I 
8i4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NOV. 29 
Young Rams For Breeding. 
Phil Thrifton, Sangamon County, III. 
—Experience at Haw Hill in the use of 
ram lambs for service the first autumn of 
their lives is quite limited. Iu the fall of 
1884 I used the South Down ram lamb Caz 
ique 916, dropped March 16th of that year. 
He was a large, vigorous lamb, and was 
used with 12 ewes. His lambs came good 
and strong in the spring of 1885. Four of 
the ewes had twins, and two had no pro¬ 
duce at all. Before the ewes went on grass 
they had lost six lambs. The round-up of 
the season showed that nine lambs were 
raised from the 12 ewes. I still have in the 
flock three ewes of that year sired by Caz- 
ique, and they are good ones. This was the 
only time I have ever used a lamb as a 
breeder. Acting on the advice of more ex¬ 
perienced breeders I have been careful to 
use yearlings or two-year-olds. I sell ram 
lambs to parties who prefer to buy them, 
but do not recommend them, except for 
quite limited use. It is better to winter 
them, as their fleeces will pay for their keep, 
and when yearlings they show their worth 
much better, and can be sold with greater 
confidence of giving satisfaction, besides 
bringing nearly double the prices they 
would bring when lambs. Though it may 
not be advisable to use ram lambs as breed¬ 
ers in the fall, It may be well enough to 
select and buy some at that time, if one is 
prepared to take care of them until needed 
the following year. The difference In price 
and the opportunity for better selection 
more than counterbalance the care and 
keep for a year. On the other hand, the 
risk of loss from death must be taken into 
account. It has been said that a sheep is 
more liable to disease and death during the 
first 18 months of its life than during the 
three or four years following. Two great 
causes of this are parasites and constipa¬ 
tion. I aim to avoid the latter by feeding 
bran and corn fodder in winter, allowing 
the young as well as the old sheep to go to 
the pastures in fair weather, and when they 
are in the barn feeding them with turnips 
or ruta-bagas. These, however, are not 
often raised here, yet I think it would 
pay well to grow them as winter food for 
sheep. Clover hay is much better for sheep 
than Timothy. The latter is believed to be 
very constipating as a sheep food. 
Handling Cows for Business. 
H. A. S., Kent, O.—About the middle 
of August we begin to cut ensilage corn, 
and feed all the cows will eat and turn 
them out on pasture by day and night, 
until cold or stormy weather arrives, after 
which they are stabled; but we feed no more 
grain. This year has been an exception. 
As the season has been late, and the corn 
immature, I have fed about two pounds of 
wheat bran per day to each cow. I shall 
now increase the quantity of feed to six or 
eight pounds, my usual winter ration, 
which will consist of two-thirds wheat 
bran and one-third middlings mixed. This 
with the unhusked corn cut into the pit 
with the ensilage, will in my estimation 
make a well-balanced ration. Milch cows 
in winter are very sensitive to changes of 
temperature and require constant care. At 
that season my cows are watered in the 
stable from a well in the basement of the 
barn and turned out every day in the yard, 
where they have access to a vat of pure 
spring water. They are left out from one 
to three or four hours, according to the 
nature of the weather. I aim to obtain 
nearly the same quantity of milk per day 
throughout the entire year ; therefore I 
have fresh cows every month and also more 
or less dry cows all the time. 
Another “Dolly” In New York 
State. 
A Horse Lover, New York.— That ar¬ 
ticle on Dolly and Billy alone is worth the 
subscription price of The Rural. We 
have the counterpart of “Dolly” even in 
name, except that our Dolly prefers her 
“greens” uncooked. She is 19 years old, 
has always been fairly well used both by 
owner and hirelings, is sound and, at times, 
as playful as a colt. If she has not reason¬ 
ing powers, no more have I, whatever 
scientists may say about the reasoning fac¬ 
ulties of the “lower creation.” Dolly is 
part of our family of nine, four humans 
and five horses. She will live and die with 
us, as have all her predecessors. I call it 
wicked to send these dumb friends away 
from their old homes just when they most 
need care and protection. It one cannot 
afford the space or expense for keeping old 
horses till they die a natural death, in 
mercy shoot them, and be sure the first 
shot kills. If you have not read “Black 
Beauty,” please do so at once. 
That Connecticut farmer must be daft 
who does not believe it “ within the province 
of agricultural papers to discuss the tariff.” 
How true it is that “ thousands of farmers 
who take agricultural papers, take no other 
save the local papers wherein discussions 
of the tariff are generally scant, crude, and 
biased by party prejudices.” If The 
Rural only had more space for the subject 
or thought it “ best ” to explain more 
about politics, how glad “ we ” would be. 
R. N.-Y.—We hardly like to draw the 
line at the horses in making up the family. 
Our Jersey cow, Flossie, is nervous and apt 
to kick up her heels and run when we 
want to catch her ; but, for all that, she is 
“one of the family” and her milk, cream 
and butter are so good that we can well ex¬ 
cuse her high spirits. As for old “Jim,” 
the big dog, “Lump,” the white cat, the 
little Bantam hen ; in fact, all the animals, 
we should miss them more than we like to 
say if they left us. 
