MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
DEO. 5 
plural ‘Motes ani Items. 
GETS THE HORNS POKBD AT HIM. 
JnBt as I Baid that, the fellow who had a ball in 
the next stall conies np to me pretty fierce, and 
says he: 
“ What do you know about bulls?” 
"Well,” says I. “I think I know what they are 
used for in my section.” 
“ May be,” says he, “you are on the committee?” 
“ I have that honor,” says I. 
“ Oh ! well, that makes a difference, but you ain’t 
the man I expected to Bee,” says he. 
"Very likely,” says I. 
«< But,” says he, " that bull hain’t got any pedi¬ 
gree.” 
« Well,” says I, “ he had a father and mother, 
didn’t he?” 
"OhI yes, but then nobody knows who they 
were.” 
“ Well, then nobody knows but they were juBt as 
likely as your bull’s parents.” 
“Bnt, sir, look at my bull's pedigree. There it 
is, sir. Got by imported Shirt-tail, out of Skim- 
milk by Thunder, Ac.,”—and he showed a string 
of names as long as your arm. 
«Well,” says I to the committee, " are we to 
judge the pedigree or the animal?” 
And they Baid— “The animal, of course.” 
“ Then,” said I to the fellow, " will your bull get 
better stock than this?” 
“ Of conre he will,” says he, " for he’s got a ped¬ 
igree and that hull hain’t.” 
"Well.” says I, "your bull has got somebody to 
brag for him, and the other hasn't, that’s certain.” 
And that sort o’ knooked him. "But,” says I* 
“I’ve known people who felt grand over their 
pedigree, and I’ve seen a heap of people who 
couldn’t go farther back than their father and 
mother that banged them all to pieces for smart¬ 
ness. Handsome is that handBome does,” says J, 
<‘and, as the hymn-book says, ‘a man’s a man for 
a’ that.’ Pedigree go to grass, I go in for the an¬ 
imal” 
SMITH’S BULL WINS. 
When we got through and looked at onr marke 
the other two had Smith's bull second. I had him 
first. 80 we talked it over, and finally, as they 
didn’t care much about it, they altered the figures 
and gave Smith the first premium, which I think 
was right. 
AND THE OLD MARE. 
Smith had a great time over old Nance. It turn¬ 
ed out that each of the other two committeemen 
had friends whose mares were to be judged, and 
they pretty soon picked out their favorites. So he 
kept still and let them talk, and they soon got into 
a quarrel, and then they appealed to Smith, and he 
kinder sided with one, bnt thought old Nance was 
the best mare, and finally, to keep the other from 
getting first, they sided with him, and he went in 
for both of theirs. Smith says he saw some queer 
things on that committee. 
You see we got our premiums, but yon don’t see> 
perhaps, Col., as well as I do, that it wants some¬ 
thing more than merit to be sure of winning. 
GETS IHRKVBRBNT. 
The State of New York is a great State, the big¬ 
gest in the Union, and the New York State Agri 
cultural Society i6 a great institution, bat it there 
ain’t some of the allfiiedest big humbugs crawling 
around its Annual Pair, then I’m a teapot, 
CONCLUDES. 
I want to tell you a heap more, but I have used 
up so much paper I fear you won’t have patience 
to print my letter. Yours to command, 
John Plowhandlk. 
BUBAL SIGHTS AND SCENES, 
DURING A WALK AND TALK DOWN “OUR” LANE. 
