VOLUME V. NO. : 18. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. - SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1854. 
WHOLE NO. m. 
HStwt'j §nnl Stto-gorlur: 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary, and Family Newspaper, 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED IIY 
JOSEPH HARRIS, in the Practical Departments: 
EDWARD WEBSTER, in the Literary and News Dep’ts. 
Corresponding Editors: 
J. H. Bixbt,— H. C. White,— T. E. Wetmore. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unique and 
beautiful iu appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
and Variety of Contents. Its conductors earnestly labor 
to make ft 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 engrave 
ings, than any other paper published iu this Country,— 
rendering it a complete Agricultural, Literary and 
Family Newspaper. 
fi?" For Terms, kc ., see last paoe. 
cto - 
Progress and Improvement. 
CULTIVATION OF PEAS. 
Peas are termed, by common consent, “a 
fallow crop.” This is an appropriate name, 
not merely, because when sown in drills, peas 
admit of the use of the hoe for clearing the 
land, nor because they are usually sown on land 
which otherwise would be summer fallowed, 
but because they are a crop which impoverishes 
the soil so little that the following crop is as 
good as it would have been, had the land been 
summer fallowed. Indian corn never was, nor 
never will be, termed by practical men a fallow 
crop. Put is this opinion of experienced far¬ 
mers, that peas are comparatively a non-exhaust¬ 
ing crop, founded in anything but imagination? 
AVe believe it is. Long and carefully conducted 
scientific experiments indicate, not to say es¬ 
tablish, that peas require for their growth less 
of the elements which are most needed for the 
production of good wheat crops, than any other 
of our commonly cultivated spring grain crops, 
such as oats, barley, etc. To be more explicit: 
In order to raise a crop of wheat, of say 25 or 
30 bushels per acre, it is necessary that much 
more ammonia be supplied to the plants, than 
the atmosphere or rain water is capable of 
furnishing in a single year. This is owing to 
the fact that wheat destroys a large quantity 
of ammonia; that is, it requires for its produc¬ 
tion much more ammonia than the crop con¬ 
tains when grown. This is not the case with 
peas. They do not destroy ammonia, and 
hence the atmosphere is capable of supplying 
sufficient ammonia for the production of a large 
crop. So that it draws but little on the soil, 
and does not impoverish it of ammonia for the 
following wheat crop. There is another equally 
important fact in favor of pea culture on wheat 
farms. Not only is comparatively little ammo¬ 
nia used in its production, but a crop of peas 
contains, when grown, a very large quantity of 
nitrogen, which, by decomposition, forms am¬ 
monia. Thus a crop of peas of 25 bushels per 
acre, contains in peas 60 lbs. of nitrogen, and 
in haulm at least 40 lbs. more. Such a crop 
consumed on the farm, would supply in manure 
100 lb3. of ammonia, sufficient to produce at 
least 15 bushels of wheat, and which cannot be 
purchased in grain for less than §10. The 
cultivation of peas, therefore, affords the far¬ 
mer one of the best means of increasing his 
wheat crops, equaled only by the cultivation 
of red clover. 
The great drawback to the profitable pro¬ 
duction of peas, is the “pea bug.” We know 
of no remedy. But we think that as the bug 
does not materially injure the feeding proper¬ 
ties of the peas till November or December, 
the crop might all be consumed by hogs previ¬ 
ous to this. We think there can be no doubt 
that it will pay to grow peas for this purpose. 
They are excellent food for hogs, and the 
manure made by their consumption, as we have 
shown, would be particularly rich in ammonia, 
the very substance which our wheat fields 
* 
require. 
Peas do well on a recently inverted sod.— 
'lliey flourish on all ordinary soils. A good 
strong wheat soil suits them best. Some far¬ 
mers have recommended sowing them very late, 
say middle of June, in order to prevent the 
ravages of the pea bug. In most cases this 
remedy is worse than the disease, as the crop 
is almost sure to be much injured by drouth. 
We would sow early, say first week in May. 
By so doing you not only get a good crop, but 
it is off in good season, and thus affords ample 
time to prepare the land for wheat Two 
bushels per acre is about the proper quantity 
of seed. It is usually sown broadcast If 
drilled iu rows twelve inches apart they do far 
better, especially if hoed. The increase of the 
crop will pay for the expense of hoeing, and 
the land will be left as clean for wheat as if it 
had been summer fallowed. We would like 
the experience of our readers in the cultivation 
of peas. 
DOUBLE PLOWING TO RILL WEEDS. 
