27S 
the  ^URAL  JJEW-YOBKER 
©ST.  2S 
®fjc  ^)fi‘i)sm;ui. 
IN  PRAISE  OF  HEREFORD3.  t 
I  AM  in  receipt  of  tlio  Rubat.  of  Oct.  7,  in  j 
which  there  iH  a  report  on  the  Inve  Htock  Exlii-  < 
hition  at  the  Centennial,  which  on  the  whole  ia  a  i 
very  fair  one.  i 
There  ia  one  point  however,  that  doefl  the  ' 
Ilerefoida  injuatice  aa  a  breed.  Yonr  ro-  i 
porter  eaya:  Horeforda  and  I)evous 
fatten  well ;  hut  neither  of  them  p»it  np  in  pro¬ 
portion  the  same  amount  of  high-priced  hoof  aa 
can  on  ciptHl  quantity  of  fodder  be  jicctiinulated 
by  the  Short-lTora  family." 
Now  aa  regarda  the  Heroforda  and  Rhort-llorna 
the  revorae  of  thin  is  true.  The  Hereford  for  a 
given  amount  of  feed  will  make  larger  roturna 
than  the  Khortrllorn.  And  for  a  given  grass 
weight  will  give  a  larger  per  cent,  of  high-priced 
beef,  and  tlic  high-piiccd  beef  of  a  richer,  ri])er 
and  better  ijnality  than  the  same  cuts  from  a 
Bhort-IIorn  steer. 
Mi%  W.  I'roljert  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  who  has 
been  a  bntehw  and  market  inaJi  for  25  years,  was 
at  my  id  ace  two  months  since,  and  said  ho  coidd 
afford  to  pay  one  to  one  and  ono-half  cents  more 
per  pound  live  weight  for  a  Hereford  than  ho 
eonld  for  aHhort-Horn  stfiCr,  and  make  more  on 
the  Horefurd  than  on  the  Bhort-Horn.  This  yon 
will  lind  verified  hy  the  experience  of  any 
butcher  and  market  man  that  has  cut  Hereford 
Kh'crs. 
The  records  of  the  Bniillifiold  club,  London, 
Eng.,  show  Uio  Hereford*  a  long  way  on  tlio  lead 
of  the  Hhort-Horna  as  a  bei^f  sU;or,  and  tlie  Lon¬ 
don  maa'kot  will  show  the  Hcrofoids  at  the  same 
advantage  as  ilr.  I’rolict  t  would  give  them. 
I  am  aware  that  the  opinion  prevails  in  thus 
country  that  the  Bhort- Horns  arc  juxr  cx.celUiv'e, 
Hio  hoof  steer,  but  tlic  record  don't  siistaiJi  tlmm 
whereon  they  have  corno  in  competition  witli  the 
Herefords. 
I  might  say  mueli  more  for  the  Horofortls  did 
I  feel  at  liberty  to  trespass.  In  tlio  very  llaltor- 
iug  notice  you  give  of  my  herd,  you  say,  of  tliis 
herd  “  fi’roce  and  A'af/e  vw/t  Imd  in  this  (min- 
try:'  Of  the  13  herd  shown,  10  were  of  my  own 
breeding.  J.  H-  JIiulku. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
EPIZOOTIC. 
Tins  word  is  in  common  use  and  applied  gen¬ 
erally  to  a  jiarticular  disease  whieli  bus  been  occa¬ 
sionally  jn’evalent  in  various  jiarts  of  the  country . 
blit  tho  Bcientilie  I’amier  truthfully  sfiys  that 
thoro  seems  to  be  lunongst  tho  community  an 
odd  but  wide-spread  misuiiprohension  regarding 
Iho  signilicaneo  of  lids  M'ord,  ‘•epizootic,"  so 
that  it  is  now  ootnmonly  considered  to  describe 
and  dclino  a  certain  disease  amongst  horses, 
whilst  its  real  siguilioance  is  oTitii'cly  lost  sight 
of ;  hardly  a  weitk  passes  that  wo  arc  not  asked 
to  look  at  a  horse  which  Uie  owner  thinks  must 
liavo  tho  “epizootic."  It  really  denotes  the 
prevaicDCO  of  any  one  diseaso  amongst  animals, 
corrosponding  to  an  opidomio  amongst  jie'jple : 
thus  thoro  may  be  an  epizootic  of  plcnro-pnenmo- 
uia  amongst  cows,  of  cholera  amongst  hogs,  of 
abortion  amongst  ewos,  or  of  inllneiiza  amongst 
horses,  just  as  tliero  may  he  ar  eiiidoniicof  small 
pox,  measles  or  scarlet  fever  amongst  Iminans. 
