218 
MOOEE’S EUEAL NEW-YOEKEE: AN AGEICULTUEAL AND FAMILY JOUENAL. 
NOTES FROM HERKIMER COUNTY—No. 2. 
■wilderness, covered with the productions of 
HORSE RAKES. 
CURING CLOVER HAY. 
VALLE'V OF THE KONNEDIEVU. 
All persons who have been accustomed 
to pass over the Utica and Schenectady 
liailroad will remember the bridge just east 
of the Herkimer station. The crossing is a 
short distance above the point where the 
Konnedieyu unites with the Mohawk, ma¬ 
king nearly half the volume of water of the. 
latter stream at that point. Following the 
course of the river the first improvement of 
note is the dam and canal of the Hydraulic 
company. Here, by an easy and judicious 
diversion of the water and the making of 
not more than two miles of canal, there has 
been furnished a water power of exceeding- 
excellence, and which might have made of 
Herkimer a thriving manufiicturing village, 
but that the proprietors have been unwill¬ 
ing to dispose of water power except at very 
high rates. It is too frequently the case 
that owners of property in w'hich there is a 
prospective value, act the part of the “ dog- 
in the manger,” and prevent others from 
improving localities they have not the dis¬ 
position or the means to use themselves. 
Passing up the valley some eight miles 
we come to a little village where is found a 
cotton factory, built in the early days of 
such enterprises, and which is now kept in 
active operation by its enterprising- proprie¬ 
tor. To the east of this point, after a rise 
of some eight hundred feet in three miles, 
stands the village of Fairfield,—the location 
of Fairfield Academy, as it has been of a 
Medical School or College, Avhich our friend 
Dr. Lee labored faithfully to have incor¬ 
porated into an agricultural school. Fair- 
field, with the adjoining- towns of Salisbury 
and Norway, form one of the best cheese 
districts in the State. 
Descending into the valley, after a ride 
of four miles we cojne to the village of New¬ 
port, one of the 'finest villages of which our 
State can boast. Its main street is broad 
and finely laid out; having besides a num¬ 
ber of extensive stores and shops, some of 
the finest rural and village residences to be 
met with in the countr}'. Here one can 
•find “ aid and comfort” at an excellent 
hotel, where the disciples of good old Isaac 
Walton may often be regaled with fine 
brook trout, which mine host Benchly is 
most expert in tnJiing -tvith bait or fly—tho’ 
not more the artist than is his excellent lady 
in serving- them up to your taste. 
Leavino- this village the road follows the 
winding-s of the stream four miles to Poland, 
a post town in Russia, which like poor, bro¬ 
ken, bleeding Poland on trans-Atlantic 
shores, is a mere appendage to the higher 
power. Some few miles above this point, 
you come to the renowned Trenton Falls.— 
These falls are formed by the passage of 
the Konnedieyu, over a succession of ledges, 
amid the deep worn chasms of the lime 
rock, and extend a distance of some two 
miles. At the point where the old State 
road leading from Johnstown to Sacketts 
Harbor crosses the river, you are above the 
falls, or at their commencement. The most 
satisfactory and interesting view, is to be 
had by starting from the foot of the falls, 
when the w'ater will admit, and following 
the bed and side of the i-iver up to the State 
road bridge, at the village of Prospect. To 
facilitate the passage of visitors pathways 
have been cut in the rocks, and railings 
placed along the narrow points. Those who 
are fond of looking- at nature in her wilder 
moods of forest, glen and vale, have declar¬ 
ed the views here more worthy of a visit, 
than Avorld-renowned Niagara. Be that as 
it may, thousands visit the place every year, 
attracted by the wild grandeur, the surpas¬ 
sing loveliness of the place, or the good 
cheer and luxury of the magnificent hotel, 
kept for their accommodation by the gentle¬ 
manly proprietor, Mr. Moore. 
