0 
3©3 
Ti^E  RyBAL  HEW-YORKER 
oayed  that  tho  bark  was  dead  and  would  peel  off, 
he  has  restored  it  fully.  He  applies  it  to  all 
branches  that  show  signs  of  decay.  Since 
practicing  this  cheap  remedy,  he  has  not  been 
troubled  with  insects.  By  applying  tar  to  the 
trunk,  and  clearing  away  tho  surface  at  the 
roots,  so  as  to  let  it  run  down  on  them,  peach 
trees  badly  damaged  by  borers  are  fully  restored. 
Replace  the  dirt,  and  you  will  have  no  more 
trouble  with  the  tree  for  two  years  or  more.  If 
the  tar  is  applied  to  young  trees,  the  borers  will 
not  trouble  them  at  all.  He  states  that  the 
coating  should  bo  applied  in  the  winter,  or  early 
in  the  spring,  with  new  tar. 
DESIGN  FOR  A  POULTRY  HOUSE  AND 
PARK. 
A  snoRT  time  ago  there  appeared  a  request  in 
the  RtHAL  for  a  design  for  a  small  poultry  house. 
I  submit  the  following  plan  as  being  novel  and 
pleasing  In  appearance,  and,  what  is  still  better, 
containing,  as  I  believe,  good  and  practical  fea¬ 
tures. 
The  drawing  is  simply  a  ground  plan;  the 
embellisluneuts  of  the  elevation  being  left  to  tho 
taste  or  liberality  of  tho  builder.  A,  the  house 
proper,  is  L-shapod  In  plan,  the  longer  or  outer 
sides  being  12  feet  In  length  and  8  feet  high,  tho 
inner  side  being  6  feet  high,  the  whole  formed  of 
boards,  placed  peipendicularly,  and  wliich  should 
be  well  and  neatly  battened.  The  roof  may  be 
shingled.  Tho  width  of  tho  building  is  1  feet. 
A  partition,  with  door,  divides  tho  building  at  B 
when  desired.  Entrance  doors  are  at  C,  C.  Tho 
nests  are  placed  at  D,  D,  and  should  be  near  the 
ground. 
The  yard  or  park  is  semi-circular  in  form,  and 
may  bo  dhudod  tnrough  the  center,  nortli  and 
south,  if  two  varieties  of  fowls  aro  desired  to  be 
kept  separate.  At  £  is  shown  a  small  inclosure 
for  sick  fowls  or  for  breeding  purposes.  Two  win¬ 
dows  are  placed  In  each  of  the  maer  sides  of  tho 
house,  affording  plenty  of  light  and  warmth 
from  the  eun.  Commuuication  by  tho  fowls  be¬ 
tween  the  house  and  jjark  is  attained  by  open¬ 
ings  between  the  windows  and  near  tho  ground. 
These  sliould  bo  provided  with  doors.  F,  F,  aro 
the  roosts,  three  or  four  feet  from  tho  ground. 
An  important  element  of  this  design  is  in  the 
combined  ahape  and  poaition  of  the  building.  It 
should  be  placed,  as  indicated  by  the  iioints  of 
the  compass,  with  the  apex  C,  G,  towards  the 
north.  Then  the  inner  angles  of  the  building 
will  afford  shelter  from  oast,  north  and  west 
winds,  and  give  the  fowls  a  constantly  smmy  as¬ 
pect  during  the  whole  of  the  short  winter  days. 
Phelpf.,  N.  Y.  Wm.  k.  Brooks. 
- - 
THE  AFFECTIONS  OF  FOWLS. 
Noticino  an  article  in  one  of  your  late  num¬ 
bers  on  fowl  affection  j  I  venture  to  send  you 
an  instance  that  came  under  my  observation. 
