PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
plies of food. It may not be amiss to add that an 
occasional infusion of cooked bog or Merino pota¬ 
toes, as they were called, and pumpkins, was min¬ 
gled with the regular contents of the tub, and with 
good effect. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With a Corps of Able Associates and Contributors, 
G. F. WILCOX and A. A. HOPKINS, Associate Editors 
Hon. HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. P., 
Editor of the Department of SUuep Husbandry. 
Pb. DANIEL LEE, Southern Corresponding Editor. 
HHiAM HUMPHREY and REUBEN D. JONES, 
Assistant and Commercial Editors. 
Terms in Advance — Theke Dollabs a Yeab:— Five 
copies for $1 1 ; Seven, and one free to Club Agent, for $19; 
Ten, and one free, for $25 — only $2.50 per copy. As we pre¬ 
pay American postage, $2.70 is the lowest Club rate to Canada 
and $8.50 to Europe. The best way to remit is by Draft or 
Fost-Offlce'Money Order,—and all Drafts and Orders made 
payable to the Publisher may be mailed at nts bisk. 
£5?“ All Business Letters, Contributions, &c., should be 
addressed to Rochester until otherwise announced. 
A SUBSTITUTE FOE, MANURE 
This variety has been deemed one of the most 
promising of the Goodrich seedlings. It is a white 
skinned potato, with eyes of medium depth, and in 
shape it inclines to length rather than roundness. 
It is rather late, and is :i good keeper and valuable 
for winter use. It has the reputation of being pro- 
lilic. To what extent it, or any of the new sorts, 
will be introduced as leading market varieties, is yet 
a question. The new kinds must he better than the 
old ones or they will not ‘supersede them for market 
purposes. The Early Goodrich, for instance, will 
hardly sell at any price in the leading markets, on 
account of its very poor quality this year. It is 
prolilic, hardy, &o., but, this season, almost worth¬ 
less for the table. As a consequence there is a large 
demand East for the Dyekman for seed, and that 
variety has sold much higher in Western Now York 
this fall than any other. The Harison has many 
good qualities, but it yet requires the test of general 
trial in the leading potato growing localities, and in¬ 
troduction to the market, to determine its real value 
and position. 
After making and saving all the manure that the 
present, general system of farming in this country 
renders practicable, there is sufficient to adequately 
fertilize hut a small portion of our cultivated 
land. Farmers sultivate the larger part of their 
crops without any manure, and those to which the 
article is applied, rarely receive sufficient to restore 
what they withdraw from the soil. Successful 
farming here is based, at present, on the natural 
fertility of the soil, the use of clover, and the lay¬ 
ing of land down to grass to let it recuperate. This 
is a natural course of events until a country becomes 
densely populated, when the demand for varied pro¬ 
ductions of the soil springs up and causes a rotation 
in the cropping; food is consumed near its place of 
origin, and the manure it makes returned to the 
soil that grew it. When the manufacturing and 
commercial classes consume the surplus products 
of the farm near to it, there is opportunity for re¬ 
storing to the soil by manure all that is abstracted 
from it by the crops. 
But, in the meantime, what shall take the place of 
manure on the prairies of the West, the fields of the 
South and farms of the Middle States ? We answer, 
thorough culture of the soil. Every farmer has 
heard of the theory of Tull, that the soil contained 
inexhaustible fertility, and the only thing needed to 
render it available was minute division of the par¬ 
ticles to admit air, water and the feeding roots of 
plants. He claimed that if the culture was thor¬ 
ough enough crops might be grown continuously 
on soil without exhausting it. Science has rejected 
this theory, and logically shown that soil thus 
treated will, at length, become utterly exhausted 
and barren. But facts are hard things, and often 
smash finely constructed scientific theories, and 
there is no recorded instance of naturally good 
soil becoming barren under such treatment. On the 
contrary experiments seem to indicate that with 
thorough culture and continuous cropping, the 
yield at lirst increases, then falls to a certain stand¬ 
ard below fvhicli it is not apt to range. There seems 
to he an end to this downhill road before it reaches 
the desert, or even passes the region of moderate 
average crops. 
