IP’<5 
era: 
SW-YOU 
peering into the secrets of agricnltural chemistry, 
and wooing the daintiest forces of nature to lend 
their power in aid of tlie farmer’s industry. Com¬ 
merce brings from foreign countries new imple¬ 
ments and seeds, and plants, to develop and diver¬ 
sify the soil, and sends her ship* to distant islands 
for fertilizers of more wondrous efficacy than can 
be obtained at home. The Englishman bows hia 
fields with the dust of bones brought from the 
battle-fleldB of the Continent. Accident and ex¬ 
periment reveal new capabilities of improvement, 
and the opening of roads und canals leading to 
the great markets, stimulate to higher points of 
production. The beautiful kingdoms of fruits 
and flowers lend their treasures to add value and 
adornment to the homestead, und thus, in time, by 
means of the aids and appliances at bis command, 
the farmer makes of his domain a scene fairer than 
any poem, and worthy, each day, of a new song. 
South Livonia, N. Y., 1800. A, 
- - -- 
SUBSOILING AND DEEP TILLAGE. 
Various opinions are entertained by men of 
science, in regard to the tillage of the soil, with ref¬ 
erence to season, depth, Ac. As one, I have always 
been in favor of stirring the soil as deep as it is 
possible to do it uniformly and leave it in a condi¬ 
tion to be thoroughly pulverized by the harrow, 
or Jack Frost, before receiving the seed. Clayey 
soils need deeper tillage, as with subsoiling, to 
permit the surface water to settle down or run oil, 
than those of a gravelly or loamy nature. Wherever 
the subsoil is of that tenacity to retain water 
on its surface for any length of time after the 
frost is out of the ground and the ground Bettled, 
the subsoil should be broken to a sufficient depth 
to assist the surface in becoming uniformly dry, 
that the plow might be started us soon as spring 
opens with her warm duys and gentle breezes. 
I have lately been at work on a piece of land 
that formerly was too wet to produce good pas¬ 
ture, from the effects of surface water. Subsoil, 
a Btill. gravelly clay. It was broken up in the fall 
of 185(',, eight inches deep, with a sod plow, and sub- 
Boiled with a Hartfield plow, ten inches below the 
bottom of the other furrow. This was something 
like work, yet the result has been more than satis¬ 
factory. The piece contained five acres and ninety 
rods. One acre was plowed eight inches with a 
sod plow, and not subsoiled. In 1857 the entire 
piece was planted with coi n. Through the season 
a marked difference was visible, and that in favor 
of subsoIliDg. The corn came up quicker by 
about two days, was larger when hoed, and much 
better eared when harvested. It was lull one- 
quarter better as per quantity and quality. In 
1858 it was again planted in part with corn and 
potatoes, and in part sowed -with barley; the 
result as the year before. In 1859, three acres 
sown to oats and seeded, and two acres and ninety 
rods in meadow. Notwithstanding the l'rost in 
June, the grass was more than an average crop on 
the subsoiled part, while on that plowed with sod 
plow alone, it was not an average crop. The oats 
showed again a dividing line—not as heavy, nor 
yielding us much seed per acre as that part that 
had been subsoiled. 
While working on this piece of ground, March 
23, 1800. with a team and wagon, 1 judged the part, 
subsoiled was dry enough for plowing, should 
such a thing lie deemed practicable, while the 
other wns quite too wet, and wator standing on it 
in several places. Men may preach that snob 
plowing will exhaust the soil in a few years; they 
may preach, but I shall follow my experience, 
which teaches me better, until, '• Convinced 
against my will,” I shall be "of the same opin¬ 
ion still.” 
Perhaps your readers may say I am too set in 
my way. Perhaps not. Experience is the best of 
teachers. In the spring of 1858, I subsoiled the 
half of a four-acre lot to be planted with corn, of 
a loose, loamy, gravelly soil, with a gravelly sub¬ 
soil, ten inches below the sod furrow turned eight 
inches, and the result was visible to every passer¬ 
by through the entire season, and more marked 
at harvest, the ears being larger, better filled, and 
yielding more than one-quarter more to the aero. 
