n 
166 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
in part. Had the article dono no other good 
than to wake up the old farmer to think 
and write for the agricultural press, I should 
feel satisfied, and cannot but hope, that now 
he has commenced lie will give your read¬ 
ers more of his experience. 
Ilis objection is tveil founded , but on a 
mistaken idea of the process. To boil leath¬ 
er is to measurably destroy its elasticity; 
but to fill up a tub or barrel with stiff old 
harness and pour on water, which was boil¬ 
ing when it loft tho fire, certainly doos not 
do any harm, as my experience proves.— 
The leather, tho atmosphere and the vessel 
quickly reduco it many degrees below the 
boiling point in the shortest possible space 
of time, and this change continues until all 
acquire tho tomporature of tho air around 
There is a coat of gummy matter, formed of 
greaso, dirt sweat, &c., which cold or cooled 
water will not dissolve in a week. 
I koep several vehicles and harness adapt 
od to each, my profession being a Physi¬ 
cian, and 1 assure your correspondent “II.,’ 
that I have tho softest and most pliable har¬ 
ness in our county, for I can tie ot one tho tra 
cos round my finger so as to cause pain 
which cannot be dono when thoy aro new. 
I have never discovered any damage my 
harness has sustained, and onco a year I 
troat them just as tho article from the Auro¬ 
ra describes. I hardly over have any thing 
break; dont think tho repairs on three 
single sets of harness for throo years passed, 
have cost a dollar, and every strap is sound 
now. 
Our tanners horo uso copperas water to 
black harnoss leather, which I consider 
worso than vinegar and iron ; for the acid 
in tho coppreas (oil vitriol) is caustic in tho 
oxtremo ; while vinegar (ascetic acid) is very 
feebly so. 
I liko the idea of tho Cordovan leather, 
and hopo to hear more about it. 
I ropeat, that soap suds or water, near 
the boiling point, has not injured my harness, 
and that tho oil will not penetrate through 
and through tho leather, unless exposed to 
tho sun or fire heat; and can rccommond oth¬ 
ers to do as I have dono, with thoutmost con¬ 
fidence that they will not bo disappointed in 
the results. If “ II.” will try, I will stand 
good for all damage.—Z. C. McElroy, Zanes¬ 
ville Ohio, May (1th, 1853. 
FOWLS &c. 
Mr. Moore. — Dear Sir: —to-day I road 
an article in your valuable Paper on Cochin 
china and Brahma Poolras published tho 9 of 
April signod Hong Kong and an other tho 
23d of April Signod Shanghae. Tho two 
Articles wro undoubtedly /written by tho 
samo porson—who by the by is in my opin¬ 
ion more of a Printer or Ed. than a prac¬ 
tical broodor of choice and fancy Fowls. But 
to tho law and testimony. In the first place 
tho writer labours to Show tho folly of pay¬ 
ing the present High prices for tho Brahma. 
Pootra fowl & would honestly givo a warn¬ 
ing voice to tho Public —vory kind indead 
if he had gone no father—But in his very 
next breath lie speaks in his peculiar man¬ 
ner of tho doap rich Buff Gold color of the 
cochin china fowl & in perticular of those 
owned by Mr. Decker—which to the knowing 
ones is the key to both of these remarkable 
articles.—why aro Mr. D.s fowls spoken of 
instead of others who havo the samo Stock 
and those too who had tho choico of that’ 
brood before Mr. D.—It might bo well to 
say that there has been a good deal pub¬ 
lished about Mr. D.s cochin china fowls tho 
past winter and spring in tho city Papers 
for some reason or other.—Again why doos 
the writer closo his honest document by tell¬ 
ing us of tho wonderful good qualities of 
tiie cochin china's & the extraordinary High 
Prices paid in England for thorn—while at 
tho same time ho would kindly advise buyers 
not to pay to High prices for other & to my 
mind fair superior breeds. The writer of 
this article is well acquainted with Mr. D.s 
breed of cochin china . fowls having purchased 
a Pair of the samo Person that Mr. D. did 
& that to of tho same brood—Now I happin 
to know something of this remarkable breed 
of fowls—I would say that I never new a 
better brood of cochm china fowls & yot thoy 
do not brood true (not nigh so much as so 
as the White & Black Shanghae.) Mr. Vick 
who bought this stock of G. P. Burnham — 
from his old Pair raised chickens which had 
yellow logs and thoso that had dark green 
ones & also thoso that wore hoavily foathor- 
ed on their legs while others had none what¬ 
ever — Some woro a light Buff color while 
others were dark with black spots on them. 
