throw stones.” When Sen- 
ex accuses me of not telling 
the truth, of quibbling, lie 
should have been very care¬ 
ful to quote my articles cor¬ 
rectly, and not. lay himself 
open to the same charge, 
lie also forgot that his re¬ 
mark about my having 
fowls to sell at high prices 
applies equally as well to 
' ^ those who sell eggs; in fact. 
morc ho, for nearly every 
j-- — breeder will corroborate my 
experience and assertion 
that there is morn money 
made in Belling eggs than 
n. raising fowls. 
- One more item, Sknex 
says:—“ I have beard tlmt 
practical fanciers or breed- 
ers have a queer habit of 
advertising the eggs of fancy 
fowls for sale, and when 
cumo tlu* common dung¬ 
hill fowl.” (Query, is Skn- 
/ ex a “ practical fancier or 
\i| o ,» breeder V" 1 ask for lufor- 
i \\){( Af 1 matiou.) And he also says: 
“ lit a quotation to substnn- 
tiatc my assertion," &c., &c. 
' .'^x ' 1'I*t' quotation I gave was 
' r from one of the most triist- 
jAi r worthy breeders in Kng- 
y fj\ land; one who has bad ten 
' vV times the experience of Sk.n- 
$ ex and myself combined, 
■* and whoso word is beyond 
dispu te,and certal nly shou id 
carry some weight with it. 
1 class as “ practical fan¬ 
ciers and breeders” such 
names as Philander Wil¬ 
liams, S, .T. McIntosh, G. 
- _ - _ . .. IT. Watinrr, 0. O. Poore, 
D. W. flKRSTINH, J. y. 
Bicicnell, J. Salisbury, Jr., Col. F. C. 
ITassard, and it Is no light thing to prefer 
charges against persons who stand with such 
a record as the above. Such names are a 
guarantee of honesty and fair dealing. 
I do not deny, and have not done so, that 
eggs arc sent out that will not hatch, or arc 
not true to name. If the public will buy 
eggs wherever they can get them cheapest, 
without, knowing the stock or its reputation, 
they must expect to got swindled sometimes. 
Does Sknkx or any sane man suppose that 
any one will offer puro gold for sale at 120, 
when its market value is 140? When I 
know that a fine trio of fowls of a certain 
kind will cost from $100 to $150 to import, 
and that dozens arc ready to pay a dollar 
each for the eggs, is it reasonable to suppose 
that 1 will believe in the purity and excel¬ 
lence of fowls whose eggs I see advertised 
at $2 per dozen ? 
But 1 am digressing from the subject in 
hand. I sec no reason for altering or quali¬ 
fying anything 1 have previously written; 
and any impartial reader, on comparing my 
articles, will see that it is not “my asser¬ 
tions that are at variance,” but Henex’s eye¬ 
sight or understanding. ir. 
run two weeks after washing; then shears, 
and sends to the same house his five pound 
fleece, in “bad condition, heavy.” Good 
condition means something more than light. 
It is free from tags, and surplus strings, and 
is every way sightly. Bad condition, of 
course, is the reverse of this. My neighbor s 
wool is sold for 88@40—eay 30c. per pound. 
I get for my light fleece $1.6(3, while he gets 
for his heavy fleece $1.95; in fact, twenty- 
nine cents per fleece premium for making his 
H. S. RANDALL, LL. D,, EDITOR, 
Of Cortland Village, Cortland Countv, Nbw Vork. 
THE WOOL EXPOSITIONS. 
WOOL STATISTICS 
Sherman Hall, Esq., of the excellent 
Wool Commission House of Sherman Hall 
& Lyiirand of Chicago, says the Prairie 
Farmer, has wit h much care and labor com¬ 
puted a mass of interesting wool statistics. 
These will he. glanced at with profit now 
that, the wool season is fairly opened. Wo 
have 
Receipts and Sliipinents at Chicago for 
Fourteen Years. 
Forwarded 
Rounds. 
Received, 
Rounds. 
tsr,r,.. 
