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tTaGRICULTURF 
MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AJf ORIGINAL W8BKLT 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
will not be ranch longer annoyed at our State Agri¬ 
cultural Fairs by Addresses from politicians and 
lawyers, who endeavor to teach farmers upon ques¬ 
tions in regard to which they are profoundly igno¬ 
rant themselves. This, to ub, is a humiliating spec¬ 
tacle; and we know of no better wsy to effect its cure 
than by urging farmers to form a habit of expressing 
their opinions publicly. This can be learned most 
effectually in the farmers’ clubs we have recom¬ 
mended, whet a among friends and neighbors the 
speaker could feel bnt little embarrassment. Mem¬ 
bers of such clubs, when attending State Fairs, could 
at least take honorable part In the evening discus¬ 
sions, and would not have to ask others to give their 
views, as some did at the last Fair in thiB State, nor 
feel compelled to sit still and hear heresy advanced 
and not contradicted. 
only a sunken barrel or trough in which they can 
indulge occasionally, but we have never thought 
them remarkable for beauty. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors, 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES. 
REFINING SORGHUM SIRUP 
IMPORTANT. 
At the recent meeting of the Illinois State Horti¬ 
cultural Society, In this city, (of which more in duo 
tim*) a Mr. Snow, of Ogle Co., III., exhibited two 
samp'es of Sorghum strop, which created quite a 
sensation among the members. The samples exhib¬ 
ited wore the crude sirup, ns it is now used through¬ 
out the country, ns it cornea from the evaporators 
with only the simple agents of heat or lime, used as 
refiners, ami the same kind of sirup used at Bel¬ 
cher’s Sugar Refinery, in this city (Chicago). The 
sample of crude sirup is nn inferior one,—not, an 
average sample of the quality made throughout the 
counfry this year, (I herewith send you a sample of 
each,] which la much better. 
So profound was tho sensation made upon members 
by this exhibition, that a committee was appointed 
to visit tho refinery and obtain such facts as could be 
secured, and lay them before the people. Tho writer 
accompanied the committee, and what follows is the 
result, of the visit And by him the items herewith 
given are deemed of the greatest importance, us fore¬ 
shadowing an entire revolution In tho product and 
manufacture of Sorghum in the West. 
We were politely received by W. H. Belcher, 
Esq., the proprietor of the refinery,—a gentleman 
who twenty years ago labored on a New England 
farm, and who built the Ht. Louis refinery; tho same 
person who early in the history of Chinese Sugar 
Cano in this country, asserted that it was not and 
could not be made a profitable sugar producing 
plant, possessing as It docs so much grape and so 
little cane sugar. He still adheres to this opinion, 
conceding that crystals will be precipitated by drain¬ 
ing; but insisting that sugar cannot ho profitably 
made on a large scale from the plant. He has much 
more faith that our sugar will bo realized from the 
sugar beet than from Sorghum. And from a few 
moments’ conversation with him, I judge that he is 
convinced that the experiment of making beet sugar 
here might, be made a profitable one, if the material 
wore produced in sufficient, quantity. 
But to the sirup. A lot of about, *21 barrels was 
purchased, with which to experiment. This is the 
first, effort to refine pure Sorghum sirup made here. 
The result is a quality of sirup much hotter than the 
amber and goldefi sugar honso simps, which sell at 
from (15 cents to $1 per gallon in this market. There 
are plenty of men foolish enough, in their own 
enthusiasm, to call this refined Horghnm sirup equal 
to any maple molasses ever eaten, and the writer is 
one of the foolish tribe. 
. Now about the figures. This sample of refined 
sirup is heavier in volume than the sample from 
which it was made. It is ahout the color and volume 
of Belcher's best amber sirup, hut much better in 
quality. Compared with Stewart's New York 
sirups, its value and good quality Is enhanced about 
200 per cent! There Is do tmoky taste about it. The 
process of refining, and the boiling down tc secure 
the proper volume, enabled the refiner to get ahout 
60 gallons of refined Birup from 100 gallons of the 
crude. But this loss in volume wonld not obtain 
with the average samples of Western sirups. 
