fHE RURAL NEW'YORKEIK 
the best adapted, as they are not discolored so 
soon as those with tenderer skins. 
There is a growing demand for fine poultry 
in New York in the up town stores. Fine, 
dry picked birds that have been nicely pre¬ 
pared in New Jersey or Long Island, find a 
ready sale. A dry picked fowl is easily dis¬ 
tinguished by having the skin quite loose on 
the body, and a dry. woolly appearance. But 
a vast quantity of live poultry is continually 
received in all large Eastern cities from the 
West I will leave to the reader’s imagina¬ 
tion the deplorable condition of the wretched 
fowls after being crowded together for a week 
or more in close, low crates. Most of them 
are bought up by dealers who make a business 
of killing and scalding, plucking aud market¬ 
ing them. They have a nice, clean look, and 
their skinaare tight on their bodies, and the 
unsophisticated huyers prefer them to the 
Western killed birds that may look a little 
“mussed,” and they sell for more. Bat why 
cannot the Western breeders take more pains, 
and send on dry picked birds in as fine a mar¬ 
ketable condition as those dressed near the 
cities? Would not the difference in condition 
secure a difference in price high enough to 
pay for the extra care? Let it be tried; aud 
wo shall soon have a much more wholesome 
and better supply of poultry, whether the 
skius are yellow, dark or pink. 
Q.rcljiteciurf, 
BARN FOR GRAIN AND DAIRY FARM. 
We give, this week, plans for a barn design¬ 
ed for the accommodation of a combined 
grain aud dairy farm. It is 48x58 feet, with 
16 foot posts.and with a shed on one side 14 feet 
wide the whole length. Fig. 441 shows a per- 
Hay Mow, j 
Fig 2. 
1 
Barn Floor, 
l ^ 
1 1 1 
1 1 
f 
1 1 1 
TT 
X 
Cow Stalls. 
UL 
/ 
- i 
R.N-Y. L 
Shed. 
Fig. 441. 
spective view of the end aud side with the 
shed, lu it are also seen the ground plan and 
hay-mow,16 feet wide the whole length of the 
barn floor, and also the row of cow-stalls and 
the calf stable with the manure alley behind 
thecows, aud a wide walk behind; aud also the 
out line of shed. This barn will accommodate 
a dozen cows, five or six calves, aud has floor 
enough to allow all the thrashing to be done 
aud afford room to haul in a good deal of corn 
for busking oil stormy days. The building 
was designed to give the most room for the 
money, and w ilh no view to ornamentation or 
show, and should be erected for anywhere 
from $600 to #1,000, according to the price of 
lumber. It may also be built on a basement 
wall where the ground is suitable, and thus its 
capacity would be nearly doubled for only a 
moderate additional ex per se. * 
form Cconomij, 
A CONVENIENT TETHER. 
As fencing material becomes scarcer and 
dearer, the practice of tethering animals, when 
it is desirable to have them eat the grass, is 
growing more and more common. Iu fact, 
it is scarcely more work to keep a number of 
animals so fastened than to look after them in 
pasture, and then we have the advantage of 
having the grass entirely and cleanly con¬ 
sumed from ouch place iu succession, and after 
it has been so eaten, it has a chance to again 
grow up before it is run over or eaten over 
again. The greatest drawback to this way of 
feeding animals has boon the liability of get¬ 
ting the ropo or chain (whichever has been 
used) about the feet, aud thus doing serious 
damage. At Fig. 444 we show a tether, or 
lariat, as it is called in the Great West, made 
almost entirely of wood, aud which cannot be 
wound ibout'the feet. It can be split out'of 
any good, tough, straight-splitting timber, or 
iVcan^be sawed'out and turned: in anyjcase'a 
size 1}^ inch square, or in diameter, is large 
enough, and it should be connected in each 
place by a half dozen links. The ring at¬ 
tached to the end of the first pole, for fasten¬ 
ing it to the ground, should be two inches in 
diameter. The short piece for attaching it to 
the baiter should not be over 30 iuehes long, 
and the chain which connects this to the next 
pieces should have a swivel in the center. 
