THE ONTARIO EXHIBITION. 
The correspondent ol the Turf, Field and 
Farm, who attended the exhibition, says that 
though not extensive it was highly success¬ 
ful. “ The hall, which is spacious and well 
ventilated, was neatly and appropriately 
arranged, the pens furnished by the Society 
being uniform throughout, thus giving all 
specimens an equality in this important par¬ 
ticular. 
According to the usual custom of this 
association, the entries were closed nearly a 
month before the time announced for the ex¬ 
hibition. Thus all the specimens are classifi¬ 
ed, pens appropriated for each entry, and the 
catalogue nreoaml, ns well as the award 
made before tin public, are admitted. Ex¬ 
hibitors are also required to name a price at 
which their entries will be sold. Of course 
they are not limited in this particular, and 
can name any mini to make the disposal 
prohibitory; yet if the fowls are sold at the 
price named they must be delivered. We 
heard of an instance of this kind which 
illustrates how strictly this rule is enforced. 
At a previous exhibition the lady of Onpt, 
Vaui.ky, 13th I fussars, exhibited a pair ot line 
Brahmas, pet fowls, which she had herself 
caused to be brought from Ireland. She 
valued them at $55 in gold, thinking no per¬ 
son WOU hi trouble them at that price; but 
ere the exhibition was open an hour, they 
were claimed, and she was forced to part 
with them. Again, at this show, the pre¬ 
mium Buff Cochins were a pair of eldeks, on 
which the owner had placed only $0. Of 
course they wore snapped up before the fair 
had an hour’s duration. 
This exhibition included most varieties 
of domestic fowls, many of thorn exceedingly 
fine specimens, but as a whole scarcely came 
up to the exalted expectations of the writer. 
From the well known reputation of the 
managers as breeders and fanciers, we had 
expected to see Buff Cochins and Dark 
Brahmas of unsurpassable excellence. But 
in neither of these cases were the tine birds 
of the late New York show equaled. Prob¬ 
ably this ran be accounted for by the feet 
that Col. Habsaud, the most experienced 
breeder on this continent, has given up the 
“ Buffs” for some lime past; but. some birds 
from his stock, bred by Dr. Duo. 8 a xosTEiqof 
Toronto, although young, were very good, 
and secured first honors. Mr. Petkhs, of 
Loudon, also showed some good “ Buffs” but 
the wings were mealy, the usual fault of 
American Buff Cochins. The Dark Brahmas 
were mainly exhibited by Mr. Stephens, of 
Montreal, whose stock is of the eolebratod 
"Boyle Irish Strain.” In our opinion these 
birds are much inferior to nearly all those in 
the New York exhibition; their great fault 
being the immense amount, of daylight they 
show under their bodies. The fine Dark 
Brahmas of Messrs. Cooper, Leavitt, Cam¬ 
eron, Loki.ng and others, are far superior to 
those we saw in Toronto. But in Light 
Brahmas we wore still more disappointed; 
even the premium specimens were single 
comb birds, and there was not a cock in the 
place we would have taken the trouble to 
bring home. Some White Cochins shown 
by Mix Fee LEY of Hamilton, were very tine. 
In French fowls the exhibition was weak 
in numbers but the few shown were good. 
The exhibition was really grand in 
Game fowls, it including the largest and most 
superb show in these varieties which has yet 
come under our notice. 
We cannot overlook the magnificent 
display of Carrier Pigeons entered only for 
exhibition by Colonel Habsard, R. E. These 
birds are unquestionably superior to any of 
this variety ever before seen in this country, 
nud probably were never surpassed in 
Europe. Ah the Colonel is about returning 
home, our principal fanciers will miss it, if 
they permit him to carry away these splen¬ 
did birds with him. They can now he 
bought at exceedingly reasonable prices, and 
they are the ne plus ultra of thorough-bred 
stock. 
The Toronto Globe says there was a very 
large display of Dorkings, and of the Gray 
variety especially there were very fine birds. 
