TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.] 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.’ 
[SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
Prof. C. DEWEY, 
T. C. PETERS, 
T. R ARTHUR, 
Miss E. C. HUNTINGTON, 
I/r. M. F. MAURY, 
H T. BROOKS, 
Mrs. M. J. HOLMES, 
Miss C. A. HOWARD. 
JENNY MARSH PARKER. 
PLOWING BY STEAM. 
Were proof required of the assertions “that this 
is a fast age” and “we a fast people,” we do not 
think more direct and substantial testimony could 
be produced than the fact that agriculturists so 
much desire the application of steam to many 
labors for the performance of which we now de¬ 
pend upon our domestic animals. We would have 
muscles of iron and nerves of steel to do our bid¬ 
ding—the shrill scream at the safety-valve is to be 
the “ha! ha!” of our charger as he “scents the bat¬ 
tle afar off.” Liberal'premiums hav<3 been offered, 
throughout the length and breadth of our land, to 
the person who first would successfully yoke the 
steam-chest to the plow, and though quite a num¬ 
ber of experiments have been made, and creditable 
work executed, the point that would make the use 
of a steam-engine for this speciality practicable 
and general, has not been reached. Many, we doubt 
not, are ready to exclaim, “and never will be.”— 
Not so fast, good friends,—“ stranger things have 
happened;” besides, that word impossible, used by 
the word-gatherers of a by-gone age, we Yankees 
say has been left out by our lexicographer, Noah 
Webster. Whether success has crowned the efforts 
of Jonathan or not, Johnny, our good old sire 
across the water — if the old gentleman is in earn¬ 
est, and we would not doubt him for the world — 
seems to have solved the problem. 
In the month of February, 1857, the Premium 
Book of the Highland Agricultural Society, con¬ 
tained the following offer:—“For the practical ap¬ 
plication of steam or water-power to the plowing 
or digging of land, £200 ($1,000.) The merits of 
the invention will be tested by its general applica. 
bility, by the character of its work, and by its saving 
in time, labor and outlay, as compared with horse¬ 
power. The inventor must be prepared to deliver 
his machine at Stirling by the 1st of October, and 
to put it in practical operation on such farm in the 
neighborhood of that town, and to work it for such 
a period, and under such regulations, as the Direc¬ 
tors may determine—the object being to test its 
capabilities by continued work, and not by a mere 
show trial.” Although every means was taken to 
place this offer of the Society before mechanics and 
inventors, but one person, Mr. John Fowler, of 
London, presented his plow and engine for trial._ 
A thorough and practical test was made in a grass 
field of stiff, tenacious clay, and in a stubble field 
with a deep, alluvial soil. Our present purpose is 
to furnish Rural readers the result thereof, reserv¬ 
ing for a future period the description of the im¬ 
plements performing the work. 
At the time specified, the plow was put in opera¬ 
tion, with the view of testing its power of perform¬ 
ance, and, also, the character of the labor it 
accomplishes. After an experiment of several 
hours’ duration, the committee found that they 
might assume the work performed in such time to 
be about 7 imperial acres in a day of 10 hours. The 
furrow was in length 330 yards, and about G inches 
deep, and each 10 inches broad, or, taking the four 
plow-heads, the breadth turned over at each opera¬ 
tion was 3 feet 4 inches, and the work was very sat¬ 
isfactorily done,—“ fully equal to, if not better than 
what could be done by horse-labor.” This test was 
made upon a stiff, tenacious soil. 
