362 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
(trbmjto|)frf. 
CALIFORNIA NOTES. 
The rainy season commonly ends with April, 
when we. plant our corn ami other spring crops. 
Up to May 1st life season’s rainfall was 29.50 
inches, enough to make good crops all over 
California, except in the desert region along 
the west side of the San Joaquin, and south¬ 
wardly. Our hay crop is not timothy and clover, 
as those grasses do not grow here; but we sow 
wheat, or a mixture of wheat, barley and oats, 
put in as if for a crop of grain, and at this 
time of the year, it is ready to cut. Ours 
stood about four feet high the day before 
yesterday, headed out, and the grain in the 
milk. The boys cut dowu fifteen acres, aud 
got some of it in eoek last evening; hut the 
sun. an hour before setting. gathered dim 
masses of watery-hued mists, and later went 
behind a sullen wall of fogs and clouds, resting 
far out on the Pacific and spreading its black 
wings out of sight along the horizon. During 
the night a few drops of rain pattered on the 
roof. This morning the sky was ridged with 
slate-colored clouds drifting rapidly inland, 
and the raiu began to pour steadily. The writ¬ 
er thought of his hay, aud consoled himself 
with the knowledge that it takes a good deal of 
rain to spoil wheat hay. So we go. A rain 
storm is almost as much of a surprise now as 
was the adoption of the new constitution. 
There will be a tine crop of all sorts of fruit 
in this valley. Take our place, for example; 
we have just finished hand-picking and thin¬ 
ning the fruit on peach trees. Jt is about as 
large as hulled walnuts. Cool weather thinned 
out pears, plums, cherries, apples, nectarines, 
apricots aud almonds, but left quite enough 
fruit aud nuts. At some exposed points the 
vineyards have been touched with frost. How¬ 
ever, there will be a large crop of grapes. It is 
our largest industry, except farming and min¬ 
ing and dairying. This county produced last 
year nearly 3,000,000 of gallons of wine, or its 
equivalent in brandy aud raisins. 
Pastures are magnificent. They spread, knee- 
deep. from mountain top to mountain top, 
across the valleys, and are dotted over with 
cattle and sheep. This is the great natural ad¬ 
vantage of California. From October to June 
the pastures are green. Afterwards, the dried 
herbage is as nutritious as hay, because no 
rain falls on it. If pastures are not overstocked, 
they will produce fat bullocks the year around 
without other feed. From Inquiry among my 
friends engaged in the sheep business, 1 learn 
that the increase during the past season of 
lambing, may be set down at seventy-five per 
cent. The favorite sheep ranches are rough, 
foot-hill lands costing from five to ten dollars 
an acre. The sheep are shorn twice a year, 
giving the fleece for expenses and the increase 
of flock for profit. The business is better, and 
surer than any other ; but it requires a small 
capital, say frous five to ten thousand dollars. 
The daily overland trains are crowded with 
immigrants. They pour lu by rail at the rate 
of over one hundred daily, besides those com¬ 
ing by sea. For a year or two there was a 
halt. We cannot imagine what started it. up 
again. Permit the writer to address a few 
honest, plainly-spoken words to those vision¬ 
ary men and women who are coming to Cali¬ 
fornia without means to pay their return pas¬ 
sage. and without duly considering these 
matters. In the first place, this coast is over¬ 
crowded with certain kinds of labor, and there 
is much poverty and suffering- A large num¬ 
ber of families receive aid from the poor fund, 
at the expense of a crushing tax ou the thrifty. 
There is no demand for teachers, or for any 
kiud of professional men or women. There 
are ten times too many folks trying to make a 
living without labor. There are too many 
credulous, visionary, “ne'er-do-wells” strik¬ 
ing out for this coast. We do not want them. 
They only come to swell the cry of “ hard 
times.” But we do want farmers who have 
means enough to purchase lands aud are willing 
to work them. There is room for such men, but 
not for genteel tramps. This coast is the hopper 
into which are sifted the idle, the vicious, the 
men of desperate fortunes, from every country 
in Europe aud every State in America. There 
are thirty thousand Chinese and ten thousand 
five hundred Irish voters in Sud Francisco, a 
little city under 300,000 population, it is 
alive with commuuism—a political volcano. 
Therefore, people unable to hold their ground, 
have no business hero. They must go to the 
wall. But let it be said there is oue honest 
man here to warn the.thoughtless back ; though 
this publication will provoke a howl from land 
sharks, whose business it is to lure the unfor¬ 
tunate here. Si*ecs. 
