RURAL Uf'£ 
['ERATURL 
’aSRICui tURf.ii 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AX ORIOIXAL WEEKLY * 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
and the pains taken for its increase, one would 
suppose that he imagined it to be a heap of gold, 
instead of manure. 
Every Besson, in this country, we waste a large 
amount of food which would, if properly cared 
for, make valuable meat, and no less valuable 
manure. To-day we heard a farmer of Niagara 
county remark, that he had eleven acres of pump¬ 
kins and several hundred bushels of turnipH, not 
one-half of which would bo gathered, besides a 
good many carrots, hardly worth the digging. 
If carried to market they would not bring enough 
to pay for cost of gathering and carrying. It 
was this remark that caused the above reflections 
upon the state of things in Europe, so far differ¬ 
ent. The present season haa been unusually 
productive, and many farmers tiud themselves 
with a larger amount of food than usual, but it 
seems to us some means can be devised for turn¬ 
ing the surplus to good account. As a general 
rule no man enn be called a good fanner who does 
not provide moana to turn all the food produced 
into something that will biing money in the 
market, or that may he returned to the land for 
its enrichment, in the form of manure. Of course, 
seasons of scarcity will come as well as those of 
abundance, but a little forethought will generally 
provide for every emergency, so that nothing 
will be lost and nothing suffer. 
We will never bo able to boast of economy in 
feeding uutil we provide better storage for food, 
and pay more attention to cutting, and cooking, 
and the comparative value of different kinds. 
This is necessary to an tntellige.it and economical 
system of feeding. Our observation at the West 
has convinced us that, one half of the food given 
to cattle lu that section is wasted, as will always 
be tho case where corn is fed to cattle in the oar, 
or on the stalk. We know the excuse for this 
course is the abundance and cheapness of grain, 
and the scarcity of 1 boi. Still, we have no faith 
in its economy. We have much yet to learn on 
this subject, and it is for the purpose of inducing 
reflection, rather than to Indicate any particular 
course of practice that we make these brief sug¬ 
gestions. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOOEE. 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors, 
The Rural New-Yorker in ilesisrned to be unsurpassed 
In Value, Purity, ruefulness and Variety nf Contents, and 
unique and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor de¬ 
votes his personal attention to the supervision of its 
various departments, nnd earnestly labors to render the 
Rural an eminently Reliable Guide on oil the important 
Practical, Scientific and other Subjects lutim&tely con¬ 
nected with this business of those whose interests It 
Jealously advocates. As a Family Jones a r. it is end 
neatly Instructive and Entertaining — beinv so conducted 
that it can lie safely taken to the Hearts and Homes of 
people of luteUiRence, taste and discrimination. It em¬ 
braces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, Edu¬ 
cational, Literary sod News Matter, interspersed with 
appropriate and hcantltbi Rnpraviner*, than auy othor 
journal,—rendering it the most complete ^uu [CULTURAL, 
Literary and Family Xkwki'ai-kh In America. 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
* •** V : _ 
WASTE OF FOOD. 
Nowhere in the civilized world, we think, is so 
much food wasted as in our own happy land. 
The art of feeding man and boast in the moat 
economical manner, is hero bnt little understood. 
It, ia a lesson we have not yet been compelled to 
learn; while in Europe the usual high price, the 
occasional scarcity of food, and the superabun¬ 
dance of population, have taught the farmer, 
the landlord, and the housekeeper, how to ubb 
everything to the best possible advantage; and in 
this work an astonishing amount of skill ia dis¬ 
played. The traveler in Europe is astonished at 
the number of strange and savory dishes set be¬ 
fore him, of the composition of which he cannot 
even give a guess. Aud, if fortunate enough to 
be on familiar terms with steward or landlord, 
and iB thug enabled to show a little Yankee curi¬ 
osity without appearing impertinent, he is still 
more astonished to learn that he has partaken of 
a sumptuous meal prepared from materials that 
In his own home wonld have been thrown to the 
dogs. If of an observing mind, and he pursues 
his inquiries, desirous to know somewhat of the 
condition of all classes, he learns to his surprise 
that good farm laborers receive but about ?3 per 
week, and that with this pittance they have to 
hire a dwelling and clothe and feed a numerous 
family. His astonishment is not lessened when 
he learns the cost of provisions, &c., and observes 
the tidy and respectable condition in which these 
families appear. Dressed neatly, because appro¬ 
priately, they claim respect and admiration. 
