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HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT. 
In Rural, May 1, John B. Mitchell, 
Wayne, N. Y., writes with regard to im¬ 
provement of highway#, setting shade trees, 
electing road-masters, Ac. Now, there Is- a 
misunderstanding about this matter, it seems. 
The principle he suggests would naturally 
deter timid people from making highway 
improvements until the Legislature should 
come and ask them personally to set. shade 
trees and make other improvements in the 
highways. Nearly every farm of much ac¬ 
count is deeded to the center of some high¬ 
way, and the public Can occupy said high¬ 
way, for what? 1 answer, for t he purposes 
of improwing said highway, and for travel. 
Am I right? What obstructions may the 
owner in fee place within such highway? 
He may. first, set shade trees in ahd along 
such highways at the distance ol six feet , if 
a three rod road — and one foot more for 
every additional rod in width of road. Am 
1 right? Second, lie may, for the purposes 
of building, have his material in the high¬ 
way, to a reasonable extent, and for a reason- 
abb• time, to accomplish such purpose. 
* Now, if we arc allowed to set trees in the 
highways, would it not he a reasonable ren¬ 
dering of the law, to include likewise the 
privilege of protecting those trees while 
young ? And if we have the privilege of' 
partially obstructing the highways for the 
purpose of building, loading and unloading 
goods, Ac., may that privilege not extend to 
removing fences quite near the beaten track 
for a reasonable time, to rid the ground ol 
weeds, briars, ciders, thistles, Ac., and there¬ 
by improve the highway, and make a good, 
smooth fence bed, besides improving the ap¬ 
pearance of the farm? It is doubly neces¬ 
sary to improve our highways, now that wc 
have the benefits of the (almost divine) cattle 
(in highway) law; for now we can improve 
and mow our roads as our meadows. Road 
Overseers do not always cut the briars and 
noxious weeds in highways, as the law re¬ 
quires and thereby our farms are kept seed¬ 
ed with all manner of foul stuff. Weeds and 
briars used to b« well fed down in highways, 
and the sod used to be well turned over by 
hogB, aud you used to have to keep the bars 
up. It, is not so here now. Am I right? 
lie further says: “ The. present, mode ol 
electing our road-masters is a humbug. They 
should be appointed by the Road Commis¬ 
sioners, as was the law a few years since. 
Why it was altered back to the old plan is 
beyond my comprehension.” Now 7 , 1 do not 
know what his comprehension starts from, 
for “ Thompson on Highways,” 1 H68, says, 
“ Overseers of roads shall be appointed by 
the Commissioners of Highways," and I 
know that is the way the thing has boon 
done for several years past in our town. 
Again, in Rural May 15," An Observer 
of Tilings” pitches into the highway cattle 
law and some other things. Saying nothing 
about, Mr. L., the gentleman referred to, I 
will admit that mechanics and day-laborers 
are necessary in every well organized neigh¬ 
borhood. Necessary, did I say? Yes I Well, 
the very word itself implies cow pasture, 
sweet cream, butter, and little pigs; wife 
milking while tired day-laborer lies on the 
grass to rest; yes, nnd means even more, 
(greenbacks,) for there is no community that 
can get, along for a day without its mechanics 
and day-laborers; nnd, if honest, and indus¬ 
trious, all they have to say is " Cow pasture,” 
or anything else, for their very necessity will 
clear the track for anything reasonable they 
may ask. But if there is a cheese factory 
community that won’t pasture an honest, in¬ 
dustrious laboring man's cow, I would ad¬ 
vise such laboring man to come right up 
here in Chautauqua county, w here we make 
butter mostly, and where he will hear “ 1 
want you to help me to-day.” 
“ I can’t, sir ; T have got to work for him 
all the. rest, of this week ” 
Session laws are plenty, hut good law- 
abiding citizens are getting rather scarce. 
Westfield, N. Y. Austin B. Culver. 
-♦♦♦- 
IMPURE WATER IN NEW WELLS. 
Many eases of impure water in new 7 wells 
are caused by dissolving impurities from the 
stones used to wall them. Wells are often 
abandoned, the water becoming so fetid that 
no animal, however thirsty 7 , would drink it. 
