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VOLUME V. NO. 13.] 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. - SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1854. 
{WHOLE NO. 
Horn's Sural gkto-lJorkr: 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary, and Family Newspaper. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
JOSEPH HARRIS, iti tlie Practical Departments: 
EDWARD WEBSTER, in the Literary and News Dep’ts. 
Corresponding Editors: 
J. H. Bixby, —H. C. White, —T. E. Wktmore. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to bo 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 in¬ 
terests it advocates. It embraces more Agricultural, Horti¬ 
cultural, Scientific, Mechanical, Literary and News Matter, 
interspersed with many appropriate and handsome engrav¬ 
ings, than any other paper published in this Country,— 
rendering it a complete Agricultural, Literary and 
Family Newspaper. 
For Terms, ka ., see last page. 
Progress and Improvement. 
PERUVIAN GUANO.-NO. II. 
Assuming that the estimate of practical far¬ 
mers, in regard to the increase of wheat from 
the application of Peruvian guano is correct^ 
and that in Great Britain 33 lbs. of guano are 
required to produce a bushel of wheat, while 
25 lbs. only are needed in Delaware, Maryland 
and Virginia, it becomes a matter of scientific 
interest to ascertain the cause of this difference. 
We have said that it was not improbable 
that on soils which, without manure, do not 
yield much more than the seed, the increase 
may be owing in part to the phosphate of lime 
of the guano; while on richer soils the increase 
is dependent solely on the ammonia of the 
guano. But as we have said before, there are 
gome facts which cast doubt on this theory.— 
But as a few carefully conducted experiments 
will decide the point, we will abstain from dis¬ 
cussing probabilities, in the hope that some 
enterprising Southern farmer will undertake to 
clear up the matter. 
One thing, however, is quite certain. The 
proportion of grain to straw is much higher in 
this country than in Great Britain. In other 
words, to produce a bushel of grain the British 
farmer has to grow much more straw than we 
do, and consequently to produce a bushel of 
wheat in England, more organic and inorganic 
elements of plants are required than in this 
country. We know, too, that in the produc¬ 
tion of wheat much more ammonia is used 
than the plant contains when grown. In other 
words, that the wheat plant destroys ammonia. 
From some recent investigations, it would seem 
probable that this ammonia is used to convey 
silicic ucid to the straw of the plant, evapora¬ 
ting into the air as soon as it has deposited the 
silica. But, as in this climate, in the produc¬ 
tion of a bushel of wheat, less straw is grown 
than in Great Britain, it follows that less am¬ 
monia would he required here in the produc¬ 
tion of wheat than in Great Britain. But the 
great value of guano depends on its ammonia, 
and therefore, less guano is needed to grow a 
bushel of wheat in our dry climate than in the 
humid air of the British isles. There is, there¬ 
fore, nothing irreconcilable in the different re¬ 
sults obtained by practical farmers in the two 
hemispheres. 
If this explanation be deemed satisfactory, 
and we may assume that 100 lbs. of Peruvian 
guano will increase the wheat crop 4 bushels, 
it is quite an easy matter to decide whether 
or not its application to the wheat crop will be 
profitable. The present price of guano is 2i 
cents per lb. Freight, crushing the guano, and 
sowing would make the cost average about 63 
per hundred, and for this wo get 4 bushels of 
wheat, in the field. The extra cost of cutting, 
threshing, &c., can easily be estimated, and 
ever}' one can judge for himself whether he 
may profitably use guano. The whole question 
turns on the price of wheat If it should be 
$2 per bushel, it would be a highly remunerative 
investment. If it should be but Si, the profits, 
if any, would be small. Many farmers, we ob¬ 
serve in discussing this question, calculate that 
it will do some good the second or third year. 
When two wheat crops are grown in succession, 
we have never seen the good effects on the sec¬ 
ond of an application of guano on the first 
crop. If it is followed with clover, the phos¬ 
phates on some soils would do some good, but 
on such soils as Western New York we should 
expect no benefit the second season. 
The same remarks wiil apply in regard to 
the application of guano to Indian corn, grass, 
&c. It will do much good, but a high price 
for the product is required to make it profita¬ 
ble. We believe good timothy hay near cities 
is usually relatively much higher than wheat, 
corn, oats, &c., and that guano may be applied 
to meadows with profit At the present prices 
of onions, carrots, beets, parsnips, tomatoes, 
cabbages, celery, &c., good Peruvian guano can 
be used for there crops with great profit. 
The best •practical manner of applying gu¬ 
ano is sowing it broadcast alone, and harrow¬ 
ing or plowing it in, so as to incorporate it 
with the soil. When once mixed with the soil 
there is no danger of the ammonia escaping. 
