lowing reasons: First, 1 have the coldest 
sap directly over the hottest fire, conse¬ 
quently it will heat the quickest. Secondly, 
it gives me a better chance to have a 
and using the same. I find it is a perfect 
implement for the purpose. The ladder is 
about twelve feet long and twenty inches 
wide. The upright pins tnust be strong, 
space under the fire, so that, coals can drop and the round at the end extend through 
down through and not fill or choke up both sides, to make handles. The ladder is 
the arch under the wood, and prevent the lowered into the water, and the cake of ice 
arch from drawing good. Third, the sap floated over it. Then draw out the ladder, 
being heated very quick over the hottest and at the same time lower the handles. The 
fire, boils away rapidly and runs into the pins will hold the cakes upon the ladder; 
back pan where the heal is less and the sap jj _ 
is getting thicker, or nearer sirup; and ._ ■jjn 
every one who makes maple sugar knows - -—- •- 
that you must not have too hot a fire under ^sUjui . i fi—■ III 
sirup, for fear of burning it. Tin a 
Having everything in order we turn the ^ upon t1j0 surf;lcC) it can be quickly un¬ 
faucet in our store tub and fill the front Umded> b raiail]g one side D f the ladder, 
pan up two inches, to the pipe that leads the ^, (ie « CQ abou i d be taken to the house, and 
sap into the hack pan, and fill that one . )ac j ced {lt oncCi Use a pj an k to move the 
about two incites; then build the hie atu ca | inhere needed, when packing. 
1)1)11 uvdvu Lour “l * k "'"“ mg off Look to your drainage; also see that your 
a„y scum Uiot mey ntisc ou Uic sap. u l, , lUI , 0 tor , curmrt ,.f 
As to how thick to boil the sirup people u . . h . . 1 .. . .. 
differ; wc boil so that when we pul a dipper ™ passing Uirougb (be ice, causes .1 to melt 
. , . 11110 „„ .. uni,, thn rapidly, Leave a space of six inches be- 
in tie snup an< on • -> tween thcicc and walls, and fill «* with straw, 
«r" " ,T to °°1 «?e lmf.ll, m 1 -cUc.l dose, or sawdust, taut,ark or swamp 
: S . . J ■ u moss. The latter I greatly prefer. Cover 
itsell , e li x. o a s.' • will, a Illicit layer, and (ill to the roof will, 
easily learu Una by lmicUM. Warn we Cm ^ doom, will, a cooling 
ll,ink the sirup thick enough, wc draw the T]l(! ,„ b01 . „ lcs8 b gc „ [TO |ly 
oan oft from the ar<Sh eareMly on two poles, 
1 , ,i, fil . supposed, and those wlm have been accus- 
one end resting on the arch and the other 11 . ’ ... ,, , 
: . h . . , , .tomed to the use of ice, would as soon tlmik 
end resting'on some crotehefl stakes driven * A ! . . , ... 
. ' 11 ... u of neglecting to fill their pork barrel asthen¬ 
ia the gromul about three or Join- leet liom . 6 , 
the arch (see Fig. 5.) We take the sirup ^Tmsvtlfo, M ino. 
from the pans and strain it through a coarse _ 
cloth into a cask; and when we have it all 
in the cask we raise the slraiuer up out of Tlh |s^ iFrmic; 
the sirup and liang it direclly over the cask, If IU V «• 
so that the simp will drain out of the Nj c5_ 
strainer into the cask. Never squeeze out ' - 
the sirup from the strainer, but let it drain, WHEN TO SOW BLUE GRASS SEED. 
