MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
American An. Implements ix Europe. —We 
are glml to learn that the genius displayed in our 
agricultural implements and machinery baa mot 
with almost universal acknowledgement in Eu¬ 
rope. By a late communication to the Patent Of¬ 
fice, containing a very interesting report of the ag¬ 
ricultural exhibition recently held in Vienna, we 
find that the exhibition of 1861 bad the effect of 
introducing the American plows—either of Ameri¬ 
can manufacture, or constructed from American 
models—very extensively, both in England and 
France. The government establishment at Grig- 
non, in France, had adopted the American form of 
plow as being hotter adapted to the requirements 
of the country. We are also informed that Ameri¬ 
can reapers have met with much favor on the con¬ 
tinent. One of these machines was exhibited by 
Count Otto Chon, of Bohemia. The new reapers 
and mowers are especially adapted to the exten¬ 
sive plains of Hungary, where, by the old method 
of harvesting, the expense of getting in the crop 
is immense, and great loss arises from the shelling 
out of the over matured grain. The larger part of 
the improved agricultural machinery exhibited at 
Vienna was of American invention, especially the 
mowers, reapers, drills and horse-rollers.— Balti¬ 
more Sun. 
a piece of winter wheat that would not suffer by 
comparison with almost any field of the same size 
in Monroe county. 
What our “Southern tier’’ of counties most 
need is intelligent farmers to develop their agri¬ 
cultural resources, as there is an exbanstless 
amount of wealth treasured up here in our mas¬ 
sive hills, our fertile valleys, and our incompara¬ 
ble forests, that skill and energy will not fail of 
Anding. 
Could the farmers of this county all be induced 
to take the Rural and heed its sage councils, I 
think it would add 26 per cent to the value of the 
county in one year, and I should regard it as a 
most prolific scheme of political economy for the 
county to levy a tax sufficient to furniBh every 
family with a copy. The extra copies you Bent me 
some time ago, I have diligently circulated among 
the people. Everybody professes to be much 
pleased with the paper, and a number say they 
intend to take it by-and-by. I warn them of the 
danger of procrastination. Bat some people here 
are like some people in other places. They don’t 
see why a farmer should need to read much to un¬ 
derstand his business l Yours, e. a. w. 
Little Valley, Cat. Qo., N. V., July, 1857. 
45 bushels per acre—worth same price of spring 
barley; interferes with no other harvesting, -is 
never injured by the midge, and gives young clo¬ 
ver a clearer ohance to grow than any later orop. 
With these facts. I leave those interested to make 
their own estimates and govern themselves accor¬ 
dingly. Truly, Ac., Jos. Watson. 
Clyde, Wayne Co., N. Y., Aug. 10,1867. 
had enormous yields in either case; he had enough 
to feed his whole stock of cattle twice a day dur¬ 
ing August and September, the dry months; he let 
it slightly wilt, and then put it np in Bhocks. It 
told well in the dairy; it helped the cattle and 
cows, no matter if it was slightly mouldy. He cut 
it fine with a machine before feeding it. He used 
the large sweet corn—3 bnsbels broadcast to the 
acre. Hisland was heavy and stony. When sowed 
in drills, these were jnst far enough apart to admit 
the use of the cultivator. To save time he gene¬ 
rally sowed broadcast. Then he harrowed it in, 
and a harrow with cultivator teeth is best. But 
plowing it would he better. Corn sowed for soil¬ 
ing did not injure the land. Corn for soiling drew 
its sustenance chiefly from the atmosphere. Mr. 
D. said it was easy to get twelve tuns of green corn 
to the acre. Not of cured or dry com. 
Mr. Gkidi.et, of Southington, had Htony land, 
and he planted in drills for fodder, and ran the 
plow between. He confirmed Mr. Dyer’s idea that 
twelve tunB to the acre could he raised—and of 
dry fodder too! He sowed thiek—30 or 40 grains 
to the foot. Green sward plowed over was capital 
manure for this corn. It iB a great crop for fall 
feed. He let it lie three days, and then stacked it 
in bundles. Horses eat it as readily as the best 
hay. Hogs would eat it even in the dry state. An 
acre that will produce 50 bushels of shelled corn 
will produce 10 to 12 tuns of this dry fodder and 
20 tuns of green. 
