SICILIAN FOWLS 
of the Rural New-Yorker,) must acknowl¬ 
edge the supremacy, in many respects, of the 
Almond Tumblers, who, among their other 
good qualities, are most prolific and hardy 
birds. 
The Tumblers were shown to good ad¬ 
vantage at the Annual Exhibition of the 
New York Columlmrian Society, last fall, at 
which time we made mention of them, and 
of 1 he universal attention they attracted— 
more especially the Almonds. There are 
several varieties of the Tumblers, among 
which are the old English, the German 
feather-footed, the common flying Tumbler, 
the Buld-Pated, the Almond Tumbler, and 
several others. The ordinary variety are 
said to be extremely high flyers, and of a 
blue color; the German featber-footetl are 
large, handsome birds, their color black, 
while the feather festoons on their feet are 
white, and some of which measure six inches 
in length. The old English variety is said 
to be nearly extinct. Of the Almonds, the 
who have but recently engaged in dairying, 
write us that the business this year has not 
met their expectations, and are in doubt 
whether to keep along in it, or turn to some¬ 
thing else. This vacillating spirit does not 
promise success, and we speak from no mere 
theoretical standpoint, hut from a practical 
knowledge of the farm and its operations. 
We Bay, consider well the line of farming 
that is best suited to the farm and to your 
tastes and circumstances, and then have 
faith in it until you have given it a fair trial. 
If it does not at first, meet, your expectations, 
be sure whether the fault is attributable to 
the business itself or to incapacity or neglect 
in its management. Low prices or had crops 
for one year are not sufficient to test the 
merits of a business. A farmer must have 
faith in his business. Faith gives power, 
energy and perseverance which will over¬ 
come difficulties. The want, of faith induces 
weakness, neglect, incapacity, and a desire 
to slink away from every obstacle iu the way, 
leaving one business for another, instead of 
manfully facing difficulties and surmount¬ 
ing them. 
In New York milk is not usually sold to 
factor y men for the purpose of making butter 
or cheese. The milk is received from the 
different patrons of the factory, the weight 
from each credited as delivered, and then 
the several messes are massed together and 
manufactured—each patron getting a pro¬ 
portion of the product according to the num¬ 
ber of' pounds of milk delivered. The man¬ 
ufacturer generally has no pecuniary interest 
iu the milk or its product. He is either em¬ 
ployed under a salary or at a certain rate per 
pound of the product manufactured. He 
takes charge of the product until it is fit for 
marketing, when it is sold in bulk to¬ 
gether, and each patron receives his share 
of the proceeds. 
In some instances the fuctoryman runs the 
factory on his own account, purchasing the 
milk of the neighboring farmers at a fixed 
rate per gallon, or per ten pounds of milk. A 
beer gallon of milk, or a quanlity weighing 
ten pounds, is considered on an average suffi¬ 
cient for making one pound of cheese. The 
price paid depends upon the price of dairy 
products. The manufacturer estimates two 
cents per pound for expenses in manufactur¬ 
ing, boxing, use of factory, &c., &c. This 
deducted from the average price of the 
cheese per pound, makes the basis of the 
price to be paid for the gallon or ten pounds 
Of milk. But. as there is always some risk 
t,o be run on account of defective cheese 
am! variation in price of cheese, the manu¬ 
facturer must arrange his prices so as to have 
a fair margin to cover any prospective loss. 
Sometimes manufacturers engage to pay' 
so high a price for milk that they lose 
money; while on the other hand, if dairy 
products take an unexpected rise, farmers 
often become dissatisfied because lie is clear¬ 
ing too much money. Hence, the system of 
purchasing milk is uot a popular one—the 
other plan named being more satisfactory to 
all parties. 
The quantity of cheese to be made from 
skimmed milk depends upon the amount of 
cream taken off, Fifteen pounds of skimmed 
milk will probably make about a pound of 
skimmed cheese. 
