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VOLUME VI. NO. 25. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1855, 
WHOLE NO. *35. 
bow’s $htral |ltto-§fldur: 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY, & FAMILY JOURNAL. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE 
ASSOCIATE EDITORS : 
•J. H BIX BY, T C. PETERS, EDWARD WEBSTER. 
Special Contributors : 
T. ft. WmcOBit, H. C. White, IT. T. Brooks L. Withkrxli, 
Todies’ Port-Folio by A?.n±: 
The Kura-. New-Yorker is designed to be unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
and Variety of Contents. Its conductors earnestly labor 
to make it a Reliable Guide on the important Practical 
Subjects connected with the business of those whose 
interests it advocates. It embraces more Agricultural, 
Horticultural, Scientific, Mechanical, Literary and Nows 
Matter, interspersed with many appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other paper published in this 
Country,—rendering it a complete Agriculturai,, Literary 
and Family Newspaper. 
For Terms, and other particulars, see News page. 
Ural Eeto-Uorltfr. 
^_ jQ 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT 
A SERIOUS ERROR, 
A great many farmers have a surplus of 
coarse grains, which are well calculated for 
fattening cattle or sheep. They could raise 
much more than they do if they were sure of 
a market for the grain upon their farms.— 
They require money to purchase in the fall a 
few cattle or a few sheep, to feed for beef or 
mutton during the winter. That money 
not to be had short of the bank, and as there 
is no certainty of selling to advantage to meet 
the note, the farmer does not buy, and the re¬ 
sult is that he makes less manure and raises 
less produce, while the consumer pays a higher 
price for an inferior articie. The country is 
not enriched but rather impoverished by the 
operation. The surplus capital of farmers 
ought to be kept for farmers as far as they 
may require it.— v. 
CHARCOAL DUST AS A MANURE. 
The experience of many years has confirm¬ 
ed us strongly in a view taken by us in an 
early day, of a defect among farmers in re¬ 
gard to their own profession. We refer to 
the practice of placing their surplus capital 
in the hands of non-producing classes. It is 
now the common practice everywhere, when 
a farmer has a surplus, to place it in banks, 
loan it to merchants or speculators, or invest 
in railroad or other stocks. By this means 
the capital which has been raised out of the 
land is not used for the benefit, principally, of 
the producer, or to increase the productive 
power of his farm, but is withdrawn entirely 
from the reach oj those .who could use it ad¬ 
vantageously in agricultural pursuits. The 
result is a want of means among the great ma¬ 
jority of farmers to make those improvements 
that would materially increase their crops, and 
also the permanent value of their farms, and 
as the improvement of one farm always en¬ 
hances the value of those in the neighborhood, 
a public benefit must be the consequence. It 
not unfrequently happens that farmers, in¬ 
stead of employing their capital to improve 
their own farms, put it at a small rate of in¬ 
terest in some savings bank, the most sterile 
of all banks. 
We were very much "struck with the bad 
effect of this disposition of their money by 
farmers, while recently visiting one of the 
Eastern States. There are thousands of acres 
of stony, rocky land in all of those States 
that can be bought for from ten to twenty 
dollars an acre, which, by laying out from 
twenty to forty dollars in getting off the 
stone, would pay an aunual interest on two 
hundred dollars. And yet the owners of the 
laud will put their money iuto a savings bank, 
at five per cent., rather than make the im¬ 
provement. When asked why they disregard 
their own interest to such an extent, the 
answer is, that they can’t get any more for 
their farms if they want to sell them. 
We could not see the force of the argument. 
And so great do we think the chance for im¬ 
provement, that, it compelled to emigrate 
either way, we should go East rather than 
\V est. It is true that those who have emi¬ 
grated from those States to the West, have 
made money, but it has been more by the rise 
of real estate than out of the products of their 
farms. And there is scarcely a locality in 
all New England where the fartners are not 
more independent, and make more money upon 
the capital invested, than in any of the West¬ 
ern States. With the present high prices for 
all kinds of human food, the disparity is not so 
apparent as when prices rule as low as is usu¬ 
ally the case. 
