115 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YO RKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
the influence of labor upon health, 
Among the various means resorted to 
for tbe promotion and maintenance of good 
health, labor or exercise in some way, ranks 
among the essentials. I select labor as tbe 
proper mode of exercise because there is 
utility attached to it aside from its prof&lac- 
tic qualities. 
Notwithstanding labor was pronounced 
upon the human family as a curse by the 
Almighty, for man’s disobedience, yet He 
has given us a physical constitution, govern¬ 
ed by immutable laws, which imperiously 
demand that this decree be carried out to 
keep our bodies in a healthful condition.— 
Thus what was intended as a curse, becomes 
one of man’s greatest blessings, a good de¬ 
If the people had as plentiful a supply 
of these berries, as they have of articles 
ritten about them, their taste would be 
of 
monstration that God’s judgments are al¬ 
ways tempered with mercy. 
To preserve bodily strength and mental 
vigor for any great length of time, exercise 
<; is essentially necessary. Its philosophy can 
be easily comprehended. Exercise materi¬ 
ally assists the process of digestion,—ena- 
{ bling the stomach to fit and prepare for the 
i system a larger amount of nourishment to 
i be carried by the blood to every part of 
i. the frame. The circulation is accelerated 
and more uniform, which also makes a de¬ 
mand upon the lungs for a corresponding 
increase of air to change the blood from 
venous to arterial. When these several 
functions of the body are healthily perform¬ 
ed which exercise so materially promotes, 
it constitutes that condition of the animal 
body we term good health. And this ap¬ 
plies equally to the mind as well as the 
- body, for upon the healthy manifestation of 
the former depends the soundness of the 
latter. 
Of all the different avocations of life, the 
farmer and mechanic can apply this reme- 
dv to the best advantage. They may so 
graduate their labor that it shall not be fa¬ 
tiguing from quantity, nor perform it at 
times when nature needs repose. They 
raav in fact maintain a good degree of reg¬ 
ularity in all their habits—in labor, eating, 
and repose. Honest labor of whatever 
kind carries with it no demoralizing influence 
In its execution we find the stepping stone 
to all rational enjoyment and happiness. 
How often do we hear the remark from 
those who labor from necessity that if they 
had the wealth of their neighbor they would 
labor no more. Ignorant men. They do 
not know that the very wealth they covet 
would make them the most miserable of 
men, if their resolutions were carried out. 
Their vigorous appetite would be changed 
to the loathing of food, and their refresh 
ing slumbers to nervous pain and hideous 
nightmare. The prescription of an old and 
eminent physician living in England, where 
idleness and luxury made him many pa 
tients, consisted in their living on six pence 
worth of food a day, and he enjoined upon 
them to earn it themselves, thus clearly show 
ing the importance he attached to exercise 
The kitchen, the cornfield, and the me 
chanic shop have been found the best gym 
nasiums in the woild. D. Carrol. 
Canton, March, 1851- 
THE PARTRIDGE. 
A lady in West Sussex had a tame part 
ridge for many years: it was a mere chick 
when it came into her possession, and 
dog or parrot ever presented a more perfect 
model of affection and docility. Althou 
it had the run of the house, its favorite 
quarters were in the drawing-room, where 
it would sit for hours on the back of the 
chair usually occupied by its beloved mis 
tress, and never fail to exhibit every symp 
tom of grief and concern during her occa¬ 
sional absence. When she retired to rest, 
it would accompany her to her chamber, 
and take up its position near the head of her 
bed. No wonder, then, that many a tear 
was dropped when, from an untimely acci 
dent, it went the way of all pets. The part 
ridge is decidedly a friend to the farmer, 
I even more so than the pheasant; as his con 
; sumption of grain is less, and the quantities 
) of injurious weeds and noxious insects de 
> voured by him at all seasons of the year are 
more considerable in proportion to his size 
The Rev. G. Wilkins, who has bestowed 
much attention to agriculture in Essex, thus 
; addressed a neighboring farmer, who ha 
1 solicited his advice:—“ If you have a good 
\ nest of parti idges, encourage them. All 
> the summer tin y live upon insects, wire 
> worms, &c., and consider how many millions 
) a covey will destroy in a single summer! 
\ He might have added, “and in the winter 
) and spring; for if the crop of a partridge 
i be examined during those seasons, it will 
! be found to contain chiefly grasses, grubs 
| and minute coleopterous insects, which in 
the larvae state are, in a greater or less de 
gree, injurious to vegetation.” — “ Game 
Birds,” by Knox. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
much more satisfactorily gratified. The 
public appetite has been so thoroughly sa¬ 
tiated, not to say disgusted, (with words, 
not fruits,) that I hesitated saying anything 
about varieties, and but for a special request, 
would not now venture. I shall speak only 
such as I have grown myself. 