Our strainer is made funnel-shaped. ~T~ , , , T 
After straining we let, he strap eland twelve 1 ll)at t ic Farmers Club at Lex. 
hours and settle, after which we pour or dip i"glou. Ky has had nu.h r d.seussuu, It,, 
it into a sheet iron pan, being careful not to ,™. When to sow Blue Gnto' Seed 
dislurl, l he bottom, if there be any dregs or and it SMM to have been decide, that 111. 
dark colored sirup. 8P‘™K ot l, »« y ear 1!i U,e best l,me . lo so ' v U 
This may do for Kentucky, hut. it will no 
Scga.hino i f. j u Westoi'n Iowa. When sown in lh< 
Our pan for sugaring off 1 b twenty-four by lierC) tbe youlJg plants do not. ohtali 
eighteen inches, and eight inches deep. We 8ll11k>ieut roo \ to withstand the dry and ho 
set. it on our kitchen stove and let it boil wwlUlCr iu July aud August, and, ahnos 
slowly, using about a teocap of sweet milk wiUlout exception, persons sowing in tin 
to forty pounds of sugar, poured in and ing wiU fai , to get a good stand; and i 
mixed thoroughly withjjie simp when fust (|„. y succeed in getting a partial stand, i 
pul, on the stove to hod, skimming "11 the w ill take two or three years before they wil 
scum as need be when it becomes heated and ba yg a perfect sward. 1 find the best tim 
boiling. to sow in this section to ho the last of dun 
Q. 
nbmtxml (topics. 
NOTES OF TRAVEL. 
From Our CorreKpnmlinsr Editor, Col. S. D. 
Harris. 
The .Season and Business in Ohio. 
Con. Harris has just passed South 
through Ohio, and writes I am happy to 
say that the fall sown wheat fields are in a 
healthy condition, and give promise of a good 
crop for next harvest. And the fruit trees 
are in ihc most promising condition, since 
In addition to these, Louisville is very 
largely in the tobacco trade, and the largest 
store houses in the. city are occupied in this 
business. At present, the trade in tobacco 
is said to be dull. 
Southern Plows. 
There are very considerable manufactories 
of iron carried on here—such as boiler and 
engine work—and here is one of the largest 
manufactories of plows in America. I have 
been in a good many plow factories, East 
and West, but the works of B. F. Avery & 
Sons of Louisville, are the largest I have 
ever seen, devoted entirely to plows and cul- 
lorsntren* 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Doclcinir Hornes’ Tails. 
Although I concur with “ Friend of the 
Equines" in regard to the sin of shortening 
the natural “ fly sho” of most horses, I think 
that some animals use the appendage with 
such vicious pertinacity that the safety of 
their betters demands their curtailment, and 
therefore explain a method which has often 
tivalors; of which they make a great variety proved safe and successful: 
of cast-iron, steel and combination, of such 1. Make the animal secure, unless you aie 
been no cold so severe this winter as to en¬ 
danger the vitality of the germs in the fruit 
.Liook. iu vtjui uiumuai- ; •> » wso maujvui , . _ , .. „ ._r....;,.. 
, . •’ , , , ■ .. * buds of the apple and other tree bmls; and 
house is tight at the bottom; fora cui rent of 1 ,, - . . 
. the same is equally true of the grape vines, 
air passing through the ice, causes it. to melt , , 
“ h V • • i both as to their fall ripeness of wood and 
rapid y. Leave a space of six inches be- J u ‘ „ 
‘ ... .the effects of the winter since. 
air passing through the ice, causes it, to melt 
rapidly, Leave a space of six inches be¬ 
tween thcicc and walls, and fill in with straw, 
packed close, or sawdust., tan bark or swamp 
moss. The latter I greatly prefer. Cover 
with a thick layer, and till to the roof with 
straw. Use double doors, with a cooling 
room. The labor is less than is generally 
supposed, and those who have been accus¬ 
tom ed to the use of ice, would as soon think 
of neglecting to fill their pork barrel as their 
ice-house. e. l. m. 
Burn tiamsvtlie, Minn. 
more in fashion than the little mule teams 
of the South, and where the farmers believe 
in 8x10 inch furrows, rather than 3x4, as wc 
see in the cotton States. But 1 am glad lo 
3. Slip a narrow knife blade into the joint, 
from below upwards, and entirely through ; 
then cut round the end of the hone, and out 
towards yourself. Cut the other side in the 
learn that the demand for larger plows is same manner 
^ . „. , „ increasing iu the South. 
