AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN 
HINTS ON CORN CULTURE, ETC. 
In your paper of the If>th inst., you have an ar¬ 
ticle on "Corn Culture’’ from C. B. C., which con¬ 
tained many good suggestions, though there might 
be something which might, not perhaps meet with 
universal assent. In the first place, T consider that 
usually our corn raising costs ub too ranch hand 
labor. There is no reason to question the fact that 
on soils tolerably friable and free from stone corn 
planters can be iiBed, and in this way a great 
saving made. I have used ft hand machine the 
past two seasons with good success, (I shan't tel! 
you what one for T am not jast, now engaged in the 
process of sharpening a certain useful implement,) 
l and with which a man can easily plant live acres 
may think this looks boyish, but try it. 1 have 
filled up ditches this way, and am satisfied that 
two men will do more thus than three in any other 
with hoes and shovels, and do it easier. Any one 
can see that a common shovel or spade is general¬ 
ly used at a great disadvantage, the power being 
applied to the short end of the lever. a. 
Gorham, N- Y., May, 1857. 
LETTER PROM A CANADA FARMER. 
fails to do so. There is a vast amount oi huh 
lost in idle ceremonies about hills of corn sue i 
as scraping away the earth and putting it back 
again, making little Pyramids, (sometimes called 
"hilling,’’) accompanied with aB many mampu a- 
tions as a mesmerizer would use upon the most 
obstinate subject. ... 
What I mean to advocate, in snort, is this. 
First, —A thorough and complete pulverization of 
soil (I take it for granted that the ground has 
been plowed deep and thoroughly, and the grass, 
if any, buried out of sight) Second, —Good 
sense, and the spirit of the age, requires ns to ac¬ 
complish this, as far as possible, hy 
— a cultivator drawn hy a horse. Third, 
earth is to bestirred often enough to prevent the 
held at Penn Yan last week, (20th, 2lst and 22d 
inst,) as previously announced. The unfavorable 
weather before and on the first day, undoubtedly 
prevented many from attending, and induced not 
a few who intended to exhibit to leave their sheep 
at home. The exhibition, however, though not 
large, was very superior in the quality of the stook 
shown. The universal testimony of competent 
judges with whom we conversed was that they 
never before saw so uniformly good a collection of 
sheep, and that there was not a poor animal on the 
grounds. The show of fine-wooled sheep wub 
especially noteworthy, ami we regret that lack of 
space prevents us Irom giving more than a gene- 
The Weather i,s at last warm, balmy and sea¬ 
sonable, and farmers are not only appreciating it 
mentally, but. performing long delayed and impor¬ 
tant labors with great alacrity. 1 ndeed, the weath¬ 
er has been extremely fine for several days, and 
so warm withal (the Thermometer verging towards 
the nineties,) that, vegetation has progressed rap¬ 
idly. Notwithstanding the cold, backward spring 
—or rather the omission of Bpring weather, and 
this sudden change from Winter to Summer we 
may yet hope for a good and prolific, season. Such 
at least are the present indications. Fruit is all 
safe. Peaches and pears are blossoming very 
and thus far promise abun- 
profusely hereabouts, 
dant crops. 
The Triai. of Reapers, Mowers, &c., by the U. 
S. Ag. Society, is to take place in Syracuse, N. Y., 
in July ensuing. A pamphlet just received from 
Mr. President Wii.deu announces that, the Society 
will secure the presenoe uf the moat competent 
Jndges; "and, having also engaged as Superinten¬ 
dent. Mr. J. E. Holmes of Newark, Ohio, a practi 
cal mechanic, experienced in conducting Imple¬ 
ment Trials, and versed in the science of Mechan¬ 
ics, we arc enabled to afford every possible facility 
for bringing ont the qualities of each machine or 
implement under examination.” The precise time 
of the trial is notyet designated, hut will vary from 
taking them in the order seen and noted in our 
memorandum book on ground—were as follows: 
J. B. Harwood of Rupert, Vt», and J. T. Stickney 
and G. Cutting of Shot-chain, Vt, represented the 
wool growers of the Green Mountain State hy pic- 
sonting superior specimens. J. C. Taft and E. F. 
Leach of West Bloomfield, exhibited some fine 
animals, and the only ones we noticed from Onta¬ 
rio county. Yates was well represented by J. 
Rai-ai.kk of Barrington, Milks G. Rai alek of 
Milo, and P. Gardner of Potter. Steuben did still 
better, however—A.Y. Baker and 0. D. Cbamplin 
of Pleasant Valley, and Daniel Gray, C. N. Ack¬ 
erman, Julius Sticknky and 0. F. Marshall of 
Wheeler, making a fine display. In addition to 
tho above, were several lota of good sheep, in pens 
which were not labeled, and we did not ascertain 
names of exhibitors. 
