mv. i 
THE RURAL HEW- /O RKER. 
the butchers—so that a moist, rich pasture 
could be very profitably used for fattening a 
flock for the market. In this case, the kind of 
sheep known as Canada sheep,—grade Cots- 
wolds. Leictistsra and Lincolns—all heavy- 
bodied, large sheep, would be the best to 
choose. These can be picked up in the Boston 
or New York markets instore condition, and 
by breeding them, raising market lambs, and 
fattening tin in off on the pasture as soon as 
possible, a very profitable business may be 
done. The sheep may be purchased in the 
fall, fed in yards over the winter, and fattened 
after the lamb is sold off, and them selves sent 
to market by July or August, all within a year, 
giving a lamb, a fleece and a carcass, and a 
pile of manure, for the money invested. xV 
breed of sliccp is kept in England purposely 
for feeding on marsh land. It is known as the 
Romney Marsh sheep, a heavy-bodied, long, 
course-wool sheep, that raises a good lamb and 
produces excellent mutton. This breed would 
doubtless be of great value in such localities 
as that above referred to. They can be pro- 
curred cheaply, not being fancy stock, and if 
some were imported, they would doubtless 
soou become popular. 
Corn Premiums. 
W. P. S., Norwich, Ohio . asks us to publish 
oucu more the list of premiums offered for the 
largest yield of Blount’6 White Prolific corn 
sent out to the subscribers of the Rural. 2 . 
lie. also asks how and when the report of the 
yield should be made. 
Ans. —Having had several inquiries to the 
same effect, we comply with our correspond¬ 
ent’s request, and give below the list of premi¬ 
ums. Comparatively few reports have yet 
been received. We prefer that all who have 
registered would report prompily. All reports 
must lie m on or before December VUh. After 
that, date we shall proceed to award the pre¬ 
miums. 2. This question is auswered on tho 
editorial page of Rubai, of November 1. 
Prizes. 
No. l. $100 in gold given by the proprietors of 
The Rubai. New-Yorker for the yield that shall 
have most successfully fulfilled all the conditions, 
and attained the highest general average of points. 
No. 2. A Feed and Meal Mill (value $65), given 
by the Challenge Mill Co„ of Batavia, ill., for 
the yield that Is next in order. 
No. a. The unproved Bio Giant Feed Mill 
( value $45), contributed by J. A. Field, Son «fc Co , 
St,, l.ouls, Mo., for the third best result accruing 
from the competition. 
No. 4. Tho “Veteran” cobn-Siielleb (value 
$35), made by the Sandwich M'k’g Co., of Sand¬ 
wich, Ill., and given by them as a prize for the 
fourth Des-t result. 
No. 5. The Whrelkk & Mki.icii Co., of Albany, 
N. Y., give a choice ot i heir La Low's Pulverizing 
JIabhow, or a two-horse J)lse Cobn Cultivator 
( value $;w), tor the fifth prize. 
No. 6. For the yield of corn sixth In order of 
merit, Messrs. Koisev & Cu.. or Seneca Falls, N. 
Y., offer a choice of anything from their catalogue 
to tho value of $25, 
r os, 7 a so s. Two Hand Coun-Siiellbbs (value 
$5 each), donated by Livingston & Co., ot Pitts¬ 
burgh, l»a., for t he seventh and eighth best results 
from the corn distribution. 
Farmers’ Publishing Company. 
1. For the best weight of Shelled Corn per bushel, 
to be weighed three months after harvest, 30 vets, 
of Harper's Ualt hour Series. 
2. For second best, Dickens’s Works, in 10 vols., 
(l). x\ppleton a Co.) 
3. For third best, books from Scribner's Cata¬ 
logue to the amount, or $5. 
4. For fourth best, the Wilson Series of Agrlcul- 
tural W< rks, in cloth. 
5. For fifth best, one year's subscription to 
Rural New-York kb. 
6 . For sixth best, Miles’s Stock-breeding. 
Total value not less Ilian $80. 
About Chinese Yams. 