When cheese is twelve cents per pound, a 
factory man could afford to pay nine cents 
for ten pounds of milk. This would give 
him a margin on the cheese above the usual 
rates of manufacturing, boxing, &c,, of one 
cent per pound. But be would be obliged 
to cart bis cheese to market, take the risk of 
sales, and also shoulder losses on inferior or 
defective cheese. Some manufacturers, 
doubtless, would not consider the margin of 
a penny a pound sufficiently large to cover 
all the extra items. 
We should say an ordinary factory, lmv- 
ing capacity lor two hundred cows, could 
he elected and pul in running order for 
$1,400 to $1,500— when material and labor 
can be bad at reasonable rules. A more 
elaborate structure and extra appliances 
might reach double the cost we have named. 
Structures niul equipments are so different, 
while labor and material vary so much in 
different localities, that no exact figures can 
he given. The factory should he located, if 
possible, near a spring, where an abundance 
of pure cold water may be conducted into 
the manufacturing or milk room. Cool 
water in abundance is essential, and of the 
first importance for success. When limning 
water of the desired temperature can not be 
had from springs, wells of large capacity 
may be substituted. In such cases wind¬ 
mills are employed with advantage for 
pumping the water inlo tanks, from which 
it may he drawn as required in the factory. 
We should advise our correspondent to 
lake a look at some of the lactones nearest 
to his locality, and perhaps those on the 
Western Reserve, Ohio, will he as conven¬ 
iently near as any. Our old friend, Anson 
Bartlett, Esq. of Geauga Co., Ohio, Presi¬ 
dent of the Ohio Dairymen’s Association, 
would direct him to the best factories in that 
State. 
In conclusion, we should advise those pro¬ 
posing to enter upon the dairy business, to 
make a thorough investigation of its re¬ 
quirements, to employ an experienced fac¬ 
tory man in directing the erection of factories 
and in fitting them up with apparatus, and, 
finally, when everything is in running order, 
to procure the best manufacturer that cau 
be had. 
asbantrrn 
C. W. G., Rock Bottom, Mass., writes: 
“ Can you or any of your numerous readers 
give me any information concerning the 
Sicilian fowls? I have looked in vain in all 
the works on poultry for an account of them. 
Are they an imported breed? If so, from 
what country ? They are small, handsome 
fowls, of a golden or reddish color, with 
black spots on their feathers, bright red wat¬ 
tles, and combs which look like two small 
horns sticking up; have small, bright eyes, 
slate-colored legs, and the roosters stmt 
about with as many airs as a game cock. 
They are very tame, easily kept, and excel 
lent layers, ranking in that respect with Leg¬ 
horns and Hamburgs. From what I have 
observed of them—having bred them during 
the past summer—I think they are worthy 
of a name and place among the fancy breeds 
of poultry, and 1 should be glad to learn 
more of their history.” 
If any of our readers have had any expe¬ 
rience with, or know anything relative to, 
the birds spoken of by our correspondent, 
and will favor us with the same, we shall he 
glad to give it. publicity through the columns 
of the Rural New-Yorker. We cannot 
find, in any works on poultry we have at 
hand, a breed of fowls known under the 
name of Sicilian.—L. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., EDITOR, 
Of l.trfTIt PaM*** IUhkimhi: Cot>TY, N*w York. 
DIMENSIONS 
Of I*on 1 try Houses nud Feedinn Coops, 
DAIRYING IN MILK DISTRICTS. 
S. B. Prick of Urbana, O., asked us in 
the Rural New-Yorker of Sept. 17th 
for the proper dimensions of poultry houses 
and feeding coops for twenty chickens, 
docks, turkeys, &c. We have published 
of late, from time to time, plans of poultry 
houses as recommended by our correspond¬ 
ents, but, it seems none of them reach the 
case desired by Mr. Prick, Our idea of 
wlmt. a house should be may not, meet his 
expectations; still, were we desirous of a 
house, for the purpose Mr. B. asks, we 
should not hesitate for a moment in follow¬ 
ing out the plan we recommend for his con¬ 
sideration, which we think the best we have 
seen devised. 
