products, it will be more to the fanner in the 
long run, than the discount he uan get on 
what machinery he will be likely to pur¬ 
chase. Then again, if the machinery on the 
farm was duly sheltered and taken care of 
as it should be, that would stop a very heavy 
drain on our resources. A properly con¬ 
structed machine, well taken care of, would 
last at least three times as long as it usually 
does. W e must look at things from different 
standpoint',-, and view a question on all sides. 
We have always grumbled at others for 
fixing prices too low on our farm products, 
and now we are trying to do the same on the 
manufactured products of others. There is 
a just and equitable medium in relation to 
this matter, and I think we can make much 
more by attending closely to our own busi¬ 
ness, and by preparing our farm products in 
the best possible manner for market, to meet 
the wants, fancy aud whims of consumers.” 
done, and we trust that, at the very least, 
there will be no more worse than wasted 
appropriations for the distribution of seeds, 
weeds and weevils.—A". V. Tribune.. 
As intimated in the above article, and as 
our readers very well know, the Rural 
New-Yorker regards the distribution of 
seeds by the Department of Agriculture not 
only useless but worse than useless—an abso¬ 
lute swindle upon t'he tax payers of the 
country. It is rarely the case that new 
seeds of any especial value are sent out by 
the Department, which cannot be obtained 
from any first-class seed store. And the 
bulk of the seeds so distributed are purchased 
(if we may believe the testimony of our own 
seedsmen) of American seedsmen who find it 
an excellent way to get rid of their surplus 
old stock of seeds. The vicious feature of 
the whole matter is, that a few of the con¬ 
stituents of politicians in Congress are thus 
enabled to get seeds free at the expense of 
the mass of tax payer's, not one in one thou¬ 
sand of whom are benefited thereby. If 
the Government is to furnish seeds to one 
man why not to all. Why not monopolize 
the business and employ seedsmen of expe¬ 
rience and judgment to manage it l As it is 
now managed the seeds sent out are by no 
means the best nor the newest varieties. If 
Government is going to do tiro business at all 
it should do it well, and men of long expe¬ 
rience in this trade, and who are familiar 
with what has been done and what is new 
and good aud what is not, should be given 
charge of the matter. 
The fact is, this whole seed distributing 
feature of the Departure of Agriculture is 
disgraceful, and an outrage upon the tax 
payers of the country. Stoves, books, boots 
and shoes, steam engines, laces, thread and 
needles, sewing and knitting machines, plows, 
cultivators and tiarrowers, etc., are just as 
legitimate articles for distribution as seeds ; 
and blooded horses, cattle, sheep and swine, 
are as legitimate articles of import and dis¬ 
tribution for trial, as seeds and plants. 
We are glad our friend Crandell of the 
Tribune has again opened this subject which 
has been again and ugain ventilated and de¬ 
nounced in the Rural New-Yorker. Those 
who indorse this seed distribution m e politi¬ 
cians in Congress who hope to gain political 
capital and influence in their respective dis¬ 
tricts by tickling some man who has a vote 
by polite attention at public expense, and 
that class of men who are too indolent and 
lack the force and enterprise to buy and pay 
for their own seeds as all honest and indus¬ 
trious farmers do. It would gratify us ex¬ 
ceedingly if some Senator or Congressman 
could be found with the manhood and nerve 
to show up, denounce and squoleh this whole 
seed distribution. 
ADAPTATION OF STOCK TO LAND 
THE SEED SWINDLE 
The Farmers’ Club of Harrington, Del., 
acknowledge the receipt of a communication 
from their member of Congress, “together 
with a generous supply of field, vegetable 
aud flower seeds,” and a vote of thanks was 
unanimously awarded to the honorable rep¬ 
resentative “for this manifestation of his 
interest in their behalf,” Did he buy r these 
seeds with his own money, and are they 
pure i If yes, then the thanks were well 
enough ; but if he got them from the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture—as we doubt not is 
the case—he countenanced a chronic swindle 
upon the American public which the Har¬ 
rington Club would have done well to dis¬ 
courage, and which they may wish they had 
discouraged when, having planted these seeds 
paid for with other people’s money—they 
find them bringing forth not good and fair 
crops, but ah manner of weeds and bram¬ 
bles, as other seeds from the same source 
have done. 