2 a 1859, the field was sown with barley, wheat, 
oats, and peas, and a dividing line was again visi¬ 
ble through the entire field. These fields were 
subsoiled but once. The gold of the soil lios 
deep—therefore, we must dig deep, plow deep, 
pulverize thoroughly, and in season; then we shall 
realize our expectations. 
Fluvanna, N. Y., I860. It. A. WhittemOrk. 
■ - --- 
STEAMING FEED. 
Eds. Rural New Yorker: — In the Rural of 
March 3d, is an article on Steaming Food for 
Stock, in which my name is called in question, in 
connection with my now Steamer, exhibited at 
Albany, at the last Slate Fair. I have spent years 
in experimenting with steam, and am as much 
interested in the subject, probably, as my friend 
Stewart, of Erie Co., or any other person, and I 
will give you a little of my experience. In the 
article referred to. Mr. S. says, economy in fuel 
will require the boiler to be set in an arch instead 
of iron. Now, I think that point needs a little 
light For instance, suppose you wish to go to 
work at once, steaming for hogs or other stock 
remote from your hog pen, or in your basement 
or cellar, or cheese room, Ac., would it be econ¬ 
omy to build an arcb, chimney and building, to 
protect, the same in every place, costing more in 
each instance than the portable steam apparatus 
exhibited at the State Fair ? Let every man 
answer this question for his own particular situ¬ 
ation and his own wants. 
Again, as regards fuel, there are not many 
common arches in the country, without doors or 
dampers to control the fire, hut what waste a 
large per centage of the fuel, perhaps more than 
half. But Mr. S. thinks it would be a great 
improvement to surround this new steamer with 
brick, or use the kettle alone. On this point I 
prefer to give every one their choice, yet Mr. S., 
as well as some others, seems to think that my 
steamer is confined to use on the stove, while the 
fact is, it can just as well be used with the arch, or 
on the ground, and the steamer, without the stove, 
costs $10 less than with it. The light, cheap, 
portable stove iB a convenient arrangement, dis¬ 
pensing with costly arches, chimneys, buildings, 
4c., &c. 
As regards safety of buildings near, I believe 
every one is acquainted with the ordinary mode 
of conveying smoke either in pipes or chimneys. 
I have had a low chimney top near my straw 
stack for about 1C years, but never thought of 
danger yet, as it is constructed so as to be safe. 
A word of caution may not be amiss, as steam 
is a powerful agent and is sometimes rather 
troublesome, doing much mischief. From the 
description of Mr. 6., I find bis apparatus corres¬ 
ponds exactly with what I used for my first ex¬ 
periments, some 16 years since, in common with 
other persons. In my experience I found it to 
be very unsafe in some situations, and very 
troublesome in others. For instance, cover your 
kettle with a flat cover of boards, and fill it; then 
instead of letting steam off through a four inch 
tin pipe, like the one described by Mr. 8., without 
pressure, insert any small convenient tubing and 
undertake to force steam under pressure, when a 
head of steam is indispensable, and aee where the 
cover and parking described will go to. Look 
out for hot water, too, about these times. Many 
accidents could be enumerated where a temporary 
steamer has been used by hired help or boys not 
posted in such matters. No apparatus of the 
kiud is fit to use where inexperienced persons 
have access to it. 
Another source of trouble I have found with a 
kettle covered with a tight fitting wooden cover, 
as described. Just let the water get low, with a 
good fire, and see if the packing and cover will 
not burn ; or, remove the cover, and behold the 
swill, soap, or any other substance you are at¬ 
tempting to beat, in the kettle instead of the 
proper vcrscI, drawn back by the vacuum formed 
in the boiler by the water getting low, and per¬ 
chance burned to a coal. 
My experiments having all been in cooking 
food for bogs, instead of cattle, heating water in 
quantities for Bcalding, driving steam to any de¬ 
sired point,, Ac., have convinced me that a cer¬ 
tain amount of pressure is necessary in most 
instances, as well as an apparatus that cannot 
explode or collapse. 
East Bethany, N. Y., April, 1860. D, R. Pbindlk. 