When such is the case, remove all water 
from the well and clean the bottom from 
mud or other impurities. The second filling 
of wtrter will be much better, end if the pro¬ 
cess be repeated a number of times, (unless 
the impure water flows direct from the earth,) 
jt. will become as wholesome to drink, as 
from wells not thus previously infected. 
Should it be necessary to dig through a 
st ratum of soil containing partly decayed veg¬ 
etable matter, or blue clay, the water of said 
veil will taste offensive for sometime; hut 
unless the case is an extraordinary one, the 
thorough cleaning of the well a number of 
times will ultimately render it pure and 
wholesome. 
In walling a well, reject all stone of a po¬ 
rous nature, such as sand stone, for it is from 
such that the evil alluded to often has its 
origin; also entirely exclude surface water 
from the well. 
The water is always of better taste when 
the bottom of the well is of a rock founda¬ 
tion, and to have it thus, the cost of digging 
a few feet deeper is of minor importance. 
—L. D. a 
_ — - 
SILK CULTURE. 
I DE8IJYE to call your attention, and that 
of parties interested in silk manufactures in 
the United States, to an extract from the let¬ 
ter of a lady of Georgia, herewith furnished. 
The present, is a fine opportunity to initiate, 
the cultivation of the worm, and the manu¬ 
facture of the raw material into silk in the 
State of Georgia. Capitalists who desire to 
establish a most lucrative business can do 
so by erecting the necessary machinery in 
or near La Grange, in Georgia, and in a very 
few years the supply will be ample tbr any 
demand that can be made for the raw mate¬ 
rial. In the meantime it is desirable to know 
where the cocoons can meet with a ready 
market, as preparations will he made to fur¬ 
nish them abundantly next season. The fol¬ 
lowing is the extract from the letter refer¬ 
red to: B - 
“ La Grange, Georgia, April. 1809. 
“ i have procured a pretty good supply ol the 
Bilk worm eggs—as many. In fact, us I can con¬ 
veniently manage till I learn whether or not it 
will pay to raise thorn. 
“ Mine is only an experiment. If T can get the 
thin? inaugurated, and learn to a jJTQcUcal cer¬ 
tainty that it te remunerative > I know of many 
families of helpless women nnd children who are 
now Buffering’ the pangs of actual want, in our 
midst, who could go into the business and per 
haps make a support, or at least greatly assist in 
doing so. 
“ There is no doubt about the Month being ad¬ 
mirably adapted to the rearing of silk worms 
But if we cannot sell the cocoons there is no uso 
to attempt to raise them, for t he thread we can 
manufacture without skill or machinery is not 
at. all valuable, and will not begin to pay for the 
trouble. 
“ I have several thousand worms already eat¬ 
ing and growing finely, and could I only t>o as¬ 
sured of the profitable sale of the cocoons, I 
would save eggs enough to Set nil the families 
around me to work raising co< oons next spring. 
‘•If you can learn of the silk manufactories, 
thisside the ocean, who will purchase them, let 
me know, a*hd you will greatly oblige. 
“ Yours, &e„ -.” 
-- 
ROADS AND ROADMASTERS 
In a recent Rural is an article entitled, 
“ Trees on the Highways,” by .1 B. Mitch¬ 
ell, Wayne, N. Y. In that article are these 
words: “The present mode ol electing our 
roadniasters is a humbug. Perhaps, in 
Wayne they elect, but in Castile the Com¬ 
missioners appoint roadmuBtcrs. Perhaps, in 
Wayne, roadinasteru who are v icious, injure 
shade trees; hut not so in Castile. We en¬ 
joy the privilege of making our way over 
neglected roads; in too many cases, thrown 
up, only, by back-furrowing; with water 
coursing its way in the path, even in moder¬ 
ate showers! 
For the benefit of those who admire shade 
trees along highways, I will state what I have 
seen and know. When I was young I very 
much admired a double row of shade trees 
along the highway, in the town of Plain- 
field, Otsego Co. They were on a beautiful 
piece of gravelly loam. When 1 became old 
I had occasion to travel the same road , the 
trees were then large; the consequence was 
the shade was dense, the road muddy and 
disagreeable, even in the month of June. 
