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..... 
AN AGRICULTURAL ANI) FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Items of News, 
New York .Legislature 
Agricultural Books for School Libraries. 
The Committee on Agriculture in the Assembly 
of this State have unanimously reported a Bill en¬ 
titled “Aw Act to Supply a Library of Agricultural 
Boohs to each School District m the State of New 
York.” This Bill provides, first, that “ the Gover¬ 
nor of the State, the Superintendent of Public In¬ 
struction, and the Secretary of the State Agricul¬ 
tural Society, are hereby appointed Commissioners 
and are authorized, empowered and directed on 
bebalf of the State to contract, with Messrs. C. M. 
Saxton & Go., Publishers of Agricultural Works 
iu the city of New York, to provide and furnish 
to each School District in this State a Library of 
s, to consist of the following 
PUBLISHER’S NOTICES 
John Wentworth, lately elected Mayor of Chi¬ 
cago, lias dona’ed one-third of the yearly salary 
of the office to the Firemen’s Benevolent Associa¬ 
tion. The amount, is $1,1GG 66. He also paid $400 
for the wife of Seiffert, who was killed in the riot 
on election day. 
The American Consul at Trieste arrived from 
Europe a few days ago with a richly enamelled 
gold chronometer watch, made by order of some 
Italian Republicans, for a present to Mr. Buchanan. 
It is inclosed in a gold hunting case, exquisitely 
enamelled. 
A valuable discovery of beautiful granite, sup¬ 
posed to be inexhaustible in quantity, lias been 
made on the banks of the Potomac river, near 
Oceoquan, V(u It is of a gray color, containing 
quartz to an excess, and bears a pressure of 10,800. 
A butOher of Jamestown, Chautauque county, 
found in the stomach of a beef which he killed, 
a Bat stone 2,} by 1 { inches in size, and a jack knife 
of medium proportions, with complete handle and 
f'uLl blade. 
Durino the year 1850, five hundred and two 
buildings were erected in Dubuque. Of these 202 
were frame, ITS lirick, and 32 stone edifices. The 
total expenditures for the same was $1,107,145. 
This is the way western cities progress. 
John Hames, a man 134 years old, is now living 
in Murray Co., Georgia. He migrated to South 
Carolina from his home in Virginia over a hundred 
years ago: was with Gales at Camden, and with 
Senate. —Mr. Bradford reported a complete hill 
to allow the industrial schools to participate in 
the distribution of the school moneys. 
A bill was reported providing a penalty for sell¬ 
ing any article of produce or merchandize in casks 
or packages, stamped with a false tare or short of 
weight 
The bill to regulate fare ou railroads was passed. 
Assembly. —The annual report of the Deaf and 
To Competitors for our April Premiums. 
The special attention ot agents and others is directed 
to the fact that the period of competition for vvr Large 
“Excelsior," and very liberal State and Provincial Pre¬ 
miums, expires with the present month — March. As 
heretofore stated, the. subscribers in sections where we have 
the largest circulation, art generally divided this year 
among several persons, so that there are fewer large lists 
(sent in by individuals,) than formerly , thus placing 
competitors in olhtr localities (where the Rural has less 
subscribers) upon an eyuolily, and giving them better 
chances of success. The State und Provincial Premiums, 
though extremely liberal, have excited less competition 
than we anticipated , and there is yet time lo start new 
clubs and secure the beat prizes in most of the Slates 
named—for they wilt be paid , however siiimII the lists ob¬ 
tained by competitors. ‘'A word to the wise," fyc. 
Read Premium List on next page, and then see if 
it will not pay you, as well as community, to aid iu extend¬ 
ing the circulation if the Rural. 
13?“ Back Numbers of this volume can still be supplied to 
new Subscribers, so that snbgcriI'tions cati commence with the 
year or any number desired Extra numbers, show-bills, Ac.. 
— Hon. W. J. Brown, of Indiana, is dead. 
— Hon. l.evi Beardsley died on Thursday week, aged 70. 
— The Bank of Newcastle, Pa., has suspended payment. 
— The New Jersey Legislature adjourned last Saturday. 
— Flour is selling in Melbourne, Australia, for £22 per 
ton. 
—There are nearly six millions of acres of unsold land 
in Michigan. 
— A woman in Canada has been confined for debt over 
seven years. 
— The lumber trade of Dubuque, Iowa, amounted inlS56 
to $20,000,000. 
— ClintoD, an Iowa town, some 18 months old, has 
adopted a etty charter. 
—There is a grove of trees in California averaging from 
825 to 375 feet iu height. 
— Secretary Mnrcy, it is said, will sail for Europe during 
the coming summer or fall. 