What will yon charge the producer to receive his 
sirup at the depots in this city, refine it, re-cooper, 
paint, and brand the casks, and deliver at the same 
depot ready for shipment?” 
“We will return seventy-five gallons of refined 
sirup for every one hundred gallons of the crude 
received.” 
“What will you charge per gallon in cash for 
doing the same thing?” 
“We should charge ten cents per gallon; however, 
if we could get it by thousands of gallons, we could 
do it for much less, say six cents per gallon; lor, 
without additional cost, except for fuel, we can as 
well refine two hundred barrels per day as fifty; and 
we can do that amount of business and not interfere 
with onr regular sugar refining business.” 
Here it, is, therefore, In understandable form, 
j Sirup may bo doubled in value at least, by the pay¬ 
ment of six to ten cents per gallon—or twenty five 
per cent, of the product of the local mills. To this 
must be added freight to und from this.city. 
The object or thiH experiment on the part of Mr. 
Belches, was to find what quality of Birup could be 
obtained after refining, the coHt of refining it, and 
whether a market can bo created for it. No fixed 
value cau be given it until the people have rendered 
a verdict in the ease. And they will not be long in 
doing it if they get a taste. It is proposed, as soon 
as possible, to find what can be paid the producer for 
bis simp as it comes from tho mill, and make it a 
regular business to buy and refine. Let this product 
become marketable once, in this manner, and let the 
grinding season be lengthened indefinitely, (as sug¬ 
gested a week or two since, in relating the experience 
of Mr. Brainaiu), of Iowa,) and Sorghum culture 
will soon give employment to more men and acres. 
It is now more profitable than corn or wheat growing. 
Of the process of refining pursued here, we could 
learn little, inasmuch as none was being refined at 
the time of our visit. Another lot will soon be 
refined, and Mr. B. has promised to* notify ns, and 
permit us to watch and write of the entire process in 
detail. 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, Western Corresponding Editor, 
Tm Knot New-Yorker U designed to be nnsarpassed In 
Value, Purity, Usefulness and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful 1b Appeal ance It* Conductor devotee his per¬ 
sonal attentlou to the snperrision of its various departments, 
and earnestly labors to render the Rpral 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 Fajhilv Journal 
it I* eminently Instructive and Entertaining —being so con¬ 
ducted that it can be safely taken to the Hearts and Homes of 
people of intelligence, teste and discrimination, tt embraces 
more Agnsultnm.1, Horticultural, Scientific, Kdncatioual, 
Literary and News Hatter, interspersed with appropriate and 
beautiful Engravings, than any other journal, —rendering 
it the most complete Agricultural, I.itkrakt and Family 
Nkwspafkr In America, 
fjf For Terms and other particulars, we last page. 
The Tuekev,— No subject could be more season¬ 
able, and perhaps none more interesting, than that of 
Poultry. A few weeks since we gave some hints on 
fattening, killing and preparing fowls for market, 
and we now continue the subject by giving an 
account of other and not much less important deni¬ 
zens of the poultry yard. One of the most useful 
and beautiful domestic birds is the turkey. It ranks 
next lu value to the common fowl. What we could 
do, or how we could keep Thanksgiving or Christ¬ 
mas without the turkey, is a question we hope never 
to ho forced to investigate. The turkey is a native of 
North America, and Buffon says it was unknown 
before the discovery of America, and it has no name 
in the ancient languages. Its range is from the isth- 
mn of Darien on the south, to the fifteenth degree 
north; and east and west, the Atlantic Ocean and the 
Rocky Mountains. It has never been seen south of 
Panama, and is unknown beyond Lr.ke Superior. 
