813 
C. 3 
Moral. —There is undoubtedly a place for 
everything; but moral suasion in a vicious 
cow’s .heels does not stick worth the trouble of 
putting it on. And yet I would not be under¬ 
stood to mean that kindness has no place in 
connection with power, for it has. 
ANOTHER MAN THAT CANNOT SEE BEYOND 
THE PRESENT CONTENTS OF HIS POCKET- 
BOOK. 
Col. Curtis’s note about the man who could 
not go the extra dollar for a “blooded ” boar 
reminds me of a neighbor’s idea of the value 
of turkeys. One of my bronze gobblers had 
strayed over to his place and ho proposed to 
buy him. lie offered a dollar. As he was a 
neighbor I thought I would sell him for a dol¬ 
lar and a half, though 1 knew he was worth 
two. But he would not give more than a 
dollur for any turkey, which was all his were 
worth. I took the gobbler to town, and sold 
him by weight alive, 22 pounds at nine cents, 
and it did not cost much if any more to raise 
him than one of the dollar land. f. s. C. 
Washtenaw Co., Mich. 
-- 
Atlanta Exposition Notes. 
The second weekly show of cattle could 
not be called a success, as only two exhibitors 
put in an appearance. Col. R. Peters, of 
Atlanta, Ga., exhibited a fine lot of Essex 
swine in good condition. The Essex are great 
favorites in this section, as they mature early 
and fatten from 150 to 250 pounds. With 
proper care and attention they can lie ran up 
to 500 pounds at two years, but large, fat hogs 
do not seem to do as well here as smaller ani¬ 
mals, and for that reason tho Essex have 
taken the lead. Col. Peters ulso showed a 
flock of Spanish Merinos, small in size, finely 
bred, and with a fine quality of wool. They 
were exhibited fresh from tho pasture, and 
therefore wore not in very fine show condi¬ 
tion. The Colonel is breeding off the neck 
folds, as he finds it hard to get good shearers 
in the South, and that a smooth sheep is 
therefore more easily handled. The Merinos 
do well here, but ran very small alongside of 
their Northern compeers; they average about 
six pounds to the fleece, and from 85 to 100 
pounds to the carcass gross. All the housing 
they get is iu extremely cold rains. At other 
times they ran at large. 
A. II. Davenport, Lexington, Ky., showed 
a fine flock of South Downs—large, heavy 
sheep, with remarkably fine forms and wool. 
I failed to find anyone that could tell me any¬ 
thing about how this breed would succeed in 
the Cotton Belt. 
The chief feature of the show was the 
Angora goats exhibited by Col. Peters, who 
has l>een breeding and importing them with 
success for tho past 30 years. lie bought out 
the original importation of Dr. Davis, of 
South Carolina. Tho large goats shear about 
eight pounds and kids and yearlings about 
five pounds each. The wool or h iir is now 
worth from 70 to 00 cents per pound, and as 
the goats need but little more shelter thau the 
Merino sheep, they will eventually prove a 
very profitable addition to the wool interest 
of the South. w. h. k. 
Atl nta, Nov. 12. 
(Tl)t' Sunnc~l)mX 
HEALTHIER PIGS AND PIG MEAT. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
Your contributor B. F. Johnson, in a recent 
article on corn feeding and its effects on pigs 
in producing disease und making over-fat pork, 
reflects my ideas expressed in the Rural some 
time si uee, lam gln< l to see that so al ilo a writer 
has taken up this subject which 1 consider to 
be very important in a sanitary point of view 
both in regard to the pigs and the consumers 
of pig meat. I know from experience that 
exclusive feeding on corn will produce inflam¬ 
mation of the bowels and cause pigs to die. I 
lost several at one time before I discovered the 
cause. After they were dead they turned 
black uuder their bellies, which led me to sur¬ 
mise the seat of the disease. Some of those 
living in tho same lot upon examination were 
found to be quite red beneath tho bowels and 
the surface under their bellies was felt to be 
hot, which plainly indicated an inflamed con¬ 
dition of the stomach and bowels. These pigs 
were saved by a complete change of diet to 
wheat middlings and vegetables. The pigs 
were about three months old. 
I recollect that my father had a number of 
pigs about eight months of ago that had been 
fattened entirely on corn and which became 
stiff(founderedj and refused to eat so that they 
were nearly worthless. This foundering was 
on account of fever or inflammation which af¬ 
fected the whole body. Old hogs will endure 
more of this kind of feeding without showing 
its effects; but it is evident that they must 
be more or less affected by it and the meat 
proportionately feverish; old hogs would not 
endure an extended feeding upon corn with¬ 
out evincing disease. 
