42 
JAN. 21 
turns in fattening cattle than either corn or 
oats.A manufacturer whose 
mill is near Dr. Hoskins’s farm in Vermont, 
and who is a liberal minded man, says he 
hardly ever raised a hand’s wages voluntarily 
without spoiling him. The unsettling effect 
of a little prosperity is a discouraging fea¬ 
ture in such cases. This is no doubt true in 
some cases, but not in all. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Illinois. 
Rockford, Winnebago Co., Dec., 31.— 
Crops in this vicinity are good ; prices have 
been ditto. Farmers are looking happy. We 
are having remarkably mild weather for this 
time of the year, with a great deal of rain. 
The plow is going on sod I see as Iwrite. T. l. 
] own. 
Norway, Benton C!o.. Dec. 20.—We are 
having a muddy time of it this Winter— 
nothing but mud, mud. Crops of all kinds 
were short this year; some of the farmers 
will not have grain enough to feed through 
the Winter. Corn is worth 50 cents per 
bushel; oats, 30 cents; potatoes, 1.25; eggs, 
20 cents per dozen; butter, 22 cents per 
pound, and hogs §5.30 to §5.40 per 100 
pounds. s. t. s. 
Kansas. 
Edgerton, Johnson Co., Dec. 31.—We are 
having a very mild and open Winter here so 
far, with no indication of a freeze-up yet. 
Wheat is looking splendid. Farmers have 
been busy plowing for Spring crops. Stock 
of all kinds are looking w ell, and not consum¬ 
ing nearly the amount of grain usual at this 
season of the year. The chinch bugs are all 
dead. Wheat is worth §1 to §1.15 per bushel; 
corn, 00 cents; oats, 50 cents; flaxseed, §1.25; 
German millet, §1; potatoes, §1: apples, §1.50, 
hay, §5 per ton; butter, 25 cents per pound; 
eggs, 20 cents per dozen. Hogs are worth 
§5.50 per 100 pounds, Everything is pros¬ 
perous and our Grange is booming, a. b. d. 
Peoria, Franklin Co., Jan., 2.—So far we 
have had one or two snows and some rain. 
The roads have been very good most of the 
time. M. B. p. 
Kentucky. 
Antioch Miles, Harrison Co., Dec. 27.— 
Owing to the drought this has been a poor 
crop year in this part of Kentucky; coni not 
more than one-third of crop; wheat very 
light; tobacco half a crop. The growing 
prospect looks fine and a large acreage was 
sown. l. w. c. 
Missouri. 
Rensselaer, Ralls Co., Jan. 4.—Weather 
warm and rainy. It hasn’t frozen hard 
enough to make ice on creeks yet. Corn 75 
cents a bushel; wheat §1.30; the best oats, 45 
cents. Vegetables of all kinds scarce. Hay 
§15 to §20 a ton. G. r. h. 
Montana. 
Bozeman, Gallatin Co., Dec. 30.—Gallatin 
Valley, the largest agricultural valley of 
Montana Territory, is about from 4,800 to 
5,000 feet above the level of the sea, and is 
well watered and timbered. Farmers have 
to depend largely on irrigation, as the Sum¬ 
mers are generally very dry. Crops, except 
the hay crop, turned out good and command 
good prices: wheat, 80c. per bushel; oats, 
§1.50@1.?5 per 100 lbs.; potatoes, §1.50 per 100 
lbs. Among the fruit trees which I planted 
during the Spring of 1880 the following kinds 
survived the last severe Winter and made a 
free growth during last season:—Apples: Te- 
tofslcy, Duchess of Oldenburg, Pewaukee: 
Transcendent, nyslop, VanWyck, Crabs: Red 
Astrachm, dwarf ; Early Strawberry, dwarf. 