Two miles to the west of the falls hes the 
ancient village of Trenton—quiet, dilapi¬ 
dated, and yet active—remembered by 
travelers as the first changing place in days 
of stage coaches, and where now mine host 
Skinner can furnish you with all a weary 
sojourner desires. Trenton, and the neigh¬ 
boring town and village of Remsen, is in¬ 
habited principally by Welch, a thriving, 
industrious people, and very much devoted 
to agricultural pursuits, particularly the ma¬ 
king of butter. Remsen is about the same 
distance from the river as Trenton. 
After the river passes the State road, you 
can follow it up into that indefinite country, 
known and described in the Comptroller’s 
lax sales, as “ John Brown’s tract,”—a vast 
the frigid zones, watered with innumerable 
lakes and streams, and inhabited by beasts 
of prey, and the beautiful and timid deer, 
as well as multitudes of the finny tribe. 
Immense quantities of lumber, if not rich 
mineral beds, will one day far in the future 
make this land worth possessing. At pres¬ 
ent it is visited only by sportsmen and 
hardy adventurers, fond of the wild and 
of solitude. Here in this vast forest, has 
the Konnedieyu its sources, among the quiet 
glassy lakes, and the fresh and shining 
brooks of the mountain. Herkimer county 
reaches far up into this wilderness, and 
bounds upon its sister-count}^, the noble St. 
LaAvrence. n. c. A^^ 
Mobmek, July, 1850. 
ABOUT HAY-MAKING. 
The time has come to begin haying. 
The first thing to be attended to, is, to pro¬ 
cure and have ready good tools. No farmer 
ever yet saved anything- by working Avith 
poor tools. Undertaking to cut your grass, 
or causing it to be cut with a poor scythe is 
like trying to cut your beard, or sitting to 
have it cut Avith a dull razor; all but the 
beardless have felt the force o? this com¬ 
parison. Never allow a poor or a dull scythe 
to be carried into your hay-field. The ne¬ 
cessity of having to keep a scythe in order 
is hardly less important than the skill to use 
it. They are usually found together. If 
a man does not knoAv how to grind and whet 
his scythe, you cannot afford to pay him as 
liberally as one that understands how to do 
both. 
The hanging of the scythe on the snath 
is also a matter of no little importance. If 
the grass be thin and the surface smooth 
it should stand out more than if the grass 
be thick and heavy. The edge should be 
neither too high nor too Ioav. The ease 
Avith which a man moAvs Avill depend much 
upon the angle with Avhich the edge of his 
scythe strikes the grass. The less the an¬ 
gle, the smoother the swath; so the less the 
angle the greater the power requisite to 
carry the scythe through the swath. Pro¬ 
vide as good a scythe for the boy as Ihe 
man. Never set a boy to mowing Avith an 
old, poor scythe, and then find fault because 
he does not cut his grass better. It is a 
matter of fact that Ave hav'e not yet seen in 
Western NeAv York, after a residence of 
more than ten years, a piece of grass mow¬ 
ed and raked in such a way as Avould satisfy 
a good Massachusetts farmer. In the first 
place the grass is not cut clean, close, and 
even; and secondly, it is not raked clean; 
consequently exhibiting a slovenly appear¬ 
ance. 
The hay-maker knoAvs nothing about the 
“ ten hour system.” His motto is, “ make 
hay while the sun shines.” The thriving, 
industrious farmer, though he would not 
like to be detained in his hay-field after 
sunset, would equally dislike to have the 
rays of the morning sun strike the grass, be¬ 
fore his scythe. There are many p-r-e-t-t-y 
g-o-o-d farmers that are not seen in the 
meadow until an hour or an hour and a half 
after sunrise, that may be seen^or heard, 
rather, there, long after the sun’s fight has 
faded from the tops of the hills. Such 
usually work more hours than the thriving 
farmer, break more tools and accomplish 
less work. Their hay comes out smoky in 
the spring, because moistened Avith the deAVS 
when carted. The man that begins his 
day’s work at the proper time, finishes it 
before the sun sets, and is ready to retire 
early—is refreshed and ready to rise early 
the following morning. This is the Avay to 
make a fife of toil a fife of enjoyment w. 
