MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
A TTEIKLY HOME NEWSPAPER, 
Designed for both Country and Town Residents. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
,T. H. BIXBY, L. AVETIIERELL, AND H. C. AVIIITE, 
■With a numerous corps of able Contributors and 
Correspondents. 
The Rural Naw- Yorker is designed to be unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
and Variety of Contents. Its conductors earnestly labor 
to make it a Reliable Guide on the important Practical Sub¬ 
jects connected with the business of those whose interests 
it advocates. It embraces more Agricultural, Horticul¬ 
tural, Scientific, Mechanical, Liteaary and News Matter — 
interspersed with many appropriate and handsome engrav¬ 
ings— than any other paper published in this Country. 
13^” Foil Terms, &c., see last page. 
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PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
SEED COEN.—SELECTING AND CUBING. 
That the utmpst care bestowed in the se¬ 
lection of seed corn, as well as of other 
seeds, more than remunerates the planter 
for the trouble, will hardly be denied by any 
one who has given a moment’s thought to 
the subject. It is a law in the vegetable, no 
less than in the animal kingdom, that good 
or bad qualities are transmitted. The more 
vigorous and hardy the plant, the more har¬ 
dy and vigorous will be its growth and pro¬ 
duct, the more vital power will its living 
principle possess. Hence by judicious care 
in this respect, the thoughtful planter may 
improve his crops with as much certainty 
as the skillful breeder does his herds and 
flocks. If wo expect to make any progress, 
or hope over to arrive at any attainable de¬ 
gree of perfection we must put forth the ef¬ 
fort necessary therefore. 
The custom, so prevalent, among the 
class of make-do farmers, of taking seed 
corn from tho crib has received a shock the 
present season, in the West particularly, 
that ought to set them thinking so hard 
that better actions shall hereafter bo the re¬ 
sult. The rather wet fall, followed by tho 
very severe cold of tho winter, undoubtedly 
injured tho germ of the seed before it could 
bo sufficiently consolidated to withstand 
such severe shocks. Even when this is not 
so the length of time requisite for the cu¬ 
ring of the cob, aside from the sweating, 
must, in a greater or less degree undermine 
tho vigor of its vital principle, and thus 
lead to a gradual deterioration. 
An accidental experiment by Mr. II. C. 
Rumsey, communicated to tho July number 
of the Michigan Farmer is to tho point, and 
demonstrates, so far as it goes, tho value of 
well and speedily curing the seod. In 
braiding his seed corn in the fall, Mr. R. 
left a part hanging in his barn. Tho re¬ 
mainder, to mako it secure from mice, he 
suspended in his houso chamber. In plant¬ 
ing, the seod from the houso and barn hap¬ 
pened to bo planted separately, though in 
tho same field. Tho result was that the 
former camo up in due time and pushed 
forward a vigorous growth, the latter almost 
totally failed and was replanted and thrice 
planted, while tho growth of what did come 
was feeble and “ decidedly billiou<5.” In Mr. 
Rumsey’s words, tho reason is obvious ; for 
“ That secured in a warm, dry place, became 
sufficiently dry and hard to withstand tho 
winter; while tho other, being damp, froze 
to death.” In other words ; in the ono case 
tho moisture was expellod, tho germ con¬ 
solidated and tho vital principle enabled to 
withstand tho vicissitudes to which it was 
subjected. 
Felix IIoldredge in the September num¬ 
ber of tho same work, states that ho has 
planted corn for himself fifty years and nev¬ 
er been obliged to replant on account of 
poor seed or a cold spring. Ilis earlier 
practice was to select his seed early and 
braid it together by tho husks. Latterly 
ho husks early and selects his seed when he 
husks, depositing it on his chamber floor 
over the fire where it thoroughly cures, af¬ 
ter which he stores away in a dry, secure 
situation. Then to mako assurance doubly 
sure, he tests it before planting and waits 
till tho ground is dry and warm. He plants 
doop to avoid tho evil effects of worms and 
frost, for if cut off at the surface, tho long 
stem boncath insures a ready growth again. 
(Probably his soil is a well drained loam.) 
Undoubtedly tho best method is to go 
through tho field before tho corn is cut and 
select the most vigorous stalks, thoso which 
bear the most ears and heaviest grain.— 
Pursuing this plan for any length of time 
tho general product may be increased and 
tho poriod of its maturity hastened—which 
is no small item in a backward season, or, 
when early frosts are apprehended. My 
friend, R. B. Warren, of Alabama, N. Y., 
assured me in a conversation two years 
since, that by pursuing this course with the j 
common sweet corn in his garden he had j 
brought it forward at least a fortnight, 
whilst in other respects it materially im¬ 
proved. Mr. J. F. Chubb, one of the early 
settlers of Kent county, Michigan, and also 
one of our most successful farmers, says he 
has pursued a liko course in the saving of 
his seed corn for sixteen consecutive years, 
and that, in that time, ho has brought tho 
productiveness of one variety, which he cul¬ 
tivates pretty much exclusively, up to double 
what it yielded in the first start, under sim¬ 
ilar cultivation and care. Certainly such 
results are worth the paltry care required. 
