1883. j 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
44T 
foot, however, he easily leaves the ordinary 
dog far in the rear. But the long-limbed 
greyhound is a match for him; only Mr. Greyhound 
cannot turn a corner, or wheel about as quickly as Mr. 
Jack, and herein lies the latter’s security and hope 
of escape. Away they go over the plains, rabbit 
and dog, when the former is started—the latter steadily 
gaining upon the former. Seen from your horse, 
he is apparently just about to spring upon the 
unfortunate rabbit, when presto ! the pursued has sud¬ 
denly turned square about. The pursuer in endeavoring 
to execute a similar flank movement, lands on his head, 
and over he goes pell-mell. Before he is able to gather 
himself up and renew the pursuit, the rabbit has gained 
many lengths upon him, and as Jack comes towards you, 
and passes swiftly by to renew the double-back action, 
the greyhound runs madly after him, though looking 
considerably crestfallen. You ride about from point to 
point on your horse watching the sport, and if you are 
not overcome with laughter, it is because yon have little 
appreciation of the ridiculous. I have seen two or three 
companions actually dismount, in order to rest them¬ 
selves after their protracted laughter. 
Tlie Solitary Sentinel.— Far away on the prai¬ 
rie, and sometimes close by, perched on a lonely butte or 
ragged cliff, a very large bird of the vulture species is 
seen from the railway train. As the hunter pushes on 
in quest of game through the “bad lands;” he will often 
come upon the same bird crouched down by one of the 
diminutive alkaline streams which imparts such a sickly 
appearance to the already sickly looking locality. This 
lonely bird almost gives a “ lonesome ” feeling to one 
looking at him. Perhaps for miles around, there is not 
another winged thing. He sits and looks “The Mon¬ 
arch of the Prairie Seas.” You are instinctively im¬ 
pelled to draw a head upon him from the rear platform 
of the car. The bullet falls short of its mark. The bird 
slowly rises, looks back contemptously at you, and 
soars away. 
Breeding Norman Horses in Colorado. 
—Sharing half of my car seat one afternoon, was a 
pleasant young gentlemen coming from Colorado, to 
take back a drove of half-breed Norman mares. He had 
been a civil engineer in Wisconsin,and had gone to North 
Park, Colorado, to study the country and improve his 
health. There are now about twenty-five thousand cattle 
in North Park, but owing to the wall of mountains, good 
pasture and plenty of water, it is specially well adap¬ 
ted for raising horses. He proposes to take back one 
hundred half-breed mares with him from Illinois and 
turn them out in the Park among the cattle for six 
months time. These mares, mainly from the imported 
Norman stock of M. W. Dunham, near Chicago, Illi¬ 
nois, will cost about one hundred and fifty dollars each. 
He intends to drive them as far as the Missouri River, 
ship them by rail from Omaha to Laramie, and then 
drive them down again from Laramie to North 
Park. Owing to the needs of the Western country, 
there is an active demand for heavy Norman 
draft horses in Colorado, Wyoming, Dakota, and 
Montana. They command good prices, and the 
probabilities are that many of the young gentlemen, 
university graduates, who have gone to the far West to 
raise cattle, will now be tempted by the profits of horse 
raising. There is an abundance of ranche room for this 
purpose, and the hardships attending the raising of 
horses are less than those heretofore experienced by 
cattle raisers. 
Absorbing the Cattle Ranches.— One after 
another individual cattle ranches of Colorado, Dakota, 
and Wyoming, are being absorbed by large companies. 
Vast sums have been invested by Englishmen in these 
companies. An acquaintance who, during two trips, 
rode with us through Wyoming, not long ago sold 
his cattle and his ranche on the “ Sweet Water ” to 
an English party for one hundred thousand dollars cash. 
This acquaintance, Tim Foley by name, has since in¬ 
vested this one hundred thousand dollars in and 
around Leadville, Colorado, and is now worth five 
hundred thousand dollars. 
The American Agriculturist in the 
West.— During the various trips I have made for years 
through the West, I have everywhere, from Manitoba on 
the north to New Mexico on the south, and Utah on the 
west, found the American Agriculturist or old subscrib¬ 
ers from the Eastern and Middle States. Indeed the 
name of the paper is familiar to almost every man, 
woman and child beyond the Missouri. Our tens of thous¬ 
ands of subscribers who, on the recommendation of the 
paper, have in past years removed to the West, will now 
he gratified to learn that in the future, the American 
Agriculturist is to give very much more attention, and 
devote much more space to the great needs and wants of 
the great West. D. W. J. 
The Premiums we offer elsewhere to those who 
aid us in swelling the roll of our subscribers, make the 
most complete and desirable list ever presented. The 
different articles have been selected with great care, and 
will meet the wants and wishes of all classes and all 
ages. Write us for any additional information desired 
regarding any of the Premiums described. 
