VOLUME I. J- 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-THTJRSDAY, JULY 4, 1850 
MOORE’S RURAL NEAV-YORKER, 
terest would be much better consulted by 
a judicious rotation. As a general rule, 
lands which, at first seeding, will produce 
tYTO tons of hay per acre, degenerate in a 
few years to half that quantity—when, by 
breaking up and taking oflf one hoed crop, 
and one of small grains, both of which will 
afford a profit, the land may be seeded a- 
new and produce as well as at first. The 
occupant of such lands is too apt to have a 
short supply of both straw and grain, and 
especially of roots, for his stock, when the 
course we have recommended, would afford 
him just the supply he needs, and enable 
him to keep far more stock, even were his 
grass crop no better, which we are not at 
all prepared to admit. 
But the lands which suffer most for want 
of frequent breaking up and re-seeding, are 
the dry, gravelly or sandy soils, which, al¬ 
though they produce good crops of grass 
for two or three years when first seeded, 
soon “run out” and cease to give that 
bountiful return which a judicious system 
may secure. Such lands are generally well 
suited to the growing of grain of some kind, 
aud frequently peculiarly calculated for a 
rotation of the various crops in connection 
with clover and timothy. It is this class of 
NOTES EOR THE MONTH. 
The soil below is piping hot, 
The sky above is brazen ; 
And every head’s as good as dead, 
The sun can lay his rays on. 
July —red-haired, glowing, copper-faced 
July—is our landlord for the next month. 
Of a hot and hasty temperament, he will not 
brook any lollocking or idling of time, ex¬ 
cept to keep his National Feast—the glo¬ 
rious 4th—after which he expects all the 
denizens of his fair domain to off with their 
woolen, and fly around. There are so 
many requirements in the lease he holds 
against us, that, without the most untiring 
activity, we shall be ousted for non-per¬ 
formance. 
The late dry and hot weather has pre- 
maturaly brought forward the grass, so that 
all fields that contain much Clover, or June 
grass, should be put immediately under the 
scythe. 
Corn, potato and root hoeing will be all 
in a mtiss, unless every muscle of vitality, 
both of man and animal, is taxed to the ex¬ 
tremity of endurance. Mind what the 
Prompter says,—that, in all districts where 
rains have not been freely dispersed for the 
last three weeks, the fai-ming operations of 
the month will be all in a heap, as Paddy 
found the sixpence. 
If you have ten acres of meadow to make 
into hay, buy a horse rake; it saves the 
labor of ten men, while the scatterings are 
not one per cent, against the savings. ^ The 
horse rake is invaluable in the wheat field, 
for the purpose of gleaning; the savings 
after ordinary cradlers and binders would 
astonish any one who never tiled the pro¬ 
cess. 
If there is the least danger of rain in hay¬ 
ing time, and the grass is not dry enough to 
take in, put it in cocks and sweat it for two I 
SPADING POTATOES. 
The process of spading the groimd be¬ 
tween the rows and hills of potatoes is httle 
practiced in this country; but in many parts 
of Europe, especially in Ireland, where the 
potato is an important crop, and where land 
is dear, and labor plenty, it is much practic¬ 
ed. There can be no doubt that a larger 
and better crop of almost any garden vege¬ 
table, as well as corn and potatoes, can be 
produced in this way. And where labor is 
cheap and horses scarce, this mode of cul¬ 
tivation is the most profitable. The econo¬ 
my of the practice in large fields may be 
questioned in this country. This can be 
determined only by the results of experi¬ 
ments on fields of equal size and similar soil; 
the comparative value of manual and horse 
labor is to be considered in the experiment. 
Some of the advantages of this mode 
may be briefly noticed, 1st. By spading, 
the rows and hills may be much nearer to¬ 
gether, and m this way, from one-fifth to 
one-fourth of the ground saved. 2nd. By 
spading, the soil can be equally loosened 
and pulverized over the whole field. 3d. 
The earth can be loosened even under the 
hills and thus allow the roots to penetrate 
deeper in search of food and moisture.— 
4th. When the roots descend deep, the 
crop is less liable to be affected by 
drouth than when they lie superficial. 5th. 
