XgFUCULTURE- 
ESTABLISHED IN 1850 
tcrest on its cost 
with the manure applied to 
it and the cost of application; with the expense 
of preparing it for the crop; with seed planted ; 
tillage and harvesting; the preparation for and 
cost of marketing. Bo of all the other sections 
according to their letters or numbers. Stock 
should be debited and credited in the same way, 
60 that, at the end of the year, it may be seen 
what sections and what stock have improved 
beyond the expense bestowed upon them, and 
which have fallen short or involved a lose. 
To perform this labor properly, to make it 
one of continued interest rather than a disagree¬ 
able task, the farmer should carry with him a 
small book or journal in which all expenses and 
for what incurred, should be jotted down. When 
the labors of the day are closed let these several 
items be charged, In the home journal or ac¬ 
count book, to the various sections of the farm 
for whose benefit they were incurred. At tho 
end of the season add the total charges against 
corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes fruit, Ac., and 
give each credit for what has been sold, as also 
for what remains on band, at. a fair valuation. 
The house should be charged for its cost and 
what ie consumed in it, and credited with the 
shelter and provisions it has supplied to the 
household. The footings of these several ac¬ 
counts will show the cost of tho year’s opera¬ 
tions and the remunerative returns which each 
has supplied—will Indicate the loss or gain, for 
the time covered by them, with sufficient ac¬ 
curacy to serve as a pretty sure guide to the 
changes of management, if any, proper to be 
made for the ensuing season. 
it will not destroy it, though It gives it a bad 
look; It will still be better than the hard stalks 
of Timothy or red-top, such as are thrown be¬ 
fore cattle to breate over and eat little. 
Wewlflh nothing better than well-cured clover, 
cut when tender, for milch cows. We wish 
nothing else but that, unless the cow is thin in 
flesh. A little concentrated food will make 
flesh; it will not aid the milk, only so far as the 
cow is improved by the addition of strength and 
capacity. But we And Timothy good also cut 
early, though a little more maturity seems to 
make it more grateful to horses. However, in 
no case should it be ripened. 
To Bccure hay early, it is important to com¬ 
mence harvesting early, bo us to make allowance 
for the ehanccB of fool weather. A week's time 
has a great effect at this stage of tho plant’s 
growth. A rain of two weckB, or weather unfit, 
for harvesting, will throw the crop out of the 
pale of cured grass, and will make hay of It. We 
arc to begin then in time, 60 as barely to get the 
sugar, which forms at the blossoming time. A 
little sooner is perhaps more advisable than a 
little later, taking the risks of the season into 
consideration. f. g. 
hoards, on account of the dry state they urekept 
in by the stone, last a long time. Borne object 
to walls us being expensive to build, and oiten 
needing repairs, and as being cumbrous and un¬ 
sightly, but I think those who keep a correct 
account of the cost of construction and mate¬ 
rial, will find the balance in their favor when 
compared with the cost of a rail or board fence. 
Besides, the material of the former is indestruct¬ 
ible, while that composing the latter is very 
perishable, and each year is becoming more 
scarce and expensive. 
Walls also answer the double purpose of 
ridding the land of stoue and as a safeguard for 
its productions. As to repairs, a good wall will 
need none for the first dozen years; after that 
time an occasional spot may need some atten¬ 
tion, hut much of it will stand Arm one-lmLf of 
the three score and ten years of man’s allotted 
life, while a rail or board fence will often be 
prostrated almost its entire length, and must as 
often be rebuilt, with a loss of material. A rail 
is also found thrown off, or a board loose, fre¬ 
quently during tho season. As regards beauty, 
&c., I think a well-finished, symmetrical wall, 
when contrasted with the irregular, dilapidated 
worm fence of the country, will not suffer in tho 
comparison. A nice board or picket fence may 
be as ornamental. 1 am luellned to think that 
some farmers suppose walls to be a sort of half 
hardy production, and they nued protection, 
from the manner they screen them from the ele¬ 
ments and observation, by means of the elders, 
brambles, thistles, weeds, Ac., that are suffered 
to grow up around them. This would seem to 
be the only conclusion to he arrived at, unless 
they urc thus .-suffered to grow as ornaments. 
