APRIL II 
and belts of timber are beginning to improve 
the appearence and climate of the prairies. 
Omaha, Douglas Co. jr. t. a. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Oakland, Brant Co., Out., March 30.—We 
had a very open Winter—no sleighing. Wheat 
looking well; a large acreage sown last Fall. 
Old clover meadows are badly hurt. J. R. 
Indiana. 
La Orange. La Orange Co., March 28.—The 
outlook for wheat is very promising, the acre¬ 
age a fullaverage and it looks splendid. I have 
never seen it promise any better at this time 
of year. After the mild Winter all fruit ti-ees, 
berry bushes und strawberry vines are in vig¬ 
orous life, so that the prospects for fruit are 
very propitious. Stock is looking well, and 
feed is tolerably plenty. Money is abundant 
and all the farmer has to sell brings good 
prices. Professional grumblers are scarce 
and have no stock. Real estate is changing 
hands lai'gely at advanced prices, and all 
kinds of improvements are moving forward. 
The sluggard will surely be left behind. 
Spring work is forward in consequence of the 
mild Winter. Do not think it flattery when 
I say you surely have struck the right key¬ 
note in conducting the good old Rural New- 
Yorkkr. I take great pleasure in perusing 
its columns. n. s. 
Iowa. 
Utica, Van Bureu Co., March 38.—Our 
Winter was quite open, with a good deal of 
rain and very bad roads. There was more 
Winter w T eather in March (the first month of 
Spring) than in the whole of Winter. Not 
much Spring work has been done yet, as the 
weather has lately been very unsettled. 
R. J. 
Kansas. 
Clayville, Wilson Co., March 35.—Wheat 
looks well. Too wet- for plowing, but farmers 
are forward with their Spring work. A good 
deal of oats have been sown and some corn 
has been planted. Gardens have also been 
made where the ground was prepared last 
Fall. Peach trees in bloom: prospects for 
fruit crop, good. Grass starting finely on the 
prairie. Feed scarce, but after a few days of 
warm weather cattle will do well on the 
prairie grass. w. m. f. 
Pennsylvania. 
Light Street, Columbus Co., March 38.— 
Wheat in this section went in to Winter 
with a very little top and root, 
on account of the severe drought 
of the past Summer and owing 
to the very late sowing, as there 
was very little sown until after 
Oct. 1st to 15th. Where fertilizers 
were sown with the grain it 
had a much better top, and has 
stood the freezing and thawing 
of the Winter much better than 
when manure alone was used. 
I thiuk, with a favorable wheat- 
growing Spring, it will make 
two-thirds of a crop. The honey 
season was one of the poorest I 
have experienced for fifteen years. 
Colonies went into winter quar¬ 
ters with mostly old bees and 
short of stores, but the Winter 
being very favorable, at no time 
were they confined to their Lives 
more than a few weeks without 
their having a fly, aud by Spring 
feeding I do not think there will 
be many colonies lost. I have 
lost none to this date. The Shu¬ 
maker Wheat has been grown in 
this valley for the last ten years, 
and when first introduced the 
millers were as unwilling to buy 
it as they have been with Claw¬ 
son, but after a few years it ranks 
in favor both as to flour and yield 
as good as Lancaster. h. h. b. 
Washington Territory. 
Klickitat Landing, Klickitat Co., March j 
84,—The Winter has been a very open one, but 
little snow has fallen, and all kinds of stock 
have come through in good condition. There 
is a surplus of grain and potatoes at moderate 
prices. Seeding is progressing finely; acreage 
somewhat larger than last year. Immediately 
along the Columbia River (where I live) fruit 
prospects are very good. G. w. B. 
late and was cut only once. Asparagus fine. 
Flowers made a beautiful display. H. L. 
New York. 
Farmingdale, Queens Co.—My 13-eyed W. 
