9 
i, »d i r 5 ' 
Montezuma ? Will “ F.” of Orleans Co., N. Y., tell 
tlie readers of the Rural ? 
It is as important to prepare a good seed bed by 
deep and thorough tillage, for grass and clover, as 
for any seed whatever. Bushes and briars should be 
cut and the roots extracted by grubbing in July and 
August; and broom sedge muet be killed by plow¬ 
ing both ways around stumps at the same time. 
Bear in mind that one weed left to produce Beed by 
the thousand, will do you great harm; therefore, 
destroy all before sowing grass seed. Pure grass 
seed and clover seed will sell high among those that 
know your thorough system; and, with fresh land 
to operate on, one may build up a capital seed busi¬ 
ness any where in the South. It has hundreds of 
thousands of old plantations which ought to be 
seeded, and made into 6heep walks and stock farms, 
including the large production of milk to be con¬ 
densed and exported, as well as butter and cheese. 
Here is a noble enterprise, open alike to all, with¬ 
out a particle of humbug about it. The country is 
remarkably healthy, and has many advantages over 
a new region, where industry, art and science have 
done nothing. D. Lee. 
Gap Creek, Knox Co., Term. 
EDITED BY HENRY 8. RANDALL, LL. D. 
N. W. SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
At a business meeting of the Northwestern Sheep 
Breeders’ Association, May 7th, the President, D. 
W. Gates, Esq. of Belyidere, Ill., and J. H. Fitch, 
Esq., Secretary, of the same place, were chosen dele¬ 
gates to the National Wool Growers’ Association, 
and ordered to notify the President thereof of the 
same. 
WHAT MAKES A GOOD RAMP 
The above question is asked by a gentleman in 
New York, who proposes to embark in Merino 
sheep breeding and wool growing in Missouri. 
We have given in Chapter VII of the Practical 
Shepherd, rather fully, and in other portions of the 
same work, Incidentally, what we regard to be the 
proper points of Merino sheep. Certain desirable 
characteristics of the ram are specially alluded to 
in Chapter XL Our correspondent will find our 
views much more fully given than we have space to 
give them here, and for all details we refer him to 
that work. In some particulars breeders’ fashions 
have fluctuated a little since it was written, es¬ 
pecially among what may be termed “ sensational ” 
breeders —the class who seek notoriety by getting 
up astonishing novelties and extremes and “ run¬ 
ning them into the ground” as deep as possible. 
Thus we have had “grease” and “ wriukle” manias 
which out-Heroded Herod, &c., Oxc. But first- 
class breeders have not given way to these in¬ 
jurious innovations, and though sheep exhibiting 
such extremes have appeared in their flocks, it will 
be noticed that they are not extensively kept by 
such men as breediug sheep. They are good ani¬ 
mals to sell to speculators and excited green horns, 
but not good ones to keep as the basis of the flock. 
On the whole, we are quite content to stand by our 
description of the good points of Merinos in the 
work alluded to. “ What is writ is writ.” 
To answer the question of our correspondent as 
briefly and comprehensively as he puts it, we an¬ 
swer that what makes a good ram is the. netting r\f 
good stock. This of course implies purity of blood, 
as “good stock” must not only be individually 
good, but it must possess the fullest power of 
transmitting its good qualities to descendants. 
Second, it usually implies individual excellence in 
the ram, and descent from ancestors possessing in¬ 
dividual excellence — for in such, good points or 
qualities are best “established," and consequently 
should be best transmitted. Yet all these things 
do not necessarily make a good ram. Such rams 
not unfrequently make comparative failures —and 
for that matter so do bulls, stallions and perhaps 
all other male animals of the same superior preten¬ 
sions. 
There is one final test to which all sire animals 
must be submitted before they can be confidently 
pronounced first-class stock getters. The proof of 
the pudding is in eating it. The proof of the qual¬ 
ities of a stock ram is in using him and noting 
the qualities of his progeny. Buying an untried 
ram, under the expectation of obtaining a first-class 
one, is to some extent like buying a lottery ticket. 
