The gearing of The Excelsior is simple 
and effective. It has one large spur-wheel 
keyed to the main shaft, and with its ratch¬ 
ets and pawlR, is protected from dirt or 
clogging. Both the ground wheels drive, or 
either one of them will drive, turning to 
the right ur left. In backiug, the machine 
is out of gear. A valuable and original 
feature of The Excelsior, is the cut-off rod, 
which, at the same time, and by the same 
motion of the foot which drops the slatted 
platform to discharge the gavel, arrests the 
falling grain from the sickle and holds it till 
ripening later than either. These potatoes 
are the produot of the old and well-known 
Western red variety, which are seut to 
their island in the Winter and are planted 
in the latter part of December or the first 
of January, The appearanoe and quality of 
them is entirely changed from the original, 
making the best of all early varieties re¬ 
ceived in this market. A number of persons 
in this country have planted these pota¬ 
toes, to see if this improvement in them 
could be retained; but, bo far as I have as¬ 
certained, have met with no success. The 
ORCHARD GRASS. 
GOOD EXAMPLE FROM THE SOUTH 
A correspondent in the Germantown 
Telegraph says:—“I have raised orchai’d- 
grass for several years, and like it better 
the more I am acquainted with it. I have 
never raised it in the shade or near trees, 
nor did [know that it was named because 
of its adaptability to orchards. I have 
raised it on common loamy soil and on 
meadow-bottom. Ilave very heavy crops, 
and find it to be the best of feed for cows, 
especially the rowen. I have always cut 
mine three times a year on good land. I 
am not ready to give up Timothy, but am 
sowing more and more orchard-grass every 
year. T would not advise one to have his 
whole farm in that, or any other one kind 
of grass. Orchard-grass must be cut early 
or much of its value will be lost. All I took 
up tny pen for was to say that it will grow' 
well in the sun. 
“ I have no doubt but that many, perhaps 
the majority of those who try it, will be 
disappointed with it. It, matures about 
four weeks earlier than Timothy, and our 
peoplo who are not used to cutting hay in 
May or June, w ill let it stand till it gets 
hard, and thus lose much of the value of 
the first ci'op, and diminish the quantity of 
the next. But if cut very early, and well 
cured, and the next crops of rowen arc cut 
and cured in season, it will produce more 
value of feed for a Winter dairy than any 
grass T over raised. I havethis winter been 
feeding three crops of it, grown from sc'd 
sowed the 11th <>f last April. It was cut 
July 1st, August l8tto7th, and September 
18th, and produced over three tons to the 
aero. The stoutest of the first crop weighed 
over two tons to the acre, by actual trial of 
measured sample.” 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: —Having 
been much interested by conversation with 
an old friend, now resident here, about ag¬ 
ricultural movements in Virginia, &c., I 
think it may interest you and your readers 
to learn something of his experience among 
the farmers of the “Old Domiuion,” who 
often invite him to address them at their 
sociable meetings. I requested him to 
make a note of the way these meetings are 
got up, as farmers in other regions, through 
your wide-spread “ Rural” parish, may be 
interested thereby, and may be tempted to 
try how similar meetings may promote im¬ 
provement. (socially and agriculturally) in 
their respective neighborhoods. He w T as an 
efficient cavalry officer in the late war, on 
the Union side—a Major in command, and 
since brovetted as a Colonel for his gallant¬ 
ry. lie has “converted his sword into a 
reaping hook,” and now meets, on cordial 
terms, w r ith many w'hotn he formerly met 
in the battle-fields of Virginia. His exam¬ 
ple, and the example of those Virginia far¬ 
mers who now welcome him at their “Ag¬ 
ricultural Sociables,” are worthy of special 
mm 
Wyww** 
REAPER 7VNI3 MOWER. 
the platform is again in place to receive it. 
The Excelsior is an iron-frame machine, 
with a forward cut, which enables the dri¬ 
ver to see hie work without danger of being 
thrown before the sickle. The workman¬ 
ship of The Excelsior is neat and honest, in 
all its parts, and the machine can be safely 
commended as one which will give satisfac¬ 
tion. As the establishment at Akron has 
jurisdiction of the State of New York, they 
would especially commend their Excelsior 
to tho host of Rural readers in the Empire 
State, as well as elsewhere. For terms of 
sale, Sue., address J. F. Seiberling Co., 
Akron, Ohio.— s. d. h. 
THE EXCELSIOR 
quality and appearance of the onions are 
also changed, being lighter in color, quite 
soft, and much sweeter than the State or 
Eastern article. 
The tomatoes an? the small variety, round 
and quite smooth; they do not possess much 
flavor, but generally sell ut high prices to 
t he keepers of rest aurants and hotels. They 
are picked before they are thoroughly ripe, 
wrapped separately in paper, then packed 
in small, slatted crates containing about six 
quarts each. 