Eds. Rural:— In your paper for Oct. 31st, we 
had a very pleasant and profitable trip “Down 
Our Lane ” with one of your correspondents, and 
with yqar permission, I 6hould like to invite him 
to a vlk through Ora lane. Having signified 
his acceptance of the invitation, he will, of course, 
draw on his overcoat, for the air is somewhat chil¬ 
ly this November day, and we do not wish to travel 
very fast Now, being ready for a start, we will go 
out thiB way first 
Here, on the left, is a piece of wheat, sown on 
clover sod, with once plowing. By the way, I may 
as well remark here that I have a regular system 
of rotation, commencing, say with a clover sod, 
turned over in the fall, and sowb with wheat The 
wheat is followed with corn, using all the manure 
I can make on the wheat stubble. After oorn, 
comes oats, with which I stock down with clover, 
making the circuit once in four years. With thiB 
digression we will proceed. This wheat you per¬ 
ceive was drilled in, as I am fully satisfied from all 
the information I can obtain from reading the ex¬ 
perience of others, that drilling is preferable to 
broadcast sowing, though this is my first trial.— 
The color is certainly good now, and the leaf is 
broad. 
Now we come to a corn stubble. Here, I bad 
nearly six acreB of the " King Philip Corn,” plant¬ 
ed on a clover and timothy Bod, This is an odd 
lot, and an exception to my general practice.— 
PerbapB I had better give you a brief history of 
this piece of corn through the season, and then 
yon will he the better prepared to judge of its 
merits. The ground was plowed (abont the 10th 
of May) plump eight inches deep, well harrowed, 
and planted on the 23d of May, in towb three feet 
apart each way. The com came up beautifully, 
and just two weeks from the time it was planted, 
owing to the depredations of the *■ cut worm,” I 
was obliged to go over it and plant it again, it re¬ 
quiring a half a bushel of seed to fill np. I took 
the pains to dig into almost every hill, and take 
out and destroy the wormB, finding from one to 
Bixteen in a hilL These little fellows kept np their 
work till the 1st of August. I had jnst got It 
nicely hoed out, and it was looking very finely 
too, and had only time to get to the honBe after 
finishing hoeing, when mere came up one of the 
most destructive hail storms that ever passed over 
this region of country, which heat it fiat down to 
the ground. This was on the Monday following 
the 4th of July. It had recovered, contrary to my 
expectations, almost entirely from the effects of 
the hail, and was growing very rapidly, wheD jnst 
two weeks from the time of the hall storm, there 
came one of those terrible thunder storms which 
proved so destructive last summer. ThiB one was 
accompanied by a perfect gale of wind, which 
prostrated the com, breaking off entirely hun» 
dreds and hundreds of Btalks, and injnring others 
so that they never recovered. It was cultivated 
twice each way, hoed once, and had atop dressing 
of piaster, ashes and hen manure, mixed as fol¬ 
lows:—One bushel plaster, three bushels hen ma¬ 
nure, and four bushels ashes, and about that quan¬ 
tity per acre. The result was that I had five hnn. 
dred and sixty bushelB of ears, which I considered 
a pretty fair yiold after all the drawbacks. 
Next we come to another field that was planted 
with “White Flint Com.” This was wheat stub¬ 
ble, with about twelve two-horse wagon loads of 
manure per acre, planted the 18th of May, three 
and a half feet apart each way, tended same aB 
the other. A trifle more ground in this lot. The 
cut worm did not disturb this, but the "wire 
worm” did, a little. Had a larger growth of stalks 
and five hundred bushels of ears This variety of 
corn has won for itself a good reputation for pro¬ 
ductiveness. 
There is where I bad oats after corn —yield, 
fifty bushels per acre. That was seeded with clo¬ 
ver. A pretty good " catch.” Sowed piaster on 
the oats, one bushel per acre. 
Now we come to where I had wheat The 
growth was famous, but I think the " midge” took 
a little more than half, for their share—at any rate, 
they only left me thirteen bushels per acre. This 
is all we have to see this way, and now, if you 
please, we will retrace our steps, and take a look 
down towards the river. 
