FEB. 45 
NEW-YORKER. 
THE RURAL 
draughts, drowsiness, pale faces, and poor 
health. Good health is a priceless treasure, 
often too little prized till it is taken from us. 
To regain it we are willing to spend fortunes; 
to preserve it in our children we should take 
all reasonable precautions. 
A school-room, even the poorest, need not 
be destitute of ornaments. A little effort on 
the part of a teacher or of the school board, 
will secure some pictures, brackets and vases 
for flawers. Once in a while some evergreens 
may be tastily arranged and suitable mottoes 
placed about the room, 
And now after making all needful prepara¬ 
tions in the house audits surroundings, do not 
neglect the most important part of placing a 
first-class teacher in charge. The people may 
be poor, the number of children small, the 
timeB hard, and the most rigid economy seem 
necessary ; but here is one of the last places 
wherein to cut off expenses. The enterpris¬ 
ing farmer does uot try to hire poor, cheap 
hands to do his work, because produce is 
cheap or because he is in debt. He knows the 
best are the cheapest at any reasonable price. 
He hires men to drive bis team, to feed hi6 
animals, milk his cows, plant, cultivate, and 
harvest his crops. He does not expect that 
even his best men will perform these duties 
with profit to himself without some of his per¬ 
sonal oversight. To perform this work, he 
often pays a man more wages than is paid 
the teacher of the summer district school. 
He is willing to leave this cheap teacher with 
entire control of his children all summer tor 
the best hours of the day, but he would not 
think of trusting the entire care of his swine 
to the best man he could hire. He could not 
afford it. He would lose money. Swine may 
live a year or two and that is the last of them. 
The children will probably live forty to sixty 
years, and mold the character of those who 
follow them, and, to some extent, of all those 
with whom they associate. There is no reason 
in thus discriminating between the care of our 
domestic animals and of ourchildren. Is it not a 
wonder that the district schools are as good 
as they are, considering their management ? 
Every farmer docs not know how to super¬ 
intend a school. But few of them know how, 
and they are aware of it, hence they do not 
visit the schools or attempt to interfere with 
their management. In some States the people 
employ skilled or professional persons to super¬ 
intend their schools, but in man}’ places there 
is almost no supervision. The school runs it¬ 
self, if the teacher and scholars can get along 
together. Every man ought to be expert at his 
own business, and has no reason to expect he 
can do everything and do it well. 
To all I say. employ only good teachers. 
How can this be done ? Certainly not without 
taking some pains to find out that they are 
good. The candidates should be thoroughly 
examined in various studies, by competent per¬ 
sons, who make this their entire business, or 
an important part of their business. This is 
not all. Good testimonials must be produced, 
vouching for moral character, correct habits, 
etc. If the person has ever taught school be¬ 
fore, great care should be taken to learn that 
he has liked the business, kept good order, 
and succeeded iu interesting his pupils. With 
thorough examinations and a searching inquiry 
of reliable persons as to character and former 
success, competent teachers can be selected. 
There is no objection to hiring such persons 
at the lowest possible rates that will employ 
them, but hire them at any price, and do not 
take up, even for one term, with a person who 
does not bear the se verest test. Iu hiring for 
low wages, this must be taken into considera¬ 
tion : the teacher will not be contented with 
his place or business. He may think it im¬ 
portant to give part of his time to something 
else, to eke out his small salary. If he is pos¬ 
sessed of good caliber, he will soon engage in 
some other busiuess, where, his energy will 
bring larger returns. This will make it neces¬ 
sary to employ new and untried teachers. 
Frequent changes of teachers aie much to be 
avoided. 
Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich. 
JilorintUitral. 
RUSTIC VASE SUPPORTERS. 
Rustic work or ornaments, if more gen¬ 
erally used about our premises, would add 
much to their beauty, and that cheaply, too. 
For instance, the vase supporter shown at Fig. 
2, is simply a portion of the top of a tree with 
parts of two or three branches remaining. 
The main portion may be from three to five 
inches in diameter and about five feet in 
length, set firmly in the ground. The tops of the 
branches and main stem are cut off square; 
use. for the main stem a large vase, or even 
a tin jar or wooden butter bowl, if at hand; 
and for the branches, pint or quart basins 
painted green. Nail them firmly in position, 
fill with earth; place in them some hardy Tun¬ 
ing vines, and in the large vase a Monthly 
Rose or Verbenas, Petunias or some low-grow¬ 
ing flowering annual. If possible, cover the 
earth in the vases with moss, which retains its 
moisture, necessitating less care in watering. 
Let the bark remain on the supports, and the 
more scraggy-looking they arc, the better the 
effect. A few Morning-glory plants allowed 
to entwine about the support, will add much 
to the beauty of the whole. The arrangement 
in Fig 1. is a support for one vase only ; and 
should be only about two feet above ground, 
aud if in a settled situation, the vase may be 
filled with tall-growing plants. 
