MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
Comnumicaticnts. 
NEW YORE STATE POULTRY SOCIETY. 
BRAHMAS-TIIEIR ORIGIN. 
The New York State Poultry Society is 
that he should succeed in obtaining three pairs 
of similar character; and that to this source, 
the Hartford stock should be indebted for its 
origin. 
That the white Chittegong with black tail 
feathers, is the real Brahma, is evident from 
soon to assemble at Albany for the purpose of the fact, that when offered as Chittegongs at 
a general exhibition of fine poultry. Compar- tlie Boston exhibition, they were pronounced 
isous will then be made of the best samples of b 7 the judges to be misnamed, and were de- 
all the important breeds of fowls cultivated in cidcd b 7 them to be genuine Brahmas, and 
the State, and premiums will then and there wcrc received as such. 
be awarded for the best specimens. The in- That the gray Shanghai is also'the same, can 
fiuence for good of this meeting, on the inter- admit of no question. They are alike in every 
ests of such portions of the farmers’ stock as feature, except that the gray Shanghai has, 
will come under their notice and examination, generally, a larger admixture of black feathers 
may be extensive and great. While progress over the body. But 1 have seen from the 
has been inscribed on every other interest of Hartford stock, acknowledged as pure Brali- 
the farmer for years past, the poultry interest, mas, birds as handsomely shaded all over the 
great beyond any estimate that had been form- body with black feathers, as the darkest gray 
cd of it, has been wholly overlooked and neg- Shanghais. Now if nothing is to be consider- 
lected, until within a very brief period. The cd as Brahmas at the great exhibition of the 
foreign fowls of recent introduction, have thus State Society, except the progeny of the Hart- 
far been a decided improvement on our native ford pair, bought of the unknown sailor, the 
stock. They have been better layers, possess- value and influence upon the community, of 
ing larger size, and are more quiet and domes- any such decision, can be easily imagined, 
tic in their habits. Among the varieties thus It i s important to the character and useful- 
introduced, are probably to be found all the ness of the State Society, in regard to their 
excellences that can exist in the nature of the decisions, that entire confidence should be re¬ 
case. The design and effect of such exhibition p0S ed by the community in their integrity, 
therefore, is to disseminate the knowledge of knowledge and judgment. A superior breed 
this fact, and to excite a general ambition to of fowls, originating in the hill country, of the 
realize and participate in, the benefits of such Chittegong district, or the adjacent Brahma 
improvement. It comes not within the prov- Pootra valley, would no more be confined to 
ince of the judges, to decide the comparative those localities than would the wind. They 
value of the different breeds or varieties; but must necessarily be scattered eastward through 
to designate the best of each variety. To de- the contiguous Chinese territory. And it is 
cide the comparative value of the different no more to transfer them from their native val- 
breeds, must still be left to the experience and ] ey to Canton and Shanghai, than from the 
judgment of individual breeders, and control northern to the southern portions of the Uni- 
their conduct in relation to them.. ted States. And no more, than to bring the 
The variety which will be the most promi- Shanghais from the mountains of the north to 
nent at the exhibition, and which will enlist the the city of Shanghai. The conclusion, I con- 
strongest feeling, and induce the highest excite- sider irresistible, that Dr. Berret, in his haste 
ment, will doubtless be the Brahma Pootra. and ardor, has attached the name and reputa- 
They are generally, if not uniformly, larger tion of the Brahma fowl, to but a small por- 
than any other variety. In beauty of form, tion of those that are equally and justly enti- 
and productiveness as layers, they are consid- tied to this honor. Hong Kong. 
ered eoual if not sunerior to anv of the Orien- Monroe County, N. \ Jan., 1S54. 
ered equal if not superior to any of the Orien- Monroe County, n. a ., Jan., is,>4. 
tal breeds, and equal to any in desirable hab- ' M? IMKHT Vfii>Y_ UAIY 
its. On account of their extra size, and the ' bi lt.11 Mali l Uhl\ AluuA. 
