MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
PUBLISHKD WKEKLT. 
Office in Bums’ Block, corner of Buflalo and State 
streets, (entrance on State,) Ilochoster, 
CONDUCTED BY D, D. T. MOOEK 
(iMte Publisher and Associate Editor Gm. Farmer .) 
L. B. LANGWORTIIY, Associate Editor. 
Corresponding Editors: 
ELON COMSTOCK and II. C. WHITE. 
Educational Deparlinent by L. WETIIERELL. 
(O’ For Tkkms, &.c., sec last page. ._0 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
A DAIRY IN ORLEANS COUNTY. 
Tiik North Western section of New 
York has so long been considered a grain 
growing locality that any attempts to enter 
into the dairy business, ns a matter of prof¬ 
it, have generally received little attention. 
During the past season J. Howk, Esq., of 
Ridgeway, has been making the necessary 
arrangements for a Cheese Dairy of about 
fifty cows. For this purpose he has erect¬ 
ed, at an expense of some three thousand 
dollars, a dairy barn which can hardly be 
equalled in any of the oldest and best dairy 
districts. It comprises not only every thing 
necessary for grain raising, which will be 
continued, but everything requisite for ma¬ 
king, curing and keeping his cheese. 
The structure is in the plain republican 
style of boards and battens, Yvith ample 
storage for roots, shorts and corn meal for 
feeding. The cow shills are in the base¬ 
ment, which is of stone, with floor of hy¬ 
draulic cement. The hay and straw, im¬ 
mediately overhead, are delivered bel’oYV 
by means of ceiled passages, which aflbrd 
also thorough ventilation. The entire line 
of cows are fastened in their places by the 
movement of two levers at a great saving 
of time. 
The cows are in two lines, facing each 
other, and in front of each cow is a basin 
for feeding, made of cement in the most 
perfect manner. Railway tracks are laid 
upon which to convoy feed and other things 
necessary from one end of the barn to the 
other, and to the cheese room. The whole 
premises are furnished with an abundant 
supply of running water, in doors and out, 
in addition to a cistern of ample dimensions 
for ram v,... r. The floors of the cheese 
and milk rooms are flagged with the beau¬ 
tiful Medina Sandstone, and everything 
bears the impress of order and neatness. 
Mr. Howk has in use one of Gohuon 
Farmku’s Dairy Steamers, a notice of 
which was given in the lYth number of the 
New-Yokkkii. The steamer is so arrang¬ 
ed as not only to serve all the purposes of 
the dairy, but has also a pipe leading to a 
large steam box, standing upon a car, for 
steaming food for both cattle and hogs.— 
He has also in use a cam-wheel press, made 
by Mr. Sherman, of Mohawk, N. Y. Both 
the press and steamer meet his approval. 
The rooms for curing cheese are directly 
over the press and milk rooms, and the 
cheese arc hoisted to the former by means 
of pulleys. These rooms arc furnished 
with lattice blinds and windows on hinges, 
with ample tables and cheese boards. Im¬ 
mediately adjoining is a bed-room for the 
dairy man. 
After an examination of the whole prem¬ 
ises, by invitation of the gentlemanly pro¬ 
prietor, our opinion is, that the whole thing 
is not oipialled in the vState. On partaking 
of substantial fare at their hospitable board, 
we became fully convinced liis worthy lady 
was not only skilled in cheese making, but 
could successfully compete with Orange 
county in butter making. 
Mr. Howe’s farm consists of 250 acres, 
of which 60 are to be devoted to grain and 
the rest to the dairy. It is admirably loca¬ 
ted on the Erie Canal, one mile west of the 
thriving village of Knowlesville. We were 
delighted with our brief visit, .and trust the 
enterprising proprietor may reap a rich re¬ 
ward. The whole establishment is a model 
well worthy of imitation. h. c. w. 
POTATO ROT. 
InscriUability of the Disease — R.t'ploded Doctrine of 
Insects—No Analogy for their Poisonous Qual¬ 
ities — First Evidence to our Senses—First Coin- 
mencement in the Leaves—Immaturity of the Plant 
—Annlagons to Gangrena—No Specif c Poison — 
Disease Atmospheric and not Tuberic — Want of 
Elaboration. 