Does Wiieat Turn to Chess? —It will be recol¬ 
lected that this question was discussed by several 
of our correspondents, last winter, and that in the 
Rural of Feb. 28, Col. Ben i. Hodge, of Buffalo, 
offered a premium of $100 to the person who 
should demonstrate the fact that wheat turns to 
chess—“to be awarded under the supervision of 
the N. Y. State Ag. Society, under such rules and 
regulations as a Committee appointed by the 
Bociety shall prescribe.” Observing this offer, Mr. 
Samuel Davison, of Greece, in this county, at 
once commenced an experiment to prove that 
wheat would turn to chess—and recently notified 
Col. Johnson, See’y of the State Society, that he 
was perpared to exhibit to a Committee evidences 
The Society appointed a Com- 
DRAIN IN' G 
Although much has been written upon this 
subject, yet comparatively few seem sufficiently 
awake to its importance to any more than admit 
its utility in words. The majority of farmers as 
yet hold back from a generous outlay in this re¬ 
spect, and for different reasons, the chief one with 
many "being an alleged lack of capital wherewith 
to work. So they continue along as aforetime, 
subject to the caprices of the seasons, occasionally 
getting a good crop when the weather happens to 
exactly favor, and content, when they fail, to lay 
all blame to excessive wet, as if they had not failed 
to do their duty in the premises. 
It is true that some capital is necessary to go 
into a thorough system of draining, hut a farmer 
having wet lands to cultivate, can hardly afford to 
do nothing at all in this way even though he has 
to mortgage his farm, or a part thereof, to raise the 
money. It has been demonstrated over and over 
again, that the increased product, from a well 
drained field for a series of years, will not only 
provide for the interest on the outlay, hut extin¬ 
guish the principal in a little time, after the first 
year; and yet many farmers adhere to the “penny- 
and pound-foolish” policy of allowing a 
of transmutation, 
mittee, consisting of Prof. Dewet, J. J. Thomas, 
and L. B. Langwortht, to investigate and report. 
In accordance with previous arrangements, this 
Committee, together with CoL Johnson, Maj. 
Patrick, Willard Hodoes, Esq., and others, met 
Mr. Davison at the office of the Rural New- 
Yorker, on the 5th inst, to hear and Bee the testi¬ 
mony to be submitted. Mr. D. presented a sod of 
earth from which both wheat and chess grew. He 
stated that in March last he carefully sifted a 
quantity of earth, placed it in a large tin pan, in 
which he planted a few heads of wheat of different 
varieties, and as the grain sprouted gave it careful 
attention. During the spring he allowed it to be 
frozen and thawed three times, it being a theory 
that this process of “winter killiag” turns wheat 
to chess. Late in the Bpring, he carefully removed 
sufficient earth in his garden, and placed the con¬ 
tents of the pan therein. Now, when the grain 
is matured, chess is found to he growing with it. 
The result of the investigation is thus summed up 
by a city contemporary:—“ The Committee having 
first established rules for their guidance, proceed¬ 
ed to an investigation of the circumstances, and 
carefully examined the earth in which the wheat 
and chess were growing, and the seeds and roots 
of the plants. They found no evidence that any 
chess stalk came from a wheat fibre or seed. Af¬ 
ter consideration, they decided that the experi¬ 
ment should he tried over. It.conld not be made 
to appear that chess seeds did not exist in the soil, 
on which the contents of the pan were emptied, 
and the opponents of the chess theory have this 
fact in their favor, that chess seeds remain in the 
soil for years, and when brought np near the sur¬ 
face, will germinate, and thus give the impression 
that they are wheat metamorphosed. Mr. Dav¬ 
ison seems to be an earnest Beareber for truth, 
and he was entirely willing to submit to new ex¬ 
periments. The Committee determined to insti¬ 
tute such experiments and have them tried by dif¬ 
ferent parties. Sifted earth is to be used, or earth 
which has been boiled (thus killing whatever of 
seed is in it) and the wheat is to be planted in a 
square or diamond, or other regular geometrical 
figures, so as to preclude such stalks as might 
spring np outside the line of the figure. The ex¬ 
periments will be eagerly looked for.” 
