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RMRBMSIfl 
itOjm' 
DRY ROOM. 
STOVEROOM 
[SINGLE NO. TEN CENTS 
VOL, xm NO; -34.} 
ROCHESTER, N. Y-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1866. 
i WHOLE NO. 866. 
TERMS, $3.00 FEE, YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS -AJNTD IMPROVEMENT.” 
ESTABLISHED IN 1850. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AS ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED B¥ D. D. T. MOORE, 
"With a Corps of Able Assistants and Contributors, 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of the Department of Bheep Husbandry, 
HON. T. C. PETERS, 
Late Preset N. T. State Ag. Boo'y. Southern Cor. Editor. 
The Rural New-Toekeb is designed to be tmsur- 
passed In Value. Purity, and Variety ot Contents. Its 
Conductor earnestly labors to render the Rural a Kelt, 
able Guide on all the important Practical, Scientific and 
other Subjects connected with the business of those 
whose interests It zealously advocates. As a Family 
Journal It Is eminently Instructive and Entertaining— 
being so conducted that it can be saloly taken to the 
Homes ot people ot intelligence, taste and discrimination. 
It embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, 
Educational, Literary and News Matter, Interspersed 
with appropriate engravings, than any other Journal,— 
rendering It by far the roost complete Agricultural, 
Literary aa» Family NewspaJ’Kb in America. 
fy Fern Tkkmh and other particulars sec last page. 
m ... _ __ 
AMOTWilAL, ’ 
WINTjEE WHEAT - DRILLING AND MA- 
\ NUBING. 
Obsei. vation, during tbc post year, Las more 
Btronglyloonflrmed oar belief that drilling is pre¬ 
eminently the best method of Eowlng winter 
wheat. Frequent freezing and thawing during 
the late winter and early spring mOnthB does 
more damage to the wheat crop throughout the 
country, than all other causes of harm combined. 
Drilling wheat in a proper manner is the heat 
within immediate and general reach of farmers 
to counteract this eyll. The drill covers the 
Beed at a uniform and proper depth, and it 
should leave the soil crowning between the 
rows of grain; this little ridge is a protection 
against the cold winds, the lightest snows lodge 
behind it on the crowns of the plants, and when 
the ground thaws the soil works from It down¬ 
ward to cover the roots of the wheat a little 
deeper. Other advantages resulting from drill¬ 
ing over the method of hand-sowing, are, asaving 
of time, the cultivation the drill gives the land— 
equal to one harrowing —exactly the desired 
quantity of seed per acre sown, and scattering it 
evenly. We may add that the work is finished 
as the drill passes along, which is of some im¬ 
portance in case a heavy rain comes on. 
We are equally well convinced from observa¬ 
tion that when manure la applied to winter 
wheat the best way is to put it on the surface, or 
incorporate it, hv using the harrow or gang- 
plow, with two or three Inches of the top soil. 
In this position it affords winter protection to 
the grain, and the soluble parts are readily taken 
up by the roots of the plants. The best results 
to the grain crop will be derived from the sur¬ 
face application of manure, and If grass follows, 
as it generally does, that, also, will receive the 
most immediate benefit. We have seen very 
large crops of grass taken this season from land 
of doubtful quality, the result of heavy surface 
manuring on the preceding winter grain. And 
heavy grass puts the farmer ju the way of grow¬ 
ing heavy grain. Manure plowed under deeply 
is like a rich tub-soil; it is a good thing to un¬ 
derlie a farm, but it costs some labor and takes 
time before the crops receive the full benefit of it. 
One reason, we think, why manure is so often 
plowed under, is the greater labor involved in 
drawing it on the field after It is broken up; 
sometimes the manure is so coarse as to obstruct 
the harrow or drill if on the surface. But it is 
easy to spread the manure from the unplowed 
on to the plowed ground, If it is in small piles 
and uniform rows; and IT' the manure is very 
coarse it would be no detriment to the crop to 
draw and spread it evenly after the grain is sown. 
PUSH ALONG THE HOGS. 
Is’nt it time to crowd aloDg the pigs a little 
faster that are destined for the butcher this year ? 
Thtey have had the benefit of the first flush of 
tender grass, aid have gleaned the stubbles after 
the reaper. Except the orchard, there is no 
field on the farm at this season in which it will 
greatly profit their owner to let them range. 
