TWO DOLLAR? 



'PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT." 



[SINGLE NO. FOTJU CENTS. 



VOL X. NO. 31. f 



ROCHESTER, N.Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1859. 



\ WHOLE NO. 499. 



MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 



EORAI,, IJTBIURT AND FAMILY NBWBPAPBB 





husbandry in which thuj art now tuecudimj, to 

 i at once or fully to the former staple. The 

 soil of a large portion of this State is eminently 

 adapted to the production of wheat, and in some 

 sections— if the enemies of the crop can be evaded 

 —it will probably long prove the most remunera- 

 rop that can be grown. Hence, we believe it 

 able for those who own good wheat soil, uud 

 Jt profitably engaged in olber branches, to 

 beat culture again — returning to it gradually 

 n a small scale, until satisfied as to the safety 

 and profit of a full resumption. 



Tbe practical question which arises among cul- 



rators is, How can we best evade tbe midge? 



Maoy conjectural and ?ome very plausible theories 



hitherto been promulgated un this point, few 



of which have proved of uny great value, being 



either impraclieablu L.r Ion expensive. The result 



of careful experiments, by some of our most in- 



ligent, observing and experienced grain grow- 



i, however, proves that tliere an three requisite* 



successful wheat culture in regions where the 



dge prevails, and these wo will briefly euuuie- 



WHEAT GROWING. -EVADING THE MEDGE. 



It is oeaily len years since a full crop of Wheat 

 fcwbaaa produce*! in this State— Hi* prevalence ' '■ 

 the midge (miscalled weevil) in those sections 

 which formerly produced the great staple most 

 abundantly, and the consequent partial or eutite 

 destruction of the crop, having caused a great 

 change in agricultural opera' ions and materially 

 depreciated tbe value of farming lauds in many 

 localities. Farmers who had mainly cultivated 

 and depeuded upon the wheat crop for a long 

 series or years, were suddenly confounded by the 

 appearance and ravages of a my riad-hended enemy, 

 ami knew not what w do to alleviate the calamity. 

 In some districts of Central and Western New 

 York, wheat culture was given up with scarcely 

 an effort to bead or counteract an enemy which 

 seemed more numerous and devouring than Hie 

 locusts of Egypt, and attention directed to other 

 crops, stock breeding, grazing and dairying — thus 

 inaugurating a comparatively new system of hus- 

 bandry over a large extent of country. The change 

 was of course somewhat difficult uud expensive, 

 so that tbe profits of the farm were, for a time at 

 least, greatly diminished. In some localities, how- 

 ever, many formers continued to sow and harvest 

 wheat, though generally with little success until 

 recently and after adopting a change of varieties 







And yet 



confide 



t a 



s we a 



e in this op 



uion, we 













■ ..■!■ . 





Id 



not ii 



^ritota 



uches o! 



ETJEOPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



Sorgho as a Foragc Plaint.— The Marquis De 

 r iuiiAVBcoinmunicatcatothoJbur7wio/i > me(jeai 

 Vjriatlt'irc bis experience in feeding sorgho to 

 attic. He says:— "Tbe sorgho is not a violent 

 mison for cattle ; but if the effects observed, not 

 uly in my cultivation, but also in that of many 

 of roy neighbors, be frequently renewed, we 

 mght necessarily to attribute to Ibis plant a dcle- 

 erious influence On a farm which I occupy my- 

 icJf, twenty-five homed cattle have been fed 

 exclusively on sorgho during a mouth; nnd from 

 the precise day on which it was introduced in 

 g the cattle, the journal of the form bhows a 

 e profit of the dairy by one-half, 

 and the same decrease was exhibited every month 

 of feeding with sorgho. On the other hand, there 

 the cows, a cose of wind, 

 that caused its death. Any other kind of food 

 light have produced a similar accident; but 

 wliut many of my neighbors have asserted is, the 

 ility of the cow fed on sorgho. If these two 

 s, sterility on tbe one hand, and a diminution 

 of half in the production of milk on the other, 

 repeated regularly in consequence of feeding the 

 we must conclude from lliem tbat 

 this plant is injurious ; since it hinders or dimin- 

 ishes nil kinds of production by interfering with 

 ihc secretions, which must necessarily pmvoke a 

 perturbation in the animal org; 



t and i 





The nrdcal has been a severe one, but the skies 

 arc brightening, and we believe that wheat 

 again be abundantly and profitably grown in 

 tioos where the midge has prevailed and proved 

 so destructive for several years. Indeed we think 

 the experience or wise and piudent cultivntors 

 has already demonstrated the correctness of this 

 opinion. Last year many farmers succeeded 

 evading the midge, and growing excellent o 

 profitable cropB of wheat — and their success 

 doced others to sow somewhat extensively last 

 fall, from which a good yield has been obtained 

 the present season. This result has been achieved, 

 mainly, by a change of varieties, time of sowing, 

 and mode of culture. Though the weather has 

 been remarkably favorable for the growth and 

 maturity of the wheat plant Ibis season, the suc- 

 cess of our cultivators !s in a great measure 

 attributable to their wisdom and foresight in man- 

 agement—for the midge was not destroyed by the 

 June frost, as many suppose, but appeared in 

 myriad swarms at the usual period, ready to at- 

 tack and destroy tbe »utr ofi,fo. The wheat plant 

 escaped only fur tbe reason that it wtt5 so for ad- 

 vonccd at the period when the insect usually ope- 

 rates a* lO be i: 