L. D. Snook. 
The work is well edited by Albert Chapman, 
of Middlebury, Vt., Secretary of the Associa¬ 
tion, and is offered for sale at *3, which, we 
are assured, is a trifle, less than the cost of the 
book and postage. 
Thu Ensilage of Maize and Other Green Fod¬ 
der Crops. By M. Augustus Goffart. Paris, 
1877. Translated and published by J. B. Brown, 
55 Beekman street, New York. Price #1. 
This is a neat little book of 79 pages, printed 
in large type upon glazed paper, handsomely 
bound in Imitation morocco, and containing 
a full account of the method of preserving 
fodder by ensilage, the way in which the plants 
should be grown, cut and stored away, the 
changes that take place in their constituents, 
and, in short, of every particular that might 
interest or instruct those who may adopt, this 
excellent method of preserving stock feed. 
Just a word about translations of such prac¬ 
tical works, designed for the use of the farming 
community. In mentioning the measures 
throughout the work the original French terms 
are used. It seems to ub that these require 
translation into American equivalents just as 
much as, if not more than, the rest of the work. 
It is a poor excuse for this omission to point to 
the vocabulary prefixed to the work, wherein 
the reader may learn that a litre is equal to 
1 76-100 pint or 61 cubic inches; a centime to 
one-fifth of an American cent; a kilogramme to 
22.055-10,000 tbs avoirdupois, and a hectare to 
2.471-1.000 acres. 
Even a mere reference to this vocabulary 
must distract the reader’s attention, and to 
• ‘work out” into American equivalents the 
quantities and areas mentioned throughout the 
Yates Co., N. Y. 
CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. 
Register of the Vermont Merino Sheep- 
Breei^r’s Association, Vol. 1.—Somewhat 
over half-a-dozen years ago a large New Eng¬ 
land lock company was reported to have lost 
heavily hy the issue of a very expensive cata¬ 
logue of their wares. The edition of 2,000 
copies cost them, it was said. 880,000, or §40 a- 
pieoe. A copy of the work was presented, 
gratis , to each of their customers who bought 
§500 worth of their goods in a siugle bill, and 
the remainder of the books were kept on sale 
to the rest of the trade at cost price. Judging 
from the growing tendency towards artistic 
and expensive catalogues among those who 
wish to employ such compilations to intro¬ 
duce their goods to the favorable notice of the 
agricultural community, we are sometimes 
disposed to think that there is some risk that 
a few of those may share the experience of the 
getters-up of that costly lock catalogue. The 
size, the fine illustrations, the neat French- 
morocco binding, and the general make-up of 
the above-named work strongly suggested this 
reflection. 
Besides an interesting account of the intro¬ 
duction of the Merino into the United States, 
and 22 excellent engravings of fine specimens 
of that breed—it contains full information with 
regard to the history and breeding of the va¬ 
rious Vermont. Merino flocks recorded in the 
book. Now that a lively interest is aroused 
throughout the country in pure-bred stock of 
work would be a labor too tedious, not only for 
mo6t farmers, but for most readers of any class. 
Such a source of obscurity aud incomprehen¬ 
sibility is hardly pardonable in quotations from 
foreign authorities, even iu the short-lived 
pages of an agricultural paper, and should 
never find place iu a work which, like that be¬ 
fore us, deserves to become a standard on the 
subject of which it treats. The recent intro¬ 
duction of the metric system into most of our 
public schools will, doubtless, in time, obviate 
the necessity for such translations, but those 
who publish books to-day will scarcely be con¬ 
all kinds, this publication is very timely, of 
interest to all sheep breeders, and of import¬ 
ance to the owners aud intending purchasers 
of the oldest breed of all sheep—the Merino. 
tent to w'ait for their sale until then, and mean¬ 
while it’s hardly reasonable to expect that 
adult readers will hunt up smart school-boys 
or, better still, girls, to work out the sums. 
Alfred Bridgeman, 876 Broadway, N. Y.: 
Aunnal descriptive catalogue of vegetable, 
grass, herb and flower seeds. 
Mr. Bridgeman was good enough to send us 
a large assortment of novelties last season. 
These were, planted and marked with usual 
care; they germinated freely, but. were cut off 
by the late frost which, everywhere in this sec¬ 
tion, perpetrated so much damage. This is an 
old establishment, and a very trustworthy one. 
The catalogue is finely illustrated with accur¬ 
ate portraits, aud the lists of seeds are printed 
in large type, with all needed details. 
E. P Roe, Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, Orange 
Co., N. Y.: Descriptive Catalogue and Price 
List for 1879. 
