-Hart). 
ANNUAL EXHIBITION 
or the American Colnnibariiiu Hoeiely. 
Tire Second Annual Exhibition of this 
Society whs held in New York City, Decem¬ 
ber Gtli In lltli. There were but few fowls 
on exhibition, and those wore tar inferior in 
many respects to the former exhibition. A 
reason for this result is that the State Annual 
Poultry Show attracted exhibitors with their 
stock, instead of this. 
Tlio Show of Fowls. 
Then were about fifty coops of fowls on 
exhibition. The only one noteworthy was a 
pair of Irish Gray games and a pair of Black 
Red games, which were superior to any we 
saw at the State Poultry Show. A coop or 
two of while and block White Top-Knot 
Polands were very fine birds, and no dis¬ 
credit to any Society. A few Brahmas and 
Cochins of very inferior variety were on ex¬ 
hibition, which might better have been left 
in the hennery. 
We noted one coop of White Peafowls, 
which were a novelty in their way, and some¬ 
thing entirely new to us. 
Of Bantams there were two coops of Sea* 
blights which were fine. Other than those 
mentioned the show of fowls was a decided 
failure. 
Fancy Fijfeons. 
The show of pigeons was indeed fine, and 
well worthy the attention of lovers of fancy 
birds. The entries were large—comprising 
over two hundred and twenty-five pairs— 
many of them the finest varieties ever ox- 
liibited in this country. L. Burlingame of 
this city exhibited two pairs of Berlin Red- 
Mottled Almond Tumblers, which were a 
novelty, and valued at $300 the pair. He 
also lul l four pairs fine White Barbs, valued 
at from $00 to $100 the pair. We doubt 
much if any country ever saw finer pigeons 
than these. Some splendid White-faced and 
Blue Carriers were on exhibition, valued at 
from $v0 to $10 the pair. One pair of Black 
Carriers, beautiful birds, was offered for 
sale, and valued at $200. 
There were some lino Pouters, Short-faced 
Berlin, common and Bald-pated Tumblers, 
Barbs, Tuvbits, Jacobines, Trumpeters and 
Fantails; tbo latter were inferior birds, 
but many of tile former were very fine, of 
all colors, and showed off to good advantage. 
There were no Owls nor Kites shown. One 
red or piuk-colorod Turbit was on exhibition, 
said to he the only specimen of that color in 
this country. As a whole the show in fancy 
pigeons could not be surpassed. 
Hi uniat: OlnlBi 
Mr. Shaffer of Williamsburgh had on 
exhibition a cage of fifteen young Belgian 
Canaries, which were very lino singers, their 
notes being an imitation of the English Lin¬ 
net and Goldfinch, if anything, the song be¬ 
ing sweeter titan that of cither of these noted 
birds. Sir. 8. informed us that the parent 
cock of these birds cost him twenty dollars 
in gold, German Canaries in large variety 
were on exhibition. A lew cages of Night¬ 
ingales, Toupcos, Cardinals ami Mocking 
Birds completed the show in this department. 
A few pens of lop-cared Rabbits were on 
exhibition, for sale, but Avere inferior in 
quality. 
In many respects this exhibition was ex¬ 
ceedingly creditable.— l. 
-»«« 
KEEPING FOWLS IN WINTER. 
from actual experiment, what is the best 
egg-producing food for the hen, he will con¬ 
fer a benefit upon the Rural readers and 
others, especially if their hens thereby may 
be persuaded to lay two or three eggs per 
day. A Subscriber. 
Poultney, Vt. 
-♦-*-*- 
Large E«i?e.— J. H. Adams, Watkins, N. V., 
writes us that he has a Cochin China and Black 
Spanish hen Avhich laid In September eleven 
(•ggg, each of Avbich measured eight inches lonsr 
circumference and six and tt half inches Short 
cirouinference. The eleven weighed down twen¬ 
ty-seven common cgjrs. All had double yolks. 
Writing Nov. 30, he adds“ Lust week she laid 
three more large ones. The last one measured 
eight and one-sixteenth Indies; on breaking the 
shell it had three yolks, each as large as common 
eggs." 
be (fntrbctur. 
EXPERIENCE WITH CABBAGE. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., EDITOR, 
Or I,rrn.l I'*u.n, Heuximkb Cocstv, N*w Yobk. 