1856.. 
1857.. 
1*5$.. 
mi.. 
1860.. 
mi.. 
1363.. 
1803-4 
J301-5 
1*15-0 
1866-7 
1*17 -8 
1868-9 
1,858,930 
1 , 100 , 8:11 
I, 653,020 
913,319 
859,248 
1,184,208 
1,523,571 
2,831,191 
1,3411,383 
7,4139,719 
12,200,010 
II, 218,909 
12,950,415 
and placed him with his flock of common 
gray geese, which paired and from which 
lie bred a beautiful cross-breed, which were 
quite a novelty to look upon. Til© gander 
seemed to be perfectly contented with his 
new-found mates, and did not, after a short 
time, evince any disposition to he freed from 
the bounden fetters of domestication. 
J. Brace. 
A CHAPTER ON GEESE 
Prices of Fleece Wool for Twelve Seasons 
in Chicago. 
Tlie American Wild Goose. 
There scorns to he a great diversity of 
opinion, among writers on poultry, relative 
to the domestic or common goose of Amer¬ 
ica, many contending that they derive their 
parentage from the “ Canada Wild Goose,” 
so-called in Europe, wldl^ n is said by emi¬ 
nent ornithologists that the American Wild 
Goose is identical with the Canada, and that 
the latter derives its name from the former 
breed. 
Cuvier claims, however, that the Ameri¬ 
can wild goose, so-called, is identical with 
the Swan family and cannot be well separated 
from the true swans. But they show much 
more disposition for domestication than the 
swan, and can certainly he maintained, per¬ 
fectly healthy, with more limited facilities for 
bathing, than any of the swan family. 
Audubon kept sonic of the American wild 
geese three years; yet the old birds did not 
show any inclination to brood during their 
confinement; while their young, which were 
captured with them, commenced breeding 
the second year, lie states their period of 
incubation to bo only twenty-eight days, 
which is a much shorter period than a person 
would uaturally suppose. In a domestic or 
confined state they (lo not breed, as a gen¬ 
eral thing until they an; at least two years 
old, while in a wild state they breed when 
they are from fifteen to sixteen months old. 
The American wild goose i3 undoubtedly 
one of the most beautiful birds of the feath- 
ored tribe, is universally known over the 
whole broad extent of our country, whoso 
regular migrations are a sure signal of ap¬ 
proaching winter or the return of wiring-time. 
The head, two-thirds of the neck, the larger 
quills, the rump and tail, are jet black; the 
back and wings are brown, the edges of the 
wings being a lightish-brown; the under 
plumage and base of the neck are a brownish- 
gray; the eyes are encircled with white 
feathers, while a kidney-shaped cravat of 
white feathers forms a conspicuous mark on 
the throat; the upper and under tail coverts 
are pure white, bill and feet black; while its 
delicate and swau-like neck gives this bird a 
majestic and beautiful uppeauance. Their 
autumnal flight lasts from the middle of Au¬ 
gust to the middle of November, and the 
vernal flight from the middle of April to the 
middle of May. 
Wilson says that, “except in calm weath¬ 
er, the flocks of American wiid geese rarely 
sleep on the water, generally preferring to 
roost all night in the marshes. When the 
shallow hays are frozen over, they seek the 
mouths of inlets near the sea, occasionally 
visiting the air or breathing holes In the ice; 
but these bays are seldom so completely fro¬ 
zen as to prevent their feeding on the bars at 
the entrance.” 
A friend of ours, residin. 
1868. 1867. 1866. 18415. 1864. 1803. 
2 »K, 4,511 24«47 804.4)35 45.,. 52 6l«i 86 50® 55 
iVoVSO wiaM 4iV«;i 0 loft-M T.V 95 5&®00 
184551 17®-W 4413.48 55w«tt 82®.105 50(40214 
A 100131. 
1862. 1861. I860. 1859. 1853. 1857. 
