VOLUME IV. NO. 12. }■ 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATURDAY, MARCH 19 , 1853 . 
■i WHOLE NO. 168 . 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary ami Family Newspaper 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE CORPS OF ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
Tub Rural New-Yorker is designed to be 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 Sub¬ 
jects connected with the business of those whose interests 
it advocates. Tt 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. 
Of” For Terms, &c., see last page. 
Progress and Improvement, 
LIME APPLIED TO SOILS. 
Much has been written upon tho use of 
lime for agricultural purposes, and it is 
generally conceded that to a certain extent, 
it is beneficial upon most soils, but of more 
value upon somo than upon others. Its ap¬ 
plication has not been sufficiently well un¬ 
derstood to cnablo farmers to adopt, with a 
certainty of success, any given quantity, as 
tho amount used differs widely in different 
localities. 
Lime may be applied in three different 
ways; directly to tho land, or indirectly as 
a portion of tho compost heap, and in other 
forms with manure. It may bo applied as 
a carbonate of limo, by breaking or grind¬ 
ing the stone and strewing it plentifully 
over tho field. In this form its valuo is pro¬ 
longed for many years; its action being that 
of a mild calcareous earth. It is by the de¬ 
bris of lime-stone rocks, by the action of 
frost, and from other causes that our best 
calcareous soils aro formed. The duration 
and effect of the lime will bo in pi-oportion 
to its purity—that having least alloy being 
most readily available, and longest showing 
its good effects. As a gradual improver of 
the soil, tho lime-stono is found to be of 
moro value than when used in tho form of 
quick-lime. 
Tho operation of burning expels tho car¬ 
bon by tho agency of heat. In its natural 
state tho stone possesses little active prop¬ 
erty, and can only enrich tho soil as it 
crumbles to piecos through the action of tho 
elements. When it has been burned its 
substance and character are changed, it be¬ 
comes caustic to tho tonguo, and possesses 
tho power of spoedily decomposing most 
vegetable and animal bodies. Applied in 
this form, instead of being a fertilizer, af¬ 
fording nutriment to growing plants, it 
would, if long continued, burn them up, or 
effectually destroy the germ of tho seed or 
the plant. This caustic power is lost by ex¬ 
posure to tho atmosphere or by tho appli¬ 
cation of water, by which it is reconverted 
into a substance nearly resembling that from 
which it was obtained, only rendered more 
soft, porous, and in most of its properties 
resembling chalk. For agricultural purposes 
it has boon found best, instoad of slacking 
lime by the application of water, to make 
it into small heaps of about a bushel each, 
which should be covered with fresh soil 
made very fine, a few inches in thickness, 
smoothed down by blows with tho back of 
tho spade, excluding either air or rain. In 
a few days it will bo slacked, ready to 
spread upon tho surface. After spreading 
it should bo plowod in immediately, rather 
shallow, and harrowed down. Its immedi¬ 
ate application while in a partially caustic 
stato, vendors a smaller quantity necossary 
as it is spread more thoroughly, and better 
incorporated with the soil, than when suf¬ 
fered to beoome moist, causing it to clod up, 
preventing its division and free incorpora¬ 
tion with tho soil upon which it has boon 
strewed. 
Limestone, in its natural state, differs 
very much in its purity, also in tho different 
ingredients of which tho stone is composed. 
Limo from tho North River shows, by an¬ 
alysis in an unslackod stato, tho following 
composition : 
Water.17.70 
Lime, as quick-lime.37.30 
Magnesia.21.20 
Sand, clay and lime.23.80 
A specimen of unslacked limo from 
Wrightsville, on tho Susquehannah, con" 
tains: 
Sand. 4.85 
Iron and clay.». 1.16 
Lime.73.00 
Magnesia. 15.00 
Other specimens contain magnesia as a 
cai'bonate, lime as a phosphate, i. e., bone- 
dust ; and others still, lime as a sulphate, or 
gypsum. 
It must bo apparent to any reflecting per¬ 
son, that the application of limo indiscrimi¬ 
nately for agricultural purposes can bo at¬ 
tended with no certain results. Some con¬ 
tain a largo per cent, of magnesia, others 
gypsum, phosphate of limo, and other valu¬ 
able substances, while in other samples 
these constitutors are wanting. As soils 
aro not exactly alike, it would be profitable 
to know what tho soil contained and what 
it lacked, thus enabling tho farmer to apply 
lime if necossary, in a manner that would 
best ropay the labor and expense. More 
knowledge of this kind becomes indispensa¬ 
ble to a farmer who dosires to farm with 
success as the aim in applying manures is 
tho greatest yield of crops from tho small¬ 
est outlay of time and money, and tho con¬ 
stant improTcment of the soil. 
