MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
VINDICATION OF THE “AMERICAN SYSTEM" 
OF FARMING. 
IN THREE NUMBERS.-NO. II. 
After some remarks on the actual su¬ 
periority of our horses over those of Eng¬ 
land, for all useful purposes, &c., the late 
Chancellor L. says:—“To run a parallel 
between the United States and all Europe, 
would lead to an investigation not only of 
the agriculture, but of the habits, manners, 
* governments of all the nations, climate and 
soils that it possesses —a work of too much 
time and too great length to find a place 
here. But as Britain certainly enjoys more 
advantages, civil and political, than any 
other nation in Europe, and has carried ag¬ 
riculture in all its branches to a higher de¬ 
gree of perfection, it will suffice to compare 
the advantages and disadvantages that the 
cultivators experience in Britain and the U1 
States.” And after comparing the situa¬ 
tions of the farmers in one with those in the 
other, he says: — 
“ In point of intelligence it is presumed 
that the British agriculturist enjoys no su¬ 
periority over the American. The motives 
for education are greater in the Q. States; 
because, from the equality of rights, every 
man knows that his son may aspire to the 
highest honors. Education therefore, is 
more attended to, both by the members of 
the community and the government, in the 
United States, than in Britain. What mor¬ 
al or political advantages do the farmers of 
Britain enjoy which are not at least equal¬ 
led by those of America? If none, why 
should we suppose our agriculture worse 
conducted than the agriculture of that coun¬ 
try with reference to the interest of the far¬ 
mer, which he is certainly left more at lib¬ 
erty to consult here, than in any other part 
of the world? * * * The facility with 
which the people of the United States em¬ 
brace any object useful to their country and 
themselves, must astonish those who observe 
the extreme difficulty with which old habits 
are relinquished in other portions of the 
Globe. We return then to the first posi¬ 
tion we set out with, that the people of the 
United States, neither ivanting education 
nor intelligence, and enjoying all the moral, 
political, and physical advantages that are 
found in the most favored parts of Europe, 
and having the same stimulus to their in¬ 
dustry, must necessarily conduct their ag¬ 
riculture upon principles adapted to their 
situation; and that the censures passed up¬ 
on it, either proceed from prejudice, or- from 
not entering into the circumstances that 
govern their conduct.” 
These are the deliberately expressed 
opinions of the late Chancellor Livingston, 
than whom, (from his extensive travels and 
observations in foreign countries,) it is pre¬ 
sumed no one in America or Europe, had 
more, or better opportunities of comparing 
the different systems of agriculture as prac¬ 
ticed upon in the different countries. 
It may be said in objection to his opinion, 
that “he wrole in reference to English ag¬ 
riculture as it existed 30 years ago, since 
which time very great improvement has 
been made.” Be it so. But have our far¬ 
mers during all that time been stupidly 
standing still, while the others, (between 
whose country and ours there has been the 
most constant and frequent intercourse,) 
have been making those great improve¬ 
ments ? If so, it is an instance of stupidity, 
unparalled, I will venture to say, by any 
mentioned in either Ancient or Modern 
History. 
It is a well established fact that those 
who emigrate to and colonize a new coun¬ 
try, are always of the most enterprising- 
class of the population of the country from 
whence they emigrate. The inactive and 
unenterprising remain inthesnugold homes 
of the “ mother country.” The privations 
and inconveniences incident to the settle¬ 
ment in a new and uncultivated country, 
necessarily stimulates the colonists to sup¬ 
ply their wants by inventions which they 
would, probably, never have thought of had 
they remained in their old homes. When 
the inventive powers are once called into 
action, one invention leads to another, and 
that to a third, and so on, until the colonists 
far outstrip those whom they left behind 
them. Hence, they are soon enabled to 
send back to them many new implements, 
with numbers of the old ones greatly im¬ 
proved. 
