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110 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
new beauties and the ear hears new harmonies, 
the spirit is quickened, and the mind invigo¬ 
rated and expanded. 
How much, then, there is to urge the farmer 
onward. How much there is to induce 
thought, to seek out results and trace Nature’s 
laws, whereby he may, in dealing with his soil 
and crops, so adapt the one to the other that 
he shall reap the greatest benefit with the least 
toil without impoverishing the earth he tills. 
What a vast field here for the full occupation 
of his mind, an occupation that shall both 
please and profit—that shall drive away cor¬ 
roding care, and the cankering thought, that 
serves but to rust and fester the idle mind. 
He rests, he walks, he labors, and lives in Na¬ 
ture’s great Laboratory. Her mighty won¬ 
ders surround him and challenge his attention 
at every turn, at every step. The trembling 
spire of grass, the rustling leaf, the blossoming 
tree, the swaying fruit, the humming insect, 
the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the 
earth which he stirs, the growth of his crops 
from the first impulse of germination to the 
full maturity of the seed,—these and a thou¬ 
sand things meet him a this daily routine and 
offer to him themes for contemplation that 
surely must serve to elevate and refine as well 
as to instruct and enlarge his mind. And 
surrounded thus, he must be culpable indeed 
who makes no progress—who moves not on¬ 
ward. Such are too apt to cling to the old 
ways, content only to move in a beaten track 
—along a dusty road where no beauty is found. 
Soon will come the active duties of spring¬ 
time. Will it find us with the experience of 
the past season well digested—with our ob¬ 
servations and our readings well sifted by 
thought, and all that is good and useful well 
arranged in memory’s storehouse, ready to be 
called forth at the proper moment and put in¬ 
to practice ? If we are men of progress, men 
bound to go onward, these things will be pro¬ 
perly attended to as opportunities serve us, 
and we shall be ready to take hold of the more 
active duties of another season on our farms, 
not only with greater ze3t, but with a greater 
amount of practical wisdom, and carry for¬ 
ward our operations so that at the end of an¬ 
other year, when the balance is struck, pro¬ 
gress and success will stand out in bold fig¬ 
ures. 
So indeed may farmers feel proud of their 
vocation, and learn to duly appreciate the real 
independence it brings to them,—independence 
not only of want, but that independence of 
thought and action which one must naturally 
feel when he knows he has no one but himself 
and his God to strive to please. Then let our 
watchword be Onward—still Onward ! 
T. E. W. 
Commit itudmts. 
(JNDERDRAINING AKD SUBSOILING—No. 1. 
Eds. Rural: —I am aware that much has 
been said and written upon the benefits of 
blind ditching, or uuderdraining, and subsoil¬ 
ing, but not in comparison to the importance 
of these subjects or the advantages to be de¬ 
rived from their thorough application, partic¬ 
ularly the latter. It is true that many of our 
first farmers in this vicinity have used tile in 
draining their farms to some extent, and a few 
pretty thoroughly, all of whom concur in say¬ 
ing that the increase of the first crop pays the 
whole of the expense on low and springy 
lands, and adds very materially to the amount 
of the crop on high grounds, wherever the 
water stands in the spring or after heavy rains. 
Much more draining has been done here than 
would have been were it not for the fact of 
tile being so easily and cheaply obtained,— 
there being three tile factories in this im¬ 
mediate vicinity, all, 1 believe, doing a 
good business. Still there are many even 
here who have not laid the first tile, nor open¬ 
ed the first rod of ditch, to let off the surface 
water. In many sections of our rich and fer¬ 
tile country nothing has been done to this day 
in draining in any form. 
I would I could say as much of the use of 
the subsoil plow by our thrifty farmers in 
town (as there are many of them,) as I can of 
underdraining. But not the first furrow, to 
my knowledge, has been opened with this im¬ 
portant implement in town, save on my own 
little farm and one of my neighbors’ gardens. 
Some of our farmers are in favor of deep 
plowing, say from eight to ten inches deep, 
and plow their lands accordingly, generally 
having good crops, and are thrifty and indepen¬ 
dent ; but most of them plow only from three 
to five inches deep, and say it wont answer to 
turn up the cold and hard soil to plant or sow 
upon. Such, of course, have light crops and 
light purses, and hardly make their ends meet 
from year to year. There has been a decided 
improvement in deep plowing, I am happy to 
say, in the last few years, and many are talk¬ 
ing hard of getting and using the subsoil plow 
through their whole farms. 
