7\gRIculturc 
TWO IXYI.J.AKS TV YEAR.] 
[SINGrI jTC no. FOUR CENTO 
UOVF.M EN’I 
PKOGRKSS AND IM 
VOL. xn. NO. 45. i 
ROCHESTER. N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1801. 
j WHOLE NO. OIL 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WKKKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors. 
CHA3, D. BBACJIXW, Women! Corroopondlna Editor. 
Tits Ritual Nkw-Yorrbk in doul«ned to be udmh rpiwmxi in 
Value, Purity, t'HofuliRxm and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful lu Appearance. Its Conductor devotes bis per¬ 
sonal attention to the supervision of its various departments, 
and earnestly labors to render tbn Rural an eminently 
Reliable Guide on all the important Practical, Scientific and 
other Subjects intimately connected with the business of those 
whose interests It zealously advocates. As a Family Journal 
it is eminently Instructive and Entertaining being so con¬ 
ducted that it can be wifely taken to the Hearts and Homos of 
people of intelligence, taste and discrimination It embraces 
more Agricultural. Horticultural. Scientific. Educational, 
Literary and News Hatter, interspersed with appropriate and 
beautiful Engravings, than any other journal, rendering 
it the most complete Agricultural, Literary and Family 
NkwhpaTKR in America. 
CLOVER AND PLABTER. 
A reader in Michigan wishes a little informa¬ 
tion respecting clover nud plaster, which we will 
endeavor to give. Clover may bo sown either in the 
autumn with winter grains or in the spring with 
summer cereals, or may bo sown alone or with timo¬ 
thy or any other of the cultivated grasses. Which is 
the beat of these methods is not very easily ascer¬ 
tained; and the question has caused a good deal of 
discussion among practical men, and the exhibition 
of a great variety of experience that at Hist might 
appear contradictory. Like other questions, how¬ 
ever, in ••ufrsnl to which exnsrtpnci* < • 
we have no doubt the difference in the result is 
chargeable to dlll’erenco of circumstances, such assoil, 
climate, exposure, amount of snow, which Is valuable 
as winter protection, and perhaps other influences. 
When clover is sown alone, from ton to sixtoon 
pounds arc used. Heavy land it is believed gener¬ 
ally requires more seed than a light soil. Highest 
not to be sparing of clover seed, for where grown 
pretty thick the hay Is liner and better. When sown 
with timothy, the usual quantity is from six to twelve 
pounds. The only way to insure a good crop all 
over the field, is to prepare the ground thoroughly 
and give plenty of seed. Bpots where clover will not 
catch, need manure and a little more Heed. 
The operation of plaster is not well understood 
either by practical or scientific men. It has been 
used by some in certain locations without the least 
apparent benefit, and its use abandoned, while others 
differently situated find it the most profitable manure 
that can be used on clover, ull leguminous plants, 
and the grasses. Why this is so no one can tell, 
though there are many theories. Experiment alone 
will decide where it is profitable to use plaster and 
where it is useless. There is a great difference of 
opinion, too, as to the best time of sowing plaster. 
Some derive no benefit unless it is used in the spring 
after the leaves are well expanded, and think that its 
effect is through the leaves alone, while others are 
not particular on this point, ami prefer to sow at the 
very earliest moment possible in the spring, and in 
this way obtain the best results. Wo never saw a 
better effect from plaster than on a field of clover in 
Niagara county, heavy soil, that had received a heavy 
dressing of plaster in the winter. A correspondent 
complaius that using plaster on clover sown with 
wheat causes a heavy growth of straw, makes the 
wheat ripen late, and it is very much subject to rust, 
while without plaster the clover perishes from drouth. 
If any of our readers know of a preventive of this 
state of things, we would like to be informed. From 
two to four bushels of plaster is the quantity usually 
applied to the acre. 
^Ve have referred to the difference existing among 
scientific men regarding the operation of plaster, and 
we give the opinions of three of the most celebrated 
doctors. 
