(Bmilulwr. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Ga., Atlanta, Fulton Co., March 17—Winter 
unusually mild hereabouts, one freeze only, on 
Dec. 20, but owing to the great tenderness of 
vegetation in this Southern country, it killed 
everything; great quantities of cabbage plants, 
onions and all fall-planted vegetables were in¬ 
jured or killed. Grain crops, however, were 
but slightly damaged, and now wheat and oats 
are looking fine. Farmers are preparing for 
planting cotton extensively, and so great are 
the purchases of commercial fertilizers that 
some of the dealers have exhausted their sup¬ 
ply. Notwithstanding the extremely mild 
winter, fruit trees are backward. Peaches are 
just in full bloom—two weeks later than usual. 
The outlook for fruit, therefore, is good. La¬ 
bor and everything are going up:—corn, ?0@ 
75c.; oats, 55@60c.; sweet potatoes, $1: Irish 
do., $3.50$ bbl.; labor, $12@16 $ month. 
0. D. 
Ills., Stone Station, Lee Co., March 16.—We 
had a remarkably open winter, especially 
daring the months of Jan. and Feb.—not any 
snow and very little cold weather, and in con¬ 
sequence we have have had very bad roads 
right along. If we had a freeze to make the 
roads solid, they were bo rough that a person 
could scarcely get along, and as soon as they 
were worn smooth again, it would rain and 
make them so muddy as to be almost impass¬ 
able. As a consequence, teamsters did not get 
their teaming done. Farmers opened the spring 
work more than a week ago. c. s. 
Indiana, Roanoke; Huntington Co., March 
16.—We have had and are having very hard 
weather on wheat and clover. The latter Ib 
injured most; but both are hurt, especially 
ou clay soils. Our very wet fall and winter 
have also injured low or fiat wheat fields very 
much. Several cold days and very cold 
nights of late, may injure shrubs and 
f ruits as they had began to swell their buds. 
The market for grain, stock and produce is 
good here—roads very bad. Preparations are 
being made for large acreage of spring crops 
with favorable spring we look for a profitable 
year. A. c. H. 
Iowa., Martinsburgh, Keokuk Co.. March 
18.—We have had one of the finest winters I 
ever saw m Iowa, and I have lived here lor 35 
years. We have not had snow enough to 
track a rabbit. The fall wheat is all killed. 
Spring wheat sown in February has rotted. 
The ground is now frozen solid. This is the 
coldest March I ever Baw. A great deal of 
wheat wjrs sown in the fall, in this part 
of Iowa. Market quiet:—wheat, 95c.@$1; 
corn, 25c.; oats, 25c.; hay, $4 $ ton; fat cattle, 
$4 on foot; hogs $3.65 gross, This is a fine 
farming country; all kinds of grain grow to 
perfection here. b. f. c. 
Kansas, lola, Allen Co., March 16.—We had 
beautiful weather this month until the 13th, 
when we had a sudden change, the thermom¬ 
eter on the 14th was only 3° above zero, since 
then it has been milder, and this morning the 
ground is covered with snow ; the farmers 
have been busy getting in their spring crops. 
h. m. s. 
Ky., Owe-Dsboro, Trimble Co , March 18.— 
Weather cold; am afraid wo shall lose our 
peaches. Wheat looks well on good land. 
The ground keeps so wet that farmers will 
have to rush work when spring opens. Roads 
in such bad state that hauling a load is next to 
impossible. j. w. b. 
Maine, Bolster’s Mills, Cumberland Co., 
March 17.—We had an unusually mild winter 
with but little snow. Hay is rather scarce; 
worth from $10 to $17 per ton; corn, 65c.; but¬ 
ter, 20c.; eggs, 12c. R- s. p. 
Mb., Royal Oak, Talbot Co., March 18.— 
We had a lovely winter, with very little snow. 
Wheat is looking remarkably well. Fruit is 
not at all injured as yet. s. b. 