Here is our watering place. It is fed by never- 
failing springs. See how perfectly clear and pure 
the water looks; and do you notice how those 
fl9hes are sporting about there? It would do yon 
good, I think, to come and sit here in this tittle 
grove of a warm summer’s morning, and listen to 
to the birds as they warble forth their merry notes 
to Him from whom eometh “ every good and per¬ 
fect gift.” There I cut about one and a half tuns 
of hay per acre. The seed did not “take well,” 
consequently the crop was rather thin. From this 
piece of ground I harvested fifty bushels of oats 
per acre, after the grasshoppers had done their 
mischief, and that was not a little. 
We now stand on the bank of the beautiful Sus¬ 
quehanna. How peacefully and quietly its pure 
waters roll along. Suppose you take a seat in this 
little boat and I will row yon across the Btream, 
and we will go np on yon side hill, where we may 
have a fine view of the valley. This hill is pretty 
steep, hut the sight will well repay yon for the 
trouble. 
There, take a seat on that stone. Now isn’t that 
delightful? Away there to the right you see the 
village of Waverly, a smart little town, built np 
mostly 6inee the New York and Erie Railroad was 
located there. See that train of oars! That Is 
running very near the line between New York and 
Pennsylvania. East of Waverly you see Factory- 
ville, formerly a place of some considerable busi¬ 
ness, owing to tbe lnmbering establishments up 
“ Bhbphbrd’b Creek.” The business is pretty well 
drawn off to Waverly now. Yonder, to the left, is 
the quiet little village of Athens. See how nicely 
it is situated on a narrow strip of land between 
the two rivers. That is the Chemung river yon 
see winding along at the foot of those* hills on the 
west side of the valley, and away where you w« 
that mountain put out into tho valley, like, is where 
the two rivers unite. Athens was formerly the 
termination of the “ North Branch Canal,” hut that 
work is now connected by the “Junction Canal” 
with the "Chemung Canal” —making an outlet 
for our Pennsylvania coal. When money matters 
get a little easier we expect a canal, or slack water 
navigation, will be buili np the Susquehanna to 
Binghampton, to connect with the Chenango Canal, 
as that has been talked of strongly, and it most 
be a profitable place for the investment of capital. 
Now, if you have enjoyed this lovely landscape 
view as much as you wish, we will return to the 
house. Well, here we are again! Yon would like 
to take a look in the corn house. Very well, walk 
In. A nice lot of seed corn strung up there.— 
Yes, sir—I think you will find it hard to heat that 
in the county. I should be disappointed if there 
was not thirty-five or forty boshels of it. I sold 
over thirty dollars worth of seed corn last year, 
and could have sold more if I had had it on hand. 
Unless farmers have taken unusual pains to secure 
their seed corn this fall, yon will hear a great com¬ 
plaint abont seed rotting in the ground next spring 
for corn was unusnaliy late abont ripening, and 
the weather has been very wet, hence, much of the 
corn was got in in bad condition. There, They are 
calling to dinner, so we shall have to adjourn. 
Athens, Bradford Co., Fa. J. F. 0. 
-*- 
CROPS IN NOBLE CO., OHIO. 
Mr. Moorb:— Reading M. L. Shafer’s account 
of the crops in Western Michigan, it prompts me 
to let others know the condition of the crops in 
another part of tbe Union—that of my immediate 
neighborhood. 
Our wheat crop this year was hardly an average 
one, being injured very severely by the weeviL— 
Almost every field that 1 have seen or heard of was 
also Btruok with rust just before tbe grain was 
ready to cut, causing Ihe grain to be small and 
shriveled. Our oat crop was excellent and well 
harvested. Corn, which is onr main dependence 
here since the weevil is taking the wheatso bodlly ( 
is largely over an average crop—though much of 
it was inj ored by the high windB wfc had in A ugust, 
iu many cases completely prostrating whole fields. 
Our grass this year was excellent and saved in 
good order, though much later than common, ow¬ 
ing to our backward spring, and so with all our 
other crops. 
Potatoes, owiDg to a scarcity of Beed, will hardly 
come up to tbe average, though everything was 
planted that would possibly do. Their yield is 
good, however, with plenty for home eousu i ption, 
and no complaints of rot, except in low, wet places 
where there has been standing water a part of the 
time. 
