ROCHESTER, N. Y.-TIIURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1850 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW. 
product in one your one-fourth that amount 
of hay, and in favorable seasons we cannot 
doubt but that its effect would continue at 
the same rate for four years longer. So the 
action of ashes must be chemical in its na¬ 
ture, giving a capacity to appropriate other 
fertih’zers, which it does perhaps by impart¬ 
ing to the soil its potash, which dissolves 
the silica or flint of the sod, producing sili¬ 
cate of potash, which, according to Liebig, 
is required by all plants of the grass kind 
in large quantities. 
On wet ground, it should be borne in 
mind that ashes produce no effect—and in 
wet seasons, the benefit is much less than in 
the ascent of the sap, and causing the death 
of the tree. He remarked, that the fly rarely 
injured the body at any considerable dis¬ 
tance from the ground, instincts leading 
it to the root, at or near the surface. He 
took me however to two trees, where the fl}* 
had made its perforations at the 'top of the 
straw, about three feet from the ground.— 
The punctures were small, but distinct and 
visible, and on one tree, were several in num¬ 
ber. Most of them were enlarged, by cut¬ 
ting out with a small penknife the little de¬ 
posits, but with no damage to the tree. It 
was not frequent however, that the fly as¬ 
cended so high. But at any rate, if the dam¬ 
age must be sustained, it was better to have 
it in plain sight, where it might be speedily 
remedied, than below the surface, where it 
might destroy the tree. 
I intend to examine all my young trees 
this spring, cutting out the grub whenever 
found, and filling the wound with grafting- 
wax, to prevent the escape of the sap, and 
to encase the bodies with straw as above— 
puBuaded that, as a precautionary measure, 
it will be wise and profitable. e. d. 
PICKET ING A NIMALS. 
At a recent sitting of the Paris Academy 
of Science, M. Durand submitted two pa¬ 
pers on the subject of the advantages of 
feeding animals by picketing —a process 
very important in old countries, where fences 
are rare, or wholly unknown, as they are 
mnaany dp.parl.monLs fvf ■.R'. TViftre tLa 
whole of farm stocks i«id working animals 
are soiled, fed by picketing, or attended by 
herdsmen; and in time it may be important 
in this counti-y, where timber and stone be¬ 
come scarce, and the division of farms into 
small lots too expensive. 
We do not precisely comprehend how it 
can be done with perfect safety to the ani¬ 
mals, as in those attempts that we have seen 
by means of ropes, they were liable to be¬ 
come entangled and cast The ropes be¬ 
comes wet—lose their twist—-rot,and would 
be too expensive. Perhaps chains and 
swivels would dispose of that difficulty. The 
notice of the project as reported does not go 
into any explanations, but recommends the 
process as greatly beneficial on the score of 
economy, over allowing them to go at large 
— benefiting the land and creating no ad¬ 
ditional expense. 
SMOKE HOUSES. 
Many persons commit great errors in 
building smoke houses. To be nice and 
have a handsome and respectable looking 
appm-temmee to tlie farm, it must forsooth be 
built of brick or stone, with close fitting 
doors, and a single aperture for the egress 
of the smoke. The consequence is, the 
meat is black and bitter, and might as well 
have been put in a pickle of pyroligneous 
acid; having lost all its fine flavor—smelling 
of soot like a chimney sweep. The walls 
are so close and cold, that the smoke con¬ 
denses and settles on the hams or bacon, 
and instead of drying it becomes flabby and 
ill colored. 
A smoke house can hardly be too open. 
It takes longer, to be sure, to perfect the 
process, but when completed the meat is 
dry, of a line chestnut color, and a delicate 
flavor of smoke penetrating the whole mass. 
The best houses we have seem, are built 
with a stone wall three feet high, a flagged 
bottom, and a wooden structure built on top 
of the wall Common siding is tight enough, 
or boards endwise like boarding a barn is 
allsufficient, with a tight boai-d or shibgle 
roof. The bottom is used for an ash house 
and the smoke fire built on the ashes. It 
is safe for both purposes and will produce a 
much finer article for those who have a 
sweet tooth for tliat delicious treat—a nice 
flavored ham. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY. 
