TERMS, |3,00 PER YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SnSTGKLE NO. TEN CENTS' 
VOL. XVI. NO. 33.} 
ROCHESTER N. Y- FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, AUG. 19, I 860 , 
I WHOLE NO. 813. 
MOOKE'S ETOAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL "WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of tho Department of Sheep Husbandry. 
SPECIAL CONTU1HCTOKS 1 
P. BARRY, 
H. T. BROOKS, 
T. C. PETERS, 
C. DEWEY, LL, D., 
L. IL LANGWORTHY, 
EDWARD WEBSTER. 
Ths Rural New-Toekks fo designed to tie unsur¬ 
passed In Value, Purity, and Variety of Contents, and 
unique and Beautiful In Appearance. I is Conductor 
devotes his 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 con- 
the right depth. And some again is so near 
the surface that a heavy rain will lay the first 
roots bare, a dronth will stunt it, and winter 
frosts will heave it dead to the surface. 
The method of putting in wheat with a suit¬ 
able drill is not subject to these delects, while it 
has advantages in addition which we believe 
render it superior to all other means of seeding. 
The grain is pnt in at one depth uniformly. 
The depth can be regulated with great exactness. 
With properly prepared ground there is no excuse 
for its being covered too deep or too shallow, 
and thns it all has an equal start and chance in 
growth. In view of the mischances which may 
befall this crop, it is very important that the 
seed be not planted too shallow, and at the same 
time it is well known that too deep a covering, 
such as the plow is liable to make, is nearly 
and animals that are harmful to the interests of 
the farmer. We notice inquiries how to get 
rid of the woodchucks. Give the boys a good 
rifle and the job will he done and they will have 
splendid fun besides. Skunks, weasels, cats and 
other depredators thin out the young broods in 
the poultry yard—the rifle wiil sharpen the boys* 
wits to catch them. In the fall squirrels are fat, 
and they often make it from your corn-field, in 
which case the hoys would be justified in pro¬ 
curing a delicte dish of game for the table. 
In 1813, Stephen* Atwood, of Connecticut, 
purchased of him one full blood ewe for the 
sum of >120. Atwood put this ewe to a ram 
that Youngloye Cutter bought of Colonel 
Humphreys in 1307, and he put their descend¬ 
ants to ram9 raised from Col. Humphreys’ 
sheep in his neighborhood, and known to him 
to be such, until about 1S30, when he com¬ 
menced using rams of his own raising, or, in 
other words, breeding in-and-in within the lim¬ 
its of his own flock. He yet setvive-s and has 
The coons pall down the ears and destroy a good continued his flock pure to the present day; and 
nected with the bnshiess of those wbo-e Interests u ruinous. These mischances are a fall drouth, 
zealously advocates. As a Family Jovf.n’al It la emi¬ 
nently Instroctlve and Entertaining—being eo conducted 
that It can be safely taken to the Homes of people of 
intelligence, taste and discrimination. It embraces more 
Horticultural,Scientific, Educational, Literary and News 
Matter, Interspersed with appropriate Engravings, than 
any other journal,—rendering it lar the most complete 
Agricultural, Lite baby and Family Newspaper 
in America. 
tir For Terms and other particulars, 9ee last page. 
and freezing out in winter. 
When the grain sprouts in the earth it first 
sends downward a slender tap root, which draws 
its subsistence from the kernel. Presently the 
secondary roots appear, springing from near the 
juncture of the tap-root with the stem, and they 
deal of corn; coon hunting at night is an excit¬ 
ing and innocent amusement. Your woods are 
full of fat quail and partridges; surely the boys 
are as much justified in a days’ sport after them, 
and you in eating them, as the “ city gent ” who 
will surely he out after them. 
But perhaps your taste don’t run to the use of 
novel implements, and yon can’t just see the 
relations they bear to good farming. If you 
must have a more practical rcuson before you 
can be induced to buy a gun for the boys, I will 
tell you one. It is the best implement you can 
devise for destroying worms’ nests on your 
BROADCAST SOWING VS. DRILLING. 
