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VuLUME II. NO. 41. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-TIIURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1851. 
WHOLE NO. 93. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL, DEVOTED TO 
Agriculture, Horticulture, Mechanic Arts and Sci¬ 
ence, Education, Rural and Domestic Economy, 
General Intelligence, the Markets, &c., &c. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
J. H. BIXBY, L. WETHERELL, and II. C. WHITE. 
Contributors a 
It . R. La no worthy, 
William Oarbutt, 
S. P. Chapman, 
liivm Ely, 
Myron Adams, 
H. P. Norton, 
T. C. Peters, 
F. W. Lay, 
T. E. Wrtmore, 
R. B. Warren, 
Archibald Stone, l 
And numerous others—pr; 
writers—whose names are 
nd Correspondents: 
Chester Dewey, ll. d., 
M. M. Rodgers, m. d. 
.1. Clement, 
D. W. Ballou, Jr., 
R. (f. Pardee, 
I. Hildreth, 
Jas. H. Watts, 
W. H. Bristol. 
Wm. T. Kennedy, 
S. Luther, 
h. D. Whiting. 
acticnl, scientific, and literary 
necessarily omitted. 
P'S?” For Terms, &c.. see last page. 
PKOUKESS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
FATTENING SWINE. 
With the farmer and laboring man, Pork 
is an important item among the provisions 
secured for domestic consumption. It is 
the great stand-by, to be depended upon 
when other meats fail,— and keeping long 
and well, and possessing the material for 
cooking itself as well as a portion of the 
vegetables to accompany it—it will ever 
retain its place where economy is studied, 
and hearty, strength-sustaining food desired. 
In the country, and small villages, many 
families keep one or more swine for the pur¬ 
pose of consuming the slops of the kitchen, 
the refuse fruit and vegetables from the 
orchard and garden, and to furnish by a 
few weeks extra feeding in the fall, the 
whole or a portion of the pork for family 
use. This is true economy where it may 
be practiced, for much upon which the hog 
will thrive, will otherwise be wasted from 
every kitchen and garden. The expense 
of finishing the fattening will be hut small, 
as a little meal, bran, or other ground grain 
mixed with boiled apples, potatoes, (fee., will 
make a fair article of pork. 
All authorities, and experimenters unite 
in recommending the use of cooked food. 
The Book of the Farm remarks—“By di¬ 
rect experiment, it has been ascertained 
that pigs fatten much better on cooked than 
on raw food. This being the case, it is on¬ 
ly a waste of time and material, to attempt 
to fatten pigs on raw food of whatever 
kind; for although some sorts of food fat¬ 
ten better than others in the same state, 
yet the same sort when cooked fattens 
much faster and better than in a raw state.” 
This is especially the case with the various 
fruits and vegetables which may be used to 
much betler advantage when cooked and 
mixed with meal, than in any other way. 
Boiling is perhaps the best mode of 
cooking food for swine, as the meal can he 
added when the mass is sufficiently soft to 
mix well and will be cooked with the rest. 
A mixture of corn and oats, or peas and 
oats, or barley, coarsely ground, is thought 
by many to be nearly equal to Indian corn 
alone, for this purpose. The fermentation 
of the food is thought to he advantageous. 
It is so in its first stages, but not afterward ; 
hence such an amount should be prepared 
that it may be used as it arrives at the 
proper state to best effect its purpose. 
By commencing early, and using the 
most perishable articles first—the early ap¬ 
ples, squashes, &c.—considerable food may 
be saved, and the work sooner completed. 
Swine fatten much faster in mild weather 
than in cold, which is another reason for an 
early commencement. Whatever the sea¬ 
son, they should have a dry and comforta¬ 
ble place to sleep in, nor be forced to go 
through filth and mud to get their food.— 
If supplied with muck-loam, and other 
materials, they will manufacture a large 
quantity of excellent manure. 
NATURAL HISTORY AND RAISING OF SHEEP. 
[Concluded from, last week's paper.] 
TRANSLATED FROM TnE F8ENCH, BY M. M. RODGERS, M. D. 
OF REPRODUCTION. 
