THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
as 
iljffji Hastate. 
SHEEP ON NEARLY EVERY FARM. 
Sheep raising iu St. Lawrence county. N. Y.. 
although not carried on extensively by any 
one, is yet a very Important item of the wealth 
of the county. When nearly every farmer In a 
community keeps sufficient sheep to enable 
him to supply not only his own wants, but also 
to sell lambs, mutton and wool, sheep-breeding 
iu the aggregate is of considerable importance, 
und this may be said to be the condition of 
wool-growing and sheep-breeding in this sec¬ 
tion. The farmer who does not keep a small 
flock of sheep is very rarely to be met with. 
The flocks in sifce range all the way from a 
half-a-dozen up to seventy-five and one. hun¬ 
dred. The larger flocks are kept by men who 
do not keep cows or are so situated as to con¬ 
sider it more convenient or profitable to raise 
lambs and wool. There are vary few promi¬ 
nent breeders of thoroughbred sheep, but we 
have a few farmers who have done a great deal 
for the improvement of sheep by the introduc¬ 
tion of thoroughbred Leicesters and Cotswolds. 
The prevailing sorts are natives, or rather 
mongrels Improved by the use of Cotewold and 
Leicester rams. There are a few small flocks 
of fine-wool sheep; but they are not regarded 
as profitable. 
The. greatest source of profit from sheep 
keeping lies iu the sale of early lambs. The 
butchers usually pay from 83 50 to §4 00 per 
head for good auiimils of this sort. But the 
lambs that command the highest price are 
dropped by large, vigorous ew es, bred, to Cots- 
wolcl bucks. The lambs should come early and 
the ewes should be well housed and fed. and 
every possible precaution should be taken, 
especially in cold weather, to prevent acci¬ 
dents and keep the lambs growing. Late 
lambs are gathered up by drovers and shipped 
to the large cities. They do not usually com¬ 
mand more than 82 50 or $3 per bead. Even 
taking into consideration the extra care and 
cost of raising them, the early lambs pay some¬ 
what the best. 
In addition to that from lambs, a large share 
of the profit of sheep keeping comes from the 
sales of wool. The ordinary sheep clip, on 
an average, six to eight pounds per head. 
And herein is the ground for the prejudice 
against fine-wool sheep: their wool may be 
nicer for home use *, but inasmuch as their 
clip is not as great as that of the others 
and does not command as good a price as the 
combing wools, there is no good reason why 
they should be kept. There is one reason for 
keeping sheep which is not very often taken in¬ 
to account, and that is, the keeping of them on 
rough land for the purpose of killing the w eeds 
and brambles. They cau be kept profitably on 
land too rough to be valuable for pasturing 
cows and horses. F. K. Moreland. 
St. LawTencc Co., N. Y. 
I) mans 
TRAMPS, AND HOW THEY ARE MADE. 
Fifty years ago there were no tramps, but 
there were plenty of apprentices. Then every¬ 
body could learn a trade. Now boys are shut 
out from all trades by the arbitrary law s of the 
trade unions. Manufacturers dare not employ 
any boys, aud the beneficent, time-honored ap¬ 
prentice system is entirely abolished. Boys 
without trades grow up w ithout education, aud 
become idle members of society, living upon 
their relatives while times are good, and when 
they cannot keep them longer, the youngsters 
are turned loose upon society perfect outlaw's. 
If the apprentice system can be again intro¬ 
duced, w hich means the destruction or modifi¬ 
cation of trade unions, wc shall soon see a 
wholesome change. Tramps arc the natural 
result of an excess of foreign mechanics; let 
us encourage home manufactures by home 
manufacturers. s. u. m. 
BEE HINTS. 
