TWO DOLLARS A. YEARj 
[SJRSTG-IYE NO. WOXTJR CENTB, 
“PROGRESS v-YTSTD 1MPROYEMENT.’ 
YOL. X. SO. 37. f 
ROCHESTER, S. I.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1859. 
{WHOLE SO. 505. 
mwKKVTm 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors. 
TERMS, IN ADVANCE : 
Two Dollars a Year — $1 for six months. To Clubs 
and Agents as followsThree Copies one year, for $5; Six, 
and one free to club agent, for $10; Ten, and one free, for 
$15; Sixteen, and one free, for $22; Twenty, and one free, 
for $26; Thirty-two, and two free, for $10, (or Thirty for 
$37,50.) and any greater number at same rate—only $1,25 
per copy —with an extra copy for every Ten Subscribers 
over Thirty. Club papers sent to different Post-offices, if de¬ 
sired. As we pre-pay American postage on papers sent to 
the British Provinces, our Canadian agents and friends must 
add 12M cents per copy to the club rates of the Rural.— 
The lowest price of copies sent to Europe, &c„ is only $2,- 
60—including postage. 
rS 1- All communications, and business letters, should he 
addressed to D. 1). T. MOORE, Rochester, N. Y. 
RURAL LETTERS FROM EUROPE,-L 
11V SANFORD HOWARD. 
YorKshlre; Purchase of a Cleveland-bay horse—Show of 
the Highland and Agricultural Society, at Edinburgh— 
The polled Angus, Aberdeenshire and Galloway Cattle- 
Measurement of Prize Animals — The Show of Short¬ 
horns, Ayrshires and West Highlands—Sheep Exhibited; 
the Cheviots described, and comuared with the Black¬ 
faced and Leicester breeds—Implement Department; 
American Reaping and Mowing Machines—Edinburgh 
and its Attractions—Visit to Ireland. 
Liverpool, Aug. 19, 1859. 
I think my last letter to tbe Rural New-Yorker 
was written in Yorkshire. My chief business 
there was to obtain a Cleveland-bay (entire) horse, 
and after a long search, I succeeded in finding a 
very superior one, which I have shipped to Dr. 
John R. Woods, of Joy Depot, Albemarle county, 
Va. If he reaches his destination in safety, I 
think he will prove a decided acquisition to that 
section, especially for the purpose of breeding 
large coach horses, which will be also calculated 
to do much farm work. 
I attended the Show of the Ilighland and Agri¬ 
cultural Society of Scotland, held at Edinburgh 
from the 1st to the 5th inst. It was the first exhi¬ 
bition of this “ ancient and honorable” association 
I have ever attended, and, as I expected to be, I 
was much gratified. There were some things 
here of which I had not previously a sufficiently 
clear idea. Such, particularly, were the polled 
Angus and Aberdeenshire cattle, and the Cheviot 
sheep, of both which there was a large display. 
The cattle alluded to comprised a class by 
themselves—their congeners the Galloways, form¬ 
ing another class. They are larger than the 
Galloways, but not as compact, and especially not 
as round in the first ribs. They are also thinner 
in the hide and lighter in the coat—traits which 
indicate that they are not as well adapted to expo¬ 
sure and hard fare. Their quality of flesh, though 
generally good, appeared not equal to that of the 
Galloways. The first and second prize bulls in 
the Angus and Aberdeenshire aged class, each 
three years and six months old, girthed, respect¬ 
ively, 8 feet and 8 feet 2 inches. The first prize 
bull in the aged class of Galloways, four years 
and four months old, girthed 7 feet 9 inches; and 
the first prize bull in the next class, two years 
and four months old, girthed 7 feet 2 inches. As 
I took these measurements myself, I know them 
to be correct. The weights of none of these ani¬ 
mals were given, but they were certainly heavy 
in proportion to their girth. 
