left at one story. Yon go u 
hall stairs opening Into the 
Thu room olf the parlor may have an arched 
uitiv lie flushed like the living-room, mid a«i 
TERMS, 83.00 PER YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS .AND IMPROVEMENT.’ 
[SINGLE NO. TEN CENTS 
VOL. XVII. NO. 29. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1866. 
ESTABLISHED IN 1S50. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AX ORIGINAL WEKKI.T 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOOBE, 
With a CorpB of Able Assistants and Contributors. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of the Deportment of Sheep Husbandry, 
HON. T. C. PETERS, 
Late Frea't N. Y. State Ag. Sec'y, Southern Cor. Editor. 
HARVESTING TEE OAT CROP. 
It is an old-fashioned custom to cradle oats 
and let them lie In the swath several days to 
cure. The use of reapers has modified this, 
inasmuch as the grain is raked off in gavels. 
These will cure more rapidly if bound Immedi¬ 
ately and set up in shocks. The sun and wind 
then have a better chance to expel moisture. 
When the straw is exposed several days to the 
weather in the swath, it is nearly worthless for 
feeding to stock. In this condition it is liable 
to be wet once or twice by rains, in which case 
its value is chiefly as a litter, and to be turned 
into manure. 
When the oat crop is to be all fed out on the 
farm, part of it, at least, could be cut to advan¬ 
tage in a green state and cured as hay, waiting 
only t ill the grain is so far advanced as to be 
quite plump. The straw, if secured in good 
order, is worth nearly as much as hay, if cut 
when green. No better feed, nor a more eco¬ 
nomical one, for horses in the winter time, can 
be obtained, than oats saved in this condition, 
and cut fine. As it is usually desirable to have 
some clear grains to feed at certain Eeasons of 
the year, one would not wish to harvest the 
whole crop in this way. But oats should be 
bound up in small sheaves, as soon as cut, and 
well shocked and capped. If this work is prop¬ 
erly done they will stand wet weather without 
damage, the grain will be sweeter,and the straw 
valnable. One reason why oats were, and are 
now to a great extent, exposed to the weather 
for a long time before housing, is because they 
thrash easier. When this work wac done wholly 
with the flail it was a most potent reason, but 
in using the thrashing machine it is of little 
weight. If a piece of outs is badly lodged, so 
as to prevent binding the grain, and perhaps 
also the head from filling, it should by all means 
be cut in a green state and cured like hay. Over¬ 
ripe oats are much wasted by shelling. 
The present season has been unusually favor¬ 
able lor spring grains. Oats especially promise 
a bountiful return for the farmer’s labor; and he 
should strive to make the most of the crop by 
harvesting it in such condition as will produce 
the most food for stock. 
WORKING OXEN. 
This is a season of the year when the “ patient 
ox” is frequently called upon to perform a great 
deal of labor, and, if properly cared for, he will 
generally meet the requisitions made upon him. 
Sometimes he is “out of sorts" —is sick, but 
cannot say so, and if he has a careless, cruel or 
unobservant master, his sufferings will be great, 
if pressed to hard work, during a hot day. Many 
oxen are ruined, or nearly so, in very warm 
weather, by the inconsiderateness of those 
having them in charge. Wo have seen cattle, 
toiling along the furrows, with their tongues 
out and the foam dripping from their mouths, 
and still the word ol the driver was, “ Go Tang.” | 
This is wroDg— more than that, St is cruel. 
When an os puts out his tongue, and respires 
hard and quickiy, it is but an intimation that his 
powers of endurance are overtaxed—that a ces¬ 
sation of toil is called for, as well by considera¬ 
tions of humanity as those of economy. Labor, 
for the time, should cease; the cattle should be 
unyoked and allowed to repose, and sheltered 
from the sun till their exhausted functions 
are restored. 
The practice of leaving oxen coupled together, 
when in a heated state, though often done, is 
wrong, ns they should have the privilege of seek¬ 
ing rest and repose without the confinement and 
annoyance of the yoke. Let them repose, dur¬ 
ing the warmer portion of extreme days, and 
they will, in the end, amply repay their owner 
for this act of forbearance. 
AGRICULTURAL HINTS AND GLEANINGS. 
The Tobacco Field— The season has been favor¬ 
able for setting the tobacco plant Drouths 
have not prevailed. There will be a diminished 
crop of seed leaf this year, owing to the low 
prices, and inactivity of the market. But as 
“ Time at last sets all things even” the persist¬ 
ent growers of this staple may look for a change 
in the market, caused at length by these same 
low prices which will eventually stint the sup¬ 
ply. The growing crop wants close attention at 
present. Fill up alDepaces where the plants are 
missing. Cultivate, and kill the weeds; do not 
let the soil remain with a hard crust around the 
plant. The last of ttus month the worms will 
begin to be troublesome. Much work in killing 
them may be saved by killing the parent miller. 