Sir lliiMi'jiKKY Davy held the opinion that the 
influence of gypsum on clover, sainfoin, rye grass, and 
other plants of this character, is due to their contain¬ 
ing naturally a large proportion of Hulphato of lime. 
Ho examined the ashes of these plants, and found that 
they alTorded considerable quantities of gypsum, 
which substance, lie thought, might probably he 
intimately combined as a necessary part of their 
woody fibre. He believed that where gypsum failed 
to produce a good result, It would be found that the 
soil naturally contained so much of the salt, that its 
artificial supply was unnecessary. 
Professor Liehig’h opinions are thus stated in the 
Cyclopedia of Agriculture — Prof. L. explains the 
action of gypsum upon grasses, by a reference to its 
well known power of converting the volatile carbonate 
of ammonia into the more fixed sulphate of the same 
base. When sulphate of lime is mixed with a solu¬ 
tion of carbonate of ammonia, all ammoniacal smell 
soon disappears. Uy a mutual interchange of ele¬ 
ments, carbonate of lime and sulphate of ammonia 
are formed, and the latter salt, not being volatile at 
ordinary temperatures, remains without lose in the 
liquid. 
Professor Likiiio further states that “a part 
only of the carbonate of ammonia, conveyed by 
rain to the soil, is received by plants; because a cer¬ 
tain quantity of it is volatilized with the vapor of 
water. Only that portion of it can he assimilated 
which enters deeply into the soil, or which is con¬ 
veyed directly to the leaves by dew, or is absorbed 
from the air along with the carbonic acid.” 
Now it is to the power, possessed by gypsum, of 
converting the carbonate of ammonia into the sul¬ 
phate of ttie same base, and thus preventing its vola¬ 
tilization when it, has once come in contact with the 
soil, that Professor Liebig partly attributes the action 
of gypsum as manure. We say partly, because he 
expressly says that “ the evident influence of gypsum 
upon the growth of grasses, the striking fertility and 
luxuriance of a meadow on which it is strewed, 
depends, in some degree, upon its fixing in the soil 
the ammonia of the atmosphere, which would other¬ 
wise be volatilized with the water which evaporates.” 
And in other parts of his well known work on Agri¬ 
cultural Chemistry he shows in what way plants 
derive the sulphur, required for the production of 
their albuminous constituents, cither directly or indi¬ 
rectly, from sulphate of lime. Professor LiKiwo, then, 
considers that gypsum acts as a source per se of food 
to plants, hut still more as a means of presenting 
ammonia to them in greater abundance— in other 
words, that in applying gypsum to a soil, wo are In 
fact manuring with an ammoniacal salt. 
M. Boussinoau lt, wlio advocates the third theory 
which wo have to notice, has taken occasion, in 
enunciating bis views, to criticise with great ability 
both of the preceding explanations of the action of 
gypsum. 
In reference to Professor Likriu’s theory, M. Boos- 
I si no Auer shows that, to double the crop of clover, 
which a dressing of gyp mm is well known to do, the 
whole of tile rain falling during the life of the plant 
must have contained 1-170001,h of its weight of car¬ 
bonate of iAiiiiiiinihi; mid that even allowing that this 
proportion of ammonia could exist in rain water, 
rival correct inn* -•••iit.l I my in. l„. m- • ,V»r tli- 
quantity of rain which either does not penetrate the 
soil at all, or is returned to the atmosphere without 
passing through the plants. 
Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that 
the effect of gypsum upon clover, lucerne, sainfoin, 
Ac., is really attributable to its fixing the ammonia 
of the atmosphere and of rain, M. Bouhhino.uti.t justly 
uhIcb why it is that. It does no good whatever to natu¬ 
ral pastures, and still less to root or corn crops. 