There was a pretty large show of Short-horns, 
but less good ones in proportion to the number 
than at Warwick. There were some that would 
stand well in the breed anywhere, but as a class 
they were decidedly inferior in symmetry and 
quality to the polled cattle. The leading prize- 
taker was Mr. Douglas, of Athelstaneford, who 
however he may have failed of obtaining justice at 
Warwick and Dundalk, (Ireland,) I think obtained 
it in most cases here, though he got no more than 
the scale of merit actually indicated. 
The Ayrshires made nothing like the display 
they did at Glasgow (of which Show I have given 
you an account,) owing chiefly to the remoteness 
of tbe locality from their main breeding-ground 
People who have not seen this fine dairy breed on 
its own territory, would have been likely to form 
a very inferior idea of it from the specimens shown 
at Edinburgh, although several of the prize ani¬ 
mals were of superior character. 
The West Highland breed comprised upwards of 
sixty head, and many of the cows and heifers were 
of almost unexceptionable shape and quality, 
though I was somewhat disappointed at not find¬ 
ing more good bulls in the class—there being none 
equal to some which I mentioned as being at the 
Glasgow Show. I will just say, in passing, that 
while walking, some weeks since, through the old 
Cadzow Talk, the property of the Duke of Hamil¬ 
ton, I saw a West Ilighland bull and two heifers 
which the Duke was about to send as a present to 
the Emperor of the French. They were fine—one 
of the heifers almost perfect. But I have spoken 
so fully of the characteristics of this breed in a 
previous letter, that there is no necessity of fur¬ 
ther remarks in regard to it here. 
Great numbers of sheep were exhibited, compris¬ 
ing specimens of the two Scottish, and the leading 
English breeds. The Cheviots were the only class 
that I was particularly desirous of examining. I 
had previously seen the breed in considerable 
numbers, in various localities, but never so large 
a collection at a show. They are a long-bodied 
race, and in comparison with the Black-faced 
breed, the old name by which the former were 
called—“ the Long Sheep”—was not inappropriate. 
They are inclined to be loose about the shoulders 
and hollow at the chine. But it is evident that 
an attempt has been made to correct this defect, 
and the perfection of some of the sheep shown here, 
proved that the attempt has been to some extent 
successful. The superior quality of the wool of 
the Cheviots, considering that they belong to a 
of Holyrood, with its monuments to the mighty 
dead of olden time—the splendid institutions of 
modern times devotr^»/ tbe teaching of science 
in all its branches, Or the still more splendid ones 
founded by liberal philanthropists for the benefit 
of the poor;—all these I have visited, and might 
speak of at length, hut it would hardly be appro¬ 
priate to the original design of these letters, and 
they must be passed by. 
From Edinburgh I passed via Stirling over the 
classic land and water of the Trosaclis and Loch 
Katrine and Loch Lomond to Glasgow and Green¬ 
ock, thence to Belfast, (Jyoland,) thence to Dublin, 
and thence to KiJlarney, the neighborhood of 
which is so noted for its mountains, lakes, and 
Kerry Cattle. I purchased some of the latter, of 
which as well of other matters relating to the 
Emerald Isle, I may give some account in a future 
letter. 
KOHL-RABI AS FEED FOR STOCK. 
It is well known that our climate is not as 
favorable as that of England for tbe cultivation of 
the turnip—our hot, dry weather often making it 
a partial failure. It has often occurred to us that 
in the Kohl-rabi we have a plant that is peculiarly 
suited to our climate, and that may prove as 
valuable to the farmers and stock growers of this 
country as the turnip is to those of England. 
Even in England it is somewhat taking the place 
of the turnip for heavy lands, and is found to suc¬ 
ceed much better in dry summers. Morton says, 
“ Kohl-rabi is the bulb for dry summers—heat 
and drouth are conco^ 1 to it, and the plant 
of medium length, and fine or finer tb;m ihat 
the Leicester, and of nearly uniform quality over 
the whole carcass. They are very white in their 
faces and legs, generally without horns, though 
some of the rains have little knobs an inch long, 
which might, perhaps, be cultivated into horns. 
I mention these two last points, because some 
people in America have thought they had Cheviot 
sheep, though their faces were speckled, and their 
horns of considerable length. 
