TWO DOLLARS A. YEAR.) 



•PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT: 



[SINGLE NO. FOTJR CENTS. 



VOL. X. NO. 24.} 



ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1859. 



{ WHOLE NO. 492. 



MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 



RPHAL, LITHIUM AND FA1HLY NEWSPAPER. 

 e Corps of Assistants and Contributor*. 



THE FLUKE, OR PRINCE ALBERT POTATO. 



■■mi' we bine been waiting for the in- 



•■ - lo i ble ii i iv oi itti 



pioslinns in regard I.. Hi.- i.fi-nf .r v 



■■■I /'.,.... Albert Putoto, its history 



and quality. In March lost we said, in answer to 



n correspondent, that the Prince Albtrt hod not 



been cultivated in this vicinity, that we could 



learn, hut promised to try it the present season. 



Accordingly, we sent for seed, and on opening the 



im not ii liiile surprised to find that 



Fluke had been sent us, From the 



■> ■■ hud ii little suspicion that they were 



one and the same, and this seemed to be confirmed. 



To arrive at a certainty on this point, however, no 



obtained ipse at of ft n t tl&< ■■• froin two 



other sources, and received Euijlifh Flvia every 

 time We know of persons who hkve paid $1 and 

 tl.&Opcrbushi'l i.ir /'■. .... i .,.'«, while the same 

 were soiling iu this market under the name or 

 ftttka, tor ubuut 60 cents. Now. we have a great 

 curiu»ily lo know who gave the Fluke Potato its 

 new name, and the motive for so doing. Had the 

 Fhlht* become ao common thut fancy prices could 

 no longer be obluiued, and it was necessary to find 

 a new and taking uumc? So far as wc con lenrn, 

 it was never known uv that name iu England, aud 

 it is undoubtedly u dodge of some Yankee specu- 

 lator. Any of our readers who can furnish infor- 

 mation on this point will please do 80. 



Of the quality of this potato there is a variety 

 of opinions, some considering it the best potato 

 others thiuk it almost worthless.— 

 The tame difference of opinion we see exists in 

 England. We ,,,^ n,,. tcillowiug remarks by a 

 *" 1 ^ '"»■'. .which may 



throw some light ou the cause of these antagonis- 

 ts .;..i ion ■ 



" Hatty speak of the Fluke Potato in euch high 

 terms as to pronounce it unequalled ; whilst others 

 c.iTiihnm >t us decidedly the worst l'otatothey eve 

 grew. I will offer a few remarks respecting thi 

 Pol ito, In conBea.ni nee of the divided opinion that 



Mill "x^ls H-sj-.eftinij if, inr-iiis. I have, in 



ant, heard people exclaim, 'Somcbedy 

 ■null u n Hi i; for one party recommends it, while 

 " ll " 1 '" 1 i ■"ii'lemus it.' Ou several occasions .«„« 

 1 iit growers digging up 



,1 |, ni . 



" ■■ j which may be summed up as 



I would sat. jokingly. 



[ ti:,,,,,,, WiluUlbe ; . Ah d 



I*m never plant «noth< 

 long III l.ve^ Another, p erhll p 9 , wou | d bo morc 



f " 0rabk "" | l | ■ -are the best 



, m T Ufa.' On 

 the other hand, oUwm would raise the foUoiring 



ty 



.'Too i 



1 the tomplajiit 



of Hour, 



> eat in lliLviir equal In .i well ripened 



The Fluke, planted on poor soil, new broken 

 land, or sandy, docs well, brings perfect tubers 

 of moderate ajtc; the baulm, being of moderate 

 strength, dies down in sufficient time to ripen the 

 tubers as they should be, while the quality is of 

 the first class. The fuult thus lies not iu the 

 Potato, but in the soil, or the method of cultiva- 



Wo have eaten the Fluty, when it was fine, and 

 we would have pronounced it next to Ihe Mexican 

 for bilking, and again when we thought it worth- 

 less. It is of good flavor, as a general rule, though 

 i dry when boiled as we like, particularly the 

 large, and perhaps overgrown specimens, and the 

 end is apt to be quite wet. It ripens late, 

 and iu rich, moist ground, seldom matures. The 

 cin is thin, and white, urn! when 'li"_; before fully 

 ipe bruises easily and turns black. When well 

 ripened, carefully bandied, and kept from exposure 

 air, there are few handsomer potatoes; and 

 when well ripened in a rather poor, sandy soil, it 

 a very good table potato. 



The Fluke Potato was raised from seed in 1842, 

 r a weaver named Jons Turner, in Lancashire, 

 Knglnud. lie raised a number of seedlings, but 

 this being the only one he thought promised well, 

 the others 'were thrown nwuy. He made presents 

 c.f tbe tubers to his neighbors, particularly the 

 farmers around,' but never made a penny of them 

 in tbo way of trade. About 1850 they began lo 

 attract pretty general nttention, nod a number of 

 gentlemen, in 1852, raised a subscription of ubout 

 ('.on as a reword to Mr. Tunweii for raising this 

 potato, and its gratuitous distribution. We can- 

 suy when it was first brought lo lliia country. 



