THE RURAL WEW-YORK 
canine excellence, and all varieties "were well 
represented, the entries including some fine 
specimens of water fowls as well as pure-bred 
birds. We are glad to hear that the exhibi¬ 
tion was a financial success, as such displays 
are always sure to be in all enterprising towns 
surrounded by wide-awake farmers, if ouiv 
the undertaking is judiciously managed. 
What adds to the pleasure of this result, at the 
6ame time that it shows a growing tendency to 
a very desirable united action among the agri¬ 
cultural community, is that it was the first 
venture of the kind in that neighborhood. As 
a natural consequence of the financial and 
pleasurable success of the undertaking, the 
managers have come to the wise determina¬ 
tion of getting up similar meetings every year 
in future. By noticing the shortcomings and 
openings for improvement itt each year’s dis¬ 
play, such exhibitions may be made both highly 
successful pecuniarily, and sources of pleasure 
and profit to the whole neighborhood. 
(fbn'iiluljcrt. 
NOTES FROM KENTUCKY. 
It has snowed here more or less twenty-two 
days out of the last forty. The snow is now 
fourteen inches deep, giving us better sleigh¬ 
ing than has ever before been known in this 
vicinity. The highest temperature during the 
past four weeks was 49“. the lowest 20“, aver¬ 
age 28°. Our out-door stock, however, is do¬ 
ing much better than when it rains, snows, 
freezes and thaws in such quick succession as 
it frequently does in this latitude. 
Stock hogs and cattle are abundant at su¬ 
per pound; wheat is worth 85 to 00c.; corn, 
35c.; potatoes, 40 to 50c. per bushel. We have 
had more failures during the past year than 
ever before. Farms that, five years ago, sold 
readily for *50 to *100.per acre, are now of¬ 
fered for from $20 to $40 per acre—good, well- 
improved, river-bottom farms. It does seem 
to me that the bottom is reached at last, uuless 
it has fallen out entirely. The fear of the lat¬ 
ter calamity deters, 1 presume, many from 
taking advantage of the present crash in real 
estate. 
The potato crop is oue of the- most import¬ 
ant here, and it may be interesting to note the 
varieties growu and the yield per acre, with 
our ordinary field-culture, generally on clover- 
sod, without artificial fertilizers, and with but 
little barn-yard manure. 
VARIETIES OE rOTATOES GROWN HERE. 
Scotch Noble, large, round, deep-eyed, 
late, averaging, the past season, about fifty 
barrels per acre, which is equivalent to seven¬ 
ty-five in favorable seasons. This is the suc¬ 
cessor of the Shaker Russet, and closely resem¬ 
bles it. 
Peerless, too well-known to require a de¬ 
scription. With us, it sets more than it tain 
mature, averaging, for the last five years, 
about forty barrels per acre, although I have 
grown this sort at the rate of three hundred 
barrels (sic) per acre. (!) 
Superior, a new variety of excellent qual¬ 
ity and fine appearance, that yielded with me 
the past season at the rale of one hundred and 
forty barrels per acre, notwithstanding the 
beetles and blight. 
The Peach Blow was a total failure this 
season with us. aud is losing caste as well as 
the Early Rose and King of Earlies. 
Early Vermont, Compton’s Surprise, 
Brownwell’s Beauty, and Show -ttalce havo 
becu discarded. 
Beauty of Hebron will be tried here for 
the first lime next season. Coining, as it does, 
from our esteemed friend, the Rural New- 
Yorker, we expect it to he the coining po¬ 
tato, s. e. h. 
Milton, Ky., Jan. 11, 1ST9. 
-- 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Virginia, Rivanna Alberuiarle Co.. Jan. 0th, 
187!).—On account of low prices of crops, the 
price of labor has been reduced for 187!) about 
15 or 20 per cent. This year No. 1 men hire 
for $80 by the year, aud for $8 per month. 