This catalogue is full of the information that 
the enterprisiug grower of small fruits most 
needs. All the best varieties of Strawberries, 
Raspberries, Grapes, Gooseberries, Currants, 
Ac., are offered with impartial statements re¬ 
garding their merits from many people and 
from many localities. We believe that Mr. 
Roe tries to tell the truth, a little matter that 
many small-fruit dealers disregard in propor¬ 
tion as the telling of it interferes with the sale 
of their plants. The catalogue will be sent free 
to our subscribers. 
The American Stockman. This is a daily, 
semi-weekly and weekly journal; price, per 
annum. 85. $3 and 82 respectively; published 
by the American Stockman Co. at Chicago, Ill. 
It is devoted to the live-stock interests of the 
country, and the excellent character and wide 
experience of its editor, E. W. Perry, are ample 
guarantees that it will be conducted on high 
principles and in an effective and progressive 
manner. 
State Supervision of Insurance. Speech of 
Hon. C. R. Knowles, made in the House of As¬ 
sembly, New York, in support of 6ueh supervi¬ 
sion ; also, a pamphlet of 16 pages, giving the 
opinions of the various Insurance Companies 
in the State with regard to the matter, nearly 
all of them in favor of it. 
D. C. McGraw, Binghamton, N. Y. Abridg¬ 
ed catalogue of seeds, greenhouse and bedding 
plants, shrubs, evergreens. Ac., for the Spring 
of ’79. This, as well as his larger plant and 
seed catalogue, sent on application. 
The Brazilian Tea—Cha-mate (Hex Para- 
guayensis). This is an illustrated pamphlet of 
19 pages concerning this new aspirant for cul¬ 
tivation in the extreme south of this country, 
by Charles Win. Zaremba, M. D., etc., etc. 
B. S. Williams, Victoria and Paradise Nur¬ 
series, Upper Holloway, London, N.. England: 
Descriptive catalogue of agricultural seeds, 
Ac. 65 pages, profusely illustrated. 
Communications received for the week ending 
Saturday, February 8th. 
J. W. L.—L. S.-F. H. D.—G. K.—M. M.—H. J. 
D. —E. W. 8.—J. I). T.—M. G. R.—W. G. W.—I. O. 
W.—W.—J. J.—N. R. P.—W. I. C.—H. B.—L. S. 
H.-A. C. A C. W. B.—N. R. P.—P —W. H. H. 
many thanks.—M. W.—J. W.—W. H. P.—F. McM. 
—V. D. C.—R. II. C.—J. J. W.—C. C.—W. R. B.— 
J. D.—E. R. W.—L. R. B.—R. W. F.—E. T.— 
R. I. W.—C.—J. T., It will take us at least six 
weeks to complete the present seed distribu¬ 
tion. The corn will be distributed not until that 
Is completed.—T. H. H.—R. G. J.—A. S. we do not 
care tor poems. —Kttt.—F. D. C.—F. B. tv.—M. 
E. A.—W. H. G.—J. D. H.—T. M. S.-S. M. S.— 
A. L.J.—T. E. L.—B. P. M.—Mrs. M. O.—E. G. 
thanks.—W. J. B.—Anon.—M. J. R.—W. H. II.— 
H. A. W.—H. S—G. W. K.—S. E. H.—H. J.— 
fnkstrial Implements. 
CORN SHELLERS. 
The Sandwich Manufacturing Company of 
Sandwich, Illinois, is said to be the oldest 
house engaged in the manufacture of Power 
and Hand Corn Shelters in the United States, 
it being now nearly a quarter of a century 
since, they commenced that line of manufacture 
in a small way and with a few men. They 
now employ more than 200 tiands and, at this 
season of the year, are taxed to their utmost 
capacity to keep pace with the demand. They 
make shelters of all sizes and capacities—from 
the large warehouse and portable sheller with 
capacity of 3,000 busheds of shelled corn per 
day. io the one-hole ‘‘ Count” hand sbeller, 
illustrated on this page, which has a capacity 
of 150 bushels per day. This and the “ Vete¬ 
ran” shelter, advertised in this number, are 
probably best adapted to the wants of Eastern 
farmers and millers, while the larger sizes have 
an immense sale in the North and West and 
Northwest, as well as in many sections of the 
East and South, where corn is raised in suffi¬ 
cient quantities to warrant the use of a Power 
Sheller. 
We recommend the Veteran Sheller espe¬ 
cially, to the notice of those farmers who have 
use for a small Power Sheller of convenient 
size and capacity for general farm use. It is 
a machine that with proper care will last a 
lifetime, and may be oper ited by wind, horse, 
steam or water power, or by hand. We advise 
all who contemplate buying a 6heller of any 
size or for any purpose, to write for their 
circulars * 