It is a fact (though perhaps not generally 
known,) that but a few years ago the first 
gram cradle was imported into England, 
from this country, the implement never 
having been previously seen there. And 1 
understand that revolving horse-rakes, 
reaping machines, and other of our labor- 
saving inventions are still unknown in that 
country.* Vast numbers of our improved 
castings for plows, it is said, are now annu¬ 
ally imported into England, being found to 
be very much superior to those previously 
in use there. And I believe, it is admitted 
by all who have had a fair opportunity of 
forming a correct opinion, that-our wagons, 
carts, axes, hoes, and many other imple¬ 
ments of husbandry, are very much superior 
to those in use in Great Britain. Chancel¬ 
lor Livingston appears to have properly 
understood this matter, and been aware of 
the aptness to improvement, and invention, 
in the American character, when he wrote 
upon the subject. He says: — 
“ As the whole work of the farm, except 
in haying or harvest, is generally carried on 
by the farmer and his sons, an American 
cultivator has the address to supply all his 
wants. He can mend his plow, erect his 
walls, thrash his corn, handle his axe, his 
hoe, his scythe, his saw, break a colt, or 
drive a team, with equal address: being 
habituated from early life to rely upon him¬ 
self, he acquires a skill in every branch of 
his profession which is unknown in coun¬ 
tries where labor is more divided. An 
American cultivator, who is always provid¬ 
ed with the necessary tools, and knows how 
to handle them, can often dispatch in an 
hour, what otherwise, probably the distance, 
absence, or occupations of the carpenter 
would delay a week.” 
Now no English farmer could, probably, 
do even a moiety of these things, for in 
England, each person is usually taught and 
practiced to perform but a single branch of 
agricultural labor. One is the plowman — 
another is a hedger — a third takes care of 
the cattle—and so of the other branches of 
labor; each no doubt, very well versed in 
his own particular branch, but almost (and 
perhaps, entirely ) unacquainted with every 
other. Such being the case, it is not dif¬ 
ficult to determine which is the better and 
more expert farmer; he, who can do all the 
different kinds of business necessary to be 
done on or about a farm, and is habituated 
to the use of tools with which to repair his 
farming implements—or he who under¬ 
stands but a single branch of farm labor, 
and cannot repair the most simple instru¬ 
ment necessarily used by him in perform¬ 
ing that. Vindicator. 
* In confirmation of this statement, we may mention 
that a reaping machine was forwarded to England las! sea¬ 
son, from this city—the order for it. coming direct from an 
English farmer.— Eds. 
EXTERMINATION OF QUACK GRASS. 
Eds. Rural NEw-Yorker:— In my re¬ 
cent exchange of farms I find I have quack 
grass. Can you, or any of your experi¬ 
mental farming correspondents tell me the 
best method to destroy it? 
Your subscriber, l. a. b. 
Lima, April *20, 1851. 
Remarks. —Our correspondent asks us a 
difficult question. Quack grass is one of 
the pests of the soil that is inexterminable, 
at least as far as our experience goes, and 
we know of but one remedy. Plow the 
soil deep and fine,—with a fine tooth comb 
take out every particle — thoroughly dry 
and pass it through a coffee mill and burn 
it! Yes, there is one other. Pay off the 
last farthing you owe—load up your effects 
some dark night and leave your farm and 
the country! 
No scries of continuous plowings has 
any effect, except in the increase of its ter¬ 
ritory, and the multiplication of its roots. 
A plow that would bury it one foot deep, 
with a perfect flat furrow, and the contin¬ 
ued use of the cultivator to close all inter, 
stices, would probably be the death of it. 
In England, where it prevails under the 
name of Couch grass, after two plowings 
they use a horse rake with thin, wide teeth, 
and comb it out and drop it in winrows; 
then cross the lands the other way—collect 
in heaps and burn, and this process only 
partially sflbdues it. This is the best pro¬ 
cess we are acquainted with; as the roots 
are long and of great strength, and the 
great bulk in this way, by long and repeat¬ 
ed combings may be nearly eradicated. 
The teeth of the rake are made of band 
iron, with pointed and hooked teeth set 
well forward, so that the roots will rise, and 
when filled the rake is lifted by its handles, 
and the roots dropped in rows. In short, 
as far as our experience goes, the remedies 
are but a choice of difficulties. 
YIELD OF SEVEN-EIGHTS OF AN ACRE. 
In the Rural of Feb. 20, No. 60, we 
re-published from the Akron Beacon, a 
statement by J. W. Weld, of Richfield, 0., 
concerning the remarkable yield of his gar¬ 
den. Its verity was doubted, and has call¬ 
ed forth another letter detailing more par¬ 
ticularly what (hose products were, and the 
prices received for the same. His former 
letter gave his sales as follows:—“I have 
sold from the same seven-eights of an acre 
trees to the amount of $74,08. Fruit lor 
cash: cherries $6,35, peaches $13,93, pears 
$5,50, plums$7,50, quinces$2, and grapes 
$5,75. Making in the aggregate $115,12. 
I have put 30 bushels of choice winter ap¬ 
ples in my cellar; and to finish off the list, 
have cut from 400 to 500 pounds of good 
hay.” 
