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Profits of Poultry Keeping.
The Poultry Organ in an srtiole on the
"'Profits of Poultry Keeping" refers to the
report of the Commissioner of Agrioaltnre
which gives the details and results of Mr.
Warren Leland's 18 acre poultry farm, from
which he marketed at least 3,000 chiokens eaoh
Spring. Mr. Leland says, "the great sncoess
in poultry farming is keeping near the con
ditions of nature, they must hare space and
cleanliness, and cannot do well if confined in
cramped and offensive quarters." With space
and cleanliness, he says, "I cannot understand
why the number need bo limited." To illus
trate the profits, we append some further ex
tracts of tables reported in 1870 to the Com
onissioner of Agriculture. The conditions of
successful breeding will vsry of course with
the amount of care, and different breeds kept,
the location and attention bestowed, and prox
imity to markets. We condense some of the
.records, demonstrating the utility of poultry
keeping, as given by the Organ. Mr. Nelson
Bitter, of Syracuse, N. Y., found his profits on
3 hens, for three months in Winter, to be
S10.85; the hens were part Brahmas. Mrs .
A. Lawrence, of Brooklyn made an average
profit of S 2.25 per fowl.
Another reports a profit of 939.06 on each
425 invested, during the first 6 months. Mr.
Palmer, of New London, Connecticut, in the
same report, who has made a business of poulj
try keeping for many years, commenced, and
closed the year with one hundred and twenty
fowls, and produoed and sold his eggs woekly;
averaging total sales of eggs for the year 15,114;
sold, $361,80; feed same time, 200; clear
profit $161.80; profit $1.35 from eaoh fowl.
.His stock consisted of Brahmas, Whiio Leg
boms and cross breeds. Another gentleman
itoea Bochester kept an aoourate acoount for 5
years. Average profit per year, $2 68 on each
fowl. Varieties, White Leghorn, Spanish and
mixed. In cases recorded the eggs were sold
at about one half of California prices, while
wheat was dearer and corn cheaper.
The Ban Francisco Scientific Pret3 of De
cember 21th, 1870, states that an industrious
laborer took up some Government land ntar
.Marysville, California, built a cabin, and pur
chased chickens and turkeys of the value of
$100 to start with; his fowls nearly pioked up
their living running at large, and at the end of
-eighteen months (covering the second spring
and summer of his occupation) be had Bold
.poultry and eggs to the amount of $1,500 above
the small cost of keeping and had on hand
stock five times the value and amount of the
original.
In FUnt's "Agriculture of Massachusetts"
iter 1869, several aocounts with poultry are
given by citizens of that state whioh may be
briefly summarized: One gentleman kept 8
Bramah and Hamburgh hens; 1 year's yield,
eggs and ohicks, $12.90; oast to feed, $21;
profit, $18.90, or $2.10 per fowl. Another, 11
hens for a year, mostly white Leghorns, crossed
on native breed, yielded $62.75, a profit of
$2.17 per hen. Another reports 21 hens,
mostly White Leghorns and crosses on Brah--mas,
$88.92 net profits, or an average of $3.70
each.
Withont multiplying in this number their
statistics, let ns briefly call the attention of our
-agriculturists to these reports, and ask them if
they can show for the investment a better
credit side (to any stock kept) on their farm
ledger. Every farmer has a waste yard, back
of the barn, down the lane, up by the brush
patch, on the hill-side, over in the stony corner,
or down by the swale in the cow yard, where
a cheap and temporary hen-yard, duck pond
or turkey dutch might be extemporized, and a
piece of worthless and unproductive ground
now yielding no profit, converted in a poultry
yard, and stocked with 50, 100 or more hens,
Leghorn, Brahma and others; being careful
onoe in two years to introduce a pure strain to
renew blood, could realize a greater profit than
from any other class of stock requiring as little
capital invested.
UsEfJl. IfifOrJIONc
About Bricks.