The meat of the Cheviots is not so good as that 
of the Black-faced breeds—so at least I am told by 
several butchers to whom I have spoken on the 
subject, and they say, also, that the cross of the 
Cheviot and Black-faced does make as good meat 
as the cross of the Leicester and Black-faced. 
Still the Cheviots are a hardy (though less hardy 
than the Black-faced) and valuable breed. They 
are kept chiefly on the hills from which they take 
their name, and along the lower parts of the South 
Highlands. 
I did not make a critical examination of the 
implement department, but I neither saw nor 
heard of any special novelty in it, although it was 
a large and fine display. The reaping and mow¬ 
ing machines, as usual, attracted much attention, 
and several of the popular American machines 
were exhibited. I have had no opportunity to 
attend a set trial of these machines this season 
So far as I can judge from what I have seen and 
heard, McCormick’s Reaping Machine, with the 
apron and screws added by Burgess & Key, is 
best adapted to heavy grain, especially when it 
does not stand upright. Manny’s Machine with 
Wood’s Improvement, maintains a good position 
as a combined machine, and has given' good satis¬ 
faction in most cases as a mower. The particular 
causes of its failure at Warwick, I have not 
learned. The Allen machine which took the first 
prize as a mower there, is said to have had an 
important improvement added to it since it came 
into the hands of Burgess & Key, by whom it was 
exhibited. 
I might write of many things which have inter¬ 
ested me, in the neighborhood of Edinburgh—the 
beauty of its location, and the surrounding scenery 
—the quaint style of the “ old town,” with its 
narrow streets, “ closes,” “ wynds,” and houses of 
ten stories in height—the neat style of the “ new 
town,” its broad streets lined with buildings of 
tasteful architecture, and the general aristocratic \ 
appearance of the place and its inhabitants—the 
numerous monuments to the great men who have 
aided to render the city worthy the undisputed 
appellation of “Modern Athens”—the beautiful 
public Garden which occupies what was once a 
gulf of the sea, and separates the city into the 
two main divisions before alluded to—the former 
Parliament-House of Scotland—the ancient Castle 
where the regalia of the Kingdom is still kept and 
shown to the people, and where the unfortunate 
Mary gave birth to that Prince on whose brow 
was first placed the royal diadem of both Scotland 
and England—the old palace of Holyrood, with 
its numerous relics of the former rulers of the 
Kingdom, particularly those relating to the beau¬ 
teous Queen whose fate is still mourned by many a 
maiden—the ruins of the once magnificent Abbey 
U aani-mmia 
I jjwinte turnips 
I' jis extrao 
femselves of a pi.'nt, 
properly treated, will 
; return of sound and 
,11* 
ups afA-v 
■jrdir.Tfy 
S.1 PL tV VI 1L L FR "Jim 
NIVEN’S POTATO DIGGER. 
grows, prospers, 
uuder choumatanifes 
Sfvedes\:ould ba 
that so lew' farmCiJ. 
that in the driest sense 
rarely fail to briDg the larg 
excellent food. During the parching summer of 
1847 the plants grew on, and retained the highest 
verdure. Sheep were found to thrive particularly 
well upon the plant in the succeeding winter; and 
we know that ever since that year beasts have 
been fattened upon the bulbs. The horse-hoes 
must be put in requisition several times, so as to 
keep the spaces clean and open, till the expansion 
of the leaves renders their operation impossible. 
Labor and pains, directed by a vigilant eye, are 
indispensable; but, where these conditions are 
strictly observed, the weight and quality of the 
bulbs are astonishing. Perhaps it would not be 
too much to estimate the average of the former at 
eight pounds per root; and, certainly, the weight 
of some has, in many cases, amounted to from 
fourteen to sixteen pounds. As to disease, who 
ever saw mildew upon Kohl-rabi ? ” 
Above we give a representation of a Potato 
Digger, recently patented by Mr. Robert Niven, 
of Gates, near this city, and which has been tried 
to the general satisfaction of the inventor and 
others who have witnessed its operation. The 
inventor furnishes the following brief description 
of the machine, its capacity and operation: 
“ This machine is light, portable, economical in 
cost, yet very strong and durable—making it relia¬ 
ble and valuable. With one man and a team from 
five to eight acres of potatoes can easily bo dusr.i“ 
da _ rn^.„ FC r.,-.-.^LriF - ;« Simple. 
