270 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL MR FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
AUGUST 23 . 
dTontnunmatioits. 
HENS-BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT 
Messes. Eds: —I have, for the last hall dozen 
years, given much attention to the subject of 
the breeds and management of hens. I have 
also read very much of what has been so abun¬ 
dantly written thereon. Among the mass of 
matter thus written, there could not but be some 
things, yea many things, useful to know, if uch, 
however, has been, in my judgment, of a char¬ 
acter to come well under the general head of 
“ Fudge Papers.” 
My poultry yard has been to me a source of 
great interest. I have watched the habits, tem¬ 
pers, and individuality of its noisy, busy tenants 
with the greatest pleasure. My hens are all 
personal friends. I understand them, and as 
they flock around me as I visit them, I can take 
any one of them in my hands. Then they love 
to pick at my buttons—at my teeth, if I open 
my mouth to talk to them. If I visit them 
when on the nest, instead of screaming and 
perhaps flying away with vociferous complaints, 
they seem proud of their useful occupation and 
to like encouragement. 
I was beguiled into the keeping of hens. I 
had lived for years in a city where they were 
an impossibility, I had acquired rather a preju¬ 
dice against them. A neighbor who had a larger 
lot with a garden, had told me distressing stories 
of fierce combats and cannibal propensities.— 
How a feeble sister had disappeared piece-meal 
before a strong thirst for blood ; and how, amid 
all the trials and cares of a turbulent sleep¬ 
breaking, and ravenous community, never an 
egg appeared to gladden the heart and re¬ 
ward the labors of the anxious watchers. If, 
perchance, by the force of an irresitable destiny, 
an egg was dropped, the quick-eyed fowls were 
themselves the gainers. The celebrated Pyn 
cheon fowls—described in the House of the 
Seven Gables—could not have been so profitless, 
But to me there came a change. Ill health 
forced me to seek a refuge in the country, away 
from the sea air. I soon had a barn establish¬ 
ment, commencing with a horse. As winter 
closed around with its deep snows, I found that 
there were hens in the barn (living mainly under 
the floor) that lived entirely from the meal that 
was left on the sides of my feed-box. At first 
I took no notice of them, and they were exceed¬ 
ingly shy—disappearing whenever I entered.— 
Unable to find the place from which they had 
come, I adopted them and commenced giving 
them better care. There were seven hens aud 
two cocks, natives of all colors,"and evidently 
much mixed in breed. There was one noble, 
full-blooded “ India,” so-called in this region, 
and one nearly allied to to the Silver Spangled 
Hamburgs. The rest were the common native 
fowl. 
Illness and accident removed the two fine 
native cocks. One died of acute larvngitis; 
the other from hemorrhage from the comb, which 
was picked in a fight, and bled for two days 
unobserved. I then added to my flock a fine 
white cock, bred from a cross of the white 
Dorking and the white Shanghai. He was a 
noble fellow. 
In the June following, a friend. Col. It. W. 
Currier, of Kingston, sent me a cock and four 
fine hens, Silver Greys, as he called them, they 
having originated on his farm. Later I was 
presented with a pair of Royal Cochin China, 
bred pure from a private importation of a friend 
—and later still I received, through the kind- 
ness of another friend, a fine Spanish cock with 
four hens. I have also had the Poland and the 
Gold Spangled Hamburg. 
Now, Mr. Editor, having told you how I came 
to have hens—and the kinds I have had—I 
propose, if agreeable, to give you, in another 
article, some account of my observations upon 
them and my success with them. o. 
Hanover, N. H., August, 1856. 
streams, where trees have been torn up, and 
particularly along common highways, railroads, 
and canals. The common May-weed requires 
that the surface of the ground should be stirred 
as soon as it is thawed in the spring, and while 
it is frozen under. Thus we see it along the 
sides of our roads, where teams have turned 
aside to keep on the snow, and in the corners 
of fields where pigs or sheep have trod at that 
particular season, and seldom any where else. 
