The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-16
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

short-horn cattle have been sold for about
$685., 900, The average price was not far
from $500, and the highest 49, $50.
England has another mammoth Gu
cumber, the 'Toang Qua" It resembles
externally large water melon, and, as its
name indicates, is direct from China.
Immigration statistics for the prerent
year show that the arrivals from England
are largely on the increase, that country
being even ahead of Ireland, and second to
Germany alone.
According to the st. Paul Press, about
1000 barrels of Wisconsin and Minnesota
cranberries have been brought into that
city this season, and the prices at retail
range from SO so to SO per bushel.
We note with pleasure the prompt in
PRODUCTION in Congress lby the Hon. John
Hill, of New Jersey of bill favoring the
abolition of the obnoxious and injudicious
postal law on plants passed last winter.
"A number of Long Island farmers are
said to have undertaken to keep the streets
in parts Of the city of Brooklyn clean, for
the sake of the manure they thus collect.
Here is strong hint for many husbandmen
who live in the neigborhood Of country
towns.
The land department of the Union Pa
cific railroad company sold, during the
month of October, &c, G57 acres for $92 $40,
an average of $3.50 per acre. The total
sales from July %, 80, to the present date
649,051 acres at 1926 per acre, or So, 757,-
307 in the aggregate.
According to the Irish Farmers Ga
sette, the proportion of dead to live weight
of pigs is generally three-fourths of the
live weight, when well fattened but the
dead weight of the improved breeds, when
very fat, is frequently four-fifths or more
of the live weight.
The Farmers and Mechanics Jour
nal justly remarks that the practice of rails
ing cotton to exchange for western hay at
1925 per cwt., corn at 81 per bushel, and
pork at SIS per barrel, IS ruinous in the
long run. The farmers of the south should
feed the southern people from southern
farms.
The horse disease is now extending along
the shores Of the Gulf of Mexico, in which
locality it has been ascertained that while,
for slow work, oxen are very useful as
substitutes, cows are much livelier and
fuller of spirit, and, consequently, far more
suitable for the festive light wagon.
Lincoln sheep are looming up as the
coming long-wools. They are hardy and
prolific, one-third of the ewes produce pairs
Of lambs, tripiets' are common, and tours
not very great rarity. A pen of year.
ling ewes of this breed were exhibited at
the New York state fair, the past sea-
son, which weighed an average of 346
pounds.
AT the fourth annual exhibition of the
Connecticut poultry society, held last
week in Hartford, 100 people showed 200
fowls, which were inspected by quite a
number of citizens. At the door, as The
eagle was placed, and little owl, with
ears erect and staring eyes, sat motionless
in a cage near by.
The idea and use of harvesters for
heading grain is far from being new. The
ancient historian, Pliny, writing in the first
century of our era, alludes to them as in
existence on the plains of northern
Europe, and another historian mentions
them again in the fourth century. As
might be supposed in that early period,
these machines were not considered per-
feet.
The death is announced of William
Wilcox, o venerable and highly-esteemed
farmer of Western New York, and the
father of G. T. Wilcox, of The american
R,Tal Home. He was believed to be the
oldest living person born in Ontario coun-
ty, and his knowledge of Rochester dated
back to the time when only one frame
house marked the site Of the present city.
Plant trees. People are prone to for
get that while the supply of timber is linn
tied the demand steadily increases and
greatly accelerates the day of scarcity. AT
no distant period, material for implements,
ships and buildings will be comparatively
unavailable, and children may have very
tangible reason for approaching their fathers
wise forethought in planting trees.
Joseph Harris proposes to sue the
owners of three dogs which killed some of
his thoroughbred merinos and cotswolds
the day he went to the state fair, and he
hopes the verdict will be of character to
convince some of the good neighbors that
keeping pack of half-staryed cursNof low
degree in the vicinage of a valuable flock
of sheep is luxury too expensive to be
INDUCED.
&C. s. Sargent, Brookline, Massachu-
sets, writes that he hopes to make the new
Arnold Arboretum a success, or as much
of a success as our very trying climate will
allow. He has large sum of money, 1877
acres of most beautiful, unduating park
like ground, already very finely wooded
with large assortment of the trees native
to New England; and, what is of still
greater importance, the sympathy of all
our best horticulturists and others interest
ed in rural affairs.
Peaches were very freely discussed at
the December meeting of the Potomac
fruit-growers, and great importance was
placed on earliness. John Saul read ex-
tracts from English papers showing that
the early Beatrice Is taking decided lead.
A gentleman from North Carolina said he
had a quantity Of this variety fully ripe on
the 10th of June of the present year this
date being two weeks ahead of Hale's
carly, and that some of them were shipped
to New York, where they arrived in good
order and brought good prices.
The sugar planters of Louisiana have
been in very i'll luck ever since the war.
Despite brave struggles to reinstate this great
industry in its former position, unpropitious
seasons have kept down the yield. It is
very doubtful whether such series of bad
crop years as those since 1864, has ever
been experienced, and now, to cap the eli
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