AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Salk of Devon Stock.— An intelligent friend 
who was present gives ns (he result of Mr. S. C. 
Wainwrigtit’b auction sale of North Devon Cat¬ 
tle, on the 17th inst. The weather being unfavora¬ 
ble the stock had to be kept under cover, and was 
sold in the barn. The attendance was not large, 
and the buyers from various quarters needed the 
stimulus ot a crowd. The stock was in beautiful 
condition—not too fat, but in good order—and at¬ 
tracted the unanimous praise of those present— 
After the company had fortified the “ inner man ” 
by partaking of the refreshments liberally furnish¬ 
ed, Col. Miller opened the sale, which resulted 
as follows: 
Nonpareil, calved in 1843, was purchased bj Jas. Hil¬ 
ton, of Now Scotland, $126. Mo$s*Ito*e. edvod m 1848, 
and Volga, calved In 1863, were nl»o bousht by Mr. Hil¬ 
ton, at $110 and $125, respectively. Zelia, calved in 1854, 
was bought by K. Griwik, of Clinton DuUheafi Co., for 
$140; and Sacu*o, calved in 1864, at $135. Yuba, calved 
in 1854, was bought by E Cornell, of i'haca, N. Y., for 
=1011. Minnesota, calved in 1855, jVma, calved iu 1856, 
and Wiegcla, oalveO in ISnfi, w< v hough’ by M. Yassak, 
of Poughkeepsie, at $155, $136, sod $140. Dora, 
calved in I860, was bought by J. W. Hamlin, ol ’.Villlok, 
Erie Co., N. Y., nt $140. Mr. IIami in also bought Poiccna, 
calved in 1856, Tor $145. This oomph ted the cows and 
heifers. The bulls were heads.! by May-hoy, c-lved in 
1850, wbn was purchased by 3, HOWARD, of Boston, at 
$300. Ilobemolt, calved in 1855, w« bought by M. J. 
Pat SON, of North Carolina, for $116. (4 great bargain.) 
Mr- Pay SON also bought Taminend, calvvd in 1856, and 
Kennebec, cilvcd in April last, at $100 each Kicasiud, 
calved in 1856, was bought by M, Nassau, of IVkeepsie, 
at $105. Chibiabos, calred in 1S6C, was bought by L. G. 
Morris, for John Went wort it, of Chicago, at $185.— 
Arkansas, Potomac and Naugatuck were not sold. 
to an imported Cotswold buck, and the rest to a 
full blood Cotswold, directly descended Iroin im¬ 
ported stock. Every one of these crosses or 
breeds is now perceptible in the tiook, blended, but 
yet manifest in the. character and habits as well as 
in the carcass and in the fleece, but in most of the 
older sheep some particular cross predominates in 
each individual as yet, which ia naturally to be 
expected from the recentness ot the improvement. 
In order to obliterate these decrepancies, and to 
produce more uniformity in the Uocli, the grown 
ewes were all bred in the fall ol 1853 to live select 
bucks, of my own breeding. The progeny, now 
two years old this spring, shows reasonable ac¬ 
complishment of the object, though there is still 
some variation in their carcasses and fleeces, and 
some still show the motley faces of the Southdown, 
while the faces of othere are pure white. 
“In the tall of 1855, in order to carry out the 
same design. I bred chiefly to a composition buck, 
whose pedigree shows Cotswold, Oxfordshire, fees- 
water and Southdown stock. He was a highly 
formed and finely finished sheep, of large size, and 
thick fleece of medium length and fineness of 
fiber, and hie lambs give promise of great beauty 
and value. Of these crosses the present flock of 
‘Improved Kentucky Ewes, ! about ninety-six in 
number, is composed.” 
