Levi Noble — said fleece 
being of eleven months and twenty-one days’ 
growth, and its unwashed weight twenty-four 
pounds aud two ounces—weighed, after scouring, 
nine pounds and three ounces. The weight of the 
ram, after shearing, was one hundred and eight 
pounds. As the weight of scoured wool was so 
extraordinary, and as the processor extent of scour¬ 
ing was not stated, we judged it expedient to write 
to the Secretary of the Ontario and Livingston As¬ 
sociation to obtain from Messrs. N. W. Mather A 
Sons, who scoured the wool, a detailed account of 
the manner in which it was done. And we hope we 
shall give uo offence when we state that we pushed 
our investigations still farther, by writing to per¬ 
sons of the vicinity in whom we believed we could 
fully rely, to ascertain whether, in the judgment of 
those conversant with all the parties aud facts, the 
whole transaction had been conducted in good faith, 
and whether the account of it published by us last 
week was entirely trustworthy. 
As this esse is likely to become historic in the 
annals of &heep husbandry, we 6ball subjoin, with 
great minuteness, the result of our inquiries. The 
integrity of Levi Noble is declared on all hands to 
be above suspicion. That the ram is a three-year 
old is known to all Mr. Noble’s neighbors. We are 
informed that he was sheared at a public shearing in 
18(17, which puts the age of the present fleece be- 
yopd dispute. (We suppose this public shearing in 
18(17 referred to, took place at Honeoye, Ontario 
Co., May 11 th of that year. By the account of it 
published in the Rural New-Yorker, 18(17, p. 174, 
it appears that Levi Noble, Jr., entered a two year 
old mm for competition.*) The present fleece was 
sheared aud weighed in the presence of the members 
of the Ontario and Livingston Co. Association, and 
therefore its published weight requires no further 
proof. The superintendent of the scouring, J. C. 
Short, who delivered the wool at the mill for 
scouring, is pronounced by his neighbors to be a 
man of entire probity. We know him personally, 
and believe such to be the fact. The fleece, when 
delivered by him, weighed but 24 lbs., according to 
the certificate of the scourers, having lost the other 
2 ozs. in drying. The more detailed certificate of 
the scourers, which we called for, has been furnish¬ 
ed, and is as follows : 
“ This is to certify that wc, N. W. Mather & Sons of 
Livonia, Livingston Co., N. Y., are engaged in me manu¬ 
facture of wooien goods of various kinds,— heavy Ciu-sl- 
-meres, some lino cloth, fianneis or.d stocking yarn, — 
mostly for customers. ilavo been engaged in the busi¬ 
ness over t wenty years formerly under tne name of N. W. 
Mather A Co., but recently a.- N. W. itUmti: A Sons. 
“For scouring wool we use soap aud urine; bring the 
liquor to nearly a boiling heat; let the wool remain in for 
twenty or thirty minutes; then rinse tuorongbly with 
cold water. (Here follows the same statement of the de¬ 
livery of the wool by M r. Shout, oi its weight when 
brought, and its weight alter cleansing, published last 
week.) The fleeces wove subjected to lire above process 
of scouring, taking particular pains with each fleece to 
have it well scoured for our manufacturing purpores. 
“ N. W, Mather a Sons.” 
It is the concurrent testimony of our correspond¬ 
ents that the Messrs. Mather enjoy the entire con¬ 
fidence of the community about them, as hone&t and 
reliable men. We learn further that, by the consent 
of the owner, the fieece of Mr. Noble’s ram is and 
will be preserved by itself, for a considerable period, 
so that it can be examined by all who feel an inter¬ 
est in the matter. 
There can be no reasonable doubt, under tbe 
above showing, that all the parties connected with 
this scouring have acted in good faith throughout. 
The only possible loop-hole we can see for an error, 
is in respect to the perfectness of the scouring. 
That Mather A Sons scoured the wool as well as 
they usually do lor their “ manufacturing pur¬ 
poses,” we entertain no doubt, and probably of 
tbe two, better, as they say they took “ par- 
•tieular pains. ” We are not familiar with their 
vnode of scouring or its results. But we do not 
know why it is not a thorough one. If it is not, 
the fact can and ought to be shown. If any expert 
questions the proper cleanliness of the wool, he, as 
we have already said, can have the opportunity of 
examining it. We use the qualifying word “ proper” 
advisedly. No wool is scoured absolutely clean by 
manufacturers. It is scoured only as clean as util¬ 
ity requires in the manufactures to which it is ap¬ 
plied,—and this in the ease of “ fine cloths,” Ac., is 
approximately clean. Wool scoured clean enough 
for such fabrics—as cleau as the skillful manufactur¬ 
er's of such fabrics usually scour their wools—is the 
standard aimed at in all these scouring tests. 
