and sure foundation for national wealth and na¬ 
tional prosperity. Its conceptions and teachings 
too. are so varied, aud spring from such varied 
sources that all tastes may be abundantly grati¬ 
fied, all conditions and circumstances foreshad¬ 
owed and provided for. We welcome your kindly 
greetings from week to week! 
But to return to the subject in hand I copy 
from my diary, “ Grape Notes—Sept 30: Con¬ 
cord grapes fully ripe ; crop good; bunches and 
berries very even, very large and lino; flavor, 
too, most excellent; best Concords wo ever 
raised ’ weight of fruit per vine on five-yenr-old 
vineyard, very best, twenty ponnds—medium, 
fourteen pounds ; lowest, four ponnds; average 
per vine, niuo pounds. Total number of plants, 
150; weight, 1,350 pounds. On two-year-old 
vineyard of 100 plants, average about two pounds 
per vino—200 pounds. Grand total product of 
fruit from 250 plants for 1877, was 1,550 pounds." 
According to Me. Bitter’s estimate of from 
eight to ten pounds to the vino this ia, after all 
my fears, a very good product, far exceeding 
what I could possibly have expected. As was 
stated in my first communication to you, the 
growth of wood and foliage was simply im¬ 
mense, and succeeded in most completely hiding 
the growing clusters of precious fruit from my 
inspection. 
t have now learned that for such strong and 
rampant growing varieties of grapes as Concord, 
Hartford, Ac., eight feet, apart oach way is not 
sufficient they soon require a distance of twelve 
feet every way. Wo now value and prize our small 
vineyards of ohoieo grapes in a manner we never 
did before, and our only and most poignant re¬ 
gret is simply that they were not far more ex¬ 
tensive in their geographical dimensions. 
Allow me to state, in concluding these “ Ran¬ 
dom Notes,” that I havo taken the trouble to 
compile a somewhat comprehensive “ Report of 
our Fruits” for tho season just past, where our 
grapes, thoir characteristics and behavior are 
pretty fully dwelt upon. As soon as this report 
is ready (in the course of a few weeks) T shall 
tako pleasure in furnishing you with a copy, and 
if it pleases you, for publication. As I feel 
deeply interested in the subjects pertaining to 
Horticulture, and especially to fruit growing in 
this remote part of our promising country, I 
shall deem it a pleasure at any timo to furnish 
your already very complete journal and its nu¬ 
merous and intelligent readers, anything of in¬ 
terest that may be noticed in connection there¬ 
with. . 13 . Gott. 
Arkona Nurseries. 
If Mr. Miner had carefully read the preceding 
paragraph, he could see at once that I was draw¬ 
ing a comparison between countries in fine 
breeds. I mentioned the Brahma with tho other 
fowls, to relieve the anxioty of somo breeders 
who, like Mr. Miner, believe them to have no 
existence outside of this country. Now, I claim 
through reliable authority that they have an 
existence. It is true, they are not brought up 
to the standard of perfootion as they are in the 
United States. And doubtloss, if the original 
pair of thirty years ago would now scale eighty 
points, perhaps nine-tenths of the pure-bred 
stock raised are unfit for exhibition or breeding 
purposes. 
Huroly, it will surprise Mr. Miner if I state, 
that I saw a pair of Light Brahmas at least 
fifteen months before the “ East Indiaman " 
cast anchor in American waters. They woro 
given by Captain Lanoly of tho bark “Tay of 
Greenock ’’ to a Captain Stuart of the British 
Army who had retired from the East India aei - 
vice, and lived at Sea Mount, Mayo, Ireland. 
This pair were brought from Rangoon, Blrmah. 
In the fall of the same year, Sir Richard Ains- 
ley O'Donnell, Bart, of Newport, Mayo, Ire¬ 
land, when returning from the Continent, pur¬ 
chased of a ship ehuudler at Marseilles, a pair 
of Dark Brahmas, which came from Pondicher¬ 
ry. India. 
The Rev. Jean Bartiste Froulz, of Louvain, 
Belgium, in his book of “ Travels through 
India, Slam and China,” accurately describes the 
domestio fowls of these countries, especially 
tho Brahma, which he admired above all others. 
“ In Siam,” he Bays, “ they grow much Larger, 
and arc more robust, it being their native hab¬ 
itat." A reprint from thePans edition was for 
sale by Horns and Oates, publishers, Condon. 
Dr. Bollinorroore ILastinos, attached to the 
medical staff of the British army in India, men¬ 
tions the Brahma, as “ eminently adapted for 
domestic purposes on account of size, weight, 
and easo of habits.” “ In Europe," he says, 
“ they would be considered one of the seven 
wonders, and it would puzzle their philosophy 
to account why nature provided them with so 
many fine feathers for their legs. His “ Sketch¬ 
es of Travels” was published by Lambert, 
Cheapside, London, and a copy of his work, 
was for sale some years ago by Mr. Do nelly, 
dealer in old books, Arcade Building, Toronto. 
