VOLUME VI. NO. 52,} 
Stmt's Hand IGliuflflrlitr. 
A QUARTO 'WEEEXY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY, & FAMILY JOURNAL. 
Ths Rvrai New-Yorutir io deigned to bo unigne 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 ombraces 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, Litb- 
*aby and Family Newspaper. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.~SATURDAY. DECEMBER 29, 1855. 
{WHOLE NO. 312. 
-fckr. 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
CLOSE OF THE YEAR AND VOLUME. 
Again, and for the sixth time, it becomes 
cur duty to chronicle the close of a volume 
of ihe IIural New-Yorker —thus adding finis 
to the earnest labors and sincere aspirations 
of a twelve-month. The occasion is one of 
no triflirig interest to us, and awakens min¬ 
gled emotions—regretful and pleas irable.— 
The termination of a subscription year and 
volume is indeed an important era in the life 
of an Editor, especially of a journal conduct¬ 
ed upon the right plan—the cash system—for 
the reason that he takes at least temporary 
leave of the great majority of his readers, 
relying upon their good will and confidence, 
and the reputation his work has acquired, for 
a continuance of their support and encour¬ 
agement. And the more widely circulated 
and Influential the journal, the greater the 
interest and solicitude naturally experienced 
by the Editor and Publisher in closing one 
and entering upon another volume. It is a 
period for serious consideration—for a critical 
review of the manner and justice with which 
the various arduous and perplexing duties of 
his responsible position have been discharged; 
and, however honest and indefatigable he may 
have been, the intelligent and conscientious 
journalist often fears that his labors will be 
weighed in the balance and found wanting by 
the more discriminating members of the com¬ 
munity whose interests and welfare he has 
faithfully endeavored to promote. And more¬ 
over he is aware that the united labors of 
himself, associates and contributors are not 
unfrequently viewed from such a stand-point 
of superior wisdom on one subject, or preju¬ 
dice in regard to another, a3 will not be like¬ 
ly to result in an impaitial and favorable 
judgment. For example, competent review¬ 
ers of the Practical Departments of the Rural 
will very likely find some sins of omission 
and commission which might and ought to 
have been avoided,—the Scientific, Literary 
and Educational Departments may perhaps 
be justly criticised by persons well versed in 
those branches,—while the News, Commer¬ 
cial and Market Intelligence, &c , may be 
declared imperfect by those who think it very 
easy to perform what they never attempted. 
Yet the critic in either does not consider or 
properly appreciate the labor and attention 
neeeBsarily bestowed upon other departments 
—nor make allowance for the fact that we 
combine in this, the discussion and elucida¬ 
tion of a greater number of important sub¬ 
jects than are usually treated in several ordi¬ 
nary journals. Our object from the com¬ 
mencement of the Rural New-Yorker has 
not been to furnish either an Agricultural, 
Horticultural, Mechanical, Scientific, Edu¬ 
cational, Literary, or News journal — but 
rather to combine all these subjects, and thus pre¬ 
sent a paper unequalled in Value, Variety 
and Usefulness of Contents. 
This Journal was commenced, and has been 
thus far continued, with a firm determina¬ 
tion that it should, extraordinaries excepted, 
achieve a position and success which would 
clearly entitle it to rank as the First of its 
Class in Mfrit, Usefulness and Popularity. 
Our earnest dtsiro has ever been to make it an 
honest, independent, reliable and eminent’^ 
useful Rural, Literary and Family Newspa¬ 
per— correct iu its teachings on Practical 
Subjects, instructive and entertaining to 
members of the Family Circle, of high moral 
time, and entirely free from deception and 
qua keiy even in its advertising department. 