A specimen of the scoured fleece of the Noble’s 
ram has been sent to us. It is coarse for Merino 
wool, and is obviously of unusual length. The ac¬ 
tual length cannot be determined in its present, 
situation. We have obtained no uncleansed sample. 
One correspondent, who saw the ram at the public 
shearing, but did not measure the wool, puts it at 
8 }4 inches long, and says it was very thick. Another 
says it was nearly four inches long, aud eoucurs in 
respect to thickness. It is agreed by all that the 
ram was in good condition when sheared. 
As we have usually given pedigrees in case of rams 
.producing extraordinary scoured fleeces, we will 
give that of the Noble’s ram as it has been furnish¬ 
ed to us“ He was got by Tiger, bred by Wat. R. 
Pitts of Honeoye, N. Y., and owned by J. C. A S. T. 
Short of Hemlock Lake, Livingston Co., N. Y. 
Tiger was got by Cub, by Old Dick, by Old Robin¬ 
son of Yt. Dam of Cub by the Peck A Leach ram, 
bred by Mr. Cctting of Vt. Dam of Tiger, bred by 
•J. C. Taeet of West Bloomfield, N. Y., and got by 
his Gardner ram, by Young Matchless, by Woos¬ 
ter. The dam of the Noble’s ram was got by D. L. 
. Weather and Grots at the West.—B y a gentleman 
just reiurned from the West, where he has been visiting 
for some weeks, we learn that the drouth all through the 
States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin Is very 
severe, endangering the potato crop through all that 
region, as well as here and at the East. It is clear that 
the drouth extends across the Continent. There is some 
recompense in the fact that the hay and wheat crops— 
heavy ones, e.-pecially the latter—have been gathered in 
excellent oruer, Corn Is suffering some, but can stand 
long continued dry' weather much better than the potato, 
which requires seasonable moisture to perfect the tubers. 
— Later advices tell of copious rains. A letter from 
J. W. Holcomb of Juuean Co , Wri , dated July 26, says: 
“The drouth which has been raging is now over. For 
five long weeks we have had no rain until the 21st, when 
a copious shower put. au end to the anxiety of farmers. 
Crops look well. In spite ot the dry w eather wheat prom¬ 
ises to be a splendid crop, as Uo oats, corn, aud nearly all 
soils of grain, The hay crop is very light Hops never 
looked better. The potato bug is doing some damage, 
yet there will be plenty of potatoes in spite of bugs. 
Fruit is nearly a failure; there will be a few apples, how¬ 
ever. Small fruits of all kinds were iujured by the 
drouth. 1 have not heard of the hop louse being seen 
yet this year. Iiop growers are expecting a large yield 
in this county, and also in bank.” 
Forgot the Rooster. —The Berkshire (Mass.) 
Eagle relates that the family of a clergyman in that 
region thought it would be a good plan to do a lit 
tie poultry business for domestic consumption. 
Accordingly a number of hens were purchased, and 
the egg yield satisfactory. A look ahead indicated 
the propriety of having some chickens, and a hen 
was set accordingly. The prescribed three weeks 
ran by, but. never a chick appeared. Auotker week, 
and still no chicken music. Inquiry was made of 
those versed in poultry matters, when the discovery 
was made that the poultry yard was minus the male 
bird. Not being a layer, his presence was deemed 
superfluous. 
Some of our readers will remember that in May 
last, H. F. Buckley of California purchased aud 
took home with him twelve sheep drawn from the 
celebrated Cotswold flock of John D. Wing of 
Washington, Dutchess Co., N, i'. The price did 
not transpire, but it was understood to be a good 
one. They reached their destination in good order, 
aud were so well liked that Mr. Buckley immedi¬ 
ately returned for more, lie purchased twenty-live 
head of Mr. WING, including a number of lambs. 
The lot embraced several of Mr. W.’s prize sheep. 
Mr. Wing has quite a number of Cotawoids now 
in England, or on the ocean, selected from the best 
flocks. Two of the rams are considered of particu¬ 
larly choice blood. He is resolved to keep up his 
llock in numbers, and to the highest point of qual¬ 
ity. His clip of wool this yearaveraged over twelve 
pounds per head in his flock of breeding ewes. He 
is resolved to carry up the average to fourteen or 
fifteen pounds. 
