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APRIL 9J> 
AIM AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
New Wire Fence.—A correspondent gives us 
an account of a new Wire Fence that lie Lbs built, 
and with which he is much pleased. He describes 
it as follows: 
“This fence is built of posts, wire, and pickets. 
After the posts are set at proper distances, two 
wires are fastened about three feet apart, so as 
when strained to be that distance parallel. Then 
pass the wires around the picket, one at each end, 
which should be round or have a notch ent in them 
for the wire to he wound in, and drawing the wire 
tightly, proceed to fill iu the pickets from six 
incdies to one foot distant apart, until the whole is 
tilled, when the wires may be fastened upon the 
posts after the usual manner. Iu this way a fence 
may be built very economically, and serve a pretty 
good purpose when done.—W. H. G.” 
as before, and with a little hoeing they again got 
the go-bye, uutil about the middle of July, when 
they were cultivated again, and while the ground 
was fresh I took my drill and sowed ruta-bagasin 
the centre, between the rows. W hen these plants 
were up sufficiently large to thin out. it w T as done, 
and all weeds removed at the same time. Nothing 
more was done until harvest tune, when they were 
gathered, and the following was the result.—Two 
hundred bushels of carrots and fifty-five bushels of 
ruta bagas, and the whole cost hut seven cents a 
bushel. The crop was but a small one compared 
with what it would have been if the season had 
been wet, but with us it w T as very dry and cold un¬ 
til qnite late in the spring. 
With us, whore land is plenty, I think it better to 
sow our root or ops far apart between the rotes, as we 
have abetter chance to work between them with 
a horse, and when we get the weeds well subdued, 
then fill up the waste ground with ruta-bagas—al¬ 
though in my case I bad half an acre occupied; 
perhaps T might have had full as many bushels 
from half the quantity of' ground had T sowed 
them only one foot apart, as many do. Instead of 
only being able t.o give my stock roots as a “ med¬ 
icine, 1 ' as B. F. is obliged to, I feed tbern regularly 
twice a day. both as “medicine” and meat,and am 
Bead the Advertisements. —We are in the con¬ 
stant receipt of inquiries as to where and of whom 
certain kinds of grains, seeds, implements, animals, 
&c., may he procured. During the past week we 
have received an unusual number of letters of in¬ 
quiry concerning various articles, most of which 
are now, or have recently been advertised in the 
Rural, (or will be soon, if those having them for 
sale understand their interest.) We therefore ad¬ 
vise those in want of such articles, and indeed all 
our readers to rend the advertisements carefully, 
every week. They will generally’ be found inter¬ 
esting and often profitable, beside occasionally 
saving the time arid trouble of writing and answer¬ 
ing inquiries. Inquiries of the nature alluded to, 
which arc not sufficiently answered in our adver¬ 
tising department, will receive attention by letter 
or otherwise, whenever we can impart the inform¬ 
ation desired. 
“ Architecture for 
T notice in your remarks on 
the West,” in (Ritual of March 7tb,) a statement, 
that “by a simple adjustment, a filter maybe so 
constructed that it shall purify tho water before it 
enters the cistern.” This is just the object I am 
seeking to accomplish; for I find that where coal 
is used for fuel, the rain-water needs purifying, 
even for washing purposes. My desire is, to ob¬ 
tain the necessary information to enable me to 
construct a filter in connection with a cister, so 
that, that important object may lie attained, and 
my house he furnished with a good supply of pure, 
soft water, suitable for all purposes. I am decided¬ 
ly of the opinion that soft water is more condu- 
sive to health than hard; and hence my anxiety to 
obtain it pure. Will you, or some of your contrib¬ 
utors, be so kind as to furnish, through tlie columns 
of your paper, the requisite instructions, and at 
least, greatly oblige one reader of the Rural?— 
G. B. P., Cambridge, Henry Co., lit. 
Remarks. —To make a. filtering cistern, it is 
necessary to have a permanent division, as seen 
On one side is a reservoir of 
Grass Seeding with Oats is thus noted, in the 
Prairie Farmer, by F. M. McClellan, of Iowa:— 
“I have seeded with oats at different times, with 
good success every time. The oats were always 
as heavy as they could stand. The quantity of 
seed sown per acre was six quarts of Timothy 
when clean.” 
