r ^gBICULT 
capital is fast seeking Western investment here, 
at low rates of interest. 
These are hopeful signs of the times. For 
while a greater variety of products is grown, the 
prices to he paid for corn and wheat will he 
largely appreciated by this diversion of labor in 
the production of staples for manufacture. The 
few bushels of grain will sell for as much as t he 
many did last year; and our dependence upon 
imports will be greatly diminshed. Let West¬ 
ern farmers take courage. 
which we should have been the manufacturers 
and exporters. As a case in point, I recollect to 
havo heard Governor Seward,— who, I believe, 
is looked upon as one of the few remaining 
statesmen living at this day,— at a public speech 
which he made in New York, say that “ he had 
known of instances where iron for our railroads 
was purchased in England, the cost o! transporta¬ 
tion of which, from the place where it was made 
to the place where It was to be used, was greater 
than would have been the cost of manufacturing 
it upon the line of road where it was to be laid.” 
It is not exactly so with linen, because that is 
of easy transport,; but when we consider the vast 
extent of country we have calculated to produce 
as tine flax as any in the world, with water-power 
enough to drive all the machinery in thouniverse, 
is it not mortifying to think we depend upon 
England for most of the linen cloth we make use 
of, when the same money which we have paid to 
them, had it been properly employed at home, 
would have produced more cloth than we im¬ 
ported? Let ns look at some of our imports. 
In 1842 we imported linen to the amount of 
$3,659,184J in 1844, $4,492,726; in 1848, $0,644,- 
048; total, $14,7116,058,- equal to $4,932,186 per 
year. Who will pretend that had this amount 
of money been judiciously expended in this 
country in machinery, material and labor, it 
would not have produced as much linen as we 
imported? Then Cotton was Kiug. We exported 
cotton ami imported linen. 
I believe that it is now generally admitted by 
those most conversant with the cultivation of 
cotton at the South, and flax at the North, that, all 
things being equal, an acre or flux at tbo Mortis 
properly managed, will give as great, a per 
centage net profit, as an acre of cotton at tho 
South. If tliis is so. what prevents our farmers 
at the North from going into the cultivation of 
(lax, as we see there is already an unlimited 
market abroad for the raw material, and there 
will, undoubtedly, be a home market as soon as 
it is seen that the quantity produced will justify 
erecting machinery for Its manufacture. 
As the season is approaching when farmers 
are preparing for their crops for the coming 
summer, we would recommend that every farmer 
should prepare for sowing at least ono acre of 
flax. Many may think that flax seed is too high 
to begin this year. The very circumstance of 
flax seed being so high is encouraging for 
producing it. Both seed and oil produced from 
it are high In this country and in Europe, which 
is proof that the produce is not equal to the 
demand, and as there are no indications of a 
decrease in. the demand, either in this country or 
Europe, we think the increase of one year’s crop 
will not. alter the price materially. Fanners 
should not wait for any encouragement, from 
Government before they begin in this culture,— 
it never has done anything, as yet, to encourage 
the growth and manufacture of flax, and, in all 
probability, it never will. I was in Washington 
in 1830, at the time the last report of the Com¬ 
mittee on the Manufacture of Linen and Ilemp 
was nntde, which I have heretofore referred to, 
of which Committee Judge Spencer, of Wayne 
county, N. Y., was Chairman, who told me that 
he did not think Government intended to do 
anything more than publish their report for the 
gratification of the farming community. I think 
Gen. Tallmadge, of the American Institute, did 
more to encourage the manufacture of doth from 
flax, by offering his gold medal, than ever our 
Government h as done; and foreign croakers have 
SO long declared that “this Government was 
better calculated to raise up swindling politicians 
than patriotic statesmen,” that I think many 
begin to believe it Yet I hope for better things. 
Although our Government has done some things, 
apparently for the benefit of the farmers, yet 
their execution, being entrusted to men either 
incompetent to carry out the wishes of the 
public, or too dishonest to expend the money for 
what it was appropriated, has proved most 
decided failures. For instance, the $75,000 a 
year for the purchase of choice seeds for free 
distribution in this country, proved a -dtdded 
imposition, lor never since the celebrated Wm. 
water over the eggs. The boxes are now ready 
for the eggs. 
SPAWNING SEASON. 
In my pond, the trout commenced spawning 
on the 12th of November in I860, on the 5th in 
1861, and on the 3d in 1862, and finished each 
year from the Kith to the 15th of January. I am 
informed that in some other sections they com¬ 
mence the first half of October. Tho female 
trout seldom come into the race until the very 
day they begin spawning. As soon as they com¬ 
mence to deposit the ova they should be taken 
out and the spawn procured artificially. 