It may seem presumption to attempt any 
new ideas on the subject of the cause of 
the Potato Disease, now again so pi’evalent 
— and so it is, in fact, so far as to pretend 
to discover the true cause, which is as ab¬ 
struse and inscrutable as the miasm of chol¬ 
era or fever, or the thousand adventitious 
diseases of animal and vegetable vitality. 
The idea that it is the result of the at¬ 
tack of an insect is now generally exploded, 
as weir as when applied to the pear blight, 
or peach disease. In truth, there is nothing 
known of the ability of any insect that con¬ 
tains a virus capable of generating a poison 
able to infect vegetable life —there is noth¬ 
ing known analagous to such a supposition, 
and therefore the doctrine is not presumable. 
The first evidence tangible to our senses, 
is the curl and wilting of the terminal 
leaves of the vine, giving the appearance of 
a slight touch of frost; and soon after the 
leaves of the whole plant turn yellow, as 
they would naturally appear at the perfec¬ 
tion of growth during the . fall months—the 
bark or outer integument of the stalk be¬ 
comes soft, watery and flabby, and if the 
tubers are not sufliciently perfected and 
ripe, they decay and rot. 
The disease commences in the leaves, 
they being the lungs of the plant which 
eliminate and perfect the soluble materials 
from the soil, and gases of the atmosphere; 
but failing to perform their functions, the 
tubers are never perfected, the starch is not 
developed, and they are in their incipient 
stage, consisting of water, saccharine mat¬ 
ter and gum— a composition extremely li¬ 
able to fermentation and decomposition, 
which, when once commenced, like gan¬ 
grene in the animal tissue, destroys the 
whole mass. 
That no specific poison or virus is genera¬ 
ted in the tuber and disseminated by circu¬ 
lation is evident^ from the fact, that if the 
diseased part is excised and taken away, or 
if a complete state of dessication or dryness 
is produced, the disease is arrested, and the 
parts left are edible and healthy for man or 
beast. 
All results and appearances go to show 
that the cause is atmospheric; cither that 
the air contains some deleterious miasm, or 
that there is wanting, or that there is a re¬ 
dundancy of, -one of the constituents of at- 
mo.sphcric air, required by the leaves to 
elaborate and return the sap necessary to 
perfect and nourish the tubers to that point 
of perfection and ripeness that enables 
them to resist fermentation and decom¬ 
position. 
Grand Poultry Exhirition.— We learn 
from the Boston Cultivator that the New 
England Society for the Improvement of 
Domestic Poultiy, will hold its next An¬ 
nual Exhibition on Tuesday and Wednes¬ 
day, the 12th and 13th of November en¬ 
suing, in the Public Garden in Boston. 
Wright’s Mammoth Tent will be used for 
the exhibition. 
It is presumed that the tent will afford 
“ample room and verge enough” for the 
flapping of the wings of all the game 
cocks in Chickendom. 
FAIR OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE. MARYLAND INSTITUTE AND STATE FAIR’ 
Baltimork, Mil., Oct. 2J, lO-OO. 
Friend Moore :—I am in the “ Monu¬ 
mental City,” to attend the State h’air, which 
commences on the 23d and which promis¬ 
es to be the best ever held in this State.— 
I shall endeavor to take notes and let you 
know of the progress of matters here. 
On my way I spent a day in Philadel¬ 
phia, examining the exhibition of the 
Franklin Institute, which I can assure you 
was highly creditable in each department 
It was trtdy an exhibition of American 
Manufactures—creditable to the Institute 
and to the country. The arrangement was 
very judicious, giving an opportunity of ex¬ 
amining each article. The catalogue num¬ 
bers 4,305 articles. Tlie number is affixed 
to each article, and on reference to the cat¬ 
alogue a description is found. The build¬ 
ing is a very spacious one—the Chinese 
Museum. The lower saloon, which you 
first ciiter, is filled with models and ma¬ 
chinery—much of the machinery in opera¬ 
tion. Here are steam engines, large and 
miniature, at work—sewing machines, ma¬ 
king garments—water rams in full play— 
filtering machines, cleaning the Yvater from 
the gutters and making it as pure as crystal 
—drill machines at work. In short., this 
room will pay a visitor well for half a day’s 
e.xamination. From N. York State I notic¬ 
ed pumps from Downs Mynderse, Sen¬ 
eca Falls, and several articles from the city 
of New York. 