Crop Statistics. 
France grew, during the year 1883, three hundred and 
forty-six million six hundred and seventy-one thousand 
bushels of wheat. The prelimiuary estimates for this 
year are only two hundred and eighty-three million eight 
hundred thousand bushels, a decrease of sixty-three 
million bushels. Great Britain will also have a poorer 
wheat crop, but has unusually large reserves accumu¬ 
lated. The average price of wheat in the interior markets 
of England has been, for ten years past, forty-eight 
shillings and three pence per quarter (eight bush¬ 
els), or just about one dollar and a half of our currency. 
Al present it is forty-two shillings and five pence, or 
about one dollar and twenty-seven cents per bushel. Our 
exports of breadstuffs for a year past have exceeded those 
of the previous year by nearly thirty million dollars. 
Om* Unornioiis Crops.—Still In¬ 
creasing.—No wonder that it is yearly becoming 
more evident to all classes, that the prosperity of our 
country, of its trade, manufactures, railways, etc., is 
dependent upon what the farmers are doing. Take two 
crops for seven years in round numbers ; 
Wheat, bushels. 
1877.. 365,01)0,000 
187 s . 420 000,000 
1879 . 459,000,000 
18'0. 498,000,000 
1881 . 385,000,000 
1882 . 505,000,000 
1883 . 425,000,000? 
Corn, bushels. 
1.345,000,000 
1,388.000,000 
1,754,000,000 
1,717,000,1 00 
1,194,1100.000 
1,617.000,000 
1,750,000,000? 
Total.3,057,000,000 10,765,000,000 
Total of 13,822,000,000. 
This is over two hundred and seventy-six bushels of 
corn and wheat for every man, woman, and child, of 
fifty million inhabitants. Only a small part of this is 
consumed by the producers ; the rest is transported on 
our railways and canals to other parts of the country, 
and much goes to foreign lands. The millions and bil¬ 
lions of dollars paid for it at home and abroad supply a 
large part of the money circulating through all channels 
of trade and manufacture. Only half a dozen years ago 
we raised three hundred and sixty-five million bushels 
of wheat (a million bushels for each day in the year); 
and we are now averaging nearly forty per cent more. 
The forage crop (hay and pasturage) of the country is 
of much greater value than any other crop, not except¬ 
ing wheat, corn, or cotton. 
The Corn drop ol' 18S8.—The average 
yield of corn is four to four and a half times as 
many bushels as we grow of wheat, and a bushel of 
corn contains nearly as much nutriment as one of wheat, 
whether used directly as human food, or indirectly in 
producing pork and beef. The Census crop was sixty- 
two million three hundred and sixty-eight thousand 
eight liundr^l and sixty-nine acres; the yield, one bil¬ 
lion seven hundred and fifty-four million eight hundred 
and sixty-one thousand five hundred and thirty-five 
bushels, averaging twenty-seven and one-tenth bushels 
per acre. Six States produced nearly two-thirds of the 
entire crop, viz., first in amount, Illinois (thirty-six 
bushels per acre); next, Iowa (forty-one and a half); 
Missouri (thirty-six and a quarter); Indiana (thirty-one 
and two-fifths); Ohio (thirty-four); and Kansas (thirty- 
one). Of these, Kansas reported to the Census three 
million four hundred and seventeen thousand eight 
hundred and seventeen acres in corn, and one hundred 
and five million two hundred and seventy-nine thousand 
three hundred and twenty-five bushels. Now this State 
has four million six hundred and fifty-one thousand and 
forty-two acres in corn, with the crop in about as good 
condition as last year, when one hundred and sixty mil¬ 
lions bushels were taken from an area four per cent less. 
The South has since largely increased its corn area. 
The latest estimates give the area for 1883 at sixty-eight 
million acres, an increase of eight and one-third per 
cent over the Census year. The same average yield per 
acre would give us for 1833 a crop of one billion nine 
hundred million bushels. Owing to the late spring, 
this amount will hardly be reached; but as there has 
been a constant improvement for many weeks past, up 
to the closing of this report, including especially the 
leading corn States named above, we have now a fair 
prospect for over one billion seven hundred and fifty 
million bushels, if fair weather continues up to the ma¬ 
turity of the crop in the chief corn-producing regions. 
Answers to Subscribers. 
G. IF. Benfer , New Berlin, Pa.—See American Agriculture 
ist of March, 1879, for descriptions of tide-gates for the; 
mouths of drains or ditches which discharge into bays. 
A. H., Denver, Colorado.—You and all other subscribers 
are invited to send us full information respecting any 
schemes coming to your notice, for defrauding the unsus¬ 
pecting. 
A. Williams, Islip, New York.—Three years ago the Leg- 
islature passed an act extending the time for shooting 
woodcock in New York State, from July until August. 
