$3.00 PER YEAR. 
Single Copy, Six Cents, 
82 Buffalo St., Rochj 
41 Park Row, New 1 
MORE ABO^i CUTTING FODDAr. 
AGRICULTURE IN COMMON SCHOOLS. 
As thoughtful men survey the present state of 
Agriculture and discovering the necessity for im¬ 
provement, cast about for the means of establishing 
some permanent system which shall lead forward 
the whole agricultural community to higher and 
grander results —they turn unerringly to our com¬ 
mon schools. If farmers’ sons are to be elevated 
above the mere traditional system of their fathers, 
they must be interested, intellectually, in the pro¬ 
cesses of agriculture, and the common school fur¬ 
nishes the only means of reaching this great mass 
of mind. 
The Rural was the early advocate of the in¬ 
troduction of agricultural science into common 
schools, and we are pleased to see that our new 
Commissioner of Agriculture is impressed with the 
same views. He says“ Colleges are everywhere 
springing up, and the right men will, eventually, 
be found to dll professorships, and great good will 
finally result, while comparative successes will, for 
many years, he mingled with failures, in the numer¬ 
ous experiments growing out of these great educa¬ 
tional enterprises. But the facilities to be furnished 
by these schools will never reach directly the great 
mass of the children in common public schools. 
Would it not be well to introduce into every dis¬ 
trict school in the country some primary works 
inculcating elementary principals of science in their 
application to the practice of agriculture? An in¬ 
terest in agricultural education would thus arise 
among the youth in common schools, from whose 
ranks our new industrial colleges would he filled.” 
He then goes on to say that a senes of manuals of 
foreign origin, upon Agricultural geology, chemis¬ 
try, farm accounts, farm practice and domestic 
economy, have been submitted, as the basis of such 
instruction in common schools; but he comes to 
the rational conclusion that these works should 
be supplied by American writers. He says“ The 
peculiar circumstances of American agriculture ren¬ 
der necessary works expressly prepared to meet 
such conditions. Who is able to prepare one or 
more such manuals, in a manner worthy of the 
subject and of this progressive era V He who could 
worthily accomplish it would be a great public 
benefactor. There are good farmers who know 
little of science, and men of science with less 
knowledge of agriculture; but it is difficult to find 
a thoroughly scientific writer who is also thoroughly 
acquainted with agricultural practice, and Is thns 
able to apply correctly the principles of abstract 
science to the processes of agriculture. A clear 
thinker, and a lucid writer, who could thuB write 
truth with action, and marry thought to labor, 
would be worthy of higher honors than the great¬ 
est savans of the time.” 
Here the Commissioner has, no doubt, gone to 
the bottom foundation stone of what must be the 
basis of our future agricultural education—the com¬ 
mon school. But American mind has already be¬ 
gun to develop these manuals. We have a better 
elementary treatise for primary schools, in " War- 
ing’s Elements of Agriculture," than can be found 
in any similar European production. Let there he 
a demand for these simjjle elementary works, and 
they will be produced suited to the purpose. The 
first thing to be done is to educate the public mind 
to the necessity of introducing this most important 
branch into our common schools.— e. w. s. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper, 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
(PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR.) 
With a Corps of Able Associates and Contributors. 
B. F. WILCOX and A. A. HOPKINS, Associate Editors. 
HON. HENP.T S. RANDALL, LL. D„ 
Editor of tbe Department of Sheep Husbandry. 
However much repartee, may please readers for 
the moment, plain, every-day facts and knock-down 
arguments are the desideratum in all our agricul¬ 
tural literature. U points canuot be maintained by 
unanswerable and ungetroundable arguments, then 
let all the puerile defections be fully unfolded to the 
scrutiny of the readers of the ubiquitous Rural. 
The chief point to which I shall direct my artillery 
in the lucubrations of E. W. S. in the Rural of July 
18th, on “Cutting Fodder," is what Is said about 
fodder cutters. Why! my eyes stare as if I had seen 
a ghost in a dark night, at the suggestion that there 
are no fodder cutters with four knives that will cut 
fodder two inches long! I have read that part of 
E. W. S.’s letter over three times to see if he did 
really say so. Why, my dear sir, if you will go with 
me to Boston, New Haven, New York, Baltimore, 
Chicago, and numerous other cities, I will point out 
fodder cutters enough that will cut two inches long, 
to form one unbroken line of implements from 
New York to Philadelphia. Surely, some old fogy 
farmer in his dotage must have suggested to E. W. 8. 
that I "am Dot posted” aB to the merits and opera¬ 
tions of fodder cutters. If there were a fodder cut¬ 
ter within five hundred miles of my residence that 
I am not perfectly familiar with, I would make an 
especial journey, at my own expense, to examine it. 
