MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
QUERIES RE-ANSWERED. 
Friend Moore;. — I perceive in your ex¬ 
cellent paper inquiries on various subjects 
relating to agricultural matters, &c. I pre¬ 
sume you will have no objections to receiv¬ 
ing answers from others, provided they are 
pertinent. Under this impression I send 
you the following, which may pass for what 
they are worth. 
1 st “ Corn for sheep.” Your corres¬ 
pondent, E. D. has answered this, so far as 
relates to the object of the inquirer; I will 
therefore say, “ Corn for sheep” generally. 
My father used to feed his feathered stock 
and his sheep together, in this way:—He 
would take the requisite quantity of corn 
and scatter it thinly about the yard on 
which hens, geese, ducks, turkeys and sheep 
fed together. The latter would probably 
pick up from half a dozen, to a dozen ker¬ 
nels each. This, with their usual supply of 
hay, would carry them through the winter 
in good condition. A neighbor who fed his 
sheep more plentifully with corn, complain¬ 
ed in the spring, that they did not do well, 
and were losing their fleeces. 
2d. “What is the best course to take with 
an unproductive orchard, &c. ?” 
I distinctly recollect some half dozen 
orchards, varying from 20 to 40 or 50 years 
of age, which had not been disturbed by 
the plow for many years; and while a few 
of the trees produced tolerably well, especi¬ 
ally in the bearing seasons, the greater part 
of them were almost wholly unproductive. 
All, or nearly all, were brought to bear by 
the use of the plow. Some of the orchards 
were planted or sown—one, old and decay¬ 
ed, was revived by plowing a small space 
around each tree, and one by removing the 
sod a little distance around each. I have 
observed that an old orchard, revived thus 
by the use of the plow, will fail again as soon 
as the plowing is discontinued. Hence, it 
appears necessary, either to continue to cul¬ 
tivate the ground, or to find a substitute.— 
I consider anything a substitute, which will 
keep the ground soft and moist and prevent 
the formation of a sod around the tree; as 
straw, chips, &c., or the turning over of the 
sod once a year (in the spring) with a spade. 
3d. “How to destroy ants' nests?”— 
These I have destroyed, both the red and 
the black, by digging up the ground with 
a spade so deep as to destroy the nest, and 
then treading the whole down again with 
the foot. If a few afterwards appear, re¬ 
peat the process and the work is done. 
Down East, Feb. 28,1851. jj, 
A FACT IN DEEP PLOWING. 
Having been for a long time an attentive 
reader of the Newspaper, especially the far¬ 
mers’ department, and having seen many 
articles on the cultivation of corn, I have 
concluded to give you my experience for the 
last two years. Previous to that, I had fol¬ 
lowed the old plan of shallow plowing and 
high hilling. Now for the other way. 
In the spring of 1849, I took five acres 
of ground that had wheat on it the year 
before, and had for a number of years been 
0 X t i C HI i \ H X Cl 1 CULTURE OF STRAWBERRIES. 
-■ Messrs. Editors :—Much has been writ- 
STRAWBERRIES. ten and said upon the subject of the culti- 
m , , , . vation of the strawberry; and, having giv- 
, . J en some attention to its cultivation, and sue- 
f. W ° r , d ° f CaU “ 0n and “ dv, . ce in re « ard t0 ceded in raising pretty fair crops, I, loo, 
tins plant, may not come annss, to those wl,o have concIaded t0 wrile ^ 
cultivate this delightful fruit for family use. t v,„ mn ,io j „ e n- , 
„ . , ° J tne mode and manner of cultivation, and 
Beds that were Set out rather late the past thereby answer some of the many questions 
season, and plants that took root from the tha , are often put t0 
runners the latter part of the season, have w/tal k the , mt for lram lant _ 
not extended their roots down into the ; ng? Unquestionably early in the spring, 
earth, a sufficient depth, to escape the No one need fear the loss of a single plant 
danger of the thaws and freezings of this set out before the fir5t of M an( j jf se( 
blustering month. The great thaw of Jan- out carly ia , h(J 9pri before the lant has 
uary, extracted the frost from the ground, obtained much if any growth, it will pro¬ 
to the depth of the extent of the roots of a duco a very fair crop of fruit the first 
great portion of such plants. The subsoil scason , more than if lhe lants had be(Jn 
being still frozen, the surface retained in set the 1 st of Sept, previous; and durino 
8 8 ™“ lhe , waler of the subsequent , he summer the plants will increase to any 
rains. e groun thus Idled with water, dcs | rnb ] e quantity, and be in no danger of 
being soft, a slight freezing would raise the bcing throwa out by the frost , he 9ucceed . 