Some Canadian Apple Notes. 
R. B., Montreal, Canada —Apples have 
been a medium crop, but prices being high, 
the returns have been heavier than they 
would have been from a plentiful crop at 
low prices. I had about 500 barrels of first 
and second-class fruit, principallyF'ameuse. 
I generally sell early because I superintend 
the packing myself, while a man delivers 
the fruit to a reliable commission man in the 
city. By always selling the second class 
first, I get 50 cents more per barrel than if 
I sold them later, when the rush comes on. 
I am surprised that Dr. Hoskins omits the 
Golden White in his list of Russian and 
iron clad apples. It took the first prize as 
the best new Russian at our horticultural 
show in competition with several other 
Russians. 
A railway passes through the end of one 
of my orchards and 40 trains a day pass 
in and out. The apples in that end of the 
orchard are not spotted nearly so badly as in 
other parts of it away from the railway. I 
attribute this to the abundance of coal 
smoke from the engines; for that part of 
the road being a grade, the engines puff a 
good deal of smoke. There is a small orch¬ 
ard in the suburbs of the city surrounded 
by factories and railways; the apples there 
have been free from spot, when ours, a 
mile farther away, were completely cov¬ 
ered. Have any readers of The R. N.-Y. 
had a like experience ? 
I spent a very interesting and profitable 
time, with some experts in the fruit line, 
examining and testing some of Prof. 
Saunders’s seedling raspberries and small 
fruits at the experiment farm at Ottawa. 
Some of the raspberries excelled the old 
standard sorts, like the Turner, Cuthbert, 
Souhegan, Gregg, etc., alike in size, earli¬ 
ness and marketable appearance and were as 
good in quality. They were a surprise to 
the whole of us and will be an acquisition 
when distributed to the public. 
Express Companies and Lottery 
Tickets. 
moral objection could be raised. Moreover, 
it is not improbable that the United States 
Supreme Court would declare any such 
law unconstitutional. Under the clmse in 
the National Constitution conferring on 
Congress the power of establishing post 
offices and post roads it can undoubtedly 
legislate with regard to the United States 
mail service, because the power to establish 
implies the power to regulate ; but under 
what clause of the Constitution can it in¬ 
terfere with the express companies iu this 
particular matter? Under the Interstate 
Commerce clause ? Well, perhaps. It ap¬ 
pears, however, to be a case in which State 
would be more effective than Federal legis¬ 
lation. Dozens of obscene papers are pub¬ 
lished which are denied admission to the 
mails ; yet they are distributed about the 
country. How ? By express or freight in 
large packages. Yes, your friend with his 
beer kegs could have been arrested; he 
violated a State law. The legal history of 
our country is full of instances where the 
poor and feeble have been punished, while 
the rich and powerful have escaped. As 
The R. N.-Y has often stated, it is to be 
hoped that the express companies will soon 
be brought to book and forced to obey the 
law. 
Professional Tree Pruners. 
I. T. Blackwell, Mercer County, N. J. 
—As this is about the time when these part¬ 
ies are around. I would remark that in my 
opinion they usually do much damage to 
the fruit trees they get a chance at. I know 
of one young orchard in which the “ pro¬ 
fessional” had full sway ; it was just com¬ 
mencing to bear. I have not seen it for some 
years, but I am oubtful if it ever will re¬ 
cover from the cutting it received. Nothing 
was left except the trunks, four or five feet 
high, with a few limbs trimmed of all 
branches almost to the extreme ends. I 
know the orchard has borne no fruit for 
years. How could it, as all the bearing 
wood had been cut away, while the bare 
limbs and trunks of the trees were good 
places for the Flatheaded Borer? Accord¬ 
ing to my experience this pest generally 
works on the sunny side of the tree, being 
rarely found in the shade. Now, naturally 
a fruit or any other tree where it has room, 
develops the limbs near the ground, and a 
tree in health is so well protected by leaves 
that the sunlight seldom strikes limb or 
body, and we find this provision of Nature 
present in the forest, for if a tree is crowded 
on all sides but one, out come protecting 
limbs to shade the trunk. I am of the 
opinion that a tree, whether fruit or orna¬ 
mental, naturally needs no trimming, if it 
has plenty of room, and is not interfered 
with in any way ; but transplanted trees 
are in an artificial condition ; they are cut 
back more or less and in most cases are left 
with too many limbs when set in the 
orchard. Mr. Hale has spoken well on the 
peach tree, and what is true of the peach, 
is equally applicable to the pear and apple 
It is not long bodies and longer limbs that 
we want on our trees ; a neat, compact tree 
(Continued on next page.) 
Pi$ccUnncou.$ §Uvcvti.$ing. 
Always name The R. N.-Y. in writing tc 
advertisers. 
BEECH AMS PILLS 
cure SiCK HEADACHE. 
£25 Cents a Box. 
OB’ ALL DRUGGISTS. 
AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION 
AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. 
DAIRY COURSE LASTS 12 WEEKS. 
SHORT COURSE LASTS 12 WEEKS. 
MIDDLE COURSE LASTS TWO YEARS. 
