RURAL LIF £ 
wz&ultwl : 
TWO DOLLARS .A. YEAR.] 
WHOLE NO. 523, 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1860. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AX ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors, 
Tire Ru»Ub Nkw-Yorkku is designed to be unsurpassed 
in Value, Parity, tTgefulnwa nod Variety of Contents, and. 
unique and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes 
his personal attention to tbo gupervwion of its various de¬ 
partment*, and earnestly labors to render tho Kent at. an 
eininently Reliable (iuide on nil the important Practical, 
Scientillc and other Subjects intimately connected with tho 
business of those whose interests it zealously advocates. 
As a Family Journal it is eminently Instructive and 
Entertaining— being so conducted that It can be safely 
taken to the lleurts and Homes of people of intelligence, 
taste and discrimination. It. embraces more Agricultural, 
Horticultural, Scientific, Educational, Literary and News 
Matter, Interspersed with appropriate and beautiful En¬ 
gravings, than any other journal, rendering it the most 
complete AuiticcLTURAf., I.itkkaiiy ami Far if v Newb- 
I'Ai'sn in America. 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
themselves nml their profession to ire-ist in dis¬ 
pelling the darkness in which tlmir calling is 
enveloped. Will they meet tho responsibilities 
thus placed upon them with the feeling and deter¬ 
mination which the spirit of the age demands? 
There can be no doubt of their capacity to combat 
with error, nor their efficiency when once enlisted 
in the struggle, and wo hope that all so situated 
ns to engage in this search after knowledge, will 
evinco a readiness of disposition and liberal use 
of appliances equal to the emergencies which 
may arise, or the importance of the subjoct 
requires. Not a single department of farm econ¬ 
omy is closed to the thoughtful seeker after truth; 
each will offer material for the closest scrutiny 
aud tho profoundest investigation. Looking the 
matter fairly in the face, and resolving that a 
good work will be accomplished during tho year 
now entered upon, we can but express the wish 
that those who weekly welcome the Rural to 
their homes aud liresides, will tafce a proud posi¬ 
tion among such as labor faithfully and devotedly 
in any cause calculated to promote the welfare 
of the great industrial interest of our country. 
TltlNTVIG OF OXFORD, (WHEN ONE 
WHAT SHALL IT BE? 
EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES, 
The gentlemen who own “Prince” have several 
mip'wior animals —the Micl'nre of what promises 
to be one of the finest herds of Short-horns in 
tho State or Union — and we congratulate the 
breeders and farmers of Western New York there¬ 
upon. His Pedigree is as follows: 
Prince of Oxford, — Red roan, bred by Samuel 
Thorne, of Dutchess Go., N., Y., the property of 
The Sliort-liorn Bull ‘T ir-e of Oxford” is one 
of the best animals ^ J ’">V0 ever seen 
lie was awarded the firm pri m in the class of 
yearling bulls at the New York State Fair, Syra 
cuse, 1858 . The above portrait was taken when 
tbo “Prince” was only one year old, and does 
not flatter the original, as those who had an oppor¬ 
tunity of seeing him when at that age can attest 
Last season we tried some experiments with 
potatoes, and a f ■ frou.-our note ho. k may 
not be uninteresting to readers of the Rural.— 
The lot on which the experiments were made is 
bordered on the front by a row of young maples, 
some twenty or moro feet in height, and believing 
that the roots of these trees would monopolize 
the soil to about the same distance in each direc¬ 
tion, wo commenced planting twenty feet from 
the trunks of these trees, but found that the 
fibrous roots extended much further, to tho mate¬ 
rial injury of the crop. During every dry spell, 
the tops of the potatoes nearest the trees became 
much'wilted, and turned yellow, particularly the 
lower leaves. At digging, the influence of the 
roots of the trees was plainly shown by meas¬ 
urement. The rows wore 120 feet in length, 2 
feet apart, and a set with two good eyes placed 
one foot apart in the rows. The first five rows 
yielded 4 bushels III) pounds, all small, from tho 
size of a marble to that of half a good potato.— 
The second five rows yielded « bushels 45 pounds, 
about one-half of small, salable size. The third 
live rows, 8 bushels, of fair size. Fourth Dive 
rows, i) bushels 25 pounds, largo and fine, and 
this was about the average of the lot, showing 
that these rows were beyond the influence of 
tho trees. 