Elephant was cut to single eyes and planted in 
13 hills—yield about a peck of tubers neither 
very large nor smooth, {hough they are good 
to eat. W. Oats smutted badly—yield four 
quarts. R. B. Sorghum came up badly, but 
stood the drought admirably, not wilting 
during the hottest, driest days. The aspara¬ 
gus and flowers came up, but, being planted 
on clay soil, they made only a poor growth on 
account of drought. j, c. M. Jr, 
Pennsylvania. 
Circleville, Westmoreland Co.—My 19- 
eyed W. Elephant was cut into 38 pieces, plant¬ 
ed iu 38 hills, and with ordinary cultivation 
yielded 183 pounds of good-sized tubers, much 
more closely resembling the Beauty of Hebron 
than the cut given in the Fair Number of the 
Rural. I value them very highly, as the 
potato crop is a very valuable one with me. 
Silver Skin did the best with me last season, 
and is A No. 1 in every respect. w. s. R. 
Duke Center, McKean Co.—From my 
eight-eyed W. Elephant I raised 23)^ pounds 
of very nice potatoes. The carnations did not 
grow. The pinks were very nice indeed, near¬ 
ly all double and fragrant, except one, which 
was white, and it was very large. The other 
seeds we gave away. a. j. vv, 
Texas. 
Will’s Point, Van Zandt Co.—My 17-eyed 
White Elephant, planted in 17 places, after 
promising well, was utterly ruined by 
drought—arrived here too late. The R. B. 
Sorghum was planted in row3 three feet apart 
and 20 inches in the row, one seed in a 
hill, in good average sandy prairie soil, culti¬ 
vated five or six years without manure. 
About 80 per cent, of the seed germinated, 
and under good cultivation, grew until about 
five feet high, with from eight to 16 stems 
from each seed, when the dry weather checked 
its further growth and it remained stationary 
for about six weeks, when the Fall rains 
commenced. It then continued its further 
growth until about 10 feet high aud the seed 
formed, but I fear did not mature sufficiently 
to grow. A portion of the crop was cut and 
fed to stock, when about six feet high. A 
second growth immediately started and grew 
about four feet high, and with about twice 
the number of stems there were originally. 
It is, without doubt, a wonderful fodder 
plant. The oats made a fine growth, about 
four feet high, but the grain was very light 
with smut. My asparagus all came up and 
did very well. The sorghum I think all came 
up, but our climate is too cool in Summer I 
think. It did not produce any seed and only 
short stalks. c. t. p. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
LAW RELATING TO SALE OK TOBACCO BY 
GROWERS. 
J. L. P., Worcester, Mass. The main points 
in the editorial article on tobacco licences in 
the Rural of March 18, last, are disputed by 
every one to whom I have spoken on the sub¬ 
ject. I have no doubt but a little explanation 
of the article would open the eyes of many to 
the real condition of the laws on the subject 
and do much good. 
A ns. —We take it that the “main points’’ 
that are disputed are:—1, that the tobacco 
grower is permitted to sell his crop only to li¬ 
censed dealers or by getting a license himself; 
2, that the revenue for collecting the tax 
amounted to only $580 last fiscal year, while 
to collect it cost $10,000. The first point cov¬ 
ers all the statements made with regard to the 
laws governing the sale of tobacco, such, for 
instance, as that “a fanner is forbidden to 
sell a few pounds of leaf tobacco to a neighbor 
for a sheep dip without- paying a special tax,” 
etc. We may say here that the article 
“Needed Relief for Tobacco Growers,” above 
referred to, was written after reading, in 
the Congressional Record, the official re¬ 
port of the discussion that took place 
in the House of Representatives on Mon¬ 
day, March 13, with regard to the bill intro¬ 
duced by Mr. Dibrell, of Tennessee, providing 
for an amendment of the laws relating to to¬ 
bacco sales. Quite a large number of Congress¬ 
men took part in the debate, which was quite 
lengthy, so that we merely gave the pith of 
the matter. All the facts mentioned by us 
and many more, were spoken of by the sup¬ 
porters or opponents of the proposed amend¬ 
ment. Wbat, however, is the law in the mat¬ 
ter ? We have just received from the Office 
of the Internal Revenue, in Washington, a 90- 
page pamphlet entitled “ Revised Regulations 
Concerning Taxes on Tobacco, Snuff, and Ci¬ 
gars,” and containing all the laws now in force 
relating to the taxation and sale of home- 
raised tobacco. On page 3 we find this: 
1. “A special tax of $35 is imposed upon 
every person whose business it is, for himself 
Garden Lilies.—After Robinson’sJWild’Garden —See'page 352.— Fig. 125. 