__ Ci 
IDE uuiu is uear at L-mei for sowing wheat, | 
the most, important of our grains—and premis¬ 
ing that the preparation of the soil is, or will j 1 
he made complete, we will consider some of the ' 
methods ol putting the seed into the ground. 
The liret mode, when the forest had just been 
removed, or the centuries-old prairie sod broken, 
and the land was yet obstructed by 6tnmps, ' 
stones, grnbs, hollows, &c., was obviously the 
simplest one—that of sowiDg broadcast with ! 
the hand, and covering it roughly and linper- 
fectly with the “ crotch drag.” It was toilsome 
work, lugging a heavy load of grain all day long 
over soft ground ahead of a smart-stepping 
team, with the responsibility weighing on tho 
mind that as it was scattered so it would grow, 
and the “streaks” and crowded spots would t 
show to all observers tho carelessness of the ’ 
sower. Then if the weather was not settled—if 
long strcak6 of ominous haze, or heavier masses c 
of black clouds overcast the sky—it was apt to 1 
make a sharp farmer nervous to thiuk that some ' 
pf the long storms that he terms “ line storms,” 
might set in and catch a good deal of his grain 1 
above ground. Even if he gave a timely finish 
to his job, dragged it down both ways, and cut 
the water fnrrows, when ho walked over the 
field after the rains he would see plenty of nice 
seed on top that the birds might cat, or that 
might rot for all (he good It would do him. 
Extraordinary fertility in the soil will atone 
for many defects in cultivation. Hence when 
the country was first tilled, and there were hut 
few enemies to the wheat plant, the luxuriant 
yield of grain satisfied the growers with this 
method of raising it. Rut as the y icld decreased, 
and greater obstacles Were found to contend 
with, among other means tried to restore it 
again, were different, and improved ways of 
sowing the seed. And there arc now three 
methods, namely:—1st. Sowing by hand and 
dragging it in. 3d. Sowing broadcast and cover¬ 
ing with plows; and 3d. Druliug. 
Broadcast sowing machines relieve the farmer 
from the labor of carry iug the grain; they also 
scatter it more uniformly than is commonly 
done by hand, and they likewise deposit with 
far greater precision thu exact amount which he 
wishes to sow per acre. Many of them arc ar¬ 
ranged with a gang of teeth, or small plows, be 
bind, to that the whole operation is performed 
at once aud by the eaiao team. This is the 
highest perfection iu broadcast sowing ; the job 
18 finished at once, t be wed la all put under the 
surface, and as tho trains are placed wall apart 
many coutend that this is superior to any other 
method. It. is, how /ever, no change in the 'pHv 
ciple ot hand sow’ mg. It only does tho work 
better. 'The farm ar means to scatter the seed 
uniformly—the in; icfoine ought to do it without 
■ail The farmer- »®not afford to waste the seed 
which the drug d o-cs not cover ; and the plows 
. h ut ‘t all out of f ,tght. But it is not all covered 
to an equal dept] l gome of it is far dowu where 
it ci n only Strug gi> t . U p, a weak aud sickly stem, 
tu the sunlight, to find itself overtopped and 
crowded by its i K-igbbore, that started from just 
spread laterally through the earth, and thence- apple trees In the spring. Not long since I 
forward are the chief sources of nourishment to heard a farmer, whose well-kept orchard yields 
the plant. Now if these lateral roots are too him hundreds of barrels of fruit yearly, recom- 
near the surface they may be laid hare by heavy mend a gun as ihe best means he ever tried for 
rains, if drouth comes on they arc stunted, and ridding the trees of this pest. In the spring, 
the plant gets weak, and the winter finishes it. when the worms first began to enlarge their 
Severe drouths are frequent, directly after the nests, he took his gun and A . if in his orchard, 
time of sowiug, throughout a large extent of A heavy charge of powder and , paper or cotton 
country where wheat is grown; and at this wad swept the nests clean fro - the limbs with¬ 
er! tieal peviod, Wor« tho roots brve had lime out Injuring them. Picking Jg • 1 ff by hand 
to extend far, they derive their supply of mois- was a tedious job, burning them hurt the bark 
ture from two sources. If deep enough they and foliage, but shooting them was safe and 
turn downward and extract it from the subsoil, effectual—and rather pleased the old gentleman. 
his sons, grandsons and some of his neighbors 
have established pure blood flocks from this 
parent source. NVe shall offer nothing, at pres¬ 
ent, to support these Statements, as they rest on 
the distinct and positive assertions of a man of 
conceded veracity, and have been so substanti¬ 
ated by the results of investigation that we are 
not aware that they are now disputed by any 
living man. 
