Mature. 
WTTfiG RICULTURP 
ESTABLISHED IN 1S30 
erly housed and fed. They should get a liberal 
supply of roots, pumpkins and the like, else 
much of their productive power will be lost. 
Hogs, too, will require extra attention. Their 
pens should be denned and well repaired, so 
that the stock to be fattened may be dry and 
comfortable. The horses, the colts, the calves 
and sheep should not be forgotten in this prep¬ 
aration for the advent of winter. 
When these things are all properly attended 
to the fall plowing may be performed. Much Is 
gained by this on some soils, besides it forwards 
work in the spring, especially iF it should 
chance to be a wet one. It is a good season too 
to remove stones from newly seeded ground, to 
the Hue where a stone wall is to be built. If any 
portions of the farm need ditching or under- 
draining, autumn will he found convenient for 
the operation. There is no kind of farm prepa¬ 
ration that payB better than this if judiciously 
done. When all these matters are attended to— 
every thing made snug for the winter—if there is 
nothing else more pressing, the farmer may ven¬ 
ture to sit down in a cozy room and write an 
article for the Ritual. 
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.- CROP 
REPORT. 
BARNS, SHEDS, &c., FOR SHEEP, 
answer without the walls; hut they should be 
sufficient to protect sheep from the fury of the 
wind, which renders cold vaBtly less endurable 
by them — particularly when it follows a rain 
which has penetrated to their skins. For this 
object, and indeed for all objects, naked stells 
composed merely of high stone walls, board 
fences, or double lines of poles with straw, sods 
or earth filled In between them, are far better 
than no protection. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AS ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
[From Randall’s Practical Shepherd.] 
Winter Shelter. —It has already been as¬ 
sumed that a degree of winter shelter Is requi¬ 
site l'or the most profitable management of sheep 
in all parts of the United States, The Merino 
can withstand far greater exposures to extremes 
aDd to rapid fluctuations of weather, than any 
other improved or really valuable breed. In 
The September Report from this Department 
embraces estimates of the principal agricultural 
products from nearly all the States and Territo¬ 
ries. The estimates are made on the basis of 
last year's production, and show a deficiency In 
the bay crop in most of the Eastern, Northern 
and Central States. With respect to corn in the 
same sections, the yield of the present year Is 
placed at about 2-10 ths in advance of the last 
one. This calculation is subject to whatever 
abatement tbo premature frosts, which covered 
the eutlre corn region of the North and West, 
may have caused—a deduction equal, doubtless, 
to the entire increase anticipated previous to 
the occurrence of this drawback on the aggre¬ 
gate corn product. The same Is true of the po¬ 
tato yield, which promised to be considerably In 
excess of that of the previous year, till the rot 
occurred, causing ft modification of these esti¬ 
mates. 
The grain prospects of the Cotton States are 
very poor— especially in the article of corn, as 
not more than half an ordinary yield of this 
staple will be realized 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOOIIE, 
With a Corps of Able Assistants and Contributors. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of the Department of Sheep Husbandry. 
HON. T. C. PETERS, 
Late Pres’t N. X. State Ag. Soo’y. Southern Cor. Editor, 
Tint Rural Nkw-Yobkeb is designed to he unsur¬ 
passed In Value, Purity, and Variety ol Contents. Itt 
Conductor earnestly labors to render the Rural a Rell- 
able Guido on all the Important Practical, Scientific and 
other Sobjects connected with ths business of those 
whoso Interests It jealously advocates. As a Family 
Journal It Is eminently Instructive and Entertaining— 
being bo conducted that It can be salely taken to tho 
Homes ol people ol Intelligence, taste and discrimination, 
it embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific, 
Educational, Literary and News Matter, Interspersed 
with appropriate engravings, than any ethor Journal,— 
rendering it by far the most complete Aorioultvkal, 
Litbbaby and h AMiLT NEWSPAPER in America. 
SHEEP EARN, 
Spain it was unsheltered. In Western Texas — 
in that magnificent Bheep-growing region which 
lies immediately north of San Antonio — It, has 
been claimed that it requires no shelter; but 
facts which I shall allude to hereafter incontes¬ 
tably prove the contrary. 