Were it not for this fact, the weed would be a 
great nuisance. The fireweed, as most know, 
requires that the surface should be recently 
burnt over. The wood sorrel has doubtless 
spread its seeds over most of our cultivated 
lands. It requires more acid in its food than 
any of our field crops. Consequently you will 
see it flourish where plaster has been too fre¬ 
quently sown, and thus an excess of acid left in 
the soil, and particularly where swamp muck 
has been piled on dry ground to decompose 
and disengage its acid. This plant disappears 
before lime-ashes and other alkalies that neu 
tralize the acid. 
Most of our cultivated crops, including many 
noxious weeds, require a condition more or less 
general, but there are more plants than those 
above cited, that have their idiosyncracies. 
The ox-eye daisy is peculiar to worn out grass 
lands, and always soon disappears before high 
cultivation, and if the seeds have once been 
allowed to ripen and fall. 1 assure Mr. Daniels 
he will never live long enough to see them ex¬ 
terminated from the soil, if he allows his land 
to run down and lie to grass. Ido not make 
these remarks to discredit his recipe ; it will 
doubtless kill all the roots, and, especially if 
he manures the ground, prevent for the present 
the vegetation of the weeds in the ground. 
The difficulty in eradicating most of our nox¬ 
ious weeds, is that they require for their full 
development the same conditions of the soil as 
our cultivated plants. This is peculiarly true 
of the Canada thistle, while at the same time it 
has all the means known to plants for its propa¬ 
gation and extension; being perennial, produ¬ 
ced by cuttings of the roots, the reeds have 
wings, live in the ground forever, and are eaten 
and spread by birds. It is a very hardy and 
Udiral ftofrs an Jr Items, 
Ontario County. —We made a flying trip 
Canandaigua and vicinity during latter part 
the past week, and, as a matter of course, saw 
many things worthy of notice. The immense 
Amphitheater on the grounds of the County Ag 
ricultural Society, diagrams of which were given 
in the Rural of April 12th, will be completed 
in a few days. To form any correct idea of its 
capacity, it needs to be seen. It is 620 feet in 
circumference ; there are seven tiers of seats— 
each elevated above the other, with aisles at 
convenient distances—which will seat comfort 
ably 3,000 persons. In rear of the upper seat 
is a promenade, entirely around the building, 
12 feet broad and 8 feet high. Immediately 
under this promenade and the seats, is the 
large room, same size of building in length, 20 
feet wide and 11 feet high,—here as in the 
promenade are tables for fruit, vegetables, <fec 
with a superficial surface of 4,000 feet. In the 
center is an open space of 150 feet in diameter, 
where the decisions and awards are to be made 
—each animal in its class and standing to be 
brought before the audience to receive its spe 
cific premium. The preparation of the grounds 
—grading, draining, construction of tanks, <fcc, 
is progressing favorably, and everything that 
can be done for the purposes of security and 
comfort both for exhibitors and the exhibited 
will be promptly performed. The expenditures 
this season thus far have amounted to about 
$7,000. A magnificent flag-staff was drawn 
upon the ground, 115 feet in length, and will be 
raised in the center of the Amphitheater, from 
the top of which is to float the banner of the 
Society. Long may it wave 1 From the feel¬ 
ing exhibited by every class, and the pride of 
each individual in this noble undertaking, we 
must say Ontario stands number one among the 
counties of the Empire State. 
New York State Fair. —The last number of 
the Journal of the State Ag. Society contains 
general interesting announcements relative to 
the approaching Fair at Watertown. It states 
tenacious plant, is a pugnacious enemy to liu- ^hat the work on the grounds was commenced 
man flesh, and on the whole, notwithstanding on the 23d of July, and will be completed by 
the apathy produced by its omnipresence de- September.-Extensive prepara- 
cidedly worse than all the other noxious weeds ra ^ ons are being made by the Farmers of St. 
we have, and cannot, during the present cen- Lawrence, Lewis, Jefferson and Oswego eoun- 
tury, be exterminated generally, unless by the ^ es ^ or ^tending. If is anticipated that the 
help of an unknown enemy to the plant, or by Dairy Exhibition will exceed any ever made 
disease. It is only by a constant warfare that before.-Exhibitors are requested to forward 
we can keep it under subjection, for while we fbeir stock, implements, <fcc., the week previous 
subdue it in one place it is springing up in to 11 ' ie Fair, as these cannot be taken over the 
another. 
