VOLUME- V. NO. 21.} 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.- SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1854. 
! WHOLE NO. 229. 
fpmt's Sural gpto-gorlur: 
A QUARTO 'WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary, and Family Newspaper 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOOBE, 
assisted nr 
JOSEPH HARRIS, in the Practical Departments: 
EDWARD WEBSTER, in the Literary and News Dep’ts. 
Corresponding Editors: 
J. H. Bixby, —H. C. W hitk, —T. E. W etmore. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
Rnd 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. 
Jfjf” For Terms, he ., see last page. JF % 
Progress and Improvement. 
SPECIAL MANURE THEORY.—NO. II. 
Last week we promised to bring forth facts 
which militate against the commonly received 
opinion, that the relative proportion of ingre¬ 
dients in the manure should correspond with 
the relative proportion of the same ingredients 
in the crops to which they are best adapted. 
In the Rural of May 13th, we copied an ar¬ 
ticle from, the Mark Lane Express, on the bean 
crop, in which, from the experience of British 
farmers, it was taken for granted that beans 
are not an exhausting crop, although they con¬ 
tain a very large quantity of nitrogen; and 
some very plausible reasons were assigned why 
this was the case. Without adopting the ra¬ 
tionale of our able British contemporary, we 
may be allowed to consider its article as afford¬ 
ing practical indications of the fact that beans, 
in an English course of rotation, are not an ex¬ 
haustive crop, and which is tantamount to say¬ 
ing that they are not large consumers of nitro¬ 
gen. Peas and tares are also exceedingly 
nitrogenous, and British agriculture clearly 
shows that they abstract from the soil only a 
relatively small quantity of nitrogen. But we 
are not left simply to the teachings of practi¬ 
cal agriculture in this matter. In a long-con¬ 
tinued and extensive series of experiments on 
the Rothamsted farm, (the results of these ex¬ 
periments have not yet been published, so that 
we do not feel at liberty to give the figures in 
this connection,) it was shown that on soil sim¬ 
ilar to that on which an application of ammo¬ 
nia (nitrogen) gave a great increase of wheat, 
an application of ammonia in a variety of 
forms and combinations had little or no bene¬ 
ficial effect on beans, peas and tares, all of 
which are eminently nitrogenous, while wheat is 
eminently non-nitrogenous or carbonaceous—a 
result just the reverse of what the special ma¬ 
nure theory would lead us to suppose. 
Again, the ash of wheat contains, say 50 per 
cent, of phosphoric acid, and the ash of tur¬ 
nips 10 per cent Eleven years ago, Mr. Lawks 
set apart thirteen acres of laud for a continu¬ 
ous series of experiments on wheat, and about 
eight acres of similar soil for a continuous se¬ 
ries of turnip experiments. One plot in each 
has been kept every year since without any 
manure, while the others have been supplied 
with natural and various artificial manures.— 
The first year the no-manure wheat plot yield¬ 
ed sixteen bushels per acre; the no-manure 
turnip plot produced 4 tons 3 cwt. The sec¬ 
ond year (a wet, growing season,) the same 
wheat plot yielded twenty-three bushels per 
acre, and the same turnip plot produced 2 tons 
4 cwt. The third year the same wheat plot 
yielded 17 jj bushels, and the same turnip plot 
13 cwt per acre. The fourth year the same 
wheat plot yielded 163 bushels, and the same 
turnip plot, turnips no larger than small goose¬ 
berries. During ten successive years the plot 
of unmanured wheat has aveiaged, we believe, 
some 16 bushels per acre, while the turnip plot 
has refused to produce turnips without manure. 
