Circular, July 1, (he following kind of en¬ 
couragement to farmers to consign their wool 
to them. They say: 
“Ttao condition ol' the market for woolen 
goods remains unimproved, and manufacturers 
find but littlo encouragement In the sales of 
their productions, to make purchases of the raw 
material, except at low prices; and yet, in the 
face of this Important fact, Western operators 
are pacing more than the opening quotations of 
last season, and relatively higher than can bo 
obtained on tho present market, 
“ In many parts of the West, the competition 
which has caused this advance, has probably 
been sharpened by a feeling of rivalry among 
buyers and a desiro to boo who can handle the 
most wool. Tboy seont to forgot that by paying 
three to live cents per pound more for their 
wool than tho Eastern roarkota will warrant, or 
than they would l>o obliged to pay by tnoro Ju¬ 
dicious management, they are throwing away 
their chance of profit from their operations. 
“ Tho fact that the clip of this year will bo less 
tbau that of last, will not have tho tendency to 
advaneo prices which many suppose, from the 
circumstance that tho receipts from California 
and Texas will be larger than before, and in a 
measure* make up for tbo deficiency in other 
sections. It is also to bo noted that in Europe 
foreign wools aro very low, and at a little further 
decline in gold, could bo brought to this market 
under the present tariff, so aa to safely compete 
with our fine wools. 
“ The probability that the present stringency in 
tho money market may continue during tho 
fall, af which time tlioro will undoubtedly be 
largo calls for funds to move tho grain and cot¬ 
ton crops, renders it very likely that many 
holders of wool will be inclined to reduce their 
largo stocks in order to ralso money, and that, 
the parcels t hen pressed upon a dull market will 
cause a decline in prices. 
“looking at the situation from this stand¬ 
point, wo do not feel at all satisfied with tho 
prospect for our Western friends wlioaro operat¬ 
ing in wool, and who may have boon drawn Into 
paying extreme rates ;nnd wo would again urge 
t hem to bo cautious in tho remainder of their 
purchases, to send thetr wools forward promptly, 
and to realize on them without unnecessary 
delay.” _ 
hfcp Iwsbanbrg 
arm 
STOCK IN THE HIGHWAYS 
H. S. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
Op CORTAANO VlLLXGK, CORTIASD COCNTV, NSW YORK 
ONION CULTURE. 
I’ve been weeding onion3 sine® supper. 
My blood boils; I must cool down before I 
go to bad, or I can’t sleep. Arthur C. 
Smith of Wellington wants to know howto 
raise three-fourths of an acre of onions. A 
wise man of tbo Fanner's Club tells you to 
buy a need sower, and seed labeled " Weth¬ 
ersfield.” I tell you to lot the seed sower 
alone till you know it is wortli its cost, and 
that will not be soon enough to sow onions 
next year. Back furrow your ground into 
bcd 9 this fall, about five feet wide, and spread 
on (alter smoothing them) a good coat of 
manure, if the land needs it, as all land does 
in this section; hen manure is best: well 
decomposed hog or cattle manure will an¬ 
swer. 
Next winter get two pieces of board, one 
and ouc-fourth inches thick, six inches wide, 
one about nineteen inches long and the other 
five feet long, a quarter-inch bit, and com¬ 
mence near thu center of the shorter board 
and bon: u hole ; boro another two and a half 
inches from il, a littlo towards one corner of 
tho board; another same distance from these 
two, anil so on as long as you enu get one in 
the same distance inside of one-half inch of 
the edge of tho board. Slant your bit to¬ 
wards one end a little, and all alike. Get 
some forty-penny nails and drive iu the holes 
from one side. Lay a square on the other 
board, so the twenty-two inch mark comes 
to the corner and tho twelve inch of tho 
tongue t,o the same side of the hoard, and 
make a mark by tho long side of thu square 
(understand the corner of the square is to bo 
across the board); turn the square and lay 
the tongue to tho line made, tho square ex¬ 
tending one inch on the board further than 
the first, line, and draw a line again by tho 
long side of the square; on this liuo make a 
mark two inches from the same side you 
began at, and at tho other end of the board 
one and a quarter inches; draw a liuo be¬ 
tween. 
