THE BUBAL UEW-YOBIEB. 
OCT. 46 
(Slrerjrto&m. 
KUKAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Ark., Paris, Logan Co., Sept., 30—Grain 
crops are an average in this county ; but the 
rust has shortened the cotton crop very ma¬ 
terially. But little wheat was Bown in this re¬ 
gion and the yield has been poor. The Spring 
drought ruined the oat crop; most persons 
have not even saved their seed. Of the seeds 
sent me from the Rural Oflloe, Mold's Enno¬ 
bled Oats did well, considering the drought. 
I am well pleased with them. The Telephone 
Peas were injured by dry weather and were 
planted two weeks too late, but I consider 
them superior to any wc have iu this country. 
The Oiitbbert Raspberries did well, but wc 
planted most of the other seeds in open ground 
and they failed io germinate on account of the 
drought. The Mulberry cuttings got open in 
the mail and were dried up so much that, al¬ 
though carefully treated as grafts ou growing 
stocks, they failed to grow. I procured some 
seed of your sort of Donra corn, aud it is now 
ripening the grain. It proves to he an old ac¬ 
quaintance. I first saw it in Twiggs County, 
Georgia, in the Fall of 1833, where the boys 
were cultivating it for parching corn, under 
the name of Eiryptiau Wheat, and I have cul- 
tived it for fowls, and at one time had Hour 
made cf it, of which it makes an excellent ar¬ 
ticle. I lost the seed about the end of the war. 
or soon alter, aud was glad to get it again. 
It is a splendid fodder plant and can be profit¬ 
ably sown broadcast when laying by Indian 
corn, to be fed off by stock, after the. corn is 
gathered. I drill It in rows, like sorghum, 
and thiu out to eight or ten inches apart. 
When planted for grain, it should he put in at, 
or about, the time of planting corn. I also 
have the old white-seeded Dhoura corn which 
wc plant for fowls aud fodder, for which it is 
very good, but it seldom tillers much, unless 
the soil is very rich. Teosiute will not do 
here, it fails to make seed or even head. We 
may keep the roots alive through the Winter 
by mulching, for the second year. it. m. y. 
Ark., Greenwood, Sebastian Co., Sept. 33.— 
I would suggest to the correspondent who 
pleasantly described the Rural Farm, and 60 
wittily mentioned the mosquitoes, in a recent 
number of the Rural, that he emigrate to this 
country where a person may travel all day 
without seeing any, and where one very rarely 
comes in contact with them at night. For 
some unexplained reason the climate of West¬ 
ern Arkansas does not agree with mosquitoes. 
But we have other pests hero, commonly called 
chiggere, whioh are equally as troublesome as 
the Northern mosquito: and unless one is 
familiar with the use of soda water and soft- 
soap, he will be in perpetual torment during 
the warm season, and especially while black¬ 
berries ure ripe iu the months of May and 
June. Being about the size of the point of a 
pm, it is a very difficult mattci to see them 
unless one has a good microscope. My Blount 
Corn was planted March 30th, and in 90 days 
it was fully matured. I planted it in drills 
four feet apart. It yielded at the rate of 80 
bushels, shelled, per aero. I gathered it as 
soon as it was dry on the stalks, reserved the 
most fully developed top ears for seed, braided 
them in bunches and hung them in the loft Of 
my cabin. On examination a few days since, 
I found the weevil had commenced working in 
the grain, so l took them down, pulled off the 
husks and laid them away in a tight bin, after 
giving them a good sprinkling with Turkish 
insect powder. I planted another piece of 
common Dent corn for a late crop on June 
14th ; that alBO ripened in 90 days, and made a 
fair crop, taking the mode of culture into con¬ 
sideration. Last season I planted a premium 
patch of Blount’s Corn in Northwestern Penn., 
about the middle of May, and while it made 
an immense growth, it failed to get ripe before 
frost in September following. The soil iB so 
much warmer and more sandy here, aud we 
have so much more sunshiny weather, that 
crops mature much earlier than in the North¬ 
ern StateB. R. R. 
Mo., Pleasant Mount, Miller Co., Sept. 31.— 
We had a good rain here the other day. It 
came in good time as the ground was very dry. 
Farmers are busy sowing wheat, and the rain 
will help greatly, as the ground was so dry that 
some were afraid to sow, thinking the seed 
would not germinate. It will also help pas¬ 
tures and give us plenty of stock water. Stock 
of all kinds are still bringing a good price. 
Good sucking mules are worth from $35 to $35 
and two-year-old mules are worth from $80 to 
$11C, . .. cording to size, etc. Good Block hogs 
ready to fatten sell at from 3$ to 4J cents per 
pound; the profit on them being iu feeding. 
