1889 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
423 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
L OUDEN’S HAY AND GRAIN SLING. 
—Circulars from the Louden Machinery 
Company, Fairfield, Iowa. This sling is u«ed 
for handling all kinds of hay, straw, sorghum 
fodder or grain either bound or loose. It 
seems like an excellent device. It is most ad¬ 
mirably explained and illustrated in this cir¬ 
cular. 
The Spaying of Cattle; Cotton Seed 
Hulls foh Fattening. —A few weeks ago 
the R. N.-Y. gave as an item of news the fact 
that the Arkansas Station proposed to get rid 
of scrub cattle by promoting a general inter¬ 
est in spaying cows. It was also stated that 
such cattle, in the Southern States, might be 
fattened on cotton-seed hulls. An explana¬ 
tion of this plan will be found in bulletins No. 
8 and 9 of the Arkansas Station, Fayetteville, 
Arkansas. The first bulletin discusses spay¬ 
ing. First, an effort is made to justify the 
operation. It is claimed that the operation is 
but little more painful than that of castrat¬ 
ing, that it enhances the value of the animal- 
making better beef and more of it,and that It 
is a sure means of stopping the breeding of 
poor cattle The classes of animals that 
should l»e selected for spaying, according to 
this bulletin, are the following: 
“ First, and chiefly, heifers under one year 
old, which are not intended for milch cows, 
and which are not wanted for breeding pur¬ 
poses. Second, older cattle, either heifers, 
or cows that have had one or more calves, 
and which it is desired to fatten for beef; and, 
finally, cows in any dairy in full flow of 
milk, and whose calves it is not profitable to 
raise, may be included as suitable for testing 
the Gleet on the milk production.” 
Then follows a description of the operation 
and an account of ifs effect upon several 
animals. As to the merits of spaying, the 
R. N.-Y. opposes the practice. From the 
best information it can get the operation is 
horribly cruel, unless performed by a skilled 
veterinarian. It is hard to conceive of any¬ 
thing more revolting than the spectacle of 
poor brutes mangled and tortured by amateur 
operators. At the same time the R N.-Y. 
knows that the practice is growing at the 
West. We do not believe the cattle interests 
of the country demand this thing. At any 
rate let no bungler ever attempt it. If it is 
done at all, let it be done by somebody who 
can do it skillfully. 
bulletin No. !) treats of a much more cheer¬ 
ful topic. This is the hoped for discovery of 
feeding value in what has generally been con¬ 
sidered a waste product. In the manufacture 
of cotton seed oil, so we are told in the bul¬ 
letin, one ton of seed yields 86 gallons of oil, 
700 pounds of meal and IKK) pounds of hulls. 
These hulls have, until recently, been used as 
a fuel. “It was noticed, however, that cer¬ 
tain scrub stock in the neighborhood of one of 
the nulls, managed to make a very good win¬ 
ter on them.” This led to the suggestion that 
money might be made by feeding these hulls 
on a large scale. Accordingly, sheds, costing 
$10,0<M», were erected and 2,0l)0 cattle were 
bought. The following extract, taken from 
the bulletin, gives an account of the methods 
employed as reported by the feeders: 
“After coming off the cars the cattle are put 
in open yards for some tune (about 80 days), 
to become accustomed to feeding and to re¬ 
cover from the fev<u- of shipment, which is 
alvays present, especially in those brought 
from lexas. Ibis condition is accompanied 
by highly colored urine. It does not prove 
serious. 
The diet at the start is four pounds of meal 
and about 28 pounds of hulls. The regular 
ration later is eight pounds meal anil 25 
pounds hulls per diem; this is fed half morn¬ 
ing and evening. Hay is given once a week; 
it manure becomes abnormally soft, the hay 
is increased. Acous unt supply of fresh well 
water raised by steam pumps is on hand. The 
water troughs are frequently cleaned of alga: 
which collect on the bottom and sides. Salt 
is always accessible. The period of feeding is 
about four months. About one per cent, of 
the cattle scour, but there is no fatality from 
this cause. It is attributed to the meal auil 
not the hulls. Scouring cattle are treated by 
turning out of the sheds into the yard; they 
are given hay and less meal but the ordinary 
ration of hulls is continued; perfectly fresh 
wuter is supplied. The duration of scouring 
is one or two days. Some animals may con¬ 
tinue quite loose in the bowels and yet gain 
in weight. There is no recurrence ot the diar¬ 
rhoea. 
