-""dGRicuLTimr 
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-F0R THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JANUARY 
WHOLE NO. 628, 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
THE LEADING AMERICANS' WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
giving it ratv, an equai result is produced by 71 cwt. 
of mangels as by 84 cwt; and with Swedes, the 
cooking of the auxiliary bean meal makes a saving 
over the raw meal ni 27 cwt of Swedes; or, to put 
the value of the cooked lood in another light, it ap¬ 
pears that an ox fed on turnips alone, consumed 
daily one hundred and fifty pounds of Swedes, while 
one with four pounds of raw bean meal consumed 
daily one hundred aud thirty pounds of Swedes; 
and another, with four pounds of bean meal cooked, 
consumed one hundred pounds of Swedes; the lour 
pounds of raw liean meal being au equivalent of 
twenty pounds of turnips; while, by merely cook¬ 
ing it, it became equal to fifty pounds of turnips. 
So simple a process must recommend itself, by the 
above surprising and satisfactory results, to every 
feeder of live stock.” 
but we can give a few general rules, that may be 
useful to him and others. The farmer conducts his 
business, not for pleasure, or honor, but for profit 
That system which yields the best returns for the 
capital and labor invested, is the best system, no 
matter whether it corresponds with the practices of 
- 1 or the teachings of books, or not. If for 
the farmer seventy-five 
--i. or wheat, or meat 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOOEE, 
With an Able Corp3 of Assistants and Contributors. 
others 
every day’s labor, costing f 
cents, a dollar’s worth of corn, 
can be produced, of course the more labor used the 
better. If enough can be thus employed, the farmer 
may fold his arms and live on the profit, notwith¬ 
standing the old maxim about holding or driving. 
The fanner’s head, if he has a good one and makes 
good use of it. is of more value than his bands. Of 
course there is no objection to the farmer working 
as hard as any man on the farm, if in doing so he 
does nut. neglect the necessary head work, by not 
giviug himself time to think. A man can be hired 
to do as much labor for a dollar a day as any owner 
of alarm, can do. but at what price can he get his 
thinking done? Who can he hire to do his manag¬ 
ing, and at what price? He who tries the experi- 
meut will find it a very costly operation. Many 
a man prides himself on the amount, of labor 
he does, who perhaps by this excessive toil 
incapacitates himself for a wise and judicious 
CHAS. D. EHAGDON, Western Corresponding Editor. 
The Rt'RAr, New-Yorker is designed to he unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity. Usefulness and Variety of Contents, and 111164110 
and beautiful in Appearance, its Conductor devotes his per¬ 
sonal attention to the supervision of its various departments, 
and earnestly labors ro render (he. fUUAL 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 j« 
eminently Instructive aud Entertaining—being =0 conducted 
that it can be safely taken to tbe Hearts and Moines of people of 
intelligHjice. taste and dierrirninution. It embraces more Agri¬ 
cultural. Horticultural, Scientific, Educational Literary and 
News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, tlian any other journal.— rendering it the most 
Wire Worms. 
The wire worm is exceedingly destructive in 
many parte of Europe, as here, and the best mode 
of exterminating them is a question of considerable 
importance. They have done great mischief to the 
wheal and other grain crops, fur several years past, 
as well as to potatoes and turnips, Peruvian guano 
is foiiud to he offensive to the worm, and either effects 
their destruction, in a great measure, or drives them 
away. The Scotch Farmer says:—“If the grain 
crops are sown in rows, the attacks of wire worms 
can be greatly mitigated by hoeing them in spring 
as soon as the attacks of the vermin are observed. 
Hamm ings will so far have a similar effect, if the 
crops have been sown broadcast. The mischief in 
this case having been already done, such oper¬ 
ations as harrowing and lioeimr will cause the 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
SOUTH-DOWN TtTJCIv 
Wherever delicious, jni#y, rich mutton is prized, 
the South-Downs will be favorites, and we believe 
their more general dissemination over this country 
will make muttou fur more popular than it now is, 
and reduce the consumption of pork—a consumma¬ 
tion much to be desired. In the Rur vl last year 
we gave a group of Improved South-Down Ewes, 
from the celebrated stock of Jonas Wehb, of Eng¬ 
land, imported by J. 0 . Taylor, of Holmdel, New 
Jer ey. and now we present a portrait of a choice 
buck, owned by the same gentleman. The South- 
Down has long been a favorite mutton sheep 
in England, and those bred by Mr. Webb have 
become tho^ most famous, selling and renting for 
almost fabulous prices. The Improved South- 
Downs are also becoming favorably known, and 
quite popular, among breeders in this country. 