At present there is hut little to be done in the 
apiary, provided the hints for wintering bees, 
given iu a full number of the Rural, have been 
followed. The hives must, of course, all be 
protected against (he cold, and in the Southern 
States, against the heavy rainfall. Be sure 
that the mice do not gain admission to the col¬ 
onies, aud take care, also, that the temperature 
in the room where the bees are stored, is kept 
as near as possible between 35 and 45 degrees 
F. Should the temperature rise higher, and 
the bees become uneasy, select a warm, sun¬ 
shiny day, on which to remove them to the 
open air. so that they may discharge their 
faeces, and while they are out, clean off the 
bottom boards as carefully as possible. If they 
are in danger of starvation, they must be fed 
■with good capped honey. 
-- 
Millers and Wire Binders. —The millers of 
Minnesota 6eem determined to make an oxter¬ 
minating war on wire binders. At their late 
convention a resolution was adopted to make 
a discrimination of 10c. per bushel against 
wheat which had been hound in this w ay. 
They insist that their stones and bolting cloths 
are seriously injured by pieces of wire w hich 
careless workmen permit to pass through the 
thrashers.. The millers of Illinois also 
strongly object to these binders; but make no 
discrimination against the wheat on which 
they.have been used. It is to be hoped for the 
benefit of all, that some less objectionable 
form of binders of equal efficiency may soon 
be devised; but meanwhile it is more than 
doubtful whether the millers of Minnesota arc 
powerful enough to fix the price of wheateven 
for their own State. 
-- 
CATALOGUES, Ac., RECEIVED. 
Price-list of choice field and garden seeds, 
W. B. Jones, Herndon, Ga. The catalogue par. 
ticularizes Field Crops, Cotton and Forage 
Plants. Among the la6t named Mr. Jones says ; 
‘•Egyptian. Cattail. East India, or Pearl Millet, 
is the best green soiling plant known in the 
South, from which three or four cuttings can 
be obtained on good soils. Am now- (15th 
October) making my fourth cutting. These 
seeds were sold in Northern and Western 
States, last year, at most fabulous prices, 
where they eauuot lie matured, showing how 
much this plant is appreciated there for soil¬ 
ing and hay purposes. Two pounds of seed 
will plant an acre.” 
Sugar Frauds and the Tariff. This is a 
pamphlet of 30 pages by II. A. Brown, ex- 
special Treasury Agent. It treats of various 
frauds perpetrated on the revenue by importers 
and refiners of sugar, and the relation of these 
frauds to the home production, consumption 
and general interests. Iu noticing the brochure 
on the same subject lately published by D. A. 
Wells, wc remarked last week that there seems 
to be ample grounds for a revision of our rev¬ 
enue laws in that connection, and this work 
strongly confirms that conclusion. 
The Young Scientist. This is a twelve- 
page, well-illustrated monthly periodical, edited 
by the well-known John Phin, published by the 
Industrial Publication Co., 176 Broadway, New 
York, and costing only 50 ceute per annum. 
The articles treat chiefly of scientific and senvi- 
scigntific matters, arc written in a clear, intelli¬ 
gible style. frequently refer to practical subjects, 
and are iutereetiug and instructive not only to 
youthful students, but often also to older beads 
in which there is still room for a good deal of 
useful information. 
Western New York Hokt. Society. Tidenty- 
fourth Annual Meeting to be held in the city of 
Rochester, in the uew City Hall, commencing 
on Wednesday, January 23d and continuing 
two or three days. The members of the West¬ 
ern New York Agricultural Society, and Farm¬ 
ers' Club, aqd all who t,ukc an interest in fruit 
culture and horticulture, are cordially invited 
to attcudaod participate. P. Barry, President; 
P. C. Reynolds, Secretary. The topics for dis¬ 
cussion are of unusual interest. See p. 24. 
Card. D. A. Fisher, proprietor of Home 
Nursery, Denver, Indiana. Fruit and orna- 
meutal trues, flowering shrubs, grape vines, 
roses, small fruit plants, greenhouse plants, etc. 
Inter-State Industrial Exposition of Chi¬ 
cago. Reports of Secretary and Treasurer for 
1878. Juo. P. Reynolds. Secretary. 
Garden Guide and Illustrated Catalogue for 
1873. R. H. Slmtnway, Rockford, Ill. Flower 
aud vegetable seeds. 