Such a method warrants the securing of 
tho seed in good season and prevents the 
exposure it may get from tho weather and 
a late husking. It should bo well braided 
together by the husks, three or four of 
which aro left remaining for the purpose, 
then hung in a dry, warm and airy situa¬ 
tion. After it is thoroughly cured, cold 
will not affect the germ and one may rest 
assured of having seed that will grow. At 
all evonts don’t delay beyond husking. 
These arguments will hold equally good 
with respect to any seeds. All other things 
being equal, their quality and condition will 
have a marked result on the growth and 
product. This is a law of Vegetable Physi¬ 
ology that cannot bo overridden nor avoided. 
Let us act then as we desire our labors to 
be rewarded. t. e. av. 
OUR COUNTY FAIRS. 
As yet wo havo received no reports of the 
different county Fairs already held in this 
State. We hope to be present at some of 
thoso yot to take place, and to hear from 
others by way of old or new correspondents 
present. We glean the following notices 
from our exchanges. 
Cattaraugus Cattle Show and Fair was 
held at Waverly on the 15th inst. We 
gather a fow particulars from the Randolph 
Whig, tho editor of which attended. The 
morning was rainy, but the attendance was 
very creditable to the spirited farmers of 
that county. He says : “ The exhibition 
of cattle, colts, and matched horses, was one 
which would do honor to many counties 
older in the field than Cattaraugus. We 
did not feel ashamed of it—but we were 
really proud to know that wo could do so 
well, and we folt that wo could see in the 
Fair of this year, tho germ almost develop¬ 
ed, of a spirit which will place Cattaraugus 
farmers on a level with their heretofore more 
advanced bretheren.” 
St. Lawrence County Fair camo off at 
Canton on the 16th and 17th of tho present 
month. Wo have seen only the official re¬ 
port of the award of premiums, and from 
this wo learn that tho receipts for admission 
and membership were large; the Society 
having for next year’s operations $600 left 
over. In cattle and horses the Show was 
particularly fine. The department of do¬ 
mestic manufactures and needle work, was 
also well filled. Wo hope to receive further 
particulars from somo one present at this 
best Show of the St. Lawrence Agricultural 
Society. 
All highly concentrated animal manures 
aro increased in value, and their benefits 
prolonged, by admixture with plaster, salt 
or pulverized charcoal. 
Deep plowing greatly improves the pro¬ 
ductive powers of overy variety of soil, that 
L is not wet. 
AN ONONDAGA COUNTY FARM. f 
The committe on “Farms and growing 
crops” of the Onondaga County Agricultur¬ 
al Society made last year a written report 
of somo length, which we have been favor¬ 
ed with by their Chairman, A. Eastwood, 
Esq., of Cicero. It has reached us at a late 
date, having been mislaid, but the facts it 
contains arc just as valuable as over. We 
segregate therefrom the following para¬ 
graphs relating to one of tho farms visited 
by the committee: 
The first farm viewed was that owned and 
occupied by Wm. Plumb, four miles west of 
Syracuse, containing one hundred and for¬ 
ty-six acres of land, one hundred and twen¬ 
ty being under improvement. In a state of 
nature, this farm was covered with a heavy 
growth of timber, making its clearing a 
hard task for a person of small means ; but 
with the greatest industry and perseveronce 
Mr. P. has brought his farm to a state of 
productivenes which is not surpassed by 
any in the county. Tho soil is a rich, dark 
loam with a mixture of sand. Tho surface 
was covered with stone and many large 
boulders, all of which have been removed 
and laid in stone wall. Tho whole place is 
very clear of foul stuff, and appears to be 
cultivated in a systematic and workmanlike 
manner. 
Mr. P.’s farm is divided into convenient 
sized lots, having a lane running through 
near the centre. Tho fencing is in good 
order. There is six hundred rods of sub¬ 
stantial stone wall, and seven hundred rods 
of cedar post and board fence, on the prem¬ 
ises. It has one natural and one artificial 
watering place. Mr. P. adheres strictly to 
the rotation system, and makes free use of 
plaster and clover—and to good advantage. 