Janesville, Wis. Joseph Wallace, 
of the live stock, and they will put other animals 
in the same field with the dairy cows. A good, 
careful farmer will not only keep all other stock 
from grazing with bis cows, but will always 
have one field without any stock, growing fresh 
grass to be ready for the cows,when they get 
short of feed in their present lot. Dry cows, 
not having need of so much food as those giv¬ 
ing milk, graze more leisurely, and sheep and 
horses can pick out the best and moat nutrit ious 
herbage, and thus the milch cows when lying 
with other animals, graze more ravenously and 
eat up weeds, garlic and dead leaves etc., 
which the other animals have rejected. 
Instead of allowing horses, sheep and cattle 
not in milk to lie on the same pasture at the 
same time, the shrewd farmer would not only 
keopall other animals from grazing on the same 
grass, as his milch cows, aud picking the host, 
but he would always bo prepared with Bomo for¬ 
age crop to mow, and take to the cows daily 
when drought or any other cauBe makes the 
pasture barer than it should be. Clover, vetches, 
or sowed Bweet-corn etc., are good, and should be 
given in the shade just after noon, and in the 
milking stalls morning and evening; for it is 
astonishing what an advantage this is. The 
cows will then give more milk, as they have not 
to walk about so much to till thoir stomachs, 
and on account of the fresh, juicy herbage mow¬ 
ed and brought to them, when just in that stage 
of growth which produces the most milk and 
nourishment. Yet thero are men who wish to 
be thought first-class agriculturists, who ignore 
this, and are thoughtless enough to blame the 
dairy-maid and perhaps tho milkman for their 
own fault. 
can get from dairies that are better fed and bet¬ 
ter oared for, but not better bred. 
Give ua the best pure-breeds for dairy cows, 
and give us the best pure-breeds for dairy milk¬ 
ers. S. Folsom. 
Eureka Place, Attica, N. Y. 
THAT IMPROVED METHOD 
In the Scientific American of Nov 3, last, it is 
stated that L. W. IIilleu, of Stockton, N. Y., 
has successfully practiced feeding milch cows 
with only three quarts of corn meal per day, and, 
as I read it, without any other food of any kind. 
And Mr. Miller is made to say that “ a bushel 
of com ground and tolled will last a cow of 900 
pounds weight, twelve days.” Now’, shall we be¬ 
lieve this, or is there some mistake ? The arti¬ 
cle has all the appearance of candor, but I can 
hardly believe it except under protest. There's 
my little tbree-yoar-Dld cow—havo l roally beon 
wasteful in feeding her four quarts of meal and 
four quarts of bran, two bundles of corn-stalks, 
and tho potato and apple parings from the 
kitchen, daily ? Just think ! she has the range, 
too, of a gcod share or the north half of the 
lower peninsula of Michigan, and I had just 
been thinking that she ought to be better fed. 
Why, Mr. Miller ! after this bushel of corn is 
ground and tolled, there remain but 54 pounds, 
allowing (10 pounds to the bushol. Divide this 
by 12 and it gives but four and a half pounds 
per day, or two and a quarter pounds at a mess ; 
just about enough for a family hasty pudding. 
I think yon must be a homcuopatbist, sure. I 
advise you to look out for Mr. Beroh. I am 
aw r are that naturo eventually guagea the capa¬ 
city of the stomach to correspond with tho bulk 
of food required, and that tho stomach of an 
average Americau would not contain the amount 
of potatoes eaten by a native Irishman, or the 
rice bolted by a Chinee ; bnt I did not suppose 
that a cow could bo brought down to so small 
a pinch in quantity or that thero was nutriment 
enough in four and a half pounds of meal per 
day to keep one alive. 
Vieillard. 
WHIMS AND FACTS 
Your contributor, Georoe Gardner, says a 
great many good things on dairying, and “ old 
and stupid ideas on different subjects connected 
with oows" catch it, right and left, from his 
pointed pen. But hia assertion, “ I have proved 
that pumpkin seeds do no harm when fed to cows 
when giving milk," is a little too strong a way of 
meeting fact a to the contrary, to satisfy those 
whoso cows tell a different tale at milking time 
This fall I have conversed with a number of the 
leading dairymen in this locality, who have been 
feeding pumpkins. All medical authorities agree 
that pumpkiu seeds, eaten by animais or humans, 
cause an excessive discharge of water and dry up 
the blood. One neighbor told mo that feeding 
pumpkins to his cows had no beneficial effect on 
either the llow or tho quality of their milk. 