Mr. Decker’s and so do all others who havo 
tho samo stock—breed in tho samo manner 
& what I State is known at least in this city 
to bo true & by all who havo bred this stock 
of cochin chinas — thoy are a good fowl but 
thoy havo been bred in and in so long that 
thoy have some what degenerated & are not 
so Healthy and vigorous as at first. I would 
remark that it would bo well to obtain some 
other importation to cross with them—I 
havo bred tho samo stock last year & my 
f_„ 20-29 
- 27-28 
;-- 30 
31 
32 
33 
JERSEY BULL —PERFECTION 33 POINTS, ILLUSTRATED. 
The portrait of a Jersey bull, given above, 
not only represents a fair specimen of the breed, 
but illustrates the “ points ” adopted by the Royal 
Jersey Agricultural Society, and continued after 
an experience of ten years without alteration. Of 
the Jersey breed of cattle we shall speak in a fu¬ 
ture number : our main object, at present, is to 
show the points by which the bulls are judged.— 
By reference to the corresponding figures above, 
the reader will readily understand the following 
Scale of Points for Bulls: 
Article. 
1. Pedigree on male side. 
2. Pedigree on female side. 
3. Hoad, fine and tarring. 
Points. 
. 1 
. 1 
. 1 
17. 
Forehead broad. 
Cheek, small. 
Throat, dean. 
Mu///,le, fine and encircled with a light color 
Nostrils, high and open. 
Horns, smooth, crumpled, not too thick at the 
base, and tapering, tipped with black. . .. 
Ears small and thin. 
Kars, of a deep orange color within. 
Eye, fu'l and lively ... 
Neck, arched, powerful, but not too coarse 
and heavy. 
Chest broad and deep. 
Barrel hooped, broad and deep... 
Well ribbed home, having but little space be¬ 
tween the last rib and the hip. 
Back, straight from the withers to the top of 
the hip.'. 
Back, straight, from the top of the hips to 
the sotting on of the tail; and tho tail at 
right angles with the back. 
29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
Tail, fine. 1 
Tail hanging down to the hocks. 1 
Hide, thin and movable, hut not too loose... 1 
Hide covered with fine and soft hair. 1 
Hide of a good color. 1 
Fore-legs, short, straight and fine. 1 
Fore arm, largo and powerful, swelling and 
full above the knee and fine below it. . . . I 
Hind-quarters, from the hock lo the point of 
the rump, long and well filled up. 1 
Hind-legs, short and straight (belmv tho 
hocks) and bones rather fine. 1 
Hind-legs, squarely placed not too close to¬ 
gether, when viewed from behind. 1 
Hind-legs, not to cross in walking. 1 
Hoofs, small. .. 1 
Growth. 1 
General appearance. 1 
Condition. 1 
Perfection. 33 
chickens were moro tender and difficult to 
rear than any other breed I had.—Fowls 
should not bo brod in and in if you wish to 
prosper with them. It is not my object to 
speak in high terms of any particular breed 
of fowls for I havo no interest to do so as I 
havo all tho lato varieties now on hand and 
shall breed this season over twenty different 
kinds—I would horo say that I consider that 
all the china fowls aro of the same Family 
and tho habits and qualities in tho main are 
vory much alike—from what I havo soon I 
must say they aro of all colors. I consider 
the Black, Buff and cochin china fowls to bo 
of the same value (which at present is $5, a 
pair) I must give tho preference to the 
While Shanghae for this reason they are 
equally as hardy and as easy to roar and they 
lav a largor egg than the oilier colors and 
commence laying at least two months earlier 
then the Black , Buff, or cochin china —which 
is certainly something in their favour (thoy 
aro worth $10, :i pair)—I now came to the 
Brahma. Pootra's I believe it is concoded 
that they aro tho largest fowls wo havo they 
were brought to this country in tho fall of 
1849 and tho original lien was grey and tho 
crower was lighter colored having a white 
body or nearly so tinged with yellow with 
speckled neck hackles and dark wings & tail 
which aro vary beautiful in tho extream sur¬ 
passing all other fowls I havo yet scon in 
color & boauty—thoy havo fine largo com¬ 
pact bodies with short legs for their oxtremo 
size and in evor Particular both as regards 
form and color the most beautiful of any of 
tho Oriental breed of fowls I have yet seen 
—Thoy will lay at least as many oggs as any 
othor kind and 9 of thoir oggs will weigh on 
m average as much as 13 of Mr. Hong Kong 
or Shanghae s cochin chinas & thoy are cer¬ 
tainly moro easily roared—they aro moro 
quiet than any othor race of fowls wo have 
&. from what I have soon of them all things 
considered I must with the most of those if 
not all who havo bred them say that I know 
not a better or so good a fowl besides as tho 
pure brod Brahma Pootra. Thoy aro worth 
$25, a pair. Brahma. 