The show of Spanish was not as large as last 
year, but some beautiful birds were ex¬ 
hibited. The class of Red Games has never 
before been equalled. The show was; really 
magnificent. The competition was very 
close, and those who have taken prizes have 
reason to be proud of their honors. Some of 
the birds, otherwise splendid and entitled to 
distinction, were ruled out from not match¬ 
ing red. Exhibitors should keep this point 
in mind, and be careful that in the color of 
legs and other points the birds arc properly 
matched. 
The Duckwing and other classes of Game 
fowl were also fine, though they did not 
come up in point of numbers or general ex¬ 
cellence to the red. 
In Hamburgs the competition was very 
close. For beauty of marking and elegance 
of form and carriage, there is perhaps no 
more attractive variety of fowl. Their 
small size, and their wildness and disposi¬ 
tion to fly, are disadvantages, but they are, 
nevertheless, great favorites, and several 
Canadian breeders have been eminently suc¬ 
cessful with them. A pair Bold by Mr. 
McLean Howard to a gentleman at Albany 
carried off the first prize at the recent great 
show’ in New York. 
Very marked improvement is evident in 
tlm golden Polands. The Society’s shows 
have hitherto been rather weak in all the 
Poland classes, but at this exhibition there 
were a number of very meritorious speci¬ 
mens. The miscellaneous class of Polands 
were by no means equal to the preceding. 
Indeed, the show in this portion was deci¬ 
dedly inferior. 
Among the Bantams, the gold and silver- 
laced were some of them well marked, but 
on the whole they were loo large to be first- 
rate. The next class of Bantams was better. 
Indeed, the pair of Game Bantams shown by 
Onpt. Gore were perfect beauties, and deci¬ 
dedly the best of the kind ever exhibited in 
Toronto. 
There was not a large show of Ducks, but 
several of the specimens were of remarkable 
excellence. The geese were very few and 
not remarkable. 
The display of Pigeons was larger than 
usual, and, on the whole, very good, though 
fanciers missed the magnificent, show of Car¬ 
riers and Pouters shown at the last exhibi¬ 
tion by Col. II assard. The greatest number 
were shown by Mr. Johnson of London. 
Mr. McGitATn and .Mr. IIendrie of Toronto, 
and Mr. Bailie of London, were also suc¬ 
cessful competitors, as were also Dr. 8 a.no- 
HTEit and Messrs. Brn.im and Davis. This 
portion of the exhibition was well filled, and 
formed an attractive feature of the show; 
nearly every class in the prize list was repre¬ 
sented. Mr. Johnson’s carriers were beau¬ 
tiful. The show of pouters was very good. 
There was quite a large competition in tum¬ 
blers, the judges showing their preference for 
the short-faced variety. There were some 
good Jacobins, but they gave some trouble 
in the award from being nearly all odd-eyfd 
— that is, having the two eyes of different 
colors. 
- 4 ~*~*- 
TRANSPORTATION OF EGGS. 
I observe in the Rural of May 8th an 
article relative to the “ transportation of eggs 
for hatching,” which mv own experience the 
past few years has proved somewhat, errone¬ 
ous. During the spring and summer of 1807 
1 packed over one hundred dozen eggs for 
hatching, which were transported to all sec¬ 
tions of the country — thousands of miles 
away—to the New England States, North 
Carolina, and Nebraska, and I have yet to 
learn of a single instance, where the eggs, 
or a large share of them, did not hatch. 
Last year I packed and sent, away at least 
as many eggs as the year before, with like 
results. There is, as “ IT.” should have stated, 
a good deal of a “ knack” in putting up eggs 
for hatching to be transported by rail, or 
otherwise. I heard, years ago, that if you 
carried eggs over water more than twenty 
rods from the nest where they wore laid, 
and set them under a hen, they would not 
hatch. Now there is about as much sense 
in this remark as there is in the one that 
eggs transported by rail \\ ill not hatch; 
for, as I have said before, my experience 
teaches me better, and if those having eggs 
to sell will pack them as I direct, I will 
guarantee there need be no fear but that they 
will meet with success iu getting chicks. I 
have letters in my possession from Omaha, 
to which place I have sent eggs by rail, stat¬ 
ing that every egg sent hatched out a beau¬ 
tiful chick, for which he, (the writer,) would 
not take ten times the amount he paid for 
the eggs, for, said he," I had no faith in eggs 
hatching sent thus far, but thought I would 
try the experiment.” Another party in Bat¬ 
tle Creek, Mich., to whom I sent eggs, said • 
“ My eggs, arrived safe and sound, and nearly 
all of them hatched, but. ordered eggs of 
another party, which were, packed in a paste¬ 
board box, and came to band all smashed.” 
