I 
TEEMS, $3.00 PEE YEAB.] 
“ PROGRESS -AJND IMPROVEMENT. 
[SINGLE NO. SIX CENTS. 
VOL. XV. NO. 52. S 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1864. 
SWHOLE NO. 780. 
MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AH ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RUBAI, LITERARY AND F AMIL Y NEW8PAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
CHARLES D. HUAUOON, Ajwoclato Editor. 
HHTTBY B. HAH DALI. LL. D„ 
Editor Department or Bbeep Husbandry. 
SPECIAL DONTKIHCTOHS 1 
P. BARRY, C. DEWEY, LL. D., 
H. T. BROOKS, L. B. LANG WORTHY. 
Tub Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unsur¬ 
passed In Value, Purity, and Variety of Contents, and 
tmlQtie and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor 
devotes Ids personal attention to the supervision of Its 
various departments, and earnestly labors to render 
the Rural au eminently Reliable Guide on all the 
Important Practical, Scientific and other Subjects Inti¬ 
mately connected with the business of those whose 
Interests It zealously advocates. As a Family Journal 
It la eminently Instructive and Entertaining—being so 
conducted that it can be safely taken to the Homes of 
people of intelligence, taste and discrimination. It 
embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, 
Educational, XJterary and News Matter, interspersed 
with appropriate Engravings, than any other Journal,— 
rendering it the most complete Agricultural Lm- 
raby and Family Newspaper in America. 
the Subscription Price of the Rural is $3.00 per 
annum. For particulars as to Terms see last page. 
CLOSE OP THE TEAR AHD VOLUME. 
The Fifteenth Yeai and Volume of the 
Rural New-Yorker closes with the present 
issue. During this comparatively long period, 
we have honestly, earnestly, persistently and 
industriously sought to promote the best inter¬ 
ests of the Rural Population of America. After 
over twenty years' experience as tlie Conductor 
of Journals conscientiously devoted to the ad¬ 
vancement of the physical, mental and moral 
welfare of those engaged In Rural Pursuits, on 
such an occasion as this our mind naturally 
reverts to the past, and contrasts it with the 
present, and probable future —but we have 
neither time nor space for an extended review, 
and must therefore content ourselves with sim¬ 
ply discharging ihe duty of the hour. 
The greatest wonder to us is, that we have 
been permitted, by a kind Providence, to labor 
so long in a field of usefulness — to aid the ad¬ 
vance of “Progress and Improvement,’’ and 
live to witness the remarkable changes for the 
better which have been instituted in the various 
branches of culture and husbandry. And yet 
we feel as earnest as we did when first espousing 
the cause, in early manhood, and it seems that, 
God sparing and sustaining us, wo could labor 
another twenty years with even more zeal and 
earnestness to enhance the well being "of the 
myriad of soil cultivators whom we have the 
honor and great respouslbUity of addressing. 
And we have resolved that, be the time loDg or 
short, we wiU in the future, as in the past, first 
and always seek to promote the best interests of 
the producing classes. 
The year now terminating has been an event¬ 
ful one in the history of the Rural New- 
Yorker. Unfortunately for us, we announced 
too low a price for this volume — but eonsider- 
eriug ourselves bound to fulfill all our promises, 
even at a pecuniary sacrifice, we have not fal¬ 
tered in either ellbrt or expenditure to fully 
redeem every pledge. We have even dune 
and expended more than we anticipated or 
promised, - for, aside from considerations of 
honor, we confess to the possession of some 
ambition and pride in the premises. Though 
laboring constantly for the present interest and 
benefit of our readers, we have had regal’d to 
the future, and the reputation of this journal in 
coming years. This is a frank confession ; but 
our style is to call things by their right names, 
always, and, as Rural readers are aware, we 
never put on gloves to handle humbugs or spec¬ 
ulators or swindlers. Yes, we confess to the 
fact that, though losing thousands of dollars on 
subscription, we were bouud to fulfill our obli¬ 
gations—first, as a matter of duly and justice 
and next for the future interest of ourselves 
and the Rural. Hence, unlike other journals, 
wo have increased rather than diminished our 
efforts and expenditures, and believe our duty 
has beeu discharged to subscribers and the pub¬ 
lic. How satisfactorily this has been done the 
reader can best judge, and certaiuly it is not for 
us to determine. A careful examination of the 
volume of which this is the 52d and final issue, 
wiU enable the discriminating reader to decide 
that question. 
