'C*y €‘j'w S i 
VOLUME V. NO. 19.1 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.- SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1854 
5 WHOLE NO. m 
soiling purposes, especially for horses. Every 
farmer should make it a rule to have an acre or 
two of red clover, on rich, early ground, as 
near the barn as possible. By manuring it in 
the fall, an early and luxurious crop of clover 
would be obtained. It would be found of 
great advantage to feed to the teams at noon 
and before turning them into the field in the 
evening. And, indeed, if enough could be ob¬ 
tained, the horses might be kept up and fed on 
it altogether. A few acres so manured and 
cut early, would afterwards yield a splendid 
crop of clover seed, or it might be mown twice 
as green food for the horses and cattle. 
Indian com, for soiling purposes, may be 
sown at different periods till mid-summer. The 
soil should be either naturally very rich, or be 
well manured. A cool, moist soil is better 
than a very dry one, as the crop is very liable 
to injury from drouth — much more so than 
com under ordinary cultivation. Prepare the 
ground as for the usual corn crop. The deep¬ 
er it is plowed, and the mellower it is made the 
better. A gentleman near Rochester who 
grows considerable corn for soiling purposes, 
sows it broadcast, at the rate of four bushels 
per acre, lie thinks thick seeding very essen¬ 
tial. We believe, however, that it would be 
far better to sow it in drills, two and a half to 
three feet apart The drills may be formed 
with a light plow and one horse. Then scat¬ 
ter the seed in this furrow, say 40 seeds to the 
foot, and cover by running a harrow lengthwise 
of the furrow. Corn sown in drills, in this way, 
can be horse hoed, and the soil kept clean with 
little trouble, while the cultivation greatly pro¬ 
motes the growth of the corn. We should be 
pleased to hear from any of our readers who 
have had experience in soiling. 
ANSWER TO QUERIES ABOUT OATS, 
lime’s gral leto-garhr: 
A QUARTO WKKKLY 
Agricultural, Literary, and Family Newspaper, 
1"? the Rural you speak of plowing in oats, 
and I want you, if you please, to .answer me a 
few inquiries. 1 sowed a piece to oats late last 
spring and seeded. The summer being so dry, 
the seed did not take. I wish to sow to oats 
again this spring and seed. Not having plowed 
the ground last fall, will it do to plow in my 
oats on the stubble? Will it dotosowmy 
clover and timothy seed after the plow and 
then smooth with the harrow? Or should 1 
drag first? I)o you drag at all after plowing 
in your oats where you do not stock the land? 
How much oats should I sow to the acre? Do 
you think winter wheat is benefited by plowing 
in? You speak of soaking your seed com in 
saltpetre — will it prevent the wire worm as 
well as birds? Hiram Smith. 
Wales Centre, Mich. 
If Mr. Smith had observed the article he re- 
fere to a little more attentively, lie would have 
seen that the method of plowing in oats, and 
soaking seed corn in a solution of saltpetre, 
were not the practice of the writer, but of Mr. 
J. R. Martin, of Kingston, Tcnn. Here in 
this neighborhood, oats are a light crop, and are 
but little raised by the writer, who will, how¬ 
ever, answer Mr. Smith's inquiries so far as he 
can, very cheerfully. But the answers must 
be more suggestive than otherwise. If any of 
our readers have had experience in plowing in 
oats, why will they not communicate it for the 
pages of the Rural? 
To plow in the oats on stubble land, would 
undoubtedly give a portion of the seed too great 
a depth, unless the plowing be too shallow for 
the profit of the crop. The stubble, weeds, Ac., 
should be buried deeply — this done wuh a 
good plow, would leave the land in good tilth, 
provided it be in proper/jondiiion. If this had 
been done in the fall, then the writer would not 
hesitate to plow in the oats with a light draft. 
Next to this, I would sow on the furrow and 
harrow lengthwise. Sow the clover and grass 
seed after the harrow, and cover with a bush 
or roller. The smaller the seed, the lighter the 
covering. Sowed after the plow', much of the 
clover seed would be buried too deeply to veg¬ 
etate, or if vegetating, the tender plant could 
not straggle to the surface. I would not 
use a harrow to cover such seed on freshly 
plowed land, unless the harrow was a very 
light one, and the soil a light one. I should 
think there would be no necessity of har¬ 
rowing after the plow, where the land was 
not stocked. It would be a matter of conve¬ 
nience in harvesting the crop, more than bene¬ 
fit to it undoubtedly. So far as the writer’s 
experience goes with the amount of seed per 
acre, he finds that with him three bushels to 
the acre give a better yield than less. Re¬ 
garding plowing in wheat, he Las noticed in¬ 
stances of wheat covered with corn plows that 
gave a decided improvement to the crop.— 
And on land in general, especially the lighter 
soils, he sees no reason why all such grains as 
wheat, oats, barley, rye, Ac., may not be bet¬ 
ter covered deeper than they can be ordinarily 
with the harrow alone. It is in a good measure 
owing to the greater depth which seeds are 
planted by drills, that the crop is materially 
increased, and that too with a less quantity of 
seed. 
