MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
of the groat staples of the country, and re¬ 
port the same annually to Congress. Tho 
American mind beyond that of any other 
nation, is inquisitive on this extensive topic, 
and such a department, under the fostering 
care of tho general government, could not 
fail to prove highly beneficial to tho country. 
Commerce and manufactures can and do 
obtain encouragement and protection thro’ 
national legislation, but Agriculture is left 
to take care of itself. It can take care of 
itself, as it has always done, and all other 
interests beside; but it could do ipueh more, 
could the valuable aid which science gives, 
be inado available to the whole agricultural 
population—could tho improvements which 
tho most enlightened farmers now apply 
with abundant success, be more widely made 
known and become more generally practiced. 
These views are ably declared and support¬ 
ed by tho editor of tho New York Tribune, 
in a recent number of that journal : 
“ Tho total value of the annual products 
of the soil of tho United States is now about 
one thousand millions of dollars; and no 
one who knows what science has done for 
agriculture will doubt that the same amount 
of labor which is now employed in produc¬ 
ing this aggregate might bo so applied as to 
secure a total product thirty per cent, great¬ 
er, or one thousand threo hundred millions. 
But scientific, skillful, thorough agriculture 
always employs more labor than the shift¬ 
less, slouching sort too generally prevalent; 
and it is certainly within bounds to estimate 
that our agriculture might be so improved 
as, by the help of additional labor now un¬ 
employed and unproductive, to give an ad¬ 
ditional product of fifty per cent, or five 
hundred millions per annum—an achieve¬ 
ment which would double the wealth of tho 
country every eight or ten years. Whoever 
will carefully review the agriculture of a 
single State, or even an average county, in 
any part of the Union, and estimate how 
much its product might bo enhanced by ir¬ 
rigation, manuring, deep plowing, draining, 
&c., will perceive that our calculation is far 
within tho truth. 
But suppose that only half of it, or an ad¬ 
dition of two hundred and fifty millions per 
annum to our annual agricultural product, 
is attainable, what an immense addition to 
our national wealth would thereby bo in¬ 
sured ! Four-fifths of this would probably 
be permanently added to tho wealth of tho 
•country—that is, the farmer whoso annual 
product should be swelled from $1,000 to 
$1,250, or from $2,000 to $2,500, would not 
eat or drink up tho surplus, but would in¬ 
vest the greater part of it in now buildings, 
fences, barns, implements, furniture, &e., 
&c., giving profitable employment to me¬ 
chanics and laborers, and largely increasing 
the business of merchants and the incomes 
of professional men. Such an addition to 
the annual product of our agriculture would 
increase the consumption of manufactures, 
domestic and imported, in far greater ratio, 
since from the annual product of every farm 
the food of those making a living on it must 
first be taken for home use, affording no 
business or profit to any ono elso, leaving- 
only the surplus to form tho stapleol trade; 
and an addition of twenty-five per cent, to 
tho annual product of each farm would prob¬ 
ably double tho annual exchanges and gen¬ 
eral trade of the country. 
This addition may speedily bo made, thro’ 
the diffusion of science and knowledge.— 
There is hardly a township wherein vast ele¬ 
ments of fertility are not now lying useless 
or running to waste which might profitably 
be secured and applied. And, while indi¬ 
vidual and local effort must mainly bo relied 
on to forward this as all other improvements 
and roforms, it seems but reasonable that 
the Federal Government should do a little 
—the very little that is asked of it—toward 
the accomplishment of the good work. * * 
* * * * Many a farmer now possesses 
treasures in marl or muck, plaster or phos¬ 
phate, of which he is utterly ignorant, and 
likely to remain so. We all need light; but 
agriculture does not keep pace with other 
departments of productive industry in im¬ 
provement. primarily because it has not re¬ 
ceived equal attention from those capable 
of shedding tho light of science upon its on¬ 
ward way.” 
DUCKS.-TWO EGGS A DAY. 
