Cumulus are rigorously based upon the con¬ 
stitution of ice and snow clouds, and of vesicu¬ 
lar clouds of aqueous vapor; while there is 
no proof of the existence of flow Aim’s third 
type, seeing that, according to this savant, 
it is a mix/, which overspreads the earth at 
sunset, but which is raised in the morning at 
the first appearance of that luminary. As to 
number, my nomenclature offers the same 
determination of cloud forms, that is to say, 
seven, the two types ami five derivatives. 
The order in which the clouds arc placed 
in my table corresponds at the same time to 
the order of their appearance, from the high¬ 
est regions of the Cirrus down to those closest 
to the earth, where the Fracto-cumulus are 
produced, according ns Hie vapor of water 
passes from the state of frozen particles to 
that of aqueous vesicles, or vice verm. How¬ 
ever, l lie Pallio-eutmlutf, which serves as a 
transition between the two types and their 
derivatives is found a little more elevated 
than the Cumulus. 
I have thought it suitable to modify For¬ 
ster's vulgar nomenclature by substituting 
other names more In harmony with the form 
and nature of the clouds. I give iu continu¬ 
ation, the old and the new classification 
to carry the grist and two miles to gel it ? 
I feel a personal interest in having this sub¬ 
ject well ventilated. I am tired of husking 
corn in the winter, and 1 am feeding cattle 
and sheep lor the market. I feed my fatting 
cattle meal in the morning and corn in the 
husk at night. T am aware that there is 
some loss In feeding in the husk to horned 
cattle, as appears from their droppings; but 
that is saved in part by pigs and fowls. 
Then, again, we have the increase of ma¬ 
nure, the three-tenths saved from the busker, 
shelter and miller. Will some of your prac¬ 
tical readers, who have had a fair experience 
on the subject, inform us. 
Pratteburgh, N. V. .T. it. Hotchkin. 
----- 
ABOUT SLEIGHS. 
It is a noticeable fact that boh or double 
sleighs arc coming into more general use 
than for years past, not only as draft sleighs, 
but as pleasure vehicles. Their points of 
superiority are that they are of lighter draft; 
can be turned about with greater ease and 
facility; the load is more equally divided; 
loads are moved over rough ground with 
less danger and concussion. 
rops, 
FARM MISCELLANY—II. 
FORSTER'S 
NOMENCLATURE. 
POET’S 
no.m icvcj.ATntn. 
Growing Turnip Heed for Market. 
One seed dealer of my acquaintance im¬ 
ported, hist, year, ninety tons of turnip seed 
from England. It is probably not too high 
an estimate to say that one thousand tons 
arc annually imported at a cost of five bun¬ 
dled dollars, or more, per ton. Why cannot 
this product of the soil be furnished by the 
American farmer, and the profits go into his 
pocket, instead of' those of the British farm¬ 
ers ? Is it necessary that we raise his wheat, 
yielding nine hundred pounds per acre, sell 
it to him for two or three cents per pound, 
ami take pay in turnip seed, yielding six 
hundred pounds per acre, at twenty-five 
cents per pound ? 
The turnip growers here have got the 
idea, which seed dealers have taken pains 
to foster, that English seed is the best, and 
that American grown is about worthless. 
That is not true. First-class English seed 
is reliable, but there is a great deal which is 
Cirrus.....Curl-cloud .........,Curl-cloud. 
i lrro.»trutui.OTw-oloud-Thm/d-cloud. 
<).-ro-tumulu*. ,So/Kicr-claud.Curdled-cloud. 
I’iilllo-cl rrun..MtftY-oloud 
i5m ul 2.*.;';.Y; • -^“cfea-cloud.Moimt-olouct. 
With the exception of Cirrus, whose name, 
(ViY-cloud, approaches nearest the form of 
this species of cloud, all the determinations 
have been changed. The Pallio-cumulus re¬ 
places the Nimbus, also named /toVcloud. 
r 
arm (Enmomm 
COW MANURE. 
