VOLUME IV. NO. 9. j- 
ROCI1ESTER, 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 18-53. 
1 WHOLE NO. 
MOORS’S RURAL NEW-YORKER : 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AX ABLE CORPS OK ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
Tub Rural Nrw-Yorkkr is designed to be unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
and V aviety of Contents. Its conductors earnestly labor 
to make it a Reliable Guide on die important Practical Sub¬ 
jects connected with the business of those whose interests 
it advocates. It embraces more Agricultural, Horticul¬ 
tural, Scientific, Mechanical, Literary and News Matter_ 
interspersed with many appropriate and handsome engrav- 
ngs — than any other paper published in this Country. 
FIT For Terms, &t\, see last page. 
Mitral 
T1 
| irrogress and. Improvement. 
\ “ TERRA - CULTURE. ” 
i rhe Wonderful Mystery Revealed! 
i In presenting the following article to the 
j public— thereby disclosing the substance of 
the so-called great and useful discovery in 
vegetation — a word of explanation may be 
necessary in regnal to the propriety of ap¬ 
propriating, or imparting to the community, 
that which is claimed as valuable individual 
property. As to our right and dull/ in the 
premises, wo have no misgivings.— 1. For 
tlio reason that tno responsible Editor of the 
Rural has novor made any pledge whatso¬ 
ever concerning the secret, and licnco has 
no compunctions of conscience in rogard to 
“disclosing the disclosures.” 2 . We firmly 
believe that the pretended discovery is of 
little or no value — indeed, that such of it 
as may bo of uso is not new, as we can (and 
may hereafter) demonstrate by quoting from 
the works of popular authors — and hence, 
that it is our bounden duty to expose the 
deception, in order that those whose inter¬ 
ests we advocate may no longer be unwit¬ 
tingly defrauded of their well-earned dollars, 
and valuable time. 
The subjoined article was written bv a 
gentleman connected with this journal, who 
has listened most patiently and attentively ! 
to the “ disclosures”—and who, in common 1 
with numerous other hearers thereof, has 1 
arrived at the conclusion that the pretended 
discovery by the theoretical Professor, ought : 
to be made public. If this is not sufficient 1 
in extenuation, we may state that the Pro- 1 
lessor has violated his portion of tho con- ' 
tract, and hence our associate is under no 1 
obligation. For pronouncing the preten t 
sions of the 1 rofessor to the possession of 
a secret of great value, an unmitigated hum- ' 
bug. the vials of bis wrath have been pour- ^ 
ed upon us, most profusely. These inco- 1 
herent ravings are harmless, however, and 
certainly will not deter us from discharging 1 
our duty to the agricultural community —^ ' 
Hence, for the benefit of the public, and in ^ 
vindication of our conclusions, we shall now 11 
and hereafter submit certain facts and *' 
statements for candid consideration.— Ed. 
Tins Agricultural community lias been 
kept in a state of excitement for some time 
past, by tho announcement that Russell 
Comstock, of Mabbettsville, Duchess county, 
had discovered a new and valuable fact in 
vegetable physiology, which was of the ut¬ 
most consequence to mankind. Presenting 
himself before Congress, the secret was dis¬ 
closed to a Committee, from whom ho avers 
ho received tho offer of $500,000 for his 
discovery. _ Thp same occurred before the 
Legislature of Massachusetts, and, wo think. 
New fork. All of tho Committees, ho avers 
pronounced the discovery of incalculable 
importance, but with none was he ablo to 
make a satisfactory bargain. 
Ho next urged tho matter upon tho at¬ 
tention of the New A ork State Agricultural 
Society, who appointed a Committee to hear 
the disclosures, and report their valuo to 
tho Society. Overwhelmed by tho magni¬ 
tude (.-) of the subject, tho Committee were 
unable to qjake a report at the time, but 
subsequently tho late A. J. Downing, Esq., 
who was ono of the Committee, responded 
to tho numerous calls of tho public, and sub¬ 
mitted a lucid, and we doubt not satisfac¬ 
tory. disclosure. [For Mr. Downing's dis¬ 
closure, see articlq^on next page, entitled 
*• The Great Discovery in Vegetation.”] 