Pears: Clapp's Favorite, dwarf; Howell, 
dwarf; Doyenne d’Ete, dwarf: English Mo- 
rello Cherry ami Utah Hybrid Plums and 
German Prune. The following trees froze 
down to near the ground or were killed out¬ 
right:—Apples: Rummer Pippin, Hurlbut 
Stripe, Ben Davis. Red June, Northern Spy, 
Winesap: Lady Elgin, Crab. Plums: May 
Duke, Belle Magnifique, Early Richmond, 
Cherry and Yellow Gage. Currants, goose¬ 
berries and Turner’s Raspberries succeeded 
and fruited well. a. g. 
New York. 
Ottoville, Putnam Co., Oct.. 29.—We 
have what I may call Spring weather. Wheat 
had a good start, before Winter, but it is very 
thin; one-eightli was destroyed by the fly : a 
good deal of the early-sown had to be sown 
again. S. B. p. 
North Carolina. 
Henderson, Granville Co., Jan. 3.— Your 
North Carolina correspondents seem to be 
rather negligent in reporting the agricultural 
and horticultural results of the past year; but 
probably the great drought which continued 
until November 1, caused others as well as my¬ 
self to feel that there was but little to report 
upon, and though we were not obliged to call 
upon the world for assistance, yet we had 
bub faint hearts to write of our poverty- 
stricken condition. Cotton was less than half a 
crop and of fine quality. None stained, as 
there were no bolls after the 1st of August, 
nearly all might have been picked early in 
October. Corn less than half a crop and now 
selling at 90c to §1 per bushel. Tobacco made 
a miserable growth, and when the season ar¬ 
rived for cutting, the leaf was so sapless that 
it wits almost worthless, curing black instead 
of yellow, consequently curing was postponed 
for rains to improve the plant, which when 
they did come-were soon followed by frost 
which entirely destroyed the remaining por¬ 
tion of the crop. Fruit, with the exception 
of early peaches, was a full crop and was 
sold at fairly good prices, grapes netting about 
five cents per pound, and apples §1 per bushel. 
The last two months of 1881 brought us ex¬ 
ceedingly fine, pleasant weather. Fall work 
was well closed up; double the usual acreage 
of wheat was sown, which now gives fine 
promise of an abundant harvest. Our first 
really cold weather came on the la-st day of 
December, followed by four inches of snow 
on New Year’s Day, with the mercury down 
to eight degrees above zero on the morning of 
the 2nd. M. B. p. 
Yanckyville, Caswell Co., Jan. 3.—Wheat 
is] not largely grown in this section, tobac¬ 
co being the chief crop depended on for 
money, but wheat this Fall has been more ex¬ 
tensively sown thau for many years, the 
drought and the frost having injured the to¬ 
bacco. The wheat came up splendidly, and is 
looking better at this season than I have 
known it in a long while. The area, I think, 
is one-third, some say one-half, more than 
usual. The season since the rain commenced 
has been fine. The yield of com was far bet¬ 
ter than anyone expected. Mercantile busi¬ 
ness has been and is now very good. Corn is 
selling at SO cents per bushel; wheat about 
§1.50 per bushel; country pork from §8.75 to 
§9. The labor is in a fair condition. Dan¬ 
ville, Va., is our chief market for tobacco. J.c. 
Ohio. 
Jeromeville, Ashland Co., Dee. 26.— Our 
wheat in this section was good, averaging 
about 17 bushels to the acre—running from 11 
for poor fields to 30 bushels for the best, Corn 
a middling crop. Oats good. Potatoes 
scarce on account of bugs. Fruit in some 
localities good, but generally poor. Prices of 
produce are: Wheat, §1.33; corn, 00c; oats, 
40c; potatoes, §1.20 to §1.25 Our Fall-sown 
wheat looks well. I set out 84 plants of the 
Cuthbert Raspberry this Fall from the plants 
the Rural sent me two years ago. From 
Mold’s Ennobled Oats sent out one year ago, 
I have 24 pounds. I shall give both kinds an¬ 
other trial next Spring. w. r. 
Oregon. 
Tangent, Linn, Co. Dec. 30.—Weare having 
hard times in Oregon on account of the low 
price of wheat—75c. per bushel. The shippers 
and millers are so well organized that all com¬ 
petition in the purchase of wheat is destroyed. 