Adjoining tliis saloon, on the same floor, 
stove and grates are exhibited—many of 
them heated up and at work, showing what 
they can do. This room has many very 
valuable articles on exhibition—stoves, fur¬ 
naces, register.s, tfec., from New York. Pas¬ 
sing from this room to the grand exhibition 
room above, we find cotton and woolen 
goods, illustrative of American Manufac¬ 
tures—cotton goods from New York Mills 
and Troy— woolen goods from Seneca Falls, 
Utica Steam Mills, Clayville, Washington 
Steam Mills, woolen long shawls. Empire 
State Mills, and James Roy cfe Co., Water- 
vliet. All of these articles from New York 
are worthy of a place in any exhibition and 
do great credit to our State. Carpets and 
oil cloths in great variety and of superior 
excellence, and here; New York exhibits 
largely. Of silks, the exhibition is unusu¬ 
ally fine. Hardware, cutlery, and tin work 
very extensive and excellent. 
The miscellaneous part of the exhibition 
is very superioi-, and taken as a whole, it ex¬ 
ceeds any exhibition I have witne.ssed. The 
object of the Institute seems to be carried* 
out fully—to encourage American Manufac¬ 
ture and improve the Mechanic Arts. The 
show is not got up to make money, but to 
advance the interests of American Manu¬ 
factures; hence it is of a character to pro¬ 
duce that result. 
I am to-day examining the exhibition, in 
this city, of the Mechanics' Institnie, which 
is now open. Its general appearance is 
prepossessing, and after an examination I 
shall make you acquainted with its merits. 
Yours, J. 
Dian.\ Grape. —One of our subscribers 
Mr. H. RonniNs, of Brighton, in this coun¬ 
ty, wishes to purchase two or three hun¬ 
dred cuttings of the Diana Grape, from 
vines in bearing. He would prefer to pro¬ 
cure them in Western New-York. Who 
can accommodate him? 
Some agricultural writer says that wheat 
is treated like infants; when the head hangs 
heavy us with sleep, it is cradled; and 
when a little older, it is well thnished to 
make it fit for use. 
Baltimore, Oct. 24. 
Having had an opportunity of examin¬ 
ing the exhibition of the Maryland Institute, 
whose Fair is now open, I give you a brief 
account of it for your paper. 
The building in which the articles are 
displayed, is far less commodious than that 
of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia.— 
The show of machinery in operation is very 
good. The planing machine of Wood- 
woi-th is here in full operation, attracting 
much attention—very few of those attend¬ 
ing the exhibition having over seen the 
machine in operation, delivering its materi¬ 
als ready for the workmen with wonderful 
rapidity. A machine for dressing stone is 
a very ingenious one, and does its work 
with great rapidity and perfection. Many 
other ingenious machines are propelled by 
steam, and give to the visitor new ideas as 
to the wondrous power of this powerful 
agent. A Fire Engine of most elaborate 
and delicate workmanship, worthy of a place 
in the world’s exhibition, is on show. If 
its performance only cquids its beauty, 
fires^ will no longer be a terror. Carriages 
are shown here that do great credit to the 
Baltimore Mechanics—and the happy pos¬ 
sessors of some of them will be enabled to 
ride in a vehicle that Queen Victoria might 
deem herself fortunate in possessing. 
Many articles in the machine department 
are very creditable to the mechanics of the 
city and State. 
In the miscellaneous department there 
are many very choice articles—.some of 
great merit—others loss deserving of notice. 
The Ladies’ work is of a very high order. 
One of the most life-like pictures I have 
ever seen, made by a lady of the city in 
raised needle-work, is on exhibition. Its 
admirable coloring, the elegance of the fig¬ 
ures, the perfection of expression, attract 
the attention of the visitors, who linger 
around it, as if unwilling to leave. Some 
specimens of wax work are' remarkably 
beautiful. I notice several articles labelled 
for the great exhibition in London—among 
them a musical instrument which, I venture 
to say, will not find its superior at that great 
collection of the world’s choicest productions 
of art and skill. 
The exhibition, though not :is extensive 
and varied as that at Philadelphia, is still 
deserving of the attention which it is re¬ 
ceiving from the crowds of citizens in at¬ 
tendance, especially in the evenings, and 
does great credit to the Institute and to its 
contributors. 
