MOOEE’S EUEAL NEW-YOEKER: AN AGEICULTUEAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
>’UMBER I. 
THOUGHTS ON THE SOUTHEKN COUNTIES. Correspondence of the Rural New Yorker. 
-- SKETCHES OF A TOUR IN ORLEANS AND 
I. NIAGARA. 
Ed. Rural New-Yorker: —Having been Friend Moore: —It is my purpose to 
ruralizing and rambling among the hills and furnish you a few ramblirig notes of a tour 
dales, coves and glens, of Allegany and through the counties above named. Situated 
Cattaraugus counties,' during a portion of in the north-western portion of our Empire 
the past autumn, I have concluded to give State, they are contiguous to the waters of 
my views on their capabilities for farming Ontario and the majestic Niagara. Belong- 
and business purposes, and whatever else I ing to that portion of the State celebrated 
may have gleaned, that Avould be interest- for its production of fine wheat, they em- 
ing or instructive to your readers, or of ser- brace some of the most desirable farming 
vice to any who may propose removing to lands of Western New York. With the 
that section. lake on the north, the river on the west, and 
These coimties are not, and probably the canal passing through the interior of each, 
never will be, large grain growing districts, ti^i facilities for trade and commerce, are of 
but for grazing and daii-y purposes are not, ^i^g flj.gt class; of Avhich the enterprising in- 
in my opinion, naturally sui'passed, (or at habitants have not failed to ti\ke advantage, 
least portions of them are not,) by the cele- The building of the combined locks at 
brated Orange county, or any other locality. Lockpoi^ has furnished that thriving town 
The western part of Allegany, and nearly -^vlth a water power of great excellence, ad- 
all of Cattaraugus, is a constant succession dfog miich to the wealth and prosperity of 
of hills and dales, most of them veiy regu- the town. _ The locks tluimselves, now that 
lar and of uniform height and depth. Mr. entii'e set of double ones is completed, 
Schoolcraft says, in reference to them, -worth a visit, and will stand as en- 
that they resemble “a piece of rnmpled during monuments of the immorttil Clinton, 
calico, the villages and most of the liigh- fiiithful compeers, long after the 
ways occupy the indentations of these “ rum- ephemeral productions of the day have pas- 
ple.s, while the delicious herbage on the ge(j away. Be.sides the Niagara River and 
adjacent hills furnishes healthy and abun- Tonawanda Creek upon the borders, these 
dant pasturage for all kinds of stock. In counties are traversed by various streams, 
those sections where the sugar maple is one niost pi'ominent of which, are “ Oak 
of the piincipal forest trees, I think no bet- Orchard,” “Johnson’s” and “Sandy” Creeks, 
tei section can be found for the production jn-e some things so striking in the con- 
of the finest qualities of butter and cheese, of f];^c country, as to require especial 
or the rearing of fine stock. In my occa- 
Within this narrow compass are 
sional visits to this section for the last few mountain ridge, a limestone formation of 
ycais, I hci\ e been delighted at the improve- extraordinarycharacter; the valley of Medina 
ment exhibited in all parts of the country, gjmdstone, and the calcarious and alluvial 
Though consideiably ^ settled as early as deposites, extending over a large surface of 
1816, still the difficulties of marketing pro- country unquestionably long since covered 
duce kept the counti}- pooi, and it was not waves of “ Old Ontario,” and extend- 
untilthe location of the Valley Canal and the j,-ig from the “ridge road” to the lake. 
