(Continued from page 151.) 
are placed the nests, which are portable, and 
the entire internal furniture can be easily re¬ 
moved for convenience in white-washing, etc. 
Entire cost of material about §20; labor about 
§20 more. 
water trough for hens. 
Mr. A. C. Carpenter finds the arrange¬ 
ment shown at Fig. 108, convenient and 
simple. Milk pans are used to hold the water. 
The space between the roof and the board on 
Fig. 108. 
the side is just large enough to permit the hens 
to pass their heads through. They cannot 
crawl in. The roof is high enough to allow 
them to hold up their heads to swallow. The 
floor being raised from the ground, they can¬ 
not scratch dirt into the pan. 
The Kieffer and Lawson Pears. — 
The Orchard and Garden has the following: 
“The Rural New-Yorker and other lesser 
lights which follow the lead of the former,have 
succeeded in making it quite fashionable to 
condemn the Lawson and Kieffer Pears. We 
cannot call this anything but preiudice in the 
leaders and ignorance in the followers. All 
the influence which the Rural, the N. Y. 
Tribune and many famous horticulturists may 
bring to bear against these pears will not be 
sufficient to kill them. The general grower 
will not condemn a good fruit merely liecause 
it is not perfect, or because it does not succeed 
in every part of our country/ 1 
The R. N.-Y. has tried very hard not to be 
prejudiced in regard to either of the above 
pears. Had we been influenced by selfish 
motives of any kind, we should never have 
uttered a word against either. 
Barnyard Manure and Fertilizers.— 
The Mass. Ploughman reports Mr. J. J. H. 
Gregory as saying that he has good reasons for 
doubts whether fertilizers are best in all cases. 
We do not give enough stress to the mechani¬ 
cal effects of barnyard manure. It is a great 
thing to have land made light and warm in a 
cold Spring with barnyard manure. That is 
an advantage we get over commercial fertili¬ 
zers, and it amounts to more than we generally 
think, but it is one which is worth studying. 
To get that advantage we want a manure 
which will stimulate the crop. We put on, say 
25 cordsof barnyard manure to an acre. That 
will be from (JO to 70 tons. Why? Because 
with it we can push along our cabbage crop 
early. That this vast application of manure 
has a prompt effect is largely due to the 
nitrates formed in it pushing forward the crop. 
These nitrates don’t form unless there is a cer¬ 
tain amount of heat. The higher the heat, the 
f aster they form. In the Spring the ground 
is very cold. To get a small portion of nitro¬ 
gen it takes a tremendous amount of barnyard 
manure. Stick a pin there, You can do bet¬ 
ter. You can get your nitrates better than in 
this way. In nitrate of soda we have the ni¬ 
trates already formed. We can get them with¬ 
out this process of tremendous manuring, be¬ 
cause in this nitrate of soda the nitrates are 
already formed. Then we save the necessity 
of depending on this tremendous manuring. 
We need but a portion of the barnyard man¬ 
ure, and by the use of nitrates get the same re¬ 
sult of an early start, at only one-fourth the 
cost.- 
The Model Cow.—Prof. Wm. Brown, of the 
Ontario College, in his object teachiug lecture 
at the Connecticut Fanner's’ meeting at Nor¬ 
wich, said he liked a flattisb, oval horn better 
than a round one; but that he liked “no 
horn at all” better than either. He thinks 
horns are not wanted on cattle kept in domes¬ 
tication. They are of use only in fighting and 
are a nuisance, In considering the best form 
of cows, be said a cow’s neck should not be 
heavy and masculine, but lady-like. The 
fore-quarters should be deep rather than wide. 
The neck should fall away from the shoulders 
forward—be what is called ewe-necked. The 
cow should have a large barrel, giving lots of 
room for food. A quiet eye shows a quiet 
disposition, and such a cow always shows a 
good return for the food. He prefers a thick 
skin with a mellow feeling beneath in prefer¬ 
ence to a thin one. Fine, thick, soft hair is to 
be preferred to coarse hair, and if it be in¬ 
clined to curl, so much the better. The Pro- 
fesssor should have added a long, well-de¬ 
§ 
veloped udder and large milk veins, and he 
would have fully completed the picture. 
Milkaline.—A substance known by this 
name is largely advertised in English papers 
as a substitute for milk in feedingyoungstock. 
