ROCHESTER, N. Y.- SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1854 
VOLUME V. NO. 40.} 
man in the destruction of the primeval forest 
did not here and there spare such a tree, the 
error should be at once corrected, by supply¬ 
ing those of as large dimensions as can con¬ 
veniently be transplanted. Within a very few 
years, alntost before we are aware, they will 
grow into noble and graceful trees, fit monu¬ 
ments in honor of the foresight and thrift of 
the man who planted them ; the birds of the 
air will sing his praises amid their branches, 
and the panting flocks lie down beneath their 
cooling shade in grateful acknowledgment of 
his beneficence and mercv. 
entanglement in the affairs of the innumerable 
fraudulent and bogus concerns of the present 
day, is more disastrous than a conflagration. 
An extensive system of under-draining on 
many farms is of inestimable advantage, and 
there is rarely to be found a farm of any di¬ 
mensions but that some portion of it can be 
improved in such a way. Safe depositories 
for manures, and cisterns for the liquid parts 
so as to prevent their running to waste, should 
form a portion of the fixed apparatus of the 
farm. Fields should be cleared of stone and 
these should be worked up into foundation or 
fence walls, so as to present no obstacle to the 
clean working of the plow share and the scythe. 
All these improvements cost money, and the 
beginner, who perchance is in debt for the 
premises on which he lives, must toil for years 
before he can realize such results ; but time, 
patience, industry and economy, will work 
wonders, and with ordinary health and good 
management he will rarely fail of ultimate 
success. 
There is one class of improvements, how¬ 
ever, that requires scarcely anything but time 
to bring them to perfection. The agriculturist 
of the most limited income can easily put them 
in successful progress, and a few rapid rolling 
years will produce the results. This class of 
improvements is the cultivation of an exten¬ 
sive variety of fruit and shade trees. A man 
looks forward to the time when a tiny fruit tree 
is to come forward into bearing, and deems it a 
j long, long time ; perhaps he may never live to 
| see it bringiug forth its fruit, but the time rolls 
i round before he is aware, and the luscious re- 
I turn is a thousand fold upon the cheap invest- 
j ment. Even seediing trees will in nine cases 
! out of ten reward with fruit the hand that 
■ planted them, if he remain upon the farm to 
is found profitable there, would be likely to 
prove equally profitable here; for the differ¬ 
ence in labor would scarcely affect the ques¬ 
tion. Peruvian guano is there used to a con¬ 
siderable extent as a top-dressing on meadows, 
and it is reasonable to suppose that the prac¬ 
tice proves profitable, otherwise it would long 
ere this have been abandoned. Superphos¬ 
phate of lime hits also been used as a top¬ 
dressing on meadows, but, though there are 
many experiments published giving highly 
satisfactory results, yet practical farmers ap¬ 
pear to have decided that guano and nitrate 
of soda, when it can be obtained at a reason- 
ble price, are much the cheapest manures for 
meadows. An English farmer once showed us 
a large field, on six acres of which he had 
sown a ton of Peruvian guano (2,240 lbs.,) 
and on six acres, at the opposite end of the 
field a ton of superphosphate of lime, while 
the centre had nothing. The guanoed six 
acres produced a good crop of hay, while 
that with superphosphate was no better than 
the part that received nothing, and which 
yielded a crop of grass scarcely worth cutting. 
The Editor of the Ameriran .A, iculturisl 
lias this year made an egperimentin top-dress¬ 
ing an old meadow, seeded down some twelve ! 
years ago, which, though on a smaller scale ; 
(the fortieth part of an acre) than we should j 
prefer, is interesting and instructive. The plot j 
on which nothing was sown produced 2.360 j 
lbs. per acre. A plot dressed with 600 lbs. of; 
“ M apes’s improved superphosphate of lime,” j 
2,800 lbs. A plot dressed with 600 lbs. of De ! 
Burg's superphosphate of lime, 3,360 firs., and j 
a plot with 600 lbs. Peruvian guano, 4.160 lbs. ! 
per acre. The Editor adds that a now [Sept. 