One would suppose that, did they desire orna¬ 
mental trees, shrubs, flowers, Ac., they would 
place them around their dwellings; but, on the 
contrary, such farms aruulmost invariably desti¬ 
tute of these surroundings. Farmers, make at 
least your outBide fences of walls, and do not 
longer attempt to till the soil while it is encum¬ 
bered with stone. o. 
Mlnetto, N. Y. 
the predictions of a largo crop are made by 
speculators for purposes of their own and kuown 
to be false; that the tax of five cents on the 
pound, imposed by the Government, will tend 
still further to diminish production till equality 
is restored by taxing other products, (such as 
corn, wheat, hay, butter, Ac.,) in the same way. 
If this U not done, many who would cultivate 
cotton will turn their attention to stock and 
grain raising — letting the bufcincss of cotton 
growing Bllde. Dr. PeIillifs concludes by say¬ 
ing that he has no cotton to sell, no ax to grind, 
but from an experience of thirty years in cotton 
growing deems himself corapetcut to give a 
pretty accurate estimate as to the cotton pro¬ 
duction of the present year. 
—We cheerfully give the correction, and arc 
right glad to hear again from Dr. P., with whose 
articles Ln the agricultural journals we have been 
familiar for nearly thirty years. May he live 
long and prosperously, and keep stirring up his 
countrymen, both South and North, to works 
of Improvement. 
Land Roller.— Novel Feature. 
We illustrate a new kind of land roller of 
English make, which possesses superior advant¬ 
ages. It is made of cast-iron—the best material 
MOORE’S RURAL SEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
BUBAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With a Oorpo of Able A*«t*tant« and Oontribnlom. 
HENRY 8. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of the Department of Sheep Husbandry. 
HON. T. C. PETERS, 
Late Fres’t N. Y. State Ag. Soc'y. Bouthern Oor. Editor, 
Fob Tkbms and other particulars see last page, 
FARM WORK “ALL IN A HEAP.” 
This is likely to occnr on the farm at the 
present time of year. The planting season is 
gone, and that of oultivatlng and harvesting is 
present. The problem for the farmer to boIvc 
is, how to perform his hoeing and cultivating, 
haying and harvesting In proper season, and 
not slight or ueglect any part of the work. For 
it is a fact that in many of the States it, has be¬ 
come impossible, of late years, to advance the 
corn crop sufficiently to complete the work on 
it before it Is time to begin haying. Such is the- 
case this year over a large area of country. And 
further, there arc many other jobs on the farm 
that demand time and labor. Sheep-sliearing is 
not over, — there may be sumo manure to bs 
heaped to get it in condition for top-dressing 
the wheat in the fall, and the summer fallow 
ought to be plowed this month at the latest, to 
secure one of the best advantages of a fallow — 
the chance to dean the ground. 
So the farmer has his hands full of work, and 
if, in addition, the weather is rainy, he is apt to 
be somewhat gloomy and discouraged. The 
remedy lies In skillful planning of work, the use 
of labor-saving implements, plenty of help, and 
energy in directing and performing the labor. 
The farmer cannot afford to waste a day’s time at 
present. Visitors that claim his attention fr«m 
business are seldom welcome, and “city cone- 
ins” and friends who admire his strawberries 
and cream and the smell of new mown hay, 
shouldn’t object to milking the cows and hand¬ 
ling the pitchfork. 
AMONG THE STONER-NO, II 
HOW TO MAKE BTONB WALL. 
