pru R E: 
agriculture 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRE 30, 1864 
[WHOLE NO. 746 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
SURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
twenty minutes spent in a careful post mortem 
examination would have solved the question as 
to the cause of death, and furnished him with 
knowledge that he could not have acquired in 
any other manner. Perhaps he did dissect 
them. If he did, he has given us no description 
of the appearance of the animals internally. 
The present perfection of the science of sur¬ 
gery and medicine is chiefly due to the facilities 
afforded students for dissecting human bodies— 
of studying the effects of diseases and drugs up¬ 
on the human system. The farmer and his sons 
should lose no opportunity to study the organi¬ 
zations of dependent animals. Very many such 
opportunities are afforded. Especially should 
effort he made to solve doubts, to seek for causes, 
at least localities, of diseases that prove fatal. 
It is sometimes the case that such thoughtful in¬ 
vestigation saves other and heavier losses. We 
have known farmers to kill a sheep, or hog, the 
moment one appeared to be incurably ill, or af¬ 
fected by a disease they knew nothing about, 
for the purpose of learning its nature and loca¬ 
tion, and preventing it extending to other ani¬ 
mals, or to enable them to apply the proper 
remedies to animals similarly affected. 
A farmer’s boy need not go to school to study 
the physiology of animals. Let him use the 
scalpel on the farm; let the farmer aid him in 
his investigations, and stimulate him to this 
mode of gaining knowledge by exhibiting an 
interest in the results thereof. Let farmer boys, 
who read this article, resolve to improve the 
opportunities hereafter afforded them on the 
farm to study animal anatomy and physiology. 
If you have or can get books to aid you, all the 
better; if not, go to work without the books! 
and leaves are large. Its table quality is report¬ 
ed good, not best—we have never tasted it. It 
produces well and those who have grown it con¬ 
sider it promising, so far as we have reports. 
On page 181 will he found an advertisement of 
seed of this and other varieties. 
to frauds. Much is said of the great profits 
realized by manufacturers under the present 
tariff. A great portion of these profits has been 
realized from the advance in stock consequent 
upon the depreciation of the currency, and 
which is likely to be reversed should it sud¬ 
denly appreciate. It is not to he denied, how¬ 
ever, that the profits of the past year have been 
large, and it could not be otherwise when a 
change is made which gives the supply of the 
market suddenly to home manufacturers of so 
large an amount of goods for which we have 
before been dependent upon foreign countries. 
Those who have the machinery to operate can 
not fail to reap :f liberal harvest until a competi¬ 
tion is created by increased machinery. 
These large profits are the surest means to 
lead to a product speedily, at the lowest cost, 
which is shown by the 1,000 sets you refer to as 
having been already put in operation, and the 
large orders still in the hands of the machinists. 
The quantity that will be started during the 
present year will be more than enough to con¬ 
sume all the increase there possibly can be in 
the clip of 1861, while the 1,000 sets before men¬ 
tioned as having been added to our working 
capacity, will consume very nearly equal to 
-10,000,000 pounds of domestic fleece wool. 
You must bear in mind that but a small por¬ 
tion of this increased machinery was in opera¬ 
tion for any considerable portion Of last year. 
Now, how the interest of the wool grower has 
been affected thus far. will be seen by the table 
which I inclose, based upon the figures given in 
the article commented upon, which shows that 
for gold, wool has brought more than the aver¬ 
age price of the past 85 years, and which average 
! was suflicient to make wool growing the most 
i profitable business In the country. 
Burden foreign wool with the high duty you 
I propose, or with any considerable increase, and 
I you waste the capital invested in this new ma¬ 
chinery, say $15,000 per set, as well as that 
before established, and assuredly destroy 'the 
market for the wool growers. 
It is time enough for the wool growers to 
complain when they have suffered. No other 
branch of agricultural industry can show, as a 
whole, such an advance at gold prices, and none 
has such a prospect for the future; for the 
benefits of the present tariff are but beginning 
to be felt. 
Already Europe is feeling the drain of fine 
wool to this country, and prices are so improv¬ 
ing there that there is reason to fear that, for the 
coming year, it will be didicult for us to obtain 
an adequate supply of wools from abroad to make 
good the deficiency of our clip. 
More revenue is needed. Let a tax, then, be 
put equally upon all branches, but let it be so 
raised as to keep our home manufactures in 
healthy condition, and take as little gold as pos¬ 
sible out of the country—thus enabling us to 
meet the great drain which this war makes 
upon our resources with the least possible loss 
to the country. 
The Washington Mills Treasurer handed me 
their book, showing the absolute returns of dif¬ 
ferent kinds of wool for the year, from which I 
took the actual per centage of shrinkage. 
