amination it has been found that the seed 
had not been imported from South America, 
but raised iu the vicinity of Marseilles. The 
seed germinated very unequally and sick¬ 
ly, and was found to be black in the center 
and suffering from a dry rot. Apart from 
any question of degeneracy, the climate of 
France cannot ripen this maize, and hence 
our fanners are falling back on the variety 
known as “hor-e tooth.” M. Goffart, who 
has become the authority on the preserva¬ 
much for the benefit of the ensuing crops as 
for the profit derived from the flesh and wool 
gained. Thus hundreds of sheep lie in pens 
in the fields all winter without *-belter, hav¬ 
ing fresh bits of ground given them every 
day, and in summer the same plan is carried 
on by first eating vetches, and then clover or 
rape until the turnips are ready again. Many 
good farmers keep hundreds of sheep with¬ 
out adding any food to the produce of the 
farm ; but there are more who, finding how 
AMERICAN GAME EIRDS.-XY 
PLOWING UNDER CLOVER 
In this week’s Rural an esteemed corres¬ 
pondent and a thoroughly practical farmer 
objects to the practice of plowing under clo¬ 
ver, and favors feeding it off with sheep and 
other stock. We are more than half in¬ 
clined to believe he is right, but there are al¬ 
ways two sides to every question, and there 
may be circumstances where the practice he 
condemns may be preferable. One strong 
argument for plowing under olover is, that 
the fertilizing properties are evenly distrib¬ 
uted, whereas, if pastured, this could not so 
well be done. If clover is fed down contin¬ 
uously through the season, it does not make 
as much growth as when grown uninterrupt¬ 
edly. Tramping is very injurious to clover, 
much more so than to June grass or timothy. 
Where cattle, horses and sheep run on a clo¬ 
ver field, their hoofs Lraxnpdowu and destroy 
nearly as much as they eat. The English 
practice of keeping sheep in hurdles, and 
compelling them tu eat clean before moving 
to another place, is well adapted to feeding 
off turnips ; but we doubt whether soiled 
clover would be eaten by Bheep in a hurdle 
pen without nearly starving them first, and 
that would not pay. 
Plowing under green clover has another 
advantage. The mass of green foliage under 
the furrow at once begins to "heat,” de¬ 
composing and lightening the soil above, and 
making its plant food immediately available. 
As the clover decomposes it generates am¬ 
monia, which rises, and is absorbed by the 
finely pulverized soil above, thus making a 
rich seed bed. Where clover Is fed off the 
droppings of cattle and sheep are thinly 
scattered, and if turned under a deep furrow 
do not ferment rapidly. There is little am¬ 
monia rising through the soil, aud the root? 
of plants cannot reach the manure, except 
by the slow process of striking downwards 
to contact with it. Plowing under clover 
wherever there is enough to ferment rapid 
ly is really a surface manuring, while plow¬ 
ing under manure spread too thinly to fer¬ 
ment is trot. 
The ideally best method of using clover as 
manure would be to let it grow to full size, 
cut and take it off, plow the field, and theu 
herd sheep on the plowed laud while they 
were fed in racks or sheds. We know well 
enough that this is practically au impossible 
method of feediug sheep \ but it is by con¬ 
sidering what would be best if practicable 
that we can decide what method to adopt. 
With the clover roots fermenting beneuth 
aud the manure made by feeding the clover 
mixed with the surface soil, it could not be 
better fitted to produce a crop. 
Clover roots are au important mauure, 
quite as much so, if not more, than the clo¬ 
ver itself. Any system of pasturing which 
keeps clover eaten close to the ground pre¬ 
vents the roots from growing and striking 
into the subsoil, and is so far defective and 
mistaken, if clover is allowed to get its full 
growth, aud is then fed down, much of it 
will be irampled under foot and wasted. 
Probably the best practical mode of utilizing 
clover is to mow it, feed it in winter to oat 
tie and sheep, and then return the manure 
thus made to the farm. Clover is rich feed 
and makes rich manure. It is, iudeed, as 
much superior for manure when fed, as a 
clover Sod is better than timothy or June 
grass for plowing under. There is no neces¬ 
sity for plowing under valuable clover hay 
to enrich the soil, and so far our correspond¬ 
ent is entirely right in characterizing it as 
wasteful. What we have written, however, 
will probably convince him that even this 
wasteful practice is not altogether without 
reason. 
length, narrow and acute. lan, short, 
rounded, of 14 rather narrow, acuminate 
feathers. Upper part of head and under 
tail coverts black, a pure white crescent on 
side of head, before the eye, bordered with 
black ; siur.s of the head and neck purple ; 
base of the head above, back, tertiaries and 
tail coverts brownish green ; each feather of 
fore parts marked with a curved band of 
pale, reddish buff and a line of same in cen¬ 
ter ; smaller wing coverts of a rich, ultra¬ 
marine, blue ; primaries, their coverts and 
the tail brown ; speculum dark green, 
changing to blue and bronze, with a narrow 
lino of white along their terminal margin. 