2564)50 22(3)27 25®.43 25.... 10 1604.30 3.V™33 
2.V..50 22....:>7 25... 45 25.vt.42 18(5610 20(5)40 
45(550 2«(a427 25c 17 255 It 2o(»4l Ql®. 12 
DATE. 
Juno.... 
July. 
August 
Number of Sheen in the different Slates for 
the following Yeavst 
EXPERIENCE BUYING EGGS 
I notice an article in the Rural of the 
5th inst, headed “More About Eggs,” and 
as 1 have taken, and now take, considerable 
interest in the poultry question, I desire to 
write of a little experience that I have paid 
for. 1 have bought eggs at. extravagant 
prices for the last three years. They have 
been sent, to me by express, and seemed 
to me, when received, to be in good order. 
I have succeeded in hatching seven chickens 
from seventeen dozen of eggs. This year 1 
bought seven dozen anti got only one chicken. 
It seems to me that there is something gross¬ 
ly wrong somewhere. If the eggs were 
fresh when packed and not “ doctored,” (I 
use the word as it. was used in the arifole 
referred,) it really seems as though more 
chickens would lie produced. T do not write 
this in a spirit of fault-finding, but. rather to 
induce some person to intimate a proper 
mode of packing. If Sknkx can send me 
eggs that can bo hatched, he is the man I 
want to buy of, and hope that he may con¬ 
vince me that mine have not been properly 
handled. 1 shall try again in the spring and 
would like to hear from him. W. 
Hesper, Iowa, 1809. 
STATE, 
Muihe. 
N. Hampshire 
Vermont. 
Massachusetts 
Rhode Island 
Koniieotieui... 
Delaware.. 
Now York. 
Now Jersey 
Pennsylvania. 
Maryland__ 
Kentucky . 
(till. 
Michigan. 
Indiana. 
Illinois 
Missouri. 
Wisconsin... . 
Iowa. 
Minnesota.... 
Kansas. 
Nebraska.- 
655.714 677.571 623.371 529.865 
1,252,689 1.377,296 1,355,93(1 1.912,061 
201.957 21(19.16 199,033 175,149 
32,6,21 35,381 36,958 30,533 
179,343 183,308 188,308 173,243 
17,500 I7..VJ0 17,600 17,072 
4,570,310 6,117,148- 6,373,005 4,990.891 
175,256 131,0941 190.17)1 193,952 
2,871,503 3.230.1 Mi 8,456,563 3,422,002 
260,072 362,576! 273,326 275,542 
HU.ID4I 361,003 0,13,193 895,365 
5,765,340 6,568,16)2 7,159,177 0.7:31,126 
3,0SS.nOli 5,173,075 4.023.707 3,918, 91 
2,4.55,918 2,783,307 8,(>W,H7o 2,882, it 6 
2,002,112 2-118,(131 2,704,072 2,7:16,431 
SK.t.Vki 330,!«> 1,005,7419 1 ,,177.617 
909,925 1,260, now; 1,001,388 l^WKTiW 
1,1)76,3741 1,9541.752, 2,399.425 2,591,379 
(',1,041 90,190 1:10,211 129,010 
00,488 82,802 108,287 101,789 
15,700j _ 20.811 22.059 
S,0I7?V( 35^42.991) 51910,241 
Inquiry Almnt Ducks,— I observed in the Rit¬ 
ual of the llfti nit., un article on the “ routing 
of ducks," by J. Plane. His experience, as 
given, wits with t he common duck. Now I wish 
to ask, for Information, in regard to tho Ayles¬ 
bury or Muscovy duck, whether they urea hardy 
breed, arid whether they cau be bred profitably 
in the South and Southwest; where they may be 
obtained, anil ut. what prices? What aro their 
characteristics? If they aro not the variety to 
brood for profit In tho localities desired, can any 
Ktr it a r, renders inform mo which aro, in their 
opinion, tho boat breeds?— also their mode of 
rearing them? Such information Imparted 
through the Rural win be thankfully received 
by—A Constant Reader. 
