I OO CD 
Ibe |3ouItrn-|);trb. 
NEW YORK STATE POULTRY SHOW,': 
Third Annual Exhibition. 
This Society held its third annual exhibition 
in the city of New York, Doe. 14-22, The entries 
were very large, and some exceedingly ilno birds 
wereon exhibition. There seemed to be a Jack 
of arrangement, however, necessary to show the 
birds to good advantage; and this gave very 
general dissatisfaction to exhibitors, many of 
whose birds-excellent fowls—could not bo seen, 
on account of the darkness of the exhibition 
room. We were puzzled somewhat in looking 
over the fowls to distinguish the color of them, 
a pair of Golden Hambmgs having the appear¬ 
ance of black fowls ; :so dark was the room that 
the cages had to be brought, In some Instances, 
to the light to allow the judges to determine as 
to the breed. In other cases fowls had to he 
taken out of the coops for examination. In 
fact, we saw the judges on ducks make their ex¬ 
aminations with a lantern to lightthom through 
the row of coops, while others were compelled 
to take the birds in hand and hold them to the 
light. We heard some of the judges deprecate 
this in the most severe ter Then, exhibitors 
in some instances had to employ . .! own men 
to take care of their fowls. Complaints were 
made that there was no fair show for breeders, 
their coops being moved from one place to 
another without, much regard to the feelings of 
the owner. There seemed to be no system or 
head to the show. One or two members of tbo 
Committee of Arrangements had all the work 
to do, and what was done, was dqnc without any 
concert of action. This is a great pity, for we 
believe the President has done all in his power 
to harmonize the different elements. We heard 
visitors from abroad speak of the show in terms 
not very complimentary. Still, ns a who..:,. 
never was a fitter lot of birds exhibited by the 
Society, and if we throw the mantle of charity 
over the shortcomings of the Committee of Ar¬ 
rangements, it is with the hope that a wholesome 
lesson has been learned, and that in the future 
causes for complaint will be guarded against. 
The following were the principal exhibitors: 
Tims. B, Kingslnni), Union, N. J,. exhibited Dark 
Brahmas, Hermann; Rouen Ducks; Pouter, Black 
Carriers, Almond Tumblers. Burbes, Famuli*, Jaco¬ 
bins, and Archangel Pigeons. 
Erl. Vrer'lund, Rutherford Park, N. J., Dray Dor¬ 
kings, Dark llntlmiuH, Dominique*, Tassel Games, 
and Derby Games. 
Geo. F, Cbampney, Taunton, Mass., Partridge and 
Black Oocllios. 
G. H. Leavitt, Flushing, N. Y., Bight and Dark 
Brahmas, Bull arid Partridge Cochins, Sultan and 
Golden Sebright Bantams. 
W. R. Mills, Albany, Colored Dorkings, Golden Po¬ 
lands, Golden ami Sliver Spangled Ham burgs, Golden 
Dace 1 1 Sebright Bantams. 
J. H. Cryer, Southport, England, Silver Penciled 
Hamblirgs. Uoudaris, Duck Wing and Bluett Red 
Game Bantams ; Rouen anil Black Labrador Ducks. 
Shearman Smith, Portchestor, Colored and White 
Dorkings, Dominiques, Silver and Golden Polands; 
Wild, Bronze, Buff and Gray Turkeys; Bremen and 
African Geese. 
H. Bidden, Yorkshire. Eng.. Partridge Cochins, 
Colored Dorkings, Black Spanish, Golden and 8ilver 
Spangled, Golden Pencilled anrl Black Hamburg*. 
Black Rod, Broivn Red, and Game Bamains. Duck 
Wing and Brown Red Games; Antwerp, Fan tail 
Jacobin, Turbit, Helmut and Magpie Pigeons, and a 
transportation coop. 
Titos.Gould. Aurora, Fawn and White, Black, Tan, 
Blue and White Lop-ostrcd Rabbits, and Rouen 
Ducks. 