Wk give the above by request of the writer. 
Fearing, perhaps, that we might lesson its force 
or beauty of expression, he desired us to publish 
it as written, without change; hence we are in no 
way responsible for its style, Ac. 
Neither of the articles to which Brahma alludes 
were written by either a printer or editor,—nor 
by Mr. Decker, or (so far as we are aware,) with¬ 
in his knowledge. To substantiate the general 
correctness of those articles, however, we give (he 
following extract from a private letter recently 
received from an intelligent New England friend 
and correspondent. It will be seen that the wri¬ 
ter is well posted on the subject of fowls. He 
says [En. 
Your correspondent takes too much pains 
in proving tho Brabama I’ootras a “ hum¬ 
bug.” There is nothing to justify tho pro- 
tonsion that is sot up for thorn, in any shape. 
I saw just such fowls moro than thirty years 
ago, brought from India under the naino of 
tho “Malay or Chittagong” breed. I havo 
soon just such in Pennsylvania, bred from 
stock which reliablo mon said was brought 
from India fifty years ago. John Lossing, 
of Albany, has had just such ones for twon- 
ty-five years. Dr. Bennett asserts that his 
came from “ tho valley of the Brahma Poo¬ 
tra river.” How does he know ? He des¬ 
cribed and figured them first, as having top¬ 
knots. (See Report of Exhibition of tho 
Poultry Society at Boston, 1851.) Accord¬ 
ing to Mr. Cornish, of Hartford, thoy woro 
brought to Now York by a vessel from Cal¬ 
cutta, and bo did not protend to givo thoir 
history any further. These aro not tho top 
knots—Dr. B. found thoy wouldn’t go, and 
abandoned them. Part of tho fowls sold 
here as Brahma Pootras, Grey Shanghais, 
&o., came from stock brought from Canton, 
and part from stock from Shanghai. As to 
any purity of blood being denoted by color, 
&c., a man offered to show a pair of whites, 
a pair of blacks, and a pair of greys, all 
bred in ono year from the same slock as Dr. 
Bennett’s Brahma Pootras. Ono would 
suppose that only young gulls could be 
caught in such flimsy traps as thoso “ hen” 
speculators sot. 
AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE. 
N. Y. State Agricultural College. 
The bill incorporating tho Now York 
State Agricultural College, as wo have be¬ 
fore noticed, passed both branches of the 
Legislature, and will, we learn, as soon as 
practicable, go into operation. Tho trustees 
aro: 
John Delafield, of Seneca: Henry Wa¬ 
ger, of Oneida; Wm. Kelly, of Duchess; 
A. King, of Queens ; N. B. Kidder, of On¬ 
tario; Joel W. Bacon, of Soneca; Wm. 
Buel, of Monroe; Tallmaihje Delafield, 
and Hoist. J. Swan, of Geneva; and such 
others as may bo associated with them. 
These gentlemen aro generally well and 
favorably known, to the farming communi¬ 
ty as ardent and able advocates of Agricul¬ 
tural Improvement, and will doubtless so- 
curo a competent board of instruction and 
mature a plan whereby to carry out a sys¬ 
tem of thorough, practical and scientific 
Agricultural Education. Alarm and grounds 
of not less than throo hundred acres, are 
first to bo socurod. 
THE AGRICULTURAL PRESS. 
Hawaiian Agriculture. 
Tiie Transactions of the Hawaiian Agri¬ 
cultural Society for tho last three years, 
(annual productions of decided merit, from 
its President, tho Hon. William Lee, a na¬ 
tive of this State,) furnish much valuable 
information relating to the agricultural pro¬ 
ductions and capabilities of this group of 
islands. Cane culture, tho manufacture of 
sugar, and stock-growing, are the leading 
branches of rural industry. A lack of la¬ 
borers to cultivate tho soil—tho natives be¬ 
ing averse to steady work—is tho main in¬ 
convenience which farmers and gardeners 
havo to oncountor. So largo is the number 
of vossols which call there for supplies, and 
so remunerating the prices paid at San Fran¬ 
cisco, that both agriculture and horticulture 
aro oxcoodingly profitable. So says tho 
Daily American. 
Requisites of a Good Soil. 