The plan adopted by the native Bermu¬ 
dans to ship their onions is a novel one. 
They take a largo leaf, resembling the pcliu, 
cut or tear it in strips down to the main 
stems, then, with the aid of other strips, 
they form it iuto a hag, the top of which is 
made just large enough to admit the onions, 
which 5 b closed when full. Tills plan works 
well, for it secures ventilation, which is 
a necessity for tho safe transportation in 
the holds of vessels. The size of those bags 
varies according to the size of the leaf, 
ranging from eight to twenty pounds each 
when full, thus giving consumers an oppor¬ 
tunity to buy a small quantity iu tho 
original package. They are sold by weight, 
except when they are sent in barrels. 
Now and Tiien. 
Farmers’ Clubs In Virginia. 
One of the pleasing and hopeful signs of 
the times In the “ Old Dominion 1 is the 
numerous live Agricultural Societies which 
are springing up among them, such as Town 
and County Clubs, “ Patrons of Husband¬ 
ry,” and others. They are well calculated 
to enlarge and give play to the social feel¬ 
ings, and bring those who would otherwise 
seldom meet, into social relations. Then, 
also, information and Instruction will be 
FIELD NOTES AND QUERIES, 
Alsike vs. Red Clover,— E. T. Bryan, 
Calhoun Co., Mich., says:—“I think the 
Alsike far superior to Red do vex 1 , for tho 
following reasons: 1 . It will stand severe 
drought better. 2. It is not as liable to 
winter-kill. 3. It will flourish oix both dr 3 ' 
axxd moist land. 3. The hay and pasturo 
are far superior. 5. The stalks and leaves 
are green when the seed is ripe. G. Alsike 
clover-blossoms are richer in honey, and 
bees work on them equally as well as on tho 
common white clovei*. 7. It, will yield as 
much or more hay and pasture per acre. 
8 . The hay is no more dusty than Timothy, 
the stalks being smooth and without luzz. 
0 . It will usually yield three 1 inxes the quan¬ 
tity' of 3eed per aoi'e, the seed growing in 
pods like the common white clover. In 
fact, it is a mammoth white clover, and of 
the same nature, which all practical farmers 
understand. 
PIG-PEN PAPERS 
Swine-Herd Book.— John B. Tollman 
writes to the Farmers’ Club of the Ameri¬ 
can Institute as follows;—“Borne one sug¬ 
gested the propriety of establishing a herd- 
book for swine. 1 think that suggestion 
the most sensible one that bus been pre¬ 
sented for the consideration of the Club for 
some t ime, and I hope the members of the 
Club will take immediate action on it, and 
have a book published as soou as possible to 
protect honest feeders and shippers against 
the unprincipled scoundrels who are ship¬ 
ping hogs all over the country represented 
as thoroughbred that are not good grade 
of tho breed they are represented to be. I 
have known persons to get pigs from Ches¬ 
ter county represented as pure Chester 
whites, and for which they paid a large 
price, and tho progeny of those pigs were 
almost as black as a Berkshire or Poland 
China. Such deceptions by unprincipled 
men have got the Chester whites into dis¬ 
repute in our section of the country. I 
would suggest to the honest breeders and 
shippers of swill© to petition the legis¬ 
latures of the different States to have a law- 
passed immediately making it a felony, 
punishable with tine and imprisonment, 
for selling or shipping swine that are not 
thoroughbred of the stock represented.” 
to form a sooiety, and meet, from month to 
xnonth, at the residences of the different 
members, whore friendly greetings are ex¬ 
changed, business transacted, and pro¬ 
jects discussed, and a good farmer’s dinner 
enjoyed: and as the hospitable and thrifty 
matron, at each farm, in turn, gets up this 
pleasant entertainment, of course there is a 
proper ambition and vivalry, with all, to be 
as good as auy, which stimulates taste and 
tidiness. Then, at eaob meeting there is a 
"Critical Committee” appointed, whose 
duty it is to carefully examine the farm and 
premises where they meet, inspecting every¬ 
thing about it)—Crops, stock, buildings, or- 
chard. etc,—and road a report thereof iu 
open meeting; and this, of course, has its 
good effect, in stimulating the owner to have 
all his affairs in creditable order, that the 
“ Critical Committee ” may have little to 
condemn and much to approve. Order, 
system, and neatness, are enhanced by this 
pleasant custom. Often, if the committee 
happen to have a warm vein of the humor¬ 
ous, these reports are very amusing. 
Then, to facilitate getting home comfort¬ 
ably, the meetings are always appointed to 
be held about the time of tho full moon, 
each month, that those who live at a dis¬ 
tance may not have dark nights to drive in. 
