VOLUME VI. NO. 35.} 
ROCHESTER, N. Y,-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1855, 
{WHOLE NO, 296. 
Utim's ^nral ftcfo-gorkr. 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY, & FAMILY JOURNAL. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
AS80OAT3 EDITORS • 
J. E. BEX BY, T. c. PETKRS, EDWARD WEBSTER. 
Speoi&l Contributors : 
T. E. Wsctmop.s, H. C. White, H. T. Brooks, L. Wetbfrwa. 
Ladies’ Port-Folio by Axnr. 
Th* Rural 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 News 
Matter, interspersed with many appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other paper published in this 
Country,—rendering it a complete Agricultural, Ljtb- 
bary and Family Newspaper. 
For Terms, and other particulars, see News page. 
;ncr. 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
OUR CEOPS. —WHAT MORE CAN WE 1)0? 
Wiiat more can. we do? “Through much 
tribulation ” our wheat is at last in the barn 
or stack—hay and oats ditto; only corn and 
potatoes yet remain (with here and there a 
patch of blossoming buckwheat) to he har¬ 
vested. U7(«< more can we do ? 
Looking at Wheat— or rather the weather¬ 
beaten straw which ought to contain wheat— 
we see little to cheer us. That which has 
been “ put to the question” of the threshing 
machine, has returned answer in a product of 
from five pecks to ten and even filtein bush¬ 
els per acre. In some localities very little of 
the Soule’s or Hutchinson wheat—however 
promising it may have looked before harvest 
—will replace the seed sown, in quantity ; 
and as to quality, the shrunk, grown, weevil- 
eaten kernels are such as would have been 
thrown to the pigs and chickens three years 
ago. The Mediterranean and Golden Drop do 
better, but they disappoint the farmer by the 
meagre product. The weather and Hessian 
fly injured them, while the weather and 
midge did their worst to later varieties. Here 
and there a region escaped with small damage 
from the latter, but it is neveitlielss true that 
wheat may be put down as a failure, so far as 
any profit is concerned (even at $2 a bushel,) 
in many of the best grain-growing districts 
of Western New York. 
Of Oats there are enough in the country to 
furnish fuel to every equine locomotive on the 
track, or off, either. Still thousands of acres 
were drowned out by the June rain, and 
other thousands injured more or less. Oats 
are plenty and they will be needed, for 
The Hay crop has been get in—or left out 
—in miserable condition. There are meadows 
of greater or less extent, on many a farm, 
where the grass rotted—yes, rotted- in the 
swath or cock, and is entirely worthless ex¬ 
cept for manure. Many a musty mow of hay 
will be tramped into the dung heap next 
winter, or forced down the cattle by sheer 
starvation and the lack of decent straw as a 
substitute. Some good hay was secured—the 
second growth after the rain — and some 
snatched up between the showers—hut hay 
and wheat this year cost the farmer higher 
prices than he will he likely to get for them. 
Barley is a good crop. We have seen as 
fine fields of barley as ever ripened in West¬ 
ern New York. But it was not sown very 
extensively, at least we have noticed little. 
These crops are all out of the way. It is 
not for them that we ask, what more can we do ? 
We can make the best of them—thankful for 
the good—thankful that the bad is no worse. 
Thousands are looking anxiously to their 
Corn. It is growing—has been growing—hut 
the excess of moisture and lack of wamth (or 
rather heat, for it is heat that Indian corn 
wants to make it grow audibly,) has sent it up 
rather slender,— has kept it from “going 
ahead,” as it should have done, towards ma¬ 
turity. The ears are forming, hut like the 
stalks, they are slim, and as yet the kernels 
gap too much along the cob. It is a fault 
they are outgrowing every day, but could we 
only help them along, wouldn't we have the 
heart to do it ? Not a doubt of that, all an¬ 
swer, hut “the time for the work,”—or, per¬ 
haps, some not so hurried still cry, “What 
more can we do?” 
It is hut little, it is true, hut it shall not bs 
without its due reward. Did you ever know 
a season so bad that the weeds would not 
grow ?—so wet, so dry, or so cold? Never, 
we warrant you ! There was hardly time for 
the first hoeing this year before haying came 
on, and ha^py that farmer whose woik was so 
arranged that he has seen time for anything 
hut waiting for belter weather and the work 
crowded into every moment of sunshine since 
the 4th of July. All this two months, the 
pigeon-grass that was not pulled out of the 
hill—the pig-weed that lay perduebt hind that 
clod—and every vile weed that could get a 
foot-hold, have been 44 trying for life” in the 
corn-field. Some of them have done speak¬ 
ingly—they have taken the bread right from 
the mouth of the corn, to fatten their own 
ugly uselessness. We all know that they 
have not helped a hit towards filling the corn 
crib. Sometimes the brave cereal has been 
too much for them—has over shadowed and 
choked their growth, till they are but puny 
weeds—hut too often they have done the 
choking. 
