. ........ 
. .>■>.’», 
AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
A Valuable Dog.— We think that even our ca- 
intu'-hat.ing friend W. R. I’.—whose “Dissertation 
on Dogs’’ appeared last week—would hardly object 
to the noble specimen ot the Shepherd breed de¬ 
scribed in the following extract from the " Memoirs 
of the Philadelphia Ag. Society.” The dog-killing 
feature would cerlainly be unobjectionable to our 
correspondent. The extract is from a letter writ¬ 
ten by P. Randut, of Delaware, in 1814, in answer 
to an inqniry relative to his Shepherd dog, “ Mon¬ 
tague,” imported from Spain: 
“The dog you inquire after is three times as 
large as the Shepherd dog described by Buffon, but 
is endowed with the same good qualities; im¬ 
mense strength, great mildnessin his usual deport¬ 
ment, ihongh ferocious towards other dogs. I can 
say without exaggeration that at least twenty dogs 
have been killed by him in my barn-yard or on my 
farm; but this good quality, like all thingR in this 
world, is attended with an evil, for I find that 
1 Montague’ has a- many enemies as I have neigh¬ 
bors. My lellow citiranB have no objection to 
their dogs destroying tny sheep, but a very great 
one to see. my dog kill their doge. Here, sir, I 
want your help, here the welfare of the conntry 
requires your eloquence, to prove that it i* ungen¬ 
erous and selfish to prefer the death of a valuable 
Merino to that of an insignificant whelp or cm — 
The natural instinct of this animal is to guard 
your sheep against wolves and dogs; no other 
training is required but to keep them constantly 
with your flock, the moment they are from the 
litter until they arc grown.” 
BUBAL NOTES PROM NEBRASKA. 
Agriculture in Nebraska — Agricultural Societies form- 
ling— Advantages and Profits of Farming in Nebraska. 
It may he a matter of some little interest to the 
farming population in the Eastern States to know 
how we of the “Far West” manage to farm,—the 
general interest manifested concerning it and the 
profits and advantages arising from it, —particu¬ 
larly that class of the Bubal’s readers who con¬ 
template immigrating towards the setting sun. 
The actual population—the bona fide settlers—of 
new countries or Territories are generally in the 
proportion of nearly ten to one tarmerB, and tbeii 
object in thus removing from the homes of their 
sires and graudsireB is to obtain homes and farms 
for themselves. Such is the case in Nebraska.— 
The soil is aa rich as the richest upon which the 
sun shincB, and the produce raised from Nebraska 
soil, during the three seasons it has been my for¬ 
tune to spend in the Territory, surpasses the care¬ 
fully cultivated farming produce of the States. 
With no further attention than simply putting 
the seed in the ground, and oftimes in the sod, 
from 60 to 7a bushels of corn, and from 140 to 180 
bushels of potatoes, can and have been raised to 
the acre. It is a common treat for one’s optics 
to see squashes raised upon Nebraska soil weigh¬ 
ing from 60 to 90 pounds. Finer and larger yields 
of melons, tomatoes, beets, turnips, and indeed all 
the garden vegetables, I never saw in any of our 
Eastern States than are raised here. For wheat, 
oats and buckwheat, the soil seems admirably 
adapted. 
ter, or infallible remedy against pom ow -• 
bad “ breed of pigs,” or a more convenient grain 
to feed, no one who has had a good mow of bright, 
well cured, green succulent stalks, ora large, well* 
filled crib of golden ears to resort to during the 
feeding months of winter and spring, I am sure 
will deny. 
Another important consideration in regard to 
this crop is, that while wheat and many other 
crops are extremely liable to many casualties, rav¬ 
ages of their enemies and failures, the corn crop 
is almost and entirely under the control aud direc¬ 
tion of the husbandman. 