Few materials for building are in more con
stant use than bricks. Even whertPstone is the
principal article used in the composition cf a
building, bricks are wanted for linings, flues,
furnaces, ovens, and a number of other purpo
ses. The properties of bricks should vary ac
cording to the purposes to which they are to be
applied. A brick intended for banding snonld
be so solid that it m;v be neatly cut, and baked
at a temperature sutti'ilently high to prevent it
being disintegrated by atmospheric influences.
A good brick for an ordinary building will sup
port a considerable weight "without being
crushed. It ought not to crumble in water nor
to absorb too great a quantity of it. This
question is tested by weighing the brick before
and after immersion in water. Earths are often
found which, without preparation, are fit for
the manufacture of bricks for building purposes.
Indeed, the common yellow vegetable earth will
generally answer. In the construction of fur
naces, the bricks to be nsed ought to be suoh
ss will longest resist the ashes of the combusti
ble. Fire-brioks are made with plastio clay,
containing neither gypsum, lime, or oxide of
iron, whioh color bricks red and render them
fusible. The clay is first washed to free it from
the foreign substances which it contains. It is
then reduoed with oement of burnt clay, made
xpressly for the purpose, and powdered.
Even the purest sand, mixed with clay, would
not make infusible bricks. Bricks are formed
cither with the hand or by manufacturing ap
pliances. Two men, with the band, can make
from six to seven thousand bricks per day.
They are burnt either with turf, coal, or wood,
according to convenience, the latter being gen
erally used in this country. The kilns are
built almost entirely with the bricks intended
to be burnt, the base of the kiln being the only
Jiart made of old bricks. A, kiln contains about
bur hundred thousand bricks, and it requires
about five days to burn them. The Flemish
process, by which the bricks are burnt with
coal, is the most economical. The manufacture
of bricks in St. Louis has assumed mammoth
proportions, and an becoming famous for their
surpassing excellence, many persons prefering
front of them to one of stone. Milwaukee
has a day which gives peculiar light yellowish
tint to the brisks made there, which, when
judiciously contrasted with trimmings of dark
colors gives very pleasing elect. Sudden'
journal.
Wateb, when stored is tanks or other closed
ressels, seems to undergo sort of fining pro
cess, by which many of its impurities are thrown
down as sediment upon the bottom of the ves
sel. Sailers assert that water clears itself by
wocUag site the manner of wines or liquors.
Though this is not strictly tens, yet it is a fact
that most of the imparities held mechanically
suspended are thrown down and the water in
time becomes ft for use.
If we earn store water, exclude dust and give
some time for settnag. the water is pretty sore
to be improved in. quality. If the cistern is open
there are two arils to be apprehended. Dost
will find its way into the wa'.er and foul gases ac
cumulate in the cistern. These will be ab
sorbed by the water, and so render it unfit for
both drinking and cooking. This"absorbtion
of gas by water is of much more importance
than most people are aware, a very large quan
tity being taken up, and as the water does this
with rapidity, we should not allow it to have ac
cess to foul air.
INTEBESTIMO) AND PBETTT PaBLOB ExPKBI-
mknt. Apply a common needle to a magnet
until charged, then rub dry, poise carefully be
tween the thumb and forefinger, lay it into a
tumolerfnl of water; if well done it will float;
if it sinks try again; you will seldom fail.
No sooner is the needle afloat untrammeled
when it will wheel around and point to the
north pole as accurately as any mariner's com
pass. The tumbler can be turned around care
fully, but the needle will keep its point. The
oommon horseshoe magnet is a very interesting
thing to have about a house, and can be bought
for a trifle. Any common pocketknife or scissors
can be charged with it, so as to draw up any
small piece of iron or steel, and will retain the
influence a long time.
This magnetism is a powetful element, but
acts silently and nnseen; one which we know
the effeots of, and yet know but little of its
source.
Ax Old Gas Well. There is a gas well on
Wolfe creek, about one mile from the turnpike
leading from Mercer to Butler county, which
was dug in 1838. This well was dug for salt,
and abandoned as a salt well in consequence of
a heavy flow of gas. The parties who then
owned it came to Pittsburgh and had a large
cast-iron cap made to cover the well,with a pipe
and valve in one side. By some means they
closed the valve and the salt pan and cap burst-
ed, and the works with all the apparatus was
blown to pieces. Recently, Mr. Alfred Games,
of New Castle, has leased the well, and we are
informed that ho is contemplating the erection
of a fine flouring mill upon the premises to be
run entirely with gas. It is said that gas haB
been flowing from this well ever since it was
discovered. This information may be of use to
those contemplating the utilization of natural
gas permanently for manufacturing purposes.
