JAN 'U 
very truly remarks upon the varying charac¬ 
ters of the parts of an apple core. There is 
also a great, variety in the form and color of 
the seeds. This last has not been sufficiently 
made use of for distinguishing varieties, yet it 
is often decisive when other marks leave the 
question indoubt. In illustrated poroological 
works, a seed should be figured separately, 
and the color noted. 
Truly, as Prof. Jordan says (p. 827), “science 
has often been obliged to admit that conclu¬ 
sions have beeu stated in too great haste ” 
And this ought to keep scientists from the 
dogmatism in which too many of them in¬ 
dulge. Few statements in regard to observa¬ 
tions of natural phenomena and laws are yet 
other than tentative and provisional. Either 
the fact, or its relations are imperfectly 
conceived and stated, in the vast majority of 
cases. No man has more reason to be modest 
than the student of nature. 
The N.Y. Tribune’s agricultural editoris sen¬ 
sible, as usual,in his remarks about the suppres¬ 
sion of contagious live-stock diseases.as quoted 
on p.828. But it is one of the defects of a popular 
form of government that prompt and effective 
action in new directions is impossible under it. 
In monarchical or oligarchical countries only 
one ora few intelligent men at the head of the 
government have to be convinced of the ne 
cessity of a thing, and it is ordered and done 
promptly and effectively. Here we have to 
convince the people through the preFS first, 
and bring their will to bear upon the officials 
by various uncertain channels until, at last, 
when they are ready to act, the time for effec 
tive action is often past. Republican forms, 
except with a very quick-witted, intelligent 
people, are clumsy and ineffective. In the 
civil war. the Confederacy, which was really 
an oligarchy, was much more nimble than the 
Union. 
“Who employs tree peddlers?” (p. 829). 
They work mostly on their own hook, accord¬ 
ing to my experience, and usually lie when 
they claim to represent a nursery, i never 
sent out one in my life, but have had dozens of 
letters complaining of the dishonesty of my 
“agentJ—men who occasionally may have 
bought a few trees of me, but whose chief 
stock was made up of refuse trash picked up 
cheaply anywhere. 
Rural, Dec. 20, 1884.—I trust Mr. Mar 
yin's grapes will receive an extensive and 
prompt trial among our viticulturists. We 
are still looking for “the grape of the future’’ 
—several of them, indeed; for no one or two 
varieties will satisfy all the requirements of 
our great continent in ttns line. 
How invaluable are Prof. Budd’s statements 
(page 841) regarding the hardy cherries of 
north eastern Europe. The worth of these 
studies will grow upon the country immensely 
in the next 20 years. No better work has ever 
beeu done for American pomology, or one of 
more far-reaching consequences in the future. 
MY “Notes in a Northern Orchard" (page 
843) were written several mouths ago, and 
since then I have received samples of the 
Longfieid apple from Professor tiudd, which 
prove quite distinct from the supposed Long- 
field, illustrated on page 843. The true Long- 
field is nearly as large as W ealthy, but more 
conical, and of a lighter and more delicate 
coloiing. In quality it is really very good- 
some would say quite equal to Wealthy. In 
keeping, Professor Budd thinks it two or three 
months longer than Wealthy; but A. W. 
Lias, Vice-president of the Minnesota Horti¬ 
cultural Society, of Rochester, Minn., writes 
me that it does not prove so there, and that at 
Mr. Jordan’s, Mr. Tuttle’s, and Mr. Phoenix’s 
orchards, in Wisconsin, it does not keep be¬ 
yond November. 
I can fully indorse what Mr. Hoopes says, 
as quoted on page 845, in regard to Fay’s 
Currant, and that even on a rather light soil. 
Here is a good thing, and I am glad it has paid 
so well that Mr. Fa. 's v.idow has already re¬ 
ceived something like $10,000 for her share of 
he profits on its sale. 1 am tar from grudg- 
ng what I have contributed towards that 
sum. The Rural has had a large share in 
making it known and appreciated so quickly 
and widely, 
I should like to bear a wide response to 
Mr. Meehan’s request (p. 845) for big apple- 
tree records. Referring to the Blenheim Pip¬ 
pin of wdieh be speaks, it is a heavy bearer of 
large, handsome, fine and very good apples, 
but they fall easily. 1 saw ou Grand sle, Vt., 
in September last, a tree of it that seemed 
then about as full as it could hang, with quite 
as mauy on the ground under it. It is a 
variety that the co.dling moth Is fond of. 
Glad to see Judge Parry’s favorable report 
on German carp. But it will not succeed 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
where the Winter’s cold is severe. Its range 
is about with that of the Kieffer Pear. 
