MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEBKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY JOURNAL 
ing, so as to cover at equal depths as far as 
may be. 
There are several varieties of spring wheat • 
those of most recent introduction are the Fife, 
Club and Tea. The first is highly commended 
for late sowing, as it is generally free from rust, 
and is one of the whitest spring wheats. The 
Black Sea, Italian and Siberian, have been long¬ 
er known, and are each valuable in their way. 
Our remarks thus far have been made with 
reference to the culture of spring wheat in sec¬ 
tions which now produce winter wheat, or have 
formerly done so. On the prairies of the West 
it is at present grown almost exclusively, and 
yields large returns in favorable seasons. The 
preparation there consists in fall plowing wheat 
or oat stubble, and harrowing in the seed in the 
spring, as early as the land can be worked.— 
Corn not being cut up, but picked, and the 
stalks fed off during winter by cattle, the ground 
of course cannot be plowed for wheat until 
spring. It is sometimes thoroughly done (after 
the western fashion of thoroughness) but very 
often they merely “ split the hills,” put on the 
seed, and harrow in. When sown on " new 
breaking,” it is on that made the previous sum¬ 
mer, and not re-plowed for this crop. We saw, 
last season, many thousand acres of wheat cul¬ 
tivated in the different ways above described, 
at a very small cost, much of which would yield 
twenty-five bushels per acre ; and, looking 
upon it when golden for the harvest, we are 
sure we never saw a more beautiful sight, or 
one calculated to give a more favorable idea of 
the prairie land farming. 
— It is a question with us, whether instead 
of attempting to grow spring wheat in Western 
New York, we had not better turn our atten¬ 
tion to other products, less easily procured and 
transported, and buy this of our Western neigh¬ 
bors, who can grow it much more easily and 
cheaply, and of equal or better quality. A few 
more seasons like that of 1855, will leave it a 
settled question with many farmers, if they are 
not already satisfied. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE CORPS OP ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
SPECIAL i 
H. T. BROOKS, 
T. C. PETERS, 
II. C. WHITE, 
CONTRIBUTORS I 
Prof. C. DEWEY, 
L. B. LANGWORTHY, 
!, T. E. WETMORE. 
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 tho important Practical Subjects connected 
with tho business of those whose interests it advocates. It 
embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, Mechan¬ 
ical, Literary and News Matter, lntorspersod with many appro¬ 
priate and beautiful Engravings, than any other paper published 
in this Country,—rendering it a complote Agricultural, Lit¬ 
erary and Family Newspaper. 
For Terms, and other particulars, seo last page. 
AG RICULTURALRotfliii 
clew Rtrows 
SPRING WHEAT. 
Spring Wheat, until recently, has received 
little attention in this section of the country. 
A very good reason for this neglect may be 
found in the fact that a better article monopo¬ 
lized the demand, and could he grown with 
nearly equal facility. While winter wheat 
could be had at low rates, millers would scarce¬ 
ly buy spring grain — though tlie difference in 
value was much less than in price, and arose, 
too largely perhaps, from our prejudices. Of 
late years, the former having proved an uncer¬ 
tain crop from the ravages of the Hessian fly 
and wheat midge, farmers have turned some 
attention to the latter, in the hope of escaping 
these evils. Had they known more of spring 
wheat, this hope would liavo been less of an in¬ 
centive, but the more general trial of this grain 
has not been without its influences upon our 
agriculture. 
Our present purpose, however, has more to do 
with the practical than the historical or specu¬ 
lative. The experience of late years has ena¬ 
bled our farmers to give its*proper position to 
this crop, and has taught us that while soil and 
culture has very much to do with success in 
wheat-growing, wherever sown or of whatever 
variety, that the accidents of season and insects 
cannot wholly be guarded against by any pro¬ 
cess of human labor or foresight. Leaving the 
latter influences out of the question, let us state 
some of the conditions necessary in the cul¬ 
tivation of spring wheat in this section. 
Tho best soil for this crop is that of a loamy 
character, with some portion of clay, but one in 
which neither sand nor clay have a large pre¬ 
dominance. A light sand or heavy clay soil 
will not give good crops of wheat, nor will one 
of low, mucky character. A deep, active soil is 
also required, as the crop has only a short time 
—about one hundred days—to grow and ma¬ 
ture. This fact should always be kept in mind, 
as it is an important consideration. 
