lM*M«A t n><^n»f*»>*HniM.M»<'l 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKERt M AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
long Carrot requires a deep and light soil, and 
a light sand/ or gravelly loam is most conge¬ 
nial to the growth of the Turnip. 
It is be 3 t for all who wish to be successful 
in raising roots to sow a portion of the differ¬ 
ent varieties, and test by experience which is 
the most profitable for them to cultivate, and 
it often answers well to mix the seed and sow 
it together, and select out when hoeing what 
is best to let grow. 
The essentials in root culture are to make 
the soil rich by applying plenty of manure, 
plow it in the fall deep, and in the spring 
harrow aud cultivate until it is as fine as the 
beet bed in the garden, keep the plants free 
from weeds, and give them plenty of room to 
grow. I soak the beet and carrot seed in 
warm water twenty-four hours, pour off the 
water and let the seed remain moist until 
ready to plant, which may be five or six days ; 
but when the weather is favorable, and ground 
in good order , plant. Eidgc it up in small 
ridges 2% feet apart, and plant on the top of 
the ridge, cover the seed with fine mould about 
three-fourths of an inch deep. 
W.M. GARBUTT. 
FIFE SPRING WHEAT.—AGAIN. 
Eds. Rural :—Many farmers of Western 
New York are inquiring what they will do in 
case the weevil or wheat midge prevent their 
raising the pure Genesee wheat. I propose to 
give my experience for the last three years with 
the Fife spring wheat. I was first led to try 
this wheat by a gentleman from Canada, who 
assured mo that the Fife wheat would not rust 
if sown as late as middle of June. He advised 
me not to sow before the 15th of May, if we 
had the midge. The first ten acres I sowed the 
15th of May ; it produced about thirty bushels 
per acre ; the land was in corn the year pre¬ 
vious ; soil a dark clay loam; Genesee flats. 
It was sown broadcast and harrowed in—1 y 2 
bushels per acre. Between the 21st and 25th 
I sowed 15 acres more, on land where the win¬ 
ter wheat had been killed with the deep snow. 
I sowed one bushel per acre, and plowed it iu 
with the gang plow about two inches deep, and 
harrowed. On some spots there was consider¬ 
able winter wheat, which I mowed off about 
the time it was heading ; but it again sprout¬ 
ed, and was putting out heads at the same time 
of the spring wheat, when the rust came on 
and destroyed every stalk, so that I could not 
find a particle of graiu in it. The Fife wheat 
standing in the same stool apparently, was 
perfectly bright and well filled. 
It is necessary that this wheat be well cov¬ 
ered at the time of sowing, as it ripens in pro¬ 
portion to the time it commences to grow; 
for instance, a portion of the seed lays on the 
surface for a week or ten days — those heads 
will be too green at the time of harvest, con¬ 
sequently it is better to drill it iu, that it may 
all grow at the same time. One bushel and a 
half per acre is sufficient, if drilled in. 
Here let me say a few things with regard to 
preparing all our lands for the late spring 
crops. The land should be prepared several 
days previous to planting or sowing, that you 
may get all seeds of weeds and summer grass 
well started, and then harrow and cultivate 
sufficiently to destroy them. This will save 
half of the after culture of corn aud root crops 
particularly. 
My crop of 1853 was sown on a variety of 
soils in the same lot. It was a clover ley, 
plowed in the fall, harrowed and cultivated, 
and sown broadcast from May 15th to 20th. 
It suffered very much from drouth in June, 
and again in August; the crop was light, not 
over ten bushels per acre. In my opinion, to 
raise this wheat successfully, the land should 
be rich and well pulverized, as it would not be 
possible to raise a good crop of wheat in one 
hundred days, without the plants could have 
every possible chance to extend their roots 
into the soil. My crop of ’54 was sown on 
corn laud, not plowed till a few days previous 
to sowing ; harrowed and sowed May 12th to 
18th. Had some wheat midge in the first 
sown. A few acres drilled in was the best crop. 
This crop was blown down flat by a gale about 
the time it was heading; about ono-third of 
the piece did not rise, consequently did not fill 
well. The whole thirty acres averaged nine¬ 
teen bushels per acre. 