Tiie results from different modes of planting 
were as follows:—Five rows, CO feet long and 2 
feet apart, with sets of two good eyes 1 foot apart 
in tho rows, produced 5 bushels 25 pounds, or 
at the rate of about 400 bushels to the acre.— 
Five rows of same length and distance apart, 
planted with sets of one-fonrth of a potato cut 
lengthwise, two feet apart in tho rows, produced 
11 bushels and 25 pounds, or at. the rate of 230 
bushels to the acre. Five rows the same, planted 
with whole potatoes, 1 foot apart, yielded 5 hush- 
els 10 pounds, nr about 370 bushels to the acre.— 
Five rows with whole potatoes, 2 lect apart in 
the rows, gave 4 bushels 15 pounds, or about 300 
bushels to the acre. 
Five rows of hills, CO feet long and 3 feet apart 
each way, with two sets containing two good eyes, 
iu each hill, produced 4 bushels 45 pounds, or •at 
the rate of 230 bushels to the acre. Five rows of 
hills, same as before, planted with 3 sets in a hill, 
made by cutting a medium-sized potato into three 
parts. 5 bushels 25 pounds, or about at the rate of 
200 bushels to the acre. Five rows of hills, with 
two half pot&toes.in the hill, yielded 5 bushels 11 
pounds, about 2lS bushels to the acre. Five rows 
of hills with one set in each hill, containing three 
good eyes, gave 3 bushels 7 pounds, or about 150 
bushels to the acre- 
Occasionally dug up sets to examine them, and 
found that from a whole potato, as a general rule, 
only from two to four of the strongest eyes grew, 
the others remaining dormant, the eyes obtaining 
tho first start appearing to have exhausted the nu¬ 
triment in the potato before those slower in grow¬ 
ing had got ready to claim their share. The same 
potato cut in two. three, or even four pieces, 
would give about the same number of shoots to 
each set, though the smaller the sets the weaker 
were the shoots. To these rules there were some 
exceptions, for occasionally most of the eyes in a 
tained. In addition to any retrospective glances 
he may make, the enterprising eiilturist will 
endeavor to raise the veil which hides the future 
from mortal vision, and upon the smiling plains 
of the “to-be,” will flourish many a darling pro¬ 
ject of fruitful imaginings. A wide field is fur¬ 
nished in which thought may revel,— and these 
“(lights of fancy” will not be without their full 
share of benefit if we tarry only when a form and 
a being are conferred. Good intentions are not 
the salt, with which a profitable life is seasoned,—it 
is the Embodiment of our faith in our works that 
stands a living record to be known and read of 
all men. Dreaming, of itself, never alleviated an 
iota of the sorrow and suffering with which the 
world abounds,— never gave to humanity a ster- 
I ling truth calculated to elevate and ennoble,— 
never achieved a work the memory of which will 
full like the early dews, ever freshening the grate¬ 
ful remembrances of a people entwined about the 
name of their benefactor. But when these dreams 
are wrought out into actions—what then? The 
singing of the tea-kettle called up a host of these 
brain-children in the mind of Watt, and when 
form and fashion were given them they became 
the monuments of himself and his co-workers. 
Whenever we look upon the workings of the 
steam-engine, and listen to its ponderous breath¬ 
ings, how quickly rises before the meulul eye the 
boy at his mother's lireside, deeply impressed by 
thd secret power of tho uncaged demon, his young 
mind just entering upon a problem the solv ing of 
which was to work a revolution throughout the 
world. Fitch and Fulton perfected the ernbry- 
otic idea, and what prouder memorial need they 
than this servant of man now “harnessed down 
with iron bands.” With what persistent effort 
did Stephenson labor that the crude bantling of 
his thoughtful hours might be fitted to take its 
place in the busy drama of life, and with what 
glorious success were ids years of battle against 
the superstitious and unlearned terminated! 
We have drawn only upon a single sphere of 
concentrated toil and action in the mechanical 
world, yet we might follow out the line through 
all branches of knowledge and skill. The farmer 
has his work to perform, nor will the task be 
accomplished by the isolated labor of the hands. 
