ENDING 
a surplus of $1,296,450.96 to meet all possible 
contingencies as regards policy-holders. An 
examination of the securities in which the 
funds of the Company are invested, shows 
that they arc nearly all readily convertible into 
cash in case of any emergency. The statement 
also shows what must to the managers prove a 
very gratifying increase in the amount of 
business done by the Company during the past 
3 car, especially in the accident department, in 
which there is the remarkable gain of 11,422 
Asia Minor to-day make the flour for cakes and 
other viands, differs bnt little, if at all, from 
that at which the daughters of Israel toiled in 
the days of David, and the women of Persia 
in the reign of Xerxes. Bnt, while civil¬ 
ization has been stationary or retrogressive 
in the East, in the West it has been steadily 
advancing, slowly for centuries and rapidly for 
decades, in the art of grtnding grain as well as 
in other rueful and ornamental arts. 
Recent improvements in milling are not con¬ 
fined merely to the substitution of steam, wind 
and water'as motive powers in grinding, in¬ 
stead of human labor, bnt. they also embrace 
the introduction of mill-stones much more effi¬ 
cient than those employed in ancient days. 
These are composed of a variety of quartz 
called burbstone, found in what, is geologically 
called the Paris basin, and which is neculiar 
for its regular cellular structure and flint-like 
haidness. Ft is these qnalities of pxt.reme 
roughness derived from its houcvcombed for¬ 
mation. and its capacity for holding a sharp 
surface, owing to its hardness, ronplpd with 
its great strength, that render it the best stone 
for grinding. Like cork, it is a natural pro¬ 
duct. and no efficient substitute for it has ever 
been discovered. The stones, when extracted 
from the quarries near Paris, are split with 
wedges into cylindrical forms: the pieces then 
are cut. into parallelepiped* called panes, and 
these are hooped together in the shape of mill¬ 
stones. answering the purpose excellently 
well, while they are much more convenient for 
transportation than single stones. They are 
made into sizes to suit the largest, merchant or 
custom flouring mill or the smallest farm mill 
to be driven by horse, wind, water or steam 
power. 
Oreat care and experience are required to 
select this stone of the proper grinding texture 
and evenness for grain. The Nordyke and 
Marmon Co., Indianapolis. Tnd., are manu¬ 
facturers of complete grinding and bolting 
flonr mills, and fnrnish them of two runs of 
THE GIANT RIDING SAW 
We have had several inquiries as to the effi¬ 
ciency of the riding saws advertised in the 
Rural, and have answered the queries, either 
by letter or in the Querist Department, hon- 
WHAT OTHERS SAY 
ttu acung on a neatod and perspiring horse 
will ofteu lay the foundation of a malady that 
utterly ruins his usefulucss. Open windows 
and doors on opposite sides of the stable, or 
openings in the walls or floor should be care¬ 
fully guarded against, especially when the 
horse has just come in from work. But in 
securing comfortable warmth 
avoid impure air, 
, we must 
from confinement of the 
breath or emanations from duug or urine. 
Cleanliness and sufficient openings for the 
ingress aud egress of air, on one side of the 
stable only, or above the level of the animals 
ou both Bides, will guard against cold, while 
securiug purity of the atmosphere. . . Largo 
numbers of cattle die annually in the West 
from the lack bf water when feeding in the 
cornfields. Dry corn-stalks, as compared with 
gras6, are constipating food; but smutty 
corn-stalks are especially liable to cause im¬ 
paction of food in the stomachs, and disease 
of the brain. The risk is largely, or entirely 
obviated if there is a tufficicni supply of water; 
but when the water supply is lrozen up the 
animal can no louger chew the end from lack 
of water iu the paunch to separate and floatits 
contents, and mipactiou and a whole train of 
evil consequences follow. It water can be 
supplied so that the cattle can drink at will, 
it is better; but if not, it should be allowed 
abundantly at any cost, twice a day. . 