A “Rural” Sight Worth Seeing.— In the re¬ 
port of Hon. M. 8 . Dunlap, on a recent Reaper 
Trial near Urbana, Ill., a noteworthy fact Is stated 
incidentally. “ Mr. D. found a wheat field consistr 
ing of one thousand acres, and in this field twelve 
reaping machines at work. This was a sight worth 
SUGAR CANE.—CRUSHER WANTED, 
Products of an Anti-Reform Farmer. —“Son 
ny, I don’t see anything growing about here, what 
does your father raise on this land?” “Wall, he 
raises hackmatack, grasshoppers, hop toads, tum¬ 
ble-hugs, and some other wegetables. Yesterday, 
he raised a double-breasted pig-pen right under the 
window, and mother raised Cain.” 
•A large quantity of the Sugar 
an acre. The time is near at hand to convert the 
cane into syrup, and our farmers are asking how 
their canes are to be made to yield np their jnice. 
I have heard of no economical machine for the 
small planter. Do yon know of any ? One should 
be made without much cost to supply the demand 
there will be for the farmers next month. Please 
to give, also, with some detail, the best mode of 
converting the jnice into syrup—kind of boiler, 
time of boiling, &c. My Sugar Millet, planted at 
the same time and on ground next to my field- 
corn, is not more than half as high as the latter. 
It looks very strong and thrifty, and yet does not 
promise to be quite such a tall plant as some 
promised.—P-, Adrian, Mich, 
Eds. Rural: —In the Rural of August 1st I 
notice an inquiry for a Sugar Cane Crusher, and 
think perhaps hundreds of others, would they all 
speak at once, would make a similar inquiry, in¬ 
cluding another item—that is, whether the Patent 
Portable Cider Mill would answer the purpose for 
an experiment. I learn from information and ob¬ 
servation inthiB vicinity, that the prospect of an 
abundant crop of the sugar cane far exceeds the 
most sanguine expectations, according to the size 
of the patches planted—some of which being now 
(August 6th) nearly or quite six feet high as it 
stands.— Simon Pierson, Lt Roy, TV. Y. 
wise 
superabundance of water to remain in the culti¬ 
vated lots, and hear with all patience the frequent 
loss of one-half or two-thirds what their lands 
would readily have produced. When, O, when, 
will they practically understand that there iB no 
Bafer, or better yielding investment of their money, 
than to bury it from 30 inches to three feet under 
the surface? When will they come to know that 
for hardly any purpose can they so well afford to 
submit to exorbitant rates of interest, as to pro¬ 
vide themselves with the wherewithal to change 
their swamps and swales, and cold, damp fields 
into warm and reliable soil for the production of 
crops? 
The month of June last past, should be an admo¬ 
nition to alL In this locality, one has not to ride 
very far to be impressed with the truth of what is 
above written. Hundreds and thousands of acres 
of light gross and spindling or drowned out 
grain, the roots thereof now encased in congealed 
clay from the Budden and excessi ve heat, loom up in 
the vision of the passer-by, the actual loss on every 
acre this one year, to keep within hounds, being 
sufficient to cancel one-half the cost of thorough 
drainage. And yet, I fear the same ruinous round 
will be gone through in fatnre by many, as it haB 
been in the past. 
Of some 30 acres of spring grain on the writer’s 
farm, all of which looks pleasant in his eye, one- 
half would have been nearly or quite ruined but 
for some 1,100 rods of drainage in the same; and 
the present appearance is that the enhanced pro¬ 
duct this year will be nearly equal to the total 
cost of the drains, albeit said cost has been folly 
and amply compensated by former crops. 
J have in mind a rich, lowland field of a neigh¬ 
bor, which, though partially drained, is still too 
wet. Last year, being dry, he bad an abundant 
growth; but on the present crop, and the two im¬ 
mediately preceding the last year’s, (wheat and 
barley,) there has been an estimated Iobh of 15 
bushels per acre each, making a total of 45 bush¬ 
els in the three years, equal in "value perhaps to 
sixty dollars, or more than enough, in addition to 
former outlay, to have made each acre thoroughly 
dry. And I doubt not many Rural readers have 
fields which arc the counterpart of thiB. If bo, 
“ a word to the wise is sufficient.” w. b, p. 
Prattsburgh, N. Y., 1867. 