But while this illustrates a part of our the¬ 
ory, it by uo means covers the whole ground. 
Farmers should give the preference to farmers, 
all things being equal, in lending when the 
money is not to be used for speculative pur¬ 
poses. Few farmers can afford to borrow 
money of the banks, because they cannot 
turn their crops as soon as they are compelled j If any reader has observed facts, or tried ex- 
The application of charcoal dust as a ma¬ 
nure for different crops has occasionally been 
referred to in works on Agriculture, but we 
hear of few recent experiments going to test 
its value. As an absorbent of various gases, 
it is often used in the manufacture of artificial 
manures, and has sometimes been applied 
alone to the soil. Johnston, in his Agricul¬ 
tural Chemistry, relates an experimental trial 
of Charcoal dust upon Swedish Turnips, 
where an application of 50 bushels per acre 
increased the crop by three tons. He attri¬ 
butes its efficacy in part to its power of ab¬ 
sorbing from the air, or of retaining in the 
soil those gaseous substances which plants re¬ 
quire, and in part to the slow decay which it 
is itself capable of undergoing. In moist 
charcoal dust seeds germinate rapidly and 
with remarkable certainty, .showing that it 
supplies the conditions nece.-sary to vegetable 
gYowth very abundantly. 
A recent writer in the N. E. Farmer thinks 
charcoal dust of much value on dry soils, and 
gives the following instance of its application. 
In 1852 he carted off the top of a knoll for 
the purpose of leveling his land—taking from 
two to six feet of the surface soil from half au 
acre, and leaving a bed of coarse sandy soil 
full of “ cobbles.” To this he applied a com¬ 
post of torty cart loads of meadow muck, de¬ 
composed with shell lime and salt brine, ten 
loads of sandy loam, two and a half cords of 
charcoal dust, thrown into a heap, with an 
addition of fifteen barrels of liquid from the 
gas works, and the whole then worked over 
and mixed thoroughly. It was left standing 
four weeks and then spread upon the half acre, 
plowed and cross-plowed to the depth of ten 
inches, and harrowed until well mixed with 
the saud bed. It was sowed to oats and seed¬ 
ed to grass, and had produced excellent crops 
each season. Last summer, which was re¬ 
markably dry, he took off two crops of grass 
both averaging four tons to the acre. 
The application of the muck at the same 
time destroys the distinctness of the experi¬ 
ment, but the writer attributes the entire free¬ 
dom from the effects of the drouth, and the 
remarkable growth of the grass, mainly to 
the coal dust. He says, “ wherever I turned 
up the earth aud found the greatest mass of 
coal, there I found the most moisture, and the 
grass roots seemed to possess a particular 
fondness to twine among it.” The piece lay 
high aud dry—yet while low grounds in the 
vicinity were parched and sere, this was as 
green as if fresh from frequent showers. 
It is a well known fact that charcoal pit 
bottoms produce large crops of whatever may 
be sown upon them for many years in suc¬ 
cession, and various theories have been ad¬ 
vanced to account for this long-continued 
fertility. It has been attributed to the coal 
dust, to the ashes, aud to the burning of the 
soil, but the amount of ashes usually left is 
very small, and the burning of the soil is not 
greater than often results from the combus¬ 
tion of a large log heap, the effects of which 
soon disappear. We should be glad of more 
light on this subject, and submit it to our 
farming friends as one worthy to be tested by 
careful experiment, upon such soils as seem 
destitute of carbonaceous matter, especially. 
A MELLOW SOIL vs. DROUTH- 
to pay their loans ; but it they could have a J periments having a bearing upon the subject, 
year they T would easily meet and discharge the we should be glad to receive an account of the 
debt from their land. I same for publication. 
