M0011 ? S RURAL nW-Y0BBBS» 
H. 8. RANDALL, LL. I)., EDITOR, 
Of Cortland Village, Cortland County> Nrw York. 
ME. CROSMAN’S THIRTY-FIVE 
POUND FLEECE. 
We published, May 29th, an account of a 
sheep shearing at Alexander, Genesee Co., 
N. Y., hy which it appears that a Merino 
mm, owned hy Mr. 0. Grosman, produced a 
fleece, of a year’s growth, weighing thirty-five 
pounds, two ounces. We asked Mr, 0. to 
forward us samples of the wool. No reply 
lias been received to this request. We do 
not know whether Mr. C. declines to sent, 
the samples because he is unwilling to have 
'the wool publicly examined and publicly 
commented on, or because he thinks our re 
quest was an improper one, nml chooses to 
treat it. as such. If the former was the case, 
he did illy, we think, to place or have others 
place before the public the marvelous weight 
of a fleece, the condition or character of 
which he Was ashamed to have known. But 
if he declined on the ground of the supposes 
impropriety of our request, wo must beg 
leave very decidedly to differ with him on 
that point; and for the information of all 
who may seud us similar statements in fu 
ture, we will now declare what we conceive 
to he both the rights and duties of an editor 
in such cases. 
The fact that a communication is pub¬ 
lished ill this Department, does not, cei 
tainly, make ns responsible for its truthful¬ 
ness. But an editor, who claims that he is 
devoting his pen and columns to the interests 
of a particular husbandry, Is clearly bound 
to tuku all reasonable precaution to prevent 
those columns fVom being made the vehicles 
of cither falsehood or unintentional error. 
The public understand this so. And hence 
the mere publication, without question or dis¬ 
sent, of a new supposed fact of importance, of 
a claim to extraordinary excellence, or the 
like, connected with that husbandry, fy, very 
properly we think, regarded as implying 
some degree of editor id indorsement or 
countenance. It might at least ho regarded 
as implying, in our own case, that we saw 
nothing so unusual or incredible in the state¬ 
ment, that we felt called upon to ask further 
explanations, or furthur proofs of its accu¬ 
racy. It has been our invariable custom, 
where new important facts or claims, in re¬ 
gard to sheep, have been communicated to 
us for publication hy the owner or his 
friends to assume the right to ask any fur¬ 
ther information or proofs in the premises 
which we considered requisite to a satisfac¬ 
tory understanding of the whole matter. 
Ami we have held that it was as proper and 
necessary to ask these of men whom wo 
knew to be of high standing as of those 
Whose standing was unknown or doubtful. 
In this we have followed the example of uur 
Wool Growers’ Associations. No exhibitor is 
held by them to be above answering the ques¬ 
tions which are intended for all, or above ex¬ 
hibiting his sheep and wool to the free inspec¬ 
tion of all. And we remember no previous 
instance in which any request of ours In this 
direction has been refused. 
We presume Mr. Ckosman did exhibit 
his sheep and wool to all his neighbors and 
others who attended the shearing match at. 
his barn; and very likely he gave all neces¬ 
sary information to those who asked it, 
Had the thing stopped here, we should have 
had no concern in the matter. But when 
the Chairman, Secretary and Weigher, with 
Mr. Grosman’s assent, forwarded ns the 
weight of the fleeces, including that of Mr. 
Grosman’s ram, for 'publication , together 
With the statement that such ram’s wool 
“ teas in good condition and free from extra- 
iteous matter," we thereby did acquire a con¬ 
cern in the subject, and a perfect right to 
ask for a sample of the wool, in order that 
we might form, and, if we sa w lit, publicly 
express our own opinions on its condition 
and character. Mr. Grosman has no right 
to avail himself of our columns to put for¬ 
ward very extraordinary claims for his 
property, without allowing us some chance 
to judge whether in so doing we are an¬ 
nouncing a valuable improvement or adver¬ 
tising a humbug. 