One of the most valuable flocks is that of Mr. Tay¬ 
lor. who has devoted nearly twelve years to its 
establishment, and paid extraordinary prices for 
stock animals — his aim being to obtain Q 10 best of 
Mr. A khu’s selected stock. Last year he purchased 
‘•Reserve," Mr. W.’s best ram. and has a fine lot of 
lambs from this celebrated animal. Previous to Mr. 
Webb’s recent great sale, Mr. T. applied to him for 
his best yearling and two year old buck, express¬ 
ing a desire for such as Mr. W. would keep for his 
own Uock, if he were to continue breeding. Mr. 
Weiib selected No. 89, which was knocked down to 
Mr. Taylor, in the public sale, at 260 guiueas, or 
one thousand three hundred dollars, the highest price 
ever paid for a South-Down buck in England. 
IMPROVEMENT IN FARMING. 
more than lie gams. What would be thought of 
the wisdom of the merchant who, to save the 
wages of a poster, spent nearly the whole of his 
time and strength in hauling boxes aud bales. 
Many soldiers in tbe ranks can no doubt tight as 
bravely and successfully in that position as (Ion. 
.iu I lei.lan, and yet the General, in his position, 
is of more value, no doubt, (0 the army, than a 
dozen or perhaps a hundred regiments. How ridic¬ 
ulous then would it be for the General (0 give up 
his position and take a place in the ranks, or to 
waste the greater part of his time in doing work 
that ten thousand other men could do just as well. 
The farmer is the general in command of every 
living thing on the farm. He must marshal] his 
Before us we have an inquiry from a yoimg 
farmer, the substance of which is: — "How can 1 
improve in my system of farming, so afi to raise 
larger crops, or in some way to make fanning more 
profitable? I think 1 do as well as most of my 
neighbors, aud have no desire, and no particular 
reason to complain, yet J barely earn a respectable 
living, as the reward of hard labor and constant 
care, and I have many times thought that the same 
amount of capital and energy in any other kind of 
business would yield more satisfactory results.” 
ne who earns a respectable living in these times, 
has certainly no particubir reason to complain, and 
then the cure of the farmer is nothing compared 
with that of men in other pursuits His thought is 
only just enough to keep Hie brain in tone, and he 
knows nothing of the harassing, desponding care,-_ 
the life-consuming anxiety,—that makes existence 
almost a burthen. 1 hen, few farmers know how 
much they obtain lroui their farms. As a general 
kinds, and allow the thinned plants to grow more 
vigorously. Rolling is of great advantage to the 
plants. 
Potatoes are also a favorite food of the wire worm, 
and they are aften found burrowed out of sight in 
the tubers. So much is this the case that gardeners 
Imp them by slices of this esculent. They some¬ 
times ascend within, and destroy the stems of 
potatoes, and their depredations are often consider¬ 
able in dry weather. Guano applied to the crop 
when planted is the best preventive of their attacks. 
The sots should not be cut, but planted whole, when 
the ground is loose and dry. 
Wire worms, however, have done more harm to the 
turnip crop than all others put. together. They cut 
off the young plants when only a few days above the 
ground, and large portions of fields are at once 
cleared. Even when the numbers are not so great 
as to do Ibis, they will gnaw at the, roots of the 
plants after being newly thinned out. Crows are 
very partial to feeding on wire worms, and they can 
distinguish by the eye, what no farmer can. every 
plant having one at Us roots. To obtain the insects, 
these birds will frequently tear ijp, hi a short time, 
large patches in newly singled fields of turnips, to 
the great loss of the owner. Farm-yard manure 
and bone dust rather encourage the insects to come 
to the roots. Peruvian guano, in the case of the 
turnips, is by far the most useful agent as a vermin- 
dispeller. if rightly applied. After the land is other¬ 
wise thoroughly prepared for the crop, guano should 
be sown broadcast over the level surface, and then 
ridged up with the double-mold plow. This will 
bring seed and manure as closely together as is 
desirable. This method has been found completely 
successful in presenting the attacks of wire worms 
on turnips, when other portions, dressed with farm¬ 
yard manure and bones, were quite destroyed.” 
.Substitute for Roots aud Huy. 
Wk think in this country we have made a great 
advance when we substitute roots, in a measure, for 
hay and grain, but in Europe they are endeavoring 
to find some economical substitute for both. At a 
recent discussion of this subject before a Farmer’s 
Cook county. There is documentary evidence 
enough, and liv ing witnesses to add to it, if neces¬ 
sary, to prove the right — the pre-emption right — 
of King Cotton to a foothold on Illinois soil. During 
the past year considerable quantities of it have been 
grown. During the present year a large area will 
be planted, if seed cun be obtained. The Federal 
Government has promised to aid in securing seed 
for planters. 