The cattle are released and turned into the 
opeu yards lor a week or more before ship¬ 
ment and fed the same rations as before, in 
troughs. They generally under these circum¬ 
stances feed at night aud lie during the day. 
Cattle are weighed on arrival aud departure. 
None are fed during the summer mouths. 
They sell In Chicago for lull price of Texas- 
fed cattle of the best grade and they can pass 
for coru-fed steers. 
There is no trouble shipping north from 
Texas fever regulations. They were bought 
by an agent in lots during the fall and winter. 
The best Texas cattle being purchased, aver¬ 
age weigbt S50 to 950 pounds, and price, in¬ 
cluding shipment, #25 a head. These tlgures 
were rather nigh. Some cattle are obtained 
from this state. The weight of the cattle 
when shipped averaged 1,090 pounds for the 
largest and 1,141 for the balauce.^The ago pre¬ 
ferred for buying is four to six years. They are 
nearly all shipped to Chicago; about 280 head 
were sold to local butchers and buyers in 
Memphis. Monthly gain: tho«e that did well 
were tested, some gained 20, 25 and 30 pounds 
a week, but they don’t keep that up. Aver¬ 
age may be placed at 75 pounds per month 
among good feeders. There is no refuse of 
food. 
The yards at times get very muddy. The 
manure is cleaned out at times. No straw or 
bedding is allowed. If the cotton seed hulls 
are i-tored they sweat and spoil,and are not fit 
for use. They must be fresh or they will cause 
scouring. They will not keep stored over two 
months. Meal should be of a bright yellow 
color and free from large black particles. 
Hulls should not contain seeds.” 
The director of the Arkansas Station wisely 
concluded that there must have been some 
mistake about the weighings. The reported 
gains are too large. Accordingly, four ani¬ 
mals were fed at the Station on a ration very 
similar to that used at Little Rock. The re¬ 
sult, on the whole, seems to have been rather 
disappointing, still there is enough in it to 
fully justify a continuation of the experi¬ 
ment, which we hope will be made. The R. 
N.-Y. dwells at some length upon this topic 
because it has to do with the utilization of a 
waste product. Such utilization we are al¬ 
ways very glad to assist in promoting. 
Time of Cutting Grasses and Clover. 
—Bulletin No. 5 of the University of Illinois 
Experiment Station discusses this much-dis¬ 
cussed topic. Those who wish to consult a 
well-compiled list of analyses of grasses cut 
at different stages of growth will need this 
bulletin. 
Department of Agriculture. Report 
for 1888—This report anpears to be of un¬ 
usual interest. There seems to have been an 
effort to edit this volume and to cut out un¬ 
necessary or unimportant matter. There is 
plenty left that will never be read by the gen¬ 
eral public, still, it may be said that there is 
a distinct gain in this respect over previous re¬ 
ports. The volume is well departrnentized, 
and the matter is classified and arranged so 
that particular topics may be readily found. 
The Entomologist. —Dr. Riley gives an 
excellent account of the plum eurculio, its life 
history and habits, and the methods employed 
in fighting it. Jarring or trapping still ap¬ 
pear to be the only feasible remedies. The 
fluted scale, hop plant-louse, and other scale 
insects are also described. A report of the 
year's operations in silk culture is included in 
this department. We do not find much of 
anything in this to warrant any one in urg¬ 
ing silk culture as a profitable enterprise for 
Americans. One of the most interesting pa¬ 
pers in the entomological department of this 
report is the account of the California treat¬ 
ment for scale insects. A strong tent is plac¬ 
ed over the tree that is to be treated and into 
this tent noxious gases are introduced. 
Bureau of Animal Industry. —In this 
rejortDr. Salmon gives an accouut of the 
operation of the Bureau in an effort to eradi¬ 
cate pleuro-pneumonia in cattle. It appears 
that 35,604 herds containing 305 280 cattle 
were inspected; 48,176 post-mortem examina¬ 
tions were made, revealing 3,426 diseased cat¬ 
tle—1,446 diseased cattle were found by in¬ 
spection. The work cost, from January 1, to 
November 30,188S, #481,586 55. Glanders and 
hog-Cholera are also discussed though little 
that is new concerning ei her disease is 
brought out. 
The Chemist. —Analyses of a number of 
substances are given in this report. There is 
an article on Sweet Cassava, a root that 
promises to become quite an important pro¬ 
duct of Florida agriculture. It is valuable as 
a starch product or as a food for mau aud 
beast. There is also a long article on lard aud 
its adulterations. We shall refer to this more 
at length at another time. 