It appears to be a chemical preparation, closely 
resembling the solids of milk, which is to be 
mixed with water. One hundred pounds, 
costing about §5, will, it is claimed, make 
300 gallons of good calf-food. This would 
allow about six ounces to the gallon, and 
would cost less than half a cent per quart. 
The artificial milk used in Paris to support 
children, contained 87 parts of water, while 
this “milkaline” would contain only 80 parts. 
We have never had much faith in these pre¬ 
pared foods, yet it is evident that the common 
practice of killing calves in dairy herds because 
of the reported difficulty in raising them on 
skimmed milk might be improved upon. With 
eggs, hay tea, oat meal, beans and other 
foods, the skimmed milk can be fed to advan¬ 
tage. 
Milk Secretion.— The American Dairyman 
says it has general!}' been supposed that the 
cow t secretes her milk during the clay and has 
it ready for delivery at night. It has often been 
a surprise that a cow with a small udder should 
give more than one with a larger one. Prof. 
Ballantine says many animals have no milk 
reservoirs, the lactiferous ducts being con¬ 
nected directly with the milk vescides, so that 
no considerable amount of milk can be carried 
ready formed. Such, he says, is the case with 
the human female, and the larger portion of 
the milk must he secreted while the child is at 
the breast. This would appear to explain why 
a cow, suffering from fright, worry or over¬ 
exertion, “holds up” her milk, the shock to 
which her system has been subjected rendering 
it impossible for her to give down and secrete 
her usual flow. _ 
Sparks and the Land Office.— Hon. E. 
Washburne. in his letter to the Chicago Tri¬ 
bune, fully indorses the action and rulings of 
Commissioner Sparks; of the latter he says: 
“They are substantially just in accordance 
with law.” Of the past management of the 
General Land Office, he says: 
The General Land Office, for the last fifteen 
or twenty years, has, according to my judg¬ 
ment, been the most cornzpt department that 
ever existed in any government on the face of 
the earth. For years and years the land job¬ 
ber and the land grabbers seemed to have 
had full sway there, and it was quite time 
they were rooted out. And I am glad to find 
that an Illinois man like Mr. Sparks has had 
the courage to attack these stupendous abuses 
and to attempt to recover for the benefit of 
the people at large some portion of the public 
lands which had beoo obtained from the gov¬ 
ernment by the railroad companies. I hope 
that his hands may be strengthened and that 
he will continue in the course which he has 
laid out for himself. Some say that a pressure 
has been made upon the President and upon 
the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Lamar, and 
that it will be necessary for him to be removed 
It is impossible to believe that such can be the 
case; that an honest, faithful, and incorrupt¬ 
ible public officer should be hounded out of his 
place by the men whose action he has exposed 
and who is making such laudable efforts, as I 
think he is, to get back for the government 
hundreds of millions of acres of public lands 
which have been literally filched from it by 
the land-grant railroads.” 
Language like the above says the Farmers’ 
Review' coming from such a source, and from 
one who has neither personal nor political re¬ 
lations with Commissioner Sparks,—for Mi-. 
Washburn in his letter says “I have no ac¬ 
quaintance with Mr. Sparks and have never 
seen him, and politically we are as far apart as 
it is possible for two men to be,”—ought to go 
a long way in counteracting the clamor that 
has been raised against Commissioner Sparks’s 
action. 
Remedy for Lice on Cattle.— Speaking 
of preparations for killing lice on cattle, Prof. 
A. J. Cook thinks a decoction of tobacco, upon 
the whole, gives the best satisfaction. This is 
easily made by turning hot water on any kind 
of tobacco. The cheap stems answer as well 
as any other kind. Were it not for the eggs, 
one application of this would always suffice. 
He has often found it unnecessary to use it 
more than once. The work of washing an 
animal is quickly and easily performed. 
Though he detests tobacco, he finds this use of 
it not very disagreeable. 
Hereford^ on the Ranges.— Hereford 
cattle appear to bo great favorites in Montana. 
The Montana Stock Gazette says they are 
hardy, mature early and are long-lived. The 
flesh is superior, handsomely marbled, heavy 
in the prime parte, and they fatten to great 
weights. Their constitutional hardiness and 
resistance to cold ore remarkable. Their 
massive strength, honesty and gentleness make 
them the best work oxen known, and the bulls 
are remarkable for their prepotency. High 
praise for a fine breed!. 