Santa Rosa, cal., May 
■ -»- 
NOTES FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 
The colt, uow two years old, was accustomed 
to the tethering rope when less than a month 
old. Last year we had a fenced pasture for 
her, but now we have her tethered again, aud 
though it is eighteen months since her last 
experience, she has not forgotten it, especially 
the trick qf giving a quick jerk to throw the 
ring off the pin. We find it a great convenience 
to have horses and cattle, too, trained, so that 
they will not get injured by the rope or chain. 
A few half-hour lessons when quite young, are 
usually sufficient to teach a colt or calf to take 
care of itself. Where, as here in North Caro¬ 
lina. the farm is nearly or quite all in one field, 
the family cow can be managed in this way 
much more profitably than by any other—ex¬ 
cept perhaps by soiling. Two or three ordi¬ 
nary trace chains connected with a ring at one 
end to put on the pin and large enough to 
turn around readily, answer a good purpose. 
To remedy the trouble we had wMh our colt, 
bore a hole through the pin near the top. and 
insert a strong pin long enough to prevent the 
ring from slipping over. We have found this 
a good way to keep a bull, being much better 
for his health than long confinement in the 
stable. Bulls require exercise, and for their 
own benefit, they should work in harness, and 
it would be to the. interest of the owners if the 
animals were trained to do so. 
Not a small proportion of the farm work in 
this State is performed by oxen worked singly. 
Many of them w ill not, weigh over 6evcn hun¬ 
dred pounds, but they do a vast amount of 
work in a year. A two-thousand-pound Short¬ 
horn would move a tremendous load. The 
carts used are very simple affairs—two wheels 
and au axle to which are attached the shafts, 
braced to prevent, motion sidewise. A short 
yoke—with the usual bow—is used, to each end 
of which is attached a ring large enough to 
receive the ends of the shafts, which are se¬ 
cured by a movable pin iu front and either a 
pin or shoulder back of the ring. The accom¬ 
panying sketch will show the arrangement. 
/tK 
For plowing we use the common plow gear, 
the same as for a horse with the collar and 
harness reversed. We drive with one line or 
two attached to the horns, a halter, and some¬ 
times to a bit in the inouth. In the ease of a 
bull, the ring in his nose w ould be the place in 
which to put the lines. M. B. Prince. 
•*£--- 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Alabama, Elkmout, Limestone Co., May 24. 
—I came from northern Indiana to northern 
Alabama a little over oue year ago, and like 
the country aud climate so well that I have en¬ 
tered a quarter section of government land in 
this county and am going to try aud make a 
home here. Haviug no money to buy improv¬ 
ed land. I took Unde Sam’s offer to homestead. 
There is much more good government laud in 
this vicinity, but it is being taken up rapidly 
by Northern farmers. This part of the State 
is one of the finest sections I ever saw in a 
timbered country for raising stock and sheep. 
Times are hard aud money scarce among old 
settlers, and new ones, too. Wheat is $1; corn, 
50 to 60 cts.. Irish potatoes, 75 cts. to $1 ; eggs, 
7 cts.; butter, 10 to 15 cts.; cow, $15 to $20; 
young cattle, $5 to $15; sheep, $1.50 to $2.50 
per head. Wheat is now putting on its golden 
color aud will he ready for the harvester iu a 
week or ten (lays. In some localities the rust 
is doing great damage to it. Corn and cotton 
ate looking finely, and farmers are busy now 
working them. iv. m. 
Wisconsin, Fort Howard. May 24.—At the 
last session but one of our State legislature a 
very stringent dog law was enacted. It provides 
that the assessor shall list all dogs. Every one 
who owns or keeps a dog shall be assessed. 
The Town Clerk shall put. in the tax roll a tax 
of $2 for eucli male and $3 for each female, and 
the Treasurer shall collect it the same as any 
other personal-property tax. A fine of $20 
per day is imposed on each and every officer 
mentioned for each and every day such officer 
shall refuse to perform the duties required by 
the act. 1 told our assessor that he must as¬ 
sess. He was here to-day and says he is send¬ 
ing to me ah the folks who growl, as I happen 
to have been elected Town Clerk. Oue man 
whose entire tux last year w as $1.13 is on for 
two dogs, which will make four dollars. If 
you fail to hear from me for a long time and 
the “Associated Press” has a dispatch re¬ 
counting “an assault resulting in death.” you 
may kuow for what cause. I bit the dust.. Our 
spriug is rather backward and work drags. 
Van. 