Under plumage reddish orange, glossed with 
chestnut ou the breast, thickly sprinkled 
with round or elliptical black spots. Axil¬ 
lary feathers, some of the lower wing coverts 
and a patch on the side of the rump pure 
white. Feet, yellow. Length of bird, 10 
inches. 
The female is somewhat smaller, brown¬ 
ish, without the white before the e.ye and on 
the ramp and this purple tint on the head 
and neck. The you g are similar to the fe¬ 
male, but without the green speculum, and 
are paler. 
This Teal feeds principally upon vegetable 
fond. When alarmed it takes wing as rap¬ 
idly' as any' land bird, getting under way 
wit hout any of the fuss and flutter common 
to most water-fowl when they rise. They 
are said to be easily domesticated. 
The Blue Winged Teal, like its congener, 
the Green-Winged, is a favorite with the 
sportsman and epicure. Their rapid flight, 
swift as a pigeon’s, and the sharp turns they 
occasionally make, require to bring them 
down the true ey e and the ready hand of 
the crack shot, and, as an article of food, 
they hold a place above any other members 
of the duck family which frequent inland 
waters. 
In the happy' days, ere the railroad had 
disturbed the serene quiet of our woods, the 
insatiate iriaw of its iron steed has well-nigh 
devoured, the Blue-Winged Teal swarmed 
in our waters from the 1st or, perhaps, the 
10th of September, till the heavy frost came 
on, when they were away again on their 
journey southward, for they are very sensi¬ 
tive to cold. They used theu to congregate 
in great flocks of a hundred or more, and 
were very easy to get shots at, not being 
wild, and seldom flying far till disturbed 
several times. 
The greatest sport was to shoot them from 
a boat concealed among the rushes, as they 
came in at evening. They had. a habit then, 
peculiar to them, of following all the wind¬ 
ings of the channel in their flight to their 
feeding-grounds from the lake, where they 
had passed the day, and gave the shooter, 
ambushed near their course, frequent shots 
from a little before sundown till dark. 
This habit they seem to have abandoned, 
in a great measure, constant persecution 
having taught them to avoid the channel, 
except when night and darkness have in¬ 
sured their safety. They also resorted much 
more to marshless streams, as Lewis Creek 
and Little Otter, above the lower falls, where 
it was easy to get within range of t hem. 
But they are becoming scarcer every year, 
and it is speaking within bounds to say 
that you were likelier to see. a hundred 25 
years ago than one now. Tile diminution 
in their numbers is more marked than that 
of any other kind of duck found here, and I 
am at a loss to account for it, for, as I have 
said, they are not a wild duck, aud onew'ould 
suppose, not so easily forced to forsake their 
favorite haunts as many other kinds. 
Ferrisburg, Yt. R - E - R * 
tion of green maize and rye in trenches, for 
winter and spring feeding, assert* that the 
plan has never failed, where the instructions 
have been minutely' followed. The amount 
of moisture contained in the plant is no 
obstacle to its preservation, as maize con¬ 
tains 80 per cent, of water w hen put in the 
trench, and revealed on analysis the same 
per rentage four months later, w hen taken 
out to be consumed. M. Goffart thinks that 
the reason w’hy so many complain of green 
rye not conserving well is owing to its being 
relatively dry, containing but TO percent, ol 
water, and hence one reason, perhaps, wiiy a 
watering with salt in solution proves so bene¬ 
ficial. The colder the state in which green 
stuff is put into the trenches the better; 
thus after filling some pits in December, M. 
Goffart found that such as had a layer of ice 
on the surface before being covered in, 
maintained the desired low temperature to 
the last. 
The Central Agricultural Society has re¬ 
solved that as yet there is not sufficient 
practical evidence that iu the case of Me¬ 
rinos, precocity'is compatible with relative 
amelioration in the staple of the wool. Pro¬ 
fessor Sanson combats this doctorinc by pro¬ 
ducing specimens of wool of an excellent 
character belonging to Merinos that hud 
their full permanent teeth at the age of 
twenty months—the grand proof of precoci¬ 
ty. Iu other instances. Merino rams had 
their dentition perfect at 20 months, SO being 
the general period for such. 