1] the after-math is looking much the best 
upon the plot treated with guano.” He thinks 
that “ it is quite evident that it will pay well 
to dress old mowing fields with Peruvian 
guano, but it ought to be applied very early 
in the spring, and directly after thorough har¬ 
rowing or scarifying the old sod.” 
We agree with the Agriculturist in think¬ 
ing that in many locations where hay com¬ 
mands a high price, an application of good 
Peruvian guano will pay. But meadows may 
be improved without purchasing guano or even 
“ M apes's improved superphosphate of lime.” 
On an underdrained meadow, a top-dressing of 
well-rotted barn-yard manure, or what is much 
better, a good compost of barn-yard manure, 
plaster, loam, peat, &c., applied in the fall, 
cauuot fail to be of great benefit and to pay. 
But, mark you, the meadow must be drained 
so that, as the rains in the fall and spring wash 
out the soluble portions of the manure, they 
may be retained in the soil as the water filters 
through to the drains beneath. If it is not 
underdrained, the policy of top-dressing in the 
fall may well be questioned, for in such a case 
much of the valuable portion of the manure 
would be washed out, and carried away in sur¬ 
face ditches. On an underdrained, rather re¬ 
tentive meadow, we believe guauo, and all 
other fertilizers, should be applied in the fall. 
It is clearly demonstrated that the fall is the 
best time to apply guano, sulphate of ammo¬ 
nia, rape cake, See., to wheat, and we see no 
reasou why grasses should not be similarly 
affected. 
tion westward, and naturally causing conside¬ 
rable inquiry as to the best locations for farm¬ 
ing. AA r e are in frequent receipt of letters 
soliciting information relative to the topogra¬ 
phy, soil, climate, &c., of various sections of 
the A Vest, which we are unable to answer defi¬ 
nitely from personal knowledge and observa¬ 
tion,—and feel incompetent to speak advisedly, 
as we are often requested to do, concerning 
the particular advantages of this or that West¬ 
ern State or Territory, compared with another, 
or with Western New York. There are so 
many items to be considered, not a few of 
which are estimated differently by different 
individuals, that even those best informed ar¬ 
rive at opposite conclusions. For instance, 
one looks mainly for a rich soil, another for a 
healthy locality, another for society and reli¬ 
gious and educational privileges, while others 
have different objects in view. 
Compared with Western New York, we 
hold and firmly believe, there is no district of 
equal extent which combines so many advan¬ 
tages—soil, climate, society, churches, schools, 
morality, intelligence and enterprise of the 
people, markets, facilities for travel, See., Sec .— 
Of course no one expects all thes-e at the 
West, and hence those who propose moving ^ 
should seek a locality embracing the advan-: 
tages considered of first importance in their 
estimation. Were we asked to designate what 
Western States wc consider best for farming 
purposes, with other advantages usually es¬ 
teemed by the people of this region, we 
should name Michigan, AVisconsin and Iowa. 
The latter is progressing more rapidly, proba¬ 
bly, than any other, and presents many induce¬ 
ments to young men of enterprise and limited 
meaus. Many sections of Michigan, AA'iscon- 
sin and Illinois, and some parts of Indiana, are 
desirable for those who wish to obtain im¬ 
proved or partially improved farms, at com¬ 
paratively low prices, in good neighborhoods, 
and with educational and religious privileges. 
In regard to the new Territories, we should 
prefer Kansas, though Minnesota has its ad¬ 
vantages. 
flflon’s gral g*to-g0rhr: 
A QUARTO WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary, and Family Newspaper 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
ASSISTED BY 
JOSEPH HARRIS, in the Practical Departments: 
EDWARD WEBSTER, in the Literary and News Dep’ts. 
Corresponding Editors: 
J. H. Bixby,—II. C. White,— T. E. Wetmore. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unique and 
beautiful in appearance, and unsurpassed in Value, Purity 
aud 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. 
0^.* s *** w *v *> J** m *V * N *^ >■»'M wW V * "Vw<w * V S ■ 
THRIFTY AN1) UNTHRIFTY FARMING, 
The- differences of men in regard to thrift, 
is made more palpable in agriculture than per¬ 
haps in any other human employment The 
lands of the thriftless farmer, lying side by side 
with those of the man possessing opposite 
characteristics, forcibly suggests the close 
proximity of Paradise aud Purgatory; or the 
remarkable location of sunny climes close by 
the regions of eternal frost. 