The very best manure for all kinds of 
flowers, strawberries, nud other email fruits, 
is cow manure. In fact, actual test has de¬ 
monstrated that it is valuable as a manure 
for all kinds of vegetation, and better than 
anything else for Lhc flower and small fruit 
garden. Cows feed upon herbage principal¬ 
ly—the grasses, in their green or cured stale 
—an<l the very essence of that herbage Is ap¬ 
plied to the plants in the shape of well fer¬ 
mented manure. I saved two cords of ibis 
valuable fertilizer last fall and winter in the 
following manner: I kept two cows,and a 
wheelbarrow and spade in my barn lot. 1 
built two pens eight feet long, four feet high, 
and four feet wide, and covered them over 
with hoards, leaving one end open. Know¬ 
ing the value of this manure, and tin; diffi¬ 
culty of saving it properly if left lying about 
uncollected in t he yard for the pigs and other 
stock to destroy, I told one of my boys that 
I wanted him to take it up with the spado 
and harrow every morning and evening, at. 
milking time, and wheel it to the pens and 
throw it in. By way of encouraging him to 
do this work regularly, 1 agreed to give him 
twenty-five cents every Monday morning, as 
extra pay. no was faithful, and at the end 
f,r ft’iir months I had two cords of manure, 
worth more than the same quantity of 
any other fertilizer known, at a cost 
of only four dollars. I would not 
have taken /went]/ dollars for it the first of 
March. At that time I composted the two 
heaps with an equal quantity of sods from 
the roadside, wetting down tin; mass with 
soap suds, and on the first of April applied 
it to my flower borders and strawberry beds; 
and such flowers and fruit I never bad be¬ 
fore. Its good effects will be seen for years, 
or as long as l desire to keep the beds in cul¬ 
tivation with berries and flowers. 
Stamford, Ky. Woodman. 
This is an experience worthy of imitation 
M ho cm tell a better manure story? 
-♦♦A---- 
Fig. 1 — Light Sleigh Coupling. 
The difference, in the East, between the 
common sleigh and a pair of bob sleighs is 
from five to ten dollars, which is more than 
overbalanced by the points of superiority 
above given. Many bob sleighs, however, 
as now manufactured, will not admit of be¬ 
ing turned short, for the reason that the 
short tongue of the rear sleigh is coupled to 
the rear beam of the front sleigh ; whereas, 
if they were coupled ns in the figures here¬ 
with given, this difficulty would beovercomc. 
In Fig. 1 is shown an improved coupling 
for light sleighs. A reach or coupling bar, 
B, one and three-quarter inches thick and 
three inches wide, is firmly secured through 
mortises to the bolsters, I 1 and L. Three 
feet from the bolster, P, arc secured to the 
coupling bar, B, chains, A, A, attached to 
roller, N, of the rear sleigh. By the use of 
an iron circle, K, attached as shown, the 
bolster will act with greater precision when 
turning than by the old plan. 
FEEDING CORN. 
I lie Husk anil 
Relative Value of Com in 
Corn Meal. 
I wish to know the relative value for feed¬ 
ing to horses and flitting and store cattle and 
sheep of corn in the husk and corn meal. 
1 give a man one-eighth for husking corn. 
It is then worth one-twelfth, and perhaps 
one-lentil, to shell it. It. costs one- tenth to 
grind it, besides all Uje trouble of cribbing 
and carrying to mill, with loss by waste and 
wear of bags, &c. To put it in figures, I 
will assume that a bushel of corn weighs 
sixty pounds. 
Eight bushels would be. 
Deduct one-eighth for husking.'" 
Deduct one-twelfth of balance 
for shelling'..... 
Deduct, one-tenth of balance for 
grinding;... 
• ■ .180 lbs. 
60 
lbs. 
35 
lbs. 
38^ lbs. 
133 V? 
-040V? 
Fig. 3- Dicin' Sleigh Coupling. 
Fig. 2 shows still another mode of coup¬ 
ling sleighs. The short tongue, R, of the 
rear sleigh is connected to the sho t coupling 
bars by two bout pieces of iron, M, M, which 
for a sleigh designed for drawing logs, lum¬ 
ber, Ac., is preferable. 
In ironing sleighs, remember that a brace 
of heavy iron, connecting the inside of each 
knee with the lower side of beam, is indis¬ 
pensable, if strength is desired. a 
--A-AA-— 
COOKING FOOD FOR STOCK. 
Now, A\hut I wish to know is this:—Is480 
pounds of corn in the husk worth to the 
above named stock as much as 340*^ pounds but they wer 
of meal, less wastages; or in other words, is 
the meal of seven bushels of corn worth 
enough more than ten bushels of corn in 
the husk to pay for all the cold fingers from 
husking and the trouble of going two miles 
I have just read with some interest an 
article in the Rural of Dee. 4, by E. W. S., 
on cooking food for stock, lie very truly 
says that improved methods of feeding ani¬ 
mals work their way slowly in practice 
among farmers, and perhaps one of the prin¬ 
cipal reasons for this tardiness is a fear of 
being humbugged. While there has been 
great improvement in raising food for stock, 
and great improvement in the animals, they 
are fed, with very few exceptions, just as 
they were fitly years ago: The rack full 0 f 
dry and often musty hay and ten ears of 
corn two or three times a day for the horse; 
the stalk field and straw stack (and perhaps 
some hay and soft corn in hard stormy 
weather) for the cattle and sheep; the corn 
crib and swill pail is the source ol’supply for 
the pig in winter. 
