MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL, 
I 25G 
\ in the summer, and the moth miller is not 
\ troublesome to any extent, which probably 
is owing to our elevated positioh and a 
( damp atmosphere, for the miller cannot 
<; thrive in dampness. E. Russell. 
( Farmersville, CattarauguH Co., N. Y. 
CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO. 
( - 
Messrs. Conkey A Kibbe have on, the 
! East side of North St, Paul street, near 
( the old steamboat landing, the best field of 
\ tobacco that we have ever seen. The area 
< of IV acres,contains 100,000 plants. These 
( were set on the 4th, 7th and 8th of June. 
; The ground was prepared and tilled very 
much as it would have been for a crop of 
\ Indian corn. 
The plants are now beginning to flower, 
( where they are permitted to do so. In or- 
( der to increase the size and the quality of 
the leaves the flower buds are nipped off— 
| the suckers are also removed. They ex- 
; pect the crop will yield about a ton’s weight 
( per acre. At ten dollars a hundred, a price 
( for which it will probably sell, the field will 
i yield an income of 200 dollars per acre, in¬ 
cluding the labor. The cost of tilling is 
very little more than that of corn. The 
; work of harvesting will be much greater. 
The cultivation of tobacco in the Gene- 
: see Valley must be much more profitable 
' than that of wheat, or any other grain.— 
( and we wonder not a little, that the owners 
\ and tillers of this productive soil, have not 
1 entered upon the cultivation of tobacco. 
Mr. Kibbe who is cultivating this tobac- 
l co-field, is a Connecticut Yankee. He was 
formerly engaged in cultivating the same 
; species of the narcotic in the valley of the 
Connecticut river. His first experiment 
here has succeeded remarkably well—and 
will undoubtedly lead many others to en- 
trao’e in the cultivation of that weed which 
is one of the chief sources of revenue to 
most of the sovereigns of Europe, as it is 
of pleasure to multitudes of men and wo¬ 
men everywhere. w. 
“QUACK GRASS." 
Mr. Editor: —In the May 22d, number 
of the Rural, is an inquiry in relation to 
the extermination of “ Quack grass.” Your 
remedies would certainly be effectual, es¬ 
pecially the first; though I would recom¬ 
mend a somewhat different use to be made 
of the roots when once collected. Feed 
them to stock. 
My grandfather used to say that he 
“ would rather have this grass on his land 
than notand the reasons which he gave 
were, that “it made his land rich;” and 
that “ the roots were as good in winter as 
hay for colts, or grain for hogs.” In regard 
to his first reason, he doubtless assigned 
the effect for the cause; as the grass will 
flourish only on a good soil. 
As to his second reason, there is some 
truth in it. The root is very sweet, and al¬ 
most all domestic animals eat it with eager¬ 
ness. He was a great advocate of “ fall 
plowing.” The old fashioned plow dug up 
the soil, laid the furrows obliquely against 
each other, and left the ground very rough 
after plowing. His land being considera¬ 
bly elevated, the high wintry winds kept 
his fields nearly bare of snow, and during 
the mild days of autumn, winter, and early 
spring, his hogs, horses, Ac., repaired to the 
plowed fields, where they spent most of the 
day in picking up the roots of quack, (even 
digging them out of the ground as it thaw¬ 
ed,) which they preferred to their daily al¬ 
lowance of provender in the barn-yard, and 
on which they kept in good condition. 
Although the grass never seemed to be 
much affected in its next year’s growth by 
this treatment, yet it was never thought to 
injure the grain in the same field, not even 
corn. It however, became very much re¬ 
duced, (as well as the land,) by long con¬ 
tinued cropping; but even this would afford 
but a poor prospect of ultimate success in 
its extermination; and perhaps the only ef¬ 
fectual method of destroying it, would be 
an excess of salt, or continued plowing, har¬ 
rowing, raking, digging, picking, Ac., Ac., to 
separate the roots entirely from the soil, to 
be eaten up or destroyed. This I have 
done with small patches, but it would be a 
rather doleful undertaking where the grass 
had gained very extensive possession, h. 