JVever mix it with lime, ashes, or plaster .— 
These have all a greater or less tendency to 
liberate the ammonia. Peat or loam would 
be good, but in our opinion their benefit is 
more than counterbalanced by the extra labor 
of sowing; while the chance of equal distribu¬ 
tion is diminished rather than increased, unless 
the mixture be scattered by hand or by ma¬ 
chinery. 
There are three different guanos in market, 
the Peruvian, the Bolivian, and the Mexican. 
The Peruvian is the most valuable, and should 
contain 16 per cent, of ammonia. The Boliv¬ 
ian contains more phosphate but less ammonia 
than the Peruvian, and is, therefore, an inferior 
article. The Mexican contains a large per cent- 
age of phosphates but scarcely any ammonia, 
and Us therefore, comparatively of but little 
valuiv. Every dealer should obtain a correct 
determination of the ammonia in guano before 
buying from the importers; and farmers should 
not purchase from dealers without getting a 
guarantee that it contains from 14 to 16 per 
cent, of ammonia. If it contains less, the price 
ought to be proportionally lower. But this is 
not the case. The agents of the Peruvian 
government in this country and in Great Britain 
sell their guano at a fixed price; whereas it is 
notorious that it differs vastly in composition 
and true value. We have known different car¬ 
goes of Peruvian guano that contained respect¬ 
ively, ammonia ranging from 8 to 18 per cent., 
lmd in one instance a small cargo that contain¬ 
ed 22 per cent.; yet they were all sold to the 
dealers at the same price. But their true val¬ 
ue was in proportion to the per centage of am¬ 
monia. We repeat, then, be very careful with 
whom you deal. 
as early as the soil i3 dry enough to work well. 
Like barley, spring wheat requires a very fine 
tilth; the soil cannot be too mellow and smooth. 
Though for winter wheat we think unleached 
ashes of little use, yet for spring wheat, from 
their vivifying, mellowing influence on the soil, 
it is probable that where they can be obtained 
cheap, they may be used at the rate of 20 
bushels per acre, with profit Try it, and re¬ 
port the result. 
The great drawback to the cultivation of 
spring wheat, is its liability to be attacked by 
rust, Hessian fly, and all the ills that wheat is 
heir to. We have no remedy to propose for 
this, except early sowing, on naturally dry, 
warm or well underdrained soils. Some good 
authorities recommend very late sowing, so that 
the wheat may not approach maturity till after 
the period of rust aud fly had passed. There 
may be something in this; but if the ground 
can be well prepared, the earlier the seed is in, 
the better we should like it. The Black Sea 
or bearded wheat i3 the favorite spring wheat. 
There are two varieties—the red and the white 
chaff. The former does not make such fine 
white flour as the white, but it is much har¬ 
dier, and withstands the attacks of rust and fly 
better, and is, on these accounts, preferred.— 
In Canada, and to some extent incthis country, 
Fife Wheat has been raised, and well spoken 
of as a spring wheat Our knowledge is not 
such as to enable us to pass an opinion of its 
merits compared with the Black Sea, the Ita¬ 
lian, or the Siberian, but many who have 
grown it think it a very superior spring wheat 
CULTIVATION OF THE BASKET WILLOW. 
CULTURE OF STRING AYIIEAT. 
The present and prospective high price of 
wheat has induced many farmers to turn their 
attention to the culture of spring wheat: and 
we anticipate that a considerable breadth of 
land which would otherwise have been sown 
to barley or oats, or planted with Indian corn, 
will be sown with spring wheat It is impossi¬ 
ble to conjecture, with any confidence, whether 
those high prices will be realized. It depends 
more on the harvest of 1854 in England, than 
on any other one circumstance. We learn from 
private sources, that an unusually large quan¬ 
tity of land has been sown to wheat, and that 
it was got in, in fine condition. If they have a 
propitious season, they will reap an abundant 
harvest, and be comparatively independent of 
our breadstuff’s. Nevertheless, with war on 
the continent, and the consequent interruption 
of the production and exportation of wheat 
from the two great grain exporting countries 
of Europe—Russia aud Turkey we anticipate 
a higher range of prices. We expect wheat 
to fetch next full, at least a third more than 
the average of the last five years. 
We would not be understood as recommend¬ 
ing every one to rush iuto the culture of spring 
wheat Other grains will undoubtedly be pro¬ 
portionally high. But where soil and circum¬ 
stances suit, an additional quantity of spring 
wheat may be sown with profit 
Spring wheat is usually sown in the place of 
barley, after Indian corn. Many people re¬ 
commend fall plowing, but this is by no means 
essential. The land should be plowed and sown 
Co ns gum able attention b< , gfa 
; the cultivation of the Osier or Basket Willow, 
i but with indifferent success, for the want of ac- 
| curate information on the subject. Mistakes 
I have been made in the selection of soils and 
plants, as well as in the culture and treatment 
of the willow when grown, which have dis¬ 
couraged many who have attempted it. But 
others have succeeded—and from the instruc¬ 
tions and results they have given to the public, 
j we prepare the following. 
