ESTABLISHED IN 1830, 
tell him where to look for ft furin. He had jo6t 
come down from one of the interior counties 
of New York. 1 directed him to the region 
where I had made my location. lie wanted to 
know if he could get out there, see the country, 
and get back in time for the next train north— 
“ for,” said he, “ I must start, home to-night. 
I was never so far from home before; I don’t 
want to be so again; I am sure Maryland won’t 
suit me.” 
No ene must expect to find the smiling land¬ 
scapes which everywhere greet you at the North. 
The snug farm house so trim and comfortable, 
well formed fields, and a populous country along 
the highways, with school-house at easy distance 
from all the neighborhood —the thousand and 
one nameless little comforts ftud conveniences 
which surrouud a well-to-do Northern farmer— 
must not be looked for here. Though most of 
this State was settled long before population 
had extended but a little way westward from 
the Iludson, yet there is a great lack of the 
show of active farming life and thrift. It is the 
result of the two systems of labor which ob¬ 
tained in the two regions. But the country 
being now thrown open to free labor, farms will 
become smaller, aud in a very brief time it will 
BiniJe all over with the outward evidence of taste 
and thrift so common at the North and West. 
A man who proposes to come here must make 
up his mind that the “primeval curse” of earn¬ 
ing his bread by the sweat of bin brow has not 
been removed in passing the mountains. If he 
would prosper ho must use energy. But he 
may be sure that nowhere can he get better 
paid for his labor. A generous soil, a never 
ending market, and a favorable climate invite the 
industrious farmer to vigorous toil and abund¬ 
antly rewards him therefor. Money can be 
made easier than at the west, because the west, 
by reason of the expense of transportation, can¬ 
not become a serious competitor in these mar¬ 
kets lu wheat, corn or oats, uor indeed of any 
of the products of the farm or the orchard or 
garden. The coat of transportation alone will 
always he a profit in favor of the home pro¬ 
ducer. 
As I have heretofore given a brief description 
of that portion of Maryland adjoining tide¬ 
water, 1 now propose to describe those counties 
which lay above, and may be called 
UPPER MARYLAND. 
Acres Acres Bush Bnsli 
Counties. Imp’d, ntiimp'd. Wheat. Corn. 
Alleghany,.108,388 180.817 87.717 101.075 
Baltimore,-20#,53# DO,0«t 280,351 1,028,143 
Carroll,.170,35.1 67.145 323,1100 588.725 
Ficderlclc,.271.098 07.,'>15 070.1-13 1,0,-2 003 
Harford.130,051 80.800 224,808 735 573 
Howard.IUU',57 51,332 151,0,50 425,727 
Montgomery.170,790 114,814 841,082 080.843 
Washington,.100,508 43,637 882,814 609,322 
Total.1,880,270 711,971 3,274,872 5*^78,811 
In addition to the wheat and corn above—and 
as indicating the general elevation and charac¬ 
ter of the soil and climate, as affected by eleva¬ 
tion—there was raised of oats 2,017,892 btishelB; 
buckwheat, 170,000 bushels, and 157,893 tuns of 
hay —of the 181,341 tuns raised in the State. 
This whole region is rolling and billy, and in 
gome sections, particularly Allegheny And Wash¬ 
ington, mountainous. The timber is principally 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN OniOINAL WKXXLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEW8PAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With n CoriM of Able Assistants and Contributors. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of tho Department of Sheep Husbandry. 
HON. T. C. PETERS, 
Late Prcs’t IT. Y. State Ag. Soo’y. Southern Cor. Editor, 
Fob Travs and other particulars see last page, 
THE ROOT CROP, 
deeply worked. Then it must be made rich by 
4 well rotted manure. As a general practice wc 
think it would be economical to prepare a field 
for tho root crop, and then use it for that pur- 
poBC for several years, and perhaps it would 
pay to keep up Its fertility mainly by special 
manures. If there are a couple of acres near the 
barn-yard, of unusual fertility—perhaps from 
the draining of liquid manure on to it for many 
years—it will be an excellent place for roots and 
convenient, likewise, to the cellars. After one 
or two years’ thorough cultivation the weeds 
will be pretty much subdued, and thereafter the 
work will be lighter. 
We like to plant carrots and beets on a slight 
ridge of earth. The row’s should be about thirty 
inches apart, so as to admit the horse-hoc. Bone 
dust and plaster mixed with the seed or scattered 
along the drills and covered, are very profitable 
fertilizers. T wo pounds of seed are sulllelent for 
an acre. Be careful and not cover too deep; half 
an inch is plenty. It is well to 6ow radish seed 
| with the carrot, so as to mark the rows early aud 
permit immediate cultivation. When the roots 
are finely started thin out in the rows so they 
will stand ubout six inches apart Afterwards 
the labor consists in keeping the ground mel¬ 
low, and free from weeds. Towards fall it is a 
good plan to run the Eubsoil plow along the rows, 
especially during a drouth. 
