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MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL 
'■iWM'ii'VSf'i/WSi'W 
AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
DEC. 6. 
Co mm Mutations. 
POTATO PARAGRAPHS. 
Messrs. Eds;— Having a piece of stiff sward 
which. I wished to subdue and mellow for a 
garden next year, I planted the greater part to 
potatoes—some half-dozen different kinds,such 
as I had a few of, and wished for early use, or 
for further trial. Of these, and others w hich I 
have tried this year, I send you a few para¬ 
graphs for the Rural. 
« Blue Meshannocks” is the name with which 
one kind came to me, but I think they may be 
identical with the “ Black Mercer.” They are 
round, of a dark purple color, showing when 
cut a deep purple streak around the outside, 
have a very rough skin, and in my estimation 
are a good table potato. They seemed about 
worthless until late in the season—producing 
only blossoms and seed balls and setting very 
few tubers until September. Escaping the frost 
until late in October, they made a good growth 
and yielded as well as any variety I planted, 
the present dry season. I shall give them fur¬ 
ther trial another year. 
“Early Junes,” of which I planted a few, 
“ dried up,” and ripened before attaining half 
their growth. Very few of them were above 
three-quarters of an inch in diameter—they 
generally grow to good size and yield fairly in 
favorable seasons. For this they need early 
planting and a good garden soil. I add a top¬ 
dressing of plaster. 
The “ Fluke” proves a capital potato. I had 
a dozen small ones which I planted the 10th of 
May, two eyes to a hill. A portion of them 
were spoiled by the drouth the remainder did 
well. The vine is very small, not over eight or 
ten inches high, and often bush-like in growth. 
For eating, baked or boiled, I know of none 
superior. Most of mine were very fair and 
handsome in shape, though some were knobby 
and almost pointed at the stem end. One can 
scarcely tell how productive they will be, from 
a single trial—this shows the yield medium in 
quantity. 
A few rows of “Yellow Kidneys" flourished 
exceedingly. They are a handsome potato, of 
good eating qualities, and mature pretty early. 
I shall plant more of them. 
“ Western Reds” have been grown among us 
for several years, and are considered a valuable 
potato for field culture, very productive and 
keeping well. A friend in Chautauque Co. 
sent me some “ Sherman” potatoes, a favorite 
variety there. These I find the same as the 
“ Reds,” which also have the prefix of “ Roch¬ 
ester” in some localities. The “Shermans” 
gave the most large potatoes, I think for the 
reason that T put less seed in a hill. I find we 
can use too little seed unless we plant closer— 
but farmers generally err the other way. Plant 
in drills, one eye to the foot, and you will get 
more and larger potatoes than with twice or 
three times the seed. 
The “ Mexican” is another small-vined pota¬ 
to, and the ne-plus-vltra for baking quick and 
eatiDg fine. It does not yield very largely 
with me. I think I ought to plant more close¬ 
ly, and perhaps earlier. With those who are 
tenacious about white-fleshed potatoes, this is a 
favorite. 
As to the “ White Mercers” I never had much 
success in raising them, though I have eaten 
good ones grown in the vicinity of Rochester, 
where they were originated. The “ Round 
Pinkeye” does better and suits me full as well. 
Take your “ Flesh Colored” potatoes to mar¬ 
ket, and people turn away as though they were 
unfit to eat. But the farmer can better afford to 
raise them at twenty-five cents, than “ Mexi¬ 
cans" or “Mercers” at fifty cents a bushel.— 
For eating, if cooked right, they are good 
through the year, not often watery or strong, 
and firm-fleshed, when most other potatoes 
have lost their true flavor. They seldom rot, 
and will yield well where any potatoes can be 
produced. a. l. h. 
Lockport, N. Y., Nov., 1856. 
RAISING POTATOES. 
Eds. Rural :—Not very often do I trespass 
on your pages, but allow me to give you some 
of my experience in the culture of potatoes. 