A branch of Mr. Atwood’s family of Hum¬ 
phreys’ Merinos was established in Vermont, 
which has become much more numerous than 
his own. The prominent founder of this new 
family was Edwin* Hammond of Middlebury. 
An account of his purchases of sheep of Mr. 
Atwood In 1844-1S4U, has been published in the 
Practical Shepherd, (p. 29,) and does not require 
repetition here. Mr. Hammond has kept the 
Humphreys blood absolutely pure down to the 
the Industry of the United States of America ” : 
“ Not guarded Colche’s gave admiring Greece 
So rich a treasure in its golden fleece. 
#♦«**** 
Ob, might my gnidance from the downs of Spain, 
Lead a white flock across the western main; 
Fam’d, like the bark that bore the Argonaut, 
Should be the vessel with the burden fraught!” 
Is it probable that the author of these lines, 
and a gentleman of Col. Humphreys’ showy and 
expensive habits, sent round his “most respect¬ 
able” agent to pick up second-rate sheep?— 
when a hundred prime Merinos could have been 
bought in Spain for a less price than many or¬ 
dinary American farmers have paid, at home, for 
hall a dozen, within the past twelve months !* 
2. We assumed there was no doubt that the 
Humphreys sheep were from a single cabana. 
Here, too, there was decisive intrinsic evidence. 
No Spanish flock or parcel of sheep ever im¬ 
ported iuto tins country exhibited a more 
marked uniformity iu appearance, quality aud 
subsequent breeding. They were, in formers’ 
phrase, “ as like as two peas!’’ Again, it was 
the settled custom of Spain to breed each cabana 
in-and-in, and keep it wholly separate from all 
others. Col. Humphreys was an accomplished 
1 soldier, scholar and gentleman, hut he had at 
the time of this purchase but trifling practical 
experience in rural affairs, and noue whatever 
with fine woolcd sheep. He had resided a nuru- 
present dav; and so have a considerable number *er of years in Spain, and there picked up what 
of other Vermont breeders, some of whom pur Pledge he possessed of Merinos V ou d 
chased also wholly or part of Mr. Atwood, but ^ch a mau under such circumstances, he likely 
by much the greater rnimbcr of whom purchased “> have the foundation 01 his own lu ure breed- 
of Mr. Hammond. ing flock selected in a way which violated every 
, A , ,, .. . principle of Spanish breeding, or, if we cart snp- 
So far we do not understand that there is any * ^ mfUter ^ !cft to M wou!d hL , 
.1 » ...1, n t . I, -.I !• A0 t tVifl t It7 1 I 
If too near the surface they turn upward—for ne regretted one thing, however, which was an 
they have a sort of natural instinct that directs inconvenience to his method. His own eyes 
them to the nearest supply—to where the de- were getting old, aud his hand unsteady, and 
dispute whatever as to the facts. The only ques- 
most respectable" Spanish agent have been 
Al mm (iv naijuLv 1 Hi IA U|'iTUIV*-AVI 
they have a sort of natural instinct that directs i 
them to the nearest supply—to where the de- ’ 
scendlng dews meet the ascending moisture of 
the earth. Thus the first disadvantage of being 
too shallow is increased, and they become fixed 
in a position where winter freezing is sure to 
kill them. 
As there are several varieties of drills offered 
for sale, It is well to keep in view the principles 
that should guide the farmer in selecting one. 
There should be but one row of teeth, and the 
covering should he done by the dirt closing in 
upon the grain, after it has passed through the 
tube into the ground. This leaves the surface 
of the sown field in the best possible shape 
to withstand winter freezing. The ground is 
thrown into little ridges and hollows, with the 
wheat rows along the hollows. These ridges 
all'ord admirable protection against tbe bleak 
winds, and thej cause light snows to lodge On 
the wheat, vjhllc their own crests are hare. 