The following article on tompering the 
soil, so as to givo it tho required character 
for productiveness, is copied from tho J\"eiv 
England Farmer : 
The character of tho soil, by which wo 
moan its capacity to afford a habitation to 
tho plant appropriate to it, and at tho samo 
time to furnish tho required aliment, is a 
matter, as all farmers must seo, of tho first 
importance. What are the requisites to a 
soil of this character ? and how shall they 
be supplied, when wanting ? 
The soil should be such as to afford suf¬ 
ficient moisture to the roots and to admit 
tho air to penetrate it freely. The soil con¬ 
sists of decayed vegetable matter, somotimes 
rnixod with particles of rock reduced to fine 
pieces by tho action of the atmosphere and 
of water, and sometimes, by tho roots of 
plants. It is unnecessary to describe the 
different kinds of soils in regard to adapta¬ 
tion to this object of supplying moisture; 
second, it should afford a supply of carbon¬ 
ic acid. This is furnished by the decay of 
vegetable matter, or by absorption from the 
atmosphere. This faculty of absorption is 
assisted by mixing charcoal, gypsum, or 
othor mattors having a great absorbing pow¬ 
er. Charcoal has a great power of absorb¬ 
ing this substanco, and it has been found 
that plants will grow more luxuriantly in 
this than in any other soil, if well supplied 
with water. The benefit of the charcoal or 
gypsum is only as a medium of absorption ; 
the fertilization is derived from tho water, 
which is converted by the plant itself, in its 
vegetable laboratory, into carbonic acid.— 
Third, tho soil should be capable of furnish¬ 
ing a supply of ammonia to the roots. This 
also is much assisted by gypsum and char¬ 
coal, which absorb it from the atmosphere. 
The usual mode is by addition of anima 
matter from the stable. Nitrogen imparts 
ammonia to tho plant, and it is to this last 
that the nutritive power of tho cereal grains 
and esculent vegetables is owing. 
Fourth, it should contain those minoral 
ingredients which are necessary to tho 
growth of plants. These, if wanting, must 
bo supplied. Tho usual mode of doing this 
is by the mixture of other soils. This is 
also advantageously resorted to when the 
soil is too little or too much retentive of 
moisture in consequonce of being too loose 
or sandy or calcareous, or too compact and 
stiff. This is called tempering the soil.— 
When a soil is too loose and porous, or too 
stiff, tho mixtureof tho opposite kind in just 
proportions will bring it to a moro suitable 
condition. In this way a body is given to 
those lands that are deficient of it, and thoso 
which are too heavy and tenacious are made 
moro light and looso. This process brings 
no nutriment to the plant directly, but only 
mediately by attaining a retentive power in 
the right degree, and thus furnishing nu¬ 
triment by a proper supply of water; and it 
also acts favorably on tho health and quali¬ 
ty of applying water to plants, for the rea¬ 
son that in running over tho ground it takes 
up and holds in solution tho mineral mat- 
tors required. 
Points of Cattle. 
A scale of tho Points of Excellence in 
Cattle for four different Breeds—the Short 
horns, Devons, Herofords and Ayrshires— 
has been prepared for tho Now York State 
Ag. Society, by Francis Rotch, Esq., ono of 
the most systematic and skillful breeders in 
the country. It has long boon needed to 
settle the ind finitencssand confusion which 
judging by different standards has induced. 
Wo copy first, two valuable explanatory 
paragraphs, by Mr. R., and follow them 
with tho points of tho Short-horns and 
Devons. Thoso of tho Hereford and Ayr¬ 
shires will bo given hereafter : 
“ As to the points constituting excellence, little 
perhaps need be said, beyond the remark, that 
reference has been had to the particular uses and 
characteristics of the respective variety under 
consideration. For instance, the heavy, massive 
form of the beef-making, indolent Short-horn, 
would be, in many of its details, inapplicable to 
the activity of tho North Devon, whose great 
excellence as a laborer on a light soil, must be one 
of its leading considerations in the estimate of its 
usefulness. So again of qhe Hereford, whose 
double value in the yoke and in the shambles, re¬ 
quires a balance of properties, that is not called 
for in Iho animal whose only destination is the 
butcher’s block. The Ayrshire is a breed whose 
improvement lias had reference solely to dairy 
properties; it would be destructive, therefore, of 
that very improvement, to require in this, cither 
the substance or symmetry of the other breeds. 