Thorough preparation of the soil should be 
given. A clover ley turned under carefully in 
tlie fall, and cultivated or plowed lightly with 
the gang-plow in the spring, is thought to give 
the best chance for spring wheat. We have 
noticed several instances bearing upon the 
question, which incline us to the opinion that 
fall-plowed land produces tho best crops, when 
not re-plowed in the spring, especially if tho 
fall plowing be properly performed. Corn 
stubble, of the right soil, well manured for that 
crop, and then plowed deeply in spring and 
brought into fine tilth, is also a good prepara¬ 
tion. Other stubble lands needing to bo ma¬ 
nured for spring wheat, would be more uncer¬ 
tain than either the fall-plowed clover ley, or 
manured corn ground. The manure applied 
should be pretty thoroughly decomposed, and 
the plowing and preparation such as to ensure 
a deep and mellow soil. Guano, poudrette, and 
other concentrated manures might be employed 
in this case with good effect. 
It is pretty generally agreed that very early 
or very late sowing succeeds best, where injury 
from the wheat midge is apprehended. This 
insect has a certain period in which it commits 
its depredations, slightly varying in season, 
and continuing about twenty days from the 
middle of June. Late-sowed wheat is more 
subject to injury from tho Hessian fly. As to 
the manner of sowing, it is more essential that 
spring wheat be covered and come up evenly, 
than winter wheat, as it lias more effect upon 
its even ripening. Hence the seed should be 
either drilled in, or great care taken in harrow- 
mmm 
GEOLOGICAL AND STATE AGRICULTURAL HALL, ALBANY. 
Above we present a view of the new building 
at Albany, erected by the State for the accom¬ 
modation of the Natural History Collection, and 
the New York State Agricultural Society—the 
“ Agricultural Rooms” being the head-quarters 
of said Association. This structure takes the 
place of the old State Hall, erected in 1797 
and is a very neat and substantial edifice. The 
improvement was much needed, and the Society 
and people of the State interested are indebted 
to the Agricultural Committees of the Legisla¬ 
ture of 1854, (a prominent member of which, 
and influential advocate of this measure, was 
our Special Contributor, Hon. T. C. Peters, of 
Genesee,) for securing the necessary appropria¬ 
tions. The following description of the build¬ 
ing is by Wm. L. Woolet, Jr., the architect: 
“The building is of ‘ pressed brick,’ with 
Clover, in its natural state, is a biennial, and 
must bo renewed after the second year,—hence, 
perhaps, arises its under-estimation as a pasture 
grass. It is not, however, a biennial in all 
cases, as, if not allowed to blossom, it will gen¬ 
erally live over the second winter ; thus taking 
rank with triennial plants. The crop is also 
partially renewed by the seed which germinates 
the second year from the first sowing, and from 
that which falls from the ripened heads of the 
second and following years, so that some clover 
will grow on a field once seeded — if not fed or 
mown too closely — for four or five years. This 
fact has given rise to the opinion, so confidently 
advanced by some, that clover was a perennial, 
and that the cause of its disappearance, after a 
few years, from meadows and pastures, was the 
superior hardiness of the true perennial grasses, 
which over-ran and crowded out the clover, 
after the second or third season. 
As pasture, we remarked that clover appeared 
to be held in too little estimation. 13(it it is 
looked upon as “ a good thing ” by all domestic 
animals. No one who is engaged in raising 
pork, and would do so economically, should 
neglect to provide a good clover pasture for his 
swine. “A pig in clover,” has become a synonym 
for hilarious enjoyment, and if pigs are ever 
jovial, it is when they can riot at will in a luxu¬ 
riant growth of this plant. Horses thrive, and 
cows yield large returns of milk, when feeding 
upon it. Sheep are rather too fond of it, as they 
eat it too closely to allow its thrifty growth. It 
is one of the cheapest means of pasturage which 
can be employed, if one would have good pas¬ 
turage, and, will give a large and rapid growth, 
equal to, if not exceeding the other grasses. 
For hay, clover is equally important and 
valuable. But it is more liable to be injured in 
curing than some other meadow crops, as it is 
more succulent, and more abundant in leaves 
than most of them. If dried without burning, 
and stored without dampness, it makes hay of 
highly nutritious character for either cattle, 
sheep, or horses. 
Of sowing clover, we have already spoken, but 
we neglected to mention a valuable implement 
fordoing this —tlie simple, cheap and portable 
“Clover and Timothy Seed Sower,” advertised 
last week by Hallock, of this city. Farmers 
who have tried it, assure us that it performs 
admirably, and is really all that it claims to be. 
As to the time of sowing, it may be well to add 
a caution against being too early, as the young 
plants may be killed by late frosts; and we 
should also remark that sowing on the snow, as 
is frequently practiced with advantage, some¬ 
times results in the carrying away of tlie seed 
by a sudden thaw or rain, and leaving the 
greater portion of it in the deep furrows and 
water-courses. 
