VOLUME VI. NO. 38 .} 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.—SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER n, 1855- 
(WHOLE NO. 298 . 
Stftow’s plural 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY, & FAMILY JOURNAL. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MCGEE 
ASSOCIATE EDITORS : 
J II BIXBY, T. C. PETERS, EDWARD WEBSTER. 
Special Contributors : 
T E WffTMOBd, H. C. White, H. T. Brooks, L. Wkteb asu, 
Ladies’ Port-Folio by Azilh. 
Tim 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 Nows 
Matter, interspersed with many appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other paper published in this 
Country, — rendering it a complete Agricultural. Lits- 
iury and Family Nxwppapkr. 
For Turks, and other particulars, see News page. 
Jtural |lulD-|)B;ditr. 
FROGRE33 AND IMPROVEMENT. 
TEE POTATO CROP OF THE UNITED STATES. 
Whatever unfortunate incidents and mis¬ 
fortunes may have caused local injury, and , 
reduced the amount of any particular proouc- ] 
tion in any particular place, it cannot be i 
doubted that, on the whole, kind Nature is * 
pouring from her cornucopia an abundant 
supply of the necessaries of life. The markets ' 
are a tolerable barometer by which to test the 
present and prospective supply, when there j 
is no particular disturbance in the money cir¬ 
cles ; and, judging from this indicator, there ( 
is more than enough of everything in the eat¬ 
ing line to fill up all deficiencies heretofore 
existing. ^ 
In no department of farm products are we t 
likely to receive more abundant supplies than 
in that of the root crop. The high price of ^ 
potatoes last season — seldom ranging in this 
market below seventy-five cents and going up 
at times to one dollar and a quarter, and rul- y 
ing at corresponding prices according to lo- p 
cality everywhere —induced farmers greatly 
to extend their cultivation. Never, perhaps, s , 
in the history of the country, was a wider <» 
breadth of land put into potatoes than the il( 
present season ; and seldom has the product p- 
promised a more abundant harvest. The ce 
blight, which for several years has injured the fo 
potato more or less, and which dining some c i 
seasons threatened its extermination, does not y£ 
thus far appear to have shown itself to a dis- m 
astrous extent, although within a few days we 8 h 
have heard of its presence in several localities, gr 
Ihe frequent rains, and consequent moist 
state of the earth, has caused the tubers to set th 
profusely, and to grow to a fine size. Al¬ 
ready the market has felt the influence of the “ ■ 
coming crop, and potatoes are now selling in 
all parts of the country at prices fully as low 
as they have done any season within the past en 
five years. j n< 
In the year 1850, there were raised in the 
United States 65,797,896 bushels of common W. 
and 38,268,148 bushels of sweet potatoes; 
making in the aggregate 104,066,044 bushels’ — i 
or four and a half bushels for each man, wo- “ 1 
man and child in the whole country. A very tw 
large amount of the potato crop, however, shi 
especially in times of abundance, is fed to ani- Th 
mals or worked up into starch ; but, on the by 
other hand, the slave population of the south- ed. 
ern States do not make great use of them for —1 
food, and infants and young children, of ply 
which there are three millions in the country 
under live years of age, cannot be reckoned can 
in the same catalogue with adult consumers anc 
Hence it is fair to conclude, that these two usu 
classes of disturbances in the estimates will tha 
balance each other, and afford a tolerably ac- bio 
curate criterion of the number of bushels af- lost 
forded to each peison. Since the year 1800 h 
the average annual increase of population in left 
the country has been about thirty-four per my 
cent, every ten years ; which would be seven- last 
t jen per cent, increase since 1850 up to the A 
present time. At least a corresponding in- up ? 
crease of land lias been brought under culti- B 
vation during the same time, of which un- whe 
doubtedly the dotato crop has appropriated wet 
its^ full share. Under these circumstances, A 
unless some unforseen and improbable casu- mah 
alty happens, we may be certain of an abun- post 
dant supply of this all-important article of B 
food for at least a twelvemonth to come, and, coul 
in addition, leave a wide margin for the pro- aslie 
ducer to feed his domestic animal.; their du 
proportion. 
