736 
he, likes to have the owner about to consult 
with him, aud will naturally do better if he 
sees that he is working for one who is master 
of the business, and who takes a lively inter¬ 
est in it. 
* 4 * 
A friend at Lyndonville, N. Y., asks if fat¬ 
tening sheep and lambs will eat cut straw 
any better than the long, and if it would lie 
better for them. Fattening sheep, when fed 
largely ou bran, linseed men I and other nitro¬ 
gen ecus foods, aud also mangels or other 
green food, will eat largely of straw, and it 
pays to give them all they will eat; but I 
could never see that it made the least differ¬ 
ence to them whether it was cut or not. All 
the advantage I cau see in cutting straw for 
this purpose is that the mauure is finer, and 
cau be haudled a little more easily, but in this 
respect there is not half the difference with 
sheep manure that there is with that from any 
other stock. It will pay to put the straw under 
cover for in this case the sheep will eat it very 
much better. 
* * * 
Another friend in WiUiamstown, Vt., asks 
if he eould stock his 150-acre farm with 
coarse-wooled sheep aud have them do well; 
also if he could keep up the fertility of his 
farm as well with sheep as with cows: also if 
sheep kept, for spring lamb raising should be 
kept as warm as for fatting. 
Coarse-wooled sheep will not bear close 
stocking: that is, putting them in large flocks. 
In all the countries I have ever visited in 
which coarse wools are kept, from a dozen to 
50 are as many as are allowed together, and 
even in Winter I have observed that the long- 
wools, when put more than 20 in a flock, al¬ 
ways have more or less culls among the num¬ 
ber. I should much prefer the middle-wools 
or Otoss-bred sheep. There is no doubt that 
sheep will keep up the fertility of laud fully as 
well as cows. They will certainly keep it 
much freer of weeds. But in feeding any 
stock no improvement of the farm must be ex¬ 
pected. unless other foods thau those raised on 
the farm are used. It does not enrich a man 
to taka money from one pocket to put into the 
other; no more does it enrich the soil to put 
mauure on one field made from feed taken 
from another; but when bran, oil meal and 
oth *r foods, rich in the elements of fertility, 
are brought upon and fed on the farm, and 
the manure is pat upon the fields, then will its 
fertility be increased. The saving of foods by 
housing store sheop is as great in proportion 
as with those fattening, us cold has precisely 
tho same effect upon the one as the other. If 
they need exercise give if to them by a brisk 
drive, returning to the stables at the end. 
BUCEPHALUS BROWN’S NOTIONS AND 
IDEAS. 
I do not exactly understand. Mr. Editor, 
why you should ask an old landlubber like 
me to write for your paper, when so many 
smart young men are filling it up with the 
latest and most improved views of things. 
When a man gets to lie (50 and up wards he is 
generally supposed to believe that all progress 
aud improvement have come to an end, aud 
that it is time to rest and be thankful. Well, 
it is. There is no doubt of that. I am rest¬ 
ing—when I can get a chauce—and I cannot 
help being thankful and saying with the shep¬ 
herd king, “Surely goodness and mercy have 
followed me all the days of my life.” But 
certainly there is a great deal of writing in 
the agricultural papers yet of which it can be 
said, as was said once by an old minister of a 
young minister’s sermon, that it contained 
many new things aud many true things, but 
the new things were not true aud the true 
things were not uew! 
Ouo able editor expresses his opinion that 
“the clay baa passed when farmers cau afford 
to spend their tune in the study of the forma¬ 
tion of Greek and Latin roots and all their 
lifetime remain in ignorance of the formation, 
nourishment and growth of corn, wheat and 
apple-tree roots.” Now, as old as I am, I can¬ 
not remember the time when farmers over did 
spend much time in the way numed. One 
might travel among them many a day's jour¬ 
ney before he could flud one of the “horuy- 
handed” who could even tell what a Greek 
“root” is, or how it differs from a parsnip, I 
have a suspicion which may do him injustice, 
that the writer himself didn’t know. But ho 
wanted to make the point that farmers need 
an education suited in some degree, at least, 
to their business. They do; but those who are 
now farmers must guther that education 
themselves, by experience, by conversation, 
by reading and, above all, by keeping their 
eyes aud minds on the alert for knowledge 
that will do them good. 
