l’RICE SIX CENTS, 
S‘L5<> PER YEAR. 
VOL. XXVI. NO. 13 
WHOLE NO. 1183. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1872, by I). 1). T. MUOltR, In the officio of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.] 
to fattening poultry — especially Spring 
chiolccue. T would liko to know whether 
it pays or not to fatten them for market. 
—Young America. 
hens are Brahmas. If you can tell mo of a 
cure you will oblige me very much. 1 have 
had two Black Hpauish die, and another one 
that I expect will die; they droop about, 
are weak, and their feathers Beem all ruf- 
llod and tumbled up.— William II. Snow, 
Newton, Maw. 
Can any of our correspondents help Mr. 
Snow by suggesting a remedy? 
RUNT PIGEONS, 
HUNGARIAN GRASS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 
A Chester Co., Pa., farmer writes the 
Practical Farmer as followsWo have 
tested fully the merits of Hungarian grass 
this season, and aro greatly in favor of it. 
()ur farmers have generally harvested a crop 
of two or throe tons to an acre, of excellent 
hay, which is a great thing in this season of 
scarcity. 
“Wo know of no crop which stands 
drouth so well. The crop was made this 
year ill sixty-live days. We do not yet find 
any analysis of it, hut practical facts tell us 
( half all our animals are fond of it, and they 
thrive while eating it, better than on any 
forage we give them. As wo must look 
to soiling hay in this region, if 
r - Hungarian grass does not sell, it 
will do tlnely for home stock, and 
farmers can then sell their timo¬ 
thy. Wo cannot live here longer 
by cattle feeding and grain raising, 
which are monopolized by western 
competition 
Have you ever given an engraving, his¬ 
tory and description of the Runt pigeon? 
If so or not I should like to see It. A friend 
of mine praises them. Can you give mo any 
information ?— Pigeon Fancter. 
In response to our correspondent, wo 
give an engraving of a pair of Hunts. But 
when he usks us to give history and descrip¬ 
tion our space fails us. There is a great 
variety of Runts; and they differ much in 
color. There are the Leghorn, Spanish, 
Freisland, Roman, Smyrna, etc. 
The Leghorn Hunt is described as a state¬ 
ly pigeon, seven inches and more in the legs, 
close-feathered, fast fleshed, broad chested, 
very short in the back, tail turned 
up like a duck when he walks, but __ 
turned down when he plays; neck 
longer than any other pigeon, car¬ 
ried bent like a goose or swan; 
head like a goose; eye lies hollow 
in the head, with a thin skin 
around it; beak very short with 
a small wattle on it, and the up¬ 
per chop a little bending over the 
unper. It is a very tender bird. 
The best are black or red—mot¬ 
tled. 
The .Spanish Runt is the longest 
bodied of all pigeons, thick, short- 
legged, loose - feathered, loose- 
fleshed, and do not walk erect like 
the Leghorn. They aro of allfeath- 
ers, sit heavy on their eggs and 
break them. 
The Freisland Runt is one of 
the larger sort of middle-sized 
Runts. Its feathers stand all re¬ 
verted, and is ugly In the extreme 
in appearance. 
The Roman Runt is so big and 
heavy it can hardly fiy. 
The Smyrna Runt is middle- 
sized and feather-footed. Feath¬ 
ers often grow on the outside of 
each foot, causing them to look as 
If they carried wings on their 
feet. Some of these feet-feathers 
are said to have measured four — 
and a-half inches long. 
The Runts most shown in Eng¬ 
lish exhibitions are blue and sil¬ 
ver, with dark bars on the wings, 
and white rumps. They do not \-5jQK 
fly well because of their great SiBi 
weight. They should bo kept in 
a room on the ground. They are SE1S 
fair sitters aud nurses if allowed 
room to liy a little; but they are fgBB 
not prolific if closely confined. j jglf 
They do not reqeire especial care 
in rearing. Indian corn ad a stiff iHs?’ 
oat meal paste is their favorite sSBj 
Dorkings not Feather Birds.—W. R. 
is informed that an English authority says: 
“There are three classes of Dorkings at 
most large shows—Gray, Siiver-Gray, and 
White. In the former any color is allowed 
and is correct. Color has nothing whatever 
to do with an ordinary Dorking. It is a 
table, not a feather bird. Weight, size, 
shape, and early maturity aro the merits 
sought for. The Silver-Gray is a very at¬ 
tractive bird, having the light breast and 
white shafts you admire. The White is of 
course self-colored. The heaviest Dorkings 
are generally dark-feathered birds, and 
tlioir plumage does not show dirt. 
Cayuga vs. Aylesbury Ducks.— Hike 
the Cayuga; but I dou’t kuow anything 
about the Aylesbury ducks, from experi¬ 
ence. I should like Borne of your corre¬ 
spondents who have had experience with 
both to tell me which is best and why.—A 
Young Duck Raser. 
Fattening Poultry,—Will some Rural 
reader give his or her experience in regard 
This Hungarian will 
prove a groat help; it grows 
soon, and wheat follows it, better 
than on oats stubble. Thick seed¬ 
ing makes lino hay, and as much 
of it by weight as the thin, coarse 
stuff. One of our farmers sowed 
31 qts. per acre, but the grass was 
too coarse. 1 would not sow less 
than one bushel per acre.’' 
FIELD NOTES AND QUERIES 
etiea.—A correspondent of the 
Country Gentleman at Cham- 
paign, III., writing Aug. 38 
says:—Three varietiesure planted 
hero, namely, the Early Mohawk, 
the Missouri and the Chinese 
Evergreen. The Mohawk has been 
mostly secured and in good order, 
but the stimulus of rain and 
heat combined has been too much 
for the Missouri and Chinese Ev¬ 
ergreen, anti the brush of both 
has badly broken down; that is, 
the growth has boon so rapid that 
when the panicle or brush pushes 
through the enclosing and sup¬ 
porting spatha or sheath, it has 
not stiffness and strength enough 
to remain upright, but falls over 
and hangs down. This does not 
affect the health or growth of 
the plant, but it hurts very much 
the commercial value of the pro¬ 
duct, since it permanently crooks 
and twists the brush. 
mm 
Amount of Clover Seed pei 
Acre,—R. P. W vooirir, West Va., 
asks what is the general yield of 
clover seed per acre. We reply 
that the range is from one to 
eight bushels. We have rarely 
kuown it to exceed the maximum 
number given. 
POULTRY NOTES AND QUERIES 
Fleshy Lump on Hen's Foot. 
—1 am an amateur raiser of fowls. 
1 have a case which 1 cannot cure. 
It is a lump of flesh on the bot¬ 
tom of the foot. When I first no¬ 
ticed it it was a little lump; but 
it grew larger till the hen died 
from it, as I suppose, as she had 
uo ot her disease to my knowledge. 
Within a week a similar bunch 
came out on another hen.. Both 
Disposal of Castor Oil Beans* 
—I would like to know the best 
way to dispose of castor oil beans 
after raising them — whether to 
sell them or make oil from them. 
J® 
jfMhn 