The writer has never been troubled with 
birds or worms among his corn, except the cut 
worm — has not, therefore, had any experience 
with any of the soaks in vogue. Twine strung 
through the fields, before the corn appears, has, 
with the writer kept away the crow’s. If the 
saltpetre will keep the birds, Arc., from eating 
the kernels, it probably may the worm, though 
I should be inclined to think it would not save 
the stem of the plant, Mr. Smith will have 
noticed, no doubt, the suggestion of corn cobs 
placed in the ground by the hill, as a good 
preventive against the wire w'orm. It seems 
to have the sanction of experience, mid that 
from several sources, and nmy therefore be the 
best thing against these depredators. 
A word for the crow, which is a great help 
to the agriculturist in clearing the ground of 
worms, grubs, Ac., which do vastly more injury 
than the crow can. Where they abound, and 
for want of proper food, make attacks on the 
young corn, the farmer would find it more for 
CONDUCTED EY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
JOSEPH HARRIS, in the Practical Departments: 
EDWARD WEBSTER, in the Literary and News Dep'ts. 
Ccrrefipondin^ Editors: 
J. II. Bixcy, — H. C. White,— T. E. Wetmore. 
The Rubai, New-Yorker is designed to be 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 
Subjectfl connected with the businees of those whose in¬ 
terests it advocates. It embraces more Agricultural, Horti¬ 
cultural, Scientific, Mechanical, Literary and Nows 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. 
TTJMBLER C. 1 UT IF A POSITION FOR TRAVELING. 
his benefit even to scatter corn ori the surface 
of the field, than with gun and powder to take 
the crow’s life. Tarring will keep the corn 
from his bill, for the crow is somewhat fastid¬ 
ious in what he eats, though he may take to 
dead flesh. T< K . 
Kent County, Mich. 
THE GRAINS AND GRASSES,—NO. Ill, 
For Terms, &c., ske last paor. 
Barley*—( Hordevm .) c 
Barley is a native of a warm climate, but ) 
| in what country it originated, or where first culti- ( 
vated, is not known. There are many theories ? 
on the point, but they lack authenticity, for the ) 
fact is, that barley has been cultivated, accord- ( 
ing to both sacred and profane history, for 3 
more than 3.000 years; hence, the fact of it3 S 
now being found wild in any country, isnoevi- ) 
dence of its navity. Barley has been extensive- S 
ly cultivated for ages, in Egypt and Syria, and < 
used by the inhabitants as food. It is best > 
adapted, of all the grains, to the habits of a ( 
migratory people, as in a hot climate it will ( 
ripen in 56 days from the time of sowing, and £ 
it has been known to ripen in 42 days. Barley <j 
was anciently eaten extensively as food, and is / 
yet to some extent, by the inhabitants of S 
southern Europe. It makes good cakes, cof- i 
fee and gruel, when properly prepared. Two ) 
crops of it arc frequently raised in one season X 
on the same ground in southern Europe, and is ( 
one of their staple crops. s 
Barley was introduced into this country by <j 
the first settlers. It was sown by Goswolp, ) 
on Martha’s Vineyard, in 1602, and by the col- < 
onist of Virginia, in 1611, and was one of ( 
their staple crops, till 1648, when it gave way v 
to a less useful but more profitable article— ( 
Tobacco. ; 
Barley is not extensively cultivated in the y 
United States. According to the census of ) 
1840, the quantity raised was 4,161,504 bush- ) 
els, and in 1850 it was 5,167,016, of which fj 
New York produced 3,585,059; being seven- )j 
tenths of the whole amount, and the larger (j 
portion of this is grown in western and central A 
New York. The greater part of the barley S 
raised is consumed in making malt and spirit- \ 
ous liquors, amounting to no less than 3,780,- ) 
000 bushels, in 1850. The same is true, also < 
of Great Britain. The amount thus consumed > 
in 1846, was over 42,000,000 bushels, and cost- \ 
ing over $24,000,000. /i 
Cultivation. —Barley requires a lighter soil > 
than our best wheat lands, and heavier than s 
will grow good rye. The land must be well l 
drained, or naturally dry, as it is very sensitive ) 
of moisture in excess. A rich, mellow loam, < 
ranging between light sand and clay is best, / 
and let this be in the finest tilth. The best v 
crops that I have seen grown were from clover y| 
sod well manured, and a crop of corn raised v 
the previous year. The thorough culture of y 
the corn crop thus prepares the ground for the > 