For some years it has been difficult in many 
localities to mature this root with much cer¬ 
tainty,and it has become a matter of discussion 
as to which of the many kinds grown is the 
most hardy or the least liable to rot. The 
large Pinkeye, so far as my experience goes, is 
much less troubled with this disease than any 
other kind. I have raised the Meshannocks, the 
small white Pinkeye, the Flesh Colored, cfcc., 
but none have proved so hardy, nor given so 
satisfactory a yield, as the large or round Pink¬ 
eye. In addition, they always bring the bes 
price in our market. 
While writing, I wish to say something in 
regard to small potatoes for seed. I generally 
sort mine, and take the smallest to plant, and 
have become thoroughly satisfied that it de¬ 
pends much more on the soil and cultivation 
than in the size of the seed. One year ago 
last Spring, I planted six rows, ten or twelve 
rods long, of the smallest seed I could select, 
none being larger than a hickory nut. 1 plant¬ 
ed six rows joining the first of large sized ones, 
cut in two pieces, one piece in a hill; and the 
remainder of the piece (being one acre in all,) 
I planted with whole potatoes without sorting, 
putting one in a hill as in the first six rows. 
Distance apart, three and one-half feet each 
way,—hoed twice as usual,—dug in November. 
I could perceive no difference in size, quantity 
or quality. This year I planted three and one- 
half acres all of small seed, on first rate soil, 
hoed twice as usual, and kept clear and free 
from weeds until the vines completely shaded 
the ground, and the result was mammoth pota¬ 
toes, many of them weighing from one to one 
and a half pounds each. Farmers try it, give 
your potatoes a rich, dry, sandy soil, rows 3}£ 
to 4 feet apart—hill them large—give clean 
culture, and you will raise large, good potatoes 
from small seed, a very essential point to the 
grower. 0. C. Young. 
Henry Co., Ohio, Nov., 1856. 
IS AGRICULTURE IMPROVING P 
Mr. Editor :—I noticed in the Rural a few 
weeks ago an article entitled, “Are Farmers 
Improving ?” This is a very sensible and seri¬ 
ous question for every person, both male and 
female—“ Am I improving, both for time and 
eternity ?” I will, however, confine ray re¬ 
marks to the query, “ Is Agriculture improv¬ 
ing ?” and leave the other for abler pens. In 
Western New York I think it is not improving. 
For the last twenty years the crops (taking 
Western New York throughout) have been re¬ 
trogressive as far as wheat is concerned, which 
has been the staple commodity. Now, I hold 
that no man or men will mend their ways un¬ 
til they see they are doing wrong, and many 
not even then. Why has the wheat crop retro¬ 
graded ? The reason, I think, is obvious to the 
weakest capacity. The land has been produ¬ 
cing wheat almost constantly since the forests 
were cleared off—say from thirty to sixty years; 
in fact, the land has been working that length 
of time with 1 ttle or no food, and having be¬ 
come exhausted, can produce paying crops no 
longer, unless it has rest and much more and 
better food. The subsoil has become so com¬ 
pact with long tillage, that the water cannot 
circulate through it, and the wheat freezes out 
in spring. 
I am satisfied from my own experience that 
by thorough underdraining, and rest or high 
manuring, as good average of wheat can be ob¬ 
tained as ever, from the real wheat lands in 
the State. My own wheat crops for the last 
eight years have averaged more than they ever 
did in the same length of time for thirty-five 
years. The reason is, for the last ten years I 
have sown no wheat on utidrained land ; and for 
thirty years I have fed a large quantity of stock 
in winter, and fed them fully, making rich 
manure and kept up (and increased) the fertil¬ 
ity of the soil; that is, although I worked my 
land haid, I fed it well, and I found it grateful 
for what it received, repaying me abundantly. 
And I have no doubt it will keep paying as long 
as it has a master that treats it as I have done. 
I commence winter this season with over 500 
sheep to make fat, besides some cattle. I am 
now having brought home 20 tuns of oil cake 
meal for feed, which, together with my corn 
crop, will do more than fat fully all the stock I 
have got. That is the way I feed my land. 