Mien., Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo Co., March 
20.—Our winter was mild. The prospects of 
the farmers of this State are good. The abun¬ 
dant wheat crop of last season brought good 
prices. All other crops were fair with a good 
market for our surplus of every description at 
fair rates. We have every reason for congrat¬ 
ulation. The outlook of the coming wheat 
crop is such that with a continued favorable 
season I prophesy that Michigan’s yield of 
wheat will amount to millions of bushels over 
that of last year. Of course, the future of 
prices, with a reasonable crop in Europe, is 
not so flattering. I would advise farmers to go 
slowly ; save their surplus funds and keep out of 
debt. H - O. 
Mo., Springfield, Greene Co., March 19.— 
We had the heaviest snow storm of the season 
on March 11th. Peach trees were just ready 
to bloom. Wheat looks unusually fine for this 
time of the year. The past has been a good 
winter for stock, as it was dry and warm all 
the time. Jerseys are doing finely, e. a. w. 
N. Y., Elmira, March 23.—We have had fre¬ 
quent changes la the weather during the past 
week; several light snows fell; a little rain, 
and several quite hard freezes, followed usual¬ 
ly by a clearing sky and bright, warm sun¬ 
shine; or, in other words, the character of the 
weather has ranged all the way from a cold, 
raw winter’s day down to a bright, pleasant 
day in April. Such changes are unpleasant as 
well as injurious to winter wheat and small 
fruit. On looking over onr strawberry grounds 
to-day, I find old settings or beds that have 
once fruited, badly injured from these alternate 
changes. Our last spring settings, however, 
are looking fine, especially where they were 
well protected by a covering of straw. Rasp¬ 
berries also have been materially injured from 
the same cause. Wheat has suffered less than 
might be expected. Few pieces in this section 
will be plowed up and planted to other crops. 
With the exception of hay, which has fallen off 
a little in price, farm products remain firm at 
my last quotations. There has been a great 
falling off in the prices paid for tobacco since 
last fall aud early winter. Several crops have 
been sold during the past week at prices rang¬ 
ing from 6£ to 9c. “ through.” This is about 50 
per cent, less than the average price paid early 
In the winter. Tim falling off is partly due to 
the poor quality of the tobacco, the best crops 
having been picked up before, and partly to 
the over-production of the poorer grades of the 
4 weed.” e. a. g., jr. 
N. Y., Afton, .Chenango Co., March 19.— 
Winter unprecedentedly mild; thermometer 
below zero only three mornings; only ten 
days’ good sleighing; feet of snow only, al¬ 
though wc invariably have from six to seven 
feet. Hay plentiful around here at from $7 to 
$8 per ton ; corn, 60 to 65c.; oats, 37J- to 40c.; 
potatoes, 85 to 30c.; apples very scarce and 
worth about $1 per bush. Clover seed is worth 
$7 to $8 per bush.; timothy from $3 50 to $4. 
PriceB vary from one place to another, but 
those are about the average. Farmers are pa¬ 
tronizing and building creameries quite exten¬ 
sively here; three or four are being started 
this spring just in this vicinity. g. e. n. 
N. C., Chapel Hill, March 15.—Under lower¬ 
ing clouds driven by a cool east wind, and with 
the beautiful peach blooms in view, I give you 
the greetings of ihc spring of 1880. The winter 
has been remarkable for bolh warmth and dry¬ 
ness. There has been more cold than in the 
winter of ’75, but less rain than 1 have known 
in any winter of my life. The few freezes 
have, probably, sufficed to destroy the germs 
of disease engendered by heat aud moisture. If 
so, the mildness of the season is cause for 
gratitude. The earth has not been thoroughly 
saturated with water since last spr^g. The 
wells that failed in autumn have, many of 
them, been low or dry until the present month. 
But the rain has fallen in sufficient quantities 
at last. So far, March seems to be redeeming 
the lime. Rain, rain, rain! Rain in mist, in 
sprinkle, in shower! Rain with wind, rain 
without wind! Rain by day, rain by night! 
" Water, water, everywhere !” Thank God for 
the early rain ! The spring Is about one month 
behind that of last year, as to vegetation. It 
is about equal to that of ’78. The fruit trees, 
Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, etc., are Ldooming. 