Adaptation to Climate and Subsistence,—In ref- 
the peculiar adaptation to climate and 
the West and South of this breed of 
Gratis Notice of a Local Comet.— A certain 
monthly, named after a region in which (tho’ once 
largely circulated,) it is scarcely known at the 
present day—albeit still taken by a few Rip Van 
Winkles who have notcntirely eschewe 1 powerful 
opiates— being like Death in more ways than one, 
bntparticularly in loving “a shining mark,” has 
made sundry mendacious attacks at the Rural 
NeW-Yowckr, none of which we have noticed, not 
feeling called upon to advertise the concern gratis, 
as was the evident, object sought. Indeed, the 
ludicrous shrieks which the attache ot the creak¬ 
ing Blow coach made, first excited our mirth, and 
thus putting us into excellent humor, our sympa¬ 
thy and benevolence were enlisted and we permit¬ 
ted the braying to proceed without molestation- 
concluding that however Iond the uproar, nobody 
would be harmed. In the last issue, however, such 
a high bid is made for a little notoriety that we 
have not the heart to refuse—especially as we al¬ 
ways pay, in some 
•especially as we al- 
—— - j- -. shape, for advertising the Ru¬ 
ral, small as may be the circulation obtained— 
and hence feel constrained to gratify one whose 
erratic Btupidity verifies the truthfulness of the 
adage that “ fools rush in where angels dare not 
tread.” The complaint made is that the Rural 
lias used engravings in which the slow monthly 
claims somo kind of interest, aud a list of fourteen 
illustrations is given. Now, the simple bnt stub¬ 
born facts are, that of the fourteen engravings 
named, twelve were got up by the conductor of the 
Horticultural Department of this Journal, and 
mostly from original drawings taken from plants 
grown by himself, and from seed of his own impor¬ 
tation! These engravings being valuable, and the 
best of their class ever takeD, at least in this 
country, the editor of the Rural purchased most 
of them years ago. Indeed, at the time some of 
them were made, this new-fledged yearling pub¬ 
lisher of “the pioneer monthly” was, we believe, 
going on errands, weighing manure, aud doing 
other chores for Mr. Lawes, in England—had not 
yet come to this country to talk wisely about agri¬ 
cultural chemistry, play the snob, and carp at 
everybody who waa his superior in sense aud 
merit, or possessed scientific and practical knowl¬ 
edge of American Husbandry. We like to see 
people make efforts to rise in the world. It is cer¬ 
tainly a praiseworthy ambition, provided laudable 
means are used, aud therefore we are ever dis¬ 
posed to encourage enterprising emigrants from 
the “old sod,” who, discarding the hoe and the 
spade they have wielded so dexterously, set up in 
this land of liberty and progress for landscape 
gardeners, and the like. A little of the same sort 
in the chemistry line is perhaps well enough. Still 
we may be allowed to suggest to this young aspi¬ 
rant that a little common sense aud common hon¬ 
esty would not retard his upward flight—and that 
stupid and mendacious attacks will not annihilate 
all the widely circulated and influential journals 
which happen to occupy the Hold upon which his 
filibustering eye has been placed. It won’t do to 
liken yourself to the real comet by becoming an 
enormous tale-bearer —though, as in the instance 
just noticed, the tale is composed of gaseous, 
transparent and subterfugeous matter. Yon can’t 
disturb the Rural, at least, in your limited orbit— 
vide former attempts to injure it, which have been 
about as successful as were the predicted efforts of 
the other tale bearing erratic in knocking this 
mundane sphere into nonentity! No objection to 
your trying again, but “’taint no use” until the 
genuine comet makes a successful strike. 
erence to 
subsistence at 
sheep, Mr. Scott states they “have always faced 
the bleakest winters, and the hottest, wettest, and 
driest summers without any protection whatever 
but what, nature has given, and yet they have been 
almost entirely free from all disease, especially 
from the coughs which often in winter affect sheep 
of the fine wool breeds, and they have been equal¬ 
ly free from the snuffles and foot-rot, which have 
been so fatal to the long-wool breeds, in such wet 
summers as in 1855 in Kentucky. Clothed to the 
knees and to the ears in a thick, long and impen¬ 
etrable fleece, they bid defiance to rain, wind and 
snow, and seem at all times to be comfortable 
and sprightly. In summer they are allowed to 
roam from pasture to pasture, and they devour 
almost every green weed but mullein and polk.— 
In winter short grass is all which they require, and 
if that cannot be afforded to them, they will take 
their corn fodder with the cattle, and do well on 
it; though at yeaning time, like other sheep, they 
require more succulent diet The breeding ewes 
have never been fed with grain at any time; and 
when, during deep snows, they have been admitted 
to a hay stack, they have eaten ol it but little.” 
