tiUfTAlO' 
FEB. 24 
ia... 
fitbustral $m|ltnunis, 
FOUST’S HAY LOADER. 
About the most disagreeable duty relegated to 
the farmer was pitching hay. It certainly was 
one of the meanest gifts in the agricultural 
Pandora’s box. It not only broke the back, but 
unhinged the temper, and was no holiday work 
anyhow. 
This haB been remedied, we are glad to say, 
ahd we tlds week give an illustration of Foust’B 
Iliiy Loader, which has been char¬ 
acterized by Mr. Coleman as one of 
the most important improvements 
in agricultural implements shown 
at tho Centennial. As Mr. C. was 
Chairman of the Agricultural JudgoB 
of Award, this remark may bo taken 
as high and discriminating praise. 
Wo saw the Loader in successful 
operation during the Field Trials 
at Schenck's Station last summer, ,«■ 
where the test was both exhaustive ' 'VV?;* 
and severe. It worked admirably, \* ' >•. 
taking up tho graiu rapidly, and to yV ^ 
without hitches or drawbacks of any -j; ' 
kind. Tho following are some of its 
advantages: 
It requires no extra men or horses 
to work it. :_ , 
It will elevate a ton of hay from 
the window in five minutes, thus 
more than doubling the speed of flP 
seeming liay. 
It is easily attached and adapted s^. ; 
to all farm wagons and racks. 
It adds to the draft on level ground 
only the power of one man. i f 
It takes the hay from the ground 
8.ft clean as is usually done by the 
hand-fork. f ■»- 
It i s adapted to all ordinary mead- \ 
ow land. - 
Will pitch Barley and all hinds oj \ §P|jiP 
loose Grain and Flax in Ike most > 
satisfactory manner. 
There is no violent motion, and -- Ak 
being strongly built and of good 7 
material, it will last indefinitely. “ ~ cI - 
11 must bo conceded that such an 
implement is an important adjunct 
to tho usual farm machinery, and, 
now that the successful working of a farm so 
much depends on the judicious use of practical 
labor-saving implements, wo cannot too strongly 
urge an investigation of the claims of this Hay 
Loader. 
Messrs. Htratton & Cullttm, Meadville. Pa., 
make these machines, and an application direct 
to them will be promptly answered with circulars 
and information that it would he well for our 
farmer patrons to possess. 
®|f |lonllvn |atli. 
BRAHMAS - THEIR ORIGIN - HOW 
NAMED, &c. 
To fowl breeders wbo have never read a full 
history of Light Brahma fowls, the subject is of 
interest. There are but a few of the Old 
Guard' 1 left, who are fully posted iu the true 
history of this splendid breed of fowls, and I am 
one of them. 
In 1846 a mechanic by the name of Ohambeb- 
t . at k resided in Hartford, Conn. He had read 
in the papers something about large Asiatic 
fowlfl which had been brought to this country, 
and Yankee-like, he was ready to give up the 
wooden-nutmeg business if anything better turn¬ 
ed up. It was tho 41 Bhanghae" breed, probably, 
that he had heard of, a few pairs having been 
brought over from China about this time. Well, 
this Mr. Chamberlain's wife had a relative who 
wits the clerk of the propcllor “ Sachem,” then 
running between Hartford and New York, and 
the next time that Chambeblajn saw him he 
said: 
“ John, have you seen auy of them big fowls 
down at York—them fellows what eat corn off a 
hogshead when on its eend ? I guess they’re 
some puukins to du that! Spozen you buy me 
a pair next time you go tu York, if you see any 
raal sockdolagers—what’ll take ’em all down 
’round here.” 
The Sachem ’’ left the next morning for 
“ Yorkand on her arrival John began to in¬ 
quire of the fowl dealers in Fulton Market where 
he could buy a pair of “ Shangbigha, or what 
you call ’em ?” He hunted in vain for nearly a 
whole day. and was about to give up in despair, 
when he was directed to an East India ship, 
which had just arrived iu port, and there, sure 
enough, his eyes rested on two pairs of the finest 
breed of fowls that the world ever produced! 
Addressing the Captain, the following conversa¬ 
tion took place: 
“Got some mighty big fowls here, Cap’n! 
Where did the critter come from ?” 
“ From India, sir.” 
“ Are they for sale ?” 
" Certainly." 
“ How much, Cap’n ?" 
“ Five dollars a pair.” 
“ Thundor! As much as that ?” 
“ Not a cent less, young man.” 
“ Wall, Cap’n, can’t take ’em this trip, (Tm 
clerk on a propeller, Cap’n,) must report, and 
see if the man who wantH ’em can Btand the 
price. Will they be here next week ?” 
The Captain told him that the fowls would be 
ever appeared under that name. Leading fowl 
breeders, such as Geo. P. Burnham of Roxbury, 
Hatch of Connecticut, and others, were aston¬ 
ished that a sane man should attempt to give to 
this breed of fowls such a repulsive cognomen ! 