It is a great reproach to American mechanics, to 
have it proclaimed to the world that with all their 
inventive genius and boasted mechanical skill, they 
have not been able to bring out a cutter that will 
cut fodder two inches long. Why, the machines 
can he adjusted to cut fodder six inches long, with 
perfect ease, If desirable. 
E. W. S. affirms that farmers are now purchasing 
machines to cut their fodder three-eighths or five- 
eighths long, and that he desireB to have fodder cut 
one-eighth long. I do not object to cutting fodder 
into fine mince meat, and afterwards grinding It 
into pulp. The point that I have argued still con¬ 
tinues to be tbe same as stated in the Agricultural 
Report for 18(56, which “E. W. 8," takes some ex¬ 
ceptions to. I pay to farmers who think they can 
make it pay to cut their fodder tiae and then to grind 
and steam it, to continue the practice. But, I do 
not retract one whit from my position in the Agri¬ 
cultural Report, as nearly all practical feeders will 
coincide perfectly with what I there recorded. 
1 could always make it pay a satisfactory profit to 
cut everything but prime hay; and I did cut much 
of that for the sake of mingling it with other fod¬ 
der. But, taking the country through, I think it is 
safe to affirm that not one-fourth part of the farmers 
can he induced to try the experiment of chaffing 
most of their coarse fodder, simply on account of 
the expense of the necessary fixtures and conveniences 
for cutting fodder. A straw-cutter is a very 
small part of the apparatus required when a farmer 
contempiates feeding cut fodder to a few animals. 
One cannot engineer all his cutting apparatus in a 
seven-by-nine ham. Besides this, hardly one farmer 
in ten can be persuaded to believe that it will be for 
his interest to hire the money, pay interest on it 
from year to year, relying on the assurance that by 
cutting his fodder, enough will certainly be saved to 
pay the interest on the machinery, and on the cost 
of other fixtures. The great mass of farmers are In 
straightened circumstances. They have a place for 
every dollar before it is received for their labor and 
crops. Besides this, many of them are excellent 
financiers. They can count the cost of enlarging 
a building to a sufficient size to enable them to op¬ 
erate advantageously. They can compute the cash 
expense of machines. Then, if they have but a few 
animals, and are required to hire a man or two, at 
great wages, to cut every pound of fodder and to 
mingle every bushel of feed, they perceive, at a 
glance, that they cannot make the enterprise pay 
on such a limited scale of operation; and we may 
better save onr breath to blow our hot pudding 
with, than to attempt to convince such farmers 
that they can, after ail, make it pay to purchase 
machinery to cut their fodder for only a few animals. 
It will not pay to purchase a horse-power and large 
cutter simply to cut the feed of a single cow and one 
horse. We all agree on this point Now then, as 
the number of animals is increased, we approximate 
the point where it will pay. Then, as we still go on 
beyond that paying point, the profits continue to be 
more and more satisfactory. In order to make every¬ 
thing pay, it vimt do something. A farmer could 
not make it pay to purchase a mower and reaper to 
cut three or four acres only of grass and grain. And 
yet, the next door neighbor who has fifty or more 
aeres, biows — there is no guess work about it — that 
it does pay a satisfactory interest to employ a mower 
and reaper to aid in securing his crops. 
The cost of every operation and all the circum¬ 
stances which affect the expense, must he computed, 
when we advocate cutting, grinding and steaming fod¬ 
der. A judicious manager must always be governed 
by bis circumstances. If a man has money in advance 
of debts, better invest it in such labor-saving ma¬ 
chinery os lie needs, even if he cannot see that the 
operation is likely to pay equal to a bond and mort¬ 
gage, than to not cut his fodder. 