These can be bought of anv hardware store. 
Next to the halter there should be not more 
than three links of chain, with a ring in the 
end one. This tether will be light, durable 
and, withal, cheap, and rain will do it no 
harm. 
THE AMERICAN FORESTRY CON¬ 
GRESS. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
The American Forestry Congress held its 
Fourth Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass., 
September 22, 28 and 24, and at it an unus¬ 
ually large amount of practical information 
was brought together from all parts of the 
country. This association is growing more 
and more in importance, and its main object 
is to stir up public sentiment in regard to the 
more economical ose of our timber resources, 
and while it advocates the preservation aud 
improvement of the woods covering our mono, 
tains and hill sides, it advises the planting of 
trees on waste and barren places in the East¬ 
ern aud in the treeless regions of the Western 
States. That the importance of its aims be¬ 
gins to be quite fully appreciated at large, 
might be inferred from the fact that each of 
the New Englaud States had sent officially 
appointed delegates; while Canada, Ohio, and 
Nebraska sent representatives, and even Cal¬ 
ifornia did not think a journey of 6,000 miles 
too much for her delegate to this convention. 
Nobody can he, or ought to ho more directly 
interested in this question than the farmers, 
who aro in many respects dependent for 
success on the preservation and proper distri¬ 
bution of forests over the hill-sides, for these 
break the force of, and temper the cold winds 
injurious to the farm crops; they induce and 
in some localities perhaps increase the rain¬ 
fall, and at all events equalize the water-flow 
in springs; and yet bow often, when the 
farmer could have a wood-lot growing up 
from the sprouts, are the cattle allowed to 
roam in it aud destroy the young trees; and 
how many worthless and worn-out lands are 
there on our farms, where crops do not pay, 
and trees would be a valuable addition. 
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. 
Norman J. Column, manifested great interest 
iu the discussions, and in his address said that, 
according to his experience in plauting trees, 
if the soil was properly prepared, nothing 
was more sure to grow. Other speakers re¬ 
lated their experience in raising profitable 
crops of trees on almost worthless land. An 
interesting paper on the time of planting ever¬ 
greens was read by Mr. C. W, Rtroug, a well 
known nurseryman. The planting of ever¬ 
greens has alwaya been held to he practicable 
during the month of May. but Mr. Strong 
was sure that August was a much better time 
for transplanting them. The wood is then 
hardened, the earth Is warm throughout, and 
danger from frosts duriug the night is not to 
be feared, lie had transplanted many ever- 
greeus from a low soil to the uorth side of a 
hill with perfect success, and considered the 
questiou of August planting settled beyond 
cavil. 
The cultivation of the Osier Willow and 
the Red Cedar was recommended by Mr. Hor¬ 
sey, of Massachusetts, after an experience of 
45 years. Tt. does not require 100 years to 
grow cedar to maturity, as is generally sup¬ 
posed. His trees at 80 to 40 years of age were 
worth $1 each for fence posts; which he main¬ 
tained was a good investment on land worth 
$10 per acre, the price his poor gravelly loam 
would bring. The Osier Willow requires a 
warmer soil; the sand of the river bottoms, 
subject to occasional overflow, is the best. 
Planting may be started from cuttiugs as well 
aa from roots. The first crop is of no use; but 
the second year the willows grow from five to 
seven feet, surpassing all imported willows. 