Bishop's Orange. —I have been very 
successful with this, and esteem it highly. 
It has produced with me heavier crops than 
any other variety. The fruit possesses a 
high flavor, that proper mingling of acid 
and sugar which renders it excellent for 
the table. The stems lie on the surface, 
and for that reason the berries sometimes 
rot if the ground is moist. It succeeds far 
better if allowed to cover the ground than 
in hills. The fruit is beautiful in shape and 
color and the plant hardy. 
Boss' Phoenix.—1 have found this a val¬ 
uable sort, affbrdidg a good yield of large, 
well flavored fruit 
Boston Pine. —A capital variety; entire¬ 
ly satisfactory under suitable cultivation.— 
It must be planted in deep, rich soil, and 
kept well apart in hills, and will not succeed 
if allowed to run together. This kind has 
been pronounced by experienced cultiva¬ 
tors to be of inferior flavor, but I do not 
so regard it. In this respect the fruit does 
not equal some others, but excels the follow 
ing, its sister. 
Hovey's Seedling. —Vines tender and of¬ 
ten killed or badly injured by the frost—fruit 
as every one knows, of the largest size, and 
of fair quality. Mr. IIovey says that when 
persons object to this variety as wanting 
flavor they mean acidity, and he is more 
than half right. It is very commonly as 
serted that this kind bears but sparsely, but 
I have found no occasion to complain of it 
in this respect. Perhaps I am more easily 
satisfied, and do not expect as much as the 
objectors. So long as this carries away 
the first prize at exhibitions, Mr. Hovey 
will be justified in claiming for it the merit 
of being the best strawberry cultivated in 
this country. If committees do not intend 
to endorse the general qualities of the fruit, 
but award the prizes for magnitude only 
they ought to say so. 
Burr's New Pine. —Of delicious flavor, 
excelling all I have tasted, save “ Swain 
stone” — of good size, hardy and produc 
tive. A most excellent and valuable vari 
ety, and would supersede “ Hovey’s ” if the 
berries were as large. 
Black Prince. —The first season this bore 
in my garden, the crop was good, and the 
flavor excellent. The succeeding winter 
destroyed the most of the plants, and the 
produce of those that survived, has been 
small, ill-formed, and of no value. I con 
sider it quite variable and uncertain; some 
times fine, but often worthless. 
Large Early Scarlet. — A hardy sort 
producing good crops of fair-sized, well 
flavored fruit 
Duke of Kent, or Austrian Scarlet. 
Something earlier than the last, and a good 
fertilizer. If raised in hills and properly 
cared for, the fruit is of considerable size 
and excellent quality, if suffered to get 
thoroughly ripe. When fully matured the 
berries assume a fine dark color, and are in 
flavor preferable to “ Large Early.” 
British Queen. —Plants so tender that 
the variety is hardly worthy a trial in the 
open ground. 
Swainstone's Seedling. — A large sized 
and very delicious fruit, but a poor bearer. 
Cushing. — Plant remarkably strong- 
growing and hardy, fruit of the largest six 
quite acid, and of a peculiar flavor; when 
suffered to become fully ripe, of tolerable 
quality. A profuse bearer. 
It appears to me we ask too much, when 
we expect strawberries to yield full crops 
every season. Your correspondent, Mr. 
Pardee dwells on, and enforces the idea 
that we ought to possess a variety which 
may be relied on for a crop as surely as the 
among apples. Have w 
R. I. Greening, 
not such a kind, and more than one, now 
No person will contend, I fancy, that the 
Greening produces a full yield every year, 
nor that it does not occasionally fail entire 
ly. Many varieties of the strawberry have 
we, that come up to that standard. 
Brockport, N. Y. March, 1851. H. P. N. 
CLEFT GRAFTING. 
We extract the following remarks on 
Grafting from the Phrenological Journal 
for April,—copying from it our first illus¬ 
tration : 
Grafting-wax is made by melting together 
three parts of bees-wax, three parts of rosin, 
and two parts of tallow, and while warm it 
must be worked in water, like shoe-makers’ 
wax, and pulled like candy. If this com¬ 
pound is too hard it may be softened by 
working in more tallow. 