Ihrifly and Prolific Character .—As regards de¬ 
sirableness in this respect, Mr. 8. says:—“ So great 
is their tendency to take on flesh aud fat, that 
ewes which lose their lambs not nnfrequoutly be¬ 
come too fat on grass only to breed, and in more 
than one instance I have seen full three inches 
deep of fat on the ribs after being dressed format- 
ton, though fed on grass only. Notwithstanding 
the accidents to which they are snbjeot, in the ab¬ 
sence of a regular attendant or shepherd, and in 
despite of the rigors of March, without a shelter, 
I have often (when the flock was smaller) raised 
one-third more lambs than there were ewes, aud 
have rarely if ever failed to raise as many.” 
Size and Quality of Mutton .—In June, 1852, Mr. 
S. weighed a number taken from grass, withont 
extra feeding or care of any kind, the result of 
which was as follows:—“A yearling buok, 1C2 
pounds; a grown ewe, 146 pounds; a two-year old 
weather, 172 pounds; a three-year old weather, 196 
ponnds. The following are the weights of some 
taken August, 1856:—A yearling buck, 174pounds; 
a two-year old buck, never shorn, 224 ponnds; a 
grown ewe, 162 ponnds; one ewe lamb, 114 pounds.” 
Weight and Character of Fleece .—“The fleeces 
of tbese sheep, like those, indeed, of all other 
breeds, are not entirely uniform as to length, 
thickness and fineness of fiber, some of them par¬ 
taking more of one cross, and others of another 
cross; but still there is a general uniformity, and 
the diversity is of no practical disadvantage.— 
Their woolislonger than that of aoyBheep except 
those of the Cotswold family, and is equal in 
length to that of many individuals of that family, 
while it greatly excels the wool of the Cotswold 
in fineness, softness and thickness. In some indi¬ 
viduals it is inclined to be wavy or curly, but gen¬ 
erally it is straight and woolly, and never wiry.— 
Except the face and legs below the knees, the 
whole body is covered with a close, compact 
fleece, which leaves no open line on the back, as in 
the Cotswolds, but gives a perfect protection to 
the sheep, and causes it to present a smooth, hand¬ 
some and portly appearance. Their fleeces have 
enough of grease or gum to preserve the softness 
and vitality of the libers, even to tbeir ends, but 
not so much as to give the sheep a dark and dirty 
appearance, as in the Saxons. Their wool receives 
bark and other domestic dies without any washing 
whatever, is easily cleansed on the sheep’s back, 
and when it is washed in soft water, with soap, it 
readily becomes very white. For several years it 
has commanded from three to five cents more per 
pound than any other wool in this market.” 
The nnnsnally wet weather continues—the rain 
falling most copiously on Monday. More than 
double the rain has fallen the past three months 
than during corresponding period of last year ! 
THAT OAT CHOP. 
SHEEP AND WOOL. 
The farmers are an amiable set of fellows, aiid 
will allow yon. in their best moods, to question 
their infallibility. So I take courage and ask 
them —Why do yon so generally eschew sheep 7 
Can yon get up fifty pounds of meat any cheaper 
than to start with a lamb? Is a pig or calf any 
better in his digestive organs than a young sheep? 
Can he extract more virtue from the same food? 
Do the doctors speak worse of mutton than they do 
of beef or pork? Is hair, or bristles, or hides, 
ahead of wool? Aint the “ gambols” Of a lamb as 
poetic as ever? 
Is not this a “great country,” and should we de¬ 
pend on France and Spain for pantaloons and car¬ 
pets? Are not our advantages for growing wool 
as great as for growing wheat? and yet we send 
the one out and bring the other back. 