Temporary Sheds. — Adequate shelter in 
warm regions like Western Texas demands no 
arrangements which would be at all expensive 
In a well-wooded region, or where sawed timber 
could be obtained at moderate prices—for the 
cheapest form of Open shed (I. e., open on one 
side,) would answer the purpose. Or, excellent 
sheds might he constructed with logs or poles. 
The pole shed is made as shown below. 
Hat Barns wrai OrEN Sheds.— In all tho 
States lying south of 40 deg., open sheds are 
sufficient winter protection for Merino sheep, 
aud probably so for the English mutton va¬ 
rieties, — though perhaps the high - bred New 
Leicester would, In many situations, find more 
protection profitableateomeperlodsof the year. 
Hay barns and sheep sheds like the above, or 
of some aualagoua construction, were much in 
vogue in tho Northern and Eastern States, a few 
years since. 
But there wore many difficulties about them 
in the climates of those States. Snow often 
blew under the sheds when the wind was in 
front; and in severe gales, even when the wind 
THATCHING BUILDINGS, 
Hence, the inference is 
that a large home market for the surplus corn 
of the West is already found, and that any con¬ 
siderable decline in the price of breadstuff's for 
the ensuing season need not be expected. 
Owing to the excessive wet weather, the indif¬ 
ferent working of the new system of labor in the 
cotton regions, the lack of suitable seed for 
planting and the want of capital to make what 
labor was at hand properly effective, the pros¬ 
pective product of cotton is less than wa 3 an¬ 
ticipated early in the season. The estimates 
returned to the Department are quite full and 
minute and they show only an aggregate of 
1,835,435 bales instead of the two and a half 
millions anticipated. 
It is possible that the cotton growers may 
magnify the comparative failure of the great 
staple of the South with a view to enhanced 
prices, but the preponderance of testimony on 
the subject is opposed tu this conclusion. All 
things considered the Jo tfbn planters have a 
hard time of it, and deserve credit for bearing 
up as well as they do under circumstances the 
most disheartening. 
X3T Fon Terms and otter particulars see last page. 
A vast amount of grain has been damaged 
this year throughout the West in the stack. 
This has happened before, and will, very likely, 
yet occur many times. This result is, iu a great 
measure, attributable to a careless method of 
stacking. But at the hurrying Beason help is 
scarce and It is frequently impossible for the 
farmer to secure his grain iu proper condition. 
For the present, adequate bam room for storing 
the vast harvests of the West, Is entirely out of 
question. But if permanent aud sufficient shel¬ 
ter for unthrashed grain, could be supplied 
cheaply with material in tho hands of every 
grain fanner, its use would save millions of dol¬ 
lars yearly to the grain growers of the West. 
This kind of shelter for grain maybe provided 
by using straw for the roof and also for the sides 
of the barn, so far down from the eaves as it may 
be necessary to extend them for adequate shel¬ 
ter from storms, or even to the ground if desira¬ 
ble. Rye, wheat and oat straw are good for this 
purpose, although rye is the best. It should he 
thrashed with the ilail iu preference to the com¬ 
mon machines, and kept straight and neat. 
There are machines now in use for thrashing 
grain wfthout injuring the straw for this pur¬ 
pose. The roof should be steeper than is ordi¬ 
narily the case when shingled; what carpenters 
call one-thin^pitch would answer. Such a roof, 
well laid or$ would last as long as a shingled 
one, and the sides of the building would endure 
longer. An ordinary balloon frame with rafters 
would be necessary; then nail light strips cross¬ 
wise of the rafters and frame for attaching the 
straw. One acre of good, well-saved rye 6traw 
will roof from five to seven squares, each con¬ 
taining one hundred square feet. Wheat and 
oat straw about one-quarter less. It Is about 
the same labor to put it on the roof as to nail on 
roof-boards and shingles. The cost of the mate¬ 
rial to the farmer is a mere nothing. Most of 
the work may be done by the farmer and his 
help. Roofs, at least, over stock-yards, might 
he made in this way sufficient to shelter the 
entire crop of grain in the West, at a very small 
outlay by the growers. 