Every penny is a treasure, and is used to the best 
possible advantage, not for show, bnt for service; 
not for parade, but comfort. Perhaps a cow 
furnishes the main sustenance for the children. If 
so, how carefully everything is saved that can 
furnish her a choice mouthful—a few straws from 
the farmer's wagon scarcely touch the ground be¬ 
fore a child is ready to pick them up and carry 
them to the cow-shed—a little grass by the road- 
Bide ia gathered with the same care. The wealth 
of the family may not have permitted the pur¬ 
chase of a cow, but the little garden which sur¬ 
rounds the cottage yields abundance of vegeta¬ 
bles; for the Boil is exceedingly rich, highly 
manured and well cultivated. Aud how is this 
done? Not a hole by the road-side, not a ditch 
in the neighborhood, but is carefully scraped of 
its mud, which ia carried to the manure pile in 
the back of the garden; not a particle of manure 
dropped in the road by passing horses, but is 
removed to the same depository by the children, 
who perform much of the labor in the garden, 
which yields to the contented family, under the 
superintendence of the good wife, abundance of 
healthful food. By this care and economy a 
family iB kept well fed and comfortable on means 
which in this country would be thought insuffi- 
cent to keep starvation from the door. 
The same care and economy may be observed 
in all farm operations. Everything that can be 
used for food is husbanded with the greatest care, 
so that nothing may be lost; and after storing, it 
is used in the way to accomplish the best results. 
Cutting aud cooking, and adaptation to the con¬ 
dition of animals, are matters of constant atten¬ 
tion. To observe the anxiety with which the 
farmer watches the increase of his manure pile, 
The engraving repri aonts the Clydesdale stallion, 
and was drawn by that excellent judge of horses, 
the late Henry William Herbert. 
Tlio C/vclupedia of Agriculture says:—“The 
Clydesdale horsig are larger than tho 8uffolk 
and arc found moBt extensively in the neighbor¬ 
hood of ihe Clyde river, in Scotland, after which 
they are called, where their services in the one- 
horse carts of the district are well appreciated. 
Indeed, there is no dcscilption of hoi bo that ap¬ 
pears better adapted for single horse carts, or 
that can get through more work in the course of 
the day. They are for the most part powerful 
horses, standing about sixteen hands high, and 
are extremely active. Their faults are a tendency 
to light bodies nnd long legs; and some of them 
are hot workers. When free from these defects, 
they are certainly a most valuable kind of animal 
for agricultural purposes. They are. generally 
docked, in their native district; and their short 
tail, bo unusual in cart horses, gives them a very 
unique appearance. A pair of Clydesdale horses 
will plow a larger breadth of land than almost 
any other kind of horses, but they require to be 
well fed, and in a greater degree than most others. 
They have usually tolerably small heads, which, 
with their great activity, shows that their pedigree 
is not altogether of the cart kind. Wc are told 
that an Earl of Huntingdon imported some Datch 
mares, a breed then much thought of, into the 
district of the Clyde, and being crossed with tho 
native breed, (probably the ancient pack-horse,) 
thus became the founders of the now highly ap¬ 
preciated Clydesdale. Tho prevailing color ia 
black; bnt there are also many browns, and some 
greyB. The great bulk of this breed is suscepti¬ 
ble of much improvement, by careful selection in 
breeding, and avoiding the evils which wo have 
pointed out as those to which the breed are 
prone.” 
Mr. Yooatt says the Clydesdale horse is strong, 
hardy, pulling true, and rarely restive. Thesouth 
part of Scotland is mainly supplied with this 
breed, and many of them find their way to the 
central uud southern counties of England, for the 
coach, the saddle, and for agricultural purposes. 
Herbert considered them good and faithful 
horses, excellent for farm purposes, and would 
make, without any improvement of blood, ex¬ 
tremely useful stage horses, especially for hilly 
and heavy roads where more power than speed 
is desired. 
The improvement of farm horses is deservedly 
attracting a good deal of attention In this coun¬ 
try at present. We are gradually improving in 
our system of farming, and this improvement 
makes an increased amount of horse-labor neces¬ 
sary. As we manure heavier, plow deeper, drain, 
and strive for larger e.rops, wo feel the want of 
heavier horses than those common on our farms. 
