this is possible,what special food the land needs, 
and what special food it is already provided with, 
so that the farmer may not spend his money in 
the purchase of what he already has an available 
stock of on hand. 
or fifteen days—begin to cultivate; don’t wait 
for the weeds—it is the corn wants the culture. 
Early culture gives the plants a start, and they 
grow all the better for it; follow the horse cul¬ 
tivator with the hand-hoe, carefully freshening 
the soil in and about the hills and plants. A 
second dressing needs to be given in ten to twelve 
days when the plants should be thinned to six 
or eight; no more than four to six should be 
from the side whence you wish him to start to 
the other, is the proper motion, accompanied 
with the cry “ Around them I” Always call bis 
name before giving any order, and be sure to 
make the directing motion with your hand. To 
teach him to drive Lehind the Sock in whatever 
direction you wish to go while leading on ahead : 
get the flock in a lane, yourself in advance, and 
if the dog undertakes to follow you, drive him 
or an tnose interested in these two great indus¬ 
tries. Notwithstanding the protection now re¬ 
ceived, sheep-breeding has decreased east of ibe 
Mississippi River in ten years more than four 
millions in number. The truth is, growing 
sheep for wool will not pay in all this vast 
regrtm, but it can be made to pay with mutton as 
the basis. Fifteen hundred sheep are now sent 
in the carcass weekly in the refrigerators to for¬ 
eign markets and the demand is gradually in¬ 
creasing and would increase faster if there was 
enough of first-class mutton to be had. 
Hie same is true of the domestic demand. 
We want more and better mutton and this will 
beget more consumption and, of course, greater 
demand. The farmers east of the Missis¬ 
sippi, want to take hold of the subject and 
work it out to a successful conclusion. Tho 
sheep interests are of such magnitude and 
importance to this country that Congress 
cannot permit any material reduction in the 
protective duties, which will jeopardise these 
interests. West of the Mississippi, sheep breed¬ 
ing has increased many millious within ten years 
and will go on increasing very fast if the wool- 
growers i re protected. In these vast areas of 
country growing sheep for wool is a profitable 
business. Tho woolen interests are now being 
carefully watched by a competent committee 
who are authorized by the late conference to 
take such aotion as may be deemed best, having 
received full and complete instructions in regard 
thereto. 
CULTURE OF BROOM-CORN. NO. 1 
W. H. WHITE 
To grow the finest and best brush for which 
broom-corn is grown, requires proper soil and 
thorough preparation, good seed, seasonable 
planting, clean culture, timely harvesting, with 
suitable preparation for market or working, 
i equiremeuts essential to tho economical pro¬ 
duction of any farm crop. 
The tall-growing variety is tho kind to which 
my experience and observation are limited, and 
it. is the sort generally grown iu New England, 
ibe dwarf may be as good, bnt having never 
seen it tested, I am not qualified to recommend 
it. I have heard it condemned as growing brush 
too Blender, on some soils, which would be a 
serious objection. The seed should be selected 
rom growing plants, previous to harvesting the 
general crop. Choose thoeo plants which are 
the earliest and most healthy, with fine, long, 
thick and compact brush. Let the seed ripen 
before cutting from the stalk, if possible in the 
hold, if not, cut at the roots and shelter from 
freezing ; then ent, dry, and thresh it separate 
from tho general crop, running it through a 
fanmug mill to clean it of all light and immature 
seed. Save it through the winter, as yon would 
any ohoice seed, where it will be free from 
vermin, moisture, or liability to heating, etc. 
^uch a course of selection confinued for a term 
of years, will surely improve auy variety, pro- 
iucing fine crops and thoao likely to escape early 
^avid. Ju. Pittsfield, Pike Co. Ill. asks what 
ails some of his flock of thirty sheep: lately 
five ewes were taken ill very suddenly, and for 
over two weeks continued getting better and 
relapsing alternately. Then one died, three 
were killed to put them out of their sufferings; 
the fifth got well and is raising twins. They 
held their heads very high, would lie down and 
stretch out their feet stiffly and remain so un¬ 
til helped up. Sometimes they would eat a 
little meal if it was held up to them. They 
all had dead twins. None of the remaining 
sheep were affected. Some said worms” 
and turpentine was given without effect; others 
said “poison'and strong coffee was adminis¬ 
tered without doing any good. The dead ani¬ 
mals would have been opened, bnt they were 
so offensive even before their death, that the 
operation waB impossible. 
Ans.—A lthough it is impossible to decide for a 
certainty from this description, there seems little 
room to doubt that those sheep wore affected 
the hummibiru 
auowed to mature in a hill. If the plants do not 
thrive to suit, give them a dressing of ashes and 
plaster--gypsum—mixed, about a tablespoonful 
to the hill, at or before the second hoeing. This 
dressing is a good one even when the young corn 
looks satisfactory. 