J, Y. Blekuell & Go., Westmoreland, N. Y., had the 
largest number ol fowls on exhibition, consistirm of 
Bight and Dark Brahmas; Unit, White, Partridge 
and Black Cochins; Dorkings White. Colored unit 
SilverGray ; Bremen and Wild Geese ; Hoiien, Ayles¬ 
bury, Cayuga Black, White Musk. Top-kuol Mon- 
S rel and Wood Ducks; Gamoa—Black-breasted Red, 
Iroivii Red, Blue. Sumatra, Pile Mult and Dnck- 
wing; Black Spanish ; White, Brown and Dominique 
Leghorns ; Goltieu Polish : Hutnburgs, Crava- 
Coeurs, Hondan uud Bu Flochc ; Bantams, four dif¬ 
ferent varieties, and fourteen varieties of Pigeons, 
also, Egyptian Rabbits, 
J. C. Welles, Athens, Pa„ two varieties of Lop- 
eared Rabbits. 
J. P. Golding, N. Y.city. Dark Brahmas. 
E. Warr, Uuca, imported Motlduns. 
A. H. Ooctcs, N. Y. etty, Black, Spanish. 
E. C. Clark, Jr., Ballston Spa, Golden and Silver 
Spangled Hamburg),. Gold and Silver laced Sebright 
Bantams. Silver Poland and Colored Dorkings. 
Ed. Burgess, Poughkeepsie, Dominiques. 
G. H. Warner, New York Mills, Bight and Dark 
Brahmas. Huff Grouse and Partridge cochins, Silver 
Brahmas. Huff Grouse and Partridge Cochins, Silver 
Gray, Colored and While Dorkings; Homlun, Creve- 
Cceur and Ba FUWlXe; Game and Sebright Bantams; 
Rouen, Aylesbury and Black Cayuga Ducks. 
Philander Williams, Taunton, Mass,, Light and 
Dark Brahma* , Bull', Grouse and Partridge Cochins, 
Brahmas, Buff Cochins, Ggpne Bantams, White Leg¬ 
horns, and Aylesbury Ducks. 
R. P. Walcott, Holland Patent, Black Cayuga 
DuckSt 
N. J."Rouse, Hudson Citv. N. J., Black Red Games. 
H J. Haight, Goshen, Partridge Cochins. 
D. Ward, South Brooklyn. Black Red Games. 
J. J Berry, Hackensack, N.J., White and PuUrldge 
E. G. Studley. Claverack. Bight and Dark Brahmas, 
Buff Coohins, Dominiques, White Polish, Houduos, 
Bantams and Silver Gray Dorkings. 
C. O. Poole, Metuchen, N. J., White Dorkings, 
partridge Coohins, Houdans and Dark Brahmas. 
J. M. Rockwell, Butternuts,Golden Hamburg's and 
Spanish, Turkovs and Geese. 
Ja*. Bong, Piymotlx, Eng., Essay on Breeding and 
Management or Fowls. 
Isaac Van Winkle, Greenville, N. J., Buff Cochins, 
Dark Brahmas, Houdans, Black and WhiteGuelders, 
White Leghorns, Browu Red and Red Pile Games, 
Aylesbury pucks. 
that of the pullet is carried upright, as it should 
be, while the cockerel’s remains depressed. 
I IH|U,I|UI.I IHI.IIIIO, ' duuiuii, XJIKMIi RUU 
Dark Brahma* , Buff, Grouse and Partridge Cochins, 
and Silver Gray Dorkings, 
G. W. Bradley A Son. Hamden, Conn., Houdans 
and Dark Brahmas. 
J. W. ,V K,\V, Hayward, Taunton, Mass., Crave- 
Cceurs anil Ciutukow. 
Chester Walcott, Trenton, showed Light Brahmas, 
Silver and Colored Dockings, silver Spangled Ham- 
burghs, Bronze Turkeys, Toulouse and Wild Geese, 
Rouen and Cayuga Black Ducks. 
John Salisbury, .Jr.. Nyitak, Rouen and Black Cay- 
Vlgn Ducks. 
C. P- Ncttleton, Birmingham, Ct„ Bight Brah¬ 
mas. Buff Cochins, Bronze Turkeys, Cayuga Black 
Ducks. 
P. W. Hudson, North Manchester, Ct., exhibited20 
varieties of Game Fowls, some of which were very 
fine birds. 
Jas, Livingston, West Farms, Brown Red and Pile 
Gaines. 
A. R. Hunter, Lodi, N. J., Houdans. 
C. U. Crosby, Danbury, Ct., Dark Brahmas, Buff 
Cochins and Duck wing Games. 
R. Gibson, N. Y. Mills, Gray Dorkings, Buff Cochins 
and Black Rod Game Bantams. 
