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VOLUME I. !■ 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1850. 
NUMBER 51. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY. 
Office in Bums’ Block, comer of Buffalo and State 
streets, (entrance on State,) Rochester. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
{Late Publisher and Associate Editor Gen. Farmer.) 
The New-Yorker contain.^ more Agricultural, 
Horticultural, Scientific, Mechanical, Educational, 
Literary and News matter, than any other Agricul¬ 
tural or Family Journal published in tho U. States. 
Those who wish a good paper, devoted to useful 
and instructive subjects, are invited to give this one 
a careful examination — and to bear in mind that 
the postage on a first class periodical is no more 
than on the smallest sheet, or most trashy reprint. 
For Terms, &c., see last page. XR 
PROGRESS AND IRIPROVEMENT. 
THE ELEMENTS OF MATTER. 
Although the diversified forms of matter 
—animal, vegetable and mineral—presented 
to the notice of the observer are absolutely 
beyond computation, yet Chemical Analysis 
resolves all material bodies into fifty-five el¬ 
ementary substances, consisting of one kind 
of matter .alone. And, what is still more 
surprising, nearly all of every vegetable 
and animal sxibstance may be resolved.into 
four only of these fifty-five. When por¬ 
tions of vegetable or animal matttel^are 
burned, tlie greater part entirely disappears 
—leaving a small quantity of ash, or inor¬ 
ganic matter behi^. 
Now this greater part belongs to three, or 
at most four of the elementary substances 
—carbon, oxygen, liydrogen and nitrogen. 11 
Avill be seen at once, then, how important to 
the farmer is a knowledge of the nature 
and action of these elements, which consti¬ 
tute so large a portion of all that lives and 
grows—furnishing the raw materials out 
of which all living matter is elaborated. 
We propose therefore to give from the 
best sources within our reach, brief sketch¬ 
es of these elements — their nature and 
modes of operation. This week we give 
definitions only, condensed from Prof. John¬ 
ston’s Lectures on Agricultural chemistiy. 
Carbon. — Wood charcoal is the most 
common form of carbon. When burned, 
e.\cept a small deposit of ash, it passes into 
the air in the shape of carbonic acid gas.— 
Plumbago is another form of carbon. The 
diamond:!^ its purest form, and at a high 
temperature it burns with a vivid light, en¬ 
tirely disappearing into the same gas as 
charcoal. All plants (in a dried state) cul¬ 
tivated for the use of man or beast have 
from forty to fifty per cent of carbon. This 
shows its great importance in the economy 
of nature. 
Porous wood and animal charcoals absorb 
large quantities of gaseous vapor from the 
atmosphere,—and they may be used as a 
filter to separate any animal or vegetable 
substance or coloring malter^from water or 
oils—and it is in this way they act in the 
soil, gathering matter, for the. food of plants, 
fromt he air, from water, and from the earth. 
Oxygen.— This is known only as a gas, 
and is void of taste, color, or smell, and 
cannot by the senses be distinguished from 
common air, save by the accelerated life 
camsed by its inhalation, and by its effects 
upon flame—adding wonderfully to its pow¬ 
er and brilliancy. It forms 21 per cent of 
the air, and eight parts in nine of water,— 
thus entering largely into the life of ani¬ 
mals and plants—in fact neither can exist 
without it. It also forms nearly one half of 
the earth itself. 
Hydrogen. —This is also a gas without 
color, taste or smell. It forms a small per 
centage of all animal or vegetable matter, 
and also of some minerals. Life and flame 
are extinguished by it at once. It is the 
lightest of all known substances. 
-N’itrogen.— This is also a gas—inodor¬ 
ous, and colorless. It forms V9 per cent in 
bulk of the atmospheric air. Animals or 
plants cannot live in it, and it extinguishes 
flame. It enters into The composition of 
many animal matters, but it is less abun¬ 
dant on the whole, than either of those 
named above. Like oxygen it is absorbed 
by water in limited quantities, and though 
making but a small part of animal or vege¬ 
table life, it performs some important offices 
in assisting their growth. 
REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR. 
BY C. DEW’EY, LL. D. 
Events and Scenes — Productiveness — Keasems—Brief 
Autumnal Scenery — Than/csgivmg. 