The most approved system of rotation, on 
all light soils in England, is •wheat, turnips, bar¬ 
ley, clover, &c.; thus one-fourth of the arable 
land is annually iu wheat, barley, clover, and 
turnips. The latter crop is the great main-stay 
of the British farmer. He speuds more time 
and money in preparing the land for this crop, 
than for any other. It is called a “fallow 
crop,” from the fact, that being sown late iu the 
spring and in drills, it affords opportunity for 
cleaning the land mid thus dispensing with the 
old fashioued long or summer fallow. The weed 
which gives the light land farmer most trouble, 
is the Couch grass, [Agopyrum repens.) It is 
a terrible pest iu the moist, growing climate of 
Great Britain. To destroy it, calls forth all 
the ingenuity of the farmer. After the wheat 
is off, the work of killing the couch and pre¬ 
paring the soil for the turnip crop commences 
In the shapo of sundry harro wings, sesu-i{ying», 
and plowings. The following spring the land 
is again plowed twice or thrice, harrowed, roll¬ 
ed, &c., before the couch is killed. As may 
readily be believed, this process is attended 
with no slight expense, under the most favora¬ 
ble circumstances, and frequently, owing to wet 
springs, the object is but partially obtained af¬ 
ter all. No wonder, therefore, that efforts 
should be made to substitute a cheaper method 
of exterminating the enemy. Knowing that 
Joun Hilditch, Esq., of Stanton, Salop, had 
been for some time in the habit of double 
plowing for the purpose of killing couch grass, 
we wrote him on the subject, and in reply, re¬ 
ceived the following letter, which will be read 
with interest: 
Stanton Salop, Eng., March 24,1854. 
Dear Sir: —I have been in the regular re¬ 
ceipt of your Rural New-Yorker and Wool 
Grower, papers fraught with information pleas¬ 
antly instructive and practical, combining the 
experience of the Old World with the energy 
of the New. With you, all seems full of life 
and animation, steam power and railway speed, 
while here we are at, comparatively, a stand 
still; we know nothing of rapidity, scarcely 
anything of motion. I think that the contrast 
may not be inaptly symbolized by youth and 
old age. Well, if so, may the .son prove a 
better man than the father. 
You ask me to furnish you with the results 
of the deep double plowing we were engaged 
in when you visited us. I will refresh your 
memory with the precise operation, as I am 
not aware that it has been practiced by others. 
But first, I would notice the common method 
of double plowing, which is simply one plow 
following in the track of the other; the defect 
of which is that the soil, which should stand 
firm after the first furrow is taken off, gets 
broken down in the operation, and renders the 
furrow taken by the second plow imperfect, so 
much so, as scarcely to permit it to cover 
the first furrow,* with the additional evil of 
burying the first furrow with the roots of couch 
upwards. This is a decided error, for one chief 
object to be accomplished, is to effectually bury 
the couch and thus afford a cheaper process iu 
cleaning the land for a future crop. 
*\Ve would remark that this is not the case when the 
two plows are attached together, as in the Michigan double 
plow. Indeed we are inclined to think that a good Michi¬ 
gan double plow would accomplish the object of our frieud 
nearly sis well as the plan he has adopted, and certainly 
much more cheaply and expeditiously. Mr. II. might find 
it to his advantage to get one of these plows from Ruo- 
glks, Noitrse & Mason, of Boston, and see what Yankees 
can do in the way of double plowing.—[F. ds. 
Our plan is first, to pare the land to the 
depth of two or three inches. We commence 
this operation not in the hollow between the 
lands, but on the crown or ridge. We plow 
at pleasure, fifteen op twenty yards wide, or in 
fact to any extent, taking care to terminate 
near the old dead furrow, leaving the breadth 
of a furrow unplowed. We next take a strong 
plow with a deep mould-board, and attach to 
it four horses in length, and throw the before- 
mentioned unplowed strip of land into the hol¬ 
low, taking out soil to the depth of ten or 
twelve inches. Then follows the light plow, 
with one strong horse, just turning a plowed 
furrow with its grass upwards into this deep 
cut, ready to be well trodden down to the bot¬ 
tom by the four horses, and to receive a cover¬ 
ing of soil ten inches thick. The work is com¬ 
plete. The land may be sown and harrowed 
with perfect confidence, that the couch will 
perish. It is desirable to sow a little guano to 
assist the new soil brought up by this process. 
I believe it will be found a more economical 
method of cleaning land than that commonly 
practiced, of repeated plowings and workings 
with this great advantage in our climate, that 
it can be done, let the weather be ever so in¬ 
different, and few persons will question its per¬ 
manent improvement to the soil. 
