AGRICULTURE 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WUKKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY ANJD FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
to how they can get through the winter. Corn¬ 
stalks is one of the substitutes relied upon to 
make up the deficiency, and, when well cured, 
cut and fed in the best manner, they are a great 
aid; hut it is easy to waste a crop of corn-stalks 
by bad curing and wasteful feeding. Then, 
many farmers du not grow corn in sufficient 
quantity to supply the lack of hay, even with 
the best of care. Some of the Western varieties, 
drilled in or sown broadcast on a rich soil, will 
make an enormous amount of fodder, of the best 
kind, if only well cured. An acre of such feed 
would well pay any farmer who keeps consider¬ 
able stock. 
A good deal may be done in growing roots to 
keep the fanner somewhat independent of the 
hay crop. The Carrol furnishes a large amount 
of good food, if sown on a good, mellow, clean 
soil. Its culture is not difficult, if properly man¬ 
aged, aud the crop certain, nurses and Cattle 
eat them with a kceu relish. 
The Parsnip, we have long thought, is the 
most valuable of all the roots. No root is bet¬ 
ter, and we think none as good, for fattening 
hogs or cattle, and for feeding milch cows. It 
gives no unpleasant flavor to the milk, and many 
think the butter from cows fed with parsnips 
peculiarly rich and high-flavored. IS utter made 
in the winter, where cows receive a good ration 
of parsnips, is said to be as of line a color and as 
excellent flavor as when the animals are feeding 
on the best of pastures. If this is the case, as 
we can prove on good authority, those who have 
heen troubled with poor-flavored, lard-like win¬ 
ter-made butter, will unite with us in urging 
farmers to grow parsnips for the use of their 
milch cows, at least. In Europe, many thou¬ 
sands of hogs are fattened every year entirely 
•on this vegetable, particularly on the islands of 
Jersey and Guernsey. Another advantage fur 
this country is, that any portion of the crop not 
wanted for winter use may be allowed to remain 
in the ground during the winter, as they are not 
in the least injured by the frost. When dug, 
they should be stored in a cool place, and bo cov¬ 
ered with earth. 
The While Sugar Beet and the Many el Wur- 
zel are valuable roots for the farmer, aud will be 
more prized as we study more the economical 
feeding of cattle. 
Wheat Straw possesses far more value for 
feeding than most farmers suppose, judging from 
the munner in which it is usually treated. Mr. 
Mecht, the celebrated English experimental 
farmer, declares that one hundred pounds of 
straw, cut, steamed, aud fed warm, is of more 
value than the same weight of Timothy hay, and 
gives several experiments to prove the truth of 
the statement. If this Is so, how much valuable 
food we are wasting, when hay is now worth, in 
this city, nineteen dollars per tun. This opin¬ 
ion, which was formed from the results of trials 
at feeding, seems to be sustained by theory, for 
the Chemist of the Royal Agricultural Society 
of England gives the following table of the rela 
tive value of wheat straw, hay, and several 
other kinds of food: 
COMPOSITION OF THB PRINCIPAL ARTICLES C8UD AS FOOD. 
, IDrjOfxan-irhe portions subtracted 
| ic Matter,) as usekss are 
Ashes. 
, I i ‘ . ,'.N 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T, MOORE, 
With a Corpa of Able AmhtanU and Contributors. 
CHAS. D. BHAGDON, Western Corresponding Editor. 
Thr Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unsurpassed 
in Value, Purity and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful In Appearance. It* Conductor devote* bis 
personal attention to the supervision of its various 
departments, and earnestly labors to render the Rtral an 
eminently Reliable duide oo all the important Practical. 
Scientific and ntherSubject* intimately connected with the 
business of tbr-e whose interests It t.ealously advocates. 
As a Kamil? .Tophnal it I* eminently Instructive and 
Entertaininn — being so conducted that It can be safely 
taken to the Homes of people of intelligence, taste aud 
discrimination It embraces more Agricultural, Horticul¬ 
tural, Scientific. Educational, Literary and Hews Matter, 
interspaced with appropriate Engravings, than any other 
journal,—rendering it the most complete Agricultural, 
Literary and Familt Newspaper in America 
Cjr- For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
A ' VxN$^-,Nbv * 
WINTER FEEDING. 