— A contract has been entered into for building a Ma¬ 
rine Hospital at Galena, 111. 
— The St. Louis Leader says that Lola Montez is lying 
dangerously ill in that city. 
— Gov. Gardner has appointed Thursday, April 16th, as 
Fast Day iu Massachusetts. 
— Ex-Gov, Bigler, of California, is appointed Minister to 
CLili, vice Mr. Slarkwcather. 
— The President and bis neice, Miss Lane, gave their 
first reception on the 17 th inst. 
— The Delaware and Raritan canal was opened on Sat¬ 
urday week throughout its entire length. 
_The number of persons connected with the working 
of railways In France is at present 32,000. 
— The appointment of U. S. Marshal in Kansas lias been 
gicen lo Col. E. S. Dennis, of Clinton Co., 111. 
— Henry 8. Magraw, Esq., has beeu ro-elccted State 
Treasurer of Pennsylvania by the Legislature. 
— John I. Godfrey, a prominent citizen and for many 
years a merchant of Albany, died last week. 
— A Bible distributor in Kentucky reports that of 30,000 
famlliea he visited, one-fourth had no Bible. 
_About forty persons from Kansas, Including ten In¬ 
dians, were recently presented to lbo President. 
_The journeymen carpenters of New York have deter¬ 
mined to demand $2 per day during the summer. 
— It is said there are about fifty applicants at Washing- 
ton for every office at the disposal of the President. 
— One hundred thousand persons, it is estimated, were 
iu Washington City on the day of the inauguration. 
— Col. Fremont is busily engaged in New York prepar¬ 
ing the reports of his last three expeditions for publication. 
— Calvin Randall, of Surrey, N. H., made over 300 lbs. 
of maple sugar from sap gathered in two days in February. 
— Sir J. F. Crampton, lat«British Ministerto theUnited 
States, has beeu appointed British Minister to-the King of 
Hanover. 
— The Legislature of Wisconsin and Illinois have both 
passed the charter for a railroad to run from La Crosse to 
Galena. 
— There are £6 orphan asylums in the State of New 
York, in which nearly 9,000 little one are fed, clothed and 
educated. 
— The Massachusetts Legislature of 1855 paid out of the 
put,lie treasury $200 for tobacco, cigars, snuff and camo¬ 
mile floweie. 
— Senator Hale, of N. n., and his daughters, are quite 
sick at Dover. They boarded at the National Hotel when 
in Washington. 
— Gen. Scott’s pay, hereafter, will amount to $15,000 a 
year. He gets also $32,400 arrearages which Secretary 
Davis refused to giant 
— Congress has appropriated $34,1S5 for the support of 
life-saving stations on the coasts of Long Island, New Jer¬ 
sey and Massachusetts. 
_Dnvid Bruce, the .veil known printer, Htereotyperand 
type founder of New York, died in that city on Sunday 
week, in his 891U year. 
— Mr. Peter Bayne, author of “ Christian Life,” has been 
appointed editor of the Edinburgh Witness, to succeed the 
lamcuted Hugh Miller. 
— Gas costs but 88 cents per thousand cubic feet in Lon¬ 
don and Liverpool ; and in the United States the average 
price la $2 50 per thousand. 
— The demand for the seed of the China Sugar Cane has 
increased of late so rapidly that tho price has advanced 
full three hundred per cent. 
— The Grand Rapids and Indiana R. R., between Grand 
Rapids and Newaygo, is to be surveyed immediately, and 
the work put under contract. 
_The Imperial Geographical Society of St. Petersburgh 
is preparing the putdicatiou of a geographical dictionary 
of the dominions of the Czar. 
_The Boston Medical World Bfates that there are not 
far from twenty female physicians in that city, several of 
whom are iu excellent business. 
— The five California ateamsbipB, during 1857, have 
brought nearly $2,000,000 lees than was brought in the 
same number of arrivals Inst year. 
— Com. Vaudeibllt advertises that he will convey pas¬ 
sengers to Europe in his steamer Ariel lor the low sum of 
Agricultural Book: 
works: 
1. Watson's Farm Husbandry. 
2. Fitch’s Entomology for Farmers. 
3. Jnht>9nn's American Diary. 
4. Allen’s American Farm Book. 
5. Yuuau k. Marlin on Cattle. 
6 . Yuualt & Martin on the Hog. 
7. Youatt on Sheep 
8. Dadd’s American Cattle Doctor. 
0. Stewart's Stable Book. 
30. Allen's Jllsiasva of Domestic Animals. 
31. Ll|0woe's American Poultry-Yard. 
32 Thompson on tliw Food Dt Animals. 
33. Browne's Field Honk of Manures. 
3 4 nnd 36, Stephens’ Book of The Farm (in two vols) 
jit. ThaeCg Principles of Agriculture, 
37 . BouBBtrigntilt's Rural Economy. 