The scions having been cut in February 
or March, and kept from becoming dry, the 
roper time having arrived for grafting, 
which must be when the sap flows freely, 
the work should be done with as little de¬ 
lay as possible. This time varies with dif¬ 
ferent trees, and with different localities. 
As we said in the March number, we have 
had excellent success with grafting apple- 
trees in May, when the blossoms were abun¬ 
dant. The cold dry winds of a northern 
April, before the sap flows freely, when no 
leaves are present to shield the graft or 
scion, we think are detrimental to the life of 
the scion. The scions should be taken 
from thrifty twigs of the last year’s growth, 
which will be a quarter of an inch and less 
in thickness. It is usual to cut them in 
slips about three or four inches long, con¬ 
taining three buds. 
The mode of grafting below is the more 
common one among farmers, especially in 
reclaiming large trees, and is called cleft 
grafting. This is best adapted to limbs and 
stocks from an inch to three inches in di¬ 
ameter. A smooth, thrifty limb should al¬ 
ways be selected. It is not a bad plan to 
trim off a large portion of the tops of old 
trees, and allow new sprouts to put out, on 
which, about the second or third year, scions 
can be grafted. 
With a fine saw, cut off as many 
limbs of the tree as you intend to 
graft, J;wo or three inches above 
where the scions are to be inserted. 
The falling or leaning of the limbs 
is liable to start or bruise the bark, 
and by cutting and throwing down 
all the limbs at once you avoid dis¬ 
placing or breaking the scions. This being 
done, carefully recut each limb or stock, as 
you proceed, with the saw, and smooth off 
its head with a sharp knife; then select a 
place to split it where the bark is smooth 
and will be likely to split straight Make 
a cleft through the heart of the limb with 
a knife and hammer, and open the cleft by 
driving in a narrow wedge at the heart of 
the stock which will open the cleft for the 
reception of the scions. The scions are 
now prepared by sloping their lower ends 
like a wedge, the outside being a little the 
thickest. Insert the scion so that its inner 
bark will correspond with the inner bark 
of the stock. Shape the scion so as to fit 
and fill the cleft as far down as it goes. 
The scions being thus adjusted, carefully 
withdraw the wedge which stands erect 
between the scions. Make a ball of wax 
and lay it on the head of the stock, between 
the scions, and press it down, and spread 
it so as to cover the head, and lap over 
three-fourths of an inch all around upon the 
bark, and rub it down smoothly, being care¬ 
ful to make an air and water joint around 
the scions and over the end of the stock. 
Where the wax passes over the corner of 
the stock, it should be quite thick, to pre¬ 
vent it from cracking. Then cover the cleft 
on each side quite below its lower extremi¬ 
ty, and the work is done. The next spring 
cut off nicely the poorest scion in each stock, 
as one is usually quite sufficient. The sec¬ 
ond year the balance of the old limbs may 
be removed and your tree is reclaimed. 
Care should be taken not to allow sprouts 
to grow from the old stocks, as more sap 
will be supplied than the new scions can 
take up. These sprouts should be rubbed 
off as often as once a month during the 
growing season, to keep the tree smooth. 
This mode of grafting is of course applica¬ 
ble to small trees, and it should be done, 
say a foot above the ground, so that, should 
the scions not live the first year, the stock 
may be cut off again and grafted the next 
season. It is well to watch the progress 
of development the first season, and rub 
down the wax if it should crack or cleave 
up so as to let in air or water. Clay 
often used instead of wax, but though more 
expensive, we prefer the latter. 
GREAT DISCOVERY IN ILLUMINATING AND 
MOTIVE POWER. 
LIST OF PATENT CLAIMS 
ISSUED FROM THE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 
Fur the week ending March 25, 1851. 
To Geo. Heffiey, Samuel Conrad, and James 
fVigie, of Berlin, Pa., for improvement in adjust¬ 
able land sides for plows. 
To C. W. Krebs, of Baltimore, Md., for ap¬ 
paratus for sefcuring shutters in any required po¬ 
sition. 
To Michael Norton, of Cambridge, Mass., for 
improved sash hook. 
To Lewis Thorn, of Philadelphia, Pa., for im¬ 
provement in extension tables. 
To N. W. Speers, of Cincinnati, Ohio, for ap¬ 
paratus for moving and securing shuttles, etc. 
To R. C. Stevens, of Syracuse, N. Y., for im¬ 
proved apparatus for drawing and measuring 
liquids. 
To E. G. Lamson, of Shelburne, Mass., for 
improvement in scythe fastenings. 