Weeds can be more effectually destroyed, 
and stones and other obstructions removed 
from the hills. 6th. The hills can be made 
higher with less labor. 7th. In gardens 
and small pieces, where plowing is imprac¬ 
ticable, once spading is worth twice hoeing. 
8 th. Th.‘ breaking down of the hills and 
packing of the earth by the horses feet, is 
avoided. 9th. The crop grows faster and 
attains a larger size in a mellow, than in a 
sohd unpulverized soil. 10th. They are more 
easily dug out when ripe. 11th, In the vi¬ 
cinity of cities men’s labor is comparatively 
cheaper than horse labor. The difference 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY. 
Office in Bum.s’ Block, corner of Buffalo and State 
streets, (entrance on State,) Rochester. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
{Late Publisher and Associate Editor Gen. Farmer.) 
L. B. LANGWORTHY, Associate Editor. 
Corresponding Editors: 
ELON COMSTOCK, (former Ed. Central N. Y. 
Farmer,) of Oneida County. 
T. C. PETERS, (Editor of the Wool Grower,) 
of Genesee County. 
Educational Department by I.. WETHERELL. 
ILT’ For Terms, &c., see last page. J~q] 
PROGRESS AND laiPROVESIENT. 
\Y ere 1 to see a nand oi mine lollowmg the 
prescription, to wit: a young heifer “ cor¬ 
nered up”, with a “good switch” under one 
arm, ready to be apphed at the “ first mo¬ 
tion,” although my bump of co.mbativeness 
is rather small, it would be a great chance 
if it did not grow pretty fast At all events 
the individual would be immediately dis¬ 
charged, unless perchance he should pre¬ 
sent as his authority the “ Rural,” in which 
case I should be completely nonplused. 
Now, the great rule which has always 
governed me in breaking in my heifers, is 
kindness. Always from calves treat them 
with kmdness, handle them, curry them, 
and be with them often, and they will grow 
up perfectly docile and harmless. They 
will never kick nor run from you, but will 
apparently care as much for you as for their 
offspring. They will not unfrequently come 
to you to be milked; and I once had a cow 
that would, at milking time, follow me to 
any part of the yard for this purpose, and 
she must always be the first cow milked.— 
If this notice was re-fused her, she would 
apparently feel quite indignant. ■ I once 
purchased a valuable cow very cheap, from 
the fact- of her being bad to milk. She 
had been whipped until it was acknowl¬ 
edged that whipping did no good. The 
first time I milked her she started several 
times—would run a short distance, and look 
around, apparently in the greatest fear. I 
would go up to this cow, pat her gently, 
speak kindly to her, and frequently during 
the day card her. She soon seemed to lose 
all fear, Avould satrt less frequently, and in 
the course of two or three weeks was as 
gentle as any cow in my herd, and a Avoman 
could milk her with perfect safety. I had 
not had the coav more than a year before I 
was offered for her three times the price 
she cost me. 
I necer had a heifer show the least sign 
of kicking at her first milking, although they 
will not always stand still. I never use a 
whip, or any thing else for the purpose of' 
breaking them in, that will have the least 
tendency to frighten the young animal. A 
good card is much more effective, is much 
easier used, and is much more agreeable to 
the animal, as any one who will try it will 
readily acknoAvledge. 
I should particularly like to have some of 
the advocates of the cut and slash doctrine 
come and see my herd—see the perfect 
docility of every animal—their universal 
( GRASS LANDS.-THE ADVANTAGES OF RE¬ 
SEEDING. 
