ORE’S  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
AU@.  5 
®ljf  (Cfiittraal. 
THE  DAIRY  AT  THE  CENTENNIAL. 
Rdmobj?  exprcBBive  of  varions  sliades  of  dib- 
content  have  unhappily  accumulated  of  late,  con¬ 
cerning  Die  model  (Jf)  ChccHe  and  Butter  Bnild- 
ng  in  the  exhibition  grounds. 
I  have  been  willing  pasH  tuilieeded  ex  ca- 
thedra  Ktatoraents  by  those  who  may  have  con¬ 
sidered  themselves  put  upon,  knowing  full  well 
that  the  moral  opidormia  of  specialists  is  more 
delicate  than  a  hot-house  sensitive  plant.  Lat¬ 
terly,  however,  nebulous  disBatisfaction  has  crys- 
talized  into  positive  aiTaignraent  and,  as  a  cor¬ 
respondent  with  an  eye  single  to  the  interests  of 
a  leading  class  Journal  which  lias  carefully  and, 
I  may  add,  Buccessfijlly  fostered  our  dairy  indus- 
trj’,  I  have  conscientiously  gone  into  the  merits 
of  the  subject  and  propo.se  to  give  herewith  the 
result  of  my  investigations. 
Although  the  United  Btwtes  la  a  large  producer 
of  dairy  products,  it  will  be  a  matter  of  Hurin  ise 
to  those  who  have  not  looked  into  the  subject  to 
learn  that,  as  u  people,  we  eat  but  very  little 
cheese,  oomjiaratively  speaking.  The  excellence 
of  the  product  has  lia<l  no  effect  in  causuig  its  gen¬ 
eral  use.  Dairymen  were  pecuniarily  cognizant 
of  tliis  and  bailed  the  Cenk'niiial  as  an  opportu¬ 
nity  for  modifying  the  public  taste.  It  is  evident, 
then,  to  popularize  cheese,  it  was  of  tho  first  im¬ 
portance  to  secure  a  vantage  ground  for  the  dis¬ 
play  that  would  attract,  not  espeidally  the  agri¬ 
cultural  class,  who  understood  its  iiU]X>rtance, 
but  the  masses  who  would  come  to  see  from  ino- 
tivoe  of  curiosity  and  leave  with  ideas  and  preju¬ 
dices  favorable  to  a  more  general  consumpfion. 
Such  a  display  would  have  been  appropriate  in 
Agricultural  Hall,  but  practical  men  ui-ged  the 
difliculty  of  keeping  in  good  order,  in  such  place, 
products  Diat  recpiiro  siiecial  D  eatnient  in  regard 
to  equable  tempcirature,  and  a  committee  of  gen¬ 
tlemen  identified  with  tiio  daii'y  interest  met  in 
council  and  decided  to  ertict  a  building  on  the 
grounds  that  should  meet  all  requirements  and 
iu  addition  be  a  model  butter  ami  cheese  build¬ 
ing,  whore  all  might  see  the  tnothis  ttjJt^randi. 
The  building  is  erected.  It  stands  in  a  kind  of 
basin,  wiOi  high  land  to  one  side,  where  it  should 
have  boon  placed.  Fonning  three  sides  of  a 
square,  the  plan  designed  two  sides  for  wings  in 
which  are  to  be  placed  tho  cheese  disi  ilays,  while 
the  tliird  side  is  the  main  Lnilding  in  winch  are 
rooms  for  a  butter  exhibit  and  space  for  the 
cheese  and  butler  uiipwatus ;  a  part  of  Uie  sec¬ 
ond  story  is  devntod  to  oftlces,  slceiiing  apart¬ 
ments  and  a  restaurant.  For  the  money  oxiiendod 
I  think  a  bettor  structure  should  have  beeu 
made.  There  is  also  a  cellar,  which  Mr.  Arnold 
saj’8  “  proved  to  he  inadequate  to  Dig  task  of 
cooUng  properly,"'  which  is  mild  and  liuuiano  lan¬ 
guage.  “  Proved  to  be  iuadequato  to  the  task,” 
is  a  verdict  that  would  fit  in  other  quarters  l»o- 
sides  tlio  cellar.  Tlic  room  that  was  to  be  an 
exomiilar  in  cheese  jnaking  fails  ludicrously.  It 
contains  a  few  eliocBO  vats,  a  press,  and  a  boiler 
and  engine  adjacent  thereto.  It  is  about  as 
strong  a  suggestion  of  the  mode  of  maldug 
cboose  as  the  boro  of  a  gun  is  of  the  velocity  of 
a  bullet.  It  is  a  model  of  nothing,  if  not  of  how 
not  to  do  it. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  neighboring 
apartment,  devoted  at  present  to  promiscuous 
churns,  a  small  refrigerator  of  bnttei-  and  a  few 
milk  pans.  The  corner  room  is  intended  tor  a 
butter  exhibit.  There  is  no  butter  to  be  seen  at 
present,  because  'the  room  was  so  hot  the  but¬ 
ter  had  to  ho  removed,  or  it  would  have  run  away 
of  its  own  accord.  The  Commission  failed  to 
keep  up  the  supply  of  ice,  and  the  temperature 
rapidly  grew  as  warm  as  the  indignation  of  the 
exhibitors. 
