moore’s Rural new-yorker: an agricultural and family newspaper. 
IMPORTANCE OF VEGETABLE MATTES. 
Messrs. Eds:~-T see that ah agricultural 
pRper approves of seeing timothy seed without 
clover; per contra, Some' 6f our best fanners 
say -if you want to keep a heavy soil light, fri¬ 
able and lively, as well as rich in organic mat¬ 
ter, sow clover seed without timothy; and plow 
it in when in full bloom. Again, clOver when 
cut early and cured in cock is worth as mulih 
for hay as one-half the timothy ( hat is Put After 
harvest, with nearly all its Redd’shelled oft; yet 
there is no aoubt but that early cut and well 
cured timothy hay is worth much more than 
clover; but it is a much greater exhauster <0? 
the soil. While clover collects ammonia from 
the atmosphere, timothy like the cereals ex¬ 
haust the soil of its ammonia. Hence in an 
economical point of view-, would it not be bet¬ 
ter for farmers to grow less timothy, substitu¬ 
ting clover with corn fodder, some Indian meal, 
&c? 1 have long been of the opinion that 
timothy hay was the dearest of all food for a 
milch cow. 
I believe that Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert’s 
theory goes rather to degrade the importance 
of carbonaceous matter in the soil as a neces¬ 
sary means of supplying carbonic acid to the 
roots of growing plants; I think they hold that 
if the soil is not deficient in inorganic constitu¬ 
ents, and is well supplied with the compounds 
of nitrogen, the atmosphere will supply car¬ 
bonic acid, with that incidentally in the soil, 
sufficient for a maximum crop. While I ad¬ 
mire the anti-Geison theory of those gentle¬ 
men, so far as they go for other and much 
more nitrogen than the atmosphere supplies 
to plants, I cannot but feel from the result of 
every day’s experience, that Liebig is more 
than half right when he says, “ If plants re¬ 
ceive by their roots three times the amount of 
the carbonic acid absorbed by their leaves in 
the same time, their increase in weight will be 
four-fold, provided all the conditions exist for 
the assimilation of the carbon; hence four 
times the quantity of stems, leaves and buds 
must be formed, and by the increased surface 
thus obtained, the plants will receive in the 
game degree an increased power of absorbing 
food from the air; and this power remains in 
activity long after the supply of carbon to the 
roots has ceased.” But that this supply of 
carbonic acid to the roots does not cease untii 
the perfected plant no longer requires it, I can 
show by the following experiments: 
On the 13th day of last June, Indian corn 
was planted near this village in a recently 
drained swamp on a black carbonaceous soil, 
apparently deficient in both sand and alundue; 
this muck was from three to five feet deep, 
resting on a coarse, yellow clay. In a season 
so hot and dry that ils counterpart was never 
before witnessed here, this corn grew in less 
than seventy-five days to be a pci feet crop; 
some of the cars, eight-rowed yellow were filled 
to the tip end of the cob. Haifa mile off in 
the same swamp carrots are growing, eighteen 
inches long; how much longer they will grow 
before the adveut of frost remains to be seen. 
Some may say that the clay bottom held a 
supply of water which was appropriated by 
the incumbent soil; so far from it the clay was 
dryer than the carbonaceous matter above; 
during the drouth, water iu this region was not 
present, even in the bottom of wells dug to a 
depth of thirLy-five feet. 
I have long since noticed that a drained car¬ 
bonaceous soil rich in humus, always contained 
enough of ammonia and inorganic matters for 
the production of large Indian corn. If it was 
the excess of free hydrogen in the soil above 
no i :ed, which formed’water with the oxygen of 
the air, that fed this growing corn, why was 
not the same effect produced in those well- 
drained, highly manured soils, where hydrogen 
is always present, both free and combined with 
nitrogen as ammonia? Is it not because that 
atmospl ere of carbonic acid is wanting in ex- 
tenso, on the artificially manured soil, which 
Liebig tells us, is capable of increasing vegeta- 
able growth four times greater than that of 
plants which receive their carbon solely from 
the atmosphere? Hence the practical wisdom 
of our farmers in their practice growing clover 
for manure without stint, as both a chemical 
and mechanical renovator and amendment to a 
worn soil, s. w. 
Waterloo, N. Y. Sept., 1854. 
SgriniltTOl UtiaullattjL 
FALL PLOWING. 
AN ENGLISH SEED DRILL. 
WHEAT GTLTLRE IN THE UNITED STATES* 
Monroe county fair. 