I would conclude Ibis here, (hough there is much 
more I would like to Buy, but my little boy, who 
has jast passed hie tenth birthday, wishes me to 
tell you his saake story. I sent him to the field to 
catch hfe horse to go for the mail (we living some 
i\ miles from the pOBt-oflice,) when on coming 
back, what does he bring bnt a large copperhead 
which he had just killed. It measured three feet 
two inches in length and a fraction over four 
inches round —after taking from it a good sized 
frog which apparently bad been swallowed but a 
Bhort time before. Joseph Andrbws. 
Noble Co., Ohio, Nov., 1857. 
WINTER EMPLOYMENT FOR FARMERS. 
“ To be busy, as one ongbf, is an easy art; but to know 
how to be idle, is a very superior accomplishment.” 
Thbbb is, perhapB, no class of persons in our 
Commonwealth who are more prodigal of their 
time daring Winter, than the cultivators of the 
soiL After performing the arduona labors of 
Spring, Summer and Autumn, the farmer naturally 
looks forward to the season of the icy reign, as a 
period of repose; hut with many it is passed with¬ 
out improvement, the time being spent in visiting, 
making parties, sleigh-riding, Ac.—while Borne of 
the more wealthy spend their time in the cltieB, 
and frequently return home in spring, minus cash, 
health and morals. Now there is nothing wrong 
in visiting, eating good things, or in going to see 
the many curiosities of the cities, hut it should 
not be made a business of, for a thousand reasons, 
a few of which we will notice. 
So long as farmers’ sons and daughters continue 
to waste the golden opportunities for improvement 
afforded them in the winter, so long they must be 
content to be represented in the National Councils 
by merchants, doctors, lawyers, political dema¬ 
gogues, and wire pullers, who, having no sympa¬ 
thy for the dear people after eleotion is over, fre¬ 
quently trample on the rights of their constituents, 
and enact laws in accordance with their own sel¬ 
fish schemes of personal aggrandizement, to the 
entire neglect of the best interests of the State. 
In the Rural of Sept. 2Gth, we read that by the 
report of the trades and professions of the mem¬ 
bers of our State and National Legislature, that 
almost all of the representatives are lawyers, with 
occasionally a farmer. Tbe reason given is, that 
the farmers neglect to qualify themselves for these 
positions. Some may say that it would be diffi¬ 
cult for farmers to thoroughly prepare themselves 
for discharging the duties of the Legislative Hall; 
but not too fast, let us consider a moment and see 
if it cannot be done. 
“Farmers’ ClubB” should be organized in every 
school district, for the discussion of all subjects 
of interest to the tillers of the ground; debates 
should be held on moral, scientific and political 
subjects, and conducted agreeably to the rules of 
parliamentary order. Declamation should he 
carefully taught in the common schools, and, in 
addition to this, Lyceums might be established, 
expressly for the scholars, in which discussions 
should be conducted by the pupils, under the su¬ 
pervision of their teachers, and if properly man¬ 
aged, these exercises would call into action the 
latent faculties of the juvenile disputants, and pro¬ 
mote good reading and speaking, while the stand¬ 
ard of education would be elevated, and tbe 
patrons of the “ peoples’ oollege ” would become 
more interested In the great cause of popular in¬ 
struction, and thus strengthen tbe bulwark of 
popular freedom. In this way, a host of orators 
ana statesmen might be raised, who would be capa¬ 
ble of representing the rural districts in the de¬ 
liberative assemblies of the Nation, and whose 
deliberations In most cases would be conducted 
in such fair and honorable manner as to reflect 
credit on themselves and their constituents, and 
promote the beslbv treata of the community. 