They had no statement of the loss in working, 
but the mill agent, who was present, stated it to 
be 20 to 25 per cent, on the scoured foreign, and 
15 to ‘20 per cent, on the scoured American. J 
have, in making the estimate, taken the lowest 
1 of these two estimates. 
I am, Sir, Yours very respectfully. 
Geo. Wm. Bond. 
1 Table showing the average price of gold for 
' each quarter of the years 1862 and 1863, from 
chart published by Jos. F. Howard, of New 
■ York, with the current prices of domestic fleece 
' wool, and the prices of the same reduced to gold. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
CHARLES n. BHAGDON, Ajwodnte Editor. 
KEEP HUSBANDRY 
To Relieve Choked Cattle. 
P. Groks»eck tells us how he relieves a 
choked animal. He uses a stick, four to five 
feet long, large enough 3t one end to tie on a 
piece of pork rind, firm, with strong string. 
Use judgment in determining the size, having 
regard to the size of the animal. Let a man 
hold the animals head as level as possible, an¬ 
other pull out the tongue and force the stick 
down the gullet; this pressure will force the 
object down without any injury to the animal. 
This is a sure remedy. The fat on the inside 
the pork-rind prevents any injury to the gullet. 
He says this remedy has been worth hundreds 
of dollars to him. 
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS: 
P. BARRY, C. DEWEY, LL. D., 
H. T. BROOKS, L. B. LANGWORTHY, 
TO Correspondents. — Mr. Randall'S address Is 
Cortlaud ViUage, Cortland Co.. N. Y. All communica¬ 
tions Intended for this Department, and all Inquiries 
relating to sheep, should be addressed to him as above. 
W. T. KENNEDY. Jr- A s s istant Offloe Editor. 
The Rural Nkw-Yorker Is designed to be unsur¬ 
passed in Value, Purity, and Variety of Contents, and 
unique and beautiful lu Appearance. Its Conductor 
devotes Ills personal attention to the supervision or Its 
various departments, and earnestly labors to render 
the Rural an eminently Reliable Guide on all the 
important Practical, Scientific and other Subjects Inti¬ 
mately connected with the ousiueas of those whose 
Interests It zealously advocates. As a Family journal 
it Is eminently Instructive and Entertaining—being eo 
conducted that It can bo safely t«toen to the Homes of 
people of Intelligence, taste and discrimination. It 
embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific,' 
Educational, Literary and News Mailer, Interspersed 
with appropriate Engravings, than any other Journal,— 
rendering It the most complete Agricultural Lite¬ 
rary and Family Newspaper In America. 
THE WOOL TARIFF-HEAR BOTH SIDES. 
To our recent article ore the present Wool i 
Tariff, we have received the following reply 
from one of the most extensive and eminent 
wool brokers in the United -dates. We present | 
Mr. Bond’s letter entire, although we totally 
differ from its conclusions in regard to several of 
those leading propositions which constitute the 
turning points of the argument. But it is 
always fair to hear both sides: 
Bo-ton, April 8, 1SW. 
Henry S. Randall —Dear Sir:— I re¬ 
ceived to-day. I suppose from you, a copy of the I 
Rural New-Yorker, for which I am much 
obliged, and will undertake to reply to the 
article you have marked, believing that it was 
dictated by a regard to the true interests of the 
wool grower, which no one has manifested more 
than yourself, and which I have at heart as 
much as you. 
The average cost which you give for the 
imported wools I have not examined, but doubt 
not, from your well known accuracy, is correct. 
You must bear in mind that it is the average 
of coarse ami tine wools, the former generallv I 
much exceeding the latter, though this year the 
latter are in excess. 
The fine wools, from the competition for this 
market, are generally worth in the markets of 
the producing countries, as near as possible, the 
maximum price at which they can be entered 
under the low duty and require, with freight and 
expenses, about 22i cents to cover cost of im¬ 
portation in gold. 
The average loss in scouring of Buenos Ayres 
and Cape wool, where they are used in equal 
quantities, one with the other, from the absolute 
returns of the Washington Mills for the past 
year, is 06.57 per cent. The scoured wool loses 
into finished cloth. 20 to 25 per cent., leaving, at 
20 per cent, loss, 26.76 lbs. finished cloth, for 
100 lbs. wool, costing 822.50; add for profit to im¬ 
porter 10 per cent., 82.25: 26.76 lbs. cloth cost 
824.75, or for wool for one pound cloth costs 
02.12 cents: for 12 ounce cloth 60.00 cents; 
American fleece wool from same returns loses in 
scouring -14.36 percent.; in manufacturing 15 to 
20 per cent.; 100 pounds wool, costing 845.00, 
makes 48.20 pounds cloth at 15 per cent, loss, or 
wool for one pound cloth costs 03.30 cents; for 
12 ounce cloth, 70,02 per cent. 
