3SS 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
JUNE t. 
friends have done a good stroke of business in 
procuring his services. The meeting at Ayr 
was on the occasion of the “ Ayrshire Derby,” 
the annual exhibition of the Ayrshire cattle to 
which this well known and somewhat euphe¬ 
mistic designation lias been given. A large 
number of the leading farmers of this part of 
Scotland may always be found at this annual 
show, and this year, as an additional object, 
they bad on hand the formation of the Dairy 
Association. 
And the “ AyrshireDerby” is a sight worth 
going a long way to see by any one who is 
fond of the excellent breed of dairy cattle, 
which is the leading feature of the show. It 
maybe taken for gran ted that no more use¬ 
ful breed of cattle than the Ayrshire exists, 
so far, at all events, ns milking is concerned, 
and in this part of Hcotlnnd it is found in the 
highest degree of perfection. To see, there¬ 
fore, scores upon scores of the choicest speci¬ 
mens of the breed paraded in the show ring, 
is a spectacle ull the more charming because 
it cannot lie, or at events is not, equaled uuy- 
where else in the world. The native home of 
the Ayrshire, like that of the Jersey, is con¬ 
tiguous to the sea, and it is probable that 
these choice breeds can hardly be pre¬ 
served in an unchanged condition in districts 
far away. This being a correct assumption, 
the Ayrshire farmers have a great future in 
store, in the way of brooding stock to main- 
tai?i the quality of the breed in other parts of 
the world. Professor Brown was a purchaser 
of Ayrshire stock for importation into Cana¬ 
da. as he had already been of Herefords and 
other English cattle, ms well as of Clydesdale 
and other breeds of draught horses. He in¬ 
formed me that he had paid £600 fora Here¬ 
ford bull, which bad been l>ought last year for 
£06! Hurrah for the Britisher! But Mr. 
Brown has a long purse, viz., that of the 
Government, and so it is all right for every¬ 
body. 
BREEDS AND THEIR CHARACTER¬ 
ISTICS. 
HENRY HALEB. 
Fowls of the Cochin type were not known 
in Europe or America until after the British 
“Opium War” with China in 1842, when the 
“treaty” ports were opened to English and, 
shortly afterwards, to American and European 
commerce. lu 1843 gome birds were received 
in England, and from drawings and descrip¬ 
tions in the Illustrated London News,of that 
period, we learn that those birds were long, 
yellow legged and free from leg feathering, 
and were called Cochin Chinas. They had 
evident traces of the old Malay or Chittagong 
features, and so were not the progenitors of 
the Cochin varieties that have since been bred 
to such perfection. The fact of their deriving 
their name from Cochin China, leaves a rea¬ 
sonable suggestion that they were from that 
country, rather than from China. The form 
of their heads, however, was more like that 
of the Brahma than of the modern Cochin, 
but as no one bred this first imjxirtation to 
any degree of perfection by selection, an 
opportunity wus lost for developing from them 
a breed which might have been similar to the 
Brahmas, which appeared a few years later. 
The strangers became the property of Queen 
Victoria, and soon afterwards importations 
were made of birds of liner symmetry and 
proportions, w T hich so far eclipsed the first lot 
that little more was hoard of the latter. In 
18411 true “Cochins” were imported, and it is 
a pity that the old name of Cochin v'as be¬ 
stowed on them, as they were of au entirely 
different type, and were evidently a Chinese 
breed, and should, therefore, have been named 
accordingly. This second lot also became the 
property of Queen Victoria, who exhibited 
them in 1846 at the Dublin Castle Show. 
These birds caused quite a sensation, yet they 
were very different from the Cochins of to¬ 
day. Fanciers had then scarcely come to a 
decision as to what points to select and breed 
for—a very important consideration with 
such plastic breeding creatures as poultry. 
The following year other fowls of still better 
points found their way front Shanghai to 
England, and from that date the rnunia in¬ 
creased for great fowls, which were often 
called Shanghais, as Shanghai was t he chief 
port of embarkation for the Chinese fowls. 