While iu many cases no other thau iced water 
can be had. it is ail-important that stock should 
not be left to become so thirsty that they will 
fill themselves wheu driven to drink, and then 
stand shivering in the cold stall or stanchions, 
where they are denied even the privilege of 
stimulating their circulation by walking 
about. Natlonul Live-Stock Journal. 
Stocks for Roses. —Jean Sisley concludes 
au article in the Country Gentleman on this 
subject thus : Many persons- object that the 
stocks on which Roses are grafted offer the 
great inconvenience of suckers, aud particu¬ 
larly the Mauetti. The consequence is that 
there is always a struggle for lift between the 
stock aud the graft. But as the seedling brier 
is ydung, if a strong variety is grafted on it, 
the roots will give up, and the graft, by emit¬ 
ting roots, becomes, after two or three years, 
quite independent. This is not exactly the 
case with standards. These, on account of 
their age, being stouter, resist the influence 
of the graft, and as the suckers the standard 
brier endeavors to emit are continually de¬ 
stroyed, the stock cannot live, if the graft is 
not a strong variety, aud if it is pruned us 
usual; because the roots of the standard do not 
receive sufficient aerial nourishmeut from the 
grate, lhat is why we often read In horticul¬ 
tural papers the question why staudard Roses 
TnE GIANT RIDING.SAW, 
policies over the number in 1878. With so 
excellent a record for the past, this Company 
can ceitainly, it seems to us, look forward to 
the new year and the new decade with a strong 
assurance of a continuance of the well merited 
success that has hitherto rewarded their dis¬ 
crimination aud euergy. 
Among the llrst catalogues received for 1880 
is that of the monster seed house of D. M. 
Ferry & Co., Detroit. Mich. It contains 180 
well-filled pages, several colored plates, manv 
estly, as we always do. to the best of our 
knowledge. Lately, however, we have espe¬ 
cially investigated the claims of the Giant 
Riding Saws, manufactured by W. W. Bost- 
wick & Co,, 178 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, 
aud find that the firm is quite trust worthy, and 
the saws made by them very efficient. By their 
use power is greatly economized, so that, one. 
man cau, without much difficulty, pretty easily 
accomplish the labor of two working with the 
old-time crcss-cut saw. Of them there are two 
sizes made. No. 1 aud No. 3. the latter, six 
feet long and reveuty-five pounds in weight, 
beintr especially adapted to agricultural needs, 
as is indicated by its name, ** The Farmer’s 
Friend.” It is easily transportable from place 
to place, and is quickly brought into opera¬ 
tion. The accompanying engraving plainly 
shows how it is operated. With one end upon 
the log to bn cut and the other upon the 
ground, the operator having seated himself on 
the saddle, with liis feet resting upon the foot 
levers, grasps the handle of the saw lever, and, 
as he throws his weight alternately from his 
seat to his feet, every “ foot ponnd ” of power, 
" Aknnessee, its resources and advant- 
ages, hy J. B. Killebrew, Commissioner of 
Agriculture. Statistics, Minos aud Immigration 
for the State of Tennessee, a pamphlet of 93 
pages. "Middle Tennessee," and "Tennessee, 
the Home for Intelligent Immigrants," by the 
same author. Published by Tavel, Eastman & 
Howell, of Nashville. 
‘•Seed-time and Harvest." This is pub¬ 
lished by Mr. Isaac F. Tillingbast, of La Flume, 
Pa. It is a quarterly magazine of 24 pages, 
and the publisher is one fitted to make it of 
practical value by a long experience in the 
culture of flowers aud vegetable seeds. 
The Wisconsin Dairymen’s Association will 
hold its Eighth Annual Meeting at Elkhoru, 
Wis., Jan. 14 and 15. Among the premiums 
offered are two silver cups, valued at $25 each, 
presented by the Rural New-Yorker for the 
best cheese aud dairy butter. 
Programme, Premium List, etc., of the Ne¬ 
braska State Hort. Society, Winter Meeting, 
fruit and floral exhibit at Lincoln, on the third 
Tuesday iu January. Robt. W. Furnas, Presi¬ 
dent; Daniel H, Wheeler, Secretary. 