My land has all been subsoiled one way, ex¬ 
cept five acres, and the most of it both ways, 
to the depth of from 14 to 16 inches, and has 
been ditched thoroughly to the depth of three 
feet, and drain-tile laid, with good outlets for 
the water to pass off freely—which is indis¬ 
pensable in all blind ditching. When tile are 
well laid, and the outlet kept open and clear, 
there is no danger of their filling up so long 
as the tile lasts. Some of mine have been 
laid six years, and they are as clear as they 
were the day they were put down. 
1 have laid 395 rods of tile on my farm of 
26 acres. Have laid some 4 inch tile double 
where the volume of water required it, but 
more single ; have laid more 3 inch tile than 
4 inch, but the greatest part is 2 inch pipe tile. 
The latter I prefer when the amount of water 
will permit. Some of the open tile are laid 
on flat stones, some on boards, but generally 
on the ground. Where the bottom of the ditch 
is clay or gravel, it is safe to lay the tile 
the ground, but when it is quick-sand or soft 
at the bottom, then the tile should be placed 
on boards and flat stones. The open 3 and 
inch tile have flanges on the bottom from 
inch to inches in width, which keeps 
them from settling into hard soil. When the 
descent is great and the tile are hard pressed 
with water, the ground will wash away.— 
Hence the safest plan is to line the bottom 
the ditch with flat stone. Then you have : 
permanent ditch for all time. Much of min 
is laid in this way. This is the reason I pre¬ 
fer pipe tile where the amount of water w 
permit. It saves the time and expense 
stoning, and drains the ground equally well 
for ought I can see. 
4 inch tile cost here $15 per 1,000. 
3 “ “ “ “ $13 “ “ 
2 “ pipe tile “ $12 “ “ 
Sixteen tile will lay a rod of ditch. 
The expense of my ditching is as follow 
of 
My hired men dig 3 feet deep, lay the tile and 
fill up the ditch 3 rods per day on the average 
Hence it took 132 days to dig, lay the 
tile, and fill up the 395 rods, which, at $13 
per month, cost $66, or nearly 17 cents per 
rod. It took 6,320 tile to lay the 395 rods 
which cost on the average $13 a thousand.— 
Whole expense for tile $81 86, or nearly 20$a 
cents a rod. This makes the average cost for 
tile and ditching 37}<> cents a rod. Whole 
expense of ditching the 395 rods $147 86.— 
Average cost for draining each acre $5 69 
The additional expense of board, draining tile, 
stone, Ac., depends upon circumstances, so 
that each one may calculate for themselves. 
I think our farmers through the country can 
thoroughly drain their farms at the above av¬ 
erage expense per acre. 
The profits I have derived from draining 
my land I will endeavor to show in a future 
number. S. II. Ainsworth. 
West Bloomfield, N. Y., 1855. 
THE NEW YORK CATTLE MARKETS. 
Friend Moore: —Some time ago I wrote 
you a long letter full of pathos, of deep feel 
ing, and of thoughts “ many a one sublime 
and true.” How many anxious weeks did I 
look for its appearance, with my name attach¬ 
ed “ long enough and broad enough” to im¬ 
mortalize me forever. When I called on you 
last week, you tenderly told me you had lost 
the first page—that it was among the “ruins” 
of your sanctum, and probably forever ; but 
if 1 would write again you would do different 
and I should be noticed. Now, Sir, you may 
apologize ten thousand times, but it will do no 
good. Editing a paper is no place for you, 
unless you are perfection personified. But I 
wont scold you, friend Moore, —I suppose 
you are human—eat and drink, laugh and cry, 
guilty of sins of omission and commission, 
like the “ rest of mankind.” 
You asked for a description of the New 
York cattle markets, and of facts connected 
with them that would be of interest to readers 
generally. That New York is a great town, 
no one need question—great in size, great in 
wealth, great in poverty, great in influence, 
great in wickedness, and withal has a great 
stomach capable of digesting anything from 
“ Green Turtle” to a whole Hindoo party. 