-- 
MOOLYS vs. SHORT - H0&NS. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— “W.” sayfl that 
“Young America is prone to give new subjects 
and new theories a scrutinizing glance at first 
presentation,—and, if appearances are favorable 
to their peculiar notions,—if all is right,—they 
‘go it with a rush,’ ” Can you, kind reader of the 
Rural, discover any new theory advanced in 
regard to hornless cattle, save that they will not 
die with the hollow horn, or gore “colts and 
sheep?” The disease known as the “hollow horn” 
is quite as likely to attack a hornless ox or cow, 
as one with horns; for the disease originates in 
the digestive organs of the animal,—in not being 
fed on food of sufficient, stamina to Bupply the 
animal system with the waste it has to undergo in 
our rigorous winters. If every farmer would feed 
each animal two quarts of Indian meal, or its 
equivalent, daily, through the winter, my word for 
it, wo should hear no more about the hollow horn, 
although they were fed on little else than straw; 
but straw and no meal is a sad business, and can 
but prove ruinous to all those who practice it. 
The goreing propensities of the “Short-horns” 
are not bad. Farmer F. was in the babit of win¬ 
tering front eighty to one hundred breeding ewes, 
Saxon and Merino, with his Short-horns, and I 
have no recollection of any one of them being 
injured for a period of twenty-live years. They 
were educated Short horns, eight or ten in num¬ 
ber, and perhaps they behaved better than other 
horned cattle. 
When "W.,” or bis acquaintances, can show a 
better result, or less damage done, then, perhaps, 
“Young America” might be willing to change his 
Short-horns, with their broad backs, round barrel, 
and deep chest, straight limbs, fine Lead, and 
horns, for “Moolya,” provided they would make 
more butter and cheese, and more beef from the 
same amount of feed. 
And to show what the Short-horns will do in 
the beef line, the writer has just sold a cow that 
has had eleven calves, and nursed the lust one till 
October: fed on poor corn, meal, and potatoes, 
for three months, which weighed, when slaugh¬ 
tered, SC I pounds, — the four quarters weighing 
720 pounds. A two-year old steer, a son of said 
cow, was fed four bushels of corn meal, from the 
fifteenth of March, 1659, to the twentieth of May, 
when he was turned to grass, and received no 
more grain until November first, when he was fed 
on poor corn during the month, then on potatoes 
and carrots till the 20th of December, one bushel 
per day, then three quarts of corn meal addi¬ 
tional until the 9th of January, when he was sold 
for $65, and weighed over fifteen hundred pounds. 
But what about the Short horns for milk. It is 
notorious that in and about London, the large 
milk establishments are tilled up almost exclu¬ 
sively with full bred, or very high bred Short¬ 
horns. If they arc as poor milkers as has been 
represented by some writers, it is strange that the 
milk-men of London have not found it out, and 
substituted “ W’s” Moolys, or some other breed of 
greater producing qualities. Farmer F. kept a 
dairy-, and milked about twenty cows daily, for 
several years prior to the introduction of' Short¬ 
horns, and the writer of this knows, from personal 
experience, they were not as good milkers as the 
Short-horns he afterwards obtained, after their 
introduction to this country. Agitation. 
Newark, X. Y., I860. 
SOWING PLASTER. 
Dear Rural:— In the last number, M. B. Rots 
says:—“If any one has a better way of sowing 
(plaster) than this, 1 should like to hear how it is 
done. 1 think I have, and with your permission I 
will tell him “how it is done.” 
In the first place, get your plaster and draw it 
into the field on which you wish to sow it. 
Hitch your fastest horse to your agricultural 
sulkey, (“if yon have one—if not, you should 
have.”) This sulkey has a very long axle, so you 
need not fear being upset. Tbe shafts are also 
very long, and support a box, much like a long 
hog trough, with a crack in the bottom. In tbe 
crack is a rough saw, which is made to vibrate, 
by gearing, “as tbe wheel goes round.” Now, 
Mr. Rots, fill up this box with plaster, and take 
your seat, (which iH an easy arm-chair on springs, 
somewhat elevated,) and on you go. And the 
faster you ride, the faster you sow. You don’t 
care a fig which way the wiud may blow, for you 
arc above the dust and the dirt, and going almost 
a 2.40 gait Hold hard! — the fence — the fence. 