Now what is needed is to prove unques¬ 
tionably that there is, all things considered , a 
belter ?ea>/. In order to this, facts must he 
shown. But it costs money to try experi¬ 
ments. Some fifteen years since farmers in 
this region of country got. iu the way of 
grinding all the grain fcd'to stock. A great 
many corn and cob mills were purchased, 
e not. used very long; most of 
the mills have been sold for old castings, 
oo ! ir as T know there has been no attempt 
in these parts at cooking food for stock on a 
largo scale. Seth Smith. 
Henry Co., Iowa. 
worthless, and the latter is the kind which is 
very apt to find its way to foreign markets. 
1 he best of turnip seed may be grown in 
this country if the producer understands the 
business. Wherever the soil and climate arc 
suitable to the production of good crops of 
turnips, good seed may likewise lie grown. 
And this rule will hold good with any soil 
product. I know men, and such are to bo 
lburnl in almost any neighborhood, who have 
growtt^jtunip seed for their own sowing for 
twenty years, and invariably had good crops 
from the home-grown seed, but have often 
failed when they sowed the imported. I 
have in mind now a field on which imported 
seed was sown last spring, and the product 
was so spindling and rooty as to be utterly 
worthless. 
Every turnip grower should raise his own 
seed and some to sell to his neighbors. Let 
the American farmer lie independent. 
A gardener, whose father is an English 
farmer, told mo the latter grow annually 
eighty acres of turnip seed. He cultivated 
the crop the first year in the ordinary way, 
and in the fall thinned it, feeding the roots 
he removed. The turnips for seed were left 
where they grew and cultivated iu the spring. 
In our climate it might bo necessary to pro¬ 
tect them with some soil thrown on with 
the plow in the fall. Ho grew but one 
variety and was careful that it was not con¬ 
taminated from bis neighbors’ crops. Let us 
have some facts on growing turnip seed. 
Clover a* an Economical Crop. 
We cannot estimate red clover too highly 
as a fertilizer, or pay too much attention to 
its growth. Where you find an abundance 
of red clover growing luxuriantly you will 
see productive farming lands and money¬ 
making farmers. Professor Voelcker re¬ 
ported some experimental trials in the jour¬ 
nal of the Royal Agricultural Society of 
England in 1808. In this report he says, in 
substance, that the largest crops of clover 
removed from the soil appear to increase its 
wheat producing capabilities. lie further 
Skates that clover twice mown in one season 
leaves the soil better for producing wheat 
than ii once mown and the second crop fed 
oil with sheep; that land which lias grown 
a crop of clover seed the preceding year is 
in better condition for wheat than if the 
clover were mown twice, or once mown and 
the second growth fed by sheep. He states 
that during the growth of clover a large 
amount, of nitrogenous matter collects in the 
soil. This accumulation is greatest in the 
surface soil, and is due to the falling of de¬ 
caying leaves during the growth of clover, 
and to the abundance of roots which, in a 
dry state, contain nearly two per cent, of 
nitrogen. 
1 have believed that a crop of clover seed, 
in conjunction with hay taken the same sea¬ 
son, was nearly as impoverishing to the soil 
as any grain crop, and eminent practical 
farmers have held, and still hold, the same 
opinion. The profit of clover in a system of 
farming, should arise from its use as a ma¬ 
nure, and not from its hay or seed product. 
The growth of clover seed tends rapidly to 
deprive the soil of those qualities essential to 
the vigorous growth of the clover plant. 
Where seed is taken continuously for a long 
time from a soil that is not kept up by farm¬ 
yard manure, I should expect to find that a 
“badcatch 1 was often complained of, and 
that the clover was puny in growth. 
The remarks of the Professor strengthen 
my previous belief that, the best results to be 
gained in the use of clover as a fertilizer, 
come by letting the growth remain us long 
as possible on the ground, without either 
mowing or feeding. In this way the roots 
attain their greatest development, and the 
dense shade to the top soil is favorable to the 
deposition of nitrogenous matter. I would 
produce as dense and luxuriant a growth as 
possible, let it remain untouched by scythe 
or hoof until the last of summer, then plow 
and sow with wheat, or belter still, work 
thoroughly in the autumn, and, next spring, 
sow with barley and follow with wheat. 
The Grasses iu the South. 