I  once  sot  some  geese  eggs  under  a  hen,  which 
in  lime  resulted  in  four  goslings.  As  usual  in 
such  cases,  Biddy  <iidn’t  seetu  quite  pleaiicd  or 
satisfied  with  thou-  strange  ways,  but  .nhowod  no 
real  annoyance,  until  her  earlier  bod-timo  came, 
and  they  rofnsed  to  follow  her  to  the  coop,  run¬ 
ning  about  to  p/ick  grass  iir  sitting  down  in  cun¬ 
ning  obstinacy.  After  enduring  such  conduct 
for  just  four  weeks,  her  forbearance  gave  way 
and  one  night  she  left  them  and  went  back  to  her 
old  companions  on  tho  hen  roost.  Next  morning 
I  found  her  by  the  coop,  where  I  had  put  them, 
waiting  for  them  to  be  let  out  to  resume  her 
care  through  the  day.  This  was  kept  up  until 
she  weaned  thorn  late  iu  the  summer. 
But  they  did  not  forsake  her  and  whenever 
they  met  her,  she  was  greeted  with  every  mani¬ 
festation  of  delight,  and  was  always  welcome  to 
eat  with  them  while  all  tho  other  hens  who  dared 
to  intrude  were  driven  away  with  malicious  bites, 
and  then  they  would  surround  her  and  with 
tiiumphant  oackle  give  her  to  understand  that 
she  only  was  the  honored  guesh 
This  continued  for  months  when  one  day  she 
was  found  dead  under  the  roost,  and  to  get  her 
out  of  tho  way  was  tin-own  into  an  adjoining  lot. 
Several  days  after,  heoi-ing  an  unusual  commo¬ 
tion  among  tho  goslings,  wo  went  to  them  to 
learn  the  cause.  They  had  just  found  her  and 
were  evidently  trying  to  get  hor  to  recognize 
them.  She  was  then  put  out  of  their  sight  or 
reach,  as  wo  pitied  their  disappointed  devotion, 
and  so  ends  tliis  fact  of  fowl  memory  and  affco- 
Mas.  OaAnoER. 
—  - 
FOWLS  IN  LARGE  NUMBERS, 
I  TAKE  theUberty  of  writing  to  you  for  some  in-* 
formation  as  to  the  possibility  of  going  into  poul¬ 
try,  or  rathr  r  more  especially  the  egg  business.  1 
have  control  of  sbout  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
near  here,  and  it  has  seemed  to  me  that  no  better 
Use  cniiM  be  fmdo  Of  it  than  the  raising  of  eggs 
foi  r.nladcJp'liia  and  New  York  markets.  Could 
there  not  be  eight  or  ten  thousand  chickens  kept 
On  this  amount  of  land  by  haying,  say  eighty  or  ^ 
ihr-*H — - - -  - - 
one  hundred  coops  distributed  in  differcut  locali¬ 
ties  containing  about  ono  hundred  chickens  each, 
and  would  not  tb«  profit  on  tho  eggs  be  bettor 
Mian  could  be  got  by  using  the  sameland  for  far¬ 
ming  purposes.  I  nave  known  of  some  persons 
going  into  such  business  and  failing  at  it,  from 
having,  as  I  supposed,  one  expensive  house  and 
having  a  couple  of  thousand  chichens,  and  not 
having  enough  range  of  ground  for  them.  I 
would  propose  to  glvo  an  acre  of  ground  to  each 
hundred  chickens  and  have  my  iKiops  warm  and 
substantial  but  not  expensive,  as  I  intend  going 
into  it  as  a  matter  of  biisiness  to  make  money. 
Hoping  to  have  any  information  you  can  give 
me,  I  am.  Yours  truly.  Subscrideii. 