Farmers in Canada say there is no spring 
wheat that will bear late sowing without rust¬ 
ing, except the Fife wheat. With regard to 
the quality of this wheat—it makes a beautiful 
bread, so white it is difficult to tell it from 
pure Geuesee—it keeps moist longer. My 
crop of last year I ground aud sent to New 
York. It sold within one dollar per barrel as 
high as double extra Genesee. 
Many people have the idea that the spring 
wheat is not as liable to the weevil as the win¬ 
ter varieties. This I think is a mistake—the 
only security against the weevil when it is 
“ arouud,” is iu the wheat being too backward 
to be injured. From careful observation I am 
convinced that the wheat midge begins its 
work by the middle of June, and continues 
more or less until the 4th of July, and even 
after, as I have found a few in wheat which did 
not begin to head until the 8th. 'Ibis is the 
reason why late sowing is advisable. 
Scottsville, N. Y. Gborou Sueftbb. 
“MOLES AND THEIR MORALS." 
Messrs. Editors :—I wish to comment on 
an article under the above title, in your paper 
of January 20 ; disagreeing as I do, with some 
portion of the same. I am not interested 
either in raising or selling mules, but I be¬ 
lieve them to be, everything considered, the 
most economical and profitable draught stock 
we can have. The three qualities of speed, 
power, and beauty can uot be united in one 
and the same animal; beauty may be united 
to either one, but speed and power can never, 
to any extent, go together, and which ever 
quality we wish to preponderate, we must 
breed with especial reference to that quality. 
Probably if there was as much pains taken to 
breed mules for speed, as there is with horses, 
we should soon be able to drive our three min¬ 
ute ones,—in evidence of which look at the 
mules of Spain, and others of the Mediterra¬ 
nean States, at one time almost entirely tak¬ 
ing the place of horses as travelers. But, in 
this country, he can never supplant the horse 
as a roadster, but will stand at the head of 
the draught stock of the country, in power, 
steadiness and endurance. The article alluded 
to, considers size, as an essential quality ;—for 
myself, as mules are now bred, I should never 
buy one that measured more than from 14 to 
15 hands in height, though I believe that by 
judicious breeding, they might be increased to 
advantage, both in size and height, but now in¬ 
crease their height and they almost always lose 
in size of body. 
The American Agriculturist is quoted to 
show that mules “have no morals.” Now 
does not the want of moral qualities iu the 
ipule, in ninety-nine out of a huudred, lie, with 
either the breeder or the owner and worker of 
them? The breeder generally thinks that 
any mare not absolutely diseased, will do to 
raise a mule, talciug very little account of the 
size, shape, bearing and especially of the tem¬ 
per of the mare. The breeder of fine horses 
would stand very much in his own light, if in 
selecting brood mares, be did not pay great 
attention to these and other qualities. But I 
do not deny that there is a great willingness in 
the mule and jack to use their teeth and heels, 
which I regard as one of the remaining instincts 
of the jack in his wild state, but let dam and 
sire be good, even-tempered, but spirited ani¬ 
mals, with good shapes, size and bearing, then 
let the mule be treated through life, with kind, 
steady treatment, carefully groomed, and fed 
with a sufficiency of good wholesome food, then 
aud then only, we shall see a great change for 
the better, both in his physical and moral tem¬ 
perament. Although the mule will probably 
endure neglect and poor feeding longer than 
any other animal, he will as certainly repay 
any extra care bestowed upon him, in increas¬ 
ed efficiency for work, as will any other 
draught animal. I hope that the breeders and 
workers of the mule, throughout the Union, 
will send in their experience pro and con, and 
let it be published, for our mutual benefit, 
so that the errors and prejudices of both sides 
may be corrected, and the mule take his prop¬ 
er sphere as the draught animal of the temper¬ 
ate and torrid zones. c. j. j. 
Cincinnati, 0., 1S55. 