Light fires kiDdied at evening, in and around the 
field, when the weather is pleasant, will destroy 
many. • _ 
The Clover Woim.— We gave this subject Borne 
attention dnriug the winter. Several corres¬ 
pondents informed us of suffering considerable 
damage by the attacks of the clover worm on 
their stacks and mows. We find now an article 
in the 1‘racticul Entomologist, in which the 
theory is advanced that the worm fccdB exclu¬ 
sively on dry hay, and that the parent moths 
deposit their eggs among the scatterings of the 
mowBund stacks remaining over from the pre¬ 
vious year. If this hypothesis is correct the 
remedy Is not to stack two successive seasons 
over near the same spot, and to clean out very 
thoroughly the bottom of mows before refilling 
them with hay. _ 
Cutting Thistles and Friers. —This work should 
not be neglected in Its proper season on any 
farm where the necessity for it exists. Happy 
the farmer who has not to contend with these 
enemies! Canada thistles should be cut, not 
: only before they blossom, but ere they approach 
1 so near that period aa to mature the seed from 
• the sap in the stalk. Almost any other farm 
s work should be neglected to cut thistles at the 
1 rigLft time. It frequently happens that patches 
• are almost entirely killed by once cutting—when 
the stem is hollow, so that it fills with water and 
’ rots the plant, is the favorable time. Briers are 
i best cut with the common bush scythe. 
t Mucking Hay and Grain.— Long and narrow 
t stacks are the best for hay; they feed out better, 
t Bfit where stock Is to be wintered in a field 
j that is well sheltered it is the best plan to moke 
> several stacks in order to distribute the manure. 
5 The liquid portion oi the manure is what is 
i chiefly wasted when stock is confined too much 
- ou one spot. Round stacks are the best for 
bound grain ; a rain proof top can be put on to 
. such more surely. For barley and other un- 
i bound grains, along, square-cornered stack is a 
s convenient shape. 
Can of Stables. — Stables that are used in hot 
weather require particular care. Fermentation 
takes place much quicker than in the winter 
time, and absorbents to remedy the smell and 
keep them clean should be freely used. Have a 
t barrel of plaster in one corner, and scatter some 
t over the floor after each cleaning; it will also 
1 add to the efficiency of the manure pile. Ani¬ 
mals that are not permitted the fresh air and 
t green pastures should not be tortured with the 
r foul smells of dark and dirty stables. 
GKOtCNr* PLAN OP A CONVENIENT, COMTOKTAIiLE AND ECONOMICAL HOUSE. 
Explanation.— L R, Living-Room, 17 by 21. I*, Parlor. 15 by 10. D H, Dining-Room. 15 by 20, L. Library, 
10 by 15. K, Kitchen, 12 by lfi. H, HAIL 10 by 15. B. R, Bed-Roorn, 11 by 15. U, Bath-Room, 7 by7. I, 
Pantry, 7 by 10. V, Veramla, 0 by 25. M, 7 by 15. W H., Wood-Ilotmt. O, Platform. N, Back Stoop, 
8 by 8. S, 'Back Passage, 4 by 24. c, c. s, c, c, Closets. A sliding glass door opens from I be living room 
to the veranda: In winter you may add another door. The prelection Irom the dining-room cittnds 
np to the roof, and adds innch to the beauty of the bnlldlng and pleasantness of the dining-room, which, 
as a very Intelligent lady friend of the writer observed, “la the place where the family re-uniona take 
place, and Khrmfd be the pleasanter! room in the house.” Its ample, low windows staOnltl open 
pleasant cronnds. The wing and the wood-shed may be carried to the height of the main bullai 
t « . 1 _ m it... . «« A 1 .. ol/isui in. nnnnaa «yi nw 1m, mail i* n n i I 
CTandfather or irraiKlmiitb^r, visitor*, or a son who got* married* (’unUngencJes will happuo wh^n 
rooms are convenient,— it. is well enough to have them. The library may be nsed ae a bed-room in the 
deplorable absence of books. C\ Represents closet* S the long one ol the ivin • room will - yes con¬ 
venient to hose garments in common use. The corner china-closet adjoining the back stairs should 
open into the kitchen and also Into the dining room. There should be an open flrc-nlace at F. also in 
the library The two windows in (he kitchen should be large, and a draft is secured through the rear 
end of this let token liy floors and windows. The platform in the wood-shed may bo used for washing in 
summer, and oJbo for cooking if desired, l uder the back stairs is a receta lor tubs, mops, Ac. I he 
back stairs door may open towards the stairs, and doors may elide into the wall to keep them out ol the 
way. If possible, ceil ibe living-room with white ash, oak, or chestnut, without paint. The bath-room 
should be lighted by glass above the door opening into the kitchen. 
