170 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
< 
< 
$ 
< 
( 
v 
( 
( 
( 
( 
\ 
( 
K 
? mals; and hence, the necessity of commen- 
( cing our herds with the best we can procure, 
c It is often said, that by selecting tire best 
l among our native cattle, (so called) and 
] breeding from them only, great improve- 
i ment might be made. This is true, but 
( where is the necessity for being half a cen- 
( tury “behind the times.” Why nc5t at 
i once commence where others have ended, 
- and continue their improvement ? We can 
< then advance, but if we begin fifty years 
£ back, we can only expect fifty years hence 
i to be where w r e might now commence.— 
' The cost of improved stock, it is true, is 
greater, in the outset, but wtat are a few 
( hundred dollars compared with years of la- 
I) bor and anxiety; and then, perhaps, we 
I shall be no nearer the best, than when we 
first commenced—for the improved breeds 
have probably not yet attained their great¬ 
est perfection. The increased demand for 
} improved stock for the year past, shows that 
; farmers are becoming really interested in 
( this important branch of agriculture; and 
( when farmers generally, take this matter 
( into their own hands,, choice animals will 
| be found in every section of our country, 
[ and millions of dollars be added to its real 
? value. s - p • c - 
l VINDICATION OF THE “AMERICAN SYSTEM” 
OF FARMING. 
t IN THREE NUMBERS.-NO. III. 
[ In regard to the education, intelligence, 
( and intellectual capacities of the English 
\ farmers, I will use an extract from a very 
I recent English work, (“ Dickens’ House¬ 
hold Words,”) as given in the New York 
“ Home Journal 
The lamentable deficiency of the com- 
i monest rudiments of education, which still 
exists among the humbler classes of the 
English nation, is never so darkly apparent 
as when we compare their condition with 
[ that of people of similar rank in other 
countries. When we do so, we find that 
England stands the lowest in the scale of 
what must be looked upon a*; civiliza¬ 
tion; for she provides fewer means for pro¬ 
moting it than any of her neighbors. With 
us, education is a commodity to be traffick¬ 
ed in; abroad, it is a duty. Taking the 
whole of northern Europe including Scot- 
; land, France, and Belgium, (where education 
\ is at a low ebb.) we find that to every two 
I and one-fourth of the population, there is 
one child acquiring the rudiments of knowl¬ 
edge ; while in England there is only one 
such pupil to every fourteen inhabitants. 
It has been calculated that there are at 
the present day, in England and Wales, 
8 ,000,000 persons who can neither read 
nor write— that is to say, nearly one quar¬ 
ter of the population. Also, that of all the 
children between five and fourteen, more 
than one-half attend no place of instruction. 
These statements compiled by Mr. Kay, 
♦from official and other authentic sources, 
for his work on the social condition and ed¬ 
ucation of the poor in England and Europe, 
< it would be hard to believe if w r e had not 
, to encounter, in our every day life, degrees 
\ of illiteracy which would be startling if we 
s were not thoroughly used to it. Wherever 
( we turn, ignorance, not always allied to 
( poverty, stares us in the face. If we look 
[ in the Gazette, at the list of partnerships 
£ dissolved, not a month passes but some un- 
| happy man, rolling, perhaps, in wealth, but 
( wallowing in ignorance, is put to the exper- 
( imentum crucis of “his mark!” The nura- 
| ber of petty jurors, in rural districts esjoe- 
> dally, who can sign only with a cross, is 
( enormous. It is not unusual to see Parish 
( documents, of great local importance, de- 
< faced with the same humiliating symbol, by 
\ persons whose office shows them to be not 
| only “ men of mark,” but men of substance. 
£ We cannot pass through the streets—we 
<, cannot enter a place of public assembly, or 
( ramble in the fields, —without the gloomy 
\ shadow of ignorance sweeping over us. 
( • The rural population is indeed in a worse 
) plight than the other Qlasses. We quote, 
> (says Dickens,) with the attestation of our 
own experience, the following passage from 
\ one of a series of articles which have 'ap- 
( peared in a morning newspaper: ‘ Taking 
) the adult class of agricultural laborers, it is 
) almost impossible to exaggerate the igno- 
\ ranee in which they live, and move, and 
( have their being—you cannot address one 
l of them without being at once painfully 
I struck with the intellectual darkness which 
enshrouds him. There is, in general neither 
speculation in his eyes, nor intelligence in 
his countenance. The whole expression is 
more that of an animal, than of man. As 
a class they have no amusements be¬ 
yond the indulgence of sense. In nine cases 
out of ten, recreation is associated in their 
minds with nothing higher than sensuality. 