And now that I am engaged on the subject 
of tillage, I would like to tell you of another 
decided advantage in the path of improvement. 
We have succeeded in raising a very fine crop 
of Swedes, (ruta bagas,) after a wheat stubble 
(the next year after,) without the aid of the 
common plow at all; merely by the aid of an 
implement which is termed here, “ skim plows.” 
It is in the shape of a triangle, with a wheel 
on each side and one in front There are five 
strong iron teeth, ihrco feet long, with broad 
triangular feet, each six or more inches wide. 
To this implement we attach four or five hor¬ 
ses and ent the earth from eight to ten inches 
deep. We then drag, cultivate, roll, etc., till 
the soil is fit for the ridging plow and drill.— 
It is my most decided conviction that this 
mode of preparing the soil for green or fallow 
crops, is the most direct advance that has been 
made of late years, in this country, in the art 
of tilling the soil. It is cheaper and more ef¬ 
fectual than plowing, and ensures what is abso¬ 
lutely essential for the growth of green crops 
—a fine tilth and moisture. I believe that.ng- 
ricnlturists are not sufficiently aware that 
moisture and Jiour-like tilth of the soil, are al¬ 
most absolutely certain to secure what our 
Scotch brethren would call a good braid of 
turnips. Yours, <fec., John Hilditch. 
| MORGAN HORSE “GREEN MOUNTAIN BOY." 
Brown & Waldron, of South Otselic, Che¬ 
nango Co., N. Y., send us the above engraving 
of their Morgan Horse “ Green Mountain Boy,” 
and add: “ The engraving gives a very correct 
representation of the general outline and pro¬ 
portion of our horse, but it is far from flatter¬ 
ing in its delineation of his head and limbs; in 
these respects he is very fine. 
The Morgan breed of horses have become 
so well and favorably known, that commenda¬ 
tion is merely superfluous. They possess, in an 
| eminent degree, strength, courage and docility, 
| with full muscular developments, compactness 
! and remarkable soundness of constitution and 
limbs. In action and symmetry of form they 
| are not excelled. 
The result of the cross between the pure- 
blooded Morgans and our common mares, is 
the point of interest to breeders; and the fact 
that such stock is eagerly sought, and com¬ 
mands the highest prices, demonstrates ius 
value. Indeed, their reputation for real exeel- 
: lence and high value, is such that frequent im¬ 
positions are attempted and practiced where 
they have but recently been introduced; altho’ 
a slight acquaintance with the genuine Morgan 
will enable an ordinary observer to discriminate 
readily between the legitimate and bastard. 
The ‘Green Mountain Boy’ was bred by 
the Hon. Benj. Abbott, of Vermont, in the 
town of Stockbrhlge, through the Old Wood¬ 
bury and Gifford Morgans, and is believed to 
be as thorough-bred through both grand-sire 
and sire, and grand-dam and dam, as proved by 
both his lineage and full Morgan characteris- 
‘i 
MORGAN HORSE “GREEN MOUNTAIN BOY.’ 
tics, as any living horse. In his general form, 
! development of muscles, depth of chest, strength 
j and cleanness of limbs, and in the grace and 
ease of his movements, he has no superiors. As 
a trotter, he is decidedly ‘some,’ having per¬ 
formed his mile in two minutes and fifty seconds. 
| He received the first premium on stock horses 
| at the New Hampshire State Fair, held at 
| Manchester in 1851. He is a blood bay, eight 
: yuan* old, weight about LOGO its. and his stock 
j is highly Morganized.” 
| IMPROVED SUPERPHOSPHATE OF LIME. 
Superphosphate of lime is an artificial fer- 
| tilizer, which has been used for the past ten 
years in Great Britain. J. J. Mapes, a “self- 
styled ” Professor of Chemistry, Consulting 
Agriculturist, Civil Engineer, and Editor of the 
W orking Farmer , <fce., &c., pretends to have 
made some valuable improvements in its man¬ 
ufacture. He cails his manure the Improved 
superphosphate of lime, and asserts that it can¬ 
not be made in England for §100 per ton; that 
at §50 per ton, the price he sells it for, it is far 
cheaper than Peruvian guano, and cheaper 
than farm-yard manure, even though it could be 
had for nothing. This remarkable manure was 
carefully analyzed by Mr. S. W. Johnson, iu 
Yale College, who found that it contained the 
following ingredients: 
Sulphate of lime (plaster,).37 lbs. 
