Mr. Wells says that it was purely selfish 
motives that induced the wool growers and 
manufacturers to seek protection for their 
industries, he certainly stated what was not 
true; for did not the representatives of those 
industries declare in their report tnat “ the 
American wool manufacturer, no less than 
the wool grower, has the only market for 
his fabric at home, and can have a profitable 
market only when aU the industry of the 
country is profitably occupied t' This was 
a sound and honorable avowal on the part 
of our representatives, and all intelligent 
wool growers wilt sustain them in it. ITo 
knew that the tariff had not yet brought all 
lie reliei Unit, was anticipated, and that 
therefore some persons denied that it was 
of any use Lo the grower. But he firmly 
believed that the wool growers had received 
at least fifty millions of dollars more for 
their last two Hips Ilian they would have 
done had not the tariff of 1807 been enacted 
—saying nothing about the large number of 
excellent flocks it had saved from destruc¬ 
tion. He did not feed discouraged if Con¬ 
gress would let the present law stand, and 
would carry out its original intent. It was 
instability in legislation he complained of. 
[The speaker here cited several instances of 
this and their effects.] 
Repeal the present tariff on wool and 
woolens, and iu two years the price of wool 
would fall more than thirty per cent, lie 
did not advocate sheep husbandry exclu¬ 
sively. Tie believed in mixed husbandry; 
each product to bo grown in the situation 
and under the circumstances best adapted 
to it. Each would be found subject to fluc¬ 
tuations in prices and profits as well as wool, 
lie submitted soma statistics showing the 
comparative effects of dairying and wool 
growing on the soil, greatly to the advantage 
of the latter. ITo alluded to tho alleged 
effects of the tariff in giving great profits to 
the manufacturers. He wondered that the 
aggrieved free-traders did not rush into this 
branch of industry, if they believed it so 
profitable. He wondered that the people of 
countries which enjoyed the inestimable 
blessings of free trade were so insensible of 
its benefits. Over twenty thousand persons 
have emigrated from Canada to tho States 
within the last twelve months. He had seen 
a report of the New York Board of Trade, 
bewailing the loss of tonnage in consequence 
of the tariff laws relating to wool. Taking 
their own estimates, the loss did not exceed 
the tonnage of sixty boats that run up and 
clown our “ raging canal.” The tonnage on 
wool from California has more than doubled; 
yet no credit Is given for that. ‘•The com¬ 
merce of New York must be in its last 
throes, when such unfairness of statement is 
resorted to by its Board of Trade. 
Several other speakers made brief, perti¬ 
nent remarks, of which we have no report; 
after which the question was taken ancl the 
resolutions unanimously adopted. 
On motion of A. F. W ilcox of Fayette¬ 
ville, a committee of seven was appointed to 
nominate officers of the Association for the 
ensuing year. While the Com mil too was 
absent, Mr. Hawley again addressed the 
meeting on the subject of the tariff, and on 
the importance of stability in tariff legislation. 
The Committee on Nominations made the 
following report: 
Pres Went — Henry 3. Randall of Cortland. 
Vice-Presidents— Solomon Hilehcoek, Conc9tis 
Centro; C. I). Cbumplin, Iturnmondspori ; A. 
G. Percoy. Newark; E. E. Brown, Now Hope; 
Davis CohSltt. Onondaga; E. B. Pottle, Naples. 
ESxeeutive CoftlriUtt.e a — I>. VV. percoy, North 
Hooslc; I. V. Baker, Jr., Cotnrtook'e. Landing; 
Lionel Sherwood, Newark; Edwin Gage, De- 
Huy tor ; (}. Oro-ainnu, Alexander ; \V. Ii. Pitt s 
Honcoyo; It. P. Brook-, Pear I Crook; F. H. Hib¬ 
bard, Cortland; A. 11. Clapp. Manlius; J. II. 
Earll, Skaneatoloa; P, Ii McMillan, Canan¬ 
daigua : James Geddas, Fafrmount; Chester 
Baker, Lafayette; S. N. Franklin, King's Ferry. 
Recording .Secretary—Homer L>. L. Sweet, Syra¬ 
cuse. 
Corresponding Sccretaru —E. B. Pottle, Naples. 
Treasurer—A. F. Wilcox, Fayetteville. 