A great deal of last year’s crop aud this 
year’s is held for better prices, and the result 
is hard times for the farmers of this coast. 
We hope for better times in the near future, 
and 1 think we are all ready to hail De Les- 
seps as a public benefactor if lie will hurry 
the canal through the Isthmus, Secretary 
Blaine and the Monroe Doctrine to the con¬ 
trary notwithstanding. r. l. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
Natrona, Alleghany Co., Jan., 5.—The 
weather was very mild until the last day of 
December 1881 ; since that date it has been 
very cold and snowing a little. Wheat is 
worth §1.30 ; oats, 50c ; corn 85c ; potatoes, 
§1.10 ; butter 36c ; eggs, 30c. s. s. F. 
Verm out. 
TROY, Orleans Co., Dec. 30.—We are having 
a queer Winter for Northern Vermont; first 
it snows, then it rains. The weather is not 
much colder than it was last June. Lum¬ 
bermen are wishing for snow and wondering 
why it doesn’t come. I am much interested 
in Messrs. Holmes and Sweetland’s descrip¬ 
tion of the Northwest, but would it not be 
justice if they were to write something about 
the mud, floods and high winds, the death¬ 
dealing “blizzards,” long Winters and intense 
cold, etc.; in other words, give us some of the 
drawbacks as well as the advantages i d.a.b. 
West Virainia, 
New Martinsville, Wetzel Co., Dec. 28. 
—We bad the driest Summer for 20 years and 
consequently light crops; wheat, about 80 per 
cent, of an average crop; corn, 60 per cent.; 
oats, 50 per cent.; hay, 80 per cent. 
RURAL SPECIAL SEED REPORTS, 
Canada. 
Nantisoke, Haldimand County, Jan., 4.—I 
have taken the Rural for 20 years and like it 
very much. Am well pleased with the seeds 
sent out last year. The White Elephant Po¬ 
tato was splendid, I have a good half bushel 
' from the one small tuber. The oats did well, 
but they were destroyed just before they 
got ripe. The sorghum did well ; it grew 
about eight feet bigb ; had seed, but 1 am not 
sure if it got ripe enough to grow. J. L. 
Illinois, 
Illiopolib, Sagamon Co., Dec. 31.—The 
White Elephant Potato was cut into 22 
pieces. I planted them about the same time I 
planted my Early Rose—Mayl. The Elephant 
blossomed before the Rose, and was still in 
bloom when the bloom on the Rose had died. 
About the first of Sept. I dug 25 pounds of 
nice-looking tubers. I would not take §5 for 
them if I could not get any more. The sor¬ 
ghum did extra well. It grew eight to 10 
feet high and ripened nicely. I have plenty 
of good seed from it. The flower seeds did 
remarkably well. The oats the chickens and 
rabbits ate up. J. w. 
Rockford, Winnebago Co., Dec., 31.—The 
White Elephant was of the smallest breed I 
should think—less than two ounces, but it 
had ten eyes. 1 cut it into ten pieces, and 
planted them in a row about 15 inches apart. 
On August 31 I dug 46 pounds, many of ex¬ 
traordinary size, smooth and tempting to look 
at. The asparagus did well. The oats were 
a failure. The flowers were splendid, t. l. 
Indiana. 
Marion, Grant Co., Jan. 3.—I planted the 
flower seeds in boxes March 25, transplanted 
them when large enough into other boxes pre¬ 
pared to receive them, and when the weather 
became war® transplanted them into the flow* 
er beds. I had 110 dianthus plants; all lived, 
and w hen in bloom they were the greatest 
variety I ever saw. I lifted and took to the 
cellar 26 largo plants of pinks, pieotees and 
carnations. Next Summer 1 expect a fine 
show r from them. The White Elephant Po¬ 
tato when received was killed by the dry rot, 
hollow' in the inside and dry black all through. 