The Sugar licet .—The preparation of soil and 
manner of planting should be the same as for the 
carrot. As the beet is a pretty strong grower It 
will not bo of much advantage to mix anything 
else with it to mark the rows. Deep, rich soil 
and good cultivation are the great essentials. 
Thinning must not be omitted, and it is best to 
allow only one root in a place. 
Parsnips. —These are excellent food for hogs. 
I They can be readily kept in the ground until 
spring, as the frost does not Injure them. The 
parsnip is said to Increase fat equal to the carrot, 
but when fed to cows it does not produce as 
much milk. 
[Southern Editorial Correspondence of the Rural.] 
MY MARYLAND”—ITS RESOURCES, &C 
NUMBER FIVE, 
Perhaps it would be well to make a short 
suggestion, just now and here. Persons who 
expect to come to this region w ith the intention 
of buying a farm may as well make up their 
minds that they wont find the streets paved with 
penny loaves of very nice bread, or the roads 
and lanes filled with roasted pigs, seeking for 
somebody to do them the favor of taking out a 
savory piece;-nor will they find the turkeys, 
stuffed and baked, going to roostalong the fence 
coners of the highways, temptingly convenient 
for them to make a meal when they happen to 
get hungry. It was only the other day mten 
called at the office in the mominsr tr» ho,.. 
TERMS, $3.00 PER YEAR.] 
’PROGRESS AND IMl J KOVKIVIHUSTT.” 
[SING-TjK NO. TEN CENTS 
VOL. xvn. NO, 16. s 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 21. 1866. 
{WHOLE NO. 848. 
DUCKS-VARIETIES, &c. 
-—-—vw uuve rue 
oak, chestnut and hickory. But in Alleghany 
there are some magnificent forests of hemlock 
and pine. 
Throughout all this region, which is well 
watered, the streams are rapid, affording a vast 
amount of water power, and leaving hardly a 
farm that is not well watered. The soil is gen¬ 
erally a granitic loam — or a micaceous loalu— 
running sometimes into a strong clay, and at 
others a sand. But generally loam will express 
its character. Wheat, corn and clover grow 
first rate upon it, but each are benefited by lime 
and gypsum, large quantities of which are annu¬ 
ally applied, uot only in this region hut all over 
the State. 
“ I his district of (be Stale is admirably adap¬ 
ted to the raising of stock, Including sheep and 
horses, and to manufacturers. Excellent crops 
of wheat are harvested, and there Is scarcely a 
square mile that is not in tbe highest degree 
salubrious. Nearly all the maple sugar which 
is mauulkctared in the State, aud it amounts to 
from sixty to one hundred thousand pounds a* 
year, is made in this section.” As this region 
is the one which will be the most attractive to 
a large class of people who will ultimately emi¬ 
grate to this Stale—and us nay article is suffici¬ 
ently long already, I will postpone a more ex¬ 
tended and minute description of the counties 
to another tiine.*-r. c. r. 
April 2d, 1866. 
While some politicians are discussing what 
they euphoneously term “ dead ducks,” we will 
give a little attention to live ones, and illustrate 
our brief articles with portraits of specimens of 
different varieties. 
Tho Duck deserves far more attention from 
our poultry breeders and farmers than it gen¬ 
erally receives. They arc harmless in character, 
singular and amusing lu their actions upon the 
land, and graceful upon tho water. They are 
very easily kept, and where they have free access 
to water will pretty much provide for them¬ 
selves and their rising families. Thcyaro excel¬ 
lent for the tabic, and easily raised. 
Ouu Common DoMESTro Duck la generally 
supposed to have originated from the Wild 
Mallard Duck, so common In the lakes and 
5vaters of oar State, though some unsuccessful 
attempts to tame the wild duck have Induced 
many to doubt its truth. Some uaturalists 
have supposed our common duck was imported 
from China and India. Audubon, however, 
says “the squatters of the Mississippi raise a 
considerable number of Mullards which they 
catch when quite young, and which, after the 
first year, ure as tame as they can wIbIi. These 
raise broods which are superior even to those of 
the old ones for a year or two, after which they 
become similar to the ordinary ducks of tho 
poultry yard.” 