“ Did your cows oat tho seeds ?” Yes. Another, 
who took out tho seeds, reported a marked in¬ 
crease of milk. Both, of course, gave their 
cows their usual liberal food of grass, hay, Ac.; 
but tho man whoso cows ato tho pumpkins with 
the needs realized nothing from that feed, while 
without tho seeds feeding pumpkins paid. Un¬ 
less some “ counter-irritant" can be fed with 
pumpkin seed, dairymen who feed pumpkins will 
find that it more than pays for the trouble to 
save the seeds to make oil, or even to withhold 
them and burn thorn. 
Ono 11 green feed" that dairymen in Attica 
find cheap aud profitable, which Mr. G. has 
either not board of, or forgets to add among tho 
things that ‘’are good" for cows, is apples. 
This fruit costs loss per bushol to raise aud har¬ 
vest than carrots, boots or other roots, and at 
the same time they give hotter heart and hoalth 
to the animals, and hotter returns to tho churn 
and the cheese-vat than any other winter substi¬ 
tute for fresh grass yet tried. Ono of our farm- 
dairymen, who turns out cheese by the ton, told 
the writer that his apples pay so well as feed for 
his cows, that he cannot afford to hand-piok and 
market apples, when select fruit does not pay 
over i;l to fill an apple barrel. Another, who ia 
just starting tho dairy business, ia preparing to 
put out a large apple orchard aa auxiliary to this 
industry. And others will follow. 
Mr. G.'a objections to “ bad-flavored herbage," 
including cabbage and turnips, are good; but 
his fliugs at “ stupid ideas ” and the moon, are 
too ill-natured and too sweeping to convince un¬ 
educated men or even those better informed. So 
long as the moon regulates the tides and moon¬ 
shine spoils fresh fish sooner than sunshine can, 
it were better to meet such facts than to ridicule 
kindred absurdities. 
A dairymau in Connecticut, I see it stated on 
reliable authority, “ gets #1 & pound, the year 
round, for his butter.” He is no other than Mr. 
Starr of Litchfield, th3 same man who carried 
the Centennial award for Jerseys, and the first 
honors on cattle and thorough-bred stock, in¬ 
cluding Devons and Ayrskires. This hint is a 
broad one on the paying practicability of breed¬ 
ing up dairy stock, not only by “ raising heifer 
calves from the best milkers," but by establish¬ 
ing full dairies of thorough-bred Jerseys, or Ayr- 
shires, or Alderneys (no crosses), for making the 
best butter. I am using, on my table, butter 
made from a Jersey cow that, despite poor and 
short feed, and possibly even “ bad-flavored 
herbage,” is richer in flavor and color than I 
DAIRY PRODUCTS 
Farm dairies—many of them at least—need a 
Government supervisor. Tho anxiety to make 
quantity, results in “wagon grease," while if 
every one made a first-rate article, tho demaud 
would be more than double at very remunerative 
prices. Put these rules up in large letters in 
your dairy: Be clean, be quick, be careful, bo 
honest and be rich. s. R. M* 
A LiUKMICAL JvEMEDY EOR THE PHYLLOXERA ig 
olaimod to havo been discovered by Signor 
Pietro Tokrinetti of Verona. In hia practice 
he uses a mixture of 50 grammes of Peruvian 
guano, 2 grammes of acetate of baryta, 2 of 
acetate of lead, aud l of acetate of zinc, for each 
plant; the mixture being put into a small hole, 
about 6 inches deep, at the foot of each vine 
stock and immediately' covered with earth. 
While the guano furnishes nourishment to the 
vino, tho other three ingredients, as soon as dis¬ 
solved by tho moisture of tho earth, rapidly 
penetrate all parte of the plant and kill all the 
luresting inseots without causing the slightest 
injury to the vino f' r • 
MORE RANDOM GRAPE NOTES 
Some time ago I troubled you and your very 
numerous readers with a short account of tho 
condition aud prospects then present of my grape 
vines, for the porposo of eliciting information 
on the subject from some of your varied and 
able contributors who are so perfectly and prac¬ 
tically acquainted with it. One of your recent 
correspondents—Mr. Nelson Ritter of Syra¬ 
cuse, N. Y.—in an interesting article headed 
“ Random Notes About Grapes" (page 189), in a 
very gentlemanly and kindly manner, consents 
to furnish not only bis personal experience with 
his grapes, but also some suggestions and hints 
as to what might, in ail possibility, be the trouble 
with mine ; at the same timo making a request 
for information as to the actual product of my 
boaring vinca. And here I feel culpable for 
neglect, and ought to apologize to you and that 
gentleman for not sooner attempting to furnish 
the information desired. 