Thero  has  beeu  displayed  iu  the  Canadian 
wing  of  the  buildiug  803  cheese ;  in  the  Ameri¬ 
can  a  larger  qnantity,  including  7  from  Ohio,  19 
from  New  York,  and  some  200  from  Wiscemsin. 
The  heat,  we  know,  has  been  excessive,  and,  as 
far  as  I  can  see,  there  are  in  these  wings  posi¬ 
tively  no  artificial  nieana  to  conti'ol  tlie  tempera¬ 
ture  with  a  single  exception,  and  the  Wisconsin 
lot  has  fennenUid,  or  puffed,  detoriorated  in 
quality,  arid,  acoordiug  to  the  statement  of  Mr. 
Beall,  been  withdrawn  under  protest,  sold  at  a 
loss,  and  the  owner,  Mr.  Hazen,  about  to  assess 
damages.  The  Canadian  clieeso  has  fai'Cd  bet¬ 
ter.  The  inquisitive  visitor  at  present  cries 
aloud,  but  in  vain ;  •*  Where  is  your  batter  a'ud 
cheese  ?”  The  restaarant  is  the  only  llomishing 
product  remaining.  Tiro  prices  are  reasonable, 
the  semce  as  had  as  it  well  could  be,  and  the 
apartments  reseiwed  for  the  prepax-ation  of  food 
positively  unclean. 
It  has  becji  asserted  that  the  ventilation,  and 
other  means  for  controling  temperature,  is  all 
wrong  and  very  bad.  I  think  it  is  a  mistake  to 
say  so.  The  veutilatiou,  in  my  judgment,  is  en¬ 
tirely  too  good.  The  air  from  ail  out  of  doors 
has  unrestricted  access  to  all  indoors,  and  the 
only  party  who  does  not  hold  a  Hinecure  is  the 
o  rb  of  light,  otherwise  the  sun.  Latterly,  Prof. 
Wilkinson  has  attempted  to  modify  this  state  of 
things  by  applying  his  patent  ventilating  duct. 
It  is  a  failure ;  but  granting  his  principle  to  be 
right,  it  is  hardly  to  be  exixected  that  one  can 
modify  the  whole  circumambient  ether,  as  it 
were,  with  ICO  feet  of  a  hole  in  the  ground. 
It  was,  I  am  informed,  distinctly  understood  at 
tlie  meeting  of  the  American  Dairymens’  Associ¬ 
ation,  that  a  building  siionld  be  furnished  capa¬ 
ble  of  controlling  the  temper.'ttm’e,  and  holding 
it  at  from  60  to  10^,  and,  ou  this  assurance,  sub- 
scriptlons  were  taken,  otbei-wise  exhibitors  would 
have  made  a  display  in  Agricidtural  Hall  aud 
avoided  the  extra  expense.  In  view  of  these 
facts,  it  is  pertinent  to  inquire  the  reason  of  this 
state  of  affairs,  and  who,  if  any,  are  responsible 
for  it. 