Office in Bums’ Block, comer of Buffalo and State 
streets, (entrance on State,) Rochester. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
(Late Pubtisfier and Associate Editor Gen. Farmer.) 
L. B. LANGWORTHY, Amociate Editor. 
Corresponding Editors: 
ELON COMSTOCK, (former Ed. Centra] N. Y. 
Farmer,) of Oneida County. 
T. C. PETERS, (Editor of the Wool Grower,) 
of Genesee County. 
Educational Department by L. WETHERELL. 
BU’ For Terms, &c., see last page. .-r~n 
ALBANY SEED DBJLL AND CORN PLANTER 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
As the season for seed-.sowing is at hand 1 according to the distance between the hills, 
we give a figure and description of one of! The brush and cylinder both receive their 
the best machines for the purpose with rotary motion from the large or forward 
which we are acquainted — the Albang wheel, B, by means of small gear wheels. 
Seed Drill and Corn Planter. “In its one of tvhich, at B, is movable on the con- 
general features it is similar to the well necting rod from A to B, and can be confin- 
known English Drill or Brusli Barrow. It ed so as to operate in any of the different 
is light, strong and durable; can be used by rows or series of cogs in the face of the large 
one man, as its whole weight will not ex- wheel, and thereby receive a greater or less 
ceed fifty pounds, or can be drawn by a number of revolutions to the ground over 
horse when a large amount of work is to be which it moves, consequently varying the 
done. It is also quite simple, the small seeds, distance of the hills with the cylinder, from 
as onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, &c., are 3 to 6, 9, 12, 24, 35, 48, or 96 inches asun- 
sown by a revolving brush inside the hop- dor. The plow can be placed up or down, 
per, and which forces the seeds through a to any required depth, to suit tall or short 
hole in a tin slide or plate, at the bottom of persons holding the same; the scraper and 
the hopper—the holes in the slides varying roller follow and cover the seed, and com- 
in .size according to the size and quantity of press the earth at one operation.” 
seed to be sown. For corn, beans, peas, &c., i This drill is the invention of H. L. Emery, 
the brush and tin slide, or plate, are remov- j proprietor of the Albany Agricultural Ware- 
ad, tmd Vk wood oyliudcr substituted, with i^’io’Lse—bv v'hom it is manufactured and 
eight cavities in the same, equal distances sold, wholesale and retail. It may oe ob- 
apart, and in each cavity is a screw with a tained. at the Genesee Seed Store and 
large head, which can be turned out or in Agricultural Warehouse, Rochester—and 
to receive the requisite number of grains of also, we presume, at the principal imple- 
seed to be sown in each hilL One or all ement stores throughout the country. The 
these cavities may be used at the same time, price is $14, at Albany—$15 in t his city. 
LEACHED ASHES AS A MANURE. 
The value of leached ashes on dry soils, 
and in dry seasons, as a manure for grain 
and grass lands, has been conclusively shown 
in this and other countries by carefully con¬ 
ducted experiments. Yet, as it seems use¬ 
ful and necessary to “ keep before the peo¬ 
ple” such facts as are not fully understood 
and considered, we give some observations 
drawn from experiments heretofore publish¬ 
ed, for fear that this subject in the W-ry of 
the season might otherwise be neglected 
and forgotten. 
The German agricultui-ist, Albert, of 
Roszlan, gives a circumstantial account of 
an experiment commenced in 1827, and 
continued for five years. A dry sandy soil, 
which had lain in grass for eight years, was 
dressed with leached ashes at the rate of 
66 bushels per acre. The sod was first 
carefully tiu-ned imder, then the ashes haul¬ 
ed on and spread, and covered with a plow 
about two inches deep,—remaining in this 
condition six or seven weeks it was again 
plowed three inches deep, so as to bring up 
the ashes — and sowed to buckwheat. A 
portion of the field to which no ashes were 
applied was treated in the same manner, so 
that the difference might be noted. 