My mode of packing is as follows:—I use, 
as a general thing, cigar boxes, but any box 
will do that, will bold bran and ifi made of 
wood. I kiln-dry the bran so that it is per¬ 
fectly free from moisture; then 1 cover the 
bottom of the box an inch or more with 
bran, put in a layer of eggs, taking great 
care to place the little cuds down, and then 
put on bran again in alternate layers. The 
eggs should also bo well protected, tvitli 
bran, from the sides of the boxes. When 
the box is within an inch of being full, I fill 
this space with bran as tight as T can pack 
it. The eggs, if properly packed, will stand 
almost any amouut of pressure, without the 
least fear of breaking. 1 have experimented 
several times with this mode of packing— 
opening the boxes after putting a pressure 
of at least a hundred pounds on them, and 
in not a single instance did 1 find an egg 
broken. By this mode there is no chance of 
injury from the jarring or jolting of the cars, 
for all the available space is filled with bran. 
Rochester, N. X., 1869, Senex. 
Jlrirnttfic anb |tsfful. 
WHITE GUNPOWDER. 
The “ white”—as it is called—but rather 
tawny-colored gunpowder, lately invented 
by Captain Schultze of the Prussian army, 
seems to be growing in favor in Europe. It 
finds much favor among English sportsmen, 
and we give the following description of its 
manufacture and character from an English 
journal: 
“ The process of manufacture is most safe, 
as it is most ingenious. Only at the final 
stage of making this gunpowder is the pro¬ 
cess subject to hny explosive contingency. 
In illustration of this, the following circum¬ 
stance should be stated :—Tn July, 1H08, the 
manufactory of Captain Sciiultzk, at Pots¬ 
dam, near Berlin, was consumed, "burned 
quietly to the yround —burned, not, exploded. 
The accident is altogether unprecedented; 
nothing like it could have happened to a 
manufactory of common black gunpowder. 
“ We now come to the process of manu¬ 
facture. The inventor begins by taking any 
of the common woods (he keeps the wood 
steeped in water) which have acquired 
celebrity for yielding gunpowder charcoal, 
and saws them transversely into plates of the 
required thickness by a veneer saw. The 
plates, when sliced, are laid under a manifold 
punch and submitted to pressure, whereby 
grains of not merely definite and unvarying 
size, but definite and unvarying- shape (a 
matter of some moment, as influencing the 
constancy of impaction,) result. Grains arc 
thus evolved at, the very commencement of 
the manufacturing operation, unlike what 
happens in the. case of black gunpowder, 
wherein the operation of graining is the last 
operation but one—glazing; and sometimes, 
powder not being invariably glazed, the last 
absolutely. The punched grains, being col¬ 
lected in a mass, are subjected to a treatment 
of chemical washing, whereby calcareous 
and various other impurities are separated, 
leaving hardly anything behind save pure 
woody matter, cellulose or lignine. 
“ The next operation has for its end the 
conversion of these cellulose grains into a 
sort of incipient xyloidino, or gun-cotton 
material, by digestion with a mixture of sul¬ 
phuric and nitric acids. Practically it is 
found that absolutely perfected xyloidine (of 
which ordinary gun-cotton is the purest 
type) not only decomposes spontaneously by 
time, the chief products of combustion being 
gum and oxalic acid, but it Is moreover lia¬ 
ble to combustion of a sort that may be 
practically called spontaneous, so slight and 
so uncontrollable arc the causes sufficing to 
bring it about. Cellulose or woody matter, 
otherwise termed lignine, partially converted 
to xyloidine, is, Captain Schultze affirms, 
subject to neither of those contingencies, 
Chemists will understand that, inasmuch as 
the wood used as a constituent of the 
Schultz® gunpowder is not charred, its 
original hydrogen is left, and hy-and-by, at 
the time of firing, will be necessarily utilized 
toward the gaseous propulsive resultant. 
