MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AM OVlOISAt WESKI.Y 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper, 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE 'ORBS OF ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
SPECIAL OONTIJIHCTOKS > 
Phot. C. DEWEV. T. 0. PETERS. 
Li. M T. MAURY. H. T. BROOKS, 
Da. ASA FITCH, EWB. WEBSTER, . 
T. a ARTHUR, Mbs. M. J. HOLMES, 
LYMAN B LaNQWORTHY 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, L'eeftiliipw and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes his per¬ 
sonal attention to the supervision of its various departments, 
and earnestly labors to render the Rerun an eminently Reliable 
Guide on the important Practical, Bclmtittc and other Subjects 
intimately connected with the business of those -whose interests 
it r.ealonsly advocates It embraces more Agricultural, Horti¬ 
cultural, tic [entitle, Mechanical, Jiilerary and News Matter, 
Interspersed with appropriate and beautiful Engravings, than 
any other Journal.—rendering it tho most complete AcntctriTn- 
ral Literary asp Fa wav Jocrhal in America. 
tir All commnnicutlons. and business letters, should bo 
addressed to D. I). T. MOORS!, Rochester, N. Y. 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
N. Y. FAIR-FACTS AND THOUGHTS 
ROOT CROPS. 
Among the many things that attracted onr espe¬ 
cial notice at, the late State Fair, nothing gave ns 
more pleasnre than the Hue di-play of vegetables, 
particularly such aa are usually called field vegeta¬ 
bles, and designed more especially for feeding 
stock. A few years ago, and all ’.he vegetables 
shown at our State Fair might be carried La a 
common farmer's wagon. Tho present year, al¬ 
though it was not what it should b8 nor what we 
hope to see it in future years, yet the exhibition 
was far ahead of any previous one, and showed 
very decided progress and improvement. In this 
department, the Provincial Show of Upper Canada 
is always excellent, and would be considered good 
in any fair in Europe, where root crops are grown 
ia perfection. Our State A gricaltnral Society does 
not give sufficient encouragement for the growth 
of root crops, and the premium list needs revision 
on this point. Not a dollar Is offered at the fall 
show for Rnta Bagaa, Mangel Wurtzel, Parsnips, or 
any other root for feeding stock, though the list 
for table vegetables is very good. It is well enough 
to offer premiums amounting to $236 for Short¬ 
horn bulls and cows, but it certainly would be 
well to offer at least a fraction of this amount for 
Mangel Wurtzel, Ruta Bagas, Ac., with which to 
feed them. For mutton sheep, $100 may not be 
too much—indeed, it might be increased, perhaps, 
to advantage; but we should like to see a premium 
offered for the best bushel of Turnips, as this root 
is so useful in making muttoD. About the same 
amount is offered for the best swine. Let us have 
premiums offered for the best Parsnips, as no root 
equals it for pork-making; 3nd we would also 
suggest the propriety of offering a premium for 
the beat fat pigs, fattened entirely on the parsnip. 
Yfe have always urged our farmers to grow root 
crops for feeding stock; and there is now more 
necessity for thia course than ever before, espe¬ 
cially In Western New York. We are too well 
pleased with the progress already made iu this 
respect, as evidenced in all our travels through the 
country, by the letters we receive, and by the late 
exhibition at Buffalo, to make any complaint. We 
wish the good work to continue, and hope onr 
State and County Societies will afford all the aid 
in their power. Hundreds of our readers are rais¬ 
ing root crops, and we solicit their attention to 
the following list of premiums to be aw arded by 
the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, at its Winter 
Meeting in February next: 
Ruta Ragas ,—Best crop of ruta bagas, not less than one 
acre, 60 lbs. estimated a bushel, 800 bushels, 88; 2d, §5; 
3d, Trans. 
Sugar Huts.— Be,.t crop of sugar beets, not less than 
half an aero, 00 tbs. to the bushel, 400 bushels, $8: 2d, $5; 
VOL. VIII. NO. U. 
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR ] 
“PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
Carrots.—Best crop of carrots, not less than half au 
acre, 60 tbs. to the bushel, 300 bushels $8; 2<U$5; 3,1, Trans. 
Mini git ft'urtteL —Best crop mangel wurtzel, not less 
than half an acre, 60 lbs. to the bushel, 400 bushels, |8; 
2d, fS; 3d, Trans. 