When the ground is alternately freezing and 
thawing in the spring, the dirt settle's from 
them towards the plant, and keeps h firmly 
rooted. Thfo is, likewise, one important ad¬ 
vantage which drilling has over broadcast sow- 
ing k even when the latter is done in the com- 
plvtest manner. 
However perfect in other respects, if a drill 
did not leave the surface In this condition we 
should reject it. As to tho facility of throwing 
the machinery in and out of gear, adjusting the 
depth of tho drills, evenness and precision in 
sowing, these are matters which should be with¬ 
out fault, or tho machine is not worthy the name 
of a drill. A grass seed attachment is very con¬ 
venient, and when timothy seed is sown In the 
fall before rains harden and crust over the 
ground, it is to catch. There is no doubt 
about that. An apparatus for depositing fine 
manure along with the seed is not so important. 
It increases tho weight and draft of tho ma¬ 
chine, and besides it is not always beneficial to 
place special and powerful manures so close to 
the seed. It is better to harrow them in some 
time previous to sowing. 
, FARM NOTES. 
Now that the war is ended and we are figura- 
tlvely turning our swords into plowshares, the 
bayonets to pruning hooks, why not likewise 
adapt the gun as a form implement ? The juve¬ 
nile class of farmers would welcome this hb a 
happy Idea. If they were quick to learn how to 
plow, and to sow and reap, so they wonld be 
awlft to learn skill iu the use of this more fasci¬ 
nating tool. The use of arms should be familiar 
in every farm house— not made so by the hunt¬ 
ing down of the birds that enliveu our home¬ 
steads by their songs aud presence, hut rather 
unfortunately his boys were rarely at home, 
being all adopted ones—chosen, of course, by 
his daughters, Chiel. 
EDITED BY HENRY S. RANDALL. LL D. 
To CosnzsroKDENTs.— Mr. Randall's address is 
Cortland Village, Cortland Co., N Y. All coinmuni- 
Ca'.ior- 1 intended for this Department, and all inquiries 
relating to sheep, should be addressed to him as above. 
THE TERMS PAULAR AND INFANTADO. 
fact, tu itself considered. In Fine Wool Hus¬ 
bandry, we stated that there were “a number of 
scattering hints and circumstances which had 
led us to the opinion that the sheep were from 
the cabana of the Duke of Infantado" (p. 35); 
that we were “ almost inclined to dub them the 
American Infantado” (p. 50); and we subse¬ 
quently remarked in a note: 
“ I have no wish to impose a new name on the pub- 
: iic for the 1 Atwood Sheep,’ as they are commonly 
termed, but I adopt this designation myself, first, 
because i believe it to be the correct one; second, be¬ 
cause it fa convenient and proper to have a family 
name for these well known sheep; and thirdly, because 
I car. see no propriety in giving them permanently 
the name of an Individual, who, if he deserves (as ho 
undoubtedly doe?> great credit for preserving their 
troublesome and less economical. If in the face 
of all these facts different cabanas were resorted 
to for sheep, it must have been from some par¬ 
ticular motive, and that motive must have been 
a pretty strong opinion that a mixture of cabauas 
would tend to some kind of advantage. If Col. 
Humphreys entertained such an opinion and 
acted on it, would he not almost, as a matter of 
I course, if not as a matter of duty, have men¬ 
tioned the fact—called attention to his proposed 
[fourth paper.] 
The history of the family of Merino sheep in f 
the United States which arc at the present time u 
pretty generally termed “ Infantados,” does not 
embrace very extended details, nor are the facts c 
now tho subject of much, if any, dispute. 1 
This family traces its origin to an importation I 
made from Spain in 1802, by Gel. David Hum- 1 
phkf.ys, then the American Minister iu that 1 
kingdom. The following narrative of the facts 
appears iu hfo “ Dissertation," addressed to the < 
Massachusetts “ Society for Promoting Agrieul- , 
ture,” August 25, 1802, published iu his works, | 
p. 349: I 
"Convinced that this race of sheep, of which, I be- as any other stock ever importeu. vve nave iaw"of ’i*t kingdcHn, which punishable 
Uevo, not one had been brought to the United States already quoted Mr. Jarvis as saying that they wUU " traaspotfatiou «<> minyft <w conftMment to 
until the importation by myself,* might be introduced .. unquestionably were pure blood Transbuman- I^^xmnMutious N v 'V ''h Soc’y. \s*tL o. 3*2.] 