The Apples and Pears show little change. There 
has been considerable complaint of the Hes¬ 
sian fly and some other depredator upon the 
wheat. An agent of the Agricultural Bureau 
investigated the ravages in the wheat in Meck¬ 
lenburg county, and found that the little ene¬ 
my is a diminutive hopper without wings— 
resembling the grasshopper. The freezes have 
done some damage. Bnt up to the. present, 
the prospect for wheat in North Carolina is 
extraordinarily good—it has, perhaps, not been 
tetter for many years. Oats, I fhink, are 
irregular, some fine, some the opposite. 
There has been some change in the Experi¬ 
mental Station at the University. Dr. Ledoux 
has resigned, with a view to return to your 
city. The Board accepted his resignation with 
great reluctance. He has done faithful and 
successful service in his responsible position. 
He has now a very high reputation in North 
Carolina, as a Christian gentleman and accom¬ 
plished scientist. He has been the farmer’s— 
indeed, the citizen’s—oracle in regard to mul¬ 
titudinous interests. He has consented to re¬ 
main until his successor arrives. The Board 
has chosen, as his successor, Mr. Goessman, of 
Massachusetts Agricultural College—who has 
most flattering recommendations. The Board 
of Agriculture has appointed a special Agent 
of Immigration, who will, in a few days, start 
to Europe on his mission. a. w. m. 
N. C., Brookston, Warren Co., March 19.— 
Rain, rain every day for the last 13, three 
days only excepted, and still it pours. The 
earth is completely saturated. Rather dull for 
those who have no plowing done. Tempera¬ 
ture to-day 48 deg., about the 'Average for 
the pa6t two weeks. Peaches in full bloom 
and safe so far. Grapes pushing out. Wheat 
(aud grass, where there is any) growing where 
not under water. m. b. p. 
Ouio, Wellington, Lorain Co..March 18.— 
Little snow, but much rain during the winter. 
Factory-men have about half their n&nal supply 
of ice, and that of poor quality—not more than 
three or four inches thick. Produeeof all sorts 
brings good prices. Cheese is worth 13c.; but¬ 
ter, 23c.; eggs, 10c.; wheat, $1.25; corn, 48c.; 
oats, 45c,; clover seed, $4.50; hay, $11 ; hogs, 
dressed, $5. A- G. F. 
Ohio, Howland, Trumbull Co., March 18.— 
Winter mild nearly all the time; rain and 
mud in excess. Wheat looking well. Wheat 
sells for $1.35; oats, 40c. ; corn. 30c.; potatoes, 
40 to 50c.; eggs, 15c.; butter, 20c., and very 
scarce; hay, $14. n. a. l. 
S. C., Aiken. March 25 — Clear skies and 
balmy winds. The invalids can now sun them¬ 
selves from morn till eve. Average day tem¬ 
perature 70°. There is still danger of frosts. 
It is not a surprising occurrence that peach 
blossoms arc destroyed in early April. We are 
planting corn. Major. 
Texas, Waco, McLennan Co., March 17.— 
We have had a serious set-back in our vegeta¬ 
ble gardens in the last week. On the 13th, a 
sharp “norther” sprang upon us aftui several 
days’ rain, aud for three days the ground was 
frozen an inch or more in depth, with sleet 
and rain alternately. Up to that time we had 
had an unusually warm and forward Beason 
for vegetables, many of them being ready for 
the table; bnt in a few short hours all were 
lost. My peas were nearly ripe, ray potatoes 
almost ready to bloom, all kinds of vegetables 
in my garden rapidly approaching maturity. 
My cabbage, parsnips and carrots withstood 
the tempest, but peas, lettuce, beets, etc., lay 
black and stark. My tea plants set out in Jan¬ 
uary, were not injured, showing they are more 
hardy than is generally supposed. My toma¬ 
to plants froze In my hot-bed covered with 
canvass, but celery by tbeir side, was not 
injured. Most of our farmers had finished 
planting corn, and much of it had been already 
plowed over, but it is all destroyed, and a com¬ 
plete replanting will be necessary. While the 
potatoes were frozen, we hope they may grow 
out again from the roots and make us a crop. 
Corn is selling at 65c now,—Kansas corn, 
shipped to this market, as there is no home- 
raised corn for sale. a. s. s. 
