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VOLUME IV. NO. 43. I 
MOORE’S RURAL KEW-YORKER.: 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper, 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE CORPS OF ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
The Rural Nf.w-Yorkkr is designed to be unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
and \ ariety 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 — 
intersperseu with many appropriate and handsome engrav¬ 
ings—than any other paper published in this Country. 
STS' 1 ” Ror Terms, &c., see last page. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1853. 
WHOLE NO. 204. 
mint 
iter. 
; Progress and Improvement. 
; BARN-YARD MANURE.—No. III. 
5 I he first object of tho farmer in making 
) manu re, will bo to givo his animals those 
) kinds ot food which, other things being 
s equal, contain tho most nitrogen. The next 
) most important point is, how to treat the 
( manure so as to retain all the valuable ele- 
^. ments it contains, and at tho same time 
8 reduco its bulk as much as possiblo by for- 
c mentation. Tho last consideration is sel- 
/ dom mentioned by scientific writers, but it 
^ must not bo forgotten. It is intimately con- 
) nected with the expense and profit attend- 
) ing the application of manure. If, as wo 
r assert, the carbon of the manure is of littlo 
) valuo on a wheat farm, and its water of no 
I vaum; and if carbon and water compose 
four-fifths of all unfermented barn-yard ma- 
nuro, as wo know they do, it cannot but bo 
to our advantage to reduco their quantity, 
if it can bo done without loss to tho valu- 
> able portions of tho manure. 
j Tho most valuable part of tho excrements 
> of animals is tho liquid. More loss is sus- 
] tabled by allowing this to run to waste 
> than in any other one thing. Rapid for- 
i mentation in a loose heap, is another source 
; of loss. Allowing tho oaves water to run 
i on and leach out tho soluble portion of the 
manure is another common mal-practice. 
Those three evils every ono familiar with 
agriculture must have observed. Tho loss 
to each individual farmer by such misman¬ 
agement is groat, and, viewed as a national 
evil, is most appalling. Tho direct loss to 
the farmers themselves, in tho aggregate, is 
immense; while tho indirect loss to tho 
country is positively inestimable. To pre¬ 
vent this loss wo must, in tho first place, 
save tho liquid excrements. This is a pro¬ 
blem which has puzzled the most scientific 
farmers ot tho age. The difficulty is much 
greater in England, whore turnips contain¬ 
ing 90 per cent, of water are used for stall 
feeding, than with us. Hero if tho build¬ 
ings are all spouted, tho greater part of the 
liquid of tho animals and tho rain fulling on 
tho surface of the yard may bo absorbed in 
tho course of tho year. To do this, tho bot¬ 
tom of the yard should bo covered with dry 
peat, muck, saw-dust, wasto straw, potato 
vines and numerous other absorbent sub¬ 
stances which can bo found on most farms, 
and which, valuoloss in themselves, can thus 
bo mado into enriching fertilizers. Tho 
bottom of tho yard should gently slopo to 
ono point whoro a tank must bo built. In 
this tho superabundant liquid of tho rainy 
season can bo preserved and pumped back : 
on to tho hoap, when it needs it. 
In tho socond placo, wo must keep up a 1 
gradual and slow fermentation, keeping the l 
hoap as near as possible at a temperature of i 
from 90 to 100°. If horse or sheep ma¬ 
nure bo thrown up loosoly, so that thoro is ; 
a free admission of air and moisture, rapid < 
and most injurious decomposition takes 
place with tho evolution of carbonate of 1 
ammonia and water. This burning process 1 
(for it is nothing loss than a slow process of ] 
actual combustion,) may bo allowed to go s 
on till tho hoap is reduced to a worthless s 
mass of humus and ashes. On tho other t 
hand, if hog and cow manuro bo thrown in- < 
to a solid heap, little or no formontation 
takes placo, and tho mass will remain in a 
raw state unsuitable for direct application 
to rapidly growing plants. Tho object of 
tho farmer, therefore, should bo to mix theso 
several manures together, so that the liorso 
and sheep manuro shall act as a formont 
and induco tho desired decomposition in tho 
hog and cow manuro. In this way they 
will bo beneficial to each other, and the heap 
by spring will bo in good condition for di¬ 
rect application to corn, potatoes, &c.— 
Sheep do not like to lio on a fermenting 
manuro heap. Thoy should, if possiblo, 
have a separate yard to run in at night, and 
the manuro they make be hauled back to 
the common heap as often as practicable, 
fresh straw being supplied in its placo. It 
is necessary that sheep and cattle should 
run on tho manure heap iu order to com¬ 
press it and prevent too rapid fermentation. 
