Agriculture 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR TIIE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1862 
ry if it is mixed with the coflee. If a little genuine 
ground coffee be thrown in a glass full of water, it 
mostly floats, and slowly moistens communicating 
scarcely any color to the liquid. Powdered chicory 
tested in the same way, very speedily absorbs mois¬ 
ture, communicates a deep reddish brown tint to 
the water, and in a Jew minutes falls to the bottom 
The writer has never drank chicory as a substi¬ 
tute lor coffee, and therefore knows little about its 
relative merit. Blit tastes differ, and the fact that it 
has been so long in use as a substitute, and that it is 
the only article that has maintained its position as 
such successlully, induces the belief that there 
is something in it. The infusion resulting from this 
article, is said to resemble that of coffee more in 
color than flavor. But the fact that, it is so exten¬ 
sively used in adulterating coffee loads me to sup¬ 
pose that its flavor is not very unlike that of coffee. 
HARVESTING AXi> PREPARING FOR MARKET. 
The roots resemble the parsnip in color and shape, 
but do not grow so large. And in some cases there 
seem to be more fibrous laterals or filaments. It the 
ground has been recently manured with green ma¬ 
nure t hese are more numerous, and affect the value of 
the root lor manufacturing. The roots are dug the 
first autumn after sowing, cleaned and partially 
dried, or cut up at once and kiln dried, depending 
upon the character of Mm market, and condition in 
which they are best sold. The manufacturers cut 
up the roots in small pieces, roast them, and grind 
to powder between fluted rollers. The powder is 
put up in paper packages aud used pure, or sold to 
coffee dealers, and used to dilute the cost of that 
article. 
CHICCORY AS A SALAD. 
The nature of the foliage is not unlike that of 
lettuce and other similar salad plants. Its leaves, 
blanched, are sold in the markets of the Nether¬ 
lands very early in the spring as salad—long before 
lettuces are to bo had. The roots are taken up on 
the approach of winter, and packed in collars in 
alternate layers of sand, so as to form ridges with 
the crowns of the plants on the surface of the ridge. 
Here, if the frost be excluded, they soon send out 
loaves in such abundance as to afford a supply of 
salad during the winter. If light is excluded, the 
leaves are perfectly blanched, and in this state are 
known under the name of Barbs de Capucin. 
This suggestion as to winter Rulad is timely, and 
it will be well for some of the experimental cultiva¬ 
tors to extend the experiment in this direction—es¬ 
pecially such as live near large markets, where 
winter salad sells well. 
CHIOCORV A FAILURE THIS YEAR. 
It said to be so iu some places. The. failures have 
been, so far as my observation extends, on heavy 
clayey or dark mucky sods. One cultivator said 
the sods were “sour” on which his crop failed. In 
some cases the failure has been very extended, and 
the loss large in consequence, I hear of one man 
who sowed ISO acres, and harvests but 78 of them. 
1 was told by a gentleman who had had two years’ 
experience in Its culture, that he hud learned that 
it was of no use to put it on poor soil at all. It 
would not grow: aud he had found it would not 
grow on very rich soil—at least not on soil recently 
manured. The best crops this year we found on 
the rich sandy soils, in old gardens where the soil 
is thoroughly civilized by long continued culture, 
the roots grow large and smooth. In one or two 
cases 1 have found them growing so rapidly as to 
burst open. It is pretty plain that argillaceous soils 
are better than those that contain a large quantity 
of humus; and that rich sandy soils are hotter than 
either, if the quality as well as the quantity of the 
product is taken info account. 
THERE ARE FAULTS FOUND WITH IT. 
One of my friends told me he would not have it 
on his place. 1 asked why? He replied that it was 
the worst weed he had ever seen. If all the roots 
are not taken from the ground ihe first season, it 
springs up and spreads the next like a Canada this¬ 
tle. lie regards it a nuisance. Another says it is 
the most exhaustive crop he ever put on land. This 
is corroborated by English, French arul German 
writers. It Is plain to me that this process of ex¬ 
haustion becomes apparent when chircory is made 
to succeed chiccory on the same field each year. 
And I And it is where this lias been the case that the 
most complaint arises. If after a crop has been ta- 
keu off, the ground be trenched deep in the fall, 
thoroughly manured the next spring, aud planted 
with some preparatory crop, to bo followed by chic¬ 
cory, there would be less complaint. 1 am satisfied 
it is not good practice to plant it on the same soil 
two years in succession. 
SEEDLINGS VS. TRANSI'LANTED FLANTS. 