The land from which the crop for premiums is 
claimed must be in one contiguous piece, and 
must be measured with chain and compass, and 
the surveyor make affidavit to his survey. The 
applicant and one other pci’Bon who assisted In 
harvesting and measuring the crop, must make 
affidavit of the quantity of grain raised, and that 
the crop grown was In the usual course of cultiva¬ 
tion, and must also state the whole quantity of 
land in tho piece of which that intended for pre¬ 
mium Is a part. The entire crop upon the piece 
entered for premium is to be harvested and measur¬ 
ed. Those who desire to compete for these pre¬ 
miums can obtain further information by applying 
to the Secretary at Albauy, by letter. We shall be 
pleased to have all report their success or failure 
in the Rural. 
schooley’s preskrvatory. 
the preservation of fruit, without deterioration 
or decay, after coming to maturity is a matter of 
much importance, and to which we have several 
times directed the attention of our readers. In a 
recent number we suggested that premiums should 
re offered for fruits preserved in good condition 
out of their natural season. A gteat portion of 
our summer and early autumn traits either rot, or> 
to prevent loss from rotting, are forced upon the 
market at very low prices. It must he apparent, 
then, that auy system by which these could be pre¬ 
served from decay would be of immense value to 
the fruit grower. Strawberries, and some other 
very tender frnits are so delicate in their structure 
that we cannot hope by any means to succeed in 
keeping them for a great length of time, yet we 
were informed by a gentleman at Buffalo, that 
Strawberries had been kept in good condition fur 
20 days in SckooUy’s Patent Preservatory, One of 
these was constructed on the Fair Grounds at 
Buffalo, by J. L. Albbrgrb, who, we understand, 
owns the right for this State. It was a building 16 
feet long by 12 feet broad, with double walls, floor¬ 
ing and ceiling, the space between, about 12 
inches, being filled with sawdust. Four feet at 
one end was partitioned off and filled with ice, a 
space being left at the bottom of the partition for 
the cold air to pass from the ice to the fruit room, 
or preservatory; and another space at the top of 
the partition, which allows the air as it becomes 
warm to pass through to the ice department— 
Thus, g constant circulation is kept up. The air, 
by passing over the ice is deprived of its moisture, 
and, becoming cold and heavier than the sur¬ 
rounding atmosphere, falls to the bottom of the 
ice apartment, and through the opeuin,t in the 
partition to the preservatory. Ae U becomes 
warm it arises to the top of the room, and passes 
through the opening in the partition, to be again 
cooled by the ice. The air as it enters the room 
at the bottom, shows a temperature of 35°, and as 
it leaves the room at the top, of 40h We 33w 
milk, fresh bec-f, chickens, peaches, Ac., tb3t had 
been in the preservatory for nine days, and all 
were apparently aa good aa could be desired. The 
milk showed no signs of souring, nor bad taste of 
any kind. Such a house would be almost invalua¬ 
ble to the fruit grower, hatcher and dairyman, and 
a great convenience to every farmer. 
WASTE MANURES. 
In oar last issue we spoke of Saving Manure, 
devoting our remarks more particularly to the 
care of the solid excrements of cattle, and the 
necessity of preserving, withont deterioration, the 
elements by them contained; and would now call 
the attention of Rural readers to the importance 
of securing the various other enriching substances 
which are too generally suffered to run waste. In 
these days of money panics and bank suspensions 
there is scarcely an individual upon our soil who, 
when looking at the matter boldly aud endeavor¬ 
ing to reason from cause to effect, but can perceive 
certain indications of assistance, by him rendered, 
to the production of the disastrous influences by 
which we are now surrounded. Extravagance, a 
reckless outlay in this or that department of do¬ 
mestic or social economy—the creation, by care¬ 
lessness or the pampering of appetite, of artificial 
wants, and the desire to gratify all these, has 
brought upon tie, as a people, the degrading spec¬ 
tacle of a nation with boundless agricultural 
wealth, almost limitless mechanical power, a sys¬ 
tem of navigation and intercommunicatiun une¬ 
qualled by any country on tho globe, at peace with 
the whole world—a nation that onght to be able 
to " sit beneath her own vine and fig tree, with none 
to molest or make afraid,” in a state of complete 
financial embarrassment closely approximating 
bankruptcy. The donf/.en of the town has brought 
desolation to his hearth-stone by attempting to i 
follow toreign customs and ape foreign manners. 