1 am pleased to hear that £. W. S. is able to an¬ 
nounce a machine for grinding fodder at a satisfac¬ 
tory profit. I hope it will soon appear; and that it 
will prove a triumphant success. What I pen to¬ 
day is often read by a million or more of people 
to-morrow; and it would afford me transcendent 
satisfaction to be able to make the announcement 
of sneb a valuable labor-saving machine as he 
alludes to. Yet, we must bear in mind, that It will 
require the expenditure of a large amount of steam 
Terms, In Advance — Thbbb Dollars a Year:— Five 
copies foT $14; Seven, and one free to Clnfi Agent, for $19; 
Ten, and one free, lor $25 —only $2.30 per copy. As we pre¬ 
pay American postage, $2.70 is tlie lowest Club rate to Canada 
and $3.50 to Enrope, Tbe best way to remit is by Draft or 
Post-Office Money Order,—and all Drafts and Orders made 
payable to the Publisher may be mailed at his bisk. 
In looking among the wheat, fields of Western 
New York, this harvest, we have found the Diehl 
variety behaving remarkably well. It is gaining 
friends and sustaining its already fair reputation; 
and in a little while we predict it will become as 
famous and as generally cultivated as the once un¬ 
rivalled Soules or Genesee white wheat. It is a bald, 
white wheat, with red chaff, and kernels get com¬ 
pact on the head. The straw grows stiff, hence is 
not liable to be laid either on rich land or by heavy 
rains. It is a variety eminently adapted to heavy, 
rich soil, and repays good culture and the appli¬ 
cation of an abundance of manure. Its period of 
ripening is early, so that It may be considered midge 
proof. It is hardy, coming well through the winter, 
but it may not quite equal some of the bearded vari¬ 
eties in this respect. It is a favorite wheat with the 
millers. We can confidently advise farmers to sow 
this variety on good wheat land, but caution them 
to examine the seed closely, as it is pretty gener¬ 
ally mixed, to some extent, with inferior varieties. 
Those who yet cling to the Soules will gain by 
changing to the Diehl, if this year’s lesson is a 
safe criterion to judge by. We have several fields 
in mind in which both of the last named varieties 
were grown aide by side, and the Diehl is far supe¬ 
rior both in quality and yield. 
The Treadwell (see illustration) is a prominent 
variety of bearded wheat, although it has the habit 
of producing a great many heads without awns, or 
nearly so. Many farmers mistrust that the variety 
is not pure wnen they discover the bearded and 
bald heads in the same field, hut it is doubtless a 
habit of the wheat, as in all other respects no differ¬ 
ence can be detected. The Treadwell originated in 
Michigan, and is probably a hybrid, and sometimes 
takes after one parent and then the other in the 
matter of producing awns. As compared with the 
Diehl it produces more straw which is whiter in 
color with white chaff. The straw is tough and 
soft and of beautiful appearance. It also grows 
taller, and is more liable to fall down. The straw 
does not show the ripening process sis soon as that 
of the Diehl, but the berry is equally forward, and 
it is considered a midge proof variety. The heads 
are longer but not 60 compact, and the quality of 
the grain is decidedly inferior. It is probably bet¬ 
ter adapted to low, or poor land, and is a safe, hardy 
kind of wheat. 
We take the Illustrations and descriptions of the 
two following varieties from Todd’s Wheat Guitarist. 
The Red Blue-stem Wheat is an old and very popu¬ 
lar variety of wheat, which originated in Pennsylva¬ 
nia. It is one of the finest and most profitable 
varieties of red wheat. The growing grain with¬ 
stands the ravages of the wheat midge better than 
many varieties, but not so well as some others. 
The chaff' fits rather close to the kernels, bat not so 
tight as the chaff of some other varieties. The Red 
Blue-stem Wheat is one of the most prolific varieties 
that has ever been cultivated; and the young plants 
endure the cold of winter with less injury than many 
other kinds of wheat. J. H. Kliupart says, in the 
Transactions of the Ohio Board of Agricuture, that 
this variety makes as good a quality of flour as does 
; the grain ripens three to six days 
Red Blue Stem. Four-Rowed Andbiolo 
especially do well, the lake breeze protecting our 
Fruit. The farms are mostly homesteads entered, 
hut many have now their deed9. Some of the first 
settlers bought and paid one dollar and twenty-five 
cents per acre, and now have farms worth from 
eight to twenty-five dollars and upwards per acre. 