Domestic Ecofiopy.
Danger of Tin Vessels for Cooking Acid
Fruits and Vegetables.
In a paper addressed to the French Academy
of Scienoes, Dr. Fordos gives the results of
some experiments on tin vessels used in labors,
tories and hospitals, and even in private fami
lies, for infusions and similar purposes. These
utensils generally contain lead in certain pro
portions, and It was, therefore, desirable to
leam how far that poisonous metal might be
injurious to health in the long run. Dr. For
dos began by introducing water acidulated
with one per cent, of acetio acid into a tin can
provided with a lid. After letting it Btand for
a few days, he observed on the inner surfaoe of
the vessel a slight white deposit, which was
soluble in the acidulated water, and commu
nicated to it all the characteristics of a lead so
lution; iodide of potassium yielding a yellow
precipitate, sulphurio acid a white one, and
sulphureled hydrogen a black one. Neverthe
less, the latter test is not reliable, since it
causes a dark precipitate, with a salt of tin like
wise dissolved in the liquid. The existence of
a salt of lead in the white deposit is, however.
sufficiently proved. It is confirmed in another
way, ii mo inner ernes oi me vessel oe ruuuea
with a pieoe of clean wet paper, a solution of
iodide of potassium will turn it yellow. In
certain experiments, a crystallized salt of lead
was detected at the bottom of the jug. In
other series of experiments, wine and vinegar
were tried; they both became charged with
lead, as they dissolved the lead salt deposited
on the sides. Again, tartario lemonade, left
for twenty-four hours in the vessels, became
impregnated with lead. Henoe, Dr. Fordos
concludes that in alloys of tin and lead both
metals are attacked, the latter being generally
the first, when in contact with the atmosphere
and acid liquids, such as wine, vinegar, lem
onade, etc.; and that consequently there may
be serious danger in using such alloys, either
in the shape of vessels or in tinning culinary
utensils.
Bread from Sawdust.
The ohief alimentary substances emploved
by man may be reduced to three classes, viz:
Saccharine, fatty and albuminous sabstancea,
of which sugar, butter and eggs may be taken
as representatives.
Tne saccnanne principles include the ma-
rity of vegetable substances, whatever their
sensible properties may be, namely: those into
the composition of which oxygen and hydro
gen enter, in the proportions in which they
form water.
The fiber of wood is an example -it is chem
ically known as lignine; and bv skillful manip
ulation i-roiessor Auieritn, ox xuroingen, some
years ago succeeded in making a tolerably
gooa loai oi oreaa irom a aeai ooara.
V The operation was as follows:
,TCJH1AUM, HUIUU wao DUIUUIO U Wltier WS
removed by prolonged maceration and boiling;
resinous matter was extracted by aloobol; the
' BJ m 4 S I a r aaahfAt aaaalca baIhUIa la al.A
wood was tnen reonoed to nber, dried in an
oven, and ground as corn, when it had the
smell and taste of corn flour.
Water and yeast were added, and upon being
baked it had much crust and a muoh better
taste than bread made from bran or husks of
corn.
Wood flour boiled with water famishes a
nutritious jelly; Prof. Auterith ate it in the
form of soup or gruel, and in dumplings or
pancakes, which were palatable and whole
some. Prof. Brande, in his lectures, records an
analogous result: " Oum and sugar may be ob
tained by the action of sulphuric' aoid upon
woody fiber. Bread has been made from this
sahsj.pss. , .fleeing the close resemblance be.
twtew'th composition of starch and lignine,
Ihj T eislon of the latter into bread does not
appear so remarkable.
