TWO DOLLARS A YEAR ] 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT . 5 
ojlay v7jj u'. r x v hj i o. 
VOL VIII. NO. 44 . 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1857, 
WHOLE NO m. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AH ORJSIMAI TFXIKIT 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AN ABLE CORPS OF ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
■FECIAL CONTRlHUTOHSi 
PBO». 0. DEWET, T C. PETERS, 
Lt. M. F. MAURY, H. T. BROOKS, 
Dr. ASA FITCH , EWD. WEBSTER, 
» a ARTHUR, Mrs. M. J HOLMES, 
LYMAN B LANGWORTHY 
Th* Rural New-Yokeir la designed to bo nuHnrpaaaed in 
Value, Purity, Uaefotnoas and Variety of Content*, and unJQue 
and bcnutlfu' In Appearance- Ita Conductor devotes hts per¬ 
sonal attention to tho supervision of Its various departments, 
and earnestly labors to render the Rurju. an eminently Rellnble 
Guide on the important Practical, Scientific and other Subjects 
Intimately connected with tlio business of those whose interests 
It sealocily advocates. It embraces more Ajrricnltnral, Horti¬ 
cultural, Scientific, Mechanical, Literary and News Matter, 
intersponwd with appropriate and beautiful Engravings, than 
any other Jonraal,— rendering it the most complete AGiuom.ni- 
]L«. Literakt a* o Fanri.v JounRAL tn America. 
t ir~ All communications, and business letlere, should be 
addict Kd to D. II. T. MOORE, Rochester, N. T. 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
PREPARATION FOR WINTER. 
THE TEACHINGS OF EXPERIENCE. 
The cold, shrill whistle of the winds, the fall 
ing leaves, the occasional flurry of snow, warn ns 
that winter is fast approaching. The harvest is 
past, the Summer is gone, Winter is nigh, and we 
feel the cold shadow he casts before, telling ns of 
his coming. Another of the few seasons allotted 
ns here has passed, never to return. We cannot 
live over again a single day, or recall a rnis-spent 
moment; we cannot undo a single ioollsh not, or 
control the widening circle of its influence. We 
can, however, learn wlBdomfrotu the past to guide 
us in tho future; and he who does not grow wiser 
and better every year that he lives, truly lives in 
vain. 
The farmer has an opportunity to learn much 
and become wise, lie- is in the school of experi¬ 
ence; nature is his teacher, and her lessons are 
truthful and emphatic; her punisbmont for diso¬ 
bedience certain and severe. The wise see, feel 
and profit, the foolish gee, feel and lament. The 
poor, hard-used soil refuses to grow a crop that 
will remunerate the farmer for the labor bestowed 
upon lt; the wise man learns that it is necessary 
to add the elements ot fertility, the food of plants, 
to the soil, and acts accordingly; the fooliBh only 
learns that he is unlucky, and laments his sad for¬ 
tune. Many, although taught better by experi¬ 
ence, have planted potatoes the present season 
upon a wet and undrained soil, and the leBson 
taught before so emphatically is again repeated,— 
Only two bushels of Bound potatoes on an acre is 
reported to us by one who should not have needed 
this last severe lesson; while one hundred and fifty 
bushels that would to day bring the cash at fitly 
cents per bushel—making a clear profit of over fifty 
dollars per acre—is realizid by others, who were 
wise enough to learn wisdom from previous failures. 
Last winter was long and severe; fodder was 
scarce, and hay and grain enormously high before 
spring. Many cattle Buffered the pains of hunger, 
while in some parts of tho country many were re¬ 
ported to have starved to death. The ownerB, 
except less than human, runst have Buffered not 
only in pocket, but sorely iu mind. Who will profit 
by last year’s experience, and store away carefully 
everything that will furnish food for their stock 
taking care that not even the fragments are wast¬ 
ed? Then, many disposed of hay and grain in tho 
fall, or early in the winter, at a low price, and bad 
to purchase again before spring at double the 
price for which they sold. Tho wise man will 
profit by bitch sad lessons, and leum to keep on 
hand more even thau he will be likely to need, so 
as to be prepared for the worst. He will always 
aim to be on the safe side iu any emergency, while 
the inconsiderate trust to luck, and get paid in a 
way that is neither pleasant nor profitable. 