NEW LAND-LATE-SOWN WHEAT 
Owing to the unusual number of rainy day9 
which have characterized a portion of the Bum¬ 
mer and autnmnul months the present season, 
the labor of clearing and preparing new land for 
seeding has been much retarded. In conse¬ 
quence of this some may be induced to let their 
fallows go over till spring or till the succeeding 
autumn on the supposition that the season is 
too far advanced to sow wheat with any assur¬ 
ance of a fair or profitable return. This is prob¬ 
ably a mistaken decision, and in cases where a 
wheat crop ihe coming summer is a matter of 
consequence for family consumption, may well 
he reconsidered. Should the weather for the 
balance of October, and a considerable portion 
of November, prove favorable to clearing lands, 
wheat may be sown upon it with the assurance 
of a fair return at the succeeding harvest. We 
have known newly cleared land sown to wheat 
quite late in November to produce a good crop 
—equal, in some cases, to that where the seed¬ 
ing was done in September. On one occasion 
we sowed a five-acre clearing late In November, 
finishing the harrowing upon it in the midst of 
a snow-storm. When the work was completed 
the snow was three or four inches deep, and fell 
before the storm broke to the depth of over a 
loot. Our impression is that this fall of snow 
did not wholly disappear till the following 
spring, yet there was a good crop of wheat on 
the ground when the time for harvesting came 
round — quite equal in quantity to other pieces 
Eown six weeks earlier. In such cases we be¬ 
lieve more seed should be used thau when a 
chance for fail stooling is given. 
Of course this late seeding is not desirable as 
a rule, but on new land may be pretty safely re¬ 
lied upon when circumstances have prevented 
an earlier preparation for a crop. Even should 
the spring show or indicate a failure of the 
wheat, the loss will he comparatively triffijng, 
involving only the cost of the seed sown and 
not that of putting it in. This will he amply 
repaid by the better preparation for a spring 
crop which the fall working of the soil will have 
made. A few acres of wheat are a great help to 
a man commencing on a new farm,— hence it is 
better to take the chances of a late sowing, let 
the result be what it may. 
SALT FOR OLD SOD 
Salt is sometimes very beneficial on old sod. 
Especially if this be thickly sprinkled with dai¬ 
sies, for farmers of some experience in this 
matter have averred that eight or ten bushels of 
salt sown per acre will destroy the weeds. In 
etties’wherc a great deal of meat is packed and 
used reftise salt may be obtained for six or seven 
cents per bushel. This Is mostly wasted, but if 
properly applied it would be a sourse of consid¬ 
erable wealth to farmers. Salt acts with the 
greatest benefit on rich land, hence on old sod 
It is likely to be productive of the best results. 
On poor, sandy soil It is worthless—perhaps in¬ 
jurious. It may be sown so plentifully as to 
totally destroy the grase, aud if the laud is 
plowed and worked, and sown to wheat,, it will 
produce the better for tLls treatment. A good 
way to destroy Canada thistles is to subject 
them to this process. 
A moderate application ol salt —say from 
seven to ten bushels per acre — to old sod will 
destroy the w'ormB which feed upon the grass 
roots. This is one benefit to tho grass crop. It 
is also a solvent l’or many vegetable manures for 
which pure water Is not For want of a proper 
solvent they lie unused in rich ground, hut the 
salt hands them over to the plant roots ami in¬ 
creased vigor ol growth is the result. Salt is a 
powerful stimulant when applied in the proper 
place; this is on rich land. John Johnston of 
Geneva, uses it with the best effect on his lands, 
made rich by a long course of heavy manuring. 
A Saratoga county farmer applied It thickly to 
his sandy and poor farm, and saw no good effect 
therefrom, except that it destroyed some weeds. 
no. 
PLAN OF SHEEP UARN AND YARDS. 
0, a, a , a, Apartments or stables In sheep barn, 20 by 40 feet. The central partition a close one, with 
single racks on each side. The other two partitions composed of doable racks. Single racks round all 
the outside wallB except at doors. 
I), h , Watering lube, when water Is brought into barn in pipes. 
c, c, c, A door in central partition and gates In tho other two partitions. 
U,U, (l, </, bheep yards. 80 feet wide; the two outside ones 00 feet long; the two inside ones 52 feet 
long; thn» arranged to allow the four flocks of sheep to drink from tho troughs of one pump-house at e. 
e, Pump-homes and troughs for four yards, if water la not carried into the barn at b, b. 