If bought from a very superior flock, it is true few 
will prove absolute blanks, but even then some 
quite small prizes will be drawn. The art of man 
cannot determine in advance whether an untried 
ram, whatever his pedigree or apparent excellence, 
will jirove a first prize; —or which of two or more 
of about equal pretensions will prove best. We 
have a marked example of these facts in view. A 
distinguished breeder had four ram lambs got by 
the same ram, which in his own judgment and in 
that of other persons were decidedly superior to 
the rest of his drop of that year. Two of these 
were superior to the other two, and were from the 
most noted dams. The breeder sold the choice 
of the four, and retained the next and used him as 
a breeding ram. OF the remaining two one was 
sold and the other retained*. The first two (the 
first and second choices of the lot,) proved good, 
fair stock rarus, and that was ail; the third gave 
full satisfaction to his purchasers, (who bought 
him at a very high figure,) but we have never seen 
his stock; the fourth became, by common consent, 
one of the best Merino stock rams the world ever 
saw. We could cite an innumerable number of 
such cases. 
These facts suggest something both to the breed¬ 
er and buyer — to the former that he test his most 
promising rams before using them extensively;—to 
the buyer that he purchase, if practicable, rams 
which have been tried and found to get such stock as 
he wants. 
This is especially important in regard to what are 
termed “ fancy ” points. These are not transmitted 
from sire to progeny with anything like as much 
certainty as the more substantial qualities, such as 
good form, thick fleece, long fleece, Arc. A very 
yolky or wrinkly ram often gets comparatively dry 
wooled or smooth skinned progeny, and vice versa. 
This may be because these fancy points, being com¬ 
paratively new, are not as well “established;" or 
it may be due to physiological causes not yet ascer¬ 
tained. Breeders differ as to the cause, but the fact 
is not disputed among those who have had extended 
opportunities for observation. 
Bayers, and especially new beginners, who pay a 
good price for rams, are usually anxious to get 
them quite young, because in the natural course of 
things they will live longer, and thus accomplish 
* The breeder retained liis choice of these two —but the 
purchasers also had their choice, for they got the one of the 
two which they preferred. 
7 
more for the owner. Others are influenced by the 
consideration that by baying teg3 they can come 
nearer getting the choice of a particular flock — or 
of the drop of that flock for one year — for by the 
time the rams have reached the second or third 
year the best ones have been picked eut. But he 
who can buy a tried ram — whose stock has beea 
seen by him and which safeties him — can better 
afford to pay twice the price for even a four or five 
year old ram (which has not been over fed or over 
worked,) than to take an untried teg of equal pedi¬ 
gree and appearance. To a breeder fifty Iambs 
which suit—which are a very decided improvement 
on the previous flock — are of more actual value 
than one hundred and fifty lambs which only keep 
things about in the “ old notch.” 
These views are more particularly addressed to 
breeders, L e. to persons who aim to grow choice and 
highly improved sheep in order to sell them at extra 
prices for breeding purposes. To the wool grower, 
whose primary object is to produce and sell wool,— 
who does not aim to be a “ram seller,” — they are 
far less important. But even he will find it to his 
advantage to use no ram extensively, whether he 
buys him or raises him, which has not been pre¬ 
viously proved as a stock getter. 
-- 
USING RAM TEGS. 
A California correspondent asks“ Will it do 
to put ram lambs to ewes, and if so how far may 
they safely be used t Is their stock as good as that 
of older rams ?” 
We have always considered it very objectionable 
to rely on ram tegs for serving a flock. Running at 
large with the ewes, they soon become incompetent 
to keep up with the demands on them and do not 
impregnate with much certainty; and thi6 prema¬ 
ture work is highly injurious to the young rams 
themselves. It checks their growth, exhausts their 
strength, and permanently impairs their constitu¬ 
tional vigor. They frequently die the succeeding 
winter, even though well fed and cared for. When 
they do survive and ultimately attain their natural 
growth, they are les& apt to be “sure” getters, 
and we believe they cannot be relied on to get as 
perfect offspring as they would have done without 
such early drain on their strength and powers of 
procreation. 
