MARCH §9 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
Onion sets are small onions of the previous 
year’s growth. They should be separated from 
the larger ones iu the fall, kept free lrom frost 
during the winter, and set out as early in the 
spring as the ground can be worked. Prepare 
the laud as for seed onions, and plant them 
in rows, like these, but three inches apart 
in the row. By the middle of June, they will 
have attained the size of au ordinary onion, 
aud be ready for market. Some growers sow 
seed very thick on dry, poor land, for the pur¬ 
pose of raisiug sets. Small onions, no larger 
than peas, are just as good for sets as those of 
au inch or more in diameter. 
The Schallott is a distinct species of onion 
(Allium A.'icabnicum), which is not much cul¬ 
tivated iu this country, but is a favorite in 
European kitchen gardens. It has a milder 
flavor aud can be used earlier than the common 
onions. Ouious of this kind are planted like 
onion sets: but, instead of enlarging the bulbs 
as sets do, they multiply aud form a cluster of 
bulbs which will be ready for use in the begin¬ 
ning of Juue. The bulb is of a more conical 
6bape and generally flattened on the side that 
grew next to ihe mother onion. They are ex¬ 
cellent keepers. 
The Potato onion is also a multiplier and 
should be treated like the foregoing. Like this, 
it is early, and has a mild flavor, but it is not so 
good a keeper, nor is it generally so prolific. 
Top onious are small sets, about the size of 
peas, that grow in a cluster on the top of a 
certain kiud of onion. They are planted aud 
treated like sets. The large onions grown 
from them, arc coarse, though of a pleasant 
taste, but do not keep well. 
Sets, ScbaJlotts, Potato onious and Top 
onions are mainly grown to supply the early 
market. Neither of them is depouded on by 
oniou growers, for the maiu crop, though iu 
private gardens they are raised more or less 
In preference to the common seed onion. 
Enemies. 
A disease, something like mildew, occasion¬ 
ally makes its appearance on old oniou beds. 
The plants become covered with a white dust, 
evase growiug aud die. The only remedy is to 
destroy all affected plants aud plow a little 
deeper to bring more of the subsoil to the 
surface. 
The onion fly lays its eggs on the plants near 
the ground. The eggs soon hatch aud the 
maggot absorbs the juice from the stem, which 
turns yellow and falls over. The remedies, 
such as the sprinkling of sculdiug water, etc., 
are generally as injurious to the plauts as to 
the maggots. It is recommended to soak saw¬ 
dust iu ammonia-holding liquors aud scatter 
it over the onions. 
(£tifr]jli)|)frt. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Kansas, Parsons, Labette Co., March 10.— 
For a week we have had a sun-heat of 60 to SO 
deg. iu the shade. We have radish and lettuce 
iu full leaf, sowed in the open ground a 
short time ago. Fanners are plowiug ou high 
grouud. The prairies are aglow to-night- Iu 
walking around the house we could eouut 30 or 
30 fires. Those which were five or more miles 
away could only be seen by the lurid sky, and 
appear like the furnaces in the iron districts. 
There is oue within half a mile of us. This has 
a fire line of one-third of a mile. These fires 
are started when the wind is still, butligbtuing 
in the north-east has started out its winds, aud 
ever aud anon the lire roars and crackles aud 
sends out a light by which the boys can read 
their examples from the arithmetic. The men 
watching the fires look like Milton’s devils. 
By the way, we have bad a windy time lately. 
The winds have been strong, and for eight 
days, with only a few hours of intermission, 
they have been blowing at the rate of from 15 
to 40 miles per hour. Kansas is famous for 
her wphyrs. as they are jocularly called. In- 
March aud April, aud in September aud Octo¬ 
ber, they are heavy aud nearly continuous. 
According to the reports of the State Univer¬ 
sity at Lawrence for Oct., 1873, the entire dis¬ 
tance traveled by the wind was 15,106 miles, the 
mean daily velocity being 487 miles, and the 
mean hourly velocity 30 03 miles. The highest 
velocity on the 8th was 50 miles an hour. This 
would give a rectangular pressure of 121 lbs. per 
square foot. This Is uot enough to drive a 
good house from its foundation. If ihe side or 
gable struck by the wiud was, say, 34x16 feet, 
there would bo about 384 square feet, and the 
pressure would be 5,2.50 lbs., which would be 
equivalent to the pull of more thuu twenty 
horses. j. q. 