FARMER’S WORKSHOPS. 
Every farmer will find a benefit result¬ 
ing from having a shop in Avhich he can re¬ 
pair during the rainy weather, or at other 
times, his broken plow, harroAvs, and the 
wear and tear, incident to the usage of far¬ 
ming implements. The farmer who has a 
small building, or one of a size adapted to 
his Avants, provided with a forge, anvil, ham¬ 
mers, bench, and a few good tools, will find 
himself amply repaid by the saving of time 
alone, spent in running after work. In the 
course of the year the enterprising farmer 
has a hundred little jobs mending in wood 
and iron, which if he has the means he can 
do himself. 
If a chain is broken or a new post want¬ 
ed he can soon remove the obstruction and 
proceed with his business; whereas, if he 
is obliged to go three or four miles to a me¬ 
chanic, which is often the case in the coun¬ 
try, when his work is pressing- him, he suf¬ 
fers seriously from the loss of time.—Air. 
In our last number “ Prompter” advised 
every one Avho had ten acres of meadoAv to 
make into hay, to buy a horse rake—adding 
some cogent reasons Avhy his advice should 
be folloAved. But as he did not mention 
price and kinds, we Avill endeaA'or, in part 
at least, to supply the deficiency. 
RKVOI.NIKG HORSE RAKE. 
The cheapest, or loAvest priced, horse rake 
in use is the one represented above. It is 
constructed of wood, and Avhen well made 
is durable, and works to a charm. For 
heavy grass this rake is preferred by many 
farmers. Price from $4 to $5. For sale 
at the Implement Stores in this city, and in 
other towns. 
SPRING-TOOTH HORSE RAKE. 
The Spring Tooth Rake is also in high 
repute in this region—especially among 
grain growers Avho have used it in gleaning. 
As usually made it has a head about 9 feet 
long, and from 20 to 24 elastic wire teeth. 
It does not revolve, “ but is raised over the 
AvinnoAv with ease and facility, Avithout stop¬ 
ping the horse, as the Avhole rake weighs 
only about 60 pounds-” For gleaning Avheat 
stubble this rake is considered decidedly 
superior to any other. The price is from 
$8 to $10, according to quality. These 
rakes can be had at the Genesee Agricul¬ 
tural Warehouse. They are manufactured, 
we believe, by the Messrs. Yeomans, of 
Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y. 
HAY CAPS. 
We hope that farmers Avill pay sufficient 
attention to this subject, to obtain a feiv 
caps, say enough to secure a ton of hay or 
more, and try them. Various substances 
are used, such as old canvass, mats, cotton 
cloth, &c.. Cotton cloth is very cheap, 
costing but little for the material and ma¬ 
king. Take two pieces of cotton cloth, (a 
yard wide or more,) two yards, or better, 
tAvo and a quarter yards long, and seAv them 
together. Turn up the corners, and seAv 
them to make loops, through Avhich sticks 
may be put and run upward in the hay, to 
prevent the wind from bloAving the caps off 
Some prefer making a loop for the stick 
by tying- a piece of large twine into the 
loop in the cloth. We prefer cloth about 
one yard and three to five inches wide, so 
that the caps may be about two and a quar¬ 
ter yards Avide, and the same in length. 
In some cases the saving of hay from 
the use of caps Avill pay all the expense of 
the caps in one season; and there have 
been instances in which the saving by the 
use of caps during one storm, has been 
equal to the cost of the caps.— Eng¬ 
land Farmer. 