HOUSE-BUILDING - No. HL 



!■■ tin; various mnl. rinl.< Mini have been used in 



special consideration only those most 



commonly 



brought into requisition, viz: wood, 



brick and 



stoDO, and see if some belter way may 



not be dc- 



vised in putting them together than is 



ordinarily 



tried. In case our efforts arc auccessfi 



1, you may 



possibly be induced to build in a more 



substantial 



manner than did your ancestor, who 



reared the 



pioneer tabernacle which you now 



ihiiliit, but 



which is so fast going to decoy over your bead. 

 Much bns been said In favor and also ogainst tbe 

 use of each of the above mentioned materials; 

 thl refine, ii is, perhaps, fair to conclude thut a 

 good house may be built of either, and that tbe 

 best you can do will be to use that which you have 

 at baud, or that which can be most easily obtain- 

 i.il, r.ittiei than incur the extra expense of procur- 

 ing a foriegn material, in hopes of out-doing your 

 neighbors, or becuuse Mr. Such-an-one has done 

 so before you. 



If you have ihe timber, von will find it best to 

 build of wood, and use for a side covering clap- 







! 



the haulm '_< to „ m 

 P 

 wn«, ■ Not one-balf came up t! 



»g the culture 



Potato. The J<7t„h-,b,;in B 



grower, sliouldk* planted o n rather 



•d JWch manured |„a t 



..■lined, the l.milm uond- 



warmth is not 



«<ii.iu.-,i laths tubers, noi light end elr through 



lie b»ulm. The tubers do not get thoroughly 



■ itfwglh of the haulm keep* op the 



up antll to latt , n tllP season that tho 9kj 



»d not properly, 



ilbe expected to boil like a ball 



should not be more thun sixteen inches apart from 

 centre to centre, nor should the siding bo more 

 than six inches wide. Should you desire to make 

 your house warmer than this, you can do so by 

 covering il with inch sheuthing before it is clap- 

 boarded, by filling in between the studs with brick, 

 or by using ao extra partition of lath and plaster- 

 ing, put on ekats nailed toeachside of the studs, 

 about two or three inches hack of tbe inner edge. 

 If you choose lo use verticul ceiling, the cheapest 

 uod best way is to stud tho same as foi aiding, ex- 

 cept sol the outside face of the studs two inches 

 within the fiico of sills mid plates. Ouisido of 

 these spike 2 by 4 girls us ribs, horizontally, and 

 about two feet opart, to receive the ceiling. Lath 

 lotbe studs on tbe outside, between the girts, be- 

 fore tbe ceiling is put up, and put on a coat of 

 coarse mortar between the studs on the inside be- 

 fore finishing. A good up-ground cellar may be 

 made in this way, by adding studding on the 

 inside, and another coat of mortar, making, in all, 

 three separate partitions of plastering, besides an 

 outside ceiling. 



[n . FOU build of brick, have a hollow wall 

 by all means. If your mason is careful in laying 

 it up, a two inch space is sufficient. The plaster- 

 ing will be much more durable on tbe brick 

 on furring, end your building will 

 bedrj it rou attend to two things. First, To pre- 

 vent the moisture from rising fioru the foundation 



the brick wall by capillary attraction, 

 rlonk or continuous course of roofing slate under 

 • he ttrat floor joists, SO as to entirely disconnect the 

 inside portion of tbe brick wotl from the stons 

 :h< hollow. Use for head- 

 ers or bonders, brick, or oak lath, cut into proper 

 length [natal c. \ . L - , 



k '■"•isi on luring vour bnel wet itut be- 



fore they *re laid. Vuur ,,,,, wi „ ^ B , r 



"-•'one. If your brick are of nni- 



but make it smooth by filling the joints and 

 imperfections with mortar, and rubbing the entire 

 wall down with brick. This makes a good surface 

 painting, and leaves nothing to fluke off, All 

 window sills and projecting caps should be con- 

 ted with a drip, so that the dust and dirt thut 

 lodges on them, as it washes off will fall away 

 from the building, and not streak down tbe sides. 