Potatoes in Ireland. —The Belfast Mercu¬ 
ry says, “ the magnitude of the crop for 1854 
is certainly very much beyond that ever before 
known in this country. Taking a low average, 
we should say that the gross value of Ireland’s 
potato lauds this seasou cannot be under £15,- 
000 , 000 .” 
Ireland contains now not more than six mil¬ 
lions and a half of inhabitants, and the potato 
crop for the present year is estimated to be 
worth seventy millions of dollars, or rather 
more than ten dollars for each man, woman, 
and child. It is manifest, therefore, that the 
staple article of food in Ireland is still the po¬ 
tato, and that if it fails, great suffering is ine¬ 
vitable. In the province of Ulster alone, 
there are 330,000 acres in potatoes, and if 
even one tenth of the crop should be lost, it 
will be severely felt. 
One animal well fed is of more value than 
two poorly kept. 
The Agricultural Pair for this county came 
off on Friday and Saturday of last week. The 
fair was well patronized so far as visitors were 
concerned, Und an unabated interest shown 
bi the community for such interesting and mer¬ 
itorious exhibitions-; but the display iu most 
ddpartments was inferior to many of its prede¬ 
cessors, and we might add, county cotempora¬ 
ries, There are elements and means in Mon- 
rote County sufficient for a fair that cannot be 
surpassed; and it is to be hoped next season 
they will be called into requisition. 
The show of domestic animals was very 
creditable; of fruits and vegetables, fair; of ag¬ 
ricultural implements, such as reapers, drills, 
straw cutters, &c., good so far as it went, but 
not extensive; of dairy products, excellent; of 
domestic manufactures, meagre; and of the fine 
arts, with a very few exceptions, not worthy 
of “honorable mention.” 
The first day was principally devoted to the 
exhibition of animals, which were then removed 
and not on the ground the second day, a mat¬ 
ter much regretted by spectators. The chief 
attractions of Saturday were contained in the 
lent, and many a month watered for a taste of 
the splendid fruits; many a pair of handsome 
lips were tempted to kiss the blushing cheeks 
of mellow peaches, and luscious pears; many an 
eye grew dim with tears at sight of a temple 
of Pomona, constructed of red and yellow 
onions! 
—The Treasurer of the Monroe Co. Ag 
Society, will be at the store of J. Papal, TK & 
Co., Rochester, on Saturday, 30th inst., to pay 
the Premiums awarded at the Fair. 
Eds. Rural: —Fall plowing I think an im¬ 
portant item in farm operations, for past expe¬ 
rience has taught me that better crops of bar¬ 
ley and oats may be secured, on any of our 
lands, by plowing in the fall, and we can inva¬ 
riably get them in in better condition. I con¬ 
sider it indispensable, however, that no surface 
water be allowed to remain long, and neglect 
in this respect I believe to be the cause of so 
many failures in the experiment. Some say, 
“ plow dry lands, but you must not plow those 
wlv’ch are wet;” but with all deference to the 
opinions of such, I (from past experience) ad¬ 
vise to the contrary. 
If I have a rather wet, clayey lot, which is 
intended for spring crops, I by all means plow 
in the fall ; not, however, in an indifferent man¬ 
ner, as is the practice of some, but with great 
care, putting it in narrow beds, and cutting 
cross furrows or ditches, iu order that all the 
surface water may quickly run off and not lay 
upon the land to harden it. In this condition 
the legitimate effect of the frost is to pulverize 
the soil, and when spring conies, once harrow¬ 
ing, and then going over it with the wheel 
cultivator, will put it in as good condition for 
sowing as it possibly can be.—S. B. F., Roy - 
alton, Niagara co„ N. Y. 
THE TRADE IN WOOLEN RAGS. 
Stock at the Yt. State Fair:— The show 
of Cattle was very good,—the best the Socie 
tv has ever given. Mr. Stickney, of Grafton, 
had a very fine Devon bull, six years old.— 
Messrs. Sanford, Davis, and others also pre¬ 
sented stock of this blood. Mr. Smith, of 
Wilmington,exhibited a Short-horn bull which 
was much admired by all. He is G years old, 
and of a large size—weighing, it is stated, 2,- 
300 lbs. Other good Durham stock was 
shown. I here were but few JUderveys and 
Herefords. About 200 yoke of Working 
Oxen were on the ground, adding much to the 
general interest of the show. A very fine pair 
of fat oxen were shown by Josiah Fogg, (not 
Forbes, as stated last week) of Deerfield, Mass., 
and another, still larger, by Mr. Fairbanks, of 
Springfield. The latter weighed six thousand 
pounds. 