A pleasant feature of t hese meetings is, that 
the women anil childx’en of the families at¬ 
tend, and enjoy tho sociability and instruc¬ 
tion as well as the “ Lords ’’—which is right. 
Long may they prosper and improve, enjoy¬ 
ing concoi-d and growth. d, s. c. 
Beets for Stock.—Prof. J. B. Turner, 
Jacksonville, 111., writes the Prairie Far¬ 
mer:—“ I think the White Silesian beet the 
richest, and the Red Mangel Wurtzel tho 
best to stand drought, and most prolific of 
any 1 have tried. We sow our beets about 
the middle of May or first of June, accord¬ 
ing as tho season and tho ground may bo. 
Sprout it before sowing, so as to get it up 
ahead of the weeds; and if wo can, mix a 
few radish seeds, which will come up quick 
to show the drills more plainly; ooverabout 
one inch deep in fine soil, and roll if dry. 
We sow aud weed with our hedge-drills, in 
drills eight and ten inches apart. But those 
who sow by hand bad better sow twenty 
inches apart, so that a horse can cultivate 
them, aud sow about eight pounds or ten 
quarts of seed to the aci’e, and thin out to 
six inches apart. 
THE EXCELSIOR REAPER AND MOWER. 
It is a good thing to hit upon a good name, 
aud then it is rather desirable to have a 
good thing to go along with the good name. 
When, in 1801, John F. Seiberling, of 
Ohio, brought out The Excelsior Reaper 
and Mower he bad a good thing with a 
good name to it ; and, being a man of 
good common sense, as well as a skillful me¬ 
chanic, he has since put the manufacture 
and sale of Tho Excelsior into the hands of 
faithful mechanics and reliable business 
men—as all people who have occasion to do 
business at the principal office, in Akron, 
cau testify'. 
Mr. Set reeling is an inventor rather 
than u copyust, aud when The Excelsior was 
first put upon public exhibition, all the old 
machine men scrutinized it closely, aud 
compi'eheuded t hat a new and strong com¬ 
petitor had entered the field—one which 
did not infringe auy of the existing patents, 
but was capable of marching on to victory 
upon its own original principles. 
The next great advance with The Excel¬ 
sior was the invention of the Dropper, or 
Slatted Platform Attachment, for reaping, 
thus dispensing with the labor of the raker, 
or the expense of the costly self-rake at¬ 
tachments then in use. This Dropper was 
original with The Excelsior, and lias since 
become so much of a necessity that most of 
the reapers in use have been obliged to at¬ 
tach it in some way, to meet the popular 
demand. 
The Peerless Potato. — A. W. Brim 
writes us, “ There are two kinds of potatoes 
vei’ 3 ' different from each othox-, claiming to 
be genuine ‘ Peerless.’ One kind resembles 
quite closely, in shape and color, the Early 
Rose; the other is large, round, and has a 
white skin. Can you give us through the 
Rural New-Yorker a description of the 
genuine Peerless V ” Yes. The Peerless 
has a dull white skin, occasionally russeted, 
shallow eyes, white flesh, mealy, oblong in 
shape, grows large, often weighing one and 
a-half to two pounds. It is very productive. 
Steamed Food for Hogs.—A farmer at 
Quasqueton, la., fattens his hogs on ground 
corn, steam cooked, saves from one-third 
to ouc-hsilf the feed thereby, and has better 
pork and heavier hogs than he can get by 
feeding corn raw. He cooks his feed by 
burning cobs; 34 pounds of cobs will cook 
2)4 bushels of corn. 
To Decoy a Pig, instead of driving him, 
some ingenious chap recommends tying the 
end of a strong cord to an car of corn, drop 
it in front of the pig, 5 or G inches from his 
nose, aud commence walking away with it 
slowly’ iu the way' you wish the pig to go. 
If he gets disheartened at the prospect of 
getting hold of it, allow hkn a slight nibble, 
and then proceed. 
VEGETABLES FROM BERMUDA 
For the last twenty years Bermudans 
have been quietly but successfully growing 
a large quantity of potatoes, onions and to¬ 
matoes, which have been sent to the New 
York market, and have arrived so early iu 
the season as to defy competition from our 
native growers. It is not unusual to receive 
their potatoes as early as the 10th of March, 
and the tomatoes much earlier, the onions 
Lucerne, or Alfalfa. — 8 . M„ Sugar 
Creek, 111., is informed that mcdlcago sci~ 
tlva , called by the Spaniards Alfalfa, and 
by r the English Lucerne, is a perennial. We 
do not think it so valuable in his locality 
for auy purpose as the common red clo¬ 
ver. 