An untarnished reputation has been thrown 
into the scale against the gloss oi broadcloth aud 
the rustle of satin, aud both are now almost be¬ 
yond our grasp. We have sacrificed at the altars 
of vanity aud passion, and can now realize the 
award of our oblations. 
Though the dweller in the country has not, to 
so great extent, been guilty of thia folly—though 
his coat is made of “sterner stuff,’’ and his 
daughters are clothed by the labor of their own 
bunds—though he would claim for himself genuine 
republican simplicity, he, too, by want of attention 
to the minntim of the lann, has materially aided 
in bringing about these ominous times. For bis 
toil, represented by dollars and cents, meq have 
explored the coasts of ioreign lands, have sought 
the isles of the ocean, have delved amid inbos- 
pitable climes, and for what?—to obtain the very 
elements of fertility which upon his own farm are 
every day wasted without a thought. The farmer 
has acquired much of knowledge, and wealth, and 
enterprise by study, observation, and experiment 
—how much has slipped from his grasp through 
inattention and carelessness? How many corners 
of his farm contain the very vegetable and mineral 
constituents which he is to-day importing at a cost 
of fifty or sixty dollars per tun? To what extent 
are “hidden treasures” underlying his worn out 
soils?—those “placers’ - that will yield their teem¬ 
ing wealth to the energetic seeker for golden 
storesu How many clay and marl beds are there 
that would remedy the imperfections of that “light 
and Bandy soil,’’ the strength of which departed 
with the crops taken thence years ago? 
First in importance among the waste manures, 
both as regards quantity and quality, is the liquid 
droppings of cattle. In the experiments of Ar¬ 
thur Young, as given in '.he Transactions of the 
Highland Ag. Society, we learn that Mr. Y. took 
from soil alone 280 bushels of potatoes per acre; 
where the soil received aa application of 32 yards 
of manure and 160 bushels of lime, the yield was 
480 bushels; the same amount of manure and 480 
gallons of urine also applied to an ae*e, produced 
520 bushels of potatoes. According to Dana the 
urine of 3 cow will manure one and one-fonrtb 
acres for a year; that it is more valuable than her 
dung in the ratio of balk ae seven to six, and in 
real worth as two to one. Tt will iurnish nine hun- 
dred pounds of solid matter per annum, which, at 
the present price of guano, ia worth twenty dollars. 
When we take into consideration the immense 
number of cattle throughout the Union, and com¬ 
pute the value of their liquid voidings by millions 
of dollars—when analysis places before the minds , 
of agriculturists incontestible proof of the rich¬ 
ness in fertilizing elements these exorements con¬ 
tain—the fact that so few farmers adopt any meas¬ 
ures for their preservation becomes a matter of 
surprise. The truth is, liquid manure and itB sys¬ 
tem of application are novelties; we do not ap¬ 
preciate the advantages chat might arise from their 
adoption, and pjobviuj vni’ ace uut.il land wears a 
trans-Atlantic value, an- the rich, deep soil of our 
prairies and river hoi ams becomes a myth—a 
story begotten ot an idle brain. And such a state of 
affairs is neither impossible nor improbable. Here 
in what is termed the Eden of the Empire State! 
there is such a thing to talk abont aa exhausted 
lands. Continued cropping of those cere.ds which 
require strong soil, and Utile or no returns of 
pabulum to the earth, will sooner or later “ wear 
out” the best land the sun ever shone on. 
The “slops” of the house, though they will not 
bear the importance of the manures wasted from 
the stable and C3ttle yard, ate neither poor in 
quality or meagre in quantity. Mr, Mllbuiin, Sec¬ 
retary of the Yorkshire Ag. Society, expresses the 
belief, “that the amount of liquid manure of this 
character wasted in England, if preserved, would 
produce a fertilizing effect equal to all the hand 
Ullage of the farmer.” The saving of all these 
liquids is one of the fundamental principles of 
Flemish husbandry, and it has done wonders for 
that country. There “ the thrifty house-wife aud 
her active substitute know the value of what, in 
our households, is thrown away and wasted. A 
small tank or hole sank in the ground contains all 
the liquid which can lu any way be useful—soap¬ 
suds, washings of dishes, Ac.” A receptacle of 
this kind contains all the washings and scourings 
of the house, animal and vegetable re/nse rich 
in ammonia, fatty matters rich in carbonic acid, 
human urine, in fact everything that will aid in 
promoting vegetation. 