The manurial value of clover, as lias been 
already remarked, is greater than that of any 
other plant which can be as economically em¬ 
ployed. Easily and cheaply raised, affected by 
few of the casualties so common to most crops, 
and in a form readily applied to the soil, it takes 
high rank as green manure. It is an available 
means of returning to the soil not only the ma¬ 
terials which the plant has drawn out of it, but 
the additional organic matter which the plant 
itself has elaborated from the atmosphere. “ It 
has decomposed,” says Dana, “during the short 
period of its growth, more silicates and salts 
than the air could effect during I he same period, 
which, being turned in, restore to the soil from 
which they grew, salts and silicates in a uew 
form, whose action on vegetation is like that of. 
the alkalies.” 
It is a question of much importance in agri¬ 
culture, whether we had better plow clover 
under in the height of its growth, or allow it first 
to ripen and partially dry and decay. Some 
contend that it possesses far the greatest value in 
the latter case, and their experiments show it 
to be so. This is explained by the authority 
above quoted, as “ a result of the fact that dry 
plants give more organic matter than green.— 
Green plants ferment, dry plants decay. A 
large portion escapes in fermentation, as gas 
and more volatile products are formed, than 
during decay. The one is a quick consuming 
fire, the other a slow mouldering ember, giving 
off, during all its progress, gases which feed 
plants and decompose the soil.” 
by winters that have been termed mild, when 
the thermometer scarce reached as low as zero ; 
but this was attributable to the amount of freez¬ 
ing and thawing, with an excess of moisture in 
the soil, causing the roots to heave partially out 
of the ground. This I apprehend has been the 
real cause of the failure of some experiments 
with the Osage Orange in New England and 
other northern localities. Sufficient care has 
not been taken to secure dryness of the soil 
about the roots, or to mulch the plants well in 
autumn, where the ground is at all liable to 
heave. I would also advise that in setting 
hedges on such soils, good strong plants, (two 
years old if possible,) should be chosen, as they 
will take deeper bold in the soil before winter 
overtakes them. 
Having recently sold considerable quantities 
of Osage Orange plants and seeds, to go to 
Western New York and Canada, I would im¬ 
press upon all who may think of trying this 
best of all hedges, the absolute necessity of 
frequent and severe trimming for the first two or 
three years after tlie plants are set, so as to se¬ 
cure a close and wide base close to the ground, 
before the hedge is allowed to attain height. 
The following instructions on this point, writ¬ 
ten for the Ohio Cidtivator, are the result of 
twelve years’ experiment and observation : 
Trimming the Hedge. —One year after plant¬ 
ing, the plants will have several shoots each, 
from 3 to G feet in height, and these must all be 
cut off quite down to the surface of the ground. (If 
the growth, from a bad season or other cause, 
lias been quite small, this cutting may be de¬ 
ferred till the following spring.) Each root 
will now throw up several strong shoots, and 
on rich soil, where the plants are vigorous, 
these shoots should all he cut off about thje mid¬ 
dle of June, within three inches of the ground, 
but on ordinary soils the growth will not be so 
strong as to render tlie cutting advisable before 
Cawnuunratmts 
HARDINESS OF THE PLANT. —HEDGE CULTURE 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker :— I have received 
several letters from Western New York, and 
one or two from Canada, making inquiry re¬ 
specting the hardiness of the Osage Orange’ 
and especially as to the effects of the past se¬ 
vere winter on the young plants ; and as there 
is a growing interest felt in the subject of hedges 
throughout the country, I bare thought an an¬ 
swer to these inquiries might be of service to 
the re’ ders of the Rural. 
The past winter in Ohio, I think has afforded 
good evidence that the Osage Orange is capable 
of enduring tlie utmost degree of cold that is 
likely to occur in most of tlie habitable portions 
oi our country. The autumn was unusually 
moist, so that the plants had no chance to ripen 
their wood, but continued to grow until overta¬ 
ken by hard frosts. Then the winter set in 
suddenly with great rigor, the thermometer 
reaching as low as 15° to 20° below 0 early in 
January, and from 20 to 28 below in February, 
and 10 to 18 below as late as the lOtli of March, 
in different parts of Central and Southern Ohio, 
where there are specimens of Osage Orange 
hedge, or nurseries of the plants in every coun¬ 
ty ; and after much examination and inquiry, I 
am unable to find a single case of injury, fur¬ 
ther than the killing of a portion of the last 
year’s growth of wood, as usual, which is no 
damage whatever, as more will need to be cut 
off in pruning than is killed by the winter. 
In a nursery of 200,000 young plants, one and 
two years old, I am unable to discover a single 
one killed by tlie winter, although no protect ion 
whatever was given them. Indeed I have often 
known much greater injury done to such plants 
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[ SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
VOLUME VII. N0.UU 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.,-SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1856. 
{WHOLE NO. 326. 
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