Sheep ought not to be coupled for re¬ 
production, unless they have some similar¬ 
ity or affinity, — whether they are or not, of 
different races. The male should be the 
smallest of the two, according to the rela¬ 
tive size of the sexes: the male has the 
greatest influence in determining the form 
and the female the size of the offspring; 
nevertheless, when the male is of a mon¬ 
grel or uncertain race, is coupled with a 
female of character, or good blood, her in¬ 
fluence predominates in the products— it is 
the same if the male is badly fed or feeble 
and the female robust and vigorous. 
We call crossing, the coupling of an ani¬ 
mal of one race with one of another race. 
We call selection the choice of a male and 
female from the same race, in order to con¬ 
tinue their qualities or correct their faults. 
The coupling of animals closely related, as 
lambs from the same parents on both sides, 
breeding in and in. Before fixing upon a 
system of reproduction, it is necessary to 
take into account the influence of climate 
and nourishment or feeding. Thus, for ex¬ 
ample, one will have much difficulty to 
maintain the high quality of flesh and fine¬ 
ness of wool, in different races; when these 
conditions are changed: the wool always 
tends to grow long and coarse in a humid 
climate and on moist earth; while in a dry 
climate and on dry earth or pastures, it be¬ 
comes shorter and finer. One must always 
strive to improve races, by keeping them, if 
possible, in proper relation to climate and 
soil. 
Of all the means of amelioration, that of 
crossing is the one which we follow the 
most willingly, and the one which is some¬ 
times the most deceiving. We find in a 
country, a race which pleases our fancy, 
and one which we imagine will be valuable 
to import in order to replace or improve 
the one which we have: sometimes we suc¬ 
ceed and sometimes every generation shows 
our mistake; but such experiments cost 
dear to those whom they enlighten. The 
practice of breeding “ in and in,” as a 
means of amelioration, seems contrary to 
nature and reason. This method gives 
very contradictory and various results: it 
is therefore lauded by some and decried by 
others. It is most prudent to separate 
breeders as widely in relationship as possi¬ 
ble : in this way we have a race the most 
productive, and under all circumstances, 
the best. Whatever method we follow for 
improving breeds, the age of parent ani¬ 
mals should be taken into account. Among 
the best races the buck should be at least 
two years, and not more than six years old. 
The female is “ in heat” ordinarily once 
a year; this happens at determinate periods, 
but may vary according to the presence or 
absence of males in the flock: females well 
fed and healthy may breed at all seasons; 
sometimes also, this may take place period¬ 
ically in November and May. But ordi¬ 
narily the male is put with the flock only at 
the natural rutting season. This epoch va¬ 
ries according to the race; for Merinos and 
other fine wooled sheep, it is July; for the 
coarse wooled sheep, it is in September.— 
The feed, and consequently the health of 
the mother, may hasten or retard this period 
a fortnight, or even more. All the females 
without exception, are usually submitted to 
the males, excepting in good flocks, where 
some are known to have defects, either as 
breeders or as nurses, (milkers.) One male 
may suffice for 100 females; but to produce 
good lambs, 40 is sufficient. The sheep 
does not indicate by any particular signs, 
the season of heat, except by the immobil¬ 
ity on the approach of the male. In good 
flocks they often put two or three males, 
which are ardent, as trainers; these have an 
apron tied over the middle of the body; af¬ 
ter a short time the trainers are separated 
and good reproducers are put with the flock 
in their places for the purpose of reproduc¬ 
tion: one buck only, should be allowed 
with part of the flock at the same time, in 
order to prevent combats between them, 
which is very injurious. But as the heat of 
the females is of short duration, and returns 
only after sixteen or seventeen days, it is 
best to have five or six males in reserve so 
as to have the reproduction accomplished 
at the most favorable period. 
The duration of gestation is one hun¬ 
dred and fifty days, or five months. 
The approach of parturition, is indicated 
by a mucous discharge and development of 
the udder. The sheep may abort at any 
period, and from different causes,—such as 
blows or pressure upon the sides, too scanty 
or too abundant feeding, chasing by dogs, 
too much salt, abuse of drink, &c. Parturi¬ 
tion in the sheep presents less danger from 
accidents than in the bovine species; but 
they are more difficult to remedy. When 
the sheep is too fat, or plethoric (full of 
blood,) a small bleeding just before parturi¬ 
tion, will facilitate the labor: when it is 
languid and tedious, some stimulating drinks 
fortify the system and do much service. 
