MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER : 
A QUARTO WEF.KLY 
Agricultural, Literary ami Family Newspaper. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORS, 
WITH All ABLE CORFS OF ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to bo 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- 
iect.s 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. 
g'ST’ Fon Terms, &c., see last page. 
> Progress and Improvement. 
| BARN-YARD MANURE.—No. IV. 
| r io convert the volatile carbonate of am¬ 
monia into tho non-volatilo sulphate of am¬ 
monia, has occupied tho attention of the 
most profound chemists of tho ago. Many 
plans have been proposed, but none of them, 
so far as wo arc informed, are practical and 
economical. Sprinkling tho heap with di¬ 
lutes sulphuric acid has been proposed. This 
will convert all tho carbonate of ammonia 
existing in tho heap at the time of appli¬ 
cation into a sulphate, but it will prevent 
fermentation and the formation of any more 
carbonate of ammonia. This plan, there¬ 
fore, will not accomplish the object. Sul- 
phato of iron (copperas.) has been often pro¬ 
posed. It will answer well in a chemical 
sense, but not in an economical one. Tho 
copporas costs too much to mako its appli¬ 
cation profitable, and tho presonco of tho 
iron in tho manure, is injurious rather than 
beneficial. Superphosphate of lime, with 
an extra proportion of sulphuric acid, made 
on purpose, wo havo used with success. As 
a general thing, however, wo think its use 
would not pay. “ But,” dio reader exclaims, 
“you are forgotting sulphate of limo, (gyp¬ 
sum.) I have seen it stated, time and again, 
in agricultural papers, as well as in ‘Lie¬ 
big's Agricultural Chemistry/ in ‘ Stock- 
hardt’s Chemical Field Lectures/ in ‘The 
Progressive Farmer/ and in every other 
work I have road on this subject, that plas¬ 
ter scattered in stables and on manure 
heaps, would arrest all tho escaping harts¬ 
horn and convert it into a fixod salt. Gyp¬ 
sum is cheap and tho application so easy 
that we cannot desire anything better for 
the purposo.” That is all true, except in 
ono particular; plaster will not convert (he 
carbonate of ammonia into a sulphate of am¬ 
monia. Liebig, StockiIardt and Nash, and 
tho agricultural papers, to tho contrary not¬ 
withstanding. Wo are exceedingly sorry 
that it will not. It would bo such a great 
advantage to tho farmer. By its aid, ho 
could reduco his whole manuro heap, by 
fermentation, to a few wagon loads, and it 
would bo so strong that a few bushels would 
be sufficient for an acre, saving an immense 
amount of labor and expense in hauling it 
to tho field, &c. “But can it bo possible 
that such able chemists have mado so great 
a blunder ?” It is easy to account for this 
fact. Chemists always work with their re¬ 
agents in solution, and sulphato of limo in 
solution will convert carbonate of ammonia 
into carbonate of limo and sulphato of am¬ 
monia. Such being tho case, the chemist, 
stung with tho taunt, “ Chemistry has done 
nothing for agriculture,” assorts that ho has 
discovered something that will bo of great 
benefit to every practical farmer, and states 
that by scattering gypsum on fermenting 
manuro, tho escaping ammonia will bo ar¬ 
rested. Learned authors embodied it in 
now works. Tho nowspapers tako up tho 
assertion and scatter it broadcast over tho 
land; so that at tho present time, it is as 
familiar as household words, and it you at¬ 
tempt to undecoivo a person on the subject, 
he will tako you for a young upstart, and 
advise you to speak a littlo more respect¬ 
fully of tho groat teachers of science. 
A short time since wo wore at tho houso 
of such a porson, and wero discussing this 
subject with him. llo is quito a scientific 
farmer and writer, and had been using gu¬ 
ano and plaster. There was some of both 
left in the barn. “Your arguments in favor 
of tho theory. ’ said wo, “ aro good, but let 
us apply a practical test. Here is some 
d guano and plaster. There is probably car- 
■' bonato of ammonia Hying off from tho gu- 
ano; let us see what effect mixing plaster 
;s with it will have. If your theory is correct 
/ it will of course stop tho exhalation. We 
. put tho two together, rubbed them briskly 
between tho hands, moistened with a little 
water, and then applied tho mixture to the 
. nostrils of our friend, llo quickly jerked 
his head away. Instead of fixing the am¬ 
monia, tho plaster aided tho decomposition 
of tho guano, and the ammonia was driven 
off with considerable rapidity. This simple 
. test satisfied our friend ; and wo would ro- 
commend all who aro sceptical on the point 
to make the experiment for themselves. 
