.,.....n.n.n.,n.n.n.,...... . .«’»..... 
94 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER! AN AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
I 
5 
generally— other things being equal — on the 
side of a slope or hill, in the direction in which 
the rocks dip, is more or less wet or springy, 
cold, and underlaid by what is commonly 
termed hardpau; whilst on the opposite slope 
of the same hill, the probability is that the 
soil is dry, deep and warm. When the ex¬ 
posure is equally good, the latter is far the 
most favorable for successful culture. 
3d. Sub-division or fineness of the Soil . 
A soil may be chemically rich in constitu¬ 
ents, yet if its materials are in a coarse state 
of division, a small surface is exposed to the 
action of solvent agents, and hence plants may 
suffer or even starve for want of food when it 
is within their reach, but not in a condition to 
be available. If any soil is examined under 
good microscope, it will appear like a mass of 
simple minerals and rocks, mixed with animal 
and vegetable remains. By this simple means 
the fineness of materials and character of a soil 
are readily determined, and may afford a far 
more practical and accurate estimate of its 
value, than would be arrived at by a careful 
chemical analysis alone. 
4. Absorbing and retentive powers. —By this 
we mean the power which a soil possesses for 
absorbing and retaining moisture, which, in 
itself is important, and determines quite accu 
rately its fineness and composition. A. soil 
made up mostly of sand, will take up about 20 
per cent, of water. An ordinary soil, with 5 
per cent, of organic matter, will absorb about 
25 per cent.—a fine soil of 10 per cent, organic 
matter, absorbs about 30 per cent. — a soil 
containing from 15 to 20 per cent, organic 
matter, absorbs from 35 to 40 per cent. — a 
soil in a fine state of division, containing from 
25 to 40 per cent, organic matter, will absorb 
from 40 to 55 per cent., and a soil containing 
50 per cent, and upwards of organic matter, 
will absorb from 60 to 75 per cent, of water, 
and may be regarded as barren in its native 
state. Soil which takes up from 25 to 45 per 
cent, of water, may be regarded as the best, 
and those soils which absorb less than 25, and 
more than 45 percent, of water, may be 
considered as poor. The richest soils take up 
from 30 to 40 per cent, of water when per¬ 
fectly saturated. 
Chemical Considerations. 
1. It is a no less wise than venerable max¬ 
im which says,—“ The workman is known 
by his chips.” There is, perhaps, no better 
key to the qualities of a virgin soil, than its 
natural products. From the simple moss that 
crowns the knoll, to the sturdy tree that has 
braved the storms of centuries — all describe, 
in nature’s true and simple language, the char¬ 
acter and capabilities of the soil that reared 
them up. If it is covered principally with 
pine, hemlock and the coniferae generally — 
the inference is, that it is quite deficient in the 
alkalies and phosphates, and hence is poorly 
adapted to the growth of grains, such as wheat, 
corn, &c., which require the presence of these 
ingredients in respectable quantity — yet it 
may be well adapted to grazing and the root 
crops. If it produces the hard woods, such as 
maple, beech, birch, elm, hickory, &c., it may 
be inferred that the alkalies and phosphates 
are present, and that the soil is well adapted 
for the generality of grain crops. 
2. The kind of minerals and rocks which 
compose the Soil.— By examining the soil under 
the microscope, the kind of simple minerals 
and rocks which compose it are easily detected. 
The proportion of these may be approximately 
arrived at, and their composition being known, 
the composition of the soil may be approxi¬ 
mately determined without resorting to a 
chemical analysis. 
3. The proportion of organic and inorganic 
matter is of much importance. If the organic 
matter be too small — below two or three per 
cent. _ or two high, as from 50 to 90 per cent., 
the soil may be regarded as poor and unfit, as 
a general rule, to produce until more of an 
equilibrium in organic and inorganic materi¬ 
als is brought about. 
4. After determining the preceding points, 
which will give perhaps a sufficient idea of 
the quality of the soil to purchase, it would 
be well before entering upon a judicious plan 
of cultivation, to have an accurate average 
analysis of the soil. The best mode of doing 
this, is to collect several samples from differ¬ 
ent parts of the farm or field, by mixing the 
soil in each place to the depth of one foot, and 
taking from thence some two pounds. After 
these are collected, mix them intimately to¬ 
gether, and from this enclose about two pounds 
in a bottle or strong paper, and forward the 
same to some competent and reliable Chemist, 
for a thorough organic and inorganic analysis. 