After the birth, if the mother does not 
incline to lick the lamb, so as to cleanse the 
skin, it is necessary to sprinkle a little salt 
or bran over it, in order to induce her to 
give it the proper attention: the lamb should 
then be placed on some dry hay or straw, 
in a corner of the sheep fold, and allowed 
to nurse. If the mother has no milk, we 
should find some other among the flock, 
which will for the time adopt and nurse the 
young lamb. If one mother nurses two 
lambs, she requires more feed than those 
which nurse but one: sometimes one lamb 
is allowed to nurse several mothers, or is 
fed cow’s milk from a cup, in order that he 
may grow more rapidly: the milk may be 
mixed with a little water,—and if diarrhea 
supervenes, rice water should be given: 
without these cares, the lamb seldom thrives 
well. When they meet with no accidents 
and thrive successfully, it is well to separate 
them and their mothers by classes, accord¬ 
ing to their respective ages and strength: 
otherwise the youngest lambs will attempt 
to nurse all the mothers indiscriminately, 
and the strongest will obtain the milk at 
the expense of the more feeble ones. 
The shepherd ought to know every sheep 
and lamb, in the largest flock,—but when 
there is danger of error, it is well to num¬ 
ber them by marks in the ears, or by paint 
on the flanks: the new born lamb should 
have the same number as the mother. After 
parturition the mother should be kept a 
few days in the stable, and during the en¬ 
tire period of nursing should be well fed 
with roots, and allowed abundance of water, 
a little whitened by meal. 
Nursing ought to be prolonged as much 
as possible—and in order to do this, the 
mother should be well fed during the time 
of lactation: this ensures a good growth 
and robust constitution to the offspring. 
When the milk of the mothers or nurses 
becomes insufficient, which happens usually 
about three months after the birth of the 
lamb, the older ones may be fed a little 
wheat bran, to which, after a few days, may 
he added a few oats. While the mothers 
are in the field they may he allowed a little 
fresh mown grass or leaves of the young 
elm. The lambs ought to be fed milk un¬ 
til the age of live months, in order that they 
may not grow stunted. 
• About the middle of the fifth month, we 
commence the separation of the lambs from 
the mothers. They may be separated at 
night after having sucked, and allowed to 
suck again in the morning ;—continue thus 
for a week ; during the next week they 
may suck at night only, and the succeeding 
week be separated entirely. They should 
be separated so far distant that they cannot 
hear each others’ bleatings : they will for¬ 
get each other after being separated for a 
month. 
Lambs which have been separated re¬ 
quire a good pasture, a few oats, and wa¬ 
ter whitened with meal, until they are suf¬ 
ficiently robust to he submitted to the regi-' 
men of adults, which will be at the age of 
nine or ten months. 
And finally, to conclude—we may estab¬ 
lish as a general rule the fact, that in rais¬ 
ing all animals, and over all, the sheep, 
much care is necessry in order to render it 
profitable : but with insufficient feed, and 
want of care, all is lost. It is better, then, 
to keep a small number of animals well, 
than a large number badly ; and finally, it 
is an incontestible fact, that the value of the 
future animal, depends upon the treatment 
of its first infancy. 
THE STATE FAIR REVIEWED. 
BY A PIONEER OF WESTERN NEW YORK. 
Friend Moore: —The Cultivator’s Fes¬ 
tival is past, yet the imagination dwells with 
delight on the splendid scene, and memory 
oft reviews the social pleasure then en¬ 
joyed. And, as the tongue "will relate, and 
pen will scribble what we feel, permit me 
to review the Fair of 1851, through the 
columns of the Rural. But where to be¬ 
gin is the question—any attempt to partic¬ 
ularize would be endless—one might as 
well count the leaves of the forest, or drops 
in the Ocean. The general arrangement 
was good, the weather most delightful and 
the attendance very large—but I must be¬ 
gin at some point, or I never shall cease 
writing. 
Floral Hall was the wonder and admi¬ 
ration of the whole. The arrangem ent was 
most admirable, and the brilliant display of 
fruits and flowers passed comprehension, 
much more description,—and the moving 
mass of joy and beauty that encircled the 
Hall, would defy a poet’s powers of lan¬ 
guage. 
I took my stand at the entrance and exit 
pass, and there remained, as if riveted by 
magic, and viewed the cheerful counte¬ 
nances, the pleasing smiles, of the youthful 
beauties of the crowded throng as they 
passed, and could not help believing that 
female charms had received fresh lustre 
from the beauties they had been viewing. 