It will not do to say that we were not en¬ 
titled to go behind t he report of the officers 
of the meeting. We have no reason to doubt 
they al e respectable gentlemen, and acted in 
good faith. They may, too, be very good 
judges of wool. Taken, as they probably 
meant it to be understood, their statements 
would not he incredible. We think they only 
meant to say that the wool was in good con¬ 
dition for such c-xtreiuely yolky wool (sup¬ 
posing the weight of the fleece would carry 
the admission of the latter fact.) and that it 
was free from such other extraneous sub¬ 
stances as dung, dirt, &e. But this is not 
what they did say, or what the public gener¬ 
ally have understood them to mean. We 
have already seen paragraphs going the 
rounds of the 'newspapers giving the enor¬ 
mous weight of Mr. Grosman’s' fleece, stat¬ 
ing nothing to the contrary, and therefore 
leaving it to be inferred that the wool was as 
clean us the average of unwashed Merino 
rams’ fleeces. The report of the officers of the 
meeting impliedly asserted as much as this, 
and, literally construed, a good deal more. 
The amount of yolk or “ grease ” in wool 
is recognized by buyers and sellers as con¬ 
stituting a part of its “ condition.” A tlcece 
seventy-five per cent, of the weight of which 
consists in yolk, is not in as good “ condition" 
as one containing twenty-five or fitly per 
cent, of yolk. Were a New York wool mer¬ 
chant to sell a manufacturer a hundred thou¬ 
sand pounds of wool without the latter seeing 
it, guaranteeing it to be, say X wool in “good 
condition,’’ and the wool should lie found to 
contain seventy-five per cent., or any unusual 
or extraordinary proportion of yolk for that 
kind of wool, does anybody doubt that the 
sale would lie held a dishonorable and fraudu 
lent one? And what shall we-say of the 
Unqualified declaration that wool, which in 
all probability does contain at least seventy- 
five per cent, of yolk, is “ free from extrane¬ 
ous matter? " The newspaper paragraphs wc 
have alluded to give us the credit, of publish¬ 
ing such statements as these without dissent, 
and therefore leave it to be inferred that we 
credited them! We must protest against 
being left in such a predicament. 
Had Mr. Grosman sent us the samples, 
v r e should have tried to form a fair judg¬ 
ment of the relative proportions of wool 
and yolk in them—unless he would consent 
to resort to the far better test of scouring. 
His refusal leaves us only to state our gen¬ 
eral impressions — our conjectures —ip the 
premises, As at present informed, we are 
free to say that we regard thirty-five pound 
fleeces as a humbug. We shall continue so 
to regard them until it is shown by scouring 
that they contain more wool than fleeces, 
weighing much less in the yolk. Thus far, 
scouring trials have not resulted favorably 
to “monster fleeces.’’ And If these trials 
have been few, it is because the growers of 
such fleeces have pretty generally avoided 
submitting them to that test. 
Fine wool unquestionably requires a very 
considerable, and, compared with other 
wools, a large amount of yolk, for the at¬ 
tainment and preservation of its beat con 
ditions. But a huge, excess of yolk is as 
useless to the wool, the sheep, or to the 
wool manufacturer, as so much mud. A 
very excessive secretion of it is not. usually 
believed, among experienced growers, to be 
compatible with the highest vigor of consti 
tutlon. If produced in part by pampering, 
the constitution is further undermined. In 
any event, it must he preserved in the wool 
hy means which cost much labor. There 
are dark hints in circulation—and we know 
they are credited hy many experienced 
growers—that artificial substances are some¬ 
times poured into the wool, in different 
stages of its growth which greatly increase 
its gross weight, and which cannot stlbse- 
jnently be distinguished from natural yolk. 
Wc know not whether this is true. We trust 
that it is not. 
As between two rams of the same weight 
of carcass and scoured wool, one producing 
thirty-five pounds and ilic other twenty-five 
.founds of wool in the yolk, wc should, other 
things being equal, decidedly prefer the lat¬ 
ter. In the first place, we should have no 
inflation to grow miserable-looking, unmer¬ 
chantable wool, stuck together from root to 
joint with thick, viscid yolk — wool which 
tressed together and dried in chunks, would 
afford effective missiles in a street fight — iu 
order to secure no real improvement or le¬ 
gitimate benefit, but merely to go into the 
newspapers and astonish greenhorns with 
tremendous stories of the weight of things 
called fleeces of wool, but in which wool 
bears about the same proportion (<> other sub¬ 
stances as Fall,staff’s bread did to his sack. 
Prince - O monstrous! but one half-penny 
worth of bread to this Intolerable deal of suck. 
—Kind Heard IV. 
And, secondly, if t here were no other objec¬ 
tion, we should want to know the anteced¬ 
ents, individual characteristics, and progeny 
of such a ram extremely well, before wc 
should be willing to trust him on the score of 
tardiness and easy keeping. 