Cobs vs. Wiee Wobms.— A year ago there 
I wa-s something said about cobs as a preventive 
of injury from the wire worm. Did any of 
the Rural readers try the experiment last 
jseason in their corn fields ? and if so, will they 
[report the result ? There have been a great 
nany specifics advertised to prevent the depre¬ 
dations of this pest —all unavailing on trial, 
bnd I should like to know the result of this 
ast one. If it is of any avail I want to try 
it— w. B. P. 
POTATOS ON A LEVEL SURFACE. 
Eds. Rural: —When a man advances ideas 
conflicting with long established practice in 
farming, lie may expect they will be subjected 
to some criticism, but this should not deter 
him from venturing out of the old beaten 
track, or when he has discovered new and use¬ 
ful ideas in theory and practice, from commu¬ 
nicating them to the public in Agricultural 
papers. I well remember when every farmer 
thought that to raise a crop of corn there 
must be a good amount of the soil placed 
around each hill, but it is now generally ad¬ 
mitted that a level surface will produce more 
bushels to the acre. Three years ago this 
spring I broke up a two years’ clover ley and 
planted it to corn. The next season it was 
sown to oats with grass seed for meadow again. 
The season was dry and the grass seed proved 
a failure, but having formerly been successful 
in sowing grass seed with corn before the last 
time of hoeing, I concluded to plant to corn 
again, and then sow with grass seed. There 
were two rows of potatos around the piece, 
and how to manage with them was the inqui¬ 
ry in my mind. I concluded to give them the 
same treatment 1 did the corn—a level surface 
—not, however, expecting much of a crop.— 
But when I came to dig them I was greatly 
disappointed—the yield was a bountiful one. 
Now here is the new idea; that a level sur¬ 
face for the potato crop has more arguments 
in its favor than it has for the corn crop. I 
will give the conclusions I came to after giv¬ 
ing the subject a thorough investigation, and 
if any of your readers can show their un¬ 
soundness let them do so. To form good sized 
hills requires about one-half of the pulverized 
soil, where are to be found but a few of the 
small fibrous roots that take up moisture and 
nutriment for the vines. The most of the 
season it is too dry for them to gather any 
support there. Now a level surface gives these 
small fibrous roots the benefit of all the soil to 
range in for support. The crop will stand a 
drouth longer with a level surface for the rea¬ 
son above. There is another decided advan¬ 
tage,—if there comes a smart shower of rain, 
falling twice as fast as it can soak in, instead 
of running off into the lowest places, then to 
settle into the subsoil—if the shower was suf¬ 
ficient to wet a level surface to the depth of 
four inches where the vines stand,—they re¬ 
ceive their full share of it. Every farmer 
knows that it requires a long soaking rain to 
wet potato hills thoroughly through when 
they have become dry. 
I supposed many of the potatos would be 
injured by not having a sufficient amount of 
earth over them, but I was disappointed in 
this respect, as scarcely a potato was to be 
found in sight. The potatos in forming had 
lifted a hill, the same in bulk as the potatos 
themselves, and in pulling the vines, yet green, 
they nearly all came up through the loosened 
earth, saving nearly one-half of the labor of 
digging. 
Potatos when planted should be plump four 
inches below a level surface, giving a root 
stalk of that length. The potato has two 
kinds of roots, one the small fibrous roots that 
take up moisture and nutriment, the other a 
large root on which the potato forms. These 
roots vary in length—some varieties of the 
potato have them much longer than others.— 
Their course is generally on a level or down¬ 
ward tendency, and in no case will they ex¬ 
tend out of the ground, unless they meet with 
some obstruction. Now, where hills are form¬ 
ed, they frequently extend so near the margin 
that the potato forms out of the ground. 
West Bloomfield, N. Y.. March 4, ’55. A. W. 
SPRING MANURING—CORN CULTURE-RYE. 