Sun-Flower Seed. —We are indebted to our 
correspondent, Mr. A. B. Cookingtiam, of East 
Avon, for a half bushel of Sun-Flower seed—fur¬ 
nished for free distribution among those who wish 
to try sun-flower culture as a preventive ol the 
agne and fever, in accordance with Lieut. Maury’s 
suggestion. We shall be happy to forward pack¬ 
ages of seed to any of our subscribers who wish 
to experiment, on receipt of address and a letter 
stamp lo prepay postage. O e stamp will pay 
postage on about, three bundled seeds—and those 
who wish more will please send stamps in propor¬ 
tion. As we wish to accommodate hb many appli¬ 
cants ns convenient, we propose to send no more 
titan twelve hundred seeds to one individual. 
Who, since 1810, the 
cold season, ever heard of a failure of this crop, 
when the farmer did not fail of his duty? Corn 
is a generous and grateful grain, and will pay good 
manuring, good plowing, good cultivating and 
hoeing, with its 100 and 200 fold. There is no 
danger of ingratitude for all the labor and expense 
bestowed on this excellent grain. As a general 
rule, the more labor aud expense for manure the 
better this crop will pay. The Com Exchange 
Bank always pays the highest rate of interest on 
the farmer's surplus deposits. 
But beyond our domestic wants, that is, for mar¬ 
ket, the great question with every farmer is, "Does 
it pay?”" I answer* no, as mauy fanners raise it,— 
I answer, yes, as many others raise it. felill coin 
is not expected to hear a price in market propor¬ 
tionate to its value with other grain, since the 
great fertile West produces it so largely.— 
In more than thirty applications lor premiums 
in Massachusetts, during several years, the aver¬ 
age profits per acre were more than $51, and 
the yield was from 70, the lowest, to 130 bushels 
to the acre forthe highest. Such crops pay as well 
as “ Genesee wheal” or any other field crop. In 
the long worn, and to us much despised soil of Old 
Connecticut, the average crop is 40 bushels per 
acre, whilo with us it falls far short of that. Why 
is this so? To begin with mv own practice, I 
make all the manure I can consistent with time 
In the wiuter I draw a large quau- 
Bhked from the Best. —As this is the season 
for attention to the breeding and improvement of 
stock, we oiler a suggestive remark or two on the 
importance of breeding from the best sires. The 
farmer who patronizes scrub stallions, bulls and 
bucks, when the services of improved animals are 
obtainable, misses a figure. As a general rule 
every one should breed from the best, whatever 
may be the expense in the outset, and will gene¬ 
rally find that the exlra service fee is a good in¬ 
vestment—for it costs little more to raise to any 
given age a good animal than a bad one, while one 
may prove ten times as profitable as the other. 
The good may cost more at first, but they are gen¬ 
erally sure to prove valuable—while the cheap, 
sorub-sired animals are almost certain to begreat- 
In this State, and in- 
CORN FOR FODDER. 
At this season of the year, when almost every 
furmers’ fodder is quite gone, aud consequently 
they have to turn out their stock before there is 
sufficient feed, and so keep the feed down all sum¬ 
mer, a few remarks, together with my experi- 
for fodder, may not he inap- 
ence in sowing corn 
propriate. 
Last season I sow* 
for this purpose, on i 
out the ground aud sowed in the drills by hand, 
and then dragged the ground over, which covered 
the seed well. It was sown lour feet, apart in the 
drills—one bushel of seed was used. We hoed 
and thinned it out twice, and after the middle of 
July to the latter part of August, we gathered a 
wagon box full nearly every day, for our cows, 
which they relished well, and one of them filled a 
12 quart pail full twice a day, through the dry sea¬ 
son, while fed the corn. After using all we want¬ 
ed, which was thinned out all over the piece, we 
had three large two-horse loads of corn stalks, aud 
about 80 bushels of corn, which was mostly soft. 