Henry Stevens, writing from Barnet, Yt 
to the JY. Y. Tribune, says: 
It is a fact that large Q uantities of woolen 
race, also wool made from rags, are now and 
for several years have been nnpoited. We 
have in our own country rag speculators; they 
buy the woolen as paper rags. Woolen rags 
are worth from four to sit cents per pound in 
the dirt. The rags are sorted, then by ma¬ 
chinery converted into wool. Rag wool is now 
selling from 20 to 28 cents per pound. .A 
neighbor of mine, a few days since, imported 
from Montreal seventeen tons of wook n tags 
From these rags he makes about 400 pounds 
of wool per day. About ten days since he 
bought in Boston 23,000 lbs. of wool imported 
from France. This will soon be manufactured 
into stocking yarn and sent to market. 
We shall soon be flooded with woolen rags. 
By the late treaty rags from Canada come in 
duty free. 1 believe that there will be 30.- 
000,000 pounds of woolen rags made into wool, 
then manufactured into cloth, stocking yarn, 
&c., the coming year in tins country. Every 
pound of this rag wool takes the place of so 
much of our native wool. The cloth sells to 
good advantage, and is quite cheap and dura¬ 
ble. This helps to account for low prices. 
The Mark Lane Express gives the follow¬ 
ing description of Hornsby’s celebrated seed 
drill, which received the first premium at the 
recent Fair of the Royal Agricultural Society. 
After stating that the drill can be adjusted to 
accommodate all shapes of unevenness of land, 
it says: 
“ This is truly a masterpiece of simple me¬ 
chanical contrivances for the work required, 
and does great credit to the eminent firm who 
have carried away the prize with it on so many 
occasions. The peculiar advantages of this 
drill are the corn or seed box being supported 
in the centre, which by means of a screw at 
one end can be raised or lowered endways as 
the drill travels, so that the box is kept quite 
level when the drill is traveling on the side of 
a hill, at an inclii e of one foot in six, ensuring 
as regular a delivery of corn or seed as if trav¬ 
eling on perfectly level ground. It has the 
patent India rubber tubes for conducting the 
seed to the coulters, and also two coulter-bars 
to equalize the pressure upon each coulter.— 
The great superiority of the exhibited patent 
India rubber tubes over the usual tins has now 
been fully proved in their very extensive use 
for four years. It is obvious that the seed is 
first delivered by the seed-cups with perfect 
regularity; and the only possible cause of its 
reaching the ground irregularly, or in patches, 
as is so frequently the ca-e, is the very imper¬ 
fect delivery afforded by the tins. The mere 
motion of the drill and the form of the tins 
c mse the seed to re 1 ound from side to side un¬ 
til deposited ne. e sarily at varying in ervals in 
the soil. The adoption of this patent entirely 
does away with the numerous tin cups work¬ 
ing within each other, and substitutes simply 
the continuous and almost indestructible vul¬ 
canized India rubber lubes, through which the 
seed passes, protected completely from both 
wind and rain, even in the most boisterous 
weather, directly and with unerring regularity 
into the channels made by the. coulters. To 
this drill is fitted the exhibitors’ improved pat¬ 
ent fore-carriage) steerage. Before the intro¬ 
duction of this patent, the fore-carriage steer¬ 
ages in general use required so much power to 
hold them, that when the wheels came in con¬ 
tact with a large clod or stone, even a strong 
man could not possibly prevent the drill from 
swerving. This defect is obviated by the use 
of the exhibitors’improved patent'rack and 
pinion, obtaining such a leverage that a strong 
lad’s command over the drill is so complete 
that the obstruction of the wheels by stones 
and uneven surfaces has no effect upon the 
steerage, which passes over almost impercepti¬ 
bly.” 
HARVESTING BEANS. 
SOWING (MUSS SEED IN THE FALL. 
Niagara Co. Fair. —The Annual Fair of 
the Niagara Co. Agricultural Society, will be 
held at Lockport on the 4th and 5lh of Octo¬ 
ber. r I he Niagara Democrat says:—“With 
a soil unsurpassed by that of any county in 
the State; with the improvements in agricul¬ 
ture and stock, (especially horses, sheep and 
hogs,) that have been rapidly progressing in 
the last few years; with fruits as fair and of 
as good quality as can be produced in the 
State, we should have a good show, and we 
can have, if the right spirit prevails with those 
who can make it such.” The affair will, no 
doubt, be an interesting one. 