Now taking the analysis of the turnip as a 
guide, it is perfectly evident that the soil con¬ 
tained sufficient phosphoric acid, potash, and, 
indeed, of all the mineral elements of plants, 
for the production of a very large crop of tur¬ 
nips; for not only did it produce for ten sue- Dr. Anderson then reviews at length the 
cessive years 16 bushels of wheat and straw various processes that have been recommended 
per acre, without manure, but when supplied for the purpose. Filtra ion he pronounces 
with ammonia alone it produced even much “ radically bud, as by calculation, from the 
larger crops, showing that there was a very rich Edinburgh sewerage, it appears that 40,- 
large quantity of mineral matter in the soil.— 000 gallons would have to be passed through 
But why would it not produce turnips? On the filters to obtain a quantity of valuable 
other plots of the turnip field, ammonia, pot- matter equivalent to 100 lbs. Saldanha Bay 
ash, soda, lime, magnesia, sulphuric acid, mu- guano, or, we may add, to 100 lbs. of calcined 
riatic acid, chlorine, and carbonaceous matter bones, animal charcoal, Mexican guano, &c. 
(oil and rice,) were all used in a variety of Filtration through absorbent matters, such as 
combinations, but without any material in- peat, charcoal, sawdust, spent tan, and burnt 
crease. It is plain, therefore, that it was not clay, he considers impracticable. Even grant- 
from a lack of any of these. On the plots iug all that is claimed for them, “ they would 
where available phosphoric acid (superphos- add so much to the bulk and weight ot the 
phatc of lime) ivas used, large crops were product as completely to counterbalance any 
produced,— and this not for one year or two advantage produced by their slight absorbent 
years, but throughout the whole ten years’ quality.” Precipitation is a favorite method 
series of experiments. There can, therefore, with certain theorists. This Dr. Anderson 
be no doubt that for the production of a crop declares economically inapplicable; and fur- 
of turnips a much larger quantity of phospho- tliermore, “even granting that all the valuable 
ric acid is required, in an available condition matter was deposited by means of certain sub¬ 
in the soil, than is required for a crop of wheat, stances added, all is not yet done; the matter 
Could those who are skeptical on this point is left at the bottom of the tanks in the form 
have watched these experiments, as we did, of a wet sludge, which could not be lifted with 
and seen on one plot a luxuriant crop of wheat spades, and would require some process of ar- 
of 30 bushels per acre, without phosphoric titicial drying.” 
acid or anything except ammonia—and on an- After all that has been said and written on 
other similar plot, without phosphoric acid, a thissubject, after the immense amount of money 
crop of turnips no larger than small radishes— and time which have been spent in scientific 
and on a plot adjoining, where phosphoric acid and practical experiments, with a view to reti- 
was applied, a magnificent crop of turnips— der the sewerage of cities available, it is mel- 
they would be convinced that though wheat ancholy thus to be obliged to conclude that 
contains five times as much phosphoric acid as we are, practically, no farther advanced in the 
turnips, yet that turnips require for their manufacture of good, cheap and portable 
growth a much larger quantity of phosphoric poudrette, than we were a quarter-century ago. 
acid, in an available condition in the soil, than Yet such appears to be the fact. The plan of 
wheat conveying the liquid manure through pipes 
AVe could refer to other facts which are at and dispersing it by means of a hose, asadopt- 
variance with the special manure theory, but ed by Mechi, and some few othiis, would seem 
we think it unnecessary to do so. "YVe may to be the only means available in the case.— 
just add, that while thousands of tons of su- In regard to this method, Dr. Anderson says: 
perphosphate are annually used in Eugland for —“I have no hesitation in expressing my opin- 
ihe turnip crop, it is never used, in common ion that, if it is to be rendered available in any 
agriculture, as a manure for wheat, barley, oats, way, it must be by this. It is clearly on this 
or the cereal grasses, all of which contain a system only that all the valuable matter can 
THE GRAINS AND GRASSES.—NO. 1Y. of ash when compared with the straw is as 42 
- pounds to 1000, and of the grain as 18 to 1000. 
Barley — (Hordium Vulgara.) The quantity of mineral ingredients removed 
Barley is found in the natural order Grami- from an acre by a good crop of barley is near¬ 
ness, and may be divided into two kinds, the ly, in pounds, as follows:—Silica 107, phos- 
two-rowed and six-rowed, and these compre- phoric acid 24, sulphuric acid 4, lime 16, mag- 
liend the common, the naked or Hordium nesia 9, potash 38, soda 3, chloride of sodium 
Nudea, and the battle-door kinds. Lawson 7, chloride of potassium 1. From this it ap- 
describes twenty varieties, and specimens of pears that barley in fact- removes a larger 
thirty varieties are deposited in the Museum of amount of mineral ingredients than the oats, 
the Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland, and though generally considered a light crop 
If we classify barley by the ear, it is evidently on land, it would not long succeed on soils that 
of three varieties, viz., the two-rowed, four- are not rich in both mineral and azotized 
rowed and six-rowed. The six-rowed is the elements. 