The corn fed green, was well worth the trouble 
of raising the crop. Dry lodder, through the 
spring especially, should be accompanied by a 
supply of roots, which serve as a sort of dessert 
which stock appreciate, especially milch cows.— 
The man cold wurtzel is the easiest raised audpro- 
TnoaouoH-nuKD Horses.—I n answer to an in¬ 
quiry as to what is a “ thorough-bred,” the Home¬ 
stead very properly remarks:—“ If a thorough-bred 
horse is one who can trace bis pedigree unbroken 
through a line of English racers back to Arabian 
blood stock, what Tight has the owner of a horse 
that can make no such claim, to advertise Ills horse 
ns a thorough-bred? We say, none; and, mere¬ 
ly inferior and dull of sale. 
deed most sections of the country, good breeding 
animals are witbin the reach and means of most 
farmers, aud they have little or no excuse for 
patronizing inferior and common ones. Don’t be 
” penny wise and pound foolish” in this matter, 
reader friend, but go in for the improvement of 
your horses, cattle, sheep aud swine, by breeding 
from the best. __ 
The Michigan Agricultural Coli.kok was to 
have been dedicated on the 13th inst It is con¬ 
nected with a farm of 700 acres, three miles east 
of the Capital of the State—Lansing.* The tuition 
is free, and the students will be required to work 
three hours a day and be paid for their labor.— 
There are accommodations for eighty students.— 
It is the first State Ag. College established on the 
Continent. Its original endowment was $55,000, 
the proceeds of Salt. Spring Lands, originally do¬ 
nated by the General Government to the Territory 
of Michigan. The sum of $20,000 per annum for 
the next two years has been nobly appropriated 
by the vigorous and progressive Peninsular State 
to the objects of the institution. The Faculty of 
the Institution—which will lie filled at an early 
Jay—consists at present of the tollowing gentle¬ 
men:—Hon. Joseph lb Williams. President aud 
Director of the Farm. Robert D. Weeks, Professor 
of English Literature aud Farm Economy. Rev. 
L. R. Fiske, I'rofesBor of Chemistry. .1. C. Holmes, 
Professor of Horticulture. D. P. Mayliew, Pro¬ 
fessor of Natural Science. C. Tracy, Professor ol 
Mathematics. An examination of students desir¬ 
ing admission was to be had on Monday, the 11th 
inst. It is said that there were as many applicants 
as the institution would accommodate. 
- - 
Wiit is it?— From various portions of the 
States and Canada, we learn that fodder is not only 
short, but that, in many places the cattle are act¬ 
ually dying of starvation. The cause of this dearth 
is attributed to the lateness of tlie season, but we 
opine that the weather has less to answer for than gTBPUKNS 
the farmer. The inclement season set in earlier 
last fall than usual, and as a consequence, cattle 
were brought to the yard and stable sooner than 
has been customary, yet the period wa3 not hasten¬ 
ed sufficiently to dispose of the surplus which has, 
heretofore been marketed. The question arises, 
why is this so? The extreme prices which have 
been paid for most of the eeteals and for some of 
the root crops during the few past years, have call¬ 
ed the attention of the farmers from their pasture, 
hay, aud oat fields, to something that would prove out a tren 
more profitable aud 
and expense. 
tity ol’ swamp mack and dump it in the barn-yard p 
and sheds, to be incorporated with the manure ol f 
the stack and barn, to absorb the liquid part; feed E 
as mach as possible tinder sheds, anil turn all the t 
water from barns and sheds out of the yard. It ^ 
should be lurued into a large cistern for watering j 
stock. Manure should never be leached before j 
using. Draw all my manure, except what 1 require 
for my garden, shrubs, trees, Ac., on my com j- 
ground, at the rate of about 25 two horse wagon \ 
loads to the acre, either in the spring or fall; e 
spread evenly and plow under immediately with a j 
strong team, and plow that will work from 8 to 10 ] 
inches deep. I could never discover any diil'er- ( 
ence in the crop between that plowed fall or j 
spring. If the land is dry and inclined to clay, < 
(none but dry land should be planted to corn,) it j 
works easier to plow in the fall, if well cultivated 
before planting. If the laud is open and porous ] 
it is better to plow in the spring, as the spring | 
rains carry down a large portion of the best ol the ^ 
manure before being required for the crop. II , 
planted on 6od, (clover sod is excellent,) roll down, , 
harrow and cultivate, and then harrow again. Put 
my land in the finest and best of tilth before plant¬ 
ing. Always find my benefit in it, in after culture 
and much greater growth of crop. Run the rows 
both ways, from 34 to 4 feet apart, according to the 
variety of corn. Cultivate both ways thoroughly 
as soon as the rows can be followed by the horse, 
if the weather be favorable. Early cultivating and 
hoeing saves a vast amount of after labor. Work 
the grouud a often as any grass or weeds appear, 
until the corn is too large to go between with a 
horse. 