Messrs. Editors :—In tho spring of 1851, 
I purchased two ducks and one drake, with 
the intention of raising a flock. They were 
a large grey variety, and the two ducks com¬ 
menced laying one egg a day. Soon, how¬ 
ever, an egg was found in each nest after 
those laid in the morning,—at about 3 o’clock 
in the afternoon. They laid in this way for 
at least two weeks, laying regularly each 
day two eggs a piece. It seems too much 
to credit, yet it is nevertheless true. There 
were no other ducks in tho neighborhood; 
besides tho ducks went regularly to the 
nests, and deposited, twice a day, a largo 
full-sized egg ! 
Do you, or any of your subscribers know 
of a similar instance ?—If so, will you let mo 
know through the columns of the Rural. — 
Of the truth of this, I can at anytime bring 
proof. Yours, &e., Flores Lee. 
Wilson, Niagara Co., N. Y., April, 1852. 
A Strange Farmer. —A gentleman was 
in our office on Saturday last, talking about 
farming, who said he had been tending less 
and less land every year. He also informed 
us that his crops increased in quantity in 
the proportion he reduced tho quantity of 
land. Keeps his cattle haltered nights, and 
says ho has rnanuro piles worth seeing.— 
The Plow. 
AN ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAIN. 
The present is the season for attention to 
lawns and pleasure grounds—for giving <- the 
poetry of farming” visible form in fountains, 
trees and flowers. The former to those who 
have water at command, offer a most beau¬ 
tiful means of giving life, animation, and 
freshness to tho scene which it embellishes, 
and cannot be surpassed by anything of the 
same cost, as an ornament which shall please 
every beholder. Those interested will find 
in No. 25 of Vol. 2, an article on this subject. 
MANURING CORN IN THE HILL. 
There are various opinions on this sub¬ 
ject among farmers, and as far as they are 
individually concerned, they may all be in 
the main correct, according to the location 
of their farms, the quality of the soil, tho 
character of tho seasons, &c. One farmer, 
who cultivates a soil naturally light and 
warm, does not think it necessay to manure 
in tho hill; or, perhaps, when he has tried 
it he may have used a large quantity of un¬ 
fermented barn or stable manure, lie may 
not have covered it deep enough, the season 
may have been uncommonly warm and dry, 
and altogether it [may have had an unfavor¬ 
able effect, and so he condemns the practice. 
Another who is differently situated, cultiva¬ 
ting a soil rather cold and heavy, and who 
has always been in the habit of manuring 
his corn in tho hill, using for this purpose 
his old, fermented manure, and that from 
the hog-pen, and has generally raised good 
crops, thinks, perhaps, he cannot raise a 
crop of corn without manure in tho hill. 
Thus men widely differ, and in a thousand 
ways of comparatively small importance, 
they differ from each other, — each one 
stronuosly urging his method, and endeav¬ 
oring to prove that it is the best by argu¬ 
ments which appear to him at once decisive 
and incontrovertible, because the result of 
his own experience. Thus men judge hasti¬ 
ly. A theory so broad is not decided by 
two or threo epferiments. We should fake a 
more extended view of the subject before de¬ 
ciding. We should not bo confined to nar¬ 
row, circumscribed limits, in deliberating 
on any subject. If this were always done 
thcro would not be so many conflicting opin¬ 
ions. 
In connection with the above I will here 
state the results of several experiments. 
In 1849, we spread and plowed in a coat of 
long manure on a piece of land, ono end of 
which was rather cold and wet, and the 
other end was light and dry. The wet end 
of tho piece was manured in the hill, with a 
compost of muck, weeds, &c., from the hog 
yard : the dry with old, fermented manure 
from the barn yard; and about one-third of 
the piece, through the middlo, was left with¬ 
out any. It was planted with corn. There 
was a severe drought that summer. The 
next fall, on the wet part of the piece, the 
corn where manured in the hill, was earlier 
and much heavier; on the dry end there 
was not so much difference. It could not 
be perceived that the corn was injured any 
more by the drought, or by worms, for being 
manured in the hill, though the whole piece 
suffered from both. 