18. Johnston's LecUves on Agricultural Chemistry. 
39. W a ring's Elements of Agriculture. 
20. Nash’s Progressive Fatuity- 
21. Burst's Kitchen Garden. 
22. Hoist's Flower Gat den Directory. 
23. Barry's Fruit Garden. 
£4. Brown's Implements of Agriculture. 
25. Mtinn’r Land Drainer. 
26. Alton’s Rural Architecture. 
27-80. Saxton's Rural Hand Books (in four volumes) 
“Provided, nevertheless, that the whole cost of each 
library of the above named books shall not exceed twenty- 
five dollars for each school dlstiint, exclusive tit the cost of 
distribution, as hereinafter provioed. The cummissionerE 
appointed by Ibis act, or a majorily of them, may, in their 
discretion, cause 10 ho substituted for any of the works 
aforesaid, a work on the same subject, provided the same 
dial I be at least of equal merit, and contain at least an 
equal number of pages with the work displaced, and shall 
not entail upon the State, or the above mimed contractors, 
any extra expense, or cause the State to incur any liabili¬ 
ties lor damages on account of such substitution.'' 
The remaining sections of the Bill provide for 
the fulfilment of the contract, specifying manner, 
time, &c.,—providing, among other things, “that 
the books shall be delivered to the Sup't of Public 
Instruction within two years from the passage of 
the act, and at least one-half within one year from 
the date of the contract”—that “the Comptroller 
shall pay for those delivered, pro rata to the whole 
amount, either by cash or bonds”—appropriates 
SDO.OOO annually for two years from the income 
($55,000) of the U. S. Deposit Fund, and set apart 
for District Library purposes, to the payment of | for peace. 
List of New Advertisements this Week. 
Flower Seeds by Mail—R. K Bliss .V Haven. 
Books for the Season—C. M Saxton A Co. 
The True Chinese Sugar Cane-1. W. Briggs. 
Choice Garden Seed*—R. 1>. llallock. 
Wall for the iVsgnn—t'bsrlcs Hamerel. 
A Partner Wanmd—Jervis D. Adams 
Aeiu ulturnl Books—C it. Saxion A Co. 
Genesee Av'l Work*—C. K- Brinkerlioff. 
For Sole in Gao and alien a—F. G. Marshall. 
Pure Poland Oats—T. W. Brings. 
Cranberry Plants—1>. L Ilnlsey, 
2,60) More Mi n Wanted—lfenry Howe. 
1 he New Roi hi He Blaekbrtrry—S. P. Carpenter. 
Valuable Seeds by .Mail—R. B. Elder. 
Chinese Sugar Cane—O M. Saxton & Co. 
For Sale—W. fct. White. 
Bead Graham’s Illnrtritted Magazine. 
Chinese Sugar Cane Seed— J. H. Stanley. 
Gov. Geary has resigned the Governorship of 
Kansas, and left the Territory for Washington. 
Before leaving he issued a farewell address to the 
People of Kansas, which has been published. It 
is a sketch of his administration, setting forth the 
previous and present condition of the Territory, 
and recounting the difficulties and embarrassments 
that have been thrown in his way. He says the 
great body of the people arc conservative and 
law-abiding, and they are willing to make sacrifices 
The troubles in the territory, he oou- 
tbe contractors; and provides “that the Couiptroll- tinues, have been occasioned by ambitious schem¬ 
er shall issue bondsat six per cent, fur the balance, ers with no special interest in the territory s wel- 
payable from the same fund, in equal amounts, in 
one, two, three, four and live years from their date.” 
Now it is unnecessary to say that we have long 
favored and urged the importance of placing Agri¬ 
cultural Books, and particularly Elementary and 
Practical Wot Its in the School District Libraries 
of the State.- Y r et, we coniess that we are unpre¬ 
pared to advocate the measure proposed, believing 
that it would be eminently unwise and unjust to 
force upou the people of the various districts of 
the State the works named, compelling them to 
pay a high price for books, some of which at least 
are of questionable utility, while others are of so 
little value and interest to the masses that they 
would rarely be perused. Indeed, we happen to 
know that several of the works enumerated, which 
have been placed in school libraries in this sec¬ 
tion, are allowed to remain almost untouched on 
their shelves, as it is found that the young, espe¬ 
cially, will notread them. This is particularly true 
in regard to such works as Stephens' Book of the 
Farm, Johnston's Lectures on Ag'l Chemistry, 
Boussinganlt'a Rural Economy, (all valuable books 
for reference, but not adapted to the young,) and 
other reprints of foreign works. 