One of the most effectual preventives of the 
effects of dry weather upon the crops, is a 
fresh and mellow state of the soil in which 
they are growing. This can be attained per¬ 
fectly but in one way—by frequent stirring 
and cultivation—but it can be greatly promo¬ 
ted by a proper preparation of the ground be¬ 
fore the crop is sown upon it. If land is 
deeply plowed and thoroughly pulverized, and 
at the same time prepared, either by the na¬ 
ture of the subsoil or artificial drainage, for 
the ready passing off all the surplus water, it 
will remain for a long time in a mellow state. 
But shallow plowed laud with a retentive sub¬ 
soil, is always found soon to become compara¬ 
tively sterile under the influence ofdry weath¬ 
er. A heavy rain falls, completely satura¬ 
ting the mellow portion of the soil, and the 
surplus water cannot sink away into the 
drains or porous subsoil, but must pass away 
by evaporation, and the surface becomes baked 
aud hard under the process. But these con¬ 
siderations are somewhat foreign to our pres¬ 
ent purpose, which is to urge the importance 
of keeping the soil fresh aud mellow by fre¬ 
quent cultivation, in all crops to which such 
treatment can readily be applied. 
All practical gardeners aud most farmers 
know the great benefit of frequent hoeing and 
cultivation—especially in seasons of drouth. 
In reply to the question, “ What is the best 
method of guarding against the effects of 
drouth ?” addressed last season by the Mass. 
Board of Agriculture, to prominent farmers 
throughout the State, the respondents, in nine 
cases out of ten, recommend among other 
things, frequent stirring of the soil. “ Use 
the cultivator and hoe frequently,says one, 
—another, “ keep the laud light aud free from 
weeds.” It is true that the evaporation of 
moisture is the greatest from a light soil, but 
it is also true that it receives moisture more 
readily and largely, from all the sources which 
supply it There is little or no dew upon 
the beaten path, when the grass at its side is 
dripping wet. The fresh turned earth receives 
a much larger supply thau that upon which a 
hard crust has formed—it penetrates much 
farther, and heuee passes off with less rapidi¬ 
ty. This is true also of light showers. 
There eau be no greater mistake,” re¬ 
marks Prof. Flint, thau to fear to injure the 
crops by the evaporation gained by mellowing 
the soil. Plants never suffer so much as when 
the surface becomes a little hard and forms a 
thin crust, which cuts off all communication 
with the air. But when this crust is broken, 
aud the earth is loosened, the dews reach the 
roots of plants, aud are often sufficient to sup¬ 
port vegetation a long time without rain.”— 
All who have experimented upon the subject 
are satisfied that all crops which will admit 
of summer cultivation are largely benefited 
by it. And the best crops of corn and roots, 
of fruit3 and vines, are invariably those 
which receive frequent, clean and thorough 
hoeing and culture. We have observed this 
fact, particularly, in all reports of large corn 
crops, in every mention of productive and 
thrifty orchards, in accounts of the best and 
most profitable vegetable gardens,—all were 
grown on a mellow, clean, and frequently 
stirred soil. Indeed, many have gone so far 
as to say that frequent cultivation would al¬ 
most supply the want of manure, aud we 
know it will go far in that direction, especially 
in the early stages of vegetation. 
It is a matter of much importance to a 
growing plant whether it has the whole field 
to itself, or whether weeds surround it, rob¬ 
bing it of the moisture and nourishment 
which should go to its support. It is the 
poorest policy in the world, to manure aud 
plant a field, aud then leave it to spend a 
a large share of its strength in the production 
of useless vegetation. It is also of great im¬ 
portance that it have a deep and mellow soil 
—that the roots as well as leaves can feel the 
influence of air and moisture, and that it pos¬ 
sess a monopoly of all the benignant influences 
of N ature. A fresh, cleau, and mellow soil, 
is the best remedy against drouth, and the 
best preparation for good crops, whatever 
the character of the weather granted to the 
husbandman. 