What will they do in those portions of the 
Southern States where clover and the tame 
Northern grasses will not flourish ? Proba¬ 
bly most ol the cotton region east of the 
Mississippi is unsuitable to the growth of 
clover and grass. The lower portion of the 
Slates bordering the Gulf and South Caro¬ 
lina cannot show a square rod of turf equal 
to that on any roadside in the North. I can¬ 
not comprehend how a diversified, self-sup¬ 
porting system of farming can be sustained 
or a dense population supported iu a country 
where grass fails. If I were going South to 
engage permanently in farming, the first 
subject 1 would investigate in the loculity to 
which 1 was attracted, would be the possi¬ 
bility of growing clover and grass. Where 
those fail, how can the fertility of a large 
area ol land be maintained or increased un¬ 
der cultivation ? There i > doubtless some 
system adapted to such circumstances, or 
some class of plants which will supply the 
place of clover ami grass, (perhaps the cow 
pea will to a large extent.) Let us have 
light from some of your Southern correspond¬ 
ents on this subject. Pekin Tone, 
■-- 
ht Jbtimrlist. 
ABOUT FANCY RABBITS. 
FIELD CROPS—EXPERIMENTS. 
Otm esteemed correspondent, Jonathan 
Talcott, urges farmers to review the ex¬ 
periences and lessons of the past year and 
profit by them iu planning farm operations 
for 1870—all of which we, too, urge. We 
have only space for the closing portion of his 
article, which we regard important enough 
to be thoughtfully read by every farmer who 
reads the Rural : 
“ There are but few farmers who might 
not bo able to experiment (in a small 
way at least) with some new vegetable for 
the garden for their own family use; also with 
some of the new sorts of field crops, such as 
corn, potatoes, oats, or wheat, might he tried 
on a small scale, so that if a failure ensued, 
not much loss would he sustained in that 
way, and a certain knowledge obtained that 
would he worth more than the money that 
was expended in purchasing the seed to ex¬ 
periment with. 
“ In addition to this, if each one would 
note his experiments carefully down, and 
write out the result in his leisure moments 
for publication, there would be gained a vast 
amount of practical knowledge that would 
be useful to the new beginner at least, and 
be read by others engaged, perhaps, iu the 
same experiments, which might result in a 
very different ivay, either on account of soil, 
climate, or exposure, or all these influences 
combined. 
“ Now, in advising the farmer to try ex¬ 
periments, I would not be understood to ad¬ 
vise any one to buy all that is new, or so- 
called; for many old things are called new, 
given a new name, and with flaming adver¬ 
tisements arc calculat ed to decei ve the public; 
others, perhaps, are thought to be so by the 
person or persons who bring them again be¬ 
fore the notice of the tillers of the soil, either 
as an agricultural or horticultural produc¬ 
tion of great merit, which prove on trial un¬ 
worthy of the good ivords said in their favor. 
“For the past, few years the potato mania 
has had .a severe run, and while some few 
persons have had their pockets well lined 
w ith greenbacks, the probabilities are that 
there has not been a corresponding lining iu 
those of the purchasers, as in many cases 
the new sorts thus disseminated have not 
been of more value than the older sorts, and 
would not sell in market when brought to 
the test ot table quality for one-half the 
price of those sorts they were represented so 
much to excel; while in some cases they 
were nearly worthless for the table. 
“ Now the rage for new sorts seems to be 
centered on oats, for the grain cron; and if 
there is not as signal a failure in that line in 
a few years as there lias been in the various 
seedling potatoes that have been scattered 
broadcast in the land, then I shall be happily 
disappointed, and foremost of these new 
sorts (or those that are claimed to lie new,) 
might be mentioned the Ramsdcll Nonvav, 
(so called.) which has probably been more 
highly extolled than any oilier sort, and 
will probably sink lower in the estimation of 
i he public than any other when thrown on 
the market for the purpose of feeding, from 
the fact of their lightness in weight, thick¬ 
ness of hull, and their numerous beards, nil 
of which are objectionable, us is also their 
color.” 
[On the flrst pane of this Ismie we give an illustra¬ 
tion of a pair of fancy rabbits, drawn from life and 
engraved for the Rckai.. Tho following article Is 
apropos In connection.—E ds. Rural. J 
We have often wondered why fancy rab¬ 
bits are not more numerously bred in this 
country than they are. In England the 
breeding of rabbits is as much a business for 
the small farmer as that of fowls. There is 
hardly an English tenant farmer who does 
not make rearing rabbits for profit one of bis 
specialties, as they need' far loss care than 
any other stock, and find as ready sale. 
Fancy rabbits often bring very high or 
fancy prices. First and foremost among this 
class may be named the Lop-Eared variety. 