nronorfinn I Aad 1 bonghfc a hea P of them-about 
P Th print f • i • fi • j -°rty good loads, I ju<?ge, fer $4,50. They 
Ihe potato is used in this country, a* an were about two miles away, and between the 
aiticle of food, to a greater extent, so far as ; showers, from the 14th to the 18ih w> got 
bulk is concerned, than any ether vegetable | twenty loads home and spread where the 
production. Five bushels per annum is not ( muck bad been applied. It co. t 37 ’- cents a 
production, l ive bushels per annum is not j muck had been applied. It co. 
probably too high an estimate for each adult j load to draw them_total $7 50 
consumer. We know of a family of four per- I A.— Pretty cheap !— I saw ar 
consumar. w e know of a family of four per- A.— Pretty cheap !-1 Ba -. T an it, m in the 
sons who used just about that amount during “ Rural” last spring about bached ashessell- 
the past year, and were well supplied. There ing for manure on Long Island, for eighteen 
were, however, no domestic animals, such as pence a bushel! 
pigs and poultry, to consume a portion, and B.-Market gardeners might afford to pay 
consequently the tubers were more economi- that; I could not. Besides, I can get un- 
cally used as an article of diet, than they leached for a shilling. 
would have been under other circumstances. A.-Hereabout is where your muck and ash- 
Ihe farmer, who has an ample potato field, and e 3 “gineout,” I fancy. When did you plant ? 
many domestic animals to feed, is in no wise B.—The last day of May. The team went 
so particular m husband,ng the supply, as the on to the oat ground, so th. plowing “as not 
cB™ who purchases rn the market, and finished until the 29th. One an.i thru ™urtl 
throws the refuse among the garbage. In the days - cost $3,25. Harrowed and mai ked out 
former case the pigs and poultry take care of the 30th—$2,12A. Seed corn and planting 
j any overplus that may be cooked ; while in $1,88. Thus, through much rain and snow’ 
the latter, it must be set down as an item of and an expense of $25, the three acres of 
so muc h waste. ^ com was planted. Do you think I’ll ever 
~ ‘ 1 get my money back ?’’ 
CORA- 1HCEE ACRES, DR.’ -4.—le 3 , if the season is long enough If 
A W rLE AKD TALK AIxTbOUT AN EXPECTED CROP. ' ‘"“'H 
A B B I T PIT. 
Sorax Front room in farm bouse, used as a sort of So . me ’ in ^pocket, you mean. But Tiie illustration; of Fancy Rabbits, and J extends over the frame several inches hevond 
study by the writer when out in the country. we are going to have warm weather thismonth. Cba P ttr on Rabbits,” given in a late cum- ! the curb in order to nreveut thinly f n 
large as life,”) and stopping occasionally to visit the . * fdTme \ b Liere wll l^ e ht * Ie com with- thdr L ‘ concerning rabbi.sland passage is always open ; and so it is also at the 
pear tree ard cake closet—once to shell beans for sue- - a sunny September. What ails these three ,, „ _ g ’ therefore copy from ; other extremity, marked tr excepting onlv 
... S!l^ l00k 88 tb ° l! A““! r ,", t r h t. 8 C i° m ^’“s!whcn nny of the rabbit, ^ to be tal.m- 
° ...* mismonm. / • r ae curb, m order to prevent the entrv of the 
A—I hope so, for your sake, and every ? r f ° e ^usal have elicited some inquiry .heaviest rain. At the place op, the arched 
* ,, JL k « lin ! e -*«>• I »*«*«• h «P -1 and ro it U alto at the 
cotash. 
Timb—B efore and after dinner- (succotash prime—ap 
pie-custard pie, do.) 
rows . They lock as though the crows had 
followed them. 