The general sentiment, however, against 
this seed distribution of the Agricultural 
Department is all the time gaining strength, 
as we are glad to know. We have chron¬ 
icled at different periods declarations of per¬ 
sons to tlio effect that these seeds are not 
only common-place of their ldnrl, but Impure 
—full of foul germs. More than one State 
Horticultural Society, last winter, recognized 
the same deplorable fact, and passed denun¬ 
ciatory resolutions. Within a week we have 
met in our reading influential expressions of 
like character. The editor Of The New En¬ 
gland Farmer—a journal which speaks its 
mind even if it pays for the freedom by the 
loss of a sensitive subscriber, or of tui adver¬ 
tisement—suites that lie has for years past 
been favored with samples of these seeds for 
“ trial and experiment.” He planted them 
according to directions, “ when any direc¬ 
tions accompanied them.” but thus far has 
not received “ one single specimen worthy 
of especial notice.” 
Last spring the Department sent “several 
half pints of old aud well-known varieties of 
sweet corn, such as we have raised by the 
bushel for years. Also table beets, which were 
inferior to anything of the kind we had tried 
for a long while ; garden beans, without de¬ 
scription, which were planted as a bush 
variety aud proved to need poles; oats, 
which blast ly badly by the side of old varie¬ 
ties of our own that ripened bright and clean ; 
and lettuce, and many other sorts of plants, 
which were a long way behind our old and 
well-known sorts.” 
The Farmer makes a further statement 
which gives an insight into Department pro¬ 
cesses. “On one of the packages,” it says, 
“are printed slips, saying that these seeds 
are sent out at great expense to the Govern¬ 
ment, for the purpose of experimenting with 
them in different parts of the country, and 
with a request that a report bo returned to 
the Department. We have rendered our 
reports, but hardly think they were ever 
considered, as another batch of the same 
kind of seeds we had condemned came the 
next year for trial, as being something new.” 
Charles D. Bragdon of Moore’s Rural 
New-Yorker, not long since denounced the 
seed swindle iu his own strong and convinc¬ 
ing way. The agricultural editor of The 
World remarks that a “pretty extensive 
experience witli the seeds distributed at the 
people’s expense has px-oven to be about the 
most unsatisfactory of investments of lime 
and labor in planting and caring for them.” 
The Prairie Farmer has more than once spok¬ 
en to the same effect, and The Western 
Rural, if we mistake not, lias given the 
weight of its word against the distribution. 
A member of the Batavia, N. Y., Farmers’ 
Club recently discussing in open session the 
question of ways by which foul weeds are 
scattered over the country to the immense 
detriment of all good husbandmen, classed 
the Agricultural Department along with the 
winds, “and the mud on our wagon wheels,” 
as largely instrumental in this evil agency. 
The Farmer’s Home Journal of Kentucky, 
speaks of the Department as distributing not 
new seeds of rare and possibly valuable 
varieties, but “those of flowers and vege¬ 
tables named in every catalogue in the coun¬ 
try.” It says, what we believe to be true, 
that “ the agricultural papers of the United 
States entertain but one opinion of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, as a whole.” and it 
safely promises their undivided support to 
any member of Congress who will set on foot 
a movement which will reform it altogether, 
or, If that is impossible, legislate it out of 
existence. It is full time something were 
A THOROUGH good tract of grass land is of 
course lit, to raise any kind of animals ; but 
there are districts which would not keep the 
great Short-Horns and the immense Lincoln 
sheep in fine condition enough to develop and 
carry on their best points to perfection : yet 
the owner of a second Tate soil can breed 
these animals anil rahe them to maturity as 
ripe aud well tilled up as on the best blue 
grass region in Kentucky ; for oilcake or any 
other nutritious food will make Up for the 
deficiency iu the grass. But on any land in a 
good climate, and which is well watered, 
horses can be kept and colts bred and raised 
to pay better than any other variety of stock 
if the breeder will but use common judg¬ 
ment in selecting mares and a horse to pro¬ 
duce such a style of horses as will command 
a ready sale at highly remunerating prices. 