To Heman Whipple, of Port Richmond, N. Y., 
for improvement in machines for preparing clay lor 
making brick. 
To Henry Klepfer, of Cincinnati, O., for im¬ 
provement in upright pianofortes. 
To Nathaniel Lamson, of Shelburne Falls, 
Mass., for improvement in scythe fastenings. 
To F. B. Stevens, of New York, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in balanced valves. 
RE-ISSUES. 
To Horace Billings, of Beardstown, Ill., for 
composition for covering hams. Originally pat¬ 
ented 9th April, 1850. 
To James Phelps, of West Sutton, Mass., for 
improvement in washing machines for cleaning 
rags. Originally patented Nov. 24, 1843. 
DESIGNS. 
To Wm. & Wm. II. Lewis, of New York, N. 
Y.,for design for pedestals and columns. 
To Joseph Pratt, ot Boston, Mass., for design 
for parlor grates. 
The Railway Times has the following:— 
The decomposition of water has at length 
been obtained, and that at a merely nominal 
cost, and with unerring precision. This 
great discovery, originating in America, has 
been perfected' by the experiments of an 
eminent German chemist, and patented in 
the three kingdoms by Mr. Shepard. The 
carburetted hydrogen may be formed to 
any extent, which, while possessing an illu¬ 
minating power equal to that of coal gas, is 
capable of being itself applied to the same 
purposes as steam at a remarkably high 
pressure. The gas is also capable of pro¬ 
ducing an amount of caloric equal to that 
of live coal, and consequently well and 
cheaply fitted to act as a combustible agent 
in the conversion of water into steam. 
This tremendous power has been for some 
time engaging the attention of our most 
eminent engineers, and will, when suffi¬ 
ciently tested, be experimented upon before 
the public. If successful, as there is every 
present appearance of its being, the revolu¬ 
tion it must effect in the economic working 
of railways, and indeed in every branch of 
trade and manufacture where steam is em¬ 
ployed as a motive power, is altogether 
incalculable. It almost opens to the won¬ 
dering gaze the Utopian vista, in which 
unskilled manual labor shall be no longer 
necessary. It is sufficient for us, however, < 
to state that several of the leading railway j 
companies are in treaty with the patentee; J 
and that, consequently, if anything what- < 
ever is capable of being made out of the \ 
discovery, the railway interest will possess 1 
at once the first benefit and chief honor in 
its realization.” 
TO LOCK MAKERS. 
WEAVING IN IRON. 
finish any iron railing that we have ever 
seen, and do not cost more than half the 
ordinary cost of even cast iron railin 
GRAJTING CHISEL. 
The above is a good and convenient form 
of a grafting chisel for splitting the stock, and 
wedging the same open to receive the scions, 
Peach Worm.— The Working Farmer 
for April says; look well to peach trees, 
and see that the peach worm is not at work 
Pour boiling water on the lower part of the 
trunk near the ground, and if a sufficient 
quantity be used it will cook the worm with 
out any injury to the tree; we have tried it 
We observe in the Washington papers, 
an advertisement of Post Master General 
Hall, which our ingenious mechanics would 
do well to make a note of. It is for a new 
complement of locks and keys for the mail 
bags of the United States. The advertise¬ 
ment for proposals, says: 
For the purpose of displacing simultane- 
Strange as the idea may seem, it is no 
less strange than true, that iron of a thick¬ 
ness that would make it appear impossible 
that it could be worked by any other agen¬ 
cy than the forge, the anvil, and the ham 
mer, is now, by the aid of new and power- 
ful machinery, woven into the most beauti- 0U! % ^ ie ma ^ locks and keys now in use, 
ful patterns, and the designs varied with about thirty thousand new locks and twenty 
almost the same facility as in the weaving thousand keys adapted thereto, will be re- 
of a carpet or a table cover. The specimens quired to be furnished by the contractor 
that we have seen excel in beauty and 
within seven months after the contract shall 
have been entered into; afterwards the 
annual supply will depend on the durability 
of the locks and keys adopted, as well as the 
but it will 
Many of the first class counting houses and I ln crease of the mail service; but it 
- - — — ■ - • • 1 probably never exceed in amount three 
offices in New York are now fitted up with 
this railing in preference to any other hereto¬ 
fore or at present in use. The uses of the 
invention, however, are not confined to rail¬ 
ings, as the most tasteful verandahs, window 
gratings, garden fences, &c., are made by 
The coal miners of Pennsylvania pre- 
lL 
fer it above all other modes for their screens. 