I don’t tbink tbe Farmer in Politics (p.852) 
had much to do with the result of the elec¬ 
tion. According to my experience, farmers 
are strict party men, and vote square to the 
mark every time. And that’s the way they 
get the wool pulled over their eyes and have 
so little influence in public affairs The term 
“mortgaged farmer” has more than one kind 
of significance. A blind party spiritis a mort¬ 
gage on a man's soul. 
Rural, Dec. 27. Mr. Hovey is a shrewd 
old man. as well as a positive, and his article 
on weeds (p. 858) is mighty interesting read¬ 
ing. _ 
Referring to Prof. Bndd’s notes on the 
care of cions (p. 859), I want to say that saw¬ 
dust from the fresh, green log is just the thing 
to pack cions in, because it is not too dry, and 
cannot be too wet, which is the great trouble 
with moss, earth, leaves, etc. It is worth 
sending a long way for, for this use. 
farm fTojiics. 
JOTTINGS AT KIRBY HOMESTEAD. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
BUYING FEED FOR SHEEP. 
My neighbors say I am foolish to keep sheep 
and buy hay to feed to them. It may be un¬ 
profitable to keep more stock than the farm 
affords fodaer for; but it seems to me that is 
the way to get more from the farm. A farm¬ 
er gave me a hint a few years ago. He 
wanted to buy some sheep, he said, to eat up 
his surplus fodder; that if he got a manure 
price for the feed it was all be expected; he 
was lookiog ahead. Now, if I can get enough 
out of my sheep to pay for the food they eat. 
I am making a gain, and a kind of gain which 
will tell next year, and all of the time. Here 
is an idea: if a farmer can afford to feed out 
the fodder and grain be raises on his own 
farm to his stock, why cannot I afford to buy 
the same kind of food and give it my sheep? 
Does it cost any more only the extra trouble? 
Tbe fodder has a cash price, and one does uot 
sell it at this price and the other one buys it; 
60 far as the cost of keeping the sbeep is con¬ 
cerned, it is about the same thing, only 1 
bring on to my farm and tbe seller takes off 
from his If it won t pay to buy food to keep 
sbeep, then it will not pay to keep sheep at 
all. This will not do, perhaps, for a general 
rule, but I flatter myself that my sheep will 
be turned to the best account, and I know the 
value of manure better than many farmers. 
A NEW CROSS. 
I have never seen a cross of Oxfordshires 
with Merinos. Cotswold and Merino have 
often been crossed, and so have boutb Down 
and Merino. Years ago I made a cross of 
pure-bred Leicester and Merino Ail of these 
make good, hardy sheep—the Cotswold and 
Merino the best of all. The objection to 
South Down sheep and their crosses is the in¬ 
definite character of the wool. The Cots- 
wold-Merino wool will go under the head of 
combing, which puts it higher in price than 
tbe medium wools. Tbe Cotswold is a slow- 
maturing sheep, and the lambs are lanky and 
poor in comparison with tbe real mutton 
breeds—the Downs. The Oxfordshires have 
the advantage of combining, in one breed, 
tbe combing quality of the long-wools and the 
qualities for good mutton of the Downs. This 
is claimed for them. They certaiuly have the 
woo), for my yearling ram sheared 10 pounds 
of combing wool of full length—six to eight 
inches. They seem to have the growing 
qualities of the other Downs, and make much 
larger sheep. The wool is not so open as the 
Cotswold or Leicester, and this is an ad van¬ 
tage. I am expecting some fine sheep from 
this cross, and am going to fix a type, and 
breed to it. 
SLEEPING PLACES FOR PIGS. 
No attempt will be made this Winter to keep 
tbe young pigs ia the pig house. It doesn’t 
work well A close pen and a plaok floor are 
unsuited to pigB. [Not if you will feed them 
plenty of succulent food and give them free 
access to a box of fresh earth.—E ds.J They 
want a dry and warm bed where they will not 
be exposed to drafts of air, and where the 
storms cannot beat upon tbem, and with this 
shelter, an open range in a yard, or what is 
better, a field. A cheap and warm shelter 
can be made by setting posts in the ground 
and making sides the length of a board, and 
the width half tbe length, so a board will cut 
for two lengths. The roof may be made of 
boards with no waste, and all of tbe cracks 
covered with laths. The opening should be 
in tbe south end, as this is usually the warm¬ 
est and least exposed to the wind. This end 
should be closed at least half, to keep out tbe 
cold. The inclosure should be constructed in 
a warm, dry place, and the inside filled up so 
that no water will settle in the bed. I put a 
load or two of horse litter in the bottom, to 
keep tbe bedding and the pigs off the ground 
The troughs and feeding platform are out 
side. This mode of wintering pigs and of feed¬ 
ing them, gives them needful exercise, fresh 
air, and prevents the stiffness generally inci 
dent to long confinement on plank floors in a 
small space. Last year I wintered a dozen 
breeding sows in such an inclosure as I have 
described, aud all of them had large aud 
healthy litters of pigs. Every one did well. 