The asparagus came up aud grew' nicely. The 
Rural Branching Sorghum seed all grew. I 
had a row about 120 feet long, drilled in. It 
grew'nicely; I counted from 10 to 20 stalks 
to one grain. I cut some and the stools threw 
out new shoots, w hich grew some eight and 
some ten feet high, and all the dry weather 
did not affect it any, w hile the sweet corn suf¬ 
fered. I have Rural Branching Sorghum and 
Dianblms Pink seed for suln. J. H. Fi, shell. 
Iowa. 
Norway, Benton Co., Dec. 26.— On May 3 
1 planted 13 eyes of the White Elephant, and 
dug 29 pounds of fine potatoes. The Wash¬ 
ington Oats lodged and smutted badly, but 1 
got a quart of seeds. The Branching Sor¬ 
ghum bid not do much; the chinch bugs both¬ 
ered it. The asparagus came up enough, so 
we w ill have a nice bed if it does not wint er- 
kill. The carnations and pinks were perfectly 
lovely. S. T, s. 
Kentucky. 
Antioch Mills, Harrison Co., Dec. 27.— 
Rural Branching Sorghum burned up by hot 
sun—not a single mature seed. I cut the White 
Elephant into It pieces with an eye in each 
and planted them in 11 hills; had two potatoes 
nearly as large us a hen’s egg anti 15 others, 
some not larger than a common marble. Of 
the Washington Oats I saved about one quart 
of seed—planted on stable manured land; had 
some smut. Of the asparagus not a seed 
came up. Flower seeds in the seed box on the 
shelf. L. w. c. 
MichiefH.il, 
Benton Harbor, Berrien Co., Jan. 2.—My 
White Elephant Potato was planted in the 
hot-house and when the shoots were six inches 
high, they were broken off with the rootlets 
and five of these rootlets planted. Then I cut 
the potato one eye to a piece, and planted; 
the drought was too much for the latter, but 
the former did well. I dug about one-half 
peck from them, one potato weighing one 
pound or over. The oats were quite smutty. 
The Rural Branching Sorghum did well, con¬ 
sidering the drought. The asparagus did not 
come up. The flower seeds that came up were 
handsome. w. g. 
Montana, 
Bozeman, Gallatin Co., Dec. 10. — The 
White EFphant Potato, whicli I received dur¬ 
ing the.first part of July, was cut into nine 
pieces and planted in as many hills. The vines 
made a very rapid growth until they were 
killed down by the September frost. Al¬ 
though the potatoes did not arrive at their 
full maturity, I harvested 26^ pounds of fair¬ 
sized tubers, which I save for next year’s 
seed. T think the White Elephant a very val¬ 
uable acquisition in the potato line. The 
Washington Oats yielded well, but smutted 
badly. a. o. 
Skalkaho, Missoula Co., Dec. 31.—The Ru¬ 
ral Branching Sorghum will not thrive here— 
nights too cold. It all came up and stooled 
out wonderfully, but did not grow over two 
feet high. I thinkj.it would stand drought | 
well, as I could scarcely plow through the 
roots this Fall. Cow peas will not grow to any 
extent, or dent corn, because of the cool 
nights, though wo raise tomatoes, watermel¬ 
ons, squashes, square corn, etc. The White 
Elephant yielded largely of large potatoes. 
The Beauty of Hebron I raise in place of Early 
Rose. It is as early aud of much better qua l¬ 
ity. The Washington Oats yielded large 
heads of smut; other oats were more smutty 
than usual. Flower seeds did well, for the 
gift, of which the Rural has the special thanks 
of the other side of the house. The Cuthbert 
Raspberry is hardy here; so are the Gregg, 
Mammoth Cluster aud Davidson’s Thornless; 
Herstine, half-hard}'. All small fruits do well 
and yield abundantly. w. b. it. 
New York. 
