4887 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
J7 
peaches look well. The caterpillar crop above 
anything ever known. f. l. 
North East, Erie Co.—Wheat, oats, rye, 
barley anti potatoes are looking well. Toma¬ 
toes and other vegetables small. Orchard 
fruits are going to be a big crop. Grapes are 
looking well, except Delawares and Catawbas, 
which, I think, were nurt by freezing. Hay 
is a good crop, but we have had very unfa¬ 
vorable weather for it, having been wet most 
of the past week. c. G. 
Tennessee. 
North ville, Cumberland Co.—Thiscounty 
is about half a century behind the more en¬ 
lightened parts of the United States. WeJiave 
a very thin soil, but generally seasonableVea- 
sons and mild winters. This place is getting 
to be quite a health resort fur Northern peo¬ 
ple, and the majority who come here for 
health settle permanently. Crops are about 
an average, although we have been needing 
rain for a couple of weeks. The first 10 days 
of June were very wet, but we have had very 
little rain since. Plenty of early potatoes on 
June 1st, but potatoes are not doing well 
at present. Early Ohio is our earliest, but it 
is a poor yielder. Early King (a new potato) 
is a close second and much better yielder. 
Oats and rye are better than usual. Clover 
and grass—what little there is—are good. The 
Mammoth or Sapling Clover is universally used 
here: “common red” hardly gets high enough 
to cut. We have had good success with the 
Sapling on very th'ia land. I have Angel of 
Midnight Cora in tassel. Pond Corn is close 
behind, both being hurt by drought. I don’t 
think either suitable for this place. Of eight 
DORSET HORN RAM. Re-engraved from the London Live Stock Journal. Fig. 250. 
and barley not more than half crops. Corn 
looks fine. A few fields are suffering for want 
of rain; but on June 30 we got some in the 
shape of a steady downpour. Hay not more 
than half a crop. Pastures all dried up. 
Some are selling their stock for want of feed. 
Fruits light. Too dry for roots. E. w. 
UARABOO,Sauk Co.—Condition of crops fully 
100; com 100; wheat 100; rye 100; barley 180. 
Potato-tops look well. Oats 60; grapes 100; 
hay 30. Weather quite dry. m. m. 
Columbus, Columbia Co.,—Everything is 
drying up here. Crops are as follows: Hay 
25 per cent, of an average good crop; barley 
60 per cent.; corn 70: pastures dry and bare. 
Wheat 50; tobacco 35; potatoes 50. h. t. 
Dahtford, Green-Lake Co.—Taking 100 as 
an average of crops for four years, then corn 
is 135 per cent.; oats 80; wheat 90; potatoes 
100: rye and barley 75; meadow and pasture 
40; clover seed 35. a. c. 
Ripon, Fond du Lac Co.—There have been 
no heavy rains here this year, but I hear there 
have been heavy rains within 30 miles all 
around us. Everybody here is without hay 
for the coming winter; but all other crops— 
wheat, barley, oats and corn—look fully as 
good as in any year of the past five. It is 
very dry, and ci*ops must staffer unless we 
have rain soon. VVe have very heavy dews, 
which keep grain looking so good. Potatoes, 
root crops and garden vegetables all look very 
well. We have two acresof potatoes on which 
my father is trying “level cultivation” as he 
has read about in the Rura_l. We have two 
acres of carrots, which have a good start, and 
one acre of onions, which have stood the dry 
weather well. We have a farm of 200 
acres, about 100 acres of which are 
good prairie and another 100 acres 
marsh, which has furnished good 
pasture for 100 head of cattle so far 
this year. We are milking 45 cows, 
and furnish milk, cream and ice¬ 
cream for the city of Ripon. I have 
just received a letter from a friend 
at Diana,"Dakota, stating that crops 
are very light; no hay, and very 
warm aud windy weather. 