Hatch named his fowls “ Chittagongs” and 
Burnham called nis “ Gray Shanghais”—all from 
the Chamberlain stock. Protests were showered 
upon the Doctor; but all was in vain; he insisted 
that the name was proper and must stand, and 
it did stand for a few years in its full length. 
At the time when the Brahmas first began to 
create an excitement in New England, Mr. Burn¬ 
ham considered the situation, and concluded to 
pendant, smooth and thin, and free from folds 
or wrinkles : wattles red, long and pendulous. 
Feck. —Long, well arched, the hackle abun¬ 
dant and flowing well over the shoulders; color, 
pure white. 
Back of medium length and width ; color, 
white—as free as possible from yellowish tinge. 
Breast anti Body. —Breast full, round, and 
carried well forward; body rather broad but 
heaviest forward; oolor, white. 
Wings. —Large and folded ; color, white. 
Tail. —Large, full, somewhat expanded, and 
carried very upright; sickle-feathers, large and 
well curved ; tail-coverts abundant; color, white. 
Legs.—Thighs of medium length 
and rather slender; plumage, white; 
shanks long and in color bright yel- 
low. 
Carriage upright and proud. 
Hip THE HEN. 
jtv&WW S. Head medium size; color, white ; 
beak, rather long and stout, and in 
color yellow; eyes, red. full and 
bright; face, red and free from 
wrinkles or folds. 
Comb.—Red, of medium size, sin- 
glo, drooping to one side, evenly ser- 
rated, and free from aide-sprigs. 
Ear - Lobes and Wattles. — Ear - 
lobes, white or creamy-white, fitting 
close to the head ; rather pendant, 
jpaEsi?®** smooth and (tin, and free from folds 
und wrinkles. Wattles, bright-red, 
thin and well-rounded. 
Neck. —Long and graceful, and 
-*k^U.£n ; pure-white in color. 
Breast and Body. —Breast full and 
round and color pure-white ; body, 
. [-7- deep and broader in front than in the 
jj&sf rear,- color, white. 
ViTr^r~’ "Wings. —Long, well-folded and 
clear-vfhite. 
if Tail. —Upright, full and long, and 
co * or puro-white. 
HHPf Legs .—Thighs of medium length, 
rather slender, and in color white ; 
shanks, long and slender and in col- 
^"^2 or bright yellow. 
‘i'.'/Uiltt Carriage. —Not so upright as that 
,<i of the cock. 
HO U ST’S HAY l.OADEU. 
on exhibition in Franklin Market for two weeks, 
when they would be sold. 
When John returned to Hartford, the report 
he made to Chamberlain astonished him, and 
he handed five dollars, saying, “ Git ’em, John, 
git one pair, and by jingo! won’t 1 astonish the 
natives 
On the arrival of the “ Sachem” in New York 
on her next trip, John found the fowls in Frank¬ 
lin Market, with a large crowd of people viewing 
them. No such magnificent birds were ever be¬ 
fore seen in that city; and yet nobody in or 
around the city was bold enough to buy such 
monsters of the feathered race, fearing that 
their depredations in their gardens and fields 
would be ruinous! But on tho dose of the ex¬ 
hibition, John stood ready to carry away the 
best pair, the other being a different breed, and 
on their arrival in Hartford they created a great 
sensation. Chamberlain took them home arid 
bred them for several years, before the fowl fan¬ 
ciers of Now England had fairly become awaken¬ 
ed iu regard to their merits. The derk of tho 
propeller could not ascertain that they had any 
legitimate name when he bought them ; and as 
they somewhat resembled the “ Chittagong ” 
fowls—an Asiatic breed so-called in those days, 
but now either extinct or merged in some other 
breed—this pair were called 44 Chittagonga” till 
Dr. J. C. Bennett of Great Falls, N. II., began 
to breed them in 1851. 
Now my old friend, the Doctor, had a remark¬ 
able penchant for giving imported fowls long 
and odd names. So when ho hod bred these 
“ Cliittagongs ” a year, and had Been that 
this name was a misnomer, he took down his 
map of India (I give it from his own lips) and 
looking over it, he came to the “ Brahma Poo- 
Ira ” river. In the valley of this river he had a 
missionary friend to whom he had written a year 
before, inquiring if any such fowls existed in 
that part of India, as he considered the place of 
their nativity a matter of great importance in 
their history. Tho missionary replied, and des¬ 
cribed a breed of fowls there, which were in 
some respects, especially in size and color, like 
the Chamberlain fowls; and the Doctor ex¬ 
claimed, 4 • I have it! They shall be called * Brah¬ 
ma Pootras /” 
It was in the fall of 1852, when the 44 Hub of 
the Universe” (Boston) was all astir with coops 
of poultry being rushed to the great Poultry Ex¬ 
hibition that was to take place. The “fowl 
fever” was now devastating many pockets of 
cash, and it was no uncommon thing to see men 
pay $ 100 for a pair of Asiatic fowls. Dr. Ben¬ 
nett was there with several coops of magnificent 
“ Brahma Pootras,” being the first time that they 
“go in” for tho profits ou fowls at $100 to $200 
a trio! So he wisely conceived the idea that if 
he could make the public believe that the Brah¬ 
mas originated with him, it would be a good 
thing for the “ Hub,” as be lived so near it, tho 
glory of having originated the most wonderful 
fowls then known to exist would radiate from 
Roxbury to the “ Huh,” and his name would go 
down to posterity in a blaze of effulgence never 
before known in the history of fowldom. The 
idea was worthy a Napoleon ; so he named his 
Brahmas “ Gray Shanghtes, ” and thereafter 
claimed that he was the originator of them ; and 
he continued to claim that honor for years, till 
at last he was compelled to discard his name, 
“ Gray Shanghai,” and to call the fowls Brahmas. 