 If your walls are to be of stoue, lay a course of 

 He or flagging slone just below the water table, 

 e entire widih of the wall, and with the edges 

 closely fitted together. If the stone are from the 

 quarry, have them laid in their natural bed, and 

 lot stood up edgewise, to give them the appeor- 

 ince of larger blocks. If the stone is of such a 

 ;ind, aud tbe building of such a character, as to 

 .dmit of or require a hammer dressed surface, do 

 ml fancy that they need to be all of the same site 



loard when put up. Mixed work is belter. There 

 s a saving of material, it admits of proper bon- 

 ders, looks better, and gives the workman a 

 chance to display bis skill and taste. Walls built 

 of quarry or field stone, may be greatly strength- 

 ned by laying in strips of hoop iron or wood lath, 

 throughout the wall, and particularly at the angles. 

 bouse built oi this muienal, and in this manner, 

 protected with a wide projecting cornice, will be 

 y, even if the plostering is put on tbe atone 



It is pretty generally conceded that tbe American 

 ople do their work in rather an unsubstuu- 

 tl manner — aud a simple glunce at tbe crooked 



buildings, cracked walls, broken lintels, ragged 

 cbes, hollow-bucked roofs, lop-sided cornices, 



rattling windows, dragging doors and squeaking 



i be .. 



ilh ferywhero will satisfy 



dulous that builders, at least, should 



It with this almost universal judgement. 



nost drive it through to save himself; 

 e day, the more he does (if not so well) 

 t suits the man who pays— not perbops 

 i latter wishes to get more than tbe 

 s money, but because he has planned 

 j cover so much ground— that if well 

 rjney would not cover the expense. 



TO PLOW BOYS. 



Rv.ivc. fresh fiom the plowed field, I wish to say 

 word, while my mind is upon it, about plowing 

 reen sward. The great point in plowing is, a 

 implete inversion of tbe sod. Having not un- 

 frequeutty taught men lo plow, it would not be 

 strange if some of the rising generation who read 

 be Rural, might be benefitted by a few thoughts 

 pou plowing. It is possible you have not learned 



■, but h 



and employers 



v Vuur [i.in.i 



if l,,i 



3 the field, 

 e first placi 



i plow green sward well you 

 fell-trained team, thut can be 

 guided rather by the voice than tbe rein, for the 

 operator must mainly be upon his 

 plowing. The lines should pass around tbe neck ; 

 ay beof cloth to preventfriclion. Next, 

 your plow should be bright and smooth, and the 

 point likewise. You should feel the point to cut 

 rather than tear the sward. Strike the first furrow 

 as nearly struightus possible. If not cut perfectly 

 clean ond completely turned, return again in the 

 same, for much depends on tbe starting point. If 

 the plow is thrown out by a stone, back up and 

 start again. By all means do not let your go-o- 

 hcadativeness make a balk, for I want you to make 

 the field look as if penciled by a Db Moivhe. If 

 using a side-hill plow, drive straight out; do not 

 let the furrow bend up or down. It would be well 

 to cut a guide furrow upon each head land at tbe 

 outset. As to depth, much depends on your skdl 

 in regulatiog the draft. The point to be attained 

 is thut which turns tbe sward the best. This point 

 youcan only find by a series of experiments. You 

 must alter the bolt, take up or let out tugs, till this 

 is discovered. You must make this discovery your- 

 self, for plows and soils differ. A plow-boy a dis- 



color, give the t 





. of bailed 



: pi a: 



an angle of forty-five degrees, as shown by fig, 1. 

 I presume tbut you will be able to perform it tol- 

 erably well, because the force of gravity, combiued 

 with tbe action of the mold board, will assist you. 

 But I have anothorfleld I wish to putyon in, (such 

 as I am planting tins se.ts.m.i approaching as near- 

 ly to a level as indicated by fig. 2. It is stony and 

 the sward tough, and I want you to plow [| with rj 

 side-hill plow on before. I do not wish tho fur- 

 rows to stand up edgewise, but to be rolled over 

 neatly and evenly, and laid suugly together. I 

 wuutyou to do it, too, without breaking any of 

 your ribs. In a stony couutry, it is considered 

 quite a feat to plow any length of time without 

 being injured in the breast. I have known sevenil 

 to be seriously injured, ribe broken, Ac, by the 

 plow bandies. You must, Ihon, if you would be 

 safe and plow well in hard and stony soil, walk on 

 each side of the furrow, instead of iu it, as is the 

 custom. You must not take bold of tbe tips of 

 the handles, but grasp firmly the middle. Youi 

 r'gbt or left fool, as the cose may be, should fol- 

 low closely the nciion of the mold board, accom- 

 panied with a slight swaying of the plow in the 

 same direction. Hy this method the vital organs 

 are above danger, and the blows are taken by the 

 hips aud thighs, liesides, Ihe blows are modified 

 by our being so much closer to tho plow. We 

 lean, too, upon tbe bandies, as upou canes, and 

 the pressure of our foot upon the furrow, as we 



adv, 



turning t 





stubborn sward. 



:very I 



THE LITTLE BUFFALO HARVESTER, 

 AS A MOWKK. 



