TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.] 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
VOL, IX. NO. 40.1 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.,-SATCBBAY, DECEMBER 4, 1858. 
WHOLE NO. 485. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AIT ABLE COUPS OS’ ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
Tub Rural New-Yorker la designed to bo unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, 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 
Practical, 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, iuterspersed with appropriate and beautiful Engravings, 
than any other journal,—rendering it the most complete Agricultu¬ 
ral, Literary and Family Journal in America. 
Ej^-All communications, and business letters, should bo addressed 
to D. I). T. MOORE, Rochester, N. Y. 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
DISEASES CF CATTLE—MURRAIN, 
Within a few days we have received three let¬ 
ters, from as many different localities, each asking 
for information relative to a disease which carries 
off thousands of cattle every year. The inquiries 
of aguicola, Lambton, C. W., being general in 
character, will first claim attention: 
Eds. Rural:—Y ou will confer a favor on me, and 
doubtless on most of your readers, by giving gome infor¬ 
mation regarding “Murrain” in cattle — its symptoms, 
cause, cure, if any ; also the best way to guard against its 
attacks. I have lost several head lately, (as have also my 
neighbors,) they generally dying within twenty-four hours 
after being first noticed.--A<<Ki'o:. a, hanili- ■ W. 
Mnrrnln is ranked among the diseases of the res ' 
piratory system, hooanse it, usually finds lodgment 
there first, nnd, for a longer or shorter period of 
time, that part is alone affected. Few disesses 
wonhl more completely puzzle the novice than 
this, as it assumes a great variety of forms In its 
earlier or later stages, but it can generally bo dis¬ 
tinguished by some, or the larger portion, of the 
following symptoms: 
A cough, constantly recurring and painful. This, 
oftentimes, precedes the disease a week or longer, 
and is frequently unattended by other signs that 
would indicate anything more than a simple hut 
severe cold. After a few days, heaving of the 
flanks will he added to the cough; the pulse quick, 
hard, and small, with irregularities; the mouth 
hot; the root of the hornB cold; the excrements 
hard and black, sometimes liquid, with the same 
dark color, and in the latter case very fetid. Ex¬ 
treme soreness, or tenderness, is now observable 
along the spine, while the centre of all pain would 
seem to be directly over the loins. The cough 
constantly increases and becomes convulsive; and 
matter, brown or bloody, issues from the month 
and nostrils; the eyes swell and are watery; the 
animal grinds his teeth; a frequent spasmodic 
contraction of the nostrils is noticeable; the 
patient rarely lies down, and, should it seek a re¬ 
cumbent posture, will rise again immediately.— 
Shortly afeer the appearance of the foregoing 
symptons, the eyes are lustreless; the pulse is still, 
small but has become feeble; respiration is accel¬ 
erated; theflanks are drawn up; pain has ceased at 
the loins; insensibility creeps over the system; the 
faeces are covered with mucus, and more fetid; the 
animal moans, continuing, almost uninterruptedly, 
the grinding motion of the jaws; a convulsive 
movement is given to the head; blood begins to 
pass off with the excrements; the breath becomes 
offensive, and a staggering, shuffling motion is all 
the exertion of which the poor brute is capable. 
The time is now at hand in which tumors and boils 
make their appearance (they sometimes come 
earlier, however,) upon various portions of the 
body. If these are to come forward, the desire 
should be to have them perfect as soon as is possi¬ 
ble. If the animal Btill possesses sufficient strength 
for them to undergo the process of suppuration, 
there is a chance for recovery; whereas, should 
they become stationary, or go back and disappear, 
death is the inevitable result. 
Concerning the causes of this malignant disease 
there are a variety of opinions. One writer states 
that it appears principally in marshy and woody 
districts, or where underdrainiDg has been neg- 
iected, or where cattle have been exposed and 
half-starved. Another says, we must content our¬ 
selves with believing that itis produced by some 
peculiar deleterious principle in the atmosphere, 
which can neither be detected nor explained. 