NOTES FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 
My Roses have bloomed in rich profusion 
this year. My custom is to prune closely during 
the winter. I find that fine charcoal is a very 
useful mulching for rose-bushes. In August I 
made eornc experiments in budding. One re¬ 
sult was a magnificent Malntalson bloom in 
September on a stock of an old-fashioned Rose. 
Another was the beautiful contrast of a nearly 
pure white bloom among the dazzling 8au- 
guiueas. The flower seed which the Rural 
kindly sent, produced plants that promised 
well for a season, but some varieties perished 
in the trying summer. 
The Strawberry Tomato flourished like au 
animal iu its native element, and, behold, it 
proved to be what is common here—known 
generally as the Ground Cherry. The Hunga¬ 
rian Tomatoes grew well and were ready to 
bloom, but were nipped by the frost. The 
habit of the plant decidedly pleased me. 
Last spring I received fTOm the Department 
of Agriculture a few specimens of a variety of 
potato, marked simply No. 4, which I think I 
discovered to be the Beauty of Hebron. I 
planted them at least three weeks after Early 
Rose, Snowflake, aud Early Vermont. The 
Beauty wa? planted with rather more care than 
the other kinds. It bloomed considerably be¬ 
fore those that wftre planted so much earlier. 
It produced very satisfactorily indeed, both in 
quality and quantity, and was remarkable for 
the absence of small rubers. The experiment 
convinced me that it is second to no kind that 
I have seen tried in this latitude. I have pre¬ 
served nearly all for seed. 
I an; surprised that more attention is not 
paid to the Fig in our country. This locality 
seems specially adapted to it. I have several 
varieties and would renllv hesitate to exchange 
them for any other kind of fruit-trees. If the 
first crop is destroyed by the cold, the unyield¬ 
ing bash or tree does not betray any discour¬ 
agement, but works hastily on in the enterprise 
of reproduction. Hence, the fruit never fails 
while the tree lives. There is a continuous 
yield through the long months, from the time 
the second ripening begins to the day w hen a 
heavy frost falls. This year I ate the last 
about the 6th of November. The fruit is 
luscious and unquestionably wholesome. I 
know of no fruit that may he eaten so freely 
with impunity. 
The farmers have had a favorable seasou for 
seeding wheat. However, our people, as a 
rule, are poor wheat-raisers. The crop needs 
more attention and better soil than they give 
it. New kinds of wheat arc more appreciated 
than formerly, and the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment at Washington, is distributing valuable 
varieties for experiment. A W. Maxgum. 
Chapel HULK. C. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
New York, De Kalb, St. Lawrence Co., Dee. 
27.—If I were asked to state what the weather 
had been in this part of the State for llie past 
*three months, I should say that we haven’t had 
any. It lias been rain, w ind, snow and shffli. 
The roads have been almost impassable, small 
creeks have become sweeping torrents, low¬ 
land has been submerged, hundred* of acres 
presenting more the appearance of lakes than 
tillable land. The wheat crop in this section 
was fair, the yield of spring wheat being about 
25 bushels per acre, and some farmers report a 
yield of 50 bushels per acre of winter wheat. 
Oats were a light crop and of poor quality. Of 
barley there is not, much raised here. Potatoes 
are scarce and high. Owing to the heavy rains 
in August aud September they rotted badly ; 
many farmers who had hundreds of bushels 
last year have not enough for next year’s 
planting. Now and then, however, one is 
found who is fortunate euough to have plenty 
for his own use and a few bushels to deal out 
to his less fortunate neighbors. 
A large share of the cboesc factories have 
closed out the season's make at from 7c. to i)c. 