This is no “ humbug.” Without pavements 
shaded roads arc but rarely dry nnd ( pleasant 
to travel, as all who have traveled through 
wooded sections well know. 
in regard to “ snow-drifts,” two courses 
maybe adopted. One, not to have fences; 
the other, to have movable fences on tho 
windward side of the roads, running north 
and south. The first plan will be very con¬ 
venient for the owners of land, but especially 
unpleasant for such persons as have occasion 
to drive stock of any kind It is difficult to 
adjust social matters. 
One further matter may well be noticed 
here. Wc have no roads in the State of New 
York which are strictly “ legal,” except on 
Long Island. There the Constitutions of 
the United States and of New York are ef¬ 
fectually carried out by “ legislation 1” How 
Important that our (so-called) laws upon the 
subject of roads should be “ revised!” 
Castile, N. Y., May, 1800. Kurus Peet. 
-- 
STEAM POWER FOR FARMS. 
J. H. urges that the manufacturers of 
portable steam engines for farm use should 
make efforts to extend their adaptation to 
farm purposes. He sayB:—“An engine of 
ten-horse power ought to draw three good 
plows, which would only require the strength 
of six good horses; the remaining four-horse 
power ought to propel itself along over 
almost any kind of ground. 
“Now we think, here in one part of the 
country, that it pays to roll wheat and mead¬ 
ows in the spring, if we could only do it 
without tramping it all in the ground with 
the horses’ feet; for in order to benefit it 
much by rolling the ground must he some¬ 
what. soft. Now if we could have large 
plank rollers, run by an engine instead of 
horses, we could roll our wheat fields and 
meadows with profit. Such a machine 
would find employment for a month at least 
on our owu and adjoining farms. Some may 
think this impracticable, and me absurd ; but 
if we go to the expense of getting such 
machinery why not get all that we can out 
of it, and thereby make the most of a good 
tiling? This is merely a suggestion.” 
•-- 
PREPARATION OF WHITEWASH. 
Whitewash is one of the most valuable 
hrtlcles in the world when properly applied. 
It not. only prevents the decay of wood, but 
conduces greatly to the healtlifUltlcss of all 
buildings, whether of wood or stone. Out¬ 
buildings and fences, when not painted, 
should be supplied once or t wice a year with 
a good coat of whitewash, which should be 
prepared in the following way: 
Take a clean water-tight barrel or other 
suitable cask, and put into it half a bushel 
of lime. Blake it by pouring water over it 
boiling hot, and in sufficient quantity to 
cover it five inches deep, and stir it briskly 
till thoroughly slaked. When the slaking 
has been thoroughly effected, dissolve it in 
water, nnd add two pounds ot sulphate of 
zinc and one of common salt ; these will 
cause the wash to harden, and prevent, its 
cracking, which gives nn unseemly appear¬ 
ance to the work. 
If desirable, a beautiful cream color may 
be communicated to the above wash, by 
adding three pounds of yellow ochre; ora 
good pearl or lead color by the addition of 
lamp, vine, or ivory black. For fawn color, 
add four pounds of umber, Turkish or Ameri¬ 
can—the latter is the cheapest—one pound 
of Indian red, one pound of common lamp¬ 
black. For common stone color, add four 
pounds of raw umber aud two pounds ot 
lamp-black. This wash may be applied with 
a common whitewash brush, and will be 
found much superior both in appearance and 
durability to the common whitewash.— 
Jentrnal of Chemistry, 
- - - - 
Cotlon Seed Oil.—I n Rural of April 17, I 
notice nparagraph in which Jacob Powell of 
Indiana askR if it would pay to make cotton seed 
oil. Iti reply, permit mo to say, it would, in my 
opinion, pay better ill this sect Ion than »ny other 
husinosa—bettor oven than raisin? cotton, from 
which so much money ha* been made. If Jacob 
Powe£L will correspond with .John C. Kleech. 