succeeding crop of barley. If barley is to be < 
sown on sod ground, it should be plowed m the y 
fall previous, so that the frosts of winter, acting ( 
on it, may reduce it to a Hue tilth; and in y 
spring, let this be thoroughly cultivated on > 
top, if the sod is not well decomposed. Use < 
no coarse manure, as it is of little value for / 
barley, as its quick growth does not give time S 
for the manure to become fit for its use, and / 
such manure pays much better when applied to ) 
corn. Fine manure, with ashes and plaster, ( 
has a very beneficial effect when applied as a ) 
top-dressing. S 
Bailey should never be sown on poorly pre- y 
pared soil, especially if not suited to it, as fail- S 
ure ©f crops will be inevitable, and oats are ( 
surer. It should be sown as early as the sea- ) 
son will admit of it, as in our hot and dry cli- \ 
mate late-sown barley will be light in yield y 
and light in weight. The best method of sow- S 
ing is by drilling and afterwards rolling the < 
Progress and Improvement. 
CROPS FOR SOILING PURPOSES, 
Good timothy hay, at the present time, in 
this city, is worth .$16 per ton. In Detroit, 
Chicago, Cincinnati, and other western cities, 
it is quite as dear as with us, while in the large 
Atlantic cities it commands still higher prices. 
With high prospective prices for all kinds of 
grain, and the consequent increase of arable 
land, it is quite probable that next year, to say 
the least, hay will be equally scarce and high as 
it has been this season. It might be well, 
therefore, for every farmer to glance for a few 
moments at some, of the means whereby he can 
dispose of a larger quantity of hay than usual. 
Some say, “keep less stock, sell off your sheep 
immediately after shearing, and in this way 
you will need less pasture land, and be able to 
cut more hay.” This is true, but then beef, and 
mutton, and wool, are all proportionally high, 
and though, for the time being, it may be more 
profitable to sell hay than to feed it to cattle 
and sheep, yet no farm can long sustain the 
exportation of large quantities of hay and grain 
without being materially impoverished, unless 
great efforts are made to manufacture rich 
manure by keeping a large stock on rich food. 
It will not answer, therefore, to dispose of a 
portion of the stock on the farm; if any thing, 
it must be increased. But how shall this be 
accomplished, and at the same time have an 
increased quantity of hay to sell? We answer: 
by Soiling; that Ls to say, by growing green 
crops for feeding cattle in the yards during the 
summer months. 
There can be no doubt that at least three 
times as many cattle can be kept on an acre of 
land by this method, as by depasturage.— 
There is more labor attending it, and when 
land is cheap and produce low, the practice 
cannot be profitably adopted ; but here, where 
laud is held at $100 per acre, and in the neigh¬ 
borhood of all our large cities, where hay, 
milk, and all that the farmer has to sell com¬ 
mands ready sale at high cash prices, no other 
system of feeding horses and cattle is so 
economical. 
The greatest difficulty in the way of an ex¬ 
tensive system of soiling in this country, and 
indeed in all countries, is the want of a plant 
which comes early enough to the scythe. In 
Great Britain, Italian rye grass is the earliest 
crop. It has not been sufficiently tested in this 
country to enable us to speak of its merits, 
but from what we know of it, wo should bo 
doubtful of its adaptability to the Northern 
States. Wo believe Indian corn is the best of 
all cereals for soiling purposes in this country. 
It does not come early enough, and from cer¬ 
tain theoretical considerations wo suspect it is 
rather exhausting to the soil, yet considered 
simply as an article of food, it has no superior' 
either for cutting green for the uso of oxen or 
milch cows in summer, or for conversion into 
fodder for winter use. 
For early uso we know of nothing better for 
soiling- than red clover. Ooyld English far¬ 
mers produce it with as much certainty, and in 
such quantity as we do in Western New York, 
it would be very extensively used by them for 
gland is not to be supposed. The “ go a head” 
habits of Americans are against such a suppo¬ 
sition. \\ e Kast havo three minute horse®_ 
Heavy English horses are intolerable and a 
light horse cuts a sorry figure in a cart Be¬ 
fore the general substitution of carts for our 
lumber wagons, we must go to work and raise 
a heavier breed of farm horses. 