The report of the Committee was unani¬ 
mously adopted. 
The Treasurer, Mr. A. F. Wilcox, sub¬ 
mitted his annual report, which exhibited a 
prosperous condition of the finances of the 
Association. The report was unanimously 
adopted. 
A discussion of fhe tariff was resumed, 
in which Mr. Geddes, Mr. Ellts of Syra¬ 
cuse, Mr. Percey of Newark, Mr. Hitch¬ 
cock of Conesus Centre, and ol hers Look part. 
The Chairman said the present was a pe¬ 
riod of depression for wool growers on high- 
priced lands; but wool was a great neces¬ 
sary of life, and, therefore, its production 
could not he permanently depressed, All 
we had to do was to secure equality in our 
own markets, and time would do the rest. 
He urged the owners of good flocks to keep 
seed for the future. He asked various wool 
growers present by name, whether they in¬ 
tended to “ stand by the flag.” The answers 
were in some cases grave, and in some cases 
humorous, but all were in the fdllrmative. 
Among those who thus answered, were D. 
Cossitt of Onondaga, A. F. Wilcox of La¬ 
fayette, Edwin Gage of De Ruyter, S. N. 
Franklin of Kings Ferry, J II. Eakli, of 
Skaneatcles, S. Hitchcock of Conesus Cen¬ 
tre, A. G. Plucky and Lionel Sherwood 
of Newark, E. E. Brown of New Hope, F. 
II. Hibbard of Cortland, L. Baker of La¬ 
fayette, and many others. Indeed, it ap¬ 
peared tho general sentiment of the Asso¬ 
ciation. 
The meeting was a lively and interesting- 
one, and all left it with a feeling of encour¬ 
agement. 
that Buenos Ayres growers could not afford 
to continue to raise sheep to kill for their 
skins with the wool on, with such a market 
open to them. At all events, they could, 
even after the reduction of their surplus 
sheep, permanently and most profitably thus 
sell us the wool of the annual cullings of 
their flocks,—the old and inferior sheep,— 
amounting to ten or fifteen or more per cent, 
of the whole number. Other countries might 
do the same. Combing wool skins, taken 
> c xom the fat sheep killed in Great Britain, or 
elsewhere, at periods of the year when the 
wool was long enough for combing, consti¬ 
tuting a comparatively large amount, could 
be exported here vastly more profitably to 
the growers of it than combing fleece wool; 
and, as in the preceding cases, it would, of 
course, to the extent of the amount imported, 
deprive tho domestic grower of his protec¬ 
tion. 
Remarks were made by several members 
in a conversational way on the preceding 
topics, all concurring in the view that the 
proposed amendments of the tariff were 
nighly Important, and that iu regard to 
wool skins, indispensable to our growers. 
Mr. Geddes called for the reading of a 
series of resolutions, which had been drawn 
up, prior to the opening of the meeting, by 
the growers tuen in attendance. The Secre¬ 
tary read them as follows; 
Resolved, That this Association retains its full 
con Aden co In the wool and woolen tariff us tho 
liesr. legislation which can now be devised to 
benefit equally the ultimate and permanent in¬ 
terests of the wool grower, the manufacturer 
and the consumer. 
Resolved, That wo are opposed to any amend¬ 
ments in suoh act, excepting these which arc nec¬ 
essary for the bettor carrying out of its origi- 
tiul intent tttid objects. 
Resolved. That whereas, circumstances which 
could neither l»o foreseen nor anticipated, have 
opened an opportunity to evade tlieobjocteof the 
law, h.v Importing competing woolaon the skin at 
a greatly lower rate of duty than the same wools 
pay when imported in ihn fleece, ftiul at a rate of 
duty which is entirely non-protectivo to the 
United States grower, wo highly approve of the 
umendmontot tho act Introduced Into the House 
Of Representatives by the Committ ee of Ways 
and Moans, providing that wools imported on 
the akin Shall pay the same rate of duty asother 
wools; arid wo earnestly urge our Representa¬ 
tives in Congress to vote for the same. 
Resolved, That w« arc in favor of an amend¬ 
ment, declaratory of the original und evident 
Intent of the act, that no clothing or combing 
wools shall, by any theory of olliOlftl inst ruction, 
be classed in class ibree, or carpet wools, from 
whatever country imported. 
