VOLUME IV. NO. 45. } 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. — SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1853. 
I WHOLE NO. 201, 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER : 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
Wl'i-H an ABLE CORI’S of assistant editors. 
Trr 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¬ 
ings—than any other paper published in this Country. 
Wo throw out those hasty remarks in tho 
hopo that somo of our readers will take up 
tho subject and give us their experiments. 
AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT. 
STi?” For Terms, &c., see last page. 
Progress and Improvement, 
STORING POTATOES. 
We are informod from all parts of tho 
country, that potatoes aro rotting this year 
worse than over boforo. A gontleman from 
Genesee county has this moment told us 
that his potatoes are so badly diseased, that 
out ot a bushel ho does not obtain a peck of 
edible tubers. Wo have somo oursolvos, 
in a good cellar, that aro rotting so fast that 
halt ct them have to bo cut away. Can tho 
progress of the diseaso bo arrested ? Wo 
fear not. Thoro are several theoretical 
plans suggested to tho mind, such as artifi¬ 
cial drying, burying the potatoes in antisep¬ 
tics, charcoal for instance; but we can think 
of nothing that is practical to any great ex¬ 
tent, nothing that will pay. 
The germs of decomposition appoar to bo 
inherent in tho tuber, and Iionce assorting 
out all thoso that aro affected, will not stop 
tho further progress of the diseaso. Never¬ 
theless, frequent assortment will save a 
great many, for there can bo no doubt that 
much of tho diseaso is causod by contact 
with decaying potatoes. 
In tho good old timos, when tho “ potato 
disoase” was unknown, wo always thought 
that potatoes rotainod their flavor and kept 
altogether better lor tablo use, when buried 
in heaps, in a dry, light soil, woll covered 
with clean, dry straw and earth, than in any 
other way ; but now as so many, apparently 
sound, are diseased, it is necessary to assort 
them very frequently, and honco burying 
them will not answor. They must be put 
in a dry cool cellar or barn, where thoy can 
bo looked ovor with facility. Caro must bo 
taken not to have too many togothor, at 
least not to have them too thick on the 
floor. Much may bo dono to lossen tho ovil 
by constantly examining tho potatoes and 
throwing out for immediate use, all thoso 
which are in any way diseased. 
Those who havo no collars and aro obliged 
to bury their potatoes, should put but few 
in a heap and manage in somo way to givo 
it ventilation without admitting tho frost._ 
Wo have used with great advantage for this 
purpose a common draining pipo, placed 
through tho straw and earth on tho top of 
tho hoap. Looso straw should bo thrown 
on tho outside of tho heap and then tho pipo 
does not admit tho frost, but affords aehiin- 
noy through which tho water and gas aris¬ 
ing from tho decomposition of tho potatoes 
may escapo. 
Wo onco tried mixing dry whoat chaff 
with tho potatoes, but the wator arising 
from tho docaying tubers soon saturated it, 
and instead of retarding it sorved rather to 
facilitate decomposition. Dry charcoal dust 
would bo a far hotter substance to scatter 
amongst tho potatoes. Wo havo not tried 
it, but think it would bo found beneficial._ 
1 otatoes that havo been buried for somo 
time might bo advantagoously examinod, 
assorted, and clean straw put round them 
during the few remaining fino days, with 
which wo may possibly bo favored ere win¬ 
ter sots in. Wo do not liko to pit tho pota¬ 
toes, as is common in Now England, but 
profor to make tho hoap on tho lovol ground, 
digging a trench round it, in order to obtain 
oarth with which to covor tho heap. Tho 
water drains offinto tho tronch and tho hoap 
is kept dry. 
In his Address at the Indiana Stato Fair, 
Horace Greeley said “ Agriculture is a 
I pursuit so vast in its scopo, so various in its 
processes and objects, that it is difficult to 
lay down a general rule with regard to it 
that will admit of no exceptions ; yet I will 
venture to propound one, which is as fol¬ 
lows :—Tho cultivator whose farm is not 
more valuable and moro productive as one 
result of each year’s tillage, does not under¬ 
stand his vocation, and ought to learn it or 
quit it.” 