Some of the best breeders put their reserved ram 
tegs, when large and strong, to a few ewes each 
(single service) to test their qualities in advance as 
stock rams; and for that object, the practice is a 
good one. We have known them thus put to as 
many as fifteen ewes each, without apparent injury, 
where the after treatment was judicious; but we 
would prefer to limit the services of a valuable teg 
to half a dozen ewes. Any amount of service has a 
tendency to render them unquiet and, so far as it 
does so, it detracts from their growth and condi¬ 
tion. We have seen them become exceedingly rest¬ 
less, crawling through or scaling inclosures, neglect¬ 
ing their feed, Ac, 
In relation to the quality of the stock of ram tegs, 
theoretical considerations would seem to indicate 
that it should be less perfect in some respects— 
less large and strong, for example—than that of 
mature rams. We have bred so little in that way, 
that we cannot speak on this point from an ex¬ 
tensive personal experience; but so far as we have 
observed in other flocks in which individual pedi¬ 
grees are preserved carefully, we are constrained to 
admit that the progeny of tegs, whose services are 
limited to a very few ewes, are as large and strong, 
and are as liable to inherit the valuable character¬ 
istics of the sire, an the j.rogfvny of fuL] grown rams. 
By turning to the pedigrees on page 121 of the 
Practical Shepherd, it will be seen that three of 
the most distinguished rams there named —Gold 
Drop, Sweepstakes and Old Greasy—and the highly 
celebrated ewes, Old Queen and the Lawrence ewe, 
were got by tegs. We could cite numerous other 
examples of the same kind. 
CROSSING MERINO AND ENGLISH SHEEP. 
A buter in Philadelphia sends us a sample of 
wool from the get of a Cotswold ram and Merino 
ewe, which he assures us has been pronounced “just 
such wool as the market now needs;” and he ex¬ 
patiates with unction on the utility of such a cross. 
Buch are the crude views of a person who knows 
nothing experimentally of sheep breeding, and who 
has not even taken the pains to inform himself the¬ 
oretically on the subject The wool is dry and 
light, and therefore in the present overturned condi¬ 
tion of the wool markets may be in good demand— 
may sell for as much and possibly more than heavy 
Merino wool. It will do very well for worsted 
braids and some other fabrics: but for general pur¬ 
poses, it is inferior as a combing wool to Cotswold, 
or as a clothing wool to Merino. It is neither prop¬ 
erly one thing nor the other; and were the country 
as heavily stocked with it as Merino wool, it would 
find no remunerative market at all, 
This crossing of distinct and the most widely dif¬ 
ferent races of sheep in order to combine the excel¬ 
lencies of each, and in the expectation of improving 
each, is about as practicable and sensible as would 
be an attempt to get up a machine which, on land, 
would be a locomotive and train of cars, and at sea 
a steam vessel, each in its place “just what is 
needed ! ” A division in production is as necessary 
as a division in labor. Mongrelizing races is some¬ 
times expedient where the object is to breed out, or 
get rid as far as possible of one of them: but experi¬ 
ence has invariably shown that a middle line be¬ 
tween the two cannot be maintained in breeding; 
and that the peculiar excellencies oi wholly different 
staples — IoBg wool aud short wool, fine and coarse, 
highly felting and comparatively non-felting wool, 
for example — cannot possibly be preserved on the 
same animal. The nonsense of such an attempt as 
between Merino and Cotswolds ought to be appa¬ 
rent to every person who never saw but one sheep 
of each breed. 
LEWIS COUNTY DAIRY BARN. 
The Utica Herald gives a description of a large 
dairy barn owned by Lyman R. Lyon, Lewis Co., N. 
Y. It is 230 feet long, 48 wide, and 70 high. The 
frame portion, rests upon a substantial stone found¬ 
ation or basement, whose walls are twenty-five feet 
high. It has a hip roof. The drive-way is elevated 
50 feet above the stables, and on each side of which 
are the hay bays reaching 20 feet below it, with a 
capacity, at this height, of 000 tons. Along the 
center of the bays, at suitable distances, are 11 tubs 
or wells for delivering hay to the stock in the stables 
below. These will hold 200 head of cattle which 
are confined by stanchions of an unproved pattern. 