Go into Washington ’Market and yon would 
think New York must be supplied for weeks. 
Endless rows of stalls filled with beef, mutton 
and pork—game of different kinds tastefully 
arranged — butter and cheese exhibited in 
tempting morsels—oysters and clams ad infin¬ 
itum —vegetables and fruits in quantities, and 
prices absolutely shocking to a “ green ’un” 
from the country, and yet all these last but 
for a day. But it is my intention to write 
principally of the cattle and sheep market, as 
Western farmers are more particularly inte¬ 
rested in this class of farm productions. The 
principal cattle market in New York is at 
Allerton’s drove yards, situated on 43d-st., 
about four miles from the Battery. About 
fifteen hundred head of cattle are sold weekly, 
averaging this winter $70 each, making a 
weekly exchange of property equal to $105,- 
000 ; and this, recollect, all at one yard.— 
Cattle are also sold in small quantities at 
Browning’s, on Sixth street, and at Chamber¬ 
lain’s, on Robinson street. Western drovers 
almost universally consign their droves to cat¬ 
tle brokers who stand between the grazier and 
butcher as a sort of necessary evil, and who 
must be well paid for selling your stock or 
allowing you to sell it. Two and a half per 
cent is usually paid for selling, making a very i 
nice business for those engaged in it. Sup¬ 
pose I consign 100 head of cattle, which are 
sold at $70 per head. The broker retains as 
his commission for selling $175. Pretty good 
day’s work that. 
While upon the subject let me say one word 
in regard to quotations of stock as published 
by the Tribune and other papers. I speak of 
the Tribune particularly, because it is abso¬ 
lute authority with the farmers. Greeley 
did a very nice thing when he commenced 
those full and particular reports of stock sales. 
But even Greeley’s quotations cannot always 
be depended upon, excepting by those in the 
secrets of the trade, and many a green young¬ 
ster you will find in the yards with ten or a 
dozen head of cattle, expecting one shilling per 
pound, but realizing only eight or ten cents. 
The market reporters are not altogether to 
blame in this matter. Mr. Robinson, the re¬ 
porter of the Tribune, asks the broker for his 
sales. He reports one drove of 100 at $80 
per head, when in fact he had sold but 50 at 
$60 per head. Do you ask why this mis¬ 
statement. Simply because the report of his 
sales in the Tribune is the very best advertise¬ 
ment of his success in selling, and others feel 
willing to consign to so good a salesman. But 
why does not the drover report the lacts as 
they arc ? Because often he cannot be found 
on the ground, and if he could, he feels a sor 
of pride in making large sales, even if it be 
only in the papers. There is another thing 
that may be of interest to the uninitiated. 
Beef is sold at so much per pound for the four 
quarters, weight almost universally estimated. 
If there is a surplus those estimates are al¬ 
ways low—if a scarcity, then high, so that in 
two weeks you may find different arrivals of 
the same weight estimated first at 600 and 
another at 700 lbs. As a general rule, cattle 
weighed at home from feed, will be estimated 
in New York at very near one-half such 
weight. I should be pleased to write you 
much more, but must close. 
Hillsdale, March 15,1855. J. W. Dickinson. 
CONDENSED C0RRESP0NDENCE. 
CLUB AND FIFE SFRING WHEAT. 
Eds. Rural : — Having some experience 
with both these varseties of wheat, I send it 
to you for publication. Mj r self and brother 
have raised the bald Club wheat since 1847, 
and have sold thousands of bushels for seed at 
10 to 25 cts. per bushel above market price, 
have sold 200 bushels to a miller at 2j^ cents 
above best fall wheat, because of its excellent 
flouring qualities. The midge or insect ap¬ 
peared in the early sown of this wheat last 
harvest, I sowed on the 16th of May and suf¬ 
fered no damage. I cannot better describe 
this variety than is done by Myron Adams, in 
what he says of what he got for Fife wheat, 
in the Rural of Feb. 24th. As proof of its 
excellence I will add that mice prefer it, and 
will work in it in preference to any other 
wheat. One and a quarter to one and a half 
bushels is sufficient seed per acre on good land, 
—the crop ranges from 15 to 40 bnshels. 