N. Y. Seneca Falls, March 15.—At whoat- 
sowiug time last fall, the weather was very 
dry, aud ou this account and through dread of 
the liessiau Fly much of the seeding was not 
done until late; aud wheat did uot get up un¬ 
til the arrival of very cold weather. Accord¬ 
ingly our wheat stand is the poorest I have 
ever seeu, and the prospects of the crop here¬ 
abouts are by uo means good. No sales of 
land here. Wheat i6 worth only 95c ; corn, 
40c ; oats, 35c; hay, $6 50 to $8 00 per ton ; 
butter, 15c per pound: eggs, 13c per doz. 
The prospects for the farmer who is in debt 
are not encouraging. We all hope for au 
early spring as we are anxious to get our crops 
into the ground as soon as possible. For myself, 
I believe in the early sowing of good seeds for 
almost any crop. w. a. m. 
Ala., Danville, March 13.—Weather spring¬ 
like ; farmers busy planting corn; wheat 
started growing ou the udveut of mild weather, 
and bids fair to turn out a large crop. Spring- 
sown oats are up and looking fine. Farmers 
are once more going to plant cotton heavily. 
They are in debt aud see no other way to pay 
what they owe except by the sale of this staple. 
If they planted less of it aud raised more bread 
aud meat at home, the price of the cotten pro¬ 
duced would be higher ; the money now sent 
off for supplies to the grain-growing aud 
stock-raising States, would be kept among us, 
and our aggregate wealth would increase 
much more rapidly than under the present 
system. Peach orchards are in bloom. Money 
tight; prices low; farmers somewhat dis¬ 
couraged. T. n. y. 
Indiana, Oaktown, Kuox Co., March 19.— 
We have hud the longest and severest winter 
for some years, the thermometer registering 
18 deg. below zero on Jan. 3d, Our coldest day. 
Peaches and all the finer kinds of Cherries, 
have all been killed, aud in many places the 
trees are also killed down to where they were 
protected by the snow. Blackberry bushes 
are also dead, and Raspberries are considerably 
injured. Wheat looks flue, and a snowfall of 
six inches yesterday will help it still more. 
Our stock of grain, hogs aud cattle is lighter 
than 1 have ever known it at this season 
during the past seven years. a. j. h. 
Michigan, Bennington, March 19.—Snow 
has covered the ground since Thanksgiving. 
Farmers have •’improved” it by drawing 
wood and logs. Wheat looks well after huv- 
iug laid under the snow the whole of the long 
and severe winter. Barring accidents, we shall 
have a larger yield than usual Wheat is sell¬ 
ing here for 95c,; oats. 20c. to 35c.; potatoes, 
45c. to 60c.; white beans, 75o. to SI; butter, 
14c. to 16e. per pound; eggs. 12c, to 13c. per 
doz.; bains, 6c. per pound; corn. 18c. to 20c. 
per bushel; hay, $<7 to §8 per tou ; labor, by 
the day, 75c.; by the month, from 88 to 814. 
A. V. H. 
Nebraska, North Platte, March 12.—The 
winter throughout Nebraska has been unusual¬ 
ly severe, and in llie western part of the State 
—which is the cattle region—the 6now lay on 
the ground for a long time, and as our large 
cattle men never put up much hay, the animals 
become very thin; then the severe weaiher 
came ou aud at least 25 per cent, of the 
ill-couditioned, unsheltered beasts were frozen 
to death. But low the snow lias disappeared, 
and the surviving animals will be able to pick 
up a living until the grass starts. There will 
be a very heavy crop of small grains put iu 
throughout central Nebraska this year. k. c. 
Alabama, Selma, March 18.—Fine weather 
here; peach trees iu full bloom; most people 
have fiuished planting emu. aud are uow bed¬ 
ding up for cotton. My Strawberries tire iu 
full bloom; 6ome youug berries have ulreudy 
appeared ou the vines; if we shall have uo 
more freezes, I shall begin picking about the 
first of April. Despite the reports of hard 
times everywhere, we have here plenty to oat 
and plenty ol work for everyone who wauts it. 