In 1850, on one corner of a peice of land 
planted with corn, there was applied in tho 
hill a load of long manure from tho barn 
yard. In tho fall, it was impossible to dis¬ 
tinguish between that manured in the hill 
and that not, although what was applied 
in the hill was so much extra. Another 
piece, planted the same year, was broken up 
in the spring, and a heavy dressing of green 
barn manure was plowed under the sod. A 
part of this was manured in the hill with 
compost from the hog yard, and the remain¬ 
der with strawy manure from thb barn yard. 
One row was left without any. Tho result 
was, that where the strawy manure was used 
the corn was little better than where there 
was none, but the compost more than doub¬ 
led the crop. Also, in 1851, an experiment 
similar to tlie last was made, with a like re¬ 
sult. The quantity of manure used was a- 
bout one-half shovelful to each hill. 
My opinion in regard to this subject is, 
that it is not of much use to use green, unfer¬ 
mented manure in the corn hill, but com¬ 
post and old, fermented manure applied in 
proper quantities in tho hill, would always 
remunerate the farmer for the extra expense, 
and in many cases would double the crop. 
But in this, as in evory other case, wcshould 
use judgment and discrimination, and not 
think that ono rule will work equally well 
under all circumstances. —Maine Farmer. 
The design represented above, consists of 
an urn with a square vase, five feet high, with 
additional ornaments above tho urn, con¬ 
sisting of swans, figures and scrolls. It is a 
neat and chaste design, and costs about $35. 
An iron fence of ornamental pannels, 1.8 
inches high and two feet long, surrounds the 
basin, and adds much to the appearance of 
the whole. Fountains of different patterns 
can be obtained at from $10 to $80, and 
upwards. 
INDIAN CORN. 
The usual time for planting this valuable 
crop, in this latitude, is from the 15th to 
thb 25th of May. With the rush of business 
which the cold weather of April has this 
year crowded on the farmer, mach planting 
must necessarily be done late. Hence it is 
important that means should be used to in- 
ducea rapid growth — Indian corn generally 
requiring here the full length of the season 
to reach perfect maturity. When the crop 
is to be grown on sward land, the best suc¬ 
cess, within the observation of tho writer, 
has been obtained by plowing as near as 
practicable to the time of planting. If the 
grass has considerably started, so much the 
better — there will not be enough green 
matter to generate acids — and the tenden¬ 
cy to fermentation will cause the manure 
more quickly to decompose, and yield nu¬ 
triment to tlie growing crop. 
If long, unfermented manure is to be ap¬ 
plied, spread and plow it in with a furrow 
sufficiently deep to fairly cover it. If the 
soil is of a character that renders a deeper 
stirring expedient, let it bo done with tho 
subsoil plow. By this means the requisite 
depth of tillage is effected, and the manure 
is kept within tho reach of the agents which 
promote solubility. 
Manure does not benefit plants till de¬ 
composition commences; it will, therefore, 
bo highly desirable to use, in addition to 
that in a fresh state, some which is rotted to 
a considerable degree. The latter may be 
spread on the ground after it is plowed, and 
harrowed in. Or, some fertilizing substance 
of a quick acting nature, may be prepared 
and put in the row or hill, either at the time 
of planting or soon after. Poudrette, hen- 
manuro, guano-compost, ashes, bone-dust, 
&c.. have been used with excellent effect. 
They start the corn and push it rapidly for¬ 
ward, at the outsot. and the long manure de¬ 
composes so as to give the crop its virtues at 
tho right time, and it goes out strong.— 
Boston Cultivator. 
HILL MANURE FOR CORN. 
Mr. Editor: —I use a composition for corn 
that is very beneficial, adding ten bushels 
per acre for an outlay of one dollar and a 
half, besidos making a man feel good when 
he is a little troubled with the blues. 
Take two parts black muck, one part un- 
leached ashes, one part plaster; mako a bed 
placing the muck on the out side and put 
the ashes and plaster in, leaving a hollow in 
the centre of the bed; tip the privy from tho 
vault, and dip with an old tin pail nailed to 
a crooked sapling, enough liquid night soil, 
to thoroughly saturate the ashes and plas¬ 
ter; mix twice and tho third day it will be 
fit to place in the hill. A pint in a hill is 
sufficient to astonish any farmer that has 
never tried it. 