It theso conditions—spouting the buildings 
to prevent leaching, having a tank to savo 
the liquid which straw and othor absorbents 
will not retain in wot weather, and mixing 
the different manures together in a compact 
heap, so as to sustain a slow and prevent a 
too rapid formontation—aro complied with, 
tho valuo of tho manure on most farms 
would be doublod. There is, however, ono 
other point of special importance to which 
wo shall call attention next week. 
TOP - DRESSING-OIL - CAKE, &C. 
Mr. Editor In tho Rural of Sept. 24, 
1 you say that “ tho process of top dressing 
1 with manuro is littlo hotter than lost.”— 
Now, sir, I have for tho last 1G or 18 years 
used all my barn-yard manure as top-dress¬ 
ing, that is, I draw out the manure and put 
it in a large heap or heaps, in spring. The 
end of September and early in October, I 
havo it spread over grass land, which i 3 to 
put in corn iu spring, and plow down tho 
manure immediately before planting. I 
still beliovo the practice to bo good, as du¬ 
ring all those 15 or 16 years my crops havo, 
at least, been as good as any grown by my 
neighbors on similar soil, and surely you 
must have seen grass greatly improved by 
top-dressing with barn-yard manuro. You 
may not have seen, but I havo, extra crops 
of wheat raised by top-dressing with barn¬ 
yard manuro after tho wheat was sown, and 
also put on in winter when tho ground was 
hard irozon. I know ot no other way by 
which my poor land can bo mado to pro¬ 
duce as good crops of wheat as by this way. 
In no way can manure bo mado to go over 
so much land, and raise a first rate crop, as 
by top-dressing. Try it and you will see I 
am right. No matter what kind of soil, only 
havo it dry. I havo soen it stated in a num¬ 
ber of newspapers that Liebig says that 22 
lbs. of oil-cako will put on as much fat as 
50 lbs. of corn meal. 
“ Some books are lies, from end to end, 
And some great lies were never penned.” 
There never was a greator falsehood 
penned, than that 22 lbs. of oil-cako is as 
good to put on fat as 56 lbs. of corn meal. 
1 have for the last 16 years fed from 10 to 
20 tons ot oil-cake every winter, and have 
tried it with cattloof all kinds, from calvos to 
oxen, and I yot cannot say whether oil-cako 
meal or Indian corn meal is best, bushel for 
bushol. Oil-cako meal will start cattlo a 
littlo sooner than corn, but I havo always 
observed tho drovers, on handling, prefer 
those fed on corn meal. I have very often 
fed part of my cattlo all oil-cako meal, and 
part corn meal to try to provo which was 
best. If thoro is any difference, I would 
givo tho proforenco to tho oil-cako, but there 
is vory littlo difforonco if any. 
A word or two to tho Genesee Farmer. _ 
I noticed in one sovcral months ago that a 
correspondent mado inquiry through tho 
Farmer, how oil-cake should bo ground to 
feed sheep. The editor did not lot it come 
beforo tho public without his answer accom¬ 
panying it, which was, “ That for sheop, it 
should bo ground into half inch lumps, as 
sheop liked something to nibble at, and that 
they woro not vory easy to learn to oat oil 
cako.” 
Now, I beliovo you might as woll offer ’ 
a sheep musket flints to eat as offer them half 
a inch pieces of oil-cake;—they could as readily 
f crush the one as tho othor, and as for learn- 
a ing them to eat oil-cake meal, that I have 
3 never found any troublo. If they refuse it, 
t Rny farmer of the commonest observation, 
3 knows that the horse, tho ox and sheep 
j never refuse oats when in health. If either 
) refuse oil-cako moal, all he has got to do is 
- to sprinkle oats over tho oil-cake moal oneo 
- or twice, and ho will see sheep and cattlo oat 
j it freely. John Johnston. 