Next, washed with carbonate of soda solu¬ 
tion and dried, an important circumstance is 
now recognizable. 
“ The grains, brought to the condition just 
described, are stored away iu bulk, not 
necessarily to be endowed with final ex¬ 
plosive energy until the time of package, 
transport, and consignment. Only one t rcat- 
ment has to lx? carried out, and it is very 
simple. The ligneous grains have to be 
charged with a certain definite percentage 
of some nitrate, which is done by steeping 
them in the nitrate solution and drying. 
Ordinarily a solution of nitrate of potash 
(common saltpeter) is employed; but in 
elaborating certain varieties of white powder, 
Capt Schultze prefers and uses nitrate of 
baryta. 
“ Having traced the new powder to its 
final stage, we may contemplate it under the 
light of two distinct scrutinies, theoretical 
and practical. Review of the chemical 
agencies involved, or that may be evolved, 
suggests the reaction, especially under pro¬ 
longed moisture, of the sulphur and niter of 
ordinary powder, whereby sulphide of po¬ 
tassium should result. Practice is confirma¬ 
tory ; under the condition indicated sulphide 
of potassium, more or leas, does result, and 
proportionate to the extent of decomposition 
is the powder deteriorated. Inasmuch as 
the Schultzs gunpowder is wholly devoid of 
sulphur, so is the particular decomposition 
adverted to impossible; and theory, at least, 
fails to suggest any other decomposition as 
probable or even possible. 
" The specific gravity of the Schultze 
gunpowder may be roundly taken at half the 
specific gravity of ordinary gunpowder; or, 
in other words, for equal weights of the two, 
the bulk of Schultzk’s powder will be 
double that of its rival Hereupon an im¬ 
portant question is raised, the drift of which 
will be obvious to any practical gunner. Is 
the available projectile force of one volume 
of Schultze’s powder equivalent to the 
available projectile force of two volumes of 
- —. r 
black powder? If not, it may be averred 
with tolerable confidence that the new ma¬ 
terial could never come into extensive prac¬ 
tical use as a gunnery-projectile. This con¬ 
sideration would seem to have had due 
weight with Captain Schultze. His powder 
is so devised and elaborated that each effec¬ 
tive charge shall occupy equally the same 
space as a charge of common powder would 
have occupied. All his gunnery arrange¬ 
ments, therefore, are taken on the basis of 
matching volume against volume, the equiv¬ 
alent in weight to one volume of his pow¬ 
der being two volumes of ordinary powder. 
"Doubtless there arc some drawbacks and 
objections to the use of the white gunpow¬ 
der, otherwise it would have gone further 
than it. now has to displace ordinary black 
powder. The chief disparagement alleged 
against it, is the difficulty—or rather the im¬ 
possibility — of measuring out charges with 
the accuracy needful to practice. It is nec¬ 
essary to weigh the charges, gunmakers 
aver, if identity of result be contemplated. 
This allegation, if well borne out, implies a 
serious defect. Practical people will grasp 
its full purport, however much the unprac¬ 
ticed may make light of it.” 
-- 
MINK CULTURE. 
Will some one give through the Rural their 
experience In raising minlc9; or will you inform 
me of a book upon the subject ?— A Reader, 
Paincwllk, O., May 1. 
At Canrdoga, N. Y., a firm has been en¬ 
gaged in the business of breeding minks 
about two years. Their operations are thus 
described in a Buffalo paper: 
Tin? “ Minkery,” designed to accommodate 
one hundred minks for breeding, consists 
first, of an enclosure about forty feet square, 
made by digging a trench one foot deep, lay¬ 
ing a plank at the bottom, and from the outer 
edge starting the wall, which consists of 
boards four feet high, with aboard 1,o cap the 
top, projecting upward eight, or ten inches, 
to prevent their climbing over. Within this 
enclosure is a building fourteen by twenty- 
four supplied by a mailing water, from 
which the minks catch living fish that, are 
often furnished, with the greatest delight. 