Scattering dry or moist plaster on the 
■ manure heap, then, is of no use. But if 
! wo could only dissolvo it, it would bo just 
the very thing wo want. Cannot this be 
i done ? It is true that something like 400 
lbs. of water aro required to dissolvo one 
pound of plaster, but tho water could bo 
used over and over again, tho manuro ta¬ 
king the sulphato of limo from tho water 
as it filtered through it. The water in the 
tank should always bo kept saturated with 
plaster, and no water should ever bo allow¬ 
ed to get on to tho heap that did not con¬ 
tain plaster in solution. In this way plaster 
sufficient to form a considerable quantity of 
| sulphate of ammonia might bo placed in the 
heap without rendering tho manuro too wet 
for fermentation, inasmuch as tho carbonate 
of limo resulting from tho transformed sul¬ 
phato of lime, would materially assist de¬ 
composition. 
Wo seo but ono practical difficulty to this 
plan, and that is, tho water would dissolvo 
the sulphato of ammonia and carry it with 
it into tho tank, rendering fresh water ne¬ 
cessary. This may be avoided by placing at 
tho bottom of tho barn-yard, a quantity of 
clay soil, mixed with poat, &c., and making 
the water pass through this filter before it 
could get into the tank. In this way tho 
plan of saturating tho drainage of tho barn¬ 
yard with plaster, and pumping them on to 
the heap, and then re-saturating and re¬ 
pumping them back again, as soon as they 
drain back into tho tank, will bo found 
highly profitable. Not only will it preserve 
all the most valuable substances of tho ma¬ 
nuro, but it will onablo tho wheat growing 
farmer, to drivo off a great part of tho val¬ 
ueless portion of tho manure—carbon and 
water—and so reduce tho weight and bulk 
of tho heap, and tho labor and expense of 
applying it to tho soil. Manures managed 
in this way, and fermented to tho extent 
proposed, may bo used as top-dressing, with 
littlo if any loss. On loamy soil, it may bo 
drawn out in tho fall — the comparatively 
loisuro season of tho farmer — and spread 
on the land, ready for plowing in for corn, 
potatoes, &c., tho next spring. 
Nitrate of Soda. —Tho Jlmerican Agri¬ 
culturist copios our account of Mr. II. Shu- 
bart’s experiments with nitrate of soda and 
guano on corn, and earnestly appeals to far¬ 
mers to mako accurate experiments with tho 
nitrate, saying that it has “a good deal of 
confidence in tho idea that nitrate of soda 
will soon bo a successful competitor against 
monopolized guano,” wo trust tho experi¬ 
ment will be mado though wo havo but faint 
hopo thas tho idea of tho Agriculturist will 
prove correct. Tho valuo of guano consists 
in containing much ammonia; tho valuo of 
the nitrate in containing much nitric acid, 
and it is supposed that the lattor will afford 1 
nitrogen to plants as well as tho former.— l 
This may bo true. Wo think however, tho ( 
chiof value of ammonia is not in supplying 1 
tho plants with nitrogon, but in organizing J 
starch, or in depositing silicic acid on tho I 
stalks of corn or wheat &c. If this view is £ 
correct nitric acid can never tako tho place < 
of ammonia in tho vegetable organism, nor 1 
nitrate of soda compoto with guano as a s 
manuro for the coreals. \ 
' -A ‘ 
» ■ 1- -v^. 
' • ; 
RESIDENCE OB 0. S. FOWLER, ESQ., FISHKILI, N- Y. 
FOR GROUND PLAN ANI) DESCRIPTION OF THE ABOVE, SEE NEXT PAGE. 