H. Woodward, Poultry House Plans, &e. 
Clius. A. Ciieever, N. Y.Cily, imported Creve-Coeur 
and Houdans. 
C- H. Townsend, Utica, Dark Brahmas and Black 
Red Game Bantams. 
O. Howland, Auburn, Bronze, White and Common 
Turkeys; Black Cayuga Ducks and Dominique fowls. 
Jas. V. Anthony, Taunton, Mass., Derby and Clai¬ 
borne Game- 
Frank W. Miles, Plainfield, N. J., Light and Dark 
Brahmas, White Leghorns, Silver Spangled Ham- 
burgs. and Houdans. 
J. B. Smith, North Haven, Conn., White Leghorns. 
R. Huntington, East Bloomfield. Ontario Co., 24 
varieties of game fowls. His Earl Derby games were 
beauties. 
H. D. Wickham, Mattituck, Bight and Dark 
Brahamus, Buff Cochins and Silver Spangled Ham- 
burgs. 
John Wallace, N. Y. city, specimens of Taxidermy. 
VV. II. Seward. N. Y. city, a common goose with 
four wings. 
K 8. Ronwick. Milbnrn, N. J., Dark Bra llamas. 
H. O. Pratt, Clark’s Mills, Oneida Co., Pruetical 
Exhibition Coop. 
J. & 11. Graves, Boston, lucubator and Arlifluial 
mother. 
Win. McAnally, Newark, Del., White Leghorns, 
C, Brinluii, Ji. Cluidd a Ford, Pa., Partridge and 
Lemon C<iCliin-. 
S. Willcts. f lushing, Bight and Dark Urubamus, 
Buff Coohins, Bun tu ins, Suniuis, Guinea Fowls,Geese 
and Ducks, Guinea Pigs, While Alice and a Gray 
Bqurrel, 
B. G. Morris, Alt. FordUum, Shetland and Welsh 
THE BRAHMA STANDARD. 
In n late number of the Rural New-Yorker 
I noticed an article from John S. Ives, in 
which he approved of the position taken by the 
Northwestern Poultry Association, in which 
they recognised two distinct varieties of Light 
Brahma fowls, and offers what he considers a 
farther improvement, which is, that every 
breeder shall adopt a standard of his own, with 
both of which I beg leave to differ. I differ with 
the Northwestern Poultry Association in this, 
PORTRAIT OIT A. SILVER POLAND HEN. 
C. F. Tretbar, Tmnent, Houdans. 
Win. Simpson, Jr., West Farms, Light and Dark 
Brahmas. Partridge Cochin*, White. Black. Blue and 
Silver Polands, Game Bantams. Creepers. Rump- 
kins, Wild, Bronte, Honduras and Crested Turkeys, 
Gee.ve, Dueks^umi Dominique fowls. 
J. W. Hale, N. Y. City, Black Japanese Silkies and 
Ducks. 
R. W. Cameron, N. Y. city, SilverGray and Colored 
Dorkings, Dark Brahmas and Silver Spangled Ham- 
burgs. 
J. G. Hamilton, N. Y. city, Essay on Breeding Man¬ 
agement. 
J. H. Cryer, Southport, Eng., four varieties of 
fancy Pigeons. 
F. A. Archer, West Farms, Creve-Cceurs and 
Trumpeter Pigeons. 
Wm. Watson, West Karros, Light Bruhmns. Buff 
Cochins. Aylesbury, Rouen and Musk Ducks; Rab¬ 
bits, and Sheiktud Ponies. 
P. II. Johnson, N. Y. oily. Buff and White Cochins, 
Games, Bantams, anil Lop-cured Rabbits. 
A. M. Halstead, Rye, Black Spanish. Light and 
Dark Brahmas, Houdans, Creve Cceurs, and several 
valuable appliance* and device* for poultry bouses, 
together with his unrivalled Incubator and Artifi¬ 
cial Mother, of which we may speak heroiitter. 
A. Uochstein Hoboken, N.J.had on exhibition 
Gil and Water Color Paintings of I'LWls, which were 
really beautiful paintings,and were said to bo per¬ 
fect representations of ilia birds figured. 
J. C. Sided I, Englewood, N. J., Light and Durk Brah¬ 
mas, Black Spanish. Goltieo and silver Hamburg#, 
and fifteen vnrieilt'* of Game fowls. 
Geo. W. Tuttle, Cleveland, O., Bight Brahmas. 