Erie railroad, that the people began to see the Here too are heard the ceaseless thunders 
great natural capabilities of the soil for the ^f mighty cataract, whose deeply yawn¬ 
rearing of stock and the production of but- chasm has been spanned by the gossa- 
ter and cheese. F)j.jdge of man’s handiwork, as if in 
ccor ing to the census of 1845, there gtriidng contrast with this majestic creation 
were,m the counUes of Allegany and Cattar- ^f an Almighty power. Look where Ave 
augus, 24,693 milch cows, from Avhich, the there are exhibitions of nature and art 
year preceding, were made 1,868,839 lbs. 3 ,^., to awaken the better, the more 
of butter, and 878,802 lbs. of cheese; and. 
aspiring feelings of our hearts, and teach to 
in conversation with many intelligent men thelessonof its own dependence. 
of that section, they presumed the census 
In the western portion of Niagara county 
would show triple the amount, contiguous to that noble river, there is 
When tt IS recollected that only about one- .(ill living a remnant ot the 'ruscarora tribe 
fifth of the country is cultivated land, and Aborigines. They have dwindled to a 
the part soutli of the Allegany nver towards fe„ hundreds, who, imitating more readily 
t e ennsylvania line is mostly a sterile ^he vices of their more fortunate neighbors 
tract, having immense resources for tlie him- than copying their good qualities, exist only 
bennan, but small for the agr iculturist, I m the most degrading condition. With little 
think It will be conceded, tliat they produce aisp„siti„„ m till the soil, their scanty supply, 
a fair amount of dairy products. Most of replenished from the chase, 
tins IS shipped by the way of Cuylerville and mostly by die charity of the sui- 
Mt.Momstotheeastcrnmarkct,andtoyonr reundimr country. 
own dty; but as soon as the New York and Throughout every portion of tliese conn- 
Erie Mroad is completed it will be chiefly ; ovement in the department 
sent by that route. To those wishing to j^^jj^re are abrmdant. Evidences of 
follow the dairy business, the northern half ,„„hnued prosperity are to bo seen in the 
of these counUes afibrd facilities scarcely commodious farm houses and out buildings, 
equalled elsewhere. A liighly intelligent jhe improvement of fences, and the gen- 
gentleman from Herkimer cormty, who was arrangement of fai-ms, as well as im- 
my fellow passenger in the stage a portion i„„ic„cnts, and more thorough and 
of the time, say.s of the land in Ru.shford . u-n at i • • 
. . systematic tillage. Much attention is given 
and Farmersville: “Much poorer hmd than .■ jion of coun- 
this in Herkimer county brings from *50 to , ^^tween the ridge road imd the lake, 
WO per acre while here it could be bought 
from $15 to $25 —and when the Erie rml- Western New York 
road is completed the facilities for market many of our phain but intel- 
will be nearly as good m Cattoaugus as in f„,.^crs, in days of yore, held that all 
Herkimer. farming and c.xperiments spoken of or de- 
.n tailed in the “Fai-mer,” and other kindred 
the banks 01 the Allegany nver and uirough ,, , 
the southern tier of towns; however. By con- P^^klications, could be little else than rank 
versation with many pemons, I am inclined keresy, having a remarkable resemblance to 
to think it will not go there, but take the “book farming;” against which they had 
northern route. I happened in Ellicottville, most irrevocably set their faces. They were 
at the meeting of the Board ol feupervisors, p-ood men, and willingly inquired each of his 
in November, and through the pohteness of • i ■, i- i i 
1 /.i V 1® 11 f • 1 1 neighbor how he tilled his ground, how he 
a member oi the board, an old Iriend and ® . 
acquaintance, I became acquainted with sowed the seed, and the success of his crop, 
many of the members. I found a general loi'sooth, should some one among them 
wish among all Avho were not particularly continue a series of experiments, for a feAv 
interested in some rival route, that it should yofirs, to tost their value and then communi- 
go thmigh the noithom tier of towns, in- result ton pcriodicul for the benefit 
stead oi the southern. I his is my own « . . ,. • • ,, , 
opinion. I think tlic northern tier of towns ."'>«> worthless be- 
will give the road by far the most freight it wiLS “book farming.” 