with great benefit to our country, 1 contracted with a t ». , ul{ j lu aiu ,liter letter he repeats this osser- \\*e arcir.ciined to think that ifumphri y« wag the first 
ptwsou of the most respectable character to deliver to u -hi,-b Hoi Individual under the rank » crowned head wiao 
v ,, . , , , . ., . . tion, and aililulng to tne region iron wiulu aoi. “ in informal permit to export Merino*, 
me at Lisbon, one hundred, composed of twenty-five , , ,, . „ , . ,, ,, „. obtain,a oven an inu rm y* ,,, x..,, lm ,r .r,- lS - 
mms #nd seventy-five ewea, from one to two years old. HuMPnKt.t * 0 J ‘ 1 L ’ ‘ 1 U! ^ ® ' ernmenxof that connwy -winked aleo at »h« MUon-of 
They were conducted with proper paseporitt across the other thau the LeouesA rnuishir.Kin are SpiiniardB ss sidi'i him. there can be rn doubt 
country Of Portugal, by three Spanish shepherds, and found in that part of Spain, there can bo but ^ ^uce^mfcSecial?^! m-m of ^ 
escorted by a small guard of Portugese soldiers. On little doubt they belonged to that race, t No awkward situation/ This fully explains Col 
the tenth or April last, they w-. re embarked in the reader needs to be informed that the migratory Humphreys silence in regard to nanu-s and details, 
Tagus, on board tho ship Perseverance, of *50 tons, Merinos of Estremadora and Leon, classed col- ^obudLff*hfo “eep.Thau tdc 
Caleb Coggeshall master. I a about MhiaysSl rams and i,. c »\ vc l v under tho above designation, were one reederod in the first paper of this serivs of article-. 
70 ewes were fondeff at-Dcrby ConnccUret, they hav- de * d as tbc choicest in Spain, and included 
tngbceusbiftodatNew \ork°n^ardofa rioop des- cabaiMS of Patt i are , Iufautmlos, Negrettis, buyinE M,rinos. Ho Introduced by the 
tined to that river. The nine which died were princi- p . , „ . , Amerisan AWnwter to a jmuhev of tuo principal tio 
pally killed tn consequence of bruits received by the Acquenres. MontarcOe, Eseurtals, Gandokuq va, 4,^.^ ^ H<kdrUL lio found these of the highest 
**« »«to, « u. .,,..1 o» tt. bank, « N„. «... Ac. Etadly. Col. Hvm.-b.ev, wm . proud, 
foundland." high-toned, public-spirited man, with abundant ^ 7 Ihi informam, H be chose to vUt Eeiremadum 
Col. Humphreys kept these sheep carefully wealth at hfo command, ambitious to be useful Jh; oiler w.eaecepwd.^ The -ucoral^Ttttcnm. 
separate from all other families, breeding them and ambitions ot distinction. His motives tn ^ , henC / rora , ac - oaipaa 5cd Ira. He would have 
in-and-in, down to the period of hi 8 death. The making tds importation and the degree ot tin- 
flock was then sold in parcels to various pur- l' ortlUK '° attaehcc to i, ate veiv 1-3 btlttv ts that hL sheep wcreaelcctejitioiasotnc refo- 
chasers, and most of these parcels became ex- shqwu iu tbe following iues hrom h. poem On 
tinct as pure blood Merinos, or were amalga- _ .. . ,, We even doubt whether he was uermiuoi '. u 
, , ,. „ ,,, . .. . ® * Van Benthnysen sedition,p. 54. d ah,.» n Ev.mbin" had changed when.tarvlsamt 
mated with other families ot Mertnos, within a „ ,, it.wk- « lew rcura altcrward? 
