HALL 
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.] 
PROGRESS and IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
YOUUME ¥11. NO. 20, 
ROCHESTER, N. Y„-SATURDAY, JULY 19,1856. 
1 WHOLE NO. Ml 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER,. 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY JOURNAL, 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE CORPS OP ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
• SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS i 
H. T. BROOKS, Prof. C. DEWEY, 
T. C. PETERS, L. B. LANGWORTHY, 
H. C. WHITE, T. E. WETMORE. 
The 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 a complete Agricultural, Lit¬ 
erary and Family Newspaper. 
All communications, and business letters, should be 
addressed to D. I). T. MOORE, Rochester, N. Y. 
For Terms, and other particulars, see last page. 
.rat Jefc-Jatfai*. 
STIR THE SOIL. 
Trip, workings of Nature as exhibited in the 
various phenomena presented to man, are worthy 
the attention and consideration of all classes, 
and more particularly the farmers. The latter 
are dependent upon the laws which govern 
light and shade, heat and cold, drouth and 
moisture for their sustenance and support._ 
Each and all of these have, in connection with 
the soil, important p«u.t s to pcxTcrr-m *,w 
germination of the seed, progress of the plant 
and maturing of the fruit. The effects of either, 
when for too long a period they exhibit an in¬ 
clination to exist, can, in a greater or lesser 
degree, be counteracted, if their origin, cause 
and effect receive such investigation as their 
importance demands, and those interested will 
carry out the means by which can be obviated 
the results that would otherwise follow. The 
farmer needs to know the principle that governs 
every operation, and the philosophy that con¬ 
trols them. The farm should he to him a labor¬ 
atory and each of his movements thereon an 
experiment. 
In the cultivation of most crops the farmer 
is compelled to wait until warm and as a con¬ 
sequence dry weather has set in. Wot until 
the arrival of this period is the ground in fit 
condition to receive the seed, and seasonable 
showers are requisite to their perfect develop¬ 
ment. Wheat sown in the fall has the advan¬ 
tage of sufficient moisture in spring, and a few 
showers only are needed to mature it. Corn 
needs the entire season to grow and produce 
profitably, though if July and August prove to 
be warm and wet, a good crop may reasonably 
be expected. However, all the requisites to 
success are not always to be governed by our 
wants, else we should not hear complaints at 
one time of excessive dryness and at another of 
too much rain. 
The remedies for these two evils consist in 
draining and thorough tillage. From experiment 
and careful observation it is calculated that in 
the spiing a cubic foot of earth is to water in 
its specific gravity as five to three—when this 
moisture has left sufficiently for the application 
of seed, the earth has lost one-twelfth of its 
weight when the moisture has all evaporated 
and the earth become perfectly dry, it has lost 
one-third. From the experiments of Mr. Dal¬ 
ton, as given by Geo. Geddes, C. E., in his es¬ 
say in the Transactions of the N. Y. Ag. Society, 
itis computed that every foot of earth in depth so 
saturated, contains seven inches of water, and 
that it may part with one-fourth or one-half of 
this moisture and uot be too dry for vegetation. 
Taking the average depth of plowing as six 
inches, this would of itself give to the growing 
plant but one and one-half inches of water for 
its sustenance—not sufficient to provide for ten 
days warm and dry weather. If the soil be 
tilled one foot in depth, the amount of water 
increases in like ratio, and drouth is guarded 
against for double the time before given. It is 
immaterial whether the roots of the plant 
extend more than one foot in depth—if the soil 
be porous, water will constantly rise to supply 
the demands. Mr. G. contends that a soil three 
feet in depth would supply a sufficiency of 
moisture during June, July and August. 
There is at all times, even in the hottest 
weather, considerable moisture in the atmos¬ 
phere, and this is absorbed by the earth in pro¬ 
portion to its constituents and fineness of sub¬ 
division. For instance, one cubic footof compact 
earth presents to the action of atmospheric 
influence but six square feet of surface ; thor¬ 
oughly break up the same, rendering it porous, 
and thousands of feet will be given for the 
purpose of absorption, and thus, when the roots 
seek in vain in a hard, dense soil for nutrition, 
they will find a ready supply in the land that 
is well stirred and kept friable and open. 
Jethro Tull, to whom English agriculture 
owes much of its advancement, contended that 
land could be kept fertile by this process 
alone—and though he was in error, the immense 
advantages of thorough tillage were easily per¬ 
ceived, and led to the present careful and sys¬ 
tematic mode adopted in many parts of Europe. 
