MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
of complaint. But suppose, on the other 
hand, that all the birds were destroyed and 
the insects left, what would be the result ? 
J do not mean, “ what would the world lose 
on the score of luxury?” nor of the real, 
substantial enjoyments of life. But, “How 
would the account stand with the insect 
•world.?” N. G, denies that all birds are 
carnivorous. I know of none that are not 
in part so, at lonst, except the humming¬ 
bird. Birds, like the human race, are both 
carnivorous and granivorous; and there is 
not a doubt that every species of insect has 
its appropriate destroyer among the feaK,h- 
ered tribes, though few perhaps are limited 
to one, on either side. The necessary con¬ 
sequence, then, of the destruction of the 
birds would be, that insects, meeting with 
no restraint, save the feeble efforts of man, 
would increase ten thousand fold; the la¬ 
bors of man, or the fruits thereof, would 
be destroyed, and even N. G. would begin 
to pray, if he ever prayed, for the restora- 
flon of the feathered race. Not only in¬ 
sects, but many kinds of noxious weeds 
would increase till these would become “ the 
rule instead of the exception.” 
Thus we come, without designing it, to 
the answer to the question, bono?'* 
and the plain inference is, that whoever 
destroys the birds, does himself and the 
public an injury. Constituted as the world 
is, they are really our helpers. I am 
fully convinced, that even the crow and 
the black-bird, hated and persecuted as 
they are, do far more good than evil in 
the world. But unfortunately for them, 
we look only at the latter, while the for¬ 
mer is entirely disregarded. 
Whether the world would be benefited 
by the entire extinction of both races, is 
merely a theoi-etical question, and there¬ 
fore, in this case at least, unprofitable. — 
But it may not, however, be wholly un¬ 
profitable, to consider ‘what good they 
do.’ It is well known that some insects 
prey upon others: hence, in the present 
state of things, we know that some in¬ 
sects do good, without denying that they 
may also do evil. “ Some birds (like the 
gallows and the guillotine,) follow civili¬ 
sation ;” so doubtless do some insects, 
while others multiply under its influence. 
And whether, in the arrangements of 
Providence, the birds follow to keep down 
the insects, or the insects increase to be 
food for the birds, it may not be easy to 
determine; but while the existence of ei¬ 
ther class alone would evidently be “ a 
curse,” the existence of the one renders 
the existence of the other a blessing. 
As an illustration of the good done by 
birds, every one knows how eagerly they 
destroy moths, butterflies, <fec., which are 
only the transformations of one race of 
caterpillars, and the parents of a succeed¬ 
ing race. The swallow, which is “ever 
on the wing,” feeds chiefly on winged 
insects. The crow, and the blackbird, 
(poor persecuted wretches-!) who feed on 
bugs, grubs, carrion, (fee., doubtless feel 
themselves entitled to a few hills of corn 
in return, and occasionally to an egg, 
or perhaps a chicken, if it falls in then- 
way. The robin examines your garden 
before you are up in the morning, and 
again in the evening, for cut-worms, (fee., 
and takes a few cherries, when ripe, for 
pay. The “contemptible yoiler bird,” and 
other little variegated urchins survey your 
orchards garden.s, nurseries, <fec., for the 
various species of aphis, which often cover 
the leaves and tender branches of your 
young trees, or for the numerous little 
depredators in the shape of worms, or 
other insects that encase themselves a- 
mong the tender leaves to feast at leis¬ 
ure on the opening buds within; or re¬ 
pair to your fields to feed on the “ thistle’s 
downy seed,” even though they find it in 
your “ wheat fields;” and if perchance they 
take a few kernels of wheats who shall say 
they have not paid you for it beforehand ? 