Now, men and hoys, turn out—turn in, 
Tatlier —pull up these weeds, and let the corn 
have the rest of the season and the field to 
itself. If Jack Frost stays up North four 
weeks longer we shall have a good corn crop. 
If he don’t, this season will be cut short at 
both ends, which is not often the case, for 
what is lacking in June is generally made up 
in October. At any rate, if we 4 4 do our duty” 
by those weeds, we shall get our reward in 
the shape of cleaner fit Ids—and a hundred to 
one, if every day’s work is not repaid by two 
or three bushels of corn, extra. Who ever 
knew an ungrateful corn-field? Wheat may 
go to the—weevil, and oats come short of 
their proper stature—hut who ever knew our 
Native American cereal to be decently treated 
and fail to show a grateful appreciation of the 
same? Give the Indian corn another lift, 
then, good friends,— remembering roast ears 
anti succotash, corn bread, corn pudding and 
Johnny-cake ! 
Do not forget our Irieh friends—the Mur¬ 
phies ! P’raps Sam would rather call them 
“Mexicans,” so as to keep to our own conti¬ 
nent. “Native or alien,” they are doing 
bravely, and promise to be on hand at the fall 
elections. We must not let them suffer from 
any intruding weeds—there’s a busy work go¬ 
ing on among the tubers under ground.— 
Shouldn’t wonder if they’d all turn cut natu¬ 
ral- eyes-ed when they come up to the sunshine. 
It will not do a bit of harm to pull out the 
weeds, if any have struggled up through the 
vines—and the potatoes down below will take 
note of it. 
It will not be a bad plan to sow a few acres 
of rye this fall. It is a decent sort of grain, 
though its reputation has suffered from the 
use which has been made of it. Besides the 
grain, which is a pretty sure crop, it will fur¬ 
nish a good deal of green feed next spring, 
when very probably our cattle and sheep will 
want it, if they keep their pelts on. 
What more can we do ? If we have any wheat 
to sow, it is time it was in—hut let every acre 
be put in in the best manner. Don’t throw 
away your seed on poor, half-prepared land— 
the midge will he disappointed. Give it good 
pasture, next year. Some fields seemed hard¬ 
ly worth its while this season. 
WHAT CORN WILL DO. 
Last year I made an experiment in sowing 
corn for green feed for my teams. The season 
was dry and the corn sown late. The kind 
used was the early eight-rowed yellow.— 
Though not what I had seen stated to be the 
product, for others, still it was very satisfac¬ 
tory. This year I plowed up a small, rich 
patch adjoining the barn, and planted with 
Ohio corn on the 2d of June. The method of 
planting was to set Bacheldor’s corn-planter 
to drop a hill every foot, and four to six ker¬ 
nels in the hill ; and then go back and forth 
as near to the rows as possible without dis¬ 
turbing them, which brought the hills quite 
near together, probably averaging four stalks 
to the square foot. To-day, (August 11,) I 
cut one stalk just as the tassel begins to show, 
and weighed it carefully, and find the weight 
three pounds and four ounces. It grew upon 
rich ground, has had a favorable time, and 
been just 03 days since it came up, or 70 days 
since the seed was planted. I have said that 
about four seeds were planted to the square 
FANC Y RABBITS-LOP-EAFEI) AND HALF-LOP. 
Yes, young friends, here yon have the Bab¬ 
bits ; and they are the fancy kinds—almost as 
beautiful and natural as in life. They are 
lively, prankish, cunning yet harmless pets, 
these lop-eared, bright-eyed fellows, and af¬ 
ford the 44 little folk” much innocent amuse- 
foot; two others of nearly equal size grew 
with the one cut up, and the space between 
them and others around was less than one 
foot in each direction. But allow only one 
such stalk to th - square foot, and the product 
upon an acre appears fabulous. There are 
43,560 square feet in an acre. If no mistake 
has been made in the figures, it would give 
the enormous quantity of over seventy tons 
of green food upon an. acre ! I am satisfied 
that the estimate is a safe one, and that in a 
favorable season, and upon good land, well 
prepared, more than that amount may he 
grown. I am feeding it to my teams, but it 
requires to go through a straw-cutter, aDd is 
then eaten up clean. I propose to dry the j 
stalk weighed, and then see how much it will [ 
lose in the process. 