Belgium is very much occupied with the 
means to increase the breed < 1 horses, to sup¬ 
ply the deficiency caused by foreign purchas¬ 
es. The favorite plan is to award annual 
pr izes to the best stallions, aged from four 
to nine years, and which shall have covered 
thirty mares at least iu the locality. France, 
in addition, gives prizes for the best brood 
mares, but which must not be exported. 
Belgium, being very rich, can afford to pay 
good prices. There the rent per acre of laud 
is ho francs, and for its purchase 4000 fruucB. 
The land is fertile, excepting the heath dis¬ 
trict of Campine, and fifteen quarts of milk 
is the expected yield of a Dutch cow. When 
the quality' as well as the quantity diminish¬ 
es, the animal is at once fatted for the 
butcher. Some of the small farmers employ 
dogs, in a separate out house, to turn the 
churn crank. It is by means of beet pulp 
that Belgan farmers are able to fatten 
so much stock. Manual labor is not dear- ; 
freight, they would not "run down” their 
land ; and if college professors would go info 
these subjects, giving chemical reasons for 
I he advantages obtained by sheep husbandry, 
it would enlighten the pupils and be inter¬ 
esting to practical flock master*, although 
they would know from experience how the 
sheep increased the crop* by enriching the 
soil, and how' it added to their y ear ly income 
by having bo much w ool and mutton to sell. 
Pluwiug one crop into the ground to force 
the next one rs expensive work, especially 
when manure ia used to get *oiuething to 
plow in, and it would be much cheaper and 
show more clearness of brain in looking 
ahead, if the gr owing of every crop w as w ith 
the view of consumption, so that while mak 
ing w ool, mutton, etc. to sell, the food con¬ 
sumed would all return to the farm to dou¬ 
ble aud treble the crops. When every re¬ 
spectable farm haB a shepherd upon it, pros¬ 
perity will reign over lire agriculture of 
America, and it seems extraordinary that 
clover aud other good crops should be plowed 
under, and shepherds be unknown iu whole 
districts, when by reading old history, and 
the Bible, too, there is proof of there being 
shepherd3 and flocks everywhere. At the 
pr esent day the best farmers in the best agri¬ 
cultural communities in the old world owe 
everything to sheep aud other live stock. 
Growing wool upon an intelligent system of 
rotation, cropping in the South would event¬ 
ually pay far better than raising cotton, or 
both of those staples might be grown with 
much better results than cotton alone. 
Where there is a will there is a way, for 
though shade is seldom required in Englaud, 
and would be essential iu the South, movea¬ 
ble shade frames could be used which could 
be shifted daily, the same as the moving of 
the hurdles or whatever was used to make 
the division from Lhe food to be eaten one 
day and that for future days, in short, it 
is a shameful pity that wool has to be im¬ 
ported into a country which plows under 
good food for sheep. A Working Farmer. 
NOTES ON FARMING IN EUROPE 
FEEDING VS. PLOWING UNDER CLOVER 
If Professors of Chemistry would tell us American farmers wull bemterested m the 
whether a crop of clover plowed uuder following statement of some of the questions 
would be of more value treated iu that way with which farmers and herdsmen of 
than if sheep were folded over the land aud Europe have to deal : 
daily fed with it in racks, it would be of A fresh impulse has been given to hay- 
more service than making statements every farming in France, by the employment of 
practical stock fanner knows to be errone- machines for compressing the fodder. A 
ous, (such as, for instance, potatoes not being cubic yard of hay, ordinarily bundled, 
good for animals, unless in such small propor- weighs about one cwt. ; by pressure and 
tions as to be of little use), by giving good well corded aud wired, five and six times 
and correct reasons for the raw herbage giv- that quantity can be forced into the same 
ing more fertility to the soil than it would space. It is thus that Cherbourg sends hay 
after passing through the alieep, and being to Paris, and the same facilities prevent a 
added to the earth as duug and urine. region from suffering from any penury of 
Iu England sheep are kept in w'hat w'ould fodder. The presses are of various sizes, the 
be called here very large flocks, and on the portable ones being hired out. 
farms occupied by the best teusut farmers Reports of rate have been very unfavor- 
they are u -ed to eating green crops, by being able to the giant maize of Nicaragua, so 
hurdled over the grouud day by day, as much esteemed for green feeding. On ex* 