Gorham, N. Y.. August 9, 1856. 
TRIAL OP REAPERS AND MOWERS. 
The following account of a recent trial of 
Reapers and Mowers is from the Harrisburgh 
(Pa.) Herald of July 22d. Both machines are 
already widely introduced, but we understand 
that Mr. W. A. Wood, of Hoosic Falls, N. Y., 
the proprietor and manufacturer of the Manny ^^7^7*^. 
Reaper and Mower with Wood’s Improvement, laer ' s choice Devou Herd will also be sold-_ 
is aige y ex en ingits he d of operations by its a fine show of stock and articles from Canada 
week of the Fair—when the rail roads will be 
thronged with passengers.-Meetings will be 
held during the evenings of the Fair for the 
discussion of Agricultural and Horticultural 
topics. Maj. M. R. Patrick will take charge 
of the Agricultural Meetings, and John C.Ster 
ling, Esq., of Watertown, of the Horticultural 
Meetings.-Six yoke of grade Hereford Steers. 
aud the imported Hereford Bull, “ Charles 2d,’ 
will be offered for sale by George Clarke, of 
air. Mr. R. H. Van Itensse- 
A Rotary Milking Machine. — The proverb 
‘‘there is nothing new under the sun,” if not a 
fallacy, stands in imminent danger of becoming 
so, by agency of the invention genius of our 
country. The very last is a rotary milker, pow¬ 
erfully illustrated in the Scientific American of 
August 16th. It is described as follows : 
“ The milking is done by means of a crank 
attached to a shaft, on which there are four 
elastic arms, of steel, the ends of which are fur¬ 
nished with roller. On one side of the ring 
within which the rollers move, there is an elas¬ 
tic pocket into which the animal’s teat is placed. 
The back of this pocket is stiff, so that when the 
rollers revolve, they will come in contact with 
the front part of the pocket and press it, with 
the teat, against the back part. The teat thus 
pressed is relieved of its milk, which flows 
down through the pocket, and through the hol¬ 
low case of the instrument into a tube, and 
thence into the milk pail.” 
The editor suggests an improvement to this 
invention, to wit:—“ The attachment of a music 
box to be operated by the main shaft, in such a 
way as to discourse sweet melody during the 
delivery of the milk. Few animals are insen¬ 
sible to the charms of music, and even insects 
are said to lend a willing ear. Under its fas¬ 
cinating influence the old cow may be expected 
to stand perfectly still, while the flies, forgetting 
to bite, will buzz around with joy.” 
The next move will be to propel it by wind 
or steam power, (a considerable of the former 
will be used to bring the machine into exten¬ 
sive operation,) and then—yea then—what is to 
become of dairy maids ? It is their province to I 
make a determined stand for their rights—to 
inquire whether they are to be still considered 
useful appendages or to become, now and forever 
nonentities. Is there to be no more “ tripping 
The Royal Society of England’s Show, took 
place at Chelmsford in July, and was one of the 
most successful ever held by the Society. The 
Show, in most of its Departments, was excellent 
—and in the Implement Department never be¬ 
fore equalled. For Short horns, the first prizes 
for bulls and cows were awarded to Lieut. Col. 
Townely, of Townely Hall, Lancashire. Mr. 
Booth only showed one heifer, for which he re¬ 
ceived the first prize. For Devons, first prizes 
for bulls and cows—on bulls to John Quartley, 
of South Molton, Devon ; and on cows to James 
Quartley. For Herefords, first prize bull, Lord 
Berwick, of Cronkett, Shrewsbury ; cows, ¥m. 
Perry, of Lecominster. 
The show of horses was excellent—the Suf- 
folks particularly, were greatly admired—a 
show was never before seen in England to equal 
it; they took all the prizes but one, the first 
prize awarded to Prince Albert for a Clydesdale 
stallion. 