Wages, 'tis true, are low, but all provisions are 
proportionately low. There is more money, I 
understand, deposited in the bunks here uow 
thau at any time since the war. j. m. 
Ga.. Fulton Co.* March IS.—Our winter is 
over and me mocking-bird has taken its seat 
again in one of the oaks in front of the house, 
siuging a welcome to the rising suu. The 
trees are putting forth their greeu leaves. 
The Peaches are iu full bloom, though three 
weeks later thau usual. Farmers have planted 
their early vegetables, such as potatoes, peas, 
cabbage, beets, onions, aud some even beaus, 
aud now they arc rushing to the corn field 
where they will plant more than usual. Wheat 
is looking well; oats more or less killed by 
the severe cold weaiher iu January. Business 
lively. c. d. 
West Va., Halltown, March 20.—This has 
beeu a cold winter, uuusually snowy and raiuy 
hereabouts; more sickness, too, than usual, 
such as pneumonia and uncommonly bad colds. 
Wheat and grass have come out wonderfully 
during the warm weather we have lately had. 
The past season we had the largest crop of 
wheat aud coru, of good quality, ever pro¬ 
duced hero. Wheat sells for *1.17@1.20 ; oats, 
33c.; rye, 78c.; corn, white, 4Se.; yellow 44c.; 
clover seed, 84 ; eggs, 13c. per dozen ; butter, 
15c per pouud; laud, from 823 up to 8100 per 
acre. j. a. h. 
New York, Crumb Hill, Madison Co., March 
18.—Stock generally is wintering well, hay is 
abundant ; wages are low, so is produce of all 
kinds. In the “ History of a Poor Farm,” it is 
-claimed that cow dung is the best manure; but 
I have found the best results come from borse 
manure. I make a snug pile of it: fork it 
over occasionally, so that it will rot without 
over-heating during the winter, and be ready 
for use in spring. 1 put it uuder my corn hills 
in planting, and, bailing frost, always get a 
good growth of both corn aud stalk, l. p. n, 
Michigan, Mendon, March 17th.— Our long 
winter aud heavy fall of snow have disap¬ 
peared together, and we are having very warm 
and pleusunt w-eather. As I aui writing we are 
having our second thuudor shower. Wheat is 
looking quite well, better thau was expected, 
as the snow was mostly blown off from a good 
many places, leaving them quite bare. Stock 
is generally lookiug well. Wheat is worth 
from 95c. io 81; corn, 30c. ; oats, 23c. ; pota¬ 
toes, 65c.; good clover aud timothy hay, 87 
per ton. G. a. a. 
New, York, Hanover Falls, St. Lawreuce 
Co., March 17.—We np here in this Siberian 
climate of St. Lawrence County have been 
inclosed by snow-drifts since Christmas. Our 
roads have been through the fields, those be¬ 
tween the fences liaviug been rendered im¬ 
passible by snow. The ouly work we have 
been able to do was to plow roads, take care 
of cattle, make fires. Despite the cold, how¬ 
ever, good care has preserved twelve nice 
lambs to me, which the butcher will come after 
about June. G. R. C. 
Washington Terkitort, La Conner, What¬ 
com Co., March 10 —This is a strictly grain- 
growing county. The laud is reclaimed marsh 
or tide land. Wheat has as yet been little 
grown, oats and barley having hitherto been 
our chief crops. There m e eight steam thrash¬ 
ers In the county, which thrashed 250,000 bush¬ 
els of oats and barley grown about the Delta of 
the Skagit and Samish rivers. The average 
price of oats during the past season was 40c., 
including sacks. Our market is San Francisco. 
L a. s. 
New York, Sherman, March 17.— The fall of 
snow has beeu very great, and roads have be¬ 
come nearly impassible. Snow has been as 
high as 10 and 15 feet deep in many places. 
Butter sells at 15@18c.; cheese, ll@12e ; maple 
sugar, 10@llc.,- potatoes, 75c. bushel; eggs, 
10c. dozen; good cows bring high prices. 
Making maple sugar is now in order, billowing 
to the great depth of snow it is hard for people 
to get around in the woods. M. l. d. 