Theoretically it would bo expected that a proportion¬ 
ate advantage should he derived by all crops from 
the ammonia so obtained, and it. is a matter of noto¬ 
riety that ammoniacal salts largely increase the pro¬ 
duce of natural grasses, ami form an excellent 
manure for wheat. These facts seem perfectly 
irreconcilable with the explanation offered by Pro¬ 
fessor Liebig for the action of gypsum in agriculture. 
| H # > t 
PATENT OFFICE AG’L REPORT. 
Eos. Rural Nkw-Yokkkk: The Agricultural Re¬ 
port of the Potent Office has Just made me its annual 
visit; and although I have never considered this 
volume worth its weight in gold, it is pleasant to 
have evidence that the wheels of government are still 
moving; that notwithstanding the wicked rebellion 
which is costing us much treasure arid thousands of 
valuable lives, the various departments of Cittr govern¬ 
ment are performing their duties as though all were 
peace and quite. I have always doubted the wisdom 
of our Government annually publishing a book of 
Agricultural Essays, as this can he done better and 
cheaper through individual enterprise. If the Gov¬ 
ernment were conducting a series of agricultural ex¬ 
periments, the results of which we were all anxious 
to learn, it would be well to issue a report of progress 
every year; but I see no sense in publishing a work 
of five hundred pages, made up of ordinary agricul¬ 
tural essays, extracts from foreign journals, books, 
Ac. The volume for 1801 is a much better work in 
every respect, than any that lias preceded it at least 
this is my present impression, after a brief' exarniria 
tiou, and yet no publisher of agricultural books 
would for one moment think of giving it to the world 
at his own risk. 
All that is done by our Government for the agri¬ 
culture of the country is through a department of the 
patent office, a most unnatural connection, truly, 
and the late “Superintendent of Agricultural Af¬ 
fairs” makes the following pertinent inquiries:— 
“ Row far it is accordant with the true interests of 
the Patent Office and with the rights of inventors to 
continue the administration of agricultural affairs 
under the lugiu of that office; how far it accords with 
verity to hold the Commissioner of Patents to respon¬ 
sibility before the country and the world lor the 
performance of duties of which in the nature of 
things he cannot be cognizant, for the expression of 
opinions he cannot have matured, and for the pro¬ 
mulgation of scientific discoveries in Acids his 
accustomed pursuits have seldom or ever permitted 
him to traverse, are regarded as proper and important 
inquiries at the present era.” 
Iu additon to the publication of the agricultural 
report for gratuitous distribution, this department 
has about five acres in use, as an experimental 
garden, propagating houses, Ac., where uro tested a 
great many plants of native origin, but mostly 
foreign, obtained through American consuls and 
other government agents iu foreign countries. These 
plants, after being propagated, are scattered over the 
country, through the mail. In vain we look through 
the report for any valuable results of the experiments 
made; and the plants reported ready for distribution 
are principally of the most conation varieties to bo 
obtained cheap at any of onr nurseries. For in¬ 
stance, eight varieties of native grapes are ready to 
send out, and these are Catawba, t ->ncord, Delaware, 
Diana, Hartford Prolific, Isabella, li hecea, and Union 
Village. Any one of the leadin' nurseries of the 
country can supply all these, and a score of others in 
much larger quantities, no doi bt, than Our Great 
National Nursery at Washington, if government 
would keep pace with private ic ite-priso, it must 
move much faster. 
Seven varieties of plants are ten Jy f - distribution 
and these mostly common, and aims follows: -Osier 
Willow, < laroh Tree Sesaahan. St. John’s Wort, Ma- 
honla ri’pens, Stone 1’itie, and Chinese Arber Vlt:e. 
The Carol/ or Kh/irub, as it. is T illed by Thomson, 
and others, is the Cerahwiit silipm. of Linn u.uh, It 
is no doubt the tree that bore the 1 husks” which the 
swine did eat, and upon which the prodigal would 
fain have satisfied his hunger. These “husks” or 
pods are somewhat, like those <d the honey locust, 
from six to ten inches long, aid one broad, lined 
with a gelatinous substance not v> tolly unpleasant, to 
the taste when fully ripe. It is grown iu 1’aleslute, 
but most abounds in Cyprus, lY.iia Minor and the 
Grecian Islands, and Is still nsqd as food for swine. 