PREPARING RENNET. 
FiUglisli Method. 
Breeders should understand that nothing 
is gained by letting fowls shift for themselves 
in Hie winter. They need the best «f care, 
mid will pay tenfold in the end for the troub¬ 
le. Let regularity be observed in feeding, 
and above all things do not fall to supply 
them regularly with good pure water. Do 
not trust to their getting their supply oT 
Avater from the snow—you might, as well de¬ 
bar cat tle the use of water, because there is 
plenty of snow upon tbo ground, as fowls. 
Keep henneries warm and dry, and supply 
them with sand, burnt oyster and clam shells, 
and coal ashes. Feed fowls with good 
wholesome food—corn, oats, wheat screen¬ 
ings and buckwheat. Give them meat once 
a week, and they will “shell out" early in 
mid-winter and pay the trouble. Recollect, 
nothing is made by a “make-shift” care of 
fowls in cold weather—it’s poor economy.— l. 
We have given, from time to time, various 
methods, adopted by dairymen and at fac¬ 
tories, for the preparation of rennet for cheese 
making. We now give the method recom¬ 
mended la the best dairies of England, and 
it Avill be found suggestive in several par¬ 
ticulars. 
It is always an advantage to the cheese 
that the rennet should he prepared some 
time before it is wanted for use; and English 
dairymen recommend that it be made in 
February or March, and that sia large a 
quantity be provided as can be conveniently 
done consistently with the size of the dairy. 
They find large olive jars useful for steeping 
the rennet, some of which will hold thirty 
gallons. A hole is made at Hie bottom to 
draw the rennet, and they think it much 
better to draw it in this way, from the bot¬ 
tom, than disturbing at the top by dipping 
out. A wooden tap should bo used, as the 
acidity of the liquid has an injurious effect 
on a metal one. 
They have a piece of board, with holes 
perforated in it, to put into the jar under the 
veils or rennets to prevent their getting to 
the bottom and obstructing the liquid run¬ 
ning out by getting against the taps. The 
rennet is prepared by first making a brine 
strong enough to bear an egg. It is then 
boiled lor half an hour, and, when quite 
cold, put into the jar. For every two gal¬ 
lons of brine six veils are added and one 
lemon sliced. An ounce of saltpeter is also 
added to every two gallons. 
They claim that renneft should always be 
prepared at least two months before using, 
as there will then ho less tendency in the 
cheese to be affected Avitli undue fermenta¬ 
tion, which is injurious to fine flavor. 
Among the Cheddar dairymen the greatest 
attention is paid to the selection of the purest 
salt, that can be had for cheese making. 
When salt, contains foreign substances it is 
very hurtful to the quality of curd. Thus 
magncjia imparts a bitter taste, and lime, as 
an alkali, produces effervescence avIicu meet¬ 
ing the acid of the rennet used to turn the 
cheese. This effervescence often causes the 
blistering seen on the outside and the bad 
color inside of cheese. We do not approve 
of the use of common barrel salt Jnlmnrket 
for either butter or cheese making; but those 
brands put up at the Onondaga salt works 
as factory filled or dairy'salt, avo believe to 
be pure, and such as can at all times be safe¬ 
ly used. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
Bloody Milk.—The Massachusetts Ploughman 
has the following in regard to cows giving bloody 
milk;—“This trouble most frequently occurs 
from some Injury In t lie udder or teat, by ln- 
ItammatioH or sonic bruise or wound; but at 
other times it arises from some disorder In the 
large reservoir of the gland. The curdly milk 
shows itself in 111 tie lumps or pellets. Thksinilk 
ought not to on tor the pail. 
“Give the animal an ounce or two of saltpeter 
dissolved in water, and bathe the teat and udder 
in warm water. When the milk comes stringy 
or curdled, run a smooth, blunt pointed wire, 
about the size of n wheat straw, up through the 
orifice of the leal into the udder. It will remove 
the Impediment at. tho upper end of the orifice, 
and send it out of the way. In many cases of 
this kind this simple thing alone is sufficient.” 
-*-*-♦- 
.4 Remarkable Cim,—Wo find the folloAving 
EGG-PRODUCING FOOD. 
