£a% u «S 
KlSP-T 
flGBICULTURE 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
made in the winter from the milk ef cows fed on 
parsnips, is Baid to be of as fine a color and as ex¬ 
cellent flavor as when the animals are feeding on 
the best pasture. 
We quote the following statements from the best 
English authority:—“ As parsnips contain six per 
cent, more mucilage than carrots, the difference may 
bo sufficient to account for the superior fattening, as 
well as butter-making quality of the parsnip. In 
the fattening of cattle the parsnip is found superior 
to the carrot, performing the business with as much 
expedition, and affording meat of exquisite flavor, 
and of a highly juicy quality; tho animals eat with 
much greediness. Itis reckoned that, thirty perches, 
where the crop is good, will fatten an ox three or 
four years old, in ordiuary store condition, in the 
course of three months. The parsnips are given in 
the proportion of about thirty pounds weight, morn¬ 
ing, noon, and night ; the large ones being split into 
three or four pieces, and a little hay supplied in the 
intervals of these periods. The result of experiment 
has shown, that not only in neat cattle, but in the 
fattening of hogs and poultry, the animals become 
fat much sooner, and are more healthy than when 
fed with any other root or vegetable; and that, 
besides, the meat is more sweet and delicious. The 
parsnip leaves being more bulky than those of 
carrots, may be mown off before taking the roots, 
and given to oxen, cows, or horses, by which they 
will be greedily eaten.” 
Now, if this is tho true character of the parsnip, 
and we are satisfied it is, from experience, we ask 
all of our farming friends if it has not been too long 
neglected? Another advantage for this country is 
that any portion of the crop not wanted for winter 
use may be allowed to remain in the ground during 
the winter, as they are not in the least injured by 
the frost. When (Jug, they should be stored in a cool 
place and be covered with earth. The parsnip 
delights in a rather light, deep, rich soil, though we 
have often grown good crops on a heavy clay, when 
dry and well pulverized. If manure is used it 
should be well decomposed. The carrot and pars¬ 
nip require similar cultivation; but as parsnips 
makeastronger growth when young, they are not as 
apt to be choked by weeds, or to suffer from a little 
neglect The plants are much more easily seen, so 
that weeding is less difficult. Be particular in ob¬ 
taining fresh seed, as very little of that two years 
old will grow. 
Among the Turnips the Ituta Bogus or Swedes 
are most desirable. Skirving's Improved Purple 
Top does exceedingly well in this State and Canada, 
and we know of one establishment here which has 
raised very large quantities, equal to the average of 
English Swedes. The appearance of the bulb and 
leaf are shown in the engraving. It is a good 
which, by their horizontal growth, form a thick cov¬ 
ering to the soil, thereby materially checking (he 
vigor of autumnal weeds.” This peculiarity of 
shape will be seen in the engraving, where both the 
leaves and bulb are seen in their natural condition; 
and by comparing the leaf of this turnip with that of 
It should be remembered that the season is back¬ 
ward, the ground wet and cold in most localities; 
and then the fate of the good woman’s seeds will be 
apparent. So of other sensible people who under¬ 
take farming and gardening. They know little of 
the laws of production, and less of the mode of 
manipulating soil. The more completely pulverized 
the soil, the deeper they plant. It would seem 
hardly necessary to say that in a fine, well pulver¬ 
ized soil, compact and clean, seed should never be 
planted deeper than three times its diameter; yet 
it is necessary to say so, and keep saying so, as long 
as children continue to be born, and seed is pur¬ 
chased and planted. 
Good friend, man or woman, before you “blow 
up” the seedsman, determine whether you have 
buried or planted your seed. 
to pay me, or that I have exacted from him one dol¬ 
lar, more or less, for anything I have written for the 
Rural concerning him or his. I never have, in 
Cook county, nor out of it. 
THE LEADING AMERICAN WEEKLY 
RURAL. LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOOSE, 
With an Able Corpse! Assistants and Contributors. 
NOTES UPON BACK NUMBERS 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:—I nquiries, replies, 
and notes, are an interesting department introduced 
into many of our agricultural periodicals, and the 
same being established in yours, I venture into the 
field, and firstly upon 
SNOW - DRIFTS. 