Near Geneva, N. Y. 
l Remarks. —Tho article from which the 
» extract in reference to top-dressing was 
, quoted, was written by one of the most in- 
; tolligent practical farmers of Monroe county, 
and the statemont, therefore, is not a more 
theoretical deduction, as Mr. Johnston evi¬ 
dently supposes. Wo have not now space 
to discuss this subject, and will therefore 
turn it over to our experienced correspon¬ 
dents. 
The newspapers are in error if thoy as¬ 
cribe to Liebig the statement that 22 lbs. of 
oil cako is equal to 56 lbs. of corn. Bous- 
singault, generally the most rcliablo au¬ 
thority, on such subjects, states that 22 lb 3 . 
of oil cako is equal to 59 lbs. of “ now 
maize.” He gives this as tho result of actu¬ 
al experiments on his farm at Bechelbronn. 
Ho states that theory would make 22 lbs. 
of oil cako equal to 70 lbs. of corn. This is 
correct if tho theory that tho relative nu¬ 
tritious valuo of food was in proportion to 
tho nitrogen it contains, was true, but Mr. 
Laaves experiments on sheep feeding show 
that this is not the caso, and we a 7 inclined 
to think that tho nutritious quality of corn 
is nearly as Ijigh as oil cake. Yet, the far¬ 
mer who should feed corn instead of oil 
cake, when both are at tho same price, 
would make a great mistake, for wediave no 
hesitation in saying, that one load of ma¬ 
nuro mado by animals eating oil cako, is 
equal to two made by animals eating corn. 
Will Mr. Johnston give us his experience on 
this point ? 
Tho article quoted from tho Genesee Far¬ 
mer, was from tho pen of the writer. We 
do not think that sheep will eat leaden bul- 
lots, but we know that sheep ivill eat half inch 
lumps of American oil cake. Wo wero in 
the habit, at Rothamsted, of feeding from 
50 to 100 tons of American oil cako, each 
year, to slioep, and merely crushed it into 
half inch lumps, avoiding grinding it as 
much as possible, tho shepard declaring that 
tho sheop wasted tho meal and appeared to 
liko tho lumps much tho best. American 
oil cako is much bottor pressed than the 
English, containing less oil, and more nitro¬ 
gen ; tho English is mado in cakos about an 
inch thick, which wero easily broken’; the 
American came in cakes similar to a small 
cheese, and was so hard that it had to bo 
brokon by a heavy hammer previous to 
crushing into small lumps. 
Gordon Evans. 
PLAN OF AN ICE-HOUSE. 
WAGENER’S CLOVER AND TIMOTHY SEED HARVESTER, 
The inquiry of your correspondent, two 
weeks since, relative to tho best mode of 
constructing an Ico-IIouse, recalled a con¬ 
versation which passed a few days before 
between Mr. Alpiieus Morse of Eaton, Mad¬ 
ison Co., and myself upon his ico house, 
which ho said had now beon built four years, 
and during tho entire time had not been 
without ice in it from tho first time it was 
filled. I vory naturally inquired how it was 
built, and for the benefit ot your reader, 
who covots this “cold comfort,” send you a 
sketch showing a vertical section of the 
house down through its centre, together 
with a description of tho same. 
Tho house is 12 by 16 foot outside and 
about 10 by 14 feot in tho clear, and 8 feet 
clear in hight, and, allowing 60 lbs. to tho 
cubic foot, will contain of solid ico nearly 
five tons. 
Tho most favorable sito is upon a level or 
moderately sloping surface, with a subsoil 
froo from hardpan, or at least so pervious 
to water that the small amount formed will 
pass gradually off without a drain. But 
when a drain is necessary it should be made 
Y hy do not all farmers grow their own 
clo\ ex seed ? we havo often asked, and been 
generally answered —“ It pays very well, 
but thon it is so much troublo harvesting, 
and such nasty dirty work thrashing and 
cleaning, that most ot us prefer to buy seed 
ot those who make a business of growing it.” 
I his was a regular knock-down argument, 
and cut short our enthusiastic calculation 
of how much tho country would gain if 
clover seed growing were moro general; 
thus, if farmers raised their own seed, they 
would not bo so sparing of it, they would 
sow clover oftenor and more acres each 
year, and this plowod under, or eaten on 
the farm, would greatly increase tho wheat 
and corn crops, and so tho whole universal 
Yankee nation and tho rest of mankind 
would bo enriched simply by every farmer 
growing higj-own clover seed. The objectic n 
of Squire Dreaddust, we say, upset this 
glorious calculation, and things remain as 
thoy wore beforo. 