If the fanners of our country would produce great 
crops, and leave their land in good heart, they 
must adopt the doctrine oi' remuneration. It is a 
law of nature, and one, too, that irrevocable. If 
man, physically, violates wise provisions, he must 
suffer the penalty—there is no escape—if he con¬ 
forms to just requirements he will possess a sound 
mind in a sound body. So with the soil; we can¬ 
not forever cry give, and expect to receive to our 
heart's content “ Suspension ot payment” is the 
inevitable result of such a course, and this disas¬ 
ter may break upon us when least prepared. Deal 
as we will with men, we must be honest with 
Nature. 
THE AQUARIUM. 
Eds. Rural: —The “ Aquarium" having become a favor¬ 
ite ornament in Great Britain, t aui anxious to tr_, the ex¬ 
periment here. Perhaps some of yonr readers have done 
so already, and would bo able to afford Ufefnl hints as to 
what are the best fresh water plants and auituals with which 
to stock it? Also information as regards winter treatment 
In this western latitude.—A mchibia, I'eterburo, C. tV. 
Tub beauty of aquatic plants, and the ease with 
which they are cultivated is but little appreciated 
or understood in thia country. Since the intro¬ 
duction of the Victoria Regia, the Queen of the 
Aquatics, however, attention has been directed to 
the subject, and there are now several houses for 
the cultivation of this and other water plants in 
the vicinity of Boston and Philadelphia. The same 
inattention to this class of plants is shown in Eng¬ 
land; for a recent writer remarks that “ notwith¬ 
standing the beauty of aqaatio plants and the 
interesting circumstances connected with them, it 
is singular that, while expensive structures are 
A. CIRCULAR AQUARIUM. 
erected for almost every other description of 
plants, this country can scarcely at the present 
day, boast of a do/.en dedicated to the cultivation 
of aquatics.'' And nearly all of these owe their 
origin to a desire on rhe partof the owners to cul¬ 
tivate the Victoria. On this matter there is a 
great lack of knowledge, and while we cannot 
hope to throw a flood of light, on the subject, we 
will present a rew facts that will at least aid in the 
investigation. 
The simplest and cheapest aqcarimn is formed 
by improving a natural, or making an artificial 
pond in the garden. In this way may be planted 
all the native and hardy water plants, and animals 
and fish may be introduced at pleasure. Among 
the most appropriate of our native plants for such 
an aquarium, we can recommend the family of 
Nympheas. or Pond Lilies; the Nuphar, very much 
like the Nymphea; the Pontederea, or Pickerel 
Weed; the Calls, a very pretty flower like the 
Egyptian Lily; the Caltha, or Marsh Marigold; the 
Vallisneria or Eel Grass, a very curious plant, with 
long and linear grass-like leaves growing entirely 
under water. This plant is so singular in its habit 
that we cannot forbear a short description. The 
at&minate clusters being confined to the bottom of | 
the water by the shortness of the scape, the flower I 
buds themselves spontaneously break away from 
their short pedicils and float on the surface, where 
they expand and -bed their pollen aronnd the fer¬ 
tile flowers, which are raised to the surface at. this 
time; afterwards the thread-form fertile scapes, | 
from two to four feet long, according to the depth , 
of water, coil up spirally, and draw the ovary 
under water to ripen. In addition to these we 
might name the Allsma, or Water Plautain family ' 
of Rushes, the Pitcher Plant, Ac. The Nelumbium I 
will succeed is for north as Philadelphia, and in | 
the South western States. It is also said to be ' 
found in Rig Sodas Bay, on the shores of Lake 
Ontario, and may succeed even farther north in a 
sheltered position. It is well worthy of a trial— | 
Such an aquarium would require but little care 
or labor, as it would care for itself, both winter and 
summer, if kept well supplied with water. The 
edges of the pond should he ornamented with 
shells, pebbles, Ac., and planted with such hati- 
aquatics as delight in shallow water or a wet soil. 