The cost of the application was $6,25 
per acre. The increased product of the first 
year was at the rate of 5-^ bushels of buck¬ 
wheat, with 470 lbs. straw, estimated at$4,- 
05. The increased product of the second 
year, when sown with rye, was 6 bushels 
per acre, with 600 lbs. straw, estimated at 
$5,25. The increased product of the third 
year, when in oats, was 10^ bushels, with 
650 lbs. straw, estimated at $3,62-|. The 
fourth year, the increased product, when in 
pasturage, was estimated at $3,00 per acre. 
The fifth year it was again sown to rye, 
and the increased product was 4^ bush¬ 
els, with 470 lbs. straw, estimated at $4,06 
per acre. The value of the increased pr^ 
duct is $20; and we have no reason to sup¬ 
pose their effects were exhausted when the 
experiments were concluded. The esti-1 
mates were made by Mr. Wagner, the 
translator, from the prices paid at the time 
in this country, as also was the cost of the 
ashes and labor. 
Unleached ashes produce a more power¬ 
ful effect, and hence a less quantity is re¬ 
quired. In the Cultivator for 1842, the re¬ 
sult of an experiment is given, on an old 
meadow mowed nearly half a century—of 
clay soil—stocked with all kinds of grass, 
where strong ashes were applied at the rate 
of 32 bushels per acre, producing an in¬ 
creased product of nearly of a ton, while 
the same quantity of air-slacked lime pro¬ 
duced no beneficial result; and 2 bushels of 
clear, dry cow-dung increased the product 
only 104 lbs., and the same quantity of 
horse manure but 16 lbs. per acre. 
In the first of these experiments, 4,422 
lbs. of le^hed ashes were applied, produ¬ 
cing in five years, an increase of 4,341 lbs. 
of grain and straw, besides pasturage equiv¬ 
alent to at least a ton of hay. In the sec¬ 
ond, about one ton of ashes increased the 
THE PEACH TREE. 
The Peach is, in all respects, one of the 
most delightful kinds of fruit the Creator 
has given for the use of man. It is deeply 
*to be regretted tiiereforc, that the tree should 
be so short lived—so liable to disease, injuiy 
and decay. Practically, I know very little 
of its habits and peculiarities, or of the na¬ 
ture of the diseases to which it is subject 
In a fruit garden which I am now “getting 
up” for family use, I have set out about one 
hundred peach trees. About seventy of 
them were planted in the fall; tlie residue, 
the last spring. Of the fall setting out, not 
a single one died; and I replaced them in 
November last They were all from the 
same nursery—of the same age—and were 
planted in the winac manner, and by the 
same haWd. If spring planting is the pre¬ 
ferable course, which I suppose to be the 
general impression, why should one-fourth 
part of the number die, while not one of the 
fall planting failed ? 
Of those transplanted last fall I noticed 
some, when taken from the nursery, badly 
wounded by the grub on the root; the in¬ 
juiy, in some cases, extending from the sur¬ 
face of the ground down the main stock, 
quite mto some of the smaller roots. In 
some, the grub was very small, and had done 
but little damage. In others, it was large, 
and had destroyed the bark or nearly half 
the main stock. The sap failing to ascend, 
had exuded from the wound, and formed a 
body of gum. The loss of this portion of sap, 
must greatly tend to retard the growth, and 
diminish the vigor of the tree, and doubtless 
induce premature decay. 
I do not remember ever to have read of 
any remedy for this evil; or indeed ever to 
have seen it alluded to, in our agricultural 
notices. Those who have been largely en¬ 
gaged in the culture of the peach, have 
doubtless realized the evil, and it may be 
hoped baved ascertained the origin of the 
grub, and know how to apply the best pre¬ 
ventive, or most effectual remedy. But never 
having seen any allusion to this subject, I 
beg to suggest a fact that has recently come 
to my recollection. 
Many years ago, in viewing the fruit gar¬ 
den of a New England friend, I noticed the 
bodies of his young peach trees were secure¬ 
ly bandaged with straw. The straw was 
tall, straight, standing upon the ground 
around the body of the tree, being wound 
around with a cord. It was so thick as to 
prevent any insect from having access to the 
bark. Where the butts rested on the gi-ound, 
earth was placed around them, two or three 
inches high; and rendered compact and firm 
by the pressure of the foot Enquiring the 
object of this fixture, he replied, it was to 
prevent the grub at the roots. He said, a 
certain kind of fly pierced the bark at the 
surface of the ground, or if the ground was 
light, a little below the surface, and depos¬ 
ited a nit, which produced the grub. That 
from the smallest beginning it often attained 
a large size, and sometimes girdled the whole 
stock below the soil, thus wholly preventing 
uterus bad contracted, and a rupture of con¬ 
siderable magnitude was perceptible in its 
walls, through which the calf had escaped. 