I  THINK  that  Poultry  keeping  for  eggs  will  pay 
under  careful  and  thorongh  management.  I 
fiu-lher  believe  it  will  not  pay,  with  too  7nany 
fowls  kept  together ;  it  has  been  tried  over  and 
over  again,  and  always  failed  after  a  time.  Your 
idea  of  detached  houses,  and  not  more  than  100 
fowls  to  eaoli  Louse  is  tho  secret  of  success ;  50 
or  75  are  hotter.  Such  arranged  houses  over  any 
number  of  aoi'os,  50  to  each  ooro,  or  two  acres  to 
each  100  fowls  with  house,  as  far  dotaoliod  as 
possible,  I  believe  would  be  more  prutitablo  than 
any  ordinary  farming.  Homo  of  tho  land  miglit 
be  still  utilized  by  orchards,  hay  Ac.,  and  at  the 
same  time  given  all  to  tbo  fowls,  their  dnng 
manuring  It,  and  tho  turning  up  of  the  soil  help¬ 
ing  to  keep  the  fowls  healthy. 
But  one  thing  must  bo  borne  iu  mind,  in  build¬ 
ing  your  houses,  that  eggs  pay  best  in  winter,  so 
to  induce  them  to  lay  iu  winter  you  must  build 
warm  winter  quarters  for  them  without  artifi¬ 
cial  heat.  This  is  expensive  at  tlio  start,  but  tiie 
most  needful  for  success.  The  houses  must  bo 
lathed  and  roughly  plastered  with  plenty  of  glass 
on  the  east  and  south  sides,  and  no  openings  on 
the  north  and  west. 
I  have  built  such  a  house  banked  up  on  tho 
north  and  west  sides,  and  find  it  ansn-ers  tho  pur- 
poao  well.  Perches  should  be  horizontal  and  not 
on  an  inclino,  ono  higher  than  tho  other,  as  fowls 
will  continually  quarrel  for  the  highest  porch. 
Any  further  questions  I  shall  bo  happy  to  answer 
through  tbo  Rorae.  IIe-Vry  Hai.eb. 
- - 
POULTRY  AT  FAIRS. 
It  has  long  boon  tho  rule  of  Poultry  Associa¬ 
tions  not  to  permit  tho  exliibitors’  names  to  ap¬ 
pear  on  the  coops  until  after  the  awards  have 
been  made;  but  it  is  now  proposed,  in  some 
quaiter.Sj  to  do  away  with  this  rule  and  permit 
tho  owners  of  birds  to  pnt  their  names  on  the 
coops,  when  sent  iu,  witbont  regard  to  tho 
Judges.  Wo  should  bo  {)leascd  to  hear  from 
poultry  breeders  on  tbi.s  subject;  but,  in  tho 
mean  time,  wo  give  the  following  from  the  Poul¬ 
try  Bulletin,  which  appears  to  bo  a  fair  treat¬ 
ment  of  the  case : 
Wo  believe  we  were  about  the  first  to  advocate 
tho  adoption  of  this  rule  by  our  jioultry  associa¬ 
tions  :  and  now,  after  six  years  or  more  of  trial, 
wo  can  see  no  good  reason  for  continuing  it. 
It  is  a  stereotyped  rule  in  ueaily  all  tho  pub¬ 
lished  premium  lists  of  our  many  sooietios,  and 
in  very  many  it  is  more  honored  iu  tho  breach 
than  in  the  observance.  It  bad  its  uses,  but  tho 
day  of  its  necessity  (if  such  over  existed)  has 
gone  by.  Voiy  few  judges  among  those  who 
now  do  tlio  juost  of  that  work,  but  know  the 
type  of  the  strain  of  most  of  our  principal  breed¬ 
ers,  as  well  without  any  nanio  or  card  on  the 
pen  as  If  it  was  there.  And  of  those  who  aro 
qualilicd  judges,  is  there  one  who  would  so  de¬ 
mean  huusolf  as  tt)  award  the  prizes  to  the  e.x- 
hibitor  rather  than  the  birds '/  Wo  hope  not. 
Looking  at  it  iu  another  light,  is  it  not  rather 
a  gratuitous  insult  to  tho  judge  to  invito  him  to 
award  the  prizes  offerod,  tui  then  vu’tually  say 
to  him :  “Wo  can’t  trust  you,  so  wo  won't  allow 
any  of  tho  owner’s  names  on  the  coops,  until  you 
got  through  your  work,  for  fear  you  might  show 
favoritism  iu  your  awards.” 