Breadstuff’s from California. —The tables 
are now turning. A letter from Sun Francis¬ 
co, dated August 1, says:—“ The ship S. S. 
Bishop, which cleared yesterday for New York, 
has some 12,000 bushels of wheat and barley 
on board; and another vessel loading takes 
about the same quantity to England. This 
promises to be an immense trade ere long.— 
All kinds of grain are extremely low with us 
Mr. William Root, of Sweden, informs us 
that his wheat-crop this year averaged 30 
bushels per acre. Last year it averaged 3G 
bushels, and the year before 34 bushels. The 
farm contains 120 acres, and 30 acres are an¬ 
nually sown to wheat. 
Messrs. Editors: —There has been what 
farmers term a “ bad catch ” this season in con¬ 
sequence of the long drouth, and we shall have 
a light crop of grass on our new land next 
year, unless we replenish the ground with seed 
Some farmers plow in their stubbie, and plant 
or sow the piece again, but 1 do not favor this 
method. I believe it to be injurious to the 
soil, unless we supply it well with manurt : and 
in doing this, the rotation of crops is broken 
up, and other positions of the farm suffer there¬ 
by. A better way 1 think is, to re-sow in the 
fall; some farmers in this vicinity for several 
years past have been in the practice of not 
sowing their grass seed till fall. They plow 
in their stubble and sow their grass .reed usu¬ 
ally iu the month of September, and they have 
seldom failed to get a “good catch.” Seed 
sown at this time has not to pass the fearful 
ordeal of a drouth before the tender plants 
have become firmly rooted. The stubble well 
plowed in is equal to a light coat of manure 
But still, I do not think it always bust to plow 
a piece which is well laid down. I find on ex¬ 
amination, that in my fields laid down Iasi 
spring, there are many clover roots still alive; 
i wish to preserve them, and shall sow my 
seed on these pieces without plowing or har¬ 
rowing. I intend to do this later in the sea¬ 
son, and before a big storm, if L can divine by 
my observable prognostics and my old family 
almanack when it is coining. In every in¬ 
stance, which has come under my observation, 
seed sown in this way has come well, and there 
has been no lack of grass on such pieces the 
next season. If any have doubts of the effi¬ 
ciency of this method, I would say try a small 
piece, that you may satisfy yourselves.—J. 
Fellows in Boston Cultivator. 
As the time for harvesting beans is near, and 
as it is somewhat difficult to cure ihem proper¬ 
ly, 1 will state my practice for several years 
past. 
Full them when most of them are ripe,shake 
the soil from the roots, and lay! them tlic* 
ground, roots up, to wilt, or partially dry.— 
Cut crotched sticks about two feet long below 
the crotch and 4 J feet above, sharpening the 
lower end. The two branches should not sep¬ 
arate abruptly, but very gradually; so that at 
the top they may be about ten inches apart; 
they should be less than two inches in circum¬ 
ference at the top. Stick them up iu the mar¬ 
gin of the field, or where it may be desired 
they should stand awhile. Black the beans iu 
these crotches, by placing a very few, (if the 
angle at the crotch be very acute,) so that they 
pinch in the stick just above the roots. Then 
place a few more with the tops opposit e to the 
first. Continue placing alternate layers, en¬ 
larging the quautity in each layer as the parts 
arc more distant, to a convenient height, say 
lour f.-et, and bind the tops of the stick togeth¬ 
er. If rain is expected, put on a straw cap, or 
some other covering. The tops of the beans 
projecting in different directions and drooping 
a little, they will not be much wet in quite a 
rain, if it is only turned at the top. 
These stacks can be taken.up, laid in a cart, 
and set away in the barn when dry, with very 
little waste. When threshed the sticks can be 
saved for another year. Bliould it be difficult 
to find suitable crotches, two stakes with a pin 
through them about eighteen inches from the 
ground, so placed that the tops will be fuitner 
apart than the bottom, will answer the purpose. 
—Fanninglou Chronicle. 
The Le Roy Town Fair will be held at Le 
Roy on the 10th of Oct. A good time is an¬ 
ticipated, although the drouth has been rather 
severe on Stock, as well as Fruit and Vegeta¬ 
bles. 
A new kind of wheat has been introduced 
into California from Sonora, which it is said 
will, in its yield, surpass any other variety, be¬ 
ing free from rust and smut, and maturing a 
month or six weeks'earlier. This will, it is 
thought, be peculiarly adapted to the climate 
of California. 