The report says it has been BttccfuftiUy propagated at 
Washington, and a limited uqiiiuer of plants have 
prospered In the open air in sett ad situation* south 
of Virginia. White our farmets neglect to grow 
sweet apples for their stock, which makes such 
excellent food, and can ho g^own so cheaply, we 
have uo faith that they will plaju Oaroh orchards. 
An agent is dispatched to Kti'opo every year for 
the purchase of seeds, and tip so uro distributed 
through the mails. As a geuuril thing the agent 
selected is not one that any of onr seed dealers would 
like to send to Europe on a sRE r errand; ami iu 
BA 
mission who wore utterly Incut l “ i making proper 
selections. Some years since a*i'rlem! of the writer 
happened to take passage to Europe with one of these 
government seed-buyers. After an acquaintance was 
formed, the agent made known hi* business and 
sought advice. Thu names of tho prominent seed 
houses of Loudon and Paris were, given. To make a 
short job, the Btjed buyer visited an extensive seed 
dealer in Loudon, made known his mission, and the 
amount of rnouey he had to spend. The obliging 
Londoner of course was ready to fill the order, to 
the exact amount, and of the very best things, just 
suited to our wants. This was sat I factory, of course, 
and the American, after a plea-are trip of a few 
weeks iu Great Britain and on tho Continent, 
returned to report his buccohh. It Is riot, strange, 
therefore, that moat of the seeds that reach us 
through the Patent Office are of tho most common 
kinds, or utterly worthless. 
The way in which the country is Hervcd through 
the Agricultural Department of the Patent Office is 
illustrated by tho following, wind- we extract from 
tho preliminary remarks by tho r-tiporintemtent:- 
“ The effort to procure a hive or a lew swarms of the 
Italian Bee has been unsuccessful, swing to inatten¬ 
tion to the instruction! given by the agent of till 
Office.' It is expected that the loss will he repaired.” 
Now the truth is, the department lent an agent to 
Europe to obtain Italian Bees and other things, and 
though the Bees sent tho goveninu Qt arrived dead, 
this agent received some on his own account alive, 
propagated'them, and has been making a nice specu¬ 
lation by selling queens to the bee keepers of the 
Country at $5 each. In .January, 1801, when the peo¬ 
ple are getting pretty well supplied, tho Buperin 
tendent expects that the loss will ho repaired, 
Whether this is to he done by sending another agent, 
to Europe, or by purchasing of the eld one is not. 
stated. All I have to nay is that it b a pity mo good 
a government should be bo badly se;v4d. I had in¬ 
tended to notice seine things of valu- in the Report, 
tint must defer this until another time ' 
but must defer this until another time. 1 
Traveler. 
fl ♦ 1 -4 
TAXES AND CANADA TIHSTLEB. 
Taxes are perennial. They fiouri- i and increase, 
though all else declines. They aboind in all climes 
where civilized man has Lis abode. Il you go where 
they don’t tar, look out,— they are preparing to eat 
you! 
The “ reliable, man,” is the tax guth-wer; —you can 
depend upon him, who ever forsakes. Who else has 
such au affectionate interest in all you poeso-ss? 
Precious treasures, unknown or uriiceded by your 
best friends, are sought out and remandiered by him. 
(Moser than a brother ho watches your prosperous and 
your declining years. With Infinite modesty you 
may undermine your own possession-, but the tax¬ 
men, with scrupulous exactness, give yOu credit for 
all. 
