298 
MOORE’S RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
MOV. 8 
the roof or cornice of which should project 
nt least twenty inches over the wall, is 
shown a specimen of feathered tracery from 
one of the beat example*, with its pinnace 
and pendant. This may be cut out of thick 
planlc, and if thought too elaborate may be 
simplified by omitting the minor details. If 
well executed, it will have a rich effect. 
OPIUM CULTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
F. J, Knox, Stanley Co., N. C., writes the 
Department of Agriculture as follows 
Some four years ago seed of the opium-pop- 
py, originally derived from Turkey, was ob¬ 
tained from the Department of Agrieultuie 
and has been experimented with hero ever 
since. The results have demonstrated that 
both rur Climate and our soil are well udaplod 
to the production of oither poppy-seed for 
the manufacture rf poppy oil, (hu4U d’olicUe 
of the French,) or of opium as good as can 
b j made anywhere. The results have over 
shown that the plant bore is decidedly hardy: 
contrary to wnat is stated concerning it in 
the report of our consular agent at Smyrna, 
jr> 180.1, whirc it is represented os being ten¬ 
der to frost. Hero where the temperature 
some years falls below zero, the seed sown, 
aa in A-iu Minor, in the fall, vegetates freely 
and passes Lho winter safely, to present, in 
the spring plants of remarkable vlgo^ pro¬ 
vided with heads which are numerous and 
large, far superior to the plants raise 1 from 
seed sown In the spring. The yield, how¬ 
ever, has not thus far been abundant enough 
to make the c ilture remunerative. An idea 
may b« formed in that respect from the fact 
that only 218 grains of opium wore obtained 
from 22 ) heads. But the qoa’ity of the opi¬ 
um produced is something sunorior to any' 
thing we can obtain in commerce. It is all 
opium ; none of the filth and seed which 
often constitute three-fifths of the bulk of 
the opium sent to us here. In medicinal 
properties it will not disappoint the practi¬ 
tioner, but present lilm with nil that is ex¬ 
pected from I ho greatest of boons of Provi¬ 
dence to suffering humanity. 
Tno Department’s Chemist says of the 
sample thus produced :—“ The sample of opi 
mn sent was free from foreign matters ; was 
well dried, and was quite hard aud resinous. 
When pulverized and subjected to analysis, 
the air-dried product yielded 5.01 per cent, 
of pure morphine. This proportion of mor- 
phine is rather low ; yet it is nearly equal to 
.Sm t of many varieties of opium from India.” 
--*♦♦>-— 
A CROP 0? CORN. 
if we put in four or five kernels. We always 
save our seed com from stalks having two 
or more ears on them, finding that it im¬ 
proves the com by so doing. W c planted 
this piece the 24th day of May ; but it came 
uu very uneven, some hills not coining up at 
all, and some with one, two and three stalks 
in a hill. This was owir gto the dry weather 
which we had nt that time—for it did not 
rain from the time the corn was planted till 
the first of July. We cultivated and hoed it 
twice during the season. Where there were 
mining hil s, and only one stalk in a hill, we 
planted white beans so as not to lose- the nse 
of the land. 
It was cut, up bound and stacked Sept. 12 , 
it having been jus* 10 weeks from the time 
of planting. We have just husked it out and 
find that we have 40 bushels of nice, sound 
corn, and 6 bushels of nubbins or pig com, 
making at the rate of 104 bushels of ears to 
the act e, which wo call a good yield of corn 
for tills year, the land not receiving any ma¬ 
nure whatever, except the ashes and heu 
manure In the hill, which wo think goes to 
prove that good corn can be grown with 
nothing but ashes ami hen m mure. It ought 
to be mixed but a few moments before using, 
as the ashes et (he ammonia free. The 
ashes we used were unleached. Many of the 
stalks had two and three ears on. full and 
plump, the variety of com which we planted, 
I cannot name ; obtained it of a neighbor a 
few years ago ; it is white aurl yellow mixed 
and makes a nice looking corn, but perhaps 
not so large a yielder as some other variety. 
I hope to see experiments of others in raising 
corn ventilate d in the Rural New-Yorker— 
the best farmer’s paper out. 
Southampton, Mass. S.P. Wolcott. 
We are sorry Mr. Wolcott did not tell us 
what his corn cost him per bushel and what 
it is worth in his market. The question is, 
does corn growing pay with Inin ? 
--— 
(Bconomg. 