The Chinese, with all their ingenuity, seem 
to huvo taken little interest in breeding poul¬ 
try, as fanciers of the present day understand 
it; for their birds were not bred for uniformity 
of plumage, their coloring being sadly mixed 
and the combs,etc., showed no care in breeding. 
While the hen fever was spreading on the 
other side of the Atlantic, America’s world- 
renowned clipper ships were bearing birds to 
this continent from China or India, which 
were destined to increase the excitement 
among breeders of poultry aif well as the gene¬ 
ral public, and still a new breed of fowls was 
produced, the Brahma. The mystery re¬ 
garding this variety of poultry is something 
singular. From 1847 to 1850 several importa¬ 
tions arrived here on American clipper ships. 
Most of these showed more or leas of the Malay 
type, like the first English ittijxirtation, and 
were called Gray Chittagongs, Shanghais, or 
CochinB, without regard to defined points 
either of color or length of legs, or feat hered 
legs, if only the Asiatic type and gigantic size 
were present. At all events, from I860 to 
1852, birds were exhibited by several parties, 
mostly from the State of Connecticut, which 
were showing more uniformity of color, light 
or dark, and the name of Brahma Pootra was 
applied to them, and afterwards this was short 
enod to Brahma, From that time arose a con¬ 
troversy os to who originated the breed, and 
as I have no wish to add another name to the 
list of disputants, 1 shall say nothing more on 
thi vexed topic. 
One thing is certain—that the fowls, as now 
bred, cannot be found in China or India. 
There are many fanciers in the British urmy 
in India, and so many American and English 
merchants, us well as scientific travelers, have 
visited both countries, that they must have 
recognized uny similar fowls; but they failed 
to find uny that begin to compare with the 
Asiatics as we now have them. Nor is this to 
be wondered at, when we consider that all our 
domestic animals increase in size in temperate 
climates, compared with their growth in the 
heat of the tropical or semi-tropical countries. 
It is so in the case of the ox, horse, sheep and 
swine; and every breeder of poultry knows 
that extreme beat, even in our temperate zone, 
is injurious to chickens, and when our cold 
Winters set in, their plumage is inclined to 
grow r heavier, as the wool on sheep, or hair on 
other animals does at the same season; conse¬ 
quently, the size and beauty of our stately 
Asiatics have increased on this account; and, 
moreover, careful selection and breeding for 
nearly half a century, have greatly improved 
their character and appearance. 
farm Cconomi). 
CONSTRUCTION OF UNDER-DRAINS. 
PROF. R. C. CARPENTER. 
THE LOCATION OK DRAINS. 
So far as possible, drains should Vie located 
in such a manner that the water will flow 
with greatest velocity, provided, of course, 
the velocity is not so great as to injure the 
stability of the drains; this, I think, practical¬ 
ly never happens. The greater the velocity', 
the smaller the size of the pipe needed, aud the 
less the cost of the work. The application of 
this rule would require the drains to run di¬ 
rectly down all slopes, und that is about the 
only important principle to be borne in mind 
iu locating drains, and should be applied 
whenever applicable. As an illustration, I 
refer to Fig. 179, which is a sketch map not 
drawn to scale, of the drains actually con¬ 
the slope; the angles made with the main 
drain being one likely to make back currents, 
they were connected with the main by curves, 
as shown in the plan. Between drains 5 and 
the ends of 1, 2, 2 and 4, was a terrace, which 
it was impossible to paas through, and drains 5 
and 6 were put in, running diagonally down 
the slope. The sizes of the tiles u.'Wd were, for 
main drain, four-inch; for drain No. 12, three- 
inch ; for lower part of IS, three-inch; for the 
remainder of the drains, two-inch; area drain¬ 
ed about 12 acres. The fall of the drain 
marked 12, was two inches per rod. The 
fall of the short laterals was often as 
much as four to six inches per rod. The 
foregoing example was chosen, not for its 
perfectness of detail, but as one which, al¬ 
though on a small scale, would show the ad¬ 
vantages and disadvantages of applying our 
principle of location. 