Previous  to  the  opening  of  tho  Exhibition  there 
assembled  in  Philadelphia  committees  of  dairy¬ 
men,  who  at  once  wore  divided  into  sub-com¬ 
mittees  after  tho  manner  of  the  ixolyp,  aud  imi¬ 
tating  the  pecularities  of  this  little  creature,  each 
particle  severed  from  the  main  trunk,  at  once 
assumed  the  functions  of  an  laitity,  aud  proceed¬ 
ed  to  business  with  an  entire  disregard  to  Imr- 
monious  action  tliat  was  more  curious,  than  en- 
torlaining.  It  would  he  a  work  of  supergation  to 
detail  the  |)ei-plexities  and  bad  blood  exigendered 
by  actions  that  would  have  created  no  sui'prise 
ixx  amateurs  fresh  from  a  so-oallod  Business 
College. 
The  Executive  Coxnmittoe  of  tlie  A.  D,  A.  was 
composed  of  Messrs.  Pope,  Hcoville,  Lewis, 
Hawltiy,  8hull,  Blanding  and  Beall.  Q'lxere  nxay 
have  beoxx  more,  there  is  cortaiiUy  oxie  less,  as 
Mr.  Ilcall  has  resigned,  and  expressed  his  reasons 
for  doing  so  in  vigorous  Augio-Saxoix.  OuUxose 
gcntlomeu  develoixed  the  ixnjxxrtaxitdutyof  select¬ 
ing  a  Bxxitalxle  plaix  for  the  dairy  buildixxg.  Tliey 
are  all  expex-ts  iu  dairy  matters  one  of  them  a 
sapient  autliority  on  Holy  Writ.  Such  qualiiica- 
Dons  should  have  produced  a  stnicture  that  ixx 
point  of  merit  would  have  Vioen  as  it  were  gildiug 
refined  gold.  Tlxey  may  fox'  axight  I  know  tliiixli 
the  present  storeroom  answeiH  this  deseiiption. 
Tho  bxxilding  ns  it  stands  is  the  jxxislnet  of  Mr. 
Blanding’s  brain,  with  luodifioations.  Professor 
Wilkinson  also  sxxbiJiitted  plans  that  were  care¬ 
fully  returned,  llxe  desideratum  was,  as  before 
stated  ventilation,  }icrhaps  some  plans  axe  in  a 
fair  way  to  receive  that  sweet  boon.  Mr.  Pojxe 
paid  his  resixects  to  the  Centennial  CoxnmiHsion 
and  presented  Blaiiding’s  plaix  estimating  the 
cost  of  construction  at  $1(1,(101).  As  near  as  I  can 
asccilain  Canada  had  subscribed  $2,000,  private 
contributions  amounted  to  several  Ihousaxul,  and 
the  N.  Y.  LcgiHlaturo  liiixi  appropriated  $8,000  for 
the  Centennial  display  of  fStatc  checie  under  tho 
direction  of  the  N.  Y'.  State  Uau^inen’s  Associa¬ 
tion;  lion.  X.  A.  Wiliai'd  Brest.,  J.  Shull,  Sec. 
U'his  fact  seems  to  have  an  important  bearing. 
About,  this  time  the  Bubal  threw  some  light  ou 
varions  transactions  in  dairy  matters  and  was 
soundly  scolded  for  trying  to  spoil  a  ixic'e  show 
from  motives  the  reverse  of  exalted.  I  have 
seen  the  nice  shovv  and  hoiw  your  coxTesjion- 
dent’s  motives  at  least  have  become  aerated 
and  consequently  more  exalted. 