Dishonesty in Nurserymen.—A subscri¬ 
ber, Mr. R. Morrill, of Michigan, writes as fol¬ 
low's: “We are repeatedly warned to let trav¬ 
eling tree peddlers alone, while the fact is the 
most dangerous men are supposed to be re¬ 
liable, and they get the heavy orders from 
fruit growers; then, under cover of the sub¬ 
stitution clause in their catalogues, they often 
put some worthless substitute on the buyer, or 
sell him something they do not know' to be all 
right, and it often proves to be all wrong. 
Now' such a deal I consider to be w'orse than 
robbery, as a robber would only get your 
money, while the dishonest ntU'serymau robs 
us of money, the use of our land and, most 
valuable of all, our time.”. 
BOILED DOWN AND SEASONED. 
P. M. Augur thinks it harder to reform a 
whiskey guzzler than a serious case of the 
yellows... 
The Iowa Dairy J oumal, speaking of adul¬ 
terations, tells the story of three flies that 
came upon a table bearing some sugar, some 
cream and some fly-poison. One attacked the 
sugar and at once died from the effects of the 
alum and nitric acid it contained. Another 
sampled the cream and died from contraction 
of the stomach caused by the lime water in 
the milk. The third, resolved to commit sui¬ 
cide, took to the plate of poison, but found it 
so badly adulterated that he only grew fat 
upon it. 
Stephen Beale notes in favor of turkeys 
as mothers that they can cover twice the num¬ 
ber of eggs an ordinary hen can, and care for 
three times the number of chickens. 
Is there any sadder sight than an ignorant 
rich man? A rich y>ocket-book without a rich 
mind throw's nature out of joint. 
The evils which arise from eating pork 
are not from the use, but the abuse of tbe 
food—so says Dr. Hoskins. 
The Western Rural says that malaria, gen¬ 
eral debility, liver complaiut, “bad blood” 
and dozens of other troubles can all grow out 
of one disease—bad kitchen. In 1880 these 
kitchens aided in the work of disposing of 
§15,000,000 worth of patent medicines. 
The Farmers’ Review says that more seed 
corn is being wintered in dry, w armed lofts, 
chambers and attics than ever before... 
Stephen Powers does not like a hog, yet 
he believes him to tie the best cultivator and 
fertilizer that a careless farmer can turn into 
the orchard. He dates the destruction of a 
splendid orchard from the day the hogs were 
excluded from it... 
Prof. Caldwell says that succulent food 
increases the flow of milk, but does not neces¬ 
sarily increase the proportion of water in it. 
The flow is greatest in June, yet the milk is no 
poorer than at other times... 
If you waut to get the good-will of your 
heus, says the Prairie Farmer, feed them dry, 
hot corn at night. Heat the corn in an iron 
pan or kettle in the oven, aud stir occasionally. 
No matter if it gets a little charred. It won’t 
do any harm to give warm water either...... 
The Poultry Bulletin says: “Never use wood 
ashes for adust bath. They will make the 
brightest plumage msty. Put the dust box 
where the sun will shine on it longest. 
Vick’s Monthly gives a good colored plate 
of the white and pink varieties of the Raman- 
as Rose—Rosa rugosa. 
Our lady friends must not forget to plant 
sweet peas. There are few flowers more suit¬ 
able for bouquets. The odor is pleasant and 
they last a long time. A few will lie found 
among the Garden Treasures of the Rural’s 
Seed Distribution. 
Instead of the Norw’ay Spruce, plant the 
White Spruce. . 
In Michigan, the ladies help to make the 
Farmers’ Institutes a great success. Not only 
do they take a prominent part in the discus¬ 
sions, but they provide such a bountiful supply 
of food that every farmer who attends is 
placed in the best of spirits. 
Next month as soon as the weather will 
permit, we may sow early turnips, peas, 
radishes, onions, beets, carrots and spinach. 
Potatoes may also be planted. In the hot-bed 
may be sowu tomatoes, peppers, paisley, 
cubbage, carrots, celery, cauliflower, egg 
plants, lettuce, cucumbers and melons. 
An Illinois breeder has lieen prosecuted for 
practicing dishorning ou mature cattle. The 
case attracts considerable attention, aud will 
doubtless result iu giving the polled breeds au 
added “boom.”.... ■ ..*. 
More working oxen and fewer trotting 
horses upon New England farms Is the sensible 
suggestion of Dr. Loring. 