/ He now remarks: 
My soil is a clay loam. The labor I have 
performed mostly with my own hands (not 
being disreputable for a man to labor here,) 
making it my business to take care of my 
garden and nursery myself; an English¬ 
man a few days with a spade being all the 
help needed on this seven eights of an acre. 
1 have taken pains to count my nursery 
trees, and find—apples 1,152, pears 439, 
cherries 251, plums 42, peaches 163, quin¬ 
ces 53, grapes 32; making, in all, 2,132.— 
My statement was over 2000. 1 think I 
am perfectly safe in saying that 1000 of 
these are from 1 to 2 inches in diameter 3 
inches above the ground; the most of that 
number from 1 to inches. There are 
about 100 pears and 150 cherries so small 
that they are not yet grafted or innocula- 
ted; all the rest are grafted or innoculated 
with tops of one or more years’ growth.— 
My standard bearing trees are as follows: 
16 apple, 16 cherrj r , 3 pear, 9 plum, 40 
peach, 2 quince, and 5 grape. In addition 
to these, there are 16 pears for standards, 
6 peaches and 6 grapes that have not yet 
fruited. The standards are very thick, 
much too near together to stand, and many 
of them must be cutout this spring. I set 
them with a view of this, believing that 
they would doubly pay for themselves be¬ 
fore interfering with each other (and in 
this I have not been disappointed,) and hav¬ 
ing but little land, I desired to make the 
most I could of it while the trees were 
small. The fruit is of the best varieties, 
and sold for a good price. Peaches and 
plums, $2 per bushel; cherries, $2,50 by 
the bushel—by quart 10 cts.; pears $1,50 
per bushel; and grapes 6 cts per lb. I 
have used for manures, ashes and lime, but 
principally stable manure. Aboui iny fruit 
trees, have used freely common salt, and 
saltpetre, 1 part saltpetre to 7 parts salt. 
One other idea perhaps might be men¬ 
tioned here. It is a very common remark 
that it is of no use to set out fruit trees; it 
takes one’s lifetime to get fruit from them. 
Fifteen years ago last September there was 
nothing but gray stumps and briars on this 
place. Last seasofi 1 had one black Tarta¬ 
rian cherry that had more than two bushels 
of fruit, one pear that bore over six bushels, 
and have one apple tree that is 14 inches 
in diameter 6 inches above the ground, and 
10 in. diameter 6 ft. from the ground (about 
6 in. below the first limbs.) 
Such facts as these show a wanton waste 
of land on many farms and village lots; 
and may perhaps encourage a better econ¬ 
omy. “ What,” says Mr. Weld, “ can look 
worse than to see an acre of the best land 
a man has around his house and barn cov¬ 
ered with foul weeds?” What can look 
better, we would add, than to see neatness, 
economy and thrift thus exemplified?—or 
what can prove more convincingly that “ a 
good living can be made from a small piece 
of land?”__ 
CLOSE PLANTING. 
When a boy at home on father’s farm, 
we planted a field with potatoes, two-thirds 
of which was fine dark colored bottom land 
in an excellent condition; upon this we ex¬ 
pended our stable manure, and finished all 
up with the greatest care. We then made 
the experiment upon the other third of the 
land, which was nothing more than a misera¬ 
ble poor sand bank, of planting it with po¬ 
tatoes, covering them thickly in the long 
straw and litter of the barn yard, and turn¬ 
ing upon it a very thick furrow of the sand, 
and leaving them without any working, 
hand hoeing once only. At the time of ta¬ 
king up, we had a good crop on the rich 
land; but when we came to the sand, we 
were truly surprised to find an enormous 
yield, many of the roots giving a peck of 
potatoes each. It must be admitte that 
the season was favorable, but not more so 
for the sand bank than for the good land, 
the crop of the latter being also good, while 
the former was super excellent.— Boston 
Cultivator. 
PLASTER OF PARIS. 
Plaster of Paris, or sulphate of lime, 
which is now so universally used in farm¬ 
ing pursuits, is a compound, as I presume 
most of your readers know, of sulphuric 
acid and lime. It exists in abundant quan¬ 
tities, in a native state, both for artistical 
and agricultural purposes, and hits been re¬ 
commended by many for the same use as 
muriate of lime—the fixing of ammonia— 
but it is generally regarded, aqd with jus¬ 
tice, as greatly inferior to that Article, as it 
is of difficult solubility; at a temperature of 
sixty degrees, one part only of gypsum be¬ 
ing soluble in four hundred and sixty parts 
of water; and even the solution of this com¬ 
paratively insignificant quantity cannot he 
perfectly effected with the previous tritura¬ 
tion of the gypsum, and masceration for a 
long period of time. It has, however, a 
very beneficial effect upon vegetation, es¬ 
pecially upon clover plants, and for top¬ 
dressing, where the crop and soil are fa¬ 
vorable to its application, is probabl} 7 the 
cheapest and mo-t economical mineral that 
can be applied, all things considered. 