A friend has just mentioned to me a fact, not 
creditable to our farmers, to which I deem it a duty 
to call attention. Manufacturers are making seri¬ 
ous complaint of the manner in which some of our 
woolie sent to market. Besides defects "‘visible 
to the naked eye,” many fleeces when unrolled are 
found to contain unwashed wool, dung, “dead 
wool,” &c, Brethren, these things ought not so to 
he. In the end it must be unprofitable, and in the 
beginning it is unwise. Would “Orange County 
Cheese” have gained celebrity if it had been found 
in nnmerons cases to contain potato parings and 
hogs’ feet? Let us all strive to get up a sectional 
and personal reputation for cleaD, nice wool. Then 
buyers will bid with confidence. 
This may come too late for this year’s shearing, 
bnt I hope it may not be too late for repentance , 
and perhaps not too late for correction, where 
everything is not quite as it should be. h. t. b. 
Eds. Rural: — About a year since, you kindly 
published an inquiry from my pen, headed, 
“Which, Oats or Barley?” and added remarks in 
answer to the question. There were five acres of 
greensward, two years in clover, which it was de¬ 
sirable to plow, but not to plant to corn, and 1 
thought of sowing either oats or barley, and ask¬ 
ed advice from yourself and experienced farmers 
as to which would be best in the described in¬ 
stance. You remarked that, in the opinion of tho 
latter, neither crop did well on afresh-plowed Bod, 
but that worked very early and allowed to lie, with 
occasional harrowing or cultivating, several weeks, 
and then sowed to oats, it might produce a fair 
crop. 
My course was nearly in accordance with these 
directions. Plowed between the 22d and 25th of 
April, while the snow bauks yet lingered along the 
west fence. Harrowed about three weeks after, 
then gang-plowed and sowed to Poland oats on 
the 15th of May. The account kept, is as follows: 
Dr. 5 days’ plowing, @ $2,.......$10 00 
% “ liarrowing,. 150 
1)4“ Gang plowing,.. 2 50 
10 bush. Poland outs, @37)4 cts, .... 3 75 
>4 days*sowing,. 37)4 
X “ harrowing in,. 2 00 
5 “ liarTBSting,. 5 00 
Interest on land @ $50 per acre,.17 00 
$42 62)4 
Or. 85 bush, oats (17 bu. per acre) @ 60 cts, 42 60 
Straw equal to expense of threshing, . 00 00 
$42 50 
Profit —2K cts por ncro,.>. 12)4 
So you see, I got fair rent for my land, and a 
small profit on the crop. I do not know as I set 
quite value enough on the straw and chaff— both 
were eaten with great relish by my Blieep and cows, 
and saved buying so much hay to finish out our 
May foddering. 
Ol course, I have my theory to account for the 
small yield in thiB instance. The land was in good 
heart and well worked, but owing to neglected 
culture some seasons before was fnlly stocked to 
weeds. These came up with the oats, and grew 
as fast or a little faster tbau they; and, with the 
drouth, gave me one-third, instead of a fall crop 
of oats. As to Poland oats, something has always 
happened to prevent my getting a decent crop of 
them. 
“On the muck,” thirteen acres more of oats 
were sown last year. The ground had been sown 
to oats the year previons, but drowned out—sum¬ 
mer of ’55 beiDg, with us, an extraordinary wet 
one. The ground was spring plowed, and sown— 
five acres. May 15th: four, May 27th; and three, 
June 10th —to common black oats. Expense as 
follows: 
Dr. 8 days’ plowing, ..$16 00 
33)4 bush, oats @ 37)4 cts,. 12 56 
1)4 days’ sowing,. 113 
3)4 “ barrowing. 7 00 
13 “ harvesting,. 13 00 
Interest on land @ $40 per acre,. 36 40 
WHY I WOULD BE A FARMER, 
“ A farmer,” urges some people, “ can never 
rise to eminence”—and this is the reason given 
by many for not continuing to follow that occupa¬ 
tion; many, too, who like farming, forsake it for 
some other profession, stamping hard, as it were, 
on the path of life to 
“ Leave foot-prints iu the sand of Time." 