Those on whom I can rely inform me that the 
wheat crop of Ontario Co. last harvest did not 
average ten bushels per acre, and I doubt if 
this county (Seneca) gave much more. Now, 
such farming as that is perfect folly. 1 know 
that other farmers can raise as much as I can if 
they only take the same way to do it; indeed 
I have no doubt they would consider themselves 
insulted were I to say otherwise. But I think 
I see a better day approaching for the farmeis 
in this region. I notice a great many tile are 
being taken over the country, and that is the 
true starting point for improvement. 
I have often thought it singular that all 
classes of mechanics, merchants, die., in this 
country, were perhaps the most enterprising to 
be found in any country on the globe; and 
that the farmers, taken as a whole, are the re¬ 
verse. In truth, I do not believe that there is 
any other civilized nation that abuses mother 
earth so cruelly (if I may so speak) as do the 
farmers of the United States. 
Yours, truly, John Johnston. 
Near Geneva, N. Y., Nov. 24, 1856. 
.LETTER FROM MINNESOTA. 
Messrs. Editors: —Not having seen any con¬ 
tributions to your paper from this distant part of 
Uncle Sam’s domain, and as I have no doubt 
many of your subscribers are anxious to learn 
all they can of the “Far West,” perhaps a few 
lines from a resident of this Territory may not 
be uninteresting to your readers. 
This is emphatically a fast country. One 
yeai ago last June I came to this place, which 
then consisted of two log-houses. We now 
boast of a saw-mill, containing an upright as 
well as a number of circular saws, and a run of 
stone for grinding com, &c., four well filled 
grocery and dry goods stores, all di ing a thriv¬ 
ing business, a printing office fro i which is 
issued a weekly paper called the Cannon Falls 
Gazette —a hardware and stove store, a chair es¬ 
tablishment, two public houses and two more 
in process of erection—one of stone 50 nv 70 
feet, three stories high—the other of wooo 30 
by 40, 2stories high—some fifty or sixty 
dwelling houses, many of which would be con¬ 
sidered first class buildings in any of the coun¬ 
try villages in the State of New York—three 
blacksmith shops, some twenty-five carpenters, 
and a proportionate number of masons, all as 
busy as they can be, and work for plenty more. 
Carpenters’ wages, two dollars and fifty to two 
dollars and seventy-five cents per day ; masons 
three dollars. A flouring mill 40 by 50 feet, 
four stories, and to contain four or five run of 
stone, besides many other improvements in con¬ 
templation. 
This place is situated on the Cannon River, 
about 18 miles west from the Mississippi, and 
35 south from St. Paul. The nearest points of 
business on the river are Hastings and Red Wing 
—the former 21 miles and the latter 25 miles dis¬ 
tant,—the road to the former is as level and 
nice as any road of the same distance you can 
find in the State of New York. They are both 
flourishing villages, containing some 25 to 30 
stores each—saw and flouring mills and various 
other kinds of machinery, and have extensive 
lumber yards. Our lumber comes from the 
pineries on the Mississippi and its tributaries. 
Common pine boards have been retailed dur¬ 
ing the past season at 20 dollars per thousand, 
and warranted ingles at $5 50. We have 
a water-power capable of propelling all of the 
mills in Rochester, if properly applied. 
The soil about here is of various kinds—that 
called “high prairie” is composed of black 
loam with a clay subsoil, some of it underlaid 
with limestone. The lauds situated near the riv¬ 
er, and between here and the Mississippi, are of 
black sand underlaid with gravel and lime¬ 
stone. We have most kinds of timber found in 
New York, excepting birch, hemlock and pine, 
though not by any means in abundance. A 
very great majority of the land in this section 
is prairie and hazel brush. Wild poplar or 
quaking aspen groves, are quite plenty, and this 
timber is used quite extensively for fencing.— 
Laid in a rail fence, it will probably last from 
five to eight years. Good stone for fencing are 
to be found on nearly every quarter section. I 
have heard of no one trying hedges in this vi¬ 
cinity. 