The Curculio. —The destructive curcu- 
lio is now at work upon the plums and oth¬ 
er fruit in this vicinity. Cherries are suf¬ 
fering as Avell as plums. We yesterday 
saw one of the scoundrels, and witnessed the 
operation by which he defeats the fruit 
growers. The insect was about the size of 
a small common fly, with a brown back, cov¬ 
ered by small protuberances. It commenc¬ 
ed by thrusting its bill, hooked like a pick, 
into the green plum, and working- there pa¬ 
tiently to holloAv a place large enough to 
receive its egg. It then carefully withdrew 
the instrument, faced about and deposited 
an egg, plainly seen, into the place prepared. 
The little destructive then Avheeled again, 
applied his bill, and fairly settled the egg 
out of sight, and after covering it up care¬ 
fully and fixing the wound in the skin of 
the fruit so as to heal readily, he rested 
from his labors. This last operation shoAvs 
us the seams which are so often seen in 
the fruit when matured.— Springfield Rep. 
Clover makes a most desirable and nu¬ 
tritive hay, provided it be cut in season, and 
properly cured. As a general rule, it is 
not advisable to permit it to remain stand¬ 
ing much after the period of inflorescence, 
as the ripening- of th; - seed in the field ex¬ 
poses it to a certain degree of deterioration 
Avbich considerably diminishes its value as 
a feed for stock, besides insuring a certain 
degree of actual and unaA-oidable loss in 
handling- it, as those leaves and heads Avhich 
have become dry, are easily detached from 
the stock during raking and pitching, even 
Avhen these operations are performed with 
the most consummate care. 
My plan of operation in curing- clover, is 
as follows:—As soon as the heads are all 
fully bloAvn, I commence moAving, care be¬ 
ing had to lay the swaths as closely as pos¬ 
sible, and to leave no scattering- grass be- 
tAveen them, if it can be helped. About 
four o’clock in the afternoon, provided the 
Aveather during- the day has been clear and 
Avarm, I haA'e the SAvaths turned carefully 
over Avith a fork, and in__this position they are 
allowed to remain till four o’clock the next 
day. I then, with a pitchfork, commence 
cocking- the SAvaths—pitching the half-made 
grass in flakes as much as possible, and ma¬ 
king- my cocks compact but small — say 
about eighty pounds uncured hay to the 
cock. They are then neatly raked off, the 
“ scatterings,” cleaned up, and the cocks 
permitted to remain unopened and Avholly 
undisturbed till dry. 
Should the Aveather prove favorable, the 
making Avill proceed rapidly, and in two 
days from the time the grass is cocked, the 
hay will be fit to put on the mow. This in¬ 
sures the entire preservation of the tops 
and foliage, confers a beautiful green color 
to the hay, and prevents the stalks from as¬ 
suming that drv, hard, ligneous character 
Avhich they are sure to possess Avhen made 
by exposure to a hot sun. Clover made in 
this way is never mouldy, and even should 
the weather prove unfavorable, or even wet 
after cocking, the compactness of the cocks 
will preA^ent their becoming- saturated, and 
a feAV hour’s sunning Avill render them fit 
to put on the moAv. I have known hay 
cocked in this manner to remain out a Aveek 
or ten days, and still retain all its original 
greenness and fragrance perfectly unim¬ 
paired. 
Making hay in this manner, is a practice 
not yet in favor Avith American farmers; but 
in England, Scotland, and other European 
countries, the “grass-cock system” of curing, 
has noAV nearly superseded every other,' 
not only in the management of clover, but 
all other grasses, even the finest, when cut 
for hay, or as a dry feed for f]nmc.st,ic stock. 
In the case of clover, Avhich usually groAvs 
thick and rank, the fork should always take 
the place of the rake, Avhich is not required. 
— Cor. Germantown Telegraph. 
BREAKING ROCKS BY FIRE. 