The  diseaso  with  wliioJi  our  horses  have  so  gen¬ 
erally  been  affected  at  two  different  periods  with¬ 
in  the  past  four  years  is,  then,  iiilluenza  or 
catoi-rhal  fever  and  not  “epizoot."  As  we 
are  again  approaching  Uio  fall  of  tho  year  at 
which  time  tins  disease  lias  heretofore  made  its 
general  and  romarkahlo  appoarauces,  a  little 
about  tho  histories  of  similar  outbreaks  in  this 
and  others  counti-ies  and  tlio  general  causes  of 
iullueuza  may  not  ho  iminterosliug  or  inoppor¬ 
tune.  It  has  a  very  early  historj’.  In  12SI9  it 
apiJoarodin  Bovillc,  where  “itkiUod  more  than 
oue  thousand  horses,  and  seemed  to  lie  incur- 
ablo."  In  1018  it  broke  out  amongst  tho  horses 
of  the  French  army  in  Germany.  In  1538  it  was 
proval out  over  tho  whole  of  Europe,  aff  ecUng 
both  men  and  horses;  in  ICH'J  Europe  and 
Amorioii  suffered  from  tlio  disease,  and  again  in 
1732;  in  1707  it  oiico  more  appeared  in  both 
hemispheros,  when  it  is  recorded  that  both 
horses  and  dogs  suffered  from  it.  **Ih  1<76, 
after  a  vei’y  severe  winter  and  warm  summer, 
influenza  spread  over  Europe,  attacking  horses 
and  dogs  first  and  human  beings  after.  Poulti'y 
died  m  great  numbers ;  it  was  vei-y  severe  iu  New 
York  ami  caused  gre.at  mortality  amongst  tho 
horsoH  of  Maryland."  During  the  present  cen¬ 
tury  it  has  raged  witli  varying  degrees  of  vm- 
ulcnoo ;  in  1840-60  and  ISOff-  l  and  1371-2  in  Lou¬ 
don,  and  in  1872  3  in  this  country,  when  it  broke 
ont  in  Toronto,  Canada,  on  Oct.  1,  1372.  In  9 
days  it  had  attacked  nearly  all  tho  horses  in  the 
city.  On  October  18th  it  reaolied  Montreal ;  on 
the  Util,  Hnffalo;  17tli,  Ilocliester ;  22d,  Dostou, 
New  York,  Brooklyn  and  Joi-sey  City;  27th, 
rhiladolphia ;  28th,  Washington ;  and  again  in 
October,  1375,  there  was  an  outbreak  which, 
f,  however,  was  much  less  intense  and  wide-spread 
than  tho  one  of  '72  just  refen-ed  to.  It  is  sin¬ 
gularly  prevalent  in  some  seasons,  and  although 
it  will  exliihit  general  characteristics  in  common, 
yet  tho  epizootic  of  one  year  will  be  marked  by 
Hoino  paiiicnlar  symptom  or  B.vmptomB  which 
will  1x1  entirely  wanting  l7i  the  outbreak  of  tlie 
following  year.  Horses  of  hmgo  cities  and 
crowded  towns  are  more  obnoxious  to  it  than 
those  of  the  country ;  and  in  the  country  those 
are  most  liable  to  it  that  are  the  most  confined. 
Tho  attack  is  atteudod  with  great  and  early  loss 
of  strength  and  with  early  inflamation  of  tho 
memhrano  lining  tho  nose  and  throat,  and  the 
digestive  organs  arc  iiTitahle. 
