VOLUME IV. J\ T 0. 14. Y 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. — SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1853 
1 WHOLE NO. 170. 
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MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER : 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural) Literary an<l Family Newspaper 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE COUPS OF ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
The 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. 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. 
KST’ For Terms, &c., see last page. 
Progress and Improvement. 
STUDIES FOR THE FARMER. 
Winter has been called the most favora¬ 
ble season for thought and study, and this 
fitness has been ascribed to it, not only be¬ 
cause of the greater comparative leisure 
then enjoyed, hut for the absence of exteri¬ 
or disturbing influences. The stillness of 
this night of tho year, when Nature is most 
quiot and unattractive in hor operations, 
renders it appropriately the working day or 
suminor-timo of the philosophic student; 
hut to the intelligently practical farmer, his 
text-books open upon their rarest and pro- 
foundest lessons with the advent of Spring. 
In winter he may pursuo the study of ab¬ 
stract questions and sciences—important 
and useful in themselves, no doubt—but in 
Spring ho becomes interested in the practi¬ 
cal application of tho knowledge already 
made his own, and of all which he can ob¬ 
tain having a bearing upon the subject bo- 
foro him. Thought is or should bo, thou, 
united with action, and a new importance 
attaches to the investigations which ai'o at 
this season most appropriately and readily 
commenced. 
The conditions necessary to fertility in a 
soil, and tho adaptation of different soils 
aud modes of treatment to tho production 
of different crops, are among tho most im¬ 
portant questions which can occupy tho at¬ 
tention of tho farmer. They are questions 
which now, income form or degree, have a 
share in tho thoughts of every cultivator of 
tho soil—every one who has upon his hands 
tho management of a farm, or garden. He 
considers tho question of preparation in its 
relations to productiveness, mechanically 
that is, in regard to plowing, subsoiling, rol¬ 
ling, &c.; and chemically, as it concerns the 
necessary manures, and tho influence which 
mechanical preparation has on its present 
and needed chemical constituents. These 
conditions are studied in connection with 
those of tho crop desired—of atmospheric 
influences—of moisture, heat, exposuro, &c, 
—and also of adaptability to the require¬ 
ments of the farm or market. 
In 6ome form or degree, say wo, these 
questions are now considered. But it is 
not often done in that systematic form so 
necessary to thoroughness—to the degree 
or depth of attention which these subjects 
demand. They are complex in character, 
and, extending through every department 
of scientific research, furnish an ample field 
for the oxerciso of every mental as well 
as physical faculty. No pursuit, no em¬ 
ployment, so calls forth the oxerciso of all 
the powers of humanity as that of Agricul¬ 
ture. We moan by this, that none will so 
well presorvo the equal development of tho 
whole man, as will this when enterod into 
and carried out in its truest and most ex¬ 
alted spirit and signification. 
Studios for tho farmer ! There is no lack 
of subjects—important, profitable, and in¬ 
teresting subjects—to occupy every facul¬ 
ty of the mind. The perceptive, tho reason¬ 
ing, tho imaginative, and tho executive 
powers, may have froe play in observing 
and annalyzing the varied relations and 
bearings of tho wide range of facts ever 
challenging tho attention, and in devising 
and carrying out plans for present and fu¬ 
ture operations. Nor need the mind bo 
confined to the narrow range of one’s own 
farm or neighborhood. While there are in 
Agriculture, so many problems unsolved in 
which nations and the whole world are in¬ 
terested, is there not ample room for the 
exercise of the noblest ambition, as well as 
the deepest wisdom and the purest philan- 
throphy? Assuredly there is. 
One word in conclusion. Lot every far¬ 
mer resolve that ho will, this Spring, go to 
work more understanding^ and thoroughly 
than ever before,—engaging, with a deeper 
sense of the nobleness of his calling, in the 
great work of improvement, and what an 
aggregate of power will thus be exerted? 
How memorable to all future generations 
will be Eighteen Hundred and Fifty Three! 
APRIL.-FARM AFFAIRS. 
-“ Thf. poetic birds rejoice, 
Aud for their nests and plenteous food. 
Pay with their gentle voice.” — Cowley. 
“ Thou gentle herald of the flow'ry Spring : 
Mother of violet and pale primrose, 
(Whose beauty now on every wild bank grows,) 
Hark ! how the joyous birds thy welcome sing ! 