Affairs  px’ogressed,  and  it  Ixicaino  necessary  to 
have  some  money.  There  were  some  nine  or  ten 
thousand  in  New  York  th.al  only  required,  to  se¬ 
cure  possession,  tlie  call  for  a  meeting  of  the 
Executive  Committe  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Dairy¬ 
men's  Association  by  its  President,  Mr.  Willax-d, 
and  a  vote  to  liave  tho  lYeasurer  disburse  it.  No 
such  meeting  was  ever  called,  yet  the  money 
was  secured  all  the  same,  which  is  strong  proof 
of  the  bnsiriess  capacity  of  the  Committee.  It 
apixears  that  Mi-.  Becretaxy  Bhull  called  a  meet¬ 
ing — indeed  several  meetings  were  held— when, 
finally,  Meesl-s.  Shull,  Scoville,  Lewis,  Hawley 
and  Blanding  met  and  confexTod  on  Mr.  Shull 
tho  ixower  to  di-aw  the  State  appropriation  and 
dispose  of  it  in  tho  interest  of  the  New  York 
display.  Tlie  Executive  Committee  of  the  Asso- 
ciatioii  ooxiaists  of  ten  members,  including  the 
Ih-esident  and  Treaaixrei-.  These  gentiemeix  wore 
never  at  any  of  these  meetings  ofiicially,  and  in 
fact  at  no  time  was  tliei-e  a  quoi'om.  The  consent 
or  approval  of  tho  Trea8m*er  of  the  Association 
lias  nevei'  been  received  by  these  geuDemeu  as  an 
indorsement  of  their  acts,  and  it  is  now  clearly  a 
legal  question  if  the  parties  concerned  are  not 
severally  x-espousible  for  the  funds  thus  appro¬ 
priated. 
The  reason  of  this  anxiety  to  have  Mr.  Bhull 
haiidlo  Die  money  I  cannot  explain,  niiloss  it 
w-as  because  Shull,  Lewis  and  Hawley  of  the 
Executive  Committee  were  also  the  Auditing 
Committee,  wlieii  it  is  vexy  plain  that  there 
would  be  less  friction,  a  better  understanding, 
and  business  expedited  in  fact,  when  the  money 
could  be  received  and  paid  out  by  one  man  in  a 
dual  fxmetiou. 
In  speaking  of  sneh  clever  management,  that 
reflects  credit  on  the  astuteness  of  all  concerned, 
I  can  only  wonder  that  the  building  is  so  poor — 
that  is,  that  some  coxiaider  it  so  feeble,  you 
know.  I  feel  constrained  to  say  a  -word  in  praise 
of  All-.  Pope,  also,  who  merely  receives  a  pit¬ 
tance  at  present  for  his  labors  as  Buperintend- 
ent.  As  he  tnxly  observe-s,  ”  After  all,  money  is 
not  everything!”  He  neglected  his  large  inter¬ 
ests  in  Ohio,  which,  in  the  present  condition  of 
the  cheese  market,  was  true  abnegation,  and 
while  he  must  have  been  losing  money  daily  in 
his  nsixal  avocation,  he  accepted  his  present  trust 
without  remxxneration.  Such  sacrifice  recalls  tho 
Bpartan  who  would  rather  let  the  wolf  gnaw, 
etc.,  than  allude  to  the  delicate  circumstances  of 
its  acquisition. 
I  know  a  parallel  on  the  Committee,  viz.,  Mr. 
Blanding,  who  waived  his  toes  xvs  arcliitect  and 
Ixeoame  a  siiuplo  contractor,  agreeing  to  put  up 
i  Die  strueturo  after  ldsi>lan»,  at  hiso-wn  exi>en.so, 
and  taking  liis  chances  for  being  reimbxxrsed 
out  of  the  fund  to  be  appropriated.  Had  it  not 
boon  for  tboso  geutlemen,  where  would  our 
building  Ixave  been  ?  I  don’t  know  wbat  tho 
Htrixcixu'e  has  cost  as  it  stands,  but  Mr.  Blanding, 
ixx  a  letter  to  Mr.  Pope  rejxorting  progress,  says 
ho  figures  tho  cost  at  something  over  $9,(100,  hut 
it  would  be  well  to  strike  tho  Commission  for 
about  $12,000,  In  Prof.  Wilkinson’s  last  plans 
estimates  were  $7,300. 
Mr,  Beall  states  that  a  model  cheese  factoiy  in 
Illinois  cost  $5.tK)0,  aud  gentlemen  who  have 
seen  tliis  building  liave  returned  to  New  Y’ork 
expressing  tlie  opiiiioii  that  $6,000  would  be  a 
large  price  to  pay  for  a  similar  one.  However, 
these  gentleuien  ilid  not  perhaps  coixsider  the 
diJliculties  to  bo  ovtircome  in  fetehing  lumber  to 
an  out-of-the-way  placxi  like  Pliiiarlolphia. 
