fioient in the rudimentary branches which had 
to be taught in large partin the colleges, leaving 
but little time for the more practical education, 
and then boya did not see much attraction in 
digging ditches andhoeing potatoes. They could 
learn that at home; they came to college to 
learn science, etc., soil was very difficult to uuite 
study and manual labor, notwithstanding the 
eloquent theories to which they had listened. 
The next subject discussed, sheep husbandry 
and wool-growing, occupied an entire evening 
and was concluded on Thursday. 
The following resolution was offered : 
H l ieep husbandry in the United 
i “S' T'utb its products of wool and mutton, its 
value in fertilizing the soil, and its adaptability 
to every section of the country, ia eminentlv a 
mihoual industry. Its extraordinary progress in 
jnstilies the national protoc- 
- )a * 'con afforded to it, and warrants 
tl L fct ni ?. c! , hau K° m the revenue 
demanded 'Z lo thi « “dnfttry is 
terests ” by <JOn8 “ erat,on of national in- 
This subject was argued in a most exhanstivo 
manner by Messrs. Cochran, of Virginia ; Dean, 
of Maryland; Curtis, of Now York j Colonel 
Aiken, of South Carolina,- Beverly, of Virginia; 
J. It. Dodge. Agricultural Department; Klip- 
part, of Ohio; Morton, of Nebraska, and 
Homes, of Virginia. 
At the evening session tho subject of inland 
transportation was discussed. 
Senator Wiudom, 
man, Maryland ; executive committee, W. C. 
ria Sg, J- Periara, and E. Whitman. 
Professor J, D. Warfield offered the following 
resolution, which was also adopted: 
Iiesoloed, That this body hold semi-annual 
sessioue ; and that when we adjourn it will be 
August m ^ 6W iraV0Q the laet Taesda y in 
The above report ia only of a part of the pro¬ 
ceedings, but that is the most important part. 
The Forestry convention met at Washington 
Feb. 26th, when Mr. J. A. Warder, of Ohio, 
the 11 esident, delivered an interesting address 
on forestry and its needs. Essays were submit¬ 
ted by J. c. Nearly, E, K. Price, and Mr. 
Thompson, respectively on wintering of fruit 
trees, sylviculture and forestry. The society 
closed its meeting on the 2Sth by the adoption 
of tho following memorial and the appointment 
of a committee, consisting of Professor Brewer 
of Connecticut; Dr. J. A. Warder, Ohio; and 
Mr. J. A, Saul, District of Columbia, to present 
it to tho United States Congress : 
“ That the subject or forestry and tree-plant- 
ingin all their bearings upon timber production, 
water supplies, and climatic influences, is a mat¬ 
ter of vast importance to I he future of onr con¬ 
tinent. 
Those of us who have at all considered the 
subject realize how sadly this branch or agricul¬ 
ture has been negleoted in our country, and we 
feel tho necessity for immediate action, and for 
the fostering aid of tho General Government, 
Moreover, those of us who have already made 
some advancos in tho great work of foresting 
the lands that have been stripped of their prim¬ 
eval covering of trees, as well as those of us who 
are making attempte to clothe with woodlands 
the open prairie regions of onr vast interior ba¬ 
sins, all alike, are fully impressed with the mag¬ 
nitude of the undertaking, and are diacourape/t 
I judge fowls would get one-half of their subsis- 
tance from it. 
In respect to its growth, my experience is 
this : I cut one plant at the middle of Septem¬ 
ber, and in exactly 30 days afterwards, I ent 
again and weighed the leaves, finding them six 
pounds. This from one plant only ! One acre 
will take 4820 plants, set three feet apart, there¬ 
fore at tho same rate, an acre in thirty days 
would yield over fourteen tons! It is asserted 
by European growers that it will spread it 3 roots 
(not runners or seed), so as to entirely fill all the 
space between tbe plants in about two years. 
This food-plant I consider of great importance 
to the agriculturist, as it is so productive under 
widely varied climatic conditions. The roots 
the beautiful farms it would be very pretty if 
done as stated. 
Hurdles, if kept in sufficient numbers, and 
with them some easily movable contrivance to 
give shade in summer, could be used so as to 
supersede the soiling of animals, by having 
them at the homestead and hauling homo crops 
aud hauling away the manure afterward. Crops 
ot iyo, clover, millet, sowed corn, rape etc. 
could be folded off and the crop mowed daily or 
two or three times per day, and given to them 
m any kind of rack found most convenient. 