SUBSOILING LAND IN .NEBRASKA. 
I frequently see in you* 1 valuable paper, 
requests tor farmers, gardeners and fruit 
giowers, &«., to give their experience, in 
their tA I fieri nt crops, manner of culture, &c. 
I will give mine in regard to a small piece of 
corn ; not because it was a heavy yield, but 
because it was a good yiold in comparison 
with the manure used ; and ako hoping it 
will ha-re a tendency to draw out the experi¬ 
ence of others, in regard to home-made fer¬ 
tilizers, and the different fertilizers to be 
bought in the markets ; also, the yield of 
crus, whit er large or small. We do not 
pay out much money for artificial fertilizer?, 
but rely on stable and barn-yard manure 
and fertilizers made on the farm. We usual¬ 
ly buy one or two barrels of superphosphate 
lo use la tobacco hills, thinking it gives the 
young plants an early start; never have used 
it., or any other artificial manure, on any 
other crops. 
But to my field of corn, the piece com¬ 
prised just an half acre, and had lain in grass 
nine years, it having a crop of tobacco on it 
in ISIS, and was stocked down that fall, and 
has been mowed every year slnoe, without 
any manurhg or top-dressing whatever 
since 1853, and haa given some heavy crop 3 
of gross since, taking off a two horse load in 
13J2. Wishing to t dee it up, wo p.owed it 
May 21 st, about sovon inohes deep, turning 
the turf fiat, or what is called a fiat furrow, 
wish the Peekskiil plow No. 23. The soil is 
a black loam, with a small amount of grit, 
but not enough to keep the plow sooured. 
It was harrowed and the holes dug with a 
boe ; we put the rows throe feet, and the 
hill? three feet in the row ; then wo dropped 
ashes and then manure in the hiU—a single 
handful to the hill, not being afraid to use 
the La id for dropping the mixture. Then 
we put about one hoeful of dirt on it, and 
dropped the corn throe kernels to a bill. It 
has been our plan for a number of years to 
plant but three kernels in a hill, thinking 
that we get better oorn by that number than 
COST OF A BUSHEL OF WHEAT IN ILL. 
A correspondent of the Rural World says 
the fanners of Illinois cannot produce wheat 
for 30 cents per bushel, nor three times that 
amount. He adds This part of the {State 
—Richland eouuty—is called a fair region lor 
wheat, but where the average yield of the 
State is taken, It is about fourteen bushels to 
the acre. This county, during tliolast two 
years, has done a fraction better. 
Wheat was worth with us last fall at seed¬ 
ing Lime, SI.50 per bushel; harvest hands 
were paid from *2 to $2.50 ; for a man and 
team wc paid 4&50 aud board, and for other 
kinds of work in the same proportion. 
I will now give the cost of raising wheat 
in thin part of Illinois, taking one acre as a 
basis for calculations, and estimating the 
yiold at 15 bushels, which is a large average 
for the township, county or State. 
Plowing one acre. $1 00 
Harrowing . . 00 
One and half bushels seed $1.50 per bu. 3 
prilling . “ 
Board . 1 W 
Cutting. 
Binding . £ 
Shocking ..... 
Hauling and stacking . ■ . 50 
Threshing, fifteen bushels. l c7 
Hauling to market .. } 00 
Heat. a M 
Total. $14 37 
Or a fraction over 05 cents a busheL 
S. Rufus Mason, Purple Cane, Dodge Co., 
Neb., writes the Germantown Telegraph the 
following sensible letter :—I have been ex¬ 
amining into the subject of subsoiling, and 
have come to the following conclusions, and 
if any Of them are wrong, I hope some of 
your correspondents, not interested in in¬ 
troducing a subsoil plow, will come out 
frankly and correct me, as I am seeking light 
preparatory to commencing subsoiling on 
my farm next season. 
I believe subsoiling' counteracts drouth 
by opening the soil to tlio atmosphere, col¬ 
lecting moisture from the air by condensa¬ 
tion, (as dew is formed on the surface,) re¬ 
taining a greater degree of warmth, and by 
absorbing nnd holding, sponge-like, the moist¬ 
ure naturally in the hard pan below, theu 
supplying humidity to the young roots by 
capillary attraction from below, and conden¬ 
sation of the atmosphere within the loosened 
earth. 