In my “ Outlook from Ohio, m the vu- There is an economy in these Louisville 
ral New-Yorker oi Jan. 7,1 spoke of the ^ OWB W bicli I have not seen elsewhere, viz.: 
then healthy condition of live stock on the The game beam and 6l;imliir( i are made to 
(arms; the advance ol the season ias on y carry successively, the common cast or steel 
served to carry out the good conditions of M . board and poin , the wide-hhuled cot- 
t *.e ^w.,1 u n », Li tho 
the opening of the winter, and now, in the 
dairy regions of Ohio, the cows are in unu¬ 
sual good o/der, which will carry them 
safely over the calving season, and put them 
into the dairy at the best advantage. 
In the matter of sheep, there has been 
ton sweep, tbe cotton scraper, the primitive 
bull-tongue, the scooter, etc., etc., us the na¬ 
ture of the work may require, so that a plant¬ 
er can have a full set of plows and cultiva¬ 
tors at small cost. The “Universal’’ plow, 
invented and manufactured by Mr. Brini.icy 
drib g cops. 
WHEN TO SOW BLUE GRASS SEED. 
I notice that the Farmers’ Club at Lex¬ 
ington, Ky., has bad under discussion the 
question, “ When to sow Bine Grass Seed," 
and it seems to have been decided that the 
spring of the year is the best time to sow it. 
Tlifs may do for Kentucky, but it will not 
do iu Western Iowa. When sown in the 
spring here, the young plants do not obtain 
sufficient rood to withstand the dry and hot 
weather in July and August, and, almost 
without exception, persons sowing in the 
spring will fail to get, a good Stand; and if 
they succeed in getting a partial stand, it 
will take two or three years before they will 
have a perfect sward. 1 find the best time 
to sow in t tils section to ho the last of June 
none of the wholesale slaughter which lias of Louisvine jg capa h| e of being made to as- 
cl.araclerized the three years preceding, and ^ Qr do7( , n diffcrenk p ] lft8e3 and 
wool growers have settled down into a comb ; naldonS) f nr a p sorts of uses to which 
graceful acceptance of the situation, on the & ftm , a cuUivator is applicable. Talk 
basis of a moderate expectation, and a feel- ingenuity 1 You ought to see 
ing of the necessity of sheep in the economy ^ h combination plow from one of 
of f al‘111 Stock. I AnlDnllld Ainlnrlcs n,<rl nil hv Sftnl.liP.m 
simiti ten or a dozen different phases and j IIAVE read j n ( ] ie Rural New-Yorker 
combinations, for all sorts of uses to which many valuable recipes for diseases in homes; 
a plow and a cultivator is applicable. Talk bll ^ don ’( recollect, to have read of a cure for 
of Ymik.ee ingenuity! You ought to see a curb spavin. 1 will give you one that has 
a Southern combination plow from one of i )ecn thoroughly tried, and has never failed 
these Louisville factories, got up by Southern t0 cure w i, ( . u used a8 stated. It is also good 
mechanics. for a bone spavin, windgalls, or for any 
The Trnde in Clover Seed 
4. You have now two side flaps; bring 
down the hair and wind a small cord around 
it, close below the end of the stump, several 
times; then turn a few hairs on each side 
back, and wind again, so that it will not slip 
loose, and tie. Leave the cord on several 
days, and do not. be in a hurry to examine 
your work. 
1 have never known dangerous bleeding, 
but if it seems too free, let the dock be ele¬ 
vated by a pully for tbe first night..— A Lov¬ 
er of the Equines. 
Cni'h Spavin. 
I have read in the Rural New-Yorker 
many valuable recipes for diseases in horses; 
but don’t recollect to have read of a cure for 
a curb spavin. 1 will give you one that has 
I„ Ziiu.inm world, a. this time, there is «■« ** “P * SMll)em 
general feeling of caution as to the pro- “ )u ''“’"t. . . 
priety of entering on large operations. Busi¬ 
ness men say that money is not easily got, 
ami while money affairs are not absolutely 
tight, yet they may be called quite snug. 