When potatoes yielded more abundantly 
then they do now, farmers used to fatten their 
pigs on them. They were boiled and mixed, 
while hot, with peas, which were raised exten¬ 
sively for fattening pigs. This was a health¬ 
ful combination of food and made pork at a 
cheap cost. When the potato crop failed, 
corn was substituted. No one ever heard un¬ 
der tho former system of hogs being foundered, 
or of hog cholera. These troubles will con¬ 
tinue so long as corn is made the exclusive 
food of pigs. Tlie remedy lies in lighter food 
or In a mixture of vegetables with corn. 
Mangels can be made to take the place of 
potatoes. We feel certain that with this com¬ 
bination, and cleanliness, there would be no 
hog cholera. We are quite sure that wheat 
middlings fed with corn, or alternately, would 
also keep pigs in a healthy condition and fat¬ 
ten them satisfactorily. 
Another remedy, partial at least, could be 
inaugurated by not attempting to make pigs 
so excessively fat, requiring so long a diet. This 
is a practice which has grown with corn feed¬ 
ing to such au extent that modern pork is 
really unsuited for human food, as human 
stomachs have not kept pace with it, and have 
not been educated to digest lard. Less corn 
and less fat would make pork more desirable 
for food; and a shortening of the time of 
feeding would also reduce the amount of 
fever and liability to disease. Two hogs 
moderately fattened instead of one stuffed 
and gorged to the extent of helpless obesity 
would be a sensible solution of the problem, 
how can pigs be made healthier, and fitter for 
human food. 
Ctitumologicfil. 
THE NEW INSECT PEST ON PEACH 
TREES. 
In reference to this fresh foe of the orchard- 
ist, first described by Mr. A. J. Caywood, in 
the Rural of November 12, that gentleman 
again writes to us: “ Since the date of my last 
communication I have given more particular 
attention to the insect which is preying 
hereabouts on peach trees. I now know posi¬ 
tively that the egg is deposited in or on the 
bark of the tree, as I have discovered the 
larva: iu the bark, aud it is now certain that 
it goes through tho same changes that 
other insects of this class do—from egg to 
larva, and from larva to fully developed in¬ 
sect; but the query is; after coming to the sur¬ 
face for what purpose does it bore a new hole 
and place itself uuder the bark again? I have 
seen them do this in great numbere. I found 
the larvae in a dead tree, in the bark and also 
under the surface of the wood, but I have 
found none in the living trees, 1 sup¬ 
posed the reason for my failure to do so 
was that examination was not made earlier in 
the season. Their being found so late in the 
season in the dead trees and not in those 
alive, is proof that their transformation 
has been prolonged for the want of proper 
food which the dead trees did not afford. Most 
likely the eggs were deposited while the tree 
was living. Sections of living aud dead 
trees containing insects aud larva: have 
been sent to several entomologists. 1 have ex¬ 
amined many other kinds of treAs during the 
past week and have found these beetles infest¬ 
ing the wild cherry, all of the cultivated 
varieties and plum trees. They do not seem 
to injure the cultivated cherries to any great 
extent.” A . j. c , 
Ulster Co.. N. Y. 
iRUsccll ancons* 
Mortgaged Farms. —We make the follow 
ing extracts from an address delivered recently 
at an agricultural fair in San Antonio, Texas, 
by tho Ilev. W, H, H. Murray, better known 
as “Adirondac. Murray,” formerly a famous 
preacher of Boston:—“If I were to be asked 
what I consider one of tho most necessary 
things for Texan development, I should say 
cheap money, and say to the financiers who 
are growing rich upon tho high rates of interest 
upon the money they loan to agriculturists,that 
the agriculture of no State' has ever succeeded, 
nor can it succeed when the interest paid for 
money loaned is over seven per cent., and 
whenever it exceeds that figure you will find 
the farms mortgaged; and farmers with mort¬ 
gagee are great drawbacks to any State’s pros¬ 
perity. The mortgages get foreclosed and 
the farms and the State suffer. I can take 
you through New England and the West and 
show you farmers who do not own their farms, 
and next to negro slavery I know of no slavery 
more accursed than that endured by the farm¬ 
er whose farm is mortgaged. It is not endured 
by the one alone, but by three, five or seven, 
or all who compose the members of the family. 
I think I can feel for and have the most com¬ 
plete sympathy for the man who has his farm 
mortgaged, and I think I know something of 
the fight he has to make with it.” 