Many have learned that good shelter, warm 
barns, and stables and BhedH, not only render the 
animals more comfortable, but are very economi¬ 
cal, asstock will keep in much better condition with 
the same amount of food, when well and comforta¬ 
bly housed, than when exposed to the weather, or 
kept in such buildings as we often see, which, but 
for the name of the thing, the sheltered oide of a 
rati fence would bo about as good. Ho who ex¬ 
poses his cattle to tho cold of winter, wastes his 
tood. Some have this lesson yet to learn, al¬ 
though the condition of their stock every spring 
—the quautity of food couBumed to bo little pur¬ 
pose,—should have taught it long ago. 
For want of u little banking, a slight attention 
to the windows, the frost was permitted to get iu 
the cellar last winter and injure a good many veg 
etables, apples, Ac., besides making the house so 
cold that an extra quantity of fuel was necessary 
to keep it comfortable. These things should be 
attended to immediately, and can be done much 
better now than at any time later. An hour's labor 
will de wonders towards keeping the frost out and 
making home comfortable. 
In some cases that came our notice, the potato- 
hills were not sufficiently protected from the frost, 
and in the spring the potatoes were found to be 
much injured. For potatoes, turnips, carrots, Act, 
there is nothing like a root cellar. We have pre¬ 
viously given directions for their construction — 
Those who have a suitable situation, particularly a 
side-hill, should by all means, make one. When 
potatoes are disposed to rot, as they arc the pres¬ 
ent Besson, in a cellar they can be watched, sorted 
over, sold or fed to ptock, as circumstances may- 
render necessary. Such a cellar is also invalua¬ 
ble for keeping all other roots that it is necessary 
to have access to at all times for feeding. We 
know a farmer who made a fine cellar in the fali 
of 1853, and who raises on an average a thousand 
bushels of potatoes a year. He has been enabled 
to take advantage of the market and sell them when 
they would bring the highest price, and calculates 
that he has realised at least twenty- cents a bushel 
more than his neighbors, who sell a portion of 
their crop a6 soon as dug, and bury the remainder 
in the ground and sell on the breaking up of frost 
in the spring. The extra profit the first year more 
than paid for making the cellar. Then he has 
never lost ft bushel by freezing, and the trouble of 
storing is very little, compared to burying in hills. 
In addition to all these advantages he has ample 
room for storing all kinds of roots, pumpkins, Ac. 
Such experience will not be disregarded by the 
wise. We urge this matter because we think that 
to many of our readers it is of great importance, 
and has been too long neglected. The formation 
of root cellars and the culture of roots must keep 
pace. When one la neglected the other will be 
also; and wo wish to impress it upon the minds of 
all that a greater amount of nutriment can be pro¬ 
duced from an acre in carrots, sugar beets, or 
parsnips, and with less labor, than from any other 
crop. One acre of good soil in roots may be made 
to produce as much actual food as Is generally 
grown on ten acres in hay. Store hogs will winter 
on tbe Rnta Bags much better on the Sugar Beet 
and best of all on the Parsnips—on the latter they 
will fatten. Those who must put their potatoes in 
pita, should have them well dtied before pitting, 
as heat and moisture hasten decomposition. Se¬ 
lect a dry, sandy knoll, if possible, dig a hole two 
or three feet deep, cover with plenty of straw; 
then, we like to lay on a few boards if we have 
them, to prevent the earth from getting among the 
straw, or communicating dampness to it, and cover 
I with enough carth|to keep out the frost. 
Don't let stock remain too long in pasture, or 
tkoy will get poor, as there is very little nutriment 
in the dead nud fra&t-burnt grass that they pro¬ 
cure late in the fall. From new meadows, cattle 
should be removed as soon as the ground becomes 
wet and soft. Fattening hogs should bo pushed 
on as rapidly as possible. Cooking their food will 
hasten the work. Pork can be made much cheap¬ 
er during the fine mild weather of fall thau when 
it becomes cold. A good portion of the food is 
then consumed in keeping up the natural heat— 
Fallen and poor apples that are often wasted, if 
cooked and fed with u little mill feed or corn 
meal, will push them ahead finely. 