Kansas, Oswego, March 20.—Oats are ail 
sown aud a good many are plowing for coru. 
Wheat looks well, but of it there is only a small 
acreage. A large area, however, will be plant¬ 
ed to corn. Timothy is starting finely. Fat 
cattle have not all goue yet to market. They 
are selling at 2$ to 3c. per lb. Hogs have near¬ 
ly all been sold at 2c. to 3c. Times as dull as 
usual. s. s. b. 
Kansas, Oswego, Labette Co.. March 16.— 
Weather warm ; oats are being sown through¬ 
out this neighborhood. The grouud is iu good 
working couditiou. Peach buds are uot all 
killed. Farmers arc getting only small returns 
for their labor, aud consequently "hard times” 
still generally linger among us. Beef cattle 
aud hogs are selling to-day for 88 per hundred 
pounds. s. f. b. 
Ohio, Hudson, March 13 —The space de¬ 
voted to maple sugar makiug iu our agricul¬ 
tural papers seems to me vastly below a fair 
proportion. Coru, grass, vegetables, fruits of 
all kinds, stock and implements of every de¬ 
scription have hundreds of columns devoted to 
them year after year, where this industry has 
oue, w. i. c. 
Ohio, Suutmcrflcld, March 17, 1879.—We 
have had a week or ten days of fine spring 
weather, aud farmers were busily onguged at 
plowing; but last night we hud a fall of six or 
seven iuohcs of suuw, and farm work has 
received a check. We have a large crop of 
wheat sown, and it generally looks very well. 
j. w. H. 
Kentucky, Jeffersonville, Montgomery Co., 
March 17.—The Peaches are all killed here. 
The apple trees begin to show greeu leaves, 
aud the grass is slatting fiuely. Produce is 
low : Wheat, 30c.; corn, 40c.; oats, Soc.; po¬ 
tatoes. 40e. to 50o.; butter, 10c. per lb.; eggs, 
8e. per doz.; hogs, 82.50per 100 lb.; cattle, 834- 
W. L. 
Conn., Berlin, March 20.—The winter has 
beeu rather severe ou some trees aud shrubs. 
Buds are killed in both apple aud pear trees, 
aud grape-vines have been somewhat iujured. 
the new growth iu some cases being killed 
tweuty feel back on vines that were not trim¬ 
med iu the fall. Mud is king uow. ipse. 
III., Canton, March 18.—Thermometer, from 
68 dog. to 80 deg. Some wheat sown upwards 
of two weeks ago. We commenced sowing 
on the 10th. Land iu fine couditiou. c. u. b. 
Texas, McKiuuie. March 15.—We have fin¬ 
ished plantiug corn hereabouts. The weather 
has lately beeu very dry ; we haven't had a 
drop of rain for two months. w. n. w. 
Wisconsin, Lavalle, Sauk Co., March 19.— 
Wheat is worth 80e.; coru, 25c.; oats, 23c.; 
butter, 12c. to 15c.; improved land, 830 to 840. 
W. S. H. 
(Tbr ^Jonltrp {jarii 
POULTRY SQUIBS. 
Poultry in spring always repay extra care. 
A change of fond or a change iu feeding proves 
beneficial. No exira expense need be incurred. 
If whole coru has been tbeir only diet all win¬ 
ter, in spring feed cracked corn, aud the fowls 
will require Jess of it. because it is more easily 
digestible, and more of it will therefore be as¬ 
similated. Better still, cook their feed. 
I save mv little potatoes tor the purpose of 
making a change at this time of the year. I 
get my servant to boil a wash-boilerful of 
them, and as soon as done he removes them 
from the stove and mashes them, while boiling 
hot,in cracked corn.wheat bran and ground oats. 
I take about an equal bulk of the feed and pota¬ 
toes, rather more of the tubers, perhaps, and 
the potatoes cook the feed and put it just in 
the proper condition for a prime diet. The 
bran and oats are only added in small quanti¬ 
ties, just to giv>-. variety. I know of nothing 
better than this. I feed the mixture in the 
morning, and coarse, ground or cracked corn 
at night. When one mess is used up, l boil an¬ 
other. and so continue until the grass grows. 