Obaxoe Jelly. Oranges filled with jelly is a
fanciful dish, whioh makes a pretty appearance
on a supper table. Take some very fine oranges,
and with the point of a very tmsu knife cut
from the top of each a round hole about the size
of a silver quarter; then, with the email end of
tea or egg spoon, empty them entirely, taking
great care not to break the rinds, and then
throw these into cold water and make a jelly
of the! aloe, which mutt be well pressed from
the palp and strained as clear as possible. Color
one-naif a fine rose-color with prepared cochi
neal, and leave the other very pale; when it is
nearly ready, drain and wipe the orange rinds,
and ill them with alternate stripes of the two
jellies; when perfectly cold cat them in quar
ters and dispose of them tastefully in a dish with
few light branches of myrtle between them.
Calf's foot or any other variety of jelly or blanc
mange may be used at choice to fill the rinds.
The colors should eontrast as much as possible.
Qood H1AlTH
Health and Culture.
We are in danger of becoming a nervous, un
comfortable, discontented, wretched race, un
less we use our best thought and effort to bring
the highest wisdom, and virtue, and order that
are within our reach to bear npon our way of
living. Hence the Importance thatmore atten
tion should be paid to the laws of health that
they should be made a study by the masses,
that the principles upon which good health is
founded thould be taught in our common
schools, and information thereupon spread
broadcast by our newspapers. Hence the im
portance of "Health Associations" where edu
cated men of all professions not exclusively of
the medical profession should come together
to receive and impart instructions upon this
important topic.
The matter of health, in fact, should be made
a part of the highest human culture, for, as re
cently remarked by a distinguished divine,
Bev. Dr. Osgood "Body and mind are practi
cally inseparable, and we know nothing of the
sound mind apart from soui-d blood and brain.
I am willing to take Herbert Spencer's defini
tion of life as the basis of our discussion, and
to allow that life is the continuous adjustment
of internal relations to external relations, if by
external relations we comprehend those which
are social and religious as well as those whioh
are physical. If life is the continuous adjust
ment of internal relations to external relations,
then healthy life is suoh adjustment truly and
fully carried out, and he is the healthy man
who lives in true relations with nature, man,
and God."
In this connection, we may also introduce
the following remarks of Professor S. D. Gross
on our sanitary deficiencies: "As American
citizens, we boast, and very justly too, of onr
progress in oommeroe, agriculture, manufac
tures, literature, the arts and sciences, and the
general diffusion of knowledge among all
classes of society, but what have we done as a
nation for ouf sanitary condition, for thoe
things which so vitally ooncern tho publio
health, the dearest interest of every family in
the land? The Government has dore nothing;
it has not even recognised the necessity of a
great Bnreau of Health, so essential in a sani
tary point of view. Our looal boards of health,
as they are denominated, are mere shadows,
the creatures for the most part of municipal
authorities, who farm out our health and our
lives to the highest bidder at so much a head.
Surely the first, the greatest duty of a nation is
to protect the lives of its citizens, by teaching
them how to live, how to guard against disease,
and how to improve the race. The sanitary
condition of a people is intimately associated
with its moral and religious welfare. People
cannot be good or happy If they arenot healthy.
The Bible declares cleanliness to be next to god
liness. Millions of people die every year from
preventable diseases. Sensible men no longer
ascribe the frightful outbreak of those epidemic
diseases which occasionally ravage whole na
tions, to the wrath of an offended Deity; they
know better; they know that they are due, for
the most part, to man's ignorance, or man's
criminal neglect?
A Cure for Corns. '
A subscriber, "J. A. H.," writes from Vir
ginia City, Nevada, as follows: "As a regular
subscriber to the Pbess, from which I derive
many valuable items of information, I wish, for
the benefit of others, to speak of one which I
consider has been worth more to me than the
prioe of subscription for your paper for several
years. For more than ten years I have been
troubled exceedingly by corns. I was obliged
to pare tnem as otten as once a mown, and had
twice been to corn doctors for relief, which,
however, proved to be of very transitory charac
ter. Some three months aero I saw an item in
the Pbess taken from aFrenoh medical journal
recommending per chloride of iron as a remedy.
