and which will cost the State hundreds of 
thousands, is simply the result of gross and 
inexcusable neglect on the part of the owners 
of the suffering herds. The poor brutes, which 
in the first place were, according to all reports, 
half-starved, wore kept in yards that were 
constantly anklo-deep in filth. The hog chol¬ 
era, which periodically sweeps off half the 
swine of a State, and the dreaded trichinosis, 
which furnishes the excuse for excluding our 
pork products from most of Europe, are clearly 
traced to careless feeding and inexpressible 
nastiness in the management of swine. 
♦ 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Dakota. 
Harold, Hughes Co., April 6.—We are lo¬ 
cated on the C. aud N. W. R. R., 42 miles 
from the Missouri River, at Pierre. Last year 
was our first here, aud we raised no crops ex¬ 
cept on sod; vegetables and such other things 
as were planted did well—better than was ex¬ 
pected. On a quarter of an acre we raised 50 
bushels of splendid potatoes, the seeds of 
which were planted in a furrow and the sod 
turned over them; but this year there will be 
considerable wheat, oats, flax and corn put 
in. The Winter was a very pleasant, disap¬ 
pointment to every one, there having been 
only a few days of very cold weather, the 
coldest day being 40 degrees below zero; but 
we have had uone of the Dakota blizzards we 
heard so much about before coming here. 
Farmers ure sowing wheat aud breaking sod. 
All have to buy seed and pay *1 per bushel for 
wheat, 35 to 40 cents for oats, $1.25 for flax- 
fall of their neighbors. In their stead, we 
expect to get a class of people who are anxious 
to bring up their families where temperance, 
morality, virtue and intelligence are at a pre¬ 
mium. There is no safer place to do this than 
in Iowa, We can stand a failure in the com 
crop once in a quarter of a century, if the crop 
of boys and girls is not choked by the weeds 
of ignorance, or nipped by the untimely frosts 
of dissipation and vice. Iowa has instituted 
moral reforms with a greater unanimity of 
public sentiment than any other State. Iowa 
has dealt harder blows to monopolies than any 
other State. These things show the stuff her 
farmers are made of, and she is pre-eminently 
an agricultural State. Such men do not get 
frightened at the first adverse wind that blows. 
We have come to stay. 
Forest City. e. s. 
MliHoarh 
Eldon, Milieu Co., April 8.—The weather 
up to April 1st was so bad that farmers could 
do little towards Spring work: since then we 
have had a few days of spring-like weather. 
Farmers are busy now sowing oats, of which a 
considerable acreage will be sown. Winter 
wheat under present indications will make 
three-fourths of a crop. Stock has wintered 
well, and are now in good condition, while 
prices may be regarded as high. Pastures 
have started to grow, and will in a short time 
furnish considerable food for stock. Wheat, 
70 cents; oats. 30 cents: corn, 40 cents: pota¬ 
toes, 50 cents per bushel. N. J. s. 
New York. 
Wright’s Corners, Niagara Co., April 13. 
—Another week of cold nights and northeast 
winds, and no plowing for barley done yet If 
it does not rain will put all hands at work on 
the barley ground to morrow and sow as soon 
THE SHIRE HORSE. Re drawn from the Loudou Sporting and Dramatic News. Fig. 105. 
seed, and $2.50 for seed corn. Potatoes are 
worth 60 cents; butter, 28 cents; eggs, 30 
cents. All kinds of groceries, dry-goods, 
hardware and agricultural implements are 
sold nearly as cheap as in the States. Lumber 
from $18 to $30 per 1,000. H. s. c. 
Mitchell, Davison Co., April 15—Spriug 
appears to be here. Seeding is well uuder way. 
Grass shows signs of starting. j. b. b. 
Iowa. 
In au editorial note in the Rural of March 
8, in reply to a Kansas correspondent, who 
expects a great rush to that. State from Iowa 
on account of “failure of the crops last year,” 
a good point is made ou the folly of moving 
every year. But I half suspect that Kansas 
correspondent is a land agent, whose business 
it is to work up a boom for his locality. We 
are sorry to disappoint him, but it is safe to 
say that the number leaving Iowa this Spring, 
to avail themselves of the inducements held 
out iu that “land of promise, 1 will be fewer 
than the number who have fled from Kansas 
to Iowa ou account of the grasshopper scourge. 
The fact is, the crops iu Iowa last year were 
not a failure, with the siugle exception of corn, 
which was not more than half a crop, and the 
first wide-spread failure for over 20 years. 
Other eropR were good and, in portious of the 
State where stock aud dairying are receiving 
attention, the times are comparatively “easy." 1 
Hogs and cattle have commanded good prices, 
and farmers do not. feel the hard times. If 
any emigrate to Kansas, or elsewhere, to bet¬ 
ter their condition, one may be sure it is gene¬ 
rally the class of people that can be readily 
spared. 