This is for the handle. Work to the first 
liuo, square to tho aide of the board; tho 
second, square or round; tho handle rounded 
to suit your feeling. Screw this lust in a 
wood Vise, first line up; lay first board on 
points of nails, up and inclined towards the 
handle, and the tbo two boards lengthwise 
the same way; drive five nails so as to 
fasten them strongly together, the handle aa 
near the middle of the other as you can; and 
you have Hendricks’ Weed Exterminator, 
which is not patented. 
In the spring, as soon as tho ground is 
suitable to till, scarify it well with this, till 
your ground is all mellow, and every weed 
within three incites of tho surface dead as a 
door nail. Get. a board one foot wide all the 
way, straight edges; take a dung fork, lay 
the board square across your bed, step on it, 
scratch with the tines, making all work, till 
you have a furrow the right depth for th« 
seed. Take your seed in a dish ; drop them 
one at a time in the furrow 
MERINO SAMPLES: 
Families, Crosses. 
Andrew McFarland, New Athens, 
Harrison county, Ohio, writes U3 :—“Having 
sent samples of my wool to the Agricultural 
Department, and also to the Exhibition at 
Cincinnati, I have thought best to send you 
some of them also. Being pulled from the 
fleeces, they- do not show as well as if cut 
out on tbo sheep. The six samples, so num¬ 
bered, are from some fleeces of one year’s 
growth, except No, 4,—tho sheep being In- 
lantados. No. 5 was got by Gold Drop, 
(Hammond’s.) The last six samples are 
from unwashed ewes. I think No. 6 the 
best one on the card Please give me your 
opinion of the best, and also of the least 
valuable kind for us to grow. I have sent 
tbc finest samples to Cincinnati—the longest 
to Washington. Into what class -would you 
put these samples, and how many classes ? 
“ Allow me to ask some other questions. 
What is the difference between the Infanta- 
dos and Escurials as originally found in 
Spain ? Were not both of those cabanas the 
foundation of tho best Saxon and Silesian 
sheep ? What was tho origin of the French 
Rsmbouillets. Is it probublu that any dif¬ 
ferent varieties may be bleuded together so 
as to produce a better variety than tho im¬ 
proved American Merino? Are tho wools 
of the improved American Merino suitable 
to make shawls or delaines? Some of tho 
buyers tell us that we must quit tho latter 
and raise English sheep for these objects. 
What arc the facts?” 
Of the ram samples Nos. 0 and 5 are tho 
best, and wc should give preference to the 
ram of llic.se two which, other things being 
equal, produced tho heaviest fleece. Both 
samples are of high style and quality. No. 
G is rather the best. The six owe samples 
arc finer, shorter, and freer from yolk than 
the American Merinos of Vermont, New 
York, See. They arc from fair to fine broad¬ 
cloth wool. We should say, on a rapid in¬ 
spection, that ram sample 4 was inferior to 
the others in quality. No. 1 has more style 
and brilliance than 2, 3 and 4. We cannot 
judge which is “ the least valuable to grow ” 
merely from samples. We must also have the 
testimony of the weighing scales to attempt 
to decide that question. All seem to class 
well enough together, unless it be No. 4. 
(We have answered above questions of our 
correspondent, hut must not be expected 
generally to make such comparisons between 
samples.) 
The difference between the Infantadoa and 
Escurials in Spain was, that the latter was a 
finer and lighter fleeced sheep than tho 
former, and we think had less yolk. The 
best Saxon sheep were principally descend¬ 
ants of the Escurials. Some of the Silesian 
sheep are descendants of Infantadoa, crossed 
with Negrcttis,— some, perhaps, of other 
Spanish crosses, and a very large and popu¬ 
lar family of them are pure Negrcttis. The 
royal French Rambouillet flock was bred 
from choice sheep selected from the various 
prime Spanish families bred promiscuously 
together. 