In the Rural of May 'Jlst we gave an illustration 

 of "Kihdt's Little Buffalo Harvester as a Mower," 

 and now present an engraving of tbe same machine 

 as a Reaper. We are unable to Speak of the merits 

 of this machine from personal knowledge, but give 

 the following description of its emisti-uetion, opera- 

 tion andadvantage-j, in the luiiaiiiiL'e, and of ennrse 

 upon the responsibility, of the manufacturers . 



"This machine stands without a rival, it being 

 the only One ITorse Qtm&tned Wnim «iid RuptT 

 ii ■! ; nod while it is the best, it is also 

 by far the lowest priecd combined machine in 

 market, and supplies the want, and comes within 

 the reach, of every farmer who needs a Harvester. 

 Tbe Little Buffalo is a combined machine, and the 

 mower is converted into a reaper merely by bolting 

 on the platform and rnker's seat. Tbe grain is 

 delivered in well formed gavils at the side, out of 

 the track of tbe machine, on the next swath, and 

 the raker's position ennbles him to control and de- 

 liver the grnin with perfect cose without a reel — 

 For reaping lodged and tangled grain, ibis machine 

 is unequalled. It cuts a swath four feet wide, ond 

 is capable of reaping from 10 to 16 acres pardon 

 It is easily handled by one horse, or a pole «» °» 

 attached to use it with a span of pon.es if desired. 

 The day is past for soiling single mowers and 

 single reapers. Everv farmer who wan sam 

 at all, wants one capable of performing both ope- 

 rations and here is one whirl, is a ^r/frt comb'ned 

 machine and while ii i- tbe lowest priced machine 

 in market, it is hy far the Ughtut draft, most de- 

 sirable and efficient. 



" Having thus given the reader full illustettioos 



and descriptions of the celebrated Kibby's Har- 



eosons why we believe them lo be the best ma- 

 hincs in market; ond, in doing so, will simply 

 lassify the different machines before the public, 

 is they embody similar principles, and point out the 

 difference between them and Ihe Kirov Machines. 

 1. Ixdependest-Actios Machines. — Thesema- 

 les have been introduced within three or four 

 years. Their distinctive feature is /,'.-■ 

 work on rough ground, and this is accomplished by 

 ■ ■!■ 'c ..';<./ Hi. fin iff bar, which freely 

 und falls in following the inequalities of the 

 ground independently of the driving wheel. This 

 dependent action gives the machine so many 

 advantages on smooth os well as rough ground, 

 the older machines, not possessing this feature, 

 fast going into disuse. Wherever the inde- 

 pendent action machines have been used, (hey are 

 the general favorites. There are two ways of at- 

 taining this independent act ion. 1st. By a peculiar 

 mode of attaching the driving wheel to the main 

 frame, thus establishing the independent action 

 between the wheel and frame, as in tbe Kn<»v 

 Machine. 2d. By a joint or spring in the finger- 

 bar, near its connection with the frame, establish- 

 ing the independent action between tbe bar and 

 the frame. 



"With the last mode it is necessary to use two 

 wheels to carry the frame, or tbe machine would 

 tip oecr, and these two wheels truck eo wide that 

 in reaping it is impossible lo deliver tbe grain at 

 the side out of the way of the next track, and this, 

 together with the di Hi unity < if sustaining Ihe jointed 

 bar off the ground, has prevented them from being 

 successful as reapers. But as mowers they have 

 attained a high reputation, ond arc undoubtedly 

 far superior to the old-fashioned, rigid-bur ma- 



St, II i 



link >l 



attaining tbe independent i 

 best, for, white it permits 1 

 reaper of his machine, it giv 



, make a perfect 

 i many odvanta- 

 ed -bar machine 

 mowing. "For instance, the KlOBI machine, 

 »vi.,g but one wheel, can mo in a ditch while the 

 a runs on the bank and cuts. No two-wheel 

 uchinecando tins, nor can it run wh,r, , , r the 

 ..-■jUx machine 

 Hence the KlRBT machine 

 ( . Ibll | PI . ,,,, ,| nn much rougher land than the two- 

 wheel machines. Again, in tbe jointed-bar ma- 

 chines, the joint comes in the very place in the bar 

 where lb< re is 'be most strain, and the joint must 

 necessarily bear this slruin and wear rapidly. It 

 also comes near or at the point of connection be- 

 tween the connecting rod or pitman and cutters, 

 und tbe connecting rod is never in line with the 

 cutters except when the machine is working on a 

 iVlienever tbe finger-bar is out of 

 level the connecting rod works at an angle, bind- 

 ing the cutters, and sometimes so much they can- 

 not work at all. None of tbese objections hold 

 against the Kiiibt Machine. The- finger-bar is 

 stiff and firm, and j,.-t y . ■ 

 and down. Either end of tbe whole 

 and fall without any c 



i anne/iting rod, or t 



ungle of tbe bar the 