and passengers, as they are unquestionably Those days are fiist passing away, and 
the best and richest farming districts. The soon no man who properly regards the sub- 
grades of the road Avill be easy and no woi-se good farming Avill be Avithout his 
than the other route, and should its event- 11 i m ^ 
ual termination bo at Buffalo, as some sup- "““S' 
pose, it will be a still greater advantage to experiment is rife in the land. In various 
tliat section. parts of the counties named, are to be found 
As my sheet is nearly full, I must bring evidences of this spirit Much attention has 
this number to a close. In my next I avUI been given to the subject of drilhng iiiAvlieat, 
give you my “thoughts” on the climate ^ 
cind cliciicictGr ot tlic soil, cind tliG mctliods ., e* • , c\ • 
practiced by the best dahymen in making a matter of expenment Some inter- 
butter and cheese. F. W. Lay. ««ting detiuls may be expected upon tins 
Greece, Dec. 14, 1849. subject Great strife exists among tlie pro- 
i prietors of the different drills, and niuch 
' probably remains to be done before the most 
desirable one can be obtained. 
' Horticulture is by no means neglected, 
though not receiving the attention its im¬ 
portance demands. In a country Avhere 
‘ every household may not only sit under their 
own vine and fig tree, but may enjoy the 
rich fruit thereof, it is surprising more atten¬ 
tion is not given to the culture of grapes. 
Large quantities might be groAvn on the 
shores of Lake Ontario Avith little trouble. 
Should you desire a ramble into the 
country, this part of the State Avoidd please 
yoiL It is rich in the vaiied beauties of 
nature, whether AreAved Avhen spring first 
puts on her garments of life and freshness, 
amid the golden harvest of summer, the 
varied fohage of autumn, or Avhen the 
snoAvy mantle of Avinter has been cast over 
aU. You may find jon your tour the luxuiy 
the Aveaiy frc 4 A’'eler knoAvs so well hoAV to 
prize, the home of the Avayfarer, good ho¬ 
tels. AIIoav me to commend you to the 
“Platt House,” Albion, Avhere mine host, 
“ Gould,” dispenses all that can be desired 
for comfort and luxury. If you fail of be¬ 
ing suited elscAvhere, take up your abode 
Avith the farmer, and feast your soul on the 
fine herds of cattle, choice flocks of sheep, 
spirited troupes of horses, and the rich abun¬ 
dance of the groAving crop and Avell filled 
granaiy; and when at his hospitable board 
you find all that an epicure could desire, 
you may feel that of all men, the farmer is 
not only the most independent, but Avell un¬ 
derstands the sources of human happniess. 
Yours, H. C. White. 
EXPERIMENT IN POTATO GROWING. 
Mr. Moore : —Last March I planted, in a 
floAver pot, three or foiu- seedling potatoes of 
one year’s groAvth from the balls. About 
the middle of May they had groAvn some 
six inches in height. I took a pair of shears, 
cut off the tops, leaA-ing them foiu inches 
long, set them out, and shaded them a feAv 
days. Four of the plants catched root and 
gTOAV finely. I have just dug them, and 
there was a good yield, not over three or 
four of less size than hens eggs, and several 
of good cooking size. 
Noav, sfr, Avhat becomes of the prevailing- 
notion, that none but large seed should be 
planted. The argument is, that the sugar 
and starch of the seed, is the nui-se of the 
plant in its early stages; that its first vital 
energy is derived from its parent, until its 
roots are sufficiently developed to sustain 
itself, and therefore no small potatoes or small 
sized, shrunk or imperfect seeds should be 
relied upon for a crop. In the above stated 
case, it had no ready prepared nutriment, 
nor even a root, or the process of any kind. 
Many persons Avill only soav the heaviest 
arid plumpest kernels of Avheat, and others 
reject the point and butt end kernels of all 
their seed corn. Is there any propriety in 
this ? or is it all moonshine ? I have seen 
fine crops of AvheatgTOAvn from seed so badly 
shrunk that the fowls rejected it; they did 
not knoAV Avhat it Avas. Will some of your 
correspondents discuss this subject ?—it is of 
some importance. ii. y. 
SUMMER AND WINTER SHELTER FOR SHEEP. 
Mr. Moore :— In passing a farm house, a 
feAv days since, I obseiwcd Avhat to me ap¬ 
peared a very desirable shelter for sheep. 