The farmer who cultivates timely, thoroughly 
and cleanly, need not go out of the borders of 
his own domain seeking for the philosopher’s 
stone—its merit lies in the three simple words 
Stir the soil. 
DEEP TILLAGE VS. DROUTH. 
“ Everything seems to be drying up,” is the 
remark of many a farmer about these days._ 
“ Grass, barley, oats, potatoes and corn, are suf¬ 
fering much for want of rain.” It is too true— 
they are “suffering much” especially late-sown 
barley and oats. Unless we have rain, the 
straw will be short and the product a meagre 
one. But it is useless to talk of this;—we 
would rather offer some hints on the best means 
of escaping the effect of these “ dry spells”— 
these weeks and months when little or no rain 
faiio n F «» tko-jjoiuiieti ana tlursfy earth. It is 
not a new subject with us—but its nupJi 
will excuse repeated reference “ line upon line, 
and precept upon precept.” 
One of the most effectual preventives of the 
effects of dry weather upon the crops, is a fresh 
and mellow state of the soil in which they are grow¬ 
ing. To attain this perfectly, there is but one 
way—frequent stirring and cultivation—but it 
cau be greatly promoted by a proper prepara¬ 
tion of the ground before the crop is sown or 
planted upon it. If land is deeply plowed and 
thoroughly pulverized, and at the same time 
prepared, either by the nature of the subsoil or 
under draining, for the ready passing off of all 
surplus water, it will remain for a long time in 
a moist and mellow state. But shallow plowed 
land, or that with a retentive subsoil at a short 
distance below the surface, is always found to 
become comparatively sterile under the influ¬ 
ence of dry weather. A heavy rain falls, com¬ 
pletely saturating the mellow portion of the 
surface soil, making it too wet for the favorable 
growth of plants at first, but the surplus water 
has no outlet through underdrains or a porous 
subsoil, it must pass away by evaporation, and 
the surface becomes baked aud hard under the 
process. Whereas, had the soil been deep and 
mellow a larger portion of moisture would have 
been retained ; the surplus would have readily 
passed off and the earth have been left in the 
condition most favorable to rapid vegetation. 
The effects of deep and shallow tillage upon 
the moisture of the soil is readily observable by 
every farmer. We have had occasion to notice 
it since commencing this article. Taking up 
the hoe as au interlude to the pen, we found in 
spots where the plow had but just skimmed the 
surface, that the soil was baked and dry at least 
six inches deep (as far as we dug among the 
stones,) while not three feet distant where well 
plowed, at two inches deep it was moist and 
fresh. Passing through the corn-field we found 
the hills near stone-heaps or stumps were wilt¬ 
ed, and almost burned up by the heat, while 
those on the open and well-plowed space around 
were fresh and vigorous. The fineness of the 
soil also has considerable intiuencej anything 
like lumps, however small, will not retain moist¬ 
ure like that well-pulverized and deep. This 
may be frequently noticed on head-lands where 
the soil is always in finer tilth from the more 
frequent passage of the plow, &c. 
Some years since in preparing a piece of 
ground for the crop, a portion of it was tho¬ 
roughly subsoiled so that the whole soil was 
stirred to the depth of eighteen ihches and 
made fine and mellow. The remainder had 
only the usual preparation—and to this day a 
slight drouth affects the shallow part, while one 
long continued and severe is scarcely felt by 
the crops where it was deeply tilled. In a 
greater or less degree, this is found to be the 
case on all soils, and proves conclusively that 
subsoiling is not for one year—that its effects 
will continue for many years. It has been 
found, we would remark, that plowing ten inches 
in depth, or even eight, upon a porous subsoil, 
would act very beneficially in preventing the 
effects of drouth. 
Hoed crops need not suffer so severely from 
dry weather as spring grains and grass must 
do. The soil must be kept clean and mellow 
by frequent cultivation, which all farmers and 
gardeners know is very beneficial in this re¬ 
spect. It is true that the evaporation of moist¬ 
ure is the greatest from a light soil, but it is 
also true that it receives moisture more readily 
and largely from all the sources which supply 
it. There is little or no dew upon the beaten 
path, while the grass at its side drips with wet. 