Having completed the trial upon a heavy soil, 
the judges had the whole apparatus removed to 
another farm, “Boll-for-nouglit,” and, the day fol¬ 
lowing, had the plow tried upon a stubble field of 
alluvial soil. The furrow on this field was consid¬ 
erably shorter than that on the other, being only 
220 yards long; its depth was 7 inches, and its 
breadth 10 inches. In this experiment the quantity 
turned over was at the rate of nearly 10 acres in the 
day of 10 hours. The judges expected that the en¬ 
gine would have done more work than that, and 
probably it could when in continuous operation; 
but they have stated the quantity as they found it, 
YOL. IX. NO. ill 
MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
Agricultural, ^Literary and Family Newspaper. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE CORPS OP ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
Tub Rural New -Yorker is designed to be unsurpassed n 
Yalne, Pnrity, Usefulness and Variety of Contents, and unique and 
beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes his personal atten¬ 
tion to the supervision of its various departments, and earnestly labors 
to render the Rural an eminently Reliable Guide on the important 
Practica], Scientific and other Subjects intimately connected with the 
business of those whose interests it zealously advocates. It embraces 
more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, Educational, Literary and 
News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful Engravings, 
than any other journal,—rendering it the most complete Agricultu¬ 
ral Literary and Family Journal in America. 
SPECIAL CONTKIHUTORSi 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATURBAY, FEBRUARY G, 1058, 
1 WHOLE NO. m. 
and it will he kept in view that the short furrow 
tends to diminish the quantity performed. 
On the latter field the judges applied the machi¬ 
nery used for trench-plowing, and the work per¬ 
formed gave great satisfaction; in the language of 
the Committee, “surpassing anything that could be 
done by horse-labor.” To trench-plow, a different 
frame is used from that employed in ordinary plow¬ 
ing. “ Two trench-furrows,” remark the Commit¬ 
tee, “ are turned at each operation,—each furrow is 
turned in two lifts, the upper lift in each one being 
turned into the bottom of the furrows, and the bot¬ 
tom lift being laid over all; and, from the speed at 
which the plow travels, the subsoil is so completely 
thrown up and broken that nothing executed by 
the assistance of horses can excel, if it can equal 
it. ’ The trenching, 12£ inches deep, was perform¬ 
ed at the rate of about 5£ acres per day of 10 hours. 
The cost per acre of plowing with this invention 
of Mr. Fowler’s, in the experiments thus noted, 
is computed by the Committee at about $1 75 per 
acre in the clay soil, and $1 13 in the alluvial soil. 
Trench-plowing was performed at an expense of 
$2 00 per acre. 
At the meeting of the Committee after witnessing 
the foregoing experiments, and comparing the ex¬ 
ecution of the work and expense with that per¬ 
fumed by animal labor, it was unanimously recom¬ 
mended that the Society award the £200, offered as 
a premium, to Mr. Fowler. The Committee did 
not deem all the machinery perfect; experience, in 
this as in all other attempts to apply steam to any 
branch of labor, will suggest improvements, and 
thorough use apply such advance as the mind of 
man may conceive. Nevertheless, the judges think 
that Mr. F. has produced a machine well adapted 
for stiff clay and loamy lands, and consequently for 
the very description of soils most oppressive upon 
horses, and' the most expensive to work. On this 
ground the Committee “consider that he has es¬ 
tablished a good claim, not only to the amount of 
the premium offered, but to whatever support and 
encouragement the Society’s award can afford; 
and the judges would hope that this liberal inter¬ 
pretation of the terms in which the premium was 
offered, will operate as an inducement to others to 
persevere in their efforts to improve the machinery 
of the farm.” 
JUMPING AT CONCLUSIONS—SUGAR CANE, &c. 
It is a misfortune that Agriculturists are so 
prone to jump at conclusions. To investigate a 
subject thoroughly* to arrive at conclusions by 
carefully tried and oft-repeated experiments, and 
incontrovertible facts is a slow process unsuited to 
these fast times, and not at all congenial to the 
habits and disposition of very many. Thinking, 
careful, reliable men utter their opinions modestly 
and with caution, although they have good reason 
to believe them well founded, and give those of 
others differing from them proper consideration 
and due weight Others give their opinions without 
the least hesitation and with the utmost confidence, 
as though they thought all the world bound to be¬ 
lieve them, and that even to doubt their truth was 
a crime of the deepest dye. Hence, they are sen¬ 
sitive and restless under contradiction, and are 
more disposed to reply harshly to any facts that 
seem to contradict their theories or experience, 
than to profit by the experience of others. 