Knowing tho constituent parts of the 
lime, and tho wants of the land, an impor¬ 
tant consideration is the mode of application. 
One of tho first requisites should be the 
thorough draining of tho soil before lime is 
applied. Lime is applied in three difl’erent 
ways. Put on the surface and allowed to 
romain a few years ; put on the surface and 
plowed in; or mixed in compost beds, and 
with that applied. Tho first method would 
hayo tho effect of incorporating it with the 
land, particularly if it be a sandy soil. By 
the second it is placed in the bottom of the 
furrow, and is less easily incorporated with 
tho soil. Tho third method gives it tho best 
application, but is attended with larger ex¬ 
pense in hauling and applying. A better 
method, and ono strongly recommonded, is 
to plow the land, and leaving it unoven, ap¬ 
ply lime, harrow well, and cultivate it in 
somo crop that requires frequent hoeing, as 
corn or beans. For this application, limo as 
a carbonate, or air-slackod lime, would bo 
found tho most profitable, if tho soil was 
loose and pliable. This method enables the 
farmer to obtain not only the immediate 
benefit of tho limo, but a greater profit than 
by any other mode in a given number of 
years, which is the great end to bo obtained. 
Other soils, as stiff clay, require a differ¬ 
ent treatment, so also of many other differ¬ 
ent applications and suggestions, upon which 
it is proposed to offer somo remarks in a 
future number. t 
SHEEP AND WHEAT FARMS COMPARED. 
Eds. Rural :—Your correspondent, A. E. 
Harmon, after writing of his success in wheat 
raising, wishes to know if any reader can 
show an equal profit from tho union of 
wheat and sheep husbandry. My farming 
does not exactly como under that head, so 
Mr. H. may object to my competition, yet 
I would iiko to present a simple statement 
of results arrived at. 
About nine years ago I commenced farm¬ 
ing on 185 acres of land, 110 of which was 
called cleared, but briers, bushes, and old 
logs covered' a considerale share of it. It 
cost $1,005. At first, I kopt somo cows and 
sheep, and raised some wheat, oats, corn, 
peas, &c. I had about come to the conclu¬ 
sion that sheep would not pay for keeping, 
and consequently took but little care of 
them. All were kopt in ono fiock, old and 
young, weak and strong—and I generally 
lost a large por cent of thorn in wintering, 
and thoso left gave but light fleeces, which 
is no wonder when tho care I gave them is 
considered. But I road of wool growers 
doing well, and thought I would make an¬ 
other effort. I disposed of the poorest of 
my flock, sold all my cows oxcopt two—and, 
taking better care of my sheep, soon came 
to tho conclusion, which facts prove to be 
right, that sheep husbandry would pay most 
encouragingly. 
My sheep which formerly gave less than 
3 lbs. of wool now give 4£ lbs. and over.— 
The products of my farm for 1852 wero as 
follows:—Oats, $266; Sheep, $300; Wool, 
$685,14 ; and other products on hand to the 
amount of $50,—amounting to $1,301 14, 
moro than 75 por cent on the cost of tho 
land. Can Mr. Harmon, say tho same of 
his raising wheat? Tho above are surplus 
products over and above family consump¬ 
tion, &c. 
Beside the profit of keeping sheep, I will 
mention a few other advantages. 1 st. They 
will soon destroy what briars and small bush¬ 
es they havo access to, leaving the land in 
good condition for crops. 2 d. It requires 
less hired help to realize $ 10 , 000 , than in 
any other branch of farming with which I 
am acquainted. My exponses for hired help 
tho past year wore $79,65, and I had time 
enough to attond tho Stato and County 
Fairs and read two agricultnral and ono po¬ 
litical paper. . 3d. Tho land is not run so 
hard, when tho hay and straw, and most 
of tho grain, is fed out on the premises, as 
it is when sold off, as is mostly tho case in 
wheat farming. I did not take my pen, ex¬ 
pecting to convince Mr. H. that wool is more 
profitable than wheat on his farm, but I 
think I havo shown that it is a less expen¬ 
sive way of obtaining the “ root of all evil.” 