State Superintendent Bureau of Emigration, 
Montgomery, Ala., ho will no doubt, furnish him 
much valuable Informat ion. Four cotlon seed 
oil factories arc now being creeled In Alabama, 
one at Montgomery, one at Sol mu, and two id, 
Mobile, They pay now from fifteen to twenty- 
11 vo cents per bushel for cotton seed. 'Hie seed 
can bo purchased hero in unlimited quantities 
at ten to fifteen cents per bushel, delivered at 
Greensboro. The oil cake could all bo sold hero. 
Labor Is now from te n to fifteen dollars a month, 
and rations found. —C. W. II., Greensboro, I laic 
Co., JlUu 
I noticed nn inquiry about the manufacture 
of cotton seed oil. I was in Texas In 18 ( 11 -',.’, at 
u time when all lubricating oils were scarce; 
and assisted In removing a steam saw mill which 
had been run with cotton seed oft. A gum had 
formed upon nil the machinery as thick us pole 
leather, aud nearly ns hard. 1 was obliged to re¬ 
move It with a chisel. It maybe that a hotter 
article can be manufactured from cotton seed, 
but I have my doubts about it. My advice is, 
let it alone.—Z. E. Freer, Carotulelci, Mo., 1800. 
---- 
J\lnrk Your Grain Buga—A person skillful 
with the brush cun, bj hipreadln? the bftg upon 
a level surface, write the owner’s name in a 
legible manner. The better way is to cut letters 
through pasteboard and with brush and paint 
mark through them upon tho bag; but the 
pasteboard unless inconveniently thick, curls at 
the.comers after a time, and the letters are 
defaced. In mast villages are persons who have 
tonlB for cutting stencil plates, where, fora few 
shillings, one can have tho desired name cut 
upon sheet brass or tin. Thick sheet lead answers 
a good purpose; it can bo Obtained at. tho tin 
shop. Acuratoly mark the outline of the letters 
upon 11, and with a sharp knife cut them out. 
A good black paint for marking is made from 
lampblack, boiled linseed oil, and Japan dryer. 
Mix to tho desired consistency. Use red lead In 
place of lampblack if this color bo desired. 
Mark Buffalo robes, horse blankets, wagons, 
sleighs, &o. Should they bo lo<-t or stolen, a 
recognizable mark will be stumped t hereon, thus 
often loading to recovery of thoorticle or appre¬ 
hension of the thief.—L. I). Snook. 
• -- - 
Dog-Power. — T see an Inquiry In the Rural 
for the best dog-power. I will give a descrip¬ 
tion of one that I have used for tho last twelvo 
years. The same device was Used by the ancients 
for drawing water, only on a larger scule. It is 
simply a wheel six feet in diameter and a foot 
wide. On the same shaft that runs through tho 
wheel is a twent y-tneb cog-wheel; this acts upon 
a pinion four inches in diameter; on the same 
shaft with the pinion is a balance-wheel of thirty 
pounds weight, with crank and pitman such as 
are used on all dog-powers. This power can be 
built for twelve dollars, or 1 hereabouts. T use 
n common shepherd dog. Ho is plenty heavy 
enough for a half-barrel churn. I f the churn is 
larger a larger dog will be required, j. h. 
--- 
Kerosene Oil lor Painting.— A correspondent 
asks if kerosene oil will answer to use in paint¬ 
ing Instead of linseed. We have known of its 
being used, and with success. 
-Dark. 
CHICKEN COOPS. 
As hatching time arrives many poultry 
breeders will undoubtedly be looking around 
and making inquiries for a plan for the best 
kind of chicken coops, mode of their con¬ 
struction,. &c. I have for years past used the 
old-fashioned coop, somewhat improved, 
which is very convenient either as a hen or 
turkey coop, it is called 
the tent coop, 
an engraving of which is herewith given. It 
is made of inch pine matched boards—tho 
sides and back being water-tight—with slats 
nailed across tbe front, as shown in the 
engraving; the bottom being open so as to 
let the hen get to the earth for wallowing. 