This struck me so favorably that I concluded to
ny . j. luiiuweu ine airecuons, applying it
morning and night with a small brush for the
space of two weeks, after which I pared the
tough skin away and could detect no signs of
a core beneath, although before the application
it could be distinctly seen every time the corn
was pared. Since then I bavevnot experienced
the least pain from either of tbem. New flesh
has formed over the places occupied by the
corns which shows no disposition to harden,
and from their present sppearanoe I pronounce
them radically cured. They were hard oorns
with cores; of its effect npon soft corns I know
nothing, but our opinion is it would be just as
efficacious. Scientific Press.
Cold on the Lungs. If a cold settles on the
outer covering of the lungs it becomes pneu
monia, inflammation of the lungs, or lung fe
ver, which in many cases carries the strongest
man to nis grave witnln a week. It a cold
falls on the inner covering of the lungs it
is pleurisy, with its knife-like pains, and its
slow, very slow recoveries. If a cold settles In
the joints, there is rheumatism in its various
foims; inflammatory rheumatism, with its
agonies of pain, and rheumatism of the heart,
which in an instant snaps the cords of life with
no friendly warning. It is of the utmost prac
tical importance, then, to know not so much
how to cure a cold as how to avoid it. Wood's
Household Magaiine.
The Gbixoe on Imtkbnal lMPBovincTs.
The Masters of the State Granges for the States
oi Missouri, lows, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ne
braska, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Michigan and Kentucky, and the Chairman and
Secretary of the Executive Committee of the
National Grange, have signed snd sent a com
munication to Hon. William Windom, Chair
man of the Select Senate Committee on Trans
portation, strongly urging Congress at the
firesent session to devite some plan for the
mprovement of the mouths of tho Mississippi
river. They justly consider inland navigation
indispensible to their best and permanent in
terests, and approve the policy of the Fedenl
Government opening up and improving chan
nels for the cheap transportation to the sea
board. They assert tbatpablio sentiment would
most unequivocally approve the action ol
Congress in siding the proposed work. Tbe
Patrons of this State, we believe, are also de
cided favorable to most, if not all, tbe projects
for internal improvements suggested for ibis
Slate. They are unanimous in their desire
that our rivers should be kept open, and their
navigation improved wherever it is reatonablt
practicable. They are also in favor of some
general system for irrigation, which thall be
more or less under Government management,
either State or National.
A Widow Wobth Bavwo. Widow Polls
Lambert, ol West'Gsorgis, Vt.,fifty-ii yearn
old. hss for fifteen years supported eight chil.
drsn by Uyiog stone wall, harvesting and other
neavy isrm wors, ana nat not only made her
self owner of shouts and a few acres of land,
but has given htr children a good education.
Pscxis n Ossoo. Tbe Qrangtr makes tbe
prediction that la twenty years thV siport of
prunes iruuj uregoa win oe greater in value
than the export of wheat.
Dress Reform.
From Pielfla Rural Press.)
Editors Pbess: Seeing the communication
of sister C. A. C. in the Bubal, it revives the
spirit of dress reform so much that I leel like
offering a few words on the subjeot.
Ten years ago I spent five months in a school
in New York, where a part of the instructions
were gymnastics. The ladies oould not take the
gymnastic exercises wearing the ordinary cum
bersome dress; so they unanimously adopted a
short, convenient style one that would admit
of peifect freedom of motion, hence I have real
ized the benefit of a convenient style of dress.
First I will say I admire beauty and taste in
dress as much as any qne, but the styles go be
yond the mark of consistency; 'are inconven
ient, unhealthy, and some of them are any
thing but beautiful. The tight corsets and belts
will not admit of perfect breathing, circulation
of the blood, and thorough digestion. The
Bicirts are made too long and too heavy, both
of whioh are a direct tax upon woman's vitality.
There are often as many as half a dozen thick
nesses oi ciotn worn on tne waist wnue tne
arms have but one or two thicknesses on, and
the stookings are bat little thicker than mos
quito bars.
What change can be made for the better?