I. A. Clark. 
most common kind cultivated in Western Marion, Wayne County, N. Y. 
New York, and brings generally two or three 
cents more per bushel than the two-rowed, from UNDERDRAINING TO RILL QUACK GRASS. 
the fact that it malts better; but the two-rowed g DS _ BuKiLt-intoRuuAi. ever advised a 
is said to produce as well, and m many sections farmer troaMed „ ith Quack Grae3 t0 sell out 
is coming into extensive cultivation to the ex- . , . , . 
, . ° . . ... mi • • i a • at night and abandon the home of long years 
elusion ol the other kinds. This is also true in ° 
„ , , , a „ c ai i mi of weary labors, (as alluded to by your corres- 
England and parts of Scotland The two- v I -»r r , , , 
c , , , 1 . , . . , pondent, Mr. Johnson,) let me say there is 
rowed has larger and plumper kernels — has Y . c ~ , ■■ 
° 1 . .. , hope m his case, for Quack grass can be extir- 
larger and stiffer straw,— is not as liable to ; . , . . 
° ’ , pated by perseverance, and that too without 
injury from wet, and is from two to four weeks , . . e _, ,, 
J J ’ subjecting every poor farmer to the expense 
later in ripening than the other kinds, these „ , _, „ ,_ uCuLi 
UNDERBRAINING TO KILL QUACK GRASS. 
Eds. Rural: —If the Rural ever advised a 
later in ripening man me Diner Kinas. t nese Qf dra5ni hi3 land . 0f the beneficial effects 
traits recommend it to those who grow wheat, Qf underdraini there can be n0 doubt> but 
as it can be left till after wheat harvest. It is that it Jg absolute]y neC essary that it should be 
not as essential to sow the two-rowed early performed before t i iere is hope of success in kill- 
as it is the four or six-rowed. In England and 
ing the Quack, is, in my experience, a mistake. 
Scotland, amongst the best farmers, it is a com- j g ^ rue { be j and j g j a be tter condition for 
mon practice to change the seed, getting that any cr0 p -which may be put on it, yet the un- 
which was grown on heavy soil to sow on light, derdra j n i n g 0 f wet land, or of any condition 
and that which was grown on light to sow on j and> be j t ever so dry naturally, will not 
heavy, with good effect. aya il much in getting rid of this grass, by the 
Winter or square barley is a Lardy variety, summer fallowing process, if the season should 
standing cold well. It has its grains in six- be one of continued rains and wet; but if it be 
rows. There is also a two-rowed variety raised a dry season, great hopes may be entertained 
in the South of England, with very thin skin, 0 f making a wholesale business of it 
and much esteemed for malting. They also 
raise a kind called sprat or battle-door, from 
the shape of the seeds; this is a two-rowed 
I will just state the process how success, in 
my case, proved almoe: a complete triumph - — 
The ground was nicely turned over at the 
large quantity of phosphoric acid. 
be turned into account, and that in the form 
We have shown, therefore, from experiments, most suitable to the plant. The whole thing, 
the accuracy of which none can question, that as most commonly occurs in such cases, 
for the highly nitrogenous beans, peas and resolves itself into a money question—Can 
tares, nitrogen is not required as a manure; sewerage water be profitably applied by means 
that for the highly carbonaceous wheat, car- of pipes, (for it is manifestly pipes, and not 
bonaeeous manures are not required, (at least, open drains which must be employed) or can 
whether we have shown it or not, it is the it not? For my own part, I think that pipes, 
case,) while nitrogen in large quantities isindis- judiciously applied, might prove successful.” 