The act was vetoed by Governor Cornell. 
J. Woost, Adrian, Mich.—Most of the railroads have sold 
the farm lauds in their laud grants. Write to Mr. L. Burn¬ 
ham, of Omaha, for information regarding grazing lands, 
along the Union Pacific Railroad, west of Columbus. 
Mrs. II. J. R„ Lockport, N. Y.—Neodesha, Kansas, has 
not yet paid her bonds, so long over-due. Such acts of bad 
faith bring discredit on an entire region, which may not be 
to blame for the act of one community. 
E. Oliphant, Burlington Co., N. J.—Your grass is Era - 
grostis poiroiO.es, which does not appear to have any com¬ 
mon name. Though very showy, it is worthless for pasture, 
or for hay. It has a sharp, disagreeable odor. 
W. JET., Kalamazoo, Mich.—There is still room for estab¬ 
lishing cattle ranches in the Western and North-western 
Territory. You should, however, not think of going into 
the business unless you are liberally supplied with capital- 
Mr. IF. U. Steacy, Tampa, Fla.—The pruning shears il¬ 
lustrated in American Agriculturist tor March, 1882, may 
be obtained of Messrs. Thorburn & Co., Seedsmen, 15 John 
Street, New York, and possibly of other dealers in garden, 
implements. 
IF. IF, Yonkers, New York.—Mr. D. D. T. Moore is not: 
dead. He is now writing agricultural articles for a Phila¬ 
delphia paper. His large circle of former readers hope 
that he will secure the renewed success which his pluck, 
and energy entitle him to. 
John Williams, Bangor, Maine.—The “ Inter-Ocean,” pub¬ 
lished at Chicago, Ill., is a capital paper for information 
regarding all the West and North-west. It is Clubbed with 
the American Agriculturist, as will be seen by reference to. 
another part of this paper. 
Mr. W. M. Bachert, Tamanend, Penn.—If at any time 
you experience delay or difficulty in getting the American 
Agriculturist, write immediately to the President or Sec¬ 
retary of the Company publishing it. Either one of these 
officers will see that your communication receives immedi¬ 
ate attention. 
“Farmer," Altoona, Pa.—The yield per acre of beans.-, 
varies so greatly, that it is difficult to say what is the. 
“average” of the whole crop. From twenty to thirty 
bushels is, perhaps, the usual yield, but under favorable 
conditions, as much as forty bushels have been harvested, 
from an acre. 
Dr. Peter Pryne, Herkimer, N. Y., writes us that he has 
three thousand celery plants attacked with rust, and asks 
for a remedy. We recommend the use of Flowers of Sul¬ 
phur. This has proved effective with the grape mildew, and 
may save the celery. The sulphur may be dusted on, or 
blown upon the plants with a bellows. 
M. C. Goodsill, Steele, Dak.—The conditions for success¬ 
ful cranberry culture are: a bog which can be drained for 
at least eighteen inches below the general surface, and a 
supply of water that will allow you to flow it, so as to cover 
the vines with several inches of water at will. Unless these 
conditions are present, you cannot establish a cranberry 
plantation with strong probability of success. 
C.M.L.Mieman, Lancaster, O.,writes us with reference to 
an article in the American Agriculturist on early apples, that 
the most popular early variety in his locality is the “ Kin' 
kead.” It is supposed to have originated in Plainfield Co., O- 
Ripening from the middle of August to early September, it 
has size, beauty, and every other good quality to make it a. 
favorite market fruit. 
James Backhouse, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.—Ber¬ 
muda Grass is a perennial, and a most persistent one, and. 
would, we think, resist the encroachments of your Hawk- 
weed and all other weeds. This grass ( Cynodon Dactylon ) 
is very widely distributed ; it is found in several Australian 
colonies, and is probably already on your island. It does; 
not produce seed in this country, though our seedsmen 
sometimes offer that produced abroad. 
Dr. A. Liautard, who is at the head of the Veterinary 
College of New York City, has just gone abroad as a dele¬ 
gate from the U. S. Veterinary Medical Association, to the 
Fifth International Veterinary Congress, held at Bremen,, 
in September. Whatever of interest to the readers of the 
American Agriculturist occurs at the Congress, will be 
at once communicated to them by Dr. Liautard. 
James M. Wade, Poston, Mass.—The difference in the 
sizes of the shorn and unshorn Alpaca, illustrated in the 
September American Agriculturist, was entirely due to the 
different scale on which the drawings were made, the artist 
desiring to make a pictorial, not a mathematical represen¬ 
tation of the animal. The ears of the sheep are erect, and 
about as large as a horse’s, but are hidden by the wool, 
which covers the skull thickly, and Is not shown with tha 
rest of the animal. 