I find II. T. B. very spicily has put forth several 
propositions which maybe correct in his latitude, 
but in the New England States they must be taken 
with some allowance as to the feasibility of prevent¬ 
ing these inconvenient accumulations >f snow in 
the roads. That “they may be avoided in every 
case by attention to” his considerations, will be seen, 
by any Now England reader, on refuring to page 
109, current volume, not to be at all equal to the 
end to be obtained, yet they may be in many in¬ 
stances thus prevented, and in others in part, while 
6otne will be made worse in particular situations by 
belts of foreBts. Raising the roads and taking down 
fences will generally be salutary in their effects, but 
“belts” would have to be nearly all over the land 
to he of any adequate use. The streams can not 
well be stayed in their onward course, nor can the 
snows, driven with our winds fresh from the moun¬ 
tain peaks, but they will go on till valleys are filled 
to the depth of fifty feet, and then glide swiftly along, 
leaping over forests forty or fifty rods in width, and 
if by chance a road is located there, often, not 
always, it will fall, like the army worm, into the 
trench to an incredible depth. 
I do not belong to the conservative party, but am 
glad to see hints upon any theme that is susceptible 
of improvement,— nod what is not? — by writers. 
The article upon snow-drifts, here referred to, will, 
it is believed, have a salutary effect and lead to the 
beautifying of many a rural home among the New 
England hills, along the road sides and through 
the valleys. 
COAL OIL FOE LICE. 
This oil I tried and have seen it tried, and certain 
it is that it will kill the lice wherever it comes in 
contaetfwith them; but in my experience it. takes the 
hair all off where ever applied, and, beside, makes 
it very sore by removing so much of the skin that it 
is inhuman to apply it to animals for this purpose. 
Why this difference in its effects in different hands? 
Who will explain? My protest is after trying it in 
the winters of 1860-61 and 1861-62, with the same 
effect in my hands and others. Beware, then, of 
coal oil for lice on cattle. 
CHAS. D. BRAQDON. Western Corresponding Editor, 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, Usefulness and Variety of Contents, ami unique 
and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes bis per¬ 
sona) attention to tbe supervision of its various departments, 
and earnestly labors to render tbe Rural an eminently Reliable 
Guide on all the important Practical, Scientific and other 
Subjects intimately connected with the business of those whose 
interest* it zealously advocates. As a Family Journal it is 
eminently Instructive and Entertaining—being so conducted 
that it can be safely taken to the Hearts and Homes of people of 
intelligence, 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 moat 
complete Agricultural. Literary and Family Newspaper 
in America. 
THE SUQAH CANE MISSION. 
My friend, the young man to whom I referred in 
a former article as desiring togo to China and Africa 
at Uncle Sam's expense, has published a response to 
that article, characterized by a bitterness which I 
shall not emulate, and personalities to which I shall 
not respond, neither imitate; for I have no personal 
quarrel with him. never had, and never intend to 
have, lie asserts, however, that I have been guilty 
of falsehood in regard to the matter of his indorse¬ 
ment by the Executive Board of the Illinois State 
Agricultural Society, and denies that the matter of 
Ibis mission was first brought before the said Board 
by the sheep grower of whose flocks and practice 
he had before written an excellent notice. It mat¬ 
ters little who first suggested it; the Society’s record 
will show—its own journal does show—that the res¬ 
olution of indorsement, was offered by the respecta¬ 
ble sheep owner referred to. 
He also asserts that there was no “ I tickle you 
and you tickle me ” understanding with the gentle¬ 
man who offered the resolution of indorsement, in the 
Adrian Convention. The fact is, the resolution was 
offered, and the party offering it has been appropri¬ 
ately “ tickled.” 
My friend denies that he has “ managed'' the State 
Board, or that be went to Adrian for tbe purpose of 
managing the indorsement by that body. I have not 
asserted that he did; but 1 do assert that the whole 
matter of indorsement has been “ managed" by 
himselt and relatives—that, the latter have applied 
to parties here in the West to write letters of indorse¬ 
ment for him; some of said parties voluntarily 
expressing to me, subsequently, their conviction of 
his disqualification for such a mission, as they 
understood it. And I wish distinctly to assert that 
the article in the Rural of May 3d was not written 
by me until after several of our mutual friends had 
told me they did not deem my friend qualified for 
such a mission, if the object of that mission was such 
as they supposed it to be. And I can name those 
friends of his and mine, if it becomes necessary. 