Tho  rule  is  a  bad  one  for  exhibitors,  as  is  il¬ 
lustrated  so  fre(piently  in  oases  whore  the  judg¬ 
ing  is  not  coniplotod  until  near  tho  close  of  the 
show.  Visitors  come  and  go,  and  see  fowls 
which  they  admire  and  would  like  to  piirohaao, 
but  have  no  duo  to  tho  ownership,  and  know  of 
no  one  to  liiquiro  of.  Ono  of  tho  principal  in¬ 
centives  to,  and  benefits  from  exhibiting  fowls,  is 
tho  advertising  of  tho  stock  by  its  appearance  in 
the  exhibition  pen,  with  tho  owner’s  card  at¬ 
tached,  so  tliat  all  may  soo  tho  ownership  and 
quality  of  tho  stuck :  aud  this  is  frequently  pre¬ 
vented  until  tho  show  is  about  closing,  by  the 
enforcomeut  of  tlio  rule  above  quoted.  Wo 
have  again  and  again  hoard  exhibitors  complain 
of  this  as  entirely  neutralizing  any  good  thoy 
liad  expected  to  derive  from  exhibiting  their 
fowls. 
Lotthe  uiiillcr  recoivo  attention  at  tho  hands 
of  tho  proper  committees,  and  may  this  useless 
and  hTirtful  rule  bo  no  more  seen  on  our  premi¬ 
um  lists. 
- ■♦♦♦ - - 
jMrERiAL  Eon  Foon.— In  answer  to  the  in¬ 
quiry  in  referuuco  to  tho  Imperial  Egg  Food, 
wo  licar  from  Mr.  S.  J.  Bektou,  for  niauy  years 
I  Presidont  of  tho  Connecticut  State  Poultry  So¬ 
ciety  that  ho  has  used  this  Egg  Food  for  a  long 
lime,  and  ho  says  that  it  has  an  invigorating  and 
healthfull  effect  upon  his  fowls,  that  ho  has  it 
constantly  in  use,  and  can  recommend  it  to  any 
of  his  friends  or  keepers  of  gallinaceous  or 
aquatic  fowls  gonorally. 
THE  NEWER  TOMATOES. 
Wk  notice  iu  tho  Rurai,  of  Dec.  2  some  notes 
on  Garter’s  Green  Gage  and  the  Golden  Trophy 
Tomato. 
Having  experimented  largely  with  all  tho 
prominent  now  varieties  which  have  been  intro¬ 
duced  of  late,  wo  venture  a  few  notes  regarding 
our  experience. 
Carter's  Green  Gage  was  sent  to  this  country 
by  .lAsrEs  Carter  A  Co.,  seedsmen,  of  London, 
Eng.,  and  has,  so  far  as  wo  oan  judge,  proved 
an  ac<pn8ition.  It  grows  to  a  medium  size,  is 
round,  fair,  smooth,  early,  productive,  and 
ripens  perfectly  around  the  atom.  Color,  yel¬ 
low.  It  is  much  sought  after  by  housekeepers 
fur  oanuiug  and  jnesorviug.  It  is  not,  as  tho 
article  above  alluded  to  intimates,  allied  to  tho 
old  Plum  Tomato,  but  is  in  every  way  mueh 
more  desirable. 
Tho  Paragon  is  an  excellent  variety,  to  wldch 
our  attention  was  first  called  by  GitEOOEy  two 
yeiUB  since.  It  possesses  all  the  desirable  attri¬ 
butes  of  a  first-elaSB  tomato,  and  wo  highly 
recommend  it  to  market  growers. 