HOW TO EXTRUDE THE EGGS. 
Take out the trout in the race with a net, and 
place them in baskets, standing In the water, in 
some convenient place to handle them. Take a 
pan or pail with three or four Inches of water iu 
it from the spring, and place it, near the baskets 
containing tho trout- The eggs must be quickly 
extruded and the trout replaced in tho water. 
This operation must not consume more than one 
minute if possible. All things being ready a 
female trout is taken out of tho basket with one 
hand; with the other gently rut) the abdomen 
from the gills downward, and the spawn will How 
in a continuous stream into the vessel. Con¬ 
tinue the rubbing until the spawn is wholly ex¬ 
truded, then quickly replace the trout in the 
race, or separate basket. One side of the egg has 
a small, white speck; here is where (be impregna¬ 
tion takes place. This side of the egg being 
the lightest it always falls this side up ready to 
receive the milt. To now have in the pail from 
100 to 8,000 spawn, according to the ago and size 
of the female. Now take a male trout from the 
basket, and, in like uiuuuer, or by the thumb and 
finger on each side of the abdomen, which re¬ 
quires rather more pressure, exude the milt. 
The milt falls upon the water and settles upon 
the eggs. I usually take from two to four males 
to impregnate from 2,000 to 8,000 spawn. In like 
manner 1 serve all the trout in the baskets. 1 
then place the spawn and milt in shallow vessels, 
and put the dishes In the spring water, where I 
allow them to remain in the milt from one to 
twenty-four hours. Probably one hour is suffi¬ 
cient to insure impregnation. I took from 300 to 
10,000 spawn, daily, from the 3d of November to 
the 10th of January, making, in all, about 130,- 
000 spawn, attended with perfect success. [Con¬ 
cluded on page 137, this number.] 
water through all time. This wall should be in 
thickness in proportion to its height, say from 
four to ten feet. These dams can he built, partly 
of stone and partly of earth, as may be desired. 
At the bottom of each of these dams there should 
bo a flume from six inches to four feet square, ac¬ 
cording to volume of water, to draw off the water 
and fish when desired, from one pond to the 
other; also, to catch and assort the fish for use in 
the lower pond, and to clear the ponds of grass 
and filth when necessary—perhaps in from four 
to eight years, There must also be a flume for 
waste-water on top, with a wire screen to prevent 
the trout from running out, or they would soon 
leavu the pond. To hold the young fry, the 
meshes in the screen must he but little larger 
than the head of a pin. as these young trout are 
very tiny when the egg is absorbed, not more 
lhan one to one and one fourth inch long. The 
first dam must be tight to keep them. The dams 
will cost from $50 to $4,000, depending upon 
size and quality. 
SPAWNING BEDS. 
There must be. a race leading into each of tho 
two lower ponds from two to ten feet wide, 
and two to six rods long, with descent enough 
to produce a gentle, rippling current- The bot¬ 
tom must be covered two or three inches deep 
with well washed gravel, with a nice screen at 
each end, to he raised or closed at pleasure. These 
races should be so constructed that the top of tho 
gravel at the lower end will be on a level with 
the water iu the pond at its lowest stage; and the 
dams are constructed in such a manner that the 
water may be raised at will from 12 to 18 inches 
in the pond and lower end of race. The races 
are the spawning ground for tho trout, iu each of 
the ponds, and every trout will run up into them 
during the spawning aeuHon, to deposit their 
ova—at which time the eggs may be procured by 
artificial means, by dropping the screens and 
faking the fish in a scoop-net. During this sea¬ 
son the race should be covered with boards, and 
all intruders kept away, as they are very shy 
at this time, although quite tame in the ponds. 
In like manner races may be built at the lower 
ends of the ponds by taking the water out 
along the side of the bank. The trout will find 
their way down as well as up. 
WATER. 
The most important thing to be looked to in 
trout-growing is the amount, purity and tempera¬ 
ture of the water. The volume of water should 
be ample, entirely free from all sediment and all 
surface water, and at leaRt. 40 deg. Fab.—still 
better at 48 deg. —the temperature of the water 
in the far-famed Caledonia Springs, where the 
trout naturally increaso and g’row faster than in 
any other place known in the world. This 
stream, only ono mile in length, is fished con¬ 
stantly from the first of April to the first of 
September, furnishing thousands of pound?, an¬ 
nually, without any apparent diminution, which 
can only be accounted for by taking iuto consid¬ 
eration the exceeding purity as well as the high 
temperature of the water,—the water in the cold¬ 
est day of winter being 48 deg. in the spring, and 
47 deg. in the spawning beds, and 42 deg. gener¬ 
ally, in the creek. The small ponds can be 
supplied by a spring that will fill a two-inch 
pipe, and so on in proportion to volume, up to 
the largest named ponds, which should, at least, 
fill a forty-inch pipe. This will keep the water 
pure and clear in all the ponds, and the fish in a 
healthy and vigorous condition. 