This jumping at conclusions—hit or miss—right 
or wrong—is quite an easy, if not a profitable ope¬ 
ration. It is different from the old and slow pro¬ 
cess, though we cannot consider it an improve¬ 
ment, and is characteristic of this go-ahead, steam 
and lightning age. Perhaps to no other departs 
ment of science is this system so generally applied 
as to agriculture, and therefore none is so seriously 
affected by it. It is peculiarly prejudicial to the 
introduction of anything new or valuable, in prac¬ 
tice, or of any new plant; for no matter how valu¬ 
able a thing may he, after one apology for a trial, 
scores and hundreds are ready to jump up and 
pronounce it a humbug, while that which is real¬ 
ly worthless, lacks not for a host of zealous de¬ 
fenders. 
Roots, for instance, are proposed for general 
culture. One tries and succeeds, and is ready to 
recommend their growth to all his neighbors.— 
Another, from his own ignorance, the unsuitable¬ 
ness of the soil, had seed, or some other cause, fails, 
and the whole thing is denounced, and everybody 
who differs from him is deceiving himself or trying 
to deceive others. One miserable trial has con¬ 
vinced him that our soil, climate, and everything 
else is unsuited to their growth. Indeed, it is 
doubtful whether they wouldn’t poison the animals 
if they should grow. 
The Chinese Sugar Cane is introduced, and all 
admit that if the farmers of the north can produce 
their own sugar, or even their own syrup, to say 
nothing of supplying the demands of commerce, 
it will be a thing of vast importance, sufficient to 
justify the most careful experiments before arriv¬ 
ing at conclusions. And yet, how many, with but 
one trial—one failure, that might have happened to 
a crop of corn, or wheat, or potatoes—have been 
ready to denounce the whole thing as a humbug of 
the baldest kind. One could not make the stalks 
grow to a respectable size, another got very good 
stalks hut could not ripen the seed; another pressed 
out the juice with a cider mill, and though the 
syrup was very good, it was not sufficiently abund¬ 
ant to pay; another found the syrup to have an un¬ 
pleasant vegetable taste. Still others made very 
good syrup, hut could not make sugar, and lastly 
an experienced sugar reliner of St. Louis endeav¬ 
ored to make sugar from the syrup, and failed, and 
published his opinion that the Sorghum would 
never amount to anything as a sugar or syrup pro¬ 
ducing plant. All these, of course, were satisfied 
—they needed no more light—they had tested the 
matter for themselves—and all the world “and the 
rest of mankind” could not change their opinions. 
To all this we have another side. Others have ; 
raised fine canes and produced syrup equal to 
Stewart's Golden, and in large quantities, and they 
are in ecstacies at the result. At the late Conven¬ 
tion of North-western Sugar Cane Growers, held at 
Springfield, Illinois, eight or ten specimens of su¬ 
gar were presented by as many individuals. Jo¬ 
seph S. Lovering, of Philadelphia, an experienced 
sugar refiner, made sugar from the syrup of the 
Sorghum, of every variety, from the common 
brown to the finest loaf. Mr. L. states that there is 
no difficulty in making sugar, that it can be done by 
one and all. Indeed, he says, “it is about as easy to 
make good sugar from the Chinese Cane as to make 
a good pot of mush, and much easier than to i make a 
kettle of good apple-butter .” 
Although a sugar refiner, and possessing, of 
course, every facility for making sugar, Mr. 1.. 
preferred to conduct his experiments at his house 
with the simplest machinea , and such as could he 
pro-cured easily by fari'JSk The canes were raised 
on half an acre of goo*upland, nlanted in rows 
four feet apart, and six indies apart in the rows.— 
On the 28th of September, the experi nents in 
making sugar, (seven in number,) were commenced, 
and continued at intervals until the 20th of Decem¬ 
ber. The yield per acre, Mr. L. estimates at 1,221 
pounds, and seventy-five gallons of molasses, hut 
he made no attempt to produce large results, either 
in the amount of cane or the quantity of sugar.— 
More than double this quantity he thinks might be 
produced. 
