S 
PROGRESS ANT) IjVTPROVEMENT, 
ESTABLISHED IN 1850, 
animals which the farmer selects for the land he 
cultivates; and here there is greater facility, 
perhaps, for change, because it is more easy to 
turn from keeping one class of animals to an¬ 
other—to change one peculiar kind of sheep or 
bullock to another, than to change the course 
of cropping. But this facility of change, from 
the readiness with which the animals may be re¬ 
moved, is in itself a temptation which the far¬ 
mer ought to avoid; that is, he ought before¬ 
hand to be so well acquainted with the charac¬ 
teristics of the differeut kinds of animals, that 
if, owing to a change of market, a substitution 
is rendered desirable, he does not make it hastily 
or experimentally, but knowing the nature and 
qualities of the animal he is about to substitute 
for that previously reared. Here are tbreegreat 
classes of subjects, then, which .Farmers’ Clubs 
ought to consider— the land, the crops, and the 
animals. But besides these, there is another 
very large sphere for the farmer’s thoughts and 
consideration — the men with whom he deals; 
and I think the subjects connected with this 
division ought to come under our consideration 
as a Club. These are principally two. He buys 
of, and sells to, a very large number of different 
tradesmen and others; and in the next place ho 
hires labor. Here 1 might seem to have ex¬ 
hausted all the subjects u farmer or a Farmers’ 
Club is interested in; but I must remind you 
that there is one more, viz., the farmer himself. 
How Is he to maintain the position he holds ? 
How is he to improve that situation and also 
improve himself?” 
BUBAL ARCHITECTURE, 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AS ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
BUBAL, LITEBABY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
^ vY ArTKoruiATB Ideas respecting farm- 
'7% house architecture need to be dissemi- 
l <«L nated among our rural population. No 
E /.J farm is complete, however perfect its 
gM out buildings and other improvements 
■■ may be, if it lacks an ample, tasty, well- 
. > appointed dwelling house. Much more 
V j; thau the denizen of the city or village, 
f the farmer needs a house whose convcn- 
- '■ icncc, comfort, and cozy aspect shall 
compensate for the lack of social ad- 
vantages, and inspire Ju all the mem- 
. ) hers of his family a love and veneration 
for the “ old homestead ” that through 
jJ- ti all the vicissitudes of life shall never 
' x 7\ grow feeble. Such a dwelling, with 
gi 5 j appropriate surroundings, it should be 
& V the aim of every farmer to possess; 
; and the farmer’s son that is reared in 
such a homestead will rarely be one of 
ykjj those who seek their fortunes on the 
^ crowded highways of the world. 
e'A We place before our readers an en- 
iglfj i graving from Allen’s “ Kural Archi- 
5F ^ i tectnre,” the upper portion showing 
the front, and the lower tlio rear 
view of the same house and its snr- 
_ roundings. It is to the outside that 
* we wish to direct special attention. 
It is under the shelter of a bcautllhl grove, 
and to the right, beneath the dense foliage 
of a maple, we catch a glimpse of a bit 
of water. The lawn spreads out in front. 
The room of this dwelling is mostly on the 
ground —where it should be in all country 
homes. The appearauce of the exterior Is pic¬ 
turesque ; the widely projecting roof extends 
its ample shelter over all; there are sunny, 
cozy porches for entrances in the winter, and 
wide, breezy verandas for summer enjoyment. 
The bay window will take the place of tho 
chimney corner in the memories of the present 
and future generations, and it will be tender in 
delightful tdi'.-a-tetes of lovers, and fragrant with 
the blossoms of winter flowers. Let American 
farmers bear in mind, when they build their 
houses, that tho useful is none the less worthy 
for being made beautiful. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. JTIOOKE, 
With a Corps of Able Assistants and Contributors, 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL, D., 
Editor of the Deportment of Sheep Husbandry, 
HON. T. C. PETERS, 
Late Pres’tN.Y. State Ag . Soo’y. Southern Cor. Editor, 
The Rural Nxw-Yorkxk Is designed to bo unsur¬ 
passed In Value, Purity, and Variety ot Contents. Its 
Conductor earnestly labors to render the Bubal a Reli¬ 
able Guide on aU the Important Practical, 8clentlflc and 
other Bubjccta connected with the business of those 
whose interests tt jealously advocates. As a Family 
Journal It is eminently Instructive and Entertaining— 
being so conducted thut It r.an he nululy taken to the 
Homes of people ol intelligence, iw.te and discrimination. 