For the greatest production of medium fine 
wool, the American Merino cannot, in our 
judgment, he improved by any cross what¬ 
ever. Those who wish to grow fine broad¬ 
cloth wools will prefer the Silesian, or tho 
“ Washington county sheep,” (principally 
descended from the Merino stock of Wells 
A Dickinson,) or the improved Saxons. 
American Merino wools are particularly well 
adapted to the manufacture of shawls, de- 
laiucs, cassimeres, Ac., Ac., though a cross 
between the Merino and coarse wooled sheep 
produces a more saleable article for coarser 
delaines, and, possibly, for coarse shawls. 
Pure English wool is not, so far as we are 
informed, used for any of these fabrics. 
Scouring prize. We hope Mr. Crosman 
will not shrink from tho same ordeal. If he 
has confidence that his rains’ fleece contains 
the usual proportion of wool to yolk, or any 
approximation to it, why should ho hesitate 
to test tho fact? And suppose that, cither in 
his case or Mr. Short’s, the cleansing ex¬ 
periment should not result satisfactorily to 
thorn? What then? Neither of them have 
made, so far ns wo are aware, any “ high 
pretensions.” They have merely publicly 
shorn their sheep, w'itli other people, and 
the officers of the respective meetings have 
published the result. This implicates neither 
of the owners of f, 'o sheep in any attempt 
to “ humbug the public," even though their 
scouring experiments should result in a 
comparative or marked failure. If no arti¬ 
ficial or unusual moans have been employed 
by either of them to increase the gross 
weight of the fleece—and Mr. SnoRT has 
already denied this cm his part—they would 
not he to blame for such a failure. They 
cannot be supposed to know, better than 
other persons, how much the fleeces will 
shrink in cleansing. If the extra gross 
weight is made up of “ grease and gum,” 
they as much want to know it as other peo¬ 
ple. If they are honorable, breeders, they 
do not want, to allow themselves to be de¬ 
ceived, or to deceive the public, with any 
imaginary excellences. If tho supposed 
excellences are real, they want, and are en¬ 
titled to receive, the benefits of them. 
What we specially object to iu our Ohio 
correspondent's communication, is that 
throughout he impliedly assumes that the 
published statements hi respect to these 
fleeces are false—intentionally false. Has 
he, a perfect stranger to the parties, quite a 
right to ask us to publish such imputations 
on tho witnesses in Mr 
laws, making some provision tor the 
“ hungry prowlers ” of mechanics and day 
laborers. . 
I cheerfully admit tliat “ mechanics and 
laborers are absolutely necessary in every 
well organized neighborhoodthat they 
have a right to have families and own cows, 
but I fail to see that, they have any moral or 
legal right to compel me to keep them, or 
even to turn them into the highway them¬ 
selves. When I buy lands, I am bounded to 
tho center of the highway, and pay my 
money for such land in the highway, the 
public having the simple right to travel 
there; all other right belong to me. Now, 
when my neighbor coolly tells me that he 
has a right to occupy lands bought with my 
money, that his cows can become a public 
and private nuisance, and lie in front ©f my 
door of nights, that I must keep my gates 
secure and bolted to keep them out of my 
garden, he will excuse me for saying that I 
cannot see the handle to his jug. 
If another leaf is added to the Session 
Laws, making some provision for the 
“ hungry prowlers,” or cows of mechanics, 
and compelling farmers to pasture them as 
desired by “ An Observer of Things ” 1 
would simply ask that, if ho is a mechanic, 
and I desire to hire his tools when he is 
not. using them, and ho refuses, that another 
leaf bo added, compelling him to give me 
my just rights. 
Poolville, N. Y. A Farmer's Jug Handle. 
mark Sheep. — "Elhvood," Alboreton, Ill., 
writes:—*' 1 noticed your advice to your corres¬ 
pondent In relation to Mock lambs, a few weelcs 
ago. We attacti great importance to tho separa¬ 
tion of the bucks from tho herd until very lute 
in tho sonson — the later tho better HO far as this 
point is concerned—then let tho time they are 
together bo very short, lty this rule we have 
some of us uovor failed to have white lambs and 
moru twins than by any other plan. Id cases 
where ihe bucks have accidentally broken this 
rule, we have had many black lambs from the 
same sheep that under this rule gave us nothing 
but white ones. Does this correspond with tho 
experience of others? " 
If *' others" have had a similar experience, 
our columns are open to them. But wo con fess 
We call see no possible connection between the 
supposed cause and effects. 