The stables, are so arranged that the forward feet of 
the cattle rest upon the ground which prevents 
their slipping and enables them to rise with greater 
ease. The cows stand head to head, each has a feed 
box separated from the others. The hay is rolled 
from the wagons into the bay, hence there is no 
pitching up to do till after 000 tons or more are 
stored away. Loose floors are laid over the drive¬ 
way and bays, for the storage of grain in. the sheaf. 
A mill and feed-cutter is to be attached to the barn, 
rendering it complete in all particulars. 
MILK - SERIOUS QUESTIONS. 
“A Subscriber” asks:—“Will you please in¬ 
form me, through the columns of the Rural, what 
kind of milk ought to be expected of milkmen who 
pretend to deliver 1 pure milk ?’ i a .) Should it be 
just as obtained from the cow, or may the strippings 
be retained, or any of the cream taken there¬ 
from ? (b.) How do those manage, who say theirs is 
‘pure milk,’ and offer cream for sale?” (c.) 
(a.) We suppose that most people, who purchase 
milk, expect to get cheated some, and are disap¬ 
pointed if they don't. 
(&.) This is a tough question. People, who sell 
milk, usually consume some in the family at home, 
and we suppose it would be natural—that is human 
nature — to prefer the richer portion. They want 
some butter also, and this suggests saving cream. 
(c.) The answer to this question will be found in 
that of the preceding one. 
Finally—the milk question is a delicate one and 
the more it is stirred up the more chalk will be 
likely to come to the surface. 
--♦■>«•» ■- »- 
A SPRING OR DAIRY HOUSE. 
A writer iu the New Hampshire Farmer says he 
constructed a dairy or 6pring house, several years 
ago, which has given entire satisfaction. The build¬ 
ing is circular and may be of such diameter as the 
necessities of the farm may require. The floor is 
cemented on the earth and the walls made of brick 
or stone, and should be high enough to give the 
ceiling an elevation of from ten to twelve feet. 
The building, if to be supplied with water from a 
spring, should be placed 60 far below the head as to 
allow the water a free flow into the sink in which 
the milk pans are placed. It enters at one end and 
is discharged at the other. This sink is in the shape 
of a horse shoe, the opening at the heei, fronting 
the door. It is made of Iron eighteen inches wide 
at the top, and thirteen inches at the bottom, and 
of a length corresponding to the size of the build¬ 
ing. It should be from two aud a half to three feet 
above the floor. Another sink can he placed above 
this if desirable — the water entering the upper one 
from the discharging pipe and flowing around and 
down to the lower one, discharging at the end of the 
double circuit. This plan would seem to promise a 
very convenient house for a farm and butter dairy. 
A MILK VENDER IN A TIGHT PLACE. 
The Markham Economist, Canada, gives an ac¬ 
count of what happened to one of the patrons of a 
cheese factory there. A farmer, anxious to make 
all he could out of his dairy stock, thought a little 
cheating would help along, if not detected. He 
skimmed a portion of his milk and mixed it with 
the fresh, aud sent it along. Nothing being said he 
thought he might venture a little further and added 
water also, reducing the milk sometimes fifty pier 
cent, below the standard for that article. The man¬ 
ager, of the factory, detected the fraud at first aud 
subjected all subsequent contributions to the test of 
the lactometer and old daily the deficiency in the 
mtik register. After\>me days his milk was de¬ 
clined as the cheating was regularly carried on and 
the reason communicated to him, as also the means 
of his detection. Ho had the face, after his expos¬ 
ure, to demand full pay, bat was told that he could 
only get it when accorded by a judicial award, if he 
chOEe to make an appeal to the courts. Not liking 
this formal exposure he finally concluded to give a 
receipt in full and take his pay with fifty per cent 
off'. Every farmer ought to be above such acts of 
knavery as this, even though certain of escaping an 
exposure. 
DAIRY ITEMS. 
To Keep Bust From Cream. — Take rattans and 
make hoops a little larger than the pans — stretch 
thin muslin across, thin enough to admit some air, 
but not flies aud mites. Cover the milk with these 
as soon as it is cool, and they will prove of great value- 
Exports of Butter and Cheese. — The exports of 
cheese to Great Britain from the United States for 
ten years ending May 1, 1S68, amounted to 355,181,- 
000 pounds. The butter exported for the same pe¬ 
riod was 110,732,684 pounds. 