A farmer with a good supply of stock, and 
plenty of fodder well stored away at this season 
of the year, without any other evidence, would 
be pronounced by everybody an intelligent, 
enterprising and successful firmer. This ver¬ 
dict, in almost every case, would be found cor 
rect The result in the spring would be cattle 
in good health and condition, having passed a 
comfortable winter, every day adding to their 
own weight and that of their owners purse. 
But this is not the end—look at. the great pile of 
manure that has been accumulating during the 
winter, rich and solid, well loaded with the ele¬ 
ments of nutrition — the food on which plants 
must live, and deprived of which they dwarf or 
starve. That lot of manure is not one-half uncut 
corn-stalks and wasted straw, that will have a 
slovenly look when spread upon the ground, and 
can only with difficulty be plowed under, but 
genuine manure. The material from which this 
was manufactured had partly been used up to 
make beef ami mutton, and perhaps butter and 
cheese, and what remains is asvaluable as either, 
and is to play an important part in the produc¬ 
tion of food. 
Follow this enterprising farmer through the 
summer season, and see the effects of the care 
he bestowed upon his stock the previous winter. 
How surely care and forethought, like virtue, 
brings its own reward. What splendid, well-fed 
corn and grain, and roots. How very lucky he 
is—planted just at the right stage of the moon- 
hit it exactly, and by the merest accident, tro, 
for he didn’t consult the almanac. He gets as 
much from an acre as some of his neighbors do 
from three, and don't seem to work half as hard, 
and never frets or grumbles at the seasons or 
prices. Whoever thought there was a 3 much 
virtue in that great pile of manure as to give 
its owner good crops, good temper, and ewn 
propitiate the favor of the fickle, ever-changing 
moon, that plays the mischief with so many 
poor farmers, and seems to delight in their vexa¬ 
tion. 
Of course, with plenty of corn, hay, Ac., any¬ 
body can keep cattle thriving, though somefarra- 
ers seem to act as though they thought it a great 
sin to give animals enough to eat, yet such men 
never get the idea that it is any crime to keep 
their own stomachs well filled. 
porfant subject, we think wo may safely urge 
upon all the importance of keeping as much 
stock as possible, for manure, as well as for other 
considerations, keeping them well, particularly 
In the winter season, and giving all possible 
thought and time to studying the art, and prac¬ 
ticing the most economical modes of feeding. 
beside pass resolutions, if they want their inter¬ 
ests protected by legislation. They have got to 
work. They must send men from their own 
ranks to the legislature —men who are equally 
interested iu securing such legislation. Politi¬ 
cians do not comprehend nor caro for the grave 
questions of policy affecting the producing 
interests of the country. They conspire to legis¬ 
late for the interests of classes and corporations 
which pay them for their work. They seek the 
office for thp profit It yields—not for the honor 
conferred, nor the paltry pay they get from the 
State. They go to the legislature to promote 
private, not public interests. They create 
corporations and monopolies. They are not 
Interested in protecting the public from these 
cormorants. The producer may tie of some consc 
quence, and his interests may be important; 
but the mere politician will not discover it until 
he is made lo see it —riot until the same power 
is li ed which is so potent in the hands of 
ihoi uigh-going business men who represent 
business Interests and corporations. The infer- 
estsof the producer demand legislation limiting 
the tariff railroads shall levy on their products 
Ibr the transportation of the same. But with a 
legislature of professional politicians there is no 
hope that the producer will be protected and 
eqabled to profit by the appreciation of prices iu 
foreign markets. Certainly not, unless farmers 
combine to fight other classes aud combinations 
with their own weapons —either bv electing men 
who are identified with themselves in interest 
and sympathy, or by providing money to buy 
such as are in the market for purchasers. There 
must be combination among the industrial classes 
if they hope to become integers in the body 
politic. Combinations should be created both 
for offensive and defensive purposes, hut not 
solely so. Their object, should he progressive. 
