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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1183, 28 November 1871, Page 2

"Why do you not hold up your head as I do?" inquired an aristocratic lawyer of a neighboring farmer " Squire," replied the farmer, look at yon field of grain; all the valuable heads hang down like mine, while tho.-<e that have nothing in them stand upright, like voursi"

In a long communication to the Germantown Telegraph, upon the subject of Poultry, Mr B. I)wight, of Hudson, considers the question, " How to get plenty of good-flavored fresh eggs with little trouble," and thinks if there is any secret in it he has discovered it, and makes the same public for the benefit of all interested He says : X Once, thirty years ago, I was troubled just as my neighbour now is. I fed my hens with plenty of corn and got but few eggs. I reasoned upon the matter, and happened to think that (he constituent parts of milk and the white of e</o-s were much alike. Now it has long been known to milkmen that wheat middlings and bran, are about the best of any feed to make a cow give milk • why not, then, the best to make hens lay eggs i I tried it, and since then have had no trouble. My mode of preparing the feed is to mix about five of bran with one of middlings. In the. morning I wet up with water about four quarts of the mixture in a large tin pah, taking pains to have it rather dry, though all damp. This I set in a warm sunny spot, south of their shed, and they walk up, take a few dips, don't seem to, fancy it like corn, and start off on a short hunt for something better, but always coming round in a short time for a few more from the dish of bran. There is little time during, the whole day but what one or more are. standing by the pan, and like wis 3 helping themselves. |am careful to mix for them just as much as they will consume during the day. At night, just before they retire to loost, I usually throw them, about a pint of shelled corn, well scattered, so that each one can get a few kernels. Ifyour hens don't incline to eat this feed at fii-st, sprinkle on a little Indian meal on the top. I would like all who complain of not getting eggs to try my plan, and I think they will be never sorry."

The shrewdness of the newsboys of; our large towns is proverbial; but it in somewhat unusual to find amongst the. canine species, the sagacity displayed; by a news dog named Blucher, which has just departed this life at Runcorn, to the regret of the inhabitants, by whom it was greatly petted. The animal in question, which was a halfbred retriever and sheep dog, belonged to Mr Wass, eating house keeper, Mer-sey-street, and for the last twelve, month? went regularly to. the shop of Miss Jones, of Bridge street, at 8 a.m., for a copy of the Liverpool and at noon for the Daily Telegraph. This clever animal went regularly on. his errand without any instructions, and started with the punctuality of the clock, always arriving at the shop at the same time. How the dog could thus regulate his movements is inexplicable ; but it is insinuated that he. always looked at the Town Hall clock as he passed, and if he was a trifle too, early he loitered on the road, or if he found himself behind time he quickened his pace. On entering the stationer's shop he placed his front feet upon the counter, received the paper in his. mouth, and then cantered home, carefully watching that no other animal seized his prize. V A mongst the stories told of the dog is the folio Say the newspaper was not delivered as' usual, and Blucher could nowhere, be found, until he was discovered shut up in one of his master's rooms. The. moment, the door was opened the faithful creature ran down .>tairs, jumped over the counter, and galloped with all speed to the stationer's, for the newspaper, which he took back with evident satisfaction. It appears, however, that Blucher did not exercise the same sagacity in other matters, for it is believed that his death was occasioned by eating flies which had died from the effects of poison." A novelty of the coming Old and New, an American magazine, will be a " union novel," written at the suggestion of the editor, and entitled "Six of One and a Half dozen of the Other." Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowa will write the first instalment \ then Mrs A. D. Whitney will take it up. and write for another number; Miw Lucretia P. Hale, a sister of the editor, will follow with another number \ Frederick W. Loring, a recent Harvard graduate, another ; and Mr Hale will bi'ing up with the conclusion.