The yellow Dent corn is generally cultivat¬ 
ed here—that which was planted this year on 
old ground (or on ground that was broken the 
year previous) by the first of June, ripened ; 40 
to 60 bushels I should think an average yield 
in this vicinity. No county east of the Rocky 
Mountains can beat us in potsftoes. Peas, oats, 
spring, and on some of our soils, winter wheat 
and beans, do well. Barley I have never seen 
tried, but intend to sow some in the spring.— 
Clover and timothy have not been tried. The 
former I think will do well—the latter I do not, 
except in particular localities. 
The country is healthy—no prevailing fevers 
or sickness of any kind. One physician (who 
has been here nearly six months,) says it has 
been an alarming time of health since his arri¬ 
val, and thinks he will have to turn farmer next 
year in order to get a living. 
We think fruit of most kinds will thrive well 
here—peach and apple trees in the nursery at 
Red Wing were not injured much, if any, last 
winter. Wild grapes, plums, currants, goose¬ 
berries, grow in abundance here ; also the crab 
and thorn apples. I had quite a variety of 
roses and shrubs transplanted last fall, every one 
of which lived and grew well the past season ; 
they were brought from New York. The latest 
frost we had last spring was the 14th of May, 
and the nextone the 20th of September—the first 
snow this fall fell to-day, November 20th, 1856. 
Prices here are as follows:—Corn, $1 00; 
oats, 80 cents per bushel; flour, $9 00 ; fresh 
pork in the hog, $P2 50 per cwt; beef, $7 00 
per cwt.; butter, 32 cents ; lard, 20 cents per 
pound; good working oxen, $100 to $125 per 
yoke ; cows, $40 to $50; horses per pair, $300 
to $400. Yours, Ac., t. 
Cannon Falls, Goodhue Co , Min. Ter., 1856. 
TO THE BOYS ON THE FARM. 
My Young Friends:—S ome of you wish for 
more opportunities for study than you now en¬ 
joy. My advice to you is—appreciate and im¬ 
prove those which are now offered you. Make 
the most you can of your winter school. Im¬ 
prove the precious hours of your winter eve¬ 
nings. Take care, also, that you put to the best 
use those few moments. You have brought the 
good fresh water for the dinner table ; that is 
right. If your mother does not want your 
help, you can read the Rural, or some other 
useful reading, during five minutes before all 
are ready for the table. Five minutes reading 
before each meal, that amounts to 15 minutes 
each day : 90 minutes for the six working days 
of the week; one hour and a half each week ; 
78 hours in one year ; in ten years, 780 hours. 
Equal to 195 days “schooling,” at four hours 
e;.ch day. Think of this, and improve each 
passing moment.—J. R. J., Syracuse, N. Y. 
Barn Memoranda.—L et the feeder remember 
that every 100 pounds of live weight of animal 
require, of good hay, in 
Working Horses__ 3 08 lbs. 
Working OSen.. 2.40 “ 
Mi:ch Cows..... 2 40 “ 
Young growing cattle___ .... 3 08 “ 
Steers.. 2.84 “ 
Dry Cows.... 2 42 “ 
Sheep. 3.00 “ 
Pigs, (in feed equivalent to hay,)_ 3 00 “ 
To illustrate this, suppose your horse weighs 
ten hundred, then, to support each hundred of 
his weight he must have three' pounds and 
eight-hundredths of another pound, and ten 
times that amount will be required each day to 
give nourishment to his whole ten hundred, 
which will make 30 pounds per day. An ox 
that weighs ten hundred will require 24 pounds 
per day, and a milch cow that weighs 600 will 
require 14 pounds and 40 hundredths. It must 
be hay of the best quality .—Maine Farmer. 