C. <fc B.. Pella , Iowa, ask, 1, whether the 
Rural makes uny charge for answering ques¬ 
tions ; 2, which Is the best way to grow Chinese 
Yams, if one wauls to raise small tubers on 
the viues—to brush them or let them run on 
the ground; 11. what is the best way to preserve 
the small tubers—to bang them in bags iu the 
cellar, or to place them iu boxes, mixed with 
earth; 4, are they hurt by light frosts before 
they are gathered; 5, which is the best way to 
keep one-year roots—in a pit with potatoes or 
iu a cellar with or without an admixture of 
earth. 
Ass.—1. We are always glad to auswer, gratis, 
any questions in which our readers may be sup¬ 
posed to take au interest. 2. Our vines are 
tied to arbors, the same us Grape-vines. Bulb- 
lets form iu the axils ot the leaves very freely. 
We should prefer brushing. 8. Either way will 
answer. Keeping them in paper bags is the 
least troublesome. It Is only' needful to keep 
them dry and in a temperature above freezing. 
4. No. 5. Xu a cellar, mixed With sand. 
telle for a Quince Orchard. 
M. IF. ML Vernon, Ohio, iuteuds to plant a 
quince orchard in spring, and having for its 
site a fine, rich, loamy black soil, inclined to 
be a little wet, but which he intends to drain, 
us its situation easily penults, he asks whether 
this would be a good position tor it. or whether 
one on higher and drier ground would be pre¬ 
ferable. 
Ans.—W o should consider this a very good 
site, if properly drained. The Quince is indi¬ 
genous to Southern Europe where it grows in 
the wild stale in moist soil along streams and 
rivulets. This, however, does not warrant the 
common idea that it will grow nowhere hut in 
a wet and neglected place. The cultivated 
Quince is like other fruit trees, it thrives best 
iu a rich, well-drained loam, and is us appre¬ 
ciative of care and culture as the Apple and 
Pear. It should never bo planted ou very dry, 
sandy or gravelly land. 
Sulphur for Sheep. 
W. M. N., Burbank, O ., asks whether sul¬ 
phur is good for sheep, and if so why, and how 
much ofitshould be given them, and how often. 
Ans.—S ulphur is needed by sheep in mod¬ 
erate quantities. The reason is that the fleece 
contains a considerable quantity of sulphur, 
the composition of pure washed wool being as 
follows: 
Carbon.49.25 per cent. 
Hydrogen. 7.57 “ 
Nitroffou.'. 15.86 “ 
Sulphur. 3.t'6 “ 
Oxyjren.23.66 
loo.oo 
Besides this, the yolk of the lleeec contains 
sulphur, and when we consider how much of 
the yolk is washed from the Uucco by rains 
and that this loss of it must be constantly re¬ 
placed, the need of sulphur becomes still more 
apparent. A llcceo weighing 10 pounds, con¬ 
tains about half a pound of sulphur, including 
the yolk. The best practice is to mix one 
quart of salt with half a pint of flowers of 
sulphur, and give each sheep a small handful 
oucc a week. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. T., Boston, Mass., asks what is the latest 
and best practical work on sheep, their care and 
disease; also on buildings and appliances for 
sheep husbandly ou a large scale. He lias 
Randall's Practical Shepherd and also his 
Sheep Husbandry for the South, and asks 
whether there is any later and better work on 
the subject. 
Ans.—R andall’s works are somewhat out of 
date at the present day. just us are some of his 
contributions to the Bubal while editor of its 
sheep department some years ago. Undoubtedly 
tho best rocenl. work on the subject is The 
Shepherd’s Manual, by our contributor Henry 
Stewart. The work contains full information 
Willi regard to sheep husbandry on a large or 
small scale, together with designs and descrip¬ 
tions of buildings and other appliances con¬ 
nected witli the industry. American News 
Company. Price $1.50. 
S. C., Bonsaclc’s, Fa . asks, 1, which of the 
six ears boruu on some of his Blount’s corn, 
should be saved for sued ; 2, a cure for bitter 
rot in fruit trees; 3, whore can 11 >p Bitters, 
advertised in the Rural, be obtained. 
Ans.— 1, Many prefer the topmost ear. 