RURAL SPECIAL SEED REPORTS. 
Ulnssacli us l- tts 
Middlefield, Hampshire Co.—My two 
small W. Elephants, cut'iuto 35 pieces, planted 
18 iuehes apart in the row, yielded 45 pounds 
of tubers, in spite of injury from cut-worms. 
The W. Oats grew rank with a good deal of 
smut, but they were rained by a heavy rain 
and wind storm. About half the seed of the 
R. B. Sorghum Bent up stalks. It was planted 
there was a large proportion of smut. The 
asparagus did quite well, about 70 per cent, of 
seeds growing and attaining a hight from 10 
to 20 inches. H. 
West Virginia, 
Kearneysville, Jeffetson Co.—I cut my 
W. Elephant into 13 pieces one eye in a piece; 
all did not come up on account of the great 
drought; they did well, however. The aspar¬ 
agus seed all came up well. I soaked them for 10 
days in warm water and they grew about six 
inches high. About half of the R. B. Sorghum 
came up; the drought had no effect upon it 
and the seed ripened. I have one pint. J. a. h. 
Wyoming Territory 
Stilacoom, Pierce Co. My 11-eyed White 
Elephant was planted in 11 hills with one eye 
in each—product, 36 pounds of beautiful pota¬ 
toes, very uniform in size. W e cooked a few 
to try the quality and they are as good as any 
that I have seen. My oats grew very strong 
and produced a good crop, but were troubled 
or on commission, to sell, or offer for sale, or 
consign for sale on commission, leaf-tobacco : 
and the payment of any other special tax does 
not relieve a person who deals in leaf-tobacco 
from the payment of this tax. 
“ The statute limits the right to sell under 
this special tax to three classes of purchasers, 
viz.: 1. To other dealers who have paid a spe¬ 
cial tax. 3. To manufacturers of tobacco, 
snuff, or cigars. 3. To persons known to be 
purchasers of leaf-tobacco for export, and who 
purchase only in original hogsheads, cases, or 
bales. Any leaf-dealer selling to other per¬ 
sons, or in other manner than as above, be¬ 
comes a retail dealer in leaf-tobacco, and lia¬ 
ble to pay a special tax as such.” 
At bottom of same page and top of next we 
find this: 
“ Retail dealers in leaf-tobacco are required 
to pay a special tax of $500, and if their an¬ 
nual sales exceed $1,000, they are made liable 
for an additional tax of fifty cents for every 
dollar in excess of $1,000 of their sales. 
“ The retail dealer in leaf-tobacco, as defined 
by the statute, is any person whose business it 
is to sell leaf-tobacco in quantities less than an 
original hogshead, case, or bole, or who sells to 
persons other than the following three classe 
of pin-chasers, viz.: 1. Dealers in leaf-tobacco 
who have paid a special tax as such. 3. Manu¬ 
facturers of tobacco, snuff, or cigars, who have 
paid a special tax. 3. Persons who purchase 
in original packages for export. The payment 
of any other special tax will not exempt a 
person who 9ells leaf-tobacco as hereinbefore 
stated from the payment of the special tax as 
a retail dealer in leaf-tobacco.” 
On page 5, under subhead “Exemption from 
Special Taxes,” we find this : 
L “Farmers and planters, for selling to¬ 
bacco of their own production, or tobacco re¬ 
ceived by them as rent from tenants who have 
produced the same on their lands, are not re¬ 
quired to pay special tax as dealers in leaf-to¬ 
bacco. 