How to Increase Manure.—I f you have not 
hitherto done so permit us now to prevail on 
you to take this, our advice :—Have as many 
loads of rough materials hauled and spread 
over your cow yard as will make twelve inches 
in depth. In spreading, so fashion the materi¬ 
als as to be basin-shaped, the lowest point be¬ 
ing in the centre, to prevent the escape of the 
urine. While the rough materials are being 
placed in and spread on the yard, dust each 
layer so spread with plaster, or with pulverized 
charcoal, and when completed dust the surface 
with either of the substances named ; then roll 
the yard to consolidate its contents—the heavier 
the roller the better. Occasionally throughout 
the yarding season spread plaster over the yard, 
and from time to time add rough materials.— 
American Farmer. 
literal flute ate Items. 
Choice Grapes. —The vineyard of Mr. E. A. 
McKay, of Naples, N. Y., is already favorably 
known for the annual production of abundant 
crops of choice Isabella grapes—and we are 
agreeably reminded that “ it still lives” by the 
receipt of a liberal supply of its large, beauti¬ 
ful and very palatable fruit. May the possessors 
of this goodly heritage, and the vineyard itself, 
long live and flourish—ever proving vines from 
which good fruit only s'hall emanate. 
Thb Illustrated Annual Register of Rural Affairs, 
and Cultivator Almanac for 1857-Embellished with 
One hundred and Forty-two Engravings, and containing 
One hundred and Forty-four large duodecimo pages.— 
By John J. Thomas, author of the “ American Fruit 
Culturist,” “Farm Implements," &e. Albany, N. Y.: 
Luther Tucker & Son. 
This capital little annual is replete with 
valuable matter on rural topics, and probably 
the best work of the kind ever issued in this 
country. At its price, 25 cents, it will prove a 
dividend-paying investment to any farmer. 
Sale of Short-horns. —We learn that S. P. 
Chapman, Esq, of Clockville, N. Y., has re¬ 
cently sold his bull calf “ Perfection” to J. W. 
Chaddock <fc Br., of Pavilion Centre, Gen. Co., 
N. Y. Perfection is said to have superior style 
and symmetry, and to be altogether a splendid 
animal. He was sired by Halton (11552,) and 
his dam is Duchess, the first prize cow at El¬ 
mira in 1855. Mr. C. has also sold “ Ruby 6th” 
(a grand-daughter of his prize milch cow Ruby,) 
to Heman Hill, of Brookfield, N. Y. Ruby 6th 
was also sired by Halton, and is in calf to Mr. 
C.’s first prize bull Duke of Oxford. 
Steam Engines for Farmers. —A correspon¬ 
dent wishes us to state, through the Rural, 
“ who are the principal manufacturers of a light 
(say four horse power) stationary steam engine, 
of the simplest construction, calculated to sup¬ 
ply the place of horse power on the farm.” We 
cannot answer definitely as to the principal 
manufactory of stationary engines for farm pur¬ 
poses, but presume they can be obtained of D. 
A. Woodbury <fc Co., of this city. Portable 
steam engines for farm and mechanical pur¬ 
poses, are manufactured by Bradford <fe Hoard 
of Watertown, N. Y., A. N. Wood & Co., of 
Eaton, Madison Co., N. Y., Harlan & Hollings¬ 
worth, of Wilmington, Del., and others. 
Keep the Cattle in Good Condition. —Where 
stock are not receiving proper attention, they 
begin to lose flesh very soon after coming to 
the barn in winter. This should not be the 
case. A downward tendency once commenced, 
will be found extremely difficult to arrest.— 
Cold weather is enough to combat, without at¬ 
tempting to rally declining energies or rebuild 
wasted systems, and the farmer who, at this 
period of the year, undertakes to perform the 
latter will find a mountain of labor upon his 
hands. After bringing stock to the barn in 
good heart, endeavor to keep them thus by ev¬ 
ery means in your power. Good shelter and 
good food—at regular hours and a sufficiency 
thereof—are the accessories, and every farmer 
should apply them to the utmost of his ability. 