There is a good deal of agricultural knowl¬ 
edge among farmez-s. Each knows something 
that others do uot know. I never spent half 
an hour going over a neighbor’s farm in his 
company during which I did not pick up some¬ 
thing well worth knowing. We do not visit 
each other enough. Each farmer has an agri¬ 
cultural college nil around him. on his own 
farm, as well as on his neighbors’. Let him 
learn and reduce to practice what he may 
learn iu these ways, and in time he can gradu¬ 
ate with the well-earned degree of M. M. F.— 
a regular Money-Making Farmer. 
It is the fashion to call the older farmers 
narrow-minded, bigoted, unprogressive. But 
some who appear so to the hasty observer are 
pretty full of meat, as you may find if you 
know how to get it out. It is ipiite often the 
case that ways which seem awkward and be¬ 
hind the times are really the very best ways 
to follow under the circumstances, and iu the 
conditions that exist. The newcomer may not 
see this. It is hardly likely that he should, 
for such facts have to be learned by experi¬ 
ence. Eastern people have had a good deal to 
say about Western farmers burning their corn 
for fuel. The forestry fellows are urging the 
farmers everywhere to plant wood-lots. If we 
are to raise our fuel, who cau say that we can¬ 
not raise it cheaper from seed-corn thau from 
seed-acorns? Evuu manure wasting may be 
justifiable under certain circumstances. 
One, and the chief cause of slow progress 
among farmers is, too much land not paid for. 
Indebted men cau rarely do as well as they 
know, and are still less able to make experi¬ 
ments, or branch out into new things. While 
the old way may not be the best, it may be 
the safest way to meet one’s interest without 
failure, and pay a little on the debt. Oh! that 
debt! How much better it would have been 
to have bought ouly as much land as you 
could pay down for. The most profitable 
land (aud often the only profitable laudi is 
that which is well fertilized and well tilled. 
Men who have sunk all their capital in a farm, 
and yet have not paid for it, are in poor condi¬ 
tion to get a profit out of their farming. It is 
getting more aud more difficult to make any¬ 
thing ou borrowed money. That is the secret 
of the present low- rates of interest. 
With all the outcry about hard times, I do 
not see that farmers who are out of debt have 
any great cause to complniu. Where is there 
any honest business that is paying any better 
interest on the investment, or for the work 
done? I do not know where to look for it- 
The grumbling farmers are either the un, 
skilled or the indebted ones. The only excep¬ 
tion I kuow is one who has wanted to get rich 
fast aud has been trying to breed fast colts. 
But that is not farming. 
Does butter making pay! Is your granny 
a woman! Butter is a luxury—good butter, I 
meau. Coru and potatoes are staple articles, 
aud like all that class of goods the profit per 
cent, is small, and much of them must be 
handled to make much money. But when 
farmeis have the monopoly of something that 
everybody with money wants and will have if 
it can be had, what have they got to complain 
of ? Some of my neighbors have been selling 
their butter as low as U cents. Others have 
not sold a pound for less than “5 cents. One 
who keeps between 20 to 30 cows says, “1 
haven't sold a pound of butter for the last five 
years for less than 50 cents.” Here is a man 
whom oleo does not scare. He milks his herd 
the year round, averages 275 pounds of butter 
to the eow, grows every mite of his own feed 
and buys not au ounce of fertilizers. Let him 
die to-morrow and let his next neighbor who 
has sold his butter for 14 cents take the farm 
and stock, and the first lot of butter he sends 
off will be graded as all his butter has always 
graded—near the bottom. There is more iu 
the man than there is in the land—or the 
cattle. 