Mr. J. J. H. Gregory makes the statement 
that tbe corn plant has the pow'er of getting 
its nitrogen from the air. We have therefore 
but to supply potash and phosphate to the soil. 
For three years, the experiment has been tried 
upon the poor-soil plots of the Rural Grounds. 
No matter how large the quantity of potash 
and pUosphoric acid used, we can not get a 
good crop without nitrogen.... 
At a late meeting of New' England fanners, 
as reported in the Massachusetts Ploughman, 
Mr. King said that he raised 750 bushels of 
onions on au acre of land by the use of 1,400 
pounds of complete chemical fertilizers. 
Have you ever tried the Shell Flower or 
Molucca Balm, Moluccella lasvis. The Rural 
introduced it 10 years ago. It is a queer 
flower... 
It is very easy to raise roses from seeds. 
A bed of pansies will give about as much 
pleasure as any bedding plant we know' of. It 
is now time to sow the seeds. Any sunny 
window will answer. 
The New Orleans Picayune says farmers 
are pouring into Western Texas so fast that 
ranchmen have just time to move their cattle 
out and prevent their tails from being cut 
off by the advancing hoe. 
Dry corn-cobs are excellent material to 
supply the smoke to cure hams for home con¬ 
sumption... 
The Cultivator says that large apple dealers 
in Boston claim that good apples would not 
command over 75 cents per barrel had it not 
-been for the export trade, unsatisfactory as 
the latter may have been to shippers. There 
always seems, however, to be a healthy de¬ 
mand for the choice lots of apples, whatever 
the year may bring forth with poorer qualities. 
The editor of the Southern Cultivator has 
had very fine success in raising potatoes that 
were heavily mulched with pine straw and 
leaves soon after planting, and not cultivated 
at all. 
Dr. Hoskins says that the agricultural 
studeut, if faithful, will accumulate a vast 
amount of information of sterling value for 
use on the farm, but he cannot and does not 
expect to graduate a perfect master of his 
art. And why sneer at agricultural colleges 
for that?. 
He alone succeeds who has Ills heart in the 
work. The man who simply works for money 
never half succeeds. He loses the best part 
of life. Yet the man who sees no money 
ahead in his business will always be looking 
for some other calling. It does not follow 
that one should work the heart at the expense 
of the head, however. Be just in ull business, 
before you are generous. 
Remember, says the Cultivator, that time 
will be precious after tbe plow starts again, 
and there will l_*e uo profit in stopping work 
to cut wood for the kitchou tire, or to mend 
up harnesses or carte.... 
W. C. Steel advises farmers to make a 
greater use of copper wire. It can be used to 
easily mend tools. A spool of it carried in 
the wagon will be of great assistance in case 
of an accident to a trace or other parts of the 
wagon or harness... 
Not a week passes without news of the 
poisoning of a family by eating “Rough on 
Rate.” This poison contains arsenic. Cats 
handle the rate far more roughly. 
A Western editor says he writes “we” be¬ 
cause he wants to give bis wife full credit for 
her part of the work. Sensible man 1. 
The Carp Journal reports losses from musk¬ 
rats which appear to be particularly foud of 
carp.........*... 
In his “Book of the Pig,” Mr. James Long 
says tliat sows which have farrowed should 
not, as is popularly supposed, be immediately 
fed on rich food given in large quantities, for 
few things are more calculated to do them 
harm. 
As the young ones increase in size, common 
sense will dictate that the food should be aug¬ 
mented both in quantity aud quality. Some 
kinds of food diminish the quantity of milk 
that the sow gives to her young, and others 
(especially changes) are liable to cause Seoul’s 
or diarrhoea iu the litter; they should conse¬ 
quently be avoided. At the end of the first 
mouth, however well the sow nmy have been 
fed, it will be noticed that her family have 
considerably pulled down her condition, aud 
that the little pigs will now require some food 
to themselves. 
At the end of a month it is a good plan to 
commence to feed young pigs with a handful 
of wheat or peus, scattered among the straw 
in the sty, the mother also getting a little at 
feeding time. There are no foods as good as 
these, although oatearefrequeutly oud strong¬ 
ly recommended. If the quantity given is 
increased ns the pigs grow, until weaning 
time, it will be found that they wean well, 
and continue growing as though they had not 
been deprived of their mother’s milk. 