Wheat in this section of Vu. was a failure, 
averaging not more than live bushels for one 
sown in this county. I sowed 109A bushels of 
Fultz wheat, and made last year not quite 1,000 
bushels. The tobacco crop was an average 
one in quality ; but only about half a crop was 
planted From eight acres I shall make about 
six thousand pounds. The hay crop is excel¬ 
lent. I* rom forty acres of timothy meadow, l 
made over 120 tons. The corn crop ulso was 
splendid. I housed eighty-seven and a halt 
bushels ot%HTi from a measured acre of land 
last year, and from another acre, tiOO yards dis¬ 
tant from the first, eiglity-five and a half bush¬ 
els ; that is, 171 bushels in the ear. From 48 
acres, Rivanna River low grounds, 1 made over 
7,000 bushels of cars of corn, not including 
what was destroyed by crows, coons amt musk¬ 
rats, or what wub stolen- -the latter amounting 
to probably 300 bushels. Albcnnarlc beats ihe 
world for corn. My neighbors all laughed at 
my crop while growing, but the laugh was 
turned when we gathered the corn, no neighbor 
making over 71 bushels per acre. Mine was a 
little too thick for a maximum crop, but theirs 
was too thin. In a letter from a friend in 
Hudson, N. Y., he says, "Your corn yielded 
rather more to the acre than any of my neigh¬ 
bors or myself can boast, aud I really think it 
would give our county a pretty severe strain to 
match it.” The former owner of Rivanna made, 
one year, 1371 bushels of shelled corn from an 
acre of this land. 
Prices of produce in Alberuiarle are : Wheat, 
31 ; corn, 40e.; oats, 30c.; timothy hay. 50e.; 
pork, 4), c.; best beef cattle. 3c. gross: Irish po¬ 
tatoes, 75c.: Hour, 34.50, extra ; butter. 20c.: 
apples, $2.50 per barrel; lands from 32 to 
3200 per acre, according to improvements and 
proximity to Charlottesville and railroads. 
R. H. K. 
Kan., Parsons, Labette Co., Jan. 0, 1879.—It 
is precisely four weeks since "The Storm” 
set in, and for once, at least, the audacious 
man, even, has not seen the like. On the 24th 
of Nov. lust I was plowing, and it was so warm 
I pulled oil my coat, aud this not being enough, 
I had to pull off my vest also. On the 12th of 
Dec. a severe storm drove across the north¬ 
west, aud while it brought snow to the lower 
Missouri, it brought rain here; but this froze 
as it touched the earth, and every blade of 
grass and every tiny twig became enveloped 
with four times its own diameter of ice, which 
either broke down the trees or bent them to 
the ground. The older peach and plum trees 
were badly riven. The young ones escaped. 
The temperature for Dec. here was 19 7-100“. 
The temperature on the six days out of the 
first nine in this mouth, was 8° below zero; on 
the remaining three the thermometer regis¬ 
tered zero to 10“ above. 
Arkansas, Van Buren, Crawford Co.—This 
county borders upon the Indian Territory, 
and at I lie end of our railroad communication, 
terminates in the valley of the Arkansas River. 
The soil is good and the climate, as a rule, de¬ 
lightful. Cotton is our staple crop, and almost 
for the first time, the yield last season was un¬ 
favorable, owing to an early frost. Corn, like 
all other cereals, does splendidly here. Stock 
can winter without artificial protection. Lands 
are cheap, and the country more healthfni than 
the States of Illinois or Indiana. Where weeds 
are permitted to grow unchecked, we can boat 
the world. Pumpkins weighing from 50 to 100 
pounds apiece, are common. Fruits are abund¬ 
ant, and we can grow two crops of Irish pota¬ 
toes in oue season. l. c. w. 
Va., Ashland, Hanover Co., Jan. 10.—The 
present is a season of greater financial pres¬ 
sure. hereabouts than I have ever 6een. The 
people are everywhere in debt, while the ap¬ 
preciation of money and the consequent de¬ 
preciation in the prices of all farm products, 
leave many farmers without hope of being 
able to clear off the incumbrances on their 
lands. Agricultural prosperity must here lie 
rebuilt on a foundation of ruins. If farmers 
were only out of debt they might do very well, 
but loaded down with mortgages aud taxes, 
many of them will, 1 fear, have either to aban¬ 
don their places entirely or to rent or sell a 
large part of their farms. a. u. i\ 
Kansas, Pawnee Co., Jan. 8. —Weather very 
cold here. Sunny' Kansas lias put on her win¬ 
ter robes. Snow is about eight inches deep. 