A farmer in France stuck a pea into a pota¬ 
to, and planted them together in March, The 
pea produced a stalk which was covered with 
pods, and the potato gave eleven healthy roots. 
He thinks by this means double crops may be 
obtained and the potato disease prevented. 
Hops. —A large portion of the crop has al¬ 
ready been picked. It turns out, in all the 
districts of this county—and, so far as we are 
informed, in other counties—full as well as ap¬ 
pearance six weeks ago justified; while in some 
districts it considerably exceeds the expecta¬ 
tions of growers. Brices have advanced to 35 
cents, and few are willing to sell at that. The 
partial failure of the English crop has princi¬ 
pally contributed to this result—so desirable 
to American growers. It is now pretty cer¬ 
tain that prices will not go below the above 
figure; and brewers who delay purchasing, 
with the expectation of buying for less, well re¬ 
pent the mistake they have made for two or 
three years past One firm in this place, sold 
300 bales on Saturday last, growth of ’53, for 
export, at 34 cents; several sales have since 
been made in New York city, at prices two 
to four cents higher.— Cooperstown Journal. 
Philosophy of Cutting Potatoes before 
Planting. —Well tested experiment has prov¬ 
en, that where an Irish potato is to be cut, it 
should be cut at least ten days before planting. 
They should be cut and spread on a floor, 
where they can dry, but not iu the sun. The 
philosophy of the matter is, that a sound tuber 
is better to plant than an unsound one, and 
the potato being spread in the air, the starch 
in the potato forms a skin or cuticle, over the 
wounded part, which, when planted, retains the 
nourishment in the tuber to sustain the young 
rootlets, and the young stem. A potatoe cut 
and immediately planted, bleeds in the earth, 
and parts with much which would nourish the 
growing plant.— Soil of the South. 
Profitable Crop. —The Watertown (Jeffer¬ 
son county) Democratic Union says that 
Messrs. T. A. & A. P. Smith, of that town, 
The introduction of wheat into the North 
American coluuies dates back to the earliest 
periods of their settlements by Europeans. It 
was first sown, with other grains, on the Eliza¬ 
beth Islands, in Massachusetts, by Gosnold, at 
tlm time he explored that coast, in 1G02. in 
1611, wheat, as well as other grains, was also 
sown in Virginia, and by the year 1G48 there 
were cultivated many hundred acres in that 
colony. Although premiums were offered as 
an encouragement of its growth in 1051, it 
was not much cultivated for more than a cen¬ 
tury after, in consequence of the ill-directed 
attention to the culture of tobacco. 
According to the records of the “ Governor 
and Company of the Massachusetts Bay, in 
New England,” there were ordered from Eng¬ 
land, in 1629, wheat, barley, oats, rye, beams, 
peas, the seeds or pits ot Iruits, (apple, pear, 
quince, peach, plum, cherry, pomegranate, and 
filberts,) saffron, woad, liquorice, hemp, flax, 
potatoes, (sweet?) madder and hop-roots, and 
the cuttings or plants of the currant. 
Wheat was introduced into the valley of the 
Mississippi by the “ Western Company,” in 
1718, where, from the careless mode ol culti¬ 
vating it by the early settlers, and the sudden 
alternations of temperature, it would only 
yield from five to eight-fold, running to straw 
and blade without filling the ear. in 1746, 
however, the culture had so far extended that 
600 barrels of flour were received at New Or¬ 
leans from the Wabash; and by the year 1750, 
the Drench ot Illinois raised three times as 
much as they consumed, and large quantities 
of grain and flour were sent to the same place. 
Prior to the Revolution, the primitive soils 
of New York, New Jersey, and New England 
appear not to have rewarded the cultivation 
of this grain much, if any, beyond the wants 
of the inhabitants. Considerable quantities 
were raised on the Hudson, and in some parts 
of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which were 
exported to tiie West indies and New Eng¬ 
land, and to Great Britain, France, Portugal 
and Spain, in t he years of seat city, previously 
to 1723. In 1750, New Jersey rab>ed more 
wheat than any other colony. 
In New Hampshire, for several years pre¬ 
ceding 1792, Siberian wheat produced good 
crops whenever the seed was renewed by fresh 
importations from Siberia by the way of Eng¬ 
land; otherwise, it degenerated. (Jn the “in¬ 
tervals lauds” along Connecticut river, it yield¬ 
ed from 40 to 50 bushels to an acre; on com¬ 
mon upland, about 20 bushels. 