paucity of their numbers,-those that are con- Mr. Editor:— In the Rural of the 21st, is 
sidered genuine and pure have ruled high as to an article over the signature of “ E. S. H.,” on 
price. I here has been, however, some disa- the CO st of raising Indian corn, in which the 
greement among knowing ones, as to what were writer takes some exceptions to a statement 
the genuine Brahmas. At hat are claimed as made by myself, a few weeks since, upon the 
such, are described as an “India fowl, white, same subject. This article calls for a notice 
with black tails, and a slight shading of black from me/ He says, “he was surprised at read- 
in the neck feathers.' (I find no such word as j n g a statement relating to a crop of Indian 
neck “hackles” in AVebster, or any lexicogra- C orn, ra5scd by C . K. AAA, at the very low cost 
pher to whom I have access.) Their history of 9 j cents per bus hel of ears.” In answer to 
is also cloudy and obscure. No such vague b j s question concerning the amount of manure 
pedigree as is claimed for them by the celebra- applied, I would inform him, that it should 
ted breeders, Mr. Cornish and Mr. Hatch, of have read 200 loads, instead of 20, as in the 
Conn., would be tolerated for a moment, or r ubal; perhaps this was my mistake. He 
weigh a feather with the Arab, when applied aslis, “Did the manure cost anything, and 
to his blood horse. And that Dr. Bennett, jf s0; how much? And how much was the 
who gave them their name, and claims that hauling worth? -What is the use of land worth 
they came from the valley of the Brahma Poo- j u Le Roy? What is it worth to market the 
tra, ever imported one from the Bay of Ben- crop?” He then says “If you will answer 
gal, I have yet to learn. Their brief history is the above and add the cost to the crop, it may 
this: “That three pairs (two dark and one increase the cost per bushel.” 
light) were brought to New York by some Now> j would inform E . S . H ., that the ma- 
unknown sailor, in one of the India ships. ’- nure was all ma de on the farm, with no expense 
Being noticed by a Hartford gentleman, “the 0 ut except a slight one for plaster. Does he 
light pair was purchased, taken to Connecticut, v,’ish me to charge for the manure? If so, 1 
and the stock witn v kite bodies, and black mus t be informed as to the value of it, for I 
tails, and penciled neck leathers, proceeding mu gt confess my ignorance of it I know there 
from this pair, aie the genuine Biahmas. 1 j s a very general opinion among farmers, that 
do not, however, object to the pedigree, al- a load of manure is a load of manure, no mat- 
though I think very lightly of it. I only in- ter of what it is composed. But I do not so 
sist, that the learned judges who are to offici- undcrstand it j believe it is very generally 
ate at the exhibition, shall know vhat is, and adm itted, that the chief value of manure con- 
what is not a genuine Brahma. And I protest g ; s (- s j a the amount of ammonia it contains, 
totally against the exclusiveness that would re- and q ds w ju depend altogether upon the sub¬ 
ject as not pure, all that have not proceeded stances of which it is compose d. That made 
fiom this Hart fold pail. from stock fed on highly nitrogenous sub- 
Now, I have before me a letter from a New stances, such as clover-hay, peas, or oil-cake, 
York merchant—at present, and for many w ill be found to contain a far greater amount 
years past, engaged in the India trade—whose 0 f ammonia than that made from stock fed on 
agent resides in the consular cities of China, straw.* Manure from the pig-sty, made from 
principally in Shanghai, and who has received Logs fatted on corn and other grain, will be 
fowls from thence at different times. It is in much more valuable than that commonlv made 
answer to inquiries in regard to his Oriental j n the barn-yard. Besides, manure applied to 
fowls, and bears date Feb., 1853. He says:— a so ji f or the benefit of any crop, is valuable, 
“I received, about four or five years since, by so far as the crop is concerned, only, as it fur- 
the ship ‘Montauk,’ from Shanghai, five pairs n i s hes to the soil that which was before want- 
of fowls. They were of different colors; black, jng for the growth of that particular crop.— 
red, yellow, pheasant colored, and white with Now if I am right in my position, (and I have 
black tails. Some had feathered legs, and some very good authority,) I think it would 
some clean limbs. I have cultivated them trouble my friend somewhat to prize my 200 