& 
I noticed in the last Rural some remarks 
upon an exhibition made by Dr. Smith upon 
the diagram exhibited by him of the egg- 
producing organs of tho ben, and showing 
]io\v important a plenty of good food is to 
the egg-producing lien; and furlhcr, that 
there is no natural law why she should not 
lay two eggs per day, and that, the number 
she may produce in her lifetime depends 
upon her physical vitality and the supply of 
egg-prodiicing' food. 
Now, if Dr. Smith, or any other doctor or 
1 nvyvr, or farmer, will inform the readers of 
the Rural, through its valuable columns, 
immymph in un exchange, concerning the re¬ 
markable yield of milk from a cow, (a cross of 
Durham and Ayrshire.) We have seen some 
very excellent stock for tho dairy from n cross 
between these two breeds, and avo are iucliued 
to think It a good one for the dairy: 
George McLean, a Scotchman, living in Nor¬ 
wich, Conn.. Is the owner of u remarkable cow. 
She dropped a calf two month' ago. which was 
killed .it twenty-six days old. weighing one 
hundred and eighty pounds. Si ice then he has 
used one quart of new milk iu bis family each 
day, sold two quarts of new milk each day, and 
from what remained has made Fourteen pounds 
of butter a week fur theJnst four weeks. She 
has meal twice a day. gives two common milk 
pails full, nud sometimes a two-quart tin pail 
full besides, at a milking, is seven years old, and 
isti cross beLweeii tt Durham and an Ayrshire. 
■-♦♦♦- 
Inquiry.—I have a young cow which has a white 
covering on the inside corner of her eye. I have 
been told Umt it was “hooks,” and would make 
her blind if it was not cut out. I wish to ask, 
through tho Rural, what it is aud for a cure.— 
D. F. Ward. 
The Rural asks for experience iu culti¬ 
vating garden crops during the past season. 
It is a good and timely call for experience, 
and facts arc possessed by many and should 
be related for the benefit of all. Cultivators 
will differ in their estimates of the value of 
the same crop, just as the climate, seasons, 
soils, aud other natural influences of their 
respective localities are unlike; and for this 
reason facts iu regard to success and failure 
should he placed before the public. 1 pro¬ 
pose to write something about cabbages— 
nothing new, perhaps, to old growers of this 
vegetable ; still it may shed a gleam of light 
on those Avho, like myself, are novices in the 
culture. 
I planted six varieties—about, fifteen hun¬ 
dred plants of each—last July, on a naturally 
dry, gravel and clay loam. The previous 
year potatoes were grown on the patch, and 
before that it had been in pasture for fifteen 
years. No manure was used. The season 
was oxtremdy avcI here in Western New 
York, and the fore part of July in particular 
avc endured a succession of heavy showers, 
which was a perfect godsend to the cabbage 
plants, but brought long faces on those 
working In the hay and grain fields. I think 
not twenty plants out of ten thousand set 
failed to grow, and the remainder of the sea¬ 
son was favorable to the production of a good 
crop. It Avas cool aud wet. 
The Early Jersey Wakefield headed first 
and very well. Probably two-thirds Avere 
good solid heads. The true Wakefield is 
cone-shaped, solid; stem of medium length; 
small in size, and without many outside 
leaves. Its quality is medium, and its value 
consists in its earliness. It should be set 
early in the season, the plants being started 
in hot beds, or, better still, in September, and 
wintered in cold frames. Treated in this 
way it is of great value to the market gar¬ 
dener, or for family use. As a winter cab¬ 
bage, or food for stock it is not a desirable 
variety. 
The Early Winningstndt lias much the 
same habit as the Wakefield. In the field the 
two kinds closely resemble each other. It is 
a remarkable variety for heading Aveli. Prob¬ 
ably five-sixths of the plants set bore heads 
fit for the table. It3 quality is excellent; 
and Avliiie it is a Jk>pd early cabbage it is 
likewise an excellent winter variety if plant¬ 
ed late in the season. It aviII head when 
many other kinds fail altogether. As an early 
kind, strictly, it cannot compete with the 
Wakefield. The latter, by the way, though 
supposed to be of foreign origin, has been so 
long cultivated by the Jersey gardeners, that 
its character has become American, and seed 
imported from Europe under the same name 
will not compare with the true native. 