The coop being movable, its location can be 
Clumged at will to suit the convenience of 
the poultry-yard; made in this way it affords 
plenty of light, and air for the hen, and 
allows the young chicks free egress through 
the slats, when they can go and come at 
pleasure. The coop is easily made; is cheap, 
and will last for years. 
There is another mode of making coops, 
which T have used, that are not only veiy 
convenient, but which may also be termed 
rat-proof coops, 
and are made in this way:- The rat-proof 
portion of the coop is made perfectly tight, 
with the exception that the side facing the 
lattice-work portion has cleats so made as to 
allow one section (large enough to admit the 
lien,) of the side lo bo drawn up like a slide- 
door, as shown in the engraving. The run¬ 
way, or lati ice-work, is made so that the hen, 
as well as the chickens, can have the benefit 
of the sun and scratching ground. At even 
ing or in stormy weather the hen and chick¬ 
ens can be driven into the box portion of the 
coop—the slide closed and remain secure 
irom the depredations of rats or the fear of 
drowning ig any of the holes or sluice-ways 
which may be in the vicinity of the coop. 
The coop being movable, of course it can 
be changed to any part of the yard, and it 
can be made very cheaply by any one con¬ 
versant with the use of tools. Those I have 
in use are live feet long, two and a half feet 
wide and three feet high—the box portion 
being two and a half by two feet, leaving the 
remainder oft.be coop for roamage room. 
Here is given another form of coop which 
I have, but it has no other advantages to tny 
mind over either of the preceding ones, 
unless it be that in this shape it affords more 
room. It is made of clap boards and lathed 
or lattice-worked across 1 he whole front of 
the coop and about, halfway up as shown in 
the engraving. The back, sides and top are 
made of clap boards—bul l suppose any kind 
of boards might be used—I used the clap¬ 
boards for the sake of making the coop tight, 
so that it could be handled easily. The size* 
is four and a half feet long—two and a half 
l'ect wide—front three feet high and with a 
pitch of half a loot to the rear; the front of 
the coop being clap boarded one foot down 
—leaving two feet for tbe length of the laths 
in front. J- Brace. 
- *-*-+■ -— 
TRANSPORTATION OF EGGS AGAIN. 
In my former article on the above subject, 
I intended the same should redound to t he 
benefit on the readers ot the Rural and not 
to get in any particular discussion upon the 
subject; but II.’s assertions arc so much at 
variance, I deem it but just that, they should 
lie noticed. It reminds one vety much of 
the boy wlto saw such a stack of black cats, 
— only, instead of dwindling down, his 
theory enlarges. In his first article, in an¬ 
swer to the query “ whether eggs can be 
transported for hatching,” lie says,—“If a 
person gets one pair of good fowls there¬ 
from, he may think himself well off,” carry¬ 
ing the idea that it cannot, be done with any 
kind of certainty, while I claim, if properly 
packed, and the eggs are fresh and have not 
been “ doctored,” they can be transported 
for hatching with reasonable success. 
In his second article on this subject, TT. 
says: — “Fifty per cent, of the eggs will 
hatch.” Now why did he not tell the truth 
in the first instance, and not quibble about 
the matter ? It looks very much to me, from 
the remarks of H., that, he has fancy fowls 
to dispose of at prices a thousand per cent, 
higher than he can get for his eggs; for he 
clearly intimates it is much better to pur¬ 
chase fowls than to fuss with their eggs. 
Again, he says his mode of packing eggs 
is identical with mine. Why did he not toil 
the querist his mode? He also tells of eggs 
"packed a la Sen ex ” and transported itt 
double boxes, &c., and not over fifty per 
cent, out of one sitting hatched. 