Resolved, That wo repel with Indignation the 
imputations cast by the United States Special 
Commissioner of Revenue, David A. Wki.i.h, on 
the motives of tho representatives of the wool 
producing and manufacturing interests who 
framed tho present wool and woolen tariff; that 
such imputations arc aa uncalled for as untrue. 
Mr. L. T. Hawley of Salma made some 
remarks illustrating in a strong light the 
favorable effects of a protective tariff. 
Mr, Geddes then took the floor. Having 
no reporter of our own present, ami having 
received no minutes of his speech, we can 
only present the meager abstract of it re¬ 
ported for the Syracuse Courier, which is 
the fullest we have seen. 
Mr. Geddes sakl he had had a conversa¬ 
tion with Commissioner Wells, and had 
read his report. Ho (Well's) came here to 
look at the salt interests and talked wool. 
He said that fine wool had doubled throe 
times in twelve years In the world, that was 
about a year ago; a falling off in price was 
tho consequence. There had been too much 
fine wool produced for profit, and the sheep 
and wool growers must reduce the products. 
The United States had never produced the 
wool it consumed, but was obliged to import 
largely of doth. Was it right for a great 
country like this to do so? He would like 
to have this country produce its own wool. 
As somebody must kill their sheep the ques¬ 
tion was should it be us or the people of 
Australia and Buenos Ayres? Commis¬ 
sioner Wells makes out that our tariff on 
wool lowered the price of wool here and 
everywhere else. He was surprised at such 
reasoning. The first effect of higli tariff was 
to raise prices; the second effect was, of 
course, competition, and then prices would 
fall. This was the argument of the tariff 
people. 
The truth of the matter is it was not the 
tariff that lowered the price of wool, but 
the fact that too much wool hud been pro¬ 
duced. The question was, should not we 
protect w r ool rather than throw off the tariff 
in accordance with Commissioner Wells’ 
report? A high tariff was necessary for our 
own protection against the producers of the 
world. He believed that cloths were as 
cheap to-day as they had ever been; lie had 
an overcoat on for which he paid only §8; 
broadcloth had been offered him for $4 per 
yard. The laborer ought to be better off to¬ 
day than hundreds of years ago. All the 
labor-saving inventions produced this result, 
and man’s labor to-day was worth twice as 
much as formerly. He thought Mr. Wells’ 
report showed an unkind spirit; a disposi¬ 
tion to strike at the interests of the sheep 
breeders and wool growers. His report was 
quite contrary to the remarks he had made 
to him (Mr. Geddes.) 
The Syracuse Journal justly says;—“ Mr. 
Geddes’ remarks were comprehensive and 
eminently practical, and his views met gene¬ 
ral approval.” 
Mi*. A. G. Percey of Newark said he had 
yet to learn that it is ever good policy to 
misrepresent an opponent’s position. When 
description of their merits or failures, as they 
are too well known to he lightly esteemed. 
There are numerous new sorts that 
are represented to be much better than any 
we now have—some of which 1 have ordered 
for testing the coining season on my grounds, 
keeping in mind the advice given by the 
Rural the past year, to wit:—To invest no 
more iu new tilings advertised than can be 
given away or lost, as many of them are 
worthless, or of no more value than older 
and tried sorts already on hand; but, having 
a passion for testing new sorts and then' giv¬ 
ing my experience with them, that others 
can compare notes if they wish, induces me 
to still continue the experiments for pleasure, 
or profit and loss, as the case may be, 
whether they prove valuable or worthless 
under my cultivation. Jonathan Talcott. 
Romo, N. Y., March, 1870. 
itsbanbrs 
AMERICAN TURNIP SEED. 