I believe subsoiling counteracts the ill ef¬ 
fects of floods, by allowing the water to set¬ 
tle quickly below the young roots, instead of 
encasing them iu a pool of water or a mass 
of mud impervious to the air, cold, and ready 
to bake around them upon tlic recurrence of 
dry weather, thus completely checking their 
future increase. 
I believe subsoiling gives to the young 
roots a greater depth of virgin soil (not ex¬ 
hausted of its humus) to feed in, enabling 
them to go down below the great dry heat 
near the sutface, while still enjoying a great¬ 
er degree of xrarmth tempered by moisture.. 
I believe subsoiling is better than manure 
(at least for the first few years), as tli • earth 
then gives forth its natund sustenance, and 
produces a more regular growth, a greater 
vigor than the hot-bed condition of highly 
manured fields. 
I be’levo that subsoiling is cheaper than 
manure and more lasting, more natural, and 
more congenial in its effects upon all crop*, 
especially if the soil is deep. 
I believe subsoiling should be done once in 
four or five years ; but as I do not know how 
deep, wliat time of the year, what kind of a 
subsoil plow to use, nor how much strength 
of team Is required, I especially ass for this 
information from those who practice It. 
My soil ia strictly an upland alluvial, a 
black sandy loam from three to four feet 
deep, without stone or pebble, perfectly fine, 
homogeneous throughout, very rich, with a 
full share of potash, resting on a clear sandy 
bed and packed by the soil, having been de 
posited by waters flowing rapidly. 
Tho climate is very suitable for vegetation, 
but wc have nearly all our rain in the spring 
up to July, and then commences a dry spell, 
increasing in intensity till the middle of No¬ 
vember, say the first heavy snow. We can¬ 
not manufacture enough manure, we cannot 
afford to buy it (high freights,) and if we 
could, manure in this country does not give 
us much increase of moisture in the latter 
part of the season. 
paddles in the yards, but all the best of the 
dung, by washing away all tho best of it and 
serving all like tea put in a pot is served. 
How strange it seems for meD, priding 
themselves on being Above the common run 
of their species, lo suffer such waste from 
their animals ; and not less so that nations 
should not have minds strong enough to de¬ 
vise means for saving tho national loss of 
millions aud thousands t f millions of dollars 
worth of urine, &e. t which is thrown into 
the places where it cannot, benefit any one. 
‘‘Liquid Excrement of Animals,” &c., in 
the Rural New-Yorker, suggested these 
thoughts ; and when it is Known that of 
course men are animal?, independent of their 
minds, aud that of course the waste from 
mankind is as great or greater than from 
any other kinds, how ashamed those who 
are at tho head of the government of towns, 
cities and countries ought to be that they 
cannot confer upon the agricultural class the 
boon of u cheap and valuable fertilizer, in¬ 
stead of having to go to rent and other 
foreign places lor what might be had at 
home in another shape. 
A Working Farmer. 
"BU6H CLOVER” IN ALABAMA. 
A wetter in Calhoun Co., Ala., says :—We 
have in this and adjoining counties a species 
of wild or bush clover which grows wild on 
tho road-Aides, iu old, waste fields, and even 
in the woods where there is not much tim¬ 
ber. I have just returned from an extensive 
trip in this county, and find that thiB season 
it is very luxuriant every w here. Stock of all 
kinds are very fond of it. In uncultivated 
fields it grows from 10 to 12 Inches high; 
not so hi.;h outside, where it s exposed to 
stock All the time, but it becomes almost a 
parlect mat on the ground. It will eventual¬ 
ly, I think, cat out or supersede the native 
wild grasses. La my opinion it is likely to 
really prove a great blessing to the country. 
Sheep and goats, as well ns colts, quit the 
mountains about July, come down into the 
valleys, old field.', and road-sides, and keep 
fat on it until late hi the fall. 
URINE. 
Compton’s Surprise Potato. — Stephen 
Allen asks if we have had any returns from 
obis potato as grown the past season He did 
not &ae it noticed early enough to get seed, 
but wants to know whether it is worth pur¬ 
chasing. Wo have received no testimony 
concerning the past season’s experience with 
it, but shall be glad to receive It. We uoticc 
that a Wyoming Cj, Pa., farmer states that 
ttie vines remained perfectly green until 
frost; its yield was 294 pou ids from one 
pound of seed ; cooking quauties good. 