It any still doubt the immense importance 
d of the disclosures, will they step with us into 
> the lecture room, and listen to the weighty 
O J 
secret,—hear tho great discoverer “ disclose 
s his disclosures,” as the Professor euphoni- 
- ously terms his revelations. 
Before you stands the veritable Profes¬ 
sor himsolf; around him are arranged, in 
admirable disorder, sundry roots, twigs and 
. saplings, with here and there an ear of corn, 
or the cob on which corn has grown, and a 
few old and apparently well-read books.— 
V, ith an appearance of wisdom which would 
grace a Solomon, he announces that, many 
years since, in looking over the pages of a 
•‘School Botany, he caught what had es¬ 
caped the attention of the author.— a fact 
in vegetable physiology which ho believes to 
j he of incalculable benefit to all who Jive by 
. | tilling the soil. In Loudon’s “Encyclopedia 
of Agriculture, ho also found a corobora- 
tion of the fact, since which time he has. by 
j much labor, wrought the whole into a sys¬ 
tem, which is as universal in its application 
as are tho plants which are subject to this 
nowlv discovered law. 
Picking up a small peach tree, be will go 
on to illustrate that, at tho point where the 
root merges into tho tree, the point between 
the ground and the air, is what may be 
called the sent of life in tho plant, or tree. 
If this seat of life in planting is set too low 
into tho ground, so as to bo covered up, the 
i tap root dies; the tree from being a seedling 
becomes a sucker, merely an offshoot from 
tho original tree — forming roots above the 
"seat of lifo,” which changes its nature, and 
subjects its to all the blighting diseases of 
which farmers and horticulturists so much 
complain. This principle ho applies to every 
tree and plant: and, by some process of 
reasoning unintelligible to common com¬ 
prehension, insists that tho same effects are 
very sure to follow any departure from the 
rule, by either putting in trees or plants too 
deep, or not setting them far enough into 
the ground. 
Should some hearer, less credulous than 
any other, venture to ask an explanation, 
or tho application of tho discovery to any 
plant not before named, the Professor is sure 
to give all the facts before related, winding 
up with an exhibition of some of his favorite 
trees. 
The prevention of tho potatoo rot, raising 
wheat without winter-killing, and many of 
his theories concerning growing crops, are 
but efforts to make tho system of cultivation 
conform to the great mystery of the ' : seat of ' 
life. The burden of his discovery is, that 1 
Nature terra cultures, — therefore, follow ‘ 
Nature. Trees for fruit or ornament need 1 
no trimming or cultivation, more than to ( 
lot them grow as nature designed. 
Such is, substantially, the whole theory J 
of •• Terra-Culture;” and should the reader j. 
consider it a “ most lame and impotent” af- ' 
fair, wo shall not attempt to controvert his 
conclusion. ?r r w 
_ § 
SOUTH DOWN SHEEP, OWNED BY WM. RIG-DEN, BRIGHTON, ENGLAND, 
I- on which the First Prize ($100 and Silver Medal.) was Awarded at the Smithfield Club Cattle Show. 
Our engraving above represents three 
i superior specimens of South-Down sheep— 
the very “ perfection of the article’’—and 
illustrates what has been and m iy again ho 
accomplished by judicious management and 
long continued care and attention. The 
South-Downs are rapidly gaining favor in 
this country, as they aro easily acclimated, 
and their mutton is generally considered 
superior to that of larger breeds. We give 
below a description of the perfect South- 
Down by Mr. Ell.max. the founder of the 
improved breed: 
Tho bead small and hornless; the face 
speckled or gray, and neither too Jong nor 
too short; the lips thin, and the space be¬ 
tween the nose and tho eyes narrow; the 
under jaw or chap fine and thin; the ears 
tolerably wide and well covered with wool, 
and the forehead also, and the whole space 
between tho ears well protected by it as a I 
defence against the fly. 
