fiTa gRICultur 
ROCHESTER. N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY. APRIL 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AX ORIQrXAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
face of the bed smooth and level, and the soil 
very Hue. The next morning sow your seed 
broadcast, having previously mixed It with about 
a quart of line sand, ashes, or plaster. 
Having sowed your seed even, take a heavy 
garden roller and roll the whole surface smooth 
and compact, amino further covering of the seed 
is necessary. If you have no roller, a spatter, 
made by taking a piece of two inch plank 12 or 
14 inches square, and inserting an upright handle 
three or four feet long, will answer os a substi¬ 
tute : with this spat the surface ol the bed, leav¬ 
ing it as before, level and compact: this pre¬ 
vents the bed from drying so soon, and the soil 
blowing otT, as well as enables you to weed the 
bed without disturbing the young plants. 
This preparing and sowing of the seed bed 
should take place in the spring, as soon as the 
ground Will admit of it, usually about the first 
of April. Plants may be produced sooner and 
earlier by soaking the seed aud sprouting in the 
following way: take some fine spunk, such as 
may be found where a limb has been cut from 
an apple tree and decayed down; sift out the 
coarser particles and mix the seed with a quart 
or two of the fine In some suitable dish, and wet 
it quite wet with water as hot. as you can put 
your finger In without scalding. Set it in a room 
near where a fire is kept, that it may keep warm, 
aud, in from four to six days, it will sprout 
enough to sow without more wetting; it is then 
pulverized, sowed, and treated as before directed. 
It will need to be looked to, not to let it sprout 
too much before sowing. As soon as the seed 
cracks, and shows a white germ, it should be 
sowed. Cover the bed with some brush to keep 
fowls, etc., oil, and leave it till your plants show 
themselves; these are distinguished by two 
small, nearly round leaves, opening, over Hat on 
the ground. Wm. H. White. 
days since, that they were tm*. most complete 
failure lie ever knew'. He gave me the name of 
a farmer who had a tine crop of them last fall, 
aiul put them iu his cellar, and they had all 
rotted. This same dealer said to me he could 
not sell them for seed this spring, in conse¬ 
quence of their failure last year, and Mr. Catlix 
says they are the best of the seedlings he has 
tried. Now what are we going to do? sit still 
for something to tnrn up in >ur favor, or, like 
wist men, be up and doing to remedy the evil? 
I hope Mr. Cation will carefully test his seed¬ 
ling lie mentions, and I also Lope it will prove 
a better potato, all things considered, than he 
yet has (aside from that) in cultivation. 
The Jackson N\ bite is much better with me 
than with Mr. Catlix, as to quality, as I t hin k 
them only second to the Carter. The-amo ob¬ 
jection with me, as with him, is their deep eyes, 
also numerous small potatoes. Still they yield 
well, and I think them the- best early potato 
that I know of. 
The Junes I have discarded from the same 
cause 03 spoken of by Mr. Catlix. The Ashland 
Kidneys are too small with me—perhaps I did 
not get the right kind, so have discarded them 
also. The Mercers spoken of, I think I am not 
acquainted with under that name. The Scotch 
Grey is a very Hue potato ; also, the Dover; but 
neither what I think a potato should be. The 
Dyke man is widely planted, but with me does 
not yield better than the Jackson White, and is 
not nearly as good in quality: consequently I 
do not now raise it. I have also discarded the 
Davis Seedling, and some six r eight varieties 
of French potatoes, that 1 purchased the seed of 
from Mr. B. K. Bliss, of Springfield, Mass., iu 
hopes to find something I -w.l Aud among them. 
But I was disappointed in ft pertinent, and 
got rid of the potatoes, as I think there is no use 
in multiplying varieties if you do not im¬ 
prove in quality. I am confident that the past 
HEALTHY SURROUNDINGS, 
Although we may not, without great disap¬ 
pointment, expect, short ot Heaven, perfectly 
healthy surroundings, yet more healthy sur¬ 
roundings than many farm houses have, are 
certainly attainable, aud would conduce, more 
largely than many are aware, to the health of 
their occupants. The word “ surroundings” 
leads the mind- first to the door-yard. Very 
imporiant indeed is it that the door-yard—the 
back door-yard—should he sweet and clean. If 
all the waste of the dwelling, in wash water, 
dish water and slops, Ac., Ac., is thrown upon 
the ground in the back yard, a long spell of 
warm, damp weather in autumn win daily and 
nightly —emphatically the last- 
witk the seeds of deadly disease. 
CONDUCTED BY D, D. T. MOORE, 
CIIAS. D. BltAGDOX, Associate Editor. 