IIow far and well we have succeeded in thiei 
earneet and ccnstant endeavor, our readers 
can best determine. Conscious we are that 
no reasonable effort has been intermitted on 
* our parn to so conduct the Rural as to en¬ 
hance the interest and welfare of its readers, 
however much it may have fallen short of 
" t}l f public expectation. To accomplish the 
l oejects designed in its establishment, we have 
7 lab °rcd almost incessantly—sacrificed health, 
r and scarcely taken a holiday during the 
* whole six years of its publication. In addi- 
j to this, we have expended upon it thon- 
, sands of dollars more than many considered 
1 wise and prudent, and beyond the cost of 
5 publishing any other Agricultural or similar 
journal in this country. P.ut we are content 
with the present and prospective return ac¬ 
corded to our efforts and investments—for 
though, as a friend recently remarked, money 
alone can never compensate us for what he 
termed untiring and slavish labor, the wide 
and extensive appreciation of the Rural, 
coupled with the belief that it is accomplish¬ 
ing good wherever circulated, is more satis¬ 
factory than would be the accumulation of 
wealth under other cr almost any circum¬ 
stances. And it is most gratifying to us, as 
we presume the announcement of the fact 
will be to the thousands of its ardent friends 
and supporters throughout ths country, to 
know that the Rural New-Yorker has at¬ 
tained. within the comparatively brief period 
of its existence, a circulation far larger than 
that of any other Agricultural cr similar 
journal in the World. Still more gratifying 
is the fact that its present enviable position 
<»nd circulation have been achieved without 
resorting to any unfair or dishonorable course 
toward its contemporaries or the public, but 
by making a good paper, and mainly relying 
upon its merits for support. In its infancy 
and comparative weakness, it assumed that 
there was abundant room for and need of 
such a journal, uad in its maturity it encoura- 
*ges and welcomes all journals, cld and new, 
which honorably seek to promote the glorious 
objects for which it will zealously continue to 
labor—Physical, Mental and Mora! “ Progress 
and Improvement.” 
Thu3 much of the Past—and perhaps alto¬ 
gether too much, though the occasion is some 
apology, if any were necessary, for alluding 
to personal affairs, and somewhat freely ex¬ 
pressing the thoughts which are naturally 
suggested in reviewing the history and pro¬ 
gress of this publication. 
A few remarks relative to our prospects and 
arrangements for tlm Future. Stimulated 
by the largely increased circulation of the 
Rural during the past year, and encouraged 
by unmistakable indications of a still greater 
augmentation during the year ensuing, we 
have made more liberal and expensive ar¬ 
rangements than ever before to improve the 
paper in both Contents and Appearance.— 
With the view of augmenting its reputation 
and usefulness, the Conducting Editor has 
engaged a corps of Assistants and Special 
Contributors unequalled in number, talent 
and peculiar capacity and experience. In the 
office he will have the continued assistance of 
Messrs. Bixby and Webster, whose acknowl¬ 
edged ability and long experience emin.ntly 
qualify them for the positions assigned. As 
Special Contributors, Messrs. Brooks, Peters, 
White and Wetmore— each and all of whom 
are too well and favorably known to our 
readers and the public to require further in¬ 
troduction will continue to enrich our pages 
with the results of their wide observation 
and large experience. We have also the 
pleasure of announcing Prof. C. Dewey, D. D ! 
LL D., and Lyman B. Langwortiiy, Esq.,_ I 
gentlemen widely celebrated for superior at- ! 
tainments in Scientific and Practical aff-tiv& - 1 
as editorial contributors to this journal._ 1 
With such a combination of talent aDd expe- ! 
rieuce, the assistance of hundreds of occasion- 1 
al Contributors and Correspondents—and de¬ 
cided improvements in mechanical execution < 
and appearance — we can saf ly promise that 1 
the Seventh Volume of the Rural will greatly 
excel either of its predecessors in all the re- < 
qirsite essentials of a complete Agricultural, < 
Literary and Family Newspaper. i 
LEGUMINOUS PLANTS - THE PEA. I WHAT CONSTITUTES AN IMPROVED EAliM. 
The pea concludes the list of leguminous 
plants in which the farmers of this country 
are specially and practically interested. Ein- 
hof’s analysis of the pea gives the following 
results: 
.12.5 
Husk . 8 3 
Legumen, albumen, &c. 26.4 
Starch.43.6 
Sugar. 2.0 
Gum, &c. 4 0 
Oil and fat. 1.2 
Saits and loss. 20 
The U. S. Agricultural Society will hold 
its Fourth Annual Meeting at Washington, 
D. C., Jan. 9th, 1S56. Reports of its mana¬ 
gers will be submitted, and a new election of 
officers had during the meeting. Lectures 
and interesting discussions are also exoected. 