Eds. Rural : — Mr. Bartlett’s article on 
manuring corn-land in the spring, corresponds 
entirely with my own experience on that sub¬ 
ject ; I have tried it repeatedly, and always 
found the result in its favor. Experiments 
during the last unprecedented dry season, 
demonstrate the value of this course so clearly, 
that if I had entertained any doubts, they 
would all have vanished away. And I might 
say the same of another practice which is al¬ 
most universally acknowledged, but still con¬ 
tested by some—viz., deep plowing for spring 
crops, and especially corn. 
I planted two fields to corn last spring ; one 
of seven acres was sown to oats the spring be¬ 
fore, and seeded with timothy and clover, which 
failed to catch well. I hauled all the barn-yard 
manure made the winter before, that had not 
been otherwise applied, on about half the field 
—about eighteen or twenty loads per acre— 
and plowed the last of May—not as deep, how¬ 
ever, as I wished, it not having been tilled the 
proper depth previously, and the subsoil being 
a stiff, hard clay.; planted the 3d and 4th of 
June. The difference between the manured 
and unmanured part was clearly visible soon 
after the corn was up—the manured part re¬ 
taining a dark, luxuriant green color, showing 
that it had something better to feed upon than 
an exhausted soil, and suffering very little 
during the drouth, while the other was so parch¬ 
ed and dried that it yielded very little besides 
a stinted growth of stalks—the manured part 
yielding a good crop, but as it was not measur¬ 
ed, I cannot tell the amount per acre. 
The other field, containing eight acres—an 
old sward without manure—was plowed the 
fore part of May, nine to ten inches deep, rolled, 
and harrowed lengthwise of furrows, then har¬ 
rowed diagonally, so that the harrow marks 
would not interfere with planting; marked 
both ways three and a half feet apart, and 
planted the day on which the great eclipse oc¬ 
curred, which I think was the 26th. When 
the corn was up sufficiently to mark the rows, 
went through twice in a row, both ways, with 
cultivator, and in about three weeks after, 
went through one way with shovel plow, cross¬ 
ed with cultivator, and hoed well. A part of 
the field was badly infested with Canada 
thistles; I went through a third time with hoes, 
and destroyed every one of the pesky things 
that showed any signs of life. Notwithstand¬ 
ing the severity and duration of the drouth, I 
have seldom raised a better crop of corn, and 
there was scarcely a thistle to be found in the 
field in the fall. The ground in the dryest 
time was moist within an inch or two of the 
surface. I removed the corn from the seven- 
acre lot, manured the remainder, or part not 
manured in the spring, and prepared it for rye 
by running the plow through the corn hills, 
taking care to go no deeper than was necessary 
to uproot the stubble, and disturbing the ma¬ 
nure as little as possible. Then after remov¬ 
ing the forward teeth of a wheel-cultivator, 
run it lengthwise the furrows, and afterwards 
across; got a good mellow smooth surface. 
I had the ground prepared early in September, 
but owing to seed not arriving, (I sent to Wash¬ 
ington county for white,) could not sow until 
the 3d of October—rolled and seeded to herds- 
grass. 
The above mode of preparing land for a crop 
being entirely new to me, and perhaps so to 
most farmers, I will communicate to you the 
result at the proper time, if you consider this 
writing worthy a place in your columns. 
Alabama, N. Y., Feb., 1855. J. W. PEIRCE. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
EGGS IN WINTER. 
“ What !” says neighbor A., “ do you have 
fresh eggs ? do your hens lay ?” 
« Yes.” 
“ AVhy, we have not had a dozen eggs this 
winter,” says one neighbor, and some say none. 
The idea is very prevalent, and to a great ex¬ 
tent true, that hens will not pay for the food 
they consume through the winter in the pro¬ 
duction of eggs. My hens (twenty-five in 
number) have furnished us since the 20th of 
November, forty dozen of eggs. We have 
had from one to thirteen daily. I am aware 
this is no great result, but think it will com¬ 
pare favorably with the many who have the 
fowls to winter, but no eggs from them. My 
fowls have more than paid for their food, 
reckoning corn at $1 per bushel,—on which 
they are fed, giving them free access to lime, 
gravel, and fresh meat, when convenient. They 
are the common fowl, crossed with the “ Po¬ 
land” and a few we call “ Featherless.” 