SHORT-HORNS PROFITABLE. 
Friend Moore :—It is with some degree 
O 
of hesitancy that I send you the following 
brief article concerning Short-horns; bi^a 
strong desire to induce others to embark in 
the noble enterprize of, improvement, indu¬ 
ces me to lay aside some little delicacy, and 
to state briefly a few facts. 
In the fall of 1847 I purchased my first 
Sliort-horns, two young animals, for which 
I paid $.300. These I procured from (as 
I considered it,) one of the best herds in 
this country. In the fall of 1848, (the first 
animals having given me such entire satis¬ 
faction,) I added to ray herd from the same 
source, four more Short-horn cows. One 
of these cows failed to breed, and has been 
reiurned. My entire purchase, therefore, 
has been five animals, whicli have cost me 
$700. 
In the fall of 1849 I sold two bull calves 
for $135,—and during the past season I 
have sold three animals for $050. In the 
meantime I have received for the service 
of my bulls not far from $200. I have 
also been awarded premiums at County 
and State Fairs to the amount of $130.— 
This amounts to $1,115, or $415 morctlian 
the original cost of my purchase. Perhaps 
I should add that the above sales have all 
been for cash or approved notes on interest, 
with the exception of $100. 
My herd now numbers nine animals, 
viz.: two bull calves, two heifer calves, and 
five cows and heifers. These I consider 
zvorth at least $1,500; but to be safe I will 
count them $1,200. This would make the 
amount .received ($1,115) and stock on 
hand ($1,200,) $2,315—or, $1,615 more 
than the original cost, and all within three 
years. It will be seen that I have not 
counted any milk or butter in the above 
statement, which would amount to quite an 
additional sum. Now, I would like to ask 
those who first ridiculed my enterprize, and 
who expected to see “ myself and my mon¬ 
ey soon parted,” whether they liave ever 
honestly placed $700 to as good account, or 
which has made so good returns in so short 
It is with the sole desire of inducing oth¬ 
ers to engage in the improvement, and for 
the encouragement of tliose who have al¬ 
ready just commenced, that I have been in¬ 
duced to pen this somewhat personal arti¬ 
cle;—and lest l may be accused of motives 
which I do not entertain, I subscribe myself, 
A Friend to Improvement, 
December 3d, 1850. 
Fattening Sheep.— Sheep designed for 
tlie shambles should be kept in large, open 
stables, for, when lioused close in a small 
place, they are liable to become diseased, 
and will not fiitten. They should have 
plenty of good hay, and a small quantity of 
oats and Indian corn. Turnips cut small, 
mixed with Indian meal and a little salt, I 
have found to be very good. Feed them 
three times in 24 hours. Give them plenty 
of food, but it is unnecessary to let them 
waste it. By pursuing the above course 
your sheep will be ready for the butcher 
the beginning of March. Lsonade. 
Philadelphia Co., Pa , 1850. 
The close of the first half of the nine¬ 
teenth century is near at hand. In a few 
days the first fifty years will be completed, 
and fifty years form half a century. Tlie 
year 1850 has been eventful in various 
aspects. 
A large number of distinguislied men, 
and rulers of the peonle, have closed their 
career in the last twll^months. The death 
of the President of the United States, and 
tlie quiet and legal accession of his popular 
successor, have shown again tlie stability of 
our republican institutions, and proved our 
government to be strong, because its foun¬ 
dation is the will of the people. 
Tills has been a year of great excitement, 
and of trembling anticipations among the 
nations. The clouds and storms have gen- 
erally^^ssed over, and not returned “again 
after the rain.” In our own country the 
voice of disunion has been the Just and ad¬ 
equate cause, probably, of little apprehen¬ 
sion, and even that has chiefly disappeared 
from the public mind. 
The year has had its full share of im¬ 
practicable plans, absurd speculations, gas¬ 
eous bubbles, and genuine humbugs.— 
Some of them have had their day—they 
were, but have disappeared. Even those 
which were prolific in light, have gone out, 
but left the world as luniluous cls before. 
Though wasting disease has appeared in 
the year, health has prevailed in more than 
an average degree. 
It has been a year of at least usual 
commercial and manufacturing prosperit}'-. 
