I’itittajrc (tmimting, 
THE GARDENS OF ST. GRATIEN. 
The fine engraving presented below, repre¬ 
sents a scene in the Gardens of St. Gratien, be¬ 
longing to the Princess MY tutloe, sitnated in the 
Department of Siene-et-Oise, near Paris, and 
thought to be one of the prettiest of the country- 
house gardens in that chateau-dotted country 
If wo were disposed to be hypercritical, objection 
might be made to the vases near the water, 
which, with surroundings so fuTl of varied and 
natural beauty, are insignificant, incongruous 
ornaments in a scone so bright and fair. Snob 
little incongruities, howovor, are somewhat 
characteristic of French taste iu artificial land¬ 
scape scenery, for there is among them a strong 
national tendency to obtrude the artistic ele¬ 
ment, instead of subordinating it to the produc¬ 
tion of finer natural effects. 
The Princess Matuilue has for many years, 
probably, been a subscriber to the Rubai, New- 
Yorker, and lias, no doubt, on more than one 
occasion expressed herself that it is the best 
horticultural journal, the wide-world over. 
Above all she prizes it, we think we may sup¬ 
pose, for the freedom aud disregard of iU own 
♦ » i 
interests with which it expresses its views. We 
trust the Priucess may accept our criticism, 
touching the vases, as a confirmation of her es¬ 
teemed opinion and that, accordingly, she will 
see fit to order that the vases be thrown over 
into the lake. 
Jot tojjtcs. 
WESTERN FARM TOPICS. 
BY PROFESSOR E. M. SHELTON. 
Since my last writing, the weather has assumed 
a great variety of very disagreeable forms. All 
told, we have hail eight rainy days, including 
throe or four snow-squalls, and a total down¬ 
fall of 1.47-100 inches of water. Between the 
storms, bright and even warm days have pre¬ 
vailed, until yesterday, when the mercury fell 
suddenly, reaching 8° last night. To-day small 
boys arc skating on shallow pools ; the ground 
is frozen solid, tho average temperature reach¬ 
ing no higher than 27°. This may be called 
characteristic plains ” wcathor of the season, 
considerably cxggeratod in the matters of cold 
and moisture. As yet, small headway has boon 
made in harvesting corn, aud still less in market¬ 
ing. I have noticed a few loads of new corn in 
tho streets for which 15 and 16 cents were 
offered. This much is certain ; unless there is 
a material advance iu tho price soon, the bulk of 
the corn crop of 1877 will winter in the hands of 
the farmers, and most of that which is disposed 
of will reach the market iu tho form of pork 
and beef. 
CUTTINQ UP CORN. 
A considerable experience in farming in dif¬ 
ferent parts of the United States and out of 
them, has taught me at the expense of some 
blunders aud much enthusiasm, what I believe 
to bo a general truth, namely :—that any purely 
agricultural idea or praotico, having general ac¬ 
ceptance in a community, is, in the main, a cor¬ 
rect ouo. I say any purely agricultural idea, mean¬ 
ing to exclude tho various astro-meteorological 
Huponjlitions found with all classes. There is 
an idea almost universally hold by Western 
fanners that it does not pay to cut up corn for 
the sake of the fodder. Farmers who see for 
tho first time tho immense jungles of corn fod¬ 
der annually wasted in the West, are certain to 
pronounce this practice one of the grossest 
heresies. After carefully trying both methods 
during four years, commencing the experiment 
wUh my prejudices altogether in favor of cutting 
up corn, I ain quite ready to accept the western 
ide almost in its entirety. The argument is not 
? J 
a long one, but it is conclusive. The corn of 
the prairies makes such a luxuriant growth of 
coarse stalks, while, long before the corn is ripe, 
these have boeu almost, denuded by the con¬ 
stant action of the winds, so that when secured as 
fodder they have only a slight value. Moreover, 
it costs nearly one-third more to husk corn in 
tho shock than to “ pick " it from tho standing 
stalks. The practice of cuttiug corn green, 
when the grain is iu the milk, feeding the ears 
to young pigs and the stalks to cows, is one rap¬ 
idly growing in favor with our more thoughtful 
farmers. Tho effect of this succulent, food npou 
both pigs and cattle is quito surprising. I have 
in mind a well-known brooder of Berkshire swine 
who, every fall, '‘ (ills'' his beauties for tho fairs 
with this green corn sheared from the oob with 
a skatp knife. 
WESTERN STOCK RAISING. 
In 1542 tho Spanish adventurer Coronado, 
marched at tho head of a company from Mexico 
to a point on the northern boundary of Kansas. 
Lie gave the world the first authentic aooount of 
the groat plains west of tho Missouri River. 
Writing of tho country ho said: “ The earth is 
the best possible for all kinds of productions of 
Spain ; for while it is very strong and black, it is 
very well watered by brooks, springs, and riv¬ 
ers.” Ho traversed mighty plains and sandy 
heaths, smooth and wearisome, and bare of 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in tho year 1877, by the Rural Publishing' Company, in the oflice of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. ] 
VOL. XXXVI. No. *4.) 
WHOLE No. 1455. 1 
NEW YORK CITY. DEC. 1-5, 1877. 
PRICE SX3E. CENTS. 
Pi.50 PER YEAR. 
A SCENE IIV THE GARDENS OF 8T. GRATIEN, NEAR PARIS, FRANCE 