The wild turkev is f«>- “'«« beautiful than the domes¬ 
ticated bird. The plumage«f tho wiiu wk~ r „ 
' * J - ‘*:i I. ),i& compact, glossy, with 
metallic reflections; feathers double, us in other gnl- 
linacious birds, generally oblong or truncated; tips 
of the feathers almost conceal the bronze color. The 
TURKEYS — COOK AND HEN, 
beoomes over-fat, as is apt to be the case with our weigh from 
common geese. Tt is dark gray, and the tail and Bremen geee 
legs a bright orange. about nine c 
The Bmbden or Bremen Gee were first brought to to breed for 
this country in 1820. They arc pure white, of very are better i'o 
large size, quiet in their habits, lay early, and their Ducks — 
flesh la declared to be equal to that of tho canvass- neglected, ai 
back duck. They are apt to lay rather too early in grown with 
the Spring, so that their brotms come ont before the , u ,,i v 
weather is sufficiently warm. 
African Goose ,— The Afri 
FARMERS’ WINTER LEISUBE 
Farmers and their sons and daughters have more 
leisure time during the winter than any class in the 
country. This time they can spend both pleasantly 
and profitably. If the mechanio has leisure in conse¬ 
quence of lack of business, from derangement of 
trade, or from any other cause, bis resources arc cut 
off, causing anxiety and fear, and the time thus 
afforded is a source of paindnBtead of pleasure. Not 
so with the farmer; his season of leisure comes as 
certainly and as regularly as seed time and harvest, 
and if well Improved will produce a harvest of good 
iVnlt v < i- ‘i- F-a;; f( vc- J . >r 
thought, ior the promotion of future plans that will 
make successful the next year’s business. It is the 
time, too, for relief from corroding cares, that cause 
unseemly wrinkles in the face and make tho young 
old long before their time; for indulgence in the 
pleasures of Bocial life that warm the heart, cause 
the blood to course with new vigor, and make the old 
feel yonng again. A well spent winter will, under 
ordinary circumstances, stay the hand of time at least 
a year. It Is trne we must all grow old and paBS 
away, but with tho ordinary blessings of Providence 
we may enjoy a green and pleasant manhood and old 
age, and at last depart like “a shock of corn fully 
ripe,” instead of being withered and blasted by onr 
cares and follleB. 
We know of some whose only pleasure seems to 
consist in work and accumulation. Unless they can 
spend every moment in profitable labor they are 
unhappy. Miserable themselves, they manage to 
make all miserable with whom they come in contact. 
Others seem to go into a torpid or hybernating state 
during tho winter, and care only to eat and sleep. 
Both of these courses are wrong, resulting in evil and 
only evil. The winter is the season for mental, 
moral, and social improvement, and he only is a wise 
man who thus employs it in adding to his knowledge 
and his graces. Farmers spend a good many dollars 
every year in the education of their children, and this 
i3 right; for who would not rather have a eon intelli¬ 
gent and with right principles, though destitute of 
wealth, than one ignorant and mean, though pos¬ 
sessed of the best farm in the State. We have not yet 
become so debased us to honor a man for what he has 
rather than for what he is. But in many things the 
father must he the teacher,—he is the natural pro¬ 
tector, guide, and model, und it becomes him to set 
a pattern which the child may follow with safety and 
honor. The refined home circle is the best school in 
<’ n i is tho iargeBt. of all 
tho goose family, a gander in •k-oJ condition often 
weighing from twenty to tw • i five pounds. They 
are 110OV-I01 Vag ti'rd- A,.. .>r TUeir 
majestic appearance and dignified movements on the 
water, have been culled by some Swan geese. Their 
voice is peculiarly coarse and deep, and unlike that 
ol any other variety, Buffon says the African, or 
Guinea Goose, as it is sometimes 
called, “exceeds all others in stature; 
^ its plumage is a brown-gray, and with 
a brown cast on the head and above 
the neck; it resembles therefore the 
wild goose in its colors; but its mag¬ 
nitude, and the prominent tubercle at 
tho root of its bill, mark a small alliu- 
g ity to the swan; yet It differs from both 
l|B=- fl by its inflated throat, which 1 
mngs 
B down like i pouch or little dew lap; a 
very evident character, which has pro- 
■ cured to these birds the denomination 
Ml Jabotiores (from Jubnt, the crane).” 