Insoluble phosphate of lime,.21 “ 
Soluble superphosphate of lime.16 “ 
Sulphuric acid (free,).5 “ 
Ammonia,.2>( 
Non-nitrogenous organic matter, sand and water,;. ^ 
100 lbs. 
This is the only analysis we have seen that 
gives what is necessary to judge of the value of 
the manure, to wit, the soluble superphosphate 
of lime and the ammonia. The value of the 
other ingredients is well known. Sulphate of 
lime can be had in this city for about one mill 
per lb.; insoluble phosphate of lime, taking the 
price of animal charcoal in New York, Boston, 
&c., for the past five years, is worth about 
half a cent per lb.; the sulphuric acid did not 
cost more than a cent and a half per lb.; and 
the sand, non-nitrogenous matter and water 
are of little or no value at all. 
Ou the appearance of this analysis, we said 
that if this was a correct analysis of Mapes’ 
superphosphate of lime, so far from its being 
impossible to make it in England for §100 per 
ton, a superphosphate superior to it in many, 
and at least equal in every respect, was sold 117 - 
thousands of tons for $28.22 per ton. Mr. 
Mapes, aided by Dr. Endkrlin, then undertook 
to show that Mr. Johnson’s analysis was erro¬ 
neous, and assigned as a reason, that it was 
against all chemical possibility for free sulphur- 1 
ic acid and insoluble phosphate of lime t exist j 
! in the same mixture; and, therefore, the fact! 
i that Mr. Johnson found them showed that, he ! 
i was not capable of making a correct analysis. 1 
| To this we replied, that unless the bones, aoi- 
\ mal charcoal, or whatever the manure was I 
made from, was ground to an impalpable pow¬ 
der, and brought into direct contact with the 
acid, insoluble phosphate and free sulphuric 
acid must inevitably exist in such a mixture.— 
We then said, that in a late visit to Mr. Mapes’ 
factory w| found that the animal charcoal, 
the refuse, of the sugar refiners, from which he 
i makes his manure, was not ground before mix¬ 
ing with acid, but was ground afterwards— 
simply, as the man said, “to dress it up for 
market,” Furthermore, that there was no ade¬ 
quate iis of.regulatingthe proportion of acid 
and animal charcoal and that under such a system 
of manufacture it was quite impossible to make 
even a good superphosphate, to say nothing of 
the improved article. This was in the Rural 
of Dec. 17, 1853. AVe honored Mr. Mapes by 
sending him an early copy, in hopes that he 
would reply to it iu the January number of his 
paper, the Working Farmer. But January 
came, and February, passed without a reply. 
Inthe March number the Professor(?) came out 
with the following affidavit: 
[affidavit.] 
Improved Superphosphate op Lime Factory. 
Near Newark, N. J., Feb, 2,1854. 
We, the undersigned, Superintendent and 
workmen at the above named factory, have read 
the statement attached, from the Rural New 
Yorker, of December 17th, 1853, and unhesita¬ 
tingly pronounce it false, in all its pertinent 
points. 
The burned bones, or bone black, used in this 
factory, are always ground before vse, and in no 
case are they used in their coarse state. The 
process of mixing with, the sulphuric acid, al¬ 
ways occurs after the hone black has been 
ground. That the supply of black to the mix- 
h ; apparatus is not regulated by elevators, but 
these elevators empty themselves into a hopper 
ou top the mixing apparatus, which hopper is 
so regulated as to act as an exact measure of the 
bane black, always admitting the precise quan- 
?: y required ; and the faster or slower working 
of the elevators would not alter, in any way the 
supply of bone black to the mixing apparatus. 
It is not true that the sulphuric acid runs to 
this mixing apparatus through an auger hole, 
but is first received from the carboys into a ves¬ 
sel lined with lead, and from this passes through 
a 5 ead pipe and valve to a second vessel, con- 
mining a float, so as at all times to insure the 
same height of column of the acid. This second 
vessel is also lined with lead, and the acid is 
carried from tins to the mixing vessels through 
two short pipes, each armed at their extremities 
with valves made of lead, and of accurate work¬ 
manship, so that the relative quantities of bone 
black and acid are at all times the same. After 
the further manipulation and thorough drying 
of Ibis mixture, (without the use of heat,) the 
other ingredients are added, and the whole is 
passed through fine sieves, the coarser parts, if 
any, passing from the sieves to a mill, and im¬ 
mediately returned, after being ground, to the 
sieves. 
Ti: Improved Superphosphate of Lime made 
in this factory is strictly prepared after the re¬ 
cipe furnished to the proprietors by Prof. James 
J. Masks, and is all made by the above method. 
We cannot believe that Mr. Harris ever passed 