Again: Every T^tizen should be familiar with 
the Constitution! aid the Laws of his State; and 
let toe decisions o?«4he courts take care of them¬ 
selves. While all are liable to be summoned as 
juroiH they Bbould understand at least the general 
principles of the common and statute laws of the 
land; and this knowledge can be easily acquired 
by every Inteligent agriculturist in the country. 
The Constitution of the United States, the Con¬ 
stitution of the Slate of New York, and the Con¬ 
stitution oi the several States, guarantee to the 
people, liberty of speech, freedom of the press, 
and trial by jury Section eighth of article first, 
of the revised Constitution of Now York, declares 
that every citizen may freely speak, write and pub¬ 
lish his sentiments on all subjects, being responsi¬ 
ble only for the abuse of that right. Hence the 
proprietors of the forty-six thousand square milts 
of territory in this State, should be duly represent¬ 
ed tn both branches of the Legislature, by men 
chosen from their own number. When taxes are 
to be raised for Town, County, or State purposes, 
the owners of the soil contribute by far the greater 
portion; therefore, the representatives, chosen 
from the farmers, should be in exact ratio to tbe 
amount of money paid by them into tho National 
treasury—for it Is a maxim of the American peo¬ 
ple, that taxation and representation ought to be 
equaL N. B. Ament. 
Mount Mors is, N. Y., 1857. 
A SORGHUM EXPERIMENT. 
Eds. Rural: — I raised olie-sixteenth of an acre 
of Chinese Sugar Cane. Took great pains to Bave 
a few bills for seed. Supposed I had some very 
good, but on examination there is not a seed. 
I succeeded well In getting out the juice in the 
mill I described to you, and which you published. 
Now for the result. Every four Btalks gave a 
pint of juice. The molasses was one-eighth of the 
juice. The molasses is good, as fur as tbe appear¬ 
ance is concerned, but has a (what I oall) disagree¬ 
able vegetable taste. I tried every plan but could 
not overoome It 
An acre with hills three feet apart gives 4,840 
hills; six stalks to a bill 29,040 Btalks; four stalks 
to the pint, 7,200 pints—one-eighth of it molasses, 
giveB 907 pints, or 113 gallons. I think, however, 
another and more favorable season I could do bet¬ 
ter, but how much better I will not attempt to 
guess , M. 8. Kimball. 
Fulton, N. Y., Nor., 1857- 
- ». » 
HUSKING FROZEN CORN. 
Eos. Rural:— The recent snow storm which fell 
so heavily upon Niagara, Orleans, and Genesee 
counties, found perhapB otie-half the corn raised 
there still in the stook, and those who have tried 
husking any of it find hard work enouth. The 
stalks being frozen ami covered with snow, are 
cold and wet to handle, the ears break off a great 
deal harder than when dry or merely wet, and one’s 
bands soon get sore and lame who attempts to 
husk enough to keep his bogs growing. Tbe 
writer baa tried machinery for this purpose, and 
fiudB it to work well. Get the corn into the barn, 
then provide a bench or plank, oi a suitable height 
to stand op to, and a hand hatchet. Lay on a buu- 
dle, bnts toward yon, and with th- hatchet strike 
a fair blow, as near the but of the ear as may be, 
shake the stalk, and tbe ear will fall out nearly or 
entirely husked. It will save lots of hard, hand- 
sore work.—J. H. B., Royallon, Niagara Co., N. Y. 
®{]t goimg lUiralist. 
Eds, Rural:— Your excellent paper has found 
its way to onr western home, and is much appre¬ 
ciated. It is a beautiful Bight, truly, when, during 
the long evening; our family gather around the 
fire-side, and one reads alond from the Rural, 
while tbe others listen. Oh, these pleasant even¬ 
ings, how I love them! I am much interested in 
the column devoted to the “Young Ruralist,” and 
believe with ninny others that it is doing much 
good to the young portion of our community. I 
wish you would let us have a paper of our own, 
and I would for one promise yon subscribers. I 
found some pretty verses in an old paper, which I 
have never Been *«• co tyimnH. They e.ruisss 
my own Idea., exactly. I remain a true friend to 
tbe Rural. Emma. 