with great care. Their progeny has been an loads of manure, consisting as it did, of various 
improvement on the original flock. I have qualities. If he would undertake to do this, 
sold hundreds of them to the north and to the he must give the amount of ammonia contained 
south. To my certain knowledge, some of the [ n the 200 loads, and tell us what it is worth; 
best fowls ever offered at the Boston exhibi- an d also, the amount and value of the other 
tions, were from my flock. The whites with fertilizers contained in it. There is still an- 
black tails have always been my favorites.— other difficulty, quite as formidable, in charg- 
They are known in this market as Chittegongs.” ing a crop for the manure applied. If any 
In a subsequent verbal communication, he says charge is made, the amount only should be 
that the captain of the ship “ Montauk ” se- reckoned, wdiick was actually consumed by the 
lected them himself in the city ol Shanghai, crop. Certainly not that which remains in 
and brought them to him at New A ork. the soil for the benefit of succeeding crops.— 
Now it is by no means a far-fetched conjee- Now perhaps my friend can tell me just how 
ture, that a Yankee sailor, seeing the purchase much my crop of com consumed of the 200 
of his captain for a friend in New York, should loads of manure applied; if so, I really should 
think it might be a good “ venture” for him- —— , 
, See the senes of articles, on Barn-Yard Manure, in last 
self also, to purchase two or three pairs, and vo i ume of the Rukal . 
be interested to know. “ How much was the 
hauling worth?” This question has already 
been sufficiently answered. 
In preparing a field for any crop, the first 
thing to be considered, should be,—Is the field 
in a suitable condition for such a crop as is 
proposed to grow upon it? Does it need 
draining?—are there stones that ought to be 
removed, or is manure needed? If so, make 
the necessary preparation, and the general con¬ 
dition of the field will be sufficiently improved 
to pay all expenses. At a suitable time, com¬ 
mence to plow, and charge the crop for all after 
expenses. “ AVhat is the use of land worth in 
Le Roy?” In keeping accounts with crops for 
my own benefit, this certainly ought to be con¬ 
sidered, and so it is—but in a statement for 
the public, I see no necessity, or even propriety 
in doing so, inasmuch as the value of land 
varies so much in different localities. I can 
see no danger of misleading any one, where 
each item of expense is separately and plainly 
stated. If any one is omitted, varying accord¬ 
ing to locality or circumstances, it can very 
easily be supplied by any one. 
Lastly—“AVhat is it worth to market the 
crop?” Nothing, at the price I credited. My 
corn and all other coarse grains, find a ready 
market on the farm; for the consumption of 
stock, I consider it worth the money. I have 
posted myself tolerably well upon this point, 
for a few years past, and am satisfied that it 
pays better to feed the coarse grain out on the 
farm, than to sell it. I seldom sell any, I con¬ 
sider it a ruinous business for a farmer to sell 
off all he raises. A worn-out soil, empty pock¬ 
ets, and a long face, will be the certain conse¬ 
quences of such a practice. By my statement 
E. S. H. will see that the stalks and pumpkins 
nearly pay all expense of the entire crop. He 
is “surprised” that corn can be grown for the 
low cost of 9£ cents per bushel of ears, and 
says, “ he has raised a first rate crop the past 
season, that cost him more than double that 
sum.” Now I am not personally acquainted 
with E. S. II., but from certain documentary 
accounts in my possession, I suppose him to be 
a very successful farmer; and as such, I would 
pay all due respects, at least my age demands 
that I should. But I would very respectfully 
suggest, that I think there must be something 
wrong in your management of corn. I have 
raised a few crops, but never one that cost me 
what you say yours did—I could not afford it. 
“It’s a little too many oats for a shilling.”— 
You misunderstand me in supposing that I 
follow corn with wheat the same season. I 
would not recommend that practice ordinarily. 
I am very much obliged to Mr. E. S. H. for 
replying to my article. Perhaps I will “ toe 
the mark” better in future. Discussions upon 
subjects pAnq&feted with our calling may be of 
great benefit, ii( conducted in a friendly manner. 
Le Roy, Jan., 1 'lS54. C. K. W. 