South Down Sheep, far surpassed in number 
and quality any previous Exhibition. Jonas 
Webb was beat by Henry Overman, of Wea- 
senham, who received the first prize on yearl¬ 
ing bucks, Mr. Webb the second. Lord Wal- 
singham, first and second prizes for ewes, (the 
first prize ewes come to America at twenty 
guineas each.) Lord Walsingham received 
first prize on bucks of any age, other than year¬ 
lings. Long-Wooled sheep were excellent. 
The Cotswolds showing a very commendable 
advance. 
Pigs made a fine show. 
Mr. Townely’s prize bull, “Butterfly,” was 
sold, through the agency of H. Stafford, Esq., 
Editor of the Herd-Book, for 1,200 guineas, to 
go to Australia The sales of Short horn stock 
were larger Ilian ever. France, Australia and 
America called for the best, and the supply did 
o er the dewy grass”—no more the echo of not equal the demand. The prize South Down 
musical voices calling the kine — nothing but ram of Mr. Overman was sold to the French 
the rush of the engine and the dull gurgling of government for 150 guineas, 
the lacteal fluid seeking its level in the pail ?■ 
May the deities pf dairydom forbid the ruth¬ 
less innovation ! If we might for a moment 
use the vocabulary of the politician we would 
exclaim, “ there is a crisis in our destiny which 
demands action, calm, but energetic ! Let the 
household of the dairy awake—every lover of I State will forward the necessary information 
its interests clothe himself for battle and aid in 
expelling the intruder I Arise ! ere, too late 
we find our ‘ occupation gone !’ ” 
County Agricultural Societies. —The fol¬ 
lowing County Societies have fixed the time for 
holding their Annual Exhibitions. As we de¬ 
sire to publish a complete list as soon as possible, 
we hope our friends in the various parts of the 
introduction into Pennsylvania, Virginia, Mary¬ 
land and Tennessee: 
THE VITALITY OF SEEDS. 
THE WHI-EE DAISY, CANADA THISTLE, ET ID OMNE GENUS. 
“ The Final Trial of Reaping Machines. —An interest¬ 
ing and final trial of Reaping Machines occurred yesterday 
morning in an oat field belonging to Mr. David J. Unger, 
about a mile above our Borough, which was witnessed by 
three or four hundred spectators, many of whom were in¬ 
telligent farmers, who had come from a distance to observe 
the practical working of these great labor-saving machines. 
The weather was remarkably auspicious for the occasion 
and the field presented that uniformity of level requisite 
for a complete test of the merits of the respective ap¬ 
paratus. The machines entered were Manny’s, with 
Wood’s Improvement, and Atkins’, both of which were 
thoroughly in order for the contest. Several rounds 
were made by each of the machines preliminary to the 
grand trial, which was witnessed with great interest by 
the spectatois, and enabled them to pre-judge their re¬ 
spective merits, which, as far as we heard, were pretty 
generally unanimous in favor of the Manny Machine 
At 10 o’clock, a Committee consisting of John Riley 
and Samuel Denning, proceeded to appoint the following 
is expected. As the Fair at Kingston, C. W., 
comes off the week previous, many of the Cana¬ 
dian Agriculturists will doubtless avail them¬ 
selves of the opportunity to attend both shows. 
Canada West Ag. Society. —We quote from 
the Canadian Agriculturist the following rela¬ 
tive to the preparations going forward at Kings 
ton, to render everything connected with the 
Provincial Fair agreeable to all who may at¬ 
tend. The right spirit is evidently awakened, 
and w r e doubt not that the enterprising farmers 
of Canada will, as heretofore, reflect honor upon 
themselves and their vocation. The Agricul¬ 
turist says: 
“ It is only bare justice to remark that Kings¬ 
ton and the surrounding district are setting an 
example, which is alike honorable to their sound 
Friend Rural :—Mr. D. Daniels, under the 
head of “ How to Kill the White Daisy,” in the 
Rural of Aug. 9, gives, doubtless an effectual 
remedy for the time being. But there are some 
facts in regard to the vitality of seeds, —of 
which, perhaps, he is not aware. The white 
ox-eye daisy, the common May weed, the little 
white daisy, the sorrel, and many other plants 
usually bear an immense quantity of perfect 
seed, and as nothing that I know of eats them, 
and they have no egret or wings to carry them 
off, they drop on the ground where they gorw, 
but frequently not a vestigeof the plant will 
be seen there the next year. 