First, an underwaist of drilling or ootton flan
nel mode to fit the form, but not so tight as to
obstruct breathing; it should be made nearly as
high around the neck as a dress, and extend a
few inohes below the hips, should have some
large burtons at equal distances apart, to button
drawers to. The underwaist should have long
sleeves or else the dress sleeves should be lined
so as to clothe the arms as warm as the body.
It may be embroidered or trimmed to salt the
taste.
The drawers should be made of drilling or
cotton flannel for winter. The n,tookings for
winter should also bd made of thick material,
or two pair Bhonld be worn. The underwaist is
a substitute for a oorset and I. and the drawers
may also be a substitute for a chemise. Some
prefer to wear a chemise also. Next to the
underwaist should be worn a skirt-supporter of
strong material, and made like men's suspend
ers, exoept that where men's suspenders but
toned on to pants, ladies' are attaohed to a band
button which is sewed on to the band, and all
the skirts worn should be suspended from the
skirt supporter.
This improvement in the underclothing can
be made without bringing down the censure of
Madam Grundy. I have never seen a lady put
ou this improved rig of underolothes who did
not say she felt as though she was emancipated
from bondage, so great is the relief to be Ireed
from the weight of the skirts around the waist.
And corsets with stays pressing endwise upon
the abdomen, as they do whenever the wearer
gets into a stooping position, are the cause of
more derangement, disease, and suffering than
most people are aware of. One or two under
skirts, if made of the right kiud of material, is
enougb. Muslin or cotton naunel for the
underskirt, and muslin starched stiff for sum
mer, and mohair or some Btiff worsted goods
for winter, Abe dress skirt should never be
made to touch the ground, nor trimmed so
much as to cause unnecessarv weight. One
tlounce, a few rows of lace, a few rows of bias
goods, looks as well as a mass of flounces or
other heavy trimming. The dress-waist may
be m ide in numerous ways that are both pretty
and convenient. The polonaise now worn has
no fault except the buBtle, and that is not
objectionable when worn in moderation; but
such immense protuberances at ladies make of
'them buggests the idea of deformity.
A very good general rule to adopt in dress is
to not follow the style into any excess, extrava
gance or inconvenience. After adopting this
rule, and discarding all the absurd, ridiculous
styles, there is yet an endless variety left to
oboose from. The material for dresses should
vary according to the season, tho taste and
the ability of the wearer. It is economy to
seleot with a view to durability. Waterproof,
empress cloth, or other durable goods for
winter, are cheaper in the end than goods that
costless. Calico and linen ore both very good
material for summer.
Th fashion magazines are issued with a
view to produce frequent and radical changes,
draining the pockets of tho masses aud filling
those ol dry goods merchants, dress makers,
aud milliners. Now, sisters, if we co-operate
in the movement we can effect a reform in
dress that will not only economize our money,
but, what is still better, our vitalitv. I hone
tuti brothers will enconrage such a movement.
If there are any who will not, I suggest that
they put on a woman's dreBa with heavy, trail
ing skirt and all other inconvenience, wear it
one day and try to do a day's work, and see if
they don't change their minds.
UBS. JN. A. A'lCHENS, . V.
Biverside, Cal.
Sbibt Maxino Made Easy. In olden time a
wife's gieat honor was shirt-mnking. Now it
is' simply a pastime. In selecting mnslin for
shirts alays get tbe bet, either New York
mills or Watnsutta most ladies prefer Warn
sutta, as it is euBier wached. Buy one of But
ttriok's 8biit patterns for twenty-five cents, or,
better still, when your huib mil goes into tho
city, have him call at a professional shirt
in 4 leer and hive a pattern out expressly for him
warranted to fit. All trouble and worry is
now at an end, us all you have to do is to out
aud sew according to directions. The new way
of Khxping the bosom stves it from the weir
of suspenders, and also prevents mussiug.
Slope tbe bosom gradually from tbe middle to
about three iuchis in widtb at tbe bottom; Hue
bosom, cuffs and collars wlih coarse linen, as it
holds starch better than cotton. The higher
poll h the sbiit rece ves in ironing, the longer
tuey repel dirt and oust, upeu tbe shirt intbe
back by h11 mrans, and the bosom will wear an
lont as the body of the shirt, thereby saving
tbe expense and time of rebosotning old bodies.
