volume ii. no. 4d. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1851. 
WHOLE NO. 101. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
A WEEKLY HOME NEWSPAPER, 
Designed for both Country and Town Residents. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
J. H. BIXBY, L. WETHER ELL, and H. C. WHITE. 
Contributors and Correspondents: 
L. B. Lanowortiiy, 
William Garbutt, 
S. I’. Chapman, 
David Ely, 
Myron Adams, 
H. P. Norton, 
T. C. Peters, 
F. W. Lay, 
T. E. Wktmore, 
R. B. Warren, 
Archibald Stone, 
Chester Dewey, ll. d., 
M. M. Rodgers, m. d. 
.i. Clement, 
D. W. Ballou, Jr., 
R. (}. Pardee, 
I. Hildreth, 
Jas. II. Watts, 
W. H. Bristol, 
Wm. T. Kennedy, 
S. Luther, 
L. D. Whiting. 
And numerous others—practical, scientific, and literary 
writers—whose names are necessarily omitted. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to bo unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
and Variety of Contents. Its conductors earnestly labor 
to make it a Reliable Guide on the important Practical 
Subjects connected with the business of those whose inter¬ 
ests it advocates. It embraces more Agricultural, Horti¬ 
cultural, Scientific, Mechanical, Literary and News Matter 
—interspersed with many appropriate and handsome en¬ 
gravings—than any other paper published in this Country. 
in?/” For Terms, &c.. see last page. 
PitOGUESS AND OiPISOVKWIENT. 
OSWEGO COUNTY: 
ITS TOPOGRAPHY, PRODUCTIONS, ETC. 
“ Go round about her ; t.ell the towers thereof. 
Mark well her bulwarks, consider her palaces.” 
The surface of Oswego county is gener¬ 
ally level, yet handsomely ridged — the 
ridges running in a N. West and S. East 
direction. The soil covering the rocky 
foundation varies in depth from a few feet 
to a hundred or more, and is mostly loam, 
with some clay and muck—and an occa¬ 
sional gravel and sand ridge. Field-stone 
are found in great abundance in some dis¬ 
tricts and ridges, while in others they are 
inconveniently scarce. The species of rock 
presented are various, and in some places 
they seem to have been recently broken up, 
having sharp corners; in others they are 
worn and oval in shape. Boulders are com¬ 
mon, some of which are quite massive.— 
Lime is found in limited quantities in the 
souih-western part of the county. The up¬ 
per strata of rock along the shore of Lake 
Ontario is a valuable gray sand, suitable 
for grindstones, building, flagging, Ac. Ex¬ 
tending south may be found in regular or¬ 
der, one shingled on the other, red sand, a 
silicious conglomerate, shale and irae. 
The principle forest growth is hemlock, 
maple, pine, beech, elm, black ash, cedar, 
Ac. All kinds of fruit that are grown in 
our climate succeed well here. The prin¬ 
cipal crops are corn, oats, barley, wheat, 
potatoes and grass. To give an idea of the 
industrial pursuits, I will here introduce a 
few figures from the census report of 1850. 
The products of the Flouring mills amount 
to $4,604,649,— Tanneries $239,980,— 
Starch Factory $122,500,— Cooper shops 
$90,088, to which should be added about 
£ for small shops that did not produce $500 
worth, and consequently were not enumer¬ 
ated. There are also a number of furna¬ 
ces and machine-shops, an extensive glass 
factory, besides ship and boat yards. In 
the vicinity of the Oswego and Oneida riv¬ 
ers an army of woodchoppers are engaged 
in converting the beautiful forests into cord- 
wood for the Salina salt works. 
Hydraulic privileges are excellent.— 
Creeks of sufficient capacity and fall are 
distributed through all parts of the county. 