surface, and expand it, and draw up the j no . vvinter 
roots. So that on examination I have found, °What kind nf ;<> j t 
that three-fourths of the piants set out last 71^2^1 
summer were raised; some of the roots en- £0 much affectcd by frost9 as (0 d J , he 
tirely out of the ground, and lying on the pIants in the winter . c|ay ^ ba J 5 so 
surface; and some, a considerable portion of bard in summer as to prevent the planls 
the roots raised above the surface. The thriving; and sandy soil allows the evapora- 
beds being se out in rows, and m hills 18 lioil of moisture t00 readj , 
lnP.llPK ftnjlrf- fll/a nvlnnt of the --1.1 j 
inches apart, the extent of the injury would 
be easily seen. 
How do you prepare your ground ?— 
Generally spade it ten to twelve inches in 
NATIVE 
GRAPES-FOR THE TABLE 
FOR WINE. 
The evil has been remedied, by goino- J oneraU 7 s P ade 1(i ten to twelve inches in 
over the plat with a light hay fork in the turn ‘ n g * n a coa t of well rotted barn- 
hand, and pressing the roots under the sur- yaid manure two or tp ree inches in thick- 
face with the fork tines; amounting in fact, nGSS ' 1 liave never trenched m y grounds, 
to a re-transplanting;—and then covering an(i some of tbe best crops I ever raised 
the beds over securely, with coarse litter were S rown on laud simply plowed the 
from the manure heap, so as to prevent the US, J? 1 depth ‘ 
ground from freezing and heaving; thus se- * ° r top Messing, I use ashes and plaster 
curing protection from the sudden changes ~ die nianner applying which, and of 
that are to be expected. The great danger the varleties most Prolific, I may have some- 
exists, when the temperature changes, from thmg t0 S3y pereafter - M - G - w - 
about 40° in the day time, to 28° or 30°_ _ _ 
in the night; and a covering of straw or NATIVE GRAPES- FOR THE TABLE AND 
litter, sufficient to protect the ground from FOR WINE. 
freezing at this point, will secure safety to Mr. Longworth, of Cincinnati, Ohio, as 
the plant. Although we may possibly is well known is making great efforts to per- 
have, for a single night, a greater degree of feet the culture of Grapes, and we publish 
cold than I have suggested; still its contin- his notice, trusting if any new varieties 
uance is not to be expected, and a covering should be produced at any time, that he 
that will protect the ground at that point, be will remembered. He says: 
will secure the safety desired. D ' • , . ' , _ , 
_ J _ __ lhe season is approaching wnen I shall 
SHRUBBERY AND FRUIT TREES be desirous of obtaining cuttings of all new 
- • native grapes of fine quality. The Fox 
It is surprising to witness, as one passes anc * ^ nter Grape, Scuppernong of North 
through the country, the utter destitution Carolina, aG( l Muscadine of the Mississippi 
of fruit trees and shrubbery around the are not desirable, or any vine that is not a 
dwellings not only of the farmer, but of 8 00c * bearer. I last spring grafted 53, and 
those occupying lots in villages. It is not t ^ ie s P r ^ n g before, 24 varieties of native 
so much to be wondered at, that the farmer, S ra P es > an d had many of them to bear fruit 
having much land to till and thereby his t ^ ie Prst season - Four of them promise to 
time occupied in what he calls the more be of good quality. One from Arkansas 
important part of his business, that he cannot be distinguished from the Catawba, 
should neglect to ornament his yard with I shall be greatly obliged to any person 
fruit and flowers; but it is a matter of sur- knowing of any new fine grapes, to drop 
I shall be greatly obliged to any person 
mowing of any new fine grapes, to drop 
rather hard run by sowing in wheat one 
year and planted to corn the next, until the 
surface soil was worn so low that 12 bushels 
of wheat and 40 or 50 of corn were an aver¬ 