The building is constructed with an alley 
three feet wide around its entire circumfer¬ 
ence. Within are two rows of cells four feet 
deep and two and a half wide, each having 
a door ventilated at the top and bottom with 
wire screens, as is also the outer wall oppo¬ 
site the cell There is also at the front en¬ 
trance what the proprietors call the ante¬ 
room, four by four feet, which must be 
fastened within, every time the building is 
entered, to prevent the escape of the im¬ 
prisoned animals. 
On entering the main hall, which the 
minks all have access to, (when not rearing 
their young,) they present a very playful 
group. The person feeding them is often 
mounted for their food, and their tenacity of 
hold is so strong that they may be drawn 
about or lifted without releasing their hold 
upon the food. The nest, of the female is 
very peculiarly constructed of grass, leaves 
or straw, with a lining of her own fur, so 
firmly compacted together as to bo with dif¬ 
ficulty tom to pieces. The aperture leading 
to the nest is a round opening, just sufficient 
to admit the dam, and is provided with a 
deflected curtain, which covers the entrance 
and effectually secures her against all inva¬ 
sion when she is within. About the middle 
of March the females arc separated from the 
males until the young are reared. The ne¬ 
cessity for this arises from the fact that the 
males seem inclined to brood the young al¬ 
most as much as the dam, when both are 
permitted to remain together. 
The expense of feeding the animals is 
almost nominal, being supplied pretty much 
entirely from the usual ofi'al of the farm¬ 
yard with occasional woodchucks and game 
in general. They cat this food with equal 
avidity after decomposition has taken place, 
devouring every particle of flesh, cartilage 
and the bones. The flesh and bones entire 
of the woodchuck are consumed often at a 
siugle meal. While the expense of keeping 
is thus trivial, the profitable yield of the ani¬ 
mal is comparatively immense, it being con¬ 
sidered a moderate estimate or claim that 
one mink with her increase will equal the 
avails of a cow. Should this calculation hold 
good, when the propagation of the mink is 
carried to a large scale, the business becomes 
one of the most profitable in the world. 
So far the experience of these gentlemen 
with the undomesticated mink has not been 
satisfactory, as their shyness cannot be over¬ 
come and they have never Obtained any in¬ 
crease from the animals in their wild state. 
They have to be taken when young and do¬ 
mesticated. 
--- 
Hugs and Cockroaches.— The Journal ol Chem¬ 
istry publishes this remedy for water bugs and 
cockroaches“ Boil one ounce of poke root in 
one pint of water until the strength is extract¬ 
ed ; mix the deooetlon with molasses and FpreaU 
it on plates In the kitchen or other apartments 
which are infested with these insects. All that 
have partaken of this luxury during the night 
will be found * organic remains' the next morn¬ 
ing.” 
(fbc ||tom£-|jcvb. 
FEEDING, AND FEED FOR, PIGS. 
Mr. R. S. G. Stern, an English breeder 
of pigs, describes his management of them 
as follows:— “ Pigs eat the food much better 
when it is fresh. I give them a variety of 
meal, such as wheat, maize, barley, and 
whatever is most convenient to mix together. 
I have it all wetted with cold water, and 
then scald it with boiling water and sprinkle 
it. with salt. What is mixed one day is used 
the next, thus giving sufficient time to allow 
the food slightly to ferment, and cool suffi¬ 
cient to feed with. This Is my winter plan, 
but iu summer I mix all with cokl water, 
and feed wifli cold food. Between meals I 
give them whole maize, and mangel-wurzel 
or Swedes cut small, a little coal and soil 
occasionally, and allow them plenty of clean 
water. 
When pig9 are put up for fatting, I find 
nothing better to feed them with than hurley 
and maize meal mixed together into slops, 
water always kept by them, and a little 
mangel cut for them occasionally. It is very 
beneficial to wash and brush them, as often 
as convenient. This is quickly done by 
experienced bands, and will amply repay tlv 
trouble. I am certain that tbe cottagers 
would find their pigs fatten a great deal 
faster if they would wash and brush them, 
and food them with warm food, instead of 
with food all ice, and that they would be 
well paid for any little extra trouble it might 
cause them. They should also be fed two or 
three times a day. Good bred and well fed 
store pigs will always consume the refuse 
which a bad bred one would refuse.” 