His crops the present year on the ground, 
aro twenty-two acres of wheat, sowed after 
oats and barley, plowed twice—first time 
immediately after harvest, from six to eight 
inches deep, well harrowed and plowed 
again before sowing; ten acres of barley 
and ten of oats; thirteen acres in corn, but 
little hilled, which has received a dressing 
of plaster and ashes in about equal parts 
mixed together, then applied, a handfull to 
two or three hills, after first time hoeing; 
and twenty-one acres of meadow. These 
crops were all very good oxcept tho mowing 
which was quite light, and the committee 
have since learned that the barley produced 
forty-four bushels per acre. There were 
also one and a half acres of carrots which 
Mr. P. did not invite the committee to exam¬ 
ine, and which they infer were not very 
promising. 
The stock kept by Mr. P. is the following : 
Thirty-six head of cattle of various kinds, 
in fair order; eighty-four sheep and fifty- 
eight lambs, tho first producing an average 
weight of fleece of four pounds, sold for 38 
cents per pound; eight horses and eight 
hogs all showing good keeping. 
There are on this farm about one hun¬ 
dred grafted apple trees in good condition, 
also shade and ornamental trees and grape 
vines around the dwelling, which give it a 
fine, tasteful appearance. The buildings 
consist of a well constructed dwelling house 
24 by 36 feet; one barn 35 by 45, one 32 
by 40, a shed 20 by 45, and one 17 by 46; 
and all in good condition. Mr. P. in winter 
stables some of his master cattle by tieing 
them in an open shed—which mode of sta¬ 
bling the committte cannot commend. Ev¬ 
erything was right about the premises, with 
this and somo other little exceptions. The 
cultivator should not have been left in the 
cornfield for a month after its use, nor 
should so much rubbish bo allowed to re¬ 
main in the highway in front of the house, 
a shelter for weeds and detracting from tho 
beauty of the place. 
Mr. Plumb is entitled to great credit for 
tho neat and judicious manner in which he 
carries on his farm, and for tho example he 
has given to others, in commencing as he 
did without means and working his way up 
to his prosent position. The committee 
awarded him the first premium of $12. 
We shall giro other extracts hereafter. 
THE GANG PLOW FOR COVERING WHEAT. 
Eds. Rural :—Having this moment read 
the communication of your correspondent 
“ Irondequoit, Jr.” in No. 38, current Yol. 
I can but regret that ho did not in many 
less words than his paper contains, enter 
his protest against the uso of either the 
cultivator or harrow for covering wheat 
sown broadcast, or any other kind of grain. 
At this “ enlightened day,” and with the 
endless variety of farming implements now 
known, no man should be excused who at¬ 
tempts to cover his seed with these imple¬ 
ments, which are only designed to subdue 
and prepare the earth for sowing. When 
the last plowing of a fallow has been coarse 
and deep, and it is then exposed to the 
weather a sufficient time to form a thin crust 
that will cause the wheat when sown upon 
it to roll into the gutters formed by such 
coarse furrows,—then is the farmer excusa¬ 
ble for use of the harrow, which by leveling 
down the ridges covers the wheat tolerably 
well. “ Irondequoit, Jr.” may removo the 
forward teeth of his cultivator, but my 
judgment for it, he will yet have only tho 
“ cut and cover ” work, which from his own 
description is sufficiently objectionable to be 
avoided. 
He gives his remedy, I also offer mine. 
If for any good reason a drill is not used, 
(and there are good reasons why all cannot 
use them,) when tho land is well prepared, 
and seed sown upon a smooth, well pulver- 
I ized surface, put the gang plow with its 
properly adjusted guage wheel, to the work 
of covering at any desired depth, then will 
the surface be totally turned “upside down,” 
and tho seed well covered, — then .with the 
roller complete the work. 
It may be said that all fields are not fal¬ 
lowed for wheat, consequently the gang 
plow cannot bo used. 
To such the writer would say that several 
years in succession this method has been 
adopted upon a sod once plowed (with the 
double plow, erroneously named “ Michigan 
Subsoil,”) the last days of August, with satis¬ 
factory results, and yielding tho present 
season 30 bushels very nice white-chaff 
Soul’s wheat per acre, (sold from $1 to 
$1,12J per bushel for seed,) after allowing 
the midge to appropriate to himself a pro- 
vokingly large share. 
A word about rolling newly sown wheat 
fields. A pieco of corn stubble was har¬ 
rowed and wheat sown upon it bofore plow¬ 
ing, then with the two horse plow turned un¬ 
der. Fearing the wheat would be too deep¬ 
ly covered, the rather coarse furrows were 
left, forming ridges, at the bottoms of which 
the wheat was expected to come forth. But 
the result was, that wherover the ground 
was pressed down by tho team turning upon 
it, the wheat came sooner, and was decided¬ 
ly better than where left in loose plow fur¬ 
rows. This hint causes the invariable use 
of tho roller with undoubted advantage 
since that time. Truly, &c., av. 
