Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-20

between Altoona and Harrisburg, one of the
guilty parties, although his legs we're fastened
with irons, made his escape from a car while
in motion and was killed by the fall.
1t is said a very large quantity of spurious
paper has been secured, much of that manu-
featured has found its way into the hands of
the soldiers in the west. Agents for its sale
and circulation had been established in va
rious localities. The precise extent of the
fraud is not yet known, but 1t is believed
millions are in circulation. This is by far the
most important arrest of forgers and capture
of instruments which has ever taken place
in the United States or any other country.
~
AWARDING PREMIUMS AT FAIRs.-A judi
cious aud careful manner of awarding premi-
ums at our agricultural exhibitions, is thing
of considerable Importance, and something
that if well considered, will have a decided
influence in properly developing the resour-
ces of county, but if not judiciously regula-
ted, will be means of consuming the funds
of a society and return no permanent good.
We care not what the managers of certain
societies may say, but we affirm it to be an
iniudieious plan, although it may draw
crowd and therefore add to the financial
department of the society-to award a uery
large premium to the fastest trotting horse, or
Tie DtSb tAslLpIt HOiSCJdSh AOi Ia
dies, although in their proper places they are
both legitimate and deserve encouragement
and yeIy small one for the best managed
farm, the best example in thorough drainage,
or the permanent Improvement of pasture and
moving lands. 1t is also very often the case
that insufficient premiums are awarded for
certain crops or improvements-thati is, pre-
miums which are no inducement for farmer
to raise the specified crop, or undertake the
improvement for which the premium is of
fered. Premiums of this kind, if decided
upon by the trustees of society, should be
liberal, and such as will offer on inducement
to competitors. Again, it may be well to
award premiums to the best crops grown at
least expense, or special improvements car
ried out at least cost. This is another matter
which cannot be too highly commended or
recommended to all societies, viz, the award
ing premiums to young lads for the discipline
of oxen, steers and colts, or for growing GER
tain crops-say one-fourth OF an acre of corn,
grain or roots-performing the entire labor
themselves. This plan would at least stimu-
late them to be careful, self-depending and
thorough.-lfaine Farmer.
A WORD FROM AN OLD SHEEP RAIsER.-The
present prices obtained for wool, and which
are likely to continue for number of years,
have induced many farmers to invest in
sheep, and no doubt great many expert
enced farmers will shave the wool pulled
over their eyes," as the saying is, and in
few years abandon the whole thing, jumping
into the next current of high prices in some
thing else, forgetting that " Care IS tie mother
of hsck" The great art in raising flock of
sheed is to secure for them sound, health
constitutions, and next to this it is important
to get the largest amount of wool on given
surface. To accomplish these ends, care Is
required in selecting your breeding ewes, Sc
lecting only shortlegged, wool-tO-the-toes,
and wooly-faced ewes. well built and heavy
set" eve can not be relied upon as kind
and good sucker before the age of three
years at the age of four years she may be
considered in her prime, and her strong and
vigorous constitution is impaired to her prog
eny. The reason why we have so many ILL
shaped and unprOductive focks through our
entire country is the hap-hazard, careless
manner of too many of our farmers in select
ing their ewes, yearlings, twO-year-Olds,
three, four, and indeed often up to twelve
and ffteen-year-old-ewes The season ar
rives for turning in" and without any
thought about his business, the careless far
mer expects to raise flock of healthy lambs,
simply because he is following in the way his
father went before him.-Anaeric0n Agricad-
turiSt.
Sow TURNIPs.-Farmels, we conjure you
to SOW turnips. Now, to-day, this week, or
certainly before the 18th of August. The
old-time adage says: "On the twenty-ffth
day of July SOW your turnips, wet or dry
The rule is a very good one, but we have Of
ten got great yield from seed sown three
weeks later than that time, land in very favor
able seasons haye been well paid for all labor
when the seed was sOwn Sept. l. The right
time, however, is the last week in July. The
best sort is called "Purple Top Strap Leaf"
1t makes a rapid growth, very solid, sweet,
nutritious roots of medium size. 1t is the
most sure of any sort that we have ever tried
or seen others try. The next best is the
"YellOw Stone," which keeps better than the
Red Top, and is esteemed better for the Ia
bic. A sort called "COw-Horn, or Long
White" is much liked by some farmers. We
do not like it. 1t grows high out of ground,
and is more apt to be woody than the others,
which are fiat and very handsomely shaped.
If the season is very favorable, rutabagas
planted in July will grow large enough for
the table, and will be better than those plant
ed this year in the fore part of June. What
ever the sort, if large enough to eat or feed,
they will be very valuable this year, as all
other root crops have measurably failed in
the great drouth-N. Y. Tribune.
PRUNING BLACKBERRIEs.-P Persons having
cultivated the New Rochelle blackberry, are
possessed of sufficient knowledge to under
stand the fact that the longer they allow the
canes to remain unpruned, the lateral branch
es are prop0rtiOnately shorter, and the fruit
smaller. To obtain the largest-size berries
and the largest quantity too, cut back the
leading canes to not exceeding four feet in
length, and shorten in also the lateral branch
es. This will be found to increase also the
breadth of the stool, affording more bearing
room, and generally to result in greatly i'm
proving the crop. In field planting, the
author of I" Ten Acres Enough" recommends
and adopts, (for we have just paid visit to
his place. the practice of cutting back the
canes to from three to three feet and half
They then require no stalking great saving
in time and expense-as we saw not a single
support in six acres of the blackberry, which
stood resolutely upon their own "pins," and
promised an immense yield. In the whole
six acres, too, it will do no harm to remark,
and for the cultivators to bear in mind, we
did not see weeds enough to fill the grip of a
hand i-Germd'atoaca Telegraph.
FARMERS DRISK-HoP BEER-To make if
teen gallons of pleasant hop beer, take twelve
ounces of hops, six quarts of molasses, and