Messrs. Editors :—"While perusing the 
February number of the Cultivator, lob- 
served a statement from one of your corres¬ 
pondents in regard to the manner in Avhich 
he cleared his land of stonea His mode 
was to excavate a large hole upon one side 
of the boulder, and partially under the rock 
which he wished to remove, and then roll it 
in. I think the process might Avell be re¬ 
placed by one which is much more econom¬ 
ical. Your correspondent observes that it 
is very hard to drill some “hard-head” 
rocks—an assertion Avhich I truly confirm, 
having been engaged in the business myself 
for Aveeks in succession, upon my father’s 
farm, in LeAvis county, N. Y. 
In 1843, we Avere clearing a piece of 
ground of stone by the aid of the drill and 
powder. One very cold day, a lire Avas 
built upon a rock, Avhich Avas, perhaps, four 
feet in diameter, near the Avail where Ave 
were at work. By means of the heat there 
were large scales loosened on the top of the 
rock, Avhich were taken off with a crowbar, 
and used for filling up the center of the 
Avail. 
S ubsequent to this, a fire was built upon 
the same rock, and some time after, the 
scales being removed, it was ascertained that 
the rock Avas broken through in two differ¬ 
ent directions, dividing it into four nearly 
equal parts. 
The quarters being left with face sides, 
fitted them admirably for laying into wall. 
From this time henceforth, the drill Avas dis¬ 
pensed with. Experiment showed that one 
man could carry a sufficient quantity of wood 
to break any rock, which a farmer might be 
desirous of removing from his fields. An¬ 
other great advantage was, that wood of 
little value, such as old pieces of rails 
stumps, and the like, might be used with 
adA’^antage and economy. 
There is one point which must not be 
neglected, if success is expected; that is, to 
keep the rock clear of shells while heating. 
To do this with facility, the tools required 
are a sharp iron crowbar, and a pair of large 
tongs. As soon as any shells are found to 
have started up, the fire should be removed 
with the tongs, and the scales carefully ta¬ 
ken oflf with the bar. This is the only se¬ 
cret in the process. The object is, that the 
heat may be applied directly to the solid 
rock. The fire should then be replaced 
with the tongs, and so on until the stone is ^ 
broken. Throwing on cold water is super- 
fluous. ( 
One man can attend tAventy of the fires, / 
or'one man can perform as much Avork in • 
this as ten Avill Avith drills. The beauty of ^ 
the process is, that it is performed compar- i 
atively Avithout danger or expense. ^ (’ 
Dennis Johnson. 
Mt. Airy Ag. Instiinte, Pa., 1850. 
We have seen rocks broken by the pro- ^ 
cess above described, and Ave endorse Avhat < 
our correspondent says in regard to it.— ^ 
Albany Cultivator. | 
'THE VALUE OF BIRDS. ^ 
BY REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER. \ 
Sportsmen, beware. —The last Legislature eii- 1 
acted that it shall not be lawful in the State of < 
New Jersey for any person to shoot, or in any oth- / 
er manner to kill or destroy, excejit on his own < 
premises any of the following description of birds: \ 
the night or mosquito hawk, chimncA' swallow, ? 
martin or swift, Avhip-poorwill, cuckoo', kingbird, \ 
or bee martin, woodpecker, claip or highhole, cat- ) 
bird, wren, bluebird, meadow lark, brown thresh- ) 
er, dove, firebird or summer redbird, hanging bird, ■ 
ground lobin or chewink, boblink or rice bird, rob- ( 
in, snow or chipping bird, blue jay, and the small <! 
owl. The penalty is five dollars for each ofifence, \ 
or for the destruction of the egnfs of such birds._ / 
Tribune. ? 