Tho Early Sehweinfurth is one of the 
neAvcr varieties, having a very fair reputa¬ 
tion to start with. It proved with me un¬ 
satisfactory. Nearly every plant headed, 
aud tho heads Avere large, but so loose that 
one could thrust a finger to the heart of the 
beat in the lot. If I Avere groAving cabbage 
exclusively for cattle food, (which I believe 
is a paying operation in many localities,) I 
should consider the Early Bcliweinfurtli a 
good variety on account of bulk. Its quality 
is fair, though it cannot readily be sliced 
raw for table use because of its loose texture. 
It, makes a good show' ill the field or on the 
exhibition table—at a distance—but it wont 
do to handle. 
The Premium Flat Dutch is a splendid 
winter and late fall cabbage. The heads 
are large enough for any tabic purposes, 
solid, quality good, and it keeps well. Mine 
headed this year almost without exception. 
It grows low, and the heads are round, and 
are protected by numerous large outside 
leaves. Ii is an excellent kind for stock 
food. (The Sehweinfurth grows higher and 
is inclined to the flat shape.) I prize the 
Premium Flat Dutch, for general purposes, 
higher than any other kind I grow. 
The Drumhead Savoy is doubtless one of 
the host curled varieties. About two-thirds 
of the plants headed, but the beads were 
very uneven in size, and the average much 
below that of the two just previously named. 
Its form is nearly round, and the texture 
hard. It is a splendid variety for boiling, 
and no garden should be without it. 
ChaffiU's Red Pickling is a newly import¬ 
ed variety, remarkably pure, and having a 
fine purple color. It is a very poor header; 
probably not above one-quarter of mine de- 
velopcd heads. But tho plants which failed 
to do so were so beautiful in form ami hue 
that they paid for the cultivation. I doubt, 
however, if the cattle appreciated this quali¬ 
ty. But if one likes to see a symmetrical, 
beautiful foliaged plant, let him grow a few 
of ChaffiU’s Red Pickling Cabbages, and I 
doubt not lie Avill be favored with more of 
the beautiful than useful. It is a very tall 
grower; the heads are cone-shaped, mostly. 
The quality is hardly medium as compared 
Avith the finer green sorts. 
The first, named three varieties were at¬ 
tacked Avith mildew, and the outer leaves 
rotted badly in the fall; the heads and stems 
Avere also affected to some extent. The 
others showed no signs of disease. The till¬ 
age consisted of two plowings, harrowing, 
and working the crop with cultivators. No 
hoeing was given, but the crop was clean. 
Perix Tone. 
the true Horse apple-troc from Eastern nurse¬ 
ries, which will lean only to loss ami disappoint¬ 
ment. The Gros Pomere tree may bo readily 
distinguished by its upright, rapid growt h, reach¬ 
ing the height of from six to eight feet at two 
years old. It has proved Itself remarkably 
hardy and productive In the Northwest.” 
GRAPE TESTS. 
On the 20th of October last the Vine Val¬ 
ley Grape GroAvcra’ Association held a meet¬ 
ing for the purpose of testing the saccharine 
quality of grapes grown at the valley and 
vicinity. S. M. Ferris Esq., of Poughkeep¬ 
sie, and A. D. Vorce Esq., of Farmington, 
Conn., Avere, Avith the writer, appointed a 
committee to make the test. In eacli case 
two pounds of fruit were used, and, after 
being thoroughly mashed and pressed, the 
must was strained, 
One point is worthy of notice: in every 
instance the highest figure at as reached by 
grapes grown in the vineyards situated at 
the greatest altitude. The soil of the valley 
is a calceratcd loam, with subsoil generally 
porous, though in some places inclining to 
clay. Exposure varying from southeast to 
south and sou {Invest and no difference ob¬ 
servable in that respect. The season has 
been extremely wet and cold, but the crop, 
mainly Isabellas and Catawbas, was perfectly 
ripened, and all ripened. Vines uniformly 
healthy, and not a particle of rot in the 
valley. 
The following is a summary of the test, 
which notwithstanding the veiyunfavorable 
character of the season, compares favorably, 
I believe, with any public test previously 
made iu the State. Oeciisle’s must scale 
Avas the instrument used. 