In the first place the great bulk of them 
cannot read. In the next, a large propor¬ 
tion of those who can, do so with too much 
difficulty to admit of the exercise being an 
amusement to them.’ ” 
Now I would respectfully ask our for- 
DEVON CATTLE. 
The county of Devon, in England, has 
long been celebrated for a beautiful breed 
of cattle, unrivalled for activity at work and 
aptitude to fatten. “ From the earliest rec¬ 
ords^’ —says You att, from whom we derive 
our principal facts—“ the breed has here 
remained the same; or if not quite as per¬ 
fect as at the present moment, yet altered 
in no essential point until within the last 
thirty years. 
“ The qualities of the Devons may be 
referred to three points; their working, fat¬ 
tening, and milking. 
Where the ground is not too heavy, the 
Devon oxen are unrivalled at the plow.— 
They have a quickness of action which no 
breed can equal, and very few horses ex¬ 
ceed. They have a docility and goodness 
of temper, and stoutness and honesty of 
work, to which many horses cannot pretend. 
It is a common day’s work on fallow land, 
for four Devon steers to plow two acres 
with a double furrow plow. Four good 
steers will do as much work in the field, 
or on the road, as three horses, and in as 
quick, and often quicker time, although far¬ 
mers calculate two oxen equal to one horse. 
The principal objection to Devon oxen is, 
that they have not sufficient strength for 
tenacious clayey soils: they will however, 
exert their strength to the utmost, and stand 
many a dead pull, which few horses could 
be induced or forced to attempt. They are 
uniformly worked in yokes, and not in col¬ 
lars. Four oxen, or six growing steers, are 
the usual team employed in the plow. 
eign and domestic censurers—those “learn¬ 
ed Professors,” and professional “ learmed 
members ” of our State Legislature—where 
there can be found, in any (the most be¬ 
nighted) part of our country, a parallel in¬ 
stance of such mental degradation and im¬ 
becility of the farming population—such a 
state of deplorable ignorance— such an ut¬ 
ter destitution of education and intellectual 
cultivation ? I believe it can scarcely be 
equalled, even among the slave population 
of the Southern States. And this descrip¬ 
tion is given, too, by English writers, w r ho 
it is not reasonable to suppose would exag¬ 
gerate, or falsify the truth, concerning their 
own countrymen. I will admit that our 
farming population are not perfect in their 
vocation. But I do assert, and insist upon 
it, that the farmers of our country are as 
perfect in their knowledge of their business, 
as any other class, either rdechanical, mer¬ 
cantile, or professional. And yet how of¬ 
ten do we find “learned” and garrulous 
gentlemen of other classes, not only lectur¬ 
ing, but severely censuring them for {im- 
puted) ignorance, and boasting of their own 
superior “ science ” in farming? Would not 
these “ learned gentlemen” be extremely 
indignant if a farmer should follow their 
example, and attempt to enlighten them in 
regard to their professional duties, and 
lecture and censure them for their ignorance 
of them ? And, if they did so,‘ I believe 
they would have as good reasons for their 
censures, as have the professional classes 
for those which they have so lavishly dealt 
out. Why do they not “ do unto others as 
they would wish that they should do unto 
them ?” If they followed that “ golden 
rule,” there would be no necessity for any 
one to vindicate the characters of the far¬ 
mers of our country from these invidious 
comparisons, nor the slanderous charges so 
often reiterated against them. 
Vindicator. 
If you can create a spirit of emulation 
(or at least content) among your laborers, 
you will secure much more work, with less 
trouble to yourself, and really less injuiy or 
effort to them. Whenever the mind is- at 
ease/the sufferings of the body are small. 
Carry an agricultural paper or book to the 
field, with your l.inch, and take a bite from 
the former to replenish the mind as you do 
from the latter to strengthen the body. 
Their next quality is their disposition to 
fatten, and very few rival them here. Some 
very satisfactory experiments have been 
made on this point. They do not, indeed, 
attain the great weight of some breeds; 
but, in a given time, they acquire more 
flesh, and with less consumption of food, 
and their flesh is beautiful in its kind. It 
is mottled, or marbled, so pleasing to the 
eye and to the taste. 