pensable; and that lor turnips, which contain jf sucb a system is found profitable in 
a large quantity ot potash and little phosphoric Groat Britain, we have no doubt that it will 
acid, potash does little good while the applica- be a t least equally profitable in the dry, hot 
tion ot phosphoric acid is most eminently ben- climate of America; for hay, milk, potatoes 
eficiul; and finally, that wheat, which contains aud many other farm products, command 
a large quantity ol phosphoric acid, on a soil higher prices in our large cities than they do 
which lor lack ol it would not produce turnips, j u England, and the amount of labor required 
kiud. I he Hordium Nudea or naked barley, commencemen t of dry weather, thoroughly 
was much cultivated some time ago in paits of roded and left a few days to settle, so that it co'd 
England, but has been given up. In this cr0SS - p i 0W ed the next time without turn- 
variety the chaff comes on in thrashing, and ^ up j Q i on g p j ecea- Jt should be plowed 
the naked grains are like wheat, and weigh as gecoud w p b rather a narrow furrow, 
much. Hordium Zeocriton is a v arietv having ma [ dn g tbe p; eces 33 small as possible. Then 
very short beards, and is sometimes called every dry time during the summer, harrow the 
beardless barley. 
In choosing seed barley, select that which is dea (- b _ b i ow - 
ground, and my word for it, you will give it a 
of a lively color, free from blackness at the 
germ end, and if it appears shriveled it is a 
Friend Johnson, at the close of hi3 article 
on Quack grass, asks if there is any man in the 
good sign, as it shows a thin skin. The thick D ® ,1 , . , „ n 
0 ’ State of New Y ork who has ever seen Quack 
skinned may appear plump, while the flour may 
be small and shrunken within. Barley seed, 
grass or wild Mustard growing on dry soil. 
lie SUlalL UUll dui uimw* nniuu. y oww, •»,••••, , j ^ 
„ , , . „ . can respond to his interrogatory and assure 
should be frequently changed from a lighter to a „ othcK ftat it «ourishea best m 
a heavier soil, and vice versa. Barley may be 
much improved by care in selecting seed, and 
new varieties obtained by crossing. 
It is known that if a succession of grain 
light, sandy soil. I have abundant evidence 
on my own sandy farm, of its running at a 
fearful rate. 
Mr. Moore, facts are “stubborn thing?,' 1 
is not benefited by applying phosphoric acid. j n the distribution of the liquid after the fix- 
___ * ' "T ' „ tures are laid down is very small. We be- 
SEWERACE. —IIOW AVAILABLE. lieve> therefore, that a judicious system of ir- 
Dr. Anderson, Chemist to the Highland ngatiou will pay better here than in Great 
Agricultural Society, has an article in the Britain. We are not to be understood, how- 
March number of the Journal of Agriculture, ever, as asserting that it will, at present, pay, 
“On the mode in which the Sewerage of in either country. It is a question which prac- 
Towns may be most profitably used as a Ma- tical men can alone determine,—unfortunately 
uure.” The most valuable constituents of any *he experiments of such enthusiasts as Mechi, 
manure are ammonia, phosphoric acid and are 110t always reliable, 
potash. In sewerage water, the phosphoric ’ ‘ * "* 
acid is held in suspension, and the ammonia Plaster on Peas. —Twenty years ago I 
aud potash in solution. When the sewerage sowed to peas about an acre ot land, one halt 
water is left at rest, the phosphoric acid is de- of which was a deep sandy loam, the other 
posited as sediment, while the ammonia and rather shallow and stony. When the peas 
potash remain dissolved in a more or less clear were from six to eight inches high, I sowed 
tluid. Dr. Anderson found that 10,000 gal- plaster at the rate of nearly two bushels per 
Ions of the Edinburgh sewerage contained acre, on the sandy knoll, it being in a low state 
lllbs. ammonia, 8Jibs, phosphoric acid, and 4 and the peas turning yellow, while those on the 
lbs. potash; while an equal quantity of the other looked green and healthy. Two weeks 
sewerage of the Morningside Lunatic Asylum from this time there was a marked change in 
contained only 4.J lbs. of ammonia, 3 J lbs. favor of the plaster, and the peas continued to 
phosphoric acid, and 2 lbs. potash. Dr. An- grow much more luxuriantly throughout the 
dekson estimates the value of the ammonia at season, and I had green peas from them full 
12 cents; the phosphoric acid at 3 cents, and one week after those on the unplastered soil 
the potash at 4J cents per lb. “ From this it had been dry, although they were all sown the 
appears that little more than one-sixth of the same day, in the same field, side by side. I 
whole value is contained in the insoluble parts measured vines from the plastered soil seven 
of the sewerage, the other five-sixths existing feet and a half long, while the longest I could 
in solution; and it is therefore obvious, that find on the unplastered was not over five feet, 
unless the plans by which sewerage water is and it was remarked by a number of persons 
to be rendered available, make use of that who saw them, that the pods were longer and 
part which exists in solution, they must be of thicker on the plastered vines. n. c. 