If there are evils affecting the progress of the 
producer, which should bo removed, remove 
them — combine to remove them; or if their 
removal affects disastrously, other interests prop¬ 
er to promote, confer, conciliate and compromise 
with the class or classes affected. 
“principles, not men.” 
This is a specious, dangerous rallying pry on 
which scores of demagogues ride into place and 
power— this motto of ,l Principles, not men.” It 
is a subterfuge with which the politician covers 
his designs and conceals his want of capacity. 
We want men in office. There is a terrible 
desert of manhood In our legislative bodies. 
Wo need men with capacity and integrity—intel¬ 
ligent enough to comprehend the plainest princi¬ 
ples of political economy, and with patience and 
principle enough to investigate and analyze 
measures demanding legislative action. But we 
shall get no such men to submit to be the targets 
of political abuse and vlllidcation, without 
especial effort is made by honest men to rebuke 
these revilers. No man who respects himself 
will consent to do the dirty work expected of a 
candidate for office; nor sanction means toseemo 
an election, which, if employed by any business 
man in pursuit of bis legitimate business would 
Insure his exclusion from business circles. 
The fact is, the people must take this matter in 
their own hands. The best men must bo elected 
without their own agency. They must bo 
honored by the unanimous and voluntary voice 
and vote of the people — of all good true men. 
We must Ieurn politicians that eminent ability, 
integrity and moral worth must, be combined in 
the men who receive our suffrages. 
“ Principles, not men!” See here! No man 
Can possibly represent a principle whoso life has 
been in constant antagonism with it. The man 
is as important as the principle. If his life has 
not run parallel with the principle he professes, 
he is, in himself, a powerful argument against it. 
He puts arguments in the mouths of those who 
oppose it. The devil could as well claim our 
homage because of his sanctimonious professions. 
Politicians make the issues upon which they arc* 
to appear before the people. They make such 
as can best be used to promote their schemes for 
peculation and plunder. Some abstract princi¬ 
ple which they profess to represent, and which 
they strive to convince the people that the oppo¬ 
site party opposes, is the hobby horse on which 
they ride into office. The business interests of 
the country ure overlooked. The grave ques¬ 
tions of policy, to master and coinprebend which 
require thoroughly disciplined, dispassionate and 
comprehensive minds in legislative councils, are 
U" provided for— are unthongbf of and uncared 
for by the legislator; and his constituents wake 
op from the excitement of the canvass to find 
that, instead of laboring to establish a principle, 
they have tugged at the tackle which bag lifted a 
*e!tisb, scheming and corrupt, demagogue into a 
place where he can pluck and plunder the 
people. 
I tell you, brother farmers, it iB all vile cant— 
•he merest cant — thtB hypocritical talk about 
“principles, not men.” Let it be principles 
and men every time,— and see that they are 
true men, too ,—full grown men. If you say 
such men are scarce, t answer ttiar. the greater 
effort should he made to secure them, aiid a 
higher value placed upon their services. And 
this has got to be done before you may expect 
much attention to your specific interests, or a 
reform in the use of your money. 
1 COMBINATION. 
As above written, combination must be met 
with combination. The organization of this 
Wool Grower's Association Is a - recognition of 
this necessity. And it is hoped that other classes 
of husbandmen, engaged in other departments of 
husbandry, will organize to protect and promote 
their specific interests. The corn growers of the 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES 
THE ILLINOIS WOOL OKOWEBS' ASSOCIATION. 
I am glad to see that such anjorganization has 
been effected. The wants of the wool growers 
of Illinois,expressed in the resoultioua published 
in a late Rural, are common to the wool 
growers of all the States—to wit: 
1. Protection against dogs and wolves. 
2. Compensation for sheep destroyed by dogs. 
3. That duties be levied on foreign wool as 
well as foreign manufactures — tbut the wool 
grower be protected by government as well as 
the wool manufacturer. 
4. An independent, thorough-going, reliable 
commercial press, which shall not labor for one 
interest to the injury of auother—but. one which 
shall state /avis and give figures demonstrating 
the same. 
5. That combination must meet combination. 
That there must be united, concerted action 
among men whose interests are identical. 