Thoro aro many farmors in every State 
in tho Union, who havo demonstrated the 
possibility of rendering their farms annually 
moro productive by cultivation. In West¬ 
ern Now lork there aro many farms whero 
this has boon dono simply by tillage and 
plowing in greon crops, without tho aid of 
manure. Lut aro wo to say, bocauso this 
has been done on some soils, that it can be 
dono on all, and that tho farmer who does 
not do it.ought to learn his vocation or 
quit it:” There are thousands of farms in 
tno United States whoso acreage production 
cannot possibly bo increased without tho 
aid of manure, and on which, from tho low 
prico of land and produce, manure cannot 
bo employed without loss. If barn-yard 
manure could bo had for nothing, there aro 
many farms where tho increase of crops 
from its application would not begin to pay 
tho cost of hauling it on to tho land. Thus, 
a gi\en amount of manure will incrcaso a 
corn crop to a dofinito extent, but if that 
coin, when produced, is not worth more 
than twenty-five cents por bushel, tho extra 
corn will not pay tho oxtra expenses. So 
it is with whoat and all othor crops. There 
appears to bo a necessity for impoverishing 
tho soil in a now country during tho first 
few years of its settlement, while agricul¬ 
ture is tho only employment of tho inhabi¬ 
tants, and tho only moans of getting direct 
profit is by extracting as much out of the 
soil as possiblo, without taking any thing 
back. It is an humbling conclusion, but 
wo believo, novortholoss, a true one, that a 
systom of culturo which impoverishes a fer¬ 
tile soil will, for tho time being, onablo the 
farmer to sell his produce at a lower rate, 
than a skillful agriculturist can afford to 
soil his crops, raised by good tillage and 
scientific culturo. Happily tho quantity of 
land which permits such an impoverishing 
system ot tillage is yearly growing less and 
moro remote, and wo aro gradually ex¬ 
periencing that stimulant to agricultural 
improvement—increasing prices. Wo be- 
liovo tho prico of all agricultural produc¬ 
tions, especially of moat, will continuo to 
rise till wo can afford to keep moro cattlo 
on our farms, mako moro manure, and ro- 
turn to tho soil those oloments of crops 
without which, instoad of annually increas¬ 
ing in fertility, our farms must gradually 
though suroly becomo less and loss produc¬ 
tive. 
RAISING WATER BY WIND POWER. 
Bell’s and McCormick’s Reapers._ 
Thoro has boon another trial botwoon Boll’s 
and McCormick’s Reapors in Scotland, Mc¬ 
Cormick superintending his own machine in 
porson. An Edinburgh papor, tho Caledo¬ 
nia Mercury, spoaks in no meagre laudatory 
torms of McCormick’s machine, assorting 
that it is oasier of draught, not so liable to 
get out of order, simpler and moro effica- 
cious than Bell’s. Wo havo not yot seen 
tho decision of tho judges. 
Ice House.— Will somo of ono of your 
numerous roaders give mo, through the 
Rural, tho best mothod of constructing an 
ico houso,— also, tho probablo cost of the 
same ? Information in regard to tho proper 
mannor of filling in or packing tho ice.would 
also bo desirable. Would tho sido of a high 
and nearly pcrpondicular bank bo a good 
location, and ono that would reduce tho ex¬ 
pense of construction ? A Subscriber. 
East Varick, N. Y., 1353. 
No subjects connected with tho cultiva 
tion of tho soil, aro of more importance 
than underdraining and irrigation. Tho 
formor, to some extent, has occupied the 
attention of a few of our most intelligent 
farmors, and tho great success attending 
tho practico has induced many more to fol¬ 
low their exampio, till we can now see 
clearly that undordraining, in the next half 
century, will revolutionize our present sys¬ 
tem ot agriculture. Few if any farmers, 
however, havo tried irrigation, a system 
which has dono so much for the agriculture 
of Belgium, Holland, France and tho East 
Indies. 
