JULY 4 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
tWioits. 
FAT CATTLE AND SHEEP. 
Fairest Pastures In the World—Kansas 
par excellence the Home of Stock— 
A Trip through the State. 
MESSRS. HOLMES AND 8WEETLAND. 
[Special Correspondent!) of the Rural Nkw-Yorkkr.) 
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail¬ 
road bas adopted the peculiar title of “The 
Colossus of Roads,” and certainly a trip over 
the line will show that the choice of appella¬ 
tion was not ill-timed or inappropriate. 
In order to ascertain the opinions of those 
who were rich in experience in regard to the 
stock interests of the State, we tarried at 
several of the points made famous as centers 
for both the cattle and sheep raising. Larned 
is recognized as headquarters for sheep, nu¬ 
merous flocks of which are scattered through¬ 
out Edgewood, Stafford, Rush, Hodgeman 
and Ford Counties, and in greater or less 
quantities in all portions of the State, There 
is no interest which has grown with more 
rapidity in this State than sheep raising, and 
considerable attention is being paid to raising 
the grade anil the introduction of strains of 
pure-bred Merinos. It is a generally admitted 
fact that, although somewhat more expensive 
at the outset, pure-blood sheep are by far the 
most profitable to handle. 
The present Secretary of the State Board 
of Agriculture of Kansas has long and ear¬ 
nestly advocated the raising of more and bet¬ 
ter sheep in the State, and has gone so far as 
to say that it is his belief “there is not an 
instance on record vvhero sheep husbandry 
has been pursued with anything like the skill 
needful to success in other enterprises, that it 
has not been highly remunerative.” 
The growth of the industry which has really 
been remarkably rapid, cun be traced to direct 
causes. First, It requires less capital and can 
be conducted for the season at a much smaller 
expense (proportionately) than cattle raising. 
Second, the returns from wool and mutton 
are available the first year, thereby allowing, 
if desirable, additional investment and thus 
compounding interest. Third, there is a double 
source of profit. Fourth, sheep can be fed 
during the Winter and protected by sheds and 
corrals at small expense, owing to the mild¬ 
ness of most Kan¬ 
sas Winters. Fifth, 
th e dry atmosphere 
of the State, espe¬ 
cially of the south, 
central and west¬ 
ern portions, pre¬ 
vents disease from 
decimating the 
flocks. Sixth, the 
grazing during the 
Summer is abun¬ 
dant and nutriti¬ 
ous and the sea¬ 
son unusually long, 
and so we might go 
on ad in finilum. 
The Inter-Ocean, 
of Chicago, in a 
recent article upon 
this subject, re¬ 
cords a eouversa 
tion with Mr. G. 
H. Wadsworth, 
who has a ranch 
near Larned,show 
ing his investment 
of land purchased 
from the railroad 
company, houses, 
bams, corrals, 
sheds, wells, etc., 
and 2,085 sheep, to be $7,973, The total of his 
expenses for the first year—herding, feeding, 
losses, etc.—was $1,310. His receipts from 
wool, ewes, wethers and bucks sold, were 
$8,425.50. “ leaving him, at the end of the first 
year, with a net profit of $2,085.50, which 18 
a little more than 25 per cent, upon his capi¬ 
tal invested. It should be noticed that if the 
capital in sheep alone were considered, the 
profit would be more than 50 per cent.” The 
feed, which was all charged as cash paid out, 
was raised by himself. The expenses of the 
next year (1878) were $1,217; the receipts 
$4,278, leaving a net profit of over $8,000. 
Thus Mr. Wadsworth witnessed the growth 
and development of his chosen pursuit. He 
paid considerable attention to raisiug the 
grade by introducing pure-blood bucks, and 
now he is the possessor of a flock of sheep 
numbering over 13,000, valued at from $40,000 
to $50,000, and he has an income of at least 
$15 000 per year. A favorite plan of sheep 
raising by capitalists is the “ share" system, 
whereby some good man handles the sheep, 
feeds, markets, shears, etc., for 50 per cent, of 
the clip and increase—a plan which insures a 
profit to the investor and the farmer. There 
are also several stock companies who„ own 
many thousand sheep, and a gentleman who 
is a member of one informed us that the divi¬ 
dends last year were about 20 per cent. 
The number of sheep iu Kansas has in¬ 
creased 200-fold within the last two years, 
and the wool clip this year will not fall far 
short of 10,000,000 pounds. 
We will now revert to the cattle industry, 
which is, perhaps, the greatest in the South¬ 
west, many thousand cattle having assumed 
the proprietorship, for a season, of the vast 
plains once the home of the buffalo. One of 
the first farms we visited was that of S. F. 