Two or three weeks, or perhaps not more than 
a week before farrowing, they were put into 
separate pens, in the pig-house. 
YELLOW LEGS AND SKINS. 
f 
' Going to market not long siuce with a lot 
of dressed chickens, I found my fancy notions 
with poultry had cost me something. Said 
the buyer, “If all of this poultry had as yel¬ 
low legs aud skins as these five Plymouth 
Rocks l would give you a shilling a pound all 
around; I can sell them for 16 to 18 ceDts a 
pound, but these white-legged and blue legged 
ctickens with tbe white skins, I shall have to 
sell for what l can get. I can only give you 
11 cents a pouud, and then you may pick out 
half of them, taking the white skinned ones, 
and I will sell tbem back to you for nine 
cents.” This little speech was made by a 
veteran dealer 80 years of age. It was real 
chicken wisdom. Chickens have a place. The 
white-legged Hamburgs are good to lay, 
beautiful to look at, but y ou must never take 
them to market; for a market fowl raise Ply¬ 
mouth Rocks. 
what to feed pigs—how much. 
I have told how my pigs are sheltered; that 
is, the breeding Stock and shotes to make into 
pork next Summer. The fattening pigs are 
kept in the pig-house, and as warm as po.-sible. 
They fatten better when kept warm. Some 
sharp reader may pick a flaw with my system 
as being inconsistent. So it is if you look to 
making fat. That is tbe great stock-rock 
which so many farmers run agaiust. Fat and 
body are two different things. Animals for 
breeding, and to fatten at a distant day, want 
bodies more than they want fat. To make 
fat, feed corn and keep the pigs shut up in a 
pen close aud warm. To make bodies, give 
them room to stir about and make them na 
tural, aDd give a variety of food. Mine get 
raw apples, buckwheat bran mixed with the 
kitchen slops or water, and shelled corn strewu 
on the ground, or on the feeding platform 
Why buckwheat bran? Because It is the 
cheapest and makes a good slop. It costs $12 
per ton. Apples are healthy and cheap—ten 
cents a bushel. Corn costs 00 cents a bushel. 
They get two feedings of the slop, two of 
apples and two of corn each day—in the 
morning slop, forenoon apples, noon corn 
and apples and at night slop and corn. By 
January the apples will be fed out and raw' 
mangels wi II be substituted. The quantity for 
eight spring pigs per day is eight pails of 
slop, two bushels of apples and six quarts of 
corn. The bran coutains but little of the hulls. 
Buckwheat straw will poison the skin of hogs 
and produce soreness, but the grain is healthy' 
for any kind of stock, aud the brau is excel¬ 
lent to mix with corn meal for feeding cattle, 
1 mix two parts of tbe bran with one of corn 
meal, and I believe with a few roots to go with 
it, a peck of this mixture will go as far as a 
whole peck of meal fed by itself. Tbe same 
principle applies to pigs A sharp appetite 
comes with it, good digestion, and a healthful 
combination of food insures a more complete 
assimilation. 
t’klij Ci'fijiS. 
JOHNSON GRASS (SORGHUM HALA- 
PEN8E). 
I have known and grown Johnson Grass 
successfully for several years, and have no 
hesitancy in saying that it will produce more 
nuti itious hay per acre ou rich land than any 
meadow grass we can grow in this climate. 
It s\ ill efford three cuttings in one season, aud 
avtiage from two to six tons of excellent 
hay The plants should be grown thickly up¬ 
on the ground, or the stalks will attain too 
grt ut a bight and size to make good hay. To 
insure a flue quality of hay it should be mow¬ 
ed when the first seed stems appear. Upon 
such hay I have fed work stock for months at 
a time without any other food whatsoever, 
and they performed very satisfactory work 
and kept in good order. The grass will grow 
aud do well upon any rich land where there 
is not n excess of water. Overflows and 
standing water are death to it. Oue or two 
bushels of seed sown broadcast suffice for an 
acre. Some parties prefer to sow a less quau- 
tity of seed in drills, and cultivate the first year. 
