I 
1 
'fcMwfe 
ture to germinate readily, and the crop is often 
injured by the delay. Four pounds of good 
seed is amply sufficient for an acre. 
The weeding and cultivation should be clean 
and thorough. As soon as the weeds begin to 
appear, run the cultivator between the rows and 
follow with the hoe and hand, cleaning and 
thinning partially. This should be repeated 
so as to keep out the weeds, and three times 
hoeing is generally found sufficient. When the 
plants are about three inches high, thin them to 
one plant at each four or five inches of the row, 
leaving the thriftiest, and transplanting in 
rainy weather to fill up any vacant spaces. As 
they increase in size, thin out every other plant, 
leaving them eight or ten inches apart; for if 
thicker they have not room to yield a full crop 
of good sized roots. The beets pulled out are 
valuable for feeding stock during the summer, 
the leaves being readily eaten by pigs, cow's, or 
horses,—and they have been estimated as worth 
for this purpose the full cost of tending the crop. 
Watson says that the green fodder which may 
be taken from the beet crop during its growth 
is of great value for soiling cattle or feeding 
store hogs, or for fattening both animals. The 
leaves, after they get their full growth, may be 
plucked for this purpose without detriment, and 
the eastern farmer first quoted, speaks of their 
value as food for pigs, which he allows to run 
in his beet patch at pleasure, where they thrive 
very finely. Fed to milch cow r s, they are said 
to increase the quantity of milk and improve 
its richness and quality, without impartingany 
unpleasant taint like the turnip. 
Sugar beets should be harvested when the 
leaves begin to decay and turn yellorv, as at 
this time, according to the chemical experiments 
of Coaptal, they possess their highest saccha¬ 
rine and nutritive value. They can be easily 
pulled on a light soil; where any digging is 
necessary, a forked spade or heavy dung-fork is 
the best implement for the purpose. The tops 
should be cut off at once, and the roots left to 
dry for a day, before storing in the root cellar 
or in pits. However kept, it should be remem¬ 
bered that they need more attention to ventila¬ 
tion than potatoes, and also they are more easily 
injured by frost thau carrots or turnips. 
As a -winter food for stock, and for fattening 
beef and pork, the sugar beet will be found of 
high value among the roots raised for the pur¬ 
pose. For hogs they are best cooked, but both 
hogs and cattle eat them raw and thrive upon 
them. They have been pronounced superior in 
nutritive value to potatoes, and fully equal to 
carrots for fattening or feeding purposes. For 
the production of milk, no root surpasses them. 
We hope increased attention will be given to 
this and other roots ; for no farmer can afford to 
neglect so easy a mode of adding to his supply 
of food for stock, and thus increasing the num¬ 
ber which he may keep upon the farm. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY JOURNAL, 
CONT1UKLTOKS: 
Prof. C. DEWEY, 
L. B. LAN GW ORTH Y, 
I, T. E. WETMORE. 
SPECIAL i 
H. T. BROOKS, 
T. C. PETERS, 
H. C. WHITE, 
Tiie 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 Subjects connected 
with the business of those whose interests it advocates. It 
embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, Mechan¬ 
ical, Literary and News Matter, interspersed with many appro¬ 
priate and beautiful Engravings, than any other paper published 
in this Country,—rendering it. n complete Agricultural, Lit¬ 
erary and Family Newspaper. 
*.* The postage cn the Rural is but 3J£ cents per quarter, to 
any part of the State (except Monroe County, where it goes free,) 
and 6!£ cents to any other section of the United States—payable 
quarterly in advance at. the oflice where received. 
All communications, and business letters, should be ad¬ 
dressed to D. D. T. MOORE, Rochester. N. Y. 
For Terms, and other particulars, see last page. 
MR. MARKS’ SHORT-HORN COW “RINGLET 
seacoast of Southern Europe, where it is now 
found in a wild state. It was introduced into 
English gardens in 1650, and brought from there 
by the early settlers of this country. The cul¬ 
ture of this root is probably most extensive, at 
present, in France and Germany, where it is 
not only consumed as an esculent vegetaole, and 
for feeding animals, but one variety is largely 
employed in the manufacture of sugar. Our 
present purpose is to speak of the field culture 
of the beet, as a meausof supplying winter food 
to domestic animals. The principal varieties 
employed for this purpose are the while sugar 
beet and the mangold wurlzel,botli early grown, 
and highly productive. 
“For beef and stock generally,” said an ex¬ 
perienced Massachusetts farmer, “ sugar beets are 
decidedly the best root that grows." In this opinion 
many others concur,—and we think that every 
farmer may profitably raise them for feeding 
and fattening cattle, sheep and swine. We 
might bring forward a variety of facts and ex¬ 
periments to confirm this view, but prefer to 
occupy our space with further details in regard 
to the cultivation and management of the crop. 