N. J. S. 
Neb., Harvard, Clay Co., Sept. 38.—Al¬ 
though the season has been very dry, the crops 
have done a great deal better than could be 
expected. This is a good wheat country, yet 
the crop is light this year, yielding from 10 to 
15 bushels per acre; corn, from 10 to 40 
bushels; barley, 10 to 30. Potatoes are not very 
good throughout this section ; the Early Ohio 
has done the beRt with us. It beats the Early 
Rose “ all to smash,” and is about 10 days 
earlier. m. a. w. 
N. Y., Aflon, Chenango Co., Oct. 1.—Crops, 
except grass, have been pretty good. Corn is 
a good average; potatoes are rotting very 
badly, but Die yield 16 good—above the aver¬ 
age. They are selling for 30c. to 25c. per 
bushel. Oats are an average crop in bushels, 
though the grain is light—price, 40c. to 45c. 
Wheat is a light yield—price, -i 1 to 1.25. Hay is 
scarce—price paid, $13 per ton at barn. Stock 
is cheap; one can have the pick of a dairy at 
from $15 to $30. The drought has cut our 
butter crop short quite a good deal. From 
last May until this week we have not had rain 
enough to wet the ground two inches. I think 
that feed (hay and grain) is higher than it will 
be next Spring, for farmers are cutting down 
stock and holding their feed, aud using every¬ 
thing that is feed. This season will be a bene¬ 
fit in this way—it will tend to cull out the poor 
cows. Creameries and cheese factories, too, 
tend to make better cows. Fanners take their 
milk there, and they learn to a pound of milk 
what their herds yield. Then a competition 
arises among them, each being anxious to get 
ahead of his neighbor, and, of course, if he is 
ahead he tries to keep there, and will feed his 
cows a little better. This keeps the cows in 
better flesh and in better condition for Winter. 
These butter and cheese factories not only 
make a better article than private dairies, but 
they tend to the culling out of the poorer cows 
and the better feeding of the better ones left. 
Some farmers here get from 13 cows as much 
butter or cheese as others do from 18 or 30. 
G. E. N. 
N. Y., Elmira, Chemung Co., Oct. 4— 
Autumn thus far has been most favorable for 
farmers. Warm weather and abundant rains 
have given wheat a good start and furnished 
good, fresh pasturage for stock. Our first 
killing frost occurred Oct. 1st. Up to that 
time tender plants remained green and second- 
growth tobacco continued to grow until it had 
in many eases assumed considerable size and 
blossomed. Fruit is very plentiful throughout 
this county, especially appleB, which are a 
drug iu our market (Elmira). Fall apples ean 
be obtained in large or small quantities for 
30c. per bushel. The tobacco crop was housed 
iu good season and generally iu good condition, 
not having been damaged in the least from 
storms of wind or bail. Early crops are al¬ 
ready nearly cured and in most cases show in¬ 
dications of desirable colors. Late-set crops, 
favored by plentiful rains after Aug. 20th, 
made good growth and if the weather contin¬ 
ues favorable through the curing season, will, 
it is probable, make as good a quality as the 
early crops. G. a. G. JR. 
N. Y., Rural Farm, Oct., 8.—Cutting the 
second growth of grass and clover—the first 
having been very light—is now occupying the 
time of our farmers. This has delayed wheat 
sowing ten days beyond the usual time. Our 
wheat is all in save a few experiment plots 
which will be sown as soon as the rain which 
is now falling ceases. Our heavy yields of 
Blount aud Chester Corn excite the interest 
and comment of our farmers. Most of it still re¬ 
mains in stooks awaiting the inspection of sev¬ 
eral prominent men who have been invited to 
test the accuracy of our statements. Major. 
N. C., Brookston, Warren Co., Sept. 27.— 
We are now having fine weather for cotton 
picking, which is much earlier than usual. 
Though we have an extra growth of weeds, the 
yield will hardly be above the average, some 
fields having been injured by rust. The corn 
crop is giving even better returns than were 
anticipated, being at least 10 pointB above the 
average. Crab Grass is abundant. Stock hav¬ 
ing access to stubble fields are in line condition ; 
such aB are confined to outside grazing are 
poor, as usual- Prices .-—cotton, 10Jc.; sweet 
potatoes, 40e.; eggs, 12}c,; wheat, $1; labor 
per day, men, 40c., with rations ; women, 35c,; 
picking cotton, 40c. per lOO.pounds. m. b. p. 
Ohio, Camden, Preble Co., Sept. 29.—Those 
that got their ground plowed soon after our 
rains, got their wheat in, in fine condition. It 
has come up well aud the fields begin to look 
green. Corn is a good, not a large yield j it is 
curing out nicely. We are having it cool and 
dry—splendid weather for housing tobacco, of 
which there was an unusually large amount 
raised iu this vicinity. w. m. 