The future of the Rural New-Yorker 
wUI not, while under the control of its origi¬ 
nator and thus far conductor, dishonor it 3 
past. With “ Excelsior n as its Motto, and 
“Progress and Improvement” its Objects, it 
wiU, during the ensuing year, endeavor to 
to achieve more than in any previous one for 
the cause it ardently advocates — asking no pat¬ 
ronage, as such, but relying mainly upon Its 
merits for support. It will seek to promote the 
welfare of its readers in all sections —from 
Maine to Minnesota and Canada to California— 
for it has warm friends and supporters in aU 
the Loyal States, Territories and adjacent 
Provinces. For the performance of this mis¬ 
sion The Rural has better facilities than 
ever before, and wiH enter upon its Sixteenth 
Year and Volume under favorable auspices. 
Our aim is to render the paper continuously 
valuable and acceptable to aU who may refer to 
its pages for practical, useful information, or 
mental instruction and entertainment. The 
new volume will comprise the various Depart¬ 
ments embraced in the present. That devoted 
to Sheep Husbandry will be continued under 
the able editorial management of Dr. Randall, 
who wiU not fail to render it invaluable to ail 
engaged in that important branch of American 
agricultural production. 
In conclusion we nave only 10 lender gratetul 
acknowledgments to aU who have in any 
manner contributed to the success of this 
journal during the past and preceding years— 
either by furnishing matter appropriate for its 
pages, or in adding to its circulation and conse¬ 
quent usefulness—with the assurance that no 
reasonable effort wHl be spared on our part 
to render it especially worthy the continued 
confidence and support of all Loyal, Progressive 
and InteUigent Ruralists, and also valuable and 
interesting to other classes of community. And, 
with an earnest determination to supply in the 
future, as in the past, the best combined Agri¬ 
cultural, Literary and Family Newspa- 
pkr obtainable, we frankly ask the friends of 
the Rural New-Yorker and its Objects to 
kindly render such aid as may be consistent 
toward fully maintaining, if not increasing, its 
usefulness in their respective localities. 
SPRING WHEAT IN NEW YOBS. 
W. D., New Hartford, N. Y., writes:— “ The 
opinion that Spring wheat, as a crop, is ‘played 
out,*’ and that winter wheat, having been for 
the last twenty years considered precarious, has 
again become reliable, appears to be more or 
less prevalent in this section. Is this opinion 
wide-spread? If so, is it grounded in proba¬ 
bility, or fact, or experiment:*" 
We do not know how prevalent, or wide¬ 
spread, this opinion may be, nor upon what 
facts it may bo grounded. If spring wheat is 
“played out,” It would be interesting to know 
why. If our soils are again in condition to pro¬ 
duce winter wheat after the old style, why is 
it? Farmers who arrive at such conclusions 
should let the facts—if facts they are—teach 
them something. We do not believe a man 
who has a hundred and fifty acres of land need 
fail to grow a good crop of spring and winter 
wheat on a portion of it, every year for one 
hundred years. But we do not believe he can do 
it on the same plat of ground successively—not 
with the present system of culture and manuring, 
If the opinion our correspondent rays is prev¬ 
alent in his section, is wcU grounded, it proves 
this position—it proves that land appropriated 
to grain husbandry must not bo cultivated suc¬ 
cessively with the same crop—that with proper 
rest and rotation of crops the soil will yield 
what the climate is adapted to develop. We do 
not believe spring wheat is " played out ” any¬ 
where it was ever grown successfully; nor 
winter wheat, either. True, seasons differ, and 
this difference afl'ects tha crop. But culture 
should be such as to render the conditions of 
growth as nearly uniformly supplied as possi¬ 
ble. If the land holds water, in a wet reason 
the crop will perish from the Hood, and insects 
resulting from it and heat. If the season is 
extremely dry, and the commiuutiou of the soil 
a sufficient depth is not complete, the growth is 
dwarfed and the development of grain is impos¬ 
sible. 