Collectors find a wide difference bet ween the 
amounts sent out on hills and those which 
come in for receipt. And yet, in all legiti- 
The Trnde in ciovt-v Seed lameness in man or beast:—One ounce Ori- 
at Louisville is just now immense, larger g anum n i); one ounce British Oil; one 
even than that whicli 1 reported of C'incin- OUUC e Oil Spike ; one ounce Oil Wormwopd ; 
nali; one out of the half dozen seed dealers one ounce Gum Myrrh; one gill Alcohol. 
of Louisville has already handled sixty thou¬ 
sand bags of seed, which is double that re¬ 
ported by the largest dealer in Cincinnati. 
Pul the oils together;put the gum in the 
alcohol, and let it stand twenty-four hours, 
and then add it to the oils; shake well be- 
° c ‘. .. ". J , , i"; r,,r a r,,fid ono f* A free use of clover in the agriculture of the (ore us } ng ; apply it to the. parts affected, and 
male biiflmeBS, tpere js a feeling of confidence beof ll)e mos , emtaeul utility; rnb M ',,1, .He 1, ami, or beat ii in 
and stability. 
The manufacturers of Agricultural Imple¬ 
ments will keep their business well in hand, 
with a cautious and steady bearing ahead. 
Fork Trnde. 
^ • CiSCINNATi, Feb. 2. , . . ,, . - 
A great staple of this latitude is the mis- All through this region I see ho effects of 
ing of hogs and corn—the two running into a heavy storm of sleet which fell a it cove 
each other as naturally as free whisky and a week ago. At Cincinnati it broke u the 
free fim.ts The hog production of the West root of a large boiler factory, and lulled an 
‘ids vL has been considerably in excess of ^'sahJed several men ; around Louisville it 
i ' i ■ i.riii iL" mini her of loaded the trees and broke them down; so 
the preceding year, in both the nunh i ot tornado had missed 
one wants i very white, stir the sirup until 
it gets cool enough to pour nut into pans or 
ot her dishes to cake. When you get through 
sugaring, gather up all the implements, wash 
thoroughly, scald, and put away in readiness 
for another season. 
P. 8.—I ought to have said that the holes 
made in tapping the trees, lieal over com¬ 
pletely in three or four years. The depth 
of our boiling pans is six inches; the bandies 
arc different from the ordinary make, which 
hang beside the pan. and become heated 
when the pan is in use. Ours are riveted 
to the sides and come up over the top of the 
the ground; the plants will he large enough 
to withstand the winter. In Ihc spring, be¬ 
fore any r other grasses start, the field will be 
green with the growing young plants, and 
and that clover will flourish in perfection in wilb a hot-iron. If it is applied for a sprain 
Upper Georgia and Alabama, I had abund- uge p morning and evening. Wash clean 
ant evidence during a visit iu that region ouce j n three days.—I. W. Curtis. 
last, spring. ) - 
Tlie SK'ol^lorm. V nl >' «c-incdy for Couiraclrd Foot. ^ 
All through this region I see the effects of When a horse has a contracted foot, his 
a heavy storm of sleet which fell a littleover shoe should he beveled from the heel about 
V . _ _ « 1 A x 1 1 A1. t Mall A«1| a nFit A 
u week ago. At Cincinnati it broke in the 
roof of a large boiler factory, and killed and 
half way to the toe, so that when lie sets 
his foot down the hoof will spread. The 
disabled several men; around Louisville it frog should not he cut away His owner 
loaded the trees and broke them down ; so must get an old paint keg and fill it halt full 
animals produced and fed for pork, and also 
in the individual weights of I ho animals. 
the orchards look as if a tornado had passed of urine, and every time he goes in the stable 
over them. 