CflmnnniiratiBits. 
LAYING STONK AS II TILE DRAINS. 
Eds. Rural :—I notice, in looking over 
your paper for the present year, some inquiry 
in regard to draining, and also some replies to 
such inquiries. Having had some experience 
in that line for the past five years, and notic¬ 
ing some (as I think) serious errors in the 
articles alluded to, I venture to give you my 
manner of doing such work and its results 
One of the errors alluded to is in regard to 
deplh of drain, which to operate well should 
never be less than three feet in the most shal¬ 
low place ; and then as to manner and depth 
of putting in the stone, width of drain, &c. 
The ditch in firm ground should be as narrow 
as possible and be able to work in it, and be¬ 
ginning at the head of the ditch, it should be 
well cleaned out with a hoe, and then the tile 
or stone put in. Proceed till you reach the 
foot of the drain. I notice some of your cor¬ 
respondents advise filling with stone to with¬ 
in six inches of the top of the ditch, and oth¬ 
ers to have the ditch a foot or two in width at 
the bottom—both of which I think serious 
errors. In plowing after a corn crop, where 
the ground has been manured for the corn as 
it should be, the farmer should plow at least 
nine or ten inches deep, then he will plow up 
three or four inches of the stone in his drains, 
which every practical man knows is not right, 
and making so great width of ditch as some 
recommend, (except the ground be very soft,) 
is worse than useless in my experience; for 
much time is wasted in doing it, and the drain 
when finished not as good. 
I will now give my manner of doing such 
work and the results with me, and I think it 
effectual and profitable for raising future crops. 
The depth of ditch should be as above stated, 
and in filling with stone from 15 to 18 inches 
properly put in aud covered, I think will be 
found sufficient in all cases. There should be 
at least 18 inches of earth top of the drain, 
for we shall soon be plowing with soil and 
subsoil plows to that depth,—the stone should 
be carefully put iu, the largest at the bottom, 
and the small ones on the top, aud covered in 
such a manner that no dirt should ever get in¬ 
to the drain from the surface of the ground, 
and a good outlet always secured, and the 
drain is done and ready to perform its office 
freely and faithfully. 
In the manner of putting in the stone or 
tile there is some diversity of opinion, but 
however done they should be put in well, and 
in a clean ditch, and covered in such a man¬ 
ner as to exclude all dirt from falling in from 
the surface, as the surface water will find its 
way into the drain from below, (if the ground 
is saturated with water,) and if the drain is 
properly made with a good outlet, will leave 
the surface dry at all times. If it is thought 
desirable to form a throat to the drain, place 
a row of stones at each side and cover with a 
flat stone, taking pains to break joints on the 
side stones with the covers, and then fill with 
small stones as above stated ; or a good way 
is to place a flat stone at the side of the drain 
and then another leaning against that, and in 
the manner shown in the cut.— 
Then filling with small stones on 
the top. makes au excellent drain, 
as I have proved for the past three 
years. 
I have some four or five acres 
drained with tile 1,000 two inch 
pipes and 1,500 horse shoe tile of three inch 
capacity. The ditches were dug as narrow as 
possible and have room to work well in them. 
We begin at the head of the ditch, lay the 
first tile with a stone in its upper end, then 
stand upon it, laying down another aud tread 
ou that, to see it is firm aud meets good at the 
ends, then so on till all is done—laying a rod 
or two at the foot of the drain w r ith stone or 
timber, to secure the tile from frost and from 
being trod out by cattle, where they have ac- 
ces to such places, as they sometimes do. I 
then lay a row of stones by the side of the tile 
to keep them in place, taking care to have the 
joints properly secured, and iu some cases have 
covered all with a board, Cedar bark, or flat 
stones. Then with a pick, pick in the subsoil 
from the side of the drain to cover them a 
little and keep them in place; then with a 
long evener, plow in the dirt to fill up the 
ditch by back furrowing towards the centre, 
and your drain is completed. Such has been 
my practice, having two feet of earth on an 
average above the stone or tile, and my land 
is dry, easily tilled, and is dow seeded to grass 
which looks very promising. If the above is 
of any practical use, I may give you some 
more of my observations at some future time. 