The New Hampshire Patriot says that an 
insect is destroying spruce trees iu northern 
Maine and the provinces. The female lays an 
&£{( in Ike bark, and the grab which hatches 
bores into the tree. The female is a rleep blue- 
black, has a white spot behind each ear und a 
long horn, with a lance-shaped head, on her 
tail. 
An idea of the immensity of some of the 
cattle ranches of Texas, Colorado and New 
Mexico can be gained from a summary of the 
interests owned by Mr. J. Z. Prowers, of Bent 
County, Colorado. Mr. Prowers, we learn 
from the Chicago Tribune, has at different 
points on his ranch 40 Short-born bulls and 84 
of the same classes of pure-bred Heretords. 
From these stocks of thoroughbred cattle he 
supplies himself with enough bulls yearly to 
grade up his native cattle, which number near¬ 
ly 18,000, and whose grazing facilities em¬ 
brace 100,000 acres of arable pasture, all 
fenced, and the property of Mr. Prowers. The 
property has a water-front on the Arkansas 
River of 40 miles, and it is estimated that 
there are already erected over 100 miles of 
fences. Mr. Prowers has sold this year over 
1,100 head of fat steers, averaging about 1,200 
pounds each, aud his sales of cattle this year 
are not less than $80,000. 
Horse Sense, —The horse has the smallest 
stomach, in proportion to his size, of any ani¬ 
mal, says a speaker before the Salem, Moss. 
Farmers’ Club. Fifteen or sixteen quarts are 
its utmost capacity. This space is completely 
filled by four quarts of oats and tho saliva that 
goes into the stomach with them. Horses are 
generally over-fed and not fed often enough. 
For a horse with moderate work, six or eight? 
quarts of braised oats ami ten pounds of fine 
hay a day are sufficient. This should be fed in 
at least three meals, and is better if fed in 
four. A horse’s digestion is very rapid, and 
therefore he gets hungry sooner than a man. 
When he is hungry he is ineffective, and wears 
out very rapidly. Water fills the stomach, 
lowers the temperature and dilutes the gastric 
juice; therefore, a horse should not drink im¬ 
mediately before eating. Neither should he 
be watered immediately after eating, be¬ 
cause he will drink too much aud force some 
of the contents of the stomach into the large 
intestines, which will cause scouring. Scour¬ 
ing is ulso caused by too rapid eating, which* 
can be prevented by putting half a dozen pete 
files half the size of the fist into the manger 
with the oats. Give only a moderate drink of 
water to a horse. A large drink of cold water 
before being driven will have a very quieting 
effect on a nervous horse. A race-horse al¬ 
ways runs on an empty stomach. Digestion 
progresses moderately during exercise, if the 
exercise is not so violent as to exhaust tho 
powers of the horse. 
A Few Words About Canaries.— All birds 
at this season require extra food, says the Bird 
Magazine. Canaries should have, all through 
the year, German Summer rape, Sicily canary 
and millet seeks mixed in equal parts, and care 
should bo taken to have the seeds fresh aud of 
the best quality. In addition to the seeds, feed 
canaries daily one-fourth part of a hard-boiled 
egg, both yelk and white, aud mix with it as 
much cracker dust as can be taken upon aten- 
cent piece. Fresh water, both for drinking 
and for the bath, and plenty of coarse, washed 
gravel daily will usually keep a bird in health. 
Twice a week give a piece of sweet apple or 
lettuce. If the bird has not yet finished molt¬ 
ing keep him iu au even temperature of about 
fin or 70 degrees and let him hang where there 
is no possibility of a draught blowing on him 
If not yet in song, hang a lialf-inch strip of 
raw, fat, salt pork in the cage and let him 
pick at it for a week or so.”—Except as to 
avoiding a draught, we do not agree with the 
above at all. 
How to Get Rid of Morning Glories, 
Etc,—I n a late Rural, L. L. S., Kankakee, 
III., asks how to get rid of morning glories 
that cover a 10-acre lot, and to this question 
A. K. R., Olin, Iowa,answers: “Fence the lot 
off and allow some hogs to run In It. The 
more tho better and the speedier the work. 
Of course, the hogs must not bo rung or have 
their noses cut. They will root up a square 
rod two feet deep for a mouthful of tho roots 
of morning glories. The above plan will be 
found a good riddance for bad rubbish, a nd 
it does .’t take long. By having a sufficient 
number of hogs to turn in early in Spring the 
lot might be entirely cleaned iu time for com 
planting, if so desired. In answer to the 
query about a way to ditch without spades: 
the only ditch I ever made was done with a 
plow and a common road scraper, the ditch 
being about three feet deep and five feet 
wide.” 