If we would hasten the dawn of the “good time 
■ coming,”—if wo would dispel tho clouds of igno¬ 
rance, and scatter the mists of error,—if we would 
gladden the eye, cheer the whole man, and make 
the “ desert place to blossom as the rose,” there 
l^-V can he no dissolution of the union between the 
-1 teeming Drain and its ready, willing servant, 
-~Cj physical force. 
That there are serious defects in our system of 
culture all w ill admit, and to their remedy each 
&L should give the fullest powers he possesses. 
Wants there are which must be supplied,—errors 
which need to be removed, root and branch,—and 
whole potato would commence growth about the 
same time, and a good many small shoots would 
lie the result, while sometimes a very small set 
would give one or two strong shoots. 
Tho soil on which these experiments were con¬ 
ducted is a yellowish chestnut loam, rather poor 
from constant cropping, and 3 ,0 pounds of Peru¬ 
vian guano to the acre was used. Davis' RvedLiiig 
was tho variety. Of tho comparative productive¬ 
ness of several of the leading sorts, and of the 
effects of different kinds of guano, we shall give 
a few facts hereafter, 
recommend it, and to each may be made some 
plausible objection. No one of them can be 
universally adopted anil give universal satisfac¬ 
tion; lienee, the necessity of discussing various 
methods, in order that each may adopt a practice 
tho most satisfactory and available in his particu¬ 
lar circumstances. 
An accident has led the writer to adopt a 
method of manufacturing manures, somewhat dif¬ 
ferent from either the above, and possessing some 
advantages. In the construction of a new barn, 
with a basement story under the whole designed 
for stables, straw-room, &c„ a space of 12 feet wide 
was left between two rows of stalls, which was exca¬ 
vated to a depth of three or four feet from Urn top 
of the sill and designed to receive the manure from 
the stalls on its opposite sides. This manure depot 
is so arranged that we can enter at, one end and 
drive out at tho other, thus affording great facility 
for loading. It su happened that we could not 
finish the Stables before the cold weather set in, 
so wo led the cattle,—oxen, cows, and young 
animals,—into this space, arranged temporary 
mangers, covered the earth with lino straw, chaff, 
Ac., a foot deep, and commenced feeding. The 
thing worked well. Each day a liberal supply of 
coarse-out straw was thrown down for litter. This 
process went on until the manure had accnmula- 
A CONVENIENT FARMER’S HOUSE, 
Eire. Rural New-Yorker: —I take the liberty 
of enclosing you a rough drawing of a plan of a 
house, of my own getting up. Perhaps you 
will think it worthy of a place In your journal. 
You will observe that it is carefully drawn with a 
view to carpeting,— a matter that is seldom 
thought of by most mechanics. It is also got up 
with a view to convenience and comfort of the 
family, and would suit farmers well, \ think. 
SECOND FLOOR. 
A, Bed-Room—15x15; ft. Parlor—13 feet 6 inches by 15; 
C, Bed-Room—10 feet 6 inches by 15; D, Bed-Room— 
10 feet 6 inches by 12; K, Bed-Room—12x15; F. Girl’s 
Bed-Room; O, Hull—7 feet wide; //, Closet—6 feet (I 
inches by 7. 
It is 30 feet square, anil two stories high. The 
first story ten lent between ceiling and floor, 
second story 9 feet; and 23 feet posts, witii attic, 
windows. Though no one may adopt this plan, 
yet T think it may perhaps be studied with profit 
by some of your readers. Tbo side entrance O, 
may not bo deemed necessary by some, and can 
be omitted. S. H. Maxwell. 
Homeheads, N. Y., I860. 
A CHAPTER ON MANURES 
FIRST FLOOR. 
A. Parlor—15x21; Ji, Sitting-Room—13 feet 6 inches by 
15; C, Bed-Room—12x15; 1), Dining-Room—15x1(5 0 
inches; E, Kitchen—7 feet 6 inches by 15; F, Hall—7 
feet wide; (r, Wash-Room under the stairs—entrance 
from room C; //, Wood House; I. Cellar Stairs; Well 
Stoop; X, Well; L , Cistern; M, Hall; TV, Veranda; 
O, Side Entrance. 