little value.’’ Henrietta, N. Y., May 12, 1854. 
crops are raised on the same land, that as a and j tLiuk you will join with me in pronoun- 
general thing the crop deteriorates; and ii it is cbl g strongest condemnation on the man 
the same kind oi grain, this deterioiation takes ^ ba ^. -yyoupj pr o V e himself so reckless as io 
place so much the sooner. I he reason of this p i ace a handful of Quack grass roots in his 
is that the soil being composed of various in- neighbor's premises, though it be on top of a 
gredients, some one or more of them becomes stum{)) be ld down by a heavy stone, 
exhausted, or if the soil yet contains a supply . . . , ‘ , e * 
how to apply our manures in the most success- . T » , ., . 
‘ ment I found it quackery. h. n. l. 
ful manner and with the best economy. Barley Koclwtterj N Y 1S54 
has received as much attention from chemists_ , , m . , __ 
as any of the grains, and is found to consist ot Terra Culture.— A correspondent of the 
the following elements, according to Boussin- Country Gentleman, who was last year initia- 
gault: Earthy phosphates-325, phosphates of ted into the mysteries of terra culture, sowed a 
potash -092, sulphate of potash -015, chloride of field of oats and grass seed, and planted some 
potash .003, carbonate of potash -ISO, silica young apple trees on the terra culture plan.— 
•355, and loss together with traces of some two “The crop of oats was not so good as I had 
or three other ingredients. -030 in each 1000 reason to expect from the land, and the grass 
parts. From this it will be observed that seed was an entire failure. The apple trees 
barley is rich in phosphates and potash, and were watered and weeded, but oue-half died in 
one of the best manures to be applied io the spite of me.” 
soil is unleached ashes, together with well de- —— - — ► «- 
composed manure that is rich in azote or nitro- Clay is now proved to be the best means of 
gen. Barley straw is composed of earthy retaining manure. Sewerage water filtered 
phosphates -078, phosphate of potash -003, through it comes out destitute of smell, and 
sulphate of potash -035, chloride of potash what is better, minus the valuable salts of am- 
•005, carbonate of potash *160, earthy earbo- monia, alkaline phosphates, and other soluble 
nates T25, silica -355, loss -022. The quantity fertilizers, which are retained by the clay. 
.... , ,. , , As showing the wonderful tenacity Quack 
it is not m a condition to be used by the plants , . f... T . 
, . . . , , / grass has for life, I will mention a circumstance 
hence it is necessary to have a rotation ot crops, ° , , . , , , 
, , . , —,. . ...... V that transpired under my own observation.— 
or to supply the lacking ingredients to the soil T - T , 
V • c . l. -a a e In the spring of the year I placed on an old 
The analysis of the crops raised and ot the . . r , 
...... -p , , oak stump a handful of Quack grass roots, and 
soil on which it is grown, if accurate, will show r . ^ ^. 
, , , ,, , , . , . there the same remained till the next spring: 
what should be supplied m order to grow the . . 
,. p f „ when passing near that part of the field, my 
same crop on the same sou lor any length of ,, ,. ° ,. . , , r \ 
. ,, . . . attention was attracted by a very green mound 
time. 1 his analysis would mlorm us where and , . , * ... 
on top of the stump, and to mv utter astonish- 