NOTES FOR THE MONTH-BY S. W. 
manifold bonds. It has now become a fixed 
J. W. Barker, in the Rural of tho 12th I fact ’ that railroads to bc so,vcnt and P roflfc - 
says that, “an educated, intelligent society i abI °’ musfc bo built by the actual ca P ital of 
of farmers, would indeed present a striking ! tho stock subscribers, and not by borrowing 
anomaly, and a thing much to be desired.” at usunous interest. The exports from the 
I would ask if an intelligent, well educated C ‘ ty 0t N ° W York ’ during tho secon,i week 
society of shop-keepers, mechanics’, or.even 111 this m °nth,amounted to $2,310,457, more 
lawyers and doctors, would not be an tnau doubl ° tho amount of the correspond- 
anomaly in tho social circle. How ofton do ing WCok last year ’ The lar S est amount, 
wo seo a man who rejoices in his diploma, SayS tho Journa { °f Commerce, ever before 
ask for information on the most simple mat- ex P orted lrom Novv York in a sin gle week, 
tors of geography, history, or natural sci . i Durin S tho S^at monetary revulsion of’37, 
-- \JL UttbUIcll fed- 1 • , r. . . , 
ence. A writer in Putnam's Magazine says I mStead ° f 0 x P 0 rtlR S’ w0 sported wheat 
of tho American ladies, (anglice women ) fr0r " ElU '° 1 P °’ SOveral boat loads of which 
made at tho thousand dollar boarding 7“ br0Ught wes * on tho cana1 ’ as far as 
schools, that “ they are not practically fur- t,Ca ’ f °T >JGneca Falls > whero ifc was 
nished forth, with the knowledge and skill f° int ° fl ° m ’ * 0r h ° m ° consum Ption. 
for which their parents have paid so much ” 2s ° W0 “ d “ r our farmer ’ 8 then felfc tho ^ 
How much better fitted for the battle of life T** 1 T™. Th ° Cmllt Sy8tem ’ in ‘ 
is the farmer’s daughter, well and early duced by bank mttatl0ns ’ had then done its 
trained; and how much more respectable P cr,act ™ rk >n depressing our industry.- 
she is in her practical usefulness, domestic thls . timo our ^cultural and manufac- 
tact and accomplishments, than tho spoiled turil,g intorosts aro to ° collossal and pros- 
daughter of fashion is. in her vorv simor- P erou s t° b © jostled by stock-gambling, bank 
daughter ot fashion is, in her very super¬ 
ficial knowledge of a very littlo French, 
painting, music, &c., &c.; acquirements, in 
inflations, or inflating tariffs, for protection. 
Grape Vines — I know of no gift of Po- 
nino cases out of ton, so evanescent that like I mona moro perfect in our soil and climate, 
soap bubbles, they explode quickly in the i ban that of the Isabella grape vino. While 
atmosphere of married life; leaving tho P each and plum trees are devoured roof and 
poor matron helpless, in her increasing ro- ! branch * by . impracticable insects, and every 
sponsibilitios, with nothing to compensate ' a PP* e bas wonn > tho Isabella grape is in 
her for her abject dependence on kitchen ful1 P orfection > ripening slowly from the 
help, of tho most inefficient, trying sort, but lotb °* ^ e P tom hor to tho last of October; 
a superficial knowledge of light reading and after which thoy may bo savod inta ct, in saw 
colloquial facility, which passes for female duSfc throu g h tho winter. The vine requires 
accomplishment in this, our day and age? raore care than a common Iruit tree: 
But while tho dutios of a farmer’s wife, and must be closely trimmed, botoro the sap 
starts in tho spring; dig around tho root 
two or threo times in tho season and ma¬ 
nure with fresh stable dung and soap suds. 
all other wives, however respectable, are 
simple and practical; that of the farmer, 
so far at least as relates to his vocation in 
Nature’s great laboratory, the farm, without Iho \ino doos best in a clay loam, on the 
being at all comnlfix nr mvst.fivffino • soutn or ea£t sido of a house, tho cellar 
being at all complex or mysterious; requires 
much thought, observation and care, with 
correspondent study and practical industry; 
hence, tho truth of Mr. Barker’s assertion, 
that an intelligent community of farmers is 
“a consummation devoutly to bo wished.” 