^arm  (Ecoiiomj). 
FEEDING,  CLEANING  AND  RESTING  LAND. 
Amono  the  items  in  another  jiapor,  it  was 
stated  that  Englisli  Lmners  wore  as  careful  of 
their  land  as  any  of  the  great  breeders  were  of 
fancy  stock,  or  rather  more  so,  for  they  feed  be¬ 
fore  Uie  soil  is  hungry,  clean  before  it  is  font 
and  rest  it  before  it  is  tired.  Tims  the  land 
must  be  iu  such  high  condition  as  to  always 
grow  good  crops,  which  will  account  for  Uniants 
being  able  to  pay  the  high  rents,  and  munerous 
and  hoaxTr  taxes  without  thinking  it  worth  while 
to  labor  on  tho  farm  themselves.  In  the  United 
Btates  it  is  considered  necessary  for  a  man  who 
owns  the  farm  to  work  as  hartl,  or  rather  harder 
than  his  mcJi,  while  in  England  tho  tenant 
of  any  res|iectablo  farm  would  bo  dccuud  a 
mean  and  covetous  fellow  to  thus  take  the  place 
of  a  laborer  and  doj>rivo  a  poor  man  of  work, 
and  tlie  farm  labm-ers  despise  a  man  of  sucli  a 
wcalc  mind  as  to  bo  nnaV)lo  to  superintend  and 
make  ample  returns  without  liaving  to  drudge 
aud  toil,  to  save  Die  trilliiig  wages  of  one  man. 
Pshaw!  What  is  the  paying  of  two  or  t.hie.e 
good  men  compared  to  what  tho  mind  can 
accomplish,  when  it  is  turned  t«  feeding,  clean¬ 
ing  luid  re, sling  tho  laud,  the  last  of  which  is 
done  when  it  is  growing  grass.  .lust  as  much  is 
tho  soil  rested,  refreshed  and  put  in  a  healthy 
state  by  lying  in  grass,  as  the  poor  worn-down 
horse  is  wlfich  may  lie  upon  it. 
There  are  poor  farms  in  evmy  connti-y,  hut 
by  having  them  occupied  hy  men  who  have 
sense  enough  to  uudorstaiul  tho  dilTeronco 
between  plowing,  cullivating  and  harvesUng 
for  *20  bushels  an  aero  and  doing  the  same  for  40 
bushels,  and  who  can  appreciate  the  advantages 
of  grass  which  will  fecsl  double  the  stock,  lliey 
will  soon  lMH'.ome  productive  and  highly  remuner¬ 
ating,  and  they  will  support  not  only  the  fiu  intr 
uikI  his  family  in  afiluonce,  but  do  good  by  add¬ 
ing  to  tlie  general  wealth  of  the  counti’y,  bee 
what  this  race  of  dnidging  and  toiling  farinej  s 
have  brought  this  eountry  to  ;  tho  Now  England 
Btates  lire  falling  away  in  yield  of  crops,  in 
numhers  of  auimals  and  population  in  tho  agri- 
cultm-al  districts.  Those  drii  lng  hard-wmlters 
liave  not  time  to  look  after  shoep  and  keep  the 
dogs  from  them,  or  keep  the  fences  good 
enough  to  prevent  rambling  ;  consequontly  tho 
nation  at  largo  lias  to  send  gold  to  Imy  wiml  .-md 
cloth  from  other  places,  aud  not  only  is  tliis  a 
constant  drain  on  the  sjjecio  of  the  United 
Btates,  but  the  wliolo  of  many  districts  arc 
becoming  less  and  less  fruitful,  whereas,  if 
shoe])  abounded  as  they  do  in  England  tho  soil 
would  ho  enriched  so  as  to  grow  three  or  four¬ 
fold  tho  ]>r«dnce  it  does  now. 