ISABELLA. 
A. A. Smith, Vino Valley, picked Oct. 15, 80. 
Green & Mosher, “ 20< §2. 
Ganunduwtib GrapoCo.,“ 25- 84- 
Nichols, Soolyo & Co., 10-85- 
A. Bassett, “ “ “ 23. 81- 
CATAWBA. 
Green &. Mosher, Vino Valley picked Oct. 14, 87. 
Vine Valley Grape Co., “ “ “ T. 87. 
Perry, Brothors, ‘ 20, 00. 
CONCORD. 
A. A. Smith, Vine Valley, picked Oct. 1, 80. 
Nichols, See)ye & Co.. “ “ &ept. 26, 85.* 
DIANA. 
A. A. Smith, Vino Valley, picked Oot. 23, 80. 
Nichols, Scelye & Co., “ “ * 18, 90. 
DELAWARE. 
A. A. Smith, Vine Valley, picked Oct. 1,105. 
Perry Brothers, “ “ , 26, 105. 
Nichols, Scclyo & Co., “ “ Sept. 25,107. 
IONA. 
Perry Brothers, (tested at Now York State 
Grape Fair,) Oct. (5th, 07. 
♦ Tested at Die New York State Fair at Canandai¬ 
gua, October 6th. _ _ _ 0 , 
F. B. Seelye, Scc y. 
Vine Valley, Yates Co., N. Y. 
Dale* When Fruit Has Frozen.— W. C. FLAGG, 
Secretary Illinois Horticultural Society, Alton, 
111., has been looking up the dates of loss of ap¬ 
ples by freezing, in years past, and finds that in 
the course of twenty-six years, we have had four 
cases of freezing, and that all have occur rad be¬ 
tween the 22d aud 28th of October, to-wit: - IS 13, 
October 23d and 24th; 1862, October 24th and 25th; 
1863, October 22d and 23d; 1(5*9, October 21th and 
25th. In regard to tlio present freeze, the ther¬ 
mometer was 16“ for two mornings,andaslow as 
9" at other points. 
-- 
Tompkins Co. King Apple.—Allow mo to in¬ 
quire what the prospect of the Tompkins County 
King Apple is, as a bearer. My trees have thus 
Tar neglected or refused to produce more than 
occasionally one, while the Baldwin, of the samo 
age and cultivation, Is bearing finely. Do they 
ei'er produce enough to encourage cultivation? 
—H. B. H., Worth Rush, N. I r . 
--• 
The Genettlng.—’The apple described in Rural 
Nov. 27, called Oenettlog, is grown around hero 
—or at least one answering the description very 
nearly. It la called, most generally, the “ White 
Lemon,”or “ Lemon Apple;” and sometimes, 
though very improperly, the “Fall Pippin.”— 
Deputy Postmaster, ForestvtUc, N. Y. 
cv 
3rl0ricnltnr«. 
HYBRIDIZING RHODODENDB.ONS. 
4 » »- 
GRAPE EXPERIENCE. 
For the information of those who intend 
planting grape vines, I v ill give, briefly, my 
experience, with a word of caution. A few 
years ago, wishing to procure the best vari¬ 
eties, I wrote to a celebrated nurseryman, 
who 9 ent me catalogues, from which I select¬ 
ed some fifteen varieties of grapes, all high¬ 
ly recommended, some for one very desir¬ 
able quality, and some for another, but with 
no information in reference to their adapta¬ 
tion to particular locations, soils, or climate. 
I planted them with great care, and they 
have come into full bearing; the result is, 
seven out of the fifteen ore very valuable, 
aud the balance are worthless, or nearly so. 
I will mention the varieties that 1 have 
found to be valuable, and have equaled my 
fondest hopes: The old Isabella, Concord, 
Delaware, Diana, Iona, Israella and Allen’s 
Hybrid. As regards richness aud delicious¬ 
ness of flavor, it is difficult to choose between 
the five varieties last mentioned. They 
have ripened with me at the same time, and 
I have placed them before good judges who 
were unable to decide which was the best. 
Allen’s Hybrid, Iona and Israelta are tender, 
and need protection in the winter. 
