330 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[September, 
'WolftTeetla £ia Morses.—W. D. Harry, 
Rockwood, Ill., asks, Wliat is the truth about wolf-teeth 
in horses—do horses go blind if they are not removed f 
—There are some well-authenticated cases of relief to tho 
eyes of horses having followed the drawing of what are 
called the wolf-teeth, but it is very doubtful that the teeth 
caused the trouble. They may have indirectly been the 
occasion of inflammation, and no barm can follow their 
removal, if not occurring naturally, when the horse is 
fivo years old. That they produce blindness is an error. 
TTlassf B'raiia-W:isla.— If we were desirous 
that any writing of ours should live, we would put down 
something thoroughly absurd and nonsensical, for then 
we should be sure that it would be quoted every few 
years. An absurd tree-wash has a vitality that almost 
appi-oaches immortality. The Country Gentleman has it 
this time through a correspondent. Tiie wash is made 
by heating sal-soda until it becomes a dry powder, and 
then dissolving it in water. Will the Country Gentle¬ 
man., or any one else, please tell us what is the use of 
heating the sal-soda before dissolving ? If a wash of 
sal-soda is desirable—and we do not doubt its utility— 
why heat it first? The merest novice in chemistry 
knows that all the heating to which we can possibly sub¬ 
ject sal-soda (carbonate of soda) will drive off nothing 
but water, which is immediately restored when a solu¬ 
tion is made. Caustic soda can not, like causHc l : me, be 
made from the carbonate by any amount of heat. Then 
why publish such nonsense ? 
The Horthern Pacific Railroad. 
This is one of the grand enterprises of our day, of so 
great interest not only to every American citizen, hut to 
many millions in Europe, that it is worthy of the fre¬ 
quent attention of the press, and of the careful study of 
every one who would be up with the times. Let the 
reader open a map of the United States, and follow its 
general line from Lake Superior westward through Min¬ 
nesota, 252 miles (completed) from Duluth, on Lake Supe¬ 
rior, to the Red River; thence 200 miles through Dakota 
to tho Missouri River, near the entrance of the James 
River, where it meets the fleet of thirty or more steam¬ 
boats already plying the thousand miles of navigable 
waters of the Missouri above, up to Port Benton in Mon¬ 
tana, which is less than 400 miles from the constant 
steam navigation of the Columbia River in Oregon. The 
ears, now running from Duluth west of the Red River, 
will nest month reach the Missouri. Prom this point 
the lino extends westward, 226 miles, to the crossing of 
the famous Yellowstone River in Montana, and thence 
on through an easy pass in the Rocky Mountains to Puget 
Sound on the Pacific, where track-laying, eastward has 
already begun, with G3 miles about completed. We shall 
therefore have in October 517 miles of the road in opera¬ 
tion, or an average of about a mile a day since the work 
began, despite ail the preliminary examinations, surveys, 
gathering of materials, and other preparations. The 
track-laying is now approaching the Missouri at the rate 
of two miles a day or more. So much for the progress 
of the work, which will undoubtedly be carried on with 
all rapidity consistent with due economy. 
In looking at tho country traversed by the Northern 
Pacific Railroad, one must remember that tiie isothermal 
line (the line of equal temperatures) does not run with 
latitudinal lines—that is, directly east and west. Paris, 
in Prance, with the climate of Philadelphia, is about 200 
miles further north than Montreal in Canada; while 
London is 15°, or a thousand miles, further north than 
New York, though subject to less of cold weather. The 
isothermal line running westward bends northward so 
much that Dakota and Montana are warmer than the 
northern New England States, while Washington Terri¬ 
tory averages in temperature about tho same as New 
York State, we believe. 
