AGR I CULTURE- 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.- FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, MARCH 1 
[WHOLE NO. 635. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
field of wheat we ever paw, was owned by a comb- 
maker, who had made liberal use of horn shavings. 
Farmers will find wood ashes of far more value 
than many imagine, especially for light lands. But, 
for a little extra choice manure for special purposes 
and occasions, there is nothing like the fowl house. 
If hen manure is well saved, and used to the best 
advantage, we believe it will more than pay for the 
keep of fowls. Forgiving onions a start ahead of 
the weeds, there is nothing so good as a little dry 
hen manure, drilled in with the seed, and it is just 
as good for carrots. A tea-cup full scattered In the 
hill at the time of planting corn, helps the young 
plants amazingly, ami gives them a lift that carrrioB 
them well through the season. But, every farmer 
needs a good vegetable garden, and for this fowl 
manure is mostly needed. Four or five quarts put 
in a barrel of water, makes a tine liquid manure for 
any beds of young plants that need stimulating. In 
this form we use it for melons, cucumbers, etc., as 
soon as they appear above ground, to put them out, 
of the way of “ bugs,” and on beds of cabbage and 
cauliflower plants, fur the same purpose. Celery 
plants, after being SOt out, may be hurried up amaz¬ 
ingly by being watered two or three times a week 
with this liquid food. If magnificent sweet corn is 
wanted, half a pint of dry hen dung, if made fine 
and well scattered in the hill, will produce it. 
THB LEADING AMERICAN WEEKLY 
RURAL. LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors. 
year 1861 to be 16,940,282 bushels. This total was 
divided among the grades as follows:—No. 1 white 
winter, 57,750; No. 2 ditto, 47,250; No. 1 red winter, 
374,850; No. 2 ditto, 546,950; rejected winter, 82,110; 
extra club, 350; North Western club, 238,000; No. 1 
spring, 6,772,718; No. 2 spring, 7,006,716; rejected 
spring, 1,813,588 bushels. 
The great bulk of the wheat received at this mar¬ 
ket is spring, and is found graded as No. 1, No. 2, 
and rejected spring. 1 find by reference to the table 
showing the weekly prices of wheat in this market, 
that the range of difference in the minimum prices 
of No. I ard No. 2 spring is from three to ten cents 
in favor of No. 1. Let the average difference bo 
called five cents per bushel, and the farmers of the 
West have lost over $350,000 on grain, the most of 
which, if properly cleaned, might have realized to 
the farmer five cents inure per bushel. 
Tbe difference between No. 2 spring and North 
Western club is still greater, and ought to furnish 
the fanner with inducement, not only for growing 
his grain well, arid market ing it clean, but for secur¬ 
ing the best varieties. The hard, flinty, red varieties 
will not sell in this market, or any other, us do the 
light, amber-colored varieties. The average differ¬ 
ence in the minimum prices of North Western club 
and No. 2 spring is not, far from seven cents. The 
reader can make his own figures. 
The total inspection of corn for 1S61 amounts to 
25,261,123 bushels. Of this quantity 24,900 was 
pure white; 452,300 pure yellow; 22,348,585 mixed; 
2,266,988 rejected; 168,350 new. 
Now, could the yellow and white of t his vast quan¬ 
tity of mixed corn have been separated, the price 
of the whole would have apprioi cod. By reference 
to the table of prices wo find the range of difference 
between the quoted prices of mixed, and pure yel¬ 
low, and pure while, to be from one-half cent to 
three cents. It will be fair to call the difference one 
cent per bushel—and I am assured by dealers that 
if more of the pure white or pure yellow corn were 
marketed, there would be a still greater difference 
made by buyers. Now add one cent per bushel to 
the value of the mixed corn inspected hero in 1861, 
and we have the snug sum of $223,485.85, which 
might have gone into the pockets pf the corn- 
growers of the West, from one market 
The total amount of rye inspected was 487,649 
bushels. Of this amount 409,799 bushels were No. 
1; 9,800 No. 2; 68,060 rejected. 
The total amount, of oats inspected was 1,072,556 
bushels. Of this amount 962,706 bushels were No. 
1: 14,950 No. 2; 94,900 rejected. 
The total amount of barley inspected was 108,455 
bushels. Of this amount 5,250 bushels were No. 1; 
82,650 bushels were No. 2; 20,565 rejected. 