Down with your foot on the lever — its out of 
gear. Now, turn round, and as yon come back, 
look sharp for the wheel-track. With your agri¬ 
cultural sulkey you can evenly sow, as thick or 
thin as you please, anything from millet to mar¬ 
rowfat peas—rye, oats, barley, or buckwheat—and 
for wild oats it can’t be beat. For the faster you 
go, the faster you sow. I’ll warrant an acre 
you can cover with four quarts of clover. 
Jackson Halliard. 
Manlius, On@D. Co., X. Y., 1800. 
<?Lt)e 13 cE-Kccp cr. 
Bee Culture —Renewal of Comb. 
With the controversy between the patent 
venders respecting the frequent renewal of combs, 
I have no pecuniary interest,—consequently, I 
hope I shall not be accused of having an ax to 
grind in this matter. Six years ago I gave my 
opinion to the public, that it w-as unnecessary to 
remove combs for being old, short of six or eight 
years. With the additional experience since 
then, I would make the time ten years! 1 know 
that persons with hives made and patented ex¬ 
pressly to facilitate the operation, will insist on 
the annual renewal of combs, or every second or 
third year at least, But as self-interest operates 
powerfully to bias the judgment, we can gener¬ 
ally sec why they fail to recognize facts as they 
are. Yet they tell us, —who ought to see more 
clearly, having no blinding interest,—that bees 
will thrive even better, when under the necessity 
of constructiug combs in which to rear their 
brood. It is about as consistent and philosophi¬ 
cal as to say that a farmer’s prosperity would be 
enhanced by renewing fences every three years 
that would last ten, or that he would gain by 
renewing his team thus often for being old, when 
it would last equally well for a dozen. A little 
practice, with unprejudiced observation, ought 
to satisfy any one. Stocks frequently send out 
swarm9 until a very small colony is left, but 
having some honey and combs ready c onstructed, 
they usually increase, and make good stocks lor 
winter. But remove them now, and compel them 
to build combs for brood and boney, the chances 
are, there will not be more than half stores 
enough for winter, even when the honey of the 
old hive is given them. This I have tried re¬ 
peatedly. 
Again, put a small late swarm into a hive filed 
with combs in good condition, and another into an 
empty hive, and the in winter stores will 
be one half; Ike one will! combs will generally be 
in good condition for winter, while the other will 
be much too light. I have known a small second 
swarm, in the honey season, to store sufficient for 
winter in ten day3, when empty combs were pro¬ 
vided. Other swarms, equally good at the same 
time, put into empty hives, had barely sufficient 
at the end of the season, two months later. The 
reason is obvious,—one. had to build combs, and 
then gather honey; the other is like the farmer 
who had his barn ready, and gave all his attention 
to gathering his crops in the season of it, Instead 
of losing valuable time just then in building. 
Tbe combs of the honey bee grow' dark colored 
with age, and are very dark at the end of a few 
years. Many apiarists who have not studied the 
natural history of the bee very attentively, or 
those that are in the habit of jumping at conclu¬ 
sions, would be very likely, on finding tbe bees 
running down, when the hive contains black 
combs, to conclude that they had discovered the 
cause,— yet in reality it might be loss of queen, 
diseased brood, drone queen, or any other cause 
among the multitude that affect them, I have 
watched this matter very closely, and have as 
much interest in arriving at correct conclusions 
as any one. I have had a great many stocks nine 
and ten years old, and one twelve, yet I do not 
think that I have ever lost a colony on account 
of old combs, nor have I transferred or taken up 
one in ten years, on account of its age. I believe 
that I have given the theory of the contraction 
of the cells dwarfing the bees, its due weight; 
but as I caunot discover tlie least difference in 
the size of the bee reared in a cell ten years old, 
from one in a comb perfectly new, I have dis¬ 
missed it, as having in it more of theory than 
reality'. 