The vast territory traversed by the Northern Pacific 
Railroad is, from all accounts, generally well adapted to 
agriculture, and untold millions of industrious people, 
from all parts of our own country, and especially from 
the whole northern half of Europe, will soon occupy this 
domain. The alternate sections of laud owned by the 
Railroad, on either side, along the portions already com¬ 
pleted, or nearly so, amount to some 10,000,000 acres— 
twice tho size of the State of Massachusetts—and, with 
a wise enterprise, the Company is affording excellent 
facilities to promote its settlement. A Land D partment 
is established, and a Bureau of Immigration with agen¬ 
cies in various parts of this country and Europe. Large, 
conveni :nt Reception Houses have been built and fur¬ 
nished at each of several principal points on the road, 
to serve as temporary free homes for settlers and their 
families while engaged in selecting lands and preparing 
their own houses. The Bonds of the Road are taken at 
ten per cent premium in payment for lands. The sale of 
lands not only cancels the indebtedness of the Company, 
hut builds up a local business which must soon render 
the road a good paying enterprise, aside from any through 
business to tiie Pacific coast. The country being devel¬ 
oped is so vast and so valuable, that the enterprise must 
continue for some time to come to occupy a large place 
in the public attention, and we will try to keep our read¬ 
ers informed of such items as are of public interest. 
National Swine-Breeders’ Convention. 
Report of Committee appointed to prepare Work for the 
Adjourned Convention to be held at Indianapolis , lnd., 
November 20 th, 1872. 
The committee appointed by the National Swine- 
Breeders’ Convention, held at Cooper Union, May 14th, 
to name committees to prepare reports upon the history, 
characteristics, and a scale of points for the respective 
breeds of swine, and upon the question, “ What consti¬ 
tutes thorough-bred swine ? ” also to name the time and 
place for holding the adjourned meeting of the Conven¬ 
tion, respectfully report to the swine-breeders of 
America: 
1. The adjourned meeting will be held at Indianapolis, 
lnd., Wednesday, November 20th, 1872. 
2. It will consist of one delegate, at large, from each 
State, and of one delegate from each State for each breed 
of swine raised therein. 
3. These delegates shall he named by the State Swine- 
Breeders’ Associations where such organizations exist. 
Where they do not exist it is recommended that the 
Executive Committees of the respective State Agricul¬ 
tural Societies, or the State Boards of Agricnlture, call 
Conventions of the Swine-Breeders of their respective 
States at the time and place of the State Fairs, for the 
purpose of naming delegates to this Convention. In the 
absence of any such call, the Committee recommend that 
tiie exhibitors and breeders of swine at the State Fairs 
meet, name, and accredit such delegates. In case any 
States neglect to do this, breeders from such States pre¬ 
sent at Indianapolis will be recognized and received as 
delegates, so far as is necessary to secure just representa¬ 
tion from each State. 
4. The Committee think it proper to assert that the 
gentlemen named on the following committees are 
selected from lists of names furnished and recommended 
by prominent swine-breeders in the different States and 
Canada, with a view to securing the most impartial 
representation upon said committees and tho most care¬ 
fully and intelligently prepared reports upon the respec¬ 
tive breeds to be submitted to the Convention for 
its action. 
5. A circular letter was sent to the chairman of eacli of 
the committees named, asking whether he would accept 
the position and duty. Responses have not been re¬ 
ceived from all. Only two have declined, naming, how¬ 
ever, men who would act in their respective places. 
These names have been substituted. The near approach 
of the Fairs renders it impracticable to delay this report 
longer in order to receive further responses. It is, there¬ 
fore, recommended that the members of the respective 
committees place themselves in communication with 
each other, and act as they may mutually agree—or that 
each member prepare a written report prior to the Con¬ 
vention, and mail it to Alexander Heron, Secretary of 
the State Board of Agriculture of Indiana, at Indian¬ 
apolis, lnd. 
6. The Committee respectfully urge upon the swine- 
breeders of the country the importance to them of the 
work it is the object of this Convention to accomplish; 
and that since it is to be a delegated and, in a sense, a 
legislative body, their representatives should he their 
best posted, most intelligent, and impartial breeders; that 
if the work projected is well done, it will inaugurate a 
new era in swine-breeding, and help to protect both 
swine-breeders and buyers of swine in their mutual 
relations. 
7. The following are the Committees named to report 
upon “What Constitutes Thorough-bred Swine?” and 
upon the history, characteristics, and a scale of points 
for the respective breeds : 
On “ What Constitutes Thorough-bred Swine?" —John 
P. Reynolds, Chicago, Ill. ; Fred. Wm. Stone, Guelph, 
Ontario; S. L. Goodale, Augusta, Me. 
On Berkshire. 1 ;. —A. B. Allen. P. O. Box 376, New York 
City ; J. T. Hudson, Kansas City, Mo.; Daniel McMillan, 
Ncnia, O. 