The Treatment of this disease, as hitherto pur¬ 
sued, is not at all satisfactory. If the knell of 
alarm sounded in the cough, would always strike 
upon quick ears, and cause a system of watchful¬ 
ness and care to be instituted, and a thorough 
dose of physic administered when the cough is 
noticed as increasing in frequency and virulence, 
the probabilities are that the disease would be 
arrested, or, at least, its violence abated. In the 
Diseases of Cattle, by Youatt, we find the follow¬ 
ing remarks upon thi3 subject:—“The early stage 
of Murrain is one of fever, and the treatment should 
correspond with this—bleeding. Physic should 
be cautiously, yet not timorously resorted to.— 
Small doses of purgative medicine, with more of 
the aromatic than we generally add, will be service¬ 
able, affecting the present purpose, end not hasten¬ 
ing or increasing the debility which generally is 
at hand; bnt if the bowels be sufficiently open, or 
diarrhoea should threaten, and yet symptoms of 
fever should be apparent, no purgative must be 
given, but the sedatives Bhould be mingled with 
some vegetable tonics. The peculiar fetid diarrhoea 
must he met with astringents, mingled also with 
vegetable tonics. In combating the pustular and 
sloughing gangrenous stage, the chloride of lime 
will be the best external application; while a little 
of it administered with the other medicines inward¬ 
ly may possibly lessen the tendency to general de¬ 
composition. The external application of it should 
not be confined to the ulcerated parts alone, bat 
it should be plentifully sprinkled over and about 
the beast; and the infected animal should be im¬ 
mediately removed from the sound one3. For a 
drink, take sweet spirit of nitre, half an ounce; 
laudanum, half an ounce; chloride of lime, in 
powder, two ounces; prepared chalk, an ounce. 
Rub them well together, and give them withapint 
of warm gruel. This may be repeated every six 
hours, until the purging is considerably abated; 
but should not be continued until it has quite 
stopped. The purging having abated, we must 
look about for something to recall the appetite and 
recruit the strength.” For this purpose Youatt 
recommends a tonic drink, compounded as follows: 
drachms; ginger, one drachm; sweet spiiit of 
mitre, half an ounce. Rub together, and give in a 
: i , oPhick^TueL” 
T n Holland the following rcol’pC is considered a 
remedy for this disease, and is now in general use: 
“Nitrate of potash, 170 grains; bole armeninn, 20 
grains.” This is dissolved in a pint of water, and 
gi ven as often as required. 
According to the Cyclopedia of Agriculture, 
murrain is looked upon in England as a fever of a 
low typhoid form, with a tendency to putresence, 
and the treatment consists in moderating the 
fever, relaxing the bowels, applying astringents to 
the mouth and feet, and afterwards, if necessary, 
supporting the strength with tonics. A dose of 
salts, with a little sulphur, is a convenient aperient, 
and the tonic, when used, consists of gentian, 
ginger, and sulphate of iron, two drachms each. 
A solution of alum, with a little molasses, is con¬ 
sidered a useful application to the mouth, and the 
feet may he dressed with a simple astringent 
powder, or a stronger caustic, according to the 
ttate of the parts. If the udder is affected, fomen¬ 
tations and bleeding are resorted to. 
There are Btill other modes of treating this 
disease, prominent among which is that termed 
Homocpathic. We quote from the American Cattle 
Doctor, by Dadd:— “ The indications to be fulfilled 
are, first, to preserve the system from putresence, 
which can be done by the use of the following 
drink : — Powdered capsicum, one teaspoonful; 
powdered charcoal, two ounces; lime water, four 
ounces; sulphur, one teaspoonfal. Add to the 
capsicum, charcoal, and sulphur, a small quantity 
of gruel; lastly, add the lime water. A second 
and similar dose may be given six hours after the 
first, provided, however, the symptoms are not so 
alarming. 
“The next indication is, to break down the 
morbid action of the nervous and vascular systems; 
for which the following maybe given freely:— 
Thoronghwort tea, two quarts; powdered assa- 
foetida, two drachms. Aid the action of these 
remedies by the use of one of the following injec¬ 
tions:—Powdered lobelia, two ounces; oil pepper¬ 
mint, twenty drops; warm water, two quarts.— 
Another—Infusion of camomile, two quarts: com¬ 
mon salt, four ounces. 
