742 
the rubai. wew-yorker 
ilUV. 40 
the recent Dairy Show held at the great Agri¬ 
cultural Hall at Islington, near London, the 
highest prize was won by Mr. Wodehouse s cow 
« countess.” She was exhibited with her twin 
calves and the group waB g reatly admired. Her 
general outline is well shown io the engraving 
which we present, hut the photograph seems to 
be a little oonfuaed about the calves. Tlieie 
were, however, two nice calves which gave 
evidence of abundant nutrition and promise. 
Ceuntess’e pedigree is what Short-horn men 
would call a very “plain - ’ one, but her form 
was exoellent and though her udder and teats 
were not perfect, they were good aud certainly 
serviceable. The sire of the calves was shown 
also, a tine “Knightly” bull named “Royal 
Havering 2nd” who was got by 3rd Duke of 
Geneva, an exported bull, and out of Mr. McIn¬ 
tosh’s “ Lady Knightly,” a cow which was im¬ 
ported into this country. _ 
Eastern breeders value milk-giving qualities 
in a Short-horn. There is something so tangi¬ 
ble and satisfactory about the production of 20 
or 30 quarts of milk a day that we cannot blame 
farmers for favoring families which are con- 
\tantly paying for their own keep in this way; 
av 1( i it is a question which may well be mooted 
whether the grade cowb of any other breed 
wiU^equal the Short-horns ac m:’k-producers. 
* 1 AN ITALIAN' BULL. 
A bull of the Yaldi-Chiana breed of Tuscany 
was shown with other cattle of the same kind at 
the cattle show connected with the Paris Ex¬ 
position, by Mr. Land! of Florence. The ac¬ 
companying engraving is from a pho.ograpb 
and must represent the animal very accurately. 
These cattle are of a tawny gray color, varying 
to light dun, the oxen being long-horned and of 
belter form than the bulls. They are a fair type 
of an miimproved breed, slow-maturing, heavy- 
boned, coarse, thick but lopee-hided, slab-sided, 
making little miik and poor beef. The picture 
offers a striking contrast to those of the well- 
bred animals exhibited in this number of the 
Rural. 
__ « M 1 
JERSEYS IN THE WEST. 
Ose very noticeable feature of our leading 
Western Fairs during the season j ust past, has 
been tbe prominence,in point ot numbers at least, 
of the Jerseys. At St. Loui3 they outnumbered 
all other breeds combined. X notice that the St. 
Lonis correspondent of the Rural puts toe 
number of Jerseys at 135, but according to Mr. 
Fillet, the very efficient superintendent of the 
cattle department, the actual number was 165, 
five better than at the Centennial aud the largest 
collec^on of the breed ever seen on this conti¬ 
nent, and in point ox quality not very far in the 
This liberal patronage of the St. Louis 
Fair on the part of Jersey breeders, is largely 
due to the fact that the management was among 
the first to recognize their rights as exhibitors. 
The fashion in those parts, as in fact all over the 
country, has been to discriminate in the matter 
of premiums In favor of the Short-bonis, and in 
many places it has only been by dint of the 
most persistent efforts that, the Jersey men have 
been able to secure j edges who had any ftdeq uate 
knowledge of the Jersey breed. Something of 
the character of the obstacles they have had to 
contend with, was shown by a remark made by 
one of the officials, who stood in very intimate 
relations with the cattle department of the In¬ 
diana State Fait , at Indianapolis. It was to the 
effeot that he regarded the introduction of 
Jerseys as an actual detriment to tire cattie in¬ 
terest of the State. Hia words and his manner 
Indicated that, in his estimation, the manage¬ 
ment was conferring no inconsiderable favor 
upon tbe Jersey exhibitors in permitting them 
to show thoir stock. 
But, in spite of this prejudice, the little Jersey 
is very rapidly puBhing its way to the front. Some 
sales made at St. Louis were quite significant. 
Mr. Jackson, who had on exhibition 51 of the 
Beech Grove Herd of Indianapolis, including 20 
of iiaiater importation, sold to Gen. Guitar, of 
MoT&X head for the sum of twenty-seven hun¬ 
dred dollars, or an average of $450 per head. 
Another exhibitor sold a two -5 ear-old heifer for 
esojh 1 Even Jersey grades are looking up. A 
neighbor of mine has just sold sixteen head, 
mostly yearlings, for eight hundred dollars. 
SLnfe the first of January hs has sold two 
thousand dollars’ worth at prices similar to the 
above, and finds a demand far beyond his 
ability to supply. G. L. Wrens. 