Wc are glad to see these valuable sheep spreading 
throughout the country. They are a highly profit¬ 
able mutton variety, and their wool supplies one of 
the imnortant desiderata of manufactures aud trade. 
“ Highland Stock Farm,” Belmont, Mass. — Win- 
throp W. CnENERY, Esq., has on tki: Jarui, in Middlesex 
Co.. Mass., a choice lot of farm stock, consisting of 
thorough bred horses, Holstein bulls, cows and heiiers, 
and Long iVouled sheep of the Texel breed. The Hol¬ 
stein stock has been awarded silver medals — sweep- 
stakes — by the New England Agricultural Society, and 
flatteringly mentioned in the Report of the Department 
of Agriculture, as .well as by several influential journals, 
A portrait of one of his Holstein bulls, “Van Tromp,” 
Will he found on our flrst page. 
A Bee Story. —Here is a bee story which the 
reader can credit or not, as his apiarian experience 
and credulity may dictate:—“ There is a farmer at 
Mentz who keeps many .swarms of bees which come 
into his room every ujliraing when he opens tbe 
window. They buzz and fly about bi& head until 
he bids them alight. They then settle down on his 
arms and he looks as if he wore a pair of immense 
muff-. When the servant announces breakfast they 
immediately, without being told, proceed to the table 
and cover the space not occupied by the dishes. Be¬ 
fore commencing to eat the farmer ordei’6 his honey- 
makers to their hives, whither they go after having 
in turn touched his face as if to kiss him.” 
Plowing by Steam. 
A trial of a steam plow has been had near 
San Francisco with a very satisfactory result accord¬ 
ing to a statement in the California Farmer. It was 
put. to work upon a road, which was as compact as 
long travel could make it, aud cut it up in excellent 
style. It is equal to the task of plowing and seed¬ 
ing fifty acres per day in the most acceptable manner. 
A heading attachment will enable the machine to 
thrash and clean fifty acres of wheat in a day. 
Catalogue op SnonT-Hor.N Cattle. —We have re¬ 
ceived a catalogue —the fourth of the series —of the 
Short-Horn cattle, tko property nf Ezra Cornell, Esq., 
Forest Park, Ithaca, New York The stock comprises 
four bulls and tbirty-three cows and heifers, all of whose 
pedigrees are fully traced. Mr. G. says“ A prominent 
feature of my herd is Lucy Ann and her ten daughters 
and grand-daughters, a family of remarkable excellence. 
For their uniform superiority in the valuable qualities of 
hardiness, of flesh carriers, and good milkers, I have 
never known their equals.” 
Holding On. 
As a general rule it is the safest way for the 
farmer, who has surplus commodities for sale, to 
dispose of them when remunerative prices are 
offered. Last fall hops ruled quite high in the mar¬ 
ket, a fair article being worth fifty cents per pouud, 
but as higher rates had obtained during the war 
holders were generally indisposed to sell, and the 
result is a considerable loss if present rates are ac¬ 
cepted. Should the incoming crop equal that of the 
preceding year the indications are that prices will 
rule comparatively low for some time to come. It 
is not likely that the depression of ten or twelve 
years figo will be reached, and equally improbable is 
it that the elevation of the war period will be at¬ 
tained during the present generation. The general 
tendency of prices is towards a medium rather than 
to extremes in either direction. 
Insects Injurious and BENErtoiAi..— There lias just 
issued from the Press of the Essex Institute, Salem, 
Mass., part one of “A guide to the study of insects,” by 
A, S. Packard, Jr., M. D. It opens with that branch of 
the animal kingdom denominated articalaUc, profusely 
illustrated, and accompanied by carefully prepared letter 
press descriptions ol the several insects illustrated in the 
number. It is printed on tine paper, in convenient form 
to bind, and must prove Instructive to all the lovers of 
natural history. Price 50 cents per number. 
Singular Freak in Bees.— A New Brunswick 
correspondent of the Country Gentleman furnishes 
the following account of a strange freak of a swarm 
of bees: — “Last fall one of my neighbors discov¬ 
ered, while mowing his oats, a colony of bees which 
had taken up a lodgment on two thistle stalks, and 
built comb, and bred there till they had a somewhat 
globular dwelling containing about a cubic foot of 
comb. They had no shelter whatever except the 
thistles and standing grain. Such an occurrence 1 
have never heard of elsewhere.” 
THE WOOLEN MANUFACTURERS’ ASSO 
CIATION OF THE NORTHWEST. 