SELECTION OF SEED CORN- 
As the season approaches for planting corn, 
allow me to say a word to my brother farmers, 
on the subject of selecting seed. My own lim¬ 
ited experience has taught me to believe that 
the size of the ear from which the seed is taken 
is of no consequence, provided the kernel it¬ 
self is bright and plump. I was once by force 
of circumstances obliged to take my seed from 
very short ears—real nubbins — aud in the 
end had as good length of ears, and indeed as 
good a crop every way as when I took special 
pains to select long ears. 
Another case in point,—A neighbor of mine a 
few years si nee prepared his seed corn as is usu¬ 
al with us by shelling only the middle of the ears 
for seed, and the remainder of the ear (i. e. the 
butts aud tips,) was then shelled from the cob 
and put in another place. By mistake this 
last, (the corn from the two ends of the ear) 
was planted, and my friend ascertained the fact 
when too late, and thought surely he had lost 
his crop of corn through the carelessness of 
his man in taking the wrong corn for seed— 
but autumn showed as good a crop as he could 
expect under any circumstances. Judging 
from this and other facts which have come un¬ 
der my own observation, I have as I previous¬ 
ly stated come to the conclusion that only be 
careful to get good bright seed that will be 
sure to germinate, and of the species you wish 
to raise, and you have done your duty in se¬ 
lecting your “ seed corn.” 
Does not this rule hold good as regards 
other vegetables ? Does it necessarily require 
the seed from a large cucumber or melon to 
produce another large one ? Is it not most 
generally owing more to the soil and cultiva¬ 
tion—it being only necessary, as before stated, 
to get the proper species and perfect seed— 
what say you and your correspondents, re¬ 
garding this, as I am aware it is a debatable 
point. Wm. J. Pette. 
Lakeville, Conn., April 16, 1865. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
THE WHITE MERCER POTATO.—AGAIN. 
Mr. Editor :—I notice in your last No. an 
article on the “ White Mercer Potato,” differ¬ 
ing so materially from my views of the same, 
that I am induced to give you rny experience 
in raising them, and my present opinion in 
reference to them. I have raised them for the 
last three years from seed obtained from Mr. 
Langworthy, of Irondequoit. And I have 
found them a first-rate potato at all seasons of 
the year. They are very late, and should be 
planted as early as possible, and should not be 
dug till the frost kills the tops. With me they 
have produced better than any other good va¬ 
riety that I am acquainted with. Many of 
my neighbors have tried them, and for a late 
grower they are well liked, thus far. 
During the past severe winter, some of my 
neighbors have had them injured by the frost 
in their cellars. This, of course, renders them 
unpleasant to the taste, as it would any variety. 
I commence using them as soon as tbey are 
dug, and use them during the winter, and am 
now using them daily ; and if your correspond¬ 
ent can furnish me with a better kind, 1 shall 
be very thankful. 
The last season was a very poor one for po¬ 
tatoes in this section. I planted in one field, 
with the same culture, 2 X / Z acre3 of potatoes, of 
five different varieties, less than one acre to 
White Mercers, and the balance with Mexican 
Seedlings, Common Mercers, Lady-fingers and 
Peach-blow, so called. I dug of the White 
Mercers 150 bushels very nice and large size; 
from the balance of the lot, 1 y 2 acres at least, 
I did not get 75 bushels of all kinds, and many 
of them were “small potatoes” indeed. 
Thus far I am well satisfied with the “ White 
Mercer,” iu every respect, as a late variety. I 
would inquire what variety you consider the 
best for early potatoes.—S. W., Jr., Waterloo, 
April 16,1855. 
SOWING CLOVER SEED.— HARROWING WHEAT. 
Eds. Rural :—I have sowed clover seed in 
May, and have had better success than when I 
sowed in March or April. I wait until the 
top of the ground is dry, and take a common 
harrow' aud drag lengthwise, if it is bedded 
up, once over, and then sow the seed—then 
harrow again and go over it with a roller.— 
I thought, as many others will, that the har¬ 
row would tear up half of the wheat, but I 
trial it and was highly benefited both in 
wheat and clover. The piece first harrowed 
contained about four acres—a rolling piece.— 
I went around it and harrowed two rods and 
left one rodThnd then finished harrowing the 
piece. I could see a difference in the growth 
of the wheat and clover before harvest, and 
afterward the difference was very plain. The 
wheat was thicker and taller, the heads being 
much longer. Try this and my word for it 
you will harrow your wheat, whether you 
want to seed it or not ever after.—IT. Paign, 
Lockport, N. Y., April 4, 1855. 