880,600 
658,024 
325,60 
179,804 
314,875 
5,006 
257,151 
192,980 
58,M'S 
827,371 
117,195 
201,641 
West Virginia 
1,012,946 700,666 
516,719 
233,599 216,7(4 
512,613 340,017 
29,953 0,931 
347.1,601 276,597 
317,75.1, 253,895 
180)8,55 87,908 
783,818 940.196 
202.674 113,782 
773,312 201.427 
Virginia. 
North Carolina 
South Curollnu 
Georgia . 
Florida. 
A la Imuia. 
Mississippi.... 
Louisiana ..... 
Texas. 
Arkansas.. 
Tennessee. 
WHY WE GROW HEAVY WOOL 
Wool growers are very generally blamed 
for making heavy fleeces. The burden of the 
song of speculators and commission men is, 
“ heavy fleeces," “ too much grease,” and 
the refrain is accompanied by the one- 
stringed instrument that is played upon by 
all Wool Buyers’ Associations. The well 
posted wool grower lias never attempted to 
conceal tho fact that he makes his wool heavy 
because it pays him best, to do so. That this 
is so is no fault of his. Incompetent men 
are sent out through the country to buy wool 
at an arbitrary price. They can’t pay above 
such a price; hut will take anything that is 
offered below or within their limit, isn't 
here a premium upon heavy wool? 
But suppose the grower concludes not to 
soil to this man, but ships his clip to Chicago, 
hoping to have it sold upon its merits, how 
does he fare ? 1 have before me the circular 
of one of the largest commission houses in 
Chicago, (dated July 6,) in which I find these 
figures: 
Fleece XX, good condition, light, ..., ,406i43c. 
Fleece XX, lm«l condition, heavy.SSu lOc, 
Fleece X, good Condition, light.4A« 42c. 
Fleece X. had condition, heavy . ’.35w37e. 
Fleece medium, good condition, light.40ff( 1 3c. 
Fleece medium, hud condition, heavy.:i0i«38c. 
Here we find two cents per pound dilier- 
once in price between “ good condition, 
light,” and " had condition, heavy.” Now, 
a well grown Merino fleece of four pounds 
weight, would be in good condition; and 
one of five pounds would not be very heavy. 
But take the two for an example. 1 send to 
the commission house my four pound fleece, 
in “ good condition, light”—sheared as soon 
after washing as dry, and it sells Ibr40@,43, 
say 4134c. My neighbor allows bis sheep to 
Total 
Samples. — Jab. H. Goodrich, Wiltiamstown, 
Maas., forwards us ft card of Merino samples. No. 
1, from stock ram Golden Fleece, bred by Je¬ 
rome Holden of Westminster West, Vt., got 
by Col. E. S. Sto well's Golden Floeee, dam by 
Geo in ie Cami-ulll’s old Grimes, bred by Mr. 
Hammond. Took first prize as a yearling at 
New England Fair in lbOT. First fleece, J9>4 lbs.; 
second, 2;iv. lbs.; third, 25 lbs. Carcass 98 lbs. 
Served two hundred ewes last fall. “Feed not 
to exceed one and one half pints of oats per 
day—a little more while serving.” Wool two 
and one-eighth inches long, of good style and 
quality, yolk abundant, and of bright golden 
tint. Nos. 2,3, 4, from two-year old ewes, bred 
by Mr. Holden. Nos. 2 and 4 raised iambs. 
Fleeces 12# lbs., 13.q lbs., 13 lbs. Quality good. 
Next four, owe tegs. Fleeces about one year’s 
growth, except last, which is fourteen months’ 
growth. Fleeces 11# lbs., 10# lbs., 10# lbs., 13# 
lbs. Quality good. No. 0, Lady Grimes, by Old 
Grimes; raised lamb. Fleece 15#. No. 10, year¬ 
ling ewe Beauty, by Golden Fleece. Fleece 11# 
lbs. ’ Carcass 41. Quality of two preceding good. 
No. H, ram, got by Constitution, bred by Mr. 