before the dry weather sets in in July the T , |ig lnU( . r 5a owing mainly to the long and . pnt(1 J,7isinn C Hrmers near Louis- 
field will be covered with a perfect sward. filVOmble season of feeding in the fall, by ® o ^ jus , ^ j. t *j a lot of ovev twenty 
I have experimented considerably in try- which the hogs could take Ume to come to 1 J gland) or Jersey> callle> which 
ing to raise blue grass ; have sown m lebru- their best, and by which the feed was not h Uvo days ago.'mul attract con- 
ary, March, April and May, but never had wasted by foul weather. Partly as a conse- lp aUention ' Th t re is a meat con- 
any success until I commenced my sowing quencR 0 f this, and partly in consequence ot j t , )e(wecn the mtle ftnglllar j^seys and 
immediately after the seed ripened m sum- lhe lowcr rates of money the price of pork Short-horns of this blue' grass 
mer. As to harrowing, I have to say that bas been ab0 ut ono-third less than that of _ “ g D H 
my experience and trials have proved to me last year. During this season the average |l - , " n 
that the best way to insure a good stand is , ir j ce bas bee n about $6 50 per hundred -— “ 
S. D. H. 
pan, ami are always cool and ready for use ; tQ roP L | 1C ground before sowing, and sow | pounds, while a year age it was $9 50 to $10 
besides they keep the pan Irom spreading, . ()U top () f t i ie smooth and hard rolled soil. on a poorer quality of meat. This season 
ami in good shape. There are two handles to 
the pan, each 28 inches long, put on about 
20 inches from each end. They aro very 
convenient to handle the pan with. 
-- 
GATHERING ICE. 
The Rural New-Yorker has given ad¬ 
vice upon this subject, apd every “wide¬ 
awake’’ farmer will put up a supply of ice 
this winter. Those who are able, will buy a 
nice set <>f ice tools; they are handy and 
cheap; but there are those who wish to put 
up ice, and cannot afford to buy the tools. 
To such 1 offer my experience; 
Ice should be cut early, as tire first ice 
keeps best, and is easier procured. Snow 
has to be removed from the surface of the 
ice before cutting, and it also injures the 
quality. I gathered my ice in December; it 
was then twenty inches thick, and so clear 
that a newspaper could he read through it. 
on top of the smooth and hard rolled sou. on a poorer quality of meat. Ibis season 
This is for Western Iowa; perhaps in Ken- the packers will make a fair business, while 
lucky and other localities it may be better ] as t season they nearly all lost money at it. 
to harrow the ground after sowing. I make Clover nnd Grass Seed, 
this statement for the benefit of your read- pj 0 you j tnow dia t Ohio is the greatest 
ers in Western Iowa, without pretending to clovc] .' R(!t . d producing region iu America? 
say or know what would be the best time to produc tj on ; s mainly confined to a 
sow in other places. f cw 0 f the mid-northwestern counties, as 
Lysander W. Babbitt. Wyandot, Crawford, Allen, Morrow, Seneca, 
- nA ™ and others thereabouts. This winter the 
N0RWAI OATb. trades in clover seed is quite lively, and very 
be Stohte-©ertr* 
In your issue of Feb. 4, two references much of it is sold through Cincinnati to the 
are made to lhe above subject, both from Stott. of Keelucky. ^ 
and considerable quantities aie sent to JXew 
Van Buren, Iowa, and evidently from the 
to give 1 acts, ami ii errors occur are ruauy v , ” ■ 
to correct them, we call your attention to m France nit u: w 
the following, in contradiction of the arti- crop of Fiance this season, 
tides referred to:—First, there are not can clover is going to England and boot- 
10, 000 bushels of Norway oats in any one land. The price of clover seed.now is $6.90 
county in Iowa that arc genuine; we pre- pe r bu$hel of sixty pounds, 
sunie there may be any quantity of the conn- rp..„ (MT) p pfcTover seed ii 
terfeit. Second, Tbe formers who bought „ !e « f . nsnn 
POLAND AND BIG 0HINA HOGS. r. j. h., Charlottesvill 
“ „ „ Country Gentleman:—“ 
I notice in the Rural New-Yorker of ^ ^ foupd 0]U . ()f my m . 