The best soil for beets is a moist, rich loam, 
resting on a clayey subsoil, and rendered light 
by manure and cultivation. They follow well 
after corn or potatoes which have been highly 
manured, not needing as rich a soil, but rather, 
one deep and in fine tilth. On any such soil 
they can be grown, if it be not wet, but mucky 
land is not as good as loam, clay, or sand.— 
Depth of soil and moisture are all-important. 
Hence the 'preparation should be sucli as to favor 
this condition. As the roots grow considerably 
above the ground, a depth of eight or ten inches 
will answer in plowing, but the after-working 
should be of the most thorough character. Some 
apply a dressing of fine manure, and then throw 
the land into ridges, two and a half or three feet 
apart ; but this ridging is not important except 
on very moist soils, and binders the employ¬ 
ment of the cultivator in weeding the crop. An 
implement like a corn-marker, with the teeth 
nearer together, may be used to trace the rows, 
or if the plot is not large, they can be sown by 
the eye, with the aid of stakes for guidance. 
Planting, which should be performed in May, 
is done best by band, drills not delivering the 
seed with the regularity and certainty desired. 
The plants should stand at least four inches 
apart after the second hoeing, and the more 
regularly aud carefully they are sown the less 
the labor of the after-culture. In a heavy soil, 
three-fourths of an inch is sufficient depth of 
covering ; in a light one, double that amount is 
to be preferred,and in each case the earth should 
be pressed firmly about the seed. Some who 
grow this crop, both plant and cover with the 
hand, making a hole with the finger of one 
hand along the rows, and dropping the seeds in 
them and covering with the other. 
The seed will vegetate sooner and more cer¬ 
tainly if soaked in tepid rain water for two or 
three days ; and we have grown good beets 
after soaking the seed until it had sprouted con¬ 
siderably. The outer coat or pericarp of the 
beet seed is very hard, and requires the most 
favorable conditions of moisture and tempera- 
Ringlet is the property of E. Marks, Esq., 
of Camillus, Onondaga county, N. Y., and to 
her was awarded the first prize at the last Fair 
in that county. She is ten years.okl—red, and 
'fvas got by Duke of Wellington, (3654)—Dam, 
Snow Drop by Ajax (2‘J44)—g. d. Maria by 
Washington (1566)—g. g. d. Pansey by Blaize 
(76)—g. g. g. d. Primrose by Charles (127)— 
S- S- S • g- by Blythe Comet (85) g. g. g. g. g. d. 
by Prince (521)— g. g. g. g. g. g . d. by Patriot 
(486.) Mr. Marks is, we believe, devoting no 
little attention to the rearing of Improved Stock. 
There is reason to feai^ih&i a “steam car- 
irage,” large and powerful enough to surmount 
the inequalities of the earth’s surface would be 
too weighty and cumbersom to be profitably em¬ 
ployed in carting manure, or in drawing a plow. 
Tlie most ardent admirers of steam and elec¬ 
tricity are forced to admit the necessity of a 
good deal of discipline before these modern 
giants will condescend to adapt themselves to 
the shifting panorama of farm work. 
We have deemed it proper to make these 
qualifications to our previous remarks, as we 
would avoid the imputation of entertaining ; 
visionary notions about impracticable “ progress j 
and improvement" in farming. While it is true 
that human nature is fundamentally the same in i 
all countries, under all Governments, religions, 
and social usages, it is equally true that the va- j 
rious arts and occupations are in different stages | 
of advancement—not on account of any natural 
superiority of the persons employed in one de¬ 
partment over those of another, but because of 
some natural or accidental advantage incident 
to the occupation itself. Hot to excuse farmers 
from any possible effort at improvement, and 
without abating one jot from the picture of their 
shortcomings heretofore presented, their diffi¬ 
culties and discouragements should in all fair¬ 
ness be considered. 
Machinery, for reasons already stated, affords 
reluctant help to much of our farm work, while 
some agencies in the Highest degree useful to 
sister arts have hitherto conferred upon Agri¬ 
culture only incidental benefits. Add to this 
that Agriculture, though governed by fixed and 
immutable laws, is nevertheless subject to such 
a variety of influences, is so diverse and intan¬ 
gible in its relations, that our best calculations 
upon “cause and effect" are often at fault. So 
great are the diversities of soil, climate nnd . 
culture that we can scarce ever get results to 
correspond. 
In farming, as in medicine, “ infallibles” are 
often at fault. Specifics with a brilliant reputa¬ 
tion, like precious children, often die young.— 
“ I have often tried it and never knew it to fail” 
is the testimony of the first witness—“ I have 
often tried it and never knew it to succeed,” is 
the language of the second. Potatoes rot in 
spite of remedies ; and fruit trees blight in de¬ 
fiance of “associations” and “conventions.”— 
The best breeds prove the worse ; and the uni¬ 
versal favorite of last year finds no quarter now. 