For tho benefit of somo of your readers 
who have written to mo about tho sheep 
mentioned in a former article in the Rural, 
allow mo to stato, that the full bloods were 
Spanish Merinos, and tho half-bloods were 
from fine-wooled ewes, part Merino, and> 
porhaps, part Saxon—sired by my full- 
blooded buck, which gave 16 lbs. of wool tho 
past season. I havo no sheep for sale. 
J. J. Conet. 
Ellington Chautauque Co, N. Y., Feb,. 1853. 
MY EXPERIENCE.-NO. 3. 
Hutchinson Wheat. 
Wishing to try a different variety of 
wheat from that which I had upon my farm, 
in tho summer of 1850, I procured twenty 
bushels of the purest “ Hutchinson” wheat 
which I could find in tho neighborhood of 
my residence, for seed. My object was to 
get pure “Hutchinson” wheat to sow on a 
certain 14 aero field of clean fallow ground. 
That which I obtained had a very small 
quantity of what I supposed, to bo “ Red 
chaff bald” wheat, mixed with it. But so 
small was the quantity, that I am confident 
there was not one grain of it to fifty of the 
Hutchinson. It was so pure, and I was so 
careful to keep it so, that I did not allow it 
to bo put into my barn, but had it put into 
a covered box and a couple of barrels, in 
my corn-house — to prevent any and every 
possiblo chance of mixture with my other 
wheat. About the 23d of September, the 
twenty bushels was sown upon the 14 acre 
fiold. It being rather late sown, and the 
season not very favorable, the wheat show¬ 
ed but a small top during the autumn. The 
straw, however, grew well during the spring 
and summer of 1851, — and, but for the 
ravages of the “ midge,” (usually called tho 
“ weevil,”) tho crop would havo been nearly 
an “ average” one. The soil upon which it 
was grown was chiefly a rich vegetable 
mold, usually called “ black muck.” 
About a week before I supposed it would 
bo necessary to harvest it, I went to the 
field (nearly a mile from my house,) to ex¬ 
amine it for the purpose of determining the 
time of commencing tho harvesting. And 
behold! the produce of my “ Hutchinson” 
seed, was nearly all “ Rod chaff bearded,” 
and “ Red chaff bald” wheat, in nearly equal 
quantities. “ Can such things be, and over¬ 
come us like a summer cloud, and not ex¬ 
cite our special wonder ?” I observed it 
with perfect astonishment; being scarcely 
willing to believe my own eyes. I knew that 
my hired men had sown my very nearly 
pure “ Hutchinson ’ seed, on that field, be¬ 
cause I saw them do it. And, notwithstand¬ 
ing my former little experiences with corn 
and potatoes, I expected to havo harvested 
as nearly pure “ Hutchinson” wheat, as I 
had sown. But so far from it was tho pro- 
PLxlN OF A SIDE-HILL BARN 
The following elevation and plans of a to thoso who intend building barns in such 
side-hill barn was communicated to the situations, even if they do not adopt all its 
Genesee Farmor, by J. W. G., of Hillsboro, j details, wo copy it with tho description 
Ohio. The design, as far as it goes, seems given by Mr. G.: 
""" - - - . The barn is designed to be built on 
p j_j \ tho side of a hill which will allow of ex- 
Q ] cavation sufficient to form the basement 
1 17X25 10X25 f floor, which contains five stallsfoi horses 
p T p [■ and six for cattle, with a feeding passage 
| n PASSAGE THRESHING FLOOR. \ between, into which is thrown the hay 
I S — I and oats through a trap door in the floor 
^ p H | abovo. From this passage the manger 
j on either side may be filled very handily 
I ] and with much less trouble and less risk 
, '~rMr-T-HrTTTr m ■■■!!»aliiii — dn— — ■ i — ——— ■■■ ■ — H i i a n—— —i—.. 
of being kicked, than when a person has 
main floor. to come up behind the animals to get at 
their heads. A may be used as a car- 
p | s age or wagon shed, or to store away 
__ nT = "I] E 3 _ straw for the use of the cattle or bedding 
ROOT GtLLAri HI = „ _ . ,, „ D ° 
x =3 ° for horses. R is a cellar for roots,&c. 
DTlllllllHlH § g 2 | H On tho main floor, II is a place for hay 
n = ^ H-r and oats. T, trap-door communicating 
</> - 1 > j|_n -with tho feeding passago below. D, 
™ _1 >! |j threshing floor, 17 by 25. C and B, cribs 
| m U for corn and other grain. P, passage. 
j- £ i fP | S, steps leading into the basement. 