Texas, Dayton, Liberty Co.. March 15.—We 
have just been blessed with the best rain that 
we have had in twelve months. It poured 
down steadily for 24 hours, aud our garden 
looks fine now. The Cow Peas and Mold’s 
Ennobled Oats are six inches high; the Man¬ 
gels also look flue; in fact, all garden stuff is 
doing its level best. The flower seeds are just 
peeping out of the ground, and the Cuthbert 
Raspberries are budding. We Lave had no 
winter here, except a few days about Christ¬ 
mas. The past has been the driest and warm¬ 
est winter we have ever 6eeu in Texas during 
a residence of 33 years. Long may it “ wave.” 
Farmers are away ahead this season, owing to 
the fine weather. Corn is six inches high in 
nearly every field, aud several are planting 
cotton. Where I have been feeding the oxen 
with cotton seed the ground is one mass of 
cotton plants. Notwithstanding all this, the 
cattle on the prairies are dying in hundreds. 
Of course, you must understand l hey are never 
fed, but subsist entirely on the prairie grass. 
G. G. 
Va , Thoroughfare, Prince William County, 
March 18.—Most farmers in this section are 
through plowiug &od land for coin; blue grass 
has started up well; sheep are doing fiuely 
with a little corn in the mornings—a neighbor 
has 27 lambs from 12 ewes. This open winter 
has been very profitable for onr shepherds. 
March was a spleudid month up to about the 
12tU. Most of our farmers have been troubled 
with the spring fever—putting in potatoes, 
peas, etc. Now the earth is robed in snow, 
aud winter has returned unexpectedly. Wheat 
has made a promising start. e. k. 
Va-, Abingdon, Washington Co., March 15.— 
We are having warm, rainy weather. Wheat 
and grass arc growing well. Some stock has 
been wintered with scarcely any feed. Peaches 
are coming into bloom. The tobacco trade has 
been brisk this winter; good prices were real¬ 
ized for last year's crop. A heavy crop will be 
planted if it can be 6et thi6 year. It is only 
within the last three or four years that any 
interest has been manifested in this industry. 
I expect the last year’s crop will not fall far 
short of 500,000 pounds. w. b. k. 
Va., Lovettsville, Loudoun Co., March 18.— 
Our winter has been mild andpleasaut enough 
for plowing nearly all the time up to March 9. 
Since then we have had almost every kind of 
weather—6now, rain, frost, water, and mud in 
superabundance but very little sunshine. 
j. w. c. 
Vt , Waterbury, Washington Co., March 17. 
—A very mild winter in Vermont, with much 
less than our usual quantity of snow. We sell 
produce about, as follows:—Hay, $10 $ tou; 
butter, 20@35o.; oats, 45c.; eggs, 12c. V- doz. 
Wo pay for good family Dour $8 V- obi; corn, 
05c. $ bushel; malt $1.30 $ cwt. Some far¬ 
mers who had the courage to tap their trees 
made some sugar the first of the month; this 
week has been colder and no sap has come. 
The prospect is good for an extra yield of 
sugar this season. A. A> L- 
Washington Territory, Colfax, Whitman 
Co., March 15.—Winter has been long bnt not 
very cold. Horses and cattle have done well 
in this part of the Territory on the range 
without feed. Fruit does well here, especially 
small fruit. The country is settling up fast, 
bnt the Northern Pacific Railroad grant greatly 
retards settlement, as the road holds a strip of 
forty miles on each side of its proposed 
route. This graut having expired, aud Con¬ 
gress not having declared it forfeited, it is now 
neither railroad nor Government land, which 
is very discouraging aud unfair for the settler. 
Prices—Horses from $00 to $150; 6tock cattle, 
$13 per head; Bheep, $2.50; wheat, 50c.; oats, 
50c.; hay, $6 per ton; bacon, I5e.; butter, 25e.; 
eggs, 25c.; potatoes, 50c. Dry goods and gro¬ 
ceries high. h. m. 
Wrs., West Salem, La Crosse Co., March 16. 
—We have had a great deal of cold north winds 
for the last two weeks The ground was quite 
bare till the 13th, when we had a heavy snow. 