H. S. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
0» COBTLAND VlU.AGB, COIITUNP COL'NTV, NEW YoBK 
In Rural of January 39,1 see the above 
subject discussed. There is no occasion 
whatever for us to import turnip seed. In 
the East, a neighbor of mine raised turnips, 
and supplied the principal market of a con¬ 
siderable town for years. No one seemed to 
think turnips good unless they came from 
Mr. L.’s. He raised his own seed, year after 
year. My observation has led rue to prefer 
keeping those intended lor seed in a cellar or 
buried in the ground, to be set out in the 
spring as early as possible. They will ma¬ 
ture their seed in time for sowing, which, for 
a winter crop, will be from 20th July to Sep¬ 
tember, according to latitude. Last August, 
about the 20th, I sowed about an acre on 
new land, which produced a splendid crop 
of us excellent turnips as we ever saw. The 
whole neighborhood were supplied from iny 
patch, and wondered very much how I suc¬ 
ceeded so well, when all the rest around here 
failed. They were told that the ground was 
put in good order, good seed properly put 
in, and the plants well thinned out. Success 
is almost certain. White Strap Leaved 
(Purple top,) Yellow Globe, and Rutabaga, 
were the varieties. b s. m. 
Bluffton, Mo.. 1870. 
ANNUAL MEETING 
Of the New York State Wool Growers’ 
Association. 
The annual meeting of the New York 
State Sheep Breeders’ and Wool Growers’ 
Association was held in the City Hall at 
Syracuse, March 2d. 
The President, Mr. Randall, on taking 
the chair, called attention to the fact that 
since the preceding annual meeting it had 
been discovered Lhat an evasion of the intent 
and object, of the wool tariff was being 
practiced, and that it was now increasing so 
rapidly that it promised before long ma¬ 
terially to affect the prices of wool. This 
was done by importing wool on the skin at 
a duly of thirty per cent, ad valorem , which 
same wool paid a duty of ten cents per pound, 
and eleven per cent, ad valorem, if im¬ 
ported in the fleece. The wool growing 
countries of the world were overstocked 
with sheep. Our wool tariff prevented this 
surplus from being thrown upon our mar¬ 
kets. The consequence was that sheep had 
become so depressed in value, in Buenos 
Ayres and some other countries, that the 
owners found it profitable to kill them with 
their wool on, and send their skins to us in 
that condition, in order to take advantage of 
our low duty on wool skins. 
Hon. George Geddes —Will yon state 
the relative amount of skin wool annually 
imported before and after the tariff of 18G7V 
Mr. Randall —According to the best es¬ 
timates which can be made from the official 
records in tho Custom House, the amount of 
skin wool imported at New York, before 
tlio present wool tariff, was: in 1805,102,193 
lbs.; in 1800, 114,398 lbs.; after the tariff, in 
18G7, 315,792 lbs.; in 1808, 420,528 lbs .; for, 
say, about eleven months of 1809, 2,322,807 
lbs.; and he understood that many more 
manufacturers were preparing to engage in 
working this skin wool. 
Mr. Geddes— Will you state the difference 
in duty actually paid by a pound of washed 
wool imported on the skin, and a pound of 
washed wool imported in the fleece; and 
also say how much revenue the Government 
has lost by this kind of evasiou, since the en- 
actmentof the present tariff? 
Mr. Randall —A pound of washed Buenos 
Ayres skin wool costs to land in New York 
about twenty-nine cents; while a pound of 
washed fleece wool costs, say about forty-six 
cents and a-lialf—making over seventeen 
cents, in gold, difference in the duty. He 
was not prepared, without computation, to 
answer the second branch of tHe question, 
but. was ready, from memoranda now before 
him, to stale that the loss in duties on Buenos 
Ayres wool alone, since the present tariff 
went into force, approached half a million of 
dollars. From the nearest estimate he could 
make, it. had reached, Nov. 10,1809, the sum 
of $150,509. 
Mr. Randall stated that another viola¬ 
tion of the spirit and intent of the wool tariff 
was practiced under Secretary McCulloch’s 
ruling of Feb. 26, 1809, that even clothing 
wools, if “East India wools of unmixed 
blood,” should bo entered in tho third class— 
a ruling as contrary to the letter as tho spirit 
of the law—and based on a fanciful theory 
of interpretation, called the “blood theory.” 
This theory was the imaginary discovery »f 
an eminent wool merchant and fur trader 
who had too much influence in the Treasury 
Department at Washington. lie regretted 
to declare also that by a late decision of Sec¬ 
retary Boutwell, or rather acting Secre¬ 
tary Richardson, Castel Branco and Oporto 
wools have bccu crowded into class three. 