A FsABrtrL Tale. A mother and her eight
tniKircn were ournen m tneir nouo, near
Montreal, Canada, a few dsys kince. The fire
caught in the lower part of the house. The
fsther, in trying to put it out, was cot off from
his Ismily, snd barely escaped with bis life.
Toe m Jther seized two -of her children in her
aims, ibinkiug totsve tbem and go buok for
tbe others. She might indetd have escaped
with them, but tbe cries for beln of tbe little
ones left so overcame her, that ftie preferred to
no dsck aua aie witn ail ner cnnaren man to es
cape wilh a part, aud she did go.
Exhibition or Mabine Inddstbies. It it
oroDowd to bold, next year, in Paris, a general
exhibition of all kinds of mucblnery, appara
tus, implement, snd other articles employed
on board ship, in fUbtries, and all other trades
panned st ses, or on frh waters, to which is
ti be added a collection of the principal articles
oi jrrencu exports.
Or the forty-two millions of psssengers
carried over the railroads In MastichuaeiU last
yisr only a single one was killed, snd but seven
Were ibjorvd.
Trjl VlJIlYW'
Review of Grape Culture Correspondence.
From PaclAo Burml Press.
Editobs Pbess: In your isrtte of Jan. 16th
is an article on grape culture, by P. 8. Bussell,
commenting on a letter on grape culture writ
ten by W. S. Sanders, Deo. 16th. He says
Mr. Sanders seems to think that in planting
cuttings, the more vine is buried in tbe ground,
the more roots it will produce; I agree with
Mr. Sanders. If the vine is laid horizontally and
not deep, about six inches is deep enough. A
cutting wants warmth and moisture. Again,
Mr. Bissell says, "a cutting is not a rooted
vine" (we all know it up here), and one planted
twelve inches deep perpendicular, will pro
duce as many roots, as ten feet of vine burled
in a trenoh; simply becauso the roots and
branches must grow in the tame proportion.
Now, Mr. Editor, Mr. Bussell, when writing
the above forgot his subject, and has gone baoJc
on trees aud orchard planting. Any person
who has set outtings to root knows that many
will take root and not start a bud; many also
will have roots from the top to the bottom and
only send out one branoh. Where is the pro
portion in suoh cases?
Mr. Bussell says, "a outtiagof grape or other
wood will only send roots from bottom end of
outting, and will not root from the buds," In
that proposition he is also wrong, for any per
son who understands the growing of grapes, in
Srepariog cuttings, will cut the bottom end off
ireotly below the bad; tbe cut being smooth,
the knife is better than shears; all the wood left
below the bud is apt to decay. If roots don't
start from the bad joiut, and only from end of
cutting, why have cuttings 20 inches long and
put tnem down in tne com ground it incnes,
when oommon sense would tell you they would
root quicker and stronger, nearer the surface
in worm rioh soil; you say outtings of wood
will not send out roots only from bottom? Did
you ever set a outting of wood? If so, did you
examine it after it had rooted? If not, I
would ask you to try an experiment, and give
us the result. I have rooted cottonwoods set
for posts as large as five inohes itt diameter,
and the rootB were troni top. Bottom willow
will send shoots out every few inohes when laid
down and covered a few inohes with soil. Mul
berry will do the Bame; and right here I wish
to prove your theory false by showing that
when silk worm culture was at its higbt, there
was a soarcityof mulberry leaves and trees, and
propagation was done by planting the bud in
Sjndy loam to form roots to start groves of
trees for feed, none would have more than two
inches of wood. The bud is the natural place
for the roots to start in grapes and other cut
tings, although Mr. Bussell has failed to see it.
I have planted outtings perpondicular by dig
ging a hole aud also by making a hole with an
iron rod and running the cutting down, closing
the hole with rod. This plan may sucoeed on
rich, moist lands, but will not do on clay or
cold soil. I had good success in laying tbem
horizontally and tramping the noil firmly on
the cutting, filling in with loose earth and
leuviug one or two buds above the ground.