Down East, May, 1851. 
P. S.—Since writing the above, I have 
received .the 27th No. of the Rural, in 
which your correspondent, S. L., takes a 
rather complimentary notice of my article 
on the “ Destruction of Bushes, Ac.,” and 
suggests the propriety of “ separating the 
stem of some plants entirely from the root” 
The suggestion is a good one, and it reminds 
me of one or two facts in my own farmer 
experience, which tend to confirm it 
There is also another suggestion, or rath¬ 
er a fact, given by the same writer, relating 
to the practice of “covering up” some veg¬ 
etables to effect their destruction. It is 
certain that most of the common vegetables 
can be effectually destroyed by covering 
them with wood, straw, chips, Ac., and there 
is no doubt that quack grass, or Canada 
thistles, may be destroyed in the same way; 
the only requirement being a thicker cov¬ 
ering, on account of their greater tenacity 
of life. Perhaps if quack grass could be 
completely covered by a furrow 10, or 12, 
inches deep, or perhaps even 8 or 9, it 
might go far towards exterminating it. h. 
LETTER FROM NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA. 
Friend Moore: — I am much pleased 
with the Rural, and think it better adapted 
to Northern Pennsylvania, than the agricul¬ 
tural papers of our own State—the soil 
and climate of this region much resembling 
that of New York. We are here in the 
midst of a new, but rapidly improving coun¬ 
try, which in my opinion, bids fair to be¬ 
come one of the finest agricultural districts 
in the Middle States. Nothing can be bet¬ 
ter calculated to elevate the character of 
the farming community, than the circula¬ 
tion of yours and kindred papers. 
We are rapidly connecting ourselves with 
the interior of your State, by means of 
Railroads and Plank roads, and are now 
perhaps a day and a half’s ride from your 
city, via. Corning. It will soon be less, as 
a Plank road is now “ being built ” from 
this place to the Blossburg A Corning 
Railroad—a distance of 17 miles. 
Improved farming lands can be had with¬ 
in two miles of Wellsborough, the county 
seat, for $12 to $15 per acre, well wooded 
and watered. As it is also a lumbering 
district, there is a ready sale for all sorts of 
produce at one’s own door, and at a good 
price. Wheat ranges from $1 to $1,25 per 
bushel; oats 25c to to 40c; corn 50c to 75c; 
per bushel; hay in winter from $8 to $10 
per ton. Wild land commands from $1 to 
$12 per acre, according to situation and 
timber. All kinds of fruit can be cultiva¬ 
ted to advantage. 
What we want are good fanners,—men 
of mind and means—to make our county 
one of the most interesting rural districts 
in the world. So I think, and I have seen 
a good proportion of it—Have you not in 
your section some enterprising young far¬ 
mers you can spare us? They might at 
least, come out and look for themselves. 
S. P. Morris. 
Wellsborough, Tioga Co., Pa., July 19,1851. 
OSAGE ORANGE HEDGES. 
The fact will soon be determined wheth¬ 
er this plant will, or will not answer for 
hedge fencing. Thousands of miles have 
been set the past spring, and present ap¬ 
pearances are very much in their favor. — 
They are bushy and thorny,—do not spread 
by throwing up suckers from their roots; 
and are easily and safely transplanted from 
the nursery <o the hedge row. 
As they are a native of Texas, many ap¬ 
prehend that they will not stand our se¬ 
vere winters. Some hedges in our State are 
already matured, and I do not hear of their 
winter killing. 
The seed costs here about $1 per quart, 
and will make from 1,500 to 2,000 plants. 
