THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
they fall off, “ shrink," worse on the road. The 
crossing of polled bulls upon these grade cows 
may be depended upon to give a class of cattle 
which, while they will have all the advantages 
of the Short-horn grades, will do better on 
rather short pasturage, travel much better, 
shrinking less, aud packing closer both in 
yards and on railway cars or steamboats. 
There seems to be every reason why we should 
value the polled breeds in this country, the 
Norfolks being apparently best adapted to 
Eastern and central farming—say to the great 
dairy region—and the Galloways or Augus to 
the great beef-raising and feeding sections. 
-+ » ♦-- 
A FAMOUS GROUP OF POLLED CATTLE, 
The accompanying engraving of the cham¬ 
pion group of Angus, or Aberdeen cattle ex¬ 
hibited at the late Paris Exposition, by Mr. 
McCombie of Tillyfour, Aberdeenshire, is a 
faithful reproduction of an Illustration ta¬ 
ken from photographs, aud published in the 
Agricultural Gazette for January 20, '79. The 
animals were taken “ at home ” after their re¬ 
turn from the great Show and when they had 
recruited on their native pastures from the 
miseries of the quarantine to which they had 
been subjected. More than one reference has 
been made in the Rural to the high distinction 
won by the members of this group individually 
and collectively, and it gives us pleasure to be 
able to place before our readers accurate por¬ 
traits of the animals which carried off the 
highest honors at the World's Fair, and have 
won for themselves and their owner a woi'ld- 
wide celebrity. 
On the left flank is Gaily, a four-year-old 
cow. On her right is Sybil 2nd, two years and 
three months old. Next comes Pride of Aber¬ 
deen 8th, probably the most valuable animal 
of the breed in existence, her owner having re¬ 
fused upwards of 81500 for her. Fourth 
comes Halt 2nd, one year and eight month 6 
old, the easy winner of the first prize and gold 
medal in her class. Then comes a little beauty, 
Witch of Endor, one year aud three months 
old, while on the right flank is Paris, one year 
and two months old, the gainer of the first 
prize and gold medal in his class. 
--- 
STOCK NOTES. 
Jottings,—A t a recent meeting of the agri¬ 
cultural department of the Royal Jersey Agri¬ 
cultural and Horticultural Society, it was 
stated that the returns show that the exporta¬ 
tion of Jersey cattle during the preceding 
twelvemonth, amounted to 2,080 head. Of 
these 1.790 were for England ; 210 for Ameriea 
aud 81 for France. Regrets were expressed 
that so mauy of the best stock were sold for 
exportation, aud measures were suggested by 
the adoption of which it was hoped that the 
best bulls might he retained on the island. . 
. . The (English) Farmer mentions the 
case of a cow-calf of Dutch breed, whose udder 
began to swell when the animal was only two 
months old. When six months old, the udder 
was fully distended, and thereafter the calf 
was regularly milked every day. When eleven 
months old, the animal’s development was 
backward, hut she gave about four and a half 
quarts of milk daily j it coutaiued, however, 
a little more water than that of a full-growu 
cow. . . . The Bulletin of the A. J. C. C. 
mentions another Instance of early lactation. 
In 1873 Mr. Parke’s heifer Anne Page (2,690) 
when eleven months old began to yield two 
pints of milk daily, which she increased to two 
quarts within a fortnight. She was taken to 
the bull for the first time when twelve months 
old. . - . The English Herd Book of Augus 
polled cattle has reached its fourth volume. . 
. . Holsteins were first introduced into this 
country in 1852 and the last American Herd 
Book of that breed contains the names of 1*7 
bulls aud 251 cows, or a total of 445 
head. . . . Thiers, one of the 
shrewdest men France has ever pro¬ 
duced, said, “The agriculture of 
France caunot dispense with sheep” 
and many of the most progressive 
farmers in the Eastern States seem to - 
think the saying true of their owu — v_ 
section also. England’s 34.582,000 
sheep on 77,284,184 acres, yield an- 
nual products w j orth 8150,000,000, and, 
moreover, English farmers consider 
that sheep have contributed more 
than any other kind of stock towards 
enriching the laud so that the average 
yield of wheat, which In the days of 
Elizabeth was six and a half bushels 
to the acre, is now' upwards of thirty 
bushels. It has been well said, how¬ 
ever, that a few sheep well cared 
for, will be profitable on every farm, 
while a large flock would, in nine 
cases out of ten, be a source of 
trouble and expense to the ordinary farmer. 
