THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
JULY 24 
0ucn}uif)erc. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Upland, Ont., June 29.—The Fall wheat re¬ 
ported in my last report as being under four 
feet of snow came through the Winter well 
and is now looking tine, at least 80 per cent 
having survived our long and severe Winter. 
The B.-b Centennial was planted May lft, in 
rows 12x12, and is looking well, but it has not 
yet tillered out. Of the Niagara grape seeds 
planted in the house ju a box, 1(5 germinated 
and eight of the strongest are planted out in a 
border under the special care of my wife, who 
also is looking forward w ith much wonder and 
anticipation for the flowers. She is greatly 
perplexed how to discover the names of many 
of them. it. c. 
Illinois. 
Farina, Fayette Co., June 30. —We had a 
very severe Winter, followed by a late 
Spring, giving us a very poor prospect for 
Winter wheat. It. will be the poorest crop of 
wheal that wo have bad in years. Not one 
acre in ten will pay for the cutting. We have 
a fine prospect for oats. A greater acreage 
than common was sown. Owing to the late 
Spring corn is notes high as usual at this time 
of the year. A great deal of the first plant¬ 
ing bud to be replanted i>n account of cold and 
wet, at the time it was sprouting. The later 
planting is doing finely now'. The hay crop 
will be higher than usual. There will be a 
greater acreage cut than in any previous year, 
A great many farmers seeded their wheat last 
Fall with Timothy, and such will uot attempt 
to save the wheat but will cut it for hay. A 
great many of the small farmers are abandon¬ 
ing farming and are giving their attention 
to fruit growing, it being more profitable than 
general f arming. The strawberry crop was a 
very large one this year, yielding from 150 to 
250 cases (of 24 quarts) to the acre, averaging 
a net profit of *1.75 per case. The principal 
berry is the Crescent Seedling. Other varie¬ 
ties are the Mount Vernon, Miner’s Prolific, 
Kentucky, Bid well, Manchester, Sharp¬ 
less, Cumberland Triumph, etc. Several of 
the new varieties are 1 icing tried this year. 
The Manchester and Bid well are uot thought 
a great deal of here. The Bidwells set more 
berries than they could mature. The Cum¬ 
berland proves to be a tine berry this year; it 
brought more than double the price of any 
other shipped from this place this season. We 
have a fine prospect for apples. This is the 
second year in succession in which the apple 
trees havo been heavily loaded. There will be 
no peaches this season excepting a few of the 
natural variety. R. c, 
Iowa. 
Decatur, Decatur Co., June 30.—The 
weather this week has been all that could be 
wished for. Coin doing well where not choked 
up with weeds. But, oh! what farmers some 
of the men hereabouts are. It seems their 
object is to tiy how many acres of corn they 
can get in—uot how much per acre they can 
raise, consequently there are more woods than 
corn stalks. I have 20 acres of corn that 1 
will finish working the first time this after¬ 
noon, and about knee-lugh. Some of the 
ground I plowed while the frost was yet in, 
but I plowed so deep that the weed seeds (what 
there was) never got up. I plow about four 
inches deeper than my neighbors; and 1 have 
uot missed a crop in the five years that I have 
been here. This is truly the greatest clover 
land I ever saw and i was raised in the Buck¬ 
eye State where they grow clover. 1 lielieve 
my B.-b Wheat will be a failure; it did well 
till within the past 10 days when the leaves 
nearly all turned yellow. There are a few 
heads but they are smooth. I never saw 
wheat stool so. I planted it in drills on April 
8th in rows one foot apart, ami it covered the 
ground two weeks ago. My Burpee Welcome 
Cats are three feet high and just heading out; 
somewhat lodged. 1 think them a splendid 
show for poor laud. Timothy and oats gen¬ 
erally looking fine. w. J. c. 
Hull MUM. 
Jewell, Jewell Co., July 1.—All crop pros¬ 
pects are very promising. Wheat and rye are 
mostly harvested, and oats and corn are look¬ 
ing fine, with every indication of bountiful 
crops. I. n. r. 
MicklKun. 
Freemont, Newaygo Co., June 25.—This is 
a new country; the people are interested in 
logs and bark and there is but little farming. 
We had a cold, wet, late Spring ; rained every 
day for a week. I don’t like the giving so 
much desert laud to cattle men; that desert 
land will be wanted for poor men before 20 
years. K e. w. 