Effect of Pumpkin Seeds on Cows. — A cor¬ 
respondent of the N. E. Farmer, gives an account 
of some experiments in feeding a cow with 
pumpkins, with and without the seeds, and its 
effect upon the product of milk. His cow was 
giving eight quarts of milk per day, when he 
commenced feeding her half a bushel of pump¬ 
kins, seeds and all. The milk, instead of in¬ 
creasing, constantly diminished — he then fed a 
bushel per day, and when the pumpkins froze 
up, she only gave four quarts. She did not fat¬ 
ten, and he could not account for the decrease. 
He then fed two quarts of oat meal, with slops 
from the house, and she soon gave eight quarts 
again. After this he boiled his frozen pump¬ 
kins and fed his cow—her milk decreased 
again. He took out the seeds and fed only the 
pumpkins, boiled, and her milk soon increased 
to nine quarts per day. Leaving in the seeds a 
few days, the milk decreased as before. The 
effect of pumpkin seeds to increase the flow of 
urine is very great, and it probably acted in 
this way to the injury of the milk of the cow. 
It would be well to remove the seeds before 
feeding pumpkins to any kind of stock. 
Turnips for Fattening Cattle. —It is con¬ 
tended by many agriculturists that turnips, 
without some grain is fed witli them, will not 
fatten cattle. A late No. of the Boston CuHiva- 
tor, in an article on the “ Care of Live Stock,” 
has the following relative to the fattening prop¬ 
erties of this root:—“We have seen cattle and 
sheep fattened, and well fattened, on fiat turnips. 
Mr. Webster, on Marshfield farm, was in the 
habit of making excellent beef with turnips and 
salt hay. His neighbor, Hon. Seth Sprague, 
has done the same thiDg, and with advantage, 
too. Salt hay alone will barely keep animals, 
in store condition. We are indebted to Mr. 
Samuel Chamberlain, of Westboro’, iu feeding 
stock with turnips. In 1855, Mr. C. raised 2,- 
500 bushels of turnips, among 11 acres of com. 
He fatted 15farrow cows on turnips, commenc¬ 
ing when the cows were first tied up in the barn, 
about the 10t,h of November. The cows were 
then in quite low condition. They were fed 
with two bushels of turnips a day—one in the 
morning and one in the evening. They were 
fed eleven weeks—had no grain of any kind, 
and consumed but very little hay—and were 
then sold for $7 per hundred dressed, which 
was as much as meal-fed animals sold for in his 
neighborhood at the same time. The cows were 
of the ordinary stock, and weighed from 450 to 
650 lbs. dressed.” 
Just a Word. —As our readers are aware, the 
Germantown Telegraph recently attacked the 
Rural and its editor in anything but a digni¬ 
fied and gentlemanly manner, thus endeavoring 
to provoke a controversy. In alluding to the 
matter we stated that our attention was directed 
to it by an intelligent correspondent— and ad¬ 
ded that we rarely perused the Telegraph, had 
not read the article, but would look up the im¬ 
portant document and reply thereto if neces¬ 
sary. Now — and this only is what we desire 
to notice in this connection — in response our 
logical contemporary, instead of taking the. 
matter coolly, asserts that our correspondent 
“resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia," and 
proceeds to annihilate some innocent person for 
the supposed enormity. Now, we dislike very 
much to deprive our good friend of his special 
thunder, but truth constrains us to aver that he 
is altogether mistaken —and that his attack 
upon a neighbor is both unprovoked and unjust. 
Our correspondent resides in Western New 
York, is a gentleman with whom we are inti¬ 
mately acquainted, and has heretofore enjoyed 
the extatic pleasure of a personal acquaintance 
with the editor of the Telegraph. We therefore 
trust our contemporary will make the amende to 
the person he has so harshly judged — and to 
set him right on that point, is our only object 
in penning this paragraph. What he says on 
other points — about our reading his hebdoma¬ 
dal, and his modest panegyric of his own wares 
— though equally as erroneous as the above, is 
in no wise cognate to the subject, and therefore 
unworthy any notice whatever from a journalist 
whose time and space are of the least value. 