We might grow more and better barley in the 
West, and profitably too. The difference in the 
price of No. 1 barley, and pure white or yellow 
com, ranges from JU jc to thirteen cents in favor of 
the barley. And that, difference in price will almost 
cover the cost, of its production. I have no figures 
upon which to base an assertion; but it is my opin¬ 
ion, that on most of our soils, especially north of 
the list, parallel, more bushels of barley than corn 
may be produced and marketed, with the same ex¬ 
penditure of labor. If any Rural reader has 
tested the matter, it will be interesting to read his 
experience. 
THE HOG TRADE. 
The number of hogs received in this market (live 
and dressed,) in 1861 was 675,902 hogs—135,416 more 
than any former year. But the hog trade in 1862 
will, with present prospects, far exceed the business 
of 1861. Never before in the history of the city lias 
there been so many *• distinguished arrivals” of 
heavy porkers as during the first, two mouths of the 
current year. The number of hogs cut and packed 
in Chicago, in 1861, was 379,903. 
REEK CATTLE. 
The number of beef cattle received here in 1861 
was 204,579. Of this number 53,754 were cut up by 
packers—2,148 more than any former year. 
GRASS SEED, 
The number of pounds of grass seed received in 
this market in 1855 was 3,024.238 pounds; in 1856, 
2,843,202 tbs; in 1857. 2,406,973 lbs; in 1858, 4,271,- 
732 lbs; iu 1859, 5,241,547 lbs; in 1<860, 7,071,074 lbs; 
in 1861, 7,742,614 lbs — a pretty respectable trade, 
and by most Western farmers regarded a profitable 
crop. 
WOOL. 
The. quantity of wool received in 1855 was 1,9-13,- 
415 lbs; in 1856, 1.853,920 lbs; in 1857, 1,116,821 lbs; 
in 1858, 1,053.620 lbs; in 1859, 934,595 tbs; in 1860, 
859,248 lbs; in 1861, 1,184,208 lbs. 
The amount received in 1861 is not a fair index of 
tbe amount produced in the West, compared with 
previous years; for much ol the clip of 1861 has 
been held until quite recently. 
Much inure that is instructive and interesting, as 
indicating the great resources of the North-West 
and the immense trade which centers here, might 
be abstracted from this report I shall have occa¬ 
sion to refer to some of these facts hereafter; but 
now my space is filled. 
CHAS, D. BRAG DON. WeBtern CorroBpondlnR Editor. 
Tbe Rural Nbw-Yorrkr is designed to be unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, Usefulness and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes his per¬ 
sonal attention to tlie 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 thoBo whose 
interests it zealously advocates. As a Family Journal it is 
eminently Instructive and Entertaining —beinR so conducted 
that it can be safely taken to the Hearts and Homes of people Of 
intelliireueo. taste and discrimination It embraces more Agri¬ 
cultural. Horticultural, Scientific, Educational, Literary and 
News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other journal,—rendering it the most 
complete Agricultural. Literary and Family Newspaper 
in America. 
t'37~ For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
FACTS ABOUT MANURE 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES 
TOM WONDEK 
Farmers are beginning to appreciate the value of 
manure. Only a few years since, it was difficult for 
keepers of horses in this and other cities to sell a 
load of manure, or even get it drawn from their 
stables without charge. Many times have we seen 
largo piles of excellent stable manure drawn out; to 
the waste lands and commons, and thrown away as 
worthless. This was the state of things in many of 
our largest cities, but now a dollar a load is a com¬ 
mon price for a very poor article, and it is Soughtso 
eagerly, that iu Rochester it is with the greatest dif¬ 
ficulty wo can obtain enough in the Spring to make 
hot-beds, while for other purposes we are compel¬ 
led to resort to guano. Enterprising farmers in the 
neighborhood ot cities and villages, who once 
obtained plenty of manure at a low rate, find this 
source ol' supply cut off, as nearly all is monopo¬ 
lized by gardeners and nurserymen, with whom the 
fanner cannot compete. It will be seen, therefore, 
that the farmer iH thrown mainly upon his own 
resources, and must make manure upon the farm, or 
purchase some of the high priced fertilizers, like 
guano. It may be good economy to do the latter in 
some special cases, but Urn farmer, as a general rule, 
should make calculation to keep his land in the 
highest stabs ol fertility, by what he can produce. 
We are acquainted with a gentleman who purchased, 
at a low price, a farm that had been run down so 
completely as to he considered almost worthless. 