Allwourf 
Walker, Vernon Co., June 20.—Southwes¬ 
tern Missouri lias had much rain. Corn weedy 
y-ft, looking well, much of it about ready teJ 
shoot. Oats fine, also grass. Wheat very 
poor, some rust in it. Apples, perhaps over 
half a crop, peaches fair. Small fruits very 
flue; iu fact these hardly over fail in this lati¬ 
tude. Our old cattle men are very generally 
selling off their “ranches” or large cattle 
farms to Eastern farmers for actual fanning 
pui-poses, while they go West to seek “outside 
grass,” which barbed wire bas the credit of 
robbing them of so lately in this region. It ell 
improved tracts of half to two sections iu a 
body are changing bands readily at from ?15 
to *30 per acre. Corn has never entirely failed 
here for 12 years past; but wheat often does. 
Send us out some more real farmers, not so 
many stockmen, though stock still pays finely 
here, and we will show you iu a few years the 
finest county in Southwest Missouri, e. l. n. 
New Jersey* 
Dunellen, Middlesex Co., July 7. —Al¬ 
though Spring is very backward at tins 
writing, crops of all kinds are looking very 
fine We have liad plenty of rain, but no ex¬ 
cessively wet weather, and since about May 
20 it has been very seasonable. Crass is 
extra-good and com is a good stand and of a 
good color. From the Niagara Crape seeds 1 
have 37 nice vines which 1 transplanted to the 
garden about three weeks ago. Of course we 
are all expecting to grow the “ boss ” grape. 
1 have also some 15 or 20 seedlings that came 
up in my garden. H - p - p - 
New York. 
Caton, Steuben Co., June 30.—We have 
had a very wet June; so far this month we 
have had more rain than we had all last Sum¬ 
mer We had a lute, backward Spring. Corn 
all planted and looking fine. Grass will be a 
very fair crop. This seems to be the “off 
year with apples. Trees that bore last year 
have none on this year; while those that did 
uot are loaded now. There is a large acreage 
of potatoes in this and adjoining towns. 
Everything gives a fair prospect for a rich 
harvest if we havn’t too much rain. B. w. 
Ohio. 
Columbus, Franklin Co., June 30.—A trip 
which has taken me to several counties of Cen¬ 
tral Ohio gives me opportunity to note the ap¬ 
pearance of crops. The Spring was backward 
and frequent rains seemed to promise but a 
poor crop of wheat, but the last three weeks 
have worked an astonishiug change aud some 
fields that were thought utmost worthless arc 
now promising a good yield. Corn is yet small 
but with a good Summer will yield an abun¬ 
dant crop. Oats could scarcely lie finer, aud 1 
have never seen potatoes look better. W bat 
surprises me is the entire absence of the Col¬ 
orado Beetle in sections when it has hereto¬ 
fore been very destructive. I have not yet 
heard any satisfactory reason given for their 
absence. Grass is heavy but the excess of 
rain is not promotive of quality, so much as 
quantity. 1 was so unfortunate as to reach 
Columbus just after the close of the school 
year of the Ohio State University with which 
is connected the Agricultural College and the 
Expex-imental Grounds,and had no opportunity 
to examine the premises so thoroughly and 
understanding! y as I should have been glad to 
have done, but what I saw leaves no doubt 
that the investment will be worth much more 
than its cost to the agricultural interests of 
the State. Whether fanners are benefited to the 
extent that the} - may be by all such institutions 
depends much on themselves. The dismissal 
of Prof. Scott from the Presidency of the Uni¬ 
versity has awakened much feeling. It may 
be too soon to fonu an opinion, but from what 
I learn the removal is consequent upon certain 
views he holds relative to the tenure of 
landed property, which views are iu my opin¬ 
ion what we must sometimes approve, l. a. r 
PenriMyl vuiiIh. 
Saltsburg, Westmoreland Co., July (i — 
Last year was wet, but this is worse—raiu> 
rain, rain. Could hardly get two days in a 
week to work corn, but it is growing finely; 
with a favorable season we shall have a good 
ci op. Wheat will uot be half a crop. On 
limestone soil it is good. Oats good, liay 
Could not be better. Apples will not lie half a 
crop, as they have fallen off badly. w. s. 
% Chimst. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
aud address of tlie wi lier to Insure attention.! 
THE DRAINAGE LAWS OF MICHIGAN. 
S. W. H.. KenI City, Mich,— There.is in this 
town a lake which we wish tojdraiu, but land 
enough will not be drained thereby in the 
town to justify an assessment large enough to 
pay the cost of the drain. The drainage of 
the lake, however, would drain quite a large 
tract of laud In the adjoining towushipi 
Would it be right for me, a freeholder, to get 
the freeholders of each town to sign a con¬ 
tract, make a survey and let out say 20-rod 
jobs of opening a creek from tbe lake, giving 
to each freeholder a chance to work out his 
job? Could I then assess the lands benefited 
and legally collect money enough to pay for 
the construction of the drain and incidental 
expenses? 