My neighbors thought I had planted Ohio 
corn where I used this composition. 
The ashes and plaster entirely destroy 
the scent. I use handle baskets and small 
tin scoops for putting in the hill. 
The ground should bo marked both ways, 
and the composition hauled on after, and 
left in small heaps six or oight rods apart 
each way.— Cor. JY. Y. Farmer. 
Cost of the Corn Crop in the West.— 
The Prairie Farmer says that he has made 
inquiry of several corn raisers in middle Il¬ 
linois, of the absolute cost of this grain per 
bushel in tho crib. There was very little 
difference in their estimates, which ranged 
from four to six cents! The soil is of such 
a nature as to be plowed with tho greatest 
ease, no hoeing is needed, all the cultiva¬ 
ting being done by horses, the rows being 
from half a mile to two miles in length, and 
the husking of the huge ears being done 
from the standing stalks in the field. 
When you see the fence down, put it up; 
if it remains until to-morrow, the cattle may 
get over. 
IRRIGATION BY LIQUID MANURE IN 
GREAT BRITAIN. 
The Fcbuary No. of the Farmer’s Maga¬ 
zine, contains an interesting paper from tho 
prolific pen of Mr. Cuthbert Johnson, on 
tho progress made in England as well as 
Scotland, of fertilizing whole farms by means 
of liquid manure—a subject which until late 
years was allowed to run almost entirely to 
waste. Capacious tanks are made for tho 
reception of the fluid excrements of cattle, 
which, when properly diluted with water, 
become a safe and efficient fertiliser, and is 
distributed over the fields belonging to the 
farm by means of pipes made of iron and 
gutta percha, attached to a pump worked 
by a steam engine. The outlay in the first 
instance is of course very considerable, but 
in all cases, it would appear, when the ex¬ 
periment has been fairly and judiciously 
tried, the benefit produced has far exceeded 
the expense. 
Myer Mill Farm, in Ayrshire, occupied 
by Mr. James Kennedy, consisting of 400 
Scotch acres,is an instance that may be cited 
for showing the beneficial and economical 
application of liquid manure on an exten¬ 
sive scale. The whole expense of the ap¬ 
paratus for fertilizing this farm is stated as 
follows: 
Four Tanks complete,.£300 0 0 
Steam Engine (12 horse power).... 150 0 0 
Pumps. 80 0 0 
Iron pipes, laying and hydrants.... 1,000 0 0 
Gutta Percha distributing-pipes, <fcc. 56 0 0 
£1,586 0 0 
Annual interest on £1,586, & wear 
and tear, at per cent. 128 19 0 
Annual wages. 104 0 0 
Fuel. 58 10 0 
£281 9 0 
This amount, divided by tho number of acres, 
is equal to the annual sum of 14s. per acre. 
Tho results are said to be highly satisfac¬ 
tory. Four or five heavy crops of grass 
have been cut in ono season from tho same 
land, which, by repeated dressings of liquid 
manure, not only suffers no diminutian by 
the removal of such crops, but its fertility 
actually increases. The same farm, previous 
to the introduction of this system of ma¬ 
nuring, would not keep morothan a bullock 
or five sheep to an acre; now it maintains 
by the crops being taken and consumed in 
the stalls, live bullocks or twenty sheep to 
an acre. Some bran and oil cake are bought 
for the stock, but one third or more of the 
farm is kept in grain, yielding heavy crops. 
These few facts will afford the reader 
some imperfect idea of the advanced state 
at which farm management has already ar¬ 
rived in some favored localities of Great 
Britain—where the farmer’s pursuit is justly 
entitled to the appellations, in their highest 
signification, of a science and an art. 
MANAGING BOYS. 
Mr. Goodman, whose tool-house was de¬ 
scribed somo time since, has been out with 
Nathan’s father to see about a division fence, 
which they, in a neighborly manner, every 
spring, “trim up” together. 
After they had got well to work, oho on 
one side of the wall, and the other on the 
other, Nathan’s father, whose name is John, 
began to talk about the boys. 