DIGGING POTATOES. 
Mr. Editor :—I obtain something from 
almost every number of your interesting 
and useful paper that is of valuo to me.— 
SomeAvhere I have read that every experi¬ 
ment that is made by the farmer, whether 
successful or othenvise, should be published 
for the benefit of the community. I am 
not used to writing for neAvspapers, but I 
am so well pleased with a simple experi¬ 
ment in digging potatoes, that as there is j 
not much said about improvements in that 
particular, I will venture to give it. 
It is simply to plow them out. I take one 
horso and guage the plow so as to run a 
little to the right, and with proper care, I 
can turn almost every potato in every hill, 
up in plain daylight. Afterwards I take 
my hoe and clear away the vines, and very 
easily place the potatoes in good order for 
picking up. In this vray, I can put as many 
in my wagon in half a day, as Avithout plow¬ 
ing in all day. B. J. Campbell. 
Skaneateles, N. Y., Sept., 1852. 
All wet lands should be drained. 
“BOOK” OR SCIENTIFIC FARMING. 
Messrs. Editors : — “ Book Farming ” 
Avould seem to bo a trite and exhausted 
theme, but Agricultural papers have by 
their frequent hits on the subject, or some 
fling at those Avho do not value their teach¬ 
ings, created in some minds an unnecessary 
prejudice against improvement in farming 
—especially that derived from books and 
papers. Besides many of these publica¬ 
tions havo been so abstruse, full of chemi¬ 
cal technicalities and hard names as to be 
above the comprehension of most farmers. 
They have contained so much matter fit 
only for the learned that the practical has 
been almost overlooked and omitted. For 
the educated man of wealth and leisure, 
this science may be truly valuable, but to 
the million, who have farms to pay for and 
families to support, it is of no practical use 
whatever. What farmer, I Avould ask, Avith 
the advantages most of us have possessed 
in the w r ay of education, knows or cares 
what proportions of chemical ingredients 
his soil contains ? It is sufficient to know 
that his soil is made better by a judicious 
rotation and the application of manures, 
whether made in the old fashioned barn¬ 
yard Avay or composted Avith mineral sub¬ 
stances. And directions for the making and 
application of these to his soil and crops in 
the best manner, is Avhat he seeks in an Ag¬ 
ricultural publication, and were they in 
most cases filled Avith matters of this sort, 
and such as tho quantitative analysis of 
soils, &c., left to thoso who have the neces¬ 
sary time and ability to study them, I think 
they Avould be much more read, and be pro¬ 
ductive of more good. 
I need not to be informed that every far¬ 
mer should know all about these matters; 
that he that tills the soil should be acquaint¬ 
ed Avith all its chemical properties. This 
may be all true, but we must take farmers 
and “ the rest of mankind ” as they are, and 
not altogether as they should bo. He avIio 
undertakes to reform mankind and bring 
them to what they should be in all things, 
has certainly a herculean task to perform. 
What would bo thought of the man who 
should insist that every house-maid should 
understand chemistry and all chemical 
terms, because they sometimes had to mako 
soap and might find it useful. Would he 
not be told that such information, though 
desirable, would not probably be attained 
by all of them in tho present state of socio- 
ty. So of the farmer, though it Avould be 
desirable that he should be thoroughly vers¬ 
ed in chemical nomenclature, and oven un¬ 
derstand the analysis of soils, still a largo 
majority of farmers do not possess tho re¬ 
quired information, and if they did, in the 
hurry and business of life, would'find it of 
but little practical importance. The fact is, 
there is such a diversity of soil and circum¬ 
stances in every farm and even in every lot 
that no general rules can be followed. 
That science has done great things for 
Agriculture, as it has to all other employ¬ 
ments, I am ready to admit, and cheerfully 
give my meed of praise to those who have 
spent their time and strength in scientific 
pursuits; but after all, I think in the present 
state of the farming population it has been 
of but little practical uso. A man may an¬ 
alyze the soil in one part of a field, and 
perhaps the next rod find an entirely differ¬ 
ent variety of compound substances. Must 
we then go to tho chemist Avith soil from 
j every rod of our land in order to find what 
j is lacking, or what manures aro best adapt- 
1 ed to fertilize it. Who does not knoAv that 
scarcely two of these Chemico-Agricultural 
“ doctors agree.” Take the whole class of 
them, Avith Liebig at their head, and very 
much they haA r e done has been to undo the 
theories and speculations of their predeces¬ 
sors, and I for one am willing to leave the 
matter with them, thinking that whon they 
“ decide ” it will bo time enough for me to 
follow their directions. Tho continual run¬ 
ning of many Agricultural publications on 
this one subject has more than anything else, 
caused the prejudice of many farmers to all 
kinds of printed Agricultural matter. 