Choose iu variably the earliest, largest, best 
formed and best tilled for s;ud ; even if found 
ou the lower half or near the middle of the 
stalk. 2, This peculiar disease which attacks 
the skin of the apple, causing the appearance 
of a tiny brown spot, that gradually enlarges 
as the disease penetrates into the flesh, is not 
curable, as far as wo know. But being uo 
doubt of a fungus origin, it seems that if sul¬ 
phur could he applied ou the first appearance 
of tho malady, it would prove a remedy. High 
culture, manure, litac in the soil and pruning 
are the preventives. 8, In any drug store. 
E. M., Van V ., Seneca Falls, N. Y., asks 
which is the best cutting box for cutting corn¬ 
stalks, buy, straw, etc., to be operated by hand, 
and where he cun get it. 
Ans.—B aldwin's American Fodder Cutter is 
the best we know of. It is manufactured in 
several patterns ; tho one turned by crank will 
cut any kind of fodder. Sold by K. II. xUleu 
& Co„ IS'J & 19L Wuter St.. N. Y. 
J. M. (r., Tullahoma , Tenn., asks which we 
tbiuk the best potato for general use, and 
whether there Is UDy better than the Peerless 
and Early Rose. 
Ans.—T hat depends upou the locality. Early 
Rose and Beauty of Hebron do well iu muuy 
different sections. A trial ot several of tho 
most popular sorts can alone determine which 
would be most profitable for tho above place. 
Showfiake t Early and Late) is an excellent 
sort. 
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED FOB THE WEEK ENDING 
Saturday, Nov. s. 
M. H. S.—G. S.—M. S.—E. M.—“ Claudia W. 
T.-J. H. 8.—C.L—D. II.—G. 8. II.—Subscriber.— 
H. 11. L.—F. L. S.—W. J. B.-J. C.-W. 1. C.-E. 
M. V. C.-T. 11. II.—L. A. ft.—A. I..—U. A. 0., Jr.,— 
u. H.-W. II. M., thanks.—K. \v. -M. M.-J.S., 
thanks —w. E. M.-L. A. H.—W. li. B.-W. N. \v\- 
M. W. W. It. a.—K. K, T.—a. R. IS.—B. T. 3.—W. 
I 1 —W. \V. D.— J. II. M. 15. McL — G. 8. t'.—F. \V. 
P —L. \V. K.-F. W.-L. K. 8.—L. L. G.-T. K. 8.— 
J. A. M.—N. H. P.-P. \V. 8.—A. T. K.-F. D. F.— 
O. T.—G. E. B.—A. H.-C. K.—11. A. D.—A. M. 8 — 
IS.—M. A. D.—A. J. A.—VV. B.—W. li. (/.—,f. F. P.— 
M. J. S. — It. A. N. M. E. T. - L. IS. lb— 1 T. 1). O, 
MANUFACTURE OF MENHADEN FISH 
GUANO. 
EDWARD J. BOYD. 
Omitting here an account of the manner in 
which the Menhaden are caught, let us begin 
Avilh them when they arrive at the “ fish 
factory," as the place where they are converted 
into guano, is culled. This is generally a two- 
story building with a “ run," which is an in¬ 
clined plane supported by trestle-work, upon 
which a dump-car runs to convey the fish from 
the boat to the “ receiving tanks.” These are 
situated outside tbc factory and from them a 
sliding door opens to the tanks iu which the 
fish are boiled. These are long, water-tight 
uncovered boxes, having in the bottom a coil 
of perforated pipe for the admittance of steam 
for the purpose of boiling the lisb, and a plug¬ 
hole through which the water in wiiieh they 
have been boiled, can he drawn off. They will 
each hold from 50 to 5,000 barrels of Ash. In 
the factories south of Moutauk, L. I., the fish 
are counted by the thousand; in those cast of 
Montauk, by the barrel, which is supposed to 
contain 250,four barrels thus making a thousand 
fish. These fish sold during the past season 
for one dollar per thousand. In a certain sense 
the business is a monopoly, as the owners of 
the different factories meet every year and de¬ 
cide upon the price to be paid during the en¬ 
suing season. 