Coal for Swine.— A correspondent In Indinna 
asks if we know anything about ibe effects of 
feeding coal to swine. Wo know bituminous 
coal lias been recommended us n preventive of 
and cure for hog cholera—that some farmers 
have asserted that hogs fed with it keep In bet¬ 
ter health than when deprived of It. But we 
doubt if it cures hog cholera. It may possibly 
be beneficial to feed it. 
-- 
Breed* of Swine for Pork.—A Maine breeder of 
swine says, for his own eating, tie would give 
two cents per pound more for pork from a pure 
Suffolk hog than for that from any other breed, 
but if a man wishes to raise a large hog he 
should get the full blood Chester White. 
porsemun. 
XX o' 
MEMORANDA FOR HORSEMEN. 
Sprung Knee*.—Owt you or tny of your read¬ 
ers give a remedy for a horse "sprung” in the fore 
leg? I have two lino work animals affected In 
that wav. Doit'possible give me a remedy.- 
James J. Davies, Augiuta, Oa. 
Jennings says "this trouble does not always 
result from an Injury to the leg or strain of the 
tendons; it is more often found in horses that, 
have bad corns in the feet. Fix out of tensprung- 
knecd horses will be found to have corns, it 
these he of recent growth there is a ft ir prospect 
of straightening of the limbs by removing the 
corns. Under any other circumstances all treat¬ 
ment Is useless." The same author gives tbe fol¬ 
lowing directions about the treatment of corns: 
“ The hoof, around tbo corn, should be cut away 
so as to prevent pressure from the shoe; the 
coni should be well cutout nud burnt with n hot 
Iron, butter of antimony, muriatic acid, caustic 
silver, or the permanganate of potash, lb- 
should then be carefully shod, and if the frog is 
clastic, a bur shoo nicely fitted with a perfectly 
level 1 tearing, would be best; if, however, tli • 
l'rog Is hard stud unyielding, such a shoe may 
prove injurious. Flaxseed poultl es frequently 
applied to the feet, together with the use of hoof 
ointment, will be found effectual; a run at grass 
without shoes will also prove beneficial." 
- +++- - 
Inflamed Eyes in Horses.— In one of our con¬ 
temporaries of recent date, an M. D. recom¬ 
mends, for inflammation of the eyes in lior. >, 
tbe following:—“Ten grains of calomel, bn 
grains of loaf sugar, and two grains of sugar of 
lead; rub them well together, and blow on - 
forth of the amount into the eye every third 
day.” He also says, “being a friend to the 
horse, I prescribe without, charge." 
Calomel applied to a mucus membrane is a 
powerful Irritant, and cannot be dissolved In 
the secretions or moisture ol the eyo. Sugar of 
load, in substance, may be considered a corrosive 
poison, wliile sand umi grit of various kinds am 
found in the purest commercial sugar- How 
such a combination can have a curative ullert 
upon acute inflammation is difficult to undo 
stand. If that M. D. is a friend to the home, we 
advise him to let homes' eyes alone until he finds 
that a dry, partially insoluble, rough, irritating 
mixture, will feel agreeable or do any good to 
his own eyes.— Journal o/ Aorlculture. 
--- 
t'ure for Heaves iu Horses.—A. P. B., iu RUItAi, 
of April loth, asks for a cure for heaves. 1 here - 
with send you my experience. In the fall of 
1S67 my horses got the heave* pretty strong front 
eating second crop clover. On the suggestion of 
a friend, 1 placed a piece of lime, about halt the 
size of a hen’s egg. in the bottom of the tub In 
which 1 watered them, and nailed a piece ui 
coarse canvas over it, and sprinkled their htu 
before feeding. Before spring the disease had 
entirely disappeared, and has shown no signs 0 
returning, although 1 have fed them the pus: 
winter on dry clover hay.—J. B. Potter, * n- ‘- 
son, Ohio. 
-- •»■»-»- 
Worms in Horses. — A correspondent at Mem¬ 
phis, N. Y., cured a mare, he says, by feeding her 
a tablespoonful of pulverized copperas, and re¬ 
peating the dose in one week. 