The following from “ Sprengel's Analy¬ 
sis ,” exhibits a tabular view of the quantity 
of lime and magnesia, sulphuric and phos¬ 
phoric acids in one hundred thousand parts 
of several of our most common and valu¬ 
able crops:— 
Lime. Magn’a. Sulph. acid. Phos. acid. 
..._96 
00 
50 
406 
...lo 6 
180 
59 
210 
...86 
67 
35 
70 
... 33 
32 
54 
40 
.1822 
202 ' 
474 
436 
p.835 
280 
890 
408 
v, 240 
33 
37 
170 
554 
76 
118 
160 
152 
22 
79 
12 
..584 
70 
94 
138 
..127 
22- 
41 
73 
..285 
133 
123 
167 
The practical reader will not fail to no¬ 
tice that red clover contains, according to 
the above analysis, a very large proportion 
of lime; hence the very decided action of 
sulphate of lime on this crop, when sown 
on soils not naturally affluent in this sub 
stance, or in which it does not abound in 
sufficient quantity to subserve the wants of 
the crop they are required to sustain. I 
cannot vouch for the strict accuracy of the 
above table, but presume from the high 
character of the source whence it emanates, 
that it presents a very near approximation 
to the actual truth, and more especially is 
this conviction impressed by the corrobora¬ 
ting fact that it quadrates very nearly with 
the deductions of others who have exam¬ 
ined it with attention and practical skill. 
Cabbages are, I believe, ordinarily con¬ 
sidered both here and in Europe, a very 
exhausting and emasculating crop—except 
on soils ot a certain class. This will be 
easily explained when we reflect upon the 
comparatively and really large quantity of 
lime required to perfect the plants. Unless 
the soil be strongly calcareous, the chances 
against success are fearfully numerous, and 
hence it results that both in the field and 
garden cultivation of this vegetable, the ap¬ 
plication of ashes and lime, in some of its 
compounds, and in large quantities, produce 
such decidedly good results.— Ger. Tel. 
The wash of the drain from a farm house Salt your animals of all kinds freely 
when well mixed with loam is excellent while confined to green, succulent food.— 
manure. Loam will soon neutralize all the This will often prevent serious inconven- 
foul effluvia arising from the putrid waters ience and loss. 
SUBSTITUTES FOR THE POTATO. 
The failure of the potato crop three or 
four years ago —and the fears which, exist 
lest the disease may be a permanently re¬ 
curring one, if not too deep seated to be 
ever cradietted—have lei to many inves¬ 
tigations and experiments with a view to 
replace it by some other esculent or sub¬ 
stance that will equally answer its functions 
in the animal economy. Oatmeal, Indian 
corn, and saw-dust have been tried —but 
without success. More recently the land of 
the potato has been searched for substitutes; 
and two tubers have been sent over to 
France by the French Consul at the repub¬ 
lic of Escuador which are supposed to pos¬ 
sess many of the requisite qualities. The 
hocus is in the form of a kidney—is red and 
yellow in the fruit—and tastes like a ches- 
nut. The millico is more like a potato in 
form, taste and color. These are both now 
growing in the Jardin des Plantes: —the 
first facts needful to be ascertain.ed being, 
whether they will grow in these latitudes 
and propagate with sufficient rapidity. 
The experiment is one of much human 
interest. The root must possess a rare 
combination of good qualities, which shall 
succeed in taking the place of the potato. 
The latter is nutritive, fecund, healthy, 
pleasant to the taste, and mixes easily with 
almost every other kind of food. It is re¬ 
markably cheap, will grow in nearly all 
climates, and preserves its virtues longer in 
its natural condition than most tubers. Still, 
the bounty of nature cannot be presumed 
to be exhaustible. The world went on a 
long time indifferently well without the 
potato—still longer without tea or coffee. 
There was a civilization before the silk-worm 
was discovered, and sugar is a modern im¬ 
provement in diet. Nature, beyond doubt, 
has many wonders yet in her storehouses: 
and if there be nothing new under the sun 
in the sense absolute, there are many things 
which are so relatively. The hocas may, 
for aught we know, supercede the potato 
Destroy the weeds early—when it can 
be done with the greatest ease. 
MANAGEMENT OF SOILS. 