But even if there was no question as to the man¬ 
ner adopted to secure the indorsement, I deliber¬ 
ately assert that the Executive Board of the State 
Society, and the Adrian Convention, either entirely 
under-estimated the scope of such a mission, or 
knew too little of the qualifications of the party they 
indorsed to execute it. And I intend no disrespect 
to either body by the assertion. It the work to be 
done is simply that of a commercial agent., no one 
need be sent; for the Government, has its agents 
there already, who are as well qualified, doubtless, 
to purchase aud ship seed. But if the agent to be 
seut on this mission is expected to study the habits, 
nature, and relation of the different, kinds of cane, 
such study will involve a botanical knowledge that 
I dou't think my friend will pretend he possesses. 
It the modes of manufacture are of such a character 
as lo warrant the sending a man that distance to 
study and report upon them, then that study will 
involve a practical knowledge of analytical chem¬ 
istry. which I think my friend does not pretend to 
possess. It is true that any intelligent man—like 
my friend — may go on such a mission, purchase 
seed, ship it, observe and learn much that will 
benefit both himself and others, if published: but 
that does not prove that he is the man best qualified 
l'or such a service—that the agriculturists of the 
country will receive all the benefit that may be 
secured to them by sending the right, man in his 
place. So long as there are men eminently qualified, 
why send one indifferently qualified? 
Again—I disclaim any personal hostility to the 
party seeking this appointment. Ho is seeking a 
public position as a public servant; and I have 
objected to his appointment as l would to that of 
any other man where the question of the greatest 
good to the greatest number is involved. My 
friend, however, asserts that the animus of my 
former article is envy, vindictiveness, and persona! 
hostility, engendered, he intimates, by the fact that 
he succeeded me to a certain position. To those 
who know how much reason 1 have to envy him on 
that account, this intimation will appear exceed¬ 
ingly ludicrous: and if himself aud his employers 
desire tile public to know the height, and depth, and 
length, and breadth of that reason, they can be 
accommodated to that extent. 
One thing more. My friend more than intimates 
that I am or have been in the habit of levying black 
mail upon those whom I name in my articles pub-, 
lished in the Rural. I challenge him to produce 
one man who will say that he has paid, or promised 
IT" For Terms and other particulars, see last pare, 
SEASONABLE NOTES, 
LAING’S improved purple top swede. 
Skirving’s Swede, the difference of formation is very 
apparent. In point of shape, hardiness, and quality, 
it is represented superior to all varieties of turnips. 
Of the Common Turnips, the White Flat , or 
Norfolk, is the most grown in this country, and it 
is the best lor new or low soils. The Scotch Fellow, 
or Aberdeen, is a favorite variety for drier and older 
goils. The White Stone Globe, ot which we give an 
Notwithstanding the unusual backwardness of 
the season, the long spell of cold and wet, some¬ 
what trying to the patience, we now have fine 
weather, warm and dry, and in a few days farmers 
will be looking anxiously lor a shower. Plowing 
anil planting are progressing with great activity, and 
with a week or two of such delightful weather its 
we are now having, work will be in its usual state 
of forwardness, and it will be forgotten that we 
n\ihor had oatiRe or disposition to complain. All 
are too busy to read long articles, and therefore we 
give a few hints on various seasonable matters that 
we hope will prove beneficial to our readers. We 
are usually in a great hurry at planting time, and 
therefore the work is often done in the quickest and 
not in the lies? manner. Tbe great object with many 
seems to be to get the seed in the ground, regardless 
ot the result They forget the intimate connection 
there is between seed time and harvest., and that the 
profits of the season depend very much upon the 
manner in which the soil is prepared and the care 
with which tbe planting is done. The farm is a 
manufactory where is made the necessaries of life, 
and the great object is to obtain as large a quantity 
of the most valuable products as possible, and at 
the cheapest rates. It is no matter how large the 
amount of labor, or how great the expense, if for 
every dollar expended in labor or manure we can 
obtain two. We have known premiums to Vie 
awarded by Agricultural Societies, for large crops, 
which would not bring in market what it cost to 
grow them; and we have known farmers to boast of 
doing all their own work, when il they had 
WHITE STONE GLOBE TURNIP. 
engraving, Morton says, is the hardiest of all the 
white sorts. The bulbs are not so large, grow 
deeper in the ground, and are consequently better 
able to resist frost. In shape it is more uniformly 
round than the common White Globe; and the skin 
is rougher, and sometimes marked with little scars. 