Tho advantage of undordraining is prin¬ 
cipally negative in its character, simply re¬ 
moving that which is injurious to tho soil; 
irrigation, on the othor hand, is a positive. 
benefit, causing tho soil to yield far moro 
than tho normal produce. Wo do not 
however, expect so much general benefit 
from irrigation as from underdraining.— 
Thoro are, nevertheless, many farms whore 
a wiso system of irigation wouid bo attended 
with great profit, especially on underdrained 
low-land meadows. Wo know of many 
meadows within ten miles of this city, that 
now produco a ton of hay per acre, and 
somo years not that, which by a judicious 
expenditure of S40 or ^oO per acre in un¬ 
dordraining and laying down fixtures for 
irrigation, might be made to yield annually 
immense crops. A meadow of such a char¬ 
acter is beyond all value, enabling tho farm¬ 
er to keop a large stock, and so to enrich 
the upland portions of his farm. Thoro 
aro many situations whore such meadows 
may bo formed without much labor, simply 
by draining tho water, and cutting an artifi¬ 
cial drain from which tho water could bo 
lot off or on tho meadow at pleasuro. On 
many farms, however, this is impossible, 
and somo power must bo applied to raise 
the water. In Holland and in Lincolnshire, 
England, wind mills have been applied for 
this purpose with great success, and wo aro 
inclined to think they may bo applied hero 
with equal if not greater advantage. 
This matter, just now, is beginning to 
engross tho attention of market gardeners 
and many small cultivators in tho vicinity 
of our largo citios; and wo may therefore 
hopo for groat improvement in tho con¬ 
struction of wind mills, pumps, &c., for tho 
purposo of irrigation. As a step in tho right 
direction, wo copy tho following contribu¬ 
tion to tho Horticulturist, by Prof. J. P. 
Kirtland. Tho structural and ornamental 
parts may bo considered rather too fancy for 
ordinary farm buildings, but every one can 
change those to suit his tasto : 
“A garden engine, manufactured by Downs & 
Co., Seneca Jails, N. Y., enabled me to preserve 
many valuable plants, shrubs, and trees, during 
the severe drouth of last season. It was equally 
important as an implement of warfare in a contest 
I waged with the cherry and pear slugs, and some 
other depredating insects. The force with which 
it throws tobacco water, and other medicated 
washes, is sure to reach those enemies, however 
securely they may be concealed. Its principles 
are simple, and the workmanship excellent. No 
gardner can well dispense with its use. 
To pump from a well the requisite supplies of 
water, was a work of no small labor. It led to 
the investigation of a method of working a pump 
by means of the wind. The practicability of the 
plan I am about to suggest, does not remain to be 
tested by experiment. During former years, a 
small wind-mill was in successful operation upon 
the farm of Mr. Anderson, five miles west of 
Ashland, Ohio, on the road leading to Mansfield. 
It worked a pump that amply furnished a large 
stock of cattle, which otherwise could obtain no 
water. Two days only did it cease to perform its 
duties during more than two years, and that in¬ 
terruption was occasioned by the meddling of 
mischievious boys. It is still in operation°for 
aught I know. The cost of this simple machine, 
including pump, did not exceed $15. 
By reference to Fig. 2, the principles on which 
it was constructed will be at once comprehended. 
The direct application of the power, without the 
intervention of any gearing or machinery, obvi¬ 
ates much friction, hence a small amount only of 
power is required. The diameter of the wheel - 
Figure 1 . 
should not exceed four feet, a few inches less is 
preferable. It is firmly fixed by its hub on an 
iron axle formed of a square inch bar. The sails 
or buckets are secured, at their outward ends, to 
a wooden rim, like that of a large spinning wheel. 
An inch and a half crank is raised on the axle at 
B, which, at that point, ;s cylindrical, and upon 
which is adjusted the upper ends of the pistonrrod 
of the pump C. This, when in motion, of course 
commands a play of three inches. 
The body of the Mill .—A piece of pine plank, D, 
is suspended from the cross-girt of a frame, E, by 
an iron bolt, F, furnished at its lower end with a 
large head, G, and a washer, and secured by a 
key, H, at the upper end, admitting of an easy 
circular motion of D around the bolt. This mo¬ 
tion is coincident with that of a swivel on the 
piston-rod, I. The rudder, or vane, will necessa¬ 
rily throw the wheel, at all times, into the wind. 
The axle. A, is suspended from the body by two 
straps of iron, through which it passes at L, L, 
where it is cylindrical without regard to perspec¬ 
tive and proportion, but will perhaps illustrate the 
subject sufficiently. 
Figure 2. 