Salmon river is capable of moving a large 
amount of machinery, but we will now 
leave ordinary streams, and introduce you 
to the Oswego river, which for water-power, 
probably lias not its equal. By a glance 
at the map it wi be seen that it is formed 
by the union of the Seneca and Oneida 
rivers, botli of Avhich drain level portions 
of the State, and have numerous small 
lakes which serve to equalize their waters, 
so that while other rivers flood their banks, 
carrying off fences, bridges, lumber, mills, 
dams, Ac., the Oswego always keeps quiet. 
On the other hand, when other streams are 
made lank and lean by drought, the Oswe¬ 
go river is always plump and fair. It 
takes its waters from thirteen counties, and 
yet the greatest rise ever known at Fulton, 
where the river has but an average width, 
is but 3 feet from extreme low water mark, 
and the greatest rise in 24 hours, 4 inches. 
There are nine dams at present, all of 
which were built and are kept up by the 
State for the use of the canal. Considera¬ 
ble of the water is used at Oswego, yet 
beyond that, probably not one per cent of 
the water is used that might be profitably 
employed. Another feature which favora¬ 
bly distinguishes this river from the most 
of streams in high latitudes is, that it sel¬ 
dom freezes to any considerable extent or 
remains closed any length of time. 
F©r commercial facilities, Oswego county 
is well accommodated. A large amount of 
the shipping of Lake Ontario hails at Os¬ 
wego. The Oswego canal is not only do¬ 
ing the local or home business, but also a 
large amount of trans-shipment business 
from the West and Canada to the seaboard, 
and vice versa, as a spur of, or link between 
the Erie canal and the lakes. The Oneida 
lake and river, which form a part of the 
southern boundary of the county, have 
been navigated by steamboats for the last 
two seasons, used for towing canal boats, as 
by this route boats can save, each time 
passing, one day’s time and a small amount 
of toll. 
There are two important Railroads part¬ 
ly located within the county. The Oswego 
A Syracuse, and Rome & Cape Vincent, 
both of which are doing a good business- 
But few counties in the State are perhaps 
better supplied with plank roads. The 
Syracuse A Watertown plank road passes 
nearly through the centre of the county, 
from North to South, the Oswego A Syra¬ 
cuse road passes on the east side of the 
Oswego river. Another plank road ex¬ 
tends from Cayuga county on the West, by 
way i f Fulton and the villages on the 
North side of Oneida Lake, to Rome — 
another extends from Cayuga Co., via. Os¬ 
wego city, to Rome. Another still extends 
from Oswego city in a Southeasterly direc¬ 
tion, and intersects the Syracuse A Water- 
town road in Hastings; and yet another 
extends from New Haven, via. Texas and 
Port Ontario, to Pulaski, where it intersects 
the Syracuse A Watertown road. 
The principal places are Oswego city— 
the villages Of Fulton, Pulaski, Cleveland, 
Central Square, Mexicoville, Gayhead, 
Phoenix, Constantin, Hannibalville, Co- 
losse, and Parishville, to which might be 
added some dozen more of considerable 
business. The county is blessed with both 
an Agricultural and Horticultural Society, 
and there an six weekly newspapers, two 
of which issue dailies. The number of 
papers that a^e taken seems to depend 
much upon the mail facilities. Daily mails 
induce wide circulation, while weekly or 
semi-weekly mafs carry but few papers.— 
For schools, the main dependence is on 
the district school, yet we have some good 
private schools ani two academic, — the 
Falley Seminary atFulton, and the Mexico 
Academy, Mexico, both of which are in a 
very prosperous conation. 
The principal religicus societies are Meth¬ 
odist, Presbyteiim, Biptist, Episcopalian 
Christian and Universalist. To make up so¬ 
ciety the world has been taxed, while near¬ 
ly all parts of Europe have here their sons 
and daughters—there art some from Asia. 
Canada is well represents, but from Ver¬ 
mont, Massachusetts,Connecticut and Rhode 
Island, we have a sufficient ratio to keep up 
New England manners and customs. This 
county, I think, never furnished candidates 
for either of the first offices of the State 
or United States, — nor the gallows. The 
citizens for intelligence, enterprise and thrift, 
will compare well with those of any other 
county in the State. 