STRETCHES IN SHEEP, 
A much shorter and easier way than to run them 
nearly down, as advised by M. H. B., is to take them 
by the hind legs, one in each hand, and give them a 
few quick, careful starts or jerks toward yourself, 
first laying them upon their sides. This mode 
requires no preparation or taking to a fence, as some 
have advised, but is equally as efficacious as any 
which l have seen. It is the first and almost only 
remedy with many of our sheep men; but when 
there are cases or indications of stretches in a flock of 
sheep, they should be fed with some kind of roots 
once in two or three days till such symptoms dis¬ 
appear. 
BLINDNESS IN SHEEP. 
Your correspondent has not been explicit enough 
in relating symptoms, nor the appearances in his 
post mortem, to give much of a basis to judge con¬ 
cerning the particular type of disease which proved 
fatal to his sheep; the account of which may be 
found on page 134 Small substances, like unto his 
description, are frequently found attached to the 
inwards of sheep and swine, without any known 
injury to them. Give more particulars, Mr. V. B. 
T., so we can judge better. O. W. True. 
Rural Home, Maine, 1S62. 
uuiug ail weir own worn, wnen if they had ex¬ 
pended a couple of hundred dollars in additional 
labor, they wonkl have made several hundred 
dollars by the operation. It is not the one that 
raises the largest crops, or the one that gets along 
with the least labor, but he that can make wheat, 
and corn, and moat at the lowest rates, and cheaper 
than his neighbors, that is the most skillful farmer. 
Our Agricultural Societies, in making out their 
premiums, should not lose sight of this fact. 
We often come very near to success, and fail for 
want of a little extra effort at the right time and in 
the right place. With every living thing, we 
believe, infancy is the most critical period,—a little 
adversity checks, sickens and destroys. The farmer 
who takes the necessary pains to bring his plants 
safely through this period, with a good constitution, 
seldom (ails. When young, the roots are feeble—are 
circumscribed to a very small space; and if they 
cannot find the necessary food here in suitable con¬ 
dition for use, and in sufficient quantity, they must 
necessarily suffer or die. When the roots are larger 
and stronger, they search further and deeper for 
lood, and are not as liable to fail. This is the reason 
why a handful of well prepared, rich compost in the 
hill has been kuown to double the crop of corn or 
potatoes, and this we would always give if the soil 
were not in excellent heart. Iiow often do we see 
young plants left to struggle for existence with 
weeds that rob them of needed nourishment, 
abstract the moisture from the soil, and obstruct the 
circulation of air, until they are so much injured as 
never to recover fully, before the friendly hoc is 
applied to rid them of their enemies. We will say 
nothing at present of the ordinary farm crops, but 
will call attention to two roots, the Parsnip and 
Turnip , that we 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES, 
WHY YOU CURSE THE SEED STORES. 
Do you want to know why? “ Certainly?” Well, 
then, let me tell you what has often been told you 
before :—Youplant too,deep! You don’t believe it? 
I do. and I know it. There are hundreds of western 
farmers who as conscientiously believe that they 
must plant their com from four to six, and in some 
instances, eight inches below the surface, as they 
believe that there is a God in Israel or a McClel¬ 
lan to swear by.. And you can’t make them believe 
differently. They know; they’ve tried it; and their 
experience proves them aud their practice right, all 
“ book-learned ” farmers to the contrary notwith¬ 
standing. And they despise “book farmers” as 
bad as they hate gophers: and they kill all the 
gophers they can find. 