The difference between crops of grass on 
old meadows and pastures, and those which 
have been lately seeded, is so obvious as to 
attract the attention not only of every far- 
I mer, but of every person who has an op¬ 
portunity of making the comparison. This 
difference may not be quite so apparent this 
year in New York, where there have been 
abundant rains, and where report says that 
grass looks finely; but in the west, where 
} we have been traveling for several weeks 
j past, there has been abundant opportunity 
? to make the comparison between the two 
> systems. The severe and protracted drouth 
I which has for several weeks prevailed eve- 
I ry where in the west, from Buffalo to the 
I Mississipp^ river, (which has now fortunately 
j been relieved by abundant rains,) has been 
\ a severe trial to the old meadows and pas- 
I tures, many of which will in consequence 
I produce very limited crops. This is ever 
^ the case in dry seasons, except perhaps on 
system of rotation which we have suggest¬ 
ed, and which is now so successfully prac¬ 
ticed by many farmers in all sections of the 
country. A rotation embracing four or six 
crops, of which two or three shall be grain 
and three or four grass, Avill secure at all 
times good grass crops, and at the same 
time enable the soil to recover from the ex¬ 
haustion of the grain crops before it is again 
appropriated to such purposes. We will 
not now submit any plan of rotation, but 
every farmer can judge for himself what 
seasons, 
i peculiar soils or meadow’s subject to the 
\ overflow of streams. 
I How different the case with newly seed- 
l ed fields, and especially where plenty of 
^ clover has been sown. The vigor of the 
\ growing crops, the deep green color which 
s it presents, even in the most trying seasons, 
) and especially the abundant yield w’hich it 
i affords, are all convincing proofs of the 
> benefits to be derived from the frequent 
j breaking up and re-seeding of grass lands. 
I We are aware that there is much diversity 
of opinion among farmers, as to how far 
this practice should be carried, and on what 
soils it is to be practiced, but we think that 
^ those who have looked carefully to the pro- 
) duct of old and newly seeded fields for a 
) term of years, will agree with us that it is 
? far too frequently neglected, 
s Some soils, such as river bottoms and 
) lands subject to overflow, and possibly oth- 
I ers, under peculiar circumstances may prof- 
> itably remain permanently in grass. With 
^ those who advocate such a practice we are 
> not disposed to debate the question. They 
> are frequently, though perhaps not always 
^ right. Other lands, well adapted to grass, 
< if well seeded may profitably be suffered to 
? remain many years without disturbing the 
sod, especially if care is taken to give them 
; an occasional top dressing with manure— 
( ashes, plaster, or some other fertilizer.— 
' The pratice is more admissible if the soil, 
I as is often the case, is hard to cultivate, 
) Stoney, and difficult to secure an even sur- 
I face by the removal of stones, (fee. In such ’ 
( cases perhaps a slight diminution of crop, 
^ or an increased outlay for manure, can be 
' submitted .to, rather than go to the trouble 
} and expense of breaking and re-seeding. — 
i We doubt, however, ivhether the practice 
^ has not obtained of continuing even such 
lands too long in grass. 
) Another class of lands well adapted to 
) grass, but at the same time easy of tillage, 
) are frequently continued in meadow or pas- 
> ture long after they have ceased to produce 
' a boimtiful crop, and ivhen the owner’s in¬ 
not allow the necessary time for the prepa¬ 
ration, until we left home for a western tour 
early in May, Avhen we contemplated finding- 
sufficient leisure during our abscence to pre¬ 
pare several numbei-s. The fatigue and 
business engagements attendant upon our 
journey, have thus far afforded us very lit¬ 
tle time to carry out our design, and now, 
Avhen for the first time Ave have a leisure 
hour, Ave find on reflection, that Ave are des¬ 
titute here (near a thousand miles from 
home,) ^f the proper sources of information 
upon some of the topics Avhich we Avish to 
embrace in the numbers as they progi-ess. 
We are therefore obliged to defer the exe¬ 
cution of our design till “ a more conven¬ 
ient season,” and after our return from a 
journey Avhich Avill last several AA-eeks. We 
shall not fail, hoAvever, to embrace the first 
time afforded us after our return to prepare 
further numbers in the series. 
This explanation seemed due to our read¬ 
ers, who may not be aAvare that our busi¬ 
ness engagements are such as to inteiTupt, 
in some degree, our relations to the Rural 
New-Yorker. p 
PEAR BLIGHT. 
Mt. Pleasant, Clockcilli 
Millet. —The Ohio Cultivator recom¬ 
mends farmers Avhose hay crops have been 
seriously affected by drouth, to sow a few 
acres of millet, which comes to matmity 
soon, and on Avhich stock thrives well. 
Decayed grain of any kind is highly m- 
jurious to stock. It has a paralysing effect 
upon the animal fed with it, ofentimes cau¬ 
sing death. 