It embraces more Agricultural, Horticultural, BcloutMc, 
Educational, Literary and News Matter, Interspersed 
with appropriate engravings, than any other Journal,— 
rendering it by far the most comploto Agricultural, 
Litkbabv and Faaiilt Nkwspai-rr in America. 
t3T Fob Teems and other particulars see last page, 
FARM HOUSE— FRONT AND REAR VIEWS, 
lected portion of the farm. A great deal of 
thrifty young timber is destroyed by carelessly 
Of uoskillfolly falling large tre s. a great, deal 
of fuel decays in the wood lot for want of timely 
care in securing it. Most farmers will not 
“bother with small stuff.” The economical 
method is to begin on one side and take out 
clean as you go all useless underbrush and small 
saplings; next large trees that have ceased grow¬ 
ing. When the lot la thus cleared, begin again 
on one side and cut the timber clean as you go. 
A second growth will spring up vigorously, 
which should be properly thinned. It is ascer¬ 
tained that more wood can be produced per acre 
by thus cutting clean once In from fifteen to 
twenty-five years, than if It were allowed more 
time la order to attain larger growth. 
If warming a room Is the only desirable object 
in view, sheet iron stoves arc the most eco¬ 
nomical in burning wood. They should have 
largo doors to admit chunks that cannot be 
easily Bplit. With the draft properly arranged, it 
is much cheaper to burn large than small wood 
where a continued fire is necessary. 
THE COLORADO POTATO BUG, 
THINKING FARMERS 
Out* readers are already somewhat familiar 
with the origin and spread of the now or Colo¬ 
rado Potato B ug, which has proved so destruc¬ 
tive as far eastward as its depredations have 
been extended. Tbe Practical Entomologist for 
November has a lengthy article on this subject, 
from which we extract further Information. 
If a straight line be drawn connecting Chicago 
and St. Louis, the country to the north-west of 
this line is already occupied aud possessed by 
this Colorado Insect; the country south-east Is 
yet unoccupied. Their rate of progress east¬ 
ward i3 from fifty to seventy-five miles yearly. 
It is possible that this bug may not extend much 
beyond the Western or Prairie States, as that 
region seems to be scourged by several races of 
insects which are almost unknown Eastward. 
The tendency of severe and continued physi¬ 
cal labor is to render the mental faculties inert. 
Hence farmers of tho “ old style,” who gave the 
daylight to hard farm work and the Djgbt, to 
rest, were not noted for wide range of thought 
even on topics nearest their interests. They 
were not progressive in their occupation. What 
they knew how to do they may have done well, 
hut new modes of culture, new systems of crop¬ 
ping, improved 6tock, and labor-saving ma¬ 
chinery, never originated with this class. They 
were slow, indeed, to adopt improvements even 
when brought to their notice. But the tendency 
of modern farming with all of its labor-saving 
machinery, and increased application of science 
to tilling the earth, is to stimulate to greater 
activity and wider range the mind of the farmer. 
To he prominent and eminently successful in 
their occupation, farmers must think more than 
formerly, and we believe we hazard nothing in 
asserting that they must also perform leas phys¬ 
ical labor. Tbe thinking farmer will cultivate 
the most profitable crops, sell his products in 
the best markets, and by good management la 
every particular they will cost him less, accord¬ 
ing to the yield, than those of the mere working 
farmer; and by adopting a scientific system of 
rotation and manuring in connection with im¬ 
proved breeds of stock, the profits from his 
operations will constantly increase, until, at the 
end of a series of years, he achieves success 
apparently much greater than his merely hard¬ 
working neighbor. And to condact these oper¬ 
ations skillfully, the farmer must have time for 
thought, study, and observation.. 
We take it for a fact, that Rural readers — 
farmers we mean —are wide awake and progres¬ 
sive in their occupations; they read, reflect, and 
observe; but we would suggest that a freer ex¬ 
change of thought with one another—wider 
comparison 0 f facts —in short, the benefits 
which would result from the formation of Far¬ 
mers’ Clubs in every neighborhood, are easily 
attainable, and cost nothing but a little effort. 
In this connection we will quote some very sen¬ 
sible advice given to an English Farmers’ Club 
by its Chairman. 
“ fjuestions selected for discussion,” he said, 
“might belong to either of five classes. First 
of all must be what concerns the land the far¬ 
mer cultivates, including with the land, ques¬ 
tions of soil and climate, which must be primary 
FBOST HELPS THE FARMER, 
In this climate winter rarely sets in until from 
frequent and heavy rains the ground is pretty 
thoroughly saturated with water. It would be a 
misfortune to the agriculturist to have the Boil 
freeze solid and permanently for the season on 
the heels of a drouth. Wells and springs would 
fail in the winter time, and the action of frost 
could not prove so beneficial to the land a a if 
larger quantities of water were present in it. 