M. C, Weld, Cluster, N. J., Light Brahmas and 
Aylesbury Ducks. 
H. Jtesseync, Verona, collection of Minks. 
J, Brice, N. V. city, six varieties of Pheasants. 
J. G Bell, N. V. city, specimen stuffed Birds. 
J, DeW. Wbitiesnore, Irvington, Light. Brahmas. 
Win .Simpson. Jr,, Capons. Dressed Poultry, Na¬ 
tive Geeee, Cross-bred Fowls and Game Bantams. 
J. C. Cooper, Limerick, Ireland, Durk and Light 
Brahmas, Buff uud Partridge Cochins, Dorkings. 
Games, Houdans, Creve Cceurs, La Fleche, Black 
Spanish : Duck* and Gc<o*e. 
A, Hill, New Haven, Conn., Heath wood Games. 
J Harris, Cornwall, Eng., photographs of Game 
Fowls. 
Win. Brown, Gownnus, Game Fowl*. 
that it looks sectional, limited, and contracted, 
to see a portion of the country adopting a 
standard for themselves in which the whole 
country is Interested; farther, that this move¬ 
ment virtually shuts out from competition 
breeders from other sections who are, perhaps, 
bred!tur to another standard, and who have 
equally as meritorious fowls. 
With John 8. Ives’ proposition I differ be¬ 
cause, according to it, we could never have a 
successful poultry exhibition, us every breeder 
would adopt a standard that would cover the 
particular points of his own fowls; and of 
course it would be impossible for a judge at a 
Fair or Exhibition to decide upon the relative 
merits of such a motley collection. What we 
want, is a uniform standard, and to attain such 
an end is, to uiy mind, simple aud easy. Let 
there be a call for ft National Poultry Conven¬ 
tion, to convene at some central and convenient 
place, and lot every poultry society in the Uni¬ 
ted States send one or more delegates, who shall 
fully and freely discuss the question of the 
Brahma sbindard. and decide upon (he one 
which they think most proper for them ; also, 
establish li standard for all other varieties of 
fowls that are recognised as dist i net breeds. And 
let the result of their deliberations be published 
in neat pamphlet form, and a sufficient number 
of copies sent to the different Societies. Then 
breeders and judges would have something to 
guide them, D. P. Badger. 
Warrensville, Ohio. 
POULTRY NOTES AND QUERIES. 
We cannot close this hastily-written report 
without returning our thunks to Mr. J. C. Si- 
dell for courtesies extended. 
Peu Chicken Coop. 
TnE accompanying engraving gives a good 
idea of a pen coop, which may be made large 
SILVER POLAND FOWLS. 
L. G. Morris, Mt. FordUum, Shetland and Welsh 
Ponies. 
E. P. Hewlett, Syracuse, Buff Cochins, Durk Brah¬ 
mas, Houdans, While Polands, Game Bantams and 
Pigeons 
H. Hales,Ridgewood. N. J.. Silver Gray Dorkings. 
C. S. Haines, Toms River. N. J., Rouen Ducks, and 
five varieties of game fowl*. 
Robt. Ellis, Schenectady, I.iuht and Dark Brahmas, 
Buff Cochins and Garue Bantams. 
J. Bathgate. Mori’isanbi,Dorkmgs, Bantams, Geese, 
Ducks, and Shetland Ponies. 
II. L. Maitland Jr., Ri dhuok, N.J., Dorkings, Ducks, 
Pheasants. Game and Bantams. 
Edwin Thorne, Washington Hollow, Ducks and 
Game fowls. 
B. Montague. Mt. Vernon, Light Brahmas. 
Geo. B. Montuguo, Green Point, Game and Ban¬ 
tams. 
S. A. See y, Darien Depot, Conn., Dark Brahmu, 
White Beg nrns, and La Plain Ducks. 