The after culture may be principally done 
with the horse-hoe, taking care to keep down all 
weeds, and to keep the crop thriving. As much 
as possible Bhould be done by horse labor, but 
clean, thorough culture is essential and especial 
attention should be given while tho plants are 
young and small. 
Worcester Co.. Mass. 
eve uu mm ana sing out occasionally “ Drive 
them tip ! To irain him to bark whenever you 
wish, make a fuss yourself and so get him ex¬ 
cited and then sing out “ Speak to them !” 
. What makes a sheep-dog a shepherd, is the 
instinct, natural or acquired, which leads him to 
trot to and fro behind stock, aud a well trained 
animal will take as much pleasure in driving 
sheep as curs do iu following a wagon. Always 
treat the dog kindly and rationally, and when 
compelled to whip him, when it is over pat him 
on the head to show you don’t bear malice, aud 
to prevent him from sulking. 
Darwin tells us, in his Researches into Natural 
History, that iu Banda Orieutal, South America* 
it is a common thing to see flocks of sheep 
guarded by ono or two dogs, at a distance of 
some miles from any house or man. The method 
of canine education there practiced, consists in 
separating Die puppy, while very young, from 
its mother and in accustoming it to its future 
companions. A ewe is held three or four 
TRAINING A SHEEP DOG 
MvtsF. V. B., Caneseraga, JV. Y .-Commence 
breaking the pup when not older than six 
months. Pups from well-broke parents and an¬ 
cestors on both sides of tho kennel are most 
likely to prove sensible and easily trained The 
best place to train the 
driving sheep on a 
in a month than iu 
summer. ' 
mind your word ; call to him kiudly by 
if he doepn't 
Layoil farm manure gives Die corn a lino 
art, and a lively fresh green color. 
important item, in growing a good crop, is 
mg and pulverizing the soil preparatory 
, and this is one which is apt to receive too 
tention generally. Plow deep and well, 
ko the soil fine by harrowing etc. This 
doue in spring, about the same Dme 
plow aud fit our ground for Indian corn, 
out the rows, preferably north aud 
la giving a bettor sun exposure, three 
irt < ' vith a one-horse plow, aud in these 
ace the fine well-rotted manure, three to 
per acre, thirty inches apart for the iH _o .. 
prefer bill to drill culture for convenience Punishment follow tho offeuoe 
:e *. Tt essential that tho plants start ifc Can t 1,0 Administered Ikon 
quick growth at once, as they are some- 
>uder, having only a slight hold m the 
d are easily affected by unfavorable 
• It is not best to plaut till Dio soil 
»ni, following Indian coru rather than 
pup is on the road. In 
journey, he will learn more 
herding on a range during 
The first thing is to teach the pup to 
_ J name, and 
come at once, pinch his ears uutil 
ho learns prompt obedience. A couple, or more 
severe floggings are an almost iudispei,sable 
part of a pup’s training, but be sure he knows 
for what offence ha is being whipped. Let the 
-J promptly, aud if 
. - J i don't whip him an 
hour or two later, or when he has forgotten all 
about the matter. Nearly all directions to the 
pup should be given by motion of the hand iu 
Dio direction you wish him to go, and always ac¬ 
company the voice by motion of tho hand. After 
your pup has learned to mind the word and is 
trained to march back and forth from one side 
of the flock to the other at the sweep of your 
hand, commence to teach him to pass up the 
hide of the flock. To do this make a motion with 
your baud up the side you wish him to go, 
throwing your arm out as you would to direct a 
man beyond tho reach of your Yuice ; aud call 
out Awayup!” until begets hold ofyeur mean¬ 
ing. io teach him to go clear round a flock aud 
so tnru them towards you, repeat the motion of 
sending him up tho side uutil he gets partly 
round the held of the flock and then call him 
down on the opposite side. After he has once 
learnt to go round the dock, a sweep of tho arm 
HUMMING BIRDS, 
The Hamming Bird in ail its genera and 
species is peculiar to this Western Hemisphere 
and the adjacent islands. They belong to tho 
larger family of trochilicUe, of which there are 
Ibree snb-families, the wedge-tailed humming 
biidB, the curved-billed hummiug birds, and 
the straight-billed hummiug birds. The most 
brilliaut species adorn the tropical forests 
where they flit and flutter amid the rich drapery 
of the orchids, whose splendid blossoms rival 
the beauty of these “ glittering fragments of 
the rainbow," as Audubon aptly calls them. 
As the distance from the tropics increases 
WOOL - GROW 1NG AND THE TARIFF. 
Thebe has been an important conference be- 
tweeu the wool-growers and tho woolen manti- 
factm era in regard to proposed changes in tho 
tariff as it now stands. Tho poiioy agreed upon 
was to oppose any modification or redaction in 
the duties upon foreign wools and woolen fab¬ 
rics. The present tariff was adopted ten years 
ago and was the result of careful aud thorough 
consideration on tho part of the representatives 