In fact, it had the reputation of being a starvation 
farm in alt that neighborhood. Several had attempted 
its resuscitation, and failed, with loss of time and 
money. Its present owner commenced operations 
by the purchase of a few tuns of guano, and was 
thus enabled to grow a very moderate crop of corn 
on a portion, while the rest was allowed to run to 
grass, the spears being lew and far between. The 
corn was fed out the next autumn and winter, the 
stalks being cut and scalded, and t he corn made into 
meal. A little poor hay, which the worn out meadows 
afforded, was also cut and scalded. This, with some 
mill-feed, and a few tuns of hay purchased of neigh¬ 
bors, allowed him to keep considerable stock, and 
thus make a largo quantity of manure for the next 
season, which, with half the quantity of guano used 
the previous year, was used for the production of 
more corn. The land in corn that year was manured 
and sown with oats and clover. From Lhis time 
there was a constant and rapid improvement. No 
more guano was needed, and now this enterprising 
farmer owns one of the most productive and best 
paying farms in the county in which he resides. In 
this way guano may be of the greatest value to the 
farmer, giving him a start—a foundation for improve¬ 
ment—lmt. only in very special cases can it be made 
a main reliance. 
An agriculturist once observed very truthfully, 
that “-men have explored the caves of India, the 
battle-fields of Europe, and the coasts of Africa, 
for the elements of fertility, yet upon our own lunns 
and in adjoining workshops, arc to bo found many 
sources from which fertility may be obtained-” A 
glance at some of these sources of fertility may not 
be unprofitable, ~ 
The celebrated Stallion “Tom Wonder” by 
Tom Crowder, dam by Woodpecker, thorough bred, 
is noted for his great speed both as a trotter and a 
racer, and for beauty of proportion and develop¬ 
ment of bone and muscle. He is over 15 hands 
high, and weighs, in condition, about 1,000 pounds. 
Color, dapple gray; legs and feet black, and mane 
anil tail black with silvered ends; head and general 
form strongly Arabian. IBs road gait is a fine 
square trot, until strongly urged, when he paces. 
Tom is admitted by good judges to be as sound and 
well proportioned us any horse extant, lie can 
show a 2.30 gait, on a trot, and can pace a mile in 
less than 2.20 to wagon, when conditioned; lias 
shown a half mile, in private, inside of one minute. 
Has challenged any trotting or pacing stallion for 
the last 5 or 6 years, and will still match to go in the 
lull. He won a race, (see Turf Register, Oct. 13, 
1853,) when 4 years old, (at Cincinnati,) beating 
Frank Pierce and Joe Wilson, making 2d heat in 
2.28, the fastest 4-year old time ever made in a pub¬ 
lic race, On the Centerville Course, Long Island, 
Oct. 23d, 1854, in a double team race, Tom Wonder 
(then 5 years old,) and Isadora distanced Post-Boy 
and Lady Bevins in 2.32. In Oct., 1856. Tom beat 
Tecumsch and Reiner (pacers) at the great Na¬ 
tional Fair at Boston, taking the premium: and in 
Sept.. 1858, ho took the special premium, free Ibr all 
stallions, (a diploma and silver cup,) at the Queen’s 
County Fair, Flushing, L. I. A yearling colt of hi3 
took the 1st premium at the same Fair. His stock is 
very promising, and all trot; he has 3-year olds that 
can show a 2,40 gait, 
Tom Wonder was raised by Col. Wm. B. Murphy, 
of Lexington, Ky., of whom he was purchased by 
his present sole owner, Dr. J. Burling Lawrence, 
of New York, lie is to be kept for service the com¬ 
ing season un Long Island. 
our agricultural resources, i give the receipts ot gram 
iu this market during the past four years. In 1858, 
14,032 29] bushels; in 1859, 14,728,642 bushels; in 
I860, 32,824,958 bushels; in 1861, 45,970,687 bushels. 
The statement showing the capacity of our ware¬ 
houses for handling and storing grain, will give the 
reader some idea of the machinery in use here for 
this purpose. There tire now M elevating ware¬ 
houses in operation. Their aggregate capacity for 
storage is 5,915,000 bushels. Their capacity for re¬ 
ceiving and shipping, per day, is 675,000 bushels — 
that, is, that amount may be taken out of cars and 
put into the holds of vessels through the agency of 
these elevators, in one day. Their capacity to ship, 
per day, is 1.795,000 bushels. Two new houses will 
be completed previous to the opening of navigation, 
which will add 900,000 bushels to the above capacity 
for storage; 95,000 bushels to the capacity to receive 
and ship per day, and 300.000 bushels to the 
capacity to ship per day as given above. 