Jones, situated a few miles northwest of 
Strong City. Mr. Jones came here from Colo¬ 
rado, and expresses himself as very much 
better pleased with his present home than he 
was with any of its predecessors. It is cer¬ 
tainly one of the handsomest and best ar¬ 
ranged farms it has ever been our pleasure to 
visit. It consists of over 7,000 acres, only 
about 3,000 of which are under cultivation, the 
remainder being used for a range. It is par¬ 
tially fenced with stone wall, and will be en¬ 
tirely so in meadows, so that his herd can have 
alternate fields for grazing. He is making a 
specialty of Hereford and Polled Angus, pure¬ 
bred, and grades, and has some very handsome 
thoroughbred bulls. His herd at present num¬ 
bers about 500. 
Mr. Jones has acquired wealth in the stock 
business, and has erected and arranged his 
buildings for comfort and even elegance. His 
residence is of stone, with plate-glass windows, 
exceedingly handsome architecture, and is fur¬ 
nished in city style; in fact, the house would 
be an ornament in any city. All of the other 
buildings—the butter and cheese cellar, smoke*- 
house, ice-house, barn, etc.—are also of stone. 
The bam is a monster, and so constructed 
upon a hillside that a loaded team can drive 
in on any floor and, turning around inside, 
can drive out. The farm is “ outfitted" with 
all improved machinery, feed mills, etc., and 
it seems as though every want had been amply 
supplied. 
We also visited the farm of Mr. Willoughby 
Makin, near Florence. This young man is an 
Englishman, and has expended about $25,000 
on his building improvements and stock. He 
has a comfortable stone residence, and all 
necessary barns and out-buildings. His farms 
consist of about 1,000 acres, with 350 cattle, 
mostly three-year-old heifers and yearlings 
for breeding purposes. He is also running to 
Hereford and Polled Angus for breeding bulls. 
Eastern markets require com-fed beeves to a 
much larger extent than formerly. 
From the annual report of the Drovers’ 
Journal, which is just published, we append 
a few observations. “The outlook for West¬ 
ern cattle growers is exceedingly flattering. 
The general average loss of cattle during last 
Winter was four per cent., against nine per 
cent, in 1880 and 1881. In the chief cattle- 
growing section the loss does not exceed three 
per cent. * * * The general condition of 
cattle on the range is reported 20 per cent, 
better than at a corresponding time in average 
years. Grass is rather more forward, espe¬ 
cially in the Southwest. The shipments from 
that region this year will exceed those of last 
year by fully 10 per cent,, and the average 
price is $4 to $4 .50 per head higher than last 
year. There is no disease anywhere except a 
few scattering cases of what is termed • black 
leg,' and the crop of calves is the largest 
known for years. ” 
These things make the outlook for the south¬ 
western region never better, and assure to 
stockmen fat profits as well as fat cattle. 
TR.VNSPLANTixe.-pU. Cat. Acad, of Design.]—Fio. 306. 
---- 
RURAL BRIEFLETS. 
Evidently many who write about Paris- 
green and London-purple and the best way to 
mix them, do not write from experience. 
Either may be used with water, which costs 
nothing, or with flour or plaster, which cost 
considerable, as those who have to apply it to 
acres of plants have ascertained. Applying 
either mixed with plaster, is the more effec¬ 
tual way, for the reason that the plaster ad¬ 
heres to all parts of the leaves when moist 
vi ith dew, v. bile applied iu water the poison 
Farm of S F. Jones, Strong City, Kansas.—Fig. 207. 
He has about 20 horses and 300 hogs—Poland- 
Chinas and Berkshires. He expresses himself 
as much pleased with the results of his ven¬ 
ture, reckoning his farm now at $40,000 with 
stock—a profit of nearly 33per cent, per 
annum, he having heen only two years in the 
business. 
In the western and southern portion of the 
State we find the vast herds of grass-fed cattle, 
while around the localities heretofore de¬ 
scribed the specialty is corn-fed stock. As 
the profit upon tins industry is about 30 per 
cent., many stockmen borrow money on their 
herds, upon which they can well afford to pay 
interest, to increase the number. It is said 
the increase in the number of cattle in t.e 
State for the last year has been over 50 per 
cent., and the papers all through the country 
unite in saying that stock-raising in Kansas 
will prove a mine of wealth. Dodge City is 
headquarters for the cattle trade of the South¬ 
west. The drive for the season of 1S83 is esti¬ 
mated ut 300,000 head. 
Immense herds of cattle range in the south¬ 
western portion of the State, where they graze 
and fatten upon the Buffalo and Mesquit 
Giusses of the plains; but the business is not 
as profitable now as in former years, as the 
settles only upon those parts which hold the 
water while it evaporates, leaving the undis¬ 
solved poison. London-purple is just as effec¬ 
tual as Paris-green if used in the right pro¬ 
portion as to the water or flour or plaster 
with which it is mixed. If too small a pro¬ 
portion is used, the beetles or grubs are not 
killed; if too large, the foliage is injured, The 
same may be said of Paris-greeu, but the mar¬ 
gin is greater. For instance, one part of pure 
Paris-green may be mixed with 75 parts of 
plaster and if thoroughly mixed, it will kill 
the beetle though, perhaps, it isbetter to apply 
it more liberally. It may be mixed with 40 
parts of plaster and the leaves will not be 
seriously harmed. Not so with the Purple. 