Why do they plant so deep? Because they think 
the soil is peculiar. And in that they are right; it is 
peculiar. But they have made it so by their manip¬ 
ulations. They plow it when it is wet, harrow it 
when it is dry, and it is cloddy and lumpy, and 
rough as a Down-East field of stone. Then when 
planting comes they must get the seed down to 
moist earth, or it will not germinate. They have to 
get down deep to do it. The roller is not known 
to the majority of farmers in corn culture. It ought 
to be. On such land as I have described, it ought to 
bo used before the corn is planted, and again after¬ 
ward. But I 'peak of the practice in com planting 
to show the more clearly where the fault is in the 
case of smaller seeds, such as are purchased at the 
seed stores, planted in the gardens, and never grow 
at all! Why, only yesterday. I heard a lady say 
that she put her lettuce seed in three inches deep— 
down where the ground was moist—and it had not 
come up yet; and she was indignant! The seed 
stores were the matter, of coarse. “ You know 
they do cheat so in seeds,' said she to her com¬ 
panion. Uuw sweet, and innocent, and iudiguant, 
and disappointed she looked, poor woman! For 
she was really a splendid woman: but she had not 
learned to garden. And she confessed that she 
planted her peas nearer a foot than six inches deep; 
and her flower seeds, which she had got all the way 
from the Hub of Creation, were equally well 
planted—and 0, the seedsmen! 
A RURAL LETTER UPON VARIOUS TOPICS, 
skirving’s improved purple top swede, 
grower, coming early to maturity, and keeping well 
when stored. Morton says:—It differs from the 
other “ purple-tops ” in the more oblong shape of the 
bulb, having a longer neck, standing more out of 
the ground, and consequently not keeping so well 
when allowed to remain in the ground all winter. 
It is also more liable to run to seed in autumn. To 
counterbalance these defects, it possesses the prop¬ 
erties of being a very free grower, coming early to 
maturity, and keeps well when stored. It is a good 
variety to sow in shallow or hard clay soils. In the 
former case, it produces a better crop than any ol 
tho other varieties of Swedes, in consequence of the 
slight hold it requires of the ground; and in the 
latter it swells out on the surface, and when lifted 
there is not such an adhesion of earth as with the 
deeper seated sorts. In a wet season, however, this 
is a very great advantage. 
Laings Improved Purple Top Swede is another 
favorite variety. In La wsox’s Agriculturists ’ Man¬ 
ual, the author says of this turnip, “ that it differs 
from all hitherto known varieties of Swedish tur¬ 
nips, in having large, entire, cabbage-like leaves, 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— The day being 
rather wet, for the successful, or, at least, pleasant 
prosecution of forming operations, I think I will 
pen a few lines for the columns of the Rural, for 
the purpose, among other things, of informing •• the 
whole world and the rest of mankind,” that, 
although wo have in the Grand Army of the Union 
between two and three thousand representatives, 
fighting, or anxious to fight, for the Union and our 
glorious free institutions,—that notwithstanding our 
roads were ruined, and bridges and fences swept 
away without reserve or distinction, all along the 
Genesee and its tributaries, by last lull's high water, 
and have not as yet all been repaired and rebuilt,— 
there are in “ old Allegany ” those “ who live and 
move and have their being,"—probably enough 
left, by a prudent husbandry of their resources, to 
repair and rebuild the roads, bridges, and fences, 
besides sparing a few more to fill up the ranks of the 
Federal Army, if needed. 
The sugar season just closed, although deferring 
its arrival until late, has been, upon the whole, 
above an average one, I think, and large quantities 
of most excellent sugar have been made. Gather- 
cousider excellent for feeding. 
Ihey have been tried long, and are known to be 
valuable. 
d The Parsnip.—No root is better, and we think 
hardly as good, for fattening hogs, or cattle, or for 
[ feeding to milch cows. Pigs will leave almost any 
-\ °ther food for the parsnip, as any of our readers may 
. j learn by trying the experiment. In Europe many 
I:' thousands of hogs are fattened every year entirely 
Vp 00 vegetable, particularly on the Islands of 
' X Jersey and Guernsey. The English think the pars- 
j ni P m£ tkes sweeter pork than any other feed, but 
piefer to give ground peas or barley, for a couple of 
r wee ^ s before killing, to harden the meat. Butter 
IRVING Chant Co N Y 