Happily Mr. Wagener, with his clover 
sood harvester, steps in at the right time, 
and with his assistance we will again urge 
our suit. This machine — consisting of a 
simple frame and box, mounted on wheels, 
with a cylinder in front, sot with sjural 
knives acting in concert with curved spring 
teeth in combination with a straight knife, 
forming a perfect shear — cuts off the heads 
of the clover and deposits them in a box, 
leaving tho clover stalks on tho land, to bo 
plowed in as manure for tho succeeding 
crop. Tho seed is easily thrashed out and 
cleaned from these heads, and thus, with 
this machine, tho great practical objection 
to growing clover seed—the trouble of har- 
vesting, thrashing and cleaning—is removod. 
Iho machine is drawn by one horse, and 
will harvest ton acres per day. It is so 
constructed that it can be adjusted by a 
lever, on tho loft side of the box, to suit tho 
height of any particular crop of clover or 
timothy. The teoth aro mado to spring 
and vibrate, so that it is said not a ear of 
clover escapes cutting, or tho teoth become 
clogged. It is the invention of J. A. Wag¬ 
ener, of Pultney, Steuben Co., N. Y. 
T. G. Steadman, Holley, N. Y., exhibited 
a machine vory similar to this at the Mon¬ 
roe Co. Ag. Society’s Fair in ’52, since which 
time we have not heard of it. 
VERTICAL SECTION OF ICE - HOUSE. 
a3 for laying an open throat, and then bo I , 
filled in for a foot or less at tho bottom with p aco ^LTd f “ kS ^ ^ 
fine gravel; for in building an ice-house ono T W * by hoavdw S both 
fact must bo kept steadily in view thlt the ^ ^ M F 19 a Ven ' 
air within tho house will be heavier than VS? passa f e lnt ° tho loffc > aild from the 
that without during summer and will grad- y ? ventllatlon 18 off ccted through open 
ually flow out at any opening that may bo “ T* gabI ° 
left at or noar tho bottom of the building h ' . 1 l * ’ e JOi£its are driven hooks lor 
and its placo be supplied with warm air’ h , angl " g fresh meat ’ whlch kee P s w ell for 
through tho ventilators; hence an open ”T ^ Iength ° f time in tho hottest 
drain should bo avoided. Beneath the « Z' . • 
building the soil is excavated to tho depth . aW d “ t . IS USCd packing tho ice in i 
of a foot or eighteen inches and an under- 27 T ^ t0 yea * ^ 
pinning laid in lime mortar. Tho space ? W'S f °- purpose - 1 shouId sa y 
within the wall is filled even with its top fchat ^e door is, like the walls, made double 
with small stones, G. A sinMo joist is placed am lllIed mt f dr ? * au - la order that 11 
across tho middle to keep “the plank floor TV T" V doorshouId be mado 
level, which rests directly upon the loose 8 UP °" ,h# “ least th ° *»* 
stone, O In an open subsoil tho space Upon a dairy farm a uood ice-house is 
among the st one beneath the floor affords indispensable, both for coollg mUk ft W 
frnrlTT Iwl*’ 0 ' •,-r removed ing it sweet through the night for cheese 
fioni beneath tho building is drawn up o nr i _ • - n 0 * 
against the wall as seen at H. The silta are T T S ’ Cre ” m b “ ttcr at 
12 inches wide, as aro tho joists over head bes ‘j° a cr ? slal 
and the plates; studs aro framed into the 1 , ? ' ) ‘'° PS '."‘I “ P ' tcher of wato 
sills and plates on both tho out and inside P , OT f 1,ot T lmoas da >' with a s » an <l po¬ 
und good common beards are nailed“C f“^ 1 y«»'-”fe«dp.ttention,of.ref re »h- 
tho inside of the inner set of studs cross- ‘“ S “ ra " gh \ , A P ,at0 °‘ <> a «oron a similar 
wise; and two thicknesses, tho first thin 0Ce “.' 0n wh,ch str0,, « symptoms of 
stuff and the other breaking joints, are nail- 7”T1' 1S “° St o fcect " all - v brougl,t t0 a 
ed up and pown upon rib pieces, L, let iiuo Zo’oL * “ a "' fla ‘ 
the outside tier of studs. The space be- *<, ,3 ^ 