It is admitted by most observing bee-keepers 
that winter their bees in the open air, that combs, 
when thickened somewhat with cocoons, will 
winter a colony much better than one with new 
combs,—the cocoons seem to give additional 
warmth. 
Whether it takes twenty-five pounds of honey 
to make one of wax, I am not prepared to prove: 
probably it is near the truth. Of this I am satis¬ 
fied, that a swarm large enough to fill its hive 
with combs in one season, would, if the combs 
were ready made, store twenty-five pounds in 
boxes in the time, even if the combs were old. 
I keep bees for the profit of them, and have 
studied economy of management a long time, 
and have found that after combs have been once 
used for brood, that they cannot be applied to 
anything else so profitably, as long as healthy. 
Disease is just as liable to attack brood in combs 
one year old, as that which is eight or ten. N o 
healthy ones are destroyed. 
In conclusion, I would suggest that the reatlers 
of the Rural require of patent venders some 
othev qualification of their hives than the facility 
of renewing combs. It is time that bee-keepers 
understood that this principle has already wasted 
far too much honey and no one else but them¬ 
selves will suffer the loss. M, Qcinut. 
St. Johns ville, X. Y., I860. 
inquiries jmi Znsmas. Agricultural iltisrellanj). 
Swfe.net.—W ill some of your numerous readers please 
send a recipe for the Sweeney. I have a valuable mare 
that I wish to cure, if I can.—M., Pompey, A', Y 
English Da ib v Cbebsx. —Will some of the readers of 
the Rural he so kind as to inform me how Enehsh dairy 
cheese is made?—A M. Shepherd, Henrietta, Ohio, 
Blacrino Glass.—W ill the Rural, or some of ita 
numerous -uVcrihern, state, in the columns of said paper, 
the procear of blacking class, such as is usually used in 
clock doors'—G. D. Jo.nics, Faruialia, Mich., i860. 
Geowi.no Clover Sbkd.—I have six acres seeded to 
large clover. Last year 1 pastured it until June 20th, 
and then gave it a top-dreaxing with planter, and let it 
grow for seed. It yielded five bushel* per acre. Xow, 
will some of the readers of the Rural tell me whether l 
can mow it this year, and then cut seed, or must I pasture 
it as last year- Will ashes and plaster make a good top- 
dressings Should they he put on before mowing or 
pasturing, or in June, as last year?— X. II. Martin. Pmn- 
pey, A. I'., I860. _'_ ’ 
“ Live LIKE Rich in Clover,"—Ib it injurious to small 
pig* to let them ruo in large clover: Last spring I bail 
an old sow with twelve vejy nice pigs, which I turned 
into the clover after It had got up pretty well. They 
became sore, the hnlr came oil. the skin cracked, and they 
were the worst looking lot I ever saw. They did not 
recover until fall. 1 attributed the difficulty to the great 
amount of cut worms they eat. hut some of my neighbors 
say it was running In the clover when the dew was 
on. J would like to have Rural readers give the cause, 
that I may, hereafter, avoid a like calamity.—D avid Gal- 
la way, Battle Orceh, Mich 18(50. 
Kohl Rabi, &u.— (W. P. G., Penn Fan, A'. I'.j-Kohl 
Rabi seed can be obtained at tbe seed stores here at $2 a 
pound. Lucerne and Chicory may, perhaps, he obtained 
in New York. 
White SjjA.ni.bae8— (A. W. A., Fairmont, Mo.) —White 
Shanghai's are in form like other fowls of the same breed 
of other colors, but entirely white. We don’t know 
where eggs can be procured. 
Carrots and Mangel Wubzkl— (1. C. W., Bed B ing, 
Minn.) —The Orange Carrot is most generally grown 
here, though the White Belgian is somewhat grown. 
The latter is almost exclusively grown in Canada. Either 
are good for feeding. Maugel Wurzel is grown for feed¬ 
ing to cattle. 
Destroying Alders,—I n answer to an inquiry of E. 
F. S., in regard to the destruction of alders, allow me to 
say I have a piece of land which was covered with alders. 