Persons unacquainted with the circumstan¬ 
ces, can scarcely be made to believe that Dame 
Nature has in the first instance dealt fairly be¬ 
tween their fields. It seems as if the goddesses 
of fruits and flowers had emptied their cortiu- 
eopius upon the former, and left the latter des¬ 
titute. Different geological formations appear 
| to lie side by side, the one without the neces- 
| sary ingredients of soil for the food of plants, 
! while the other is profuse in all the elements 
| required. The knolls and • hillocks of the 
j thriftless farmer are brown and bare, and the 
j fields of grain are deformed with patches of 
I baldness where even weeds and thistles cannot 
while in the vales, unsightly marshes 
;tagnant pools occupy all the indents.- 
j tions. Famished vegetation aud rank luxuri- 
i ance, but the luxuriance of coarse grasses and 
j swamp tiag3, frequently appear in the same 
field. The wash of the uplands denudes them 
by removing all the richness into the swamps 
below, to the injury and ruin of both. 
The thrifty fanner, on the other hand, re¬ 
stores the equilibrium by manuring the up- 
1 lands, and doubly supplying the knolls and hil¬ 
locks with the essential food of plants; he 
; drains the swamps and marshes, and supplants 
: the natural crude grasses by more genial veg- 
■ etation, until the whole farm, from valley to 
farmer, with au amount of cost scarcely worth hill-top, smiles in the sunlight with an oven 
mentioning, can in a few years have an orchard | burdened harvest. He chooses a judicious ro¬ 
und fruit garden such as we grieve to say are tation of crops, and never exhausts his soil, 
rarely to be met with even in our wealthy and ! Generous Nature seconds his efforts to enrich 
successful agricultural community. The man- 1 Ids fields, and even vegetable life itself ex- 
ipulations in the process of grafting aud bud- tracts nourishment from the atmosphere, and 
ding are easily learned, and with a single tree elaborates it into solid substances for the ben- 
of each choice variety of the different fruits, efit of man. 
the comparatively poor farmer can propagate r l he unthrifty farmer builds his barn beside 
them to any extent on stocks of his own a running stream, or other similar locality, in 
raising. order to rid himself easily of the offals and 
AVe knew a farmer who prided himself on manure. His surplus hay (if he have any) is 
his agricultural skill, and who did in fact make I drawn off and sold from the farm; his wheat 
money ; and yet, after living near twenty ! is threshed in the field, the straw burned up, 
years upon the place he occupied, scarcely a 1 and the ashes scattered to the winds; his im- 
single fruit tree worthy of the name was to be plements of husbandry are left exposed in the 
found. He raised up a family to man’s and j field through rain and snow, and are guiltless 
woman’s estate, without ever giving them the of paint or other protection; his animals are 
privilege of eating in peace, or in any other j houseless wanderers in the fields through sum¬ 
way, the fruit of his own apple tree ; to say j mer’s heat and winter’s frost 
nothing of fig-trees and vines. And yet, this Unthriftiness is written like a blighting 
man would have deemed himself insulted if any curse on everything, and pecuniary embarrass- 
one had accused him of improvidence. The ment, if not final ruin, closes his career. His 
form has since been sold, for double its first farm, if ultimately sold, does not bring one- 
purchase it is true, for that was at an early half the price of his neighbor’s, and he charg- 
day ; but it did not bring what its owner an- es to the lot of a hard fortune the legitimate 
ticipated, nor what it would have done if a fruits of his own misdoings, 
little foresight and a little care had been exer- The thrifty farmer clears up and keeps per- 
cised fifteen years before in cultivating fruit, petually clean all his fields; he drains and ma- 
of which his own family might have had the nures, plows thoroughly and in season, and 
benefit for at least ten years. Five years is sows good seed; erects as fast as his income 
amply sufficient to bring many transplanted will allow, ample and substantial out-buildings; 
trees into bearing, and the others would then has an abundance of fruit trees early in bear- 
be coming on from year to year. ing; obtains a large and varied supply of agri- 
Shade trees are of slower growth, but a few cultural implements, and takes care ol them 
years will give even them a permanently useful i when procured; does all his work in season, 
as well as ornamental value, and add greatly and cultivates no more land than he can do 
to the attractiveness of a form. How beauti- thoroughly; and the result is, he becomes rich 
ful is the appearance of a fine old elm over- while his unthrifty neighbor is becoming pooi. 