The amount of flour exported from New 
York in 1749-50, was 6,721 tons, besides the 
grain, estimated by the bushel; in 1756,80,000 
barrels. From New Jersey, in 1751, 6,424 
barrels. From Philadelphia, in 1752,125,960 
barrels, besides 86,500 bushels of wheat; in 
1767, 198,516 barrels, besides 367,500 bushels 
of wheat; in 1771, 252,744 barrels; in 1772, 
284,827 barrels; in 1784, 201,305 barrels; iu 
1787, 193,720 barrels; in 1791, 315,785 bar¬ 
rels. From Savannah, in .1771, 7,200 pounds. 
From Virginia, annually, for some years pre¬ 
ceding the Revolution, 800,000 bushels of 
wheat. From City Point, in 1791, 10,090 
barrels of flour, besides 165,635 bushels of 
wheat; in 1793, 28,877 barrels, besides 88,115 
bushels of wheat; in 1794, 5,853 barrels, be¬ 
sides 31,212 bushels of wheat. 
The total amount of flour exporter? from 
the United States, in 1791, was 619,681 bar¬ 
rels, besides 1,018,339 bushels of wheat; in 
1800, 653,052 barrels, besides 26,853 bushels 
ol wheat; in 1810, 798,431 barrels, besides 
325,924 bushels of wheat. 
According to the census of 1840, the wheat 
crop of the United States amounted to 84,823,- 
272 bushels; of 1850, 100.485,944; showing 
an increase of 15.662,672 bushels. The entire 
crop ol' 1853 may be safely estimated at 110,- 
000,000 bushels, and valued at $100,000,000. 
Patent Ojjicc Report. 
Planting for Posterity. —“ There,” said a 
gentleman to us one day, pointing to a group 
of evergreens and other trees, “my brother is 
about to build him a house; those trees were 
planted for him by my father upward of twen¬ 
ty years ago.” flow fortunate this man to 
have such a father. Here he builds his house 
among these fine trees, and enters at once up¬ 
on their enjoyment. He gains twenty-five 
years of time, and not only that, the plantation 
has a ten-fold value in its history and associa¬ 
tions it is a family monument. A beautiful 
example this for fathers. Such an inheritance 
has a moral as well as material value.— Hor¬ 
ticulturist. 
Early fall plowing is recoinmemled for 
sandy land, while late fall plowing is said to be 
the best for clayey soils. 
have the greatest crop of hops ever known in 
the country. It is estimated by competent 
judges, at 30,000 pounds. Hops are worth 
from 25 cents to 30 cents per pound. This 
crop grew oa 20 acres of land. 
Inquiries anil Ivitsluers. 
Chicken House. —I wish to ascertain from you 
or some of your numerous subscribers, the best 
plan tor a hen house, size of yard, ifcc., for say 
200 fowls. Also some hints in regard to their 
management.—A Subscriber, Orange Port, Ni¬ 
agara Co., A. Y 
Multicole Rye. —Please inform a subscriber 
where the Multicole rye can be obtained, and 
what would be the price?— Thorn Hill. 
We know of none for sale anywhere. 
Plan of a Barn. —Will some of your numer¬ 
ous correspondents give a plan for a barn about 
30 by 50 feet, that will be adapted to a grain 
and stock farm, giving the details, tfcc., ifcc.—S„ 
Mannsville, N. Y. 
Plaster on Wheat in the Fall —In reply 
to our request for information respecting the 
value of plaster for wheat, Mr. D. S. Merick, 
of Nunda, Livingston county, N. Y., writes us 
that last fall he sowed two bushels of plaster 
per acre on part of a field of wheat, and on the 
other part which was considered the best land, 
he put nothing. The plaster part of the field 
gave 18 bushels while that which was not 
plastered produced only 10 bushels per acre- 
Mr. W. finds the fall, in all cases, t he best time 
to sow plaster. 
It is said that small twigs of cedar chopped 
fine and mixed with their grain, will cure a 
cough in horses, and that this has been used 
with complete success. 
Tile Drains, &«.— Reply to S. L —The 
office of small tile or pipe, is to take oil’surplus 
water as it slowly percolates through the soil. 
If used for kitchen sewers they clog and fill up 
with ends of dish cloth and other lefu.-.e which 
will get into the drain without extra can.— 
Of course strips of boards should first be nailed 
to the planking, and the lath nailed iu the 
strips so that the mortar may cliueh.— g. h. 