R. m. s. 
Stoughton, Dane Co.—We have 
had quite a dry spring and summer so 
far; but with all that, crops look 
pretty good. Hay is the lightest so 
far; it will not average more than 
half a crop. Spring came 10 days 
or two weeks earlier than common, 
and the ground was in the best shape 
to receive the seed. Tobacco is the 
poorest show we have ever had here, 
owing to scarcity of plauts and dry 
weather. s. b. h. 
West Salem, La Crosse Co.—Corn 
looks well. Wheat almost a failure, 
owiug to the chinch bog, which, unless 
we get rain soon, will destroy our 
corn. Oats very thin on ground. 
Barley a failure, owing to bugs. 
Rye fair. Potatoes, a very poor 
stand; did not grow this spring; 
seed-pieces rotted in the ground. 
Orchards nearly all killed by cold winters. 
Hay a half-crop. Pastures dry and get¬ 
ting drier. No rain to speak of since last 
fall. Everything is drying up, and no matter 
how much raiu we get uow, we can hardly ex¬ 
pect over half a crop of anything. People 
have more cattle and horses than they can 
feed. Some were relying on corn fodder for 
feed, but unless copious rains fall to destroy 
chinch bugs, they will be disappointed. 
Withal, a hard outlook. j. b. n. 
DORSET SHEEP. 
The Dorset is a homed breed of sheep which 
has been preserved intact for a long time, 
chiefly in Dorset and Somersetsh ires in the 
south of England. The original sheep was 
much smaller iu size than the improved Dor- 
sets of to-day. Within the last few years, ow¬ 
ing to more liberal use of turnips, the use of 
cake and grain, together with very careful 
selection by eminent breeders, Dorset sheep 
have, wo are assured, by the Editor of the 
Formers' Gazette (Dublin) doubled iu size aud 
weight of wool. Dorsots have always been 
unrivaled for producing the earliest fat lambs 
for the London and other English markets, 
as the owes when highly fed, take the ram in 
April, or, indeed, at almost any period. The 
lambs dropped in September are, with good 
feeding, fit for the market at Christmas. The 
ewes, too, are ready for the ram immediately 
after yearning, and may thus produce two 
crops of lambs a year. They also produce a 
greater proportion of twins aud triplets than 
any other breed. The Dorchester Agricultural 
Society offers prizes every year to the shep¬ 
herds who have raised the greatest number of 
lambs in proportion to the number of ewes put 
to the ram in their (locks, and its records show 
that in 1884 and 1885 the numbers rau as fol¬ 
lows- 867 lambs to 700 ewes; 466 lambs to 300 
ewes; 762 lambs to 607 ewes; 879 lambs to 710 
ewes; 473 lambs to 360 ewes; 404 lambs to 360 
ewes; and 574 lambs to 450 owes. The im¬ 
proved Dorsets are described by the above au¬ 
thority, as straight aud deep in the 
body, with ribs well arched, broad 
loins ami necks well set. They are full 
in the shoulder without coarseness, 
and the bind limbs are well let down 
toward the shank, forming a good leg 
of mutton. The general features are 
pleasing, the head standing up well, 
the horns thin, with symmetrical curl, 
the eye quick aud lively, the face 
rather long and thin, and the lips and 
nose pink or flesh-colored. The bone 
is small, giving the appearance of a 
hardy, useful breed. The ewes are 
excellent nurses, aud the mutton is 
wel I flavored. The Dorsets are hardy, 
quiet and docile, mature early and 
weigh from 25 to 35 pounds a quarter. 
The fleece is close and heavy, yield¬ 
ing about six pounds of white, soft 
clean wool adapted for combing pur¬ 
poses. A few importations of the 
breed have been made into this coun¬ 
try, but they do not seem to have be¬ 
come very popular anywhere, as the 
South Downs have been generally pre¬ 
ferred for the purposes for which the 
Dorsets are principally prized in 
England. 
The subject of our illustration, Fig. 