The Transactions of the Society for 1855, con- 
tuning a full account of the iate Exhibition 
at Boston, will be distributed to members in 
att; ndance. Delegates are requested from the 
various local Agricultural Societies. 
Total...100.0 
By comparison with the analysis of the 
field bean by the same experimentalist, it 
will be seen that the pea in one hundred 
parts contains three and one-tenth less water 
and one and seven-tenths less husk ; while at 
the same time it contains fourteen and seven- 
tenths per cent, greater amount of legumen 
and albumen. These two principles are 
among the most nutritious of known vegeta¬ 
ble substances, and approach very near in 
their constituents to fibrin in the animal 
economy. 
Hence it will bo seen that, valuable as is 
the bean as an article of food, the pea sur¬ 
passes it in nutritious qualities. It is also 
healthful in the highest degree, and one of 
the most universally palatable of vegetable 
productions. In its green state, immense 
quantities are sold in every market of the 
civilized world, and in its dry state nothing 
can exceed it as an article for soups. The 
choicest mode of preparation for this purpose 
is to hull and split the kernels by means of a 
machine constructed for the purpose, but 
that is by no means necessary ; for, if the 
kernels be boiled with a beef bone rich in 
marrow, until the hull breaks off and the in¬ 
ternal structure dissolves away, no human 
being with gustatory organs in a normal 
state, could resist an invitation to partake. 
Great use is made of the pea as a substitute 
for coffee. It is burned and ground in the 
same manner, then mixed with the genuine 
article as an adulterator ; and happy may the 
drinker consider himself, if he imbibes a de¬ 
coction no mere injurious. The commercial 
reporter of one of the Boston dailies, assured 
us a year or two since, that, in one of hi 3 
strolls along the wharves in quest of shipping 
news, he passed a large coffee burning and 
grinding house, into which they were at the 
moment hoisting divers sacks. One of these 
when partially elevated, happened to burst, 
and the contents — not Mocha coffee, but Ca¬ 
nadian peas — were scattered about the cave- 
ment. 
Peas are a superior article for fattening 
swine ; and during the early feeding they are 
even preferable to corn. They are also excel¬ 
lent food for sheep, poultry, and other do¬ 
mestic animals. For such purposes thoy 
should either be cooked, or, being mixed with 
oats or some other of the coarser grains, re¬ 
duced to the form of meal. The vine of the 
pea, when properly cured, is a superior fod¬ 
der for sheep, and is eaten by them with 
avidity. 
Wheat land is the best for peas, hut they 
will grow well on other soils. Where manure 
is applied, it should be well rotted, a 3 crude 
manures stimulate the vines to rank luxuri¬ 
ance at the expense of the fruit. If the crude 
manure was applied to a previous c/op, so 
that the pea wculd have the benefit of it the 
second year, the result would be advanta¬ 
geous. Clean fallowing, or a Tich sod well 
turned, rolled, and then cultivated until mel¬ 
low, is an excellent preparation. The seed is 
usually sown broadcast, three bushe's to ihe 
acre ; and, as no ftar need be entertained of 
the frost, early seeding is desirable. 
Boussingault gives, as the amount produ¬ 
ced from an exper rnont on manured laud at 
Bachelbronn, France, sixteen bushels of peas, 
weighing fully 62 uounds per bushel, a d 23 
cvfc. of straw. Twenty or twenty-five bush¬ 
els, however, is no unusual crop. The pea i 
bug is a great ene ay to the crop, and when j 
abundant reduces ihe value at least one-ha'f 
as an article of farm economy, and of course 
ruins it entirely for human food. The best 
remedy for this pest is clean tillage, rotation 
with other crops, ana clean seed. The pea i 
crop Raves the ground in excellent condition j 
to be followed by wheat. 
ts Much has been said and written on this 
7 subject, a good deal of which is not adapted 
- to the great mass of onr country farmers. Our 
g views and remarks on this subject are intend¬ 
ed to be within the Teach and ability of every 
man who owns and tills his own soil, and 
knows the value of time and economises its use. 