Taxation is a science taught by ret.- wned profes- 
BOfH, from Adam Smith to T. li. Bi-.-ton and IL 
Greeley, Esquires, who never could agree whether 
the thing should be taken clear, or mixed with other 
commodities innumerable —" direct^’ or “ indirect,” 
that’s the question! Will you have il by itself, or 
will you eat it with your herrings, sip it with your 
coffee, mingle It with your perfumes, and color it 
with your dyes? Neither Cabals our Congresses, 
Politicians nor Parliaments have solved the vexed 
question. I offer a compromise suggested by a 
valued friend, a lady, who appreciates tko necessities 
' v-er\ 
i . am 
’ 
V 
-Y. - - -W v- — 
S U* i • i I. N A 
-j : - ^ 
r>' ‘ . QllfP 
■ 
OJGHKfN' FOR A COUNT IIOTJBE. 
During the present week we have received several 
inquiries for Plans of Corn ilouses, Bheep Barns, 
Cattle Racks, Pole Backs, Ac. To all of these we 
will respond as fast as possible. In the mean time 
any of our readers having important facts on these 
subjects will please communicate at once, so that we 
may give our readers all tho Information needed, 
For tho following Plans for a Corn House wo are 
indebted to correspondents, practical men who have 
them in use: 
GROUND ULAN. 
A, Granary; H, Store Room. 
Plan One. - Tho accompanying Plan of a Corn 
House and Granary, with elevation, will admit, of al¬ 
most any required reduction or extension in size. R 
is 2-1 by 18 feet, posts 11 feet, which extend 2 L et, be¬ 
low tho ll ior, and rest on stone supports 8 inches high, 
and stink into the ground three feet. The studs, 2 
foot apart, are set 1 j inches inside of face of tho sills 
and posts, witli strips of plank 2 by i, notches cut in 
them In tho form of a right-angled triangle, the base 
ij inches deep, tho hypothonuso inches long, the 
perpendicular parallel with the face of the plank, one 
immediately above the other, nailed on the sides 
with the back corners of the notches even with the 
face of tho Btuds. Clapboards, 0 Riches wide, are 
nailed on the notches, with the lower edge extend¬ 
ing 4 inch below tho notch, arid the upper edge of the 
clapboard in the next notch below; thus leaving a 
space of ouo inch between the two clapboards, which 
admits plenty of air, and at the same time pre¬ 
vents the rain from blowing in upon the corn. The 
bins are it feet wide, extending both sides of the 
building—tho floor does not. extend under the bitts- 
the bottom of thus bins are formed of strips ouo inch 
thick and three Inches wide, set edgewise, one inch 
apart. The doors should be hung with strap hinges 
so that they can he taken oil' in tho fall, and doors 
made of slats hung in their places, so as to admit of 
a free circulation of air through the building. The 
floor overhead is 1’. feet below the top of the plates, 
and the entrance to the upper story through the floor 
directly over the window, by means of a movable 
ladder. 
Tho granary is in the center of the building, and is 
C feet wide by 18 foot long, with two partitions divid¬ 
ing It into three bins. It rises 2 foot, above the upper 
floor, and extends down to within 0 feet of the lower 
floor. The grain is drawn up with a tackle hitched 
of the country and the justice of a tax, hut would lay 
it so that no interest would suffer, and all good poop'e 
be “protected,'’ 1 propose a tax oil Canada thistles! 
Foreigners, tiiey came without being invited; cormo 
rantjt, they produce nothing; monopolists, they make 
no returns — why shouldn't they pay a tax? Do you 
object? You tax the spectacles that give sight to 
honored age, and tho sugar that sweetens tho catnip 
tea of the newborn infant, - are Canada thistles 
bound to you by tenderer tieB? 