Some far up in the dewy sky, on wing 
Well pois’d—some chattering on the hawthorn hedge— 
Some deep embower'd in lonely glen or brake, 
And others booming from the watery ledge,— 
All join’d, a various coi cert for thy sake 
Most musically and most fondly make I 
Sweet April! wh.se dewy face so oft appears 
The semblance of the brightest thing on earth, 
(Which is a lovely, laughing girl in tears,) 
Thy coming wakes the groves to bloom and mirth I” 
April was named by the Romans from 
tho Latin verb, aprire , which signifies to 
open, in allusion to tho opening vegetation 
of Spring; for the earth begins, now, to pro¬ 
duce plants and flowers. Tho Saxons called 
it Oster, or Eastor month, in honor of their 
goddess Easter. This is the most remarka¬ 
ble month of tho year for the arrival of 
migratory birds. Tho notes of the robin, 
the bluebird, the blackbird, and the meadow- 
sparrow have already been heard. So has 
the buzzing of tho insects — indicating that 
they have wintered well, and will soon be 
ready for their work. 
Tho prominent characteristics of April 
are frequent showers and sunshine; hence 
the household couplet, 
“ April showers, 
Bring May flowers.” 
And yet who docs not love April with all her 
ficklenoss, which is scarcely loss than that of 
her elder sister. Every shower seems, as it 
were, to sow tho earth broadcast with flow¬ 
ers. These, with the sweet and merry songs 
of the bird, seem to invite forth the farmer 
from his winter abode of comfort and ease, 
to begin anew the toil of the season. The 
temporature is variable; the thermometer 
stands above 40 as an average. This region 
is not subject to the cold oast and north-east 
winds which prevail at this season in the 
Eastern States. 
One of tho chief and most important 
caros of the farmer now, is to properly tend 
his animals. That portion of the year “be¬ 
tween hay and grass,” puts even good hus¬ 
bandry to the test; and any other is hard 
to be endured—so seem to say the hords. 
Turning out cattle and sheep to feed dur¬ 
ing this month upon wheat-fields, and mead¬ 
ows, may bo generally regarded as bad 
economy. Consequently good husbandmen 
avoid it, but from tho direst need. The 
treatment of cows and owes must bo-vory 
similar to what it was last month. If these, 
and all other animals for which you provide, 
be well fed and littered this month, they 
will do well most likoly through the summer. 
No provident farmer will nogloct to pro¬ 
vide an abundance of good and nutritious 
food for his working horses or oxon. Thoy 
should not only bo fed with good hay, but 
with some grain or roots, or both, if you 
have them to spare. Your poultry needs to 
bo well fed if you would have a good supply 
of eggs. Nogloct not tho swino — soo that 
thoy are not only fed, but see also that they 
have a good, dry, warm place to rest and 
sloop. For animals of all kinds can be kept 
in a better condition with a far loss expen¬ 
diture of food, when thoy aro protected 
from cold and storms, and thus have a com¬ 
fortable place for roposo, than when these 
things are neglected. 
There are many spocios of pigeons, both 
wild and domestic, and among the most 
beautiful are those figured above. These 
handsome birds, ( Goura H+:ursii —M. Tem- 
minck,) are found in the large islands of tho 
Indian Archipelago and Now Guinea. They 
live in the dense forests, and feed upon ber¬ 
ries, seeds, grains, &c., which thoy seek for 
on the ground. The nest is formed upon a 
tree; ancl, Ijke most of the species of pigeons, 
they lay but two eggs. Tho specimens hero 
represented, were shown at an English Poul¬ 
try Show. We believe, that a few of these 
pigeons are now bred in New England. 
Among the different varieties of orna¬ 
mental poultry, the pigeon or dove has long 
been a favorito on account of its sober and 
unpretending beauty.' But such specimens 
as these neod never lower their splendid 
crests to their most gorgeous competitors. 
We give this picture, not for the purpose of 
producing any “ pigeon fever,” but to show 
what may be had in the line of “fancy” 
Columbse. 
April is the month for plowing and seed- ( 
ing. Spring ryo and spring wheat and 
barley should bo sowtt, especially the two 
former, just so soon as tho earth can bo fit¬ 
ted to receive tho seed. Fences that were 
not repaired, built or rebuilt last month, 
should be immediately attended to—let no 
time bo lost, for unless the fences aro put 
in good order in spring, you will bo troubled 
all summer, either with cattle getting out or 
getting in, where they should not be. Re¬ 
member that poor fences make unruly cattle. 
If you would, fellow farmers, drive your 
work, and not bo drven by it, through tho 
season, begin botiirfes—got a good start, and 
with diligence you can keep it. Good and 
timely tillage has much to do in producing 
a plentiful harvest. It is no less your duty 
to provide food or nutrition for your vege¬ 
tables now, than it was and is your duty to 
provide for the like wants in your animals, 
’during the winter. There is now no more 
time for folding tho hands, for they are 
needed to guido farming implements.—w. 
SPRING PLOWING. 
The attention of the farmer is now turned 
to the preparation of tho soil for sowing and 
planting spring crops. Very many aro in 
the habit of fall plowing all land desired 
for spring cultivation, and for sward or stub¬ 
ble land this cannot be too highly recom- 
mondod. It will not bo necessary now to 
offer any reasons in favor of a plan so largely 
practiced by all good farmers. 