Few take note of the actual effect of freezing 
and thawing upon all kinds of soil, more es¬ 
pecially on the heavy and therefore retentive 
ones. These most need the action of tho frost, 
and nature has provided for them to receive it 
to a greater extent thau naturally light, porous 
soils. The water is dispersed all through the 
pores of the soil, and by its expansion when 
frozen it cracks, pulverizes, lifts apart the parti¬ 
cles from each other, to a more minute degree 
thau it is possible to accomplish by any machin¬ 
ery. While this action is favorable to the ex¬ 
tension of the roots of plants, it doubtless sets 
free much plant food which is physically so 
combined as before to be unavailable as fertil¬ 
izers. So the looser the soil is left, before winter 
the better will be the action of frost upon it. 
On heavy lands spaded gardens and plowed 
fields late in autumn are signs of good hus¬ 
bandry. 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, AGAIN 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: — It appears that 
a communication of mine, recently published in 
tbe Rural, iu reference to Agricultural Colleges, 
of Havana. 
GAS-TAR.-ITS VARIOUS USES 
has elicited a response from J. P, 
What I said concerning these institutions wrb 
based upon the generally conceded fact that, so 
far, the Colleges in question had failed to secure 
the confidence of the public, in their practical 
utility. To this inference or conclusion J. P. 
objects. The tone or temper of his reply is 
unexceptionable, whatever may bo thought of 
its conclusiveness. It will not fall to he re¬ 
marked that, while controverting what I said, 
he concedes several failures of the kind, and 
adds, parenthetically, that perhaps advantage 
may he taken of this as an admission of the cor¬ 
rectness of what I said of Agricultural Colleges. 
In other words, a general plea of guilty is 
entered, followed by a quiet suggestion that 
advantage ought not to be taken of the neces¬ 
sity which compelled it! So far as I am con¬ 
cerned there is no wish or design to prejudice 
the Institutions in question, though free to con¬ 
fess a doubt as to the realization of th&beneficial 
results expected to flow from their establish¬ 
ment. This distrust is shared by some connected 
with the Agricultural Press of the country, as 
well as by intelligent farmers in various sections 
where these institutions are or to be in operation. 
It is intimated by J. P., and in this he is prob¬ 
ably correct, that existing institutions of learn¬ 
ing are inimical to the new Colleges. The 
Inference is natural, and so is the opposition, 
since many are of the opinion that all the ad¬ 
vantages likely to be derived from the new 
institutions could be as well secured through the 
agency of the old ones, and with a vast saving 
to the country. Of course, private individuals 
have a right to dispose of their superfluous 
wealth In tbe establishment of Agricultural or 
any other Colleges, but the policy of applying 
public property to the new system is questioned 
by many whose friendship for Agricultural pro¬ 
gress is above suspicion. But J, P. is confident 
of the success and usefulness of the Institutions 
in whose defense he appears, and if time shall 
make his predictions good there will be at least 
one of your readers agreeably disappointed.—u. 
A horse machine for destroying them has al¬ 
ready been Invented and used in Iowa. A reel 
is worked which whipB off the bugs into a box. 
Slaying bugs by horse-power would not have 
been thought of fifty years>ago. Fowls will not 
eat them in any amount, as they appear to be 
poisonous, and no available substance is known 
which will injure them by sprinkling it on the 
vines. It is supposed this enemy will invade 
the State of Michigau sooner than Indiana, as 
large numbers will bo blown into the lake and 
washed over by the gales, and then come to life 
in spite of their apparently drowned condition. 
The figures iu the cut are slightly magnified; 
the left hand one shows tho larva and a bunch of 
eggs; the right hand a perfector winged beetle. 
The colors are cream and black. 
