MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
A WKBKLY HOME NEWSPAPER, 
Designed for both Country and Town Residents. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
J. If. BIXBY, L. WETIIERELL, AND H. C. WHITE. 
With a numerous corps of able Contributors and 
Correspondents. 
The Rural Nkw-Yoricer 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, Literary and News Matter 
interspersed with many appropriate and handsome engrav¬ 
ings—than any other paper published in this Country. 
fTW ” For Terms, &c., see last page. 
%rini(timi! Dppnrtmrnt. 
PROGRESS AND DIPKOVEMEXT. 
PREPARE FOR WINTER. 
Winter with its storms of rain and snow, 
is at hand, and the .farmer should make no 
delay in completing his preparations for the 
comfort and thrift of his stock, and the 
proper carrying on of all all larming opera¬ 
tions which may now be forwarded. Every 
day and every season has its appropriate 
work, and this, though not as stirring and 
important as seod time or harvest, is ono 
which calls for constant care and labor. 
Considerations of economy as well as hu¬ 
manity should induco attention to the pro¬ 
tection and shelter of domestic animals in 
inclement weather. Less food is required 
to sustain in thriving condition, an animal 
kept in a comfortable stable, than one not 
thus sheltered. The vital heat must be kept 
up to a certain point—about 100°—and this 
is done by the food consumed, which serves 
as fuel to sustain that temperature. A 
sheltered position tonds to keep up the ani¬ 
mal heat, while exposure decreases it, or 
rather makes moro food or fuel requisite to 
support it. An equable temperature is also 
moro healthy than ono continually chang¬ 
ing. No animal, however hardy it may bo, 
can bo exposed to a winter storm, especial¬ 
ly a drenching rain, without injury to its 
health and condition. The moisture may 
rapidly evaporate, but every drop of water 
thus passing oir, takes with it a portion of 
vital heat as it rises. 
The farmer who has not comfortable sta¬ 
bles and sheds for his stock, may still pro- 
vido those which will answer for the winter. 
Sheds may be built of poles, rails or boards, 
and straw; which will shelter sheep and 
cattle almost as well as more costly struc¬ 
tures—though of courso, not as convenient¬ 
ly. When built of rails, the walls should bo 
mado doublo and fillod in with straw, which 
may bo also used as a thatch; or evergreen 
boughs answer well this purpose. 
Potatoes or other roots, buried in the field, 
should soon receive another coating of earth, 
and the opening left for ventilation may be 
diminished, and even closed entirely. If in 
small heaps, as already advised, there is lit¬ 
tle danger now of injury from heating. In 
cellars, except in extreme cold weather, the 
windows should remain slightly open, as 
long as vapor condonsos upon them from 
this sourco. 
It is poor policy to pinch stock in the 
early part ot the Winter. Let them bo 
kept in good heart, it it can bo done from 
hist to last, and it tliov must be put on 
short allowance, lot it be at the close of the 
season. To make the best of the fodder, a 
straw cutter in the barn is a prime necessi¬ 
ty. Corn stalks cut fine aro eagerly con¬ 
sumed by cattlo ; and clover, and all coarso 
hay goes much farther when cut, and even 
tho best ot hay, as the experiment givon last 
week shows, is increased in valuo by this 
preparation. If grain of any kind is fed it 
should bo ground and mixed with cut straw, 
first moistened with water. It will be bettor 
digested, and consequently less will bo re¬ 
quired. Apples and roots are of much val¬ 
ue as food for all kinds of farm stock. 
Even in winter much may be done to¬ 
wards increasing the quality and quantity of 
the manure heaps. The stables should be 
kept well littered and the pig pen supplied 
with tho raw material for tho young porkers 
to manufacture. Muck, leaves from the 
woods, coarse grass and such absorbent ma¬ 
terials will add much to tho value of this 
*' essential to productive farming”—manure. 
Enough of these or of straw should be mix¬ 
ed with tho horse dung to prevent its heat- 
ing, and to take up tho liquid portion of tho 
same. No farmer who studies true econo¬ 
my will suffer any fertilizer to go to waste, 
which his roasonablo care can savo. 
Ect sleds and axes bo ready for commen¬ 
cing the “ wooding up ” business, at a mo¬ 
ments warning. The earlier it is done the 
better, and it is more convenient working in 
a slight depth of snow, than when tho roads 
are drifted by a succession of storms. A 
full supply should bo secured for at least a 
year to come. If tho wood is desired to 
grow again, let it bo cut off clean at once, 
and then the new crop will start immediate¬ 
ly with an even growth, and soon a thrifty 
grove of trees will cover tho land again. 