hanging a fountain, or spreading its majestic He is blessed in basket and store, and is a liv- 
branches as a cooling shade and summer shel- ing example of the benefits of good husband- 
ter to cattle in the pastures? If the wood- ry, both to himself and to the world. 
Progress and Improvement, 
with that view, persoisal investigation. The 
high prices of farming lands in AVestein New 
York, aud other superior agricultural districts, 
and desirable localities, in this and other States, 
and the comparative cheapness of improved 
or partially improved farms situated on or 
near railroads or navigable streams in the 
Western Slates heretofore named, have given 
an impetus to agricultural emigration—while 
the favorable reports concerning the new ter¬ 
ritories have exercised a powerful influence in 
the same direction. Within a few months 
hundreds of persons who own farms of from 
50 to 100 acres, have disposed of them at the 
advanced rates, ($50 to $150 per acre,) and 
purchased, at a comparatively trifling cost, 
large farms or tracts of unimproved land in 
the West. A portiou of this emigration has 
been caused by the grasping disposition of 
many of our wealthy farmers, whose desire to 
own “all the land that joins them,” has in¬ 
duced the purchase of adjoining forms at un¬ 
usually high figures—a course not generally 
productive of benefit to community, or calcu¬ 
lated to enhance Rural Improvement. In old 
sections, where land is dear, fields small and 
devoted to mixed husbandry, large farms are 
neither desirable nor the most profitable, and 
hence we regret the diminution of the number 
of soil owners and cultivators. 
In some localities the western fever is super¬ 
induced by poor fanning, and the consequent 
deterioration and barrenness of the soil—nat¬ 
urally rich and fertile lands being worn out by 
the “ skinning system” and general misman¬ 
agement. Those who do not. believe in, or at 
least will not adopt, deep plowing, manuring, 
rotation, and other improvements—men who 
“ know the right and still the wrong pursue”— 
find that their mode of farming don’t pay; and, 
being too stupid to improve, or having too 
great a veneration for ancestors to depart from 
their stereotyped practices, are either obliged 
to sell and seek a virgin soil, or suffer both 
poverty and reproach. Such people—we will 
not call them formers—of course benefit a dis¬ 
trict by leaving, (even if they depart secretly, 
between two days,) and generally advance 
their own interests—a change mutually satis¬ 
factory to themselves and community ! Their 
exodus makes room for far better farmers and 
citizens. True, those who thus depart are not 
of the right stamp and mettle to settle in a 
new country, yet it is hoped their posterity at 
least will be benefitted by a change which may 
ead to improvement. 
Among others, the reasons already men¬ 
tioned are inducing a strong tide of emigra- 
grow 
Our impression is that Iowa and 
Kansas are at this moment the most desirable 
points for youug men, and women too, of lim¬ 
ited means, if properly imbued with enterprise 
and determination. 
IMPROVEMENT OF PERMANENT MEADOWS. 
ENHANCING THE VALUE OF A FARM, 
Ax active and intelligent farmer, while he is 
raising good crops and getting a return from his 
fields equal to that of any of his neighbors, 
will also have an eye open to the permanent 
enhancement of the value of his fields. One 
means of doing this is to expend for years 
upon the premises a large portion if not the 
whole of his surplus earnings. Good build¬ 
ings cannot be erected without a liberal ex¬ 
penditure of cash, but the investment is a safe 
one, and sure to pay. There is no danger to 
be apprehended from fraudulent issues of stock 
in such a concern; of peculations by dishonest 
agents; or the failure of reckless or uncon¬ 
scionable debtors. Fire is about the only en¬ 
emy he has any cause to dread, and even this 
can be provided against by careful avoidance 
of all exposures, and an insurance in some safe 
company. Great care, however, is necessary 
to be observed in the selection of these, for an 