Tub Summer or Wood Duck excels all 
others, either wild or domesticated, in beauty 
of plumage. The bill is red, the head deep, 
glossy metallic green, edged with violet, with a 
most striking and beautiful pendant crest grace¬ 
fully carving over its back, of a most charming 
admixture of violet and green, with a line of the 
purest white running from tho upper mandible 
over the eye. The back and tail are bluu nnd 
green, throat white, breast delicate dove color, 
spotted with white. It has often been a matter 
of surprise to us that this bird boa not been 
more generally domesticated, as it can be very 
readily. Mr. Vassar bus them at his place near 
Poughkeepsie, and we understand has hatched 
several broods. Its popular name of wood duck 
is derived from tho fact, that it makes its ucst in 
hollow trees; and o f surntw duck, from remain¬ 
ing with us during the summer. It is only seen 
iu the North daring the summer months, migrat¬ 
ing southwardly with the cold weather. It is 
familiarly known In every pari, of the United 
States from Florida to Lake Ontario, and is 
found about the crocks, bays and rivers. Here 
they begin to lay early in May, and tbe nest is 
usually found secreted In the hollow of a tree. 
Of white ducks, the Aylesbury is the best, 
and is very pretty, with its snowy-white plumage, 
yellowish legs and feet, aud ilcsh-colored bill. 
It is also large—one of tho largest of the duck 
family-and excellent for the table. The unmc 
is derived from tho town of Aylesbury in Eng¬ 
land, in which neighborhood they are kept in 
largo quantities for the supply of tho London 
market. Bkment says the weight of the adnlt 
Aylesbury duck should at least average, if prop¬ 
erly fed, from ten to twelve pounds the pair 
(duck and drake.) Instances, however, have 
occurred where the drakes have come up to 
eight pounds and upwards, and would in all 
probability, if fattened, reach ten pounds each. 
They are very prolific layers. 
VARIOUS TOPICS DISCUSSED. 
More About the Clover Worm. 
J. G. S. of West Bloomfield, N. Y., sends 
the following opinions and information about 
the clover worm:—“ In your issue of March 17, 
Is ail article oil the above subject by M. G. R., 
who says, ‘ In tho proceedings of tho American 
Iustituto Farmers’ Clnb, some weeks since, there 
was un account given of a new pest to farmers 
J in the form of a small worm which feeds upon 
I clover in the stack, during the winter. It was 
there stated that It was known only at the west, 
| but was apparanllj working eastward. Late ob¬ 
servation has satisfied me that it has already 
reached this vicinity.’ He then gives us an ac¬ 
count of bis moving a stock of clover hay, and 
that about two feet of the bottom of the stock 
was filled with small brown worms. He at once 
comes to thp conclusion Ibat it Is thesame worm 
known at the west. It may possibly be tbe game 
and uot be much of a pest after afi, I have 
known this stunt worm described by M. G. R 
£for more than twenty years. My attention Was 
first directed to it, as wub M. G. R.’s in moving 
a 6tack of hay. I lound tbe bottom filled with 
SUMMER, OR WOOD DUCK. 
those worms, and since then I have found them 
in the bottom of hay-mows near the ground, but 
have never to the best of my recollection, seen 
them higher up in the mow or stack where tho 
clover was bright and dry. Now T am not able 
to give the origin of (lie worm, but will merely 
give my opinion in relation to it. Never having 
seen the worm iu clover hay, except, In near prox- 
imlty to the ground where it had become some¬ 
what dampened, I have como to tho conclusion 
that tho larvae of tbe worm Is deposited iu the 
clover while growing, and when cut and put in 
the mow or stack, where it is kept perfectly dry, 
the worm is never seen.” 
Is Salt Necessary for Stock 1 
A writer in tho Massachusetts Ploughman 
argues with considerable force and ingenuity, 
bringing many facts to sustain his position, that 
the practice of feeding Salt to stock is a useless 
one. The Editor of the California Rural Homo 
Journal endorses the opinion, backing it with 
the following experience: — “ Some eighteen 
years since, while living at Tangier, iu the Em¬ 
pire of Morocco, wc sent into the interior of the 
Empire to purchase, of; a tribe of Bedouins who 
were famous for their choice and rare stocks of 
Barbs, or Arab Itorsos, one of their fine Barbs 
for our own use, which wc were so fortunate as 
to obtain after not a little manoeuvering and di¬ 
plomacy. As a matter of eourse, wo made a 
great, pet of him; and almost the first thing 
we offered him, as a condiment to his feed of 
barley and straw (the universal food of the hou¬ 
ses of that country,) was a handful’of salt; but, 
to our surprise, ho would uot touch it, but. 
turned up bis aristocratic nose at. it, as if he fell 
ft big disgust at. such, to him, unsavory dose. 
On making further inquiry, aud experimenting 
with several Barbs that wc owned subsequently, 
we found that neither the Moons nor Arabs over 
gave salt to their horses, cattle or sheep. And 
yet there arc no horses in the world eqnal in 
healthful vigor, iu powers of endurance, or elas¬ 
ticity of movement and robust constitution, to 
these same Arab Horses.” 