The ground of the decision was a correct 
one, viz., that they were ‘‘like wools” to 
those designated in class three. But he ques¬ 
tioned the fact. He questioned the impar¬ 
tiality of the experts to whom it was sub¬ 
mitted. lie ventured to say they were prin¬ 
cipally wool merchants, or manufacturers. 
They probably intended to act honestly. 
But where justice is to be done, the jury 
should not be all on one side; and if it was 
necessary to select experts whose interests 
were to be affected, and whose prejudices 
might bo evoked, why not select a portion 
of those experts from the wool growing 
interest ? 
A Member—Will not the killing of sheep 
in Buenos Ayres diminish competition from 
that country? 
Mr. Randall— Doubtless it will. Buenos 
Ayres lias a vast surplus of sheep which 
must be reduced to render the growing there 
profitable, so long as our tariff is carried out, 
according to ils original intent. In the lat¬ 
ter event, the loss of killing the surplus falls 
on the foreign grower. If the duty on skin 
wool is not raised, the loss will fall on our 
growers, because all this vast amount of wool 
growing on these surplus sheep, will he ad¬ 
mitted in our ports at duties which afford 
our growers no protection. He was not sure 
FIELD NOTES 
Cutting Orchard Ginn* for Hay. 
A corresi’O.n dent asks the Rural when 
Orchard grass should be cut to make the 
best hay. It should be cut when in bloom. 
Unless very thickly seeded, the stalks are 
coarse; and unless cut when in blossom the 
woody fiber begins to make in the stalks, 
and its value us a hay depreciates ; but, cut 
just at the blossoming period, it makes an 
admirable hay. 
Tl» e VVliita l’cnch Blow anil lluritton 
Potatoes. 
J. T. S., Wooster, O., writes us that the 
moBt popular potato in that, locality is tho 
White Peach Blow, being excellent in qual¬ 
ity, but falling far short of some of the 
newer varieties in the quantity produced. 
The Harison yields almost double the Peach 
Blow on the same kind of soil, with the 
same culture in every respect. There were 
a few more small potatoes among the llari- 
son, but in other respects they are as desira¬ 
ble looking. For fall and winter use they 
are not as desirable as the Peach Blow, not 
cooking so dry nor being of as good flavor. 
Tobacco Iu Central Pcnnwj Ivniiin. 
A CORRESPONDENT at Harris!)urglj, Pa., 
asks if any readers of tho Rural in Central 
Pennsylvania cultivate tobacco; if so, what 
variety, how and with what success. Al¬ 
though we know little of Central Pennsyl¬ 
vania, from observation, we know no good 
reason why tobacco may not be as profitably 
cultivated there as in Connecticut, New 
York, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. 
Sowing Wheat Annina Coin. 
At a recent meeting of the Western Now 
York Farmers’ Club, in reply to an inquiry 
by letter whether this was advisable, Mr. 
Quimby said be bad practiced it when living 
in the West. The wheat was cultivated in 
and tho corn harvested afterwards. The 
corn stalks protected the wheat iu winter 
time. Here it is quite, common t® cut, corn 
early, placing the rows of shocks wide apart 
and sow wheat between them. The ground 
occupied by the rows of shocks is sown to 
spring grain. Mr. Otis had sown wheat in 
this way without plowing, using a cultiva¬ 
tor to cover his wheat, and got good crops 
where the soil was in good condition. Tlio 
reporter adds that a large farmer in Mich¬ 
igan was accustomed to cut and shock his 
corn, then plow around lire field, setting the 
shocks on to the plowed ground as con¬ 
venient. The wheal was drilled in as fast 
as the ground was plowed. The entire field 
was thus sown, and the corn taken care of 
afterwards without reference to the wheat. 
He got good crops. 
POTATO EXPERIENCE, 
Some time since T gave the experience of 
the past, year with tho Early Rose potato as 
a field crop, which has bear the potato 
mostly used in my family so far since Sep¬ 
tember last for the table, and we find it the 
best potato we have used for the past two 
years, thinking them fully equal to the 
Peach Blow in quality, and more easily 
raised than that variety, and more hardy, 
with less liability to rot. 
I also raised the Shaker’s Fancy; but, 
they have rotted so badly with me the past 
year that 1 have discarded them altogether. 
The Jackson White has been my favorite 
for an early potato for the past ten years, 
and holds its own remarkably well, but will 
now have to give place to tho Early Rose. 