I hear of a single instance this year where the 
experiment of transplanting lias been tried. The 
usual practice, if the roots are the crop sought, is 
to sow iu drills like a carrot. One cultivator tried 
transplanting. The result is, the roots are shorter 
and smoother grown; but the amount of marketable 
produce is evidently diminished by this increased 
expenditure of labor. It seems to be settled that it 
will not pay to transplant. 
away under cover, for a winter’s exposure will do 
more towards their destruction than a whole sum¬ 
mer’s work. 
THE SHAW POTATO. 
In May, I8G0, J. W. Helm®, of Adrian, Michigan, 
sent us a box of seedling potatoes, which he wrote 
us, originated in that county from seed of the Mer¬ 
cer, and hud been named the “ Shaw.” Mr. H. 
stated they were very productive, free from disease, 
one week earlier than Early June, and so closely 
resembled the Mercer that they were often sold for 
that Variety. In acknowledging their receipt we 
promised to give them a fair trial and report at some 
future time. Alter the first season's experience we 
did not feel prepared to report in consequence of 
the fact that the leaves of half Ihe plants became 
diseased, curled and died before the end of the sea¬ 
son. The affection was confined to this seedling, 
while all Others were healthy, and we were led to 
suppose that it might Tie a disease to which the 
variety was subject, and which might render it 
worthless. Last season only an occasional plant 
was affected in this way, and the present summer all 
have heen healthy. It is an excellent potato, about 
as good as the old Mercer, while tho product is more 
than double, rthas the form and purple marks of 
the parent, but the white portion is less clear, being 
somewhat of a buff or cream color. It will, how¬ 
ever, sell readily in market for the Mercer. It is 
not as early as the variety we cultivate for Early 
June, but follows it quite closely. YVc are almost 
ready to pronounce it one of the best potatoes we 
have ever grown, even for a general crop. With 
this, and Davis’ Seedling, and a few Flukes for bak¬ 
ing, no one will have occasion to complain of poor 
potatoes or shy bearers. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
TUB LEADING AMERICAN TTKERLT 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
Uur engraving represents the Em¬ 
pire Feed Cutter, for Power, (No. 4,) 
manufactured by Messrs. Purrs «fe 
Bray ley, of this city, and which was 
awarded the first premium at the 
recent New York State Fair, as it 
had been at previous State and 
County Fairs. This machine is very 
substantially constructed, and per¬ 
forms its work admirably. It has 
four heavy knives, and an endless 
chain apron which renders the feed¬ 
ing uniform and certain, and greatly 
facilitates the operation of cutting. 
The knives are mainly steel, and so 
formed and fastened as to be un¬ 
changeable while the machine is in 
operation, yet they can be easily 
removed for sharpening, or changed 
to vary the length of out This cutter 
is very powerful and perfect, operates 
with ease and speed, and is therefore 
well calculated to meet the wants of 
those who wish to save time and 
labor in preparing feed for stock. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors, 
CHAS, D, BHAODON, Western Correspond inft Editor, 
This Rural Nrw-Yorkkh is designed to be unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, Usefulness And Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beantinH In Appearance. Its Conductor devotes hie per¬ 
sona) 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 
Subjeots intimately connected with the business of those whose 
interest* it zealously advocates. As a Family Journal it is 
eminently Instructive and Entertaining —being SO condor,tad 
that it can be safely taken to the Hearts aud Homes of people 
of intelligence, taste and discrimination. It embraces more 
Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, Educational, Literary 
and News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other journal,—rendering it tho most 
complete Agricultural, Literauy And Family Nkwspapkr 
in America. 
t'T' For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
have already beeu made. These analysis show a 
range of from five to eleven per cent, of sugar. Aud 
it is significant that those best cultivated — accord¬ 
ing to the directions given on page 1GG, current 
volume, of the Rural —yield the largest per cent, 
o! sugar. The difference is in most cases over fifty 
per centum in favor of the carefully cultivated 
roots. Messrs. Belcher & Bender are prepared 
to institute experiments on an extended scale; and 
from their examinations oi growing samples, they 
seem hopeful of great success. Parties who have 
planted this beet should write these gentlemen con¬ 
cerning their crop, and make arrangements for 
shipping it. 
WHEN TO HARVEST. 