Now, if cotton is to be cultivated, it is important 
that those who engage in its culture should do so 
intelligently. It can be grown on Illinois soil, 
because it has been. The writer has before him a 
mass of testimony lroui Illinoisans, gathered by the 
Illinois Central Railroad Company, from which are 
obtained the following tacts and assertions. There 
are forty-eight different witnesses. 
1. Of the Soil best adapted to Cotton Culture. —Of 
those who say aught of the soil, two believe the best 
crops can be grown on prairie sod, freshly turned 
over; one has grown it equally well on old and new 
land; two think it best on new land; one believes it 
a sure crop on fresh-turned sod; one thinks it does 
best on timber; and one on high, sandy land. This 
testimony may be said to establish but little; but 
from what the writer has gleaned, it is apparent that 
the plant can be grown on almost any soil: but for 
the purpose of early maturity, and to secure an 
extended picking season, the dry, light soils should 
be chosen for the more northern latitudes. 
2. Preparation of Soil. —The testimony before us 
leaves us in the dark on this subject, nearly. It 
seems that the most, successful crops were obtained 
by turning the prairie sod over and planting upon it 
at once—some in drills, giving it culture similar to 
corn, with plow and hoe; others using the hoe alone. 
There can be little doubt, from what we know of the 
nature of the plant, and its habit of growth, together 
with the importance qf early maturity, that thorough 
preparation will pay. and is important. 
3. R aid <>f Seed used. —The seed first planted by 
the early immigrants was brought from Kentucky 
and Tennessee. The plant ( Gossypium herbacevm,) 
is herbaceous and of course an annual in this State. 
But the planters do not seem to have failed to grow 
what seed they needed to plant; and I find no record 
of experiments to establish the utility of -changing 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES 
lzesirucrion ot small It mis causing Alarm. 
For several seasons, and particularly the last, 
there was found to be a scarcity of breadstuffs in 
France. This state ol things caused great alarm, 
and memorials were presented tram some of the 
departments to the Minister of Agriculture, the 
Legislative Chamber, and the Emperor. An elabo¬ 
rate report has been made on the subject, in which 
the destruction of small birds is charged with being 
one of the leading causes of deficient crops. The 
destruction of the small birds has gone on increas¬ 
ing? and in a corresponding ratio has proceeded the 
increase of those insects and reptiles which prey on 
the crops of grain and all kinds ol* vegetable tbod; 
aud on these insect tribes the small birds live. To 
that degree of alarm has the public mind been* 
and flour were exported to France; also wine, mate 
from the native grape. Apples and pears were also 
cultivated to a considerable extent: and it is asserted 
that there are pear aud apple trees near these old 
French villages which ore more than a century old, 
and now yield fruit of a more excellent quality than 
many of the more modern popular varieties. 
These French traders were not skilled in agricul¬ 
ture. and no progress was made in it up to the time 
of the wresting of this territory from British 
dominion in 1778 by General Georue Rogers 
Clark. American settlements were rapidly made 
thereafter, tip to the time of the war of 1,812. Corn 
became a staple, and both corn and swine were 
exported. But even after 1778 , up to 1700, (here is 
no record of marked progress in agriculture; and 
the writer can find nothing to establish the fact that 
cotton had been cultivated'at all up to the last- 
named date. In that year (1700) a company of 
emigrants, from Hardy county, Ya.. settled near 
New Design, and were the first who improved agri¬ 
culture in this State. They introduced sheep-hus¬ 
bandry, manufactured linseys, and cultivated flax 
and cotton — the latter most — and wove it into 
clothing. Both French and Americans cultivated 
tobacco extensively —not much for export, but for 
their’ own consumption and for traffic with xhe 
Indians. 
Thus it will be seen that cotton has long been a 
w can / improve lu my system of 
nt important that the farmer can 
’Inch he should keep constantly 
He who does so can hardly fail to 
ogresy. A knowledge of a dis- 
ltult a eyre, and a mind alive to 
4. Time of Planting. —The testimony before me. in 
a majority of. cases, fixes the time of planting at the 
1 st to the 10th of May. Some planted t he last of April 
and others succeeded in getting a good crop when 
compelled by insects to replant the last of May. 
The picking commenced the last of August, and 
continued through September and October, depend¬ 
ing of course upon the character of the season. It 