Corn is a gross and greedy feeder, and is seldom 
surfeited or injured by coarse manure, even in 
large quantity, if plowed under deep. Corn roots 
strike deep in mellow soil aud are sure to find the 
manure at auy depth that the plow will run. In 
plowing in manure deep lor com, many ol the seeds 
of grass and weeds are destroyed, and the land 
better prepared for an alter crop than in almost 
any other manner, which is not among the least of 
the many advantages of this desirable crop. If 
your land is Bpringy and wet, underdrain thor¬ 
oughly— never waste manure and labor on wet 
land. In the last volume of the Rural, I recollect 
reading an article on hoeing, which I have not 
now before me, from the pen of “ H. T. B.,” in 
which, if I recollect right, he discards the use of 
the hoe in dressing corn, and would substitute in 
its stead something to beat the “ lumps” to pieces. 
He says an old stump of a hoe answers a good 
purpose. It is no doubt true that the “universal 
Yankee nation” is a progressive people, but we 
must dissent in toto, uud protest against such an 
unnatural innovation on the old and well estab¬ 
lished method of hoeing. To make the use of 
such a tool at all tolerable—it can never be useful 
—pre-supposes the fact that all our com land is 
smooth, free from stumps and stones, that no 
“baulks” will be made in plowing, that grass will 
not grow between and through inverted sodB 
which require a sharp hoe to exterminate, that it 
will always be dry in hoeing time, and that we 
shall never have lo wait for dry weather till the 
weeds and grass get the start of the corn—that 
farmers do not often select their roughest and most 
obstinate lots for corn, for the very purpose of 
subduing them with the cultivator aud hoe for 
subsequent crops, and that our corn land is all 
“lumpy” and needs "mauling” instead of hoeing. 
If there is any one tool on the farm more than any 
other that we deem useless, utterly worthless, it is 
Should it be our fortune 
Editor of Rural:— You have had some articles 
in the Rural on the subject of drainage. Now 
father lias plenty of stone on his farm, aud wo are 
talking of making stone drains. We have round 
stones and some flat, some large and others small. 
I want to know whether it is best to dig a ditch 
and throw them in promiscuously, jost as we hap¬ 
pen to get hold of them, or is it best to sort them 
and lay them in any particular manner? Please 
let me know in our next paper the best way to 
make our drains.—A Farmer Boy, Crestline, Ohio, 
May, 1857. 
Remarks.— Stone, thrown in a ditch promiscu¬ 
ously, and then covered with an inverted turf, or 
straw, upon which the earth is thrown, will answer 
pretty well, as crevjces enough are led to carry off 
the water. Where there are plenty of flat stones, 
abetter way ia to make a drain something liko 
that shown in the engraving, as by this plan, an 
open space is left at the bottom, g, which by the 
additional drainage, furnished by the stones above, 
undies the drainage very efficient. This is a kind 
j of drain common in Scotland, and described by 
Grub Worms.— The corn crop, in several places 
in this section, was very materially injured, the 
past year, by the ravages of the grub worm. Some 
fields ihey completely devastated. They were the 
most numerous in sud grouud, but were not con¬ 
fined to it. Can you inform us of any method of 
destroying them, or of preventiog a renewal ol 
their depredationsJ. Wallace. Decatur, Van 
Buren Co,, Mich., 1857. 
Remarks.— There are many articles recommend¬ 
ed for the destruction of the Wire-Worm—snch for 
instance, as salt, soot, repeated applications of hog 
manure, Ac., Ac.,— each of which, for a time, b is 
been stamped with success, but all have at 60me 
period failed. Wo do not know of auy specific.— 
Keeping the land well cultivated will probably 
. These ten acres yielded him 1,500 finsueis oi 
fine potatoes, 1,000 of which he has sold for $2 per 
bushel—$2,000. Beat this. J- w. f. 