The fact is getting to be pretty well under¬ 
stood (thanks to the Rural) that many of the 
smaller seeds, which are encased in a hard 
shell, remain in the ground many, probably, of¬ 
ten hundreds of years, without losing tbeir vi¬ 
tality. Many instances have been cited in your 
paper proving this, but 1 will cite one nore. A 
neighbor of mine plowed a lowish piece of 
grass ground, and put in a spring crop. He 
was surprised to find one part of it covered 
with mustard and the other with turnips, hav¬ 
ing never seen either there before. On inquiry, 
he found that twenty years beforetone part was 
sown with spring wheat in which there was 
mustard seed and the other with turnips ; very 
few of the latter of which came up. 
Many seed, in order to vegetate, require some 
peculiar condition of the soil. For example, 
the button-wood tree requires its seed to be 
planted in deep subsoil, and will never vege¬ 
tate in a common plowed field. Consequent¬ 
ly we see it mostly along the banks of 
named gentlemen as Judges, viz : Jacob Garman, Sheriff j judgment and public spirit, and which it is de- 
voutly to be wished may be hereafter followed 
by other places, when the Provincial Shows 
take place. They are erecting, entirely at their 
own expense, a strong, permanent fence around 
the beautiful Show Ground, consisting of up¬ 
wards of 20 acres; and also a handsome and 
capacious building, consisting mainly of glass— 
a Crystal Palace indeed, somewhat in minia¬ 
ture 1 These grounds will be ornamental by 
planting, &c., and while affording a pleasant 
resort to the public during a large portion of the 
year, will be excellently well adapted for the 
holding of agricultural and horticultural shows, 
and other public objects. We have much pleas¬ 
ure in noticing these facts, particularly as it 
has, in some quarters, been insinuated that a 
portion of the funds of the Association is given 
to these extra objects, with a view of rendering 
the Provincial Shows permanent at Kingston— 
an allegation which, it is almost unnecessary to 
say, is altogether imaginary. We will only re¬ 
mark further, that the Local Committee are 
striving to do their utmost in providing ample 
accommodation both for visitors and articles for 
exhibition. The wharfingers have liberally 
consented to forego all charges for landing and 
re-shipping Stock and all articles for the Show; 
while the President of the Association has gen¬ 
erously promised to supply the necessary amount 
of hay without any charge, either to the exhibi¬ 
tors or the Association.” 
Hoffman, Jacob Fitting, Christian Hummel and John 
Bankus. These gentlemen then proceeded to the rear of 
the Atkins’ Machine, and followed it over the~field, criti¬ 
cally examining its workings, the cut of the swath, and 
the manner in which the raker deposited the oats, after 
which they took a similar position at the Manny Machine, 
following it in like manner over the field. The agent of 
the Atkins’ Machine objected to the driver and raker at¬ 
tached to the Manny apparatus. Mr. John Riley was 
selected as its driver, and the gentlemen composing the 
Committee took turn - about in performing the raking 
duty. A second round was given to each of the compet¬ 
ing machines, after which the Judges retired to make up 
their verdict. 
In about twenty minutes they returned, and Sheriff 
Hoffman mounting the fence, proceeded to deliver the re¬ 
port of the Judges. He stated that he had given to both 
of the machines a critical examination, that neither gen¬ 
tlemen of the Committee had formed a prior opinion, and 
that no outside influences had been brought to bear on 
their action. That the Committee were unanimous in 
their preference for the Manny Machine, as being the 
simplest in construction, the cleanest in its cut, and the 
easiest on horses: 
This announcement was received with applause by the 
spectators, as coinciding precisely with their already 
formed views. Mr. M’Kle, the agent of the Manny Ma¬ 
chine, thanked the Committee for their services on the 
occasion, after which the spectators began to withdraw, 
highly pleased with the trial. The following is the report 
of the Committee : ” 
“Harrisburg, July 21, 1856. 