Tlie  advent  of  modern  sheep  husbandry  was 
the  salvation  of  British  agricultiuo,  for  tlio  con¬ 
sumption  of  turnips  and  swedes,  hy  iolding 
sheep  over  the  land,  exactly  exemplifies  what 
is  stated  of  feeding  the  laud  before  It  is  Imngry, 
as  the  fields  are  heavily  maumod  with  all  the 
dung  in  the  ;;ravds  and  often  with  bone-dust  or 
other  artificial  application  as  well,  which  forces 
an  itmnonse  bulk  of  roots  aud  with  tliis  tho 
sheep  are  given  hay  aud  often  oil-cake,  or  grain 
iu  addition  to  tlio  hay,  thus  causing  their  di-oi> 
piugs  f.o  bo  oxtraordiuarily  rich,  ivliieh  is  feeding 
ihe  land  before  it  is  limigryi  then  wiUi  tlie 
barley  which  usually  follows  turnips,  grass-seed 
is  sown  which  may  bo  said  to  be  resting  tho 
land  before  it  is  woai'y ;  and  to  iliustrato  tho 
weeding  liefore  it  is  foul,  it  is  tlio  geueial 
custom  to  hoe  between  the  drilled  wheat  sno- 
ceediug  the  clover  or  I've  grass,  Ac.,  which 
being  done  vciy  early  in  spring,  prior  to  the 
aiipearance  of  any  weeds,  can  justly  be  said  to 
bo  weeding  tlie  land  before  it  is  foul. 
A  rojinsylvauia  farmer,  two  or  three  years 
ago,  grew  an  excellent  ci-op  of  corn  so  heavy  as 
to  excite  tho  unbelief  of  many,  and  a  society 
sent  a  deputatiou  to  sU'ictly  investigate  the 
facts  which  proved  hy  measurement  to  be  as 
stated.  Thou  it  will  be  remembered  there 
were  unmherless  inquiries  respecting  Hie  pre  vious 
treatment  of  this  land  when,  to  the  disgust  of 
all  anti-sheep  farraci-s,  the  proprietor  stated  it 
was  all  owing  to  his  lloclt  of  800  sheep  w  hieh  liad 
grazed  it  for  some  time  preceding  the  crop. 
Now,  in  England,  this  crop  would  probably  be 
all  eaten  by  auimals  on  the  farm,  and  every 
other  prodigious  crop  would  have  its  equivalent 
returned  in  manure,  thus  continuing  this  won¬ 
derfully  remunerating  system  and  making  all 
such  fanners  independent  of  tho  self-denials  and 
hard  labor  deemed  imperatively  nocessaiy  in 
tho  United  States. 
Although  close  application,  and  a  deal  of 
industry  in  studying  cause  and  effect,  in  looking 
forward  so  as  to  have  tho  boU  all  tho  time  in  tho 
richest  condition  is  essential,  yet.  every  manager 
of  a  good-sizcsl  fiinii  should  go  around  and  find 
out  for  himself  the  prices  of  agricultural  pro¬ 
ductions,  whereby  he  can  regnlate  siipplios 
according  to  particular,  local  demands.  I'or 
instance,  when  at  a  distance  from  markets,  the 
cost  of  freight  must  bo  reokoned  on  all  varieties 
of  produce,  for  none  but  the  greatest  idiots 
would  send  c^irii  or  grain  wlieii,  by  turning  it  in¬ 
to  meat,  butter,  or  wool  60  per  cent,  could  Is) 
saved.  Then  when  close  a  good  market  and 
where  manure  is  cheap  there  are  crops  wliich 
would  pay  to  send  in  ratlier  than  eat  them  at 
homo.  Hard  working,  (hedging  farmers  are 
often  mercilessly  cheated  by  tlie  niiddlo-men 
who  are  between  the  producer  and  consumer. 
A  WoKKiNd  Farmeb. 
RENOVATING  OLD  PASTURES. 