The productions of agriculture have been 
uncommonly abundant and tlie seasons have 
been propitious. The congratulations of 
prosperity are sounded over the length and 
breadth of our country and the greatest 
p(brtion of our earth. This may merit a 
more particular consideration. 
In our country the early and later crops, 
the grasses and the grains, have been rich 
and overflowing. Yet it is the received 
doctrine that wheat, rye, &:c., require a rath¬ 
er cooler season for their higher perfection, 
while Indian corn flourishes in the warmer 
summers in the greatest exuberance. ‘ The 
last summer and September were confess¬ 
edly warm, and accounts for the prolific 
yield of maize. But the spring was cold 
and the hot weather did not prevail till after 
the middle of June. The cooler spring 
gave that body and strength to the roots 
and culms of wheat and rye which fitted 
them for high maturity before the weather 
became excessively warm. Thus we have 
an adequate reason in the tempering of the 
seasons, for the abundant productiveness of 
the crops in the different seasons of the year 
over the country. 
The continued and late green of the 
grassy carpet of the earth, and of the dress 
of the trees, has been another striking^ fact 
in this year. The crops of grass have been 
great. The abundant and repeated rains 
had preserved the country in the finest 
green. Through summer and half the au¬ 
tumn, the fields and woods of this State 
and over New England were thickly cover¬ 
ed with the richest herbage. This was 
very conspicuous over tl\e hills and valleys 
of our country where the herbage is usual¬ 
ly so parched and dry in September. Tliis 
year the green was continued into October. 
Another reason for this was tlie lateness of 
frost. Though slight frosts occurred, none 
of severity appeared in this parallel till about 
the 20th of October. 
The variegated colors of autumnal foli¬ 
age were of short duration. This vai'iega- 
tion began later than usual from the ab¬ 
sence of frosts. The foliage of the maple, 
both hard and soft maple, begins to change 
to its red before frost acts upon ih often 
even in August, but most foliage preserves 
its green till the action of frost. This gor¬ 
geous change is most splendid in the coun¬ 
try of liills. But this year, the change was 
only partial when the severe frosts of about 
the 20th of October suddenly put an end to 
it. For the foliage, from the amount of 
rain, had become so mature, that in three 
days after the severe frost most of the trees 
were stripped of their leaves by a few 
hours of active wind. This glory of autumn, 
the crown of the death of vegetation, was 
gone forever. . 
The potato disease seems to be gradu¬ 
ally wearing itself out While in some 
sections the disease has been destructive, in 
others the fears of the farmer have not 
been realized, and the crop has been rela¬ 
tively good if not so abundant as common. 
It is not wonderful that the various causes 
assigned for the disease should be found 
inadequate, or that darkness should rest 
upon it It is not more difficult to account 
for epidemic diseases among men and ani¬ 
mals than for this. The causes are equally 
inscrutable in both cases. 
It has been a year for gratitude. Day.s 
of Thanksgiving have been commended by 
the civil authorities to the good sense and 
better feelings of the people. In our own 
State, happy and rejoicing multitudes have 
responded to the voice of wisdom, Tliat the 
offerings of gratitude might be placed on 
tlie altar of the bcnificent Hand that has 
crowned the year witli His goodness. 
December, 16,1850. c. d. 
WHEAT-ITS PROSPECTS, &c. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:—As wheat 
is the great staple of the fertile west, much 
anxiety is always .apparent, among all classes, 
in regard to the probable yield of the crop. 
If tlie wheat crop is good, and prices rule 
high, it seems to give an impetus to every 
branch of business. The merchant, as he 
enters his counting room, looks to the far¬ 
mer’s store of wheat as a “ pile ” on wliich 
to base his foundation for large Sciles. ThO 
mechanic, as he makes out his bills for la¬ 
bor performed or implements sold, always 
looks forward to “after harvest” as the time 
of collection. And, even the farmer him¬ 
self, as he sees the earth bring forth her 
abundance and pour her blessings in the 
shape of golden corn into his extended 
hand, feels his heart expanded and his 
thoughts rise in gratitude to the great Dis¬ 
penser of ble.ssings for his bounties toward 
his creatures on this terrestrial earth. 
