© 
DEC. 4$ 
THE BUBAL HEW-Y©BIKER. 
835 
not have them in his stable; he thinks they 
are cruel. 
THB INFLUENCE OF AOS UPON THE QUALITY 
of beef has been discussed somewhat in the 
last two numbers of the National Live Stock 
Journal. The conclusions arrived at are that in 
the British markets cattle generally arc killed 
too young for the best llavor—say when from 
13 to 30 months old. Moreover, they are fed 
on turnips aud oil-cake, which ub regards the 
flavor of the meat, are far inferior to corn, hay 
and grass. But there farmers cannot afford to 
keep their stock until it matnrcs on hay and 
grass; to make a profit they must force it with 
the more nutritious foods, immature beef, 
though perhaps more tender than the flesh of 
well-matured beasts, is inferior in juiciness 
and flavor. This is an argument iu favor 
of those breeds that mature early, for 
the earlier they mature the sooner will they 
give a superior quality of flesh- A well-bred 
Short-horn steer is often as mature at80 months 
as some other sorts at 48 or 60 months. There 
is a limit, however, both to earliness of ma¬ 
turity as well as to the extent to which we can 
force feeding without impairing the quality of 
the flesh. The West Highland beef, so much 
prized in England, is produced by grazing 
alone uniil the beasts are four or five yearB 
old. 
numbers, costing a dollar each, by Messrs. 
Bicknell & Comstock, architectural pub¬ 
lishers, 104 Broadway, this city. The com¬ 
pleted work will contain 80 fine lithographed 
plates, showing new and original designs of 
dwellings of moderate cost, in the Queen Anne, 
Eastlake, Elizabethan, and other modernized 
Styles, giving perspective viewB, floors and 
framing plans, elevations and a great variety 
of miscellaneous exterior and interior details 
of dwellings, stores, offices, etc. There will 
also be a number of designs of low-priced cot¬ 
tages in the various popular styles adapted to 
the requirements of seaside and Bummer re¬ 
sorts and suburban and country places, com¬ 
prising drawings by prominent architects of 
New York, Boston at d other localities, as well 
as other designs prepared expressly for this 
work. We have received frequent inquiries as 
to where such a practical work as this could 
bo obtained, and urge all those contemplating 
the erection of new homes to subscribe for it. 
Not only will it suggest the most desirable 
styles of building suitable lor all locations and 
pockets, but the. drawings and instructions 
will be bo full and detailed as to enable any 
intelligent builder to construct moat of the 
edifices without theexpenso of an architect. It 
isawork greatly needed and excellently adapt¬ 
ed to the requirements of the times. 
kind generally considered so important. I 
refer to the fact that after the Spring of 1879 
there was such a light rainfall. This continued 
till very recently. While wells and springs 
were going dry, surface moisture from occa¬ 
sional showers kept vegetation for a long time 
fresh and flourishing. Now the rains are so 
frequent that the farmers are greatly embar¬ 
rassed In their efforts to sow wheat. The earth 
is again, after the unprecedentedly long season 
of comparative drought, receiving its wonted 
supply of water. 
The State Fair and several local fairs have 
held successful meetings. Unfortunately, as 
usual, Lhe lovers of gambling, in the form of 
racing, offended and disgusted the taste of the 
better classes among the attendants. If there 
is not a change in these matters Christian peo¬ 
ple ought to withdraw their countenance and 
patronage from the demoralizing institutions. 
N. 0. 
N. Y., Syracuse, Onondaga Co., Dec. 4.— 
Prior to the 10th of November the weather in 
this section seemed so gradually merging into 
Winter, that it appeared we were to have no 
Autumn, All kinds of out-door work were 
being finished up under the most favorable 
auspices. The shipments of freight on the 
canal indicated the general faith In a late busi¬ 
ness season before Winter could make its 
advent perceptible. Wheat looked and prom¬ 
ised well; stock were making good use 
of the pasturage, and the farmers were 
gathering in the butter harvest most success¬ 
fully. Winter then fell upon us like a thief in 
the night. During the last three weekB we 
have had the thermometer down to zero, and 
snow squalls have been constant. Some 
ten inches of snow have fallen altogether, aud 
as there has been no thawiug the sleighing is 
very good, wheels having disappeared wholly 
from Lhe streets. Derived from the evapora¬ 
tion from the lakes, a strip of country between 
this and Oswego has had more than three feet 
of snow. Prices lor country produce have a 
constant upward tendency, though perhaps 
no higher than last year at this time. The 
rainfall for October wus 3 07 inches, 3.07 of 
which came on the last day of the mouth. 