The leant is driven so th\ a t the row 1S between the 
.L. ., be- passes y.r.dor thehilljs, 
and the endless screen receives the dirt and po>a- 
Stephens says, in the Book of the Farm:—“ The 
Kohl-rabi is an excellent food for cows and horses, 
and, when boiled with grain for their use, will 
afford them true nourishment. The leaves may 
be also used, having entirely the character of a 
true cabbage ; but they should be removed with a 
sparing hand, else the enlargement of the bulb 
will be prevented. The advantages which it is 
said to possess over Swedish turnips, by those who 
have cultivated it in England and Ireland, are 
these:—Cattle, and especially horses, are fonder of 
it; the leaves are better food; it bears transplant¬ 
ing better than any other root; insects do not in¬ 
jure it; drouth does not prevent its growth; it 
stores quite as well, or better; it stands the winter 
better; and it affords food later in the season, 
even in June.” 
Few, we think, will read these statements with 
out feeling that this plant is peculiarly adapted to 
this country, where our hot summers make our 
turnip crop uncertain, and where cheap food for 
stock is so much needed. Of the amount or weight 
of bulbs that can be produced on an acre, we can¬ 
not state, but it must be enormous, as we lately 
saw a crop that exceeded anything in the way of a 
crop of bulbs that we ever beheld. They were as 
thick upon the ground as they could well stand, 
many standing out of the ground from eight to 
twelve inches, and one specimen measured over 
eighteen inches in circumference. The fact is we 
never saw a failure with this crop, under any 
reasonable treatment. Then it will bear trans¬ 
planting better than anything of the kind we know 
toes—the dirt dropping through the screen, while 
the potatoes are carried to the rear of the machine 
and left upon the ground. The screen, composed of 
iron bars, is very effectual in separating the dirt 
from the potatoes while passing from front to rear. 
By means of a lever, the operator can easily raise 
the working apparatus (plow and screen) from the 
ground and throw it out of gear whenever desired. 
It can be guaged so as to go any desired depth.” 
Any further information relative to this Digger 
— r outaljned by addressing the patentee and 
manufactuy^ N. Y. 
We shall e -j<Jeavor to witness a trial Hi IB6 ma¬ 
chine soon, a ^ report the result for the information 
of Rural rcVders. f \ 
of. Seed may be sown early, in a bed as for cab¬ 
bage, and the plants grown in this until about six 
inches in height, and then transplanted like 
cabbage. 
THE WORN OUT LANDS OF VIRGINIA. 
Advice about Purchasing Virginia Lands—Where Northern 
People are Located—The “Worn out Lands;” how they 
are Reclaimed, and what they Produce—Occupations of 
Northerners in Va.,—Markets and Marketing—Schools— 
Labor hoBorable; example of the Quakers—Climate, 
Timber, Water Power, &c. 
Eds. Rural : — In a recent number of your paper 
I noticed some inquiries in regard to the “ worn 
out lands of Virginia,” and as I formerly resided 
in the “ Old Dominion” over four years, and had 
some practical experience in reclaiming those 
lands, I am willing to contribute my small stock 
of information if it will prove of any value to 
persons disposed to locate there. 
The first question asked is, “Would it be ad¬ 
visable to go there with small capital only ? ” 
Most of the Northern men who have settled there 
were men of small means, and their success has 
been in proportion to their sagacity and well 
disected efforts. A great mistake with many of 
them was in investing all their capital in land, 
and not reserving sufficient means for making 
improvements, and hence they could made no pro¬ 
gress. No man should expend more than half his 
capital in those “ worn out lands;” he should 
reserve the balance for improvements, and then, 
if his money and labor are well directed, his chance 
for success is good. 