The Third Annual Fair of the Maryland 
State Agricultural Society was opened yes¬ 
terday. The Show is considered here as a 
very excellent one, and although not as ex¬ 
tensive as ours in New York, is still a very 
creditable one. The display of Cattle, 
Horses, Swine and Sheep, exceeds in num¬ 
ber that of hist year ; but the quality of 
the neat stock, with the exception of Devon 
cattle, docs not equal the previous show, 
at which I was present. 
The show of horses is very fair ; — 
of swine uncommonly good ;—of long- 
woolcd sheep, excellent. Mr. Rky- 
noLD, of Delaware, has four pens of his 
New Oxfordshire sheep, which are uncom¬ 
monly large and fine. One fat wether, 3 
years old, slaughtered yesterday, weighed 
200 lbs., nett! What think you of that? 
You may possibly prize such mountains of 
fat; but I prefer the Southdown, which 
gives a much more delicious cut for the ta¬ 
ble. These enormous sheep, however, are 
favorites, and^ a butcher of this city, I 
learn, gives Mr. Reybold, on a stimding 
offer made some time since, for a sheep 
weighing 50 lbs. to the quarter. This 
.sheep does not quite equal the one for 
which a noted gentleman in -, New 
York, once offered a premium before that 
distinguished Agricultural body in New 
York, which was required to weigh 500 
lbs., I believe, to receive a gold medal! 
Still I think you will concur with me, 
that a sheep that will weigh dressed 206 
lbs., i.s no small affair. 
I saw here on exhibition for premiums 
20 Maryland hams, and, having tasted of 
some in the city, I can truly say, I would 
that New-Yorkers would come here imd 
learn how to prepare hams for use They 
are superb—they cannot be easily ex¬ 
celled, and I had to acknowledge to a 
Marylander to-day, “ New-York surren¬ 
ders when you show such haras as 
these.” 
There are many articles liere on exhi¬ 
bition of which I should like to wi^te ; 
and piwhaps 1 may find a leisure mo¬ 
ment before I leave to give you a fur¬ 
ther account I am now off to the plow¬ 
ing match. Some good plowmen are hero 
from the North, and I predict that they will 
not be beaten. Yours, J. 
REFINING SUGAR- NEW DISCOVERY. 
A discovery has been made in the re¬ 
fining of sugar, of lus much importance to 
domestic economy as any improvement that 
has been introduced” iluring the la.st fifty 
years. 
The syrup or common brown sugar is 
taken from the boilers, and again mixed 
with molasses, till it iissumes a semi-fluid 
consistence, and in two minutes, without 
the use of heat or any drug. Is refined in¬ 
to the slate of the finest crusted loaf sugar. 
In the old process, the refining took neai^ 
ly three weeks, together with a great ex- 
penseof labor, fuel, machinery and buildings. 
This process, as we understand it, i.s sim¬ 
ply admitting the syrup into a cylindrical 
sieve containing about 200 lbs., the mesh¬ 
es of which are so fine that the crystalinc 
particles cannot pass, and giyyig it a rotary 
motion of about 2000 revolutions per min- 
.ute; the centrifugal force drives oft’ tlio 
liquid, and leaves the sugar pure, and wliat 
is still more singular dry enough for market. 
The annual consumption of refined su^r 
in this country, is more than a hundred 
millions of pounds. A saving of one penny 
per pound to the consumer, would be a 
million of dollars per year. 
The owners of this discovery, which has 
been patented, are Messrs. Aspinwall A 
WooLSEY, of New York. The action of 
the discovery has been fully tested at Mr. 
Hartson’s works, Vesey street, New York, 
before a largii number of practical and sci¬ 
entific gentlemen, when 200 Iba of very 
impure syrup was perfectly converted into 
pure crystals of sugar in two minute8.-j- 
These facts are condensed form the New 
York Sun. 
ROOT-GRAFTED FRUIT TREES. 
In all orchards that I have noticed set 
with trees grafted in the root, the trees, 
after attaining about such a size, seem to 
stop growing and remain dwarf trees, and 
no after cultivation would produce thrifti¬ 
ness and productiveness equal to a tree top 
or whip grafted. Is this always tlie case ? 
Has any person seen it tried with an or¬ 
chard part top and part root grafted ? As 
root grafting is practiced in many of the 
most extensive nurseries, this is a subject 
of considerable importance to those who 
contemplate setting out orchards of choice 
fruit trees. Yours, y. w. n. 
Greece, N. Y., October, 1850. 
We hope some experienced horticulturist 
will answer the above inquiries.—E d. 