Credit  is  due  to  endeavor,  although  uiisuecoss- 
fub  Tho  mauagers  are  earnest  in  their  efforts  to 
start  the  display  forward,  and  I  notice  Dxat  B.  B. 
Moon  has  a  letter  ixx  Herkimer  Co,  .Toux-nal  urg¬ 
ing  factory  xxien  to  be  ixatnots.  I  think,  myself, 
that  it  would  bo  onrirely  safe  and  patriotic  to 
send  along  a  tow  cheese  about  the  latter  part  of 
Beptember.  Mr.  Moon,  I  ixndei-stand,  is  ixiler- 
csted  to  tho  extent  of  75c.  per  hundred  on  all  the 
cliocsc  he  can  divert  to  Pliiladelphia.  I  Ini-got  to 
ask  Mr.  Pope  if  Mr.  Blanding's  charge  of  75c. 
would  be  added,  making  it  cost  about  twenty  per 
cent  to  handle  a  ]  latriotic  cheese. 
A  very  iiitoresting  query  has  been  suggested  by 
a  friend  hero,  which  the  coimnittee  might  care  to 
answer  iu  an  individual  capacity.  It  is,  how  aud 
from  whence  ax-e  tho  members  of  various  com- 
luitteoo  to  1)0  ixaid  xiecessary  traveling  expenses. 
The  AudiDxig  Committee  can  take  care  of  them¬ 
selves,  of  course,  ixx  jhis  particular,  as  Mr.  Lewis 
woxxld  say  to  those  who  have  mxxch  shall  he  given, 
but  would  not  tho  i-estauiaiit  fuixd  bo  well  ap¬ 
plied  in  this  direction  ?  YouNO  Bitbax.. 
f’KNTKNNIAI,  FlEI.l)  EXHIBXTION,  ) 
.ScuKNCK’s  Station,  Pa„  July  zo,  187C.) 
Mxi.  John  Coleman  arrived  this  morning  at 
eight  o’clock  and  went  to  xvork  iu  earnest.  The 
fix'st  machine  set  was  tho  Doylestown  Jr.  and 
what  -with  slipping  of  belts  and  sevxfrrti  other 
disabilities,  it  made  but  a  sm-ry  sliow.  It  was  a 
small  Tliresher  and  ribratod  much  wiUi  the 
steam  pow’er.  Complaint  was  niadt;  of  the  ])ower 
and  a  general  invosDgatiou  followed  whicli  re¬ 
sulted  not  only  in  the  total  rojeetiou  of  tho 
Dyxiamometer  but  Die  whole  roiviid  and  tests  of 
Direshers  then-tofoie  made.  To  begin  anew  on 
such  a  day  was  not  an  entirely  delicious  pros- 
piHjt ;  but  oixr  BrittaxUo  friend  camo  here  to  test 
these  luaciiines  and  intended  evidently  to  do  so, 
a  plan  was  then  arranged  for  the  stc axil  machiiios 
to  be  tod  2,000  lbs.  and  thread  macliines  1,()(M> 
lbs,  each,  time  and  w  oiglit  of  gi-aiu  and  waste  to 
be  taken  and  general  results  to  be  noted.  There¬ 
upon  another  start  was  made  and  continued 
with  aix  euergy  woi  thy  of  a  poorer  cause.  Then 
it  was  that  Buss  Ck-ddes  di-snlayetl  his  •Jxocutive 
ability.  For  an  hour  or  so  lie  was  as  ubiquitous 
on  that  field  us  a  borrowed  horse  and  buggy 
could  make  lixni.  The  Wheeler  aud  Mellick  was 
reaxly  aixd  tested  iu  a  short  time  and  was  follow¬ 
ed  iu  quick  succession  by  others  with  x-esults 
shown  iu  the  following  tatile  : 
iCii-S  (7  p  tSBfS  ^  1 
I  1 
5  ®  o  t5  S. 