See that wood is provided for the house and 
stored under shelter, and water convenient for 
stock, so that when the storms of winter are real¬ 
ly upon us, when the wind howls fiercely, and the 
snow is blown in blinding whirls, and the air is 
piercing cold, you may be able to enjoy the results 
of well directed and intelligent labor, at peace with 
all men and your own conscience. On the enjoy¬ 
ment and improvement of winter we will give a 
few hints in the next number. 
--- 
SWINE,—THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. 
Iue query of Mr. Wm. a. Johnston, of Amelias- 
burgh, C. W., as noticed iu last Rural, mighthave 
been propounded by thousands of our readers 
especially those who arc eugaged in the business | 
of breeding and rearing swine for market. Mr. J. I 
says he thinks “the cheapest way to make pork is 
to winter over only as many sews as will produce 
pigs enough for what pork is wanted, and if the 
breed is right and well attended to through sum¬ 
mer, they will make a barrel of potk each in the 
fall.'' Having adopted such views, Mr. J. wished 
to ascertain which breed la beat calculated to ful¬ 
fill these requirements, “ Rapidity of growth and 
economy, and a disposition to fatten young,” is 
what Mr. J. wants—more than that, it is what every 
farmer wants, and what every farmer should en¬ 
deavor to have. We purpose, therefore, to pre¬ 
sent, bb concisely as possible, pen-portraits of a 
few of the leading improved breeds, together with 
such information bb we have been able to gather 
relative to the peculiarities of growth, economy 
in feeding and early maturity; hoping, also, to 
soon have the privilege of giving to Rural readers 
the views of the gentlemen named in last issue, as 
GROUP OF MIDDLESEX SWINE. 
well as those of all who have had experience in 
the management of the animal under considera¬ 
tion. 
We are not aware of any improvement in the 
various breeds oi swine in onr country but which 
is directly traceable to on importation from Eng¬ 
land, and in speaking- -A, these we must keep in 
mind the fact that, among the English people, a 
much smaller animal is desired than would prove 
a favorite with us. In London the market is ohiefly 
supplied with porkers whose weight does not ex¬ 
ceed 168 pounds, and iarge numbers of those sent 
in do not even come np to this standard. In 
almost all the manufacturing districts the taste of 
the Londoners is becoming recognized, and large 
breeds are being driven out. “The effect of this 
change,” says the Cyclopedia of Agriculture, “has 
been the almost general adoption, as a common 
coarse of business, of the fattening of small pigs 
at an early age; and, in fact, vast numbers from 
their birth are fattened, and are killed on attaining 
the age of from twenty to twenty-six weeks.” In 
the agricultural districts, however, larger breeds 
are in demand, and are raised by farmers to sup¬ 
ply this want. These breeds are generally kept 
until eighteen or twenty months old before 
slaughtering. The varieties chosen for this pur¬ 
pose are strong, gross in size, and, compared with 
the smaller kinds, coarse in flesh. These will turn 
over the manure heap or the soil in search of their 
daily food, and when brought up for fattening will 
thrive upon coarser or less nutritious material 
than their aristocratic brethren, and, in addition, 
are not so affected by extremes of weather. 
The Berkshires may be said to hold the place 
par excellence among British breeds. The old 
Berkshire, Loudon says, is generally “ of a tawny, 
white, or reddish color, spotted with black; large 
ears hanging over ihe eyes; thick, close and well 
made in body; legs short; small in the bone; hav¬ 
ing a disposition to fatten quickly; and when well 
fed, the flesh is fine; feeds to a great weight; is 
good Tor either pork or bacon." The Improved 
variety are mostly either black or white, their pro¬ 
portions aro the beau ideal of a good hog, while 
their aptitude to fatten is much superior to the 
old breed. They weigh variously, from 250 to 400 
pounds nett at sixteen months, according to care 
given, ami the quality and kinds of food usod.— 
Instances are chronicled of heavy weights attain¬ 
ed in much less time. Three pigs, slaughtered at 
seven months and twenty-seven days, weighed re¬ 
spectively 240, 250 and 257 pounds nett. Two at 
nine months dressed 304 and 310 pounds. 