In Massachusetts the Democrats have nom¬ 
inated two farmers for Congress, and very- 
popular farmers coo. Russell, Secretary of the 
Board of Agriculture, nud Burnett, President 
af Bay State Agr. Society, whose recent fair 
was such a success. Will the farmers of the 
other party vote for them ! It seems to me 
that it is about time for us to throw off the 
party harness, and put our votes where they 
will do the most good for the people. As long 
as the leaders feel sure of us, they will do just 
ns they please, and mauy of them are very 
well pleased to sell their votes to the corpora- 
tious which treat all the farmers' demands 
with scorn. Something has got to lie done to 
break the power of our big monopolies. The 
Rural's heal is mighty level ou this subject. 
Now is the time for the young farmers to 
start up that farmers’ club. Lot the boys go 
ahead, elect their officers, aud invite the old 
men iu. Invite your mothers and sisters, too, 
and make the invitation strong enough to se¬ 
cure their attendance. Let the subjects for 
discussion at each meeting be so varied as to 
have some interest for all. Don’t wait for the 
old men to lead off—let it be a young farmers’ 
institution, aud push it ou with all your youth¬ 
ful vigor. Elect your most enterprising mem- 
bor as president, with the one with the best 
literary gift as secretary. The local paper 
will be glad to print his reports of the meetings. 
A good jokist is a valuable member, and such 
often puts shrewd thoughts iu the most effect¬ 
ive way. The farmers' club is an agricultural 
college that is open to alL 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
Free and Sectarian Schools in Texas.— 
Of all the aids to civilization, free schools are 
hardest to start in this country. The major¬ 
ity- of the people object to being taxed for the 
purpose of educating the uegroes. The Cath¬ 
olic Church here is a great drawback to free 
education, as it is more iu favor of parochial 
schools. The Baptists aud Methodists have 
each built fine brick buildings for the educa¬ 
tion of colored people. The schools are well 
patronized and conducted. These sectarian 
schools do not encourage the public school 
system as they might, because they are not 
entitled to any benefit from th • large school 
fund. A proposition to lay a tax of one- 
fourth of one per cent, on all the taxable 
property in the city for school purposes is sub¬ 
mitted to the people, but cannot be carried. 
Marshall, Texas. a. g. n. 
Dress Becomingly.—A man rode down on 
the cars with me the other day who has money 
enough in bank to support him for the rest of 
his life without doing a stroke of work. He 
always complains that when he goes among 
business men he can’t command the attention 
that other farmers do He thinks people make 
fun of him because he is a farmer. He had 
on an old hat with a broken rim aud a quarter 
of an inch of dust in the wrinkles. His shirt 
collar had no starch in it, and he wore an old- 
fashioned stock. One leg of his pants yvas rolled 
up far above his shoe. He had not cleaned 
his.shoes since coming in from the stable. No 
wonder he didn't get the respect he thought 
he ought to have. At a cost of 15 he could 
have given himself the appearance of a good 
pusiuess farmer. Nobody expects a farmer to 
but on a “stovepipe” hat or kid gloves when 
he goes out on business, but he can at least 
look respectable. h. a. j. 
Orange Co., N. Y. 
We can sell our calves at $12 when a month 
old. Yearling heifera, common stock, sell at 
about the same price. According to these fig¬ 
ures it will not pay to raise a calf unless it is 
extra good. We are pretty- safe in patroniz¬ 
ing a good bull, however, for even if the calf is 
a bull yve can sell it for enough to pay for the 
service, if it is a hoifer we cau afford, to raise it. 
Bergen Co., N. J. v. h. 
farm 0c.cm.omij. 
A CONVENIENT PRIVY. 
When we |moved ou our farm three years 
ago (for we were city born and bred), our 
privy was a constant offense to us: for we had 
been used to the clean and convenient water- 
closet. It was situated quite a distance from 
the house: but in the most prominent position, 
with the entrance exactly- facing the road. 