It consisted of tAvo sills or runners of cedar, 
fastened together by cross bars—Avith a 
frame over it three feet liigh, on one side, and 
tAvo and a-half on the other, covered Avith 
rough boards, so as to form a shed roof. — 
It Avas boarded up on each side, and open 
at both ends. Being light and portable, 
only some eight by sixteen feet, the farmer 
drives it into the middle of the fldloAv ground 
in summer, AA'here the sheep find shelter and 
enrich the'field rather than the corners of 
the fences. In Avinter it is driven into tlie 
barn yard and serves as shelter from the 
storms, as it had served as protection from 
rain and sun during the summer. It ap¬ 
peared to mo a plan Avell Avorthy of imita¬ 
tion. H. C. AV. 
Durability of Red Cedar.— We haA-e 
beared of an old farmer, Avho, Avhon asked 
hoAv he knoAv that cedar posts Avould “ last 
forever,” said he had frequently tried the 
experiment Borne may doubt liis assertion, 
yet its lasting poAvers have been found to 
exceed a long life-time. At the head of one 
of the graves in “ Old St Mary’s,” Mar}-- 
land, there stands a cedar slab, Avhich, as the 
inscription indicates, Avas placed there in 
l7l7, and is still perfectly soimd. 
BEES.—NEW EXPERIMENT. 
A pretty and ingenious experiment has 
been made by a gentleman in England, for 
Avhich he received one of the County Soci¬ 
ety’s medals. The Hive is attached by a 
ring in the top, by cords or chains, to one 
end of a scale beam made of wood, with 
metal action piA'ots, and at the other end a 
square block of equal weight As soon as 
the bees are swarmed in, it is attached to 
the scale beam, and Aveights of knoAvn value 
are added, until you get the exact Aveight of 
the bees, and so on every day, as the filling 
of the hive progvesses—giving its increase 
or diminution, both in summer and Avinter. 
The hive should be protected from rains, 
and if exposed to Avind should move betAveen 
guide posts, to keep it from SAvinging. By 
procuring the exact Aveight of a dead b^ie, 
or any given number, you can determine 
the entire number of the swarm, which 
hitherto has been mere conjecture. It is 
an amusing philosophical toy, at any rate, 
and Avill commend itself to persons of leis¬ 
ure, Avho have curiosity in the Avorkings of 
this ingenious and industrious insect. 
We hope some of our readers Avill try the 
plan and give us the result; Avith a daily or 
Aveekly report of the increase of honey — 
the eflect of heat, cold and storm, clouds 
and sunshine—decrease in a cold period 
compared Avith mild Aveather in Avinter, and 
at the period of the kilhng of the drones— 
their Aveight, number, <fec. 
NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Executive Meeting —Dec. 13, 1849. 
Present—J. P. Beckman, E.x-Pres’t, Chairman; 
George Vail, Ex-Pres’t; Henry Wager, Luther 
Tucker, J. McD. McIntyre, B. P. Johnson. 
ANNUAL MEETING-COMMITTEES APPOINTED. 
Management of Farms —Sam’l Cheever, Sara¬ 
toga; B. B. Kirtland, Rensselaer; David Sill, 
YVashiiigton. 
Butter and Cheese Dairies — B. P. Johnson, Al¬ 
bany; Joseph Caiy, do; Levi T. Mar.shall, Oneida. 
Essays, Draining, and Agricultural Works for 
Common Schools —John Delafield, Seneca; John 
P. Beeknian, Columbia; George Geddes, Onon¬ 
daga. 
Butter and Cheese on Exhibition —Henry Wa¬ 
ger, Oneida; G. J. Barber, Cortland; Samuel 
Cary, Albany. 
Fruit —Herman Wendell, M. D., Albany, Lew¬ 
is F. Allen, Erie; Sanford Howard, Albany; Henry 
Vail, Rensselaer; Charles H. Tomlinson, Sche¬ 
nectady. 
Field Crops. — Wheat and Rye —Alonzo Up- 
ham, Genesee; J. B. Burnet, Onondaga; D. S. 