Wii.T,  you  give  us  your  opinion  in  regard  to  tho 
practicability  of  liarrowing  pastures  and  sowing 
grass  seed  iijioii  tlio  sward,  afterwards  adding  a 
niodc’rato  dressing  of  barn-yard  nianiiro.  If 
tliis  would  bo  gofxl  Inisbandry.  at  what  time 
should  it  ho  dime.— A  Bitbsciuheii,  t^lsuben  Co., 
N.  1'. 
WiiETiiKii  such  a  system  of  renovation  as  yon 
propose  would  ho  better  or  move  economical 
tliuii  plowing  up  and  reseeding  deixnds  very 
much  iiiion  circumstances.  If  tho  land  can  he 
readily  plowed  and  tho  owmer  can  sjjaro  the 
pasture  for  a  year  or  two,  then  we  should  say 
occupy  it  with  some  other  kind  of  a  crop,  and 
then  seed  down  iu  tho  usual  way.  But  it  is  fre¬ 
quently  the  case  that  a  farmer  cannot  conveni¬ 
ently  spare  his  jiasture  for  even  one  season,  or 
tho  land  miiy  ho  cif  that  kind  which  it  is  difficult 
to  break  iqi  on  account  of  stone,  or  a  skle-hill 
where  the  ow'uer  runs  some  risk  in  distiubing 
the  Bwnril  for  fear  of  the  soil  being  washed 
away,  and  in  all  such  eases  the  plan  you  propose 
is  the  best  one. 
^Yo  will  give  you  our  own  exiierionce  in  reseed¬ 
ing,  without  I'lowiiig.  as  a  practical  demonstra¬ 
tion  of  results  which  may  he  obtained  under  like 
cU'cuiustaiices.  Having  a  side-hill  of  rather 
light  sandy  loam  w  hich,  when  under  cultivation, 
washes  hallly,  wo  eoucludcil  that  tho  only  thing 
to  he  done  with  it  was  to  seed  down  to  grass. 
Tho  first  attempt  was  made  a  little  over  a  year 
since,  the  grass-seed  being  sown  alone,  as  is  oiir 
general  jiractico.  hut  a  very  heavy  rain  following, 
largo  jiatches  of  tho  soil  and  seed  were  washed 
away,  in  fact  hut  little  of  the  seed  was  left  to 
grow  tiiiyivliere  iipcn  the  hill-side,  the  greater 
part  being  carried  down  to  tho  lower  grounds. 
But  liaving  made  up  our  mind  not  to  plow  that 
field  again,  it  was  left  to  take  the  chances  of  re¬ 
seeding  without  it. 
This  fall  so  soon  as  the  first  September  rains 
came  on,  we  put  on  a  sharj)  steel-toothed  han  ow 
which  cut  throngli  Hie  light  sward  and  broke  up 
tho  surface  of  tho  li.arrcn  spots;  timothy  seed  at 
tlie  rate  of  a  peck  iier  aero  being  sown  over  tho 
harrow  l>y  a  hiuid  following  for  the  jiiirposo.  A 
few  days  later  wo  gave  tho  land  a  liberal  dressing 
of  ashes  from  burnt  jieat,  brusli  and  other  rub¬ 
bish  gathered  ill  clearing  a  piece  of  low-land. 
Tho  result  of  this  experiment  is  a  fine  thick-set 
grow'tli  of  young  grass  over  the  entire  side-hill 
and  upon  tho  level  land  so  far  as  tho  harrow  and 
Bced  sowing  extended. 
J.,alor  in  tlie  season,  or  when  the  gi-ound 
freezes,  wo  shall  toi>dres8  with  baini-yard 
manure,  and  from  present  appearances  the  ex¬ 
periment  is  likely  to  jirovo  a  perfect  success.  It 
is  pcrhaiis  rather  late  to  sow  grass  seed  with  tlie 
e.\pectation  of  its  making  much  growth  this  fall, 
but  if  put  ill,  and  the  land  toii-drosscd  with 
niaiiiu-o,  it  will  come  forward  early  and  vigor¬ 
ously  iu  tho  spring.  Good  hushaudi-y  is  that 
which  gives  good  results,  the  manner  of  per¬ 
forming  any  operation,  being  of  far  loss  import- 
A  FARM  FENCE. 