Yours for Improvement, J. Talcott. 
SOME OTHER THINGS; AND ALSO CORN. 
Dear Bubal :—We live in an excessive 
age, have an excessive winter and summer, 
and are nourished by excessive food and drink. 
We live fast, work fast, grow rich fast, decline 
fast, and die fast, and onr children, the victims 
by inheritance of our moral and physical ex¬ 
cesses. succeed us. 
Our children ! Does the sun shine upon a 
country where such a superabundance of 
means aud blessings are so recklessly pervert¬ 
ed into the elements of human disease ? It is 
the prevalent practice of the rich and middle 
classes of Europe to provide separate, simple, 
and suitable food for their children aud youth. 
We, eagerly intent upon Dollars, limit such 
discretion and affection to onr domestic ani¬ 
mals. We are very careful that the youDg 
animals shall not eat corn, barley, oats, or 
wheat, as do our working horses or oxen— 
while onr children are not only permitted, but 
often encouraged, to satiate their youDg and 
susceptible appetites upon concentrated and 
stimulating goods and liquids without limit, 
—upon food which the very hardest working 
man can scarcely consume habitually with im¬ 
punity ; for the man that would live by these 
things, must also do one other thing—he must 
work. He must work to prolong life, or die. 
In the civilized condition, the man who 
would live a true life, who would enjoy a 
sound mind in a sound body, must subordinate 
the sensual and animal to the higher elements 
of his nature—to the rational, intellectual and 
moral. The earth beneath must be subject to 
the heaven above. The man or people that 
cannot or will not be thus subordinate, must 
perish gradually but surely, through abuse of 
the profusion and variety which wealth and 
appetite may procure. Health and usefulness 
are impaired by the use of stimulants, that 
cease not night nor day to excite the vital ac¬ 
tion and organs with an intensity reacting 
with gradual decrease and debility. Many 
are at ease in their possessions, but relaxation 
and ease are even more destructive than labor 
and poverty. 
There is crying need of a simple and honest 
diet that will make life and health possible to 
to ourselves and our children without the ab¬ 
solute necessity of excessive labor. It is need¬ 
ful also for the numerous class who are en¬ 
gaged in sedentary occupations. 
Some old fellow has said that the most diffi¬ 
cult of all knowledge was to know ourselves; 
so of course in this respect the most of us are 
Know Nothings. Let us, therefore, know our 
neighbor Billyous Shortcake, Esq., not a 
raw foreigner ignorant of the laws of life and 
a climate, and the evils of unlimited meat and 
potations, but a native to the soil. He has 
acquired a liberal competence as a mechanic, 
merchant or farmer. He believes in living 
well and having the good of his labor, and 
goes in for tobacco, tea, coffee, concentrated 
food, with rich compounds of pastry from su¬ 
perfine flour, and peradventure his wife heljs 
him. Of course the children like all this bet¬ 
ter than mush and milk, that being esteemed 
fit only for hogs. Billyous for several jears 
extended a liberal patronage to the dentist, 
druggist and doctor. Has occasionally felt a 
lassitude of the limbs, and more recently sharp 
premonitory twiDges, not of the conscience, 
but of the stomach,—in which eventually a 
hard substance, possibly a hard cake that nev- i 
er ceases from troubling, has effected a per- j 
manent residence. He now finds that what 
was very sweet in his mouth has become very 
bitter in his belly, being laid up to be nursed 
aud pampered by his wife, and drugged by his 
physician—with the consolation in the mean 
time of knowing that his children are follow¬ 
ing iu his footsteps. 