It will be timely if the directions before given in 
the Rural, concerning the harvesting this crop, be 
repeated. If tho lower leaves of the beef, color yel¬ 
low, strongly, and curl and hung towards the 
ground, which happens near the dose of September 
or beginning of October, it is an index that the bents 
are fully developed and matured. It is not, neces¬ 
sary, however, to hurry the harvest, as there is not, 
much fear, until the middle of October or begin¬ 
ning of November, that the temperature will sink 
below 41- Fall, and affect the quality of the beet for 
sugar purposes. 
HOW TO HARVEST. 
Cutoff the leaves before pulling; if you find the 
latter hard woi k, use the plow, taking care not to 
injure the root. If much soil clings to the roots, it 
should be removed by knocking them together care- 
fully, or by the use of some instrument fitted for 
the work. 
STORING AND PRESERVATION. 
in order to keep beets so that, they will not deteri¬ 
orate for manufacturing purposes, they should be 
kept at so low a temperature that they will not 
sprout or grow, and that they will not rot. 
If the roots cannot be removed from the field at 
once to their proper piuce of storage, they should 
be kept in low piles and covered with beet leaves to 
protect them from frost and rain. 
The following plan is given for keeping beets 
Put them into piles, not too large, nor higher than 
two or three feet, iu the open air, and cover them 
with straw and earth. The temperature may—and 
should be, if necessary—regulated by channels and 
air-holes, to give the needed ventilation. Iu this 
manner, with tho necessary precaution against freez¬ 
ing the roots may bo kept through the winter with¬ 
out deteriorating in quality materially. 
sugar in sorghum. 
Already, and before the cane has had time to 
mature, analysis of the cane has discovered to the 
chemist, a large per cent, of cane sugar in the 
sorghum. The prospect for,ihe ultimate manufacture 
of sugar from this plant, has a hopeful look. Experi¬ 
ments that are being instituted are expected to be 
decisive. The result will be anxiously awaited. 
AUTUMN THOUGHTS - SUGGESTIONS 
could add thereto, but our experience lias taught us 
that upon the approach of l ain we must drive our 
(locks to their shelter, and cunliuu them there, If we 
wish to know that they are dry and comfortable. 
When a storm commences violently they will gen¬ 
erally run to their shed, hut when it abates they 
will go out. and stand by the hour in the rain or 
sleet, and we have frequently found them lying in 
the yard in the morning after a snow storm, with 
the snow as thick on their backs as It was on the 
ground, while only a tew feet from them was a com¬ 
modious shed, well Uttered, dry and comfortable. 
It seems strange, at first thought, that sheep do not 
seek shelter immediately on the approach of a 
storm; but when we consider the amount of cloth¬ 
ing with which they are provided, wo can easily per¬ 
ceive why they neglect to protect themselves until 
their fleeces are saturated. Fine-wooled sheep, 
especially, are so well clothed during the winter 
that, they can remain in a a shower of rain for some 
time before it reaches the skin, when they begin 
to feel uncomfortable and chilly; but it is then 
too latte to bo benefited so much by shelter, aud 
for a long time there is a great demand upon the 
system tor auitnul heat to dry their coats, and this 
is done at the expense of their health and food. 
Our plan for taking a flock oi sheep through the 
winter would be this—for stock sheep. A commo¬ 
dious, wellrvertiilated shed, with a yard about twice 
as large (or a little smaller) attached, supplied with 
water, in the morning drive the sheep all out, into 
the yard and close the gate or door, and fill their 
racks with good clover hay; open the gate and let 
them into feed, and if the weather is suitable, fasten 
it open that they muy have access to the yard and 
water at pleasure; if it is stormy, keep them iu the 
shed. At noon feed them sheaf oats,—a good sized 
sheaf to twenty-five Merinos,—or other grain, with 
the addition of good, bright straw. At night feed 
them good hay or straw, and fasten them in, lest a 
storm should come up and give their coats a wet¬ 
ting. IE it is clear, settled weather, and especially 
when moonlight, give them the range of the yard, 
us they appear to enjoy the open air at, such times, 
and dry, cold weather will not hurt them. The 
sheds and yards should be dry, and well littered 
with straw. Driving the sheep out while the racks 
are being filled will enable you to do it with much 
less trouble than when they are crowding around, 
as they will do, especially if the flock is large. 
Some will advocate feeding more grain than is 
given in the above method of wintering sheep; and 
Joun Johnston's many excellent articles, which we 
have read (and preserved) during the past few 
years, seem sufficient to convince any one of the 
great profits of high feeding, and wo would not 
think of asserting that his views on this point are 
erroneous; but we have known sheep well win¬ 
tered—that sheared heavy fleeces und raised fine 
lambs—without any grain; yet we are inclined to 
believe that a bushel of corn per head would have 
paid well in the increased amount of wool, better 
lambs, and better manure. 