In 1851,1 got two bushels of spring wheat 
from David Fife, Esq., after whom it is nam¬ 
ed. His seed came from Scotland, and was 
part of a cargo from the Baltic, supposed to 
be Dantzic wheat. It has been much improv¬ 
ed since its first introduction, aud our last 
crop weighs 64 lbs. to the bushel and makes 
as good bread as the best winter wheat. It 
yields about 20 bushels per acre, and strong, 
rich soils have given from 50 to 60. The Fife 
wheat is the surest variety on strong mucky 
soils—no rust, midge or other insect has ever 
affected it with me. It ripens from 15th of 
Aug., to 1st of Sept.—should be sown early 
in May. It is a bald, white chaff wheat, with 
long open head, not shelling very easily—A. 
Choate, Port Hope, C. W.,March, 1855. 
GALLS ON HORSES. 
An article on this subject, credited to your 
paper, recently met my eye. It closes by say¬ 
ing:_“ It would seem essential that the sore 
be covered in some way, so as to keep out the 
dust, and flies from troubling it. We never 
found anything answer the purpose in this 
particular. If any of our readers have been 
more fortunate, we should like to hear from 
them.” I have found dry white lead to answer 
the purpose admirably, if on the back ; but on 
the breast or shoulder, especially, when in con¬ 
stant use, linseed oil mixed with it is better, 
(making common white paint,) as it is not so 
easily rubbed off by the friction of the collar, 
or by washing, which required in case of in¬ 
flammation. Where a horse is tender skinned, 
_at all liable to chafe, I recommend to his 
driver, always in journeying, to carry a bottle 
of saltpetre, saturated with New England 
rum, and after washing the parts affected by 
the harness in cold water, apply this wash, and 
with any reasonable use there will be no diffi¬ 
culty. Prevention is better than cure; but 
when by any means any part has become raw, 
the above is the most soothing, salutary ap¬ 
plication I know of.— Benj. Willard, Lan¬ 
caster, Mass., 1855. 
Agricultural PLallanj). 
Your Wants Anticipated. — Farmers, 
Horticulturists, Gardeners, Ac., both profes¬ 
sional and amateur, desirous of procuring im¬ 
plements, seeds, plants, trees, improved stock, 
Ac., should note the weekly announcements in 
out advertising department. Of late we have 
received many letters inquiring where certain 
implements, seeds, stock, Ac., may be obtained 
—in response to which we refer as above.— 
Several of these letters, now before us, specify 
articles advertised in this or recent numbers 
of the Rural— such as Wheel Cultivators, 
Mowing Machines, Osage Orange, Lawton 
Blackberry, Dwarf Pears, Devon and Durham 
stock, Eggs, Ac., Ac. Our inquiring friends 
will generally find it for their interest to read 
the advertisements,—and, beside, it will save 
them, if not us, both time and stationery.— 
Though we devote but a limited space to ad¬ 
vertising, every one desirous of reaching the 
eye and ear of the Agricultural public seems 
to have come to the very correct conclusion 
that the Rural is the medium through which 
to convey their messages. In all cases where 
the wants of correspondents are not anticipa¬ 
ted by advertisers, we endeavor to answer 
by letter or otherwise. 
“ Farmers, Sow Liberally ”—is the in¬ 
junction of several of our exchanges, based 
upon the supposition that the prices of bread- 
stuffs, Ac., will continue to rule high during 
the year. The advice is probably sound, as 
there are good reasons for believing the hy¬ 
pothesis correct, and that, consequently, far¬ 
mers will receive ample remuneration for care, 
labor, and expenditures in cultivation and 
production. We think it unsafe, however, to 
proceed on the supposition that present prices 
will be maintained ; still the probabilities are 
that Genesee wheat will be worth $2 per 
bushel in July and August, and other cereals 
in proportion. With such a prospect our 
farmers can not only afford to plant and sow 
liberally this spring, but also bestow extra 
expense and labor in manuring and cultiva¬ 
tion. Those who doubt on the subject, should 
figure for themselves. If good culture, and 
the liberal use of manures and fertilizers, ever 
pay, they certainly ought to this season, and 
we think no judicious farmer will hesitate in 
regard to such investments. 