For the dairy, the Devons must be ac¬ 
knowledged to be inferior to several other 
breeds. The milk is good, and yields more 
than an average proportion of cream and 
butter ; but generally it is deficient in 
quantity. There are those however, and 
no mean judges, who deny this, and select 
the Devons even for the dairy. 
Such is not, however, the common opin¬ 
ion. They are kept principally for their 
other good qualities, in order to preserve 
the breed; and because, as nurses, they 
are indeed excellent, and the calves thrive 
from their small quantity of milk more rap¬ 
idly than could possibly be expected. 
This aboriginal breed of British cattle is 
a very valuable one, and seems to have 
arrived at the highest point of perfection. 
It is heavier than it was thirty years ago, 
yet fully as active. Its aptitude to fat¬ 
ten is increased, and its property as a 
milker might be improved, without detri¬ 
ment to its grazing qualities. 
Those points in which the Devons were 
deficient thirty years ago, are now fully sup¬ 
plied, and all that is now wanting, is a ju¬ 
dicious selection of the most perfect of the 
present breed, in order to preserve it in its 
state of greatest purity.” 
Mr. Moore, — Dear Sir: I have had bet¬ 
ter success in getting subscribers for you 
than I had anticipated, but they are some¬ 
what scattered,—yet, I think they will all 
remain permanent subscribers. I am grat¬ 
ified to learn that all are pleased with it— 
the more so, as several have taken it on my 
recommendation without an examination. 
We are told that eastern papers are not 
calculated for this latitude, and that their 
circulation is falling off. I should really 
like to know to what extent. Cannot you 
and Dr. Lee tell us? 
No one would more cheerfully respond 
to the invitation contained in your letter, to 
communicate occasionally for your paper 
than myself, for I owe to you and to others 
a large debt which I should like to pay at 
least in part. But I have little time to 
spare from my daily avocations. Not only 
so—but the school in which I have been 
educated, has been much better calculated 
to fix facts in' the mind, than to give the 
power to communicate those facts to others. 
I hope to get a little leisure, for I should 
really like to say a few words on some sub¬ 
jects, occasionally brought forward in your 
paper, particularly plowing, wheat growing, 
fences, &c. I object to the doctrine, that 
once plowing for a crop will not kill weeds 
and grass—that there is no way to prevent 
winter killing, and rust destroying the wheat 
crop,—and that my favorite rail fence must 
be charged not only with killing wheat but 
that it must necessarily be a harbor for 
bushes, briers, and weeds; for certainly I 
have no grass ground that is equally pro¬ 
ductive with the fence corners. 
, Wheat in this part of the State looks 
fine—never better; it is more forward than 
usual at this season, although there is com¬ 
plaint as usual, that much is killed by win¬ 
ter, yet I think not as much as is common, for 
the reason that wheat was got in better last 
fall than ever before. A better and deeper 
system of cultivation has been adopted to a 
considerable extent, and far more attention 
paid to partial surface draining;—but what¬ 
ever the reason may be, I think that we shall 
have more than an average crop. 
Fruit trees are now in blossom, and the 
prospect for fruit is now promising. Peaches 
in this vicinity are killed on all young thrifty 
trees. Old trees promise well. l. c. 
Oakland Co., Mieb., May, 1851. 
The profit, in rearing horses, depends 
very materially upon the manner of their 
training. Indeed, many a noble animal has 
been spoiled, or nearly so, by bad manage¬ 
ment in breaking. Often the constitution 
is so broken, that the naturally mettlesome 
creature is despoiled of all spirit or ambition. 
In the first place, there is a great fault 
among farmers generally, with regard to 
keeping colts. They should never be suf¬ 
fered to get poor, at least not until four 
years old. The shape and form, as well 
as size, of many colts, are materially im¬ 
paired by poor keeping the first two win¬ 
ters. If a colt is suffered to get down thin 
in the winter, it will not only require the 
greater part of summer to get him back 
where he was the fall before, but his head 
and limbs will grow large and ill-shaped. 
The colt, at weaning, should be put into 
a field where there is water, with a trough 
to feed grain: and from that time until on j 
year old, should have grain every day. 
Many colts are spoiled during the first three 
months after weaning. Taken from the 
mare, fat, round and handsome, they are 
turned where they have but little feed, less 
water, and no grain, and left to run until 
almost starved to deah—then kept the rest 
of the winter on straw, without shelter. In 
the spring they are lousy, and but just alive, 
and never so good care afterward cannot 
make such colts what they would other¬ 
wise have been. 