By thorough culture we mean any and all me¬ 
chanical operations which tend to aid the roots of 
plants in procuring food from the soil. It includes 
uuderdraining, subsoiling, plowing, burrowing and 
rolling, every means, in short, whereby the area of 
soil in which plants grow, may be pulverized, deep¬ 
ened, drained of stagnant water and rendered porous 
and lively. On heavy toils, thorough culture will 
produce greater results than on light, for there the 
immersed when all rabbis' will float off. Care should 
be takeD to have the uppVi end of strips above high- 
water mark. If sand should enter the box it will 
accumulate at the bottom (from whence it is easily 
removed) and not pass through the pipe to wear the 
valves and apparatus attached thereto. 
fered, some years ago, for satisfactory proof that 
wheat will change to chess. Several persons claimed 
it, but their statements and proofs would not bear 
the ordeal of a scientific investigation. Almost any 
farmer who believes that wheat does turn to chess 
can find plenty of quite plausible evidence to sup¬ 
port such belief. But such transmutation is not yet 
established as a fact. 
Wliat Kind of Tilo is Best? 
C. H. M., Blacksburg, Va., writes“ What kind 
of tile is best? Some 'say fill the ditch partly with 
stone and cover with straw before the dirt is put in 
and it will keep open.” 
Straight, smooth pipe tile, for ordinary firm soil 
wc consider best. Our tile makers do not produce 
as good work yet as the English. One great fault is 
that they warp in burning, and being curved cannot 
be laid as close jointed as desirable. Sole tile are 
not objectionable if straight, but they are never so 
and to lay them well the sole often has to he. put 
uppermost. Therefore round, or pipe tile are bet¬ 
ter. In laying it may he well enough to put an in¬ 
verted sod over each joint to keep loose dirt out 
while filling the ditch, but if the tile can be turned 
in the solid, clean earth, without displacement it is 
better thau to cover them partly with stone and 
straw. If atouc are put in the ditch over and around 
the tile the water will not follow the tile, but flow 
around and under them, softening the earth, and 
washing it, so that in time, the tile will settle out of 
line and the drain will be spoiled. 
Wheat nfter Wheat. 
C. Crane, Bridport, Vt., writes;—“ Last spring I 
sowed two and one-fourth acres of wheat which 
yielded thirty bushels per acre. Is it advisable to 
sow wheat on the same ground next year?”—The 
yield indicated a rich soil. If it has previously been 
in grass for some time, or been heavily manured, 
another crop of wheat might be safely ventured. 
But if the soil is only ordinarily fertile, and the 
yield was owing a good deal to a favorable season, it 
would be much wiser to plant potatoes, sow barley, 
or oats and seed. 
LETTER FROM TEXAS.* 
Description of Eastern Terns, what Crops vuxy tie Grown 
— Northern. Terns. Product*, Scenery and Minerals— 
Western Ter.as. Cattle and jShetrp flaisina — Southern 
Texas, Superior Advantages, Products, Meld and Oil 
inule—t'oluintrus, Openings for Factories, Water Power, 
die.—Railroads—Prices of Lands and Products-Emits 
—How Northern Immigrants arc R<weired. 
1 have read your graphic description of our State 
in the “ Texas Almanac,” and believing you are dis¬ 
posed to call the attention of the world to this, the 
“destined Empire State of the Union,” I have pre¬ 
sumed to write to you. First I will give yon a des¬ 
cription of Texas, its climate, soil, vegetable pro¬ 
ductions and magnificent field for labor, enterprise 
and capital. I suppose you are already well ac¬ 
quainted with our country in all of itB characteris¬ 
tics, hut there are many in the Northern States who 
are not, (and as this is written for publication,) it 
will not be amiss to notice as many of the particu- 
Wnsps Devouring Moths. 
A correspondent tells the following story: — 
“ We had some apples drying on a board in the 
door-yard, and as I was passing by I saw a black 
wasp on the apples. Whether it was the mud 
wasp or another kind 1 know not, but pretty soon 
a common sized brown miller came and commenced 
eating, and as quick as thought the wasp sprang and 
canght the miller by the end of one wing. The 
miller strove to get away, but iu vain: the wnsn 
The Ilyrtraiillc Rain. 