I LrvE In Brooke Co., West Va., opposite Steu¬ 
benville, O., und we are so iariorant of every¬ 
thing connected with dairy business, that wo do 
not know what to inquire for; however, l 
would like to known It la common to sell the 
milk as taken from the cow to the cheese fac¬ 
tory men, or in what shape It is disposed of, at 
what price per gallon or pound, how many 
pounds of good milk in one pound of cheese V 
how many pounds of skimmed milk to one 
pound of cheeseV With cheese lit t welve cents 
per pound, what could a faotoryinun afford to 
pay per gallon for milk as it cornea from the 
cow? What would a factory of capacity for 
milk from two hundred cows cost? Should it 
be located on running wa,ter,—I mean a spring, 
—or does it take much water, und should It be 
cool ? 
Any information we should have (as you 
doubtless know better what we want, to know 
than we do ourselves) you wilt confer quite a 
favor In giving us. We have a Quo grazing 
country, und have been engaged in sheep hus¬ 
bandry; but that business lias gone back on us 
so completely that we are anxious to quit it, and 
our attention has been turned to dairy business 
for a considerable Lime; but us we knew until¬ 
ing about it, and no person cunie along to tell 
us, we did not know what steps to lake In the 
matter. Our soil is of the be«t; our people are 
generally well off aud welldoing; we generally 
succeed ill any enterprise we enguge In, but wo 
thoroughly Investigate before we invest.—.J am. 
AnoiiEit, SUidicnviUe, O., A ny., 1X70. 
Remarks. —Several ol the inquiries made 
by our correspondent Lave been answered, 
from time to time, in the Rural New- 
Yorker; but as the dairy is constantly 
spreading into new districts, the information 
referred to can well be repeated. 
In the first place, we should say to farm¬ 
ers, do not be in too great, haste to change 
lrom one kind of farming to another. The 
great fault, in American farming to day, iR a 
restless, uneasy spirit for something new and 
untried —a desire to make large incomes, not 
by inaugurating improved culture of the soil, 
or perfecting oneself in all the details re¬ 
quired for conducting a particular specialty, 
and which, if steadily adhered to, would he 
likely to result in success and profit; but by 
a mere change to some new branch of busi¬ 
ness, concerning which little or no knowl¬ 
edge is hud. The very fact that hut little is 
known, practically, of a business, gives free 
scope to the imagination to set it, out in fan¬ 
cy colors, and renders it easy to figure the 
enormous profits that promise to lie realized 
from it. How often have we seen men care¬ 
lessly estimating the profits of some specialty 
from which others me apparently deriving 
large gains, and resolving, in their enthusi¬ 
asm, to enter at once upon it. 
It is an easy matter to make figures upon 
paper, but to realize these figures upon the 
farm is an entirely different matter, as many 
a poor fellow has learned to Ids cost. The 
fact is, that success in farming depends not so 
much upon any particular branch as upon 
understanding intimately everything con¬ 
cerning that branch—comprehending all its 
weak points and knowing how and where 
to strengthen them. Of course the farmer 
should, in the first place, enter upon that 
branch of fanning adapted to Ids soil and 
climate. It is always an “ up hill business ’’ to 
war against nature and the elements. You 
may raise oranges and figs where nature 
never intended they should be grown, but 
this pushing of things out. of their natural 
limit does not generally pay. So in regard 
to various other crops. Some localities are 
best adapted to one tiling, some another; and 
when it has been found what a farm is best, 
adapted to, and the farmer has turned his at¬ 
tention in that direction, he should be slow to 
make radical changes, entering upon new 
and untried branches. As a rule, we think 
it will be found quite as well to keep along 
in the business one is fumaliur with, study¬ 
ing it more closely and making such im¬ 
provements in the soil and culture of crops 
as shall bring, year by year, larger returns. 
Every branch of farming has its “ups and 
downs,” its high and low tides, as do other 
pursuits in life. It is steady perseverance 
and adherence to a certain well-defined sys¬ 
tem that in the end results iu success. 
We do not wish to discourage any one 
from entering upon the dairy, or upon any 
other branch of farming that, promises suc¬ 
cess, but. we do desire to caution farmers 
against “inconsiderate and restless change 
from one kind of farming to another, which 
results in no settled system, order, or im¬ 
provement of the farm. We know farmers 
who have been carried away into bop grow¬ 
ing, into tobacco culture, grain growing- 
now raising hay for market, or fat cattle, 
growing young stock or dabbling in the 
dairy, but who cannot keep at any one tiling 
long enough to make it. pay. And we wish 
to say, right here, that dairying is no excep¬ 
tion to the rule, but, like other branches of 
farming, requires experience, attention to de¬ 
tails, and careful management to make it 
successful and profitable. 