Butter Factory. —The Warsaw New-Yorker states 
that the butter factory at Lyonsburg is doing a 
thriving business. It turns out about 200 pounds 
daily, and, packed in Orange county pails, sells 
readily at the factory at 45 cents per pound — some 
12 cents more than common farm dairy butter. They 
make cheese from the milk, which sells for from 13 
to 15 cents per pound. 
Novel Cheese Hoop.—A new cheese hoop has been 
introduced among the dairymen in the Eastern sec¬ 
tion of the State. It is made of metal aud has a 
malleable iron clasp or lock which, when opened with 
a key, lets the hoop free from cheese and follower 
at once. These hoops greatly facilitate the labor of 
handling cheese, a point of considerable conse¬ 
quence in a large dairy. 
Corn for Soiling. — Those farmers having dairy 
stock will find corn sown late for fodder a great aid 
to them during the jirevalenee of the dry weather in 
August. If any have failed to provide themselves 
with this resource the present year they should be 
admonished by the drouth now prevailing to make 
suitable provision for future years. They may find 
a temporary resource in the aftermath of their mead¬ 
ows, but it will be at the expense of the next year’s 
hay crop. 
Purslane for Cotes. — “Agricola” writes the Jour¬ 
nal of Agriculture that, running short of proper 
food for his dairy stock, he pulled a fine growth of 
purslane from between the rows of currant bushes, 
raspberry and grape vines and fed it daily to the 
cows. It was eaten with avidity by them, affording 
an increased flow of very rich milk, This plant is 
not bad for men to take in the shape of greens. 
Boiled and vinegared it is first rate eating and health¬ 
ful withal. 
Bilims Fever in Cattle.— An experienced farmer of 
Virginia, F. G. Ruffin, writes the Southern Planter 
concerning red water or bilious fever in cattle, pro¬ 
posing, as a remedy, BUgar or molasseB — the 6ngar 
as a bolus, and the molasses as a drench —a pint of 
the former and a gallon of the latter as a dose, to be 
repeated till death occurs or relief is obtained. When 
relieved a teaspoonful of calomel may he given. A 
case is mentioned where a cure was affected by the 
use of a gallon of Eorghum. A preventive is also 
given —the most important of all — consisting of 
salt, one gallon, half a pint of the flour of sulphur; 
the same of saltpeter; copperas one gill. Pulverize 
thoroughly and place it where the cows can partake 
of it daily. Mr. R, says that after preparing this for 
his cows he had no more trouble from red water. 
The Cheese Market. —The Utica Herald states that 
the cheese market at Little Falls Aug. 81st showed 
no improvement in prices from those of the previous 
week. The deliveries aggregate about S00 boxes, 
mostly from dairies. 14^(5:15c. for good to fair, and 
16c. for extra. No factories were sold. Advices 
from Liverpool to August 15th, note the imports 
for the week at 31.349 boxes, which were speedily 
cleared off after landing at 54s. to 58s. for medium 
to good grades, and 63s. for extra lots. It is pre¬ 
dicted that short pasturage in England will tend 
to advance the price of cheese materially the pres¬ 
ent fall. 
Jersey Cotes. —The N. Y. Evening Post, in response 
t,o an inquiry about the price of a good Jersey or 
Alderney cow for dairy use, says a fair animal, of this 
kind, may be bought for from 8200 to $350. If the 
pedigree is undoubted and the dairy quality known 
to be of an extraordinary character, $50 more may 
be added to the price. This would give three York 
shillings per pound, live weight, assuming the ani¬ 
mal to weigh 800 pounds on foot, which is a liberal 
estimate for a cow of this character. Fifty years 
ago such prices, for dairy stock, were not among 
the imaginings of the then future—though sheep had 
then commenced to bring prices well np among the 
hundreds. 
Cotes and Ergot. — The Journal and Courier of 
Little Falls publishes a letter from Col. P. Austin 
in reference to abortion in cows. His investigations 
have been made in connection with the State Com¬ 
mission having the matter in charge, and his letter 
probably foreshadows the character of the Report 
which is to follow. He imputes abortion in cows to 
ergot which they eat while feeding on the grasses to 
which this pertains as well as to grains. It was 
found in the pastures, examined by him, but had 
been entirely overlooked by the owners, who gen¬ 
erally seemed ignorant of its pernicious character. 