Fontenellv, Dodge Co., N. T , April 27, 1857. 
more profitable aud, in many instances, these have 
been given to the plow and devoted to the culture 
of wheat or potatoes. — - 
gain 
A desire for immediate 
gain has brought bay to $30 per tun, and oats are 
hardly to be obtained at any point distant from 
cities. From conversation with those, in this sec¬ 
tion, who have had the accustomed breadtli of 
WOOL GROWERS* ASSOCIATION. 
It is due to the great wool interest of Western 
New York, that. I should call attention to tbissoeiety, 
formed by enterprising wool growers to improve 
our breed of sheep. Perhaps no class or farm ani¬ 
mals baa changed so much forthe better witbiutbe 
last ten years as sheep, and yet no flock has reach¬ 
ed perfection, and there are some that haven’t start 
ed od that route. 
I well recollect the time when a man who want¬ 
ed to purchase sheep, after finding the animal, 
would put on his spectacles, pull out a lock of 
wool, bold it up to the light, then take out his 
pocket book and unroll a piece of paper, contain¬ 
ing sundry specimens from difierent flocks, and 
when the whole had been “ diligently compared 
and revised,” like old-fashioned books, he was pre¬ 
pared to purchase or Dot to purchase —the only 
question raised was, is the sheep fine enough ?— 
Sheep were sold by Batnple sent by mail, as tea or 
silk sometimes is. 
Now a man places himself fore and aft. and all 
round; he lookB at all sides, above and below, sees 
to the form, quality and circumstances —aud he 
has learned to do this to a great, extent, by com¬ 
parisons and discussions at the fairs. By means 
of “ shows,” good models have been kept before 
the people. Thus the public mind lias been edu¬ 
cated, and the qualities of a good sheep known to 
the mass of mankind. I will not say but the pub¬ 
lic taste lias become fastidious, for now a buyer 
will not look at a sheep the second t ime, unless the 
belly and legs are covered ! Education and refine¬ 
ment, work great changes; once sheep were suiter- 
ed to go as bare about the ancles, aB a French 
ital of Buckeyedom, 
, avers that he lias neon 
amused at a desperate game now being played by 
everal of our [hisJ most respectable and preteu- 
iems contemporaries in offering their papers at 
Mr. Editor: —I am a Boy —a farmers ooy .. 
glory in the fact Girls may curl their pretty lips 
and with an eye turned admiriugly to the mirror 
that reflects a bright, rosy face, with “pearly 
teeth” and “ laughing curls,” and all the whole cat¬ 
alogue of girlish charms, say:—“A boy may be a 
very good thing, but I’d much rather be a girl. — 
Very good; my remark implies no disparagement 
of (girls, by no means. I like girls. But still I 
stick to my first idea, for if there be anything 
dear to my heart, it is the consciousness that 1 am 
a free, healthy, live hoy! Now, the mere fact of 
being a youthful specimen of the masculine gen¬ 
der, don't constitute a person a real, thorough-bred 
hoy, any more than a human male of mature age 
i« necessarily ft man, in its true sense. But, 
Editor, I don’t write to you just to let you know 
that, I am a wide-awake boy, but my intention is, 
primarily, to say that I am much Interested in the 
column devoted to young rustics. I want to sec it 
more encouraged. I want to have my compeers 
use their quills for its benefit, and make it inter- 
eating and useful. Cherish a love for the farm and 
Its pursuits, boyB, and if you live, your minds will 
bo Improved and your hearts strengthened for 
usefulness, and you will ever feel glad that in the 
best Agricultural paper in America a column has 
been established entirely devoted to the improve¬ 
ment and advantage of us boys. If, in your est - 
motion, Mr. Editor, / can do anything to add in¬ 
terest to the column, I will occasionally, in ri, y 
feeble way, contribute—at all events let the column 
llORACK. 