O  J?  J3  r  •  I 
g::  ^ 
f  c  |?-s  I  5 
I  S  “S:  &  I 
g:  5-  a.  fr  :  .=!  I 
I-  .  P  R  c  :  .  :  o  I 
K<jr.tc  c 
RUtOt  K 
I  o  o  o  o 
^ 
»  CB  CA  tA 
■  <&  O  ®  fl 
I  I  I  I 
3®3  2 
p  S  S 
'P-3 ^  B 
9  Frs*  t* 
O  OP  P  c 
“Y  n 
U)  w  3  ti 
<S>  C  CP  (P 
I  I  I  I  1 
1»— la  >-1——  M 
;S5S  8  s  8 
'Weight  of 
!  Untbresbed 
1  Grain,  lbs. 
Isggg  s  s;  g 
ITiiue.  minutes 
1  and  seconds. 
SSS  g  5  a 
O  CC 
X  K  .X  a; 
IWetedt  of 
Grain,  its. 
Eo  8-^3 
Weight  of 
Waste,  its. 
11 
Horse-power, 
I  degreoB. 
Speed;  No,  rev¬ 
olutions  ot 
drum. 
'Those  which  liad  been  tested  the  day  before 
had  to  be  again  brought  forward  and  no  one  of 
their  owners  seemed  at  all  displeased  with  the 
arrangement,  as  everybody  seemed  to  have  the 
iropreasion  that  the  wst  trial  was  hardly  trust¬ 
worthy. 
The  table  given  above  shows  the  order  in 
which  threshers  were  tried,  hut  as  the  grain  did 
not  run  uniform,  it  is  scarcely  to  be  relied  on  as 
an  exact  tost.  Here  again  the  acDou  of  that 
sapient  body  the  Centennial  Commission  was 
shown  in  all  its  fair  ( ! )  proportions.  The  test 
not  being  made  obligatory  on  all  to  compete, 
but  a  Kinnll  section  of  representative  makex-s 
were  present,  wliicb  bad  tho  elTect  of  detracting 
from  the  imjwrtanee  of  tlie  trial. 
In  the  meantime  the  sun  grew  not  warmer  but 
hotter  and  hotter.  About  midday  the  engineer 
of  one  of  tho  Aveling  A  Porter  Locomotives,  was 
Bran  struck  and  carried  off  tho  field.  This  inci¬ 
dent  set  many  people  to  thinking  and  those  who 
coasidcrod  themsevles  in  danger  of  a  similar  con¬ 
tingency  sought  tho  shade  of  |a  neighboring  or¬ 
chard  or  left  entii-ely.  Not  so  our  indefatigable 
juror  from  Yorkshire  howovex',  for  ho  kept  right 
on  with  his  tevte  till  six  o'clock,  when  the  last 
threslier  had  been  tried. 
Tlie  evening  previous,  one  of  Bakei-’s  Rotary 
Compressors  and  Blowers  bad  been  sent  down  for 
the  purpose  of  testing  tlie  ixiwers  of  the  various 
portable  steam  engines.  It  weighed  neju  ly  4,000 
lbs,  and  it  became  a  problem  witb  Boss  Oeddos 
how  to  get  it  placed  in  posilioix  in  tlie  field.  Hap¬ 
pening  to  think  of  the  Farm  Locomotive,  lie  sug¬ 
gested  to  Mr.  Oastler  Die  idea  of  using  it  for 
tliat  purpose.  Hardly  arxiner  said  than  done — a 
erane,  wliieli  eauie  witli  Die  Lecotuotive,  was 
allixed  to  tlie  fox  ward  end  and  Die  steamer  run 
out  to  the  car  on  the  siding.  Chains  being  lot 
down  and  fastened  uxider  the  Blower,  the  tlnot- 
tle  was  opened  a  little  and  up  came  the  Blower, 
swinging  iu  the  air.  By  one  move  of  the  hand- 
tlie  steam  was  connected  with  the  drivers  and  off 
went  Locomotive,  Blower  and  all,  as  if  a  tiling  of 
life.  Halting  at  the  place  designated,  tlie  Blower 
was  dropped  at  the  exact  spot  desired,  and  the 
weight  of  this  part  of  tho  prograinnie  w  as  off  the 
car  and  off  the  mind  of  tho  theretofore  iicrplexed 
superintendent  at  one  and  tho  same  time. 
SUOKTUORN. 
^arm  (gfoitoin^i. 
PURSLANE. 
It  might  be  supixo.sed  that  tliex-e  are  few 
farmers  who  ax-e  not  pi-etty  well  acquainted  w  ith 
all  that  pertains  to  PurslauG,  the  commonest  and 
most  persistent  of  weeds. 