All European Osiers do not succeed in this 
country—indeed, some of the most excellent 
there are worthless here. There are many good 
varieties, however, and among them, C. Down¬ 
ing, Esq., of Newburgh, recommends the fol¬ 
lowing as “of surpassing excellence: 
1 . Triandra —It is perfectly hardy, thrives 
in a great variety of soils, and is as productive 
here as any willow in its own country. Its rods 
are long, tough and pliable, and particularly 
adapted for all kinds of split work requiring 
those qualities. 2. Forbyana —Another very 
valuable one in all respects; aud 3. Purpurea 
or Bitter Willow—Valuable in all respects as 
an Osier, and particularly so for work that re¬ 
quires long, slender, unsplit wands of great 
toughness. These compose a complete assort¬ 
ment for basket-makers, supplying all their 
wants.” 
An experienced willow grower and manu¬ 
facturer, John Fleming, Jr., of Sherborne, 
Mass., gives, in the Transactions of the Nor¬ 
folk Agricultural Society, an Essay on the 
Willow, which, though imperfect in some par¬ 
ticulars, contains many valuable hints on soil 
and culture, from which we gather the subjoin¬ 
ed paragraphs. 
Good springy, side-hill land is to be prefer¬ 
red, because such land is more healthy both 
for the willow and him that cultivates it. Such 
laud, facing the south, will produce more wil¬ 
low, and in greater perfection, than can be 
grown on fiat land of any kind. Willow will 
grow well and fair, by the side of runuing 
streams, on meadow land, and on the flats by 
the side of rivers, if there be sufficient suitable 
soil into which the roots can strike, and by 
which the plant can be sustained in dry weath¬ 
er. But when clay is too near the surface, the 
willow will become diseased, and wheu the land 
is dry it will die. It will also grow for a time 
in sand, gravel, clay or peat, but not to per¬ 
fection, or to profit. If willow be planted in 
clay the plantation will not be healthy, nor will 
it ever be of that quality which is necessary for 
basket-making. In some instances the plant 
will look promising for a few years, but then 
becomes diseased and stunted, and covered 
with yellow rings. In blue clay, nc thing 
can preserve it alive for five years ; for 
generally in half that time the plant will 
be burned at the root by the action of the 
clay. The same effect is produced on the 
willow by the black mud that collects in 
stagnant water. 
Very wet land may produce a gretter 
and fairer crop; but it is not the largest 
and rankest willow that yields the great¬ 
est profit; for that which is of moderate 
size, smoothest grown, and most tough, 
commands the greatest price in market.— 
It is wrong to suppose that the extra bulk 
or quantity will more than make up the 
deficiency in price, for there is genei al y, a 
very full supply of such material. Hence 
the cultivator should seek to produce wil¬ 
low of the average size, rather than a mix¬ 
ture of very small and very large. To se¬ 
cure this, a proper soil is of much consequence,! 
and, as remarked before, good springy, side- 
hill land is unquestionably the best. What is 
not accomplished by the soil, must be effected 
by a proper selection of the kind of plant, and 
by regulating the growth of young wood by 
cutting the yearly produce at different and suit¬ 
able seasons of the year. 
The best and most profitable plantations of 
willow' are found where the land i3 w r ell chosen, 
and properly prepared by plowung, and the 
previous cultivation for one or two years of a 
crop of potatoes. If it is on low, wet land, 
which cannot be plowed, ditches should be cut 
in such a manner as to allow of draining off the 
w'ater in wet weather, and of retaining it when 
necessary to moisten the land. Where the 
land can be plowed, it should be dene; for tho’ 
willows will grow like the apple tree in a grassy 
meadow, it is those who plow and harrow and 
hoe, who reap profit therefrom. 
From the first-named authority we gain some 
additional particulars. We give them in his 
own words : 
“To plant an acre, from ten to fifteen thousand 
cuttings are required ; those of vigorous upland 
growth, possess far more vital energy than those 
of lowland productions, and make the most 
healthy and productive plantations. Cuttings 
are used from 8 to 14 inches in length ; 10 to 12 
inches is probably the best, for deep soils, and 
not more than eight on very retentive soils; not 
more than three inches should be left out of the 
ground. They are set in rows three feet apart, 
and from twelve to sixteen inches distant in the 
rows. The first two crops will be in proportion 
to the number of cuttings, but after four or five 
years, they will entirely occupy the ground, 
even if more than sixteen inches apart; hut 
when the value of the early crops is considered, 
twelve inches will be found to be the most eco¬ 
nomical distance. 