That for November was 0.8S. The surface of 
the ground has been kept tolerably moist, but 
wells and streams are too low for a sufficient 
Winter supply. s. 
Ohio, Delaware.—The following note from 
Geo. W. Campbell, now acting Secretary of 
the Ohio Horticultural Society, since Mr. Bate- 
ham’s death, was crowded out last week: “We 
have now had nearly three weeks of severe 
Winter weather, the thermometer ranging 
from the freezing point to 1S» below zero 
daring the whole time, and the grouud is cov¬ 
ered with snow. It is now moderating, with 
prospects of a thaw. It has been the coldest 
weather ever known here iu November, as the 
thermometer was during the past three weeks 
at 15 3 below zero four or five times. I flud 
grape buds somewhat iojured upon hybrid aud 
half-hardy kinds. Peach buds unhurt so far.” 
Ohio, Wellington, Loraiu Co., Dec. 3.—We 
are having very cold weather; ou the morning 
of the 19th, the thermometer was 15 deg. below 
zero. About four inches of snow are now on 
the ground. Crops of nearly all kinds were 
good the past Fall, oats being nearly the poor¬ 
est in quantity and quality. They are worth 
35c per bushel; wheat, $1; corn, 40c; clover 
seed, $3.75; eggs, 23c; butter, 34c; cheese, 
13c. A. o. F. 
(Ijif (fiimst, 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Cows Chewing Bones—Hard Water. 
J. 8., Urbana, Kan,, 1. says that his cows 
and in fact nearly all the cattle in that prairie 
region will eagerly pick up any piece of bone, 
or a stone or piece of irou, and chew it for an 
hour or two, as if masticating it; but they 
will finally drop it, without having made any 
apparent impressiou upon it; and as ho never 
saw cattle do this in Ohio, he a.*ks the reason 
for their doing so in Kansas. 3. He has a well 
the water of which Is so hard that it eaunot by 
any means known to him be softened for 
washing, audheasks howcau it bo rendered fit 
for that purpose. 
Ans. —1. This morbid appetite oi the cows 
seems to indicate a want of phosphate of lime 
iu the soil; but as that county is largely un¬ 
derlaid with limestone and is ferlile for corn, 
wheat and grass.it might uaturally oeiufurred 
that it contained a sufficiency of tiffs impot- 
tant element to grow healthful crops for cattle. 
As bituminous coal is foand there, if our eor- 
respon lent will pulverize some of this coal 
fine and mix a tabltspoouful of it with the food 
of each cow once in ten days, ho will be most 
likely to find it to satisfy this morbid appe¬ 
tite for chewing bones, or halt a spoon¬ 
ful of the a-hes of this coal will do as well. 
Some coal ashes contain as high as three per 
cent of phosphoric acid. If this should not 
effect the purpose, send to St. Louis and get 
the pare flour of bone, or bone meal, and mix 
a spoonful of this with the food. But this 
bone meal should be thoroughly boiled before 
using it, so as to kill all Bpores that it may 
contain. 