“ heeled in” over winter. But when it is possi¬ 
ble to procure those freshly dug, give me spring 
planting every time. Neither should the plant¬ 
ing be done too early in Bpring. Let any one 
sot a portion of his trees or plants in the fall, 
and reserve a portion quite late the following 
spring, until growth has commenced, then have 
them freshly dug, and immediately set out. and 
compare results. The better plan is to prepare 
the land thoroughly in the fall, have it all 
marked, and then the planting will consume 
very little time and, as I believe, it will prove 
more satisfactory to defer this until spring. 
Currants, Strawberries, and perhaps, Rasp¬ 
berries are exceptions to this rule. The argu¬ 
ments that by fall planting the earth becomes 
firmly settled about the roots by the time growth 
commences, has no force. Ooe should “fltmly 
settle the earth about the roots,” at the moment 
they are planted, trusting nothing in this way 
to t ime or change, as neither will be likely to 
“ patch up” his neglected job. 1 have set trees 
in the fall and, under certain circumstances, 
may do so again; but under no sort of circum¬ 
stances will I ever set grape vinos until late in 
the Bpring. Where freshly dug vines can be 
procured, I prefer to wait until the buds have 
started. When they are shipped from a dis¬ 
tance, this is, of course, impossible. 
Such are my opinions upon this eubjeot. Oth¬ 
ers m&v, aud probably do, think differently. 
Nelson Ritter. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
---<-*-*- 
Fifth Annual Report of the Commissioner 
of Agriculture of the State of Georgia, for the 
year 1878. This has one great merit, rarely 
found in such works—it is very short, only 26 
pages. 
bor and taste, and no one o&n fail to have per- 
oeived the great advantages which accrue to any 
farming neighborhood by the advent of one or 
more amateur agriculturists who work with 
golden plows and spades. There may be some 
heart-burnings at first, but in the end the hard¬ 
working man gains in knowledge, and is justly 
grateful for the information he has obtained 
without cost, aud finds that the new processes 
put money in his puree. 
THE BEST TIME TO PLANT TREES, 
PLANTS, ETC. 
The argument so generally advanced in favor 
of fall planting, that farmers have more time in 
-fall.than in Bpring to do their work properly, iB 
one that cannot be overlooked, and yet it does 
not seem to be quite conclusive. 
.If trees and pteata must be shipped long dis¬ 
tances, the fall is undoubtedly the best time to 
do It. 1 Bhould much prefer to have trees set 
•where they are to stand, than to have them 
DAIRYING AND DAIRY COWS OF NEW 
ENGLAND. 
E. GOODMAN. 
FAVORITE BREEDS OF DAIRY COWS. 
During the last fifteen years a great change 
has taken place in the character of the cows 
used for dairy purposes in New England, and 
the Sbcrt-boma, Jereeya and Ayrahires have 
been substituted largely for the old mixed breeds 
in addition to being bred for Bale to the Middle 
and Western States. 
The Durhamb or Short-horns, are not wen 
adapted to the pasturage of New England, and 
many of the early breeders of this stock have re¬ 
moved to richer preserves in New York or nearer 
the setting sun, while nearly all those who con¬ 
tinue the business here confine themselves to 
the old-fashioned Short-horns, more noted for 
hardiness and milk-producing qualities than the 
high-priced, beefy Duchesses and other illus¬ 
trious families. 
The Jersey s have crept steadily into public 
favor, not only as family cows, but as the most 
useful for large butter dairies, and they are 
now numerically at the head of the list- More¬ 
over, buyers from the West and Soutu aie con¬ 
stantly making drafts upon the herds of New 
England, and this will continue until,as a breeder 
from Illinois remarked, every woman at the 
South and West bas a jersey cow. 
The Ayrshiees have continued to improve in 
the estimation of those whose business is the 
production of milk, and with the J ersevs, have, by 
crossing, added largely to the better qualities of 
the mongrel stock of the country which has. in 
fact, only been kept up to fair condition by tbe 
constant use of blooded bulls. The action of 
the State Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts, 
which authoritatively controls the thirty So¬ 
cieties of that State, in prohibiting them from 
giving premiums to grade bulls, has had a de¬ 
cidedly beneficial effect, and now that pure-bred 
and registered bulls can be had of all the pro¬ 
minent breeds at reasonable prices, the farmers 
are adapting themselves to ihe new conditions 
with tbe best results. 
The Dutch, misnamed Holstein, cattlo are, to 
some extent, in favor, aud a few Swiss are to be 
found, but the Jerseys and Ayrshires take the 
lead and arc pre-eminent in their special depart- 
ments. , , ,, 
Two marked results are noted as Ihe conse¬ 
quence of the growing attention vo these fancy 
cattle, as they were formerly slightingly called, 
namely, greater care aud attention to the animals 
themselves and their surroundings, and a better 
quality of product, including calves, butter and 
milk. Just eb the youngster who owns his colt, 
takes pride in its keeping and grooms it carefully, 
so the owner of thoroughbred, high-priced 
stock gives attention to their appearing well, 
keeps the byres dean, beds with saw-dust or 
poor hay, increases the milk and butter pro¬ 
duction by judioious feeding, and carefully rears 
the calf which will bring a good cash price when 
six months old. The’great benefit of fancy farm¬ 
ing by wealthy men, is that It incites those who 
have not so much money to spend to imitate 
their 11 usher neighbors in those improvements 
and appearances whioh can be arrived at by la- 
6ALE OF GILT-EDGED BUTTER. 