THE GRAIN INSPECTION. 
Farmers are, or ought to tie, deeply interested in 
the system of graiu inspection which obtains hero, 
and whieli has been applied both to the perpetration 
and correction of abuses. But the system is being 
perfected, and the Board of Trade are determined 
that it shall subserve the interests of the intelligent 
and careful producer, as well as protect their own. 
The grades and requisites of the ditlerent kinds of 
grain, in force now, are as follows: 
Wheat.— A r o. 1 White Winter. — The berry to be 
plump, well cleaned and free from other graius. 
-Vo. 2 White Winter- —To be sound, but not clean 
enough for No. i. 
The same remarks apply to No. 1 and No. 2 Red 
Winter. 
Rejected Winter— All unsound, unmerchantable 
wheat, and to weigh less than 45 pounds to the 
measured bushel. 
Metro, Club — To lie sound, well cleaned, and to 
consist ot pure Club wheat, weighing not less than 
60 pounds to the measured bushel. 
North Western Club — To be sound, well cleaned, 
and to comprise all kinds of bright amber-colored 
Spring wheat, weighing not less than 59 pounds to 
the measured bushel. 
No. 1 Sprint/ — The berry to bo plump, well 
cleaned, free from other grains, and to weigh not 
less than 59 pounds to the measured bushel. 
No. 2 Sprhu / —To be sound but not clean enough 
for No. 1, and to weigh not less than 56 pounds to 
the measured bushel. 
Rejected Spring —All unsound, unmerchantable 
Spring wheat, and to weigh not less than 45 pounds 
to the measured bushel. 
Corn.—T he grades of corn are, pure white, pure 
yellow, mixed, rejected, and new. 
Oats. —No. 1 to lie clean and sound; No. 2 to be 
sound, but too dirty for No, 1; rejected, unsound, or 
very dirty. 
Rye.—N o. i to lie sound and well cleaned; No. 2, 
too dirty lor No. I; rejected, unsound, or very dirty. 
Barley.— No. I — Tho berry to be plump, well 
cleaned and sound; No. 2 to be sound and clean; 
rejected, unsound, or very dirty. 
THE FARMER AND ENTOMOLOGIST 
with which he is familiar, and the utility of “sound¬ 
ing a diversity of bells” to become acquainted with 
the various tones, so that we may set them to music 
in accordance with our own taste. 
The cordial greeting and unceremonious candor 
of my worthy host and family, as we surrounded the 
well spread board, shone out like the diamond with 
its sprightly play, making 
one feel like an old 
friend home among friends, contrasted with the 
dross and tinsel of city conventionality. Alas! I 
thought, fashion is tolly, or tolly is fashionable; and 
those who flatter themselves on their high position 
ought to bo sent to pasture , or pastoral life in the 
country rather. 
The inner man replenished, we enjoyed the cool 
shade of the ample porch, with its tesselated sides, 
covered with the broad leaves of tho vine, and dis¬ 
cussed tho Southern rebellion and noxious insects 
promiscuously, a portion of which I will endeavor 
to recall and record. 
As to the beneficial and noxious insects, my friend 
queried as to which class our common hornets and 
yellow-jackets belong, truly saying that “ while 
they are like tho honey bee, living in colonies of 
drones and workers, they do not, like them, labor 
with industry to provide and lay up for their brood 
a store of sweetness, with a surplus that pays us for 
looking after and protecting them; but, on the con¬ 
trary. they rob the hive bee, and are regular van¬ 
dals, despoiling our choicest fruit, aiul are a fierce, 
voracious pest, as unscrupulous as Floyd, or the 
most confirmed fire-eater. Why, the pesky things will 
get on t he fresh meat in the kitchen, and after gorging 
themselves, will cut off a piece equal in size to their 
uwu body, and fly off with it to their nest. True, 
they destroy flies and other noxious insects, and 
illustrate the flimsy condition of our Halo,’ that 
entangles flies in its cob-web texture, through which 
our ‘hornets' dash with impunity. In short, I have 
voted them a nuisance ever since last summer, 
when 1 intended to clear u patch ol' ground, where 
a colony had usurped ‘squatter sovereignty,' and 
fairly routed me*horse and foot,’causing a‘Bull 
Run’ panic. But I out-generalled the rascals. I 
left them to ‘crow’ a bit, and when in fancied 
security in their { Manassas iutrenchments,' I cut off 
their retreat, and gave them a dose ot ‘fire and 
brimstone,’ by no means to their relish- Boiling 
water would do for these ‘ soap biters as my boys 
call them, but l felt disposed to do them up ‘ brown.’ 