“ Hedging ” in the West.— Friend Byram, 
—who conducts the Agricultural Department 
of the Louisville Journal in an able and judi¬ 
cious manner,—gives some interesting facts 
concerning the Osage Orange for hedging.— 
He says that the introduction of the Osage 
Orange hedges, as a substitute for fences on 
the Western prairies, where the ordinary ma¬ 
terials are procured with difficulty, is becoming 
very general, and will cause thousands of acres 
of the most fertile land to be brought under 
cultivation, which otherwise would lay waste 
for want of suitable material for fencing it.— 
Four years, only, is required to render it im¬ 
penetrable. It is stated that over 3,000 bush¬ 
els of Osage Orange seed was brought into the 
Western market last year, from Texas. A 
single cultivator in Montgomery county, 
Ohio, has now six million plants, to be set 
this spring. An enormous quantity of seed is 
to be planted immediately. Mr. B. adds 
that, “ about 1,300,000 plants are to be set 
along the line of the Illinois railroad the pres¬ 
ent spring”— and predicts, “ that it will not be 
many years before the great Western prairies 
will be divided and sub-divided with this living 
fence and the railroads enclosed by them.” 
The Agriculttral Society of the town of 
Coventry, N. Y., was organized March 8th, 
1855, by adopting a Constitution, appointing 
officers, and receiving a goodly number of 
memberships at $1 each, with a spirit and in¬ 
terest that forebodes success. A committee 
was appointed to solicit members, and other 
measures taken which we trust will give a new 
impetus to the already enterprising spirit of 
Agriculture in that thriving town. Officers 
elected :— Malancton S. Manderville, Pres¬ 
ident ; O. Pearsall, Wm. Kales and Brunson 
Brewster, Yice Presidents ; James S. Parker, 
Secretary ; James M. Phillips, Treasurer,— 
with Directors, one in each school district, to 
meet semi-annually in June aud January. 
Cows with young calves, should be well at¬ 
tended to at this season, and both kept in 
clean comfortable quarters, and regularly and 
well fed. 
Good Calves. —Mr. Eliab Yeomans, of 
Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y., has a pair of 
red steer calves about twelve months old, half 
Durhams, measuring five feet and four inches, 
and weighing about 1,500 lbs. They ran with 
the cows till winter. Since that time they 
have been fed (in addition to hay) with car¬ 
rots aud meal. The last time they were 
weighed, about three weeks since, they both 
weighed in one notch, not being a pound’s dif¬ 
ference between them. 
The Connecticut State Fair, for 1855, is 
announced to be held at Hartford, Oct. 9th 
to 12 th. A pamphlet containing Premium 
List, Ac., has been issued by Case, Tiffany 
A Co., Hartford,—who will please forward a 
copy to the Rural office. 
Sale of Daniel Webster’s Stock. —The 
estate of Mr. Webster, at Marshfield, was 
sold at auction on Wednesday of last week.— 
In addition to the real estate, the remaining 
stock on the farm was sold—comprising full 
and half-blood animals of valuable breeds.— 
They were fine animals, and generally brought 
fair prices. “ A full blood Alderney heifer, 
three years old, with calf, sold for $155 ; her 
twin mate, not with calf, for $70; two full 
blood Ayrshire heifers (twins,) three years old, 
sold for $50 each ; a full blood Ayrshire heifer 
calf, a very fine animal, one year old, sold for 
$37,50, and a half blood, of same age, for $33; 
a half blood Hungarian heifer, two years old, 
sold for $24; two half blood Devon heifers 
sold at $36 and $33; a three year old half 
blood Devon heifer, with calf by the full blood 
Alderney bull, sold for $76 ; another of the 
same breed, full blood, one year old, from the 
Motley stock, sold for $51 ; a two year old 
Devon bull brought $88 ; a two year old 
Hungarian bull, $26; a full blood Ayrshire 
bull calf, a year old, sold for $35. The work¬ 
ing oxen sold at good prices. They were 
half blood Devons, and splendid animals to 
look upon. One pair, 8 years old, sold for 
$155 ; 1 pair, 6 years old, $182,50 ; 1 pair, 4 
years old, $175; 2 pairs, 3 years old, $115 
aud $85 — the latter not “ broken.” The 
Cheviot sheep sold for from $4,50 to $12 each. 