“In all cases of putrid or malignant fever, efforts 
should be made to supply the system with caloric, 
(by the aid of stimulants,) promote the secretions, 
and rid the system of morbific materials.” 
We have already exceeded the space intended, 
and must wait for another Rural, in which to 
answer the inquiries of our New York and Penn¬ 
sylvania friends, relative to what is known as 
“Joint Murrain,” “ Black Quarter,” &c. 
The Oat Crop of France and England.— Such 
has been the severity of the drouth during the 
spring and summer in France, they do not expect 
to thresh more than one-sixth of the average yield 
of oats, and barley is equally injured. Fodder is 
scarce, and farmers are seeking to make the most 
of it by every method. In England, a correspon¬ 
dent of the Mark Lane Express estimates the yield 
at one-third, and states that with an importation of 
upwards of 1,600,000 bushels into London in three 
weeks, the price had not declined, and some of the 
largest factors were buying all the oats they could. 
FARM IMPLEMENTS ANP-,MACHINERY. 
The inquiries we receive are so numerous that 
some weeks we have to give good share ot 
our space to imparting the infcanaiion desired.— 
In this way ouv friends control our columns to a cer¬ 
tain extent. The present week, ...ot only the arti¬ 
cles which we give under is e general head of Farm 
Implements, &c., but almost every line on this page 
is written to impart information asked. As these 
inquiries are generally on practical matters they 
are valuable to all, and some t, „tliem draw out a 
vast amount of information ironi correspondents. 
The Hydraulic Ram. 
The raising of water c. >ove i*s level appears, 
at fust thought, to those u )t, at qriainted with hy¬ 
draulics, to be 8n impossibility, and yet it is done 
by means of the hydraulic ram, as well as by other 
means which it is not necessary for us to describe 
to give the information needed by our correspon¬ 
dent. We have seen scores of, these machines that 
had been in successful operr-tion for years, withoat 
having cost a penny for re; The machinery 
is very simple, there is nothing intricate, nothing 
that will quickly wear out, or maia repairs neces¬ 
sary. We have seen a rood nmny rams injured, 
in fact ruined, but in ev: r case the injury has 
been caused by frost. If water is allowed to freeze 
in the pipes, of course it will burst them, as it 
will also the air chamber. Security from frost 
is, therefore, absosolutely Decta.-ary, or the work¬ 
ing of the ram must bo abandoned in winter. 
This is the great and only difficulty with water- 
rams in this country, ana it is one, we confess, 
not overcome wi bout the greatest care. The 
ram at the Bpring mnst well secured, and 
the pipe must be sank lor; enough in the ground 
to be out of danger from the hardest and longest, 
frosts, although tho constant flow of waiter will ftot 
permit froezing,except at a very low temperature. 
How this protection can bo best given, Wo hope 
some of our experienced readers will inform us. 
We would recommend a strong box over the ram, 
covered with straw and home manure, nnd this 
covered with earth, something after the manner 
of covering potatoes. A» outlet must of course 
be made for the wasto water, and this outlet mnst 
he covered a sufficient distance to prevent the 
frost from entering to affect the ram, and also to 
prevent, it from freezing and forming an obstruc¬ 
tion. As the water is cofflinnally flowing, the do- 
livery pipe will not he likely to freeze up, bnt a 
little care here, too, may well be exercised to make 
; all safe. 
The object of the water-ram, as supposed by our 
inquirer, is to raise water from a spring to barns 
cr other buildings above its level; and by this 
means water can be raised to any desired height, 
the strength of the pipe and machinery being the 
only limit. A fall of at least eighteen inches, and 
two quarts of water per minute at the spring is 
necessary to work the same, though the greater 
the fall and the greater the quantity of water fur¬ 
nished by the spring, the greater will be the quan¬ 
tity elevated. The machine costs from $10 to $18, 
according to size. 