This is not a new solution of the question but sim¬ 
ply an endorsement of an old one. It-s correctness 
is seriously questioned by Mr. Willard, in the 
Utica Herald, who has given the subject a large 
share of attention for several years. 
Ipurit of % J?ms. 
Muck as a Manure. 
The Maine Farmer, discoursing on muck as a 
manure, thinks a great mistake is generally made in 
applying it to the soil in an immature state. It is 
recommended to cut it out in blocks suitable for 
handling, and cord it ap in rows, where It should 
remain at least two years before being composted 
in the barnyard or spread upon the soil in its natu¬ 
ral state. Age improves it greatly, and where it is 
found in accessible places and in quantities to make 
it an object as a fertilizer, it is a paying business to 
dig and cord it up so that a supply may be always 
on hand of the suitable ripeness to give vigor to the 
soil to which it is applied without the process of 
composting. Early autumn is a good time to re¬ 
move it from the beds, as it is more readily handled 
than when saturated with fall rains. 
Pastures and Bushes. 
Many years since we commenced cutting bushes 
in a pasture lot the latter part of August as that was 
supposed to be the beet time to secure the death of 
many of them. While thus engaged, a neighbor 
came along and said cutting bushes, on pastures, 
was a useless labor, iu fact a detriment to the stock 
fed upon them. One of his reasons for letting them 
alone was that they furnished a means for the 
cattle to brush the flies from themselves, by passing 
through the bush clusters, and another was that they 
shaded the ground and prevented it from drying up 
in the warm Bummer days. Finally, that more grass 
grew, on the whole, in consequence of the influence 
exerted by the bushes. Fortified by these reasons, 
bushes were a favorite in this man’s pasture, and 
continued so till they got control of nearly the 
whole surface, while what grass spots remained were 
both yellow and sour. This apologist for bushes 
finally conceded that one might have too much of 
even a good thing, and proceeded to cut his bushes 
after which the ground was broken up, cultivated 
and re-seeded to pasture. 
A New Species of Coffee. 
The McMinville (Teun.)Enterprise, notes anew 
species of coffee growing in a garden in that town, 
which promises to be quite an acquisition. The 
seed came from Australia, and on being tested, was 
found nearly equal to the Rio, and hardly distin¬ 
guished from it, when served for the table. The 
Enterprise adds:—“ It is planted about the first of 
May, and is cultivated like corn, and is said to pro¬ 
duce in any latitude where that crop does. The 
growth is somewhat peculiar in its appearance, and 
remains green to the coming of frost, ripening and 
bearing for several weeks previous thereto. It 
grows in small pods, containing each one or two 
grains, which when scalded for the purpose of re¬ 
moving a skin-like covering, separate into halves, 
like coffee grains. When green the taste is very 
much like that of a pea; but when parched and 
ground it has the smell and taste of coffee. Whether 
it will prove to be a substitute for Rio and other 
coffees, remains to be Been upon a thorough trial. 
But we incline to the opinion, having drank a cup of 
it, that it will justify the experiment. The plant is 
now in pod, and in the months of August and Sep¬ 
tember it will show to advantage.” 
Setting- Fence Posts. 
The editor of the Journal of Agriculture, St. 
Louis, Mo., recently paid a visit to the northwest¬ 
ern section of that State, and made note of certain 
things witnessed along the route. Among these is 
mentioned fence making in the prairie or cleared 
region, and the manner of setting the fence posts. 
The common method of digging holes for posts 
with a spade is falling into disrepute there, and is 
superseded by the pile driver used about our public 
works. The construction and operation of these 
drivers are familiar to most fanners, and need not 
be particularly described. The frame is erected on 
runners, like those of a sled, for the convenience 
of moving from one post to another. The frame is 
of wood, and bo is the driver—a block of solid, sea¬ 
soned oak, of ample weight to Bend down the fence 
post to the proper depth. It is operated by a crank 
or by horses, and costs for construction about $25. 