Besides, if they are to be fattened, why not | 
begin now ? It is not nece6Eary to confine them I 
to the pen, but let them range the orchard Btlil 
and pick up the falling fruit, and get a bite of 
grasB or weeds, (if yon harbor such; ) but three 
times a day give them, jn the pen, all the fine 
ground old corn meal they will eat without 
leaving or wasting a bit., and the rate at which 
they will grow portly and lazy will be satisfactory. 
Of course you will not keep the working kind , or 
if so unlucky as to have them, apply the patent 
hog-tamer, or what will answer just as well, the 
simple wire ring. The daily application of old 
corn meal will, however, be the best-tamer. 
There is a great deal to be gained by fattening 
hogs early in the season. It certainly takes less 
food to lay on the same weight than it would 
later in the season—when part of the food must 
be used in place of suushlne and warm weather 
to keep np the animal heat. Then, wc think, 
hogs are healthier to be fattened while they can 
have access to the earth, the grass, and perhaps 
a few apples, or some vegetables—when the 
weather is such that they can enjoy a roll in the 
mud and a snooze on the bare earth in the shade 
ot a tree. Besides, they are then ready for the 
early market, which frequently is found to be 
the most profitable one; or, if desirable, when 
well fattened they can be cheaply hold until 
mid-winter. 
But perhaps yon have got the ho^s but not 
the old corn to make into meal, and you are try¬ 
ing to keep the hogs along xomthow until the 
new crop comes in. “It won’t pay me,” you 
say, “to buy corn for my hogs; I believe they 
would eat. themselves up; besides, I hav’ent got 
the money handy, and don’t know where to get I 
the corn.” Well, perhaps not; circumstances | 
must be considered, but It seems to us that you 
are a bad farmer, or a very unlucky one, to have a 
lot ef nice hdgs to fatten, and be out of old corn 
in August. 
HABVESTING HUPS. 
Tub hop-grower should have all arrangements 
made for securing his crop at the proper time, 
and in good order, well perfected —his tools, 
dry-house and press in working trim, and relia¬ 
ble help Secured —for there is no other crop 
that deteriorates rnOre in value by untimely har¬ 
vesting and bad handling. 
Picking.— In'large yards it will not be possi¬ 
ble to pick all the hops at exactly the best time. 
Unless a very large fofee ts empl6yed and the 
dry-houses arc extensive, some of the hops will 
have to be gathered before they are quite ripe, 
and others wheff they arc a little past the proper 
stage; but the aim should be to secure the bulk 
of the crop at the right time. This time is when 
the hops are ripe. If picked sooner they will 
not weigh as heavy when dried, nor be worth as 
much per pound to the brewer; If picked later 
they also sustain loss in weight and quality. Au 
English authority gives as perfect a description 
of the ripeness that demands immediate picking 
as any we have met: — “A hop may be consid¬ 
ered ripe when it becomes hard and crisp to the 
touch; when the extreme petal projects in a 
prominent manner at the tip of the hop; when 
the color is changed from a light silvery green 
to deep primrose or yellow; and when on open¬ 
ing the llower the cuticle of the seeds is of a 
pnrple color, and the seed Itself hard, like ft nnt. 
Even after the hop has attained a lightish 
brown color no real injury to its quality will 
have accrued, and for many purposes such Lops 
tire most esteemed in the market; but after the 
hops generally attain a dark-brown hue a great 
loss both in weight and quality will besustained.” 
A force of pickers should be employed suffi¬ 
cient to keep the dry-house working to its full 
capacity as long as the harvest lasts; but it will 
not do to pick and store in advance of drying, as 
the hops heat very soon when stored green in 
bulk. The bopB are usually picked Into boxes 
holding, from twenty to forty bushels; they are 
divided into four compartments, and have han¬ 
dies on each end to facilitate moving them, also 
supports for the hop poles. 