In the first place we must insist that every 
thing should be snug, neat and convenient 
about the hopse, barns, sheds, yards and gar¬ 
den, with good plain substantial hoard or 
picket fence, and light, simple, well made 
gates. The next point, and what we consider 
3 an absolute requirement,— the fences, of 
k whatever variety, must be well and neatly put 
I up, of sufficient height and properly secured 
r against hegs, cattle and wind, 
k There should he a lane through the centre 
of the farm, if the highways do not provide 
1 the proper convenience. The farm should be 
' divided into five or ten acre lots, eg that it 
shall not be necessary to have more than one 
J kind of crop in a field, and every field be sup¬ 
plied with a good, strong gate attached to a 
large pest, set deep in the earth. The next 
5 duty will be, to keep the lines of fences clear 
cf all noxious plants, not only for safety 
* against spreading and foul seeds, but against 
* the reaching and pushiug of animals, kept in 
s the long pasture — the highway— after the 
* fresh leaves and twigs. 
Now wa will look after the condition of the 
’ soil,—the- most important and vital part of 
5 good farming. The first duty, after a fidd has 
! been a proper time under tillage, is to remove 
1 the stones and stumps—yea, every stump, for 
* they are an unmitigated nuisance—taking up 
! space—fostering briars and weeds, and being 
1 great stumbling blocks in plowing, causing bad 
balks in the lands, breaking plows, harness, 
; &c. Out with them, it costs a mere nothing, 
and may bs done at odd spells in almost any 
month, even in winter. 
Then commences ths great and important 
consideration, how it is to be drained, for 
good drainage is of as much importance to se¬ 
cure good crops, as good s i! and good seasons 
In this country land is too cheap and farmers 
too poor to resort to systematic under-drain¬ 
ing with Tile, at a co3t of from §50 to $100 per 
acre, theugu a great many soils would be ma¬ 
terially benefited by that process. It has 
nearly doubled the productive ability of the 
old worn lands of England, that have been 
subjected to that course; but w.th onr new 
pervious and unworn soils, the immediate ben¬ 
efits would not generally meet the outlay.— 
Therefore, for small land owners, and with 
moderate means, surface draining will be 
principally depended upon. 
There are few fields, not absolutely swamps, 
from inequalities of surface and mounds from 
wind falls, but what the plow and scraper may 
be very advantageously ueed, not only to level 
but to grade for drainage. Deep ditches and 
cuts in plowed fid s cannot be tolerated, they 
fall in and fill up and disturb a regular sys¬ 
tem of plowing and cult.vation. In all such 
cases ditches should bs made by sloping off 
with the scraper so gradually as to allow the 
wagon and plow to pass without disturbance. 
Taere is a way and a best way to drain every 
fidd in the cmntrv, and it requires but little 
science if aided by a good eye and sound 
judgment to discover it and carry it out in 
detail. 
A field thus far prepared, should previous to 
a thorough and deep plowing, have a good 
dressing of manure on all the parts where the 
s raper has removed the soil, the low places 
that have been filled in, wdl need none. Es¬ 
timate the number of plowiugs it should re¬ 
ceive, and so contrive it, that the last shall 
leave the deep furrows in the right direction 
for drainage, and then the field, if in good 
heart, will prove a Savings Bark on which 
you may draw almost unlimitedly. 
If you s.t out an orchard,‘set the trees from 
40 to 50 feet apart; so that if you wish to 
| plow for the benefit of the trets, they will be 
open enough that you cin raise sufficient to 
pay for the labor of breaking up. 
Operate every field thus, as you find time 
| and oppo tunitv ; follow a regular rotation of 
crops and manuring, k ep out Canada thi.t es ; 
i r°d root, elders and johnswort, and you will 
! have wh it is s) much talked about and so sel- 
I dom seen, an Imp ravel Farm. 
Ihe coarser fodder of the farm-yard should | Tnose of our readers desirous of extending 
be fed out early in the season,—yet care , the circulation of the Rural, and thereby 
should be taken to keep animils in good con- ! au jramtitig its usefulness, are rtt'erred to 
dition at all times, especially in winter. Prospectus, &c., on our stventh page. 
STONE UNDEB DEAINS. 