THE WHEAT MIDGE. 
Bote to Raise Wheat and Barley where it Prevails. 
Eds. Rural: —I have noticed in some of the late 
numbers of yonr paper inquiries from different 
individuals in the western part of this State, jnst 
now so severely afflicted with that scourge of the 
farmer, the Wheat Midge, how they may avoid or 
rid themselves of itB devastating and ruinous war¬ 
fare upon their prospects and hopes. Having had 
and still experiencing our full share of the evil in 
this vicinity, on its onward march westward,—and 
for some years before it reached the granary of 
the State,—you will perhaps permit me to speak 
from experience for the benefit and instruction of 
manp farmers, who, the past and present seasons, 
have had and are having “hopes deferred and 
hearts sick” with the result of their year’s labor 
on the farm. As your pages are amply filled I 
will be brief. 
In this vicinity we still raise some wheat, and 
Borne very good crops of white wheat too; and 
have learned that in order successfully to compete 
•with the midge, our land must he in high condition, 
well manured, and sown early —say the first week 
in September. The earliest varieties—the Mediter¬ 
ranean and Soule’s—have alone withstood the 
ravages of the midge. Several other kindB which 
were raised here when the midge first appeared 
—such as the Hutchinson, Garden and Flint va¬ 
rieties—have not been heard of since the first and 
second year of its prevalence, and are now among 
the things that were. 
The Mediterranean wheat cannot be said to he 
a favorite among the farmers, but is raised rather 
as a necessity, where they do not consider their 
land strong enough to bring good white wheat.— 
It is more exempt from the midge thau any other 
kind, hat does not give a large yield to the acre— 
so that it hs ^ become something of a proverb that 
a half crop of white or Soule’s wheat is better 
than a full crop of Mediterranean. 
In a recent number of the Rural I noticed a 
complaint that the midge was taking Homebody’s 
barley also. They have done the Bame here, until we 
have learned at least to try and dodge them by sow¬ 
ing either early or late, say the last of March or first 
of April, or not until after the first of May. Fair 
crops of barley are raised here this year which 
were sowed at or about both of these periods. 
Such, Mr, Editor, has been the experience of 
myself and others in this vicinity since the ap¬ 
pearance of the midge among us. Should you 
deem it worth publishing, and it should prove of 
benefit to any one, I shall feel amply compensated. 
Yours, H. Willard. 
Cayuga, Cayuga Co.,. Aug. 8, 1867. 
Remarks. —The views of our correspondent, 
founded as they are upon experience, are valuable 
end suggestive. His suggestion as to good cul¬ 
ture, manuring and early sowing—so that the plant 
may attain a strong, healthy growth in the fall—is 
undoubtedly correct, and worthy of adoption by 
all who would raise winter wheat in sections where 
the midge prevails. The plan has been success¬ 
fully practised for years by some of the best 
tinners in Seneca, Cayuga, &c., and we advise our 
friends in other counties to give it a trial. The 
remark relative to varieties is also suggestive, and 
confirmatory of the testimony of good farmers in 
this section—some of whom aver that the Mediter¬ 
ranean yields bo poorly that its culture is unprofit¬ 
able. The hint as to the periods of sowing barley 
in order to escape the midge will attract attention, 
as the barley crop has become more important of 
late years, in many localities, than wheat—E d. 
— "A Young Farmer,” in Michigan, who has 
just made a beginuing in the “back woods,” and 
who is learning from the Rural and other sources, 
and hopes, in time, to make a good farmer, sends 
U3 the following poetical effusion: 
WHERE we dwell. 
BY A YOUNG BAOKWOODSJ1AX 
We dwell not in the glided town, 
Where busy throngs press np and dowD; 
Bat in the forest, dense and high, 
Where tree-tops almost brush the sky. 
Oux dwelling-if the truth be told— 
Was never cASt in Grecian mold; 
But, though it bears no lofty dome, 
We prise it none the less ns home. 
For Nature here, with untold charms, 
Extends abroad her loving arms— 
With smiling face and harps in tone, 
Invites her children to commune. 
These lofty trees—this broad blue sky. 
Were formed to charm the hmuan eye; 
And feathered trib -a that 'round us roam. 
So sweetly sing to cheer our home. 