We desire to caution farmers against com¬ 
mencing plowing too early in the spring, be¬ 
fore the land is sufficiently dry. It is natural 
to desiro the early planting of spring crops 
by all farmers who have a large amount of 
work on hand, and to effect this they begin 
plowing too early; forgetting that a certain 
temperature is necessary bofore tho soil can 
germinate seeds. Early plowing, while tho 
ground is still wot, has tho effect of making 
the land heavy and lumpy, and retards tho 
vory ond it is desired to attain. Good far - 
mors assure us that plowing the land when 
wot and cold, injures its productiveness quite 
as much as the raising of a crop. Land 
should bo permitted to lay in the spring un¬ 
til dry and warm, after which it may bo 
plowed and planted with a certainty that 
the seed will germinate and continue to grow 
in a healthy and vigorous manner. 
Too little attention is paid to the state of 
tho soil at the time of plowing. It is one 
of the requisites of good farming, which can¬ 
not bo neglected without serious detriment 
to the life and vigor of the land. f 
ANOTHER SUB-SOD CULTIVATOR. 
PRUNING, AND VENTILATING GRASS ROOTS. 
A Suggestion. —Make a plow without a 
mould-board; put on a wide-cutting, sharp 
share and coulter;—place a cross-bar of 
iron between the land-side and back corner 
of the share, for the double purpose of brac¬ 
ing the land-sido, and receiving a number of 
strong spurs or short teeth, to harrow up 
the bed of tho furrow. Gauge the depth 
to about two inches. A cheap substitute— 
for an experiment—may bo made of an old, 
worn out plow:—Break off all the mould- 
board,—put on tho fixtures as above.—take 
it into your old meadow, and into your old 
pasture—work a strip or patch in each, and 
if necessary, pass a roller over thorn. Then 
watch through the first and second seasons 
for the result, and report to the public. 
Horticulturists tell us to prune and ven¬ 
tilate the thick tops of our old fruit trees ; 
but who ever “ heard tell” of priming and 
ventilating old, matted, half-dead grass 
roots. It is true, that some have practiced 
and recommended harrowing the surface. 
But this mars and injures tho most vital 
part of the roots, without reaching tho dis¬ 
ease. It is much like slashing into the outer 
portions of a tree-top with a long-sword. 
It is a well known fact, that fruit trees, 
and most of the cultivated plants, thrive 
best when their roots are well ventilated by 
loosening tho ground around them. Tho 
roots of plants need air, as well as their 
tops, though not so much of it. It is said 
that fishes cannot live in air-tight vessels, 
—although they may have plenty of pure 
water and food. And I do not believe that 
a plant, shrub, or tree, of any kind, can live 
with their roots encased in an air-tight ves¬ 
sel. Let botanists try the experiment and 
report the result. 
Tho idea of pruning and ventilating grass 
roots in old meadows, &c., has led me to try 
to devise some plan, and a machine adapted 
to that purpose. I have thought of many, 
—but none so simple, cheap, and efficacious 
as that described hero. Perhaps some will 
think that such an implement would prune 
the roots “ with a vengeance.” But I think 
there need be no fear of that in a “ grazing 
district,” whore it is difficult to kill grass by 
plowing and hoeing. In “ grain growing 
districts,” nothing of the kind is needed.— 
Land that has lain long in grass is literally 
full of roots. They havo too much life to 
rot, but not enough to produce a good crop 
of grass. Cut them off and let them rot 
and form food for the nourishment of a now 
set of roots. 
Tho above machine is designed to peel off 
the surface sod, to scratch tho sub-sod, and 
to leave the sod where it was, without break¬ 
ing or turning it over. Let this be done in 
the fall or early in the spring, and I believe 
that a healthy and vigorous growth of roots 
would be formed, which would produce an 
enlarged crop, even the first season. 
In tho Rural of February 12th, may be 
found a description of a machine for per¬ 
forating the sod with innumerable holes by 
means of teeth attached to wheels. These 
teeth, while in tbo ground, would havo a 
prying motion, calculated to tear and loosen 
the soil. Said holes would serve as venti¬ 
lators to admit air among the roots. If 
grass land could be punched full of holes, 
six or eight inches deep,—late in the fall,— 
the winter frosts would enter, and quietly 
heave and loosen the ground in a way that 
could not be beat. 
Mr. Editor, readers and correspondents 
of the Rural :—The above contrivances and 
ideas, are not monopolized by a patent, or 
copy right. They are public property— 
and, if any of you have anything to say, for 
or against them, speak out,— investigation 
leads to truth. N. Carey. 
Westfield, N. Y., March, 1853. 
Systematic Labor accomplishes far mcro 
than that without plan or order, and does 
its work with much greater easo to both 
mental and physical powers. Nor is same¬ 
ness aud monotony necessarily connected 
therewith, as many suppose. 