Fall wheat, which is the chief crop here, is 
looking well and bids fair for another good 
crop. The last season's yield was about twenty- 
three bushels per acre all over the county. 
All other farm crops were good. Fanners 
should certainly be satisfied where they get 
their land for the living on it, as most of them 
here do, and don’t have to pay a share of their 
products for fertilizers, as the Eastern farmers 
do. In fact, our soil would make a good fer¬ 
tilizer for the land in the old Eastern States. The 
Government laud, however, is all taken in this 
couuty. y, h. in 
Kansas. La Cvngo, Jan. 2.—The weather in 
Kansas is unusually severe. On the night of 
tile 13th and (lay of the 14th about twenty 
inches of snow fell—the largest full of snow 
known in this climate. Since then we have 
had good sleighing all the time with the tem¬ 
perature ranging from zero to 24 degrees below 
that point. If is very seldom that the tempera¬ 
ture during winter hero is as low as zero; it 
generally ranges from 20 to 411 degrees above. 
This winter, however, oue is kept busy build¬ 
ing tires, us wo are not so well prepared for 
cold weather here as where extremely cold 
weather is expected and preparations are made 
for it. t. a. m. 
Iowa. Lyons, Clinton Co., Jan. II. Wo have 
had a month of excellent sleighing, which is 
rather unusual for this locality. The Missis¬ 
sippi River at this point lias hoou frozen over 
nearly a month, so as to be safe for loaded 
teams. Our natural “bridge of ieo” always 
gives new life to business and a pleasant place 
for drives. Ou January 2d, 3d and 4th the 
thermometer ranged from IQ to 20 degrees below 
zero. The homo market report of grain, stock, 
etc., is as follows: wheat, 55@72e.; corn (new), 
25c.; oats, 15@17«-; hogs, liveweight, $2@2.10; 
cattle, liveweight, 3304.50; butter, 121c. per 
lb.; eggs. 20c. per doz. m. g. r. 
Neb., Gibbon, Buff.do Co., Jan. 7.—The win¬ 
ter has been very mild so far—no snow of any 
consequence, and better roads I never saw in 
any country. Cattle are looking very well. No 
other kind of stock is kept hereabouts in large 
numbers. m. v. c. 
Wis.. Salem. Kenosha Co., Jan. 0.—The 
weather is extremely cold, the mercury during 
the last four days varying from 20“ to 12“ de¬ 
grees. d. l. n. 
North Carolina, Brookston, Warren Co., 
January 11.—We have bad a stinging cold so 
far this year. m. b. p. 
®ijf <$unist. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
The Show Points of the Brown Leghorn. 
J. M. I)., North, Paris, Me., asks what are 
the show points of the Browu Leghorn. 
answer uy henry hales. 
Cock. —Comb, bright red, single, upright, 
medium size, straight, deeply serrated, five or 
six points extending well over behind, without 
side sprigs or indentations. The head should 
be short hut deep, of a reddish-bay color, sha¬ 
ding into a lighter tint on the neck; eye, red 
and bright. Beak, yellow with a dark stripe 
down the upper mandible. Face, bright red 
without wrinkles or folds. White ear-lobes, 
large, round aud rather pendent, smooth and 
close to the bead, thin and free from wrinkles. 
Wattles, bright red, long, thin and pendulous. 
Neck loug, well arched aud full hackle, the 
hackles beiug a rich golden-bay, striped with 
black ; the hackle is best when the. color keeps 
the same down t<> the lower edge, without be¬ 
coming yellow next to the breast and back. 
Back, of medium length and width, very dark 
red approaching black on the lower part, each 
feather striped with golden-bay. Breast , black, 
full, round, aud carried well forward. Body, 
rather broad but heaviest forward, the under 
part black. Wings, large and well folded; 
bows, dark red, each feather striped with 
golden-bay; primaries, black, each feather 
edged with yellowish-brown; secondaries, 
black, the outside web broadly edged with 
brown ; coverts greenish or metallic black, 
forming :l well defined bar across the wing. 