But wo will not be tedious with our re¬ 
minders. Our readers observe tho times 
and seasons as well as ourselves, and no 
doubt are doing what we are only talking 
about. They will think of many other 
things which need attending to,—matters 
which concern their social, moral and pecu 
nlary interests, and we hope to furnish them 
many valuable hints on all these subjects. 
MINERAL AND NITROGENIZED MANURES 
The “Mineral Manure Theory ” of Liebig 
which has been repeatedly tested and found 
wanting, found an able opponent in tho la 
mented Prof. Norton, but no series of ex 
poriments have been moro searching and 
conclusive than those of Messrs. Lawes and 
Gilbert, two scientific farmers in England 
well known to all students in agricultural 
theories. Their experiments extending over 
a period of seven years, were on a large 
scale. A field of fourteen acres was taken 
at the close of a four year’s course of crop 
ping, when the manures supplied at first 
wero, of course, exhausted, and divided in¬ 
to thirty-three plots, which wore sown 
with wheat, under various circumstances in 
regard to the kind and quantity of ma¬ 
nures applied. Ono plot was left unma¬ 
nured from tho commencement, and its 
produce served as a standard of comparison 
in tho course of tho trial. Tho increase 
given in any year over this plot by any ma¬ 
nured plot was set to tho advantage of the 
particular manure employed, and tho pro¬ 
duct was also compared with that of other 
plots to which different fertilizers had been 
applied. Tho extent of time which tho ex¬ 
periments covered, and tho care and sys 
tein with which they wore conducted muko 
their results worthy of much confidence in 
their value. 
Wo find a condonsed statement of the 
most interesting particulars of this valuable 
essay, which first appeared in tho Journal 
of the Royal Agricultural Society of Eng¬ 
land. in the Genesee Farmer for Juno, and 
with some further condensation copy there¬ 
from the ensuing paragraph. 
Ono plot has been supplied with fourteen 
tons of barn-yard manure per acre each 
jear, and ono with tho ashes of fourtoen 
tons of barn-yard manure; some with “Lie¬ 
big's Patent Wheat Manure,” and others 
with all kinds of chemical mineral manures, 
alone and in various combinations; some 
with rice at tho rate of ono ton per acre, 
rape cake in various quantities, and sulphate 
and muriate of ammonia alone and in con¬ 
junction with all kinds of mineral manures, 
for their details wo have not space; and 
suffice it to say, that tho average yield of 
dressed grain por acre, of seven successive 
crops on the continuously unmanured plot, 
was 1 “3 bushels. The average yield of nine 
plots, the first year dressed with a variety 
ot artificial mineral manures corresponding 
to the ash of wheat and straw, was lGJ 
bushels. The ashes of fourteen tons of 
barn-yard manure, gave 16 bushels. Tho 
average of tho seven years on tho plot dres- 
with fourteon tons of barn-yard ma¬ 
nure per acre each year, was 28 bushels.— 
An acre dressed with 168 lbs. each of sul¬ 
phate and muriate of ammonia, gavo 331 
bushels; another, with 130 lbs. each of sul¬ 
phate and muriate of ammonia, 25^ bushels; 
while a plot by tho side of it, dressed with 
150 lbs. each of sulphato and muriate of 
ammonia, and 300 lbs. potash, 200 lbs. soda. 
100 lbs. sulphate of magnesia, 200 lbs. cal¬ 
cined bones, and 150 lbs. sulphuric acid, 
gave 25 bushels. Again, with 200 lbs. each 
ot sulphate and muriate of ammonia, we 
get 323 bushels; while 300 lbs. potash, 200 
lbs. soda, 100 lbs. sulphato of magnesia, and 
200 lbs. calcined bone dust, with 150 lbs. .j 
sulphuric acid, gavo 17^ bushels. 224 lbs. 
sulphate of ammonia gavo 271 bushels._ 
224 lbs. sulphate of ammonia, and tho ashes 
of three loads of wheat straw, gave 27 
bushels. 
The conclusions which tho intelligent rea¬ 
der will not fail to draw from those state¬ 
ments, do not favor the Mineral Theory.— 
Tho experiments show in every instance 
that additions of nitrogenie fertilizers in 
variably add largely to the crop; and thar 
the soil usually contains a supply of those 
inorganic substances which analysis finds in 
the ashes ol plants. The valuo of vegeta¬ 
ble and animal manures and their constitu 
ent salts, alkalis, and gases, is proved be 
yond question, and the farmer may rest as 
sured that if ho supply these to his soil 
good crops will follow as his reward. This 
ho may do in the shape of barn-yard ina 
nure, composts of different animal and veg 
eta!do substances, plowing in green crops 
&e.,&c..and always with the same result.— 
Attention to keeping up the supply of food 
tor the different crops he would produce, is 
the highway to agricultural prosperity, and 
every contribution to the knowledge of the 
means of so doing, is a benefit to the world 
at large. 