As most people manage all their possess¬ 
ions with equal discretion, and we have seen 
the harum scarum manner in which Na¬ 
than's father took care of his tools, it will 
surprise nobody that Nathan was reported 
in a state of mutiny, and cherishing tlie de¬ 
sire to run away. “ What was he to do with 
him,” ho asked of liis neighbor as he laid a 
heavy stone into the gap in the wall. 
Now Goodman was a disciplinarian. He 
was the greatest hand for a kicking cow, a 
fractious pair of steers, a green Irishman, a 
discontented boy, or even a crying baby. 
Ills method embraced all the pretended 
virtues of tho patent medicines, and was 
good for all tho “ills” to which flesh is heir. 
He conquered them all with his spirit of 
kindness. This was never assumed, but it 
welled up from his great and good hoart, 
like clear bubbles at the cool fountain.— 
Goodman could maintain a triumph. lie 
knew how to hold his ground by the en¬ 
couragement which he offered to all to do 
right. 
But now for Nathan’s case. Nathan was 
not a bad boy, in the main. Perhaps he was 
like .tho lost “shovel,” damaged by exposure 
and neglect. When his mind was young and 
tender, his father had never thought how ea¬ 
sily his fretful words would rust and corrode 
the affections of his child. Nathan had done 
many “ a good deed in tho naughty world.” 
Nothing said. But lot the bars bo once 
forgotten and tho cows got a taste of the 
corn, let tho cart hub but crack off a post 
now and then, when going through a narrow 
bar post, and Nathan was condemned so low 
that he never was able to get quite back 
again to his former standing. All blamo, no 
praise. Nathan was discouraged. Nathan 
had rashly tho’t of taking an extra shirt and 
his leave of homo ! 
Now, farmer Goodman never did a job by 
tho halves. To tell the truth, ho was glad 
to have his advice solicited. He felt that he 
might do something for Nathan yet. But 
first ho must toll his father plainly where he 
was wrong in the management of his boy. 
He did so. John heard every word. He be¬ 
lieved he had not acted wisely, nor as a pa¬ 
rent should. Goodman’s frank advice he 
considered gospel. 
“ Now look at my George,” said Mr. Good¬ 
man. “ Do you think he is a discontented 
boy ?” 
“ George is a wonder,” said Nathan’s fath¬ 
er. He is so ambitious, and smart about 
his work. I wish Nathan was as good a 
boy.” 
“But I never scold George,” said Mr. 
Goodman. 
“ Ho don’t need it.” 
“ Does Nathan always, when you robuke 
him so sharply T 
John Wheeler stopped to think. Had he 
done so before giving the cutting reprimands 
to Nathan the words would never have pass¬ 
ed his lips. 
The wall was now “put to rights” down 
to a lot of about a quarter of an acre, a part 
of which had been cultivated the previous 
year, and was set out with a few rows of ap¬ 
ple trees, that had most excellent care. As 
Mr Wheeler got over the division fence and 
glanced around the snug enclosure, ho asked 
Mr. Goodman what ho had divided off this 
lot for. 
“ This is my son George’s farm, neighbor 
Wheeler. He has owned it for a year.” 
“ But you don’t mean to say that you 
have given your boy this patch for his 
own ?” 
v “ To be sure I do; why not ? I told him 
years ago I wanted him to bo a good boy, 
and if he would try to be obedient and in¬ 
dustrious, I would encourage him. I have 
reason to believe that George has made ex¬ 
ertions to please his parents. I had only 
kept my word when I walled in this quarter 
of an acre, and told him that it was his own. 
George sold eggs enough from his twelve 
hens last spring, to buy thoso trees, which I 
think grow very well. 
Goodman got over tho wall to help his 
neighbor roll up a heavy stone. lie had al¬ 
ready rolled a heavy weight from his heart. 
Light was breaking in. George was a better 
boy than was Nathan because George had a 
better father. Hardly convinced that Good¬ 
man’s course w r ould answer for him, he ask¬ 
ed— 
“ Would you recommend me to give Na¬ 
than a part of my farm ?’ 