L. D. Snook, Barrington, N. Y., 
sends us the 
WATER 
TPDMQ j $3.00 PER YEAR. 
I tnulS) ( Single Copy, Six Cents. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y„ AND NEW YORK CITY. 
Accipre I 82 Buffalo St., Rochester. 
rlGfco, (41 Park Row, New York. 
earth is richer, but, under ordinary management, 
more impervious to the roots of plants. Let the 
farmer who cannot make manure enough to insure 
large erops, resort to thorough culture, and put his 
soil in such mechanical condition that plants may 
avail themselves of all the food it contains. Not 
only would the increased production tend to furnish 
a greater supply of manure, but the improved con¬ 
dition of the soil would give more force to the fer¬ 
tilizers that might be applied. 
-- 
FATTENING- HOGS. 
The best lot of fattened hogs we ever saw had 
the range of a large orchard till the trees began to 
shed matured fruit, when they were transferred to 
a more restricted space for a short time, and then to 
a clean, warm pen, properly bedded as the cold sea¬ 
son approached. Their food consisted of meal made 
by grinding corn and cob together—the “nubbin” 
portion, so-called, of the corn harvest. Two large 
tubs were placed under shelter, near the hogpen, 
one of which was partially tilled with the corn and 
cob meal, hot water applied, and the whole well 
stirred up. When partially fermented cold water 
was added, tilling the tub, when it was ready for 
use. Another was then prepared in the same way, 
and when the first was exhausted the second was 
resorted to, and so on alternately till the hogs went 
to the shambles. As the owner had considerable 
dairy stock, the hogs had advantage also of the 
sour milk resulting from butter making, by way of 
dessert. These hogs increased in weight with great 
rapidity, and at killing time were scarcely able to 
each the trough containing their customary sup- 
iuiiowmg:— in very many localities uus appara¬ 
tus is used for the purpose of raising water for the 
nse of stock, culinary and uthor purposes. Where a 
great amount of water is used, and a proper work- 
lug location cau he had, the hydraulic ram will be 
found the cheapest apparatus that can be obtained 
for this purpose. The cost of one is not great, and 
when rightly constructed and arranged will save a 
vast amount of hard labor. In most cases the foun¬ 
tain head of the drive-pipe is located in a small 
stream, overflowing at every considerable fall of 
rain, and consequently filliug the pipe with sand 
and grass. 
X- 
Vl aTEh P 
“ Ib tHe above sketch I have endeavored to show 
an apparatus that is not open to the foregoing ob¬ 
jections. The end of the drive-pipe is supposed to 
be placed in a stream of running water. The water 
and sand tank is constructed from inch-boards with 
a hinged top lor the removal of accumulated sand. 
At the right is attached the drive-pipe; at, or near 
the upper left-hand side is placed a strainer, also one 
at entrance to drive-pipe. At some distance from 
the box is placed sill B, to which is firmly secured a 
number of inch strips, P, projecting over the box as 
shown. At low water the grass will accumulate on 
said strips, as it rises the grass will loosen and float 
to the surface, and so continue until they are wholly 
c —v ’ — 
held fast and drew him nurer until he got hold of 
his body and commenced biting. I passed along, and 
in a minute or two returned and found the miller 
all eaten up, except the head and wings and a little 
of the tail.” 
Curing Poll-Evil. 
James Seafield, Fairfield, Md., writes:—* 1 1 had 
a horse that was pronounced incurable, of the poll- 
evil, as the horse doctor had given her up to die, I 
thought I would try au experiment, I laid open the. 
swelling with a knife and loreed it to run; after it 
had run twenty-four hours I washed out the incision 
with soap and water and sprinkled quick lime into 
the cavity. This process of washiug out and liming 
I repeated every twenty-four hours for about two 
weeks, at the end of which time the swelling had 
gone downy and the sore healed over. This I did 
two years ago thi6 present November, and there is 
no sign of the return of tl.e poll-evil. I would ad' 
vise a trial.” 
Bean Culture. 