Two men and a team will drive about three-fourths 
of a mile of posts iu a day. The posts are sharp¬ 
ened or pointed, and usually sent to the proper 
depth by two applications of the wooden driver or 
monkey. One of these drivers in a neighborhood 
would often be of great service to the farming com¬ 
munity. 
ilote antr 
||f*m s. 
The Weather. Crops. &c.— 1 The drouth in Western 
N. Y. is ended. During the night of the 6th, and on the 
following day, the rain fell steadily and in sufficient quan¬ 
tity to saturate the soil and afford moisture enough for 
the wants or crops. Grass for fall feed will derive new 
vigor therefrom, and late varieties of potatoes, which 
have yet green tups, will have a chanee of making a fair 
crop. The soil ie put in better condition for working, 
and in a better state for seeding with winter grain. Some 
showers fell during the previous week,—but they were 
generally iuso flic lent, The last storm, however, has 
given moisture enough. There is full an average breadth 
being prepared for wheat. Corn is very forward, consid¬ 
erable being cut in August. Such, however, ripened pre¬ 
maturely and cannot yield well. Fall feed is short, bnt 
stock is not over abundant. The straw stacks are large, 
and grain bins tolerably well filled 
V 
Transportation to the N. Y. State Faib —Stock 
and article* for the exhibition of the New York State 
Agricultural Society, to be held at Rochester September 
211. 30. and October 1 and 2,186S. will be transported free 
on the following railroad-;—New York Central, New 
York and Erie, Hudson River, Syracuse and Oswego, 
Syracuse and Binghamton, Albany and Susquehanna, 
Troy and Whitehall, Troy and Boston, Rome, Watertown 
and Ogdeneburgh, OgdenEburgh and Lake Champlain, 
Utica and Black River, Corry and Pittsburg Railroads ; 
also, People's Line Steamboat Company and New York 
and Troy Steamboat Company. 
The New England Fair, —The Fifth Annual Now 
England Fair was held at New Haven last week, com¬ 
mencing on Tuesday, September 1st, and closing on Fri¬ 
day. It is. reported to have been the most imposing and 
successful of the series. Though the opening day was 
attended by unpropitioue weather, the clouds soon 
moved off and were succeeded by a genial sun, which 
drew to the grounds a large concourse of people. On 
Thursday there were over 30.000 visitor? in attendance. 
The show of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, vege¬ 
tables, farm implements and manufacture? of various 
kinds, was uncommonly fall, and gave a lively aspect to 
the exhibition. We have not space for a detailed account 
of the Fair, but, from reports of it which have been re¬ 
ceived, it is safe to assume that it fully met the expecta¬ 
tions of the Society under whose auspices it was held. 
The pecuniary results are not yet made public, but 
judging from the press of people to the grounds we infer 
they cannot fail of proving highly satisfactory 
Crops in Texas.— In a communication from Millican, 
Texas, August 20th, ‘-Brazos" says:—‘-In this part of 
Texas our corn crop suffered from a protracted drouth, 
which damaged the forward corn, but the late has done 
well. and. altogether, we have a fine crop of corn and a 
fair average of cotton, which is to-day being ravaged by 
the worm, and it ie now quite uncertain if cotton will 
repay the labor of cultivation. Sweet potatoes are fine 
and abundant. Our farming iu this department is con¬ 
fined to the crops enumerated. The peaches were fine, 
bnt have passed away. When a boy I remember to have 
heard c*f peaches in October. Is there a variety that ma¬ 
tures in October r If so we should know and Introduce 
it, as those cultivated here mature in July and August.'' 
A few More Fairs.— We add the following to the list 
of Fairs previously published —notices of them should 
have been received earlier —and with them we close the 
list for this season. The occurrence of the Ohio State 
Fair was set down for Oct. It is correctly given below: 
Ohio State Fair, Toledo....Sept. 21—25 
NEW TORN — COUNTY. 
Niagara, Lockport.Sept. 24—2i> 
Orieane. Albion. .bept. 17—12 
Putnam, Carmel,.Sept. 16—IS 
Steuben, Bath.Oct. 6—S 
PENNSYLVANIA—COUNTY. 