When a steamer or sailinggear ”—the name 
given to sailing vessels engaged in Menhaden 
fishing—is sighted, the preparations at the 
factory begin. The tanks are filled hulf-full 
of salt water; the ’• hydraulics," or hydraulic 
presses used to press the fish, are supplied with 
water, and everything is got into “ ship-shape ” 
order. On the arrival ot tho vessel, the fish 
arc loaded into the dump-cars by means of 
“ tubs.” These are the barrels by meaus of 
which the fish are counted. The freighted ears 
arc then run up to the receiving tanks aud un¬ 
loaded ; the slide is opened, and the cooking 
tanks arc filled; steam is admitted aud the pro¬ 
cess of cooking begins. When the fish have 
been "cooked," so that they fall readily apart, 
the water is drawn oft ; but, instead of being 
thrown away, it is conducted,by means of gut¬ 
ters, to an oil-room situated on the grouud- 
lloor of the factory. When the water has all 
been drawn < ft, a slide iu the end of the tank 
is opened, and the pomace.—the name given to 
the cooked fish—is raked into perforated 
cylinders, fitted with hinged bottoms, called 
“ curbs." When these are full, they are set un¬ 
der the “ presses," and hydraulic pressure is 
applied to them. The water and oil thus forced 
out through tho perforated "curbs," fall on the 
floor which is water-tight and divided by gut¬ 
ters leading to the oil-room. After having been 
cooled there, the water, owing to its greater 
specific gravity, sc ties at the bottom and the 
oil floats on lop. and is skimmed off , like cream 
from milk. The oil is then placed iu vats aud 
boiled to free it entirely from water, after 
which it is put into bleaching tanks where it is 
clarified, and then it is barreled. 
The oil and water having been pressed out, 
the "curbs" are run into the "scrap” house 
and are emptied of their contents through the 
hinged bottoms. The fish is now worth $10 
per ton as “green scrap." Iu from 21 to 48 
hours a fermentation lakes place, which pro¬ 
duces a darker shade, caused by the escape of 
ammonia, aud it is then called " old scrap.” 
The next step towards " curing" it for the farm¬ 
ers, now takes place by removing it to the 
" dry works," as the factory in which the fish 
is dried, is called. Here, the first process is 
" picking" it. This is done by putting it 
through the “ picker,” a cylinder armed with 
teeth revolving agaiusl set teeth, like the 
cylinder of a thrasher. The fish comes from 
the “ curbs" in hard in isses that sometimes 
require considerable exertion to break up; but 
when it comes out of tho picker, it is very fine 
—completely shredded. 
The next step, "drying,” now begins. This is 
effected either by the sun or by artificial heat. 
In drying by means of the sun, the scrap is 
spread out, early in the morning, ou a plat¬ 
form, made like a door inclined just enough to 
allow any rain that may fall on it, to ruu readi¬ 
ly off. During the day tho scrap is constantly 
stirred by means of a wooden harrow drawn 
by a horse, uutil four o’clock, when it is gath¬ 
ered by means of a "loot.” This is made 
exactly like a sled, but with a sliding tail¬ 
board which Is held down by the driver until 
the space between tho runners is full, when it 
is lifted and thoserap laid off in windrows, like 
hay in the field. It is next gathered into the 
"cure,” which is simply piling it into a heap 
into which perforated pipes are inserted for 
the purpose of conducting away the latent heat 
that may be developed. Next day the "cure” 
is " turnedthat is, merely shoveled over and 
made into a another heap. About four "turn¬ 
ings” generally cool tlm scrap enough to fit it 
for shipment, it is now worth from $85 to $40 
per ton to manufacturers of fertilizers. 
In rainy weather "platform-curing” is, of 
course, impracticable; so artificial beat is em¬ 
ployed. This is a quicker process, but by its 
use about one-tenth more of the scrap is lost 
than by sun-curing. The driers arc revolving 
cylinders, like boilers, with shelves running 
spirally through them. A very bet fire is built 
in the fire-box at the front end, and the heat 
passes under each cylinder to the back, and 
then through the cylinder to the front end 
where stands the smoke-stack. The drier is 
fed at the front end, and as it revolves, the 
scrap is carried up by means of the shelves 
until it reaches the top, when, the shelves being 
inverted, their contents fall to the bottom, to 
be carried up again in the same way. Every 
time the scrap falls, it falls a little farther on 
in the cylinder, ou account of its being pitched 
forward u trilleat each revolution of the drier, 
until, finally,itpasscs out at the back, and down 
a chute to be caught up by means of elevators 
aud deposited iu the carts placed to receive it. 