B- O, that’s one of my experiments. I j 
. . 0 B.-O, that’s one of my experiments. I 1 S . g 1 
1 ; Ho ^ 8 fa ™mg, my boy ?-your first knew I should not have much corn hem at FaDciersa Y 8: 
belTeve” “ & inbabitant >” 1 aa 7 rate, as there was no muck or ashes,’ so “ Another 
... , ^ ,, ■ -^“6 i auy ui me raooit3 are to be taken._ 
. aZ ^^ ^ j 
j? _Tolerahlv Inf-ileraLio t +i 1 we tried the salt manure recommended in ag- 8om e degree the natural habitation of the an- the pit by the best brick work From win+ 
Go^U^Jt'^uh e^fiXl “cfS ^ 001011 “ lltUe r;r U ^ 8 r a ?‘ h r U a M8 ‘ terab - it will be" Ae re L?tha t 
: - istawSs- 
-- “ ■ Tiin-KiS:. 
naturaI] y dry, but must be protected above 
form of dwelling,^ imitating in and kept secure at the sides and bottoms of 
.he natural habitation of the an- the pit by the best brick work. From what 
that, do till? ; r , * . “-"tvucg bu men own requirements. Four 
iix;.-r ttae - - - - - ™ ss 
nuirof for* tll6 8ftHdy Sld€S Cf wbi - *]! tllPv hnrrAtrcrl /*_ .1 _ai .. & 
an explanation. 
that good cultivation, frequent hoeing, &c., 
. o -1XUIUC11U OlC. 
A Yes, explain away. Ill walk down would go far to make up for lack of manure 
with pleasure. Don t you remember the times B — And I believe it to bs so Ym, l-nn. 
you had one fall roasting corn in the lot be¬ 
low ? I know you do. 
w -- vx. iLuiuuic. -- Avutuccu luci i/u maive 
J ‘ And I believe it to be so. You know Hieir nest 3 . The proprietor, however, it was 
what a June we had,—that corn did not get sait1 ’ intended to fill up three feetof the depth 
fir. tn V1.-.Q HI T..I— m , , , . ^ co Lc 11 . ... . . . - _ ’ 
..... ' -sumcwrniif 01 me kind 
the sandy sides of whrA they burrowed to the was found when the writer purchased the 
extent cf from ten to fourteen feet to make ! property.’ 
1 n y j i , - j wm uiu uuo get - -— uy wmcc icctui tne aepm 
‘ , ' , rto - fit to hoe until July. 'Ihe last day of June as he thought that the rabbits should be bro’t 
' , AS Jr "i, ,, he .®f gs 7011 roastf d in the we ashed it—put on a handful of fresh ashes to nearer to the air. The mode of catchfog the 
„ M P ^ Ce ‘ ,, J * 1 Wlh ne J er d ? t0 be S in °n each hill,—expense about $1,25. Come back ra hbits in the pit was with a long stick, fork- 
old times. Ihe corn-field is the three this way. There is some good corn 
acres running over the ridge. It seemed 4—Yes tluit i. «n tv’ 
ed at the end, which was hooked upon their 
pretty much'vvorn out—has 1 rud! ^ Seem / d -4.—NTs, that is doing well. Did you try neck wh en they came out to feed; or they 
p ‘ , y . 0Ut Lclh not oLven a de- any other experiments ? ' were snared with a hit of wire fastened to the 
cent crop in seven years—but this has been 
in part due to poor cultivation. It has been 
cleared ani cropped twenty-five or thirty 
B — Only one more, adding a small quanti¬ 
ty or salt to the ashes before applying them 
were snared with a hit of wire fastened to the 
end of a stick. 
We quote another rabbit pit from the Agri- 
zrjj 1 ««* *■»*-*« ” ‘Uhehnis. Can“ upc ro„r “eYX ‘ In the Isle of ITiarieLon the 
year,, with very little return m the way of rows thsn these , east coast of Kent, the writer witnessed and 
manure. The soil is lcamy, hut hard and 
shallow—the plow never turned up a very 
great depth of the genuine hard-pan— 
A.—Which “comes up to the third rail on 
the fence,” does it ? 
*4.—No, I think not. 
east coast of Kent, the writer witnessed and 
superintended, on his own property, the meth- 
7 —»—***«. A-v/v. A. 7-- ^ j 
B.— Well, they had the usual quantity of od which he now proceeds cursorily to de- 
hfis wifV> aVii-iitf r u scribe and ihe, ffCPnmncmT'in/Y ^1 i !ii 
ashes, with about one part in twelve of salt. 