We think those who have read our writ¬ 
ings on sheep* will readily admit that we 
lave always shown quite sufiicient willing¬ 
ness to herald and assert all genuine im¬ 
provements in American Merinos. Those 
improvements, within a few years, have 
been great and manifest. None has been 
more apparent than the increase of actual 
wool in the fleece. Nor, probably, has pro¬ 
gress in this direction reached its maximum. 
We shall proudly and gladly hail any further 
advance, hy whomsoever it is made. We 
have never shut our columns against the 
properly proven claims of any respectable 
)reader, and wc never shall, as long as we 
are connected with an agricultural journal. 
i3ut we never shall allow any one to use our 
columns to proclaim his own supposed im¬ 
provements, without reserving a right to our¬ 
selves and others to scrutinize the facts. 
-♦♦♦.- 
Want of space compels us to defer several im¬ 
portant articles iu type. 
MR. SHORT’S THIRTY-FIVE POUND 
FLEECE. 
In publishing the proceedings of the On¬ 
tario and Livingston (N. Y.) Wool Growers’ 
Association, last week, we stated that Mr. 
S. D. Shout, the owner of the ram whose 
fleece weighed thirty live pounds, requested 
the Secretary of the Association to forward 
us samples of the wool; that, the latter pre¬ 
ferred not to take it upon himself to select 
average samples unless we requested it, and 
designated some other person to assist in 
choosing them; and that we had made such 
request and designation, and forwarded cer¬ 
tain questions in regard to keep and treat¬ 
ment of the ram, to be answered by the owner. 
Wc requested Secretary Ray, in conjunc¬ 
tion with Wii.uam R. Pitts, Esq .of Hone- 
oye, to examine the fleece and forward us 
samples, average in respect to fineness, 
length, and ynlkiness, from the shoulder, hip, 
bosom and belly, (including “sweat-balls") 
provided the fleece was in such condition 
that, those parts could be distinguished—it 
not, to send average samples from the fleece 
as a whole. 
Wo also requested tlpit the owner stale 
how the ram had been kept and treated— 
how much and what he had been fed besides 
bay and grass—whether lie lmd been boused 
summer and winter—how many ewes he 
served last fall—and whether any artificial 
substance had at, any lime been put on or in 
the wool to increase the weight, of the fleece. 
With tlie samples, we iyreived the follow¬ 
ing letter: 
Honeoyk, N. Y., June It, 18G9. 
IIon. Henry S. Randall Dear Sir: Agree¬ 
able to your request., we have weighed unci ex¬ 
amined die fleece of S. L>. Short's ram, and 
selected samples which, in our opinion, areas 
you requested. The Reece weighs Ihirty-rtvo 
pounds. Wo inclose the statement of Giokon 
Pitts und Mr. Short, in regard to the ram. We 
also indorse the above statement. 
Wit.i.i am If. Pitts. 
John P. Ray. 
The samples forwarded are from the dif¬ 
ferent pacts indicated by us. They arc of 
about the usual fineness of wool which is 
considered deairahlo among the breeders of 
very heavy fleeced American Merino sheep. 
They range in length from about one and 
five-eighths inches to one and seven eighths 
inches, und are mostly of the latter 
length. The hardened external yolk (gum) 
is not unusual in amount. Within, the 
wool is filled to excess and stuck together 
with yellowish, serni-hardened yolk. The 
“sweat-ball” is not extraordinary in size, 
(about the size of a large almond,) and is 
t he usual mass of black “ gum ’’ attached to 
a small lock of wool. How abundant these 
sweat balls were we do not,, of course, know. 
Tt is not necessary for us to speculate on the 
proportion of yolk to wool, as we under¬ 
stand the fleece is entered for the W R. 
Pitts prize on scoured wool, and we take it, 
for grunted that the scouring will be intrust¬ 
ed to a manufacturer of well known stand¬ 
ing, and will he performed as well as it. has 
hitherto been performed iu similar trials for 
the Mate Wool Grouwrs ’ Association. Then, 
and not till then, we shall know how much 
wool and how much waste are represented 
in this enormous fleece. We thank Mr. 
Short for manfully meeting this decisive 
test—a test which most growers of “ brag 
fleeces” have been careful to avoid. 
The questions wc put, to the owner were 
equally squarely met, by the keeper and 
owner of the ram, iu the following certifi¬ 
cate : 
Honkoye, June it, 1889. 