But supposing that we can get only half | 
the quantity, or thirty-five tens of gTeen food ! 
to the acre, is it not beyond all known 
plants for soiling, and may it not be made to | 
yield a much larger amount of winter forage J 
than any kind of roots ? If well saved, and 
cut and steamed in the winter, there can be 
no roots grown that will be equal to the 
stalks, either for fattening, for store cattle, 
or for sheep, cows or horses. More experi¬ 
ments are wanted. A neighbor who had more 
land than manure, was in the habit of plow¬ 
ing his wheat land in the spring, and sowing 
a bushel of corn to the acre broadcast, and 
plowing it under in the fall for his wheat. He 
always had good crops. Has anybody else 
done so, and with what success ?— p. 
. M ,< M ■ ■ 
&\\x jSpcral Contributors. 
SHOCKING CORN. 
The benefits of cutting up corn at the bot¬ 
tom, and before it is fully ripe, are now so 
generally acknowledged that there is no ne¬ 
cessity of arguing the matter. Its economy 
is seen and acted upon by all, here at the 
North, except, it may be, those non-progres¬ 
sives who so love the good old ways of their 
fathers and their grand-fathers, and who look 
with horror on all improvement as new-fan¬ 
gled notions that should be discountenanced 
by all staid and sober men. 
The method of shocking the corn in the 
field is perhaps the most economical—taking 
five rows of corn for one of shocks or stooks, 
setting the shocks on the middle row.— 
The shocks can thus be made large or small 
to suit the fancy. Smaller ones cure quick¬ 
er, and arefor that reason preferable. If a 
good hill is taken to stand the stalks of 
com about it will help much to support the 
shock. When it is desired to move the shock 
from the field, the standing hill is quickly cut 
by pushing the shock partly over with the left 
hand, while a long knife in the right hand is 
t hrust under the bottom and the stalks severed. 
This method saves laying the corn on the 
ground, binding it in bundles, and then lug¬ 
ging together to shock,—consequently saves 
much lifting and hard labor. Sometimes, es¬ 
pecially if it be windy weather, one may'be 
bothered to make the sta ke stand about the 
hill till there is enough for a shock. To ob- 
ment. The 44 lop-eared rabbit” is the kind 
mo.-t highly esteemed by fanciers. Our first 
figure represents one of this variety, haviDg 
decidedly long and pendant ears,— and the 
other portrays the half-lop rabbit, with one 
ear falling downward while the other remains 
viate this difficulty, an apparatus, or horse for J 
shocking corn, is used, in some parts of the ! 
Eastern States. A simple one was originally ! 
described in the Boston Cultivator. It con- j 
sists of a round stick, about two inches in di¬ 
ameter, and long enough to reach just above 
the ears of corn as they stand on the h:li. In 
; he lower end is inserted an iron point some 
eight inches in length, shaped somewhat like 
a large butcher knife, only much thicker.— 
This is for the purpose of sticking it readily j 
into the ground when in use. Close at the top : 
end two one-iuch holes are bored at right an- | 
gles. Through these are thrust two rods ' 
about four feet in length. Ihese rc ds must be 
so they will readily slip in and out. With 
this instrument and your corn knife, you are 
ready for the field. Select your row and stick 
your horse where you want a shock. Then 
cut your corn and set it in the angles of the 
cross sticks, which readily hold it till you 
have enough for your shock. Then with your 
wisp of straw or whatever you use for a hand, 
hind the tops firmly together. Now to re¬ 
move the horse, grasp the upper end of the. 
standard with one hand, and with the other 
withdraw ihe rods, when the standard is ta¬ 
ken out with no further trouble. 
There is this advantage in using such an ap¬ 
paratus,—one can place the stalks more read¬ 
ily and as firmly in their places, is not troubled 
with their falling down before securing them 
with a baud, whilst, if one wishes, he can 
make the shock away from any hill, without 
any central support, and in so doing save all 
th* trouble of binding into separate bundles. 