With a right mechanical condition of the soil, 
all that is necessary is to supply the food the 
mi 
Ih 
1, !M III 11 
Ul 
A. COMPLETE STOCK BARX.-ELEVATION. 
So many inquiries are made for good plans of 
Stock Barns, that we are induced to give engrav¬ 
ings and a condensed description of the barn and 
sheds erected by Lewis F. Allkn, on his Grand 
Island Farm, from the Register of Rural 
Affairs. This barn Is the old one, which we 
have before described in the Rural, recon¬ 
structed, its convenience having been proved 
by twenty years’ use. 
The body of the main bam is 100 feet long by 
50 feet wide, the posts IS feet high above the 
sill, making 9 bents. The beams are 14 feet 
above the sills, which is the height of the inner 
posts. The position of the floor and bays is 
readily understood from the plan. The floor, for 
a grain barn is 14 feet wide, but may be con¬ 
tracted to 12 feet for one exclusively lor hay. 
The area in front of the bays is occupied with a 
stationary horse-power and with machinery for 
various farm operations, such as thrashing, 
sheUingeorn, cutting straw, crushing grain, &e., 
aU of which is driven by bands from drums on 
the horizontal shaft overhead, which, runs across 
the floor from the horse- power on the other 
side; this shaft being driven by a cog wheel on 
the perpendicular shaft round which the horses 
travel. 
The sheds, which extend on the three sides 
of the barn, and touch it at the rear end, are on 
a level with the stables. An inclined plane, 
from the main floor through the middle of the 
back shed, forms a rear egress for wagons and 
carts, descending three feet from the floor. 
The two rooms, one on each side of this rear 
passage, 16 by 34 feet, may be used for hous¬ 
ing sick animals, cows about to calve, or any 
other purpose required. The stables at the 
front ends of the sheds are convenient for horses 
or oxen, or they may be fitted for wagon hous¬ 
es, tool houses, or other purposes. The rooms, 
16 feet square, at the inner corners of the sheds, 
may be used for weak ewes, lambs, or for a buU 
stable. 
Racks or mangers may be fitted up in the 
open sheds for feeding sheep or young cattle, 
and yards may be built adjoining, on the rear, 
six or eight in number, into which they may 
run and be kept separate. Barred partitions 
may separate the different flocks. Bars may 
also inclose the opening in front, or they may. 
If required , be b earded up tight. St i p ladders 
are placed at convenient intervals, for ascending 
the shed lofts. 
A granary over the machine room is entered 
>• RW» 
33 ei 
S wjsrmi 
5 Oui 
~ BARN l 
TO HAWHCM 
GROUND FLAN. 
A passage four feet wide extends between by a tli 
the bays and the stables, which occupy the to bay, 
two wings. This extends up to the top of the much a 
bays down which the hay is thrown for feeding, be wel 
which renders this work as easy and convenient is at th 
as possible. its use 
The floor of the main barn is three feet higher gest tb 
than that of the stables. This wHl allow a cellar served 
under it, if desired—or a deeper extension of the thrashi 
bays—and it allows storage lofts over the cattle one of 
with sufficient slope of roof. A short flight of A on 
steps at the ends of each passage, admits easy of a dt 
access from the level of the barn floor. the ou 
The line of mangers is two feet wide. A yards c 
manure window is placed at every twelve feet, the ro< 
The stalls are double; that is, for two animals ed by s 
each, which are held to their places by a rope from b 
and chain, attached to a staple and ring at each An L 
comer of the stall. This mode is preferred to in the 
securing by stanchions. A pole or scantling’ eornino 
placed over their heads, prevents them from stalls r 
climbing with their feet into the mangers, parativ 
which they are otherwise very apt to do. barn. 
by a flight of stairs. Poles extending from bay 
to bay, over the floor. wiU admit the storage of 
much additonal hay or grain. As straw cannot 
be weU kept when exposetl to the weather, and 
is at the same time becoming more valuable as 
its uses are better understood, we would sug¬ 
gest that the space on these cross poles be re¬ 
served for its deposit from the elevator from 
thrashing grain, or until space is made for it in 
one of the bays. 