That killed the leaves where it dissolved up¬ 
on tr.em, (ashes alone will sometimes do that,) 
scribe, and the accompanying diagram will 
tend to define the limits of the spaces required. 
‘ No - 1 represents a pit five feet on each side 
/? Nnf nuit. 17 f ... . on mem, (ashes alone will sometimes do that.) r rt presents a pit nveteet on each side 
“a little deener” But thlS eeason we wenfc but I think it had a beneficial effect, and shall ^uare. It is an oblong, four feet long, 
•i j*. j.j , tr y to measure it, if the corn ever comes to and about tw0 feet broad - Both are dug to 
1 a little deeper.” 
-4.—Subsoiled it, did you? 
B- —Yes, about eight inches, which was 
try to measure it, if the corn ever comes to - —o . 
husking. the depth of six feet, perfectly level at the Inn 
- 1 -—How many times did you hoe your bottom and sides, the latter so much wider 1 ^ ■ 
corn? How much “good cultivation” did than the wooden curbs, as to admit of a facirg The general idea nf * l • iL 
you give it ? of four-inch brick work, in cement, excepting suggested t wiT h/ r P ***“ 
B. Hoed the first time in July, remember, tbe s D aces to admit of about six arched open- modify it at his pleasure Of a ™ ateur to 
and then six weeks of haying and harvesting iags ^ marked ) of dimensions sufficient for mens given we wmild onlv nh-cr *7* 
-or attempts at it-between the showers.- the P—*° °f the largest rabbit. 2 , is the both appear’ 
Only once, for what more could I do 1 fading department. 3, is only an arched pan- pit, al2TJn"S tt‘n“ toZT™ A 
-d. Well, give u. the items. at the gronnd level of the hot premises We donh? whetL . ? 
-S.—“ Cultivating— 2 i darn a * t,;™ ck;i- to m of the two pits, about a foot wide and * amma.s kept 
enough for the first time, and two or three comT Ho w f f 
inches lower than plow ever went there before. V ou <dve ir ? " e ood cultivation did 
A _ .1 _ 11 r 1 you Q ive It . 
A.— Your corn-field shows well, from here. 
What did you do to get so fair a growth ? 
-B -—Here is a memorandum of work done 
—a labor account against “ Corn— 3 acres.” 
“ May 3, 4 and 7—three days drawing muck, 
two hands and team, $8,26,” (charging ten 
The general idea of a rabbit pit being thus 
B. Hoed the first time in July, remember, 
and then six weeks of haying and harvesting 
—or attempts at it—between the showers._ 
Only once, for what more could I do ? 
-4.—AY ell, give us the items. 
That was the first thing-but it was stopped * 9 S8 1 : . hoeiBg da 5' s at sii shillings, J road * to b ®. n . e . as a communication between would be maintained in such good health as! 
by the rain when the lot was only half cover- ^ -making so far, to say nothing of the * te pits * Tfosisalso bncked and arched, but those above it. Undoubtedly "the 10 ^ 
ed. The muck came from the ma^h Mow ^ and '. about $32 ’ ^ «1 P- « - seen a the top. A ^vering of oi! cloth feet 
-handy, you see,-and just the thing tosnp- “'d ten ne^ni li' 7, ‘ to tb. emb ,f ewh p .t, Md thecloth the rabbit court with the rabbit pit.- 
handy, you see,—and just the thing to sup¬ 
ply the lack of vegetable matter. 
A.—I heard a theory the other day,—you 
J and ten per cent, profit, I will be satisfied. 
4 — If you don’t, what then? 