Colts should have grain every winter un¬ 
til four years old. I would commence break¬ 
ing the winter before three years old See 
that the colt is in |a good, healthy, thriving 
condition. Never break a poor, weak colt, 
unless you want to break his constitution. 
Get a new rope, inch in diameter, of which 
make a slip-halter; a larger rope would be 
burdensome— one much smaller would be 
•apt to indent the grisly part of the nose, 
and thus injure the shape of the face.— 
When haltered, the colt should not be tied 
fast, as they will be liable to pull and strain 
the cords of the neck; but hold the rope 
with sufficient strength to keep them, check¬ 
ing up occasionally, to relieve the muscles 
of the head and neck. 
When sufficiently subdued to be man¬ 
aged by one hand, which will generally take 
but a few moments, the person holding the 
rope should walk to and fro before him, 
giving at each side a slight jerk upon the 
rope, which, in a little time, will learn the 
animal to follow the string before it is pulled. 
This should be done daily, until he can be 
led, or handled, anywhere. Next apply the 
bit Never use a curb, but take a bridle 
with a common snapple bit, with gag reins 
to hold up the head, and martingals to hold 
in the nose—the reins attached to a crup¬ 
per and fastened firmly on the back with a 
circingle. The reins should not be drawn 
too tight at first, but may be buckled up 
occasionally, until drawn close, and kept in 
this condition the greater part of the day, 
for at least one week, taking off the bit at 
night. While bitting, handle, cuiiy, and 
drive around. 
Next put on the harness. Secure, if pos¬ 
sible, a harness with gag reins, crupper, 
martingals, (fee., and buckle all up close. After 
a little, attach to some light vehicle, and 
drive on a walk—learn a colt to walk first, 
a quicker pace can be acquired afterwards. 
A colt should never be put to a load requir¬ 
ing his utmost strength to move, until four 
years old. Colts may be driven in a har¬ 
ness, with a light load, without injury, much 
younger than they can be used under the 
saddle. They should be trained in the sta¬ 
ble, to understand and obey all that is said 
to them. Learn a colt to go, and back, and 
hold back, by the word of mouth. Never 
whip, except in the stable. If a young 
horse is inclined to stop, or balk, as it is 
called,(when they manifest this disposition) 
stop them, and never let them know that 
they stop of their own accord. 
Never hurry a fickle horse, young or old. 
Slack up or lay down your reins, and wait 
patiently fifteen minutes; then start quietly, 
and so manage until entirely cured, which 
will seldom fail. 
Colts, after driving, should be cleaned 
and rubbed thoroughly before entirely cool; 
this will prevent soreness, wind-galls, (fee. 
When thoroughly trained to the harness, 
then break to ride. This should be done 
by one ha^d—good bridle, martingals, girth 
drawn tight—get on, and stick. If well 
trained to the bit and harness, there will 
be no difficulty in breaking to ride.— Mich¬ 
igan Farmer. 
Discovery of a New Fibrous Plant.— 
Our esteemed friend, Col. Maunsel White, 
of New Orleans, informs the editor of the 
Delta, that the okra plant, which grows 
freely throughout the south, is one of the best, 
fibrous plants known. It is coated with ten 
layers, which are very easily separated from 
the wood by crushing between iron rollers 
like a sugar mill; and that the hemp is al¬ 
most indestructible in water. This may 
prove a valuable substitute for hemp, as it 
can be grown where that cannot, and at 
much less expense for culture and prepa¬ 
ration. There are many things yet to be 
learned before we shall all become book 
farmers.—American Agriculturist. 
CULTIVATION QJ? THE RUT A BAGA. 
According to promise, I now send you 
an account of the ruta baga crop I raised 
the past season, on two acres, six or seven 
rods of which w r ere nearly destroyed for > 
the want of an under-drain. The whole \ 
crop was 1,800 bushels. The acre which J 
did not require under-draining, grew 1,015 j 
bushels. 
The field used to grow this crop, had / 
been laid down to grass for the last ten ( 
years, and the crop taken off without the \ 
U9e of manure during the time. The soii 
is a dark colored gravelly loam. 