Staking vines is a useless expense. Vines
should be self-supporting and never more than
two feet high, 'unless whore they are subject to
mildew-. Low vines are better, as tho wind in
April and May will not break them, and the
summer sun will not burn the grapes.
Pruning the Vina.
Grape growers differ in regard to pruning,
and the proper time to prune. I prune when I
am ready, anytime from December to March.
I have failed to see any difference bo far. I
leave from three to five buds, and from four to
twelve spurs, according to ass of vine, and
quality of land. Bich land will mature more
grapes and ounnot ba hurt. I think leaving
long spurs aud a less number will inorease the
yield of grapes. Last season I left two rows cf
blaokJuTy unpruned, expeoting to graft them;
they were literally covered with grapes, of full
size the best crop they ever bore.
I summer prune about the middle of May;
out them close and break offsaokers. About
June 1st, I summer prune agalu. The soil is
rioh, and the vines grow thrifty. I Wp the plow
aud cultivator In until the vines shut me out.
Mr. BuBsell's mode of leaving two buds on
one half the branches for next season's fruit
wood is not practised here; and the tops of tbe
oldest vines have not yet oome -together. We
think'we have good vineyards here, and good
land to grow them, but never were so fortunate
as to make them yield six pounds of grapes
to the vine at two yoars old from outtings. Oar
grape growers in this vicinity have received the
ighest premiums at our State fairs for the
lost three years, for fine display of grapes, and
I think would carry it for actual yield per acre;
if such a premium was offered. I do not irri
gate in tbe summer, but at this present tints
my vineysrd is completely soaked, having three
feet of that clear, crystal-like water of the
Aiuciiunu river over ii surtHce tor vno last ft.
twenty-iour uoura. it may injure the vines; I
know it has the squirrels and gophers. Ki-
irllflf mn fnr tl-nnflllnir vnn urllh an mn.li mat.
t-r, but I want new beginners to hear both sides, j
mat tney may auie to juage correctly wnat to
do. Experience is an expensive teacher. Ir(
am one orner scnoiars, and nave paid dear to
learn a few things which I give for nothing. I,
would say something on how to plant a vine
yard, but this is already too louu. flli ni ft
your next paper, what variety of plums ars,
best for market and drying. P. H. M.'j'a
Bimuwu. nau. ZUIIJ. lOIO. ,7-i
Cold Weather at tbe East. Last wttli'A
seems to have been the cold spell of the seaassj'
iu the East. The cold culminated on Saturday, r, J
closing up the rivers on both sides of Nsw V
were icebound in Cape Cod bay, unable to BOY
either in or out. Tbe entire bay was frnsaa"
over, an occurrence never known before, i'iid
finM waVH nftaaAit nirnr HT-iltiA Una rw - 1 . -
and Vermont, on Friday night, which sent"1
tuermomiter uown to zu and irj degrees I
zero. In Chioago, tbe thermometer on Sail
was six degrees below sero st noon. Tbe
wind of Thursday drifted tbe snow badly
ciiuacu a Krcav ueai oi aeiay on an ra
lints. Trains on seven different roads
either unable to get in or delayed several
uepons irom an points state tbat great
VHnllllMa ! JtvnA-4ktlAt nn axnAMMl I
freezing of water-courses and scarcity of water
for tto.'k.
Colobado State Gba-nos. Tho State Grangt)t
of Colorado recently held its second annual i
session. Among tbe proceedings was a maroorialf
praying Congress to perfect the title to railroad '
lands, so tbat they may become subject to taxa
tion. Granting this reasonable request would
right a great wrong.
Mb. Beeches and the N. Y. " Labors."
The announcement Is made tbat Mr. Hetchsr
writes no mors for tbe New York Lsimrl
Whether it Is Mr. Beecher or Mr, Bonner who,
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has felt compelled to mass thi innovation wiU S
DrobabW remain foravar nna nt ttirtaa nMnlAma -i
against which tbe publio mind rasps itself in i i
i- - .
The Anti-Chinese Natdbalixatioh Bell b
passed both bouses cf Congress and will
a law.
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