We have splendid sleighing in winter, which makes 
business lively, and nice steady summers. We are 
just beginning to raise produce to seU, and onr mar¬ 
ket the very best. Good homes, good binds, good 
locations, can be got from five hundred to twelve 
hundred dollars, and some are worth still more; 
there is a chance for some to locate wild land, of 
40 and 80 acres, though it is nearly all taken up.” 
much prominence as connected with the present 
one. This periodical recurrence of hot, dry seasons, 
is thought to establish the fact that they repeat 
themselves, with much regularity, once in seven 
years, but the most pronounced resemblance is 
found in those fourteen years apart. If this resem¬ 
blance and repetition of the seasons, at stated peri¬ 
ods is fully established, the farmer is supposed to be 
supplied with pretty certain data for the guidance 
of his farm operations on their periodical recur¬ 
rence. He, having faith in the theory of a periodic 
recurrence of seasons will so diversify his crops 
as to leave the least possible margin for damage by 
dronth when the prescribed cycle is completed. 
How much may he gained or lost by acting on tbe 
assumption hero noticed is left to the decision of 
those who, believing it true, make their farming 
operations conform to it. 
How to Form a Farmers' Clnb. 
H. A., Lexington, Mich., writes:—“We wish to 
organize a Farmers’ Club in thi6 county, and are at a 
loss for a constitution and lows for tbe same. Would 
you he kind enough, if you have any forms that 
would suit, to send one along?" 
The less you have to do with laws and constitu¬ 
tions in organizing a Farmers’ Club the better you 
will succeed. Form the Club first and make the 
laws when you need them. Let the farmers who 
are interested meet and appoint a Chairman and a 
Secretary. You are then ready to talk. Some one 
will propose a subject upon which the information 
and experience of the members are desired. The 
Secretary’s pen should record the gist ox what is 
said. Before the meeting closes it will fix the time 
of another. If expenses are incurred some members 
will "circulate the hat" and funds will be forth¬ 
coming to meet them. Subjects will be proposed 
for consideration at the next meeting, and some will 
write essays and collect special facts concerning 
them. By-and-by materials will accumulate and the 
Secretary will send the best of them to the Agricul¬ 
tural papers for publication. Your Club may get to 
be as famous as the one in Gotham, and after all you 
will never have or need a constitution or code of 
by-laws. We advise onr friends to go ahead, get to¬ 
gether and talk, and not stick and stumble over the 
organization. 
How Came the Chess Here? 
L. A. Bebee, Wolcott, N. Y., writesOne year 
ago I purchased ten acres of land near this village. 
The year before, it was plowed and planted to corn, 
it had lain in meadow for several years previous. 
The next year after purchasing 1 sowed the same with 
oats and clean clover and timothy, on three acres of 
the same. I had a fair crop of oats, with no chess, 
and on the whole appeared a vigorous growth of 
chess last spring, and on that- part seeded with grass 
matured finely. That part not, seeded was well 
stocked with chess which I plowed iu for com. 
Now the question is, how came the chesc? This is 
what puzzles me. Will you, or some of your intel¬ 
ligent readers give the desired information and 
oblige your humble correspondent." 
From the Shenandoah Valley, 
G. S. H., Harrisonburg, Va., writes“I former¬ 
ly resided in Yates Co., N. Y., and having heard of 
tbe great chances South, for Northern men, started. 
Well, the consequence was I purchased a farm near 
Harrisonburg, Shenandoah Valley, and as far as 1 
know of the climate, 1 think it far superior to Yates 
county. The wheat crop is rather light here this 
year, as it was injured very much by the fly. But 
com and other spring gTain look fine, and bid fair 
to be good crops. Potatoes of all varieties are do¬ 
ing well; I dug one hill of the Flukes on the first 
day of July, which is considered a very early variety, 
which contained fourteen good sized potatoes, one 
of these measured ten inches around it. Fruit is 
not so plenty as it is commonly; still, we have 
enough of all kinds. 1 will say there is plenty of 
land for sale in the Shenaadoah Valley yet, and if 
you know of any good energetic men who want 
land, and are willing to work for a living, send them 
here; and all those who wish to make money with¬ 
out work, I would advise to stay away as we have 
enough of such here already. But men of energy 
can purchase land cheap and do well, for we are 
blest with a healthful climate, good churches and 
schools.” 
Early Corn. 
S. N. Holmes, Syracuse, N. Y., writes: — " De¬ 
sirous of having some early com this year of my own, 
I cut a quantity of sods six inches square, turned 
them over and scatched their backs, and then planted 
on each sod sweet corn enough for a hill and laid 
them along in my hot-bed under glass, about tbe 
middle of April last. On the 15th of May 1 set out 
a row of them without their knowledge or consent. 
The result is, now, July 4tb, that row of com is well 
tasseled out, with ears set for corn, making nearly a 
month’s advance towards maturity earlier than by 
out-door planting." 