FARMERS’ CLUBS. 
Lds. Rural :— I have been a subscriber 
to your interesting and valuable paper but 
a short time, hut I must say, I like it; and 
I wish that every farmer and his family in 
our country had a taste for just such read¬ 
ing as it contains. I think your promise to 
improve, if possible, with tho new volume, 
has been well kept, as each succeeding num¬ 
ber seems of increased interest. 
I have read with much interest, vour re¬ 
marks on tho formation of Farmers’ Clubs, 
(vol. 3, No. 45;) also those of tho Farmers’ 
Companion, in addition to yours. Most 
hear fly do I agree with you both, that tho 
formation of such associations would bo in¬ 
teresting and useful to all concerned. But 
with your permission I propose to suggest 
an improvement which might ho applied, I 
think, with much benefit to tho Club pro¬ 
posed by yourself and also that of the Com¬ 
panion. To make clear what I wish to say i 
on this point, I will simply state tho process 
of forming a Farmers’ Club, which I would 
liko to sco formed in every rural district in 
our State and country. 
Let a dozon or more farmers in any neigh¬ 
borhood meet at the house of ono of their 
number, and organize themselves into an 
association for mutual improvement, (to be 
called the Social Farmers’ Club of the Town, 
&c.) Let tho conditions he that each one 
on becoming a member, shall pay the sum 
of $2, $3 or $5 annually. This fee to con¬ 
stitute a fund to ho expended in subscrip¬ 
tions for agricultural publications, for the 
benefit of tho Club, of which tho Rural 
should ho one, together with the wholo list 
given in a recent number, under the head 
of “ Agricultural Exchanges,” and many 
others. Now would not this he an improve¬ 
ment ? as it would form a kind of circulat¬ 
ing library, the papers being exchanged as 
soon as read. In this wav each member 
would obtain five or ten times as much ag- 
j ricultural reading as otherwise he would feel 
able to take. 
Tho meetings should bo commenced about 
| tho 1st of Xovembe’r, and continued weekly 
| till April, when they could he dispensed with 
I till the next full. Each member should take 
I his wife, and if possible attend all the meet¬ 
ings. Let them assomblo in tho afternoon, { 
all take tea and spend the evening. Each | 
one in turn entertaining the Club at his own 1 
house. A Chairman, Secretary and Treas¬ 
urer would constitute the officers. Somo 
question relating to the farmers’ profession 
(being proposed at a previous meeting,) 
should ho discussed, in which all the mem¬ 
bers will ho expected to take part. Tho 
ladies, in tho mean time, if they do not care 
to take part or listen to the debate, can re- 
| The eye full and bright but not prominent. 
| The orbits of the eyo, the eye-cap or bone 
j not too projecting, that it may not form a 
fatal obstacle in lambing. 
Tho neck of a n\edium length., thin to- 
I ward the head, but enlarging toward the 
! shoulders, where it should be broad and high 
! and straight in its whole course above and 
: below. Tho breast should bo wide, deep, 
i and projecting forward between the fore- 
j legs, indicating a good constitution and a 
: disposition to thrive. Corresponding with 
j this, the shoulders should he on a level with 
i the back, and not too wide above; they 
j should bow outward from the top to tho 
breast, indicating a springing rib beneath, 
and leaving room for it. 
Tho ribs coming out horizontally from the 
spine, and extending far backward, and the 
last rib projecting mofo than others, the 
| back flat from tho shoulders to the setting . 
j on of the tail; the loin broad and fiat; the i 
tiro to one of the parlors, and debate ques- i 
tions of their own invention. Before leav- , 
ing, let the stock and premises bo viowed,' 
and all the improvements about, and others ! 
suggested, if there be room for any. 