I supposed that a few of our people would 
emigrate this Spring, on account of the recent 
temperance legislation; but I did not think 
that Kansas would catch, or would care to 
catch, that crowd. We eau well spare that 
class of moral pirates who fatten ou the dowu- 
! as possible. It really does pay to use im¬ 
proved seed. Last Spring I bought 15 bushels 
of seed barley at $1.60 per bushel over the or¬ 
dinary price; that extra cost aud the express 
charges amounted to $26. I sowed this on 10 
acres of rich grounds and harvested over 700 
bushels, averaging nearly 20 bushels more per 
acre than common six-rowed barley, and I 
have sold all I could spare at 72 cents per 
bushel more than I got for the common bar¬ 
ley; so, to say uothing about the increased 
yield of straw, I shall make over $500 clear 
profit. I shall this year try some three kinds 
of new oats, one of 1 larloy, and three or four 
kinds of potatoes. I can afford to get hum¬ 
bugged twice out of three times, and then he 
ahead. I shall have to buy another car-load 
of corn, having already used three, but as my 
hogs are sold at #9.25 per hundred, lambs at 
10 cents live weight, and yearliugs at a good 
figure, I can afford to pay 56 aud 57 cents for 
corn. It looks warm and nice this evening, 
and I hope Spring has at last come. 
H. M. J. 
North Carolina. 
Henderson, Granville Co., Aprils.— Rain 
has retarded farm work. We have only just 
finished sowing oats, being a month late, yet 
vegetation is in advance of its condition at 
this time last. year. Rye heading. All kinds 
of fruit trees iu bloom, and grape shoots are 
several inches long. m. b. p. 
V lrclnln, 
Hampden Sidney College, April 9.—In 
telling “Something about Virginia,” iu the 
Rural of April 5, some statements were made 
with which l cannot altogether agree. The 
country watered by the Roanoke, Staunton 
and Appomattox Rivers, was the slave region 
of Virginia before flic war. Slave-holders 
who owned from 50 to 300 slaves necessarily 
required large tracts of land to keep them 
profitably employed; hence, plantations of 
from 500 to 2,000 or more acres were custom¬ 
ary here. The raising of tobacco was the 
chief employment of the slaves. When the 
land ceased to be profitable for raising that 
crop it was “turned out,” and new' land was 
cleared and subjected to the same process, no 
effort being made to restore it to fertility or 
to raise any other crop; hence the general 
idea among people at the North that the lands 
were “worn out.” Since the war, some North¬ 
ern people have bought land here, and i is 
said that under the Northern system of cul¬ 
ture it. produces good wheat, oats, peas, and 
corn, as well as White and Red Clover. The 
war wiped out slavery, and left these great 
plantations without any slaves to work them. 
The owners themselves would not work. Many 
had invested all they could raise in Confede¬ 
rate bonds, and at the end of the war these 
men, finding themselves bankrupt, became 
disheartened, and many died of grief, others 
of old age, aud those vast estates were divided 
up among the heirs who, like their fathers, 
bad no means to cultivate them, and hence 
put them in the market for sale. Creditors 
also had mortgages upon a vast area of these 
lands, and they forced them on the market. 
There were no buyers, hence no market price, 
however valuable the land might be, and now 
buyers can set their own prices and get the 
lands. Cash is what is needed. As to society 
here, where large estates exist, settlements are 
necessarily sparse, but in every community 
where 15 or more white children can be got 
together, a school is established under the free- 
school system, so that school advantages here 
will soon be equal to those in the Northern 
States. As a general rule, I find the people 
here a church-going class; much more so than 
those of Wisconsin, Illinois or Minnesota with 
whom I was familiar for 40 years. The 
masses of the people are anxious that North¬ 
erners should settle among them, as the few 
who are here are proving their superiority as 
farmers over Southerners. Having seen the 
Virginia lands and met people and studied the 
condition of society here, I would advise 
“Michigan people” to come to Virginia singly, 
“if uumbers to form a community” cannot be 
induced to migrate; for not only can they get 
lands cheap, but they will find here a climate 
where farm labor can be performed 12 months 
in the year instead of seven or eight, and a 
country where the Winter does not consume 
all the Slimmer can produce. We had an 
excessively wet Winter, the constant rains 
continuing till March 21. Down to that date 
farmers were unable to do any plowing, so 
that they are very far tiehind in their work. 
Winter wheat has been injured somewhat by 
the very severe rains on heavy land; but 
winter oats are looking uncommonly well. 
h. c. 
Wisconsin. 