1:OT,den. Took first prize at New England Fair 
in 1868. Fleece 22# lbs. Wool two and one- 
eighth inches long, not so good in quality, and 
harsher to tho feel than any of preceding. 
TRANSPORTATION OF EGGS AGAIN, 
While it i3 not my intention to get up a 
controversy on this subject, still I cannot 
allow the article of Sknkx in the Rural of 
June 6th to pass unnoticed. Sknkx may 
have a “ knack” of packing eggs far in 
advance of wo small and comparatively un¬ 
known fanciers, but he. certainly has the 
“ knack” of misconstruing and misquoting 
passages to suit his own ends. While I do 
not wish to cast a shadow of doubt on 
Sknkx’s verity, I must deny in tolo his assev¬ 
eration. “H. says in his second article on 
the subject, that fifty per cent, of the eggs 
will batch.” The paragraph from which he 
tries to quote reads : “ 1 repeat what I said in 
my former communication, that so far as I 
can ascertain, not more than fifty per cent., 
and as a rule, not over thirty per cent, of the 
eggs will hatch.” 
if Sknkx wears glasses, he must have got 
them on upside down when he read the 
above passage. He further says, “I 11 Ids 
first article II. says, 1 If a person gets one 
pair of good fowls therefrom lie may think 
himself well off.’ ” My article reads “ one 
pair of GOOD fowls.” 
Sknkx knows, or should know, what every 
breeder of experience will tell him, that in 
raising chickens from choice stock, breeding 
to a feather, it is not often that, we get over 
one or two pair of perfect birds from a set¬ 
ting of eggs. It is an old adage that says: 
“ Persons who live in glass houses must not 
IMgeona —Information Wanted.— Seeing an in¬ 
quiry in the Rural a short time since from C. 
B. D. about pigeons, and not seeing any reply 
thereto, 1 should likofoask also whether pigeons 
can be bred with profit; if so, what kinds aro 
the best and most profitable for (he amateur 
to breed from? Undoubtedly there are many 
Rural readers .vho would bo glad to give tho 
desired Information if they wore aware of tlio 
fuel that ?ueh information was sought after. 
Will not some jdgoon fancier give me an early 
answer to my qmTy?— .t. b. 
A Curious Egg.— Tho last, egg laid in the nest 
by a hen belonging to a neighbor, is quite a curi¬ 
osity. The part representing the egg proper is 
about the size of a partridge egg, which, instead 
of being rounded in oval shape at the little end, 
runs into quite a handle, making the entire egg 
very much in 1 he shape of a gourd with a handle 
disproportionately large.- m. 
Gapes in Turkeys.—In answer to E. 8. in Rit¬ 
ual July 10, allow me to say tlmt if she will 
give her turkeys clabber and curds of milk and 
no water, she will never see the gapes among 
thorn, l write from experience.— Mary C. Dal¬ 
ton. „ , 
To Feed n Young l.iunli.-CHAUNCBY Hun- 
geiifoud writes“Take the pith from a quill, 
wind with tow to make a cork to fit a vial or 
flask; cover the eyes with the left hand and 
nurse the iamb with the right (milk implied) 
hand. Feed a little and 1 lie lamb will help itself. 
Better out lambs' throats than feed thorn with 
spoons." 
Gnpe-M in Chickens, W. M.» Somerset, Tnd., 
cures gapes “by taking shelled oorn, putting it 
in a cloth and pounding it with ft hammer until 
the grains are broken in two or three pieces, 
anil then feeding tt, to the chickens having the 
gapes." He never knew it to fall. 
g in Chenango 
county, several years ago shot and wounded 
a large gander of this species, clipped his 
wings, (one of which, I think, was broken,) 
Itushnndry is not perfect without sheep. A 
farm is only partially stocked without them, and 
no man is a stock raiser, a grazier, or a farmer, 
unless he has flocks as well as herds. 
Tansy is almost a certain preventive of lice up¬ 
on setting hens. Gather it green, and lino tho 
nest, at the time of setting the liens. 