They should be soaked in warm water, or 
damp sand in a warm place, for a week or 
more, and then sowed in nursery rows 
about the time of corn planting. They 
should be raised in the fall, and be buried 
or kept in the cellar through the winter.— 
In the spring, at the usual time of trans¬ 
planting trees, they should be headed back 
to 5 or 6 inches, and planted in a single 
row about a foot apart It is said they will 
make a complete fence in four five years. 
They are so thorny, that they are a sufficient 
protection of themselves from the browsing 
of stock. The nursery price for the plants 
here is $8 per 1,000. 
If the favorable expectations of this plant 
should be realized, it will do nearly as much 
for our large prairies, as Whitney’s gin has 
for the cotton interest l. d. w, 
Indiantown, Ill., 1851. 
LONG AND ROTTEN MANURES 
Clayey loams readily retain the gases 
which arise from decomposing manures 
plowed deeply under the soil, and for such 
soils long manures may be plowed deeply 
under in the fall with profit, but sandy soils 
will not retain the resultant gases from de¬ 
composition. They may, however, be ren¬ 
dered retentive by the addition of charcoal 
dust, clay, or decomposed peat or muck, 
and when practicable, should be so treated 
as the most economical method. 
Manures should cither be plowed under 
the soil before decomposition, and sufficient 
time before planting to ensure their decom¬ 
position, or they should be previously de¬ 
composed in compost, but never alone.— 
Large quantities of organic matter should 
always be composted with putrescent ma¬ 
nures, so that during their decomposition 
the gases produced may be absorbed and 
not lost by evaporation. Nor should ma¬ 
nure or compost heaps be ever suffered to 
become dry, or fire fanging will ensue and 
much of their value will be lost. It is 
equally hurtful to leave manures immersed 
in water, in ponds, holes, Ac., for then, al¬ 
though the decomposition is slow, still wc 
can always observe bubbles of carburetted 
hydrogen and other gases rising to the sur¬ 
face and escaping into the atmosphere, and 
consequently lost to the farmer. — Work¬ 
ing Farmer. 
WHEAT FLOUR. 
From the results of numerous analyses, 
I think it may be safely asserted, that of 
the wheat flour which arrives in England 
from various parts of the United States, a 
large proportion is more or less injured du¬ 
ring the voyage. The same remark may 
be made in regard to many of the samples 
sent from the Western States to the city of 
New York. Their nutritive value is con¬ 
siderably impaired, and without more care 
than usually is exercised, they are entirely 
unfit for export The injuries which our 
breadstuff's sustain by the large proportion 
of water, can of course be prevented only 
by careful drying before shipment, and by 
the employment of barrels secured as im¬ 
pervious as possible to the influence of at¬ 
mospheric moisture. 
Wheat flour usually contains about 14 to 
15 per cent, of water, and any process, in 
order to be effective, should reduce the pro¬ 
portion of water to 6 or at most 7 per cent 
Few would believe that in every barrel of ( 
flour, they purchase some 30 lbs. weight of 
pure water. It is said that in Russia the 
sheaves of wheat earned into the huts, are 
suspended upon poles and dried by the heat 
of the oven. The grain shrinks very much 
during the process, but is supposed to be 
less liable to the attacks of insects, and pre¬ 
serves its nutritive qualities for years. Du¬ 
ring the winter it is sent to market — Pat¬ 
ent Office Report. 
MEDITERRANEAN WHEAT. 
This wheat is considered as more sure 
of yielding good returns than any other. 
It is earlier than most of the other varie¬ 
ties, is more hardy, and less subject to the 
rust and the fly. It is also heavy, and al¬ 
though it has been partially condemned by 
the millers for not producing so white a 
flour as some other varieties, a portion of 
this prejudice seems to have disappear¬ 
ed. All who have been in the habit of 
using it, know that it makes a very good, 
sweet and light bread, and if properly- 
manufactured, a white loaf. This wheat 
does not stool out as much as most kinds, 
and where the soil is good and well pre¬ 
pared, it is thought by some that have 
tried the experiment, that not less than three 
bushels of seed should be sowed to the acre. 