The length of time it takes a charge of scrap 
to pass through the drier, depends upon tho 
length of the latter aud the number of times it 
revolves in a minute. In a 25-foot drier, re¬ 
volving eight times a minute, each charge 
takes about half an hour to reach the backend, 
during which time it alternately comes in con¬ 
tact with the hot cylinder and the hot air in 
it, all its moisture being thus ovnporated. 
Very wet scrap requires from two to five dry¬ 
ings before id is ready for the “cure." The 
moisture is carried off by means of the natu¬ 
ral draft, and with it go the flue particles of 
the scrap, a loss uot incurred in platform dry- 
iug; although a heavy thunder shower, when 
the platforms are “charged ’’—that is, covered 
witli scrap—will wash away many dollars’ 
worth of it. Indeed, I have seen four or five 
tons of scrap washed away by a heavy rain. 
After the scrap passes through the driers, it 
undergoes the " curiug ” process in the same 
way as " platform" scrap. Green scrap is 
mostly used for platform drying, aud is very 
bulky when dried. Old scrap, too, is gener¬ 
ally placed on the platform for 12 or 24 
hours, if very wet, to dry the excessive mois¬ 
ture, because if it were put into the driers 
in its soaked state, instead of drying, it would 
make “ pills," or round, hard balls. One " dry 
works” can dry the scrap from several " fish 
factories” as the fire is kept up constantly us 
long as operations last, or there is work to bo 
done. 
For export, the scrap is ground and bolted. 
For this purpose a special mill is used—the 
only kind of mill that will grind tho scrap so 
I hat it can be drilled iu with grain. It has two 
cylinders, with cone-shaped bearing laces. 
One of these makes about 2,500 revolutions per 
minute; and the other, which is the feeder, 
about 800. Marvelous is the speed with which 
one of these mills grinds up thoserap. I have 
seen two men shoveling it in as fast as they 
could, while a torrent of ground scrap poured 
out like a stream of water. Pieces of iron, -or 
anything short ot a young anchor, caunot 
choke its greedy throat. The ground scrap 
is worth from $45 to $50 per ton. 
The scrap will pay for the fish and the cost 
of working, leaving the oil a clear profit. A 
thousand fish, costing $1, will yield about five 
gallons of oil, worth forty cents a gallou. 
This oil completely fills the place of "boiled 
oil" in the composition ol paluts. Nearly all 
the chemical and prepared paints are mixed 
with fish oil. Fish guauo forms the base, or 
principal part, of tho so-called complete man¬ 
ures, us well as of some sorts of Peruvian 
guano, etc., one ton of fish guano being 
“worked tip" into six tons of many of the 
fertilizers sold to farmers. Sand and clay 
are the chief adulterations of fish guano. 
These make weight. Nothing, l believe, is so 
rieh iu ammonia as fish sera]), certainly, not 
so far as the odor it emits is an indication. 
In ray experience, on a Sunday when the plat¬ 
forms were being charged with scrap six 
months old, the windows of a church two 
miles away, had to be closed. Fancy how 
persons stand it, who have to work among it I 
But from my own experience 1 can say that 
the odor is never noticed by a person after he 
has been a week or so in the factory; but so 
powerful is the perfume he carries about with 
him, that while he remains there, he is debarred 
from all social relations with the outside 
world. 
--- 
The Menhaden belong to the herring family 
aud appear ou our coast in the latter part of 
April, aud depart .in November. The business 
of catching ihc fish for oil aud guauo has in¬ 
creased lapidly within the last. IS years. It is 
carried on from Maine to New Jersey, aud 
is especially prominent in the northeast por¬ 
tion of Long IMaud. Iu 1873 there were 03 fac¬ 
tories iu opeiatkm oil the coast of New York 
aud New England, employing 3S3 "sailing 
gear” and 80 steamers, with 2,80) men ashore 
and afloat. Total capital then invested ; $2,- 
388 000; total catch, 1,103,100 barrels, yielding 
8 , 214.800 gallons of oil, and 86,290 tons of 
guauo; value of products, about $1,000,000. 
Since then the business lias largely increased, 
especially in northeastern Long Island. 