Another and more cosily aquarium is made of 
tanks or cisterns, aud covered with glass like our 
green houses. The water ta heated by pipes of 
hot water running through it. By thia means the 
tropical aquatic plants are cultivated, and their 
beanty may be enjoyed during our long and tedi¬ 
ous winters. The amount of heat is regulated 
according to the requirements of the different 
plants, and they are planted with reference to this 
object, iu Stove or Green-House Aquariums — the 
stove being kept at the highest temperature. We 
quote from a Liverpool journal some useful re¬ 
marks ou the construction and planting of these 
bouses: 
“ Few, perhaps, are aware of the great beauty 
which the tropical aquatic tribes present under 
good cultivation. They are not weil adapted for 
small houses, but look best in houses having a 
vestibule or circular cen’re. They may be made 
in various forms, according to the taste of the pro¬ 
prietor: if ’n a square or oblong vestibule, the 
aqnarlom should be of the same Bhape; if in a cir¬ 
cular bouse, or part of the house, the form may be 
varied and much ornamented—a vase-shaped basin, 
circnlar cistern, or any other form suitable to the 
style of the building: a jet-d’-eau in the centre is a 
great improvement The interior must be of va¬ 
rious depths, to suit the plants of various sizeB,for 
which reason steps are usually formed from the 
circumference to the centre—the water being thus 
made shallower at the edge to suit the smaller 
plants. Upon these steps pebbles or soil are laid, 
in which the roots are planted; and gold and silver 
fishes may be made to add to the interest of this 
group. 
And what, we fancy some one inquiring, canyon 
grow in water, that is so beautiful? We will give 
a selection of plants for a stove, and also for a 
greenhouse aquarium. In the former we would not 
forget to have the PapytU3 antiquorum, so inter¬ 
esting from its having furnished the writing paper 
of the ancients; the very name conjures up a mu¬ 
seum of mummies, scrolls, sarcophagi, aud manu¬ 
scripts of the classics of ancient Greece and Rome; 
the beauty of the plant, independent of other points 
of interest, renders it worthy of a place iu the stove 
aquarium. The other species adapted to this place 
are P. odorata and P. laxiilora*, which are also el¬ 
egant gramineous plants. We have also seen the 
rice plant growing in the :-ame way; it is very 
pretty, being more graceful than the common oat, 
and much taller. Then there is the magnificent 
Nelumbium speciosum, with its large, emerald 
green, round, floating leaves, fine, large, rose col¬ 
ored flowers, and its Pythagorean associations, the 
seed being supposed to be the sacred bean of the 
Egyptians and Pythagoreans. N. Tamara is a fine 
species, with azure blue flowers; also N. jamaicense, 
and N. Lnteurn, with bright yellow oneB. The 
beautiful genus Nyruphtea, or water-lily, also fur¬ 
nishes some lovely ornaments for the aquarium; 
there is N. catulteo, with its cups of intense blue; 
N, sontifolia, N. Stella’a, and N. cyanea, are also 
beautiful blue species N. pubescens is pink, N. 
rubra, red; and N. rubra var. rosea, rose-colored. 
Then there is the Egyptian Lotus, N. Lotos; the 
Hungarian, N. Therwalis, with white flowers: N. 
versicolor, the variegated water lily; and the pore 
white one. N. blando. Besides these, the pretty 
yellow flowers of Yillarsiaindica,the red blossoms 
of Eurrale ferox, the yellow flowery Jusaieua na- 
Uns, and the white Alisma cordtfolia, ma?e a 
group of great beauty. The leaves alone of the 
Nymphteaa make them well worthy of cultivation. 
For the green house aquarium we have an equally 
extensive selection. Two species of water-lilies, 
Nymphtea reniformis, and odorats, both white flow¬ 
ers; Limnocharis Pltztnierii, and I.. Hnraboldtii, 
with pretty pale yellow blossoms. The remarka¬ 
ble genus Sarracenia, with their pitcher-shaped 
leaves; grow best with their roots In shallow water. 
Jnsaieua grandiliora, Alisma parnaesifolia, Fron- 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATURDAY, 0GT0BER U, 1857, 
I WHOLE NO. TOO. 
.ta 