Improved implements, also, greatly increase the 
amount of horse-work on the farm. Once all the 
reaping and mowing was done by hand; now this 
work is performed by horse power; and the cul¬ 
tivator has almost superceded the hoe. Some 
years ago, when the country was newer, a farmer 
with a hundred acres of land, one half of which 
was in wood, and the other half only partially cul¬ 
tivated, could do all his work, drive to market, 
Ac., with a single team. Now, the larger number 
of acres under cultivation, in wooded countries, 
the general settlement and culture of our prairie 
lands, and the extra demand for team labor in 
other respects, makos it necessary that we should 
have more and heavier horseB. Seeing this want, 
farmers and breeders have imported some of the 
heavy English breeds, to one of which, the 
Clydesdale, we call the attention of oar readers, 
STERILITY-MR. HATHAWAY REVIEWED, 
Some time since, Mr. Hathaway, of Ohio, gave 
his experience upon the “Sterility question,"and 
I take the first leisure time to review his state¬ 
ments. liis farm has been cultivated for a score 
or two of years, and his principal crop, wheat, 
has increased its yield from year to year with no 
other manure than plaster and clover. Shall we 
take another nap, with the comfortable assurance 
that homeopathy is the true principle to manure 
upon? 
Mr. Hathaway, with evident candor, and a 
desire for the truth, states several interesting 
particulars—and here let me say that in citing 
examples and illustrations, we should always be 
very full and exact in regard to qualifying cir¬ 
cumstances. This land had been annually burned 
over by the Indians for a long series of years. 
Of course it was deficient in vegetable matter, 
which may explain the moderate yield during the 
first years of cultivation. Clover and plaster are 
exactly adapted to such a case,—the clover with 
its broad leaves draws largely on the atmosphere 
for Bnpport, and when plowed under supplies tho 
vegetable material needed. Taking it for granted 
that Mr. Hathaway’s farm had a good supply of 
mineral elements, —enough for a fair wheat crop 
every other year for the full term, perhaps, of the 
owner’s natural life,—we can see that there might 
have been a regular increase of vegetable matter 
from the clover, and a consequent increased jield 
of wheat. But f, H. T. B., farmer, Justice of the 
Peace, late candidate for Path-master, neighbor 
to a man who saw the Prince of Wales, do here¬ 
by notify Mr. Hathaway that, according to a law 
of the vegetable kingdom, the aforesaid wheat 
crops have taken, and are taking, from the soil 
aforesaid, elements not returned by rain water, nor 
even clover seed and plaster, — and, furthermore, 
sooner or later, the biggest tub will run empty 
from the Binallost leak. 
It is the peculiar weakness of this American 
people, to substitute the experience of a life-time, 
for the treasured knowledge of ages.—the unfin¬ 
ished experiments of to-day, for the attested 
teachings of ceutnries,—nor do we always read 
oar short lessons right. Men whom their grand¬ 
fathers would blush to recognize, — effeminate, 
dyspeptic, billions, rheumatic,—will complacently 
cite their own experience and example in favor 
of their medicinal and dietic theories and prac¬ 
tice. Anything short of annihilation is gloried 
iu. Anything Bhort of famine (with an occa¬ 
sional touch of that,) ia counted in as plenty and 
prosperity. An average of fourteen bushels of 
cultural purposes. There are two small beaver, 
meadows on this side of the lot, containing about, 
six acres. The soil on said beaver meadows ia 
black loam, with clay subsoil, arid sufficiently dry 
for cultivation. Tho timber on said west side of 
the lot is hard-wood, hemlock, and white pine 
The front of the lot is gently rolling. Timber, 
bard-wood and hemlock. Baid lot iB well watered 
by small spring creeks — one entering it or the 
east side twelve chains from the road, and one on 
tho west Bide. About the middle of the lot both 
unite and leave the lut in one stream, at the dis¬ 
tance of ten chains from the side road, croBBing 
the rear of said lot. The only fault to the lot is 
that a large portion of it is too low for a wheat 
growing farm.” 
Remarks —The premises you describe, would 
seem to possess all the requirements for a good 
wheat and grain farm. The soil, a sundy loam, 
with a rolling Burface, will adapt it to the cereals 
and other crops. The low and level portions 
would proWbly produce grass better than other 
crops, particularly if they have a preponderance 
of black muck, entirely of vegetable production, 
wlthont aand or clay— to produce the silicate of 
potash to glaze the straw sufficiently to make it 
withstand the winds aud perfect the kernel. 
Wheat, and in fact all the cereals, require lime 
in the soil; which prevails in all those situated 
in the secondary sand and limestone formations. 
The prevalence of pine and hemlock timber, in¬ 
dicate a soil composed of the destruction of the 
primitive rocks, mostly devoid of lime, in which 
case it can be artificially improved by its addition. 
Low and undrained and amlrainable land can 
never be depended upon for winter wheat, or be 
valuable for any other crop than grass, and hardly 
that To settle the kind of crops most profitable 
to be grown, the distance from market and the 
home demand mast be considered. 
wheat to the acre is proof among ns of the 
mighty BtrideB we ore making in agriculture,— 
proof positive that our land will never wear out, 
— whereas some countries that have been fore¬ 
warned to guard against “ [[respective sterility,” 
have, by attention to tbeir night soil, and other 
sources of fertility, maintained an average of 
forty bushels of wheat to the acre, which was no 
unnsual crop here, when our land was new. Parts 
of Great Britain and Holland Bbow the good ef¬ 
fects of looking to every available source for 
fertilizers, prompted by a wholesome diead of 
sterility. 