The undersigned, a Committee of Judges, appointed at 
a trial of Reaping Machines, which came off in an oat field 
belonging to Col. D. J. Unger, about a mile above Harris¬ 
burg, to decide upon the respective merits of the Atkins’ 
Self-Raking and Mowing Machine, and Manny’s Reaper 
with Wood's Improvement, unanimously give their pre¬ 
ference to Manny’s Machine as being the simplest, perform¬ 
ing the neatest work, and easiest on horses. 
J. D. Hoffman, Jacob Fitting, 
Christian Hummel, Jacob Garman, 
John Bankus.” 
Preparation for Hay in the Mow. —I have 
used, for several years, the following prepara¬ 
tion for my hay :— Two parts of slacked lime or 
quick lime to one of salt. The salt to be mixed 
ith the lime until entirely dissolved and the 
mass becomes a powder. Upon a load or tun 
of hay, at intervals in mowing or stacking, use 
from ten to fifteen quarts, dusted evenly over 
the hay. I formerly used salt alone, but the 
men would often use too much, so that it was 
injurious to the stock. The above mixture ob¬ 
viates this—it corrects the acidity and sourness 
of the hay, and I do not recollect a sick animal 
since I commenced its use. Horses troubled 
with the heaves are greatly relieved by feeding 
upon hay thus prepared, and I am satisfied it is 
preventive of the heaves. My horses are 
kept in the stable the year round, well groom¬ 
ed, and they do far more work and wear longer 
than when suffered to run during the summer. 
—L. D. Clift, in 2'ransadions N. Y. Ag. Society. 
The Crops.— The Journal of the N. Y. State , T m 
Ag. Society thus briefly sums up the condition . Novel Seed IWer.-TIus is a seed plant- 
and prospects of the principal crops of New ^contrivance which is attached to the heel of 
y 0) .^ . one s boot, and is so afl!mged that by the act of 
walking, the grain is dropped and planted in 
the ground. The seed is contained in a belt 
worn around the waist. A flexible tube con¬ 
ducts the seed down to the planting apparatus. 
Albany, Albany.*.Sept. 23, 24, 25. 
Allegany, Angelica.Sept. 30, Oct. 1. 
Cattaraugus, Little Valley,.Sept. 17,18, 19. 
Cayuga, Auburn.Sept. 17, 18,19. 
Columbia, Chatham.Sept. 24, 25, 26. 
Cortland, Homer.Sept. 23, 24, 26. 
Chautauque, Westfield.Sept. 10, 11. 
Delaware, Walton.Sept. 24, 25. 
Essex, Elizabethtown.Sept. 18,19. 
Franklin, Malone.Sept. 24, 25, 26. 
Herkimer, Ilion.Sept._ 
Jefferson, Watertown.Sept. 17, 18. 
MadisoD, Munnsville.Sept. 8, 9,10. 
Monroe, Rochester.Sept. 24, 25, 26. 
Oneida, Rome.Sept. 23, 24, 25. 
Onondaga, Syracuse,. .Sept. 10, 11,12. 
Ontario, Canandaigua.Sept. 24, 25, 26. 
Orleans, Albion}.Sept. 25, 26. 
Oswego, Mexico.Sept. 17, 18. 
Putnam, Lake Mahopac.Sept. 16, 17. 
Queens, Hempstead.Sept. 25. 
Rensselaer, Lansingburg...Sept. 16,17,18. 
Rockland, New City.Oct. 8, 9. 
Schuyler, Watkins.Oct. 8, 9. 
Seneca, Waterloo,.Oct. 8, 9, 10. 
Steuben, Bath. . .Oct. 8, 9. 
St. Lawrence, Canton,.Sept. 17,18 19. 
Tioga, Owego,.Sept. 24, 25. 
Wayne, Lyons,.Sept. 23, 24,'’25. 
Washington, Union Village.Sept. 17, 18. 