H. B. To d, Mott Haven, Turkeys and Game fowls. 
D. W. Hyrstine, Philadelphia, Pa., Dark aud Light 
We herewith give a fine illustration of a hen 
of this breed, which is ns true to markings of 
plumage as can be conceived. The ground color 
of the plumage of the Silver Spangled Poland 
8tiould be a silver white, with well defined horse¬ 
shoe shaped black spangles. In the cock, the 
hackle leathers are white, edged and tipped with 
black; in the hen, each hackle feather has a 
spangle on the end; tail feathers clear white, 
with spaugle on the end; the spangles on the 
wing covens are large and regular in both sexes, 
so as to form two well-defined Bax’s across each 
wing. The proper spaugle on the breast is all- 
important. The crest should be full and regu¬ 
lar; feathers black at the base and tip, with 
white between. A few white feathers frequent¬ 
ly appear after the second moult, in the very 
best hens. Ear lobes small and white; wattles, 
none, being usually replaced by a black orspnn- 
gled beard. The weight of the cook is from, six 
to seven aud a-balf pounds, while that of the 
hens is from four to five and a-half pounds. 
Besides the moon-shaped spangles, many of the 
birds are shown with Jaced feathers,—i. u., with 
an edging of black on the outline of the feath¬ 
ers, but thicker at the end. This marking, when 
perfect, is of exquisite beauty. Dr. Bennet 
says they certainly rank among the very choicest 
and most beautiful of fowls, whether considered 
for their beauty or rarity. 
The newly hatched chickens are very pretty, 
creamy white, interspersed with slatydun on the 
back, bead aud neck, marked with longitudinal 
stripes down the back, with black eyes, light 
lead-colored legs, aud a swelling of the down on 
tiie crown of the bead, indicative of the future 
top-knot, which is exactly’ the color of a pow¬ 
dered wig. At a very early age, they acquire 
their peculiar distinctive features, and are then 
the most elegant little miniature fowls it is pos¬ 
sible to imagine. The distinction of sex Is not 
very manifest till they’ are neaxly full grown, 
the first observable Indication being in the tail— 
The Barret Coop. 
lairji iuisbanimi. 
DAIEY NOTES. 
Northwestern Dairymen’s Convention. 
The Annual Convention of the North¬ 
western Dairymen’s Association is an¬ 
nounced by the Executive Board to take 
place at the city of Elgin, Ill., Jan. 24, 25 
and 26, 1871. The topics for discussion are 
as follows;—“ Grasses for Pasture and Hay 
“Cooling Milk;” “Culture of Grasses;” 
“ Manufacture, Curing and Marketing Cheese 
in the Northwest“ Butter and Cheese 
Making on Sunday;" “Cows for the Dairy 
—best Breeds and how Replenished “ Soil¬ 
ing, and how Managed for Profit“ Winter 
Food for the Dairy;” “Floating Curds;” 
“ Butter and Cheese Manufacture Com¬ 
bined “ Best Method of Making and Pack¬ 
ing Butter;” “Care and Management of tne 
Dairy;” “Diseases of Cows,” &c. 
A prize of $25 is offered by Mr. Z. G. Sim¬ 
mons, Kenosha, Wig., for best plan of but¬ 
ter and cheese factory combined. Geo. S. 
Bowen, Esq., of Chicago, offers a silver 
pitcher for best essay on floating curds. 
The meeting of the Northwestern Asso¬ 
ciation is generally very largely attended, 
and we presume its coming session will be 
more interesting than any of those that have 
preceded it. 
ducers of New England have found a way 
out of their difficulty. 
We notice that the old officers of the Milk 
Producers’ Association were re - elected. 
Their names are as follows : Pres. —Geo. B. 
Lorlng. Vice-Pen'ts — J. W. Robertson, J. 
A. Harwood, H. J. French. Sec. —Rev. D. 
Round. Treas. —IT. Reid, 
enough to contain a cock and four hens for 
brooding purposes, where they can enjoy the 
sun and fresh air, yet be protected from stormy 
weather. The dimensions are ns follows:—Pen 
four feet high in front and three feet in the 
rear, six feet long and four wide. The yard, ten 
feet, long and six wide, to bo enclosed with lath 
four feet high. If desired, the top may bo cov¬ 
ered also. The pen may be made with common 
hoards, and battened up as shown in the cut. 
The holes in the ends arc made to admit u free 
circulation of air This house may, of course, 
be reduced to a size sufficient to keep a hen and 
chickens. If used for that purpose the coop 
may be made twenty inches high in front, fif¬ 
teen In rear, and t wenty inches square ou the 
bottom, making ii light and movable. 
“Bobbing the Milk” is the title of an article 
in an English paper, detailing how a poor fellow 
was sentenced to four months hard labor for 
stealing milk, the property of his master. It 
seems that the prisoner was discovered on one 
occasion to have poured two gallons of watex-, 
and on another occasion six quarts of watei’, 
into the milk bo had received from bis master's 
cow shed, to make up for deficiencies caused by 
ids abstracting the genuine article for sale on 
bis own account. There is a good deal of this 
“bobbing around ” with milk in ibis country. 