(I have sometimes seen a small, dark colored 
worm nestling among the spikelets of an 
ear of wheat. Is N. G. certain it is not this 
worm instead of the wheat, that invites the 
yellow bird to his wheat fields.) The cedar 
or cherry bird examines your cherriesTor the 
young curculio grub,^' and if he happens to 
take the wrong cherry, he is condemned for 
“wilful murder.” But time would fail me 
to particularize. The truth is, we look at 
only one side, and that the dark side, of 
the subject. We overlook the good and 
exaggerate the evil. 
Shall we then kill the birds? By no 
means. We need their help, unless we first 
destroy the insects. But to destroy them, 
even with th^ help of the birds, N. G. will 
admit to be very difficult, if not impossible; 
and even to kill the birds, if that were pos¬ 
sible, and advisable, would require rather 
more time than is now spent in nursing 
j the “ contemptible yallcr birds.” 
There is no danger that the world would 
become overstocked with birds, even if guns 
and traps “were none.” Beasts and birds 
of prey would continue their inroads, and 
the elements would then, as now, continue 
their wastes. The same wisdom that has 
hitherto governed the world, would govern 
it still. Let us not then too hastily conclude 
“that the whole creation of birds and in¬ 
sects was either designed as a curse on 
man”—“or is one of nature’s prolific re¬ 
dundancies;”—and let us be careful, lest 
while we mercilessly destroy the birds, we 
do injustice to our friends and injury to 
ourselves. h. 
Down East, Sept., 1850 
* During the past suininerone of these birds was 
seen to alight on the ground with a cherry, which 
he opened a«d picked out a little white substance 
and flew away with it. Upon examining the cher¬ 
ry, (for he did noteat it,) it was found to have con¬ 
tained a worm which he had evidently taken out and 
left the cherry. Whether this be the real and exclu¬ 
sive object of this class of birds, I know not. The 
subject deserves further investigation. One thing, 
however, I have always remarked in the conduct of 
these birds: when they alight in a cherry tree, they 
always seem to be engaged for a time in examining 
the fruit before they begin to eat. 
SIGNS OF A PROSPEROUS FARMER. 
When lights are seen burning in his 
house before break of day, in winter espe¬ 
cially, it shows that the day will never-break 
on the breaking in the winter of adversity. 
When you see his barn larger than his 
house, it shows that he will have large pro¬ 
fits and small afflictions. 
When you see him driving his work instead 
of his work driving him, it shows that he 
will never be driven from good resolutions, 
and that he will certainly work bis way to 
prosperity. 
When you see in his house more lamps 
for burning lard or grease, than candlesticks 
for more expensive purposes, it shows that 
economy is lighting his way to happiness 
and plenty v4th that light which should en¬ 
lighten every farmer in the world. 
When you always see in his wood-house 
a sufficiency for three days or more, it shows 
that h®. will be a more than ninety days’ 
wonder, in farming operations, and that he 
is not sleeping in his house after a drunken 
frolic. 
When he has a house separate from the 
main building, purposely for ashes, and an 
iron or tin vessel to transport them, it shows 
that he never built his dwelling to be a fu¬ 
neral pile for his family, and perhaps 
himself 
When his hog-pen is boarded inside and 
out it shows that he is “ going the whole 
hog,” in keeping plenty inside his house and 
poverty out. 
When his sled is*housed in summer, and 
his farming implements covered both win¬ 
ter and summer, it plainly shows that he 
will have a good house over his head in the 
summer of early life, and the winter of old 
age. 
When his cattle arc properly shielded and 
fed in winter, it evidences that he is acting 
according to scripture, which says that “ a 
merciful man is merciful to his beast.” 
When he is seen subscribing for a news¬ 
paper, [the Rural New-Yorker, for in¬ 
stance,] and paying in advance, it shows 
that he is speaking like a book respecting 
the latest improvements in agriculture, and 
that he will never get his walking papers -to 
the land of poverty. • 
ADVAilTAGES OF DRILLING, 
The advantages claimed for drill culture 
in the Transactions of the New York State 
Agricultural Society, are as follows:— 
1. A Saving of Seed. — Five pecks of 
wheat drilled in is equal to two bushels sow¬ 
ed broad-cast; every kernel is neatly cov¬ 
ered at a uniform depth. 