The Botanist. —Dr. George Vasey de¬ 
scribes a number of gras es aud weeds most 
of them natives ot the West or South aud 
some of them believed to be worthy of trial 
elsewhere. There is also an exhaustive 
article on The Pastoral Resources of Mon- 
taua. This is of especial importance just 
uow. The recent victories of the Montana- 
raised horse, Spokaue, have caused horsemen 
to investigate the advantages Montana affords 
as a horse country. Just now, Western 
horses are in great favor, aud it may be that 
Montana will be able to stamp a trademark on 
her horses just as Dakota has stamped one on 
her wheat. 
The Statistician. —Mr. Dodge explains his 
system of collecting reliable crop reports, the 
value of accurate work and the difficulties 
met with in conducting the service. It ap¬ 
peal’s that speculators frequently attempt to 
control the reports lu their own interests. 
Many of the crop reporters think they ought 
to be paid for their services, and the work 
they perform is surely of great value. If the 
sum of #100 should be appropriated for each 
county, the cost would be #233,000. The 
service would be cheap at the price, but if 
there were any money in the work, a dozen 
cheap politicians would be after every #10 
place. The result would be that some in¬ 
competent would be appointed when the 
service demands the best and most ac¬ 
curate observer in the county without re¬ 
gard to religion, politics, sex or age. 
The figures in this department are very sug¬ 
gestive and afford opportunity for some very 
interesting deductions. Some of the facts de¬ 
veloped are quite surprising. For example, 
the average price for horses is highest in Rhode 
Island; for mules, Delaware; for milch cows, 
Wyoming; beef cattle, Ohio; sheep, Connecti¬ 
cut ; and hogs, Massachusetts. The values of 
our imported food stuffs are just now quite 
freely discussed. We notice in this report 
that there were imported, in 1888, #20,502,223 
worth of fruits and nuts. Some of our Ameri¬ 
can fruit-growers argue that a high tariff 
should be placed on these fruits and nuts. 
Just now, while strawberries are barely pay¬ 
ing the cost of picking, the streets are fairly 
clogged with banana stands. A high tariff 
would cut down the supply of bananas; this 
would lead to the sale of more American 
strawberries—thus these political economists 
argue. There are also in this report some 
interesting statistics regarding the agriculture 
of Egypt, Japan, Australia and France. 
The Ornithologist and Mammalogist .— 
Dr. Merriain’s report is one of the most in¬ 
teresting in the volume. It appears that in 
1881, or thereabouts, efforts were made to in¬ 
troduce pheasants into the Pacific coast coun¬ 
try. These efforts were highly successful in 
Oregon, but in California the success has not 
been remarkable. Dr. Merriam concludes 
that the mink does far more barm than good 
and should be considered as a public enemy. 
Mink farming used to be a profitable indus¬ 
try but is now little followed. Rather a good 
word is spoken for the sparrow-hawk, which, 
it is claimed, catches and kills numberless in¬ 
sects aud mice. The crow is a bird that has 
been both cursed and praised by American 
farmers. Iu some localities, organized cru¬ 
sades are made against this black fellow, who 
is supposed to “pull more corn than he is 
worth.” In other places farmers are glad to 
have crows about the farm, asserting that the 
birds destroy their weight in bugs and worms 
for every kernel of corn they destroy. It is 
also claimed that they' destroy the eggs and 
young of poultry and wild birds and that they 
destroy fruits of some kinds. Dr. Merriam 
has made an elaborate effort to secure sound 
evidence as to the habits of the crow. Hun¬ 
dreds of reports from all over the country 
have been sent to him, and in addition to 
this, about 100 stomachs of the common crow 
have been examined to see what crows eat. 
The following verdict has been rendered: “So 
far as facts at present known enable a judg¬ 
ment to be formed, the harm which crows do 
appears to far outweigh the good ” A bird 
has been found that seems to like the taste of 
potato beetles. This is the rose-breasted Gros¬ 
beak which eats the disgusting pest with keen 
relish. 