ANSWERED BY 1’ROF. R. C. CARPENTER, OF 
MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
The drainage laws of Michigan require the 
election of a township commissioner of drains 
aud authorize the. Board of Supervisors of 
each county to appoint a county drain com¬ 
missioner at their option. The county drain 
dhmmissioner has authority extending over 
the whole county; the township drain com¬ 
missioner’s authority extends only over his 
township. Application signed by a majority 
of freeholders benefited by the required drain 
is made to the commissioner, who, after ex¬ 
amination, orders a survey, secures the neces¬ 
sary right of way if possible, and after cer¬ 
tain preliminaries, proceeds to let contracts 
for construction. The cost is divided on the 
property in proportion to the benefit received. 
In case the opening of a drain is opposed, a 
special commission of those members is ap¬ 
pointed by the Probate Court, whose findings 
are final. 1 would say that after an extensive 
experience in the construction of town and 
county ditches, in no case lias an opposing 
faction been able to prevent the opening of a 
drain, the only result of the opposition being 
to delay the construction aud increase the ulti¬ 
mate cost to themselves as well us others. De¬ 
spite this well-known fact, nearly every drain 
meets with determined opposition, which is to 
the detriment, of every class excepting lawyers. 
The question calls up the weakest poiut of the 
drain laws, viz., the jurisdiction of the town 
commissioner when there is no county com¬ 
missioner, as is the ease iu most counties. 
Two township commissioners acting iu har¬ 
mony. each iu his own township, could lay out 
a legal drain and collect from all the property 
benefited. If it is difficult to secure that, the 
remedy would lie with the Board of Super¬ 
visors, who could appoint a commissioner with 
the necessary authority. In case every free¬ 
holder benefited would sign an agreement to 
bear his portion of the expense, there is no 
necessity whatever of having any commis¬ 
sioner, If the amount each was to pay were 
to be determined by some person on whom all 
agreed, the result would be as satisfactory 
and much cheaper than to follow the course 
laid down iu the statute law. In this ease col 
lections would be made, not iu the taxes, but 
by promissory notes or their equivalent. Un¬ 
less tiie requirements of the law ure fulfilled 
no legal assessments can lie made. 
ANTI-SELF MILKING DEVICES. 
W. P S., Cambridge, U .; W. P. S.\ U. -4. 
C., Bloomington, Neb / A. L., Elk Co., Pa., 
and others ask the best remedy for preventing 
cows from sucking themselves. 
A ns. —There is no permanent cure except¬ 
ing that of operating on the tongue so as to 
prevent the cow from clasping the teat with 
it, and that is by splitting it for two inches at 
the end. This may bo objected to ns a pain¬ 
ful method, but it is not more so than several 
other operations we perform upon our domes¬ 
tic animals to make them more valuable. We 
do not recommend it, but simply mention it, 
leaving readers to do as they feel rightabout 
the matter. A cow given to this habit, in 
morally incurable anil is very likely to learn 
some way to surmount many obstacles in pur¬ 
suit of her vice. Quite a large number of 
contrivances, however, have been employed 
with more or less success to prevent the prae- 
FlG. 390. 
tice. One consists of a stout stick of tough 
wood suspended bet ween the fore legs, one end 
lieing attached to a surcingle buckled about, 
the animal's body aud the other fastened to a 
strap which is buckled to the halter, The 
strap unit ing the stick to the halter should bo 
at least 12 inches loug to allow the necessary 
movement of the'.lieod to graze freely while 
preventing the cow from bringing the head to 
the bidder. V l.e«s)iinsightly and, it is claimed, 
equally effective is another device which was 
Bhowniin’the Rural of Doe. (5, 1879, having 
been’re-eugravwl from Prof. J. P. Sheldon’s 
great .work^Dairy Farming. We Imvo uot 
bud occasion to try it eurwlven but Mm Pro* 
fessor says it is a thoroughly effective pre¬ 
ventive. It is made of a piece of oak board 
eight inches long, live wide and a quarter of 
an inch thick, as at Fig. 390, The cow’s nos¬ 
tril should be sprung or bent until the piece 
is fitted. Caro should be taken not to make 
the two poiuts too far asunder as it would 
then easily slip off the nose. The points 
should be half-au-inch apart and nicely 
smoothed and rounded off, so as not to hurt 
the cow. A oaten ted device of much the same 
kind has been advertised in the Rural by H. 