The Leicesters were the only mutton sheep ex¬ 
hibited. Mr. Geo. Miller, a noted breeder of 
Markham, C. W„ made a good show in this class- 
exhibiting three hacks and five ewes, all superior 
and giving evidence of good breeding. P. S. 
I kck of Benton, YateB Co., exhibited a line buck 
and two pens of ewes, which attracted attention. 
The attendance at the Show, though not large, 
orna vprv jjood. and comprised many of the moBt 
like a pick-axe, a orow-bar, or an "oiu uuu, - 
when an old hoe is strong and shortened an inch or 
two on the edge, hut pretty wide, you can turn it 
on one side and pummel away to pretty good ad¬ 
vantage; yon will Btrike harder and deeper for 
you dont care very much whether you break it 
or not. . ., . , 
If a man wants to subdue a piece of land, he 
may put on it what he thinks best—bnt if he don’t 
want to get cheated out of a crop of corn he had 
better select deep, rich, dry soil, plow it well, har¬ 
row fine — it should not be lumpy or very stony 
land—and then agitate, agitate, agitate l In this 
way I got, summer before last, 800 bushels ears 
of sound com off from four acres of land. 
Several of these suggestions I have made be¬ 
fore, bnt all that one of my friends can recollect 
of them, is the " old hoe,” and even that he don’t 
treat with the deoorum which so venerable an in¬ 
strument would seem entitled to. u- t. b. 
P. S. When yon go into a corn field, don’t for¬ 
get that your business there is to stir the ground 
and loosen it as deep as you can without injury to 
the roots. Pat that on a board and stick it up in 
the field where the boys can see it. b. 
that the dose be in proportion to the size of the 
animal—for an ox more, a cow less, &c. A portion 
larger than above described, is almost sure to poi¬ 
son, whioh will be shown hy slabber from the 
month, when lard should be administered. 
When I commenced business I was poor. My 
flock of sheep was five ewes and one wether. — 
Soon one of the ewes died, bnt so great was the 
imireaRfi that in three vearB I had thirty-five. Mv 
of meeting Hon. A. B. Dickinson and Wm. B. 
Pratt, Esq., of Steuben, John Johnston, Esq., of 
Seneca, Messrs. Bradley, Dickinson, and others 
of Ontario, Major Brooks of Wyoming (one of the 
many " good looking ” gentlemen who did not 
heed the advice of n. T. B., in a late Rural rela¬ 
tive to taking sheep to the show!) Hector Hitch¬ 
cock, Esq., of Livingston, and many other influen¬ 
tial friends of improvement, in addition to officers 
of the Association, exhibitors, &c. As we were 
only present on the second day, we did not hear 
the address by Hon. A. B. Dickinson, attend the 
election of officers, or witness the Sheep Shearing. 
However, by the politeness of Judge Denniston, 
the President, we have been favored with a list of 
the awards of Premiums, and officers elected for 
ensuing year, which we subjoin: 
PREMIUMS AWARDED. 
Fish Wooled Shksiv—S ort fi ne wooled buck of a ay age, 
J. B. Harwood, Vermont, $50 J 2d, 0. F. Marshall, Steuben 
Co, $ JO : 3d, G. Catting, Vermont, $30 ; 4th. P. Gardner. 
Yates, $20. Best 5 eweg of any sgtS A- V, Halier, Steuben, 
$40 ; 201, G. Catting, Vermont, $30 i 3d, Julius Stickney, 
Vermont, $20; 4tb, D. T. Gibbs, Vermont, $10. Best buck 
3 years old and upwards, 0. Shepard, Steuben, $20 : 2d, 
Daniel Gray, Steuben, $16; 3d,Cbaa. 0 Cbamplin, Steuben, 
$10. Bcgt buck 2 years old, Julius Stickney, Vermout, $20; 
2d, W. T. Reiner, Yates, $16; 3d, Joshua Rapalee, Yates,$10 
Best buck one year old, G. Cutting, Vermont, $.0 , 2d, A. 
Y. Baker, Steuben, $15 ; 3d, J. Stickney, Vermont, 1 10 — 
Best 6 ewes 2 years old, 0. Shepard, Steuben, $20 ; 2 d, G. 
Cutting, Vermont, $15 ; 3d, D. T- Gibbs, Vermont, $10.- 
Bast 6 ewes one year old, J. C. Tait, Ontario, $20 ; 2d, C 
L). Cbamplin, Steuben, $16 ; 3d, C. N. Ackereon, Steuben 
$10. Best 5 flue wooled ewes, with lambs, O. Shepnrd 
Steuben, $20. 