A  coRKESPOXDEST  of  the  Detroit  Tribune 
gives  tho  following  information  iu  regard  to  a 
cheap  farm  feiico.  Ho  writes “  I  have  to-d.ay 
completed  IffO  rods  of  post  and  board  fence, 
which  I  am  so  well  satisfied  witli  that  I  venture 
to  tell  your  readers  how  1  proceeded.  It  is 
rather  an  experiment  with  mo  hut  so  far  I  am  of 
the  opinion  that  1  shall  erect  all  my  feiicos  on 
the  same  plan  hereafter. 
I  should  iioliliavo  built  this  fence  now  if  I  had 
not  been  obliged  to  wait  for  the  corn  to  harden 
suIlicicTitly  to  enable  me  to  crib  it  safely,  and 
while  waiting  ooucludcd  to  put  up  this  stiip  of 
fence,  which  was  put  down  for  next  spring. 
The  late  rains  favored  sotting  the  posts  by 
making  the  ground  moist.  I  had  secured  split 
oak  posts  at  a  cost  of  ten  cents,  delivered. 
Tlicse  were  sharpened,  and  I  calculate  tliat  tho 
chips  and  hewings  pay  for  this  work.  After  the 
posts  were  sharpened  aud  placed  on  tlie  line  of 
the  proposed  fence,  stakes  were  set  firmly  on 
tlie  lino,  fifty  feet  apart,  and  two  lines  drawn, 
one  at  the  bottom  and  tho  other  at  the  top  of 
the  posts.  With  a  nine-feet  measure  we  pro¬ 
ceeded  to  lay  off  tho  places  for  tho  posts,  stick¬ 
ing  down  pegs  a  fool  long.  With  a  sharp  spado 
a  hand  followed  and  took  off  the  soil,  and  also 
removed  fbe  earth  one  spade  deep.  I  followed 
with  an  iron  bar,  round  and  sliarp  at  the  lower 
end,  hut  enlarged  upwai'd  until,  fifteen  inches 
from  the  point,  it  is  four  inelies  in  diameter. 
With  this  instriiiiient  a  man  may  make  tho 
holes  very  rapidly.  After  making  the  holes  for 
five  or  six  rods  wo  set  tlic  posts.  A  strong 
I  bt'tuli  was  made  alioiit  the  liiglit  of  a  common 
tatile,  having  a  cleat  nailed  to  Hio  legs  on  each 
side  for  a  step.  Armed  witli  a  beetle  one  man 
mounted  tliis  Viench  while  the  other  hold  tlio 
post,  and  it  was  sent  to  its  alildiiig  place  quicker 
than  1  can  describe  tlie  operation.  The  driver 
dropjiod  liis  heetlo  on  to  Hie  heiich,  stepiied  to 
tho  ground,  and  in  a  twinkling  ho  was  ready  at 
tho  next  place.  The  posts  are  set  in  tliis  way 
very  rapidly  and  very  firmly  in  tlie  ground. 
AftW  driving  them  tlie  earth  ia  ropliK'cd,  or  tlio 
space  dug  out  willi  a  sjiade  and  filled  in  with 
small  stoiios,  whicli  is  a  better  plan,  and  trampled 
firm.  We  Hion  prowicd  to  nail  on  tlio  lio.ard.s 
which  are  eighteen  feet  long.  Tho  fir.st  lioanl  is 
nailed  on  a  foot  from  tho  ground,  the  second 
six  inches  above,  tlie  tliird  ten  inches  above 
that,  and  tlio  fourth  twelve  inches  iiliove  tlio 
thii-d.  Tiiis  makes  a  fence  four  foot  four  iiiehos 
high.  AfUii-  tho  boards  were  all  on.  the  posls 
were  sawed  off  at  tlio  toji  of  tlie  last  board,  and 
two  furrows  on  each  side  tiirueJ  to  the  fence, 
wliich  doses  up  ttio  space  below  tho  bottom 
hoard.  I  cannot  give  you  Hie  exact  cost  of  this 
fence,  for  it  was  put  up  at  odd  sjidls  ami  by 
jiai'ts  of  days  in  tlic  way  a  good  deal  of  tho 
work  on  a  fa  nil  is  done ;  Init  1  ouiisider  it  a 
cheap  fence  aud  a  good  oue.  1  prefer  it  to 
hedges.” 