Director of Experiment Stations. —Profess¬ 
or W. O. Atwater makes the first gener¬ 
al report of the work done at the central of¬ 
fice at Washington. This office was establish¬ 
ed October l, 1888. A complete list of the 
stations has been prepared, a library of sta¬ 
tion publications has been started,aud materi¬ 
als collected for an exhibit at the Paris exposi¬ 
tion, as well as data regarding the history' of 
the general movement for the promotion of 
agricultural science aud education in the 
United States. The publication of “farmers’ 
bulletins” is contemplated, lu these bulleiius 
it is proposed to collate the results of station 
work bearing upon special topics. Auother set 
of bulletins designed more especially for those 
more interested in scienco will also be publish¬ 
ed. In fact, the central office will serve as 
headquarters for the whole system of ex¬ 
periment stations. Through this office we 
may' expect some of the best results from the 
system. Accompanying Professor Atwater’s 
report is a paper on the Origin aud Develop¬ 
ment of Agricultural Experiment Statious iu 
the Uuited States. 
Sorghum and Important Injurious In¬ 
sects. —These are the subjects treated in Bul¬ 
letin No. 5 of the Io«a Experiment Station. 
What is said about sorghum is, in the maiu, a 
review of orevioui work done in Kansas aud 
New' Jersey. For many years Iowa farmers 
have been making sorghum sirup in a small 
way. Chemist Patrick of the Iowa Station, 
evidently thinks this business can be very 
profitably increased. We hope so. Our sugar 
bill for the past 10 years amounts to #818, 
644, 110. 
Mr. Gillette writes about cut-worms, wire- 
worms aud various other injurious insects. 
As to cut-worms Mr. Gillette tells of an Iowa 
farmer who catches the moths in a sor¬ 
ghum evaporator. The large evaporating 
pan, 3>£x22 feet, is exposed over-night 
with sorghum juice in it. In the 
morning he skims from it one or two 
pailfuls of moths. This plan, he thinks, has 
checked the ravages of the cut worms inside 
of a radius of one half a mile from hi? mill. 
A few pages of the report are devoted to 
remedies for cattle lice. Kerosene and lard, 
kerosene emulsion, pyrethrum, tobacco, and 
sulphur and lard all are named. Potato as 
an insecticide will be somewhat new to many 
of our readers. The water in which potatoes 
or potato parings had been boiled was used 
on lousy cattle with generally satisfactory 
results. Mr. Gillette also conducted some ex¬ 
periments with pyrethrum to see how much of 
its deadly effect was lost by boiling or heat¬ 
ing. This was done to test the popular be¬ 
lief that a decoction of the powder is worth 
less than a cold mixture. Here are Mr. 
Gillette’s conclusions—they are all somewhat 
at variance with previous reports. 
“It seems safe to conclude, at least until 
more careful and exhaustive experiments 
prove to the contrary, that, when it is desired 
to use Pyrethrum in water without waiting 
24 houis, it can be prepared in boil 
ing water, (in which case I would advise boil¬ 
ing for five or 10 minutes) and as good results 
obtained as with the cold water extraction, 
and,second, although it is always advisable to 
keep the powder in tight receptacles, it does 
not seem possible that the powder loses its 
strength very rapidly when exposed to the 
air. The fact that when th« nowder is dusted 
on plants it soon ceases to destroy the insects 
that pass over it is not, it seems to me. evi¬ 
dence to the contrary. In such cases the finest 
particles of the powder,which are its most de¬ 
structive parts.are soon removed by the winds 
and what remain* becomes moistened with 
dews and adheres so closely to the foliage that 
it is not removed to come in contact with the 
bodies of insects in sufficient quantities to de¬ 
stroy life.” 
BOOK REVIEWS. 
H oughton, mifflin & company, 
(B-slon and New York), have begun 
the issue of a series of books under the title of 
"The River.-ide Library for young people. 
It is intended to include History, Biography, 
Mechanics, Travel, Natural History, Adven¬ 
ture and kindred subject®. The books will 
be illustrated when necessary, and will be 
uniform in size, containing 200 to 250 pages 
each, well bound in cloth, and sold for 75 
cents per volume. 
We have receiveil the first two volumes of 
the series. Number one is “The War for In¬ 
dependence," by John Fiske, a very compact, 
handy little volume, just the thing to slip in 
the pocket to be read on the cars or at odd 
moments. It treats quite at length of the 
causes of the war, and is well written and in¬ 
structive. “George Washington,” by Horace 
E Scudder, is the title of the second volume. 
It gives an account of the boyhood of Wash¬ 
ington, and of the manner of life of the early 
settlers of Virginia. These books are of es¬ 
pecial interest at this time. 
Pi.sccUaucousi Advertising. 
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'made. Springs can be adjusted for one or 
two passengers. Before purchasing write 
for wholesale prices. A. L. PRATT & CO , 
No. ,t Willard St„ K.ilani;izi>o. Mich. 
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