“Another consideration has also influenced the 
numerical value affixed to the same points in dif¬ 
ferent breeds ; which is, that where from a natu¬ 
ral or original tendency, there is a deficiency or a 
difliculty in bringing any one or more points up 
to a maximum, they are marked higher in that 
breed, than in one known to be naturally strong 
in that particular : for instance, it is more difficult 
from the general conformation of the animal, the 
heavy shoulder, and the massiveness throughout, 
required in the Short-horn, to breed the crops full 
up and even, than it is to do so in a North Devon; 
hence that point well developed in the Short-horn 
is marked 4, in the North Devon only 3. So in 
the Ayrshire whose great excellence is her dairy 
properties, the udder is marked 6, while in the 
other varieties of improved breeds it is marked 
low, inasmuch as their improvement has had ref¬ 
erence solely to early maturity, weight, symmetry, 
reduced offal, quality, and the best feeding prop¬ 
erties, yielding the greatest amount of meat at 
the smallest expense.” 
SHORT HORNS. —THE. COW. 
Pedigree —showing unbroken descent, on both 
sides, from known animals, as found in the Kiw- 
lish Herd-Book—40. 
The Head — small, lean and bony, tapering to 
the muzzle ; the face somewhat long—2. 
The Nose —of a light delicate color—1. 
The Eye —is of great significance, and should 
he prominent, bright and clear — “prominent” 
from an accumulation of “adeps” in the hack 
part of its socket, which indicates a tendency to 
lay on fat—“ bright,” as an evidence of a good dis¬ 
position —“clear,” as a guarantee of the animal’s 
health ; whereas a dull, sluggish eye belongs to a 
slow feeder, and a wild, restless eye, betrays an 
unquiet, fitful temper—2. 
The Horns —light in substance and in color, 
and symmetrically set on the head ; the ear some¬ 
what large, thin, and with considerable action—1. 
The Neck —rather short than long, tapering to 
the head; clean in the throat, and full at its base, 
thus covering and filling out the points of the 
shoulders—2. 
The Chest —broad from point to point of the 
shoulders ; deep from the anterior dorsal-vertebra 
to the floor of the sternum, and both round and 
full just back of the elbows ; sometimes designa¬ 
ted by the phrase, “thick through the heart.”— 
These are unquestionably the most important 
points in every animal, as constitution must de¬ 
pend on their perfect development, and the ample 
room thus afforded for the free action of the heart 
ind lungs—8. 
The Brisket —however deep or projecting, must 
not be confounded with capacity of chest; for 
though a very attractive ana selling point, it, in 
reality, adds nothing to the space within, however 
it may increase the girth without. It is in fact 
nothing more nor less than a muscular adipose 
substance, attached to Die anterior portion of t lie 
sternum, or breast-bone, and thence extending 
itself back. This form, however, of the brisket, 
licatos a disposition to lay on fat generally 
throughout the frame, and in this point of view 
is valuable—4. 
The Shoulder, where weight, as in the Short¬ 
horn, is the object, should be somewhat upright 
and of good width at the points, with the blade- 
bone just sufficiently curved to blend its upper 
portion smoothly with the crops—3. 
The Crops must be full and level with the 
shoulders and back; and is, perhaps ono of the 
most difficult points to breed right in the Short¬ 
horn—4. 
The Back, Loins and Ilips should be broad and 
wide, forming a straight and even line from the 
neck to the setting on of the tail, the hips or bucks 
round and well covered—6. 
The Ramps laid up high, with plenty of flesh 
on their extremities—3. 
The Pelvis should be large, indicated by tho 
width of hips (as already mentioned) and the 
breadth of the twist—2. 
The Twist, should be so well filled out in its 
“ seam ” as to form nearly an even and wide plane 
between the thighs—1. 
'The Quarters —long, straight and well devel¬ 
oped downwards—3. 
The Carcass —round ; the ribs nearly circular, 
ml extending well back—1. 
The Flanks —deep, wide, and full in proportion 
to condition—1. 
The Lr.q — short, straight, and standing square 
with the body—2. 
The Plates of the belly strong, and thus pre¬ 
serving nearly a straight under line—1. 
The Tail— flat and broad at its root, but tine 
in its cord, and placed high up, and on a level 
with rumps—2. 
'J’hc Carriage of an animal gives style and 
beauty ; the walk should he squaro and the stop 
quick ; the hear! up—1. 
Quality .—On this the thriftiness, the feeding 
properties, and the value of the animal depends; 
ind upon the touch of (his quality rests, in a good 
measure, the grazier’s and the butcher’s judgment 
If the “ touch” be good, some deficiency of form 
may be excused ; but if it be bard and st i ff, noth¬ 
ing can compensate for so unpromising a feature. 
In raising the skin from the body between the 
thumb and finger, it should have a soft, flexible 
and substantial feel, and when beneath the out- 
-J 