A one-sided roof is given to the sheds, (instead 
of a double-sided.) to throw aU the water on 
the outside , in order to keep the interior of the 
yards dry. Rave-troughs take the water from 
the roofs to cisterns. The cisterns, if connect¬ 
ed by au underground pipe, may be all drawn 
from by a single pump if necessary. 
An important advantage of placing the stables 
in the wings of the bam is, that it obviates the 
common objection that liquid manure from the 
stalls rots the sills—the stable siHs being com¬ 
paratively easily replaced if not under the main 
barn. 
plant wants. SoUs may be exhausted of the 
food necessary to produce wheat, if continuous 
cropping with the same crop is followed. But 
with rotation comes res; and replenishment, 
either from its own resources, or from sources 
incidental to a change of crop and culture. Now, 
this is not theory; it is fact. We know it to be 
fact. Wo have in our mind to-day, farms that 
are illustrations of it. And we tell our friend 
that if spring wheat seems to be " played out,” 
ami farmers are getting that idea, and abandon¬ 
ing its culture, it is just the time for him to en¬ 
gage in it and study what conditions of soil and 
culture are necessary to insure a crop of it. 
CAST-IRON vs. STEEL PLOWS. 
We condense from a communication before 
us, from H. Marvin of Richland Co., O., the 
oUowing. He says:—" The general opinion 
seems to be that steel plows wHl clean or scour 
more readily than cast-iron, which may be gen- 
eraUy true, but not necessarily so.” His expe¬ 
rience has taught him that it depends upon the 
temper of cast-iron plows, whether they clean 
readily or not — that there is a great difference 
in plows of precisely the same pattern, because 
of this difference in temper, and he urges that 
manufacturers of cast-iron plows should pay 
attention to this matter. But unfortunately he 
fails to tell us what the temper of the plow 
should be — whether hard or soft. He takes it 
for granted that cast-iron plows may be furn¬ 
ished at much less cost than steel ones; and that 
their relative values depend upon how weU 
they do their work, scour, aud the lightness and 
uniformity of taeir draft. Then he asks if this 
par-excellence is attain a: v with a cast-iron 
plow of the l ight temper, is it not preferable ? 
Our correspondent also asserts that one great 
fault with many of the plows thrown upon 
the market is their lightness, which renders 
it difficult to keep them in the ground in stiff 
heavy soil. 
Jjjffi glttslnujlfg. 
BDITBD BY HENRY 8. RANDALL. LL. D. 
Several editorials and other articles, in type and on 
file for publication, are necessarily deferred. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE, ITEMS, Ac. 
Browsing Sheep.— Nelson Young, South Addison, 
Steuben Co., N. Y., writes us that several years ago he 
experimented in browsing 3heep in the winter, and 
that “ he found if they could have plenty of hemlock 
they would eat no other that he could give them.” 
Since then, “whenever ills sheep are kept from the 
ground a week at a time by snow, he nas attempted to 
provide them with hemlock.” He S3ya:—“It would 
have done you good to see my sheep meet me last win¬ 
ter when. I drew the first hemlock top into the yard, 
j Though they had plenty of first-rate hay and poorly 
thrashed straw, they devoured the hemlock with avid¬ 
ity.” Mr. Young thinks it keeps his sheep healthy, 
and that if they have plenty of “ fresh-cut and thrifty 
hemlock ” they will not eat more than two-thirds as 
much hay. He sajs his lambs come late, and that “ he 
does not know tow it will do for ewes that suckle 
lambs.” 