Fruit Stealing. —In speaking of this subject, a 
correspondent writes:—“Fruit Stealing is practis¬ 
ed to an alarming extent. Farmers do not lake 
the pains to raise fruit that they would, were it not 
for the disgraceful practices of thievish young 
men. I am a farmer, and would be glad to culti¬ 
vate more fruit than I do, but it is impossible to 
raise even a patch of melons and bring them to 
maturity, as they are stolen beiore ripe. I agree 
with you (and thank you for your article of March 
28th,) that fruit stealers should be punished like 
any other thieves. I would as soon have my wheat 
stolen as my melons or apples. Indeed, I would 
rather lose a little of my wheat than my fruit, be¬ 
cause wheat is worth only ils money value, but by 
losing my fruit, I am deprived of this luxury lor 
the whole seasou, as in many places it cannot be 
procured for money,” Our correspondent recom¬ 
mends that all Agricultural Societies, and all farm¬ 
ers, send petitions to the next Legislature on this 
subject. 
Farmers’ Lirrary and Museum. —The Fann¬ 
ers’ Club of Skaneateles, have resolved to establish 
a public Library and Museum, for the bene6t of 
the farmers of that town. Liberal subscriptions 
have been made for the purpose, and a Librarian 
appointed. This is a wise movement, worthy of 
imitation. 
iu the engraviug. 
GROWING CURRANTS, 
APPLICATION OF MANURES, 
Can you tell me which is the better way to grow 
currants—as a bush ortree? As far as I have seen, 
I think the tree form is better, because the fruit is 
larger, keeps cleaner, and the tree looks better and 
does not take up so much room as the bush. But 
then it is well to know which is the better 
way, and as I have a good deal of opposition, I 
thought I would take this way of finding out.— 
Any information in regard to this subject will be 
gladly received by—A .Subscriijer’s Son. 
Remarks. — We like to grow currants with a 
single stem, as seen in the engraving, as they are 
^ j, \ y > ^ much prettier, and bet- 
yY -V y ri. ter ' n everyway.— 
„ flW ylSome, we know pre- 
\ ^ ert0 t r| ' ow them with 
two or three main 
J " steins, and good cur- 
rants can be raised in 
this way. if the plants 
R are confined to these 
two or three main 
branches, hut generally, those, who attempt to 
treat currant bushes in this way, allow snekera to 
grow from the roots which injure the plant and 
the fruit. These suckers are very readily noticed, 
when the plant is treated as recommended with a 
single trunk, and almost always removed. The 
only argument we have ever beard in favor of th« 
two-or-three-hranch system, is the facility with 
which the plant when getting obi is renewed, by 
cutting out the old wood, and allowing the a new 
Land re form from the new shoots. This, however, 
Eds. Rural:— The “Manure Question,” has re¬ 
ceived considerable attention at your hands, as it 
deserves; but I have noticed no special mention 
of the fact that many scientific agriculturists begiu 
to doubt the commonly taught and received opin¬ 
ion, that manure loses largely from evaporation if 
allowed to dry uncovered, on the surface of the 
soil. Many good farmers are careful to draw’ out 
manure while green, spreading it only so last as it 
can be plow’ed under, on sod grouud for corn or 
root crops, and do not like to remove it from the 
yards long before this plowing is performed.— 
Some, however, let manure remain heaped in the 
yard during the summer, applying it to wheat, and 
to grass land designed for corn next year, leaving 
it for the latter, spread over the surface from Sep¬ 
tember until May. uuplowed, and of course uncov¬ 
ered. Both parties claim to raise good crops, and 
to get the full value of the manure applied, though 
the first I believe, allows that tho second crop re¬ 
ceives a considerable portion of the fertilizing ef¬ 
fects. Now, if it can be shown that surface ma¬ 
nuring with rotten manure is as economical on the 
whole, as the application of green or long manure, 
an important point will be gained toward the bet¬ 
ter management of our barn-yard fertilizers. 