To Corkespoxdexts. — Mr. Randall’s address is 
Cortland \ iilage, Cortland Co., N. Y. All communica¬ 
tions intended for this Department, and all inquiries 
relating to sheep, should be addressed to him as above. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D. t 
Editor of the Department of Sheep Husbandry. 
SPECIAL CONTHTBUTOHS i 
P, BARRY, C. DEWET, LL. D., 
H. T. BROOKS, L. B. LAXOWOTHY, 
T. C. PETERS, EDWARD WEBSTER, 
The Rural Nkw-Tobkeb is designed to be unsur¬ 
passed la Value, Purity, and Variety of Contents, and 
unique and beautiful In Appearance. Its Conductor 
devotes Ida personal attention to the supervision of Its 
various departments, and earnestly labors to render the 
Rural an eminently Reliable Guide on all the Important 
Practical, Scientific and other Subjects Intimately 
connected with the business of those whoso interests it 
zealously advocates. iU a Family Jor i:\ al it b euil- 
neutly Instructive and Kntmalnlnbeing «o conducted 
that it ean Pc safety taken to thn Homes of people of 
intelligence, taste arid discrimination, it embraces more 
Horticultural, Scientific, Educational, Literary and Xcws 
Matter, Interspersed with appropriate Ktu:ravings, than 
any other journal,—rendering It far the most complete 
Agricultural, Lit r it a i:y axd Family XKwse.u'uu in 
America. 
FAIR OF THE N. Y. SHEEP 3REEDERS' AND 
WOOL GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
fill the house 
The remedy 
for this is either carrying the slops to a distance 
from the house and emptying them on a pile of 
absorbents, or conveying them away by an un¬ 
derground drain. If there is sufficient descent 
a drain of six-inch tile, I have proved, will 
answer well if clear water is occasionally passed 
through it in quantities, aud'copperas water 
used as a deodoriser. A drain of small tile will 
in a short time fill up with paste, and be useless. 
The next point of defect is want of cleanliness 
and parity in the cellar. If impure air ascends 
by every opening from the cellar into the house, 
how can the inmates expect good health ? 
The third place where some farmers’ families 
fall prematurely into the anus of death, is small 
unventilated bed-rooms, filled with the emana¬ 
tions from the back door-yard and cellar and the 
exhalations from the sleeper’s body, and shut 
tight from night to morning. Typhus fever and 
malignant dysentery, Ac., here find a congenial 
n'mospliero. 
There is something, too, in the position and 
plan of a house. Let the house front the south¬ 
east, so that the front apartments may be cool 
in summer afternoons and the back rooms be in 
the shade in the fore part of the day. This gives 
coolness for labor, and also for rest. Two apart¬ 
ments in depth are enough; more than that 
necessarily excludes from a portion of the house 
sunlight and outside fresh ventiiatibn. An 
apartment thus situated cannot cherish life. 
How much of our sickness is caused by un¬ 
healthy surroundings which we might remedy 
or remove, is an interesting subject of inquiry, 
and might, with profit, occupy the attention of 
every farmer. Peter Hathaway. 
Milan, Erie Co., Ohio, IStio. 
unanimously agreed on. This will allow the 
early shearers to exhibit before shearing, and 
will not prevent the late shearers from showing 
— as shearing at the Fair, though encouraged by 
extra premiums, is not made a necessary condi¬ 
tion of competition in any of the classes. 
The Fair Grounds at Canandaigua, tendered 
for the use of the Association, were found to be 
highly suitable for its objects. They are but a 
short walk from the principal hotels of the vil¬ 
lage. About twelve acres are surrounded by a 
high tence, and there is a covered ampitheater 
capable of holding and seating many thousand 
people, and sheltering them completely in ease 
of rain. This has an open court in the center, 
one hundred and ten feet in diameter, which ean 
be filled with shearing benches if necessary. A 
great shearing contest, taking place here, with 
the ascending benches of the enormous ampi¬ 
theater crowded with male aud female specta¬ 
tors—all assembled to enjoy the “heart-easing 
mirth” of the holiday—will present a scene 
worth being there to see! 
There can be no reasonable doubt that every 
proper arrangement for the convenience of ex¬ 
hibitors and spectators will be fully perfected. 
Western New-Yorkers will require no further 
guaranty of this, when they learn that the local 
committee, having in charge the fixtures, the 
erection of pens, the preparation of shearing 
floors, Ac., Ac., consist of Hon. E. B. Pottle of 
Naples, Wm. R. Pitts of Honeoye, Jokx Malt- 
max aud Wm. H. Lamport of Canandaigua — 
and that the chairman and a portion of the other 
members of the committee were present at the 
time of their appointment, aud did not decline 
to assume responsibilities which they so well 
understand the nature of. Two hundred cov¬ 
ered and properly furnished pens—capable of 
accommodating one thousand sheep — will be 
provided: and the lumber will be on hand for 
the erection of as many more as may be neces¬ 
sary. Preparations will also be made for in¬ 
creased uight shelter if necessary, and for a 
faithful guarding of the exhibited animals by a 
night police. 