INFORMATION WANTED. 
The Mexican Potato. —Reliable informa¬ 
tion wanted in regard to the productivness of 
the Mexican Wild Potato, best mode of cul¬ 
tivation, &c., by—J. S. II., Wilson, N. Y. 
Will some of our experienced friends re¬ 
ply ?—Eds. 
Vitality of Seeds. —How long do the dif¬ 
ferent garden and field seeds keep their vitali¬ 
ty ? Who can furnish this information in a 
tabular form for the convenience of many.— 
A Subscriber, Palmyra, N. F. 
A Large Grub Worm, very similar to 
those found in rotten wood, has infested my 
land for four or five years, eating off the roots 
of grass and grain, and even corn after it ears. 
What will prove a remedy ?—J. L. P., Petcr- 
boro, N. F. 
Iowa, Water, &c. —Can any of your Iowa 
correspondents inform me of any desirable 
farming localities where soft water may be 
obtained, and exempt from fever and ague.— 
T. Curran, Humphrey, Catt. Co., N. Y. 
Covering Underdrains. — Your corres¬ 
pondent, Mr. Simmons, of Jefferson Co., writes 
there is light wanted in regard to underdrain¬ 
ing. You may reply to him for me, “ That if 
his drains have much of a tall, and he dig3 his 
ditches 2% or 3 feet, it is decidedly the best to 
fill them witli stone to within 6 in. of the top, 
and then cover with flat stones, if any are at 
hand—if not, straw or anything else will do 
as well—if it is only something to prevent the 
dirt falling among the stones before it becomes 
settled.”—J. W. Cornelius. 
A Good Cow.—I have a cow 7 years old, 
of mixed breed—Durham, Devon and Native— 
from which was made 12 lbs., lacking one oz., 
of first-rate butter, in seven days’ time last 
June, besides using all the milk necessary in a 
family of six persons. The cream alone was 
churned, and the feed of cow was grass only.— 
0. C. Lake, Springville, Erie Co. 
The Weight of Oats per bushel was stated 
erroneously in a table published some time 
since. It should have been thirtylwo, instead 
of thirty-five pounds per bushel. 
Agricultural lltmdlanj. 
The New Jersey State Ag. Society offers 
about $5,000 in premiums to be awarded at 
its first Annual Fair, which is to be held at 
Camden. 
Niagara Co. Ag’l Society.— The Execu¬ 
tive Committee at a recent meeting, prepared 
a Premium List for the next Annual Fair 
which will be held at Lockport on the 19th 
and 20th of October. We hope it will call 
out a spirited competition. 
The Monroe Co. Ag. Society will hold a 
meeting at the Court House, in this city, on 
Tuesday, May 1st, to make arrangements for 
the Autumn Fair. It is an important meet¬ 
ing, and a general attendance of officers and 
members is very desirable. 
Maine State Ag. Society. —Our friends 
’way deown east, where the sun rises, have at 
last organized a State Ag. Society, under a 
charter recently passal by their Legislature. 
The following are the names of the principal 
officers elected : —Samuel Butman, of Dix- 
niont, President; E. Holmes, of Winthrop, 
Secretary ; W illiam Caldwell, of Augusta, 
Treasurer. It was voted to hold a State Cat¬ 
tle Show and Fair some time in Sept. next. 
Season, Crops, &c., in Illinois. —Under 
date of April 14, Mr. Z. B. Lawson, of Ma- 
coupiu Co., Ill., writes us as follows :—“ The 
spring in this locality is excealingly back¬ 
ward, vegetation scarcely making its appear¬ 
ance. Feed for stock very scarce, and prices 
high. Stock is also scarce, and commands the 
highest prices. Our oats are generally sown, 
and some farmers are planting corn. Ground 
dry, and in fine order for the plow and seed. 
There were more acres of wheat planted last 
fall than ever before, and never looked so well 
this season of the year as now.” 