Mr. D. W. Piundle, East Bethany, N. Y,, 
Eends us an article on the above subject, which 
furnishes many useful hints. He Justly ob¬ 
serves;—“The various uses to which gas-tar 
may be applied are, in general, but little under¬ 
stood ; its application, in various preparations, 
for roofing, called mastic, slate, Ac., is attract¬ 
ing some attention, also its preserving qualities 
when applied to wood. Its use as a cheap paint, 
or coating, when the color is not objectionable, 
is worthy of much consideration. After boiling 
so as to make It thick, I applied it to 250 yellow 
locust fence posts, japanniDg them, with it so 
that I consider them wholly impervious to 
moisture, and therefore greatly prolonging their 
duration. I apply it in the same way to fence 
Btakes, caps, and grape trellises, and would 
strongly recommend it for hop poles. Many 
implements liable to be weather-beaten might 
advantageously be coated with it; all joints in 
gates, racks, timber and .gutters, can he in¬ 
stantly and permanently closed with a properly 
preparedd coating of this substance. 1 intend 
to use some with gravel as a coating on the 
stone floors of my hog-pen, believing it, will not 
be affected by frost as is water lime. Iron can, 
likewise, be coated with it. Its efficacy as an 
infallible destroyer of the orchard caterpillar I 
have tested thirteen years; nothing else have I 
ever found cheap and practical. I have no 
doubt but that it may be effectually employed 
In preventing tbe ravages of the peach-tree 
borer, currant worm, Ase, Care must be taken 
to prevent damage to young plants by its use. 
Some think its effect on the bark of young 
trees injurious. I have not found it so, and I 
have coated young apple trees with it, and then 
applied sand as a protection against sheep. 
Many have failed to receive beneficial effects 
from its use, from want of knowledge how to 
prepare it. My method, together with other 
hints as to its use, may be the subject of a 
future article.” 
HINTS ABOUT FUEL, 
vY e notice that a patent has been granted«on 
a method of preparing corn cobs for kindling 
fuel. They are dipped in some composition 
which renders them readily susceptible of ig¬ 
nition. Probably for U3e in cities, villages, 
<fec., some such process may be beneficial, 
but farmers will find corn cobs a very handy 
material for kindling their fires in winter, if 
only kept dry. and where large quantities are on 
hand they may be profitably used in warm 
weather ior ordinary fuel. All farmers should 
keep their corn cobs dry, and in a convenient 
place to the kitchen; no more profitable use 
than this can be made ol them. 
Wood cut in the early part of winter, when 
there is but little sap In the pores, is more easily 
seasoned than if this operation is deferred till 
spring. Work it to the size for tho stove while 
green, and store under cover, or else fill it so 
that successive layers, rising one above another 
will form a cover sufficient to 6hed water, a 
very convenient “ holder” in which to split the 
blocks may be formed of a section of hollow 
log, protected from splitting by pieces pinned to 
tbe top of it. A square box of hard wood 
three-inch plank will answer as good a purpose, 
A block may he split fine in this box, without 
once touching it with the hands until finished 
and ready to take out. Besides labor, the feet 
of the workman are sometimes saved from In¬ 
jury by this simple contrivance. 
The wood lot is commonly a very much neg¬ 
POTATOES-AN EDITOR’S EXPERIENCE. 
The editor of the Burks County (Pa.) In¬ 
telligencer gives his experience in potato rais¬ 
ing- The land experimented upon was not first 
rate, nor iu very good condition, aud the growth 
ol the crop was retarded somewhat by the dry 
weather of July. The varieties planted were 
the Early Goodrich, White Sprout, Dykeraan, 
Garnet Chili, Peach Blow, and Shaker Fancy. 
The Goodrich produced at tho rate Of IS to I; 
The White Sprout a little less than 6 to 1; the 
Dykeraan about 4 to 1; Garnet Chilis fl to 1; 
the Peach Blows % io 1; the Shaker’s Fancy 
to 1. This last potato is spoken of in the high¬ 
est terms as beiug productive, of large size and 
of excellent quality. The Goodrich is also well 
spoken of. Each variety received aoout the 
same amount of manure, but some was applied 
in the rough state from the barn yard and a por¬ 
tion in a concentrated state, in the shape of 
bone dust and the like. There was no percepti¬ 
ble difference in the influence of the different 
kinds of manure used. 
Cur brethren of the Country Press would ben¬ 
efit their readers by more generally giving the 
results of experiments similar to the above. 
questions, since they more than any other deter¬ 
mine the practical bias of a fanner’s business. 
The next great class will be with reference to 
L the plants the farmer shall grow on the land he 
K occupies; and it is necessary that he should 
f)' bave a knowledge generally of plants, so as to 
^ form a selection, and having formed a selection, 
that he should obtain au accurate knowledge of 
T the nature of the special plants which he chooses 
$5 t0 grow ' 1 may mention here that it is not 
only questions of 6oil and climate that will de- 
eide that selection of plants, but, more, per¬ 
haps, than anything else, a question of market. 
The third great class will have reference to the 
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