age crop. On the five acres I put 87 loads 
of barn-yard manure, the greater part of it 
straw, only partially rotted, and plowed it 
as follows:—Taking two teams and two 
plows, I began by a furrow seven inches 
deep with the first plow, then followed in 
the same furrow with the other plow, turn¬ 
ing another furrow six inches deep, making 
13 inches of soil turned. I then harrowed 
and marked it, making the rows four feet 
apart both ways, and planted on the 22 d of 
May. As soon as the corn was large enough 
to follow the rows, I cultivated it out both 
ways, and had a man to follow with a hoe 
to set up the bills that were partially cover¬ 
ed up. I went through it twice afterwards 
with the cultivator, hut made no hills, leav¬ 
ing the surface as level as possible. I cut 
it up the 17th of September, and, from the 
five acres, husked 70G bushels of ears. 
Now, I don’t call this a brag crop, for I 
am well aware that it can be beat; but it 
shows the difference between half doing 
work and doing it well. The corn was 
hauled off and the ground sowed to wheat 
being plowed as deep as a pair of horses 
could plow it; and from the same ground I 
have this year harvested and threshed 190 
bushels —38 bushels to the acre. I have 
managed my corn ground in the same man¬ 
ner this season, and from present appear¬ 
ances shall have as^ good a crop as I had 
last.— Dollar Newspaper. 
No vegetable seed will germinate, nor 
will any egg, even of the smallest insect, 
give birth to a larvae if kept in the exhaus¬ 
ted receiver of an air-pump. 
prise that those occupying but a small spot me a hue, and send me some cuttings. The 
of land in the village, should pay so little cuttings to be of the wood of last year. — 
attention to that which will not only add The expense of transportation will be no 
much to their pleasure but their profit. object, as a variety may be sent me worth 
In selecting trees and shrubbery fora millions of dollars to the United States.— 
yard, an eye should be had to the profits The cuttings will keep best packed in oreen 
and comforts, as well as the pleasures of moss. Where no other method of convey- 
the family. In small enclosures, much more aa ce can be had, if the grape is of superior 
space should be occupied with fruit trees quality, a few grafts may be sent by mail, 
than is generally the case. As fine a shade between four damp newspapers, and a very 
can be produced from a fruit tree, aside small quantity of fine green moss might be 
from the gain in fruit, as from the mere put at the lower end of the grafts° Cut 
shade tree. Much more amount of com- them three fourths of an inch above an eye 
forts for the family can be procured from and three inches below it. I will engage 
fruit trees occupying the same space than to have fruit from them next fall. In niiie- 
can be procured from vegetables. The ap- ty cases in one hundred, the Fox grape can 
pie tree should not be overlooked, as it bo of no value. The bunches are small, 
adds more to the comfort of the family than pulp hard, skin thick, and the berries drop 
any other tree, and can be set where no from the vine as fast as they ripen. To 
vegetables can be cultivated. Cherry, this rule there are a few exceptions, and 
Plum, and Quince trees make a fine ap- the grape free from these defects, and of 
pearance, and add profit as well as pleasure fair quality for table use, may be valuable 
to the domestic circle. to give aroma and flavor to grapes deficient 
Much addition may be made in regard in these requisites, 
to fruit by filling up those places that are We are indebted to Major Adlum for the 
beyond the reach of the plow, with currant introduction of the Catawba grape. For 
gooseberry and raspberry bashes. the table it is of fine quality, and for wine 
The sides of walks and alleys should be it has no superior in Europe. This grape 