Tho  Conqueror,  with  us,  lias  proved  early, 
smooth,  and  very  productive,  but  in  size  and 
solidity  is  inferior  to  the  Canatla  Victor,  whleli 
latter,  all  things  considered.  Is  as  yet  om'  best 
early  loiiuiU'i  for  market  or  homo  use.  It  is  only 
excelled  by  the  Trophy  in  size  aud  soliility,  but 
excels  it  in  oarlincss  aud  producUvonoss. 
The  above-named  five  varieties  we  believe  to 
be  tlie  most  desnablo  of  any  yet  introduced,  and 
whoever  has  them  all  may  rest  content  for  a 
while  at  least. 
Blount's  Champion  Cluster  wo  have  given  two 
trials,  both  of  which  show  it  to  be  a  largo  late 
variety,  will!  no  particular  merit  that  wo  could 
discover. 
Hathaway’s  Excelsior  is  spherical.  It  is  ox- 
tcnially  beautiful,  but  generally  lacks  that  solid-  ! 
ity  which  is  essential  to  a  qooil  tomato. 
Tb(!  Golden  Trophy  has  an  oxcollont  flavor, 
but  we  have  found  it  quite  a  shy  bearer,  ami  it 
is  nowhere,  in  smoothness,  to  be  compared  with 
tho  Trophy.  So  much  does  it  lack  in  this  respect 
that  wo  doubt  Its  being  a  “sport”  of  that  vari¬ 
ety,  as  claimed. 
Turner’s  Perfection  Is  productive,  and  that  is 
all  we  can  say  in  its  favor.  With  us  it  grew 
very  rough  aud  ripened  very  lato. 
Foote’s  lOO-Days'  Tomato,  which  was  sent  out 
by  tho  Indiana  seedsman  whoso  name  it  bears, 
completely  disappointed  tho  groat  expectations 
which  were  formed  for  it  by  reason  of  the  high 
praises  of  its  disseminator.  In  our  soil  and  cli¬ 
mate  it  has  no  moiits  whatever,  so  far  as  we 
could  judge.  In  justico  to  its  progenitor,  wo 
presume  It  does  better  elsewhere. 
Ninety-Days’  Tomato  is  tho  name  of  still  an¬ 
other  failure  which  was  sent  us  last  spring. 
There  was  nothing  so  vei-y  bad  about  this  vari¬ 
ety,  and,  on  tho  other  hand,  nothing  particularly 
desirable,  so  far  as  w'e  could  judgo. 
La  Plume,  Pa.  Tillinohast  Bros. 
Iiisiiraitrt  ^f|iirlinciit. 
CONDITION  OF  INSURANCE  MATTERS. 
There  aro  fow  people  who  have  not,  during 
tho  last  four  or  fivo  years,  loamod  from  tholr  ob¬ 
servations  or  experiences,  tho  necessity  of  close 
scrutiny  into  tho  financial  couclition  and  con¬ 
duct  of  tho  companies  proposing  to  insure  their 
lives  and  property.  Nor  has  there  been  any  im¬ 
provement  in  tho  situation  to  warrant  laxity  in 
this  respect.  Many  foiluros  have  occurred 
aud  tho  indications  are  umuistakablo  that- 
others  will  follow.  A  score  or  more  of  compa¬ 
nies  are  pursuing  almost  precisely  tho  courses 
which  havo  hcrotoforo  preceded  such  an  end¬ 
ing,  If  indeed  thoy  havo  not  made  disaster  inev¬ 
itable.  Despite  the  long-cherished  promises  of 
protection  and  inrovontivo  iutorference  by  the 
Insurance  Departments,  life  oompauica  that 
havo  ceasod  to  ho  profitable  to  tbeir  stockholders 
ruajiago  to  prociintato  their  own  dissolution, 
and  cannot  bo  oompollod  to  continue  business 
for  tho  benefit  of  tlioir  policy  holders,  but  so 
contrive  that  tlie  alternative  lies  between  a  total 
loss  aud  tho  almost  inevitable  swindle  of  re-in- 
surancc.  Tho  causes  of  disasters  that  are  not 
brought  about  by  collusion  are  reckless  expendi¬ 
ture  and  a  lack  of  new  bnsiuoss.  No  life  com¬ 
pany  has  yet  come  to  gi'ief  because  of  exoossivo 
mortality,  and  none  will  unloss  its  best  risks 
have  been  filched  from  it  in  the  process  of  re¬ 
in  suiing. 