A clear profit for hasket-work willows of $60 
per acre yearly may be attained. This figure 
seems to have heen largely exceeded by a wil¬ 
low farmer in Georgia, who has set out some 
80,000 plants, and claims a profit of $200 per 
acre. When we consider that the importation of 
prepared willows and willow-ware into this 
country amounts to more than $200,000 worth 
every year, this would seem a profitable field 
for many a farmer, who has the proper soil at 
bis disposal. The outlay necessary is not great 
and the returns come In soon and steadily 
every year, 
A paper of particular interest to agricultur¬ 
ists was read by the Secretary of the Associa¬ 
tion. Mr. Fernow. He stated that attempts 
were being made in Germany not only to put 
sawdust in proper shape for shipment, bnt to 
grind up the brushwood for bedding and man¬ 
uring purposes. He showed that while the 
wood litter was for its physical properties 
preferable to straw in the stable, experiments 
had shown that in the field as manure, it was 
bv no means inferior, in its actiou. to regular 
barnyard manure, and the feeding value of 
straw far snppasspd its value for bedding and 
manuring. Tf such materials could be cheaply 
prepared and baled, roanv of the lumber¬ 
man’s difficulties might be avoided, and a 
great benefit, provided for agriculture. 
The magnitude of the subject of forestry 
and the many interesting sides to the ques¬ 
tion. were made evident hv the large number 
of valuable, practical papers on a great vari¬ 
ety of topics, presented at this meeting; and 
when we hear that, the products of the forest 
in one year are worth $SOO.OOO.flOfl—more than 
ten times the value of all the gold and silver 
dug from our mines, and a good deal more 
than that of all our coal and metals of every 
sort—that not even the vast corn crop equals 
this amount, and that, no other is iu such 
danger of permanent exhaustion, we roust ad¬ 
mit that, from a mere economic standpoint— 
to say nothing of anv indirect beneficial in¬ 
fluences of forest preservation—the matter of 
proper management of these resources is of 
national importance. 
After the sessions, which lasted the better 
part of three davs. a practical illustration of 
the teachings of the Congress was furnished 
bv an excursion to the plantation of Mr. Jas. 
S. Fay, at Wood’s Holl on the coast of Massa¬ 
chusetts. Worthless and harren. worn-out 
pastures on this gravelly soil had been seeded 
in the most primitive manner bv sowing on 
the snow without any preparation of the soil 
whatever, and a dense, excellent growth of 
Scotch Pine, from 20 to 30 years old. on over 
150 acres, was the result, which a European 
forester present pronounced most remarkable 
under the unfavorable conditions. That forest 
planting on land worth $10 per acre conld 
vield a profitable crop was demonstrated here 
by an experimenfof no mean dimensions. 
If every farmer who has su-'h barren, un¬ 
sightly places would spend a little thought, a 
little work aud a small outlav of money on 
them, he would soon be repaid in money as 
well as in the enjovment which a clump of 
thrifty trees planted by himself and yielding 
shade to his cattle and shelter to his crops 
would afford. 
It is to be hoped the report of the American 
Forestry Congress will be printed, and made 
accessible to our thinking farmers, who but 
for an absence of correct information, would 
long since have paid that attention to tree 
forests which they deserve. 
The Secretary of the Association, Mr. Fer¬ 
now. is a trained forester, and always ready to 
give information to those who apply to him at 
13 Burling 8Iip, New York. “korkster.” 
Selection ok Seed Corn.— Prof. G. E. 
Morrow of the Illinois University, has a long 
article on the above subject, from which we 
take a few good thoughts. The early Fall is 
the best time in which to select. It is wise to 
experiment with new varieties and crossings. 
Do uot, however, abandon old varieties that 
have been found satisfactory in any locality. 
Selection in the field is most likely to secure 
good ears, because then one can notice the 
character and development of stalks. Unde¬ 
sirable qualities for a Northern region are, 
extremes in bight or thickness of stalk, a ten¬ 
dency to carry the ears very high up, colts of 
great thickness, or with marked differences in 
thickness at butt and tip, shallow kernels aud 
failure to “fill out” well at the ends of the 
ears. The deut varieties possess stalk, leaf 
aud root enough to produce more than one ear 
of oorn. Persistent selection of seed with ref¬ 
erence to the production of two ears, would 
make a decided gain. There can be no objec¬ 
tion to picking seed-corn some weeks before it 
would do to put into the crib. Both kernels 
and cobs should become thoroughly dry before 
there is severe freezing. The old plan of 
hanging up the ears by the husks, in a warm, 
dry room, will give good results. 