Alpine, Mich., 1857. 
RURAL CHARMS. 
Give me the mountains and the hills, 
The valleys and the laughing rills, 
The birds that warble sweet in air, 
Tho flowers that blossom bright and fair. 
Give me the zephyr and tfco breeze, 
That murmur sweetly through the trees; 
The moss-grown rock, tho forest wild, 
For I am Nature’s simple child. 
Nothing on earth I love so well — 
As the green trees and wildwood dell. 
No place has such rich charms for me, 
As that beneath the forest tree. 
I would not change m.v rural home, 
For one beneath the proudest dome; 
1 would not lead a city lift, 
For mines with nature's treasures rife. 
Good Lambs, and Weighty. —In a recent letter 
from Mi-. Ezra Eingbb, of Lyons, N. Y r ., mention 
is made of some noteworthy lambs. He Bays:— 
“On the 3d insL, I weighed three of my ewe lambs. 
Their weight was as follows:—No. 1,163 lbs., No. 
2,142 lbs., and No. 3, 140 11. c—the three weighing 
445 lbs. These lambs were dropped in April last, 
and were nearly seven months old when weighed. 
They are of the Leicester breed, got by my Import¬ 
ed buck, and are pronounced by good judge# the 
best lambs they have ever Been, ugo considered.— 
I think one of them as good a lamb as there la in 
the United 8tate», and will give $50 for as good a 
one.” 
“8ome ’Tater8,” —Under this heading Mr. O. 
N. Cadwbll, of Loomisville, Mich., informs us 
that he recently dug from one vine 15 potatoes 
which weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces. Variety, 
“Western Red.” Also, that from one peck of 
Blue Mercers he has harvested 16J bushels of fine 
potatoes—some of the largest weighing 2 lbs. and 
7 ounces each. 
Potatoes from Skkd. —Will you please tell us 
in the Rural which is the best time to plant potato 
seed, and how to manage them to obtain potatoes? 
—W. A. B., 5 'do, N. Y., Nov. 2,1857. 
Remarks.— Plant the seed In the spring, in 5 
nicely prepared bed, and keep the ground mellow 
and free from weed* during tho summer. In the 
fall you will have potatoes about as large as mar¬ 
bles. These must be planted the following spring, 
like other potatoes, and after one season’s growth 
will show their true character. Those that appear 
superior should be preserved and the Inferior de¬ 
stroyed. 
Tub Premiums offered for subscribers to the 
Rural for 1858 (published on our 7th page,) are 
worthy the special attention and action of Young 
Ruralists. There is still time to compete, as not 
over twenty porsonB have yet secured either of the 
Two Hundred Extra Premiums enumerated at the 
close of tho list Several young friends huve sent 
to ns for Specimens, Show Bills, Ac., and we hope 
many others will see what they cau do in circu¬ 
lating the Rural uud winning premiums. Now 
is the time to commence the canvass ! 
An Extensive Farmer. —It is Baid by a cor¬ 
respondent of the Silver Creek (Texas) Mirror 
that CoL Jacob Carroll, of Texas, is tho largest 
farmer iu the United States. He owns 250,000 
acres of land (nearly 400 square miles) in that and 
adjoining counties. His home plantation contains 
8,000 acres, nearly all valuable bottom lands, along 
the Gaudalupe River. On thiB farm he has over 
600 acres in cultivation, on which he raises an- 
nually about 300 bales of cotton, worth at the 
plantation from $75 to $100 per bale, and 20,000 
bushelB of corn, worth about 60 cents per bushel. 