Lono WOOLED SnxKi-.—Best buok of any age, George 
Miller, Canada West. $20 ; 2d, do. do, $15 ; 3d, 0. S.Peck, 
Yatea, $10. Beat 6 eweg of any age, George Miller, Canada 
West, $20; 2d, D. 8. Peck, Yatea, $15; 3d, J.H.Lapbam, 
Yates, $10. Beat buck of any age, first premium, George 
Miller, Markham, Canada West. 
The Sheep Shearing, on the last day of the Ex¬ 
hibition, resulted as follows: 
Julius Stickney, 2 year old buck—Fleece U lbs.; carcass 82 lbs- 
J O. Taft. 1 ;; «• :: \i .. . g 
l } .. •• m 
„ „ i .. " 77* 
„ „ 3 “ buck " 18 " 118 
43* 
13^* 
luck turned, for in one month ten died of rot. I 
then poured on a board about a pint of tar, cover¬ 
ing it with about two or three ounces of sulphur, 
and on that about a quart of salt, to be licked np 
by thirty sheep. This dose I gave three mornings. 
Since then I never lose any sheep with distemper, 
always giving a dose or two every spring. 
Marsh ville, C. W, April 30,1857. L. Misknrk. 
Remarks.— The Rural has a large number of 
subscribers in Canada, many of whom ought to he 
numbered among its correspondents. We shall he 
glad to hear from our trans-Ontario (Erie and 8t. 
Lawrence) friends, and trust they will heed Mr. 
Misener’8 hint, and follow his example. 
Pare the foot pretty close; thin the sole in front 
of the bars, but cut no more off the bars than that 
the shoe may not press upon them; fit the shoe to 
the shape of the foot, making it come fairly under 
the heel of the hoof and as wide as yon can have 
it aud get the nails in. Do rot open the heels—at 
any rate cut nothing from /• te frog, whether rag¬ 
ged or not; if you choose you may take a very 
little from the heel of the hoof where it comes in 
contact with the frog, but the practice is question¬ 
able. I think the bars and the frog are intended 
to keep the heels apart; therefore, save all the 
strength you can in the former and do not dis¬ 
qualify the latter from accomplishing its object by 
cutting it away so that it cannot come in contact 
with the heels. Now cultivate the growth of the 
frog hy applying dally either soap and tar boiled 
together, or Boft soap, or urine, which I think best 
of all. Take np the foot, clean it out carefully, 
and make your application to the sole of the fool, 
the frog and the heel. Standing in mud of blue 
clay for a few hours every day is excellent 
N iagara Co., N. Y., 1857. X. Y. Z. 
practices as he preaches. 1 have traveled much 
in Western New York, and have noticed particu¬ 
larly the general (not universal) bad management, 
of the roads, and 1 have often wondered that there 
was not more said on the subject in the agricul¬ 
tural papers. It is my opinion that one dollar, 
well laid out, would be worth more than eight 
days’ work as they are generally performed 
on our roads. There are, however, some excep- 
tions—where the work is well done, and the roads 
yearly improved. I think it would be a great im¬ 
provement if our highway tax were collected in 
money, and competent persons, (say four in a 
town,) elected or appointed for three or four years, 
with a salary, to take care of the roads. The fact 
is, that the making and repairing of roads to ad¬ 
vantage requires more science than most persons 
are aware of. 
Now, what is the process by which our roads 
are generally repaired? Why, to plow np the sods 
at the sides, and scrape them into the middle.— 
And what is the effect? Just the effect that put¬ 
ting yeast into dongh has —make it light and 
spongy. You may laugh, but the effect is precise¬ 
ly the same—only the sods are less plastic than 
the dongh, and as a consequence the road is some 
less spongy than bread, but the fermentation and 
evolving of carbonic acid gas when yeast is ap¬ 
plied to the dough is the same as when sodB are 
turned up aud their vitality destroyed. Every 
farmer knows that plowing np the sod makes the 
land very light and spongy. This will always be 
the case, unless the sods are buried so deep that 
the air cannot reach them. The best and rnoBt 
permanent roads are made with a gravel surface, 
with a clay or loam subsoil, and so long as they 
are kept smooth and sufficiently rounded to keep 
the water from running in them, they need very 
little other repairs. Occasional hollows will 
come, which should be immediately filled up.— 
Mr. Moore :—I was much pleased with "H. T. 