Michigan, Litchfield, Hillsdale Co., May 
27.—Our spring has been cold and dry, 
although at present the weather is moist, as 
we have had a good rain ; hut it is rather eool 
for the crops. Coru has been about all planted 
—some cultivated. Wheat looks bettor, and 
prospects are more favorable than earlier in 
spring; some of it is showing signs of heading 
out. Straw will he short. Oats are looking 
well with few exceptions, i think 1 can boast 
of having the nicest, potatoes in this neighbor¬ 
hood ; they are about twelve inches high. The 
old pest “Bug” doesn't fail to put iu an appear¬ 
ance, but 1 do not think much harm will be 
done, unless the pests are left entirely to their 
own devices. Onions are receiving more at¬ 
tention this year than any year previous, to tny 
knowledge ; oue man has set out twelve acres 
of them, another, two. I think there will be 
an abundance of fruit, to judge from present 
prospects. il k - 
Kansas, Elina, Republic Co., May 20th — 
Farmer's hereabouts are expecting over an 
average crop. Winter and spring grains look 
very fine; rye is in head. Corn is growing 
finely ; most of the farmers have their corn 
cultivated. Wheat is worth 75c.; corn, 25c.; 
oats, 20e.; rye, 33c.; hogs. $2 70 per 100 lbs. 
This county is well adapted to cattle raising, 
as it is well watered by the Republican River 
and its valuable tributaries. The soil is not sur¬ 
passed in the State. There are also good 
facilities for shipping, as the U. P. 11. R. 
ha6 extended a branch up here from Concor¬ 
dia. Grain, therefore, always commands a 
good and ready sale, as we have Kansas City. 
Chicago and St. Louis for markets. The 
weather is pleasant and we are having season¬ 
able raiuB. R- a. n. 
Pa., Clearfield Co., May 26.—We are having 
fine growing weather here now, but only a few 
days ago, we were visited with severe trusts, 
which nipped off our early corn and potatoes 
in kitchen garden, and which I have no doubt, 
have injured the fruit more or less. Wheat is 
not looking as well as it did a year ago; it 
has been too dry for it. Corn planting is pret¬ 
ty well through, still there will be some plant¬ 
ed up to first of June. Seed potatoes scarce 
and high ; oats, which were plenty last fall at 
30c. per bushel, now command 40e. n. f. 8 . 
Illinois, Mazon, Grundy Co., May 26.—In 
this part of the country, coru is undoubtedly 
King. But few raise any other crop for market. 
Some raise a little oats, and others a little rye 
to sell, but diversified fanning is here limited 
to tills narrow range, So far, the weather has 
been very favorable to the corn crop. The 
cool, dry days have permitted the farmers to 
put the ground in fine condition, and now that 
plauting time is upon us, the sun is quite warm 
while there are rains just enough to foreo up 
the corn rapidly. M. s. D. 
Michigan, Muskegon, May 26.—This is not 
an agricultural country, but there is quite an 
amount of fruit and farm crops raised iu the 
vicinity, more especially tree fruits, grapes 
aud berries. The season is rather late, which 
is here always favorable. Fruit and farm 
prospects were never better, and if the codling- 
moth and the plum curctilio are starved out, 
as we hope, by the failure of these fruits by 
frost last year, our prospects are good. The 
potato-beetle, though, never fails to put in an 
appearance. s. b. p. 
Missouri, Gallatin, May 23.—We had a fine 
rain on the 19th, and everything is now grow¬ 
ing finely. We have for dinner to-day Early 
Rose potatoes and Philadelphia early peas ; 
the “ Beauty of Hebron" arc about the same size 
as Early Rose—II inch through. Voorbis 
watermelon has its first rough leal and grows 
rapidly ; Canada Vi etor tomatoes arc iu bloom; 
they are earlier than Acme, but not us good. I 
raised both last year, and think the Acme the 
best tomato grown. Blunt’s coru is growing 
well since the raiu. s. t. b. 
Oregon, Tangent, Liuu Co., May 20.—We 
are very backward with our sowing this spring 
on account of late rains. Very few of our 
farmers have yet finished sowing. So much 
rain at this time of the year is very unusual 
here. Growing crops took well. Prices of 
produce arc ; wheat. 80c; oats, 40c. to 50c; 
potatoes, froui $1 to $1.50 per bushel ; eggs, 
16; per doz ; good butter, 25c. per pound. 
r. l. s. 