Charleston and New Orleans each have 
parks enclosed with it, and many of the rich 
southerners have their flower conservatories 
enclosed in the same manner. In fact, 
wherever it has been introduce^, it has 
come into almost unlimited favor. The 
peculiar advantage it possesses over all other 
kinds of railing is, that in its manufacture 
the rod or wire is so crimped that in the 
weaving process they are crossed in a man¬ 
ner that one binds the other, thus giving a 
mutual support to the whole, that renders 
it more durable than work, twenty times 
its weight, made in the old way. 
Mr. John Wickersham, the ingenious in¬ 
ventor, also manufactures a superior article 
of iron wire farm fences, that cost but little, 
will last a man his lifetime, and is easily 
constructed. In thinly wooded countries 
they will come into rapid demand, as they 
already are in many parts of Europe. Add 
to these one more article. Mr. Wicker¬ 
sham manufactures a bedstead of iron so 
constructed that it can be shut up during 
the day-time and will require but a few 
inches of room from the wall out, is bug 
proof, and easily managed. We think his 
store is worthy a visit to those who visit the 
city of New York.— Albany State Register. 
thousand of the former and one thousand 
of the latter. 
No lock will be considered if it be like 
any already in general use; nor will any one 
with whom the contract may be made, be 
allowed to make, sell, or furnish any lock or 
key similar to those contracted, for any pur¬ 
pose or use than that of the Post Office De 
partment. 
The kind of lock adopted, must be patent¬ 
ed, and the patentee will be required, on 
entering into contract, to make an assign¬ 
ment of his patent for the exclusive use and 
benefit of the Department, if the Postmas¬ 
ter General shall deem such requirement 
essential to the interests of the service. In 
case of the failure of the contractor at any 
time to fulfil faithfully the terms and con¬ 
ditions of his contract, the Post Master 
General shall have the right, besides a res¬ 
ort to the penal remedy hereinafter mention¬ 
ed, to annul said contract, and to contract 
anew with any other party or parties as he 
may see fit, for furnishing similar locks and 
keys. 
SEWING MACHINES. 
At the tailoring factory, No. 33 Gold 
street, New York, are thirty of these ma¬ 
chines in active operation, making clothes, 
and twenty sewing up bags. They are 
attended by girls, and are driven by steam, 
turning out 300 pairs of pants daily, and 
are capable of doubling that number. In 
The Electric Piano.— Mr. Davenport 
of Salisbury, Vt. we learn, claims to have 
made an improvement in pianos, causing 
the musical chord, by means of electric 
magnets, to continue an equable and free 
vibration for any length of time. The per¬ 
petual and hitherto incurable defect of the 
piano forte is this impulsive and evanescent- 
nature of its tone, and though great improve 
ments have been made upon it, and various 
devices have been elaborated to prolong its 
notes in some degree, yet the want of a 
sustained vibration is still an inherent defect 
in that beautiful instrument.— Sci. Am. 
The Electro-Magnetic Locomotive.— 
The National Intelligencer of Saturday, 
says that a preliminary trial of Prof. Page’s 
Electro Magnetic Locomotive was made a 
day or two before, for the purposes of test- 
six months, 00,000 caps were made in this ing the best mode of attaching the battery, 
place. Fine coats are made by them, ex- which seems to be a difficult point, owing to 
cepting the button hole stitches, in a style the jostling and oscillations of the locomo- 
not to be surpassed. The work is stronger tive. It was run out over two miles, and 
than that done by. Land; the articles are 
better and bring a higher price. They 
stitch elegantly and uniformly on both sides 
of the cloth 
There is a machine too for turning bags 
inside out. Men do the pressing by a ma¬ 
chine. 
In Eleventh street there are fifty more 
in operation. In Boston, 100 of these ma¬ 
chines are at work in one factory. One 
the best speed on a straight track was ten 
miles an hour. The locomotive weighs ten 
and a half tons, and has five feet drivers, 
with two feet strolfe.— Sci. American. 
A Mr. William Hoyt, Indiana, says he 
had invented a plan by which music of the 
softest and most pathetic character may be 
produced on steamboats, by the agency of 
steam. It appears that the steam is made 
girl will sew six overcoats in a day by one to operate upon a number of pipes, placed 
of them, and a skillful hand will turn out across the boilers of the boat, furnished 
20 pairs of pants. The profits are enormous, with certain whistles that are governed by 
By them, finally, the tailors and seam- a set of keys, by which the steam is let ou 
stresses will be essentially sewed up. or shut off at will. 