The Milk Producers’ Association in Now 
Ena In nd. 
TnE Annual Convention of the Massachu¬ 
setts and New Hampshire Milk Producers’ 
Association was held recently in Boston. 
From published reports of the meeting, it 
would seem that no definite plan had been 
resolved upon by the Association to relieve 
the milk producers from grievances under 
which they row claim to suffer. Leading’ 
speakers, who were announced to give ad¬ 
dresses at the meeting, did not make their 
appearance, whether lor lack of sympathy 
with the movement, or for other causes, is 
not stated. But what must he a matter of 
surprise to those outside of New England, is 
that earnest appeals were required, urging 
milk producers to come forward and join 
the Association. If, as we understand, the 
milk trade of New England is controlled by 
a class of men who combine together to cut 
down the producers’ prices, often below the 
cost of production, in order to further in¬ 
crease the already too large profits of these 
middle men, then we should suppose the 
millc farmers would have sense enough to 
combine against this monopoly, without 
urging. 
It was stated by Mr. H. F. French of 
Concord, that milk is sold to consumers at 
76J£ per cent, advance on what producers 
get for it. If this be so, there must he a 
wrong somewhere which needs correction. 
But there is a way for the milk farmers of 
New England to rid themselves of abuses 
and to obtain a fair compensation for their 
product. It can be done by associating to¬ 
gether in neighborhoods and establishing 
creameries, where the iniik of a number of 
farmers may he collected atone point and 
disposed of in bulk by one salesman ap¬ 
pointed by the Association. Let the appli¬ 
ances be such at the creamery that the milk 
may be turned into butter and cheese when¬ 
ever satisfactory prices cannot be obtained 
of the middlemen. These institutions have 
worked out the best results in Orange coun¬ 
ty ; and it is only by combinations of this 
kind that the milk fanner can show his 
strength. If railroads are charging exorbi¬ 
tant rates for the transport of milk, the 
farmer, individually, can have but little in¬ 
fluence in procuring a change of tariff; but 
fifty or one hundred farmers combined in 
a few creameries, through their accredited 
agents, carry a weight which railroad cor¬ 
porations do not care to pass unrecognized, 
The Milk Producers’ Association is, un¬ 
doubtedly, doing a vast amount of good; 
indeed, it could not be otherwise with such 
men as Mr. Wetherell, Mr. Round and 
others, who are giving earnest work to bring 
the farmer and consumer near together, 
thereby benefiting both classes. 
A proposition was made at the Conven¬ 
tion, that a general milk depot be established 
at Boston, where every milk farmer could 
send his milk, aud if need be, connect a 
cheese and but ter factory with it. We should 
say that these general depots should be in 
the country, since milk is of such a perisha¬ 
ble nature that losses would be more likely 
to occur in an establishment of the kind pro¬ 
posed, than where the milk is divided up, 
and each neighborhood left to manage its 
own. It is a question, too, whether middle¬ 
men can be wholly dispensed wit h. We do not 
>riftttrfic mttr ffitsrfuL 
TO AMERICAN BREEDERS. 
Prof. Agassiz Asks for Skeletons of Improved Do¬ 
mestic Animals for the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology at Cambridge. 
It may not be unknown to the readers of 
the Rural New-Yorker that, Prof. Louis 
Agassiz, the distinguished Naturalist and 
savant of Cambridge, Mass., is at the pres¬ 
ent time engaged in a careful and exhaustive 
study of our different breeds of domestic 
animals. It is expected that bis investiga¬ 
tions—which will doubtless be published 
from time to time as they proceed—will 
throw clear light upon many most interest¬ 
ing points connected with the original 
starting points and subsequent divergences 
of these races of animals, now so useful to 
man. Nor is it improbable that ibis study 
of the changes which domestic influences 
have imposed upon the animal organism 
will evolve facts aud results which will be 
of very practical value to the American 
farmer uud stock grower. 