Drains should run directly down the slope. 
Thus in Fig. 179, drains marked 1. 2, 3 and 4, 
run directly down the slope; each has then 
the maximum full to l>e obtained on that 
ground; that is, they strike the main drain at 
a point near the outlet and are short as com¬ 
pared with drains marked 5 and 6. 
Again, draiu 5, being on lower ground than 
6, receives water principally from one side, 
viz.: toward 6; on the other hand, cuch of the 
drains, 1, 2, 8 and 4, receives water equally 
from l>oth sides, consequently the water has to 
travel through the ground nearly twice as far, 
on the average, to reach drains 5 and 6, as to 
reach drains 1, 2, 8 and 4. 
The actual locating of a drain can usually 
be done more accurately by working from the 
outlet towards the source, as the eye can esti¬ 
mate a small rise better than a corresponding 
fall. Again, in the process of leveling, the 
calculations are more simple in running up 
hill than down; for that reason all directions 
given here are, that we start at the outlet and 
work towurds the source. If work is done in 
the reverse direction, it. will be easy to change 
the application of what is stated here. The 
convenience or accuracy of either depends 
largely on habit, and it is not essential which 
end is the starting point. The general direc¬ 
tion for laying out of a system of drains 
would be, start, at the outlet, run as directly as 
possible up the drainage valley of the area to 
be drained; when necessary, run in branch¬ 
es, which shall make rs small an angle as pos¬ 
sible with the main; if the general direction 
of the branch differs more than 60 degrees 
from the main, it should be connected with a 
curve. If the two streams, from branch 
aud main drain, join at a large angle, they 
will oppose each other very much in their 
flow, and a bar or obstruction is likely to be 
formed across the smaller stream; if they 
have the same general direction before 
uniting, one current will accelerate the other. 
To secure the most efficient drainage with the 
least expenditure, the final laterals should be 
parallel with each other. This will frequently 
require some drains to bo ruu diagonally 
down the slope. The person locating the 
drains will have to decide which principle 
should be sacrificed to give the best results. 
SILT BASIN. 
To prevent loss of velocity, and also to keep 
structed in the west part of the grounds of 
the Agricultural College at Lansing, Mich. 
The outlet is protected by a stone wall at O, 
the main drain of four-inch tile passes up the 
valley, changing direction with it to E, a dis¬ 
tance of 88 rods, haviug an average fall of 
\ l /£ inch per rod. At this point the contour of 
the ground required an abrupt bend, and a 
silt basin, the construction of which will be 
de cribed further on, was sunk at this point, 
principally to lessen friction from the abrupt 
bend, also to allow the workings of the drain 
to be examined, aud retain silt from drains 12 
aud 18. From the silt basin a sub-main, 
marked 12 in the cut, was run, which received 
a number of laterals making an angle of 45 
degrees with the main, each terminating at 
the summit of the ridge. 
From the main O D, a series of laterals, 
marked 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., were ruu directly up 
the main drain clear, a silt basin was con¬ 
structed, as sbowu in Fig. 180. It was made 
as follows: Depth below main drain, 12 inches; 
diameter, 12 inches; main draiu, four inches 
below the laterals. Its full depth was five 
feet; the lower three feet were constructed of 
brick, laid in cement mortar, laid square 12 
inches in the clear. On the top of the brick¬ 
work was a 12-inch sewer-pipe placed socket 
upwards; a cover was provided slipping in¬ 
side the sewer-pipe and resting on the brick, 
another resting.in the socket of the sewer- 
pipe. The construction of the silt basin is 
shown clearly in Fig. 180. The original ob¬ 
ject of a silt basin was to afford a place for 
deposit of silt gathered in the drains above it; 
this cannot be effectually done unless the silt 
basin is deeper than the outlet drain; and a 
break in the current is produced by having the 
outlet drains on a lower level than the inlet 
drains. The silt can be removed by dippers. 