As all cla.sses are interested, so all inqui¬ 
ries touching this great staple are impor¬ 
tant, and should receive due attention. As 
far as my observation extends, wheat looks 
remarkably well this fall, though some very 
early sown pieces are much injured by in¬ 
sects; but the season has been so remark¬ 
ably mild, and the weather so favorable to 
an extra growth of vegetation, that, in most 
cases, it has outgrown it, and most pieces 
that were sown after the 5th day of Sep¬ 
tember, are uninjured by the Hessian Fly 
and little injured by the wire-worm and 
other insects of the soil Should the spring 
prove favorable, I think we can predict an 
extraordinary wheat season. 
Most farmers, I notice, have got their 
wheat sown in better condition this fall than 
ever before. This is partly owing to the 
favorable weather previous to seeding, giv¬ 
ing them every facility for preparing the 
ground and putting in the seed in excellent 
condition, and partly to the increased knowl¬ 
edge of the wants of the crop and the 
method of supplying the growing plant with 
ready prepared food, such as lime, gypsum, 
ammonia and vegetable matter adapted to 
its growing wants. This knowledge has 
been disseminated by Agricultural journals 
and books, in which your valuable Rural 
has acted a conspicuous part, and by the 
experience of the farmers themselves, many 
of whom have learned to think and observe 
as well as read. 
It is often asked, “ Will the weevil or 
wheat midge do great damage to the wheat 
next season?” Doubtless the weevil will 
re-appearin greater numbers than in the past 
year, as it was only in spring wheat and 
very late winter wheat, that it could be seen 
at all; but I am in hopes that, as our har¬ 
vest is ordinarily earlier tlian at the east, we 
may not be materially injured by it. Will 
some one acquainted with the habits and 
de.structiveness of the insect, inform us ? In 
my opinion farmers need not think of sow¬ 
ing spring wheat with any chance of suc¬ 
cess, as most pieces of spring wheat were 
much injured or wholly destroyed this sea¬ 
son, and the chances are that the insect will 
be much more numerous the next, than it 
was the past season. A careful farmer will 
only sow. crops which give a reasonable pros ¬ 
pect of success, and as the weevil has ruin ¬ 
ed the wheat crop for some years at the 
east, we have every reason to think it will 
be here, unless we can get it in a Puffi.cieDfi 
state of forwardness to be out of :he way 
of the insect upon its .appearance. This can 
probably be L-l?acte«h provided the obaff e.n-- 
closing the berry is sufficiently hard to re¬ 
sist the attempts of the fly to deposit its 
eggs near the grain. Systematic observa¬ 
tion of the habits and peculmrities of the 
insect in diffeient parts of Western New 
York, and at different periods, should be 
had and published in the journals, so that, 
by next season, some definite opinion can 
be formed, and farmers could then calculate 
as to the probable chances of tlii; future 
crop being de.stroyed, and also whether it 
would be advisable to seed much land with 
wheat the coming year. 
With much respect, yours, 
Greece, Dec., 1850. r. w. l. 
We shall be glad to receive statements 
relative to the wheat crop, insects, &c., m 
other sections of the country.—E ds 
AGRICULTURAL PAPERS.-IMPROVEEMBT. 
We find on the first page of the Decem ¬ 
ber number of the American Agriculturist, 
this truthful and suggestive paragraph r— 
“ Thanks to tlie valuable agricultural pa¬ 
pers, which, for the past few years, have 
been scattered broadcast throughout the 
land, a decided spirit of improvement is at 
length aroused. better system of tillage 
has been practised the past year, in many 
parts of the country, than was ever before 
known; quadruple the number of improved, 
implements have been sold and put in use; 
improved stock is again in demand; standard 
works on agriculture are anxiously sought 
for and read with avidity; agricultural soci- 
^eties are forming in every' direction, and 
those already established have been much 
better attended than heretofore. We con¬ 
gratulate the farmers of the United States 
I on this great change, and hope most sincerely 
that it may be progressive; for it cannot 
but add much, very much, to their worldly 
interests and general comfort and happiness. 
Continue to patronize agricultural publica¬ 
tions, and add your best efforts to influence 
others to do the same; take heed to their 
precepts, and be assured that you will be 
the great gainers by this enlightened course 
of conduct. Every person ought to take 
one or more agricultural papers, and he who 
does not, depend upon it, will be the main 
sufferer from his neglect.” 