A. thousand questions relating to agricul- * 
ture will suggest themselves for conversation 
and discussion, and it would really seem that ' 
any one might bo improved by such inter- ' 
change of ideas. Another very important j 
thing gained by such Farmers’ Clubs would j 
be a social friendly visit, of which all our 
farmers are more or less fond. It would i 
not interfere with any man’s business, or | 
with any existing Agricultural Society, but 
might bo an auxiliary to both. 
Como then, farmers, let us hoar of the 
formation of scores of Farmers’ Clubs yet : 
this winter, and let your Secretaries report j 
for publication all new ideas suggested, or 
old ones that would seem to be of interest. 1 
•T. C. Abbott. ; 
Richfield Springs, N. Y., Feb. 1 (>. 1S53. 
j rump broad and tho tail set on high, and 
nearly on a level with the spine. The hips 
| wide; the space between them and the last 
I rib on either side as narrow as possible,and 
! the ribs generally presenting a circular form 
like a barrel. The belly as straight as tho 
back. 
Ihe legs neither too long nor too short; 
! tho fore-legs straight from the breast to the 
j loot; not bending inward at the knee, and 
; standing far apart both before and behind; 
; tho hock having a direction rather outward, 
and the twist, or tho meeting of the thighs 
behind,- being particularly full; tho bones 
fine, yet having no appearance of weakness, 
and of a speckled or dark color. 
The belly well defended with wool, and 
the wool coming down before and behind to 
the knee and to tho hock ; the wool short, 
close, curled and fine, and free from spirv 
projecting fibres. These characteristics con¬ 
stitute a perfect South Down. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
Good Hogs. — The Batavia Times says 
that Mr. Gso. Cole, of Alabama, recently 
sold ten hogs of his own raising, in that vil¬ 
lage, the aggregate weight of which was j 
4,833 lbs., averaging 483 lbs. each. The 
heaviest weighed 572. and the lightest. 438. 
The Times says: “ The hogs were very fat . 
—neatly butchered, and altogether, consid-: 
ering tho number, it is the finest, heaviest, 1 
and best specimen of pork, raised by ono i 
man, over seen in this market, and produe- | 
ed more money to the owner than any ten j 
hogs ever sold here.” Mr. Cole intends do- \ 
ing something larger next year. 
Passion has its foundation in nature ; vir- j 
tue is acquired by the improvement of our ■ 
reason. 
A Carrot Story. 
Friend Moore: — I am compelled by the 
| duty I owe to the people of this world and 
' the rest of mankind, to again urge upon 
farmers the importance of raising carrots. 
I sowed last spring seventy-two rods of 
ground to carrots, and I raised 350 bushels. 
I could now sell them for twenty-five cents 
per bushel, a trifle over $S2. The seed cost 
$1.25, tho labor of fitting tho ground, sow¬ 
ing, tending and digging, cost $20; deduct 
i that from $82 and you have $60,75 for the 
use of the land. This will pay for the land 
at $135 per acre. There may he something 
more profitable, hut I am contented with this. 
Wo seo by this the decided folly of paying 
I $50 to $100 per acre for a farm, and then 
running over and half tilling, in tho usual 
way. Manure well, plow very deep, ridge 
twenty inches apart, sow with a drill in the 
top of the ridges, and keep the ground per¬ 
fectly clean through the season. Take this 
eourso and death and destruction awaits 
every Canada Thistle. By the by, mine was 
only about one-half or two-thirds of a crop. 
—tfoEL Houghton, Adams JJasin,'JY. Y., 
February. 1853. 
Indian Corn as a Green Manure. 
Eds. Rural: — Farmers are endeavoring 
to enrich their wheat lands by plowing un¬ 
der various green substances, such as clover, 
buckwheat, &e..—generally leaving Indian 
corn out of the question. We hear some 
times of their land being clover-sick, having 
been sown to this crop until it fails to pro¬ 
duce its usual effect, making some different 
course necessary. Would not a change to 
green corn, which on good land will produco 