2. A Saving of Labor. — Any person 
that can manage a team can complete, in 
the neatest manner, from ten to fifteen acres 
per day, 
3. An Increase of Crop. — Small ridges 
of earth are left between the rows of wheat, 
which, by the action of the frost, slides 
down and covers the roots, thereby prevent¬ 
ing “ winter killing.” Light and heat are 
admitted between the rows and prevent in¬ 
jury by rust. A vigorous growth is given 
to the young plant, and its position in a con¬ 
stantly moist place, prevents injury from 
drought 
Wild Goose Beans. — The Lockport 
Courier says;—John Newman, of Cam¬ 
bria, has left in this office a rare and choice 
variety of this nutritious vegetable. The 
pods are at least one foot in length. The 
seed from whence the variety WRS obtained 
is said to have been taken from the crop of 
a wild goose near the lakes — hence the 
CARE OF OOWS ON CALVINa 
In the last number of the Rural, I ob¬ 
served an inquiry relative to the manage¬ 
ment of cows on calving. Having had 
some experience in the matter I will give 
my mode of treatment. .. 
As soon as the cow calves, I give her 
warm water—a pad full at a time, as often 
as she needs it for two days. As far as 
my experience goes, this is all sufficient.— 
The remedy is of course very cheap and 
simple, and well worth trying by those who 
have no knowledge of a better one. 
Yours, (fee, A Farmer. 
Owasco, N. y., Oct. 16, 1850. 
THE SELF-MILKER. 
I - 
The following article from the American 
Baptist confirms what has already been 
said upon the same subject in the New- 
Yorker;— 
Mr. Editor ; — Permit me in your paper 
to just caution your young readers against in- 
I juring themselves by the New Method of 
Milking. Milking tubes were tried a long 
time ago in the Old Bay State, and found, 
after much puffing, to be worse than use¬ 
less. The milk would flow without the toil, 
true, but not so fully. The natural excite¬ 
ment of the organ was wanting, and the 
cows became disordered, or dried off— gen¬ 
erally, if not universally. Milking, skillflilly 
performed, is a process of pleasure to the 
kind and valuable animals, and considera¬ 
ble violence or agitation, varied in different 
conditions of the animal, and in imitation, 
somewhat of the action of the calf, is both 
pleasant to the cow and increases the quan¬ 
tity and richness of the milk drawn. 
An Old Milker. 
CONSUMPTION IN HORSES. 
Mr. Percival, the great English veteri¬ 
narian, says, '■^pulmonary disorders carry 
I off more horses than all other diseases.”— 
Though this is an over-estimate of mortality 
, from that source, when we consider how 
much sudden changes of temperature and 
checked perspiration injure man, why may 
wo not suppose that many horses are killed 
by it; and hence we should perceive and 
act upon the propriety of attending more 
to the condition of the horse when turned 
out or otherwise exposed to sudden change 
from heat to cold. The Spaniards have a 
saying that a draft of air “ that will blow 
out a candle will kill a manbut we think 
nothing of putting a horse, however much 
heated, in a stable with a draught of jcold 
air coming on him from without. 
Kicking Horses.— Daniel D. Gitt,of Ad¬ 
ams County, (Pa.) communicates to the 
American Farmer, his mode of breaking 
horses of the vile and dangerous habit of 
kicking. He says;— 
“ I attach one end of a strong line to the 
hind pastern of the horse, and take it for¬ 
ward through the loop, fastened to the 
trace, at the side of the horse, and attach 
the other end of the line to the bridle; a 
line attached thus at each side of the horse, 
if left sufficiently long to just enable him 
to make a step, will at every kick he may 
make, operate so severely upon his mouth 
as to cause him very soon to give it up as a 
bad job.” 