Our correspondent. W. It, P., of Prattsburg, 
-—, sends us a humorous and, os Artismus 
Wa i id would call It. “ snreiwtieal" remonstrance 
against our condemnations of black sheep and 
knobs- But its politicul allusions are too pungent 
for this department. 
Another correspondent—C., of St Louis, Mo., 
asks us“ Wbat Is tho valid objection to black 
sbcop in flocks —why arc they not as good as 
white sheep ? “ Because the wool has not usually 
the soundness of that of white sheep of the same 
blood and quality, and It does not take every 
shade of color as well. It Is not, therefore, as 
marketable. 
Short’s case, after 
we have publicly declared that wo person¬ 
ally know them all, and consider their state¬ 
ments entitled to full credit V The witnesses 
in Mr. Grosman’s ease did manifestly fall 
into a very decided blunder iu speaking of 
the condition of the wool. But avc think we 
have fairly explained that blunder. We be¬ 
lieve they gave strictly correct testimony in 
regard to the gross weight of the fleece. 
With such views we cannot, as the case now 
stands, lend our columns to personal attacks 
on the owners of the sheep, — though we re¬ 
regard tho “soapy monsters" as fair game 
until the scouring test shall assign them their 
true status. 
FANCY GATES, 
The above is a, very simply made and 
very neat design of a gate for a picket fence 
of almost any character. It is easily and 
cheaply made, and. if well constructed, will 
stand a good deal of service. 
PRICE OF WOOL. 
with your fin¬ 
ger make a little mark, so yon can see where, 
and put another just as far from it. aa you 
expect your onions will grow big; if they all 
grow, that will be very thick; you need not 
expect all to grow. 
“Ohl pshaw! that is taking too much 
pains; scatter them in thick and thin them 
out,” Mr. Seedsman says. 
Well, it will take more time to pull the 
plants than to drop one seed at a time; and 
Mr. Seedsman is getting rich selling very 
small packages. My soil adheres after being 
wet, and if dry the seed will not germinate; 
so I hauled and idled my furrows with sand. 
When one row is sown turn over your hoard 
and sow another. Your seeds will come up 
about as soon as weeds if planted on this 
plan. 
Tho wise man said you would have to use 
your thumb and finger. Well, I reckon a 
band would not be worth much for work 
without a thumb and finger; but use the 
weed exterminator between the rows often, 
aud a brick trowel cross-wise, and you need 
not pull a single weed between your thumb 
and finger, unless you choose. 
Now sir, go on, persevere, raise three- 
fourths of an acre of onions next year. Snap 
your fingers at the Ax-Grinders. But per¬ 
haps, Mr. Editor, Mr. Agent wrote the letter 
for the boy, so he could grind his seed sower 
and onion seed all up sharp. Lf there is 
such a boy, send him this; and if he suc¬ 
ceeds in rendering himself worthy of success, 
he ought, in three years, to he able to betroth 
the most worthy young lady of his acquaint¬ 
ance. a. H. 
Steuben Co., N. Y. 
PLEURO-PNEUMONIA IN HOGS. 
A correspondent of the Department of 
Agriculture, from Lebanon, Ky., states that 
plcuro-pneuinonia is induced in hogs by 
sleeping in the dust and wet straw, and by 
close confinement, followed by sudden ex¬ 
posure. 
A neighbor lost his stock hogs by shutting 
them out from their warm beds in March. 
Their beds should be warm, and changed 
frequently during the winter. If this dis¬ 
ease makes its appearance, the best thing to 
be done is to scatter them widely apart over 
tho farm. Some persons have kept their 
sick hogs on a dry lot, without a drop of 
water, with good effect. If you are willing 
to count the cost, call in your family phy¬ 
sician and ask him to prescribe just the 
same as he would were you the patient. 