The above cut represents a vertical section of 
the ram. A, the air chamber—B, the waste valve— 
C, valve opening into the air chamber—D, the feed 
or driving pipe—E, pipe to convey the water where 
it is desired. The pipe D should be 00 to 60 feet 
long, and from 1 to 2 inches calibre; the pipe E 
any length desired, and about a half inch calibre— 
lead pipe is commonly used. The circular figure 
on the left represents the form of the waste valve. 
The waste valve is made to vibrate up and down 
thus:—The water passes down the driving pipe D, 
and escapes at the waste valve B. Now, as any de¬ 
scending body increases in velocity and force 
every instant of its descent, the column of water 
descending in the driving pipe, quickly attains 
sufficient velocity and force to lift the waste valve, 
but the valve in rising instantly stops the passage, 
and the whole momentum of the water strikes 
against it and seeks relief, which is only found at 
the valve C, through which a quantity of water is 
forced into the air chamber, where it is confined 
by the closing of the valve. The momentum being 
thus expended, and the water at rest, the valve B 
drops by its own gravity, and is ready to start 
again. After repeated vibrations, the air chamber 
becomes partly filled with water, compressing 
within a small space the air, which, by its elasticity, 
re-acts upon the water, and forces it up the pipe E 
to any desired elevation or distance. 
The quantity of water raised, in proportion to 
that supplied, depends upon the fall at the spring 
or stream, and the distance which the ram is 
We give our readers a neat, design for an Octa- 
oon Prairie Cottage, from Emery's Journal. We 
have often seen small houses of this style at the 
West, and we have a few in this section. We can¬ 
not say that we see much beauty, or convenience, 
or economy, in the octagon, over the common 
square or oblong form; but, the one we give is 
simple and cheap, and one of the beBt that we have 
seen. 
“The foundation of a prairie house maybe of 
stone, brick, or timber. Under each corner and at 
distances of ten to twelve Let along the sills, should 
be a pillar of either of the above ^materials sunk 
in the ground two or three feet, tef avoid heaving 
by frost. When timber is used, a cut from an oak 
log twelve inches in diameter will be found suffi¬ 
cient, and these may be rendered more durable by 
charring the whole or part set in the ground, and 
using well seasoned timber. 
, All honses should he raised, front two lo three 
feet above the natural suTfafcrt of the ground, as 
much for appearance ns any veal advantage from 
avoiding dampness. A house with a good cellar 
will never he fonnd damp. 
The estimated cost of this cottage la $325. The 
rooms ate a ball, parlor, kitchen, pantry, bedrooms 
and closets. The two principal rooms, kitchen 
and parlor, being in the centre of the house, will 
be more easily warmed than outside rooms, which 
is another advantage. On account of the irregular 
shape of two bedrooms, we have represented the 
position of the beds, by which it will be seen that 
ample room i3 left, notwithstanding the angular 
corner of these two bedrooms is a closet, formed 
by placing a door, which, with the casings, just 
occupies the space between walls. 
required to elevate it. The greater the fall in pro¬ 
portion to this distance, the greater will be the pro¬ 
portion raised. Two rules have been given for 
ascertaining how much a given stream of water 
will raise. First, find how many times higher the 
water is to be raised than the fall of the driving 
power; then the adding an 0 to the number and 
dividing by 7, you can ascertain the number of 
gallons that will be required to force up a single 
gallon of water. 
Second, “measure the amount of water dis¬ 
charged by the stream in a given time. Ascertain 
the greatest amount of head or fall that can be 
obtained, and the elevation to which the water is 
to be raised. Then divide the elevation by the 
head or fall, and the amount of water by the quo¬ 
tient. Deduct 30 per cent from this result and it 
will give the amount delivered in the given time. 
For example, suppose an elevation of Bixty feet, 
with a fall of five feet The supply, four gallons 
per minute, or five thousand seven hundred and 
sixty gallons per day. Then 5)60 = 12; then 12— 
5760=480; deduct 30 per cent., which leaves 336 
gallons per day.” 
Cutting Feed. 