Now and then a factory lias placed its cheese 
in winter-quarters, not being willing to accept 
the prices offered. This, I think, a bad plan, 
as it will tend to keep down the prices next 
spring. Wheat, sells for 81; corn, 60c. : barley, 
75c.; oats. 30e.; potatoes, 75c. to 81 : butter, 
15c. to 20c,; cheese, 7c. to 9c.; hogs, dressed, 
3c. to 41c.; hay, prime, 88 to 810 per ton. Of 
tramps, lightning-rod agents, tree-peddlers, 
etc., the supply has been large and of about the 
average quality. With the advent of cold 
weather these arc becoming more scarce, yet 
the supply more than equals the demand now. 
w, e. t>. 
New Hampshire, Dover, Dec. The season 
of 1878 has been dry, but as the drought did 
not commence until abont the first of July, the 
hay crop, the great staple of New England, was 
not iujiiml. and us a consequence wc have 
harvested iu line order one ol the best hav 
croos we have ever had. Coru was good; the 
hot, dry weather of July and August was just 
what was required to mature it. A larger area 
than usual has of late been planted to this 
crop by New Euglaud farmers, for they have 
become convinced that it is better to raise what 
they need of it than to buy so much from the 
West. This change in their practice lias been 
brought about in a measure by the introduction 
and use of various commercial fertilizers upon 
sandy soils which have been considered worth¬ 
less, but which, by the use of these manures, 
produce flue crops of corn. Potatoes have 
been the greatest failure of any crop here ; the 
Colorado beetle and the drought seemed to join 
hands to destroy them, and the result is that 
not half a crop has been harvested ; and 
where iu former years potatoes have been 50 
cents, they bring to-day 81 per bushel. But to 
fill the place made vacant by so important 
a crop us potatoes are to the Now Eng¬ 
land fanner, wc have had an unusually large 
crop of apples. Although these have brought 
only a low price, owing to their abundance 
they have materially aided our farmers to pay 
taxes and other necessary outlays. Aud take 
it all in all. the farmers are as well off as auy 
other class, and perhaps better oft ; still among 
them there Is a good deal of grumbling about 
the unprofitableness of their occupation, h. 
Arkansas, Van Bureu, Crawford Co., Dee. 
29.—On Dec. 25, at night, we had a heavy snow 
storm, and on the 28Lh, also at night, suow fell 
to the depth Of five inches. I have lived here 
nine years, and I have also lived in Mississippi 
aud Alabama, and to all inieuding to emigrate, 
for the purpose of farming for a living, l would 
honestly say, •* This is just the place for you." 
Corn is worth 30c.; meat, 2c. to 8c. per pound ; 
flour 82 to 83 per hundredweight; stock, 
cheap ; land, per acre, from 84 to 812; rents 
from 82 to $4 per acre, ov J of the corn crop 
and i of the cotton iu the seed. There are 25 
churches belonging to seven different denom¬ 
inations. Our schools, buildings and teachers, 
arc equal to those that can be found in any 
county of the State. There arc 22 steam flour¬ 
ing mills in the county. Among our non-agri- 
cultural industries arc lumber-making and 
dressing from pine, walnut, ash, hickory, oak 
and gum. We have rail and river transporta¬ 
tion. Cotton, corn, wheat, rye, potatoes— 
Irish and sweet—timothy, red-top, some clo¬ 
vers aud all the millets do well here. Our 
fruits are equal to those of Indiana, Kentucky 
or Tennessee, including the Apple, Peach, 
Cherry, Apricot aud a large number of differ¬ 
ent berries. Moreover. aTl newcomers with 
brains and energy are sure of a hearty welcome 
from all the settlers. n. e. l. 
Ind., Oaktown. Dee. 28th, 1778. This year 
gave us a warm open winter and early spring, 
but. the weather was so rainy that corn was 
planted much later than usual. June and July 
were good months for farmers. Wheat was 
rather above the average and bay a better crop 
than usual. In the latter part of July a dry 
spell began and for over two months we did 
not have rain enough to fairly moisten the 
ground. Corn was cut short fully one-half; 
late potatoes were a failure. About the custo¬ 
mary amount of wheat was sown in this coun¬ 
ty, but much later than usual because of the 
drought. We are blessed with plenty of small 
fruits aud peaches, but we had few apples and 
those not as large as usual. The price at which 
wheat was sold, 75 to 80 cents, did not put 
much money in the pockets of our farmers, 
and the shortness of the corn crop and the low 
price of hogs, make mauy long faces among 
those who are iu debt. n. 