Franklin, Chamberebnrg. .Oct. 6— 9 
-- 
The Texas Cattle Disease.—John J. Keiler, V. S., 
St. Louis, Mo., publishes in Column's Rural World his 
opinion concerning the cattle disease which has assumed 
marked prominence in many sections of the United 
States, He has come to the conclusion that the present 
disease "is produced by putrid exhalations of micro¬ 
scopical animals dropped in the excrement of parsing 
herds, or carried from their reeking and tainted bodies 
by winds, and deposited in the neighboring pastures.’’ 
He recommends the nse of carbolic add as the most cer¬ 
tain preventive and disinfectant, and Chlorate of Potassa 
as the best internal remedy. 
- 4—4 - 
Wind Mills Wanted.— "A firm in New York writes us 
• 
as follows r—" Learning that you can furnish os with in¬ 
formation about wind mill machines, we take the liberty 
of addressing yon on the subject, and will be obliged for 
any information, in the shape of circulars or otherwise, 
you can give up about them. Parties South wish to pur¬ 
chase to drain their swamp lands with,” Manufacturers 
will please note that we can distribute several scores of 
thousands of circulars, if properly placed in our adver¬ 
tising columns. 
Cradling Wheat. —The Omemec (Ont.j Standard 
states that Isaac Rea of Ops Township cut with a cradle 
eighteen acres of wheat in three days, commencing at 
7 o’clock each day. This is good work, especially in 
these days of reaping machines when the cradle is pass¬ 
ing out of use. This feat is not often excelled, but has 
been sometimes. 
-*.-♦- 
Rochester Business University.— This Commercial 
School is conducted by Mr. L. L. Williams, a gentleman 
well qualified to impart a business education. His adver¬ 
tisement appears in another column. 
4 ♦ ♦- 
RURAL BRIEF - MENT10N1NCS. 
To prevent Lima beans from rotting when planted early, 
the Germantown Telegraph recommends greasing the 
seed before planting. Do this thoroughly aiid no rot will 
occur. 
It is a fact worthy of remembrance that thirty or forty 
years ago fanners generally planted whole potatoes aud 
received doable or treble the quantity per acre now pro¬ 
duced. 
Tire Prairie Farmer notices a new method of making 
open ditches, by which they can be made one foot deep 
and two wide for five cents per rod, Cue man cut forty 
rods in one day. 
It is said that tan-bark placed around peach trees free 
from worms, will prove a protection against them for 
many succeeding years. All fruit trees may be benetitted 
by a Jike application. 
The California Farmer is looking ahead. Three years 
hence a steam plow is to run there, plowing and seeding 
sixty acres of wheat per day, while a steam harvester is 
to gather and sack an equal number of acres in the same 
time. 
A gardener out West makes toads useful, lie puts 
boards, with strips of wood under them, between the 
rows of vines as a shelter for toads in the day time. At 
night they sally forth and gobble up all the bugs about 
the premises. 
C. N, Bkmext made an experiment, with grain for his 
fowls. He boiled a quantity of buckwheat, and the vol¬ 
ume was tripled.— but the fowls eat it in the same ratio 
with no perceptible benefit from the boiling. He thinks 
corn is improved by the process. 
In some parts of France, milk intended for distant 
points is put in cans with screw tops or covers. These 
are turned down cloee on the liquid, which prevents agi¬ 
tation or churning when in transit. Wet clothe around 
the cans keep their contents cool. 
Several agricultural papers in the west have been dis¬ 
cussing the question whether the mole was or was not a 
vegetarian. Unanimity has finally been reached, and the 
mole convicted uu the testimony of grain found in the 
stomach of one. 
It is estimated that the rain fall in the Northern States 
yearly is 40 inches, the Southern States 50. Minnesota, 
Western California and Colorado 30, Nebraska and Utah 
20, Kansas and Wcstarn Arizona 15 inches, This is a 
general average for a series of years. 
Notwithstanding a scarcity of water which rendered 
it impossible to work ap the whole crop of beets at the 
Chatsworth factory, last fall, the Prairie Farmer says 
that 05,000 pounds of sugar, of fine quality, were pro¬ 
duced, and have been sold at good prices. .. 