I believe in L’ght Brahmas. I consider them 
more desirable thau any other breed. To be 
sure. I have always been partial to them and 
have never kept any others; but I have ob¬ 
served acquaintences who did, aud do. keep the 
other breeds. My observation goes to show 
that those who keep the Leghorns and the 
smaller breeds, generally diet-aid them after a 
while through dissatisfaction. I know this is 
true with Brahmas, too, but with them the 
practice i^notbing like as general as with other 
strains. It is my opinion, too. that Brahmas 
will uot degenerate as rapidly as the other 
breeds by in-breeding, a cause of degeneracy 
which often accounts for the change in breeds 
made by those who begin with ihe smaller 
varieties. 
I like the way the Brahmas “handle.” Feed 
for flesh, aud you will be sure to get it, aud 
uo fowl will "stuff” more readily. Feed for 
eggs, aud tbe birds will respond at once. 
Stimulate when tbe market is high and eggs 
scaicc, and you will be sure to get the in¬ 
creased product. Care for them well iu the 
winter, and when everybody else is paying a 
good round sum for eggs, you are pocketing 
what others pay. Neglect them, and they w ill 
respond at once, though they will thrive better 
Under uegleet than any other breed with which 
I am acquainted. 
I had a mougrel about two mouths ago. sick 
with tbe roup. The ailmeut did uot frighten 
me iu the least. 1 did nothing for it. I did 
not clean the hennery ; did not •doctor" the 
patient; did not remove him from the others, 
aud did not eveu ventilate tbe huuse. And 
now, I am sorry to say—because I don't like to 
go contrary to all authorities—ihul that mon¬ 
grel recovered perfectly and died the natural 
death of fat poultry (with funeral services at 
12 M.) and not. another bird was affectid by 
contagiou. This is the third time my fowls 
have passvd through the same "coutuaiou” iu 
the last six or eight years with the same re¬ 
sult. except the first time. Tlicu i killed the 
patient out of pity for his condition. 
Middlesex Co., N. J. M. Oakey. 
[Despite the good fortune of our correspon¬ 
dent’s fowls, we certainly would uot advise 
other poultry-keepers to imitate his disregard 
of preventives aud remedies.—Ens ] 
EARLY SITTERS. 
Novices iu poultry breeding, and frequently 
older bauds, are apt to make the mistake of 
crow ding too many eggs uuder the hens at this 
season ol the year. Niue eggs under au ordi¬ 
nary-sized hen, aud eleven under a large oue, 
are fully us many as will give good results. Iu 
three limes out of four, more chicks will be 
hatched from uiue eggs thau lrom fifteen. 
During the very cold weather, the outer eggs 
iu the oest gel chilled, and a.-> the eggs are con¬ 
stantly moved by ihe hen, each in turn getting 
an outside position, they all get more or less 
chilled, and either do uot hatch or else bring 
out weakly chicks, which dioop around for a 
while and then die. 
Much may be saved In giving proper attention 
to the nests. The best method at this season is 
to u.-e large boxes, or. better still, barrels sawn 
in halves ; fill thehalf-bai rel nearly half-full of 
straw or tine buy well packed down, then make 
the nest, hollow, uud about leu inches aeross 
uttd four deep, in ihe middle of the hay. fcet 
the heu on this, giving her nine or eleven eggs. 
She will cover them well aud there is less tear 
of getting them chilled. 
Another suuicu of disappointment at this 
season is the itou-ferlilHy of many of the eggs. 
It is a fact w-ell knowu to poultry fancieis, 
though possibly not to most of those who raise 
fowls, that the first two or three eggs laid hy 
the heu or pullet rarely hatch, It is well, 
therefore, to be a little watchful, and consign 
such eggs to the kitctieu. As a rule, I should 
never set anything earlier tlmu the fourth egg. 
Should it be found impossible to delict such 
eggs, i should »*A.ouine Iheegtrsbv means of au 
*' egg-tester” on the fourth or tilth day, and 
remove all those which are uotlertile. If three 
or four hens are set at once, tnose eggs winch 
prove fertile may be put under two of them 
and the others given fresh eggs, thus saving 
time and eggs. A. M. Halstead. 