It is a very difficult matter to secure good 
seed—nearly all that is offered for sale is more 
or less mixed with green seed. The principal 
supply comes from Dallas County, Alabama, 
and it is gathered by negroes who sell it to 
deakrs at so much per bushel. Tbe seed 
does not mat lire uniformly, aud the negroes 
intentionally gather many green seeds with 
the ripe, as they can get along faster in this 
way. As a general rule, the seed is first sold 
to country store keepers, who do not always 
take paius to scatter and dry it, sometimes 
packing it away in barrels aud boxes as it is 
purchased. This is the reason why so many 
receive so little benefit from sowing the seed. 
I know that most of the seed offered for 
sale is not good. For several years I specu¬ 
lated in it, and onej'ear sold as high as 2,400 
bushels shipped to nearly every State, and 
even to Mexico. There was so much com¬ 
plaint of its not germinating, aud so many 
demands upon me to return the money, that 
I was forced to quit the business. 
After once getting a stand of Johnson 
Grass, it is my experience that it is best to 
divide and plant tbe roots to increase tbe area 
of grass. The plants grown oil ectly from the 
roots are decidedly more vigorous than those 
from the seed, A good plan to propagate this 
grass is to drop roots between the hills of corn 
and cultivate with the corn crop. The next 
year plow the laud without any dead furrows, 
aud harrow flat, and you will have a good 
stand of grass. 1 have secured a good stand 
by running furrows three feet upart on clean 
land, dropping a small root every yard, and 
covering with one furrow of the plow. The 
first year I did not cultivate. The next 
Spring I broke up the land “broadcast, ’ aud 
harrowed, and to-day this is the best Johnson 
Grass iu tbe place. I know of one party here 
who sold $500 worth of Johnson Grass hay 
from ten acres. I have known Johnson Grass 
land in this county to rent for ♦7.00 per acre 
where the same quality of land, upou the same 
place, only brought an annual rental of $3.00 
per acre in corn aud cotton Johnson Grass 
dots not bear the treading of stock, and ought 
never to be grazed. Lund in this grass should 
be plowed every two years, as the grass is 
very oly benefited by pursuing this plan. 
I learn that several parties in Kansas have 
been growing tbe gruss successfully lor two 
to four years. The “Evergreen Millet,” so 
extensively advertised by California parties 
at fabulous prices, is nothing more nor less 
than Johnson Grass (Sorghum halapense), 
grown from Alabama seed. One party in 
Dallas Co.. Ala., wrote me last year that he 
bad shipped several hundred bushels to Cali¬ 
fornia. 
The Rural is doing a good work in freely 
distributing Johnson Grass seed among its 
Northern subscribers. If it will stand your 
Winters successfully, I see no reason why this 
invuluable gras* could not be grown iu the 
North and West with considerable profit. 
Many livery men in the South prefer the hay 
from it to the best Northern Timothy. 
There is no humbug about Johnson Grass. 
Any information 1 may give your readers on 
this subject may be strictly relied upon as 
correct. I have made this grass a study for 
years and have written more than 100 articles 
for the Southern press calling attention to its 
merits and possibilities, e. Montgomery. 
Oktibbeha Co., Miss. 
£cmn Ccoiumuj. 
SELF OFERATING CATTLE-PUMP. 
AN ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION OF TWO DE 
SIGNS EOR AUTOMATIC CATTLE OR STOCK- 
PUMPS, THE PATENTS FOR WHICH HAVE 
EXPIRED. _ 
It is an often-expressed wish of farmers who 
own cattle in any quantity, aud who are 
obliged to furnish them water by pumping, 
that they were possessed of a good de¬ 
vice for watering stock, which would 
require little attention, aud leave them free 
to perform other duties. We show, at Fig. 
32, such a device, the patent on which 
expired ou the 3rd of September last. It 
is a self operating cattle-pump. It will be 
seen that the weigbtof the cattle upon a tilting 
platform is used to depress iho piston in a 
pump cylinder, causing the water contained 
therein to be forced up through a tubular 
piston rod into the trough Hbove, from which 
the cattle or stock are to drink it. 
Referring to the sectional druwiug (Fig 32), 
a platform, A, is balanced upou a cross beam, 
B. Oue end of the platform is weighted at D; 
while at the other a suitable drmkiug trough, 
E, is placed, secured to the upper eud of a 
hollow tubular piston rod, F, whose lower eiid 
has a plunger, H, attached. This plunger is 
arranged to move within a hollow cylinder, I, 
having at its lower end a valve openiug in¬ 
wards, The cylinder is swung ou tiuuniou. 
pinions to the frame-work upou the inside of 