I hereby certify that, in the summer o£ l hog, i 
took a Merino owe (belonging to Kpencek. D. 
Short, my son-in-law,) to If a Know Pro’s of 
Darien, N. V., to lie served by their stock ram 
Yount? Grimes. The ewe tvas returned to my 
place lu the lull, ami wintered I here. On the 
ft id itny of April, 18(5" she dropped a ram lamb 
which weighed eleven and uquarter pounds. He 
sucked twoewps during ibe summer and was 
housed from nearly all the storms. Reserved 
twenty-four owes m the fall; was wintered ou 
hay and swill from the kltohen, composed of 
sour milk, applo und potato pea It ngs, and fllsh- 
water, &e., which lie was very fond of. Ho was 
shorn on the nth day of May, 1808; his lleeeo 
weighed twenty-seven nnd a half pounds, lie 
has been at tny place all Hie time uni it the dale 
of t his, excepting u few days last fall, whoa he 
was ((( duoier's, to serve Ids ewes, lie was 
housed from nearly all storms durum the year. 
Was wintered ihe same uh before, with an addi¬ 
tional quantity of araln, say a pint of oats per 
day and the same quantity ol‘ bran, lie served 
eighty-four ewes last full, and was tended. No 
urlitieial substance of any kind or nature has 
been used in anv manner to Increase the weight 
of In's fleece. Ite wiis .shorn on the 8th day of 
May, 1809, at the Exhibition of Ontario and 
Livingston Wool Growers' Association. His 
lleeceWeighed thirty-live pounds. 
Gideon Pitts. 
i endorse the above, Spencer D. Short. 
We will say, for the information of distant 
readers, that we personally know all the 
signers of the two letters published in this 
article, and believe their statements entitled 
to full credit. 
Name Claimed. Dll. Randai.i.HEM. & 
Son, Brighton, Macoupin county, Illinois, claim 
the name of “ Veloolpede" for u ram lamb 
dropped May 1st, 1809. Dam, No. 02, bought 
of M. C. Dkakdhoee, Canal Dover, Tuscarawas 
coupiy, Ohio, bred by Mr, Moody of Ver¬ 
mont, from a Hammond ewe and Mr. Moody’s 
Infantado ram. No. 52 la six years old, and 
has just cheated eleven pounds two ounces 
eleven months' fleece, lacking two days. Sire, 
“Ballinger's Prince,” bred by N. A. Saxton, 
Vergonne.s, Vt., out of a ewe bought, of Mr. 
Hammond in 1801. Prince was got by Mr. Sax¬ 
ton’s America, out of a Hammond ewe. Ameri¬ 
ca was bred by Mr. Hammond and got by Sweep¬ 
stakes. Prince was sold to Mr. Bai.linuer of 
Macoupin Co., III., in 1803, for £1.000. Recom¬ 
mended by Mr. Hammond himself a* the best 
ram he knew, that emild be bought, In Vermont. 
Mr. Hallinger declares he has paid for himself 
many times. Ho Is at. this date nine year-sold, 
in line condition and full of vigor. Sheared 
twenty-two and a half pounds in iBffi. Too coot 
to shear him this year. J. Bell & Son. 
Brighton, Til., June 8, ISCq. 
COOKED FOOD FOR SWINE. 
The following report of experiments in 
the. cooking of food for swine was furnished 
the Practical Fanner by Thomas J. Edge, 
Ghestcr county, Pa.: 
“ My first experiment was with old corn, 
in three forms, viz., shelled and fed whole; 
ground and made into slop wit h cold water, 
and ground and thoroughly cooked. 
“The pigs, live in number, were from the 
same litter, and were the produce of a good, 
common sow, crossed with a Berkshire boar. 
“ in each case the food was given them as 
fast as consumed, and all possible care taken 
to avoid any waste or Irregularity of fi nd¬ 
ing ; in every ease of a change of food, three 
days was allowed before the weighing for the 
experiment, in order that thecll’eet of a sud¬ 
den and entire change of diet might, not af¬ 
fect the result. 
“1 found I hat live bushels of whole corn 
made 4? J .j pounds of pork. Five bushels 
(less miller’s (oil) of corn, ground and made 
into thick slop with cold water, made 54! f 
pounds of pork. The same amount, of meal, 
well boiled and fed cold, made 83 !l q pounds 
of pork. 