I have a suitable house and picketed yard 
three rods square to confine them when desira¬ 
ble. The house is divided into three apart¬ 
ments, roosting, laying and setting rooms.— 
The laying room is amply furnished with 
nests and a large feeding trough suspended in 
which grain is constantly kept. My fowls 
were chickens last spring and are preferred to 
older ones, being more prolific layers. The 
great secret of success is to have comfortable 
winter quarters, and well supplied with food 
adapted to their wants.—E. P. Phelps, Cas¬ 
tile, N. Y., 1855. 
COOPING FOWLS. 
Mr. Editor :—A year ago last fall I pur¬ 
chased a pair of Shanghai fowls, with a view 
of testing their qualities. I had at this time 
only the common dung hill, and 1 let the 
Shanghais run with them during the summer, 
and was surprised at the improved appearance 
of the chickens. The half bloods were more 
than as.large again as the old stock for flesh, 
and even as layer's. I have been selling eggs 
nearly all winter at two shillings per dozen, 
while none of my neighbors, who have the 
Shanghais, have had half a dozen eggs. Only 
my half bloods lay. I prefer them to the full 
blood. Their bodies are more compact and 
less ungainly, ancl 1 have half bloods that will 
far outweigh the largest full blood I have yet 
seen. If those who are paying such extrava¬ 
gant prices for fowls would purchase but a 
coop and devote a small portion of their time 
to improving the poultry they have, the result 
would be much more to their benefit.—R. D. 
It., Wilson, N. Y., March 1, 1855. 
A Good Heifer. —I have a Devonshire 
heifer three years old this spring, which came 
in for the first time on the 13th ult. After 
three or four days we commenced saving the 
milk and set it by itself. We gathered the 
cream from the first five milkings so saved, 
and churned it, and the butter weighed 5 lbs. 
1 oz. Her keeping during the winter was 
only corn-stalks and hay, until the time of 
calving, when four quarts of bran was given 
dry each night and morning in addition.—E. 
B. Parker, Newark, Wayne County, N. Y., 
March 5, 1855. 
Animal Portraiture. —For years it has 
been difficult to find competent artists to either 
make pencil drawings or paint portraits of 
Domestic Animals. The lack of the peculiar 
talent required, has prevented many who de¬ 
sired correct portraits, or sketches for engra¬ 
vings, from delineating on canvass or paper 
animals worthy of such celebrity. The da- 
guerrean art was tried by many, but failed, in 
most instances, of producing even tolerable 
representations. Of late we have received 
several inquiries from different sections, as to 
who can sketch animals correctly, the price, 
&c .,—and whether daguerreotypes are reliable. 
Now, we have had no little experience in 
efforts to procure good likenesses of superior 
and celebrated animals of the various breeds 
and kinds, and with such indifferent success in 
many instances, that w r e admit having “ seen 
the elephant”—for many of the drawings and 
daguerreotypes sent us to be engraved (but 
which were never thus honored) were wonder¬ 
ful productions! The truth is that not one 
artist in a hundred can delineate an animal 
correctly ; hence the ludicrous libels on animal 
portraiture which not unfrequently get into 
print,—not very often, we trust, in the Rural. 
In answer to the inquiries above alluded to, 
we would state that Mr. J. R. Page, of Sennett, 
Cayuga Co., N. Y., is probably the best de¬ 
lineator of animals among the artists whose 
services can be obtained in that capacity. His 
pencil drawings are superior to anything of 
the kind we have seen from other artists, and, 
when properly engraved, make good printed 
portraits. Being a farmer and stock-breeder, 
and an enthusiastic admirer of fine animals, he 
is just the man to delineate the points and beau¬ 
ties of the various breeds. Mr. P. is now at 
the West, taking pencil sketches or portraits 
(for engravings) of some of the best cattle in 
Ohio and Kentucky. His charge is $10 a 
head for drawings, provided there is a sufficient 
number to be taken in one herd, or locality, to 
make it an object to leave home. 
Mr. O. K. Moore, of Schoolcraft, Mich., 
(son of A. Y. Moore, Esq., Pres't of the Mich. 