Ohio, Mt. Vernon, Dec. 30.—The weather 
has been very cold here for the last ten days, 
the thermometer st anding steadily ai about ten 
degrees below zero. There is a grand prospect 
for wheat hereabouts next season, if our win¬ 
ter wheat does not freeze out. Every one who 
can do so, is putting up a large supply of ice, 
which is twelve inches thich and very solid. 
Our markets arc low. but easy; wheat, 95c.; 
oats. 20c.; corn, 25 to 30c.; potatoes, 40 to 50c.; 
rye. 60c.; apples. 20c.; pure cider vinegar, 12c. 
per gallon by the barrel; eggs, 20e. per doz. ; 
butter. 15c. per pound The subject, of making 
gravel roads is much talked of among us. Our 
present roads are good, but we. want bettei 
Where every creek has a bed of gravel, it's a 
sin and a shame that the life of au intelligent, 
community should bo made wretched not only 
in winter, hut uftcr every heavy shower, by 
muddy roads. m, w. 
N. Y., Adams. Jefferson Co.. Dec. 30.—Crops 
during the past year were more than an aver¬ 
age in this section. Corn is worth 50c. per 
bushel; oats, one cent, per pound; potatoes, 
81 a bushel; barley, about 75c.: apples. 81.75 
per barrel: butter and cheese ha vc j nst now very 
little sale here, most of the dairy product lying 
at the factories waiting for buyers. Pork and 
beef, 84<S4,50 per hundred. Our farmers raise 
a good deal of beaus and peas for seedsmen, but 
they have become so particular about their 
quality, and there is so much docking by the 
purchaser, that farmers would do better by 
raising almost any other kind of crop for 
market, rather Ilian submit to the deductions 
made in the price when they deliver their 
seeds. T- c. c. 
Texas, McKinney. Doe. 26.—We now ha\o 
au inch-deep snow on the ground, and have 
had a considerable amount of cold weather 
for Texas. "Hard times cotno ugaiu” is 
murmured arouud here. Red May wheat is 
worth 50@60c. per bushel; pork. 2@21e. gross; 
beef, 2f(S»3c. gr.; sweet potatoes. Bermuda and 
Brazilian Yams. 75c.#81 per bushel; corn, 20 
@25c.; red winter oats, 30@35c.; eggs. 10(S 
12U'.: butter. 25(©30e. This county has passed 
In the lust ton years from A grazing to one of 
the finest farming regions in this or any other 
State. Because the black-wax soil does not 
wear out. it does not require a manure dressing 
every year, although it will yield much better 
from its use than without it. w. n. tv. 
Vermont, Manchester Depot, Dec. 38.— Al¬ 
though as a people, we arc much better oft 
than we were a year ago, yet some are con¬ 
tinually Whining about hard times aud scarcity 
of money, as if they really enjoyed grumbling 
nr as if it in any way Improved their plight. 
Hereabouts, railroad section men get 826 per 
month; carpenters, 81 75 to 82 per day ; team¬ 
sters, 810 to 815 per month. Hay is selling for 
from 88 to 812 per ton ; oats. 38c. per bushel 
at the mill; feed and meal. 81 20 per 100 lbs. ; 
new milch cows, 830 to 835: oxen from 8100 
to 8150 per pair: pork, fresh, 84 50 to 85; 
beef, 85 to 86; cord-wood. 83: sprUee boards. 
88 50 per M; flour at retail. 85 75 to 87. 
i: L. T. 
low a. McGregor, Dec. 26. The weather here 
is intensely cold, cold enough to satisfy the 
most ardent admirer of genuine, seasonable, 
wintry weather. It freezes the ink inside the 
bookcase, it freezes the thoughts that the iuk 
should express, which accounts for the short- 