devoted to flowers and shrubbery of differ- will be worth millions of dollars to the°Uni- 
ent species, as these not only add to the ted States, and I doubt not that grapes of 
pleasures ot home, but give to the air a equal value are yet to be found. ^ But we 
perfume healthy, and delightful. The me- have much yet to learn in the manufacture 
chanic has much time in the course of the of wine. Should a valuable grape be sent, 
year that might be devoted to the culture, precisely of the same character, by a doz- 
and to the ornamenting of his cottage home, en persons, my obligations will not be les- 
that would not only add much to its beauty, sened. Any grape, equal to the Catawba 
but much to its actual worth. How soon or Isabella as a table grape, is desirable. I 
will the traveler’s eye, in passing through a am now trenching and benplfing twenty 
village, rest on those homes that are sur- acres on which to plant qew varieties, and 
rounded by a well cultivated yard of fruits raise seedlings from our hest native grapes, 
and flowers. More attention should begiv- If the wild hills of California be as rich in 
en to the cultivation of small enclosures.— grapes as in gold dust, Jerseyman thouo-h 
Nothing makes the wife more pleasant and I am, I shall be more gratified to receive 5 a 
agreeable, and happy at home, than to be grape cutting, than the largest lump of gold, 
surrounded with those little comforts and that region has ever produced, 
nick-nacks that may be grown in every gar- N. Longworth. 
den. Much of this comfort and satisfaction -- -- - 
arises from the simple fact that they are the Those who would be successful in graft- 
products of her own garden. — Chenango ing cherry and plum trees should do°so in 
-N ?w *• the spring before the frost leaves the ground. 
LIST OF PATENT CLAIMS 
ISSUED FROM THE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 
For the week ending March 11, 1851. 
To Luther Briggs, Jr., of Braintree, Mass., for 
method of adjusting the stroke of trip-hammers. 
r I o H. D. Chapman, of Baltimore, Md., for im¬ 
provement in machines for climbing poles. 
To P. G. Gardiner, of New York, N. Y. r or im¬ 
provements in cast-iron car wheels. 
To P. G. Gardiner, of New York, N. Y., for 
improvement iu machinery for making tyres by 
continuous rolling. 
to I. P. IIow, of Buffalo, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in connecting trucks with car bodies. 
To Nathaniel Potter, of Buffalo, N. Y., for im¬ 
proved use of slides in bee hives. 
To Hugh Guyer, of Albany, N. Y., for improv¬ 
ed window curtain fastening. 
To J. W. Fowle, of Boston, Mass., for improve¬ 
ments in steam drilling machines. 
To R. D. Granger, of Albany, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in air-tight Franklin stoves. 
To Solon Jenkins, of West Cambridge, Mass., 
for improvement in securing daguerreotypes in 
monumental stones, 
To James Greer & R. J. King, of Dayton, O., 
for improvement in cooking stoves. 
Po John Ruck, of New York, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in pianoforte action. 
To Martin & Thos. R. Way, of PaintersVille, 
Ohio, for improvement iu machines for turning, 
boring, &c. 
To A. A. Wilder, of Detroit, Mich., for improv- 
ment in copying presses. 
To G. F. Woolston, of Orangeburg, S. C. for 
improvement in the teeth of saws. 
To J. W. Nystrom, of Philadelphia, Pa., for im¬ 
provement in calculating machines. 
To Enoch Burt, of Manchester, Conn., for im¬ 
provement in fancy-check power looms. 
To J. M. C. Armsby, of Worcester, Mass., for 
improvement in corn shellers. 
RE-ISSUES. 
To Wm. W. Hubbell, of Philadelphia, Pa., for 
improvement in fire-arms. Originally patented 
July 18, 1844. 
To Edward Lynch, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in evaporators and condensers. Origi¬ 
nally patented July, 1848. 
DISCLAIMER. 