Sheep confined to dry feed soon ieam to eat hemlock 
as above described, and they undoubtedly obtain a de¬ 
gree of sustenance from it—bat whether as much as a 
third, as our correspondent supposes, we are hardly 
prepared to sar. We have known sheep killed by eat¬ 
ing hemlock when It was given to them In large quan¬ 
tities after a icmg confinement to dry feed—but this 
never need happen, because It can be given more fre¬ 
quently, or more sparingly at first 
We should be very glad to hear immediate!# from 
farmers who bare used other kinds of browse for 
sheep, giving the results of their experience. If the 
present winter proves a severe one, there will be great 
need of eking out the feed of our domestic animals in 
every possible way. 
-- 
Letting Sheep os Shakes.— “A Subscriber” 
wishes na to inform him if there is any rule for 
letting sheep on shares — how much wool is paid per 
head annually — or in how long a period they should 
be doubled. The old rule used to be to have a pound of 
wool a head annually paid to the owner, and the same 
sheep returned; or the sheep were doubled In three 
years, and those of the same age and aggregate weight 
returned. This was when the kind of sheep let could 
be bought, ewes and lambs, at a dollar a head after 
shearing! The custom of letting sheep on any terms 
is now very unusual in New York, and we think in Ml 
the older States- In the only case of it we have heard 
of In our own neighborhood, for years, the owner 
receives two pounds of wool for each sheep yearly. 
Immense numbers have been let in the new North¬ 
western States within the last three years on the terms 
that half *he wool and half the lamas are relumed to 
the owners —usually wealthy “operators” who have 
bought great droves of them in Michigan, Illinois, etc., 
to drive further west for that purpose. The western 
pioneer may, under some circumstances, find such an 
arrangement greatly for his benefit —[ust as he would 
to pay heavy usury for the use of money — but the 
gains of the owner are enormous, if the person taking 
the sheep is responsible in case of their death, and if 
they are managed, particularly in lambing, with a de¬ 
cent degree of skill and care In the old States, farm¬ 
ers who are tit to keep sheep, can generally do better 
than take them on shares : and those willing to take 
them ate in most cases men who will raise but few 
lambs, let a portion of the sheep die, and let all of them 
get poor and weak every winter. These causes have 
broken up tie system of sheep letting In the East 
Cotswold Sheep.—George Bargstt, Liberty, Un¬ 
ion Co., Indiana, wishes to know where he can obtain 
Cotswold sheep. Pure bloods are bred and sold by 
Hon. N. L. Chaffee of Jefferson, Ashtabula Co., 
Ohio; by Henry G. Waits of South Framingham, 
Mass.; aud by Frederick Wm. Stone of Moreton 
Lodge, Guelf, Canada West. There may bo many 
other breeders about us —we presume there are a 
dozen or two, at least, in the State of New York—but 
we do not now recall their names. The breeders of 
English sheep seem rather inclined to hide their light 
under a bushel during the fine- wool cyclone which is 
now sweeping over the land: Why don’t they speak 
for themselves and their sheep ? This paper is as open 
to their statements as it is to the statements of breeders 
of Merinos. 
Anna-A n Produce os> a Flock.— M. M. of Charlotte, 
Monroe Co., N Y., writes ns:—“ As it is the fashion of 
every one to brag, I wan: to do a little at it myself. I 
wintered 49 ewes. From them I raised 71 lambs which 
I sold for $‘144 25. They yielded 222 pounds of wool 
which I sold for a dollar a pound — making for lambs 
and wool $160 25, or $9,51 for each ewe. If any one 
has beat that, I would like to know it.” 
-- 
Do pull- blood Merino Ewes ever have Horns ? 
—“ Yonng Beginner ” is informed that full-blood Meri¬ 
no ewes do occasionally have horns—though not as 
frequenlly in this country as formerly, because the 
majority of American breeders have sought to breed 
them out of their flocks. In many early flocks of un¬ 
questionable pedigree, both Spanish and Saxon, they 
were not unusual. 
V 