State Ag. Society.) is also a good delineator of 
animals, but we believe he is only an amateur 
artist, and perhaps would not engage in the 
business professionally. Our Western friends 
can ascertain. We have in the hands of our 
engraver, and shall give in a week or two, a 
portrait of a blood horse taken by Mr. Moore. 
— If any of our readers know of other good 
artists in the line of animal portraiture, we 
shall be glad to give their names and residences 
for the benefit of those interested. 
The State Ag. Society. —We are in re¬ 
ceipt of several communications endorsing our 
comments upon the management of this So¬ 
ciety, and the proceedings of its late annual 
meeting,—and others strongly condemnatory 
of the injurious action of the Society in re¬ 
gard to certain matters specified. These arti¬ 
cles emanate from excellent farmers, and active 
members of the Society, residing in various 
sections of the State, and no doubt ^express 
the sentiments entertained by many other in¬ 
telligent gentlemen conversant with the history 
of the institution. The number and length of 
the communications, however, preclude their 
publication entire—and as they are all on one 
side of the question, we have concluded to 
defer them until something shall be offered in 
favor of the Society. Our object was, and is, 
to reform, not injure, the Society,— to con¬ 
demn and eradicate the evils which have been 
developed, and to sustain the organization, as 
we have ever done heretofore, in every judi¬ 
cious measure to promote the improvement 
and welfare of the Agricultural community. 
Mowing Machines. —Some weeks ago, in 
responding to an inquiry£as to “ which is the 
best grass mower, where made^and sold, and 
what price,” we remarked that it was often 
difficult to answer such queries, from the fact 
that there were so many machines before the 
public, and being introduced — and, besides, 
there was frequently a difference of opinion 
among good judges. We added—“In this 
case, however, we can respond with little hesi¬ 
tation. There are several good Mowing Ma¬ 
chines in use, but we believe the palm is gen¬ 
erally accorded to Ketchum’s. - It] has been 
used for several years, and continues popular— 
the best evidence of merit, if not superiority.” 
This response to an inquiry for information, 
called out Mr. Sylvester Harmon, of Wheat- 
land, who wrote us, substantially, that Wood’s 
Improved Mower (an improvement on Manny’s 
patent, we believe,) w r as the best machine in 
use—that it was thoroughly tested^last season 
in his locality, and proved superior to others. 
He also added that said improved machine 
would have a large circulation the coming 
season, &c. Having mislaid his note, which 
wo intended to publish, we can only give its 
substance, as above. 
A Good Shanghai. —Mr. L. Parsons, of 
Gates, recently brought into this city a May 
chicken of this breed weighing, dressed, 7 lbs. 
6 ozs., which sold at one shilling per pound. 
He has others still larger. 
DEEP TILLAGE-GOOD PRODUCTS. 
Mrs. Swissiielm, who is apparently capable 
of managing the helm in many avocations, 
relates the following: 
We wot of a man who has about two acres 
of ground. He had lately come into possession, 
and had a farming fever. Through all last 
summer’s drouth he looked and prayed for 
rain, and hoed and plowed to be ready for it. 
The rain did not come, but the plowing and 
hoeing went on, not with any definite idea of 
benefit from that, if the drouth continued, but 
to be ready for the rain. Well, he had two of 
the largest porkers we have seen, which all 
summer had been fed on weeds, house swill, 
spoiled cheese, &c. He had, off his two acres, 
as much corn as fattened them to the finest 
possible condition, plenty of corn fodder for 
two cows through the winter, and expects to 
sell a ton of hay in the spring,—price at pres¬ 
ent, from twenty-four to thirty dollars; and 
has, of the finest potatoes we have seen, an 
abundance to do a family of seven persons un¬ 
til new potatoes come, besides seed for next 
year and probably some to sell. Then, there 
were pumpkins which he was feeding to cows 
and pigs until winter set in, and for summer 
use they had beets, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, 
salad, &c. He counts that the products would 
more than 1 pay the interest on the purchase 
money, counting it at four hundred dollars per 
acre, and what he paid for plowing, leaving 
him all the fun of hoeing for clear profit. 
W eight of Produce.— The following es¬ 
tablished weights of various articles of pro¬ 
duce, though often published before, will prove 
valuable to those of our readers whose mem¬ 
ory may not always be reliable : 
A bushel of wheat, sixty pounds. 