The Early Goodrich did much better the 
season past than in 1868; that year it was 
almost an entire failure; very light iu yield 
and very poor iu quality—it is not now as 
good as the Early Rose for the table. I also 
planted one-half pound of tho Early Prince, 
sent me by Mr. Edward Wood of Geneva. 
They wove not planted as soon as the Early 
Rose, so i cannot compare them fairly as to 
the time of ripening. We have tested them 
two or three times; think them fully equal 
to the Early Rose in quality, but they 
showed rather more rot at harvest time than 
the Rose. 
Mr. Levi Bartlett, Warner, N. H., sent, 
me a four pound package of the Excelsior, 
which, for a few trials for the table, we pro¬ 
nounce the best of any potato wc raised the 
past year. They arc not. as early ns those 
mentioned above, but earlier than the Peach 
Blow, and more compact in the hill, and I 
notice that at the animal meeting of the 
State Agricultural Society of New Hamp¬ 
shire, the past, winter, the Excelsior won the 
first premium as the best table potato. That 
is high praise, und 1 most sincerely hope 
that, it will not disappoint growers in the fu¬ 
ture in its good qualities; and if tlie Early 
Rose and the Excelsior should prove in fu¬ 
ture what their praises have been in the past, 
we shall have at least gained something in 
that branch of farming. 
The Harison, that has received so much 
praise, was also cultivated on a small scale; 
it will yield well, but is utterly worthless tor 
the table. I have tried nearly all the Good¬ 
rich Seedlings that were thought good 
enough to be disseminated; but n«l, one of 
them was ever a first-class potato for the 
table, and no one of them ever attained the 
popularity with the public that the Garnet 
Chili has; nor has there ever one of them 
equaled the old standard sorts in New York 
markets for price, because of their inferior 
table quality, so that we are forced to give 
them up, even against our best wishes for 
them; for few farmers wish to raise potatoes, 
however well they may yield, unless their 
table quality is good enough to insure for 
them a ready sale in the market, which is 
not the case with the seedlings mentioned. 
The Vanderveer’s Seedling I see nothing 
in which was not already obtained iu the 
Prince Albert, if indued it is not that old 
variety! Planted side by side, I can sec no 
difference. 1 have also given it to others to 
test, and their uniform testimony is, they can 
tell no difference in growth, yield or quality. 
Bresee’s Prolific promises well, both in 
hardiness and yield; have not tested Us 
quality enough to decide correctly its merits 
in that particular; if it fails in that, it can 
never become a favorite with tho public. 
The Prince Albert, Garnet Chili, Peach 
Blow, Dykeman and Mercer have been so 
long before the public that they need no 
COTTON STATES—SOUND ADVICE 
Tn view of the mania which seems to pos¬ 
sess the planters South, to put all their 
available land in cotton, to the exclusion of 
other crops, the following suggestions from 
the Mobile Register are not only sound, but 
timely: 
It is an old error of our planters to sup¬ 
pose that when they make an immense crop 
of cotton they have made so much clear gain ; 
to forget that when they are without grain 
they must rob cotton Peter to pay corn Paul. 
And yet this old foe puts on a new face this 
year,‘and we hear of immense preparations 
for cotton ami very slim ones for corn. This 
will not do. 
Corn is independence f — it is life! With 
heavier grain crops this present year we 
could have held back cotton, if needful—as 
it would not have been—and kept the price 
to any figure we pleased. With heavier 
grain crops next year we can do the stum, 
thus making a smaller cotton crop equally 
valuable in money. If foreign buyers feci 
that planters can hold, they will not wait to 
buy and the demand will come. If, on the 
other hand, they know we must sell to buy 
food, foreign buyers will wait until necessity 
forces the cotton upon the market. Vault¬ 
ing ambition to produce immense crops over¬ 
leaps itself; and prices are made to tumble 
by the very means the planter uses to en¬ 
hance the money value of his production, 
lienee do we say—plant corn ! 
Will It Pay to Grow Clover Kenl l—Will you 
give, in the Rural, some Information hi regard 
to cutting, curing, and cleaning clover seed? 
Al.ro, expense of machinery necessary for clean¬ 
ing. — Wkstjkun SUDSCKim.it. 