The Chinese have olive complexions, oval fea¬ 
tures, a relish for rats, and a very disagreeable 
habitof minding their own business, and wishiog 
other nations to mind theirs,—but with all these 
draw-backs, they Bavo their night soil, aud have a 
great many kindred virtues, which, if ontBide 
barbarians would imitate, elsewhere, as there, 
“every rood of ground wonld maintain its man.” 
—n. T. B. 
SORGHUM, WHERE IS IT I 
This significant question was asked a year ago 
by a correspondent of the Rural, who insinuated 
that It had taken its plaoe with the defunct hum¬ 
bugs of "Morns multicaulis and Merino Sheep Im¬ 
portation,” but bis attack awakened a defence by 
some hopeful and successful cultivator "Out 
West,” which was at the time satisfactory. But, a 
year has passed since then, And “the world does 
move” without dissolving the Union, 
Having 
asked where it is, I will tell you frankly where it 
was a month ago, and where I find it now. 
In tho month of September, 1800, it was to be 
seen in the fields of nearly every farmer in North 
Western Missouri. Now, November 7th, just one 
day after the Presidential election, it may be 
found in u converted state, on tho table of every 
“well regulated family,” in this “Old Mormon 
County of Caldwell.” We have sorghum in pre¬ 
serves, in molasses, and most am] best in sugar. 
►Sugar has been the desideratum long sought by 
all cultivators of the Chinese cane, but since a 
1 mg thy and scientific report made by Mr. Lover- 
ino, of Philadelphia, some five or six years since, 
I have seen nothing authentic iu the Reports of 
Agricultural Societies, or of the Patent Office giv¬ 
ing a single rsy of hope. 
It was reserved for the Rural AW Yorker, of 
Jane, 1800, to put us on the track for sorghum 
sugar. I noticed in said truthful paper, an ac¬ 
knowledgment of the reception of some sorghum 
sugar, from A. H. Mii.lkr, of Laporte, Indiana. 
Now we know friend Moore never made any false 
pretenses, so we wanted to know why we could 
not have sorghum sugar too. 1 wrote to Mr. 
Mii.lkr lustanter, telling him what I had read in 
the Rural, and my faith in said paper, and 
further informed him that as I had found him out, 
I now wanted him to tell me how he made sugar, 
WHAT THE FARM WILL PRODUCE. 
“ Excelsior” (a subscriber in Canada West,) 
Bends us the following description of one hundred 
acres of land, copied from a Surveyor's report, 
asking whether such land is profitable for culti¬ 
vation, its qualifications, faults, Ac. We give the 
description, with tho remarks of an experienced 
farmer and geologist to whom we submitted it 
for consideration : 
“The land is gently rolling and good. Soil, 
sandy loam. Timber—Maple, beecb, elm, and 
hemlock. Crossing the rear of said lot there is 
six chains of swamp, containing cedar and some 
good white pine. The remainder is good hard¬ 
wood land, gently rolling. On the west side of 
said lot the land is fiat, but not too wet for agri- 
TWO DOLLARS A. YF.AK.] 
“ PItOGRKSS AND IMUPIRO VM.H1-TS T.” 
[ SINTGrLIG NO. B’OTLTR, CEUSTTS. 
YOL XL NO. 48.} 
ROCHESTER, N, Y.-F0R THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1860. 
1 WHOLE NO. 568. 
rifw Jw 1 < 
j: 
V- ~Wj>: 
9 
si 
i 
r ’" 
o 
% 
-T- , V 
M) 
m 
' ■ ,3 . yl 
> Tv, 
f-S /3S^; 
-j 
\ 
nC 1 m • 
ji j 
:/ 
Wit ^ 
L M 
V sr 
F me 
11 
k 
1 WML \ 
/// ^ * 
(f( 
((f§%w 
jPS 
«.\\ 111 ji ill 
Bill 
i. „ 1 ' . 
(S, 
\\ ^(jf$ 
Wf 
? j Aj) 
gfj 
[fl ' 
H| 
flf 
ii 
r’i ' 
Ill') 
^ Miy 
\a' - "" . w*v 
jf|k 
Wkiitf'f 
•v 
A 
3 m 
i 
Wl 
fr 
Cf'J i 
g& S 
1 
■ 
/r 
F 
- 
} 
371 
1, 