HORSE BARN, CARRIAGE HOUSE, &c. 
Editors Rural : — Several months since 
I noticed in the Rural an inquiry from 
some one of your readers, in relation to a 
plan for a horse barn and carriage house, 
together with room attached sufficient fora 
work shop. At the time of its appearance. 
1 expected soon to see such a plan present¬ 
ed in tho Rural, but thus far I have noticed 
none, and send you ono which is at your 
service. It may not be the best plan in the 
world, but appears to me to embrace as 
many of tho conveniences for tho specified 
purposes as have fallen under my observa¬ 
tion. and perhaps some more. The model 
is taken from a carriage house owned and 
occupied by Alpiieus Morse, Esq., of Ea¬ 
ton. Madison Co., N. Y. 
AN EXPERIMENT WiTH POTATOES- 
sod 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker : — I notice by 
tho agricultural papers that tho subject of 
tho Potato disease, its cause, cure, &c.. is 
still a matter of comment, speculation and 
theory. Without wishing to tako rank with 
either class of writers, I will state a simple 
fact, and, with your permission, leave the 
subject with the public—journalists, corres 
pondonts and readers. 
In the spring of 1851 I purchased at a 
forwarding house in this city, about two 
bushels of potatoes which had been reject¬ 
ed in loading a canal boat for the Eastern 
market, every tuber of which was moro or 
less diseased. They consisted mostly of 
tho long Pink-eye variety, which, excepting 
porhaps tho Mercer, is most liable to rot. — 
They wero bought with the express view of 
testing the effect of a compost (prepared 
for corn) consisting of ono part gypsum, 
three parts hen manure, four parts charcoal 
dust, and ten parts “ salt ashes,” (unleached 
ashes from tho salt works, which contain 
from five to ten por cent, of salt; the 
proportion, however, of salt is mere conjec¬ 
ture, as I have never seen any analysis of 
these ashes.) Not more than half the eyes 
probably possessed any vitality. They were 
planted on a gravelly loam, resting on a dry 
subsoil, and suffered cosiderably from the 
effects of a dry season. About half a pint 
of the compound, or so much as could be 
conveniently takou up with a garden trow¬ 
el, was put into each hill at planting, with¬ 
out othor manure; tho after culture in the 
ordinary way. The result was about 12 
bushels of medium sizod potatoes, and ev¬ 
ery tuber sound! 
The present season I planted this soed on 
the same and adjoining ground, which last 
fall received a top dressing at the rato of 
100 loads fresh swamp muck to tho acre. 
Covered with salt ashos at tho rato of 80 
bushels por acre^ which romainod on the 
surface during winter, tho land having been 
plowed twice before planting last spring._ 
Tho product this season has been somowhat 
better, tho potatoes larger and more nu¬ 
merous, and aliko healthful. 
T. A. Smith. 
Syracuse, Nov. 7, 1852. 
GROUND PLAN. 
This plan is 44 by 24, on a scale of 1-20 
inch to a toot, the size can of course be reg 
ulated by the number of horses and car 
riages to be accomodated. D, the front 
door opens into the carriage and harness 
room, 24 by 26, whero the horses are har 
nessed and unharnessed, each gear having 
its particular place to hang and each cal¬ 
lage and sleigh its own station. Where too 
much work is not to bo done, one side of 
this room may bo devoted to a work bench 
and tho other will accommodate three or 
four carriages by running them on to the 
• lot lines upon the floor and elevating the 
tonguo or thills. Tracks for three aro mark¬ 
ed and a fourth may bo got in. This room 
should bo lighted by windows on the side 
opposite the carriages, which will also light 
tho work bench. This may be ceiled or not 
as the owner prefers. The door d. opening 
into tho stablo is 18 by 24. S, stalls 7 teet 
deep, including tho manger, and 5 feet 3 
inches wide in the clear; the floor as far 
back as tho dotted line is, elevated and in¬ 
clined; back of tho horses heels is a trough 
6 inches deep and 14 inches wide, into 
which the urino and foecis fall. This should 
always be well supplied with some chemical 
or mechanical absorbent, such as gypsum 
or muck, charcoal, turf, or anything at the 
farmer’s command. The urine of the horse 
is exceedingly rich in ammonia, as any ono 
conversant with the stablo is aware, and 
should not he suffered to escape into the air, 
any sooner than your wheat or corn should 
be permitted to leak from a hole in the bin 
for grain need not bo expected to fill the 
garner, unless tho soil bo supplied with this 
indispensable substance. 