“ Cuttings must be prepared in fall or winter, 
but to avoid being thrown out by the frost, not 
be planted till spring ; if necessary, they may 
be kept in a cool place until last of May or June 
even, without much injury—but April or May is 
the preferable time for planting, or as soon as 
warm, growing weather is established. 
“ The entire cultivation required the first sea¬ 
son, is such as would be given to a crop of corn, 
and may be chiefly done with a cultivator, on 
land that is so firm as to admit the traveling of 
a horse ; but simply keeping the weeds down in 
ground that is too soft, is often all that is required 
yet great productiveness is generally inseparable 
from clean culture. 
“ For the second and third years, frequent 
communications with some successful cultivator, 
whose knowledge and experience enable him to 
give precise directions in every stage of opera¬ 
tion, will be very important if not indispensable; 
after that, the plantations will be fully establish¬ 
ed, and a sufficient knowledge acquired to man¬ 
age the business pleasantly and successfully.” 
Of the profits of successful culture we have 
little need or room to speak. They are known 
to be large and certain.— b. 
In Scotland draining has become an expen¬ 
sive operation, in consequence of the scarcity 
of hands and the increased demand for labor, 
and may be said to have advtuieed in cost, of 
late, at least 25 per cent 
Great Wheat Crop. —We are informed 
that Mr. Horace Bailey, Sweden, Monroe Co., 
N/*Y., raised last year on three acres of land, 
171 bushels of wheat, or fifty-seven per acre ! 
CHURN AND BUTTER-WORKER COMBINED. 
Next to churning, the great labor of butter 
making is to get out all the buttermilk from 
the butter, previous to salting, and then to 
thoroughly and evenly incorporate the salt 
with the butter. A machine that will not only 
churn the butter, but that will work it well in 
plenty of clean water afterwards, has been a 
desideratum. R. W. Davis, of Dundee, Yates 
Co., N. Y., has shown us a chum designed to 
accomplish this object, and we think it wiil 
prove an acquisition to every dairyman. 
The cut represents an end view. The dash¬ 
er is the only part that differs from ordinary 
churns. It is so constructed that, by the re¬ 
sistance of the cream, it is adjusted so as to 
present six 4-entripetal cutting, or agitating 
blades, to the cream, as represented by the 
dotted lines in the cut; and then, after the but¬ 
ter is produced, by reversing the motion, it is 
ail jus ted so as to present but two centrifugal*’ 
gathering blades or scrolls, a, a, which gather 
the butter, work it into rolls, and, by drawing 
off the buttermilk, (for which purpose there is 
a hole at the side of the churn,) and adding 
fresh water as required, expel the buttermilk 
in the most perfect manner. For further par¬ 
ticulars, see advertisement in this number. 
The Sweet French Turnip again. —For 
two or three years I have raised a white-fleshed 
solid turnip, that perhaps may be identical 
with the kiud spoken of in J. D. B’s inquiry.— 
I have known no name for it, though some 
have called it the white ruta baga. But it is 
much sweeter than any ruta baga I ever saw. 
It is generally a smoother turnip, with perhaps 
more fibrous rootlets, grows deeper iu the 
earth, and has less neck than the ruta baga, 
though its shape is much like a ruta baga of 
good form. Its leaves are of a much deeper 
green, and perhaps more spreading. It is a 
good producer, yielding as well or better than 
the ruta baga under similar cultivation. For 
lable use it is much superior, and for stock 
feeding purposes, so far as my experience goes, 
I prefer it to any turnip I am acquainted with. 
As a spring keeper it excels, too. One of my 
neighbors received a sample of Freuch turnip, 
(so called,) from Vermont, the past season, 
whose produce seemed to be almost or quite 
identical. If J. D. B.’s turnip is like this, I 
think there can be no doubt as to its superior¬ 
ity over the ruta baga for any purpose what¬ 
ever. t. e. w. 
The Peruvian Government has employed a 
French Engineer, with several assistants and 
chemists, to measure the guano deposits on the 
Chincha Islands. The result has just beeu 
made known. It appeal's that the total depos¬ 
its on the Chincha Islands amount to 16,501,- 
466 tons (gross.) Besides these, Peru owns 
several other deposits of considerable extent 
which are now being surveyed. From this 
it is evident that the fears which many'have 
entertained, that the supply of guano would 
be exhausted, are groundless. The present 
high price in this country, and the close of the 
guano market in England, are owing to the 
great and unexpected demand during the past 
year, and to the fact that the trade is a most 
perfect monopoly, confined to a single firm in 
this country and Great Britaiu, 
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