I think there are more Northern people in Fairfax 
than in any other county in the State, and perhaps 
in all others together; in fact, I believe a majority 
of the inhabitants of that county are from the 
Northern States. There are a few in the adjacent 
counties of Prince William and Loudoun. I am 
acquainted with some who have been in Fairfax 
over fifteen years, and are doing remarkably well. 
The next inquiry is, “Arc these cheap lands over¬ 
grown with weeds, or grass, or are they barren? 
And can they be ‘brought to’ by raising clover to 
enrich them?” In the first place, these lands were 
mostly owned by Lord Fairfax, and rented to set¬ 
tlers who raised tobacco, corn, oats, &c., following 
the exhausting system until they became barren and 
were “turned out.” On some land thus treated 
there is now a growth of pines thirty feet in height, 
and frequently the corn and tobacco rows can be 
distinctly traced. Other lands that have been 
more recently “ turned out,” have a growth of tall 
coarse grass, called “ brown sedge,” and much of 
the land is almost entirely naked, and where it is 
uneven is badly washed and gullied. Some of 
these lands can be reclaimed with clover and 
plaster, but at the commencement the best way is 
to purchase some good fertilizers, and with them 
you can at once raise good crops on the poorest 
lands. For a crop of wheat use 200 lbs. best Peru¬ 
vian Guano per acre, mixed with a half bushel of 
plaster sown broadcast and plowed in, which will 
cost about five dollars, per acre. Then, if you wish 
to seed your land to grass and have a good crop, 
sow broadcast about five dollars worth of bone 
dust per acre and harrow it in; sow timothy seed 
in the fall and clover in the spriDg, and if the 
season is favorable you may expect a good crop of 
wheat and grass, and my word for it that field will 
not soon forget its treatment. I have seen fair 
crops raised without aDy manure on some of the 
lands, and on others with less than half the 
quantity named ; but the treatment I have recom¬ 
mended above is for the poorest land, though it 
will not injure the best. There is a great variety 
of soils, from light and sandy to the heaviest clay, 
and they vary in color, being white, black, red, 
gray, &c. Some of the best crops of corn and 
grass that I ever saw were on the “ bottom lands ” 
that had been cropped continually for fifty years. 
TheNorthern people there are engaged in various 
occupations. Some are gardening and raising 
fruit for Washington, Georgetown and Alexandria 
markets, with good success. Others have pur¬ 
chased timber lands, and are clearing and selling 
wood at remunerative prices in the above named 
cities. A few are engaged in the nursery business, 
which is said to pay well. Some are clearing the 
“ old field pines,” and converting them into char¬ 
coal, which sells readily in those markets. Others 
still are keeping cows and selling milk to advan¬ 
tage. Good butter can be sold at Washington by 
contract for twenty-five cents per pound during 
the whole year, (if carried regularly to market,) 
and by keeping cows and feediDgthem the produce 
of the farm, the land is constantly improving. By 
sowing corn a good supply of feed through the 
summer can be kept up, and turnips, carrots, 
beets, ruta bagas, Ac., grow remarkably well on 
land that is well manured. A few hogs can always 
be kept to advantage on a dairy farm, to consume 
the refuse milk and buttermilk, and they will aid 
materially in enriching the soil. Poultry always 
brings a good price in Washington market. Sheep 
husbandry can be carried on profitably, the only 
impediment being the dogs, but they are rather 
decreasing. Those living within a few miles of 
market, and in fact farmers in most parts of the 
country, take their produce to market with their 
own conveyances. There is one railroad in opera¬ 
tion, and two others in course of construction, 
diverging from Alexandria in various directions, 
and when these are completed the facilities for 
marketing must be good. 
There are some first class Seminaries in Virginia, 
particularly in Alexandria, but Common Schools 
have been much neglected. The law of the State 
furnishes means to defray the expense of tuition 
of indigent children, if they will avail themselves 
of the benefit of it, yet but little attention is paid 
to the subject, except in neighborhoods settled 
by Northern people, where there are some good 
schools. 
The time has been when those who labored were 
considered as belonging to the second class, but a 
different feeling now prevails. An honest, in- 