The fresh turned earth receives a much larger 
supply than that upon which a hard crust has 
formed—it penetrates farther, and hence passes 
off more slowly. Of light showers this is also 
true. Hence the more mellow the soil the less 
it suffers from lack of rain when covered with 
growing plants. 
Deep and thorough tillage is the best preventive 
of the effects of drouth — and the best preparation 
for growing profitable crops, whatever be the char¬ 
acter of the soil or weather. 
“SALT AS A MANURE FOR CORN.” 
An editorial article thus headed appeared in 
the Rural of May 26, 1855, condensing an ac¬ 
count of some experiments given in an agricul¬ 
tural contemporary of the use of different 
fertilizers for corn, salt among them. It was 
stated to have been applied immediately after 
planting the corn one inch deep and pressing 
the earth over it, at 'the .. ], n if 
tablespoonfuls upon the hill, and covered with 
another half inch of soil. The product was 
largely increased, both in corn and fodder- 
exceeding both poudrette and guano, at one- 
third the expense. Our remarks were as 
follows : 
“ This experiment should induce a further 
trial of salt as a manure for the corn crop. It 
might be mixed with the gypsum and ashes 
usually applied, in proportion of three parts 
each of ashes and plaster to one of salt, and then 
scattered around the plants, but not so near as 
to touch them before the first hoeing. Or it 
might be dropped upon the hill at or soon after 
the time of planting. The cost of the salt would 
be but a small item, and the result one of much 
importance, if we may judge from a single ex¬ 
periment. We mean to know more of its value 
when the next corn crop is harvested.” 
An experiment to the same effect had already 
appeared in the Rural, and another correspon¬ 
dent afterwards added his testimony in its 
favor. Our promise to “know more of its 
value” has never been particularly referred to— 
though iu the Rural of Sept, 22d, we gave, in 
a round-about way, the facts of the trial upon a 
portion of our own corn field. “Walking and 
talking” through the lot, our friend said : 
“What ails these thiu rows ? They look as 
though the crows had followed them.” 
“ O, that’s one of my experiments” I replied. 
‘ We tried the salt manure recommended in the 
agricultural papers. Got ou a little too much— 
the most of the corn never came up. I dare 
say you could find the seed now, thoroughly 
pickled, if you should search for it. Some of it 
came up iu July.” 
This was placed over the corn after planting 
and covered with earth. On five rows in an¬ 
other part of the field we put the usual top¬ 
dressing of ashes, with about one part in twelve 
of salt. This killed the leaves where it dis¬ 
solved upon them, but the yield was increased 
about one-sixth, or at the rate of sixty instead 
ot fifty bushels per acre. Carefully uted, we 
think salt valuable for corn, but have applied 
none this season.— b. 
Too Much Land. —In a letter to the celebra¬ 
ted Artuur Young, Washington used the fol¬ 
lowing language : —“ The agriculture of this 
country is indeed low ; and the primary cause 
of its being so is, that instead of improving a 
little ground well, we attempt too much, and do 
it ill. A half, a third, or even a fourth of what 
wc mangle, well wrought, and properly dressed, 
would produce more than the whole, under our 
system of management.” Concise and to the 
point.' The great error of American agricultu¬ 
rists to-day occupies precisely the same basis 
that it did when Washington penned the ex¬ 
tract quoted. Farmers have tried the spreading 
system of operations long enough—labor must 
be concentrated to effect anything—and we 
move a drawing in of stakes and boundaries. 
CHEAP FARM COTTAGE.-NO. III. 
This cottage is still in advance of No. II., 
both in external style and arrangement of the 
interior. It is considered by the author of 
Rural Architecture, Lewis F. Allen, Esq., fiom 
which we quote, peculiarly appropriate for a 
hilly, mountainous region, taking, as it does, 
additional character from bold and picturesque 
scenery. The pine, spruce, cedar or hemlock, 
to,! j will eiv e it iucreiiscd 
effect, while au occasional Lombardy poplar 
and larch will harmonize with the boldness of 
its outline. It may, too, receive the same outer 
decocations in its shrubbery and plantations, 
given to any other style of building of like ac¬ 
commodations,and with equally agreeable effect. 
It is in the French style of roof, and allied to 
the Italian in its brackets, and gables, and half- 
terraced front. The body of the cottage is 22 
by 20 feet, with twelve-feet posts; the roof has 
a pitch of 50° from a horizontal line, in its 
straight dimensions, curving horizontally to¬ 
ward the eaves, which, together with the gables, 
project 3 feet over the walls. The terrace in 
front is 5 feet wide. On the rear is a wood- 
house, 18 by 16 feet in area, open at the house 
end, and in front, with a roof in same style as 
the main house, and posts, 8 feet high, standing 
on the ground, 2 feet below the surface of the 
cellar wall, which supports the main building. 