The Tumbler Cart is the most recent improve¬ 
ment in the construction of carts for certain 
special purposes that we have seen. Its chief 
peculiarity consists in its extreme lowness, ob¬ 
tained by passing the axle through the body 
of the tauk, while at the same time the con¬ 
venience of completely tipping the cart is at¬ 
tained in the larger sizes by the introduction of 
an eccentric which allows the body to tip, and 
in fact entirely to revolve on the axle, without 
touching the ground. The body of the cart 
or tank is made of wrought iron, and is fitted 
up with a delivery pipe and valve that can be 
affixed or removed in a very few minutes; so 
that in cities it answers the purpose of a water¬ 
ing cart for the streets, while for agricultural 
purposes, the cart can at any time be adapted 
to the delivery of liquid mannure, either from 
a pipe, or in the form of a sheet over the back 
edge of the cart 
F. Barry, in his letters from the World’s 
Fair describes tliis cart, and speaks of it in the 
highest terms of commendation; he says: “ It is 
chiefly intended to carry off the sweepings of 
streets, night-soil Ac. * * * The great 
advantage of the low body for filling, not only 
with fluid or semi-fluid substances, but with 
earth, gravel, lime, or any other material, for 
the hauling of all which it is exceedingly well 
adapted, must be too obvious to require com¬ 
ment. For the purpose of filling, the body can 
be canted to any required inclination, ho that 
the labor becomes less than that of filling a 
wheelbarrow, thus effecting an immense saving 
in the cost of carting every description of earth 
and minerals. The complete method of dis¬ 
charging the load by entirely tipping the cart, 
also gives it an advantage for many purposes 
over every other kind of cart. 
I would recommend this eart to all who col¬ 
lect street sweepings, nightsoil, Ac, To the 
scavengers of large cities it would be particu¬ 
larly valuable. In Rochester they use boxes 
placed on carts, from which the filth Ls not un- 
frequentlv sprinkled over the streets, and I 
have seen contrivances quite as bad in the city 
of New York,” 
A FEW WORDS ON UNDERDRAINING, 
An observing, practical, agricultural friend 
said to us the other day, “I have just come 
from Buffalo, and I am fully satisfied that, on 
lands along the railroad, the loss sustained from 
injury to the wheat plant in consequence of 
stagnant water, would more than pay the 
whole expense of underdraining the land.”— 
This assertion could not probably be maintain¬ 
ed, yet we agree with him that nothing would 
do so much to improve American agriculture 
as the introduction of a good system of thor¬ 
ough underdraining. No matter how well you 
may cultivate or manure, if the land is saturat¬ 
ed with stagnant water, you cannot grow good 
crops. We believe there are few farms in 
Western Now York which might not be made 
to produce about one-third more of all crops, 
simply by underdraining. “But it costs so 
much; thirty dollars per acre is a good deal of 
money to bury out of sight in underdrains.”— 
True, but it must be remembered that it is a 
permanent investment. It is not like sowing 
eight or ten dollars worth of guano per acre 
which benefits a crop merely for one season.— 
It is a perpetual means of obtaining increased 
crops. It must be borne in mind, too, that the 
increase is all nett profit . The cost of seed 
and cultivation is no more, while the yield is 
one-third greater. In fact, the cost of cull ra¬ 
tion is much less, for land that is underdrained 
requires less labor to prepare it for the recep¬ 
tion of the seed than one undrained. It can 
be plowed much earlier in the spring and later 
in the fail; and after heavy rains, when land not 
drained is so wet that man nor beast can go 
on it, the underdrained land will be in fine con¬ 
dition to work. 
Our object, at this time, is not to speak of 
the precise reasons why underdraining is bene¬ 
ficial, or of the various inodes of underdraining, 
of these we will treat hereafter, but simply, 
while fanners are suffering the effects of an 
excessively wet and backward spring, to call 
their attention to the only means of removing 
the surplus water from the soil and of prepar¬ 
ing it for the proper reception of the seed in 
good season. Now make arrangements this 
coming summer to underdrain at least a few 
acres of your farm next fall. If we can only 
persuade you to judiciously underdrain one 
acre, we feel fully assured that yon will need 
no farther persuasion to proceed with the work 
so long as you have an uudrained acre on the 
farm. 
The season for active operations has arrived, 
and every farmer should be fully prepared to 
accomplish much in a limited period 