Corn, Large and Tall. —Mr. Seth Cook, of 
Union. N. Y., sends us a noble specimen of the 
Brown Corn—an ear some 13 inches long, well 
filled and proportioned. He modestly remarks 
that he sends a sample of his little corn, and 
that at some future day he will send a speci¬ 
men of his large maize for our inspection. Our 
friend may and may not be a little conceited ; 
but, if he calls this little, we are curious to see 
a sample of his large corn. 
Speaking of corn, here’s a readable item on 
the subject from the pen of the inimitable 
Clark of the Knickerbocker Magazine —a crumb 
from the December table : 
“ * The conceit of some people,’ is enormously 
developed. Here is Mr. H. H. Johnson, who 
has been sending two ‘stalks of corn to the 
Pennsylvania Jeffersonian,' each measuring ‘over 
twelve feet in length /’ ‘ The corn,’ adds our 
brother editor of ‘ The Jeffersonian,' with com¬ 
mendable local pride, ‘was raised in our borough, 
and is the tallest product we have yet seen.’ 
Very likely : but you are ‘behind the age’ en¬ 
tirely. Three years ago, about the period of 
‘this present writing,’ we sent to the ‘ Tribune' 
office in town five stalks of ‘ Iowa White Corn} 
(the seed a present from a friend in Davenport, 
‘of that ilk,’) with five ears on each stalk, 
which ‘H. G.,’ in an editorial note accompany¬ 
ing our notelet, said, ‘by actual measurement 
averaged fifteen feet and three inches in length /’ 
See the record thereof in the journal aforesaid. 
GoiDg down to the printing-office, to proof¬ 
read, past the ‘Tribune Buildings,’ we used to 
love to glance in,and see ‘curious’ people look¬ 
ing at ’em as they lay ‘extended long and 
large ’ upon the floor of the publication office, 
little thinking that We were close by I Agri¬ 
culture is a noble science : but there must be 
emulatcon to insure success. Does our fiiend of 
'The Jeffersonian' take the idea ? A wiser man 
than either of us has said, with entire truth, 
that ‘When two men ride a horse, one must 
ride behind.’ Reflect upon it a moment, and 
you’ll ‘obsarve the p’int.’” 
Egyptian Wheat. —During the seven years 
foretold by Joseph in the land of Egypt, “the 
earth brought forth corn by bandfulls,” (Gen. 
xii.,47,) “seven ears on a stalk,” (ibid, ver. 22.) 
It is not said certainly, that this was wheat; 
but its description exactly corresponds with the 
Tricticum compositum at present cultivated in 
that country, and also with the mummy wheat, 
discovered in a sarcophagus in the Egyptian 
tombs, which had probably lain there for more 
than 3,000 years, but which when planted veg¬ 
etated, and has afforded us a new variety of 
that grain. I have some ears of this now before 
me,exhibiting the same phenomenon of “seven 
ears on one stalk." This wheat is made into 
Colne flour, and the London bakers use it to dust 
the kneading boards. Thus we have the fact 
distinctly brought before us, that the wheat of 
that period possessed features in common—al¬ 
lowing for the changes effected by differences 
of soil, character, and cultivation—with that of 
the present day.— Mark Lane Express. 
Composts. —Lime is a substance which it is 
an error to use with composts in which we have 
barn yard manure. It is equally an error to 
mix lime with any compound rich in ammonia. 
The tendency of lime in all composts is to pro¬ 
mote decomposition and to waste nitrogen, 
which escapes by union with hydrogen under 
the form of ammonia, which is the very treasure 
of the dung heap, and of most other manuring 
substances.— Morton's Practical Agriculture. 
Fatigue in the animal is often met with blows; 
and as its strength wanes, the cruel excite¬ 
ments to go forward are increased ; who then 
can wonder, under such circumstances, that 
they are subject to sickness and decay, and do 
not live out half their days, miserable in their 
appearance and sluggish in their movements ? 
No lands can be preserved in a high state of 
fertility, unless clover and the grasses are cul¬ 
tivated in course of rotation. 