The manure used for the two acres was \ 
a eompost of ten loads barn yard manure, < 
five loads of scrapings of the bottoms of j 
charcoal pit, thirty bushels poudrette, five i 
bushels of ashes, and four bushels of plas- ( 
ter, thoroughly mixed together. This com- ( 
post remained seven days, and was then j 
tossed over and left for eight days, at the ' 
end of which time, it was put upon the 1 
ground in a high state of fermentation.— 
As a load was spread, the harrow was passed 
immediately over it, to prevent the escape ; 
of the gases. The seed was drilled in on < 
the 25th of June—harvested in the month \ 
of October. s 
Expenses of plowing sod,.$-4,00 > 
Harrowing and light plowing, without 
moving sod,. 3,00 < 
Harrowing in manure. 1,00 
Spreading manure,. 2,00 } 
Two pounds of seed at 75c. per lb.... 1,50 
Drilling in seed,. 1,00 J 
Horse and man with steel-toothed cul¬ 
tivator, . 3,00 < 
Thinning and hoeing seven days at 75 
cents a day,. 5,25 1 
Harvesting into cellar, 14 days,. 10,00 < 
Interest on land, valued at $100 per , 
acre,. 14,00 { 
$33,75 
1,800 bushels, at 12£ cents,.$225,00 ( 
Net profit,.$191,25 j 
I have taken the low rate of one shilling f 
per bushel, as it appears like a large story ; 
at that; but, in truth, I am receiving for < 
500 bushels, 18 cents, and retailing as many ( 
as I can spare at 25 cents per bushel, which ) 
would very much enlarge the amount. 
Valentine- H. IIallock. 
The above is the actual result of one of ) 
our best practical farmers, in old Dutchess \ 
county. We hope it will not frighten any- ^ 
body from doing likewise, now that it is re- \ 
corded in a book. Carrots are also much \ 
raised in this country.— American Agri- ■ 
culturist. ( 
WHY DO YOU PUT ASHES ON CORN. 
The above question was put to us the i 
other day by a farmer, who stated that sev- ) 
eral years ago he applied ashes to a field ) 
of corn, and it seemed to increase the crop 
wonderfully. Last year he “ ashed ” his j 
corn on another field, and it did not appear ) 
to do any good. > 
We put ashes on corn to supply the crop l 
with potash. 
Corn requires a pretty large proportion S 
of potash to form the kernel. Hence one j 
reason why we generally get such good < 
crops on “ burnt ground,” as the new clear \ 
ings are called. When the soil does not | 
contain potash sufficient for the corn crop, t 
an application of ashes is of great use to it. \ 
If there is already a sufficient supply of \ 
potash in the soil, the application of ashes j 
does not manifest any beneficial effects.— ( 
This was probably the case with our friend’s ) 
soil. The first field was undoubtedly defi- ■ 
cient in potash, and hence the good effects ^ 
of ashes. ( 
Prof. Mapes gives the following analysis / 
of Indian corn, by which it will be seen \ 
that potash is an important item in its com- ( 
position: 
Carbonic acid, a trace. 
Sulphuric acid,. 0.5 ,• 
Phosphoric acid,. 49.2 ( 
Chlorine,. 0.3 J 
Lime,. 0.1 ( 
Magnesia,. 1 G.5 ( 
Potash.-. 23.2 
Soda. 3.8 
Silica,. 0.8 ) 
Iron.. 0.1 / 
Charcoal, in ash,... 4.5 ( 
100.0 1 
—Maine Farmer. 
Cold Spot. —The earth has no spot up- j 
on its surface, at the present day, either in- < 
habited or otherwise, which is so cold as \ 
Yatusk, a paltry yet principal town of East- 1 
ern Siberia, where a few wooden houses < 
are intermixed with numerous huts plaster- ) 
ed over with cow dung, and windowed with j 
ice. In this dreary and remote region, the ■ 
earth is always frozen—the summer thaw 
never reaching below three feet from the < 
surface, the subterranean ice having a com- ( 
puted depth of two hundred yards. Yet j 
man lives here amidst almost eternal snow, j 
The Good Farmer wears russet clothes, < 
but makes golden payments, leaving tin in , 
his buttons and silver in his pockets. In ) 
his house he is bountiful both to strangers < 
and poor people. He seldom goes far ( 
abroad, and his credit stretches further than J 
his travels. He improveth his land to a 
double value by his good husbandry. In 
time of famine he is the Joseph of the coun¬ 
try, and keeps the poor from starving.— \ 
Old Author. j 
LETTER FROM MICHIGAN. 