Dec. 3d, the weight of some “Berkshire ” ra oId) RU ilering from 
pigs, ami iu that of Jan. 28th the weight of everything I could in 
a “ Jefferson Co.” (N. Y.) pig, and also that l follll(1 ‘ llboul twelve mi 
of four “Chester Whites.” Two of these rcmedy wl(irll x triud s 
writers give the feed; and as the other lot piul tu 
was butcheved, it is reasonable to suppose oance bluft 6(oll(}( onedl 
Unit they, too, lnid extra feed and keeping cipitftle . Shake well an 
I have a full-blooded boar of the Poland j ^ tbc ll00 f W ell 
and Big China, or “ Butler Co.” (Ohio) breed, ^ ° » l tftku off tbe hab 
which weighed, when he was six months ^ wl , iq fc after heal 
old, two hundred and forty pounds; and ten of lameilCi;8i repeat 
full-blooded sows of the same breed that re , ias boen pcr formin 
averaged two hundred and ten pounds at ^ work ever sluce> 
seven months old; and neither boar nor spect of ita reluru ing 
sows hud auy extra keeping, as I intended r _ 
to breed them, and did not want them itnce-SprunB 
give the contracted foot a good soaking— 
especially when the home comes in from 
work. If the horse stumbles, his foot must 
he shortened all that it can be by paring off 
the too on the underside, instead of pulling 
the shoe back and chopping tbe toe off. 
Leave the heel good length, which will take 
lhe strain (iff from lhe backside of the leg. 
If the horse continues to stumble, have the 
toe-cork hammered down fiat, and keep a 
lot of bedding under his fore feet all the lime. 
I have tried this system a number of years, 
and know that, it will afford relief; but a 
perfect cure 1 never saw.—A. B. Goodrich. 
Kimcboue Remedy. 
R. J. II., Charlottesville, Va., writes the 
Country Gentleman “ About three years 
ago I found one of my mares (seven or eight 
years old) suffering from one, and after try¬ 
ing everything I could hear ot and read of, 
1 found, about twelve months afterwards, a 
remedy which I tried successfully. Take 
one-half pint Spirits turpentine, one-half 
ounce blue stone, one-half ounce red pre¬ 
cipitate. Shake well and use every morn¬ 
ing ; keep the hoof well greased. This will 
not only take off the hair, but cause a severe 
blister, which, after healing, if there still lie 
signs of lameness, repeat the remedy. The 
mare has been performing all kinds of heavy 
farm work ever since, without the least 
1 selected a clear, cold day, and, with my pure seed, and gave us their notes for the 
mau, took our ice tools—which consisted of 
a cross cut saw, an axe, a pike pole, and 
an ice ladder, to the scene of operations. 
We cut three feet wide with the saw, and 
split, off with the axe, by dripping out aV, 
same, although mostly due in July, have not 
yet paid nor been compelled to pay them. 
■Third , The other statements made by the 
writer from Van Buren, Iowa, are as tar 
from the truth as are the two referred to 
above. Meddlesome curiosity by disinter- 
The crop of clover seed in Ohio was never “ pushed.” The sows were fed eight ears of 
so wire as it is this season, and the quality dry corn a day, and were in a lot where they 
i nr iim.-iiinr conn ilinrn k a could get nothing else, from the let ot bep- 
,s very good. Of timothy seen, there is a thH December, when they 
great scarcity, and we see the unusual pro¬ 
portion of prices, that timothy seed is now 
selling at $5 per bushel of forty-five pounds; 
tember till the 1st of December, when they 
were weighed. 