Meteorologically, there is something of a 
contrast between the section bordering on 
Lake Ontario and the southern part of the 
county. The spring opens from two to four 
weeks later near the lake than in the south¬ 
ern part, and autumn frosts hold off from 
four to six weeks later. And there is usu¬ 
ally much more snow in the southern por¬ 
tion than near the lake. 
For the history, reference may be given 
to Clark’s History of Onondaga, the His¬ 
tory of the French and Indian, and the 
Revolutionary wars, and the war of 1812. 
That portion of the county on the west 
side of the Oswego river was divided into 
Military bounty lots and the east side was 
mostly included in Scriba’s patent, and af¬ 
terwards divided into large tracts to Par¬ 
rish, Reed, Roosevelt, Schrceppel, and 
others, by whom it has since been divided 
and sold in farm lots. A. Stone. 
Hintnanville, Oswego Co., N. Y. 
DIETY W0EK. 
Farmers have a .great many dirty jobs 
to do, which would of course be very disa¬ 
greeable to one who is afraid of soiling his 
fingers. Such persons had better selec, 
some other occupation, if they can find one 
agreeable to their feelings. The true far¬ 
mer,—one imbued with professional zeal, 
enters upon these occupation with as much 
spirit, and derives as much pleasure from 
their performance, as from any of the more 
neat and tasteful embellishments of the 
farm. 
1 st. Because their end is uniformly to 
secure this very object, the neat and order¬ 
ly arrangement and appearance of the farm 
and its appendages. 
2 d. Because working in the dirt is not 
naturally repugnant, but is offensive only 
as the result of an acquired, a conventional 
antipathy or prejudice; that it is a preju¬ 
dice needs no other proof than that chil¬ 
dren delight in, and are rendered healthy 
by playing in the dirt, provided these ter¬ 
raqueous exercises are suitably alternated 
with aqueous ablutions. Yes, you and L 
brother-man and sister-woman, do natural¬ 
ly love to work in the dirt, and will find our 
interests promoted in a very substantial 
particular—that of health—by so doing. 
3d. The farmer frequently derives pleas¬ 
ure from such operations as are irksome 
and disagreeable in themselves, in the same 
way, and for the same reason, that chem¬ 
ists are happy amid the dust and heat of 
the laboratory; because they often develop 
valuable and interesting principles among 
animate and inanimate existences, which 
would otherwise remain hidden from his 
view. To the scientific, the manure heap 
is not a mere mass of putrifying vegetable 
animal matter; on the contrary it is a sort 
of museum of chemistry and physiology, 
wherein are exhibited a great variety of 
the wonderful forces of nature, unfolding 
evidences of adaptation of design, such as 
are indeed grateful to the devoutly philo¬ 
sophic mind. Besides all this, and when 
these incitements fail, there remains to him 
the ever-pervading consciousness that his 
work has been useful—that he has added 
something, however small, to the wealth of 
the world—that he has perhaps removed 
one more plague-spot from off the face of 
the earth. S. Luther. 
Claymount Farm, Nov., 1851. 
A FAEId HOUSE IN THE SWISS MANNER. 
“ There is,” says Downing in his Coun¬ 
try Houses, “ something peculiarly rural 
and domestic in»the character of the Swiss 
farm-houses. Their broad roofs, open gal¬ 
leries, and simple and bold construction are 
significant of strengih and fitness in a coun¬ 
try at once picturesque and pastoral.” — 
Their internal arrangements, however, are 
not suited to American tastes, nor their 
rude ornamentation such as would be often 
copied in this country. Our design, taken 
from the work above referred to, is not 
strictly Swiss, but retains those features 
best adapted to our wants, and seems pe¬ 
culiarly appropriate to some localities—to 
wild, hilly, or mountainous landscapes.— 
“ Backed against a bill or the side of a 
valley, these broad and strong roofs seem 
formed to protect the building against 
snow-slides —while the low and spreading 
structure contrasts well with the boldness 
and height of the hills about it.” Below 
we condense the description accompanying 
the engravings. 