A soil would never .get exhausted, if 
managed with skill, but would continue to 
improve in depth and fertility in proportion 
to the industry bestowed upon it. The 
food of plants, it is true, may be exhausted 
from the soil by a repetition of cropping 
with any one family of plants, if we neglect 
the application of such fertilizers as may 
have been taken from the soil by that fam¬ 
ily ; but no part of the growing season is 
required for the soil to rest, or lie fallow, if 
judiciously managed by a successive vary¬ 
ing of the crops, or by supplying to them 
such food as maj' be a compensation for 
what has been taken off by the previous 
crop. The first object to be attained for 
securing a certain and profitable return of 
produce from the soil must be the rough 
drainage; the next object is, breaking into 
the subsoil to the desired depth — not with¬ 
out first considering whether it is proper 
and profitable to shift or turn up the subsoil 
at once to the influence of the atmosphere, 
or whether it be best to break into it well 
first, by shifting the surface soil and allow¬ 
ing the subsoil to remain and receive — first 
the beneficial influence of the atmosphere, 
and then—at the trenching, a portion of the 
subsoil may be safely stirred up and mix* d 
with the surface soil; this practice coniinu- 
ed for every succeeding crop, will estabhsh 
a healthy fertilizing surface soil to any de¬ 
sired depth. 
If repeated stirrings of the surface are 
adapted, according to the nature of the soil 
and weather, every growing crop will con¬ 
tinue in healthy luxuriance, without ever 
suffering by receiving injury from too much 
moisture, drought, or frost. In addition, by 
constantly scarifying, hoeing, and forking 
the surface soil, not only obnoxious insects 
and their larva? are expelled, but weeds 
would never make their appearance, much 
less have a chance of committing their ac¬ 
customed robbery of the soil and crops.— 
Besides, by such repeated stirring, the soil 
is always prepared, sweet and healthy. Cor 
succeeding crops—no mean consideration, 
either when we observe the loss of time and 
produce occurring to such a ruinous extent 
in some localities, by allowing weeds to rob 
and choke the growing crops, and to shed 
their seeds, productive of a progeny similar¬ 
ly injurious to the crops next in rotation. 
The application of manure is most essen¬ 
tial, and may be applied most beneficially 
when the soil is established in a healthy 
condition, and maintained thus by a con¬ 
stant attention to surface stirring. Yet the 
application of manure is a secondary con¬ 
sideration; for though it may be very liber¬ 
ally applied, and with considerable expense, 
yet, without first insuring the healthiness of 
the soil, much property and labor will be 
sacrificed.— Cottage Gardener. 
Fowls. — Fowls that are confined to a 
small space should have a supply of grass. 
They may be let out on a grass plat to feed, 
or sods of grass may be given them. If let 
out to feed in the latter part of the after¬ 
noon, they will generally return to their house 
without trouble. 
When fowls are confined to a narrow- 
space it requires much pains to supply them 
with all the various kinds of food which 
they collect when running at large; and 
without care to supply their wants, they 
will not be profitable. When roaming as 
they piers*, they devour many insects, eat 
gravel and various kinds of herbage, seeds 
of various kinds, and many ether things 
which we cannot discriminate, though we- 
look on while they select their food.—iY E. 
Farmer. 
Marking Sheep.—A n agriculturist says: 
—“ I wish to impress it upon every one who 
keeps a flock, if not more than half a dozen, 
that Venetian red s the best thing that I 
ever saw used to paint-mark sheep. It is, 
as most all know, a cheap red paint, only a 
few cents a pound, and one pound will mark 
a thousand. Take a pinch of dry powder, 
and draw the thumb and finger tl r >ugh 
the wool loosing the powder at the same 
time, and it will combine with the oil of the 
wool, and make a bright red mark that rains 
will never wash out, and which will endure 
from one shearing to another, but does not 
injure the wool. It is readily cleansed out 
by the manufacturer.” 
Medicine to Ruminants. —All medicines 
given to ruminants or cud-chewing animals, 
of a nauseous nature should be given iq <i 
fluid form, and poured slowly and gently 
down the throat, holding the animals head 
no higher than is necessary to prevent the 
liquid from running out of the mouth, and 
that the animal may have command of its 
swallow. Medicines given in a solid form 
will go into the paunch, and if nauseous, 
they will give a distaste to the the contents 
of the stomach, and prevent rumination, 
which is attended with danger. 
Liquid manure applied to vegetation in 
dull or cloudy weather, has twice the ef¬ 
fect as when applied when the atmosphere 
is clear and dry. Very early in the mor¬ 
ning, or after the sun has disappeared at 
night, is a favorable time to irrigate your 
garden beds.— Ger. Tel. 