This is done on many farms in England with 
sheep, but if hurdles were made heavy enough 
cows or stock of auy kind, could be penned over 
the crops in a similar manner and tbe moving 
of the hnrdles and the means of affording shade 
would not ho more trouble than hauling home 
the crop. Moreover, there would be a clear 
saving of tbe labor necessary in cleaning out 
immure and taking it into the field, as it would be 
dropped regularly over the ground where the 
crop grew. 
There is no doubt but that this kind of soiling 
will be adopted through a greater part of tbe 
year at the North and the whole year round in 
the South within another century, because no 
other system will renovate the land so well aud 
economically and cause it to bear full crops. 
The consumption of a crop of clover or of anv 
crop in this way, Lt s tho advantage of pro vent¬ 
ing waste by the stock treading on and injuring 
the herbage, while it saves the full quantity of 
urine, too much of which is lost at a farm home¬ 
stead. 
Any American gentleman, in order to fully 
appreciate the merits of this hurdle system 
spring, liiose who Jive in towns and have only 
a very limited space available for vegetable 
growth, would bo able within a few square yards 
to grow enough Prickly Comfrey to keep a cow, 
pig, or even a horse, and to supply a large part 
of the food needed by poultry, and a careful re¬ 
turn of the manure would permanently maintain 
the productiveness of the soil. 
I hope if any of the readers of the Borax, hare 
bad experience of this plant adverse to that above 
stated, they will kindly give the result of their 
trials, so that a wider experience may be at¬ 
tained ; but I hope in suoh case the writer will 
add to the value of his report by subscribing his 
name and address. G. A. Wilcox 
Gosport, N. Y. 
No contribution is ever admitted into the 
columns of the Bubal unless its fidelily and 
originality aro vouched for by- tho name aud ad¬ 
dress of the writer. For various reasons, how- 
of Minnesota, made the 
opening address. After ably discussing the gen¬ 
eral question or cheaper inland transportation, 
he announced his belief that transcontinental 
water transportation, by aid of Congress,was tho 
only solution of the difficulty. 
Tho Hon. Mr. Hayes, of Michigan, followed 
m a very exhaustive argument to show that the 
interference of the Federal Government for the 
regulation of commerce between the States, was 
an absolute necessity and the only mode of 
breaking up railroad combinations and the ex¬ 
orbitant local freights now exacted of the far¬ 
mers or sections of the country who now raise 
produce for which no adequate remuneration 
xne non. Mr. Elliott, a member of the Agri¬ 
cultural Congress, scouted the idea of Govern¬ 
ment interference as not only an invasion of 
btate rights but a virtual adoption of a system 
of parenUlism, which should be left for coun¬ 
tries under kings and emperors, because con- 
tiaiy to the spirit of our Government. 
Hon. Mr. Dorr, of Illinois, sustained the "en- 
eral views of Messrs. W.udhom aud Hayes. 
The following resolution was offered: 
uorUtionTL T hf th °- aab ' iect of Wand trans- 
continent' for troi Z bts ^ 
producer, demand the infoIHgen^pnimpt'and 
UniSsStos"” 1 theCou « r <3^md people of the 
Hon Mr. Reagan, of Texas, also spoko on this 
subject. While opposed to subsidies as granted 
to railroad monopolies, he was in favor of a sub¬ 
sidy for the general benefit of the people. 
The Hon. Mr. Aiken, of .South Carolina, spoke 
m favor of the resolution, and was strongly 
against governmental subsidies to railroads, and 
aaid he should not object to a few millions to be 
expended for tho recuperation of the South. 
The pending resolution was then adopted 
Professor Brower, on behalf 0 f tho business 
mmittee, submitted resolutions of thanks to 
Mr. M O. McDonald, of Willard's Hotelto tue 
committee on arrangements and reception; to 
Messrs J. R. Dodge and Thomas B. Bryant for 
their labors in behalf of tho Congress j to tho 
of lllfn prG83; ftml to those membera 
th 1 luted ’ StatoB Congress who took part in 
c i discussions; also a resolution of heartfelt 
ympathy to their honored president, Mr. W. C. 