Aronnd our cot on every hand, 
Are Nature's paintings, wild and grand; 
And Nature's Book, renowned of old, 
Seems written o’er in lines of gold. 
Let others leave the pure fresh air, 
And to the crowded mart repair, 
But we're content to live and move 
Where Nature whispers “God is love." 
Batavia, Mich , 1857. 
•That article, “ Don’t v isit conn- 
Friend Moore 
try friends in harvest time,” has upset my plan 
entirely. I had just contemplated a project of 
getting our hay harvest, (which is an uncommonly 
heavy one,) finished off with great expedition, and 
cheap withal, and was keeping it a profound secret 
— whenlo! yonr “don’t visit” has knocked it all 
into pi. Expecting a number of friends from the 
city, as well as from the neighboring villages, 
about this time, I hud got my card written and 
ready to be posted up in some conspicuous place, 
thus:— “ All visitors are notified that the regular 
farmers’ meals will undergo no change through 
haying time, and each one will be expected to 
assist either in the kitchen or field according to 
capacity.” I was expecting bv^his coup de mam 
to have as much help as 1 could wish, and, giving 
up my own scythe, have nothing to do but super¬ 
intend and give orders. I may succeed in my 
plan yet, provided my expected visitors don’t take 
the “ Rural,” What think you, Mr. Editor, shall I 
get the same gang yearly or expect a new set 
every hay harvest?—A Subscriber, Land of Stea¬ 
dy Habits, Aug. 5. 
FARMERS AND POLITICIANS, 
Eds. Rural:— It is not from a desire that I have, 
to establish or begin a newspaper controversy with 
any one, though I must say that I do not like the 
sentiments expressed by that “ Old Fogy,” about 
farmer’s hoys being farmers and politicians at the 
same time. If I understand him correotly, he 
means to convey the idea that a farmer may some 
day become President, if he was only educated 
sufficiently to fit him lor that station. Now it is a 
fact, well known, that a man, no matter if he has 
had a good education, or if he possesses good 
traits and is in every way qualified to hold office, 
that could get it without seeking it, and if a man 
becomes an office-seeker he ceases to be a farmer, 
from that moment. For instance — a farmer is 
elected Constable of his district, he iB proud of 
having beaten his opponent, and hB gets a slight 
remuneration—enough so that he will not have to 
work very hard that season—and he lets his farm 
go. He don’t want any more money than his of¬ 
fice will bring him. Thinking thus he spends his 
time in the bar-room, and lounging aronnd, and 
perhaps becomes a —drunkardt 
Another man becomes a Collector, Supervisor, 
Town Clerk, or gets some one of the many offices. 
He finds it pays better than farming—much better 
_next year he “ runs” for somo higher office, and 
meantime neglects bis farm and expends large 
sums in “electioneering’’—is beaten, and then 
comes discouragement with his defeat. He has 
lost his monoy and his farm is run down and he 
will no longer try farming; it don’t pay. Suppose 
he succeeds, what then? He hires some one to 
farm it while he is in Congress or somo other 
“Dig” place. “ Not to oversee workmen is to leave 
them yonr purse open,” says Franklin, and while 
this Congressman-farmer is making money in one 
pocket he is losing out of the other; though it is 
difficult to tell which pocket the money comes in at. 
It will he recollected what a noise was created 
some years since about. Fourierism ; how much was 
written about it at the time, and it was believed by 
some to he & good plan for farmers to adopt, it 
was tried near this place. The first and only time 
it was ever tried, and failed. Theorists had done 
A GOOD LETTER, 
About Land and Farming in the “Southern Tier. 
Eds. Rural:— I see it mentioDed in periodicals - 
from the West, that many who have emigrated to Eds. Rural: —I send you a i 
those regions, have failed to realize their expecta- the name of which I should lik 
tions there, and are anxiouB to find homes in the never saw any of it before, and 1 
older States. Onr own New York has yet much of saving the seed to sow. I 
valuable land unoccupied, particularly in the opinion as to its value as food ft 
“Southern Tier” of counties. Already are there about four feet high it. being c 
in this (Cattaraugus) county many who have tried has six leaves upon the stalk; 
the West, and returned here to enjoy what they about two feet above the uppe 
could not find there. Perhaps others might do mation in regard to its name 8 
the same to their own advantage, and the enrich- thankfully received by a reade 
ment of onr own State. R, Ho. lunbridge, \t,, 18. 