Tbxab, San Autonlo, Bexar Co., Sept. 23.— 
Much rain, a great drawback in gathering the 
cotton crop. Com is a light average crop; it 
was planted lute, the first planting having been 
killed by the frost; it is worth 65 cents per 
bushel; cotton, nine cents. Wheat averaged 
13 bushels per acre in Uito neighborhood, 
though hurt by the rust. The International 
Railroad is now being built between here and 
Austin. <5- w. 
Utah, Brown’s Park, Summit Co., Sept. 25.— 
I’ve lately removed to ibis place from Rock 
Springs in this Territory. That was a coal¬ 
mining district, where nothing grew but sage 
bushes. This is mainly a stock-raising coun¬ 
try, right on the banks of Green River, which 
runB into the Colorado about 100 miles south 
of this place. Ail tho cultivated land here has 
to be irrigated. Wheat, oats and most other 
field crops grown here seem excellent, as do 
all sorts of garden stuff. w. s. 
Vermont, East Poultney, Rutland Co., 
September 38.—1 have been a reader of 
your valuable paper for eighteen months 
and in that time have received a great benefit 
from the experience of those who contribute 
to its pageB, to say nothing of what comes 
from the Experiment Farm. I have for some 
time felt a growing desire to add an occasional 
word “ of thanks if nothing more." My exper¬ 
ience in farming is very limited as are my acres. 
Dr. HoskinB ODce remarked. In an agricultural 
meeting, that he at one time owned 10 acres; 
my number exceeds that by six, and being 
very willing to learn from others 1 hope some 
day to make my little farm as productive 
as his. Now, a word about corn. This sea¬ 
son, after studying through and through a 
circular put out by the Hoosier Drill Co , ob¬ 
tained through the Rural, I became convinced 
that it was best for me to drill my corn, 
which I did with a hope to have a planter 
by-and-by, dropping one kernel in a place 
ten or twelves iuehes apart. Tuo result is the 
Lest crop 1 ever raised, the growth being even 
and good, hardly a stalk being without a good, 
sound ear and very many with two. and a few 
with three. After I was through planting I 
was pleased to notice that at the Experiment 
Farm the corn was also drilled, I am watch¬ 
ing for the result of your trial. - H. m. 
CAUSE OF CHANGE IN DEFIANCE WHEAT. 
I am much pleased with the constant improve¬ 
ment which I observe in the Rural, and am 
greatly interested in the result of your experi¬ 
ment with shriveled Defiance Wheat. I think 
you have obtained a new variety by the treat¬ 
ment to which it has been subjected. In my 
numerous experiments I have met with results 
somewhat similar. Seedlings of potatoes 
which yield much seed, usually resemble the 
parent, while varieties which yield only occa¬ 
sionally a few small, imperfect seeds, sport 
into numerous forms and colors; the Btrain 
seems to break by being subjected to new and 
unusual conditions. The small aud imperfect 
kernels growing on the taeselB of corn, if 
planted, will 6port, prod«ciug new varieties. 
The same law holds good with most of our 
fruits, as cherries, pears, apples, plums, etc. 
As a general rule, plants which bear very small 
seeds sport ofteuor than those which bear an 
abundance of large, plump seeds. All my ex¬ 
periments lead me to believe that round, plump 
seed usually produces plants like tho parent 
strain, while small, weak, imperfect seed oftener 
produces now varieties. 
The Cuthbert Raspberry plants which you 
sent me last March, have made a strong growth. 
Some of the branches are now loaded to the 
ground with their weight of fragrant fruit. I 
have 22 kinds of Rieiuus growing this year ; 
the Rural Bronze is tho finest of all, aud the 
one I would part with last. The strain seems 
to be well fixed, as in a long row all are of the 
same hight, color and general habit. 
Sonoma Co., Cal. Luther Burbank. 
®jjc 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Testa for Oleomargarine. 
L. U. S-, Franklin , Mass., asks whether 
there is any simple test for distinguishing 
oleomargarine from butter. 
Ans.— There are two ways in which oleo¬ 
margarine is uBcd—as au adulterant of gen¬ 
uine butter and in its natural condition. No 
easy or certain way has yet been discovered of 
detecting oleomargarine iu butter, Of several 
testB that have been given from time to time 
experience has shown that none can be relied 
upon except where the oleomargarine is poorly 
and carelessly made, or where t^e would-be 
butter is entirely oleomargarino, except the 
small portion of cream churned with it to 
flavor it- Of these tests Professor Caldwell, 
of Cornell University, who has experimented 
a good deal In the matter, says the following 
gives the beet results:—Over a piece of good 
butter as large as a chestnut, in a wine-glass, 
pour about twice its bulk of ether ; stir it up 
until the fat is all dissolved. Let it stand a 
few minutes until the undissolved salt has 
settled at the bottom. Pour the clear solution 
off into a tablcBpoon and set it aside for an 
hour or two, or until all the ether has evapor¬ 
ated. Treat a piece of oleomargarine iu j ust 
the same way, and on comparing the fatty 
CURING TEA LEAVES.—FIG. 331. 