“ With the whole com, the pigs had the 
slops from the kitchen, (no milk;) and for 
drink with the boiled mush, one or two 
quarts wore thinned with cold water or slop 
from the, house; in each ease the house slop 
was used in some form or other, but iMl the 
milk was reserved for small pigs. 
“The fifteen bushels of corn cost $1.30 
per bushel, ancl you will notice that while 
the pork made from the whole com barely 
paid for the corn—that from the same 
amount of ground com cooked, paid the 
whole cost of t he com and a little more than 
one dollar per bushel over, and that the 
economy of grinding and making into slop 
will fully warrant the extra trouble and ex¬ 
pense. How could it be otherwise, when 
t he whole economy of profitable feeding eon 
sists in bursting of or breaking the indiges¬ 
tible bull which incloses the minute particles 
of the food ? 
“In the above experiment the data arc based 
upon pork at $14 per cwt.,and corn at $1.30 
per bushel, but it will apply as well to other 
prices. 
“ The second experiment was exclusively 
with new corn, in two forms, viz., on the 
ear, and shelled and ground before boiling, 
and all in such case was what we know as 
“nubbins" or soft com. The best of this 
class of corn was reserved for the pigs, and 
the worst fed to the cattle. Ten bushels on 
the cob made 29pounds of pork, fed in 
the usual way, on the ground. The same 
amount shelled, ground by horse power and 
boiled, made (14 pounds of pork. < )f course 
a portion of that fed on the ear was wasted; 
but it is the common plan, and forms but a 
fair test of the comparative merits of cooked 
food, 1 have made no experiment with 
sound new com, yet may have a favorable 
opportuniniLy before, the season is past, but 
would suppose t hat, my experiment with old 
com would form a good criterion to judge by. 
“ I have found that there is economy in al¬ 
lowing the food to become thoroughly cold 
before it is fed; that in this state a larger 
amount, will be eaten, with more apparent 
good appetite; that while scalding is bene¬ 
ficial, thorough and prolonged cooking, 
under pressure, is more economical. In 
more than one case I fastened the lids of the 
barrels down until the pressure was as high 
as five pounds per square inch in the barrel 
and steamer, and an examination into the 
condition of the food convinced me that its 
globules were thoroughly burs ted, and it was 
all, or nearly all, rendered available. During 
a given time, the same pigs will consume 
rather more com cooked than uncooked. 
“ Having eaten various portions of one of 
the above pigs, fed almost entirely on cooked 
food,(fed cold,)and having assisted in killing- 
all of them, 1 must, say that the, prevalent 
idea that the meat of such pigs is not as firm 
as if fed upon uncooked food, has proven, in 
my case to be erroneous — though I am not 
prepared to say what the result would have 
been had the food been used while warm.” 
SMALL GRAIN CULTURE. 
Poisonous ism ill. — A correspondent of the 
Prairie Farmer, having complained of a disease 
among Ids hues, he is told hy unol her correspond¬ 
ent that (tie symptoms are similar to those of 
hogs ol' his own which he is satisfied died from 
eating swill that had beconm poisoned hy stand 
lug too long. He says: “Chemists say that 
after swill stands a eertaiu length of time after 
it has soured, it becomes poisonous. 1 don't 
know that this is so, but I do know that I shall 
not feed any more old swill." 
Having experimented last year on nine 
acres of wheat, and the result proving quite 
satisfactory, 1 am trying the same this sea¬ 
son on a more extensive scale. The way I 
doit:—I use corn stubble for spring small 
grain. Blow in spring, taking special pains 
to turn the stalks under as perfectly as pos¬ 
sible. Use the bush to level the furrows; 
sow of wheat one-lialf bushel per acre, with 
a drill, using each alternate tooth, thereby 
placing the rows fourteen inches apart. Of 
oats or barley, sow one bushel per acre. Be¬ 
fore the grain appears above the ground 
bush again thoroughly. As soon as the 
grain is up, say t hree inches high,commence 
tho cultivation. This 1 do hy using the 
drill with which I sowed the grain, as a 
system of cultivators, raising the tooth used 
in sowing and dropping tho others; culti¬ 
vate around the field in the same truck as 
when I sowed. J. can cultivate from fifteen 
to eighteen acres per day, per team. Culti¬ 
vate two or three times. This work may bo 
out Of the way so as not to interfere with 
the corn. 