The General Superintendent of the Exhibition, 
appointed by the Executive Board, is William 
H. Lamport of Canandaigua, whose name is a 
synonym for energy and straight-forward fair¬ 
ness. Every exhibitor can, therefore, feel per¬ 
fectly assured, that in every particular of 
arrangement, feed, etc,, he will receive all his 
rights with perfect impartiality. 
The landlords of the different hotels have 
agreed to board and lodge at the following 
prices per diem during the Fair; 
Canandaigua Hotel.— L. B. A W. P. Gnnn,.$3 00 
Webster House,— T. P. Failing. 3.00 
Ontario House.—H. D. Maliorv . 2.00 
Niagara Falls Hotel,—Joseph Masseth, . 2.00 
Washington. Hotel.— R. Gardner,. 2.00 
Union Hotel.—J. M. OdeU„. 2.00 
Northern Retreat,—Arthur Power. 8,Qf 
The privilege of -riling refreshments on the 
gronuds is reserved to the ladies of the Soldiers’ 
Aid Society of Canandaigua. 
The following are the leading 
Ursrulai ions of the Fair. 
1. All premiums may be competed for by residents 
of the Uuited States or any other country. Ltrsons 
competing for premiums must bo Members, of the 
Association, by the payment of one dollar during the 
current year. 
2. No pens shall be allotted to exhibitors until the 
first morning of the Fair, and then in the order of ap¬ 
plication. (The allotment of pens will be under the 
direction of the General Superintendent,) 
{37“For Terms and other particulars, see last page, 
TOBACCO CULTURE 
I propose in the following essay, to give some 
plain, practical directions on the culture of to¬ 
bacco, gained from actual experience and obser¬ 
vation of the practices of successful producers, 
in the valley of the Connecticut: 
Seed — First, it is necessary to decide upon the 
kind which it is the most profitable to produce. 
The soil and climate will in a measure determine 
this. A kind that will ripen the earliest in a cli¬ 
mate where fall frosts come early, is the most de¬ 
sirable, other things being equal. Fineness of 
leaf, a quality of curing even, and of good 
color, are also desirable qualities. The kind 
which combines these qualities in the greatest 
perfection, in this latitude, we find to be the 
Connecticut Seed Leaf. It grows the quickest, 
prodnees the largest, finest., and best leaf for 
wrappers, etc., of any kind yet grown in this 
section ; also cures the most even color. Seed 
of this kind ean be procured from seedsmen 
generally; or better, of some one in this section 
where it is generally raised, to begin with. 
Having started witli pure seed it is easy to 
keep it so. When you top your tobacco, lot as 
many of the earliest plants grow without top¬ 
ping as you may desire for seed for several years; 
let only such branches grow as come out above 
where you would top the plant. When the crop 
is ripe strip the leaves from these plants, aud 
set a stake beside them, to tie the stalk to, to 
prevent their being blowu over; the stake may 
be a little taller than the plant to support a mg 
when you wish to cover them over cold and 
freezing nights. When the seed bolls hav 
MORE POTATO EXPERIENCE 
SORGHUM-CHINESE SUGAR CANE 
Some twelve or fifteen years ago, considerable 
excitement was effected on the subject of making 
sugar from the Chinese Sugar Cane, then for tho 
first introduced; and hundreds ol individuals 
grew more or less of the cane, with a view of 
’producing that article; but for some cause, at 
that time unexplained, it result d entirely unsat¬ 
isfactorily, and has not been revived since. 
By most persons who experimented on the 
subject, it was supposed that the saccharine 
principle was not thoroughly developed, and 
that our climate was too cold, and not genial 
enough to produce the desired object. 
Shortly after this period, it was tried at the 
West, in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, 
and succeeded admirably, and las continued to 
grow in popularity and success to this day, of 
which part we have the most abundant proofs, 
so far as the most palatable and beautiful sirups 
aro concerned; aud even fine sugar has been 
produced, but not profitably. A fine sirup from 
this cane, equal to any of the imported, is now 
an important article in the western markets, and 
we should be extremely gratified to see it again 
introduced in this region, being satisfied that 
with the knowledge of the lust varieties to be 
used, and processes and manipulations required, 
now so generally diffused by . Plications and 
works wholly devoted to that brunch of indus¬ 
try, it can be produced in Western New York as 
well as in any other region where it is now suc¬ 
ceeding. 