A.-l heard a theory the other day,-yen » ! -B—Yes, and I hope to get it—one of corn, I /ifV v t ♦ . ♦ 
can help confirm, perhaps ? It was that north * 1 U 1>U A b ° me manure and tr y 14 a Sain, anot her of pumpkin vines, and a third, pretty ^ 0 lit lit tt It 1 1 it { t (T IT S 
and east hill-sides, or any land more than f ut 01 J more muck and ashes and fair-one, of pigeon grass ! _* 
biown.w.ybyJnninmngaic^d^^ ' Hb.ndbnhd if , f ^ —TiU^afo ro. , 8 rnahin. 
lost its proper share of veiretiible matter i r< 1 . _ * les, wltn spare rib and baked potatoes! feartul ravages in this 44-1 a 
f -9„s. l th« care herein. Cmnrsh Provi^l ^ °° ^ ^ ^ ™ fourth SUST. IT, 
left this lull open to every bleak wind—and B. Yes and in manure T oftpu ih' t t 8hould meet in October . Yes, and we sowed preventive, I am decidedly of the opinion that 
laVtho hl> ° d 8 fam ha8 , had Uly leaV€S f ° r the the stor y °’ f farmers in a parish inject- them-soexcu^^ 1 mUSt S ° *° ^ ^ f° Ur corres Pondent, Amery Wilson, of Marcel- 
ias thousand years or less-no doubt of it. land, I think it was, who w c re accustomed af- lt _ lu8 J ? COrrect in -commending early digging 
So, you are for adding muck to make ter planting and sowing were over to ™ v t, w v and thorough drying in the sun. The first ex- 
up? , . ° . ° vere OVtr t0 g° French Beans.—W e have iust harvestpd wrinn™ t y,.-_ , .. 
netner Jarmmg mil pay or not. B.—Yes with snare-rih andhal-Arl ^,1 e * -> potato roc is making 
-1-Good spunk. Go ahead and trust in There is a potato patch to talk of if we fourth oftUcn thisIo0a !' :t ^ At least oue- 
rovidence! „ , A , „ ’ we Iou rtn ot the crop is already destroyed Asa 
B- Yes, and in man ,,I often think of Slt lrtTofAte °b^ I mart rZ ” Tl preT “ liTC ’ 1 “ m aecldedly if the opiniin that 
ie story of the farmers in a parish in Scot- them—no excuse ine * ovor a, your correspondent, Aueet WttsON, of Marcel- 
iem—so excuse me. 1 11CJ ^ _ * . 7 . 
^ j ^ correct in recommending early digging 
y. ' ' ' . ' ‘ . : and thorough drying in the sun. The first ex- 
1 - EKNcu Beans^ YY e have just harvested our . perience I had with the disease was in the fall 
up? i o ttuu ; uwia « were over go French Beans.—W e have just harvested our uerience I had with tb<» j- ' 7 “ ft. 
„ - , x around in procession, with the minister at imm a a ik , our penence I had with the disease was m the fall 
Wlf'i Ae8 ’ and meant to have hiackened the their head, praying God’s blessing on their offi f ^ h ° m ° f 1844 ‘ Ifc commenced in about the same 
whole three acres pretty thoroughly, but the C roD 3 Thev »t l.-f i 1 at. Office the Haricot Flageolet, a small white manner as this year. I dug my potatoes the 
wet spring prevented. sLfoken^ ^ LZ S t to a field so poverty bean of fine quality. A good string-bean, cap- middle of Sept, ruber. They were about o t- 
-4.—Your agricultural papers say fresh muck out, “Pass on pass'on' friends 1 '^? Calk<1 lCal k ; r soups and bakin S- Bipens early, and fourth rotten in the hill. ' I let them dry in 
makes the land sour—that it should be com- will do no good her' tlV a u ^ * Ug ?“ qUlte productlve - The onl Y fault ^ saw in the sun, and drew them to the barn and spread 
I-rfed. >’ S here ~ tk ^ ^ d must have it was that the pods did not all ripen at once; them upon the floor IS to 20 inches deep 
Yes, I know that, and believe it,— A. _Well > O didn’t „„„ sop m were st: 11 green, and others over ripe and opened the large doors every morning and 
could prove it to you if needs he. Leached about a prosDect’of thr '• •(' •? 1Kg s P oi ed oy he wet weather. However, this closed them every evening, and every day or 
ashes are just the thing to compost the muck field ? I think vou did* ° ^ I01U ^ C ° m 0t StaS0n ratber tban of fc wo gave them a thorough stirring. The re- 
} he Hancot flageolet. B., Sept. 8 . suit was, not a potato commenced rotting af- 