Artichokes, 
.Tamkb T. Alley, Ind., thus answers a cor¬ 
respondent who inquired through tho Rural, 
several weeks ago, for the best kind of arti¬ 
chokes, whero the 6eed could be procured, and 
tbe method of cultivating;—“I would say that 
the Globe is tbe best variety for gardens. The 
edible part of tills variety is found in the fleshy 
receptacle of the (lower buds in their immature 
state. It is propagated either from the seed, or 
by suckers separated iu the spring. The seed 
should be planted early iu the Bpring, three or 
four inehes apart, in rows a foot or a foot and a 
half apart. The next spring transplant the 
roots to beds highly manured, three in a bill, 
the hills three feet apart each way. They should 
be protected In winter by raising over them a 
mound of earth, or by covering them with litter , 
a foot deep. 
Tho Jerusalem Artichoke is propagated and 
cultivated like the potato, in hilts or drills, for 
its tubers or roots. When used as food, it is 
prepared like the potato. Some persons plant 
it for swine, and feed by turning them on tho 
field. The Beed and tubers can be had of 
McElwain Bros., Springfield, Mass.” 
Clover and Grass Seed. 
Should they bo covered with the barrow 
when sown with spring grains ? We think not 
There is dsfoger of covering a great portion too 
deep. Small seeds will not grow—at least not 
quickly and vigorously—when covered to the 
WHITE AYLESBURY UDOK. 
depth that is proper for oats and barley. Yet a 
good stand of grass and clover is frequently 
obtained when sown before the barrow, but it 
is likely that only the portion planted at tho 
right depth germinates, and from the (super¬ 
abundance sown, enough lives to bo called a 
tolerable success. If grass seed la sown on tho 
fresh harrowed BOiland a rain falls immediately, 
it. generally starts well. Thereafter Its success 
depends chiefly on the amount and seasonable- 
ncBs of rain. But the roller is the best Imple¬ 
ment to cover grass seed with. Sow the seed 
on the freshly worked earth, and follow with a 
roller and you will “ kill two birds with one 
Btone; ” cover the seed properly and lay tho 
surface of tho land in order for the reaper. 
A Word in Season. 
As tho warm season approaches, the farmer 
who IntondB to be ready for tho duties It will 
Impose, cannot Jail to derive strength for their 
performance by recurring to the saying of Solo¬ 
mon. Whether he was a practical farmer at any 
period of tils life or not, is a matter of Binall con¬ 
sequence, since it ia clear that, in most things, 
he displayed great, sagacity and a profound 
knowledge of the results of human actions. In 
one of Ids excursions he seems to have passed 
by the farm or plantation of a lazy farmer. The 
grounds were overgrown with weeds and briars, 
retarding the growth of the struggling grain. 
The cause he saw aud considered it well. The 
owner of that farm wus yet in bed, saying or 
dreaming of “a little more sleep, a little more 
slumber, a little folding the bauds iu sleep.” 
This will never do. To farm properly, a man 
must begin work with the opening of the season 
suited to each department He must not con¬ 
tent himself with eight. houiB for a day’s work, 
hat meet each claim at the proper time, and if 
he does so, he will prosper and afford no chance 
to the passer-by to denounce him as a sluggard. 
Latakia Tobacco. 
Tars is a new and rare variety which is 
grown in Syria throughout the Mount Labeuon 
region, and ia said to be the finest for smoking 
that is known. Bayaud Taylor, who brought 
a few Beeds into this country, thus describes It:— 
“ The plant is low and stout, rarely exceeding 
three or four feet iu height, with a very thick, 
ridged, viscous stem; leaves broadly ovate, 
rouuded at the end, of a dark, green color and 
velvety texture; flowers very short and of a 
pale, yellowish green color, hi dense clusters. 
The plants exhale a peculiar gummy odor while 
growing.” 
However fine in flavor this tobacco maybe, 
grown in its native climate, wc think it will not 
prove so when long grown in this. If it should 
flourish here it is probable that fresh seed should 
be imported each year in order to keep up its 
distinctive character. 
Early Chickens, 
These are tho most profitable, and it Is 
worth while to take pains to raise them. Very 
late chickens are never worth the trouble and 
food they cat. Early chickens, that are fit for 
market in July, will bring as great a price as 
those hatched a month later aud fed until Ghrist- 
mas. If kept for layers, the early chickens will 
begin to furnish eggs by tbe middle of winter. 
The secret of having plenty of eggs in winter is 
to raise very early chickens, as they will mature 
and begin laying when tight or nine months 
old, If well fed and boused. It Is not difficult 
to raise them early If you have a warm poultry 
house, aud they are Ices liable to suffer from 
the depredations of vermin in tbe early part of 
summer. 