During the winter of 1860-61, we had a flock of a 
few old owes, which we wintered on hay and a 
moderate quantity of grain. They raised lambs 
and sheared 34 lbs. washed wool per head. (They 
are Spanish Merinos.) The next winter, our crop 
of hay being short, we fed them more than double 
the usual amount of grain, and permitted them to 
range over the farm and obtain the rest of their 
living from the fields—feeding no hay until the 
latter part of winter, except when the ground was 
covered with snow, which was a very small portion 
of the time. The same flock raised lambs this year, 
also, aud sheared t.{ lbs. per head, or one pound 
heavier than the previous year. We know a flock 
of about thirty Spanish Merinos, which hud the 
range of about sixty acres through the winter, and 
were not fed anything at the barn except once or 
twice receiving hay when the ground was covered 
with snow, and with no protection save that afforded 
by the woods. They raised nice lambs and sheared 
THE PAST SEASON —CROPS. &c. 
The Summer is ended, the struggles of another 
season are about over. The life, the incessant ac¬ 
tivity of spring and early summer, and the more 
severe toils and anxieties of later summer and 
autumn are nearly at, an end, and soon we shall 
settle down into the quiet resposeof another winter. 
The cold pierciug winds, the clear blue sky, with 
here und there a fleecy cloud, flying through the 
upper air, the hazy atmosphere of the warm aud 
pleasant days, the ripening of the autumnal fruits, 
the gay dresses of purple and gold, and crimson, 
which the trees are beginning to put on —all pro¬ 
claim that the summer is gone and the autumn time 
has come. 
The results of the year’s labor have been quite sat¬ 
isfactory, for nearly all crops have given an average 
yield, while in most cases the product has been far 
above this point. The prices, too, have thus far 
beeu favorable to the producer, and we have great 
reason to rejoice that in the midst of the saddest 
national calamity that has ever visited a civilized 
people, wo have been blessed with so much agricul¬ 
tural prosperity. Never have the farmers of 
America had greater causes of gratitude to the 
Giver of all our good—never, perhaps, since thorns 
and thistles sprang up from the seeds of disobedi¬ 
ence, has the toil ot the husbandman been rewarded 
more richly than in our afflicted land the present year. 
The earth has yielded its delicious fruits and Btaple 
grains in such abundance that there lias been, and 
will be enough for all, with plenty for sale to foreign 
countries, if we can find a market at paying prices. 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES 
BUCKWHEAT FOR MILCH COWS. 
Buckwheat is not regarded as either a safe or 
profitable crop as a rule. But, latterly, when buck¬ 
wheat, cakes and refined sorghum sirup form the 
staple for breakfasts in city and country during the 
fall and winter months, this grain is growing in fa- 
vor among farmers. The danger from early frosts, 
and the adherence to the theory that good crops 
cannot be grown unless Ihe seeding is delayed until 
July, prevents tho investment of labor and land in 
it that would otherwise occur, it is safe and best, 
if seed is the object, to sow before the 10th of June 
in this climate. 
The buckwheat plant is valuable for forage for 
stock while in bloom. It is said to be more nutri¬ 
tious than clover. It is valuable as a forage for bees 
at the same time. 
In conversation with a gentleman who owns and 
milks two hundred cows, and sells their product iu 
this city, 1 asked what kind of feed would produce 
tho most milk of good quality V He replied that ho 
fed many tuns of middlings every winter, but there 
was no feed that be had used that would produce so 
much milk as buckwheat meal. Cattle were fond 
of it, and it aids the secretion of milk wonderfully. 
It is often fed ungroiind, and is regarded very nu¬ 
tritious—a simple bushel equal to two bushels of 
oats as a horse Iced. The milk farmer referred to 
said he regarded it the most profitable grain crop 
he could grow for his husbandry. Whether or how 
it affects the quality of the milk I cannot say ; or 
whether the feed is better mixed with a lighter food, 
and led wet or not I had no opportunity to inquire. 
Its value fpr this purpose was new to me, but may 
not be to some of your readers : if not, then experi¬ 
ence will be interesting. 
CHICCORY. 
This plant is being considerably cultivated in 
some portions of the West—by many the first time 
the present season. It is grown for the root, not for 
the herbage. Indeed the value of the herbage lor 
food seems to be little known. One cultivator told 
me he had accidentally cut a few stalks of it with 
some adjoining clover, for soiling his cows, and he 
was astonished to see the kine eagerly select and 
swallow the chicory, leaving the fresh-cut clover 
untasted. 