A SCIENTIFIC HATCHING MACHINE. 
A Hatching Machine has been invent¬ 
ed in France, by Mr. Vallee, which is des¬ 
cribed by the Paris correspondent of the 
Intelligencer. A drum enclosing a warm¬ 
ing cylinder forms the basis of his system. 
He introduces warm air into the drum in 
which the eggs are deposited, and by cir¬ 
cular openings gives access to currents of 
cold air. It is by the distribution and vig¬ 
orously rational combination of warm and 
cold air that he obtains that dampish tem¬ 
perature in which lies the secret of incuba¬ 
tion, from which results the development 
of the embryo in the egg. By this instru¬ 
ment, artificial hatching is successfully car¬ 
ried on in every state of the atmosphere 
and at all seasons. But after the burst of 
the shell, a mother must be provided for 
the young. M. Vallee’s ingenuity thus 
provides for this emergency. A Iamb skin 
is fastened by one extremity to a plank, 
and made to open at the other like a pair 
of bellows. This affords a cover for the 
little ones and keeps them warm as would 
a veritable mother hen. The result of M. 
Vallee’s experience touching the period of 
incubation necessary for the various species 
of eggs is curious and worthy of record. — 
Here it is—Chickens, 21 days; partridges, 
24 do.; pheasants, 25 do.; guinea hen, 25 
do.; common duck, 28 do.; peafowls 28 
do.; barbary ducks, 30 do.; geese, 30 do. 
The degree of heat required is from 40 to 
50 degrees French or Centigrade scale, 
equal to from 104 to 122 Farenheit. A 
small lamp of the Locatelli system suffices 
to raise the temperature of the apparatus to 
the proper elevation. With such a machine 
every farmer could have a fine supply of 
{owls. — Scientife American. 
Lying rides on debt’s back 
ANIMALS FROM AFRICA AND SPAIN. 
Thos. H. Hyatt, Esq., our late Consul 
at Tangier, on his return to this country, a 
few days since, brought with him several 
animals — all of which are interesting from 
their rarity, and some of them are likely to 
be useful in this country. Among them 
are horses of the Barbary stock, an Arabian 
pony, a wild boar from the Atlas moun¬ 
tains, a beautiful species of African par¬ 
tridge, several rare kinds of doves, and a 
pair of pigs, and some fine fowls from the 
south of Spain. The horse was left ivith a 
gentleman in New York—the other animals, 
with the exception of the Spanish fowls, 
were taken by Mr. H. to Rochester. The 
pony is of elegant form, and is said to be 
remarkable for speed and endurance. The 
wild boar is young, and does not yet show 
any of the ferocity for which his race is dis¬ 
tinguished. He is a singular animal, bear¬ 
ing but a distant resemblance to the domes¬ 
tic pig. His head is rather long, the face 
straight and narrow, the ears very small and 
upright, the back arched, the legs round 
and slender. His coat is more like hair 
than bristles, and of an iron-grey color.— 
What will be the effect of mingling this 
blood with the domestic stock, cannot be 
told at present, but we should suppose the 
stock of such a cross, would be likely to 
suit such farmers as wish their hogs to be 
■able to outrun dogs .— Cult. 
BARN CELLARS. 
In the last number of the Germantown 
Telegraph, a correspondent says:—Twenty 
years ago barn cellars were mostly unknown. 
They are now, however, quite common, and 
are annually becoming more so. True 
economy requires that those substances in¬ 
tended to be used as pabulum for valuable 
crops, should be protected as much as pos¬ 
sible, from the deteriorating effects of the 
atmosphere, which inevitably deprives them 
— especially fresh animal excrement, of 
much of their most valuable portions, when 
contemplated as a food for growing crops. 