ELEVATION OF HOP - HOUSE. 
partments to keep each picker’s hops separate; 
it ought to be made with leveled sides, as repre¬ 
sented, or raised a few inches from the ground 
to permit the pickers standing close to it with 
ease. One man can attend two boxes with their 
pickers. The main points requiring attention 
are to pick clean and to keep out the leaves and 
great object,” says competent English author' 
Ity, " with the hop-drier, is to get rid of the con¬ 
densed vapor from the green hops as quickly as 
possible, and the dry-house should he so con¬ 
structed as to effect this object, perfectly. It 
must be borne in mind that hops should be dried 
by currents of heated air passing rapidly through 
stems; the hops should also be well separated— them, and not by radiation of heat. This is a 
not left in clusters in the boxes. distinction of the utmost importance. In order 
STOREROOM 
i 
A * . * 
p 
PRESS C 
5 '. 
t 
SECTION OF HOP-HOUSE, 
ims. S, stove. P, pipe. J, joists. 
Showing stove, dry, store and press-rooms. S, stove. P, pipe. J, joists. b, b, iron rods which connect the 
bed-sill with the strong beam above, ij, ff, posts to support Bides of press, d, upper plank of press. C, 
movable sides of press. 
PICKING BOX OR BIN. 
We here illustrate a box convenient for three 
pickers oniy. It should be divided into com- 
Drting. — Three-fourths of the weight of 
green bops are water; to expel this quickly be¬ 
fore heating Or fermentation takes place, and 
without burning or over-drying the hop, is the 
next and the most Important operation after 
picking. 
The hop-house herewith illustrated is large 
enough for a yard of four or five acres. It Is 22 
by S3 feet, with a kiln Id by 16. The store¬ 
room is 12 by 22, and %y A feet lower than the 
level of the kiln, which is eleven feet from the 
ground. The dry-room should be lathed and 
plastered all round to the eaves. The store¬ 
room should be boarded on the inside next the 
dfy-room, and space left for the cool air to pass 
up, as indicated by the arrows in the section 
view. On the joists (J) over the stove-room 
rest slats one and a half inches square and four 
inches aparl, which support the strong linen 
strainer cloth on which the hops are dried. The 
store-room should be lathed apd plastered on 
the inside and supplied with, convenient air 
holes bn all sides at the bottom.' The ventilator 
is directly oyer the kiln. Of course, this plan 
may be enlarged to suit anyyarfi, though with a 
larger dry-room more h.cnting power would be 
required. Our illustrations are taken from that 
practical little work entitled “ Hop-Culture.” 
The kiln should be heated a few hours before 
putting on the first hopu it is generally the 
practice to keep np the curlog day and night 
until the crop is secured. If the hops are very 
green they should not be placed so deep on the 
drying cloth as if riper. From ten to fourteen 
inches is a sufficient depth under the most favor¬ 
able circumstances. 
At first the heat may be kept at a higher point 
than later, when the hops are partly dry; then 
1 there is more danger of burning them. “ The 
to accomplish this purpose the Bpuce above the 
hops must be kept hot, and and ail the lower 
parts of the kiln cold, whereby the greater den¬ 
sity of the cold air will force the raritled air 
above, carrying with it the vapor from the hops 
through the ventilator in the snmntit of the 
building. To aid this motion a stream of heated 
air Is sometimes thrown above the hopB through 
a tube.” 
From twelve to eighteen hours are required to 
dry one kiln of hops. Some driers do not move 
them until ready to go into the store-room; 
others turn them when the steam has passed off 
and they are dry enough to rustic. It sometimes 
happens th^t the hops become too.dry, which 
may be known by their feeling harsh and most 
all of the stems snapping. In this case shut the 
air holes, put a quart of salt on a pan of coals in 
the stove-room, and let it stand a short time. 
This will toughen them. If the hops are rusty 
or from any cause discolored it i$ usual to burn 
a little sulphur ondor them. This practice is 
growing frequent,, and it, is thought to improve 
the appearance of the hops and facilitate drying; 
the brewers make no objection to it. 8o much 
depends on the drying of hops, respecting the 
profit of the crop, that, au inexperienced hand 
should hardly be trusted to do It. 
Baling.— Hops in no case ehonld be baled 
until perfectly cook It is better to allow them 
to lie a few days in the store-room where they 
will lose their extreme brittleness, and all danger 
of heating In the bale will be over. The bales 
Bhould contain about two hundred pounds. If 
the hoys are stored the bales should be placed 
on end, with some space between them; this 
will allow the air to circulate around them, and 
a cat the opportunity of preventing mice from 
depredating. 