The South-Downs sold for from $3,12 to $8,- 
50. A large portion of the stock, and espe¬ 
cially the best animals, were purchased by 
gentlemen in different parts of Massachusetts, 
who are interested in improving their farm 
stock. They will be distributed chiefly in 
Norfolk, Bristol and Essex counties.” 
Duration of Vegetable Life. — Lord 
Lindsay states that in the course of his wan¬ 
derings amid the pyramids of Egypt, he stum¬ 
bled on a mummy, proved by its hierogly¬ 
phics to beat least 2,000years of age. On ex¬ 
amining the mummy after it was unwrapped, 
he found in one of its closed hands a tuberous 
or bulbous root. He was interested in the 
question how long vegetable life could last, 
and he therefore took that tuberous root from 
the mummy’s hand, planted it in a sunny soil, 
allowed the rains and dews of heaven to de¬ 
scend upon it, and in the course of a few 
weeks, to his astonishment and joy, the root 
burst forth and bloomed into a beauteous 
dahlia. 
Terrier Dogs. —Nearly every farmer keeps 
one or more dogs ; and many, permit me to 
say plainly, are mere curs of no value whatever. 
Now a pure bred Terrier is more valuable up¬ 
on a farmstead, for destroying rats and mice, 
about the house and barn, than a dozen cats. 
I have kept a Terrier the past two years, and 
previous to that, my barn was overrun with 
rats—now they are rarely to be seen, or heard, 
upon my premises. The Terrier is also good 
as a watch-dog ; quick to hear and give no¬ 
tice of intruders, and a dog that thieves dread, 
as it is impossible to coax or wheedle him in¬ 
to silence.— Ohio Farmer. 
Sale of “ Brook Farm.” —The Boston pa¬ 
pers announce the sale of the celebrated 
“ Brook Farm,” which was some years ago 
the petjeountry-seat of the Socialists, who were 
known as unsuccessful experimenters in con¬ 
structing anew the fabric of society. The 
farm consisted of one hundred and eighty acres 
of land, which brought eighty dollars an acre, 
under the hammer of the auctioneer, making 
in all $14,400. The original cost was $30,- 
000, From a comparison of these sums, it 
would be properly inferred that the occupants 
did not greatly improve their land. We hope 
since now the estate is under better auspices, 
it may yield to honest toil a good return. 
Seeds and Statistics. —Congress begins to 
bestow special care upon the agricultural in¬ 
terests of the country. In the general appro¬ 
priation bill we find an item of forty thou¬ 
sand seventy-eight dollars to reimburse the Pa¬ 
tent Office fund for the amount heretofore 
paid out for seeds and the collection of agri¬ 
cultural statistics. It will be remembered 
that the clerk in charge of the Agricultural 
Bureau made a visit last year to Europe to 
replenish the stock of seeds for distribution.— 
Seeds we understand, have been distributed 
with great liberality to every part of the 
country.— National Intelligence)'. 
Burnt clay is now extensively used, in some 
sections of the country, as a manure for gar¬ 
den soil. It is generally prepared, I believe, 
by first accumulating a quantum sujfcit of 
woody matter, and covering it with clay.— 
The mass is then ignited, and burnt till the 
wood is reduced to coal and ashes, similar to 
the manner pursued in coal burning. The 
charcoal, ashes and clay thus furnished, con¬ 
stitute an excellent dressing, and produce 
highly beneficial effects on both crop and soil. 
— N. E. Farmer. 
Bees and Fruit Trees. —A writer in a 
literary journal of Paris states that the bees 
greatly improve the fructification of fruit 
trees. Orchards in which several hives are 
kept always produce more fruit than those in 
which there are none. In the Provinces on 
the Rhine, the fruits are more abundant and 
finer than in any other part of Germany, and 
there it is the custom to keep large quantities 
of bees. Plants, too, which bees visit, thrive 
better in the neighborhood of hives. 
Olive Oil.— Professor Mapes states that 
nine-tenths of the oil sold as olive in this 
country, is manufactured in France from 
American lard oil, which is purified by sal 
soda. The oil thus obtained is sweet and pure, 
excellent for oiling fine machinery, and for 
making pomade for the hair, and indistinguish¬ 
able by most persons from olive as a table oil. 
... 