Naturally following Buob attention to details 
have been the more excellent quality of butter 
and quantity and quality of milk, and tho con¬ 
sumers of the latter now, as a general rulp, oo- 
tainit free from the impurities of the stable 
and other vile odors ; whilst tbe lovers of good 
butter and even those who have acquired a taste 
in Europe for the delicate flavor of that com¬ 
pound there, can find in every large city an ar¬ 
ticle equal to that made anywhere iu the world. 
When consumers avo willing to pay a dollar a 
pound for it, and the guests of hotels call for the 
brands they prefer as they do for wine or cigars, 
butter-making has become a fine ait, and in the 
hands of the Darlingtons of Pennsylvania, Starr 
of Echo Farm, Conneotiout; Burnett of Massa¬ 
chusetts, and others who might be named with 
them, it has become a profitable and oonBtantly 
increasing business. In nearly every town or vil¬ 
lage jn New England to which city residents resort 
during the Bummer months, there will be found 
one or more farmers who make Jersey gilt-edged 
butter, aud got for it double the prioe obtained 
by their neighbors for their inferior product, 
and their customers who ‘mow how thus to 
discriminate between the best and .its inferiors, 
engage their butter for the ensuing winter to be 
made and sent weekly in small amounts. Thus, 
in addition to the large quantity of high-priced- 
butter sold by the large family grocers, and 
that specially delivered by the agents of noted 
makers, great numbers of families in the cities 
are direotly supplied from the country with 
fresh-made butter, in quantities ranging from 
five to ten pounds a week, at prices from 50 to 
60 cents a pound. Nearly all the hotels and 
clubs in New York, Philadelphia and Boston re¬ 
ceive from private dairies their best quality of 
table butter, and no one of any taste can fail to 
discern the great improvement in this artiole at 
such places during the paBt Jive years. The 
wealthy people, as a rule, only purohaEe this 
quality of batter for their own table, letting their 
grocers supply that used in cooking, but they are 
beginning to find out that good butter is even 
more essential for the latter purpose than to bo 
eaten directly; for the bad used for culinary 
purposes has to be eaten, and in fact there will 
Boon be but two kinds of butter—the very good 
and the very bad, and oleomargarine will be 
substituted for the latter, if it continues to be 
manufactured in as cleanly a manner as at pres- 
ent. . . 
Cheese .making haa almost entirely devolved 
upon factories, and there are a few creameries 
which make an excellent quality of butter, and. 
BS they increase in number, the quality of butter 
generally will advance, but the real gilt-edged, 
sought by the epicure, the refined in taste and 
those addicted to the article as found in the 
capitals of Europe, can only be made in private 
establishments,where the best cows yielding the 
richest homogeneous milk, are properly fed and 
oared for, and all the appliances are of the best 
sort, and the art of buttor making is understood 
in all its details. Such batter will always com¬ 
mand a paying price, and as tho wealthy deni¬ 
zens of the cities are constantly demanding it, 
there is a wide aud comparatively unimproved 
field for the intelligent aud ambitious dairymen 
of the Eastern States, as well as for those near to 
the markets of the large cities of tho Union. 
Milk from some daries is now transported iu 
quart or half-gallon glass vessels, and delivered, 
sealed up, direotly to families who oan thus be 
sure of a oie&n article with the cream on top, 
which can be skimmed off for the coffee and the 
balance fed to the baby, without danger of re¬ 
sulting diplheria or other malarial diseases. 
Berkshire Oo., Mass. 
for them ? The American Merino is a muoh 
better developed animal than the Spanish Me¬ 
rino, and the beet American flocks will not Btand 
anything like the neglect of the former without 
Berious injury. The Indian is more hardy aud 
can stand more exposure than the most civilized 
European or American, but this fact is hardly to 
be taken as proof that Indian civilization is pre¬ 
ferable. 
There is a great deal too much nonsense about 
this or that improved breed being leaB hardy and 
requiring more care than the common, thin, un¬ 
improved stock of the country. If Bakewell had 
not improved the method of breeding and feed¬ 
ing the Leicester sheep, it would have remained 
as long-legged, thin, and slab-sided as ever. 