AMONG THE 8T0NEB.-N0. III. 
IMPROVEMENTS MADE BV USING STONE. 
In passing through the country how much we 
see that, needs improvement—how much that, 
with a little outlay of time aufi means, could be 
made convenient, tasteful and bench yin], is now 
by luck of appreciation or want of energy suf¬ 
fered to remain year after year in the same im¬ 
provident and unsightly condition, when the 
material needed to improve with Is at hand, viz: 
Stone. ] propose to notice ft few of these. 
The barn is often set on posts or blocks of 
wood which soon decay, or is placed on the 
ground, when new sills soon become necessary. 
In the first place, there should be a ditch dug 
the size of the barn and 'filled In with small stone 
to uear the surface; then a wall laid up with 
mortar at least three feet abovo tbo surface, on 
which the sills may rest. The ditch should have 
an outlet that the water from the barn and yard 
may not run under the mow and spoil a ton or 
more of hay each year. It would also be well 
to fill in the bottom of the mow with small 
Btone a foot in depth, which will prevent much 
moisture from coming in contact with the hay. 
If farmers should build cellars glider their barns 
with firm walls they would find them a great 
convenience; it might also induce them to cul¬ 
tivate more roots, which they would soon find 
to be a source of profit in the retiring of stock. 
The bottom of the yard, after being made in the 
proper form, might be also paved with advan¬ 
tage. The f]H"p».ways into the doors of the bam 
should be built up with stone and covered 
slightly with earth. The floor of the stables, 
when made of cobble-stone, paved in earth or 
sand, which soon becomes solid, are much bet¬ 
ter than those of plank. The roar of a poultry 
house is best when excavated ont of a bank and 
the walls laid up with stone and mortar, thus 
preventing the ornamental coiub6 of somobrcedB 
from, being frozen during severe weather; hens 
will also lay much earlier when thus protected 
during the winter. 
Probably a majority of the fires in dwellings 
throughout the country originate In the careless 
or rather criminal manner in which ashes are de¬ 
posited in and around them. Instead of being 
stored in boxes, barrels, etc., they are better and 
very much safer when placed in a building of 
stone, which may be made to answer the double 
purpose of au ash and smoke house. What is 
more frequently seen, on the appearance of a 
shower in summer, than the females of the 
household placing all the empty barrels, tubs 
and pails under the eaves, with old boards lead¬ 
ing into them , for the purpose of saving enough 
soft waterjo doj the washing of the ensuing 
week ? Around such premises on the approach 
of .winter you will usually see these several 
utensils, “ lying around loose.” in various stages 
of dilapidation. Now, in one day an expert 
person will dig a pit and a mason In another day 
will lay up ft wall and cement a cistern of suffi¬ 
cient size to ftmfish a family with an abundance 
of water during the year. Euch houso should 
also have a well of pure cold water with a suita¬ 
ble pump therein—instead of the spring across 
the meadow or over the hill, from which the 
mother or children urc compelled In sun and 
storm to carry all the water used for culinary 
purposes. 
The cellar, instead of being a “hole in the 
ground,” without form, should have a cement 
bottom, be nicely laid up with a mortar wail, 
well drained with stone or tile and wfcll ventila¬ 
ted—thus insuring safety to its contents from 
frost and decay and health to the occujmn ts of the 
house above. The walks leading from the house 
to the barn and out-houscs if paved with stone 
will protect the feet from the mud of spring and 
autumn and the rain and dew of summer, be¬ 
sides adding mpeh to the cheerfulness and good 
temper of the housewife and daughters in lessen¬ 
ing their labors in eleaniug floors and carpets. 
The track in the lanes fom the barn and yards, 
if filled in with stone and the earth from each 
side thrown on them, thus forming a ditch, will 
soon become compact and solid and can be used 
,it all seasons of the year without being soft and 
muddy. The highway across each person’s 
premises, If stone is Judiciously used, can he 
made as firm and smooth as a pavement and be 
a charm and pleasure to all who travel them. 
When stone are applied to the various uses 
hinted at above, I think what yet remain will be 
so “few and far between " that they will not se¬ 
riously incommode those who labor “Among 
the Stones.” o- 
Minetto, N. Y„ August, 1666. 