2. Hard water is not easily made soft, and 
especially such very hard water as our friend 
describes. In England they expel lime with 
lime. Pure limestoue is carbonate of lime, 
each pound of carbonate of lime containing 
nine ounces of lime aod seven ouuees of car¬ 
bonic acid. They determine the amount of 
lime in a given quantity of water aud then ap¬ 
ply to it the 6arae amount of burnt, lime dis¬ 
solved in water. When lime is burned the 
carbonic acid is driven off, and each pound of 
limestone weighs only nine ounces, after burn¬ 
ing. When this burnt lime is mixed in the 
right proportion with the hard water, it will 
cause nearly all the lime in the water to set¬ 
tle to the bottom, and the soft water may be 
poured off of the top. The only way in the 
above case would be to experiment, and find 
the right, proportion. Powdered horax is 
sometimes used to soften the water. Wood 
ashes are also used, which cause a precipita¬ 
tion of the lime to the bottom, when the water 
may be poured off and will be fouud much 
softened. J. S., should make a filter of a tight 
barrel, having a hole in the center of one end. 
and then one inch above this put a false 
bottom, perforated with 6iuall holes. Lay 
thick flannel over tHls and then upon the flan¬ 
nel two or three inches of washed sand; upon 
the sand place six inches of flue wood char¬ 
coal, or fine bituminous coal, well washed, 
and on the coal three inches of clean gravel. 
Now pour in the water on top, and let it filter 
through and it will be much improved for 
drinking or washing. It may not be quite 
soft, but it will be much less hard. 
MlncellaueouH. 
A. G. F., Wellington, Ohio, asks whether it 
is advisable to sell his clover seed at from 
$3.75 to $4 now or wait iu hopes of getting a 
better price in Spring. 
Ans.— As shown by our Crop Reports and in 
various places in “ Everywhere,” the crop of 
clover seed is considerably short this year 
owing to so much of the clover having been 
“heaved" out hy the alternate thawings and 
freezings of last Winter. Our Market Reports 
last Winter and Spring showed the price for 
seed varied at the different collecting centers, 
and tke variations were, doubtless, still greater 
in small local markets in which the farmer 
usually sells his products, especially in smsll 
lots. For ourselves we would prefer, in our 
friend’s position, to take $4 for the seed now 
rather than wait until Spring on the chance of 
getting a higher figure, nor would we then re¬ 
gret having done so, even if the price were 
considerably higher. In case of risk, the 
satisfaction of being, all along, on the safe side 
is worth something. 
c. a. J., Fernandina , Fla., asks, 1, whether 
the Stockbridge Fertilizers manufactured by 
W. H. Bowker. of this city, are as represented; 
3, would it be advisable to apply 400 pounds of 
Stockbridge Potato Fertilizer, costing $2, ou 
an acre of potatoes, using no other manure; 3, 
are Mapes’s Fertilizers as good, according to 
price, as the Stockbridge; 4, can a good crop 
of potatoes be obtained from land manured 
with green salt-marsh grass put in the drill at 
the time of planting ? 
Ans.— 1, Entirely so. 3, We should prefer 
not to advise on such a subject, because the 
effect of the manure would depend upon con¬ 
ditions that we know nothing about. 3, Both 
are first-class articles, and the values, according 
to analysis and the cost, are about the same. 
4, No. The grass would not have time to de¬ 
compose. A large amouut of such a manure 
would be required to produce “ a good crop of 
potatoes.” 
A Subscriber, Wright Co., Ia., asks the ad¬ 
dress of some good authority ou bee-keeping. 
Ass.—Professor A. J. Cook, Michigan Agri¬ 
cultural College, Lansing, Mich.; J. G. Bing¬ 
ham, McGrawville, N. Y. ; G. W. House, Fay¬ 
etteville, N. Y ; C. M. Doolittle, Borodino, 
N. Y. If books are wanted, The Manual of 
the Apiary, by Prof. Cook, is as good as any 
published. Price, $1 ; published by T. G. 
Newman & Son, Chicago, 111. 
-*-»-f- 
Communications received fok thk wrick knd- 
ing Saturday, Dec. It. 
N. ,1. S.—O, P.—A, B. A.—F. D. C.—T. H. H., 
thanks, reserved for Corn No.—G. W.—M. R. F.— 
M. W. F.—K. G.-F. K, M —C. H. J.-P. B. M.—N. 
B. B.—J. T.—C. E. 1L—A. "W. M.—N. K.—F. W. B. 
—D. A. R.—E. W. G., as soon as possible.—M. N. 
o., many thanks-X. G. C„ the seed Dist ribution 
will commence about Jan. loth, and be continued 
until further notice.—W. 11. N.—M. P. W.—W. D. 