The Henrietta Town Ag. Society propo¬ 
ses to have a Plowing Match at West Henri¬ 
etta, on the 9th day of June ensuing,—and to 
hold its first Fair at East Henrietta on the 
27th of September next. Liberal premiums 
are offered for competition at both the Match 
and Fair. The Plowing Match will commence 
at 1 o’clock. Each team will be required to 
plow one-fourth of an acre in an hour and a 
half. Each plowman will be required to drive 
his owii team. First class to cut a furrow 15 
inches wide aud 8 inchcg deep ; those coming 
nearest the prescribal furrow to be considered 
best, other things being equal. Second class, 
(for boys under 18,) furrow 7 by 12 inches. 
The Boy Farmers.— A Paris (Me.) paper 
tells a good story of two boys, one 13, the other 
11, who on account of the sickness of their 
father, were left to work the farm. They thor¬ 
oughly plowed and cross-plowed three acres of 
rather rough ground, which the father then 
sowed, and they harrowed it three times over. 
They also assisted in clearing one acre of new 
land, which was sown with wheat. It grew 
well, especially that first sown, but at harvest, 
the father being still sick, there was none to 
gather the grain but those little lads. Having 
neither strength or skill to use the cradle, they 
grasped the sickle with resolute hands, and 
reaping what they could each day, persevered 
until the whole four acres was thus harvested 
by them alone. The product of this crop 
would command in market $135, and they 
did a good deal of work on the farm beside.— 
This shows what boys can do if they really set 
about it, and make work of work, and play of 
play—not trying to do both at once. 
Dis-creditable —The practice of a number 
of our exchanges, who extract liberally, if not 
regularly, from the pages of the Rural, but 
fail to give any information as to the source 
whence the treasures were derived. We have 
no doubt the omission to credit is uninten¬ 
tional in some instances, yet such can hardly 
be the fact in most cases of “ abstraction.”— 
Several prominent journals published in the 
Atlantic and other cities, appear to consider it 
perfectly legitimate to appropriate the con¬ 
tents of the Rural,— albeit they are apt to 
magnify and condemn like piratical incursions 
upon their pages. The frequency of these dis¬ 
creditable forays upon us of late, induces this 
paragragh ; and we respectifully submit that 
if our articles are worth copying, it is but 
just that proper credit should be thereunto 
appended. We admire the good taste and 
sense of our contemporaries — including a 
number of influential and widely-circulated 
Literary and Religious papers—and trust we 
shall soon have cause to entertain a better 
opinion of their sense of right and justice.— 
And, when they do get their hands in, we 
hope they will not, after the manner of some, 
credit to Rural, or Rural N. F., or New 
Yorker, but do the fair thing, thus —Rural 
New- Yorker. 
— The above remarks arc not intended to 
apply to those who quote from “ a contempo¬ 
rary,” “ an exchange,” Ac., or who give the 
name of the writer of an article, carefully omit¬ 
ting mention of the journal in which it appear¬ 
ed,—unless there is a typographical error or 
chance for criticism! 
THE WINTER AND ITS LESSONS. 
TnB unusually severe Winter, backward 
Spring, and general scarcity of fodder, have 
caused much suffering and loss of live stock in 
different and distant sections of the country. 
We have heretofore mentioned the extensive 
loss of cattle and sheep in some parts of Ohio, 
and learn that similar losses have occurred in 
other portions of the West, and even in our 
own State. A subscriber writing us from 
Henry Co., Ky., under date of April 8, says:— 
“ The Spring in this section has been very 
backward, and provisions scarce. The cry is 
Bread, from every quarter. Farmers who 
are well to do in the world, find great difficulty 
in procuring the means of living Horses 
and cattle are dying in every direction ; only 
the farmers on the river have been able to save 
their stock. Corn is worth 85 cents ; Oats 
55 ; flour $10. and everything else in propor¬ 
tion.” A Cleveland (Ohio) paper of the 21st 
says hay is selling at $30 per ton in that mar¬ 
ket and other things in proportion. A letter 
just received from a friend in Madison Co. 
N. Y., says:—“It is a hard time for fodder 
in this section. Hay $25 per ton. It will 
cost me full $200 out to get my stock through. 