half price.” He thinks, from the experience of 
bis predecessor in hard canvassing, that what haB 
thus amused him will prove ruinous, and philun- 
thropically hopes “these gentlemen will seethe 
folly of their desperation before they are mined by 
the success they are courting, and turn back to a 
safe and legitimate business.” Now, albeit we don't 
suppose tlie kind-hearted Colonel is firing at us at 
all, (but aiming at a mark nearer home,) we can't 
help thinking the impoudiug ruin of bis conten - 
porarles a singular subject for amusement— unless, 
indeed, he expects to be benefited thereby. We 
certainly thought better of the gallant commander 
of the fast " Fairy Light Guards.” tnnoceut young 
folk, who don’t know better than to "play a despe¬ 
rate game,” instead of doing “a safe and legiti¬ 
mate business,” are. entitled to the kind advice and 
sympathies of the wise and experienced, anil we 
are suprised (bat our astute and knightly friend 
should make them subjects ol pleasantry. It 
seems, however, that bis predecessor waa some- 
what desvrrate niiii verdant—and wo it iau t 
many weeks since the Colonel himself rode a horse 
of similar color to that which ho now condemns, 
for it strikes us very forcibly that be recently ad¬ 
vertised certain printed wares at a ruinous dis¬ 
count from the established rates of “ a sale and 
legitim ate business.” Be consistent, good friend, 
ami dou’t allow your voice to reverberate ere you 
emerge from the forest! 
_Meantime, instead of furnishing specimens 
free, we prefer to seud the numbers of the Rural 
for the present quarter, April to July, at half price, 
on trial—an heretofore offered. This offer is lim¬ 
ited to the quarter, however, as we do not m any 
instance, book regular subscribers utless than pub¬ 
lished rates. 
Tar-Water for Sked Corn. —Will any of your 
correspondents tell us whether soaking seed corn j 
in tar water before planting will prevent the birds 
from pulliDg it np. Information respecting auy 
other sure preventive will be thankfully received. 
—D. A, Waterloo, N. Y., 1867. 
The Complete Farmer and Hardener sayfl that 
soaking the Beed twelve to twenty hoars in hot 
water, in which is dissolved a few ounces of crude 
Baltpetre, aud then coating with tar, (half a pint 
dissolved in a quart of water to every eight quarts 
of seed,) and the 
an “ old stump of a hoe, 
to own a “lumpy” farm we would underdrain 
thoroughly if too wet; if clayey, manure highly 
with a compost, of barn-yard manure, muck, refuse 
vegetables and vegetable mold, leached ashes, 
lime, Ac.; then, if it still needed “mauling,” we 
would use a crusher or stock with grass, and plant 
our corn on a more genial soil. Givens a hoc,for 
all kinds of hoeing, of the best tempered steel, a 
real Damascus blade, new, Hbarp and bright, and 
we will guarantee that we will hoe our row to the 
satisfaction of our fastidious friend “ II. T. B.” 
Gates, N.Y., 1857. C, B. C. 
i corn, alter being uiorougmy 
stirred, taken out aud rolled in plaster, is a pro 
tection which the experience of many years war 
rants in recommending. 
I should like to inquire ol 
Affles for 8tock, 
H. T. B., if he thinks that apples are enough bet¬ 
ter cooked, for cows or other cattle, over those fed 
raw, to pay the trouble and expense ol cooking, 
provided that the same quantity of meal is fed iu 
each case? I think they will not pay the expense, 
but have not tried the experiment I think ap¬ 
ples ub TulualilB food for milch cows or calves, as 
roots; then why so many are allowed to go to 
uniata in n nlontifnl season is a question I cannot 
Number of Cattle in Massachusetts. —Mr. 
Flint, Secretary of the Mass. Board of Agricul¬ 
ture, gives the number of horses 80,321 ; oxen and 
steers, 77,511; cows and heifers, 183,010. Aggre¬ 
gate value, $15,423,524; and the annual product of 
hay, 648,610 tuns, valued at $8,702,917. 
i’l&’WUi 