C. D,—T. M —T. H. H.—W. T. C.—R. G. C & Co.— 
G. C. q.—A C.—A communication from Cincinnati 
on Corn, signed W. would be pleased to receive 
full name.—8 —w. H H.—E. C k —K. W. s.—M. C. 
—W. W. W.—E L. T.—Otis Ford., t hanks for ear 
of corn. Itls the Chester County Mammoth.—G. 
K. -W. J. B -.T. E. M.C.—J. P.A-J B.-C. A. 
G.-Mrs H B.-F. D. O.—A. F.-W. J. D.-T. M- 
—A. B.—P B. M.—W. F.. thanks—,J. H. II —J. T- 
L. -C B tt.-A. B,-F. D C.—W. J. B-N. W — 
Mrs H B , thaDks — N. T.—C. A. G., corn notes 
received; many thanks. 
Mk. Joseph Harris, speaking of the experi¬ 
ments of Mr. Lawes, of Rothamsted, England, 
in connection with establishing an experiment 
station in the State of New York, said he had 
devoted his farm to experiments, had entailed 
it upon his son for such purposes, and had iu 
addition appropriated $500,000 for carrying 
on agricultural experiments. A wealthy Duke 
(the Duke of Bedford—E ds.) had given his 
farm at Woburn to the Royal Agricultural 
Society to be devoted to like beneficent pur¬ 
poses. 
Mr. Reynolds, following Mr. Harris in the 
discussions of the Corning Farmers’ Club, as 
reported in the Rural Home, said that to make 
an experiment farm successful, it would re¬ 
quire the co-operaiiou of scientists with prac¬ 
tical farmers. Farmers are continually ex¬ 
perimenting, but the results are of little value, 
comparatively, because they attribute effects 
to wrong causes. For these reasons farmers 
gain knowledge from experience very slowly. 
One farmer will tell you that a certain experi- 
meut, tried by him, resulted so and so. Anoth¬ 
er will say that the same experiment, tried by 
him, produced results directly antagonistic to 
those related by the other. Both are honest 
and truthful, but ueither observed all the con¬ 
ditions and circumstances affecting his ex¬ 
periments. aud so they ure worthless as a guide 
to themselves or others. To properly estab¬ 
lish such a farm with professors in the differ¬ 
ent branches of science related to agriculture, 
and the proper instruments, would require 
hundreds of thousands of dollars instead of 
the $30,000 appropriated by the Legislature. 
Mr. W. J. Fowler, said that as regards ex¬ 
perimental stations, practical farmers arc be¬ 
ginning to learn their value. Those English 
experiments are of great value to the farmers 
of this country. We profit by experiments 
that result iu loss as well as those which result 
iu profit direct. Mr. Lawes has cultivated 
barley many successive years on the same plot, 
without manure, and the small diminution in 
yield shows that Nature furnishes a large 
share of what crops need to grow. 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
The Harvard University Catalogue for 
1880-8L.—In this catalogue of 230 pages, the 
information regarding the Bussey Institution 
—which is a branch of the University, of which 
our contributor, Prof. F. H. Storer, is the Dean 
and Professor of Agricultural Chemistry—will 
be of special interest to farmers. In this School 
of Agriculture aud Horticulture a systematic 
course of instruction iu agriculture, useful 
and ornamental gardeuiug and stock raising 
is given by teachers of the highest character 
in their several departments. The courses of 
study differ from those pursued in the ordi¬ 
nary agricultural colleges iu that they are all 
given iu one year, so that they may all be prof¬ 
itably pursued by young met, of ability who 
cannot affoid to spare much time tor advanced 
study. In udditiou to the courses given at the 
Institution, students iu regular standing there 
may freely attend auy of the 200 courses of in¬ 
struction in the other departments of the Uni¬ 
versity, and in addition to the free use of the 
special agricultural library of the Institution, 
they can also freely avail themselves of the 
College Library at Cambridge and the Boston 
Public Library. The regular fee for the aca¬ 
demic year Is $150; for half a year or less, $75. 
and for any one of the special courses the fee 
is $40, except entomology, for which the fee 
is only $30. The students can live where they 
please iu the neighborhood, at .an estimated 
expense of from $218 to $370 a year—exclusive 
of clothi g. 