LETTER FROM ENGLAND. 
The following extracts from a private letter 
from John Powell, Shawbury, Englaud, one 
of our English subscribers, will be read with 
interest:—“ I have been in regular receipt of 
your papers, and have derived from their peru¬ 
sal much pleasure and instruction. Separated, 
as we arc, by the vast Atlantic, and though 
boasting, perhaps, of our superior agriculture, 
I cannot but think that the Rural and A\ 7 ool 
Grower may be read with profit and to the 
enlightenment of thousands of our fashionable, 
dashing gentlemen farmers. I believe the ag¬ 
ricultural community of this country would be 
immensely benefited, did it possess a cheap and 
plentiful rural literature—something after the 
style of your American papers—instead of the 
expensive and scanty form which now exists in 
this laud. Indeed, I expect there is not one 
farmer in fifty who has any knowledge of the 
principles of agriculture, except what he finds 
in the political papers, unless he should chance 
to have the Farmers' Almanac, for which few 
will pay a shilling, when they can get old 
Moor’s for two pence. Do not understand 
me as speaking disparagingly of English farm¬ 
ers ; but I must say there is little ‘ Progress 
and Improvement’ aVnongst them. Scientific 
agriculture is at a great discount, and likely so 
to be, unless other means than those hitherto 
employed be put into requisition. The wet 
autumn of 1852, and the indifferent harvest of 
1853, have taught our farmers a lesson they 
will not soon forget They have displayed 
more energy this last fall than usual, and I 
should judge a larger extent of land has been 
sown to wheat. 
A word about American Reapers. Hus¬ 
sey’s machine, as manufactured by Crosskill, 
is most in use. Great were the expectations of 
its value previous to the harvest of 1852. The 
demand for them was tremendous; the makers 
could not supply half their orders. The whole 
agricultural population was astir. It is true 
there was much prejudice against its introduc¬ 
tion; the laborers generally did not like it, and 
the machine was often, through neglect, broken 
or rendered inefficient. On the whole, the ma¬ 
chine is a complete failure, and they may now 
be bought by the dozens for a trifle. Not¬ 
withstanding all this, I am of opinion that the 
machine will yet be used with advantage in 
this country. It was too much to expect 
that a new machine, against which much prej¬ 
udice existed, could at once be brought to per¬ 
fection, and so modified as to suit the condi¬ 
tions of our agriculture. 
I perceive from the Rural that the Ameri¬ 
can ladies know how to make good apple pud¬ 
dings; but unfortunately, eggs sell for one pen¬ 
ny each, (two cents,) and my wife thinks it is 
cheaper to sell them than to use them to make 
American apple dumplings.” 
lAyriutltuntl Ulisrcllmtii. 
PREPARE FOR THE REST CROP. 
The present and prospective high and flat¬ 
tering prices of wheat and other grains, should 
induce fanners to make proper preparation to 
sow and plant largely the ensuing spring.— 
Those who do so can scarcely fail of a large 
remuneration—for breadstuff's must continue to 
rule high, at least until after another harvest.— 
Aside from the war or foreign demand, there 
are other reasons (which, though no prophet 
we assigned in the Rural of Aug. G, 1853,) 
why breadstuff’s must command highly remune¬ 
rative prices for some time to come. Without 
stopping to discuss the causes now, our advice 
to all farmers, throughout the country, is to 
prepare to sow and plant' as largely as their 
means and circumstances will allow. Those 
favorably situated, should sow spring wheat, 
for the crop will prove a profitable investment. 
Other spring crops—such as Indian corn, oats, 
barley, beans, peas, potatoes, &c.—will also pay 
largely, and farmers can well afford the ex¬ 
pense of proper manuring and good cultivation. 
—Here is a semi-official hint which we add to 
our brief suggestion. In a recent letter, Air. 
Saunders, the American Consul at London, 
says:—“Finally, our farmers should sow plenty 
of spring wheat, and plant any quantity of In¬ 
dian corn. The Baltic and Black seas will 
certainly be closed for at least a twelvemonth. 
England and Western and Southern continen¬ 
tal Europe will have to look to the United 
States alone for a supply of breadstuff?, hither¬ 
to obtained from those seas.” 