Now the question naturally arises, wheth¬ 
er there could not be some mistake respect¬ 
ing the period of conception. The simple 
rupture of the womb, and escape of its 
contents into the cavity of the abdomen, is 
by no means a i-are occurrence in the hu¬ 
man female. Obstetiicians have frequent¬ 
ly to deal with this awkward accident— 
This is not what has excited our marvellous¬ 
ness. It is the alleged retention of her off¬ 
spring twenty-seven months, without appa¬ 
rently disturbing her health, or interfering 
with tlie due performance of any of the 
animal functions. Oiu‘ informant seems to 
be very confident that she conceived but 
once within thirty-six months, and that at 
the usual time when she should have calv¬ 
ed, the rupture occurred, and entirely pre¬ 
cluded its expulsion. He thinks she carried 
it in that unnatural situation during the 
whole of this time. This is a very fair and 
sensible deduction from the premises, but 
still admits of a doubt It may be that the 
uterus was lacerated, and its contents ex¬ 
pelled into the abdomen during the act of 
butchering her. Had we an opportunity at 
the time of examining this organ, we could 
have determined, probably, whether the 
rupture was recent or otherwise. 
What other cause can be urged for the 
retention of her calf ? Could it depend 
upon an obstruction, partial or complete ob¬ 
literation of the passage leading external¬ 
ly ? She had given birth to two calves pre¬ 
viously, and the parte were then natural and 
unobstructed. Adhe.sive inflammation or 
other disease may have takeg place and 
destroyed the passage in a degree. Various 
causes might be attributed, such, for. in¬ 
stance, as a want of contractile or expulsive 
power of the uterus, etc. JVhatever may 
have been the cau^e, the fact i^ an interest¬ 
ing one to farmers and bthers, and will well 
repay publication. u 
PROLONGED GESTATION IN A COW. 
Anomalies in nature are not of unfre¬ 
quent occurrence. The laws which govern 
the animal economy, oftentimes lose their 
fixedness, and are subject to the strangest 
and most ludicrous metamorphoses. Mr. 
Alla McMath, of Chili, in this county, has 
related to the writer a case of prolonged 
gestation in a cow, by which her calf was 
retained twenty-seven months beyond the 
period when parturition should have oc¬ 
curred. 
The facte in the case are simply these.— 
The cow was large and of the Durham breed. 
About three years ago last February, ac¬ 
cording to Mr. McM.’s calculations, she con¬ 
ceived. At the proper period following, she 
presented all the appearances of pregnancy, 
and dried up. Ten, twelve, fourteen calen¬ 
der months passed, but no issue,—the ab¬ 
domen still however remained as protuber¬ 
ant and salient as before. The wiseacres of 
the country, who are supposed to be skilled 
in matters and things appertaining to the 
brute creation, pronounced it, sans ceremonie, 
a clear case of blighted conception. Fif¬ 
teen months expired since the ovum ger¬ 
minated, and the mammae again exhibited 
signs of secreting milk. From this time 
she gave milk in abundance, and of a remark¬ 
ably rich character, till last autumn, when 
her owner (Mr. McM.) concluded to dry and 
fat her for market, which he did. The lat¬ 
ter part of February last he disposed of the 
cow to Mr. Peart, butcher, of tliis city, who 
discovered upon opening her abdomen, a full 
grown, and perfectly developed calf, lying 
among the intestines enrirely out of its na¬ 
tural habitat, the uterus. The only imper¬ 
fection we learn, that he observed, was, that 
one of its shoulders was partially absorbed. 
The hiur was natural, but slipped oft’ when 
the hand was drawn over it with a little 
pressure. A portion of the membranes 
still remained, enclosing the body. The 