It is my opinion that, so far as the deposit of 
silt is concerned, the silt basins are of little 
j practical value. If the main is properly pro¬ 
portioned, any silt that passes through the lat¬ 
erals, will readily pass through that,and reach 
the outlet. Silt basins have an important 
office, however, viz.: that of affording a 
means of ascertaining the working of the 
drains, and consequently giving valuable in- 
I formation. 
Silt Basin. Fig. 180. 
Silt basins may be constructed of stone or 
brick entirely, and of any dimensions needed 
for especial eases. If designed ouly as peep¬ 
holes, it is not necessary to excavate below 
the main drain, or even to make a break in 
the grade of the drains. Covers should al¬ 
ways be provided, to prevent the frost reach¬ 
ing the drains. 
SIZE of tile. 
One of the important considerations to be de¬ 
cided is the size of the tile to be used. Econo¬ 
my requires that as small tile as will answer 
be employed, while other considerations im¬ 
peratively demand that the tile be not too 
small. The important thing is to get just the 
correct size. There are many circumstances 
which effect the carrying capacity of tiles, 
such as the fall, area of cross -section, length, 
directness and smoothness of boro. Directness 
makes more difference than many imagine. 
Thus, if resistance in a straight line be 90, 
on a true curve it will tie 100, and be increased 
by a right angle to 140. The friction in tiles is 
proportionately less in large than small tiles; 
if this were not so, the capacity would vary as 
the square of the diameter, aud a two-inch 
tile would carry one-fourth as much water as 
a four-inch tile; but as an actual fact, it will 
carry only about one-sixth as much, while a 
ten-inch tile has about 10 times the capacity 
of a four inch tile. The variation of tile up 
or down from the grade line has much to do 
with its capacity; a line of tile with open 
joints each foot, is never under the same pres¬ 
sure as a perfectly tight pipe haviug the same 
fall would lie. When the ground above it is 
saturated with water, the current may be 
urged ou by some bead, but since the joints 
are open, it is evident that, the pressure on the 
water on the inside of the tile cannot rise 
much above the pressure on the water ou 
the laud outside t.lie tile. If this were not 
true, the water would flow out from the tile 
at each joint, and as the area of a limited 
number of joint openings, soon equals the ca¬ 
pacity of the tile, the tile would empty itself. 
This may take place under some circumstances 
until the pressure is equal, both inside and 
out; but in any event, the pressure on water 
flowing through a liue of tile drain can never 
exceed that due to a depth of water equal to or 
less than the depth of the drain at any given 
place. Usually there is no pressure urging 
the water onward except that due to gravity, 
which depends ouly on the fall of the drain at 
each place. This pressure, or force, acting 
constantly, would make the water flow, like a 
ball railing down bill, faster and faster, were 
it not for the continual resistance caused by 
the rubbing of the water against the sides of 
the tile, aud by irregularities and bends in the 
the pipe. This rubbing, or friction, is very 
gTeat, and in small pipes of great length, may 
almost entirely destroy the current, so that 
pipes on a given grade and of a given size, 
should not exceed certain lengths. 
■ ««» 
PROOFS OF THE ADVANTAGES OF 
ENSILAGE. 
In the Rural of April 12, I stated, 1, that 
ensilage will produce just as much good milk, 
cream and butter, as any other winter feed, 
aud a little more of them; 2, that a silo of 
any given dimensions will store three times as 
much fodder as the same space in a barn will 
of hay, and is therefore cheaper; 8, that three 
times as many cows can be kept on the ensi¬ 
laged product of any given number of acres 
of good tillable land, with little difference in 
labor per cow. In support of these three 
statements, I offer the following evidence: 
1, Mr. Elirby, of Kent, England, at a meet¬ 
ing of the British Dairymen’s Association last 
Fall, said of cows partly fed on ensilage:—“I 
find the cows give as much milk, and of better 
quality, than they do on the best artificial 