Williintbepostmu 

 time and attention t 



:■■...: , 



for the purpose of exomining the growi 



lure. Wc hi 



fields of wheat in various parts of this coi 



Were groiro previous to the appearance 



niitlge. In every instance tohtre tarty c 



■ 



. hat* found th 



:''ing only where the severe .lut 



i" 1 "" 1 '''h ■;, ,\ , remarked two weeks ago, 



we are aware that 'one swallow does not mak 

 Hummer "—that the present season has been 

 mark ably favorable for the growth and maturity 

 of the wheat plant-jet, (rom information obU" 

 ed, lost season and this, from observation and 



have groivn tbese, and experi- 

 mented with more recently introduced varieties, 

 tbe past year, have been quite successful. The 

 Mediterranean has improved in quality of late 

 and also iu productiveness. In some in- 

 s, last year, from thirty to forty bushels per 

 ere produced in this county, the grain being 

 elleut quality, and wo presume (from the 

 fields wc have examined) that the yield and quali- 

 ty will both prove good the present season. The 

 Dayton variety was grown in Genesee county last 

 year, and gave good satisfaction — escaping the 

 midge and producing thirty-five bushels per acre. 

 The success of tbe experiment induced several 

 farmers of Wheatland, in this county, to procure 

 (from Ohio) and sow seed of this variety last fall, 

 the product of which escaped the midge and looked 

 very promising two weeks ago — when nearly 

 ready for harvesting. As we stated in the Ritual 

 of tin- 10 ili, (after examining about seventy acres 

 on the farm of Hon. Elisua Hariion,) "it is avery 

 lioe variety— a white buhl wheal, with stiff straw, 

 and if it acclimates as well as the Mediterranean 

 will prove invaluable in this region." Other new 

 varieties have been tried on a small scale ibis year 

 —such as the Boughton Wheat, (seed from Vir- 

 ginia,) by Mr. Wiiay, near this city, and the Early 

 May, (seed from Southern Illinois,) by Mr. Jas. 

 White of Wayne county. We hope to hear soon 

 from these and other gentlemen who have experi- 

 mented with new varieties, and that they will state 

 time of sowing, yield per acre, quality, Ac, for 

 the benefit of the public. 



2. Tim* of Sou ing. — The general opinion among 

 our beat farmers is that, whatever seed is used, it 

 in'i.-t /-,. ,...■- ii inrly In mwpi tin midge. Some are 

 of the opinion that the Soule's wheat can he suc- 

 cessfully grown— us it has been this past season- 

 by sowing as early as the 1st of September on 

 rich, dry and well prepared soil. It should he 

 remembered, however, that the present season has 

 been more favorable for wheat in H113 region than 

 any other for perhaps twenty years, and hence 

 that the result this year is not a sale index for 

 ordinary seasons. We should prefer the early 

 varieties, such as those named above, and icouUl 

 sow at early at jiomible after tht 2EjA of Augutt—- 

 soy the lust week in August or Grst in September. 

 This is the opinion of our best farmers, and those 

 who have experimented must, and been m< 

 ccssful in wheat culture, since the prevail 

 the midge. 



Soil and Culture.— Early varieties and early 

 iwiug will prove of little avail without a rich, dry 

 and good cult u,t. The great cci 

 not be produced advantageously on poor, ■ 

 n any part of the Union, and especially in 

 where the midge prevails. To produce wheat 

 ibundiintly and profitably the soil must contain the 

 proper elements, and be in the right condition. 