C. Rice, Easthamptou, Mass. 
CHEESE MAKING ON A SMALL SCALE. 
H. J. V., La Fayette, [ml .—How can cheese 
be made on a small scale—say where only six 
gallons of milk are used at a time ? 
A ns. —Strain the night’s milk into a tub, or 
Other vessel, mid put iu the rennet—one table 
spoonful to three gallons of milk. As soon as 
the curd becomes firm cut it with a case-knife 
to the bottom, in line squares, and let. it stand 
till the whey comes on the top; then dip the 
curd into a cloth which is sot in a basket over 
a vessel pi eate’h the whey. In this way the 
whey draius off. Gather the curd in a bunch 
iu tin 1 cloth, and put a light pressure upon it 
leaving it in the cloth. It must be put in a 
cool place. In the morning change the milk 
to curd—the same as the night before—and 
put the two curds together. It must now be 
scalded, which is done by heating a portion of 
the whey, sufficient to cover the curd, or it 
may be done with water. The whey, or water, 
should ho heated almost to scalding point and 
the curd immersed in it, where it. should be 
left a few minutes und stirred lightly until it 
begins to have an elastic and tough feeling, 
when it should be taken out aud put in the 
basket, aud the whey, or water, be allowed to 
drain off. After draining—which takes but a 
few minutes—the curd is put into a chopping 
bowl and chopped about as tiue as chestnuts, 
salt being added—five ounces, or a teacupful 
to 12 pounds of curd. An increase of salt, will 
make a drier aud harder cheese. As soon as 
chopped, put into a heap of suitable size, aud 
then under the press. A fter ten minutes take 
it out aud etiange to a dry cloth, and put it 
back into the press to bo left till night, when 
it should he turned again and pressed until 
morning. A cloth bandage is put around the 
cheese when taken from the press, aud the 
cheese is rubbed with melted butter. It is 
then set in a dry, cool place, aud kept free 
from the flies by darkening the room. The 
cheese should he turned twice a day aud rub¬ 
bed with melted butter. It must be looked to 
carefully, to see if the flies have deposited any 
eggs, or it will get. wormy and spoil. For 
setting the milk many persons use their wash- 
tubs und other things they happen to have 
handy, using a press of simple form. 
CHILLS AND FEVER. 
D. C., Hermitage Landing,La. —For the sake 
of suffering bun unity’, will the Rural tell 
me if there is anything besides quinine that 
will stop the recurrence of chills and fever ? 
When the fever is on, I can alway’s reduce it 
with aconite; but, whut will prevent it fr >m 
coming back again? There must be some rem¬ 
edy’, if I but knew it. I dread jiateut medi¬ 
cines on account i f theurscnic which they usu¬ 
ally contain, and I do hate to poison the pure 
system of young children with quinine, if I 
could find a substitute possessing its virtues 
without its defects. 
Ans. —There is no medicine that will cure 
“malaria ” or chills aud fever, while the cause 
is operating. As well might we ask fora medi¬ 
cine to cure the ill effects of eating or driuk- 
ing too much. Quinine will cure u dozen or 
it may lie fifty attacks of chills and fever. But 
with every dose taken its effects are weakened 
until finally it. has little or no curative power. 
We must get away from the infectious vapors 
that cause malaria. As an original affection 
chills aud fever occur almost exclusively in 
the latter part of Summer aud Autumn and 
the only sure way of escaping the ailment is 
to avoid miasmutic regions from say the mid¬ 
dle of June until frost. It this cannot be done, 
avoid morning aud evening air und nerer 
slrei) out ut night, if out iu the moruiug, 
evening or night it should never he on an 
empty stomach. Slum scrupulously excesses 
of every sort. Never remain long in wet 
clothes. When heated be careful about ex¬ 
posing yourself in cold or a draft. Avoid, if 
possible, the intense heat of the sun about 
noonday. Always, when possible, sleep iu an 
upper room, us experience bas shown that the 
malaria of unhealthful districts always tends 
to cling to the ground. Statistics show that 
the proportion of eases among those sleeping 
up-stairs and down-stairs is one-third less in 
favor of the former. It is also of great im¬ 
portance tlmt in malarial regions the houses 
should he built on the highest ground in the 
neighborhood, and if possible at some distance 
from swampy ground or river bottoms. 
CURING bacon. 
N B. P., Farmington, Wash. Ter .—What 
is the quickest and best way to vh«h i*>een 