Dming  a  recent  visit  to  a  wealthy  fanner  ou 
the  south  side  of  Long  l.slatid,  w-e  asked  him  aud 
four  otliers  of  liis  houseliold  and  hi  his  employ, 
separately,  what  the  Mower  of  Poi-alaiie  was 
like  ?  The  first  replied  tliat  ho  did  not  know  it 
ever  bore  a  llower  ;  tlio  otliers  replied  that  they 
had  never  seen  it.  If,  therefore,  we  are  to 
judge  farmers  as  a  class  by  these  Long  Island 
specimens,  the  above  supposition  would  jirove  a 
mistake.  It  is,  liow-over,  Die  exception  not  the 
ndo  fox-  any  of  us  closely  to  observe  weeds— es¬ 
pecially  low  trailhig  ones — that  exist  iti  gieat 
aljuudauco.  I'lio  flowers,  too,  are  small,  of  a 
greenish-yellow  color  that,  oiieniug  not  until 
the  sun  is  w'ell  up,  close  before  noou. 
Ptu-slaiie  loves  heat.  The  roots  being  auuual, 
the  plant  does  not  appear  until  the  first  of  .June 
— earlier  or  later  as  tho  aeason  is  eax-ly  or  back- 
wiu-d.  It  gx-ovvs  slowly  at  first,  verj'  rapidly 
about  and  after  the  latter  jiart  of  June  at  which 
time  it  begins  to  bloom.  Each  plant  bears  daily 
let  us  say  twenty  flowers,  and  each  flower  raatm-es 
from  100  to  160  seeds,  by  actual  count,  as  black 
as  poxvder  and  as  fine  as  white  sand,  in  a  capsule 
called  botaiiically  a  pyxis.  In  two  or  tliree  days 
this  pyxis,  which  is  conically  round  and  a  qnarter- 
of-au-inch  in  depth,  splits  iu  tw'O  and  the  seeds 
are  scattered  far  and  w-ide.  All  w^ho  have  hoed 
or  hand-pulled  this  weed  must  have  noticed  tliat 
when  destx'oyed  before  the  first  of  July,  it  is 
slow  to  reappear.  When  hoed  after  the  first  of 
July,  millions  of  litUe  plauts  (^soediings)  appear 
ixx  a  few  days  after.  The  practice  is  to  hoe  or 
pull  Purslane  oxily  when  it  has  so  spread  over 
the  ground  as  to  interfere  xvith  useful  plants. 
It  is  then  left  in  heaixs  to  wither  iu  the  sun,  or, 
as  often  occurs,  to  root  again ;  or  it  is  thrown 
upon  tho  manure  heap  there  to  shed  its  millions 
of  seeds,  or  else,  finally,  it  is  fed  to  the  pigs 
thence  to  reappear  in  tho  soil  fertilized  by  this 
manure.  Instead  of  this,  if  fai-mers  or  gardoiiors 
would  make  thorough  work  of  pulling  uji  Piu-s- 
lane  just  before  the  fiowex-ing  period— except 
for  Die  seeds  that  blow  from  ueigliboi-irig 
premises,  anotlier  weeding  would  prove  niuxeces- 
sax-y  during  the  season ;  xuid  two  seasons  would 
suffice  for  its  entire  ei-adication. 
If  each  Purslane  jilaut  will  average  twenty 
flowex-8  daily  and  each  flower  will  bear  at  lea.st 
100  seeds,  it  is  easy  to  see  Dxat  our  cultivated 
lauds  will  be  filled  witb  young  Pm-slaues  at  this 
season  of  the  year  just  in  the  projiortion  that 
the  first  plants  were  ijermitted  to  bloom  and  go 
to  seed.  ... 
Porlulaca  grandijUyra  and  its  vanetiea  are  llxe 
hxigbt,  beautiful  flowers  of  the  gax-deu.  /'ox'tu- 
laca  olet'acea  is  the  Purslane  weed.  The  seed 
capsules  lu-e  essentially  i^e  and  those  ol  the 
formex-  may  bo  examined  instead  of  the  latter  xf 
more  convenient  to  do  so. 