We have neither time nor space to discuss this 
subject at present, but shall recur to it at some 
length in a future number. Meantime, it may he 
proper to remark that we should cordially favor 
an unobjectionable plan, if such can, as we believe, 
be devised, for placingsuitahle Agricultural Works 
in school district libraries. Books for such pur¬ 
pose, however, must necessarily be of an elemen¬ 
tary character, and rendered att ractive, in order 
to prove extensively useful to those whose benefit 
is sought to be promoted. When the enterprising 
and popular publishers named in the Bill, or any 
other publishing house, shall propose to iurnish an 
Agricultural Library consisting mainly of books 
embracing the elements and characteristics needed 
—works which embody, in a condensed and simple 
form, the elements of Agriculture and kindred 
branches, and which are moreover imbued with 
the progressive spirit of the age — we shall be 
found among the earnest advocates of a liberal 
appropriation for placing the same on the shelves 
of our district school libraries. 
ROCHESTER, MARCH 28, 1857. 
Correspondents and Advertisers who wish arti¬ 
cles or announcements to appear promptly, are advised 
that our edition is now so large that we are obliged to put 
the outside form of the Rural to press some eight days in 
advance of date, and the last form os Tuesday mnrulng. 
To secure insertion, advertisements, &e., should reach ns 
the week preceding publication, though notices received 
on Monday are insetted in case our space is not occupied. 
Legal Tender.—T he law regulating the pay¬ 
ment of debts with coin, provides the following 
coin to be the legal tender, and we hope our read¬ 
ers will bear it iu miuil: 
1 —All gold coins at their respective values, for 
debts of any amonnt. 
2 —The half dollar, quarter dollar, dime and 
half-dime, at their respective values for debts of 
amounts under five dollars. 
3 —Three cent pieces for debts of amonnt under 
thirty cents;—and 
4 _By the law just passed, we may add one cent 
pieces for debts of amount under ten cents. 
By the law of Congress, passed some four or five 
years ago, gold was made the legal tender lor large 
amountp. Those who, to get rid of large quanti¬ 
ties of cents and small coin, sometimes puy bills 
with it, to the annoynnoe of the creditor, will per¬ 
ceive that there is a stoppage put to that antic by 
law.— N. Y. Mirror. 
QUARTER-DAY—“TIME UT”—RENEWALS, AC. 
This number closes the first quarter of Volume 
Eight, wherewith expire the subscriptions of many 
annual and semi-annual subscribers—and also the 
subscriptions of over five hundred persons who 
have taken the Rural for the present quarter on 
trial. Every regular subscriber whose term ex¬ 
pires this week will find " Time up,” printed on the 
marg'n of his or her paper. As we remarked last 
week, all interested will therefore please consider 
themselves reminded of our invariable rule to dis¬ 
continue the paper promptly on the expiration of 
the time paid for,—and that the only requisite to 
secure the uninterrupted visits of the Rural to 
their respective addresses, and (we trust) happy 
family circles, is a substantial invitation. This in¬ 
vitation can easily be extended by individual sub¬ 
scribers, or done by proxy—the Post-Master or 
local agent kindly actiug in behalf of both sub¬ 
scriber and publisher in the transaction. If the 
hundreds of subscribers to whom thi9 notice is 
addressed will do their neighbors and the writer 
the favor to solicit subscriptions to be added to 
their own, a large accession may be made to our 
list on the commencement of the new quarter iu 
ApriL Will not our friends think of this, and see 
what may he done in the manner suggested? 
The second or Spring Quarter, commencing 
next week, will be a favorable time not only to re¬ 
new expiring subscriptions, but to form new clubs, 
make additions to present ones, or for single sub¬ 
scribers to commence. We therefore trust that 
Agents and other cordial and influential friends of 
the Rural, will have the kindness to continue 
their efforts in behalf of its circulation iu their re¬ 
spective localities. April is usually a better month 
than March for obtaining subscribers, and if those 
herein addressed will give a little attention to the 
canvass, our list may yet bo materially augmented 
in alt sections, and the community corresponding¬ 
ly benefited. CIuLb for nine months (April to 
January) may be made up at the same proportional 
rate as for a full year, and premiums, &c., will be 
allowed. See Publisher's Notices at head of this 
column, and Premium List on next and last pages. 