 In mauy cases underdrawing is of the utmost im- 

 portance, even on farms where it is not considered 

 necessary. No one need expect to grow good 

 wheat, and evade the midge, unless he has a rich, 

 worm and comparatively dry soil, and gives it 

 good culture-hut wit h ihese, and attention to the 

 requisites above named, we Miere ffheat cnn 

 oga.n he cultivated successfully hi Western and 

 Central New York and other midge ,„!, Lad BS 



r urn/in 



..C ihr 



ide, is Mr. Uouskall, who has laid the pub- 

 iiudcr great obligations to himself for the pub- 

 llion of bia experiments and views on this 

 cresting question. His method of feeding is 

 the following:— In May his coivs are turned out 

 ich pasture near Hie homestead ; towards eve- 

 ning they are housed for fbe night, when they are 

 pplied with a mess of a steamed mixture, to be 

 afterwards described, ond a little hay each inoru- 

 , During June mown grass in 

 given to tbcoi instead of hay, and they arc also 

 allowed two feeds of steamed mixture. This 

 treatment is continued till October, when they are 

 again wholly housed, After this they receive 



After each meal cabbages are given, from October 

 till December; Kohl Kabi till February; and 

 gel till grass-time— the supply of each of these 

 cties of green food being limited to 30 or 35 

 per day for each cow; 4 lbs. of meadow hay 

 dso allowed after each meal, or 12 lbs. per day 

 for each cow, and water is placed before them 

 of which they partuke as much as 

 they feel inclined for. The Steamed food consists 

 of "5 lbs. of rape-cake, 2 lbs. of bran, for each 

 cow. mixed with a ButBcicnt quantity of beau- 

 straw, oat straw, and shells of outs, iu equal pro- 

 portions, to supply them three times a day with as 

 much as they will eat. Tbe whole of the materials 

 are moistened and blended together, and, after 

 being well steamed, are given to the nnimnls in a 

 warm state. The attendant is allowed 1 lb. to \% 

 lbs. of bean-meat per cow, according to circum- 

 stances, which he is charged to give to each cow 

 in proportion to the yield of milk, those in fall 

 milk getting 9 lbs. each per day, otberB lint little ; 

 it is dry, and mixed with the steamed food on its 

 being dealt out separately." This is certainly 

 high feeding, hut it is amply repaid by the results; 

 for while cows fed in the ordinary way seldom 



quart, Mr. Hotisfall's milk gives upwards of l}; 

 ozs. for every quart. It is also an importaut part 

 of hia system never to allow his cows to fall off in 

 condition. De considers the maintenance of the 

 condition essential to a large yield of mil la, There 

 cau be no doubt of the soundness of this opinion. 

 A cow low in condition eunnot give the same 

 quantity of milk, as much of the nourishment of 

 the food is drawn off to make up the condition of 

 the animal. And when a very lean cow is put on 

 rich food, it is some weeks before the full benefit 

 of the food can be obtained iu milk for the reason 

 slated above. In Scotland bran is not very often 





that it forms a 





Some time ago we came upon the following 

 tract, we believe from tin 

 which gives some valuable bints as to the us. 

 different substances in tbe feedingof milk cow; 



" 111 reiiiliiK' over tin.' fi]" ' ""■■"' • on leeiliuj 



Stephens, a difference uf opinion exists as tu 

 comparative fattening qualities of linseed ct 

 bean and other meal, and in the "Report of the 

 Lome National Agricultural School 1'e.i i. ,' | n, 

 of beans is said to be equal in fattening qualities 

 to 30 lbs. of turnips, and nearly 8 lbs. of oatmeal. 



PORTRAIT OF A. PRIZE COTSWOLD. 



Ilicieut Imms"! ■ .■ . ■ irt, -are fa*t ob- 

 taining popularity as n mutton breed among Arncri- 

 cau farmers. The Cotswold is a long-time bred 

 sheep in England. Like the New Leicester, (he 

 care and judicious selections of English bleeders 

 have done much towards their improvement, and 

 although the siM has been somewhat reduced, yet 

 the aptitude to fatten and mature early lias been 

 greatly increased. Wethers are often fattened ot 

 fourteen months, u lien lliey iveinh fioui 15 pouuds 

 to 21 pounds per quarter, and at two years from 

 *J0 pounds to GO pounds. Tbe experiments of Mr. 

 Lawks "on the comparative quid i ties of the various 

 English luteds i>l nhtop," demonstrate that the 

 Colswolds will Iny on I'nt with greater rapidity, and 

 more in proportion to tbe amount of food consumed, 

 than any other breed. The following table gives 

 the pith of tbe results of these accurately con= 

 dueled experiments: 



Turnips. 



OlU«f.til 



lbs. 



In our own country, those who have imported 

 nnd bred the Cotswold hold them in high estima- 

 tion, for both mutton nnd wool. Tbe wool is strong, 

 mellow, and of good color, though rather coarse, six 

 to eight inches in length, and averaging seven to 

 eight pouuds the fleece. 



A few facts and figures in regard to the estimate 

 placed upon this breed of sheep by both breeders 

 and butchers may prove of interest, hence we ex- 

 tract from the RniAi. the following items : 



" R. G. Coffin, of Dutchess Co., gives his pre 

 ference to the Cotswold over any other breed when 

 looked upon as a wool-producing and mutton sheep. 



■i ■ Di cember last five wethers, 21 months 



1 ' ■ ■.,. -l>. The expense of rearing them to 



ate, hay, turnip*, and 



i bs of woolat 



cents, amounting to JIL'.CO, making the whole 

 me from them *S'_',i;n mid leaving a clear profit 



Tin. . 