INTERIOR ARRANGEMENT. 
The front door opens, in the center of the 
front wall, into a hall, 12 by 8 feet, with a flight 
of stairs on one side, leading to the chamber 
above; under the stairs, at the upper end, is a 
passage leading beneath them into the cellar. 
On one side of this hall is a bedroom 8 by 10 
feet, lighted by a window in front, and part of 
the hooded double window on the side. On 
the inner side, a door leads from the hall into 
the living room or kitchen, 18 by 12 feet. On 
one side of this is a bedroom, or pantry, as may 
be most desirable, 9 by 6 feet, from which leads 
a close closet, 3 feet square. This bedroom has 
a window on one side, next the hall. A door 
from the kitchen leads into a closet, 3 feet wide, 
which may contain a sink, and cupboard for 
kitchen wares. The living room is lighted by 
a part of the double hooded window on one 
side, and another on the rear. A door leads 
into the wood-house, which is 12 by 16 feet, in 
the extreme corner of which is the water-closet, 
5 by 3 feet. The rooms in this cottage are 9 
feet high. A chimney leads up from the floor 
of the living room, which may receive, in addi¬ 
tion to its own fireplace, or stove, a pipe from 
the stove in the hall, if one is placed there. 
The chamber has two feet of perpendicular 
wall, and the sharp roof gives opportunity for 
two good lodging rooms, which may be parti¬ 
tioned off as convenience may require, each 
hgHtcti bj- a window in. the -aahlps. gnd a dor- 
the roof, lor the passage leading Info" 
them. 
The hall may serve as a pleasant sitting or 
dining-room, in pleasant weather, opening, as it 
does, on to the terrace, which is mostly shelter¬ 
ed by the overhanging roof. 
The construction of this cottage may be of 
either stone, brick, or wood, and produce a fine 
effect. Although it has neither porch nor ve¬ 
randa, the broad eaves and gables give it a well- 
sheltered appearance, and the hooded windows 
on the sides throw an air of protection over 
them, quite agreeable to the eye. 
Cumiiunttcatiuts. 
SALT, PIASTER AND ASHES ON CORN. 
Eds. Rural :—I have “come back,” but my 
getting “ through the Rural” I suppose depends 
entirely upon whether the solt sodder of the 
dictator (J. G. S.) shall have proved available 
in repairing my manners. Certainly your iras¬ 
cible correspondent could not reasonably expect 
any such result from his example, for after ex¬ 
patiating upon the benefits to be derived from 
agricultural discussions, conducted in a “ spirit 
of kindness and good humor,” he launches forth 
in a tirade of abusive personalities, in direct va¬ 
riance with the spirit of his teaching, and I im¬ 
agine he must have been looking in a mirror 
while cogitating his article, and discovered 
something wolfish about his head and shoulders, 
so that after all it may be only a reflection.— 
That “your esteemed correspondent” has evi¬ 
dently mistaken his vocation in setting up for 
a dictator on agricultural subjects, is apparent 
from his use of language, in applying the term 
“ voracious” to an individual of whose existence 
he, in the next sentence, declares himself igno¬ 
rant. How can he know anything about his 
character for “voracity?” Were there any 
signs of cannibalism displayed in his article ? 
Again, he speaks of gases being “ generated 
with him this may he legitimate, for “like be¬ 
gets like.” 
I will waste no more time or space than is 
necessary with these personalities, and only no¬ 
tice the left-handed compliment paid to those 
of your correspondents, who, not ashamed either* 
of their names or opinions, choose to append 
their true signature to their communications.— 
I look upon this as a mere matter of taste. My 
motto is “ nil disputantur de gustibus," and your 
correspondent has an undoubted right to sign 
himself J. G. S., J. G. A. S., or J. A. S. S., just 
as suits his fancy. With regard to the deplora¬ 
ble obscurity of your present correspondent, two 
crumbs of consolation remain ; one is that hence¬ 
forth he will be partially redeemed from that 
obscurity by the notice of the dictator, and the 
other is, that up to the 17th of May last, he was, 
and even still is, in the same “blissful igno¬ 
rance” of the existence of any such person as 