It is said that the foliage of chicory may be cut 
for fodder early in August, without affecting the root 
product. This does not seem to be known byjmust 
persons with whom I have talked who cultivate it 
in this country. One gentleman said he had cut off 
a portion of his field in July, and the second crop of 
foliage seemed much larger, and grew more rapidly 
than the first. It has been cultivated as a forage 
plant both iu England and France. The principal 
crop is not obtained until the second year there. 
The product is abundant and it is said to be most 
excellent for milch cows, affecting the quality ol the 
milk favorably. In England, it is more used as a 
pasturage for sheep. It is found most profitable for 
this purpose. 
THE ROOT FOR COFFEE. 
But the root is the object with cultivators here¬ 
away. The tariff, aud tho consequent increased 
price of the foreign product, together with the fig¬ 
ures now asked for coffee, is stimulating home pro¬ 
duction, both for legitimate use as a substitute for 
coffee, and for the illegitimate purposes of adultera¬ 
tion. And while on the this subject ol adulteration, 
it may interest the reader who buys pure ground 
coffee (!) to know how he or she may detect chico¬ 
FAXIi WORK. 
• 
Although we think the weather has been more 
than usually favorable for fall work, much yet re¬ 
mains to be done before there will be a proper read¬ 
iness for winter. A good deal of corn is yet to be 
husked and the stalks secured, and while we observe 
that iu some cases the latter are injured by standing 
in large and ill-ventilated stocks, they are in fair con' 
dition generally. Thousands of acres of potatoes are 
yet in the ground in this neighborhood, and indeed 
many of the largest growers have only just com¬ 
menced digging. The yield, as far as we have 
observed, is quite good, and on light laud suitable 
to the potato, we see but little rot, and that confined 
to varieties not grown extensively, aud peculiarly 
liable to disease. A gopd potato digger will be a 
great blessing to the growers of this section, and 
some portions of Michigan, and other points where 
this tuber is grown largely for shippiug. We have 
no doubt some one will yet succeed in producing 
the necessary implement, and realize, as he should, 
a fortune. The present method ot digging potatoes 
is slow, unpleasant and expensive, ami frost often 
overtakes the farmer with half his crop in Ihe ground, 
and then the result is many rotten potatoes and an 
almust endless labor in sorting. 
A good many things besides securing crops need 
to be done before we are prepared Jor winter, and 
some of these being thought comparatively unim¬ 
portant, are apt to he forgotten. An unusual quan¬ 
tity of fall wheat has been sown, and if the season 
should prove wet no patent level will be needed to 
discover the low spots where water will stand. A 
little surface draining in many places, we observe, 
is very much needed and will be of great benefit, 
by preventing the killing-out in spots, that will 
have a bad appearance and lessen the product. 
Necessary provision must be made for sheltering 
cattle; racks, &c., for foddering, and very likely the 
barns aud stables need considerable patching to 
make them comfortable, and the cellar must be 
banked up and the windows secured. Proper pro¬ 
vision must also be made for storing roots where 
they will be secure from frost and convenient for 
use. All this should tie done as early us possible, 
for it is a poor job for a cold stormy day, and par¬ 
ticularly so, if a good deal oi mischief is done before 
you commence. Summer tools should be stored 
WINTER CARE OP SHEEP, 
We were much interested in an article with the 
above title, published in the Rural of Sept. 27tb, 
and consider it a valuable essay; but we beg leave 
to differ slightly with the writer upon one point— 
protection from storms. We find therein the fol¬ 
lowing:—“ Those who have been eminently success¬ 
ful iu the rearing and management of sheep, are 
confident that animal instinct will prompt the flock 
to seek for shelter when it is qeeded, aud it has 
been the course of such shepherds to allow latitude 
for exercise.” 
The extent of tho “latitude for exercise” is not 
mentioned—whether the range of part of the farm, 
or simply yards adjoining the sheep-barn; but our 
experience and observation have convinced us that 
sheep will not seek shelter whenever it, is needed, 
during every wintry storm. The importance ot 
keeping them housed during the chilling rains and 
sleets of winter is very clearly shown in the above- 
mentioned article, and we do not know that we 
THE SUGAR BEET CROP. 
From all quarters I learn that this crop is to be a 
large one, in proportion to the amount of seed 
planted. Preliminary analyses of different samples 
WVINQ Chaut Co N Y 