The way in which the name “ Brahma Pootra” 
was cut down to “ Brahma,” was as follows: 
When Dr Bennett named these fowls I was 
publishing a paper called the Northern Farmer 
in Utica, N. Y., and I was corresponding with 
him very ofteu; and after the fowls had been 
exhibited at poultry fairs all over the country for 
several years as “ Brahma Pootras,” I wrote to 
Dr. Bennett that 1 thought it would be better 
to lop off the “ Pootra" and call the fowls merely 
“ Brahmas." But he did not coincide with me 
iu this opinion ; so, 4 solitary and alone,” I com¬ 
menced an attack on the name, and after years 
of insisting, through my paper, that it would be 
better to cut it down, it began to be changed at 
fairs and in advertisements by degrees, till at 
last everybody called them Brahmas. From this 
one pair have sprung all the Light Brahma fowls 
existing in the United States and Europe, no 
others like them ever having been discovered in 
India or anywhere else. 
Linden, N. J. T. B. Miner. 
-- 
WHITE LEGHORNS. 
Will you please give me, through the Rural 
New-Yorker, a description of the White Leg¬ 
horn fowls ?—J. O. B., Buffalo, N. Y. 
We append the description aB given in the 
American Standard of Excellence: 
THE COCK. 
Head.— Short and deep—color, pure white; 
beak, yellow, rather loug and stout; eyes, full 
and bright; face, red and free from wrinkles or 
folds. 
Comb. —Red, of medium Bize, erect, firmly 
fixed on the head, single, straight, deeply ser¬ 
rated, (having five or six pointB—five preferred,) 
extending well over the back of the head and 
free from twists, Bide-sprigs or exorescenoes. 
Ear-lobes and Wattles— Ear-lobes white or 
creamy-white, fitting close to the head and rather 
► DISQUALIFICATIONS. 
Comb falling over to either side 
or twisted iu cocks, or pricked or 
duplicated In heus; red ear-lobes; 
legs other than yellow; plumage other than 
white, or with colored feathers in any part 
thereof; crooked backs; long tails. 
While giving the description of this (or any 
other breed) from the Standard, it is proper to 
make some qualifications, or rather explanations, 
to the amateur, bo that the description should 
not confuse, Instead of instructing him. I havo 
ofteu aeeu questions like those of the above cor¬ 
respondent answered by a copy from the Stand¬ 
ard of Excellence of the description of the va¬ 
riety inquired for, without any comment. After 
learning the points of merit all by heart, the 
amateur is himself at a loss to find birds pos¬ 
sessed of all the merits so accurately specified. 
Should he send to a dealer and receive birds that 
fail short of all these requirements, he is very 
apt to think he is cheated, especially as some 
breeders advertise standard birds. 
Now this Standard of Excellence merely de¬ 
scribes an ideal of what a breeder should try to 
produce, and only a small percentage of many 
breeds ever attain to anything near perfection 
in all these points. Uniformly-colored varieties 
—as all black or all white—come much nearer 
the standard than penciled and spangled ones. 
Some of the latter, indeed, scarcely ever approx¬ 
imate the perfection embodied in the ideal of 
the Standard. 
In White Leghorns it is hard to breed either 
the cocks’ combs with the fine perfect points, or 
spikes, without twist or inclination to either side, 
or the ear-lobes without any red; while fiat ear¬ 
lobes close to the head, ratber pendant, smooth 
and thin, are still rarer specialties after the bird 
has attained his second year. The tail is an im¬ 
portant point. In many specimens of this breed 
the tail leanB toward the head iu otherwise good 
birds, whereas the front part of it nearest to the 
head, should rise perpendicularly and then arch 
over well behind in streaming, pendant, sickle 
feathers. Henry Hales. 
CHEATING IN WOOL. 
Of course it is not for a moment to be sup¬ 
posed that any dealer in wool or woolen goods in 
the United States would cheat the purchaser of 
his wares, even if he could, but a correspondent 
of the Eng. Ag. Gazette tells some good stories 
of how the thing has been done in Europe, 
and it is barely probable that some Of the 
tricks exposed by him may get across to this Bide 