We hope our readers will see the folly of jump¬ 
ing at conclusions, not only in regard to this, hut 
all other matters of importance connected with 
agriculture, and learn to await patiently the devel¬ 
opments of time, and the most thorough and criti¬ 
cal experiments. 
ABOUT CLOVER SEED. 
A rich soil and favorable season are required to 
produce a large crop of clover seed. The first 
growth is mown early — when in full bloom — for 
hay, leaving the second or after growth to go to 
seed, as it is usually less rank and better filled than 
the first It is said that the application of plaster 
to the field in spring, will secure a better yield of 
seed from the second crop, while a direct summer 
application is found to increase the rankness of the 
growth at the expense of the filling out or seeding. 
For seed, clover should he mown when suffi¬ 
ciently ripe; any good reaper and mower will do 
the work in the best manner. The grain platform 
should he attached, with a board behind to retain 
a larger amount of clover—when full, to be pitched 
or raked off in heaps. If clover stands well, it may 
be cut high—it saves mueh work, and the straw may 
better he left on the field than taken to the barn. It 
should remain out until well dried, as it will then 
thresh and clean more easily. Rain will not injure 
it if it soon dries again. 
The seed can he separated from the straw with a 
common threshing machine having a long shaker 
attached, so that the heavier part of the chaff con¬ 
taining the seed, may fall through. To clean it, a 
clover huller, of which there are several in market, 
should be employed. In most parts of the country 
there are farmers who make it their business in 
winter to go from barn to barn with machines, to 
perform this work at a specified price per bushel. 
Clover seed may be sown in the chaff, but it is diffi¬ 
cult to regulate the quantity, or distribute it as 
evenly as when it is hulled, and in the latter state 
only is it marketable. 
A practical farmer of close observation and 
many years’ experience, says that a crop of clover 
seed exhausts the soil more than any other crop, 
not excepting wheat. If so, it may be questioned 
whether to grow or buy the seed, is the best policy 
for the farmer. The value of the second crop for 
hay is often greater than the profit on the clover 
seed it will produce. And if cut in the stage of 
ripening for hay, it should he remembered, it ex¬ 
hausts the soil much less than when allowed to go 
to seed. We should be glad to hear from fanners 
upon this subject generally—the raising, gathering, 
curing and cleaning of clover seed, as well as of its 
effects upon the soil, for it is a matter which has re¬ 
ceived hut little attention in agricultural literature. 
_ Wsi&mmm. 
RURAL COTTAGE-MAIN ENTRANCE. 
Tnis design, erected by Dr. de la Montagnie, of 
Fishkill Landing, is situated amidst quiet, agreea¬ 
ble home scenery, and commands several beautiful 
views, both of the Hudson and of the noble hills 
that rise up at this point from its eastern shore.— 
The approach road near it is picturesquely wooded 
on both sides, so as to seem more like a wide lane 
than a common high-road; and all the circumstances 
suggested au unpretending, but real rural house. 
As the accommodation required was not exten¬ 
sive, there was no necessity for attic bedrooms, and 
the cottage is, therefore, planned a story and a half 
high, as it is called, the roof coming down a foot 
or two below the ceiling line, not, however, so as 
to interfere with the occupation of the rooms in 
any way. Although, by this arrangement, the ceil¬ 
ings of the bedrooms are less elegant than they 
would he if finished off square, as usual, there is 
one decided advantage attending it, fyueh was 
fairly illustrated in the case under consideration. 