“ The executor or administrator of a farmer 
or planter, and the guardian of any minor, is 
exempted from the payment of special tax as 
dealer in leaf-tobacco tor selling tobacco pro¬ 
duced by such farmer or planter, or by said 
executor, administrator, or guardian as such, 
or received by either of them as rents from 
tenants who have produced the .same on the 
land of said farmer, planter, or minor. 
“ A farmer or planter is not required to pacK 
Of prize his tobacco, before offering it for sale, 
in hogsheads or otherwise, but he may sell it 
loose, as he has heretofore been in the habit of 
selling. If, however, the farmer or planter 
shall sell directly to consumers, or if he sells, 
assigns, consigns, transfers, or disposes of his 
tobacco to persons other than those who have 
paid special taxes either as leaf-dealers or as 
manufacturers of tobacco, snuff, or cigars, or 
to persons purchasing leaf-tobacco for export, 
he becomes liable, as a retail dealer in leaf-to¬ 
bacco, to the special tax of $500, and to the 
additional tax of fifty cents on every dollar 
in excess of $1,000 of his sales.” 
It therefore appears that, while the tobacco- 
grower is exempt from taxation for s ellin g his 
product to licensed dealers, if he sells it to any 
one else (to a sheep owner for a sheep-dip, for 
instance), he becomes liable to be taxed as a 
retail dealer. Of course, all breaches of the 
law are not known to the revenue officers, 
and these sometimes, for one reason or another, 
do not prosecute even all known violations of 
the law; but there is abundant opportunity 
for malicious persons to cause a world of in¬ 
convenience for thoughtless infractions of the 
law; and in our article a few out of many 
instances of such inconvenience were men¬ 
tioned. Green B. Raum, Commissioner of In¬ 
ternal Revenue, is authority forth© statement 
that the taxes collected from this source last 
fiscal year amounted to only $580, while the 
cost of collecting this sum was $10,000. 
ticks on sheep. 
E. H. T., Perryville, N. Y. —How can I rid 
sheep of ticks? 
Ans.—T he best way to get rid of these 
pests is to dip the sheep in 
some liquid that will kill the 
injects. Of the various prep¬ 
arations used for this purpose 
Crysilic Sheep Dip, and Little’s 
Chemical Sheep Dip are as good 
as any. A very effective dip can 
also be made of a decoction of 
tobacco mixed with sulphur at 
the rate of, say, four pounds of 
tobacco and one pound of flowers 
of sulphur to twenty gallons of 
water. The water is brought to 
a boiling heat and the tobacco 
—either coarse, cheap leaf or 
stems, which are just as good— 
is steeped (but not boiled) in it 
until the strength is exhausted. 
The sulphur is then stirred into 
the liquid. When the tempera¬ 
ture has fallen to 120 ©, it is ready 
for use. During the dipping the 
temperature of the decoction 
should be kept about this point 
by the addition of fresh, hot 
liquid, and the mixture should be 
stirred to prevent the sulphur 
from subsiding. The sheep are 
entirely immersed in the liquid 
except the head, and kept there 
a minute or two so that the wool 
is completely saturated. The 
dipped animals should be kept in 
a yard until the wool no longer 
drips, lest the pasture should 
be fouled and the sheep sickened by the tobac¬ 
co juice. After ten days the dipping should 
be repeated to destroy any newly hatched 
mites. Another remedy in less severe cases is 
to rub the infested parts—usually the side of 
the neck and the inner parts of the thighs and 
arms—with some of the following prepara¬ 
tions: lard, one pound; flowe.sof sulphur, two 
ounces; creosote, 20 drops. A pint of sweet 
oil may be used instead of the lard. 
TREATMENT OF HEAVES. 
O. T. S., Savannah, Oa. —Wbat should be 
the treatment of heaves l 
Ans. —There is no certain cure for heaves, 
or broken wind, in horses. The ailment is 
almost exclusively confined to mature ani¬ 
mals. It is due mainly to the use of feed of a 
bulky character, but dusty hay and grain, as 
well as clover hay, are also prolific causes of 
it. One form of it is generally produced by a 
hard gallop or other severe exertion after a 
full meal, in the South the disease is gener- 