He has a force of abont fifty field hands, and he 
works abont sixty males and horses, and 15 yoke 
of oxen. Col. Carroll has, on his immense ranges 
of pasture land*, about one thousand horses and 
mules, worth $50,000; one thousand head of cat¬ 
tle, worth $70,000; six hundred hogs, worth $2,000; 
fifteen jacks, worth $9,000; three hundred Spanish 
mares, worth $15,000; fifty jennies, worth $2,000; 
and five stallions, worth $2,500. Col. Carroll’s 
property, In stock and fcegroes, is worth at least 
$160,000; and the value of his landed estate will 
swell the amount to over half a million of dollars. 
Hfe annual income from the saleot stock amounts 
from $5,000 to $10,000; and from the sale of cot¬ 
ton, to from $15,000 to $20,000. 
The First Fair of Naples, (Ontario Co.,) held 
in October last, was every thing it should be to 
promote the object of the Society. The Horses, 
Cattle and Sheep were of the beet breeds and in 
excellent order. Agriculture, Horticulture and 
the Mechanic Arts, were each fully and beautifully 
represented. The highly decorated Floral and 
Mechanics’ Hall shone resplendent with natural 
and artificial beauties, while the exhibition of the 
various kinds of Fruits would successfully chal¬ 
lenge any thing of the kind ever exhibited in the 
county. The day was beautiful, and enlivened by 
the excellent music oi Button’s Band and various 
other kinds of music. At the close, the Hon. E. 
B. Pottle, gave an eloquent address on the theme 
of the day, which wbb received with applause, and 
responded to by many smiling faceB. The whole 
gave general satisfaction, and good promise of fa- 
tnre progress. Not less than twenty-five hundred 
people went home well pleased with what they 
saw and heard.—S. H. Sutton, Sec'y. 
The Weather. —Oar brief paragraph relative 
to the predicted open Winter, (which appeared in 
the Rural of Nov. 21, hut was written on the 16th,) 
had scarcely received ink ere the weather became 
decidedly Zero-isb over a large extent of country. 
Indeed, last week the weather was colder in maDy 
sections than iD any November tor many years.— 
Snow fell in some sections of Western New York 
(Niagara, Genesee, Ac.) and tbe Western States to 
the depth of 12 inches or more—taking many 
farmers unawares and unprepared, with corn and 
potatoes out, buckwheat anthreshed, Ac. The sud¬ 
den freezing of the canal blockaded an immense 
quantity of flour, grain and produce—and although 
the weather is now (Dec. 1) mild and favorable, it 
is very donhtfnl whether tbe loaded boats will be 
able to reach tide-water. Tbe Winter may still be 
“open,” hat, the recent cold snap was certainly a 
clincher, and not in the hills of the weather-wise 
prophets. We have several letters from Michigan, 
Iowa, Ac., tolling of good sleighing and boisterous 
weather. As an example Mr. N. J. Strong, writing 
from Homer, Mich., Nov. 25, Bays:—*' For the past 
week we have had boisterous weather. Tbe snow 
has here fallen to the depth of six or eight inches, 
and at Niles (100 miles west,) 1 learn that it is 
eighteen inches deep l I think this is the most, snow 
that ever fell in this State, at this season of the 
year. The sleighiug is fine, and people improve 
it This morning, at sunrise, we were astonished 
at finding the mercury standing at twenty degeees 
below zero l If records will show colder weather 
than this in Nov., I should like to know where it 
was.” 
— Other records of the weather will be found 
on our sixth page. 
Farmers Holding their Produce.— The pres¬ 
ent. time is rather peculiar as affecting the prices 
of grain in this country and a lew words thereupon 
may prove of use to the agriculturist France 
and Greece bave for some time had laws prohibit¬ 
ing the export #f grain from their shores, and, as 
a consequence, those countries that have been 
obliged t.o send abroad for the stall of life have, 
in great measure, looked to America for relief.— 
These prohibitory statutes bave been removed—the 
crops of both countries are excellent—and they 
are seeking a foreign market for their surplus. To 
what extent this will depress prices we are not yet 
aware, hut a decline is observable in England.— 
Whether it will pay onr farmers to hold on we will 
not undertake to Bay; hut we think—when we con¬ 
sider the interest on grain instore, the destruction 
arising from the depredations of vermin and other 
causes, and the risk that must necessarily be run— 
such a result is, to say the least, exceedingly doubtful-. 