A breeze which merely agitates the leaves of 
the trees will set the machinery in operation. A 
reservoir of some six or eight hogsheads wa3 kept 
nearly filled, and when, in windy weather, a sur¬ 
plus of water was raised, it was returned to the 
well by a waste pipe, M. In the hands of an in¬ 
genious mechanic it might, no doubt, be greatly 
improved. Iron, in some of its parts might be 
substituted for wood. 
A well, suitably located, will furnish water 
enough for an ordinary garden, and without labor, 
by aid of this mill. How much it would improve 
our flowers, fruits and esculent vegetables, cannot 
be estimated, but would surely effect a revolution 
in our present modes of gardening here in the 
West, where we suffer much every season from 
drouth. Public tanks, inns, tanneries, and thou¬ 
sands of prairie farms, require its aid. Downs ifc 
Co., or some other active firm, would render the 
community essential service if they would rnanu- 
A Good Cow.—During a recent visit to Massa¬ 
chusetts, we called on Mr. Henry Sabin, of Lee 
to whom, in 1852, tho Berkshire County Ag. So¬ 
ciety awarded the highest premium for the best 
milch cow. She is a cross between Native and 
Devon, and in June, 1852, gave in one week 307 
lbs. of milk. 66% lbs. of this milk was set and 
churned, and produced 3 lbs. 11 oz. of butter,— 
equal to 17 lbs. of butter per week. In June, 
1853, she gave, on several diflerent evening milk- 
ings, 31 lbs. of milk. One day’s milk was churned 
separately, and produced 2 lbs. 7 oz. of butter. 
During this time her pasture was not very good, 
and she was allowed a bucket of bran swill per 
day. What does Western New York say to this ? 
facture a supply of these mills and adapt them to 
some of their improved pumps. 
In all this, gentle reader, there is no Quixotism. 
Its feasibility has been amply tested. We mav, 
however, trespass on the peculiar province of tho 
Don, and, like him, get our heads bruised when 
we give play to our imaginations on this subject. 
W e will venture on the movement. 
Attempts are every where making to ornament 
and improve country and suburban residences.— 
Few localities are naturally furnished with the 
mean of supplying a jet d’ eau, yet it is one of 
the most important ornamental additions art can 
supply to such places. , One ot moderate size can 
be consti ucted at any point where a well with 
permanent and abundant springs can be obtained 
within 28 feet of the surface of the ground._ 
j Practically, beyond that depth, this mill will not 
raise water with much success. It is obvious 
I that the same wind operating on one mill, and 
raising a given quantity of water 28 feet, would, 
by acting on a second mill, raise the same water 
an additional 28 feet. 
Suppose an architect should sketch a barn, or 
other out-building, with two spires or towers of 
suitable height and dimensions, giving them an 
air ot taste and beauty. The outline I have at¬ 
tempted to supply above, but not the finish. 
A, represents a well, cither under or contiguous 
to one of the spires. B, first wind-mill, working 
pump, C, placed on the centre of a wooden cistern, 
D, of thirty or forty hogsheads capacity, whose 
bottom is perforated with pump stem, E, E, ex¬ 
tending down into the water in the well. F, 
second wind-mill, working pump, G, and filling 
reservoir, H, of similar capacity, from reservoir, 
D, through a tube I, I. J, J, conducting tube.—, 
0, the hydropathic mermaid, cascading dolphin, 
or any other monster fancy may create. I, stop¬ 
cock to let the water on the jet. N, stop-cock to 
let the water directly into the basin, and not thro’ 
the jet. The waste water is finally discharged 
into the well, A, by tube, M. Tho pressure on 
the tube, J, J, might be too heavy while the wa¬ 
ter was not discharging at the basin ; stop-cock 
P would relieve it. The waste water from cistern 
H, when full, may be discharged through tube R, 
into the conducting tube, J, J. 
By these arrangements, sixty or eighty hogs¬ 
heads of water would always be at command, and 
at an elevation at which it might be conducted 
over the dwelling house, lawn, garden, trees, etc. 
During calm weather it would keep a jet of mod¬ 
erate dimensions in play for several hours, and in 
windy weather the supply would be constant.— 
On the shores of Lake Erie no day paases with¬ 
out furnishing wind enough to keep the reservoirs 
replenished. In case of fire they would be equal 
to an ordinary fire engine. 
Is this Quixotism ?” 