Another very excellent, method to rid the 
land of stone is to put them into walls—not the 
nondescript, disjointed apologies that too often 
greet our sight in passing through the country, 
which look as if dumped out of a cart in zig-zag 
form—the owners of- which deserve to be In¬ 
dicted by a grand jury and sentenced to spend 
their days wandering upon “ John Brown’s 
Tract,” without benefit of clergy—but straight, 
firm, trim-built oaes, such as fanners, worthy of 
the name, adoru their premises with. There is 
K right and a wrong way to build walls, as well 
as to do other things, and If we commence right 
we shall be quite sure to end right. In soft and 
loose soil there should be a ditch dug the width 
of the bottom of the wall and from one to two 
feet in depth, and filled Ln with such small stone 
as are unfit to put in the body of the wall. This 
serves to drain off the water from the surface 
and prevent the ground from heaving, which is 
the usual cause of walls lulling down. If they 
pass over ridges and across hollows, there 
should be outlets at right angles with the ditch 
at the bottom of the ridges to convey away the 
water; otherwise the ditch will remain full, and 
Ln cold weather freeze and gradually force out 
the stoue from their position, when the wall, of 
course, will tumble down. 
When the small stoue are filled in the ditch, 
draw and roll on them the large ones to form the 
bottom of the wall; they should be well secured 
in their places and made perfectly solid, as the 
whole structure rests upon them. The base of 
the wall should not he more than two and a-half 
feet wide, unless the stone are very large, when 
they may project beyond the average width. Do 
not lay more than one course of stone without 
binding them by others that reach through the 
entire width; never suffer the side# to belaid up 
and the center filled iu with small stone. Pay 
off" sdeh a workman and send him away without 
his dinner—he deserves to fast for the imposi¬ 
tion. It is cheaper to build the wall when the 
stone are drawn and finish the work up at once, 
leaving nothing behind to be cleared up; but 
tbia is not always practicable nor very essential. 
A wall is strongest that has a gradual slope on 
both sides from the bottom upwards; four feet 
is a sufficient height, but theyn ay be built four 
and ft-half feet if preferred. There should he a 
course of large stone laid upon the top to pre¬ 
vent the displacement of the smaller ones by 
animals and bipeds, and to give it a more finished 
appearance; some place the earth taken from 
the ditch against the wall, forming a slight bank, 
but this should not he done, as the action of 
trost upon it has a tendency to loosen the stone. 
I have said notklDg about putting sticks in the 
wall; they are an advantage, and when wallB 
are built of cobble stone, sticks should invaria¬ 
bly he used. They add somewhat to the ex¬ 
pense, but snppu6lng that farmers act on the 
principle that whatever is worth doing is worth 
doing well, the increased cost should not pre¬ 
vent their use. They are easily and quickly 
made, either by being rived out of any free¬ 
grained wood, or by t>awiijg that which is tough 
or cross-grained into half-inch boards and cut¬ 
ting them the desired length; by this last 
| method, if laid In regular courses, a beautiful 
and permanent wall is made. The Bticks or 
HARVESTING HAY 
Farmers are beginning to see the propriety of 
harvesting their hay early. The true principle 
Is, to secure it so as to have grans the year through, 
for it is known that butter can be made in the 
winter as well as in the summer, and on hay 
alone. But it must begra**, cured; not “ hay; ” 
not woody fibre—os is commonly the case, neces¬ 
sitating the U6e of grain or roots. 
Grass cut when getting into bloom, and cured, 
os the woman cures her “ yarbs,” Is the unques¬ 
tioned true way with our most diHcriminating 
farmers. Cure in the shade, whether of clouds 
or barn. But this 13 practicable only on a small 
scale, and will do for those who have but a single 
cow or a horse. With the dairyman it is differ¬ 
ent. He must trust to the weather, or to the 
hay-cap, or to both — for it is safe to apply the 
cloth at once as soon as the cock is made, as no 
risk is incurred then or uneasiness felt. 
Cut when the dew is oil, and wilt thoroughly 
the leaves; then throw in cock. Let it be done 
before the sun has deprived it of its sap—its nu¬ 
tritive juices. These will preserve themselves, 
with but a slight change, that change to take 
place in the cock—in the “sweating” operation. 