BRIEFS. 
The American Dairyman says that too 
many breeders spend more time over the mid¬ 
night oil studying pedigrees than they do 
in their stables. 
Bell’s Messenger states that the silo has 
been successfully employed in Natal. It con¬ 
siders this fact to be of singular importance 
as proving that silage can be made anywhere. 
The climate of Natal is very moist indeed. 
The dews in some portions are almost equiva¬ 
lent to showers... 
Rev. E. E. Hale states that whooping- 
cough can be cured bv the ammoniaoal gas at 
the gas factories. He has tested this treat¬ 
ment in his own family with entire success. 
In every case the disease was entirely broken 
up after two or three visits to the factory, and 
gave no more trouble. 
Speaking of the death of Princess 2d from 
the effects of a bu’ter test, Agriculture well 
says—why not make your tests on grass and 
grass alone? A cow is a “milk machine,” hut 
she is not built of iron or steel—there is a 
limit to her endurance .. 
The managers of the New England Fair 
have invited President Cleveland to attend. 
This moves the N. E. Farmer to quote 
Shakespeare as follows: 
Gtend.—l can call spirits from the vasty deep. 
Hotspur.—Xyl so can I, or so can any man: 
But will they come when you do call for them? 
Don’t brag about an invitation till it is 
accepted. 
The Ohio State Society for the Prevention 
of Cruelty to Animals urges farmers to turn 
their straw into shelters for stock By means 
of poles and a few boards, rough sheds can be 
built that will add much to the comfort of 
stock . 
The Germantown Telegraph says that the 
great family tree should always be the pear 
tree. It will bear fruit every year. It will 
outlive the “oldest inhabitant,” and keep the 
family well supplied with luscious medicine.. 
English papers in describing some Short¬ 
horns at the Royal Show, speak of the sweet¬ 
ness of a cow. The Iowa Homestead is 
obliged to confess that it doesn’t buow what a 
sweet cow is. It has heard of sweet, babies, 
sweet young ladies and sweet corn, but sweet 
cows are ahead of its comprehension . 
A W, Cheever says that absorbents spread 
liberally over the floors where horses and 
cattle lie, make the apartments look better 
and smell sweeter and render them more 
healthful for the occupants. They are worth 
all they cost for these sanitary purposes alone, 
but then they will pay a large profit agaiu 
in the fertilizing material that will accrue 
from their use... 
Commissioner Colman says it is just as 
important to farmer buyers of fertilizers, as it 
is to the manufacturers of them, that some 
uniform method of analysis should be adopt¬ 
ed. 
An analysis made iu one State, by one 
method, aud in another by another, cannot 
fail to be the source of constant misunder¬ 
standing betweeu manufacturers and con¬ 
sumers..... 
Let it be granted, that the absolutely best 
method may not he devised, yet it is better 
that a less perfect method be uniformly em¬ 
ployed, than that thehe»t method may be used 
iu one locality and the poorest in another.... 
F. K. Moreland says, in the Western Agri¬ 
culturist, that the capacity of a horse’s stom¬ 
ach is of comparatively small proportiou, and 
every facility should be afforded for properly 
digesting food. To this end. the hay should 
be fed before the grain, so that the grain may 
remaiu as long in the stomach as possible. 
Should the grain be fed first and hay imme¬ 
diately after, the latter being the more bulky 
food, will be apt to crowd the grain out of the 
stomach only partially digested. 
The Boston Journal says the real destroyer 
of the forests is the careless sportsman or 
hunter, who carelessly or criminally leaves 
his camp fire to spread, running over, very 
frequently, thousands of acres, utterly destroy¬ 
ing the growth... 
The careless forest tramp destroys annually 
thousands of acres of forests where the lum- 
lumberman deprives one acre of land of.its 
forest growth... 
The Breeder's Gazette thinks the first blow in 
a fight is the best. The same principle ought to 
b? carried into farm work. To get the young 
stock well started with good ftesh and vigor-* 
ous constitution is to win half the battle...... 