All improvements in breeds of sheep have been 
accomplished by better food and greater care 
than had theretofore been given, and if this im¬ 
proved condition is to bejnaintained, then, there 
18 R NECESSITY EUR A FULL-FEEDING SYSTEM 
to be kept up through the entire season. Thege 
improved breeds are more profitable feeders, 
requiring less food for a pound’s growth than 
common sheep. The question then that proper¬ 
ly comes, is, not how little food is necessary to 
keep sheep in store condition, but how much 
food canbe digested and assimilated consistently 
with health. The more food sheep can digest 
within a given time, the greater will be the per 
cent, of gain and therefore of profit. The Bkill- 
ful feeder will watch the condition of his past¬ 
ure and tbe condition of his sheep, and see that 
they are supplied with abundant food at all 
times. An increase of condition always brings 
an increase of fleece. 
There are usually Boveral classes of sheep 
kept; as breeding ewes, lambs, young ewes and 
wethers. Tho breeding ewes should be kept in 
good condition, not fat, and they are not likely 
to got in too high a condition after suckling 
lambs through the summer. They should be 
kept well in fall preparatory to breeding again. 
Ewes will require as good feed to recover what 
they have lost iu milking as wethers will to get 
fat. A strong, healthy ewe is likely to bring a 
vigorous lamb, which will develop early for mar¬ 
ket, if desired. But any neglect in fall feeding, 
after the weather becomes cold and stormy, will 
tell most disastrously upon breeding ewes and 
the lambs they will bring. 
SHELTER FROM STORMS 
is absolutely necessary for economical feeding. 
No flock-owner can afford to dry the drenched 
fleeces of his sheep with extra food. This extra 
food should go to put his Bheep in better con¬ 
dition, instead of being expended in keeping 
them warm daring exposure to cold storms. Open 
sheds should be provided, accessible to the sheep 
in fall, and no labor will be required to induce 
tbem to avail themselves of this shelter. They 
know enough to “ get in out of the ram. Here 
also should be arranged Borne troughs iu whioh 
oonld be placed dally a pint of gram for each 
Bheep, when tbe pasture becomes impaired by 
being eaten too close or injured by frost. Oats 
and corn, mixed half-and-half, form a good 
ration, and will pay an excellent profit when fed 
to improve the condition of sheep in fail- R 
should be remembered that tho iniid fall weather 
is much more favorable to improving the con¬ 
dition of sheep with a email grain ration (ban 
the cold winter woathe*. Half the anjoum o 
grain will then put on a pound of flesh, that will 
be required when the thermometer averages 
_ .. II._UhfV 
20 degrees. When the weather becomes very 
cold, cood rations arc required to prevent loss 
in thin eheep instead of producing gain. Sheep 
that are in good condition at tho hegimung ot 
winter, are not troubled with cold and will gam 
on a moderate ration all winter. 
Erie Co., N. Y. 
®|f loiiitra garb. 
FALL MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 
PROFESSOR E. W. STEWART. 
hardiness of improved breeds. 
It is olaimed by Borne who keep the hardy 
Merino, that the Long-wools cannot be fed with 
profit in our rigorous Northern climate; that 
they require so muoh more attention, and so 
much better feed, that it is only contending 
against nature to attempt it. This opinion, 
however, is quite extreme aud held only by those 
who desire a breed of sheep that require little 
attention. The same accusation may be brought 
against all the improved breeds of cattle, as com¬ 
pared with the wild Texans and the scrubs of the 
Western plains. The magnificent Short-horn is 
not as capable of enduring the rigors of a cold 
winter on what it oan pick through the snow as 
the Chillingham Park cattle; but are' they 
thence to be discarded and the latter substituted 
HATCHING CHICKENS. 
Prepare v box 15 inches cube, closed on all 
sides but the front, on which nail a narrow 
opposite the egg place, leaving an opening 
l0 w. so ns to be able to clean it tho more easily. 
Place in it a Bod. grasd sido up. If ' u ‘, 
is warm, place tho eggs directly on the so 
moisture; if oold, cover it with cut 
straw may entangle tbe hen’s feet-do tot « 
hay, as it is apt to get musty ; level the h 
of tho sod, to prevent breakage of eggs, 
eggs get soiled, wash them with warm wa.er 
itaoe tho box io o retired place 
the rooits and from other fowls. 
should be somewhat different fromJhu 
boxes to prevent mistakes, auu • . . 
general appearance, to nrnke the hen feel at 
home. Generally Brahmas end Coetanfl »^ 
moved and set almost anywhere. 3iedm ' • 
Zu are leas likely to break tint eggs-Set 
from 9 to 15 eggs, the number depending on 
weather and size of the fowl and egg . 
outside arc apt to bo cbilM m cold wea bon An 
odd number is preferable, because then - ^ 
rangemeutof them more nearly appro xima, 
°txamine the ben carefully to see if she is ^ 
from lice , if she is, set her after dark on some 