Barn cellars cost but a comparative trifle, 
and there are but few farmers who could 
not provide themselves with a good and ef¬ 
ficient cellar for a sum less than the actual 
annual loss they are subject to by the open 
exposure of their manure. I will hereafter, 
by your permission, present a plan for cel¬ 
lars, with remarks upon their construction. 
Cellars. — Probably one of the chief 
causes why vegetables of certain kinds, pa- 
ticularly carrots, beets and turnips, rot so 
soon after being deposited in the winter 
bins, is the want of proper care in ventil¬ 
ating the cellars in which they are deposit¬ 
ed. The Germans, who are famed for their 
exemplary domestic economy, are rigidly 
circumspect in this particular. In all or 
most of their houses, there is a communica¬ 
tion maintained between the cellar and the 
principal chimney, in order to facilitate the 
escape of the noxious and stagnant gases 
engendered by the vegetable and other con¬ 
tents. It is a well known fact that the air 
in cellars, from its rapid deterioration and 
impregnation by nauseous miasma, soon be¬ 
comes highly deleterious to health; and to 
this fact, doubtless, is attributable, in a great 
measure, the almost uninterrupted ill-health 
of many families among us, both in town 
and country. 
CocoANUT Sugar. —A new mode of ob¬ 
taining sugar has been recently discovered 
in Ceylon. It is obtained by cutting off the 
stem of the cocoanut flower, attaching a 
vessel to it, and evaporating the liquid thus 
obtained, which is said to flow from the 
trees in quantities almost incredible. The 
sugar thus obtained is described as equal 
in quality to any furnished by the sugar 
cane—and the milk or sap of the cocoa 
tree can be obtained in almost any quanti¬ 
ty. But how many years a tree that is tap¬ 
ped in this way will exist is not stated.— 
Cultivator. 
Preservation of the Pusipkin,— Pres¬ 
ervation of pumpkins through the greater 
part of the winter, if sound and well ripen¬ 
ed, is easily attained, by stowing them away 
in a mow of dry hay or straw, or placing on 
a barn floor and covering with any light for¬ 
age. A dry cellar will frequently keep 
them sound, but these are usually too moist 
for this purpose. They ought occasionally 
to be looked after, and any showing evi¬ 
dence of incipient decay, should be imme¬ 
diately used. All the partially ripe, small, 
and imperfect, should be fed soon after ta¬ 
king from the field. 
Roguery in Guano. — The amount of 
Peruvian Guano imported into England in 
the year 1849, according to parliamentary 
return, was 73,567 tons. But, large as this 
amount is, the consumption was more than 
three times that quantity of quasi guano, 
from the fact that there are iO firms in Lon¬ 
don, alone, each of which is extensively en¬ 
gaged in the manufacture of guano. One 
of these takes 30 tons of loam per week, 
which comes into their laboratory, simple 
earth, but goes out genuine guano. How 
is it with us ? 
At the working man’s house, hunger 
looks in but never enters. 
THE FARMER AND HIS WIFE. 
Allusions have been made in other parts 
,of this work to the article of clothing ap¬ 
propriate in the country; but it may not 
be amiss to refer to it here, as one of the 
main features of living prettily. To dress 
neatly at all times, and yet so as to occa¬ 
sion no pecuniary outlay incompatible with 
the ordinary means in rural life, requires 
good taste and good management of a high 
grade, especially in the female head of the 
family. The mother who can clothe her 
children as well as herself, in ^ style of 
comeliness —always in a condition to be 
seen by strangers without a mortification, 
and without an expenditure to embarrass 
her husband—deserves of him and of oth¬ 
ers high commendation. This is one of the 
most valuable accomplishments of the house¬ 
wife ; afld nothing, in a greater degree con¬ 
tributes to the end made the subject of the 
present chapter. 