I cut over ground enough to have wintered 
twice my present herd ; but instead of two 
tons to the acre, my usual average, some of 
my grass did not reach 1,000 lbs. to the acre. 
Cattle are starving to death in this county.— 
One man has lost 1C head of cattle and two 
horses,— but there was no need of this. I 
have to go 14 miles for some of my hay.” 
— Since the above was placed in type, we 
have other letters, of similar import, from dif¬ 
ferent parts of the country. One, dated at 
Crum Creek, Herkimer Co., N. Y., says :— 
“ In this immediate neighborhood, dame For¬ 
tune has been singularly favorable, many tons 
of hay having been ‘ exported,’ last year and 
this, to towns and counties surrounding.— 
Many a dairyman in Herkimer county, has 
lost from one to seven, and some as many as 
ten cows, owing to deficient food, &c. Per¬ 
haps those who refused to diminish their stock 
last fall, when offered its full value, will learn 
wisdom, and hereafter part with all they can¬ 
not keep in good order. There are no particu¬ 
lar indications of an early spring, but on the 
contrary our old weather seers prophesy a late 
one, and also an unusually dry summer.— 
Should the latter prediction prove true, it will 
cause much distress in parts of this and sur¬ 
rounding counties.” 
The recurrence of similar losses may be 
prevented by judicious forethought and pro¬ 
vision. Now is the time to heed the lesson. 
THE JAPANES E FRI ZZLED FOWLS. 
It speaks favorably for the progress of civ¬ 
ilization in Japan, that recent travelers therein 
make no mention of the variety of fowls 
figured dn the preceding page, and seem to 
ignore their existence in that country altogeth¬ 
er. Rut such or similar birds, called Japanese, 
do exist and very curious looking specimens 
they are, as our engraving demonstrates — 
There are two kinds, the Black Frizzled and 
the White Frizzled, both with rather variegat¬ 
ed plumage. That their feathers project for¬ 
ward is said to have this advantage, they can¬ 
not run through standing grain very readily 1 
These birds are great layers, or at least they 
make a great deal of cackling over what eggs 
they do incubate. They were somewhat noted 
in the early stages of the Hen-fever, but since 
then have rather backed into the tall grass or 
grain aforesaid. Lest they should get out, and 
some of our practical, eggs-emplary friends 
endeavor to cultivate the variety, we will add 
that they are pronounced unsuited to our 
northern climate,—and more interesting as a 
curiosity than valuable for any practical 
purposes. Perhaps they might suit the taste 
of some of the Southern fowl fanciers. Where's 
Burnham, and the other patriots who are pro¬ 
verbially benevolent to Southern customers ? 
Another Cure for Garget.— Mr. Joseph 
Merriman, of Ohio, in an article communicated 
by him to the Ohio Farmer on this subject, 
says the disease may be cured thus :—“ Take 
raw linseed oil and rub all over the cow’s bag, 
which, if done on the first appearance, is all 
that is needed generally, but two or three ap¬ 
plications always have cured the most stubborn 
cases, aud is easily done.” lie says he has 
seen cows that no milk could be got from, 
cured in forty-eight hours, in summer, aud they 
gave nearly as much milk as they did before 
they were sick. This is certainly easily tried, 
and no great harm can be done to the cow if 
it should not prove successful.— Me. Farmer. 
Sow carrot seed as early in April as the 
ground is warm and mellow. They will do 
well sown in May if the seed comes up prompt¬ 
ly. The orange carrot is generally cultivated ; 
the white carrot brings heavy crops, but does 
not seem to be a favorite yet. Then there is 
the long red aud the Altringham. The latter 
we have raised, but found no qualities to re¬ 
commend it more than are found in the orange 
carrot.— N. E. Farmer. 
Quantity of Seed.— Mr. Mechi, the dis¬ 
tinguished agriculturist at Tiptree Hill, says— 
“ Our farmers have, many ot' them, yet to learn 
the advantages of a moderate quantity of seed.” 
The true rule we believe to be to make the 
land rich and use the less seed ; then you get 
a vigorous growth and fully matured seed. 