Tail, upright, large and full; sickle feathers, 
large and well curved, metallic greenish-black: 
coverts same. Thighs of moderate length, 
black. Shanks, long, and bright yellow. 
Feet, same, with a fuiut dark stripe down each 
toe. (lie smaller the better. Upright and proud 
carriage. 
The Hen. —Head, of medium size, dark- 
brown, shading oil to yellow behind the comb, 
striped with black. Beak, the same as cock’s. 
Eyes and face, the same..Comb, evenly serra¬ 
ted, drooping on one side free from side-sprigs. 
Ear-lobes and wattles the same as cock's but 
proportionately smaller for hen. Neck rather 
long and graceful, yellowish-brown, striped, 
with black back, dark-brown penciled with a 
lighter brown. Breast, full and round, of dark 
salmon-brown, shading off light, under body. 
Body, deep aud plump, broader in from than 
in rear, color brown. Wiugs, large and well 
folded ; primaries dull blaek. the outer edge 
slightly penciled with light brown: seconda¬ 
ries, dull black, the outer web finely penciled 
with light browu ; coverts, dark-brown, pen¬ 
ciled with light-brown. Tail, upright, long 
and full, a dull black color penciled with light- 
brown outside; inside, dull black. Thighs, 
slender, medium length, of ashy-brow u. 
Shanks, long, and of a bright yellow. Feet, 
as cock’s. Carriage, not so upright as cock’s. 
Without any white feathers in cocks or hens. 
Keeping Sweet Potatoes and Peanuts. 
G. If. T., Granviile Corners, Hamden Co.. 
Mass., asks how to take care of peanuts and 
sweet potatoes. Ho raised a peck of peanuts 
fmm 3fl feet of ground during the past season, 
but though they were large and nice, lie could 
not keep them well, and he asks how to do so. 
Ans.— Several plans are practiced for keep¬ 
ing sweet potatoes, all of which arc usually 
successful. This is not always the case, how¬ 
ever, as circumstances often occur before the 
potatoes arc finally secured, that destroy all 
dunces of success, such us careless handling, 
exposure to cold or wet, etc. They should be 
dug before severe freezing weather, dried off in 
the sun ami housed the same day. Many 
plautcrs have potato houses constructed of 
logs daubed inside and out, covered with earth 
level on top, aud ubovo this a roof to protect 
the whole from rain, leaving the gable ends 
open. Inside this house a bill should he con¬ 
structed a few indies smaller than the build¬ 
ing, and the space between the walls of the bin 
and those of the house should bo tilled in with 
dry sand. As colder weather comes on. the 
potatoes should he covered with from four to 
six Inches of dry sand, cotton seed or fine 
straw. Some secure an even temperature by a 
flue underneath, where fire can be used wliou 
necessary. If kept dry and at about 45 degrees, 
they will be in good order until the first of 
May. In more northern sections, a dry cellar 
will answer the purpose. A friend is trying 
a plan recommended by a Rural correspond¬ 
ent some two years ago. He buried them in a 
pit, covering it with straw and earth allowing 
them no ventilation. He gave them a day of 
sunshine about two weeks after they wore pit¬ 
ted ; then covered them again. They are keep¬ 
ing finely. 
There is no more difficulty in keeping pea¬ 
nuts than in keeping chestnuts. They should 
not be plaeed in bulk until cured and dry. 
\ frond Wagon-Spring Wanted. 
O. N. €., Carpentaria, Santa. Barbara Co., 
Qal., says— 1 “I have watched the advertising 
columns of the Rural for some time in search 
of a spring that would be just the tiling for a 
farm wagon. We want something effective, 
durable, cheap and easily adjustable. Un¬ 
doubtedly there are such springs ; why don’t 
the manufacturers tell us of them through the 
agricultural papers. We want to know where 
to And them, their price, and what is claimed 
for them ?” 
Ans.—T here are several columns every week 
in the Rural at the disposal of manufacturers 
and dealers for answering the above and all 
similar questions. 
The French Mulberry. 