Hanawa, Waupaca Co., April 8. —Snow 
commenced falling here on the night of the 
6th inst., and continued to fall until 4 P. M. 
to-day. The ground is now covered to the 
depth of nearly one foot. Previous to this the 
weather had been unusually fine for weeks; 
frost all out, roads getting good, and farmers 
all ready to put in Spring crops. This snow¬ 
storm will retail! farm operations in this sec¬ 
tion 10 days, at least. Weather mild: mercury 
2° below freezing. We had 30* below zero 
three times during the Wiuter. Winter wheat 
is pronounced O. K. Wheat is worth here 
from 80 cents to 90 cents per bushel; butter, 16 
to 20 cents per pound; eggs, 16 cents per 
dozen; potatoes, 20 cents per bushel; hay, $7 
per ton. e. e. c. 
RURAL SEED REPORTS 
Iowa. 
Dow City, Crawford Co.—My two Blush 
Potatoes had 12 eyes, which were planted in 12 
hills iu rich, black loam; but they did not do 
well ou account of the bugs. The product 
weighed 10 pouuds. I had 125 bushels of White 
Elephants last Fall, and they are the best pota¬ 
toes I ever saw. Melons, eight in number and 
of fine quality. Garden Treasures a failure. 
Wheat of no account here. w. s., jr. 
Norway, Benton Co.—We have lots of oats, 
hay, “soft corn,” potatoes, aud other things 
too numerous to mention. We are uot goiug 
to rush into Kansas yet awhile. We had some 
of the best potatoes that ever grew—White 
Elephant und Beauty of Hebron. “We do not 
want any better,” so say all who have bought 
seed of me. The Blush did very well. Enough 
ol Shoe-peg Corn ripened to allow me to give 
it another trial. I like the Washington Oats 
very well. So far the spoonful has increased 
to 25 bushels. The Garden Treasures were 
beauties. A. e. s. 
New York. 
• 
Watertown, Jefferson Co.— I have several 
hundred tomato plants from the Ru ral seed, 
and shall plant them all out, as the Rural has 
taken so much paius to improve the tomato. 
J. v. C. 
piistcHaneous gktartis'ing. 
T—S.R.NYE improved 
BAY STATE RAKE 
ITS LEADING UF.KITS ARE 
That it will not Bcratch your around. Needs no ad¬ 
justment. but will rake cleat} ou all surfaces. Will 
not scatter at Hie eudfl. Will form a windrow in 
heavy or green grass. Is easily held down while at 
work. Will dump easily. Will ride easily. Will turn 
easily. Will make lees noise, and is the most expen¬ 
sively built and handsomest Rake in the market. 
BELCHER & TAYLOR AGR’L TOOL CO. 
CHICOPEE FALLS, MASS. 
REYNOLDS & LANG, 
ITHACA. IV. Y., 
MANUFACTURERS OF 
STATIONARY & PORTABLE ENGINES, 
Portable Saw Mills, &c. 
Budahtr for Private R«*id<»ncr», P«rk? Coart Home?, Ceraetcrtea or Publi* 
Grourds made vitber Pixio ..r Ornamental ,ti»o. manufacturer* of the 
IRON TURBINE WIST) ENOINWA. Bl'< \T.\Y. FORCE PUMPS 
BICKEYE I.AWN MOW ER3, ETC ’ k ' 
Send/ar Illustrated a.»»I Price* to 
IU A ST. FOOS & CO.. Sprinjffleld. Ohio. 
Heebnars’ Patent Level-Tread Horse-Powers. 
HerbneM’ Improved Threshlne Machine- FW- 
lu warranted. Catalogues with valuable information 
Free. Sole owners Level-tread pa*“nt*. All others 
infringements. Heebner Sons, Lansdale, Pa. 
THE FlNEST TOOL FOR YOUNG CORN MADF. 
Uses EIGHT NARROW J-TEEL SPRING 
T E ET1I iu place of Shovel*, allowing earlier use and 
closer cultivating. Levers In easy reach to 
govern depth, or raise beams over obstructions. 
With the3 or 5 tooth centre Is a Perlect Har¬ 
row or Spritm: Tooth Fallow Cultivator. 
THE NEW 
BUCKEYE SPRING TOOTH 
CULTIVATOR. 
THE NEW BUCKEYE 
Walking Cultivator. 
The Walking t'ul'ivator Is sold with four or 
five Shovels, and has :be lest jbuljle-acllug Spiral 
Surinir in the market. 
The Juuior 4‘ultiviitur is soi l with four or five 
Shovels, and Levers or Treadles. 
The Senior t uliiv til or is sold with four, five, 
six or seven Shovels, anil Levers or Treadles. 
AU with our Fmuons Rotary shields or Drag 
Shields. If desired. 
P. P. MAST «£ CO., 
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio. 
BKASit U HOUSES: 
811 North Main St,. Sr. Louis. Missouri. 
2tfi North Broad St., Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. 
SS Market St., San Francisco, CaUfornia. 
Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Paul, Miun. 
Also manufacturers of BUCKEYE DRILLS, BUCK¬ 
EYE SEEDERS, BUCKEYE 11 Ft. SOWERS. BUCK¬ 
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CULTIVATORS, CIDER MILLS, PLOW SULKIES, Etc. 