Dr. J. L. Hayes, Secretary of the National As¬ 
sociation of Wool Manufacturers, says that the 
enormous clip of Canada w r ool is obtained from 
small flocks, rarely exceeding fifty head. He 
recommends long-wooled sheep, especially 
CotBwolds. . . . A Stock-Breeders’Associa¬ 
tion has just been organized in Mississippi 
with a view r to dairying and fine stock raising 
on the prairies in the eastern part of the State. 
Already a commencement has been made, as it 
is estimated that 400. or so, of the inhabitants, 
have a few choice hogs or sheep, and, now a«d 
fully ripe, bring top prices every time. The 
Hereford being a grass beast, is most prized in 
July. August. September aud October, when he 
readily tops the market. Despite the large 
number of Sliort-horus in the country, few 
bullocks of that breed reach the Loudon mar¬ 
ket, and although some bring top figures, as a 
> 
GALLOWAY HEIFER. 
then, a few head of thoroughbred cattle. . . 
The Department of Agriculture’s statistics 
of the live-stock in this couutry in Jau., 1878, 
though not strictly accurate, are the most 
trustworthy attainable. These estimates made 
up from a multitude of local reports, show 
that of horses we then bad 10,329.700, valued 
at $600,813,681, an average of $53.16 for each 
animal; of milch cows, 11,300.100, valued at 
$298,499,866, an average of $26.41 each; of 
oxen and other cattle, 19,223,300. valued at 
$329,541,703, an average of $17.14 each; of 
sheep, 35,740.500, valued at 880,608.662, an 
average of $2.25 each; of hogs, 32,262.500, 
valued at $160,838,532, an average of $4.98 
each. New York was ahead in the number of 
milch cows, having 1,404,100. In “other cattle” 
rule they sell at lower rates than any of the 
sorts already mentioned. The Polled Scots, he 
thinks, require a northern climate, aud plenty 
of roots—swedes and turnips. M ben brought 
south, he says, they frequently merit the 
sobriquet of “pensioners.” 
JfUHr Crops. 
PEARL MILLET AND ITS CULTURE. 
Twenty-five years' experience with it; drilling it ; 
its early appearance and rapid growth ; grow¬ 
ing it in double rows ; broadcasting it roith 
cow peas ; as a soiling plant. 
For the benefit of numerous inquirers about 
I; , 1 :.*■ 
NORFOLK COW. 
Texas took the lead with 3,458,300. Illinois 
was next, but a loug way behind, with 1,274,- 
100. That State, moreover, was first in horses, 
having 1,091,500. Iowa stood first in hogs with 
2,950,000, aud next came in order Missouri, 
Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, none of them with 
less than 2,000,000 porkers. . . . Au Eng- 
glish correspondent, for whom the National 
Live-Stock Journal vouches as an authority in 
such matters, says that for fat bullocks the 
West Highlanders are the best that come to the 
Loudon markets, bringing from half a cent to 
a cent a pound more than beasts of any other 
breed. They are seldom fit for the butcher till 
this valuable forage plant, and the best method 
of its cultivation, I give, through the Rural, 
my experience with it for twenty-five years 
past, the most economical plans of growing it 
profitably, and the uses for which it is adapted. 
I have attempted to utilize it in a variety of 
ways, never failing to reap a satisfactory crop 
during the long period of its growih here, in 
latitude 33° north. It probably finds its most 
congenial home and greatest development 
under our long, warm 8uus, and in our porous 
soils. It revels in a dry sandy loam, and is 
the grossest feeder aud most rapid grower of 
all the Sorghum family, if it properly belongs 
MR. M’COMBIE’S CHAMPION GROUP OF POLLED ANGU8 CATTLE AT PARIS. 
four years old. The Polled Scots are all-the- 
year-round beasts and usually top the market. 
As good as the pure-hreds and sometimes bet¬ 
ter, are first crosses between 8hort-horn bulls 
and Polled Scots. The little Devons are greatly 
prized by some braucheB of the trade, and when 
to this family of plants. [Same order—genus 
Penicillarla,— Eds.] 
The laud being made fertile, If not so natur¬ 
ally, after breaking it w'ell, I make the beds 
some four feet apart, harrow off clean, open 
a very straight furrow with the marker, aud 
drill in with aiy one of the hand seed drills 
about three pounds per acre of the clean seed, 
and cover it lightly. When the seed first ger¬ 
minates, the grower will feel discouraged. 