Of shelled corn, fifty-six pounds. 
Of corn on the cob, seventy pounds. 
Of rye, fifty-six pounds. 
Of oats, thirty-five pounds. 
Of barley, forty-eight pounds. 
Of beans, sixty pounds. 
Of bran, twenty pounds. 
Of clover seed, sixty-two pounds. 
Of timothy seed, forty-five pounds. 
Of flax seed, fifty-six pounds. 
Of hemp seed, forty-one pounds. 
Of buckwheat, fifty-two pounds. 
Of blue grass seed, fourteen pounds. 
Of castor beans, forty-six pounds. 
Of dried apples, twenty-two pounds. 
Of onions, fifty-seven pounds. 
Of salt, fifty-six pounds. 
Beef and Pork.— A return of the stock of 
Pork and Beef in barrels at New York and 
Brooklyn, on the 1st of each month, is shown 
by the following figures : 
PORK. 
1855. 
Inspected,. 
Uninspected. 
Total. 
March. 
. . . 26,807 
2,258 
29 063 
February. 
. . .. 43,236 
4,187 
39,535 
January. 
1854. 
. . . 31,471 
3,701 
35,658 
December. 
. . . 40,800 
5,600 
46,403 
November.. . . 
. . . 56,606 
7,835 
64,441 
October. 
. . .. 72,291 
12,127 
84,418 
September . . . . 
. . . 78,487 
6,404 
-84,841 
August. 
. . . . 88,917 
13,609 
102,526 
July. 
. ... 61,557 
51,841 
113,398 
June. 
. .. 30,099 
BEEF. 
37,015 
67,114 
1855. 
M arch. 
. . . 19,854 
9,105 
28,960 
February. 
. . . 16,915 
14,887 
31,802 
January. 
-17.483 
15,861 
33,344 
1854. 
December. . . . 
. . .. 11,593 
8.061 
19,654 
November . . . . 
. . . 2,488 
2,488 
October. 
. ... 6,718 
6,718 
September. . . . 
. . . 10,909 
145 
11,054 
15,876 
August. 
.... 15,244 
632 
July. 
... 17,344 
1.228 
18,572 
June. 
. .. 21,392 
872 
22,254 
Oost of Fencing the Country. —The 
amount of capital employed in the construc¬ 
tion and repair of fences in the United States, 
would be deemed fabulous, were not the esti¬ 
mates founded on statistical facts, which ad¬ 
mit of no dispute. A well known agricultural 
writer says:—“ Strange as it may seem, the 
greatest investment in this country, the most 
costly productions of human industry, are the 
common fences, which divide the fields from 
the highways, and separate them from each 
other. No man dreams that when compared 
with the outlay for those unpretended monu¬ 
ments of art, our cities and our towns, with 
all their wealth, are left far behind. You will 
scarcely believe me when I say that the fences 
of this country cost more than twenty times 
the amount of specie that is in it.” 
Loss of Cattle from Starvation.— Several 
of our Ohio exchanges speak of the loss of 
cattle for want of feed during the severe 
weather. In Geauga, Trumbull, Cuyahoga 
and Ashtabula counties, extensive losses have 
occurred. One farmer lost twenty-five head— 
another, who had a large ^number, lost the 
whole of them. Along jthe lake shore few 
cattle have died from starvation, the great 
scarcity of feed being principally confined to 
the interior towns. 
The Oldest Tree in the World. —Per¬ 
haps the oldest tree on record is the cypress of 
Somma, in Lombardy. It is supposed to have 
been planted in the year of the birth of Christ, 
and on that account is looked on with rever¬ 
ence by the inhabitants; but an ancient 
chronicle at Milan is said to prove that it was 
a tree in the time of Julius Cmsar, B. C. 42. 
It is 123 feet high, and 20 feet in circumfer¬ 
ence at one foot from the ground. Napoleon 
when laying down the plan for his great road 
over the Simplon, diverged from a straight 
line to avoid injuring this tree. 
“Lady Suffolk” Dead. —The famous old 
trotting mare, “ Lady Suffolk,” died in a fit in 
Vermont, a few days since. 
.... | 