What’s a bird good for ? What dainty ^ 
sentimentalism has set a stupid Legislature at < 
such enactments ? Not so fiist. Although ^ 
Ave should greatly respect a Legislature that j 
had the humanity to think of birds among < 
other constituent bipeds, yet experience luS ( 
taught farmers and gardeners the economic ^ 
value of birds. s 
There are no such indefatigable ento- < 
mologists as birds. Audobon and Wilson j 
never hunted for specimen birds Avith the ? 
perseverance that birds themselves exhibit ; 
in their researches. They depasture in the s 
air, penetrate evei-y nook and corner of ( 
thicket, hedge and shrubbery; they search } 
the bark, pierce the dead Avood, glean the \ 
surface of the soil, watch for the spade- \ 
trench, and folIoAv the furroAv after AA'orms (' 
and larA’ae. A single bird in one season ; 
destroys millions of insects for its OAvn food 
and for that of its nest. No computation j 
can be made of the insects Avhich birds de- ) 
A'our. We do not think of another scene { 
more inspiriting- than the plowing season, \ 
in this respect. Bluebirds are in the tops j 
of trees practising the scale; crows are caw- | 
ing as they lazily swing through the air to¬ 
ward their companions in the tops of distant 
dead and dry trees; robins and blackbirds { 
are wide aAvake, searching every clod that 
the plow turns, and venturesome almost to \ 
the farmer’s heels. Even boys relent, and ( 
seem touched by the bird’s appeal to their | 
confidence, and until small fruits come, i 
spare the birds. Bobolinks begin to appear, ( 
the buffoon amdhg birds, and half sing- and 
half fizzle. How our young blood sparkled ) 
anaid such scenes, Ave could not tell why; ^ 
neither why we cried Avithout sorroAv or < 
laughed Avithout mirth, but only from a \ 
vague synipathy with that Avhich was beau- ^ 
tiful and joyous. ( 
Were there ever such neat scavengers ? ^ 
Were there ever such nimble hunters?— ; 
Were there ever such adroit butchers?— 
No Grahamite scruples to agitate this seed- a 
loving- and bug-loving tribe. They do not ( 
show their teeth to prove that they Avere < 
designed for meat. They eat Avhat they \ 
like, Avipe their mouths on a limb, return ( 
thanks in a song, and Aving aivay to a quiet [ 
nook to doze or meditate, snug from the ^ 
haAvk that spheres about far up in ether.—■ \ 
To be sure, birds, like men, have a relish ^ 
for variety. There are no better pomolo- ] 
gists. If Ave believed in transmigration we ( 
should be sure that our distinguished fruit ( 
culturists could be traced home. Long- / 
worth was a broAvn-thresher; Downing a ^ 
lark, sometimes in the dew and sometimes \ 
just beloAv the .sun; Thomas was a plain | 
and sensible robin; junior Prince was a ) 
bobolink, irreverently called skunk-black- ^ 
bird; Ernst a dove; Parsons a Avoodpeck- \ 
er; Wilder a king-bird. We could put \ 
our finger, too, upon the human black-bird, \ 
wren, bluejay and small oavI— but prudence < 
forbids; as it also does the mention of a / 
certain clerical mocking-bird that makes ) 
game of his betters! < 
But we wander from the point. We ) 
charge every man Avith positive dishonesty ^ 
Avho drives birds from his garden in fruit- ) 
time. The fruit is theirs as Avell as yours. \ 
They took care of it as much as you did.— i 
li they had not eaten egg, Avorm and bug, ) 
your fruit would have been pierced and ru- ) 
ined. They only come for wages. Nohon- \ 
est man Avill cheat a bird of his spring and < 
summer’s Avork.— Independent. | 
Discovery of a Yelloav Camellia.— 
Mr. Fortune, the English traveler and bo¬ 
tanical collector, has lately unexpectedly 
discovered a real yelloAv camelliiu It proves 
to be one of the anemone-floAvered race, 
the exterior petals being French Avhite, and 
the central ones of a rich primrose yelloAv. 
He found it in blossom, in a nursery garden 
in one of the tOAvns in the north of China, 
Avliich. he had visited in search after tea 
plants. 
The Grasses are mostly native plants, 
and so are the Clovers, except Lucerne, 
which is a native of Sicily. 