Where we see a family of children de¬ 
cently clad, clean, tidy, and of good breed¬ 
ing, especially in the more humble walks of 
life, we impromptu exclaim, they must have 
an excellent mother! The country district 
school, 'with its forty or fifty little boys and 
girls, attired in the manner described, fur¬ 
nishes one of the best specimens of the 
healthful simplicity and the good domestic 
economy in rural locatiofis. Here the far¬ 
mer’s wife may gather laurels of unfading 
beauty and verdure; in comparison of which 
the jewels and the costly attire of the fash¬ 
ionable lady in the ball-room are contempt¬ 
ible and worthless. And, indeed, what are 
the fashionable accomplishments of the lady 
of rank—her music, her drawing, and her 
flippancy in French, to the ability of the 
farmer’s wife to rear up sons that will be 
eminent statesmen and divines, and daugh¬ 
ters that will hold the highest position in 
society ? 
While the farmer’s wife is doing thus 
much toward living prettily, we have a few 
things to add for the farmer himself to do 
in this good work. Who is to see that the 
Sunday-wagon, which takes the family to 
church, and now and then appears on a hol¬ 
iday, is free from mud and dust, and has 
been duly honored by a coat of varnish ? 
The farmer himself, or his sons, if he have 
them of sufficient age. Who is to see that 
the court-yard and and garden-fence is in 
good repair, and made white with paint ? — 
Not the farmer’s wife, but the farmer him¬ 
self, or some one under his direction! Who 
is to see that the family mansion and the 
various outbuildings have been properly re¬ 
garded : the hinges and fastenings upon the 
doors all sound; the paint kept bright; the 
windows free from broken glass; and no 
loosened weather-boards to become uEolian 
harps to the rats and mice while the family 
is asleep ? It need not be said that this is 
the duty of the male portion of the house¬ 
hold! Let not the male reader be dis¬ 
pleased, if one question more be propound¬ 
ed on this subject. Lastly, then, whose 
duty is It to see that the walks about the 
mansion be made clean and hard, and the 
grounds contiguous to them be relieved 
from nuisances of every description ? Sure¬ 
ly this is not the work^of the farmer’s wife! 
Nor of his daughters! He should himself 
see that it is done! Hence, let it be said 
to the rea(ier, male and female, do respect¬ 
ively what is here set forth, and when the 
minister, or the doctor, or your relatives 
from the city, make you a visit, they will 
say to you, in sincerity and truth—How 
prettily you do live!— Blake's Every-Day 
Book for Farmers. 
A FACT WORTH KNOWING. 
Under this head in a New York paper 
we find the following. If it should prove* 
equal to its profession, we have several sil¬ 
very headed friends who would like to avail 
themselves of such a c aivenient mode of 
being “ done brown,” or almost any other 
color: — 
“A distinguished General (Twiggs) re¬ 
turned from the Me.xican war, covered with 
‘glory.’ He had, however, two marks of 
hard service which laurels could not hide 
—as they did Cmsar’s baldness. One was 
a head as white as wool, and the other a 
cutaneous eruption on the forehead. For 
the latter he was advised to try a mixture 
of sulphur, and sugar of lead and rose 
water. In applying it, some of the mixture 
moistened the hair on the forehead, and af¬ 
ter awhile that part of his hair resumed the 
original color. He then applied the mix¬ 
ture to all his hair, and it became, and now 
is, of its primitive sandy hue. He commu¬ 
nicated it to some of his friends in Wash¬ 
ington, especially to some ex-members, who 
are widowers and seeking preferment — 
and it has been found efficacious in eveiy 
instance. It does not dye the hair, but 
seems to operate' upon the roots, and re¬ 
stores the original color. 
The receipt is as follows:—1 drachm Sac- 
Sulphur, 1 drachm Sugar of Ijcad, 4 oz Rose 
Water, mix them, and shake the phial on 
using the mixture, and bathe the hair twice 
a day for a week, or longer if necessary.” 
To feed the land before it is hungry, to 
give it rest before it is weary, and to weed 
it before it becomes foul, is the best evi¬ 
dences of farming. 
