I 
their members are imbued with the true spirit 
of progress. There are, however, some features 
which require modification, while others are 
entitled to increased attention and promi¬ 
nence. To seme of these we shall allude here¬ 
after,—and meantime invite the opinions and 
suggestions of experienced readers touching 
the best modes of enhancing the prosperity of 
our Societies and augmenting the usefulness 
of their exhibitions. 
or drouth, and also to receive benefit from 
atmospheric influences. The conclusion is ev¬ 
idently a safe one that any one who can have 
muck for the digging on his own farm, will fin d 
it for his advantage to apply it to almost any 
upland soil. Its greatest benefit is found 
when composted with other decomposing 
agents,—for instance, with an alkali, or mixed 
with stable manure or used as an absorbent of 
the liquid portions of the same, or of the gases 
of animal or vegetable matters undergoing 
spontaneous decomposition,—before its appli¬ 
cation to the soil. Thus treated, a thousand 
experiments have shown that a fertilizing ma¬ 
terial equal in value to stable manure, can he 
produced at much less cost. Surely it is a 
matter worthy of the practical and earnest at¬ 
tention of our readers, as well as of frequent 
discussion in our columns. 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
ASBICULTUBAL, LITERARY, i FAMILY JOURNAL, 
CONDUCTED BY B. B. T. MOORE. 
ASS0CLAT3 EDITORS : 
S H. BIX BY, T. C. PET MIS, EDWARD WET "TEE, 
SpiMjial Contributors : 
T E. WnraoRi H. 0. Whitt:, H.T. Brooks, L. Wxtssssu. 
Ladies’ Port-Polio by A tile. 
MUCK-ITS MANURIAL ACTION AND YALUE, 
Some conversation recently had with a far¬ 
mer friend, on the subject of muck, set us in¬ 
to a re-examination of chemical theories as 
to its constituents, manurial value, aud mode 
of action, and what we have gleaned, princi¬ 
pally from Dana’s “ Muck Manual,” will pro¬ 
bably interest him and others. It is a subject 
on which a great deal has been written, but 
as yet it is far from exhausted ; and the bet¬ 
ter it is understood the greater will be the 
importance attached to it. Those who have 
given muck a fair trial are convinced of its 
value, which is so readily evident that its use 
is extending, for in agriculture a3 in all else 
a good example influences those who look 
upon it. So farmers are beginning to peer 
into swamps and pond-holes, and find there 
something worth looking for and using, as an 
application to any soil dejicient in vegetable matter. 
The very nature of muck shows that here it 
must he serviceable. 
Of what is muck composed ? Of decayed 
vegetables—mosses, grass, leaves, and woody 
matter, pretty thoroughly decomposed. — 
“Peat,” says Dana, “is the result of that 
spontaneous change in vegetable matter which 
ends in geine” —a term which, “ in an agri¬ 
cultural sense, includes all the decomposed 
organic matter in the soil. It is highly con¬ 
centrated vegetable food — not only partly 
cooked hut seasoned.” An analysis of speci¬ 
mens from ten different localities in Ma s., 
by Prof. D., gave an average, in 100 parts, of 
Soluble geine or organic matter,.29.41 
Insoluble do. . . .54.73 
Salts and Silicates.15.55 
These samples comprise probably a fair av¬ 
erage of peat or swamp muck through the 
country. Dr. C. T. Jackson, from an analy¬ 
sis of twenty samples cf peat from different 
localities in Rhode Island, obtained an ave¬ 
rage of 72 parts of geine, or organic vegeta¬ 
ble matter, and 24 of salts and silicates, in 
100 parts, dried at 800°. Muck, even when 
allowed to drain as dry as it will, contains 
from 73 to 97 per cent, of water. 
Dana makes the following comparison of a 
cord of muck vith a cord of fresh cow dung 
—103 bushels to a cord : 
Weight. Soluble Insoluble Salts of Lime, 
geine. geine. 
Dung, 9,289 128 1 248 92 
Hue's (1) 9,216 376 673 91 
SELECTION 0E A EARM. 