1 cut them, in December, close to the ground, which did 
the work. My neighbors have done the same, with good 
success.—T, II. H,, Slephtnlovn, i 860 . 
Remedy for Ringiionk — loir tiie benefit of “ R. C. 
T.," and all who may have horses or colts afflicted with 
ringbone, I send you a recipe which is said to be a sure 
cure, even though the <1 mease be of longstanding. Take 
one quart of Blubber Oil; one quart of Alcohol; one 
pint of Beef’s Gall. Mix, and rub the affected parts well. 
—J. IT. J., Rutland, Tioga Co., Pa., I860, 
Portarlf Saw'-Mill, With Cross-Cut Arrangement 
—(F. M. D., Ml. Pleasant , A’. F.l—E. D. Uam.ock, of thi* 
city, makes a good mill, such as would be likely to suit 
you. It Is well recommended by those who have it in 
use, and has been awarded three premiums by our State 
Society. Price, $40; with circular saw attached, some¬ 
thing higher. We have requested Mr. II. to send you all 
necessary information. 
Manuring in thk Hill— (B. F. H., Bethany, N. Y.)— 
When manure is scarce, it is best to use it, when well 
rotted, as you describe, in the hill. It will show a much 
better result at harvest than if used over the whole 
ground. This, however, is not the way to improve the 
soil, or to prepare it for the crop that iH to follow, which 
isau important matter not to be forgotten in manuring 
for corn. A heavy application of fresh manure, with 
clean culture, will give a good crop of corn, aud leave 
the soil in excellent condition for almost any crop. 
Day's Work at Ditchixg,—A coriespondent wishes 
to know how many rods of ditching, at three feet deep, 
is considered a fair day’s work. This would depend on 
the nature of the soli, w idth, ire, The English authori¬ 
ties say that a man, in a fair soil, can dig and throw out 
from fourteen to eighteen cubic yards of earth daily, 
and from this a calculation can be made. This is esti¬ 
mated for an open drain, 3 feet deep, and 4 feet wide at 
the top. In narrow drains for tiles, the operator works 
to disadvantage. It is also said that a man can dig, in a 
day. a drain for laying tile, three feet deep, fourteen 
inches wide at the top, four at the bottom, and six 
perches in length. 
Scab is SURE)’.—For the benefit of J. H. MoNall. I 
would Bay that, In 1858, I bought fifteen sheep from a 
drover, and, in a short time, they began to pull the wool 
from their sides and flaoks, and look scabby. Examined 
them and found spots where the wool was loose, and the 
skin raw, with a white scab. 1 began to Teed them sul¬ 
phur /uid salt with their meal,—one tablespoon sulphur, 
and one of salt, to two quarts of meal,—washed the sort 
spots with spirits of turpentine and tobacco. This did 
the work, and saved wy sheep.—M. S. G., Chiltcnango 
Falls, Mad. Co., A'. Y., 1866. 
Noticing an inquiry in your excellent paper, (No. 531,) 
for the cause und a cure of sheep pulling their wool, 1 
would say I have been told by those who have tried it, 
that sulphur aud tar, equal quantities, mixed with an 
amount of salt equal to both, and fed to the sheep.— 
having it placed in boxes where they can help them¬ 
selves when they wish,—is a certain remedy. It will 
not injure the sheep if it does no good; end sulphur, I 
am well awnre, is very excellent for sheep at all times 
of the year. I have never fed tar, although I have heard 
of it being used with good results.— E. Cook, East Clar¬ 
endon, Ft., 1860. 
Ie J, 11. Me Nall wishes to cure scab in sheep, let him 
dip them in tobacco water, sufficiently strong to kill ticks 
on lambs. Fifteen pounds are sufficient for one hundred 
sheep after shearing, I have cured some three hundred 
in this way. No mistake.—one dipping is sufficient.—S. 
W., Uontoye, A l.. i860. 