My grain treated in this way, this season, 
seems nearly as thick, and far more luxu¬ 
riant than grain generally in this vicinity, 
on land seeded with three times the amount 
of seed. One piece of the wheat is now 
(June 14) more than knee high, and com¬ 
pletely covers the ground, as do also forty- 
seven acres of oats. The unusual luxuriance 
of the oats, however, may he owing largely 
to the variety, being what is called “ Sur¬ 
prise Oats," and genuine, no doubt, ns I re¬ 
ceive the seed direct from the originator. 
1 have been somewhat explicit in this 
matter, feeling that it is important — feeling 
with thousands of others, that our American 
system of grain raising needs a revolution; 
that as much time nnd money and strength 
of soil is expended in raising weeds as 
wheat, and that the above plan, or some¬ 
thing like it, bids fair to bring good results. 
1 am in hopes, also, that others who are 
engaged in similar experiments may be in¬ 
duced to report progress occasionally, that 
the entire fraternity may be mutually ben¬ 
efited. C. D. Fox. 
Ilelott, June 14, 1899. 
We thank Mr. Fox for the foregoing 
statement of his practice in small grain cul¬ 
ture. There can be no doubt us to tho 
profitable results Similar experiments, of 
which we have been cognizant in this 
country and in England, have proved very 
satisfactory. The wheat plant, will as surely 
repay culture as corn; go of oats. We shall 
desire to see the figures after harvest, in¬ 
cluding cost, gross receipts and net results 
from the experiment.— Eds. Rural. 
—j-- 
Culture of Swedluh Turnips, t notice in a Info 
issue of Rural an article on the cultivation of 
the Swedish turnip, whiefti gave tho distance to 
be thinned out between the turnips from eight 
to ten inches. The cultivators of this crop in 
Canada would consider tilt* above space quite too 
small; fifteen Inches Is nearer the mark. An 
essential in thogrowth of Ihiscrop is,not to leave 
them loo thick.— M. W. Brown, Parts, Ontario. 
-+4*- 
VVnMh for Seeds,—A correspondent of the Cfn- 
etmmti Times says that tho following recipe will 
preserve all kinds of grain nnd garden seeds 
from the ravages of out-warms, birds, etc hie 
pound sulphate of iron, one pound aloes. Dis¬ 
solve in water boated to ninety or ninety-five 
degrees, and pour over one bushel of grain, ami 
in a .similar proportion for a greater or lesser 
quantity. 
- 4 - 4-4 - 
Xurwuy Oats and Foul Seed.—I sent for two 
quarts of Norway OUts which I sowed, and they 
are looking very tine; but they put me to a 
good deal of trouble pulling- the wild mustard 
out of them. I wish seedsmen could send out 
pure seed. I had rather have got Canada This¬ 
tles than this mustard. [We should not. Eds. 
Rural.) R. B. tt., Castanet, Iowa. 
*- 
How to Plant Potatoes.—Will some one please 
tell me, through the Rural, how the potato 
should Replaced In the hill — whether the cut 
Side should bo up or down? Ever since 1 ear. re¬ 
member t have boon taugln to place the cut side 
down; but now my husband thinks I am wrong, 
and wants the eyes down. Will some experienced 
farmer decide the matter for me? Mrs. E. U. A. 
- 44 - 4 -- 
Potatoes After Wheat.—In reply to H. PAL¬ 
MER, Salem, Va., in Rural of May 22, let me say 
that 1 planted new potatoes, fully matured, in 
July, and none came up that full; so I think he 
should plant potatoes grown last year. They 
will pay, in good soil, planted the middle of 
June. They wlH have the benefit of the fall 
ruins— k. w. h. 
-- 444 - 
Seed Wheat from it Coltl Climate, (’. C. G., 
Harper’s Ferry, Va., asks If wheat grown In a 
cold climate wilt do web for seed In a warmer; 
and if It would not ripen later in Virginia than 
their own varieties. Yes; we should get North¬ 
ern seed with confidence. We know no good 
reason why it should ripen later. 
- 4 - 44 - 
A bike Clover. A successful Western cultiva¬ 
tor of this clover says: “It is u mistake that 
Alsike requires poor soli. Put it. on rich, moist 
clay soil, and the clover is a fine success.” 
Orchard Gras* Sod, an exchange says, on being 
plowed up, is always found to be black and rich. 
It is an ameliorator and improver of the soil. 