Cattaraugus county is most admirably adapted Remarks. — The grass is the 
to grazing purposes. A large amount of “ Ham- A phalaris of Botanists. As w 
burg Cheese” and “ Orange comity Butter” an- ribbon-like than many other w 
nually leaveB this county for the Eastern market, It is over the country in low gro 
and by consumers generally is allowed to be Boil is large and beautiful. It 
equal to the original There is yet much lack of cultivation, and ought not to 
thorough farming here; quite too many thinking meadowB. 
they can do well enough without taking so much 
pains. This gives the country a shabby appear- That 23D). Flbkce of Wooi 
ance. But when properly developed this county and re-weighed at the Waterli 
will take rank among the most wealthy counties of There is going the rounds ol t 
the State. notice of a large fleece of Mer 
Mention waB made last Bpring in the Rural and well calculated to deceive n< 
other papers of the loss of cattle in this county truth, so far as the story is ted d, 
resulting from scarcity of feed. This was true in to state the whole truth. I se 
several instances; hut generally on this wise:— weighed at Waterloo Mills. It 
A neighbor commenced the last winter with about dirty fleece of a French Merii 
25 tuns of feed, including hay and coarse fodder, was washed it weighed 23 poun 
His stock consisted of 36 head of horned catt!e ( carefully washed and dried it 
and three horses! He lost seven head of cattle,— pounds. Great pains were till 
The wonder with ns is that it was not five times wool of the fleece so that no 
BeveIli cleansing process. The usual 
All the common grasses flourish well here; fleeces is only about thirty-t 
others have not been tried. Enclosed I send yon such gummy fleeces are worth 
one stem of white clover, twenty-one inches long, let farmers beware of those F r 
as a specimen of its growth here. ThiB was taken The Waterloo Woolen Mills 
from my lot. where twenty months ago it was a oeived and paid for in cash, 24 
dense forest The land was cleared and seeded wool; a part from Upper Cana 
with timothy last fall. The clover Is self-seeded, heavy lot of superior fine wool 
or came up from seed previously in the soil. Many } n g county of Yates. The av< 
more of the " same sort” might be found. Grass j s 44 ce nts against 41 cents las 
throughout the county promises a heavy yield this en t fleeces are a little finer, 
season. Corn will not exceed an average crop— )V. Y., Aug. 0,1867. 
somo very good, and some nothing to “ brag of.” 
Spring wheat, though late, looks very well—oats Weighty Calf. Mr, Nelso 
and potatoes look very promising now. Winter this county, has a calf—halt I 
wheat, but little cultivated here. My neighbor P. ham—which, when 3 months 
B. Rich, Esq, late of Ogden, Monroe county, has weighed 409 lbs. 
Mr. Moore:— Having read the communications 
of Mr. Mo Yean and J. JL B., in last Rural, upon 
the subjects of Wheat Midge, Mediterranean Wheat 
and Winter Barley, and yonr intimation of a de¬ 
sire to elicit information thereupon from expe¬ 
rienced farmers, I venture a Bhort expose of my 
humble experience. 
On the 17th September, 1866,1 drilled upon five 
acres of good wheat soil, well prepared by sum¬ 
mer fallowing, 12 bushels of Mediterranean wheat. 
Harvested it 28th ult., and threshed yesterday; 
yield 116 bushels by threshers’ basket measure, 
which is not expected to hold out when cleaned 
perfectly. No perceptible injury from the midge. 
upon the same day, (Sept 17, I860,) drilled 
12 bushels winter barley upon five acreB oat stub¬ 
ble, with a light covering of manure plowed in; 
harvested 7th ult.. and threshed yesterday—meas- 
harvested 7th nit., and threshed yesterday- 
uring as above 203 bushels. 
Both fields were slightly and about equally in¬ 
jured by “ winter killing” in February. The barley 
was ten days later than heretofore—as we have 
usually harvested within the last four days of June. 
It wants as good wheat soil and cultivation as 
winter wheat, and freezes out as easily, but ad 
things favorable it has invariably yielded me 40 to 