Years are passed thus in the struggle to attain 
notoriety; all pleasures are cast, aside aud life ren¬ 
dered a burden, and in many casea, the object of 
all this sacrifice, if gained at all, is not reached 
until late in life, until the days draw nigh when 
man has no pleasure in them. Of a successful 
office-seeker, or seeker for notoriety, nothing can 
be said which would induce any one to wish to 
adopt hia mode of ljfe, even if success could he 
warranted him. His path is beset with perplexi¬ 
ties; he is dependent upon liis neighbors, his 
friends and hia enemies alike for support, and con¬ 
sequently a life of anxiety and suspense must 
necessarily be his lot. He is scandled and his 
private affairs are meddled with, and nothing can 
exceed tho impertinaoity with which the life of a 
politician is attended. 
No one, I think, can say aught against the life of 
a farmer. It Is true be docs not make • great stir 
in the world, for he delights in a quiet and seclu¬ 
ded life. He ia only dependent upon Him who 
rules the universe; everything contributing to hia 
happiness—the rain of spring find the heat ot 
summer and the cold windB of winter. Seated in 
his quiet, retired rural home, surrounded by his 
family, of a cold winter’s evening, the farmer has 
nothing to do but to enjoy himself; hia grain 
stored and hia larder filled, with no anxiety prey- 
his mind, he need give himself no un- 
ing upon 
easiness regarding the future. 
Contentment is the source of all happiness, and 
is sought after by all, bnt is seldom experienced, 
except by the tiller of the soil who earns his bread 
by the sweat of his brow, which sweetens the staff 
of life. IIis task is hard who seeks for content¬ 
ment without labor; it is like climbing a mountain 
whose sammit can never be reached—in other 
words, “up-hill business;” but the farmer labors 
and finds contentment in his labors. As he throws 
himself at early evening on his easy conch, tho’ 
liis limbs arc tired bis heart is light and no trouble 
disturbs his tranquil mind. 
Then let ub be farmers if we would be contented 
—if we would enjoy Nature’s richest blessings— 
independence and happiness—for no other trade 
will afford it. If enjoyment is obtained, let the 
“foot-prints” be marked out from the sands of 
Time; but let ns live an upright and honorable 
life, that a place may be reserved for us in that fu¬ 
ture and better Home. O. A. Gould. 
Watertown, N. Y., March, 1957. 
hours. The ‘ sum of the whole matter ’ is, I have 
but one lamb living out of four.” 
“ A Vermonter ” gives his experience in this 
w j 8 e;_“I have had some experience in raising 
and feeding sheep for a few years past, and been 
very successful, particularly in raising lambs. In 
order to have strong, healthy lambs, itis necessary 
to have good, healthy ewes, and have them in good 
condition. I feed my sheep three times a day 
duriug winter. The first few weeks I feed some 
hay, bean straw, or other coarse fodder if I have 
it; after which I feed hay morning and night—at 
noon uuthreshed oats —and continue so through 
the winter and spring. Sometimes I feed corn for 
a change; I think oats, however, the most natural 
grain for sheep, as they do not tire of them. I 
feed uuthreshed oats as it ia most convenient, and 
and they will eat the most of the straw. I use box 
racks, consequently the elieep cannot run over and 
waste their fodder.” 
“A Subscriber” in Fairfax Co., Va., writes:— 
“ For four years I have kept a small fiock of breed¬ 
ing ewes. Every winter fed hay, corn fodder and 
wheat straw. First winter no grain except corn 
—raised every lamb. Second winter fed a mixture 
Cr. 164 bush, oata @ 50 cts,. 
Straw equal to expense of threshing, 
Mr. Editor and Boys:—I too want to see “ tills 
column grow;” grow in interest and usefulness.— 
For are there not heads enough among the many 
readers of tho priceless Rural, to supply this 
choice corner with articles of their own composi¬ 
tion, hearts thature willing, talent that will turnisb 
the hungry, famishing souls of the hoys — the 
young ruralists of our country with a rich repast? 