A crons of this and the Bremen, 
Ebkn Wight, of Boston, who is well 
posted in gooseology, considers alto- 
getlier tins most valuable in all rc- 
yA spects. Some tune since Mr. \V. wrote. 
$*• us as follows: - “The African Goose 
, ? is of the largest varieties recently In- 
L-a traduced, and proves much more pro- 
yi;' lific than the Bremen, or any common 
goose seen about the country; it is a 
Btately-lookiog goose, of gray upper 
i - plumage, with white under the body, 
; and any one not having a large dew- 
lap, or pouch, should be rejected, as 
' - less likely of attaining to the largest 
size. A few years since a person 
: -!K -. __ _ —__ had a gander of this breed weighing 
twenty-six pounds. Having lost bis 
mate, the owner coupled him with 
a Bremen goose. Ox this progeny, 
■y brilliant; that of the [ or cross, he saved two of the geese, and bred 
When strutting about, these two back to the same gander. These two 
llniself, this bird has a geese laid more than one hundred and fifty eggs 
appearance, and seems the Hrst year of laying. In 1860 they came into 
exciU'H. '1 he domestic my possession. One of the two geese I dispoBed 
less beautiful than the of to a friend, which has proved exceeding prolific; 
,d and handsome bird, j while that retained by me has laid equally well, and 
ck, copper colored and in I860 gave me sixty-seven eggs; in 1867, Bixty-five 
months ; iu addition to which, one of them sat 
twice, the other only once, the three nests giving 
thirty young ones. The eggs vary in color, some 
being white, white others are of pale blue. As a 
further recommendation for them, in an economical 
point of view, It is argued that their consumption of 
food is less than that of the common duck; and 
another advantaj e may be found in their comparative 
silence from the continuous “quack, quack, quack,” 
of the latter bird. They also attain greater weight 
in less time; and, from their superior appearance 
when plucked, are a far more marketable article. 
Black Cayuga .—The Black Cayuga is the best of 
the dark ducks; very little, If any, inferior in size 
and value to the Ajlesbuiy. Its history we have 
never learned fully, hut it, originated on Cayuga 
Lake, and is in all respects a noble bird, while the 
flesh is, we think, superior to all others, having the 
jucineas and richness, and game flavor of the best of 
the wild ducks. J. R. Pace, Esq., of Hennett, is the 
moat extensive breeder of these ducks iu tho coun¬ 
try, and to him we have been indebted for magnifi¬ 
cent specimens, such as were duly honored at our 
Christmas dinner. 
Our common ducks, though small, arc not to be 
despised, and where pains have been taken to breed 
only from the largest and bcBt, we havo seen very 
tlue flocks. The White Top-Knots are quite interest¬ 
ing, and where water is abundant, verypretty. Those 
who are favorably situated respecting water, will Cud 
the rearing of aquatic fowls quite profitable, and to 
aylesriiry duck. 
eggs; in 1858, between sixty and seventy eggs. So 
fast as she gave me five eggs, they were placed under 
a hen, and each lieu was allowed to bring them up. 
“ I have now on band of the second growth a large 
flock of the young—all the progeny of this one goose 
for this year. If well cared for, they will dress to 
1SLA0K CAYUGA DUCK, 
persons of taste there are few sights 
interesting 
than a sheet of water covered with water fowls 
engaged in their enrious pports. 
The Muscovy or Brazilian Duck, although a water 
fowl, is far less partial to this element than other 
varieties, and may be kept very well where there is 
an enormous size, and yet never 
11 Lansin 