Did II. ever know of such a thing as eggs 
being “doctored?” In a quotation, to sub¬ 
stantiate Ilia assertion, lie says : “ it is non¬ 
sense to talk of eggs having been doctored; 
quidnuncs may swallow fiucli tales, but not 
the practical fancier or breeder.” Now, 
then, I can’t say how far II.’s knowledge ex¬ 
tends in this matter, but I have heard that 
“ practical fanciers or breeders” had a queer 
habit of advertising the eggs of fancy fowls 
for sale, and when they were hatched, out 
came tho common dung-hill fowl, IIow is 
that ? Were those eggs “ doctored,” or is it 
the nature of the beast,? Then, again, I 
have 1 1 card of “fanciers” dipping their eggs 
in boiling water, pricking the small ends 
with needles, giving them a good shaking, 
Ac., before sending away; but all this is 
foreign to the subject. I can tell II., and all 
other Rural readers, that last year I sold 
one hundred and sixteen dozen of eggs, 
(fresh, not “ doctored,”) for hatching, and in 
each case corresponded, asking for informa- 
lion relative to the eggs—whether they ar¬ 
rived in good order, &c., and from the 
eighty-six replies received I ascertained that 
not less than seventy per cent, of the eggs 
hatched, and in a majority of the cases ten 
out of every twelve. I am firmly of the 
impression eggs for hatching can be trans¬ 
ported in safety, if my directions are fol¬ 
lowed, H. to the contrary notwithstanding. 
Rochester, N. Y., 1889. Senex. 
-- 
CHITTAGONG FOWLS. 
_ v 
1 have a breed of fowls, called bore the 
Chittagong or White Calcutta; they were 
imported from Calcutta, Hindostan, byCapt. 
Davis, for one IIinds of Vermont. In all 
the reports of poultry shows and in all the 
accounts of fowls given in your paper or any 
oilier, 1 never saw this breed mentioned ; if 
it was, it was confounded with other names, 
so that T could not tell anything about it. I 
will describe them: Color, cream white, with 
black l'ufile around the neck; small comb, 
no top knot, very yellow legs, no feathers on 
the same; have a round plump appearance, 
and the liens especially look like a ball of 
yellow butter when dressed. They mature 
early and will dress, hens five to six pounds, 
&c., cocks, seven to nine pounds; they lay a 
large deep orange colored egg; can set and 
, raise a good litter of chickens as well as a 
step mother; they are much sought, after 
and are considered the boat fowl for the table 
by all who know them, the flesh tender and 
juicy, bones small, and with ordinary care 
will always bo fit. for the table. I want you 
to publish this, for the purpose of learning 
something of this breed of fowls. 
I am a reader of the Rural and have been 
for more than a dozen years, and never saw 
any account of any such breed. 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y. Austin B. Culver. 
The fowls described are tho Cfdttagongs, 
natives of India, ami from which tho Brah¬ 
mas were bred. By careful breeding, some 
have made them a very desirable breed; but 
tho majority of those who have tried them 
find them hard to fatten, and the flesh coarse 
aud of inferior quality. Some years ago 
many yards of them were kept throughout 
the country, but they have made way for 
the more desirable and popular Brahmas. 
- - — —•*-*-*— -- 
Egg Record.—tn the EurAL of May 1, Mr. John 
P. Buzzkll Rives the number of eggs laid by 
twenty-seven hens; and ho adds, “ Beat this who 
can." 1 got from fifty-six hena eight hundred 
and sixty-eight eggs in January; eight hundred 
and uinety-tme in February; nine hundred and 
eighty-four in March. I also set fourteen hens 
previous to the I5tb of March, which of course 
lessened the number of eggs. Now, considering 
the fact that u small lot will do better than a 
larger number, I think my hens are a little ahead 
as far as heard from. 
Amount, received for eggs sold. $08 98 
Expenses of keeping.. 28 13 
Profits in three months.$10 85 
.My hens are light Brahmas crossed with Cre¬ 
oles, Black Spanish, Golden Pheasants and Cochin 
China.— Nelson Ritter, Syracuse, N. Y. 
-- 
The Setting Rooster— I too have hnd some 
little acquaintance with poultry Instinct. That 
rooster, Imported from Cuba, being in a strange 
place, with no companion but a horse, his lone¬ 
liness, natural capacity and instinct caused him 
to spealt In notions what he could not crow, or 
express to your understanding in words. I hum¬ 
bly beg to say he should have been provided 
with a setting of eggs, for then all would have 
been in order. I would have done so. — Ransom 
BARGBR, Shrub Oc !/., A'. Y. 
V 