The boar I kept in a pen and fed him 
eight ears of corn a day and a little slop 
and soon there will be none in the market from the kitchen; and I am convinced that 
nr wedge-shaped hole, at each edge; Ihen ested persons, has caused much loohsli 
strike a few light blows in each hole unlil waste of printer’s Ink in regard toj Nwwav 
, ,, , . r ,, „ T „ ... oats. \V o like to have the iact-s ventilated, 
the block separates from the mass. In tin. ; ■. t , 1n i;,, n flnv reasonable deviation 
manner you can get your blocks out nearly j rom t) 
as true as with the saw. lead mi 
A convenient size to handle and pack is that ov 
about two by three feet. Twelve cakes will way 0: 
pack one layer eight by nine feet square, 
which laid up eight or nine feet high, is suf- gr J )vver 
ficient to last a large family. this St 
The ice ladder is used to draw the floating only cc 
ested ' peisiins, lias caused rnijch foolish at any price. $2.50 has been an average 
waste of printer’s Ink in regard to Norway price for timothy seed, in past years, while 
oats. Wo like to have the facts ventilated, c i over s(! cd has often gone above $8 a bushel, 
and do not notice any reasonable deviation jj ow i am 0 ff for a tour of Kentucky and 
from tbe truth. As a chic to what may mis- 
lead manv honest statisticians, we would say iennessee. 
that over 44,000 bushels of counterfeit Nor- Business in Louisville. 
way oats have been offered us this winter Louisville, Ky., Feb. 4. 
grown in the State of Illinois, and evidently j N man y of its business characteristics, 
supposed to he the pure article by the Louisville is like Cincinnati; but being a 
grower. How many more there, may he, in b . md .. ed miles farther down the river, with 
this State, or how many m Iowa, we can >nd cc m cs , a ’ 
The ice ladder is used to draw the floating only conjecture. Every rascal who can get 
cakes of ice upon the surface, and to load an y hl a< ’k <):Us is scllinig ~ 
,, , . . \ „ some are hold enough to sell white burpnse 
them upon the sled or stone-boat, for remov- oaljJ umlei . lbis uam %. 
al to the ice-house. "We give an illustration D. W. Ramsdell & Co. 
of this ladder, with descriptions of making Chicago, Ill., Jan. SO,'71. 
its face to the South, it has many other fea- 
if I had fed them all they could cat, they 
would have given me two pounds for every 
day they had lived. I further notice in the 
Rural for Jan. gist, some remarks of Col. 
Curtis, on the “ hog question.’’ Although 
I beg leave leave to differ from him in re¬ 
gard lo some of his statements about the 
“ Butler Co.” breed of hogs, yet I chi erf oily 
agree with his closing remark that, “There 
is nothing which will pay the farmer better 
than n good breed of hogs; if not of a pure 
breed, a judicious crossing of such as he lias 
upon a better.” This last is j 1 1st what pro- 
tures not like those of Cincinnati. It is duced this justly famed breed about thirty- 
uues, nui u five years ago, and brought it to the high 
like, in its heavy river trade and m its g degree of perfection it has now attained. 
. , • ___/.P laiwact naolniin. nlAllpi ° * t v-. 
trade, being one of the largest packing places 
for pork in the country.. 
Highland Co., Ohio, Feb., 1871. 
J. Karnes. 
Itnee-SprunB Horses. 
G. Ferguson asks if knee-sprung horses 
can be cured. If the cause of what is 
known as spring knees is in corns in the 
feci, as most veterinarians assert, the re¬ 
moval of the corns straightens the limb. 
But if the cause is an injury to the tendons 
of the legs, we know of no remedy. It' the 
cause is a corn, tire hoof about it should be 
cut away so as to prevent pressure from the 
shoe, die corn well cut out and burnt with a 
hot iron, or sonic caustic, and the animal 
carefully shod by a horse shoer who knows 
his business. 
“8lifle Stevpilie.” 
In Rural New-Yorker of January 7 th 
I find a cure given for “ Stifle Brepptng. 
signed “ Young Farmer, Troy, N. Y. IJ 
not understand the meaning of the ten 
“stifle stepping,” as I know of no such < 
ease, at least by that name. I should - 
to have him difine the trouble. Danila 
Taville, Hock Stream, AT. Y. 
