IJOT-, 
RURAL LIFE 
May 
%bicultur 
HUmsi or 
PltOGrliESS ^VTnHD IMPROVEMENT. 
[SINGI.E NO. EOTFR, CENTS, 
WHOLE NO. 563, 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN 0R1G1XAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
| country to ascertain what has mainly contributed competency for deckling upon the particular 
to a result so unfavorable, in order that the 1 ’ 
proper remedy may be applied and reform iusti- Practical, 
tuted in future. Let us endeavor to trace results 
— failures, if wo may be allowed the expression— 
to their legitmatc causes or sources. 
In seeking reasons for tlio non-anocesg of late 
Fairs, we can find littlo consolation in saying the 
weather was unfavorable, for in that respect the 
present aut inn has been no worse than the pre¬ 
ceding. Nor can we attribute the diminution to 
any lack of prosperity ur fruitfulness, for, with 
rare exceptions, otir whole country has been 
favored with extraordinary crops, and the pro¬ 
ducers are more prosperous, in the aggregate, 
than at any previous period for many years. 
There aro, however, a number of causes—in some 
cases one, and in others several combined—which 
kind of animals or articles in their department. 
experienced men, of suutid judgment 
and known Integrity, should always be appointed 
if possible, and proper measures taken to secure 
their attendance, and a discharge of the duties 
assigned. It is comparatively easy to select such 
men in Town and County Societies, for the officers 
who appoint are generally well acquaintedthro’- 
out the district, yet time and discrimination are 
necessary even then. With the utmost pains, and 
the most impartial awards, there will ho abundant 
complaint, and it behooves officers aud judges to 
use their utmost endeavors to see that, justice is 
done so far as possible in every case. To avoid 
even the semblance of partiality, the names of 
exhibitors should bo kept secret, If possible, until 
after the awards of the Judges, and every com¬ 
mittee be instructed a* to the rules to govern 
CONDUCTED BY D, D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors. 
The Rural New-Yorker Is doflitflied to Is.' nnRnrpanflcd 
in Value, Purity, Uiufulftt-Bs and Variety of Contents, and 
unique and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor de¬ 
votes his personal attention to tbe supervision of its 
various department,*, and earnestly labors to render the 
Rural ail eminently Reliable Guide un all the important 
Practical, Scientific and other Subjects intimately con¬ 
nected with the business of those whose interests It 
zealously advocates As a Family Journal it is emi¬ 
nently Instructive and Entertaining— being so conducted 
that it can bo safely taken to the Hearts and Homes of 
people of intelligence, taste and discrimination. It em¬ 
braces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, Edu¬ 
cational, Literary sod News Matter, interspersed with 
appropriate and beautiful Engravings, than any other 
journal,— rendering it the most complete AGRICULTURAL, 
Literary anl, Family Newspaper in America. 
For Tunas and other particulars, see last page. 
SILV XL If, SPA-NCrLED 15ANTAMS 
I Poultry at the I reddish, or golden-brown, tipped or spangled with 
black. The Silver Spangled Ban turns have whit© 
feathers tipped with black, and they aro, in the 
opinion of most, poultry fanciers, tbe most beauti¬ 
ful of the whole family. For perfection of model 
and beauty of plumage, nothing can exceed them. 
The portraits we give were taken from a pair in 
the possession of M. Vasskr, Esq., of Springside, 
near Poughkeepsie. They are, as may be seen in 
the portraits, beaut,il'ally marked; the tall of the 
•cock is Hquuro, like that of the hen, without 
sickle-feathers, and carried high; and the bead 
thrown back, the head and tail nearly mooting; 
the wings jauntily dropping until they nearly 
brush the grouud; they have a rose-comb nicely 
pointed, aud projecting behind; and light blue 
legs. The accuracy of marking is a very import¬ 
ant point. The feathers aro Bpangled, that is, the 
ends tipped with black; and the more exact this 
marking, and tho more it extends to all the 
feathers of tho bird, the greater its value. The 
ground color is ivory white or rich cream, the 
ends of the feathers tipped with black. The 
cocks are hen-feathered as well as ben-tailed; 
they have neither hackles nor plumes. The 
plumage of the hen is Rirnilar to that of the 
cock. They are very good and early layers, most 
excellent sitters, sedulous and affectionate moth¬ 
ers, but cruel step-mothers— so that it is useless 
whole tamily of domestic poultry, and are kept 
more as pretty pets than for profit. Of couise 
there Is littlo meat on a fowl that when full grown 
and hit will weigh but about a pound, aud yet they 
arc full-breasted, the liesh is delicate and rich, 
and they only consume food In proportion to their 
size. The eggs, too, are proportionally small. 