When colts and young horses uro treated 
naturally and no expense in stabling and 
grooming is incurred, they can be fed during 
winters and pastured through the summers, 
costing no more than cows or oxen, yet they 
will average at least three fold the money 
per head, while the liabilities to disease arc 
not nearly so great; however, pastures of 
any kind, good enough to remain permanent¬ 
ly in grass and having some of the best 
varieties of natural grasses established, 
would improve and be more profitable by 
having a flock of sheep and cows alternately 
on it ; or if horses, cows and sheep all grazed 
together, though the cows would fure the 
worst, yet the face of the green sward would 
beoome much improved. 
The Southdown sheep are always supposed 
to bear close grazing and poor living with 
less injury to their well-being than any 
other breed ; and the Wiltshire Downs, from 
which the term Southdowus took its name, 
are a poor lot of hills on which the long- 
wooled Lcieesters, Cotsswolds and Lincolns 
would starve unless as on the Cotswold hills 
the Downs were plowed and siuifoin, rye 
grass, &c., were introduced to be systemati¬ 
cally worked round in a four course rotation. 
In fact, the Downs of Hampshire and those 
of Wiltshire were broken up in many parts 
long before I left England, anil probably 
turnips and gl ass seeds arc flourishing over 
almost all the old down and plain land ; and 
at Salisbury I have bought lambs in August 
which were lit for the butcher months be¬ 
fore but too heavy and old for lamb in 
England. How I would like American farm- 
era to see Wilton fair and oi lier of t he chief 
cattle and sheep fairs and note the condition 
of the store stock sold to be taken into other 
parts and bred from. 
A Working Farmer. 
ECONOMICAL NOTES, 
Manuring with Brush.—A correspondent 
of the Germantown Telegraph says :—I cut 
about two tons of water-brush, hardhack 
and other small bushes, and let them lie in a 
pile exposed to the weather one year and 
then applied them to a half aero of land, and 
applied barn-yard manure to another half 
acre adjoining. The result provod the ma¬ 
nure to xbe a little the best the first year, 
which was corn. Bowed grass seed In the 
fall after harvesting the corn. The manured 
piece did pretty well for about five years, 
the brush piece did well for about ten years, 
proving the theory to be correct. I used two 
cords of the manure as a balance for the two 
tons of bushes ; the plowing was Bix or eight 
inches deep. I have repeated the experi¬ 
ment since with the same result. 
Mow More, and Hoe Less.— A. Marshall 
believes New Hampshire fanners would do 
well to mow more and hoe less, since with 
the access they have to the West they can 
do better than to try to raise corn. 
Amount of Huy Crop Affects Nutrilion.— 
Mr. Marshall believes that hay is more 
nutritious where one and a-lnilf tons are 
grown per acre than where two tons are 
grown. What say our readers ( 
Top Dressing Meadows.— The same gen¬ 
tleman would top-dress his grass lands with 
manure well prepared ; has doubled his crop 
by top-dressing. 
Cultivating Grass.— J. Wilkins believes in 
cultivating for a crop of grass, but believes 
it better to harrow than plow. 
DOES FARMING PAY! 
SWINE- BREEDING SEXES AT WILL 
In Rural New-Yorker, Feb. 28, I see an 
article on farming from A. Donald, in 
which he claims it does. In his products he 
certainly makes a good show, but I think he 
has not given any basis to determine whether 
he has made or lost by farming. He says he 
has fifty acres he tills; I should infer from 
that that he had some he used for pasture 
beside. In looking over the items, for in¬ 
stance, his team, two colls, sold for 4500; he 
takes from that 4203 to replace his team, 
then adds 455 for a colt raised, leaving {258, 
he says. As I figure it leaves 4352. His 
three-year old colls should not come into the 
account, from the fact they were not pro¬ 
duced within the year. 
If he will give the amount of capital in the 
business, what per cent, it is worth; also the 
labor, if done by the family, what it would 
be worth in the market; also what may be 
paid for outside help, the wear of tools and 
the average repairs on the farm and build¬ 
ings ; also amount of taxes, theu wo shall lie 
better able to judge whether it pays or not. 
Westport, Conn. A. C. Nash. 