The Essex variety has for a series of years con¬ 
tested with the Berkshire?, and the competition 
has been so exciting, and each have met with 
such varied success, that it is difficult to decide to 
which has been awarded the palm. Tho original 
Essex breed,(from which the Improved,by across 
with the Neapolitan was derived,) were up-eared, 
with long, sharp heads; roach-backed; carcasses 
flat, long, and generally high upon the leg; bone 
not large; color white, or black and white; bare 
of hair; quick feeders, but great consumers, and 
of unquiet dispositions. Tho Improved were ori¬ 
ginated by Lord Western, and under Fisher 
Hobbs made rapid strides toward perfection.— 
They exhibit the black color of the Neapolitan. 
Stephens, iu his Book of the Farm, says “he never 
saw a breed equal to this in disposition to fatten, 
exhibiting in carcass at the same time a due pro¬ 
portion ol leau. They were exceedingly gentle; 
indisposed to travel far; could attain, if kept on, 
to great weight; and so compact in form and 
small of bone and offal, that they invariably yield¬ 
ed a greater weight of pork than was judged of 
before being slaughtered, and more delicious ham 
was never cured than they afforded." The dress¬ 
ed weight of this breed in England is stated to be 
from two hundred and fifty to four hundred 
pounds, at twelve to eighteen months old. 
The Lincolnshire or Yorkshire breed of swine 
was originally one of the worst looking varieties 
in the Kingdom, and also lacked all of the essen¬ 
tial qualities of a good pig. Long-legged, weak- 
ioined, gross consumers and yielding a coarse, 
flabby flesh were its characteristics. Improvement 
has done as much for these as for any kind. It is 
now well formed; head moderate in size; pleasant, 
docile countenance: ears not very large; back 
broad and curved; wide, well-set ramp; chine and 
loin broad; ribs springing; deep sides and fall 
chest; white in color; hair long and thin. This 
breed, where well cared for, grews fast, feeds rap¬ 
idly, and at twelve months will attain from 280 to 
350 pounds weight The quality of their pork is 
rated iu English markets as “fine,” and possesses 
a full proportion of choice lean flesh. 
The Middlesex variety in many respects may 
rank among the first Our engraving represents 
three, to which were awarded the first prize of 
$50, and the Silver Medal at the Smithfield Cattle 
Show in 1652. These were bred by Mr. Barber, 
of Uxbridge, England, and are thus described:— 
“They were farrowed on the ISth of Jane, and 
were fed, from 9ix weeks old, on middlings, 
boiled potatoes and peas, up to eleven weeks old, 
when they had barley and pea-meal, and boiled 
potatoes, mixed with water. They consumed iu 
thirteen weeks, twenty-eight bushels of meal and 
four bushels of potatoes. They were tried on 
milk, but did not thrive bo well on it as on witter. 
Inconsequence of their great propensity to fatten, 
they were blind with fat at sixteen weeks old, and 
when exhibited their eyes were buried two inches 
in fat, which came over their forehead and lay on 
the top of their noses full three inches. 
The following is a statement of their weight and 
age while fattening: 
Date. 
I 
Weeks old. 
i First. | Second 
| Third. 
July. 
*’22 
5 
i 24 lbs. 1 24 lbs. 
20 
lbs. 
August,... 
.13 
S 
62 “ 44 « 
42 
u 
Septemper 
. 3 
11 
80 “ 72 «• 
64 
u 
Ditto, .... 
.24 
14 
104 “ ; 06 « 
S3 
it 
October, .. 
.15 
17 
152 “ 144 “ 
132 
it 
November, 
. o 
20 
200 « | 193 « 
192 
*i 
Ditto. 
.26 
23 
232 “ 224 « 
224 
(t 
December, 
. 6 
24 and 3 days. 
232 “ 224 « 
224 
tt 
The mean increase per week was—1st week, 7 l i tbs.; 
2d, 3d, 8; 4th, 15*,; 6th, IT. 1 : ; 6th, 10',. 