/./, Pump-fiousos aud troughs, each accommodating two yards, provided neither of prepeding plans of 
•watering arc available or desirable. 
This is covered with straw, reeds, sods, brush, was iu their rear, it drifted over from behind — 
clay, or anything else which yvlll prevent the piling up largo banks immediately in front, 
wind and rain from driving through it. It is which graduaUy encroached on the sheltered 
decidedly improved by raising the lpwer ends of space, and filled Its bottom with water whenever 
the poles two feet by r^eans of a log, stone-wulJ, there was a thaw. 
or a bank of earth or sods. If a cold storm, or a very froezlug temperature 
Clumps of Trees and Stulls. —If one gen- occurred at lambing time, these open sheds did 
eration would he persuaded to make arrange- not sufficiently exclude tho cold; and they did 
meats for another generation, good sheep shcl- not prevent the ewes going out them to lamb, 
ters could he cheaply formed, and on the most or from leading their new-born lambs out at very 
comprehensive scale, by planting dumps or unseasonable times, to follow the movements of 
belts of woodland, for that purpose, on the vast the flock. No female animal Is more attached to 
timberlcts plains of the Southwest. Evergreen her young than thu ewe, hut none exhibits less 
trees would be far preferable, if they could he providence in protecting it from any danger, ex- 
obtained, and would flourish in the situations cept by setting it an example of running from 
where they are required. With stone walls or those which terrify and demand flight. If the 
There are some advantages in having colts 
dropped in the fall, instead of spring or early 
summer. Theprincipal one is that the colts get 
through the first year of their lives more satis¬ 
factorily. Instead of being weaned in the fall, 
and, in some cases, left to the tender mercies of 
the straw stack and the snow banks, they remain 
with the mares through the winter, and are sub¬ 
sequently weaned on grass. Even with the best 
care and feed it is hardly possible to make the 
colts thrive as well during the first winter with¬ 
out the mares as with them. Graiu and dry hay 
are not adapted to their digestive organs, aud 
they frequently get out of order, and run down 
in condition, even when their owners do the 
best by them. It is better for the colts to feed 
the mares the extra grain, and trust to the in¬ 
creased richness of their milk for beneficial 
results to the colt. It is well to have a large box 
stall to shelter both the mare and eolt. In cases 
where farmers work their brood mares it is gen¬ 
erally better to have fall colts on account of 
doing spring and summer work. Winter m a 
comparatively leisure season for the horses as 
well as the master.' 
FALL WORK, 
The recent cold weather and the prevalence 
of cutting lrosts admonish the farmer that the 
close of the season is at hand. Much remains 
to be done on most farms, before all the needed 
preparations for winter can be said to be corn¬ 
el pleted. The corn, the apple and the several 
H root crops are yet to be cared for in most cases, 
r i Bnt, besides securing these, the stables and 
-beds should he looked to and made ready for 
.4 use berore the season of sleet and snow arrives, 
TJ tliat suitable shelter may be ready for the farm 
Green Manuring.—A. W. Warren of Rock¬ 
ford, III., gives as his opinion that makiDg 
green crops for manure is vastly cheaper than 
to buy or haul that material, especially if it 
must be transported from a distance, lie even 
doubts whether it maybe hauled as cheap on the 
farm where it is made, as green manure can be 
grown. Corn, sown thickly, Is of more value 
for turning down, tbau cither clover or buck¬ 
wheat, for the reason that it grows more rapidly 
than cither and produces more than double tho 
amount of weight per acre. 
SHED OF rOf.ES. 
hedges on the west and north, even a small ewe needed assistance in lambing, or if the lamb 
clump of such trees would form a far better stell required to be helped to the teat, It was difficult 
than many of those which are used on the bleak to catch her conveniently in an open shed, 
and 6torm-swept highlands of Scotland,—which Sheer Barn3 or Stables. —For all the pre¬ 
consists of walls alone. Larger clumps would ceding reasons, barns or stables for the winter 
stock when required. This is ail important for 
dairy stock, as nothing is more detrimental to 
this class of animals than exposure to the storms 
of autumn. If a good return of milk and but¬ 
ter are to be secured, milch cows must be prop- 
ST | 
||| 
J Eg 