A first-class doe of this breed has been sold 
as high as ten guineas in England, while in 
this country a pair with perfect markings 
will bring as high as $20. If young ones 
arc first procured from a good family, the 
foundation of an excellent stock can he se¬ 
cured for a much smaller sum. 
The real lop lias ears that bang down by 
the side of the cheek, slanting somewhat 
outward in their descent, with the open part 
of the ear inward, and sometimes either 
backwards or forwards, instead of perpen¬ 
dicular; when the animal stands in an easy 
position, the tips of the ears touch tho 
ground. The hollow of tho cars should be 
turned so completely backwards that only 
the outer part of thenr should remain in 
front; they should match exactly in their 
descent, and should slant outwards as little 
as possible. 
Color is another important feature. As 
regards variety and purity of color, an expe¬ 
rienced breeder says.-—“The fur of fancy 
rabbits may be blue, or rather lead-color, 
and white, or black and white, or tawny 
and white, that is tortoise-shell-colored. But 
it is not ot so much importance what colors 
the coat of a rabbit displays ns It is that 
those colors shall be arrayed hi a peculiar 
manner, forming imaginary figures or fan¬ 
cied resemblances to certain objects; hence 
the peculiarities of t heir markings have been 
denoted by distinctive designations. Wbat 
is termed * the blue butterfly smut’ was, for 
some time, considered the most valuablo of 
fancy rabbits. It is thus named on account 
of having blucish or lead-colored 6pote on 
either side of the nose, having some resem¬ 
blance to the spread wings of a butterfly, 
what may he termed the groundwork of 
the rabbit’s face being white. A black uud 
white rabbit may also have the face marked 
in a similar manner, constituting a ‘ black 
butterfly smut.’ 
“ But a good fancy rabbit must likewise 
have other marks, without which it cannot 
be considered a perfect model of its kind. 
There should he a black or blue patch ou its 
back, called the saddle; the tail must be of 
the same color as the back and snout, while 
the legs should be all white; and there 
ought to bo dark stripes on both sides of the 
body in front, passing backwards to meet 
the saddle, and uniting op the top of tho 
shoulders at the part called the withers. 
The stripes form what is termed the 1 chain,’ 
having somewhat the appearance of a chain 
or collar hanging round the neck.’’ 
Among thorough-bred fancy rabbits, per¬ 
haps not one in a hundred will have all 
these markings clearly and exactly displayed 
on the coat; but the more nearly the figures 
on tiie coat of a rabbit approach the pattern 
described the greater will bo its value, so far 
at least as relates to color. The beauty and 
consequent worth of a fancy rabbit, however, 
depends a good deal on its shape, or what is 
styled its carriage. A rabbit is said to have 
a good carriage when its back is finely 
arched, rising full two inches above tho top 
of its head, which must be held so low as 
for the muzzle and the points of the cars to 
reach almost to the ground. To breed tho 
lop-ears successfully their hutches should be 
kept warm, and the rabbits sheltered from 
the cold and weL weather In winter. 
J. Brace. 
--- 
Ants and Bugs Destroying I*ollen.—Last spring 
I anticipated a good crop of plums and quinces, 
as they did not blossom as early as usual, mid 
too into to bo injured by frost. Plums and 
quinces blossomed profusely, but did not sot 
On going to tha quince trees, 1>< lore they were 
out of bloom, I saw nuts, and a dark green bug 
with a body and wings that were nearly square, 
feeding' on tho pollen of the blossoms, which 
WUS tbon so consumed (hat. most of ihom had 
withered, so that, do fruit set. Had I known, 
soon ondugh. that tho fruit wn- destroyed in 
| this way, I might ha»« uniiturod the flying bug, 
by ailligeitt watching, ana prevented Hie nuts 
from going- up tho frees by making a riug of tar 
OU-the bodies of them .—il 
We would not put rings of tar about any fruit 
tree. It injures them more than the anta do. 
Wire Worm*.—About fifteen years ngn wire 
worms were found in potatoes here. Since (lint 
time they have steadily Increased till tinware 
tho highest and dryostground we Imy-: 
got. they are very troublesome lei ]ows-eu ling 
up gram, potatoes, etc-.; tuoadowsare hurt, and, 
it plowed up, the crop will be almost entirely 
destoynd. Many Holds of outs wore destroyed 
last summer; winter wheat did not escape tried 
ravages. Wo can raise no corn ; they cat be- *' 
very badly. Now permit me to Inquire thr •‘ r, . s 
the Rural how fur this state of things ^pga 
1 1 
L ! 