Pennsylvania, Emporium, Camden Co., 
May 27.—On the mornings of the 23d and 2ilh, 
and again this morning, we had a heavy white 
frost. Thermometer, on the 23d, 30 s ; 24th, 
32°; 27lh, 34°. Cherries and Peaches arc 
killed; Pears injured; Apples appear all 
right yet D - 
New York, Sharon Center, May 24. Cold 
and dry here. Ice aud hard frost yesterday 
morning. s. l. 
Nebraska, Brownsville, May 24.—Crops, ex¬ 
cept fruit, are iu fine condition with us. R. f. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Wire Fence, Hummer and Winter. 
A Subscriber —address mislaid, says he built 
a wire fence along a lane formerly blocked 
every winter with snow drifts. He finds it a 
success as a preventive of drifts, but he. had a 
good deal of trouble in stretching the wires, 
and probably got them too tight at first in sum¬ 
mer time, so that the cold of last winter natu¬ 
rally made them as tight as fiddle-strings; 
while the warmth of spring and summer has 
made them so loose that the cows poke their 
heads through to eat the grass witliiu reach. 
He finds the patent stretchers furnished with 
the wire insufficient or unhaudy. and asks in¬ 
formation or advice. 
Ans.— In building the fence, the wires are 
seized at anv required point, several feet from 
the end post, by a little clamp, and stretched 
nearly tight enough with an ordinary' small 
rope pulley fastened to the end post. The ends 
of the wires are then passed through holes in 
the end post, at proper distances apart, and the 
final tightening is done by the following little 
device; It is simply an iron roller or windlass 
£ inch in diameter, six or eight inches long, 
of round rod iron, the end hammered square, 
60 that it can ho turned with a wrench or 
crank, aud two jpineh holes punched through 
it. each about an inch from the middle of the 
roller. The rollers lie horizontally on the out¬ 
side of the eud post. The wires arc passed 
through the post and through one hole of each 
roller. Then the rollers are turned and the 
wires wound around them till they are of the 
required tightness, and are held firmly by an 
iron j'in or nail passed through the other hole 
iu the roller, so as to prevent Us turning back 
when the wrench or crank is removed. The 
device is simple, convenient, and not patented, 
we think. At least we do not see that it is 
patentable, as It is 6imply an application of 
the roller-windlass in general use, in many 
forms ; as for example, in the rear end of hay 
racks or straw racks, for tightening the bind¬ 
ing rope ; in wells, in barns, etc... for butcher¬ 
ing purposes, etc., etc. 
a, “Mudsill’’; c, post: b, brace; d, e. f and g. 
rollers for tightening the wires; h, burned wood¬ 
en strip; l, dotted line showing the level ot the 
ground. All below that Is bedded firmly. 
The looseness of the wires mentioned by our 
friend, may result from the moving of the eud 
posts. They should lie very firmly braced. The 
best way is to mortise and pin firmly a strong 
post at least six inches square, perpendicular¬ 
ly into a “ mud sill," as it, is called, and brace 
it firmly. Then sink the mud sill three feet 
deep and weight it with heavy stones aud dirt, 
so it cannot lift or move endwise, and the post 
will never lean or heave with frost, and slacken 
the wires. The mud sill should be eight or ten 
feet long, to be firm enough for a long stretch 
of fence. The cut shows in general the posi¬ 
tion of sill, post, brace tightening rollers, etc. 
The wires may be loosened in fall and tight¬ 
ened iu spring if necessary. 
Worms In a Horse; Currant, Gooseberry and 
Cabbage Worms, ISie. 
D. A.. Litchfield, Mich., asks, 1, the cause and 
remedy for itching tail in a horse; 2, a cure 
for stretches in sheep; 3, a remedy for currant 
worms, oue for gooseberry worms and another 
for cabbage worms; 4. is it exhausting to breed 
a mare every year ? 
Ans,— Worms are the chief cause of itching 
about the anus, indicated by a desire to rub 
the tail against the wall or other object. Apart 
from bot.s, there arc two kinds of these—the 
round worm, which dwells in the intostines 
proper, and the thread worm, which lives 
almost exclusively in the rectum. The former 
is from eight, to ten laches long, and some- 
limes much longer, the latter an inch or two. 
The symptoms of their presence are; a rough 
coat, irregular appetite and such itching as 
that here mentioned. If worms are suspected, 
it is advisable to give a purge and watch the 
feces for their appearance. As a remedy for 
round worms, give: Tartar emetic, 1 drachm; 
powdered giiiget. 1 drachm; make into a ball 
with linseed meal; give one every morning for 
a week, on an empty stoma- b, and then follow 