The caution I would give to those who 
intend planting grape vines, Is to ascertain, 
beforehand, what varieties are suited to 
their location, climate and soil. My soil is 
a coarse sand with a slight mixture of clay; 
location, one and a-half miles from the lake. 
J. H. Wogdburn. 
Kingsville, O., 1869. 
Remarks.— This is the kind of informa- 
lion we arc glad to receive and which is 
profitable to our readers. Let us have more 
of it from other sources. 
The Gros Pomere Apple,—An Iowa correspon¬ 
dent of the Western Rural says“ There is an 
apple being disseminated widely in the North¬ 
west, under the name of Horse, or Haas, the 
proper mime of which is Gros Voniere: origin, 
St,, bonis among the French, who brought it 
thence and distributed it In Northern Illinois. 
The fruit is large, fiat, yellow ground striped 
bright red, while the Horse of the books is yel¬ 
low, tree slow grower, too tender for the West. 
“I write this to prevent the importation of 
A writer in the Gentleman’s Magazine, 
gives the following hints about growing 
rhododendrons, and other plants, based on 
the practice of Mr. John Stan dish, of 
Ascot; 
“ Hybridizing the rhododendron has been 
one of Mr. Bt an dish’s specialties, and by a 
series of crosses between the American- 
Caucasian os the female, and the various 
Indian species ns the male, he has brought 
all the gorgeous colors of the Indian to 
flourish in the open air iu June. The rho¬ 
dodendron requires very fine soil; beds are 
specially prepared for it, about three feet 
■wide, with high evergreens on botli sides, 
and a slight, sprinkling of heath is put 
down at first to shade the seed from the sun- 
rnys. Under this treatment, the plants come 
up not unlike mustard and cress in appear¬ 
ance, and after a year spent in the ground 
they are transplanted in April, and placed 
in sunk pits about nine inches deep, at a 
distance of three inches from each other. 
The ligiits are put over the pits, and the 
plants shaded from the sun, and gradually 
hardened off until September, when the 
lights are taken off, so that the plants may 
become acclimatized and able to bear the 
winter. Another April will, with reasona¬ 
ble care, find them ready to be put out in 
bods in tlio open air, and they must be 
planted sufficiently thick to prevent tho 
summer sun from getting at the soil, but 
not too close, for fear of drawing up too 
weak. If they arc done well by, they will 
be ready in about six years when they are 
twelve to fifteen indies high, and Rhododen¬ 
dron pontkmn is well adapted for planting 
out as cover for game. 
“ Li hybridizing plants and fruits, great 
care is taken by the masters of the art to 
avoid the slightest approach to consan¬ 
guinity, or the the loss of constitution is the 
certain penalty. Among the latest hybrids 
raised at Ascot the male plant h;is had tho 
complete ascendancy, both in the foliage and 
color of the flower; but the form of the 
latter has in most crosses remained intact. 
About four years since Mr. Stan dish made 
a cross between Rhododcndfbn A uckland^ and 
a hardy white. They have not yet bloomed, 
but, bo far, the foliage takes after the male, 
the hardy white, and there seems every 
probability that the female will transmit its 
sweet scent. Geraniums have been exten¬ 
sively hybridized during the last two years, 
and, with good success. Of the scarlet class 
several are already blooming in the open 
air, measuring two inches across each pip 
and perfect circles. They vary from orange- 
scarlet to scarlet and deep crimson, and 
there are also some golden tricolors, which 
kept their lines through the heat of summer. 
“ Variegation in all kinds ot plants is 
almost universally held to be more or less a 
disease. Provided you have plenty of color 
on the upper surface, and plenty of green on 
the under, you have less disease, as no plants 
can really thrive without a goodly portion 
of green in the leaves. Tricolor geraniums 
should have the small center circle of green 
quite perfect, right through to the upper 
surface without any running, and tho green 
should spread all over the under surface, 
except the bordering on tlio edge, which 
should be golden or silver right through. In 
this wav they grow as well as the green 
ones. The white geranium is in variably tlio 
most diseased; although the seedling leaves 
are as healthy as possible, as soon as they 
begin to break into silver they curl and 
burst, in a manner most ungrateful to tlio 
eye. It will be many a day before the horti¬ 
cultural eye is charmed by a really good, 
smooth, and flat-leaved silver tricolor.” 