So there must be a saving of time and labor 
enough, even in one day’s use of it to pay its 
cost. When it is desired to remove the corn 
from the field in a day or two, or a week, 
there must he a still greater saving—besides 
having the corn all up in fine condition to 
withstand, without injury, any storm, howev¬ 
er sudden it may arise. At such a time the 
saving in the value cf the fodder must be no 
insignificant item. t. e. w. 
Contnuuuntians. 
1 CHAPTER ON RABBITS- 
Ir is only within a few years past that any 
attention has been paid to the rearing of rab¬ 
bits in this country. Some think it, proba¬ 
bly, small business. So is making pins, (as 
L. F. Allen says,) and raising chickens and 
bees. But there are abundance of people 
whose age and capacity are just fitted for it, 
and, for w-ant of other employment, are a 
charge upon their friends and the public. 
We are not now going to raise a breeze, a 
furor, or try to get up an excitement, mania, 
or 44 Rabbit Fever,” nor talk of rabbits as 
economical things, or as a branch of farm 
stock ; hut to consider them as an amusement, 
as a subject of interest, and as a study for the 
leisure hours of the country, or the village, 
or city ret ident either, if opportunity favors 
their keeping. Theie is in most perse ns a 
natural londness for animals, hut not easily 
in an upright position 'These illustrations 
are from Blment’s 4 ■ Babbit Fancier,” a small 
book which treats upon the breeding, rearing, 
feeding and management of rabbits. The 
author of this work has favored us with 44 A 
Chapter on Rabbits,” which we give below. 
to be found in village or city residences.— 
Fowls and pigeons are apt to trespass on out 
neighbors, and are sometimes the cause of 
| trouble. This objection does not hold good 
against the rabbit, which occupies so small a 
space that where there is an out-house there 
may be a rabbitry. 
To breed a good rabbit, or any good animal 
of any kind, requires thought, Bkill, observa¬ 
tion, judgment, study, genius,—not so much 
either, as to be a finished sculptor, or painter, 
! but breeding perfect models in form and color 
| is an accomplishment in the fine arts, as well 
as to perpetuate their similitudes in marble, 
or fix them on canvass. Children should he 
encouraged in their fondness for good animals, 
as tending to good morals, gooel feelings, and 
as offering a home amusement, in contradis¬ 
tinction to street associations. In England, 
and other paits of Europe, a love for animals, 
with the attendance and personal care neces¬ 
sary to their comfort, is encouraged from 
childhood up, as having a beneficial influence 
on the character. 
The rabbit, in all its varieties, has always 
I been and still is, a great favorite in many parts 
of the European Continent. 44 In Holland,” 
says a writer in the American Agriculturist, 44 it 
is bred with reference to color only, which 
must be a pure white, with dark ears, feet, 
legs, and tail; this distribution has a singular 
effect, but withal a beautiful creature. The 
French breed a long, rangy animal of great 
i apparent size, hut deficient in depth and 
breadth, and, of course, wanting in constitu¬ 
tion ; no attention is paid to color, and its 
markings is matter of accident. The white 
Angola, with its beautiful long fur, and red 
eyes, is also a great favorite in France.” 
In this country and England the favorite 
rabbit now is the 44 lop-eared rabbit,” origi¬ 
nally imported from Madagascar. Much pains 
have been taken, and much money spent in 
breeding them to their present perfection in 
form, color, and size—all of which are mi¬ 
nutely attended to, and not very easily com¬ 
bined in any one animal, and hence they form 
an admirable test of skill on the part of the 
breeders. They have been made, when fatted, 
to attain ten, twelve, and fourteen pounds 
when dressed ! 
The real value of the rabbit to man is 
greater than would appear at first sight. If 
the flesh is not particularly nutritious, it is a 
light, wholesome, and agreeable article of 
food, and none but those who have lived in 
the country, and have received the unexpect¬ 
ed visit of friends to dinner, can form an ad¬ 
equate idea of the convenience of having a 
plump rabbit or two on hand. And there is 
another material value attached to these ani¬ 
mals. They afford an early lesson to boys of 
the responsibility of having live animals to 
feed and tend. Their proprietorship affords 
an opportunity of exercising the priceless 
qualities, in after Life, of thrift, attentiveness, 
good management, forbearance, and fore¬ 
thought. Innocent and unfailing amusement 
is thus derived from the daily practice of pru¬ 
dent habits, which are an excellent prepara¬ 
tion for a subsequent charge of greater im¬ 
portance and difficulty. C. N. Bemext. 
Rochester, September, 1S56. 