•4. £L P.. Ashland, Va.. asks whether the 
French Mulberry bears fruit, like other Mulber¬ 
ries or is it merely an ornamental tree. 
Ans.—B ee Rural of Nov 9. It is not a Mul¬ 
berry. It belongs to the order of Vervains 
(Verbenaee*)- H is a very flue, ornamental, 
hardy shrub that, as we say, " ought to be seen 
in every garden.” 
The Ever-henrlng Raspberry. 
A7 C., Berlin, Conn., says that the “ Ever- 
bearing” variety of Raspberry is highly es¬ 
teemed in some parts of Iowa, and wonders 
why nothing lias been said about it in any of 
the many articles on Raspberries, that have 
been published in the Rural. 
Ans.—W hat ever-bearing variety is referred 
to ? There are several that bear in the fall- 
several that bear somewhat continuously. But 
there is no variety that for that reason is of 
special value. 
A Suggestive Inquiry. 
J. 4. M., Im Cggne, Kan., asks where can he 
obtain sample fruits in bottles, put up in alco¬ 
hol for agents to travel with. 
Ans.—T his question may serve to show our 
readers how much weight to attach to the 
specimens showu by some traveling tree- 
agents. 
Prolific Corn. 
H r . II, E., East Setauket, N. 17, asks whether 
there is any kind of corn more prolific for 
light, sandy soils on Long Islaud than the 
eight or ten-rowed flesh-colorcd and white 
corn. 
Ans.—W c shall give in a few weeks the in¬ 
formation here asked. 
Miscellaneous. 
P- P. C., Ionia, Mich,, asks, 1, where can he 
buy a barrel Beauty of Hebron potatoes, and 
what would be their price per bushel: 2. the 
name of a reliable dealer in music boxes, where 
he can get a first-class music box capable of 
playing thorougly well from 20 to 30 tunes, 
and ef excellent manufacture. 
Ans.— Of Thorburn A Co., of this city. They 
are the introducers of this excellent potato. 
The price is not yet fixed. It will be announc¬ 
ed in due time. 2. M. J. Paillard & Co.. N. Y. 
city. 
Mrs. G. H. S., Buffalo, X. 37, claims to have 
discovered a remedy which three years’ test has 
conclusively proved to be efficacious for driv¬ 
ing away the large green worms that infest 
cabbages, and asks how she cau best bring it 
before the public so as to make some money 
out of it. 
Ans. —We know of no other way than by 
advertising the sale of recipes for the prepara¬ 
tion or device. 
J. /). F. W. Preble, N. 17, asks how to make 
the best kind of grafting wax ? 
.Ans.- Mix oqual parts of beeswax, rosin and 
tallow, using an increase of tallow if it is de¬ 
sired to make the wax more yielding. 
J. B. P., SteriingviOe, X. 17. asks what kind 
of clover would yield a large crop in his 
locality. 
Ans.—R ed. 
Communications received for the week ending 
Saturday. January 11th. 
O. F. L.—G. II. S,—E. P. G.—L. V. K.—E. W.—L. 
E. B.—11. B.-X. U.-J. R.-F. 8.—M. G. R.-J. A. 
M.—M. F.—J. M. S.—W. II. N.—W. 8.—W. J. B.— 
G.A. A.—S. II. R.—J. K.—8. E. II.—\V. T. H.—In¬ 
quirerP,—A. H. P.—W. P.—T. H. H—X. R.— 
F. U. S.—A. M. C.—M. M. D.-P. L. G.-C. M.-K. 
and F—A. B.—Poultrytnan" Is romlnded his 
name and address are required—L. T>.—H. h.—W. 
II. C.—St. C. X.—F. S. 8.—>1.8. 8—C. 8. J.—E. L. T. 
1 - I«- I*-. A, C.—J. F.—M. O. N.—J. S,—D. S.—B. G. 
-G. II.—W. F. H.-P. P.—W. G. W.—A. B.—J. M. 
8.—W. J. R.—D. C. A., thank you—L. G., thanks— 
n. S. C.—T. II, R. -J. J. D.—W. J. F.—A. 8.—R.B. 
r-M. O. 