Bat allow me to state, in the first place, that 
the crop of fruit we aotually clipped from our 
vines this season, has ntterly surpassed our most 
sanguine expectations, and has resulted In to¬ 
tally dispelling the mists and dark forebodings 
of failure from our minds. The reasons, then, 
that I did not before furnish the information re¬ 
quested were—First, I had not at that time the 
factB at command, the crop not having beon yet 
harvested ; and second, because my pressing and 
urgent daily duties have been sack that I ac¬ 
tually had not time to furnish it eveu as soon uh 
obtained. 1 was much pleased aud instructed 
by your contributor's remarks about hia grapes 
and hia skillful management of them. His ac¬ 
count gave me hope and encouragement, and 
although at that timo I was very desponding, 
my fears were dispelled, and from that moment 
I began to amend. 
And right here, in passing, I beg to state, for 
those and other practical reasons, we feel that the 
substantial and timely articles from tho pens of 
the ablest aud beat staff of contributors and cor¬ 
respondents contained in the It leal New-York¬ 
er, from week to week, froBh and varied, are 
just what the great mass of the people of this 
country need to elevate and improve them ; aud 
just what they must have to help them to be 
come successful and useful producers. And it 
is weekly papers of this class that are the most 
effectual and best public educators, aud are the 
most valuable and most useful in laying a broad 
THE BRAHMA FOWL 
A REPLY TO MR. T. B. MINER 
Somehow I neglected reading the Rural of 
December 1, until a few days ago, and while 
looking over Mr. Hale’s excellent article, “ Does 
Poultry Tay ?” I was agreeably surprised to see 
Mr. Miner’s communication on the Brahma 
Fowl, evidently denying aud discrediting tho 
statements I made regarding the native land of 
this breed in the Rural of Nov. 17. 
Mr. Miner says“ Many of those men who 
were liviDg at the time when the original pair of 
Light Brahmas came to Now York on board an 
“East Indiaman,” as was Btated at tho time, 
have earnestly sought to ascertain their native 
land, but in vain. Nor has there ever been pub¬ 
lished any authentic report of their being found 
in auy part of the world out of this country, ex¬ 
cepting where they were introduced either di¬ 
rectly or indirectly from the United States." 
Really, I cannot behove that Mr. Miner, who 
has had such ample experience in poultry and 
in journalism, could have been so easily led into 
the erroneous belief so much in vogue among 
interested parties of the old “ Hen Fever” school, 
that the original pair which came to this coun¬ 
try, some thirty years ago, were the only pair of 
Brahmas now or ever known to exist outside of 
tho United States. 
It is said, “There is nothing new under (he 
#un yet Mr. Miner would have us believe that 
the festive Brahma was something new. But 
with all the mystery connected with this rare 
fowl, it was left for a speculative M. D. to name 
them “Brahmapootra," after & river of that 
name in India. Certainly, the Doctor could not 
have selected a place more suitable to his pur¬ 
pose unless it was Timbuctoo, in Africa ; for tho 
world at large, and poultry-breeders iu particu¬ 
lar, have little to do with that region. 
Mr. Miner would have me Bay, “ The Brahma 
fowl are as plentiful iu China, Birmah, India, 
and in the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, as 
they are in the United States." I said no such 
thing. I said the “ Gray Sfianghai, Brahma, 
Cochin and Tonquin China fowlB are now found 
throughout China,” etc. 
- . Of 500 vines treated in this 
way, not one has been injured by phylloxera or 
poison. 
BOB” SLEIGHS 
A very strong and convenient construction 
for “bobs”ia here presented. It 
recommends itself to farmers or 
lumberman because of its simplicl- 
strength and durability. The 
Mil rUuner8 !iro S-H independent of each 
Hfl >ther, allowing it to carry heavy 
oads over uneven ground without 
jiBnra drain. The runners are so wide 
I (four inches) that the load is car- 
« I 'fled very steadily, without sinking 
■ pr Into soft snow, and tho draft is 
I much lighter thau common in * “bob” 
v sleighs on either a soft or hard 
track. It Is low enough to bo easily 
loaded, handles easily where any 
\ sleigh can be used, ia made of the 
<1 best material, and put together and 
^ finished in a workmanlike manner. 
While it is in every way superior, 
Mi it costs about one-third less than tho 
common sleighs, aud should, wo 
{aj\ would suppose, meet with eonsid- 
| 1 jnjAerable favor among men with suf- 
'kj 1 ftcient discernment to know a good 
thing when they see it. 
^R*dE| The Bradley Manufacturing Co. 
HKlof Syracuse, N. Y., are the makers. 
■Hi These runners were shown on the 
Wl grounds of the New York State Fair 
™ at Rochester, aud elicited favorablo 
comments by visitors, both on ac¬ 
count of the neatness of the design 
their adaptability to their intended uses. 