Big Creek, Steuben Co„ Dec 24.—My 
White Elephant had 11 eyes. I put them in a 
hot-bed on May 4th and sprouted them and 
made cuttings of the young growth until I 
think I had about 130 lulls, one plant in the 
hill. They made a fine, stocky, large growth 
and blossomed very profusely, but did not set 
well, 1 think owiug to the drought. I did not 
get much of a crop—only 172 pounds, or 
eight pounds short of three bushels. I have a 
few very nice potatoes, and will have seed 
enough to give the variety a fair trial next 
year. My crop this year was mostly Rose 
Magnum Bonurns ; they do very well here. 
The Washington Oats I planted in rich gar¬ 
den soil ; the}' grew too thick and smutted 
pretty bad! v. Asparagus came up very well 
and I have some very nice plants. Of the pinks 
I had a very nice bed. D. S. Me Callum. 
Champion, Jefferson Co., Dec. 28.—The 
White Elephant Potato did well. From seven 
eyes that grew I got 29 pounds. Tli9 Wash¬ 
ington Oats rusted and smutted very badly, 
but with all that drawback 1 got half a bushel. 
The sorghum made a very strong growth; 
I saved some ripe seed before the early 
freeze. c. H. 
Great Valley, Cattaraugus Co., Dec. 81.— 
My small White Elephant had 11 eyes; from 
them I got 11 pounds of tubers, and thought I 
had a large yield until I read of so many 
much larger. The Washington Oats grew four 
feet high; there was a little smut, hut I got 
four quarts of grain. The Sorghum grew six 
feet high and hail from five to 27 stalks to a 
root. We had a drought that fairly turned 
corn brown within three rods of the sor¬ 
ghum, which was perfectly green. I cut the 
product of a root that had 27 stalks; in three 
weeks the second growth was two feet high 
with 85 stalks. Of the asparagus I have 
about forty plants one foot high. The flower 
seeds did well; the women think they are 
nice. s. t. 
La Grangevillk, Dutchess Co., Dec., 26.— 
The last Rural seeds gave good satisfaction. 
My White Elephant Potato hud nine eyes ; 
eight sprouted; yield pounds of splendid 
tubers, the only decent potato I raised and 
I had three-quarters of an acre of other kinds. 
The oats grew finely : there was some smut, 
but the heads were large and fine. The stalks 
grew over live feet high. My turkeys got at 
them and eat most of the oats ; what 1 saved 
I shall sow another season. The asparagus 
grew finely. The sorghum I think w ill prove 
a good fodder plant; at any rate I shall try 
it more extensively next season. The pinks 
did not do very well, but it was no fault of 
theirs. J must speak of the Acme Tomato 
sent out in a previous Distribution ; w e have 
tried many varieties, but do not find any we 
think quite as good. The fruit is solid, 
smooth and good in every respect. J. w. s. 
Plattsbuho , Clinton Co., Jan. 3.—My 
White Elephant Potato had 17 eyes. I plant¬ 
ed one in a hill and they all grew; yield, 37j>£ 
pounds. The sorghum did not do much. The 
oats smutted badly, so I did not save any. 
The flow'er seeds did w'ell and so did the as¬ 
paragus. j. s. B. 
Ohio. 
Jeromeville, Ashland Co.—I planted the 
Washington Oats April 21, four inches apart 
each way. They made a large growth, but 
they lodged before filling and smutted badly; 
yet in spite of all the mishaps I got five quarts 
of good oats and intend to give them another 
trial in the Spring. My White Elephant 1 cut 
into 15 pieces aud planted them 16 inches apart, 
but they were too close to the oats and so I 
had no chance of working them, but I made 
a compost of hen manure, chip dirt aud ashes 
and mulched with it. They made a fine 
growth, but the drought was too severe for 
them to make a good crop; but 1 dug 100 
tubers, 50 of marketable size. I intend to 
plant them all next season. I planted two 
rows of each sort of asparagus, blit have only 
six plants of each growing. They did very 
well considering tho drought. The Rural 
Brandling Sorghum did well. I planted it 
May 15. When it was up there came a heavy 
rain which washed it almost out. I re¬ 
planted it, but before it w'as up there came 
another shower that washed it out the secon 