“ To be sure. How much the poorer could 
it make you ? and how rich he would begin 
to feel! He would take a new interest in 
his duties. He woiM soa lliat Jthis father 
was anxious to encourage- Wrv-<.\nd as you 
have tried fault-finding for some time with 
miserable success, it may bo that a little en¬ 
couragement would make Nathan an alter¬ 
ed boy.” 
“ Well, Goodman, I don’t know but you are 
right. It is true I have taken no special 
pains to encourage him, as you say—that is 
a great word with you—and I believe I shall 
think of your advice.” 
By this time the wall was “looked over,” 
and the neighbors went home. 
About sunrise, somo weeks after, Nathan 
was returning from driving out the cows, 
whistling with a kind of desperation when 
he mot his neighbor George. 
“ Well, well, Nathan; you are up betimes, 
it seems ?” 
“ Oh, not very early for this busy time o’ 
year. But, George can you come over and 
give me a lift at setting out my trees this af¬ 
ternoon ?” 
“ I will gladly, Nathan, if father’s willing; 
and I guess he wall let me. So you bought 
your trees, eh !” 
“Yes; I sold the gun for six dollars, and 
bought twenty neat Baldwins I tell you.— 
Upon the whole, I’m rather glad to get tho 
gun off my hands for the folks never liked 
to have mo carry it.” 
Nathan, it need hardly be said, had aban¬ 
doned the idea of “ running away.” Nathan’s 
father mends wall annually with his neigh¬ 
bor Goodman. Ho makes, also, some slight 
repairs in his defective mode of managing 
his farm and his children at the same time. 
—Boston Commonwealth. 
MANAGEMENT OF MUCK. 
The following is the process of compost¬ 
ing muck or peat, at “Meadow Bank,” the 
farm of Lord Meadow Bank in Scotland.— 
Lay the cart-loads of it (peat or muck,) in 
two rows, and of the dung in tho rows be¬ 
tween them; the dung thus lies on the area 
of tho compost dung hill, and the rows of 
pe«t should be so near each other, as to en¬ 
able the workmen in making up tho compost 
heap, to throw t^iem together with the 
spado. In making up, let the workmen be¬ 
gin at one end, and at the extremity of the 
row of dung, (which should not extend quite 
so far at that end as the rows of peat on 
each side of it do) let them lay a bottom of 
peat six inches deep and fifteen feet wide, if 
the ground admits of it. Then throw for¬ 
ward, and lay about ten inches of dung a- 
bovo the bottom of the peqt; then add from 
the side rows about six inches of peat; then 
four or five of dung ; then six more of peat 
and another thin layer of dung, and then 
cover it over with peat at the end where it 
was begun, at the two sides and above. Tho 
compost should not be raised above four or 
four and a half feet high ; otherwise it is apt 
to press to heavily on tho under part and 
chock the fermentation, unless the peat 
when dry be very puffy and light, and then 
a much greater height is desirable. 
Planti'ng out Elms. —A Philadelphia cor¬ 
respondent of the Horticulturist, states, that 
in setting out a hundred elms from the for¬ 
est about 18 feet high, and as large as a 
man’s arm he fully tested the advantage of 
heading back. The tops were so handsome 
that he was reluctant to touch them: he ac¬ 
cordingly left a part entire, and shortened 
back tho remainder about one-third, to cor¬ 
respond with the necessary shortening of 
the roots outside of the large balls. 
Few trees were lost; most of those with 
entire heads made little or no growth tho 
first year, and many limbs died and had to 
be cut out. Of those cut back, all lived; 
and their leaves the first summer were three 
times as large as on the unpruned trees.— 
They have outstripped the others so much, 
as to have entirely regained the symmetry 
| and beauty of their heads. 
It is said that reaping machines were 
known to the Romans, and one of those 
which wore used on the plains of Gaul is 
described by Palladius. With a single ox, 
he says, “they cut large fields in one day.” 
It was, however, only a machine for taking 
off the oars of the grain, and collecting them 
in a kind of box. 