GROUND PLAN. 
The long veranda, 8 feet wide, which 
surrounds the whole, not only forms a most 
comfortable and agreeable feature in this 
farm-house, but it affords an excellent place 
for drying various fruits and vegetables, 
under cover,—a place much prized by fam¬ 
ilies in many parts of the country where . 
these products are abundant. If to each 
of the posts or columns of this veranda a 
hardy grape-vine, such as the Isabella or 
Catawba, is planted, or grapes on the south 
side and hops on the north side, excellent 
and valuable crops and much beauty of 
effect will be combined. Whatever vines 
are trained on the supports to the veranda, 
will of course be pruned and trained by 
the feminine inmates of such a farm-house, 
which, in a labor-scarce country like this, 
is something to be borne in mind by every 
farmer. 
Accommodation. —We offer the plan of 
this farm-house as one not only exceedingly 
convenient and comfortable, but so spacious 
and agreeable as to recommend it to the 
adoption of a large class of our agricultu¬ 
ral population. 
The entrance hall is an airy and pleasant 
ante-room, opening into a pleasant parlor 
on the front, and an equally pleasant living 
room on the south side of the house. 
'I he kitchen and living-room are here 
distinct, a superior arrangement to our last 
design—and one which is desirable in all 
farm-houses, when the owner is not closely 
limited in his means—because it enables 
the family always to preserve a comfortable 
and orderly aspect in the living-room, su¬ 
perior to what necessarily belongs to the 
kitchen. 
Among the good points of the arrange¬ 
ment of this floor, we may point out, that 
in the back entry , leading out from the 
kitchen, there is a second flight of stairs, 
to ascend to the chamber floor without the 
necessity of entering the front hall. From 
this back entry we also enter the dairy or 
milk-room, 8 by 9 feet. This room is not 
intended for the dairy-room for a large 
—n dairy-farm, properly so called, because 
such a room should be in a cool base¬ 
ment, or cellar story, or, which is better, 
in a detached stone building in a suita- 
* ble, shaded place: it is intended for that 
secondary dairy, needful in every farm¬ 
house as a room for milk wanted for 
daily use at all times, and for the dairy 
* proper, at seasons when there is little 
space needed for milk or butter. 
Adjoining the-living-room is a good 
pantry, and adjoining the kitchen a 
wood-house, with two kitchen closets on 
either side of the fire-place. 
r Ihe second floor, contains six bed- 
t rooms. There is a cellar under the 
whole house. 
Construction.— Planed and match¬ 
ed floor-plank for weather boarding, put 
_a on in the vertical manner, the roof cov¬ 
ered with shingles, the posts for the 
veranda of hewn oak, cedar or chestnut, 
with a simple hand-rail of pine between 
them. The gable may be finished quite 
plainly, or with the simple verge-board.— 
The windows would scarcely need blinds, 
being so well protected by the veranda, 
We like the hospitable, homely, and gen¬ 
erous look of the principal chimney in this 
house. Most modern chimneys have a 
lean and starved appearance, indicative of 
the scarcity of fuel to put into their throats, 
or rather of smoke to fill their stomachs— 
owing to the almost universal use of an¬ 
thracite coal in our towns. But the farmer, 
who is supposed to have plenty of wood as 
well as plenty of wholesome cheer, and all 
of his own growth, should abjure all lank 
and starved chimneys, and should show 
by the pile of bricks ift his chimney-stacks 
that there is room both to boil the pot, and 
gather round the cheerful lire-side under 
his roof. 
A house built after this plan would last 
a long time, because the exterior, with the 
exception of the roof itself, is completely 