,- ( 3 c 



though verv satisfactory, is wont- 

 ing i « important point— the live weight of the 



sheep. If we suppose they weighed 200 pounds, 



Id for 7 cents per pound. Or if we 



■ live weight was 1T5 pounds, which 



may be nearer the truth for sheep of that age, then 



they Sold For 8 cuts per. pound. There is also a 



in reeding ( 12,13 woi th of feed. 



In the Market I(--port of Hie New York Trilimt, 



Peb 6th, 1853, is an account oC the sale at Albany 



of 45 Cotswold sheep at $16 a head, the live weight 



of wbicb was 1SS pouuds each. Forty ••( them 



were from the farm of Wu. IIallock, Monroe Co., 



N. T. These sheep sold for nearly *' , Ci nts a 



pound, live weight The age is not g*v< 



live weight would seem to indicate that they were 



young sheep. 



In ,!„■ Hi rM. of Jan. it, l-.vi. ii the following: 

 ■'Good Sbeep and Good Trues— In the Market Re- 

 port of i he Albany Journal, we read, J. B, CitosnT, 

 brmie.li' in eiglit heud. fed by Wu. llu.mii., of 

 Bush Monroe Co., N. T., which averaged 240 lbs. 

 each— one weighed 268 pounds. They were full- 

 blooded Cotswolds, 2 yeurs and 8 months old; 

 purchased by McGiiaw at $'•'< per head." It was 

 further staled in the Journal " tbat McGkaw said, 

 any one having any more nuch sheep could draw 



Our engraving gives a. good representation of a 

 prize Cotswold Buck, the property of Mr. Gm. 

 Deweh, Ley Gore, Gloucestershire, Eng., anil win- 



I tried the bean-meal one season, at the rote of 3 

 lbs. a day, boiled, for each milk cow, with mangel, 

 turnip and hay. By February one of them was 

 fat, but I may say dry; and tbe others with about 

 half the quantity of milk they had when com- 

 mencing. I tried, for two winters, oatmeal, tbe 

 same quantity in the same way, and each cow 

 gave three lime3 the quantity of milk and butter, 

 and turned out full belter the following summer. 

 I tried the same quantity of yellow Indian meal 

 lost winter, and I think it good for both milk ond 

 butter. I tried brnu for three winters, at the rale 

 of 4 lbs. every night for each cow; it was equal 

 to the oatmeal, while using, and my cows turned 

 out better the following summer than on ony other 

 feeding. The bran not only keeps them healthy, 

 and gives them a greater relish for their food, but 

 there is some combination of qualities in it be- 

 yond what any writer I have seen attributes to it " 

 The state in which the food is given has also a 

 great effect in tbe production of both milk and 

 butter. Wo have observed more than once that 

 the yield of butter and milk is never so great 

 when we give cows boiled turnips, with beans 

 boiled quite soft amongst them, us n I 

 the boiled turnips and tbe same weight of beans 

 mode into meal and mixed raw with them. Again, 

 there is more milk and no taste of tbe turnip in it, 

 when tbe turnips are pulped and mixed with cut 

 straw or chaff ami fermented, than if the same 

 weight of turnips ore given whole and row. 



ABOUT CORN AND SOME OTHEE THINGS. 

 mch? Eng- 



Can Indian Corn be cu 

 lish writers wake meutio 

 to excess, until it becor 

 "deaf." Englishngrieuli 

 often thought, partakes .* 

 of tlieii uneducated peaaa 

 I know not exactly what i 

 hut iiiijieliire that l( |J " 

 powdered road dust coudi 



ml being harrowed 



at of Hie gibberish 

 l by the word deaf, 



i.'inliit to del 



■ of 11 



nely 





field or seven acres, of deep 

 ]y loom, lying contiguous to my door yard, and 

 g the public highway, without stump or other 

 LK .|,. iu cultivation, and which has been for two 

 pasture. This spring I covered 

 ell with barnyard manure, plowed it deep 

 with three horses abreast, then, harrowed it thor- 

 oughly—crossing the harrowing diagonally iu dif- 

 ferent directions— until a surface tilth was obtained 

 nice for planting, then marked it out— somewhat as 

 a ledger is ruled for strnightuess— four feet each 

 way, then plauted it with corn, using plenty of seed, 

 so tbat nearly every hill needed ihinuing toobtsin a 

 stand of four plants to each hill ; then dropped a 

 tablespoonful of nnleachcd ashes on cuch bill. 

 President Bocdanan says that short eeatoncej Oft 

 best, sol make a period here. Aasooo as the corn 

 was visible 1 plastered it at the rate of three barrels 

 to tbe seven acres, and at tbe some time dug into 

 every bill that exhibited sign* 