— "" ~ The cost of this barn would probably be 
basement floor. I between three and four hundred dollars, 
a very good one, but wo cannot commend I and, perhaps, as good and convenient as 
the fence around it. As it will be of value I can be built for that sum. 
P 
PASSAGE 
17X25 
THRESHING FLOOR. 
MAIN FLOOR. 
R 
ROOT CELLAR 
duce, that upon repeated trials by actually 
counting the heads within a given space, I 
discovered that not one-twentieth part of it 
was of that variety. Indeed an adjoining 
field, upon which I had sown seed of my 
former crop, (a mixture of “ Red chaff bald,” 
“Red chaff bearded,” Hutchinson, and White 
Flint.) produced, at least, double the pro¬ 
portionate quantity of tho “ Hutchinson” 
variety, that I had from my costly and care¬ 
fully procured Hutchinson seed; (for I had 
given, in exchange, two bushels extra, for 
the very nearly pure seed.) 
I had never before been ahlo, positively, 
to detect dame nature in such a freak: al¬ 
though, in one or two instances, I had been 
suspicious that the product of my wheat, 
was, in somo degree, different from the seed. 
But now I had caught tho old lady in the 
very act of changing at least nineteen- 
twentieths of the whole produce of my four¬ 
teen acre field. 
I am aware of tho incredulity with which 
many people (particularly those who never 
grow a grain of wheat, nor indeod, any other 
farm product in their lives,) receive the in¬ 
formation of these changes of varieties 
(transmutation?) of grains and vegetables. 
I have had repeated experiences of such in¬ 
credulity. I can not help their “ unbelief.’ 
Nor do I much care whether thoy believe 
or not. Tho facts I know to be as I relate 
them. Other practical farmers have prob¬ 
ably experienced similar changes in varie¬ 
ties of grains and vegetables. But I have 
seen no written, or printed statements of 
them. My object is to discover the cause, 
or causes, of these changes of variety. 
Now, who can correctly inform me as to 
ihe particular process by which ono kind of 
seed is changed to a different variety in the 
product ? If any ono can, let him speak, 
(or write.) and I will rejoice to learn ot him. 
TIiel. 
Labor is tho great articlo of oxponse upon 
a farm in America, yot it is not nearly so 
great as in England, in proportion to tho 
amount of tho produce of a farm. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
The Jointer Plow.—Information Wanted. 
Messrs. Editors :—1 write you at this 
time for somo information in regard to a 
jointer for a plow, which is partially describ¬ 
ed by Linus Cone, of Michigan, as being 
used in that State.—and Mr. Wilcox, of 
Bloomfield, also recommends it in your 
columns. Now, I wish, Messrs. Wilcox, 
Cone, or yourself, if you undorstand how 
they are made, to givo a cut of ono in the 
Rural, with such explanations that a com¬ 
mon blacksmith can make one without a 
pattern to work from. In many cases, par¬ 
ticularly where tho ground is moist and 
mucky, I think they would work better than 
a Michigan Subsoil Plow, which in such 
land does not clear itself well; and again, 
the forward plow throws the furrow too far 
on to tho preceding furrow, for the hind 
plow to cover sufficiently. 
The Michigan plow is much used in this 
neighborhood, and well liked by most who 
use it,—for deep plowing and thorough pul¬ 
verization of the soil, is found practically to 
be moro successful than tho old plan of 
shallow tillage, with hut little after culture. 
This does not succeed as well as formerly, 
so there is a disposition in this community 
to improve in the tillago ot their farms, so 
far as to keep up with tho intelligence of 
tho age, and this little town is determined 
to keep up with any town in this far-famed 
county of Seneca.—O. S., Junius, J\T. . Y. 
Smut in Oats.— Cause and Remedy. 
Messrs. Editors :—In No. 5 of the pres¬ 
ent volume of tho Rural, a correspondent 
asks, “ What is tho cause of smut in Oats ? 
Can it be prevented ?” In answer, I submit 
tho following, remarking that the solution 
of this, as of many other quories in agricul¬ 
ture, belongs to the physiology of plants, 
and shows the importance to the farmer, of 
a knowledge of tho natural sciences. 
The smut in Oats, ( Ustilago segetum, 
Lin.) is a kind of primitive fungus, caused 
by a sickly condition of tho plant. It origi- 