Curtis, Columbia. ^ 
Indian Corn —Wm. Newcomb, Rensselaer; H. 
T. E. Foster, Seneca; Jas.- Rees, Oneida. 
Barley, Oats, Buckwheat, Peas and Beans —J. 
W. Ball, Otsego; Luther Leland, Oneida; Martin 
Springer, Rensselaer, 
Potatoes and Root Crops —Orlando Allen, Erie; 
C. D. Palmer, Waterville; John Foster, Columbia. 
Corn Fodder, Flax, Hops, Sf-c. —Wm. Buel, 
Monroe; Benjamin Enos, Madison; Amos Briggs, 
Rensselaer. 
For Arrangements for Pomological Exhibition 
—J. McD. McIntyre, Albany; H. Wendell, M. 
D. , do; James Wilson, do. 
Committee on Treasurer’s Accounts —George 
Vail, John A. King, Pres’t, and B. P. Johnson, 
Secretaiy. 
Committee to arrange as to Lectures —E. P. 
Prentice, Luther Tucker, B. P. Johnson. 
Lectures— Prof. Jas F. W. Johnston of Dur¬ 
ham, in England, will deliver a course of lectures 
before the Society on “ The General relations of 
Science to Agriculture,” commencing in theearly 
part of JanuarA’. 
The Annual Meeting is to be lield on the third 
Wednesday (16th) of January, and the annual 
address will be delivered by the President, Hon. 
John A. King, on Thursday evening, 17th Jami- 
aiy. In addition to the awarding of premiums on 
essays, farms, grain and root crops, butter and 
cheese, an exhibition of winter fruits will be had 
at the Agricultural Rooms. It is desired that there 
should be an extensive competition for the premi¬ 
ums of the Society at the annual meeting, as well 
as a large attendance of practical farmers from 
even’ section of the State. 
The exhibition of fruits at the last annual meet¬ 
ing was veiy superior, and it is hoped that an 
equally fine display will be made at the coming 
meeting. It is desired that there should be an ex¬ 
hibition from eveiy county in the State, as well as 
from the adjoining States and British Provinces. 
Persons who are willing to aid in this exhibition 
are requested to have their fruit, properly labelled 
with its name, and the name and residence of the 
exhibitor, and securely packed and directed to the 
Secretan’, Agricultural Rooms, Albany, and sent 
at as early a day as practicable. It is also desired 
that the character of the soil, the exposure of the 
orchard, and the habits of the tree, as to its thrifty 
and bearing chai-acter, or othenvise, be given. 
B. P. Johnson, Sec’v. 
Note.— The aboA'e comprises the most import¬ 
ant proceedings at the last meeting of tlie Ex. 
Com., and w’o are unable to insert more in our first 
number. YVe shall probably give full reports of 
future meetings. — [Ed. R. N. Y. 
Monroe Co. Agricultural Society. — We 
annex a brief abstract of the proceedings at the 
late annual meeting of this Society, held on the 
11 th ult. 
Premiums Awarded on Field Crops: — To H. 
B. Moore, of Brighton, 1st premium on corn, ,$5; 
2d, to Ira Apthorp, of Riga, $3. L. B. Lang- 
AA’orthy, of Greece, 1st premium on carrots, .-fio. 
Officers for 1850: —President, Caleb K. Hob- 
BiE, of Irondequoit. Vice Presidents—1st, N. 
Hayward, of Brighton; 2d, F. P. Root, of Swe¬ 
den; 3d, John Row, of Riga. Joseph Alleyn, Rec. 
Secretary; J. Vick, Jr., Cor. Sec’y. J. Rapalje, 
Treasurer. 
Elisha Harmon, D. D. T. Moore, and J. Rap¬ 
alje, were appointed delegates to the annual mee¬ 
ting of the N. Y. State Ag. Society. 
ffertitnltoral Itprtrarat. 