' a S£> hoping for his speedy recovery. 
tNTEH.-ST.VTK COMMERCE. 
fnif*" ^' l ioId8 ’ of Wisconsin, presented the 
fo lowing resolution, which was adopted : 
tion^a ■ d ’, That ifc is the «««» of the Na- 
Agricultural Congress that the National 
°" Sl,t 0OT “™ f «1* com- 
“ ™ ree poct(ul]y ur 6 o Ocngress now 
n session to take this matter into cLrim.r,. 
IRON HURDLES ON WHEELS 
The papers and Mr. Mice hi of Tiptree Hall 
celebrity, himself, tell us that for making fences 
and folds so that his stock might feed on his 
crops where they were grown, he uses iron 
hnrdkis on whet Is so that they can be easily 
moved. It is probable these hnrdles. with or 
without wheels, would bo cheaper for a number 
of years than any other kind of fencing, and if 
so, how very convenient it must bo to have a 
good stock of them ready to make a division 
wherever desired or to make pens for sheep to 
be kept from ranging into mischief! 
If these hurdles are painted green they are 
invisible at a distance, and the fields in front of 
any gentleman’s house, cau be made to look 
like a very large park; and if this were done in 
Orauge County, N. Y., where so much ia grass 
land; what a picturesque scene would be pre¬ 
sented by a herd of dairy cows, a line stud of 
horses, aud a numerous iloek of sheep, all in 
view at the same moment and apparently all in 
the purk! Yet this park might be in four equal 
divisions and tho aforesaid hurdles would he 
there though entirely invisible. 
In Orauge County, which is a great horse aud 
milk-producing district, such a disposition of 
BAD ROADS 
l’ROF. A. W. MANOUM, 
Among the very few Latin words planted in 
Britain by- tho Romans, in their first invasion, 
was strata, from which comes our word street. 
The Romans made roods, called strata; and 
these roads proved so 
lasting and convenient 
that they held their name through all subse¬ 
quent changes and convulsions, and transmitted 
the word through tho centuries to the present. 
They were a wise and enduring product of ad¬ 
vancing civilization- Roads have always been a 
criterion of the progress of a people. The rail¬ 
road is the fruit, the friend and tho inspiration 
of advancing art and science. But with all the 
facilities of transportation aud travel which 
steam-cars and their allies, the steamboats, fur¬ 
nish, there has always beeu, and will continue 
to be, great need of tho slower vehicles drawn 
by animals. The railroads are, in most cases, 
absolutely dependent on the country roads. 
What freight train ever moves a burden that is 
not, directly or indirectly, the result of work 
with carts and wagons ? And what train does 
not need to be aided by these humble vehicles, 
before its stores can reach those to whom they 
are sent ? 
Not only the convenience but, to an apprecia¬ 
ble degree, the profits of the producers iu our 
country are affected by the character and con¬ 
dition of the roads that lead to the market. 
Comfort, pleasure, clothing, from hat to boots, 
oxen, mules, horses, all kinds of private vehi¬ 
cles, precious time and golden opportunities ai -9 
all, to some extent, dependent upon them. Not¬ 
withstanding all these considerations, the coun¬ 
try roads in many parts of oven some of the old 
aud thickly-populated States, aro in a miserable 
condition. 1 have known a road within less tMu 
a mile of the capital of a largo State, not only 
dangerous, but almost utterly impassable by any 
kind of conveyance. And that road was an im¬ 
portant channel of supply to the market and 
PRICKLY COMFREY 
in a late issue you open your columns to the 
discussion of tho value of Prickly Comfrey by 
persons having practical knowledge of it. In¬ 
duced by reliable English and French authorities 
who strongly recommended it as an unrivaled 
food-producing plant, I purchased a number of 
roots for the purpose of exact trial as to what 
they would do in this country. About the first 
ot .Toly my plants were fairly growing, some of 
the leaves being six inches or more aboveground. 
Some time after this, I began feeding cows and 
horses with it. At first they refused the food, 
hut on running it through a cutting machiuo and 
adding a little corn-meal, they readily devoured 
it aud in two or three days they all greedily ate 
it. as cut. from the roots. Pigs and sheep in 
pens ate it readily without any coaxing. Iudeed 
they grew so very fond of it, that after a few 
days they preferred it to clover. My poultry 
also became fond of it just as soon os the sheep. 
It will therefore bo valuable iu poultrv vards 