Hr. Voeckt.er, a noted European scientific agri¬ 
culturist, holds that wo loss arises from spreading 
manure on the surface of a field; on the contrary, 
the fermentation is stopped, and the escape of vol¬ 
atile matters thereby ceases, and if it be let lie 
until the rain has washed it in, is far more bene¬ 
ficial than burying it at once. He would spread 
manure on clay soils without fear of loss, even six 
months before plowing. Other writers, as well as 
practical farmers, coincide in this view of the sub¬ 
ject, and it is one worthy of farther test by farrn- 
FILTER1NG CISTERN. 
filtered, and on the other Bide of unfiltered water. 
The black marks at the bottom of the partition 
are holes, through which the water passes, and the 
dark layers on the bottom of the left hand side of 
engraving, are layers of fine gravel and charcoal, 
through which the water is filtered. It would be 
well to make a small box near the surface of 
the ground, into which the tin pipe of the roof 
should be conducted, with a hole at the bottom, 
covered with fine wire work, such asused instrain¬ 
ing milk. This would prevent a great deal of dirt 
washed from the roof from entering the cistern, 
and which could be cleaned out very easily. Un¬ 
less this is done, the cistern will require frequent 
cleaning. We have used a sponge instead of a 
wire, to cover the hole in the box, but in heavy 
showers, it does not let the water pass through 
suliiciemly rapid, and the box overflows. 
ABOUT OILING- SHEEP 
In your paper of March 2Stb, 
Eds. Rural 
Reed Burritt quotes from my article in No. 10, 
as follows:—” In selecting sheep for fattening, or 
in fact, for any other purpose except humbugging, 
very oily sheep should he rejected as they will not 
pay the cost of feeding, much of the substance of 
the food coming out through the pores of tlie skin 
instead of forming flesh, tallow and wool.” He 
says:— “Such doctrine looks very reasonable, 
which perhaps is the only excuse of his putting it 
forth, but it is contrary to my experience and 
observation.” 
I agree with him that, this doctrine looks reason¬ 
able, as much so as his docs unreasonable, but per¬ 
haps it was not the only excuse of his putting it 
forth. He says: — “If there iB any difference, I 
think those that have been the most oily have been 
the most hardy, and when I have stall-fed them 
they have fatted easiest and with the least feed.” 
Now, what is there about this oil that makes sheep 
producing it in large quantities fat so much easier 
and on less food than others? Is it not produced 
from the same materials that produce flesh, tallow 
and wool; and if so, does it not require more food 
to produce a pound of flesh, tallow or wool from 
such sheep, (that required to produce the oil being 
entirely lost,) than from those Rhs oily? Hemight 
as well contend that a leaky barrel with a stream 
of water running into it, would fill in less time, 
and with less water, than one that was tight. Has 
he, during his forty years experience, tested the 
matter by ixperimeDts —6uch as weighing and 
feeding both kinds separate and in proportion to 
their weight, or by feeding each the same amount 
so as to ascertain correctly the cost of feeding each 
—or is it mere conjecture? 
A few years since, in a lot of sheep I was fatten¬ 
ing, I bad one such sheep, the wool being com¬ 
pletely saturated with oil. This sheep would not 
fat, and was so thin I could not, sell it with the 
rest. The following summer I sheared from it a 
fleece weighing over ten pounds, which would be 
considered a heavy one for a small sheep at two 
years old. This fleece I cleansed and got about 
2j pounds of wool I do not mention this as 
evidence that such sheep require more food to 
fatten, from the fact that the flock were fed a limit¬ 
ed quantity, that some individuals eat much faster 
than others, and that this one might have been a 
glow feeder. But it shows that there is an im¬ 
mense waste in such wool, and I think if a person 
buys Bueli sheep for breeding purposes in conse¬ 
quence of stories told of their heavy fleeces, he 
gets humbugged. 