The American wool works easier, and a larger 
amount of work can be made from the same ma¬ 
chinery— eousequemly, where the goods can be 
a- well made from it, it bas the preference, but, 
as I before stated, for many styles of goods there 
never has been found iu this country any con¬ 
siderable amount that has the working proper¬ 
ties that are required. Consequently, we must 
Mannring Potato Ground. 
J. D., of Saratoga Co., N. Y., writes:— 
“ Manuring with fine rotted manure has either 
caused my potatoes to rot, or to grow large vines 
and small potatoes, while manuring in the hill 
with coarse, unrotted manure, on top of the seed, 
has resulted in good crops of good-sized pota¬ 
toes, lying more compactly iu the hill, lessening 
the labor in digging. Soil, sandy loam. Vari¬ 
ety, Peachblow,” This is, i*< us, an entirely 
new mode of applying manure to potato ground. 
C7" For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
AGRICULTURAL GLEANINGS. 
Sorgho Sugar .—In an article on the culture 
and varieties of sorgho, Hon. M. L. Dunlap, 
of Illinois, says:—"What we know in regard 
to its saccharine properties is, that it makes a 
valuable sirup. And we have yet to learn in 
regard to its value for sugar. For it is safe to 
say, thus far, we have no practical method by 
which to reduce the. sirup to sugar. It may, 
therefore, be safely challenged, that out of the 
tuns of sugar claimed to have been made, not a 
single barrel has ever been put iu market.’’ 
Time of Planting Sorghum .—The same writer 
says:—*• Seed that has laid on the surface of the 
ground during the winter comes up early and 
makes the best stand. It is, therefore, reasona¬ 
ble to suppose that the fall preparation of the 
ground and planting will answer an excellent 
purpose if it does not prove to be the very best. 
The shell or outer covering of the seed is hard, 
and if planted in its dry stale, in rather a dry 
soil, will be tardy in germinating. Soaking the 
seed for spring planting is, therefore, advisable, 
unless planted very early in the season. There 
is no danger of the seed rottiug near the sur¬ 
face ; it should be covered lightly and the earth 
pressed on tt with a roller.’* 
Thick ami Thin Seeding of Flax. — Thick 
seeding of three to four bushels per Irish acre 
having been recommeuded by a correspondent 
of the Irish Farmers' Gazette, another corres¬ 
pondent says that three bushels of Riga seed 
ought to be the maximum quantity per acre, 
lie asserts that ‘‘it is quite a mistake to suppose 
that thick sowing and a close growing crop will 
produce a tine quality of flax, or, ou the con¬ 
trary, that a thin growing crop must necessarily 
produee a coarse quality of flax. Much more 
depends ou its being pulled at the proper time, 
and the after treatment it receives, as to both 
quality and quantity, than on more growing 
of it.” 
Draining a Demedyfor IVire-icoms.— James 
A. Fenwick, iu the Country Gentleman, says 
that a good application of unfermented manure 
and plenty of underdrains well placed iu the 
ground will do away with auy loss from the 
depredations of the wire-worm, He has never 
suffered from them except on moist meadows, 
and in those parts of fields that do not warm 
up promptly at the commencement of warm 
weather. 
Weaning Calves.—It. L. French, who says 
he has good calves, and who lets them suck all 
they want the first three or four days, then 
takes them from the cow and feeds skimmed 
milk, or a porridge of Indian meal and milk, 
writes the Country Gentleman that he don't be¬ 
lieve in the doctrine of weaning calves. If he 
has no milk to give them, he gives dish-water 
with meal or roots of some kind, and his calves 
take anything that is put in a swill-pail, and 
he regards that “ worth a pile” 
Horn Piths, &c., for Manure. 
Palmer Gates asks, “What is the value of 
horn piths, cattle’s tails, Ac., for manure? How 
should they be applied, and to what crops ?’’ It 
is a rule which it is safe to remember and apply 
in practice, that whatever belongs to an animal, 
has a greater or less value as a manure. For 
animals, like plants, are products of the soil. 
Even the hides of animals, in the shape of old 
leather, is worth saving and using, although its 
effect upon plant or tree is scarcely perceptible. 
Horn piths and cattle tails should he incorpo¬ 
rated with manure which is undergoing rapid 
decomposition. They will thus add to the com¬ 
post several important elements of fertility — 
phosphates, gelatine, nitrogen, ammonia, &c. 
We should not apply them direct to the soil. If 
wc did, should plow them under at once. This 
kind of refuse is worth all it will usually cost 
farmers, in the neighborhood of slaughter¬ 
houses, to obtain it. 