Men talk of gold, try to get possession of 
it, and some cut each other’s throats for it, 
or worse; for murders and crimes of all kinds 
are committed for gold or its value. Gold Is 
the great desideratum. Yet the agricultur¬ 
ists have an article nearly aa valuable as 
gold, and, in fact, as far as use is concerned, 
independent of the money value, is of much 
more importance, which is wasted by many 
of them as if it was water. All the world, 
excepting a few Western men, acknowledge 
manure to be wealth ; dung, then, in every 
civilized community is known to be a neces¬ 
sity in farming, and those who understand 
relative value say that urine from animate is 
equal in value to dung. Gold is hoarded, is 
coveted, i 3 stolen, is brought from every 
place where It is known to be, yet urine is 
wasted in overy direction ; even the stables 
and yards have gutters and drains for it to 
run away ini Tho vilest whisky is taken 
care of, but the urino of the whole world is 
thrown away I 
The urine wasted in one year would pay 
ev-ry debt standing in any country; and if 
preserved for tho soil would soon double and 
treble the production, yet the waste goes on. 
I have seen it go from the farm buildings of 
intelligent, rich men, who have the reputa¬ 
tion of being very careful of their own in¬ 
terest, I have seen the water from rain¬ 
storms pass through the yards of men who 
are deemed to be of business character, and 
take with it not only all the urine laft in 
COAL ASHES AS A FERTILIZER. 
A correspondent of the Department of 
Agriculture at Franklin, Pa., writes : — I 
have always believed that coal ashes had a 
value for agricultural purpose*, and have 
advocated the free use of tbcm, particularly 
on limestone soil. This season I determined 
to get closer to tho root of the matter and 
test their vaiue fully. I had a plot of ground 
on which T had been unsuccessful for several 
years in raising good Early Rose potatoes. 
The soil was iu the best condition always. 
The tops did well This spring I had the 
ground scored about s;x inches deep, placed 
the cut potatoes in the bottom, and filled up 
with coal ashes. Tho plants grew finely, 
notwithstanding tho dry weather. The tops 
did not fall over even after tie weather 
changed, and I secured ft crop of the very 
beat potatoes for tho table I over raised. 
Tho second experiment was with onion 
seed and coal ashes. I put out five good- 
sized beds in seed. In four tho seed was 
covered with soil; the fifth I covered with 
sifted coal ashes. The result surprised every 
person that knew of the experiment and 
watched its progress. 
A third experiment was started on seed 
which promised utter failure to those who 
looked on. The end has not yet been reached, 
but I am more than satisfied with the result 
thus far, and fully satisfied th'.t my experi¬ 
ment will bring me at least 3108 more than 
if left untried. I have abiding faith in coal 
ashes, and am ready to use all I can purchase. 
-.—- 
SUBSOILING LAND. 
For the thousandth time, almost, we are 
a%kcd by a correspondent if we believe in 
subsoiling land, he stating that ho “turned 
over some stiff clay loam, twelve inches 
deep last spring, and liia crop upon it was 
vastly inferior to that ou land that had not 
been plowed more than four inches deep.'' 
But, good friend, you did 7iot ; ubecil your 
land at all. You trench-plowed it—turned 
the subsoil to the surface; and that subsoil 
turned to the surface In the spring uas 
probably sodden with water, heavy, sour, 
and as unfit to germinate seed in and pro¬ 
mote the growth of plants, nearly, as if it had 
been crushed quartz. Had you trench- 
plowed the land, a* you describe, in the fall 
the result might have been different; and 
yet it might not have realized the first sea¬ 
son all you anticipated from your enterprise 
and industry. But had you really subsotted 
it in spring — that is, run a lifting or subsoil 
plow iu the furrows ufrer you had turned 
the soil four inches deep with tho surface 
plow, lifting and breaking the soil, without 
inverting it or throwing it to the surface, to 
the depth named, we know’, so far as one 
can know from similar actual experience, 
that the result would have been fur different, 
and you would never have questioned tho 
utility and profit of subsoiling such soils. 
. -- - - - 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
Plaster on Wheat- — “A correspondent 
asks, “Will plaster benefit wheat, sown in 
the spring?” Ou dry. loamy, or ?andv sods 
we have found it to do so, though there are 
some theorists who assert it is nsver of bene¬ 
fit to small grain. Practically it seems to us 
that it is. 
JAiM on Worn Land.—A correspondent 
asks “if lime will do good on worn knd that 
has nothing but a few weeds, upon it.” Yes; 
but good barn-yard and stable manure vrui 
do better. 