Again Mr. Burritt says: — “They will endure 
the storms of summer and fal 1 much the best, and 
their wool, when cleansed, is found to lie the best, 
as it has not so many dead ends to waste away in 
manufacturing into doth.” Now, if Mr. Burritt, 
notwithstanding his forty years experience and 
observation, will examine a flock after having been 
exposed to a severe storm, lie will find that his oily 
and gammy sheep will be equally as wet as the 
rest—that it does not prevent the opening of the 
fleece so as to prevent the free entrance of water 
—and serves ns no protection at all; and if he will 
examine what he terms the “ dead ends,” he will 
find both equally strong. W. D. Dickinson. 
Victor, N. Y., March, 1867. 
To Prevent the Depredations of the Go¬ 
pher.— PniNEAS Ai.lyn, of Hopkinton, Iowa, 
where the Gopher is very troublesome, us it is in 
many parts of the West, working under the ground, 
and destroying vegetables and seeds, and injuring 
the roots of fruit trees, gives ns the following 
remedy: — " Plaut a castor-oil bean, say on every 
square rod of ground, and I will warrant the Go¬ 
pher will not trouble you. I have tried it for the 
last two years, and have not seen a trace of their 
works where I have planted the castor-oil bean.— 
Some of my neighbors here tried the experiment 
with the same success on grounds where they have 
been very destructive before; while neighbor’s 
potatoes (uot four rods from mine,) were half des¬ 
troyed by the Gopher, where no castor beaus were 
planted. I think the Gopher does not tike Castor 
Oil 
DISTILLERY MANURE.—INFORMATION WANTED. 
Eds. Rural:— Can you, or any of your practical 
correspondents, state tho value of manure from 
distillery fed cattle or hogs as compared with or¬ 
dinary barn-yard and hog manure? Also, how 
many tuns (not loads) can he safely applied per 
acre—bearing in mind that the manure is saved 
under cover, and contains the liquid excretions 
which renders it very heavy as compared with 
bulk? Also, what will Vie the effect of plowing 
under this manure fresh for corn, potatoes and 
v getables, and what effect will it have on young 
fruit trees? Also, the best method of composting 
for future use ? 
As an apology for asking bo many questions, I 
will say, I have hauled since last fall some 500 
tuns of the above named manure, and am still 
hauling. Opinions are various in the neighbor¬ 
hood os to its utility. Some know it to be good. 
Others suppose it will render the land soHrthe/Irsf 
year and prove good the second. Others, again 
are confident it is good for little or nothing, and 
that it will spoil any land to wbich it is applied.— 
If the latter gentlemen are correct in their opin¬ 
ions, my land will be most effectually spoiled, for I 
only contemplate manuring 10 acres—a poition of 
which was manured at the rate of about 70 tuns 
per acre and plowed under last fall. 
Erie Co., N. Y., 1857. Wm. C. Prescott. 
Massachusetts State Agricultural Fair.— 
The Massachusetts Board of Agriculture at its last 
meeting unanimously decided to hold a State Fair 
iu Boston on the 20th, 22d and 23d days of October. 
The following list, of officers were appointed 1y 
the Board to take charge of and make all neces¬ 
sary arrangements for the exhibition :—President 
_Marshall P. Wilder, oJ Dorchester. Secretary 
—dairies L. Flint, of Boston. Treasurer — m. 
G. Lewis, of Framingham. Committee of Ar¬ 
rangements — Marshall P. Wilder, of Dorchester; 
Samuel Chandler, of Lexington; John Brooks, of 
Princeton; George Marston, of Barnstable; Wm. 
G. Lewis, of Framingham; Moses Newell, of West 
Newbury; Thomas J. Field, of Northfield. 
ers generally, 1 know that some of your readers 
have given considerable attention to this question, 
and I hope they will favor ns with their views and 
experience upon it. 
— It is a query with me whether it is not as well 
to apply manure green in maDy instances, in order 
that the second crop may receive a share of the 
benefit therefrom—doing better than by direct ap¬ 
plication? What think you? 
A Young Farmer. 
Niagara County, N. Y., April, 1867. 
THE WATERMELON. 
A “Young Agriculturist” in Erie Co., Penn., 
wishes to know all about the culture of Water¬ 
melon, &c. 
“ I wish to make a lew inquiries respecting the cul¬ 
ture of the watermelon—what time to plant—what 
kind of soil is best adapted to their nature —and 
what kind of manure to use? Also, where I can 
get the seed of the Orange and Strawberry water¬ 
melon.” 