: ‘From the returns received, it is evident that 
the crops will scarcely equal the average of a 
good year. Wheat is very fine in the berry, 
though injured in many localities by the fly; 
barley is a very good crop, and a large breadth 
sown ; oats, owing to the dry weather, will be 
a diminished yield; rye, crop good; corn, 
owing to the dry weather, will, in most of the 
counties in the State, be less than an average ; 
hay, well secured, a fair crop; the dairy pro¬ 
ducts will be much as usual, though, in some 
counties, the feed has been very close, owing 
to the dry weather—where corn has been sown 
broadcast this has been remedied.” 
Farmers may henceforth dispense with their 
cumbersome planting machinery. To plant 
their crops they will only need to slip on a pair 
of these magic boots, and leisurely stalk over 
the soil. Horses’ feet may be supplied with 
shoes of the same sort, and the animals become 
thus converted into four-legged, self-moving, 
seed planters. Yerily, the march of improve¬ 
ment is onward !—Scientific American. 
A Horse Show is to be held at Salem, Co¬ 
lumbiana Co., Ohio, on the 3d, 4th and 5th of 
September. 
Agricultural College. —Hon. John A. King, 
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, announces 
that a meeting of the Board will be held at 
Ovid, on Thursday, September 4th. 
Shallow plowing operates to impoverish the 
soil, while it decreases production. 
Advice to Young Farmers.—A llow me to say, 
to young farmers especially, let us be studi¬ 
ous and inquisitive, as well as laborious ; let us 
be simple and frugal in our habits ; avoid use¬ 
less expenditures ; leave fine dress, and fast 
horses, and showy dwellings to those who really 
Deed such things to recommend them. Let us 
ever remember that for health and substantial 
wealth, for rare opportunities, for self-improve¬ 
ment, for long life and real independence,farm¬ 
ing is the best business in the world. — Gold- 
t/iwait. 
Save Seeds of Perfect Fruit. —During the 
present month many kinds of vegetables will 
be ripening. Those who wish to perpetuate 
an early and fine variety, should select the 
first that ripens which is perfect, and save it 
for seed. Save such as are the least likely to 
be impregnated with an inferior sort by the ac¬ 
tion of bees or other insects. Proper care in 
this will insure an early supply of vegetables 
of a superior quality. Seeds when saved, 
should be kept in a cool dry place, properly la¬ 
beled as to sorts.— Mich. Far. 
An Example. —As an example, not only of 
what countries may rise to, in point of produc¬ 
tion, but also to what they may fall, the follow¬ 
ing is interesting :—Sicily, in ancient times the 
granary of Italy, is now obliged for bread to 
have recourse to importation. In the year 1532 
she exported 1,380,000 hectolitres of corn. Du¬ 
ring the eighteenth century her average of ex¬ 
portation was 275,300 hectolitres; in the year 
1834 she still contrived to export 140,000 hecto¬ 
litres ; in 1837, only 8,990 ; in 1838, 1,060 ; and 
in 1839,148 hectolitres only. In 1840 importa¬ 
tion began, and has been gradually increasing 
every year. 
Columbian Guano. —Prof. Carr, Chemist of 
the N. Y. State Ag. Society, has analyzed 
specimens of this Guano sent to the Ag. Itooms 
by Mr. Lee, of New York, with the following 
result: 
Phosphate of Lime.84.12 
Organic matter with Ammonia... . 8.17 
Silica and Alumina. 5.41 
Water.2.30 
100.00 
‘It will be seen (says Prof. C.) from the 
above, that it is far richer in phosphoric acid 
than any other guano known, or ground bones, 
and is equally characterized by the small per¬ 
centage of water. It must rank high as a fer¬ 
tilizer.” 
Steam Plowing. —J. Percy, of Albany, has 
constructed a carriage, to which plows may be 
attached, and which he feels confident will 
enable him, by steam power, to overcome the 
difficulties which have heretofore prevented the 
practical working of steam for this purpose. By stabling and shedding stock through the 
His plan seems feasible, but trial alone will winter, a saving of one-fourth the food may be 
demonstrate whether it can, successfully and effected ; that is, one-fourth less food will an- 
cheaply, be applied to practical use on the farm, swer, than when the stock may be exposed to 
Journal N. Y. Ag. Society. the inclemencies of the weather. 