In the selection of land for a farm, there 
are thoughts and things to be taken into con¬ 
sideration that a volume would scarcely serve 
to discuss, yet some of them may be profitably 
hinted at within the limits which here cir¬ 
cumscribe us. What is a farm ? should first 
b9 asked ; for in the consideration of any sub¬ 
ject it is time well-applied which is spent in 
getting a clear idea of the word which names 
it. A farm, for ns, means a portion of land 
cultivated and managed by the owner, who 
lives upon it ; and hence it takes in the 
thought of home, so that homestead is aimost'a 
synonomous term. Hence among things to 
be considered in the choice of a farm, we shall 
say: 
1. The farm should be pleasantly and con¬ 
veniently situated as a home. The health, 
comfort, and happiness of those who are to 
occupy it, are of prime importance—so every 
social and physical influence which hear upon 
them, should have due weight in determining 
a choice. However fertile a farm may be, if 
the locality is an unhealthy one, it cannot 
make a pleasant home. If fertile and healthy, 
but surrounded by a moral miasma—or with 
few social privileges and advantages—it can¬ 
not he a pleasant home. 
2. The farm should he in agreement with 
the means and circumstances of the owner.— 
A farmer needs capital a3 well as land, in or¬ 
der to operate profitably. The great error of 
American husbandry is that farms are, almost 
universally, too large for the labor and capital 
at the command of those who carry them on. 
Hence arises a train of evils which we have 
often sought to bring before our readers. 
8, The farm should be suited to the pro¬ 
ducts proposed—and these should conform 
with the demands of the market, and the 
taste and experience of the owner. Some 
farms are best calculated for grain-growing, 
others for the dairy, others still for stock and 
wool-growing. In many localities these may 
ho profitably combined, and land secured 
which shall be appropriated to such a course 
of husbandry. The recent great increase in 
the facilities cf transportation, influences a 
large extent of country, and many places, 
heretofore of small value on account of dis¬ 
tance from market, have now become desira¬ 
ble for farming purposes, 
RURAL PROGRESS INDICATED, 
The son of a Country cr Farmer-Clergyman, 
we naturally possess some partiality for that 
large class of useful and devoted men,—and 
moreover, as not a few members of the pro¬ 
fession are subscribers and correspondents cf 
the Rural, it is proper that we should en¬ 
deavor to promote their interests. It is with 
this object in view that we give the accom¬ 
panying beautiful design for a Cottage for a 
Country Clergyman. The plan is one cf the 
best we have ever seen, and admirably adapted 
to the wants of the class for which it is de¬ 
signed ; and if it does not accord with the 
taste and means of individuals, it may furnish 
valuable hints and suggestions in constructing 
something similar, though perhaps less orna¬ 
mental and expensive. And as to the expense, 
we opine there are hundreds of congregations 
within the circle of our parish of readers, each 
Now that the Annual. Exhibitions of the 
numerous State, County and Township Agri¬ 
cultural Societies have closed, it may be well 
to take a reckoning in order to ascertain 
whether, compared with former years, any 
marked progress has been manifested. If 
nothing or hut little has been accomplished 
for the advancement of the Agricultural Inter¬ 
est—if no real progress has been demonstrated 
in the culture of the soil and in improving 
the quality and increasing the quantity of its 
products, in the breeding of domestic animals, 
and in farm management and husbandry — 
then the hundreds of thousands of farmers 
who have attended the Rural Shows and Jubi¬ 
lees recently held throughout the country, 
have expended their time and money to little 
purpose, albeit the novelties witnessed and 
recreation enjoyed may have proved person¬ 
ally beneficial. Certain individuals, and par¬ 
ticularly prominent exhibitors, have no doubt 
been largely benefited, pecuniarily, either di¬ 
rectly or indirectly, and this benefit has nat¬ 
urally been - participated in by members of the 
surrounding community. But unless the 
great mass of spectators observed simething 
superior to what they had seen before in the 
animal or vegetable kingdom, and learned 
som new or improved process of accomplish¬ 
ing this or that operation or object—unless 
they acquired positive knowledge pertaining 
to some important branch of their occupation 
— unless valuable information has been ob¬ 
tained concerning matters practical aud theo¬ 
retical, suggestive of better and more profitable 
modes of culture and management — indeed, 
unless both exhibitors and visitors separated 
with new ideas and a fixed determination to 
institute improvement at home, and thereby ex¬ 
cel former efforts in this or that department 
of tillage or husbandry, then surely the de¬ 
sign for which Agricultural Associations are 
professedly organized aud sustained has not 
been realized, 
the elevation, ” says Mr. D , “ we have chosen 
a simple cottage style—on9 that always befits 
rural scenery, and gives the most room for the 
ccst, cf any that can be adopted. The rustic 
veranda, and rustic trellis over the windows, 
are intended for vines—but not merely as a 
support for vines—but rather as thereby giv¬ 
ing an air of rural refinement and poetry to 
the house, with small expense. They are not 
to be included in the original ccst of the 
cottage, but added afterward from time to 
time by the clergyman himself, aided by 
some farm hand, expert with the saw 
and hammer. They should he constructed 
of cedar poles—with the bark on—which 
may be had in most places for a trifle, and 
which, if neatly put together, will be more 
becoming to such a cottage as this, than 
more elaborate carpentry werk.” 