LONG COURSE LASTS FOUR YEAR 
The first three courses begin .Tantiary 5,189!. Ex- 
oenses light. A large corps of lrstructors and ample 
facilities. Write for circulars, wheth* r you think of 
attending or not, to Prok F. H. KING. Madison. Wis. 
For Information about the other University depart¬ 
ments write to T. C. CHAM BERLIN, President. 
DIAMOND 
Our $10 and $25 Engagement 
Rings are the largest and tlnest 
gems ever offere i. Onr.celpt 
of price we will send one to any address an 1 
guarantee perfect satisfaction or refund the 
mouey at once. We have other rings for $20, $-r>, 
•so, ur>, runiftcuciiT $ "" *1». 
S fa CnuAUENltnT ta, 8 X: 
including Rubles, Sapphires, Pearls. Opals, Emer¬ 
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line Jewelry. Watches of every k ind I 
and price. Our Art Room is filled | 
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J. H. JOHNSTON & CO., IT Union Square, New York. 
Established 1214. 
c*' i j i lime 
RINGS. 
NEW KODAKS 
Seven \ew 
Styles and 
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all loaded with 
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we do the rest." 
For tale by all 
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Dealers. 
THE EASTMAN COMPANY, ROCHESTER, II, l 
Send for Catalogue. 
P RACTICAL HINTS 
TO BUILDERS. 
100 pages, 48 illustrations, 20 short chapters on the 
kitchen, chimneys, el-terns, foundation, btlck work, 
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many items of interest to builders. 
Over 100,000 copies of ti ls little book have been sold 
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We now propose to put it lino the bands of those 
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THE NATIONAL SHEET METAL HOOFING CO., 
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Buckeye Wrought Iron Punched BsW Feast 
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A. M. T., Gordon, Nebraska.— In The 
R. N.-Y of October 25 we are told that the 
Lottery Bill has done good only in a meas¬ 
ure, by keeping the lottery out of the mails 
and giving the business to express com¬ 
panies. In this connection here is an Inci¬ 
dent that came under my observation. In 
1884 I paid a visit to my uncle in Dakota. 
I had to walk about 30 miles to get to the 
train, and on the road I was overtaken by 
a man who had a lot of empty beer kegs in 
his wagon. He offered me a ride and I ac¬ 
cepted the offer, and asked him if he wasn’t 
afraid of the law’s clutches for carrying 
those kegs. “ Yes,” he said, “ it’s a danger¬ 
ous business; I won’t haul any more.” 
Well, if he could be arrested for carrying 
unlawful goods why can’t the managers of 
an express company be arrested and made 
to pay a penalty for carrying unlawful 
commodities ? 
R.N.-Y.—Uncle Sam controls the mails, 
while the express companies are controlled 
by private individuals or corporations. Ac 
cording to law, Uncle Sam can regulate his 
own business, but he cannot touch the 
rights of others. Congress may, however, 
yet pass a law prohibiting express com¬ 
panies and other public carriers from en¬ 
gaging in the lottery business; but it 
would be pretty difficult to so formulate 
such a law that it would be binding iu this 
particular case, while allowing the carriers 
full liberty in others, against which no 
CAtARRh 
Is a constitutional and not a local 'disease, and there¬ 
fore it cannot be cured by local applications. It re¬ 
quires a Constitutional remedy like Hood’s Sarsapar¬ 
illa, which working through the blood, eradicates 
the impurity which causes and promotes the dl-caso. 
and effects a permanent cure. Thousands of p ople 
testify to the success of Hood’s Sarsaparilla as tv 
remedy for catarrh when other prepar >ttons had 
failed. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Sold by all ''rugulsts. $1: six fo- »5. Prepared on'y 
by C. I. HOOD & CO., Apothecaries, Lowell, Mass. 
IOO Doses One Dollar 
Highly concentrated. Dose small. In quantity costs 
loss than one-tenth cent a day per hen. Prevents and 
cures all diseases. If you can’t get it, we send by mail 
post-paid, One pack. 25e. Five $1. 2 1-1 lb. can $1.20; 
8 cans 85. Express paid. Testimonials free. Send stamps or 
cash. Farmers’ Poultry Guido (price 25e.) free with $1.00 
Orders or more. I. S. JOHNSON & CO., Boston, Mass. 
Piso’s Remedy for Catarrh is the 
Best, Easiest to Use, and Cheapest. 
Sold by druggists or sent by nm.lL 
50c. E. T. Hazeltine, Warren, l 
illustrated 
Catalogue 
free. 
3 I 2 NS 35 . 
Sent on trial. Freight paid. 
Other sizes proportionately 
low. Fully Warranted 
OSGOOD & THOMPSON, Binghamton, N.Y. 
DOUBLE 
Breech-Loader 
$ 7„75. 
RIFLE S FA00 
PISTOLS 75c 
WATCHtS, CLOCKS, Etc. 
Alt iw.Ldrf cheaper than 
elsewhere. Before you 
buy, send stamp for 
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ISO Main Street, 
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and Canada. Illustrated edition of 1852. Sent post¬ 
paid for 35 cents. 
G. YV. FISHER. Box 2S8, Rochester,NewYork, 