To A. J. Williams, of Utica, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in machines for making wire heddles. 
NEW DISCOVERY OF DAGUERREOTYPE. 
We stated lately that one of our artists 
had discovered a process of taking pictures, 
showing all the colors as well as the lights 
and shadows. 
The discoverer is a Mr. L. L. Hill, of 
Westkill, Greene Co., N. Y. In a recent 
article in the Photographic Art Journal, he 
says “ the discovery is due to some chemi¬ 
cal compound, a nondescript to me, though 
I have made the science of chemistry my 
study for years. That it is a new substance, 
or combination of substances, I am positive; 
and this is all I know concerning it. It is 
simply and easily produced, but not by any 
law stated in the large number of chemi¬ 
cal works with which I am familiar. Doubt¬ 
less however a correct and thorough analy¬ 
sis will determine its nature.” He had 40, 
specimens of pictures taken by his dis¬ 
covery at the date of his letter to the Jour¬ 
nal spoken of. Three of these are thus de¬ 
scribed: 
“ 1 . A view, containing a red house, 
green grass and foilage, the wood color of 
the trees, several cows of different shades 
of red and brindle, colored garments on a 
clothes-line, blue sky and the faint blue of 
the atmosphere; intervening between the 
camera and the distant mountains, very 
delicately spread over the picture as if by 
the hand of a fairy artist. 
2 A sunset scene, in which the play of 
colors upon the clouds is impressed with a 
truthfulness and gorgeous beauty which I 
cannot describe. 
3. Several portraits, in which I have the 
true complexion of the skin, the rosy cheeks 
and lips, blue and hazel eyes, auburn, brown, 
and sandy hair, and every color of the dra¬ 
pery. Changeable silk is given in all its 
fine blendings of colors, and. delicate rich¬ 
ness of hues. I not only get red, blue or¬ 
ange, violet, &c., but their various tints. 
The whole impression, including the lights 
and shades, is far more brilliant, round, and 
mellow than the most superb daguerrean 
image I have ever seen.” 
He adds: 
“ I have a most exquisite type of mj little 
girl, (one year old,) taken in the act of 
crying , the plate not having been exposed 
a lull second. At the same time, my lights 
require fifteen seconds for a daguerreotype. 
This picture has caught the expression 
perfectly both of the eye and whole face. 
On one cheek is seen a hright tear drop, 
and the color showing through Is much 
deeper than the surrounding parts; which 
latter, I suppose, is owing to the refractive 
action of the fluid.” 
The discovery is named Ililliotype. The 
only difficulty now experienced is in taking 
yellow colors. We hope this discovery is 
all that it is stated to be. 
To Clean Rusted Iron Work. —Cover 
qyer the work with oil and let it stand for 
five or six hours. Then wash it of? with 
strong soap-suds and a good brush. The 
brush must be long in the bristles. Iron 
woVk should never be left wet any length 
of titn e.—Sci. American. 
NEW AND INGENIOUS TOOTH PULLER. 
Dr. J. C. Burcii, of Evansville, Indiana, 
has invented one of the most ingenious and 
effective instruments for pulling teeth stumps 
that we have ever seen, and we believe it 
is the best for the purpose in use. The 
cause which brought into energy the facul¬ 
ty to make this instrument, was the great 
number of decayed teeth which he had been 
called upon to extract—teeth of which 
nothing was left but the stumps. He found 
great difficulty with the old instrument to 
rout out such troublesome old friends, al¬ 
though very ill-liked ones, and he had re¬ 
course to his head to conceive something to 
meet the case — for doctors and lawyers 
have their cases, and very serious ones too, 
sometimes. The new instrument has a 
neat small pad, forming one side of the jaw, 
while the other is of the hook-bill form, like 
the old kind, and has a lateral motion. The 
shoulder and lever handle of the hook-jaw 
has a joint in it which is operated by an 
inside spring, so that when the two handles 
are brorg t tog t ter like iho>e of a pa r of 
pincers, tne joint spoken of throws the hook 
jaw into and grasps the tooth at once, while 
the cushion is made to rest on the jaw, and 
gives a firm fulcrum for action. The opera¬ 
tor jerks the decayed rascal tooth from its 
seat with the utmost ease. The Doctor has 
found this instrument to operate even be¬ 
yond his expectations. It is no tre uble either 
to patien s or the operator—we mean the 
drawing bad teeth.— Sci. American. 