CURRENT TOPICS DISCUSSED. 
Agricultural Education. 
WE are glad to see that the Massachusetts 
agriculturists are beginning to express them¬ 
selves in favor of special and professional edu¬ 
cation for the farmer, and a distinct and in¬ 
dependent college or school. At the recent 
agricultural discussions in Boston this subject 
was canvassed, and there seems to have been 
great unanimity on these points. And we think 
no candid man, whose opinions as to the wants 
of agriculturists are of any practical value what¬ 
ever—unless he he bound up in the interest of 
some pet or sectarian institution—will fail to see 
that it is equal to squandering the appropriations 
of Congress to the states if they are permitted 
to he [diverted to the building up or galvanizing 
literary Institutions. No young man who wills 
to be educated need grow up illiterate now. 
The opportunities for culture are amplo and 
available to every one. But there has not been 
auy especial provision made Tor educating far¬ 
mers and mechanics in their profession until 
now. And wc pray farmers and mechanics not 
to allow this providence of government to be 
wrested from them by any specious pretense of 
interest which so-called educators may profess. 
By the way, we sec that the religious press, 
throughout the country, is generally copying 
and commending Isaac New ion’s remarkable 
opinions, on this subject, to whieh we called at¬ 
tention recently. We do not underestimate the 
value of religious truth when we assert that 
these industrial schools arc of far greater im¬ 
portance to the elevation of the Industrial classes 
than the theological schools of this country have 
been, arc, or ever will be. 
Clover Seed —Bushing vs, Harrowing. 
A correspondent, M. Sack k i t, calls at¬ 
tention to the fact that one-half or two-thirds of 
the clover seed sown broadcast on wheat fields 
may he found on the surface two weeks after it 
is sown; and lie claims that if it sprouts and 
grows it will not stand the drouth. He recom¬ 
mends bushing it in with three small saplings, 
each about threo inches in diameter at the base, 
fastened together there, with the tops spreading 
apart. He prefers the brush to the harrow ou 
late sown fall wheat, because it does not pull up 
tho wheat, the work is quicker done, and few 
farmer’s harrows answer the purpose. 
It may be well to remark, in this connection, 
that harrowing bill wheat in tho spring does far 
less damage to tho crop than is generally sup¬ 
posed. Wc know farmers who practice it for 
the purpose of cultivation, and who think they 
are amply repaid for the labor. 
Farmers should use the Scalpel 
A farmer in Ohio writes us of the loss of 
two calves and wants to know what killed them. 
He tells us nothing concerning the circumstances 
of their death except this:—“They were kept 
in a barn for a month or two, mid then turned 
into a lot where there was red clover. They 
bad milk twice a day for sometime, after that, 
water for drink, but not as regularly as when 
takcqi from the barn. They did not come up 
more than twice before they were found dead. 
Gne bloated; tho other did not. Both were fat.’’ 
We do not happen to be a clairvoyant, nor a 
spiritnaljnedium, :uid have no Idea what killed 
the calves. We might suppose a half dozen 
possible causes, but that would benefit no one. 
M e have only quoted our correspondent's Inquiry 
ns a text. Will he permit us to ask if he dis¬ 
sected either or both those calves ? If not, why 
not? Hod he no curiosity to know what ailed 
them?—wherein the condition of the internal 
organs differed from thoso of a healthy animal? 
whether they were inflamed or not? Perhaps 
Mouldy Hay. • 
A reader asks us if it is economy to feed 
mouldy hay in any case. We think not, except 
to save life. We never know an animal to thrive 
on such food. It is better to feed the uieal, 
which is usually fed with it, alouo. The mould 
on decaying hay is poison. We never should 
feed such hay in order to save or sell good hay. 
We should greatly prefer any kind of clean 
straw. If asked what we would do with it, we 
should answer, cut it up fine, if you have a 
power straw cutter, and use it for bedding for 
horses and cattle —or use it without cutting. 
Prices 
of Wool 
, reduc'd 
to Gold. 
Current 
Prices of 
Wool. 
Currem,- Prices 
Prices of of Wool 
Average price of wool as per table iu report of 
1861, for 35 years, 43§ cents. 
Mr. Bond shows that during 1862 and 1863, 
the prices of wool, iu gold, have exceeded the 
average prices of the last 85 years. Is this 
remarkable, or is the wool grower called upon 
to he specially thankful for this circumstance ? 
We have had and still have a million of soldiers 
The Cuzco Potato. 
Nelson P. Eastwood asks us to describe 
tho above potato—tell hiiu whether it is good, 
and where seed can be obtained. Tho Cuzco is 
white, large, round, with deep eyes. Its stems 