We feel the more inclined to these re¬ 
marks, at this time, because some persons 
nfonmition 
ngteme 
HYGIENIC NOTES 
8nu<t' and Tobnoon The Oilier Side. 
At a late meeting of the British Medical 
Association at Newcastle, Dr .Torn M i ur ay 
presented a paper on “ Snuff-taking, and its 
utility in preventing bronchitis and con¬ 
sumption,” in which he remarks that an ha¬ 
bitual smoker seldom or never died of con¬ 
sumption, and that Hie progress of consump¬ 
tion is frequently arrested by practising the 
habit of snuff-taking. Snuff-taking, it seems, 
is not only of great use in curing catarrh, 
but it is an admirable expedient lor prevent¬ 
ing it altogether. If, “ when on a journey 
you experience a succession of chills, in due 
time you may expect an attack of bronchi¬ 
tis, an infiltration of pneumonic or tuber¬ 
cular plasma, or illness in some other form, 
each tending to reduce Hie powers of life, 
and consequently, liable to set up consump¬ 
tion iu those predisposed.” Under these 
circumstances, Dr. Murray strongly recom¬ 
mends snuff to be taken in liberal pinches. 
Tobacco, in fact, is now strongly suspecied 
by tile medical profession to have been mi 
justly abused. Thu majority of doctors, 
Dr. Murray states, “ when recovering from 
common cold," will lake snuff themselves to 
hasten their recovery. 
Coni Oil fur Huld Heads. 
We find the following in an exchange 
“A paper in Mississippi, apparently as seri¬ 
ous as a deacon, says that * We have heard it 
stated several times that Mr. Samuel Buy 
ANT, who heretofore had beet) barefaced on 
the top of his head, bad, by the use of coal 
oil, grown a thick coating of lmir on {la* 
aforesaid bald head. We saw Mr. Bryant 
on Monday last, and, on examination, found 
the statement to be correct. Mr. Bryant 
told us that the way he found out this new 
property of coal oil was simply this:—lie 
bad a large boil on the bald place on his 
head, which gave him much pain, ami, in 
the absence of anything else, he nibbed coal 
oil on it. He says it relieved the pain almost 
instantly, so be continued to rub on the oil 
until the boil was entirely well, when, to his 
surprise, lie found a thin coating of hair 
coining out over the bald place. He con¬ 
tinued the use of the oil for a month or two, 
and now has a heavy coat of hair on his 
head. This is no humbug, but the simple 
truth, and we advise our bald-headed friends 
to try the experiment." 
To Curt* llu- Uiri- ot a .Hud Dog. 
The Baptist Watchman says:—“F rank¬ 
lin Dyer, a highly respectable and intelli¬ 
gent farmer of Galena, Kent Co., Md., gives 
the following us a sure cure for the bite of a 
mad dog:—“ Elecampane is a plant well 
known to most persons, and is to be found 
in many of our gardens. Immediately after 
being bitten, take one and a-lmlf ounce of 
the root of the plant—the green roots are 
perhaps preferable, but the dried will an¬ 
swer, and will be found in our drug stores, 
as was used by me—slice or bruise, put into 
a pint of fresh milk, boil down to u half 
pint, strain, and when cold drink it, fasting 
at least six hours afterward. The next 
morning repeat the dose, fasting, using two 
ounces of the root. On the third morning 
take third dose, prepared as the last, and 
this will he sufficient. Ii is recommended 
that alter each dose nothing be eaten for at 
least 9ix hours. I have a son who was hit- 
ten by a mad dog eighteen years ago, and 
four other children in the * neighborhood 
were also bitten ; they took the above doses, 
and are alive and well to this day. And I 
have known a number of others who ivere 
bitten and applied the same remedy.” 
THE TUMBLER PIGEON, 