Sore Eves in Horses— (W. F. W., Hume, Alleg. Co., 
IS. 1The eye of the horse is subject to several dis¬ 
eases, and, as you have not specified any peculiar form 
of soreness, we suppose that which troubles your animal 
is inflammation. Prevention is better than cure in this 
disease, as well as in the other myriad ailments of the 
animal system,— exercise, cleanliness, and the proper 
ventilation aud lighting of stables, the means to be 
employed. As soon as inflammation exhibits itself, put 
the horse in a shed where he may be free from all annoy¬ 
ance, aud let the place be darkened a little. A very light 
diet of scalded aborts or gruel is all that should be given 
until the inflammation seems to abate. Dr. Dadd com¬ 
mences the treatment by administering an active or light 
cathartic, as the case may seem to require. If the bowels 
are soluble, give a mild dose, consisting of socotriue aloes, 
3 drachms: gentian, 2 drachms; cream of tartar, 1 
drachm,— all powdered. If the excretions be hard, 
covered w ith slime, or dark colored, give aloes, 5 drachms; 
gentiao, 2 drachms. Bathe the eye with tincture of 
arnica, 1 ounce: water, 1 pint. Select a very soft piece 
of sponge for makiog the application. Sponge the head 
two or three times a day with cold water,—“ it puts out 
the fire of inflammation.’’ 
Intelligent Appreciation. — We never joined * 
“ mutual admiration society," but confess that we enter¬ 
tain great respect for the opinions of members of our 
own profession touching matters connected with the 
“ Art Preservative.” For example, editors and printers 
are the best judges of the merit and value of a newsp*. 
per. They can properly estimate the brains and money 
—the taste, tact, care, hard work and cash investments— 
necessary to sustain a first class journal, and therefore 
are the most competent umpires. Hence it is that, 
though all classes of people who read it commend the 
Rural, we regard the voluntary notices of the press ns 
the most complimentary, because the most appreciatm 
and discriminating. Our brethren lino to that the publi¬ 
cation of Use Rural involves a vast amount of care, 
labor and expense, and it Is to this knowledge (and tbe 
courtesy of its possessors,) that we are indebted for 
scores of recent notices which pronounce it the journal 
Ip its sphere. We are grateful to all who have thus 
kindly manifested their appreciation of whatever merit 
this journal possesses. But our object in commencing 
this paragraph was merely to introduce an extract from 
a private letter. Written by n gentleman connected with 
one of the oldest and ablest newspapers in N'ew England, 
as follows:—" I have road tire Rural regularly for some 
time—like it very much—have spoken many good words 
for yon, and intend to speak many more. Being a 
printer, editor and publisher myself, I think I know 
something of what you are doing. I coD.-sidcr your paper 
a family necessity. You inculcate good morals, good 
cooking, good homes, good everything, which is half the 
secret of good farming. Go ahead! The people cannot 
but appreciate your labors." 
Monroe County ag. Society.—A t a recent meeting 
of the Board of Managers of this Society, it was re¬ 
solved to have a Holiday Exhibition on the 4th of July 
The programme is not fully completed, but will comprise, 
as a prominent feature, nn exhibition or horses — the 
Board having decided to offer more lioeral premiums 
than ever before, for horses adapted to road and car¬ 
riage, general utility, draft, &c. Liberal premiums are 
also offered for the fastest walking horaes, both double 
and single. The Board also voted to have au exhibition 
of horaea—principally designed for the display of stab 
liona—on the 2d of May, to bo free to both c-v hi tutor* 
and the public. Owners of stallions Which m« to be kept 
in this region the present season, as well oa farmers and 
other* who wish to breed good should note and 
attend the exhibition, 
FAST Walking Horses.— Last year, and also in a late 
number of the Rural, we nuggested the propriety of 
substituting trials of fast walking horses, instead of 
trotting, at our Fairs and Horse Shows, and are glad to 
notice that the subject i* attracting the attention of agri¬ 
cultural societies and the press. A Massachusetts paper 
says:—“ Horses should be trained to walk fast; for farm¬ 
ers, fast walkers are more important than fast trotters; 
and we have known ‘ good ones to go' that lost in their 
slower walking nil they made over horaes of ordinary 
speed in trotting. A man who kept from two to four 
teams at, work on the road, and never allowed them to 
trot at all, made the distance in quicker time than his 
neighbors, who made their horses trot at every con¬ 
venient place. He said that when a horse commenced 
to walk after a trot, he walked much slower than his 
common gait if he kept on a walk, and thereby lost more 
than he gained." 