1, Hay racks made of plank about half 
way Irom the loft to tho manger, and tho 
remaining distance of rounds 4 inches asun¬ 
der; this rack has perpendicular side 3 ; is 
20 inches square, and I hazard little in pro¬ 
nouncing it the best hay rack for horses in 
use. Being boarded above, no dust or chaff 
is able to fall into tho manes of tho horses 
and very little fodder is wasted by the ani¬ 
mals. Grain and cut food is fed in tho man¬ 
ger 2, by the side of tho rack. The flight 
of stairs, B. lead to tho hay loft,— W, is a 
water trough into which water is conducted 
from a spring or raised by a pump from a 
well or eistorn under the floor. 
Ihe manure is thrown into tho barnyard 
from the door d, from which the cattle will 
pick tho litter, or into a vault protected 
from loaching rains by a leanto roof; this 
is preferable, yet care should bo taken in 
this case, that water enough is conducted 
upon it from tho spout in the stable to pre¬ 
vent its heating so as to fire-fang, for by 
this too great heat the volatile gases are very 
rapidly driven off; in fact the heat is gen¬ 
erated by a too rapid decomposition of the 
vegetable and animal materials composing 
the hoap. This is best obviated by mixing 
with the manure in tho stable gutters sub¬ 
stances as before recommonded. The sta¬ 
ble should be ceiled or lathed and plastered 
and thoroughly whitewashed, by which nox¬ 
ious insects aro kept away, and ventilated 
by openings to bo closed at pleasure near 
tho upper ceiling and well lighted. 
Utica, Nov.. 1852. GUItDON EVAN8. 
SEED WHEAT. 
Mr. Cone is undoubtedly right in tho 
opinion that wo need carefully conducted 
experiments, continued through a series of 
years, to determino at what stage wheat 
should be cut for seed. This course is the 
one I intended to urge in my note on tho 
subject, and my experiment of tho germi¬ 
nating powers of the early and of tho lately 
plucked, was only designed to show the ar¬ 
gument was not all on one side. Gladly 
would I try to determine this question, had 
I a stage on which to act. 
Probably many cases like that of Mr. 
Cone might be found to sustain either idea; 
but any number would he insufficient, from 
indefiniteness. To show that other cases 
are not in accordance with his, let mo say, 
the farmers of Western New York, now cut 
their wheat at a much earlier period gene- 
rally, than they did ten or twelve years ago. 
I know none who allow a part to stand till 
fully ripo for seed, and if Genesee wheat is 
noted for smut, I have yet to learn it. May 
not some other circumstance have induced 
the smut in his caso ? 
I do not write this merely for argument, 
but to show the question is not decided. Is 
it not of some importance to have this 
thing determined ? If those who have land 
choose to wait, some one may try it at a 
future time. s. s. l. 
CHESS, A TRANSMUTATION OF WHEAT. 
In No. 37 of the present volume of tho 
Rural, is an articlo on this subject, which 
the writer closes with a request that “its 
readers would throw out what light they 
have on the subject.” 
Notwithstanding the reluctance that I 
have for sometime felt on the subject of 
writing for the press, I am induced to at¬ 
tempt to throw out what light I can on this 
(to me) interesting and unsettled question. 
Ihe possibility of a change of wheat to 
chess, would, in my opinion depend upon 
one of three things : 1st, The character of 
chess—whether un original, or a hybrid; 2d, 
V» hether a well characterized species of 
vegetable, (as chess appears to be,) can be 
produced by hybridation; and 3d, Whether 
according to what we know of the laws of 
vegetation, the original would continue to 
hybridizo, or the hybrid more naturally re¬ 
turn to the original. 
The apricot and the nectarine are said to 
be hybrids between the peach and plum.(?) 
Has any one ever seen in either of these 
hybrids a tendency to return to its original, 
or the reverso Does not each successive 
generation establish more firmly and un¬ 
changeably the character of a hybrid ? All 
the varieties of cabbage are said to have 
been produced from the common sea kale 
by cultivations, acclimations, &c., whilo 
cauliflower is said to bo a hybrid. Do we 
ever witness in any of these a return, or 
tendency to the original ? 
The peach is said to have been originally 
a small, bitter, poisonous almond. Culti¬ 
vation has made it what it is. Do we see 
any tendency in this to return ? Only so 
far as this; that seedlings are generally 
more uniform in character, often inferior in 
quality, but are still peaches, and may bo 
improved by cultivation. 
Does any one know of a well character¬ 
ized species of vegetable, that originated as 
a digression, excresence, or offset from an¬ 
other species ? There aro numerous varie¬ 
ties of corn, beans, peas, potatoes, &c., but 
all the varieties of corn are earn, and will 
readily intermix with each other. So of 
the others. 
Will the pollen of different specios of 
vegetables impregnate each other so as to 
form other species ? Varieties readily in¬ 
termix—how is it with species } If the ap¬ 
ricot and the nectarine-are hybrids, (which 