^ The ground plan needs but little further 
l I explanation. The study has places for 
'-■'I books at B, B, (at one of which a door 
i mi gfct, if desirable, connect with the din- 
| ing or living room ;) the two closets in the 
BED ROOM 
11X12 
KITCHEN 
12 X 25 
BACK 
ENTRY 
child's 
BED R. 
7 X9 
PANTRY 
PARLOR 
13X16 
g i convenient. The kitchen, a bed-room for 
AJ] the family, and a child’s bed-room, are all 
placed in connection. The door between 
the latter and the back entry should be 
glazsd to admit light to that part of the 
entry behind C. 
The second floor plan, shows five good 
bed rooms witn a closet to each, (shown 
on a smaller scale.) The house cannot, at 
present prices of labor and materials, be built 
fbr less than $1,500, and then it must he of 
wood—and the inside finish of a plain, unor¬ 
namental character. ‘ ‘ The principal merit pf 
HALL 
6 FT WISE 
VERANDA C 
PORCH 
Still, it is worthy 
to be thought of, whether it will cost ten 
cents or one hundred to bring a product be¬ 
fore the consumer, and the value of a farm 
will depend materially upon the expense of 
inter-communication. The domestic demand 
is also of importance, and always exists, va¬ 
rying with locality. The taste and expe¬ 
rience of the farmer should of course influ¬ 
ence his choice—he will be most successful 
who is most favorably and agreeably situated, 
aad who best knows how to employ the ad¬ 
vantages at his command. 
Other influences exist and should be con¬ 
sidered—these we have rather hinted at than 
discussed,—we prefer to leave the latter to 
our readers. If we can only start toDies in 
GROUND PLAN. 
of which is abundantly able to readily obviate 
any objection in that particular,—the dispo¬ 
sition on the part of prominent members 
being the only desideratum. The parsonage, 
or minister's cottage, is often visited and 
criticised, as well as its occupants, and hence 
both taste and convenience should be con¬ 
sulted in its design and construction. 
borne of the best designed houses ever built, 
were planned first by those who were to live 
in them, and who knew what they wanted ,— a 
rare knowledge, by the way,—and afterwards 
submitted to some competent architect for 
revision and the removal of difficulties and 
discrepances. In this way, the plan here 
presented originated. It is from the Horiicul- 
nor the objects contemplated in 
their exhibitions been properly accomplished. 
The principal State and County Shows have 
been very numerously attended this year, 
while the displays in the leading departments 
have been larger and more attractive than 
heretofore. This is universally conceded by 
all sufficiently conversant with such matters 
to institute a comparison. But whether the 
substantial benefit derived by individuals aud 
community, has been correspondingly en¬ 
hanced, cannot be so easily determined.— 
Judging, however, from what came under our 
observation and hearing at the several Fairs 
which we have attended during the past two 
months, we have no hesitation in expressing 
the opinion that much actual progress has 
been manifested, and that the various rural 
gatherings must result in giving a decided 
impetus to the cause of Improvement.— 
Though individuals may object to some fea¬ 
tures which have been introduced— such as 
female equestrianism — it should be borne in 
mind that novel and attractive items are advan¬ 
tageous in enlisting the attention and securing 
the attendance of those who may thereby be¬ 
come interested in other and more important 
objects. It is difficult to please all, yet we 
think our Societies are improving in the ar¬ 
rangement and management of their exhibi¬ 
tions— presenting, annually, evidence that 
13X14- i 
SECOND FLOOR. 
the design is in its comprising a. 
arrangement for the purpose, br 
fom that is rural and picturesque. 
Prepare for Winter ! —The cold blasts, 
sleet and snow, which have already visited 
this region, indicate the approach of Winter, 
aud should admonish all to prepare for its 
advent. Those who have not yet secured 
their corn, apples, potatoes, &c., have no 
time to lose, and must expect to experience 
some inconvenience from cold and damp while 
completing their fall work. Rain and other 
storms have been so frequent that every mo- 
W orking in Mud.— Farmers ought to ar¬ 
range their business so as to employ their 
,cams as little as possible on the road, during 
the worst seasons of fall mud. Many of the 
evils attending the feet and legs of horses and 
cattle, such as the scratches in the former, 
and hoof-ail in the latter, will be prevented 
by heeding this caution. Great care should 
be taken to keep their limbs clean,— cleanli¬ 
ness is essential to the health of the animal. 