Protection to Emigrants to Oregon, Ac. — 
Troops are to cross the Plains this spring for the 
protection of tho overland emigrants hound for 
California and Oregon. Orders have been issued 
for the 4th infantry, now stationed in Oregon, to 
move across the country, constructing the road, 
for which appropriations have been made. The 
companies of tho fitli infantry now at Forts Kear¬ 
ney and Leavenworth are to follow up the Platto 
Valley, in the old Oregon trail, and go through the 
mountains at South Pass. The companies station¬ 
ed in Kansas are to embark at Fort Leavenworth, 
and ascend the Missouri in boats to Fort Benton 
—there to remain until relieved by the 4th infantry, 
some time in the summer, when they, too, will move 
across over the route passed over by them on their 
march from Oregon. 
The Governorship of Kansas 
Another Septuagenarian Gone. — The New 
York papers aunouuce the death of Hon. Levi 
Beardsley, of Oswego, which occurred in the 
former city, after a brief illness, on Thursday 
morning of last week. Though of late years with¬ 
drawn from public life, Mr. Beardsley was for¬ 
merly and for a long period a prominent man, and 
occupied positions of trust and eminence. In the 
days of “ the regency 1 ' he was an influential and 
distinguished politician, and a statesman of no 
ordinary ability. Asa man,Mr. B. possessed those 
qualities of head and heart which rendered him 
respected and beloved in private life, and his de¬ 
cease will be widely and sincerely mourned. He 
was a brother of the Hon. Samuel Beardsley, 
now a distinguished lawyer of New Y r ork, but 
formerly Attorney General, Member of Congress, 
etc. Deceased was 70 years of age. 
.Secrets of the War Department. —The pub¬ 
lished correspondence between Gen. Scott and the 
Secretary of War, discloses some remarkable facts 
in relation to the disbursements from the secret 
servico fund during the Mexican war. The amount 
disbursed by Gen. Scott, for information furnished 
him by the Mexicans, was $255,291 46. Some of 
the itoms are as follows: — For money paid by 
Gen. Scott to a “Mexican officer of rank,” for in¬ 
formation $10,000; to Santa Anna's servant, a de¬ 
serter, for information, $150; and so on through a 
long lish ol payments. 
The Illinois Central Railroad is a great 
“institution” in power arid efficiency—and pos- 
Bisses withal a large and fertile strip of terra firrna. 
A St. Louis paper, speaking of the Company's land 
sales, says that for the first two months of this 
year they were far in excess of what they were for 
the corresponding period of last year. “In Janu¬ 
ary. 1850, the sales amounted to $174,000; in Jan¬ 
uary, 1857, they reached $350,000. In February 
1856, the Bales amounted to $75,000; in February, 
1857, the aggregate reaches $202,000. We learn 
that the 8a les are made principally to parties from 
the Eastern and Middle States. New Y'orlc fur¬ 
nishes a larger number than any other State, and 
not a few purchasers are from Kentucky.” 
— By the way, we see it announced that D. C. 
McCallum, Esq., formerly of this city, and late 
Sup't of tbe N. Y. &, Erie Railroad, has been offered 
the Superintendency of the Illinois Central, and 
signified his acceptance of the position. 
Navigation of the Hudson Resumed.— The 
Atlas and Argus of the 18th inst., says the warm 
weather of the past few days, rapidly rotted the 
ice which has formed since the inundation, and 
since Sunday it has been gradually breukiug up 
and moving down the river. Yesterday the Isaac 
Newton was being freighted, and it was thought 
she would lie able to leave sometime to-day. It 
was also anticipated that a boat from New York 
would reach Albany that evening. 
Temperature of Boston. —The Boston Travel¬ 
ler gives a table of the mean temperature of each 
month in Boston for the last thirty years, and also 
tbe quantity of rain. The mean temperature of 
185G was 47.03; for the last thirty years, 42,44:— 
The full of ruin in 1850, was 52,10 inches; the 
average per year for th i rty years, 42.44. The great¬ 
est fall of rain was in 1850, 63.98 inches; the 
least, in 1846, 29.95—a difference of two feet. The 
mean temperature of 1828 was 61.79, the warmest 
f >r the period; that of 183G, the coldest, was 45.86. 
The range of the thermometer during that period 
was 112 degrees. Last year, the extremes at Cam¬ 
bridge were from 974 to 8£ below zero—range 106. 
Large Plates of Iron. — Some plates for the 
Great Eastern recently rolled at the Parkgate Iron 
Works, England, exceed, particularly in length, 
anything in their line. One recently described 
was 27 feet 3 inches long, 3 feet 3 inches wide, and 
1 1-4 inches thick. The weight was over 2 tuns. 
Arrival of the Black Warrior. —The steamer 
Black Warrior, which left Havana on the 17th, ar¬ 
rived in New York on the 22d, but brought no 
news of importance. 