Some sensible “ Hints on Draining,” are 
given by “ A. W.,” in a late Rural, to only 
one of which am I disposed to demur, and 
that is in reference to the use of loose stones 
above a water-course. I have had more expe¬ 
rience with stone underdrains than he reports; 
have always placed loose stones above the 
sluiceway, and, when not used too freely, 
never mistrusted they were a detriment. He 
gays—if there is loose stone above the wa¬ 
ter-course, the dirt accumulates therein until 
it i3 full,” &c. How? 
My object in using them is to prevent just 
that thing. From a promiscuous lot of stone 
I have Dever been able to make a sluiceway 
sufficiently tight without them, and would 
thank A. W. to tell me how he does it. The 
wall or cobble stone that is placed along the 
sides of the ditch, are not apt to he of uni¬ 
form size or form, and of course, underneath 
the cap-stones that are placed across the ditch 
are apertures that need closing up. The cap¬ 
stones, too, will not very often reach exactly 
from bank to bank, and where they do not, it 
is necessary to fit in smaller ones between the 
ends or sides of the cap-stones and the banks, 
to keep the covering firm in its place. And 
then the cap-stones will not fit to each other 
as if hewn, and the crevices between need 
closing up, which may he done by another 
flat stone placed to break joints, and small 
stones chicked in at the sides, or hy the use 
of small stones altogether. Now, what I 
mean by loose stone is those small ones used 
| to render the water-course tight, and I would 
use just enough to accomplish that end, and 
not one more. 
In a 30 inch drain, my instructions are to 
take such pains in placing ;ne small stone as 
to have all tne openings to the w*U-, cotu..e 
oelow, filled and chinked with a total of 10 
inches of stone, thus leaving 20 inches to the 
surface of the ground which is suffi 
admit of subsoiling, and out of 0 f 
moles and mice. If it be a 3 ft. ditch, they 
may he thrown in with less pains, as the ad¬ 
ditional six inches of stone, if they are small, 
however carelessly thrown in, will do very 
much to secure and guard the water-course. 
And how a drain thus constructed is more 
likely to fail, is what I cannot understand. 
It is held by some—old country people among 
them—that a drain made entirely of small or 
broken stone promiscuously thrown in, and 
covered with turf, is more durable than one 
with a sluiceway : but in such as is here de¬ 
scribed, we have both, and when the sluice¬ 
way fids up, (if it should.,) we have still left 
what they contend is best. 
A. TV. is quite right in condemning the no¬ 
tion that only earth sufficient to work the 
plow is all that is necessary above the stone. 
It is an egregious error, as many a man has 
dearly learnea. When ditches are thus made 
and the ground plowed in the Fall, there may 
be found in the spr ng from the bottom of 
dead furrows, holes worked through to the 
stone, through which sediment is rapidly be¬ 
ing carried to ultimately spoil the drain._ 
But if there are 10 or 12 inches to the stone, 
that trouble is not likely to occur. 
Pittsburgh. I'ec., 1S55. w. B. P. 
Remarks —We think all the difference in 
the views of Messrs. W. and P., will be found 
in the definitions given by each to “ loose 
stone ”—one throwing them in promiscuously, 
and the other packing and arranging them 
so as to form a proper water course. We are 
sure A. W. does not intend to speak.of stone 
thus laid as loose stone.—E d 3 . 
An Agricultural Exposition is announced 
to be held in Paris, on the 23d of Mav, 1856, 
to be followed by another on the 22i May of 
the year following. It will be strictly Agri¬ 
cultural, and comprise three grand divisions. 
Prizes will be awarded for cattle, hogs, rab¬ 
bits, fowls and other farm animals,—for agri¬ 
cultural machines and utensils,— and for ag¬ 
ricultural products. For labor-saving ma¬ 
chines, it is proposed to distribute thirty-nine 
prizes, amounting to 7,C50 francs. This will 
afford American inventors and manufacturers 
a fine opportunity to introduce their imple¬ 
ments and machines into France, by obtain¬ 
ing patents and selling rights, or opening 
manufactories. The expense of transport 
from the frontiers to Paris, will be paid by 
the French Government on all articles sent 
to the Exposition. The cnly formality neces¬ 
sary on the part of American exhibitors, is to 
file a declaration at the office of the French 
Consul-General in New York previous to the 
9th of April ensuing. 