Two days will but partially effect this; it re¬ 
quires three or four days at least. Then expose 
to the air; but be very cautious you do not dry. 
There are many who oppose this way of harvest¬ 
ing hay. They are not thoroughly conversant 
with its effect. Others, more experienced, hold 
a different view. They have the facts—carefully 
carried ont—aDd iu their case they are estab¬ 
lished. They have forever given good-bye to 
“wood” for cattle, which ripened grass is as 
near as can be, and which, fed alone, always im¬ 
poverishes cattle. We prefer even badly-cured 
grass to well-seasoDed hay when mature, unless 
it is for horses. Cows will eat. It when whitened 
with mould, and do well. 
We saw this demonstrated to our surprise 
yeare ago, when accident caused the harvesting 
of a crop which was just touching the blossom. 
It was clover. The cutting of the field wa 3 ne¬ 
cessitated, and the grass but Indifferently cured. 
It was little more than half dry, and thoroughly 
wilted,—and in this condition put into the barn. 
When it came out in the winter, It required an 
effort to separate it. It was black and white by 
spots, and seemed half rotten. It was thus 
thrown to stock. Cattle and sheep fed eagerly 
upon it, the cows improving in milk. The im¬ 
pression produced upon us at the time was sur¬ 
prise. But it taught us a lesson. We reported 
the case. We have since seen similar cases, all 
resulting in the same way; so that it seems 
almost impossible to spoil clover when early 
harvested. But this damaged condition—as it is 
to a greater or less extent—need not be repeated. 
Good weather will cure thoroughly iu the cock 
clover or Timothy. It will do it in a rainy time 
with the hay-cap. Without the hay-cap, and 
with the rain, grass put up will darken; but, 
unless the rain is unusually severe and lingering, 
used In the coustruetiou of rollers. Tho novel 
feature of this implement is the construction of 
the sections of the roller so as to hold water, 
which Is Introduced, at the apertures shown in 
the engraving. The weight of the roller is thus 
varied at the pleasure of the operator, and the 
increased weight maintains such a position as to 
secure the lightest draft possible. 
VARIOUS TOPICS DISCUSSED 
Post or Rail Clamp, 
Difficulty is often experienced in firmly 
holding posts, or rails, or stakes when sharpen¬ 
ing, hewing, or otherwise working them. A 
simple, cheap, but effective contrivance is here¬ 
with shown, designed to hold stakes or posts 
Sheep-killing Dogs. 
The Valley Farmer proposes a plan for the 
detection and punishment of dogs which prowl 
about in tho night, killing sheep. The plan is 
this -.—When a sheep is killed, proceed to make 
a pen of rails, about six feet high, each round of 
rails converging toward the center,—so that the 
opening at tho top shall he less than the space 
embraced at the bottom. In this pen place the 
remains of the slaughtered sheep, ami secure 
the rest of the flock for a few nights in some 
other locality. The presumption is that the 
dog or dogB will revisit the place where the 
sheep was kilted, and scenting the remains in 
the pen, will clamber over the rails and into the 
trap. Once In, the peculiar construction of the 
pen will prevent their escape, hence they will 
be on hand in the morning to answer for their 
misdeeds. The pen should be so arranged as to 
prevent the dogs trom digging out, as they will 
sometimes attempt to do when other means of 
egress arc denied. 