Cxrmjwrljm. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Connecticut. 
Huntington, Fairfield Co., Nov. 14.—The 
White Elephant had 13 eyes. I planted one 
eye in a hill in good soil—result, a good heap¬ 
ing peck of fine potatoes. Only one seed of 
the sorghum came up. The asparagus came 
up well and is looking fine. The Washington 
Oats I drilled in good soil; they grew rank 
and smutted a little. The pinks were beau¬ 
ties. Long may the Rural prosper! g. d. 
Georgia.. 
Cedar’ Town, Polk Co., Nov. 15.—Our old¬ 
est people in this country never experienced 
such a drought as we have just passed 
through. I am satisfied with the Rural 
Branching Sorghum. I know it can stand a 
drought pretty well; but to show the severity 
of the dry weather with us, my sorghum did 
not mature its seed. I cut the stalks down not 
long ago for fear of a frost: thought a few 
heads would mature sufficiently to plant. 
My Washington Oats smutted badly, I saved 
about a quart for seed. The White Elephant 
Potato was washed up iu early Spring by high 
water from a creek in my garden. I neglect¬ 
ed to say that the Rural Branching Sorghum 
was cut aud fed to stock repeatedly, except 
the few stalks left for seed. I have never 
given it to any kind of stock that refused to 
eat of it. Corn is worth $1 per bushel, cash. 
Usually at this season it can be bought at 50 to 
60 cents. Dry salt pork, middlings, is worth 
11 cents per pound, and everything else to eat 
is high in proportion. Cotton brings only about 
11K or 11,K cents, and is not, more than half a 
crop in this part of the country. Success to 
the Rural New-Yorker! w. j. r. 
Iowa. 
Rockford, Floyd Co., Nov. 20.— I have 
looked the Rural over this last year pretty 
closely to see where the best things are grown 
and who grows them. I have been trying a 
good many varieties of vegetables of late 
years, as my chief care now is attending to the 
garden. I see the Rural’s largest Cuban 
Queen Watermelon was 27pounds. My 
neighbors went into watermelon raising conS 
siderably and were going to raise 80-pound 
melons besides getting a prize of $25; but they 
failed in both. After paying 25 cents for 15 
seeds the largest, weighing 21 pounds, wes 
raised by my nearest neighbor. In sending 
for my seeds last Spring I sent for a five cent 
package of what was called the Improved 
Cuban Melon. I planted them and the chick¬ 
ens scratched them all up except seven plants. 
From these seven I picked 10 melons that 
weighed from 30 to 34 K pounds; nine that 
weighed from 25 to 30 pounds, and 12 or 
14 that weighed Irom IS to 35 pounds; there 
were two or three quite small that did not get 
ripe, and every one that tasted them said 
they were the best melons they had ever 
tasted. I have given seed to all my neighbor* 
and if you say so I will send you some. They 
are somewhat like the Cuban Queen but of a 
darker color. I have also a cucumber that 
was raised in England about six years 
ago, that beats anything I ever saw. I have 
raised it three years and it does well here. It 
will grow to the ^length of two feet, and is 
very handsome aud as good as it is handsome. 
It is just fit for the table when from 12 to 
15 inches long. It has scarcely any seeds. I 
will send you some of these also. [Would 
thank you for a few seeds.— Eds.] I have one 
other choice vegetable and that is a pea that 
was raised here about 12 years ago by acci¬ 
dent from McT^an’s Advancer and a large 
very tall pea. It is larger than either, and 
better, and only grows to the hight of the 
Advancer. It is a very large, wrinkled pea 
of excellent flavor. I will send you a pint or 
quart of those if you say so. They are about 
as early as Advancer, but a great deal larger 
and better. These are three things that are 
extra-good and I would like others to have 
them. There is less trouhle to get a dish of 
these peas than of any kind I ever saw. I 
have none to sell. a. w. (Agnail quantity of 
the peas would suffice for crnT trial. Please 
send name and history with them.— Eds.] 
Kansas. 
Smith County, Nov. 22.—I planted the 
White Elephant Potato on May 10 on bottom 
land; it was cut to 12 eyes, and they did well 
all the time, although we had a very droughty 
Summer, with hot winds. I dug on Sept. 11 
a little over a peck of very fine, big tubers. 
I planted the Branching Sorghum about the 
middle of June; it came up finely; the hot 
winds killed all but two hills, that did well 