The two varieties of the melon mentioned by 
our correspondent, were advertised in a late num¬ 
ber of the Rural, by 1. W. Briggs, of est Mace- 
don, N. Y. The melon likes a warm, sandy soil, 
and it is not necessary that the soil should be very 
rich. Indeed, the best melons we ever raised were 
grown on an almost barren sand hill, with a little 
manure in the hill. Well rotted barn yard manure 
Is good, and we have sometimes used a little guano 
water. Ir is of no use to pi <nt until the weather gels 
warm, here about the fifteenth of May. If you 
will make a little box with a light of glass in tlie 
The Prairie Farmer— as we intended to have 
noted long since—has been changed from the folio 
to onr favorite quarto form, (eight pages,) present¬ 
ing a neat and improved appearance. It 13 now 
conducted by Chas, D. Bkagdon, Esq., an able 
and spicy writer, (favorably known to many of onr 
readers as an occasional contributor to the Rural 
over the nonane de plume of CnARi.is Chestnut.) 
We regret to learn that Dr. Kf.nnicott, tho former 
esteemed “chief” of the Farmer corps, is preclu¬ 
ded from active duty by impaired health. The 
Farmer is published weekly at Chicago $2 per 
annum. 
REARING AND BREAKING COLTS 
Messrs. Eds.—S eeing an inquiry in the Rural 
about feeding colts grain iu the winter, I thought 
I would give some of my experience in rearing 
and breaking them. 
The first winter, take them from the mare as 
soon as it is time to put up yonr other horses—put 
a halter on them and tie them up in a comfortable 
stall, putting plenty of good clean Btraw under 
them. Be suro and keep it under their feet. Do 
not. he afraid of a little straw, as they need some¬ 
thing soft to stand on; clean their stables every 
day. Let. them run out. during the day when it is 
fair weather, as they need exercise. Lead them to 
water, as that will halter-break them. Be kind to 
them, do not strike or whip them unnecessarily.— 
Put the bridle on them occasionally. 
For feed, give what good hay they will eat up 
clean, about one quart of oats and ten or a dozen 
carrots, or some apples, potatoes or other kind of 
green food, daily. It is a good plan to wet the hay 
they eat In fact I think it is well to wet both the 
hay and grain for the work horses. 
Some persons advocate letting colts run out in 
the yard with the cattle and take their chance, 
thiuking they make hardy, tough horses, but a colt 
wintered in this way will come out in the spring 
poor and weak, worth hut little more than he was 
in the fall. 
The second winter treat in the same way as the 
first, wilh the exception of giving two quarts of oats 
instead of ono. This I consider plenty of grain, 
better feed more carrots. In the spring put the 
bitting harness on—do notdrawthem up too tight, 
at first, as it will worry them. Be sparing of the 
whip. Put on the lines and drive for a short time 
—an hour is long enough at first. After this, if 
you are careful you will have no trouble in break¬ 
ing your colts. J. t. 
Empire State, March, 1857. 
The “Red River Spring Wheat” was recom¬ 
mended six years ago, by an Iowa correspondent 
of tho Prairie Former. He now’ says that when 
sown on sod or new ground well prepared, very 
e! ,rly, it has yielded more wheat thau any variety 
he is acquainted with, except the Canada C !ub— 
and on sod ground last year, it heat the Cauada 
Club. If Bown when the ground is wet, it is moro 
apt to smut than the Canada wheat, and it sown 
late or on old land, it is more apt to rust, fall down, 
and does not fill as well as the Club, 
Gad-Fly —(Rstrus Boris of the naturalists—which 
at this period is seekinga place to deposit its eggs. 
The location generally chosen is on the back of the 
animal near to the spin'. Tlie skin is pierced, and 
in a short time a little tumor is produced which is 
the residence of the larva. In its early stage the 
larva is white, hut as it approaches maturity it be¬ 
comes darker, and at length almost black. It pre¬ 
serves this shape until the following June or July, 
at, which time it. forces itself out—seeks a hiding 
place where it stays until it assumes the chrysalis 
form, which it speedily attains, remains thus for a 
few weeks, and then comes forth a perfect (ly. The 
modes by which it is destroyed are various,—some 
pour a corrosive liquid Into tho hole, others probe 
it with a red-hot needle, others again crush or 
force out the larva liy a pressure of the finger and 
thumb. Either inode is effective, and if farmers 
would wage a war their animals would cease to be 
tormented. 