The following card is published in the Chicago 
papers: 
Tbe objects which this association proposes to accom¬ 
plish are. an organization that shall embrace every man¬ 
ufacturer in the Northwest: the collection and dissemi¬ 
nation of theoretical, practical and statistical information 
relating to the production and preparation of the staple 
and the manufacture of woolen goods; to excite the 
pride of manufacturers, and stimulate them to increased 
excellence in their productions: to call the attention of 
consumers t<> the importance of encouraging domestic 
manufactures by a more liberal patronage, and to give an 
annual Exposition of wool aud woolen goods. 
Nearly one hundred woolen manufacturers have joined 
this organization up to the present date. An Exposition 
wilt be held on the 4th, ,jt,li and 6;h of August, in the 
new, commodious and eligible building now being erect¬ 
ed by Hon. J. Vounq Bcammon, on Randolph street, near 
Dearborn Park. This building wifi afford an area of 
40,000 square feet of space. Up to the present date, Jnly 
is, thirty nine manufacturers have registered about 1,200 
lots of Western-made goods for exhibition, and it is 
probable that this amount wifi be more riian doubled, ex¬ 
clusive of Eastern offerings. The officers arc confident 
the Exposition will prove entirely successful. Manufac¬ 
tures who have not already shipped the goods they intend 
to exhibit, should do so at once. A trade sale of speci¬ 
mens exhibited, and duplicates of the same, will be held 
on the last day of the Exposition, Aug. 0, to which the 
merchants of tbe Northwest are invited. Daring the 
progress of the Exposition addresses on topics connected 
with wool growing ami woolen nmnqfactnring will be de¬ 
livered. The complete programme will be published 
during the coming week, announcing speakers and the 
order of exercises. Leo. 8. Bowen, President, 
Jesse McAllister, Secretary. 
Kansas Agricultural College.— This institution is 
located near Manhattan, some hundred miles west of 
Leavenworth City, and is beginning to get into working 
order. The Kansas Farmer notices the institution at 
considerable length, and closes by saying; — “In our 
humble judgment, the school wilt never give its full 
blessings to the world until manual labor forms part of 
the system of education, and children are trained to do 
as well as think, to apply as well at master the rales and 
theories taught them.” 
New Variety of Barley. 
The editor of the California Farmer lately went 
out on a prospecting tour, among the fields which 
environ the Queen City of the Pacific, and was so 
fortunate as to diecover a new variety of barley, 
which is expected to take high rank in the commer¬ 
cial world. The Farmer says: — “ Noticing in a grain 
field some remarkably large and peculiar heads of 
barley, an examination was had which left no doubt 
as to its being an entirely new variety.” The heads 
have a peculiar safiron or golden tint, are very large 
and long, the berry of corresponding size, making it 
distinct from any other variety now grown in the 
State. The samples were gathered, and will he 
sown at the proper season, by way of experiment, 
though no doubt exists as to its superiority over 
any kindred variety. 
Fowls are gross feeders, and one would infer, from 
the readiness with which they partake of all kinds 
of garbage, that their constitutions were proof 
against ailments of every discription. But such is 
not the case; on the contrary, like the human 
biped, they are subject, both in the incipient and 
perfected stages of existence, to a variety of dis¬ 
eases, which it is desirable to remove, both as & 
matter of economy and duty. 
The character of the diseases most conspicuously 
developed in the poultry yard, and their manner of 
treatment, was dwelt upon at length in an essay 
read before the American Poultry Society at its late 
meeting in New York, by S. M. Saunders. Some 
of the most important features in that address are 
subjoined: 
The diseases of poultry, being taken in time, may 
not result in a serious malady, too often resulting in 
death; but procrastination is generally as fatal in 
poultry keeping as in anything else. 
The ailments of fowls may generally be traced to 
a variable temperature, to irregular, injudicious 
feeding, or to their being kept on ground that has 
become impure with their use of it. Judicious 
feeding, perfect cleanliness, and occasional removal 
to new gronnd, will, to a great extent, keep fowls 
healthy. 
The following are the principal diseases among 
them; 
Apoplexy , evinced by inflammation of the brain. 
Tracheal Inflammation, (or gapes,) with parasitic 
worms in the windpipe. 
Roup, which is highly infectious, and a very deadly 
disease, but if taken in time can be cured. The 
premonitory symptoms are a slight hoarseness and 
catching in the breath as if from cold. 
Moulting, with old fowls is often so severe that it 
carries them off. The young are also victims of leg 
weariness and bad feathering. 
Sickly fowls should always be removed from the 
fowl-house on the first symptom of illness, as they 
are generally ill-used by their companions,—pecked 
at, and evidently become objects of dislike. 