The very fine, graes-like spears do not promise 
the gross, luxuriant crop, of which boast* are ' 
constantly made, aud after a few cool morn¬ 
ings have turued the blades to a sickly yellow, 
he will be almost tempted to prouounce the crop 
a failure. But a slight side-line hoeing, to¬ 
gether with the warm suns of May and Juue, 
makes a most rapid change; and by the tenih 
of June the plants have here attained a hight 
of from three to four feet, are fit to be cut as a 
green soiling crop, and furnish a cutting every 
fifteen or twenty days thereafter, till frost. I 
cultivate simply with the horse hoe, cultivator, 
or sweep in the middle of the row's. I seldom 
give more than one hand hoeing. I never 
chop through the stalks, except where Beed are 
grown, but let the plants stand thick in drills, 
shaving the sides of the drills with the hoe or 
sweep. 
The best method of growing it is in double 
rows on a seven-foot bed, with the drills fifteen 
inches apart. The plants soon close up the 
interval. No grass or seeds can appear. And 
in this form it is the prettiest growing crop I 
have ever seen. Sweeps or the cultivator 
should be used only in the wide middles. In 
these double rows It is easy to cut with a stiff 
grass scythe, the hand having more room to 
operate on each side of the drills. 
The third and most profitable w'ay to grow 
it I find is to broadcast it with our field cow 
peas, on rich land about the middle or last of 
May. Having put a piece of rich soil in good 
tilth, I broadcast one and a half bushels of 
peas to 215 pounds of millet seed, harrowing 
in the mixture and rolling the surface. Under 
our warm suns both plants start the race to¬ 
gether, each struggling for the ascendency; 
the pea climbing upon the middle stalks, 
dwarfs the latter, aud the two make a deuse 
mass of the finest green or dry forage, which 
can be cured better than if grown singly, as 
the millet stalks are now quite small and spind¬ 
ling. In the two plants there is a combination 
of a “cereal” with a “legutneu,” and this 
makes a valuable rich winter food for all 
stock. If one can conceive a vegetable-grow'th, 
from four to six feet high, so dense that a rat 
could scarcely pass through it, and on which a 
horse and cart might stand over a full load for 
the latter, his conception would he realized 
here by this combination of growth on rich 
land, in August and September. The- plant 
seems to be greatly influenced by sun and 
moisture. Commencing in March, I plant it 
every month till August, either in drills or 
broadcast. It w'ould probably he advisable not 
to put the crop tw'o years in succession upon 
the same spot, unless it be well mauured. It 
must draw' heavily upon the stores of fertility 
and consume all plant food iu the soil, being so 
long a grower. It will give a return in propor¬ 
tion to the food given it, and during the many 
years in which I have planted and used it, I 
have ofteu w'ondered that its merits were not 
properly appreciated. 
I have uever tried keeping it by “ ensilage,” 
but I should suppose that with its latest growth 
in September, this plan would succeed admira¬ 
bly. I use it principally as a green soiling 
plant for horses and cattle, and know of no 
crop that furnishes so much green, succulent 
food. W. B. Jones. 
Burke Co., Ga. 
fiihstrial QLopics. 
HOW TO SECURE A GOOD COUNTRY 
SCHOOL-HOU8E. —No. 2. 
PROFESSOR W. J. BEAL. 
“Agriculture advances with the improved 
conditions of the common schools.” 
^ There is more at stake in a little 
^ country school than some of us are 
aware of. The surroundings of a child 
exert a wonderful influence for good 
w. 1 or ill. It is good economy to see that 
the school-house and its surroundings 
are couvenicut and pleaeaut. For 
; beautifying the ground, employ a laud- 
j scape gardener oi the man or men of 
your owu neighborhood, who have 
(j, displayed the best taste in beautifying 
I their owu homes. Before construct¬ 
ing a school, do not he afraid to pay 
a small fee for plans to be examined, 
j / Then, on these plans get the advice of 
j ^ a committee of teachers. Every man 
V-v ^ , is not a landscape gardener or an 
H—-—> ' architect, any more than he is a 
blacksmith or a doctor. By em¬ 
ploying the best men for each place 
or business, time and money are 
saved aud verything goes off better. 
There are numerous approved patterns of 
stoves and furnaces which are made for bring¬ 
ing into the room, in a partially heated con¬ 
dition, au abundance of fresh air, aud for ex¬ 
pelling tLe Impure air. To do this may take 
a trifle more fuel but it will prevent cold 