Onthe whole wcliavehada rather disagreeable 
winter for these parts—too much freezing and 
thawing. The wheat is thought to be all killed. 
Wheat raising has about “played out” in these 
parts. Those who quit several years ago and 
went into 6tock raising, are the best off to-day. 
Hay is abundant and sells at from $5 to $8 a 
ton; corn and oats are from 30@35c. a bushel; 
wheat, $1; potatoes, 40c.; butter, 20@25c. ; 
beef cattle sell from $3.25@$3.60; bogs, live, 
$3.25. m- l. H. 
Wisconsin, La Valle, Sauk Co., March 15.— 
The winter has been quite mild with but little 
snow; it has been continually thawing and 
freezing ; the frost has not been all out of the 
ground, however. There is much .apprehen¬ 
sion that the wheat is killed. Some robins and 
blue birds have been seen, bnt March has been 
colder than its predecessors and the ground is 
now covered with snow. Wheat is $1.00 to 
$1.12; corn, 40c; oats. 25c; butter, 20 to 32c ; 
eggs, He; hay, $5 to $6; hogs, dressed, $4 to 
$4.50. w. s. H. 
'Querist, 
ANSWER8 TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
The “ Smith Milk Stock - ’ of Ky. 
J. W. , Smith's Grove , Ky., asks to what 
breed belong the cattle known thereabouts as 
the “Smith rnilK slock.” They are, in color, 
red or yellow and white on the sides of the 
body ; red or yellow on the legs up to the 
knees; they are large, heavy-set in the rear, 
with bulging barrels; thin iu front on top of 
the withers; but thick in the brisket; some 
are duck-legged, especially iu the fore-legs. 
They are rich milkers, but of late years they 
are rapidly disappearing. 
Ans. —From this description it is not easy to 
determine whether these cattle arc Ayrshires 
or Short-horns, as some Ayrshires are quite 
large. Indeed, these might be Guernseys. Our 
friend says, however, that they have been 
well-known in all that section for a long time, 
and it is not likely therefore that they can be 
either Ayrshires or Guerneys, as neither of 
these breeds has been introduced very exten¬ 
sively into Ky., and few, if any. were to be 
found there until lately, while Short-horns 
were pretty freely introduced many years ago. 
As long ago as 1785 some grade Short-horns 
were taken from Va. to Clark Co., Ky., by the 
two eons aud son-in-law of Mathew Patton, of 
Va., and on the latter’s removal to the same 
county in Ky. m 1790, he took with him a 
pure-bred Short-born bull and cow known as 
the “ milk breed," or Patton stock. In 1803 
JamcB Patton, with others, imported the bull 
Pluto, of the *’ milk ” breed into the same 
county, and iu 1810, Capt. W, Smith, of Fay¬ 
ette county, bought from Va. the bull Buzzard, 
belonging to the Short-born or “ milk” breed. 
He was extensively used through that section 
tor many years, aud his descendants must 
therefore be numerous. Later on, quite a large 
numbet of importations of Short horns were 
made into Ky., aud in the earlier days they 
were generally divided into two classes, known 
as the 4 * milk ’’ and “ beef ” stock. It is highly 
probable therefore that the cattle referred to 
are descended from some of these early Short¬ 
horn importations, although, from the descrip¬ 
tion, there is iu them, probably, a good deal of 
the blood of “ native” stock, and, possibly, of 
some other breeds. 
Soule’s Wheat. 
Your correspondent, A. S., in the Rokal, 
page 187, asks about Saul’s wheat doubtless 
meaning Soule’6 Wheal. This wheat was for 
many years the leading white wheat grown in 
Western New York. It had a heavy, beardless 
head, yielded heavily and was a No. 1 in qual¬ 
ity. Many of the “ brag crops ”-—10 bushels 
or more per aero—were of Soule’s Wheat. Its 
fault was fouud in its lateness In ripening. 
About 1854 5 the wheat midge attached wheat, 
aud Soule’s, being a late variety, suffered most. 
Hence about 1855 Mediterranean and other 
eariy red wheats began to be largely grown, 
although before the advent of the wheat midge 