The ground in the immediate vicinity o,' the build¬ 
ing site was, as is often the case, somewhat hare of 
trees, and the proprietor, with great care and pains, 
moved a number of healthy specimens, of larger 
size than usual, from the neighboring woods.— 
Fortunately these have thriven well for the most 
part, and the consequence is, that although they 
are small, and have had only a year or two’s 
growth in their present situation, they have quite 
an important effect in connection with the house, 
because it is kept low, and with overhanging eaves, 
that still further take away the effect of height 
having a window in it commanding a pretty view. 
The parlor and dining-room communicate with 
the veranda. A roomy pantry and lock-up closet 
are provided in connection with the dining-room, 
and a lobby is shut off at the head of the basement 
stairs; in this is a wash-stand, etc.“Up] stairs are 
four bedrooms. There is a large garret of good 
height overhead. The kitchen accommodation, 
etc., is in the basement. 
F'lTCHFN^j ROOM 
I ISXIS A I4XU 
r aTa ti tttttt II 
'kitchcn! 
J 10XI 4 G-Ji 
zsxnL 15X15 
PARLOR DINING ROOM 
STAIRCASE HALL 
PLAN OF PRINCIPAL FLOOR. 
This design was built in a hollow, hut the earth 
taken out for foundations was so arranged that the 
house, as now finished, stands on a gentle eminence, 
and the natural impression of a stranger to the 
facts would he that Nature kindly provided a little 
bluff for the specific purpose of building the doc¬ 
tor’s cottage on. The general effect was material- 
BASEMENT. CHAMBER FLOOR. 
In the arrangement of the chamber plan it will 
he seen that a projecting dormer-window is intro¬ 
duced in the upper hall at the head of the stairs.— 
This supplies a pleasant recess for a chair and table 
at a window that looks out on a cheerful view; and 
as it stands out from the main hall some little dis¬ 
tance, being supported on heavy brackets, as may 
be seen on the upper illustration, it casts a deep 
shadow, even when the sun is high, and gives some 
additional individuality to the design. 
The house is constructed of wood, filled in with 
brick, and the carpenter’s and mason’s contracts 
were taken at $2,900; the architect’s commission 
for drawings and details, without superintendence, 
being 3£ per cent on that amount, viz., $101 50. 
One advantage that is offered by wooden con¬ 
struction is, that picturesque breaks in the plan 
may be made for less money than they will cost in 
brick-work, because it requires considerable time 
and care to make a brick corner plumb and true, 
while a wooden angle can he easily worked. 
The exterior is painted in quiet, neutral tints, 
the main body of the work being of a rather warm 
gray, while the corner-boards, verge-hoards, win¬ 
dow-dressings, veranda, and porch are also of a 
grayish tint, but considerably darker than the 
other, and with some brown added to it for the 
sake of contrast The stiles of the Venetian blinds 
are rather lighter than the window-dressings, while 
the slats and the panels of the verge-boards are of 
a cool dark brown. The chimney is painted in two 
tints, to correspond; and as the house is covered 
with shingles, which soon become soft and pleas¬ 
ant to the eye, the whole effect is free from either 
startling contrast or wearisome monotony. 
In painting a country house the aim should he to 
give it a cool effect in summer, and a warm effect 
RURAL COTTAGE.—RIVER FRONT. 
ly assisted by sodding the surface in the vicinity of | 
the house, instead of trusting to grass seed. This 
process is, of course, the more expensive of the 
two, hut if well done, it yields, what is really of 
importance in a new house, an immediate reward. 
The entrance is through a wooden porch, that 
serves for a veranda on that side. The hall is of 
liberal size, and is almost as useful as another room, 1 
in winter; and this is not so difficult as might at 
first be supposed, because all combinations of col¬ 
ors are mutually dependent on each other, and the 
marked contrast in the appearance of the surface 
of the soil, the trees, and the sky, at different pe¬ 
riods of the year, gives an opportunity, when choos¬ 
ing the tints for a house, to select a happy medium 
that shall he suited to more seasons than one. 