MAKING TEA. 
The celebrated Dr. Lardner, in his treat¬ 
ise on Heat, remarks that vessels intended 
to contain a liquid at a higher temperature 
than the surrounding medium, and to keep 
that liquid as long as possible at the higher 
temperature, should be constructed of ma¬ 
terials which are the worst radiators of heat 
Thus tea-urns and tea-pots are least adapted 
for their purpose when constructed of black 
porcelain. A black porcelain teapot is the 
worst conceivable material for that vessel, 
for both its materials and color are good 
radiators of heat, and the liquid contained 
in it cools with the greatest possible rapidity 
On the other hand, a bright metal tea¬ 
pot is best adapted for the purpose, because 
it is the worst radiator of heat, and there¬ 
fore, cools slowly as possible. A polished sil¬ 
ver or brass tea-urn is better adapted to 
retain the heat of the water than one of a 
dull brown color, such as is commonly used. 
A tin kit le retains the heat of water boiled 
in it more effectually, if it be kept clean 
and polished, than, if it be allowed to collect 
the smoke and soot, to which it is exposed 
from the action of the fire. When coated 
with this, its surface becomes rough or black, 
and is a powerful radiator of heat. 
Tanks for Soap Suds. —A correspond 
ent of the Germantown Telegraph thus de¬ 
scribes the construction of tanks for liquid 
manures. “In the first place,” he says 
“ an excavation is to be made of the size 
desired and walled up with small stones 
embedded in plastic c'ay mortar, a rough 
coating of which should be applied to the 
surface, preparatory to the application of 
the final and outside coating of cement. 
This should be put on in three successive 
coats, time being allowed for the first coat 
to harden before the application of the sec¬ 
ond, and the second before the third. It is 
scarcely possible to make the walls or coat¬ 
ing too strong and substantial, as the pro¬ 
cess of throwing in the materials, and ra¬ 
king them out through the season, will 
necessarily expose it to severe trials, and as 
a breach, however slight, would abridge 
its usefulness and efficiency in a very es¬ 
sential degree, and its repair subject one to 
inconvenience and expense.” 
Flax-Dresser. —We are informed that 
Mr. S. A. Clemens of this town, the inven¬ 
tor of the new Cotton.press which received 
the award of the gold medal, at the late 
Mechanic’s Fair, in Boston, has invented a 
machine for dressing flax, which will dress, 
from the rude material, one ton of flax per 
day, leaving it clean and ready for market. 
Men who know how much of a day’s work 
it is to swingle twelve pounds, will under¬ 
stand the value of this invention, and West¬ 
ern farmers, we imagine, will be in a hurry 
to get at it. Mr. Clemens has also invented 
a machine for dressing the Yucatan hemp, 
and last week shipped three machines for 
that country. They have been thoroughly 
tested, and proved to be highly practicable 
and valuable.— Springfield Mass. Rep. 
The Manufacture of Bath Bricks.— 
A paper was lately read at Taunton on the 
deposits of the river Parrett. There were 
made from them 8,000,000 bricks every 
year, the value of which at present amount¬ 
ed to £ 12 , 000 , or £13,000. The number 
of persons employed was very great Some¬ 
times a man, his wife, and four or five chil¬ 
dren were kept at work at one moulding, 
and thus they could often get as much as 
£2 in one week. The deposit is not found 
any where in the world besides, so that 
Bridgewater had to supply the whole world 
with it; and it is remarkable that these 
“ Bath Bricks” are just as well known in 
China as in England. They are known in 
India and all over the world.— Bath Journal. 
