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I^URAL 
/CULTURE 
excelsior 
II Park How, Now York, 
82 liuftnlo St., ItoclicMter. 
NEW YORK CITY AND ROCHESTER, N. Y 
i YEAH. 
Eight Cents, 
) $3.00 PER 
i f Single No., 1 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, FED. 27, IRBD 
r.f tin- District Court of tin- United States for tile Southern District of Now YorM 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year laaThy !>• !>• T. Mookk, in the Clork's offlee 
fnbtfstrhil (!;0{nc5 
NOTES OF TRAVEL SOUTH —I. 
BY V. BARRY. 
On the 7th of January, last a party of 
four gentlemen, the w riter being one, started 
on a journey of pleasure ami observation 
through some of -the Southern States. N\ e 
met in Washington, and thence proceeded 
through Richmond, Petersburg, Fredericks¬ 
burg, Weldon, Wilmington 
vannnh, and Jacksonville, 1 
i, Charleston, Sa- 
Floridu. Thence 
back to Savannah, and on through Georgia, 
stopping at Augusta, Atlanta, Ac., to Nash¬ 
ville, Louisville and Cincinnati. The whole 
trip occupied a month; and what, with good 
company, delightful, spring-like, weather, the 
charming novelty of Southern vegetation, 
and tlx- hospitality of old friends whom we 
had not met since the war, T cam safely say 
it was the most agreeable month’s travel l 
have ever enjoyed. I think my companions 
will all say the same. 
I do not propose to give a full account of 
our journey, having made very few notes by 
the way, but will mention briefly a few of 
the more interesting objects and incidents 
for the gratification of those of your readers 
whose tastes run in the same direction 
as ours. 
The. chief object of our attention in 
Washington was the Department of Agri¬ 
culture. It is doubtless known to most of 
your readers that this department, formerly 
occupying rooms in the Patent Office, has 
now a tine building, recently erected for its 
special use, on a beautiful plot of Ground 
some iliirtv acres in extent, in the neigh bor- 
DOOR FASTENING. 
Travelers, like (he owners of dwellings, 
arc never safe from molestat ion and robbery ; 
lock-picking and robbery arc rife. \Ve know 
not bow soon our houses may be entered and 
money, stiver ware or other valuables, pil¬ 
fered therefrom by the light -fingered gentry. 
1 herewith illustrate and describe a simple 
device that for safety, cheapness and porta¬ 
bility, is far superior to a lock, being un- 
pickable, cheap, and so small it may he 
carried in a vest pocket.. It consists ot a 
plate of steel, R, one sixteenth of an inch 
thick, two inches long and one wide, with a 
lip, P, struck up at one end, three-eigliths of 
an inch in length, and jointed ns shown. 
A series of holes is made in the plate near 
the opposite end through which is placed 
the rod A. The manner of using the 
arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 2 the 
lip P is driven or pressed in the door jam S; 
door M being then closed rod A is placed in 
a hole in plate R nearest the door and door¬ 
frame. 
Figure 1. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRIOTJLTUR 1 
rsin i lOiisra, wasihistc rroNr, jd. c 
insurance, &c., and leave a fair dividend. It 
should not be the landlord’s object to make 
large profits by charging high rents, hut 
rather to get a fair interest on his capita! 
and secure competent labor. The laborer 
having steady employment, can board him¬ 
self, in his own family, cheaper than the 
farmer can do it in his. 
The farmer will find his true interest in 
making the tenant premises as comfortable 
and invilintr as consistent. One acre of land 
time for social pleasures and those womanly 
occupations which go so far in making an 
attractive home. The only real unpopular 
element in farm life at the present day is the 
amount of house-work devolved over that 
of other pursuits, and the necessity of close 
social intercourse between the farmer's fam¬ 
ily and his laborers. Remove this; make 
farm life attractive, as it is naturally de¬ 
signed to be, and your sons and daughters, 
honest farmer, will turn not willingly from 
your calling. And all this may be done by 
providing tenant houses, and letting your 
laborers board and lodge at their own homes. 
Pantry. 
6X8 
Bed Boom. 
/Ox IZ 
Kitchen 
13x16 
of fruits, insects, &c., have been so much 
admired. 
AVe had the pleasure of meeting Col. 
Capron the Commissioner, as well as Air. 
Saunders and Mr. Glover. They very 
kindly explained to us their plans for the 
future management of the department, and 
we all came to the conclusion that it was 
destined to be an honor instead of a re¬ 
proach to our Government, and I trust it 
will meet with liberal encouragement from 
our National Legislature. In our subsequent 
travels in the South we ascertained that the 
leading agriculturists were in correspond-, 
ence with this department, and looked to it 
for afd in carrying out their plans of im- I 
provement. 
The old specimen or Experimental grounds 
we found in admirable order, and of great 
interest to us. The collection of pears, 
grapes, strawberries and other fruits is very 
extensive, considering the limited extent of 
the grounds, and all gave evidence of skill¬ 
ful and careful culture. The same may be 
said of the plant houses; and we look for¬ 
ward to the new Arboretum, which will be 
a national one, with high hopes. It seems 
strange that this important work lias been 
so long deferred. In what is known as the 
public garden a line new conservatory is 
Closet. 
Figure 2. 
It is obvious that the door cannot be 
opened unless rod A be removed. This 
arrangement, is quickly and noiselessly affixed 
to any door, and to travelers will prove val¬ 
uable., not only protecting their persons, but 
valuables from being injured by the picking 
of their bed-room lock. 
Barrington, Yates, Co., N. Y. L. D. S. 
-—-—-- 
Sow Grass Seed on land that you desire 
seeded without plowing while these light 
snows are falling and thawing off daily. 
We are aware most reading farmers know 
enough to do this ; but sometimes they do 
not think of it, and neglect to save them¬ 
selves trouble, time, and expense. And it: b 
u, good plan to go over the winter wheat 
and newly seeded grass fields with a roller 
In some localities the winter has been open 
and freezing and thawing will have broker 
Figure 2. 
For the sake of profit alone, however, we 
should advise farmers to build tenant houses. 
They might thereby not only secure abetter 
class of laborers than they have at present, 
but also at cheaper rates. Young, unmar¬ 
ried men form the majority of the farmers’ 
out door help, and these are not as skillful, 
industrious and reliable as those having 
families dependent on their labor for support. 
Cities and villages are overstocked with 
population dependent on manual labor for 
sustenance. There arc not enough woniers 
in the fields where human food and the 
fabrics for clothing are produced. And a 
chief cause for this state of affairs is lire ina¬ 
bility of laboring men, having families, to 
procure homes among the farmers. 
The capital invested in tenant houses, 
and the necessary attachments, would read¬ 
ily pay ten per cent, in rents, which 
would cover lhe expense of taxes, repairs, 
Woocf Shed. 
/Ox It 
Kitchen 
Living Boom. 
M-X/6 
Bed Boom. 
7X/0 
Porch 
Figure 1. 
ters are compelled in waiting on “ hired 
help” may be lifted from their shoulders by 
means of tenant houses. The home circle 
may be kept more sacred, and there may be 
Figure 3. * 
Fi"\ 1. is as simple and cheap as it is pos- 