On good ground the crop is greatly increas¬ 
ed by using the increased quantity of seed. 
— Western Agriculturist. 
Early Th reshing. -- Farmers who thresh 
their wheat and other grain early, can take 
advantage of the market at any time.— 
They are always ready for a good price.— 
Not so with the dilatory man, who thinks 
it’s time enough, and is never ready. His 
success, if he have any, is of course acci¬ 
dental. Therefore, the shrewd farmer will 
thresh his graih at the earliest period, and 
he will be prepared to sell whenever the 
price is the best.— Per. Tel. 
Improved Plow.— Mr. Geo. A. Walker, 
of Annville, Lebanon Co., Pa., has applied 
for an improvement in securing the point of 
the self-sharpening plow, and the point is 
so constructed and arranged, that when it 
wears dull it may be taken out and revers¬ 
ed, the edge that was uppermost being 
placed underneath, as the shank fits either 
way in a recess for that purpose.— Scien¬ 
tific American . 
Lambs should be taken from their moth¬ 
ers about the 1st of September, that is, if 
they were dropped the 1st of May, says the 
Massachusetts Plowman; this will be bet¬ 
ter than to let them be together longer, as 
the lambs will do better to be taken away 
while the grass is fresh and tender, and the 
ewes will have time to recover from nurs¬ 
ing before winter sets in. 
7ISIT TO AN ENGLISH DAIRY. 
Let the reader accompany us half-a-doz¬ 
en miles out of town. We pass through 
Camberwell, through Peckham, and Peck- 
ham Rye, and we presently find ourselves 
in a district that looks uncommonly like 
“ the country,” considering how short a time 
it is since we left the “ old smoke” behind 
us. We alight and walk onward, and cer¬ 
tainly, if the sight of green fields, and cows, 
and hedges, and farm-yards, denote the 
country, we are undoubtedly in some region 
of the kind. 
We pass down a winding road, between 
high hedges of bush and trees, then climb 
over a gate into a field; cross it, and then 
over another gate into a field, from which 
we commence a gradual ascent, field after 
field, till finally the green slope leads us to 
a considerable height. We are on the top 
of Friern Hill. 
It is a bright sunn}' morning in Septem¬ 
ber, and we behold to perfection the most 
complete panorama that can be found in the 
suburban vicinities of London. Step down 
with us to yonder hedge, a little below the 
spot where wc have been standing. We 
approach the hedge—wc get over a gate, 
and we suddenly find ourselves on the up¬ 
per part of an enormous green sloping pas¬ 
turage, covered all over with cows. The 
red cow, the white cow, the brown cow, the 
brindled cow, the colley cow, the dappled 
cow, the streaked cow, the spotted cow, the 
liver-and-white cow, the strawberry cow, 
the mulberry cow, the chestnut cow, the 
gray speckled cow, the clouded cow, the 
black cow—the short-horned cow, the long- 
horned cow, the up-curling-horn, the down- 
curling horn, the straight-horned cow, and 
the cow with the crumpled horn—all are 
here—between two and three hundred— 
spread all over the broad, downward-slo¬ 
ping pasture, feeding, ruminating, standing, 
lying, gazing with mild earnestness, reclin¬ 
ing with characteristic thoughtfulness, sleep¬ 
ing, or wandering hither and thither. A 
soft gleam of golden sunshine spreads over 
the pasture, and falls upon many of cows 
with a lovely, picturesque effect. 
And what cows they are, as we approach 
and pass among them! Studies for a Mor- 
land, a Gainsborough, a Constable. We 
had never before thought there were any 
such cows out of their pictures. That they 
were highly useful, amiable, estimable crea¬ 
tures, who continually, at the best, appear¬ 
ed to be mumbling grass in a recumbent 
position, and composing a sonnet, we never 
doubted; but that they were ever likely to 
be admired for their beauty, especially when 
beheld, as many of these were, from a dis¬ 
advantageous point of view, as to their po¬ 
sition, we never for a moment suspected.— 
Such, however, is the case. We have lived 
to see beauty in the form of a cow—a na¬ 
tural, modern, milch cow, and no descendant 
from any O vidian metamorphosis. 