Figs in the Fen .—When strictly confined to the 
pen weeds or grass should be given to the pigs 
every day. Clover is good. This kind of food 
is natural to them in the summer, and tends to 
keep them healthy aud thriving. It is also 
economical. Pigs do well in the pasture on 
grass alone, and certainly when confined in the 
pen it is a valuable addition to their diet. Soil¬ 
ing will pay here if not elsewhere. Also keep 
the pen dean and dry. 
The Whims oj Hens. —Mr. Bement says that 
out of ten nests in Lis poultry house, three are 
especially popular with the hens; one of them 
is in a cold comer on the ground, the second in 
a window exposed to light and heat, and the 
third situated in a dark place in an Iron pot. 
He does.not understand the principle on which 
they choose. _ 
Value of a Ton of Manure .— According to a 
table said to have been, prepared by Prof. Lewes 
of England, the value of a ton of manure made 
by cattle fed on cotton Beed cake is &J7.86; on 
Indian com, §0.65; potatoes, §1,50; common 
turnips only 86 ceDts! 
HOUSE BUILDING. 
It will scarcely be disputed that we sustain 
very intimate personal relations to the house: we 
live in. The home of childhood, and the shelter 
of age, in more ways than our phylosopby can 
explain, affects not only our comfort but our 
character. Its arcltecture and arriuigmects in¬ 
fluence our physical health, and essentially mod¬ 
ify onr mental and moral development. We 
get ideas of human life from onr surroundings; 
the nearest objects affect us most. Who shall 
*ay that the wild man of the woods, the respect¬ 
able citizen, and the royal duke, do not repre¬ 
sent in their respective persons the different 
classes of architecture under which they were 
reared ? 
The arrangements, the Jorms to which we are 
early accustomed, past ill doubt have much lo 
do with our judgments, habits, sensibilities and 
tastes. Whoever builds a house, and bullds.it 
well—a fit abode lor man through successive 
generations—leaves a rich legacy behind him. 
Every nook and corner, every nail and board, 
will be associated with precious memories, with 
offices of worth and value unmeasured by 
money. 
If houses are to be built only to answer some 
temporary necessity—if our population retains 
its migratory character, bo that few over “ twen¬ 
ty-one ” can be found where they were born— 
it is respectfully submitted that Congress shall 
send a Commission to tire A rabs, charged with 
the duty of reporting upon tents movable upoD 
the shortest notice. But if, as I fondly hope, 
onr united Republic, having passed through 
several phases of its existence, and partially 
outgrown some of the characteristics Incident 
to a people settHng a new and a vast country, 
is now entering upon a more fixed and stable 
order—leading to a bjgber national develop¬ 
ment—then, iudeed, it is not too soon to enquire 
for fit abodes for 6uch a people. 
We want au American Order of Architecture , 
without the puerilities and eccentricities of 
Corrinthian and Gothic styltB, and we want an 
internal arrangement that shall combine the 
greatest possible convenience, comfort, economy 
and taste, with the best possible provisions for 
the health of the inmate?. 
Whoso plans a house reveals his notions of 
human life. What social developments are in 
the womb of the future, none can tell; hence 
the difficulty of planning a house for posterity. 
Have not we ourselves added parlors for our 
guests to one side of the habitations that our 
fathers left us, and kitchens to the rear for our 
“domestics ? " But our civilization will gradu¬ 
ally assume a more fixed type, and then parents 
will succeed better in building for their grand¬ 
children. At any rate, let u» risk it; aud when 
we build, let it be with durable materials, put 
together according to “ first principles,” and so 
ordered and arranged that we shall, if possible, 
stand acquitted before the high tribunal of taste 
and art that shall come after us. 
Woe to our country, if human habitations 
shall be resolved into palaces and hovels, with 
princely magnificence on one side, and squalid 
poverty on the other. The house plan which it 
should be onr high ambition to see everywhere 
realized and adopted, should combine simplicity 
aud beauty in Its exterior and interior. It should 
be adapted to an intelligent, orderly, and Indus- 
Mohs household. 
Health, comfort, and convenient labor-saving 
arrangements should be prime considerations. 