HATCHING BOXES. 
The only sure method of success in hatching 
the eggs, is to place them in troughs from eight 
to eighteen inches wide, according to volume of 
water, six inches deep, and from ten to fifty feet 
long, with a slight descent—enough to produce a 
gentle current, but not enough to move the spawn 
when placed in them. The bottom of these 
troughs are to be covered with two inches of fine 
gravel, and clean, coarse sand. These troughs 
are completed with a lid to cover tightly, and 
with screens at each end. They are now ready 
for the water. The water should be from one 
and a half to two inches deep over the gravel and 
eggs. The number of these boxes may be in¬ 
creased with the amount of water and number of 
eggs. The nearer the boxes are to the springs 
tho better. The water from the spring should 
run directly into a box placed at right angles 
with the hatching boxes, to be used, say from 
three to fifteen feet loug, twenty inches deep and 
wide, and drawn from this box through fine 
screens and spouts into the hatching boxes, 
graduating the amount of water required in each 
hatching box, to give the required depth to the 
MOOKE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AJf ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With a Corps of Able Assistants and Contributors. 
O. D. BBAODON, Western Corresponding Editor. 
Tag Rural New-Yorker iadeidsned to be unsurpusaad 
in Value, Puritjr and Variety of Content-, and ttniane and 
beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes Ilia per¬ 
sonal attention to the supervision of its various depart¬ 
ments, and earnestly labors to render the Rural an 
eminently Reliable Guide on all the important Practical, 
Scientific and other Subjects intimately connected with 
the business of those whose interests it sealoualy advo¬ 
cates. As a Family Journal it is eminently Instructive 
and Entertaining — beini so conducted tb.-tt. it can be safely 
taken to the Homes of people of intelligence, taste and 
discrimination. It embraces mnie Agricultural, Horticul¬ 
tural, Scientific, Educational, Literary and News Matter, 
interspersed with appropriate Engravings, than any other 
journal,—rendering it the most complete Agricultural, 
Litrrary avd Family Nkwsjmukr in America. 
THE SEED-BED. 
IV For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
ON GROWING BROOK OR SPE0KLED 
TROUT, ARTIFICIALLY. 
BY 8. H. AINSWORTH, WEST BLOOMFIELD, N,. Y, 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— In your issue of 
Fob. 28th, Mrs. I,. A. R., of La Fayette, Indiana, 
calls upon you for the best method of construct¬ 
ing fish ponds, the varieties of fish that may be 
introduced therein, and their general cultivation 
— for answer to which, you refer to Mr. Page, of 
Sen nett, or to myself. 1 have experience in 
breeding the Salmo Fo7>tinales, or Brook Trout, 
only—the most beautiful, delicious and sportive 
of the “ finny tribe.” What Is there more Inspir¬ 
ing to the angler than to behold a score of two 
pound trout laid side by side, before him? They 
are modeled by Nature in the most perfect form, 
speckled and colored iu the brightest, most ex¬ 
quisite shades, even excelling the finest touches 
of art 
To give a minute description of tho propaga¬ 
tion of trout, iu all its bearings—the requisite 
ponds with all their fixtures—would take more 
space in your paper than you would be willing 
to devote to Fish Culture—as you know, you 
editors — although you write long yarns your¬ 
selves—want short articles from your correspond¬ 
ents. Hence, 1 will endeavor to make this article 
as short as possible, intending some time to give 
you the result? of a more extensive experience. 
That I may be better understood. I will pre¬ 
sent the subject under different heads—beginning 
with the 
BEST METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING PONDS. 
To grow trout successfully, there must be three 
ponds, one above the other, in the same stream, 
if possible, as it saves much time in transferring 
the “small fry” from one pond to the other, as 
they increase in size. The object of these ponds 
is to keep the young trout out of the reach of the 
larger ones until they are of sufficient size to take 
care of themselves, which requires two years at 
least. Pound trout would soon exterminate a 
pondful of one year olds, if not well fed, and un¬ 
doubtedly take more or less of them if well fed, 
so that they would soon run out if left together. 
The first, or upper pond, is to grow the “ small 
fry” in the firetyear; the second one for the second 
year's growth. In the spring of the second year 
they will generally be large enough to care for 
themselves—say from seven to nine Inches long, 
and from four to five ounces in weight, if well fed. 