Killing Canada Thistles.—J. Pierce Bell, Blair 
C'o., Pa., writes tbe Cultivator and Country Gentleman 
concerning his treatment of the Canada thistle. When 
well up he cut them off, stopping their seeding, but they 
still lived on. Last fall after they were cut off and 
sprouted again, they were treated to a dose of salt, aud 
where well treated they blackened and died. The appli¬ 
cation is not a costly one, and has been pronounced 
effective in other cases besides the one here mentioned. 
New Potato Fly.—A short time since the Troy Times 
mentioned the appearance in that vicinity of a potato fly, 
different from any before seen there. It has appeared in 
the town of Argyle, Washington Co., N. Y.. and is very 
destructive. It has a small, black head, large, yellowish 
body, aud is from a quarter to half an inch loug. Those 
acquainted with the Weetern bug think this is the same, 
but not fully developed yet. 
n - gaper’s Separfmciti 
Wheat on Prairie Sod. 
In a recent number of Colman's Rural World 
was an account concerning the preparation of raw 
prairie ground for seeding to wheat. Several par¬ 
ties broke up prairie sod at the usual time last year, 
which was left till harvest was over when some of 
them harrowed the sod thoroughly and then cross- 
plowed the ground. As the season was very dry 
two of the number concluded that plowing a second 
time would allow the moisture, produced by the 
decaying sod to escape, and thus diminish the 
chances of a proper germination of the wheat when 
sown. The result justified this conclusion. The 
fields that were cross-plowed, and seeded with one 
and a half bushels to the acre, gave a yield of about 
ten bushels, while those that were not plowed again 
and seeded with two bushels produced over twenty 
bushels to the acre. The seed was sown on these 
last fallows precisely as they were left by the plow, 
and then thoroughly harrowed with the furrows. 
They were then cross-harrowed with equal effective¬ 
ness, with the result already stated. It is possible 
that, with a very wet season, a second plowing 
would prove advantageous, but with a very dry one 
the extra preparation was positively injurious if the 
results are to be accepted as proof in the case. 
D. L. Adair, Hawesville, Ky., in his new system 
of Bee-Keeping, devotes the initial chapter to the 
prominent characteristics of a bee colony. We give 
a summary of this chapter. A colony of bees con¬ 
sists of three classes — queen, workers and drones. 
The queen is a perfectly developed female, the 
workers imperfect females, laying eggs but rarely, 
and these produce only drones or male bees. The 
queen lives from four to live years, but loses her 
vigor after about three years, and, if not replaced 
by a young one, the colony will run out or become 
a very weak one on the score of workers. 
Some destroy the queen when supposed to be old, 
compelling the production of another one. Work¬ 
ers live from two to nine months, and the drones as 
long as the workers permit. Where a regular queen 
is in the hive, she produces all the eggs ; in default 
of one it is supposed a common worker is selected 
for the purpose, whose eggs produce only drones. 
The queen lays two kinds of eggs, male and female 
—the latter producing workers, the former drones. 
Female eggs axe laid in small cells, male in large ones. 
A healthy queen can produce three thousand eggs a 
day. She is armed with a sting, but only uses it 
when disputing supremacy with a rival. Fecunda¬ 
tion, by a drone, is essential to the production of 
Competing Trial op Ditching Machines.— Those in 
terested are referred to the Special Notice of Mr. A. La 
Tourkette, Jr., who accepts the challenge of the Chicago 
Ditching and Spading Machine Co., to test ditchers, the 
trial to take place near Rochester, Sept. 8th, or therea¬ 
bouts. Let us have a fair dig, and may the best machine 
win 1 
Propagating Trout.— Mr. Bridgman, Bellows Falls, 
is experimenting in the fish breeding line quite success¬ 
fully. He has constructed a pond of considerable ca¬ 
pacity, and has got about 50,000 young trout floating 
about in it. He intends to add a half a million more to 
the family at no distant day, when a five acre lot will be 
stocked. 
Great Yield op Barley.—A California farmer by the 
name of Gridlet, who cultivates some 3,000 acres of 
land, recently harvested fifty acres of barley, which aver¬ 
aged eighty bushels to the acre. This is a pretty tall 
figure, and its correctness might be doubted without sub¬ 
jecting one to the charge of stubborn incredulity. 
Papers Instead op Diplomas,— The officers of the 
Vernon Co. (Mo.) Agricultural Society have resolved to 
substitute Agricultural papers for Diplomas when mak¬ 
ing their awardB at the Fair the coming autumn. 
> He then weighed 95 lbs., and produced 15 lbs. 2 oz. 
wool. ’ . 