Right adjoining our kitchen piazza I had a 
sting little closet built, so that wo had uo need 
to step off the stoop. I procured two common 
pails, and had one placed on a shelf direeth¬ 
under the seat. Then there was a little door 
opening from the outside through which the 
pail could lie removed, which is doue daily, 
oftener if my family is large enough to make 
it necessary. Iu front of the seat there is a 
step made of a box, yvith a hinged lid, and it 
is filled daily with the ashes sifted from the 
kitchen range, and a small fire shovel bangs 
beside it. Every morning the pail is taken 
out. and its contents are carried to the manure 
pit, aud the empty oue, which has been airiug 
from the day before, is put in its place. 
We think we have Solved the problem, for 
the ashes keep doyvu all unpleasant odors. We 
have a good earth closet, and it costs us 
nothing but a little time, for we built it out 
of the old privy—and it is a comfort never to 
have to step out of doors iu stormy weather or 
at night. an old subscriber. 
[R. N.-Y.—We presume coal ashes are 
meant. Wood ashes w ou Id not a mover so well, 
and there are other uses to whieh they could 
be profitably put. Road dust, or dry sand or 
muck will answer admirably and cost nothing 
but the labor to secure them. This matter of 
farm sanitation is a most important one.] 
CHEAP SHED. 
The shed shoyvn at Fig. 415 is usually made 
of poles in this country; but can be just as 
easily made of sawed timbers. It can be of 
any length, but should not be more than 30 
feet wide for a double shed, or half as wide 
for a single shed. It consists of three rows of 
posts tyvo or more feet in the ground, five to 
seven feet apart, The middle row should be 
enough higher than the others to give sufficient 
pitch. Each row should have a strong plate 
4x4 or 4x0. No cross-ties are needed, except 
at the ends to receive the sidings. Rafters 
pass each other on the ridge pole and are fast¬ 
ened together by pins, as our grandfathers 
fastened theirs. They should also be spiked 
Cheap Shed. Fig. 415. 
to plates. The top can be sheathed and shin¬ 
gled or covered with hay or straw and weight¬ 
ed down. Framed barns are made in this 
country on the same plan. All cross-ties and 
beams are done away yvith, which makes them 
much more convenient for hay barns. 
Corneau, Mo. geo. w. f. 
CHEAP ROOT CELLAR. 
I made a cellar as shown at Fig. 416. 
Nothing freezes in it even when the mercury 
touches 30° beloyv. I dug a hole in the ground 
about four feet deep, and then put in a frame 
with 1 ,-inch lumber perpendicularly around 
it. and banked it up with the earth I took out. 
I put in joists yvith a floor 10 inches below the 
earth banked around it. and filled in the 10 
inches with sawdust, laid a row of tile drain 
Cheap Root Cellar. Fig. 416. 
just outside the heavy plank and put 2x4 
scantling on the ground ou which to lay a 
floor. This I find better and cheaper than 
having a cellar under the house or above 
ground yvith double yvalls filled in with saw¬ 
dust. Rock or brick walls would be better 
yet, if one could find the materials handy. 
Hancock Co., Ind. a. h. b 
barrel press. 
G. W. Pelton & Sons of Sauk Co., TV is., 
have iu use the arrangement shown at Fig. 
414. Two pieces of strap-iron two inches wide 
ami 40 inches long, are fastened by screws ou 
to a 0x3 oak joist 20 inches long. " The straps 
are bent at the bottom of the barrel, as 
shown in the cut. ami fastened both at the 
Barrel Press. Fig. 414. 
end and top of the joist. A screw is placed 
in the center of the j list. This plays upon a 
folloyver eight inches wide and long enough to 
go across the head of the barrel. Fill the 
barrel full, place the heads in position yvith 
the folloyver crosswise of the heads; adjust 
the screw and press the head into place. 