Henry Comstock has been experimenting 
in this matter, and thus gives the result in 
the Indiana Farmer:—Seeing an advertise¬ 
ment of a work under the title of Breeding 
Sexes at Will, one day last winter, I inclosed 
the price and received the work. Tim writer 
claimed that all such animals as were bred 
in the early part of the heat would bring fe¬ 
males, while those bred in the last of ttie 
heat would bring males, which was the 
whole theory. For years east 1 have been 
so feeding my breeding stork as to have both 
boars ana sows as vigorous as possible about 
the breeding season, aud, as far as i cau ar¬ 
range it, 1 have the sows to conic in heat as 
near the same time as feed and being kept 
near company will bring It about. My boars 
are confined so as to restrain them from over 
service. 
Of my breeding stock last fall, I bred ton 
of my sows, in the first flush of heat, to three 
boars, all under as high fe*d us they would 
take, ami all on both sides in good condiiion 
for breeding. The result of this breeding 
was thirty-six boars and fifty-four sow pigs, 
or mgh tec n more sow pigs than boors. If 
there had been nine more boars and niue 
sows less, tlien the result would have been 
even as to sexes. I give a full list of the ten, 
that your readers my have the variations of 
the result in the test: 
Sow Pigs. Boar Pigs. Total. 
DRAINING SPRINGY LAND 
1 have a farm which lies descending to¬ 
ward the East and is very wet and springy ; 
I propose to lay two drains, running towards 
the cent er of tire farm and then lay logs from 
the mouth of the drains to my barn. What 
I want to know is my best way to fix the 
bottom of thosu drains. The soil is blue clay, 
1 have thought i w ould fill the bottom with 
loose stone, but am afraid it will clog up, I 
want the cheapest and best way.— James 
Hall. 
The cheapest ami bast way is to use sole 
tile. But if you have plenty of stones you 
wish to get rid of luy a rmv of stones on each 
side the ditch aud cover with flat stone, 
leaving an orifice say three to six inches 
square. On top of the flat stones fill in care¬ 
fully with cobble-stone, then lay on top of 
them, inverted sod, or brush or straw and 
fill in with soil. We made drains 20 years 
ago in this way that are efficient to-day. But 
well laid tile are better if not cheaper. 
SOUND FARM ECONOMY 
GREASING OF AXLES, 
There is so much good, level-headed sense 
in what a correspondent of tire Rural World 
says in relation to current topicB among 
farmers, that we want our readers to see it. 
Here it is : 
“ I think the proper cultivation and prepa¬ 
ration of crops for market, is vastly more 
Important and profitable than the further 
agitation of the plow question ; and that it 
is much more important to secure a good 
price for our products than to buy a plow for 
three dollars, or a reaper for fifty dollars 
less than the usual prices. Implements are 
purchased only at intervals, and often only 
once in severe 1 years, but our farm products 
are sold annually. If, then, we got an ad¬ 
vance of three-quarters of a cent on pork, or 
five to ten cents per bushel on our grain 
The Canada Farmer gives the following 
directions Lard should never be Used ou a 
wagon, for it will penetrate the hub and 
work its way around the tendons of the 
spokes and spoil the wheel. Castor oil is a 
good material for use on an iron axle ; just 
oil enough should be applied to a spindle to 
give it a light coating ; this is better than 
more, for the surplus put on will work out at 
the ends and be forced by the shoulders and 
nut into the hub around the outside of the 
boxes. To oil the axletree, first wipe the 
splmlles clean with u cloth wet with turpen¬ 
tine, if it won't wipe without it. On a buggy 
or carriage, wipe and clean off the back and 
froDt etuis of the hubs, and then apply a 
very small quantity of castor oil, or more 
especially - prepared lubricator, near the 
shoulder s point. 
There were six sows that brought more 
sow pigs, three that brought more boars and 
one of equal number of pigs each. There is 
no mistake as to their all being bred as 
above-stated, as they were closely looked 
after three times per day by myself. 1 par¬ 
ticularly look after my own stock during the 
serving and farrowing season, and would 
like some of the advocates of the theory to 
do the same and give the public the result, 
which may be more favorable to the theory 
under different circumstances. 