But a Bantam, if not more than a year or so old, 
is much better for eating than any half-grown 
chicken. 
What the Bantam cock lacks in size he makes 
np in soil-importance, being remarkable for his 
courageous and passionate temper, pomjious man¬ 
ners, and arrogance. Ilis soul seems altogether 
too large for his body, and this often leads him into 
difficulty, for he will attack a Dorking or Cochin 
China cock of ten times his own weight. Dixon 
says:— “Ufa full rose-comb, and deep depending 
wattles are plump and red; but this dispropor¬ 
tionate size affords a most unfortunate hold for 
the beak of his adversary; hut he cares not for 
that; a little glory is worth a good deal of peck¬ 
ing and pinching, aud it is not a slight punish 
ment, nor a merely occasional infliction of it, that, 
will make him givo in. The great hens, too, look 
down upon him on a tirBt introduction, though 
they afterwards flml out that they might as well 
have received him in a more cordial manner.” 
The feathers of the Golden Bantam are of a 
“ui.y 10 expose uie wrong, in order mat like errors 
may he corrected and avoided by Bimilar organi¬ 
zations. Premising that, we have been somewhat 
actively connected with Agricultural Societies 
for about twenty years—duiing which period we 
have served in nearly every capacity, from high 
private to president—we will briefly allude to a 
few of the causes which, in our judgment, have 
militated against the success and usefulness of 
recent exhibitions. 
1. The introduction aud offer oflarge premiums 
for fast horses—or ” style and speed,” as it is 
termed—has been injurious, not to Bay disastrous, 
to the prosperity of many Societies. The prece- 
INQUIRIES AND NOTES, 
have applied muck when its effect 
(for a ram is a hammer,) stretches them untilthey 
became so thin that they give way. The very best 
material for a drive pipe is heavy cast iron or 
glass. A (though, for all practical purposes, gas 
pipe will do. Great, care should bo taken to have 
the drive pipe run as nearly straight as possible, 
and of a uniform grade; and to prevent air pass¬ 
ing back from tho opening along up the drive 
pipe to the head. The pipe can raise a little im¬ 
mediately before entering tho ram,” 
was injurious 
the first season, but afterwards proved of consid¬ 
erable advantage. .Many arc deceived by the ap¬ 
pearance of muck. Because it is of a dark, rich 
color, they credit it for more than it is worlh. 
We have Been farmers iu planting orchards 
shovel in the cold, sour muck around the roots of 
the young trees, when the common soil was rich¬ 
er, and certainly much bettor for contact with the 
tender roots. That trees did not thrive under 
such treatment was a matter of great surprise to 
the owners. Under the circumstances, our plan 
would bo to draw on the muck, as proposed this 
fall, scatter on a few bushels of lime, mid let it 
lay exposed to the frosts and winds until spring, 
then plow tolerably deep. Some time iu the lat¬ 
ter part of winter draw on plenty of tho distillery 
manure and let it lay until after the first plowing. 
Then spread and plow shallow. Perhaps some of 
our readers can tell a better plan than this. 
an aurfaco. There is, in one corner, a quantity of vege¬ 
table muck, a kind of light mahogany color, producing a 
rank growth of coarun grass, fire weed*, &c. My object 
Iu writing this is for a little advice, as you are supposed 
to know everything, and to be quilt: good-natured withal. 