Spring Rye.— Will you or some of your nume¬ 
rous correspondents please inform ns, through 
your valuable paper the time for Bowing Spring 
Rve? bow ranch seed per acre? and where it can 
Prolific Sheep.— I. Forsyth, of Hannibal, N. 
Y., writes:—“Last spring I bad ten ewes, which 
produced nineteen lambs, and one of the ten had 
three\ That, I thought, wa« doing pretty well.— 
This spring as yet, only two of my ewes have lambs, 
one of them two, and the other four. The one 
that had three last spring has four this, and they 
are all smart. If any of the readers of the Rural 
can heat this, you will hear from me again next 
season.” 
CULTURE OF ROOT CROPS 
growing PUMPKINS 
Allow mo to say a few words in reply to youi 
correspondent in the Young lturnlist, respecting 
growing pumpkins. Tompkins are seldom culti¬ 
vated alone; the seeds are generally mixed pro¬ 
miscuously with corn when planting, and when the 
pumpkins are grown and gathered, the best, are re¬ 
served for culinary use, while the interior onesare 
given to the cattle, though, il my young friend is 
desirous of raising some excellent fruit, for pump¬ 
kin j,| es — a luxury which none but farmers can 
indulge in—I would advise him to give them pletl- 
of room; say four feet apart, and if the land is m 
good condition and the plants well cared for, they 
will bo most likely to cover all tho space allowed 
them. When the striped bug attacks them, throw 
over the vines a little fine, dry soot, though the rain 
will wash it oft', when it will be necessary to repeat 
tho process. A good way to preserve pumpkins is 
to hang them up In the cellar, by tying a ton 
around the stem, which should be left on m all 
cases, where they are to be kept.—O. A. Gould, 
Watertown, N. Y. 
Eds. Rural:—Id an early number of the Rural 
there is an article by B. F., giving his experience iu 
raising roots, and lest his bad luck should deter 
others from trying their hand at it, I thought I 
would give yon my experience and mode of culture, 
with the result in figures. 
In the spring I selected as good a piece of 
ground as I had on the farm for the purpose, in 
size about one-half of an acre. This was first 
thoroughly manured and plowed beam, deep, theu 
well harrowed ouce over. A heavy roller was 
passed over, and it looked as smooth as a floor and 
appeared in excellent order. It was again har¬ 
rowed and the carrot seed sown, in drills, three feel 
apart. Soon the yoang plants made their appear¬ 
ance, aud as soon as the second leaf was out com¬ 
menced the labor. First, tlie cultivator was run 
through twice between each row, and then the 
weeding by baudbegan. This was rather a tedious 
job; bnt it was soon finished and the nice, clean 
looking rows well paid the trouble. Other matters 
on the farm claimed my time for two weeks, aud 
tho carrots got no more attention during that 
Plant Trees and Shrubs! —Now is the time for 
this labor, about which The Homestead utters there 
sensible and advisory sentences:—“ But a few days 
more remain this Spring suitable for planting 
trees. Who will improve them In this duty? Are 
your roadsides all lined with shade trees, and Is 
every nook uml corner about your premises sup¬ 
plied with its appropriate tree, shrub or vine? Im¬ 
prove the first good day in supplying all vacancies, 
and,our word for ityou will find it labor well spent. 
A Word on Potatoes. — In May last, while 
planting potatoes, 1 had a half dozen that had been 
kept over two winters, Bound and in good order, and 
I planted them. The result was a good yield about 
the size of the second year's growth from the po¬ 
tato ball. They are now all sound and free from 
rot.—L. Lewis, Coventry, J\. Y., April, 1857. 
in.Mo'w'n'W'ii'V'i/'w'ii'ii'wmwni'V'i 1 
..... 