■ 1 - 11 ■ ■ 
Arctic Pearl Corn.— We are indebted to E. Ware 
Sylvester, qf Wayne County, for an ear of corn, called 
the Arctic Pearl Corn. It is short eared, with large 
white kernels, and is repr*sonti-i) to Le very earlv. being 
fit to eat in seven weeks from the time of planting, aod 
almost as good ns the best sweet corn. Mr. S. says - — 
11 1 obtained tbe seed from a geutlemnn who said he had 
a relative, a missionary among the Indian* in the Rocky 
Mountain region, who had sent home the seed. You 
will observe that the ear is small, white, and full. The 
growth of the stalks does not exceed three feet, and the 
ears set very near the ground, It needs from four to six 
stalks to the hill to fill well In ordinary seasons it will 
be ready for the table in seven weeks from the time of 
planting, and though much earlier than sweet corn, it 
is nearly as tender and delicious. It can never take the 
place of the Early Darling, distributed by the Patent 
Office, but is so much earlier, that it deserves a small 
place in every garden." 
A Weather Item from China, —A letter just received 
from a friend residing In Amoy, China, (Hon. T. H. 
Hyatt, Consul,) says:—“We have lovely winters here. 
The thermometer to-day (Jan. 21.) in the shade, on the 
outside of my library, under the shadow of the old ban¬ 
yan, stands at 70“,—and the odorous breezes from the 
hedges of flowering Mimosas sweep through our open 
windows like the fragrant odors of - Araby the blest.' 
But the summers arc so intensely hot that we are well 
nigh roasted alive, and it is seldom that a foreigner can 
stand the climate without paying a dear forfeit for his 
temerity in undertaking it." The writer sends us an 
interesting account of a Winter Garden in the Celestial 
Empire—a survey and description of its appearance on 
New Year s Day—which we shall give in a future number 
■ » • • — 
Goon TOR Michigan!—F riend DeLand. of the Ameri¬ 
can Citizen, (Jackson, Mich. ) heralds the success, in this 
State, of the agent for an Agricultural Implement estab¬ 
lishment in that place, after this style:—“ Mr. L. Wilcox, 
the energitic agent of the firm of Waters, Lathrop & 
McXArGHTON, has just returned from the State of New 
York, where he has been canvassing for the sale of their 
goods, with very good success. It is a matter of just 
pride that the goods of this enterprising company are 
appreciated, not only in the West, but in the State of 
New York, from where we have heretofore been under 
the necessity of procuring articles of this kind. The 
superior quality of their goods, and the gentlemanly 
address ol their agent, is making a favorable impression 
for Michigan and her manufactories. M T e have the best 
Agricultural Implements, and Wheat—the Tallest Pines 
—the best of Plaster—the Toughest Iron—the Suites! 
Water, and the largebt-majorities. Who says Michi¬ 
gan is not a great State 
A New Plow Holder. —We last week witnessed the 
trial of a new plow holder — the invention of J. M. 
Whitney, of Mass.—which seemed to fulfill the design 
of its invention very well. It is intended to hold the 
plow, and save any handling, in ordinarily good plowing 
The contrivance is quite simple, may be easily attached 
to any plow, and not only guide, the plow, but can be so 
adjusted as to govern the width ol the furrow. The 
invention U patented, we believe, and called “ Whitney - 
Plowman.” We presume it will soou be advertised. 
— • — 1 
A New and Good Plow is being introduced in this 
section. It is known as P.ulossen & Harvey’s “Straight 
Draft Plow." While attending the trial of another im¬ 
plement a lew days ago, we hud an opportunity of seeing 
this plow at work, and were very favorably impressed 
with itb construction aud operation, as were quite a 
number of practical farmer- and mechanics present. At e 
believe it is manufactured by Gordon & C<>., who w> 
no doubt ere long make known its claims, price, &c., to 
the farming community. 