My idea is this:—The present autumn to have those 
hushes cut, unit the large ones grubbed out; then, with a 
common road scraper, haul on fttnl cover over the ground 
with the muck to the depth of four or five luchcs, and 
in the coarse of the winter, if the weather is favorable, 
draw on a quantity of hog manure from our distilleries, 
plow in the spring once or twice, and flow with green 
crops for soiling, as recommended in tho Rural a few 
weeks since. I hardly know what to think of tbe ma¬ 
nure, as it is by road about two miles from the distil¬ 
leries. It may not pay to draw it so far; aud, so far as 
the muck is concerned, I have no experience. I, of 
course, know that if the muck could rums in over winter 
In the bottom of a barn-yard, that it would be valuable 
mail are on that laud, but that is out of the question. I 
would like to raise that to first-class land, (and we have 
a groat deal of it here,) just as soon as possible. Should 
it be plowed very deep?—C. I). Halk, Bellevue, Ohio, 
CRAWFORD COUNTY (PAJ FAIR. 
Eds. Rural New-Yokkku 
I havo just finished 
reading your report of the New York State Fair, 
and it strikes me that some how, this year, there 
is an unusual number of meagre exhibitions re¬ 
ported. Surely, with the past favorable season, 
there is no lack of tine stock, and superior agri¬ 
cultural and horticultural products; the mechan¬ 
ism of the country In nndiratnfahcd, and our 
artists and professionals are still thriving; so I 
am at a Joss to determine why such excellent in¬ 
stitutions as Agricultural Fairs are suffered to 
dwindle down aud die out. Within a circle of 
twenty-five or thirty miles front my place of 
writing, nearly a score of County and Township 
Fairs have been held this fail, and, with few ex. 
ceptions, meagre exhibitions and diminished in- 
torest on the part of the people, are reported. 
But the Crawford Comity Fair, held at Conne- 
autville, Pa., the first week in October, is a 
worthy exception. This was the eighth annual 
exhibition, and instead of declining, each year adds 
to the interest of tho Fair. The Society has ex¬ 
cellent grounds, new and commodious buildings, 
and their regulations aro most perfect, so much 
so that they are takeu as a pattern by Societies in 
neighboring Counties, aud States even. The 
weather was unfortunately wet and very disagree¬ 
able the second day, notwithstanding which, up¬ 
wards of 5,000 people visited tho ground. The 
exhibition. In many instances tho most promi¬ 
nent Items in programmes are of a character 
unsuitable for place and occasion; and the main 
reason assigned for this, when objected to, is that 
such things draw, and hence pay best —that the 
Society is in debt and must replenish the treasury. 
Thus, iu not a few cases, a sacrifice of principle 
for temporary gain, has resulted most Injuriously 
to the reputation and interests of the Societies 
departing from their avowed and legitimate oh- 1 
jects and purposes. Some have windy avoided 
any outside attractions, and thus maintained their 
reputation and prosperity; others have iguored 
them after trial, and will probably regain their 
former standing ami use fulness, with a prospect 
of proving continuously beneficial to the interests 
of the industrial, productive classes. 
2. Another grave error—evil wo may justly 
Bay—consists iu the management @f many Socie¬ 
ties, and especially in the careless manner in 
which awarding committees are appointed, and 
their duties discharged—(a carelessness resulting, 
perhaps, in too many instances, from that exhib¬ 
ited in electing the officers who select the com¬ 
mittees.) The judges should be selected with the 
utmost care, and with special reference to their 
1’ipC for Vv’nter It a iiih. 
Some time ago there was, in the Rural, a discussion 
about Water Rams, the pipe necessary to drive them. 
&c. Having loaned my numbers, I cannot refer to it, 
hut the main part I remember. I wish to know what is 
tho best material for pipes. It has been said that wooden 
pipes are unsuitable, and the same, I believe, is true of 
lead—that ia, for a drive pipe. Is iron pipe the best, and 
the only kind that should be used?— B., Chautauqua Co., 
ft. ¥., Sept., 1S60. 
On this subject we have a communication from 
I, ovett Eamks, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, which 
will we think answer the inquiry of our corres¬ 
pondent, and give all the information needed. He 
says,—“Wooden pipes will answer, and answer 
well, where water ia to bo raised but a small 
height. They do not admit air through their 
pores, either inwardly as some suppose, or out¬ 
wardly, but they spring and yield under tho great 
pressure necessary to raise water a great height, 
say one hundred feet. Lead pipes would hold the 
pressure for a time, but continual hammering, 
x & ‘eMATrt 