A “Subscriber” asks some of the readers of the 
“ Rural Farmers’ Club” to inform him regarding the 
culture of winter beans for market, which are the 
most profitable dwarf or running varieties ? What 
kinds are the most productive, sell best in market, 
and are best suited to latitude tiff ? 
The Chess Question. 
R. S. Collins, Port Republic, writes that his 
neighbor and himself disagree about tbe chess ques¬ 
tion. This is quite natural for we don’t think a 
half dozen farmers can be collected by chance, who 
will think alike about it. A liberal reward was of- 
lars us possible. 
“Eastern Texas ” (extending from the Sabine to 
the Trinity river,) is generally a well watered, well 
timbered country. The lands on the rivers and 
streams are remarkably fertile, and are adapted to 
the growth of com, cotton, wheat, rye, oats, barley, 
and many other crops which heretofore have at¬ 
tracted little attention. This section has long been 
producing fine yield of cotton and all of the cere¬ 
als. For a further idea of this section I will say it 
resembles tbe States of Georgia and Alabama very 
much in aspect aud general appearance, the vege¬ 
table growth being nearly the same as of those 
states. “ Northern Texas ” (extending westwardly 
across the State and north to the boundary of the 
United States,) is a fine stock and agricultural re¬ 
region. The lands are generally a black “hogwal- 
low ” prairie, aud are very fertile, producing fabu¬ 
lous yields of ail the cereals, and are also adapted 
to the growth of cotton, but the inconvenience to 
markets renders its cultivation limited lor the pres¬ 
ent. From 40 to 100 bushels of corn, from 25 to 50 
bushels of wheat, or a bale of cotton, are raised per 
acre. The prairies are covered with the finest of 
grass, on which stock of all kinds keep fat without 
any other provender through all the year. The 
scenery of this region is uniquely picturesque. 
Hills, mountains, valleys, plains, prairies, wood¬ 
lands, streams and brooks are in some places tumbled 
together in confused disorder, or laid out, as it 
were, by a careful hand. From the bases of these 
* Tins communication was addressed to Dr. Randall, 
but appears more appropriate in this department. The 
writer views the subject on one side only—the rose tint¬ 
ed odi‘ — and without questioning the correctness of bis 
statements, we ao not forget that the reverse has some 
repelling shades. 
convenient,; rivers more navigable, and are all 
rapid, affording tbe finest water power in the State 
for oil kinds of machinery; nearer and more acces¬ 
sible to market by reason of its railroads; and more 
wealth aud enterprise among ite inhabitants. Here 
is my home; here I write from, and here I expect 
to spend the remainder of my life; and here I in¬ 
vite all emigrants to come. Our lands are the rich¬ 
est in the State, and unsurpassed by any iu other 
States. We raise ordinarily of com from 40 to 100 
bushels; of cotton, from a halo to a bale and a half; 
of sugar, one hogshead per acre. I have heard it 
asserted by reliable farmers that they hud raised and 
gathered two bales of cotton, weighing 500 pounds 
each, on the Brazos and Colorado bottom lands. 
Tills section is adapted to the growth of cotton, 
corn, sugar, rye, oats, barley, millet, broom corn, 
sorghum, Hungarian grtws, blue grass, timothy, 
fescue grass, California clover, llax, hemp, indigo, 
peas, potatoes of all kinds, melons of all kinds, 
vegetables of all kinds, aud of some varieties two 
erops per year. 
A new era ha3 dawned upon our people upon a 
trial of crops other than corn and cotton. The 
ramie plant has this year proved a success by ex¬ 
periment iu this section, yicldiug from 1,500 to 2,000 
pomid6 per acre, worth iu market cents per 
pound. The castor bean is yielding beyond the 
most sanguine expectations from 50 to 75 bushels 
per acre, worth iu market *2.50 per bushel. Broom 
coru is yielding from one to tw o tons per acre. Wc 
have a broom factory in successful operation near 
Columbus which is turoiug out a considerable quau 
ty of brooms, which owners of said crops say an 
(laying better this year than previous cotton crops 
have done. We have a high rolling prairie e> ;mtry 
(0L XIX. NO. 48.1 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, N0YEMBER U, 1868, 
I WHOLE NO. 9 