MethinkB there must be. Then let us “toe the 
mark,” aud strive to tho utmost of our powers to 
work for the interest, of this column, till even 
our fathers will turn with delight and read the 
simple earnest truths—to witness the pleasure and 
improvement of their sons. Then, perhaps, our 
kind editor will let this column grow In size till 
the best paper in the Union shall become the very 
best, for I feel that all that is wanting is to make 
the boys Interested iu the great science of agricul- 
Lose,. 909 
This crop will pay, if I got 56 cents per bnshel, 
which I should now be able to do, if I had not ted 
the greater part of it to my horses and (ground, 
with one-third corn or rye) cows. The three acres 
sown last, were not worth harvesting — little rain 
falling, the greater part never curne up—the mice 
and drouth disposed of all that did grow, and a 
fair Bhare of those on the remaining ten acres. 
Eight acres “ 
HOW TO MAKE COWS EA8Y MILKERS 
on the in nek” will be sown this 
spring to oats and in the fall seeded to grass—Ihope. 
with better success than the five acres seeded last 
fall. The seed begins to come up, however, and 
present cool, wet spring will, perhaps, be good for 
it. The eight acres were plowed last fall, and the 
ditches deepened and cleared, and many new ones 
opened. Wet or dry, I hope t.o get a paying crop 
this year. 
Grass payB best on low, mucky soils, especially 
when one keeps cows and can get the present 
priceB for butter. I shall get mine into grass ns 
soon as may be, and keep it so — if there is any 
system of managing to prevent its running out, as 
1 believe there is. But 1 will not run on longer, or 
you will think me tedions—or " sinking an artesi¬ 
an,” as you phrase it. N * 
Niagara Go., N. Y-, 1857. 
-4-*-*--- 
Swellings. —An Inquiry .—An ox of mine lias 
three Bwellings on his under jaw; one ol them 
larger than a goose egg. One Las broken, and 
discharges a kind or white matter. Neither of 
them is fast to tho bone. Will some one of yonr 
namerous readers give the cause and remedy? L. 
W. D., Hartford, Wis., 1857. 
Friend Moore:— There may be many of your 
thousands of readers who have cowb hard to milk 
that are not aware how readily they can he made 
to milk easy, and I will impart the information for 
their benefit. 
For a sixpence, a blacksmith will draw yon out 
a piece of cast steel the eighth of an inch round, 
flattening it an inch at the end to about a fourth 
of an inch wide. You can grind it to an edge on 
both sides, making a bevel in the middle. If your ' 
cow is wild, oast her, and insert the lance about an 
inch. It is not a very painful operation to the 
cow, and the wound will very soon heal. The 
milk will he bloody two or three times. 1 have 
a cow that had a ligament grow in the teat so that 
not a drop of milk conld be got out. I found no 
difficulty in opening it so that the milk would flow 
freely. I have another that got the name of “ Hurd 
cow because she waa so very hard to milk, that 
now is as easy as any one would wish to milk. 
Having never seen the above method recom¬ 
mended in print, and Knowing its great utility 
from a good deal of experience in milking, I am 
constrained to communicate it for the benefit of 
Ruralists. Francis Granger. 
Toledo, Ohio, June 12,1857. 
Harvesting Machine Trials.— A dispatch just 
received from Hon. M. P. Wilder, states that tho 
Trial of Reapers, Mowers, Ac., heretofore an¬ 
nounced to be held at Syracuse under the auspices 
of tho United States Agricultural Society, will com. 
mence on Monday, July 13 th, aud that seventy ma¬ 
chines have already been entered. 
The Skaueatles Farmers’ Club is to have a Trial 
of Mowing Machines about the 1st of Jaly. 
The Chautiraque Agricultural Society announoes 
a Trial ot Reapers and Mowers, at Fredonia, on 
the 7tb of July. 
The Monroe Co. Ag. Society’s Trial of Harvest¬ 
ing Machines, near this city, and that of the Ohio 
State Board of Agriculture, at Hamilton, will take 
nlace July 1st, as heretofore announced. 
ran 
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