It presumes, and it ought to presume, that the 
members of the household are interested in “ do 
mestic duties,” and it will not remove them to 
inconvenient distances from the center of ope¬ 
rations ; but it assumes that their industry will 
secure leisure and opportunity tor social and in¬ 
tellectual duties—no it provides parlors and libra¬ 
ries. 
narper’c Magazine, for May, 1666, contains a 
very significant article, (page 762,) on house 
building. It gives a plan for a house, elegant 
and ultra democratic—the ground plan consist¬ 
ing of two principal rooms—a Home Room, 
(18 feet by 18,> “ especially for parents and chil¬ 
dren,” and a Family Room of the Eame size; 
also a cook room, bath room, children’s room, 
(D by 10,) conservatory, furnace, and the vari¬ 
ous fixtures of ft well arranged and costly edi¬ 
fice. It supposes you will receive your guests 
in the “ Family Room.” Of course, people 
who drift with fashionable tides will object to 
this, and I have just Been arguing with my sis¬ 
ter, whose opinions on these subjects arc worth 
more than mine, that a “ parlor ” would be con¬ 
venient la case of large “ receptions,” aud 
might be used ae a sick room in more impor¬ 
tant emergencies. But she firmly maintains 
that parlors are false and formal, scrimping a 
whole family all the year round to gratify, or 
disgust, us the case may be, an occasional call¬ 
er. The money expended on elegaut, roomB 
and furniture too good to use, which chills so¬ 
cial intercourse, had better be applied to re-fur¬ 
nishing the Family Room, and keeping it con¬ 
stantly in the condition which your moans Jus¬ 
tify and good sense and good taste dictate. My 
sister concluded by saying—“I would establish 
the moral principle that people should live in the 
best they have got, and live in the way they can 
afford to live. ” 
In the plan I herewith submit, I retain the par¬ 
lor, but you may curtail it and make it into a 
bed-room. Still; cold, half furnished parlors 
abound, especially in the country, where guests 
are made miserable at considerable expense, 
It has been often said that houses should be 
built to suit the special demands of the family. 
Thi3 needs to be qualified. The house will be 
likely to outlast its builders, and if suited to itB 
place, and to the general wants of people who 
occupy houses of that cost and finish, itB fu¬ 
ture market valuo will be greatly enhanced, and 
the probability of its Buiting other occupants 
increased. A farm house should be suited to 
| the farm; u city residence to the street, lot, and 
» surroundings, and not merely to the widow 
J owner with one child, or the bachelor proprie- 
. tor without any. 
\ Build on general principles. Why should not 
the prophets of humanity be able to draw the 
j lines, and determine the forms of future social 
j life, as the great painters and sculptors of antl- 
! quity drew and saw them in the world of art? 
j At any rate, let us so arrange our households as 
, to recognize the higher laws of our physical and 
r spiritual liffe. 
t Ventilation is perhaps the first thing to look 
£ after, as f resh air is the first and most indispens¬ 
able of our physical wants. On this subject al- 
: low me to refer all house builders to the article 
e in Harper’s Magazine above alluded to, and also 
y to add, that an open fire-place, especially with a 
r lire in it, and windows open a little at the top, 
is a good way to ventilate a house. A stove In 
f one room to get up heat, and a fire-place in an 
a adjoining room to ventilate, with the dooropen 
e between, la good economy and answers wclL 
A distinguised writer, speaking of ventilation, 
r has well said, that modern house builders 
r “ might justly be indicted for man-slaughter.” 
r Where people buy land by the acre they 
i- should make little use of basements, except to 
s store fruit and vegetables. Houses appear bet- 
I- ter elevated only a foot or two above the ground, 
n aud are more convenient. Very high rooms are 
t difficult to warm, and are unsocial. Ten or 
o twelve feet, with proper arrangements for ven- 
•, tllation, 1 b high enough for any room. Isimply 
e give a ground plan. Chambers are easily ar¬ 
ranged. They should be large, and wellventihi- 
s ted, and not “ pestilent pens of disease and de¬ 
li cay.” I claim for the plan submitted conveni- 
d ence, comfort and economy. It may be en- 
t larged or contracted to suit circumstances. The 
e “living room” is the.important room of the 
y house, aud is therefore pleasantly aud centrally 
d located, “Magnficieut distances” are avoided, 
>■- and provisions made for a family who live ele¬ 
gantly and industriously.—n. t. d. 
Size of Faumh.— A writer in the N. E. Farmer 
says:—If you should ask me whether a general 
could best command 5,000 or 50,000 men, I 
should tell you that it depended upon his skill, 
talents, capacity, etc. Now, why will not the 
eame rule apply to farmers ? One man will carry 
on a farm of fifty acres, be perfectly contented 
and happy, keep out of debt, and be just as well 
off aB if he were rich. Another man could no 
more stay on fifty acre6 of land than a tempest 
could stay in a tea kettle. The restless Yankee 
generally wants elbow room. We must adopt 
• a style of farming suited not only to the soil, 
climate and markets in our several locations, 
but a style adapted to our individual habits, pre¬ 
ferences and temperaments. 1 
(WHOLE NO. 861, 
z i. 