Tho  I'ook  on  which  the  weak  fire  insurance 
company  splits  is  oxcessi  vo  losses  combined  with 
uuremunorative  rates  of  promium.  At  no  time 
siuco  tho  groat  fires  at  Cliiougo  and  Boston  have 
promiiuna  been  so  small  as  now.  Competition 
between  rival  companies  has  led  to  alternate 
under  bidding,  or  “  undor-cuttirig  ”  as  it  is 
called,  until  some  oompanios  are  abandoning  the 
businoas,  and  a  host  of  them,  especially  of  the 
weaker  sort,  aro  inviting  calamity.  The  conao- 
quonco  will  bo  that  a  comparatively  small  loas 
will  cripplo  them,  and  being  iinabla  to  pay  thoy 
will  not  pay  any  loasos  whatever,  Farmora  have 
fewer  facilities  for  knowing  all  this  than  other 
people  and  aro  therefore  more  liahlo  to  bo  im¬ 
posed  upon.  Their  boat  course  in  tho  promiaos 
Is  to  insiu-o  only  with  tho  most  slahlo  and  repu¬ 
table  oonjpanios,  whatever  tho  rate  of  promium 
required  and  to  avoid  thoae  which  propose  choap- 
Tioss  as  lui  Inducement. 
As  regards  tho  life  companies  there  aro  half  a 
dozen  or  more  that  aro  beyond  tho  possibility  of 
U'ouldo,  aud  tho  reiiiahidei'  will  disclose  their 
condition  with  more  or  loss  accuracy  iu  their  an¬ 
nual  reports  for  tho  coming  year.  Until  these 
aro  forthcoming  it  is  pcrhai)H  just  as  well  to 
hasten  very  slowly  indeed. 
CHEAPENING  FIRE  INSURANCE. 
There  is  an  association  of  fire  insurance  com¬ 
panies  known  as  tho  National  Board  of  Under¬ 
writers,  whose  business  it  is  to  maintain,  if  possi¬ 
ble,  such  rates  of  premium  as  will  bo  safe  aud 
remunerative,  and  subordiiiato  to  this  or¬ 
ganization  are  numerous  local  boards  having 
the  same  puriJoso.  Neither  of  them  succeeds 
very  well,  because  their  authority  Is  littlo 
more  than  advisory,  and  in  spite  of  their  efforts 
to  the  contrary  the  rates  are  subject  to  fre([uont 
vacillation  in  the  wrong  direction.  Just  now 
the  rates  of  lire  instiranco  aru  very  low,  and  will 
probably  be  kept  low  by  cuiupelition  imtil  some 
disaster  ocems  and  somebody  is  burl.  8o  far  as 
known,  this  foolish  competition  has  not  seriously 
affected  tho  agricultural  insurance  companies. 
■  ■— i— 
A  GREAT  SHAME. 
Several  weeks  have  olajisod  since  the  Conti¬ 
nental  Life  Insurance  Company  passed  into  tho 
hands  of  a  receiver,  but  tbo  jmbho  know  as  little 
as  before  of  the  comlltioa  of  its  affairs.  That 
official  Ims  ma/le  no  report,  and  tho  business  re¬ 
mains  undone.  Though  i>rcuilumA  are  taken 
and  some  sort  of  credit  entered,  the  receiver  dis- 
credltM,  it  is  said,  his  authority  to  issug  paid-up 
polteica.  At  best  it  is  a  bad  business  and  a 
discredit  to  tho  name  of  life  insurance. 