Make the medicine into the form of a pill, 
turn the patient on liis back, drop it in his 
mouth and close the jaws an instant until 
the pill is swallowed. He has known many 
instances of a speedy cure, when all hope 
was lost. 
We give herewith another modification of 
the fancy gates, similar to those heretofore 
given. We regard it the neatest design 
given. It is light, airy, symmetrical and 
harmonious. 
Rilling Dock.—A writer in the N. E. Home¬ 
stead says, the best and easiest way to extermin¬ 
ate this troublesome pest Is to take a Sharp hoe 
and give it a sliding stroke, so us to out the dock 
Just below tho crown, and throw the crowns Into 
a basket and leave them In the traveled track of 
tho highway, or any othor place where they will 
not get a foothold in the ground, and the work 
is done. 
THIRTY-FIVE POUND FLEECES, 
We have received from a well-known 
gentleman of Ohio a trenchant attack on 
the statements recently made to the public, 
through this paper, in regard to the thirty- 
five pound Merino fleeces of Mr. C. Cros¬ 
man, of Alexander, N. Y., and Mr. S. D. 
Short, of Livonia, N. Y. Hud our corre¬ 
spondent confined himself to ridiculing the 
kind of sheep which produce such fleeces, 
or even to his scathing attack “ on the folly 
and injury to the fine wool interest of breed¬ 
ing such soapy monsters,” wc should pub¬ 
lish the article, for these are proper objects 
of criticism. 
We have given our own views on the 
subject, and have no wish to prevent others 
from doing the same, on either side of the 
question. His "challenge” to Messrs. C. 
aud 8. “ to'sustain their high pretensions to 
excellence by halving the fleeces scoured by 
some well-known manufacturer,” and his 
prediction that such test will “prick the 
The Productive Powers of Sows.— Mons. VAU- 
ban once made Borne curious and Interesting 
calculations as to tho prolific* powers of swine. 
He regards the sow, naturally, a long lived ani¬ 
mal, living to the age of twenty years or more; 
and assuming that she is capable of being Im¬ 
pregnated before she is twelve months old, aud 
of giving birth to tAvo litters per year, and 
twelve offspring to a litter,-he caleubit.es that 
in the course of eleven years —or ten genera¬ 
tions, and excluding tho males, AVhlch are as 
numerous ns the other sex,—there would result 
six millions of pigs. Extending this calculation 
to the twelfth generation, ho gets a greater 
number than Europe is capable of maintaining; 
and Avhere the calculation extended to the 
thirteenth generation, a number sufficient to 
supply the Avhole world Is obtained. 
Zine Labels. — Hon. M. P. Wilder says:—'* In 
the use of zinc labels, which were the most 
durable In character, an indelible Ink was used; 
but not having the ink at hand on one occasion, 
he wrote upon the zine with a toad pencil. This 
writing,although it could be rubbed off When 
first made, grew more distinct and durable with 
age, and after several years could not be erased, 
except by scraping.” 
Sawdust as a Fertilizer.—An Ohio correspond¬ 
ent susks the comparative valueof saw dust (half 
rotted) as a fertilizer. It is valuable for com¬ 
posting with green manures—that is, tho carbon 
Itcontains and the ash are constituents of plants. 
It is better to use it than waste it- 
Wheat on tin* Pacific Count. — Information 
from the principal grain districts of California 
indicates that the wheat crop, though targe, is 
below the average yield per acre. A oonsider- 
able portion of it, Cither through thinness or 
rust, will not pay to harvest, Iu Oregon the 
crop is greatly in excess of any previous year, 
except in the Walla Walla region. 
Labeling Fertilizers.—The Maine Legislature 
has enacted a law requiring the seller of con> 
mercial fertilizers to affix to every pound sold a 
printed label, giving the manufacturer’s name 
and place of business, and the percentage of the 
different ingredients composing the manure. 
Sows With Pig.— Is It better to confine sows 
Avith pig in mld-summor (feeding them fresh 
forage,) or give them ranges?— p. v. 
Give them a dry range, we should say. But it 
is bad for sows to ruu iu damp, malarious places. 