We will now descend this broad and pop¬ 
ulous slope, and pay a visit to Friern Manor 
Dairy Fiym, to which all these acres— 
some two hundred and fifty—belong, to¬ 
gether with all these “ horned beauties.”— 
We find them all very docile, and undis¬ 
turbed by our presence, though their looks 
evidently denote that they recognize a 
stranger. But those who are reclining do 
not rise, and none of them decline to be 
caressed by the hand, or seem indifferent to 
the compliments addressed to them. In 
passing through the cows we were special¬ 
ly presented to the cow queen, or “ master 
cow,” as she is called. This lady has been 
recognized during 12 years as the sovereign 
ruler over all the rest. No one, however 
large, disputes her supremacy. She is a 
short-horned, short-legged cow, looking at 
first sight rather small, but on closer exam¬ 
ination you will find that she is sturdily and 
solidly built, though graceful withal. “She 
is very sweet-tempered,” observed the head 
keeper, “but when a new-comer doubts! 
about who is the master, her eye becomes 
dreadful. Don’t signify how big the other 
cow is—she must give in to the master cow. 
It’s not her size, nor strength, bless you, it’s 
her spirit. As soon as the question is once 
settled, she’s as mild as a Iamb again.— 
Gives us 18 quarts of milk a day.” 
We were surprised to hear of so great a 
quantity, but this was something abated by 
a consideration of the rich, varied, and 
abundant supply of food afforded to these 
cows, besides the air, attendance, and other 
favorable circumstances. For their food 
they have mangel-wurtzel, both' the long 
red and the orange globe sorts, parsnips, 
turnips, and kohl-rabi, (Jewish cabbage,) a 
curious kind of green turnip, with cabbage 
leaves sprouting out of the top all round, 
like the feathery arms of the-Prince of 
Wales. Of this last mentioned vegetable 
the cows often eat greedily; and sometimes 
endeavoring to bolt too large a piece, it 
sticks in their throats and threatens stran¬ 
gulation. On these occasions, one of the 
watchful keepers rushes to the rescue with 
a thing called a probang, (in fact a cow’s 
throat ramrod,) with which he rams down 
the obstructive morsel. But, besides these 
articles of food, there is the unlimited eat¬ 
ing of grass in the pastures, so that the 
yield of a large quantity of milk seems only 
a matter of course, though we were not pre¬ 
pared to hear of its averaging from 12 to 
18 and 20 quarts of milk a day, from each 1 
of these 2 or 300 cows. Four-and-twenty ! 
quarts a day is not an unusual occurrence < 
from some of the cows; and one of them, < 
we were assured by several of the keepers, < 
once yielded the enormous quantity of 28 
quarts a day during six or seven weeks.— < 
The poor cow, however, suffered for this \ 
munificence, for she was taken very ill with j 
a fever, and her life was given over by the < 
doctor. Mr. Wright, the proprietor, told us 
that he sat up two nights with her himself, 
he had such a respect for the cow; and in • 
the morning of the second night after she i 
was given over, when the butcher came for 
her, he couldn’t find it in his heart to let ; 
him have her. “No, butcher,” said he, • 
“ she’s been a good friend to me, and I’ll let 
her die a quiet, natural death.” She hung 
her head, and her horns felt very cold, and 
so she lay for some time longer; but he 
nursed her, and was rewarded, for she re¬ 
covered; and there she stands—the straw- ; 
berry Durham short-horn—and yields him 
again from 16 to 18 quarts of milk a day. 