250, re-engraved from the London 
Live Stock Journal, is the Dorset 
horn ram which won the first prize 
at the recent Bath aud West of Eng¬ 
land Show at Dorchester—a splendid specimen 
of the breed. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
(Continued from page 465.) 
IVew Hampshire. 
Bedford, Hillsborough Co.—The area of 
our crops is as follows: Corn 50 per cent, in¬ 
crease; potato acreage the same as last year; 
oats a slight increase; hay will bo an increase 
over the yield for the bust three years. There 
is a prospect of large crops of orchard fruits 
for the off year. The season was not good for 
planting aud most of the crops were put in 
late, but uow they are looking well. 
_ C. H. T. 
New York. 
Whitney’s Point, Broome Co.—Weather 
very warm aud dry. Had plenty of raiu up 
to June 22, but not any since. The areas of 
corn, wheat aud oats are about the same as 
for the past live years. Corn is good and 
promises one-fourth hotter average than the 
preceding five years. Wheat will be an 
average crop. If some fields hud not been 
badly winter-killed, it would have been far 
ahead. Oats will come up to the average if 
the rust does not injure them ; but the White 
Russian is most generally sown here and so 
far has been rust-proof. Potatoes promise a 
fair crop, but the potato lnig is ou bund aud 
requires uttentiou. Hay will be one-half bet¬ 
ter than an average for the past 25 years. 
The dairies are giving a much greater yield 
than for several years past. The extremely hot 
weather will be apt to cause a shrinkage. Far- 
mere would do well to graiu their cows duriug 
the heated seasou. The apple crop will be 
light. 1 aking everything into consideration 
the prospects are good for a prosperous year 
for the farmers of this locality. o. s. 
iVorih Carolina. 
Henderson, Vance Co.—Corn, area 105; 
condition 100; wheat, area 75; condition 75; 
oats, area 100; condition 105; potatoes (Irish), 
area 100; condition 90; potatoes (sweet), area 
100; condition 100; garden vegetables, area 
100; condition 100; cotton, area 80; condition 
100; tobacco, area 90; condition 75; grapes, 
area 105; condition 100; berries (black), area 
100; condition 100; melons, area 100; condi¬ 
tion 100. Apple outlook for 25 per cent, of 
an average crop ; pears 15 per cent.; peaches 
none. Seasonable rains until JunelO. Dry 
since. Ten days more of dry weather wdl 
seriously injure some crops. Insect pests 
more numerous and active than for several 
years, especially on fruit, melons and tobacco. 
Temperature away up: June IS, 104 degrees; 
19, 103 degrees; 20, at 10 o’clock, A. M., 
100 degrees in the shade; 3 p. m., 100 degrees. 
m. b. p, 
Ohio. 
Bellefontaine, Logan Co.—Wheat will 
not be half a crop. It wintered fairly but the 
spring freezing aud thawing destroyed much 
of it. Corn with a favorable seasou hereaf¬ 
ter will be a full crop. It is generally in fine 
condition. Oats will be a larger crop than 
usual, as much wheat ground was sown iu 
oats. More potatoes than usual were planted 
and they are doing well. Bugs are plentiful, 
but mostly all use Paris-green. Root crops 
are not much grown, but the area is increas¬ 
ing. Garden vegetables are doiug well. Ap¬ 
ples are almost an entire failure. Peare a little 
better. Peaches better for the uumber of trees. 
No cherries or plums. All fruit trees bloomed 
full, but many formed few, if any, fruit. Hay 
a medium crop. C. L. G. m. 
Oregon. 
Forest Grove, Washington Co.—Winter 
wheat is about tho average; if anything, 
above. Early-sown spring wheat looks well 
and will be an average. Late-sown will not 
amount to much unless rain comes soon. Po¬ 
tatoes below an average. All kinds of fruits 
are scarce. Gardens look fairly well. Huy 
will be a small crop. Early-sown oats look 
well; late-sown poor. Owing to a late spring 
grain was not got in in good shape. Wheat 
harvest will not commence before July 10. 
Clover bay isbeiug cut. s. t. w. 