Are science and reason, observation and re¬ 
search, of no avail ? Can we by taking thought 
add nothing to the attainments of a past gene¬ 
ration? This does not follow. The only legiti¬ 
mate inference is that modesty is commendable 
—that we should avoid hasty judgments—that 
our diligence should correspond with our diffi¬ 
culties. 
We may offer some further suggestions on 
(or two trirls. I think experiment proves that 
posts remain sound longer to reverse the order 
of nature, and put the top end in the ground; 
and in sawing timber for posts, I should saw 
straight through, so as to have them of equal 
size from end to end, marking one end of the 
log all over with red chalk, before sawing, so 
that there may be no mistakes; 4 by 4 inches, 
or 4 by 5, according to length of the boards, is 
sufficient size,and whether sawed or split, they 
should be champered at ’he upper end, so that 
the cap will nearly or quite cover them. I have 
no doubt but much can be done for the preser¬ 
vation of posts, by immersing that part which 
SYSTEM AND FENCING. 
In conversing with a very estimable and in¬ 
telligent friend about fence, I perceived that he 
made it a point to bring his mind to bear upon 
his business. This is in the last degree impor¬ 
tant to business men ; there is scarce anything 
that we do at all that we might not do better— 
and particularly we need system. Having found 
out the best way we should stick to it. 
For yards, gardens, <fcc., board fence seems at 
present to be a necessity, though I was rejoiced 
to' see my neighbor Hollenbeck engaged in 
putting out a hedge yesterday, which he was 
doing at the suggestion of Dr. Dean of your 
city. If the Doctor never makes any worse 
prescription than that, he will long maintain 
his enviable reputation. While we do have 
board fences, however, may a kind Providence 
help us to have gooit ones, and decent looking. 
The article which follows was furnished at my 
particular request, by the friend alluded to 
above, who freely and voluntarily confessed that 
he had received much more from the Rural 
than the paper costs, and like an honest man 
was willing to pay up. What he says about 
the height of the fence conforms to my own ex¬ 
perience, and in some degree extends to all 
fence. Animals learn to jump as little boys 
learn the same thing : first jump as fiigh as the 
knees, then raise the pole a little higher, then a 
little higher. If animals were never “exposed" 
to a fence less than feet high, they would 
seldom jump. Occasionally an animal, like a 
human, has a peculiar looseness of disposition ; 
let special provisions (“ close confinement”) be 
made for such. Sometimes we support a high 
fence almost round a field, but suffer one or two 
places to get low—which is about as bad a case 
as that of my friend, Dr. Collar, ef Wyoming. 
He had an excellent pair of bars, but not a bit of 
fence on his Chautauque farm ! h. t. b. 
FARMING: A NEW PROGRAMME WANTED. 
Ix a former article we mentioned some of the j 
impediments in the way of successful farming, 
and expressed the hope that efforts would be 
made to introduce into Agriculture more system 
and more economy in labor and materials. The 
subject is expansive and admits of indefinite 
enlargement. 
Manufacturers and mechanics have this ad¬ 
vantage over farmers : their operations are local; 
they have certain “fixtures” which are more 
perfect because they arc fixtures. If carding 
and spinning machines had to be carried to the 
various sheep folds, and be applied to each in¬ 
dividual sheep’s back, their work, in amount 
and quality, would be as much inferior to what 
we get from the Lowell and Lawrence mills, as 
a gypsy’s tent is behind a Bond street edifice. 
The complications of machinery and consequent 
difficulties are greatly increased, when, in addi¬ 
tion to the specific work to be accomplished, 
arrangements must be made for locomotion. 
There has been much said about “ steam 
plows,” “steam wagons," &c. Now, steam is a 
powerful and efficient agent, and has worked a 
great revolution in manufactures and the me¬ 
chanic arts, and would be equally useful to the 
farmer if his business was confined to a single 
rood of ground. There is far less difficulty in 
digging a hill of potatoes by steam power than 
there is in making a fac simile of the human 
foot, but “lasts” are first in the way of accom¬ 
plishments by this agency. The steam engine 
obstinately adopts the language of a loafer ot 
our acquaintance—“ Bring on your potatoes if 
you want them dug.” 
How to Make Board Fence. 
My opinion, founded on several years’ expe¬ 
rience and observation, is that too much lumber 
and timber are generally used in making board 
fence. As to the height, I think that 4 feet, or 
4 feet 1 or 2 inches, is sufficient for any farm 
fence. I have hardly ever known even an un¬ 
ruly horse or ox to jump a 4 feet board fence, if 
upright and in good repair ; and I have known 
a horse that would daily get over a 5 to 6 feet rail 
fence, give up to a board fence, which in many 
places was less than 4 feet. True, unruly cattle 
will frequently get a board fence down, as 
usually built, but if built after the following 
plan, they will generally give up to it after one 
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
YOLUME Y1L NO. U.\ 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATIJROAY, MAY 31, 1858. ' 
j WHOLE NO. 334. 
\ 