Instead of proceeding directly down the ; 
sloping fields toward the Dairy Farm, we 
made a detour of about half a mile, and >’ 
passed through a field well enclosed, in < 
which were about a dozen cows, attended ; 
by one man, who sat beneath a tree. This . 
was the Quarantine ground. All newly- ; 
purchased cows, however healthy they may : 
appear, are first placed in this field during < 
four or five weeks, and the man who milks 
or attends upon them is not permitted to ) 
touch, nor, indeed, to come near, any of the ( 
cows in the great pasture. Such is the 
susceptibility of a cow to the least contam- \ 
ination, that if one who had any slight dis- ) 
ease were admitted among the herd, in a 
very short time the whole of the whole of > 
them would be affected. When the pro- \ 
prietor has been to purchase fresh stock, \ 
and been much among strange cows, es- ; 
pecially at Smithfield, he invariably changes ; 
all his clothes, and generally takes a bath ’ 
before he ventures among his own herd. \ 
From what has already been seen, the > 
reader will not be astonished on his arrival ' 
with us at the Dairy Farm, to find every < 
arrangement in accordance with the fine \ 
condition of the cows, and the enviable (to ) 
all other cows) circumstances in which they \ 
live. The cow-sheds are divided into fifty ( 
stalls, each; and the appearance presented } 
reminded one of the neatness and order of 
cavalry stations. Each stall is marked with ) 
a number; a corresponding number is mark¬ 
ed ou one horn of the cow to whom it be¬ 
longs; and, in winter time, or any inclement \ 
season (for they all sleep out in fine weather) ) 
each cow deliberately finds out, and walks 
into her own stall. No. 173 once got into $ 
the stall of No. 15; but, in a few minutes, 
No. 15 arrived, and “showed her the dif- < 
ference.” In winter, when the cows are > 
kept very much in-doors, they are all regu¬ 
larly groomed with currycombs. By the 
side of one of these sheds there is a cottage 
where the keepers live—milkers and atten¬ 
dants—each with little iron bedsteads, and 
in orderly soldier fashion, the foreman’s wife 
acting as the housekeeper. 
These men lead a comfortable life, but 
they work hard. The first “ milking” be- s 
gins at 11 o’clock at night; and the second, 
at half-past one in the morning. It takes a 
long time, for each cow insists upon being ) 
milked in her own pail, i. e., a pail to her¬ 
self, containing no milk from any other cow 
—or, if she sees it, she is very likely to kick 
it over. She will not allow of any mixture. ; ; 
In this there would seem a strange instinct, ) 
accordant with her extreme susceptibility to 
contamination. 
The milk is all passed through several 
strainers, and then placed in great tin cans, 
barred across the top, and sealed. They - 
are deposited in a van, which starts from < 
the Farm about three in the morning, and < 
arrives at the dairy, in Farringdon street, c 
between three and four. The seals are then $ 
carefully examined, and taken off by a clerk. 
In come the carriers, commonly called 
“ milkmen,” all wearing the badge of Friern j 
Farm Dairy; their tin pails are filled, fast- j 
ened at top, and sealed as before, and away < 
they go ou their early rounds, to be in time \ 
for the early-breakfast people. The late- 
breakfasts are provided by a second set of : 
men. : 
Such are the facts we have ascertained j 
with regard to one of the largest of the < 
great dairy farms near London. — Dickens's 
Household Words. 
FLAX CULTURE 
A committee of the Massachusetts Leg- ; 
islature, appointed to procure information 
concerning the culture of flax and the ! 
probability of its substitution for cotton in ! 
the manufacture of cheap fabrics, report ! 
that there is no doubt that the plant can be 
raised abundantly in every State in the 
Union under proper tillage, without ex- < 
hausting the soil; and that it is but reason¬ 
able to conclude, from recent developments, ; 
that flax may soon be adopted to a consid¬ 
erable extent, as a substitute for cotton, in 
the manufacture of the class of fabrics re¬ 
ferred to. 
It is affirmed that not less than 46,000 
acres of land in the State of New York 
were sown with flax in 1849. 