Modern Architecture —This is part I. of 
a very flue quarto work to be completed iu ten 
Report of the United St ate3 Commission 
of Fish and Fisheries for 1878 —This bulky 
volume of 988 pages contains a great mass of 
useful information with regard to the subject 
of which it treats. 
Francis Brii.l, Mattituck, Long Island, N. 
Y.—Preliminary price list of garden seeds 
which Mr. Brill himself raises. 
GmrpUra. 
NOTES FROM TEXAS. 
The past season has been an unfavorable 
one In some respects and very good in others. 
Cotton grew fiuely and promised well—even 
over an average—when unexpectedly came the 
“ boll worm ” aud made havoc with the cotton 
and man’s “ high hopes.” Some farms in low 
aud rich bottom land that promised at oae time 
a bale per acre, did not turn out a quarter of a 
bale. 
Wheat in prospect and result was something 
like the last crop spoken of—excellent at first, 
but yielding below the average. The straw was 
long and good enough, but the damp weather 
in April caused rust, so that we might place 
the crop at teu bushels per acre for Mediterra¬ 
nean and eight for Texas May. There is a 
new wheat I am trying, called the Davis, that 
may do well here us it is early and has a large 
grain, although the two snows in November 
turned Us color to some extent. 
Corn was a splendid crop—the best ever 
raised in this State. Some fanneis report 60 
bushels per acre, it is now selling at 25 cents 
per bushel. We shall repay Kansas this year 
for the immense quantities bought of her last 
season. It is heavy, solid com—such as we 
farmers like to feed to •* big hogs” aud beeves. 
Golden Millet yielded 7} tons per acre of 
excellent feed, and was all put up in good 
style. 
Trices are as follows—cotton 10@llc; wheat 
$1 per bushel; coru25@30c; pork6@G£; beef 
4J@7c; eggs 15c per dozen ; chickens 16$. 
McKinney. Colin Co., Texas. w. n, w. 
-»♦» 
RURAL SPECIAL REP0RT8. 
Ga., Atlanta, Fulton Co., Dec. 2.—We are 
having some disagreeable weather; it seems 
to huve been raining every day for the last 
four weeks, and when fair it has been frosty, 
the temperature going as low as 10 degrees be¬ 
low freezing point, and all tender vegetation 
is now killed. The late strawberries, how¬ 
ever, are not all killed. Farmers are pretty 
well up with their work ; sweet potatoes are 
nearly all dug; but we have not quite finished 
sowing wheat. Crops of all kinds have been 
heavy ; eottou aud corn have yielded above an 
average. A larger crop of sweet potatoes has 
been grown this year than iu any year in the 
past ten. They are selling at 35 and 40c. per 
bushel. Winter grain of all descriptions is 
looking One. Farmers are doing well and 
business is flourishing. c. d. 
N. U., Chapel Hill, Orange Co., Nov. 27.— 
The year has made its report. The wheat crop 
was probably about the average; the oat crop 
below. Tobacco was less iu quuntity tbau 
usual, but excellent iu quality. Corn was the 
best yield in years. Sweet potatoes were a fair 
crop, Irish potatoes, much below an aver¬ 
age yield Iu fruit, there was a tolerably 
good product of peaches, and. comparatively a 
very fine crop of apples. Plenty of forage. 
Cattle enter the Winter in good condition. 
Providence has been bouutilul. Lot the people 
of our favored land be grateful! 
Among the notable features of the year in 
agricultural and kindred departm ‘tits, 1 will 
mention that the earth has produced its har¬ 
vests with astonishingly slight resources of the 