They are of a pure white color, of great sub¬ 
stance and propensity to fatten. They keep in 
excellent condition while stores, on grass, turnips, 
offal from the barns or garden, and when put np 
to fat, in two or three weeks make excellent pork¬ 
ers. They are fine in the bone and head; small, 
upright ears, which point a little forward. They 
are of a small size, have good litters, varying from 
seven to fourteen in number, being very fist while 
sacking, and thus making very good roasters." 
Judging from the table, this breed would seem 
to meet the requirements of onr Canadian friend. 
In less than six months these three weighed respect¬ 
ively 232, 224, and 22-t ponuds. After becoming 
five weeks old, the average gain of each per week 
very nearly equalled 11 pounds. Give them the 
additional time allowed in the proposition of Mr. 
Johnston, and there is little doubt but what tbe 
pork barrel iroMd be filled with the choicest quality 
of material. 
The Suffolk* are small; nicely formed; thin- 
skinned; soft-haired; small, pricked ear; white in 
color; easily fed. They are a hearty, quiet and 
thrifty breed; grow rapidly, are docile, contented 
and good looking. 
The Leicester*, with which a cross oi' the Suffolk 
is advocated, are large, generaLy coarse in bone 
i and cair; white in color; great eaters, auu slow 
! in maturing. When crossed with small, compact 
breeds, the product is usu illy a thrifty, desirable 
animal. 
We have here presented a list of such breeds as 
our farmers might select from, in many instances 
to great advantage. We think that the “real 
aristocrat” can be found among them — with this 
distinction—while the biped wearing the cogno¬ 
men is of little use to his fellow-man at any time, 
the quadruped will be appreciated" when brought 
to the perk bai ret, if his merits are not previously 
discovered. 
-- 
••DOWN OUR LANE.”— CROPS AND CULTURE. 
A bright October morning; what 3ay you to a 
walk “ Down our Lane," a look at the fields border¬ 
ing it, and a talk of the erops grown and growing 
therein? All ready! So am I, as soon as I fill my 
i pockets with peaches—these Crawfords, though 
ripening late, are rich in luscious juicrs. 
There, just beyond the barn, lies our watering 
pond. It is very convenient, besides containing a 
store oi muck, of much value. La« fill it became 
so nearly dry, that we drew and scraped out about 
i two hundred loads, putting seventy live on a bar¬ 
ley stubble, and piling the rest for future use, 
deepening and improving onr pond ma’erially.— 
This year, it has kept full of water, and next winter 
will not find it frozen to the bottom, as its shallow 
contents were last, by the exceeding severity of 
the weather, The geese and ducks like it, and 
give us much less trouble because they have it I 
wish we had some such attraction to keep our 
hens out oi mlaebiefi 
The cornfield—five acres—lies on your right— 
There is half au acre of the “Improved King 
Philip" in one corner—if it were all equal to some 
of the ears, it would truly be an imj>rcved variety. 
Bntforone fall ear there are twenty imperfect and 
j uBripe ones. It matures, this year, very unevenly, 
j What plamp, large kernels its “specimen” ear9 
I have! I must try to get a better growth hereafter; 
it has uot done as well as the eight-rowed yellow 
beside it, and is scarce a week earlier. Perhaps 
the moist season causes this. 
From that five acres of corn we want five hun¬ 
dred bushels of ears, and there are stalks enough 
to give more than than But, judging from what 
I husked yesterday, tbe growth of stalks is out of 
proportion to the yield of grain. There are many 
with but small ears and a few with none at all— 
regular Sorghum’s. But we are far from dissatis¬ 
fied with the crop, a glance at a field in sight on a 
neighboring farm, shows us ten acres with a far 
less valuable product Manure makes the differ- 
ennee—fifteen good loads of manure on every 
acre tells in the com crib as well as in stalks and 
pumpkins. 
That meadow on the left needs plowing up, and 
we propose to plant to corn and potatoes next 
season. It gave a fair crop of hay, some would 
say, but I call nothing lair under two tuns per 
acre. Do yon see that bright, green patch yonder ? 
There I spread a few loads of rotten manure in 
August— shall pnt the same quantity by its side in 
the spring, and see which gives the best corn and 