FALLOWING IN THE CORN-FIELD, 
There is no crop grown which admits of such 
easy and thorough cleaning of the land in con¬ 
nection with its cultivation, as does the corn 
crop. In this respect it has advantages nearly 
equal to the summer fallow; and as our farm¬ 
ing becomes more systematic we think more 
importance will be attached to this point, and 
a rotation which includes the fallow as a means 
of cleaning the land will not be generally 
adopted'. With proper toolB it Is just as easy 
to subdue the weeds in a corn-fleld as on the 
fallow, and the advantages on the side of the 
com-lleld ure that the labor directly benefits 
the crop, and when the corn fully occupies the 
ground so us to preclude further cultivation, the 
weeds have a silm chance of growth during the 
remainder ot the season. Hence, as we culti¬ 
vate our corn-fields we should be thoughtful of 
the succeeding crop. Frequent stirring of the 
soil smothers and decays the root, and that fur¬ 
nishes a rich mold for the grain that follows 
Many grasses and weeds that infest a corn-field 
do not start till mid-summer, and if these are 
destroyed by late cultivation, and seeding pre¬ 
vented, they will diminish yearly. 
firmly. Any farmer, with a few tools, can make 
one in a couple of hours. The bed-piece and 
lever should he from eight to ten feet long; the 
former may be of any convenient size, but the 
lever should be of tough wood, and small enough 
to allow it to spring a little when brought down 
on the timber. A piece of iron ten inches long, 
with teeth cut in it, should be fastened to the 
bed-piece, and a similar one to the lever, as 
shown in the engraving. 
Preservation of Grain. 
The following Is the report of a Committee 
“on preserving grain in rarified air,” to the 
French Academy, and is worthy the consider¬ 
ation of grain dealers. The apparatus made for 
carrying out the process consists of one or moro 
Bheet-iron cylinders, each provided with a man¬ 
hole on the top for the introduction of the grain, 
and a hopper below through which it cun be dis¬ 
charged. A’ partial vacuum having been made 
within the cylinder, by means of an air pump, 
It was fonnd that this couid be maintained du¬ 
ring sLr mouths or more. All the insects which 
attack grain, and particularly the weevil, were 
quickly destroyed by the rarifled air of the cylin¬ 
der. The grain was perfectly well preserved 
during the six months devoted to the experi¬ 
ments of the committee. 
An Old Planter on Cotton Prospects. 
A brief reference iu a recent number of the 
Rural to the prospective Cottou Crop of the 
South, has elicited a reply from Dr. M. W, 
Phillips of Mississippi, who excepts to tho 
statement as to the amount of cotton likely to 
be grown the present year. He asserts that the 
chances are that instead of a crop of three or 
three and a half millions, It wiH be less than two 
millions of bales—probably not much over one 
million. Dr. P. says that higher estimates do 
great “ wroug to cotton planters by reducing 
the Intrinsic value of that which remsits in the 
hands of producers, which iB very small,” and 
to a still iurtber depression of prices hereafter; 
that there was not seed enough In (he South to 
produce three and a-balf millions of bales; that 
much of what was there was old and but par¬ 
tially reliable; that there was h.ot money enough 
In the country to pay for an extended and effect¬ 
ive planting ; that the negroes do not and will 
not work as effectively now as formerly; that 
OPEN AN ACCOUNT 
Would it not be a good — a paying thing, if 
each farmer would open an account with bis 
farm, so that, at the ene of the year, he could 
toot up aud see whether the farm was in debt to 
him or he to the farm? In other words, to as¬ 
certain whether he has made money or lost it 
during that period. Such a proceeding would 
involve some labor, but if the system were once 
adopted, and carefully followed np for a few 
months, that labor would become a source of 
pleasure. To carry out the system properly the 
iartn should be divided into sections, numbered 
A, B, U, and so od, combining the whole. If 
section A is devoted to corn, charge it with in- 
Cattle in England and Ireland. 
According to the cattle census of England 
and Ireland for 1865, as reported in Thom’s 
Almanac, the latter country exceeds the fonm r 
in the value of Its cattle. The value of cattle in 
England and Wales In 1865, was £28,000,000, 
while for Ireland it was £110,000,000. This, to 
us, is an unexpected result, the prevalent 
opinion being that England was much richer 
in herds than Ireland. 
fljjaj 
IgflBHI 
Ilf Mi ■ 