The Second Annual Meeting of the United 
States Agricultural Society, will be held at 
Washington, D. C., on AVednesday, Feb. 22d, 
1854. It is hoped there will be a full atten¬ 
dance of delegates from all the agricultural 
Societies in the country, as business of impor¬ 
tance will be transacted, and officers elected 
for the ensuing year. 
Vermont State Ag. Society—T he folln-v- 
ing is Ike list of officers elected for the ensuing 
year, at the second annual meeting of this So¬ 
ciety: 
President — Frederick Holbrook. A 7 ice 
Presidents—E. Hammon, E. B. Chase, J. AY 
Colburn, H. B. Stacy. Corresponding Sec¬ 
retary—J. A. Beckwith, Middlebury. Re¬ 
cording Secretary— W.v. Weston, Burlington. 
Auditor—E. P. Walton, Montpelier. 
WINTERING STOCK. 
Much of the profits of rearing cattle depends 
upon the manner of keeping them through the 
winter. If they arc suffered to lose flesh du 
ring the cold season, and turned out to pasture 
“ spring-poor,” it takes a long time to regain 
what they have lost. With the best quality 
of early cut, and well made English hay, with 
regular and judicious feeding, and comfortable 
quarters, a stock of cattle, from the oldest to 
the youngest, may be made to thrive all win¬ 
ter, to gain size and flesh; and with a small al¬ 
lowance of meal, potatoes, turnips, or other 
roots, they would do still better. 
Our horses, cattle and sheep, were originally 
constituted to subsist the year round on green 
and succulent food. 
By domestication, they have been gradually 
introduced from a warm, to the cold climate 
of the north, where, as with us, they generally 
have to be fed on dry forage for six months, or 
more, every year. This, in some degree, is 
placing them in an unnatural condition, and it 
seems to us, it is a strong argument in favor of 
a more extensive root culture among us, for 
feeding purposes. 
Most farmers have more or less coarse fod¬ 
der, such as poor hay, corn fodder, straw, &c. 
And many commence feeding their cattle ex¬ 
clusively on these the first part of the winter, 
or till it is used up, and seem to think it is a 
“ good riddance of bad rubbish.” Cattle and 
sheep, doubtless, like a change of food as well 
as man, and when kept in good condition, they 
seem to relish a foddering of meadow hay, 
corn-fodder, or straw occasionally; but if fed 
entirely on such fodder the first half of the 
winter, they lose flesh, and will be apt to come 
out in the spring in poor condition, in spite of 
English hay. 
Corn-fodder is as nutritious as common stack 
hay, when fed in connection with it, but to 
compel cattle to live on such fare for weeks to¬ 
gether, is, as some one has said, “ absolutely 
cruel, as it makes their teeth sore when fed for 
a length of time.” A better way is, to give 
cattle one foddering a day of corn butts, and 
that at the last feeding at night, and if they 
have a pretty stout allowance given them, they 
will eat it nearly clean before morning—at 
least, what they reject, will hardly pay for 
passing through the straw-cutter. Cattle, to 
do well, must have drink as well as food; and 
a free use of card and brush add to their good 
looks.— Granite Farmer. 
fiupiirus liner ^itstonx 
SWEET POTATOES. 
Noticing in the Rural New Yorker, your 
inquiry, on behalf of a correspondent, for in¬ 
formation relative to the mode of growing 
sweet potatoes, and having been engaged for 
several years in their cultivation, I send you the 
following directions which arc at your service. 
Prepare a hot-bed early in the spring, say 
the 1st of April, in which put your seed, bed¬ 
ded in rich earth of as warm a nature as can be 
procured. The potatoes may be laid close to 
each other, covering the whole surface, and 
should be covered to the depth of one or two in¬ 
ches. When the sprouts are from 4 to 6 iu- 
ches long, and as soon as frosts are over, they 
should be transplanted. To do this, first pre¬ 
pare your ground, ( a dry sandy loam is best,) 
by manuring it well with compost thoroughly 
decomposed, ■ after which make your hills, 
which should be about 5 feet apart, by cross 
furrowing with a plow until you have raised 
them as high as possible; after which, dress 
them up with a hoe. AVhen you commence 
transplanting, which should be done when the 
ground is very moist, (immediately after or du¬ 
ring a rain is the time,) break off the sprouts 
close to the potatoes, so as to get all the root, 
and jffant them down in the hill, pressing the 
earth firmly around them. Dress them often, 
keeping the soil mellow and free from weeds. 