WHAT  CONSTITUTES  A  BARREL  OF  PO¬ 
TATOES. 
The  .American  Grocer,  in  answer  to  a  corre¬ 
spondent  who  asks  the  above  ijncstion,  gives  (lie 
following  rt'iily,  wliieli  is  enough  toniuke  every 
holiest  man  hliish  to  own  tliat  it  is  "  too  true 
In  this  market  there  is  no  legal  standard, 
either  of  weight  or  iiieasiiio,  for  potatoes  or 
other  pi  oduco.  In  BalUmoie,  Boston  and  1‘hila- 
dolphia.  H  isli  potatoes  are  sold  by  the  l-usliel  of 
(30  pounds.  Tliis  is  the  only  true  and  iioiiest 
wav,  and  so  great  has  become  tlio  abuse  in  this 
jii.-iVket  that  many  of  the  best  prc4nco  men  bero 
have  voluntarily  adopted  this  w.ay  of  selling,  but 
are  obliged  (o  buy  from  the  giower  hy  tho  bar¬ 
rel.  Borne  years  ago  a  mimlxT  of  produce 
dealers  here,  with  others  in  Boston,  ITiiladel- 
piiia  aud  Ballimoro,  joinwl  together,  had  a  hill 
drawn  up,  niaklng  the  slunduvd  Iloiu’  barrel, 
whieli  holds  200  pounds  of  Hour,  and  1 12  quarts 
dry  nicafurc  Hie  legal  harrcl.  After  two  years’ 
urging  the  matter  at  Albany  and  tiie  expenditure 
of  over  iJl.OOO  the  hill  was  passed,  hut  vetoed  by 
the  Governor,  it  is  said,  Hirough  tho  interfereuco 
of  tlio  big  barrel  manufaeturers  in  the  upper 
part  of  this  Hlate.  Bairels  now  are  of  all  sizes 
and  shapes  and  capacity,  and  any  one  can  have 
them  made  to  suit  any  purpose.  Tlio  movement 
is  to  bo  started  again  during  the  next  session  of 
tho  Legislature,  witli  every  prospect  of  success. 
In  Canada  only  the  standard  Hour  barrel  is  used. 
Di  Baltimore  they  have  a  stamlard  barrel  for 
potatoe.s,  by  which  they  are  sold.  Here,  iu 
Washington  market,  full  weight  and  measure 
are  euforcwl,  aud  if  any  one  buys  a  bushel,  he 
gets  just  what  he  pays  for,  and  if  not,  a  com¬ 
plaint  is  likely  to  lose  tho  stall-lieeper  hia  place. 
On  Uio  eastern  shore  of  Virginia  sweet  potatoes 
nro  sold  by  tlie  barrel  of  15U  pounds,  aud  on  tlio 
western  shore,  G2  pounds  to  the  bushel. 
- - - - 
TO  KEEP  SWEET  POTATOES. 
I  HAVE  found  tho  following  plan  to  ho  success¬ 
ful  iu  Nebraska,  says  a  cun-ospondent  of  the 
ITairie  Fanner.  First  dig  your  ixitatoes,  aud 
let  them  lie  in  the  snu  until  they  are  dry. 
Second,  have  ready  a  pit  sufficiently  luigo  to  hold 
what  iiotatoes  you  wish  to  keep  over.  Put  in 
the  bottom  of  tho  pit  six  indies  of  sHaw,  and 
then  put  in  your  potatoes  tho  same  as  you 
would  pit  Irish  potatoes,  and  cover  them  lightly 
with  straw,  aud  let  them  stay  three  or  four  days, 
luitil  they  go  thruugli  tho  “  sweat ;"  then  put  on 
more  straw  aud  a  light  covering  of  dirt.  As 
tho  weather  gets  colder,  put  on  more  cover- 
enough  to  keep  them  warm.  I  have  kept  my 
Iiotatoes  in  Uiat  way  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
never  failed.  The  potatoes  should  not  be 
allowed  to  toucli  tho  eartli.  Keep  straw  aud 
chaff  tucked  around  the  sides  of  the  pit. 