Yon have all heard of tho “Goths and Vaudals,” 
I presume— I haven’t a very clear Idea what they 
were, but I entertain the opinion that Canada thistles 
arc a great deal worse. 'The Goths and Vandals died 
out after a white, I conclude, for I haven't read of 
them iu tho Rural lately, which treats of every thing 
of any consequence that is going; but Canada 
thistles, like beggars and small pox, push themselves 
everywhere, where they aint wanted, and when they 
get there, are sure to stay at least 1 never heard of 
their going voluntarily, which even the greatest bores 
are known to have done. Ministers of the Gospel 
are taxed, if they are indiscreet enough to have more 
means than are required for current expenses; are 
Canada thistles more sacred than they ? Not only 
thistles, but daisies and docks, tares and tory weeds, 
directly over tho entrance to the upper story, emptied 
into the granary and is taken out by means of a slide 
at the bottom, where you want a movable flight, of 
steps, 4 feet high, with tho board on the top one foot 
wide. Tho entrance stops should ho mado and hung 
so that the door cannot tie shut when they arc down, 
hut mast be turned up into the building in order to 
close It, thus avoiding tho possibility of leaving it 
down for mice to run up. There should be a tin 
fender, 0 inches in width, nailed around each post, 
close to tho sill, projecting downwards. 
Plan Two.—Wo w ill commence by laying a good 
stone wall in lime mortar, (which will not be a good 
harbor for rats and mice,) and on this wall place sills 
of hard wood, with a rabbet I ) inch deep, in order to 
i-.ilnilt. I’lrtnk U inebtt* thick. ( T bc pltllk should lie 
hard wood.) Over tin's may no used clapOuntnlH, or 
(what ia more fashionable now days,) boards up and 
down, battening the cracks. The Hour may be laid 
with good, sound hemlock hoards, I inch thick, 
jointed and laid double. It- should he celled with 
well seasoned hurnloek boards, matched and well put 
together. Tho height between lower and upper floors 
0 j feet the same above tho second floor to f lic plates. 
Tim granary, A, may bo cut np Into bins, to suit the 
taste of the owner. The store room, B, will be found 
very convenient for barrels and boxes, for keeping 
fall fruit, Ac. A small box stove would bo of some 
service in the drying process, especially in dump 
weather. 
C 
4/j X 20 
H 
5 X 20 
C 
5 ft X 15 
SECOND STORY. 
0, C, Corn Cribs; H, Hull. 
The plan of the second floor gives you a crib, C, 
the whole length of the building upon one side, and 
on the Other, is a crib, C, part way, leaving sufficient 
room to go up and down -fairs. At one end of tho 
alley we have a door of sufficient size to admit of 
large boxes of corn, which may lie drawn up by 
means of a pulley in tho ridge above. At thy oppo¬ 
site end a, large window for light, and also for a 
draught of air. At the figure 3, in the alley, should 
ho a Boreon fixed in tho floor coarse enough to let 
shelled corn through; over this may be placed tho 
corn shelter. Tho corn, after being shelled, passes 
through the screen into a conductor, (made tunnel- 
shape,) which empties it in a largo bin below, leaving 
the cobs above. Tho front of the cribs should lie 
made of slats in order to let in air. The corn may be 
taken from small doors, near the bottom of the cribs. 
and all that family that live well and do nothing, 
should pay tho tax. 
lam perfectly conscious of the revolutionary and 
agrarian bearings of the principle here set forth. I 
know full well that if it should get abroad in human 
society, it would produce a hubbub of no mean pro¬ 
portions. i am aware that among men, those that 
productively are of least value, socially and civilly, 
have the most respect and the most exemptions; but 
I venture the amendment, and if it shall finally come 
to this, that each ahull get ids deserts, we must all 
endure It as best we can. 
Let us have a tax on Canada thistles.- it. t. b. 
-» • ^ » ■ ■ ■ — 
CHINESE, OR FAT-TAILED SHEEP. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: — Pleuso accept my 
most sincere thanks for your kind notice of Ayr¬ 
shire cattle and Chineso sheep, in issue of 24tli Aug. 
and 21st September. 
Regarding the sheep, neither of your descriptions, 
or tho plate, answers to my Bheep. I have three; 
one yew dropped three lambs to-day, took buck 
May 19th. The weight of these sheep is about 200 
pounds. When full grown, the tail, which is tho 
curious part, is from 7 to 8 inches long and '• to 0 