And, it was vivid on each smiling face, and 
spoke in language that each blushing maid¬ 
en could not conceal, that she, in future, 
would cultivate the flowers. 
— Now Seedsmen and Florists, be gen¬ 
erous and deal out to them with liberal 
hand, and do all that you can to increase 
the love of Nature’s ornaments. Stimu¬ 
late young females to cultivate, and take 
delight amongst, shrubs and flowers. It 
will improve their health, invigorate their 
minds, increase their beauty, and make them 
more healthy, and useful as wives and 
mothers. 
As for Mechanics’ and Manufacturing 
Halls, what can I say of them,—tongue 
cannot express the wonder of the multifa¬ 
rious throng. It looked as though Yankee 
ingenuity had cracked open and spread it¬ 
self before the World. And the Painters 
Gallery, the Artists Shelf,— and best of all, 
the Ladies’ ingenuity and skill, displayed by 
needle, brush, and pencil work, all surpass¬ 
ed imagination’s vivid hopes. 
The loads and piles in Dairy Hall, fore¬ 
told that a famine was not to he feared the 
coming winter. And the numerous pens, 
well filled with the fleecy flocks, of short and 
long, coarse and fine wools, spoke plainly 
that winter’s blast need not be feared if man 
would but perforin well his part. 
The Grutnphies were not forgotten; they 
bore good evidence that the pork barrel 
need not be empty before the first of June. 
And the Poultry,with their splendid plumes 
made the epicure think or custard, and of 
chicken pies;—and the ringing bells, with 
constant clatter, oft called up the thoughts 
of dinner, when the breakfast had been 
rather light. 
There stood the Cattle, in grand array, 
as though marshalled for the fight. First 
were the Short-horns,—the aristocracy of 
the cattle tribe—nursed and fed until the 
load of fat became unwieldy, and rubbed 
and brushed to make them smooth, until 
the skin was almost gone; and, like the la¬ 
dies, they must be protected from the sun, 
least its rays should spoil their beauty.— 
They stood apparently conscious of their 
superior birth, and, like the lords of the land 
from whence they came, disdained to con¬ 
verse with the meaner tribes. 
Next stood the tough, and hardy Devons, 
whose beauty could not be faded by the 
sun. They stand with uplifted heads, as 
though they were conscious of their worth, 
regardless of the summer’s heat, or winter’s 
cold—they freely lend the husbandman 
their aid, when harnessed to the plow, ov 
providing fuel for the winter’s fire. 
And there are the Herefords, with their 
stout and sturdy limbs that will never tire 
— with snow white faces, and occasionally 
a spot of black, or red, as though they, like 
the ladies, wished to improve their beauty, 
by making the white more pure, with spots 
of black. 
Next is the Ayrshire, with modest mien 
that bespeaks the mother’s care —with large 
acd capacious udders, that yield the pail¬ 
fuls wherewith to feed the tender young. 
Then, lastly, there stands, as though neg¬ 
lected, the tough and hardy Yankees—the 
natives of the land—who value not birth 
nor beauty, but conscious of the aid they 
gave the pioneers in sustaining life and in 
removing the forest to prepare the way for 
those pampered herds of boasted blood and 
beauty. 
And wliat can we say of the noble Horse, 
the partner and sharer of man’s pride and 
toil. There was the stout and sturdy cart¬ 
horse, who values not the load, nor muddy 
way. And the horse for all-work—the far¬ 
mer’s partner and aid—he can draw the 
plow, wheel the grain into the barn, draw 
it to market, and take the family to the 
church. And there was the gay and ma¬ 
jestic coach horse, conscious of his superior 
rank; with pompous pride he makes a great 
display, which is much more becoming in 
the Animal than in the Man. There, also, 
was the fleet and tender racer, which en¬ 
courages the turfman in the sport that of¬ 
ten leads on to vice; and the Shetland 
Poney, the Tom Thumb of the race, but 
not like him, so much caressed. 
But, I fear that I am somewhat bewil¬ 
dered ; so, for the present, adieu. 
Reviewer. 
A Good Clip. — Mr. J. J. Conet of Ell¬ 
ington, Chautauque Co., sheared from 395 
sheep, 1,649 lbs. of wool, (an average of 4 lb. 
3 ozs.) which he sold for 42^-cts. per pound, 
pocketing the nice little sum of $696,70. 