On Improved Clieshires, or “Jefferson Co." —C.V. Mason, 
Adams, N. Y. ; J. II. Sanders, Sigourney, Iowa; J. J. De 
Forest, Duanesburg, N. Y. 
On Chester Whites. —Thomas Wood, Doe Run, Pa.; 
Dr. Calvin Cutter, Warren, Mass.; W. W. Thrasher, 
Groves, lnd. 
On Essex.— Joseph Harris, Rochester, N. Y.; Dr. A. C. 
Stephenson, Greencastle, lnd.; George Roach, Hamil¬ 
ton, Ontario. 
On Neapolitan. —M. W. Philips, Memphis, Tenn.; F. D. 
Curtis, Charlton, Saratoga Co., N. Y.; Mason C. Weld, 
Cioster, N. J. 
On Magie or Poland- China. —John M. Millikin, Hamil¬ 
ton, Ohio ; Rankin Baldridge, Hagerstown, lnd.; Shepard 
(of Shepard & Alexander), Charleston, Ill. 
On New Jersey Beds. —David M. Brown, Windsor, 
N. J.; David Petit, Salem, N. J. ; John C. Tatum, 
Woodbury, N. J. 
On Suffolks and Other Small White English Breeds .— 
John Wentworth, Chicago, Ill.; John Snell, Edmondton, 
Ont.; T. L. Harrison, Moreley, N. Y. 
On Yorkshire and Other Large White English Breeds .— 
O. P. Cobh, Aurora, lnd. ; James Brodie, Rural Hill, 
N. Y.; M. H. Cochrane, Compton, Quebec. 
On Victorias. —Charles Leland, Albany, N. Y.; W. S. 
King, Minneapolis, Minn.; George S. Lounsbury, 
Aiken, S. C. 
Any inquiries with reference to this Convention or 
the Committees may be addressed to the Secretary of 
the Committee, Chas. D. Bragdon, 5 Beekman street. 
New York City. 
{ Henry Stewart, 
Frank W D EL 8urtis, 
L. A. Chase. 
Prize Shorthorns. 
At the last fair of the New York State Agri¬ 
cultural Society there were some notably fine 
Shorthorns exhibited. Our artist who was in 
attendance upon the fair made sketches of 
several of the prize-winning animals, three of 
which are given in the engraving upon our front 
page. The two heifers presented in the upper 
part of the engraving were shown by Messrs; 
Walcott & Campbell, of York Mills, N. Y., and 
well sustain tiie reputation of the celebrated 
herds of these gentlemen. These animals were 
justly admired by lovers of fine stock, and, if 
we mistake not, the lower of the two has been 
sold at a large price for shipment to England. 
The bull in the lower part of the picture is 
“ Treble Gloster,” 7331, the property of Geo. 
Butts, Esq., Manlius, N. Y., by whom it was 
reared. This bull is considered as a remark¬ 
able result of in-and-in breeding. It was calved 
March 31st, 1867, got by Apricot’s Gloster, 
2500—out of Spring Beauty, by Apricot’s Glos¬ 
ter, 2500—Silkie, by Apricot’s Gloster, 2500—as 
we are informed by the printed pedigree. It 
will he seen that this bull can find his father, 
grandfather, and great-grandfather in tiie same 
animal. He took the first prize for Short¬ 
horn bulls against considerable competition. 
Jersey Cattle, and Scales of Points. 
BY GEORGE E. WARING, JR., OF OGDEN FARM, 
(Secretary of the American Jersey Cattle Club.) 
The article from the London Field in the 
July Agriculturist suggests several questions 
which it will be well for intelligent breeders to 
consider with care. 
The American Jersey Cattle Club recently 
appointed a committee to investigate tiie sub¬ 
ject of a Scale of Points applicable to this 
breed. The chairman of the Committee (Mr. 
J. Milton Mackie, of Great Barrington, Mass.) 
made at the April meeting of the Club an ela¬ 
borate report on the subject,, in which lie sub¬ 
mitted a scale founded on an entirely different 
basis from that in use in the Island of Jersey. 
This is now before the Club for discussion, and 
may or may not be adopted at the next annual 
meeting. In the mean time it lias no more force 
than any other expression of opinion, and no 
one will be more glad than Mr. Mackie himself 
to have it intelligently criticised. The scale 
adopted by the Society in tiie Island of Jersey 