Texas Cuttle and Disease. 
The people of Texas are indignant at an act of 
Missouri by which cattle, from the former State, 
are denied the privilege of transit to market 
through the latter on the score of being diseased. 
This is denied by the Texas Farmer, which asserts 
that the prohibition is solely for the purpose of fa¬ 
voring the cattle growers of South Western Mis¬ 
souri, by excluding competition from the adjoining 
State. The charge of disease preferred against the 
cattle of Texas would seem to be discredited by the 
action of the St. Louis Board of Trade, which re¬ 
commended a repeal of the law of exclusion. 
Farmers sometimes make what we regard as a 
great mistake in mating their working cattle, not 
heeding the injunction concerning unequal yoking. 
True, the advice has special reference to coupling 
men and women, still it is not the less applicable to 
the junction of animals of a lower grade. A large 
and small ox yoked together present anytliiug but a 
pleasing sight. The incongruity is too glaring to 
give pleasure. In such cases it .a customary to 
attempt au adjustment of the balance by giving tbe 
small ox an increased amount of leverage in the 
yoke, but the success of such a proceeding is rarely 
very conspicuous. There is an unequal coupling, 
too, with regard to temper, which it were better to 
avoid. A really vicious animal is rarely benefited 
by contact with one of an opposite character, while 
the latter is almost certain to deteriorate by the 
association. The better plan is, if you cannot match 
or mate properly from your own herd, to exchange 
with your neighbor. Failing in this, turn the ani¬ 
mals over to the butcher where they can be prepared 
for the block. 
any red wheat 
later than the Mediterranean wheat; butno variety re¬ 
pays good cultivation so well, or yields so little when 
indifferently cultivated, as does this variety. Many 
of the more recent varieties of smooth, red wheats 
were derived from this old standard variety, which 
has been cultivated in many counties in Ohio for 
more than fifty years. Tbe regularity of tbe rows 
of grain ami the tightness of the chaff to the kernels 
show this to be a very desirable variety to cultivate. 
With proper selection of seed, and superior cultiva¬ 
tion, the yield and quality may be wonderfully im¬ 
proved. • 
The Four Rowed Andriolo Wheat is of Italian 
origin, and has been hut little disseminated and 
tested. It was grown to some extent by the late 
Commissioner of Agriculture at Washington. Mr. 
Todd says of it: —“This is a beautiful variety, 
prolific, stands the winters tolerably well, and 
j early. The long awns, or rough beards, are an ob- 
A jection to it, as they are unpleasant to handle, and 
^ make so much chaff, which is a nuisance, when the 
I straw is employed for feeding and littering sheep 
r , and horses. This variety has all the external char- 
y aeteristics of a perfect variety of grain; and were it 
) properly cultivated, no doubt this would he one ol 
( , the best varieties ever raised in America. The ker- 
A nels of this variety are very uniform in appearance; 
\ and the variety is prolific.” 
BUBAL FARMERS’ CLUB 
Note* from 31u*k(-eou, Aficblgnn. 
Daniel Finley gives some practical information 
about Northwestern Michigan. He wntjes :—"Our 
sandy soil, after being once well mixed, is very pro¬ 
ductive. First, it must needs be plowed, two teams 
being sufficient for first breaking. There is a heavy 
growth of vegetation, consisting ol upland brakes, 
uuiialo grass, besides severai otner Kinds oi grass 
that 1 do not know the name of. The grouud in 
the state of nature, is covered with a heavy sward, 
and it trikes a whole year to rot so a* to plow com¬ 
fortably. At the first plowing the ground is only lit 
for potatoes, rye, buckwheat, beans, sorghum, tur¬ 
nips, &C. No winter wheat, or corn, or oat6, can 
be raised on the first plowing. The second plowing 
adapts it to wheat, corn, oats, dec., but the third is 
still better. We have one of the best fruit growmg 
countries in the Western States; for peaches, ap¬ 
ples, pears, [plums and all Bmall fruits. Grapes 
The Reasons Repenting Themselves. 
I he seasons like the members of a common fam¬ 
ily, possess, or carry witfi them, a general resem¬ 
blance, still there are exceptional cases iu which 
extremes destroy the general continuity. These are 
restricted to periods, so the observant say, of from 
seven to fourteen years. The present season is 
classed with tbe exceptional ones, a series of which 
are enumerated by B. F. J. in the Cultivator and 
Country Gentleman, in wnieh the year 1854 is given 