Our Horticultural Department will, 
(luring the hybernation of vegetable life, be 
restricted to comparatively small limita It is 
a waste of time to treat of the manipulations 
of the garden, during the “dearth of aU 
thing’s green,” in oiu- freezing northern 
clime. We shall confine ourselves, in this 
division of our labors, to such general prin¬ 
ciples, and remarkable facts, as may be 
profitably agitated at any time. We desig-n, 
as far as possible, to have our articles and 
selections seasonable and adapted to the 
period needing the attention of the utilitarian 
and amateur. 
We shall pay some attention to fruits, and 
other subjects adapted to winter contempla¬ 
tion ; but the fohage, and the floAvers, must 
rest ((uietly in their graves, till the resusci¬ 
tating genius of spring, spreads its genial 
wings, and Avakes to life the germ and bulb 
—the bud and blossom. 
THE APPLE FAILURE. 
Much discussion has arisen, on the cause 
of the general failure of the apple crop, 
over nearly the Avhole United States; indeed 
so general and Avide spread a desolation was 
never knoAvn before, and only one or two 
instances approximating to it, since the Rev- 
oultion, and then from a severe frost and 
snow. In the present case, it cannot be 
accounted for by any known cause. The 
east wind, so dreaded and fatal in England, 
has never as yet been observed to produce 
such a universal failure in this country. 
Most of the fruit that survived the pes¬ 
tilence, whatever it may have been, are 
injured by a fungus, or black blotch, that 
rendered them shapeless—the pulp, woody 
and imperfect. It seems to be an organized 
parasite, that propogated and increased for 
a period—disorganized the tissues, and hin¬ 
dered the fruit from expanding and increas¬ 
ing in its grOAvth in those parts it covered; 
causing cracks and fissures so deep, that 
often the core and seeds Avere exposed. 
Some species of pears Avere also affected in 
the same manner, particularly the Summer 
bon Chretien. 
It cannot be attributed to frost, for there 
Avas none at that period, at least in many 
large districts of coimtry. Much east Avind 
and rain prevailed, at the time of fructifica¬ 
tion, and the failure of impregnation, might 
cause the fruit to become addle and fall in 
its early stages. There never was a more 
prolific blossoming of the trees, nor a finer 
sett of fruit. In almost all instances, uncul¬ 
tivated natxu-al trees produced much the 
greatest quantity, and Avere the least affected 
by blight Has the peculiar miasm, with 
which the atmosphere has been charged 
this season, causing cholera, produced this 
effect?—or is it one of those inscrutable 
Avorkings of nature, that defies investigation, 
like the potato rot and the fire blight on the 
pear tree ? We desire the opinions of ob- 
seiwers on this subject 
SINE QUA NON APPLE. 
This apple Avas introduced by W. R. 
Prince, of the flushing Nurseries, over 
twenty years ago. It originated in that 
neighborhood, and is a very sup<*rior apple 
in its season. It is of mechum size, entirely 
gTeeiiAvhen ripe, and often cracks on one side, 
Avhen fully ripened on the tree. It ripens 
directly after the YelloAv Harvest JUid is of 
a decidedly higher flavor. The groAVth of 
the tree is sIoav, Avith delicate light colored 
Avood, and Avith its peculiar foliage has an 
uncultivated appearance. 
We knoAV of no apple preferable in its 
season, and avc are surprised that it has not 
become more sought after and popular; as 
it is an apple tliat immediately precedes 
early peaches. We can, in the spring, 
furnish our amateur friends Avith a feAv 
grafts, from a bearing tree, free of expense. 
I Fruit for Exhibition. —We are recpiest- 
ed to say, that J. H. Watts, Esq., Avill take 
charge of and pack all Avinter fruits that 
groAvers in this immediate region may Avish 
to send to the N. Y. Stiite Society’s meet¬ 
ing on the 16th of January. They should 
be brought to his office by the 10 th inst. 
It is hoped that Monroe coimty Avill not be 
behind others, although the fruits are scarce; 
on that account they Avill be more valuable, 
and add interest to the occasion. 
In future numbers we shall devote more 
space to this department, and occasionally 
g-ive engravings of fruits, floAvers, <fcc. 