I do not mean, however, to hang them. It they 
hang their nests liigb and dry out of my way, I am 
disposed to let them hang as high as 1 It am AN, 1 but 
clear the patch I would, and I did; so that ends the 
chapter. By the by,” he added, “ I suppose you 
entomologists have some out-landlsh name for these 
chaps,—pray what do you call them?” 
“ In this particular case,” I replied, “ the generic 
name is simply Vespa, or wasp, a name, however, 
those topics I very commonly applied to various genera of Hymen- 
morc faith in “farm stock, plcjw shares, and alluvial 
banks, than he has iu rail road stock, turnpike 
shares, or c-Uy banks.” Withal, he is a liberal, good 
hearted man. who never turns the humblest vagrant 
hungry from his door, but. supplies bis carnal wants 
from his well-stored larder, not forgetting to give 
good advice into the bargain, which, alas! is seldom 
appreciated. 
In one of my “ tours of observation,” accoutered 
with my collecting box and fixings, dodging about 
among the bushes adjoining the cultivated lands of 
Mr. IIoeUandle, it chanced, on emerging into an 
open space, that I espied him perched upon a fence, 
under a shady tree. He had been eying me in the 
meantime, with some curiosity. On approaching 
him with the common salutation of “ Hood morn¬ 
ing, neighbor; this is a promising day,” “ Why yes,” 
he said, “ but promises ofien don’t amount to much. 
What on earth you've got to sell Y” Supposing he 
took me for a pedestrian vender of “ needles and 
notions,” I replied that I had nothiug to sell, hut 
was out collecting. “Collecting,” he observed, “is 
a poor business just now,” asking, “ Who do you 
collect for?” “ You mistake again,” I said, “ I’m 
not collecting money, but insects.” “Insects!” he 
almost shouted with a laugh, “ success to you;” then 
checking his risibility, ho added, “excuse mo, but 
really the idea of beating the bushes iu quest of 
insects seemed funny to me. 1 suppose you are 
one of those usually called etomolOgist.” “ Ento¬ 
mologist, if you please,” I remarked. “ Oh, aye, 
so it is. We farmers are not,so nice; nevertheless, 
though there is but a slight difference in the spell¬ 
ing, there is considerable as to the meaning, I con¬ 
fess,” he said. Pleased with his good humor, on 
further conversation I found ho was a reader of the 
Rural, (as every intelligent farmer should be,) 
and we soon become fast friends. Your bumble 
correspondent was invited to take a seat oil the 
“top rail” of a five-barred fence, along side of 
John Hokhanth.k, Esq. Elevated to this high 
social position, I spread myself, and it would no 
doubt be rich as well as instructive to transmit the 
whole sum and substance of our conversation to 
posterity. Iu the midst of our learned disquisition 
we were interrupted by the “ toot, toot, toot of the 
horn,” calling the men, at high meridian, oft’ from 
labor to refreshment. 
This signal l was pres ed to observe, and com¬ 
plied cheerfully, thinking to myself, that every man 
can impart some useful information on 
Enough manure is produced to 
keep every farm as rich as the choicest garden spot, 
if it were only saved and applied properly. The 
head-lands, the road-sides, and many other spots, 
are covered with a rank vegetable growth, that 
should be gathered together, and thrown into a pile, 
to decay. Tho swamps furnish a mine of great 
value to the farmer. Its black, porous muck is one 
of the best materials in the world tor absorbing 
liquid manure, that is too often allowed to run to 
waste. A compost heap formed of turf and muck 
makes a convenient place for throwing all the slops 
from the houso, all offensive refuse, and soon 
becomes a regular guano heap. 
Those who live near a town, by being on the 
look-out, may still be able to pick up a good deal of 
valuable matter cheap. Tho sweepings of the 
blacksmith’s shop is excellent, so is the refuse from 
woolen factories, and all bone shavings. The best 