Now, these are very suggestive wants. I am 
glad to see them expressed. It will do no harm 
to write a few words which are suggested by the 
five foregoing paragraphs. 
LEGISLATION. 
But a few days prior to the State Fair I was 
talking with a member of the State Senate of 
Illinois, nu was sunt to the Senate from a Rural 
District He went thither with a knowledge ol 
some of the wants of his constituents. Among 
other bills affecting farmers, he had one in his 
pocket providing for the taxing of dogs, and com¬ 
pensating the sheep owner from the fund so 
obtained, for his losses by dogs. The Senator 
was making an effort to meet a demand existing 
among his constituents for Legislation of this 
sort He had spent considerable time thinking 
of and perfecting bis bill. He presented it to 
iHe honorable, the Senate of Illinois, and urged 
its passage. He had scarcely mentioned it before 
leading members of this dignified body began 
to ridicule It. One made an hour’s speech agaiust 
It, which embraced little else than sarcastic ridi¬ 
cule. These legislators could not comprehend 
that anything affecting the interests of owners of 
dogs could be of less importance than that affect¬ 
ing the interests of owners of sheep. Some of 
them believed dogs of quite as much value as 
sheep, aud as harmless. And some of these 
t age Senators represented an agricultural con¬ 
stituency ! 
The fact is, farmers have got to do something 
Water. 
The question is, 
how can we keep animals thriving through the 
winter most economically, and while we give a 
few hints on the subject, we will suggest that 
this is a matter of far more importance than 
many suppose, and correspondents could doubt 
less give us the results of experience that would 
be of great benefit to many of our readers. The 
winter which is about to commence also affords 
another opportunity for observation ar.d experi¬ 
ment, which we hope will be improved. 
Almost every farmer keeps as much stock as, 
with his system of culture, he can furnish with 
feed in a fair season, and some make a little cal¬ 
culation upon pinching at that. The hay crop is 
the principal reliance, and when this partially 
fails, as is not uncommon, on account of drouth, 
there is great difficulty in supplying the defi¬ 
ciency, and those who have hay to sell, hold it a 
very high figure. About one season out of 
every fonr we hear sad complaints of the scar¬ 
city of fodder, and of the anxiety of farmers as 
By this it will be seen that one hundred pounds 
of wheat straw c- n'aiu more real food than one 
hundred pounds of hay, nearly as much as one 
hundred pounds of bran, and the Fame as one 
hundred pounds of oats. Perhaps experiments 
may not prove this true in practice, but it is suf¬ 
ficient to arouse attention to the subject. But, 
reduce the estimate one-half, and then one hun¬ 
dred pounds of straw is equal to fifty pounds of 
oats, bay, or wheat bran, for which many farmers 
willingly pay the cash, while they waste tuns of 
straw. Who will cut and scald their straw, and 
feed it warm and moist, with a little meal or 
bran, and report the result? We hope our read¬ 
ers will not only take care of their straw this 
season, but institute such experiments as will 
enable them to form a reliable estimate of its 
value as food. 
In concluding these brief remarks on an im- 
4 
Dry Organ¬ 
ic Matter, 
or Real 
Food. 
100 lb*. 
wheat straw. 
lbs. 
Contain, . 
79 
100 tba. linseed cake. 
7 &X 
41 
Pea*,. 
»> H 
U 
Beaus, 
82 H 
It 
Ordinary bay 
7 
It 
Barley meal. 
82kS 
ll 
Oatmeal, .. 
89 
it 
Brau,. 
81 
it 
Oat*, ._ 
7 » 
» t 
Potatoes,.... 
27 
ll 
Red beet, .. 
10 
ll 
Turnip*,.. 
10 
ll 
Swede*, .. 
14 
ll 
•White carrot, 
12 
It 
M'l wirtzd, 
10 
11 
tU M 1 
* 
IM 
s 
c-tll 
e .i 
TWO DOLLARS -A. YEAR.] 
“ PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT." 
[SIHSTGX.K NO. FIVE GENTS. 
VOL. XIV. NO. 45.! 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1863. 
1’WHOLE NO. 721. 
Hi " ^ 
PflRl 