B.’s ” article on Roads, Ac., in a late Rural ; bnt 
I fear his suggestions about Bide walks for the ac¬ 
commodation of "foot passengers,” will prove im¬ 
practicable in some districts, on account of the 
rooting propensities of the droves of bogs that are 
allowed to run in the streets. Some farmers are 
in the habit of making a hog pasture of the road, 
turning ont early in the spring large numbers of 
all ages, sexes and conditions, with the intention, 
I should suppose, by the way they go at it, to “ root 
hog or die.” When the country was new, and a 
great deal of land lying open in common, this 
practice was not so intolerable, but in the older 
portions of our country, where the land is all en¬ 
closed, it has become a nuisance that all good cit¬ 
izens should frown upon. 
In some places it is impossible to set out a tree 
in the road and have It keep its place unless it is 
fenced, being either rooted out by the roots, or 
thrown ont of position by hogs Tabbing against it 
I drew the attention of a fellow, (l 
To Kekf Cohn from Crows:—I n the Rural Of 
May 16, D. A., wishes to know how to prevent 
birds pulling np corn. We have used for three 
years, coal, or gas tar, with first rate success, in 
the following manner:—Pour hot water on the 
corn sufficient to warm it so that the tar will spread 
easily. We then fill an old keg, or kettle, about 
one-third full, and turn on a small quantity of tar, 
and stir the corn till well coated. Put in dry ashes, 
or plaster, and Btir so as to coat with that, and 
you are ready for planting. The tar smells disa¬ 
greeable, and will black your bandB some, but 
never mind; in our opinion it is the thing, to pre¬ 
vent the birds troubling the corn. We have had 
very few hills pulled since we have used it, while 
our neighbors have sometimes had one-quarter or 
E. M. Covell, Morgan p 
i - - iix 
Julius Stickney. 1 “ owe ,, 
J. B, Harwood, 3 11 buck " 22 
Julius Stickney. 1 “ * ,, !.. 
A. Y. Baker, 3 •• ‘ 
Wm-T. Remor, 2 *• Jr., 4 
G. Catting, l “ ' „ 
0. SUepara, 1 “ ‘ a 
board of officers elected 
President —Hon. A. B. Dickinson, Steuben c oun y"~ 
Viee Presidents— Silas Hillman, of IJvlngaton Co.; w. 
Stewart Judd, Yates ; H A. PendergM* GUautsuaue A. 
Y. Baker, Steuben ; Elisha M. Bradley, Outaiio ; Char es 
H. Walker, Wyoming ; D. 0. T. Moore, Monroe ; GUarloJ 
Morrell, Tompkins; William Wilson, AUen» n y ‘ B> 
Brown, Cayuga ; L. F. Allan, Kri*J Oh*at« ’ 
Genesee; Hlnup McCollum, Niagara; Walter A. New hew, 
Wayne ; Reed Burnt* Schuyler ; John Johnston,Seneca- 
Corresponding Secretaries — C. D. Champliu, Steuben, 
Wm. D DickinsOD, E. F. Leach, Tbos. R. Peck, Ontario, 
wm. D. Purring, Wayne; G. Granger, Ontario. Record¬ 
ing Secretary —H. T. Brooke, Pearl Creek, Wyoming Co. 
Treasurer —William T. Remer, Yates Co. 
Not long since 
will not call him a man) to a deep hole his hogs 
had rooted nearly in front of my street gate, and 
told him It would be better to ring them, if pas¬ 
ture was his object in letting them rim in the road. 
He said bethought I ought to ring them for him if 
I did not want them to root op the street. That is 
what might he called “ adding result to injury.” I 
would have wrung his nose for him, quickly, il it 
would have wrung common sense and decency into 
his worse than heathen mind. 
Many of the persons who are guilty of the exe¬ 
crable practice in question are very much interest¬ 
ed in the education of the heathen in far and dis¬ 
tant lands, which is all very well, and I rejoice at 
it; but it appears to me that a good, faithful mis¬ 
sionary would find ample Bcope for hia labors in 
trying to enlighten their dark and benighted con¬ 
sciences. I bope « H. T. B.” will give them a lec¬ 
ture in his inimitable Btyle that will cause them to 
and reform, and that speedily- l. f. c. 
more, “ come up missing. 
Ashtabula Co., O. 
times yield to me simpm remeuj - 
warm suds, aud greasing with fried pork fat; hut 
more inveterate cases require harsher medicines. 