Mtina, Marcel, be „ece,»r y „ U.a, Co,. H. S '?& ^.*SS5 
as mistaken in this particular. Four importations •• were purchased In lower Leon, or upper Eatrema- derated ana Ml a oat^ of r ^ I& mg money. 
because I believe it to be the correct one; second, be- * CoL Hamphreys was a favorite of tbe Court of 
cause It is convenient and proper to have a family Spain, and was on terms of acquaintance with those 
name for thcsewcll known sheep; and thirdly, because 
I car. -see no propriety tn giving them permanently v j ged ; n *n e selection of his agent and of bis 
the name or an individual, who, if he deserves (as ho sheep? Did the American Ambassador take Jor his 
undoubtedly does' great credit for preserving then- the offn Ifon he^uld not htve 
bk>od an mixed, aud effecting constdembte improve- to the proprU'cr of a cabana for a 
ments on the Spanish stock, neither imported them Election from hi? flock, or fur any other particufor 
nor brought them to their present high degree of per- 
faction. If they are to be named after any man, that 
man should be Col. Humphreys.''* 
The name Infantado appearing to be accept¬ 
able to a large proportion of the owners of the 
highly improved sheep of this family, we re¬ 
peated it in the Practical Shepherd; aud wc will 
now proceed to give the "scattering hints and 
circumstances” which led to its adoption. 
1. Wc assumed there eonld be no doubt that 
Col. IIumi'ukeys procured the first class of Me¬ 
rinos in Spain. There was intrinsic evidence of 
this fact. They proved themselves to be of as 
good quality and as susceptible of improvement 
as any other stock ever imported. We have 
already quoted Mr. Jarvis as saying that they 
“ unquestionably were pure blood Transhumnn- 
tes," aud iu another letter he repeats this asser¬ 
tion, and alluding to the region from which Col. 
Humphreys obtained them, he adds:—"Asuo 
other thau the LeouesA Transhumantes are 
found in that part of Spain, there can be but 
little doubt they belonged to that raee.’’t No 
reader needs to be informed that the migratory 
Merinos of Estremadura and Loon, classed col¬ 
lectively under the above designation, were 
regarded as tbe choicest in Spain, and included 
the cabanas of Panlars, Infantados, Negret tIs, 
Acqueirres, Moutarcos, Escuriuls, Ganduloupea, 
etc., tec. Finally, Col. Humphreys was a proud, 
high-toned, public-spirited man, with abundant 
wealth at his command, ambitious to be useiul 
and ambitious of distinction. Hia motives lu 
making hfo importation, and the degree of Im¬ 
portance he attached to it, are very plainly 
Co! H ’solaschool ceremonious courtesy, as well vs 
hfo tastes and ideas In some other particulars, would 
have left him to acknowledge his obligwlims publicly. 
NYU to pnt too tine a point on U. we fo lievoa that had 
-be Date of Infantado, for example, offered him Sheep 
from hi* own flock and tbe services of his wnryorm 
head shppnerdl to select them. Col H. would have 
appreciated the honor far too highly to leave it tramen- 
liopcd. Batin forming thfo conclusion we badfor- 
c-otten a tirentnetsnee named by Jarvis in the previ¬ 
ously quoted letter to ‘Gregory, namely. tha f CW. H 
iipnHea for and foiled to obtain a rova: license to ex- 
ron sheep from Spatn, but that the Spanish Minister 
inated" to him " that if he wished to take them 
ont no obstruction would be thrown in his way.' 
Here then we have an explanation of hfo reticence iu 
reward to a.i the y.vrticnlArs connected with his oh-vii- 
i Wr his sheep. Etiquette, and probably even weightier 
* *V . , ..rrstv’)} liMUAflt Vliw ftt lYlT llAfdATjll? fhri 
trao»podntinu to toe tntnca ot connnemem 
levs far life." [See Jarvis' letter to na, Dec. •«, 
’ransactiotis N. V. 8 Ac. Soc'y, tstl, p. 3iv. 
siuciined to think thut Humphreys was the firs: 
by the destruction of rapacious birds »f prey, • of Merinos preceded his. 
• dura."—Am. Shep. p. 889. 
Jan to, who had no other i 