The Bean Story given in Rural of Nov. 14, 
has induced several of our readers to give ua 
figures which “beat it” Mr. Jas. C. Kelly, of 
KingBboro, N. Y., says that last spring there came 
up a- lone bean, of which he took no notice until 
n. began to run, and then nuepended a string from 
it up to the wood pile, close by. It grew and 
thrived well without cultare, and produced 161 
pods which averaged 6 beans eaob—amounting in 
all to 966 bean*.—A. J. C., of Catharine, writes ns 
that “ Mr. Asa Coe, of Schuyler Co, has this sea¬ 
son grown from one beau 302 pods, which yielded 
1,395 beans;” and adds that "Mass, may grow 
statesmen and scholars, but when she descends to 
the oulture of the bean she may staud aside for the 
Empire State.”—L. C. M., of West Monroe, Oswego 
Co., says he has this year “raised from one bean 
1,620 perfect beans. Tho imperfect ones were 
tbrowu away, and the pods not counted. There 
was no extra cultivation. It being a new variety 
to ns, and found by myself, was planted merely to 
see what it was.” 
—That will do, friends. We, if not Mr. Crocker, 
are satisfied that Borne people “know beans”— 
numerously. 
Suffolk Swine. —An esteemed Connecticut cor¬ 
respondent writes ua as follows:— “ At our State 
Fair I noticed two different species of Suffolk 
Swine. One was characterized by having the 
short, blunt snout, with eyes deeply imbedded—well 
haired, and fine, square form. The other almost 
hairless—skin inclined to crack, and wholly devoid 
of the short nose of the others. I refer to this be¬ 
cause I have previously noticed the same discrep¬ 
ancy in different animals of this breed, and would 
like to inquire in relation to It, as both claim to 
he pure. How is it? Are there two separate im¬ 
portations, or Is pureness applicable to only one 
class, and if so, which?” 
— Will some one who is informed as to the his¬ 
tory and characteristics of the importations, brecdB, 
or families of Suffolks, please enlighten onr cor¬ 
respondent and readers on the subject of the above 
inquiry? 
ABOUT THE WEST. 
Eds. Rural:—M y desire to see a prairie and 
prairie land, and work on prairie soil, has been 
gratified by a trip to and sojourn in Illinois. I 
must confess that I was somewhat disappointed In 
my expectations in regard to the industry of the 
people; for instead of living without work, I found 
hard workers were there as well as in Y'ork State. 
But then the hard work is repaid in something be¬ 
sides mustard and Canada Thistles. 
I will give you a short statement of the amount 
of grain raised by the gentleman T worked for the 
past summer. There was of sown grain forty-four 
acres—thirty five of wheat, nine of oats, and thirty- 
two planted with corn. The wheat yielded eight 
hundred bushels and the oats five hundred. The 
corn, owing to unsound seed, had to he replanted 
near the middle of Jane, which will make it some¬ 
thing of a failure; yet it can he reokoned at forty 
buBhels per acre, which will make over twelve 
hundred bushels of corn. You can see the result, 
from tho labor of one team and two persons. 
Tn conclusion, I would say to the hoys that read 
the column devoted to the “ Young Ruralist,” that 
if they wlah to eat big watermelons, and go where 
picking stone and Canada thistles are unknown, 
go to Illinois.—A. O. P,, Genoa, N. Y, 1867. 
Bloody Murrain at the West. —The Connors- 
ville (lud.) Times says that the bloody murrain is 
prevailing in that vicinity, for tho first time in 
twenty years. This disease used to be the bug¬ 
bear ol Western stock raisers, but it has occured 
so rarely for some years past that it was about con¬ 
cluded that it had left us entirely. 