They may now be turned into the lower, or large 
pond. The first pond may contain from one to 
eighty square rods, and be from one to three feet 
deep, according to amount of water, and number 
of trout one wishes to grow. The second pond 
from 300 to 400 square rods, and from two to 
eight feet deep. The third, or last pond from 
forty square rods to ten or more acres, and from 
eight to twenty feet deep. The water in the last 
pond must be deep if large trout would be 
grown. From 8,000 to 10,000 trout may be 
grown in the smallest pond, and from 300,000 
upward to 2 , 000,000 in the largest pond. 
The dams for these ponds should be built of 
stone or earth to be lasting. Earth is much the 
cheapest Clay will bold all the water and make 
a permanent dam. If built of stone, the cheapest 
way is to build a double wall, laid in quick lime, 
with two inches Epace between, and fill the space 
with water-lime grouting, which will hold the 
germination and continuous growth. We must 
use such artificial aids as lie in our reach, to give 
the seed-bed this desirable condition. The more 
nearly to realize this condition should bo the aim 
of the grain-grower. Drainage, the right toolB to 
work with, and working the goil at the right 
time, with the feed that the plants need added, 
Lh u compend of the work to bo done. Briefly, 
farmer*, prepare the seed-bed properly and put 
in the seed, and you may safely trust Nature 
and Nature's Gon to do the rest 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES 
ABOUT FLAX-NO. V. 
in VSJ CAtUOU but? CAUULLit- 1 1 
, ,7 ... , 1 , . Having given my views with regard to the 
fid to this the areas to be put m ..... . r . n . ,. 
, , , , cultivation and manufacture ol flax iu other 
sorghum, heretofore devoted to , , , .. , 
, ... . „ . .... countries, founded on my own observations, and 
ti, and the increased attention , „ ’ . . . e J . .. 
. . . , ... information derived from respectable sources, 
ool-growing, and we have belore , , . , , 
. . „ r . anti also as to tho bonehls already received, and 
cations ot progress in Western ' ........ , 
promise of refraae from tbo tbral- « kow lct ™ "7 ", ra a to 1 ' ll<,n 
L »nj high freight* Tho enor- “ “ ut “ l, 0 tr f' “ * " has alretuly boon 
by tbo fa.more of tho Wool to Jouo m tb» brand, of b,,»mc», ao.l wbaUught 
, . . „ be done provided our Government looked as 
agents and currency mongers, ...... , 
is resulting in a total “chanire wo11 t0 tho inteiest8 ot tho laborm " cliuss(ia “ 
. does the Government, of England. But, l would 
e are going to turn our attention ... , ....... 
r . „, Y. ....,, ,ask, when has our Government manifested the 
eater diversity ot products. pr0 ’ tcctin( , „„. r ullr m a n ufaclurM that 
1 not long import sugars.. Her England does toward hers ? Not only has that 
aecoming an important article ol protecting care been witbeld, but the vacillating 
with the aid of the Imphee and CO urse of legislation which has characterized our 
will soon raise her own sugar. National Legislature lias been such as to pre- 
which this sugar aud sirup inter- ven ( j ree investment in manufactures by our 
is almost startling—pleasurably own capitalists. And, la addition, it entirely 
ffientt at all to secure pledges for prevented foreign capitalists investing in this 
Ired to one thousand acres of country when they were so flooded with money 
; mills are pledged of adequate England that Consols, which is ever their 
Mifacture it. And men ot expe- standard, gave but three and one-third per cent, 
tal are making such pledges. while in this country they were sought after at 
be planted where it has never from six to seven per cent. I was often told by 
And the success of the past year capitalists, while in England, that were it not for 
io investment of intelligence and this vacillating course of legislation, growing out 
1 in its production. of party strife, we could be furnished^ with all 
liber and the oil of its seed, is the capital we could employ in manufacturing, 
s. With the improved processes at a smaller interest than was current in this 
le fiber for manufacture, the cul- country. So much for the rancorous party 
ComiBT carno to this country, more than fbrty 
years ago, with the refuse and condemned seeds 
from the house of Turner & Co., liegont street, 
London, has there been such an assortment of 
wort hless seeds distributed, as of late, and I think 
O' u arlwood, of London, could tell a rirnilar 
story. If he pleated, to that told tty Turner & 
Co., respecting the outfit of William Gobbet. 
I will admit that I received a large number of 
packages of seeds from the Patent Office, free of 
postage, all marked, 11 Selected by our Special 
». ■ 
'-TilK- 1 ’3T' - 
Hipl 
.'x" /J’ 
[SptM 
jswjjR 
ipa 
site® 
Ink. 1 - .'V 
UPE 
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[ sing-le: no. ifylvh: cents. 
VOL. XIV. NO. 17.! 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1863. 
rWHOLE NO. 693. 
*4 