We were prompted to take this view of the 
subject, by having had submitted to our inspec¬ 
tion, a sample of sirup made in Marion, Wayne 
county, N. Y., by Charles Kt ves; also, two 
samples from Illinois, to which his production 
was in no wise inferior, either in tlavor or color; 
in fact we have rarely tasted a tin. t article unless 
it be that creme de la creme —maple molasses. 
Mr. Reeves states, that he planted about 1 ? 4 ' 
acres with tho Chinese variety, which produced 
at the rate of about 200 gallons to tho acre, and 
readily sold for one dollar and twenty-five cents 
lie used no rectifier 
GLEANINGS FROM LETTERS AND PAPERS 
How to Grow Cbffee .— John Delaxcy of Kane 
Co,, HI., writes the Rural:— “The cheapest 
way to raise your owu eoffee is to sow white rye 
or beans.” 
To Prevent Fowl* Scratching .—Miss E. V. writes 
the Rural :—“Procure a erotched stick, about 
six inches long, put it on the foot of the fowl, 
and tie the end of the stick in front of the leg.” 
Bloat in Cattle. —A young lady at Hillsdale, 
Mich., gives the Rural her father’s method of 
treating this trouble;—“Take equal parts of 
sweet milk, lard, and soft soap, sufficient to 
make a quart. Heat it enough to mix well, and 
pour down the animal.” 
Gorget in Com. — A correspondent of the 
Country Gentleman cured a eow by using 
“eight drops of tincture of aconite, dropped on 
a piece of bread and mixed with her feed,” at 
night; in the morning he gave four drops more, 
and at night she was all right. 
Brinkcrhaff Chum. —N. A. W. Hom e of St. 
Charles, IU., writes the Rural, he has tried it 
thoroughly, and does not consider it “ worth 
the powder to blow it up.” lie says it takes 
twice the time to churn with it it did in a dash 
churn, with cream at the same temperature, and 
it is a difficult ehuru to clean. 
2b jtt rid of Quack Grass. —L. C. B., Catha¬ 
rine, N. Y., writes to the Rural that the most 
effectual way he has learned to get rid of tills 
pest, is to seed the land heavily with timothy, 
mow the crop tho following season as soon as it 
is iu blossom, pasture close until cold weather 
and follow up this practice four or five years. 
Goat Husbandry.— E. S. Barxes of Si, Law¬ 
rence Co,, N. Y,, asks with whom he can 
correspond iu reference to the best grades ol 
these animals, either as milkers or wool pro¬ 
ducers; also of whom and at what price they 
can he obtained. Will such of our readers as 
have experience with goats or who know who 
has, give the information asked for ? 
o turned 
quite brown, uot having them frozen, the seed 
is ripe, and the stalk should be cut off below the 
branches, aud hung in the roof of your buildings 
"here they will keep dry, and be free from mice 
or other annoyances; in this eouditiou it will 
keep as well as iu any other for years. When 
wautod lor use, select the largest and ripest bolls 
rom the center stalk, rub them out, and screen 
through a fine sieve. If the need is good it will 
pop when thrown ou a hot stove or on live coals. 
Seed Bed —Select u good rich, sandy loam, a 
*P<>t protected from cold, bleak winds, cither by 
natural or artificial obstructions; a spot not 
Wly to suffer from being either too wet or too 
di’Y, as in either case the plants will uot thrive. 
Next consider the size of the bed needed to raise 
Hie desired quantity of plants. A bed sixteen 
ieet wide aud four rods long will produce plants 
sufficient to set four acres, provided they do 
well; to provide for failure, it is best to sow a 
arger bed for to set that quantity of land. A 
bl ' d of tbe ab °VO size wlU require four tabic 
spoonfulls of seed. Spread on evenly lroin one 
to two inches of fine well rotted hog manure, 
ice from straw or litter; M>adc In the manure at 
east, eight inches deep, pulverizing the soil as 
me as possible. After spading the whole, take 
a bluu11 quantity of fine brush and cover the 
whole surface and burn to ashes’; do not burn 
too large a quantity, us it teuds to burn the soil 
end cause injury instead of being a benefit, Tbe 
o Jjcet is to fleetroy weed seed, etc. Now take a 
une toothed iron rake, nml make im> a,,,.. 
per gallon, lie used no rectifiers, boiled it iu a 
galvanized sheet iron pan with wooden sides, 
and expressed the juices with an iron three- 
roller mill, operated by one horse. 
If any of our readers should dtfsire to try the 
experiment, the samples may be seen at the 
Rural office, and other information may be 
obtained there. — l. b. l. 