Circular. Lectures On Topics Related to 
Agriculture, at the Ohio State University, in 
the city of Columbus, to contiuuc three weeks. 
Ihe lectures will be free. They will commence 
Jan. IS, 18S0. 
Sale Catalogue of imported and thorough¬ 
bred Holstein Cattle to be sold at auction on 
Wednesday, Feb. 4. 1880. on the farm of W. 
Halladay Standard 
VICTORIOUS AT 
Phik. 1876—Paris, 1878 
2.5 Year* In 
GUARANTEED SUPERIOR 
To any other Windmill Made. 
17 SUES—( MAN TO 45 HUBS* POWER 
b,/ thr leading R. R. r 0 .'n 
and by the TT. s. nota. at 
/•nrfs rtru! CtarrieonM. 
$3,500,000 worth nowin Use. 
Send for Catalogue "B” and 
Price List.. 
B. S. WHO ER0. A PUMP CO., 
Batavia, 111. 
die. * * * * * * 
The conclusion of these remarks is that all 
varieties of Roses are preferable when budded 
on the young seedling brier. 
WINGER’S IMPROVED 
WIND-MILL FEED GRINDER 
GRINDING MILLS, 
Insectivorous Plants.— Mr. Croucher tells 
the London Garden that trapped Insects fre¬ 
quently injure the plants which they are sup¬ 
posed to “nourish.” Here is his statement:_ 
‘•Any one who, like myself, has grown in¬ 
sectivorous plants continuously for some twen¬ 
ty years, knows that they are more injured 
thau benefited by the insects entrapped, and 
that the idea that they produce more seed when 
fed with insects than wheu deprived of them 
is a fallacy. Some assume that it is granted 
thut all plants have the power of absorbing I 
nutritious substances through their leaf tis- 
sues. This is also a fallacy, though it has 
been accepted as proved by those who only 
study Nature to uphold theories. How is it 
that plants covered with glasses to keep off 
Hies do so well ? The great cause of much of 
the disputation on these subjects is that natu¬ 
ralists look at only oue part of Nature, instead * 
of studying her as one grand whole, seeing in 
the lower developments steps towards those 
that are higher " 
In the preparation of grain for food, the re- 
S fWatcrt by pitnipliifr Wind-Mills. A 
^ Perfect feud mill tor irrindiDir 
ms ah kinds of e-rain for and house 
■ rn b'able AuddiirahJc, Agents 
■ wonted everywhere. Also the old and 
■ reliable Stover the woll tried, strong. 
I WvS' 1 se'fr^ilatiner. solid wheel 
v?-nV- 'i ,, l ch J 00 *' to* Centennial 
\\i U Jr Fraud modal. Branch office. Green. 
.Sen,! tor cHtaloe-np to STc 'V EK WI NT< RN\ 
1 lee port. III. E. B. WWoKR.Oea. Manager 
nioflTiw 
TRE NORDYKE AND MARMON’S GRINDING MILLS. 
duction of the berry to flour has always, except 
among savages, been the first, aud generally, 
until recent times, the most laborious operti- 
n. wuietts, SKaneateles Village, Onondaga 
Go., N. Y. Send for a copy. 
Report of the Eutomologlst of the State of 
Illinois, ou Noxious aud Beueflelal Insects. 
Prof. Cyrus Thomas, State Entomogist. 
Catalogue of Trotting Stock, sold by 
Baker & Harrigau, Comstocks, Washington 
Co., N. Y. 
Thb Baltimore Sun Almanac for 1880. 
The Stronirest mid Host Driritb 
Kiite In the World, s 
nearly every Conner, 
Every Wind Engine V 
Be ad fo r Circulars, Price-List 
Wiud En- 
—- __ .Jealers iu 
inquire for it. 
ally Warranted. 
and Informati on to 
roo s;A co.; 
Springfield;OhToT: 