True, horses and cattle are provided by nature 
with cutting machines; but from this fact we must 
not jump to the conclusion that cutting boxes are 
unnecessary and unprofitable. Man, also is pro¬ 
vided with teeth, but mnst we argue from this that 
knives and forks are needless? We would not be 
understood to say that there is the same necessity 
in the one case as in the other, hut we do say that 
we never knew a farmer cut feed for his Btock who 
was not satisfied with the result It prevents 
waste, by causing everything to be eaten up clean. 
It allows the farmer to flavor the coarsest fodder 
with a little shorts @r meal and salt, and in this 
way, at very little cost and labor, make a luxury 
of that which, in its natutal state, the animal could 
hardly be coaxed or starved to eat; just as the 
skillful cook will make a delicate dish of cold 
meat, &c., left on the previous day, and which but 
for this Bkill would be wasted. Try it, for yourself, 
and then you will be able to give your testimony 
for or against the practice. 
Potato Digger. 
Several kind3 of Potato Diggers were exhibited 
at the State Fair at Syracuse, but we do not know 
that any of them have been successfully worked. 
One was a plow, something like a double mould- 
We recommend this plan highly to those of email 
families desiring comfort with very little outlay. 
The hall door may have the two upper panels 
glazed to light the entry, which would give a bet¬ 
ter appearance than side lights on account of the 
lowness of the building. A small woodshed or 
back porch can cheaply be attached by continuing 
tho slope of roof out some eight or ten feet in rear 
of kitchen. 
Creeping vines set at the corners and a light 
arched trellis over the front door will take away a 
great deal of the plainness, and give a genuine, 
cosy and home look to the whole. It is such little 
matters as these, trees and shrub3 gratefully placed 
about a dwelling, that give a finish to the scene 
and add much more than one can estimate to the 
content and happiness of a home.” 
board with iron rods about two and a half inches 
apart, these rods being bent in the form of the 
mould-board9. Through these rods it is designed 
that the earth shall fall, while the potatoes are 
turned over on top of the ground. This might 
work on light soil. We need not describe other 
plans, until there is a show of success. One kind 
we tried this fall, and it did not work as well as 
the common plow. Now that our mechanics and 
inventors have directed their skill to this object, it 
will not be many years before we shall have one> 
and perhaps many good potato diggers. We know 
of no implement more needed. Where farmers, as 
many here do, raise from twenty to one hundred 
acre3, digging with the hoe or fork is no small job, 
and hard frost generally does a good deal of mis¬ 
chief before all is secured. At present, however, 
we cannot recommend any implement for this work. 
WYOMING AND ALLEGANY COUNTIES: 
MATTER3 AND THINGS THEREIN. 
An important province of Journalism is to keep 
the Country informed of the state of the Country. 
Prices and business arrangements in one section, 
are affected by what is transpiring in other sec¬ 
tions. When whisky is in demand, when horses are 
dull, when cheese is animated, when hops rise, when 
buckwheat is flat, when pigs are dear, and still-fed 
cows decline, the rest of mankind ought to know it. 
I felt, therefore, in a recent trip through Wyoming 
and Allegany counties, that my Yankee instincts, 
which prompted me to inquire about everything, 
were altogether on the side of patriotism. 
For Corn I found a rising market a3 I went up 
the Genesee river. It brings 25 to 28 cents for a 
bushel of ears in the north part of Wyoming and 
Livingston counties,—grows firm at 31 cts. about 
Portage, and commands 37J cts. fifteen and twenty 
miles farther up. The failure of the Oat crop in 
Southern New York helps the corn market; team¬ 
sters come into the com region (which embraces 
all of Western New York north of Livingston and 
Wyoming counties,) and purchase corn to feed in 
the place of oats. Oats, where there are any, weigh 
about 20 8>s. to the bushel, and are sold at 45 or 50 
cents frequently, by measure. It is related that 
peddlers finding their teams growing poor on the 
oats, carry meal to mix with them. Potatoes are 
about middling in quality and yield, and sell at 25 
cents. Hay is a medium crop, worth five or six 
dollars—it will be plenty or scarce as the winter 