Fossil, Gilliam Co.— Ou the north half of 
our county crops will hardly reach an average, 
while in the south part they are very promis¬ 
ing and will be over an average. Much larger 
areas of wheat, oats, rye and barley have l>eeu 
sown, and our flue rains have insured a very 
largo yield of all. Fruit was much damaged 
by frost in the latter part of May, and iu some 
localities entirely ruined. Outlook is not very 
flattering for full crops. Vegetables of ail 
kinds look promising. o. s. M. 
McCoy, Polk Co.—Wheat, oats, rye, bar- 
ey, potatoes and root crops are all a good 
average. Garden vegetables good. Orchards 
nearly a failure. Hay good. j. m. m. 
Pennaylvaula. 
Lancaster, Lancaster Co.—The crops for 
this county are as follows: Wheat, one-half 
crop. Hay, oats and early vegetables, full 
crops. The outlook for corn, potatoes and to¬ 
bacco is very good. Apples, cherries, peal's 
and fruit in general very poor. Grapes and 
kinds Alaska is our earliest pea. The Black- 
Eyed Marrowfat we call our best pea this 
year; also the best yielder. We have Early 
Orange Squash as large as a man’s two fists; 
they promise well. The Pedigree Corn I 
planted iu a poor spot; consequently it doesn’t 
promise well. c. e. b. 
Vermont. 
Essex, Chittenden Co.—The areas in corn, 
rye, aud oats will be full}' equal to the aver¬ 
age of the past few years. Not so much liar- 
ley aud but very little wheat was sown in this 
neighborhood, and a large quantity of pota¬ 
toes were planted; a good many failed to come, 
but the showers of the past week are bringing 
them along. Several acres, however, have 
been plowed and sown to barley. Pastures 
are excellent aud hay crop promises to be fine. 
Very little attention is paid to root crops for 
feeding. Apple crop not large. Our main 
dependence is on dairying. We have two 
cheese factories, two separators, aud a butter 
factory. _ a. e. b. 
Virginia. 
Gain’s X Roads, Rappahannock Co. —Corn 
is about an average. Wheat about one-quarter 
below au average, owiug to dry fall and wet 
Juue. Oats a full average or a little above. 
Rye ubout an average. Potatoes aud garden 
vegetables a full average. Orchard fruits 
almost a total failure. Hay and pasture grass 
fully an average or more. Ours is princi¬ 
pally a grazing country and our cattle and 
sheep are doing well. b. j. w. 
Wisconsin. 
Arena, Iowa Co.—Winter wheat is being 
harvested. Chinch bugs aud dry weather in¬ 
jured it considerably, as they have done to all 
other small graiu crops: wou’t be ove" two- 
thirds of an average crop. Rye good. JOats 
Whitewater, Walworth Co.—July”came 
in with a very fine rain which cheered the 
dropping spirits of our farmers and lasted 
several hours. AU crops here arc at present 
below au average, owiug to the long-continued 
drought, except marsh hay, aud aU that is 
carefully saved. Upland'bay is hardly worth 
cutting. Corn is very much stunted, though 
it has suffered less than other crops, aud will 
produce at least au ordinary crop with favor¬ 
able weather henceforth. All over this section 
rains have placed crops iu a much better con¬ 
dition. Had it not been for this prayed-for 
down-pour, farmers iu this section would have 
been in a deplorable position. L. m. r."~ 
Wyoming Terriory. 
Moran, Laramie Co.—Spring opened early 
and dry. Range grass burning up, without 
going to seed or maturity. We can not raise 
anything here, except by irrigation. There is 
about 50 per cent, more land under ditches 
now than two years ago, half of which is un¬ 
der cultivation—that is, broke and sown to 
small grains, and tamo grasses. All small 
grains and root crops do well. Fruits were ex¬ 
perimented with, aud have proved satisfac¬ 
tory. Cora is au experiment^yet; I|think|the 
nights are toojcold. r. w. 