Much is now said about tho tightness of 
the money market in New York, and tho j 
serves as an underdrain; it may bo trained 
up or from tho house, by the aid of long 
posts and palings. A vino thus treated, at 
seven years old, will boar four or five bush¬ 
els of grapes. 
Waterloo, Seueca Co., N. Y.. Nov. 25, 1853: 
Phosphate of Lime.— Tho Farm Journal 
consequent heavy failures there. There- asks if any one can tell what has been done 
vulsion that succeeded 1836, shook tho in regard to the bods of mineral phosphate 
whole country to its centre, farmers felt it of limo discovered sometime since,and which 
in common with all tho industrial classes; were supposed to bo of great valuo. We 
but the present crisis seems to bo confined have made some inquiry into this subject, 
to tho largo commercial cities, where stock and find that nothing has boon done with 
gambling and building railroads with paper tho phosphate. Tho reason of this is that 
dovicos, has been pushed to tho ultimate the owners supposed the deposits to be as 
point. Our farmers never owed loss, they valuable as a California gold mine, and threo 
got largo prices for all thoir products, and years since asked tho writer §50 per ton for 
tho industrious, managing ones, who have it. Animal charcoal is equal to it, and can 
something to sell, havo pockets full of mon- bo bought in any of our large cities for §10 j 
oy. Tho manner in which our banks are per ton. The mineral phosphato is worth, 
now restricted, in thoir issues, has doubtless in London, about §15 per ton, and if the 
saved many of them from being complicated owners can sell it for that it would be ox- 
with railroads of tho fancy variety, and their tonsively used there. 
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL FAIRS. 
Mr. Editor:— Although it may bo con¬ 
sidered out of season tG say any thing about 
. our lato County Fair, still, having been 
prevonted from noticing it before, I beg to 
bo indulged in a few remarks. It will bo 
‘conceded by all, that tho legitimate object 
of our County Fairs is, progress and im¬ 
provement. Tho design is to excite emula¬ 
tion ; -to stimulate to renewed and greater 
efforts, our activo, enterprising, practical 
farmers. Tho exhibition of superior stock, 
and fine products is mado, for tho doublo 
purposo of showing tho excellence of tho 
articles offered, and also of comparing them 
with tho productions of others. Such com¬ 
parison is considered one of the most effi¬ 
cient means of exciting ambition among 
producers. In further aid of this object, 
premiums are offered for tho best specimens 
ot stock and products. It is not tho amount 
of tho premium that exorts such influence, 
but it is tho fact that a premium is a public 
testimonial in favor of tho article to which 
it is awarded ; and also, of tho person by 
•vhom it is offered. Now, to give reasona- 
1 ole satisfaction to exhibitors, and to give 
due influence and importance to this testi¬ 
monial, the judges should bo competent 
men — men ot character and sound judg¬ 
ment— men ot influence, whoso opinions 
and decisions would command respect. To 
committees composed of such men, a fair 
and reasonable compensation for their timo 
and servicos should assuredly be mado. 
To ensure, also, the highest benefits of 
such exhibition, it should be as extensive as 
possiblo. The larger tho amount of stock 
and products exhibited, tho greater tho 
merit tor excelling in tho comparison. In 
this view ot the subject, I have considered 
it unfortunate, that our recent County Fair 
should have been divided, and separate ex¬ 
hibitions bo held, in the Eastern and in the 
Western sections of tho County. Such ex¬ 
hibitions would excite but little more than 
half tho interest that would be felt in a 
Central Fair, embracing tho entire County. 
As the Ag. Society will meet in January to 
decide upon regulations for the coming 
year, I hope no such arrangement as the 
one adopted the past year, will be thought 
of for a moment. 
I havo a word also to say in regard to 
the dispensing of premiums. When we 
consider that tho object in awarding pre¬ 
miums, is not to benefit tho speculator, but 
to encourage tho producer; and to stimu¬ 
late him to efforts in rearing tho best stock, 
growing the host products, and manufactur¬ 
ing the best articles, it would, in my view, 
greatly frustrate this object to award the 
premium for articles, (however excellent 
they might bo.) that had been purchased by 
the speculator for exhibition, and not grown 