We give below a letter on this subject 
from Prof. Agassiz to Henry A. Ward, the 
Naturalist of the University of Rochester, 
N. Y. As they will see by the letter, our 
breeders of improved Live Stock who may 
have the misfortune to lose by death any 
Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Swine, &e., &c., 
which are known to be of pure blood — w bother 
the same be full-grown or half-grown, or 
sucklings of a day—are requested to for¬ 
ward the same promptly to Prof. Ward at 
Rochester, where their skeletons will be 
properly prepared previous to their transfer 
to the Cambridge Museum. 
CAMBItIDGE, Dec. 13, 1810. 
Dear Sir :—After our recent conversation, I 
do not think that the object I have In view, to 
promote the knowledge mid study of thestruc- 
turoof our domesticated animals in thcMuscum 
of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, can be 
misunderstood. Allow, me however, to recapitu¬ 
late the same. 
I propose to put up a perfect skeleton of a 
mule, a female, a half-grown, and a young, of 
each breed ot all the diffoi’eni kinds of dorres- 
lienled animals, raised not only in this country, 
but in every part of the world, ns a. monument 
of the progress of civilization in that direction. 
To answer best my purpose, I would first limit 
myself to the purc breeds; and as in the end it 
may appear necessary to go into the organiza¬ 
tion of the cross breeds, I should then be better 
prepared tor it, Now that you understand my 
plap, and Hre ready with your skilled workmen 
to undertake the preparation of the skeleton, I 
would hope to proceed rapidly with its execu¬ 
tion were it not for the difficulty of obtaining 
specimens of the purest breeds ot the different 
kinds of our domesticated animals. You do not 
find them on every farm, and where they do ex¬ 
ist they arc justly valued at a high price, so that 
it would be out of the question for me to go into 
the market and make my selection from live 
stock, linnet entirely depend upon accident 
for my supply. In faor, the misfortune of some 
Intelligent grower of stock must become my op¬ 
portunity. For I suppose I am not mistaken in 
assuming that the man who has lost a valuable 
animal would preferto see it put up handsomely 
in a Museum, with a label commemorating the 
pedigree and history of the same, than to bury 
it and allow it to be entirely lost. 
I would therefore make an appeal to the 
farmers of tbo country to send to you the speci¬ 
mens of pure blooded breeds, known to be such, 
which they may lose, and to forward them to 
you by railroad, giving you at the same time the 
necessary information concerning the history 
of the specimen, that 1 may record the whole in 
our catalogues. It would be desirable to have 
them forwarded with the skin, as it is intended 
to have the skill prepared as an additional piece 
of information concerning the characteristics 
of the animal. But to lessen the chances of de¬ 
composition. the intestines should be removed. 
Beginning at home, I would first cull for speci¬ 
mens of all the different breeds of cows, horses, 
sheep, swine, dogs, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, 
&c.,—fowls, turkeys, ducks, geese, and fancy 
birds. As fust as the skeletons can be mounted 
they will be put up in a special room in the 
Museum ut Cambridge, and remain accessible to 
everybody at all times, all the year l-ound, so 
that t his collection may shortly afford the best 
means of studying the anatomy of our domesti¬ 
cated animals, as far as tbe skeletons are con¬ 
cerned; mid if this attempt is successful. I shall 
object so much to middlemen, if tiie rights of extend the collection to the exhibition of the 
Tills is an appliance to beep oh inks, that any 
one cun make, with very little trouble, as will be 
seen by our illustration. All that Is necessary is 
to place a common flour or other old barrel on 
its side, hike out one ol the bends, place some 
straw in the back end of the barrel; put the ben 
and chicks in ; have some lath or si rips of board 
at hand, with one end sharpened and drive tbenx 
into be ground in fx-ont of tbe coop and your 
wo. ;: is accomplished. 
all parties concerned (the producer, tbe mid¬ 
dleman and the consumer,) be properly pre¬ 
served. It is only when one of these classes 
takes matters in its own hands, to the com¬ 
plete control and prejudice of the other two, 
tlx at abuse needs correction. However, if 
the central depot plan at Boston can be made 
a success, we shall rejoice that the milk pro- 
other parts of the body, to complete this anato¬ 
my. Should there be any other point requiring 
consideration, please wiite xnesoon. 
Yours vei - y truly, L. Agassiz. 
Prof. H. A. Ward, Rochester, N. Y. 
Useful ami Scientific Inquiries.—A correspon¬ 
dent asks if kerosene oil, mixed with paint, will 
tend to make it moi’e or loss durable. He Is of 
the impression it injures paint. Who knows ? 