Should the grub molest them (which they arc 
likely to do,) place small boxes or stone tubes 
over them until the plant is large enough to re¬ 
sist its attacka Cultivate as long as possible 
with the plow and hoe, without disturbing the 
vines. 
To preserve Hie seed during the winter is 
the most difficult matter. The mode is to 
pack them in dry sand, cut straw, chaff or pine 
leaves, not allowing the potatoes to touch each 
other, place them in a dry situation, and keep 
them at a uniform temperature, as near the 
freezing point as may be without freezing.— 
Examine them occasionally to see if they are 
rotting if so, they should be taken out and re¬ 
packed, carefully rejecting those which are de¬ 
caying- s. t. w. 
Chatham, Col. Co., N. Y., Jan., 1854. 
Grass seed, straw cutter, Arc. — I would like 
an answer to the following questions from you 
or,your correspondents :—What is the best kind 
of grass for a pasture, for an orchard, and for a 
mowing-field—soil a stiff clay with a hard sub¬ 
soil ? Where can the seed be had, and at what 
price ? Is it good, clean seed ? as I wish to use 
no other than the best. What is the price. Arc. 
Arc. ? Where can the best straw cutter be got, 
whose patent, and what price ?—An Inquirer. 
There are few better straw cutters than the 
“ raw-hide,” if used with care. They can be 
had at almost any seed store, at prices ranging 
from $12 to $20, according to size. Will 
some of our correspondents give their views on 
the seed question? 
Several Qufstions. —How many solid feet of 
hay in the mow will make a ton ? Ho many 
pounds of Lay does a cow require per day to 
keep her in agood condition through the winter V 
The way for a farmer to preserve eggs through 
the summer ? How many pounds of carrot fed 
to cattle will equal one pound of liay ? 
Daniel Grofker. 
Warsaw, N. Y. 
Will our readers give their views on the 
above important questions.—E ds. 
Churning Butter in Winter.— Col. Wil¬ 
liam Swett, of South Paris, who carries on the 
dairy business quite extensively, and whose bet¬ 
ter half has had great experience in the manu¬ 
facture of both butter and cheese, writes us that 
he finds the following an excellent mode of caus¬ 
ing butter to come in winter. 
“Place a box of Liverpool salt where the 
cows can go and cat whenever they please._ 
Then, when the milk is brought into the house, 
strain it into a tin pail, set it into a boiler of 
hot water on the stove, until the milk is scald¬ 
ing hot. When we manage in this way, wo 
have no more trouble in fetching the butter, or 
working out the butter-milk, than we do in Sep¬ 
tember .”—Maine Farmer. 
Agricultural Improvements. —Since the 
days ol Sir John Sinclair—the esteemed friend 
and correspondent of Washington, and one of 
the great men of the earth—no science has re¬ 
ceived more general attention than that of ag¬ 
riculture. This at least is particularly true with ( 
respect to the past twenty years, agricultural 
experience of our own country. When we look 
back over that space of years, and contemplate 
the many improvements in farming which have 
been made, we have great reason to congratu¬ 
late our farmers for the spirit, intelligence, and 
good sense which they have exhibited. 
Clovering. —Never spare the seed when 
you sow clover. Four quarts are not enough 
to the acre; put on not less than six, and be 
not frightened if you scatter a peck! The great 
superiority of thickly sown clover fields over 
others for feed and manure, is too manifest to. 
need demonstration. 
Mr. John Johnson, near Geneva, writes to > 
the Geneva Courier that he has got a ribgpgpr.'S 
hai hen, which for the last three monthfclma r 
laid two eggs a day, from two to four dto's in s| 
a week, and the rest of the days one egg aday. ! 