If one to 40 will kill the beetle, one to 50 would 
not—while one to 30 would in jure the foliage. 
Hence it is we have advised our readers to 
use the Purple cautiously, according to the 
directions we have given. The argument in 
favor of the London-purple, viz., that it is 
pure and ranch less in price than Paris-green, 
is a valid one. We prefer the Purple for our 
own use, but in the hands of a careless laborer, 
we should prefer the Green... 
Last year we made a note that Lenny’s 
Magnolia was hardier with ns than Soulange’s 
Magnolia. This year the reverse might be 
said. So much for the word “ hardy,” £s 
applied to the above. The LennA stood a se¬ 
vere Winter bettor than Soulansre’a; but was 
severely in jured by a milder Winter. Many 
of our shrubs, especially Weigelas, were de¬ 
stroyed nearly to the ground last Winter, 
while they have passed severer Winters un¬ 
harmed. Our Gingko, or Maiden hair Tree, 
was harmed last Winter for the first, and we 
might point out many other singularities of 
this kind which go to show that the word 
“ hardy,” as we have many times insisted, 
has no definite signification as applied to 
plant life....... 
It has been proved by experiments, that if 
the common Missouri Currant is trimmed up 
to a single stem, and with all the sap thus 
forced in one direction, it makes a hight of 
four or five feet, and at this hight the cur¬ 
rant and gooseberry can he grafted on it. 
Our friend, the Michigan Farmer, in which 
we find the above, is quite right. We have a 
two-year old Missouri Currant stem that is 
five feet high, half-an-inch in diameter, with¬ 
out a crook in it, all of which grew in two 
years. This Spring we grafted Fay’s Prolific 
Currant upon it. We have had these standard 
currants and gooseberries for six or seven 
years and, except as curiosities, they are of 
little value. Half-standards are better—that 
is, currants or gooseberries, one or both, 
worked upon the Missouri stock two to three 
feet high. But they must be staked and the 
tops supported, or high winds are liable to 
twist them off... 
Those of our readers who last Spring set 
fruit or ornamental trees, will need to look 
after them in case of drought. There is little 
to be done, but this little if well done, may 
save their lives or prevent that partial injury 
from which trees are slow to recover. Care¬ 
fully remove an inch or so of surface soil from 
over and about the roots, and then saturate 
the ground with water. When this bas all 
passed into the ground, replace the surface 
earth very lightly and cover with litter of any 
kind, or even grass. Trees so treated will pass 
through any drought that is likely to occur.. 
There is a difference between the 
changes of color of the Purple-leaved 
Beech and Schwerdler’s Maple, worthy 
of note. The leaves of the beech 
when they first unfold are a light purple, 
which grows darker until the leaves are fully 
expanded. Those of the maple are nearly 
black when they 
first push, but 
they grow lighter 
in color as they 
develop. Every 
collection should 
have specimens of 
these handsome 
trees. 
A writer i 
the London Mark 
Lane Express 
speaks of the hight 
of zinnias as 10 
feet. Do they ever 
grow so high in 
England or any 
where else ? 
Twenty-five years 
ago these flowers, 
now as double as 
a dahlia, were as 
sing’e as a Marsh 
Marigold, The 
colors, too, are 
brighter and more 
varied, and they 
may be considered 
one of the most ef¬ 
fective of garden 
annuals. Zinnias 
were a great fa¬ 
vorite of the lamented James Vick, who did 
more to popularize them than all the rest of 
our seedsmen put together. 
CATALOGUES, &C. 
Southern Industries.— We have received 
the initial number of the new Southern jour¬ 
nal of the above title, published at Nashville, 
Tenn., at $2.00 per year, and edited by Mr. 
Rolfe S. Saunders. It is a credit to the South 
not less than to the enterprise of the veteran 
at its head, and should meet with a hearty 
welcome from Southern planters and farmers. 
It is ably edited, its make-up is pleasing and 
its matter practical; 
Michigan Horticultural Society, Sum¬ 
mer Meeting at Pentorater, Oceana Co., June 
20, 21, 23. A cordial invitation is extended to 
horticulturists everywhere to be present. 
Chas. W. Garfield, Secretary, Grand Rapids. 
Special Report No. 44 on Acreage and 
Couditiou of cotton and the cereals, June 
1882, Washington, D. C., Dept, of Agricul¬ 
ture. 
The Cornell University Register, 
1881-2. Ithaca, N. Y. 