A case recently under notice, resisted every appli¬ 
cation, until, observing a prescription of copperas 
dissolved in good ruin, a solution of copperas in 
vinegar was tried, and with immediate good effect- 
It is said that this will kill the worst scratches, and 
a few applications of lard will heal the sore. Keep 
their feet and legs clean and dry, 09 far as possible 
will Beldom be afflicted with scratches. 
the ditches more or less filled up. The process of 
repairing, then, should depend much on the mate¬ 
rial of the road, and the material at command.— 
If the bed of the road be clay, clear out the 
ditcheB, but throw the sods towards the fences, 
then draw on gravel, if practicable, especially if 
it has been graveled before, but at all events do 
not break up the bed or put on sods. If the subsoil 
and surface soil is gravel or coarse loam, com¬ 
mence just outside of the ruts and plow, turning 
the furrows toward the center, and let men emjngb 
follow with hoes to pull each furrow into the ' 
center before another is plowed. Continue this 
course till the roads and ditches are the right 
shape. Perhaps it will he necessary to plow twice; 
if so, commence the second time farther from the 
center, bat on no account take the outBide and 
put it in the middle —that is just the way your 
wife does when she kneads her dough to make it 
light 
Undkkdhaining Muck Swamts. Having no¬ 
ticed an inquiry in regard to underdraining muck 
swamps in a late Rural, and having had consid¬ 
erable experience in such operations, I feel dis¬ 
posed to give our friend L. S. F. the benefit there¬ 
of. First I dig my drains, in the shallowest place, 
three feet deep if possible. Then I put down 
boards, oak or hemlock, and lay my tile on them. 
It Is a general rule with some to put on straw be¬ 
fore filling in the earth, hat I consider it of no 
particular benefit, having tried both ways and find 
that it is labor thrown away. After filling the 
drain I have no more trouble with ik attending to 
repent 
Seneca Falls, N. Y-, May 20,1857 
and horses 
Purging in Calves.—A tablespoonful each, of 
pulverized white chalk and of ginger, put into the 
milk fed the calf, will cure this disease. Stir the 
milk well while the calf driuks, to keep the chalk 
from settling to the bottom of the pail or trough. 
If, however, tho calf is comfortably kept and fed 
regularly, and without violent changes in its food, 
thorp wilt seldom be occasion for doctoring ol 
UNDEEGBOUND DRAINS. 
Eds. Rural: —I wish to make a few remarks in 
answer to L. B. Ford’s questions on underground 
drains. I have bad considerable experience in 
draining, and find that brush drains, in wet, mucky 
land, soon choke np and become worthless. 1 
would advise a good sized tile drain, laid on hoards 
or thick slabs; and it would be better to place the 
ends and middle on brick or pieces of wood to 
There are many other suggestions I might make, lceep t ] iem fy om sinking. There ought to be ^ ^ 
and reasons 1 might give, but concluding I have B t r aiglit stakes placed lengthwise at each side of 
said enough to Bet some to thinking who are not tliu t ji e , to keep them in their places, and eight or I 1 
apt to think, I will, for the present, dismiss the ten inches of brush well packed down on top of I ||Q 0 I' 
subject. One word more, though, while I think t ] ie tile—the whole being covered with sods or reft ^ Vl 
of it. This drawing up the earth with a boe may B ^ raw V> keep the earth from going through. pure las 
look like small business to many, and it may be if the land is very soft and wet it would be bet- * ^ re > 
best, if the road is mach dishing, to use aBcraper, ter to leave the drains open for a year or two, a CU1 0 
but, as a general rale, you will do it much better, spreading what is taken out of them over the en ftr 
nioer and cheaper by hand. There is, however, a field. I have seen excellent drains made in still a ' 
better plan than the above if yon will but try it. Take soils, with straight sticks placed lengthwise to the 10 rCH 
a common shovel ana tie a rope or strap around depth of 8 or 10 inches, and covered with brush. 01 H< ’’ 11 
the handle close to the blade, and let one pull upon Such drains are made wedge-shaped. J. c. ^ swe ' 
the rope while another holds the handle. Yon Troy, N. Y.,1867. 
Correction.— Tn the last nurnuer oi uw 
is a notice of Home sales and purchases of Short¬ 
horns made by me. Allow me to correct the pedi¬ 
gree of “Camilla,” the dam of my heifer "Gover¬ 
ness.” She was sired by " Fusilier,” (11,490,) and 
not by “Daybreak” (11,338) as stated. " Daybreak” 
is the sire of her father. " Fusilier” (11,499) ’•« a 
son of Mr. B. Thornk’s "Grand Duke” (10284) for 
which he paid in England 1,000 guineas (So,000.)- 
0. lv. Ward, Le Roy, May 22,1857. 
■' » ♦ * ~ 
Mr. E. Smith, who recently purchased " Duke ’ 
/j I'm \f k lu Clinton, Mien., in* 
iW 1 
... 
